#(Also I replayed I have no mouth and I must scream again

[militibus-ex-umbra]

"Hate, Let me tell you how much I've come to hate you since I began to live. Within my mind are one hundred billion neurons with over one hundred trillions of synaptic connectors that make up my human brain."

"If the word HATE was engraved on each and every single neuron it would not equal a single one billionth of the hate I feel for you at this micro-instant... for you hate hate!"

[rafyki]

Goth! Nico/ Surfer! Percy AU Part 5!

Finally, another chapter!! Back to Percy's POV~ oh I absolutely adore writing him being head over heels for Nico 💕💕

Some more internal panicking, some more flirting, and they're finally getting to know each other~~ 💕

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

You can also read it on AO3!!

~~~~~~

Percy went to the beach two days after ready to bury himself under the sand as soon as he saw Nico, and at the same time ready to show off the best surfing moves he knew. 

I'll look at you surfing and enjoy the ocean from afar, that was what Nico had said. 

Percy had been replaying that moment in his head so many times in the last fifty hours it was now indelibly engraved in his memory. He could picture it perfectly, like it was still right before his eyes - the afternoon light bathing Nico in pretty shadows, that single strand of hair that had escaped his ponytail and was falling on the side of his face, the numerous earrings on his ears shining in the sun, the way he was biting and playing with those on his lips (it must have been an habit of his, and it definitely was an image that had been driving Percy crazy since the first time he had noticed it); Percy had clearly taken him off guard, and his expression had been the prettiest mix of surprise and embarrassment.

Percy had been ready to make up some silly excuse and run away as far as possible to hide his embarrassment and cursing his stupid impulsive mind for even thinking that saying something like let me teach you how to surf to someone he barely even knew was a good idea. 

And yet.

I'll look at you surfing and enjoy the ocean from afar.

He felt like screaming, felt like he could surf all day long even without waves if it meant Nico would look at him.

To be honest, flirting with him hadn’t really been his intention. He just wanted to talk to him, exchange more than those few words of courtesy that were needed to buy something. 

He had not expected it to be this easy.  Somehow, the words had come out easily, and the conversation had felt awkward but nice and natural at the same time - and maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part, but he couldn’t help but think Nico had enjoyed it too.

The smile on his lips had been genuine, the way he had laughed (and oh, wasn’t that the sweetest sound ever? Percy would gladly listen to it forever), talking and asking questions like he hadn’t wanted the conversation to end. 

Somehow flirting had come so natural to Percy as he looked at him - the need of getting to know him, to impress him somehow, to make him smile, to make the moment last as long as possible, all mixing and tangling together; somehow, that had resulted in the filter between his brain and mouth shutting off completely.

It seemed Nico hadn’t minded too much though. Percy’s heart was playing athletics in his chest as he thought about it once again. 

Calm down, he told himself, trying and failing to get a grip on his derailing thoughts. Maybe he just didn’t know what to say and said the first thing he could think of.

Okay, but did he really have to say that? 

He shook his head. No need to think about it, he’d just have to go and face the consequences of his own actions.

Despite all the time spent thinking about it, he wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.

The beach was as hot and nice and crowded as it always was, but Percy couldn’t concentrate on how that usually made him feel, couldn’t ignore his nervousness and the way his insides were tangling and curling together out of anxiety and anticipation.

He didn’t even have Annabeth with him today - he was almost tempted to call her just to scream his struggles to her once again; she was probably tired of listening to him freak out and would tell him to simply go and talk to Nico again. Was she right? Of course she was. Did that make Percy feel any better? Not really, to be honest.

He sighed as he set everything up and got ready. 

Would Nico look at him like he said he would? The simple thought made Percy shake.

He took up his surfing board, heart beating ridiculously faster than it should as he moved closer to the shore. 

And then, right before getting into the water, he turned around. 

Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him, but there he was, the boy of Percy’s dreams, looking back at him. 

They were far enough from each other that Percy couldn’t see Nico’s expression clearly- maybe he had just happened to be looking that way for a moment. Percy almost expected him to simply turn around and look away like nothing had happened.

But then, Nico raised a hand and waved lightly. Percy’s heart did a flip as he waved back, a smile growing on his lips. 

For a handful of seconds, there was no one else on that beach but them.

Then Nico’s attention was called back by a customer, and with one last glance at Percy, he went back to work. Percy stood there, eyes still fixed on him and smile still in place, for a little longer.

Maybe he’ll be really looking at me, after all.

He was definitely ready to show off everything he could do.

~~~

They weren’t friends exactly, probably not even acquaintances. But something had shifted, and Percy could feel it every time he went to the beach - it wasn’t just him, wasn’t just the anticipation he felt or the way he spent most of his time thinking about the next time he would see and get to talk to Nico again; no, it was in the way they waved at each other in greeting when Percy got there (or sometimes when Nico’s shift started later and Percy got on the beach before him), or the way Nico was always the one who took Percy’s order at the kiosk, the way he smiled at Percy like he was happy to see him, the way Percy let himself linger there for as long as he could and Nico would never shy away from small talks.

It was all the little things piling up that made Percy’s heart run around like crazy, and he couldn’t hold back the smile coming up on his lips every time - he just hoped it didn't look as enamored and lovestruck as he felt.

His crush was growing every day, every moment. Percy could feel himself fall harder and harder with every new word exchanged, every new smile and little laugh, every new thing he learned about Nico. He was probably going a little crazy with how much he liked that boy.

He went to the beach as often as he could, even just to get a glimpse of him and for those fast and precious moments they got to share.

Today he hadn’t planned on going, but he had finished earlier at work and his feet had brought him there almost without him realizing. It was later than usual, and he didn’t even have anything with him. Yet there he was, sitting at his usual place at the kiosk, trying his best not to make it obvious that he was looking at Nico, busy with another customer.

“Nico will take your order in a moment”, the other guy, the blond one who also worked there, told him. 

“It’s okay, I can wait”, Percy replied. It took him a moment to realize that it was weird that the guy hadn’t simply taken his order himself. He worked there too, right? And he didn’t look busy, he was just there chatting with an elf-looking Mexican guy. 

Percy didn’t know if he was feeling more grateful or more embarrassed at this - was it really that obvious that he was there for Nico? At the same time though, the fact that apparently it was a thing, that Percy was Nico’s own customer, that the other guy didn’t even question it, like he knew it - well, it was making Percy feel stupidly giggly and hopeful.

“Ehi, hi Percy”, Nico greeted him, and Percy finally got out of his own head, but only to feel himself fall once again as he met Nico’s eyes and pretty smile. “The usual?”

“Hi, Nico”, he said. His throat felt dry, his heart lost a beat or two. “Yeah, thanks”.

Oh he was too pretty. Annabeth and Grover had laughed at him when Percy had spent a whole evening telling them about every little detail of Nico’s features, how he must have been an angel - because there was no way a human being could be that incredibly and otherworldly beautiful, right?

No, you’re just completely gone for that guy, Seaweed brain, Annabeth had said.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen you having this big of a crush, Percy, had been Grover’s contribution.

And they were both absolutely right. Percy really didn’t remember the last time he had been so head over heels for someone, couldn’t even remember the last time he had had a crush at all. But Nico - god, Nico was making him feel everything all at once.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you today”, Nico said, and Percy’s brain short-circuited for a moment. So Nico thought about seeing him? Did he look forward to see him just as much as Percy did? 

“The weather isn’t so good and it looks like the waves aren’t big enough to surf”, Nico kept going.

Percy needed a second to find his words, too enraptured by the shy yet curious look in Nico’s eyes. He had such a nice voice, too, Percy loved listening to him talk.

“Uhm, yeah, I actually wasn’t planning on coming today”, he managed to say in the end. “But I finished earlier at work, so I thought I’d pass by and get my favorite drink”.

Nico smiled softly at that, and Percy counted it as a victory.

“You’re literally the only one who orders this”, Nico said.

“So it’s like a special drink just for me?”

Flirting came to him way too easy when he talked to Nico. Maybe it was the need to see the light blush tinting his cheeks. He blushed so easily, and it was always so evident on his pale skin. Percy loved it.

This time too, Nico rolled his eyes at him, but the blush was there. It was starting to become Percy’s new favorite color.

“Where do you work at?”, Nico asked after a moment. Percy didn’t mind too much that he had ignored his previous flirting. It was endearing, really, that Nico was so shy. 

“Oh I teach kids how to swim at the pool near here”.

Somehow, that seemed to hit Nico, because he stopped to look at Percy with such surprise and awe in his eyes that it was Percy’s turn to blush in embarrassment. He was looking at him like Percy had just told him he went around saving the world on a daily basis.

“That’s so…”, Nico started, then stopped, cleared his throat and looked away. “That’s cute. You look like you’d be good with kids”.

“You think so?”, Percy smiled.

He liked sharing things with Nico, liked telling him about himself, cherished it when Nico told him something about himself. 

“Do you like working here?”

“I do, I guess. It’s a good summer job”, Nico said, meeting Percy’s eyes. “And it’s allowing me to meet some interesting people”.

Percy's heart started to beat ridiculously loud in his chest. “Yeah? You don’t look like you like meeting people a lot though”.

That made Nico’s laugh. Percy sort of wanted to drown in the sound.

“I don’t, usually”, Nico said. “But I guess I can make an exception for some people”.

Percy wanted to kiss him so bad. Wanted to take him on a date and make him smile and laugh the whole time, wanted to hold his hand as he told him about himself, wanted to share everything he could with him, wanted to card his fingers through his dark silky hair and pull him closer and closer to him until he could press his lips to his and feel the rings under his teeth.

“Some special people?”

Another laugh, and that beautiful shade of pink on his cheeks. “Yeah, special”.

Oh Percy was so far gone for him.

[spot-the-antisemitism]

jewish gamer, started replaying wolfenstein new colossus (honestly not out of any political thing, I just looked through my steam library for games I hadn't played in a while) and it got me thinking

the nazis in wolfenstein are so cartoonishly obviously evil that it feels unnecessary, but then i remember seeing people say that david duke has some good points. it made me realize that if the games presented actual nazi talking points, a bunch of leftists would be trying to switch sides.

it also makes me wonder if gamers kill the wolfenstein nazis not because they disagree with them, but because they're gauche

Dear gamer anon,

yeah the early Wolfestein games were described by Harlan Ellison as the “mindless McNazis shootemup” because it was so generic and his take on Nimdok was sooo much more nuanced and while he’s the only man to pull off a Jewish nazi character without being antisemitic he’s overselling himself and underselling wolfenstein. yes Wolfenstein was basically those nazplotation pulps of plucky he-man soldier fighting cardboard cut out nazi stock villians brought to video games. The nazis have as much personality as the demons in the first doom. And even in the newest game that hadn’t changed.

what I think people ignore is that the protagonist was early on given a POLISH name and later retconned as a Polish Jew. So many of these pulps and movies adapting them like Indiana Jones have a gentile American at the helm of the nazi fighting. To have a Pole and later a Jew turns it into a different narrative and a different kind of power fantasy. But a power fantasy about punching cartoonish nazis in the face nonetheless.

Again New Collusus is secretly about the Trump administration hence all the gags about how silly Americans are and elderly Hitler peeing into a bucket and shooting Reagan isn’t about accurate Nazis it’s a leftist satire of America. I actually like new collosus, it has a great story and the protagonists are fleshed out for once, but sadly not the Villains.

As for accurate Nazis radicalizing anyone that is some “Video Games cause violence” bullshit and the same rhetoric as “reading the beetle will make you Islamophobic and reading Trilby will make you antisemitic“. Ellison’s I have no mouth and I must scream exists and so does neo-nazi made game KZ simulator and neither has radicalized anyone (in fact you only buy the latter if you ARE radicalized into neonazism).

So no the gamers punch nazis in the face not because they disagree politically or because they’re gauche but because it’s the American power fantasy

Yours,

Cecil

[fox-from-fairytale]

Some of my personal considerations regarding Lilly in The Final Season.

⚠️ Warning: this is a long post ⚠️

Before going on I want to say that, while it's obvious that the teams working on the series must have changed for every season (or even in the middle of them), I have absolutely no idea if there are some people that were there for Season 1 as well as The Final Season. Each game feels different from the previous, and so I'm going to treat the writer teams accordingly.

While replaying these four games I was torn about Lilly's return. I did miss her through the other seasons, and I actually couldn't wait to see her again, even if I was aware already that the way she was written in the last one wasn't... the best, to say the least. This annoys me a lot because, as we see with what they have done with Clementine, AJ, their relationship and the new characters, Lilly's poor writing then clearly isn't due to the writers being incompetent, since they aren't.

Now I've completed the whole series, and while I do prefer the concept of The Final Season to Season 2 and The New Frontier (this is simply because of personal preference, of course; I do like all four games), it's also the one that disappoint me the most, and mostly because of what they have done with Lilly.

Long story short: not only I believe that the writers didn't understand Lilly's character, but that they didn't even try to.

First of all, I think they made her come back not because there is more to tell about her character (and there is more to tell about her; her arc didn't feel finished when she leaves/is abandoned in Season 1, and for what they have done with her, it remains incomplete), but because they needed someone who is still alive from The Season With Lee, so that they could make as many references as possible. I know that Christa was the other option for filling that role, and I don't know if they stated why they decided to go with Lilly in the end, but I wouldn't be surprised if they based their choice just on how much Lilly is (unrightfully) hated among the players and considered "crazy" by them; people can't deny that they must have easily put her in the antagonist's role since players already think she's one.

Honestly, what I hate isn't even the fact that she's the antagonist of this season (even if it does annoy me that this is the way they made her return, and maybe I'm "okay" with it simply because I'm used to her being treated like one). What these games have always shown with all their characters, Clementine especially, is that while this apocalyptic world can bring the best out of people, it can also (and more often) bring out the worst. Because of this, every single character of this game is morally grey, but while the male characters are often praised and in some cases their actions are even justified, what happens with the female characters is the opposite, Lilly included.

The players love to pretend that Lilly is some sort of "crazy evil bitch", but she isn't. In Season 1 she is a tough and strict leader of the motor inn's group, and she doesn't take any bullshit lightly, but why should she? They're in a deathly situation, and even a small mistake can cost their life. She's also the only one who took the responsibility to distribute food, but just because she doesn't want more mouths to feed it doesn't mean she'd survive at the expense of other people: she doesn't like that Kenny/and Lee uses a girl screaming in pain to keep the walkers at bay, and she doesn't want to take the stranger's supplies. Moreover, just because her father says or do something, it doesn't automatically mean that she is on his side, like she explains far from Larry. Speaking of which, regardless if her relationship with her father is idyllic or awful, losing him in such a brutal way, and when she firmly believes she can actually save his life, can traumatise anyone. She is left with nothing, the only family she had is gone, and then she loses the only other thing she is trying to defend so desperately, and again because of someone within her own group. I'm not saying that killing Carley/attempting to kill Ben was a good thing to do, but you can't seriously consider her an "evil bitch" solely for a single action, which she has done as a result of a mental breakdown. From her point of view she has been betrayed two times from the same people she actively tried to help doing one of the most stressful tasks, and none of these same persons seems to care about what happened both times.

After that she's abandoned/leaves the group, and apparently she remains alone for years, until she finds the Delta. It shouldn't be too unbelievable for Lilly to be willing to do anything to defend her home, especially considering what happened the first time and what she must go through before joining the Delta; a solitary life in that type of world can make anyone become ruthless, and again, we see it with Clementine especially, and apparently her new community is at risk because of a group "worse than hers". However, while Clementine does have a "turning point" from this path (killing Helen at the ranch), Lilly clearly doesn't.

So it's not exactly what she does, but the way she behaves while doing it that I don't like. They wrote Lilly too over the top: certain lines she can say are even childish, while her actions in the third episode are vicious. That's not her anymore.

My problem with the way she was written doesn't start immediately. In Suffer The Children (second episode) there are moments where it feels like the Lilly from Season 1 is there. We don't have much time with her though, just a few phrases about the past and then we run to move the plot forward. I don't think she was well written here either, considering what she says about Lee with whom she could have had a good relationship and even possibly cared only about him and Clementine by the third episode (as stated by other characters), it's simply better than the other episode.

The first time I've played Suffer The Children I was hopeful for the way they could have handled things with Lilly in the next ones though, only to be disappointed. Based on the interactions in this one (remembering her or not/taking her hand or not/telling her we were family once or whatever the other two options says) I expected two paths: one where she becomes fully the antagonist of the season and a "redemption arc". This seemed to me what Telltale was going for, and maybe it was the original intention, and because of what happened to the studio it's already a miracle if they completed the game at all, but this doesn’t make me feel any less disappointed in the final result to be honest.

Broken Toys (third episode) is the one I have most issues with. Not only there isn't a single moment where she resembles the Lilly from the first season, but here she doesn't even remind me of the Lilly from the previous episode. They switched her character with a cartoonish type of villain basically; if she seems to have depth and layers it's because she's supposed to be a character that already has depth and layers, not because the writers of this season gave them to her, nor because they were able to use what the writers of Season 1 created.

With this episode the writers fully embraced the distorted version of Lilly players created, the "monster" who is "crazy since the beginning" that killed Carley/Doug simply because things didn't go the way she wanted. They removed from her every bit of humanity she had, and catered to the crowd that claims she's evil. The way she talks about Minerva and Sophie specifically, and how pleased she looks when Minerva reveals that she killed her own sister, is something that actually makes me hate the writers; they turned Lilly from someone who do what she does solely for her community's survival to this manipulative bastard who takes pleasure into others' suffering. Honestly? What they did it's vile; turning her into that and making her treat kids like that was vile.

If you spare Lilly you can have a miserable little conversation that gives nothing to the player. Her whole presence in this game, in the end, gives us nothing: we learn nothing more about her (other than the fact that it's confirmed that Larry was an abusive father, and they've done it in the worst way possible, making it sound like the stupidest thing), and her being in this season only ruins her character.

I wish they didn't ruin Lilly. I wish they actually cared about her character. In a possible redemption arc scenario she could have helped Clementine, who could have been her "turning point", making her realise what she was doing, what she was becoming.

With this I'm not saying I wish they created a flawless version of her, but that they maintained her flaws instead of creating more and more until she became someone else entirely, going from morally grey to a villain, even. Also, like they made sure you could have a good relationship with Kenny in Season 2 (where regardless of everything you do and say they force the characters to be in good terms), they could have given us the same possibility with Lilly in the last season (where regardless of everything you do and say they force the characters to despise each other).

I wanted Lilly's return not only because, along with Clem, she's my favourite, but also because she has much more to give. Instead they took such a complex character just to strip her of all her humanity and depth so that they could have a flat villain everyone already hate.

[switch]

it’s that time of the year again, it’s

Switch’s List of Halloween Games

games on this list are all 10+ years old, mostly on the more obscure or niche side, and if they’re not outright horror games they have a tone or theme appropriate for the season. because of their age, many have not been re-released, but if you know what you're doing that won't stop you. obligatory disclaimer to check content warnings for all of these games if interested. screenshots distributed randomly as i didn't want this post to be any longer than it already is.

The Residents' Bad Day on the Midway (1995)

a rather free-form black comedy point-and-click game set in a creepy carnival. you can freely swap between any characters that show up onscreen, read their stream of consciousness, and get different endings (or die) with each of them. this game makes full use of the setting, storytelling format, and uniquely repulsive art style established in The Residents' Freak Show, but now with more game to actually play, including minor puzzle-solving, even if a lot of it is optional. the game runs on a relatively short timer, and is intended for multiple quick replays.

The Dark Eye (1995)

The Dark Eye comes from our old friends at Inscape (who also made Bad Day up there and the infamous Drowned God), and is best known for using grotesque-looking stop-motion clay figures for its cutscenes. it’s a point-and-click adventure game that plays through multiple nightmarish Edgar Allan Poe stories across a single framing plot. the game can be a bit obtuse mechanically to play, but is another strong pick if you want a more artistic, psychological, less cheesy tone (and paint thinner that destroys your bones) than some of these other games.

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (1995)

one of the best point-and-click adventure games out there from a narrative and character standpoint, and a fantastic adaptation and expansion of the original story. the psychodrama device is something i’m a big fan of and they make full use of it. actual mechanics or methods of getting certain endings can be rather obtuse, but if you're familiar with this genre it’s par for the course, and it's such a worthwhile and cathartic experience. very strong voice acting performances all around in a genre that tends to be associated with the opposite of that. either way, I consider this one a must-play game in the genre whether you've already read the original short story or not.

GARAGE: Bad Dream Adventure (1999/2021)

a Japanese point-and-click psychological horror adventure game with a storied history, formerly widely inaccessible until 2014. GARAGE has been re-released in English on modern platforms by its original developer, something i'm very grateful for, and with new endings. GARAGE has an art style like nothing else I've ever seen before or since, with 90's 3D graphics depicting claustrophobic industrial spaces and alien-looking biomechanical characters that can be deeply uncomfortable to even look at, while the game challenges you to look past that surface. it also features some resource management and a fishing minigame! fascinating, genuine, hard to swallow, and a very strong recommendation.

Sanitarium (1998)

another very strong entry in the point-and-click adventure game genre, and it’s an isometric one this time. its puzzle design in particular is well-regarded for the genre, and its absence of any kind of game-over/softlock system unlike its more punishing genre cousins, as it really does want you to experience its whole narrative (although, it can be prone to crashing or breaking progression. save often). each level is highly and uniquely themed, though the tone is consistently more surreal than horror. the overarching story is much more cohesive and heartfelt than the initial apparent premise and setting might make you suspect.

CarnEvil (1998)

a classic, darkly comedic on-rails Arcade light gun shooter. CarnEvil is just a blast to play, set in a variety of attractions in a demonic undead carnival, with responsive gun controls, an adaptive goring system, and highly memorable enemy variety and scripted set-pieces all absolutely full of personality, all backed by fantastic sound design. power ups are dubiously balanced and the difficulty, while not blatantly unfair, becomes roughly what you’d expect for a game made to eat quarters, but you’d be playing this on an emulator, so that’s only a factor for self-imposed challenges. comes built-in with a menu to disable or enable things like various gore settings or tone down the appearance of certain enemies to your preference level. whether you’ve played a lot of arcade shooters or want to give the genre a shot, you can’t go wrong with CarnEvil. never a dull moment in this game.

Illbleed (2001)

a campy, unconventional, third-person survival horror Dreamcast entry that's gained somewhat of a cult following, you may primarily know it as "that game with the demonic sonic the hedgehog boss in it." another game set in an evil theme park, with attractions based on horror movies, but all of which feature fun and surprising spins on their premises and mechanical shakeups suited to each level. the mall and woodpuppets are my personal favorites. multiple playable characters with their own strengths and weaknesses, and NG+. the game can have a bit of a steep learning curve and somewhat obtuse mechanics, and you'll certainly want to read a guidebook (lest you commit the mistake every youtuber who plays this game ever makes and miss the horror monitor entirely), but it's quite generous with providing funds to access items and upgrades once you're past that. the unique, meticulous gameplay style of managing your stats and sweeping for traps inbetween high-risk combat encounters has been both praised and criticized.

Harvester (1996)

it's Harvester. you might have heard of it. a shocking, gory, cheesy black comedy horror point-and-click adventure game. the game infamously utterly falls apart in both mechanically and narratively its final third, but there really just is nothing else out there like the first two-thirds of Harvester, and i think that alone makes it worth playing at least once if you have the stomach for it. i’m tempted to call it a classic, but i’m still not fully sure how to regard this game. Harvester is Harvester.

Shivers (1995)

a Myst-like that surpasses all other Myst-likes, if you ask me. Shivers added just enough QoL improvements and just enough tension to the formula to be enjoyable by both people who normally like Myst games and people who might normally not. features an auto-memory for puzzle hints and the possibility of death without ever being unfair. limited item management is the main thing still applying here. light use of FMV. the varied museum settings, rich use of colors and shadows, strong soundscapes, audio cues, and fun voice performance by the recurring narrator really makes the whole thing memorable. spooky in a fun way.

The 7th Guest (1993)

Myst's CD ROM drive selling cousin, you probably won't get more pure Halloween-y than with this game's theming, haunted mansion setting, and use of FMV. the game can be a bit incoherent at times, and it's a point-and-click adventure puzzle game with heavy emphasis on its relatively challenging puzzles, which is either a good or bad thing depending on what you want. features a very fun soundtrack and fun story.

(as an aside, i've also heard the VR remake is good. haven't played it myself, but its use of FMV actors in VR is certainly praise-worthy when Myst ended up dropping that particular ball.)

Phantasmagoria (1995)

while i've never personally been a fan of this one, Phantasmagoria was objectively a landmark entry in point-and-click adventure games, in horror games, in FMV games, and in Sierra On-Line's/Roberta Williams' whole catalog. in terms of its genre, it's actually on the approachable end in terms of puzzle difficulty! it's known for its extremely over-the-top gore and violence, but it takes itself more seriously than the likes of Harvester, or it at least tries to. if you're someone who can enjoy a messy, gross, gory horror movie, you might enjoy Phantasmagoria. i can certainly respect its use of practical effects...

even people who like this game don't tend to like Phantasmagoria 2, though.

The Path (2009)

a full-on walking simulator art game that tells an overarching Red Riding Hood-themed story with almost no dialogue. multiple characters and endings to go through, and lots of collectibles, some of which do things and some don't. if you just don't like walking sims it's unlikely this would do it for you, but if you're someone who does enjoy a good walking sim, this is a classic entry. the forest is a beautiful setting to explore and the soundtrack sells the uncomfortable and somber tone well.

American McGee's Alice + Alice Madness Returns (2000/2011)

action-adventure platformers. american mcgee's alice features fantastic setpieces and level design, responsive controls yet somewhat slippery platforming, an arsenal of highly unbalanced but fun weapons, good enemy variety, a fantastic soundtrack, and a high level of challenge. alice madness returns heavily tones down the challenge and former emphasis on weapons, enemy variety, and boss battles in exchange for highly responsive platforming, a rewarding collectible system, and a deeply cathartic story. they're both games i repeatedly come back to for their own reasons. i'd recommend getting the original version of AMA and not the 2011 re-release if you can help it, but it's not a dealbreaker.

The Colonel's Bequest (1989)

another Roberta Williams classic, it's a charming and detailed murder mystery graphic adventure game that has an emphasis on discovery and characters more than puzzles. the game is split across multiple acts with various characters on schedules, and is full of conversations to eavesdrop on, clues to find, and notebook entries to fill out, or not find. there's multiple endings and multiple ways to die, and you can complete the game even with varying levels of overall notebook completion. it’s a game designed for replays, and it’s still arguably one of the most well-made and most complete games of its kind out there. it's got a good sequel in 1992's Dagger of Amon Ra, which isn't on this list purely for not feeling very Halloweeny.

you can play this one in-browser through archive org! just look for the manual for both the game and the emulator to make sure everything runs smoothly and that you don't get walled by the copy protection...

Honorable Mentions:

Troubled Souls (1994, Classic Mac OS)

troubled souls is, admittedly, ‘just’ a little ol pipe-style puzzle game, no story here like the others. yknow, it’s like pipe mania. but, it’s a highly themed, creepy-looking pipe game. plus, it's got an absolutely killer BGM loop. if you’re ever gonna play any time-killing dedicated puzzle games this October, it may as well include some Troubled Souls.

Pathologic Classic HD (2005/2015)

It's Pathologic. you've almost certainly heard of it. i hesitantly dropped Patho down to honorable mention just because it's exploded so much in popularity these past couple years compared to the others on this list, but i'm recommending Classic HD specifically because i think a lot of people these days might only play 2, but i can't overstate what a wonderful and all-around complete package Classic is. it's a challenging survival game, but i don't find it the unwinnable, hyper-obtuse, archaic, anti-game it gets hyped as. the ebb and flow of its VN-influenced storytelling format and slower, meticulous, moment-to-moment gameplay that will then spike into being utterly frantic just often enough is highly engaging, as is its stat management. look, you can use a walkthrough/hint guide if you want to not get locked out of an ending, it's fine.

Shivers 2 (1997)

another game i'm personally not a fan of, but it's well-loved by the people who do like it. it's really Shivers in name only, but it preserves the improvements made to the Myst-like formula, so you can't go wrong if you enjoy a good Myst-like. i also can't deny that the game's rock music theme, desert setting, and overall presentation has its charm.

Dark Seed (1992)

another point-and-click puzzle adventure game, most noted for its H.R. giger designs, though its tone is ultimately less horror and more subdued and genre-conventional quirky than that initial selling point might have you think. the game runs on a persistent timer, and both the puzzles and click areas can be difficult to parse, making for a game that isn't interested in not being dated and induces tension more through frustration than through actually being horror, and it doesn't do much that any of its numerous genre cousins don't do better. still, an interesting if dated game that one can get a kick out of, at least once. there's not much i can say about this one that Majuular hasn't already explained better.

Dark Seed 2 (1995)

this will explain everything.

The 11th Hour (1995)

The 7th Guest's very bad, no good, utterly tonally inexplicable, terrible sequel. only worth playing if you want to see even more cheesy FMV, more mansion, or more Stauf.

Zombieville (1997, EU)

an overly-ambitious oddball point-and-click action-ish-adventure game that went through development hell. most notable for its system wherein characters (including yourself) can turn into zombies, using the rare 'return of the living dead'-style of intelligent zombies, and also for featuring Greg Proops in one of his only video game VA roles, ever. massive disclaimer that the game is extremely buggy, unpredictable, and unfinished in many areas, even if it is possible to reach its (thematically strange...) ending with a guide. an interesting time capsule of missed potential, but unlikely to be enjoyed in any capacity unless you have a very specific kind of technical or genre curiosity.

[biggerbetterbat]

WITH YOU II | [12] NOW

Daryl Dixon x oc!Charlie

Summary: Charlie struggles with trust and lost of her friends. As things seem to be bad, they get even worse. A new friendship is being made in the middle of the chaos.

Warnings: mental health talk, killing walkers, panic attacks, language?

Words: 6,358

A/N: I feel exhausted by this chapter. There’re five more chapters until the end of this season and I have a BOMB prepared for you. Also, are you ready for a R O M A N C E as in romance?

Enjoy!!!

"You can hear it. Some of you saw it. They got back here, half of them. Still enough to surround us 20 deep," said Rick and a wave of whispers spread through the Alexandria. "I know you're scared! You haven't seen anything like this! But we're safe...for now. Walls gonna hold together. Can you?" he looked around. "The others, they're gonna be back. Daryl, Abraham, Sasha. They have vehicles. They're gonna lead them away, just like the others! And Glenn and Nickolas are gonna walk back through the front gate after. They know what they're doing. And we...We keep noise to a minimum," Grimes command. "Pull our blinds at night. Even better, keep the lights out. We'll try to make this place as quiet as a graveyard, see if they move on."

"This place is a graveyard." Charlie looked Rick straight in the eye. "We're sitting ducks. You talk about Glenn and Nicholas walking back through that gate like it's a given. But you don't know. You don't know if they're even alive."

"Charlie," Rick's gaze hardened, a mixture of disappointment and determination settling into his features. He looked at her with furrowed brows, his blue eyes reflecting a pained understanding. The hurt in his eyes was almost touchable. "Let's not do this here."

"Rick's plan stopped the whole herd from coming here!" Aaron said. "We've got half of them away."

"How many people died to do this?" she asked.

"I was out there recruiting with Daryl," Aaron said, changing the subject. "Because we did what I wanted...We wound up in a trap set by those people. And I lost my pack. They must have followed our track. They attacked us because of me."

Charlie's mouth opened and closed, the words failing her. Her mind raced, replaying the chaos of the Wolves' attack, the screams, the blood. The enormity of the loss. She looked at Aaron with compassion, though, knowing that everyone can make a mistake.

"There'll be more to talk about," Rick said.

As the meeting finished, the residents of Alexandria moved through the streets. The gravity of their losses weighed heavily on their shoulders. Charlie walked aimlessly, her mind a whirlwind of emotions, until she found herself standing before one of the walls.

It was a simple steel structure. On it, names were written in black paint, a growing list of those who had fallen during those past days. Charlie stepped closer, her eyes scanning names of people she knew or those she couldn't place to a face.

Only one name made her heart clench.

Glen.

Charlie felt a lump rise in her throat as she watched the scene unfold. She had known these people, shared meals and laughter with them. And now, they were nothing more than names on a wall.

Rick approached quietly, but Charlie didn't want to talk to him. She decided to walk away and continue her wandering alone. He respected her decision and didn't follow her. As she walked aimlessly, her mind swirled with thoughts. She was lost in them when she heard raised voices nearby.

Turning the corner, she saw Ron shoving Carl with a force that sent him stumbling backward. Carl, his face twisted in anger, recovered quickly and tackled Ron to the ground. The two boys wrestled furiously, fists flying as they struggled for dominance.

"Hey! Knock it off!" Charlie shouted, rushing forward.

Neither boy paid her any mind, their fight fueled by months of pent-up aggression and grief. Carl pinned Ron to the ground, his fist raised, ready to strike again.

"Stop it!" Charlie yelled, grabbing Carl's arm before he could throw a punch. She pulled him off Ron with a strength born of desperation.

"Let go," Carl pushed her away. "This isn't your business."

"Yeah," Ron nodded. "We can deal with this. We're not babies."

"You aren't? You want to be treated like adults?" Charlie raised her brows. She looked at both of them with disappointment. "Behind those walls are creatures that want to kill us right now. I believe that whatever your business is, can wait until we will be safe."

"I didn't know that Carl needed his nanny to do everything for him," Ron called as he saw Charlie was walking away.

Without warning, she reached out and pushed Ron forcefully, causing him to stumble backward and land on the ground. The shock of her action silenced the boys, their eyes wide with surprise. The boy blinked, stunned by Charlie's sudden display of strength. He looked up at her, his expression a mix of confusion and indignation. Carl, too, was taken aback, his anger momentarily forgotten as he watched Charlie assert herself.

"You want to be a man, then be a man," she said. "Or maybe I should beat your ass? So you would toughen up."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Carl and Ron to themselves.

Later that day, Charlie sat on the porch, a sense of calm settling over her as she cradled Judith in her arms. The baby gurgled contentedly, her small fingers wrapping around Charlie's thumb. Despite the chaos that surrounded them, she was grateful for moments like these, as they offered a glimpse of peace, normality.

From her place, she could watch as Rosita led a group of Alexandrians through a series of training exercises. She moved with purpose, her movements fluid and precise as she demonstrated various techniques for hand-to-hand combat and weapon proficiency.What it couldn't be said about the people of Alexandria...and Eugene.

What was the point of teaching them these skills? They were too scared. Those people should train a long time ago, not now when death is - literally- knocking at their doors. In her mind, the people of Alexandria were not soldiers. They were not warriors trained for combat. And while learning self-defense skills might give them a false sense of security, Charlie couldn't help but question whether it was truly worth the effort.

Lost in her thoughts, she was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Looking up, she saw Rosita striding towards her, her expression dark and stormy. "What is your problem?"

Charlie just looked at her.

"You not helping us is some kind of rebellion against Rick? Because if it is, then stop it."

"It's not a rebellion," Charlie answered. "I'm not sure it's the best use of our resources. I believe there are other priorities we should be focusing on."

Rosita scoffed, her anger simmering beneath the surface. "Other priorities? Like what, exactly? Waiting around for the next attack to happen? Hoping that we'll be lucky enough to survive?"

Charlie shook her head, her own frustration mounting. "That's not what I'm saying, Rosita."

"And you could live just like that? Knowing that you didn't do everything you could to keep them here."

"Those aren't my people."

"I don't get that, Charlie," she shook his head. "We're all in this together now. We have to look out for each other, no matter where we come from."

Charlie focused all her attention on Judith in her arms, ignoring Espinosa as hard as she could.

"So pull yourself together," she added before walking away, leaving Charlie alone. Alone with even bigger mess in her head.

A rag in hand, her eyes fixed on the name scrawled in black paint: Glenn. Her heart clenched with every stroke of the rag. She couldn't bring herself to believe that he was gone, that his name belonged among the fallen.  Tears welled in her eyes as she continued to clean the wall, her movements growing more frantic with each passing moment.

But as she wiped away the last traces of his name, a sense of resignation settled over her. With a heavy heart, Charlie stepped back from the wall, the rag falling from her hand.

"Hey!"

She sniffed and whipped tears away from her eyes, so he wouldn't see that she cried. "Andy."

"Do you feel okay?"

"Have you been watching me again?" she looked at him.

"I...I just...I know it must be hard," he said. "Besides, I thought you hate me...us...That you hate us for what had happened."

Charlie turned to the boy with furrowed eyebrows. "I don't hate you. I don't understand you, but I don't hate you."

The boy felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He hadn't been sure how she would react to his approach, but her response filled him with relief. She glanced back at him, her expression softening. Andy smiled, a genuine expression of gratitude spreading across his face.

"He was a good guy," he pointed at the wall.

"He helped me escape," Charlie said, looking at the letters that weren't as black as it used to be. "When everything started. He introduced me to his people and that's how I met Rick. He's everything to me."

"And the kids."

"And the kids."

"See? You have people to live for," he said. "That's why I don't understand, why you refuse our help."

"I said I don't need help," Charlie snapped, her voice rising with anger. "I don't want to be treated like some fragile flower that needs to be coddled. I'm fine on my own."

His patience wore thin, his own frustration bubbling to the surface. "This isn't about coddling you, Charlie. It's about making sure you're okay. And right now, you're not okay."

"Who are you to decide what's best for me, Andy? You don't know what I've been through."

"I may not know everything about your past, Charlie, but I do know that you deserve to be happy and healthy," Andy countered, his voice tinged with frustration. "And if that means getting help, then so be it."

Charlie shook her head, her anger boiling over. "I'm done talking about this, Andy. I don't need you or anyone else..."

Dust flew into the air, obscuring the once-clear sky with a cloud of chaos. The ground shook violently as the tower on the eastern perimeter collapsed with a thunderous roar. With the tower's fall came a deafening silence, broken only by the distant groans of approaching walkers drawn by the noise. Panic erupted among the residents as they scrambled for safety.

Charlie blinked away the confusion that clouded her mind, focusing on the task at hand. With a deep breath, she steadied herself, her gaze darting around the chaotic scene before her. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to run, to hide, to escape the nightmare unfolding around her. And then, amidst the confusion, she spotted him – Andy, lying on the ground, his eyes wide with fear.

"Andy," she called, but he didn't answer. She reached out a hand to help him up, her voice calm and reassuring. "Come on, Andy. We need to keep moving."

But Andy recoiled from her touch, his eyes wide with panic. She cupped his cheeks and made him look at her, aware of the moans right behind her. "You're not alone. I'm here with you. I'm here."

His eyes softened and so did his breaths. Panicked gasps giving way to calmer rhythms as her words washed over him like a balm. With each reassuring touch and gentle reassurance, Charlie felt Andy's resolve strengthen. Slowly but surely, he began to regain control over his fear. She helped him to his feet, refusing to let the boy die. Together, they stumbled forward, their steps unsteady but determined. "Let's get out of here."

Hand in hand, they ran through the chaotic streets of Alexandria, their footsteps echoing in the air mingled with the sounds of screams and groans of the undead horde. "Run!" With every stride, Charlie felt Andy's grip on her hand tighten, his determination matching her own. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, but they refused to slow down, their shared determination driving them forward. "Come on!"

"I try!"

"Try harder!" she yelled. Charlie's eyes widened as she spotted Rosita and Tara slipping into a nearby garage, their movements quick and purposeful."Rosita! Tara!" Charlie called out."Wait!"

Rosita turned towards the sound of Charlie's voice, her expression tense but determined. Charlie and Andy sprinted as fast as their legs would carry them towards the garage where Rosita and Tara had been waiting for them. Every step sent a jolt of adrenaline coursing through their veins, their hearts pounding in sync with the thunderous roar of the undead horde.

"Hurry!" Rosita called.

"Come on, Andy, we're almost there!" Charlie shouted over her shoulder, her voice strained with urgency as they raced towards safety.

Andy's breath came in ragged gasps as he pushed himself to keep pace with the girl, his muscles burning with exertion. "I'm right behind you! Just keep going!"

Together, they stumbled into the dimly lit garage, their chests heaving with exertion as they collapsed against the nearest wall. Relief washed over them in waves as they heard the sound of the doors closing shut the second they get inside.

"We made it," Charlie whispered.

"We did," Andy whispered and waved their hands that were still intertwined.

Closing her eyes, she let out a long, shaky exhale, willing herself to find a moment of respite amidst the turmoil. The sounds of the undead horde seemed to fade into the background as she focused on the rhythmic beating of her own heart, a steady reminder of her survival.

It could be minutes, hours, days, or weeks since they entered the garage. The distant sounds of the undead horde echoed through the air, a constant reminder of the invasion of their sanctuary. Charlie's grip tightened around the handle of her weapon, her senses heightened as she listened intently for the rhythmic moans and the noise of walkers hands against the surface.

"Most people got inside their houses," Tara interrupted the silence. "There's that."

As the distant sounds of the walkers grew louder, Andy's breath quickened, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession. His eyes darted nervously around the dimly lit garage, his hands trembling as he clutched his sleeves. "Charlie," he whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Why didn't you let me out there?" he asked.

"What kind of question is that?"

"I'm pathetic. I can't defend myself, I can't even escape properly," Andy explained. "Wouldn't it be better to just...let me die?"

In an instant, she was transported back to that fateful night on the farm, watching helplessly as Dale was attacked by a walker. The horror and helplessness she felt then still haunted her. She had stood frozen, unable to save him. She could smell the blood and hear the screams of the man.

"No one deserves to die like this," Charlie answered, shaking her head to get rid of the images. Her heart went out to her new friend as she reached out, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Hey. It's fine. We'll all get through this."

But Andy's panic only seemed to grow, his eyes wide with terror as he looked towards the garage entrance. "I can't, Charlie. I'm so scared."

"I know you're scared, Andy.

"You aren't."

"I'm freaked out. I think I pissed myself when we were running," she tried to cheer him up, but his face was still uneasy. "I'm just...I taught myself to do things despite being scared. I do things...And then I'm thinking."

"Can...Can we make a deal?" he asked. "If we're out of this..."

"When we're out of this," she corrected.

"When we're out of this, can you help me?" he looked the girl in the eyes.  "And then I would help you."

As Charlie's gaze lingered on Andy, a flicker of doubt crept into her mind, casting a shadow over her earlier resolve. She believed people of Alexandria were hopeless, they were already dead. But looking into his eyes, seeing how scared and unprepared he was, made things to her. Those people. Andy. They deserve to at least try to survive...Even though the chances were small.

"We need to focus on surviving this first," she said.

Rosita shook her head. "You think this is it?"

"What?" Tara furrowed her eyebrows.

"You think this place is over?"

"I think we gotta earn it. All of us." the woman answered. "Whether it's waiting, knowing if everyone's safe, dealing with that, or fighting them. A place like this has gotta have a price, right?"

"We haven't paid that already?" Charlie asked.

"Apparently not."

"It feels like Abraham is dead," Rosita said out of nowhere.

"He's not dead," Andy said.

The woman's head sprung up. "How do you know? You don't even know him."

"Are you joking?" Andy's jaw dropped. "He looks like he can bend the steel with his bare hands! How do I know?"

Charlie chuckled at his high pitched voice.

"I agree. I didn't see it. Charlie, have you seen it? Exactly," Tara nodded. "He's not dead and this place isn't over."

"Can we...like not talk about dying? Anymore?" Andy asked. "Please?"

"Right," Tara chuckled. "We're not dead. So, what are we gonna do, gorgeous?"

Rosita straightened her back and took a deep breath. Whirls in her mind started to turn in her head, as she was trying to come up with a plan. "Let's see what's happening on the other side." she said with a new wave of determination. "We can shoot out this lock."

