#EXO Suho AU

[marshmallow-phd]

Genre: Regency Gothic AU

Pairing: EXO x Reader

Summary: A stormy night brought you to the manor in the middle of the woods. Nine strange men occupied its halls. They won't let you leave. A dangerous secret haunts this estate. Learning it might either be your saving grace or it could lead to the last breath you ever take.

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5

**

Lightning lit up the thin curtains covering the two small windows on either side of the carriage. Thunder rumbled and you felt it deep within your chest. Tugging your silk cloak closer, you closed your eyes and prayed that the driver would get you through the storm. There was no one to comfort you, to reassure you that a little rain and noisy sky wouldn't delay your journey.

Your father had insisted you take your sister or even a friend, but the two day’s journey didn’t  seem consequential enough to need a companion. Besides, what would they have done once you arrived? Your elderly aunt had only asked for you. From what you could decipher from her letter, she needed you to be a companion as she traveled to the southernmost coastal town. Apparently, it was now the ultimate fashion to travel to for the summer. Just the idea of rolling waves made your stomach churn. But what was worse was who else would be there–

The carriage jolted to the right. You spread out your arms, only barely catching yourself from falling to the floor. No sane person would have endured such dangerous weather. This storm had come from nowhere. Skies blue and cloudless as you had ever seen bid you farewell in the late morning. Most of the day's journey had been uneventful. Then the joyful light faded. Thunder shook the walls of the carriage. Rain pounded on the roof. When would you reach the inn? Bile rose up in your throat, burning the sensitive tissue as the carriage continued to rock violently. The horses neighed over the sounds of the storm. 

The carriage shifted hard to the left. And kept falling. You slammed into the door, nearly opening it with the force. You didn't know what was happening. The floor was now the wall and the wall the floor. A downward momentum made it impossible to stand. Screams ripped at your throat.

Then it stopped. 

The rain continued to pour and the thunder roared on but the carriage was still. Your legs wobbled as you slowly stood. With your palms, you pushed open the door. The thin wooden panel clapped against the outside of the carriage. Immediately you were pounded by the storm. Large drops pelted your face, obscuring your vision. It was dark. You could tell that much. And there were trees. In every direction. 

You climbed out of the carriage, calling for the driver. Your feet slipped in the mud, but you managed to keep your balance–for now. The mud was thick and sticky as you trudged to the front of the carriage.

 No. No, no, no. Both of the horses were gone. And so was the driver. Somehow, the carriage had fallen down a hill or ravine. With a storm this terrible, you needed to get to higher ground or risk possibly being carried away–or drowning. Clawing and digging your hands and feet into the soaked dirt, you climbed the hard incline back to the road. 

Once you could make out the road, you called for the driver again. No answer. He was nowhere to be found. You needed to find shelter. The storm gave no promise of letting up. You wouldn't survive the night in this forest, even if you went back into the carriage. The only choice was to find sanctuary. You stared in the direction you believed you came from. Nothing but trees and darkness. You turned to the other choice. All the same–wait. 

There was something... when lightning brightened up the sky. Your heart began banging in your ears. Spires, towers. Not trees. It was some distance away, but it was shelter nonetheless. 

With near tears in your eyes, you picked up your skirts–your fingers numb from the cold–and hurried towards the castle that could be your saving grace. 

*****

The manor was calm tonight. Odd, considering the amount of bodies roaming around these haunted halls. Only the beautiful storm outside and Chanyeol's sorrowful melody from the piano broke the silence. Jongin had draped himself over one of the arm chairs as he inspected the wine mixture within his goblet. The taste was… adequate. The cellar would need replenishing soon.

In the corner, a rather lax game of cards covered the small, round table. Minseok smirked at his winning hand. The faded wooden chips with bits of white painted around the edges were piling up in front of Yixing, who leaned back carelessly, sure of his next win. Little did either of them know that the youngest among them had a little... trick his sleeve. As the quickest, Sehun had perfected sleight of hand long ago. None had caught him yet.

A fire roared, coaling the usually gray and brown room in flickering orange. With how close he stood near the fireplace, Kyungsoo's silhouette was visible through his loose shirt. He leaned his palms on the mantel and let the warmth of the flames engulf him. Warmth was all they could feel after all these years. It could be an addiction so strong it was tempting to throw himself into the fire. 

Junmyeon joined him at the fireplace, leaning his shoulders against the brick. The bite of the edge hardly registered in his mind. Pain of that measure... it was only a ghost that had nearly crossed over. 

“Such strong thoughts for a night like this.”

Kyungsoo didn’t look from the fire, but raised a questioning eyebrow in response. 

Junmyeon shrugged a single shoulder. “I can’t read minds, but it's obvious you're turning something over more times than a praying rock.”

“It's the same thoughts,” Kyungsoo murmured in his strange, monotone voice. “Always the same thoughts.”

“One day you will have to let it go,” Junmyeon sighed. “This is our existence now. And forever will be.”

“Acceptance of the present doesn’t erase the past.”

“But it does make the present more enjoyable.” The red liquid sloshed against the rim of the goblet as Jongin draped an arm over Kyungsoo’s shoulders. He wore a mischievous smile. A clear indicator of his true intention. 

Junmyeon shook his head. “We’re not going out tonight. There’s nothing out and about in this storm.” Hunting in these conditions would wield no trophies. Tomorrow would be a better night. 

“Jun’s no fun tonight,” Jongdae teased as he and Baekhyun emerged from the hallway. 

“If you want to go out in this mess,” Junmyeon waved towards the front door. “Be my guest. Just don’t you dare get mud on the rug–”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Help! Please! Help!”

Nine pairs of eyes snapped to the echoing sound. None moved. 

Bang! Bang! 

BANG!

One of the double doors burst open and a figure fell to the floor, landing on its knees and palms. It looked up. A flash of lightning illuminated the face.

The face of a beautiful young girl. 

*****

Your knees vibrated when they hit the wooden floor. Water fell from your loose hair that clung to your cheeks. The chances of  the door opening when you pushed on the handle had been low–yet the barrier that kept you victim to the storm fell open and you crashed downward with it. 

Greeting you in this strange hall were several men, their jaws hanging open in a mirror of your own surprise. More men appeared from a side parlor, curious as to who dared intrude on their evening. One, two, three–you counted nine total. Nine men. This was not ideal–a bit terrifying, really–but you didn't have a choice. The storm raged outside.

"P-please," you stammered past chattering teeth "The st-storm overturn-overturned the carriage.” 

The men stayed silent as they exchanged unreadable glances. One raised a questionable brow. 

"Jongdae, go run a bath," ordered the man closest to you. One of the shorter residents nodded and disappeared into the darkness that led into the rest of the manor. 

That's what this place was. A grand old manor, not a castle. Isolated. When you'd first run through the rusted iron gate, you'd feared it abandoned. A long dormant instinct whispered that you might have been better off if it had been. 

The first man approached, each motion slow, deliberate, and hauntingly graceful. He crouched down in front of you and captured your frightened stare. The fear in you began to melt away. He was… beautiful. Obsidian fell over his forehead in gentle waves. His tunic was of a fashion your grandfather would have worn. There was something strange about this man–all of these men. Something... different. 

"Let's get you warmed up." He held his hand out and you were up on your feet before you even realized your fingers were resting on his. "Don't worry," he murmured. "You're safe here. My name is Junmyeon." 

You nodded, somehow believing him, but unsure if you should. Through your violent chattering, you managed to stammer out your name in response. 

Bang! 

You jumped at the sudden noise. One of the other men had somehow appeared behind you to shut the door you'd fallen through. 

"Thank you, Yixing," the man beside you said. The one named Yixing nodded and then shifted his eyes to you. “Come.” A hand pressed into the space between your shoulder blades and guided you down the hall, leaving a trail of mud in your wake.

The man led you down several halls until you reached an unoccupied bedroom. Red blankets draped the oversized bed. Matching curtains hung limply from the canopy. All of the wood was a dark sort, rich in color but not quite welcoming like other, brighter woods. 

Jongdae emerged from another door on the other side of the bedroom. Steam rolled out after him as if it were following him for its next set of orders. “Anything else?” he asked drily. 

“No, thank you.”

Jongdae strolled the from the room without a glance either of you and closed the door behind him. Your breath hitched in your throat. The two of you were… alone. It wasn’t appropriate. It was…

You looked to the man still with you, fear causing your heart to pound painful against your chest. You tugged your cloak closer to you, but it was soaked from the rain. Shivers violently raced down your arms and spine. The man didn’t seem to notice as he walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a long white cloth. 

“These should suffice for tonight.” He held up the cloth for you to see. A nightgown. An old one by the cut of it, though thankfully it hadn’t been devoured by moths or mice. “If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.”

You nodded. “Thank you.” 

He visibly suppressed a laugh at your small voice and waved you into the adjoining bathroom. Taking the nightgown, you tried your best to avoid his gaze. You scurried inside and shut the door. 

*****

Junmyeon smirked at your mousy state. It was understandable why you were so frightened. The women of this period were warned of being alone with a man. And now you were alone with nine. 

Nine very dangerous men. 

The proper action for him to take was to leave your room now that you were safe inside the bathroom, but his feet didn’t move. Somehow, the storm had stranded you in their forest. What had happened to the driver, he wondered. Surely a gentlewoman such as yourself was not controlling the carriage. And yet, you were all alone. Circumstances were… ideal.

A small hiss echoed in the bathroom. It stretched out, along with the sound of sloshing water. Junmyeon frowned. 

Hm.

He stood there for a few minutes more, listening to you sigh as your skin grew used to the scalding water. The sound of soap scraping against skin reached his ears, followed by more sloshing water. Soon, you would be getting out of the tub. Time to leave. 

He emerged from the bedroom, careful to close the door as quietly as possible. Everyone had gathered out in the hallway since they were too curious about their visitor to go about their night. Junmyeon found Jongdae blending in with the cluster. He glared at him as he hissed, "The water was too hot." 

Jongdae merely shrugged. Why would he care about water possibly being too hot? It would never hurt him. 

On the opposite end of the group, Yixing cleared his throat. "What are we going to do with her?"

Junmyeon glanced at the door behind him. There was only one best option, for all their sakes. "Tomorrow morning, we will send her on her way." 

The eruption was instant. 

“Enough!”

In an instant, the hissing ceased. 

Baekhyun huffed and folded his arms against his chest, collapsing against the wall. Jongin scoffed. "Such a waste." 

“A waste that will keep this household from tearing itself apart,” Junmyeoun countered. It was an outcome none of them wanted. No one wanted to cause a fight, but resisting was difficult. The temptation was great. The quicker you left, the better off they would all be. 

"Do you really think it’ll end so well?" Minseok’s mocking comment hung in the air. Silent agreements rippled through the air. 

Junmyeon looked to Kyungsoo, whose answer was to look away. "No one touches her," he ordered. They all would try, he knew. But their strength would only get them so far. He stared down a few of them especially, so they knew he meant it.

Sehun pushed off the wall with a roll of his eyes. "Just get her out of here so I can get some peace." 

Junmyeon started to call after him but was interrupted by a soft thud from the room behind him. Confused, he opened the door to find you lying on the floor.

[jongbross]

lotto. (mafia!kim junmyeon x f!reader)

pairing: mafia!kim junmyeon x f!reader

word count: i have no idea

genre: smut

warnings: description of sexual activities, thigh riding, swearing, mentions of crime, lust, junmyeon has such a soft spot for reader

a/n: i wrote this some time ago as a birthday gift to my friend with another idol but i think it suits junmyeon so muchhh 🥺 anyway, this is not part of kinktober but it's definitely a good way to kick it off! 🤗

the loud music wasn’t actually enough to overlap the sound of cheering, talking, and laughing coming from the whole place. hundreds of people were smiling, although you didn’t believe any of them were truly happy. you could see money, alcohol, drugs, and lust everywhere you looked, but never truly happiness.

well, fuck it. they were all grown up adults afterall, they knew what they were doing. it’s not like someone forced them into that warehouse, into that world. you knew way too well how inviting and exciting the whole thing was, so you couldn’t blame them - although your addiction wasn’t gambling, drinking or doing drugs; although you had actually found love within those walls.

a man screaming after winning what seemed like a lot of money caught your attention. the blonde man threw herself on any guy next to him, suddenly kissing him. it didn’t go unnoticed to you the ring shining on his left hand’s finger though.

“enjoying the show?”, a very well-known voice spoke behind you, making you instantly smile.

“just seeing by myself what hell must look like.”

“wow, hell…”, he said, holding your waist and placing himself beside you now. “that’s a new nickname.”

you laughed, eyes trying to find again the couple of dudes you just saw kissing, but couldn’t find them anywhere. well, that only meant one thing…

“why do you keep coming if you don’t like it here?”

you looked at him, seeing his perfect side profile as he admired what he had built mostly by himself. the loudness, the lust, the illegal actions taking place inside that warehouse didn’t bother him - if anything, he liked it.

“because i like you and i wanna be a supportive girlfriend”, you said like it was obvious.

“okay, two things: first, you were already supportive from the moment you didn’t leave me when you found out about this. secondly, you keep calling yourself my girlfriend, but, baby, i thought we were past that a long time ago.”

if god truly existed, you prayed she didn't let junmyeon see how you blushed at that.

“yeah, well…”, you tried to come up with a reply, but after a few seconds when your brain still didn’t process anything good to say, you just trailed off and let the conversation die.

junmyeon laughed beside you, pulling you close and caressing your body. from the moment he got involved in “bad things”, he accepted that he would never find someone who he could love. he accepted the fact that, to make his name big in those kind of business, he needed to let go of any normal shit people do - like going out on dates, maybe getting married, maybe having children. he was okay with that. he knew what he got himself into when he was around 15 years old.

but that was until he met you.

that was until he saw you fighting back one of his guards at the door of one of his clubs - well, it wasn’t actually a club but you didn’t know that, he found out later. the girl in a burgundy top, pointing a finger at a huge guard caught his attention that night, and he just couldn’t ever let you go after that.

junmyeon didn’t know exactly how you turned into friends, and then into a couple, and then into whatever you two were right now. he just knew how he fell in love with you and, to be honest, how couldn’t he? what was there not to love about you?

“i like when you get shy”, he said only for you to hear, chin resting on top of your shoulder.

“i don’t”, you replied, still looking straight ahead. junmyeon didn’t miss the tiny grin on your lips though.

he kissed your shoulder, lost in a moment with you but in a lifetime of thoughts inside his head - all the thoughts about you. he closed his eyes for a bit, turning down all of his senses and just focusing on your smell and the way his lips felt against your skin. he couldn’t feel any other thing, couldn’t see any other thing, he couldn’t listen to any other thing…

or that was what he thought.

“sir?”, someone called behind you, making you both turn around. you looked curious at one of junmyeon's many guys, dressed in a suit, while junmyeon himself couldn’t look more annoyed. actually, scratch that, he couldn’t look more pissed. “there is a-”

“is someone dying?”, junmyeon asked, cutting the guy off.

“n-no, sir.”

“then why are you interrupting me and my girl?”

the dude went silent. he looked from junmyeon to you and then back to junmyeon, completely lost.

“i’m… i’m sorry, sir. i-i just thought you would like to know that-”

“well, i wouldn’t. so turn around and go fix it yourselves whatever happened. i don’t wanna know, and don’t fucking interrupt me again.”

“yes, sir”, the guy immediately said, bowing to junmyeon before going back to wherever he came.

you looked at junmyeon, staring down at him and noticing so closely how his expression changed the moment he looked at you and you two locked eyes. he went soft, all of a sudden.

“that was hot”, you joked, smirking when you felt his arm wrapping around your hips and pulling you close.

“yeah?”, he raised an eyebrow at you, what you knew was one of his ways to try to be sexy. little did he know… “i can show you hotter if you let me.”

“such a gentleman-”

the way he grabbed your wrist and pulled you away with him made you shut up though.

(...)

you watched as junmyeon closed the door of his big ass office behind him, locking it and checking it twice just to be sure. he knew no one would be crazy enough to walk in without knocking, but he liked his privacy secured.

when he turned around to watch you - his girl - he smirked. you looked breath taken, as always. his feet worked on their own and started to walk towards you without a warning. they only stopped when you were at junmyeon's reach, watching every move he made, every expression. you watched as he rested his hands on your hips again, one of his favorite parts of your body. you watched as he pulled you close, close enough to feel your breathing against his face. you watched as he closed the gap between you two, kissing you with everything he got, like he always did.

and then, you stopped taking track of his every move and started to focus on what you were feeling. you felt his tongue slipping into your mouth, you felt his hands traveling up your body to hold your neck as he kissed you, and you felt, overall, that familiar sensation between your legs.

“come here”, he whispered, leading you to the chair behind his desk.

he sat down first, unbuttoning your jeans and taking them down. you groaned when he kissed your stomach, hands resting on your thighs as you finished the job of taking off those goddamn jeans. junmyeon's looked up at you, watching your face as his kisses became openmouthed, his tongue feeling warm against your skin.

“will you take it off for me, baby?”, he asked, one of his hands tugging on your panties.

you obeyed, taking it off and letting him pull you onto his lap. junmyeon placed you on his left thigh, flexing his muscles the moment your bare skin hit his trousers.

“you’re going to ride my thigh here in my office like the good girl you are, okay?”

“you can’t tell me what to do”, you smirked at him, but the smirk was quickly wiped off your face the moment he flexed his thigh again.

“i’m sorry, you were saying…?”

you cursed a “fucker” under your breathe as you started doing what he said. your movements were lighty at first, enjoying the feeling little by little. you could both feel each other to the extent you loved the most, grabbing at each other whenever something felt too good. his hands on your waist, your hands on his shoulders now.

you moaned out loud for the first time, and that’s how junmyeon knew you were on the right track. he held your waist a little bit harder, helping the way you moved your hips down onto his thigh. he could feel his trousers getting wetter with your every move, and no words in this world could explain how he loved that.

fuck, no words in this world could explain how he loved you.

when you moaned again, junmyeon couldn’t help but moan too. he took a moment to look at you, at your expression, at the way your body was moving on top of his before going in for a kiss. he took your lips on his own, savoring you and swallowing your noises, his trousers feeling so tight now all of a sudden - but he couldn’t care less, he just wanted to make you feel good, as good as you always made him feel.

“fuck, myeon”, you groaned when he broke the kiss. your fingers were tightly tangled on his shirt, holding for dear life as if he could disappear if you let him go.

your hips started to move faster, harder, that familiar sensation building up inside you. you lost your goddamn mind when junmyeon decided to lick at your jaw, whispering sweet nothings to you in between the kisses, the sucks he’d leave on you; he poured his heart into those words though, promising himself at that very moment that he would do anything he could to always remember you how much you meant for him.

another loud moan echoed through the office, and he knew what that meant.

“come on, baby”, he whispered to you.

he didn’t have to say it twice. you finished with a call of his name, coming all over his thigh, his hands guiding your hips to help you ride through your high. junmyeon happily sighed when, at the peak of your intimacy - the moment right after the sex -, you let yourself collapse on top of him. you rested your forehead on his shoulder, trying to catch your breath as his hands traveled down to your thighs, caressing them.

seconds went by, minutes went by. nothing could touch the two of you, nothing could make him leave you, and nothing could make you walk away from him.

junmyeon smiled at the thought of always having you like that, of always being with you. but, at the same time that thought warmed his heart, it also made it ache. what if you ever got tired of him? what if you decided you no longer loved him? what if you realized he’s no good for you because of what he does for a living?

what if he had to go away someday and you didn’t wait for him?

“marry me”, he said, realizing that the words had truly left his mouth only after they did.

“what?”, you groaned.

“marry me. be with me forever. i want you forever.”

you smiled, looking up at him and holding his face in both your hands. you had the great junmyeon, the guy who built his own gang and his own way into the crime, wrapped around your finger.

“i’m with you. i always will be, a ring won’t change that”, you said, kissing his lips. “i promise i’m yours. isn’t that enough?”

junmyeon immediately nodded. anything you decided to give him was enough.

“it is for now. i love you."

“i love you too.”

[eomayas]

testy • kjm

pairing: mob!junmyeon x wife!reader

genre: smut 18+ MINORS DNI!!!!!

synopsis: reader pushes junmyeons buttons one too many times on vacation

warnings: pwp, p in v, swearing, doggy, choking, teasing, dirty talk, spanking, mentions of junmyeon being in the mob but it’s not that essential

a/n: i read a mafia fic the other day and now i’m a bit obsessed with my favorite men being mafia bosses or wtv so here is a mini.. self indulging story that nobody asked for but i wrote anyway. enjoy!!! this is unedited as always

junmyeon stands on the bottom deck of the yacht, phone pressed against his ear. the sun shines brightly on him, his shirt unbuttoned to get some color on his chest. his gold chain glitters in the light, and you’d be on your knees right now, if he ever decided to get off the phone.

you roll your eyes from up above and sigh. you tie your bathing suit coverup around your waist and slip your feet into your pink jimmy choos that match your pink bikini.

walking down the spiral stairs on the yacht, you get down to the deck where your husband stands on the phone. he turns around when he sees you and gives you a soft smile. you stare at him with your hands on your hips, unimpressed with his greeting, or lackthereof.

junmyeon opens his arm for you to walk into, and when you dont, he frowns, but continues talking on the phone. you sigh loudly, jutting your hip out to the side. your husband furrows his brows at you, keeping his eyes trained on you as he keeps on talking.

“jun,” you say, your voice full of irritation. he holds up his index finger to you, and you scoff, turning on the balls of your feet to go back to whence you came.

you huff all the way up the stairs, stomping your feet into the steps. untying your coverup, you ball it up and toss it onto one of the chaises and retake your seat, kicking off your shoes and rolling onto your stomach to tan your back.

a few moments later, you hear junmyeons footsteps and you roll your eyes. “baby,” he calls. you don’t respond and don’t look up when he stands behind you and blocks the sun. “you hear me talking to you, don’t you?” junmyeon says.

“didn’t know if you were talking to me, or one of your bitches on the phone,” you say, looking at him over your shoulder. by bitches, you mean one of his many men that look to him for orders and answers.

junmyeon chuckles and moves your legs so he can sit, placing them in his lap. “alright, i’m sorry,” he says.

“we’re supposed to be on vacation, myeonie! and you want to give orders when we’re in the middle of the ocean—i’ve barely even seen you!” you complain sitting up and turning around to face him. the smile he gives you is one that is mocking, and you frown at him. “don’t look at me like that, junmyeon.”

“you have my full attention, baby,” he says, motioning for you to come sit in his lap. you stay sitting on your knees on the chaise, your arms crossed over your chest.

“do i? because if you get another call, i’ll throw your fucking phone in the ocean,” you snap. junmyeon licks the corner of his mouth, looking down at his feet before placing his eyes on you.

“you know i don’t like when you talk to me like that.”

“and you know i dont like to be ignored… consider us even,” you say. his face falls flat and he shakes his head, a small smirk on his face.

“careful,” he warns, narrowing his eyes at you. you poke your tongue in your cheek and weigh your responses. you could give up, and have him be sweet to you, or you could test him and push him to his limits.

“or what?” you challenge, raising an eyebrow. junmyeons face hardens and you two stare at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. you want to smirk, or worse, laugh, because it’s really a joke to you.

but it’s not for your husband, and you know it. which is why you push his buttons as often as you can, like now, even though you are annoyed at him and there is a better reason behind your attitude than simply just being bored.

junmyeon opens his mouth to respond, but is cut off by the sound of his phone ringing. he blinks once, a guilty look taking over his features when your face falls and your lips sag down. “don’t answer,” you say, reaching forward for his pants, but he’s quicker and stands up.

“it’ll be quick, baby,” he says, sliding the phone out of his pocket and pressing answer. junmyeon turns his back to you and walks over to the railing that overlooks the bottom deck. for a moment, you fantasize about ripping the phone out of his hands and chucking it into the water below.

instead, you gather your belongings: book, hat, sandals, sunglasses, water, and phone, and stomp down the stairs once again and put them away in the bedroom. you aggressively put away everything, putting too much force in opening and closing doors and drawers. you change out of your bathing suit and put on a loose dress and a pair of flat sandals.

angrily, you brush through your hair and pull it back into a low bun, frowning at your reflection. all you want is to spend some time with your husband, away from your house and his work and that general part of his life, and he can’t even give you twenty minutes of himself. and the trip was his idea!

huffing, you apply some lip gloss on your lips and grab your phone before heading into the kitchen/dining area. boat staff work diligently, and you want to tell them to stop, that your husband doesn’t deserve to be waited on, but you don’t. “hi, mrs. kim. dinner is almost ready,” your chef says. you give them a kind smile and thank them, opening the fridge to grab some of the cut up fruit.

you eat at the island, making light conversation with the staff. they relax around you in a way most people don’t with your husband, but you get it. junmyeon isn’t a scary guy, but he’s powerful and carries himself in a way that makes people dodge eye contact with him. if only they knew.

