#Something wretched something beautiful

[alisscared]

Something Wretched, Something Beautiful (and everything in between) - Chapter One

Familiar Faces | ao3

Chapter tags: Silco/Reader, Silco, Alternate universe Silco, Reader-insert, reader works for Silco in original universe, Vander, Jinx, Powder, Mylo, Claggor, slowburn, friends to lover, but also don’t really like each other to lovers, depends on the universe, eventual romance, alternate universe (s02e07), reader is transported to the alternate universe and is really confused, flashbacks, dubious hexcore usage, writer has a poor grasp on the science and magic system, just go along with it, no use of y/n, implied older man/younger reader, gender-neutral pronouns Cw: canon-typical violence, eventual smut (maybe??) bugs (kind of, reader uses the descriptor of something feeling like maggots in their skin)

Rating: Mature, possibly explicit in the future, 18+ minors dni

Chapter word count: 5.6k

Banner from cafekitsune

You weren’t exactly sure how you ended up here. One minute you were walking into Jinx’s workshop while she was working on a weapon with the Hex crystal she procured, and then next, you were here. You’re not quite sure what went wrong, maybe you scared her and she connected a wrong wire or she dropped something, but whatever happened caused a loud, blinding flash and you landed here. Wherever here was. You thought at first, you had passed out from the explosion. Your head tucked into your arms that rested on a cool, sturdy surface.

“You know,” a gruff voice spoke your name. “If I was really boring you that much you could’ve just told me.” You felt the vibration of a deep, hearty chuckle.

You slowly and cautiously lifted your head. It took a moment for your eyes to focus in on the large figure in front of you, your brain throbbing in your skull, but then as if a cold bucket of ice water was dumped upon you, your spine straightened and your eyes widened. A shock ran through you, leaving your mouth to go dry.

“Vander?” you managed out a quiet rasp that almost came out entirely cracked.

You watched the man in front of you chuckle once again as he finished cleaning a glass before whipping a towel over his shoulder. “The one and only.”

‘Alright,’ you thought as you looked at the man, completely dumbfounded ��this is the most real feeling dream I’ve ever had.’ Promptly, you brought a hand up to painfully connect it to your cheek in a loud smack.

This earned another chuckle from Vander, though it was paired with a concerned look this time. “Doing alright there?”

You moved your head around slowly to take in your surroundings. Illuminated by the warm lighting you found yourself sitting on a stool at a bar. Around you was cheerful hustle and bustle. In one corner, there was a group of friends drinking merrily as they all participated in a card game, in another, there’s a couple on what looks to be a date. Your bleary eyes then roamed to the next table and you felt a shudder like no other crawl up your spine. Jinx and three other boys sat at a table, happily conversing with each other. You couldn’t place the feeling that crept through you like maggots in your skin when you realized that the two boys strongly resembled the handmade dolls Jinx had kept in her workshop. The ones she had never explained to you who they were but left you assuming the worst.

The Jinx you observed in front of you was vastly different from the one you knew, yet still very clearly her. She looked younger, softer. Her two long, wild braids were traded for choppy short hair that was put into two buns on the top of her head. Her face wasn’t long and hallowed, cheeks filled out, proof of eating fulfilling meals. Yet, the most striking difference you noticed was her eyes. Her eyes were still a dusty blue, but what caught you off guard was the joy you saw behind them, the contentment. It was a look you had only truly seen a handful of times from her but even then, it was never this pure. ‘That isn’t Jinx’ you thought, at least not the one you knew. You overheard one of the boys call her ‘Powder’. You furrowed your eyebrows as you thought back to the few times you’d witnessed Jinx talk to herself. There were 4 names you often heard: ‘Violet’, ‘Mylo’, ‘Claggor’ and ‘Powder’. That must’ve been who she was before Jinx. The revelation hit you like a brick to the face, your mind scrambling for any explanation as the original thought that this was just a dream started to become more distant because this just felt too real.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, you heard yet another voice, it was deep and silken, one you would recognize anywhere as it called your name in an attempt to pull you out of whatever trance you were in. “What’s going on with her?” the voice spoke again.

Your blood turned to ice, fighting to push through your very veins as you slowly turned your head back to look at the person who had joined Vander behind the bar. You couldn’t hide the look of horror etched onto your face.

Silco.

He called your name out once again, waving a hand in front of your face causing you to squeeze your eyes shut and shake your head, shedding off your trance-like state. “Are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?” His tone was concerned, caring. His eyebrows were furrowed as he examined your face with worry.

Your eyes darted all over his face, taking in every detail. The differences weren’t as overt as Jinx’s but they were there. The scar was still there, creased into his face but his eye wasn’t widened and red. Unpoked and un-prodded by Shimmer-filled syringes. Instead, there was a hazy grey that covered over his iris like a thin veil. His usual slicked-back hair was traded for a more casual, loose look that let it fall naturally.

“Yeah,” you took in a deep breath before stumbling out of your seat, using the bar to support your arms as you stood up. “I just-“ your eyes moved from Silco to Vander, then to Jinx, and finally landed on the door “I just need to get some air.” You stagger over to the door, your head dizzying from the bizarre environment. As your hand pressed the cool surface of the door to push it open, you hoped to find some odd solace and normality in the smoky, neon light filled undercity.

Solace and normality were not what you felt as you took in the outside surroundings. Instead of neon lights, the night was illuminated by soft, colorful lanterns. Instead of the smoky air, there was the smell of freshly made food coming from multiple vendor stands. It was beautiful, but it was not what you knew, not even close. For a minute, you just stood there, taking in the beauty of this unfamiliar Zaun. The sun had set, yet children were running around, innocently playing. People strolled about in Piltover-like garb. The sounds of children’s laughter and adults joyously chatting filled your ears. You stumbled over to the nearest bench to plop yourself onto before you toppled over from the sheer shock and confusion. As a gentle breeze washed over you, you heard the faint rustling of some papers. You turned your attention to the space next to you, occupied by a newspaper. You reached out to grab it, your eyes immediately landing on the date. It was 2 years in the future. Your eyes frantically looked up to survey the area around you once again. No, no, it was just too different. There’s no way you were only transported to the future, this had to be an alternate timeline as well.

You were so focused on the city in front of you that you didn’t notice a figure coming to sit next to you. You’re snapped out of it when you hear the sound of ice clinking as a cup is held out in front of you. Your eyes land on the drink and trail the arm handing it out to you up to meet the face of Silco.

He let out a small chuckle “It’s only water. I figured you’re not much in the drinking mood.”

Your eyes moved back to the cup being held in front of you as you slowly reached for it, your fingertips lightly brushing his as you took the water. You brought the cool, refreshing liquid to your lips before speaking again. “Do you ever feel like you woke up in the wrong universe?” You could feel his eyes on you, but you didn’t meet them as you continued to look over the city around you.

It’s silent for a moment as his eyes finally leave the profile of your face to look in the same direction as you. “All the time.” he spoke deeply, quietly. “Every time I wake up I wonder how I was so blessed to be in a universe where everything worked out.” he let out a breath. “I think of all the ways this all could’ve turned out and I can’t help but shudder at the thought of what could’ve been, what I could’ve been.”

You responded only with a nod. The way he spoke sent shivers down your spine. He said he shuddered at the thought of what could’ve been, without knowing you’ve shuddered at the thought of what has been, what he has been.

You were there at the fall of Vander. Well, you weren’t actually there where it happened, but you witnessed the aftermath all around you. You weren’t close with him, sure you knew him, everyone in the lanes did, but he was more of an acquaintance. You visited The Last Drop a few times, had some fun nights, exchanged a few drunken words, but that was the extent of your relationship with him. Compared to now, you were such a kid back then. Sure, you were technically an adult but you were still so green, so hopeful for the future. Everything fell apart when he died. It wasn’t until Silco had risen from the shadows when everything was pieced back together again. Sort of. He took control of the lanes. Took control of The Last Drop. Maintained some kind of order amidst the chaos. Downtrodden, dying Zaunites clawed their way for just a drop of Shimmer. It was disgusting. What he did was disgusting. Sure, he was fighting for the independence of Zaun, but in doing so he had used and discarded the very people he was fighting for.

That’s why you didn’t necessarily want to work for him. You didn’t respect him. But you did, however, respect the cause. The end goal. And as far as you were concerned, no one was as close to achieving it as he was.

You never approached him at first, though, and neither was it vice versa. It was Jinx who discovered you.

You see, living in Zaun wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. You had to fight and occasionally… okay very regularly steal. You didn’t enjoy it per se, but you were very good at it and it was very satisfying at times, especially when you had nicked something off from some good-for-nothing bozo. You never took from anyone in a less fortunate position than you, it just wasn’t in your morals. But pricks, specifically drunken ones that hung around The Last Drop, that was more your style.

One night, during a particularly bountiful harvest, as you slunk around the club pickpocketing from every poor soul around you as you blended in with the dancing and flashing neon lights, little did you know that a certain blue-haired teenager was watching you with excited curiosity from the bar. It happened all at once, this little blur of blue forced herself into your life and convinced you to work for The Eye of Zaun himself. Of course, he didn’t agree to it immediately.

“Look at them!” Jinx presented you in front of Silco, gesturing her arms out over you. “They probably stole everything those poor suckers down there are worth without them even noticing!”

You remember as you stood there in his office for the first time as he sat at his desk, his cold eyes, one a pale blue and the other a dark red surrounded by a void of black, looked over you with scrutiny. It seemed his face had a permanent grimace etched into it. He wasn’t a very physically imposing man, he didn’t appear to have the musculature of the usual Zaunite man, though it was hard to tell because of the elegant, collared coat he wore that appeared as if it were to swallow him whole. He dressed almost as if he were from Piltover but his face clearly indicated he was a Zaunite, through and through. It wasn’t just the scar that made it apparent. It was the crookedness of his front teeth, the weary lines creased upon his face, and the sharpness of his features. No, he was a child born from Zaun and no amount of fancy clothing or slicked-back hair could hide it.

“So,” his silken, indifferent voice began as his eyes continued to relentlessly scan over you. “You stole from my patrons? Most of whom work for me?”

“Well,” you drew out guiltily as you felt the pace of your heartbeat pick up. Unable to think of an excuse you press your lips into a thin line before opening them with a small click of your tongue. “Yes, pretty much.”

His face remained indifferent. He could’ve killed you right then and there, and most likely, was going to. But, maybe, you thought, he was refreshed with your blatant honesty.

After much convincing from Jinx he eventually relented into what you could’ve only described as an interview. You sat there in his dimly lit office, the only light in the room emanating off the small warm-toned lamp on his desk, and the neon lights of the night from outside the large circular window behind him. He had dismissed Jinx so it was just the two of you. You sat in a plain, hard wooden chair, your head having to tilt slightly up to meet his face as he sat cross-legged in his plush, maroon, button-tufted one. He sat high, his eyes narrowing down to look at you. Like a king on his throne looking down at a subject. You try not to be obvious about the indignant scrunch of your nose.

It felt like eons of silent scrutiny, his eyes hovering over you before he finally spoke, swirling a short glass of whisky in his hand. “Family?”

“Dead” you answered, your face and tone dispassionate. It wasn’t the most uncommon answer for a Zaunite, in fact, it was probably more common to have your whole family dead than alive. You were just lucky you were old enough to take care of yourself by the time your parents died. You didn’t have any siblings to worry about. It was just you. Of course, you were sorrowful over the loss of your parent, they will forever be a scar scorched upon your weary heart. But Zaunites didn’t have time to grieve. It had been years since you lost them during the failed uprising. You didn’t allow yourself to get choked up about it anymore. Only allowing it to pass through your thoughts during late hours when you couldn’t sleep.

“Lover?”

The blunt questioning caught you off guard for a split second before you let out a breathy, sardonic chuckle, amused at the idea “No,” you answer “It’s just me if that’s where this line of questioning is going.” You looked down in thought “I imagine whatever I am will die with me.” The words came out more candidly than you intended, more despondent than humorous.

