#Chankgyun

[miabebe]

I Am What I Am (III)

A man of the shadows and a woman who belonged in the skies - fate could not have brought two more different people together. But was this fate or was this a choice?

Pairing - Im Changkyun x OC, Kim Mingyu × OC

Word Count - 9.3K

Warnings - mentions of guns, blood, death, mafia. This chapter has smut (fingering, unprotected sex)

Chapter summary - Torn between duty and desire, Na bi chooses to make a deal that may change everything. And to dream of that which didn't mean anything - 'Please don't fall in love with me Ms. Baek.'

| Previous chapter | Masterlist |

Yellow turned green when it poured through the blue curtains as Na bi looked at Changkyun under the sunlight for the first time.  

He was sprawled in her sheets, lying on his stomach, his bruised and bandage covered back, raising and falling rhythmically. The house was filled with only the sound of his soft breaths, and occasionally, the flipping of the pages Na bi was clearly only pretending to read - anyone could tell, her eyes barely ever left the dark-haired man. Her coffee grew cold on the table but she couldn’t care less, not when every inch of her was already very, very awake. Unlike him.  

Last night was…. something.

Emergency situations weren’t usually hard for Na bi to navigate through – it was her profession, she was trained for it and she dealt with it every day but somehow, when Changkyun collapsed in her arms last night, she froze. Why did he come here? Why did he come back to her? 

When his weight got too much for her to handle, she draped his arm around her shoulder and with the little energy left in her, half led, half dragged him to her bed and laid him on it, staring at his blood soaked back. Realising that the crimson was darkening with every passing minute, she hurriedly grabbed a pair of kitchen scissors, made a slit in the fabric and ripped his shirt open, revealing a troubling mess of red. Fuck, fuck, fuck. There seemed to be a blood-stained cloth wrapped around his lower back, evidence of a poor attempt to stop the bleeding. From its width, she figured the wound below should be at least a 10 to 15 cm wide and given all the blood, definitely, considerably deep.

“I’m going to call a cab.” Na bi reached for her phone. “We need to get you to a hospital.”  

“No.” He groaned softly, grabbing her wrist as she tried to get up. “No hospital.”  

“But- “  

“No. Hospital.” Though his voice was weak, there was a tone of finality in it that Na bi couldn't work past. 

At that exact moment, to her relief and her rescue, her phone began vibrating in her hand, flashing Seokmin’s name. When she picked it up, he sounded panicked and out of breath. Fair enough, her message earlier was short and cryptic, simply stating 'danger, come over' - okay, definitely worrying.

Glancing at Changkyun’s back, thinking quick, she assured her friend that everything was fine and instructed him to bring a suture kit and some bandages to her house right away, promising to answer his questions later before abruptly cutting the call.  

Getting it together, she moved fast, removing Changkyun’s shoes, adjusting him properly on the bed, rummaging through her closet, grabbing an old fading t-shirt, and a small bowl of water. Kneeling on the floor by his side, she removed the bits of ripped shirt and wiped away the stains of blood and dirt all over his back, eyes curiously falling on the tattoo between his shoulder blades. There were three red roses, stalks intertwined, blooming prettily on his back. Na bi wondered what it could possibly mean for him – it looked so delicate and soft, unlike what he seemed to have made his life around.

Over his shoulder he had another one, a writing this time – He who wears the crown, bears the crown.

“It was my father’s favourite quote.”

Na bi didn’t realise that she read it out loud when she let her fingers run over it. Or that his breath stopped under her touch.  

She moved her fingers down his back, over older, fading scars of cuts and wounds all over his skin, like a strangely drawn-out map.  

“Training.” He answered her unasked question.  

“For?”  

“Life.”  

“What kind of life is this Changkyun?” Na bi sighed. “What happened to you?”  

For the first time, he didn’t answer her. She looked over to see his eyes slowly fluttering shut as he began to slip away from her. 

“You need to hang in there.” She softly shook him, not letting the worry show in her voice. “Just a little longer.”  

But it took a lot longer than ‘a little’ for Seokmin to come with the supplies, thanks to Seoul’s uncharacteristic rains. When he knocked, Na bi immediately opened the door, grabbed the bag and shut the door, promising once again to explain everything when she had the time.

Although, she probably should have let him in because she really could have used an extra hand last night. All she had to do was a couple of sutures and usually, that didn't require much assistance but the moment Na bi freed Changkyun of his temporary torniquet, blood began to gush out like an open dam. By the time she had managed to get it under control, anesthetise, suture and dress his wound, he had lost far too much blood. And his consciousness.  

Sitting on her couch, Na bi sipped on her coffee as she watched his unmoving figure. She had been watching him this way nearly all night. After she finished treating him, cleaned up all the mess, showered and changed into her pajamas for the night, she took a step back to reassess everything.  

The day when she discovered Changkyun’s location, led him to her house and nearly slept with him…. she was drunk, she wasn’t in her right senses but now? Now she was entirely and consciously aware of her choices yet she didn’t know if she was making the right one. Curling up in her couch in the living space right across him, she let herself wander through the thoughts and possibilities. The wound on his back was clearly the result of an attack – did his enemies finally get to him? Wasn't she supposedly the key to finding him? How did they do it without her? Unless Changkyun assumed that she ratted him out? He wouldn't have come to her for help if he suspected that right? Or was he here for revenge? It was constant speculations like this that didn’t let her sleep.  

That and Changkyun’s groans. Through all of last night, Na bi helplessly watched him suffer - moving every time he felt pain and hurting every time he moved. But for the last 2 hours or so, he was surprisingly still, making her eyes flicker between the clock and his back as she counted his breaths every once in a while. Hugging her knees, resting her head on it, she looked at the way his hair framed his face.

He was indeed beautiful; his features were the perfect combination of sharp and soft which truly made him attractive but he was nothing too irresistible. Definitely not enough to overlook the fact that he was a criminal, dangerous and clearly the kind one should strive to stay from as far as possible - it was hard to believe a little alcohol and hormones in her system had made her lose sight of that. Yet she did and here she was, having to face him once again, adding embarrassment to the mix of all the emotions she was feeling now.  

Sighing, she tried to push her thoughts away and return to the book she was "reading" when she heard him groan softly again as he stretched his limbs, turning his head the other side. Na bi waited for him to go back to sleep but instead, he raised his head, looking out of the window, eyes squinting at the sun. He blinked a few times, registering his surroundings, froze for a couple of seconds and quickly sat up, panicking. Na bi held her breath, watching silently from across the room as he looked around for something before his eyes finally landed on her and what he was searching for.  

His gun…..in her hands.  

She had found it in his pocket last night - his gun, a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. Though a gun was the last thing she wanted in her home, she still had no idea what had transpired in the last 24 hours or what was going on in Changkyun’s head – she had to look out for herself, praying that she didn't have to use it for protection.

Changkyun looked at her through his dark fringes in the loud silence as she waited for him to make a move and he waited for her to do the same.

“Ms. Baek....” He finally took her name softly. “That does not belong in the hands of someone like you.”

Na bi scoffed. “Why? You think just because I am a woman I wouldn’t know how to fire? Or you think I’m a coward so I wouldn’t dare fire?”  

“Neither.” He looked at her calmly yet his gaze was piercing. “I think that it takes lives, and you save them. Like you saved mine.”  

Those were not the words she was expecting.  

“Barely.” She muttered. “What were you thinking, coming here bleeding your guts out like that? You should’ve gone to a hospital-”  

“I thought I was going to die…..” She could barely hear his soft tone before he cleared his throat, wincing as he moved. “……I had to go to someone I trust.”  

Na bi blinked. “You don’t even know me.”  

“Yet it looks like I made the right choice.”

He outstretched his hand, having entirely another conversation with his eyes, silently asking her to return what was his.  Na bi gave it a minute of consideration before she threw the gun to him and he caught it in a flash. 

“And the bullets?" Changkyun held it up in his palm as she blinked at him clearly feigning ignorance. “I can tell by the weight Ms. Baek.”  

The weight of six miniscule bullets?  

She tried not to glance at her kitchen and give away the location she had stashed them away.

“You may trust me, but I have no reason to trust you.”  

 “Fair enough.” He cocked his head at her. “Yet you saved my life.”  

“I’m a doctor. I took an oath to.”  

“Is that all?”

As always, she couldn’t read his expression, but his voice, it was laced with a memory. Na bi suddenly remembered kissing him that night, feeling the heat rise in her face.  

“That’s all.”

He looked at her for longer than a while before humming in response and stashing the gun behind him, into his pant. She watched him as he got off the bed, straightening himself, wincing in the process.  

“What are you doing?”  

“Thank you for saving my life, Ms. Baek. But I should leave-“  

“You can’t.”  

“I can’t?” He raised an eyebrow.  

“I can’t let you.” Changkyun looked genuinely surprised. “Not yet. You haven’t healed enough to be out there on your own.”  

“I’ll manage-“ 

“Changkyun.” She looked at him dead in the eye. “I’m not giving you a choice.”  

Now he looked amused. Rightfully so. Whatever made her think she was capable enough to stop him.

“It took me a while to realise but that wound on your back, it’s not an ordinary one. Whoever stabbed you must’ve lined the blade with some sort of anticoagulant because the wound just would not clot.” Either he didn’t understand what she was saying or his mind had already raced ahead. Either way, he was simply staring off into nowhere. “What I’m saying is, there was only so much I could do in my house. If we can get you to the hospital-“  

“That’s not possible.”  

“That you’ve made clear.” She watched as with each time moved, the crimson on his bandages got darker. “That makes me your only choice so listen to me. You've already lost a lot of blood and you cannot possibly afford to lose more."

He went silent like he was considering it. Na bi didn’t wait for him to come to a decision. She opened the wardrobe, pulling out a set of grey trackpants and a white t-shirt that had always been too large for her and threw it on the bed before him.  

“Wash up. I’ll change the dressing after you’re done.”

He looked at them sceptically.  

“They’re mine.” She clarified before he assumed they were an ex’s or something. “Clothes in the men’s section are cheaper and a better oversize.”  

He reached for them, the edges of his lips curving into a slight smile. “You don't have them in blue for me?”  

Maybe she should just let him die on the streets.  

“Don’t let water fall on the wound.” She muttered below her breath as she walked away, finally taking her eyes off him.  

Maybe Changkyun showering was not the best idea.

Of course, it helped hygiene wise but watching him walk around her house with his wet hair falling into his eyes, dressed so casually was, to accurately put it, painful. If she thought he looked jump-able in that suit with his hair slick back, the way he looked right now was so devastatingly boyfriend, Na bi wanted to scream into a pillow. Of course unlike that night, she wasn't going to stupidly act on it but having to roll kimbap and pretend not to watch him sit at the table, running his fingers through his wet hair was truly a challenge for her self-control. Please stop.  

“I hope you’re okay with kimbap for lunch, it’s kind of the only thing I know how to make.”  

He nodded. “I’m not picky.” 

Silence took over yet again. Na bi forgot just how little this man initiated conversation but she desperately needed it to happen so her mind would stop wandering to terrible, terrible places. 

“What happened after you dropped me home that night?” 

“Why Ms. Baek, do you really not remember?”  

Na bi could hear the smugness in his voice so she refused to look up and meet his eye. This was going to be a constantly recurring topic, wasn’t it?   

“After you left.” She muttered, sharping her knife before cutting up the roll. “Wonho said you didn’t return.” 

“You met Wonho?”  

“He came to the hospital looking for you... or rather looking for me.” Changkyun’s eyebrows knotted in confusion. “I guess because I was the last one to see you before you disappeared?” She added. “And probably because all your men were getting treated there too.” 

Changkyun stared at the knife in her hand. “They were in your hospital?”  

Na bi nodded.   

“Are they....okay?”    

“They were treated on time.” She assured him as she placed the kimbap into a plate. “But they left too soon. Few of them were critical so I don’t know how being out of the hospital is working out for them….”  

Was that worry on his face? Na bi set the plate before him but he simply stared out of the window.  

“Was Wonho hurt?” 

“No.” She sat down across him, pouring herself a glass of orange juice and then for him. “He seemed fine. Just worried about you.”  

Changkyun continued to stay silent but Na bi needed more than that.

“What happened after you left that night?”  

“I was driving back and then I was attacked.” He finally put a piece of the roll in his mouth. Na bi smiled to herself at his full cheeks while he munched on it before quickly realigning herself in the conversation.  

“But you came to me the following night and your wound was quite fresh.”  

“I was attacked but I escaped.” He sighed. “I don’t go alone anywhere Ms. Baek, my men were there that night too, tailing us.” Na bi recalled the black cars she saw in the rear-view mirror. “When I was attacked, my men managed to hold them off while I escaped. I was laying low till it I could figure out how to move again but they found me once more and…” 

He made a weak stabbing motion with his free hand, making her wince at the imagery.

“So whoever has been going around looking for you has finally found you?”

He stuffed his mouth with yet another piece. “Seems like it.”  

“Do you…” Na bi sipped on her drink. “Do you think I ratted you out?” Changkyun raised an eyebrow at her question. “Any sensible person would consider that.” 

He shook his head. “As I said earlier, I trust you.”  

“You continue to make me question your intelligence Changkyun. You have no reason to trust me-" 

"Did you call the cops?” Na bi stared open mouth taken aback by the question. “You knew I’m not a good man. You knew I was in an easy, compromised situation. Yet you saved my life and protected me. So was I wrong to place my trust in you?”  

For that, she didn’t really have any explanation to give him. Or herself for that matter. Why didn’t she call the cops? Why didn’t the thought even cross her logical, reasonable mind?  

“Give my intelligence a little more credit Ms. Baek,” He smirked, enjoying her rare inability to respond, fingers circling the rim of his cup. “Are you forgetting my men had their eyes on you? I would’ve known if it was you.”  

Of course. Now that made sense.  

“Looks like they wouldn’t have to anymore though. Now that my identity is out, you are no longer relevant.”

For the first time in very long, Na bi felt a wave of relief - she was finally out of this mess. “So what are you going to do now? What about-"

“That’s for me to worry.” He downed the last of his juice, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"But-"

"Thank you for lunch Ms. Baek.”  

And with that, Na bi knew the conversation had ended.   

"You did what now?"

Seokmin looked at Na bi with absolute confusion etched all over his face.

"Keep your voice down!" Na bi looked up and down the stairwell of her building where she and Seokmin sat, deep in discussion. After lunch, she had texted him to bring a fresh set of dressing and some pain killers but this time, he refused to do so without receiving an explanation in exchange. So for the last half an hour, she sat with him, going over the events of the last few days of her life, leaving out only Changkyuns name in the process. Somehow, Wonhos warning to never ever take his name was ringing in her head.

"Na bi, this is madness, do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"I know." She sighed. "I know it's madness. I know what I'm doing. I'm just not sure it's the right thing."

Seokmin ran his hands through his hair. "You should've never involved yourself in this mess in the first place."

"It's not like I asked to be kidnapped accidentally-"

"I meant trying to reach out for Ana, going to her house, all of that."

"Seokmin you can't be serious. She was in danger-"

"You barely know her-"

"We barely know any of the people we treat, it doesn't mean we don't?!" She looked at him incredulously. "How was I supposed to sit back and just let someone be in trouble like that?"

"Well, thanks to your greatness, now you're in trouble."

"Not anymore." She mumbled, leaning back against the stairs. "My role's over now. The moment he's out of my house, everything ends - there's nothing left to tie us together."

"Then why is he still in your house?" Na bi stared at her friend wordlessly. "You treated him, he gained consciousness, why aren't you letting him go?.... Are you that attracted to him?"

Na bi rolled her eyes. "How stupid do you think I am Min-ah? Do you realise how shallow I would have to be to put physical attraction towards a person above everything else?"

"Then?"

"I owe him Seokmin. He could have killed me the moment I was picked in place of Ana. He chose to show me mercy that people like him don't necessarily need to have.” She habitually picked the skin around her nail. “I'm just repaying the debt."

"You owed him your life, not loyalty. He saved you, you saved him, now it's even. Why don't you just call the cops and-"

"If I do that and his men find out, they will hunt me down Seokmin." Na bi recollected the fierce devotion Wonho seemed to have for his boss. "Look, he's not a threat to me and I'm going to risk being a threat to him again. I'm just going to change his dressing, observe him tonight and send him on his way tomorrow. I don't plan to lose myself in this plot, I'm not that unreasonable."

Seokmin looked at her like he didn't believe her.

"I swear." She laughed. "After tonight, it's all over."

"For you," Seokmin sighed. "Poor Ana, god knows how she is. I mean, I don’t know her well enough either but I always thought her company was shady."

"Her company?"

"There was a guy who used to visit her in the hospital often. I don't know who he is, just that he always seemed to be dressed in suits? It's unusual for men to wear suits when it's 40 degrees you know? And they always looked so branded and perfectly tailored...."

Seokmin's voice faded away as an image of Changkyun in his suit flashed in her head. Of course it couldn't have been him, he didn't even know Ana. But Ana knew him. Other than Na bi, she was the only one who knew who Changkyun was. If his enemies caught up to him, did that mean they found her?

".... and the children really loved that" Seokmin looked at her. "Are you even listening?"

"I need to go." Na bi took the bag from him, and wrapped him in a quick hug. "Thanks Min-ah, I owe you!" She shouted as she ran up the stairs.

"I wish you would stop owing people for gods sake!" He screamed after her before his voice drowned out.