“hello, mr. kim,” the arrival of your husband makes the staffs chattering stop, and you hold off from rolling your eyes.

he greets everybody by name, shaking their hands and thanking them for helping you two out on your little trip. you don’t acknowledge him, not even when he puts his hands on your shoulders and hugs your from behind. “hi,” he says, kissing your cheek.

you grab his left wrist and look at his watch, scoffing when you see the time. “15 minutes is quick to you?” you ask, looking over your shoulder at him. junmyeon licks the corner of his mouth and bows his head.

“i’m sorry,” he says, kissing your cheek. “but it’s business.” junmyeon mumbles. you snort and swivel around on the stool, quirking an eyebrow. “important business.” he says, like that makes it any better, or you any less annoyed.

“and what am i?” you ask, pushing your knee between his legs. junmyeon chuckles nervously and push your knee upward, his hands quickly jutting out to stop you. the look he gives you makes your stomach coil, but you pretend is has no effect.

“i need to talk to you,” he says, his voice low.

“then talk,” you retort, crossing your arms over your chest. junmyeon rubs his bottom lip and steps away from you, starting to walk the direction of your bedroom. you watch him, knowing that you should actually be following him rather than gawking.

“y/n,” his voice is full of authority and it even makes the staff glance at you before averting their eyes. you stare across the room at your husband, and he curls one of his fingers in a ‘come hither’ motion. his eyes dare you to stay seated, waiting for you to push him past his limits.

you stand up silently and walk over to him, not meeting his eye as you pass by him. junmyeon holds you by the hip, walking you to your bedroom. “lose the attitude,” he mutters in your ear, pushing you into the room and closing the door behind you both. “get on the bed.” he says, his voice calm. but you know better than to assume that he’s just simply telling you to do something.

you sit at the foot and he walks over to you, your eyes trailing over his frame as he stops in front of you. theres love in his eyes, and you think he’s going to kiss you until he roughly grabs your jaw in his hand, yanking your head up to look at him. “so you can listen,” he sneers, his eyes narrowing at you. you glare up at him, shifting on the bed to press your thighs together. and maybe it was your plan all along, to have him play rough with you after being testy with him all day. “are you done acting like a brat? hmm?” he loosens his hold on your jaw so you can answer him, but doesn’t let go.

“jun- yes or no?” he interrupts. you only glare up at him and he shakes his head at you. “is that a no?” he gives you an out, but you don’t take it. you continue to glare up at him stupidly and he scoffs. “turn around.”

you get on your hands and knees on the bed, your mind swimming in anticipation. you can hear him behind you moving around, but you can’t feel or see him.

junmyeon sidles up behind you and pushes your dress up so you ass is on display. you take in a breath as he rubs a hand over your flesh lovingly, like you’re delicate.

but rather than a kiss, or a squeeze, a harsh slap that contradicts his gentle action is delivered to your rear. you grunt and lurch forward, biting your bottom lip. another slap, and then another, and another.

by the time you count seven in your head, you’re resting on your forearms, ass burning as you raise it in the air. you know you can tap out and anytime, that he’ll stop if you show any signs or disliking it. but you like when he’s rough with you, even if that means pain for a little while. “myeonie,” you whimper, face buried in the bedsheets.

“what? is it too much?” his demeanor changes at the prospect and he crawls onto the bed next to you, lifting you up so he can properly look at you. there’s love and concern in his eyes, and it makes your heart melt.

you shake your head, sitting up and grimacing when your heels press into the skin on your ass. “no… jun, i want you,” you say, reaching for him. and your soft, loving husband disappears and is replaced with the man from moments before.

“you think you deserve it?”

“i-ive been good!” you say, crawling over to him and wrapping your arms around him. he hums and kisses your neck once, twice, before pushing you down into the bed. “please?” you ask, pushing your underwear down and kicking them off.

“turn around,” he instructs, palming himself through his shorts. you do as he says, positioning yourself comfortably on your hands and knees and putting an arch in your back. junmyeon steps out of his shorts and boxers and strokes himself a few times before coming up behind you and gripping your ass.

you wince but press your hips back towards him, urging him to fill you up. “myeonie, please baby,” you plead. he presses the tip against your folds, dragging your arousal up the slit. you squeak out a moan, waiting for him to breach your hole. but he teases you like that for awhile, dragging his shaft in between your lips and dragging it across your clit, making you mewl out his name. “junmyeon, fuck, please just fuck me!” you beg, so frustrated with him that you could cry.

“baby wants to be fucked, but does my baby really deserve it?” he asks rhetorically, his hand sliding to your shoulder, resting on your collarbone.

“you’re so fucking an-“ you’re breathless when he slams into you and grips your neck tightly, yanking your head upwards. your vision blurs and your hands grip the sheets tightly, so tight that you feel like you might rip them.

“all that fucking mouth,” he grunts, slamming into you. you can’t think straight, can barely see straight or breathe, and it turns you on all the more. “all that fucking attitude—can’t say shit to me now, huh?” his hand comes down hard on your ass and you yelp, his hold on your neck loosening. he fucks into you relentlessly, the only sounds being heard are you cries and skin on skin.

your arms shake beneath your weight and you collapse onto the bed, face smooshing into the sheets once more. junmyeon let’s go of your beck to grab your arms and hold them behind your back. your back stays arched and he continues pounding into you, the feeling of his balls slapping against your ass rhythmically making your toes curl. “myeonie, myeonie, myeonie!” you chant, clenching around him.

“shit, y/n, i’m almost there,” he groans, letting go of your arms to hold onto your hips. they fall limply at your sides and you don’t make a move to prop yourself up. “you’re so good to me, baby.” his thrusts slow down and become more pointed, pulling all the way out before slamming right back in and knocking the air out of your lungs.

“j-junmy, i’m c-close,” you manage, pressing back to meet his thrusts. he chuckles as your attempt and stills your hips by holding you tighter. “fuck, baby, ri- fuck!” you can’t hold back your release, gushing all over his dick, your cum running down your legs.

junmyeon follows after you, your release triggering his own. he cums inside of you, filling you up. whatever cum drips out of you gets pushed back in and you writhe at the feeling of being full.

your husband pulls out of you to clean the both of you up, and your body chagrins without his support. junmyeon comes back with a towel and cleans you off, your sensitive body twitching at his touch. “honey, are you okay?” he asks sweetly, pushing your hair out of the way and kissing the back of your neck. when you make a noncommittal sound, he rubs your sore behind. “do you still love me?” he asks, kissing your shoulder.

at that, you open your eyes and lift your head. “always,” you reply, craning your neck for a kiss. you sigh when he places his lips on yours and kisses you sweetly, a 180 from the way he previously handled you.

“i’m sorry,” he mumbles against your mouth, supporting your jaw in his hand. “no more phone calls.” he adds and you smile against his lips. you wouldn’t mind if he took one more, as long as he winded up between your legs again.

[justwritedreams]

Thinking of you | Junmyeon

Mafia!Junmyeon x Reader

Word count: 2826 Genre: fluff, angst. Author: maari  Warnings: Post-breakup, mention of alcohol Note:  I'm not used to writing with him, Sammy used to do that soooo my first story with Junmyeon that I post here 🙈 i got really carried away with this one Request:  you could do a oneshot of junmyeon, where he is the mafia boss and in a club he meets his ex girlfriend, who broke up with him because she found out what he works for. they are suffering apart and want to be together! angst and fluffy ⫷ Exo Masterlist

Y/N looked at the dark landscape outside the car completely thoughtful. It had been like this in the last few weeks, she had relived the scene of her breakup countless times and tears always accompanied her.

Was it torture? Possibly.

But it still hurt her so much to remember that she no longer had his arms wrapped around her waist, or the way he always buried his face in her neck to smell the sweet perfume he loved for her to wear.

She swallowed the urge to cry once again, she had chosen to break up because it was the best thing to do in the situation she had found herself in.

She loved him so much, she didn't even know how it was possible to love someone that much, but she couldn't be with him. As much as she wanted to.

That night in particular she had promised her best friend that she would do everything she could to have a little fun and forget about the crack that had lodged itself in her heart since then, well either it was that or her friend would have dragged her by force to “live a little ”, in her friend’s words she should stop being so miserable.

Of course, not even her friends or family knew why she broke up with him, or else things would get worse.

But going to the club reminded her of all the nights she went out with him, especially the night they met. So even though she was fighting not to think about him, the memories came.

She took a deep breath as she got out of her friend's car, smiling lightly at her to assure her she was okay, or at least pretend like she was.

As soon as she entered the club, she felt an icy wind and a chill down her spine, she hugged her body and swallowed hard as she tried to shake off the clouds of memories that invaded her head.

She had barely arrived and she already knew it was a bad idea to go there.

She and her friend went to a high table that was empty, they talked a little while observing the place, Y/N's anxious eyes looked for a single person and her reason said that it would be better if he wasn't there.

As time went on, the music got slightly louder and the place got a little more crowded.

“Tae!” Y/N's friend called a boy with her hand, as soon as he turned and found her, he smiled widely.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he approached her to hug her, he was accompanied by another boy. “This is Jinyoung, my friend.” he introduced and the boy extended his hand to shake both of them.

“This is Y/N, my best friend.”

Y/N smiled at the two of them and when she shook Jinyoung's hand her eyes stopped at his neck.

“Are you a soldier?” She asked, curious.

She recognized the ID necklace anywhere.

“Yes, army lieutenant.” He smiled, proudly.

"Really? My brother is a sergeant, but in the navy.” she explained and he smiled slightly at the answer.

“Y/N comes from a long line of soldiers.” Her best friend commented, smiling when she finally saw her talking.

“And you’re a soldier too?” Jinyoung asked, interested.

She laughed, shaking her head.

“No, I’m the only one who has a boring job.” She joked and got a laugh from the soldier.

Y/N had a lively conversation with Jinyoung, her best friend and Tae left them alone with the excuse of going dancing.

Jinyoung was pleasant to talk to and had a captivating smile, he didn't take his eyes off her and even though she was shy, she wasn't uncomfortable. Although her initial plan hadn't taken into account going out with a guy that night, she wasn't depriving herself of wanting to get to know him better.

But she had one small problem. The ex that wouldn't leave her sober mind.

That's why she decided to do what anyone in her position would do, drink until the image of her ex's eyes evaporated from her mind along with all the walls she had built around herself since the breakup.

She excused herself from Jinyoung, telling him that she would go to the bar and come back soon, he quickly patted her arm.

When she arrived, she looked at the drinks. She wasn't that big a fan of alcohol but she knew that the only way to forget about him was to do it.

“Double whiskey, please.” she asked the bartender who nodded before leaving to get her drink.

“Whiskey?” Y/N felt every hair on her body stand up and her legs trembled. “I always thought you preferred wine.”

She swallowed hard and the bartender returned, holding out the glass which Y/N quickly took, feeling her hands go cold.

Without any courage, she turned around and saw him standing next to her. She had to lock her jaw so a sigh wouldn't escape her lips.

He was still intoxicating.

His slightly wavy dark hair didn't fall entirely into his eyes, his face was hard and serious with his eyes fixed on her, he was wearing a white silk blouse with the first few buttons open that left a part of his chest exposed so that the necklace he wore sparkled. The necklace she had given him.

He wore a black vest and she couldn't resist continuing to analyze, her eyes went down to the black pants he wore and the expensive shoes.

It wasn't possible for a man to be as beautiful as him, it must be a crime.

Although he knew very well about crimes…

When her eyes returned to his face, he saw the slight smile that threatened to break.

“Not everything is what it seems.” She spoke quietly, unable to control how weak her voice sounded. “You know this better than me, Suho.”

She wasn't used to calling him by that name, he would always be Junmyeon to her.

Her Junmyeon.

But Suho was his battle name and since she discovered that, she used the name a few times just to speak to all the hurt she felt for having been betrayed.

Feeling the world around her spin in a spiral, she left without waiting for his response and returned to the table feeling watched.

Jinyoung greeted her with a smile and she did the same before downing the glass, drinking the whiskey in one gulp, making the poor boy next to her get a little scared.

The liquid ran down Y/N's throat but nothing was as strong and intense as Junmyeon's eyes staring at her from the other side of the club.

She didn't want to be the worst person in the world but she couldn't follow what Jinyoung said, she also didn't want to return Junmyeon's gaze but it was an impossible task.

Mainly because he divided the attention of his eyes between her and Jinyoung, as if he was reading what was happening between them.

During their relationship, he was never jealous because Y/N always assured him that her eyes were always on him, that no other boy would take her focus away from him.

But now they were no longer together and there was a slightly strong soldier beside her.

Yes, he had identified that he was a soldier before even noticing the identification necklace he wore.

People like him had training to recognize soldiers and police from miles away.

And when Y/N didn't look back, she lost the chance to see the fear in his eyes.

Y/N has always been a very correct woman, she was taught to be like that by her family, war heroes who had respect and principle.

And Junmyeon was the opposite of all that. He wasn't honorable and definitely not a hero, he was nothing that she really deserved it.

It was clear that after she had broken up with him, when she discovered the illicit work he did, he was afraid of losing her for good.

Not because his enemies could go after her, firstly, he would never let that happen, secondly, he had some of his  men protecting her in secret to prevent that.

But because he knew she could find someone better than him easily, she just snapped her fingers and a line of men would form.

Because, after everything that had been said between them, he imagined that she would look for someone with the same principles as hers.

Someone very different from him.

And well, a soldier was exactly what he imagined she would find.

He just didn't think it would be so difficult to see her around a man other than him.

But Junmyeon didn't even know what was going on in her head, even though she was looking at Jinyoung attentively, she wasn't listening to a word he was saying.

What was happening inside her was a real battle.

She knew it was wrong and dangerous, but seeing him there only concluded what her heart already knew, she was still crazy about him.

Even if his work or business, she still didn't know how to say it, went against everything she believed in, it was impossible for her feelings not to speak louder.

Jinyoung was a correct and honest man, from what little they talked she concluded that, she only had one problem: he was not Junmyeon.

Even though he was just as handsome, knowing that her ex was there watching her nullified any less friendly thoughts she might have had with Jinyoung.

Y/N felt her head spinning, there were many reasons, and the alcohol she had spilled wasn’t the only one. In fact, she had only made her situation worse because she had been drinking to forget her ex-boyfriend and here she was, remembering him more vividly.

“Y/N is everything okay?” Jinyoung asked, worried, seeing her face suddenly turn white.

She took a deep breath, nodding.

“Yeah, I just…” she looked at the bar where he was, Junmyeon didn’t even blink when he looked at her. Even from afar she felt how intense his eyes still were. “I need some air.” she confirmed, looking away from Jinyoung.

“Do you need me to…” he let the sentence die in the air and she smiled slightly

She brought her hand to his arm and gently stroked it.

“It’s okay, I just need 5 minutes alone.”

He nodded, placing his hand over hers, understanding what she was saying.

Y/N left feeling the air running out of her lungs as if she had run a marathon and when she finally found the exit of the club, she closed her eyes feeling the first tear run down her face.

She had promised herself that she would try to be strong, she even tried to convince herself that she didn't feel what she felt for Junmyeon - a failed attempt to forget him - but she didn't count on finding him there.

In fact, she didn't even imagine one day meeting him again. After the harsh words she used, she thought he would never talk to her again.

Y/N looked for a corner to sit down, hugging her legs to cry in silence.

It hurt her to be away from him, more than she had imagined. But it hurt even more to be so close and at the same time so far away from him.

She was so wrapped up in her own pain that she didn't notice when he crouched down beside her.

"Don't cry, please." he pleaded and she sobbed. “You know I can’t stand it.”

Y/N lifted her head with her face soaked, looking to the side and seeing him grimacing in pain.

She kept her eyes fixed on him as Junmyeon raised his hand to dry her face with his fingertips, making Y/N close her eyes at the gentle touch.

She had missed that. Much more than she should have.

"I can't."

"What?" He caressed her face for a longer time, making her open her eyes.

“I can’t look at you and forget everything I know.” she admitted, hurt.

Junmyeon gave in, fingers retracting to cease the caress.

Y/N sighed and stood up, pushing him away completely. Ready to get out of there, she just didn't expect him to step in front of her, stopping her from going.

“I'm still the same.”

She laughed in disbelief and tried to pass, but he held her arm without hurting her and brought her closer so she could look into his eyes.

“I’m still who I’ve always been with you.”

Y/N felt her breathing became labored for two reasons, he was too close that she could feel his breath against her face, and because his eyes didn't lie.

And that disconcerted her, broke all the arguments she could have and that she had rehearsed in her head.

“You have a side that I never imagined and that I don’t agree with!” She tried to speak a little more firmly, her rational side was being drowned out by her heart at that moment.

She was finally where she wanted, in his arms.

“This is just business, Y/N.”

"Business?" she asked, frowning. “A mafia is not a business, Junmyeon, it is a sect. One from which you will never be free because you’re the boss.”

"You’re right!" he agreed, seriously. “But look into my eyes.”

She looked away, shaking her head. That was why one of his hands released her arm and went to her chin, making her look at him.

“Look into my eyes and say you don’t see how much I love you.” he begged and she was silent. “If you say that you don't see how much I need you then that's fine, I'll let you go into the arms of a guy who has the same principles, who is your hero.”

Y/N felt her eyes water.

He was her hero long before she found out where his money came from.

"I cant do it." She spoke quietly, shrugging her shoulders.

"And why not?"

“Because I would be denying the whole truth, including that my love for you also exists.”

The corners of his lips threatened to lift into a sad yet happy smile, all he needed to hear was how much she still loved him, the rest they could take care of later.

He could find a way out as long as he was with her.

Without having anything to say, Junmyeon put his hand on the back of her head, making her goosebumps rise from head to toe, she knew what was coming and didn't stop it.

He brought his face closer to her, without taking his eyes off her because he wanted to make sure she wanted it so much as him and when he didn't see any sign to the contrary, he sealed their lips.

Y/N sighed, resting her hands on his chest as she closed her eyes at the feeling of his warm lips once again against hers.

Junmyeon's hand went down her arms to her waist, hugging her with a certain desperation as he moved his lips slowly, as if he was discovering her again.

Junmyeon tilted his head to the side as he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, all Y/N could do was grab the vest he was wearing tightly as their tongues met, eager for the sensual dance they were in accustomed.

Y/N's entire body seemed to light up, she felt so warm and so alive, it was as if she had awakened from a deep, cold sleep.

Their kiss became more desperate, causing him to press her against any surface he could find in the dark, which ended up being the club wall itself.

Completely panting, they separate, he even takes her lips in one last kiss before touching their foreheads.

“I've been thinking about you every second.” he spoke quietly and Y/N kept her eyes closed, her legs still wobbly. “I can’t live without you, Y/N.”

She smiled sideways, put her hands on his shoulders and then opened her eyes, looked at his red and swollen lips before moving up to his eyes, Junmyeon looked at her with a sparkle in his eyes.

“I could be making the biggest mistake of my life.” She sighed, reaching up to caress his face when she saw him frown. “But if I had to choose you a thousand times, I would.”

He smiled restrainedly.

“It was always you, Junmyeon. Always."

“You’re my eternal love,” he said firmly. “And you always will be.”

She smiled before pulling his face for another kiss that wouldn't be the last that night.

Was it wrong? Maybe, but everything she believed in didn't make any difference when she was with him or thinking about him.

[mymoodwriting]

Request for Anon (Werewolf Baekhyun) 3.3k, A/B/O, fighting, verbal abuse, drinking, intoxication, tipsy behavior, kidnapping, drugs, restraints, pheromones, smut, non-con, dub-con, biting, blood, marking, intimidation, implied pregnancy, yandere (@starillusion13)

“You’re an omega, and you’re mine.”

     You wanted to slap Baekhyun, you tried, but he grabbed your hand. When you tried to pull away he held on tighter, and you threw a sharp glare his way. You two had been friends for as long as you could remember, basically growing up together, but as of late he had changed. He always seemed to have an attitude around you, especially when others were around. You chalked it up to the fact he finally presented, and turned out to be an alpha. You were happy for him, but you also understood that came with its own burden. So you let some things slide, but this was where you drew the line. You were out with friends, and as the night dragged on he started getting handsy with you. Throughout all those years you had never seen him as anything more than a friend, so you stopped him, which only pissed him off.

“What is wrong with you!”

“I am telling you the truth!”

“My birthday is still months away, and I haven’t presented yet! I’m not an omega, let alone yours.”

“You are! I can tell.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Yes, I can. I don’t know how to explain it, but I know. You’re an omega.”

“I am not! My family mostly consists of alphas and betas. There hasn’t been an omega in generations and it’s not gonna be me!”

“Y/n-”

“Shut up!” You pulled your arm free. “I have had enough of your attitude, and this stupid idea in your head finally puts it into perspective. I’m not some lowly omega that needs protection from an alpha! And I don’t belong to you either!”

“Listen to me, I-”

“No! I’m not tolerating your bullshit anymore.” You took a breath. “I’m sure being an alpha has its own things to figure out, so you do that, and let me know when you stop being a dick.”

     You walked off without a word, swearing you’d hit him if he tried anything, but he knew better this time. You never thought you’d fight with him, he was always a good friend to you, but this was something else. You wanted to be understanding, but you needed to do what was best for you as well. You didn’t hear from him for weeks, which really worried you, but you weren’t going to reach out to check on him. This was something he needed to figure out on his own. You weren’t sure when you’d hear from him, but a week leading up to your birthday you got a call from him. You were nervous to answer, but you owed him that much.

“Hello?”

“Hey… how’ve you been?”

“Fine for the most part, and you?”

“Me too. I’ve had a lot of time to think, and I owe you an apology.”

“Yeah, and?”

“I should do it in person. Are you free anytime soon?”

“I have some time tomorrow.”

“After your classes?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll see you then.”

“Sure.” 

     All this time you felt like you had been holding your breath, that after all these years you had lost a close friend. Hearing his voice again was a relief, especially since it seemed he had gotten his senses back. Still, you’d have to wait and see if anything had really become of him. So the next day you kinda dreaded your last class, dreaded seeing him for fear things couldn’t go back to the way they were. You had to see him eventually though, so it was better to do it now and rip off the band aid. After class you found Baekhyun waiting for you. He offered you a quick smile but saw your expressionless face and dropped it. He followed you as you went off somewhere so you two could talk in private.

“Did your classes go well today?”

“Same old, same old. How have you been?”

“Good. I’ve done a lot of thinking lately… I can’t excuse my actions, only apologize for them.”

“Yeah.”

“I was a dick, I don’t even know what was going on in my own head. A lot changed for me, and I couldn’t keep myself in check. I’m really sorry you had to witness such a part of me, and I’ll do better to make sure you never do.”

“Is that it?”

“I mean, no amount of words can change what I did, but I’m hoping we can get over this hurdle together, or at least start over.”

“You were such an asshole.”

“I know…”

“And you’re done with that shit?”

“Yes. I never should have treated you that way. I don’t know what was going on with me.”

“Neither do I. Now if you ever pull that shit again, I will not forgive you.”

“I understand.”

“Good.” You took a breath. “Have you seriously been okay?”

“I’ve been doing my best, but there’s a lot going on with me.”

“How’s the family then? You being an alpha and all that. I mean, that’s most of your family anyway.”

“I’ve talked with them a lot. They’re happy I’m an alpha, but there are definitely things I need to be aware of.”

“No shit. Maybe if I’m an alpha too you can let me know.”

“Definitely.”

     Things couldn’t go back to how they used to be, but he was still your friend. Sometimes you could see him slipping back into that possessive behavior, but he composed himself well enough. He was doing better, which was the important thing. So when your birthday party rolled around you trust him to behave himself. Besides, it was your day of celebration, and you were going to enjoy yourself. So a night out at the club, endless drinks and a VIP room full of dancers, best birthday for sure.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough.”

     You were dancing around, clearly already gone for the night. Some of your friends had already gone home, so only a few were left hanging on. Although at this point it was safe to say someone had to end things before you all passed out. That someone was Baekhyun, having remained mostly sober to keep an eye on himself and everyone else. Now he was getting people in cars and sending them on their way. In the end it was just the two of you out on the streets.

“Taxi!” You danced off the curb. “Taxi!”

“No, no, come here.” Baekhyun grabbed you and pulled you back onto the sidewalk. “I’m taking you home, okay?”

“Nuh-uh, you can’t drive.”

“Yes, I can. I didn’t really drink.”

“Prove it.”

“I don’t think I can with you in this state. Come on now.”

     Baekhyun carefully led you over to his car, getting you into the passenger seat and getting your seat belt on. You leaned your head against the glass, Baekhyun getting into the car and driving off.

“Did you have fun?”

“The best…” You giggled. “And you?”

“It was a good night. Get some rest, I’ll wake you when we arrive, and please don’t throw up in my car.”

“No promises…”

     You shut your eyes and let the soft rumble of the car lull you to sleep. You figured you’d be out for a little bit and get some help going inside the house, but when you woke up you felt way more hungover than you thought. You got up, needing a second to realize you were in bed, and needing another to realize this wasn’t your room. The panic sobered you up real quick, but then you recognized the room as Baekhyun’s and calmed down. Although now that made you question why you were at his place. The hangover was starting to hit again, but you managed to get on your feet and go looking for Baekhyun.

