#and THEN i imagined hongjoong doing this 🫠 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bvidzsoo · 3 months ago

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Mina. I will scream into the void 😭🫨🫠🫵🏻🫶🏻

Tbh, it didn’t hit me while writing, but when I was proofreading, I was like…why does this Hongjoong send me up a wall? Why is he SO—good and lovely and everything else that many dudes lack😭😆 tbh I’m glad I managed to actually bring my thoughts into fruition, because the way you spoke about him is exactly how I imagined him to be so that makes me really happy😭🙂‍↕️

‘This Hongjoong you've created is by far the best version of him I've ever read.’ -> stop it now woman 😭 you just always make me scream and cry a little bit on the inside and grin like a fool on the outside; also about Zeus, im scared actual god zeus will come for my ass if i keep bashing him in these stories and the worst is yet to come (sort of) but he really was awful, i don’t make the rules. 🙂‍↔️🫣

That smut scene wasn’t initially part of the plot, it just happened and I decided to roll with it lmao but I think it was good as it was, necessary for the plot yk 👀😆

‘I also loved the writing style in general. It was a lil like older? More poetic? AH, I don't know how to describe it, but it was full of emotions and not just the ordinary, you know, he did this, she did that. It was straight up poetry, ugh, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT?!’ -> 😭😭😭😭 I was a bit insecure about this part because the holiday kinda got me out of the writing groove I had, so I felt like compared to San and Yeosang’s part this lacked that “poetic” feel BUT—I am so glad then that it didn’t, also—STOP IT?! 🥹🫵🏻🫶🏻 thank uuu, idk how I do it, ig I just let loose and try to write in a way that makes me say, okay that’s beautiful 🫠

Color of love

The third star of Cosmically divine...

☆ Author: bvidzsoo

☆ Pairing: Kim Hongjoong x female reader

☆ Warning: smut, breeding kink (?), possessiveness, mentions of abuse and enslaving, violence

☆ Word count: 12.3k

☆ Rating: nsfw, mature

☆ Genre: Greek mythology, Hongjoong is Hermes and MC is Iris, fated to be together au

☆ Summary: If there was a God everyone feared, perhaps it was Zeus. After the continuous abuse he's put you through, you never thought you'd get to live your eternal life peacefully. That is, until the messenger God shows up and whisks you away before Zeus can see and stop him.

☆ A/N: Helloo, my lovelies!! ^^ I am back and all fresh to continue my Greek series, memory refreshed of the places that our story takes place at. All villages mentioned in this part are very real places and I decided to use them, since I now know Greek people also read this series, I hope I have done justice with the descriptions and please forgive me if I messed up anything, but I did take some creative liberty (mythology included!) Surprisingly, I don't have much to yap about right now, except that while writing this I derailed a bit from the initial plot I had constructed lmao but it's actually good because it tied everything nicely together. The taglist is still open, so lmk if you want to be added to it. I appreciate all your feedback, so let me know what you thought of Hongjoong's part! ^^ Enjoy, and here's a glossary before you start reading:

★ This is inspired by Greek mythology, but I took creative liberty and adapted it to my likes, so keep that in mind while reading, thank you! ★ Hermes is considered the herald of the gods, but is also a messenger God ★ Iris is the the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods, a servant to the Olympians and especially Queen Hera ★ talaria are winged sandals ★ petasos is a wide-brimmed hat with a conical crown worn in ancient Greece ★ Zeus is the god of the sky and is considered the ruler, protector, and father of all gods and humans ★ Hera is the goddess of marriage, family, childbirth, and women, known as the queen of the gods ★ Aphrodite is the Goddess of love, beauty, desire, and all aspects of sexuality ★ Dryad is a tree nymph ★ Hades is the God of the underworld ★ Selene is the is the goddess and personification of the Moon ★ Helios is the god representing the sun ★ Isis is the goddess of healing and magic ★ Underworld is a distinct realm where an individual goes after death ★ Cerberus often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld ★ Ano Skotina, Palaioi Poroi, Palaios Panteleimonas are villages in the Olympic Riviera and are situated on the mountain side ★ Dion is a village and municipal unit in the municipality of Dion-Olympos in the Pieria regional unit, Greece; it's known for its sanctuary of Zeus and its ancient city (definitely give it a visit if you're in the area!) ocean divider; greek divider

☆ Taglist: @patchofblue @sthwaaberry @constipatedcorgi @holytidalwavechees3cake @cheolliehugs

@slowitdownmakeitb0uncy @hoeforsungie @skittyneos @mingheol @sebastianswhore13

@astral-trashcan

༄ ҉ Series m.list ༄ ҉ 　★ previous star ★

Alongside the mountain range of Olympus lays more than one beautiful settlement, some so breathtakingly magnificent that one would dare say the Gods themselves have crafted them. It goes without saying that it wasn’t them, but perhaps the humans that have constructed such roads and buildings were momentarily blessed by Hephaestus to wield their instruments the same way he wields his, with the same precision and perfection, building a haven for those who sought a refuge and a place to which they belonged. The lush green mountain range held more than one hidden village from the prying eyes of those wandering through the forest or the inhabitants of the bustling town of Dion, and these small settlements also offered refuge to those who desperately needed one. Right underneath the noses of the Olympian Gods, blessed but also scrutinized and often forgotten about, nobody would’ve thought to look for the two that held so much power in their pale hands, their bodies frail-looking but everlasting. The earthlings of Ano Skotina were unassuming and comprehensive of the two strangers who ran down the cobblestone-covered paths with baited breaths and soaked to the bone by the heavy rain, yet despite the oddness of their appearance and mumbled speeches, the villagers offered the two wandering souls fresh meal, a warm bath, and a house that they could call theirs. It almost felt like a distant memory now, something that happened centuries ago when, in fact, it was merely a few years back, when Zeus’ rage was still fresh and unforgiving as it mercilessly outlashed the mortals that worshipped him so much.