When she entered her apartment, Changkyun was sitting at the table, flipping through one of her books, lost in the words. He didn't look up even when she walked in, set the bag on the kitchen counter and started to empty it. It was only when she was looking around for the scissors that she realised that the counter was clean and her dishes were washed. Did he....

"It's in the drawer." He finally looked up. "The scissors."

Na bi pulled it open, finally spotting it and grabbing hold. (The bullets she had hidden were still right there, beneath the chopsticks.) Watching him struggle with his shirt, she walked over to help him, but he managed to pull it off. Standing behind him she got to work, slowly removing his current dressing and taking a look at his stiches.

"It looks fine. I think I'll changing the dressing once again tomorrow morning and you should be good to go."

Changkyun nodded and silence took over once again.

"You were right. I did save your life," She felt his eyes flicker towards her over his shoulder. "I’m a doctor and I did my job. But….." She began disinfecting his wound. "I have no reason not to call the cops."

Changkyun remained silent, letting her continue.

"I no longer need you to look out for my safety and I don't really have any reason to protect you so I can just have you arrested." She ripped open a bandage roll, unravelling it. "But I won't. If you do me a favour."

"I didn't realise you and I have come down to making deals with each other Ms. Baek." His voice once again betrayed no emotion, but it was hard. "That our relationship is one of business."

"What other relationship can you and I possibly share?" She questioned, not really sure what she was expecting in response as she tied the cloth around his torso.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally asked. "What is it that you want?"

"Find Ana." Na bi stepped back, removing her gloves as he turned to face her. "If I'm safe and you're compromised it means whoever is after you managed to get to Ana - she was the only other source to get you. She may not be relevant or important to you but she is to me. So when I let you walk away from here freely, promise me you'll do whatever you can to find her."

"Promises are empty words Ms. Baek."

"Not for me."

He stared at her for longer than a moment before he nodded.

"I will do what I can."

For some reason, she decided to take his word for it.

Na bi handed him a fresh shirt, her father's old button down this time for more ease, grabbing the other one to throw in the wash along with all her sheets that were stained with his blood. When something dropped from the pile, she bent to pick it up, hands reaching for a pack of cigarettes.

"Smoking is injurious to health." She handed it to him, disapproving.

He chuckled. "Trust me, of all the things that's injurious to me, this is the least."

Na bi rolled her eyes. "Just don't smoke when I'm home please." She threw the load in the washer as he walked up to the couch, sinking into it. "I’ll be going out for dinner in a while anyways."

It wasn't like she was expecting him to ask anything further, but when he didn't, she added on her own. "I have to meet a friend, I couldn’t say no but I can order take out for you before I go if you want?"

He hummed, not looking up from his book, yet again lost in the words. Knowing the conversation was over yet again, Na bi resorted to her pending work - throwing on a fresh pair of sheets, changing the towels and drying the finished load in the balcony.

The entire time, Changkyun was fast asleep. He had barely gotten through a page before he passed out on the couch, curling up in its warmth. Na bi might have been busy but she did keep an eye on him. It was only when Mingyu texted her the location of their dinner that she diverted her attention. He had messaged her earlier in the morning too, reminding her of tonight's plan making her contemplate whether or not she should go. She was concerned about leaving Changkyun alone but then again, neither was he a child nor anyone important enough for her to put her personal life on hold. She replied that she was looking forward to seeing him, yet she somehow forgot all about it till a while go.

Dropping on the bed, hair fanning around she googled the location Mingyu sent. It looked classy and high end, enough to make her uneasy. Not that she didn't enjoy an occasional splurge but she wasn't sure if Mingyu and her were close enough yet for this kind of indulgence, it felt more like a 3rd or 4th date kind of place. And more importantly, she wasn't sure anything in her wardrobe would match this ambience. Groaning as she got up, Na bi sat before her cupboard, scouring through her clothes, picking out a few options. Looking over to make sure Changkyun was still asleep, she tried them on one by one, again and again, finally settling for a figure-hugging red dress that stopped mid-thigh. Realising she might run late, she quickly hopped into the shower for a quick wash then dried and styled her hair into a loose bun and even put on a little more makeup than her usual eyeliner and lip tint combination. Slipping on her dress, she struggled with the zip, trying all possible ways to reach for it on her lower back when she felt a presence behind her, slowly zipping her up.

"Dinner with a friend?" Na bi watched Changkyun's eyes trail down her figure then up, meeting her eye in the mirror across, her cheeks reddening under his gaze. So he was listening to her.

It wasn’t like she owed him any answers or explanation but he since he always seemed to answer her questions, she shook her head honestly. "It's a date."

Maybe they looked at each other for too long or maybe the sun was setting really quickly, but soon enough, dark shadows started to blurr everything around. It was only when the doorbell rang that Na bi pulled herself away from him and rushed to the door to collect the take out she had ordered.

"It’s pork cutlets." She placed it on the table before walking around him, avoiding his eye, as she grabbed her purse and threw on a few last-minute accessories for a little gold accent. "Make sure you eat on time and if you don't like it then there's instant ramen in the- ow!"

She rubbed her head where she knocked right into his chest, hurrying about around her house. As she peaked at him through one eye, he moved closer to her, making her eyes blow wide open as she walked back till her knees hit the back of the table, trapping her between it and him. Na bi swallowed on nothing as he bent to meet her at her eye level and with a swift move pulled the pin out of her hair, letting her waves fall loosely. She held her breath as he ran his fingers ran through her hair, draping it over her shoulder.

What was wrong with him? Why was he being so....territorial? Since the last two days, Na bi had constantly been wondering - was it only her who felt this undeniable attraction or did he feel the same way? Sometimes, she felt he couldn't care less, like he didn’t feel an ounce of what she did, but sometimes, like right now, when he looked at her like nothing else existed, she didn’t know anymore. Was he indifferent or was simply displaying extreme self-control, she couldn’t tell.

"Your scar still hasn't healed." He ran his finger over Wonho's little knife wound, before adjusting her hair to cover it. Oh. Was that all?

Apparently it was, because after that he walked around the table and started going through his take out like she didn't even exist anymore. Na bi stared wordlessly. Of course, look at him, hot mafia boss of the underworld - he probably had a whole bunch of a whole lot more attractive women at his beck and call, someone like her would barely matter. Yet the way he kissed her that night felt.....

Shaking the spiralling thoughts off her mind, Na bi put on her heels and grabbed a coat from the stand. It was only when she took a pencil from between her books and twisted her hair back into a bun that he finally looked at her again. Not giving him anymore attention, she took one last look at herself in the mirror and stepped out of her house, determined to make her way to the man waiting for her downtown - A man she had no doubt was truly attracted to her.

"I've never had this wine before but it tastes so familiar."

"Do you like it?"

Na bi nodded taking a sip but immediately shook her head when Mingyu offered to pour her another glass.

"I have to go to work tomorrow and more importantly, the board is gathering to take disciplinary action against me. I can't show up hungover."

Mingyu looked at her concerned, setting the bottle down. "I'm so sorry. You don't deserve that."

She truly didn't. From what she heard from Seokmin, she was most likely going to face a two- or three-week suspension for her "inadequate handling of the emergency room" yesterday. Bullshit. The attending was simply taking out her anger over Na bi's unprompted takeover of the emergency room when her incompetent son froze in the face of responsibility. Now using the excuse of Changkyun’s men's escape, she was trying to settle score in her own twisted way.

"Did you not go to work today though?" Mingyu looked at her over his glass. "I picked this place cause it was close to your hospital. I was going to offer to walk you from there."

"Oh." Na bi's mind ran through the list of all possible excuses, picking the worst one possible. "Yeah, I called in sick, terrible case of food poisoning, diarrhea and all."

Way to go Na bi, she chided herself. She was capable of a lot of things but telling a decent lie was just not one of them.

Mingyus face scrunched in worry. "Oh, maybe we should have pushed dinner to another day, I can cancel the seafood-"

"Relax" She patted his arm. "I feel fine now, your date is quite the tough girl."

The moment the words left her mouth, she pursed her lips, putting her glass down. Enough Na bi. She couldn't make a fool of herself yet again. That was the reason when the waiter brought wine to the table, Na bi immediately refused. Mingyu insisted, saying he had asked for this bottle in particular because he heard good things about it and convinced her to try a glass, which then turned into two and here she was, sprouting nonsense as usual. Mingyu though looked rather pleased with her words and surely had something to say in return when his phone started ringing. He cut the call.

"That's the third call you're declining." Na bi observed. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"It's just work." He murmured.

"Aren't your work hours for the day over?"

"Is a cop ever really off duty?" He chuckled, unlocking his phone to drop a quick text. Na bi reminded herself for the tenth time that night that she was sitting right across a member of law enforcement while a criminal munched on pork cutlets in her house. Why again did she think this dinner was a good idea?

"Do you enjoy your work?"

He nodded. "I won't lie, there are days where it gets overwhelming but end of the day, there's something satisfying about saving lives. You should know."

"I wouldn't. I save humans, not cats stuck on trees." She joked and Mingyu laughed.

"I could have you arrested for that Doctor."

"I dare you Officer." She grinned, downing the last of her wine. "Indulge me, what's the most interesting case you've seen in your career?"

"That's what you want to talk about on this, as you called it, date?"

"Would you rather exchange favourite colours and songs?"

He laughed shaking his head before slipping into thought. "I guess, the diamond robbery two years ago? Me and my buddy were the ones who caught the thief in the end. I got shot on the job too." He pointed at his shoulder. "What's your crazy work story?"

"Last year I pulled a 48 hour shift in the ER because of a terrible accident where two buses crashed into each other. The rains those days were so terrible, all 80 patients were taken to the closet hospital which happened to be ours and along with about 20 nurses, I was the only doctor on call." She took a bite of her pasta. "We saved 78 of them."

"Wow." Mingyu breathed impressed. "That must've been intense. I remember those rains last year, they were truly a hazard." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I was a part of the rescue operation for a building that collapsed. Pulled a three-day shift if I remember right."

"Wait, I was there too." Na bi added, surprised. "I wasn't really helpful though - my colleague and I were trying to get someone out from the rubble when someone moved the foundation and we ended up trapped inside for almost 2 days. I, unfortunately, needed to be admitted in the ER after that." She laughed.

Mingyu gaped at her, raising his hands in defeat. "Okay doctor, you win the crazy work story competition." He poured himself and her another glass. "I, unfortunately, am not one of the cool TV show cops with tons of stories to tell."

"Me neither." Na bi laughed. "That's pretty much all I have too. Maybe now we both can add '40 gangsters walking into the ER in broad daylight' to the list."

"I still can't believe that happened." He chewed on his food slowly. "Gang fights in Seoul, its like the 2000s again. My superiors at work talk about those times a lot - they were part of the 2011 WipeOut, and man, quite the story that is."

Na bi propped her head on her interlocked hands, ears perking for this conversation. Mingyu laughed at her curiosity.

"I don't know much details, just that back in the day, Seoul was drowning in crime - drugs, trafficking, money laundering, extortion, you name it. Mafia from Hong Kong and Japan have been here for decades, simply lurking around without much influence but these guys? They were locals, men who built and climbed their way into power so silently that by the time they were on top, they were pretty unstoppable. They were 3 of them - kingpin, the boss, the blackjack, the underboss and bigbucks, the consigliere. Together they quite literally showed the police force of this city what hell would look like on Earth." Seeing how she was ignoring her meal, Mingyu nudged her to take a bite before he continued. "It took a five year long undercover operation to finally get them. The crime branch slowly infiltrated the mafia and then in 2011, there was a big bust where many of them were thrown behind bars and the mafia was finally wiped out for good."

"Was it?" Na bi avoided meeting his eye as she focused on poking her salad. "Do you think the mafia no longer exists in Seoul?"

Mingyu looked at her like she said something ridiculous. "Of course it doesn't! I wouldn't say the city is entirely crime free, I mean you saw what happened just yesterday, but they are all just small-time criminals. I know for a fact that the mafia as an organisation no longer exists in Seoul. It can't."

If only he knew.

Na bi chewed on her food for long after that to avoid talking. Changkyun was right when he said nobody knew of him; evidently even the cops were clueless of his existence. Now someone had entered his playing field, pulled him out of his rat hole and was wreaking havoc out in the open already. Who could it possibly be?

The rest of the dinner was filled with casual conversation and laughter. Mingyu was a sweet guy - he was built like a Greek god, he made good conversation and was surprisingly witty and funny too, nothing short of perfect. Maybe on another day, Na bi would have taken more initiative but today unfortunately and to her own annoyance, Chankgyun was all that was on her mind, so the moment desert was done, she asked for the bill. Despite her refusal, Mingyu offered to drop her home insisting it was late and when Na bi got up from the table and felt her head spin a little, she took him up on that. She should have stopped with that second glass of wine.

During the drive, Mingyu sweetly let her play her playlist, genuinely enjoying her choice of songs and singing along rather loudly. Thank god for him, or given how both the wine and almost 2 days of lack of sleep was weighing down on her, she was sure to have passed out in his car. When they reached her building, he got off first, walking over to open the door for her and as Na bi stepped out, she looked up at her apartment, breath hitching in her throat.

The lights were off.

Reading her face Mingyu followed her line of vision asking if everything was okay and she shook it off saying it was. Had Changkyun left? His wound wasn't as severe and it wasn't like he would be helpless without her but something about him disappearing in her absence made her uneasy.

"Are you sure?" Mingyu asked again frowning, seeing her lost in thought.

She nodded. "Thank you for dinner today, I really had a good time." She walked a step back, watching Mingyu frozen on the spot and realised he was probably hoping she would invite him up but Na bi really could not bring herself to. Not tonight, not after the last few days she had, and not with both wine and a strange disappointment coursing through her system.

"I would invite you up but uh.....I think the.... diarrhea is kicking in again, it wouldn't be right-"

"Anyone ever tell you that you're a horrible liar doctor?" Mingyu laughed. "It's alright, I get it. It's okay if you're not interested-“

"I am." Na bi walked back to him, placing a soft peck on his cheek. "I do like you. I do want to do this again, and more. Just not tonight, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise." He tucked the strands that were escaping her bun. "You shouldn't."

Putting aside everything in the world that seemed like a problem right now, Na bi pulled him by his dinner jacket, tiptoeing against his figure and kissed him. Mingyu froze, just for a second before his hands found her waist and kissed her back with a hint of desperation that reminded her of that night in the bar. Under the moonlight, on a quiet street, kissing a man who was enamoured by her, Na bi knew she should be savouring the moment a lot more but to her own dismay, she couldn't.

"Goodnight officer." She whispered against his mouth, walking back towards her building, taking one last look at his giddy smile.

"Goodnight doctor."

When she opened the door to her house, every other emotion she felt tonight dissipated. She was met with the silent darkness that she was used to coming home to but didn't expect to return to tonight. Sighing, she put her purse and coat on the table with and kicked off her heels before walking into her house, turning on the night lights. Dragging herself in, she threw herself into the freshly made bed before frowning and looking around.

Did he....

Na bi wasn't really a very messy person but earlier tonight she didn't have the time to reorganise everything, nor did she have the desire to hang out any longer around the very confusing energy she was getting from Changkyun. She had left the house rather annoyed that she would have to come back to a mess but now that she looked around, her clothes, her make up, her shoes, everything was back in its place and there was only one person who could have done it. Na bi scoffed not knowing what exactly to feel about this man - he seemed considerate enough to clean up after her but at the same didn't care enough to let her know before he disappeared. Half burying her face into the sheets, she let her eyes shut, recalling what he looked like right before she left. That was the last time she saw him. That was the last time she will ever see him.

Or maybe not.

Na bi wasn't really sure how long she was asleep but the touch of something soft on her face suddenly woke her up. Half confused, half terrified, her eyes fluttered open, catching sight of Changkyun's face hovering over hers, making her bite back a scream.

"You.." She scrambled in her sheets, sitting up. "You didn't leave?"

He looked perplexed. "Didn’t you ask me not to?"

Na bi swallowed the phantom lump in her throat looking around. How did she miss him? "The lights were off, you weren't here when I came back..."

"I prefer the dark." He confessed moving away as she got to her feet. "I was out in the balcony, getting some air when I heard you come back."

Na bi walked over and peered out of the glass of her balcony doors, looking at the buildings across. "You shouldn't have, you could have been seen...." She trailed off staring at the road realising that if Changkyun was standing here, he probably saw her and Mingyu…… But, did it matter if he did?

"You didn't remove your make up." He walked up to her and held out the wipe in his hand. "I thought I could..."

Muttering a thanks, Na bi took it from him, fidgeting with it in her hand, letting the loud silence take over as she wiped her off makeup slowly. Why was there suddenly a strange tension lingering in the air? It felt like that night again she confessed she was attracted to him - the hesitation to see who would make the first move, the uncertainty about anything even happening, everything felt so familiar. When Na bi turned to casually glance at Changkyun, he was already looking at her.

"You have..." His hand cupped her cheek, thumb brushing against her lower lip, removing the last traces of her gloss. Na bi held her breath, eyes searching his for a clear answer once again. She still couldn't find a no.

When his hand wouldn't part from her, her body leaned in, lips reaching for his when he tilted her face up, frowning.

"Ms. Baek, did you drink?"

"Just a little wine." She confessed, reaching for him again, only to meet with resistance.