He regarded you coldly, his eyes slowly scanning over your face. He remained emotionless but you could see the cogs in his head turning, looking over you as if you were a puzzle to solve “No” he spoke, his voice low and honeyed “I believe, in joining me, you would die with having much more purpose” His eyes met yours in a cool gaze, the eyebrow on his good side raising a little while the other, drawn on one, stayed frozen “Or, if you’re lucky, perhaps live with that purpose”

You let out a short chuckle through your nose “Well, at least you’re honest about my prospects,” Feeling a little bold, you raised a subtle, inquisitive brow “And what about you? Do you plan to live or die for the cause?”

You swear you saw the smallest, amused smirk on his face before he took a sip of his whiskey, placing the glass down on the wooden desk with a soft thud. “I do not have plans on sacrificing myself anytime soon if that is what you’re asking. I plan to see the great Nation of Zaun come to fruition,” his finger played around the rim of his glass “I would however, still die for the cause if need be.” he trained his eyes back on you “Would you?”

There was a palpable tension in the air as you sat with the question, but it didn’t take you long to produce your answer “No.” Sure you could’ve lied, cried out with bleeding heart passion ‘Yes, of course, I would give my life for Zaun!’ But what would the point be? Whether he hired you or not was relatively inconsequential to you. “I would do a lot to help make Zaun a better place for people, but I am no saint and I don’t want to be mistaken for one. If you’re looking for a martyr, that’s not me”

He offered you no emotion as he considered your response. It was frustrating. The only expressions he’s shown you being a quirk of his brow or a tilt of the corner of his lips. If you had half a mind you would grasp the man by his shoulders and shake him until he made a different expression. “No,” he finally spoke “I wouldn’t say ‘martyr’ is exactly what I’m looking for.” he took in a breath through his nose, leaning back into his chair “You can start tomorrow. Your honesty has a… refreshing quality to it” he admitted “Do try not to get too comfortable, though. Honesty is a fickle thing. In this line of work, it can often get you killed.” His cold voice came out as a warning. You knew this wasn’t just advice in regards to interacting with other people in this work but for him. He was telling you he would value honesty but only to an extent, and you’d be wise to heed his warning.

You felt a shiver run down your spine before giving a firm nod of understanding.

“Good,” he spoke lowly before looking down at the paperwork on his desk, picking up his pencil, indicating that the discussion was over. “You may leave.”

It wasn’t long before you had learned what his relationship with Jinx was. He trusted her and she was something of a daughter to him. She didn’t talk about it much to you, the whole story seemingly too traumatic to retell, clearly not having fully processed whatever had happened. But, what you were able to piece together from vague, sometimes crazed comments and context clues, you understood that she was abandoned by her sister at a young age and Silco took her in. You knew it wasn’t the full story, maybe not even the true one, but you didn’t have a death wish so you weren’t going to ask either one of them.

Despite Silco’s reluctance to hire you at first, you proved yourself to be useful. Part of it was out of spite towards him. You wanted to prove his lack of faith in you wrong. Some may have viewed your hard work as seeking his approval, but no, you and he both understood the true purpose behind your industriousness and grit. He saw it in your eyes every time you would go up to report a completed task to him, your eyes didn’t search his face like a puppy waiting to be called a ‘good boy’ like most of his other workers. You stood there reserved and indifferent, your eyes never moving from the same spot on his face. Of course, he would never say it, but you could tell he formed some sort of begrudging respect for you, or at least for the way you carried yourself.

Now, there you sat on a bench in what you can only assume was an alternate universe, side by side with your boss or apparently in this universe, your friend.

You took another sip of your water as you gave him an acknowledging hum. You brought the cup down holding it with both hands to rest it atop your thighs. You didn’t dare to look at him, to meet the hauntingly familiar face of this Silco. You’re not sure what you’d find there. You’re not sure what you’d feel. Your body felt tense, your muscles so stiff you feared if you moved they might creak.

You chose to train your eyes on the drink in your lap even as you felt him turning his head to look at you. “Remind me,” you start as the question creeps into your head, making its way to your tongue “How long have we been friends again?”

He let out a small, breathy chuckle as he turned his head back out to look at Zaun “Almost 6 months,” he answered with no hesitation. Your eyes dared to flicker up to look at his side profile and you noticed the small, content smile on his face. “Almost 6 months since Powder brought you in, insisting Vander hire you”

It was your turn to smile now, you couldn’t help it as it crept onto your face. Of course, even in this universe, it was her who got you a job. Your mind wandered as you thought about your life here. How did you meet Powder in this universe? Did she find you like she did in your universe? What were you doing before? And most importantly, were you a bartender now?

You let out a soft chuckle “She’s a force to be reckoned with.” Which earned a small laugh from him as well. Your ears perked up. You’d never heard him laugh or chuckle, or make any joyous noise before. It was breathy, deep, and reserved. You found yourself enjoying the unfamiliar sound.

After a beat of silence, he let out a sigh and put a hand on top of your thigh. You suppressed the surprised breath that wanted to leave your lips. You expected the touch to make your blood run cold but instead, you were greeted with a strange warmth. His touch was hesitant and gentle. He didn’t squeeze or let the weight of his hand press down on you. He was trying to comfort you. “Truly though, are you well?” He turned his head once more and this time instead of seeing your head turned down to look at your glass, he met you face to face. His eyes searched yours. “I don’t recall ever seeing you so.. distant”

For a few seconds, you could only look into his eyes as well.

You recalled the handful of times you had looked into his eyes. It was a rare occurrence. Sure, he had no problem looking at you, either scrutinizing you with his gaze or showing a silent, almost pleased regard to a job well done. Though, every time you strained your eyes up to look back at him he would only allow the contact for a fleeting moment before directing his eyes elsewhere and dismissing you. The last time he had ever looked you in the eyes was the last time you saw him before being transported to this strange, blissful universe. His eyes had been full of rage, a streak of purple dribbling out of his scarred eye exhibiting that he had just gotten his shot. You had just gotten back from a particularly dangerous assignment, one that did not go according to plan in the slightest.

You were tasked with sneaking into a rival chem barons warehouse and extracting some valuable equipment. In a move that was entirely unlike you, you had accidentally kicked a glass vial as you crept, immediately alerting warehouse guards of your presence. It was a nasty scuffle, as you booked it for the nearest exit, bullets whizzing past you, one grazing your shoulder. You let out a yelp of pain as a large warehouse guard pinned you against the wall, your torn shoulder hitting the cold metal behind you. You wriggled under his grasp, one hand pressing your shoulder back and the other reaching up to grasp your neck. Your fingertips wiggled as they grazed against the knife in your holster. Your hands finally tightened around the blade and you brought it up to stab the man in the neck. He collapsed before you, your vision was blurry as you looked down at your bloodied hands. Before you were able to process anything, you heard the sound of gunshots once again. Clumsily you found your footing and started running again. You’re not sure how you escaped, your vision hazy and your ears ringing, but you found yourself leaning on a wall in an alleyway, clutching your shoulder as you took in a ragged breath.

By the time you had gotten back, he had already heard what had happened. His worker had started a scene at a warehouse, and now his name was plastered all over the event.

The moment you walked in he had flung out of his seat, loudly hissing “How could you be so brainless?”

You had stood there as still as a soldier, your back straightened and you kept your eyes trained in front of you, not moving, not following his figure as he walked around his desk. “I made a mistake.” You felt the blood from your wound trickle down your arm, pooling at your fingertips, mixing with the blood of the man you killed, and dripping on the floor. “It won’t happen again.”

He let out a singular breathy, irate laugh “You’re certainly right it won’t happen again.” He crept toward you, as a predator would to its prey “I should have you killed for this.”

Your neck tensed at the words, the tendons slightly stretching out, still, you stood there stoically, your eyes refusing to look at him. “Are you not?” You inquired through a breath. “Or am I to be fired? Banished from the lanes perhaps?” Against your better judgment, the words came out as a slight scoff.

You failed to keep in a small gasp as he reached his hand up to you, his fingertips lightly pressing into the sides of your cheeks as he guided your head up to look at him. His gaze was wild and intense. You couldn’t decipher what it was if it was intense anger, judgment, or maybe even concern. You didn’t know and you didn’t want to know. You imagine you probably looked like a scared, wide-eyed creature, caught under blinding lights.

“Banish you from the lanes?” He let out a low, sardonic chuckle as his face inched ever so closer, stopping just before your noses could touch. You swear, that for a split second his eyes flickered down to your lips before his low, velvety voice spoke. “No, I don’t imagine there is any dark corner of Zaun you could flee to that would relieve me of the knowledge of your existence” He released your face to slowly trail his hand down to your shoulder, letting his thumb graze over the wound. It wasn’t a hard touch, but it was enough to make you wince and hiss slightly in pain. “This should be lesson enough”

There you were now, sitting on a bench looking into those very same eyes, but this time they were attached to someone who was almost completely different. Your mouth slightly parted as you analyzed the Silco in front of you. There was such tenderness and care in the eyes you had grown to know as cold and callous. You let out a breath and softly shook your head as you collected your thoughts. “I think I just need to get some sleep.” You paused as you looked up to the sky “It’s been a.. weird day for me.”

“Right,” his hand abruptly left your thigh, as if he just then realized what he had been doing. “Of course.” He stood up and gave you a faint, sweet smile, offering his hand to help you up.

You didn’t fail to notice the light blush dusting over his cheeks. You found it embarrassing how you internally reveled at the sight. When working for him, the thought had passed by you sometimes, that he was a beautiful, wretched thing. The thought was always fleeting but left destruction in its wake. When reporting back to him, you would sometimes find your eyes trailing the lines of his scars, your fingers tingling at the thought of what it would be like to feel them, rough and rigid in all of their wicked glory. You wondered how he would respond to the touch. Would he flinch? Would his eyes flutter shut as he leaned into your touch? Would he too revel in your soft flesh meeting his timeworn face? You knew the story of how the river toxins ate through his face and corroded his nerves. You wondered if he couldn’t feel anything there at all now, or if perhaps instead, he was extra sensitive there, the nerves not completely wasted away, just there under a thin layer of skin waiting to be touched. You always had to shake the thought from your head. Snuff it out before the flame grew. You knew it would only leave you as nothing but a charred pile of bones in the end. He was not a man to be loved. He was not a man that wanted it. You were so sure of it. But as you looked up at the man in front of you, offering his hand in support as a light pink painted over his pale cheeks, you wondered if you were perhaps wrong. You knew you were staring at that point. Taking in the details of his face. He was entirely different yet somehow, wholly the same. The Silco before you seemed to be entirely made for love and you were afraid you were starting to believe that the Silco you knew had a part of him that was made for it too.

You see him start to shrink under your prolonged gaze, his hand faltering. But before you let him drop it to his side you offered him a soft smile before placing your hand on top of his palm. You wondered if he too felt the subtle spark emanating off of the touch. You wondered how often he touched you like this in this universe. Was it a common occurrence? Simple, genial touches exchanged between two friends? Were they ever perhaps something more? You were only left to wonder as he helped you to your feet, his hand releasing yours as soon as you found your footing.

He pulled open the doors of the bar, holding them open and allowing you to go in before following. The kind gesture almost seemed to be second nature for him. He looked a little confused when you sputtered out a “Thanks,” as you walked past him as if he didn’t know why he was being thanked.

“Ah, there she is.” You hear Vander’s hearty voice exclaim as he propped his elbows on the counter. “How are you feelin’, lass?”

You gave a weak smile as you approached. Your eyes darting to Powder who was now at the bar as well, two elbows leaning on to it to prop herself up as she stood cool and casually. “I’m uh… I’m doing alright.” you sputter out “I think I just need to go home, get some rest.” you then immediately realized that you were not quite sure where ‘home’ here was. Was it the same place as your original universe or somewhere entirely different? “Home…” you muttered the word to yourself “Speaking of, can somebody walk me home? I just don’t think I’m in any state to get there by myself.” you let out a weak and breathy chuckle, hoping that excuse was believable enough.