With the disappearance of Iris from Olympus, the Gods felt restless and uncertain, however, no matter how much Zeus scattered them out to search for his beloved seer, no God or Goddess has ever found her. But she was right under their noses, albeit tucked away in a safe place and surrounded by mortals who loved her and worshipped her unknowingly of her real self and status. The tall pinecone trees mixed with those specific to the climate had turned a sharper and more brilliant green compared to their colour before the two strangers decided to settle down in the quiet village, and after every rain, there was a rainbow. The children of the village would giggle and squeal whenever it appeared in the blue sky as they tried to chase its end, leaving a bright smile on my face as I tinkered around my humble abode, waiting for my lover to return.

The villagers of Ano Skotina were pleasant people, and once they warmed up to the newcomers, they included them in every tradition they had, often showering them with goods they didn’t need anymore. Despite looking as human as possible, there was something unearthly about the two newcomers, their auras bright and light, demanding a certain devotion that many in Olympus lacked. It had been hard at first to get used to the kindness and good deeds that seemingly followed every person here, but at last, I learned and realized that not everyone wished ill on their peer, nor did they expect anything in return if they did something for you.

At first, I had felt ungrateful towards their kindness as I found myself unknowing of the customs of the earthlings. Despite being a messenger, I never quite learned their ways and patterns. But they were understanding and chalked it up to me being peculiar, special, and a little different from them and never made me feel excluded when something was new and I didn’t understand the process of it. Hermes was doing better by my side, he accommodated faster, but that was to be expected. He’s been amongst mortals for longer than me, disguising himself as one as it came as second nature to him. Despite the range of our powers, neither Hermes nor I were blessed with the feat of turning ourselves completely human, and thus, I couldn’t help but blame it on a natural wonder and a blessing made by a Goddess when I was just a child that my hair changed its colour every season. During the colder days, it would turn into an ashen brown, slowly turning into a warm caramel colour as the sun returned. When it got so warm that not even the shade of the tall trees could shelter me from the sizzling sunrays, my hair turned a reddish hue, until it faded into a light brown when the leaves started falling once again. The mortals never said anything, never accused me of anything, but it was easy to tell that they knew something was amiss, that it had to do something with the divine. Perhaps that also prompted them to be kinder and gentler towards me, oftentimes noticeable just how squeamish I was around everyone besides my saviour. His name, the one that the mortals so feverishly worshipped, was Hermes, but the one they unassumingly called out as if he were a friend to them was Hongjoong. I, myself, found the later version of his name more comforting, friendlier, and for once not a reminder of everything I had to endure in Olympus at the hands of Zeus.

The night had been serene when we blew out the last candle and made our way to our shared bed, the covers cold until our ghastly bodies warmed them up, hushed whispers and giggles leaving our reddish lips until we became enraptured by the night and the dreams it brought upon once our minds and souls calmed and admitted defeat to the simple feat of exhaustion. Wrapped in the arms of my lover nothing and nobody could hurt me, I knew I was safe and far away from the very God that called himself our father and protector. But there were nights when my dreams were clouded with visions, making my sleep restless and terrifying. Some visions that came to me would be bright and of great news, and some would be foreboding and dark, petrifying.

At first, when the bright moonlight coming through the opened curtains slowly faded into permeating darkness, I thought it must have been the rainclouds covering the beautiful celestial, but with the appearance of the gut-twisting feeling low in my stomach, I knew something was amiss. The house was eerily quiet and I was alone, no longer in the safe and strong arms of my lover. My feet were cold as I carefully left the confines of my bedroom, the floorboards wet and slippery in an uncharacteristic way. Perhaps Hongjoong had visited Poseidon and brought the seawater inside our house, perhaps the rain was so harsh it settled and flooded our house. But the absence of the pitter-patter of the rain against the roof of the cottage was enough to confirm that it wasn’t raining, and with the talaria not in its place, I also knew Hongjoong wasn’t home.

The quiet hiss behind me and the fear spreading through my body warned me that this wasn’t my reality, that I had been sucked into a vision while unconscious. Most of my visions happened when I was asleep, when my mind was at rest and open to receiving whatever the Cosmos wanted to alert me of, but if the situation was dire, I could force myself into a state of consciousness too to see such visions. Rarely, but it’s been happening more often since I have descended into the human realm, I would get snippets of the future if I touched certain objects or even mortals, visions that usually bore good news. And so, without my consciousness stirring me awake to interrupt the vision, I turned to face the hissing animal behind me. A long and dark green snake was slowly slithering towards me, menacing as it opened its mouth and showed its poisonous fangs. A snake couldn’t kill me, I was immortal after all, but it certainly could harm this human body I was forced to inhibit in this realm.

