#Hakxyona | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

notchesandbullets · 4 years

Text

Halloween Special: Caramel Apples and Tricksters [Oneshot] Modern AU (Part 2/2)

Part 2

Words: 4.5k

He wasn't due to be back until January. She couldn't believe her eyes. She hadn't had contact with him ever since he left for the mission that she knew no details of.

He had left soon after they had their first date together and at the time, she brushed it off, genuinely understanding that he had no control over when he was called away. But that didn't mean it didn't impact her and over time, everyone had started to notice the change in her mood.

She was less active, more mopey. And got very easily irritated at one point when she blew up at Hak over something small. They sympathized with her though, well aware that they all had a habit of getting disheartened whenever one of them was away while the rest of them had to stay behind.

For her though, it was more pronounced when Shin-ah went away.

"You're really here?" Calista whispered, afraid if she spoke too loud she would shatter whatever beautiful dream this was.

Somewhere, deep inside of her there was a fear that she was hallucinating. That none of this was real. Halloween was great, but if this was a prank, she wanted nothing to do with this holiday anymore.

The suitcase in his grasp fell to the ground as he rushed forward, crushing her in a tight hug, erasing any fears she had that this wasn't real.

His scent consumed her senses and Calista made a noise that sounded like a cross between a laugh of happiness and a sob of disbelief. He pulled back, touching his forehead to hers as his thumbs rubbed circles on her lower back.

She couldn't suppress the choked out gasp that tumbled from her lips, blinking up at him with so much joy that she was surprised she didn't just combust right then and there from how hot she felt. He was so warm, bringing with him a peace she had been without for far too long.

Golden eyes softened as they locked gazes with silver orbs, and a loving smile stretched across his face.

"Hi..." He whispered quietly, throat scratchy from lack of use.

The mission hadn't required him to communicate with anyone else, and he saw no need to needlessly carry a conversation with himself during cold nights. But he sure missed her.

Calista giggled happily, and he closed his eyes at the sound as she brushed over the back of his neck with her fingers. "Hey, you."

An amused cough from behind him made them jump apart in embarrassment but the girl in his arms squealed excitedly as she caught sight of who it was.

"Old man!!" Calista cheered, then doubled over with laughter as Mundok's face blanked at the informal greeting.

Taking the bags from his hands, she pecked his cheek, making up for her rudeness. "Long time no see, Gramps."

He narrowed his one good eye at his granddaughter, but there was no menace behind it. "Yeah, yeah. Where are those grandsons of mine? Not getting into trouble, are we?"

"Oh, Gramps." She tossed over her shoulder as she made her way back inside. "You know us. We never go looking for trouble."

"Yeah right." He muttered under his breath, not believing a word she said for a second, cracking a lopsided smile at the sound of her laughter.

Mundok had found his way through the mansion where the others were with practiced ease that came from frequent visits, though she supposed it helped that the noisy shouting was only coming from one part of the house.

Shin-ah shut the front door behind him, taking off his shoes carefully so that he didn't trek dirt in the house. He made his way towards the stairs to put his things away and get changed out of his gear when Calista suddenly darted in front of him.

She threw out her arms on either side of her body to halt him, slightly elevated since she was on the first step of the stair, and she frowned slightly as she studied him from head to toe. From this position, they weren't exactly eye to eye, but they were pretty close. Shin-ah just waited patiently, aware of what she was doing.

It was routine.

They had always made sure the other was okay when they returned from an assignment, although she had a much longer track record than he did when it came to skirting past medical assistance. It wasn't entirely her fault, but it was her belief when it came to prioritizing others over herself and the protective, blue-haired man was more than attentive to catch any injuries she tried to slip past the others.

Calista jerked her chin past him, folding her arms over her chest stubbornly. Shin-ah obeyed the cue, turning around and then walking and jumping a couple of times so that she could assess his state. Through it all, he noticed her bottom lip was never freed from in between her teeth.

He doubted she knew what she was doing. She had a habit of unconsciously biting her lip when she was concentrating.

Cute. He thought to himself as he approached her, resting a hand on the railing next to her.

Shifting his weight, he leaned against the post, a smile quirking up at the edge of his mouth ever so slightly at the innocent expression on her face.

"... Am I cleared?" He asked quietly, nose flaring ever so slightly in amusement as she dramatically pretended to think it over.

Humming a noise of disregard, Calista ran her hands over his torso, checking for any hidden scrapes or broken bones that she might have missed. But the way he stiffened under her fingertips had her freezing, snapping her head up to ask what was wrong.