"Then maybe you shouldn't-"

"You're not even a little bit attracted to me are you?" Na bi pulled herself away from him, giving herself some much-needed space. What was wrong with her, why couldn't she see? He didn’t ever initiate anything and every time she did, he only stopped her. What else did she need to hear to get it into her thick skull - he was not interested. "I'm sorry, I should just-"

"You think I'm not attracted to you?" Changkyun took a step towards her, making her take one back. "I might have zipped you up in that dress but the moment I saw you in it, I wanted nothing more than to rip it off you."

Na bi’s eyes widened. What? 

"When you said my name for the first time, I wanted nothing more than to make you say it over and over and over again."

Her back hit the wall behind her as he caged her between his arms, hands pressed into the concrete by her side.

"Every time I see you it takes every nerve in my being to stop myself from......" He licked his lips eyes flickering down to hers. "From doing this, you have no fucking idea."

"Why do you stop yourself?" She whispered. Did this mean he too wanted…..

"Because you deserve better Ms. Baek." He let his hands fall to his side. "I'm not a good man-"

Na bi rolled her eyes. How chivalrous. "Yeah well, who's trying to marry you and have your kids?" Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, she pulled him closer to her. "I don't care about anything else as long as you don't rip the dress." She bit her lip, drawing his eyes to it again. "I like this one."

Changkyun cocked his head at her and for the first time, she could read him clear as day - he was giving her one last chance to back out. She tightened her grip on the fabric, reiterating that she didn’t want to. Go ahead.

Hands on her waist he spun her around, pressing her against the wall, fingers caressing the bare skin of her back as he unzipped her antagonisingly slow, mouth at the shell of her ear. "Please don't fall in love with me Ms. Baek."

Feeling him move away from her Na bi turned to see him stepping back, watching her. Slipping the fabric off her shoulders, she let the dress pool at her feet, before kicking it away. All she was left in was the black lingerie she had worn - quite frankly it was one of the simpler ones she owned but something hungrily darkened in Changkyun's eyes at the sight of it. Smiling to herself she walked up to him and worked the buttons of his shirt as he captured her lips in his once again, a lot more aggressive this time, making her legs literally go weak. As she stripped the shirt off his body, she felt his hand slip past the hem of her panties, down between her legs, fingers easily sliding between the wetness of her folds, making her moan softly into his mouth.

"Sweetheart, you're soaked." He smiled at the effect he seemed to have on her. "Do you want me that bad?"

Na bi looked at him with pupils practically blown in lust, and pulled on the drawstring of his pajamas, letting a finger run down over the tent in his pants, earning a satisfactory, low growl in return.

"I do." She answered honestly, sliding her hand into his pants, wrapping it around his hard length. "And looks like you do too."

Tugging her hand off him, Changkyun dragged her as he sank into the couch behind him, pulling her onto his lap. It was only when he winced in pain when she straddled him that Na bi realised-

"Changkyun your stitches," His mouth latched onto her neck, littering with kisses and bites. "We shouldn't-"

"Doesn't matter."

He unclasped her bra, sliding it off her, sending it somewhere across the room before he took her nipple in his mouth in a way that made her see stars.

"But...." She tried moving away when his tongue ran across her skin, making her melt back into him. "But if they rip.... I'll have to suture you again-."

"Then do it."

Mouth not leaving her breast, he guided her hips against his length, a loud moan escaping her.

"We've run out of anaesthetic, without it it’ll hurt like hell-"

"Then let it."

A shiver ran down her spine as he slid his hand between their bodies, slipping two fingers inside her, opening her up for him.

"Changkyun please," Her nails dug into his bicep as she felt that delicious stretch. "We can't.... we shouldn't-"

He let her go, pushing his fingers into her mouth instead, making her taste herself, he leaned in. "Ride me." He whispered, and that was all it took for Na bi's resolve to break.

Pushing aside her panties as he pulled himself out of his pants, she let him in, slowly sinking down on his length, finally claiming him for herself. She knew she wasn't prepped enough but she didn't expect to feel this full of him as she stilled, lips parting wordlessly.

"Fuck if this isn't so worth it." His wet fingers trailed down her neck, between her breasts, hands grabbing her hips once again and pushing her further down, making her whimper against him. Oh lord.

"Sweetheart-" Changkyun groaned as she clenched around him. "You need to move. I might just..."

Head thrown back, holding onto his shoulders to support herself, Na bi slowly let herself move up and down his length, the feeling easing in as she found a rhythm. All that mattered was him in her, his hands on her, his mouth exploring every inch, as she buried him in herself again and again and again-

"Look at you taking me so well." He grabbed her face, forcing her to meet his eye as she threaded her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. "It's like you were made for me."

Na bi nodded in agreement as she felt the knot inside her starting to tighten and the strength of her legs weaken.

"Changkyun please.." She begged and he immediately complied, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her against him as he snapped his hips up, fastening the pace.

"You're not going to come till I do are you sweetheart?" Na bi shook her head, knowing it was more of a warning than a question. "Good girl." He whispered against her ear, earning an absolutely unholy moan as he hit all the right spots.

"Please, please, please-" She whimpered no longer able hold herself back. "Please let me come."

"You're doing so well sweetheart, just a little longer." He promised. "Where do you want me to-"

"Inside." She moaned, mouth practically watering at the thought of him emptying himself in her, filling her up. Pressing her forehead against his, Na bi looked into his eyes, getting lost in them as he fucked her into oblivion. His words from earlier rang in her head - Please don't fall in love with me Ms. Baek.

She shut her eyes trying to shut him out. She won't. She couldn't possibly.....

And when she opened her eyes again, she was greeted by the stars stuck on her ceiling and a strange unfulfilled emptiness between her legs.

She was still in her bed, fully dressed, not having moved even an inch since she threw herself onto it.

Was that all....  a dream?

As detailed images of her imagination flashed in her head Na bi groaned into her bed, curling up in shame. Of course none of that was real; just how desperate did she have to be for her subconscious to conjure something like that? How was she ever going to face him again? Not that she would ever have to, now that he was gone-

"Ms. Baek?"

Na bi immediately sat up at the sound of his voice, eyes falling on him standing by her kitchen in the dim light of her house. No, no, not another one. She pinched her arm to give herself a reality check, wincing in pain when it hurt. So he really was here?

"You- you were here all along?" She tried not to look at him as she slid off her bed.

"I was in the shower."

"Ah." Na bi finally pieced it all together - the lights, his absence. "I didn't see you when I got back.... I... uh thought you left."

"Didn't you ask me not to?"

Na bi froze at his choice of words, an echo of her imagination. God please don't let this be a dream, she couldn't possibly survive another one.

"But I'm going to have to leave now." He continued, getting her attention again. "My men have a lead on Ana."

"They found her?"

"Not yet, but they are closing in on her location." He tucked his hands into his pockets. "So I should go. I promised someone that I'd do what I can to find her."

Na bi blinked at him confused till she realised he was talking about her. Oh.

"I didn't want to leave without letting you know so I was waiting for you to wake up."

Na bi felt her heart race in her chest. Please don't fall in love with me Ms. Baek.

Thinking reasonably, she grabbed a paper, the pencil from her bun, and scribbled the names of a few medicines before handing it to him. "These should help with any pain."

He stared at her for just a bit before stashing it away in his pocket with a nod, walking to the door and turning as though to let her see him one last time.

Will I ever see you again?

She let the question remain unasked, lost in the silence between them. Now that they had nothing to do with each other anymore, Na bi wondered if they would run into each other for the third time - maybe then she'll finally have to start believing in fate.

And as fate had it, just over 10 days later, Na bi found herself frantically running down a street and just as she reached the corner, a black van pulled up next to her, history repeating itself as she was shoved into the darkness. 

Next chapter

[justsomekpopstuff]

"Me? I'm your oldest brother, Justin McElroy": Seonghwa (Ateez) / Seungcheol (Seventeen) / Shownu (Monsta X) / Johnny (NCT 127) / Bang Chan (Stray Kids)

"And I'm your middlest, most balanced brother, Travis McElroy": Yeosang (Ateez) / Woozi (Seventeen) / Kihyun (Monsta X) / Doyoung (NCT 127) / Seungmin (Stray Kids)

"🎶 Our god, is an awesome god he reigns. From heaven above with wisdom, power and stuff, our god is an awesome god 🎶 - Its me, Griffin McElroy, god's favorite": Wooyoung (Ateez) / Jeonghan (Seventeen) / Chankgyun (Monsta X) / Haechan (NCT 127) / Felix (Stray Kids)

current masterlist | fic recs

[stayteezdreams]

Masquerade

Plot: While attending a Christmas masquerade, Changkyun meets someone who steals his heart. But what does he do when they disappear at the end of the night? (Cinderella-esque au but not really)

Pairing: Im Changkyun | I.M x Gn!Reader

A/n's: I avoided using any descriptors for the Readers outfit (not a dress or suit specifically), but I did describe the color and "pattern", sorry if its not your vibe. Cinderella-esque vibe, but the reader is more like the step-sister being forced to the ball to meet a prince rather than sneaking in to enjoy the ball.

Warnings: Defenestration mentions (as a joke) . Reader has kind of shitty parents. This is written in a style sort of like older stories where the parents basically marry off their children to wealthy people no matter who they are.

Words: 4.8k

As Changkyun looked himself over in the mirror he let out a sigh. Every year, his parents threw a massive party for Christmas. This year the theme was masquerade.

He didn't often attend the parties or would at least pop in and say hello to some people. But this year, he was demanded to stay by his parents. And he knew it was because they wanted to find him a "match."

He was lucky that they didn't care much about the status of whoever he would end up with. But they were pushy about when he ended up with someone.

And because he had not met anyone that he felt anything strong for, they were starting to throw people his way in hopes some feelings surfaced. He knew tonight would be no different, if not worse.

Reluctantly leaving his room, he made his way down into the party, many eyes on him as soon as he entered. Even though he had a mask on, most knew who he was already.

He barely made it ten steps into the room before his mother saw him and began leading over a woman, and who he assumed was her daughter.

'Oh God, here we go.'

He put on a charming smile as they approached, greeted and chatted with them. And of course, after a stern look from his mother, asked her to dance.

She was nice, but a bit dense, and clearly only interested in money and status. Definitely not his type.

One after another, he was introduced, one after another he danced, and by the time nine o'clock came, he was ready to throw himself out of the nearest window.

Managing to escape to a corner, pretending to get a drink, his eyes raked over the room. He wondered if he could make it out of the door without anyone stopping him. Most everyone seemed to be growing tipsier as the night went on.

As he eyed the back of the room, his eyes locked onto a figure moving at the back, behind everyone else.

You were clearly trying to sneak away from something or someone as you continuously looked over your shoulder. It was working, as no one seemed to notice you except him. Though he wasn't sure how.

You were immediately alluring, and your outfit eye-catching, the color was black- no, a deep blue in the light, and it was covered in thousands of tiny sparkles that made it seem like you were covered in stars.

Changkyun didn't realize he was holding his breath as he watched you successfully reach the balcony door unseen and sneak out into the night. He let out a soft scoff as he felt more intrigued by the fact there was someone else here who was as desperate to escape as he was, if not more so.

Setting his glass down, he tried to make his way swiftly to the balcony to follow you. Narrowly escaping a few people attempting to stop him, he finally slipped out the door and looked around for you.

He felt a disappointed pang in his chest as he couldn't spot you, until his eyes spotted a shimmering figure heading into the covered garden. Following you, he wondered why he was so compelled by you.

The weight in your chest already seemed to lift as you escaped into the garden. No one was around, and the night air was calming, though cold.

All night you had entertained your parents demands for you to find a spouse. Met and talked with various people, all with the same bland personality and conversation starters. You never hated small talk as much as you did with a man who had a personality centered around wealth and status.

It was just like your parents to bring you to a wealthy family’s party just to garner the attention of elites who wanted easy to gain spouses. Your parents often mentioned they wanted you to marry for love, yet they threw you at any one they could whenever they got the chance and insisted you force the love to follow.

Finding your way into a small clearing, your eyes gazed around at the trees, all decorated in lights and Christmas ornaments. You smiled as you wondered why they went to so much effort to decorate areas no one went too.

Then your eyes landed on a swing hanging from a large tree. You smiled at the site as you sat down, swaying back and forth and allowing yourself to breathe for the first time tonight. You wondered how much time you could get yourself before your parents found you.

Closing your eyes as you leaned your head back, you took in some cold brisk breaths as you tried to calm your anchored anxiety.

Hearing a crunch in the gravel nearby, your eyes shot open as you spotted a man standing not too far away. He was tall, slim, but fit, black hair just past his ears. He was wearing a slick silk black suit and a mask to match. Even at a distance you could see he was attractive.

He raised his hand at your reaction and let out a soft breathy laugh. "Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you."

You didn't recognize him, so you assumed he wasn't someone sent after you by your parents.

You bowed your head softly and smiled, "That's alright."

He took a tentative step forward as he spoke, "I noticed you flee the house and grew curious."

You frowned softly, "Why?"

He smiled and your heart fluttered unexpectedly. "I thought I was the only one who wanted to run away."

You remained silent for a second before you let out a soft breathy laugh. "Forced by your parents?"

He grinned at this, you just told him, without really telling him, why you were so fed up with being here.

"Forced by the parents."

You tilted your head in confusion for a moment before it donned on you what he might mean. "I suppose this is your home then?"

He nodded almost sheepishly at the identification. He began to wonder slowly towards you, walking behind the swing as he spoke, his eyes remaining on you the whole time.

"My parents host this party every year. But this year they are quite determined to find me a match. Since I am taking too long in finding my own-"

"They will find one for you."

He chuckled as he nodded, though you couldn't see him. "I assume it’s the same for you then?"

You nodded as you swung once in the swing again. "Unfortunately. Though, I was never really given the opportunity to find my own spouse. I will only marry someone they approve of, and that in itself is already an absurd standard."

"So, no matches tonight then?"

You shrugged. "Apparently they are fond of this particularly well-known man names James."

Changkyun felt his heart drop at this. He looked at you, your soft profile in the moonlight as you gazed outwards, no idea what your fate would become if your parents chose him. Anyone in his family’s close circle knew exactly who he was, but someone outside of it might not.

"Not him."

Something in his tone sent a chill down your spine. You stopped your movement on the swing as you turned to look at him, he was behind you, a few steps away, his eyes on you and his gaze tense.

"He's not a good man."

The tone of his voice held contempt and fear, making your chest tighten. He was being truthful.

You nodded softly in understanding, "Not him."

He nodded once, letting out a soft breath. Even though he didn't really know you, he knew you were far too good to be paired with someone like him.

Your heart jolted at the sound of distant voices, listening for a moment, you recognized then, your parents. They were clearly upset and looking for you.

"Shit." You cursed under your breath, but Changkyun was quick to catch on.

"Your parents?"

You nodded as you rose from the swing, looking around for another path. Before you could choose where to go, you suddenly felt the stranger grab your wrist lightly.

As you looked at him in alarm, he gently pulled you along. "Come on."

Between following a stranger you knew nothing about, and being caught by your parents, you knew the clear answer was to follow the stranger into the darkness of the garden.

Letting him lead you down a stony path, you watched as the path slowly became more overgrown, clearly having been forgotten about. Ducking underneath an old overgrown willow tree, you stared in awe as you came through the other side to see a large gazebo covered in vines.

The moon above you lit up the area well enough to see, as the two of you stepped up into the gazebo. You looked around at the old structure, clearly forgotten about by everyone but him.

Changkyun looked back at you and smiled at your awestruck gaze. Your clothes were twinkling in the moonlight, and he could feel the way his stomach fluttered as he watched you. Had he a mirror, he would see the same gaze on your face plastered on his as he looked at you.

He finally spoke with a soft voice, "I often come here to escape. Tonight, I will lend it to you."

You smiled at him and his heart stuttered. "Thank you."

He smiled at you and bowed his head slightly in response.

As he began turning away, you hesitated "Wait-" he looked back at you and you suddenly felt shy, "Are you leaving?"

He hadn't intended on it, but your reaction when you thought he was made him near giddy. "Do you want me to stay?"

You shrugged lightly, not sure what to do now. "I thought we could talk more is all."

Changkyun grinned and you felt your heart skip a beat. He stepped closer to you, "We could."

As he stared at you with a smile, you couldn't help but smile brightly in return. Something about this stranger had your heart fluttering in ways you had never experienced.

While the party inside continued, and your parents wandered near every inch of it to find you, you and Changkyun talked nonstop. You learned that you had much more than your pushy parents in common.

As silence settled between you after you had laughed at one of his stories, the sound of music became louder.

You looked towards the house, as the sound traveled along the soft breeze. And suddenly you remembered where you were, having been so lost in your conversations with your new friend, you had nearly forgotten.

Changkyun stood up, catching your attention as he placed out his hand for you to take. "Do you want to dance with me?"

You looked at this hand before you smiled, "I thought you had grown tired of dancing tonight?"

He smiled and he shrugged his head, "I grew tired of dancing with the people my parents forced on me. I'd very much like to dance with someone I choose."

Heart fluttering again, you gently took his hand as you rose, "Good answer."

He chuckled softly as the two of you began dancing, your motions flowing together smoothly as you seemed to have a good rhythm together.

As you danced around the gazebo, moonlight peeking through, Changkyun was in awe of your presence. He had never felt this towards anyone, let alone someone whose name he didn't even know.

This thought suddenly struck him, why hadn't he asked your name? Let alone tell you his own.

