#CHANYEOL FANFICTION

[chanyeolsbiggestfangirl]

hey!! Can I request a chanyeol fic, reader is fwb with chanyeol and is madly inlove with him, confesses to him but gets rejected then when she decides to move on, chanyeol realises what hes lost 🥺

Synopsis: You met Chanyeol in the final year of college by pure accident when your previous roommate moves out and he comes in his place. Being roommates with a college hottie has it's pros.... but also it's cons. Every moment spend with Chanyeol tangled between the sheets ignited something deep within you, deeper than just bodily lust. But the real question is, is it the same way with him? Does your smile pull at his heartstrings just the way his pulls at yours?

Pairing:- Chanyeol X Fem Reader

Genre:- Smut, Angst

Author's note: YAYYY THIS IS MY VERY FIRST REQUEST. THANK YOU SOO MUCH ANON FOR REQUESTING THIS! IT GOT ME SOOO EXCITED! I HAD A LOT OF FUN WRITING THIS. I TRIED TO KEEP IT SHORT EVEN THOUGH THIS HAD ME CARRIED AWAY. ALSO I AM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY :((

.... Sometime in late evening ....

It was a daily occurrence now, almost like clockwork. One of you would be having a shitty day (and that's mostly every other day) and you'd seek each other out.

Or rather, he would seek you out.

You didn't even enter the living room properly and he was already on you, his hand on your ass as he pulls you closer harshly, claiming your lips with a fervent need.

One of his hands took the books from yours and placed them on the table absentmindedly, his other hand squeezing your ass through the fabric of your jeans, all the while his tongue clashed against yours in a never ending battle for dominance.

It was exhilarating for him, for no matter how many times he'd have had you, you were always that wild, untamed brat that never quite bend at his will easily like the other girls who practically threw themselves at him.

You tiptoed as you tried to keep up with his kiss, giving him a run for his damn sanity with the way you bit on his lower lip, your moan was followed by his deep groan against your lips. Your arms were around his neck, fingers naturally tangling in his luxurious locks.

That was the way you guys were.

If someone would ask you what you and Chanyeol are, you would have no answer, absolutely none. You weren't together. You certainly aren't lovers. You were just two people who would seek each other out to let out your pent up frustration.

You still remember how it all actually began. It was the second last semester and your neat freak of a roommate moved out suddenly, and a tall and drop dead gorgeous giant came in.

At first you didn't give in to his advances, knowing fully well that Chanyeol wasn't the type to commit, wasn't the type to have something serious. But one drunken night and one taste of his lips was enough to convince you otherwise.

Outside the bedroom, you were roommates with completely different lives. Inside the bedroom, however, Chanyeol fucked you like he owned you, every inch of you. He was gifted at the art of the bedroom. He worshipped every inch of you like he cherished nothing more than he cherished you.

But you knew it was all a facade.

It was an unspoken agreement. No strings attached. Just sex. Nothing else.

Simple.

Or so you initially thought.

But every touch of his upon your heated skin, every kiss that took your breathe away, every word he uttered to you, it all built up into something until you realized that the reason why you can't go out with some other guy is because you're in love with the one who's interested in owning you only while in the sheets.

That jolt of harsh truth was what brought you back to the reality.

Chanyeol's lips leave your to trail a wet path down your neck, biting and suckling at your sweet spot on your neck, making you moan yet again.

Chanyeol always managed to coax moans from you like how one coaxes melody from an instrument.

You arch your neck, letting him have his way with you. You had little defenses when his lips and tongue and teeth made you lightheaded. He groaned against your skin, pulling you incredibly closer, grinding his hard length against your clothed center and gods, that almost made you see literal stars.

"Bedroom. Now." His deep baritone was laced with a needy growl, his hold on your waist turned impatient, tapping your thigh in a way to tell you to wrap your legs around him as he took you to his room, his lips finding solace in yours yet again.

Chanyeol let go of you lips only after your back hit the mattress, lips tracing a path downward, pulling your skirt and panties along and throwing them absentmindedly in some corner of the room.

What happened next is the same yet different for you. The same disregard for clothes, the frenzy of lips and tongue and teeth, his impatience in getting his hands on your bare skin. But even when the majority of these occurrences were the same for you, what was different was the way it felt each and every time.

His lips fervently mapping out your heated skin felt personal, his hands worshipping crevices; that even you don't deem worthy of attention; felt personal. When he ate you out like a man starved and made you come upon his skilled tongue, it felt personal. Each and every thrust of his girthy cock into your tight cunt felt personal.

They say to not catch feelings but how could you not? How could you not catch feelings when he whispered sweet nothings in your ear in his deep voice? How could you not catch feelings when he made you feel like you were something different, something important, and not just one of the many girls he sleeps around with? How could you not catch feelings when one smile of his could brighten your whole day? How could you not catch feelings when you beheld the passionate gleam in his eyes whenever he's doing the things he loves.

Time spent with Chanyeol tangling in the sheets was blissful, but that's exactly where the bliss ends and the harsh reality slaps. The sound of Chanyeol rolling off the bed, the light shuffling of feet, the rustle of clothes, oh and the final nail on the coffin, the sound of the door slamming shut as he leaves your room. All of it clawed away at your feelings. Whenever you get high hopes, Chanyeol slams the door shut on them.

It was getting exhausting, this cycle of mental torture. The fact that he probably fucked around with other girls and would touch and kiss and hold them the same he did with you. The fact that while these mutually agreed escapades meant nothing to him, they were the reason why you weren't seeing anyone else anymore. The final semester was coming to an end, and so was your sanity and patience.

You couldn't take the weight of the feelings locked deep in your heart anymore.

You make up your mind, deciding that you'll tell him, hoping against hope that his reaction would be affirmative.

"What if he doesn't reciprocate?", whispered a little voice in your head.

You pushed those thoughts aside, trying not to think of how exactly Chanyeol's possible rejection might effect you.

.... A Week Later ....

The past was repeating itself yet again when Chanyeol stood up from the couch he moment you entered and crossed the distance between you both, lustful intentions swimming in his brown orbs. He made to pull you closer, hand reaching out when you stepped back.

Unspoken questions were evident in his gaze, a slightly pained expression taking form in his eyes. You took that was an opportunity to speak, your voice low, your eyes on his.

"What are we, Chanyeol? What am I to you?"

Chanyeol's demeanor shifted at that, body going rigid as he pulled back the hand that was reaching out towards you. He underwent a whole change. His eyes went vacant, face going neutral and you were no longer able to read the expressions on his face, the emotions in his eyes.

Standing right before you was a man who couldn't care less.

He shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest, "It isn't that deep. It's just sex, y/n. We talked about this."

The audacity. The mere audacity of this man, to shrug and cross his arms as if this isn't like the matter of life and death for you.

You took a step closer, your feelings replaced by bubbling anger, anger and pity, anger on how stupid you've been, anger on him, pity for yourself, pity for the pathetic situation you've got yourself in. While you were boiling up from within, tears had started to line the corner of you eyes with the way this conversation was turning out.

You tried to sound anything but broken, but your voice betrayed you. "You've got to be kidding me, Chanyeol! It isn't 'just sex' and you know it too!"

The tall man had the audacity to huff a humorless laugh at your words, and it further made your composure crumble. He ran a hand through his hair frustratingly, throat bobbing as he took deep breaths.

"C'mon y/n, don't be absurd. Or perhaps.. did you think that we are a thing? It was just sex, dammit! We talked about this. About not catching feelings. Don't be a child, y/n."

Ouch

That. That was perhaps the last straw for you, for you and the tears you've been holding back. They cascaded down your cheeks in a hot, salty trail and you let them. You were done trying to act like you were okay when you actually weren't.

Chanyeol stilled, taking all but one step towards you before you held up a hand, taking two steps back, away from him.

"y/n... please... I'm sorry. It.. came out wrong.. listen to me.. let's talk-"

"No."

You were done. After being trapped in an endless cycle of having nothing but one sided feelings, making a fool of yourself in front of this man who is brushing it off as if your heart isn't at your fucking throat, you were done. You still have some self respect left in you and you'll not do the mistake of letting him affect you this greatly again.

Pining Chanyeol with a stern look, you turned to your heel, running up the little distance to your bedroom, closing the door behind you and locking it. All of Chanyeol's half hearted pleas were put to a deaf ear.

You leaned against the door, your legs giving out beneath you as you sank to your knees. Back against the door, you pulled your knees to your chest, head bowing as you cried and cried and cried, the voice of Chanyeol's pleas fading and then vanishing entirely followed by a soft thud of footsteps as he left.

.

.... Three Hours Later ....

After an hour of crying, two hours of pitying yourself and stewing in your grief, you finally raise your head with a determined gleam in your eyes.

You were done.

So very done.

.

Sometime around 10 the next morning

"y/n?"

Chanyeol's deep voice reverberated throughout the apartment, getting no answers. He called out again, desperate and breathlessly this time. He had already knocked thrice on your door, three harsh raps on the wood that would wake even the dead.

Now that he was awake after a very disturbing sleep last night, he wanted to make amends. He wanted to talk to you. Just the mere thought of losing you; because of something he said in the heat of the moment without prior knowledge of how he actually felt; just that thought alone made him lose his fucking mind.

He took a deep breathe, readying himself, for what, he didn't know. He took out the extra pair of keys from his pocket, pulling out the one to your door, putting it in and turning it before he could second guess himself.

He gasped.

No

It couldn't be

He had braced himself for a lot of ways in which this situation could have unfolded in front of him and yet the particular way in which the things played out caught him completely by surprise.

The room, which belonged to you, was empty, save for the the bed, the table and the closet and the various drawers and other conventional things that were always there. All your posters were gone, all your favorite books were gone, every single thing that screamed your name to Chanyeol was gone.

He took unsteady steps towards the bed, grabbing the pillow that lay there. It smelled faintly of you, strawberry and vanilla. His breathe came in raspy pants as he wrapped his mind around what had happened.

You had left.

Left him.

Chanyeol sank to his knees and wept, tears free flowing from his beautiful eyes in angry torrents.

.

A very much requested Part 2 of this

Masterlist

Wanna Request a Fic?

[mybiasisexo]

Entangled - Part 9

Pairing: Chanyeol x f.Reader Chapter Warnings: Alcohol Consumption | Language take a shot whenever you see the f word smh Word Count: 8.3k Author Notes: So...Im sorry 😬? But aye, what's a story without a beach chapter, am I right?? I can't believe how close we are to the finish line. I think we have 3 chapters left ??? give or take. wooow will I actually finish a story for the first time in my life?? (like a real one not just a lil scenario haha). Sorry for the late update, I was gonna post on yeols bday but thought this wasnt a great present lmfaooo As always, dont be shy with letting me know your thoughts on the chapter, a def will need to know how you all feel at the end of this one 😮‍💨. Thank you to everybody still rocking with the story, it means sooo much to me 💕 and give our boy chanyeol some loooove MWAH!!!

It doesn’t take Seulgi and you long to change and head down to the beach. Being able to see the guys from up in your room, you join them quickly.

They got their hands on a grill somehow, and you find Jongdae already cooking on it, beer in one hand.

“Already looking like a dad, Dae,” Seulgi announces in greeting, taking in his unbuttoned green Hawaiian shirt, oversized sunglasses, and fisherman’s hat. He grins brightly and rewards her with a fresh piece of juicy meat.   

Beside Jongdae and the grill sits a long table covered with food, drinks, and a bluetooth speaker currently playing chill R&B. A little further behind him is a blue canopy to block the blazing sun from your sensitive skin, chairs littered underneath it.

This area of the beach is privately owned, for hotel residents only. Despite how large the hotel is, only a few other families dot the shore, all far enough away that your little party is practically secluded.

You drop your bag onto a chair and dig into it, pulling out a bottle of sunscreen. You rub it into any skin of yours exposed before walking out of the canopy, holding it up for everyone to see. “Who needs some?”

Sehun and Jongin come running towards you, both only wearing swim trunks. You suck your teeth, their backs are probably already screaming at them.

Jongin gets to you first. You turn him around and begin to apply the protective lotion onto his back, where it will be hard for him to reach.

“We missed you last night,” he says.

“I know,” you reply. For some reason, your throat constricts, dragging your voice down to a deep mumble. “I’m sorry for leaving. I just….”

“I understand,” he says, patting one of your hands. Throwing his head back, he tosses you a sweet grin. You return his smile before handing him the bottle so that he can cover the rest of himself.

With Jongin preoccupied, Sehun makes his way over, already trying to get a read on you. He understands the language of your body enough to fill in blanks you don’t even know are empty.

“Good afternoon,” you greet, keeping your voice neutral. 

“He’s in the water,” is his reply.

“Who?” Damn this man. He’s good.

He scoffs. “Please, you’ve been scanning the area non stop since you’ve arrived. Baekhyun had to drag him out as soon as he got here. He was getting pretty worked up about something. I’m assuming it was the fact you weren’t here.”

“Weird,” is your convincing response. You push his arm, leading him to turn around so that you can attempt to save him from skin cancer.

“Weird, indeed.” Despite not being able to see you, his curious gaze can still be felt. “Makes me wonder what happened after you left the reception.”

“Not something I really want to talk about.” You wince, knowing you’ve slipped up and said too much. The simple sentence bares a lot to unpack, and Sehun loves other people’s dirty laundry.

But, in Sehun fashion, he doesn’t push. It’s one thing you love about him. Instead, he faces you and grabs the sunscreen, silently lotioning the rest of his body. When he’s done he reaches over to you, pulling at the black kimono you had meticulously put on over your swimsuit, to return the favor.

“Sehun!”

He yanks the thin fabric and it falls off your shoulders. You both freeze. He only lifts an eyebrow as his eyes rake down the expansion of your exposed skin littered in harsh dark bruises. His gaze lingers for an uncomfortably long time. You want to pull away, but find yourself paralyzed, a mouse caught in the stare of a hungry snake. 

“Stop staring.”

The voice is gruff. A wet hand pulls at your arm, ripping the kimono from Sehun’s frozen hand. You stumble backwards until you hit a chill wetness that makes you hiss as it soaks into your back. Sehun’s eyes are the only thing to move as they shift to the person protectively hovering behind you. His expression is cool, but you catch the way his eyes alight in amusement. Swallowing thickly, you work the courage to see who’s caught his attention….

Chanyeol stops glaring at Sehun long enough to spin you around so that you’re facing each other. With gentle fingers, he fixes your pullover, maneuvering it so that it’s covering your neck, hiding most of the damage. 

He clicks his tongue in dismay. “This won’t do.”

“I have a shirt,” you inform in a small voice. “It doesn’t have a collar though.”

“One second.” Chanyeol walks away, no longer blocking the radiant view of crashing teal waves, powdery sand, and miles of blue sky. White clouds speckle the troposphere, the negative image of your neck and chest. Off to your right, Sehun still stands, a glorious statue made of pale marble.

You can’t bring yourself to acknowledge his presence. 

Chanyeol returns. In his hands is the ugly Hawaiian shirt Jongdae was wearing.

You become aware of the rashguard covering his torso. The collar is high, covering the base of his neck where any hickeys can be hidden, although you can just barely see the start of one peeking out. You curse yourself for not thinking of buying one. 

“May I?” He gently asks. Is that not how he asked to strip you last night? The reminder takes your voice, as does the reserved look in his eyes. He’s testing the water, trying to see where you both stand at the moment. You nod, allowing him access to touch you, lost in his grim expression.

Gently, ever so gently, his fingers brush over your shoulders, sneaking under the thin garment. You battle a shiver as he lifts the back of his hands, knocking the fabric off with his knuckles. You roll back your shoulders, helping him make the cover cascade onto the sand below.

Chanyeol’s bright eyes wander over your flesh. He grunts in satisfaction at the sight of the marks he’s made, pride coloring his features. And you’re transfixed, gulping back saliva flooding your mouth like high tide. Your breathing grows erratic, fingers itching to touch him in return. Apparently that tension hasn’t fully gone away. Looks like you’ll be attracted to him for life.

You want to say something, want to voice an excuse to get your hands on him, but a sharp whistle cuts through the air before you can speak, breaking the spell Chanyeol has you falling under. You blink away your thirst, remembering where you are, of the audience you have.

“Looks like you got into some fun last night!” Jongdae, the culprit of the whistle, points out in a yell. 

You’re now hyper aware of all your friends. Baekhyun, who you’re just now noticing, sits in the shallow part of the water where the waves roughly push him, dressed identically to Chanyeol. He’s looking in your general direction, squinting against the sun to see what all the commotion is about. Seulgi stands beside Jongdae. She’s in the middle of applying sunscreen, one of her legs lifted like a flamingo. She doesn’t have to say anything for you to hear her ‘oh shit’, wobbling as she balances on that one leg. Sehun is still staring right next to you, but the whistle was able to jolt him back from stone. Then there is Jongin, who jogs back to where everyone is congregated to curiously see what is going on.

Being the only one moving, your head spins over to him, seeing how his mouth slacks and his eyes widen in shock.

“What happened?” He asks, concerned.

Embarrassed, you snatch the shirt out of Chanyeol’s grip, rushing to put it on so that everyone will stop staring at you like you just told them you murdered someone.

“Mind your business,” you snap. You regret it instantly when Jongin’s face falls like a kicked puppy. It can’t be helped, you have a tendency to lash out when embarrassed.

“Dae! The meat!””

Gratefully, a hard gust of wind blows in, lifting the aluminum foil with the cooking meat off the grill, falling onto the sand.

That distracts everyone from you. You thank a higher power.

Jongdae stares forlornly at the meat, watching sand coat it like seasoning. 

“What are you doing!” Baekhyun yelps, rushing to his feet. “Pick it up!”

That pulls Jongdae out of whatever trance he was in and he lurches forward, grabbing the hot foil and tossing it onto the end of the table. He hisses and shakes his hands, sticking a reddening thumb into his mouth.

Baekhyun rushes over to the table for quality control and his shoulders slump at the damage.

“This batch is no good.”

“Way to go, Jongdae,” Chanyeol chides. He then peeks over to you, surreptitiously checking your reaction.

“Shut it!” Jongdae snaps back.

Seeing a good opportunity to escape, you go to make your way over to Seulgi. Chanyeol is not having that, and you only get one step in before he’s snatching your wrist, holding you in place in front of him.

“Don’t go,” he begs under his breath.

You refuse to look up at him, knowing that whatever expression he currently wears will kill what little resolve you have. You know you need to discuss what happened the night before, and why he woke up alone this morning, but you hate confrontation and don't want to have this conversation right at this moment. To be honest, you just want to relax for a bit. Is that so wrong?

You remain silent, not really sure what to say to get him off your back for the time being.

“Just talk to me,” he urges. “You were gone when I woke up, and….”

He falls silent, and you can’t resist the temptation any longer. You break and lift your chin, sucking in a breath at what greets you. It’s that same tortured expression from yesterday. Nerves, apprehension, and defeat swim in his opaque orbs, purple his lips. And you know you can no longer prolong with conversation. He’s hurting. You’re hurting him, and it’s not fair to keep tormenting him like this.

“Did I do something wrong?” He asks dejectedly, intently searching you for the answer. 

You open your mouth to answer him. To tell him no, he did nothing wrong, but then Seulgi is calling your name and running up to you. She grabs the arm Chanyeol isn’t holding. “Let’s get in the water. It’s hot.”

She completely ignores Chanyeol as she heads for the shore, dragging you with her.

“I’m sorry,” is all you’re able to get out before you’re pulled completely from his gentle touch. He releases your wrist without a fight, letting you retreat glumly.

“I’m going to have to talk to him eventually,” you tell Seulgi, rolling your eyes. You hit the water and hiss from the shock of the freezing temperature.

“You two don’t get much talking done when you’re together,” she answers, breathless from the cold of the water.

Ignoring–and also maybe even embracing–the pain from the waves chilling your warm skin, you both run until you’re thigh deep and then dive right in, swimming deeper into the abyss. 

You float on your back and try to focus on the paradise you’re in, instead of the devastated look in Chanyeol’s eyes. To no avail.

There’s some crashing noises that pull you upright to see Baekhyun running in to join Seulgi and you.

When he’s close, he jumps onto Seulgi, pulling her under water. Not one to miss an opportunity, you hop onto his back. The three of you break the surface, sputtering for air.

You stay secured around Baekhyun as you all catch your breaths. 

“What the hell,” Seulgi coughs, splashing him in the face. He laughs, but chokes on the sea salt, and you squeal when you’re caught in her attack.

Letting go of Baekhyun, you swim back around so that Seulgi and you are turned towards the shore with him facing you both.

“Is he still sulking?” He asks.

You dare a glance over to where Chanyeol is, refusing to acknowledge how quickly you’re able to seek him out. He’s in the chair you had claimed, watching the water with a sullen pout as he rests his chin in his hand.

“Oh yeah,” Seulgi answers. “The clouds around him are turning gray, he’s in such a mood.”

“He wouldn’t be like that if you’d stop avoiding him, you know?”

“I’m not avoiding him,” you say. “We just spoke.”

Baekhyun snorts. “Yeah and I can tell you’re both on the same page. Nice talk.”

He throws you a sarcastic thumbs up, you stick your tongue out at him.

He grows solemn. “Please, say something to him. The poor man is beating himself up right now.”

You sink further into the water, dipping in until your mouth is submerged, and run a hand over the tiny waves bobbing you. 

Beside you, Seulgi sighs. “I may have ruined their talk.”

Baekhyun throws his head back and groans. “You’re killing me, Smalls.”

“How was I supposed to know?” She asks. “It looked like they were about to ditch us and fuck again. I’m just trying to help her not make another decision she’s going to instantly regret.”

“Whatever happens between them is their business, Seulgi,” Baekhyun says, sounding uncharacteristically reasonable. “You have to let them work through it their way.”

You wave your hand above your head like a needy sim. “I’m right here, you know?”

Seulgi pouts like a chastised child. “You’re right.”

Both Baekhyun and you spin your heads towards her in surprise.

“Did you just say I’m right?” Baekhyun asks. His shock quickly morphs into cockiness, if the grin splitting his face is any indicator.

She’s now the one to groan. “I will not be repeating myself.”

“I’ll cherish the moment for the rest of my life.” Baekhyun turns to you and his smile softens. “Talk to him soon. He’s getting annoying.”

“I will. I promise.” You assure. “Thank you, Hyunnie, for doing this. I know it isn’t easy for you either, being in the middle like this. I appreciate it.”

He shrugs. “You’re both my friends. I want to see you happy. I just hope you can work it out.”

Jongin and Jongdae come barrelling towards your group. As soon as you see your sweet friend, you can’t help but hold your arms out for him.

“Nini!” You cry. He laughs and falls into your embrace, tackling you back into the depths of the sea. When you both emerge, you apologize for yelling at him.

“You’re forgiven,” he says, never taking anything to heart. “But I was surprised. I didn’t expect to see all your bruises. It looks like you got beat up.”

You whine his name. “You’re making it worse.”

“Hey, they do say that weddings are the best place to pick up chicks,” Jongdae says. “Well, I guess dudes for you. Unless….”

He gives you a wicked smirk and you splash him.

“Anyway, good on you for getting some. You deserve it.”

“Thanks, Jongdae,” you say dryly, rolling your eyes. “Also, my bad on the shirt. I forgot I was wearing it before I got in here.”

He takes notice of his button down floating around you and gasps dramatically. “You better wash it before you give it back. It was expensive.”

You look at him skeptically. “This tourist shirt?”

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to have those two cook the meat?” Baekhyun asks, putting your incoming argument with Jongdae to a halt. All five of you turn to the last people still on dry land. The tall boys stand over the grill, Chanyeol with the tongs in his hand. His eyebrows are scrunched as he listens to Sehun adamantly speaking, nodding and answering occasionally. it’s a deep conversation you don’t want any part of.

Jongdae shrugs. “I need a break. It’s hot.”

You all play in the water for some time. Once hunger becomes too great to ignore, you swim back to the beach. Immediately, you crack open a cold beer, nearly moaning when it hits your belly. Now this is what you need. You’ve been sober far too long.

Jongdae wasn’t lying about the heat. Even under the canopy, you can’t escape the sun’s harsh rays. You succumb to the weather and peel off Jongdae’s now dry shirt, not caring anymore if the other’s see your marks, it’s already old news.

Slowly, you all make your way to the table. it’s out in the open and everyone is a bit hesitant to sit out there, but that’s where the food resides. Both Baekhyun and Chanyeol take off their shirts, overwhelmed by the temperature.

“Holy shit, Yeol,” you hear Jongdae say. “What happened to you?”

Everyone glances over to the tall man and your heart sinks at the sight of his exposed back. It’s hard to miss the rows of scratches you carved down his shoulder blades, red and angry.

At the mention of his name, Chanyeol turns around, revealing his neck, shoulders, and chest that look exactly like yours. Actually, his marks are deeper, darker. You were really letting him have it. In your defense, he did encourage you to do your worst, so it is hard for you to find any sympathy to send to the giant.

A loaded silence fills the area as he locks eyes with you. You sigh. That’s enough of an answer for everyone.

Giving up, you chug your beer empty as the extra heat of everyone’s attention bounces back and forth between you both, connecting the purple and blue dots.

“No way….” Jongin’s fingers trace the trail of his eyes. “Did you two…?”

You close your eyes in dismay. You’re going to hear it now.

“Wait a damn minute!” Jongdae’s loud ass voice echoes over the speaker. “You mean to tell me Chanyeol was the one who left those hickeys on you!?”

He gives you an impressed grin. “You naughty girl.”

You simply sink lower into your chair.

“Are you guys together now?” Jongin asks, bouncing on his toes in giddy excitement.

“I mean….” Chanyeol searches you out in hopes you’ll answer that question for him as well.

The attention has you awkwardly laughing, readjusting yourself so that you’re sitting properly again. 

“Please, you guys,” you say, laughter coating every consonant. “It’s nothing.”

Chanyeol’s head tilts at that, eyes fluttering in confusion. “What do you mean ‘nothing’?”

Your heart sinks as you realize you’ve made matters much worse. Chanyeol’s getting worked up now, and the last thing you want is to fight in front of everybody.

“I just mean it’s not a big deal.”

If your first sentence was you putting your foot in your mouth, this one is the whole damn leg.

“Not a big deal?” He repeats skeptically. He turns so that he’s properly looking at you, making sure he’s understanding correctly. “You think us having sex is ‘not a big deal’?”

“Okay,” Jongdae drawls. “Not together then.”

“That’s not what I meant,” you begin to explain, really wishing this conversation wasn’t happening like this. “It was a big deal to me, okay? But they shouldn’t expect more because of it.”

“Like us getting back together?” He continues to question in a monotonous tone. “You’re saying that they shouldn’t get their hopes up about us getting back together just because we had sex.”

“Exactly!” You clap, glad he understands.

“So that wasn’t us getting back together?”

His disappointment is hard to disguise, and it makes you feel bad. Again you’re reminded that if you’d just talked before this wouldn’t be happening. You sigh and prepare yourself to explain where you’re coming from.

“Chanyeol–”

“Meat’s getting cold,” Sehun interrupts, ending the real conversation before it can start. You’re grateful for it, still not mentally prepared to break Chanyeol’s heart any further, although it seems you may be past that point. Chanyeol’s jaw is tense, honestly everything about him is tense as he nods his head like he finally understands something before stomping over to the table, sitting at the end furthest from the canopy. He grabs a beer, cracking it open and guzzling it down rather aggressively. 

Everyone else reluctantly takes Chanyeol’s lead. When Baekhyun passes you, he grimaces, politely letting you know that you messed up. Sehun is the last to walk past. He stops and reaches a hand out for you to grab. You sigh before taking it, allowing him to pull you up.

“The last thing I want right now is a lecture,” you tell him.

“I’m just checking on you,” he assures. “You good?”

You stare at him. ‘Do I look like I’m good’ written all over your face and he grins, gaining the reaction he wanted. It’s gone as quick as it comes, an air of seriousness taking over.

“I thought we talked about this.” He starts. 

You point a finger at him. “Lecture.”

He purses his lips and lets his attention wander to the table. Everyone is trying their best to lighten the mood. You look also and are surprised to see Seulgi attempt to make small talk with Chanyeol, although he doesn’t appear that interested in the conversation.

“Okay, no lecture, but let me say one thing.” You groan. “Don’t leave this island with unfinished business. That’s only going to hurt you both more.”

You’re still taking in the table as he speaks, and Chanyeol must feel it because he’s looking back at you. He holds your stare for a few seconds, then catches himself and breaks the contact. It’s selfish, but you’re comforted by the familiar longing still lingering there.

You nod at Sehun’s words, turning back to him. “Yeah. Got it.”

He doesn’t believe you and his expression says as much.

“Hey! Hurry up and grab a plate!” Jongin orders you both. 

Sehun pats your arm and heads over to the table, you follow a few steps behind. The food is delicious and the alcohol starts flowing. Soon the sun starts its slow descent, and with full bellies, you all relax more. At this moment, you can’t help but to miss Junmyeon. He’s always the one taking pictures, annoying everyone by forcing you all to pose for what feels like hundreds of photos. Sehun, his successor, makes sure to take as many candids and selfies as he can. You find it easy to smile whenever the camera is focused on you, even when Chanyeol is also in the frame.

Speaking of Chanyeol, the beer, good food, and friendship seems to be working in lifting his spirits. His loud voice carries throughout the beach, and you catch his boisterous laugh from time to time. You’re relieved to know that you haven’t completely ruined this trip for him. 

By this point, the sky is a lovely pink and orange, and you’re a bit tipsy. You close your eyes and sway to the beat of whatever song is playing, snapping along. Someone holds your hand, causing your eyes to spring open to see Jongin gently urging you out of your seat. You allow him to drag you into a clear patch of sand near the waves. You start dancing with him, connected hands swinging between you both as you reluctantly laugh. Jongin is your designated dance partner. He’s one of the better dancers of your group, and you’re shy. He got into the habit of getting you out onto the dancefloor to loosen you up in college. Now is no different. You both roll your bodies and sway your hips to the beat, encouraging each other. The longer you dance, the closer you get, until your forehead rests on his collarbone, arms wrap around each other’s waists, and Jongin’s cheek presses atop your head.

“Are you okay?” He softly asks.

His question causes your vision to blur. You stare unseeingly into the now gray sea, waves crashing urgently and tighten your hold around his torso.

“I don’t think so,” you confess. 

“I don’t understand,” he says, sounding both confused and frustrated. “You both love each other, right? Why fight?”

“It’s not that simple, Nini. I wish it was, but….” You shake your head, not really knowing how to finish the sentence.

“Is it because of her?” He presses.

You close your eyes at the reminder of Yerim, another person your actions will hurt, and she’s yet to find out of your betrayal.

“Partially,” you admit.

Jongin rubs your back. “It'll work out. As long as you know what you want.”

You wipe your face and pull back to smile up at him, clipping his chin affectionately.

“Now that we’ve had that talk,” you say. “Let’s dance! We’re on vacation! I need to feel like it!”

He chuckles and spins you around so that your back is pressed against his torso.

“Turn the music up!” He orders. Whoever is in charge of the tunes obliges and you’re pleased when a song you can grind to comes on. You throw your arms up into the air and instantly lose yourself to the music, dancing back on Jongin who matches your moves easily.

Not really paying attention to your surroundings, you fail to notice someone joining your little party, but they make themselves known by gripping your arms, ripping you out of Jongin’s hold.

“What the–”

For the second time today, Chanyeol has pulled you away from someone. His hands are wrapped so tightly around your forearms, you wince from the pain. He doesn’t catch your discomfort, too busy giving Jongin the fiercest stare you’ve ever seen.

“Get the fuck off of her!” He snarls, dragging you even closer to him so that your face is pressed against his naked heaving chest.

You lean back and attempt to stare him down, but all you see is his sharp jaw.

“We’re just dancing,” you explain defensively.

That makes him look down at you, and you nearly gulp from the fury reflecting in his black orbs.

“That’s not how you ‘just dance’ with someone!”

That’s when you notice the way his words slightly blend together, notice how unsteady he is on his feet.

“You’re drunk,” you point out disappointedly. Remembering how good that did you both the last time he was under the influence.

He chuckles darkly at that. “So are you.”

Ugh, you aren’t anywhere near as faded as he currently is. You attempt to free yourself from him, but he’s holding onto you too tightly to break. There is no escape.

“Chanyeol, Bro, I swear that’s all we were doing,” Jongin calmly reassures.

“Don’t call me ‘bro’,” Chanyeol hisses. “You’ve always been like this, Jongin. You were always touching her! Don’t think I never noticed.”

“She’s my friend,” he says slowly, carefully, as if he’s speaking to a child.

“And she was my fiance!” Chanyeol all but roars. “But that never stopped you!”

You glance around. His outburst draws everyone’s attention and they watch the three of you curiously. Baekhyun and Sehun start to get up from their seats, probably intending to de-escalate the situation, but you don’t want to get anybody else involved. This is between Chanyeol and you. What is happening now is the consequence of you stalling the ‘what are we’ conversation you should’ve had the night before.

“Leave him alone, Yeol,” you mutter. “He’s not the one you’re mad at. It’s me.”

He doesn’t even spare you a glance, too focused on the man behind you. “Why won’t he answer me then? I’m right, aren’t I?”

“I promise I–”

Before Jongin can finish defending himself, you cut him off by putting your hands on Chanyeol’s chest, throwing your weight to shove him. In any other circumstance, he wouldn’t have budged, but his inebriation works in your favor, making him stumble a few steps. Unfortunately, he takes you with him, and you fall forward. He lets go of your arms to catch you by the waist, steadying you both.

“You okay?” He asks with worry.

“Yeah,” you huff. You pat his shoulder. “Why don’t we go for a walk?”

There’s a boardwalk a few meters away that looks deserted, that is probably the best place to have this discussion. Not waiting for an answer, you easily break his hold and start walking towards it. Chanyeol says something to Jongin you can’t catch over the sound of the sea, but it sounds smug enough that you sigh deeply in dismay. You’ll apologize to Jongin tomorrow, you promise to yourself.

When you pass the table, you lock eyes with both Baekhyun and Sehun.

“It’s okay,” you assure them, not even sure if you believe it. It’s enough for them, they stand down and nod, trusting you.