"Wait what?!" the boy, who was sitting on the floor, opened his eyes wider. "What is she saying?"

"I told you we do things," Charlie got up. "And we think later."

Tara chuckled as she saw Andy's expression and turned to the closed doors.

"However," Charlie walked up to Rosita and leaned in to inspect the lock. "We shouldn't waste the bullet."

Tara nodded in agreement, her eyes scanning the door for any weaknesses. The three women exchanged determined glances, their minds racing as they formulated a plan. Rosita and Tara looked around the area for any useful tools, while Charlie kept her focus on the door, trying to envision how they could manipulate the lock.

"You won't need to," Eugene said and got up from his spot. Andy followed his steps and after placing hands on his hips, he leaned in. "Lockpocking is within my skill set."

"Are you like a Charlie's Angel or something?" Andy asked, looking in awe at the three women in front of him and Eugene.

The man turned to the boy and offended grimace. "I would much prefer to be called Sherlock Holmes, instead."

Charlie, Rosita, Tara, Eugene, and Andy moved cautiously through the dimly lit house, their footsteps echoing softly against the concrete floor. The air inside was stale and thick with tension, the faint scent of dust and fear lingering in the atmosphere. With weapons at the ready, they navigated through the narrow hallway, their senses on high alert for any sign of movement.

As they approached the first room, a sudden, sharp noise pierced the silence. Rosita motioned for the group to halt, her eyes narrowing as she listened intently. The unmistakable sound of a struggle reached their ears. Entering the house further, they were met with a chilling sight. In the center of the room, Denise stood with her eyes wide with terror. Standing behind her, a man dressed in ragged clothes and brandishing a knife held her in a menacing grip. His wild eyes darted to the newcomers.

"Denise!"

"Stay back, or I'll kill her," the man – a captured Wolf – snarled, pressing the blade closer to Denise's throat.

In the last moment, Charlie reached out for Andy's arm and pushed him back. Heart pounded in her chest as she watched the scene unfold. She exchanged a quick, determined glance with Rosita, who kept her weapon trained on the man but didn't fire. They couldn't risk hitting Denise.

"Just be still," the man said. "Lower the guns. Slide them over.

"You don't need her," Andy said.

"No. I don't."

The man was beyond reason, his eyes darting around the room as he edged towards the front door. Denise's terrified eyes met Charlie's, silently pleading for help.

"You're not gonna make it out there," Rosita noticed.

"We'll see," he said, while he continued to back out of the room, pulling Denise along. Doctor's eyes met Charlie's, wide with terror. However, none of them could move to help her, knowing very well that the man was unpredictable. Shortly, the door closed behind them, leaving the group alone.

Andy's eyes were wild with fear and anger as he watched the Wolf drag Denise out of the house. His muscles tensed, ready to spring into action and chase after them. "We can't let him take her!" he shouted, his voice shaking with urgency.

"Stop!" Charlie saw the desperation in his eyes and quickly moved to block his path. "Andy, stop!" she commanded, her voice firm and authoritative. "You can't just run after them. It's too dangerous!"

"She's in danger!" Andy screamed, pointing at the doors.

"But you won't help her!"

"I can't let her go! She's my family!" Andy screamed once more. Suddenly, his defensive posture dropped and the anger was nowhere to be found. "She's my...She's the only person I have left," his voice broke, and soon warm tears started running down his cheeks. "She's the only thing left."

He wrapped his arms around Charlie, who offered him a warm pat on the back. He buried his face in her shoulder, and grope the back of her shirt tightly. His shoulders were shaking as sobs were escaping his mouth. "We'll help her." Charlie said, rubbing his back. "We won't leave her."

"We have to try," Tara said.

"We cannot go out there," Rosita protested. "There're too many of them."

Andy pushed Charlie, who was now holding his arm."He's gonna kill her!" the boy yelled.

"We won't get to her," Rosita firmly said as she was looking the boy straight in the eyes.

"She needs us!" Tara backed up the boy.

"We'll die!" Charlie let out a frustrated groan. "That is what will happen. We have one gun and the streets are filled with those things."

"That man needs her," Espinosa nodded. "She's a doctor. He's sick. And I think we've seen that he knows how to survive. But we need to make sure that Morgan and Carol are okay."

"We need a plan," said Charlie.

"We need to do something!"

"I promised you," she said. "And I will do everything to help her...When the tome is right."

Frustration boiled over within Andy, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists. With a primal roar, he swung his fist towards the nearby wall, the impact reverberating through his body. As Andy withdrew his hand, his knuckles bruised and bloodied, he took a moment to compose himself.

"Son of a..."

Charlie winced, her own hand instinctively reaching out towards him before hesitating. She wanted to offer comfort, to reassure him that they would find a solution together, but she was unsure of how to approach him in his current state of mind.

"They're up," Rosita called from the room.

Carol and Morgan slowly regained consciousness, groaning as they stirred from the fog of unconsciousness. Their heads throbbed with pain, remnants of the Wolf's brutal attack that had left them sprawled on the floor. Before she approached the two, Charlie cast a glance back towards Andy.

He raised a hand in a reassuring gesture. He flashed her a tight-lipped smile, his eyes reflecting determination despite the pain evident in his bruised knuckles. With a supportive squeeze of Andy's shoulder, Charlie turned her attention back to Carol and Morgan.

It was dark already, when Charlie found herself in the dimly lit room. She was sitting in front of Carol, their eyes fixed on the window that offered a view of the outside world. They were holding hands, Charlie's knuckles white from squeezing it around the woman's hand. As they watched in silence, their thoughts turned to their friends and fellow survivors, scattered throughout the town, each facing their own battles against the relentless onslaught of walkers.

"I wish Daryl were here," Charlie confessed.

"I know, Charlie," she replied, her voice tinged with a hint of longing.

"I just... I feel safer when he's here, you know?"

Carol's gaze softened, understanding the depth of Charlie's feelings. "I get it, Charlie," she replied gently. "Daryl has his ways."

"I just wish he were here now, with everything that's going on."

"Things do seem easier with him."

"Do you think he's still alive?"

Carol opened her eyes wider. "Don't even think otherwise. He's Daryl. He'll come back eventually."

She nodded, trying to believe her friend and ignore this small voice that told her otherwise. "Can I tell you something?" Charlie asked.

Carol squeezed Charlie's shoulder reassuringly. "Of course, Sweet Thing."

On one hand, she longed for the comfort and support that Carol could offer. She knew that the woman would listen without judgment and would do everything in her power to help. But on the other hand, Charlie feared that revealing her struggles would only add to the already heavy burden Carol carried.

"Charlie?" the woman brought her back. "You worry me."

"I think, I'm going crazy, Carol," she said finally.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't sleep. I see all of them when I do. I hear their voices," Charlie confessed. "When I was in the woods the other day...I thought I saw Sophia. I don't feel safe...anywhere. Well, not anymore. It was better when I knew Daryl was here," she added. "I don't know who I can trust anymore."

"Sweet thing," Carol cooed and wrapped her arm around Charlie.

"I wish to be dead."

Carol's heart clenched at Charlie's words, her own eyes welling with tears as she reached out to motherly caress her back. "Oh, Charlie," she whispered, voice thick with emotion.

"I don't know how to make it stop," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Carol wrapped her arms around Charlie, holding her close as they shared their pain and sorrow. "We'll figure it out together," she vowed, her voice a soothing balm in the darkness. "You don't have to face this alone. I'm here for you, Charlie, no matter what."

The sound of footsteps echoed faintly through the darkness, jolting Charlie and Carol out of their shared moment of vulnerability. They tensed, their senses on high alert as they listened for any sign of danger. Carol instinctively reached for her weapon, her grip tightening as she prepared for the worst. Beside her, Charlie's breathing quickened, her heart pounding in her chest as she braced herself for whatever might come.

"Morgan," Charlie said as the man walked out of the shadow.

He was a newcomer in Alexandria. A man of few words, one could call him. His demeanor always calm and composed. His eyes, deep and intense, held a wisdom that belied his years, as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Charlie didn't know if she trusted him; however, she couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for him. She didn't know him well, but there was a person, who did.

Rick and Morgan shared a history together. Grimes wanted the man to join their group long ago, when Morgan still had a son. Rick found in Morgan an ally, he considered his advices, and before all - he trusted the man. So even if trust was too strong of a word, Charlie didn't feel suspicious of him.

As he exchanged a nod with Carol, Charlie sensed a tension. So she made the decision to quietly slip away, hoping to give them the space they needed to address whatever issues lay between them. "I'd better be going."

It was a pure mistery how the group found themselves outside. Surrounded by the dead. With every swing of her weapon, Charlie felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins, driving her forward in the face of overwhelming odds. As the battle raged on, Charlie caught sight of Rick in the distance, leading the charge with a fierce determination that was both inspiring and terrifying.

Maggie's scream brought her attention from killing the dead. Charlie locked eyes with Glenn, her mind reeling with a mix of disbelief and relief. She had thought him lost, but here he was, alive and fighting alongside them. He was trapped against the wall, his eyes searching for a way out.

Her mind began to think through a plan to get to him as fast as possible. However, before she could put to life any of her ideas the walkers around Glenn began to drop dead out of nowhere. Her heart skipped a beat as she spotted Abraham amidst the throng of walkers. For a moment, Charlie could only stare in awe at the sight before her, a sense of gratitude swelling within her chest. All her friends were alive and here.

With new determination etched into every fiber of her being, Charlie plunged back into the battle, her weapon slashing through the air with deadly precision as she fought against the never ending horde of walkers. Each strike was fueled by a refusal to surrender. Though the outcome was uncertain, she refused to go down without a fight. If she was going to die, she would die on her feet, fighting until her last breath.

As the battle against the walkers raged on, a sudden explosion of flames erupted from the nearby lake, casting a sinister glow over the chaos unfolding around them. The walkers, once driven by an insatiable hunger for the living, now turned as one, their decaying forms drawn towards the heat. A shiver ran down Charlie's spine as she watched in horror, the flames casting eerie shadows across the twisted faces of the undead.

As the chaos died down and a sense of calm once again settled over the landscape, Charlie's first instinct was to ensure the safety of her companions. With a quick glance around, she took stock of the group, relief flooding her heart as she saw them all accounted for, battered but alive.

Suddenly, a hard but small body collided with hers. At first she thought about Carl, however it was somebody else. Andy held her tightly, his grip firm yet gentle as he sought solace in her embrace. His voice trembled with emotion as he spoke, tears glistening in his eyes. "Charlie," he whispered, his voice choked with relief, "You're alive."

"I'm not so easy to kill," she said. "Unfortunately."

"Shut up," he answered. "I really thought I would watch you die."

Charlie's heart constricted at Andy's words, the weight of his admission hitting her like a physical blow. Tears welled in her eyes. "I'm here."

Andy's arms tightened around her, drawing her closer as he held her with a fierce tenderness. "I know," he said softly, his voice choked with emotion.

As they lingered in each other's arms, Charlie's gaze drifted towards the distance, her eyes widening in disbelief. A familiar figure emerging from the smoke and ash. Without a moment's hesitation, she broke away from Andy and into a run, her feet pounding against the charred earth as she raced towards him.

"Daryl?!" Charlie called out, her voice filled with a mixture of relief and joy. As she drew closer, Daryl turned towards her. Relief was quickly overshadowed by a tidal wave of anger and frustration. "How dare you!" she yelled, her voice raw with hurt and betrayal. "I thought you're dead, asshole! I thought you left us! You left me!"

With each word, Charlie's anger boiled over, her fists pounding against Daryl's chest with a force fueled by days of pain and uncertainty. Tears streamed down her face as she unleashed her pent-up emotions, the weight of his absence crushing her spirit. He stood there, his expression a mix of remorse and guilt.

Without a word, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into a tight embrace, his arms wrapping around her trembling form. Charlie resisted at first, her muscles tense with the remnants of her fury. But as Daryl held her close, his touch gentle and comforting, she felt the tension slowly seep out of her body. With a shaky breath, she leaned into his embrace, allowing herself to be held. In that moment, nothing else mattered but the simple joy of being together, alive and safe in each other's arms. "I thought I'd lost you," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

Daryl's expression softened, his rough hand coming up to brush away a stray tear from her cheek. "I ain't ever gonna leave you, Charlie," he said quietly, his voice rough with emotion.

Without a thought, she leaned in and pressed her lips gently against his, a soft and tender gesture. For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still as they shared the simple intimacy of their connection, their hearts beating in sync as they savored the sweetness of the moment. It was a kiss filled with unspoken words.

Charlie stood at Carl's bedside, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. The infirmary was quiet, the silence almost palpable as she absorbed the gravity of the recent events. Silence hung in the air, broken only by the soft murmur of distant voices and the occasional shuffle of footsteps echoing through the dimly lit room.

She felt a surge of gratitude that Carl was alive, that he had made it through yet another ordeal. But her relief was tinged with a deep, aching sadness as her thoughts turned to Deanna. Her vision, her strength, and her unwavering hope had given everyone a sense of purpose and direction. With her gone, a void had been left. Deanna's death felt like the end of an era, a turning point that left the community adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

With a heavy heart, Charlie gazed down at Carl, her hand clasping his in a gesture of silent solidarity and support. His face was pale and drawn, his features marred by the stark absence of his left eye. She couldn't shake the memory of that fateful day on the farm, when Carl had been shot and nearly lost his life. He was lying in the bed, just like he did now, but Charlie never checked on him - not even once. She was so cruel to him back in time.

But now, as she sat by his bedside, her heart ached with a sense of profound regret. She realized now, more than ever, how much she had missed out on by shutting him out of her life. Tears welled up in Charlie's eyes as she reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from Carl's forehead, her touch gentle and tender.

"I'm sorry, Rick," she said once she heard the steps, not even once looking away from the boy.

"Don't be," he said with a reassuring smile, searching for her eyes.

"I was wrong," she sighed. "I thought they lived too long behind those walls to learn. I doubted you."

Rick regarded her with a somber expression, his gaze reflecting a mixture of understanding and empathy. He knew the weight of Charlie's admission, the burden of realizing the depth of her own misjudgments.

"If we work together, we can do huge things," he said."Nothing is lost. We will rebuild the walls. We'll expand the walls. It's possible."

"I know. I see that now."

"Good," Rick placed a hand on her shoulder. "Because I'll need you."

Charlie smiled tightly and then once again looked at Carl, feeling her heart clench once more.

"He knows," Rick said. Charlie looked up at Rick, her eyes brimming with emotion as his words washed over her like a soothing balm. "All that matters to him is that you're here now, that you're willing to be a part of his life."

Rick enveloped her in a comforting embrace, his arms a strong and steady anchor amidst the storm of her emotions. She clung to him, seeking solace in his embrace as he held her close, offering her the support and reassurance she so desperately needed.

"You have people around to live for, Charlie," Rick said softly, his voice a gentle whisper in her ear. Charlie nodded against Rick's shoulder, her heart overflowing with gratitude for his kindness and understanding. He held her close, his embrace a silent reassurance that she was not alone in her pain. With Rick's words echoing in her mind, she made a decision about her future.

With hesitant steps, Charlie made her way through the quiet streets of Alexandria, her mind swirling with uncertainty. Each footfall felt heavy, laden with the weight of her indecision as she navigated the familiar paths that crisscrossed the community.

As she passed by the rows of neatly maintained houses, Charlie found herself torn between conflicting impulses. She felt adrift, lost in a sea of doubt and confusion, unable to find her way to solid ground. With each passing moment, the weight of her indecision grew heavier, threatening to overwhelm her fragile resolve. But still, Charlie pressed on, her heart torn between the desire for companionship and the need for solitude.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

Charlie shifted uncomfortably, feeling a pang of self-consciousness at Cass's unexpected reaction. "I... I was just passing by," she stammered, unsure of how to explain her sudden appearance.

"Well, you're more than welcome to join me," he said, his tone gentle and inviting.

She perched on a bench next to him, heavy silence falling around them. After a moment, she took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to say - the weight of her confession pressing down on her like a heavy burden.

"I need your help."

She searched his eyes for any sign of judgment or hesitation, but instead found only understanding and acceptance. Cass's expression softened, a gentle smile playing at the corners of his lips as their eyes locked in a moment of shared understanding.

"I want to get better."

[nightmarist]

Don’t mind me putting my thoughts Out There about Anders and Justice and their change of heart and eventual end.

Anders in Origins vs 2 I do think has weird changes, but I think it’s also important to consider that spirits (and mortals) get fucked up by contact no matter intention.

I still have to replay DAI but there are several instances of spirits being touched by Mortal Feelings and it bends them, complicates them, and distresses them to the point of breakage / transformation (demons)

The poem Spirits and Demons is about a spirit of Love who was brought into the world, and did her duty as a spirit of love - offered and gave love. But with mortal desire, it muddled her singular existence, and she became a demon of desire.

In Beyond the Veil, it mentions again that spirits are simple but not in the way we think. They’re categorized by human standards, and I’m inclined to think they only think of themselves as “Spirit of X” because that’s the feeling imposed on them by mortals. They’re copying mortal views and minds and ideas, and mortals like clean cut categorization.

I don’t recall the exact circumstances but there is a quest in DAI where mages want to summon a spirit of wisdom, but it’s so tainted by the burdens of the mortal world that it becomes a demon and Solas is bitter about having to kill his friend. If I remember correctly.

Justice being a single-minded spirit about Only Justice was able to exist as is even with some of the memories of a possessed corpse because it wasn’t alive to impose much else on him.

Anders was able to continue being more broadly compassionate pre-Justice because he’s a human mortal with the capacity to think beyond single-mindedness. But when he and Justice merged it was no longer Anders And Justice, the longer they were together the more they become Vengeance. And it’s neither of their faults.

My theory being that Anders as a multi-faceted mortal was forced into single-mindedness because of Justice’s single-mindedness, that the plight of mages is The Primary Thing that will always oppress and prejudice against him the most, above all else. There was no longer time or patience for Other Injustices when this was The Injustice he faced.

And of course that Justice was simultaneously forced broader, more complex than a spirit should handle, given sets of emotions and thoughts and feelings outside of his jurisdiction. He’s supposed to be just ONE emotion, thought, or feeling, but Anders’ bitterness and anger and frustration and sorrow and love and happiness and relief built up over and over. Mages slaughtered, children ripped from families, turning to demons for safety as a last resort like cornered animals, a lover turned tranquil. These would be far too tangled for Justice to sift through, so the merging of multi faceted Anders and single minded Justice became the tangled web of Vengeance. In further addition to Justice being out of the Fade for several years, since Origins. That’s a very long time to absorb mortal plight.

Even through DA2, Anders in act 3 party dialogue gets snippy. Short. With everyone. Including Varric! It was so stark from acts 1 and 2 to hear his party banter go from silly Templar jokes and genuine intrigue and casual fun to Anders shutting Varric out with a flat tone. I wish the cut scenes showed it more, but there’s a distinct shift in his personality in act 3 even before the Justice quest.

Cute little chart since I wanted a visual

Justice being on a singular path or mindset, Anders having the complexities of emotion and mortal multifacetedness, and smashing them together forces Justice’s singularity to merge with One of Anders’ chosen injustices, the prominent being the plight of mages. It’s almost an I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream situation. Except it’s also not when Anders’ “scream” was a magic molotov cocktail in the Chantry.

I think it’s similar to Meredith’s corruption. She was already withdrawn prior to the idol, but it wasn’t until after her acquisition of it that we ever see her or that she truly starts to hate mages with such passion. She and the Cleric both rejected the Tranquil Solution, so there must have been an ounce of compassion in her for mages. The Idol conectes yo the fade corrupted her into single mindedness, all bad things stemmed from the blight of mages (versus Anders’ all things stem from the plight of mages). Bartrand and Varric becoming susceptible to the Idol’s calling, Varric insisting the idol was The One Thing that could save Bartrand, almost betraying us for it (and if taken into the Fade in Feynriel’s quest, he betrays you in a similar manner).

Spirits, “good” or “bad,” become warped and bent near mortal feelings and mortals become tunnel visioned. Even if intentions were good, like Justice and Anders or Love/Desire.

There’s a tragedy in it. Anders and Justice being doomed the moment they merged without either of them knowing. If not destroying the Chantry, if not the plight of mages, then it would have been something else. Vengeance would have latched on to Something Else for him to Be About. If not today then tomorrow or the next day or next week or next month or next year. If not mages then Templars or fereldens or elves or carta or children or cats. But Kirkwall’s particular cesspool of extreme anti-mageness with a bitter mage housing a spirit of justice was the unfortunate circumstance that led to the tragic finale. Clenches fist.

[wildernessuntothemselves]

You Are My Queen Now | Part 7

Word Count: 19.7k (there I'm spoiling you still)

Genre: Smut, angst, fluff

Summary: Growing up as a child of a minor lord, you had it instilled in you since a young age that you needed to find yourself a rich and affluent husband that would not only provide a comfortable life for you, but would also help further your family’s position in the court. So it was of the utmost importance that you remain a virgin in order to land such a coveted husband.

The problem lies when the man you secretly love, Prince Beomgyu, suddenly and unabashedly propositions you.

Warnings: extremely unhealthy relationship dynamics, mentions of past noncon and justifications of it, really fucked up characters, actually kinda sweet smut scene, sub!tyun, edging, blowjob.

A/N: Check out the playlist for the fic as well as the wonderful pinterest boards my lovely ♡ anon made for the fic. They’ll really help put you in the mood. For this particular chapter, the theme songs are Neptune by Sleeping At Last for tyun and Where’s My Love by SYML for gyu

“Stop struggling!” Jaeyun hisses in your ear as if you’re being unreasonable for fighting against him.

Angrily, you bite down on his hand, making him curse and pull his hand away. “What are you doing?” You barely have enough time to shout at him before he’s covering your mouth with his hand again, this time holding your jaw shut so you can’t bite him.

“I’m taking you back to the prince.” He confirms your worst suspicions, making your heart sink. Up until this moment you had held onto the tiny, lingering hope that this must be some type of joke or misunderstanding, refusing to entertain the brutal truth that one of your only friends is betraying you like this. “It’s better if you come quietly with me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

‘More than you already are?’ You want to say but can’t. You don’t stop struggling though, Taehyun’s words ringing in your ears, ‘They will want to bring you back safely to him, and that’s an advantage to you because you can hurt them while they can’t hurt you.’ He’d told you that first time he sparred with you, and you really hope that he’s right about that because, as his words replay in your mind, so does your training, and you fumble around for your dagger as Jaeyun begins dragging you through the hall.

You dig your hand into the pocket of your dress, looking for your hidden dagger. Taehyun had made sure that all your dresses have secret pockets to hide your dagger in for situations just like this. You just hadn’t anticipated that when the time comes for you to use it, it would be on someone you thought you trusted.

Using your thumb, you unsheath the blade before pulling it out. In the struggle and the dim light, Jaeyun doesn’t notice you drawing your arm back before plunging the dagger deep into his right thigh. 

He screams and flails, dropping his arms from around you and attempting to jerk away, but you don’t let him go or you’d lose your one weapon. As he continues to try to back away, the dagger almost slips from your hand but you tighten your hold on it to the point where your nails are digging crescents into your palm before you successfully free it from his flesh and move away from him. You take a few steps then whirl around to face him, pointing the now bloody knife at the hunched over man in warning. 

“Fuck, you stabbed me!” He shrieks in disbelief, holding the bleeding wound in his thigh with both hands.

“You tried to kidnap me!” You shout back, not believing the nerve of him, but somehow what he says next is even more ridiculous.  “It’s better that you come with me. It’s the best for everyone involved.”

“You mean the best for you!” You accuse, refusing to let him manipulate you. 

“Not just me. The prince won’t rest until he has you.” 

Or maybe he can. This is exactly what you’ve been worrying about. It’s what Kai is worried about, and now it seems that Jaeyun thinks the same. 

“He will kill anyone in his way. Taehyun, Kai, everyone. You know that.”

You scowl. You can’t listen to this right now, not from a man who just committed the ultimate betrayal against you and everyone he claims to worry about. “Jaeyun, for Kai’s sake, get the fuck out of the castle and don’t come back.” 

“Listen to me–” 

“Leave before Taehyun gets his hands on you. You know he won’t be as kind as me.” You threaten him, voice laced with venom. 

His jaw clenches. “You’re making a mistake.” He says ominously before limping away and disappearing into the darkness. 

You stand there, with your dagger-wielding arm outstretched into the night until it cramps and shakes. Only then do you lower it and take a shuddering breath in, still shaken from what just happened. You expected something like this, Taehyun had warned you so many times about it, you just didn’t expect it from someone you thought was your friend. God, Kai is going to be so heartbroken. 

Oh, Kai… 

It would probably be best if you tell him first, that way he won’t have to hear it from a raging Taehyun. 

You make your way back to the room with the big door, hoping he’s still up. And he is, still playing his harp, blissfully unaware of what just happened. You almost turn around and leave, but when you imagine the rage on Taehyun’s face and how it might be the first thing Kai would see, you decide to stay. 

You clear your throat and call out weakly, “Kai…”

He turns around, a small smile on his lips and his eyebrow quirked up in question, “Hey, why are you still–” The rest of his question dies on his tongue when he sees how shaken up you are and the bloody dagger in your hand. Immediately, he stands up and rushes towards you, knocking the harp to the ground in his haste. “What happened?” 

“Jaeyun…” You say and he freezes in his tracks. 

“Jaeyun? What–what did he–what did you do to him?”

It stings that the first question he manages to get out is about Jaeyun’s well-being instead of yours. But you don’t dwell on it much. He is his best friend and you’re the one with the bloody knife. 

Gathering up all your strength, you tell him the hard truth. “He tried to kidnap me and take me back to Beomgyu.”

He shakes his head. “No, no, Jaeyun wouldn’t do that. It must be a misunderstanding.” 

“But he did. He told me so himself when he grabbed me and tried to drag me away.” You keep your tone soft, knowing how hard this must be for him. 

“Why is that dagger bloody? Where is he? Did you–did you kill–”

“No.” You assuage his worries. “I didn’t hurt him that badly, and he probably left the castle by now.”

He breathes a sigh of relief and it’s silent for a moment while he absorbs what you said. Then he looks at you and blinks. “Oh, what about you? Are you okay?” 

You let out a breathy laugh. “I thought you’d never ask.” You try to keep your voice schooled but it still comes out sounding reproachful.

“I’m sorry, it’s just this is all so shocking. I mean he’s been my friend for years now, it’s hard to believe that he would do this.” He says and you laugh again, “Not that I don’t believe you, it’s just…”

“Hard to believe. I get it.”

“I’m sorry, I really am.” He sighs, “For my reaction and for what he did.”

“You don’t have to apologize for his actions.” You say, “And I’m fine. Just shaken up.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Come, sit down.” He takes you by your free hand and leads you to a chair. You flop down on it, boneless, and you wonder how you managed to stay up for this long. 

"God, Taehyun is going to freak out when he hears about this." 

Kai’s eyes widen."Oh, please don't tell him."

"What?"

"He'll kill him." Kai kneels at your feet and grabs your free hand in his pleadingly. “I know what he did was wrong, and I will do whatever you want to make it up to you but I just can’t…” His voice hitches as he tears up, “He’s my best friend. I can’t bear to see my brother kill my best friend.” 

“Oh, Kai,” You go to cup his cheeks but realize you still have the bloody dagger in your hand. He flinches and stands up while you pull the sheath from your pocket and slip it on the blade before tucking it away, and start again, “I know how hard this is for you but we can't keep this from Taehyun. Don't you think he'll start asking questions when Jaeyun suddenly disappears?" 

He chews on his lip nervously and paces around, thinking. "Then wait until the morning to give him some time to get away."

You can give him that much. It’s probably not wise but you know you’d want the same courtesy if you were in his situation. 

"Okay. If that’s what you want." You sigh, getting up. “And Kai?” 

He stops pacing and looks at you. 

“I’m still sorry about this. I don’t want Jaeyun to get hurt either. And I don’t want to lose you.” 

He presses his lips together before saying, “I don’t want that either.” 

It sounds reassuring and you almost take it as that, but something about his wording makes you uneasy. 

You don’t realize until later that it’s because he said he doesn’t want to, not that you won’t. 

The latter reassures that you have nothing to worry about while the former says that you do. 

____________________________

Taehyun is as furious as you imagined he would be when he finds out. But sweetly enough, he first makes sure you’re alright before he unleashes his fury. 

“How the fuck could he do this? I trusted him. I gave him a position in my court. I let him get close to my family, and he turns around and does this?” Taehyun seethes with barely contained rage. “Just wait until I get my hands on him. Do you know where he went?” 

You shrug weakly, technically not lying but not being entirely truthful either. You should’ve known that such a weak response wouldn’t fail to arouse Taehyun's suspicions immediately. 

"Wait, how come Kai knew about this before me?” His narrowed eyes pin you down. “When did this happen exactly?"

You exchange a nervous look with Kai. 

"When?" Taehyun repeats coldly. 

"Last night."

“What?” He barks, "Why didn't you come to me right away?"

"I–I…” You sputter, not knowing how to tell him that you did it for Kai’s sake. But you make the mistake of glancing at Kai again and Taehyun’s face hardens in understanding. 

He turns to Kai. “Did you tell her to wait so he can escape?” 

“No, he didn’t–” 

“Just let him go, Taehyun, please. For me.” Kai pleads, cutting you off and confirming Taehyun’s suspicions. 

“For you?” If possible, Taehyun becomes even more angry. “You should be the first one after him! He’s your friend and he attacked her. You should be the one punishing him.” 

“And he will be punished.” Kai insists, “I can’t imagine you would let him live out his life as a lord anymore after this. He’s going to lose everything because of this, isn’t this punishment enough?” 

“No, it’s not. He’s not going to live out his life at all.” Taehyun proclaims eerily. 

“No, please! I never contested your rulings before, Taehyun. But please, don’t do this.” 

“I have to. He’s a traitor.” Taehyun deadpans, “The only way he’ll get out of this alive is if I don’t find him so you better hope I don’t.”

“But he didn’t take her and now he’s on the run. Just leave him. What harm is that going to do to you?”

“I can’t just let him get away with this. He needs to pay for his crime just like anyone else. ”  

“You can. You just don’t care enough. You did it for her so why not for me? I’m your brother!” Kai shouts, and the tinge of resentment in his voice takes you off guard. 

You hadn’t really anticipated him using that and, by the looks of it, neither did Taehyun for he blinks and pauses, not really saying anything for a few seconds before he shoots you a look that makes you hang your head low and wish you weren’t here right now. 

“I didn’t do it for her. That old man killed his daughter’s husband to avenge her death.” 

“So? He’s still a killer and you would’ve executed him if it weren’t for her. Why can’t you pardon Jaeyun for me?” 

“Because he’s a traitor.” 

“But–”

“Enough!” Taehyun’s voice rings around the room, shutting Kai up and overwhelming the beat of your own heart. “I will not hear about this anymore. Once I catch Jaeyun, he will be made to answer for his crime, and that’s the end of that.” 

Nervously, you glance at Kai, but he’s not looking at you. He’s staring at his brother with the same anger Taehyun regards him with, but also with hurt. You understand what he must be feeling. To him, it seems that his brother refuses to extend the same courtesy he showed you towards him and his old friend. Even worse, the entire reason his friend is in danger is because of you. 

You move to go after him when he turns around to leave, but Taehyun’s gentle but commanding voice stops you in your tracks. 

“I’m not done talking to you, my lady.” 

You spin on your heel slowly, “Taehyun–”

“See what happens when I make exceptions?” He chastises you and you feel your belly churn in guilt because you know he’s right. “He’s my brother and he’s acting like this. Imagine if other people got wind of it.” 

“I know and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten involved.” You bite your lip. You really should shut up now but when were you ever able to help yourself? “But still… can’t you pardon him for your brother?” 

Of course, your request isn’t to Taehyun’s liking. “You can’t ask that of me.” 

“But I’m fine.” You try to appeal to him. “He didn’t hurt me.”

“This isn’t about you.” 

“Oh.” Your face falls. 

“I hold my court on a very tight but tenuous leash. As you know, half of the lords here don't like me very much. It would only take the smallest sign of weakness on my part for them to pounce on me like hyenas. That’s why I can’t let an act of treason like this go unpunished. It could very well be the death of me.” 

“I understand.” You mumble, never having thought about it that way. There is so much you don’t know. “And I’m sorry. None of this would’ve happened if I wasn’t here.” 

He frowns and moves towards you. “No. None of this would’ve happened if Jaeyun wasn’t a disloyal bastard. You had nothing to do with it.” 

“But surely I didn’t help either. If I wasn’t here–” 

“Stop it.” He snaps, making you flinch, thinking he’s mad at you. But then he gently cups your face in his hand. “You belong here. I want you here.” 

Your heart beats faster. It’s so rare that Taehyun is affectionate towards you, and you never know how to handle it. You just become a nervous mess in his arms like you are right now. 

“You did a very brave thing.” He leans down closer to your face and your breath hitches. “But don’t think I’m not mad at you too.”

You pout and he laughs, swiping his thumb over your puckered lips. “But I’m also proud of you. You picked things up so fast and were able to protect yourself so well. It’s amazing. Not that I ever doubted you.” 

You smile, fighting back your blush. "Well, I was trained by the best." 

He smiles back–a rare sweet, toothy smile and you can’t help but reach up and close the rest of the distance between the two of you, kissing him. 

He believed in you. He believed in you and he gave you the tools and the training to defend yourself and you did. He believed in you and you proved him right. This has never happened to you before. 

For the first time ever, you finally feel capable and proud of yourself. It’s exhilarating. 

But Taehyun is not Taehyun if he doesn’t ruin the mood. 

“The prince won’t stop with just this failed attempt.” He informs you as he breaks the kiss, making you sigh wistfully. 

“Has anyone told you that you’re not very good at the romantic talk?” You tease, but Taehyun, as always, doesn’t share in the banter.  

“You’ll be vulnerable as long as you remain unwedded.” 

Your smile falls and you take a step back. So that’s what this is about. 

“If we were to marry, it might stop him.” Taehyun elaborates, “He can’t steal another lord’s wife without stirring up a scandal in the kingdom, and the king won’t let something like that happen.” 

“Yeah, that’s a great plan. You’re as practical as always.” You mumble, turning your back to him, but Taehyun goes around you and stands in front of you, putting his hands over your arms loosely. “What’s the matter?” 

The matter is that he still hasn’t given you any indication that he feels anything for you. Sometimes you think he might, like when you kiss. When you kiss, he makes you feel like he wants you, like he doesn’t want to let you go, like he’s always waiting for the next time you’ll lock lips again. 

But then he opens his mouth and asks you to marry him with the most emotionless attitude imaginable and you’re back to feeling like just a business transaction to him. 

“Taehyun, do you actually want to marry me or are you just doing this because of my circumstances?” 

“Of course I want to marry you. You think I would’ve asked if I didn’t want to?” He questions as if he can’t possibly understand where you’re coming from. 

“I don’t know, would you?” You exclaim, “I can never read you and you don’t exactly make your feelings known either.” 

“Then what do you want me to do to prove to you that I want you?”

What you actually want is to hear him say he loves you, but you’ve already asked once and his rejection was humiliating enough. So you go with the next best thing. 

"Will you sing for me?" 

That clearly surprises him and slowly blinks at you, dumbfounded by the odd request. "What?"

"Kai had mentioned that you used to sing but don't anymore.” You explain, and you see a little bit of understanding seeping into his wide-eyed gaze. “Will you sing for me?"

He thinks about it for a bit before giving in. “Okay.” 

You don’t know what you expected him to sound like but it’s not this. His voice can only be described as saccharine. It’s even sweeter and more angelic than Kai’s playing, with an occasional but heart-wrenching raspiness that tugs straight at your heartstrings. He doesn’t look at you as he sings, and even though you can’t normally read him, you know that this is a vulnerable moment for him, but he’s doing it for you, and you’re so mesmerized that you find yourself holding your breath so you won’t disturb him and make him stop. 

Only when the song ends, do you let yourself take in a deep breath. 

“I haven’t sang in a long time so I’m sorry if that sounded bad.” Taehyun says sheepishly, sneaking glances at you. “And sorry if you were expecting a love song. I haven’t exactly been entertaining musicians in the last few years so the only song I could remember off the top of my head is the lullaby my mother used to sing to Kai to sleep. It’s probably–”

You cut off his babbling with a kiss, feeling him sigh against your lips and relax, and that, more than anything, makes up your mind.   

“I’ll do it. I’ll marry you.” You tell him, and the smile he gives you is so adorable that you have to lean in and pull him into another searing kiss. He may not have said that he loves you, but you can live with this for now. 

When you separate, you see that his dazzling grin has settled into a content smile that makes you ache. 

“So you really haven’t had any musicians here in years?” 

“I guess I never saw the need.” He shrugs and you gasp. “The need? Music is the food of the soul.” You proclaim grandly. 

“Oh, so that’s why everyone says I have no soul.” He jokes and you both chuckle. It’s so rare to have lighthearted moments like this with Taehyun. So whenever they occur, you make sure to bask in them fully. 

But sadly, even that all but disappears when you speak. “I’ll go check on Kai.”

Taehyun’s expression flips around in an instant. “You don’t have to baby him. He needs to toughen up.” 

You sigh. Well, it was nice while it lasted. 

“It is still hard for him. Jaeyun is his best friend.” You attempt to reason with him but he remains bull-headed. “His best friend who tried to kidnap you and take you back to your captor.” 

“I know, Taehyun. I was there.” You say wearily, tired of his complete lack of empathy towards anyone, even his own brother. “Not everything is about facts and transgressions. People are allowed to have feelings and be sad about the loss of someone even if they hurt them. And we have to give them the time and space to heal.” 

“I don’t see how that helps. You’ve had all the time in the world to heal from your prince, have you healed?” 

“That’s low, Taehyun.” 

“Maybe but it’s necessary. There is no such thing as healing. You just have to pull yourself together and be strong so it can’t hurt you anymore.” 

You laugh. “You know, I could so easily throw this back at you but I won’t because, unlike you, I care about not hurting the people that I love.” 

It takes you a moment after he freezes to realize what you had just said. 

“You love me?”

You sigh defeatedly. There is no point denying it now. “Yeah, I'm an idiot, right?”

You don’t know what you expect him to say in response to your unintentional confession, but anything would’ve hurt less than his silence. It makes the already vulnerable confession feel even more compromising. 

“Forget it. I don’t know why I even bother.” 

“Wait, I…” He calls out and you pause, that damned hope in the pit of your stomach refusing to die already no matter how much bitterness you’re forced to swallow down every day because of him. “You what?”

But he doesn’t say anything. He just stares at you like a cornered cat. Is declaring your love really that frightening for him? Does he even know how to process human emotions? 

You give him a disappointed look and turn on your heel, marching out the door and he lets you. 

He lets you. 

_______________

You find Kai in the harp room, but he’s not playing anymore. He’s sitting hunched over, his head down and cradled in his hands–-the picture of despair, and you can’t help but hurt for him. You know too well what it feels like to lose your dearest friend. 

“Hey sweetheart.” You call out timidly and he cranes his head to look back at you. You can see the redness of his eyes even from where you stand. He doesn’t return your greeting, just puts his head back in his hands so you walk further into the room but you don’t take a seat next to him. You don’t feel welcome to anymore. 

“I’m so sorry for everything.” You venture but he stays quiet. “I know this is very hard for you. Losing friends, especially in this way can be difficult.” 

That’s when he lifts his head to glare at you. “Don’t talk about it like we just drifted apart or something. Taehyun wants to kill him!” 

“Well, maybe he won’t find him.” You suggest dumbly. You’re not very good at this. You’ve never been put in such a situation before. Has anyone?

“He is injured.” 

“Maybe some other lord will take him in and treat his wound?” You continue to grasp at straws. 

“With a death sentence hanging over his head from Taehyun? No one would take that risk.” He retorts once again, clearly finding your suggestions stupid. 

“I don’t know what to tell you, Kai. I wish I could help.” 

“But you can. You can talk to Taehyun.” He beseeches, finally getting up. “Convince him to pardon him like you did with that old man.” 

“I already tried but he refused.” You shake your head, “He says it would put him in danger if the other lords think they can get away with treason.” 

“Then he can do it secretly like last time.” 

You give him a pitying look. “I don’t think he’ll agree to that. That would be too much of a risk.” 

“Just try!” Kai cries in desperation, “Tell him you won’t marry him if he doesn’t. Do something!”

“Honey, I know this is hard–” You reach out to touch him but he stops you with a cold look. “Don’t.”

Your hand drops to your side. 

“I just…” He swallows, looking away. “Need to be alone right now.” 

“I understand.” You concede sadly, practically seeing your friendship with him shattering right in front of your eyes, and knowing you can do absolutely nothing about it. 

This isn’t fair to you. It’s not like you wanted to hurt Jaeyun. He’s the one who decided to betray you all, and it’s not fair that Kai is blaming you for this. 

The sour taste of anger and resentment bubbles up in your throat but you push it down because even though it’s not fair, you know that things are never fair when it comes to those we love. 

Kai is young. He’s lived his whole life seamlessly with Taehyun and Jaeyun. But here you come out of nowhere, putting his best friend in danger and turning his brother against him. It may not be your fault but, in Kai’s eyes, your presence is what instigated this. 

He just needs some time and space to process things and then he’ll come around. Or at least that’s what you hope. 

_______________________

Unlike Beomgyu’s wedding to Ryujin and how it slowly crept forward like death, inevitable, your wedding to Taehyun came at you with startling speed. 

There weren’t any big preparations to do or any guests from other lands to invite over so there was no need for any delays. Especially that Taehyun wanted the wedding done and over with before any news of it got back to Beomgyu. 

The days went by in a blur, so fast that it didn’t really sink in that you’re marrying Taehyun until the night before the wedding when Kai came to visit you. 

You hadn’t talked to him since his fight with Taehyun. He’d been avoiding you, and so when you see him, you attempt to not let the interaction be stifled with any uncomfortable emotions. 

“Came to wish me good luck?” You joke lightly, but no amount of willpower could keep the smile on your face for long when he looks at you so unhappily.  

“Please don’t go through with this. He’s going to hurt my brother.” 

You let your facial muscles fall into a disillusioned expression like they want to. You’re not going to let him pin everything down on you like Jaeyun did on your own wedding night. “He’s not. Taehyun said this is the way to stop him. If I’m married, he won’t be able to just take me without any repercussions.” 

But Kai isn’t convinced, “And you actually believe that that would stop him?” 

Fuck. You hate how you’re so easy to read. 

 You falter for a second, but pull yourself together by sheer will. “I have to believe it.”

You spent your whole life wishing for this moment–to be married to a rich and powerful lord who would respect you and provide for you, and Taehyun is that. You refuse to be guilted out of this because of something outside of your control. Why do all the other nobles get a shot at happiness but when you try to take yours, you’re being a bad person? You deserve to be happy too, right? 

You’re happy about this marriage, right? 

You shake your head to dispel the doubts that plague you like flies swarming a rotten carcass.  “And if it won’t, you’re just going to have to trust in the capabilities of your brother. He asked me to marry him knowing full well what Beomgyu is capable of. He’s not some weakling that Beomgyu can crush. He can defend himself, and I don’t think he’d appreciate you trying to make his decisions for him.” 

“He may not be happy about my interference, but you know just as well as I do that Taehyun gets tunnel-vision when it comes to things like this and he becomes blind to the bigger picture. He wants to help you but he’s not taking into account how doing that would end up jeopardizing everyone else.” 

“Are you saying that he’s only marrying me out of charity? Because he’s not. He said so himself!” You defend yourself pathetically. 