But the ground shook and the sky cleared once again, the scenery different to where my unconscious body lay peacefully in the arms of my lover. The pinecone trees twisted and turned around me, caging me in as the snake came menacingly close, and I raised my head to look at the moon but it was absent. I was deep in the forest, I could hear the hushed whispers of the Dryads, the concern and fear in their voices. The snake rose off the ground and gave one last hiss before it lunged towards me, my legs apparently frozen in place as I couldn’t jump away or even run off. But before it could sink its teeth into my pale and frail skin, an eagle’s scream was loud and warning as it suddenly gripped the snake in its sharp claws and yanked it away from my body, taking it far away as it flew off into the permeating darkness. The Dryads haven’t stopped whispering, and while their mutters remained intangible, they became louder and more urgent. My legs stopped feeling like lead and I took a tentative step in the direction I hoped the cobble path was and would lead me back to the village, but a shadow darker than darkness itself seeped between the trees as if it was mist, encompassing the forest.

There was a scream in the distance and sudden terror gripped at my throat, my body locking up as I stared into the silver orbs that now seemed to be blocking my every-way, watching me almost tauntingly. I couldn’t breathe as my lungs seized, and I clawed at my throat, but the pressure only worsened, my body shaking from fear and the lack of oxygen. My vision became hazy as creepy laughter echoed around me, a terrifyingly familiar voice, a voice that I loathed with my whole being. I was succumbing to the greater force the more seconds ticked by, but before my eyes could roll to the back of my mind and allow my body to crumble to the cold floor of the forest, a face so clear it managed to make me gasp appeared in front of my face.

The man’s face was simply gorgeous, tanned from the sun and defined at the jaw with a nose that few bore around these parts. His eyes were uneven but sharp, and his pretty lips formed a word I couldn’t understand just yet. My ears were ringing louder than the person’s words, but the more my eyes bore into the stranger’s terrified ones, the clearer everything once again became.

“Run!” His shrill voice was raspy as I was forcefully shoved back and I stumbled for a moment until I regained my bearings.

I could move, I could hear, I could feel.

My body trembled as that familiar cackle echoed around me once again, and I realized the gorgeous stranger was one of the Dryads who whispered in the trees. He looked more scared than I had ever felt, and with a hand reaching out for him desperately to pull him with myself, my feet kicked off before the cold darkness could touch my skin.

And then, as quickly as it came, the vision was gone. I was shaken awake by the frantic calls of my name and warm hands that gripped my arms with tremors. “Y/N! My beloved, please, Y/N. Iris, please, wake up!”

My eyes slowly fluttered open and I realized the curtains were still drawn apart to allow the moonlight inside, to honour Selene and perhaps greet her when she passed on the sky with her chariot. Even if one could hide from Zeus, Selene and Helios saw and knew everything. But my vision was soon obscured by two bright eyes, an amber nobody else I knew had as they shook in fright and bore into mine, searching for anything wrong. My body felt tense and my throat a little parched, but other than that, I was alright. I knew I had been dreaming, I knew a vision came to me, but everything felt wrong. There was something just not right about the vision, about the way it occurred, about the man that showed itself to me. It took me a few seconds to register everything I had seen, and soon, my eyes were just as glazed over with fear as Hongjoong’s. I shot up and cradled my knees to my chest as Hongjoong settled down behind me, reluctant to touch me as he exhaled shakily.

“My beloved, what is the matter?” He questioned quietly, his voice pained, “I cannot help if you don’t talk to me. Was it another night terror, Iris?”

I gulped and my arms tightened around my legs a little bit more, “A vision, Hermes, an omen. Something bad is about to happen, he’s coming for me.”

There was rustling behind me and then I felt the press of a firm chest against my back, strong arms wrapping around my middle to pull me back into the warm body of my lover. I sighed, but my muscles remained tense as I tried to shake away the lingering feelings of the vision. Somebody was out there to get me. Somebody sent by Zeus, once again, and they were close, too close for comfort. The snake almost managed to touch me, perhaps it represented the mortal or traitor, even, that Zeus had sent. I wouldn’t put it past him to send the dirtiest of those that he had once cast away to bring me back to him so that he could enslave me once again.

“Nothing bad will happen, Y/N,” Hongjoong whispered as his chin came to rest on my shoulder. He turned his head and his soft brown hair tickled my cheek in the process, “You are with me and I will do everything to keep you safe, I have promised. No, I have sworn on my immortality, I’ll never let him find you, my beloved.”

Hongjoong’s tone was soft and tender as his fingers gripped my sheer nightgown tightly, pressing his front to the back of my body as tightly as he could, his hot lips brushing against my ear almost teasingly. I gulped, remembering the fear in the Dryad’s eyes too vividly, it had felt too real. I couldn’t even tell if he was part of the vision or if he had managed to cause a rift in the Cosmos to consciously warn me of the danger that was now closer than ever before. We’ve managed to stay hidden for so long, the fear of losing my freedom again was all-consuming and terrifying.