The journey is silent. The sun has disappeared completely by the time you’re on the worn wood, enveloping you in an almost foreboding darkness. The crashing of waves are intense beneath you, doing nothing to soothe your nerves. When you reach the end of the walk, you turn around to the man you know was following you the whole time.

He’s on you before you can even speak. His mouth moves roughly against yours, urgent and desperate. His frustration is felt, as is his still present affection. You fall easily into his kiss, giving into him as naturally as you always have. Your hands curl around his neck, pulling him closer. He cups your face, the palms of his hands squishing your cheeks, puckering your lips more for him to devour. He walks you backwards, until your bare back hits the splintered wood of the banister. it digs into your skin, making you whimper, but it’s not enough pain to distract you from the punishing pressure of Chanyeol’s lips.

The groan he lets out in response is tortured, long fingers desperately begin pulling at the band of your swimsuit bottoms, eager to feel all of you again. 

In sync, your mouths fall open, tongues colliding and lewdly twirling together. God. Fuck. You want him. You want him so bad it’s driving you crazy. You’re going to fuck him again. You’re going to fuck him right here on this damn boardwalk, space be damned–

But, that’s exactly the problem, isn’t it?

“Stop,” you gasp between kisses.

He hums before tilting his head to kiss you even deeper. Those wandering hands of his slide down to squeeze your ass. You shutter and press yourself more against him, slipping your arms fully around his neck to drag him lower so that he’s curved over you. A sheen of sweat the only thing between your boiling bodies.

Still, you can’t bring yourself to fall back completely into the make out session. Disappointment floods you. Seulgi is right, the two of you can’t be alone for even a second without falling into this toxic habit.

Now annoyed with how weak you are, you finally muster the strength to shove Chanyeol back, officially breaking the kiss.

With much needed space between you, you feel the fog of lust begin to clear and can think better. Chanyeol doesn’t say anything or make a move to resume what you interrupted. No. He just stands there, watching you with an expression you find hard to read as you both attempt to catch your heaving breaths. 

“What?” He finally asks, voice hoarse and deeper than hell. “You don’t want me anymore, Mel?”

There’s no sorrow, none of the longing or anger he’s shown throughout the day, which is surprising. It’s almost as if he knew this was how the night was going to go. Like he knew you were going to push him away.

“That….” You swallow thickly. “That’s not it.”

“Then what’s the problem?” He asks, taking a step towards you. You try to counter it, but that leads to more wood stabbing you. You’re sure some break the skin. He takes another step and now he’s directly in front of you, a mere breath away. He lowers his head to be more level with yours, giving you a close up view of his wound up fury.

“The problem,” you nearly stutter, overwhelmed by the hostility now coming off of him in waves. He’s never directed his anger towards you–the situation maybe, but never you–it’s intimidating and scary. You lick your dry lips, trying to find your voice, and he watches detachedly. “My problem is the opposite, Chanyeol. I still very much do.”

“That doesn’t seem like a problem to me.”

“Look at us!” You say. “We can’t be alone for five seconds without being all over each other! Last night was not supposed to happen the way it did! We weren’t supposed to sleep together!”

“But we did,” he snarls through clenched teeth. “And that means something, whether you want it to or not!”

“All that it means to me is we need space. This is too much for me, Yeol. We need time apart to figure out what the hell we actually want.”

“What is too much for you?” He asks, sounding exasperated. “The way I feel about you? The way you still feel about me? What is there to figure out? We still want each other, nothing else matters!”

“We still want each other physically!” You clarify. “I can agree with that, but the longer we’re together, the more I think that’s all we want!” 

“Of course not!” He finally yells. You flinch from the volume and that makes him catch himself. He huffs out a breath before repeating in a much gentler tone, “of course not.”  

He grabs one of your hands, thumb caressing your knuckles. “You are way more than that. You always have been. This is more than physical to me.”

Everything inside of you is screaming to believe him, and he himself is asking for that. For you to have faith in this, and to give it a chance. 

“Then why didn’t you say it back?” 

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he stares at the forming tears in your eyes and the slight wobble of your lips in confusion. He searches for the context to your question. It takes a minute, but then his eyes widen in realization and his mouth falls open, a slight ‘oh’ leaving before he’s snapping it back shut. The look he gives you after that is something akin to pity.

And there is your answer. You pull your hand out of his grasp, using it to wipe away the tears that slipped past your waterline. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”

He scrambles in alarm from your withdrawal. “Can you please stop saying shit like that?”

“Why?” You snap. Your irritation grows with every second he doesn’t give you the answer you desire. “It doesn’t. I didn’t mean it anyways. It just slipped out, so…yeah.”

You fidget nervously and try to make out the waves crashing against the wood underneath you. You’re so focused on that, you miss the way Chanyeol recoils in shock. You also miss the reigniting flames of his dimming anger.

“So when you told me you loved me, you didn’t mean it. Yet, you’re mad at me for not saying it?”

Him saying it out loud makes you cringe in embarrassment. As if he hasn’t done enough, you sense mockery in his tone. When you meet his eye again, the anger is still there, but it’s mostly frustration you notice.

“I’m not mad that you didn’t say it,” you deny.

“Yes you are!” He lets out a humorless laugh. Yeah, he’s definitely frustrated. “Is that what all this is about? Why you left this morning? Look, I’m sorry! It wasn’t because I didn’t feel the same, I was just…preoccupied.”

“Preoccupied with what?” You ask in disbelief.

He gives you a steady look, eyebrows raised in a way to say, ‘you know what’. It takes a minute for you to decipher what he’s alluding to, but then you remember what happened right after your little confession and groan his name, appalled.

“See?” He’s grinning like a madman now, pulling at your arms in an attempt to catch your attention. “That’s all I ever wanted to hear. And once I did, I couldn’t control myself anymore. You telling me you love me made me cum.”

“Be serious right now,” you say, frowning in disgust.

“Oh, I’m very serious right now,” he says, that gleefully large grin still on his face.

You throw him a skeptical look. “You’re smiling and talking about cum. You think this is a joke.”

That makes his smile slowly disappear. He says your name. “I don’t think this is funny. I’m telling you the truth. You want me to prove it to you? Hm? I’ll say it right now. I lo–”

“I don’t want to hear it now!” You interrupt in a shout. “If you had said it then, things might’ve been different, but you didn’t. I don’t care why you didn’t either. That was all the confirmation I needed. We have no idea what we want from this.”

“Here we go again,” he groans, walking a bit away from you.

You jut your jaw at that. “I’m going to repeat myself until you get it through that thick skull. Whatever happened, happened. It’s done. We’re done.”

Chanyeol’s frustration is back with a vengeance. His fingers run through his dark hair, yanking at the strands as he starts pacing in front of you. “How can you say that when you had your tongue down my throat minutes ago? You let me cum inside you! You told me you loved me! And that’s it? There’s mixed signals and then there’s whatever the fuck you’re doing right now.”

“There you go talking about cum again,” you mutter to yourself. Louder, “I’m being realistic! It’s only been three days. Three! And, what? We’re just supposed to pick up right where we left off? Act like the past few years never happened? That’s not how this works, and I doubt that’s healthy. We need more time.”

“I already told you that I’ll always love you, and I meant that. I know you’re scared, Mel. Hell, I’m scared too. You’re right, things are moving fast, but that’s because we still care for each other. I know you still love me. You wouldn’t have said it if you didn’t. This wouldn’t be us pretending we never broke up. This can be us realizing that we’re better together. That we’re even stronger now that we’ve had time to figure out who we are apart. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“It was,” you’re quick to emphasize the past tense. “But I’ve changed a lot since the last time you saw me, Yeol, so stop acting like you know me.”

Something you say catches his attention, and he narrows his eyes suspiciously. “You haven’t changed much.” He says your name. “I still know you, probably better than anybody else here. Just like you still know me.” 

He’s stilled from pacing, and it’s a bit ominous after watching him frantically walk for the past couple minutes. He runs a hand over his face tiredly and lets out a heavy sigh. “So, that’s really what this is about.”

You raise an eyebrow questioningly and he laughs, shaking his head.

“I was hoping it wasn’t, but what you just said…. It all makes sense now.” He’s muttering under his breath, talking to himself.

“What are you going on about?” You ask.

“This morning, when I woke up and you weren’t there, I knew. I didn’t want to believe it, that you would do something like that, but I knew what happened the moment I realized you had left me.”

Your body begins to shake, and it isn’t from the cold. Foreboding chills your spine, causing goosebumps to rise, sharpening once he locks eyes with you, the accusations hard to miss.

“You still hate me.”

His hands curl into tight fists at his sides, trembling–as are his shoulders, his voice. He closes his eyes, taking deep calming breaths you doubt help him much. 

“And now you’re telling me you didn’t mean it when you said you loved me. That you changed since the ‘last time I saw you’. Was that your plan all along? To seduce me? Make me think you still gave a shit so that I’d let you fuck me and then leave? Was last night revenge sex?”

“No,” you gasp, genuinely shocked by his conclusion. “I already told you, it was a lapse of judgment–”

“I’m not playing this fucking game with you!” He shouts. His voice breaks, just like his heart currently does. “You don’t get to hurt me again. You can’t play with my feelings everytime I allow myself to be open with you. Maybe you’re right, Mel. Maybe I don’t know you anymore, because I never thought you could do something this fucking cruel.”

“Me? Cruel?” Your anger flares up. “What the fuck about you? You come here, bring some other girl you care nothing for, and then pretend like we never knew each other! Then proceeded to ignore her the whole time to flirt with me any chance you got!”

“We’re not talking about this trip!” Chanyeol dismisses. “I should have never brought her, I know that now, but that’s not what this is about. This is about the time before that, when you gave me back the engagement ring!”

Sehun mentioned the night before the wedding that you have a baseless grudge against Chanyeol, one that twisted the love you have for him, crossing that thin line over to hate. He was positive you made something up, a ‘lie’ he called it, to keep Chanyeol at arm’s length from your heart in order to protect it. The truth is that Sehun grew cocky. He believed so deeply that you couldn’t keep anything from him, that it was impossible to with the way he can so easily read you, that he never suspected when you did. It was only one thing. One thing you decided to keep to yourself, refusing to confide in even Sehun. The reason? To protect the man in front of you, the same way he protected you.

The last thing you want is to bring it up, but technically, Chanyeol is doing it first.

“Gave it back?” You’re in total disbelief. “You took it back the morning after you slept with me and then completely ghosted like I was some one night stand!”

“That’s what you wanted!” 

“When?” You ask, baffled. “When I invited you over? Or was it in the middle of us having sex?”

He runs a hand roughly through his hair. “Okay, but why did you invite me over?”

“Because I–”

He doesn’t let you finish, his own anger from that day getting the best of him. “Because you wanted to give me the ring back!”

His voice has risen, and it silences you completely. 

“Fuck!” He’s saying your name again, but there isn’t an ounce of affection. “You wanted to return the ring. It was the one thing–the only thing that gave me hope. I told you to keep it, because I knew as long as you still had it, there was still a future for us. But then you called me. It hadn’t even been a year since our separation–because that’s what we were, separated not broken up–and the first time I hear from you it’s to tell me you want to give me back your fucking ring!”

Your head is spinning, attempting to comprehend everything he just admitted, filling in blanks you have been trying to figure out for years now. You hate to admit it, but some things are starting to make sense. 

“So, which was it then?” You question rather calmly. “You were still hurt from when I broke things off, so when I reached out you saw your chance to return the favor? Or was it because you thought that’s why I asked you to come over, so you got upset, slept with me, and left as a big fuck you?”

“Neither,” he reveals, evident disgust from your thought process. “Sleeping with you that night just happened. I didn’t do it with the intention to hurt you.”

“Sounds familiar,” you point out. He pinches the bridge of his nose. It feels like you’re going nowhere. Like you’re speaking in circles. “But okay, fine, say I believe that you didn’t do it to hurt me. Why did you leave?”

“Because I didn’t want what happened that night to become our normal,” he admits. “You knew how I felt about you, and I didn’t want you to take advantage of that–of me. Come on, Mel, you’ve always known the power you have over me. If you had told me that night that all you wanted from me was sex, I’d given that to you. Hell, if you told me right now that’s all you want, I’d give it to you. I’d give you anything. You’re my Melody.” He takes a deep shaky breath. “But I knew that if I reduced myself to that just to keep you, it would destroy me. I didn’t want to lose myself like that. And I don’t ever want to hate you. That’s why I ultimately left. Took the ring–like you told me to–and ran before you could change my mind. That was me setting a boundary for myself. I had to let you go before I allowed you to use and break me.”

Your heart sinks at his explanation. “Do you really think I’d treat you like that?”

“Do you really think I’d make love to you and not mean it?” He counters.

Again, you’re back at square one. Blinking at one another, trying to figure out where you stand in each other’s hearts. With the newfound knowledge of Chanyeol’s thoughts on that infamous day, you look internally. To be honest, his words don’t sway you much. The hurt from that day is still painful. You vividly remember the way your heart shattered when he was nowhere to be found. To add salt to the wound, he had blocked you on everything, so that you had no way to contact him afterwards. Yes, you really did believe he was capable of doing that.

“No matter what your intention was that day,” you start. “The result is still the same.”

Once Chanyeol hears this, you watch him build up a wall, closing you off from him for the first time. Until right now, you believed he wasn’t capable of doing that to you. That it couldn’t be helped or that he felt comfortable enough to let his guard down in your presence. But watching all the vulnerability, all the honesty, all the affection he had for you vanish before your eyes, you realize you have been giving yourself too much credit.

“I guess that makes us even now, right?” He asks bitterly. 

You turn away, partially out of guilt, but also because you can’t stomach the haunted shadow dulling him. He’s right, in a sick way. You both ran away, hurting the other despite the reasoning behind it.

“So, that’s it then?” He asks when you fail to say anything.

“Chanyeol….” You turn back to him and instantly are bombarded with regret. You can so easily fix this. If you really want to, you can tell him that you forgive him for that night, that you truly never meant to hurt him and that the night before meant everything to you. You can walk off this boardwalk hand in hand, laughing with giddiness from falling back in love with your soulmate. Rejoining your friends who would be nothing but ecstatic and supportive of you working through your issues and returning to one another. You can do that. It will only take one simple sentence. 

But you don’t forgive him, and you haven’t really resolved anything. Your new relationship would be built on the foundation of ignorance, avoidance, and lust. You didn’t want that, not if it is the cost of having him back at this moment. You both have some healing to do before jumping into this again, and this conversation proved that. You aren’t ready.

“I–yeah. I think it would be for the best if we end things here.”

“Yeah,” he agrees in defeat. He sniffs and scratches the back of his head. “You’re probably right. There’s not much else I can say to make you stay.”

He takes you in one more time. In his reluctance, it’s as if he’s giving you a chance to change your answer, but you both know you won’t. Guess he does still know you well. He clears his throat and without saying goodbye, walks away. 

He���s about to clear the walk when you’re yelling at him to wait.

He does. He faces you and watches with wide eyes as you run hastily over to him. You stop at a safe distance, close enough to see him under the dim moonlight, but far enough away that you can’t feel the distracting heat of his body. 

He observes you warily, probably wondering how you’re going to break his heart this time. It’s that bit of doubt that made you run. There’s one last thing he needs to know, the one thing he needs to take away from this conversation, if nothing else.

“I don’t hate you.”

It’s the last thing he expected, and his reaction reflects that. His eyes grow glossy and he does his best to blink the unshed tears back, while also fighting the frown weighing the corners of his lips, causing them to tremble. Wordlessly, he reaches out to you, cupping the back of your head, and you let him. You allow him to touch you, to bring you close to him, relishing in his heat against the chilling bite of the ocean’s breeze. He pulls you in and presses a tender lingering kiss onto your forehead.

“Thank you,” he whispers against your skin.

And then he’s gone, taking all the warmth with him.

And you watch, as his fire dims and he blends with the gray of your surroundings before disappearing out of sight.

You pray to god that’s not a metaphor.

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[proudahgase-exol]

Loving you is all I know.

Chanyeol x reader ft exo (angst)

Warning: cussing, mentioning of alcohol and cigarettes use.

Summary: you have a on/off relationship with Chanyeol It has been going on for four years now but this time it’s different you can’t take it anymore so you tell him how you really feel

Ps: if you like my work please like and reblog and comment if you like to 💞

✼••┈┈┈┈••✼♡✼••┈┈┈┈••✼

Y/n pov:

It happened again he ended the relationship he claimed that he was too busy to be with me but I wasn’t stupid I knew what he was up to by the many Instagram posts he would publish with another girl at clubs.

It sucked, to be honest, it hurt me so much especially since I’m his group assistant I was in charge of getting the boys from point A to point B I had to make sure they were always in time for everything so I pretty much had to see him every single day.

Now you might be asking why I always take him back and well that’s because I love him I've been in love with him since he debuted and there’s no other man like him i don’t want another man I wish I could stop loving him but loving him is all I know.

A few weeks ago he broke up with me for what feels like the million time it’s sad especially since his members pity me they give me This sad smile or when he is in the room with a new girl the boys try to make sure I’m okay.

Today I saw him again with of his many girls I can’t understand how it’s so easy for him to just throw me out like I’m garbage and even easier to come to look for me when he can’t find a new fuck toy it brakes my heart but I’m so fucking stupid that I keep letting him hurt me.

I was so sick of seeing him like that cline I was nothing like I was never part of his life when I went home I took a long bath with a bottle of wine trying to drink my pain away trying to forget his handsome face.

When I got out of the bath I got changed and walked to the back yard and sat down looking at the sky then I lit a cigarette I was never the girl that drank and smoked but after the third time of the many times Chanyeol broke up with me I try to find a way out a way to forget him and alcohol and cigarettes did the trick and every time we got back together I did stop.

As the days passed the guys started to notice a change in me I thought I had been hiding my alcohol and cigarette problem well but Kyungsoo found out he was gained to question me than the rest of the guys heard all the commotion and also started to question me luckily chanyeol still haven’t gotten here.

“Hey, have you been drinking?” Asked Kyungsoo

“N no,” I said turning away

“Yes you have I can tell and you also stink like cigarettes y/n wtf why would you do that,” he said racing his voice

“I haven’t now cat you stop,” I said turning back to face him

“Hey, what’s going on why are you guys yelling?” Junmyeon asks walking over to us

“She’s been drinking and smoking and don’t try to deny it I know what a hangover looks like and I can also tell what cigarettes smell like,” Kyungsoo said with disappointment

“Is that true? Y/n why would you do that” Minseok walking over to my side

“Don’t worry about me go get your stuff so I can tell you home” I said trying to change the subject

“Hey I know it’s about Chanyeol Hyung but don’t ruin your life like that for him trust me we hate him for what he’s been acting,” Sehun said walking up to me and hugging me

“I will get over this eventually but if this is the way it’s helping me then so let me it’s my life, not yours,” I said pushing Sehun away from me

“Hey what’s up guys what did I miss,” Chanyeol said walking into the dance practice room

“I’ll way for you outside by the car,” I said walking away as I took a brand new pack of cigarettes out of my jacket

As I was walking out the door I saw Chanyeol walking behind me but was stopped by Baekhyun and Jongin

Chanyeol pov:

I watched as y/n walked out of the dance practice room and I also saw her taking out a pack of cigarettes I turned around and asked the guys about y/n

“Hey, how long have a y/n been smoking?” I asked them

“A long time why,” Kyungsoo said

“Why didn’t you guys tell me,” I said getting mad

“You don’t care about her so what’s the point of telling you we didn’t tell her anything because we thought it wasn’t hers since she was not the type of girl to get drunk and smoke,” Baekhyun said

“I do care about her who told you I don’t,” I said getting defensive

“Dude if you did you wouldn’t have brake up multiple times you would respect her and treated her like you love her but you don’t,” Sehun said annoyed

“I know it’s none of our business but why do you keep breaking up if you're gonna end up going back to her?” Junmyeon asked

“I- I don’t know at first it was because I thought she should be with someone better but then I just liked messing around with other girls then realized that I love y/n then I went back to her but now I don’t know anymore,” I said looking at the floor

“Well either you fix your shit or you will only end up losing her for good,” Jongin said walking out of the room

I saw the way the guys walk away not looking back at me I knew they cared for Y/n I know they are siding with her because the truth is I’m the asshole I don’t know what I keep on doing this I truly love her I just got so used to this routine and didn’t saw that not only was I hurting her but also my friends and I need to fix it if I still can.

When I walked out of the building the guys were already in the car so I got in but Y/n was nowhere to be seen nor was Minseok so I asked Jongdae who was next to me and Minseok had taken Y/n out for drinks I don’t know if she drink too.

She used to be this sweet shy girl who wouldn’t drink nor smoke every time I drank she would take care of me and tell me I shouldn’t drink that much now she’s different she’s not the y/n I knew and I know I was the one who made her this way.

When we got home I was pulled to the side by Junmyeon who started to yell at me he was angry so we were there with other guys and all I could think about was if y/n was okay.

“Are you listening to anything I’m saying?” Junmyeon asked

“Sorry what did you say,” I said looking at him

“I ask if it made you feel good walking around with a different girl every week right in front of y/n do you like the way she looks at you or does it satisfy you knowing that the girl cries every day?” He asked looking at me with so much anger

“No, I didn’t know I was hurting her like that I-“ I didn’t know what else to say

“You unbelievable Chanyeol that girl is broken she’s so far gone and I know for a fact that the old y/n will never return” I saw walking past me and pushing me with his shoulder

I was so fucked I knew the boys love her she’s been with us since the beginning they care for her like family and it scares me that I’m the one who messed this up I’m the one that hurt her and I hate myself for that but I’ll try to fix it I’ll try to apologize hopefully I could do it get her back for good

Y/n pov:

After I walked out of the building I lit up my cigarette I was trying to hide my tears but I just couldn’t it hurt so much to see him so happy I felt like I was disposable like I didn’t matter to him that how he’s making me feel

As k wiped my tears I heard someone running up to me and saw that it was Minseok when he got close he took my cigar off me and turned it out then hugged me

“Hey it’s okay to feel sad you can cry don’t hold your feelings back I’m here if you ever need to talk I’m always here you know you can call me if you want a drinking buddy just call me and be like oppa telsngo for a drink and I’ll happily join you,” he said as he hugged me and kissed the top of my head

“But you get busy and tired and I don’t want to bother you,” I said wiping my tears

“It’s okay I don’t mind being tired and if I’m busy I know Sehun will love to drink with you we both know he can’t say no to a few drinks,” he said joking

“Yeah you're right but still you guys get busy and I know you get tired at the end of the day,” I said looking at him

“Don’t worry it’s alright now let’s go I know this place where they make the best good and have good alcohol what do you say? Let’s forget about everything for a while?” I asked me

“Sure let’s go but who’s taking the guys home?” I asked worried

“It’s okay I told someone that you were feeling bad and that I had to take you home so they sent someone to take the guys home now let’s go,” he said pulling me by the arm

When we were At the restaurant, we ordered our food and drink we chatted and then he asked if I wanted to talk about Chanyeol so I did I told him everything from the first time we broke up till now it hard to say it but it feels good to have told some about it than I changed the topic not wanting to talk about Chanyeol anymore so we talk about the boys and Minseok’s new girlfriend.

After a few more drinks and crying over the past Minseok took me home with the help of one of my friends when I woke up the next day my head was hurting so I got up and went to the bathroom I got cleaned up and went to the kitchen for breakfast I took my time eating than my way to get change so I can go to the boys since today they had a group meeting for their new comeback.

When I got to the building the boys were already in the lobby wetting for me and when I got close I saw Chanyeol making his way to me but a guy stopped by Baekhyun Then Junmyeon walked up to me and told me where the meeting was gonna be so we made our way there.

The whole time chanyeol kept looking at me like he wanted to tell me something but I ignored him I looked away and tried not to make eye contact with him.

After the meeting was over the boys went to their dance practice and i went to have another meeting with the managers and stuff. After it was done I went to check on the guys to see if they needed anything they told me they were all good so I walked away and on my way out the door chanyeol ran up to me and asked if we could meet up at his place to talk he said he will be quick so I agreed curiously.

After a long day of work, I went to the guys again to ask them if I was taking them or if they were gonna do something else. They said they were going out for dinner and then for some drinks so to not worry I left and my way to Chanyeol’s place.

When we arrived chanyeol was pulling up as well I waited for him in the lobby of his apartments while he parked the car. After a while he walk in the lobby and told me to follow him as we walk into the elevator we just stood there in an awkward silence until we arrived to his floor that was on the 10th floor.

When we got to the apartment he told me to make myself at home and I just scuffed but walked and took a seat on his couch a few seconds after I sat down Zzar came running from somewhere in another room and ran to Chanyeol but then turned around and run to me she jumped on the couch.

“Oh hey zzar you still remember me your such a good girl,” I said petting her

“Wow seems like she still remembers you but how can she forget the person who walked her every day and gave her delicious treats” Chanyeol said walking out to us

“So let’s cut the bullshit and get straight to the point what do you want to talk about,” I said not wanting to be here anymore

“Oh yeah umm I wanted to apologize for everything I have cussed you for all the pain I have given you I know our relationship was on/off and I also know how much I hurt you by bringing all this girl around,” he said looking down at his shoes

“Chanyeol you broke my heart no move but multiple times an apology won’t fix all the hurt you did to me,” I said getting angry

“I know I’m sorry for all the hurt I'm really sorry I wish I could fix everything I wish I could go back and not have done what I did I wish we were still together,” he said crying

“Answer me with honesty…… why did you do it in the first place? Was I a bad girlfriend? Was I bad at sex did I not satisfy you enough? Was I not pretty enough or smart? Is it my lack of experience what do all of those girls have that I don’t why do they get to go home with you and why do I get to go home and cry myself to sleep thinking I was the perfect girlfriend” I said crying

“Have you been blaming yourself all this time? Did you think every time we broke up was your fault?” He asked whipping his tears that were still falling

“Yes, every single time I thought it was me I still think so…. Is it my fault” I asked in a quiet voice

“Oh god no baby it’s never Ben your fault no once it’s always been mine I've been so greedy I thought of myself and not one of you or your feelings I know it was a dick move on my part at first I thought I would be happier in a new relationship but after a few days I regret it than I come crowing back to you and for some reason, you always took me back so I did it again until it became a habit than I saw Minseok hyung with his girlfriend and I remember you I remember how that used to be us but I had to mess it up,” he said sobbing

“Why did you do it you regret it why didn’t you stop when you felt regret why did you keep doing it” I asked confused

“Because I’m so stupid because I thought you would always take me back after breaking you but then someone told me that at some point you will get tired that you will relies on that you deserve better so I had to stop it”

“Y/n why do you keep taking me back every single time I break your heart I hurt you and yet you still receive me with open arms why,” he asked looking at me

“Because after so long of knowing you of loving you…. You kind of become my everything how loving you is all I know that’s why I always take you back” I said smiling

“Why Cigarettes why alcohol that not you at all why fuck I fucked up so bad,” he said crying harder this time

“Cigarettes and alcohol were my way of forgetting about you for a while it was like my escape from reality it made me feel numb,” I said smiling sadly

“This time I promise you I will be better I will be honest I will be the perfect boyfriend I will treat you like you deserve to be treated,” I said moving closer to me and holding my hand

“Look chanyeol I don’t think I can do this anymore I can’t trust you I can let myself fall for your lies once again I don’t think I can go through this all over again in hurt I’m tired of this cycle

I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t love me like I love them” I said placing his dog on the couch and getting up

“Please I promise I will be better I will be the man you need and deserve please give me a chance I will be better this time I promise,” he said staying up as well

“I think you need to look for help because what you have been doing isn’t right take time off dating and messing around fix yourself,” I said looking up at him.

“If I do all that will you take me back will you give me a chance?” He begged

“I don’t know I need time to heal for all this I need time for myself I don’t want to give you hope because you did hurt me pretty badly,” I said looking away from his kicked puppy eyes

“I love you more than you think I do and I regret everything I have down I will do everything to fix everything I will fight for you I will make you fall in love with me it will be like a new start like getting to know each other for the first time hopefully I can make you fall in love with me once again and when I succeeded I will make sure to treat you like a queen to be the loyal boyfriend I should have been in the beginning I promise you that if it’s the last thing I do” he said hugging me tight

“Yeol I said it once before and I’ll say it again I love you and loving you is all I know but don’t push your luck and hope I know you are a good guy but I need healing and sometimes it might take years or forever I might move on from you.” I said giving him a sad smile

“Will you still work with us I will still get to see you right?” H eased hopeful

“This is my last week I will work for NCT there are a lot of boys that need my assistance you might see me around the building but I don’t guarantee that you will,” I said looking at him

“Oh I- “ I try to say something but stay silent

“Well, I have to go now I have a lot to prepare I won’t see you for the rest of the week I hope you have a good life and I hope you actually change l, bye Yeol I love you,” I said walking away from him and out of his apartment.

Chanyeol pov

I was so lost she was actually leaving me for good I was so late way too late for everything I should’ve apologized years earlier I should’ve never done anything I did I should’ve worshiped her when I heard her now I’m looking at her walk away from me and out my life as I did to her now it was my turn to pay for the pain I cause her it was my turn to suffer and feel everything she felt.

I was s,o stupid why did I think she would take me back like before Kyungsoo was right she would get tired and give up on me and she did she relished she deserved better and walked away and I didn’t blame her but I won’t give up I will fight for her I will wing her over and make thing right this time. For now I’ll be fixing myself first hopefully she doesn’t move on but if she does I won’t be mad I will make sure this new person in her life treats her better than I ever did.

- sorry if there’s any errors 🥺

[jxstadaydreamer]

welcome home, sergeant

Pairing: Park Chanyeol x F.Reader Genre: fluff, suggestive Word count: 988

Summary: You welcome Chanyeol home from his military service with a game.

Warnings: mentions of shooting and bullets (NERF guns and foam bullets!), strip tease

Author's Note: This is SO late but life got busy around the time Chanyeol was discharged and then I fell into a not so good headspace that I am still crawling my way out of. I am still slowly, but surely, working on something for his birthday too so hopefully that one will come out in time! Please enjoy this belated piece. Are we all excited for PCY1!? I firmly believe that will cure everything 😂

548 days. 548 days he had been gone. 548 days had finally passed and today is the day he is finally coming home.

Okay, maybe you’re being a little dramatic. You were lucky times had changed and enlisted soldiers could now access to their phones while serving, off duty of course. Not to mention the multiple vacation times he had earned where he could come home for a couple days here and there. But now, the difference is that he won’t have to leave again. Now he will be home for good, no more teary goodbyes and promises of “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

You had planned with his family, his parents and grandparents would go to to pick him up from the discharge site and then they would meet his sister and her husband for a nice lunch. He was a little upset upon hearing that you wouldn’t be joining them but you made some suggestions about your inability to keep your hands off him while he’s in uniform and, well, he couldn’t complain about that. He’s well aware of how handsome and manly he looks in his full uniform - the camo print suit, the special warrior and sergeant rank badges, the beret, the black lace up boots - and the effect it had on you.

-

Stepping through the threshold of the apartment, he is completely expecting you to greet him on the spot but is instead met with complete stillness and silence, not even the pitter patter or yippity yap of the dogs speedily rounding the corner.

Taking off his boots and dropping his bag, he makes his way further into the living space where he finds an unusual sight, an array of NERF guns with a handwritten note above them.

Welcome home, Special Warrior SERGEANT Park Chanyeol of the 9th Infantry Division, White Horse Unit!

A smug smile spreads across his features reading the way you address him.

You may have proven your skills on the field but I have yet to witness them with my own eyes. Show me you’re worthy of the title you have been given and the praise you have received. Your success will be rewarded accordingly.

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON

If there was anything Chanyeol loved, it was a challenge. And with the added promise of a reward? From you? His competitive, passionate fire is set ablaze.

Picking up his gun of choice and checking it’s loaded, he straps on a belt with extra ammunition before scoping the room and figuring out where you could be hiding. He dives dramatically and tumbles across the space, appearing directly in front of your hiding spot behind the sofa. Exactly like you had anticipated, allowing you to shower him in foam bullets before making your speedy getaway. You hear his throaty chuckle as you quickly run down the hallway to your next planned location. Because of course you had to have a game plan when going up against Chanyeol. The man might come off as a playful, goofy giant but when it comes to winning, he puts his big brain energy to good use. But you know him well enough to be able to predict his movements, maybe just as much as he knows yours which makes this an interesting battle indeed.

The next half hour or so is filled with giggles, crashes into the wall and furniture, loud footsteps running and multitudes of flying bullets coating the floorspace of the apartment. ‘Til eventually, a strong arm rounds your waist and pulls you in as you sneakily try to pass the doorway of your bedroom, having lost track of where he had gone.

You’re thrown onto the bed and quickly pinned down by him straddling your hips and holding your wrists above your head, staring down at you with hungry eyes.

“Enough with the games, baby. Where’s my reward?”

“Right here, Sergeant.” you say sweetly, puckering your lips.

Chanyeol own lips quirk up in a smirk, lowering himself to you for a kiss.

But before he knows it, the moment he loosens his hold on your wrist you lock your hands around his own and roll him over so you’re now looking down at him triumphantly, sitting on top of his hips. Chanyeol is looking up at you with wide eyes, blinking like a fool trying to process what the hell had just happened.

“Hm,” you tap a finger on your lips questioningly, “maybe you’re not so worthy of your title after all.”

“Hey! That’s not fair! I was caught off guard! You were already just about to give me my reward! I want my re-”

He stops mid-protest when he sees you peeling off your t-shirt to reveal a lacy black bra. Jaw dropping, eyes mesmerised and tracing over the sight of your skin being exposed to him. His hands move with a mind of their own, reaching up to touch you but you quickly slap them away.

You slowly stand up to your full height above him, turning around and looking back at him over your shoulder as you tuck your thumbs inside the waistband of your shorts and slide them down your legs, making sure that you bend over at the waist to give him a full view of his reward.

When you decide you’ve given him enough time to appreciate your assets, you turn back around and assume your previous position. Although now, there was a growing bulge beneath you, a clear answer to your next question.