Spinning you once more, he pulled you close to his chest as the song died out, the sound of distant clapping heard. Your eyes were locked as your hands remained clasped. Slowly, you parted with a single step back.

You held your breath as he slowly raised his hands towards your mask, to remove it. You had nearly forgotten you had still been wearing it all along. Your face barely looked any different with or without it, but his actions still made your heart race.

Before he could remove it, however, you heard the sudden loud chiming of a clock.

Your head snapped in the direction of the house, catching Changkyun off guard.

"It’s midnight?"

Changkyun almost laughed, he hadn't realized the two of you had spent so long out here together. It felt like no time had passed at all, he would be glad to have more.

Unfortunately for him, your thoughts were the opposite as you looked back at him with panic.

"My parents are going to kill me. We were supposed to have left by now. They must be going crazy!"

Changkyun watched as you darted away from him and out of the gazebo.

"Wait!" He called after you as he ran to follow.

You were cursing to yourself the whole way back to the house. Worried your parents would punish you, fearful they may have left you here, and disappointed you had to leave.

Climbing up the steps back to the house, as you were about to grab the door handles to go back inside, you stopped as you were grabbed by your elbow.

As you looked back, Changkyun was hurrying to catch his breath. "But I never got your name."

Your eyes widened in realization. How had you spent that much time with him, talking, laughing, gazing, dancing, and yet you never actually introduced yourselves?

"Oh it's-"

Before you could tell him your name, the doors burst open, revealing your clearly disheveled if not somewhat buzzed parents.

You opened your mouth, ready to give excuse after excuse, but they grabbed your arms and wrists as they began pulling you inside.

"Do you realize how long we had been looking for you?!"

"Where did you go?! Were you with someone? Who?"

As they dragged you through the house and towards the front door, you looked back to see Changkyun trying to follow you. He wanted to know your name, to tell you his, he wanted to introduce himself to your parents, to tell them not to let James anywhere near you.

Suddenly stopped by his own parents, he tried to push past them but failed, his heart dropping as he saw you dragged out the front doors and away from him.

His parents bombarded him with similar questions your own parents whispered into your ears.

"Just one moment, okay? I'll explain later!"

Managing to push past them, he made his way through the remnant crowd, and out the front door. His eyes darted from person to person, group to group, as many people were leaving and lingering in the front of the house.

He let out a disdained sigh as he saw you nowhere in sight. He had been too late to catch up to you, you were gone.

He stared out at the crowd of people, ignoring people as they greeted him, his mind only on you. He felt as though something wonderful had been ripped away from him. How was he going to get it back? He had to find you. He needed to. He would.

Swinging gently on the swing he first met you at, Changkyun stared ahead, lost in thought. It had been nearly a week since the masquerade, and he had yet to find out who you were.

After telling his parents about you, they were intrigued as well, wanting to know who gained their son’s attention so undividedly. So, even they tried to help find you, but came up with nothing. You remained a mystery, as though you had never been there at all.

He even considered reaching out to James, but with their relationship and how vindictive he was, he might seek you out to hurt you because of him.

He began to wonder if maybe your parents had pulled some strings and got an invite from someone else, or maybe snuck you in all together. Perhaps that was why they dragged you out of the party so quickly. You had overstayed your welcome and as the crowds were dying down, your presence might become more noticeable.

Letting out a soft laugh at the thought, he shook his head as he leaned back and looked up at the cloudy sky. "Why didn't I ask your name sooner?" He spoke allowed, to the sky, remembering how he felt as the two of you danced and smiled together.

His chest tightened as he grew more frustrated. There had to be a way to find you again. If you were so prevalently on his mind a week later, surely, he truly felt something for you.

Feeling a chill shudder over him from the winter breeze, he returned into his home. As he entered the dining room, he overheard the end of a conversation from his parents.

"Of course it would be a contract marriage, no one would marry James if they really knew him."

Changkyun stopped dead in his tracks, a chill running over him as a bad feeling filled his gut. Marching into the room up to the table, he looked at his mother with alarmed eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, well, James is engaged apparently, a contract marriage."

He placed his hands on the table harshly as he leaned in, "To who?!"

"Why are you so upset?"

"Because-" He recalled that night, your parents had an interest in James being with you, but did they really sell you off to him? "Find out who it is mother, please, I think it might be the one I met that night."

Seeing and hearing the urgent desperation in her sons’ voice, she nodded, quickly rising to find out more information. Changkyun's father ushered him to sit, to question him further. Changkyun only hoped if it was you, that he could stop it before you were married off to a monster.

The second his mother came back with a name and address, Changkyun was out the doors and on his way to you. He needed to make sure you would be free of this engagement, no matter what.

"Y/n" He muttered the name to himself breathlessly as he pictured your face, a soft smile forming on his own. "It suits you."

Your chest was heavy with anxiety as you sat in the corner of the room looking at anything but your parents and James.

You had tried to convince them not to pair you with him, but since you learned no real details about why your mystery friend warned you about him, they didn't listen. And nothing other than he is a horrible dangerous person would deter them.

It didn't matter if the way he looked at you made you uncomfortable, it didn't matter if he was ten years older, it didn't matter if he made weird comments openly about the maids.

Unless you could find another suitor, a better suitor, it was only "You'll get used to it", "Feelings will come with time", "He probably isn't as bad as you think."

Part of you wanted to go back to the home where you had attended the masquerade. To be with, well, whoever he was, and get him to help you. And maybe, just maybe, the two of you could grow closer.  

But after you learned that you and your parents were never supposed to be at that party, you felt mortified to ever return. You were party crashers, and you hadn't even known it.

"I was thinking we could have the wedding next week."

Your heart clenched at James's suggestion. Daring a look at him he caught your eye and smiled, an eerie smile. He knew of your reservations against him, he knew you wanted nothing to do with him. What would he be like when you no longer had your parents around?

The anxiety nearly made you dizzy. What was your future holding for you. Torture? Sadness? Loneliness?

Your spiraling thoughts were interrupted at the sound of loud pounding at the door. It was loud and sudden enough to make you jump. Waiting and watching as you heard muffled voices before hurried footsteps came closer to the study, your hand clenched the arm of your chair nervously.

Your fear was replaced by surprise and relief as the man you met at the masquerade barged into the room. He looked disheveled and breathless, as he looked around the room hurriedly.

As his eyes met yours, you rose from your seat.

You knew well enough what he looked like, but without the mask, seeing him for everything he was, made your heart flutter heavier than it ever had before.

He let out a sigh of relief, his heart swelling as he saw you. "Y/n"

As your name left his lips, you moved to take a step towards him but stopped as your father stepped forward with a demanding voice.

"Who are you?!"

Quickly bowing in respect, he apologized for his sudden entry. "I must insist I speak with you regarding your betrothal of Y/n to James."

"Changkyun." The voice that left James was full of venom as he stared daggers into him.

'Changkyun' that was his name?

"I must insist you know exactly who it is you are trying to marry your child off too." Changkyun was speaking to your parents, but his eyes never left James.

"You will leave this house!" James countered, but you stepped forward suddenly.

"No! He will not."

Changkyun's eyes finally left James and landed on you. Your stance was defiant as you looked from James to Changkyun. "I want to know too."

Your father let out an annoyed grunt before he waved his hand at Changkyun. "Fine, but you will tell me who you are first! I want to know if you have the authority to tell me anything!"

"I am Im Changkyun Sir."

Your parents suddenly straightened up at the sound of his name, one they clearly recognized.

"And I am Y/n's friend."

His eyes fell to you as he spoke, his voice somewhat hesitant on the word 'friend', as he knew he felt more for you than mere friendship.

You smiled at him, and something in your face told him you felt the same.

Looking back at your parents he spared James one more look. "James is a violent drunk who had made many an innocent person disappear for the mere instance of looking at him for too long. He is cruel, disrespectful, and a bastard overall. If you marry Y/n off to him, you will never see them smile, laugh or be healthy again."

"You bastard, how dare you!" James rushed at Changkyun, but he easily dodged him and knocked him off his balance with a swift movement of his leg.

As he tried to attack Changkyun again, you wanted to rush forward, but Changkyun, seeing this, moved to block you instead, so that you would not get hurt.

Your father yelled at James to stand down, gaining his attention well enough that he regained most of his composure.

Your father was clearly disgruntled and upset over everything that was happening. Your mother, grabbing his arm to steady not only herself, but him.

"I can see from that outrageous outburst, that what Mr Im said must hold some truth to it. And I know of the Im family well enough to know they are far more respected than you." As your father looked over at you, recalling the numerous times you begged him to break the engagement he let out a sigh, "I will break the engagement at once."

You let out a soft sigh as you gently rested your head against Changkyun's back out of relief without thinking much of the action.

Changkyun, feeling this, smiled softly, the own heavy weight on his shoulders lifting as he realized he managed to save you from an unbearable fate.

James, unable to bear the offense, only grew angrier, "We are already engaged, you cannot break it now!"

"This is not the 1800's, your engagement can be ended as easily as it was formed." Changkyun countered.

After more petty remarks and arguing, James finally turned his attention to you. "I suppose you're happy now" He scoffed, as if spitting at you. "Who would want to marry you if not me? Huh!?"

You had no time to be offended by his comment before Changkyun responded, his voice laced with a dangerous tone, telling James not to overstep.

"I will."

You looked at him with shock, your heart practically leaping from your chest. Your mother grabbed at your father's arm, secretly relishing in the fact you had men fighting over your hand.

"And I would do far better in marriage than you could ever wish or imagine. It is not Y/n that no one wishes to marry, it is you. Haven't you ever wondered why so many disregard and avoid you? You are the one no one wants."

Stunned out of anger, James could make no retort before your father had him removed from the home. You could hear him cursing your family as he left, but you feared no real retaliation or effect on you or your family. He may be wealthy but held no influence.

As a tense silence filled the room, you saw your mother reader to charge at Changkyun with questions and excitement, but you stepped forward.

"Mother, father, please let me speak to Changkyun alone for a bit, okay?"

Your mother wanted to protest but gave in to your stern look. After they left you alone, you turned to face Changkyun, who swallowed nervously.

"Are you insane?"

He blinked a few times, "For what? Saving you from a marriage with James?"

You let out a soft laugh, "No. Not that, we'll get to that later. I'm talking about the fact that you just told my parents you would marry me!"

"Oh, that."

"Yeah, that!"

Letting out an awkward, almost shy laugh as he scratched the back of his neck, he cleared his throat. "I mean, it wasn't a lie."

You stared at him in stunned silence for a moment and he let out another sot laugh. "You can't say you didn't feel anything that night. Between us."

Butterflies rampaged through you as you repressed a smile, that did not go unnoticed by him. "Yes, I did. But marriage?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Well. We could just have a very, very long engagement. Until we got to know each other a bit more. Or maybe your father will let us put it off, for now."

"For now?" You repeated softly, your ears and neck heating up.

He nodded as he stepped towards you. "I have already told my parents all about you. And I wouldn't be surprised if my mother has already planned a wedding out in her mind already."

You laughed, "Honestly my mother is probably doing the same right about now." You ended this with a soft glare at him making him chuckle.

"I'm sorry, it was very sudden. But I couldn't let James get away with saying something like that to you."

You gently chewed the inside of your cheek as you looked down bashfully, recalling again how he defended you. "Thank you, for coming to save me."

He grinned at this, stepping toward you again, now right in front of you. His gaze met yours with a gentle fondness that took your breath away.

"I've been looking for you, ever since that night. I only knew where to find you after hearing about James's engagement. I'm glad I got here in time. I was afraid I would have been too late."

"And if you had been?"

He hummed softly before answering, "I would have crashed your wedding and stolen you away."

You let out a startled laugh, making him chuckle as well. You nodded, "Somehow, I can imagine that."

You felt a shiver rise up your body as he suddenly set his hands on your shoulders, making you look at him.

"So, given two options. Stay engaged to me, and let me court you, or announce that you have now had two engagements broken, what would you choose?"

"Starting off a relationship with an engagement? I thought you said this wasn't the 1800's anymore?"

He chuckled, "It isn't, but like I said, we can have a very long engagement. Besides, if you were engaged to me, neither of our parents would continue and introduce us to everyone they could.”

You repressed another laugh as he grinned at you, making your cheeks burn with bashful embarrassment. “A win, win situation then?”

He nodded with a grin, and you chuckled softly. "I suppose if I had to choose, one of those choices is much more appealing."

Taking a small step closer, so the two of you were only a few inches apart, he nodded before speaking softly. "I promise I will prove myself to you."

"More than you already have?"

He nodded confidently, "Yes. Much more."

You stared at each other with fondness, and growing affection. You smiled softly, daring him with your eyes, and somehow knowing he would do exactly as you said.

"Alright. Prove it then."

xx End xx

Not sure how I feel about the ending but its late at night and I was trying very hard to finish this before I fall asleep in my chair lol

Overall, I like how this one came out. its my first time writing for I.M, so I hope you liked it!

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General Taglist: @charmsprout, @brattybunfornct, @bahng-chrizz, @otakutrash669,

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[wonjns]

particular — i.cy

pairing. im changkyun x male reader

genre. smut

summary. another long day of work leads to a horny mood, thankfully you have a (slightly odd but extremely sexy) boyfriend who's always willing to help you out.

includes. car sex, semi-public sex, slight voyeurism, masturbation, cum eating, unprotected sex ( dont irl !! )

WC. 1.7k

°A/N. . . ok this is literally so random it was just an old draft i started literally last year ?? but i just had to finish it bc wow i forgot how much i love chankgyun and i hope u guys like this !!

everybody usually labeled your boyfriend as a bit of a freak, but you just liked to think of him as selective about what he liked when it came to sex.

despite his horny tendencies, changkyun had never done anything outlandish or unheard of before with you - shit, he was hardly even open to trying new things. he simply knew what he liked, despite how specific some of his turn ons were. you understood that, and he always appreciated how open you were to his desires.

just like now, as you sat in the passenger seat of his car – your pants long discarded as you palmed your exposed member while he watched you with intense eyes.

you woke up in an uncharacteristically needy mood today, dropping hints as soon as he picked you up from your barista job. changkyun could feel the desire radiating off of you in waves the minute you laid your eyes on him, the way his fitted black gym shirt up clung to his chiseled torso stirring a fire in your gut. it was unlike you, but you practically begged to have him before he could fully drive down the street. and who would he be to tell his favorite boy no in that moment?

he just wanted you to do a thing or two for him first.

for some reason, changkyun loved to fuck you after seeing you reach your climax first. something about how spent you would be just ignited him in a blaze, pounding into you extra passionately afterwards... every single time. 

so you didn’t hesitate for a second when he asked to see you pleasure yourself until your first orgasm, then he would touch you. you obliged, immediately throwing your head against the seat rest from a couple strokes to your cock. 

but before you knew it, you had been at it for 10 minutes, unable to get yourself climaxing despite your needy state. your hands simply never felt quite the same as changkyuns larger, warmer, and much more experienced ones. your wrist was starting to cramp after putting in so much effort to no avail, groaning out of frustration when you saw changkyun begin to palm himself over his gym shorts.

you were sickeningly turned on at how aroused he was getting at your frustration. you had always needed his help with nearly everything, especially when it came to sex, so you were always so pliant and obedient — and fuck did it turn him on.

“kyun, i need you so bad, please.” you whined, feeling overwhelmed with the hunger that he stared at you with as you played with your throbbing length.

changkgun’s jaw clenched for a second before he slowly licked his bottom lip, watching your hands run along your cock. he didn’t even want to blink and risk missing a second of the beautiful sight before him.

“you’re doing good, baby, keep going.” he sternly encouraged, voice so deep it caused you to whimper with more want. his eyes shot up to yours for a second, darker than ever. “are you close?”

“mm mm,” you mewled in response, gaze dropping to his erect nipples poking through his dry-fit shirt. you stroked yourself deeper, remembering what he looked like underneath the thin fabric. “let see your abs, please.”

the ever-so-cocky grin that you were used to grew across changkyuns face. and as annoying as it was, you fucking loved it.

he’d been working out so much at home lately, and it showed more as the days went on. you would always watch in perverted silence, eyes fixated on his back muscles as he did pull ups on your bedroom doorframe. the way his round shoulders were forming, tan thighs growing more muscular, and of course that torso being shaped by the gods - there was hardly a time that he’d be doing his sit ups in the living room that wouldn’t end in you two getting some extra cardio in on the couch after.

changkyun complied to your request all too easily, reaching down to drag the hem of the shirt slowly upwards. the material slid up and bunched around his broad chest, bronze chiseled abs glaring right back at you.

he must’ve just finished working out before picking you up from work, as there was still a thin sheen of sweat reflecting off the grooves of his muscles. you just wanted to cum all over them right then and there, and to lick it off after without a care in the world.

and that was all it took. the thought alone activated a long whine out of you as you squirted all over yourself, ropes of your white essence shooting up onto your stomach and thankfully missing your uniform shirt by a smidge.

you felt a little out of breath already, but the marveling in changkyun’s eyes gave you all the boost you needed. you didn’t bother discarding your shirt as you scrambled into his lap, back accidentally honking the horn in the process. you’d didnt give a damn.