“The Dryad was terrified,” I whispered as my eyes coated over with the remnants of the vision, hard to erase such a look from my mind, “I don’t even think he was part of my vision. There was an eagle too in my dream, Hongjoong.”

My lover’s gulp was audible and I turned my face to face his, prompting Hongjoong to lean back just a bit so that we could stare into each other’s eyes. Suddenly, a soft smile graced his lips and my heartbeat picked up just a little bit, my tense muscles finally easing and letting me become putty in Hongjoong’s comforting embrace.

“He won’t touch you.” There was a menace in his tone, warning and promising of pain, his eyes glazed over with fire for a second, memories taking him away from me, but Hongjoong quickly returned as his eyes cleared, tone more passionate than before, “If there’s anyone that can keep you captive, then that’s me because I’ll forever treat you with respect and love, care and tenderness. I’ll be your slave if that’s what you want me to be, I’ll prove to you again and again how devoted I am, I’ll treat you like a Queen if that’s who you want to be, Y/N. But most of all, I’ll run until the end of Earth for you if that means I can keep you safe, I’ll run and never stop. I’ll never step foot into Olympus ever again if that keeps you safe from those tyrants.”

“Don’t say that.” I whispered as Hongjoong’s left arm untangled from around my torso so that he could cup my cheek, “With me gone, it’s already hard for everyone to keep up. I’m making you do all the work by yourself, it’s unfair. If you’ll be gone too, I fear our fates will be dire once we are discovered.”

“I know more than he’ll ever know, Y/N, I carry all secrets and strategies. If he tries to separate us or threatens to turn us into stars, I’ll know how to corner him.” A smirk that would frighten any mortal crossed Hongjoong’s lips, “And I will threaten to throw him off if he doesn’t back off.”

I knew no matter what I said to my lover his resolve wouldn’t break, it was of no use trying to convince Hongjoong that if he went against Zeus he most certainly would perish. No matter how much you knew, not even his own weaknesses could stop the God, he was the father of us all after all, and Hongjoong was merely a deity that had more power and free will than those unlucky like me.

“I love you.” The confession bubbled past my quivering lips, and I watched Hongjoong’s Adam's Apple bob up and down as he swallowed, eyes darkening with want and fire that was perfectly reflected in his amber irises. Our human bodies were more fragile than our godly forms, they felt everything so much deeper, so much more passionately. I couldn’t help but succumb to the fire that licked at my skin as our warm lips pressed together, hungry and never satiated with the other as Hongjoong gently grabbed my hips and manoeuvred me around until I was sat atop him. Our lips smacked together with a languid pace and our teeth clumsily clanked together whenever one of us bit the other’s bottom lip eagerly, my long fingers finding purchase in Hongjoong’s wavy strands as his calloused hands guided my core over his clothed member. The soft fabric of his sleepwear was thin and hid nothing as he grunted at the first drag of my hips forward and back, making me eagerly swallow the sounds he was making. One warm hand settled on my thigh, underneath my nightgown, and slowly bunched up the fabric until it rested just above my hips.

Desire licked at my insides as hotness spread through my body, cheeks flushed as Hongjoong’s hands traced invisible patterns into my skin, his touch leaving a trail of goosebumps as they slowly slithered towards my lower back, digging into my flesh. I sighed against his mouth before pulling back to tilt his head back and press kisses against his well-defined jaw, the moonlight making his appearance godlier than he ever was in his deity form. I moaned against his simmering skin as his nails dug into the flesh of my bottom, heat pooling in my lower stomach as he pressed me down just harder on his clothed member, drawing out a moan from both of us as my bare core ground right on top of it. The wetness between my legs only became more prominent and I bit into the flesh of his neck, making Hongjoong’s head fall back as he breathed through his mouth loudly, a whine falling past them every time I sucked a little harder, every time I let him drag my core over his hard member, hot despite the fabric separating us.

“I love you.” He gasped into the silence as his hands settled on my thighs again, my hips moving on their own as the friction had started feeling too good to stop, leaving a dark patch on his light-coloured trousers, which mixed with his own precum. I pressed a long kiss against his lips as I fiddled with the hem of his trousers and hastily pulled them down, freeing his member as I eagerly aligned myself up with it, our eyes meeting before I sunk on it. Hongjoong’s grip tightened on my thighs and he whimpered as I hugged him close to my body, fingers tangling into his hair once again, offering an anchor as my walls clamped down on his length. Hongjoong was safe, home was where he was, and I never wished to be anywhere else but in his arms. He saw past my gift and looked at my soul, he appreciated me and worshipped me for who I truly was and not for why everyone seemed to want me. Just a seer, a lowly deity that was able to glance into the future and sometimes the present. Hongjoong never demanded of me to look into his future, to spy on a vision for him, he only asked me to love him back. But he didn’t have to ask, I had always known if there was any mortal or deity I could love, it was him.

The muscles of my thighs tensed as I tentatively rose before sinking back down on his dick, making Hongjoong groan as he leaned back to support himself with one hand, bracing my hip with his other as he gently guided me. I let my hands rest on his shoulders as he snapped his hips upwards and ripped a moan out of me, making me meet his thrusts eagerly as our movements synced up, the slapping sounds became louder and louder in the confinement of our bedroom as we both lost each other to the feeling of overwhelming lust and love, the desire to possess and be possessed, to belong to someone, to love and be loved.