You noticed a small, mischievous smirk play on Powder's lips as she looked between you and Silco, her face quickly dropping to appear casual as she pushed herself off the bar “Well, I have to meet up with Ekko to discuss what we’re doing for the innovator's competition” she then leaned slightly over the bar to put a hand on Vander’s shoulder “And Dad here has to close up the bar, so that leaves…” her eyes trailed to the man standing next to you as she donned a cheerful face “Uncle Silco! Be a gentleman and walk the girl home, would ya?”

All eyes fell onto him. His own eyes propped open a bit in a silent surprise before he cleared his throat and answered “Oh uh yes, of course.”

“You gonna be good to come in tomorrow?” Vander chimed in with the question.

You nodded, your eyebrows and the corners of your mouth downturned in a determined expression “Yes,” the answer came out weakly so you cleared your throat before speaking again “Yes, I’ll be fine. What time am I coming in?” your eyebrow raised slightly as you asked.

Vander let out a deep chuckle as he ran a rag over the surface of the bar “Jeez, you must be really out of it. 4 o’clock as always”

You awkwardly chuckled “Ah right, of course,” you spoke as if you were suddenly remembering, tapping the side of your head to indicate being a ditz “Silly me.” They all looked at you silently, one of Powder’s eyebrows raised in amusement and confusion. You just blinked and cleared your throat again before turning around “Right then, let’s go.”

Silco walked slightly ahead of you, pushing the door open for you yet again. As you walked out of the bar you heard the faint voice of Vander as he talked to Powder, the low rumble of a chuckle coming out of him “You’re gonna give that poor man a heart attack one day.”

a/n: Hiiiiii, this is my first time really writing a fanfiction and posting it anywhere. I originally intended this to be a one-shot but 6000 words in and I'm not even close to being done. Thanks to everyone who gave me advice on if I should just post it as a multi-chapter fic! I'm not sure how long I'm planning for this to be so just bear with me. Anyways, any feedback is appreciated! Is the shift between flashback and present clear? Lmk! Also, let me know if there are any warnings or tags that I missed! I'm also not familiar with how to format fanfics on here but i tried my best, anyways, kiss mwuah

[winepresswrath]

jrrt will cheerfully describe a man as a surpassing beauty and for what? bezos adaptations?

[isntverynice]

actually had a major freak out last night thinking about Repo the Genetic Opera in regards to Wretched and Precious.

Yall dont know whats gonna happen in the fic but like. oh god. the visions

[yioh]

it’s so crazy and dystopian that average conversations these days on social media are abt whether or not a group of random ass people have the right to be alive or if they should all just be indiscriminately murdered and bombed and die the most painful death

[pepprs]

feeling despair i don’t know how to put into words. im trying to figure out why im like this and how i got to be this way but i can’t even do it bc of the way i am and what im like. if that makes sense. like the problem prevents me from fixing the problem bc i can’t get to the root of it. despair despair despair

[cybererotic]

h eyguys [ disheveled and tearstained ]

[aeimygdala]

man. i never comment on posts, but im going to be insane for a minute, ok? Ok. So people in the notes are talking about the first Shrek and I think that's kinda stupid ngl, always have. like the ending in the first one where she stays an ogre yes is good and I think applies to this but like.

the thing is that Shrek is ALSO an ogre? why would it be strange for him to find ANOTHER OGRE beatiful? it was a really nice twist that she stayed an ogre, but the point would've worked better if she was some different kind of magical creature seen as "ugly" instead. and if she ALSO stayed looking like that creature. but not ANOTHER FUCKING OGRE? which like of course shrek would find beautiful?? he's a fucking ogre?? now she's just the same species??

how is it subversive or strange that he'd find her beautiful. when I first saw the movie as a dumb kid, I 100% thought that the idea was that she was supposed to take the form of the species of person that loved her, and that's why she stayed an ogre, because it's that fucking stupid that it's apparently strange for him to "still" love her as an ogre, which he also is

people give that dogshit plot too much credit. she should've been some weird monster and stayed that way. but its like why praise the movie for how he loves her when she isnt a beautiful Human Woman when it would actuslly be Weird if he didnt like her as an ogre? you just Know DreamWorks wouldn't have let her stay a "monster" if she wasn't the most conventionally attractive an ogre can get and it sucks

Shrek 2 is better and actually fits the post nicely etc etc etc

too many stories about turning yourself into a monster as a metaphor for pretending to be something you aren't and losing yourself in the process. not enough stories about turning yourself into a monster as a metaphor for choosing to openly embrace yourself even if it's strange to other people

[yanderedrabbles]

Letters from a Yandere Vampire

December 7th, 1886

Dear y/n,

Please do not think me presumptuous for writing to you so soon, but my heart would give me no rest. I have been unable to stop thinking of you since our encounter at the Duke's soiree.

Perhaps it is my countenance or perhaps my foreign heritage, but London's débutantes seem to find me positively frightful. I had resigned myself to yet another evening of disappointment when you introduced yourself to me.

In all my travels, I have met few ladies with your boldness of spirit. You transformed my dour evening into one of unimaginable enjoyment.

I have included with my letter some pressed flowers from my native Transylvania. You expressed much interest in the botany of my homeland and I hope these will intrigue you.

Your interest in my travels is remarkably flattering. And, if I may be so bold, may I invite you to a dinner at my salon? I have much still to share.

Yours sincerely,

Count Nicolae Drăculești

December 17th, 1886

My dearest y/n,

How I enjoyed our evening together! When we danced, I felt my soul set afire. In my travels, none have so captivated me.

Do not think me hasty, but I have sent my messenger with a gift. I can think of no better place for these jewels than around your neck. Please, accept them with my most sincere compliments.

You amused me very much when you pointed out my teeth. My fangs are indeed much longer and sharper than a normal man's. Perhaps you wish to feel their sharpness against your skin?

The nights grow longer and colder. Do you dislike the winter darkness, I wonder. Or do you only long for someone to share it with, as I do?

Ah, forgive my rambling! I'm writing to ask if you will allow me the privilege of escorting you to the Yuletide ball? I can think of no finer gift to celebrate Christmas.

I must soon depart for my home and I insist on spending more time together before then.

Yours,

Nicolae Drăculești

December 25th, 1886

My love,

Merry Christmas! I walked through the untouched snow and even London seemed beautiful and pure.

In this cold, I can think of nothing but having you with me. A day without you is an eternity past.

It seems I have been waiting for you for centuries. Is it to bold to say you are the woman of my dreams? Forgive this fool his insolence, but when I write to you I feel possessed.

You have asked me at length about my aversion to the Church and silver. You are such a logical creature but there are some things beyond the realm of science.

Seek to know no more, for both our sakes.

Another matter has been bothering me of late. I have noticed Lord Lancaster has expressed an interest in you.

The man fawns over you like a slobering hound. As your companion, it is my duty to advise against him. He is unworthy of your attention, much less your sympathy. 

Surely you see that it is you and I that are the more compatible match?

Ever yours,

Nicușor

January 1st, 1887

Dear,

I wished to keep you ignorant of my nature. And yet, you have seen me unmasked. A creature of the night.

It was your blood that did it. A single drop was all it took for my instinct to take over.

I hope you are unhurt. If I were in my right mind, I never would have pinned you against the wall as I did. I never would have forced my kiss upon you.

I could hear your heart racing when I showed you my fangs. Why did you not scream?

Did I fighten you into silence? Or was it something else?

You asked me what you are to me and at the time I had no answer to give. Are you my prey? My meal?

I have spent all night in thought and still I fear uttering these words.

You are my beloved.

My heart belongs entirely to you, wretched and sinful though it may be. No blood is sweeter than yours.

I burn for you, my darling.

I grow agitated at each day that passes when we are not together. My treacherous mind plays such awful tricks on me. Surely you have not cast me aside for another? Or worse, have I frightened you beyond redemption?

Oh, banish the thought! Who has your affection? Your love?

Please, put my poor heart at ease. Meet me in the gazebo at the end of your garden after sunset.

I cannot bear to be parted from you much longer.

Ever your slave,

Nicușor

y/n,

My castle must be prepared for your arrival and I have set forth with great haste to do so. In case you awake before my return, I've left you this letter.

You are currently on board a private train car bound for Transylvania. Do not attempt to leave. My guards have strict orders to ensure you reach home.

You are changed, my dear.

I have bitten you and transformed you into a creature like myself. Upon our final meeting, I intended only to say goodbye. You are too fine and beautiful a creature to be wasted on the likes of me.

But when I saw you in the moonlight, I could not help myself.

You are so beautiful. So bright and lively. You are what my cold halls have lacked all these many years.

My love, I drank your blood. Every drop of it. Nothing in my centuries of existence has ever tasted so sweet, so right.

It can be frightening, I know. But do not despair.

The light of the sun will forever be out of reach, but there are a thousand traits you've gained. Strength. Speed. Immortality.

The grave will never taste your flesh, old age will never hound at your door.

As I am the one who changed you, I am also your Lord and Master. The bond between us is forged in blood. Wherever I go, you must always follow. If I am to die, so shall you. If I am to command, you must obey.

It is a tight leash and not one of my devising, I assure you.

I intend to be your partner and not your Lord. So for both our sakes, my love, do not give me cause to use that power.

You and I have all eternity together. Does it please you as it does me?

I have longed for a bride for centuries. You cannot imagine the loneliness. And in all those years, none have impressed themselves upon my heart as you have.

I have stolen you from the sunshine and into my world of night and blood. I have ripped away any hope of heaven and salvation. No God now, no church or altar.

I am a rogue and a thief and still I beg of you. Please love, do not hate me.

I've made you into my vampire bride.

Your husband,

Nicușor Drăculești

[alisscared]

Something Wretched, Something Beautiful (and everything in between) - Masterlist

You weren't sure how you ended up here and you weren't sure how you were going to get back.

All you knew was that as you looked upon his wretched and beautiful face, you were feeling things you hadn't allowed yourself to before.

Tags: Silco, alternate universe Silco, Reader-insert, reader works for Silco in original universe, Vander, Jinx, AU Powder, Ekko, Heimerdinger, Mylo, Claggor, slowburn, friends to lover, but also don’t really like each other to lovers, depends on the universe, eventual romance, alternate universe (S2E7), reader is transported to the alternate universe and is really confused, flashbacks, dubious hexcore usage, writer has a poor grasp on the science and magic system, just go along with it, no use of y/n, implied older man/younger reader Cw: canon-typical violence, eventual smut (maybe??) bugs (kind of, reader uses the descriptor of something feeling like maggots in their skin)

New to this so let me know if I missed any! Will also update as I write.

Not sure where this fic will go but I’m just gonna say 18+ minors dni to be safe.

Cross-posted on ao3

Chapters

Chapter 1 - Familiar Faces | ao3

[cross-d-a]

Jod Na Nawood’s backstory is FASCINATING!! And makes SO much sense!!! Order 66 fucked up SO much in the galaxy, it’s so interesting (and tragic) to see what it’s done to the force sensitive children who were unable to be taken into the Temple. It truly supports how GOOD the Jedi Order is. How good the JEDI are. I can’t even fully comprehend everything the galaxy lost and suffered without them. And- Jod’s master. She didn’t have to take him in. He knew that. He knows she was desperate. But she took him in anyway and taught him what she could. We only get a very tiny glimpse of that backstory but it’s utterly gut-wrenching.

Imagine the survivor of a genocide. A Jedi on the run, desperate and hungry and grieving, running into a little kid just as lost as her and seeing that LIFE in him. Feeling the FORCE in him. What would that have done to her after feeling everyone she knew and loved ripped away from her. But here is this kid and he needs help and maybe she does, too. Maybe they can help each other. And so she folds him under her wing just as any Jedi would have done. She teaches him the ways of her people, knowing that their way of life lives on in her and that she is passing it on to a new generation. And that probably hurt. It probably hurt SO much. Because she can’t give him what she could have if the Order was still alive. And he’ll never understand what it means to be part of something so beautiful and long-lasting. But she does what she can, and they maybe never would have met if Order 66 didn’t happen. And it’s an awful thought, the worst kind of thought, but she can’t help but be relieved they found each other. Because she loves this lost little kid and maybe they’re broken together, but they’re more whole together, too. And maybe without Jod she could have run and hid forever. Maybe she couldn’t have, plenty Jedi were caught and murdered. But she knew the risk and she took it- and the way Jod talks about it (“they made me watch”) makes me think that he feels he’s responsible for her getting caught. And it makes me wonder how she felt when she was caught. Knowing she was one of the last of her kind, and that this kid was going to be alone again. Orphaned in a completely new, terrible way.