“Ya! Baekhyun.” You mumbled. “Baekhyun… why am I here…”

     You managed to find the boy in the kitchen, sat down at the counter eating breakfast. Once he saw you stumbling around he got up and helped you take a seat.

“How’d you manage to get up?”

“Panic… why am I at your place? You said you were going to take me home.”

“I did take you home, to mine that is.”

“Baekhyun.”

“I was tired and my place was closer anyway. I’ll take you home now, after you have breakfast and recover from the hangover.”

“You better.”

     Baekhyun made you a quick breakfast. He was a pretty decent cook, and it was nice to try his food. It had been a while since you last spent time together like that.

“Here. A hangover cure.” Baekhyun handed you a glass. “You’ll feel better.”

“Already do, so thanks.”

     You chugged down the contents of the drink, knowing it was better to get it over with quickly. It didn’t taste bad thankfully, but still made you shiver.

“I’ll get my things and we can go.”

“Sure.”

     You got up, stretching for a moment and then heading back over to the bedroom to grab your belongings. When you returned Baekhyun was exactly where you had left him.

“Alright, we can-”

    You suddenly felt dizzy, grabbing your head and stumbling back a few steps. Baekhyun watched you for a moment and then got up, taking you into his arms so you wouldn’t fall.

“Baekhyun… what’s going on…”

“Just a little something to help.”

    He led you back down the hall towards the bedroom, although when your legs have out he had no problem picking you up and carrying. Your vision kept fading in and out, and you were feeling hot all over. Words were becoming difficult as well, but you still tried. Baekhyun just found you cute, laying you down on the bed. Then you realized he was tying your arms down.

“… what… what are you…”

“I know you still don’t believe me, and that’s fine, but I’m still worried about you. Since you’ve come of age you can present any day now, and I didn’t like the idea of me not being there for it. So I thought I should speed up the process, and this way I’ll be here to look after you.”

“Baekhyun…”

“It should only take a couple hours, so don’t worry.”

“Let… me… go…”

“Definitely can’t do that now. Someone else might want to claim you if they find you in such a state.”

“Why… why…”

“I told you. You’re mine, and I’m not letting anyone else have you. Just try to relax.”

“Baekhyun!”

    You tugged on the ropes, but you barely had any strength left. Your head was spinning and you could barely make out Baekhyun sitting at the edge of the bed, watching you. It hurt, not just your body, but your heart. You had been worried about Baekhyun, and you desperately wanted things to go back to normal that you let him back into your life without being cautious, without letting others know what he had been saying lately. It was getting harder and harder to think, and you could feel your body shutting down to deal with the changes being forced on you. If you could fight it you would, but you didn't even know what was happening. So in the end the darkness swallowed you, and your feelings of fear with it.

🖤

     When you opened your eyes you felt so out of it, barely managing to stay conscious. Your body was shaking, and you felt very hot. You soon found out you were still tied up, and once again tried to free yourself, but it was useless.

“Baekhyun…”

     You didn’t feel so good, you felt sick, and in the moment you didn’t want to be alone. It wasn’t long before you made out Baekhyun in your field of vision. He was sitting by the edge of the bed, his palm against your head.

“You have a fever.” You whined which made him chuckle. “It’s normal to be sick when you present.”

“Huh?”

“I told you that you’re an omega, and it’s all the more obvious now.”

“No… no what… what did you… do…”

“Just helped you awaken your true nature.”

“I’m not… an omega…”

“You can’t deny that now.”

“… home… I wanna…”

“I can’t take you home like this, besides what would your family think? There hasn’t been an omega in generations.” You whimpered. “It’s okay, I’m going to take care of you. I’m sure they’ll be relieved to know that.”

“No… no… I’m not…”

“The fever will pass on its own, but I’m not sure about the other things. They say omegas are pretty delicate, which is why it’s so important to claim one.”

“… go… away…”

“But you called for your alpha earlier.”

“… you’re not…”

“I am. I’ll go get you something for the fever.”

      Once he was gone you began tossing about, wanting to get free. You focused your energy on the rope, trying to untie it, but Baekhyun soon came back and stopped you.

“Is it bothering you?”

“Um…”

“I suppose you don’t need that right now.”

     Baekhyun untied you and helped you sit up, trying to give you some medicine. You refused though, not wanting to take anything from him anymore. He pet your head softly, finding your rebellious acts cute.

“This will make the fever go down and help things settle.”

“I’m not… an omega…”

“You know that’s not true. You can feel it, can’t you?”

“No… you did something…”

“You know there’s no way to change what you are. You can hide it or suppress it, but you can’t change it.”

     You knew all that was true, but you didn’t want to believe him. It wasn’t just about his betrayal, or what he had done, but what this all meant for you. Baekhyun seemed to know what you were thinking, pulling you into his arms despite your protests. He held the back of your head, rocking you softly to the sides, trying to sooth you.

“Sh, sh, it’s okay. I’m here, I’m not gonna look at you differently or anything like that. You’re still y/n to me.”

“It’s not… I can’t…”

“We don’t choose these things.”

    You didn’t know how you were gonna face your family. You weren’t sure you wanted to. This all felt more like a nightmare and you desperately wanted to wake up. If that was the case you felt you would have already woken up, but all this felt way too real. You don’t know when you started crying, but the tears weren’t going to stop easily. So you sobbed into Baekhyun’s chest, letting all your thoughts overwhelm you. That is until something else caught your attention. As you were coming down from the tears you began to notice something. 

    Baekhyun smelled very different. You carefully moved your head up into the crook of his neck, taking in a breath. You never really paid attention to the scents of your friends. You could tell them apart but you never really took them in to know them better. Although you could tell that Baekhyun’s had changed, again. When he had become an alpha you noticed the change, but this was something else entirely. He smelled sweeter, and you couldn’t help yourself, wanting to take in more. Of course Baekhyun noticed, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

“What is it?”

“You… you smell…”

“Nice?”

“Hm…”

“They say the scent of an alpha is sweeter to an omega, and vice versa. I certainly know that’s the case.”

“… why…”

“Cause alphas and omegas get along better. We’ve always gotten along so well, even before all this. I guess we were meant to be.”

“That’s not fair…”

“I’d call it destiny.” Baekhyun took a moment. “You’re still burning up.”

“I’m fine.”

“You should still take something to make it easier… or I could help.”

“Help?”

“I told you it’s important for an omega to get claimed. I have no problem doing that now.”

     Baekhyun pulled you back a bit, pressing a kiss to your cheek. From there his lips trailed down your neck. Despite the heat and uncomfortableness, his mouth was a sweet relief against your skin. You didn’t want him to stop, and he had no intention of doing so. He knew you were already so high off his scent alone, and in this state you were all the more sensitive. Of course you weren’t the only one being affected. Baekhyun had been holding himself together, but now that he had you so close he couldn’t help himself either. Without asking permission he began to tear up your clothes.

     At that point it was hard to keep anything straight in your head. One minute Baekhyun was kissing down your chest, the next thing you knew you were lying beneath him with less clothing. Your vision was a bit hazy but you could see Baekhyun clearly. He had always been a friend in your mind, but now you thought of something else, of something more. Everything about him was different in your eyes. Your mind taking in the little things and feeling your heart flutter. The feeling only grew more and more as your body was accepting all his attention. 

    Even if you went out clubbing with friends you had never gone home with someone, or showed interest in hookups, so this would be your first. Baekhyun would be the one to take it all, and you knew at that moment you would never give it to anyone else. Your mind was so lost in his everything you didn’t realize the fangs, not until you felt a sharp pain in the crook of your neck. Your eyes went wide and you screamed, the smell of blood hitting your nose soon after. When Baekhyun pulled away you could see his bloody mouth.

“Couldn’t help myself…”

“Baekhyun…”

“No one else can have you.”

     There was a sharpness to his tone, almost like a warning. His one and only time saying this to you, and if you ever forgot it, there would be consequences. You couldn’t comprehend on the surface, but deep down you got the message. He wasn’t done here though, far from it. Baekhyun took off his own shirt, getting rid of the rest of your clothing and his in the process. You made a move to cover yourself, feeling exposed, but he stopped you, holding your hands above your head.

“Don’t hide from me. You’re perfect just like this, and I’ll make you even better.”

🖤

     If anyone asked you to recount that night, your first, the day you were mated, you probably couldn’t tell them anything about it. There was just a mix of heat and blood and pleasure. Your body would never forget, and neither would your soul, even if your mind was completely blank. Baekhyun wouldn’t say anything either, loving to have this secret to himself and to a degree you. All you did know was waking up in his arms, feeling safe, feeling loved. Your future was still uncertain, but you were alright there and then.

“Awake?”

“Hm…”

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired…”

“Well the fever’s down, so I think the worst of it is over.”

“I guess…”

“Sh, take it easy.”

“I feel tingly…”

“That might be the bite.”

“Bite… yeah… you bit me…”

“You still need to bite me back.”

“Hm…”

“Better now before you find out you’re pregnant.”

“What!”

“What? You don’t remember how much we did it? If I didn’t put a baby in you we’re gonna have to try again.”

“Baekhyun, I can’t-”

     You jumped up and away from Baekhyun, but he grabbed your arm and pulled you back down. He pet your head softly, immediately soothing your worries.

“It’s much easier for an omega to get pregnant, especially when they just presented. It’s only natural for you, for us.”

“Us… you really planned this all out, didn’t you?”

“Can you blame me? I’ve always looked after you, I wasn’t gonna let anyone else do that.”

“There were better ways…”

“You wouldn’t listen.”

“You were a prick.”

“Perhaps…”

“No you were.”

“Sh, sh, you should go back to sleep. We can talk more later, and finish things up properly too.”

“Sure.”

“Don’t worry. I got you, and I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

“Thanks… I suppose…”

“It’s always been you and me. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

(II)

[elysiangroundsforall]

In the Course of It ...

"You're my only Bambi, Bambi"

Synopsis: INB100 is holding auditions and Y/N applies and gets selected but the CEO falls in love with Y/N. Pairing: Byun Baekhyun x reader Warnings: None Type: Angst, Fluff Started: 09/07/2024 (July 9th) Ended:

Preview

"But I'm only a trainee."

"It doesn't matter to me."

"EXO member and INB100 CEO Byun Baekhyun reportedly dating a trainee under his company"

Chapters

Prologue

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

[cyberexo]

S I R E N PT 2 | Byun Baekhyun x Fem Reader

“What the hell are you?”

word count: 2.9K

warning: includes cursing, unprotected sex, & 18/21+ scenes that are not suitable for minors.

🫧

You pulled yourself up from the sand, tail fully shedded off, revealing your delicate & untouched skin, your face was tinted a light pink with slight embarrassment and emitting shyness from Baekhyuns' eyes taking in every detail of the sight in front of him.

You wobbled a little here and there before yoh managed to maintain some balance by spreading your arms out, looking up at Baekhyun to see he was still staring, jaw lowly hanging. Finally you broke the intense silence, "I know you've been coming here for the past couple of days to look for me, I was busy trying to get my steps in," you half joked, pulling him out of his enthralled state, painting a bashful smile on his face the second he pieced it all together.

"You learnt how to walk for me?" he squealed, moving himself your side, "Come on, I wanna see," he pushed, giving your waist a light nudge.

"You'll catch me if I fall right?" you asked, now that someme was watching you do something that wasn't within your nature it made you more nervous and prone to messing up for sure. But this entire situation wasn't within your or his nature at this point.

"Of course," he softly cooed, offering you a soft smile, you took your first couple of steps carefully, still a little wobbly but who could blame you. Baekhyun adored the sight in front of him, it was for sure one of the best things anyone has ever done for him, it was really cute but of course being the man he is, he couldn't help but feel slightly turned on by your efforts to impress him.

He lingered behind you, taking slow steps to give you some space, he couldn't help but let his eyes get distracted by your figure, scanning and taking in every detail you had to offer. He felt the familiar tension in his pants starting

to rise, quickly snapping himself out of his trance, he casually tried to hide any possible outline that was on display without you noticing.

After a couple of more steps, you felt your legs starting to give out, Baekhyun took notice and hurried behind you to catch you in case you suddenly collapsed, "Just a couple more steps, I don't want to be close to the water," you announced, Baekhyun looked back, scanning the waters for possible unexpected company. He knew you didn't want any other sirens coming up to see what you were up to, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to depict that much.

🫧

You both settled in the sand, far away from the shore and away from any path where anyone could easily spot you together, Baekhyun had gone around collecting wood for a small fire, even though you insisted you were fine, the icy feeling of your skin wasn't very convincing to him.

"Are you going to roast me?" you joked around, earning a hearty laugh from the man in front of you as he finally managed to get the fire going, "No, but I do plan on other things," he spoke, his tone was suggestive & you knew what he was implying but playing the dumb card was too good to pass up, "What do you mean?" eyes wide and innocently looking up at him. He'd pull himself back next you, automatically wrapping your arms around one another like it was second nature to you both, even though it was the second time you've met.

You let your fingers travel up his torso, admiring the crates and crevices that adorned his toned body, feeling him tense underneath you, the fire did nothing for your skin, but he didn't mind it that much, he actually enjoyed the icy feeling.

He didn't answer your question, instead he leaned down, lifting your head up with his slender finger, and stared into your eyes before planting a soft kiss on your lips, It was your first meaningful kiss with a man, and his first with a siren that wasn't planning on eating him. It wasn't that long till the intensity of it started to rise, hands roaming one another. You weren't oblivious to Baekhyuns' erection, you could literally sense it.

Lips still connected in a hot make out session, you allowed your hand to travel to the waist band of his shorts, while his stayed hooked on the nape of your neck and another cupped the soft flesh of your chest. "You really thought you could hide this from me?" you teased, feeling him smile into the kiss, "Shut up," taking the opportunity to slide his tongue into your mouth.

This feeling was all very new to you, having a vague idea of what was going on, everything was much different when you were in your human replica form. If you ever found yourself doing anything sensual with another siren it was always over as quick as it started, there wasn’t an exchange of heartfelt emotions or words, it was demanding and cold. Almost felt like a chore. But here, with Baekhyun, it felt so different you swore you could get addicted to the emotions he was making you feel.

You tugged down on his shorts, leaving him in his boxer that hugged his hardened length, he can't be comfortable, carefully placing your fingertips on the hem of his boxers. You felt his hands fall from your face and placing them on top of yours as if to guide you, before you could expose the last of his skin you pulled away from your electrifying kiss that made the both of you dizzy.

"What's wrong?" noticing your sudden shy expression, "Nothing!" you were quick to reassure that he hadn't done anything, you continued, "I just don't know how to do.. this?" you said, looking up at him with a puzzled look in your eyes, he just stared back into yours, his brown orbs pooling with lust and curiosity of how you'd react to this new experience.

"I'll teach you," he offered with a soft smile on his face, contradicting the lustful hunger in his eyes.

Finally pulling down on his boxers, releasing his hardened length, you stared in awe, captured in a trance that had your stomach churning with a burning desire for the man in front of you. Baekhyun cradled your jaw, landing a soft long-lasting kiss whilst he laid you down on the warm sand, situating himself in between your legs.

Disconnecting your lips, you let out a whimper already missing the feeling, he left a trail of purple kisses along your jaw, down to your neck, collarbones, and stopped in the valley of your chest. Looking up to admire your blissed out face, Baekhyun let his hand travel to your heat, his long and slender fingers having a feel of your slick folds.

"Look at you," he cooed, "You're wetter than the ocean," you scoffed at his choice of words, trying to hide away the reddening of your face but your slicked back hair wasn't being much help.

He slipped a finger into your heat, catching you off guard, throwing your head back and letting out a pleasurable sigh, there was no way a mere human was making you feel this good with just a finger, but then again, what did you know about love making with a human. Baekhyun slowly pumped his digit in and out of you, curling it before allowing himself to push in another whilst guiding his thumb to press down on a bundle of nerves you didn't know you had.

You let out a strangled breath, it was all too much but at the same time it was too little, you craved more, "Come here," pulling him back up to your face you landed a soft yet hungry kiss which he happily reciprocated.

Wrapping your legs around his waist to bring his manhood closer your aching core, the phantom feeling of his tip nudging your clit sent you into a frenzy, moans muffled by his soft lips, you found the strength to pull away to ask,

"Is it going to hurt?"

"Maybe just a little, I'll be gentle," he assured, intertwining your hands together, planting a kiss to soften the blow of the sudden penetration. It was overwhelming, you felt like pushing him off almost immediately, the pressure of his length pushing through to break your hymen could be felt everywhere in your body and you didn't know if it was normal or maybe because of what you were, it made it more intense.

Baekhyun noticed your face scrunched up in pain, your walls clamped around him like a vice, it was almost unbearable for him too but he pushed through nevertheless, feeling the breaking of the barrier that was stopping him from filling you.

Both sighing in relief, the hardest part was over and now it was just time to adjust and wait out the pain to be taken over by pleasure, Baekhyun allowed his hands to travel up and down your torso, trying to distract you from the ache in between your legs, peppering kisses alongside your jaw and down to your breasts, gently suckling on a nipple whilst his hand fondled with the other, nothing could be heard but the soft moans that escaped your throat, tugging on his luscious locks lightly enjoying the conjoined sensation of pain and pleasure.

Soon the pain washed over and was replaced by a pleasurable feeling of his cock stretching your walls, yoh lifted your hips up slightly before sinking back on his length, indicating that you were ready for him to start moving.

His thrusts were slow and deep at first, you could tell he was holding himself back from the way his hands were digging into your waist, sure to leave a bruise by morning. Baek-“ his hand found its way to your mouth forcefully making you shut up, “I’m sorry but if you say anything whilst sounding like THAT, I’m going to lose it,” he stated, still thrusting into you whilst subtly picking up the pace.

You let your eyes roll to the back of their sockets, hand clasping his own that was keeping you quiet, the only thing that could be heard was the crackling of the fire a couple of feet away from you and the lewd sounds your skin was making every time his hips would meet yours. “You’re so tight,” he breathed out, sweat was starting to form on his face, hair sticking to his forehead.

He looked ethereal.

It didn’t take long for him to find your g-spot, causing you to arch your back, yanking his hand off your mouth letting the rope of profanities escape your lips, “Fuck- please, please do that again,” you pleaded, looking up at him with drowsy eyes, it took him a second to realise what you meant before he angled himself properly and pulled your hips closer to him as if that was even possible before pushing himself back into you, his strokes picking up in pace but still accurate, the feeling was too much, jaws slacking and eyebrows furrowing in pleasure, neither of you could form a coherent sentence.

“You feel so good,” he let out in a strangled breath, leaning down to pepper your neck & jaw with kisses before finally pressing a pleading kiss to your lips, you couldn’t get over the feeling. How could this mere human have this much of an effect on you- kissing him back with as much passion, your hands found their way to his back, tracing his flexing muscles before your nails lightly pressed into his skin, bringing him closer to you.

The knot in your stomach was starting to get bigger, it felt like you were going to explode at any given moment, dragging your nails down his back, you were for sure going to leave more than just a mere scratch for the next couple of days.

Sirens’ couldn’t orgasm the same way a human does, it was internal, nothing was ever ejected from the body, the feeling of the churning juices inside of you was almost concerning, considering how foreign the feeling was.

Baekhyun could feel the way your walls clamped down on him, twitching uncontrollably, it took everything in him to hold himself back from filling you up before you received your own pleasure, he threw your leg over his shoulder, hitting at a new angle that drove the both of you insane, whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ear, “I- I think I’m gonna cum-“ you breathed out, letting your head fall back into the sand whilst trying to muffle your pleasured screams.

"Cum for me baby, let me hear you" Baekhyun huskily whispered into your ear, still relentlessly penetrating your sopping core, “Shit-“ his hands found purchase on your aching clit, applying the lightest pressure- that’s all it took for him to send you over the edge, yelling his name out along with incoherent curses, your eyesight went blurry and the stars in the sky seemed to multiply, the hot feeling of your juices gushing out of you was nothing like you’ve ever experienced before.

Baekhyun still pumped himself into you, riding out your high while chasing his own, the wet mess in between the both you, the way the sheer layer of sweat that had formed on your figure and made you shine under the moonlight was more than enough for him, in a frenzy he released himself into you, filling you with his seed to the brim, the sensation, the view- it was incredibly erotic and quite literally out this world.

Riding out both your highs while you tried to catch your breath, he finally pulled himself out of you, already missing the full feeling, the feeling of being completed like a puzzle, he laid next to you, face nuzzled into the crook of your neck, convinced he could feel your racing pulse.

“That was amazing,”

You pulled him into a kiss, this one a lot softer than the ones you’d shared before, you pulled back first, locking your eyes with his own, offering him a soft and satisfied smile. “What did I have to do to come across such an enchanting creature like yourself?” he whispered, “I don’t know.. scream like a girl as you get pulled into the water?” you answered, recalling the first time you caught a glimpse of him, Baekhyuns’ jaw fell open- not expecting the sudden not so romantic answer, “I want you to erase that from your memory this instant!” he demanded, forming his lips into a pout that just looked so kissable.

“Never-“

He didn't let you finish whatever it was you were going to say before attacking you with tickles, taking advantage of the upper hand he had over you since weren't the most mobile human replica on earth.

Soon the laugher and teasing died down after you let out desperate apologies, settling into each other's warm embrace, watching the fire in front of you die out- and watched the sun come to life from a distance.

You felt the shiver of Baekhyuns' skin against yours. You were already a cold blooded creature so the sensation of the cold wind of dawn wasn't much of a bother but you knew he wasn't like you, "Baekhyun?" he said nothing but hummed in response, "Can you carry me back to the water?" "So soon?!" he exclaimed, looking at you wide eyed, he clearly didn't want to let go of you just yet- or maybe even ever!

"I can't stay out for too long, i'll dry out!" you countered, making him sigh in defeat before he swiftly swung you up into his embrace, he was so strong, the temptation of staying here for as long as he wanted started to look a lot more appealing than it already was, but you knew better. Your worlds were too different for either of your likings.

Gently he placed you down into the water, submerging himself as well, he watched your tail come back to life, seeing how it wrapped itself tightly around you, adorning your every curve and detail, he was in a state of adoration. You dunked yourself into the water, missing the way it felt on your skin, before going back up to meet Baekhyuns’ eyes, you could see the sadness pooling within them. You were the first to break the silence

“I hear that you’re leaving soon,”

“In two days,” he sulkily spoke, his gaze not breaking away from your face, he wanted to have the image of you burned into his brain forever, “You won’t forget me will you?” you asked, a lump in your throat started to form, “Are you kidding me, I’d die with you on my mind Y/N, I’ll never forget you- please wait for me.. I don’t know when I’ll be back but I will come back one day” he pleaded, placing his hands on your shoulders to pull you in closer to him.

Finally you met his gaze after a few seconds of avoidance just to stop yourself from bursting into tears, pulling him into an everlasting kiss before pulling yourself away, a few more seconds and you know you’d completely lose yourselves in each other’s touch.

“I’ll wait, no matter how long it takes,”

🫧

back to masterlist

[starillusion13]

EXO PLANET

“ This is not your usual party.”

One-shots

------------------------------------------------------------

Kim Minseok

“ Don’t you wanna let me in?”

Kim Junmyeon

“Your beauty is sparkling even with no makeup.”

Byun Baekhyun

“Hear me out my love!”

BAMBI - Byun Baekhyun

Our Angel - B.Bh

Are you jealous? - B.Bh

Kim Jongdae

“Maybe another day, I will tell you my secret.”

Park Chanyeol

“A monster can also have a Cinderella like you.”

Four Seasons of Love - Park Chanyeol

Do Kyungsoo

“Everything you say, I will make you regret it.”

Kim Jongin

“Have you tasted the mixture of Cream & Soda?”

Oh Sehun

“The Oh in my name is for people when they are love fool for me.”

------------------------------------------------------------

[wolveswithblackpearls]

Werewolf AU!Suho

A howl ripped through the air. The hair on the back of your neck stood up and your first instinct was to run. But that was a wolf’s howl, calling out to the moon. So, instead, you walked slowly towards the direction it came from, like an idiot. And you couldn’t even say that you lived a full life.  

Once again, a moodboard for the lovely @marshmallow-phd ! This time for part 5 of her “The Untamed”-series: “Charming Instruction”.

~Admin C

Original date of publishing: Feb 7th, 2019

[stainandscribble]

Our Love is a Tempest

Pairing: Junmyeon X OC(female)

Genre: Junmyeon God AU; Soulmate AU; angst; fluff; one shot; junmyeon-centric?

Summary: Junmyeon was the God of the Sea, in charge of water, the god of storms and earthquakes. He was prone to anger, like the rest of his creed, and he could be cruel too, but Junmyeon was also a Guardian, who protected his brothers, who knew love towards his family. He also knew guilt, and maybe it was a mortal who would teach him forgiveness and moving on. Fate could be cruel, he knew that, but he would also learn that fate could be kind. 