“there, will you kiss me now?” your voice sounding much more desperate than you wanted it to.

changkyun offered you another smirk before slightly lifting your shirt and scooping some of your arousal off your stomach with two fingers. you didn’t need any instruction as you opened your mouth, excitement stirring in your bones.

your boyfriend’s eyes struck in a trance as he rubbed his fingers along your tongue, spreading your salty love liquids around to his liking. his free hand held you firmly in place by your neck. you took the opportunity to suck on his digits for just a moment before he pulled them away.

your tongue protruded out to show chankgyun his work, prompting a deep groan out of him.

“that’s my boy…” he finally mumbled before surging forward, finally soothing your aching lips with his own.

the kiss was deep, full of hunger as changkyun wasted no time in slipping his tongue in to mingle with yours. he took his time tasting you, collecting the smeared essence off your tongue to take for himself. he was so noisy today, as another one of his moans shook you to your core, and you were thankful to be perched on his lap... otherwise your knees would’ve given out immediately.

you were growing drunk on his sloppy open mouthed kisses, feeling along those godly abs before you forced yourself to pull away - unable to hold in your final request any longer.

“changkyun,” you huffed, “please fuck me.”

the dark haired man laughed at your already desperate state, warm hands encasing both sides of your hips securely as he looked you up and down.

“i don’t know, prince, right here and now? you’re already so sensitive, i’m not sure if you could handle it.” he mocked, experimentally rolling his hips up into you.

the thin material of his workout shorts boldly exposed how rock hard his bulge was already. he felt so, so big and it sent your mind reeling. your eyes rolled back when you rocked your hips down into him in response, clutching his broad shoulders.

“let me try.” you cried out, reconnecting your lips before he could form a reply.

after the two of you shared a hot, needy make out session for a couple minutes, changkyun skillfully removed both of your clothes before you could notice.

his teeth ran teasingly along the column of your neck before he passionately sucked on your adams apple, flipping you over and lowering the seat back. you moaned as you ran your hands down the expanse of his exposed melanated back, the valleys of his toned muscles sending you into a haze.

chankgyun made sure to leave an array of pretty little marks all over your neck before finally ridding himself of his underwear and fishing the small bottle of lube out from the center consul.

he laughed to himself, realizing that normal couples probably wouldn't keep something so vulgar brazenly in their car. but the man learned quickly that he had done it to himself; after corrupting you for the first time, you had become such an insatiable little thing.

when both you and he were finally prepped, he teasingly prodded his thick head against your entrance.

“i’m going in, baby boy. hold on tight.” he spoke.

his teasing actions caused you to already clench around nothing, but you tried to will yourself to relax. he slowly pushed in, and you couldn't even attempt holding your noises in. not like he would want you to anyways.

changkyun's ego would always skyrocket every time he heard how good he made you feel. his favorite would be times just like this, when you were in your most fucked out state just babbling over how much you loved him and his huge, skillful dick.

you clung to your boyfriend tighter as he ground his hips into you rhythmically, taking you to the stars and back right there in his driver's seat.

it didn't take much for you to announce your second orgasm, the sensation hurdling towards you as changkyun relentlessly pounded into you with a starved passion.

when the blissful relief washed over you, once again coming all over you and changkyun's stomach, he couldn't even warn you of his own climax as the fluttering of your walls began milking him dry as well. he wanted to bite down on your collarbone but refused to look away at how cute your scrunched up face looked, loving that he was the reason for your ecstacy.

changkyun tried to still his head from dizzying, groaning as he watched his own come begin leaking down your leg. he went to grab napkins from his consul, but you stopped him immediately, pulling him back on top of you for one more deep kiss.

you just wanted the both of you to rest in that moment, so fucked out that you didn't feel like moving despite the stickiness forming between the both of you.

your boyfriend chuckled as he lowered himself to your ear, pecking your cheeks a couple times.

"ok, 5 minutes babe. but then we have to get out of this parking lot, your job has cameras."

© 𝐟𝐥𝐰𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐢 — all rights reserved

[kyunsies]

chankgyun — reason concept 3

[lubbuub]

Drunk High

warnings : mentions of drugs and alcohol, consented actions.

one shot down... then another... and lastly your third. your low tolerance of alcohol and drugs hitting all at once, smoke fills the room as you exhale the remaining hit from the blunt, passing it to jooheon. the muffled soft music played in the background as you watch chankgyun roll the next blunt, your eyes locked on him, watching how he used his tongue on the paper.

you laid motionless on the floor, glancing back and forth at men in your living room. "you alright" jooheon asked, slighly chuckling. you looked at him and nodded letting him know that you were okay. everything was moving in slow motion, you loved the feeling it gave you, but that feeling was slowly turning into hornieness. your hand trailing down from your chest to the button of your pants. “y/n” changkyun blurted out, “hmm?” your eyes snapped open, realizing that you were seconds from touching yourself in front of them.

changkyun walked over, throwing you over his shoulder and walked you to your bedroom, jooheon followed behind finishing the rest of the hennessy bottle.

he carefully laid you down on the bed, but before he could leave, you grabbed his shirt pulling him down onto the bed. you didn't give it a second thought before you began to straddle him, he raised an eyebrow surprised at your actions but before you could do anything else, you felt a pair of hands pull you by your waist "y/n, your fucking drunk" jooheon commented, laying you down beside changkyun, but that didn't stop anything, you pulled honey on top of you kissing him almost immediately.

your tongues danced in rhythm while changkyun watched, softly palming himself. he pulled back looking at you knowing it was wrong but your eyes said different. you were aware of what you were doing and you've always had a thing for these two, the fantasies you had, touching yourself to the thought of them, and eye fucking them from across the room, you wanted every inch they carried deep inside of you and you wanted it now.

you pulled changkyun towards you, replacing his hand with yours, feeling him getting harder at the touch of your fingertips. “y/n…” his words trailed off, grabbing at your hand.

"fuck me." the two men glanced at each other, with a smile on their face, knowing they wanna fuck you just as bad as you would like them to.

[outofconcheol]

✮ hi, i'm isi! i'm a '96 liner, pakistani-canadian-american who loves kpop and fanfic! fun fact about me is i'm a dentist! i started out reading and writing for bts, but have recently been reintroduced to a few groups i hope to write for (and read other amazing fics)!

✮ libra | INFP-T | type 9 enneagram

✮ loves the color green, rain, flowers, the smell of old books, the smell of freshly baked bread and cookies, makeup/skincare/perfume, taking long walks, painting, PALESTINE, listening to music, reading, pilates, singing, CATS (i really love cats)

✮ ult groups: bts, stray kids, seventeen, got7, day6 (i like listening to a lot of different boy and girl groups, soloists, other non-kpop stuff, etc.)

✮ biases: namjin but then also sope (bts), han/lee know/seungmin (skz), 2jae (got7), the8/s coups/mingyu/wonwoo (svt - you really thought i could pick one?), young k (day6), chankgyun/kihyun (monsta x), sehun/chanyeol/baekhyun (exo)

aesthetics: cottagecore | light academia | spacecore

*✧･ﾟ masterlists

stray kids

seventeen

*✧･ﾟ fic recs (under construction) (for a quick search, look for the tag isi recs: [members initials])

*✧･ﾟ ask box!

*✧･ﾟmy bts blog and writings (I follow from raplinesmoon-main)

[gimmie-a-sammich]

Absolution | Chapter 4 | I Know

Pairings: Resistance!Ateez x Fem!Original Character, Resistance!??? x Fem!Original Character, feat other idols

Genre: (18+ Minors DNI) Dystopian au, smut, angst, fluff

Summary: Absolution: act of absolving; a freeing from blame or guilt; release from consequences, obligations, or penalties. Haunted by the guilt of her choices, Serafina desperately searches for a way to atone for her sins. In a world ruled by power and corruption, will she find the forgiveness she seeks? Is she worthy of absolution? Maybe stumbling upon the resistance is the answer she's been looking for.

Chapter Warnings: nothing crazy in this one, just some cute Woo and Sera, Yunho and Sera, and Sera figuring out their not-so-secret secret.

Word Count: 11.7k

read here on AO3

Absolution Masterlist

previous chapter | next chapter

**

Yunho’s claim regarding Wooyoung’s breakfast making abilities reigned true, even if he did have help from both Jongho and Seonghwa. Pancakes won out from their original argument, but it didn’t stop there. The trio also made eggs, hash browns, sausage, and cut up a variety of fruits much to Sera’s pleasure, all under Wooyoung’s watchful eye and direction. The pancakes weren’t just your average pancakes, though. Some were loaded with blueberries, others had ripened bananas mixed into the batter, and some more savory with bacon crumbles. As much as Sera wanted to try them all, her stomach was in no position to indulge. The weeks of rationing truly had taken a toll on her, both internally and externally. 

Continuing to take in the chatter around her, Sera kept her ears open for any hint of what this group could be while enjoying the meal. Nothing said so far steered her in any certain direction, but she assumed that if there was more to them they would be doing their best to hide it from her- a stranger they knew absolutely nothing about. Conversations even amongst the eight seemed superficial, centering on trivial things like whose turn it was to do dishes and make  dinner. All the while these statements and questions intermixed with jokes and laughs. Their bonds ran deep. 

It made Sera miss Jay and Jiwoo and their own inside jokes. 

For a fleeting moment, she even missed Ender and Chankgyun.

Most of all she missed Ryland. 

Plates quickly emptied and soone people steadily started filing out. Mingi and Yeosang reluctantly had dish duty, getting to work on those almost immediately. Wooyoung excused himself to his ‘garage,’ but not before shooting a blinding smile at Sera. Hongjoong followed him out of the kitchen, mumbling something under his breath that she couldn’t quite catch. Seonghwa and San took off towards the back hallway Hongjoong, Yunho, and Seonghwa went through the night before. Jongho left in the same direction as Wooyoung and Hongjoong. 

“Alright, Just Sera… how about we go get your room set up?” Yunho asked, nudging her with his shoulder before he stood. He grabbed the empty plate in front of her to place in the sink for Mingi and Yeosang. The two grumbled slightly due to the sheer amount of dishes piled around them. 

“Are you sure you don’t have other things to do?” Sera questioned as she too stood, skooching the stool back under the raised counter. It seemed everyone in the house had some sort of task at hand. Maybe she would be able to sneak some answers out of Yunho about what those were.

“You have my undivided attention, at least for the moment.” Yunho didn’t miss a beat.

Together they walked out of the room, both briefly acknowledging Yeosang and Mingi before they left. Instead of walking up the stairs, Yunho led her to the hallway on the other side of the staircase. Doors also lined this hallway Yunho made no mention of what most were, but Sera took note of how some had keypads. Why were keypads needed on so many doors?

“I figured you would want your laundry before we did anything else… unless you want to wear my clothes for the entirety of your stay,” he said with a wink as he opened one of the doors. “You do pull off that hoodie quite well.”

It was a dedicated laundry room, not large by any means, but large enough to house two washing machines and dryers. Cabinets hung above the machines, as well as along the back wall. The counter space beneath the window had some folded clothes already on it and laundry baskets. One basket held Sera’s clothes, her backpack resting next to it. 

“You’re awfully flirtatious, Yunho,” she retorted, even though she’d love to keep the oversized garment. Still she smiled as she walked past to grab her belongings. “Did you find anything good in my bag?”

Yunho raised an eyebrow at her, crossing his arms as he leaned against the door frame. “Why do you think I would go through your bag?”

“As much as I think you offered to do my laundry out of the goodness of your heart, I think I can safely assume you wanted to go through it to see if there was something hidden. Weapons. A bug. Something along those lines.” 

His initial speculation regarding Sera’s intelligence of her was correct. Yunho had in fact sifted through every inch of her bag, going through each pocket meticulously. He even brought it to Wooyoung to search for anything electronic hidden within, knowing Wooyoung would be able to sense anything mechanical and short circuit it immediately if need be. He hoped to find something to indicate who and what she was to the military or something regarding her family, anything about her. But Yunho found nothing besides ration wrappers and dirty clothes while Wooyoung found no form of electronics. 

He clutched at his heart, grimacing and scrunching his eyes as if in pain. “You only assume the worst of me,” he teased, but his expression quickly shifted into something more serious. “But, I think we both know that if I went through your things and if I found something, you would have known. Hypothetically speaking, of course.” 

Sera added her backpack to the laundry basket. It looked just as clean as her clothes since Yunho also ran it through the washing machine. “Well, hypothetically speaking, I’m sure that would explain Hongjoong’s difference in demeanor this morning.” She picked up the laundry basket, never breaking her gaze from Yunho.

His eyes twinkled back at her, a smug smile plastered on his face. “He may also have a bit of a soft spot for military deserters.” 

“Flirtatious and forthcoming this morning I see.” 

Yunho stepped into the laundry room to open one of the cabinets along the back wall. He rummaged through it, grabbing a set of sheets and a blanket. “No need to lie to you, Just Sera.” 

This time Sera led the way out of the laundry room back into the main area, eyes scanning every inch of the house she could manage now that sunlight poured through the windows in the living room and entryway. The entire house seemed homey and well loved. Sera noticed another door with a keypad before turning to go up the staircase. 

“This way, m’lady,” Yunho said smoothly, squeezing around Sera and walking to the door opposite his. It opened without a scan or code despite the keypad. “Looks like Seonghwa already cleaned it up a bit.” 

The room was set up very similarly to Yunho’s, only more bare. The only glaring difference being a much larger window residing over the bed along the back wall. Through the panes, Sera saw the lake not far off from the house, the breeze creating small ripples on the otherwise calm waters. Still a good distance away, but much closer than Sera thought.  

“I’m going to change before we do anything,” Sera stated, heading straight for what she assumed to be a bathroom. 

Her assumption was correct, only this one did not have the large, stand alone glass shower like Yeosang and Yunho’s. A large bathtub and shower combo took up most of the wall, a toilet residing on the other side. Not a speck of grime could be found on the pristine white counter and sink. A cabinet to hold towels and other supplies sat next to it

In the mirror, Sera looked the most well rested she had in weeks. Color returned to her face, even if the bags beneath her eyes remained dark. A few more days of sleep in a legitimate bed and home cooked meals would only continue to do her body well. 

Rummaging through the laundry basket, Sera grabbed a pair of black cargo pants and sage green cropped tank top to replace Yunho’s sweats and hoodie. She looked even more like herself now that she wasn’t swimming in Yunho’s clothes. 

Back in the room, Yunho started putting the sheets onto the bed. He glanced back when he heard the bathroom door open. Instantly his eyes went to the vine twisting up her arm, following it up and across her collar bone, before noticing the leaves and flowers peeking out of the space between her top and the waistband of her pants. They didn’t linger long on any given part, yet long enough to realize how large the piece was despite a majority of it still being hidden. 

“How many of those do you have?” he asked very casually, quickly going back to tucking in a corner of the sheet. 

“Not enough,” she said with a smile. Sera made her way over to help, going to the opposite side of Yunho to tuck in the edges securely. Yunho quickly found the triangles on her other forearm when they worked together to lay the comforter on top of the freshly made bed, but didn’t mention anything else about the artwork on her skin. “Thank you again, Yunho. I really do appreciate this. All of it.” But now seemed the perfect time to question him. “How long were you in?” Her voice was quiet.

The question didn’t take Yunho by surprise, expecting his military past to arise. “Two years… more than enough for me.” 

Silence filled the air. Two years. Sera wondered what happened within that timeframe to drive him to leave. Deserting was common in the military, especially under the rule of Sera’s father.  Although most of those who did leave did not feel the air of freedom for long. Many were brought back, but most were killed. 

“I think it’s only fair you tell me now, Sera. You want answers from me… I want some from you. Give and take,” Yunho added. 

With a sigh, she crossed her arms. A give and take of information made sense. General questions wouldn’t give away her true identity, and her fake backstory would provide answers for anything more specific. “Five.” 

“So we would have had a little crossover time in the academy…” he murmured. Wheels turned in his head while he tried to remember if he ever crossed paths with Sera. An ability like that would be hard to forget.

Given the number of units and classes within the academy, odds of them ever crossing paths would be slim, especially with the further separation by entry year. After two years, those with powerful or remarkable abilities received specialized training, taking a completely different route than most students. Unbeknownst to him, Sera was given a fake identity for the entirety of her four years at the academy with only select officials knowing the truth. Even if he had heard of her and her abilities, it would have been under the guise of Amelia Lee until receiving her code name of Echo. 

“Maybe a little bit, unless you were impressive enough that you received specialized training.” 

Yunho cocked an eyebrow, smirking slightly. He spent extra time fluffing up one of the pillows while debating on how to answer her. As simple of a statement, but a very telling one for both of them. 

“Those were a fun two years, weren’t they?” A simple enough response in return. Not a yes, but definitive enough to tell Sera that he had been on a  tactical team, or at least something similar. Not only that, it meant he had an ability, a remarkable one at that. For Yunho, it was more confirmation of Sera’s importance.

They had more in common than either originally thought. A knock on the open door stopped both of them from any further conversation on the topic, wiping the small smirk from Sera’s face.

“I’m not interrupting something, am I?” San asked with his own smirk. Crossing through the room, he immediately threw himself on Sera’s newly made bed. “Yu, Seonghwa needs your help.” 

“Of course he does,” Yunho responded with a roll of his eyes. 

“Way to make yourself comfortable. I take it you’re on babysitting duty then?” Sera asked with a laugh. It made sense for them to have eyes on her at all times. 

San placed his arms behind his head, making his biceps bulge, and crossed his feet at the ankles. “Captain’s orders.” 