And I wonder, too, if looking after the kids reminded Jod of his old Jedi Master. And maybe he thought “I can’t get attached because then they’ll catch me too and I’ll die just like her.” And you know what, Jod? It did happen that way. You got caught because of those kids. But only because you forgot what it means to be a Jedi, which is to say that after your Master died you tore out that softness within you. Abandoned love for fear. Exchanged generosity for greed. And it’s true grief and trauma changes people. That a little kid alone in the galaxy does what they can to survive. But Jod isn’t a little kid anymore and it doesn’t excuse the choices you make. It’s a wretched world, one without a Jedi, and Jod suffered all the more for it.

And I wonder, too, what Jod thought when Wim paused in the elevator. When that little kid called out to him, despite everything Jod had done to him. Did Jod look at Wim and think: “Yeah, that’s what a Jedi would be” and then hate himself all the more for it? Well, who can tell. Jod is a fascinating character and I’m excited to see where the show next takes us.

[munefille]

thinking about a yandere!creature who deceptively looks angelic pretending to be your guardian angel after you mistake him for one.

𝙻𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚎 is an anomaly to his kind due to his unnatural white hair and wings, a disadvantage to night stalkers who aim to hide in the shadows. Ostracization from an already elusive species of winged beasts has led him to grow resentful, a seed of vitriolic bitterness slithering its way through him like a poison. A violent demeanor bestows him, slaughtering mercilessly to find retribution for his ghastly appearance, a trait he sees as his ultimate flaw.

Until he meets you; a human who's never seen such a beautiful creature. There was something hypnotizing about him, cold and blazing like the moon that commands the tides. The first words he whispers towards you, Be not afraid, cements the idea that an angel has truly come upon you.

Instead of disgust at his abnormality, you show him a kindness he has never known from his own. You invite him into your home with veneration, share stories of your life, ask him if he's there to watch over you. When you look up at him with those eyes full of naive faith, trusting him so sincerely, he finds maybe he can play along.

Yes, he'll take care of those townspeople who have been bothering you. Watchful eyes following you in the dark become your new norm.

He'll never admit that he's not from heaven. He won't tell you that he's never met your God. May you never know the blood he has spilled to spite his wretched existence. He'll keep up the lie as long as he gets to be your guardian angel, as long as you see him as the light in your life.

With you his flesh feels less cursed, with you he feels sacred.

After all, what is an angel without a god?

[greengoblinswifey]

Take Charge— Kang Dae-ho/Player 388 x Fem!Reader

summary— You love taking charge and having control over Dae-ho and he’s happy to obey every word and please you. Based on this request.

warnings— sub!dae-ho, cunnilingus, fingering, praise kink, use of miss, hair pulling, body worship, unprotected sex, begging, creampie.

Since the moment you and Dae-ho’s eyes met, you were inseparable. You had a pull on him unlike no other and he stayed by your side like a lost puppy. He was deeply infatuated, absolutely whipped, your charm and your beauty having him in a strong hold. You had a certain aura about you, something between intimidating and sexy. With all that, it was no wonder you had him wrapped around your finger.

In the far end of the dormitory, in a small bed away from your group, Dae-ho was between your legs. All it took was that look in your eye that he had grown to know all too well and he was began doing what he did best.

“That’s it, keep going,” you moaned, lowly, as he sucked on your clit.

Your fingers tugged his hair, pulling him into your pussy even more as he ravished you. His tongue explored you like a man starved—as if the food from earlier wasn’t enough to satisfy him. And it wasn’t, only you could satisfy his primal hunger.

“T-taste so good. Always so good,” he muttered between your legs.

“Don’t speak. Focus on making me cum,” you said, sternly, gripping his hair tighter.

He hummed, the sound sending vibrations through your body and you bit back a moan.

Having him at your mercy was the only good thing about the wretched place, and being able to have him do whatever you told him took your mind off the hell hole, just for a bit. He winced at the pain as you dragged him by his hair on where you wanted his tongue but the pain was his pleasure. He sucked your clit with such ferocity, you couldn’t hold back even if you wanted to.

You moved your hips, rubbing your pussy all over his face as his tongue went deeper and you felt yourself on the brink of an orgasm.

“Keep going,” you whispered, voice shaky, “I’m about to cum.”

His hands kept your legs open and as his tongue focused on your clit, he thrusted two fingers inside you, curling them against your sweet spot. Your back arched from the bed and you bit down harshly on your lip, containing your moans as you squirted on his mouth.

He slurped every drop, guiding you through your high until your legs shook. As you came down from cloud nine, he lifted his head, lips and chin soaked with your juices. Eyes dazed and lust blown. “Did I do well? D-did I make you feel good?” he asked.

“Yes, sweetie, you did so well for me.” You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him into a steamy kiss that had you tasting yourself.

Dae-ho then went to kneel at your feet on the bed, pressing reverent kisses along your calves, his lips trailing up to the curve of your knee. His hands smoothed over your skin with gentleness, like you were something divine, something to be cherished.

“You’re perfect,” he murmured, his breath warm against your thigh. “So beautiful, I’ll do anything to please you.”

You leaned back, watching him with quiet amusement, your fingers threading through his hair as he continued to worship you, his mouth skimming over your skin with devotion. His lips traveled higher, pressing kisses along your stomach, then to your tits, where he lingered, nuzzling between them with a sigh of gratitude.

“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to make you feel pleasure,” he whispered against your tits. “I’ll spend every second proving myself worthy.”

You tilted his chin up so his dark eyes locked onto yours. “Then prove it,” you said.

Dae-ho swallowed, desire and desperation in his expression. “Please,” he whispered. “Please let me have you. I need you, miss. I’ll do anything.”

You tilted your head, considering. He was already yours, utterly and completely, but hearing him beg, seeing the raw need in his face, sent a thrill through you.

“Good boy,” you finally responded.

He exhaled sharply, relief washing over his face. “Thank you, miss,” he murmured.

Slowly, he lined his very hard and leaking cock with your entrance and pressed inside, a moan slipping from his lips as he buried his face in your neck. “Feels so good,” he breathed, his hands gripping your hips as he moved with slow, deliberate precision. “So perfect, so tight, like you were made for me.”

His praises didn’t stop, he whispered against your skin with each slow thrust. “So beautiful, I could stay like this forever. I’ll make you feel even better, I swear.” His voice wavered between reverence and awe, his deep thrusts never faltering, never rushing.

For once, Kang Dae-ho was not a man of violence, not a man driven by desperation or survival. Here, with you, he was something else entirely, something softer, something devoted.

You combed your fingers through his hair, guiding him gently as he worshipped you with every touch. His devotion was clear in the way he moved, in the way he clung to you, needing you just as much as he needed air. His thrusts were deep and reverent, the head of his cock nudging your sweet spot each time he moved.

You breathed heavily, watching as he lost himself in the pleasure above you. His cock throbbed inside you as your walls pulsated and clenched, clinging to him like you didn’t want to let him go.

When his breathing grew more erratic, his hands trembling against your skin, he gasped, “I—I can't hold it. I’m gonna cum, please.”

You tightened your hold around him, voice steady as you commanded, “Don’t. Show me how badly you want it.”

Dae-ho immediately obeyed, his lips trailing frantically across your skin, whispering between each kiss, “I adore you, so beautiful, please, miss, please.”

His lips went to your tits, suckling and licking as he begged you to let him cum. You let him linger there for a moment, watching the desperation in his expression before finally granting him permission. “Cum with with me,” you murmured.

A relieved, grateful moan escaped him as he buried his face against you, whispering, “Thank you, miss.”

You moaned softly, your body convulsing, your orgasm hitting you like a truck as he came deep inside you. “Fuck, who’s my good boy?” you whispered.

“I am,” he panted, slowly thrusting as your pussy clenched tightly, taking in every drop.

When your highs ended passed, he collapsed against you, his face nestled against your tits, his breathing ragged. You ran your fingers gently through his hair, soothing him with slow strokes, feeling the way his body relaxed under your touch.

Dae-ho let out a content sigh, his arms still wrapped around you as if he never wanted to let go. “I’ll always be your good boy,” he mumbled sleepily, voice muffled against your skin.

And as you held him close, you knew he meant it.

[bonesandpoemsandflowers]

hello hi "the neurobiology of monsters" is the most beautiful and succinct and accurate phrasing possible and I want you to know that I think about these tags CONSTANTLY and the phrase has entered my personal lexicon. yes. and "trapped" is the perfect accompanying word.

There's just something about how Lestat starts off his vampirism so morally uncomplicated, so easy to root for, comically good natured. what a good boy! what an upstanding young man! he's only killing cutthroats and murderers! he's dressing Like That so that highwaymen try to kill him first! he's sending money home to ma!! and the family! IMMEDIATELY! he doesn't even like his family and they don't love him! he pays off his old boss's debts! he pays his boyfriend's nicer rent! buys him violin lessons! does all this at a distance because he doesn't want it to be emotionally awful for them. he's constantly contemplating the nature of goodness and what that might mean!

and then he has one (1) kinda shitty day night and he's killing and eating a mother and child on the sacred grounds of Notre Dame. not because he has to. he does not. not because he isn't in control of his actions. he is. not for the sadistic pleasure of it--there is none--and not to be evil for the sake of evil. a poor woman checks on him, sees his bloody clothes and tries to drag him to safety and get him medical care, because she thinks he's hurt and she wants to help, and Lestat kills her. not out of evil or malice or sadism, but because he chooses to, because he's fully swapped out good vs. evil for aesthetic judgements, because the nature of vampirism itself changes him so fundamentally.

and that's horror. even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, to steal from another monster genre. there is a fundamental loss there, a change against his will that's nothing to do with superpowers, a change so wide and deep that even as he is aware of it, he isn't really alarmed. he just reasons his way through it. and the audience cheers for him, of course. but nothing he does is justified. and that's the horror of it, too, that a monster could be so likable and yet so fundamentally alien.

[clare-875]

Hi, I was wondering if you could do a One Piece Boys (Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Ace, Sabo, Law, Kid, and Katakuri) x female reader, where it's them being jealous like it could either be Reader gushing about a fictional character from a book, movie, etc. or they fangirl over a person they idol/admire or they see Reader talking to someone or Someone's flirting with Reader, etc.?

Emerald Eyes (Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, Ace)

Pairings: Luffy x Reader; Sanji x Reader; Zoro x Reader; Ace x Reader Summary: How he acts when he is jealous Warnings: Some Angst, Fluff A/N: I've split this into two parts :) [One Piece Masterlist] [Part 2: Sabo, Law, Kid, Katakuri] _____

- Luffy -

Luffy doesn't know why all of a sudden a funny feeling has invaded his senses, but he knows that the cause is you. Specifically, you talking to one Trafalgar D Water Law.

Luffy knows that you are interested in devil fruits and once you had learnt of Law's unique powers, you had jumped at the opportunity for him to show you. Luffy adored that about you; your eagerness and curiosity often matched his own. However, it had been about an hour now and you were still talking to him.

He can hear your rapid words and can see the enthusiasm in your grin, and though usually oblivious to such things, he would be a fool not to see Law's gentle gaze as he looked at you; so uncharacteristic of him. You were often considered the scientist of the crew providing insight and often helping Chopper with his remedies, so Law found it easy to talk to someone like you.

Intelligent, honest and purposeful.