 Warning: Mentions of death/drowning (OC is a mortician/undertaker)

A/N: This is inspired in part by Shakespeare's Sonnet 116. In the same universe as HONEY (EXO Yixing) and Flower (SVT Wonwoo).  It had been a while, but I’m back! :)  Let me know if you want a part 2 

Word Count: 13.8k

Aeons had passed since Junmyeon and his ten brothers came into being. Their predecessors were ancient Gods, jealous, violent and unforgiving. On Earth, they had been named the Titans by the ancient Greeks, and that was as close to the truth as they got. Yixing never revealed the full truth of their reign and their demise to his poets and his oracles. As the God of Oracles and the Arts he was tasked with keeping Junmyeon and the rest a mystery so that the full extent of their powers remained unknown. They never wanted to be worshipped, not the way the Titans had been, with blood and violence and fear in the hearts of mortals. Gods were often cruel, but they were not evil. Humans had named him Poseidon, Neptune, Morskoi, Aegir. All false names, ones they could comprehend and understand. His brothers hailed him Suho, The Guardian, one who watched over them and protected them. He was the strongest God among the eleven, but the mortals didn’t know that, and they would never find out.

It had been centuries since Junmyeon stepped onto Earth or muddled personally in human affairs, and he wished his brothers would follow suit. Fate, it seemed, had different plans for them. Gods needed love, the Fates had told him as they tied knots into the golden thread of life that belonged to Jongdae, the God of Thunder. His brother, although smaller in stature than some of the others, was quick to anger like the rest of them. Gods took time to learn, and it was time that Jongdae learned what love was.

Junmyeon remembered coming from the Sea to Olympus, to find the sky black and loud, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed above him. He could feel Jongdae’s fury, one that was unrivalled by any other God. He felt the same fury in his heart. How dare the Fates choose for them, how dare they tie their life lines as if they were mortal?

The three Fates had called them to Olympus as witnesses.

“Gods take time to learn.” The youngest of the three had spoken, looking directly into Junmyeon’s dark eyes, filled with fury, deep like the oceans over which he resided.

“Learn to love.” The middle Fate spoke, her gentle motherly hand grasped Jongdae’s. In slow motion, Junmyeon watched his brother fall to his knees, the King of the Sky reduced to a kneeling terrified man. Junmyeon would never forget the look in Jongdae’s eyes, the terror that fell over him and silenced the sky and quietened the rage was etched into his memory forever.

“Your time has started.” The oldest crone had croaked out, her hands pulling the knot tight, so that it would never be undone.

That was how their fate was sealed, starting with their most volatile brother.

Now, hundreds of years later, he was handing a golden ring, almost the same he had given Jongdae, to Yixing. His brothers watched, surprise filled their gazes as Yixing curled his hand around the little golden band, forged down below in the depths of the Sea. Yixing had learned too. Warmth had replaced rage, and the sun shone a little brighter over Olympus. None of his brothers could tell, but Junmyeon felt lighter, as if a weight lifted off his shoulders, as if he could breathe a little more air. His brother was happy, and Junmyeon could never fault him for that.

 -----------

Olympus was a fortress built of white marble, a castle hidden from mortal eyes within the clouds, often shrouded in storms. Above it the vastness of the universe spread into infinities as an intricate dance of light and colour, a composition more beautiful than anything on earth, incomprehensible even to the Gods that called Olympus their home.

Baekhyun and Jongdae stood on top of the fortress walls, gazing at the sky as it turned dark with nightfall. Although Jongdae saw nothing but the sky, he waited patiently for his brother. Baekhyun was entranced, unable to keep his eyes away from whatever scenario he was currently witnessing in his mind. The God of Love often stood gazing at nothing, his presence far away from his form, looking down at the fates of mortals, overseeing falling in love as was his duty.

“Who do you see?” Jongdae asked, leaning against the white marble edge as his eyes scanned the sky, watching as moonlight broke through the thick blankets of clouds that surrounded them. His fingers played with his wedding ring, the one that Junmyeon gave to him when he received their blessing and married his wife.

“Junmyeon.” Baekhyun’s voice was a whisper, but it was loud enough for Jongdae to hear and the name had sent a chill up his spine. He recognised that feeling as fear. His hands ceased their motions and he turned to look at the God of Love.

“What?” Jongdae’s eyes were filled with fear, the same fear that Junmyeon had witnessed in his own centuries ago, when the Fates had made them all watch as they tied knots in the golden string of his fate.

“Junmyeon will learn.” Baekhyun spoke, his voice sure now, steady. His gaze had locked with his brother’s and when their dark eyes met, thunder began raging on Olympus, the same kind that raged during the first Tying.

“He will love a mortal? Give up his rage?” The God of Thunder and Lightning had seemed unconvinced by the latter. He knew Junmyeon would love. No one could deny fate, not even them, but the image of his elder, the one who ruled over them and protected them, giving up his rage and letting go of the storm was absurd. Junmyeon didn’t know how to do that.

“The sea rages regardless, so does the sky.” Baekhyun responded, pointing an accusing finger at Jongdae, and then at the clouds around them when another flash of lightning passed right by his nose.

“Will he love her?” Jongdae looked over at his brother, his fingers still twirling the golden band on his ring finger.

“I doubt the Fates have seen anything akin to this.” Baekhyun answered. He had a familiar twinkle in his eyes. The God of Love was fortunate to witness the greatest love stories as they happened and the displeasure of watching the greatest tragedies too. This twinkle, not quite jovial, and not quite the shine of unshed tears, was simply content. There was a light at the end of this story, and that gave Jongdae enough assurance to put trust in his elder.

“What is she like?” Jongdae prodded.

“She is a mortician.” Baekhyun spoke, playing with the hem of his sleeve.

“She’s like Zitao then?” Jongdae tried to joke, his voice surprisingly light-hearted compared to the look in his chocolate eyes. Baekhyun laughed weakly, the sound hollow in his chest. Zitao was the God of the Underworld, the one in charge of death. He was tall, imposing, but also often the most understanding and merciful. He saw more death than all his other brothers and that made him gentler than some. Baekhyun knew Zitao was reasonable and kind, and he hoped the woman his brother would love would also be accepting.

“Water is a deceitful thing, it gives life, it shapes the earth,” Jongdae sighed, looking out into the dark clouds, feeling the electricity in the air, but before he could finish his thought Baekhyun cut in. His sombre eyes gazed into his brothers as his lips formed into a thin line and lightning flashed behind him.

“It drowns its victims.”

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Down below the water, deep within the Sea, Junmyeon ruled as King, as one of three brothers who ruled their own realms. His Sea was not the same as mortal oceans. It was an ancient realm between Olympus and the Underworld, deep and unforgiving, where everything answered to him. His realm existed just as he existed; as an in-between; a mediator. In a bubble of air at the very centre of this ancient depths, Junmyeon had built his palace, and in the deep trenches of the sea, he placed his forge. Marble halls filled with green plants, both those that grew on land and those that filled the floors of the endless ocean. Thanks to Junmyeon’s powers the kelps, seagrass and waterwheels that decorated the halls moved as if submerged in water. They danced along to the currents outside. The God of the Sea had a peaceful home, and an empty one too. Children had not graced these halls since the early days of Jongdae’s marriage centuries ago, and all his workers busied about not really paying him much attention. Everyone had their own life. Junmyeon liked it that way. This was also why he was currently pacing the main hall, stormy eyes mimicking sea currents as they gazed pointedly at the Fates that decided to visit him.

“Your time has come.” The youngest one said, twirling his golden thread between her fingers. She looked him right in the eyes, but her youthful amusement did not match his expression. He was angry, ready to create floods, ready to drown.

“My time will never come.” He had said, his eyes not meeting the three women. Although his voice carried anger, he was afraid that the ancient beings would be able to see beyond the rage. The idea that they could see his bitterness and somewhere even deeper than that, his longing, was a frightening thought.

“You cannot deny Fate. You cannot deceive us.” The oldest spoke, her croaky voice bouncing off his ears unpleasantly as it raised the hairs at the back of his neck.

“She will be miserable without you.” The middle one spoke, her voice calm and gentle, it would have reminded Junmyeon of a mother if he had one. Her voice was soothing, like a balm over a wound. Maybe, if she had continued speaking Junmyeon would have lost his will, maybe he would allow his walls and reservations come crashing down. He did not. His wounds were too deep and his walls built too high. There was no gate in them either. No Trojan horse could break him from the inside.

“Not for long.” His curt reply was icy like the blue waters of antarctica, and as he spat out his response, he could see the currents of the sea pick up ferocity in the way his plants swayed and rippled. Mortal lives were short. Even if Junmyeon never stepped foot on earth, her misery would not last long.

“You will forget how to live without her.” The youngest Fate chastised, pointing an accusatory finger with her free hand.

“You will forget how to love without her.” She added when Junmyeon did not move.

“Even your brothers.” She spoke, and although that shook him a little, Junmyeon was the Leader of the Gods, a King among them, he would not break the façade of calm fury he had assumed.

“You are already starting to.” The oldest Fate accused, her eyes falling on to the Guardian, but even her gaze could not break him.

He clenched his jaw and put his hands behind his back. Out of the scrutiny of the Fates, he let his hands shake a little, their faint trembling was a chip in his honour, a sign that they were right, that he was breaking. More than that, it was a sign that Junmyeon, the Guardian of the Gods, was breakable. Heavens forbid anyone, mortal or otherwise, found out.

“I am not.” He continued, staring right at the oldest Fate, his eyes black like a storm.

“You cannot deceive us.” She spoke and the middle Fate twisted the golden thread in her fingers and with that small movement, she sent Junmyeon to his knees.

He clutched at his heart, eyes falling shut as the pain in his heart spread through his ribcage. The knot that twined around his heart pulled, twisting the muscle, bending it out of shape. Behind his closed eyelids, Junmyeon watched his life, the empty halls of his palace, the fear and dejection in Jongdae’s eyes when he didn’t approve of his wife, the same look that graced Yixing’s face as it appeared before him. He knew his brothers had held their breath when he gave Yixing his wedding ring, he didn’t think it bothered him that much. Until now. Slowly, by denying their fate and their happiness, he was being unfair. His shortcoming and his burdens were not theirs to bare. His guilt was his alone.

They had stopped their frequent visits, reduced them to merely a few times a year. He knew Baekhyun was giving him the cold shoulder since he refused to bend to Fate, refused to accept it, and inadvertently refused his brothers greatest gift, the gift of Love. He was hurting them, just as he was hurting himself, and now, as his life twisted in the Fate’s fingertips, he was painfully aware of that. Even that though, no matter how hard it was to know, could not erase the image of tsunamis devouring the land, nor make him forget of sinking ships and the screams of those drowning under the force of the waves.

Once the pain subsided and he could open his eyes, Junmyeon saw the wrinkled face of the oldest Fate staring down at him, her eyes dark like the death she spun into their threads.

“As Gods can be cruel, so can we.” She spoke and for a brief moment the sea fell silent, all tides ceased their courses, and Junmyeon could hear the echoes of his own heart as it beat against the confines of his ribs.

“So I’ve been learning.” He grunted, rising onto his feet on wobbling legs, trying to dust off his dark blue suit.

“Where do I go?” He asked, his voice hoarse in his throat. He licked his lips in an attempt to moisten them, but to no avail as the cracks burned from his saliva.

“Forward. Your legs know where to find her, it is your destiny.” The middle Fate spoke, but just as before, it was not enough to calm his nerves. Before he could compose himself properly they were gone.

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Jongdae had kept repeating one phrase over the last few centuries.

“You cannot fight Fate.” He would always say, mostly as he looked out into the sky around Olympus while twirling the unbreakable golden band on his ring finger. He said it to his wife on their wedding day, he told his children that when he was putting them to bed. Jongdae whispered those words to Junmyeon when he was stubborn. Now, Junmyeon was muttering them to himself in anger as he cut flowers and put them in the right buckets of the flower shop he was working at. Pretending to be mortal was not a favourite past time of his and although he was grateful that Kyungsoo provided him with a human life and a job, he would rather not have ever set foot here. He did his job flawlessly, out of respect for the nature that Kyungsoo was the God of, and out of respect for Baekhyun, to whom he promised to try and find love. His usually mischievous brother ended up crying into his shoulder as he gave Junmyeon his blessings, but he didn’t mind. A few drops of water would never harm him, but they did make this decision easier.

The bell at the door chimed, rousing Junmyeon from his task. He peaked out from behind the stand, his eyes landing on a mortal woman. She wore a black dress with sheer back tights, black heels and her hair in a tight bun at the back of her head. A single silver hairpin gleamed in her hair in the shape of a water lily. Her eyes, blue and deep like ocean depths fell onto Junmyeon. She gave him a small smile, trying to be polite as she walked through the shop and to where he was standing, currently tending to a bucket of white chrysanthemums.

“How may I help?” Junmyeon asked, putting the pair of scissors he was holding away onto the counter behind him. His heart, which had been still during the last few centuries, was currently beating faster than it had ever beaten before, his blood, red and hot, pumped through his arteries with a force he could feel beneath his skin.

“Hello, I’m here to collect an order for Haven Family Funeral Home.” Her voice was even, unwavering. She gazed straight into his eyes, her deep blue a match for his deep brown, both filled with the force of a storm.

“The wreaths, and the white lilies?” He asked, remembering that there was only one delivery today, and that it was for a local funeral home. Kyungsoo had told him to be respectful to their workers as the community respected them.

“Yes.” The woman nodded, and Junmyeon’s breath caught in his throat, the oxygen not reaching his lungs as they burned for air. Even Gods had to breathe, but she was making it extremely hard for him right now. She smelled like fresh linen and dust, a strange mixture, but one he could understand. Zitao smelled of dust too, there was something about being in a place that meant endings that made it feel stagnant, as if no one and no thing wanted to move, because moving on was hard. No one wanted to do the hard things, no one wanted to say goodbye, but fate and life didn’t care what one wanted. Death came for all and Fate was inescapable.

“I’ll be right back.” He said, before disappearing at the back of the shop. There, once he was away from the eyes of the mortal woman, he fell. Onto his knees, onto the wooden floor, a God reduced to a man in pain. His heart banged against his ribs like an animal in a cage way too small for its size. It wanted to grow, extend beyond Junmyeon’s understanding. The muscle that stayed silent for millennia was now breaking free and his mind was reeling. It was on that very floor, somewhere on Earth, surrounded by gardening equipment, that the King of the Sea, the God of Water started the hardest lesson of his life.

After a moment, reluctantly, Junmyeon picked himself off the floor, dusting his black suit trousers, to pick up the wreaths and lilies the woman was waiting for. When he came out from the back room, Junmyeon was pale as a sheet, but his cheeks coloured a vibrant red as his heart continued its pounding.

“I’ll take them to your car.” He told her, trying to be nice, trying to make a good first impression. It took him only one look to know you were the one he was destined for. The golden thread of his life had twisted around his heart, locking it in place, forcing warmth to bloom in the cold cavity of his chest.

“Thank you,” She replied, looking into his eyes before they fell down onto the nametag attached to his shirt. “Junmyeon.”

The way her tongue twisted around the syllables and the way the sound resonated through him made his heart skip a beat and he wondered, when Baekhyun named his cherubs, did they too, feel such warmth when their names fell from his lips?

He walked behind her as she led him to her car and opened the boot for him. Once he placed the green wreaths and while lilies into the car, laying them flat so that they wouldn’t get squashed during the ride, he straightened and his eyes caught the black mark on the mortal’s wrist. The black ink spelled out the Chinese character for water, shui. His symbol, unbeknownst to her, stained her skin out of her own will. Fates apparently did have a sense of humour, or maybe they truly picked out the perfect person for him. Junmyeon shook his head, reminding himself she wasn’t his. She was mortal, she would live here and die here, and Junmyeon could not bring himself to take her away. Mortals had lives here, people they loved, people that loved them. They had pets and plants and dreams, and none of them involved him. They shouldn’t. He didn’t want to take her away from a life, her life, one she seemed content with, even if it was just on the surface. Junmyeon wasn’t that cruel.

“Shui?” He asked, the word falling from his lips, familiar like the back of his hand, like the very essence of his being.

“It means water.” She said, for lack of better response. They were both aware he knew the meaning but allowed her to say it anyway.

“I know.” He nodded, his eyes now scanning her face, subtly falling onto the curves of her lips, red like the blood pumping in her arteries. Red like the blood that was made up of water, water that called to him, that knew him.

“May I ask why?” He asked, no longer trying to keep his distance. Curiosity killed the cat, or so the tale went and Junmyeon was not impervious to its allure. Curiosity was what got him here, along with Baekhyun’s tears that soaked his shirt.

“Water is the beginning of life, the very possibility of living. It’s a good thing.” The woman answered, her hand rubbing along the strokes of the character, the black ink made more vivid under her fingertips.

“Is it?” Junmyeon asked. Was water truly this wonderful, worthy of tattooing the word onto your skin? Was it truly this life-giving, when it could also take it away, when it could destroy? Junmyeon was well acquainted with its darker side, familiar with the rage boiling under his skin.

“Living?” She asked, her incredulous eyes boring into his. A kind smile stretched her lips gently, without quite reaching her eyes.

He nodded, his eyes falling onto the pavement. He didn’t want her to see the storm that raged in his irises, the brown mixing with black, crashing against each other like waves. His inner turmoil was not meant for mortal eyes.

“I think so.” She replied, and although she never reached out and touched him, he felt comforted. The mortals didn’t hate him, because they didn’t know of him, didn’t know he was the one responsible for sinking ships and raging hurricanes.

“Are you a regular?” He asked. He promised Baekhyun he would try his best, and Junmyeon kept his promises.

“I am.”

“See you soon then.” He smiled, and she smiled back, her hands holding onto her car keys, reminding him he couldn’t keep her waiting.

“Same time next week.” She told him, swaying on the balls of her feet.

“I’m Evangeline by the way.” She introduced herself, sticking a hand out for him to shake. Kyungsoo had told him it was a greeting, so he extended his own hand, clasping her small one in his larger one, allowing her to shake it twice, a smile decorated her lips. This time it reached her eyes, and he though they were like still water, reflecting the storm in his.

“I’m Junmyeon, but you already know that.” He smiled, his own smile was weak, but Junmyeon had meant it, and he hoped she would understand. Her hand was warm in his, making his heart skip a beat in its attempt to escape his ribs to be closer to her. He watched her leave and once she did, Junmyeon could not help the rain that fell onto his cheeks like hot tears. As she left, the God of Water began his first lesson in love; falling.

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Exactly a week had passed. Seven days, Junmyeon had waited for the mortal woman to return to the florist, where Kyungsoo had given him a mortal life, all so that he could appease the Fates, all so that he wouldn’t break the promises he made to Baekhyun. All seven days were wasted on looking after the flowers. He cut the stems to equal lengths and he changed the water in the buckets. Junmyeon wondered what the mortal woman was doing. Evangeline was a mortician. He looked at death the same way Zitao did. Every day, he faced what all his other brothers were reluctant to. Every day Zitao did the gruelling work of judging souls, bringing peace to the suffering, easing the pains of the sick and hungry, bringing those whose strings had been cut into his realm, giving their souls a new home. Zitao did it all without complaint, did it all because he was kind, because he understood death, was familiar with endings. He wondered whether Evangeline was like that too. Was she kind? Did she know death like the back of her hand, looking it in the eyes day after day, unfaltering, with the same kind eyes she offered Junmyeon when they met? He knew she was strong. Not even Gods could look at death and carry on living.

Seven days Suho, the King of Sea, waited for a mortal woman who lived with death, and finally on the seventh day, just as he cut the last of the roses to equal length, the bell at the door chimed and she entered, clad in all black with her hair in a tight bun with a silver water lily pin keeping it together. This time, black leather gloves adorned her hands hiding the tattoo of water away from Junmyeon’s prying eyes. She had given him the same small smile as before, but her eyes shone like precious stones in the shop lights, tiredness danced in them like gentle currents. Junmyeon smiled back, his smile brighter than before, as he left all he was doing and grabbed the order of white lilies from behind the counter.

“More white lilies.” He informed her, watching as Evangeline walked over to where he was standing. Today, she was wearing a black coat over a white button up with a slim black tie. It was evident she had acted as a funeral attendant today. Her shoulders slumped lightly, and Junmyeon could see she was tired.

“Thank you.” She responded, giving him a small smile as she took the flowers from him. Her fingers brushed against his, sending a shock of electrifying warmth up his arm. The hair on her arms rose, her heart beating a little faster at their proximity. It was no secret Junmyeon was handsome, but more than that, Junmyeon seemed serious, and she had never thought that was a bad trait. Serious often went hand in hand with honest, and she wanted honesty above all else. Real love could not be built on lies.

“Would you like to get coffee later?” He asked, trying his best to be brave, trying to keep his promises.

“Sure.” Evangeline answered, her eyes gazing into his, “I finish at five.”

“So do I. I know a good coffee place.” He smiled.

“I’ll take your word for it.” She answered, the lilies in her hands were a stark contrast against her dark clothes as she held them closer to her chest, trying to keep her heart steady.

“See you later, Evangeline.” His voice was barely above a whisper, and despite the sudden chill that travelled up her spine, she could hear the fear in his voice, see the uncertainty brewing like a storm in his eyes as they darkened.

“Goodbye Junmyeon.” She whispered, unafraid. She had no reason to be.

He watched her retreating figure leave the store, and once she was out of his sight, Junmyeon slumped against the counter, his hand clutching his chest, where his heart resided.

As soon as the door closed, as soon as she was out of his sight, Junmyeon ran. He ran to the back of the shop, straight into Kyungsoo’s office, where he was currently playing with the leaves of a spider plant. When he noticed his brother at the door, he stopped, motioning for Junmyeon to sit. Suho’s wide eyes brewed with a storm, his shoulders rolling like a hurricane across land. With wild eyes, the Guardian of the Gods asked for his help, turning to the God of Harvest and the Earth for guidance. Junmyeon had always considered Kyungsoo as reasonable, someone who could provide solutions.

“So you are going for coffee?” His brother asked, his large owl-like eyes gazed at him gleaming with mirth.

“Is that bad?” Junmyeon asked. He had never been on a mortal date. At least not a modern one. All of his brothers had once taken human lovers, ones they lusted over, ones they toyed with. Never ones they loved. Love was not a feeling they felt towards humanity, love was reserved for the bonds of family and loyalty between them. That was all.

“No, that’s actually very good.” Kyungsoo spoke, his hands fiddling again with the green narrow leaves of the spider plant.

“How do you know?” Junmyeon narrowed his eyes at his younger brother.

“Baekhyun’s little messengers come to me too often.” He sighed, eyes distant as he thought about all the times Baekhyun’s love messengers forced their way into his office, trying to appease him with cups of herbal tea.

“They like you because you don’t tease them.” Junmyeon patted him on his back, fully aware that the younger gods teased them endlessly.

“Never mind that. Think about what you should do after this coffee.” Kyungsoo straightened up, his plush lips now set in a straight line, his bright eyes darkened into a serious expression.

“Like what?”

“Like a real mortal date.” Kyungsoo clarified, looking pointedly at his elder.

“I’m not a mortal.” Junmyeon’s eyes darkened, the hurricane in them picked up ferocity.

“You don’t want another date?” Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow, disbelief painting his usually stoic features.

“I don’t want to muddle in mortal lives.” Now, with the Fates muddling into the affairs of gods and mortals, love was something else, something more. Junmyeon did not appreciate the Fates trying to make him mellow, he had given up enough rage, he had taken on responsibilities that made his shoulders bow with their weight. Why could it not be carefree Chanyeol who caused fires, or Baekhyun who had dreamed of it since the birth of humanity? Why could it not be Kyungsoo, with his big eyes and earth-stained fingers, who had spent more time among mortals than the rest of them? Why did it have to Suho?

“As Gods can be cruel, so can we.” He recalled the Fates’ words, remembered the chill that went up his spine, the ghost of which was now crawling the ladder of his vertebrae so it could settle against his skull, ring like a bell in his ears.

“Our pasts are long gone, mortals don’t believe in them anymore. Or in us.” Kyungsoo’s wistful voice rumbled in baritone through the room, and Junmyeon could have sworn that his brother made the room shake.

“It’s time Junmyeon.” He spoke, his voice deep like the earth and warm as his eyes looked at his brother. His hand went to hold Junmyeon’s, and that gesture, bold in comparison to the gentle affection Kyungsoo usually preferred, was reassuring. Maybe that was what a mother’s embrace felt like, Junmyeon wondered. He allowed himself the liberty to squeeze back. Finally, Junmyeon had found the rock upon which his waves could crash, and he was glad it had been Kyungsoo who caught him, who was steady so that he could break.

“What should I do?” He asked, and Kyungsoo didn’t waste many words, for it was not his nature. His answer was short, but it was enough.

“Fall.”

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The coffee shop in front of which they met looked more like a greenhouse than a place serving food. Green areca palms were tall, spreading their thin leaves wide. Ficus plants stood like little trees beside the expensive brown leather couches in front of low dark wood tables. Small potted plants stood on windowsills and on plant stands in white ceramic pots. It was a pretty shop, one that Evangeline could see herself sitting in for hours.