“Captain’s orders, huh?” Sera echoed. “I must seem more untrustworthy than I thought. I figured Hongjoong would’ve been a little more at ease knowing my bag was clear.”

She rightly assumed Hongjoong to be the Captain in question based on the events of last night. A correct assumption judging by San and Yunho’s faces. Slowly, Sera gained more information. She thought that getting it out of Yunho would be the easiest, but with how quickly San let this slip she shifted her sights to him. What else would he accidentally divulge?

“Just due diligence, Sera,” Yunho said with a sigh, ignoring San’s widened eyes. He didn’t bother reprimanding San, nor did he feel the need to come up with an excuse knowing full well Sera wouldn’t believe it. “Be nice to my girl, Sannie. She’ll beat your ass if you’re not.”

San rolled his eyes at Yunho, before looking back to Sera. “I’m sure she could try,” he teased with a dimpled smile and wink. 

Sera didn’t bother responding to the joke, not feeling the need to broadcast the true extent of her fight capabilities. Yunho knew enough and could make further assumptions based on their shared specialized training. Four drunk men were a walk in the park compared to some of the other battles she’d partook in. Just by looking at San she knew he would make for a challenging fight.

“Better not keep Seonghwa waiting,” Sera said to Yunho with a smile. 

“Yeah, I don’t want the stick shoved even further up his ass,” Yunho mumbled while he made his way to the door. “I’ll save you from San’s company later… but I mean it. Beat his ass if necessary.”

On that note, Yunho exited the room, leaving Sera to look at San laying in her bed. Unsure of how to navigate him, Sera sat down at the opposite end near San’s feet. Much like Yuhno and Woo, nothing about San screamed outright danger to her. But he had this aura about him, something dangerous beneath his warm cat eyes and dimpled smile. Regardless, she found it easy to be around him. 

“So, what does this babysitting duty actually entail?” Sera questioned, tucking her legs to sit criss crossed. 

Sitting up, San mirrored her positioning. He chuckled slightly, but looked slightly uneasy knowing he’d accidentally slipped up once. “Just eyes on you, Sera. You can’t blame us… we don’t know you, even though Yunho vouched for you.” 

“You act like you have something to hide, San,” Sera said. The pointed observation made San shift slightly. But the comment regarding Yunho stuck out to her. Why would he need to vouch for her? Beyond that, why would he so easily and readily?

“We’re just eight dudes living together,” San laughed, now much more aware of how he answered questions. He couldn’t risk another slip up. Hongjoong would kill him if he knew, but he didn’t think Yunho would mention the error to him. “I was actually going to see if you wanted out of the house. The storm last night was a doozy, and I want to make sure the trails around the house are clear and check on the dock.” He gestured towards the lake in the window behind him. 

“Getting out of the house sounds great actually,” Sera said without a second thought. Going near the water and out through the forest was exactly what she needed. As she followed San out the door she paused. “Wait, you’re not going to murder me in the woods, are you?”

“I guess you’ll have to find that out, Sera.”

**

Sera ended up spending the next week in the house. Yunho easily convinced her every day, with a little added help from Wooyoung, San, and Mingi. The conversation always went the same. “What’s one more day Sera?” The group made it difficult to say no. Over the course of her stay, the babysitting duty as Sera lovingly called it rotated between all eight men in the house, even though she spent most of her time with Yunho at his insistence. All showed her kindness, but some were more open than others. 

Understandably, Hongjoong kept her at arm’s length. However, he was very easy to converse with, his wit and intelligence seeping through every conversation the two had. He opened up to her slightly, especially with knowing her deserter status. Still uncertain as to why Hongjoong had a soft spot for them, as Yunho said, she could only assume it had something to do with him.

Yeosang also started to be more reserved with her, however she attributed some of that to his personality. Definitely one of the more quiet members of the house, he chose to listen rather than speak. He quickly showed her their small library, often sitting with him amongst the books. Here their conversations sparked into neverending discussions of their favorite books and authors. 

Seonghwa’s guard dropped slightly after a couple of days. Yunho made endless jokes about him finally removing the stick from his ass, although Seonghwa was less than thrilled about them. Often he sat with her on the one of the benches on the porch, doing his best to distract Sera from the comings and goings of the others. Still, Sera sensed hesitation from him, not blaming him in the slightest for being weary of her.

Jongho opened up to Sera almost immediately. She didn’t miss the perplexed look on his face during his first shift with her, but had no indication of what it meant yet. Despite that, he appeared to be very much at ease with her. He frequently disappeared into one of the rooms on the main floor that Sera wasn’t allowed in, always offering some form of lame excuse.

Mingi started off slightly cold with her, but quickly warmed up. Given his hard exterior, Sera was completely surprised to find that he was much softer, especially with Yunho. The three of them spent the most time together, giving Sera a clear view of their relationship. Always a show with them, the pair were almost always laughing or bickering with one another. Thanks to Yunho, Sera always found herself in the middle, often choosing to side with Mingi just to get a rise out of Yunho. 

San was a literal energizer. After a day or so he pounded on Sera’s door to come run with him. Although, he wasn’t thrilled about how she easily kept pace with him, nor how her endurance seemed to surpass his. It led to friendly challenges between the two, a toss up on who would win each time. Mostly, though, Sera enjoyed the time outside, always running the trails through the woods surrounding the house. Some days they wound up on the dock while they caught their breaths and stretched, falling into easy conversation and laughs.

Wooyoung found his way to Sera almost as often as Yunho did. Every morning they sat together, sometimes on the porch, sometimes in the kitchen, even going to sit on the dock one day, but always with a cup of coffee in hand. It became a nice little routine between the two of them, and quickly something Sera looked forward to each day. Her time with Wooyoung was some of the easiest, always filled with genuine laughs, smiles, and a touch of flirting.

Yunho was constantly by her side, each day finding more commonality between them. Often it came from implied comments and reading into questions and subsequent answers, neither choosing to be too upfront. This instant comfortability between them couldn’t be denied. 

Her time had been enlightening, to say the least. Thanks to some well timed eavesdropping, observations, and smart questioning she finally had the answer she searched for regarding the group. 

They were a part of the resistance, more than likely a focal piece at that. 

She speculated that when she saw the drones her very first night. Hongjoong’s hesitant behavior made all the more sense, not wanting any outsider to come into their small zone of safety. The secrecy, the constant eyes on her, their hushed conversations, and limited access through the house made all the more sense now. Sera quickly deduced they were planning something, especially when she overheard Hongjoong telling Yunho she needed to be out in the next couple of days. 

After testing the waters with Yunho, she decided today would be the day she addressed her suspicions with him. She hoped he would come clean with her probing days ago, but he stayed firm. An unmistakable twinkle entered his eyes whenever Sera hinted she knew more. Not once did he shut her down, but he never concretely confirmed her thoughts. 

Like every other morning, Wooyoung waited for Sera in the kitchen with a cup of coffee resting in her place at the counter. “You’re late,” he teased, leaning on his elbows across from her once she sat down. His own mug obscured half his face but did nothing to hide the crinkle in his eyes from smiling. 

“Or you’re early,” she retorted, wrinkling her nose at him before cupping her hands around the mug. Playfulness emerged quickly between them during their morning meetings. Hints of vanilla came from the liquid today. Wooyoung constantly shifted how he made her coffee, taking notes on which she liked the best. A smile bloomed on her face following the first sip. “This is good, Wooyoung. Really good.”

“Of course it is. Everything I make is good,” he said with a smug grin. “Gimme the ranking though. Don’t think you’re getting out of that.” 

“The hazelnut one still reigns supreme,” Sera said with a small laugh. The morning ranking also became a necessary part of their newly formed morning routine. “Has Yunho been down here yet?”

At the mention of Yunho’s name, Wooyoung's eyes narrowed slightly. For some reason, his mood changed whenever Sera mentioned Yunho. “No, he hasn’t. Why?”

“Just needed to ask him something is all,” Sera said with a shrug before looking out the window behind her. “It’s too nice out to be sitting inside. Porch?”  

Wooyoung stood upright and began walking towards the door in the kitchen. “Have I told you no yet?” 

A porch swing hung not too far to the right of the door. Sera found herself there frequently, especially with Wooyoung the past few mornings. She tucked herself into the corner, leaning her back against the side rail and pulling her knees to her chest. Wooyoung took residence in the opposite corner, also settling against the side railing to face her. Today their feet were much closer together, so close in fact that one of Wooyoung’s nestled between hers, their knees knocking together slightly as the swing swayed. 

Sera appreciated the easy and comfortable silence between them, especially this morning with her brain going a million different directions. As certain as she was that they were members of the resistance she hadn’t quite teased out their roles beyond Hongjoong. She speculated that both Yunho and Seonghwa were higher in whatever ranking they had here, but had nothing to confirm that thought. But Wooyoung and the others? Less of an idea. 

“You’re spacey this morning,” Wooyoung said softly, bumping his knee into hers. “Everything okay?” Light concern crept onto his face. 

Sera offered him a warm smile regardless of her running brain. “Just thinking about my next steps is all.” Not a complete lie, her plan just happened to be contingent on Hongjoong.

“Do you have a next step?” 

“Awfully blunt of you,” Sera huffed. She chose to look off into the distance instead of meeting his gaze. “Maybe… I don’t really know what’s next if I’m being honest.” 

Wooyoung carefully studied her profile. He found her stunning, even more so in the morning. The soft light hit her sharp cheekbones and cast a warm glow into her otherwise cool toned eyes. Quickly he shook the idea of her out of his head, remembering that she would be out of his sights very soon. 

“Talk to Hongjoong. Even if you don’t have an idea, go to him. He knows a lot of people… he can steer you in a direction at least.” 

Still staring at the forest, Sera laughed softly. That was her intention, but not for Hongjoong to provide some sort of guidance, as Wooyoung implied, but to ask to stay. To join them. To be a part of something bigger than herself. 

Finally she turned to him, offering him a closed smile. “Not a bad idea at all, Wooyoung.”

She took in how the sunlight shifted his eyes from a deep brown into the color of warm honey and how fondly he looked at her. 

Mischief filled them quickly. “I’m more than just a handsome face, Sera. I do have a brain,” he bumped his knee into hers again. Flirtation between them had grown steadily over the last week. The corners of Sera’s mouth twitched, an acknowledgment that he did have an extremely handsome face. An acknowledgement he did not miss. 

Comfortable silence resumed, broken only by the intermittent creaking of the swing and the rustling of leaves. Questions silently rolled through both Wooyoung and Sera, some similar in nature. Was their attraction to each other mutual? And was it just that- an attraction? Sera never never let herself grow attached to others, Jay and Jiwoo being the only exceptions beyond her family. Feelings were a hazard. Something to be used against her. 

Wooyoung’s brain drifted towards Sera leaving their house. Selfishly, he wanted her to stay. To get to know her further Nor was he the only one who wanted that. Sera had become a near constant topic of conversation amongst the team, most showing genuine curiosity towards her.

Sera’s thoughts wandered towards the impending conversation with Hongjoong. Preferably she’d speak to Yunho first. Maybe even convince him to support her. Even though her time here had been limited, Yunho had somehow become an ally. On more than one occasion he provided her answers, albeit unclear ones, but answers nonetheless. He’d become a safe place for her, one that she found herself seeking out. But connections formed beyond Yunho and Wooyoung, her time with San and Mingi all the more evidence of that. 

Joining the resistance was everything Sera craved. A chance at retaking her life. A possibility to atone for the many, many sins. An opportunity to fight against her father’s tyranny. 

She just needed to be right about this. Rarely did her intuition steer her wrong. 

“There’s my girl,” Yunho’s voice pulled Sera and Wooyoung from their silent thoughts. The chains of the porch swing rattled when Yunho grabbed them, angling his head downward to smile at Sera. 

Tilting hers up to look at him, she returned the grin. She no longer argued over his silly nicknames for her. “I was actually looking for you.” 

“Looks like you tried very hard to find me.” The teasing tone seemed to irritate Wooyoung. While the ongoing tension between them seemed minor, it was palpable enough for Sera to notice it. She didn’t know either man well enough to determine if this tension was just the nature of their relationship or a recent change. 

“Coffee is always my first priority,” Sera took an exaggerated sip from her mug.

“And let’s be honest, my company is much better,” Wooyoung sat up straighter. He made no attempt at hiding his brief glare, nor did Yunho hide his pronounced eye roll. 

Ignoring Wooyoung, Yunho’s focus returned to Sera. “Well, you’ve found me. What’s up?”

This conversation couldn’t be had with Wooyoung around. Annoyance appeared on his face when Sera gently pushed his leg away from hers to stand, but kept any comment to himself. “Just needed to talk to you. Do you have a minute?” At Yunho’s nod she turned to Wooyoung. Eyes met hers eagerly, but Sera found a hint of disappointment in them. “I’ll search a little harder for you afterwards, Wooyoung.”

His eyes lit up, playfulness returning, “Don’t think I’ll make it easy for you to find me.”

Sera followed Yunho back into the kitchen. The house was eerily quiet this morning, not another soul around. Yunho paused for a moment, eyes flicking towards the dining room table. Ignoring the invitation to sit, Sera latched onto Yunho’s wrist, pulling him towards the living room and entryway. Although his eyes widened in surprise, he allowed Sera to drag him upstairs into her room. 

“That was unexpected,” he mumbled once the door clicked behind them and Sera dropped his arm. “Before we get into anything, what’s going on with you and Woo?”

“What do you mean, what’s going on with me and Wooyoung?” The question caught her off guard and she furrowed her brows, immediately becoming flustered. Amusement only grew on Yunho’s face at her bewilderment.

He snickered slightly with a knowing grin. “Forget it… but what did you want to talk to me about, Just Sera?”

Suddenly Sera became nervous. What if she was wrong? Swallowing down the feeling, she raised her gaze. “I know. I know you’re part of the resistance. And I want in, Yunho. I want to stay. I want to fight.” 

A twinkle entered his eyes like it did any other time she implied she knew, his smile faint. “What makes you think that, Sera?” He took a step towards her, closing the distance between them even further. 

“Do I need to explain it twice, or can we just have one conversation with Hongjoong?” 

“Why do you think you need Hongjoong?” 

“I know he’s in charge,” she rolled her eyes, “San let that slip very quickly with the captain comment. It wasn’t hard to figure that out anyway, Yunho. I’d assumed as much after my first night. ” 

He crowded into her space, looking down at her once more. Not once did the smile drift from his lips. Their eyes locked together fiercely. While not small by any means, she was compared to him. Yet she stared up at him with resolution in her steely eyes. Yunho found it endearing.

“Let’s talk to Hongjoong then.” 

Yunho turned on his heel. Hongjoong was in their planning room already, working on finalizing the last pieces of their mission. Yunho had been with him until he went to grab Sera outside. Unless he had wrapped things up at an unrealistic pace he would still be pouring over the many lists, blueprints, and computer screens, accounting for every potential variable. Without a doubt Hongjoong would be upset about bringing Sera in there, but Yunho didn’t care. She had figured it out, just as he knew she would. He had no qualms or hesitations about her staying as long as she fit in with their group. Sera already meshed well enough with them personality wise, hopefully her ability would do the same. 

They walked in silence, Sera trailing close behind him. Once again they didn’t meet anyone on their walk through the living room, kitchen, or down the hallway. Everyone in the house was busy doing their last minute prepping for the mission. In the basement, San and Seonghwa went through their small armory, inventorying bullets and choosing what to bring on the mission. Jongho and Mingi organized the medical bay. Even though Jongho would be staying back, Mingi needed to make sure their kits were stocked in case of an emergency. Yeosang went over the vehicles in the garage/ They couldn’t run the risk of a flat tire or malfunction of any kind. Always with something to work on, Wooyoung fine tuned his circuit breakers for the upcoming mission in his workshop.

With bated breath Yunho scanned his thumb on the touchpad. As he opened the door he made sure to hide Sera behind him. A hand found its way to her side, tucking her in place to completely obscure her smaller frame. The gesture took her by surprise, but only for a moment. Her fingers drifted to his arm, holding onto it softly in search of reassurance.

“We need to speak with you.”

Hongjoong hadn’t moved, still pouring over papers strewn across the large table in the center of the room, pen tapping absentmindedly on the wood.  At their entrance his head slowly raised, an eyebrow moving upwards with his gaze. “We?” 

Sera attempted to step around Yunho, but he kept her hooked soundly behind his back. “Sera and I. She knows, Capt.” 

The pen dropped from Hongjoong’s hand with an audible sigh. He craned his neck to the side to find Sera lingering behind Yunho. “And you thought it was best to bring her in here for whatever conversation you feel needs to happen?”

Again, Sera tried to move past yet Yunho tightened his hold, spreading his fingers across her lower back. Sera shifted her weight to peek around him, unsure of why he was so determined to keep her place. Hongjoong looked annoyed, but not angry. 

“That’s exactly what I think is best, Hongjoong,” Yunho stated firmly. 

Another sigh escaped Hongjoong. Even if Sera knew, he wouldn’t let her know outright. Despite some slips, Hongjoong felt the team had done a good job of keeping things relatively underwraps with the exception of San. 

“Alright, Sera,” he shuffled the papers in front of him slightly, “what is it you think you know.” 

Finally Yunho removed his arm, allowing Sera by him. He moved closer to Hongjoong, crossing his arms and giving Sera an encouraging nod. She didn’t bother investigating the room, choosing to focus directly on Hongjoong. There would hopefully be time later to figure out the secrets of the house. After she convinced Hongjoong of course.