“Is this reward to your liking, Sergeant Park Chanyeol?” You speak his name breathily, emphasising each word.

He nods rapidly, before reclaiming his cool, growling and grabbing at you. Chanyeol flips you back over so you’re beneath him and brings his face close to yours, enough that you can feel the heat of his breath but not enough for your lips to touch.

“But I like this better.”

His position is top after all.

[rancidtae]

ARCADIA’S LULLABY | CHAPTER 5

Genre: Mafia AU. Vigilante AU. Sci-fi (AI). Warnings: ANGST. fluff. mentions of near-death experiences. mentions of drug use. emotional tension during breakfast. chanyeol crying. Pairing: exo & Original Female Character (Jung Jiah/Kang Rina) - Kim Minseok/Original Female Character - Zhang Yixing/Original Female Character Word count: 11k+ chapter summary: the one where shit gets real and sehun just wants everyone to talk about their feelings and let him have his breakfast in peace. a/n: WE'RE SO BACK. (we're so over) but make it old-friendship-turned-sour core.

guess what you need isn't always what you want from me

masterlist - meet the characters

082809 - 5:34 pm.

13 years ago

“Yo, open up.”

It was the third time he knocked.

Chanyeol pressed his ear against the wood and heard the muffled murmur of a news anchor.

“C'mon, I can hear the TV, I know you’re in there.”

Not one to be patient when people were purposefully being assholes, he fished the set of spare keys Mr. Kang gave his mom from the pocket of his ripped jeans and jingled them extra hard. Just to piss her off and warn her.

“Wow, this is depressing.” he blurted out, closing the door behind him.

His 15-year-old neighbor did not look surprised, nor tried to pretend that his presence wasn't unwanted. Chanyeol, however, had never worries about being on her good side. They'd been annoying each other all their lives.

Tall piles of books covered the living room, some even went over his head. They were playing videos of the memorial with the president giving a speech in the background on the TV. A steaming bowl of noodles and some side dishes waited on the small dining table.

It was the anniversary of the Seoul Metro bombings. 

As always, every year the city shut down for the memorial. No one was allowed to forget such a dark stain on the country’s history. Over 900 casualties, even more injured.

Chanyeol remembered the day of the attack. His mom rushing to pick him, his sister Yoora and Rina from school, earlier than usual. She didn't answer their questions until they got home and she locked the door behind her. Mr. Kang didn't pick up Rina until the next afternoon, and he looked like a ghost.

That was the day he learned the meaning of the word terrorism.

He took a look at the family picture by the entrance and picked up the remote, turning the TV off.

“What is that?” Rina suddenly asked, making him jump on his feet.

She was curiously looking at the pale pink box under his arm, and it took him a second to remember he'd brought it with him. With every year that passed, Rina only looked more and more like her mother, the resemblance was scary sometimes.

He fixed his throat. “Pastries from Swimmy’s”

Of course, she knew that. It was her favorite bakery.

Rina, however, turned around with feigned disinterest.

“Ah. How’d you even get them? Aren’t they closed today?”

“I don’t know. Yoora’s boyfriend sent them, but she hates him right now so she gave them to me.”

“Cupcakes?” she asked over her shoulder, rattling things inside the fridge.

“Multiflavor.” he nodded, fighting back a cruel grin when she stills.

“You want some?” she asked, pointing at the bowl of steamy noodles.

Chanyeol couldn't remember her ever willingly offering him a bite of anything.

“Nope, I’m good.” he chirped.

Her face dropped. Suddenly deciding that there's nothing inside of her interest, she slammed the poor fridge door.

“Ok, let’s go,” he finally said, feeling like he annoyed her enough for the day. He did not lie when he called the scene depressing.

Her sitting down on the floor and eating overcooked noodles alone when there was a perfectly nice summer afternoon right outside kind of softened his heart.

“Where? Why?”

“Seriously? We’re not gonna sit here and eat them alone, that’s some loser shit. Plus, it’s way too much sugar.”

“It’s not” she protested, struggling to put on her worn-out white Converse.

“Maybe not for me, but it is when you spend your life slugging inside. When’s the last time you went for a run, huh?”

Naturally, they ended up making their way inside Arcadia, her father's arcade spot just a few blocks away. They entered through the backdoor, using Rina’s spare key that she religiously wore around her neck.

Baekhyun nearly landed on his ass when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, hand to his chest when he recognizes them and immediately lighting up at the prospect of eating pastries.

Rina found a seat on the countertop, while Chanyeol brought two chairs for himself and his legs from the backroom. Baekhyun picked up his copy of Rebirth and saved his strawberry-flavored gum for later, carefully wrapping it in a sticky note, much to Rina's disgust.

The three indulged in a cupcake each, humming in bliss.

“So," Baekhyun smacked "where you been?” 

“Busy.” she said, legs swinging happily, licking buttercream off her pinky finger.

“Doing what?"

"Stuff."

"Like what, sleeping inside a coffin? You look like you haven’t seen the sun in months.”

Chanyeol agreed. “You’re gonna regret staying inside once we’re back to school.”

Rina was not about to tell them she'd been reading those books at home, one per day like an apple. Her father kept bringing new ones, leaving them stacked up on every surface he could find, building a labyrinth out of them.

The last was Fahrenheit 451. Baekhyun would've liked it if, but he was more of a manhwa guy.

She took a look around the room, all the machines were on. She remembered something. “Wait. Why are you working today?”

Baekhyun pointed one finger at the door. The open neon sign was off, and the door was locked. “I'm not. My aunt and my cousins are visiting and I needed some alone time. And they’re all on because–”

“He doesn’t like the silence.” Chanyeol said, mockingly, with his cap on sideways and clearly finding Baekhyun childish.

“Please don’t tell your dad.” he requested with his customer service voice. “That reminds me, you think he’ll give me a raise if I ask him?”

“Aren’t you only covering shifts for Yuan? I don’t think he even knows you work here.”

He did not take well to that. Sitting up straight and dropping what was left of his cupcake on the box, he put his hands on his waist.

“Only covering– what are you talking about? I know this place better than Yuan ever could. I’m more of an Arcadia member of staff than he is or could ever be” he started counting down with his fingers, Rina took a deep breath. “I’m the general manager, I’m HR, marketing, I’m the cleaning and security staff, I keep an eye on Mintchoco at the back and even–”

Thank god, a knock at the front door interrupted his rant. Jongdae was leaning over the glass, cupping his face and pointing at the lock on the door. Minseok stood just behind him on the sidewalk.

Standing up with a groan and still complaining about the disrespect under his breath, Baekhyun let them in.

Minseok was hugging a ball against his side, had dry blood on his left knee, and his usually squeaky clean soccer shoes and white socks all dirtied up. Jongdae was no better, face dripping in sweat, fanning his shirt, complaining about the heat.

“Swimmy’s?” Minseok asked, eyes wide.

“Like I said” Baekhyun continued. “Arcadia is me. I am Arcadia. I know the consoles. I love this place. This is like home to me. I absolutely, totally, most definitely deserve a raise.”

“If you love it so much shouldn’t your pay be enough?” Asked Jongdae, standing under the a/c vent.

“Right. He makes a good point. You should be doing it for free, even”

Baekhyun glared at Chanyeol. “So what are you suggesting? Unpaid labor? I have a family to feed.”

“Your parents do the feeding in your family” Laughed Minseok, asking Rina to pass him a strawberry cupcake. One of the same strawberry cupcakes Rina had threatened Baekhyun and Chanyeol not to touch.

Chanyeol gave her an odd look, she pretended not to notice it.

“Just say you’re saving up to buy yourself a laptop.”

“That I will get my hands on soon if our dear Rinrin here tells Mr. Kang how good of an employee, and friend I am.” he paused. “Maybe just mention the employee part, nepotism goes against my values.”

"Ok” she agreed. But then she crossed her arms and lifted her chin, and Baekhyun’s cheerful grin crumbled. “But you’ll owe me”

“Ah. What’s this?” he sucked on his teeth “I thought we were friends.”

"You said nepotism goes against your values.”

“So you’re blackmailing me.”

“We’re negotiating.”

“Woah. This is unbelievable. You're really growing into an evil little thing.”

"Speaking about evil little things, we saw your boyfriend on our way here. He was totally asking to get his ass kicked.” said Jongdae through a full mouth. “Ith wath him, right Mintheok?”

Minseok tried to telepathically get him to keep his mouth shut, but he kept going, clueless.

“Looked like he pissed Youngjae off again. You know how he hates being stared at”

By her boyfriend, they were talking about Kyungsoo, who was nothing of the sort. He was, though, known for being excellent at getting on the bad side of people. It wasn't his fault, some just read him wrong.

Kyungsoo was just misunderstood. Often. And Youngjae was a bully.

“And now she has been summoned. Our peace maker.” Chanyeol announced, watching her expression drop. She jumped from the counter and started putting her hair up on a ponytail.

Extra tight, extra high. She meant business.

“Wait. For real?”

“You know, just because you’re a girl and your dad’s a teacher it doesn’t mean Youngjae and his friends won’t beat you up one of these days” Jondgae called out, finally noticing his mistake.

“Hold on, wait wait wait! You’ll tell your dad, right?” Baekhyun asked, watching her walk behind the counter and get the pepper spray from its secret spot.

“You’ll owe me.” she said, and walked out of the door.

The guys saw her cross the street and disappear from view.

"What was that?" asked Jongdae.

"Pepper spray."

Chanyeol groaned. “Dude, why did you tell her? Mr. Kang’s gonna be upset if she’s home late.”

Jongdae did not take well to that, and quickly started firing back questions about how is it his fault that she likes to take on other people's problems.

Sighing, Minseok rubbed the crumbs off his hands and silently made his way to the door.

“Really, you too?”

Minseok shrugged. “She shouldn’t be going alone. And you shouldn't have let her take the pepper spray.”

Jongdae, not at all surprised, only shook his head and stuffed his mouth with another bite. The outcome came as no surprise, he was just glad that the possibility of Rina getting in trouble and Mr. Kang being upset about it had significantly decreased.

Minseok wasn't much of a fighter, but he knew how to make younger kids respect him.

“Are these fresh?” Jongdae was frowning at the cupcake. “How’d you even get them today?”

“Mr. Kang asked me to pick them up. I don't know how he did it, but he got them to bake these for him.” Chanyeol answered, pausing for a bit before adding. “He asked me to get her out of the apartment.”

Jongdae and Baekhyun nodded in understanding, no more questions on the subject were asked.

081322 - 05:12 pm 

Consciousness comes in waves.

First, pain. Second, something warm and blinding.

Sunlight.

Third: white.

The room slowly comes into focus. White walls. Wood framing the window. Sheer curtains.

Fuck. It really fucking hurts.

She can deal with that. The disorientation? That’s different.

A burst of anxiety threatens to come to the surface at once.

Everyone has cycles waiting to be kickstarted at the beck and call of the smallest trigger. Good or bad, but most importantly, unavoidable.

Jiah spent a good chunk of her life testing out remedies for the bad ones. Prescriptions. Therapists. Thoughtfully curated lists of habits; healthy for the long term, destructive for a quick fix. 

And even though nothing could have prepared her for this, time has worked on her.

So as the events from last night come back to her and the doorknob turns with a click, she stays calm and lets her eyes close again.

The person lingers for a moment, doing god knows what. His shadow flickers through her eyelids. Eventually, she’s alone again.

When she opens her eyes again the drowsiness has faded. There’s a classic mid-century flip clock on the nightstand. A piranha plant figure stares back at her with its teeth all bared out, and her transmitter’s politely placed next to it.

She knows right away whose bed this is.

Painfully, she props herself up to a seated position and inspects the sling and the dressed wound. No ethical doctor’s gonna give her the dose of painkillers she’ll need for that.

She’s wearing a thin, depressing hospital gown, and that will not do.

He's definitely loaded. The house is enormous, enough to get lost in and fit her apartment maybe five or six times. Several doors line down the hallway leading to a vast, asymmetrical set of stairs. Vaulted high ceilings top up a communal area, with a long skylight that washes everything in abundant natural light.

She pads down the stairs, following the sound of voices and laughter.

And there he is, stomping out of what looks like some kind of office made of glass walls.

“Hey, hey, wait. No. That is not fair, how was I supposed to–”

He locks eyes with her.

Bewildered. Like he forgot she was there and that just a few minutes ago he was in that room with her.

She looks back at him, like she didn’t know it was him the second her eyes landed on that piranha plant.

A tremor goes through his body before he starts coughing violently.

“Fuck— what the fuck?” more coughing, he plucks something from his mouth. A ridiculously chunky piece of pink gum covered in thick saliva.

Heads turn at the rough edge of her voice “That’s what happens when you try to chew a whole wheel of hubba bubba tape at once.”

Byun Baekhyun stares back at her like she just said the most offensive thing possible, gum still between his fingers.

“Well you can’t just stand there and– lurk looking like– like Shanks and not expect to scare the shit out of innocent people.”

Two figures by the kitchen entrance watch them. One looks kind of confused, the other one crosses his arms and holds back a smile.

“One Piece? Are you twelve?”

“Says the grown woman who can’t get her arm through an oversized sleeve.”

“I'm wearing a sling, you asshole.” she snaps. Baekhyun looks down at the fluttering sleeve, sucking in his lips between his teeth.

And then, like switch is flipped, their expressions shift. Her brows soften, and a wry grin tugs at the corner of her lips. A lighthearted smile spreads across his face.

Jongin gives the person next to him a bewildered glance.

“What’s up with the hair?”

Baekhyun runs his fingers through it. “You don’t like it?”

“Let me rephrase that, did you go to Lady’s Room and talk to the girls?”

Silence.

“I don’t know what–”

“You still touch your hair when you’re lying.”

“Ok. Yeah. No.” He points a finger at her “You’re not going Sherlock on us when you just woke up after a near-death experience.”

“Says who?”

“Says me," he snaps with an attitude, quickly adding “Doctor’s orders.”

“So first Yixing’s a cop and now you’re a doctor?” Startled, Baekhyun opens his mouth and closes it. “What’s next, Kyungsoo’s a wedding planner?”

“Youth pastor, actually. Very successful. The youths love him. And I could be a doctor if wanted, by the way.” he scoffs.

She cocks an eyebrow.

“Whatever. Ah, this won’t do. You suck at reunions. Go back upstairs, we’re doing this again.” he waves his arms at her, urging her back up the stairs. Surprised, she spurts out a laugh. The rebound pain from her shoulder makes her stop and hiss.

“Alright, leave her alone.” 

That face she’d recognize anywhere. It’s unfair that they’ve all aged so nicely. Kim Jongdae looks like an upgraded version of himself, just with different hair and somehow, better skin.

“How are you feeling?”

“Lucid enough to steal my clothes, clearly.”

She realizes she's been staring at him like an owl and fixes her throat.

“Been better.” she nods, bowing quickly, awkwardly waving at the end. “Hi.”

Baekhyun snorts. "Did you just bow?"

Jongdae bows back and waves, amused but ignoring Baekhyun. “Wanna take a seat? I bet you're starving.”

She’s famished. The thought of food is enough motivation to postpone the thinking about everything that is happening right now. And since she's not escaping anytime soon, she might as well acknowledge the other person in the room.

“So, is Jongin your real name, or is this another Juyeon/Sehun thing?”

The kitchen is ridiculously huge, with another skylight at the top and an island at the very center. She sits down, leaving an empty stool between her and the impostor, who shares a look with the other two men.

“Yixing slipped up, wasn't hard to figure out.” she explains.

Jongin fixes his throat. “Jongin is my real name.”

“And how do you know Taemin?”

“We used to go to the same dance studio for a while.”

“And he just introduced us. By coincidence.”

Baekhyun steps in. “You had a horde of mercenaries on your track. We were trying to get them before they got you and Jongin was there to keep an eye on you. Him being Taemin’s friend was a happy coincidence.”

It's not convincing at all, and the thinking starts.

That’s for being so fucking stupid. Do you realize what you got yourself into?

Go ahead, big guy.

“Where’s Chanyeol?”

“What, are we not enough for the welcoming party?”

Jongin, however, knows what she's thinking. She doesn't like it.

"It wasn't him. The man in the bathroom came with backup. We thought we’d handled all of them, but a stray one took us by surprise and shot you.”

“I mean, we can show you the footage of him following the guy.” Baekhyun offers immediately. “But come on, you don’t think he–”

“No need.” patching her up defeats the purpose of taking her down, but that doesn't make up for several loose ends. “However, the manhandling was unnecessary.”

“You did kick Jongin in the balls.” Jongdae reminds her, putting a glass of cold water in front of her. 

“If you guys knew I was being followed then why didn’t you just give me a heads up?”

How did they know?

And where’s the rest?

Baekhyun smiles. "You made it abundantly clear to Yixing that you didn't want us near."

"So why didn't he come?"

“He was out of town, but he asked you to be careful. Several times, he said.”

He did. And she rejected his attempts at helping her beyond getting Haneul protection. Several times indeed. He was very insistent. She brushed him off every time.

Disoriented, she sticks to nursing her glass of water in slow sips. Several details keep her alert.

One, eyebrows/Tuxedo Mask/Sehun had or has been protecting Lee Chungjae, despite Yixing’s insistence that they’re not involved with his people.

Two, Baekhyun definitely went sniffing around Lady’s Room, and if she knows anything about him, he didn't just stop at that.

Three, Junmyeon and Minseok are members of the syndicate.

The sound of a motorcycle roaring outside grows closer and gets her out of her head. The conversation has moved in a completely unexpected direction without her.

“This might be out of my expertise, but I don’t think you can compare periods to getting shot.” Jongdae says, unbothered by the noise.

“Why? Blood is blood, no matter where it comes from” Baekhyun argues. “And I’ve heard scary stories about cramps” 

The steel door is slid open just enough for a tall man to come in, balancing piled up pizza boxes and complaining about someone needing to lube up the damn rail.

“This is the last time you use me as a delivery guy” he declares, dropping the boxes on the counter. He stops when he notices her. Stoic as ever, a face impossible to forget. “You look rough. Bet you wish you listened to my advice about not getting in the way of bullets.” 

She frowns, but then another figure walks in. He's holding two helmets, sliding the door shut with a nudge of his shoulder. He takes a look at her, evidently unimpressed.

“I heard you were begging to see me. How you managed to live all these years without me, now that’s an unresolved mystery, one of many.”

“I don’t know how I held up, honestly” she replies, voice flat. “Every day I woke up feeling like my life was missing something.”

“Poor thing.” He tsks, mockingly pouting at her, hanging both helmets on the wall. “But I heard you’ve had some interesting characters keeping you company, so at least you weren't lonely, right?”

The bitter undertone is unexpected.

“Rin,” Baekhyun calls, a smile on his face, and a sideways less friendly glare at Chanyeol. “You still like orange soda, right?”

They move like protocol, opening the boxes and taking drinks out of the fridge, Jongin walks out of the kitchen after losing a match of rock paper scissors to Jongdae.

Chanyeol stares at her like she's about to stab someone. The pizza looks too good for her to care.

“So, up to anything exciting?” 

“Not much. You?” 

“Oh, come on. Half of the city’s freelancers are searching for you as we speak. Those were some expensive mercenaries following you around.” 

“Makes you wonder how shitty the cheap ones must be.” she points out.

“You also looked too calm for someone who thought she had a gun pointed at her face.” he finishes, folding a piece of pizza in two and devouring half of it with one generous bite. "Definitely wasn't your first time."

“I didn’t think you had it in you.” she shrugs, taking a first bite. It's good. She has to close her eyes and sigh for a moment. “And it wasn’t my first time, he ruined my favorite jacket the other night, remember? Got my ear ringing for a few days.”

Sehun shrugs. "You got in the way."

“Right, how’d that happen anyway?” He points at his big ass ear. The left one. Eyeing hers like he didn’t get the point across. Her hair is covering the transmitter, but of course, they don't need to see it to know it's there.

She snorts, not amused at all. “Aren’t you too comfortable?”

Jongdae calls his name, something like a warning. Chanyeol drops the subject and focuses on getting his hands on a second slice, Sehun chuckles at the scene.

“You guys couldn’t wait for us?”

Jongin reappears, followed by a familiar face that feels like a punch to the chest.

His eyes scan the room, curious about the sudden silence. It ends when he notices her. There's a flicker there, but whatever he's really thinking is quickly guarded by a stoic expression.

“Why is she here?”

“She’s feeling fine,” Baekhyun shrugs. “I’d be dying to get out of bed after 15 hours of sleep too.”

Do Kyungsoo offers no answer, doesn’t even spare her or Baekhyun another glance. He washes his hands in silence, takes the spot next to Jongin, grabs a slice of pizza for himself and that's that. Her eyes stay on him, surprise slowly dissolving from her face.

And then Baekhyun claps, starling her.

“Shit, I almost forgot. Dessert first!”

It happens at once—a sloppy plan set in motion by Baekhyun’s insistence. Ignoring whatever he has in store, Jiah beats Chanyeol to the last slice of neapolitan while Jongdae helps Baekhyun look for something in their endless cabinets.

"The drawer by the coffee machine,” Kyungsoo mutters.

Someone must cover her eyes for this, Baekhyun insists. Jongin gives her a careful look waiting for her consent. She shrugs, pushing the last bit of crust past her greasy lips, and soon her eyes are engulfed in the warmth of his hands.

There’s the sound of hushing and Chanyeol’s poorly contained laugh, then a click.

“Ok, ready? Jongin, hands off. You can open them.”

She blinks away the flash of white and frowns at them before looking down.

Cake. 

Pink frosting and strawberries. It’s decorated in terrible piping work, topped with those colorful sprinkles that taste like nothing and several thin and tall candles scattered around.

There’s a message in red jelly, off-centered.

“Sorry you got shot on your–”

Whoever wrote it miscalculated the space they had available, so the word birthday has all the letters stuck together and get increasingly smaller.

Baekhyun’s satisfied grin stays put even when he ducks as a strawberry flies over him. Jongdae yelps dramatically when another hits his shoulder, his hyena laugh is interrupted by a long string of complaints.

Jongin warns her not to eat the frosting, because Baekhyun got excited with the food coloring and it tastes like medicine.

“Did you bake this?” she bites down on a strawberry. It's just a hint of sweet but perfectly juicy, it bursts in her mouth “It’s looks like a 4 year old decorated it.”

“Ok, It’s her." Baekhyun says. "Good job, team."

“Do you think I’m some kind of impostor?”

“You have a whole new name, we had to make sure.”

“Wait, so that was your birthday?” Sehun asks, shaking his head when Jondgae offers him a paper plate with a slice of cake. Only Chanyeol seems to be interested in trying it, taking his sweet time getting rid of the frosting.

The cake itself isn’t that bad. Just the usual vanilla cake mix flavor, a little dry but easy to eat.

“No, today is her birthday.” 

“Is it?” Jongin asks, scanning her face.

“Yeah. August 13th.” Baekhyun stops. “Wait, you didn’t–”

The question trails off when all she does is shove another piece of cake inside her mouth.

“I usually celebrate it in December.” 

Several weirded-out looks come her way. 

“Damn, that’s fucked up.” Sehun mumbles, and now he's getting looked at wrong. "What? I’m just saying, if I had two birthdays I’d celebrate both."

Jiah closes her eyes and blows on what's left of the candles. “That'd be hard to explain to other people, though. My friend Irene gets me flowers, but that’s about it."

Irene. Yeri. Taemin. How could she forget? They must be worried about her. Before she jumps down from the stool, once again Jongin answers a question before she gets to ask it.

"It's ok, I told Taemin we left together."

Jiah stares at him in disbelief. "No, it is not. He knows I don't leave parties with random dudes and--"

Jongdae makes a face. "Jongin's definitely not a random dude."

"He knows me too. He'll have fit, but he knows you're safe with me, trust me."

"But Yeri-"

"Fine. He dropped her off at her dorm."

"Where's my phone?" she asks Baekhyun.

"I'm afraid it didn't make it through the night, but--"

“Question,“ Chanyeol asks out of nowhere. "Why aren't you freaking out?"

"Excuse me?"

“Someone put a price on your head, and they’re being generous about it. But you're... worried that your friends won't believe you had a one night stand?”

“It's not my head they want.”

"Excuse me?"

Chanyeol’s lips part, a burst of surprised laughter escaping his mouth.

“Yeah. No, totally.” he frowns, nodding. “They put a hole through you just for funsies. They were just trying to start a tickle fight.”

“He could’ve easily taken me down in the bathroom, but he didn’t.” She gets different looks of disbelief.

Jongdae frowns. “You still got shot after that, and I’m pretty sure that wasn’t just a warning.”

“Those were expensive mercenaries, right? If they wanted me dead, I would be.”

“And this, everyone, is why they tell kids not to do drugs,” Chanyeol gives the room a look, pointing his hand at her “She wasn’t this delusional before.”

“Shut up and eat your pizza, Chanyeol” Kyungsoo says, much to her surprise.

Baekhyun agrees. “Yeah, don’t be a dick.”

Sehun sucks his lips inside his mouth, subtly eyeing everyone.

Jiah shakes her head. “That's fine, I’m not exactly worried about convincing you.” 

“They want you dead.” Chanyeol enunciates slowly, like he’s talking to a foreigner “You were lucky we were there.”

“Probably, yeah.” She’s not gonna deny that. “I appreciate what you did."

He shakes his head at her like she’s fucking stupid.

“What? You want me to suck your dick or something?”

“Alright, this is fun.” Jongdae exhales loudly, moving away to get a glass of water, slapping Sehun’s back.

Chanyeol pushes his tongue against his cheek, nodding at her. “Right. What’s dying for you anyway, right? You’ll just pop right back up in another decade.”

Jongin doesn’t let Chanyeol’s jab sink, he turns to her in genuine curiosity. “Sorry, but can you explain where you're coming from?”

“You leaked those voicemails. Your name might not be on the story, but they know it was you.” Kyungsoo turns, stirring iced tea with a glass straw “You destroyed Lee Chungjae’s reputation right after his father announced his candidacy.”  

“Im Nayeon leaked those voicemails.” she corrects him, and no one notices, but Baekhyun smiles, a spark set in his eyes. “I only did what was necessary to get them to the public. Therefore, I’m the only connection to her.”

“So what you’re saying is that you’re some– kind of medium?” 

“She’s saying Nayeon is alive,” Baekhyun says, leaning over the island and looking at her with excited eyes. “That’s what you’re saying, right?”

“Yes. How did you—?”

“A week after her death her name came up, just like yours.”

“Her name came up?”

Though Baekhyun’s smile stays intact, he visibly pales, and that’s when Jiah knows she just hit a spot.

The question has without a doubt and without her meaning to, landed somewhere. Jongdae and Chanyeol share a look. Only Sehun, Jongin, and Kyungsoo are doing a decent job of keeping their faces straight.

She just knows they’re gonna have a conversation about this later, once she’s gone.

“Why would someone put a mark on a girl who’s already dead?” They visibly relax at her answering her own question. Kyungsoo just barely squints at her. He knows better.

“Shouldn’t you know that? You’re the one claiming she somehow survived that fire” Chanyeol juts his chin at her.

If she had to put a name to the look on Baekhyun’s face, it’d be all work and no play.

“There’s something I think you’ll want to see”.

081422 - 02:58 am

“You know what’s weird?” Baekhyun mutters as she hands him a photograph.

Fresh out of the printer, the girl smiling in it is Yoo Jeongyeon. She was 23 the last time she was seen last year and attended the same university Nayeon did. The only string connecting the two is a few common friends on Facebook. 

Baekhyun tapes her picture next to the other seven photographs on the board. Like the rest of the room, the board’s made of glass, worn out and opaque by the constant use of tape on the surface, unlike the transparent, clean walls around them. 

The station is rather impressive, she had to just stand there when she first entered and stare at the computer station sprawled before her on the only brick wall at the back. 

A cluster of screens stands tall, commanded by a main, curved, and wide monitor, flanked by a couple more of them on each side. And just in case that’s not enough, an extra trio of monitors hangs above, suspended from the ceiling by sleek metallic arms that sell the illusion that they’re floating. All of them on cast a gentle light on the surrounding consoles, keyboard, touchpad, and devices she does not recognize, each meticulously organized and aligned for optimal efficiency.

Her curious eyes took it all in while Baekhyun scratched the back of his head and acted like it was just some humble setup. Honest work, he called it, still in progress. She still can’t figure out what else he can add, or how he can rearrange what’s an already pristine network of wires hidden at the back, and she’s too afraid to ask.

“None of Nayeon’s friends have posted anything about the investigation or the voicemails. That’s weird, isn’t it? If there was a possibility that your friend was murdered, you’d be outspoken about it, right? You’d want answers.”

“They could’ve been threatened” Jiah reminds him, staring up at the eight pictures on the board.

A line of girls stares back at them, all of them undergrad students, just like Nayeon. There’s a pattern in there, difficult financial situations, complicated and sometimes no familial affiliations or support network, and they’re all seriously attractive under current beauty standards.

Two of them are orphans. Two are foreign. The last one, Jeongyeon, makes an exception by keeping in touch with her mother until the time of her disappearance. Baekhyun started working on the list and gathering info with Yixing last year, and so far, every single case has turned cold. Not for a lack of investigating, she has their files, courtesy of Yixing, splayed around her.

“Still…” he mumbles, leaning his head to the side and reaching for his glass of iced coffee, looking startled when nothing but ice cubes hit his upper lip “If one of the girls at the salon were in that situation, you’d ask for the truth, threatened or not.”

Her stomach twists at the thought. She would not stop at asking for it, she’s confident that she’d turn the city upside down until she found them, but who’s doing that for these girls?

“It’s different. It’s my job.”

“Pretty sure you’ve gone past the limits of journalism.” Baekhyun tuts. “But you see it, right? There’s something here. I’m not being a conspiracy junkie.”

“I see it, yeah.”

“Have you tried talking to Nayeon’s friends?” 

“I don’t think we should be focusing on her friends like that, we might not even be focusing on these girls the way we should,” she says, rushing to explain when Baekhyun opens his mouth “Don’t get me wrong, there’s a pattern, but Nayeon was– she left a message and everything, and these girls are all…”

“Silent?” Baekhyun offers.

“Yes.” she sighs, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling. “They’re all silent, it can’t be a good sign.”

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” Baekhyun says, breaking her out of her trance. 

She frowns and snorts. “Did you just quote Wilde at me?”

“The Importance of Being Earnest” he smiles proudly. “Kind of out of context, but it’s true.”

She smiles at him, sighing and looking back at the board. “In my experience, most of the time the truth turns out to be boring and people end up disappointed. Everyone wants a conspiracy.”

“That’s true. But when it’s not boring–” He gives her a meaningful look, and she wonders if that’s what she looks like to other people.

“Yeah.” she agrees, he doesn’t need to finish that sentence for her to know what he means. “This doesn’t look boring at all”

“And it doesn’t look fun either, does it?” he sucks in a sharp breath. "Maybe they’re not silent, we’re just not listening the way we should.”

As it turns out, The station has no semblance of soundproofing. When someone comes in through the kitchen, they can hear the low hum of voices, the sound of keys being dropped and groans of relief as shoes are taken off at the entrance.

A few seconds later there’s a soft knock on the glass.

She doesn’t know what she expected, but it was certainly not Kim Junmyeon dressed in casual attire instead of a suit like the last time she saw him, fresh out of a syndicate debut. Now he looks more like an older brother checking on his little siblings. A dad even.

“Baekhyun, it’s 3 am. I know this is how you choose to live but she needs rest” his eyes look as tired as he sounds.

“Do you think she’s here against her will?” Baekhyun asks, offended.

He walks in, leaving the door open behind him. Jiah thinks she sees a shadow walk past through the living room, but it’s gone before she can notice anyone.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.”

He nods. “It’s what we do”

“And for the lawyer, the other day. Yixing told me” she adds. And maybe it’s the meds kicking in, or the emotional exertion of the day and having to see so many old new faces, but fatigue is beginning to weigh down on her. 

“You did well,” Junmyeon says. “The girl needed help, he had it coming.”

He buries his hands inside the pockets of his jeans, pointing at the board with his chin. There’s a signature curious pout on his face. “What’s this about?”

“Don’t be nosy. We’ll explain in the morning” Baekhyun answers, fingers dancing all over his keyboard with speedy clicks. Junmyeon doesn’t look too convinced, letting out a loud sigh that makes her feel even more foreign in this place.

Do they all live here? Together? At their age? What about Minseok?

“Alright. There’ll be a lot of that in the morning.” he gives her a look she does not reciprocate. “I’m going to bed, you two should get some rest.”

He stops just as he’s about to walk out the door.

“We don’t have a guest room ready, since someone decided to use it as a storage room, so I hope you won’t mind taking Baekhyun’s bed”

“She’s getting the coziest room in this house, she doesn’t mind” Baekhyun speaks for her, standing up and leaning over her to start shutting down his monster of a station.

She catches a glimpse of Junmyeon's reflection on the dark screen that Baekhyun turns off first. He stands there for a moment, looking at them with a pensive expression before he turns around and closes the door behind him.

Some rest might be nice, she thinks, as Baekhyun starts talking her ear off again.

7:34 AM

A few hours later she’s closing his bedroom’s door behind her as quietly as she can.

The house is silent. No one can be bothered to be up so early on a Sunday, and she counts on that being the case until she figures out where her—

“Hey there. You looking for these?”

She can’t escape him, can she? A very sleepy and messy-haired Baekhyun has a hold of her boots and her bag, closing the door across from his room behind him. She gets a glimpse of someone’s sleeping form.

“I hid them, just in case you tried to sneak out,” he explains, rubbing his puffy eyes before stretching loudly. At this pace, he’s going to wake everyone.

“I need a shower” she winces at how loud her voice sounds “And I already stayed here for too long. Can I have them back?”

“Shower?“ he pretends to think over, nodding "We have plenty of those around here, I believe. Soap, towels, shampoo. You still take them at hell temperature?”

She blinks at him.

“Baekhyun.”

“Rina.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I! You can’t just leave on your own until we’re sure it’s safe for you out there, you’re not exactly in the condition to bite attackers either.”

“Am I a hostage?”

She doesn’t like the sweet little smile he gives her. “You’re a guest.”

“But you’re telling me I can’t leave.”