Junmyeon smiled at the woman sitting in front of him. He could feel the strings around his heart pull and tug, trying to force him closer in an attempt to break the distance between them. The tugging was futile, as Junmyeon decided to keep his distance, watching as Evangeline’s red painted lips pressed against the white cup filled with espresso. Her black blouse was untied, the silk ribbons that would have been a bow before, now hung loosely exposing her collarbones and the expanse of her neck.

“This is a nice coffee shop.” She spoke, looking around at the plants surrounding their table.

“I didn’t lie.” Junmyeon smiled, his storm filled eyes never left her face, and his heart calmed when she caught his eyes. If he was filled with a storm, she was the opposite. Like calm waters, her eyes washed over him, surveying his relaxed form, watching as his fingers tapped ancient rhythms into his thigh.

“You didn’t.” She admitted. Her smile was bright, her eyes did not weaver from his as she held his gaze.

Junmyeon had ordered himself a cappuccino. He knew about coffee thanks to his brother’s Minseok’s love for the human beverage. It only took Minseok one trip to Venice, sometime in the 17th century, before he was in love and Jongdae’s wife once told Junmyeon that Minseok looked at a cup of coffee the same way Jongdae looked at her. Junmyeon wondered if the Fates would pair Minseok with the heir of Lavazza.

“How long have you worked at the funeral home?” He asked, wanting to know more about the mortal. If Fate wanted this, who was he to fight? If Fate dictated his, could Junmyeon truly resist? Jongdae and Yixing couldn’t escape, and he had a feeling neither could he.

“I’ve worked as an embalmer for three years now. I spent a year at the crematory.” She took a sip out of her cup.

“All for the same funeral home?” Junmyeon was intrigued. He had tried to avoid death, spent the last three thousand years as far away as possible. He kept his rage simmering, or at least tried to. Gods were volatile, and when they burst mortals suffered.

“Yeah. I like my co-workers and their values.” Evangeline nodded, eyes staring at him as he relaxed into the couch.

“Have you been a florist for a long time?” She asked in return, and Junmyeon had to remember that this was an exchange, ironically a one-sided exchange. Every word that came out of his mouth was a half-truth, a white lie to not give away much about himself.

He felt his heart constrict and the air leave his lungs, the familiar discomfort of guilt crawled its way languidly out of his stomach where he had buried it.

“A fair bit. I stopped counting how long.” He answered. Looking nonchalant and confident, he smiled at the woman in front of him. His arm rested on the plush leather armrest whilst his other hand played with the white ceramic of his coffee cup.

“Well, you must either love it or hate it then.” Evangeline laughed. Junmyeon had looked so serious, his eyes lost somewhere far away. She reasoned that if she had loved doing something, she would stop counting too. In the case that she hated every day of work, no longer counting would have been a reprieve. How could you continue living a life you hated if you knew how long you still have left? She didn’t want to even consider such a life. Evangeline was fortunate.

“How so?” Junmyeon asked, focusing on her, watching as she leaned closer towards the table, closer towards him. Among the warm tones of roasted coffee he could smell jasmine flowers, sweet and fragrant as they hung in the air. He wanted to continue breathing it in, wondering what he smelled like to mortals.

“You don’t strike me as someone old enough to stop counting years spent in industry.” Evangeline smiled, allowing Junmyeon to catch her eyes. He held her in his stare. The dark in his eyes was endless, and she felt herself tip over the edge of this unknown abyss.

“Why not?” Junmyeon’s voice was low and she felt the low rumble course through her.

“I believe I have lived long enough for numbers to be arbitrary.” He tilted his head, not breaking eye contact. He found he like the way she looked at him, her eyes swimming with questions and her lips trying to curl around unspoken words as she contemplated which ones should be voiced.

“How old are you?”

“How old do I look?” He smiled. Junmyeon could not guess how old he looked to mortals. Many things had changed since he came down to Earth. Civilisations rose and fell, people changed too, they changed clothes, the way they cut their hair, the way they spoke. Everything was different.

“You look about my age.” Evangeline answered, her eyes falling onto Junmyeon’s face. His strong brows and serious eyes told her he was mature, but his gentle features and golden skin didn’t show the effects of time on his complexion. She thought he was handsome, but she would not date to say it out loud.

“I’m thirty-one.” Junmyeon lied, his stomach twisting uncomfortably. He and Kyungsoo worked out a suitable mortal age for him before he came down to Earth, something old enough to allow for maturity and young enough to not attract scrutiny.

“I’m twenty-eight.” Evangeline answered, and Junmyeon could hardly comprehend how young she was compared to him. She was so young, she had seen so little compared to his brothers.

Twenty-eight years was a spec of dust in the lives of the Gods. He had lived four thousand years and half of that he spent living in chaos.

“I think I would like to know you better.” He told her sincerely. It was one of the only whole truths that passed his lips this evening and it felt good not lying to her.

“I like that too.”

Hours later, when it was time to finally part, they had looked once more in each other’s eyes, his a dark raging tempest; hers a brewing storm. Slowly, as if not to frighten him, Evangeline approached his towering figure, and pressed her lips into Junmyeon’s. The kiss was warm, and Junmyeon stood there as if carved out of marble, unmoving. Before he could react, reciprocate the small gesture, Evangeline had pulled away. Her bright red lips curved into a little smile and she waved him goodbye before disappearing into the crowd of mortals mingling about the street. Junmyeon watched her go, like a splash of black ink rolling through clear water until it diffused into nothing.

As Evangeline walked, she could not help but breathe deeply, not able to get the smell of sea breeze out of her nose, like the seaside after a storm. She turned her head to look back, catching Junmyeon’s eyes for one more second. Her blood rushed through her ears, imitating the sound of waves crashing against the shore.

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Days passed in pleasant monotone. The new routine Junmyeon had built was broken only by occasional messages from Evangeline. The moment Junmyeon set foot on Earth Kyungsoo handed him a mobile phone and told him to figure it out. It had taken three of Baekhyun’s love messengers and a storm rolling towards the country and crushing against the southern shore for Junmyeon to learn to call and text. He still had no idea about what the Cherubs, as Baekhyun had decided to affectionately call them, referred to as Internet and he was not keen on learning either. Kyungsoo had mentioned that he does not use it either and since then Junmyeon refused help with it.

Evangeline soon learnt that Junmyeon was a lot more confident answering calls than texting. He had even taken the initiative to ask her on a date. He never mentioned where they were going, so just in case she had eaten before she left. They met in city centre, just outside the main government administrative building.

“What are we doing today?” She asked, looking up at the man as he led her through the streets.

“We are going to an Aquarium.” He answered and Evangeline could not help but feel relief at the idea.

“Right.” She nodded, falling in step with him as he lead the way to the large modern structure across the bridge.

“Do you like marine animals?” Evangeline asked, wondering why he would suggest such a unorthodox place. She was not complaining though, she had not been to the aquarium since she was little. It would be nice to visit it again.

“I love all marine life.” Junmyeon smiled, looking over at her. His eyes held a warmth in them that she hadn’t seen before. The serious, heavy atmosphere that usually surrounded Junmyeon and all of their conversations was gone. Evangeline could have sworn the man was practically gliding across the pavement, his legs light and his spirits lifted.

Once they had made it inside, Junmyeon had taken the liberty to hold her hand. Sometime after purchasing tickets he managed to slip his fingers through hers, intertwining their hands. His large hand was warm and comforting against her palm. A part of Junmyeon wanted to break all the glass here and let these fish and marine mammals and other creatures, all equally dear to him, all necessary, back to where they belonged. He knew it was unfeasible. Humans had an aptitude for destroying things, one that could rival the Gods, one that did affect the reals which they ruled. Humans had destroyed the habitats these living creatures belonged in, or they were in the process of destroying them. Humans knew like no other creature on Earth how to lay waste to ruin. They were masters of the craft. Some cared. Some looked at these creatures and felt the same rage simmer in their blood as him, some did all they could to preserve these creatures. Some of these humans even worked here. Junmyeon wanted to burst at the seams with rage, but the small hand clutching onto his was an anchor. It kept him in place, it reminded him why he didn’t meddle despite his desires, even the righteous ones.

Evangeline watched him from the corner of her eyes. When she saw another deep breath find a home in Junmyeon’s lungs she let her thumb caress the back of his hand, rubbing soothing circles over the smooth skin. Her eyes fell onto the brightly coloured fish in their tanks and she watched with awe as they swam between the vegetation.

“What is this?” She asked, pointing at the yellow fish, coloured like sunflower petals.

“Who.” Junmyeon corrected her, forgetting for a moment that he was pretending to be mortal. He had become comfortable by her side, Evangeline still rubbed circles at the back of his hand and each one was sending currents of electricity through his nerves, casing his blood to rush faster through his veins.

“That’s a Yellow Tang.” He pointed at the same small yellow fish she had.

“That’s a butterfly fish.” He pointed at another one as it swam to the front. It had stayed in front of Evangeline and Junmyeon had to remember to blink as he peered at the little fellow. She’s mine. He scrunched up his nose and the Yellow Tang swam away to hide behind some growing seaweed. There were benefits to being the God of the Sea and one of them was stopping marine life from ogling your girlfriend. What a life he was living.

“And this one is a Gobie.” He pointed at another fish as it swam towards them, passing Junmyeon to once more stay in Evangeline’s line of sight. Junmyeon shook his head in disbelief.

“That’s a clown fish, and the other one is Royal Blue Tang.” They passed onto another tank now and Junmyeon’s heart skipped a beat when Evangeline jumped excitedly as she peered into the green vegetation. From between the greenery swaying lightly in the currents generated by the water filter peeked a few little orange fish, their white stripes lined with black. Three deep blue fish, slightly bigger than them swam in front of the glass, waving their yellow fins and swaying their yellow tails.

“It’s Nemo and Dory.” Evangeline pointed at the Clown fish and then at the Royal Blue Tang. Junmyeon watched her, not understanding what she meant.

“Who?” He asked, eyebrows raised and wondering how she could possibly know their names.

“Have you never seen Finding Nemo?” She had looked at him with wide eyes, not believing what she heard. Junmyeon was tuck like a deer in the headlines. This was one these mortal things he didn’t understand and doubted he ever would.

“Finding who?” He repeated, still as confused as before. Evangeline straightened up, looking him in the eyes she smiled.

“I know what we are doing next.” She announced, before moving to the next tank.

Two hours passed in complete comfort as Junmyeon wondered the aquarium, Evangeline’s hand leaving his only in the small giftshop at the end of their trip. She had went and bought something small when he wasn’t looking, before taking his hand again.

“I got this for you.” She opened the little gift envelope, before taking out something small and shiny.

“Thank you.” Junmyeon took it from her. It seemed so small between his fingers. A small enamel badge gleamed in his hand, it was a little Royal Blue Tang.

“May I?” Evangeline asked, taking the little pin from between his fingers. Her fingers brushed against his and a current shot through their fingers, making their hearts beat faster. The golden thread keeping his heart prisoner tightened around the muscle, reminding him of the fate that bound them together.

“Of course.” He managed to tell her, his eyes creasing into half moons as he smiled, his cheeks rounding. She smiled back, fingers threading through his navy suit jacket to attach the little fish to the collar. Evangeline smoothed out the non-existent creases with her hands. Before she could retreat them, Junmyeon caught one of her hands in his, threading his fingers through hers. Joined this way, the continued walking.

-----------

The few days between their meetings had given Junmyeon time to resume his duties as a god. He allowed the tides to bash against the shores with new strength, waves beating against sand and rock and land, carving out new shapes and paths in their wake, creating and destroying all at once. Suho spun the typhoons and derechos away from the sea and towards the land, letting rain and sea water carve into the islands and continents. Nature had to run its course, whether people liked it or not, whether Junmyeon wanted it or not. Balance was essential. Balance was their friend and foe and duty. Junmyeon relished in the sound of waves crashing against the shore, he breathed in the fresh air, filled with storms and violence. His deep eyes, matching the dark waters crashing into land, scanned the horizon, his hair was tussled by the winds as he took in the force of his power, finally feeling what mortals knew since the beginning of their creed.

Electrifying, that was the way she would have described him had she been present. Magnetic and terrifying would also work if Evangeline could look into his eyes right now. Their softness was gone, replaced with something hard and serious. Duty or power, or maybe both, had made him harsh again, and it was this harshness, like a typhoon, that welcomed her when she visited the flower shop.

"Is everything alright?" The words flew out of her mouth faster than she could think, and her hands had reached for him out of their own volition, gentle in the way they cradled his cheek.

"I suppose so." Junmyeon spoke, his voice thunderous and cacophonous like crashing tides. He let his arms fall around Evangeline's waist, firm and sure in their hold. Junmyeon was meant to be the secure brother, the one sure of his standing, the one whose decisions are always executed, his words final. He had made his decision among the crashing hurricanes. Love was a force equal to his own, and he would not fight it. Evangeline was kind and mortal, but she would endure his love. She had seen death and continued living, continued being kind. That was more than Junmyeon could say for himself. He would give up his rage. He would transform it.

"You look different." She whispered, eyes falling from his hardened eyes to pursed lips.

"How so?" He looked down, feeling his true form peak through the mortal disguise.

"Like you're angry." She whispered again. It was quieter than before, more unsure.

"I'm not angry." He told her, turning his head enough to lay a kiss on her open palm as it still pressed against his cheek. The smooth skin was warm against him, comforting.

"Let me buy you dinner." He offered. Evangeline nodded her head, her perfectly red lips stretching into a smile. Junmyeon thought she would make a beautiful bride, dressed in white instead of black, holding flowers meant for the living. Reluctantly, he gave her white lilies and watched her walk out of the shop. Duty called, and Junmyeon understood very well what it meant to answer it. Love was a duty too, he thought, and Junmyeon was no longer afraid.

Later in the week they ended up in Evangeline’s home, curled up on the sofa as Finding Nemo played from her tv.

“These fish talk?” Junmyeon asked, eyeing the screen as the two clownfish, a dad and his son, argued about swimming.

“It’s an animation.” Evangeline laughed, watching as Junmyeon refused to take his eyes off the screen, gaze trailing behind the bright orange little fish as Nemo made his way to school for the first time.

“They are not real?” Junmyeon sounded incredulous. She wondered if he was one of those weird types whose parents never allowed cartoons.

“Are humans really that evil? Why do they take these creatures from their homes?” Junmyeon had cuddled up to her as the film progressed, angry at the way humans had separated the family. He had always known humans were cruel like that, but watching it on screen as it unfolded, knowing that the mortals knew what they were doing, was unbearable.

“Humans tend to take the things they think are pretty for themselves.” Evangeline answered him, her fingers running through Junmyeon's dark hair. His head had fallen into her lap and she enjoyed the comfort they have settled into.

“I can’t say I don’t understand, but I think by now they should know better.” He spoke, and she nodded along.

“We should.”

The film passed in silence. Junmyeon ended up too invested in it to speak, and when Nemo and his dad finally reunited, Evangeline could feel something wet soak through her pyjama bottoms.

“He finally found him.” Junmyeon whispered. She could see him wipe away a stray tear from his eyes with his sleeve.

“Do you want a hug?” She asked, stopping the gentle movement of her fingers through his hair to allow him to sit up.

“Yes.” He said, but instead of falling into being the small spoon he cradled her in his arms trailing kisses through her hair. She let him, closing her eyes when his hands came to rub soothing circles over her back.

"There is also Finding Dory." She whispered, eyes twinkling in amusement as Junmyeon stilled.

"Maybe next time." His voice came out a little hoarse, and she laughed lightly, turning to press a kiss against his lips.

----------- 

Mortified. The mortal word felt adequate in describing how Junmyeon was feeling right now. Baekhyun and some of his little love messengers sat at his table at the coffee shop down the street from Kyungsoo's shop. Sipping on his coffee, Baekhyun kept giving him mischievous smiles as he winked at him over the rim of his cup. The love messengers laughed at his predicament, finding his powerlessness amusing.

“You cried watching a children animation?” Baekhyun asked when Junmyeon finished telling his story.

“It was about fish! What could I have done?” The God of Sea tried defending himself. The wellbeing of those who live in the sea was always a touchy subject for him. It was no wonder then, why he had allowed his emotions to show.

“You could have tried to look cool.” One of the love messengers supplemented as he drank his coffee.

“I think it is good he cried.” Another one chimed in. Honestly, Junmyeon didn't know their names that well. A new one was born when Baekhyun felt like it, and Baekhyun expressed his feelings more than any other brother of his did.

“He seems more human that way.” Baekhyun nodded along, his eyes surveying Junmyeon as he allowed some of his godly power to seep through. Rage lit in his eyes. Baekhyun could swear he saw a hurricane swirl in his irises and could hear waves crash when he spoke again.

"I'm not human."

“She’ll like you more now.” Baekhyun chastised. It wasn't like him to scold Junmyeon like that, but sometimes his brothers needed reminders. Love was a gift. A gift from him, and he took his gift giving very seriously.

“She’d like him anyway, its destiny.” Kyungsoo's voice rang out behind them, and the messengers scrambled off their couch to offer space to the Earth God.

“You should kiss her next time.” He said when he sat down, his brown eyes soft but his expression was firm.

“Yeah, snog her.” Baekhyun cheered, sitting up straighter in his chair.

“Feel some eros for her, show her some eros.” The god of love raised his eyebrows at him, sending a cheeky wink Suho's way.

“I thought I should be feeling a different type of love.” He spoke, raising his cup to his lips, allowing the hot bitter liquid to slide down his throat. He preferred godly nectar, but down on Earth coffee was sufficient.

“Don’t lecture me about love.” Baekhyun spoke, and the ground beneath them shook with the force of his power. Junmyeon's heart skipped a beat as he was reminded just how much power his brother possessed, even over them- those both angry and immortal.

-----------

Evangeline was kind. He knew that early on. Evangeline was brave and she endured, he knew that too. Evangeline was only mortal, fragile and flawed and empathetic. She was vulnerable. He was witnessing this first hand now.

He found her weeping on the kitchen floor. She had called him twenty minutes prior asking him to come see her. Junmyeon heard the break in her voice and wasted no time. She was still wearing her black coat, her loafers were still on her feet. She had decided to curl into a ball beside the kitchen cabinets.

With slow, deliberate steps, Junmyeon walked across the kitchen, he sunk to his knees beside her and waited.

"Thank you." She whispered when Evangeline looked up. Junmyeon's breath caught in his throat before he moved to sit beside her on the tiled floor. Evangeline rested her head on his shoulder. He took the opportunity to intertwine their fingers, placing her hand in his lap. With slow, deliberate movements he turned his head, and placed a gentle kiss in her hairline, allowing her to burrow into the crook of his neck. Her tears begun to flow again, warm and wet against his skin as they seeped through his shirt. He didn't mind. Water was his domain, water was him; and yet his heart broke that it flowed from her eyes, rendered her small and broken.

"Do you want to tell me what is wrong?" Suho asked, his voice small as he held Evangeline in his arms.

"They drowned." The words came out as a whisper. For a moment, Suho's heart stopped. He knew by now that some days this job was harder than others. He knew that there were days when Evangeline broke down at the smallest thing; completely overwhelmed. This would pass, she knew this too.

"In the sea?" He asked, afraid of looking down at her. He felt her nod. They lived in a seaside town. It was not unusual this time of year, it didn't make it any less tragic.

Guilt ate at him. He had stayed far away from humans for so long, commanded the seas and waters of the Earth from far away. He made his rule impersonal. Now, with her in his arms he was faced once more with the consequences of his powers. Old ghosts came out to haunt him, blame him for tragedies long forgotten. It ate away at him, dulling the hurricanes in his soul, slowing the waves in their path. Was this what the Fates wanted? Was it his turn to confront his ghosts? Fate is cruel, he thought. Fate is cruel, he breathed, and placed a tender kiss in Evangeline's hair, smoothing down the strands with his hand, letting her warm up in his embrace. Like a gentle summer stream, Junmyeon flowed, enveloping her in safety, tenderly.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"I'm so, so sorry." He looked into her eyes, glossy with tears, as his blurred with the images of old ghosts. For a moment he remembered every ship that sunk in his rage, every lover who took their last breath in the murky waters of his kingdom, every echo of prayers sent his way to bring those lost back to shore prayed too late.

"It's not your fault." Evangeline rose from his shoulder, cradling his face in her hands. Junmyeon grabbed onto them like a lifeline, like an anchor he was afraid would rise too fast.

"It is." His tone was serious, darker. Godliness shone through him, waves crashed in his irises.

"I am the god of Water, King of Seas."

"Poseidon." He punctuated every letter.

"Neptune."

"Aegir." his voice was not loud, but it crashed through the space between them like waves against cliff faces. Forceful and final.

"Call me by any name, I have created them all." He whispered, almost ashamed.

"I am water." He spoke. Not once did he waver. He did not smile, his eyes didn't twinkle. His brows set over his features unmoving, his lips were like stone, features unmoving.

"And water drowns its victims." His eyes darkened, and he could no longer hold her hand.

Evangeline pulled away, her head shaking lightly as she searched Junmyeon's eyes for any hint of jest. She couldn't find any.

"No, Junmyeon." Breath caught in her throat and her voice cracked when she said his name.

"I'm sorry." He reached his hand out towards the kitchen sink above them, and with a flick of his wrist the water flowed from the pipes. With another twist of his hand it flew through the air, a thousand droplets filled the air, suspended and still. Light passed through them like through a chandelier. The room filled with golden rays. In any other circumstance Evangeline would have thought the sight to be magical, beautiful. Now she found it horrid, frightening.

The man she loved wasn't a man at all. He was something else, something unknown.

"Get out." The words punctured the air. Junmyeon forgot how to breathe.

"Get out." Evangeline repeated, pushing him away. The sudden touch caught him off guard. He lost all concentration. Thousand droplets fell around them, crashing against tiles and furniture as rain does against pavements.

Soaked, Evangeline shook, her whole body trembling as she made her way to her feet.

Slowly, Junmyeon rose from his seat on the floor. Not wanting to cause her further distress, he avoided her eyes as he walked out of the apartment. The only sound that carried through the air were his shoes against the wet floor.

Once he was in the corridor, out from Evangeline's line of sight, he heard a muffled crash. Silence. Then the sobs.

He took a deep breath, tears clouded his vision, and for the first time in over a thousand years, the God of Water, King of Seas, let himself cry.

With one last step he collapsed outside of his underwater halls, right by the throne surrounded by channels of sea water and crashing waves. Power had carried him to the safely of his home.

"We told you, Raging Tide." The Fates echoed through the Halls.

"To love is to hurt." Their voice rung out, thunderous and eternal as Junmyeon knelt at their feet.

-----------

A day passed by. Then another. Junmyeon had gained a new companion in that time. Fear was a new friend, or maybe a fiend as it stole his sleep and took his will.

He remembered what the Fates had predicted the first time they came to his Halls under the Oceans.

"You will forget how to live without her."

Their words seemed truer now than ever.

Junmyeon's thoughts were broken when his name rung out, bright and clear through the air.

"Suho!" His brother paced through the hall towards him.

"Baekhyun." He greeted, allowing the God of Love to hold him at arms length as he spoke. Baekhyun's usual light smile and twinkling eyes were replaced with worry. His coat was soaked by the roaring tides that crashed through Junmyeon's palace every once in a while. He must have gone down the wrong corridor when he went searching for him.

"Go to her." Baekhyun wasted no time in getting to the point. Junmyeon had promised his brother that he would not reject his greatest gift, but right now, more than ever Junmyeon wanted nothing to do with Love, nor with Fate.

"She does not want me to come." He spoke plainly, placing his hands behind his back as he tried to turn away.

"If you don't go now, you will truly lose her." Baekhyun admonished, making Junmyeon face him properly and look into his eyes.

"I made a mistake." The God of Water spoke. Behind him, Baekhyun could hear another wave crash through the marble halls.

"Then apologise." It was simple, a mortal solution that could remedy everything. Even to gods such as them it was hard. Apologise were difficult, no matter how many aeons one lived.

"There are no words adequate for her." Junmyeon turned his eyes way from the scrutiny of his brother. How could he apoligise? What words should he use. All languages of the Earth, alive or dead, did not have the vocabulary to describe his deep sorrow, to put his guilt into something tangible and explainable.

"You can't know until you try." Baekhyun pressed further, his hands no longer resting on his brother's shoulders. He gripped Junmyeon by the elbow, preventing him from moving away, from fleeing.

"Love hurts." Junmyeon muttered, allowing a new darkness to settle over him.

"Love heals too." Baekhyun spoke, sure of the fact that if his brother tried, he could find the right words. Happiness was so close, Baekhyun could taste it on the tip of his tongue. All Junmyeon needed to do was reach out.

"Go." He nudged Junmyeon one more time. A moment passed, and then Junmyeon's hard eyes settled on his. Junmyeon nodded, wordless and encompassing.

In a blink of an eye, he was gone and Baekhyun gripped empty air where he once stood.

-----------

Evangeline had spent the last two night crying, trying to dry her kitchen and her tears. Still, she found spots of dampness that reminded her that Junmyeon was a god. Junmyeon whom she loved, who she sought out in the night, who slept beside her and who smiled at her over bouquets of white lilies as if they were not meant for funerals.