“I know that you are a part of the resistance. I know that you are in charge of this team. And I know that most of you, if not all, have some form of ability.” 

The corner of Hongjoong’s mouth twitched. Beyond that he kept his face straight, tone even. “And what evidence do you have for those claims?” 

“Night one I saw drones hidden in the garage… terribly hidden, if I might add. All the locks on the doors, moving around in secrecy. You’ve limited my access to a majority of the house and had someone constantly watching over me. Everyone has had some sort of job since I’ve been here, and you’ve been hiding those as well. Something is happening, and soon. If you want specifics, I can go into detail about how each member of your team has done or said something to point me to this conclusion.” 

Yunho and Hongjoong remained silent, giving Sera the space to continue speaking. Hongjoong’s face stayed void of any expression. Yunho did nothing to hide his smirk, his eyes screaming “I told you so.” 

“As for you being in charge? In the car on my way here Seonghwa immediately asked if my coming had been cleared by you. Your behavior in the kitchen and calling him and Yunho into your little meeting only solidified my thoughts. Not to mention San slipping up and calling you captain, Captain. He’s also how I determined you guys have supes… I overheard a nice little conversation between Mingi and him about how exhausting it is having to hide away. Not to mention how boring it’s been having to act ‘normal.’ I do know for a fact Yunho has one, or else he would not have received the specialized training at the academy.” 

“It would be San…” Hongjoong muttered with a scowl. He cast a glance over to a smug Yunho, relishing in the fact that he was right. “So, Sera, what are you wanting to do with this information?”

“I want in, Hongjoong.” Sera stated confidently. “I want to stay.” 

“There’s much more to just wanting in, especially if the intention is to stay here. You’re not wrong in any of your findings. We are a part of the resistance, specifically their response to the Crown’s tactical teams. A place within the resistance is easy to find, a place within this team is not,” Hongjoong stated matter of factly. Typically he would not have given up this information so easily, but over the week he had grown to trust Sera. Yunho seemed to trust her wholeheartedly almost immediately and shared all the information he gathered from her. The question of her being a spy constantly floated around the house, but the risk of someone infiltrating the resistance always happened with new recruits, especially those that were former military. There had been plenty of opportunities for Sera to hurt them, or worse, kill them. Yet everyone remained unharmed. 

Sera crossed her arms. She assumed she would be questioned more by him. That he would argue with her, try to hide what this group was. Without a doubt she would be an asset to the team. She only needed to prove it.  

“What do you need to see from me? I’m sure Yunho informed you of my specialized training,” she chewed her cheek, debating how much to share. In this case she wondered if sharing more would earn her more trust from Hongjoong. Or, would sharing her role in the military make them want to kill her on the spot. It was a huge risk, but one she needed to take. “I was on a tactical team for the entirety of my five years in the military. I’m not proud of the things I’ve done, but believe me when I say there is nobody who wants to see the Crown fall more than me. There shouldn’t be a question on my abilities, or my ability to fight.”

Air grew heavy in the room at her admission. While Yunho had told Hongjoong of her background, neither were aware of just how long she served on a tactical team. The two shared a fleeting glance, realizing just how dangerous Sera could be.

“I’m not questioning you, Sera.” Hongjoong chose to ignore half of her statement. He wasn’t one to hold the past over people. If that were the case Yunho would not be in the resistance, let alone on his team. “Nor am I saying you can’t stay. Since Yunho told me about the golden… blobs?” he sought confirmation from Yunho, who responded with a nod, “I can’t say we haven’t been curious about what your ability may be. I myself am surprised at how easily you’ve integrated here this week. Everyone already seems partial to you, but you have to bring something to our team in order to stay.” 

“How attached are you to that chair?” Sera asked, nodding towards one of the few settled around the table. 

Hongjoong blinked, face molding into confusion. “It’s just a chair?”

In an instant, Sera’s eyes shifted gold. Matter didn’t pour from her fingers, at least not yet. Instead her focus was on the chair, choosing to show this part of her ability first. The wooden seat liquified, pooling around the legs of the table. Soon that disappeared, replaced by golden mist that swirled around for a moment before the chair reappeared in its original place. It was identical to before, besides her new golden, floral additions along the arm and backrests. She smiled at the look of shock Hongjoong’s and Yunho’s face. Yet she hadn’t even showed them the extent of her powers.

Now she let the matter pour from her fingertips, allowing it to float around her in waves. “I have control over all forms of matter,” she said softly, continuing to play with the golden liquid around her. “My own is always gold, but I can manipulate everything in the world around me. Changing it. Reforming it. Creating something new.” 

The men were mesmerized. Sera created new shapes above her head, beginning with rudimentary spheres or cubes before shifting to more complex, multifaceted stars. Forming a ball in her hand, she tossed it to Yunho. He inspected it carefully, rubbing his fingers along the smooth curves before handing it to Hongjoong. They quickly saw potential in her ability, both in the field and outside it.

“Can I just say I think this is cooler than I thought it was going to be?” Yunho said with a laugh, beaming over at Sera. “Is there anything you can’t do with it?”

Sera shook her head. “Nothing I haven’t figured out at least. I can even play around with weight, textures, and consistencies.” The matter disappeared as her eyes transitioned, but the ball still remained in Hongjoong’s fingers. “There’s been some trial and error over the years, especially with what I can do around me. The easiest way to explain it is if it’s matter, I can control it. Even things like air, water, fire…” her voice trailed off at the end when visions of Ender’s flames burned into her head.

Still speechless, Hongjoong investigated the ball with wide eyes and opened mouth, the tip of his tongue poking out. “How come this stayed?” he questioned. “Same with the gold on the chair?”

“Because I wanted it to. When I put things back together they return to their original state and look, unless I add something to it. That is always gold.” 

“Well, Sera, I think you’re more than either of us anticipated you to be,” Yunho said with a smile. “Anything else ability wise? Not that what you showed us isn’t impressive enough.” 

Sera smirked. “Telekinesis.”

“And?”

“Adaptive reflexes and heightened senses.”

“And?” Yunho’s smile grew wider.

“Advanced healing.” 

“And?”

“That’s it.” 

Hongjoong studied her expression, searching for anything more. Hiding her mind control abilities was something Sera was well accustomed to at this point. Her physical abilities should be more than enough to earn her place. While her mind control could make her even more of an asset, she had no desire to share that piece. She questioned if she would ever share it. She didn’t want to become a slave to the resistance, using her power for their own version of righteousness. Sera would never take the chance of someone else having control of her. The only person who had that right would be herself. The irony of it all suddenly sunk into Sera. With all of her ways to control and manipulate the world, she had never been in control of herself. Always under the thumb of her father and the Crown. Even Changkyun in a way. But not anymore.

Rising from his chair, Hongjoong stepped towards Sera. He immediately noticed the strange look on her face, but chose not to overwhelm her with more questions. “Despite me being captain, we make every decision as a team. I’ll get everyone together in the living room. We’ll vote on Sera joining us.” This decision couldn’t be his alone, even if his mind was already made up. With that he strode out of the room to gather the rest of his team.

Yunho’s hands found their way onto her shoulders. “You’re full of surprise, Just Sera,” he steered her out of the room with a soft grip. When Sera turned to look at his face she found a smile. His head dipped towards her ear, increasing the pressure through his fingers. “I hope you know my vote.” The pressure left her shoulders when they arrived in the living room, only for a hand to reach out for her wrist like she had done earlier in the morning. Tugging her down on one of the couches he sat beside her, arm running along behind her.

Through the week Yunho became slightly more physical with her, but nothing in a way that made Sera feel uncomfortable. Playful nudges here and there. Squeezes to her shoulders and arms. Even the random reach for her hips. But that only happened when she nearly fell down the stairs to chase after San and Mingi one night. Up until this point their conversations had only been laced with innuendos and shadowy references to their respective pasts. With everything on the table now Sera wondered just how much they would share with each other. Few people understood the type of military life Sera experienced. Even with what little had been shared, Sera knew Yunho was one of the few people who could understand her. 

Seonghwa and San entered first. “What’s going on?” San asked, bouncing onto the couch next to Yunho. “All Hongjoong said was go to the living room.” 

Seonghwa sat down on the large armchair, his typical spot in the living room, gaze not straying from Sera. “If I was a betting man, I would assume it has something to do with our guest, San.”

The rest of the team trinkled in. Mingi and Jongho’s chatter ceased when they sat down on one of the other couches. Instead of sitting on one of the other pieces of furniture, Wooyoung settled himself on the floor in front of Sera, but not before his eyes traced Yunho’s arm disappearing behind her back. He sat against her legs, shimmying about until comfortable. Tilting his head back, he gave her the warmest smile. Yeosang stood behind Seonghwa’s chair, leaning on the backrest. All eyes went to Hongjoong standing in front of them. He looked very much a leader, commanding attention without saying a word. 

“Sera has correctly figured out that we are a part of the resistance,” he began with a sigh. Not a single gaze drifted from him. “She has expressed the desire to join, more specifically join this team.” Wooyoung shifted in front of her, clenching his jaw. Hongjoong continued speaking matter of factly. “Her ability would warrant her a position here. However, you know we make all decisions as a team. We will be voting on whether or not Sera has a place here, not if she has a place within the resistance.”

“I think at a minimum we need to know what her ability is… and her full name,” Seonghwa responded first. His hesitation towards her continued. “A sense of trust comes from knowing those things, or else we are voting without having all the necessary information.” His gaze moved from his captain to Sera. “So, is it going to continue being Just Sera or-?”

“Sera Banks.” The name rolled off her lips easily. A common enough name to not draw attention, but one that made her feel closer to Ryland.  “As for my ability…” she closed her eyes. When they opened the six other pairs of eyes were met with pools of gold, liquid seeping out of her fingers. She provided it the same treatment, molding it into different shapes and navigating them around the room. Again she was met with the same looks of wonder from those who had not already seen her work. “I have control over my own gold matter, but can also manipulate everything in the world around me. I also have telekinesis, adaptive reflexes, heightened sense, and advanced healing.” 

“She melted a chair and put it back together, for further reference,” Yunho added, providing her yet another reassuring smile despite the tension flowing in the room. Following a pointed nod from Hongjoong she dissipated her matter.

Hongjoong picked up where he left off. “We’ll start with you, Yunho.” 

“Yes, obviously.” He placed his arm around her shoulder now, nestling Sera neatly into the space beneath his shoulder

“Mingi,” Hongjoong’s gaze shifted towards the other couch. 

“I’m saying yes, too.” 

“Jongho.”

He didn’t answer right away and took care to avoid Sera’s eyes. Finally, he spoke. “It’s nothing against you, Sera. But I can’t read you. I can’t get a grasp of your emotions or tell if you’re lying. After a week of you being here I can’t say that I trust you enough to let you stay. My vote is no.” 

Sera blinked in surprise. Jongho had given her no indication that he didn’t like her, quite the opposite actually. He was always friendly, albeit a little guarded. His quizzical expressions now made more sense, as well as his deeper form of questioning when they spent time together. Whatever his ability entailed, it had to be something with reading people. Her own powers blocked other forms of mental abilities, meaning he would be met with nothing whenever he probed into her mind or emotions

“Two yeses, one no,” Hongjoong reiterated. “Seonghwa.”

“I agree with Jongho. I feel like a week is too short of a timeframe to make a sound decision on whether or not she would fit into this team. The fact he can’t read her emotions or tell if she is lying makes me even more uneasy. My vote is also no.” 

Sera tensed beside Yunho. Two to two. Worry filled her. What if the vote didn’t go her way? Sensing her discomfort, Yunho pulled her even closer. Worry entered his mind, although he’d never admit that to Sera. Even Wooyoung beneath her wound one of his arms around her leg when he felt her tense. Sera fought the urge to reach out for his shoulders, instead choosing to keep her hands fisted in her lap. 

“Yeosang.”

“Yes,” he said simply. A man of few words, he didn’t feel the need to explain his choices. Jongho and Seonghwa would be upset with him since he typically sided with them on most matters. Already feeling Seonghwa’s glare he dipped his head down to the floor in avoidance. His response made Sera and Yunho breathe easier, especially following Jongho and Seonghwa’s firm nos. 

“San,” Hongjoong moved on quickly. 

“Yes from me.”

“And Wooyoung.”

“Yes,” he pressed against her calf, sighing deeply the moment the words left his mouth. 

Hongjoong kept a straight face only for a moment before letting a smile creep through. “Although my vote doesn't matter, it is also a yes. Sera Banks, welcome to the team.” 

Relief surged through her. She was staying and now had that chance for some form of redemption. “Thank you,” she began, “I promise you won’t regret this.” She turned to look at Jongho to find him avoiding her gaze. Seonghwa, on the other hand, stared directly at her, head cocked to the side. He didn’t look angry, only frustrated. She would need to figure out how to navigate them both moving forward.

“Now, in regards to the upcoming mission… Sera will of course stay back with Jongho, Wooyoung, and I to monitor from here. She can assist in the final prep, as well as start training consistently with everyone,” Hongjoong said. Eyes settled on Sera. “My intention is not to throw you into anything mission wise. You have built some trust with many of us, but more must be earned before we allow you to go with us. 

Sera nodded, respecting his decision. 

“Does this mean we don’t have to hide anything anymore?” San questioned. His face brightened significantly, a familiar twinkle entering it. 

“No, although from what I heard you weren’t doing a great job of that anyway.”

San gasped, lips coming out into a pout. “ME? I’m a steel trap… nothing comes out of this mouth that isn’t supposed to,” he tapped his lips for effect. The living room quickly filled with laughter and comments regarding San’s unintentional slip ups. Even Jongho participated in teasing the older man. 

“Hey, you and Mingi need to pay up, too,” Yunho boasted, smacking San in the chest with the back of his hand. “I won the bet… she figured it out in a week.” Pulling his arm from around Sera he placed both behind his head grinning smugly. 

Her head snapped towards him. “You did not make a bet about me,” she scowled, although she failed to contain her laughter. 

“You don’t want to know about the other bets then,” Mingi said with a mischievous smirk. 

“OTHER BETS?” 

All three men rolled with laughter. Sera could only imagine what bets they were referring to but knew there was a slim chance she would get it out of any of them. When said bets came to be, whether in or out of their favor, they would let her know. None of them were above gloating or wallowing.

“Enough about bets,” Hongjoong laughed. “Yunho, Seonghwa, Mingi, Yeosang, San, come back into the surveillance room with me. We’ll go over the blueprints of the building more indepthly. Woo, go get Sera fitted for our coms system and give her a real tour of the house. When that’s done take her to the med bay,” his gaze shifted to Jongho. “I’m assuming you’ll need to run baseline tests and do lab work, yes?” He pressed on at Jongho’s quick nod. “When everything’s done join us… we’ll run through the mission as a team.”

His firm overemphasis of the word team paired with a sharp glance at Seonghwa didn’t go unnoticed. The man paid his captain no mind and walked soundlessly out of the room, Yeosang close behind. 

“Alright, you’re with me then,” Wooyoung said with a grin as he stood, more than happy to show her around, and even happier with her staying. Yunho looked less than pleased at Captain’s orders. He wanted to be the one to show her around, to talk to her further about the happenings in the house, but with the importance of this mission knew better than to argue. 

Sera took his outstretched hand. Everyone filed out the room towards their respective destinations now. Yunho shot her a smile before disappearing with Mingi and San through the hallway. Wooyoung led her towards the same door she often saw him coming and going through. It led to a small breezeway with two more doors. One obviously led outside, the other to wherever Wooyoung was taking her.

“Welcome to my shop, Sera Banks,” he said with a dramatic flourish of his hand when he opened the door.

The shop in question was larger than Sera anticipated it to be. She had seen the building from the outside but never had any inclination of what it could be. Organized chaos was the perfect description. Tables filled with electronics lined the center. Half built machinery, tools, control panels, and scraps of metal were covering most of it. Utility carts were scattered around as well. Drawers and cabinets took up most of the wall space, all labeled with their contents. One wall was solely dedicated to an array of screens and keyboards, all looking as hightech as the ones the Crown used. Sera counted at least four tablets amongst the controls, as well as two laptops. A single staircase led upstairs to what looked like a loft, which must be where Wooyoung slept. A car had been pulled into the garage as well. The hood was propped open along with the two front doors. 

He sat down in the large, comfortable desk chair in front of the screens after he rolled over a simpler one. “C’mere,” he patted the cushion.

“This is quite impressive, Woo,” Sarah mused. 

“It’s my favorite place,” he said fondly. “I’m a technopath. So like how you have control over your pretty floating blobs, I have control over anything electronic and mechanical… and I’m a mean hacker and engineer. I can build just about anything.” 

Sera had the impression he downplayed his ability with his simple explanation. She hadn’t met many technopaths, not even through the military. Those she had met were pretty remarkable. It only made her all the more curious of Wooyoun and his rare gift.

“So you’re just as impressive then?”

Blush spread across his cheeks and he looked away from Sera. He didn’t bother pulling up anything on his larger screens, settling to use one of his tablets for whatever he needed to do. “Shit, I need a system first,” he muttered under his breath. Rolling a little ways down the panels, he grabbed a watch and small case. “So, this should be pretty similar to what you used in the military.” 

“You knew I was in the military?” Sera asked with a raised eyebrow. While she didn’t think it would be a secret, she hadn’t shared that information beyond Hongjoong and Yunho.