But life had not always been like this. For centuries and centuries, it hadn’t been like this but full of torment, pain, and demands that seemingly never came to an end. Everyone always wanted something from me, they always took and took, but they never gave back anything. I understood my role in the Cosmos, and as the bearer of messages between the mortals and Gods, I knew I had to be flexible and report whenever I was needed. I had to prioritize my purpose and place everyone above myself, it’s just how nature worked. And it had been alright, I felt most fulfilled when I was doing what my calling was, when I was guiding Gods and mortals alike, stringing them onto the right path headed towards a bright future. But I was naïve and careless, I hadn’t realized that once the knowledge of the full extent of my powers fell into the wrong hands it would be exploited, that it would turn against me and hurt me in the process. Glancing into the future, predicting silly things like the weather, and warning mortals of floods or wildfires soon turned into commands and demands of looking into the fate of a disobeying God or Goddess, into spying on those that dared turn against Zeus, of migraine after migraine when I was at my wit's end, begging to be left alone to recharge and step away from the visions.

Zeus was unforgiving and violent, greedy and desperate to control everything and everyone around him. When the word of me being a seer got to him, my freedom was stripped and I never saw the sunlight unless I had orders to deliver a message. My visions became constant because I just had to do what he told me if I didn’t want to turn into a star, and my body and mind were exhausted. I couldn’t sleep, sometimes I would get stuck in a vision for weeks on end, unable to break free, becoming a prisoner of my own mind. It was terrifying and excruciatingly painful; I couldn’t tell whether I was still alive or not. It was silly, a deity never dies as long as it has worshippers, but my soul felt so tired I wished all mortals would drop dead so that my existence would cease too.

Zeus hid me away from everyone, he lied to Hera that I decided to reside on a secluded island down amongst the humans and wished not to be spoken to or reached out to unless the message was time-bound and very important. I had been an important messenger of Hera, and my heart broke when I felt her trust and respect in me vane, but what hurt, even more, was that she never questioned her lover, that she never actually tried to look for me and see if the God was indeed saying the truth. What hurt the most, even in my deity form, was that nobody actually cared enough about me to come and rescue me from the terrorizing clutches of Zeus, that nobody loved and respected me to save me from the torment I had to go through for centuries on end. Everything hurt, even speaking and sleeping, I was nothing but a shell of what I once used to be. Zeus never cared, he just wanted the visions, he threw me around until the physical pain became so unbearable that I just had to scavenge my mind for even a trace of a vision. I became scared of my own power, of what he’d to do me if I didn’t learn how to control it better.

And then one night, or day I couldn’t tell, as I lay exhausted on the cold marble floor of the room Zeus had imprisoned me into, there was a whoosh of a breeze inside and the shatter of a vase. I had no idea what’s happened, I couldn’t see quite right and my head was pounding, covering everything in an unclear haze. But something metallic was hurled underneath my long fingers and when my index finger curiously poked against it a vision so sudden and harsh that it knocked the wind out of my lungs clouded my eyes with flashes of a handsome and somewhat familiar face, smile mischievous yet menacing, his amber eyes ablaze and raging. I had known of him, of course, I have, but we’ve never quite crossed paths, so it was bizarre to get a vision so suddenly of Hermes. It wasn’t even Zeus asking me to look into him, I wasn’t even forcing my mind and soul to connect with it, it just came by itself. Tears flooded my unseeing eyes at the feeling and I tried not to sob upon realizing that my soul was still somewhat aligned with the Cosmos despite how much I’ve forced myself to see and hear everything, having broken the order of the Universe.

And the vision of Hermes persisted for months on end, until, the marble door separating me from freedom was blown into bits and pieces and the God rushed inside with flushed cheeks and a ragged breath. He said nothing as he scooped me up in his arms, lips hot as they pressed against my cold forehead, and for the first time since my existence, my heart started beating in an uneven pattern, fingers digging into the silky fabric of his shirt as I begged him to save me. Hermes looked angry, but not at me, he looked at me with pity in his eyes but said nothing as he broke the glass of the window with the heel of his foot. I couldn’t remember much as I lost consciousness after that, but I felt the wind blow around us harshly as we fell freely, descending into a realm that was familiar yet new, a cocoon of lush green trees and springs that were clearer than the sky and sun hotter than the rays in Olympus, a place that soon became our new home.

The paths leading down the mountain range were soon after our arrival covered in cobblestones, creating an easy and clear passage for the villagers of Ano Skotina, Palaioi Poroi and Palaios Panteleimonas down to Dion, which resided at the foothill of Mount Olympus. The villagers had put in hard work once Hermes brought up his idea, and with his help, it only took the men a few weeks to construct the paths and connect the otherwise strenuous trek for the villagers if they wished to travel between the settlements. But with our arrival it seemed that the fauna and flora flourished more than before, the villagers became livelier and eagerly awaited the appearance of a rainbow which hadn’t been spotted in ages by the mortals.