She stood at the sink, watching water drip from the tap, remembering the way Junmyeon moved, the way he commanded it, the way it fell like torrential rain around them. She hung her head, trying not to think about him. Maybe if she forgot him she could live on. Maybe she could pretend he never existed in the first place.

A knock on the kitchen door startled her out of her thoughts. Evangeline turned, afraid that someone had gotten in without her permission.

Instead of a stranger, her eyes landed on a stoic man, his brows dark and heavy over his eyes. For the first time she noticed the way Junmyeon's eyes swirled like hurricanes. Despite the distance between them, she could see the crashing of tides over his face.

"I'm sorry." He spoke first. She stood still, afraid that if she moves away he will disappear like an apparition and if she moves closer she will never be able to let go.

"It wasn't the right time to unleash this on you." He continued, his voice deep and heavy as it crashed against her.

"You were having a hard time and it was unfair of me."

"Unfair of you?" She finally spoke. Despite her broken tone her words rang out clearly. For a moment Junmyeon looked away.

"I allowed my own guilt to take precedence." He clarified. Slowly, like he did that night, he walked towards her, giving her time to move away or to stop him. Evangeline did neither. her hands crossed over in front of her, but she didn't stop him.

"I am the one who controls tides and currents. I should take blame for when people die in my domain." Junmyeon spoke. He had been responsible for a long time, guilt ridden and detached all at the same time. People blamed him whether he was at fault or not, and he didn't doubt Evangeline would too. She knew the truth of what he was now.

"Just because you control water does not mean everything that happens in it is your fault." Her voice was quiet, but she looked into his eyes regardless.

"Did you know they drowned?" She asked after a moment.

"No." Junmyeon told the truth. He could control the tides, he could crash waves and aid migrations and lost ships but Junmyeon was not omniscient.

"Then how can you blame yourself?" It was so simple. So mortal. He didn't know it happened, he didn't cause it. So why would he feel guilty?

Slowly, as if not to scare him, Evangeline reached out, her palm cradled his face, stroking gently along his cheek bone. Her touch was warm, reassuring.

Something slipped off of Junmyeon, the hurricanes in his eyes changed into the glistening waters of calm cerulean seas.

He placed his hand over hers, before lowering his face to hers. Gently, slowly, they closed the gap between them. His lips were warm against hers, moving in careful, practised tandem as they drew the breath from her lungs, filling her with something hotter. Junmyeon's hands traversed the planes of her back, firm and solid against her. He pulled her closer, until no space between them remained. Evangeline's hands found their way around his waist. Their lips parted ways only for a moment.

"I love you." Junmyeon whispered against the skin of her cheek, before finding his way to her lips again. He didn't need an answer. The flutters of her heart against his were enough.

-----------

Since Evangeline found out Junmyeon was the God of Water, Junmyeon had become more keen in taking her out by the sea. Today he had taken her to the cliffs. They had strolled the lush green hills, covered in wild grass and purple flowers that somehow resisted the sea breeze and the salt in the air. They had walked hand in hand along the rocky beaches, watching waves crash and break against the shore. Now, they stood shoeless on a rock jutting out into the sea, a part of the low side of the cliff face as it joined the sea.

She truly had not meant to do that. In fact, she had wanted to do anything but that. She wasn’t much of a swimmer, and she had never dived in her life so slipping and falling off the rock and into the sea below was unnatural. She hit the waves, her whole body felt like it was covered in pins and needles. The coldness bit at her skin in the form of thousands of tiny teeth and her lungs burned as she tried her best to not breathe in the water. The salt burned her eyes, turning her vision skewed and blurry. Down here, there was no sound. No noise penetrated the wall of water all around her, and it was as if the sea had decided to drag her down, further and further into it’s depths, slowly.

Junmyeon’s reaction was almost instant. He let go of their shoes and jumped in after her, commanding the sea to let her go. The sea didn’t listen. Water was Junmyeon, and Junmyeon was water, and the sea desired her the same way he did. It’s desire was deadlier, it’s hold on her was the very opposite of Junmyeon’s. Cold fingers dug into her, clawing at her to stay, to be one with the sea bed. Junmyeon disapproved. He followed her trail, watching in the darkness as his love thrashed about and then slowly lost the will to fight as the current dragged her. The water whispered, pleaded for her to stay.

Junmyeon knew she was still human, mortal and fragile. Humans could not breathe underwater, could not survive the temperatures of the depths. Not without aid, not in normal clothes and without apparatuses that allowed them to breathe.

With one final command, Junmyeon called for the sea to leave her. This time it listened. The current around her stilled, keeping her in place, before pushing her towards him and towards the surface. It was arduous. Time seemed to slow down and seconds turned into whole eternities and lifetimes as he waited for her to be back in his arms.

Junmyeon gripped her, in the darkness of the sea, he fought the currents, bringing their mouths together, breathing air into her lungs as the tides carried them to shore, against nature but not against their master.

“I thought the Sea would never let you go." He spoke finally when Evangeline stopped coughing. She was still shaking from the cold and the ordeal, but she was alive, and her lungs were full of air. Crisp, sweet air.

"I thought so too." She whispered, falling into Junmyeon's waiting arms. He held her closed, warming her up with his body as he tried to ease her trembling.

"How can the soulmate to the God of Water not know how to swim?" He asked her, eyes incredulous and brows furrowed.

"Call it Fate." Evangeline managed to joke, but Junmyeon pulled her in closer, peppering kisses along her wet hair. The sun began shining again, its warm rays falling on their tangled bodies as they lay on the rocky beach.

"Fate indeed." Junmyeon whispered, looking up at the sky, wondering if his brothers were looking down at him now, whether it was Jongdae pulling the clouds apart to make space for Yixing's sun.

-----------

They left the beach soaked and trembling, but the whole ordeal had left Junmyeon with an idea. He didn't bother taking Evangeline back to her car. He didn't take her to the nearest village inn or grocery store. Instead, he pulled power, and in one step Evangeline found herself in his Halls under the primordial Oceans.

Evangeline's eyes roamed the marble halls, the flowers engraved in the walls that glistened from their mother-of-pearl linings. The rays of Olympus sun that reached them regardless of depths broke into rainbow shards on the walls and floors as they hit the crystal chandeliers with opal embellishments. Seaweeds swayed as if underwater and other sea plants lined the halls. the soft sound of flowing water came from the channels that turned the floors into an unending maze. Every once in a while Evangeline heard the great crashing of tides as they swept through distant rooms.

"Welcome to my home." Junmyeon spoke, leading her through the grandeur into his private rooms. There, he handed her clean dry clothes. One of his old tunics and a pair of soft cotton trousers. He handed her a towel as well.

Evangeline smiled and went to change behind a screen in the corner of the room.

"It's beautiful here, Myeon." She said once was dressed.

"Thank you. It's all yours." He watched her from his bed, the huge four-poster was covered in deep blue fabrics. Here in the depths Evangeline could see Junmyeon's godliness better. He seemed to glow with power, eyes shining and hair askew as if ruffled by sea breeze.

"My home is your home. Remember that." He told her, and she came closer to sit beside him. All this time they would meet in her home. Being here was foreign, strange. Only now she truly understood the scope of his power, the seriousness of their predicament. He was ancient, powerful and responsible for things she could not begin to understand. She was a mortal. her life a speck of dust compared to his, her responsibilities paled in comparison. She wondered, for the first time, whether this could even work.

"Will you tell me more," She finally asked, taking Junmyeon's hand in hers, she looked into his eyes and took a deep breath "About yourself and your family."

Junmyeon watched Evangeline with piercing eyes. He nodded, intertwining her fingers with his.

“ Gods feel lust, but we don’t fall in love. At least not the way humans do. The Fates saw that as a flaw, and my brother Baekhyun, the God of Love, agreed. He wanted to give his brothers what he gave to mortals, a type of happiness I suppose.”

He gave Evangeline a tight-lipped smile and she squeezed his hand.

"So the Fates and Baekhyun made a deal. They would tie soulmate knots into our lifelines, knots that cannot be undone. There was a caveat. The Fates wanted us to submit to their judgement, so there is no way to untie the knot without killing us."

"So you just accept Fate?" Evangeline was bewildered, her eyes Searched Junmyeon's face for any hint of hesitation or anger.

"Everyone accepts fate. We just happen to know about it. There are no exceptions in this universe. We just happen to be aware of it." Junmyeon let out a laugh, his lips falling into Evangeline's hairline. She still smelled like the sea, like him.

“So the myths?” She enquired, thinking back to high school, to learning about their marriages and conquests and romances.

“What myths? Of all the demigods? Of all of our lovers?” Junmyeon laughed again, smile bright and shoulders shaking gleefully, his eyes fell on Evangeline, his fingers smoothing over the furrow in her brows.

“Partially true. The time between ancient Greeks and the Crusades was a bit of a wild ride. We were ruled by chaos before I decided to be the responsible brother. Our children didn’t live long, they were volatile, unstable. They all died young. ” There was a small hint of regret in his voice, although he was never a proper parent before he felt hurt and grief for his children. Some things were inevitable if you lived this long.

“As my brothers run amok, Minseok and I looked at the death and destruction we caused and felt guilt, promised to never set foot on Earth again. I stayed clear of mortal affairs since.” He spoke, leaning back to take a good look at his soulmate. He felt the golden rope tied around his heart twist and tighten, reminding him of who they were and their destiny.

“Why me?” She asked, her voice small and unsure, and Junmyeon said the phrase he had heard over and over.

“Fates can be cruel.”

"Cruel?" He realised too late that this might have been the wrong choice of wording. Hurt flashed across Evangeline's face, marring her brows, twisting her lips. Her eyes flashed with sadness, but Junmyeon was quick to remedy that.

"Meddlesome." He corrected himself.

"Fate meddles, churns and spins our lives in ways we don't want." Junmyeon twisted their intertwined hands, pressed her palm to where his heart was, beating for her, twisting and churning as fate intended.

"It teaches us, that maybe the things we don't want, our fears and our rage, are only temporary. They harms us rather than protects us." He remembered his rage and his guilt, and the way she eased it, made it bearable.

“Do you really love me?” Evangeline asked, her eyes looking at him, waiting for him to look away, expecting him to do so.

“Yes.” Junmyeon was not a man who wavered or swayed. He would not turn away.

“It’s not lust I’m feeling. Eros is different. Eros is shallow, fleeting.” He remembered that kind of love. The gods had been hungry, left wanting more; never satiated. Junmyeon remembered the way it settled into his stomach like a monster in its pit. The lair had been shallow, and it did not make a home of it for long. This was different. It was terrifying and exhilarating and full of contradictions. This was the kind of love that would last, one that would never starve and never waver and never fade. It was a love that would require devotion and compromise and he was ready for both.

"This love is Pragma. A love built on duty and compromise and growth. This is a love that we had not been bestowed before."

“I feel like I’m drowning without you.” Junmyeon's breath fanned over Evangeline's face like a warm breeze.

“You can’t drown.” She whispered, remembering what had transpired earlier. He smiled lightly, but his eyes followed her with inhuman gravity.

“Without you, my lungs don’t feel like breathing.”

“Without you, nothing matters. Not the sea, not Olympus, not immortality.” Junmyeon took her other hand, holding both to where his heart thrummed and breath made home in his lungs.

“Fate is cruel, I know that. But Fate is absolute, and you cannot run from it. I tried.” He continued, watching as Evangeline gazed up at him, her breath in sync with his.

“You love me?” She asked again. Disbelief coloured her voice, as if she could not fathom the fact that a being such as him could feel such passion for her. Junmyeon put her musings to rest.

“I love you.” He repeated. He would repeat it as many time as he needed to, until those words made a home in his mouth, until they were engraved in the tissues and sinew of her heart; until her mortal red thread turned golden and godly.

“I love you too.” Evangeline's voice was clear as crystal when it rung through the halls, through the Seas and through him, tugging at his heart, pulling at his lifeline, twisting the knots in it until they were shapeless and impossible to untangle.

“What now?” She asked, and Junmyeon wasted no time to kiss her.

“Whatever you want.” He whispered against her lips.

“I don’t want to take you away from your life. I don’t want you to have to choose between me or the ones you love.” He confessed. Mortals had families, lives they needed to live. They were not made for immortality.

“You’re the one I love.” She looked hi  in the eyes, falling into the hurricane that swirled there, now slow and careful rather than destructing.

“Marry me.” Junmyeon stated. With gleeful eyes he watched as Evangeline moved her face away from his, completely taken aback.

“Excuse me?” She asked, knowing full well that even at their age, marriage after nine months of knowing each other was not the best idea. It was quite a terrible idea actually.

“Not now, when you're ready.” Junmyeon clarified, eyes still sparkling as he resumed peppering kisses all over her face.

“You said I’m mortal.” She looked at him confused again, and he caressed her cheek.

“Not if you marry me. Once our threads become tied, yours will turn to gold, you will become a goddess.” Junmyeon remembered Yixing and Idalia. It was a grand wedding. Olympus was decked in gold, flowers bloomed in every crevice and the sun shone so bright, so perfectly that Junmyeon himself could not believe his eyes. He remembered Jongdae and his bride, their wedding brightened by lightning and decked in diamonds and silver and plants so emerald he thought they were jewels. He remembered the unbreakable golden bands created in his forge for these occasions. Who would forge his wedding rings? Kyungsoo who would pull them from the earth? Yixing who would weave them from sunlight? Chanyeol, who would craft them in a supernova or the heart of a volcano? Either way they would be eternal and final and binding.

“Goddess of what?” Evangeline kissed one corner of his mouth, and then the other.

“Seaweed? Clown fish? Does it matter?” He muttered, not really knowing what would happen. It was the Fates, after all that made these kind of decisions. In this, he was powerless.

“Junmyeon!” She smacked his chest lightly and he laughed. The noise carried, cacophonous and full through the water as pure joy bubbled in his chest.

“ Calm seas. The Goddess of calm seas.” He proposed, his smile never faltering. If he had his way she would rule the world, but balance was hard to break and calmness easy to seek. 

Evangeline kissed his lips, hands now threading through his hair. He caressed her cheeks, fitting his mouth to hers.

Just this once, Junmyeon thought, just this once; Fate had been kind.

[marshmallow-phd]

A Manor of Shadow and Blood

Genre: Regency Gothic AU

Pairing: EXO x Reader

Summary: A stormy night brought you to the manor in the middle of the woods. Nine strange men occupied its halls. They won’t let you leave. A dangerous secret haunts this estate. Learning it might either be your saving grace or it could lead to the last breath you ever take.

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5

**

The grand hall was lit as bright as midday. Every surface was polished to perfection, reflecting the candlelight at a greater force. Brilliant brass and gold surrounded you as you made your way through the dancing couples, their movements in perfect sync. Wrapped in each other's arms, they spin around without a care for your wandering presence. 

While all who surrounded you were decorated in blacks and whites, your own dress was the color of freshly spilled blood. The heavy skirts that hug from your waist made it difficult to navigate the ballroom. Their fullness was of an older fashion, one that maybe your grandmother would have worn in her youth. The dropped shoulders left you exposed, your skin chilled despite the amount of bodies in here. 

You kept navigating the dance floor, on the look out for something, though you didn’t know what. Then you felt the familiar burn of eyes boring into your back, which sent a shiver down your spine. You whirled around to find the source, the dress brushing at your feet with the sudden motion. Through the crowd, you spotted Baekhyun leaning against the wall. With a single finger, he beckoned you over. And you obeyed. 

Breaking through the sea of dancers, you took in his elegant suit, the hems lined with gold thread that shimmered against black velvet. 

"You shouldn't dance alone," he purred. Arms crossed over his chest, he smirked at you with a grin even the devil wouldn't wear.

"I have no partner," you retorted. He held out a lazy hard. Hardly the romantic gesture. "No, thank you." 

"How about me?" asked a sweet voice in your ear. 

You turned your head to find Junmyeon at your back. He laid a soft hand on your hip to keep you from escaping out of propriety. When you didn’t shove him away, the hand slyly moved to your stomach, pulling your bare shoulder blades into his chest. With the fingers of his left hand, he tilted your chin towards him. 

"Am I a suitable partner?" 

No answer passed your lips. You could think of nothing to say. The thought of him twirling you around the dance floor was not… unpleasant. 

Junmyeon neither needed nor cared for a reply. He dipped his head to your shoulder and pressed a kiss to the skin. A small gasp passed your lips. And then he pressed another. More and more as he climbed up the curve of your neck. Heat rose from every inch of you as you sighed into the affectionate touches. You relaxed into his touch, welcoming each new contact of his lips. 

"It's rude not to share, Junmyeon.”

Your attention snapped back to Baekhyun, who you had forgotten was there. He pushed himself off the wall and stepped closer to you so he stood in front of the minor. 

No, not a mirror. There was no reflection. 

Except… there was. The mirror reflected the floor, the ceiling, the candlelight. You. 

But not Baekhyun. Not Junmyeon. And not the dancers still spinning behind you. 

Fingers snaked through your hair and pulled your head back, your vulnerable neck exposed. From the gallery above, Kyungsoo watched as elongated fangs flashed behind Junmyeon’s lips and plunged into your neck. 

*****

You woke with a start, the blanket flying off of you as you sat up in a fury. Sweet drenched every pore of your skin. Your day old dress clung to your skin in a way that felt suffocating. Each breath was a struggle for your lungs. 

Vampires. The nightmarish tale that had kept you up as a child until you were convinced they weren't real turned out to be true. But how could they be real? 

Creatures of the night. Blood drinkers. Horror stories meant to keep children from wandering about after dark. 

Curling your legs to your chest and encasing them in your arms, you tried to think of a way out. To escape. With what strength you possessed, you slid off the bed and walked over to the window. The sun, so bright and full of life, was just beginning its descent towards the horizon. Night–their domain–was hours away. If the legends were true, then they would all be asleep at this moment. Any risk that was to be taken had to be taken now. 

After changing into a sturdier dress, you retrieved your still mud-covered boots and, keeping them in one hand, you carefully pushed away the pathetic barrier and snuck out of the room. 

Each step was taken with unmatched caution. You tested every board with your foot before fully committing. Any squeak of a floor or stumble down a stair could alert them to your escape. But by the grace of a miracle, you made it to the front door. Fingers trembling, you pulled on the boots and tied up the laces before opening the door only wide enough for you to slink through. 

The next breath taken outside was like the first breath of life. But there was no time to take it in. 

Gathering your skirts in your grip, you took off into the trees. The dirt was dry and sturdy under your feet. Branches and leaves crunched with the weight of your boots. A lady’s delicacy was out of the question as you ran without abandon. You didn't know what direction you were running. But vampires needed blood to survive and they weren’t drinking yours. And Jongdae had brought those buns from a bakery, not their own kitchen. You doubted any of them knew how to cook. That meant a village or town had to be nearby. Junmyeon had lied about the isolation of the manor. If you just kept going, you could find freedom. 

However, your stamina was running out. This was never your preferred activity. Your lungs and throat burned in an unfamiliar way. The sun still shined above. A short respite could be spared. 

You leaned against a tree trunk for support. In your boots your feet pulsed. Only now did you realize that you had run away without food or water. Not knowing where the kitchen was located, you didn't have time to waste on it. You could survive, you told yourself. Just a little farther. The town couldn’t be too far. Unless you were headed in the wrong direction. 

A rustling rippled through the silent forest. You snapped to attention, trying to find the source. 

“The wind,” you gasped between ragged breaths. “It had to be the wind.” 

A low, rumbling growl said it wasn't wind. 

In the distance, large silhouettes emerged. Wolves. Nearly a dozen of them. 

You ran as fast as your crying legs could take you. With their superior nature built for the hunt, the wolves caught up to you within seconds. Their growls and howls grew louder and more threatening behind you. Running from the manor had been easy. Running from the wolves was to be your end. 

Powerful paws slammed into your back. You were thrown to the ground, rolling across the ground as a scream ripped at your throat. The momentum stopped you on your stomach. Hair covered your face, but you could still see your death through the strands. 

Wolves of gray and black gathered in a half moon circle. They had their prey in perfect position. The middle wolf pounced. All you had time to do was throw up your arms to protect your face. Claws raked across your forearm. Another scream echoed through the merciless trees. The wolf landed on the other side of you with pride. Now you were surrounded. A second wolf leapt. 

A blur appeared in front of you and collided with the wolf midair. The two bodies tumbled across the forest floor. A human and the wolf. 

Not a human. 

Chanyeol. The wolf trapped within his grasp, Chanyeol tightened his grip–

Crack. 

The wolf fell limply to the ground, its tongue hanging from its jaw. 

The others appeared seconds later. Not understanding what they were up against, the wolves let you go to attack the newest threat. 

"Are you alright?" Junmyeon knelt down in front of you. His hands were outstretched as if you were the wild animal on the verge of attack. Behind him, snarls and whimpers told of the fight–and who was winning. Despite not answering him, he caught sight of your bleeding arm. "We need to get back to the manor." 

He didn't ask permission before picking you up into his arms and sprinting through the forest. Everything blurred past you, your loose hair whipping at your face. He burst through the manor doors and didn't stop until he was able to set you down in the largest chair. Once you were safe, he fell to his knees, only his palms keeping him upright. The others soon stumbled in behind him, heaving and collapsing onto the floor. Only then did you notice the smoke floating up from each of their backs. Patches of burnt, red skin sizzled on their knuckles and faces. Anything that had been exposed to the sun. 

"Baekhyun," Junmyeon gasped. 

"I already have it." Kyungsoo came into the parlor with bottles stacked in his arms. He quickly passed them around, waiting until the others were quenching their thirst before pulling the cork out of his own bottle and chugging the contents. 

With his bottle empty, Junmyeon tossed it to the side and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Red smears stained the ivory fabric. You shrank back in the chair as he turned towards you. 

"What hell were you thinking!" He growled. "I warned you about the wolves!" 

"Junmyeon, she's shaken up enough," Jongdae defended. Before your eyes, his burnt skin healed to be like new.

"She could have been killed!" 

Your head was pounding. He was… concerned about your life? The legends said that the sun was a vampire's deadliest enemy. It was why they thrived in the darkness. But they had all risked a final death to come after you. 

"Did you hear me scream?" you whispered. You could barely feel your own lips moving. All heads tuned to you. 

Yixing was the one to answer. "Yes. We all heard you." 

"Why were you out there?" Sehun asked aggressively.

You sucked in a sharp breath. There was no escaping the truth now. You stared at Jongdae. "I figured it out.” 

Baekhyun laughed. "At least we don't have to walk around delicately anymore." 

"When exactly did you do so?" Minseok mocked.

"Then you should remember what I said to you before was true. Harm would not come to you within these walls." Junmyeon crouched down next to the chair. His eyes... there was something behind the darkness that tugged at your still wildly beating heart. "I know you were running away. And if you're desperate to get away enough to get yourself killed, then the choice can be yours. We can send you on your way with every provision. Or," he cleared his throat, "you stay here. With us." 

A choice? He was giving you a choice?

Your gaze drifted over the faces that stared back at you. Even Kyungsoo refused to look away while he waited. There was almost a plea in his expression, a subtle beg. But was it to stay? Or for you to run as far away as possible? 

Junmeyon took your attention away when he picked up your wounded arm with delicate fingers. His pleading was much more clear. 

To leave would be the better choice. The more sane choice. But what would happen afterwards? You could claim being lost in the woods. With evidence of the carriage and the missing driver, what else could they believe? After a few days on bed rest, you would be back by your aunt's side, following her every whim. Including indulging her on a "perfectly adequate" suitor because you had no other option, no other path. That suitor who would then become your future. But you didn't want it. You refused to give in to it. 

Already within these few days, you were… changed in a way. They might not be human, but these men would forever be burned into your memory. Who could move you with music the way Chanyeol had? What silent strength could match the aura of Junmyeon? You had been promised that none of them would harm you. The chance for something extraordinary was right in front of you. The kind of chance you had only read about. It just had to be taken.

"I think… I think I want to stay."

*****

The moon became an ever changing friend. You hardly saw the sun anymore. Like the men you had given yourself over to, you lived under the stars. It was oddly beautiful. This time was often forgotten about by you and many others. The night was only a background to your time within your dreams. But now it was your entire world. 

Every evening, you awoke to the dying orange light of the day. Breakfast always waited for you outside the door. It was the rule that no one broke; none could enter your room without explicit permission from you. Those walls remained your safe haven when things grew too overwhelming. 

Despite your decision to stay, discovering that other creatures walked the earth required a step away once in a while. Especially now, with you aware of their true nature, the men were refusing to hold back. 

Dropping from the roof, running around with spectacular speed, and lifting objects that ten men couldn't hold. It was remarkable. Except for the diet and inability to walk in the sun, the… condition seemed more like a blessing.

"You're rather thoughtful this evening,” Jongdae commented. He walked beside you like he did every twilight. 