"You know [y/n]-ya, if you were ever considering joining another crew-"

You barely have any time to register Law's words when an arm wraps itself around you and suddenly you're flying through the air. "Wait, Luffy-" But you are flung into his arms before you can even take a breath. You find yourself in Luffy's warm chest a small distance away from Law and turn to see your boyfriend glaring at him.

"Hey Tra-guy, I'm her Captain, stop trying to steal her away!"

You watch as Law's eyebrows twitch in annoyance, but before he can retaliate, he is dragged away by his own crew members who have been waiting for him to finish his conversation with you. Luffy grins and sticks a tongue out to him, satisfied that your attention is on him once more.

His arms loosen and you roll your eyes in mock annoyance, barely containing a grin as you look at your Captain. "We were just talking you know? I would never leave you for him."

Your Captain seems to find some satisfaction in your words as his eyes go gentle as he looks at you, and a warm smile erupts on his face. "I know, but you were taking too long. Come on, let's ask Sanji for some food!"

He drags you with him and keeps you close to him for the rest of the day. Unsure of what his feelings earlier may have meant, but sure in knowing he wanted you by his side and not Law's.

- Sanji -

You were wandering down the streets of an island holding Sanji's arm as he looked fondly at you. You were talking to him about something, eyes shining as they did when you spoke of the things you liked. He can see your lips move but he hears nothing because he is just lost in your gaze.

'God, you were just so perfect and beautiful and smart and powerful and you were just looking at him with the uttermost care and love and devotion and-'

Sanji's thoughts are all on you, all on you and your flawless image pretty eyes and unspeakable love. He barely even notices the abundance of women who pass him now, not when he could be looking at you instead. But suddenly, he is wretched free of his thoughts when he registers you calling him name.

"-Sanji, Sanji!"

You let out a sigh when you finally see him shake out of his thoughts and he feels a flush reach his face as he had been caught in his absentmindedness. "Y-Yes, love?" He asks, stammering out his words, but they only cause a warm grin to enlighten on your face. You let out a light laugh that has his heart hammering.

"I was just asking if you wanted some too?"

He turns and realises you are at a food stall in the markets the two of you had wandered into. "I'm okay love, but don't worry about the payment, it's-"

"It's on me."

Sanji looks up as he registers the words of the man in the stall he had not noticed before. He holds out the dish you had ordered, smiling widely to you. You, on the other hand, look up surprised as you take the dish from him and look unsurely between your boyfriend and him. "Oh, thank you!"

"Can't have a pretty lady like yourself paying can we?"

The man smiles once more, pearly white teeth beneath his well-kept hair. He was young and handsome and seemed to know it as he looked at you suggestively. You force yourself from grimacing, but Sanji has little patience.

He was already a jealous person to begin with, especially when it came to you. And though he tries to be better, he has to hold himself back from kicking the man from his stall and giving him a piece of his mind.

"If you want, I could show you around love, you might be better off with a local instead of-"

You cut the man off as you see the fire ignite in Sanji's eyes, hands clenching and unclenching in a failed attempt to keep his emotions at bay. "Why you-" "I'm okay thanks. I'm having a lovely time with my boyfriend and would rather keep things that way."

You glare at the man in front of you and take Sanji's hand in yours, they instantly lose their tension when he feels your gentle touch. When you are finally a short distance away, Sanji finds himself at ease once more. "You okay, love?" You ask him, lightly squeezing his hand in yours.

Sanji can't begin to explain the amount of pride he has in calling you his. "More than okay, love." He whispers placing a kiss on your intertwined hands. He tries his best to stay more alert the rest of the day, but ultimately fails once more as he gets lost in your gaze and the presence of you.

- Zoro-

"What's that?"

You were lying on your bed carefree when Zoro’s sharp words invade your ears and you startle, not having heard him approach. You put a hand to your heart exaggeratively.

"God Zoro, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"You didn't answer my question."

His words are sharp as they are blunt, as he looks down to you and the manga in your hands. He had watched as you giggled and smiled and kicked your feet at the pages in your hands, clearly pleased. But imagine the swordsman’s displeasure when he learns that your happiness had come from a particular man engrained on the paper.

“It’s the latest Jujutsu Kaisen manga?”

“I know that, but who’s the white haired grandpa you keep giggling at woman?”

You gasp as though you had heard the most offensive thing in your life, looking up and glaring at your boyfriend with mock hurt.

“How dare you Roronoa Zoro, that is the Gojo Satoru and you will show some damn respect.”

Zoro would have adored the pout on your lips had you not been defending the man in your hands at that moment. More specifically, it made him feel weirdly horrible having competition with a man who wasn’t even real. A man he can’t even fight for you.

“He can’t be all that. Look you can’t even see his damn eyes.”

“Yes Zoro, but you see it’s for good reason because underneath is the most breathtakingly beautiful blue eyes, and omg Zoro look at him fighting in this scene it’s no wonder he’s the strongest, oh and-“

You are about to continue your gushing but unfortunately for you, your boyfriend watching you blush and ramble about another (nonexistent) man has him moving before he helps himself. One hand goes to his sword and all of a sudden instead of the manga you just had in your hands, pieces of paper scatter under Zoro’s careful slices.

“Zoro! I wasn’t finished reading that!”

Your pout adorns your features deeper and you find yourself genuinely frustrated by your boyfriend’s actions. Zoro feels bad for just a moment before realising that finally, your eyes were on him and not another man on paper.

He moves, gently prying your reluctant form into his embrace as he pulls you next to him on the bed. His lips latch onto your neck as he mumbles words into your skin.

"You don’t need the strongest when you’ve got the world's strongest swordsman right here next to you.”

You roll your eyes but a smile soon adorned your face at your unusually petty boyfriend.

“He’s not even real you know?”

You mutter rolling your eyes but your boyfriend merely hums before letting his slumber take over.

“Shut up about him now woman, I want to sleep.”

- Ace -

When Ace finds you, you are asleep on a bed, with a serene look on your face. The sight of you at peace, has Ace adorning a loving smile on his face as he gently slides in next to you. His warm arms pry you from your side so you are now facing him, but just before he pulls you into his body, he finds something buried in your arms.

Ace freezes for a moment, confused, but then you stir just in time for you to answer some of his questions. "Baby?" You mumble, looking up and surprised to see that your boyfriend has now joined you in bed. He must have returned from the mission he had set off for early this morning.

"Love?" Ace mutters as you slowly start to wake and you happily look up at him. "What's that?"

You look down into your arms, forgetting that in Ace's absence, you had decided to sleep with one of the plushies you usually had by your bedside table.

"Oh," you flush lightly, but smile nonetheless showing Ace what had been bundled in your arms in his place. "It's a plush?" Ace nods hesitantly but as he looks closer he notices just who that plush is supposed to resemble.

"Is that the fire guy from that show you're always watching? What was it, Demon Slayer?" You let out a light laugh but nod. "Yeah, it reminds me of you, you basically have the same powers."

Ace now looks to the plush of Rengoku Kyojuro in your embrace and suddenly feels the urge to light him aflame so it is reduced to ashes. "Why do you have that anyway?" He asks tentatively, trying to play off his jealousy of such a stupid situation, but of course, you notice.

"Because I like him?" You say with a teasing smile on your face. "More than me?" Ace pouts and you laugh once more lightly caressing his raven locks and putting the plush to your bedside with the others once more. He fights a smile when he sees its absence in your arms. "Of course not baby. Are you seriously jealous of a plush?"

Ace flushes a deep red as he avoids your gaze and to fight off the embarrassment, suddenly pulls you into his embrace. You squeal lightly as he tugs you in so suddenly and he buries his face into the skin of your neck. "No..." He mumbles. You grin at his words but suddenly tiredness is pulling you back in and you relish the warmth that he emits in the cool afternoon.

"I love you Portgas D. Ace, you're better than him anyways." You can feel his smile grow on your skin as he finally looks up and places a gentle kiss on your lips. "You mean that?" You roll your eyes as he looks at you, showing a mock look of desperation but secretly knowing he just wants the confirmation.

"Of course I do. Now shush, m'tired."

[ilovedinodino]

player 066

synopsis: Haechan came to earn money from some strange games and didn't expect to see you, his ex.

paring: player!haechan x player!reader

warnings: blood, fights, literally the same thing that happens in the squid game happens here

wc: 5259

Who haven’t seen season 2 don’t read it!

Haechan didn’t expect this. He didn’t expect some childish games to involve death for losing. After the first game, he was horrified and wanted nothing more than to go home, back to his friends and family. He was certain that during the vote, everyone would choose X—but how wrong he was.

Haechan glanced up at the scoreboard, silently praying that the remaining players would come to their senses and choose to leave this wretched place. He wanted to scream.

“Player 012.”

Haechan turned toward the crowd, and his breath caught.

“Y/N?..”

The boy froze in shock, unable to believe his eyes as he watched you stand there, hesitating over which button to press.

Haechan’s mind raced. Why is this so hard for you to decide? Weren’t you terrified after everything you’ve seen? And why the fuck are you here?

*Ding.*

The blue light flashed, and Team O erupted in cheers, celebrating loudly.

You had chosen O.

—

After the vote, they started handing out food. By the way, four people voted after you, and two of them chose O, which meant you weren’t allowed to leave and should to play next game. Haechan was upset and still couldn’t understand what you were doing here. He wanted to find you, but he lost you in the sea of green uniforms.

Grabbing his food, Haechan began walking toward one of the bunks. Then he stopped. You were sitting on one of the beds, quietly eating.

God, you were beautiful. You had always been beautiful, but Haechan hadn’t seen you in five months, and in that moment, he thought you’d become even more radiant.

Without hesitation, he quickly walked over to you.

You were eating peacefully when you suddenly felt someone standing in front of you. Slowly, you lifted your head, ready to say something to the stranger with number 066, but then you saw him.

Lee Haechan.

The same guy you had broken up with and still couldn’t come to terms with. For half a year, you had tried to forget him, but nothing worked. You thought of him every night in your dreams, before falling asleep, and even in the mornings. Constantly. And now, here he was, standing in this strange place, wearing a strange green uniform, right in front of you.

“Y/N,” he said softly.

“Haechan,” you replied, your voice barely above a whisper.

“What are you doing here?”

You flinched at the question. What were you doing here? You didn’t even know yourself. You had wanted to escape somewhere far away from everything, and this seemed like a perfect solution—earning some money along the way didn’t hurt either.

“I came to win money, just like you. Is that not allowed?” you said, your tone cold.

Haechan’s expression softened, his heart sinking at your distant words. Still, he sat down next to you while you shot him a wary look.

“Do you need money?” he asked gently.

"I need to pay for my studies."

"You could have asked me."

"You?" You laugh. "You’re here because you don’t have money yourself, and you’re telling me I should’ve asked you? Besides, don’t you think it’s strange to ask for money from your ex—someone you haven’t talked to or seen in six months?"

Haechan falls silent. Technically, you were right. But he wasn’t completely broke—he could’ve helped you if you had asked. He was here to earn more money for his dreams, so he wouldn’t have to take out extra loans. And you were also right about the part with the ex, but Haechan didn’t want to dwell on that. It hurt too much.

"Why did you vote to keep playing? Did that old man convince you?"

You smirk and poke at the rice with your spoon.

"I didn’t want to go home, and the prize money was too small."

"20 million won is too small?!" Haechan stares at you in disbelief. "Aren’t you afraid you might die?"

"I’m not," you reply, avoiding his gaze, while he keeps looking at you intently.

"From now on, I’ll stay with you."

"What?" You lift your head in surprise, finally looking him in the eye.

"From this moment on..." Haechan’s eyes lock with yours. "...I’ll be with you," he says, a soft smile spreading across his face.

"I ran away from everyone to end up with you following me around? No, Haechan, I don’t need this." You start to get up, setting your meal aside, but Haechan grabs your wrist and stands with you.

"Let go."

"I’m not letting you go in a place like this. It’s too dangerous."

"I’m not a child, Haechan."

"I don’t care. You can do whatever you want, but I won’t even consider leaving you alone here."

You stare at each other for a long moment, his grip firm yet not forceful. Deep down, you know he won’t back down—not even with a gun to his head. Haechan had always been this stubborn.