Having been saved from the clutches of Zeus, I was finally regaining myself. Hongjoong stood by my side every single step of the journey and he offered a helping hand when it all became too much and too exhausting. He hid me away from all the deities and promised to settle down in a village where Zeus would never find us. We couldn’t go far from Olympus as he still had to fulfil his duties, but with me gone, Zeus had no insight into anyone, he wouldn’t know who had stolen his slave away from him.

But even if we were hiding in plain sight, we’d never be safe from him.

On the days that the Gods and Goddesses were too busy bickering with each other, forgetting all about their worshippers, the sky seemed to be clearer and a lighter blue. On days like that it was safe for me to leave the confines of Ano Skotina and hike down to Dion with Hongjoong. I loved days like this because as much as I was scared of Zeus finding us, I loved the loudness of the bustling town, the liveliness and eagerness on the faces of mortals, and most importantly, I loved the market where we could trade fresh flowers and fruits. If the weather deemed good and the deities remained preoccupied with their selfish deeds, Hongjoong and I would follow the path down to the sea and dip in the warm but refreshing water. Poseidon wasn’t always around, busy with his errands, so, it was safe to explore the beautiful sea in his absence.

Given our origins, it took Hongjoong and me around an hour to descend from the mountainside down into the town, our talaria polished and well-kept. We hid them in Hongjoong’s satchel as soon as we neared the closest settlement to avoid being discovered by the humans. Sneaking around always brought a little sense of excitement, of my blood boiling hotter and my heart pumping faster, only heightened when Hongjoong would playfully chase me down the cobblestone-covered paths inside of Dion, heads turning our way as they watched on curiously. There wasn’t a day where boredom could threaten to kidnap me if Hongjoong was around, he’s had plenty of time to observe the earthlings and find out what would be amusing and help the time pass by faster. Not that I wished for that to happen, I cherished every second I spent next to Hongjoong, clinging to him despite our unlimited time.

Being with him had always felt right, from the very moment he lifted me in his arms to save me from Zeus. There was something about his eyes that assured me that we were right for each other, that it was written in the stars, that my suffering for so long wasn’t fruitless. He had known he had to save me when he accidentally caught a glimpse of me through the barely open door of my cell-like room, Zeus’ voice booming as he demanded a vision from me before he could send Hermes on his way to deliver his message. He had returned just days later and snuck inside my room to assess the situation, accidentally knocked over a vase when he heard someone approach the door, then fled through the open window. He couldn’t return for months; Zeus was suspicious of him and he was scared if he was caught we’d both perish. But he remained vigilant and at last came back for me.

I made sure to remain close to Hongjoong’s side as the market was packed with more people than usual this afternoon, our pinkies reaching out for each other whenever the other strayed closer. He was discussing something I couldn’t hear with a blacksmith, wondering whether he had more metal to trade with him as my attention remained on the flower stall and the lovely old lady who always had the brightest smile on her face. Her grey strands were beautiful and highlighted her age nicely, and despite her late age, her demeanour was just as youthful as a child’s.

When our eyes met, she beckoned me over with a happy look on her face. Casting Hongjoong a quick glance to make sure he hadn’t moved away yet, I made my way over to the vendor and bowed my head in greetings, “My dear! I haven’t seen you in too long, I was worried about you.”

“My apologies for worrying you, kind soul, I haven’t been able to leave my village.” I kept my answer as vague as possible as her eyebrows furrowed in slight worry. Lately, the deities were busy watching over their desperate worshippers so I couldn’t risk my safety and cover.

“That boy of yours isn’t keeping you captive, is he?” Her eyes narrowed as my cheeks flushed and I quickly shook my head, not keen on her choice of words. I hated hearing anything that had a connection to captivity, and just the thought of Hongjoong keeping me as his prisoner was disgusting and infuriating.

“He would never,” My voice was harsher than intended, “He cherishes me more than anyone ever has.”

“Good, good.” The vendor muttered as her features relaxed once again, “Would you like some pomegranates? I traded them just this morning, I hear they’ve been blessed by Aphrodite herself. Perhaps they’ll make me look youthful once again.”

The old lady giggled as she grabbed the fruit and extended her hand towards me, making my muscles tense at the mention of the deity. If it truly had been blessed by the Goddess I didn’t want to touch it, let alone eat it. She hadn’t been the kindest to me in our years of knowing each other, and despite knowing that Zeus held me in a chamber as his slave, she never said anything to anyone.

“Thank you, but I must refuse you. I do not have anything to trade it with.” The vendor shrugged and put the fruit away, her fingers grazing against the petals of a sunflower. My eyes followed the action and I yearned to do the same, the yellowness of the flower reminded me of my own rainbow’s colour. It had been a while since I had brought upon the earth a rainbow, I missed its beauty and comforting colours.

“Your scarf seems to be made of silk,” The old lady hummed as she eyed me curiously, “I’ll give you a bouquet of sunflowers if you trade it with me, I know they are your favourite flowers.”

I gulped and gripped the scarf, pondering whether it was worth trading something of high value with something that had little value. But the piece of fabric held no sentimental value to me and autumn would be soon approaching, the old lady needed the scarf more than I did for her body was weaker than mine will ever be. And she was right, I did love sunflowers, it’s been too long since I could hold them in my hands, so, I nodded and untied the scarf from around my neck.