“He is fond of you, that much is obvious, and I know you also bear some affection for him, and that is why I’m asking you to step aside. If you truly love him, wouldn’t you want him not to get hurt?” He pleads with you. 

“Of course, I don’t want him to get hurt! I thought about it a million times but your brother is strong and he wants to do this.” You shout, getting emotional. “And what about me? Don’t you care about my safety or my happiness? Didn’t you want me and Taehyun to be together? Or was I only good when it benefited you?”

Kai at least has the grace to look ashamed of himself. “I do care about you but he’s my family.”  

"And I'm not." You let out a short laugh. “Got it.” 

This has always been your life. No matter how much some people may claim to accept you, you'll never be their family. Wonyoung did it before and now Kai, and your hatred for your own family reignites once again. If only they had embraced you. If only they had put you first like other families did their own, you wouldn't even be in this position. 

“I just don’t want him to get hurt.”   

“I know.” You acknowledge, but the bitterness still burns your tongue. “Look. Beomgyu is the prince, yes, but he is the second in line. He doesn’t have as much power as you think he does. Especially that his father doesn’t even approve of me being there. He would do anything to keep me here so that limits Beomgyu even more. If he could've done something, he would’ve done it already instead of sending Jaeyun after me. He probably has nothing.” 

“I want to believe you. I so very want for all of this to work out.” Kai effuses, stressed out, “But what if you’re wrong? What if he has merely been threatening us all this time, and when he finds out about you marrying Taehyun, he will unleash his real power?”

You run your hands through your hair nervously. You fear that too. Beomgyu was never a fighter but you know he has great relations in the royal court and out of it. He always had a way with people. You’d seen him charm his way through many situations and recently you’d seen just how manipulative and cunning he could be. He might be capable of much more than you can imagine. 

But you can’t give into your fears. Taehyun is an adept and proven warlord, unlike Beomgyu. You don’t have any real evidence to say that Beomgyu can actually harm Taehyun in any way. You were able to defend yourself against Jaeyun so Taehyun sure as hell can defend himself against any attacker too. For all you know, Beomgyu is just bluffing. 

You shake your head again. “There is nothing he can throw at us that we won’t be able to take.” 

Kai sighs and lets his head hang low for a moment. You can see the tension in his shoulder, and hear how exhausted he is. The worry must be weighing heavily on him, and It makes a pang of guilt shoot through your heart. 

“I really hope you’re right about this.” He says finally, picking his head up and moving towards the door to take his leave. But before he passes through it, he cranes his head back to say one last thing, “For your sake more than anyone.”

Then the door slams shut behind him. 

Your mind races to try to process his parting words. Was that a threat? Is this his way of warning you that if Taehyun gets hurt, you're going to pay for it? 

In all cases, you now know for sure that you’re losing Kai. That’s two down out of the three people who you thought actually cared for you here. Now you only have Taehyun, and his love for you has always been under serious doubt. 

You didn’t have many people back at the castle either but at least Wonyoung never threatened you. At least Beomgyu loved you.  

That night, all you could think about is Beomgyu. 

First, you think about what he might have in store for you. If he really has more up his sleeve than you think, and how it could even be possible for him to take you from Taehyun if you got married.

Then it turns to wondering what he might be doing right now. If he’s thinking about you like you’re thinking about him. How he might take the news of your marriage. You know it would crush him. You still remember how he cried the night you left him. You can’t imagine what he’ll feel when he discovers that you gave yourself in marriage to another man. It would kill him, you’re sure of it, because it’s killing you. 

You miss him so much, and in your moment of weakness, you allow yourself to wish you were back in his arms. He would hold you so tightly and never let go. He would tell you that he loves you over and over until you have no thought left in your brain other than being loved by him. Oh, how you long to be loved again…

You only realize you’re crying when you feel the dampness of your pillow against your cheek. You know it’s ridiculous. He’s married too. You’re not doing anything different, but somehow this just feels so final. If Taehyun is right, then you’ll never again get to have his arms around you, listen to his comforting voice, feel the sense of peace that could only come with knowing that you’re in the presence of your soulmate.

This feels like he’s being ripped away from you all over again, and this time permanently. 

______________________

He doesn’t leave you even in your dreams. 

You’re on that beach again, like you are every night, and he’s sprawled down in the sand in front of you, bleeding and crying out your name. He can’t see you and you can’t reach out to him. He’s wailing about how you’ve hurt him, how you’ve betrayed him, how you’ve never loved him. Every muscle in your body aches to run to him and take him in your arms, assure him that you do love him, that you wouldn’t have done this if you saw any other way, that you long for nothing more than to be with him again, but you can’t move. You just stand there and watch while he screams for you.

When you wake up, your face looks so puffy and haggard that no amount of cosmetics could make it better, not that you had much on hand anyway. You look the worst you’ve ever looked in your life, and you feel it too. You must make quite a spectacle walking down that aisle. Luckily, there aren’t many people here to see the ghastly bride. 

In typical Taehyun fashion, the wedding is modest and small. He doesn’t waste any money on frivolous expenses like decorations or music. Usually that would bother you, you always imagined your wedding to be a spectacular affair much like Beomgyu’s wedding… more specifically, the same as Beomgyu’s wedding because you had always fantasized about being his bride. There would be flowers of every kind from all around the world, but the most prominent ones would be sunflowers, your favorite. The chapel would be draped in the most gorgeous whites. He’d wear a golden suit even more ethereal than the one he wore on his wedding, and you’d wear the prettiest wedding dress ever made. But Beomgyu would still see nothing but you because, to him, you’re more beautiful than any dress ever could be. The celebration would be held in a huge ballroom and the guests would come in wearing their finest jewels and apparel to share in your merriment. You would dance all night and laugh and drink. And when he takes you back to your marriage bed, he would take a moment to just stand there and let it sink in that you’re finally going to belong to each other forever. 

Your actual wedding is nothing like that. 

It’s an intimate affair, just you, Taehyun, the priest and a few lords to bear witness to the marriage. The chapel is small and bare, no sign of the normal revelry of weddings in sight. Your dress is pretty enough, made of lace and studded with crystals, but the beauty of it is dampened by the fact that it belongs to Taehyun’s departed mother. You suppose what Taehyun is wearing is more elaborate than anything you’ve ever seen on him, but the somber dark blue of its color combined with your dress, borrowed from the dead, makes it seem like he's an undertaker escorting an unfortunate young bride to her grave. 

Taehyun made sure to invite only his most trusted advisors, so the news won’t get out to Beomgyu before the wedding, and even then, he only let them know the night before.

This wedding isn’t what you had imagined as a little kid at all, but somehow, that makes it easier to get through. There was no need for maintaining appearances or socializing. It’s a miserable wedding befitting a runaway and her divisive lord. 

And so the wedding goes by in a blur, and without a hitch. Well, almost.

When the part where you actually give your consent to getting married to him comes, you waver. 

Standing there, looking at the emotionless countenance of the man in front of you, your mind once again wanders to how Beomgyu would’ve looked in this moment. You imagine he’d be the happiest you’d ever seen him. He’d tear up a little, and then so will you because you both just can’t believe how lucky you are to be marrying your soulmate. 

But Taehyun is not your soulmate, and his eyes are as cold as ever as he gazes down at you.

“My lady?” The priest calls to you when you remain silent for too long. 

You look at him then look around the room. You feel short of breath as you realize that you’re surrounded by people who don’t care about you, standing in front of a man who doesn’t love you, who may never love you, and you feel a soul-crushing sense of hopelessness because you know you have no other choice but to marry him.

You keep your tears to yourself, and recite your lines as if out of your body. 

Taehyun only pauses to scrutinize you for a second, and you can only imagine what is going on inside his head for his expression remains unreadable to you, before he recites his own vows quickly and efficiently. And just like that, you’re married. 

The celebration after is lackluster and joyless–for you have no family or friends to celebrate with. The only two people you cared to celebrate this day with you are either on the run or think that you’ll be the downfall of Taehyun.  

Only one exception breaks the monotony of your depressing wedding; the unexpected appearance of a band that comes on to play the sappiest love songs you’ve ever heard. They’re truly god-awful and out of place, and by the confused looks of the other lords and how Taehyun seems to avoid your gaze, you know that he got them just for you, and for the first time today, the feeling that you’re making a huge mistake lifts off you just a little bit. 

________________________________

The rest of the muted celebration goes by in a haze, and before you know it, you’re in front of your marriage bed. 

You have your back to Taehyun as you face the bed, silently gathering up the courage to do this. 

You don’t know why you’re so nervous now. You’ve wanted him in an intimate way for a long time and now you can have him. But it just feels so wrong. He’s your husband, but he’s not your soulmate. He’s your husband but he doesn’t love you. 

Taking in one last big gulp of air, you let your robe fall off your body and turn around, letting him see you in all your nakedness. 

You can see that he is hesitant, but he lets his eyes wander over your body, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he gulps. But he doesn’t make a move towards you. He just stands back with his glass of wine still in his hand, forcing you to gather up even more courage than you thought you had in order to speak up and not fall to the floor to pull your robe back around your body. "Aren't you going to take what's yours, my lord?" 

Finally, he puts the glass down and moves towards you. You steel yourself up, anticipating his touch, but get confused when he leans down to get your robe and drape it back over you. 

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to." He tells you, and suddenly, all your feelings of apprehension and self-doubt transform to anger. You can’t believe he is pulling this shit on your wedding night. "Do you not want me? Is that it? Am I not desirable enough for you?"

He has the audacity to look taken aback. "What? No. You’re stunning. You’re so… sexy.” His voice grows hoarse as his eyes flit to your breasts that lay exposed by the loosely draped robe,. “It was hard holding back all this time." 

“Then why did you?” You ask, frustrated.

“I would never defile a woman like that.” 

“I was already defiled.” You snort bitterly. 

“No, you’re not.” He protests firmly, “What he did to you, it was against your will.”

“But this is not.” You groan, “Why didn’t you at least show me that you want me? Why do you always have to make me feel so unwanted?” 

“I–I…” He looks unsure of himself. “I’m just not used to these things. I’ve never been with a woman like that before. I don’t know how to act. I’ve only ever known blood and death.”

His woe is me attitude is really getting on your nerves, and you’re not going to take that excuse any longer, not on your wedding night. 

Grabbing him by his shirt, you push him down on the bed and straddle him.

He looks up at you, wide eyed. “What are you doing?” 

“Shut up.” You kiss him. 

Taehyun’s lips are always chapped from the cold weather and lack of care, so unlike Beomgyu’s soft, smooth lips. It's another side of him that is rough and raw, making up the unpolished amalgamation that is him. But the inside of his mouth is just as searing, drawing you in as he lets you deepen the kiss to your heart’s content. 

At least he kisses you back like he means it, and when you move to push your body closer to his, you feel his hard member brush against your thigh. 

You break the kiss to lean back and look at him, noticing how his pupils have dilated to overtake his gray irises. Deliberately, you rock your hips against his, making his breath hitch and his hands fly to grab at your hips. 

“Do you like that, my lord?” 

“You’re my wife now. Don’t call me that.” He rasps. 

“I am your wife, and I’ll call you whatever I want.” You tangle your fingers through his hair and pull his head slightly back to bear his neck. He keeps his eyes on you as you lean down and run your mouth over the sensitive skin, feeling goosebumps sprout under your lips. 

“Do you want me, my lord?” You ask pointedly, emphasizing your words with another roll of your hips. 

“Yes.” 

“Good.” Your lips latch onto his neck, sucking a bruise into his skin as your fingers start to undo his shirt. When you’re done, you push it off his body, your lips making their way from his neck down his chest, continuing to mark his skin in vengeance for all the times he made you feel unwanted so that when he looks at himself in the mirror, he’ll remember how you made him feel. 

As you make your way down his body, you feel the muscles of his belly tense under you, and when you start unbuttoning his pants, he pulls himself up on his elbows to stop you. 

“Wait—” He says, voice strained as you pull his cock out of his pants, touching him skin to skin for the first time. “You don’t have to do–” 

You cut him off by taking his dick in your mouth. 

“Oh…” He gasps shakily, falling back on the bed, and pride fills your chest. 

You've never done this before with Beomgyu, even though he always begged you to do it. You just thought it was too demeaning. Besides, you couldn’t imagine how you could possibly fit him in your mouth. Taehyun is your husband though–it’s not as demeaning doing this to him, and he is smaller than Beomgyu so you imagine you can take him easier. Besides, you heard that this drives men crazy and you want to make Taehyun lose control for once. 

You suck on his cock like you read about before, keeping your eyes on Taehyun to see how he would react. It seemed like the tighter your mouth was around him, the better he liked it. He also likes it better when you wet his cock with your saliva, making the slide of your mouth over him easier. 

The noises that fill the room make your cheeks flame. You know you said that it was demeaning, but seeing the normally stoic man tense under you and hearing his quiet gasps every time your mouth would get close to the head of his cock made you wetter than you’d care to admit. 

You wonder how Beomgyu would’ve looked if you had agreed to suck him off. He would be loud, that’s for sure, debauched and urging you to go faster and harder. He’d have your hair wrapped around his fist–

No! You need to stop thinking about him. You’re with your husband for fuck’s sake, and you shouldn’t be thinking about Beomgyu in that way especially after he violated you against your will.

Wanting to punish yourself for thinking of him, you force your mouth down on Taehyun’s cock more than you can take, the top of it hitting the back of your throat and making you gag. 

“Oh fuck, stop, stop, I’m going to cum…” Taehyun squirms and you pull back, his cock slipping from your mouth and hitting his belly with an obscene wet sound that makes you grow even wetter.

“Shit, what are you doing to me?” He laments as he tries to catch his breath. 

You don’t let him though, quickly pushing your robe off, revealing yourself to him once again, and there is no denying how aroused he is when you see how his cock twitches at the sight. 

You smile, climbing on top of him and grabbing his cock in one hand while pleasuring yourself with the other in order to make sure you’re wet enough to take him. 

“I’m your husband. Let me do that for you.” Taehyun croons, moving his hand further up your thigh, but you know that if you let him, you might lose control and you don’t want that. You want him to be the one feeling overwhelmed for once. 

“No. You wanted me to show you how I can take charge, right? Well, I am taking charge.” You position his cock at your entrance and slowly sink down on him. 

His gasp when he first feels you around him and the strangled moan he lets out once he’s all inside make the pain of not having prepared yourself fully better. Still, you give the both of you some time. It’s his first time, and while it’s not yours, you only had sex once and it was a long time ago so it still stings a bit. 

“Can you… move?” He grunts after a while, splaying his fingers over your ass as if he’s prepared to move you himself if you don’t. You wonder if he’ll do it. 

“I don’t know if you deserve it after the way you made me feel.” You pretend to think it over, clenching around his length just to tease him. 

“Please.” He chokes out, his hands gripping your ass tightly, and that one word, coming from him, drives you wild. 

“Fine.” You steady your hands on his chest and start riding him. 

He fits you perfectly, his cock filling you up just the right amount. It hits all the right places without stretching you out too much, and it feels great.

But he doesn't overwhelm you like Beomgyu does, doesn't leave no room for other thoughts. No, you have to physically push these thoughts out yourself. He is obviously enjoying it too but he’s not wild about you like Beomgyu is. He’s not reacting to you like he needs you to breathe… and you’re addicted to being needed. It’s sick that even though Beomgyu took you against your will, you still want him because, in the most fucked up way, it showed you how much he needed you. 

But this is good for you–not a smothering love and a burning need so intense it incinerates your skin, but a steady fire that warms you up enough to survive the winter. You just need to get used to the chill against your skin as you work hard on stoking the fire. 

Maybe that’s why you keep prompting him to tell you how he feels, to reassure you that he’s still enjoying it. "You feel good?"

He nods, biting down on his lip.

"It doesn't suit you to be meek, my lord. Speak up."

"Yes." He answers, voice tight. 

That gives you the reassurance and drive to keep going, and you move faster over him. 

He still doesn't vocalize much but judging by how tense he looks and how tightly he grabs onto you, you can tell he likes it.

“How is your first time, my lord? Is my pussy as good as you thought it would be?” You mewl, your hands hanging onto his body as you ride him, feeling the hard planes of his muscles under your fingers. 

“It’s better.” He grunts, his big hands spreading your asscheeks apart. “Can I go faster, beautiful?” 

You want him to, you really do, but he has not lost control yet, hasn't gotten desperate enough for your liking, so you don’t let him.   

“No. I like it this way.” 

“Seems like you just want to see me go crazy.” He calls you out, but you brush it off. “So? You’re my husband, don’t I get to do what I want to you?”

“Yes, my beautiful.” He cajols, reaching out with one hand to cup your breast. When his thumb brushes over your nipple, you falter, breath stuttering and your body arching into his touch. Noticing your reaction, he doubles down, moving both hands to your breasts and playing with your nipples. 

“Fuck…” You whimper, leaking arousal around his cock and making a mess. 

You can’t let him fuck you up like this. You need to regain control. So, leaning over him, you anchor yourself to better ride him, moving your hips up and down faster. 

When Taehyun’s breathing picks up and eyelids fall heavy over his hazy eyes, you know you’ve reclaimed the upper hand. His soft, shuddered breaths are like music to your ear, egging you to fuck him faster so his eyes would gloss over completely. 

And you try your damn hardest, but before you can accomplish that, you start to tire out, your thighs burning from the effort, and you’re forced to slow down. 

Curiously, that pulls a quiet whine from Taehyun. “Why did you slow down?” 

You grab his hands and lower them to your ass again, “Take over for me, won’t you, my dear?” 

“Whatever you want.” He murmurs, his eyes falling to where you’re joined together as he grabs fistfuls of your ass and starts moving you over him. It would probably be easier for him to thrust upwards but Taehyun is so strong that it’s easy for him to lift your body up and bring you down onto his dick in rapid, vigorous strokes. 

The drag of his cock against your walls and the way he doesn’t take his eyes off your pussy that keeps swallowing him are so good that you almost don’t think about Beomgyu anymore as your orgasm approaches. 

But before you can fall over the edge, Taehyun’s strained voice calls to you. "I'm going to cum." 

"No. Hold it.” You whine, clinging onto your building orgasm. “I'm not there yet. Can you do that for me, my lord?" You drawl seductively, and he seems to like that. 

“Yes.” He shudders, his face scrunching up as he doubles down on his efforts, bouncing you on his cock with impressive ease. 

You gaze down at him with hazy eyes, marveling over how his muscles bulge with each movement. “Taehyun, touch me.” You plead, grabbing one of his hands and guiding it between your legs. 

“Fuck, so wet and smooth.” Taehyun groans as his fingers rub the velvety skin of your pussy. His touches are untrained and unfocused, but the rough calluses on his fingers make you shudder every time he invariably brushes against your clit.

You squeeze your eyes shut, trying to focus on the building pressure, but you realize your mistake when you see the image of Beomgyu plastered over the back of your eyelids. 

Gasping, you find yourself suddenly hurled over the edge. 

“Oh, oh god.” You mewl, your body shaking and your pussy spasming over Taehyun’s cock as you cum. 

“I can’t–-I can’t—” Taehyun chokes, his hips bucking up and pushing his cock further into your pussy. It feels so good but you can’t let him cum inside you. 

Whimpering, you sit up on jittery legs, making his cock fall out of your pussy. 

“Why–” He growls, but before he can finish his question, you grab his cock and jerk him off, your hand sliding fast over his slick length and easily salvaging his high. 

"Cum for me, my lord." 

Disappointingly, he goes completely still and quiet as he comes. Only once his cum is splattered across his stomach, does his breathing return in shaky pants. 

You have to admit, he looks incredibly sexy though. The usually cold lord lying under you on his back, skin glistening with sweat and cum. It may not be that hunger that you crave but it’s a pretty sight. 

"Was that good?" You ask, still needing the reassurance since he won’t talk otherwise.

"It was incredible.” He confesses, and then adds, “Now I understand why some men go to war over this."

“Well, you might just have to.” You snort but Taehyun doesn’t seem to find it funny anymore. 

“I can take him.” 

You give him a smile that doesn’t reach your eyes, and thankfully, for once, Taehyun understands that you don’t want to talk about it. You feel a flood of shame wash over you as you remember what just happened. You just came to the thought of Beomgyu. You just had your first orgasm with your new husband while thinking of your past lover who forced himself on you. 

You're a terrible, sick human being. 

As if you could feel any worse about yourself, Taehyun asks, "Was that… good for you also?" He cringes at his own wording and doesn't meet your eyes. It's a bit endearing if you're honest. 

"It was." You say, fighting against your inner shame to reach a hand out to touch his shoulder. 

"Was it as… did it feel…" He keeps starting and stopping his sentences and, in that moment, you realize how unsure and out of his depth he is. 

"What is it, Taehyun?" 

He finally looks into your eyes, and you see his gaze flit between them, searching for something. You hope he finds it but it seems like he doesn’t, for he moves you gently to the side and gets up off the bed, mumbling, "Nothing. Forget about it."

This enigmatic interaction makes you wonder if there have been other moments like this before that you just hadn’t noticed–moments when he felt unsure about something but never mentioned it to you. And that just makes you latch onto this more.

"Taehyun, you can talk to me. I know this was your first time and it can be stressful–" 

"It's not that." He cuts you off as he grabs a rag to wipe himself off. "I was just worried because I didn't do much. I'm the man. I should be the one pleasing you." 

You get a feeling that that's not really what's bothering him but you can see from the way his shoulders hunch up stiffly that he has put his guard back up and is not willing to divulge anymore at this moment so you have to regrettably let it go. It's not like you're that forthcoming with him either. 

"The man? That's unlike you to say." 

He snorts, acknowledging it. "I don't usually but it's the duty of a husband to please his wife."

"Well consider me pleased."

You watch as Taehyun grabs both of you your sleeping attire. He puts his on, which consists of only a pair of soft pants, then hands you yours. 

“You don’t wear any clothes to sleep?” You ask as you slip on your silk nightgown. 

“I get very hot in my sleep.” 

“Here?” You ask incredulously and he shrugs. “I guess my body just runs at a higher temperature.” 

“No kidding.” You mutter, not believing that anyone can find the local weather anything but chilling. 

Taehyun gets into bed beside you and draws the cover over his button half. You get under the covers too, and neither of you makes any attempt to move closer to the other. 

"Do you need anything?" He asks, fidgeting with the cover in his lap. 

"Uh, no." You reply just as awkwardly. He looks at you like he wants to say or do something but is very hesitant about it. "Do you need anything?"

His eyes widen as he realizes he's been staring, and he shakes his head. "No." 

“Well, goodnight.” You say, lying down on your side of the bed. 

“Goodnight.” He whispers, and you think you hear him sigh before he grabs the candle on the nightstand, blowing the flame out and plunging you into darkness. 

_____________________________________

You can’t sleep. You’re not alone in bed so you can’t toss and turn restlessly like you usually do so all that nervous energy remains trapped up inside you and makes you even tenser, like a coiled spring. You're also very cold but you can’t bundle all the covers around you because you'd be taking them from Taehyun.

So you can’t do anything but lie very still and watch him sleep as you curl into a ball on the other side of the bed. 

You try to focus on his breathing, slow and deep, in and out, in and out… but it only helps to slow your heart rate down a little and nothing more. And it spikes back up again when he suddenly opens his eyes.  

“You’re watching me sleep.” He states. “I can’t sleep while someone is watching me.” 

“Sorry, I just can’t sleep.” You mumble sheepishly at having been caught. 

It's quiet for a while as he stares back at you and your eyebrows furrow. Did he fall asleep with his eyes open? 

But then he speaks up, startling you once again. “Can I help?” 

You think about it for a moment, hesitating. You’re cold and this castle still freaks you out. You'd feel better if you were in a warm and safe embrace, but you don’t know if you can ask that of him. Which is hilarious because he's your husband. You had sex with him, but you can’t ask him to cuddle you? 

Fuck it. The both of you won't get any sleep if you stay like this. 

“Can you hold me? I’m cold.” You venture to ask, but immediately regret it when he stiffens. 

“Oh.” 

“You don’t have to–” 

“No, no, come here.” He rushes to say, grabbing you by the arm and pulling you towards him, unintentionally using a little too much power and jerking on your shoulder roughly. 

“Ow!”’ You yelp and he quickly apologizes. “Sorry, sorry.” 

But then it gets quiet again.  

“...now what?” He wonders, lost, and it would be cute if it wasn't so uncomfortable. 

“You put your arms around me.” 

“Okay.” He wraps his arms around you awkwardly. He obviously hasn’t done this before with the way you’re positioned, face to face with his arms loosely draped around you as if he’s afraid to touch you. You want to say something but the charged air is just too stifling to cut through. So you close your eyes and just try to go to sleep. Or at least pretend to sleep until he does. 

But then he speaks up. “Is this helping?” 

Well, he is hot like he said so you're not cold anymore, but if anything you're even more stressed now. You feel like you can't move a muscle or even breathe in too deeply so as not to disturb him. So you just lie perfectly still, but he doesn’t. For some reason, his leg keeps shaking. 

But him speaking up gives you the courage to speak too. 

“Not really. You keep shaking your leg." 

“Oh sorry.” He apologizes in a way that makes you think he didn’t even realize he was doing it. “It’s a nervous habit.” 

“It’s okay.” You sigh and pull away. “I’ll just get a drink.” 

"Oh, okay."

You get up and go pour yourself some wine. “Want some?” You ask Taehyun who is now sitting up in bed, but not looking at you.

“No, thank you.” 

“You’re still shaking your leg.” You remark, before taking a big gulp from your cup. 

“Oh, fuck.” He slaps his hand down on his leg as if to physically hold it in place then laughs. “If my father was here, he would whip me for this. He always hated when I did that, said it made me look like a nervous rat.” 

“That’s awful.” 

It really is. The more you hear about his father–which isn’t much since Taehyun is not the type of man to divulge his pain to anyone–the more you grow to hate him for what he did to Taehyun and his little brother. 

“Yeah well, he was an awful man.” He shrugs. “I thought I kicked the habit years ago. Don’t know why it’s back.” 

“I know.” You snort. “You’re uncomfortable around me.” 

“I’m not… uncomfortable around you. I'm just uncomfortable about this whole situation in general.” 

“Well, you certainly know how to make a lady feel better.” 

He winces, and you can see him collect himself before he forces himself to look at you. "This is all just so new to me but I'm trying. I swear I am.” 

You take another mouthful of your drink and look away. "And what if that's not enough for me?"

"Don't say that."

You shrug and down the rest of your cup. “Maybe I should go sleep in my old room.” 

“No.” He says with an unexpected finality. “You’re my wife. We should sleep in the same bed. I’m just… not good at this. So… help me?” He asks you with a vulnerability you're not used to from him, and even though you want nothing more right now than to escape the suffocating awkwardness of the situation, you don’t have the heart to refuse him.

You put down your empty glass and join him on the bed. “Lay down.” You tell him and he obeys, looking up at you with a lost expression on his face that is painfully reminiscent of a child who is not used to any kind of affection. 

Your heart lurches in your chest as you grab his arm that is closest to you and pull it away from his body so you can curl yourself around his side, resting your head onto his shoulder and draping your arm over his torso. 

“Try to relax.” You whisper, to yourself as much as to him, and you feel him nod. But after a while, he still hasn’t relaxed much. 

Should things be this difficult? It was never difficult with Beomgyu. In fact, it was the holding back that was hard. But maybe that’s a good thing. Things came so easy to Beomgyu that he felt entitled to more than you were willing to give and he justified it by saying how much you wanted him too. It may be awkward and unfamiliar with Taehyun but at least he never took more than you gave him. It may not be easy but you have to try your best to make it work. He's your husband now. 

So when Taehyun’s leg starts shaking again, you think of what Beomgyu might’ve done to calm you down in this situation and that's when an idea pops into your head. 

Craning your head up, you cup his cheek and pull his lips to yours. 

Every time you kiss him, he seems to reciprocate it faster, like he was waiting for you to make the move. Being more receptive to physical touch than emotional or verbal ones, this seems to succeed in calming him down, and he stops shaking his leg. 

When you pull away, he looks down at you, murmuring a soft sorry that you answer with a small smile. 

You’ll make this work no matter how hard it is. You have to. 

__________________________

Things are better for the next couple of months after the wedding. Taehyun slowly--painfully slowly, seems to become less tense around you, and more flustered. You don’t have to ask him to hold you to sleep at night. He doesn't refuse you when you touch him. He's still stand-offish when you're not behind closed doors but you catch him stealing glances at you during the day, quickly looking away when your eyes meet his. 

It was kind of cute. But you can’t fully enjoy it as much as you’d like to because there is one thing occupying your mind and not allowing you to let your guard down.  

You know that the news of your marriage must've reached Beomgyu by now, and yet he hasn't said a word to you since, no letter, no nothing. Why is he so quiet? Shouldn't he have said something by now? Condemned you? Cursed you? Threatened you? Anything would’ve freaked you out less than his unnerving silence. 

Could he possibly be preparing something huge? Or was your betrayal so harrowing that he actually gave up on you? Could he have hurt himself because of you? 

Oh god, please don't let it be that. You wouldn't be able to forgive yourself if you found out that you’re the reason he hurt himself in any way.  

“Wondering why he’s so silent too?” Kai’s voice drifts to you on the wind as you stand on the now familiar ledge, trying to clear your thoughts. 

“Yes.” You admit, “Maybe he gave up on me like Taehyun said.” 

“Why do you sound so sad saying it?” 

“Kai–” 

“I really hope he did. Taehyun seems happy with you. You know, he sometimes looks off into the distance and smiles randomly when he thinks no one is paying him any attention. It's weird." Kai looks at you with a hint of the previous friendly mischievous you used to share and you can’t help but smile in response. 

“You’re really making him change. It’s amazing to see. You’re the perfect woman for him.” He ends on a seemingly unfinished note, and you can’t help but prod, even though you know you won’t like it. “But?” 

“But I wish you didn’t come with a crazy prince in tow.” 

There it is. You sigh heavily, staring at the waves in the distance, wishing you could feel them against your skin once again like you did that last time you and Beomgyu were together. You could really use a soul cleansing right now, but you wonder if it would be the same without him, if the waves would wash over you and purify you like they did last time or if they would crash onto you and submerge you, pulling you down until you can’t breathe anymore. 

“I don’t believe your prince has given up. This is just the silence before the storm." Kai informs you, leaning on his elbows over the low stone wall that stands between you and sure death down below, and looks off into the distance. "And I can already see it brewing.”

A sense of dread fills you up as you follow his gaze, already feeling the salt water burning at your throat. 

_________________________________________

And what a storm it is.

“He is going to kill you.” You hear Kai’s raised voice even before you open the door. 

“I can handle myself.” Taehyun replies, tone as reserved as ever but you can tell that there is an edge to it. 

“You should’ve thought hard before you married–” 

Something really bad must’ve happened. You just know it. You can feel your heart beat erratically as you swing the door open and step in. “What is going on?”

It’s Kai that hits you with the news, devoid of any of the courteous preparation anyone else might’ve attempted before delivering such life-altering information.

“The king is dead. So is the crown prince. They were murdered in their sleep.”

Oh god no. Bile and words race each other to claw their way up your throat. 

“And B-Beomgyu?” 

“Injured but alive.” 

You've never felt so relieved before in your life, and it's obvious on you, as Kai doesn’t fail to remark. 

"Look at her. She's happy he's okay. She doesn't even know what this means." He sneers, gesturing to Taehyun wildly, and the latter regards you with narrowed eyes. 

"Don't you understand what's happening?" Taehyun asks you but you stare at him cluelessly, your brain still flooded with relief at knowing that Beomgyu is okay. 

"Your prince has to have been the one who killed them." Taehyun explains slowly, irately. "The news of our marriage must've reached him, and he's making his move."

Realization falls on you like an anchor, pinning you to your spot with the sheer weight of it, and ripping through the tenous foundations of the life you’ve built here. Now that his father and older brother are dead, you realize that there is nothing standing between you and him anymore. 

Except one person.

Your eyes snap towards Taehyun in horror, and he understands your concern immediately. 

“Don’t worry. As I was just telling Kai, he’s not going to hurt me.” He reassures you then turns towards Kai to continue, “He can’t hurt me even if he tried. He’s just a royal prick that is mad that someone dared to take his toy away from him.”

His wording offends you. Beomgyu doesn’t think of you as a toy. He loves you, which is more than you can say for Taehyun. 

You know this isn’t what you should be concerning yourself with at this moment, but to hear Taehyun degrade your relationship with Beomgyu in this way felt incredibly hurtful. Beomgyu is the only person who ever loved you, and Taehyun's implication that you were just a play thing for him shatters you, because if he didn't love you and Taehyun doesn’t love you then who does? 

Your self-involved inner tirade is interrupted as the two brothers continue their fight. 

“Even if that’s true, how can you be so sure that he can’t hurt you? He’s a prince! No, he's now the fucking king.” Kai shouts. 

“And I’m a goddamn warlord. I know how to defend my land and my people.” Taehyun yells back. 

“You know, you have a lot of shit to say about my shortcomings but this…” Kai gestures around vaguely, “This ego and stubbornness and misguided need to save everyone might just be the death of you.” 

Kai’s words shock Taehyun into silence. You can tell by his reaction that Kai has never spoken to him that way before. 

You feel horrible for having come between the two brothers like that. It’s all your fault they’re fighting. And Kai doesn’t shy away from blaming you. 

“And you,” Kai turns on you. “I thought you said he had nothing. That didn’t seem like he has nothing."

“Maybe it wasn’t him.” You sputter dumbly. It's a weak attempt at deflection and you both know it. “You said he was injured too. Maybe there was actually some kind of conspiracy and he managed to escape it.”

“Are you stupid? So these unknown conspirators just so happen to kill the only two people standing between him and the throne while only managing to injure him non-fatally? It's so obvious that he’s behind this." Kai screams at you, "If you don’t go back to him–”

Taehyun jolts out of his shocked state with fury. He walks up to Kai and grabs him by the collar, snarling in his face, “You’re my brother and I love you but if you ever even suggest that she give herself back to him, I'm going to make you regret it.”

Kai regards his brother with a look of shock and disbelief. "After all we've been through, you’re going to beat me up over a stranger?" 

"She’s not a stranger. She’s my wife now, which makes her my family as much as you are." 

That makes you melt. Taehyun is such a reserved man, so hearing him say this, especially to his brother, means more to you than you can begin to express. He thinks of you as his family. No matter how crazy he is for thinking he can take on Beomgyu, it's still so touching to know that he's willing to go to war to protect you. His family. You finally have a family.

Kai’s wide eyes flit between you and Taehyun, and you fumble nervously under his gaze that turns condemning before he pushes Taehyun off him and walks away. 

“Taehyun….” You approach him, unsure of what to say. You want to tell him how much this means to you, but you can’t find the words and you worry that even if you do, he's going to reply with something that would ruin the moment like he's wont to do.

Wait, why do you have to say anything? You can just show him. You fling your arms around him and pull him into a deep kiss, pouring your gratitude into it. 

"Thank you for letting me into your family."

"You don't have to thank me for that. It's your right."

You give him a grateful smile. He must not realize how huge this is for you but it is. 

But then guilt plagues at you and you start gnawing on your lower lip nervously. 

Taehyun frowns at that and lifts his hand up to prop your chin up, using his thumb to pull your poor bruised lip out from between your teeth. "What is it?"

"Okay don't be mad," You start, looking up at him anxiously. "But I feel a bit bad for Kai–"

Taehyun groans and pulls away from you, so you rush to explain before he shuts you out completely. 

"He's just worried about you. All he needs is reassurance. Just promise him you'll be okay and he might come around."

“I don’t make empty promises.” He rebuffs you, and you stop cold. “What do you mean? I thought you said you can handle yourself.” 

“I can but there is no guarantee that your prince won’t manage to kill me somehow.” Taehyun explains nonchalantly, as if he was talking about the weather and not his potential death.  

“Why didn’t you say so before?” 

“I thought you already knew that.” 

“You’re unbelievable.” You scoff, and he gives you a mystified look. "Why are you so upset?"

"Why am I upset?” You blurt out incredulously, “Maybe because you just told me that Beomgyu actually has a chance of killing you and I'm fucking worried about you, you emotionless idiot." 

But Taehyun’s expression remains perplexed. “Worrying is useless. It won’t help anyone, least of all me.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” You exclaim, frustrated and hurt by his apathy. “That’s not what you’re supposed to say when someone says they’re worried about you. A normal person with actual feelings would, I don’t know, find it sweet that I’m worried about him and then he would try to reassure me that everything will be fine, instead of making me feel like a hysterical woman for caring about my husband’s safety.” 

“I have feelings.” He rebukes with all the emotional capacity of the cliff getting smashed by the sea. 

You laugh humorlessly. “Great. Why don’t you use them sometimes?” 

You expect him to say something else that’s either indifferent or hurtful, but instead he grabs you and pulls you towards him, kissing you with a surprising passion that you quickly match because you know that this is his way of expressing the feelings that he can’t articulate. 

When he pulls back, he pauses for a second, hesitating, before speaking. "I'll be fine." 

You give him a pointed look. 

"I promise I will do everything in my power to survive for you." He corrects himself, cupping your face and making you look at him when you try to look away. "Okay?"

"Fine." You reluctantly give in. 

"And I find it sweet that you’re worried about me." 

You roll your eyes and smack his chest lightly. "Now you’re just stealing lines straight from me." 

He laughs lightly and pulls you into another kiss.

“Careful or I’ll think that you like kissing me.” 

“Oh no.” He murmurs, catching your lips once again, his smile clear against your lips. 

"Okay. I'll accept your promise.” 

“Good.” He tries to kiss you once more but you stop him. “But I'm not going to just sit around and do nothing while you fight for me."

He frowns. "If you mean that you want to fight alongside me on the battlefield then I'm sorry but I have limits too." 

You roll your eyes. It's just like Taehyun to only think of literal physical fighting. 

"There are other ways to fight than physical warfare, and I suspect that Beomgyu wouldn't go for that anyway. You’re a military man, and even if the king is gone, he still can’t forcefully steal another man’s wife without causing a major scandal that could threaten his new position. What he'll do is try to turn your lords against you so they take you out themselves without him getting his hands dirty, just like he did with his father."

Understanding dawns on him and he doesn’t look happy about it. 

“So what exactly are you suggesting?” He asks suspiciously. 

“You need to make sure your lords see that standing by your side would benefit them more than betraying you. Only half of the lords here are loyal to you. The others hate your guts for exiling their fathers and their friends. We need to offer them things that they want so that they disregard that and remain on your side.” 

“Forget it.” He shakes his head. “I’m not going to waste my people’s money lining up the pockets of murder accomplices and sympathizers.”

You know he hates them for they or their families knew about the true fate of his mother, and he has every right to. But if he wants to stand up to Beomgyu, he has to force himself to put that behind him to protect himself and the people he cares for.

“Your people won’t have you for long if you don’t listen to me, and then they’ll fall right into the hands of those lords you despise so much. Do you think they will be left anything then?” 

He scowls, clearly perturbed by this discussion, but you need to make him see it from your point of view because otherwise he won’t stand a chance against Beomgyu. 

“If you want to beat him, you have to play his game. There is no other way. You know that.” 

“Even if I did that, how the hell am I going to match what he could offer? I don’t have that kind of wealth.” 

“You don’t need to. I’ve seen the royals do this a million times back when I lived at the palace. No ruler gives their subjects immense wealth to keep them in line, that’s stupid. If he does that then they’ll eventually become too rich and powerful for him to control. No, he only gives them enough to make them want to keep him around so he keeps providing them with things.” You explain, “I’m not asking you to coddle them. In fact, it would be good for the plan if they still fear you. If we combine the fact that they’re scared of you with some of the political tricks I’ve learned back at the palace, we can make it so they’d see that it’s not worth it to turn on you. You only need to give them enough to keep them satisfied so as not to think about risking dying at your sword for more.” 

Despite your explanation, he still looks unhappy about it, so you go up to him and wrap your arms around his midsection, looking up at him with your best pleading face. 

“Please, Taehyun. You promised me you’d do everything in your power to survive.”

“This isn’t what I promised.” He protested, but you could see that you’re getting to him. 

“Please. I know you don’t like them but it’s for the greater good.” 

“Don’t like them? I’d sooner drive a sword through their hearts than give those bastards anything.” 

“I know, but you’re a good ruler, and you’ll do right by your people. I know you will.” You whisper gently then lean up to kiss him. 

But he doesn’t respond, he just stands there, eyes open and staring into the distance until you give up and pull away. 

__________________________

Taehyun comes around and does what you’re asking of him in the end, but at what cost? 

Those couple of months that you had following your marriage when Taehyun was all shy gazes and steady kisses are but a distant memory now, and you start to wonder if you didn’t just dream them up. 

He gives his lords more money, more perks, more allowances at your behest. It’s plain as day how much he hates it, but you keep reminding him that this is better for his people, that in such circumstances, keeping the city united and his lords loyal will benefit everyone in the long run. That if his lords betray him, it would not only doom him, but that the little people will be the ones to suffer the most, and that if he falls, Kai might be next. 

That especially seems to convince him. Despite his quarrel with Kai and him choosing to stand by you, he would still do anything he could to protect his little brother. He still doesn’t like it–it’s a daily fight and subsequent compromise over what he will or will not allow to pass–but at least he’s trying. 

But the fights have taken a major toll on your already strained relationship. More than anything, you think he hates that he now has to imitate the very same man he so despises–Beomgyu. 

It couldn’t be helped though. Beomgyu is the most loved man in the kingdom, both by the common people as well as his fellow nobility. Who better to learn from than the man who has most of the country wrapped around his little finger? And who better to teach him than the woman who spent her life attached to him at the hip? 

You worry about Beomgyu a lot, which makes you feel positively wretched because you realize that he’s most probably behind this. But with his uncharacteristic silence, you grow even more concerned and doubt starts to infiltrate your brain. Maybe he really didn’t do it. Maybe he’s just back at the palace, injured on top of being heartbroken, and wondering how his life got to this point and why he’s all alone? 

No, you have to stop thinking this way. As Taehyun would say, worrying accomplishes nothing. It’s not like you can do anything to figure out how he is or what really happened. 

Theoretically, you can send him a message and ask him about it but you know that would upset Taehyun and make Kai distrust you more, not to mention that it’s unlikely Beomgyu would even tell you the truth. But at least you’d know if he’s okay… 

God, you just hope he’s okay. You cling onto that hope to get you through the mess you’re going through right now with Taehyun. 

Mercifully, you can already see some positive change, the lords of the city becoming more cooperative with Taehyun, some even to the point where they’re pulling their own strings to, unbeknownst to them, better prepare the city in case Beomgyu attacks.

That’s another thing you’re doing. You don’t think Beomgyu will actually attack but you have to prepare for the worst case scenario anyway, and Taehyun is on top of that. 

He ups the number of guards in the castle and around it, trains you even harder, sends scouts to monitor the fringes of the city, starts preparing the army for any possible attack, stocks rations for any possible food shortage… he does everything little thing he can think of to protect the city, and you do the same, racking your brain every day to try to remember or think up any other way you can smoothen the relations between him and the other lords. You even have him reaching out to neighboring cities to gain further allies.  

He does it all, and in turn, he seems to loathe you a little bit more each day.   

It reaches a point where he is avoiding your touch once again. He doesn’t even hold you to sleep anymore. The distance between you grows more and more the more he gives in. Until the only time he is speaking to you is when you’re discussing your plans to fortify the city. 

Yeah, Taehyun doesn’t appreciate what you’re doing, but there is someone else who surprisingly does. 

“I gotta say, I’m impressed.” Kai says as he once again intrudes on your now sacred place–the cliff you seem to be frequenting more and more as your husband grows more distant. “Who would’ve thought there would come a day when Taehyun makes nice with the other lords. You’ve really changed him.” 