Of course, you were just as stubborn, but the truth was, you were glad he was here with you, even if you refused to admit it.

—

After lights out, you were escorted to the next game. You tried to avoid Haechan, but it didn’t work very well. At that moment, as you climbed the stairs, he was right behind you. You hadn’t even noticed when he managed to fall into step behind you.

"Don’t try to run away from me, sweetheart," he leaned in and whispered in your ear.

You ignored him and kept walking.

"I heard that in the next game, you’ll have to carve shapes out of a cookie, so pick the triangle," he added casually.

You stopped and turned to face him.

"Where did you hear that?"

Haechan simply shrugged and gently turned you back around, nudging you to keep moving forward.

It didn’t feel like a game about cookies.

Somehow, you managed to slip away from Haechan and stood at the far end of the room, nearly alone. Like everyone else, you were surveying the space when a female voice suddenly rang out:

"Divide into teams of five."

Damn. This definitely wasn’t about cookies. You looked around, seeing how everyone began forming teams, scrambling to find people.

You spotted a group of men and cautiously approached them.

"Excuse me. I’m on my own—can I join your team?"

The four men gave you a once-over before exchanging looks.

"Listen, we need strong and smart people on our team..."

You didn’t need to hear more to understand their implication. They didn’t want women—they wanted men. Letting out a frustrated sigh, you turned and started searching again.

—

Haechan was losing his mind. He had searched the entire damn hall, and you were nowhere to be found. The thought of you being stuck with some random weaklings or sketchy players made his blood boil. You had to be with him—right now, no, right this second.

"Hey, want to team up with me?"

Haechan turned toward the voice and saw a guy around his age grinning at him.

"I noticed you’re walking around alone. I’m on my own too, so if you don’t mind, we could team up and look for more people together."

The guy’s wide smile seemed genuine, and Haechan figured it wasn’t the worst idea.

"Yeah, sure. But there’s going to be a girl with us. Is that okay with you?"

The guy waved his hand dismissively, his grin unwavering.

"Of course! That’s even better. I’m Hendery, by the way."

He extended his hand, and Haechan shook it firmly.

"Haechan."

"Nice to meet you! So, where’s the girl?"

Haechan’s jaw tightened as he scanned the room again, his frustration bubbling.

"That’s what I’m trying to figure out."

Hendery glanced at the timer and nodded.

"We still have time, so we’ll find her. What does she look like?"

Haechan opened his mouth to reply but suddenly froze. His eyes caught sight of you—standing just behind Hendery. But you weren’t alone. You were with some guy.

Without thinking, Haechan shot up and strode toward you, his sudden movements making Hendery follow in confusion.

"Y/N! Where the hell have you been?!"

You flinched as Haechan grabbed your arm unexpectedly, letting out an exasperated sigh when you realized it was him.

"God, could you be gentler?!"

"Gentler?!" Haechan’s voice dripped with frustration. "Where have you been? Why did you—" He cut himself off abruptly when his gaze locked onto the tall guy standing next to you.

The boy fidgeted under Haechan’s intense stare before mumbling awkwardly, "I’m Sungchan. Nice to meet you." He extended a hand hesitantly, and Haechan shook it reluctantly, his grip firmer than necessary.

"Oh! We only need one more person now, and we’re set!" Hendery exclaimed enthusiastically, his bright demeanor completely at odds with the tense atmosphere.

Haechan, however, wasn’t sharing in the excitement. His sharp eyes darted between you and Sungchan, while you glared back at him with irritation. Sungchan seemed ready to disappear under the pressure of Haechan’s silent judgment.

"I’m with you," a deep voice suddenly cut through the awkwardness.

All four of you turned to see an incredibly tall man with long hair stepping toward the group. His commanding presence left everyone speechless for a moment.

Hendery, however, didn’t miss a beat. "Perfect!" he cheered, practically beaming at the addition.

But Haechan’s attention was still fixed on you and Sungchan, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface. This wasn’t how he imagined things would go.

—

Once the announcement was made to assign one person to each of the five games, the team gathered, exchanging uncertain glances.

"I’ll take Jegi. That’s literally the only game I can play," you declared, breaking the silence. The guys turned to look at you, and the tall man with the long hair chuckled, tilting his head.

"Alright, but who’s the strongest here? We’ll need someone for Ddakji."

The group fell silent until Sungchan nervously raised his hand.

"I… I think I can handle it."

Haechan was about to say something when you cut him off, pointing directly at him.

"Haechan will play Gong-gi!"

"What?!" he exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"You’re practically a pro at it! Come on, don’t pretend you’re not." You nudged his shoulder, and he glanced around nervously.

"Really? We need someone skilled for that game," Hendery chimed in with his ever-optimistic grin.

Haechan sighed in defeat, muttering, "Fine, I’ll do it."

"I’ll take Flying Stone," the long-haired man said calmly, crossing his arms.

"Guess that leaves me with Spinning Top," Hendery shrugged, still grinning as if this was all a casual game night.

—

*Bang.*

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the room, followed by the horrifying thud of bodies hitting the floor.

You violently, your gaze glued to the bloodied corpses of the first two groups. They hadn’t made it. They hadn’t been fast enough.

Fear surged through you like ice. What if your team wasn’t fast enough? What if you couldn’t hit the shuttlecock five times in Jegi? What if—

"Y/N," Haechan’s soft voice broke through the storm in your mind.

His hands gently landed on your shoulders, steadying you.

"Hey," he whispered, carefully turning you away from the blood-soaked floor. "Don’t look at that. Look at me."

You hesitated but finally met his gaze. He smiled at you, warm and reassuring, his hands still resting on your shoulders as if to anchor you.

"Everything will be fine," he said, his voice soft but firm.

You stood there, frozen, staring at him. Slowly, his calm confidence seeped into you, easing the rigid tension in your body. For a moment, all you could focus on was the safety in his eyes.

—

“Damn, we’re last. That’s sad,” Hendery joked, his tone light despite the tension.

Your team stood still as the staff locked the metal restraints around your ankles, the heavy weight of the game’s stakes settling in. And you were here alone. Only with another team.

The game began.

Sungchan wasted no time. Grabbing the Ddakji square, he struck with precision, flipping the paper on his first try.

"YES!" you all shouted in unison, voices echoing in the room as you sprinted to the next game.

"One, two! One, two!"

The second game flew by in a blur. The tall man threw the stone with ease, landing it perfectly before swiftly striking it back to the start. Another victory. You jumped up and down, cheering wildly as the group moved cautiously to the next station.

The third game was Gong-gi. The group waited as the guard placed the table and handed out the small stones.

Haechan’s hands were trembling. No one seemed to notice, riding the adrenaline high of their earlier wins, but his heart was racing. He sat down, staring at the stones as he picked up the first one.

Focus. Just focus.

He dropped it.

“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath, gathering the stones again.

"Haechan, it’s fine! Don’t rush, we still have time," Hendery said from the side, his encouraging words meant to ease the tension.

But it didn’t help. Haechan’s hands shook even more, and the stones slipped again.

“Come on,” he whispered, frustration bubbling in his chest. He started over, but his nerves betrayed him, the stones scattering across the table once more.

Haechan glanced at the timer, panic surging as he realized how much time he’d wasted. He hadn’t even cleared the round.

“Crap, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I—”

"Donghyuck."

Your voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. He felt your hand gently rest on his shoulder, and he turned to look at you.

His face was drenched in sweat, his expression on the verge of breaking completely.

You didn’t say anything at first. Instead, you reached out and placed your palm softly against his cheek, stroking it with a calmness that seemed out of place in the chaos around you.

“You’ve got this,” you said softly, your voice steady and warm.

Haechan blinked at you, the fear in his eyes slowly giving way to something else—something calmer, more grounded. For the first time since the game started, his hands steadied.

“You’re okay, Hyuck. You’ll get through this. You’ve always done it for me, right?”

Something tugged at his chest when he heard the nickname only you used for him. Feeling the warmth of your hand on his cheek, Haechan steadied his breath.

He started again, his movements faster and more precise this time. One by one, he flipped the stones with skill, catching them all in the end. He slowly raised his fist to show the guard, who silently gave an “O” gesture.

“Success.”

Cheers erupted as you all celebrated, moving on to the next game.

"One, two! One, two!"

—

The last two games were grueling, but somehow, you all managed to finish with just five seconds left on the timer. It was a narrow escape, but an escape nonetheless.

Now, back in the main hall, the atmosphere was somber. No one spoke as the weight of what you’d just been through settled over the group.

Haechan had quietly moved away from the rest of you, sitting by himself in the corner. His head was low, his shoulders slumped.

“Haechan, why are you sitting there?” Hendery asked, his concern evident as he got up and walked over.

The rest of you followed, though you sat a bit farther from him than the others.

“I’m sorry…” Haechan mumbled into his hands, his face buried in his knees. “Because of me… you all almost died… I shouldn’t have—”

Hendery wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a reassuring hug.

“Hey, come on now,” Sungchan chimed in, patting Haechan’s back. “You didn’t do anything wrong. After everything we’ve seen today, who wouldn’t be shaken up? No one could focus in a place like this.”

“This place is insane,” Sungchan added, his voice filled with frustration.

You glanced at him, noticing a cross on his chest. A quick look at the others revealed the same symbol on Hendery and the tall man.

But when your eyes dropped to your own chest, you realized you were the only one with the O.

“It's because of me that we’re still here...”

Everyone’s attention shifts to you as your words hang in the air.

“I voted to continue the game…” You glance down at your hoodie.

“Come on, guys, stop!” The tall, handsome guy says, trying to comfort you. “We all make mistakes. The important thing is that we’re still alive. Besides, you weren’t the only one who voted to continue. So you’re not to blame.”

Haechan, who had raised his head when you began speaking, watches you silently while you focus on your sneakers.

“By the way, my name is Johnny. I’m from Chicago.”

“Chicago? I was there once when I was a kid. Im Hendery!” Hendery says, introducing himself.

“I’m Sungchan!”

“Lee Haechan…” Haechan mutters quietly, and everyone turns their attention to you, waiting for your response.

Noticing the silence, you lift your head and hesitate for a moment. “I... Y/N...”

“Nice to meet everyone!” Johnny says with a cheerful grin.

—

The second voting began. This time, you were certain that you were going to leave. After such a brutal game, you were sure that everyone else would want to leave too. There was no other option. Could they really be this stupid?

*Ding.*

The blue team jumps in joy.

24 – 28.

What the hell?

Soon, the score is tied, and the red team starts to win. You breathe a sigh of relief.

“Guys, why are you so boring? Let's all vote for the circle, okay?”

“God, this freak again,” you mutter to yourself after the guy with purple hair votes.

“Yeah, he's definitely strange,” Haechan agrees with you.

Fuck.

The last person went to vote, and the blue team won. They celebrated loudly while you, the red team, sat quietly, frustrated and angry.

"Let's see how they’ll celebrate when they all die," you turn at the harsh, blunt voice of Hendery.

"What?" He glance at you. "I just want to go home, and because of these stupid assholes, I’m back on the edge of death again.” Hendery kicks the floor and heads to the bed.

You all exchange glances, taken aback by this unexpected side of him.

“He can be like this?”

—

After the food was handed out, you left it with Songchan and went to the bathroom. You couldn’t stay there, you had no appetite. How could you think about food after everything you had seen? You walked to the sink, turned on cold water, and washed your face. The bathroom was empty, and you finally felt some peace. But suddenly the door opened, and Haechan stepped in.

"Why are you in the women’s bathroom?" you asked, surprised. Haechan smiled and replied:

"Women’s? This is the men’s bathroom, Y/N." You stepped out and saw that the door did indeed say "men’s bathroom." Haechan grinned and said:

"Didn’t you notice anything strange?" He walked to the sink and started washing his face.

"I didn’t pay attention to anything except the sink..." you ignored the fact that you were still in the men’s bathroom, since no one else was there except Haechan. What difference did it make?