However, before she could say a word, her back met the wall and her vision swam. Slightly disoriented, she shook her head, then her eyes widened in astonishment. His arms were positioned above her, caging her in between him and the unyielding wall behind her.

Labored pants puffed out against her forehead and she craned her neck to see what was the matter, more worried that he had hurt himself rather than the compromising position she found herself in.

She had to check. "Shin-ah?"

The small shake of his head had that train of thought instantly diminishing, knowing that he wouldn't have lied to her when she asked him seriously. But his breathing didn't even out and she was growing more concerned.

"Is it smoke? Was there a fire? Do you need to go to the hospital?" She fired questions at him rapidly, anxiety rising as he failed to answer her in time.

A slim forefinger placed against her lips shushed her immediately.

"Don't... do that." Shin-ah finally managed to get out, shuddering against her when her fingers ran comfortingly along his arms.

Her eyes widened, an apology on the tip of her tongue when he gently pressed his lips against hers. Warmth exploded from her heart, scorching a path up to her brain, short-circuiting the wires there.

Calista smacked her lips together after he pulled away, one thing coming through the delirium filling her head. "Did I do something wrong?"

He shook his head again, this time frustrated with himself. He didn't know how to tell her.

"If you do that... I don't... know what will happen..."

After a whole month without her, he felt like he was going crazy. But he was not going to lose control before he made an honest woman out of her. That's what his father had always taught him.

Going that long without her presence, her touch, he found himself craving more. Her skin wasn't even on his and he felt his mind going hazy with desire.

Pressing his forehead against hers, he fought to calm himself down, heart rate eventually following.

Calista kept her hands to her sides, murmuring reassurances into his ear in case he needed it. "I'll come upstairs with you, alright? I'm sorry I pushed you."

He detected the hint of guilt in her voice, and his eyes darkened. "You didn't."

She gave him a smile that told him she didn't fully believe it, so he took her hand, squeezing it encouragingly.

"I promise." He said quietly. "I just... I..."

"I know."

This time, she smiled a real smile. Hearing his small sigh of relief, she flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. His arms automatically found its place around her waist, holding her against him securely.

He had missed this. When she could read what was on his mind because she just knew him that well. He missed her.

She had missed this. Him safe and sound in front of her. She had missed him.

But now he was back and they were together again.

Following him up the stairs and into their room, Calista shut the door to block out the hyper clamor coming from downstairs and to give them a moment of privacy.

He began to pull the black shirt over his head, muscles rippling in its wake as he reached for a clean one in their shared closet. He undressed the rest of the way swiftly, putting on a pair of jeans after he took off his tactical gear.

There wasn't anything sexual about the way Calista scanned him over and likewise, he needed her company more than anything else after being deprived of contact with her for the duration of his month long mission.

It was supposed to be longer than that, but he couldn't wait anymore, storming in the establishment to get the information they needed.

His girl was back home, waiting for him.

There was something so normal about seeing him in a casual outfit that Calista had to blink twice. He usually wasn't so willing to relax after a mission, tending to be hypersensitive to his surroundings so much so that he blocked out everyone for the first couple of days that followed.

This one must have been difficult if he was this eager to put it behind him.

Calista silently unpacked his suitcase for him, taking care of the weapons first before sorting through the rumpled clothes haphazardly thrown in there, deciding what needed to be washed and what didn't.

There was something so domestic about this, something so normal for a second, she couldn't remember exactly what they did for a living.

He came up behind her, burying his nose into her neck and inhaling her scent. Encircling her middle, he closed his eyes as she took care of his things for him. If he had enough willpower, he would have done it himself or left it until tomorrow to deal with, but he knew she liked to take care of him whenever she could.

And he didn't have it in him to stop her this time.

They stayed like that for a while. Calista couldn't bring herself to wake him up since he finally was breathing easily ever since he walked through the door but her legs were starting to fall asleep.

"Shin-ah..." She coaxed, running her hands over his lightly. "C'mon, if you aren't up for seeing the others yet then let's take a nap, okay?"

He nodded against her neck, letting himself be led to the bed. But he didn't lie down. Instead, he propped himself up against the headboard, opening his arms up to her childishly.

"... Cuddles..." He mumbled with an adorable pout.

Calista giggled, pushing away his hands that latched onto her sweatshirt as he tried to bring her to bed. "I have to make sure you're okay first. And are you sure you don't want to sleep? You look exhausted."