“You’ll seriously trade that beautiful piece for sunflowers?” The vendor next to the old lady asked with scepticism, a dark-haired woman with bushy eyebrows and greediness that wasn’t missed by the mortals either. The old lady ignored her as she tied a big bouquet together for me, happy to trade them.

“I can find many more scarves like this one, but summer is soon ending and I’ll have to wait a long time until sunflowers bloom again,” I answered with a soft smile and took the flowers after I handed over my scarf. The old lady took her time to examine it carefully and I glanced behind myself to see where Hongjoong was. He had moved on to another stall and he was surrounded by several men now as they conversed animatedly, his face bright under the sunlight and amber eyes glinting with interest.

“You have such little value for your possessions.” The other vendor grumbled, and the old lady laughed as she shook her head at the younger woman. I said nothing as I cradled the bouquet against my chest, looking down at the flowers to examine them. Its petals were soft between my fingertips and I took note that its hue was much more vibrant than the colour in my own rainbow, perhaps I could make mine more prominent too.

“The only possession I want to have is over my beloved, nothing else matters to me.”

“Oh, to be young and completely enraptured with a man.” The old lady mused with a knowing look on her face once I looked up at her, my cheeks dusted pink as I realized I had spoken my mind too freely, “I haven’t seen a pair as devoted as you two are to each other.”

“There must be some, I cannot imagine not loving with your whole soul and being—”

“Love is just a fairytale the deities made up to wrangle us around by the nose and manipulate us into doing whatever they want.” The other vendor lady snapped as she interrupted me, and my eyebrows furrowed at her harsh words. Certainly, if any deity were to hear her, her place in the Underworld would be assured and arranged to be painful. The old lady hissed and gave the other vendor an irritated look.

“Quit being so pessimistic, especially to such a young soul.” Before the other vendor could say anything else, the old lady faced me with a curious look, “You must be coming tonight to the offering, right? Zeus will bless you and then you will never part from your lover, he’s great like that.”

Zeus was anything but great, but I didn’t want to ruin the lady’s image of the deity. If I were a maiden praying to Zeus to watch over my lover, he’d rather take me as his lover than offer us his protection. Zeus was horrible like that. But the thought of him made me shiver and I tried to ignore my tensing muscles. I had no idea it was already that time of the month, Hongjoong must’ve forgotten too, otherwise, we would’ve never come down to Dion today of all days.

“I’m afraid I won’t be joining you tonight, I haven’t been feeling well these past few days.” A curious look crossed both of the ladies' eyes and I gulped nervously as I started feeling jittery. I realized I had conversed with them for too long and it was time I returned to the safety of Hongjoong, where nobody would bother me anymore or ask questions.

“You must be with child, then.” The younger vendor declared and my eyebrows furrowed as I cast a glance at her. I most certainly wasn’t with child, I would’ve felt it, but if that lie helped stop more curious questions, then I would take it.

“I am not sure, but perhaps I am,” I answered and the old lady gasped, eyes falling to my belly.

“That is great news, indeed! May the child have your peculiar hair colour and his father’s beautiful eyes.” She wished earnestly and I smiled, feeling just a little bit guilty that Hongjoong and I weren’t actually expecting a child anytime soon. But I blinked my eyes faster and looked down abashed, resisting the urge to shuffle my feet. Deciding that I should return to my lover’s side now, I bid the two vendors my sincerest goodbyes and turned around to search the crowd for Hongjoong. He was a couple of steps away, doing the same, and his eyes lit up when they found me. He had a wide grin on his lips and he waved his fingers playfully as he took off towards me, his steps bouncy and giddy. I chuckled and stopped to let him reach me first, but as I did so, a child narrowly avoided colliding with me as his warm skin brushed against my hand.

The sudden change of scenery managed to knock the wind from my lungs as I gasped and looked around, the market was eerily empty and the sun was hidden behind clouds as suddenly it started becoming darker and darker outside. White mist left my lips as I breathed through my mouth loudly, the temperature having severely dropped made me shiver in my summer gown, head whipping around as I searched for another living soul. But there was no one, not even Hongjoong, and I clenched my palms into fists when I heard the hauntingly familiar cackle once again. The Dryads weren’t here whispering again and I wondered if I’d see the young man once again, if he’d come to warn me again. But nothing happened until an eagle screamed in the distance and then a dark shadow appeared just by the entrance to the market. Its features were unrecognizable, but it towered over the gate as its silver orbs vibrated, looking wildly my way. I gasped and tried to take steps backwards, but I was trapped once again. I felt warm hands touching my arms, a muffled voice worriedly calling my name and something wet pressing against my cheek. The darkness persisted, however, and the shadow cackled once again as the eagle screamed and was suddenly plummeting down towards me, sharp claws drawn and beak parting. But before it could touch me, rip me apart, my eyes flew open.

The loudness of the market made my head thump in pain and I realized I was clutching onto Hongjoong’s shirt tightly as I tried to regain my breathing. My eyes searched to crowd frantically for the shadow, but also to make sure nobody saw my episode. Hongjoong’s arms were warm and slightly trembling as they pulled me into a tight embrace, his lips pressing against my temple as he sighed loudly, “You’re alright, I got you. Let’s head back home, my beloved.”