"Are you okay?" Haechan asked as he wiped his face with his shirt. You slowly turned to him.

"I... yeah... ah, fuck, of course I’m not okay! How could I be okay when I’ve seen so many people get killed right in front of me? When my clothes are soaked in their blood? When I was almost killed myself? Who could be okay after all that? Only crazy people, Haechan!" Haechan stood in shock at your loud outburst. You both stood there, looking at each other, until you spoke again:

"Sorry... I just want to go home and live a normal life." You leaned over the sink again, splashing your face with water and wiping it. Haechan stayed silent, then approached you and gently lifted your face.

"Y/N, I understand, don’t apologize. I’m going crazy here too, from this place and these people. You saw how I almost got us killed? I lost my mind completely."

"Don’t say that, you didn’t do anything," you interrupted him.

"You didn’t do anything either, so don’t blame yourself for the first vote. Just calm down. I said I’d always be here for you, and I kept my word, didn’t I?"

You looked at his face for a long moment and quietly said:

"You haven’t been here for me the last five months."

Haechan smiled softly and stroked your face.

"It’s not about that now, Y/N. Let’s not talk about it."

"Why? Because you stopped loving me and left? Now you're pretending like nothing happened?"

"Y/N, it's not like that, and you know it. I never stopped loving you."

"Sunghoon said you didn’t care about me, that you didn’t care about our relationship. He said you found someone else…"

"Do you believe that jerk?"

You flinch at his sharp, cold tone.

"I..."

"You're still listening to him? I told you he's ruining your life. Didn't he make you fight with Karina? Why are you still falling for it?"

"I'm not falling for it..."

"Then shut up and stop talking about him. Everything he tells you is a lie, especially about me and our relationship. I’ve always loved you, Y/N. You know why we broke up, and it wasn’t our fault. It just happened."

You feel hot tears on your cheeks and start to sob. Haechan wipes your tears away and leans in to kiss them.

"Please, don’t cry. We... we’ll fix all of this when we get out of this game..."

You stay quiet, just looking at each other.

"Promise?"

"I promise." Haechan smiles, then slowly leans in to kiss you on the lips. Without thinking, you kiss him back. At first, it’s slow and calm. You place your hands on his neck, pulling him closer, and he moves his hands to your waist, doing the same. He presses you against the sink, and the kiss deepens and quickens. Haechan moves his hands from your waist to your hips. You’re running out of breath and pull away.

"Not here, Haechan…"

Haechan looks at you with dark eyes and slowly nods. He leans back in and kisses you again, but this time more gently.

"Oh my god, guys! You scared me! So this is where you disappeared to!" The door suddenly swings open, and Hendery walks in. You quickly pull away from Haechan and fix yourself, but Haechan seems unfazed that you were caught and quietly laughs at your reaction.

—

Third Game: Mingle!

Huh?

You were standing in a huge hall with carousel horses placed in the center. The host explained the rules while the five of you listened intently. After last night, Haechan stayed even closer to you, almost lying down next to you to protect you. Though you couldn’t help but wonder, protect from who?

The game began.

They spun you around so you nearly fell, but Haechan caught you in time. As you stood there together, a familiar voice echoed:

"Five!"

"We’re five!" Sungchan shouted, and you all ran to the door in a panic.

Everyone was scrambling, rushing to find their groups. You could’ve been left behind, frozen in shock, but Haechan held your hand tightly and pulled you toward the red door with the others.

5… 4…

The five of you quickly squeezed in and shut the door.

3… 2… 1…

Silence.

Standing beside Johnny, you peeked through the peephole to see the remaining players who hadn’t found their groups. Suddenly, you flinched as gunfire erupted. They were being executed one by one. You should’ve been used to this by now, but every time it left you frozen, unable to believe your eyes.

Haechan grabbed your wrist and pulled you close.

"I told you not to look. Look at me, only at me. Stay by my side, okay?"

You nodded quickly.

When the door opened, the smell of blood hit you like a wave. Red puddles spread across the floor.

"If people still want to play after this game, I’ll just shoot myself right here," Hendery muttered, walking toward the carousel.

Song began again.

“And have fun jumping around. Round and round.”

“3!”

The lights flickered, and the room descended into chaos. People were running again, panicked and screaming.

"Sungchan and I will find another group. You three stick together!" Johnny yelled.

You stood frozen, watching your friends, terrified to let them go. But the two guys grabbed your hands and pulled you toward the yellow door.

You barely managed to squeeze through before the timer ended and the door slammed shut.

You rushed to the door, frantically looking for Sungchan and Johnny, but they were nowhere to be seen. You could only hope they were safe.

When you exited, two tall guys immediately approached you.

"You’re alive!" Hendery exclaimed, hugging them.

“And have fun jumping around. Round and round.”

“4!”

The five of you looked around again when Haechan suddenly shouted:

«Go as a group of four! I’ll find someone on my own»You stared at him in shock, grabbing his hand.

«Are you crazy? I’m going with you!»

Haechan gently removed your hands and smiled.

«Y/N, please go. There’s no time.»

You shook your head, refusing, but Sungchan pulled you away by the arm. You tried to break free, yelling:

“Haechan, no! You idiot, don’t leave me! You promised to stay with me!”

But Haechan disappeared into the crowd. Sungchan managed to push you into a small room just as the door closed.

“No! Open it! Open the damn door!” you banged on the door, desperately peering through the peephole to find Haechan.

In the darkness, everyone looked alike, and with horror, you noticed someone who resembled Haechan. Right in front of you, they were shot. You stumbled backward, tears streaming down your face, and turned sharply to the others.

“What if it was him?! This is all your fault!”

“Y/N, calm down. He’s a smart guy; he must have found a group” Sungchan tried to reassure you.

“I just saw someone get killed! What if it was him?!”you cried hysterically, your vision blurring. You sank to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, until Hendery approached and carefully tried to comfort you.

“He’s alive, Y/N. It’s going to be okay,” he said gently.

You were on edge, unable to think clearly. The games had pushed you to the brink, and the fear of losing Haechan consumed you. The pain of him leaving you again mixed with the terror of the moment.

When the door opened, Hendery helped you stand. You rushed out, scanning every door, but there was no sign of the one you were looking for.

“Guys!” a familiar voice called from behind.

You turned sharply and saw Haechan. He stood there with an elderly woman and two men.

“I found these wonderful people, and they saved me...” he began.

Before he could finish, you ran to him, throwing your arms around him so tightly it felt like you feared losing him again.

«Hey, Y/N, I’m here. Everything’s okay.»

«Don’t you dare leave me again,» your voice trembled with emotion.

You lifted your head, pouting slightly, and Haechan smiled softly at your adorable expression, brushing his hand over your hair.

“I promise, I won’t leave you.”

“This is the final round!”

“Thank god” Hendery said.

“And have fun jumping around. Round and round.”

“2!”

Haechan immediately grabbed your hand, pulling you close, and glanced at the others.

“Split up. Only one person is needed here, i can do it” Hendery said and smilled to you.

You and Haechan sprinted toward the door. He opened it and was about to step inside when you suddenly broke free from his grip. Someone shoved you roughly, pushing you aside.

A man dashed past you, slipping into the room with Haechan and slamming the door shut.

You froze, staring in horror at the closed door.

Haechan turned, realizing your hand was no longer in his. When he saw a stranger instead of you, his expression darkened with fury.

“Get out!” he shouted, shoving the man.

“There’s no time!” the man argued, resisting him.

Haechan said nothing. He punched the man in the jaw, then shoved him toward the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

The timer hit zero, and the doors locked.

Haechan stood motionless, staring at the door in disbelief. Then he heard gunshots.

No. No way.

"This is all because of you, asshole."

Haechan furiously lunges at the guy, punching him in the face.

"I’m sorry! I just wanted to survive! I accidentally went into your door!" the guy pleads.

"You pushed her! She was with me!" Haechan yells, continuing to hit him. But he suddenly freezes when he hears the guy’s next words:

"I didn’t push anyone, I swear! I was just running, trying to find someone, and I saw you were alone! Please, stop, don’t hit me!"

The guy covers his face with his hands as Haechan, still holding him by the collar, breathes heavily, staring him down. After a few seconds, the door opens.

Haechan immediately rushes into the hall, frantically scanning it for you. But you’re nowhere to be seen.

"Please, no…" he whispers, panic overtaking him.

A minute earlier.

You stare at the door in terror, watching another guy enter and shut it behind him.

You’re going to die.

You don’t even try to get up in the chaos around you. You’ve accepted it—this is the end. Is this really how it’s going to end? You didn’t even get to do anything with your life.

Your thoughts are interrupted by a hand grabbing yours and pulling you up. You stand and see Hendery in front of you.

"Hendery?"

"Quick, run! There’s only one door left!"

You spot the open green door, and the two of you dash toward it together.

There’s barely any time left, and you’re running as fast as you can.

4… 3…

No. You didn’t want to die. You couldn’t die now.

2…

Hendery pushes you through the door and quickly shuts it behind you.

1…

Click.

"Damn. We made it… I really thought I was going to die back there."

You sit on the floor, wide-eyed, staring at him. Hendery turns to you, his gaze softening.

"God, I’m so sorry. I pushed you too hard. I was panicking—we were so close to running out of time."

He rushes over to you, helping you up and checking for any injuries.

"I’m fine! Really, I’m okay. Thank you for saving me."

"You’re the one who saved me. If I hadn’t seen you, I would’ve died. But, wait… where’s Haechan?"

"Someone pushed me, and he got shoved into a room… That’s how we ended up separated."

"Man, people here are seriously insane."

You laugh and nod in agreement.

As Haechan gets closer to the carousel, he spots you standing next to Hendery. The moment you see him, you both run toward each other.

"Haechan, we made it! Hendery and I are safe!"

"If it wasn’t for her, I’d be dead! Some girl ditched me, and I was in complete panic!" Hendery adds.

But Haechan doesn’t hear a word. He simply pulls you into a tight embrace, breathing shakily. Then he starts inspecting your face and body, searching for any injuries.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did you fall? Did he push you too hard?!"

"I’m fine, Haechan. I’m okay."

With a sigh of relief, he hugs you again.

"Don’t ever leave me like that again."

“I won’t i promise.”

note: squid game doesn’t have the end yet thats why this story doesn’t have too…

[chxnsgirl]

방찬 ─── cracks in the mirror

♡ pairing ៸៸ idol!chan x fem!reader genre ៸៸ angst, fluff ៸៸ cw ៸៸ ED behaviors mentioned , body image angst , weight loss mentions , mean girl mina , chan is sweet

♡ synopsis ៸៸ after a girl says something mean about your body at work, chan consoles you. [ part 2 ]

a/n ๑ i messed up the format please don't laugh at me

♡ masterlist

the work dynamic today was strange. you were working with your friends, han, changbin, and chan, helping out with music production and note taking. this was a normal day, or at least, it would have been, without mina present.

mina is.. to put it bluntly, the biggest pick-me-bitch you’d ever met. she was normally assigned to work with itzy on their productions, but this particular day, she needed to fill in for a staff member who couldn’t make it into work. she put on a facade around everyone else, but you saw her for what she really is, an emotional vampire, manipulative snake, and an attention whore. you realized it when she only talked to you when you were around the guys. 

you two were hired together, during a group interview process, and she was so nice to you.. until she found out you’d be the one working with stray kids. if you weren’t around the members, she’d be cold to you, never saying more than a few words to you before finding an excuse to get away from you. 

the way she acts alone would annoy any sane person, but it annoyed you times ten when you noticed the way she’d flirt with any male in her presence. especially chan, who you weren’t as close with, but you couldn’t help but gain some feelings for him while working for him, and though he almost never reciprocated the flirtation, you felt as though compared to her you stood no chance. 

and why is that? she was gorgeous. that, you couldn’t even deny. she was white, and she had blonde hair, striking blue eyes, which were framed by her long eyelashes. not to mention, she was skinny. she was the beauty standard. you had struggled with your weight your whole life. you were always the chubby kid in your class, the chubbiest out of your friends. you became accustomed to feeling inferior to basically any skinnier woman in your proximity. 