Stubbornly shaking his head, he let out an affronted noise that sounded vaguely familiar to the one she had made earlier, making her smile slightly.

"Want to see the others..." He admitted quietly, fiddling with his thumbs. "Missed... you guys..."

She kissed the top of his head. "We missed you, too."

He whined as she pulled away from him yet again, making grabby hands for her as she floated around the room, putting away various things.

She heard him whine her name, but refused to turn around. She could practically envision the pout he was wearing and that image made her giggle.

Shin-ah was indeed pouting once she faced him, staring at her through weary but happy eyes. His head tilted in confusion when she made no move to come any closer, another desperate whine bubbling at the back of his throat.

Sensing his rising despair, Calista's lips twitched, silver eyes alight with humor. She had been observing him, noting that he was favoring one side of his leg. "I just need to make sure you're okay, alright?"

The bottom lip pushed out further, golden eyes dampening with sadness.

"... Cuddles..." He insisted softly, a slight plea at the end of it.

Sighing in defeat, she paraded towards him in a theatrical fashion that evoked a laugh from the exhausted soldier. Carefully, she settled comfortably in between his legs, pulling the blanket over them both to keep warm.

Calista snuggled into Shin-ah's chest, subtly breathing in the scent on the oversized sweatshirt draped over her smaller form. It was falling off of her shoulder, but she didn't care. A mischievous smile played on the edge of her lips as his slim fingers toyed with the hem.

He nudged her ear with his nose, a slight smile curling on the edge of his mouth as he whispered, "Is this mine?"

Calista flashed him a smirk, eyes twinkling slyly. "... Maybe."

The dark blue garment that reached her upper thigh definitely was his.

Her jaw dropped open in a soundless gasp as he kissed her exposed shoulder, head lolling back onto his as he continued his gentle onslaught.

Peppering butterfly kisses not-so-discreetly to the base of her neck, she shivered against him, accidentally lifting her torso up and away from him. As she twisted her head around to apologize for the unintentional action, she burst into giggles at the adorable pout he was adorning.

He had pushed out his bottom lip as far as it would go, cheeks puffed out, forlorn that she had escaped his kisses and she couldn't help it. He was just so cute.

Pinching his cheek lightly, she tugged it with a light laugh before releasing it and booping his nose softly.

It scrunched up cutely and his golden eyes blinked at her innocently.

Calista bit her lip, containing her giggles for now as her heart flip-flopped in her chest and urged him to get up.

"If you have all of this energy, how about we go say hi to the others?"

Shin-ah nodded eagerly, rejuvenated from his time with her. Together, the two raced each other downstairs, bursting into the rowdy family room packed with their family and friends.

Tae-jun and Heuki-chi were still on the couch, where she saw them last. Mundok and Gi-gan were talking quietly in the corner, keeping an eye on the children and the triplets who were stuffing their cheeks with taffy apples in the kitchen.

A half empty casserole dish sat on the granite countertops, and Calista steered toward that direction, wondering if Shin-ah had anything to eat yet today.

Yoon was asleep on Jae-ha, the elder making sure not to move too much so that he didn't wake the youngest up. Hak and Kija didn't cap their volume despite the slumbering boy, shooting insults back and forth, engaged in yet another shouting match. Yona wasn't even bothering to try and stop them, completely absorbed with who had just stepped up into the area.

"Shin-ah?!" She squealed excitedly.

As she ran over to give him a hug, the others followed. Jae-ha jerked Yoon awake, the pretty boy flailing for a second to get his bearings.

Kija couldn't restrain himself, flinging his body over his startled brother in a very enthusiastic greeting. While he was draped over his shoulders like a koala, Hak clapped him on the back.

"Good to have you back."

Shin-ah dipped his head in greeting, making no move to pry Kija off as Zeno joyfully hugged him.

The welcome was warm, and soon after his brothers had released him, he almost crashed to the floor as Hani collided into his legs. Steadying the little girl quickly, Shin-ah patted the beaming girl on the head, eyes soft as she began to ramble, telling him of everything he missed out on while he was gone.

It turned out that they were in the middle of an Apples to Apples game, and Kija was furious that Hak didn't choose his card to be the winner.

"It wasn't funny." The dark-haired man commented dryly.

"YOU HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMOR!!!!"

"Jae-ha..." Yona began, exasperated.

"Of course, Yona dear."

Two identical cries of pain erupted from the bickering men as the eldest flicked their foreheads, a little trick he learned from Yoon. Grumbling, Kija settled down at the reprimanding, Hak only following suit as he saw the death glare in Yoon's eyes.