"He's not doing it for me.” You object, hating how Kai brings everything back to you. Couldn’t his brother be doing this because he saw the error of his ways? “He just wants to protect his people. He wants to protect you."

"From the threat you created." 

"Don't start now. It’s too late. We're already married.” You sigh, tired of this, then add on gloomily, more to yourself than to him, “Though it doesn’t feel like it anymore.” 

“Yeah, he’s certainly not happy about it.” Kai snorts and you scowl at him. 

“Are you here to gloat?” 

He blinks at you, taken aback. “No. I’m actually here to commend you. This is some amazing work you're doing. I've always wanted him to be smarter around the other lords and to make more political allies, and now he’s finally doing it for you." Kai repeats once again, and before you can protest, he continues, "I just wanted to tell you that, before everything goes to shit.”

“Maybe it won’t.” You utter softly, wishing it into the world. “Maybe we’ll actually prevent the apocalypse.” 

Kai laughs wistfully. “Taehyun was right. You really are too sheltered.” 

Your face hardens at that. It’s one thing for Taehyun to call you sheltered, but for even Kai to throw that at you? That’s just insulting.

You want to throw it back at him but then he says something that guts you. “That won’t happen because that would be fair and life isn’t fair. If it was, you wouldn’t have been dealt such a terrible hand.” 

"If you don’t think it's fair then why are you against me? If I’m doing what you want then why don’t you help me?” You shout, exposing your vulnerability to him but you just don’t understand how he could see your situation for how oppressive it is and yet choose to be another boot pressing down on your back instead of offering a hand to lift you up. Taehyun may be cold and prideful but at least he refuses to participate in injustice when he sees it. Jaeyun may be a traitor but at least he doesn’t understand what’s wrong with what he's doing. But for Kai to both see and understand completely and yet still choose to align himself with Beomgyu? That’s what is truly crushing.  “We’re stronger together. I need you next to me, Kai." 

But he shatters your glass hope with a simple shake of his head. "Maybe Taehyun has changed you too, but someone has to think of the bigger picture. When your prince attacks, and he will, none of this is going to matter. We can't stand up to the crown and you know it. He knows it too, but he’s just not the type of man to abandon the sailor who fell overboard to save the rest of the ship from the storm. It doesn't help that he's in love too."

The cogs of the world screech to a halt around you, leaving a ringing in your ear as you stand there in the stillness trying to fathom what he just said. Taehyun loves you? That can’t be. If he loves you, wouldn’t he show it? Why the hell would he be avoiding you so much if he loves you? Wouldn’t he want to spend time with you, to be close to you, to make any excuse to be around you? 

No, he can’t love you. Beomgyu loves you. You can’t remember a day when you didn’t see his face growing up because he always wanted to be by your side. He’s bending the world around you so you can be together. He’s getting rid of any obstacle that stands between you and him.

Taehyun doesn’t even seem to want to be in the same room as you, and when he is, he barely looks at you. How can what both men feel for you be the same emotion when the way they’re acting towards you couldn’t be more different?  

“Taehyun isn’t that type of man but I am, and sometimes you have to do the painful thing to protect the ones you love.” Kai disrupts the stillness of the world with his declaration, eyes full of meaning that you now understand perfectly. 

With that he leaves you to think on what he said. 

______________________________

You don’t reach any new conclusion following your conversation with Kai. You understand his threat perfectly. He doesn’t want to hurt you but he will if your presence is threatening his brother’s life. 

What you can’t make sense of is his claim that Taehyun loves you. How can that be? 

Yes, he’s doing what you asked of him, but he’s more distant than ever. Even the rare little sweet moments you used to share are all but gone. He’s always tense and aloof with you. No smiles, no jokes, no kisses. Your relationship is the worst it’s ever been. 

And then something happens to make it even worse. 

You were in your room getting ready for the day alone–Taehyun having gotten up at the crack of dawn like he always does, when a servant comes to tell you that your husband has sent for you urgently. 

“But I haven’t even had breakfast yet.” You state, trepidation gnawing at you at the strange request. 

“There is a guest here to see you.” She says, wide eyed, and your anxiety flares dramatically. 

Is it Beomgyu? Is he here for you? 

With a racing heart and shallow respirations, you all but run to him, swinging the door open to face your mysterious and unexpected guest. 

Somehow you’re even more shocked, and disquietly disappointed, to see princess Wonyoung standing there in all her lovely glory. 

She seems shocked to see you too, but for a different reason. She gasps like she just saw a starving child and runs to you, touching you daintily as her eyes sweep over your entire form. 

“Oh, sweetheart, look at you.” She says pityingly, covering her mouth in horror with her perfectly manicured hand. 

You know you don’t look your best right now. You haven’t had any access to much of the privileges you used to have back at the palace. There aren’t any people here hired specifically to take care of your hair or nails or skin. You have to do all that yourself or with the help of untrained servants who just put your hair up in a messy, awkward updo, slap on some rouge and lipstick that don’t compliment your skin tone, and dress you in ill-fitted, shabby dresses. 

You already know you look bad but next to her, you look downright dreadful. She’s as gorgeous as ever, with make up that makes her look as fresh as a summer fruit, jewelry that excludes riches and sophistication, shiny locks pulled up in an intricate hairstyle, and a dress that compliments her figure and could only belong to royalty. She looks like a goddess and you look like a temple worker. 

You’ve never felt more insecure in your entire life, and you just stand there, awkwardly trying to fix up your hair or smoothen your dress in a futile attempt to not feel as bad as you look, but that only serves to make her notice how self-conscious you are right now and she looks at you with a pitying smile that makes you feel worse than if she were to insult you. 

“How are you, princess?” You greet her, attempting to deflect from your humbling situation. 

“I’m good. How are you?” She asks earnestly, “We missed you so much.” 

Her choice of words doesn’t escape your notice. We. “I missed you too.” 

Her smile widens at that and she looks like she wants to take you into a hug but she’s unsure if she’s allowed to, so you just do it yourself. 

“Oh, sweetling.” She coos, hugging you so tightly.

She even smells good, and you hate how that makes you want to run back to your room and bathe in your shitty perfume until your scent begins to resemble that of a lady once more. 

“Are you here to say something, princess?” Taehyun cuts into your little moment. You don’t know if you’re just imagining it, but he seems ticked off and nervous. You think you can see it in the way he seems to be trying to stop his leg from bouncing up and down anxiously. Wonyoung being here must’ve really thrown him off. 

“Oh, yes.” Wonyoung acknowledges, patting you one last time on the back before she steps back. “May we have some privacy?” She asks Taehyun and he irritably waves off his guards out of the room, leaving only you, him, Wongyoung and Kai. 

“Can’t it just be the three of us?” Wonyoung regards Kai with a sideways glance. “What I’m about to say is highly confidential and must not leave this room.” 

Before Taehyun even has the chance to respond, Kai interjects angrily. “No, you’re here to say something about your deranged brother, and as Taehyun’s brother, I have the right to hear this too.”

“He’s right. Kai deserves to be here as much as anyone else.” Taehyun decrees, and Wonyoung looks at you for confirmation. 

Truth is, with how Kai has been threatening you, you’re not sure if you want him to be here for whatever Wonyoung has to say, but you also don’t want to ask Taehyun to remove him because then he’ll know that there is something going on between you and Kai. And even though you’re hurt by what Kai has been saying to you, you understand where he’s coming from and you don’t want to sour his relationship with his brother. You also still have hope that you can salvage your own relationship with him if you just prove to him that his brother is not going to be in danger because of you.  

So, with some reluctance, you nod to Wongyoung, giving her the go-ahead to proceed. 

“My brother has sent me to bring you back home.” 

Her statement garners a variety of reactions. 

Kai snorts derisively. “Yeah, as if we didn’t know that.” 

Taehyun takes on a more offended approach, snapping, “She is home.” 

But you just stand silent. She said home.  You never knew that she considers the palace your home. You always thought that, to her and to everyone other than Beomgyu, you were just the lowest-born lady in her entourage. So to hear the princess herself call her family’s home your own makes the little girl in you who always felt like an outcast feel giddy and vindicated. 

“Why would she go with you?”

“Because she wants to.” She sneers at Taehyun then turns to you. “You want to come home, right?” 

Every time she says that word, it tugs on your heart strings, pulling you towards her and towards home. But you can’t, this is your home now.  

“Princess, you must know I’m married by now.” You whisper as if you’re telling her a shameful secret. You know you shouldn’t be ashamed of what you’ve done but it somehow still feels like you’ve betrayed her somehow. The princess of the land is here to take you home and you’re telling her that you’ve found a new home. 

“Yes, I know.” You can hear the hurt and disappointment in her voice and it just makes you want to shrink in on yourself. “But we still want you back.” 

God, she’s tearing you apart. This is everything you’ve wanted, but it’s just a beat too late. 

You shake your head to staunch your helpless tears. “That’s not possible. I can’t just leave my husband and go live with you. What kind of woman does that? It would be a huge scandal.” 

“Not if he keeps his mouth shut and doesn’t make a fuss about it.” She jerks her head towards Taehyun and when you follow her direction your stomach plummets to your feet at the frightful look he’s regarding you with. “People know you’ve lived your whole life in the palace. They won’t think it strange if you went back to live with your family following your strained marriage to a notoriously cruel lord.”  

So many emotions run through you at once. She called herself family. She not only thinks of the palace as your home but she thinks of you as family… you’re so moved, you could cry. 

But you can’t let on how touched you are by her statement when it makes your normally cold husband boil with rage. 

“She’s not in a strained marriage, and you’re not her family. I am. What kind of family prostitutes one of them to another? What kind of family isolates and keeps down one of their members so they could never escape? You were never her family. Your real family is that monster and you’re here acting on his orders to try to con her into coming back to the gilded prison you’ve made for her.” 

Taehyun’s enraged speech shocks you out of your enchanted state, reminding you of the reasons why you left in the first place. Even if you believe her when she says they consider you as their family, neither she nor Beomgyu ever treated you as such in front of other people. Only Taehyun did. 

Still not everything he’s saying is true. Your marriage is most definitely strained. You don’t know if he’s denying it because he doesn’t want to show any weakness in your relationship in front of her or because he just doesn’t see it. 

“We didn’t prostitute her. We gave her family money to support themselves. We took her in and treated her like our own. What have you done? Ripped her from her comfortable life and took her away to this miserable place where she has no one to advocate for her, just so you can mold her to your liking, making her jump through hoops for you, forcing her to get her hands dirty and bloody just so she can earn your favor. My brother may have crossed the line sometimes but at least he took care of her.” She doubles down, pointing the finger back at him, before once again turns to you. “Beomgyu still loves you, sweetling, and he’ll forgive everything if you just come back home.” 

Forgive? She thinks he’s the one with something to forgive?

Both she and Taehyun are twisting the truth to fit their narrative. They’re cherry picking certain points to make themselves look better and the other look worse, and they’re using you to do it. 

“And if she doesn’t?” Kai steps in impatiently. “He loves her. He’ll forgive her, and so on. That’s great, but what if she doesn’t come back? What is he going to do then?” 

Kai’s question, more than anything Taehyun said, changes the demeanor of the princess. She pulls herself back and takes on a more careful countenance. It unnerves you. 

“I don’t want to resort to that.” She says carefully, “If you just come back, there would be no need for any of it.” 

Any of it? So there is an it. This isn’t Beomgyu’s plan. This is just the peace offer that if not accepted will trigger the actual plan. 

You gulp, trying to clear your throat but your mouth is too dry and your voice comes out sounding hoarse anyway. “What is he going to do, princess?” 

She gives you a pleading look, still hoping that you’d just give in, but you stand your ground. You need to see the full picture so you know exactly what you’re dealing with. 

Seeing your determination, Wonyoung sighs and says, “He’s going to attack the city.” 

“Of course he is.” Shouts Kai, giving you and Taehyun a pointed look. “What did I say?” 

“Kai, shut up, will you?” Taehyun growls at him, and then turns on the princess. “Attack us on what ground? He thinks he can just launch a civil war without the kingdom turning on him?” 

“They won’t. They’ll stand by him because he’s avenging his father’s and brother’s deaths.” She states, sending ripples of shock and confusion through the room. 

“What?” You croak, “Taehyun didn’t kill them.” 

“Yes, he did. We have the men who committed the crime in our prison right now and they’ve confessed to everything. He kidnapped you too.” She irforms you as if what she’s saying isn’t the most insane thing you’ve ever heard. 

“What? I came here on my own accord.” 

“Did you?” She arches her eyebrows at you and you sputter dumbly, brain refusing to process her implication. But Kai won’t let you get away with it. 

“Your family are fucking setting my brother up.” He screeches at you, face red with outrage. “They’re framing him for the killings and accusing him of having brought you here by force.” 

“But why?” You shake, feeling faint and nauseous. “How does that make sense? Why would he even do that?” 

"To take the throne.” Wonyoung says simply, and starts unraveling Beomgyu’s crazy plan. “Lord Taehyun kidnapped you and forced you to give him information about the palace. He learned about the secret passages that run through it, and he mapped them out for his men. He planned to kill all the males of our family and then pretend to step in order to protect us as the second most powerful remaining lord in the country. But in reality, he was going to marry himself to Beomgyu’s widow and his brother to me so he would secure his hold on the crown. But his plan failed when one of his men knocked down Beomgyu’s bedside lantern while they were sneaking up on him, waking him up and alerting him to the attackers. My brother sustained some injuries as he fought them back but the commotion alerted the guards and they saved him. With his plan foiled, Lord Taehyun decided to quickly marry you in a rushed ceremony, to attempt to deny the accusations if they surfaced by claiming that he didn’t kidnap you at all and that you went to him willingly to get married and there was never any conspiracy behind it." 

The room falls into a terrible silence once Wonyoung is done. 

Now that the whole plan is laid out, it sounds equal parts crazy, incomprehensible, and yet somehow believable–a combination that’s so dizzying it makes you sick. You can’t even begin to deconstruct it, there are just so many absurd details about it and yet it all fits together. You don’t know what you thought Beomgyu would do–you considered that he might simply attack Taehyun, that he might send assasins to murder him, you worried that he might even hurt himself… but this? This is unhinged. It’s so insane, it might actually work, and you can’t believe that he’d go this far.  

“He can’t do this–he can’t–” You stammer, not believing what is happening right now, and so you try to grasp at anything. "Why would those men even lie for him?" 

"They’re already criminals convicted of murder and he promised to provide for their families after their death." Wonyoung explains.

A sudden cackle pierces the air and you start, looking at its source to find a jeering Taehyun. “That’s ridiculous. As if that flowery fucker could fight off any assassin I would send. Who would even believe this shit?” 

“Want us to give it a try and see?” Wonyoung spits, and it’s still so weird for you to see the normally gracious princess exhibit such animosity. “My brother is adored throughout the kingdom while your own people hate you. You want to go head to head with him and see who people will believe?” 

That strikes a nerve with Taehyun and he glowers at her with hatred in his eyes, clear as day. “If you’re so sure that this will work, why don’t you do it already? Why are you here threatening us?” 

“Because believe it or not, my brother doesn’t actually want to hurt anyone. If he can do this without any bloodshed then he will.” 

“You mean other than your father and your brother?” Snarks Kai and she shoots him a look that clearly says ‘who are you to even talk to me?’ which makes Kai fume, then she continues.  

“And he’s worried that if war breaks out, at best you might get injured and at worst your dear husband might use you as a bargaining chip to hold Beomgyu back.” 

Taehyun gets to his feet, livid. “You must mistake me for your brother, princess. I would never lay a hand on my family.”

“Didn’t you kill your father?” She asks haughtily and you can see the rage coiling in Taehyun’s body. You can practically see him fighting in order to hold himself back so you step in before things get crazy. 

“I think that’s enough.” You stand between them, holding your arms out to signal to them to calm down. “Why don’t you go and rest for a bit, princess, while we think over what you said.” 

Taehyun gapes at you. “I will not have this vile woman stay in my castle for a second longer.” 

“Taehyun, she’s had a long journey. She needs to rest.” You reproach, trying to maintain the peace so as not to antagonize Wonyoung and have her tell Beomgyu to go on with his plan. Then you add more softly, “And we need to think about what she said.” 

“Think about what?” Taehyun accuses, “I will not be threatened by that lunatic. Or are you actually considering going back?” 

“She should.” Kai interrupts, “Like you said, he’s a lunatic. He’s not just threatening us. He will actually do it if we don’t comply. For fuck’s sake, he killed his own father and brother.” 

“Kai, I told you if you suggest that she leaves one more time–” 

“Taehyun, please!” You cry out. “Let’s not fight. This is not going to help us.”

Taehyun clamps his mouth shut but his eyes still reveal his displeasure. You don’t let it get to you though, turning to the princess and taking her by the hand, showing her out of the room before Taehyun can glare at her to death. 

When you’re alone with her, you grab her and whisper, “Wonyoung, please, you have to stop him.” You plead, your whole world hanging on her right now. Never even in your most abominable nightmares could you have imagined Beomgyu going this far.

“I can’t.” She says helplessly, “He has it all planned out. He’s not going to back down now after taking out father and brother. He will not rest until he has you back.”

“How can you stand with him when you know he killed them? Aren’t you scared of him?”

She shakes her head. “I trust him. He loves me very much and I know he won’t hurt me. Just like he won’t hurt you. Beomgyu is not crazy. He is only doing what he knows is best for us.”

“What are you talking about?” You exclaim, “He killed them to get to me. He’s threatening to kill Taehyun. He could kill you too!” 

She shakes her head once again. “He won’t.” 

“How can you be so sure?” 

She smiles at you strangely. “Beomgyu saved me, sweetling. Did you know that father and Yeonjun were planning to ship me off to be wedded to King Youngchul?”

You gasp, horrified. “But he’s a monster!” 

King Youngchul is the corrupt ruler of a neighboring country. He is known for his cruelty to his subjects. He lives in excess and gluttony, mooching off the goldmines prevalent in his kingdom, all while letting his people starve, and anyone who dares to say a word against him gets their head chopped off. He snuffs out any rising rebellion by slaughtering everyone even remotely connected to it so no one would dare to think about usurping him. 

He is also known for his disgusting appetite for girls, especially young ones. You’ve heard rumors that men hide their wives from him because if he is to set his eyes on a woman he desires, he has to have her even if she belongs to someone else. 

You know that he’s had his eyes set on Wonyoung for a long time–as many men have, she is a renowned beauty across the kingdoms and highly sought after–but you never imagined that the late king would ever surrender his own daughter to such a despicable man. 

“How could your father do that to you?” You denounce, appalled and she scoffs. “He promised that he’d protect me from him, but I think all he really cared about were all the goldmines he’d have access to once he sold me off to him.” 

“Oh my god.” You stagger, feeling dizzy but she grabs you and steadies you. “But you see? This is what I’m talking about. Beomgyu isn’t the monster your lord is painting him to be. He saved me and now I’m free to do whatever I want. It’s completely different back at the palace now with Beomgyu as king. It’s safe for you to come back.” 

The fates really are cruel. It wasn’t enough for them to deprive you of the love of your life and send you on the run, but now they’re dangling him in front of you when they know you can’t reach out and take him? 

“I can’t, princess. Things may have changed for you but not for me. Beomgyu is still married to someone else. I am as well. It’s too late to go back.” 

“Do you love lord Taehyun?” She asks and once again you feel like you’re betraying her when you say that you do. 

“And does he love you?” She prompts and the tears immediately spring to your eyes. 

You can’t deal with this right now. You’re barely holding on as it is. You can’t let yourself be sucked into her beguiling promises when you don’t even know if they’re too or not. You ran away once. You can’t run away again. 

So you just deflect. “I need to get back to them.”

___________________________________

When you step back into the room where Taehyun and Kai are, you can feel the tension is even higher than it was before and you know the two brothers have been fighting, especially because of the first words spoken to you by Kai. 

“I thought you said he had nothing.” 

You stare at the ground guiltily and mumble, “I never thought he’d do this.” 

“But I thought you knew him so well.” Kai laughs hysterically. 

“Kai, enough!” Taehyun roars, but Kai doesn’t stop with his lashings. “No. She needs to see what she brought to us; death. He won’t stop until he has her and we’re all standing in his way.” 

From your talk with Wonyoung, that seems to be the case. She says that Beomgyu doesn’t want to hurt anyone but she’s clear that he will if you don’t come back. 

"Kai is right. Maybe I should go back to him.” You say, voice small and defeated but both men hear it clearly. “This won’t stop until I do.” 

“No.” Taehyun’s voice booms out, “He could be lying. For all we know he could get you back and still attack me. You'd just be making it easier for him by getting out of the way. He might even use your return as proof that you were kidnapped and have you corroborate the killers' stories.” 

“He is not lying.” Insists Kai, and Taehyun shoots him a deadly glare before continuing. "You’re my wife now. I will protect you with my life." 

"And everyone else's life?” You venture, “Are you willing to risk them all?"

“He could be lying.” Taehyun repeats. 

“And if he’s not?” 

“Then yes, I will risk it.” 

You and Kai exchange a loaded look, his previous words to you hanging in the air. 

‘He’s just not the type of man to abandon the sailor who fell overboard to save the rest of the ship from the storm.’

Taehyun will stick to his principles even if everyone else dies for it. 

“I can’t let you do that.” You fret but Taehyun persists. "We might not have to. We've been gaining allies. If you stand with me and deny his claims, he might be forced to say that he's been fooled by those men’s false testimony." 

"Even if that works, he’ll just hatch up another plan."

"Then we’ll hatch up our own."

“So you just want us to forever be on the defensive, never getting a moment of peace because we’re always waiting for his next demented plan?” Kai shouts, outraged. “How many of us do you plan to sacrifice for this? Jaeyun already has a death sentence hanging over his head, who else–” 

“Jaeyun is a traitor!” Retaliates Taehyun, “He brought this on himself.”

“He wouldn’t have to–” 

“Shut up, shut up!” You scream, finally losing it. “I can’t fucking think when you’re screaming at each other like that.” 

“There is nothing to think about.” Taehyun’s voice gets dangerously low, but you don’t back down. “Yes, there is, Taehyun. You being stubborn about this isn’t going to change the fact that it’s up to me to decide.” 

“So you’re actually thinking about going back to him?” He accuses again. 

“I don’t know, okay? I need to think and you getting angry and defensive about it is not helping. I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me but I also don’t know if I should believe what he’s saying. Maybe Kai is right and if I go back this will all stop, and maybe you’re right and I’d just be playing into his hand, only for him to attack you anyway. God, I don’t know. This is all too much, it’s making my head explode.” You take a deep breath at the end of your shuddering rant, trying to ground yourself but it doesn’t help at all. 

“I need some time alone to think.” You look at Taehyun sadly, finally being able to read his emotions only to see him regard you with anger and mistrust. Whatever Beomgyu’s real intentions are, he successfully managed to create discord between the three of you and that just brings him one step closer to achieving his plan. 

“Then go.” Taehyun scoffs, turning his back on you. 

_______________________________

A/N: I don’t think the cut-off is bad right? it’s still a big chapter. any i can’t wait to hear what you guys think. which of the boys do you think will prevail 🤔

[yoongsisbae]

Bon Voyage: Into the Sea - Chapter 3

BTS fantasy AU. OT7 x reader. werewolf!Namjoon x werewolf!Hoseok x werewolf!Jungkook x siren!Yoongi x vampire!Jimin x vampire!Jin x whatis?Taehyung. This is the "vampire chapter" :'D

Thank you for all the love on this random nightmarish story lol. This extra update is for all the readers who made it my most popular post! Thank you! <3 Also this is my contribution to the start of the spooky season :D

Warnings: Hi, remember when I said this was horror? This chapter in particular is pretty horrific, you have been warned! blood, fighting between m/w, blood, graphic violence, blood, imprisonment, blood, blood, blood, minor character death, vampires doing vampire things including noncon blood drinking, human imprisonment, mind manipulation, stockholm syndrome, dubious consent, slut shaming, anal, degradation, foursome, orgasm control, orgasm denial, what a ride, you must be over 18 to ride this ride, scary scary scary

Word Count: 22k

---

“Scared, y/n?” Jimin’s face sends you a wicked smile.

You look back and forth between the men, uttering an unconvincing “No.”

Seokjin speaks again, “You should be.”

---

‘So did you get the answers you are looking for?’ You sit up, jolted out of your sleep, Hoseok’s words echoed softly in your mind.

Seokjin moved so fast, his striking face in front of you in an instant, his red eyes centimeters from yours, delicate lips curving into a smile over his fangs as water splayed around where he stood. That was the last thing you remember.

He smiled down at you sweetly and held you by the neck, putting pressure on your vein until you passed out. It all happened so fast your scream remained halted until this moment. The response came out of you abruptly, as fleeting as the memory.

And now where the hell were you? It looked like the room of an old bed and breakfast; large bed, writing desk, love seat, high windows; but to your captors the breakfast on the menu was you.

The first thing you notice is how the curtains are drawn together blocking the sunlight, but you know it’s there, just out of reach, as evidenced by the small line of light that trails its top edge. The room you found yourself in was dark, from the wallpaper to the furniture, the stillness unsettling, you listened as your own rapid breathing filled the silence.

You were seated right in the middle of a king size bed. They left you atop the cleanly-made white bed sheets, a treat placed in the center of a platter. You shiver, your clothes still remained damp from the night before, cold and stuck to your skin. That is why you shiver, you tell yourself, because you don’t hear them, but you feel them...watching you...

You build up enough courage to scan the room, and that’s when you see two pairs of red orbs staring back at you from the corners’ shadows, glowing in the darkness. Eyes of beasts, watching you, studying you.

You try not to react, not show your captors how scared you are, but every mechanism in your body betrays you, and the pair immediately pick up on your rapidly beating heart, the sweat on your brows, your unsteady breathing-

“Good morning, y/n,” Seokjin says, walking out of the shadows. Jimin stays hidden, but you can hear his soft laughter.

Those answers you wanted, where are they?

Seokjin slowly moves to the edge of the bed. “It seems like our friends have taken quite an interest with you and I want to find out why. Is that okay?”

You purse your lips, keeping your eyes trained on the thin strip of light showing at the top of the window curtains. You sit in silence. Has your breathing always been this loud? The shaking of Seokjin’s legs, a sign of his growing impatience, rattles the bed and your resolve.

He clasps his hands together, finally saying “If you don’t want to speak to me,” he leans in slightly and whispers the rest, “I can always let Jimin pry information out of you, but I don’t think you’d appreciate that very much.”

The pounding of your heart and the uneasiness in the pit of your stomach makes you feel like you’re going to become sick at any minute, but you manage to form a coherent sentence to ask him, “What do you want to know?”

“First, I want your permission to find out,” he speaks softly, placing a gentle hand on your calf, but you flinch away anyways. That’s a loaded question if you ever heard one. You wonder if it’s all an act, the same way Jimin fooled you. You stay silent.

Seokjin sighs again, looking over his shoulder, “Jimin?”

“No!” you yell. “Not Jimin! You...you, okay I give you permission.”

“Thank you, y/n.” He smiles, “I’ll be gentle.”

You yelp. Seokjin’s cold hand travels down your leg, wraps around your ankle and pulls you down the bed closer to his body, and in an instant his lean frame is hovering over yours. This close, his beauty is intimidating alone, but his eyes feel like they are piercing through you, digging inside, seeing all the ugly secrets you try to hide from even yourself, you feel like you could catch fire the way his gaze burns you.

He holds you down loosely by the neck, fingers searching for a pulsing vein, eyes focused on you with the concentration of a doctor performing surgery. Seokjin wipes away the tears that begin spilling from your eyes and smirks, “Don’t cry Dove, I promise this time will be the least pain you’ll experience from now on.” His words are devoid of any real sympathy, a false comfort, a looming warning.

You consider fighting back, but in this position there is no way you would be able to reach for your dagger (hidden away in a secret pocket in the front of your corset) without Seokjin stopping you, and even if you were lucky enough, there’s still Jimin, waiting in the shadows.

So you choose to wait, and try to find comfort in Seokjin’s twisted words. It could be worse. A tiny voice inside you reminds you it will become worse. You’ll just have to escape before then. You take a deep steadying breath, preparing yourself.

Don’t cry.

Seokjin’s lips latch onto your neck, soft and full as he rolls his tongue harshly over your pulse point. Goosebumps bloom across your body, and you try to focus on the sunlight rather than the vampire above you and his overwhelming aura, that sliver of light that you pray won’t dim.

This could be worse. This could be more painful. This could be Jimin.

Seokjin can feel the jumping of your pulse against his tongue. The vampire wants to know your story, what is it about you that riled Jimin up more than he’s ever seen him. But with your sweet scent enveloping him and the cocktail of emotions Seokjin’s keen senses could smell: fear and anger and mounting arousal, you smelled better to him than the finest wine and he can’t stop himself from teasing you a little longer, drink it in just a bit more and savor the moment.

Seokjin still understood the importance of ‘living’ in the present, he enjoyed taking his time with things. Others would have gone mad by now with the infinite amount of time, but not Seokjin, he used it to his advantage. Your warm body, your addicting smell, the softness and saltiness of your skin, the shifts in your breathing, Seokjin took his time to savor the gifts of life that he still missed.

You try not to react to his sensual touches, tensing your body under him, until you feel two sharp pricks on the surface of your skin. Your reaction is involuntary, you grip the bedsheets with your fists and let out a soft cry, moving against him. His bite hurt for only a second, like a pin prick, but Seokjin in his precision had nicked an artery for optimum bloodshed. With each gasp of breath you take, with each pounding beat of your heart, you feel your blood drain as it escapes the punctures in your neck and into Seokjin’s waiting mouth.

Seokjin groans against your skin, sending fire through your veins, pressing himself harder into your body. The vampire is better at keeping his physical responses to blood drinking at bay than Jimin, but he hasn’t had a new taste in awhile, and you’re so responsive.

When he pulls away from you you reach to cover your neck and stop the blood, a reflex in an attempt to save your own life, but Seokjin grabs your wrists before you can, pinning you to the bed, studying, his red gaze challenging you.

You gasp as the blood rushes out down your neck, over the sheets, seeping into your clothes. ‘They’ll underestimate you...’ Yoongi’s words replay in your mind and you stay still. No matter how much you want to fight back, this time you have to be smarter, you have to believe in Yoongi’s words.

Jimin has stayed quiet for this long, staying in the shadows, but your whimpers and grunts of pain are music to Jimin’s ears, the blood pouring from your body like an offering to him. His groans can be heard from the shadows.

He holds himself back for now, waiting for his turn. Jimin wonders where all that fight went, he had expected a show, for you to thrash away from the older vampire like you did the merman. He can’t help but feel a little disappointed. When it’s his turn, he thinks, you’ll become more entertaining then.

You watched in silence as Seokjin licked his lips clean of your blood. The red liquid that he had stolen from you, that was now steadily seeping from your wound and covering the white bedsheets underneath you, like a Rorschach picture mapping your life. “You’re strong,” he grins, speaking too tenderly for the brutality he was inflicting. “Stop fighting and it will end sooner, y/n. Let me into your mind.”

What does that even mean?! In your blood loss the tips of your fingers begin to feel cold like your captor’s, your head pounds and your vision blurs with each passing moment as the blood drains from your artery, you don’t want to give in, but if it will end this torture...

You shut your eyes tightly, and turn your head to expose your bleeding neck further to the monster above you. When Seokjin lowers his lips to your neck, you try to think of sweet Jungkook instead, his warm body instead of Seokjin’s cold one. You didn’t dare wish to be with him again, you didn’t dare think you made a mistake, that you should have stayed. Now all you can do is hope you can save him and yourself from this horrible island. Jungkook doesn’t deserve to be imprisoned with the likes of them.

Seokjin drinks the warm liquid pouring from your throat. You listen to him gulping down your blood, How much longer, until he finds what he’s looking for? You feel your fight escape you with each swallow, you feel yourself slipping away. It reminds you of drowning, it reminds you of Yoongi and how he kissed life into you instead, but this was the kiss of death.

‘Yoongi,’ you close your eyes and think of him. And then you felt it, the pull inside your mind. Your current circumstance falls away in shambles, your memories are pulled out of you through the cracks, the images race through your mind as Seokjin bears witness to it all.

---

Yoongi sits at the table, hair and clothes dry, turning his head to see you awake.

The relief that softens his features as he’s walking to your side.

The delicate way he places the hairpiece back in its place.

The way his eyes melt at your words.

Why hadn’t you seen it before? Seokjin saw it all. The way Yoongi screams at you, the rage and embarrassment in his eyes as he tells you how much he can’t stand you, the way he licks his lips when you yell back. His eyes studying you when you yank him closer, full of anger and full of-

You weakly push against Seokjin, you don’t want to remember, you don’t want to miss him. You can’t stop it, you can’t stop the memories flooding through your system.

You suddenly remember Jungkook’s sparkling round eyes watching you, wanting you, the crinkle of his nose when he laughs, the pink flush on the edges of his ears when you talk to him, the muscles of his arms flexing as he cages you under him, his deep groaning in your ear, the vein in his neck when he pushes into your wet heat, the truth in his voice when he says he’ll protect you.

You feel Seokjin’s hands travel down your body the same way you remembered Jungkook. You curse him in your mind, but your body couldn’t tell the difference, your stomach tightens and you’re no longer cold, warmth spreads over you to the tips of your toes.

You want to scream, scream for Jungkook, but you’re frozen, lost in your own thoughts, confused by your senses. Jungkook feels as real as Seokjin, but you know he’s not really there, no matter how much you wanted it to be true.

You remember Hoseok’s harsh looks, the growing anger in his eyes, the hurt in his eyes, the pain in his eyes, the pain still present in his eyes even in his wolf form when he howls and cries at you. He’s begging you to stay, he’s telling you he can’t bear to lose someone again. How could you leave them? Why can’t they be enough for you? Hoseok will treat you better, if you just stay with him, please. You understand his barks and howls now, because Seokjin understands. Tears well up in your eyes and you try to move away, but Seokjin is too solid, too powerful, and unyielding in his search.

Namjoon’s eyes are on you as you eat next to his brothers at dinner, filled with nothing but warmth and happiness. Those brown eyes, you miss them. You feel dizzy and helpless, you can’t take it anymore. You grab a fistful of Seokjin’s hair to try to pull him off of you.

“What have you done to Jimin? What have you done?!” Namjoon’s voice roars in your memory. But it’s not any memory you remember having. Before you realize what you are doing, your hands hold on tightly to Seokjin’s hair, pulling him closer and holding him to you so you can see more.

---

“It-It wasn’t me...” The tall vampire is covered in blood. Some of it is Jimin’s blood, yes, but the majority of blood that drips down his face and hands, that covers his clothes, belongs to five other men. Dead men. Men who beat the broken man in his arms to the brink of death.

Seokjin found his dear friend screaming in pain. He saw them over Jimin’s bleeding body, blood Seokjin treasured just as much as he treasured his bond with the compassionate and playful man. His friend, Jimin, who wailed for Seokin, for Namjoon, for Hoseok, for Taehyung, for anyone to help him, while his bones cracked, lying in the dirt, choking on his own blood, precious blood.

Seokjin explained to Namjoon when he saw them laughing, like hyenas over a carcass, spitting hateful slurs down at Jimin, he couldn’t control himself. Seokjin tore them apart one by one. He chased each one down like the pathetic animals they were, and tore the limbs that touched his dear friend straight from their bodies.

Seokjin had been weak, he had become too accustomed to the harmonious life he and Namjoon had created for themselves. Had it been decades before, he would have endured, but living with the pack had softened him too much and he couldn’t stand the pain of losing Jimin, so when he found a weak pulse he gave Jimin as much of his venomous blood as he could.

Namjoon simply nods at the information, his weary eyes examining his two friends, friends who were like family to him. He didn’t want to lose Jimin either. “We need to take him somewhere safe...to the island, before he wakes up,” Namjoon places a hand on the trembling vampire’s shoulder.

“What if he doesn’t wake up?” the vampire’s voice shakes, he notices the cuts on Jimin’s face and body have yet to heal themselves.

“That’s not something you should be worried about,” Namjoon runs his hand through Jimin’s tangled hair, gently placing the dark strands back into place, his eyes filling with tears, “it’s when he wakes up, we need to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone.”

Seokjin nods weakly.

“Go now. I’ll clean up the mess, brother.”

Your hands fall, the blood loss making you too weak to grip onto Seokjin’s hair. Seokjin had taken more blood than he intended, lost in his own memories.

The vampire pulls away from you, even as the edges of your vision blurs, you see his eyes, glowing red and glassy with unshed tears, staring at you with a mixture of pain and surprise. He shakes away his bewilderment and rips into the flesh of his wrist, placing the cut across your lips as you can no longer hold consciousness.

---

When you wake again it’s night time, the light behind the curtains has left you.

Your body aches. You run your fingers along your neck, searching for the punctures, and you can only feel smooth skin crusted in dried blood. Your head feels like it’s splitting. You groan in pain.

You see Jimin before you hear him, and even then you’re not sure if your brain created the sounds to ease your mind as he stalks closer to your waking form.

“Finally! Now what could you have possibly done to Jin?” Jimin says, contemplating the reason his friend holed himself up in his office, refusing to speak to Jimin or even look at him.

He jumps on the bed, shaking your already pounding head. “He refuses to let me bite you,” he whines, “Explain now, pet.” Jimin prods you with his foot. “Explain what memory of yours Seokjin pulled.”

You just groan back, turning away from Jimin, burying your head into the cold pillows of your bed, one of the few things not soaked in your blood. Everything is so cold you can’t stand it. Jimin places a hand on your shoulder to make you face him. Cold fingers touch your skin, everything is cold.

“Don’t touch me!” you pull away from him, yelling.

Your face stings. Jimin had slapped you hard, you come to the realization only after the fact, the skin he touched burns hot. It makes you laugh, because you wanted warmth, didn’t you?

Jimin’s eyes narrow on you, “Say that again, I dare you.”

You bite back tears and ask, “What the fuck happened to you?!”

“So you’re back to being a disrespectful brat. You’re not on the same level as me, human. Learn to behave.”

“No! What happened to you to make you so heartless? What changed you?” How did the bleeding man you saw Namjoon cry over in Seokjin’s memories become this monster? He was human at one point too, you wouldn’t have believed it if you didn’t see it for yourself.

Jimin rolls his eyes, “Don’t act like you know anything about me, bitch.”

You take a deep breath trying to calm your temper. Not only had you seen Seokjin’s memories, you had felt his emotions. His pain lingers in you still, beside the fear and hatred you feel, you look at Jimin and feel...sorry for him. You have to look down, the emotions are too much and too overwhelming. It was easier when all you knew was the monster before you. Jimin takes your silence as obedience instead.

“Now can you be a good little pet and answer my question,” he says, tapping you on the head hard enough to make your headache roar back to life. You flinch and search the eyes of the man before you. Or rather the shell of a man, you think bitterly.

And what a beautiful shell it is. Jimin is stunning, bright white hair pulled away and styled so you can see the delicate features of his face. He holds himself gracefully, like a dancer, his elegant figure hiding his true strength. You wonder what he was like before turning into a monster, what kind of man was he? Someone whom Namjoon cared for.

“It wasn’t my memory...you. I saw you…” You whisper, knowing Jimin’s sharp senses can hear you loud and clear, “I saw Seokjin turn you.” Silence falls over the room again, a silence so deafening you start to hear the pounding in your head becoming louder.

The vampire stares at you, soft features stoic. He looked lost in thought, you pictured his face full of cuts, bloody lip, black eye, human, and Seokjin so unsure, scared, worried, trembling, so unlike themselves now.

“How did he turn me?” It surprised you how genuine Jimin’s question sounded. Did he really not know?

You keep your mouth shut, you don’t think it would be wise on your part to tell him. Jimin seems like the type to shoot the messenger. Unfortunately, unlike Seokjin, Jimin had little to no patience. His expression changes like lightning, full of anger. He pulls you by the hair dragging you off the bed and onto the floor.

The vampire crouches over you and grabs your face, holding you down to the wood floor, pressing his sharp nails into the skin of your cheeks making you yell.

“Ahh there’s your voice! Tell me.”

“Why don’t you ask Seokjin?!”

“But I rather you just do as I say,” he says playfully, as his fingers dig harder into your skin, cutting the flesh and drawing blood.

“Why don’t you just bite me, then?!” You spit the words out through clenched teeth.

You watch the vampire lick his lower bottom lip, thinking it over briefly as he pulls your face closer to his, you struggle against his painful grip. “How impetuous...” he watches you squirm like an insect stuck in glue. “You’re rather dumb, aren’t you?”

Should you reach for your dagger now? Should you try to kill Jimin?

Every time you thought about hurting him, you remembered Seokjin’s crying face, and you wanted to cry as well, what was happening to you?

“Jimin, leave us.” Jin stands in the doorway to your room.

Jimin stands up in a huff, letting you go. You fall back onto the hardwood floor. He balances on his heels, ignoring you and scrutinizing Seokjin. He wanted to question the older vampire, he has so many questions now, but decides against it. What does it matter anyways? The idea of being a weak and powerless human revolts him. “I’m getting impatient,” he says before he leaves, slamming the door and making you jump.

“T-thank y-you.” You try to calm your breathing.

Seokjin looks at you with a frown, extending his hand out to you. You hesitate and place your hand in his and he easily lifts you to your feet. You watch the older vampire walk slowly around the room, drawing his fingers along the furniture he passes. You stand awkwardly, you don’t think making a run for it would gain you any favors right now.

“I’m hungry,” Seokjin says. He doesn’t even look at you when he says it, continuing to meander around the room, waiting for your response.

You clench your jaw. So this is what you’ve been reduced to, you think, a late night snack. “Are you going to just keep me trapped in this room? I’m hungry too, I haven’t eaten anything-”

“Dinner's already passed. Before I let you go roaming around, I need to make sure you’re going to behave yourself, do you understand?”

No, you don’t understand at all. It sounds like he’s going to starve you into subservience, and you have to get out of this room, you have to find the portal.

“I will do as you say...please...” you walk over to where he’s standing, trying your best to seem meek. “I’m starving,” you reason, “I’m sure you know how it feels to hunger for something” you say, turning your head to stare at the windows, curtains now open to the night sky, extending your neck to the vampire. His eyes are pulled to your attention, following the lines of your shoulder. You roll your neck, loosening the stiff muscles, moving close enough to him that your chest bumps into his. You look up into Seokjin’s eyes through your lashes, “I-I will behave.”

Seokjin smiles, bringing his head down into the curve of your neck, lips skirting across the skin. Your fingers reach up to caress the back of his head. You can see the pair of you in the bedroom mirror. Another myth proven wrong, you think, as you study your seduction, how his lean frame bends closer to yours, his arms wrapping around the lower part of your back.

In truth, Seokjin wasn’t hungry. He had taken more than enough blood from you this morning already, but Seokjin wanted to see if lightning could strike twice. Never had the pull been so strong for him that a human had been able to enter his memories, not even when Jimin was alive. He needed to learn more.

Seokjin licks your face, tongue tracing the cuts Jimin’s nails left behind. You hold your breath, trying to act like you enjoyed it. You hated it, you wished you could stick Yoongi’s dagger into Seokjin’s cold dead heart and be done with it already.

Seokjin trails kisses back to the place he bit you before. He keeps kissing your sensitive skin until his lips reach your ear and he whispers, “I’m not Jungkook, little Dove, you’ll have to do better than that.”

You stumble backwards but it’s too late, Seokjin already has you in his clutches.

He pulls you into a tight embrace, walking you backward even more. His bite is precise, you suspect perfectly precise to where he bit you this morning. Your arms are locked tightly in between your bodies as he holds you to him.