“We can negotiate after breakfast. Come on, I’m giving you a tour of my favorite spot.”

Thirty minutes later she’s waiting for him to pay for a ridiculous amount of overpriced breakfast sandwiches with different fillings. The cashier, a lanky guy with a bored expression on his face and ginormous red headphones swallowing up his ears puts everything inside a bag. 

Baekhyun sends a cheeky smile in her direction, making sure she’s still standing by the end of the counter, shifting uncomfortably in a huge pair of slippers. The lack of socks makes the experience even worse.

“That’s a lot of food,” she points out.

“We’re feeding ten adults, I promise you it’s never too much of anything in our house” he answers, starting the engine.

“Ten adults?”

“I texted Yixing. It’s been a while since we all had a meal together. I don't remember the last time we used the dining table.”

She sighs, leaning her head against the passenger window and trying to find any familiar street.

“Slept well?”

“I’m very uncomfortable with this and I don’t appreciate you withholding my things”

“Oh-kay, someone’s grumpy in the morning.” he chuckles, leaning over the steering wheel as he takes a turn. “Consider this your punishment for trying to leave without saying goodbye. You got a deadbeat father complex or something?”

She glares at him, half-heartedly. 

“Come on, it’s just breakfast with the boys. Best meal of the day, with the boys.”

“It’s not just breakfast, you know that” she mutters, closing her eyes to rest them for a second. 

“Hey, it’s just us,” He surprises her by finding her wrist resting on the seat. His fingers curl around it, giving it a light tug, like a kid trying to get a grown-up’s attention “No one will jump you or anything. I know things are awkward, but they won’t have to be once we all talk and catch up, yeah?”

The red light goes green after what feels like an eternity. It takes him a second to notice, and he’s back to quietly driving them across the street, still not letting go of her wrist. 

“You trust me, right?” he asks suddenly, giving her a glance.

“Seriously, out of nowhere?”

He doesn’t laugh, only turns to look at her with a serious look on his usually relaxed features. “Cause I trust you, Rin. I hope you know that.”

The fuck? 

“Ok? Thanks–” 

“I mean, I don’t know what you’ve been up to, obviously, or what– you know? Happened, but I know I trust you.” he nods firmly, fixing his throat and suddenly avoiding her eyes. "Whatever happened, it doesn't matter to me. I'm just happy to see you again."

She feels the sudden need to get out of the car, but her shoulder would probably combust, so she gives him the softest of nods. The feeling that it's a mediocre reply lingers.

Eventually, he lets go of her wrist.

About half an hour later, she's watching Jongdae fix a generous batch of coffee while singing his heart out to an OST only someone over 30 could recognize. He was the first to wake up, walked into the kitchen, took a look at her and immediately scolded Baekhyun for not getting her slippers closer to her size. 

They belong to Chanyeol and he thinks it’s just hilarious that she walks like a duck in them.

They all come down one by one in different states of sleepiness. All Jiah can think is that life has taken a seriously strange turn, and there’s not much she can do about it other than hold on to a cup of coffee and watch in silence, hair still wet.

“How are you feeling?” Junmyeon asks once again, taking some multivitamins and eyeing a plate of fruit that Sehun tries to keep safe from Chanyeol’s prying hands, asking him for the third time if he washed his hands.

He looks like Jongdae had to drag him out of bed, bed sheet imprints leaving red lines on his left cheek, swollen eyes and messy hair. There’s even dry drool on his chin. She wants to point it out, but they're not comfortable like that with each other.

He eyes the third spoonful of sugar she drops on her coffee but keeps any comment to himself.

“We can ask Dr. Jangmi for something stronger if you need it, just let me know.”

“Alright, thanks. I appreciate that,” she says for what feels like the 20th time in the past 24 hours.

Thanks. I appreciate that. This is weird as fuck though, can we not do this?

“Huh? What's this? What’s going on here?”

There is a soft giggle at the end of Yixing’s question. He's taking his shoes off, stumbling a bit, not closing the door behind him, holding a coffee cup carrier.

“Breakfast.” Jondgae says, and Jiah suspects he made a face. Whatever that means.

“Hey,” he makes his around the island and engulfs her in a careful hug. He's warm to the touch from being outside. “How are you feeling?”

"I’m ok.” she smiles, not being able to help her lips from pouting. “My shoulder’s kind of fucked, though.”

He frowns, shakes his head slowly, hands moving up and down her good arm, leaning down to press his lips to her temple. "I know. I'm sorry. But the more rest you get, the faster you'll feel better again, so don't rush yourself."

She nods, letting her weight rest on him for just a bit, eyes fluttering open when white cotton and a head of thick black hair passes by, startling her.

Kim Minseok is putting two extra carriers next to the one Yixing left on the island top. The door is now closed, but she never heard him come in. And now he's handing people coffee.

Chanyeol thanks him a thousand times. It seems like Jongdae's coffee making skills are controversial, he nags at them about being ungrateful, but walks over to get his cup anyway.

"Oh, that's–"

Jongdae's extended hand stops abruptly at Yixing's interruption. The cup Minseok was just about to give him is now being held by both of them.

"Dirty chai. That's Rina's." he explains.

Jiah, unsure about how to proceed, stares at the cup in front of her face, neither releasing it. Jongdae drops his hand, eyes shifting between them.

Yixing blinks curiously at Minseok, whose face she's avoiding to turn to look at.

Sehun leans over and grabs a cup of his own with his ridiculously long arms.

"Are you guys gonna give it to her, or–"

HIs comment wraps it up. Yixing gives her the cup, smiling down at her and paying no mind to the tilt of Jongdae’s eyebrow or Junmyeon's side eye.

“Oh, before I forget. I told Haneul you're taking a break. He sounded worried, maybe you should give him a call?” 

Right. Haneul. She’s been so distracted that she forgot about him as well. Yixing offers her his phone, but Baekhyun cuts him off and tells her to focus on breakfast while it's still warm.

Kyungsoo is the last one to take a seat at the table, lazily scrolling through his phone. There’s a pair of thick-framed glasses perched on top of his nose. He sighs at Baekhyun’s loud moan when he takes the first bite.

“Just as good as I remembered.”

The table is filled with the sound of eating and the low hum of someone's lofi playlist playing from the speakers. The moment lingers just long enough to become awkward.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I love uncomfortable silences during breakfast, I heard they’re good for digestion,”

Junmyeon stops mid-bite and gives Sehun a look.

“What? I mean she’s here now, can’t you just catch up? Ask her what happened on the third day?”

“Ok, Sehun. Just finish your sandwich.” 

He rolls his eyes, pointedly taking a big bite.

“Didn’t you have something to show us?” Jongin asks helpfully. Jiah has noticed that him and Sehun stick to each other, despite being on opposite ends of several traits.

“Glad you asked,” Baekhyun claps his hands, standing up as he licks his fingers having successfully devoured his sandwich. He disappears for a bit and comes back wheeling the glass board behind him.

Yixing turns to the side in his seat, pointing at one of the pictures. 

“There’s another girl?”

“Yep,” Baekhyun beams, the excited smile on his face melting immediately. He fixes his throat. “Long story short, these girls all are missing, they’re also all students, and they could be connected to Nayeon’s disappearance. We’re thinking they might help us find her.”

“Did you just say find her?”

“I did,” Baekhyun points his finger at Junmyeon, happy that he caught that “Nayeon is alive.”

Other than Sehun noisily blowing on his drink, the silence is heavy with skepticism. 

“We’re keeping a positive mindset here. There is a big, big chance she didn’t die in that fire. The body they found at her apartment was declared burned beyond recognition, and Nayeon didn’t have recent dental work done on her, so they couldn't even look for a match. And before you accuse me of being delusional, Rina came to the same conclusion all on her own.”

“Is this true?”

Jiah nods at Junmyeon. “She sent her brother the recordings through a shipping company days before the fire and scheduled the delivery. He got the package in the mail exactly two weeks after the fire.”

“So she knew she was in danger.”

“Creative.” Chanyeol mutters, impressed “She found a way to let her brother know without putting him in direct danger.”

“And then he tried to end Lee Chungjae himself.” Sehun adds.

“If she went through that effort, she would’ve tried to hide, right? It was only a theory, but Lee Chungjae probably has a reason to believe this as well, and he doesn’t want any loose ends.”

Junmyeon’s face is unreadable. 

“And well,” she points at her shoulder. “I think that night proved my theory.”

Yixing leans back on his chair, crossing his arms. It’s followed by a dry chuckle at the other side of the table.

“Can we just tell her?”

"Baekhyun tries to interrupt, but Chanyeol has a point to make.

"Nah, let her know, or she’ll go out there and successfully get herself killed this time just because she thinks she has backup.”

Jongdae tries as well, not without giving her a careful sideways glance that she doesn’t return, staring back at Chanyeol with just a slight narrowing of her eyes. Her lack of reaction so far has made his demeanor get a little more vicious.

“Let’s not–”

“How do you think they knew it was you, even with your editor protecting you?” Chanyeol finally asks “Your protector snitched on you, didn’t think twice before selling you out to Lee Chungjae’s team. He’s putting good money on his dad's campaign, did you not know?”

“Protector?” she blurts out, neither a question nor an affirmation. “Are you- wait, you mean Namjoon?” 

She snorts.

“I mean, yes? He knew about the investigation. I let him know before it came out.”

“You’re full so of shit. It's just sad.” Chanyeol shakes his head slowly.

“Like I said before, I’m not worried about convincing you.”

“Why?” he dares.

She can't judge him for being so remarkably slow. He doesn’t trust her, he’s probably terrified of whatever he thinks she represents. Yixing didn't lie about people being wary of her.

It’s disappointing to see him handle what he thinks is a threat so poorly, but then again he always was a heart-on-his-sleeve kind of guy. 

Others keep their silence and listen. Kyungsoo, even Junmyeon. Minseok's glare is impossible to ignore.

“Because sometimes being underestimated can work in your favor.” she speaks slowly like it’s a child across from her and not a man two years her senior.

The tension spikes. All these resources, a wide range of skills, a seat at the syndicate, and just a few harmless words make their mood drop.

Junmyeon leans in. “So what I'm hearing is that you put yourself at risk just to... prove a theory.”

“Of course not,” she wonders if he paid attention at all to what she said. “I hoped they’d come expecting to find Nayeon through me, so I set up a lead. It’s not about if they take it but who does. Chungjae's not doing this alone.”

“And did it work? The bait?“ Jongin sounds hopeful.

"I’m hoping it did.”

“You’re hoping it did?” Junmyeon repeats. “It’s been 48 hours, what if they realized you’re bluffing and decided you’re not useful anymore?”

“I’ve got it handled.”

“You never mentioned any of this” Baekhyun says, breaking his silence.

He has a look of disappointment on his face she wants to get rid of, and then she remembers that pale grin he gave her yesterday, like he was about to break into a cold sweat.

“I’ll let you know what I find.” 

There's something happening right in front of her eyes. As much as she wishes she could trust Yixing, his explanation about them being wary about her association with Namjoon doesn't cut it.

Her eyes find Minseok's and she hopes he's better than Baekhyun at subtlety. If getting himself a seat at the table is any indication, chances are he is.

Something indeed, and she's nearly convinced that it goes against the deal he signed a few days ago.

But that's not it, isn't it? There's more to it.

He lifts his chin, just barely, it feels too much like a silent warning. It has the opposite effect he wants. The dirty chai kicks in at once.

“Frankly, I don’t think you’re in the state to be handling anything right now.” Junmyeon’s amused little chuckle kills her momentum.

“I agree,” Yixing says, much to her disappointment “Even if you’re right, it doesn’t mean you're in any less danger.”

“I know how to take care of myself."

“Do I need to remind you that just almost bled out on the way to the hospital? This is obviously getting out of your hands. I won’t have your picture next to those girls'.”

Junmyeon points at the board. He's wearing a ring on his index finger. She's surprised it fits. Maybe he had it resized.

“You can leave it to us this time, we’ll handle it.”

“I appreciate the concern, but it's not your decision to make.”

"Question," Baekhyun says, a surprisingly serious look on his face. "Would it be so bad to let us help?"

“That's not the point. I promised Im Haneul I’d see this through.”

“Wouldn't be the first time you let someone down. He'll survive.” Chanyeol coldly replies.

Her blood starts to boil. They're cornering her, and her patience has a limit.

“Alright, I don’t know what your problem is, but let’s get it over with."

A deep voice has heads turning to the right. “You know what his problem is. Don’t play dumb, it doesn’t suit you.” 

If Chanyeol’s voice was venomous, Kyungsoo’s tone feels like battery acid.

Chanyeol wastes no time. “Only a handful of people survived Hwacheon's fire, how did you make it out?”

“You shouldn’t believe official records, the prison system in this country is a joke.”

“So no complex escape plan? I was expecting some prison break shit from you.”

“Sorry to disappoint.”

He shakes a finger at her.

“I heard rumors, you know? About this girl that worked for Kim Namjoon. No one knew where she came from, not even back in their hometown. They said she was a witch, could sniff out a traitor from a mile away,”

Jiah has to give it to him, he sure knows how to set the mood with the storytelling.

“And then one day, she disappeared without a trace. People said he killed her after she tried to turn on them, others said someone in their circle knocked her up and he sent her away. Whatever happened, she vanished.”

“A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang." Sehun says, arm coming to rest around Jongin's shoulders. He pretends not to hear him.

“I don't know what you want me to say."

“Was it him, Hwacheon’s fire? Is that how you got out?”

To her utter disbelief, he's being serious.��All she can do is open her mouth and close it, look around to see if anyone else understands how stupid that is.

Kyungsoo shrugs. “You’re not denying it.” 

“No, Kyungsoo. Kim Namjoon didn’t blow up a federal facility to help me escape. I can’t believe I have to explain this to you. I didn’t even know them back then.”

“Hwacheon is just ten miles away from Songju, isn't it? Right where Namjoon’s operation started. That was you. November 10th, the prosecutor's kids, the clean up, the start of the syndicate. You were there.”

"I was." she says without hesitation, still not understanding what's the big deal.

"Why?"

"Because they helped me out. And I because wanted to."

“Well, since we all know he cashes in all his favors, I guess the big, scary question here is what did you have to do to pay off your debt after they helped you out? Was it witchery, or was it-” 

“Ok,” Junmyeon interferes, putting one hand on the table. “You’re crossing the line.”

“Don’t worry, he’s not even close.” she says with a light tone, but the slight curl of her lips betrays the cutting edge behind her words.

"I just hope that if you got knocked up, you had the sense to get rid of it. Otherwise, you're an asshole for putting yourself in danger when you have a kid somewhere."

“Wow. When did he become this fucking pathetic?” she asks, genuinely curious, but they're all either too uncomfortable or embarrassed to grace her with an answer.

“Ok, I’ll translate for him.” Sehun chimes in, leaning forward with a serious expression on his face. Jongin closes his eyes and expects the worst. “What he's trying to ask is, did you engage in premarital sex with Kim Namjoon and/or any of his associates?”

Yixing drops his head. Jongin looks kind of mortified but kind of amused at Chanyeol's immediate response, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

“That is not what I’m asking.”

“No? So you’re worried about my hypothetical kid now?”

“Ok. Chanyeol, drop it. Let’s get back on track.”

But she likes this track. She doesn't see the point in dropping it yet.

"If you’re taking the misogynistic route, at least do it right. Don’t be a half-assed piece of shit, it’s pitiful.”

“Rina.”

“I’m not finished, Suho.”

A quick oop follows.

"I get it. I know what this is about. I see you. You're still dealing with your abandonment issues, but that’s not on me."

Chanyeol's face drops.

She carries on, no remorse. "What? You think you're special because your daddy wasn't around to play ball? Give me a break."

“Jesus. Ice fucking cold.”

A sharp grating sound. He forcefully shoves his chair back.

“Hey, hey–”

“Park Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol stands up at full height and others follow. Jongdae tries to talk some sense into him. Yixing doesn’t hesitate to do the same when she mirrors Chanyeol's stance, arm extended in front of her, shaking his head.

Sehun seems to be out of little quips. Like him, Minseok remains seated, looking at the scene from the end of the table.

Poor Jongdae, he's still trying. “Sit down, man. C'mon.”

But Chanyeol's not listening, his jaw is locked in, teeth gritted together. Finger pointed at her, spit spraying in the air.

”You let us all think you were dead.“ 

"I had my reasons.” 

She’s trying her best to not lose it against his stupid loud voice that takes up the room. Her head, her shoulder, her back, they all hurt. She should’ve left the moment she woke up, barefoot.

Chanyeol throws his arms in the air, growling.

“Your reasons? To let everyone mourn you for what? A decade. What the fuck is that about? Who does that?”

“I'm sorry, what’s the acceptable protocol for you? Enlighten me.”

“Dude, you’re seriously not asking that.” he winces, like he'd rather not look at her. “Kim Namjoon, seriously? That was your only option? You. Everything you tried to preach to us. Looking down at us, talking about better ways and shit, like you were some kind of paragon of virtue."

“Ah, fuck off. Seriously, fuck off." she repeats with closed eyes, an exhausted mantra. "Don’t selectively bring shit from the past into this."

"Was that just to make yourself feel a little less bad about, huh? About getting Yuan killed because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut?”

It feels like the air was sucked out of the room. No one was ready for that, perhaps not even Chanyeol. For a fleeting second he looks like he caught himself off guard.

Jiah lets out a shaky, hoarse little laugh, mumbling to herself. "You don't know shit. Not even now."

"You know you can repeat that all you want but that's still the truth."

“You wanna talk about the truth? The only reason I was there that night was to warn you, but you treated me like I was out of my mind. Everything I tried to tell you would happen, happened. That's the truth,"

Silence, she's not done yet.

"And then you got in that stupid car and sped down the fucking street,"

Not even near.

"You didn’t look back. You had the chance to leave it all behind and move on with your life while mine wasted in jail. But now you wanna act like I owe you an explanation?”

There's no way they remember that night as vividly as she does. Every tiny detail, the smell of shitty sewage water against her face, the weight of some asshole’s knee on her back pinning her to the street, the overlapping of people yelling in panic. Red and blue lights blinding her. Blasting sirens.

“I don't blame you. I fucked up time and time again and it’s not like you could’ve done anything to get me out of it.” she admits. 

“That’s right. You fucked up and we fucked up. So you decided that was it? You couldn't reach out for help or at least contact us? Did you not think of the consequences of letting people believe you were dead?”

She can’t help the bitter smile, half of her wanting to ask Chanyeol what he knows about consequences, but he’d mistake that for her wanting to hear an answer. Ten years later it’s not something that interests her.

"Pretty much, yeah,” she replies shamelessly, after a moment of consideration.

“That easy, huh?”

“Honestly, I was miserable back then. I was a kid, I only had you, I thought I could fix it, but everything kept getting worse.” she says, and the dam has not cracked yet, but it might. Any second now. “So yeah, after the fire, when I realized I had the choice to start over, I took it. That part? That was easy, yes.”

Chanyeol blinks at her, like he's not sure he's looking at someone.

“I was very careful. Don't think this situation here happened because of me being sloppy. I never planned to see any of you again, and I was at peace with that.” 

She wants to carry on but her throat feels raw, and Chanyeol’s breathing through his mouth. A couple of fat, anime-like tears spill down his cheek.

The dust has settled and it's clear that the room has shifted. Yixing was just sitting right next and now there’s some distance between them, like she’s exuding toxic fumes. Baekhyun looks like a kid with glassy eyes and a red nose. It’s too late to take back, it’s all out of her chest, too heavy to cage it back up.

“I do have a question though, why are you wearing my rings?”

Kyungsoo stands up, walking past her and stopping just to throw something on the table. The metallic rattle is enough to let her know what it is.

“They meant something,” he replies, chillingly calm. “Back when we thought you were dead.”

“But now that I think about it, I don’t think you made it out of the fire.”

[mgg-81]

Blue [P.CY]

(CREDITS TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS PHOTO)

A/N’s NOTE: WELCOME BACK CHANYEOL! ❣️

P.S.: I know that the sky was clear when he enlisted but this is just for fictional purposes. Also, I feel great that I'm back in writing hehe.

Genre: Fluff with a sprinkle of angst.

Ratings and Warnings: None!

Characters: Park Chanyeol X Female!Reader

Word Count: 549

Date of Publication: 28-09-2022

Blue was the color of the sky when he departed.

It was an angry kind of blue, something that was almost threatening to cry itself over the horizon. Clouds rolled over the heavens like a thick blanket as the wind blew in a tense manner. Had it felt the gloom over his shoulders? Of the people surrounding him? More so, did you feel the ache in his heart as his fingers slipped away from yours and he kissed you goodbye for the time being?

From the beginning, he knew blue was your favorite color; he couldn't deny that blue was and is beautiful, from the atmosphere to the deep blue sea. Blue was both calming and electrifying, from the different shades of the sky to the clothes you wore. Blue was both happiness and sadness. Blue was both a pain and a pleasure. Blue was how you viewed your love, knowing it was unique.

Until then, he had the sky to look at to see the color of whom you love, knowing you are there and able to look at the same sky.

Blue was the color of the sky as he did his duty.

This time it was pastel blue, like a blanket wrapped around a baby that giggled at his mother. The clouds were swirling like the waves that rolled by that went near and away from the shore. Somehow, he felt at ease. Was it because the sky was giving him the mercy of how much he missed you? Or to lessen his burden as a military man? He didn’t know for sure. He wasn’t a weatherman to predict the actions of nature.

However, this blue made him think of how you slept under your favorite blue sheets; how he’d observed your breathing; and how he could almost count the number of your eyelashes and stars on your skin. This blue reminded him of the days when the two of you went everywhere together, you in your pretty little blue dress dragging him along, laughter filling the air. Everything's just seemed fine, with you and with his heart in his eyes.

All the while remembering these, he’d go up and be strengthened enough to finish what he was meant to do.

Blue was the color of the sky when he met you again.

No other shade was incomparable to the most vibrant of blues that Chanyeol witnessed. The sky was clear and the clouds were puffy like cotton candy as if the heavens knew how sweet this day was. Will the sky, he wondered, be able to express the immense warmth in his chest? Is excitement coursing through his veins? He felt nothing but the explosion in his head, but of a good thing. There were a thousand words that he wanted to say, a thousand actions he wanted to do. The adrenaline rushed through his feet as he almost stumbled across the dirty ground. As hilarious as it was, he could never tell.

But no words were ever contained the moment your arms reached out to him and engulfed him in your embrace, as Chanyeol did the same.

And he’s here, back to you.

Safe in your eyes.

Safe in your heart.

"Welcome home," you say, as he brushes his lips against yours with abandon.

[soft-jihoonie]

I Hated You But I Want You - Chapter 2

Pairing: Chanyeol x f!reader

Genre: University AU - enemies to lovers

Warnings: none currently, may change throughout the series

Words: 927

A/N: As always, if you like the fic please like, reblog or reply! I’d love to know what you think

| 1 | 2 |

Chanyeol has sent you way too many flirty texts since you gave him your number 3 days ago, and you have to admit you’re sort of impressed by his commitment as you haven’t responded to a single one.

It’s getting annoying now though as you’re trying to focus on studying in the library, your phone vibrating consistently because Chanyeol is apparently only capable of sending a couple of words per message instead of full sentences.

You shoot an apologetic look to your table mates and pick up your phone, only to realise Chanyeol is actually calling you. You quietly ask someone to look after your things and then head out the library with your phone.

As you step outside you answer your phone, saying “What Chanyeol?”

His voice carries through the phone loudly enough you have to pull it away from your ear. Chanyeol sounds excitable when he says “Let’s meet up”

Your voice doesn’t hold the same enthusiasm, “Why?”

You can almost see the pout on his face when he responds, “Does there need to be a reason?”

You sigh, running a hand through your hair as you say, “Look, unless you wanna talk about our project, I gotta go. I’m studying and I left my stuff in the library.”

You mentally curse yourself as he says, “You’re in the library? I’ll come meet you, I’m in the cafeteria.”

“Chanyeol if you’re just coming to bug me then please don’t bother”

“We’ll work on our project I promise.”

You huff out a “fine” before hanging up and returning to the library.

Chanyeol’s promise was a lie and you should have known it would be.

You’ve exasperatedly spent the last 20 minutes trying to get him to focus on the project but he’s way too distracted. His newest distraction is a pretty girl who’s walked into the library, browsing books in the science section.

You click your fingers in front of Chanyeol’s face and snap out, “God, could you stop checking out other girls and focus!”

Chanyeol turns his attention back to you, a smirk on his face as he says, “Jealous?”

“Could you just pay attention to the project for once? I stopped studying for my exam because you promised to focus!”

Chanyeol surprisingly looks a little sheepish, “I didn’t realise you have an exam, when is it?”

“In 2 days, and I’m really not prepared.”

Chanyeol wrings his hands nervously and asks, “Do you want help studying?”

Your jaw drops open in shock and you say, “You want to help me study? You wouldn’t even focus on our project.”

Chanyeol shrugs, an apologetic look on his face, “Well this is definitely more urgent so can I at least like help by quizzing you?”

There’s nothing exactly left to lose by saying yes you decide, so you nod and pull up a practice exam on your laptop. You pass your laptop to Chanyeol and the seriousness on his face is definitely not what you’re used to.

You spend the next hour running through practice exams with Chanyeol, and he surprisingly manages to stay serious the whole time.

Chanyeol asks you a question and your mind blanks, you can’t for the life of you remember the answer.

You’re visibly getting frustrated at your inability to remember the answer, and it surprises you when Chanyeol’s hand reaches out to squeeze yours reassuringly.

Despite your dislike for him, you feel yourself relax at the feeling, especially when he says, “Hey, it’s okay if you don’t remember, it just means you know to study more in this specific area!”

You nod, taking a deep breath before responding, “You’re right, let’s move on.”

Chanyeol nods, his hand lingering for a bit longer before he finally lets go and goes back to scrolling through your laptop. You ignore the slight sadness you get when he lets go, putting it down to the fact you’re just stressed.

By the time it hits evening, you’ve studied hard to the point where you’re feeling much more confident, and Chanyeol stayed focused the whole time.

You stretch your arms up as Chanyeol slides your closed laptop towards you, not noticing how his gaze runs over your body. Turning to him as your arms flop back down, you say, “Uh, thank you for today, it was really helpful.”

Chanyeol shrugs, picking up his backpack and responding, “It’s no biggie, I’m sure you’ll smash your exam now.”

A little smile appears on your lips as you pack away your things and you’re about to respond when you realise Chanyeol is no longer looking at you. Following his gaze, you see he’s found the girl from earlier again.

He doesn’t look back at you as he stands and says, “Gotta go, see you in class.”

It’s definitely not sadness you feel as you watch him approach the girl, her grinning up at him and touching his hand on the table. The bitterness is just because you dislike his behaviour towards girls, right?

Shaking your head to rid it of any thoughts, you pick up your bag and head out of the library to go home. What Chanyeol does with other women is none of your business, all you need to focus on is your exam and your project with Chanyeol.

Your project that he somehow yet again managed to avoid working on with you. It’s hard to be mad though, he spent hours helping you study. Chanyeol feels so hot and cold, helpful one moment and disregarding you the next.

No wonder everyone complains about working with him.

[an-annyeoing-writer]

Chanyeol x Reader: pyrophobic.

Part One of Nine

Genre: powers!AU

Rating: +16

Release date: 6th Nov. 2022

Word count: 7 173

Warnings: mentions of death & depressive thoughts

He stumbled through the night, tearing apart its dark and coldness. The world surrounding him crumbled in front of his eyes, shattering into pieces. Or was it his world shattering? Maybe, he thought, that was what he was meant to become. Ashes left of what he used to be, of the human he once was. He didn’t feel like a person anymore.

These were his last thoughts before the world he hated exploded around him, swallowing him whole.

*

“Are you sleeping?”

You raised your head abruptly. Your classmate stared at you with his head tilted to the side.

“Huh? Am I?”

Baekhyun – said classmate – laughed quietly at your confused tone, but then his face tensed at the stern look the professor shot at the two of you. He hung his head low in shame, waiting for the teacher to look away, and then glanced at you, stifling laughter once again. You rolled your eyes.

“What are we at?”

“This part.” He pushed the textbook in front of you. You attempted to read the sentence in front of you a few times before your sleepy mind managed to – although barely – get it through your head.

You sighed and glanced up. Your professor’s words were further and further away, and your consciousness slipped away once again.

*

“You’re overworked these days, aren’t you?”

The two of you were sitting in a huge garden in the middle of the university’s grounds, lazily munching on your lunches. Baekhyun almost finished his, and you slowly took in your own, but as you still had almost half hour of a break left, none of you worried about how long it would yet take. The university had this clever idea of having a forty-five minutes break in the middle of the day, officially for the professors, but practically as a lunch break for everyone. The university’s cafeteria was, however, so occupied at that time, that bringing your own lunch was the best idea.

“I’m not. Not really. The semester just started, we don’t have that much to do yet” you shrugged. “I mean, in comparison to how much spare time I have, it’s really not much. I’m just… Dunno. I’m having that weird, uneasy feeling these days. Hard time sleeping, too.”

“Uneasy feeling, huh?” The man rested chin on his hand, playing with the remains of rice in his lunch box, digging sticks into it and then flipping over countless amount of times, at which you stared, curious how long would it take before he’d accidentally flip the rice out of the box. “Maybe it’s the weather?”

“You think we’ll get a tornado?”

“You’re so stupid.”

Catching a bit of rice in the sticks, he threw it at you. It hit your shirt and fell off, so you didn’t even have to move to get it off. You sighed, as if it didn’t bother you at all; you were too deep in thoughts, in fact, to care.

“Seriously though, there had been a huge fire nearby my place.”

“But they put it down, didn’t they?” Baekhyun stared at you expectantly.

“Yeah, and it was some abandoned factory, there were only a few homeless men inside but they all got out when it started to spread.”

“You’ve read into it?”

“I saw the fire there the night before yesterday, it was scary” you huffed, crossing your arms and leaning on the table in front of you.

“How come? Wasn’t it quite far from your place?”

“Safely far enough, but it just… It made me uneasy.”

“I see.”

*

It had been barely a month ever since you started living alone. You liked it, you could say; the independence and possibility to stay away from your family house without feeling like something’s missing. All of your things were in this small flat in a district of closed factories and old tenement houses. A poor neighborhood, probably not the safest, but you weren’t anywhere close to being rich yourself. What you had, was more than enough.

You laid on the couch that served you as a bed at night, since there was only one small room in your apartment, and the second-hand couch was the cheapest thing you found. It was late afternoon, with the sky already covering in shades of red and violets. The sight behind your window reminded you of the glow that you saw two nights ago; the scary thing that kept you awake for hours, which you spent doing as much as you could – looking for news online. The news of fire mixed with the news of other tragedies, and there were many happening in the past few weeks, if not months. Spending hours reading about murders, attacks, even things as otherworldly, in your perception, as companies getting their systems hijacked – a common occurrence lately – had your anxiety spiraling to the levels where even, if you managed to get some sleep, it wouldn’t feel peaceful at all.

Now, days later, you still felt restless.

Sudden knocking on your door didn’t surprise you. Although you had no clue who could be in there, it was as though you spent all this time only waiting for it to echo in your flat.

You stared at your room’s ceiling for some more time, as if the sound didn’t faze you. Only when it echoed once again, had you realized that you should get up and answer whoever tried to get inside your flat.

You stood up from your spot without hurry; your body felt sluggish, because you almost fell asleep while resting. You opened the door without checking the peephole.

A man hovered above you, with his arm resting against the door frame, his eyes hazy, his face covered in dirt, just like his clothes and hands, mixed with blood from small cuts on literally every surface of his skin that you saw. You froze, staring at him in utter shock.

“[F/n]?”

The husky voice, followed by a cough, tore you out of your daze.

“Y-yes? Who are you? How do you know my name? What happened to you…?” The questions spilled out of your mouth even before you could fully think them over. Should you close the door as soon as possible, because the man could be dangerous? You probably should. You would, but not with how your chest clenched at his pained expression, at exhaustion and fatigue visible in his whole composure.

“He told me I can trust you” the man whispered.

And then his legs suddenly gave underneath him, and the only thing that saved him from hitting your apartment’s floor with his head were your arms, extended to keep him from hurting himself while falling.

*

You managed to sit calmly in your chair only for seven minutes and fifty three seconds. That was the time when the constant ticking of your clock started to drive you crazy and you stood up, starting to pace around the room for a change. Your eyes darted to the silhouette occupying your very own couch; the man with many wounds, none of which, fortunately, seemed lethal. You barely managed to pull him all the way to the damn couch and you needed to rest a little before deciding what to do. Because you had, clearly, no idea.

Six more minutes and you sat back down. You glanced at your phone. Should you call someone? Police? Ambulance? It seemed to you as though the man didn’t want any of these, but, to be honest, was it any of your business? Probably not.

You totally didn’t feel like dealing with it alone, so you dialed number of the only person you could trust right now.

But, as if the entire universe was now against you, Baekhyun simply didn’t answer. There was a long silence after his chirpy voicemail instructed you to leave a message after a signal, which you shut down with a red button. You were alone, it seemed. You shot him a short message asking to call you back ASAP and then put the phone down. What now?

Your gaze was stuck on the man lying in your very own bed. His chest moved heavily, his face scrunched in pain. His hair was dirty from dark dust that hid its usual color completely; the same sort of dust covered most of his clothes and face, getting all over your mattress, which you only briefly cringed at – it wasn’t that important now. The blood was dried. And there was also smell: smell of burn, along with one that you couldn’t know, but you could instinctively tell, these weren’t just his clothes that caught on fire.

Fire.

You gulped at the sudden thought that appeared in your mind.

“No. No way. No fucking way.”

He looked like a victim, no matter how you looked at it. Like someone who’d been caught in the fire, maybe trapped somewhere with no escape. How come he didn’t die – you didn’t know. How come he appeared here so suddenly, after a few days had passed – you couldn’t know either. You just had a feeling that you knew, why he decided not to go straight into a hospital, and why he seemed not to want to be found.

God. You couldn’t deal with it now. You needed to clear your mind.