They resumed their game, the triplets joining in once they polished off their caramel apples. Hani and Tae-yeon crowded around them, peering at the fast-paced game with curious eyes and enthusiastic shouts as they encouraged Zeno to kick everybody's butts.

Calista was busy feeding Shin-ah in the kitchen, putting an apple pie that Yoon had made earlier in the oven to bake.

Mundok gazed at his grandchildren. All of them were technically his. He had adopted them once he was made aware of their difficult situations, particularly the four nicknamed the "Dragons".

Jae-ha's guardian was abused, so he was abusive to him growing up. Kija's parents had rejected him entirely, and so had Shin-ah's. Although Shin-ah's mentor, Ao, took him in at an early age so he was the only one out of all the four that had a somewhat reliable guardian. Zeno was an orphan, and automatically adopted once he had met the energetic, golden-haired kid.

"Alright!!" Yona clapped her hands together to catch everyone's attention as they finished the seventh round of Apples to Apples. "Time to get ready to go trick-or-treating!!"

The children and the triplets shot off like a rocket, crashing into a few things as they rounded the sharp corner to scamper up the stairs to where their costumes were at. The girls followed after them, reassuring Gi-gan that she could leave it to them.

Yona helped Tae-yeon put on his wizard costume while Calista helped Hani into her ladybug one. The girls cooed at how adorable they were once they finished, ushering them out the door with Mundok, Gi-gan, Tae-jun, Heuk-chi and the triplets.

The triplets were technically too old to be trick-or-treating, but no one really cared enough to stop them. They were having fun and that was all that mattered.

They had the fireplace going and as Hak and Jae-ha distributed mugs of hot cocoa, Zeno popped in a horror movie before skipping back to his seat on the sofa. Kija was already shaking in his seat, being forced to watch it by Jae-ha. Even though he was furiously denying that he didn't scare easily, everyone knew that he wouldn't last five minutes.

Shin-ah popped some popcorn and Calista grabbed some candy that she and Yona had bought earlier.

Their group was a black hole of endless snacking. There always had to be some sort of chocolate or sweets in their home or else someone would come back with a monstrous pile of it.

Yoon had banned Jae-ha from the store for a week.

Calista had no idea how he did that, seeing as how he didn't even own the store or have any connection to them.

The movie played, cutting to gruesome scenes that had them all either rolling their eyes at how unrealistic it was or freezing at the sight of blood.

Tucked into Shin-ah's side, Calista trembled against him as the scene played out. Objectively, she knew this was all fictional, but her brain was telling her another thing. Horror movies were always a hit-or-miss with her, and even though she knew this was a bad idea, she didn't want to ruin the fun atmosphere by being the first one to dip out.

Kija was still watching, she could handle a few more minutes.

But she must have disturbed the man beside her because in a few seconds, Shin-ah had bundled her up in a blanket and whisked her away to the living room. None of the others noticed, too captured by the moving pictures to pay attention to what was going on.

Swallowing hard as he finally set her down, Calista's wild eyes found his golden ones, his eyes piercing through her panic-induced haze.

She tried to match her breathing to his, but kept choking on air from doing it too fast. This one wasn't as bad as previous ones she has had before, and she was able to ground herself, eventually calming down all the way.

A concerned gaze held hers and she winced, already knowing what he was going to say to her.

"... Are you okay?"

"You don't have to watch it..."

"It's okay to be scared."

So she was surprised when he guided her head into his shoulder, rocking her back and forth soothingly.

"I'm right here..." He murmured softly, stroking her back.

A quiet chuckle escaped her. "I've missed you saying that."

The banging of the front door flying open had them both on their feet within milliseconds. But their defensive stance eased once Hani and Opal came zipping in with the others not far behind.

Calista laughed breathlessly at the way their costumes were practically in tatters.

"Every year." She shook her head, doing her best not to laugh. "How does this always happen? How dangerous could trick-or-treating be?"

A black, fuzzy creature was thrusted into her face, and she had to pull back just to process what Hani was proudly holding up.

"A cat?!" Calista exclaimed in shock. "Where did you find a cat?!?!"

Hani gazed down sadly at the docile kitten in her arms. "She was wandering the streets all alone. Some of the big kids were being mean to her, so I decided to take her home!!"

Lifting an eyebrow at Gi-gan who had just strolled in with Mundok, Calista pointed to the cat. "How in the world...?"

The elder woman shrugged. "What do I care, she can do whatever she likes."