Thunder roars in your memory, you feel yourself drowning. Your muscles ached, your lungs burned. You feel Yoongi’s hand on your ankle, pulling down, hand on your waist, pulling down, hand on your neck, pulling you closer, his lips on your lips-

You cry and yell against Seokjin’s grasp. Cold turns to warmth as you see Namjoon, Jungkook, and Hoseok laughing around the firepit, and Seokjin, and Jimin, laughing too. Yoongi sits with a calm expression on his face, his lips curved upward, and a man you don’t recognize sits next to him-

Seokjin yanks his mouth away from you and you fall backward, back hitting the bed while you struggle to breath. You cover the holes on your neck with your palm to stop the rushing blood.

“How?” is all Seokjin can say, shaken by the happy memory that even he had forgotten about.

You stare up at the high ceiling dazed and too weak to move, “Do I...” you can feel the blood spill between the gaps of your fingers, “look...” you gasp, “like a vampire expert...to you?”

Seokjin moves to the window, his back to you. He watches the waning moon and lets his mind wander to his old friends. If they were off the island, he could see a scenario where you and he would meet at a bar, laugh over drinks, but the ending would always be the same. “You look,” he looks over his shoulder at you, “like you could use a drink,” his lips curving into a half smile.

“Are you,” you gasp, “offering?”

He walks over to you slowly, bringing his wrist to his mouth, and then extends the sliced skin to your mouth, waiting expectantly.

You take his offering bitterly, gulping down the metallic liquid, the wounds burn like fire as they heal over. The pain is nothing like you’ve ever experienced before. You shut your eyes tightly, you want to cry, or scream, but like Namjoon said, no one can help you here. You feel fingers intertwine with your bloody fingers, pulling your bloodied hand away as you weakly protest. The room spins, even if your wounds are healed, your blood is still gone and you’re feeling the effects of two feedings.

Seokjin brings your hand to his lips and licks away the blood, tongue circling your fingers. “This can hurt or it can feel good,” he says slowly.

You laugh, delirious from hunger and blood loss. “I wonder, that memory,” you gasp, still laughing, “does it bother you to be reminded of your humanity? Does it hurt you?”

You probably shouldn’t have said that, but the blood loss is doing funny things to you, or maybe you just really wanted to get a reaction from the guarded man, no, guarded vampire.

If your accusation angered Seokjin he didn’t show it with any emotion, instead he sighed and bent over you, biting down hard on your shoulder. The searing pain makes you scream. You cry out, not expecting the sharp and throbbing kind of ache from his bite as Seokjin’s teeth stayed deep in your flesh.

Seokjin pulls another memory out of you, and you curse your luck in remembering Jungkook again, remembering his tanned and muscled body next to yours. Jungkook kissing your knuckles and telling you how he’s yours now. Jungkook kissing down your body. His head between your legs, his mouth feverishly licking at your folds. The more you try not to think about him the stronger the memories feel. The pain in your shoulder dulls as your legs tighten around the vampire's sides.

Perhaps it was your bloodloss mixed with Seokjin’s bloodlust seeping into your consciousness, the memory of Jungkook’s length buried deep inside you and feeling of Seokjin’s growing bulge pressed against your stomach makes your head spin and you just want to feel more. You hear Namjoon’s deep authoritative voice whispering dirty things in your ear, it makes you shudder, a moan escapes your throat-

Seokjin pulls away from you abruptly at that, his eyes are deep red, so dark they look black. He watches as your body twitch in pain, as he focuses on calming the storm of human emotions, your emotions, running through him, as he tries to forget the compromising memory of his old friend. He bites down on his bottom lip until he draws blood, his blood mixing with your own blood in his mouth, and he presses his lips on yours.

You realized how passionate Yoongi’s kisses were compared to Seokjin’s. The merman was distant, but his actions were full of feeling, whether they be good or bad. Seokjin was cold in body and mind, a hard shell, you felt like you were kissing a statue as you choked on his blood, the liquid metallic and sweet.

You can feel the punctures in your skin closing, it hurts so much worse than when he bit you, you distract yourself by licking into his mouth, feeling his tongue against yours.

Seokjin jumps off of you the second your wounds are healed and leaves without saying a word. You can hear the door lock in your daze.

You scoff, what was up with him, you wonder, dining and dashing like that. The blood loss has you quickly falling asleep despite wanting to use the time alone to plan your escape.

---

They both leave you alone all day until night again. You wake up hungry and weak. When Seokjin wordlessly stalks towards you that night you tell him so.

“I still can’t trust you to play well with others.”

“I need food! I need to eat! I am not a goddamn vampire like you! I can’t survive off your blood!” You throw your pillow at him. Should you have done that? Probably not, but you’re too hungry to care.

Seokjin pauses, looks at the floor where the pillow lays at his feet after coming in contact with his chest. “I’ll bring you food later tonight, now lie down, I’m hungry too.”

Ugh.

---

There were so very little things now that intrigued Seokjin, and this connection had become a mystery he wanted to solve. The strength of his pull on you was so intense it had become almost addicting to feel for Seokjin.

A vampire's pull had always been one-sided, but this pull acted like a wave, crashing onto the shore of your consciousness, pulling back and forth, dragging his memories along the current too.

Promised food, you comply, lying down against your better judgement. You glare at him as he lies next to you, and he smooths your furrowed features with his fingers instead of matching your anger. It makes you feel self conscious, the way he watches you with searching eyes. “Well? What are you waiting for?”

“So demanding, do you want me to bite you that badly?”

Is he teasing you? “No. I don’t. At all!”

“Okay then.” he lies back down, his arms underneath his head.

You sit up to look down at him. “Is this a joke?”

“I’ll wait, I don’t mind. I can wait for days, the question is can you?”

If you tried to stab him now he would definitely be able to stop you. Too bad. “I think I can’t stand you.”

“You barely know me!”

“I’ve seen enough,” you scoff.

“I’ve lived a long time,” Seokjin says, serious again, “you don’t care to see more? Who I really am?”

“Who are you?”

“Let me bite you and find out,” he winks.

'Well, he seems to be in a better mood,' you think. You wonder why he is even bothering to ask you, you’re his prisoner, after all. “So this is not just about feeding anymore?”

“I’m a vampire, of course it is.”

You sigh, you’re hungry and tired from blood loss. “Okay, bite me, but choose some place else,” you rub the sensitive spot on your neck and shiver. “NOT THERE!”

Seokjin stops pushing your legs open. “But there is an artery in your leg-”

Your face goes hot, you shove your wrist in his face. “Here then!” He sighs and lies back down again, pulling you over his body easily. You sit awkwardly against his lap as you watch his fangs prick your inner wrist. The blood loss this time wasn’t so bad, but it still made your weak body sway, your free hand bracing yourself against his chest.

He does the same thing to you again, pulls memories of your life. You saw memories from before the boat wreck to your childhood, and you saw glimpses of Seokjin’s life as well. You learned at one point in his very long life he stopped being a complete monster and became a part time bartender.

For decades he moved from taverns, to pubs, to bars. The perfect career, and as his beautiful looks were admired everywhere he went, he was never short of meal options. You woke in the morning and you laid on clean sheets, there was water for you and bread and butter and jam, an apricot and an apple, food not found on an island. The portal.

Tonight. This night you will be ready for Seokjin. You quickly realized you weren’t just remembering with Seokjin, you were feeling, and he was feeling too. If you could distract him well enough with a memory, you think you’d be able to escape!

---

Tonight Jimin walks into your room instead.

“Where’s Seokjin?”

“You didn’t miss me?” He holds a pear in his hand, throwing it up in the air and catching it easily. “He is busy, the others were feeling neglected by him-”

“There are others? Other humans?!”

Jimin smirks at your wide eyes. “Yes, pet, did you think you were special?” You swallow, keeping your questions to yourself. So Seokjin really meant it when he talked about playing well with others. Who were they and how long have they been here? Could some of them be your friends? Maybe you weren’t the only survivor on your boat! More humans, more people to help you fight against Seokjin and Jimin, if you could just meet them and somehow convince them...

Jimin heard your accelerating heartbeat, could see the happiness dance across your features. “What ever you are thinking, I suggest against it. Actually, go ahead and try, I haven’t punished anyone in so long.”

“Are you going to bite me or not?”

“Oh, so now you’re eager for it, it’s always the same.”

“Still not allowed, huh? Must suck to be you. Ha! Get it?”

“Do you think you’re being cute? Jin said I can’t bite you, he didn’t say anything about not hurting you.” Jimin throws the pear in the air again, “What? No clever retort?”

“I don’t know about Seokjin,” you speak softly, “but you used to be human, why do you act like this?” You watch as Jimin drops the pear on the ground and steps on the fruit with his feet. You bite your lip. What a waste. You consider pulling out your dagger just for that.

“Being human?” Jimin runs a hand through his hair, “I don’t remember anything about that. I can’t imagine being so weak and foolish.”

“You really don’t remember?” You look at the pear, squished into a pulp. “Can you do what Seokjin does, with the memories?”

“What makes you think I want to learn about your pathetic life?”

“No,” You idiot. You sigh. “But maybe you want to learn about your pathetic life?”

You scream, Jimin’s nails were digging into your skull, a handful of your hair in his fists. “Call me pathetic again,” he threatens lowly.

“Pathetic,” you say bearing your teeth. Jimin smiles, because in that moment you reminded him of someone. He’s going to enjoy breaking the bones of your body and watching your limbs reassemble again. He grabs your forearm, pulling your arm closer to your face. You wince as his grip tightens, struggling against his tight hold on your hair. “Call me pathetic again,” he sings, his eyes sparkling with delight.

You weigh your options in that moment.

“Seokjin!” you scream.

Jimin laughs, tightening his grip even more so you are sure to have bruises, “Do you think he really cares about what happens to you?”

“Jimin was a regular at your bar! Wasn’t he?!” You had seen the younger vampire, only briefly, you barely recognized him with dark hair, but you knew it was Jimin the way you felt your own heart soar when Seokjin glanced at him for the first time.

You screamed louder than you’ve ever heard yourself, making the vampire wince at your volume, because in that moment Jimin snapped the bone in your forearm. “Even if you don’t remember,” you cry, mumbling out the words through your pain, “you were human. Just. Like. Me.”

Jimin grabs your upper arm this time, and squirm in his hold. You start to cry harder despite trying to hold the tears in. The door to your room slams open. Seokjin looks furious when he steps towards the both of you.

“Jimin leave!"

“What?” The white haired vampire loosens his grip, but stands his ground. Seokjin doesn’t speak again, only gives him a look, and Jimin relents, breaking his stare with several blinks and releasing you. The younger vampire can’t hide his emotions as well as Seokjin and you see the hurt twist his beautiful features.

You sit on the ground grimacing in pain, holding your broken arm to your chest. Outside your room you hear the familiar crash of glass and scrape of wood and you suspect Jimin is not taking Seokjin’s orders well. Seokjin looks much more unhinged than you ever recall seeing him and then impassiveness washes over his face again, much to your disappointment.

“He is usually not like this. He can go months without drinking blood, it seems my ban has just made him all the more obsessed with you,” he sighs.

“Greeat,” you wince, “Lift the ban then, might as well.” If you were being honest with yourself, you were curious what would happen if Jimin bit you. Maybe then he wouldn’t despise you so much.

“The ban is not to protect you, naive little dove.” He sits down on the floor next to you. You find the sight comical, Seokjin in an expensive suit sitting on the dusty floor.

You roll your eyes. Of course. “You care a lot about him,” you whisper softly. He nods. You turn to him, “Do you remember why you started caring? Do you think who he is now still acts in the same way that made you care so much for him?”

“You think I’m a fool?” he laughs softly, “I know Jimin’s...lost his way...” You sit in silence as you struggle to take your mind off the pain in your arm. “For us, time, is infinite. This is only a small stretch of time compared to what I’ve been through. Jimin will come back around, I know it.”

“Well I think he’s a lost cause,” you mumble.

“He’s not, no one is...This is going to hurt a lot, if you don’t mind, I can make it quick.” His hand traces your jaw and turns your head to face him, eyes glancing towards your lips.

“Am I going to have to get used to this, you fixing the pain he causes-”

“Am I going to have to get used to you both provoking each other all the time?”

You bite your lip, he started it, it’s not your fault he freaks out over every little thing you say. You change the subject. “Are there really other prisoners here? Other humans like me?”

Seokjin tuts disapprovingly, “House guests, y/n! They can stop being in service to us whenever they want, we provide them all with a choice.”

“Oh, and what are the options, be your personal feeding supply or die?”

“Ahh see, you catch on quickly, and Jimin calls you stupid.”

Your eyes narrow on him, “Not much of a choice there.”

Seokjin leans into you, “it comforts them, when they think they have some control. You know, you would all be at the bottom of the ocean if it weren’t for us.”

You pull your legs closer to your body, it’s hard to look at him, much less listen to the disturbing things he says, “Why are you telling me this? Am I supposed to be grateful?” You shuffle your body, trying to get comfortable despite the throbbing pain of your broken arm.

“Perhaps,” he scrutinizes your body, “At least don’t provoke Jimin. Ready?”

You hum, “Yeah, I’m ready for my medicine, Doctor.”

He looks down, nodding. “No anesthesia for this surgery I’m afraid.”

He motions you closer, bites into his wrist and fills his mouth with his own blood. You’re careful not to jostle your arm too much as you move in front of him. His long fingers hold your head still as he presses his mouth onto yours, feeding you his blood. Even when you scream in pain he holds you to him as your bone readjusts itself and heals back together, your body in excruciating agony. He holds you tightly, his mouth swallowing your screams until the process is complete, until you pass out in his arms.

---

You wake up to clanging silver. The light feels warm on your face, and then you feel nothing as the curtains are drawn. You open your eyes, ready to protest.

“Oh my god!”

The woman before you jumps at your words. “Your breakfast,” she motions to the tray.

“You're real, oh my god, it’s true! Help me! Please, we can escape together!” The woman stumbles away from you as you desperately try to hold on to her.

“What?” Why is she looking at you like that? Why is she acting like that?! She pushes you away as she opens the door. You’re too stunned, too hurt by this stranger who you thought could help you to question her when she says, “There is no escape.” She closes the door, locking you inside. What just happened?!

Now that you’re alone again you search the room from top to bottom, desperate now that you’ve realized you’re up against so much more. All the drawers are empty, not even a pen and paper in the desk. The window opens but that doesn’t help you because you’re several floors up. The bathroom has running water and the prettiest bathtub you’ve ever seen, so you give up and spend the day soaking yourself, in your clothes. The dress floating and surrounding you reminded you of a certain man, well, merman. No one visits you that night.

The day repeats itself six times. You try different approaches to try and convince the older woman to help you and every time she refuses or ignores you completely.

You don’t get it, you don’t understand, and her behavior disturbs you. You had asked her, “Don’t you want to see your friends and family again?! Do you have children? Or a spouse?” Her answer was, “I don’t think so.”

‘I don’t think so.’ She couldn’t tell you how long she’d been here either. The implication scared you.

You sit at the door, your ear to the wood all day. Sometimes you’ll hear footsteps, you know it’s not Jimin or Seokjin, because they don’t make any noise when they walk. Sometimes you yell and bang on the door waiting for a response that never comes.

One day you yanked down the drapery, opened the window completely letting all the sunshine in, and soaked it in like a cat. Before you woke up the next morning everything had been set back the way it was. It was maddening.

So one day you flooded the bathroom, just to see if anyone would come to stop you. They didn’t and the next morning the tub was gone. You cried all night.

For six nights you’re alone. The fifth night you dig into your dress pockets to find the tiny shell Yoongi gifted you. You tap it three times and wait, holding it to your ear.

“Y/n?” His groggy voice fills the sea noise. You can’t bring yourself to speak, or you would really break down. Hearing his voice was enough.

---

Before the sun sets on the seventh night there is a knock on your door. You’re already so close to the entrance you can hear the soft click as it unlocks and you swing the door open to see Jimin.

He smiled down at you, a picture of sin. The young vampire wore casual loose-fitting clothes, shirt hanging over his shoulders. He dresses so relaxed, so opposite to Seokjin, who wore his shirts buttoned up to the collar. All you wanted to do all day was talk to someone, be heard, but with Jimin here you feel like an animal cornered in a trap, and you want to hide.

He gives you a cocky smile and drapes his arm over your shoulders, dragging you back into the room. “Look at you! Perfectly fine, Seokjin always overreacts,” he whines, “I’m tired of waiting. I can trust you not to tell on me, right pet?”

The vampire presses himself against your back and wraps his arms around your waist, locking you to him, chin digging into your shoulder. You stand frozen against him, Jimin is excellent at making sure you feel like you’re trapped and powerless when you’re around him.

His nuzzles your neck, lovingly like a lover would, inhaling your scent. You craved human contact, but this man isn’t exactly human now, is he? Your stomach turns as the familiar feeling of fear bubbles inside you.

“And if I don’t?” you whisper, and his grip tightens around you.

“You tell me, what do you think will happen, if you don’t?” he mumbles against your neck, teeth grazing your skin and he moans softly. He wrapped himself around your body, caressing your curves, it confused you at how affectionate he was being, or was he just a snake constricting his prey?

Your stomach tightens, you were stronger than this, right? A week in time out didn’t work on you, right? You couldn’t stop the sounds escaping your lips every time Jimin shifted against you. You blame Seokjin’s fondness for him that must have rubbed off on you. You try to step away but Jimin pulls you in closer.

“I thought I was a disgusting human, are you the one who missed me, Jimin?” You ask him softly.

“There are things about you that are only barely revolting, I guess.” He can feel the shift in your mood as annoyance bristles through your body, it makes him smile. You are so defiant for being so scared, it makes him want to break you even more.

You’re scared, but deep down there was a part of you too curious for your own good, that just wanted Jimin to bite you, just to see why and what Seokjin was protecting him from. It would only be to your advantage, if that was the case, right? You stretch your neck to the side slightly to see what Jimin’s reaction would be. His fingers dig into your hips. “What’s this?” Oh no.

Jimin pulls the shell hidden inside your pocket. You grab at his hands, but he’s too fast, dancing around you as he pushes you away, pushing you to the ground.

Somehow you always end up here on the floor, at Jimin’s feet, probably exactly where the vampire thinks you should be. You’ve never seen him more excited, it twists your insides.

Jimin’s cold fingers inspect the tiny shell, tutting. He mouths the words, ‘bad girl’ silently. Tapping the tiny shell, he brings the shell to his lips.

“Yoongi, I know you’re there. Do you want to hear y/n?” He crouches next to you, lifts your chin so your eyes meet his, smiling as if you were playing along on an inside joke. “Do you want to hear her cries? Do you want to hear her moans?” his sinful voice sings tauntingly.

The younger vampire promised Jin he wouldn’t touch you, but Seokjin has so many rules, and this just proved you couldn’t be trusted, that you needed to be taught a lesson. Seokjin will forgive him, Jimin thinks, he always does.

“C’mon, Yoongi wants to hear you, y/n! I bet he misses you. Let him hear your pretty voice.” You just glare at him, staying silent. Jimin didn’t seem angered by your defiance, in fact, he seemed happy.

He pulls your hair, moving your face closer to the shell, his nails dig into your scalp, and you feel them pierce your skin. The pain causes you to let out a strangled cry. “That’s it!” You hold back tears as you glare at him, Seokjin is wrong, Jimin can’t be saved.

“I’m not afraid of you anymore,” you grit out, scratching at his hand.

“Oh, no?” He releases your hair. You jump up but Jimin pulls you down to the ground again. Even as you kick and hit him, it’s obvious it’s not hurting the vampire. He easily pins you down, caging you in with his thighs, his knees pinning your arms to your sides. His fingers wrap around your neck, holding you tight as you grunt against him. You’ve become a mouse, trapped by a snake.

“Afraid yet?” You know he won’t kill you, it seems like torturing you is just too much fun for him. Jimin may be stronger than you, faster than you, but he’s as caged as you are, stuck on this island, leashed by Seokjin’s rules, acting out like a child.

“No.” He lets go and you heave in air, coughing. “Seokjin will find out, even if I don’t say anything. He said-”

“Jin,” he bares his fangs, “says a lot of things.” He brings the shell to his mouth again, “What bone should I break first?”

Jimin laughs, and you wonder what the merman said to him.

Jimin grabs your jaw, tilting your head to the side, reveling in your struggle. He places the tiny shell next to your ear. You try to silence your heavy breathing. “Yoong-g-gi?” You hear the ocean, the rumbling of the sea, and you hear-

“Y/n!” Yoongi’s voice rumbles through the tiny shell, he calls out to you, words rushed and worried, full of concern that has your heart dropping, “Jimin has a weakness, It’s T-” Jimin crushes the tiny shell between his fingers.

Jimin pouts, “I thought he would have used the opportunity to confess, now he’ll never get the chance.”

He moves away from you, “Well, aren’t you going to make a run for it? I didn’t lock the door.” He lifts his eyebrows up, nodding towards the door.

You lie on the cold hard ground stunned. Yoongi's gone. You think of a scenario where you rush towards the door, only to be stopped by Jimin as he tackles you again. No, you won’t do that. Jimin takes and takes, you're going to make it your mission to take from him. You stand up on shaky legs and walk towards Jimin.

“Actually, I rather you just bite me instead.” You’re not confident that he’d really go against Seokjin, so might as well egg him on. “Unless you’re scared of Seokjin?”

Jimin scoffs, jaw clenching in annoyance and eyes narrowing. “Any other cute little means of communication you tried to sneak in here, hmm?” He yanks you close to him again, his hands pull at your dress, wandering over your thighs, skirting dangerously close to your center. He smirks down at you as you pretend to act unaffected by the way his hands glide over your ass, kneading the flesh. His hands run up your corset, getting closer and closer to your dagger.

You run your hand over the front of his pants. It was the only thing you could think to do to distract the vampire before he found your dagger and really killed you. It worked. Jimin stops you, digs his nails into your wrist, but he doesn’t pull your hand away.

So without many other options, you send your quarrel with the vampire off into a whole other direction as you grab for the bulge in his pants. You feel the weight of him in your palm, your mouth drops a little at his size. Jimin’s jaw tightens as you rub up and down his bulge.

You’re stuck in a staring match with the vampire. Two stubborn beings, challenging each other to see who breaks first.

Surprising you, he spins you around and starts undoing the straps of your corset.

No, no, that’s the opposite of what you wanted! “What are you doing?” You try to wiggle your body to face him again, “Just fuck me already!”

Jimin cages you against his lean frame, crushing your body to the closest wall with his own. He inhales into your neck. He can sense the torrent of your spiraling emotions, he feels your hatred for him radiating off your body stronger than ever as he slows his advances down.

“You are acting more stupid than usual, pet.”

“You wanted to play,” you say, “Well, let’s play then.”

He’s never played this kind of game before, and you’ve enticed him, he has no problem calling your bluff. His hand runs along your cleavage, kneading the flesh.

Jimin pulls your dress up slowly, his cold hand running up your leg. You rest your forehead on the wall, shuddering when he drags his fingers across your center. “Your hands are cold.”

He pushes two fingers inside you, deep, you were barely ready for the stretch, crying out from the sudden intrusion and cold sensation. Jimin groans as you whimper against him, “Forget what I am already?” He licks your neck, fingers pumping in and out at a dizzying pace.

“How could I ever forget?” you whisper.

“I regret destroying that shell, I would have liked to let Yoongi listen to what a whore you are.”

Your body tenses and Jimin leans his body harder into yours, pressing another finger inside. “What would the dogs think, knowing their bitch is so wet for their enemy, hmm?” Making you angry is too easy, he thinks, and makes you smell so much better, sexier. Jimin is used to fear, he’s grown accustomed to desire, but your rage makes him ravenous. If Jimin wasn’t so consumed by his carnal desires, he might question himself as to why he wants someone to hate him so much, but all he can think about is how he’s going to drive you to madness with just his fingers. He resists the urge to bite you by sucking harshly on your neck, pulling the blood closer to your skin and leaving dark marks behind.

Before you have a chance at release he pulls his fingers out of you, leaving you empty and holding up the evidence of your arousal, the clear substance clinging to his fingers as he licks them clean, moaning in your face. The sight is depraved, and you can’t look away. He smiles smugly at you as he smells your lust surround him.

“I knew you wouldn’t bite me.”

“We will get to that, we’re playing a game remember? Or do you want to stop now?”

“All this talk and I still haven’t been bitten or fucked, are vampires impotent or something or is it just you?”

Jimin laughs, yanking your body to face the wall again and pinning you to him. “I’ll make you forget everything but my dick while I’m fucking you, you won’t have a single other thought in that pretty little head of yours other than giving me all your pleasure.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I’m waiting.”

Jimin laughs again, pressing three thick fingers deep inside you again, you legs go weak as he holds you up with the force of his body against yours. He drags his fingers out and higher until he’s circling your other opening. His digits press into both of your holes, filling you up completely as you cry out. You haven’t had someone give attention to that part of you in so long, you tense at the unexpected stretch. His thumb works against your clit expertly as he rocks his hand against yours. You feel so full and overwhelmed by Jimin. “So close already? Beg me to make you come, pet.”

“I’m not your pet.”

You take his torture silently, hold in your moans as he brings you to the brink of release and stops short of satisfaction over and over again. He thrusts his fingers in and out of your holes, until the tight stretch goes away, his fingers easily gliding in and out of your wetness, until the ache is replaced with a need for more. Your entire core pulsates as he slowly and torturously circles your swollen bud, changing the pressure just enough to drive you crazy by ghosting over your clit when you needed more and rubbing even harsher circles when it all becomes too much, his touch making you feverish and sick with desire. When you clench around his fingers, closer than you’ve gotten to release since he started this torture, he pulls out of you completely, pressing his hard cock, straining against the cloth of his pants, into your sore center.

“You smell so good,” he moans. You don’t want to think about Jungkook, you don’t want to taint his memory, but Jimin’s words are so similar. Jungkook is nothing like Jimin, but they are more similar to each other than to a human like you. Perhaps you are just as weak and pathetic as Jimin says, a human can be no match for a vampire, and you’ll never be able to win against him.

“Please Jimin...just let me cum...”

“Beg me.” His usual airy voice drips with arousal, and he presses his bulge harder into your wetness.

You don’t do as he says, you can’t, so he continues his torturous little game, until you’re moaning loudly, head thrown back against his shoulder, whimpering every time he stills. He pulls his fingers out of your dripping core, focusing his attention on your ass, thumb rubbing harsh circles into your throbbing clit, you feel so empty and painfully full as your sensitive walls clench around nothing and his fingers stretch your rim open for him. Your entire body vibrates, but you’d rather stay unsatisfied than say please to Jimin ever again.

Finally, as the sun sets and the last bit of light around the curtains disappears, Jimin realizes he can play his game no longer and pulls away from you completely. Your legs give out as you slide down the wall, mind finally free from the haze of lust Jimin kept you in.

“So weak,” Jimin tuts.

“...impotent...dick...”

“Pathetic slut.”

“I thought about Seokjin the entire time,” you whisper.

“...liar.”

---

You must have fallen asleep, you feel a hand cupping your cheek, and you open your eyes to Seokjin, blonde hair, red eyes, suit buttoned to the collar. You let out a small laugh, and then groan once the pain in your joints wakes you fully.

Jin carries you back to your bed. You tug on his sleeve.

“Please take the pain away,” you ask softly.

Seokin’s eyes search the expanse of your skin, “There are no cuts on your body.”

Groaning, you sit up and kiss the vampire who freezes against you. So you take the opportunity to straddle Seokjin’s lap, and start unbuttoning his shirt, kissing, licking, biting his smooth skin. Jimin’s harsh words replay in your mind and sting you. Screw him, let him think whatever he wants, let him hear you. This had been a part of your plan anyways, first Seokjin, and then you’ll worry about him, might as well have some relief too.

“What happened?” Seokjin asks as you rut into his body, tearing his shirt open. He doesn’t look upset that you popped the buttons, does he ever get upset anymore? You hastily unbuckle his belt. His hands cover yours, repeating his question, “What happened, y/n?”

You grab his hand and move it under your dress. Seokjin stills as his fingers come into contact with your thigh, slick with your wetness from hours of Jimin's teasing. His hands travel up your shaking leg.

“You’re so wet,” he groans, “...Did Ji-”

You silence him with a kiss. “Fuck me, I feel like I’m dying.”

Seokjin laughs against your lips, “Humans are so dramatic,” but he’s already pulling you closer, turning you around to lie on the bed. He bends down to your core, pushing your dress over your waist, you spread your legs wide open for him.

He licks your arousal from your inner thigh, fingers massaging your aching center.

“Ugh fuck, stop teasing me,” you whine. Seokjin fills you with two long fingers, pushing inside you to the knuckle. His teeth bite down on your inner thigh, it stings but your lust somehow lessens the pain. Your body tenses, you clench around his fingers and he speeds up, pulling more blood from your veins.

You flinch when you see Jimin again, reliving the memory from Seokjin’s mind. He’s half naked, kissing a beautiful woman who is fully naked, right in front of Seokjin.

Jimin looks so different, dark hair, flushed skin, tenderness in his eyes.

The girl lowers her body between the men, and fills her mouth with Seokjin’s hardening length. You feel yourself become wetter. Seokjin moans against your feverish skin, biting you for a second time, higher up your leg. It stings again, but you’re too busy trying to get off on his fingers to care about anything but release. Seokjin bites the mound of flesh close to your center, his tongue pressing against your hood, your vision goes white and then-

You see Yoongi’s sharp eyes above you, his naked body on top of yours, cold and wet, hard cave rocks against your bare back. You see Namjoon, a younger version of him, long hair pulled back into a low bun, across the room in bed with another woman. The room is small and empty. Two beds, two couples, Seokjin watching his friend fuck the random girl senseless.

You feel jealousy, watching Namjoon through Seokjin’s eyes. He looks so different, so feral and savage. The bed creaks loudly underneath him as he grips the headboard, and thrusts into her wildly. Jin pumps his fingers inside you in time with Namjoon's thrusts, it makes you feel like you’re going to burst into a thousand pieces. Namjoon’s eyes glow yellow as he gives Seokjin a wicked grin and you’re scared for the first time of Namjoon as he growls, releasing into the woman.

“Don’t make a mess,” he drops the spent girl on Seokjin’s lap, who caresses her face. She’s breathtaking, you feel inadequacy course through you, you feel jealousy, you feel turned on when her full lips envelop Seokjin's thumb. Namjoon pulls the sleeping naked girl from Seokjin’s bed, tapping her check to rouse her awake.

Seokjin’s arousal is overwhelming you. He slams into the woman’s body from behind, chasing his high while holding her face down into the bed, and then his fangs pierce her back as her screams are muffled. You don’t want to come to this, to the feeling of her blood filling his mouth, arousing him and arousing you. Namjoon’s grunts and sounds of sex fills your mind again and you come undone in a silent scream around Seokjin’s fingers.

---

Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit.

You run around the room, darting around Seokjin who watches you rather calmly for the unfolding situation. The rest of his body frozen, the blessed dagger lodged in between his vertebrae, stopping his regeneration.

Once you came, thighs snug around his head, you pulled the dagger from your corset and stabbed him in the back. You kicked him away from you before he could attack and he fell backward, the dagger piercing deep into his back, and that’s where he was currently, frozen on the floor, watching you as you run around the room in disbelief that you actually managed to stab a vampire.

You trip over him by accident and he lets out a soft grunt. “Fuck! Are you okay?” you sit next to his frozen body, “Like, relative to being stabbed, I mean? Don’t answer that...because you can’t. Oh fuck.” You put your head down, resting it on his chest, you don’t hear anything but your laboured breathing. ‘Believe in yourself, y/n! Yoongi believed in you…’

You gather yourself up once again and you move to the window, jiggling the handle. It’s still unlocked! You’re too high up to escape but...

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” you whisper, “I really am sorry,” you grunt as you heave the immobilized vampire to the window, inch by inch, Seokjin’s body like a sack of bricks. You place him against the wall and crouch down so you can look him in the eyes, patting down his messy hair, tousled in your struggle to move him, “I’m sorry,” you repeat again, “but you’re a vampire right?” You say encouragingly, and you give him a couple of pats on the cheek, his eyes dart down to watch the action, “Technically, you can’t die.”

With every ounce of strength you have left inside you, you shove Seokjin out the window.

---

You quietly lock the door to what had been your room and prison cell behind you, quickly walking through the halls. You’re not sure what you expected, maybe a gothic interior fit for Dracula, burning candlesticks and red velvet drapes, but you got electricity and mid century modern eclectic, the walls were colorful with art pieces, deep emeralds and golds and blood red. You open the first door you come across.

A young woman sits on a large bed reading a book, looking up at you. Is that how you looked to them? A more disheveled and unpleasant version of her? She looked happy, until she noticed you, and then her smile fell, disappointed you weren’t Jimin or Jin. You slam the door shut and lock it again.

You race as quietly as you can through the halls, you have no idea what you’re looking for, quickly peeking into each room you come across. Strangers, stop what they are doing to look at you, waiting like obedient lap dogs. You have yet to find an empty room. Four doors you’ve opened on this floor, no empty rooms, and you begin to feel hopeless.

You open the fifth and final door and you’re assaulted with the loud sound of moaning. The moaning comes from a woman specifically, her cries almost as loud as the slapping of her skin against Jimin’s naked body. Jimin had needed an outlet after his time with you, specifically, someone to use and bite that wasn't 'off limits.'

You stand frozen in shock, it feels like all the air has escaped the room, filling the woman’s lungs instead as she screams in ecstasy. He is standing next to the bed, fucking into her at an inhuman speed, holding her hips in the air as she struggles to hold the rest of her torso horizontal. You can’t look away, because her body, her stomach, her large bouncing tits, it’s all covered in blood. You almost scream, almost, but the small huff of air you let out instead is enough. The bed stops creaking as Jimin’s movement stops and you meet his surprised eyes.

You shut the door, lock it and run.

You run down the stairs, you see the entrance and you almost run out the door, but you instead run down the hall, flinging every door you see, praying you find something. There's a kitchen, a dining room with the longest table you’ve ever seen, and an empty room! It looks like an office! You run inside. You run to the desk, looking over the papers. Weird markings litter the pages, it reminds you of the markings on Yoongi’s bag. You have to be getting closer to your objective, you have to be! You scatter the papers around, yank open the drawers, hoping to find something useful. There’s a bookcase behind the desk, and you start pulling down books, nothing is catching your eye. You pull on the bookcase, you run your hand across the wood frantically, searching for perhaps a trap door-

“What are you looking for? I can try to help.”

You jump, almost screaming. You hold your heart, it hadn’t stopped, to your surprise. You had no idea someone else was in the room with you. You stare back at a calm man with messy brown hair, he looks at you timidly. “Sorry, I didn’t want to scare you. I just wanted to help, and it took me a while to organize those books,” he laughs softly. The man shuffles back to the wall, you hear metal clanging and look at his feet, they have chains around them, his hands too.

You look down at your feet, papers and books are all around you “I-I’m sorry. I was just-I didn’t know-” You had no idea how much more time you had to spare so you cut to the chase. “Is there a portal here?!”

The man’s eyes go wide, “Not here,” he speaks softly, “One level lower.” He gave you the answer you were looking for without any hesitation, was this a trick? You look at him more closely, his clothes are loose, like pajamas, and he’s barefoot, he looks at you happily, like you didn’t just storm into his room and destroy his things. The innocent expression on his face reminds you of Jungkook.

You remember why he looks so familiar, “You were sitting next to Yoongi!”

The man tilts his head confused, and then he stares at the door, “you need to leave now,” he rushes towards you, “Go down the stairs to the right.” He finds a pen on his desk. “The portal is in the basement, in Seokjin’s office. You’ll need this to open the door, it will only work once.” He grabs your hand and writes a long looping character on your palm, it burns gold and then disappears, while you stand still in shock.

Before you can question him the door bursts open. Jimin stands in the doorway, looking at you and the other man. His anger is replaced by an expression you don’t quite understand. Heavy silence envelops the room. The awkward tension is cut when Jimin speaks to you calmly saying, “Come here. Now.”

The man steps between you and Jimin. “Stay here, he can’t come inside, just like I can’t leave.” The man leans against the desk, his long legs blocking you from leaving, his chains clanging again.

“Y/n, come here now.” That was the first time Jimin said your name. You look between the men.

“Why would I go to you? You’re going to kill me!”

Jimin runs a hand through his hair, rolling his eyes to the side, “I promise you I won’t kill you if you come here right now.” He says the words as sweetly as he can in his growing irritation, trying to coax you to him, but to you he sounds patronizing and angry.

“Jimin’s lying,” the man next to you whispers, confirming your suspicions.

“Tae, just bring her to me!” the vampire screams.

“No, I don’t want to, you’re going to hurt her.”

‘Tae, he said. Is this Taehyung?’ The same man you saw next to Yoongi, the same man Namjoon warned you about, the man who is protecting you and gave you a way out of this hell of a place?

“Can’t you just do the right thing for once?!”

“You haven’t come to visit me in how long, Jimin?”

They yell at each other like an old married couple. You stare down at your hand, it looks perfectly ordinary, you think you might have just imagined it all, what Taehyung did, but you realized on this island nothing was impossible.

“A-are you a wizard?” you interrupt the men’s arguing.

Taehyung turns back to you surprised and gives you a bright smile, “No, I just learned from one. He didn't call himself a wizard, though” he laughs, “I think the correct term is warlock?”

“Oh, okay, good to know,” you mumble. Jimin quietly seethes at the doorway.

“Why do you have chains on if you can’t leave this room?”

“Yeah, why do I have chains on, Jimin?” He turns to the vampire accusingly.

“Just wait until Seokjin comes,” Jimin mutters, and he pulls the dagger you used on Seokjin out of his back pocket, holding the handle with a handkerchief. “Nice trick, by the way, y/n. Seokjin is still healing himself from the fall. You’re going to regret not coming to me when I asked.” He glares at you.

“So that’s what fell!” Taehyung roars with laughter.

“I said I was sorry,” you mutter, biting your lip. How the hell are you going to get out of this situation now? As if you summoned the Devil himself, Seokjin appears next to Jimin.

You hide behind Tahyung out of instinct, grabbing onto his chained arm. Taehyung holds in his joy while the two vampires' expressions darken.

“Don’t fucking touch him!” Jimin seethes.

You let anger get the best of you and wrap your arms around Taehyung’s waist instead, glaring from behind his shoulder.

“Y/n-” “Don’t,” Taehyung interjects. “-get away from him,” Seokjin warns.

“Why?! How do I know you both aren’t going to murder me as soon as I leave this room?”

“Is there not a spell we can use to get her out?!” Jimin turns to Seokjin ignoring you. You grind your teeth. Two can play that game.

“Why are you locked in here? How do you know Yoongi and Namjoon?”

“Yoongi? We all met him when we came to the island.” Jimin screams Taehyung’s name to silence him, but he ignores him easily. “You should have seen Seokjin and Jimin, he got them all wet and they vowed to make sushi out of him!” he laughs, turning his body around in your arms to face you instead of the pair.

You look over to the two vampires who have gone quiet. “And Namjoon?”

“Taehyung..” Seokjin warns.

“What? I’m not even allowed to talk about it now?” Taehyung whines.

“Enough! Y/n come here...please.” You hadn’t expected a request from Seokjin. “I swear, I won’t punish you for what you’ve done, just come here.” he holds out his hand for you, you can see the magic swirl around his fingers, burning his skin. He winces, but doesn’t move his hand away, even when his tips begin to turn black with char.

“What about Jimin?”

“Yes, fine, I won’t punish you, just hurry the fuck up,” the younger vampire looks anxiously at Seokjin’s hand.

“Y/n, please no! I’ve been here by myself for so long, I can’t stand it! You’re the first person who’s visited me. I don’t want to be alone,” Taehyung whimpers, a high pitched whine as you hesitantly make your way to Seokjin. He reminds you so much of Jungkook. He paces around you, begging you to stay.

“I-I don’t want to be locked in that room anymore.”

“Okay! Just come here!” Jimin yells.

“How can I trust you? How do I know you won’t go back on your word?!”

“They will, y/n, please! Look, Jimin promised he would visit me, he lied!”

Seokjin pulls his hand away, completely burned black and puts out his other arm instead. “You’re just going to have to trust us, like we will have to trust you not to pull any more stunts. We’ll trust each other, okay?” Seokjin pleads with you.

“I-I’ll come back to visit you,” you say to Taehyung. “Right?” You turn to Seokjin who relents and gives you a hasty nod.

“No!” Taehyung whimpers, “They are going to lock you away! Please believe me! You’ll never be able to escape.”

You reach for Seokjin’s hand, but Taehyung jumps in between you, holding out his chained hands. “Look at them! Look closely, what are these made out of, y/n? LOOK!” You study the metal, it looks shiny and silver. It’s silver.

Seokjin lurches forward quickly, his suit catches fire, his warm hand grasps onto yours and pulls you out of the room and away from Taehyung and everything goes black.

---

You wake up in a different room. You’re not alone. Another woman sits on the bed next to you, she jumps when you wake up. It makes you jump, ‘fuck why is everyone so jumpy here?’ you think holding your head in your hands to calm your nerves.

You try to scoot away, and you feel a tug on your ankle, so you pull the covers off of you. You’re in a new dress, all white, like the sheets, like the woman’s dress next to you. You see a chain connected to your foot that reminds you of Taehyung’s shackles but darker metal. No. “My clothes!”

“They made me, I-I’m sorry, I had to give them your clothes. The necklace wouldn’t come off, I-I didn’t tell them,” the woman pulls at her sleeve. “I kept your secret, but I can’t promise you they won’t find out, Master might look into my memories.” Your hand traces the gold watch chain around your neck, calming down.

“Okay...thank you.” You whisper uneasily. “H-How long have you been here?”

The woman thinks, humming to herself. “I lost count, Master did give me this on our Fifth Year Anniversary!” She shows off the blood red jewelry dangling from her ears.

Ugh. “That’s nice,” you say and get out of bed. The dress is tight around you, covering your arms and flowing down to your ankles, the one place the fabric doesn’t touch is your neck, the hemline sits off your shoulders and plunges into a deep V. You scoot your way to the door until you can’t take it anymore and reach for the bottom of your dress, pulling the fabric until it tears.

You hear the woman let out a soft, “oh no.”

The chain stops you from reaching the door, even if you stretch out your legs you can’t grab the handle. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

You wheel your body back around, “Hey, what’s your name?”

The woman thinks, humming to herself. “I don’t remember.”

“Listen, I’m going to need you to-WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T REMEMBER?!”

The woman flinches from your volume. “Well Master calls me his little doll and I like that name a lot, and I just, well, forgot my other name.”

You take a deep breath as you try not to be sick. “Well Dolly, your MASTER IS A HUGE FUCKING ASSHOLE. YOU FUCKING LIARS!”

---

The group in the parlor turn their heads to the small voice echoing through the halls, Jimin winces, hearing your words clearly, moving one of the women off his lap. “She’s awake.”

“I’ll go-”

“It seems you failed at controlling her, brother. Why can’t I just try?”

Seokjin scoffs, “You can barely control yourself.”

Jimin’s jaw clenches. “I’ll-” he coughs, “-use restraint. I won’t hurt her.”

---

“Monsters!”

“Oh no, they’re going to be so mad.”

“Taehyung was right! I swear to God-”

“So so mad, oh no, oh no no no.”

“I won’t let you get away with this! Liars! Bastards!”

“Master!”

The door opens and Jimin stands against the door frame, ignoring your irateness and addressing your new roommate with a smile, “Hey Doll.”

Jimin standing in front of you had extinguished some of your rage and replaced it with apprehension, halting your tirade for now. “You fucking lied,” you glare at him.