He didn’t bother looking up from the raised projections on the tablet, swiping and typing with ease. Sera was caught off guard by his focus, having only seen the fun loving version of him. “We all do, Sera. Don’t be mad… but we had to know who was staying with us.” 

“I’m not mad. It’s completely understandable.”

“That’s all we know though,” he continued swiping the figures. “Hand, pretty please.” He laid Sera’s hand on the tablet. His fingers lingered on hers even while the device scanned. “We use fingerprints to access our coms systems. All are connected, but it will only load the settings connecting to your fingerprint. So if you tried to unlock San’s, for example, it would open into your personal system, not his. We use different channels for actual communications. Some private. Some group. For missions we always change ‘em up just to be on the safe side, but we’ve never had an issue with others hacking us. Not that they would be able to, anyway.” 

“Seems simple enough,” Sera smiled. His hand still rested upon hers. “And to mess with my settings?” 

“On the watch, or on a tablet. I have one for you, actually.” He grabbed one from the desk and set it aside. Sera immediately missed the presence of his hand on hers. When he spun back towards her he positioned himself so that his legs were back on either side of hers. “I’ll bring it and a charging station up to your room later. We wear the watches constantly. These,” he gestured towards the small case, “are earpieces. They’re my own design, just like the watch. There’s already one inside ready to use, these are just extras if you need them.” 

She slipped on the watch. Immediately it tightened perfectly to her wrist, loose enough it wouldn’t cut off circulation yet snug enough that it wouldn’t slip off. Her finger caught on the notch at the top, immediately clicking out the earpiece Wooyoung talked about. It was small. Unless you knew what you were looking for they would be extremely difficult to find in an ear. 

“Are you ready for your actual tour of the house now?” Wooyoung asked. His tongue pressed against his upper canine as he smiled. “Then off for you to get poked and prodded. Do you want me to stay around for that? I mean…”

“Since Jongho didn’t want me to stay?” Sera forced a laugh. It had occurred to her that her time with him may be tense moving forward for a bit. All she wanted to do was figure out a way to prove to him she was trustworthy. “I’m a big girl, I can handle it.” A conversation needed to happen privately between them, even though she knew Wooyoung would provide a nice buffer if she wanted. 

“I never said you couldn’t handle it,” Wooyoung said softly. Everything about him screamed sincerity. He let his hands rest on the outside of her legs, but only for a moment. They drew back quickly as that familiar red tint blossomed across his cheeks. He stood abruptly with an embarrassed smile.  “Tour time. I’ll be asking for your very honest review following it.” 

Taken slightly off guard by the moment of intimacy, Sera only smiled at him with blush tinting her own cheek. She rather enjoyed how his hands felt across her legs, how his thumbs brushed just as softly as his words before he pulled them away. They paused in the breezeway on their way back into the house. Wooyoung pointed to the two outbuildings, quickly explaining that one was the garage for their many vehicles and the other was basically a second house on a smaller scale. There were two other teams in close proximity to Hongjoong’s that they frequently collaborated with and if needed stayed there. At times other resistance teams or individuals traveling also stayed there. 

Wooyoung urged Sera along with a quick tap to her hips. One of his hands drug across her back as he slid by her, showing none of the embarrassment he had towards his lingering touches in his shop. With Sera staying Wooyoung slowly let the idea of her creep back into his head and couldn’t help his need to touch her.

He led her towards one of the few locked doors in the hallway, scanning his thumb quickly to unlock it. It opened to another staircase leading downwards. “If you’ll follow me,” he flicked on the lights. 

It led to a very familiar sight- a training room. While not as large as the one as in the compound, it had everything Sera could ever need. A couple of treadmills, punching bags, two power racks, and free weights were arranged in the room. Large mats sat on one end for sparring. It looked like home, and Sera was itching to get back to what she knew. 

A nudge to her ribs pulled her from her thoughts. “Pretty self explanatory room, right? I think San and Yunho are both pretty anxious to get you on that mat,” he laughed suddenly, sharp and loud. “Shit, that sounded awful. What I should have said is that San and Yunho have been curious about your fighting abilities. They make sure we all train up to their standards.”

Sera laughed along with him, just as curious as to how she held up against them. “I’m sure they are.” With all of Wooyoung’s teasing, she wanted to go right back at him. “I’m surprised you haven’t called first dibs on that.” 

An odd look crossed over his face. Some sort of combination of amusement and wanting. And as always, mischief. “Maybe I did, Sera. Maybe I did.” He gestured towards another door with a touchpad directly to their right at the bottom of the stairs. “Holding cells and the interrogation room are through here. We haven’t had to use them often, thankfully.” A hand pressed against the small of her back, pushing her towards the only other door in the room, also with a touchpad. Once again he unlocked it with a fingerprint, mentioning briefly that hers would unlock all the doors now besides the ones leading to bedrooms. “And this is our little armory.” 

Little was a complete understatement. Once again Sera was taken aback by the size of the room. The walls were lined with every form of weaponry imaginable. Short range guns, long range snipers, pistols, knives, throwing stars, and anything in between. A table took up most of the center space. Weaponry was arranged meticulously on it for the upcoming mission. Everything was separated into clear piles, one for each member going. Sera tried to deduce whose pile was whose based on who was going on the mission. 

“Besides the medbay, this is all of our lovely home,” Wooyoung leaned his back against the wall. “Which, of course, is our next stop. My offer still stands, ya know.” 

“And I very much appreciate the offer,” Sera paused looking at the weapons, tossing her long hair over her shoulder to turn to him. “But my answer is still going to be the same.”

Wooyoung rose up from the wall with a sigh, moving towards her. Sera turned to meet him. “Well, I for one am very glad you're staying, Sera.” 

“You did vote to keep me around,” she scrunched her nose at him, lightly tapping her finger against his chest. 

“Yeah… well the vote very easily could have gone in a different direction.” He surprised Sera further by tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, taking care to not catch his fingers on any of her earrings. Tension filled the air as they looked into the other’s eyes. Neither said a word. A shake of Woo’s head finally pulled them out of their trance. “Alrighty, off to Jongho,” he mumbled with a half grin. 

Sera closely followed Wooyoung out the armory and back up the stairs, hearing the door lock behind them. Once again he led her through the living and towards the final locked door: the medical bay. 

“Last chance.” 

Sera rolled her eyes, but smiled at Wooyoung’s care nonetheless. ���I think you’re just trying to spend more time with me, Woo.” 

“You caught me there,” his tongue snuck out between his teeth with his mischievous grin. “I’ll save you a seat, okay?” Turning on his heel he managed a few steps before spinning around. “Wait, tour review.”

“Five stars, Woo,” she smiled. Wooyoung beamed at her before walking animatedly down the hallway. 

Tentatively, Sera knocked on the wooden door, receiving a muffled ‘come in’ in response. Opening it, she found Jongho sitting on a rolling stool at a countertop. He was laying out needles and other supplies necessary for whatever testing he needed to conduct. Overall, the room looked like a majority of medical bays Sera found herself in, just on a smaller scale. There were three beds in total, all crisp and white. Clear cabinets lined the wall above the countertop and a refrigerator was nestled in the space between those and the wall. What surprised Sera the most was the high tech device she only found in the Crown’s medical centers. It had the ability to perform x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and even assist in surgeries. 

“You can take a seat on that bed, Sera,” he indicated towards the closet bed with a nod. 

Awkwardness lingered when she sat down and twiddled her thumbs. He kept his back towards her as he continued gathering a few things before rolling towards her, tablet in tow. Unlike in the living room, he met her gaze easily. 

“Are you afraid of needles?” The question was innocent, but made Sera burst out in laughter.

“Uh… Jongho… have you looked at me?” She brandished her arms, rolling them so Jongho had a clear view of the vine, triangles, and other small tattoos adorning her skin. “And these are just the ones you can see.”

The man shrugged, but smiled. “You could still be afraid of needles. I’m going to ask you some simple questions, okay? Just so we have your information in our system… it doesn’t go beyond this room,” he assured her quickly after seeing the look on her face. Thankfully he didn’t ask why she had such a look. Jongho was more than used to apprehensive patients. Normally though, he could get a read on them. “I’ll take your blood pressure, listen to your lungs and heart, and take a few vials of blood so I can run basic tests. Then we’ll be on our way. Sound good?” 

Sera nodded, “Easy peasy.” She had her own questions she wanted to ask, but she could wait. 

“Age and birthday.” 

“23, January 25th.” 

“Height and weight.”

“5’6, and to be honest I’m not sure about my weight any more from being on the run… typically was around 115 pounds.” 

Jongho raised an eyebrow at her, but continued on with his questioning. “Blood type?” 

“A negative.” 

“Any major injuries?”

“I was in the military for five years, Jongho… I don’t even know how many times I’ve been shot and injured. 

“See? Simple.” His smile was warm when he rolled away, returning the tablet to the countertop. When he rolled back over he pulled a wheeled cart along with him. He brought the arm pressure cuff to her arm first and clipped a blood oxygen reader to her index finger. In a swoop he placed the stethoscope in his ears. “Alright, breathe in deep for me.” 

Sera complied just as the cuff tightened on her arm, continuing to inhale deeply as Jongho moved the cool metal across her chest and back. Once the cuff loosened, Jongho immediately checked the readings. “You have a low resting heart rate, but everything looks and sounds normal.” Turning back to his cart, he placed the stethoscope, cuff, and clip in one of the drawers after registering the readings on the tablet. “Do you have an arm preference?”

Sera turned her left arm towards him, pressure once filling it when Jongho put on a tourniquet. The alcohol was cool on her skin when he cleaned the inside of her elbow. 

“Jongho? Can I ask you a question?” 

“Of course,” his said her her arm for the perfect vein. 

Sera swallowed. Nerves struck her. Never had she been uncomfortable around Jongho, but now she was worried about saying the wrong thing. “You mentioned not being able to read me…”

He chuckled slightly, but the needle in his hand didn’t tremble. He knew this question would come. “My ability goes with reading people. Their emotions. Their intentions. I have the innate ability to tell when people are lying, as well as manipulating and managing the emotions of others. It helps immensely as a medic, and for… other things that require my expertise. But whenever I try to gauge you, to get a sense of how you feel and your intentions, I find nothing.  There are very few people I’ve met that I can’t get a measure on. You being one of them makes me nervous for my team. Please don’t take my vote against you staying as me not liking you, Sera, because that’s not the case. But you need to earn more of my trust, and I didn’t feel confident in saying yes to you staying after only a week.” He paused, tapping her arm. “And just like that, I have what I need.” In the time it took for him to reach for a gauze pad to stop the bleeding, Sera’s arm had already healed. “Wow, you do heal fast.”

Subconsciously she rubbed the skin. It would still bruise slightly, may even be a little sore, but that would only last for a few more hours. Jongho’s words put her mind slightly at ease. He did like her, his only hesitation towards her coming from his own ability. 

“I told you so,” Sera smiled back at him. “And I’ll earn your trust, I can promise you that.”

The smile in return was a gummy one. “I’m sure you will, Sera.”

[nunuxhoho]

his voice trembles. I'm crying 😭😭😭

[hoomonstax]

MONSTA X - PLAY IT COOL | HALLYUPOPFEST 2019 - DAY 2

[miabebe]

I just read chapter VII omg what's going on?! I can't wait for the next chapter 😭

I'm guessing you mean chapter VIII because that just came out?

Oh yeah, things are building up and messing up now that our silly little Na bi is in love - gotta throw in some chaos right?

Next chapter will take a while though because there are action sequences and I would need some time to play those out in words!

[justsomekpopstuff]

Not me staring at all my biases and being like

[monstaxmafiaau]

Give It All To Me (Part 3)

(Part 1) (Part 2)

Shownu entered the main family room of the compound to see his members spread through the room either on their phones or playing a video game. “Changkyun,” he spoke firmly catching the maknae’s attention. The youngest rose to his feet following his leader out into the hallway.

“What’s up Shownu?” He asked quietly leaning his shoulder against the wall.

Shownu studied him over once before glancing at his hands. “That girl last night, think you can find out who she is? I want to make sure she’s innocent like we thought.”

“Already did.”

Shownu’s gaze darts back up to the him. “And?”

“She is. I have a file for you if you want it.”

Shownu nodded, running his hand over his mouth before following the Maknae to his office setup. He took the file before pulling it up and looking over the front page. Her picture included, it was her.

“Thanks Changkyun, good work.”

The youngest nodded before they both walked out and he went back to his activities while Shownu took the file to his own personal office.

….

Shownu stepped into the building, his eyes flickering over the main open space in search of her and smirked when he saw her. She was currently knelt on the floor showing books to a little boy. A bright smile on both their faces as she showed him the book about different forms of transportation. The boy accepted both books with pride and let his mom lead him to check them out as she rose back to her feet. Shownu licked his bottom lip trying to hide his smirk, he had found her so easily. He moved to her side.

She glanced as he came to a stop a few steps from her. “Can I help you?” She questions, picking up a stack of books on a nearby table.

“I wanted to speak with you,” he spoke following her as she set them on a cart.

“About books? I can try to help find whatever it is you are looking for,” she smiled softly, running her hands down her skirt.

“Actually, about you,” Shownu stepped between her and the only way back towards the main counter.

She stopped, her eyes slightly widen. “Why?”

He frowned, dragging his thumb down the side of his nose, she didn’t remember him. “Last night you were in trouble and my friends and I helped. Do you not remember?”

“Oh,” she said after she inhaled sharply. “I was trying my best to forget last night. How can I help you Shownu?”

His eyes darted to meet hers at the mention of his name. “I just want to make sure you aren’t friends with that guy.”

“I’m not, I thought that was obvious,” she muttered as she started away from him. He followed.

“It was. But just a precaution.”

“Mmm,” she mused before looking at him head-on. “Well if that’s all I have work to do, so excuse me.” She left him and he sighed, watching her go. His mind calculating how to accept that she just didn’t care who he was or what he could do if he really wanted to, not that he would hurt her.

(Part 4)

[yeosangs-horizon]

[23:50]  -> Perfection

It was getting late you were getting impatient. Changkyun had been coming home later and later every day and you were anxious. Every time you mentioned it, he always reassured you that it was okay, that his perfectionist gene was just getting in the way of him leaving without flawlessly nailing a dance move. 

You felt restless and wanted to check up on him, one in good nature and two, just because you felt the anxiety bubble to your core. You slung on one of his big jackets and grabbed your keys while striding through your door. 

You started your car quickly while driving down a dark descent through the night to reach Starship Entertainment. It wasn’t too far of a drive, but for some reason, driving through the night in silence eased your worries just a bit. 

You entered through the building and scanned around for Monsta X’s practice room floors. You swiped your guest pass and punched in the seventh floor as the elevator slowly rose while emitting soft creaking noises. 

Exiting the lift, you felt your heart beat elevate as you bounced towards the practice room. Without a second thought you turned the handle to the room and made your appearance. A tiny gust of cold air hit you right as the door peaked inwards. 

“(Y/N)?” a soft but out of breath voice called out to you.

“Kyunnie, are you okay?”

Your eyes widened as you saw him, sitting on the floor in a sweat, probably from overworking himself once again. You grabbed a spare towel from the side and rushed towards him, gently dabbing the perspiration off of his forehead. 

“I told you not to worry, I just want to nail this move so I won’t be a disappointment to the others.”

You felt a pang in your heart after you heard his words, you knew that he could be more insecure than the rest but he’d never say that outloud, especially not around his team. You leaned in and engulfed his head with a hug as he leaned on your chest. 

“You are not a disappointment, you’ve done and are doing so much! You should be proud of how far you’ve come, and stop overworking yourself!” you proclaimed confidently.

His exhausted gaze met yours as you rested a hand on the side of his cheek. You leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his lips. 

“You’re right (Y/N), I really do miss spending time with you, let’s go home now so I can have you to myself all night and worry about this later.”

[bfchangkyun]

Running to hug Changkyun in the airport after he’s been away and he picks you up and spins you around

[monbebe26-monstax]

Changkyun

Changkyun’s eyes followed you across the room, his face completely stoic as you gently removed the makeup from your face with the wipe while watching him. You had supported him at MCountdown and they had won. But now you were back at your place and he was quiet again.

“What?” You question softly. He shakes his head leaning back against the headboard of your bed. You frown at him. “We can talk about it.”

“I don’t want to,” he murmurs, dragging his hand down his face. “Come here.”

You study him over a little longer before moving forward. His hands grasp your waist and guide you to settle on his lap, straddling him. His hands move up to your face. One hand slides through your hair to the back of your neck while the other settles against your cheek. The warmth of his palm pulsing under your skin as he guides your lips to his. His lips find yours in a soft kiss and you almost melt at how gentle he is. You kiss him back. Your hands grip his upper arms as the kiss deepens until he groans pulling away.

“I love you,” he whispers.

You blush before pressing your lips to his again. You wished you could absorb all the pain he felt and only give him happiness.

“I love you Changkyun.”

He smiles weakly and you can’t help but to smile back. You wanted to see the light in his eyes again.

“Want to order a late night snack and play video games until the sun comes up?” You ask.

He laughs and your heart skips a beat. He gives you a single nod and then leans in to kiss you again. You kiss him back before slipping away and holding out a hand to him. He grasps it and let’s you haul him to his feet.

“What should we order?” You question as you both head to find the take out menus.

“Everything and anything,” he replies wrapping his arms around your body and placing a single kiss to the top of your head.