He didn’t seem like he’d wake up anytime soon. So you got up, put on your shoes and left, supposedly to breath in the fresh air, and just hoping so that upon going back, he’d have left your place, sparing you from the trouble you didn’t necessarily want for yourself.

The weather outside was rather chill; in the distance, the sun already hid behind the buildings, and all you could see were pastel colors of the sky above. There were dozens of sounds surrounding you – mainly birds and cars, sometimes the people you passed, although in this area there weren’t too many to begin with. The wind made you regret not taking a hoodie, but you knew you wouldn’t spend too much here now. You just wanted to take a few minutes; you were more than aware that leaving a stranger alone in your very own apartment was not the wisest idea.

You didn’t spend outside even five minutes – that was as long as you could take before going back home. You entered your flat.

There was a quiet voice echoing in your room and you headed straight there.

The man was sitting on your bed with your own phone pressed against his ear, clearly aware that you arrived, but not paying you much attention. But, before he could say anything more – you wished you eavesdropped a bit, but now it was too late – you pulled the phone out of his hand and ended the call without looking at the caller’s ID.

“You don’t touch what’s not yours without asking” you scolded him, pushing the phone into your pocket. The man’s hand was still raised from where he held the phone as he glanced up at you coldly, although deciding not to argue. He dropped his hand and shifted on your bed a little as you crossed your arms, staring down at him, clearly upset. “Who are you?”

“Chanyeol” he replied simply. Good, at the very least, he offered an answer.

“Why are you here?”

“Because you let me in, I suppose” he answered, leaning back against the backrest of the couch, a small, annoying smirk in the corner of his lips.

“…Yes, but why did you come here” you specified.

“I was told I can trust you.” You did, in fact, hear him say it earlier.

“How about you trust a hospital, hm?” You smiled politely, noting how his face tensed tiredly, a blood drop trickling form his nostril. He could have had some internal injuries, and you were in no place to deal with it. You reached to your phone again. “I assure you that doctors can take better care of you than I do.”

“If you make this phone call, I’m going to burn your flat down before they arrive. Put the fucking phone down” he spoke slowly. There was no ounce of amusement on his face anymore – only danger: his eyes pierced through you, confirming the honesty of his threat.

You gulped, hiding the phone back in your pocket; it must have calmed him down enough because his face relaxed visibly. Your own nervousness decreased in result.

“Okay, so… What are you going to do? Should I call a taxi instead? You can go anywhere, I will pay, just…”

“He said I can trust you” he fixated his gaze on you, as though judging whether you were, in fact, trust-worthy. You couldn’t stand this gaze. You glanced down. “I know it must be confusing to you, but I won’t stay here too long. I have no other place to go.”

You pressed your lips together.

“What about the person you were talking to just now? If you need to, I can let you call them again. Can’t they, dunno, pick you up and take you home, or something?”

He stared at you blankly.

“Check your phone.”

That took you aback, but you obediently reached to the device, opening it and entering the phone-calls history.

The last call, lasting not even half of a minute, had the caller’s ID – “Baekhyun” – on it. You let out a gasp, pressing the green button on the screen and putting it by your ear.

“You wait here,” you instructed the man – Chanyeol – and left the room, closing the door behind and entering the small kitchen, hoping that maybe even though the privacy of this solution was limited, you’d at least be able to focus without the man’s silhouette making you nervous with every move he made.

There was a few long beeps before the call was answered.

“Baekhyun?”

“[F/n]? Are you okay?”

You pressed your lips together; what did Chanyeol tell him – you had no idea. But Baekhyun didn’t seem nervous, his question was kind and heartwarming, just like he always was.

“I’m sorry, I went out for a moment and forgot to take the phone.” You were silent for a second. “Can you come here? I think, um… I need your help.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“I’m a little tied up at the moment, but I should be free in an hour, so I could be there, uh, in like two hours?”

Why didn’t he even mention the fact that his phone-call was answered by a stranger, you couldn’t tell. Maybe Chanyeol introduced himself as your friend and managed to do it smoothly enough so that Baekhyun had no suspicions?

But then, you thought, what if he was more dangerous than you estimated, what if Baekhyun coming here would only fuel him, cause him to become a threat to the both of you?

“[F/n]? Are you there?”

You exhaled shakily.

“Y-yes. No, never mind, I’m sorry for bothering you. Don’t come, I will handle this for now, just, uh, make sure to have your phone around, could you…?”

“Of course. I’m sorry, I really need to go now. But, um. Some things are not as bad as they look. Cheer up!” Easier said than done.

“Thank you, Baek. See you around.”

And the phone-call ended.

You put the phone back in your pocket – you didn’t know when you’d suddenly need it again. You stood where you were for a few long moments, hesitating. You knew you should go back to your room – talk to the stranger a bit more, find out more, learn what he expects and how can you get rid of him as fast as possible. After a few more seconds, you decided to take cookies resting in one of the drawers – not because you were being nice, but because they were there for way too long, and you didn’t even know why you bought them, you didn’t like this flavor at all.

With cookies in your hand, you entered your room and threw the pack at the man.

“Thanks” he mumbled, a bit taken aback by your sudden display of kindness.

“Okay. How long do you plan to stay here?

For the next few moments, rustling of the cookie bag was the only reply you could count on. But you waited patiently, and soon enough, Chanyeol spoke.

“Give me three days, alright?”

You let out a deep breath.

“Two.”

He stared back at you, slightly challenging.

“Three.”

You squinted your eyes at him, but before you could say something he continued.

“I can’t go anywhere until I recover. If I manage to get there sooner, I’ll just leave. But I can’t tell for sure how long it’ll take. You can tell I’m not in exactly the best state right now.” He moved just a little, exposing a bit of his chest – a deep purple bruise forming there, one you haven’t seen before, but it seemed to back up his point well enough.

“Alright. But you’re going to listen to what I say and not go out. I don’t want anyone to see you and think I’m engaged in… whatever the hell you’re involved in.” You waved your hand. “And you’re not going to ruin my flat when I’m not here, either. Got it?”

“I won’t cause trouble,” he tried to sound convincing.

You only laughed hysterically at that.

“Sure. Now get in the shower, you stink like a three days old barbecue.”

*

After your emotions fell down a little, you found yourself not half as mean as you were just minutes earlier. The defensive barrier of sarcasm and rudeness finally gave in and you were too tired to argue about anything, anyway. You even borrowed some big sized shirt and pants from an elderly lady that lived vis-à-vis (they belonged to her son who visited at times, she said). But it was clear that the man needed more than just a decent appearance and a heartfelt talk – first of all, he needed his injuries patched up, and there was quite a lot to patch up.

You couldn’t tell if any of his bones were broken. His breathing was labored as he sat there in a daze, drifting off as you tried to patch up his wounds. His skin was warm – warmer than average, and you assumed his body was trying to fight infections. But none of the wounds seemed infected, and he got most of the dust and ash out of them during the shower, giving you a clear sight of each as you disinfected them carefully – you had no idea, if there was any serious injury that demanded more attention than what you could give, but Chanyeol didn’t voice any concerns, quietly taking in your help, only flinching a little when some of the wounds were a bit more painful to touch.

Once, it turned out your first aid kit kept at home was not enough to patch up everything, and you ended up going out and buying a whole stash of bandages and some other supplies you found useful, including painkillers and some antibiotics, and eventually decided to add a pack of dissolvable vitamin pills; you weren’t sure what vitamins he’d need in his condition, but you figured that any would help at least a bit. Chanyeol took every pill you gave him, not questioning them, and drank the vitamins, and when you said he has to drink a lot of water now, he’d go and fill a cup with tap water every hour or so, and you were thankful that he wasn’t acting fussy for no reason. It gave you hope that his recovery would last only as much as necessary, without any delays caused by his recklessness.

For the night, you went to another neighbor and asked them for a spare mattress, since you were “having a guest over”. Luckily, they had one, and you said you’d give it back soon. Not wanting it to get dirty, you stubbornly decided to be the one using it for the time being. Chanyeol stayed on the couch instead, and, hours before you, he already decided to fall asleep, with his back facing you, your blanket too short to cover his entire, lengthy silhouette.

It must have been over midnight already. A couple of hours had passed ever since the mysterious stranger stumbled into your flat, and the variety of emotions that you felt through this time, from shock, objection, sympathy and until sweet acceptance left you so worn out that you were about to fall asleep where you were. That was when your phone vibrated in your pocket, and you reached to it in confusion. The caller’s ID was the same as what you’d expect any other day – you felt like at some point, Baekhyun became sincerely the only person you ever talked to. You glanced up at the huge silhouette in your bed, and then got up, walking quietly to the kitchen before pressing the green button.

“[F/n]?”

“Baekhyun? Aren’t you asleep?” You glanced at the clock, only confirming that it’s way beyond the both of your bedtime.

“Aren’t you? Did I wake you up?”

“Um, no.” You sat on the floor against the counter. “Is everything alright? I mean it is kinda late now.”

“I wanted to check on you. I’m sorry I didn’t really have time earlier, but you sounded distraught. I actually expected it to keep you up, you didn’t sleep too well lately either way,” he explained.

You sighed. Should you tell him all of this? Or should you just tell him you’re fine? Could you even handle this on your own? You felt as if, once Chanyeol leaves, and you would be left alone, you’d always question yourself about what exactly happened, and if you had no one to rely on in all of this, it would only get worse on you.

“I’m okay, but… There’s actually something going on. But I’m not sure if I can share it. I don’t want to bother you with it, either, but just, I want you to know that something’s up.”

“You want me to worry about you?”

“Kinda. I guess. I mean I don’t think I’m in danger…” Weren’t you? Hopefully. “But it’s sudden and I feel kinda lonely in it. So thank you for checking on me.”

“Of course. Are you sure there’s nothing I can do? I want to help.” His calm tone didn’t match the way he usually spoke, but you appreciated it. Usually, Baekhyun’s way of cheering people up was to behave silly and try to get them to laugh. But he also knew when it wasn’t the right thing to do.

“Just check on me once in a while, okay?”

“Well, I hope to check on you tomorrow morning, on the lecture.”

Ah, right.

“Yeah. See you there, then. Go to sleep though, or you won’t wake up.”

He laughed gently.

“Sure. You too. Sleep well, [F/n].”

*

You were slightly concerned about leaving Chanyeol alone in your apartment for the hours to come, but he’d behaved nothing but gentle like a sheep, doing exactly what you told him to and not doing anything that could potentially cause damage, even if he had literally nothing else to do. He was still worn out and barely moved at all, in fact, you felt as though he wouldn’t cause much damage even if he wanted. Ultimately, you left him with food and medicine, giving him very simple but precise directions as to what to do until you came back.

“Do you have a spare phone?” he asked as you were about to leave to class.

“Spare phone?”

“If I needed anything. Just in case.”

You were thinking for a few moments.

“I mean, I have a landline phone in the hall, if you didn’t notice, but I’m not sure if it works, it’s on the flat’s owner. But I don’t think anything better than that, and I definitely don’t have time to check it now.” You glanced at the clock on the wall. Chanyeol only observed as you walked around the room, picking your last belongings. “I’ll leave you my number if you need anything. Please don’t do pranks on people when I’m gone.”

*

Despite leaving in a relative peace, it would be too optimistic to expect not to think about him the moment your classes started. Baekhyun sat next to you in the class, sending you glances once in a while, but since you arrived basically last minute, you didn’t have the actual time to talk just yet. You were distraught and it showed, and Baekhyun only waited until the class was finally over, turning in your direction and staring at you with concern written all over his face. The next class would be in the same room, so you had the comfort of not having to move from your spots.

“Are you okay?” he asked. You stared back, leaning chin on your palm.

“Yeah, I think so. Just tired.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what’s going on?”

You contemplated it for a few moments.

You didn’t feel like you were that close with Baekhyun, as to engage him in everything that happened to you. You had no idea how he’d react. Yet, he was the closest person that you had. But that was, exactly, the reason why you didn’t want to accidentally ruin this friendship.

“I don’t know. I kinda do. But I don’t want to do the wrong thing.”

“I totally understand that, but you do look like you need to talk it out.”

You let out a deep sigh. What to do?

“Maybe next time. I feel like I need to be very careful with it.”

He nodded slowly.

“Alright.”

“Oh, by the way.” Something came to your mind, Baekhyun looked at you curiously. “You called me back earlier, but I didn’t pick the phone at that time, did someone else?” Did he talk to Chanyeol in the end? He didn’t really mention it. But you were sure that Chanyeol did say something into the speaker, right before you entered the room.

Baekhyun’s eyes widened ever so slightly, his hand, fiddling with a pen, freezing mid-air. He didn’t answer for a few seconds.

“…No, I don’t think so,” he eventually said. “Why? Did someone take your phone?”

Now it was your time to panic slightly.

“Um, just… someone was around, just wanted to know. But if nothing happened, then it’s alright.”

Baekhyun nodded slowly.

The room’s door opened, letting in the next teacher. It was still a few minutes left before the next class, but everyone already hushed a little, as if intimidated; the usual, but the professor sent everyone a reassuring nod, meaning that you still have a moment of freedom left.

But, you already felt torn out of context of the previous topic, and so seemed Baekhyun, focused on his studying notes, surprisingly (as for him) deciding to revise them before the class started.

The day passed by rather quickly – unable to focus on anything that the class consisted of, it turned out you dozed off more often than not. Before you realized, it was already afternoon, and it was the time to go back home – to whatever would you see, once you arrived.

You hoped everything would be okay. If the situation didn’t change in comparison to how you left it, then everything would be good, and it would probably stay this way till the three days’ period came to an end.

The weather was warm, way warmer than yesterday – it was actually very sunny, with close to no wind at all. Everything seemed still, like a pan just warming up before frying, warmth erupting from the ground warmed up through the whole day, never cooling down. You didn’t have air conditioning, but the walls of the apartment were always cold, so you knew it would still be cool in there, as long as you got there before frying yourself.

At least you hoped so; the staircase was so chill that you instantly put on your hoodie that you’ve been carrying in your hands until then. The coolness wasn’t as comfortable as you deemed it to be, you concluded.

Then, you opened the door, and it was anything but cold inside.

You panicked. The inside of your apartment felt warm like a kitchen during cooking – except there was no smell of food to accompany that. No smell of burning was present either, which calmed you down; did the stranger turn the heater on? For what? You marched inside, earning to find out what exactly happened.

You could hear the shower running right after you entered the apartment; you closed the door behind, but it quickly started feel like in a sauna, so you ran to open the windows in each of the rooms – it wasn’t all that colder outside, but it had to do. The air felt thick.

“Chanyeol?!” you called out, knocking on the bathroom’s door. No reply came. Was he taking a shower?

But the sound was still – the water ran without any sounds of splashes or disruptions, as if the showerhead was left in one place and nothing was moving underneath.

Despite the thoughts of what it could lead to, you decided to open the door.

The inside was a literal sauna, the wave of warmth made you dizzy, but the sight in front of you made you dismiss the discomfort right away. Your breath hitched, a nervous sensation filling your stomach.

Chanyeol was sitting in the shower, leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. His clothes were still on, but they were soaked through, and since he didn’t close the shower’s door, the water was splattered everywhere around. And it was hot, terribly hot.

You got to him in less than a second, reaching to turn the shower off – the water running was cold, but… only until it touched him. The heat radiated from him, too strong to be cooled down by the water; too strong even for you to touch – you hissed when your fingers brushed over his skin, and moved your hand away.

The man finally opened his eyes, glancing weakly at you, but, as much as you wanted to ask questions, you were completely speechless. The heat made your head spin.

“What’s going on?!” you uttered out.

He stared at you for a few painfully long seconds.

“Get out of here,” he finally managed to say. “Get out. Hurry.”

Before you managed to form a response, his shirt suddenly took on fire, making you let out a shriek and scramble backwards. The room filled with steam, water not warming up anymore – it was boiling, turning into vapor even before it managed to touch him. Too hot, it was too hot, you felt like you were burning alive.

Chanyeol let out a cry when the fire started to spread over his silhouette, and you felt like there was nothing you can do – too hot, even the water couldn’t put him out, not strong enough to fight against the amount of heat, evaporating mid-air.

You screamed when you realized that the nearby towel took on the fire as well, and except for heat, it was the smoke that started to bother you, not tearing into your lungs just yet, but making you realize that the longer you stayed, the more dangerous it would become.

But how could you leave?!

Through the fire and smoke spreading around, you couldn’t see Chanyeol’s face anymore, and it terrified you.

He was burning, he was literally burning alive in front of your eyes. God, if there was one, at least one thing you could do to help him – you would not hesitate. But the fear froze you to the ground, and you weren’t able to think straight, so even if there was the smallest thing you could actually do – it was out of your reach.

Completely stunned and terrified, you didn’t hear the sound behind you; it appeared out of nowhere, and then a sudden grasp on your shoulder pulled you backwards, throwing you on the floor of your hall.

“Stay back.”

Someone ran inside of the bathroom, the door shutting behind them.

You expected noise – any sort of sound, a scream, maybe, or things flying around, anything. You stared at the door, hearing the sound of fire, air still hot and filled with smoke, although dispersed now that you weren’t in the bathroom anymore.

And, despite everything that you’d expected, after barely a few seconds, everything started to die out.

The sounds decreased, the smoke dissolved in the air as it wasn’t spreading anymore. The temperature started decreasing, so suddenly that you felt dizzy, too dizzy to move; you half-laid there on the floor, your arms trembling, but stuck in place, supporting you – even if you wanted to lie down, you wouldn’t find it in yourself to.

The temperature must have still been over twenty degrees Celsius, when you started to shiver from sudden cold.

And it only got colder. Colder and colder, the temperature continued to drop.

It must have been around ten degrees, when the door to the bathroom finally opened again.

The man standing in the door had all your attention, keeping you from looking past him, fearful of what you’d see. Was he alive? Was he burned to ashes? What happened? Why was it cold? Who was this man?

His cat-like eyes stared at you for a few seconds, a bit curiously, but with concern as well. He smiled gently.

“Hi there. My name is Minseok.”

You stared at him, dumbfounded.

“[F/n],” you uttered out.

And then the world went black.

*

His consciousness disappeared and came back too often for him to get a solid grasp of reality.

One moment, everything was okay. The next – he was burning up. Hot, hotter, heat spreading from his core till the tips of his fingers.

Hot, too hot to stand it. He needed to cool down.

The moments in between the few memories that he had were unknown. He remembered reaching the phone in the hall, but he didn’t remember what he did after. He remembered sitting under the shower, and the cold water splashing from the shower head gave him some relief, at least for some time, before it became useless.

And then he saw that girl come in, and he panicked. Everything was a blur, but knowing she’s there made it only worse. Whatever happened, he couldn’t hurt her.

He told him he can trust her. So Chanyeol couldn’t let anything bad happen to her.

The next thing he remembered was the fire around him, and he wanted to cry.

It’s happening again. Oh, god. Oh, no. Not here, not again.

Then, again – nothing. Did he say something? He heard his own voice in the distance, but that, also, was a blur.

The pain of his body burning alive was so well-known by now that it didn’t bother him anymore. But, hell, was he scared. What would he destroy now? Whom would he hurt? Would he survive this? Would he find his way out?

Or would he just burn altogether, turn into ashes?

Suddenly, he felt cold – distant at first, but he could feel it there, something breaking through the inferno that he was stuck in. Deeper, deeper, finally reaching his chest. He wanted to cry in relief, but his eyes were dry, any moisture having evaporated a while ago. And he was too weak to move, his consciousness dissolving again.

Appearing again. It was almost cool, it’s so relieving, so good, no more heat, no more hell.

And it’s gone.

The moment he woke up again, a familiar silhouette stood above his own. It was cold, although his nerves became numb at this stage. So good, not to feel that pain anymore, even if it meant nothing.

“Chanyeol? Can you hear me?”

Minseok crouched down in front of him, touching his shoulder to get his attention. It was unnecessary – he was all in Chanyeol’s range of sight anyway.

“I’m here” he confirmed; his voice sounded terrible, probably due to his throat being drier than ever.

“Can you get up?” the question came.

“Have a wild guess.”

“Then stay here. Will bring you water.”

He glanced over his head, but the bathroom devices had been either burned to ashes or melted. The tile around him was burned too – only at the surface, though, at the very least, not risking damage to the construction. Everything else, though, was burned, melted, destroyed – the few remaining items were the door that didn’t manage to catch the fire just yet, but neither the drawers or the washing machine were that lucky. The damage would be costly and take a while to fix – he only hoped that the pipes didn’t suffer much damage.

The smoke already mostly dissolved, as the windows must have been opened outside, he noticed now – the fresh air coming in fast, soothing his lungs.

The pain came back as his adrenaline started to run out; the burns on his body were incomparable to what they should be with the temperature he was put under, but they were still there – he could stand fire far better than anyone else, but he wasn’t completely immune. The temperature wasn’t too harmful, but the fire always caressed his skin, sinking in and leaving the nasty black layers afterwards, at least on the outside. It was ridiculous – the damage to his own body was enough to taunt him, but never enough to kill him, even though, drowning in the inferno, he had so many times wished for it to happen.

Chanyeol didn’t really want to die. The wish to burn completely was there, but, at the very core, the man just wanted for the hell to end. Whether such a death would be a justice served for his sins, or – quite an opposite – a promise of freedom from his own torment, he couldn’t tell.

“Here.”

Minseok came back with a bottle of water and basically pushed it into his mouth. Chanyeol didn’t hesitate before drinking it up in one go.

“You need to wait here for a moment. I need to check on that girl, she’s a bit more fragile than you.”

He didn’t answer. The bottle of water was gone in less than a minute, but he waited patiently, trying to look through the entry, see what’s happening in there – is she okay? His eyes widened ever so slightly when he noticed Minseok kneel down. It meant she was on the floor… Then, he was picking her up. Was she unconscious?

Oh, god. Oh, no.

He wanted to cry again, but his body was still too dry to manage that much.

And so, he decided to lose consciousness again.

*

You opened your eyes, staring at the ceiling blankly.

It was the same ceiling that you very well knew, one that you’d been waking up under every day in the last month. There was nothing peculiar in it, and yet, seeing it stunned you for the first few moments – that was, until the memories of what happened came flooding back to you, and you sat up abruptly, looking around the room.

A man sat by the table in the corner, doing something on the phone. His cat-like eyes scanned the screen, so he must have not noticed that you’re awake. However, you soon realized, he was the only other person in the room.

“Where is Chanyeol?!” you almost yelled, your throat uncomfortably dry.

The man glanced up at you, scanning your body reactions, especially as you got up. There was a slight frown on his face, until his features eased down and he put the phone down, lifting his hands in a calming gesture.

“He’s okay, a bit roughed up, but he’ll be okay.”

“Where is he?” you asked, wrapping arms around yourself. You were confused and lost; your head was pounding.

“Our friend came to pick him up. He’ll stay with us, so you don’t need to worry. I’m going to go too, just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” He watched you intently for the next few moments, but when you didn’t say anything, he spoke again. “Your bathroom is not really in the best state right now, and it would probably be the best for you not to ask for insurance. If they come here to check what happened, I can’t tell what their conclusions may be, but it’s not likely to look like an accident. We’ll pay you back for renovations, but you probably want to stay over at someone else’s place until it’s fixed,” he spoke calmly, not taking his eyes off you.

You nodded slowly. It was too much to proceed, but the bathroom was the last thing on your mind right now.

“What happened, though? I mean… What was that?”

Of course, you wouldn’t let that go – he hoped you’d be too stunned to ask, and it would just be left as it was.

“Don’t worry about it, it won’t happen again.”

“Was this what happened in that old factory? Three days ago?”

He stared at you knowingly, fiddling with the phone back in his hand, spinning it against the table’s surface.

“Don’t think about it. I apologize for the inconvenience, but it’s only as much as I can tell you” he spoke, finally breaking his gaze away, standing up. “It’s the time for me.”

“No. Wait. You need to tell me more” you objected, standing up right after. Your legs felt like a jelly, but you managed to stand straight before the man could run to catch you from falling – from his body language, you could tell he was about to. Did you really look that weak?

He sighed, pushing the phone into his pocket.

“It’s really not something I can share with anyone. I’m sorry that you had to suffer from it, but you really have nothing to do with it.”

“What do you mean, I have nothing to do with it?!” You stood in his way before he managed to leave the room. He could easily push you away, but he waited patiently. “When he came here, yesterday, he said someone told him he can trust me. I don’t know who it was. But I’m not just a random person in this, I need to know what’s going on.”

Minseok frowned at your words.

“I’m sorry, but I had no idea this is the case. I don’t know who could have told him that.” He stared at you for a few moments. “Leave me your phone number, if I find out anything, I’ll let you know. I can’t do anything more now, though, sorry.”

You exhaled shakily, but finally accepted what you’ve been told. Minseok gave you his phone for you to put your number in.

And that was, in fact, all that could be done at that moment. Exchanging rather short good-byes, Minseok was gone, and you were left alone with your own thoughts.

And, hell, were there many of them.

Please, reblog if you enjoyed!

[biaswreckingfics]

Can I request 131 with exo chanyeol??? 🙇🏾‍♀️🙇🏾‍♀️ 💕 need to fill my spoopy heart 🖤😌

Demon!Chanyeol + Spooky -Hope this fills your spoopy heart 🖤-

TW: set in a mental hospital

(Go ahead and pray. See what good it does.)

"Here's your pills."

You glare at the nurse as she holds the clear cup out to you. The colorful pills inside slide along the bottom when she shakes them. Reluctantly, you grab the cup and throw the drugs into your mouth while she waits patiently for you to swallow. She hands you a small cup of water and you take a big, greedy gulp before showing her your empty mouth.

"I'm not crazy."

"I know, dear."

She takes the cups from you and turns away. You silently curse at her back because of her placating tone. She thinks you're crazy. They all do, which just really pisses you off. They think they're helping by telling you what you want to hear. In reality, they're making you feel more alone and causing you to question yourself.

You know what you experienced was real. Nothing you told them had been made up, and you certainly haven't had a mental breakdown.

Something evil is messing with you.

It all started a few weeks ago. The footsteps and banging that suddenly filled your apartment quickly turned sinister. Scratches and bruises would show up on your body for no reason, something had physically pushed you from behind when you were walking down the hallway and then came the hallucinations. You'd see a fire break out in your room only for it to be gone moments later.

When you went to the local church for help, they turned you away because you weren't a member of their congregation. You tried another close by church and it was a similar story - you weren't in their denomination so their hands were tied. It was bullshit.

You contacted your local paranormal group, but the earliest they could get to you was still a week away. You thought you could make it, but one particularly bad night had you running out of your apartment screaming. The neighbors called the cops and you were sent for a psych evaluation, which was also bullshit. It's 2022. A shit ton of people believe in ghosts, but they draw the line at demons?

You turn back into your sterile, white room, feeling angry all over again. When the door shuts behind you, you assume it's the nurse, but then that rotten sulfuric smell floods your nostrils. Your heart pounds rapidly as you turn around toward the stench and find a man blocking your exit.

His almond eyes and round cheeks give off an innocent appearance, but you can physically feel the darkness rolling off of him in waves. He already towers over you height-wise, but the evil presence that he's projecting makes him feel even bigger, more powerful.

Immediately, you yell for the nurses, doctors, anybody that can freaking hear you, and the man laughs. It's a deep sound, and it sends chills up and down your spine.

"Nobody can hear you." His eyes turn fully black as he says, "Nobody is going to come and save you. You're mine to play with how I want."

Prayers fall from your lips. If he's truly a demon like you think, then only good can save you, so you try to put as much power behind your words as you can.

The demon only laughs, amused by your attempt. "Go ahead and pray. See what good it does."

As he approaches you, you back up into a corner and hope someone hears your prayers, but you fear they never will. 

[xerceii]

God’s Eye - Part 3 & 4

Pairing: Chanyeol/OC

Genre: Fantasy, Action, romance

TW/Warnings: 18+ included some gore, a scene with vomit, violence, murder, smut in future chapters, multiple sexual conversations, religious talk relating to God and the devil

Plot: Ahn Jung is a 25 year old office worker who underwent eye transplant surgery, she never thought that the donor would be a demon.

Note:

I’ll just post the next two parts

Masterpost is here

Part 3 - A contract

Ahn opened her eyes.

Her body felt sore and her throat burned. Almost as if she had swallowed glass. Did she scream in her sleep too? She sat up, at least her glasses had stayed on. Though she didn't remember coming back home. Her apartment was dark. It was rainy today and it will be rainy for the next two days. The clouds had covered the morning sun, rain pattered against the glass of her window.

That means it'll be humid. She groaned and fell back. Something poked her arm in the process. Ahn grabbed it and put it towards her face. "Huh... a stick. Wonder how that got there." She threw it aside and decided to go back to sleep.

"Ya! Wake up already, don't humans only need eight hours of sleep? It's been thirteen."

Thirteen? Wow, she had been tired. Ahn waved him off and twisted so her foot was outstretched. Of course surgery can do that to a person. She'll just have to make up for it later by going on a run. Wait-

Ahn gasped and stood up. She started hyperventilating. Yesterday? It had all been real? Sure enough her sheets were full of blood and dirt, small twigs and leaves had snuck their way in as well. Her knees were completely damaged. The top layer of the skin peeled off. It made her queasy. She fell over and the demon stepped out of the way so she wouldn't fall on him. "You're real."

"Very." Chanyeol looked impatient. He was frowning and looked a lot less excited than he had last night. He sighed and grabbed her arm, pulling her up. He led her to the window and pointed.

Outside below her window were seven figures. Humans, normal looking humans except they only stared at her. No emotions planted on their face, no movement that indicated that they were alive. Nothing. As if they were mannequins made of human flesh. She felt like throwing up. Ahn ran to the bathroom, closing the door and locking it in the process. Turning on the sink, she splashed water on her face.

This was real.

She hadn't been dreaming.

"Doors don't work on me." Chanyeol grinned, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. "But they do work on the lowly demons outside your apartment."

"Get out!" She shrieked. "You pervert! I'm going to shower! Get out!" Ahn knew she should've worried about the demons outside her house waiting for her, or her destroyed knees. Yet right now, she couldn't hide the blush that crept up her neck. Her face felt warm. She had never had a guy at her place before, much less someone as... attractive as him. She threw a towel at him and it landed on his smiling face.

He deserved more. Ahn threw her toothbrush next, her toothpaste, face wash, anything she could find close by. Chanyeol ripped the towel off his face and stood up. "Pervert?! Me? Ya! Do you know who you're talking to?"

"A pervert!" She yelled. Ahn became brave. Forcing her legs to walk, she gripped his arms and led him out of the bathroom. "You're not supposed to intrude on women while they're in the bathroom you idiot!" She shoved him out and closed the door. He didn't look angry anymore but confused. His brows had knitted together as he contemplated what she told him.

Ahn leaned against the door, gasping for air. How stupid was she!? She just called a demon a pervert and kicked him out by force. She groaned and fell to the ground. This was too much to handle. Her brain couldn't process all of this. The demons, her eyes, everything that had happened last night. Right her eyes. Ahn went towards the mirror, taking off her glasses.

They definitely had changed. No more pretty brown eyes. They were exactly like Chanyeol's. They were his eyes... Ahn wanted to cry, but she didn't let it get to her. Instead she showered. Letting the water wash away all the blood, dirt and trauma from last night. When she got out, she would accept it and continue on. Learn about it more. Ask that pervert demon for more information.

He was sticking around her for a reason.

Ahn finished, taking care of her knees first, she wrapped a bandage around both of them and then wrapped a towel around her. When she went to the door she stopped. Was he still here? Cracking the door open a little, the smell of sausages and rice filled her nose. It smelled heavenly. Her mouth watered, she was hungry. Ahn poked her head out to see Chanyeol had changed from his weird turtleneck and leather to a normal human looking hoodie. It made her blush even more. Is this what having a boyfriend felt like?

No stop! Stop it! She slapped herself and the demon turned at the sound. "Finally." He rolled his eyes, stirring the fried rice. The rain outside picked up and she felt embarrassed. "I need to get dressed."

"What?" He spoke impatiently.

"I'm naked! I need to get clothes!" Ahn snapped at him again.

Chanyeol looked bewildered. He shook his head and walked over to her dresser. "I'll get it. What do you want?"

"No- no it's fine, I can get it." Ahn muttered not wanting him to see her messy underwear drawer. Chanyeol shrugged and went back to the kitchen. Ahn stepped out. "I need you to leave so I can get dressed."

"Ya! I'm not looking!" He spoke frustrated. "I forgot, before... I forgot how these things work. I wasn't trying to be a pervert."

He sounded embarrassed. Ahn laughed at that, not really sure how demons could get embarrassed and went to get her clothes quickly. "I'll get dressed in the bathroom."

She found a long black dress that was good to stay at home with and decided to go with it. Ahn ran back to the bathroom and quickly got dressed. He's weird. Was he actually a demon? Why was she so calm about having this strange man in the house? She shouldn't be. That was dangerous, she should question him more.

That's what she had decided on in the first place.

Ahn left the bathroom and sat down at her mini dining room that was really a small round table that only fit two chairs. Chanyeol carefully laid out the food in front of her and even went as far as giving her a glass of juice. Ahn raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"What?" He said, sounding like he was close to losing his temper.

"Why are you cooking for me?" She asked.

Chanyeol took a seat in front of her. His elbows rested on the table while he crossed his fingers, laying his chin on top of them. "You need to heal quickly. You strained yourself last night."

He was being nice. Why...?

"Can I trust you?" Ahn asked suddenly. "I mean, you're a strange man in my apartment. Am I safe?"

"No." He admitted. Chanyeol leaned back on his chair. "You are with me, but you're not safe. Also I'm not some strange man." He pointed at her glasses. "I'm the one who gave you your sight back."

"Oh." She touched the lenses softly. "Should I say thank you?"

"No. Now eat. You need your energy."

Ahn looked down at the stir fried rice. It looked so good...but she couldn't trust it yet. He could have poisoned it. She pushed it away and he stared in shock and anger. "Tell me everything first."

Chanyeol looked annoyed at that but nodded. "Fine. I'm a demon, those eyes used to be mine, they were transferred to you. Because of that all these lowly pathetic demons are trying to get their hands on you because eating you would make them more powerful."