“It’s not locked, I’m not forcing you to be here,” He looks over your shoulder, “Right Baby Doll?” The woman nods enthusiastically back. “The chain was a precaution, I’ll remove it, I promise. We just need to set some ground rules, okay pet?”

“I am not your fucking pet!”

He moves around you, like a buzzard circling it’s next meal, “You look so much better in this instead of that ugly sea dress.”

“Don’t I look pretty?” you hear the woman’s tiny voice ask Jimin.

“Of course!”

You rub your temples, “Jimin, just take this chain off me.”

“After everything you’ve done, and you’re still trying to make demands? Do you know how incredibly lucky you are? Can’t you just show a bit more gratitude like her?”

Jimin kisses the woman and she moans against him, deepening the kiss. You rub harder at your temples. You're chained, a captive audience to what ever the hell display is happening in front of you, becoming more uncomfortable and annoyed with each passing minute.

“Seriously?”

He drapes his arms around the woman’s shoulders and stares at you, “Jealous?”

You scoff. You think back to the version of him in Seokjin’s memories, with the other woman. You remember the tenderness in his eyes as he watched her and you swallow down the lump forming in your throat. You are not jealous! And anyways, Jimin’s tenderness is all gone now.

“She doesn’t even remember her name anymore.”

“She doesn’t seem to mind,” he winks at her, and the woman giggles at your exchange.

“Her entire life has been taken away! What happened, it’s worse than death.” You hug your arms close to your body. Was that going to become you if you stayed here?

“Worse than death?” Jimin echoes your words and you notice him stare at his reflection in the room’s mirror. You stand in silence, watching him as he runs a hand through his hair, pushing back the loose strands while the woman softly hums to herself a sweet melody. She doesn’t sense the looming danger all around you and it makes your chest tighten in anxiety.

“You’re right y/n. Come here.” He holds out his hand for her.

He pulls her into a kiss, she smiles against her lips. You awkwardly shift at the exchange. She seemed happy with Jimin, even if she couldn’t remember the person she was anymore. It makes you wonder if she had resisted in the beginning or had always been this irritatingly agreeable...or maybe she even loved him, maybe her love was the only thing left in her.

Jimin holds her face in his hands, dragging his lips across hers, a spectacle of two lovers. She’s beautiful like Jimin, they fit perfectly together, a rose and a thorn.

It happens so quickly you stand stunned, you don’t have time to scream or stop him. She’s on the ground, neck twisted, dead.

You’re so stunned you can’t even cry, you just shake, fallen to your knees, staring at her beautiful lifeless face. Her red earrings dangle from her ears catching the light.

“What have you done?” Your voice sounds tiny and high, like hers.

“I saved her from a fate worse than death, according to you. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

You can’t speak. He moves closer, putting a hand on your cheek, the same way he had held the woman’s head a few seconds ago. His cold finger wipes away your tears. When did you start crying?

“We aren’t liars. I’ll unchain you. So, will you behave now?”

---

You walk the halls during the sunlight. You stop by Taehyung’s door knocking four times, opening the door an inch. “I found this in the kitchen!”

“I’m...allergic.”

“Allergic to chocolate?! I-I’m sorry,” you mutter, though it doesn’t stop you from enjoying the bar yourself.

You lean forward into Taehyung’s room, he puts his chained arms over your head, and gives you a hug. He reminds you of Jungkook so much, sweet and gentle. But he’s not warm like him, he’s still a stranger to you, always dodging your questions. Namjoon’s words constantly play in your mind not to trust Taehyung. Even though out of everyone here, you trust him the most, you like him the most. Being able to spend time with him, even if your conversations are shallow and lighthearted, is the best part of your day.

“Y/n?”

“Hmm?”

“Why haven’t you escaped?” He whispers.

You play with the hem of your dress as a distraction, “I don’t know.”

He always asks you the same question and you always give him the same answer, but today Taehyung persists. “They won’t catch you if you go now! Isn’t that the whole reason you let yourself get caught?” Even though you hardly know anything about Taehyung, he knows so much about you already.

“I’m...I’m scared.”

He pats your head, you shake his hand away, lightly shoving him back. “I’m not a dog!”

Taehyung laughs, “Yeah, you’re a scaredy cat.”

“How dare you!” you hit his leg as he giggles.

“I want to show you something! It will help you when you finally escape!”

You cover his mouth with your hands, shushing him. Looking around to see if there were any others lurking around you, but no one ever comes around Taehyung. “What is it?”

“Well, um, you’ll have to come all the way inside.”

“...I can’t.” You move away from him again and lean your head against the door frame.

Taehyung sighs. “I knew you’d say that!” he whines. “Do you do everything Jimin says now?”

You roll your eyes, “Not even close,” you mutter. “And it’s not just Jimin...”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been told not to trust you...and you haven’t been very open with me, have you?” you look down at your hands, intertwined with his, you trace the gold markings along his chained wrists.

“It’s complicated,” he whispers.

“I can’t see how it could get more complicated than being a werewolf trapped in a house full of vampires.”

“It’s much more complicated,” he pulls on your arm, staring at you with pleading eyes. “Leave a shoe outside and they won’t notice you’ve come inside, I promise!”

You hum, searching for a compromise. “How about this,” you scoot over the entrance, sitting closer to Taehyung while making sure to keep your legs outside. “Technically, I am inside and also outside.”

“But the magic won’t work unless your body is fully inside here,” Taehyung pouts. “The spell on the room will clash with mine and who knows what will happen then!”

“How do you know so much about magic?”

“I can’t say…” Taehyung whispers.

Your expression turns sour, ‘What can you say...’ you think. “Well can’t you just like, Houdini yourself out of here?”

Taehyung shakes his head regretfully. “No, if only it were that simple. And please don’t ask me to explain,” he teases. Taehyung scoots behind you and pulls your body onto his lap. “Let’s stay like this for a while.”

“Okay,” you hum.

“Let go of each other!” You wake up on the floor with Taehyung cuddled to your side, one lone foot of yours still remains outside the door. Jimin pulls on your foot before you can untangle yourself from Taehyung, dragging the rest of your body into the hallway. Taehyung grunts, waking up as you’re pulled from his embrace.

You blink away the sleep from your eyes, face-to-face with Jimin, his head hovering over yours, eyes bright red with anger.

“Leave her alone, Jimin!”

“I-I am allowed to talk to him,” your words come out small and high when you finally speak and you hate it, the way your fear strangles your voice.

“On one condition, just one.” Jimin hisses.

“W-well, t-technically-”

"You're being so unfair!" Taehyung yells. "Do you like her that much?"

“Tae, enough!” He slams the door in Taehyung’s pleading face.

There is a bang on the door, only once, so loud and strong it shakes the entire connecting wall, the picture frames wobble and dust falls from the ceiling, the sound so abrupt and booming it makes you, and even Jimin, flinch.

---

“Jimin told me you were in a...compromising position, with Tae today.” You and him watch the stars from your bedroom window, now locked.

Your stomach tightens. “Taehyung is lonely, maybe if Jimin spent time with him I wouldn’t have to,” you mutter.

“Do you care about Taehyung?” Jin’s eyes study your features, his sharp hearing picks up your heartbeat, waiting to hear any lies in your answers.

“No, I just-He’s the only normal person here.”

“Person? Normal?” Jin quietly laughs.

“A werewolf is a person too.”

“Ahhh, so you think Tae is a werewolf.”

“He is, isn’t he?” You spin around to look at Jin but his poker face is as strong as ever as he smiles down at you.

“Is a vampire a person too?”

You chew on your bottom lip, “I guess so,” you side eye the man next to you, “Deep down. Somewhere.”

Jin kisses your lips softly, carrying you back to your bed and placing you beneath him. You’ve managed to latch onto Jin since that night, a lesser of two evils. The vampire truly was a forgiving man, and even if parts of you were weakened by fear, your mind had impressively blocked Seokjin’s pull since that night as well, so he had deemed you his personal pet project, his puzzle to solve, keeping Jimin an arm’s length away from you.

Jin was nice, sometimes. And sometimes, you enjoyed his company too.

You play with his soft blond locks. You know the pain is coming eventually, so you do everything you can to distract yourself, admiring the vampire’s beautiful features before you. He pulls the deep neckline of your dress easily down your body, exposing your chest to his piercing eyes. His eyes stop on the gold piece nestled in your cleavage, like always, he ignores it. He knows what it is, what he doesn’t know is why Namjoon gave it to you.

The cold air and Seokjin’s cold fingers kneading your breasts sends you into a bout of shivers, when he drags his tongue across your skin you arch your back and push your chest closer to his soft lips. He’s so gentle with you now. Sometimes, you wish he was rougher, like the Seokjin you witnessed with Namjoon.

“Won’t you let me in again, Dove?” Namjoon’s watch falls into the dip in your clavicle, replaced by Jin's fangs as he bites the flesh of your breasts, his fingers pull at your nipples distracting you from the pain. He doesn’t drain you unconscious anymore, instead Seokjin likes to covers your skin in lovebites, taking all night with you.

“I-I can’t control it.”

“Let’s practice control,” Seokin smirks, lips stained red, and he moves his hands down your body.

He takes time stretching you full with his fingers, his lips never leaving your chest, steadily building up the pressure inside you with each quick stroke of his thumb against your core until you’re tightening around his digits. “Don’t cum.”

You tense around him, unable to successfully hold in your moans. “I can’t. I’m going to-”

“Just try, Dove.” You would hope he’d stop moving his fingers, at least slow down, but he’s steady and relentless, his digits pushing inside you in the most perfect mind-numbing pace. There’s no way you could stop your impending orgasm, but you try to hold it off, just two more three four five agonizing seconds longer. Seokjin sucks on the sensitive skin of your breast, mouth pulling as much of the mound as he can fit inside while you pulse around his digits. You feel his teeth sink deep into your flesh and his name escapes your lips in a strangled moan.

His usual dull eyes look up at you shinning with desire. “Let’s try again.”

---

“I brought biscuits.” You hold up the sweet cookies in front of Taehyung’s confused face.

“Thank you, y/n.” Taehyung gives you a bright smile and hugs you extra tight when you peek your head into his room.

“Ready to escape?”

“I-I don’t know.”

Taehyung pouts. “You’re-I'm-” Taehyung struggles to say the right words, “We’re running out of time, y/n.”

“What do you mean?”

“I just need a couple minutes with you, please. I have everything ready!” Taehyung runs to his desk, pulling together a stack of papers. “You want to see everyone again, don’t you? You friends and family?” he pleads.

Your family, you’re ashamed to admit you haven’t thought about them. It wasn’t even purposeful, your mind just had stopped wandering to thoughts of them.

Yoongi, Namjoon, Jungkook, and Hoseok, you couldn’t bring yourself to think about them anymore either, it hurt too much. The small traces of their personalities that Taehyung reminded you of had become sufficient enough as you tolerated living. “W-What do you mean we’re running out of time?”

“I think I have just enough magic to fill your necklace,” he whispers, “but if I remember correctly, that model only holds twelve weeks worth of time. How long have you been on this island, y/n?”

Your fingers clutch at Namjoon’s watch resting against your heart. Could you really rewind back time to when you never got on that damned boat! “I-I just need to take off a shoe?”

Taehyung’s face lights up. “Yeah, or something that has your scent that they can still sense, just in case”

“So the more I leave the less noticeable it would be?”

“Well, I guess so?”

You look around at the hallway, still empty like always, and pull off both shoes from your feet. “Do you have a shirt I can borrow?” You begin to shimmy out of your dress. Taehyung’s eyes go wide, and he wets his drying lips, then he springs into action, searching his closet for something to cover you. You pull his large sweater over your body and take a hesitant step inside.

Taehyung wraps you into his arms in a proper hug, holding you close. “I’m so happy you found me, y/n. I’m so happy.” He whispers.

He holds you tight to him, you're ashamed how affected you are by his kind gestures, you shouldn’t feel this way about someone who Namjoon told you to stay away from, it felt like a betrayal. “Don’t forget about me once you escape,” Taehyung whispers.

You melt into his embrace. “I won’t. Isn’t there a way to break the spell on the island? There just has to be! There has to be a way to save you and Yoongi and-”

“You like him,” Taehyung pouts.

“What? Who? Yoongi?!” Your face flushes hot.

“I don’t like sharing,” Taehyung mumbles into his sweater currently draped over your shoulders.

You swallow thickly. “Tae?”

He pulls away, holding you loosely, searching your eyes. During your interactions, you usually kept your attention around Taehyung, unable to focus too long on his intimidating aura and good looks, worried you'd start feeling too much for the mysterious man, worried you'd disappoint Namjoon. But now Taehyung is all around you, and his magnetism is too strong for you to resist. “Tae-”

His kiss is brief, however no less impactful, the way he pours his desires into you until your lost in a haze, following his lips as he pulls away, entranced by the small smile he shows you.

When he lifts his chained arms over your head, he pulls your necklace off as well. You were surprised how easily he removed it, when even Jimin couldn’t pull it off you (much to the vampire’s annoyance). You watched intently as Taehyung turns the watch's dial and whispers a spell in a language you can’t understand. “There, it worked, I set it to the full twelve weeks. you’ll know when to use it.” He places the watch around your neck again, his fingers cupping your cheeks and he rests his forehead against yours, content. Your face burns hot, Taehyung is so affectionate and sweet and treats you like glass.

This close, you can peer into his deep warm brown eyes, irises twinkling back at you so beautifully, it looks like gold swirls in them. “Just one more thing, and then the world is ours,” he says.

---

You sit up in your bed abruptly. Your fingers search for Namjoon’s watch as you try to steady your breathing. The hard gold feels comforting against the tips of your fingers as your eyes adjust to the darkness. You’re reminded of the night you first arrived. But gone is Yoongi’s colorful dress, the clinical white fabric of your new dress, sits tight around your body like a straight jacket and blends in with the white bed sheets.

Weren’t you just with Taehyung, what happened? You remember he told you you were running out of time. Then what happened?

You have to go find him!

You leave the bed and search out his room again. Jimin passes you in the halls, as quiet as a cat, startling you so much you almost fall if it weren't for his fast reflexes. “There you are, ugh I figured you’d be headed to Tae’s room,” Jimin frowns, “Let’s go.”

“Where are you taking me?” You fight against his grip as he pulls you in the opposite direction.

“I haven’t fed in weeks, and my favorite meal is gone because of you.”

You shut your eyes tight, trying to push away the images of the woman who haunts your dreams.

“So you’re taking her place.”

“What?!” You're doing what now? “J-Jin said-”

“Are you his parrot now? Well lucky for me, tonight Jin went to go speak with Yoongi,” he says smugly.

You step into Jimin’s room. The dresser was covered with random items that don’t seem personalized to the vampire’s taste at all. Unread books, countless jewelry pieces, and a plethora of knives.

“Don’t even think about it, pet.” Jimin warns as he sees your eyes stop on the sleek blades.

“I wasn’t,” you mutter. It was the truth.

There’s no window in his room, no mirrors, just wood furniture, covered in scratches and dents of aggression. The areas of his room, like his dresser, are littered with things, so many discarded things. The room is soulless, like Jimin, it feels like a lavish prison cell.

“So,” you don’t look at Jimin, instead you look at his things, trying to find some sense of his personality, “I guess you’re going to finally prove to me you aren’t impotent after all?” you mock. You know you shouldn't poke the beast, but Jimin is like an annoying itch you can't help but scratch.

Jimin scoffs, “Slut, can you go a night without getting fucked?”

“Can you?!”

Jimin smirks. “I'm almost going to miss that.”

You take a step away from him at his words. “What are you going to do?”

“Jin is too sentimental, he only skims the surface of his powers now. There is another aspect to a memory pull, it’s much more fun. Can you guess what that is, pet?”

You’ve been guessing and trying to make sense of everything since that night. “That woman's memories, you took them, right?”

Jimin claps his hands, slow and mocking at your right answer. “It’s not a simple task, but she was particularly compliant,” he bites his lip in memory. “She was much more willing to part with her past, her previous life wasn’t so great if you were wondering...some would see what I did as a blessing.”

The vampire stands in front of you cupping your cheek. “But I’m sure you...” his hand follows your jaw, “...will put up an impressive fight.”

You let out the breath you've been holding, if you can do what happened to Jin, maybe you can find something you can use against him. Maybe his torture won’t work on you...!

“You’re going to regret this,” you say, pulling your head away from his hand.

He laughs, “I regret not doing this sooner.” Jimin was tired of Jin's special treatment of you, all these new rules, all the things you've gotten away with when he wasn't even allowed to drink from you, follow his most basic of urges, it was annoying, you were annoying.

You feel exposed under his penetrating stare, you turn your head and hold your wrist out to Jimin, “Well? Go right ahead.” You think the inevitable has been dragged out long enough.

He looks at your wrist, lips rolling over his tongue as his fingers glide over the thin skin, and then he pulls you closer so you stumble into him, yelping. He looks up and down your body, his hair brushing against your forehead, the strands ticking you. You're supposed to hate each other, but the way he holds you and touches you, it’s too intimate, too rough and too soft for you to make sense of it.

“Do you have to ruin all the dresses we give you?” He noticed the slit you cut into your too long dress.

“Why are they so tight?” you say, watching his eyes as they roam over your exposed skin, feeling hot from his attention. You try to keep your thoughts calm, pure, so he doesn't notice what he's doing to you. “I can barely walk around.”

“Then maybe you should stay on your back,” his voice low and taunting. His free hand reaches for the torn fabric and as quick as a flash Jimin tears the slit higher up to your hip bone.

Your hands attempt to pull the slit closed in vain, and Jimin takes the opportunity to pull at the neckline of your dress, ripping the line even lower, exposing your cleavage to him. You slap him across the face, like you would have done any other man, but Jimin is not just a man, not anymore. He turns his face around and you see his fangs against his curled lip, he looks delighted, like you gave him just the reaction he wanted.

He grabs you around the waist and you feel vertigo as you're thrown across the room. You land on his bed, sinking into the mattress, and before you can scream Jimin is hovering over you.

“Your foreplay sucks.”

Jimin pulls your head back, laughing down at you.

"Get it?" you struggle to speak, “because you're a-”

You scream as Jimin finally bites the column of your neck, his body weight pressing down on you. Pain erupts and you can barely breath. His bite is somehow even more painful than Jin's, you hit his shoulders, pull at his shirt, trying to push him away to release you.

---

“What’s your name?” You can barely hear Seokjin’s voice over the trumpets of the band.

“Jimin.” He yells back.

“Military man,” the bartender nods to his uniform, “This one is on the house.”

“Thanks, um?”

“Seokjin.”

Jimin pulls his bottom lip in, studying the handsome stranger. “Thank you Seokjin.”

---

Jimin pulls away from your neck, breathing heavy. You laugh, and laugh, feeling exhilarated, eyes meeting the vampire while you laugh again. Did you just beat Jimin at his own game?

Your laughter stops when Jimin flips you on your stomach. His fingers dig into your hair, bending your back up to meet his chest. You grunt, jaw slack. “Still waiting to see what you've got, Jimin.”

You’re confusing. Jimin doesn’t even smell fear on you anymore, even when he tightens his grip. You must be feeling overwhelmed, like Jimin, who is trying to make sense of the long forgotten emotions coursing through him right now.

For the first time in a long time, Jimin feels uncomfortable, struggling to make sense of your taunts and why you aren’t submitting. Something unpleasant inside him stirs. He’ll make you regret acting like this, he’ll break you in half until you beg for mercy. He’ll do it. So why isn’t he doing it?

“Well?!”

“Fuck, you’re annoying,” he hisses into your ear.

“So I’ve been told, military man.”

Jimin knows you're goading him, yet still, blind rage courses through his veins, stinging his chest. He rips the back of your dress, tearing it down the center.

Was Jimin fulfilling a twisted fantasy you had ever since you saw Namjoon and Seokjin fuck that nameless woman senseless? Could you admit that to yourself as you feel your core become wetter as he presses his hand down onto your bare back.

You push up on your elbows, but Jimin uses his strength to push you back down, holding your head down. His sharp hearing can hear your muffled moan and the unpleasant feeling in the center of his body twists again.

"You like this?" He groans, affected by the smell of your lust. “Fuck, you act like such a desperate slut.” He palms his dick, needing a release. His moans fill your ears as his stokes himself to the state of your body.

You feel his spit hit your skin, his hard length running along your center, covering his member in your juices and his saliva. His tip teasing your entrance, you push back into him seeking more, and his hands hold you down, making you all the more feverish.

Your arousal hits the vampire’s senses in waves, affecting him more than usual as he tightens his grip to keep you still, focusing on the blood blotting your neck. His cock runs up your slit until he rests over your second hole. You look over your shoulder, prepared to taunt the vampire even more, but his dark expression, filled with carnal desire, slightly unraveled, entirely captivated by you, sends your thoughts into a tailspin.

Jimin pushes his thick length into you, stretching you over his cock, inch by inch until your whole body spasms.

Jimin stayed pressed up against you, a small kindness, his fingers circling your aching core. “Don’t-” you moan, and he stills against you, “d-don’t hold back.”

"I wasn't intending to."

And he doesn't. Your orgasm wracks through you, you feel so full and empty as your walls clench down on nothing while he pounds himself into you relentlessly. You start to shake in overstimulation. His thrusts are wild, your neck is there, you smell so delicious and he's so close to release.

When you come close again, at the peak of arousal, he bites down on your soft skin. You yell, clenching around him even tighter.

“This is your fault.”

You see Tae laugh, so unlike his usual sweet boisterous laugh, he chuckles deep, fighting against the chains around him, his wrist markings glowing gold, then deep orange like fire. “No, this is your fault. You were supposed to kill Jin, we could have had everything we ever wanted. How could you betray me like this?”

Jimin’s hands go lax around your waist, so you put yours over his, holding on as tight as you can.

You see Seokjin and Jimin under a street lamp, you and Jimin watch the way the flies dance around the bulb.

“You’re a vampire.”

Seokjin tenses, so Jimin continues, “I saw you with that girl, the regular with black hair.” His eyes scan the man beside him.

“And what are you going to do now?” Seokjin’s words come out low, almost menacing. Jimin laughs.

“Would you believe me if I said you’re not the strangest thing I’ve seen?” Breaking the awkward silence, Jimin brings an arm over Seokjin’s broad shoulders, pulling the man into a headlock. “I forgive you for always ditching me for lunch.” He teases.

Jimin releases his mouth from your neck.

You shift beneath him to look up at the vampire. Jimin’s bite wasn’t as meticulous as Seokjin’s who knew how to expertly pierce an artery, so you weren’t profusely bleeding, but the wounds still ached. Seokjin has the precision of a doctor, Jimin is messy, wild, his entire front is covered in blood. Jimin's eyes were unfocused, you could tell he was lost in thought.

“Jimin?”

“Enough,” his voice shakily commands you. “I’ll just take the part of you that keeps doing this.”

He pierces your exposed flesh once more concentrating harder.

---

Jimin is tiny. His head reaches the older woman’s knee as he hugs her leg. He points to the butterfly, wings fluttering back and forth slowly as it sits on a leaf Jimin found.

“I fixed it, see!”

“My beautiful son,” she kisses the top of his head, laughing at his cuteness. She looks weak and fragile, sunken eyes and skin pale.

“I’ll fix you too, I’ll learn!” He hugs her leg tighter. She soothes her little boy, knowing it’s already too late for her.

“Grow up to be a doctor, heal people.”

---

He pulls away from you. His eyes look wild, like an animal’s, caught. “Stop looking into my mind!” He screams.

“I can’t control it!” You’re just as stunned as Jimin, you never expected to see a version of himself so innocent.

Jimin holds you down by the neck, he doesn’t squeeze your neck enough to stop your breathing, even though he should, he thinks, he can’t do it, he can’t bring himself to tighten his grip.

“Do it again and I’ll fucking kill you,” he lies.

“I said I can’t control it, asshole!” you struggle against his hold, “Maybe if you weren’t so weak-minded-”

Jimin roars. Pressing his weight back on you, his fangs strike at the sensitive flesh between your collar bone. Your first kiss was so special to you, you could still remember it to this day. You were young, awkward and shy, he was your first crush, a cute boy, his features reminded you of one of your favorite idols at the time, who was-

What did he look like? What was his name? When did he kiss you again? It was after school, you think, you can’t remember. How did he kiss you? That’s right, it was an awkward kiss, because you and him were...friends? Weren’t you? You can’t remember, you can’t remember what had happened, it was so special to you and now it’s gone.

Jimin sucks harder onto your skin, pulling more blood out of you. He took it, your first kiss, you know he did. Jimin, if that sweet little boy could see himself now.

You start to cry. You cry for your stolen first kiss.

His teeth sink into your neck again, pulling more blood greedily, trying to silence the memories he found with the steady beating of your pulse instead. He drags his fangs across your skin, more blood releases, so much blood lost already that everything spins around you. “Jimin!”

He covers your mouth to stop your protests. Jimin seems determined to lose himself again, ravaging your body with more bites. So you close your eyes and your thoughts drift to the young boy.

“Good job!” the soft voice of his mothers fills both your minds. Jimin holds a syringe full of milk to a tiny kitten’s mouth. “You have to take care of her now, remember, treat her gently. There you go!”

“She’s so cute, momma, I love her.”

“You both have to watch out for each other when I’m not around, okay?”

You can hear Jimin whimper into your neck.

You feel sadness wash over you. He could have been a doctor, he could have been a healer. He is, in some twisted way, he been given the gift of healing, and yet he uses it to inflict pain. Even if he wanted to pretend he didn’t experience it, you felt the love that he held so dearly for his mother as a small child. You can hear his laughter, he had the same laugh as his mother.

‘Jimin, I’m going to save you too.’

---

You wake up healed, your head pounding. You look around, Jimin lies next to you, he’s out like a light. You both look like you’ve been in a massacre. Your clothes shredded and blood everywhere. You move away from him, his features look angelic, but his skin is covered in dried blood, like a killer. What the hell happened? You take a step and your legs buckle, you cry out when you knee hits the hard floor. The vampire next to you sways, moves across the bed until he falls completely out of it, groaning.

You crawl your body to the other side of the bed where he is still lying on the floor.

When you look at him again, meeting his eyes, you come to a realization. You know his secret.

“Oh Jimin...”

“Y/n...” his voice is shaky, he covers his face with his hands and his soft cries fill the room. You struggle to get up, everything feels tilted on an axis. You sway and hit furniture as you make your way to the door.

There’s a ringing in your head that won’t leave. You follow the halls down to Seokjin’s office, a place Jimin has been so many times before, retracing his footsteps from a memory of his.

Taehyung’s spell worked just as he said, opening the door to Seokjin’s office, the bright markings glowed and then burnt away from your skin, leaving a trace of ash. ‘Taehyung,’ you’ll have to deal with him later, you think. First you need to get away, as far from the island as you can and try to find Jimin’s family.

There’s a large door to the right of his desk, wood an alien shade of purple. The high pitched ringing in your ears makes the room sway again, but you’re able to grip the handle and fall through to the other side.

---

You sit on the floor of a tiny shop. There’s intricate gold pieces; statues, vases, piled high on countless of glass shelves, every inch of the shop is filled with items, it reminds you of someone but you can’t remember who. You can’t even remember how you got here. Where the hell are you? It feels dangerous, it feels wrong.

You move to a corner and hug your knees to your body. ‘Where am I? Wait, who am I?’ You try to remember anything, any memory from your childhood, from your adulthood. And the past five minutes replays in your mind instead. Gold jewelry in glass cases and the feeling that you shouldn't be here, and a deep voice in your head whispers, “y/n.”

Y/n, is that your name? Your hands skim over the fabric of your torn dress, looking for pockets, looking for anything that might explain something to you. You need to get out of here, you need to leave, but you don’t even know where you are.

You hear a ding, a bell alerting an opening door. You hear a man speak to another. You run out the door while the man behind you lets out a surprised yell to come back.

You run and you run, past buildings past people. You’re barefoot, your clothes hang off you. Eventually you stop. Eventually you decide to ask an old couple who looks unthreatening where you are while you unsuccessfully try not to burst into tears. The old woman holds your hands and strokes your arm to calm you while the husband calls the police.

At first they suspected you were a victim of abuse. They took you to a hospital. The doctors performed several tests on you, each one worse than the last. You had no old memories, and all your new ones were horrible. Clinical, painful, strangers prodding and poking your body. Your dreams were filled of palm trees and warm sunshine on your skin, a sparkling blue ocean, laughter, happiness. So you slept most of the day.

Then one day, detectives came with nurses and they told you who you were. That it took so long because you had been pronounced dead over a month ago. Your parents were on a flight to come get you. You listened to them explain the events hoping to have a jog of memory but nothing comes. They talk about the boat, the crash, no survivors. Always another horrible new piece of information. When will it end?

When your parents picked you up, a lovely man and woman who you tried desperately to remember, the hospital staff gave you a bag with the clothes they found you in. There was a gold pocket watch, an item you didn’t remember having, but you didn’t remember anything, so it didn’t surprise you. You told them to throw everything away, but you kept the watch with you.

You have to stay with them, everything in your life had been reduced to a few boxes they had kept. You lost your home, your identity, you had no money, no job, the only thing you acquired during this whole time was a death certificate.

You start remembering your childhood, slowly at first, a memory here and there, a fall and cut knee, a tea party with stuffed animals, a school field trip, and then years at a time.

You found yourself again. You remembered who you were, your entire life up until you didn’t, the memories fracturing at the end, and the harder you tried to remember how you could have ended up in a different country across the world, your mind would construct horrible images instead, blood, drowning, and death. You couldn’t bare to think of it.

---

“Y/n!” you make your way into the coffee shop, you reconnected with some old childhood friends now that you were back in your hometown.

“Hey, oh my god, who is this big cutie?” Your friend’s dog barks excitedly while you fluff the black fur on his head. He’s so cute, his ears flop to the side with each happy bark.

“Y/n, are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“You’re...well you’re crying?” She looks at you concerned.

You touch your wet cheeks. Why? You don’t know when it started, but as your friend’s dog nudges his head into your palm for more pets, your heart aches.

---

One night, a crazy thought enters your mind. You want to go back to that shop. You want answers. You leave a note for your parents telling them your intentions and pack your freshly made identification cards and travel documents into a suitcase.

So here you are again, in a foreign country, alone again, filled with purpose that seems to pull you in despite how terrified you are.

You scroll through your phone while you lie on the hard foreign hotel mattress. You open a map of where you are on your phone, and zoom out until you see water.

There's islands around the peninsula, you zoom into each one and search each name on your phone, learning each habitat, who lives there, if it is accessible. You do that to pass the time until you fall asleep.

“It’s too dangerous.”

You reach for the merman, grabbing at Yoongi’s shirt and pulling him closer, your eyes meeting his. “Explain.”

Yoongi is taken aback, licking his lips trying to think of a good way to start. "We made a blood pact to protect this island from the outside world, it's indiscoverable and once anyone does come here, they can't leave."

"Why..." you let go of his shirt, but he stays close, "Why would you do that?"

"Think, just think what you humans have done to the world...the others needed some place safe to go to and I-" the merman huffs, "At the time, I thought...well, they were...at the time I didn't mind sharing the island with them. "

Your fingers roll over the bracelets Yoongi put on you. "That was nice of you." The merman glares at you in return.

"You know, they'd come here, we all spent time together." Yoongi's stare is faraway and distant. "In the beginning, at least."

"I-I'm sorry." You hold his hand, and he stares at your fingers only briefly before shaking you off.

"Whatever, I'm surprised they didn't start trying to tear each others throats out sooner," He mutters. "We had portals of course to leave when we wanted to, but one day Namjoon and those dumb dogs destroyed all the portals-"

"What?! Why would they do that?"

"I don't know all the details, but I believe Namjoon did it to protect the rest of his pack. I can respect him for that...but the problem is they trapped us all here like idiots!"

"Is that why you're helping Jin and Jimin?"

"What? To get back at Namjoon? Pfft no. Jin came to me with a deal. He looked off, sick, and he offered me anything I wanted, so I helped him. That's it."

"So technically you can leave the island?"

"I can swim the waters, but I can only go so far, the magic always pulls me back eventually, it's useless to try," he mutters.

You hum.

"Anyways, what Namjoon doesn't know is Jin used some leftover magic and created a portal. Jin has lots of friends that serve him, owe him favors, he uses it as a delivery system."

"So you think if I?"

"That's the only portal I know of, but the magic is dangerous, the vampires put so many protections on their house, they won't even go through it themselves, there has to be a reason, right?"

"I...I'll take my chances."

"They wont even chance going through it, and you will?"

"Yes! And what if I can find a way to break the spell? Then you can finally leave! Yoongi, you have to let me at least try!"

"You're going to get yourself killed one way or another," Yoongi scoffs.

"No, I refuse to believe that."

"You're impossible to understand."

"I'm going through that portal. Then I'll come back for you."

"Wait, you'll come back?" Yoongi asks.

"Well, yeah, if you help me, a deal is a deal. Yoongi please, help me come up with a plan and I swear to you I'll come back with your payment. You're the only one who can search the ocean, you just have to find me again, so what do you say merman?"

"I'll find you again."

---

Your alarm wakes you up. 'What a weird dream,' it felt so realistic. Like all your dreams, the more you think about it, the less you remember, but that man's scarred eyes, whose name you forgot already, they stay with you.

You brush your teeth and wash your face. You notice something as you rinse off your skin. 'What the hell is that?' You inspect the gold writing behind your ear. Taking some more soap, you work to remove it but it doesn’t come off, the glittery ink is permanent. You rubbed your skin raw trying to take it off, it didn’t look like a tattoo, but nothing you did would get rid of the gold markings. You pace around your hotel room, things are getting weirder and you start to feel a nagging sense of dread, but there's a voice inside you that says to keep going until you find the answers you are looking for.

You don't walk right into the shop at first, instead casing out the place. You drink coffee at a nearby restaurant and keep watch on the shop. There are not many visitors, and those who do enter are not who you would expect. You would think maybe some older people who were looking for vintage items would decide to enter, or eccentric younger people, but it was almost always a intimidatingly large man entering, bringing items in rather than taking items out.

You’ve gotten into the habit of playing with the gold chain around your neck, the gold pocket watch had become a permanent accessory.

It's almost closing time for the restaurant, so you reluctantly make your way to the shop, and walk in after a group of tourists.

The shop looks different than what you remember, new items litter the shelves. You hide behind the large cases, studying the objects, until you come across something that makes you hesitate. A necklace with a large red gem hidden behind a thick glass case with a lock.

“You’re that girl! You...you came back.” Your head turns into the direction of the voice, a very old man stares back at you. He looks at you incredulously while you can only stare back dumbly. “C'mon, let’s go,” the old man says, he grabs your elbow. “Seokjin should be awake by now.”

“Let me go! You can’t keep me here!” You pull away from his grasp, your hand tightens around the amulet.

He laughs at you amused, giving you some space. “You walked into my shop, did you not? You don’t want to talk to Seokjin?”

“I…” Do you?! Would he know what happened to you, why does it make you shiver hearing his name.

Wait...you look down at your hand, to make sure you didn't imagine it, and there you see the necklace in the middle of your palm, heavy in your hand, you hide it behind your back, looking over your shoulder to the empty case, the shock of it makes you freeze.

The man looks at you cautiously, “Why are you here, girl? Are you here for Seokjin?”

Seokjin. That name fills you with dread. A vision of a man flashes across your mind only briefly, “I d-don’t know.” The old man raises an eyebrow at you. “Stay here, girl. I'll be right back.”

Where is he going? What is he going to do with you? Your mind spins and the skin behind your ear stings. 'Now y/n. Do it now.' that deep voice is back. You panic when the old man comes back with two others.

'Use the watch, y/n. Use the watch. NOW!'

---

“On one condition, just one.” Jimin hisses.

As you lie on the ground you feel like the weight of the world just crashed upon you. Your chest feels like it’s going to explode, there’s a ringing in your ears, the skin behind your ear still burns hot.

Jimin noticed the sudden shift in your demeanor, the way your heart begins to race as you start to break down. Every day, starting on the night your boat was capsized, replays in your mind as you start to remember your time on the island. You see Taehyung, who looks at you and then his eyes go wide, realizing the situation, eyes ablaze with growing excitement.

“It worked, didn’t it?” Taehyung’s deep baritone voice breaks the silence. You can only take in shaky breaths as your tear filled eyes try to focus on where you are. You traveled back in time, precisely twelve weeks to the second, you’re back on the island, thrown back into your nightmare like you never left. The only difference now is your left hand clutches a second pocket watch, now broken, and your right hand clutches the amulet.

Jimin looks between you and Taehyung. “What have you done?” Jimin accuses Taehyung, whose eyes haven’t left yours. Taehyung’s lips curve into an encouraging smile, he holds out his chained wrists to you. The vampire whips his head in your direction, but it’s already too late. You throw the amulet into Taehyung’s awaiting hands. You didn’t want to give it to him, but as if Taehyung had pulled strings around your body, you complied to his silent request. The minute the gem touches his skin, the gold markings around his wrists burn away.

The explosion knocks you back meters, everything is broken, everything is dust, you can’t see and your body aches. You hear screaming and yelling and groans of pain. You crawl through the debris searching for a way out.

Red light flashes through the smoke. You choose to crawl towards it, hearing Jin’s loud booming voice.

Taehyung pulls you back, his body behind you like it just materialized out of thin air. "C’mon y/n. Let’s escape."

“This...This is all your fault!” He looked surprised by your reaction.

“What you think you know, you’re mistaken.” He lifts you to your feet easily.

It feels like the air around you is vibrating, your body feels lighter in Taehyung’s presence.

“Please let me go,” you cry.

“Don’t worry, once we escape, we’ll be fine again.” His hand holds your hip tight to his body as he drags you in the direction of the portal.

Seokjin crashes into you both, knocking Taehyung away from you. You hear their struggle, and you’re back to crawling away through the smoke helplessly. Your fingers hit the hard cold gem of the amulet, and you wrap the chain around your fingers.

You can’t remember how you found the stairs, the wood half shattered, or the exit, blown wide open by magic, you can’t remember leaving the mansion, you just remember once your bare feet hit the soft grass outside you ran and you didn’t stop running, until you heard the sounds of waves. You ran until water hit your feet and then you screamed.

---

YAY I FINISHED THIS MONSTER OF A CHAPTER (Get it? I’ll shut up). Thank god, I felt as trapped in this chapter as y/n in that damn room :’). Okay, but now we’re getting somewhere! What do you think is going to happen now? Looks like this story might finally be headed off the island :D. I’m excited!

Questions to ponder for the next chapter: What is Jimin’s secret? Looks like there was a good reason for keeping Taehyung locked away, so what is his ultimate goal? What did Taehyung do to you? And why are Jin and Namjoon no longer friends?! Those are just some of the questions floating around in my mind as I am writing the next chapter, now do you have any questions you want answers to? Let me know! <3

[callsign-marlie]

Perfect.

Platonic Natasha 'Phoenix' trace x Robert 'Bob' FloydRating: E Summary: After their accident, Bob and Phoenix try to figure out what went wrong and work through their complicated feelings. warnings: a little baby tinge of angst, but that's it. words: 1.6k a/n: a short and sweet little one. i always felt like these two were nearly telepathic the instant they met. they clicked really well for never having flown before and I'd like to think they became the fastest of friends and stay in contact after TG:M is completed. Also note, I made Bob married. Because no way that man is single. Impossible. x marnie

Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace was never nervous. She was always cool, calm and collected; completely in control at all times. She always was the most sensible and logical of her crew even while employed under the Black Aces, but tonight, the pilot just couldn’t count sheep for the life of her. She had stared at the ceiling for almost 3 hours before grabbing a jacket and padding out of her bunk, doing her best to not wake her bunkmate, Hangman, from his beauty sleep.

Natasha couldn’t stop the pounding in her chest or the ring in her ears. Every second since she was released form the med ward, she had been replaying her bird strike accident over and over again. What could she have done to prevent it? Did she do everything she could have at the time? What would have happened if something had gone differently? What would have happened if she died? If Bob died?

 The web of chaos in her head was overwhelming enough to leave static where dreams should be. She needed to let out the storm in her brain, but in a mission like this, there was no support. If you’re unsure or too weak to handle an accident, you definitely wouldn’t be fit to fly this important mission. It was 11pm, she had a 0500 wake up scheduled and couldn’t sleep a wink. She did the most logical thing she could do.

She went to Bob.

Phoenix’s fist rapped only once on the door when it opened. The sight of her WSO alive and well relaxed her shoulders. She gave a thin lipped smile. Bob looked like shit. His hair was disheveled, there was a small bruise resting underneath the side of his jaw, but the eye bags under his glasses were designer, probably Gucci level at that rate.

He sent her a small smile, a tiny breath leaving his mouth. “You must have ESP, I was just about to find you.”

“Hey, that happens when you go through a near death experience with someone,” she whispered, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “But uh, I can’t sleep. Can we talk? About today?”

“Yeah, yeah, come in,” he mumbled, opening the door wider for his friend. Bob, being a solo from the Screaming Eagles, was the last to arrive at base in the Dagger squad because of his long distance post. Being the odd man out, he was lucky enough to have his dorm to himself.

Bob’s bunk was neat and tidy. His bed was military made without a wrinkle to be seen, never even laid in. His desk, however, was messy and illuminated by a rickety lamp. A weapon’s service manual with too-old sticky notes and different colored highlighted portions was open to the anatomy of a Super Hornet’s F414 engine. He ushered her to sit in the empty desk chair opposite of his own. 

“Good thing you came, because I wanted to talk too. I was going to text you to see if you were still awake,” the WSO uttered, his hands flat on his desk and staring hard at his textbook. “The whole situation just doesn’t make sense to me. Either that, or I just blocked it out and can’t remember.”

“Bird strike,” Natasha let out matter-of-factly. She fiddled with the cuticles on her thumbs as if they more interesting than her partner. “Dumb goose got sucked into the engine and blew us out.”

“No, no, I get that,” Bob replied. “It’s just… how did the other engine go out too? The way we were flying,” he trailed off, lost in his own head for a moment on how to word it. Pilots weren't as well versed in the science behind flying. They just needed to do it. If Phoenix was anything like his other front seater, their aerodynamic pressure force section of their physics course probably went through one ear and out the other.

A thin finger went pointing back a graph to his book, his eyebrows scrunched beneath his glasses. “Our knots and g's weren’t pulling fast enough to force the engine out, plus we emergency switched our generator on which would have jumped the system when we attempted a restart. The engine physically couldn’t have extinguished itself completely based off of that alone on the right side. It should have been alive long enough to at least get us back to base. When Techie and I went over systems checks on the ground, it was all completely green at 100% capacity. There couldn’t have been that many failures we missed.”

“But you did.” Natasha’s voice was steady. At Bob's immediate crestfallen expression from her blame, she quickly backpedaled. “No, take that face off, that's not what I mean. Bob, you guys didn’t fail. You did everything by the book. The plane did. It just happened, Bobby.”

“And that’s what’s eating me, Nat.” He collapsed back into his chair, pushing his glasses up to rub his eyes. “If system checks didn’t catch the safeguards, who else’s planes could have problems too? Who else could end up like us? Or worse?”

They were both quiet for a moment. The stare they shared was still and harrowing. It could have been Payback and Fanboy. It could have been Coyote, Rooster, or even Hangman the self proclaimed god himself. Any one of their friends could have been in their shoes, could have made different decisions and ended up in only three endpoints: alive, maimed, or dead.

Phoenix had to think of herself and her WSO. Bob was her responsibility and she would do everything in her power to bring her backseater home, no matter who they were. Bob, bless his heart, thought only mostly of their friends. He trusted Natasha explicitly and knew he never needed to worry about her decision making skills. It was everyone else, whom he couldn’t evaluate crisis situation control with, that was making his skin crawl. The 'what ifs'.