so, even though you extremely disliked mina, you couldn’t help but envy her. she was beautiful–physically flawless. imagine the disappointment you dealt with everyday knowing nobody else is aware of her wretched personality. 

the sad part was that you actually lost a significant amount of weight since then, but you still felt like the same girl you were in high school, extremely overweight and invisible. you weren’t skinny still by any means, but you were healthy, and that’s what’s most important. 

you mentally cursed to yourself as you looked at the time on your apple watch. it was only 1pm. at least you only had a good two hours until it was time to go home, since changbin needed to end early for a prior engagement. while you were typing away, mina was sitting on the leather couch next to you, about a foot away, half-way paying attention to what was actually going on. 

han was sitting in a chair about two feet away, writing in his journal, and chan and changbin were directing seungmin in the booth, lost in concentration. 

you try to focus on the task in front of you, but you can feel her eyes on you, like she’s studying you for some kind of weakness. you glance up, just in time to catch her watching you, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

“hey,” she begins, her voice light and overly sweet, as if she’s sharing a secret. “can i ask you something?”

you sigh, already dreading whatever’s coming next. “what?”

mina shifts slightly on the couch, her tone now casual, like she’s making conversation. “i’ve been meaning to ask, you know… how do you deal with, like... not having to worry about, well, fitness and stuff? like, you’re so relaxed about it. i mean, i can’t imagine just… not caring about how i look all the time.” she tilts her head, her eyes narrowing just enough to show she’s enjoying the discomfort she’s causing.

you feel a pang in your chest, but you try to mask it, pretending like her words don’t bother you. mina leans back on the couch, a mockingly sympathetic expression crossing her face. “it must be so nice not to stress about it like the rest of us. you’re just so… comfortable, right?”

the condescension in her voice is unmistakable, and it’s almost impressive how she manages to turn an innocent comment into another thinly veiled jab. you can practically hear the unspoken “must be nice” ringing in the air.

you try to keep your face neutral, but her words hang in your mind, a reminder of the deep-seated insecurity she knows how to exploit so effortlessly. a part of you was pissed off; not at her high-school attempt to make you feel insecure–but the fact that it actually hurt your feelings. “mina-” you start, but you’re cut off, and she speaks up again. “i mean, more power to you. i’d feel so self conscious with all that extra weight.”

neither you or mina notice han’s eyes subtly watching mina, his attention fixed on your conversation now rather than his writing. 

your body heats up in embarrassment, and you try your best to swallow the lump in your throat. you feel your stomach tighten, but you force a smile, doing your best to mask the irritation creeping up your spine. you take a slow breath before responding, making sure your voice comes across calm, maybe even a little amused.

"well, mina," you begin, keeping your tone light, "i guess i'm just lucky. i've always been comfortable with myself, you know?" you glance at her, making sure to meet her eyes with an easy, unbothered look. "not everyone feels the need to be so... obsessed with their appearance."

you let the words hang for a second, watching her expression flicker slightly. you knew that would get under her skin.

"guess it's just one of those things you either have, or you don’t," you add, giving her a half-smile as if it’s no big deal. "but hey, i’m sure we all have our own ways of dealing with things."

you turn your attention back to your work, knowing full well that she won’t push any further—not with the way you just shot her down without even raising your voice. mina forces a smile and a quiet chuckle before adjusting on the couch, facing forward and pulling out her notepad. 

as soon as mina turns her attention off you, han turns his off both of you, scribbling in his journal once more. he knew he should have spoken up, but it wasn’t the time or place, and he needed to be professional. you felt the same. as much as you wanted to find a way to reveal mina’s true personality to everyone present, your work and the work of everyone else in the room was so much more important than how you felt about her. 

still, her words rang in your head the rest of the session, and you found yourself unable to focus. 

you must have zoned out during the rest of the session, because before you knew it, everyone was packing up to leave. as you shoved your laptop in your bag, you heard mina’s insufferable giggle from across the room. you looked over and saw her talking with chan, being flirty as always. 

witnessing this along with the emotions you had been holding back for the past two hours became too much. you felt the lump form in your throat again and the tears pricking the back of your eyes. you quickly gathered your things and walked down the hall to the furthest practice room. you sat your bag on the floor and plopped on the couch as you began to let the tears fall. you buried your face in your hands as you let out a few quiet sobs. everytime mina was around, you felt so inferior to her. she was the perfect girl, on the exterior, and she knew how to make herself seem so sweet. but she was so rude to you. for what? 

you reached over and grabbed a tissue, blowing your nose. as you sniffled, on the brink of pulling yourself together, the door to the practice room opened. in walked chan, who was equally surprised to see you sitting there. however, his expression turned from shock to concern as he saw you with tear stained cheeks. “y/n?” he turned and closed the door behind him. “what’s wrong?” he set his things down on the desk and sat next to you on the couch, putting his arm around you. this made tears well in your eyes again and you let out another cry, covering your face in embarrassment. 

“hey,” he rubbed your arm softly in an attempt to comfort you. “it’s okay,” he cooed, making both your heart flutter and ache at the same time. he reached around you and grabbed the box of tissues, holding them for you. you grabbed another and wiped your eyes as you sniffled, your breathing ragged from how intense your crying was. “i’m sorry,” you said weakly, staring down at the makeup on the tissue. “don’t apologize. what’s wrong?” he was still rubbing your arm gently as you tried to calm yourself and find the right words to say. “i can’t.. i can’t tell you,” you sniffled, fighting back another round of sobs. “why not?” 

“it's too embarrassing.” you scoffed at yourself, looking at anything in place of him. “y/n.” he started. “not if you’re this upset over it. you can talk to me, you know that.” 

“i just.. i hate my body.” you weeped, shaking your head. “i can’t stand to look at myself.” 

“what?” chan asked, pulling away from you, as if he was shocked. “you hate your body?” you nodded sheepishly. “why?” he sounded as if he couldn’t believe it. “because, well, look at me, chan!” you gestured to your body as you sniffled again. “seriously, i don’t even know why you stand to look at me.” 

“okay, stop.” chan chuckled, and you finally looked up at him. “there is nothing, and i mean nothing, wrong with your body. what makes you think that?” you sniffled again, debating on if you should tell him your reasoning or just brush it off with just “a lack of self-confidence”. you inhaled deeply before you started to explain. “when i was younger, i was always the bigger girl in my grade. i was always the butt of my classmates’ jokes, i was always the girl nobody would ask out. so, i vowed to lose the weight, no matter what it took. i worked out for hours, restricted my eating down to the bare minimum, and here we are.” you gestured to your body. “over a hundred pounds lost.” you looked down at your hands. “but, everytime i look in the mirror, i still see that overweight girl looking back at me. and everytime i eat a meal, i get terrified of turning back into her.” 

a moment of silence passed before you spoke up again. “its stupid, isn’t it?” you chuckled at yourself. “no, it’s not.” he shook his head. “it's not your fault you feel this way. people should have been kinder to you.” he said softly. “im so sorry you went through that. but.. that’s not who i see when i look at you, not at all. i see.. a creative, talented, pretty girl. your weight doesn’t cross my mind, not at all.” he shook his head as he said the last bit. “really?” you looked up at him, your brows furrowing. he nodded and smiled, his gaze still softer than ever. “really.” he hesitantly reached forward and pushed some hair off your face. you blushed and looked down, realizing you must look crazy with all your makeup running down your face. 

“thank you.” you dabbed under your eyes again. “no need to thank me,” you could hear the smile in his voice. “i’m just telling the truth.” 

you smiled weakly and nodded. “come here.” he turned to face you more and opened his arms for a hug. you smiled and hugged him tightly, your arms wrapped around his neck. he squeezed you into the hug as well, rubbing your back. after a moment of embracing each other, you pulled away more calmed down. “i must look crazy right now.” you laughed, reaching for your hand mirror. he chuckled as well and stood up, going to his bag. “i have something that can help with that,” he said, rummaging through his things. he came back over to you with his makeup wipes. “here.” he sat next to you and pulled one out, handing it to you. “thanks,” you said before wiping off all your makeup. once you were finished, you looked over at him, noticing he was still watching you with an amused smile. “did i miss a spot?” you asked. 

he shook his head. “no. i've just.. i've never seen you without makeup before. you look pretty.” you blushed at his compliment and scoffed. “you’re just saying that.” 

“im not! i swear i'm not.” he exclaimed. “you really are pretty, y/n.” his words made you break eye contact briefly. “thank you, channie.” you peeked at him. “mhm,” he hummed in response. you smiled to yourself and walked over to the trash can to throw away your tissues and the makeup wipe. you sat back down after, sighing. “you think im pretty..” you thought you were just thinking to yourself, but you realize you said it out loud, and a blush creeps onto your cheeks, making chan smirk a little. “yeah, i do.” he nodded. 

“i also think you’re.. funny, kind, and hard-working.” he complimented you. 

your heart flutters at his words, and you can’t help but feel the warmth spread across your chest. “i’m… hard-working?” you chuckle nervously, not quite used to hearing such kind words about yourself.

“of course,” chan grins, his eyes soft. “you’re always giving your best at everything you do. that’s something i admire about you.”

you bite your lip, feeling a mix of emotions. the weight of everything that had been building up throughout the day, all the insecurities, the hurt, it all feels lighter somehow. chan’s presence, his support, the way he’s genuinely here for you, it gives you a sense of calm that you haven’t felt in a long time.

you shift on the couch, your mind racing with thoughts you hadn't been brave enough to say aloud before. “it’s just hard, sometimes, you know? i’ve spent so long thinking that my worth is tied to my appearance… or what people think of me. and hearing you say that… it makes me feel like maybe i’ve been looking at things the wrong way.”

chan leans back slightly, giving you a reassuring smile. “you are so much more than just your appearance, y/n. everyone sees something different in you. but i see you for who you really are–you don’t need to worry about fitting some image of what ‘pretty’ is. you already are, inside and out.”

you’re quiet for a moment, letting his words sink in. it’s hard to believe sometimes, but hearing him say it with such sincerity gives you hope.

“thanks, chan,” you say softly, your voice steadying. “for everything. for… just being here.”

he smiles, his expression tender. “anytime, y/n. i’m always here for you.��

you nod, feeling a little more at peace than you had when you first walked into this room. maybe things wouldn't change overnight, but for the first time in a while, you felt like you weren’t alone in this battle. and maybe, just maybe, that was enough.

after a beat of silence, the door clicked open and you heard a familiar voice. “hey chan, can i-“ han stopped in his tracks when he saw you two sitting on the couch talking. “oh, sorry.. i thought it was only chan in here.” he said awkwardly. “oh, no, it’s okay. i need to get going anyway. i have some work to catch up on.” you reached down to grab your bag. 

“wait,” chan stood up as you did. you looked up at him, but he glanced over at han before looking back down at you. “are you gonna be okay taking the subway?” he asked you. you laughed and nodded. “i’ll be fine, chan. i’ll text you when i get home.” you gave him a small smile before walking past him, where han was holding the door open for you. “bye han!” you waved before walking down the hallway. 

“is she okay?” han asked chris, closing the door behind him. chris sighed and sat back down on the couch, putting the tissue paper back in the bag where his present was kept. “she’s just going through some stuff.” chris looked up at him. “what did you need?” 

“that's.. kind of why i was coming to talk to you. i heard mina talking to her in the studio today. she was.. saying things about her body.” han said nervously, holding onto the back of one of the desk chairs. “what?” chan asked, a hint of frustration coming out in his tone. “what did she say?” his nostrils flared as he looked up at han. “she, uh.. she was just talking about how y/n was so brave for being confident with ‘extra weight’.” he said uncomfortably. repeating something as rude as that felt unnatural to him. especially since you had done nothing for that unwarranted criticism. 

chan sighed and shook his head. he was pissed he had missed that happening. he would have definitely nipped it in the bud if he heard it. “i’ll talk to mina tomorrow.” he managed to remain as calm as he could. “thanks for telling me, han.”