After you finished your breakfast, you met Jongae at the front doors to go on a walk around the manor grounds. Often others would join you as well. Junmyeon was the most frequent, though Yixing, Changed, and Jongin made many appearances over the past week and a half. Boundaries were constantly tested, but one word from you and they retreated.

"I guess you could say I am thoughtful tonight," you finally sighed. You hadn’t realized that you were being so obviously quiet. Funny, since you would have thought Jongdae would enjoy the silence. You typically had many questions or comments of your own to make. 

"Should I go steal a penny from Sehun?" 

You laughed. "I'd like to think my thoughts are worth more than a single penny.”

"They must be if you've become so skilled in deflecting from them." He crossed over to block your path. Gaze narrowed, he studied your carefully guarded expression. "What are you thinking about so hard? Regretting your decision to stay already?" 

"No," you insisted. "Not at all."

He raised an eyebrow that simply asked, "Then what?" 

"Do you always stay here?" you countered. "At the manor, I mean." 

"We travel," Jongdae answered with a nod. "Not too often. It’s a bit difficult, you see."

"But we like traveling north.” Minseok dropped from who-knew-where, landing with barely bent knees and hands folded behind his back. "In the winter, the night lasts longer. Junmyeon has a small hunting lodge up there. 

A hunting lodge? "Then why do you stay here?" 

Minsoek shrugged. "This manor is bigger." 

"Having nine of us in one household can be a bit volatile,” Jongdae added. He stepped aside to continue the stroll. "We need the room to separate so we don't level a building." 

Your foot caught on an invisible lump in the grass. "You could destroy a building while fighting?" 

Minseok snickered as he caught your stumble and helped steady your stance. His hand lingered at your waist until your sharpened glare made him remove it. "We haven’t crumbled a wall in a few years."

You scoffed at the casual tone. "What sort of fight caused that?" 

"I can't remember." Minseok leaned forward slightly to look at Jongdae for help. But he didn't seem to recall either. 

"Who knows what started it between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.”

Your mouth dropped open in shock. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had fought over something to the point of destroying a wall to crumble? It didn't feel plausible. Neither seemed like the hot-headed sort. You wanted to know the igniting incident so desperately. 

Both Jongdae and Minseok suddenly whipped their heads towards the front of the manor. 

"What is it?" you asked when neither offered an explanation. 

"Junmyeon's calling for us." Jongdae scooped you up into his arms without warning. At your confused expression, he explained, "We're not leaving you alone out here." Remember your last adventure in the woods lingered in the silence.

The short lived wind whipped at your hair that you still wore loose to cover your neck. As soon as he stopped running, you wiggled out of his arms to be back on your feet. Everyone else was already gathered just outside the door. Several eyed you and Jongdae with suspicious and annoyed glares. You took a step away from him for some separation. 

Clearing his throat, Junmyeon called everyone to attention. "We have to go hunting–real hunting. Now, normally, we all go together, but now that we have our guest," he nodded towards you, "some will have to stay behind with her until the first party… comes back." 

"If you all need to go,” you couldn't quite speak the word feed, "then I'll be alright. For a few hours, at least." You weren't sure how long this excursion would take.

Junmyeon's features softened. "No. We'll go in groups. Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, Minseok and I will go first. We shouldn't be gone long." He reached out and patted the top of your head before disappearing into the trees. Kyungsoo gave no goodbye as he followed suit. The last two playfully shoved each other while taking off. 

"Come." Yixing took hold of your hand and started pulling you inside. "I want to show you something."

"But–" You had wanted to ask Jongdae a question, but the traitor was already gone, off somewhere to do something he would never tell you about. So, you let Yixing take you into the manor and up the main staircase at the end of the hallway. At least he let you stay on your own feet instead of insisting on going at his speed. 

Going down an unfamiliar hallway, you were reminded how big this place was and how much you still had to explore. The men occupied most of your time, vying for your attention and pulling you this way and that so you didn’t have much time on your own. It was odd and overwhelming at times. 

During your seasons in town, you were hardly a well-sought after prize. There were prettier girls with grander dowries. You had accepted that fact. Now you were the center of a courting dance to which you knew none of the steps and possessed endless partners. 

Yixing paused in front of a door that looked identical to all the others. He kept his fingers tight around yours as he slowly turned the knob with his free hand. The door swung open. 

The gasp inhaled through your parted lips wasn't enough to convey your awe. 

Maps of all the places you'd heard of and dozens more you hadn't covered the walls like homemade wallpaper. Slipping out of Yixing's grip, you walked further into the study, spinning slowly around to take it all in. The maps were varying degrees of tan, some as light as his skin, others as dark as animal leather. 

Instead of bookshelves, doorless cabinets waist high lined three of the walls. Their squared shelves were stuffed full of parchment and ink and quills. A lone sketcher's desk sat in the middle, an unfinished drawing laying against the tilted surface. 

"What is this place?"

"It's my personal study," Yixing answered as he laid a hand on the edge of the desk. "Kyungsoo gave it to me after I had accidentally taken over one of the parlors." 

Your awe increased ten-fold. Your initial assumption was that he was a collector, not the original artist. "You drew all of these?" 

He nodded almost... shyly. "I did. I was a cartographer. Before." 

"Before?" You understood what he meant, but you didn't know how to ask for the story. 

Turning his eyes to the parchment, he pinched it between his fingers. "I didn't just love traveling. I loved capturing it on paper. I wanted to make these places into art, but not like every other painting. I wanted them to be perfect. Exact replicas as if you were staying at them from God’s point of view. And I wanted to be the best. I couldn't be, though. I wasn’t good enough." 

You moved closer to him, entranced in the story. "What happened?"

A rueful smile tightened at his lips. "I was given a chance to become perfect. What I didn't know was that I traded everyone knowing my maps for the talent to make it happen." Sorrow rolled from him like the tide warning of an oncoming storm. 

Feeling the pull to comfort him, you reached out and covered his fidgeting hand with your own steady fingers.

"People will be able to know your work some day," you whispered. "I’m sure of it." 

Perhaps you had been a bit too forward, a bit too open. 

Yixing moved gracefully forward to eliminate most of the space between you. A smooth thumb that once must have been calloused when it was human caressed the edge of your jaw. His flickering eyes made intentions obvious. 

Clearing your throat, you stepped out of the touch. "Why isn't this one finished?" You pointed to the drawing on the desk. It was an aerial view of the manor, with the top half of the parchment containing the beginning edges of the garden hedges. Disappointed, Yixing sighed and went along with your distraction. 

"I'm still working out the maze. It is intricate. Much more than I was prepared for." 

"Goodness." You were thankful that you hadn't wandered in there yet, especially on your own.

"Yixing.” 

Both of you turned towards the door to find Sehun standing under the frame. 

"Yes, Sehun?" Yixing said through somewhat gritted teeth. The young vampire wasn't phased. 

"I need to speak with you." 

"Fine." None of you moved. 

Sehun looked at you with a pointed glare.

You received the hint loud and clear. "I'll leave you, then.” 

With more relief than you cared to admit, you scurried out of the room and down the hallway. 

Around the corner, you pressed your back against the wall and forced yourself to take deep breaths that filled your lungs to capacity. Panic had been the response at Yixing's closeness. You didn't mean for that to be the response. You didn't want to be closed off to any of them. But you couldn't help it. Maybe it was merely the closeness of the situation. 

Giving yourself a small amount of grace, you pushed off the wall and made your way downstairs. So used to your time being absorbed by the men that you weren't sure what to do with yourself. Two of the ones that remained behind were currently occupied. As for the three others, they could have been anywhere. 

You wandered around the main floor with a fleeting hope that one would come to find you. Then you saw them. A row of grand doors evenly spaced along the north wall called you forward.

The grand ballroom took your breath away. Not so dissimilar to the one in your dream, though this one’s lack of warmth and light left you heartbroken. Memories of dancing figures and lively music haunted these walls. In the corner, you could imagine a small orchestra strumming their instruments in delight. 

You walked to the center where dozens of pairs used to twirl and bow and embrace each other in time with the melody. Ghostly laughter echoed in your ears. What had once been  bright and golden and full of life was dull, dark, and covered in cobwebs that swayed in the breeze of unknown origin. 

Glancing around, you confirmed that you were truly alone before closing your eyes, lifting your arms, and began a soft hum. 

You danced with an invisible partner in the fashion that your grandfather had taught you as a small child. It was more intimate than the choreographed dances currently popularized. You had always imagined your first ball like this, instead of the disappointment you really experienced. You had pictured a boy you didn’t know catching your eye. As the music was struck up, he laid a hand on your waist.

Just like now. 

Hm. Your imagination was running wild, even pretending the weight of a palm was there on your lower back. And now in your lifted left hand. 

No. That wasn’t your imagination. 

Your eyes snapped open. 

Jongin had taken the place of your imagined partner. He smiled down at you with a feline smirk as his hands tightened around you, refusing to let you slip away. There was no choice in leaving this musicless dance. You had stopped humming but he continued to whirl you around the marble floor. He controlled the dance, in charge of every step. He led with an expertise he shouldn’t have possessed–if he were a man of this age. 

In one final move, he slipped his arm fully around your waist, pulling you so close that no room remained between you. Without breaking the spin, he lifted you from the floor as if you were no more than a kitten and whirled you around like the heroine from your favorite novel.

When the spin came to a close, he set you back on your feet, but didn’t let go. Your lungs heaved from the exercise–and from the way your bodies pressed together. Each rise of your chest brought you even closer to Jongin. He kept your gaze like a stablehand trying to calm a wild horse. His right hand slipped from your fingers, softly tracing the delicate inside of your arm. The touch left behind a fire you couldn’t explain. A cold, simmering fire.

He cupped your jaw as his eyes drifted down to your lips. This was a different reaction to Yixing’s wandering gaze. Not panic, but something similar. 

Jongin held you in place as he leaned down, his lips pressing gently into the corner of yours. The thin breath in your lungs hitched. He lifted his lips only to find a new patch of skin. The delicate skin covering your pulse. Every muscle in your body froze. He kissed the skin softly. Surely, he could feel the race of your blood. 

“Whenever you need a partner,” he said in a hush against your neck, “just whisper my name.”

And then, he was gone. 

You stared off at the empty path left behind Jongin. The sheer hubris.

His name lingered on your lips, wondering if he would really come back like he said. But you kept the whisper inside and left the ballroom just the same. 

[jongbross]

(hi ! 🥺 sorry for the bad english) you can do an exo!mafia au reaction, where they are mobsters and bump into their ex after they broke up because she found out he is mafia. they still love each other and want to be together, they are suffering apart? please💞 thanks, have a good day!

a/n: your english is just fine! my first language isn't english either, so don't worry. i hope you like it 🥺

xiumin: minseok is good at hiding his feelings, he did it all this time. he was a mess after you left, but you don't need to know that so he would probably try to play it cool, talking with you but never, ever showing what he's truly feeling. that's until you ask him "have you been okay?" - then his eyes will give in the truth. that's when he'll stutter to answer you, only confirming your suspicious. to someone who has been okay, minseok definitely agrees way too quickly to meet you someday so you two can talk...

suho: he's mature, that's for sure. no matter how shattered he was when you two broke up, he respected your decision and your space. still, junmyeon hurted a lot, so when he meets you again i think he will definitely try to come up at you and ask if you wanna talk to him, if it's okay for him to approach you (because deep down he's scared you'll reject him again). little did he know that you're suffering just like (or even more) than him.

lay: mobster or not, yixing is a softie. he will never admit it, but he cried after you left. when you two meet again, his eyes get glassy with tears the moment he lies his eyes on you, feeling like you were so close but so far away at the same time. the first move will have to come from you, so don't be afraid to approach him - he will love that. yixing doesn't think he deserves to be with the one he loves, especially after you left him for such a good reason, so he doesn't fight for you because of that. please bear with him, he misses you a lot but he just wants you to be happy with whatever you decide it's good for you.

baekhyun: the first thing he felt when you left him wasn't heartbreak, but anger; maybe at himself, at you, at life... but it was there. so, because of that, baekhyun is so petty once you two meet again. he's the one to come talk to you, but he's also the one who will sarcastically say "well, you're the one who left me...", only because deep down that's still a question for him. baekhyun wants to know that you suffered just as much as he did, because after all, the breakup was all on you, he never wanted that.

chen: another one who would be ANGRY. yes, he didn't tell you he was a mobster - that's not something you just tell people, you know? but he never put you in danger, he never brought work home, and you always claimed you loved him? how could you leave him so easily, then? so yeah, once you two meet up again, be ready to deal with the most stubborn version of jongdae you've ever met. he might be feeling like he can't live, can't breathe without you - but he he will never, ever admit that to you.

chanyeol: poor chanyeol couldn't focus on his work for weeks after you left him. he might be the only one from all of them to actually consider leaving the business just so he could be with you. when you two meet again, chanyeol will make it very clear how much you hurted him, how messed up you left him, but will also let you know that he absolutely understands you and why you don't agree with his line of work. he'd be the easiest to talk to and make up, though.

d.o: honestly? it's almost like he's heartless. kyungsoo loves you a lot, he always said he does, but the moment you questioned him about the mafia you planted a seed on his brain - "if they can't love me for who i am, then maybe they don't love me at all". of course, he felt bad and lost when you left, but he's also very logical and rational. so when you two meet again, you can cry all you want in front of him - it doesn't matter how much it hurts him -, the question will still be the same: can you accept him and his job? it all depends on your answer.

kai: oh, he's stubborn. he's very stubborn. his hyungs will tell him that it's okay if he's sad after you left him, but jongin will always deny it. he pretends like he doesn't care, but that crumbles the moment he meets you again - and it gets worse when you tell him you missed him. jongin is as needy as he's stubborn, so that's all he needs to hear to finally come through with his feelings and, then, ask you to come back because he's dying without you.

sehun: you have no idea how bad you've made sehun feel when you left him. sehun spent weeks thinking about how he can't have anything good in his life, but how he also can't leave his business now because he's way too far gone. when you two meet again, more than wanting to have you back, sehun puts effort into understanding if you're fine with his line of work, and making it clear that he loves you so much and wants to spend the rest of his life with you, and he will do everything in his power for this to happen.

[chanyeolsbiggestfangirl]

Synopsis:-  Born and raised in a seafaring community inhabiting a small island away from mainland, you’ve always heard legends whispered on those starry nights around the housefires, legends about the formidable creatures out there in the world. You always passed them on as mere stories told to the children by their law abiding parents, fearful of the wrath of the beings shrouded in myth and mystery. When your ship is tossed by the vengeful waves of the sea and you’re on the verge of dying, the myth you never bothered to believe in, saves you. But you’re almost sure that there’s more to the mysterious, handsome male and the more you spend your time with him, the more you want to push away those doubts. Sparks turn into flame, all the while a sinister shadow gathers at the horizon. What happens now? 

Pairing:- Merman! Suho X Female Reader

Type:- Oneshot?

Genre:- Smut, Fantasy, EXO Planet AU, World Building AU. 

COMING SOON

[mgg-81]

Tossed [K.JM]

(CREDITS TO THE OWNER OF THIS GIF)

A/N’s NOTE: I've been on a halt for many months now due to the busy life, applying jobs here and there. I've tried to write during my stop but motivations sometimes come and go and I couldn't even finish what I started. Hopefully, writing enthusiastically will come to me again. Dedicated to @cxsmicmyeon, who loves Junmyeon so much!

NOTE 2: The Chanyeol fanfic requested is on the way!

NOTE 3: This was supposed to be written with Lee Know of Stray Kids as the lead, but our bunny leader fits it more.

Genre: Small fluff, Small angst, Adventure, Fantasy Pirate!AU, Merman!AU

Ratings and Warnings: Be careful with swords y'all.

Characters: Kim Junmyeon X Female!Reader

Word Count: 1,715

Date of Publication: 17-06-2023

Junmyeon shouldn’t have thought of going up and seeking the presence of humans.

In spite of that, he had no choice.

Yet here he was, breathing heavily while being pinned down by two women with their swords, his neck feeling the sharpness that if he ever moves more, blood will be surely drawn out of his skin. His legs…no…he meant, tail, ever glistened in the noon sun, him gently flapping it from time to time as if he was reminding himself he needs water. More specifically, ocean water.

Junmyeon’s head was hung low and his arms were stuck on his sides. His pulse vibrated more the longer he was lying on the wooden surface. He could only make the shape of the boots of women coming here and there as his head was still down. But he could make out their voices.

“Captain!” he heard one say, with a tone that felt like the woman was willing to bend everything for their leader on the ship. He sensed the rest of the boots following the lead.

“Well, well, well, look at what we have here,” a heavier sound of boots came about and echoed along the wood. He knew already that the owner of those boots held a strong authority around. He watched it walk with a hint of confident mockery as if the pirates themselves have caught a hidden treasure.

Once the boots stopped in front of him, Junmyeon held his breath, which was followed by the sudden disappearance of the swords that were far away from his reach. He took a deep inhale, but it made his chest ache, for he was still longing to be one with the waters below, though Junmyeon stayed still rather than looking like a wailing fish or risk being sliced into tuna sushi.

It didn’t stop there.

Junmyeon’s senses were on high alert once he felt the figure of the heavier boots slowly kneeling as if they were about to pray. A slow but amused grunt came from their lips as they continued to kneel until Junmyeon was face to face with your regal features.

You are beautiful.

Dangerously beautiful.

From hearing his fellow merpeople, most stories of pirates were made of men. He would listen to rumors about ships full of nasty and smelly men; with big egos, violent attitudes, and always having the life of the party for rum. Men, who thought they could have it all. Men, who thought they could rule the seas. Men, who were nothing but traveling meaninglessly and seeking something that probably wasn’t even there in the first place.

Junmyeon had also heard that bringing a woman to a ship brings bad luck. However, with this certain large vessel, he was sure women aren’t bringers of bad luck.

This was different.

It was the other way around, at the moment his eyes looked at you. A woman. But the familiarity of your face sent chills down his spine.

You weren’t just a captain.

You are the commander of the highly revered and feared ship of all, The Exodus of the High Seas.

Junmyeon knew about the vessel and its crew. Myths and stories revolved so much around the notorious ship, never steering away from the mouths of every land and even creatures of the sea. More so, people were more curious about who runs the ship no man could ever attempt to sink or take advantage of. It was as if a veil would cover the ship and be hidden from the view of every person who would look at the white and gold-painted ship. While the ship was painted in merry colors, the insides were blood-stained, with treasures and victories no man could ever attain.

All because of your leadership. The notorious and legendary Y/N.

Yet Junmyeon couldn’t look away.

He was supposed to cower in fear, scream for help, and try to swerve his body toward the ocean, yet his face remained frozen upon you.

For a captain who brought many stories to tell among people, you look so young. Junmyeon seemed to look at you as if you were just around his age. Obsidian eyes that sparkled with mischief, milky skin that lies underneath a signature puffed white sleeve, and your hair…hair that flows like the waves of the ocean he was longing for.

While you were youthful, Junmyeon could look upon your eyes the weight of your life being in the seas and being on the run. More so, the little faint white scars that designed your arms and neck were visible to him, telling him of victories of you that came with a price. A pirate’s life isn’t all just adventures.

“What brings you here, merman?” you asked without hesitation. Junmyeon blinked. You were talking to him. No formal introductions, none whatsoever. Just straight to the point.

“Well?” You raised an eyebrow. Junmyeon looked away from your eyes down to your left hand, fingers caressing the hilt of a sword attached to your waist. Silent or not, either way, he’d end up dead by your hands. He slowly raised his eyes back to yours and sensed you were out for the kill, body looking weary.

Junmyeon lifted himself slightly. “Curiosity got the best of me,” he answered.

You scoffed. “From what I’ve heard, folks of the sea don’t even try to come out just because they’re curious so,” you sheathed your sword out and aligned it with Junmyeon’s neck. “Try to mock me again.”

This time, Junmyeon felt the blade tear open a little on the side of his neck, drawing drops of blood. His eyes widened at your actions and glared at you as he tried to maneuver his head away from your sword.

“You know it’s bad to injure a merfolk,” he gritted his teeth.

You further pressed the sword. “I don’t care,” you sneered. “Try to fool me now. Drawing a merman’s blood won’t get in my way of knowing you’re lying.”

“Captain,” Junmyeon heard from behind you one of your comrades, hesitatingly moving forward and trying to stop you from further hurting him. “We shouldn’t—“

Unfortunately, you were on deaf ears. Junmyeon didn’t know which was more painful; the blade of your sword against his now bleeding neck or the lack of water he needed so much. While he struggled, he looked once more into your eyes; while your eyes were full of rage, there was a hidden hesitance Junmyeon could see. It wasn’t out of fear because you might injure him and be cursed, but because you might feel guilty upon taking his life, curious or not, Junmyeon could see you didn���t want to hurt him.

It was the right opportunity for him to bring about his request.

 “I’m here to find someone with a pure heart,” Junmyeon blurted, and that made your movements halt.

“A pure---what?” you frowned, reducing lightly the pressure of your sword against Junmyeon’s neck much to his relief.

“I’ve come to ask for help,” Junmyeon insisted. “I’ve encountered a lot of ships, met people, and tried to ask but to no avail.”

Junmyeon looked down and contemplated even revealing why he was searching for a human being with the purest of intentions. Surely in all of reality, every person has a bad and good side, but it’s on them whether they let good or evil prevail in their minds and hearts. Junmyeon knew you were a criminal on the run, but deep down, he knew.

He just knew.

He could not waste anymore.

“Something…was stolen...precious in the ocean that is one of the pillars of the waters,” Junmyeon explained as he was slowly feeling the dryness of the wooden floor and the sun. “That’s why…the oceans and the seas are always roaring and not letting any ship land to safety. Only a human…with a pure heart can be able to find what’s ours…and be brought back.”

“Why aren’t you the one bringing it back?” you placed your sword back on your belt and crossed your arms in a questioning manner.

Junmyeon was slowly starting to get aggravated. He was starting to feel the effects of being out of the water. His breathing became more and more ragged much to your alarm.

“A-A hum-man…stole it, a-a…human m-must b-bring…it back,” Junmyeon said with difficulty, his mind was slowly turning into mush as if a heavy anchor was pressed down on him. From his vision, you didn’t stop and waited if he would wither and die on the spot. You quickly rose and turned to face your crew, barking orders here and there like a madwoman.

Soon enough, Junmyeon felt hands carry his body. More voices echoed and rang around his ears and into his skull. He wanted to move, wanted to fight, but your crew’s grip on him was strong. Maybe you weren’t convinced enough that’s why he’s being carried right now to be tossed away in a land that would immediately kill him.

But alas, his expectations of you were wrong.

Water engulfed him and embraced him as if he and the liquid were one. Little bubbles rose on his fingers like little friends welcoming him. Soaking himself in the water, Junmyeon felt his strength going back. He’d soon realized he was brought up and laid down in a very large wooden tub enough to accumulate his size in the middle of the ship. Feeling a little of his worries go away, he rushed to the surface of the tub, to be met with your face once again.

“Here,” you said as something cold was pressed to Junmyeon’s neck, him slightly flinching from the texture.

“It’s an herb,” you added. “I…didn’t mean to injure you.”

Solace was shared between the two of you, not knowing what to say. The awkwardness was evident in your features after what you’d just done to him, and Junmyeon’s eyes softened.

“Trust me, you are,” he insisted.

Your head shot up. “What?”

“You’re a person with a pure heart,” Junmyeon clarified. “A person I’m looking for to bring back what was stolen.”

You let out a ‘tch’ before leaning your face closer to him, eyes now back to shooting daggers. “I’m a pirate…and I’m no saint.”

Junmyeon shook his head. “Trust me, you are,” he repeated.

He felt hope.

[mymoodwriting]

Request for Anon (Yandere Mafia Baekhyun) 3.7k, mafia, yandere, pregnancy, unwanted pregnancy, abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, accusations of cheating

“I’m pregnant!”

“No you’re not.”

    You were dumbfounded by Baekhyun’s words. The news was definitely life changing, and you knew that when you confessed this he might not take it well, but you weren’t expecting such a cold response. As Baekhyun got up from his desk and approached you, his eyes fixated on the pregnancy test you were fiddling with in your hands. He took it from you, looking it over.

“Take another one.”

“I have… that’s the third one… they’re all positive.”

“How long?”

“It’s been two days since I’ve missed… and I don’t know how far along I am. Maybe a week or two… we can go to the doctor and-”

“Get rid of it.”

“Wa… what?”

“I’ll cover all the expenses. Just let me know.”

“We need to talk about this. Are you sure-”

“You wanna keep it?”

“I… I don’t know…”

“Then think about it.” Baekhyun leaned over to kiss your head. “I have a meeting to get to, and I’ll probably be home late. So don’t wait up.”

“Okay…”

“Love you.”

“Me too.”

    Baekhyun handed you back the pregnancy test and grabbed his jacket on the way out of the office. You stayed in place, trying to understand exactly how that all went down. Eventually you looked back at the pregnancy test. You did need to think things through, you just thought you’d do that with Baekhyun. You returned to your bedroom, going over to the window and staring up at the sky. Truth was the two of you had always been careful. You were on the pill, and most of the time he’d wear a condom too. Of course that wasn’t always the case, but the fact that you were pregnant now brought up a lot.