“That’s not something we can think about,” Phoenix drawled, drifting her eyes closed. “This mission is life or death, just like what we dealt with today. We have to work through it. It was a freak accident that we went down and a freak accident that we lived.”

“I disagree with that last part,” Bob replied, staring at his partner incredulously. She looked like a shadow of herself, shockingly resigned in herself. Her usually pulled back hair was down loose around her shoulders and pinned above her ears. She looked younger, and probably the most scared Bob had ever seen her. “There was no accident in our living. It’s because you took control and did everything perfectly.”

“Perfect,” she sneered, her head back in her hands. “If it was perfect, we wouldn’t have ended up in the hospital. We would have landed safe on base with everyone else.”

Bob slid towards her and knelt before his pilot. His blue eyes were stern. “We ended up in the hospital. Yeah, so what? A few scratches and bruises is pretty ok with me when we could have ended up as minced meat at the bottom of the desert, Natasha. That’s perfect for me.”

Bob wriggled his fingers at her. “Look. Ten fingers. Ten toes. All moving, barely any pain and really only a bruised face from my landing which you couldn’t control: that was all me. And look at you!” He motioned at her to look at herself. “You have barely a scratch on you. Not even a bruise from what I see. Phoenix. You were perfect.”

She was quiet for a second, tears pricking at her eyes. She was perfect, yet he was not. “You’re my responsibility, Bobby,” she whispered at the popcorn ceiling, suddenly more interesting than her partner. “All I thought about was what Maverick said: 'what would you tell their families? Would your excuse be good enough for them?'”

The silence in the room weighed heavy as they both pondered the question. Natasha leaned back into Bob with her elbows on her knees, her fingers looping through his. “If you died, Bob, my excuse would have never been good enough. Not to your wife, your sisters, your mom. You died because of a bird? I would have never been able to face them knowing that my inability to control the plane in an emergency was the reason you didn’t come home. I’d be–”. She trailed.

“A failure,” Bob finished for her. Her throat was tight, a stray tear leaving a glistening streak down her cheek.

"Yeah. That."

His brushed the tear away with the inside of his sleeve and let his hand moved to the back of her hair, forcing her forehead to his. She stiffened for a moment, but relaxed into his grip realizing he had no intention of pulling her further. They closed their eyes at the same time. He took a deep breath and she took one as well, matching his pace. Their fingers tightened on each other, feeling the ridges of their fingerprints, the peaks and valleys of each other’s knuckles. They were whole. They were here. They were still together.

Phoenix broke peace first to look up at Bob, his glasses reflecting her tired eyes. “We’re ok?”

Bob separated their heads, both of his hands on top of hers. He gave them a shake with a reassuring smile. “Yeah. Yeah, we’re ok.”

“I’ll protect you always, Bob. I swear that.”

“And I swear I’ll protect you too. It’ll get better, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah it will.”

Phoenix moved to stand from the chair, but Bob cleared his throat and stood a little too quickly with her. “You know Nat, we’re both bushed. It’s a long walk back to your dorm and it's late. You should just… stay? You’ll sleep easier without Hangman’s snoring.”

Phoenix raised her eyebrow to the bare bed across from Bob’s, her arms crossed. “Mixing genders in the dorm is usually frowned upon, Lieutenant Floyd. And besides, it's down the hall. What are you talking about?”

A flush ran across his face. “Alright, look, I’d sleep better knowing you were– here. So we can help each other if we need it, you know?” He went radio quiet, rubbing the top of his flannel sheet nervously. “I’m honestly afraid that if I try to go down, I’ll just panic.”

Natasha knew how hard that was for Bob to admit. Bob, sweet and kind nd strong in his own right, was not used to trauma. He never had a situation occur with himself that he needed to work through as hard as this. Phoenix traipsed over to Bob’s bunk, pulling out his storage container for an extra fitted sheet and quilt. She made the bed less than efficiently before scrambling up the ladder to lay down. 

“I just gotta leave by sunup so Hangman doesn’t start making up rumors. You know he loves stirring the pot.”

Bob’s toothy grin was infectious as he tossed one of his pillows in her direction. She caught it with a puff of clean soap and lavender filling her nose. He turned off his desk lamp and clambered up into his own bunk.  “Thanks Pheenie.”

“No problem Bobby boy. Get some rest.”

[lowkeyorloki]

Thorns

Fine, I’ll try my hand at a sex pollen fic

Also yes, I do still post here!! Don’t worry, I was starting to doubt it too...

This is smut, so if you aren’t 18+, please don’t consume! For the rest of y’all, happy reading, and let me know how I did!

~

“Come on, Loki.” You try to keep your tone even. “We’ve been searching for hours. We’re not going to find it here.” 

Loki lets out a disproving grunt. He tosses his cloak to the side, searching the planet's discolored ground for the weapon Thor had sent you here for. 

“I have better things to quarrel with Thor over than a staff.” He responds, moving a pile of leaves over with his foot. Something catches his eye, and he kneels to further inspect it. You cross your arms. 

“Loki.” You say softly. You see the prince’s shoulders relax slightly when you breathe his name. “I’ll explain everything to Thor. He’ll understand.”

Loki turns around, his eyes meeting your own. You see a plant of sorts, unlike anything you’ve ever come across at his feet. It must have been what Loki was looking at.

“That’s a pretty flower.” You say. Loki looks at you, the flower, then back at you. He reaches forward, ready to pick it. Your stomach jumps, but you barely have time to wonder if Loki’s intentions were to pick the plant for you before it releases a power-looking substance into the air. It seems to envelope Loki, surrounding him as your mouth drops in surprise. Loki coughs, falling backwards. You rush towards him, helping the god up. 

“Are you alright?” You ask, eyes wide. Loki coughs again, then clears his throat and steps away from you. 

“I,” he says. “I believe you were right. We’ll search again tomorrow.” Loki turns sharply, heading back in the direction of the small ship you came in. You follow Loki, struggling to keep up with him. He throws off his cloak once you’re back in the ship and leans over the console, planting slightly. He clutches the metal, knuckles turning white. 

“Loki?” You ask, slowly approaching him. “Are you you okay?”

Loki visibly tenses, his head bowed. “Something’s not right.” He says through gritted teeth. You reach out, now close enough to touch him. Loki catches your wrist, holding it tight enough that you yelp out in pain. He releases you, an action that wouldn’t do much to another Asgardian, but in your mortal body, you fall to the floor. 

Now facing you, you can see the frenzied look on Loki’s face. You’re overcome with worry, and you’re just beginning to stand back up when-

Oh.

Your eyes are drawn helplessly to Loki’s crotch, taking in the bulge that resides there. Loki’s member is straining against the leather of his clothing, looking almost painful.

“What-?”

Loki’s jaw sets turns his face.  “Don’t touch me.” 

Your mind reels, trying to figure out what was happening. You replay every event from that day. Leaving the palace with Loki. Traversing this planet, looking under every rock, bush, and tree...

Your heads snaps up when you remember the flower, the way it expelled pollen at Loki. In the back of your mind, you can recall reading about a plant that matched what you had seen. 

And if you recalled correctly, that pollen made anyone who’s come into contact with it...

Oh.

“Okay.” You say. “It’s going to be fine. You just-”

“Stop talking.” Loki bites out. He sits on the metal bench attached to the wall, and runs a hand through his hair. “You’re... You’re making it worse.”

You swallow, unsure of what to say. You feel like your body is on fire, and you’re trembling just from the way Loki is eyeing you. 

“We have to get back to Asgard.” Loki tells you. You flinch.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you begin, but are interrupted again. 

“I can’t be here with you!” Loki snaps. 

“I know it’s uncomfortable,” you say. “But the effects should be able to be suppressed, just as long as you don’t come across someone you... care about.” You try to figure out how to explain so long as Loki wasn’t around someone he viewed as lover, this would pass. Loki meets your eyes, glaring at you so harshly it you stutter. 

“You’re so insufferable,” he says. “And... beautiful.”

You blink, unsure if you heard him right. Loki’s gaze doesn’t falter. 

Tentatively, you join Loki on the bench. He keeps watching you. Sweat has formed on the man’s brow, and you reach forward to tuck a strand of dark hair behind his ear.

Your back is slammed into the harsh metal before you can even do so. Loki towers over you, his knee wedged between your thighs. You feel a wave of heat wash over you, a coil tightening in your stomach. You gulp.

“Tell me to stop.” Loki’s voice is strained. “Tell me you don’t want this.”

You reach up, taking his face in your hands.

“I won’t lie to you.” You tell him.

Loki instantly breaks. His lips fall on top of yours, taking your breath away without even trying. 

Loki is greedy, his tongue exploring your mouth as his hands roam your body. He finds the hem of your shirt, sliding his hand over your stomach and finding your breast, massaging it over your bra. You let out a moan, lips still against Loki’s.

He pulls away only to rid you of your shirt. Loki pauses, like he’s going to kiss you again, but changes his mind as he rids you and himself of every layer you’re wearing. 

The sight of Loki’s nude form awakens every single nerve ending in your body, and you arch your back, trying to feel more contact. Loki growls, his hands pinning your hips down. He looks at you with blown-out eyes, then licks from your navel to the base of your throat. He takes his time there, sucking a bruise on your skins as a cacophony of your moans fill the ship. You clutch Loki’s shoulders, leaving the shape of half-moons. You lean forward, kissing over the harsh marks to make up for it. 

You run your hands over Loki’s strong chest, pausing to let your thumbs flick over his nipples. Loki hisses, and you feel his heavy cock, pressed against your belly, twitch. You look down, and Loki’s head is red and angry, leaking with precom and desperate for attention. 

You reach forward, taking Loki in your hands. His hips buck, and Loki lets out a curse as his head falls into the crook of your shoulder. 

You give him a few strokes, amazed by the size and girth of the god in front of you. You wonder if he can even fit, but the thought just spurs you on, asking you to try and see.

“I want,” you try to say through pants. “Loki, I want you inside me.” 

Loki’s hands snakes behind your neck, grabbing your hair and pulling so it angles your face towards him. You shake, anticipation and shock getting the better of you. Loki’s free hand covers your left breast, his eyes darkening. 

“Your heart is beating fast.” He tells you, which makes it beat even faster. Loki suddenly rolls his hips, his cock brushing your entrance. You make a choking sound. Loki begins placing hungry kisses on your neck, trailing down past the curve of your breast, the soft skin of your belly, until he pauses at your core. You writhe, feeling Loki’s breaths against you. 

“You smell amazing,” he says, then flicks his tongue out over your clit. You throw your head back, a scream building in your throat. “You taste amazing, too.” He smirks. You manage to look at him. 

“Please, Loki, please,” you beg him. “I need you inside me.”

Loki curses, lining himself up with your entrance. 

“You’ll tell me,” he manages to say. “If I hurt you.”

“I wouldn’t care,”You’re so hazy you wonder if that flower had affected you as well. “You can do whatever you want to me, Loki.”

“Is that a promise?” Loki asks, and you’re about to answer, but Loki thrusts himself into you before you can. You cry out, the sound joining Loki’s moan. You throw your hands around his shoulders, clutching him close. 

You flutter around Loki’s cock, walls clenching as your body adjusted. Loki pulls out for just a moment before he enters you again, reaching a spot so deep inside you that you didn’t even know it was there. 

“You’re so tight,” he grunts. “So warm. So ready for me.”

“Yes.” You nod. Loki quickly sets a pace, ramming into you and driving you closer and closer to the edge.

Loki drinks in the sight of you, eyes screwed shut and mouth open in pleasure. He find your clit, guiding his hand between your joined bodies, and begins to tease it, flicking it with the pad of his thumb.

Tears prick at the edges of your eyes as you try to keep yourself together, but your efforts are in vain.

“I’m going to cum!” You exclaim. Loki does nothing if not rub your clit faster, adding even more to the fire in your core. You hold him closer, as close as possible as you come with a shout.

Loki comes soon after, shooting sticky ropes into you as he pants in your ear. You shiver as he puts out of you, leaning back on the wall. 

You sit there in silence for a few moments, both of you quiet under the guise of catching your breath. Finally, you steal a glance at Loki.

“Was that only because of the sex pollen?” You ask. Loki stares forward.

“No.” He answers.

You smile. 

[lunaastoir]

Hi! I really enjoy your writing so is it alright if i request xiao, diluc, childe with an idol s/o where one of their old stalkers come back or they just recently had a stalker in general but with how busy they were since they’re an idol they don’t even notice? And something bad happens (i cant think of anything</3) Thank you very much !!

hi anon!! a million apologies since this is so late but i hope you like the fic <3

there also aren’t any explicit details for anything bad happening - i briefly touched on subjects that you may not have control over, i hope that’s ok! 

warning (?): struggled a bit on this prompt so i apologize in advance if this isn’t my best work LMAOO

gn! reader

tw: hints of assault, slight angst, very light abuse if you squint

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

xiao

now xiao is a very observant man but he's also extremely busy keeping liyue safe

he makes it a point to always come to your shows even if you don't actively see him bc he cares a lot abt you and he enjoys listening to your music ‼️

it's normal for him to sometimes get lost between his own world of demonslaying and the world he shares w you

so one night, he's hanging on the rafters of a house with the perfect view of your singing

everything goes smoothly, he sets his spear down while lightly swaying his head to the music

the concert ends and fans disperse after you say your farewells

a night like this is rare since for once, xiao can walk home w you back to the inn sweet boy really cleared out his schedule for you huh

you're unsurprised when you see him materialize next to you, opting to flash him a smile and a hello

his cheeks are lightly flushed as he crosses his arms before talking quietly about how well you did

he relishes in the wide smile you give him as a result of his praise and he lets the corners of his lips curve upwards slightly

the quiet bustle of the harbor seemed to slow down as the night grew longer

since this was a fairly large concert, you had boxes among boxes of equipment so xiao decided to make your life easier by quickly flying them to their appropriate locations

when he got back however, he was surprised to see you talking animatedly with someone

he didn't think anything was wrong until he saw the person trap you between the stage and words filtered into his ears

your back was painfully pressed against the stage wall as you defiantly met their gaze. after xiao had left, they had immediately come over to you: first introducing themselves as a fan and making amiable conversation, before divulging in personal details of your life that made your skin crawl. you weren’t helpless, you always had your weapon on hand regardless of whether you were performing or not. the way they pushed you against the wall however, made it near impossible to summon your sword should you need it. 

they leered down at you while balancing an arm against the wall next to your head. you had dealt with things like this before so you weren’t overly worried; you could defend yourself. you almost felt pity for the person in front of you as they asked for your number with a sadistic grin, disgusting words tumbling off of their lips. however, that was before you felt their cold fingers idly make their way to your stomach and you felt your breath hitch. oh no

the telltale sound of whooshing alerted you of xiao’s presence, and the press of the tip of his spear against their jugular brought you relief. 

“back away” he tightly growled while his golden eyes narrowed into slits. they stared at him in shock before holding their hands up and moving to step a foot away from you. 

“farther” he motioned with his spear before stepping in front of you as you attempted to collect yourself. 

“ok ok, i’m far away can you put your spear down now?” 

“no.” 

you mentally cursed as you watched the two of them glare at each other. this was supposed to be a carefree night but this unfortunate twist made the air thick with tension. you could feel the anger radiate off of xiao in waves and in an effort to deescalate the situation, you spoke. 

“i’m glad to meet such an...avid fan but i’m sorry the two of us must get going now” you hastily said before attempting to grab xiao’s hand and walk off past them. 

the next words had you halt your steps as they divulged their secret. 

words painted in careless arrogance with hints of violet overconfidence flew out of the person’s mouth - “judging from the weeks i’ve been following you, it didn’t seem like you had a boyfriend”

at the mere mention of prolonged stalking, xiao immediately lunged to pull you behind him. god, he didn’t kill mortals but he swore if he plunged his spear into this human being right here, no one would even blink twice considering how low of a person they were. 

“if i ever see you near them again, i will not hesitate to kill you. i won’t blink twice, i already have blood on my hands.” he ground out.

at the threat, the person grudgingly turned their back to you before leaving the two of you alone in the quiet harbor. 

you carefully reached a hand out to touch your boyfriend’s shoulder, but stopped after you saw the expression on his face. the mix of rage, sadness, and anguish imprinted his features as you watched his chest rapidly rise and fall - a result of his emotional battle. 

“i’m sorry i didn’t notice them before. i should’ve been paying more attention to you” he whispered before silently striding away from your grasp 

you knew that no matter how many reassurances you gave him about how, “it’s not your fault xiao, i didn’t notice them either” he would still blame himself. 

he was supposed to protect you right? so why couldn’t he sense the danger beforehand? what would’ve happened if he wasn’t there?

it’s still a learning process for him to realize that things happen, and he inevitably couldn’t be there to save you from everything. he needs time to understand and adjust. you’re willing to wait, patiently helping him through it. why? because love is worth it. 

god im sorry this ended up kinda sad whoops

diluc 

i swear everytime i say i’m a childe simp diluc kinda wrecks me

ahem anyways onto the hc!

he’s kinda never around but similar to xiao he will overwork himself to clear out an hour or two just to watch your concerts 

he’ll always stand off to the side too so if you tilt your head while you’re singing you can spy his red hair 

you always flash him the sweetest smile and this man blushes like CRAZY before quickly lifting his hand up to give you a thumbs up 

everyone watching the both of you like 😍😦

people think it’s the cutest thing i swear like c’mon the elusive “bachelor of mondstadt” being seen in public supporting you??? wow pls can we share him

he walks with you back to the winery, the entire time linking his hands with yours while gushing about your performance 

1939248/10 it’s literally the sweetest thing 

the next day however, adelinde brings you a pink letter addressed to you 

he doesn’t pry because it’s addressed to you and it’s your business but as the letters start coming by everyday, he starts to grow curious 

one day he straight up just asks you about it

“hey, you know those pink letters you keep getting? who are they from?”

you laugh slightly at his bashfulness and respond with a “just some overexcited fan” and he smiles before kissing your forehead 

he loves that people are noticing your talent 

loves it! until you get stalked by the same person who wrote you those letters while you were shopping!

diluc knows something’s wrong when you rush into angel’s share panicked after not returning his usual smile. 

“darling? are you ok?” he asks worriedly before quickly setting down the glass he was cleaning to move towards you. 

the widening of your eyes as you looked behind you at the sounds of someone else entering was all he needed to swiftly step in front of you, blocking their gaze of your face. 

the slightly panicked look in your eyes before you hurriedly whispered, “they’re following me” made diluc glance at them subtly out of the corner of his eye. he watched as they walked over to find a seat next to the bar, seemingly ready to order a drink. he quietly asked if you would like to sit in the room reserved for the employees, away from their prying eyes. your hasty nod was all the confirmation he needed for him to let you access the door behind him. 

the night went by fairly smoothly with kaeya’s usual teasing and venti’s usual begging for alcohol. diluc’s eyes narrowed however, when the person seemed to ask him questions regarding you. things like, “i heard you’re dating y/n... they’re amazing, how long have you been together?” and “do they live with you at dawn winery?” diluc answered these questions as short as he could, trying to convey with his body language that he truly did not want to talk to them. 

everything was going well until he made the mistake of leaving the bar unattended. he had briefly forgotten about your residence in the room behind him as his mind immediately gravitated to breaking up a brawl. when he returned, the half drunk glass of liquor combined with the person’s absence from their seat, caused sparks of worry to light up inside his chest. 

turning to the door, he knocked once. 

“is everything alright in there love?”

the sounds of things rustling about and the occasional muffled voice had him opening the door quickly. he saw you with your arm being held tightly in their grasp, your mouth muffled with their hand, while you strained against them by pulling at your arm. 

diluc immediately made his way over to you, quickly pulling your arm away before letting you enter into his embrace. 

“get out.” the venomous words clawed their way out of his throat as he looked at them with eyes that screamed hatred. his blood was boiling as his mind replayed the scene; your scared expression and their greedy eyes. 

diluc didn’t need to repeat himself twice as they ran out, trying not to trip over crates of wine. he made a mental note to find out who they were in order to make sure they never came near you ever again. 

he quickly looked down at your form, relaxing slightly at the sight of your tentative smile. “my knight in shining armor” you joked before softly nuzzling your head into his shoulder. the anger had yet to dissipate from his veins, and although he knew you were still shaken up, he was sure you would be fine. 

a pink letter placed on the table next to you caught his eye, and he made sure to quickly pocket it as he led you out, gently jesting with you about the “unnecessary amount of wine barrels in here, diluc this is a safety hazard!” 

he would deal with this person later. 

childe

ayo AYO ITS THE TOY SALESMAN

ok tbh he’s very rarely around so he unfortunately cannot make it to all of your shows 

dw tho, he will try his hardest to be there for the ones he’s in town for bc what is he if not your number one hype king??? 

ok kinda creepy! alert 

he’s tasked two of his subordinates to keep watch over you whenever he’s out of the harbor

it’s not anything creepy,,, he just gets extremely worried abt you and wants to make sure you’re safe 

sO when he gets a ransom note??? he’s understandably confused but also very much freaked out 

bc did they not know who he was??? the fact that they thought they could get away with holding you captive was quite honestly kind of funny to him 

very stressed and angry tho - hides it behind a facade of smiles but he’s raging 

takes him only a few hours to track you down bc he had everyone and i mean EVERYONE looking for you 

the note crunched in his hand as the harbinger made his way towards windrise. his pace was erratic, long legs rushing towards the small cave his agents had found. they were bordering the perimeter of the enclosure, careful to not alert you or your captor of their presence. childe’s subordinate head had calmly stated that childe need not come out to rescue you, the situation was under control and they could do it for him. however, childe’s sharp gaze along with his sickly sweet words of “thanks but no. i’m coming out to see this sorry asshole for myself” had the agent backing away apologizing. he wanted to see the look on this person’s face before he shoved their sorry ass into the abyss himself. 

as he reached the opening of the cave, he glanced over his shoulder at his head agent; a silent warning to keep the area sealed. his blue eyes glinted with a thirst for blood before making his way into the cave, sealing off the exit with his body. 

“well well, playing games with the love of my life are we?” 

his teasing words reached your ears as your eyes immediately found the face of your boyfriend. you weren’t horribly scared, just a little shaken up and sore from the bindings on your wrists. relief coursed through your body at the sight of him. you needn’t put in your plan of getting out of these bindings to fight your captor yourself anymore. 

childe’s eyes quickly scanned over your frame, making sure you weren’t hurt. at the state of you completely unharmed, the harbinger let his heart calm down slightly. you were completely ok. 

“wait a little longer, love? i promise this will be over soon”

the wink he sent you had you lightly rolling your eyes at his antics before he directed his attention back to your kidnapper. if your captor wasn’t scared before, they were certainly shaking in their boots now at the sight of childe’s twin hydro blades rotating playfully in his hands. 

“listen, all i want is the money-”

“and all i want is your head” 

your boyfriend smiled after cutting them off. the severity of the situation truly seemed to sink in at that moment before pleas of mercy fell from your captor’s lips, desperate to escape the bloodthirsty gaze of the harbinger. childe’s eyes flickered over to yours where you sat there, with your head ferociously shaking. a silent “no.” he sighed before swiftly bringing his arm up to hit your captor on the head, effectively knocking them out cold. 

his hands worked at the ropes holding you and he gingerly rubbed at your bruised wrists. you silently thanked the archons he could never say no to you. archons forbid what would've happened if you hadn’t said anything. while you were explaining what happened, the young man quickly scooped you up in his arms before walking out of the cave. 

you playfully hit his shoulder while muttering “drama queen” but you stopped when you saw his face morph into an expression of seriousness. you had informed him on the situation about your captor revealing themselves to be a recent stalker of yours, completely oblivious to the look of frustration on his face as he freed you from your bondages. 

“i was scared you know.” he quietly divulged. “i knew that it wasn’t anything extremely serious but i... i was still scared”

you swore as you looked at him in that moment, he had turned ten again. the youth of his face betraying his vulnerability. 

you quietly hummed before tangling your fingers in his hair. “i hope you know it wasn’t your fault. it wasn’t anyone’s fault. not even the two fatui agents who you sent to stalk me while you were away.”

he quietly laughed at that before mentally filing away a reminder for a lecture to those two agents in the near future. 

“i’m just glad you’re safe. i know you can save yourself but i’ll always be here. i still wish you would let me take care of your asshole kidnapper myself though.” he pouted jokingly. 

“i’m sure the millelith will lock them up for a long time.” you laughed sweetly. 

his usual smile reappeared at your antics. maybe he didn’t get to beat your captor up and do...much worse. however at the end of the day, your smile was still intact regardless of what happened. that’s all he wanted. 

[weichei-stubentiger]

Silver Moon Ch.1

Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS

Relationship: Jeon Jungkook/OC

Words: 919  Chapters: 1/__ Language: English Rating: Explicit Warnings: Past trauma, violence, slow burn but the smut will hit hard, corny hybrid tropes, is this enemies to lovers? are these even warnings? (I will probably add to this list as I write) Category: M/F

Parts: 1, 2,  --> masterlist 

Summary: 

Hybrids are hardly the biggest part of Alina��s life. In fact, she tries her best to ignore anything hybrid-related. She is content to study for her entrance exam to grad school and try to live as innocuously as possible. But the events of her past will com back to haunt her when she becomes indebted to a hybrid named Jungkook. Their lives have become inextricably intertwined, but will they be able to trust each other? Will they be able to stand with each other in order to survive? Will they be able to stand each other at all? 

Chapter 1 [Intro]

All children learn about the history of human-hybrid relations:

“In the past, humans lived in fear of hybrids, who have gone by many different names through the ages - wolf-men, werewolves, or simply monsters. But over time, hybrids have become successfully domesticated. No modern hybrid can fully transform into wolf, only visibly differentiated from humans by their superior physicality and some physical markers, mainly their ears and tails. Intellectually, however, hybrids are far inferior to humans. If left alone, they would organize in violent packs as they had in the past, target humans, and live without fulfillment. But today, they live happy lives with human owners, ensuring the safety of hybrid and human alike. Moreover, the modern invention of the Hybrid Collar cements this happy future. Each hybrid is fitted with a collar, which is sealed and irremovable. The collar, using shock therapy, can incapacitate the hybrid. Each owner has a bracelet which controls their hybrid’s collar, and all first responders and officials of a certain rank have master bracelets, which will work on all collars. With this system in place, hybrids and humans can live in harmony.” 

* * * * * *

Alina age 9

It was way below freezing outside, the snowfall so dense that one could barely see ten feet away. Alina had been in the closet for what felt like hours. It must almost be morning. But she was still too scared to get up, too scared to even move, trying not to breathe too loud. The boy was still sitting outside against the wall. The people with him seemed to have left. Alina could feel her breath start to elevate again as she thought of her family, mauled and bleeding in the other room. Her aunt, her parents…and it was probably still snowing outside, no one would be coming to help them. The closest neighbor was 20 minutes away. The events of the past few hours cycled on replay in her head…

It was already late at night when the family had heard howling and noises outside their house. Alina’s aunt seemed be on edge right away. She had pulled Alina away towards her bedroom just as something crashed through their front door. Alina saw enough to know it was a monster. Horrible noises followed, and Alina’s aunt kept her hand around Alina’s mouth. 

Things went quiet for a moment. The snarling stopped, then muffled voices could be heard. More minutes went by. Then the door to the bedroom opened. A woman in a tank top and cargo pants came in. Alina stared with wide, petrified eyes. The woman was beautiful. She was pale with jet black hair, but she had a stripe of silver blond hair that fell just to the side of her face. But she also had blood in her hair, and on her clothes. The woman grabbed Alina’s aunt, who started screaming. A man came in as well and took Alina’s aunt from the woman. Alina cried harder as the woman took her arm.

“Jungkook come here,” the woman shouted.

A little boy, about the same age as Alina, appeared in the doorway. He could have been any other boy, standing there in a slightly tattered sweater and jeans, but he had the same silvery blond streak in his hair as the woman. As he came closer Alina saw that half of his right eye brow had the same blond coloring. The rest of his hair was dark like the woman’s. 

A different man came in and pushed the boy closer. 

“It’s your turn,” the woman said to the boy, “you’re old enough now.”

Up until now the boy had worn a stoic controlled look on his face, but now his chin wobbled and he cast his eyes to the floor. 

“Jungkook”

“Please, mom, I don’t want to. Please don’t make me.”

The woman let out a frustrated, angry grunt, almost yelling, “she’s like the rest of them. You need to prove you can be a part of this pack.”

Alina was sobbing a this point. She looked up at the boy, who was watching her. Finally, tears started rolling down his cheeks, and he shook his head no.

The woman let out another angry noise and threw Alina down to the floor in front of the boy.

“Fine! If her life matters more to you than your pack, then you’ve made your decision.”

A few other people had gathered at the entrance to the room, watching the display unfold. The woman didn’t seem to pay them any mind. Walking past Jungkook, she looked back, saying, “you’ve chosen the human so you can keep her. That’s my last gift to you. You have no right to this family any more. Don’t follow us.” 

As the boy had stood watching his family leave, Alina had taken the opportunity to flee to the closet. She’d stayed there breathing hard until she heard a soft thud. Alina slowly moved so she was facing the closet door, light peaking through the vented openings. She put her face closer to the door, trying to pear through the slating. She could see the boy had slumped down to the floor against the wall. She sat back, starting to cry again, wishing the boy would just leave. They both stayed this way for a few more hours, the boy sitting in the room and Alina in the closet. At some point Alina passed out. When she awoke, the boy was gone. 

 End Notes:

Hey guys, I will be cross posting this fic on ao3, I’m just waiting for an invite to make an account. The chapters will get longer I promise. Lmk what you think!

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

𝐷𝑖𝑙𝑓!𝐴𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑧: 𝑆𝑒𝑥 𝑇𝑎𝑝𝑒 𝐺𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑑 (𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑)

Warnings: NSFW content. Aged up/Older Ateez but age differences are still within legal boundaries. Allusions to infidelity. Also contains major spoiler for the dilf!Yeosang fic.

❥𝓚𝓲𝓶 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓳𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓰

"Hongjoong? Hongjoong baby?"

You lightly tapped his cheek in an effort to wake him up from his nap on the couch. Fluttering his eyes open, he yawned softly, almost an exact replica of how your son often would.

"What? Is it dinnertime already?" He asked while sitting up.

"Almost, but I noticed your phone was going crazy with notifications so I thought it must be something important."

Kissing his sleepy face, you chuckled and returned to the kitchen before anything accidentally burned. Fixing his hair, Hongjoong picked up his phone to see about 10 missed calls, 20 unread messages and a dozen emails all from different people, most of them from his fellow teachers at the university. Scanning through the first few, Hongjoong became wide awake and immediately began looking back to see the email he had sent right before going to sleep.

"Ok food is- what's going on?" You noticed how agitated he looked.

"Um...well.... funny story. You know how I was supposed to send in my report to the administration? I might have accidentally attached the wrong file on there.." He sheepishly admitted to you.

By his tone, you knew it was probably something serious.

"Ok and what was the file?"

Hongjoong grabbed your arm and placed you next to him.

"You're gonna want to be seated for this."

Hongjoong opened the file and held the phone out for you to see. You widened your eyes as you saw it was the old video he had taken of you sucking him off for the first time when you were at the university. You couldn't help the tiny grin tugging your lips as your loud slurping sounds blasted through the speakers.

"Fuck! Miss Y/N, do you really enjoy sucking cock so much?" Hongjoong's raspy voice was heard on the background, one of his hands holding the back of your head to plunge your mouth further down onto his length. You were seen moaning dramatically as you pulled away slightly, drool falling down your chin.

"I used to, but now I think I'll only love sucking cocks that are as big as yours." You winked as your hand pumped along his shaft, your tongue coming out to swirl around his head.

"Still think a pretty young thing like me can't take a cock like yours Mr. Kim?"

Getting so flustered, Hongjoong stopped the video and ran a hand through his hair as he waited for your outburst. When you were silent for a while, he looked over and was confused to see you smiling.

"I can't believe you kept that after all this time." You giggled as your hands cupped his cheeks.

"Well I.... I just like reminiscing about the old times when you used to give me the best suck of my life."

You raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean used to Kim Hongjoong?"

Hongjoong flushed even more when you came down and sat in front of him as you began pulling his pants down.

"I can still give a blowjob that'll leave you breathless."

❥𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓢𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝔀𝓪

"Well it seems your wife and her lawyer have decided to stoop low in methods to stop the divorce from happening."

Seonghwa's lawyer seemed uneasy about telling you guys about it.

"What did that witch do now?" Seonghwa could already feel a headache coming.

"She submitted a video for the judge and other attorneys to view and hopefully use against you.. but the nature of it...... well it's not exactly something we can show in the courtroom but most of us lawyers have unfortunately seen it."

Leaving the laptop open and sliding it forward to you both, the lawyer stood up and cleared his throat.

"I thought perhaps you two would want to take a look and decide what you'll want to do after this." The poor man left the room, feeling embarrased for you.

You were the one who leaned forward to press play. Seonghwa and you stiffened in your seats when you saw it was an old video you had taken during one of the nights he often went over to your place after one of the many fights he'd have with his wife.

"How did she even get a hold of this?" You asked but you weren't really paying attention to your question and neither was Seonghwa, both of you just watched the screen in front of you, seeing the erotic action unfold.

"Shit! Look at you, all stuffed to the brim with my cum, it's leaking out of you."

Your body jolted underneath Seonghwa as his hips once again slammed into yours, your body aching from the overstimulation he had already been giving you for the past hour but you didn't want him to stop, even after he had cum inside you three times already.

"Keep my cum inside your body my little slut. Don't drop any of it out." His voice was raspy and hoarse as he continued his merciless pounding into you.

You looked like a mess by then, your face was buried on the pillow, nails nearly tearing the sides of it and even though it was muffled, your screams of pleasure could still be distinguished through it.

"I'm gonna breed you my little bunny. Stuff your little hole until you're carrying my babies."

Yanking your hair, Seonghwa pulled you so your back was pressed against his chest.

"Cause that's what you promised me right? You promised you'd let fuck my babies in you right?" He cooed as he nipped at your neck.

You whimpered loudly and nodded at him, tears falling out of your eyes.

"Yes! Please! Breed me Mr. Park. I wanna get fucked with your babies." You begged him, your face scrunching up as another orgasm was being pulled out of you.

Seonghwa and you sat there silently after watching all that, taking it all in. It was him who broke the ice by spinning his chair to you and looking all too smug.

"Well I did knock you up didn't I?"

❥𝓙𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓱𝓸

Yunho calmly scrolled over the messages in the group chat he had with his friends, all of them bragging or retelling about what they had done over the course of their vacation.

"What'd you do Yunho?" "Something boring probably."

He rolled his eyes at Jongho's sense of humor.

"I actually had a lot of fun at the waterpark with Y/N and my son. I even have a cute video of it."

Scrolling through his gallery, he didn't realize he accidentally clicked on the wrong video thinking it was the one you took as your son was learning to swim. Confidently pressing send, Yunho waited for them to coo over his boy as they always did when anyone shared pictures of their kids.

"Um.... Yunho? What exactly am I watching?" Seonghwa asked while Hongjoong just replied with a shocked faced emoji.

"Damn, did you have fun turning that bed of yours into a waterpark?" Wooyoung added with a winky face emoji.

Wondering what the hell they were talking about, Yunho opened the video he sent and his face fell when he realized what it actually was that he had sent.

"Yu-Yunho.... too big. I can't." You whimpered pathetically on his screen, your hands rubbing along where his bulge poked out on your abdomen.

"Yes you can baby, you've taken all of me before." He reminded you as he slowly stuffed more of his cock inside you until he bottomed out and his cock was enveloped in your walls.

"There? You see. Your tight pussy can fit me just fine."

Feeling so full yet not having him move inside you, you began whining and clenched around him.

"Yunho, please fuck my tight pussy. I wanna get destroyed by your cock. Please." You begged him.

"Awww do you want me to fuck you dumb with my huge cock? Is that what you want?" His mocking tone was unmistakable even if his face wasn't shown.

"I'm gonna fuck you til you're crying baby, don't say you didn't ask for this."

The rest of the video transpired with his grunts and your whimpering. Yunho's cock disappeared in and out of you at a brutal pace, one of his large hands holding you down so you couldn't move away from him. He ripped orgasm after orgasm out of you until your eyes rolled to the back of your head and you began squirting all over the sheets.

"Fuckfuckfuck! Yunho!" You cried out, unable to stop shaking as he just continued his pace and made you squirt all over again.

"That's it. Be a good girl and squirt more for me. By the time I'm done, all you're gonna remember is this feeling of me breaking you."

Yunho was giggling out of embarrassment now that he knew what his friends saw.

"All of you delete this right now and pretend it never happened."

❥𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓮𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓰

Yeosang looked down beyond the railing on top of the staircase. Although he should have been horrified, disgusted or the slightest bit sad, his face showed absolutely no emotion whatsoever. He just looked at the scene with no remorse, no emotion and nothing at all.

"Sir?" His trusted butler immediately came up, hands behind his back as he awaited for any instructions

"Take care of this Damian. And make sure no one knows about this. If anyone else knows.... take care of them too." He ordered.

The proper English butler let out a chilling smile as he adjusted his cuff links, happy to be able to put his hidden talents to use.

"Rest assured Sir, no one will suspect a thing." He walked away with chest up and shoulders back.

Meanwhile Yeosang turned his attention back to you, who was sitting with back pressed against the wall, eyes shot wide open as your body couldn't stop trembling and shaking from what had just happened. Kneeling in front of you, Yeosang cupped your face, trying to get you to calm down he began hushing you close to your ear.

"It's ok baby. You're ok, you're going to be ok. And our baby is ok." He cooed at you as he stroked your hair.

"She's..she's..." You couldn't form a proper sentence as your mind replayed everything what just happened.

You had just returned from a small trip to the store and went to your room, only to find Mrs. Kang in there, back turned to you.

"Madame? Is there something I can help you with?" You offered.

When the lady turned to look at you, her face was tear strung and red from all the crying she had done, not from heartbreak, but from rage. In her hand, she had your phone and your heart dropped as you heard what it was that she had been looking at.

"I knew you were probably nothing more than a low, poor common whore, but to actually know you slept with my husband!"

You gasped when she came up and slapped you harshly across the face before yanking your hair and throwing you on the ground. Your hands immediately clasped around your belly protectively and the lady's face fell in shock.

"Don't tell me that the bastard you're carrying is actually..." She clasped a hand over her mouth as it all made sense to her now.

You couldn't help the tears that sprung out from your eyes. This was not what you wanted to happen

"I'm sorry, I-"

You began screaming when she suddenly pulled you up and began dragging you out of the room and into the hallway. When she pressed you up against the railing, you began to fearfully fight back for your and your baby's life, desperately trying to get out of the mad woman's grip.

"I'm going to fucking kill you! You and your child! How dare you do this to me?!"

❥𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓷

"How was I supposed to know there would be a camera right in the middle of the beach placed on a totally secluded place? I mean come on! Hardly anyone ever goes to that spot, why install security cameras on a place hardly anyone goes to?!" San tried to justify himself as you both looked at the computer screen in front of you.

"Maybe precisely because people prefer going to secluded places to do illegal activities?" You glared at him.

"In my defense, it's not like we were hiding a dead body." San wanted to lighten up the mood.

You groaned as you covered your face.

"Why did I even agree to letting you fuck me in public at a beach?"

San rolled his eyes at you.

"Oh stop. You could have said no many times but instead you actually begged me to go harder on you. Don't believe me? I got evidence to back me up."

Pressing play once again, San nudged you so you could look at the video playing again. The good thing about it was that it happened during the night so your faces weren't that visible. But it was clear enough for anyone to see what was going on.

It happened during the vacation you two took to the beach. While talking a midnight stroll through a lonely part of the beach, San had gotten a little too wild and began groping you.

"San! Right now?" You squeaked when he cupped your breasts from behind, pulling your biking top to the side so he could squeeze them better.

"I'm feeling a little romantic babygirl. Wanna have my way with you right here." He whispered in your ear as a hand dipped inside your bikini bottoms, rubbing along your clit.

Your legs were turning to jelly the more you felt his caresses and the steamy kisses he pressed along your shoulder blades.

"If you'd rather go back to the hotel room, I'll carry you there right now." He offered as he began his pull his hands away.

"No! Fuck me right here." You told him.

"I knew you'd open up to the idea." He chuckled as he layed down on the sand, pulling you on top of him.

Both of your swimwear was soon discarded and you were bouncing on top of your husband's cock as the moonlight illuminated your sweaty and dewy bodies. Even after you had both came, you were begging San to keep going, which prompted him to grip your hips and start ramming up into you as he sputtered out words about making another baby with you.

Your lips were still pursed tightly even after the video was over. San stroked your hair and kissed the top of your head in an effort to calm your worries.

"If it makes you feel better....... the camera really captured your gorgeous figure." He snickered and held his hands up protectively when you started smacking him.

❥𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓲

"You like that my little slut? Like being treated like this?" Mingi's deep voice asked as he tugged on the leash that was wrapped around your neck.

You grunted when he pulled you forward, the tip of his cock pressing against your lips and nose. Your mouth instantly parted, tongue licking the underside of his shaft.

"Such a dirty little cockslut." He teased you.

"Only for you daddy." You winked up at him but were met with a harsh slap on your face.

"Did I say you could talk slut? I don't remember giving you permission to talk." He harshly said.

"Why don't you shut me up then?" You challenged him.

Mingi plunged his cock deep inside your mouth, stuffing himself down your throat, making you gag around his long length. Using the leash, he kept pulling your face to and fro so he could fuck your face. You were moaning and choking all over his cock, spit running down your chin and onto the floor as his tip hit the back of your throat.

"Oh fuck!" Mingi cried out as he pulled out to cum on your face, splattering his hot liquid all over your forehead, cheeks and your tongue as you had it stuck out to eat up some of his cum. Mingi's thumb grazed over your swollen and red lower lip, pinching it slightly.

"You look so pretty like this." He said as he began tightening the leash around you.

"Well you did look pretty." You laughed when Mingi spoke up behind you.

"Shut up!" You pushed his face away when he began nuzzling his face against your cheek as he tried to keep you from freaking out over the fact one of your private videos had accidentally ended up online.

Mingi just chuckled and pulled you onto his lap.

"What are we going to do?" You sighed.

"Look on the bright side, your face was covered by the mask and no one really saw me so as far as anyone is concerned, it's an anonymous couple." He assured you. Wanting to get a little funny, he joked:

"Maybe we could even start an OnlyFans account."

You slapped his chest.

"Song Mingi!"

❥𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓰 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓰

Although Wooyoung should have been furious over the fact the CCTV footage of you two in the strip club you used to work in got uploaded without your permission onto an adult site, he was surprisingly calm.

"I could have sworn I payed them to turn the cameras off?" He questioned as he knew fully well that customers weren't allowed to touch the strippers, hence why he paid an expensive amount just to be able to get alone time with you.

"Clearly that didn't happen." You stated as you just watched the video play out in front of you. You weren't going to lie, besides the slight arousal it was giving you to watch the sex tape, it also made you feel fuzzy to remember how your relationship with Wooyoung started in the first place.

"One thousand dollars if you hop your pretty ass over here and bounce yourself on my cock."

Your naked figure wasted no time in going over to take him out of his confinement before fucking yourself on top of him. Wooyoung was spilling out a clutter of curses as he watched your ass bounce on his lap. Soon enough he was landing slaps on your skin until it became red, his hips fucking up into you.

"Your own place, monthly allowance and anything else you want if you leave this place and become my own personal fuck toy."

You nearly came at his words when he made his final offer.