Ahn choked on her juice. Chanyeol made a disgusted face and scooted his chair away.

"Eat me?!"

"Aish-" He went to the kitchen grabbing a napkin and came back. To her surprise, Chanyeol went behind her and started wiping her mouth like she was some sort of child. "They eat you, they get a piece of me. I'm a very powerful demon." He finished wiping her mouth and had the nerve to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. Ahn jumped up in panic.

"So-" It was suddenly hot. Too hot. Her face felt red again. "W-what about the people in the black robes?"

Chanyeol looked at her and down at his own hands. "The light of God. TLOG for short. A stupid cult that's been on my ass for decades now." He shook his head. "Last night was the closest they've been to actually killing me. I blame you for that."

Ahn gripped the edge of the wall. "Demons, cults, god... I don't get any of this."

"I know, because you're stupid."

She frowned at him. "How can I trust you? You said I'm safe with you but I haven't heard a good reason why?"

Chanyeol walked towards her, so close that her back pressed against the wall and their chests almost touched. He was so tall. He smelled good... like expensive cologne. Can demons actually smell like that? He tapped on her glasses. "Because I don't want my eyes eaten and I don't want myself exorcised. Is that reason enough?"

It was. She gulped and nodded. He was so close. So....handsome, he was very handsome. "S-So how do I stop this? What can I do? I can't keep fearing for my life."

"Indeed you can't." Chanyeol leaned even closer, his hand pressing against the wall beside her. "There is one way to speed up the process. A way to make it harder for the other demons to get to you."

"What is it?"

"A contract. Between human and demon. It's something that's been done for centuries now but it's looked down on, well you can imagine why. This way you'll belong to me and I'll belong to you. It'll add a new barrier of protection." Chanyeol stared into her glasses but it felt like it was burning through the flimsy plastic and through to her actual eyes.

"And how do we do it?" Ahn didn't like the sound of this. Being tied down to a demon sounded like something straight out of a horror movie. She would definitely need to be exorcised after that. Maybe even possessed. Was he able to possess her? Chanyeol brought his mouth to her ear, her breathing picked up.

His lips lightly touched the lobe and it took everything in her not to make a sound. Ahn had never experienced this type of feeling before, her stomach flipped and heated all at once. He was so close. Too close. Were all demons like this?  "How?" She asked again, trying to keep the conversation going. His breath tickled against her skin. It sent a shockwave through every nerve she had. Her body became painfully aware of his build and length.

He was so nicely built.

"We have sex."

                              ____________

Chanyeol held the ice pack to his cheek. It burned like hell. Of course it did. That girl carried demon power in her. It had been able to go through the veil that separated the mortal world and the spirit world. All of that energy so she can land a slap on him.

"Aish!" He kicked the stool in front of him and it fell over, earning another scolding from Kiol. He didn't listen. What did he do wrong? He heard her heart rate pick up? She blushed? He cooked for her? What else could he have done? He was handsome too? Didn't that count for something?

"Maybe you're not her type." Kai grinned cheekily. Knowing it would set him off. Chanyeol threw the ice across the room, hitting a demon in the process.

"I don't get it. I failed?" Chanyeol had never failed before. Not with women at least. Though he hadn't tried the contract too many times. Only twice. One for a similar situation and the other... he didn't want to think about it. "I never fail."

Kai smiled, enjoying this a little too much. "Fine, I'll help you out, you're probably just rusty. It's been a while since you've even seen a woman. Demon and human alike."

"Shut up."

Kai picked up the stool and sat down in front of Chanyeol. "Tell me what you did."

Chanyeol told him everything. Even the embarrassing part like being called a pervert in the bathroom. Kiol listened in as well. When they finished he wanted to kick the stool again. This time just so he can send Kai rolling away. They both started laughing. They laughed for quite a long time until they were nearly out of breath. He didn't even know it was possible for demons. Kiol continued laughing, shaking his head and leaving to serve a group of demons their drinks.

Kai tried calming himself down but couldn't. "I'm sorry it's just that, I never thought I'd see one of the most powerful demons in this situation."

"Shut up." Chanyeol repeated himself.

"Wow, humans are a lot braver these days aren't they?" He chuckled and twisted to lay his arms on the bar. "Your first mistake was calling her stupid. Everyone hates being called stupid. Your second mistake was being nice and rude at the same time you probably confused her. Push and pull is good but not like that."

"I was nice."

"Not nice enough. She wants to trust you, so you need to be able to gain it. Become friends with her."

Chanyeol gritted his teeth. This was too much work but it would be a lot shorter than waiting for her to age and die off. That would be annoying. He didn't think he could spend that many years around her. So his only choice was to have her give him his eyes willingly. He had lied to her. The contract wasn't an equal trade. Demons would never be that stupid. Once it was made he was able to own her. It was the oldest trick in the book and something that traced centuries back. He would be able to get her to do anything he wanted. He planned to get the contract over with and demand she clawed her eyes out for him once they fully healed. He wanted to kick something again. "What do I do then?"

"Your third mistake is thinking she'd just want to sleep with you. Seriously you've gotten stupid haven't hyung?" Kai laughed again. "Listen, you have to romanticize her. Take her on dates."

"No."

"Make her feel like she's wanted but also respected."

"She's not wanted nor respected."

Kai raised his hands in defeat. "Then have fun spending the rest of her life protecting and being around her. You did well cooking for her, and explaining everything to her but try to be nicer."

Chanyeol didn't say another word. He was beyond annoyed. He stood up and left the bar. The gates to it glowed as he exited, finding himself back in the mortal world. In a liquor store that had been abandoned in the eighties. Chanyeol kicked a bottle and ran a hand through his hair. "Be nicer huh?" He had always been competitive. Maybe if he saw this as a competition or a game it would work in his favor. Fine.

He can be nice.

The nicest demon anyone had ever encountered.

Part 4 - It’s hard to Process:

Ahn hadn't been working. She should have but Chanyeol's voice kept ringing in her ear.

Sex.

We have sex.

Sex....

Intercourse??!

She groaned, leaning back on her office chair. The cubicles around her were mostly empty due to many people quitting recently. So now it was just her, Aera and Baekhyun on this floor. Aera had called off today, which wasn't surprising. She hated the rain. Baekhyun was in the cubicle in front of her. He wasn't working either. From what she could see he had been twirling his pencil while staring at the ceiling for the last thirty minutes.

Sex... Ahn wanted to scream. Why did she slap him?! Why did he disappear the second she had?! Chanyeol hadn't even looked angry; he had been as shocked as she had been. It served him right but...why did she do it?

"You're groaning a lot over there." Baekhyun leaned out of his walls to look at her. "Diarrhea?" He joked.

"Stop-" Ahn looked at her friend. He was human but he was as equally as pretty as Chanyeol. It helped her calm down. Sure, the demon was good looking but it didn't mean he had a right to ask that of her. To be so forward with her. Baekhyun tilted his head curiously, white hair falling over one eye.

He was beautiful. He had dyed it that color because requiem decided to make him the center for his good looks. It fit well. When he danced he looked like a celebrity and even when he didn't, he did. Ahn looked at him and asked her question before even thinking. "What do you think of sex?"

"Sex?" Baekhyun looked surprised. He then smiled and gave her a thumbs up "It's great!"

She threw a pen at him in response. Baekhyun dodged and laughed. "I'm being serious! It's great! Why ask though?"

"This guy asked me..." She stopped. Ahn couldn't tell him about Chanyeol being a demon or how she was in danger. She couldn't tell him anything so she made up a lie. "Hmm, this guy I went out with asked me to sleep with him on the first date."

A very very big lie.

Baekhyun stood up and walked over to her. "Ya! Who was it? I'll beat him up. Do you want me to talk to him? That's not how you treat a lady barely out of surgery."

She laughed and shook her head knowing very well that even though he sounded like he was joking, he meant it. It's how he was. He stopped and contemplated. "Unless you were okay with it, then no judgement here-" He winked.

"I'm not sure how I felt." She admitted.

"Then I would go on a couple more dates to see how you feel." Baekhyun placed his hands on his hips. "If you feel weirded out by him then-" He popped his lips and pretended to hit an invisible ball with an invisible baseball bat. "Out he goes."

She nodded, not really knowing what to do with that advice. It's not like she had been on a date or anything. How could she even face Chanyeol after slapping him like that? And why was she embarrassed of him as if he was actually a human and not some weird creepy demon? Ahn groaned and Baekhyun mimicked her, going back to his desk. The elevator door dinged and Sunja ran in. "There's a really hot guy downstairs asking for you!" She ran up to Ahn, grabbing her shoulders.

The smaller female shook her violently in a way she could feel was playful jealous. Sunja was a lot like her. Same age, in the same dance group and has never had a boyfriend. Both were good at dancing and both got along because of the mutual understanding that love was hard. Unlike her though, Sunja had 20/20 vision and was a lot smaller than Ahn. Also unlike her, her bangs were thick in the front while Ahn decided she wanted curtain bangs.

"You should have told me you got a boyfriend, the betrayal hurts!" She pinched Ahns cheeks and Baekhyun watched amused. Just like Ahn... Sunja was equally dramatic. Ahn whined trying to get Sunjas fingers off of her cheeks. They both started struggling while Ahn complained that she was going to pop them.

The elevator rang again and Baekhyun whistled. Ahn ignored him, trying to get Sunja off of her. Sunja decided to hug her now. "We were supposed to be in this together! You little snake!"

"You're going to kill me! I can't breathe!" Ahn yelled at her.

"We can't have that happening can we?"

They both stopped and looked at Chanyeol who was staring at them with the same frustrated look he seemed to sport around her. He was back to his leathers. He looked like the demon she met the other night. Except his eyes were a normal brown. Chanyeol suddenly glared at Sunja "Why are you hurting her? She's important to me."

Baekhyun bursted out laughing and it had Chanyeol turning his attention to him. Ahn was too busy dying of embarrassment.

Why would he say it like that?!

Sunja let go of her and went towards Baekhyun who was now standing up. He was significantly shorter than Chanyeol but both Ahn and Sunja were thinking the same thing.

They were alike after all.

Handsome. So handsome. Both of them.

"Are you the one who asked Ahn to have sex with her?" Baekhyun asked, no longer the jokester. His eyes were shooting warning daggers at Chanyeol and Chanyeol was returning them.

Sunja looked at her in surprise.

"I did. Why?" Chanyeol asked.

"Wait," Baekhyun laughed sarcastically. "That's not how you treat my friend. Don't start making her uncomfortable."

Chanyeol snorted and looked at Ahn. "Let's go. We need to talk."

Sunja seemed to be angry at him now too. She walked up to Chanyeol. "You pervert! Is that all you want from her? Tell us the truth!"

"Pervert?! Why does-?!" Chanyeol looked annoyed now. "Humans are so-" He stopped both sentences and smirked. "And what if it is? What if all I want is to touch her and pleasure her?"

Ahn's eyes widened. The heat in her stomach came back. Her eyes roamed over his body. No. Stop letting him win! Ahn took off her glasses and threw them roughly on the ground.

"Ya!" Chanyeol immediately bent to pick them up. He placed them back on her head carefully, earning bewildered glances from both her friends. "I told you to take care of the eyes!"

"See he cares about me, he's just being silly!" She said awkwardly. Ahn grabbed Chanyeol's arm, tugging him away from them and towards the elevator. He was dangerous. Maybe not to her, but probably to her friends. Surprisingly, Chanyeol let her lead him out. They reached the elevator and she waited until the doors closed to yell.

"Why were you trying to get them mad?! Why did you say that stuff? We barely know each other and you're already getting involved in my life like this? How'd you even find out where I worked?"

"How are my eyes?" He ignored her.

"My eyes are fine. They're healing." She muttered annoyed. Her blush hadn't gone down and she still wanted to keep touching him weirdly enough. Chanyeol crossed his arms, lost in his own thoughts.

Her hands formed into fists. "I'm not having sex with you. I've decided. Even- even if it'll help our situation and create less threats for me. I can't. Like I said we barely know each other and I've barely met you. It'd be weird." Plus she was a virgin. She didn't want to tell him that part though.

"Fine." Chanyeol shrugged. The doors opened and he walked out. Ahn followed behind. They left the office building and went out into the rainy streets of Seoul.

"Fine?" She asked. "So that's it? For a demon you're pretty lenient."

"I won't force you to. If you don't want to then fine." Chanyeol pointed across the street to two figures similar to the ones that had been outside her apartment. They smiled and stared at her like she was going to be their last meal on earth. Ahn edged closer to Chanyeol and he stepped away from her. He then frowned and went back to stand beside her. "Ah...Don't worry I'll keep you safe. They're not strong enough to take me on so they won't attack today. Though it's going to be annoying having to protect you twenty four seven."

"Thank you." She grabbed his sleeve and they walked across the street. Her heart pounded. Those faces were inhuman. Waxy and glazed over. Evil puppets. It was terrifying. Chanyeol put himself in front of her and they faded away. Like mist or fog the demons left.

"Don't be. I shouldn't have thrown that option out like it was nothing." Chanyeol grinned. "I mean for me it's nothing, but I know humans are sentimental creatures. Know each other or not, Demons run on different time. Five years can seem like an eternity for us."

"I think depending on the situation, it can seem like an eternity for humans too."

"What do you mean?"

"Like if you're trying to figure out life for example. Five years sounds like a long time, an eternity to get it done but before you know it, it's reached you. Time is scary like that for everyone. Even demons I'd guess."

"Interesting." Was all he said.

In five years would she be married? Would she have finally found a husband? A boyfriend even? Would she still be a virgin? Ahn looked at Chanyeol. He was technically her type. He was anyone's type. Tall, handsome, good voice.

"Maybe if we-"

He stopped to listen to her and she closed her mouth. What was she saying?! What was she about to suggest?! If they went on a couple dates and started dating? Of course he wouldn't want that. Ahn shook her head. "-Nevermind."

She wanted to run now. Not run away, but just run to get all these pent up feelings out. Looking down at her shoes, she shrugged and took off. They weren't the best for running but not the worst. At least she hadn't worn heels today. Behind her she could hear Chanyeol yelling at her. Ahn ignored him and kept running. It felt good to run. Small droplets of water hit her face and she took them all in.

Her knees ached but it was fine. Chanyeol was running behind her. That's fine too. Ahn ran into the park and started her first lap around the track. It's something she always did after work. If not, she would go and practice dancing with Baekhyun, Sunja and the rest of requiem. She focused on the path in front of her, the dark grey cement that had been colored by the rain. Her shoes that came and went one at a time depending on foot.

She continued running until Chanyeol appeared in front of her, she crashed into him but he held her upright. "What did I say about being careful?!"

Her vision was blurring again. Ahn shoved him away. "I'm fine, I just have to keep moving." She started running again but was stopped by Chanyeol as he grabbed her wrist.

"This healing process is going to be impossible with you isn't it?"

"Why do you care so much?!" She tried pulling her hand away but he was stronger. The rain picked up, plastering her hair down. "You said you don't want your eyes eaten but you're dead right? Or at least a form of it? Why do you care about them? Why can't I just have them? Why don't all these demons leave me alone!?"

There it was. What she had been avoiding. Ahn wasn't one to complain often but right now she was angry, frustrated and scared. She hadn't had enough time to process all of this. She had tried accepting it and shutting everything else down. There probably would never be enough time to process.

There weren't enough years in her life for her to come to terms with what was happening. She didn’t think she could ever get used to it. Chanyeol only stared at her as she yelled at him. The water didn't reach him. He wasn't getting wet. As if an invisible protective layer had been built around him. She looked down at their hands, even her hand was wet, except for the rest he held.

Nothing made sense.

"Why?" Ahn asked him. "Why Are your eyes so important to you? I get it for the lower demons but why you? I need to know more!"

Chanyeol didn't answer. Instead his gaze shifted to her hair. "You're going to get sick, let's get you home."

"Also that. Are you a nice person or an asshole? I don't get it either. You're so weird." She pulled her arm and this time he let go. Ahn walked out of the park and towards her apartment. He hadn't answered her and judging by his facial expression he wasn't going to.

She deserved an explanation didn't she? Ahn knew she did. Why couldn't her surgery come with normal side effects? No, she had to get a demon and a cult. Ahn had never been religious, this was all new to her.

She didn't check if Chanyeol was behind her.

Making it back to her apartment, thanks to the water, her shoes made a stupid noise with every step made. She took the stairs, grateful Chanyeol didn't annoy her with a 'take the elevator' comment. When she reached the front door, the sweet smell of soup and bread filled her nose.

Ahn rushed in to find her mother by the stove warming up a pot she had brought. Ahn looked back to see that Chanyeol wasn't there. How long had he been gone?

Oh well. He was probably mad at her.

"I'll be out of your hair. I know you hate me visiting unannounced." Her mom muttered. She wiped her hands on a dish rag and hugged her.

Ahn accepted it, not really knowing what to say except a small thank you. Her mom patted her head and walked towards her bed. "I also brought your things back from the hospital. Your personality always amazes me. You were able to make a friend in such a short amount of time. Wish you were that nice to me and your father though."

"What?"

"Your friend, what was it? Abel? Gabe?" She shuffled through the tote bag filled with her belongings and took out a small piece of folded paper.

"Gabriel?" Ahn asked, taking the note.

"That's right! Gabriel, he was such a sweet boy. Very sick though. It's sad seeing someone so young look like that. Do you think he has a chance of getting better?"

Her mom kept rambling on. Ahn ignored her, shakily opening the note. The one time Chanyeol decides to leave her alone is the one time he should be here. She didn't want any of this. In very bad handwriting read a simple message in black ink. So simple her mother wouldn't be able to go detect anything off with it, but enough that she would understand.

To my junk food buddie:

I hope we can talk again soon!

- Gabriel

How soon was he thinking? Did the cult know where she lived? Ahn looked at her mom "Did you tell him where I live?"

"No! Should I have?"

She shook her head. "N-No, no. Don't tell anyone."

"I'm not just handing out your address to everyone I meet you know?" Her mom sighed, going to the stove again. She started telling her about the different ingredients she had put in the soup.

"That sounds delicious!" Ahn faked a happy tone and walked over to the window. There were two figures today. A man and woman, smiling up at her. Both looked like they were in their late forties. She wanted her mom to leave but would it be dangerous? Ahn pressed her hand against the window, both bodies shifted closer. It reminded her of zoo animals.

Specifically one time when she witnessed the handlers waving the food in front of the glass display for the monkeys to see. Some had stared, happily waiting. While most... most had gone wild. When would these demons get desperate enough to do the same thing? Her breath shook.

Those smiles were nothing human.

Chanyeol came up behind them. The vanished quickly and he looked up at her. Ahn sighed in shamed relief. All those things said to him only for her to be happy when he was here to protect her. She should keep him around.

At least for now.

__________

Chanyeol frowned, he followed Ahn's birth mom until she got home safely. He didn't know why he was doing it but it would definitely earn him points in her favor.

He quickly landed on the rooftop of the last building which was a small convenience store. There, in front of it he could see Ahn's childhood home he presumed. Her mother opened the door and walked in. He didn't leave until he heard the door click.

And then he was off again.

Chanyeol sped back towards the girl's apartment. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop sometimes getting the energy to transport himself a couple feet. He was nicer today... so he thought. He probably shouldn't have pushed her friends but they had irritated him.

What was it with humans calling him a pervert lately?!

If only they knew he could crush them. Even possess them if he went far enough. Ahn had also pushed him too far today. All those questions. He hadn't been prepared. His energy crackled and burned at his fingertips. He had to leave her for a moment before he set something on fire.

Why were his eyes so important to him? Well that was a secret of his own. Something she didn't deserve to know. Not even Kiol and Kai knew. Chanyeol went through the window without letting the glass open. Ahn was in the shower... like always. He sighed and sat down on her bed. Something slipped and fell on the ground. It clattered loudly. He cursed and bent down to pick it up.

It was....

He didn't know. Chanyeol stared at it confused. It was square-ish and made of mostly glass from what he could tell. It was warm too. There was a rubber case around it. The thing lit up and he stared at it. It was almost like a mini television.

"Interesting." He muttered. Instead of a show there were a bunch of words on the screen. Chanyeol gripped it sideways and it turned the words to the right position. Even more interesting. He quietly started reading.

_________

Ahn was prepared today.

She had brought her clothes in the bathroom just in case Chanyeol had come back. She covered herself more than usual too. Usually wearing shorts and a crop top to sleep, Ahn had picked out loose sweatpants and a sweater to wear instead. For modesty.

Walking out of the bathroom she found Chanyeol on the ground, back against her bed with one foot stretched out and the other bent with the knee facing the ceiling. Did he know how much of a model he looked like doing that? He probably didn't care. He was too busy staring at her phone.

Her...Phone.

"No!" Ahn shouted, rushing to him and snatching the phone out of his hands.

"Ya!" Chanyeol stood up trying to grab it back from her. She didn't let him, Ahn stretched her arm back as far as it went so he wouldn't reach. He stretched too almost tripping over.

"I'm trying to finish the story!"

"You were reading it!?" Ahn's voice came out in almost a squeak. She held out a hand stopping him. "How much did you read?"

"The part where he put his mouth between her thighs and-"

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Ahn was embarrassed all over again. She might actually die from it this time. She locked her phone and tucked it in her pocket.

Chanyeol grinned and stood straight. "It's funny, Your heart is beating wildly. I'm guessing you've read this too? Literature has gotten very erotic. Though, I can do better than the guy in the story."

Better!? This was supposed to be Sunja's nastiest fic yet. Ahn was mortified. She had opened her phone to find a million texts from her friends but the link to Sunja's new story had her running to shower so she could cuddle up in bed and read it. She must have left her phone unlocked in the process. Ahn slid to the floor, crossing her legs and burying her hands in her face. "I can't believe you read that."

"Is this your favorite author?"

She laid completely now, tucking her body in and pressing her knees to her chest. "Sunja wrote it." Her words came out muffled by her hands.

"Who?"

"The girl you met today. With the black hair and bangs."

"The one torturing you?"

Ahn nodded. She heard Chanyeol sit down beside her. Ahn twisted to look at him, he was smiling at her. Actually smiling. He seemed to be over whatever mood he had been in at the park today. Ahn sat up and glared at him. "What?"

"Nothing. You'll just slap me again."

She frowned yet felt better that he was here now. At least she won't have to worry about someone attacking her right now. Which reminded her... Ahn pointed behind him to Gabriel's letter. Chanyeol turned around and grabbed it, he unfolded it and read it slowly.

His face changed. His eyes darkened and the paper in his hands disintegrated as if he had burned them without flames. "The cult." He muttered. "Do they know where you live?"

She shook her head. "Not yet, it sounds like they're trying to find out."

"They'll have more people next time."

It was still raining outside. A strike of lightning painted the sky, the room filled with a white light and in that moment she could see figures. It only lasted a second, as much as it took for the room to light up and darken again. But at that moment, Ahn saw multiple figures. A crowd of shadows in the shape of humans surrounding them. Ahn stood up, suddenly scared for her life. Chanyeol looked up at her and then looked around.

"Don't worry, they're not demons. Just spirits."

"Ghosts?" That didn't make it any better.

"The spirit world and the human world are in the same plane of existence. A thin veil separates it but technically, they walk amongst the living. They won't hurt us, some don't even know they're dead." Chanyeol looked towards her bathroom, his voice came out low and serious . "Many can't even see you. You can only see them because you have my eyes."

Ahn followed his gaze but saw nothing now. A shiver crawled up her back and she walked towards her bed. Getting under the sheets, Ahn covered herself until she felt safe. Something she hadn't done since she was a child.

It was useless to freak out again. "Chanyeol-" she whispered.

"Hm?"

"Can you stay the night?"

"You want to do the contract?" He joked.

She didn't feel like joking. Ahn closed her eyes and pretended like she hadn't seen those figures. Pretended like she hadn't heard Chanyeol. "Just no funny business. Just stay by my side."

"Don't worry, I'm nice. Get your rest. Demons don't sleep."

Ahn didn't know why he had to sneak in the nice part in but took that as a good sign, though something in his voice sounded off when he said the last part. It almost sounded like he was angry at the fact.

Either way she fell asleep.

[chanyeolsbiggestfangirl]

Synopsis:- After your failed attempt at a confrontation with Chanyeol, you decide to do what seemed best at that time, run away. Even with his indifference towards your feelings, you just couldn’t let go of him, the thought of him, the phantom touches he imprinted upon your soul caressing you in ways more than one. But running away is never a good solution in the long run, for unfinished business will always catch up with you.

Pairing:- Chanyeol X Fem Reader

Genre:- Angst, Smut

Author’s Note:- so, it is finally happening, the unnamed sequel to the request i wrote a few days ago. my heartiest thanks to @scuzmunkie for the heartwarming comments that made my day and prompted me to write a second part. also my deepest gratitude to all those who gave their love to the previous piece. this is for you all.

Prequel 

. . . 

You were a coward, a goddamn coward. You still remember that night and the aftermath of it pretty clearly.

Packing your stuff in the middle of the night with impulsive precision, your heart hurt but your mind was clear. The only way to save yourself and end your suffering was to leave, with no trace left behind. The only way to save your heart from hurting at the sight of his beautiful face was to make sure that he isn’t the first thing you see when you start your day. Your heart longed to steal one last look at him before you stepped out of the door, but the sensible part of you that had been ignored so long wasn’t having any of it. The first step is always the hardest and right now the first step was to not give in to the urge to see him. It was hard, but your mind urged you on and away. So you did it. Without sparing even a single glance at the tall male who held your heart in his hands, you stepped out.

Even now you have no idea of how you managed to do it all, but the memory of Chanyeol’s nonchalant shrug was what made you call your cousin and tell her that you’ll be staying over for the few days till graduation. The memory of his empty emotionless eyes was what drove you to block his number and then delete it for good measure. The memory of his cruel words borderlining on a rejection, was what drove your deepest instincts, all of it was what drove you to put some very much needed distance between you and the him.

In the few days that stood between you and the graduation and the ultimate freedom from all of this mess, you spend all your time alternating between gardening with your grandma and taking with Minseok for hours on end.

When the graduation came, you entrusted Minseok and Sehun to help you get through without running into Chanyeol. But even then it was too much for you. Being in the same space with him suffocated you, override all your senses. The possibility of even a single eye contact, a single interaction was enough to make your stomach hurt. You didn’t stay after the official ceremony, didn’t attend the party, you just told your friends that you’re done for the day and headed home. 

You felt a certain pair of eyes on your back, but you took deep steadying breaths and did not look back even once. 

Three Months Later 

There’s always room for improvement in life, only if you put your mind to it. It has been three months since you got your beloved masters degree, three months since you last felt Chanyeol’s gaze on you, three months since you moved across the city into your brand new apartment near your workplace. 

Three months of trying to heal in peace. Trying to wrench your heart away from the handsome giant. You wouldn’t say you’ve forgotten Chanyeol or moved on, you just made yourself busy enough to never have time to think about him, until he was all but a distant memory. 

But seems like the universe was done, done letting you get away with unfinished business. 

The morning started hazy, the sun made it pretty clear that it couldn’t be bothered to come out. You huffed a breathe as you looked out of your floor to ceiling window, you were honestly done with today and it hadn’t even properly started yet. 

You were always in a somewhat hurry to catch the elevator, it was not that you were late, it was just that the building that housed your office also had other establishments in the lower floors, complete with a high class soundproof studio occupying the entirety of the topmost floor. 

As usual, it was packed, enough not to suffocate and yet enough that you grateful for not slacking off. Usually, you’d always have someone else who was heading for the same floor, who’d already pressed the button to the 15th floor, but it wasn’t the case today. Finding that it wasn’t pressed yet, your hand itched towards it, only for your fingers to brush against someone who just entered. 

You looked up at the somewhat towering figure, only to be greeted by a familiar face. 

A painfully familiar face actually. 

There he was, his currently blonde hair swept back, his full lips jutting out in an early morning pout, dressed casually yet immaculately, brown orbs looking back at you with equal amounts of surprise and something that looked painfully like... longing. 

No 

You scolded yourself internally, trying to stop yourself from plunging into an endless abyss filled with thoughts of him and him only. But it was too late. The damage was already done. You pulled your hand back, averting your eyes, willing yourself to not give away the fact that he had initiated a torrent of emotions within you. You withdrew further into the flock of people in the elevator, putting some distance between you and him, head down, waiting until your floor comes up. 

You were breathless when you got on your floor, you massaged your temples with your thumb and forefinger. 

There goes my sanity for the rest of my existence. 

Turns out, the studio on the highest level was his. You were more than tempted to move places, ask for a transfer to another office, anything, anything to save yourself from running into him. A part of you was begging you to run away again, but the other begged to stay, to grow some fucking nerve. You finally discarded your impulsive letter requesting a transfer and prayed that today would be the first and last time you’d run into Chanyeol. 

If only it were the case. 

You stayed late at work, the lights on the worktables around you shutting off one by one as the time passed but you stayed. It wasn’t the work, it was him. You were working late just so that you could avoid running into him in the lift. When the clock struck eight, you finally stretched your arms and got your things and made to leave. The floor was all quiet. 

You stepped into the lift, mentally making plans to make instant ramen and watch your favorite movie. You were so engrossed in those that you didn’t notice that instead of descending, the lift climbed higher, stopping on the floor you dreaded. 

You were pulled out of your reveries when the doors pinged open and you stepped out only to bump into a warm and hard chest. You looked up and found Chanyeol looking at you. 

Oh no no no no NO 

You were fast to turn, but Chanyeol was faster. His arm came around your waist, pulling you to him, your back against his chest, his lips at your ear as his deep voice sounded in the empty area.

“Y/n please... please hear me out. I.. I am sorry. I really am, about that night. Please...” 

He sounded so... weak and vulnerable in those moments. His hand holding onto you, his broken plea. His hard body against yours shook slightly, awaiting your reaction, half dreading it. 

You wanted to scream at him. You wanted to tell him that you didn’t want to hear it. You wanted to pull away from him and say some really mean words and hurt him just the way he hurt you. You wanted to be far far away from him. 

But you were a weak woman when it came to him. You were weak for him. You were weak for his touch upon you. You were weak for the words voiced in that deep voice of his. You were weak with the way that voice took such control of you and your coherence. 

Had it been some other man, you would have pulled away, released your pent up frustration and then left. 

But Chanyeol wasn’t some other man. 

So you didn’t do any of those things, sighing deeply against his body, you nodded wordlessly. 

He turned you so that you faced him, hand still around your waist, holding you close, his face inches from yours, his hot breathe caressing your face. You didn’t realize you were cold until the warmth from his body seeped into yours and you found yourself leaning into it involuntarily. 

His brows were slightly furrowed, he looked at you with a pained expression,  such longing and sincerity in his eyes that the expression made you feel bare in front of him. Your heart was hammering in your chest, letting out breaths in small puffs as you tried to tell your mind to calm the fuck down.

You expected an apology, a half assed explanation perhaps. But what he said caught you off guard. 

“I missed you.” 

The words felt foreign on his tongue, felt unfamiliar to your own ears. Chanyeol had said a lot of stuff to you. But never these words. 

“Liar.” 

The word was out of your mouth before you properly process it, flinching inwardly at the unintentional yet somewhat intentional bite in that singular word which managed to capture your current feelings towards him. 

“I’m not lying, y/n. I missed you. Every single day, every single moment, I missed you.” 

His words and his grip around your waist were laced with fear and desperation, and gods, you wanted it, your heart yearned for it. Yet, another part of you was equally conflicted, whether or not to let him in again and let him destroy parts of you that you were trying to heal so desperately. 

He was making you weak for him all over again, with just a few words. 

You shook your head, “Chanyeol... stop. Whatever you’re trying to get at here, just stop. I... can’t take it! This is just like earlier again. You ask for an in, I let you in and then... and then you leave. Again. So, stop. Please.”

He sighs deeply, pain flashing across his features, his arm around you tightening as he pulled you even closer. His breathe mingled with yours when he spoke.

"Don't go. Please."

You squeezed your eyes shut, trying not to tear up again from the sheer force of all what was running through your mind. A torrent of buried emotions was resurfacing and you couldn't stop it. Your voice broke over the tears you tried to stop.

"You... you're hurting me. Don't you understand that?!? One moment, you want me and the other, you don't. That's so fucking confusing!"

It felt cathartic, to scream those words out to him, you took deep deep breaths, mumbling a little at the end.

"You ruined me. Hurt me. And I thought I was okay but seeing you now, I know I'm not and that's all your fault!

That's when you push him away, trying to put some distance between you both. He reached out with a hand, lips trembling and you could almost see the cogs in his brain moving, thinking on what to say.

"Y/n... I'm.. I'm sorry. I missed you so much. I can't- "

"Stop, Chanyeol. Stop it! Can't you understand!? I hate this all of this. I hate how my heart still holds onto you after what happened that night. I hate how all I've ever wanted is to be yours." You were panting now, head shaking side to side in internal denial, getting worked up at how ridiculous this situation was. When you spoke again, it was nothing less than a whisper, having spend all your energy on the heated exchange.

"I hate how I still want you even after all what you’ve put me through.”

Chanyeol closed the distance, his hands on your cheeks as he tilted your face, his lips crashing against yours, his tongue seeking entrance, which you readily granted in a heartbeat.

Your arms found their way around his neck, fingers tangling in his silky blonde locks, holding him close, pressing your body against his.

Your heart hammered in your chest, but this time there was a twin beat that hammered right alongside yours. There's just something about his touches, the lips that felt perfect against yours, the warmth from his human furnace of a body seeping into yours. 

There was just something about him that made you let go of all pretenses at reason. 

You missed him. You missed him so fucking much. You were just running away. Planning to fake it till you make it, but Chanyeol beat you to it. You missed his lips. You missed his searing kisses that would steal your breathe away. 

Each and every thing about him, whether big or small, made you stupid. It made you want to believe in his words. It made you want to give him chances, endless chances.

You were still very much in love with Park Chanyeol. 

He pulled away, resting his forehead against yours, breathing heavily.

“Don’t go, please.” The words were a breathless whisper, a chant in his head and heart. He sounded so broken, so vulnerable, it squeezed your heart until you couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think straight. 

. 