    You two have been together for years now but you had never talked about the possibility of having kids. It never really came up, and perhaps you weren’t at that point in your life to talk about it either, but now here you were. Even if this decision would ultimately come down to your choice, you still wanted Baekhyun’s input. He seemed to be busy now, and you honestly didn’t have all the information. The first thing you needed to do was go to the doctor and get some answers. So you made a call, and luckily enough scheduled an appointment for tomorrow morning. You thought to tell Baekhyun about it, but given how he took the news, it was probably best to leave him out of it for the time being.

    You ate dinner alone, sitting in the silence of the dining room. It wasn’t the first time you had done this, but given the circumstances things felt far more lonely. You thought to stay up, wait up to see him and make sure he got home okay, but you’d probably just worry him if he found you passed out on the couch. Besides, you had an appointment tomorrow, so you should probably get to bed. You didn’t how late it was when you heard the shower, but you did manage to vaguely stay up until you felt the bed dip. Arms wrapped around you and pulled you close.

“… rough… night…”

“Hm… sleep well…”

“… ye…”

    In the morning you found yourself alone. It wasn’t the first time, but it certainly hit differently today. There was a note on the nightstand, Baekhyun explaining that something came up and he needed to go. You knew what type of work he did, so you understood these things happened, although you found it sweet he always took the time to leave you a message. He even pressed a kiss to the paper as his signature, and you softly kissed it back.

    You had a proper breakfast after you showered and dressed for the day, opting for a simple shirt and jacket with a skirt, and comfortable shoes. As you made your way down to the front entrance you noticed two guards. They weren’t usually there but you didn’t dwell on it, grabbing your car and house keys from the desk in the entrance hall. When you approached the door they got in your way, making it so you couldn’t leave.

“Could you move, please.”

“We’re under orders to keep you in the house, ma’am.”

“Excuse me? You must be mistaken, now move. I have an appointment and I don’t want to be late.”

“I’m sorry, but those are our orders.”

You scoffed. “Baekhyun would not keep me in this house. So move, or I will have you killed.”

“…”

“You may work for my husband, but don’t think I’m powerless.”

“No offense ma’am, but if we don’t follow orders, we are dead. So you’re staying here.”

“For fucks sake, your orders are to protect me. It’s just easier to do that when I’m contained in an enclosed space. So follow me out into town for all I care, but if you lay a finger on me, you’re dead.”

    You pushed them aside and walked out the front door. Soon enough you heard footsteps behind you. Baekhyun didn’t always put security on you, the people around here weren’t stupid enough to try anything, but he’d get paranoid every now and then. This was one of those times. Before either of those guards got any ideas you told them to get their own car and follow you like that if they wanted too.

    You started up your vehicle, checking the directions and getting on the road. It was a smooth ride, and you made it to your appointment, checking in early and waiting for a bit. You hadn’t seen a gynecologist in a while, and you were certainly overdue for things too. They’d probably mention all that while you were here, but this was about the pregnancy first and foremost. When you were called up you took a deep breath to calm your nerves.

    While you waited around in the exam room your eyes wandered to all the posters around. All talking about pregnancy and other things related to your reproductive organs, and their health. It was a bit nerve wracking seeing it all, but this was important. Once your doctor came in you went through the usual questions, and you began the examination. You found out you were three weeks pregnant, thinking back to a handful of nights that could have been the one. As far as the doctor was concerned you were healthy, and so was the baby. They began to go over what you’d need to do to take care of yourself, but there was a burning question in your mind.

“So… uh… how long do I have before… I can’t… not have the baby…”

“You have until late in your second trimester, which is about 22 weeks from conception. In simple terms, you have about five months.”

“I see.”

“If you intend to terminate the baby it would be best to do it during the earlier stages. You should speak to your partner about this and make a decision.”

“Yeah…”

    You were still going back and forth on the idea, but set up future appointments to keep up with your health and the development of the baby. You probably would have gone home, but there was a lot on your mind and you didn’t think driving would be the best idea now. So instead you walked down the street, looking at what was around until you found a good place for some snacks. The two guards that had followed you went in with you, but sat away from you, giving you space. Things didn’t feel so uncertain now, in regards to what was going on with your body, everything else was still shaky.

    You wanted nothing more than to talk to Baekhyun, to figure this out together, but you were scared how he’d react. It felt like it was too soon, and you did have some time to wait around.  Once you felt better you returned home, telling the guards you wouldn’t say anything about your outing if they didn’t wish to report it to your husband. Regardless of what they’d say, you were sure they were just relieved you were back home. You went to your room, wanting to soak in a warm bath, kinda wishing you could have a glass of wine, but it wouldn’t be good for the baby.

    When Baekhyun got home later you said nothing about your doctors visit, and he didn’t seem to know either. He was happy to see you though, and things felt like nothing had changed. He told you about his day, being vague and not giving details, but the way he spoke kept your interest. Even if his work was dangerous, you understood that at its core this was all just business, and it kept you safe. You had dinner together, followed by a couples shower. Things might have gone further but you were both quite tired, and settled for snuggling in bed. For a while things were like before between you, but at some point you’d have to address the elephant in the room.

“Not this again…”

    You were planning to go out for some minor errands when you noticed two guards at the door. Baekhyun was home in his office today, but he never had guards posted at the door because of that. So clearly this was about you, and you rolled your eyes as you went over to his office. Usually you’d knock, he could be on an important call, but you didn’t care to do it this time around, just bursting in.

“What’s with the lockdown protocol?”

“Huh?”

“The guards posted at the door. Why can’t I leave?”

“Who said you can’t leave?”

“You did this last time! The guards wouldn’t let me leave cause they had orders to keep me in the house! What gives?!” “Oh, that was different. They’re meant to accompany you.”

“Accompany me?”

“Aren’t you going to the doctors today?”

“Huh? Why would I go to the doctors? And why would I need an escort!”

“Well I figured you’d want an escort for the procedure. So you’re not alone afterwards.”

“Procedure? Wait, you think I’m getting an abortion?”’

“Aren’t you?”

“No. Why would-”

“We’ve talked about this. We already-”

“No, we didn’t talk. You yelled at me.”

“So you want to keep it?”

“I don’t know, but I’d really like to talk to you about it.”

“Fine, let’s talk then.” Baekhyun stood up. “I don’t want a kid. Do you have any idea how dangerous having a kid in this line of work is?”

“Obviously, but you are well respected in this world. No one would dare touch me, and-”

“A kid is a different story. I know you can handle yourself, but a child can’t.”

“So what? You wouldn’t protect it out in the world? You-”

“I can’t possibly trust anyone in a school environment. Too many variables, too many dangers, too many situations a child can get hurt in.”

“There’s always home schooling and-”

“Why are we talking as if you’re keeping it?”

“I just… I…”

“Do you want to keep it?”

“I… I don’t know, alright. I already went to the doctors before. I’m three weeks along, and I have a few months before things would be dangerous. I know I shouldn’t drag this out but I really wanted to talk to you, and this isn’t how I thought this would go down, but…” You took a moment. “You’ve made up your mind then, you don’t want to have a kid?”

“No. I don’t want you going through all that shit. You’re all I need.”

    Baekhyun came over to you and pulled you into his arms. He rocked you to the sides and rubbed your back, humming a soft melody. Even if this wasn’t how you thought the conversation would go, you at least had an answer from him. It was a much easier decision for him to make, whereas for you there was a lot more involved than a yes or no. Still, now you knew where Baekhyun stood in all this.

“Do you want me to take you to the doctors then?”

“No. I have a lot to think about…”

“What else is there?”

“A lot for me.”

“Then what’s the point of asking me?”

“I didn’t get myself pregnant here, Baekhyun. I wanted to know where you stood in all this, but it’s still my body, my choice.”

“If I don’t want it then what does it matter?”

“Ya! I’m the one who would-”

“Is it really mine?”

    You were stunned into silence, staring at Baekhyun in disbelief. Soon enough anger bubbled to the surface and you attempted to slap him. He caught your arm with ease, smirking at the attempt.

“Did I hit a nerve?”

“How dare you insinuate I’d ever cheat on you! After all these years! Does this marriage mean nothing to you?!”

“I’m just checking all my bases here. You’ve been strange lately.”

“Cause I found out I’m pregnant! And if it’s not yours then you need to find whoever assaulted me!” You couldn’t help the tears building up. “I can’t believe you…”

    You yanked your arm away and quickly left the office before the tears started to fall. This whole situation was stressing you out and instead of being a comfort he was being the worst person ever. For a moment you questioned why you married him in the first place, but you took a breath and calmed yourself down. You couldn’t stay in the house, so you grabbed your things and stormed out, ignoring the guards trying to follow. You knew you shouldn’t be driving so you got a cab and blurted out the address of a friend.

    When you got to Mark’s place you let yourself in, having a key he gave you a long time. You knew he wouldn’t be home for a while so you went through his snack cabinet, getting yourself something and collapsed on the couch. You put on some TV to help you take your mind off things. Of course Baekhyun tried to call you, but you didn’t want to hear his apologies or whatever right now. Eventually Mark came home. He was surprised to see you, but mostly concerned.

“What brings you by? Usually you call.”

“Just thought to surprise you.”

“If that was true you wouldn’t have been laid out on my couch.”

    You didn’t tell Mark you were pregnant, especially so early on when you hadn’t made a decision yet. So you just told him the two of you fought and he practically accused you of cheating on him. You broke down in tears then, saying this out loud making it real and not something you can just bury. Mark comforted you through your tears, wanting to assure you that everything was going to be alright.

“Couples fighting is normal. You're bound to disagree on things and get upset over it. I guess this is your first major fight."

“You could say that."

“He loves you, you know that. I'm sure once you both cool down you'll make up and be okay."

“I hope so."

    You stayed with Mark for a while, but you knew you had to go home before it got late. Baekhyun was surely worried when you left, and if you didn't come home soon he'd send out all his men to find you. Mark didn't need to get caught up in all that, so you thanked him for being your shoulder to cry on. He saw you out and got you a cab, telling you everything was going to be alright. The sun had already gone down as you were on your way home. You stared out the window, seeing what the world had to offer. It was what you’d expect to see, people on their way home or going out, but one thing in particular caught your attention.

    A couple had parked their car on the street side, one of them holding a baby while the other was getting the stroller out of the back. You watched for as long as you could, seeing the smiles they shared with each other, and with their baby. A hand trailed down to your stomach as you watched before you drove off. You never really thought about having a kid before, but there was no one else you’d rather have a family with than Baekhyun. You knew he was against it, and you understood the dangers, and his line of work, but you wanted to try, you wanted to be a mother, you wanted to have this kid. When you got home Baekhyun rushed to embrace you, relieved you were back.

“I’ve been so worried.”

“I’m sorry…”

“No, that’s on me. I shouldn’t have said something so stupid. I know you wouldn’t do such a thing. Please, forgive me.”

“I know you didn’t mean it, but it still hurt.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m gonna be pouty about it for a while longer.”

Baekhyun sighed. “That’s fine. Just promise to let me know when you want to take care of this.”

“About that…”

“What?”

“I’ve made a decision.”

“About what?”

“I… I want to keep the baby…”

“Y/n, we-”

“I know what you said, but it’s my body, and ultimately my choice.”

“Y/n-”

“I know… but I want a family… with you.”

“No.”

“You say that now, but I’m sure you’ll come around and-”

“If I don’t?”

“What?”

“What if I don’t come around? What will you do with a child I don’t want?”

“I… does no part of you want to be a father? At all?”

“No. Not in this line of work.”

“Think outside that for a second and just-”

“I’ve heard enough of this discussion. Tomorrow you are going to the doctors and getting rid of this idea, okay?”

“… no…”

“Y/n-”

“I said no! I want a family, Baekhyun! I want to have a kid running around these halls. I want to see you smile as you look at your child. I want more than this…”

“Y/n…” Baekhyun took your hands. “I’m sorry. This is my fault for not being more careful with you. I didn’t mean to get these ideas in your head-”

“Shut up!” You stepped back. “What about me? Doesn’t my happiness matter here? All you care about is yourself, and how this would affect you, but what about me?”

“I’ve told you how I feel about this. What are you going to do then? Raise it on your own? Cause I am not giving-”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“I’ve made up my mind. I’m having this baby, with or without you.” You took a moment. “I’ll grab some things of mine and leave. Tomorrow I’ll go see a divorce lawyer.”

“You can’t be serious y/n. After-”

    You ignored his words and walked past him, heading upstairs. He kept calling out to you, but you didn’t pay attention. He didn’t like this side of you, chasing after you and grabbing your arm. This conversation was just going in circles so you didn’t have any intentions to start it again. Although Baekhyun was getting more frustrated with your actions, and the two of you wound up arguing.

“Let me go!”

“Talk to me! You can’t just-”

“I’ve said my peace, now let go!”

“Not until you talk!”

    Despite your attempts to free yourself, Baekhyun’s grip was firm, and because of that you lost your footing. You collapsed down the steps, feeling every bit of pain from where you got hit, only getting relief when you finally reached the floor. Your vision was still spinning, and the edges of your vision were getting dark. For a moment you noticed Baekhyun reaching out to you, his voice muffled and distant. You felt a tear slide down your face as everything went black, not from the pain, but fear that you had lost something.

🖤

    The world slowly started to fade in from the darkness. You heard the soft sounds of machines, feeling warmth surround you, a hand holding yours, and muffled sniffling. It was a bit of a struggle but you managed to open your eyes, taking in your surroundings. You were in the hospital, Baekhyun at your side and holding your hand. His head was down and he was mumbling to himself.

“Baekhyun…”

“Y/n!”

    The boy immediately jumped up, and you could see that his eyes were red from tears. He was relieved to be able to look into your eyes, and then the tears started flowing again. He fell to his knees but kept a hold of your hand.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry y/n. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

“Baekhyun…”

“Yes, what is it? Does it hurt? I’ll call the nurse so-”

“Baekhyun…”

    You squeezed his hand with what little strength you had. Now you were the one with tears in your eyes. You were afraid to ask, but you had to.

“… the baby…”

    Baekhyun looked away from you, and you feared the worst. You were already starting to choke on your tears when he leaned down to kiss your head.

“The baby is alright… I’m sorry I did this…”

    The tears still flowed and you squeezed his hand again. All you could feel was relief despite everything that had happened.

“I’m sorry I was so hard on you about this. Something like this never should have happened.” Baekhyun took a moment. “I was afraid to lose you over the news… and then I almost really lost you… I’m sorry…”

“Don’t cry… I’ll be okay… we both will…”

“What you said before, about leaving. You can’t, please.”

“Baekhyun…”

“I was wrong, okay, about what I said. I’m just afraid…”

“Of what?”

“What if I’m not a good father… what if I can’t protect our child? What if I can’t protect you?”

“You think I don’t feel that same… all parents worry about that… but we have each other… and we’ll give everything we have…”

“I’m sorry. I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

“We’ll figure this out… together… okay?”

“Yes. Yes, I promise. I won’t leave you, or our kid.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

[elysiangroundsforall]

In The Course of It ...

"You're my only Bambi, Bambi"

Ch-6

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of preparation. Now that the semi-final lineup was announced, our training intensified even more. Every day was packed with vocal exercises, dance rehearsals, and occasional media training sessions. The stakes were higher than ever, and the pressure was mounting.

One afternoon, we were in the dance studio practicing a new routine. The atmosphere was tense, with everyone focused on perfecting each step. The dance instructor, a stern woman with a sharp eye, watched us closely, correcting even the smallest mistakes.

"Y/N, more energy in your movements," she called out, and I nodded, pushing myself harder.

As the session ended, we all collapsed onto the floor, drenched in sweat but satisfied with our progress. Soojin handed me a water bottle, and I took a long drink, grateful for the break.

"You're improving so much, Y/N," she said, smiling.

"Thanks, Soojin. You too," I replied, catching my breath.

Just then, Baekhyun walked into the studio, and the atmosphere shifted. We all stood up, instantly alert. He had that effect on us—his presence commanded attention.

"How's the practice going?" he asked, his gaze sweeping over the group.

"Good, Baekhyun-nim," we responded in unison.

He nodded, then walked over to the mirrors, where we had been practicing our routine. "Show me what you've been working on."

We quickly got into position, and the music started. As we danced, I could feel Baekhyun's eyes on us, analyzing every move. I pushed myself to give it everything I had, feeling the music flow through me.

When the routine ended, we stood there, panting and waiting for his feedback. Baekhyun smiled, a rare sight that instantly lifted our spirits.

"That was impressive," he said. "I can see the hard work you're putting in. Keep it up, and remember to always connect with the music. Make sure your emotions shine through."

His words were like fuel to a fire, reigniting our determination. As he left the room, I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my chest. Over the past few months, my admiration for him had only grown, but now it was becoming something more.

Later that evening, as I sat in the dormitory common room with Hana and Minseo, I found myself lost in thought.

"What's on your mind, Y/N?" Minseo asked, nudging me.

I hesitated for a moment before speaking. "It's Baekhyun… I can't stop thinking about him."

Hana looked up from her phone, her eyes widening. "You mean, like, a crush?"

I nodded slowly, feeling my cheeks flush. "Yeah, I think so. It’s just… he’s so talented, and he’s always so supportive. I know he’s our CEO, but I can’t help how I feel."

Minseo smiled softly. "It's understandable. He's a great guy, and he's been there for us through this whole process. But just be careful, Y/N. These feelings can get complicated."

"I know," I sighed. "But it's hard to ignore."

Hana patted my shoulder. "We're here for you, no matter what. Just take it one day at a time."

As we sat there, I realized that this crush was more than just admiration. It was something deeper, something that both excited and scared me. But I knew I had to keep my focus. The upcoming months would be crucial, and I couldn't afford any distractions.

Still, the thought of Baekhyun lingered in my mind, making my heart race every time I saw him. It was a feeling I would have to learn to navigate, especially with so much at stake.

The morning after the semi-final lineup announcement, the air in the dorms was filled with a mixture of relief and anticipation. We were all thrilled to have made it this far, but we knew the real challenge was only just beginning. Every day was a chance to prove ourselves, to show that we were worthy of the final lineup.

Despite the rigorous schedule, I found myself growing more confident with each practice session. My voice was strong, my dance moves were sharp, and I could feel myself improving in ways I hadn’t expected. I wasn’t struggling with high notes or complex choreography anymore. Instead, I was focused, driven by the goal ahead.

The days passed in a blur of rehearsals and meetings, with every moment spent refining our skills. Baekhyun often dropped by to observe our progress, offering tips and encouragement. Each time he entered the room, I felt a flutter of excitement—one that I tried to ignore but found increasingly difficult to dismiss.

One afternoon, after a particularly intense dance practice, I found myself alone in the vocal room, running through the song we were working on. The notes came easily, flowing from me without effort. I was so lost in the music that I didn’t notice when Baekhyun quietly slipped into the room.

“You’ve got a great voice, Y/N,” he said, startling me out of my focus.

I turned, heart skipping a beat. “Oh! I didn’t see you there.”

He smiled, stepping closer. “Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to tell you that you’re doing really well. You’ve made a lot of progress.”

“Thank you,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the nervous flutter in my stomach.

“You seem more confident now,” he continued, leaning casually against the piano. “It’s good to see. Confidence is key in this industry.”

I nodded, unsure of what to say. Being around Baekhyun always left me a little tongue-tied, not because I was intimidated, but because I was starting to realize just how much I admired him—not just as an idol, but as a person.

He must have noticed my silence because he gave me a warm, encouraging smile. “Don’t let anything shake that confidence, okay? You’re exactly where you need to be.”

I smiled back, feeling a warmth spread through me at his words. “I won’t,” I promised.

As Baekhyun left the room, I sat back down at the piano, my fingers gently brushing over the keys. The notes I played were soft, almost reflective, as I tried to process the strange mix of emotions swirling inside me. I was focused on my training, determined to secure my place in the group, but there was no denying that Baekhyun was becoming a bigger part of my thoughts.

That evening, as I lay in bed, I replayed our conversation over and over in my mind. I couldn’t help but smile at the way he had looked at me, the way his words had lifted my spirits. It was becoming clear that my admiration for Baekhyun was turning into something deeper, something I hadn’t anticipated.

But as much as I found myself drawn to him, I knew I couldn’t let these feelings get in the way of my goal. I had worked too hard to let anything distract me now. With a deep breath, I closed my eyes, focusing on the future I wanted to achieve—a future where I was on stage, fulfilling the dream I had worked so hard for.

Yet, as I drifted off to sleep, Baekhyun’s smile lingered in my thoughts, a gentle reminder of the new and unexpected emotions I was beginning to grapple with.

After the semi-final lineup was announced, the atmosphere in the dorms shifted. While the nine of us who made it were excited and motivated, there was an undeniable tension in the air. The trainees who hadn’t been selected tried to remain supportive, but some couldn’t hide their disappointment.

One trainee in particular, Eunji, seemed to take the news especially hard. Eunji was incredibly talented—a strong vocalist with sharp dance skills—and many of us had thought she was a shoo-in for the final lineup. But when her name wasn’t called, she grew distant, barely speaking to anyone.

At first, I tried to reach out to her. We had been close during the early stages of training, and it hurt to see her so upset. “Eunji, I know this is hard, but you’re so talented. I’m sure you’ll have other opportunities,” I told her one evening after practice.

She gave me a tight smile. “Thanks, Y/N. I’m fine. Just need some time to process, you know?”

I nodded, hoping she would bounce back soon. But as the days went on, things started to change. Eunji’s distant behavior became more pointed. She would make snide comments under her breath when we passed in the halls, and I started noticing that small things of mine would go missing—hair ties, practice notes, even my favorite water bottle. At first, I thought I was just being forgetful, but then it became clear that something was off.

One day, I was in the practice room going over choreography when I noticed my dance sneakers were missing. I was sure I had left them in my locker the night before, but they were nowhere to be found. I searched everywhere, growing increasingly frustrated. It was just another in a series of strange occurrences, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that Eunji had something to do with it.

Just as I was about to give up, Hana walked in, noticing the distress on my face. “What’s wrong?” she asked, concern evident in her voice.

“My sneakers are gone. I swear I left them in my locker last night, but now they’re missing,” I explained, running a hand through my hair in frustration.

Hana frowned. “This isn’t the first time something of yours has gone missing, right?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s been happening a lot lately.”

Hana seemed to consider something for a moment before speaking. “You think it could be Eunji?”

I hesitated. “I don’t want to accuse her without proof, but… I don’t know. She’s been acting so differently since the lineup was announced.”

Hana sighed. “I’ve noticed that too. She’s obviously hurt, but that doesn’t give her the right to mess with you like this.”

We decided to keep an eye on things, but I couldn’t let it consume me. The final evaluations were coming up, and I needed to stay focused. But the strange incidents didn’t stop. My sheet music would be rearranged, my practice outfits were swapped with ones that were too small, and once, I even found my vocal warm-up notes in the trash.

Despite everything, I did my best to push through. I spent more time in the practice rooms, working late into the night to make up for any setbacks. Baekhyun noticed my exhaustion one evening and pulled me aside. “You’re working hard, Y/N, but don’t burn yourself out,” he advised, his tone gentle.

“I just want to make sure I’m ready,” I replied, not wanting to reveal the turmoil I was facing.

He smiled at me, his eyes full of understanding. “You’re doing great. Just remember to take care of yourself too.”

His words gave me a sense of comfort, but they also made me more determined. I wasn’t going to let Eunji or anyone else sabotage my chances. I had worked too hard to let something like this take me down.

The final straw came a week before the next evaluation. I walked into the practice room early one morning and found a note taped to the mirror. It was in Eunji’s handwriting, and it read: “You’re not as good as you think. Give up before you embarrass yourself.”

My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the note. I knew I couldn’t ignore this anymore. It was one thing to deal with minor inconveniences, but this was an outright attempt to break my spirit.

I took a deep breath, crumpling the note in my hand. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me upset. Instead, I channeled all my anger and frustration into my practice. Every dance move was sharper, every vocal note stronger. I could feel myself improving, despite everything that was happening.

When the day of the final evaluation arrived, I was ready. I walked into the room with my head held high, determined to show everyone, including Eunji, that I wasn’t going anywhere.

As I performed, I could feel Baekhyun’s eyes on me, watching every move, every note. When I finished, there was a moment of silence before he stood up, clapping slowly. “Well done, Y/N,” he said, a proud smile on his face.

I felt a surge of pride and relief. I had done it. No matter what happened next, I knew I had given it my all.

As I left the room, I passed Eunji in the hallway. She didn’t say anything, just glared at me with a look that could cut glass. But I didn’t let it faze me. I had come too far to be brought down by her bitterness.

Hana was waiting for me outside, her face lighting up when she saw me. “How did it go?”

“I think it went well,” I replied, smiling. “I think I finally proved I belong here.”

And as we walked back to the dorms together, I knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, I was ready to face them head-on. I had earned my place in this group, and I wasn’t going to let anyone take it away from me.

Ch 7 >>