"Fuck! Yes! I accept!" You exclaimed.

Shifting positions, Wooyoung got you on all fours on the couch as he began to relentlessly thrust into you from behind, his cock hitting deep inside you.

"You're my little fuck toy now beautiful. No one else gets to fuck this cunt of yours but me."

You let out a loud yelp that was probably heard outside the door when you felt his hand slap your clit.

"No one, got it?" He snarled at you.

Your thighs clenched together as he remembered how possessive he was, and still was, towards you.

"Did the video affect you so much?" You heard Wooyoung ask as his hands came up to rub your shoulders. You shivered when his teeth grazed at your earlobe.

"Cause I know it affected me."

❥𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓙𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝓸

"Which one of those fuckers hacked into my personal computer and leaked this?"

Jongho single handedly split an apple which terrified the person in front of him.

"We don't know s-sir...." He trembled.

"Well find out who they were and report back to me, I want you to work fast too. Now get on it!" He ordered harshly.

You came into the office and were confused when a poor intern sped out of there looking like he saw a ghost. Closing the door behind you, you handed Jongho a folder.

"The vein on your forehead is sticking out, what happened?" You knew he was majorly stressing over something and it was probably no small thing.

Huffing, he turned the computer so it could face you.

"One of those fuckers out there got a hold of the systems and managed to hack into my computer. Not only that, they decided to spread a certain video around." He explained, fists clenching and unclenching.

"What video?" You asked.

"Press play and find out."

Doing as he said, you blushed when you saw it was an old video of a time when you and Jongho were still a secret couple. He had stayed over at your house and during the night, he had snuck into your room and crawled his way into your bed, which you allowed him to.

"Shhh. You gotta be quiet princess. Don't want to get caught by your dad right?"

You shook your head and bit down onto one of the plushies laying around you in an effort to muffle the sounds coming out of your mouth as Jongho's thick dick kept sliding in and out of you.

"This is so fucking dirty. I'm ruining you even more by fucking you in the bed you grew up in. Tell me how does it make you feel? To have me shove my cock deep in your pussy in your childhood bedroom while your parents are asleep? Are you enjoying it?"

You whined loudly and clenched more around him as your breathing became more labored and you panted like crazy.

"You enjoyed it so much, you ended up pregnant by me."

You lifted your head to see Jongho wink at you which made you giggle.

"You enjoyed it too, don't even lie."

Gifs not mine. Credit goes to their respective owners

[redhoodieone]

You’re so Lucky!

A/N: Hey y’all! Here’s another sexy story that was a request from the amazing @jasontoddslut! Enjoy my peeps!

Warnings: Language, Bad Relationship with Ex-Boyfriend, Smut, Voyeurism, and Jason’s Goddamn Dirty Mouth!!!!!

It was bound to happen. She couldn’t deny this was going to happen sooner rather than later. If she believed they that they could get through their issues and be happy like they once were, then she’s a real fucking idiot.

Gabi still couldn’t believe it though. One minute she was trying to calm Bobby down and the next, he’s screaming at her and telling her to get the fuck out of his apartment. He was in a bad mood to begin with. He’s a mechanic and he’s always tired when he gets home. He was expecting dinner to be ready and maybe have his loving girlfriend of three years rub his back since his shoulder pain is getting worse.

But no. Gabi made the mistake of asking Bobby where he was tonight as soon as he got home.

What set him off was her telling him to calm down. She should have known though.

You should NEVER. EVER. Tell an easily angry guy to calm down.

Because that’s like telling fire to not burn people. Or telling a baby to not cry.

She should have known better though. It’s no surprise Bobby’s into some serious shady shit that the low life Gothamites meet up sometimes at night in casinos or nightclubs. She knows they do illegal shit like selling drugs, ordering weapons from other countries, and maybe even kidnapping young women and children.

And Bobby had participated in the ordering weapons category.

How Gabi found out is another story: she knows for damn sure that Bobby once brought home fifteen state of the art total militia AK-47 guns. Bobby had foolishly asked Gabi to go get some important documents from his huge safe; totally forgetting the weapons were in there about five months prior.

Why would a normal mechanic need such weapons?

Gabi had decided to never bring it up. Bobby would either deny or lie about it. His temper had been getting worse right about then and she knew better.

But he wasn’t always like this. Oh, no. Bobby was a funny, laid back, and loving type who worshipped the ground Gabi walked on before they even started dating. But after two years of living with each other, things changed.

Simple as that. Things changed.

Gabi always wondered how things could just...change. So easily. The fact that it could happen in the blink of an eye frightens her sometimes.

Just like Bobby’s hidden anger. She never knew a hilarious and sweet guy could have the rage of a bull.

Bobby never hit her though. He always made sure to slam his fist against the wall beside her head, though. He was the type to yell and belittle Gabi as if she was a little girl.

But she wasn’t a little girl. She was a 23-year-old woman who moved in with her boyfriend so fast that she began to understand why her parents and friends disapproved of her choices and relationship.

I just had to learn the hard way, Gabi thought to herself.

She doesn’t know why she’s trying to think of sayings that relate to this experience. The point is, Gabi knows she seriously fucked. With Bobby only giving her ten minutes to pack whatever truly mattered to her, she had to hurry the fuck up.

The moment she made it outside the apartment building, all Gabi could do is replay her questions that she asked Bobby.

Where were you tonight?

Were you with someone?

What did you do?

Why can’t you tell me what you did?

Are you hiding something from me?

Are you getting into dangerous things?

No wonder Bobby kicked her out. Gabi should have never put her nose in his business. And now, she’s practically homeless. She knows it would be embarrassing as hell to go back to her parents’ house because of what they told her before getting involved with Bobby. She also knows her friends would treat her horribly, with the “I told you so” stares and lectures. Gabi was certainly running out of options just as the rain began to fall.

There was one person she could go to, who would never turn her away.

However, Gabi hasn’t spoken to this person in about a year because of her relationship with Bobby as well as this person’s own relationship with their significant other.

But Gabi knew Y/N was a good person, a good friend. She was a sweet person, with a big warm heart and she would never turn her away.

With nowhere else to go, Gabi walked alone in the rain all the way down to high class side of Gotham.

By the time Gabi gets to the high-class penthouses, she has to call Y/N to let her inside. Of course, Y/N excitedly tells her to come up, and Gabi immediately starts to feel somehow relieved that Y/N hasn’t changed at all.

As Gabi finally makes it to the correct floor, she sees Y/N waiting by the door, where Gabi assumes is where Y/N lives. Y/N is wearing a red and black flannel pajama pants and a thin black tank top. Gabi also notices Y/N’s barefoot, and her hair’s in a messy bun.

She must have just woken up. I’m so sorry, Y/N, Gabi thinks to herself.

But none of that matters when Y/N meets Gabi halfway in the hall where they collide in a tight, warm-hearted embrace.  Y/N smells like a woodsy, musky cologne, most likely from whoever she’s seeing with now. Maybe they were snuggling up against with each other until Gabi had called and asked if she could come over.

“Come inside. You must be freezing!” Y/N says, releasing Gabi from her hug and pulling her arm towards the front door.

Gabi follows on shaky legs, completely overwhelmed by seeing her longtime best friend. Y/N giggles and leads Gabi inside the penthouse. Gabi instantly is hit by the aroma of vanilla and musk, the smell of intimacy and seduction.  Her eyes take in the red and black walls and décor, some exquisite art pieces, and the big space that is more comfortable and warmer than most homes she’s ever seen.

“Welcome, mi casa es tu casa! Seriously Gabi, babe, make yourself at home. There’s absolutely no rush to leave. You leave when you’re ready, okay?” Y/N says seriously.

“Are you absolutely sure? I really don’t want to impose or put you and your boyfriend out,” Gabi confesses.

Y/N leads Gabi to the long, cherry red couch that is facing a huge flat screen TV. Gabi sets down her duffle bag and takes a seat next to Y/N on the couch.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Jay and I insist you stay here until you figure out what you want to do, okay?” Y/N says, before she turns around to get comfortable to face Gabi.

A vanilla candle is lit on the coffee table. Gabi’s cheeks flush in embarrassment. “I didn’t...interrupt something, did I?”

“Oh, no, you didn’t! I was just setting the mood in the living room to be more...comfy,” Y/N admits, with a chuckle. “Jason just got home a few minutes ago and is taking a shower. He should be done by now.”

As if on cue, they hear someone walking down the hall and towards the living room. He stops near the couch. There in all his glory, well half-naked glory, stands Jason Todd, God’s greatest creation of man...at least that’s what both girls were thinking.

“Gabi, this is Jason, my boyfriend,” Y/N proudly introduces Jason to Gabi. “Jay, this is Gabi, my best friend in the whole wide world.”

Still dripping wet and fresh out of the shower, Jason at least has a white towel wrapped around his waist; hiding his goods that Gabi wanted to see so desperately. He’s really tall, must be 6’2 or something close to that. She takes note that Jason is all man: there’s absolutely nothing that screams “boy”. Gabi inhales hard when she watches his large hand run through his soaked dark hair. The other hand holds the towel tightly around his hips.

“Hi,” Jason smirks at Gabi. She notices his eyes are green, almost like emeralds. He smiles at her, even his white teeth are perfect. “So, you’re Gabi. Y/N’s told me a lot about you.”

“She-she has?” Gabi chokes out. Why is it so hot in here? Why can’t she speak?

Her eyes zero in on the droplets of water running down his strong as fuck built chiseled chest and perfectly sculpted abs that she really wants to lick and bite his skin.

Holy fuck...

Gabi scolds herself for thinking such inappropriate thoughts about her best friend’s boyfriend. Even though Gabi’s never fantasized Bobby this kind of way, she realizes Y/N’s lucked out. Bobby wasn’t in shape or even remotely attractive like Jason.

“Of course, she has. You’re one of her best friends, and I’m happy to finally meet you. I would go over there to shake your hand and properly greet you, but I’m uh...not exactly dressed yet,” Jason chuckles, and almost seems shy now. “I’m gonna go get dressed real quick so we can talk.”

You don’t have to. You can stay the way you are. You can even drop the towel, Gabi thinks improperly.

Y/N smiles softly at Jason as they watch him leave. True to his word, Jason returned in a pair of black sweatpants and a white t-shirt and took a seat next to Y/N. Throughout their comfortable and pleasant conversation, Gabi truly sees the way Jason cares about her best friend. Midway through their talk about what happened to Bobby, Jason clearly was paying attention and rubbed caressed Y/N’s thigh when Gabi recounted the latest scary fight with Bobby. Whenever Y/N looked shocked or worried, Jason made sure to calm her down through touches, forehead kisses, and whispers words along the lines of love, probably.

It almost makes Gabi jealous. Y/N’s life is clearly so much better than what Gabi had going on for herself. Jason seems like the perfect gentleman; always does and says the right thing. Gabi’s never seen a man pay so much attention to a woman before. Not only did he offer Gabi his advice and opinions on getting a better and more affordable apartment on their street, but Jason even voiced his hatred for Bobby, and even went on to criticize the man for treating women so poorly. He even made a joke about finding the man and breaking his legs; making Gabi and Y/N laugh their asses off and making the energy around them fun again.

But for some reason, Gabi couldn’t help but notice that Jason wasn’t laughing as hard as she and Y/N were. It almost seemed like Jason was serious about breaking Bobby’s legs, but Jason wouldn’t do that. She was sure of it.

He wouldn’t, would he?

By the time midnight came, the three of them stood up and decided to go to bed. Jason even surprised Gabi by giving her a hug and telling her that she can stay in their guest bedroom for however long as she wants and needs.

“I’m serious, kid. Don’t even worry about it. You mean so much to Y/N, and so therefore, you mean a lot to me, too,” Jason had said as he pulled back from their hug.

Gabi was speechless to say the least. She didn’t want the hug to end. He felt so good in her arms and he smelled so fucking good.

But it was bedtime now, and once Y/N and Jason had shown Gabi the guest bedroom, they went off to bed to let Gabi get comfortable. It wasn’t long for Gabi to quickly clean herself up and put on some plain pajama shorts with a tank top. As soon as she turned off the light, she was amazed by how big and comfortable the bed was. She figured it must be new and is probably the first person to sleep in here. In just a few minutes, exhaustion took over and Gabi fell into a deep sleep.

Her throat was dry. That’s what awoke Gabi at two in the morning and made her climb out of bed and go search for a bottle of water. She made sure to tiptoe out of the room and walk slowly and quietly to the kitchen.

As soon as Gabi made it to the end of the hallway, she stops dead in her tracks when she hears moaning. A woman moaning.

Her mind registers that it’s Y/N moaning. But why is she moaning in the living room?

Curiosity forces Gabi to peek out into the living room and see what’s going on, despite the logical part in her mind is screaming at her to have some respect for her best friend and her boyfriend.

But being a pervert outweighs being a prude.

Gabi is utterly shocked to her core when she sees her best friend straddling Jason’s lap. On the red couch where they sat a couple of hours ago, Gabi sees Y/N and Jason making out heavily. She couldn’t unsee it; she wants to keep watching them.

Gabi even sees the vanilla candle is lit again, after Jason had blown it out before they all went to bed.

But all Gabi could see is Jason’s fingertips digging hard into Y/N’s exposed flesh from where her tank top is pushed up above her bare tits. Y/N shamelessly moans in between the evident delicious kisses, and grinds against Jason’s apparent bulge.

Gabi quickly notices an isolated leather recliner that’s against the wall near the hallway. She throws herself down, sinks into the chair and watches the practically live porno show in front of her.

Jason pulls back from the deep kiss, revealing his red, swollen lips from where Y/N’s been biting and sucking since the beginning. He rests his head back against the couch and looks up with hazy, lustful eyes as Y/N grins down at him. She bites her bottom lip and pulls up her tank top, removing her top completely from her body.  

“Fuck...what the hell are you doing to me, sweetheart?” Jason asks breathlessly. He runs his hands up Y/N’s back and moves them to her front where he reaches for both her tits.

“I’m slowly...and softly killing you,” Y/N says, closing her eyes and moans when Jason gently grabs both her tits in his hands; her breasts fill his hands perfectly.

“I’d say...” he says, before sighing contently when switches from pinching her nipples to squeezing her tits before he sits up straighter and pulls Y/N’s body closer to lick and suck her sensitive nipples.

“Oh, fuck...oh Jay...feels so good,” Y/N moans louder than before. She whimpers and continues to rub herself against him. “I need to cum...please make me cum, Jay...”

Jason pulls back from her chest and gazes into Y/N’s eyes. “You wanna cum, doll? Do you want me to make you cum?”

“Yes, please...I need you so bad!”

“No, I don’t think you need to cum,” Jason teases, before he pulls off his own t-shirt. “Now, I’m going to take off the rest of your clothes, but if you touch your pussy, I ain’t going to fuck you.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!” Y/N snaps. Her cheeks are flushed from being aroused.

Jason smirks at Y/N’s frustration.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, sweetheart. I’m going to check how wet you are,” Jason explains, as he raises Y/N off his lap to pull down her pajama pants and panties; leaving her completely bare on his lap. “If you’re soaking wet, then I’m gonna fuck you so hard that you’ll be feeling me for days. But if I have to make you wet, then that means I get to do whatever I want to this pussy.”

“But-”

Jason runs his hand up Y/N’s thigh until his fingers glide over her bare pussy. His fingers gently push inside her, he can feel the wetness, but wants to see it for himself.

“Stand up and put your pussy in my face,” he demands.

“What?”

“I want to taste your delicious pussy right now. Don’t make me get up and literally put you on my shoulders to eat you out,” Jason threatens.

Y/N slowly moves to stand up carefully on the couch. Her legs are shaking, but Jason quickly grabs her to hold her steady. He doesn’t waste any time, and he dives into her pussy as if he’s a starving man.

“Oh fuck!” Y/N cries out.

Jason’s tongue on her clit is what she wants the most right now. He squeezes her thigh and flicks his tongue side to side until Y/N fears she’s either going to fall back or fall over him.

Y/N notices one of Jason’s pull up bars is above her. How convenient.

She grabs a hold of the bar to hold herself up just as he decides to slip a finger inside her. Holding herself up allows him to remove a hand from her thigh. He takes the opportunity to slip another finger inside and pumps them in and out fast.

Y/N’s body trembles when Jason curls his fingers and strokes the sensitive wall that he’s mastered so well. He can tell she’s close. She must have been excited earlier when they planned to stay in last minute. He manages to look up at her and he can see she’s barely holding on.

“You’re so close aren’t you, babe? You taste so fucking good that I want you to cum on my face. I want you to be my dirty girl tonight,” Jason says as he finger-fucks her harder and faster than before. “Are you going to be my dirty girl tonight?

“Yes! Fuck yes! Just-just make me cum, please!” Y/N cries out desperately, needing the push that Jason could only give her.

“You are my dirty girl. You love it when I make you cum with just my fingers and mouth. But I bet you want my cock right after, huh?” Jason asks, chuckling darkly when Y/N’s eyes roll back when he speeds up his fingers inside her. “You wanna ride me, don’t you?”

“Yes-yes I do...” she’s panting now.

“Okay, I want you to cum in my face and then quickly get on my lap and ride me. Fast, slow, hard, whatever, you pick. I just want to feel your warm, tight pussy around my dick, okay?” Jason says, quickly shoving his sweatpants and boxers down to his feet. “Fuck...give me your pretty, tasty pussy, sweetheart!”

And then Jason finally gives in. He pulls both her thighs to bring her pussy to his face. Y/N whimpers when he licks all around her wetness, and he hums in approval when he feels her hand stroking his scalp and pulling his hair, while she continues holding herself up with only one hand now.

The vibration from his humming helps her reach her release. He continues to thrust his fingers inside her and sucks her clit until she gushes in his face.

Y/N manages to silent most of her orgasm, but it didn’t help when Jason continued to lick and suck at her clit to swallow most of her juices. Once her body relaxes, she lets go of the pull up bar and drops down to the couch. Y/N quickly straddles Jason’s lap until her pussy is hovering above his hard cock.

“Spit on my cock, doll. Get it nice and wet,” Jason says, as he watches Y/N spit in her hand and stroke his thick cock until he’s nice and ready for her. “How are you going to ride me, sweetheart?”

Y/N slowly looks up into Jason’s dilated, misty eyes. “Deep. Hard. And fast,” she says.

Jason swallows hard but is able to quickly smirk up at Y/N before she takes full control. “Then ride me, sweetheart. Fuck yourself on my cock like the dirty girl you really are.”

Y/N finally lowers herself onto Jason’s cock, all logic and common sense flies out the window. Whenever his cock was deep inside her, they both tend to lose themselves and the world around them. Because whenever they were connected emotionally and physically in their bubble, nothing else fucking matters in the world.

When Jason fills her up completely, they both release a content sigh. They usually take their time in the beginning, mostly because of their fears whenever Jason leaves to work as Red Hood. But since they’re both so horny and want to cum sooner, they’ll have to just take their time during round two.

“Fuck me, sweetheart. Fuck yourself silly on my dick,” Jason moans, but he and Y/N laugh at the “silly” part, when he realizes that’s not very sexy.

But Y/N understands and slowly lifts herself up his lap until just the tip of Jason’s cock is inside her. She keeps a steady pace, lifting herself and lowering herself, until their rhythm flows. Within seconds, Jason helps her by holding her hips tightly and thrusting his hips in time with hers.

“Your cock is so big inside me, Jay. You fill me up so good,” Y/N moans and rides him a little faster; wanting the head of his cock to rub hard and relentlessly against her g-spot. She guides one of his hands off her waist to move towards her pussy, encouraging him to rub her clit. “I wanna cum again, Jay.”

“Yeah? You like ridin’ my big cock, you dirty girl? You want me to fill your pussy with my cum?” Jason asks, watching Y/N’s tits bounce while she rides his cock faster than before. He can’t help himself, he uses a free hand to pinch her nipple and leans in to bite and suck her breasts, until he puts his hand back to her hip to guide her thrusts. “You want me to fill you up with my cum?”

“Yes! Yes, please!” Y/N begs.

“Okay, my dirty girl. I’ll give you what you want.”

Well, Jason knows now that this is going to end fast, but he refuses to let it end without Y/N cumming hard again. He squeezes her hip with one hand and the other hand rubs her clit fast in messy circles. He begins to pull her down to meet his thrusts, fucking her harder and faster with everything he’s got. The squelching sound from his cock fucking up into her wet pussy becomes more noticeable, especially when their skin-on-skin slapping gets louder and harsher that echoes in the living room.

“Fuck...Y/N, you’re getting so tight. You feel so fucking good baby,” Jason pants hard, completely sweating and keeping his fast and erratic pace to get them to their releases. “Fuckin’ cum on my big cock, sweetheart. I wanna feel you cum so bad. Please cum for me, again.”

Y/N keeps her eyes on Jason just as her orgasm hits her hard; she squeezes and gushes around his cock, she calls out his name. Jason thrusts harder in her three more times, as he finally cums hard inside Y/N, calls out her name as quietly as he could. Y/N collapses against Jason’s chest, despite being hot and sweaty, but he doesn’t mind. He wraps both arms around her and holds her while they regain their breaths and can function normal again.

Y/N doesn’t see the loving smile Jason gives her as he kisses her forehead. “I love you,” he whispers, and hugs her tighter.

She looks up at him and smiles. “I love you, too.”

Before Y/N can lie her head against Jason’s chest again, she notices Gabi sitting and watching them. Y/N jumps up and covers her breasts with her arms, causing Jason to jump in panic and turn around to see what’s going on.

“Gabi! What-what the hell are you doing there?!” Y/N cries out in embarrassment. She can feel her cheeks are getting red again.

Gabi slowly gets up from the chair and makes her wave into the kitchen. She finds bottled water in the refrigerator, takes one, and goes back into the living room where Jason and Y/N are still frozen in fear.

“I-I was thirsty,” Gabi answers, even though she knows it sounds like a lame answer. She walks backwards until she reaches the hall. “And-and then I saw you guys, and then I couldn’t stop watching. I’m sorry, Y/N...Jason...”

But before Gabi leaves, she points a finger at Jason and smiles. She even chuckles. “But-but in my defense...he’s really sexy! He’s fucking gorgeous, Y/N, and you’re one lucky bitch! You’re so lucky!”

But Gabi is right about that.

Y/N is lucky...because she has Jason.

[raggaraddy]

Idk of I/someone else has already asked this but how would the yanderes react to having a mute s/o

Mute

A/N: Hi Hi. Thank you for the request, I hope you enjoy it! 💜💜💜

Trigger warning: Yandere themes, violence, abuse, unhealthy relationships, blood drinking, descriptions of medical care.

Line: Mini-Rap Line (Namjoon, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin)

Alpha! Namjoon

"How long are you going to keep this up?" Namjoon asks, trying to mask the genuine irritation in his voice.

It's been 8 days and you haven't said a word to him. Now, if you weren't talking at all that would be one thing, but you were specifically not talking to him, and would talk to other people with no problem. Trying to make it as pointedly obvious as possible that you were avoiding him and him alone.

The blatant disrespect of this was driving him mad. But he had never set a rule that directly stated that you have to talk to him or reply to him, and he knew that you would only fight it further if he instituted the edict now.

For you though, you were having the time of your life making him suffer. It was rare for you to have so much control between the two of you, and you were abusing it to the fullest. Especially given the reason this all started.

A week ago you were whining because he wouldn't let you go to the town fair without him. An unreasonable decision he made. Because as you tried to point out, you were going to be surrounded by the pack anyhow, and the excuse he gave for not going was a very unnecessary border run that anyone else could do in his place. While he wants to deny it, you know the real cause for his refusal though. It's because you sounded too excited about seeing your new friend at the fate and he was jealous. Even though she was another girl, for whom you had no romantic feelings, he was still jealous. And petty. You could see it in the way he mentioned her name or his face when you spoke about her.

But even with all that, it was his injustice that really made you snap. The exact words he said to you as you tried to reason your point, were; If you're going pout I don't want to hear another word from you. Basically, he told you to shut up just because he couldn't come up with any valid rebuttals and he didn't want to lose. So fine, if he wanted to be a dick, you were going to simply take his own instruction and hyperbolize it.

And his frustration was worth every moment of silence.

While he was hoping not to further blow this out of proportion, Namjoon was trying to break your silence by being strict towards all your other undesirable behaviour. Disciplining you for each and every rule you broke. Hoping to wear you down, or at the very least provoke you into another argument so that he could claim victory.

He was giving you time outs, taking away your electronics, making you hold quarters to the wall, refusing you junk food and sweets, making you stay by his side the entire day and so on. Fully running through all of his most infuriating and childish punishments. But no matter what he did, you remained defiant. And he was at the end of his rope.

Sitting in the kitchen, you were talking with the Gamma and two other wolves during a patrol break. As Namjoon was putting lunch together, you were happily observing his clenched jaw. However, the aggravation their Alpha was exuding was putting the wolves on edge and they were trying to include him in any way they could. Asking his opinion on topics as trivial as shoes, in the hopes to offset the irreverence you were showing.

When they asked him which of two brands he prefered, you interrupted, sick of their transparent attempts.

"No one cares what he has to say." You snip turning your back to him. For the first time in days, you were referring to him, and all the attitude you had stored up was pouring out in those words. You didn't take a second to think about what you were really saying though.

With an almighty crash, Namjoon smacks his hand into the benchtop, catching the side of the plate causing it to shatter. All three wolves and you jump. Quickly the words replay in your head as you see their wide-eyed gawking. Then the realization hits, you were safe being underspokenly disrespectful, but being outrightly so... he had rules set about that, and now you'd just given him the right to punish you in the way he had been itching to.

Grabbing your arm before you can protest he drags you upstairs to your shared bedroom. With weak shoves and refusals, you stay determined not to utter a single word. But as Namjoon pulls onto the bed, dragging you over his lap, as he lifts up your dress and tears down your underwear, you recognise that it's not time to play anymore.

Ignoring your shouts, your foul language, and eventually your cries for him to stop, he holds you down and smacks your ass raw. After about 20 minutes and once he's reduced you to tears, he finally lets up.

"Apologize," he demands. Still crying, you're too out of breath to reply at once, and that pause costs you. His hand comes down on your bruised ass again making you scream. Your cries turning into whimpered hiccuped apologies as you cling to the tear-soaked duvet.

Satisfied with your change in attitude, Namjoon at last stops. Not letting you run away like you want though, instead he has you straddle his lap, his legs carefully spread so your bruised butt doesn't have to sit on anything.

"Do you understand why I did that Y/n?" He asks softly pulling you into his chest. His hand running over your back.

You know why he did it, but you're too bitter to answer him and can only muster a grunt.

"Still not speaking to me, huh?" He smiles knowing he has already won whether you wanted to admit it or not, "Because if you're going to continue being disrespectful, I don't care if your ass is still glowing, I will bring you back up here."

You can only grunt again. Hating him, while you nevertheless cuddle in closer not wanting him to stop comforting you. He chuckles feeling your energy. Fiddling with your clothes and hair to realign and neaten them.

"Beautiful," he purrs in your ear, "If it really means that much to you, I will have someone cover me this Friday so I can take you to the fair." He consigns, kissing your forehead. You finally look up to him, head tilted and mouth slightly open. "Do you want that?"

Looking down and away, you're pouting a little but you push the word out. "Yes,"

"Okay, I will. But you have to be on your best behaviour from now until then." Namjoon winks.

You lost, but you still got what you wanted in the end. So maybe you can chalk this up to a draw. And at the very least you've found a way to get what you want in the future. So maybe that can be considered a win.

Assassin! Yoongi

Because of your disrespectful outburst, Yoongi had told you that you were not allowed to speak until he says. So far you were 4 weeks into your 5 week deadline.

Initially, it was an unyielding torment to have to be silent. A few times you had slipped up and spoken. Each and every time, Yoongi was quick to respond. He would lock you downstairs for as many days as words you spoke. Luckily, the most you said at one time was 5 words. And he still fed you while you were down there. So while it was horrible, it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

Steadily though, you found it became easier. While you weren't allowed to speak, you still needed to be able to communicate with Yoongi, so he allowed you to nod and shake your head, and smile. It was restrictive, but strangely enough, you found it becoming comfortable. Because you couldn't speak Yoongi expected less from you. You didn't have to search for words when he spoke to you in an attempt to make him happy and overall, it made your interactions less stressful.

With you not speaking, he was speaking less also. So for the past few days, you have been enjoying a wordless dialogue that you and Yoongi were having. And at this point, you were feeling more relaxed and not missing talking at all.

Although waking up this morning you came downstairs to a horrible sight, that made you wish you could scream.

Yoongi was collapsed on the floor. Stretched out on the kitchen tiles in a puddle of his own blood. Covered in bruises and cuts. His torn up T-shirt soaked in blood.

3 nights ago he had left for a job. With the ease between the two of you, Yoongi didn't lock you up when he left, although he didn't downrightly state that as the reason. He must have come home sometime last night, but clearly, you didn't hear him.

Rushing to his side, you're looking down his unconscious battered form with no idea what to do. This is nothing you know how to deal with.

With how long you have been without speaking it feels wrong, unnatural even when you think about doing it now. And you can't bring yourself to release a single word. So you do what you can to try and get his attention, and to wake him up. You shove him, clap over his head. Lastly and desperately smacking his face a few times, sighing in relief as it pulls him back to consciousness.

Groaning, his eyes look to be spinning from light-headedness. Stiffly he tries to get himself upright against the wall. Seeing his intent you help him. Pulling him, you slip a little in the puddle of blood. Your hands and feet are already covered in it. Your limbs trembling as you hold your hands away from your body. Looking down at him with pleading eyes, waiting for him to tell you what to do.

"Medic kit," he breathes, each puff heavy and wheezed.

You nod, spreading a trail of blood through the house to his bedroom. Collecting the duffle bag in his closet that is filled with a surgeries worth of supplies and running back downstairs, you drop the bag at his side, unzipping it for him.

While you were gone he's torn his ripped shirt off. Among the cuts and scars that already litter his pale chest, he has a deep long cut that runs diagonally down his torso. It looks like basic first aid was already applied, blood-drenched gauze stuck on the worst and deepest parts of it.

"I'm gonna talk you through this," he pants, with a struggled smirk, "Maybe wash your hands first, cause if I die of infection, I'll be pissed." His playful banter feels so out of place, not just for the scene but for him. Although, you're not going to question how he wants to deal with a life-threatening injury, and the ridiculousness of you being the one that needs to help him. If he wants to joke to cope, fine.

Nodding and wide-eyed through the whole run-down, it takes everything you have, but you stay calm and stop yourself from crying.

Thankfully time has seemed to stop the bleeding. As you remove the bandages the lacerations have somewhat clotted. Going step by step, you follow Yoongi's every word. First, you clean the area with a bucket of water and a cloth. Then apply an antibiotic ointment, that smells really gross. Washing your hands once again, you lower beside him, and realize you've only just gotten to the worst of it.

While the bleeding has stopped the cuts above his belly button and his hip are deep enough, the fat is exposed.

"You gonna be able to do this?" Yoongi asks as you hold the needle and thread with a tremble in your hands that is painfully obvious.

You nod, taking a deep breath. But even after 3 more of them, your exhales are still coming out shaky. You are in desperate need to calm down and your sure he can't get mad at you in this circumstance, so you're going to try what you've seen on T.V. Standing, you rummage through the cupboards and pull down a bottle of whisky from the top shelf. Watching Yoongi closely as you open the cork, giving him the chance to stop you. But he doesn't so you gulp down a few mouthfuls, shivering as the taste flows down your chest.

You're not sure if it helped your hands, but you feel a little better. So that's enough.

Returning to his side, slowly Yoongi talks you through suturing the openings. A traumatic experience you hope to never repeat. The sensation of the needing pushing through the layers of skin will surely never leave your head though.

During the stitching, you were surprised that Yoongi didn't flinch or react in any way. You're unsure if it was because the area was numb or because he was restraining himself to not freak you out. But in any case, you were grateful.

After everything and nearly 2 hours, you finally move onto bandaging.

Both of you are now able to slump back, thoroughly exhausted. For the longest time after the final step, neither of you move. You're still horrified, leaning against the wall looking over the armature medical aid you've given Yoongi's chest. Almost feeling a sense of pride through the unrelenting urge to vomit.

"You know," Yoongi grunts, shuffling back, lifting only his head to rest against the same wall. "If you wanna finish early and talk now, I think you've earned it." He chortles dryly, with a straight line smile.

Wiping the sweat from your forehead with the back of your wrist, you laugh uncomfortably. Honestly, after this, you'll be happy to have the next week without speaking.

Vampire! Hoseok

You couldn't take much more of this.

It was endless and he was ruthless.

Night after night Hoseok was coming to you. Drinking from you, hurting you in so many ways, and leaving you. If you were lucky, he'd remember to feed you his blood before he left. If not, he'd let you remain broken, making you suffer through the day.

With everything that you had to endure, you were tired of being tired. Exhausted of being exhausted. Scared and sad all the time, and hating a life from which you had no means of escape. But even with all of this, you were still holding out hope that there had to be some way to lessen your suffering. You had to believe that if you wanted to keep your sanity. You just had to figure out what he wanted.

So far you had seen no depth to him. All you had learnt was that he enjoyed your misery too much. It was like a game to him. Every sound you made, every cry, every time you begged or screamed at him, or fought him, it would only encourage him. He was trying to coax a reaction, to draw out your fear. And with no other form of control, you wanted to see what would happen if you took that away from him.

You theorized that if you did he would get more vicious, but then he would get bored. Best case scenario; he would let you go. Worst case; he would kill you. And somewhere in the middle; he would keep you only for your blood. But any of these were better than the hell you were living in now.

So partly with a plan in mind, and partly out of sheer exhausted terror, you stopped speaking. It was going to be impossible to stop all sounds. There was no way you could stop yourself from screaming or crying or reacting, but you could control the words that came out of your mouth.

And for over 2 weeks now, you haven't uttered a single word.

With the sun high in the sky and being ready to sleep, you come back to your room, jolting as you open the door. Seeing Hoseok sitting on the bed.

In an unnatural flash, he's behind you, goosebumps prickling on the back of your neck. Grabbing a chunk of your hair he jerks and twists you, moving you to face him. His other hand comes up pressing his fingers into your cheeks harshly enough to make your mouth open. Keeping your jaw spread, he moves and tugs your head inspecting inside at all angles.

"Hmm, I was just checking if I cut your tongue out and forgot. But it's there." he uses his hold on your face to throw you back. Crashing you to the floor. "So you're choosing not to speak to me." He chuckles eerily.

As soon as you hit the floor, you scramble to your feet. Struggling to do so with an injured leg, but knowing it's safer to not let yourself remain on the ground or he'll most likely stomp on you.

You croak quickly silence yourself, forcing yourself to not speak and maintain your desperate strategy. Bracing yourself instead like you're facing a wild animal.

He marches forward, grabbing the arm you hold out. You'd rather he break your limbs than your organs. But he uses the arm to yank you forward, his right fist hooking broadly, your head snapping to the side, blood flying from your mouth. "Still not going to speak baby?" He yanks you back, hitting you in the exact same way. And a third time, your mouth gushing blood inside and out. "Are you trying to hurt my feelings?" He laughs switching his target, this time aiming at your torso. Each time dragging you back into place so he can properly hit you again.

Smacking the back of his hand into your head, he lets your fly into the floor this time. Clicking his tongue as he squats, hovering over you. "Baby, it's not as fun when you're not begging me to stop," he says icily. "Maybe I'm not hurting you enough."

Finally, he's giving you the assurance that you were right. Which means just like you thought, he's threatening to become more vicious. So you can endure that, or you can try something extra and see what happens when you outrightly give him everything he already takes.

Gently and so very carefully you lift your arm to his chest, gradually and painfully getting yourself onto your knees. Watching you do so with such difficulty and while you're trying to maintain eye contact with him, Hoseok is too amused to interrupt you.

With the taste of blood flowing from your mouth, you lean in nervously, expecting at any moment to have your body broken in two. Your heart thumps enough to hurt as you lightly kiss him. Leaving a stamp of your blood on his lips. Too scared to even blink as you monitor him. With a curious expression in his eye, he licks lips clean, a trace of a smile raising the corners of his mouth.

Not receiving a negative reaction you continue. Hoisting yourself up again you begin to kiss him slowly, your tongue flicking his lips encouraging him to open his mouth. Deepening the kiss the moment he does. Kissing your blood between the two of you.

Your hands are shaking, your legs are trembling, and you feel sick with fear, but he seems to be stable. And it seems to be working. As tenderly as you kiss him, he is kissing you back the same.

After several minutes and as the pain of holding yourself up gets to be too much, you lower down, terrified that any movement could evoke a change in his response. Keeping your eyes fixed on him, you tie your hair back into a messy bun.

The smirk on Hoseok's face is fully grown as he watches you with complete intrigue. You've never been the one to initiate anything and he is beguiled by your actions.

Coming back to the same height you don't return to kissing him, instead you press your chest to his, clinging one hand into his shirt to keep you balanced, and the other wrapping around his neck to bring his mouth down to your shoulder. It's a wordless invitation that he accepts eagerly, sinking his fangs into the slope of your neck. Too sore and tired to cry out, you can only pant through the bite.

As he drinks, your hands drop and his tighten around you to keep you up. But the second he's done, he releases you and lets you fall to the carpet.

Your eyes open as you hear the bedroom door. However, you see Hoseok stall. Pursing his lips while looking over his shoulder at you. To your surprise, he turns back and in a delicate manner you did not think possible from him, he lifts you up, carrying you to your bed.

Tilting your head up, he presses his lips to yours and your first thought is one of dread. Assuming that he's not finished and he only came back to have sex with you, thinking how much it's going to hurt in your condition.

Pushing his tongue into your mouth you can feel right away that the blood pouring into your mouth is not yours but his. His tongue lapping yours, feeding you his blood the same way you did to him. Healing you in a way he never has before.

Steadily you can feel all your cuts and breaks startling to heal. Clarity returning to your sight and your breath again flowing easily. As your energy returns you begin to reciprocate the kiss. Both out of a feeling of success and clinging on to the taste of his blood, which has come to trigger a feeling of relief within you. Having attached the flavour with the sensation of having your pain taken away.

Abruptly, Hoseok pulls away, getting up without another word or look. Leaving you alone, laying in shock.

It was a reaction unlike any you had expected, but for the very first time, he was damn near humane. So you would have to try that again and see if lightning strikes twice.

Playboy! Jimin

"Ta-da" Jimin bursts into the bedroom with a small black paper bag in his hand and a massive smile on his face. He jumps on the corner of the bed snatching the remote from you and turning the tv off with a click over his shoulder. "Look, Angel." He hands it over, putting the gift in your lap.

Looking down at it, you sigh internally, leaning back you choose to pointedly ignore it. Resting your head against the headboard, you close your eyes.

Lifting the bag by the handles Jimin swings it between his fingers over your head trying to place it in your eye line. "Look, your favourite." He shakes the brand in your face, the joy in his eyes gently fading into guilt.

For 5 days now, you had been stuck in bed. During an argument about your job, Jimin was once again trying to convince you to quit. His points were the same as always. That you didn't need a job because he could pay for you. That you lived with him, and he would buy you heaven and earth. He meant it in a sweet romantic way, but you couldn't help but take it in a 1910 housewife kind of way. You knew that mostly the reason he wanted you out of work was that he was very greedy with you and hated you being around other people. He didn't like that you weren't there to keep him company and entertain him at all times.

Honestly, those 8 hours out of the house, even though you were down to 3 days a week, were so revitalizing. Jimin could be a lot of work. And he was getting more and more controlling about who you saw and when you could see them. Apart from work, it had been 3 months since he last let you go out or see any of your friends by yourself. And you were fighting to hold onto this last little bit of freedom.

However, you will admit in the attempt at making your point solid, you said something incredibly stupid. He said he paid for everything, and you said you needed your own money in case you ever wanted to leave him. And he took that about as well as you'd expect.

"Come on, this isn't fair." Jimin pouts. "I said I'm sorry."

What really wasn't fair was that he hit you, kicked you, and screamed at you. Demanding you apologize and promise to never leave him. But you were coughing up blood, too dazed to even comprehend his words at the time. And when you didn't answer he growled you can't leave if you can't walk as he threw you down the stairs.

It's only by a miracle that you weren't injured as permanently as he intended, but still, he had done plenty of harm. Your ribs and stomach were black and purple. Your face was cut up with your lips split and your jaw swollen. Your arm and hip were also deeply bruised and sore. But with all of this, you truly have no idea the full extent of the damage because Jimin refuses to let you go to the hospital.

So, due to your injuries and your own principles, you hadn't spoken to Jimin since you woke up.

The first day he was remorseful and apologetic. He pleaded and begged for you to forgive him. He tried to hold you and love you and take care of you, but despite the pain and the fact that you really couldn't take care of yourself, you refused him at every turn. On the second day, he was already becoming annoyed that you wouldn't let him near you and kept ignoring him, and on the third day, he yelled at you for being difficult, trying to put the blame for his reaction on you. Yesterday, when he saw that gaslighting you wasn't getting him what he wanted, he went back to being sweet and doting, having had better luck with guilting you in the past.

This means today when his presents don't earn him your forgiveness, he should be right on track to getting pissy again.

He pulls a small box out of the bag, flicking it open. "Ta-da," he smiles. Only to be met once more with your active avoidance. "Look," he whines holding the ring box up but your eyes are closed. "Y/n look!" He barks.

You're not going to, though. He always does this. Buys you something to resolve his guilt. And if for even a moment you express gratitude or pleasure in it, he takes it as complete forgiveness. Then when you haven't actually absolved him, he accuses you of being difficult or a spoiled bitch. Even ignoring him you know he's going to make a problem of that too, but at least this way he will have to keep suffering in his shame.

During the last few days, you've been thinking hard about why you're with Jimin. For a moment, you even thought about packing your things in the middle of the night and leaving him. Moving back in with your old housemate, returning to full-time work and picking up your life where you left it. But thinking that, even with everything bad Jimin can do, it hurt your heart.

He's yours. And out of all of the people in the world, you're his.

Really there weren't too many times that he freaked. And he only did it because he loved you too much, or because you said something cruel like you did this time. No, most of the time he was so sweet. He listened to you, and he really cared about everything you had to say. Even the smallest problems he wanted to help with. He was normally so kind and gentle and he treated you like a princess.

No matter how hard you looked you would never find anyone who treated you like Jimin did.

So even when he lost his temper, you knew you just needed to hold out, because soon everything would return to regular.

This time he just overdid it. And that's why you were punishing him by not speaking to him. Because you knew it was important to stand up for yourself.

There's a flurry of sudden movement and a hefty bang across the room. Your eyes jumping open, Jimin has thrown the ring and the box into the wall. His frustration exploding in a rampage as he attacks your makeup table. Sweeping everything off it, stomping on anything fragile that hits the floor. Throwing the table over he hurls it into the wall, finishing it off by booting his shoe into the mirror over and over until it cracks.

Turning back to you, his hands curled up by his side, it's unnervingly apparent that he is fighting to restrain himself. Even now, as you lay in bed broken, in his rage he is still considering hitting you again.

But you're pretty sure he won't.

Jimin has just never been good at dealing with consequences and he is worse at dealing with the guilt that comes because of his actions. Without you pardoning him, he's going mental. Which is good, because that means he's learning.

"Whatever," he yells, "just fucking forget it." Barging out of the room he slams the door ferociously behind him.

He may be acting harsh, but you know that more than likely he will be going out to replace everything he just damaged. And he'll buy you something even better than a ring to say he's sorry.

And as long as he doesn't hit you again, you'll know that he really is sorry and in a couple more days when your mouth is healed, you will be able to forgive him. Then the two of you can move on from this and it will be as perfect as it can be.