He took you home, and you let him. Chanyeol’s lips and touch were like a drug and you’d gladly let yourself be intoxicated by him. You knew it was bad for you, letting him in again so easily, but what could you do? 

The moment you stepped inside the door, his hands were on your waist, turning you around, his lips on yours, his hands pulling you impossibly closer. His lips molded against yours with a fervent need burning in them. It was surprising how he made your head swim and he hadn’t even done anything to you yet. 

You expected it all to be just the way it always happened, the frenzy of lips and tongue and teeth and clothes, impatient hands roving all over you, his touches setting fire to all reason. 

But it all changed when you legs hit the mattress and he did something you weren’t quite expecting. He turned you both, him landing on the bed with you on top of him, he pulled back a little and with the height difference now, he was literally looking up at you. 

This time, it was different. 

It was different when his lips found their way to your neck, leaving a trail of chaste, close lipped kisses. It was different when his hands found purchase in your hips and held you impossibly close as if scared that you would vanish into thin air the moment he let you go. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Those words broke your reveries. They were a breathless whisper against your skin, as if he was trying to imprint the words there, Each and every touch of his upon your heated skin felt as if murmuring an apology. His gentle fingers that explored every curve and plane seemed to echo that apology. As the fabric of your clothes slid off your skin, the lingering touch seemed to murmur in an apology. 

As his clothes and yours found a new place to be on the floor, his arm wound tightly around your waist, pulling you flush against his chest as if scared that you’d push him away and leave without a trace just the way you did three months ago. The heat from his skin seeped into you, you who’d been cold for so long without him. Even as your lips detached from each other’s, they brushed together, your breathes mingling with his. 

You pulled back further, sitting up on his lap, allowing him to adjust the weight, the hooded look in his eyes mirrored yours, his hands were at your sides, fingers brushing against the underside of your breasts, eyes travelling over every bare inch of you with such adoration in his eyes that you could have sobbed. When your lips found his again, his tongue explored your wet cavern like he needed this, needed you more than his next breathe. 

A low moan reverberated against your fingers as you explored the expanse of his chest sculpted from perfection, marveling at each and every plane and curve, his body shivering slightly. His other cradled your head, brushing aside stray strands of your hair.  As his lips leave yours, they began a downward trail, along your jaw and down your neck, down and down to the place between both your breasts.

“I’m sorry.” The words were breathless whisper, brushing his lips tenderly over the spot again and again, as if trying to imprint the words there. He kissed and bit and sucked on that spot, sure to leave a mark. His arm around you tightened, pressing his hips firmly against yours, eliciting a choked moan of his name from your parted lips. “I’m so fucking sorry.” 

Your head was in the clouds, your senses in a haze, you couldn’t bring yourself to either simply nod or say something to him, especially not when his lips on your skin and his hips grounding against yours was enough to make you forget your own name. Your sweatpants weren’t much of a help, rather a nuisance. He pulled away with a final nibble, getting you both rid of your remaining clothes. 

It was fast, yet slow, same yet different. Your breaths were fast, yet it felt as if you couldn’t get enough oxygen in, your mouths moving against each others in a primal, fervent sort of need, in wet, sloppy strokes. Each and every touch of his brought back a part of you that had been lost since forever. You missed him so much, so fucking much. You had been so bleak, so empty without him. You loved how he made you feel like yourself again. 

It was mutual, the need and desperation with which both of you clung to each other, it was mutual. The need and desperation with which Chanyeol held you in his arms as you finally sunk down on his length, his swollen lips parting in a broken moan of your name, head falling back against the pillows, eyes struggling to stay open and maintain contact with yours. The need and desperation with which you moved your hips against his, hands against his chest as you rocked against him. 

“Beautiful. You’re so beautiful, y/n.”

When the words registered against your clouded brain, you wanted to sob and beg, beg the heavens that this at least this meant something. That his words meant something, his apology meant something, his mighty heart thundering against your fingers meant something. That the position you were in, you on top of him and him at your mercy, it meant something. You were lightheaded, with the unspoken emotions coursing through you, with Chanyeol’s girth hitting all the right spots and making you see the stars, with the weight of all these sudden occurences upon your mind. 

Your thighs ached as you tried to keep up the pace you had set, your fingernails digging into his perfect skin and leaving little crescent moons, leaving your mark on him just the way he left his on you. Your skin was on fire as he trailed his hands over every inch of you, mapping it out as if trying to etch it to his memory. He gave you a few moments before he shifted, hands gripping your backside as he thrust up into you. His arms came around your hips, holding you tight before flipping you, with your back to the mattress, his thrusts increasing in pace, your plush lips parting as moans of his name filled the moonlit room. 

You struggled to keep your eyes open, the urge to give in to the pleasure and close your eyes was overwhelming. But you kept them open, looking up at Chanyeol. 

He was the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.  

His beauty felt unreal. The way the soft moonlight illuminated his handsome features, skin glistening with a sheen of sweat, every bare inch of his body glowing, literally glowing. As he bend forward and tilted his head to claim your lips in a soft, sloppy kiss, you ran your hands through his silky locks.

You could never get enough of him. You could never move on from him. Just looking at him pulled at your heartstrings, throat constricting with all the unknown and unspoken and unexplored feelings and words you are not yet ready to embrace, even though you knew. He brought his hand to your cheek, tentatively brushing the sensitive skin under your eyes.

“Chanyeol...” Your voice was nothing more than a breathy whimper, he pulled his hand back, rising up and kissing you on your forehead, your name a chant on his lips, his blood, his soul, his existence. He slid his hand between your bodies and rub into you, making your stomach clench.

“Please. Don’t go. Please....” Even with the way he was above you and writhing under, he sounded so broken, so desperate. It was as if all his pleas were slowly but surely banging of the ironclad walls of your heart and with this one, his length filling you up wonderfully, fingers making you clench in euphoric pleasure, this one was the final nail in the coffin.

You rose up on your elbows, brushing your lips against his, breaths mingling as you whispered against his lips, “I’m not going anywhere, Chanyeol.”

That was all what the tall man needed and few more of his miraculous touches, you unraveled under him, his name a string of chants and you spilled all over him. his body jerked above yours, tumbling into the abyss with you, his grip on your hip so hard that you knew it’d bruise.

Your thighs quivered as he pulled out of you, his body fell alongside yours, the room that was filled with moans and pants and whimpers was now silent, yet it was abuzz with unspoken questions and uncertain answers. The silence was broken with his deep voice.

“Please, y/n. I know my track record of dating isn’t that impressive but please... give me a chance. Small steps? Please.”

You turned to look at him, his eyes were downcast, he was fidgeting with his fingers, fear of a looming rejection written all over his features.

You sighed, tilting his chin with a finger, you let your lips brush against his, not really a kiss but rather a fleeting contact. You pulled back as you said, almost fearful of your next words.

“You can start by not leaving, Yeol.”

He heaved an audible sigh of relief at your words, arms wrapping around you as he pulled you close, burying his nose in your neck, taking a deep breath and peppering featherlight kisses. Your fingers moved softly through his hair, eyelids heavy as you found yourself drifting off into the land of sleep to the sound of his steady heartbeat.

Chanyeol held your weak heart in his skillful hands and all you could do was pray that he didn’t break it again.

.

You opened your eyes to the sunlight filtering through your curtains and you found a small smile making it’s way to your lips at the warmth that seeped into you, at the heavy arm slung around your waist, the grip nowhere suffocating rather comfortingly tight, the kind that makes you feel safe.

Yes, the road ahead was uncertain and was filled with a lot of obstracles to overcome, but you’ll find a way.

Together. 

But right now, all you wanted to do was bask in this feeling. In this wonderful feeling of being in his arms, being his.

. . . . .

Final Note:- and it is over. i know i’m perhaps being too sentimental but this fic means a lot to me. The prequel of this piece was my first ever request as a writer. it is very special for me. writing this was an experience i will never forget. thank you all once again. oh and yeah, HAPPY BIRTHDAY EXOLS! Let’s Love for a very long time! ily <3333

[mybiasisexo]

Entangled - Part 8

Pairing: Chanyeol x f.Reader Chapter Warnings: Language   Word Count: 5k Author Notes: okay, I feel like this is lowkey a filler chapter 😭. but I like it so idk lmao. so much has happened since I last updated. I quit my old job, got a new one (that's kicking my ass. pray for me) had my bday and saw Beyonce 3 times!! but yeah as always sorry for the delay, hope you like the chapter and feel free to lmk what you thought!!! I loooove feedback and y'alls commentary!!! makes my damn day!! have fuuuuuun~!

You come to the following morning from what is possibly the best sleep you’ve gotten in years. A yawn escapes you as you stretch your tender body.

The action has you aware of something not moving around you, and you glance down to see a heavy arm thrown over your waist. As if the owner of the limb can sense your attention, it constricts, pulling you closer to a heat behind you.

Startled, you tense up, not even daring to breathe as you carefully roll onto your back and then turn your head the rest of the way until you’re knocking your nose gently against Chanyeol’s.

He’s in a deep slumber. Gentle snores leave his slightly parted lips, and his features are relaxed. He looks so peaceful, so serene, so…content. It melts your heart. You can’t help but stare at him, noticing the way his silky tawny hair falls across his pillow and the stubble poking out of his chin that grew in from the night before.

The night before….

Your eyes widen at the reminder and you’re sitting straight up, causing Chanyeol’s arm to fall limply on your lap.

Oh, you’ve really done it now.

Chanyeol stirs, and you think you’ve woken him, but he just rolls onto his other side, revealing his naked back to you.

Harsh rows of red raised skin catch your attention–the proof of how good a lover he is. Even though you know to some men, Chanyeol included, the scratches are a badge of honor, you only feel remorse from causing him pain.

His lack of clothing has you aware of your current state of undress and you quickly pull the thin sheet over your chest. It’s a silly action. Chanyeol’s sleeping, but even if he was awake, he’s seen your breasts plenty of times, had them in his goddamn mouth last night for christ’s sake.

Still, you must at least try to preserve some dignity.

You dare another glance at the man beside you, as if he’s a figment of your imagination that will vanish once you’re in your right mind. He doesn’t go away, so you must be really out of it.

Groaning, you drop your head, hitting your forehead repeatedly with the palm of your hand.

Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

Fucking your ex fiance was the last thing you had planned to do on this trip. Getting closure? Sure. Making peace? The least you could have done. Now? Things have become even more complicated. Which is pretty impressive given everything that has transpired over the last couple days. And Yerim…. God, Yerim. She hasn’t even been gone twenty-four hours and you’ve already jumped her man’s bones. Sure, he was yours first, but it’s the principle of the thing.

Shit, maybe you are the problem.

As if you aren’t already about to dive in a pool of panic, a memory from the night before decides to reveal itself. The knowledge has you gasping, staring unseeingly ahead of you in terror.

Did you tell Chanyeol you loved him?

Oh, god. Oh, fuck.

Yeah, you gotta get out of here.

Feeling nauseous, you stumble out of the bed, crumbling to the ground the minute you put weight on your legs. Your bambi legs are a byproduct of Chanyeol’s pleasurable menstrations, having you literally weak in the knees. You shake your head and push through the slight throbbing of your core, standing carefully on shaky legs. Chanyeol chooses this moment to toss back around so that he’s facing you again. The arm that was around you earlier flops forward to reclaim its position, but lands on egyptian cotton instead. His eyebrows scrunch together as his hand idly runs over the empty space–searching for you. Feeling bad, you pull down a pillow. His fingers find it and yank it towards him, curling into it like a toddler with his favorite teddy bear. Your name leaves his mouth in a content breath, and all the turmoil in you dissipates for a moment. Maybe you’re overreacting? Yerim won’t be too mad, right? And Chanyeol still wants you, right? Last night meant something to him?

Did it mean something to you?

You can’t even think about that right now. Truth is you have no idea where you stand, and are even more confused than before the wedding. You’ve blurred the lines and anything can mean anything.

What you do know is that you need to leave, and you need to do it before Chanyeol wakes up. You can’t face him right now, not before you understand your emotions and actions.

“Focus,” you order yourself. You scan the floor that is now a mess of discarded garments, and a shimmer of gold catches your eye. You snatch it up, only to find it’s Chanyeol’s tie. You stare at it, remembering the way he demanded you to undress him, and drop it like it shocked you, shivering from the memory. That is definitely not what you’re looking for. 

There. A little further you find your dress and underwear. You slide them on quickly, not bothering to zip up your dress. You’re only going a few doors down, so you only hold it against your chest.

Despite telling yourself to focus, you can’t stop thinking about your confession. Obviously it was the lust speaking, the nostalgia. Yeah, that’s all that was.

Chanyeol never said it back.

The epiphany straightens your back, and you startle as you lock eyes with yourself in the floor length mirror directly in front of you. The woman before you is tragic, her hair poofy and stiff, eyes rimmed black, face puffy and nose still red from crying. You look like the clown you are.

You shudder, truly haunted, and head out. You pause by the door to slip into your shoes and grab your purse. Your heels have a buckle, but you can’t risk wasting any more time, so you don’t bother securing them. 

You open the door and a choir of angels begin to sing.

Their joyous voices die with a record scratch at the sight of Byun Baekhyun standing on the opposite end, fist up as though he’s about to knock.

You can’t catch a break.

He takes you in, visibly shocked. He says your name in a dramatic loaded question and you wince at his volume, bouncing off the walls. Damn, this is not good.

“What are you doing here?” He asks accusingly.

You quickly peek over your shoulder, checking to see if your new visitor is loud enough to wake Chanyeol. He doesn’t stir, and you can’t fight the pride that blooms in you. You wore that man out!

Shaking the emotion off, you turn back to Mr. Loud Mouth in front of you.

“Hush,” you hiss, shoving him back with the arm not currently holding both your dress, and what little you have left of your sanity, together. You make sure the door closes with a gentle ‘click’ before grabbing Baekhyun’s arm, dragging him the couple doors down to your suite. He yelps and asks where you’re ‘kidnapping’ him. It’s easy to ignore his helpless cries with the obnoxious sound of your heels slapping against your feet. 

Once in front of your door, you dig through your purse for your key, forgetting you didn’t secure your dress. The top half flutters down, titties basking in the breeze.

You freeze, eyes closing tightly as you bite your bottom lip so hard you think you’re going to bite it off. Your only saving grace is that Baekhyun is behind you, obscuring his view of your private bits.

You hear him huff in annoyance before he’s brushing your hair out of the way, gathering your dress, zipping it up as far as it can go with your arms not in the sleeves.

“Thank you,” you whisper, face burning in shame. Dejectedly, you find the key and get you both in. You kick your clacky shoes off, not wanting to draw unwanted attention, and lead Baekhyun to your room. You rest your forehead against the door as you close it, giving yourself a moment to just breathe.

Once you’ve deluded yourself into thinking you’re good, you turn around and face your friend. He’s taken residence in your vanity chair, searching your frazzled figure with worry. You can only imagine what you must look like from his point of view.

Finally, he musters the courage to speak. “You look….”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“Okay…. Would you care to explain why you were running out of Chanyeol’s room like you robbed him? In your wedding clothes, no less, first thing this morning?”

You rub your eyes. To be honest, no, you didn’t want to have this conversation. Especially with Baekhyun. No offense to the guy, you adore him, but he’s not really known for taking things seriously. Except… right now it does appear he’s taking this situation very seriously. Although there is a hint of playfulness in his tone, you can’t see any of it on his face, only genuine concern.

Defeated, you sigh and march to your bed, plopping down onto the edge to bury your face in your hands.

“We had sex.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell,” he answers sarcastically. You glare at him through your fingers. He grins in reply, but it’s soft, reassuring, letting you know that everything will be okay.

It slips from his face as a thought occurs to him. “You weren’t drunk, were you?”

You shake your head and he lets out a relieved breath.

“Quite the opposite. It was probably the most sober decision I’ve made this whole trip.”

“So, what went wrong?”

“I just….” You recall your confession and wince, stomach flipping with embarrassment. “We ended up running into each other in the elevator and went to his room. We were only supposed to talk. But, I don’t know. You know the wedding was a lot for us both. And this trip has been very stressful and tense and we haven’t been alone since we got here and maybe that was for good reason because obviously we couldn’t handle that if–”

“You’re rambling,” he interrupts.

You take a deep breath. 

“I told him I loved him,” you push out before you can regret admitting it. It sounds even worse spoken out loud.

“And?” He asks, skeptically.

You blink in surprise at his reply. “And he, well, he didn’t say it back.”

You avoid his gaze and bring your knees to your chest and nibble on your thumbnail anxiously, waiting for Baekhyun’s response to the new detail. You must have rendered him speechless, because he remains silent. Either that, or he’s trying to figure out the best way to let you down on Chanyeol’s behalf. That makes you stiffen your shoulders, bracing yourself for the cold dose of reality. It never comes, and his lack of response drags until you think you’re going to explode.

Finally, you whip your head up to him exasperatedly just to see him looking at you like you’re the dumbest bitch he’s ever seen.

“What?” You snap, hating how condescending his expression is.

He rolls his eyes at your tone and lets out a laugh coated in disbelief, rubbing his forehead. “I love you, but you’re stupid.”

“I know,” you sulk, pouting as you rest your chin on your knees. “I wasn’t thinking straight, obviously. I got too caught up in the moment. Being with him like that, it brought me back to the good ol’ days, when we were falling in love. But, we’re not in college anymore. We’re not the same people we were when we were together.”

You furrow your brows, really trying to untangle your thoughts. It’s a lot easier to do with someone to look at.

“That’s what it is. I mean, how can I still love a man I don’t know? I can still have lingering feelings for the man I used to know, though. Maybe having sex was a good thing? All that leftover tension between us can finally rest. Yeah, that’s what last night was–left over tension. Now that we’ve done the deed, we should be good now. Sure, we still need to have a talk, there’s still some things we need to address to fully move on, but I think the hardest part has passed.”

You search your friend’s face for the right answer. “Right?”

His lips thin and then he’s sighing. “Do you want to know what I think?”

You nod miserably, thoughts too chaotic to decipher any logic.

Baekhyun stands up and walks over to you, reaching out to rub your arms comfortingly. In a gentle murmur he says, “I think you need some breakfast.”

A surprised chuckle leaves you as you lean forward, resting your forehead against his stomach. “You’re probably right.”

You relax under his touch, and you both stay like that. His hands go from your shoulders to your back, rubbing soothing circles onto your skin. The repetitive trail makes you drowsy.

The door swings open.

“I thought I heard you co–OH MY GOD!”

Seulgi stands dumbfounded at the door, the hand not frozen on your door knob covers her hanging jaw. Shock coloring her face as she takes in the compromising sight before her.

Baekhyun stumbles quickly away from you, tripping over his feet in his haste.

“It's not what it looks like!” You defend. That’s literally the worst line you can possibly say to her.

“What the hell!” She squeaks. “What the fuck is happening right now!?”

“We were just about to get something to eat!” Baekhyun says, as if that explains anything.

“HUH?!” Seulgi starts fanning her reddening face. She turns to you, not even going to humor him. “Look, I know this weekend has been rough for you. I understand you wanting to distract yourself by getting underneath someone. But, to sleep with Baekhyun of all people–”

“Hey!” The man in question barks. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Seulgi, please,” you beg. Crawling off the bed, you stumble over to her. “That’s not what happened at all!”

Your words go through one ear and out the other as she glares at Baekhyun, who’s shivering in his metaphorical boots under her judging stare. “I can’t believe you would do this! Chanyeol is your best friend! Do you not care how this will affect him when he finds out?”

“We didn’t do anything,” you plead.

“Then explain what I just walked into! Explain why you look a damn mess! And are those–are those hickeys?”

“I HAD SEX WITH CHANYEOL!” You yell in her face.

“I–wait, what?” You can see the internal conversation she’s having with herself as she tries to comprehend what you just confessed to her. When your words have meaning, a look of sheer horror contorts her lovely features.

“You didn’t.” Her voice is low, threateningly so.

You gnaw at your bottom lip, even more anxious than when Baekhyun was questioning you. 

Your silence is an admission and she yells your name accusingly.

“I know!” You agree. “Please, I know!”

“I don’t understand. How? Why? I thought you were over him, or at least trying to be. I–”

“Hey,” Baekhyun cuts her off, joining your little party. He rests a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s let her take a shower and get into some clothes that don’t have cum stains on them. Then we can get breakfast. She can explain everything then.”

“There’s no cum on my dress,” you mumble with a frown.

“I know Chanyeol’s kinks,” Baekhyun says. You huff in defeat.

Seulgi’s cat shaped eyes bounce back and forth between you both skeptically. You can see all the questions she has running through her pretty head.

“Alright,” she reluctantly agrees. “Hurry and get ready. I’m starving.”

You have a feeling it’s not food she’s hungry for.

Baekhyun leads her out of your room, throwing you an apologetic look, and you wonder how many more times he’s going to look at you like that.

Nearly an hour later, you find yourself in a little unassuming mom and pop restaurant. Baekhyun’s grandmother lives on the island, so he knows all the local hot spots. The ajumma serving you is absolutely thrilled to see him, promising to put a bit more love in your food, which you can definitely taste upon your first bite. It is exactly what you need after the active night you’ve had.

“Yerim made it home safely,” Seulgi informs, not glancing up from her plate as she does.

Your lips thin at the mention of her sister, knowing she’s bringing her up on purpose.

You didn’t need her reminder. Yerim has been on your mind all morning.

“Yeah?” You finally answer. “Glad to hear. I’m sure she’ll hate me for good once she finds out what I did right after she left.”

“She’ll get over it,” Baekhyun is quick to dismiss.

“She’ll forgive you,” Seulgi allows. “But she’ll never forget.”

Leaning back, she finally gives you a sharp look. “What happened last night anyway?”

Luckily, you just so happen to scoop some food into your mouth when she asks that, so you take advantage and slow down your chewing. Aiming to enjoy every last bit, because you know it’s going to be the last time you’ll be able to. You swallow it down with some water, for good measure, taking your time chugging it empty. 

Seulgi watches in amusement, knowing what game you’re playing.

“Well,” you start, scratching behind your ear. “As you both already know, Chanyeol and I hooked up last night.”

“Hooked up?” Seulgi clarifies incredulously. It’s an interesting choice of words to describe what the two of you did.

Beside her, Baekhyun shakes his head, but keeps his opinions to himself, allowing you the floor.

“Yeah. And I want to say, for the record, that it was spontaneous. We just so happened to bump into each other when I was on my way back to the room. He asked me if I wanted to go to his room instead and I said yes–innocently! We were planning on just talking. And I mean, we did talk a bit?”

“Did you talk about Yerim?” Seulgi asks.

“No….” You avoid her stare and sink into your chair.

“Did you talk about your breakup?”

“No….”

Her eyes narrow. “So, what did you talk about?”

“About the wedding,” you answer like it’s obvious.

“And now it all makes sense.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You pout.

“The two of you have been tiptoeing around each other all weekend. I thought it was just the awkwardness of seeing an ex–in your case, an ex dating your friend. But I misread it. Now it’s pretty obvious that if it weren’t for Yerim, you would’ve probably slept with him sooner. It wasn’t awkwardness I felt, it was tension…the sexual kind.”

Your frown deepens. Were you seriously that weak? You thought you did a pretty damn good job resisting Chanyeol, but it only took three days to fall into his sheets. That wasn’t very strong of you at all. Seulgi is right. Yerim was the main reason for you keeping your distance, not your pride or your past. She had only been gone a few hours before you gave into him.

“Does that make me a terrible person?” You quietly ask.

“I don’t think so,” Baekhyun answers simply, shrugging when you lock eyes.

“It doesn’t,” Seulgi agrees, although she lets out a tired sigh right after. “But I still don’t understand why? It’s been years, girl, and you’ve never mentioned him once in that time. It’s been a while since you got laid, and even longer since it was with Chanyeol. Old habits die hard, and you didn’t get the closure you wanted, but sleeping with your ex seems so out of character for you.”

“He’s not just some ex, Seulgi,” Baekhyun intervenes. “He’s her ex fiance, and they didn’t break up on bad terms, necessarily. There’s still love there.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” you interject, shifting in your seat uncomfortably. 

“So, it was just an old attraction? Old habits and all that?” Seulgi asks.

“I think so,” you say and she seems to melt in relief. “I think it was just left over sexual tension, and now that we’ve got it out of our system, we can be normal. We can move on.”

Baekhyun doesn’t seem convinced. “And you’re sure Chanyeol will agree with you?”

You shrug. “I don’t see why not. It was just sex.”

“It’s never ‘just sex’ with Chanyeol, and you know that. Especially when it comes to you.”

“You’d be surprised,” you mutter, mood dampening at the memory.

He doesn’t hear you. “And I know you’re lying. Didn’t you tell him you loved him last night?”

You glare at Baekhyun and he answers it with a smug smile, knowing he just set you up.

“You did what now?” Seulgi asks deadpan.

Internally you wince. “I might have told him I loved him while in the throes of passion.”

She says your name disapprovingly. 

“And you know what? He didn’t say it back. So, you see? It was nothing more than physical for him as well.”

Seulgi looks as though she has some words for you, but Baekhyun beats her to the punch.

“You both drive me insane,” he groans. “It’s obvious you both still care about each other, what’s the point of trying to talk yourself out of it? It’s never too late to try again, and trust me when I say Chanyeol wants to more than anything. He’s already asked you for a second chance. He wants this! He wants you!”

“He said all that when he was drunk off his mind, Baekhyun.”

“Doesn’t make it any less true!”

You groan and lean your head back against your chair, feeling the pressure of the world falling onto your shoulders. It hits you then, the weight of Chanyeol’s affection, and for a moment you’re back on that sidewalk, drowning in it. You remember why you left, remember the moment your love for him twisted into something dark. Chanyeol said you told him you hate him. Truth is, you had. With him back in your life, you forgot about that, forgot that there was another reason why you were trying to avoid him. Again, everything is even more confusing, and you find yourself at a total loss of what to do next.

“It’s okay to feel overwhelmed by that,” Seulgi reassures. She knows you way more than you give her credit far. “Everything is happening so fast. You don’t have to make a decision right now, and honestly, I don’t think it’s wise for you to.”

You lift your head back up and take in your concerned friends. With the way they’re both sitting on either side of each other before you, it’s almost like they’re the angel and devil on your shoulders. One speaks for your heart, while the other speaks for your mind. Holding onto each of your hands and yanking you back and forth like a rope in tug-o-war. 

“I don’t know the right answer,” you whisper, feeling your eyes water in frustration.

“Whatever’s going to make you happy,” Baekhyun answers simply.

You cough a laugh and a tear escapes, but you’re quick to wipe it away.

“I think,” Seulgi begins, reaching over and grabbing your hand. “You should give each other space, and wait until you’re back in Seoul. It’s only a couple days, and it’ll give both of you time to figure out what exactly it is you want from each other. Do you have an idea of what that is? Is it a relationship? Closure? Or just physical connection?”

“I’m not sure,” you admit.

She tilts her head and raises her eyebrows. You understand. She’s right.

“That’s probably the best idea,” you relent.

Baekhyun grunts in disgust. “Doesn’t Chanyeol deserve a say in this?”

“Of course he does,” you say.

“But that’s a conversation for later,” Seulgi intrudes. “Preferably with others around.”

You lift your hands up in defeat. 

Now that your problem has been solved for now, you all go back to eating in a comfortable silence. Everything still tastes amazing, thank fuck.

Suddenly, Baekhyun straightens and turns to Seulgi. “What did you mean earlier anyways? When you said me of all people?”

She scoffs. “Besides the fact that you’re a weirdo? You’re Chanyeol’s best friend. If you had slept together, it would be the deepest betrayal to him. But, if she had slept with any of you, my reaction would be the same. The only other person I could possibly see her with is Sehun, and even then….”

“Ew,” you both finish.

“I love all of you,” you say. “But not like that.”

“It’s the same for me too!” Baekhyun admits. “I would never do that to Chanyeol, because I would never do that, period. Don’t ever put that disgusting idea in anyone’s head again!”

“No problem!” Seulgi says, resolute.

You finish breakfast soon after that and leave for the hotel. Today is the first day of your little             reunion tour. Sehun figured that everyone would be too hungover to do anything that required movement, so you’re all just going to hang out at the beach and watch the sunset. Sounds like the perfect Sunday to you.

You all left your phones in the car, so the first thing you do once buckled up is check your notifications, reading the texts in the groupchat confirming some of the others were heading out to the beach and the location they chose. Baekhyun winces as he scans his device, catching your attention. When you lock eyes, he gives you that pitiful smile, almost like a warning, before turning his screen for you to read. It’s filled with texts and missed calls from Chanyeol.

“Oh boy,” is all you can muster, trying not to linger too much on the only message you can read: ‘please. I’m begging’.

“What’s up?” Seulgi asks from the backseat. Baekhyun proceeds to show her his phone and she shakes her head in dismay.

“Should I call him?” He asks.

“No,” you’re quick to reply. Avoiding his gaze, you settle into your seat, staring blindly out the windshield. You feel him watching you for a moment before sighing and starting the car, pulling out to drive you back to the hotel.

The elevator ride is long. You wonder if Chanyeol will be in the hallway when it opens. Baekhyun leans against the wall, rapidly firing off texts the whole way up. It takes everything in you not to ask him what he’s telling Chanyeol to calm him down. 

The doors open, and you’re both relieved and crushed to enter an empty hall. Baekhyun walks you both to your room, which is polite, but you all know is a front. His room isn’t on this floor, and you don’t need him to walk you back.

“Where are you going?” You can’t help but to ask.

He grins guiltily and nudges his head towards Chanyeol’s room. “I’m going to check on him. That’s why I came up here in the first place.”

“Right….”

He pats your shoulder. “Get ready and head down to the beach. I’m sure you got Jongdae’s text in the groupchat. Both him and Jongin are already setting up camp.”

“Don’t take too long,” Seulgi says in farewell before pulling you into the suite.

As soon as the door closes, she’s holding you by the shoulders, staring deep into your eyes. “You can’t go back on your word now.”

“I’m not,” you say, cringing as the way it sounds like a lie.

Her grip on you tightens. “It’s all going to work out. Don’t get all sulky.”

“I’m not.”

She smiles. “You’re such a terrible liar. It’s kind of cute.”

“Stop flirting with me,” you sigh, grabbing her hands to hold them instead. “I’m going to take your advice. We need space.”

“Space,” she repeats approvingly, rubbing your knuckles with her thumbs.

Banging on your door causes you both to jump.

“Yeol, stop it! I already told you they’re not there!”

“I need to know for sure.”

You swallow thickly at the sound of Chanyeol’s voice.

You hear Baekhyun sigh and then Chanyeol call your name, which jerks you closer to the door. Seulgi grips your hands harder, holding you back. You lock eyes. She shakes her head in warning.

“Are you in there?” He pauses briefly, waiting for you to reply. You hold your breath, afraid in the silence he can hear your heart’s rapid beating. “Please, open the door, Mel. I just… I just need to see you.”

His voice is calm, but alarmed, as if he’s trying not to sound as desperate as he feels. He knocks again, the reps urgent, giving away the worry he’s trying to disguise.

“I just need you to tell me everything’s okay.” Now his voice cracks.

Fuck it. You can’t avoid him forever. You go to open the door, but Seulgi’s hold is surprisingly strong and you can’t break it.

“Space, remember?” She whispers.

You didn’t know that started now. 

Reluctantly, you relax, leaning your head on Seulgi’s shoulder. She wraps her arms around you, rubbing your back as you wait for Baekhyun to do his job in getting Chanyeol away.

“I can’t do this again, man,” Chanyeol’s broken voice comes through the door. “I can’t lose her again. Not like this.”

“I know, Dude.” Baekhyun sounds just as helpless, and a wave of guilt washes over you from putting him in this position. “But, she’s not in there. Let’s go to my room so I can change. It won’t take long, so don’t even think of ditching me!”

A silence drags on for so long you’re sure they’ve left. 

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun urges.

“I–okay. Let’s go.”

You hear them retreat and let out a breath.

Seulgi whistles. “Quite the mess you’ve made.”

You swallow the lump in your throat. “You can say that again.”

“Hey,” She rubs your arm. “He’s going to be fine. Let’s change. I’m sure you’re now very eager to get down there.”

You let her lead you to your room. The whole time you can’t get over the pain in Chanyeol’s voice, a pain that you caused.

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taglist @byunparklimchoi, @defloey @notyuji @hisungovenaocare

[proudahgase-exol]

Threesome? Hottest girlfriend / wife……

Chanyeol x reader ft. Baekhyun and Sehun

Summary: Baekhyun wants to have a threesome with chanyeol and his girlfriend and says she’s the hottest girlfriend/ wife among the exo partners.

(This is a short one)

[jxstadaydreamer]

first impressions

from this gifset by @celestyeol

Pairing: Park Chanyeol x afab reader Genre: Strangers to Lovers, Romance, Fluff Word count: 5235

Summary: Getting back into the dating scene is tough and no one you've come across on these God-forsaken apps have caught your attention. But when one finally does, despite the fact there's an undeniable spark between the two of you and the amount of not-a-date coffee runs you've been on together, you're still too afraid to go on an official first date with him.

Author's note: Happy birthday to my one & only! 🎉 Thank you to my beloved for always proof reading my work and making sure my tenses match up! This story is an idea I’ve had for a long time after being inspired by a comment from a Reddit thread. I started it a while ago and gave up on it multiple times but I’m proud that I managed to pull through and finish it. I hope you can enjoy 💞 Feedback is always very appreciated! And if you do like it, please consider sharing it too 💞

It’s been quite a while since you were last in a relationship, your previous one had you sworn off the entire male species so you could heal your wounds and work on yourself. Of course you were a grown woman with needs and had the occasional short-lived fling here and there but now your desires had grown to something deeper and beyond bedroom activities. You began to miss having that intimate bond with a special someone. Just having another person to run silly errands with, have late night conversations about deep topics or nothing in particular, someone to marathon a tv show or try a new recipe with.

Loneliness gets to everyone, sooner or later.

You don’t want to actively, desperately seek out a partner but you have to start somewhere. And with some slightly aggressive persuasion from your friends, and your own deep dive internet research where you had found a convincing number of success stories, you decide to sign up for some dating apps. Because apparently ‘that’s how everyone meets these days!’