Hani squealed, speeding towards the family room with Tae-yeon so that she could show the others.

Calista could hear vague comments being made about the cat from the other room, and she clapped a hand over her mouth when she heard Hak call it a furball of darkness. Judging by the thud and then the agonized cry, Hani didn't like that very much.

"Don't be mean to her!!" Hani shouted at the man that towered over her, not scared in the slightest.

Placing her hands on the little girl's shoulders, Calista steered her away from her brother who was gripping his foot in pain.

"C'mon, little one. Let's find something for her to eat, okay?" She suggested, spinning around to shoot a glare at Hak when she skipped off to do just that. "And you. Be nice."

"I'm always nice, Bat-Ears."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are NOT."

"Are TOO."

"ARGH, BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!!!" Yoon exploded. Then, in a much more calm manner, he announced, "Apple pie's ready."

Opal was the first one by his side, already holding out his plate for a slice. Yona fetched the giant cake from the fridge with Zeno's help, meeting Mundok's questioning gaze once she set it down on the kitchen island.

"There was no winning against them, Mundok." Yona explained with a giggle. "You should have seen how Calista collapsed against Tae-yeon."

"Hey!!" Calista burst out indignantly. "I'm right here, Yona!!"

They served the dessert, a generous helping for everyone. Tae-jun declined the sweets, trying to play it off as if he was full from dinner, but he wasn't fooling anyone. But no one called him out on it, content to just let it be for tonight.

Conversation and jokes kept the atmosphere light despite how dark it was getting outside and before they knew it, the night was over.

The farewells were kept short since the kids were tuckered out from their exciting day but they would see them all again soon.

Hani had been given permission to take care of the kitten under Gi-gan's guidance.

The triplets had given Tae-jun a hard time when it was time to leave, and Jae-ha was actually the one to convince them that it wouldn't be the last time.

"Two weeks from now," He offered. "We'll go into the city and you can take a look around."

The eager response he received solidified that into a promise and after the door was finally closed for the last time, Calista took a look around the mess that they had made.

Yoon had already started cleaning, and following his lead, she picked up a broom. One by one, the others made their way across the house, until everything was spic and span. What would have normally taken hours only took twenty minutes thanks to their combined efforts.

They went their separate ways, done with socializing for the night. Jae-ha grabbed a book from the shelf, heading up to the attic to read a bit before he turned in for the night. Kija snatched up his headphones, needing to listen to some instrumental music before he went crazy over that horror movie they watched earlier.

Hak was talking quietly with Zeno on the large sectional, both unusually serious as they spoke in hushed tones.

And while Shin-ah made sure there wasn't anything else Yoon needed help with, Yona and Calista snuck away to the loft.

"I just realized," Yona said between a fit of giggles as she collapsed on the plush couch. "We never got to trick them this year."

Calista's eyes gleamed mischievously. "The night's still young..."

Sitting up with an excited smile, Yona's red hair tousled as she tangled her fingers through it exuberantly. "Ready?"

Flashing her a grin, she confirmed it.

"Ready."

Bonus: The rest of the night was uneventful. The men really thought they got away with it, not being pranked by the girls this year. Imagine their surprise the following morning.

A loud, disgusted sputter shattered the peaceful, morning air. "What is this?!?! Did you replace my toothpaste with frosting?!?!"

"EEEEK SOMETHING JUST LANDED ON MY FACE!!!!!"

"BAT-EARS, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR SWITCHING MY SHAMPOO WITH HAIR DYE!!!!"

"You have to catch me first!!"

"Hmmm, I wonder if I am supposed to be bothered that there's a half-naked picture of Yona on my desktop."

An outraged screech followed by several consecutive crashes that echoed throughout the house had the girls laughing to themselves silently in their hideout space.

There really wasn't a picture of Yona on his computer, but Calista had left a note instructing him to say that so that Jae-ha could see Hak's hair when he barged in before he got a chance to change it.

Zeno was probably playing with the bats they had found hibernating under their deck.

"Wait a minute, they didn't prank Shin-ah."

"He just got home yesterday, of course I'm not going to prank him!!"

"Of course she's not." Hak snorted from afar. "But she's perfectly fine pranking the rest of us."

"... Did anyone hear what Yoon got?"

Complete silence.

Kija tested the waters. "Yoon?"

A light scoff could be heard from below them.

"The girls were smart enough not to mess with the hand that feeds them, you rare beasts."

"... Fair enough."

4 notes · View notes