Now, you expected to come across some weirdos and creeps, of course, men who send one liners ranging from awfully cheesy to downright disrespectful or those who ask for your snapchat straight away because that’s where they prefer to chat, the latter being an immediate red flag to you. It wasn’t all bad however, some managed to hold some decent conversation and banter, but none that gave you that spark of interest, merely candidates for a nice chat. Proving just as much when you had agreed to a first date with some that would either be embarrassingly awkward or just lacking any chemistry whatsoever. With some even feeling entitled to some sort of exchange just because ‘they had done the gentlemanly thing of paying for your meal.’ Ugh. Over time, the hope you had to find your special someone through dating apps had waned significantly.

Enough that you almost gave up. Almost.

It’s near the end of an entirely too long work day when you receive the notification, the vibration making your eyes avert their gaze from the computer screen to the now lit screen of your phone. You notice the dating app icon, alerting you to a new match. Not feeling too giddy, you return to your work when another buzz of your phone steals your attention once again. Seeing that this time it's a message, you pick up your phone curious to see what this new match has opened with. Another pickup line? Would it be ridiculously corny or something icky? Maybe it would be the standard ‘hello beautiful, how are you?’ which was pleasant, yes, but also boring.

Instead, your eyes widen a smidgen and you sit up a little straighter. The outer corners of your lips quirk up just the slightest.

[Chanyeol]: i need to know - how do you feel about ace’s death?

You’re thinking of your reply when another message pops up.

[Chanyeol]: i’m sorry if that was random ^^” i just noticed the one piece flag and figurines in the background of one of your photos and got excited!

Wait. What? You quickly navigate back to one of your profile and notice on the 3rd image that the little nerd corner in your room had indeed been caught in one of your chosen selfies. How did you miss that? Ugh. Oh well. You also take the opportunity to tap through to his profile and refresh your memory. Damn. He’s hot. You think to yourself. Not wanting to make him wait too long, you shake your head of the thought and return to the chat screen.

[You]: hi chanyeol! it’s alright lol tbh i didn’t even notice they were in the pic. but to answer your question - i bawled like a baby.

It doesn’t take long for him to reply, and that fact alone widens the small smile that had crept onto your features.

A few dozen messages are exchanged back and forth before you look up and notice that everyone in the office has already left except for the usual suspects that liked to linger and try to earn some overtime. You look at the time and realise you could have left 35 minutes ago. Where the hell did the time go? Moving past the initial confusion, you quickly collect your belongings, heading out the building and towards the subway station.

You’re a little embarrassed to admit but you almost missed your stop. Cause? Being way too engrossed in a conversation with a man you didn’t even know 2 hours ago, discussing other events from what you now know is both of your favourite anime. You manage to walk home in record time, mindlessly throwing your things on one end of the sofa, plopping yourself down on the other and pulling your phone out to read his recent reply.

It’s only when you hear the rumble of your own stomach that you peel your eyes away from your phone screen and realise the sun has long set and you still haven't eaten a thing. Deciding it's too late to cook, and definitely not because you’re too lazy, you settle on ordering a pizza. You note the arrival time and think it’s just enough for you to hop into the shower and wash away the exhaustion the work week has given you. Turning on the water and tapping out yet another reply before you place your phone on the vanity and step inside the glass cubicle.

If you didn’t realise how much trouble you were in when you missed dinner (which was a first for you) or when you found yourself constantly glancing over at your phone screen to see if he had replied yet with ears hyper aware of the app notification alert tone any time you had to close your eyes or turn away, you definitely realise it now as you stare at the dark screen of your phone and your flustered reflection stares back at you.

Upon exiting the shower and drying your hands just enough to use your phone without dragging water droplets across the screen, you realise why there was no lighting up of the screen or notification melody sounding from your phone speaker – your phone battery was flat. What did you expect though? With the countless hours you had spent messaging back and forth, screen basically constantly lit. You quickly wrap a towel around yourself and rush to your bedside, plugging in the charger and waiting for the dark screen to light up with the logo and come back to life.

It’s in this moment that you think maybe you need to chill, afraid that you could be coming on too strong. Although, he’s reciprocating your energy too, right? Maybe, just maybe, he is just as into you as you are to him? The thought causes a fuzzy, warm, fluttering feeling in your stomach but is interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell, signalling your saviour and grace, the food delivery driver, has arrived.

As you settle down in front of the tv and turn on your comfort Netflix show that serves no purpose other than background noise to make you feel less alone, you absentmindedly shove the food into your mouth in between tapping out reply after reply. Eventually, you wash up and move to a comfier location. Snuggling into your plush sheets and chatting like lovesick teenagers until your eyes struggle to stay open and you wish eachother goodnights and sweet dreams.

-

You and Chanyeol continue texting each other about anything and everything throughout the day for the two weeks, exchanging social media accounts somewhere in between. You quickly find out that Chanyeol is an avid Snapchat user but in the cutest way. He would snap you things he encounters during his day – pretty flowers, the sky, cute animals, etc. – because “it makes me smile so I hope it makes you smile too.”

There was a particular snap that made your stomach hurt so much from laughing the first time you had seen it, a cheesy grin on your face anytime you recall it. Chanyeol was filming a snap of some cute goslings he’d spotted by a lake, only to be running away frantically screaming moments later because the daddy goose was chasing him away from its babies.

Every now and then you send him a gif of a goose when he gets a little smart with you.

One night, he asks if he can call you because his hands are a little tired from playing the guitar all day (Yeah, guitar. He’s a musician. That writes his own songs. These facts combined with his looks make you wonder if he’s real and if you’re being catfished), and you hesitantly agree. You hate the sound of your own voice and you’re afraid he might find it off-putting but the desire to listen to his voice trumps your insecurities in the end. It’s a decision you don’t regret. He’s such a great conversationalist that you completely forget how nervous you are in no time and the first phone call lasts til some hours of the AM.

You’re not sure when you fall asleep but you blame the comfiness of your bed and the velvet-like sound of his voice – smooth, deep and comforting. You think he may have been in the middle of telling you a childhood memory, his voice soft because of how late it was and the fondness of the story.

As you wait in line the next morning for the much needed coffee, you unlock your phone and type out a good morning text to Chanyeol, apologising for falling asleep and promising to make it up to him somehow. You also open Snapchat to snap him your current view of the coffee shop, caption wishing you could buy him a cup of coffee too to atone for your sins. You faintly hear the Snapchat notification sounding from somewhere behind you but you don’t think much of it until you hear it coming from your own phone some moments later, swiping it open to see what it could be.

You stare at your screen wondering why the floor looks so familiar and what he’s playing at when another snap comes through.

And now you definitely know why you could recognise the flooring. Because it’s the exact same view in front of you. Only his point of view was from a little further back and included you in the frane. Caption stating: someone who owes me coffee! And a sticker of an arrow pointing at your figure.

You spin around abruptly and it’s definitely hard to miss his tall stature, let alone the brightest grin you’ve ever seen on a human being currently being flashed at you. You give him a shy wave and he makes his way across the coffee shop to stand beside you. You quickly glance down at your outfit, mentally kicking yourself for choosing convenience over style and subtly try to brush the knots out of your hair with your fingers.

“Fancy meeting you here.” you can practically hear the smile in his voice and this fact is only confirmed when you literally have to look up to see him, if it was even possible for him to be smiling any bigger than he was before.

“It is..considering I’m here everyday and I’m sure I’d remember seeing you here.” you said, raising an eyebrow.

“I just moved here recently so I’m trying to find a new coffee spot… and I think I just found it.”

The way he’s looking at you brings the heat to your cheeks and you’re praying to the heavens that it’s not too obvious. You chance a peek at him and luckily he’s no longer looking at you, instead his gaze facing forward as it reads over the menu above the counter. You also notice that the huge grin is gone and is replaced with a tight lipped smile and a deep dimple. Taking advantage of the opportunity that he is seemingly, momentarily distracted by the menu options, you take in his handsome visuals. And the fact that he is actually here with you in person, quickly erasing all thoughts of you possibly being catfished because you thought he was just too good to be true.

Eventually, he makes up his mind and heads up to the counter to order an iced americano. You both sit down to enjoy your beverages and some conversation about what the day ahead entails for you before you have to head off to work. Chanyeol offers to drive you but you kindly refuse him, letting him know you actually enjoy the short walk that’s only a few blocks down. He juts his bottom lip out in a pout but nods. You can’t help but laugh at him as you wave goodbye.

As the weeks go by, you fall into a routine with Chanyeol. Meeting him for coffee in the mornings, where sometimes he would drive you if you were carrying some heavy items or he’d walk with you if he wasn’t in a rush that day, texting on and off throughout the day and talking on the phone before bedtime had advanced to video calls instead.

You had grown so comfortable with him that it was easy to share your thoughts without worrying he would judge you, whether it would be a random idea you had or just something you had come across during your day. He would either laugh about it with you or indulge in the thought with you. The comfort only made you become more smitten with him, especially since he seems to be reciprocating your every move. It never felt like you were doing too much or too little and that things were heading in a nice direction.

-

[Chanyeol :)]: hypothetically, how would you feel if i asked you on a date?

Usually, Chanyeol’s texts make your stomach flutter in a good way but this question, albeit hypothetical, has you feeling a little unwell. Your previous encounters with other matches on the very same app you met Chanyeol on had left you with a bad taste whenever it came to first dates. And you know you could be honest with Chanyeol and tell him exactly that but you just have to come up with a way to do so without making him think that you think he would be another one of those guys.

Typing and backspacing over and over again, you decide it’s too easy to misunderstand over text and if you video call him then you’ll end up giving into his pout. Paired with the kicked puppy look he pulls off so well? You stand no chance. So you opt for a phone call, it’s the safest option, middle ground of the other two.

He picks up the phone almost immediately.

“Hey! Is everything alright?”

“Everything is great. I, uh, just thought it’d be better to tell you this over the phone instead of texting you…”

“Oh,” he replied, coming to a realisation, “oh. Did I- Crap. Did I misunderstand something? I mean, I just thought that we- I thought you felt the same way so I- Fuck. Shit, sorry.”

“No, no no!” – you interject to bring a stop to his flustered rambling – “I do. I thought it was quite obvious but I do feel the same way.” You can feel the rosey hue blooming on the apples of your cheeks. Thank God this wasn’t a video call. Good choice Y/N. “It’s just that I had some bad experiences with first dates before I met you. Some of the guys just…weren’t that nice during or even after the date. And don’t get me wrong! I know you’re nothing like them but the fact that it’s a first date just makes me extra nervous is all. I mean, I’d like to, eventually, with you. I’m just a little scared that I might screw something up, kinda, I guess.”

You take a deep breath and slap your forehead when you realise the mess of words you had just spewed out in the span of 10 seconds.

“Wow, so articulate Y/N. Dammit I knew I should’ve just stuck with texting.” you mutter to yourself.

You hear a deep, throaty chuckle from him that distracts you from your self depricating thoughts.

“Phew!” – he exclaims dramatically – “Had me worried for a sec there. But thank you for explaining it to me. And phone call was definitely the right choice so don’t worry.” – laughing at you again – “I get it! Really! No pressure whatsoever.”

“Thank you for being so understanding.”

“Of course. But you shouldn’t have to thank me for it, isn’t it the bare minimum? Anyways, have you eaten yet?”

Damn, this guy is just so smooth with the way he steers the conversation in another direction and just ever so charming with his words and understanding nature.

-

It’s Saturday afternoon and after a productive day of cleaning your apartment from the mess you’ve created and neglected during the week, you sit down to enjoy some moments of peace in your now tidy space and contemplate your options for the rest of the evening. Closing your eyes and leaning your head back against the comfy cushions on your sofa.

A buzz and ding of your phone from its place on your coffee table has a smile etching its way onto your face and you sit up, reaching for it to see the name of exactly who you thought it would be on your screen.

[Chanyeol<3]: are you busy rn?

[You]: hm not rn no. what’s up?

[Chanyeol<3]: i was just about to run some errands but don’t feel like going solo. care to bless me with your company?

[You]: i mean, i don’t see how that would be blessing you but sure, i’d love to join you :)

[Chanyeol<3]: cool! i’ll pick you up soon?

[You]: sure. see you in a bit!

Shoot! You race to the bathroom, looking into the mirror and assess your mess of a situation right now. There’s no time for a shower so you opt to put your hair up into a bun for now and reach for some makeup to attempt a no-makeup makeup look, just enough to tidy yourself up and look clean and fresh.

It’s just errands right? You’d look silly if you dress up too much. You need something comfortable. Something functional but cute still. You end up in a loose tshirt tucked into a nice pair of jeans that just so happen to make your butt look good.

Your timing is perfect, slipping your sneakers on just as Chanyeol texts you that he’s outside, grabbing your bag and heading downstairs to meet him.

As you’re walking out the lobby, you can already see him across the street. He’s leaning against this huge silver SUV. He’s dressed in jeans and a hoodie but the scene looks like something out of a magazine with his tall physique, handsome face and styled hair. It’s probably a thought you have too often but it’s something you don’t think you could ever move past.

He looks up when he hears the doors of the building close as you exit and he stands up straighter, greeting you with a warm smile and a frantic wave of his hand.

“Hi!” he says as soon as you’ve crossed the street and close enough that he doesn’t need to raise his voice to be heard.

“Hey!” you return his smile, “Oh my gosh your car is HUGE! But I guess it needs to be for you to fit inside comfortably.”

He chuckles at your comment and it eases your nerves a little. He opens the door for you like a true gentleman and you climb inside, buckling yourself in as he rounds the front of the car to the drivers side.

“Ready?” he asks, turning to you with an award winning grin.

You nod happily and he turns the engine on, pulling away from the curb and towards his destination. You try to ask him where but he says you’ll see when you get there. Chanyeol turns on the radio but keeps the volume at a minimum so you can still speak comfortably to eachother.

Soon enough, he turns into the underground parking lot of a shopping mall complex and parks his car.

“What do you need to do here?” you ask him once you’re both inside the elevator taking you up to the chosen level.

“Just wait a little longer, little miss impatient. You’ll see.”

He laughs when you huff and pout your lips.

Chanyeol leads the way but you notice his long legs allow him longer strides that force you to quicken your step a little just to keep up with him. He seems to notice this though and slows himself down to a pace that's good for you both.

“So, you remember that candy you were telling me about last time? The one you said your grandma used to buy for you when you little and you can’t find anymore?”

You nod slowly, quirking a brow and tilting your head, wondering where he’s going with this.

“I found out this place here sells them!”

He stops as he says this and points to a small candy shop. Inside, you can see that there are walls and shelves lined with various types of candies and snacks. It seems he’s scoped out this place prior to taking you here because he takes you to the exact place they’re kept in the store.

Your eyes grow wide when you spot the familiar packaging of your childhood favourite and you can’t help the tears forming at your waterline.

Grabbing yourself a few packs of that specific candy, you and Chanyeol browse through the rest of the store, selecting a few more before you both make your way to the counter to pay for your chosen goods.

Chanyeol reaches for his wallet but you stop him, firmly insisting that he allow you to pay for his and your things to thank him for bringing you here and finding something that is so important to you. He sees the look of determination in your eyes and decides not to challenge you. He needs to pick his battles wisely if he wants the rest of the evening to pan out the way he intends it to.

Leaving the store and following Chanyeol to his next errand location, you can’t help but feel touched by the fact that he remembered something you had told him in passing over the phone and also managed to find you the exact thing you talked about too.

You’re pulled out of your thoughts by the sound of Chanyeol’s laughter and you look up to realise he’s stopped walking, now watching you and chuckling as his shoulders bounce up and down.

“What?”

“I should be asking you that. What’s got you so deep in thought?”

“Nothing!” you quickly say, sounding way too defensive for your own good.

He hums, letting you know he didn’t really believe you but isn’t going to question you any further.

“Well, while you were too busy thinking about ‘nothing,’ I was trying to ask if you wanted to see this movie with me?” – he points over to a poster on the wall and you realise you’ve stopped in front of the cinema – “I didn’t realise it was out already! I’ve been looking forward to it.”

It’s been a while since you’ve seen a movie in an actual cinema, considering everything is just so accessible online these days. The movie he’s asking you to watch with him is an action comedy, it can’t be too bad right? You seem to have the same taste with most things so far.

“I mean, if you don’t want to. It’s okay, I just thought we could watch it together since we’re both here right now.”

He sees the gears in your head cranking and he’s hoping he didn’t overstep by asking you, the last thing he wants is for you to feel uncomfortable around him. His nervousness shows by the way he’s unable to stand still, shifting from one foot to another and scratching the back of his neck.

“No, no, I’d love to watch it with you! It’s been so long since I’ve been to an actual cinema too. I think it’ll be fun!”

A toothy grin immediately appears on his features, eyes bright and sparkly with excitement.

“Awesome! I’ll go get the tickets and something from the candy bar too. Any requests?”

“Maybe just a drink? I think we have plenty of things to snack on.” you laugh, pointing to the bag he’s holding.

He nods in agreement and quickly scurries off to buy some tickets.

-

You both emerge from the dark movie theatre just under 2 hours later feeling a little closer than you did when you went in.

It was a great movie, it had a balance of suspenseful moments, scenes that made you laugh and a not-so-heavy-romance-but-just-enough plot thrown in. Truly something for everyone.

It was also the first time you had sat so closely with Chanyeol. Close enough that you could smell his cologne wafting to your nose and holy shit did he smell absolutely delicious. He would nudge you during the funny scenes as he laughed. Although the two of you had started off leaving a respectable distance, somewhere during the movie you had both managed to scoot closer to each other. Your thigh resting comfortably against his, upper arms touching too.

You both opened some of the snacks you had bought earlier to try and looked to each other for reactions, most of them were so good and the others not so much, making you both scrunch your face at eachother and quickly wrap the packet up and placing it back into the bag to reach for another instead.

Walking back to the car together, you discuss the happenings of the movie you’ve both just watched and end up quoting the same lines to eachother. His eyes are now in a semi permanent crescent moon position from all the laughing, a vast difference to his usual rounded full-moon-esque eyes that look like they contain galaxies within them. You wonder if his cheeks hurt from smiling as much as yours do.

You have learnt that Chanyeol laughs with his entire body, whether it be the not so subtle shaking of his shoulders, loud echoing claps from his huge hands, slapping his own body (usually thighs) or whatever furniture is within range or just folding over and holding himself. You wouldn’t put it behind him to regularly end up on the floor dying from a laughing fit too. The thought is endearing, the fact that he’s just so happy it vibrates through his entire being this way.

All that laughing must have depleted his body of energy because the moment you settle into the car and buckle up your seatbelts, you hear a huge extended rumbling sound coming from, what you can safely assume by the way he quickly clutches his abdomen, is his stomach.

Chanyeols ears grow bright red and he smiles at you sheepishly.

“Um, would you like to go get some food?” he says, scratching the back of his neck. A nervous habit of his that you’ve manage to pick up on. “Since we’re already together right now and it’s basically dinner time..” he trails off.

“Sure, why not. Since we’re conveniently together right now and I don’t think your stomach can wait any longer.” you tease.

“Hey!” he puts on a pretend offended look. “Is there anything in particular you want to eat? Anything you’re craving?”

“Hmm,” you purse your bottom lip and roll your eyes around in thought, “not really. I don’t mind what we eat.”

“Do you like ramen? There’s this spot I really like and it’s close by.”

“I love it! Let’s go there.”

Feeling pleased with himself that you so happily accept his suggestion for dinner and invite to join him for yet another thing, Chanyeol knows he definitely can’t wipe the grin off his face even if his cheeks are definitely feeling sore from smiling so much. He just hopes you’re enjoying yourself when spending time with him as much as he was with you.

Just like he said, the ramen restaurant was indeed close by and you arrive there in less than 10 minutes and a few turns along the way.

It’s a cosy little, hole in the wall type place that you wouldn’t have noticed in passing. Chanyeol swears this place has the best ramen he’s tasted outside of Japan, telling you to trust his judgement because he apparently travels there pretty often and has had his fair share of authentic Japanese cuisine.

You enter the small restaurant and are immediately greeted by the chef behind the counter, bowing and welcoming you inside and showing you to some seats. After perusing the menu and putting your order in, its not long before your steaming hot bowl of ramen arrives and you thank the chef for the food.

Picking up your spoon, you dip it inside the broth to scoop up some of the deliciousness to taste. The rich flavour immediately hits your senses and it tastes even better than it smells and looks.

“So?” Chanyeol asks, excited to hear your verdict.

“It really is so good!”

“Yay! I’m glad you like it.”

Chanyeol’s own bowl of ramen arrives immediately after and he follows your actions of thanking the chef before digging into the food, slurping up the broth and noodles.

Having ordered a smaller serving and receiving your food before Chanyeol, you end up finishing before he does and you allow yourself some silent moments to reflect on the past few hours you’ve spent with him.

You don’t think you’ve been this happy in a long time. And you can’t remember the last time you’ve felt this comfortable around someone new either. Could you really call him someone new though? After the amount of time you’ve spent texting together and on calls, coffee meetups in the mornings…you’ve definitely entered some sort of situationship with him. Any doubts you had about whether he felt the same way you did about him had dissipated. Any inklings of wonder you had whether he felt it to the intensity you did had gone too. Because just as much as you love spending time with him, he seems to want your company the same also.

Maybe you are ready. More than you had previously thought. Just scared, maybe.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Chanyeol asks, derailing your train of thought.

“I was just thinking…hypothetically, maybe I am ready to go on that date.”

The smile he gives you is impish. It’s not the bright, happy kind of smile you were expecting. It’s the mischievous kind, like when a little kid knows a silly secret or something. It makes you squint your eyes at him, questioning his motives.

“What?”

“Well, actually, we kinda did already go on that hypothetical date.”

You’re wondering what in the hell he’s on about when it clicks. What dat- Oh. Oh. A movie and dinner. The classic, run of the mill date.

You can’t even be mad. It’s too smart. He tricked you into going on a first date with him.

“Clever bastard.”

[rancidtae]

ARCADIA'S LULLABY / the reboot

Genre: Mafia AU. Vigilante AU. Sci-fi (AI).

Warnings: Graphic violence, Strong language, Mature content.

Pairing: exo & Original Female Character (Jung Jiah/Kang Rina)

meet the characters

A/N: aaaaaand we're back! it's been a while. motivated by this exo comeback and a rewatch of the show that originally inspired this, I've decided to bring this blog back to life. This is a rewrite of a story i posted here a few years back. new scenes, flashbacks, plot improvements and easter eggs for part two are being added. (yes that is still in the works because this was always meant to be Part One of a series, including a bts centered prequel )

So, here it is:

If there’s one thing tenacious investigative journalist Jung Jiah knows about this city, is that trust is scarce and truth is a commodity. Forced to face a haunting past and reunited with the men she once considered family, instinct tells her to run and hide.

But when she finds that her childhood friends might be hiding the key to the one story she could never solve, she’s thrust into a web of complex relationships and blurred lines between guilt, trust, and betrayal. The quest for the truth takes center stage, and it reveals a world where neon lights cast long shadows, and nothing is as it seems.

CHAPTER 1: NIGHTCALL (OUT NOW)

CHAPTER 2: AFTERHOURS (OUT NOW)

[marshmallow-phd]

Genre: Regency Gothic AU

Pairing: EXO x Reader

Summary: A stormy night brought you to the manor in the middle of the woods. Nine strange men occupied its halls. They won't let you leave. A dangerous secret haunts this estate. Learning it might either be your saving grace or it could lead to the last breath you ever take.

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5

**

Lightning lit up the thin curtains covering the two small windows on either side of the carriage. Thunder rumbled and you felt it deep within your chest. Tugging your silk cloak closer, you closed your eyes and prayed that the driver would get you through the storm. There was no one to comfort you, to reassure you that a little rain and noisy sky wouldn't delay your journey.

Your father had insisted you take your sister or even a friend, but the two day’s journey didn’t  seem consequential enough to need a companion. Besides, what would they have done once you arrived? Your elderly aunt had only asked for you. From what you could decipher from her letter, she needed you to be a companion as she traveled to the southernmost coastal town. Apparently, it was now the ultimate fashion to travel to for the summer. Just the idea of rolling waves made your stomach churn. But what was worse was who else would be there–

The carriage jolted to the right. You spread out your arms, only barely catching yourself from falling to the floor. No sane person would have endured such dangerous weather. This storm had come from nowhere. Skies blue and cloudless as you had ever seen bid you farewell in the late morning. Most of the day's journey had been uneventful. Then the joyful light faded. Thunder shook the walls of the carriage. Rain pounded on the roof. When would you reach the inn? Bile rose up in your throat, burning the sensitive tissue as the carriage continued to rock violently. The horses neighed over the sounds of the storm. 

The carriage shifted hard to the left. And kept falling. You slammed into the door, nearly opening it with the force. You didn't know what was happening. The floor was now the wall and the wall the floor. A downward momentum made it impossible to stand. Screams ripped at your throat.

Then it stopped. 

The rain continued to pour and the thunder roared on but the carriage was still. Your legs wobbled as you slowly stood. With your palms, you pushed open the door. The thin wooden panel clapped against the outside of the carriage. Immediately you were pounded by the storm. Large drops pelted your face, obscuring your vision. It was dark. You could tell that much. And there were trees. In every direction. 

You climbed out of the carriage, calling for the driver. Your feet slipped in the mud, but you managed to keep your balance–for now. The mud was thick and sticky as you trudged to the front of the carriage.

 No. No, no, no. Both of the horses were gone. And so was the driver. Somehow, the carriage had fallen down a hill or ravine. With a storm this terrible, you needed to get to higher ground or risk possibly being carried away–or drowning. Clawing and digging your hands and feet into the soaked dirt, you climbed the hard incline back to the road. 

Once you could make out the road, you called for the driver again. No answer. He was nowhere to be found. You needed to find shelter. The storm gave no promise of letting up. You wouldn't survive the night in this forest, even if you went back into the carriage. The only choice was to find sanctuary. You stared in the direction you believed you came from. Nothing but trees and darkness. You turned to the other choice. All the same–wait. 

There was something... when lightning brightened up the sky. Your heart began banging in your ears. Spires, towers. Not trees. It was some distance away, but it was shelter nonetheless. 

With near tears in your eyes, you picked up your skirts–your fingers numb from the cold–and hurried towards the castle that could be your saving grace. 

*****

The manor was calm tonight. Odd, considering the amount of bodies roaming around these haunted halls. Only the beautiful storm outside and Chanyeol's sorrowful melody from the piano broke the silence. Jongin had draped himself over one of the arm chairs as he inspected the wine mixture within his goblet. The taste was… adequate. The cellar would need replenishing soon.

In the corner, a rather lax game of cards covered the small, round table. Minseok smirked at his winning hand. The faded wooden chips with bits of white painted around the edges were piling up in front of Yixing, who leaned back carelessly, sure of his next win. Little did either of them know that the youngest among them had a little... trick his sleeve. As the quickest, Sehun had perfected sleight of hand long ago. None had caught him yet.

A fire roared, coaling the usually gray and brown room in flickering orange. With how close he stood near the fireplace, Kyungsoo's silhouette was visible through his loose shirt. He leaned his palms on the mantel and let the warmth of the flames engulf him. Warmth was all they could feel after all these years. It could be an addiction so strong it was tempting to throw himself into the fire. 

Junmyeon joined him at the fireplace, leaning his shoulders against the brick. The bite of the edge hardly registered in his mind. Pain of that measure... it was only a ghost that had nearly crossed over. 

“Such strong thoughts for a night like this.”

Kyungsoo didn’t look from the fire, but raised a questioning eyebrow in response. 

Junmyeon shrugged a single shoulder. “I can’t read minds, but it's obvious you're turning something over more times than a praying rock.”

“It's the same thoughts,” Kyungsoo murmured in his strange, monotone voice. “Always the same thoughts.”

“One day you will have to let it go,” Junmyeon sighed. “This is our existence now. And forever will be.”

“Acceptance of the present doesn’t erase the past.”

“But it does make the present more enjoyable.” The red liquid sloshed against the rim of the goblet as Jongin draped an arm over Kyungsoo’s shoulders. He wore a mischievous smile. A clear indicator of his true intention. 

Junmyeon shook his head. “We’re not going out tonight. There’s nothing out and about in this storm.” Hunting in these conditions would wield no trophies. Tomorrow would be a better night. 

“Jun’s no fun tonight,” Jongdae teased as he and Baekhyun emerged from the hallway. 

“If you want to go out in this mess,” Junmyeon waved towards the front door. “Be my guest. Just don’t you dare get mud on the rug–”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Help! Please! Help!”

Nine pairs of eyes snapped to the echoing sound. None moved. 

Bang! Bang! 

BANG!

One of the double doors burst open and a figure fell to the floor, landing on its knees and palms. It looked up. A flash of lightning illuminated the face.

The face of a beautiful young girl. 

*****

Your knees vibrated when they hit the wooden floor. Water fell from your loose hair that clung to your cheeks. The chances of  the door opening when you pushed on the handle had been low–yet the barrier that kept you victim to the storm fell open and you crashed downward with it. 

Greeting you in this strange hall were several men, their jaws hanging open in a mirror of your own surprise. More men appeared from a side parlor, curious as to who dared intrude on their evening. One, two, three–you counted nine total. Nine men. This was not ideal–a bit terrifying, really–but you didn't have a choice. The storm raged outside.

"P-please," you stammered past chattering teeth "The st-storm overturn-overturned the carriage.” 

The men stayed silent as they exchanged unreadable glances. One raised a questionable brow. 

"Jongdae, go run a bath," ordered the man closest to you. One of the shorter residents nodded and disappeared into the darkness that led into the rest of the manor. 

That's what this place was. A grand old manor, not a castle. Isolated. When you'd first run through the rusted iron gate, you'd feared it abandoned. A long dormant instinct whispered that you might have been better off if it had been. 

The first man approached, each motion slow, deliberate, and hauntingly graceful. He crouched down in front of you and captured your frightened stare. The fear in you began to melt away. He was… beautiful. Obsidian fell over his forehead in gentle waves. His tunic was of a fashion your grandfather would have worn. There was something strange about this man–all of these men. Something... different. 

"Let's get you warmed up." He held his hand out and you were up on your feet before you even realized your fingers were resting on his. "Don't worry," he murmured. "You're safe here. My name is Junmyeon." 

You nodded, somehow believing him, but unsure if you should. Through your violent chattering, you managed to stammer out your name in response. 

Bang! 

You jumped at the sudden noise. One of the other men had somehow appeared behind you to shut the door you'd fallen through. 

"Thank you, Yixing," the man beside you said. The one named Yixing nodded and then shifted his eyes to you. “Come.” A hand pressed into the space between your shoulder blades and guided you down the hall, leaving a trail of mud in your wake.

The man led you down several halls until you reached an unoccupied bedroom. Red blankets draped the oversized bed. Matching curtains hung limply from the canopy. All of the wood was a dark sort, rich in color but not quite welcoming like other, brighter woods. 

Jongdae emerged from another door on the other side of the bedroom. Steam rolled out after him as if it were following him for its next set of orders. “Anything else?” he asked drily. 

“No, thank you.”

Jongdae strolled the from the room without a glance either of you and closed the door behind him. Your breath hitched in your throat. The two of you were… alone. It wasn’t appropriate. It was…

You looked to the man still with you, fear causing your heart to pound painful against your chest. You tugged your cloak closer to you, but it was soaked from the rain. Shivers violently raced down your arms and spine. The man didn’t seem to notice as he walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a long white cloth. 

“These should suffice for tonight.” He held up the cloth for you to see. A nightgown. An old one by the cut of it, though thankfully it hadn’t been devoured by moths or mice. “If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.”

You nodded. “Thank you.” 

He visibly suppressed a laugh at your small voice and waved you into the adjoining bathroom. Taking the nightgown, you tried your best to avoid his gaze. You scurried inside and shut the door. 

*****

Junmyeon smirked at your mousy state. It was understandable why you were so frightened. The women of this period were warned of being alone with a man. And now you were alone with nine. 

Nine very dangerous men. 

The proper action for him to take was to leave your room now that you were safe inside the bathroom, but his feet didn’t move. Somehow, the storm had stranded you in their forest. What had happened to the driver, he wondered. Surely a gentlewoman such as yourself was not controlling the carriage. And yet, you were all alone. Circumstances were… ideal.

A small hiss echoed in the bathroom. It stretched out, along with the sound of sloshing water. Junmyeon frowned. 

Hm.

He stood there for a few minutes more, listening to you sigh as your skin grew used to the scalding water. The sound of soap scraping against skin reached his ears, followed by more sloshing water. Soon, you would be getting out of the tub. Time to leave. 

He emerged from the bedroom, careful to close the door as quietly as possible. Everyone had gathered out in the hallway since they were too curious about their visitor to go about their night. Junmyeon found Jongdae blending in with the cluster. He glared at him as he hissed, "The water was too hot." 

Jongdae merely shrugged. Why would he care about water possibly being too hot? It would never hurt him. 

On the opposite end of the group, Yixing cleared his throat. "What are we going to do with her?"

Junmyeon glanced at the door behind him. There was only one best option, for all their sakes. "Tomorrow morning, we will send her on her way." 

The eruption was instant. 

“Enough!”

In an instant, the hissing ceased. 

Baekhyun huffed and folded his arms against his chest, collapsing against the wall. Jongin scoffed. "Such a waste." 

“A waste that will keep this household from tearing itself apart,” Junmyeoun countered. It was an outcome none of them wanted. No one wanted to cause a fight, but resisting was difficult. The temptation was great. The quicker you left, the better off they would all be. 

"Do you really think it’ll end so well?" Minseok’s mocking comment hung in the air. Silent agreements rippled through the air. 

Junmyeon looked to Kyungsoo, whose answer was to look away. "No one touches her," he ordered. They all would try, he knew. But their strength would only get them so far. He stared down a few of them especially, so they knew he meant it.

Sehun pushed off the wall with a roll of his eyes. "Just get her out of here so I can get some peace." 

Junmyeon started to call after him but was interrupted by a soft thud from the room behind him. Confused, he opened the door to find you lying on the floor.