I nodded wordlessly as Hongjoong took my hand in his and manoeuvred us around the crowd, making sure nobody familiar ran into us so that we’d be able to leave faster. I appreciated his attentiveness as I followed after him, my fingers tightening against his as the crowd was slowly vanning out the closer we reached the end of the town. His features softened once he slowed down to let me fall in step with him, and I raised our joined hands to press a kiss against his hand, “Thank you.”

He said nothing but his amber eyes turned warmer as red swirled behind his irises, his wavy brown hair falling into his eyes and making him look boyish. I chuckled and pressed up on my tiptoes to steal a kiss from Hongjoong, making his eyes widen as a man had just passed us on his horse, his lips widening into an amused smile at our display of affection. I knew my lover was blushing red when he turned his head away, but he squeezed my hand once to let me know he appreciated the gesture, “I saw him again, the shadow, the darkness, the eagle. You know it’s Zeu—”

“Do not speak his name.” Hongjoong cut me off roughly, all previous warmth gone from his features as he faced me abruptly, “Don’t say it, Y/N, I hate it when you do. I hate him, and everything he’s done to you. You are safe with me and nothing will happen to you, I have sworn and I will keep swearing.”

“I know,” I muttered, gulping nervously as I averted my eyes, “but the visions never lie, my love, he’s close, I am not safe anymore.”

I tried not to yelp when suddenly two warm palms cradled my cheeks and yanked me close to Hongjoong’s face, his ablaze eyes boring into mine with fury and determination, “You are mine and if anyone, mortal or deity, touches you, I will burn them until nothing’s left of them. You have suffered enough, I will not let anyone take advantage of you ever again, Iris, it’s over.”

My eyes fluttered closed as my heart thumped wildly, and I leaned forward to press a lasting kiss against Hongjoong’s lips, who pressed his body incredibly close to mine, “You wear my petasos, my beloved, everyone knows you’re mine. Everyone knows what will happen to them if they try to claim you, I won’t allow it anymore.”

His voice was deeper as he spoke up once our lips weren’t pressing against each other and I licked my lips as I nodded, smoothing out the creases between his eyebrows. A silly thought came to mind as Hongjoong’s eyes searched my face and I chuckled as I leaned so close my lips brushed against his when I spoke again, “The vendor ladies think I am with child.”

Hongjoong’s breath stuttered and his pupils dilated as one of his hands grabbed my hips, pressing my body painfully so into his, “Perhaps you should be with child, my beloved.”

“Do you want that?” I asked in a whisper, throat feeling dry as I tried to ignore the fire spreading through my body. This greedy little human body could be so lustful.

“Yes, I want you full of my seed and belly round and pretty.” Hongjoong’s voice was deep as he answered and I had to take a second to compose myself, trying to be the bigger person right now. It wouldn’t be the first time things got a little bit out of hand while we were in public, and I didn’t want something as mortifying to happen again. Last time we were lucky the unfortunate soul who saw us in a scandalous predicament had been an older lady and her husband, both understanding and giggling as they rushed away from the scene. Truthfully, we could’ve picked a more secluded spot and the back of a bar that was often frequented.

“We’re being indecent, Hongjoong.”

“Then let me take you home and show you just how much I want you to carry our child.”

“Hongjoong.”

One of us had to attend the offering, it was inevitable, and since nobody knew of my location but with Hermes still around, it wasn’t a question that it would be him who would descent to Dion tonight and bring a small flower crown made from my sunflowers and the neighbour’s weeds as his own offering. As a deity, we didn’t have to attend such worshipping customs, but since we were disguising ourselves as mortals it would look suspicious if we didn’t tag along from time to time. I never showed my face around when they were bringing offerings to Zeus as he often liked to disguise himself and come down, watch his loyal followers, and even take maidens to bed and spread his bloodline, but when they would show gratitude for Isis, I made sure to tag along. A deity recognized a deity even in disguise, and despite her catching me at her altar more than once, she never said anything. She could feel my pain, she could see past my smile and looked into my battered soul. She was sensitive and kind, instead of bringing me to Zeus, she blessed me and healed my wounds so that nothing could hurt me so horrendously ever again.

Once we had gotten back from Dion, Hongjoong was busy showing me just how much he really wanted me to carry our child, very reluctant to leave the bed to get ready for the night. I knew he didn’t want to go, he knew I didn’t want to be left alone tonight out of all nights, but we also both knew that we did not have a choice. Deities rarely had a choice, the greater good just always seemed to call out to us. But still, I helped him bathe and dress up, I cooked him a warm dinner and braided little strands of his soft hair while he was busy chiselling his talaria, his petasos already pristine, the leather smelling fresh and feeling soft under the skin.

“Are you certain I must go?” Hongjoong asked with a sigh once he was done with his talaria, eyebrows furrowed as he looked up at me. I ran my fingers through his hair and ruffled the strands that fell into his eyes.

“Yes, my love, you must.” I hummed quietly and Hongjoong sighed long, “We hadn’t attended the offerings in a while, the townsfolk will get suspicious of us at this rate and I quite like this place.”

“I like it here too, it’s serene.” He hummed absentmindedly and I stepped back to let him wear his winged sandals, raising to his feet to test out their agility. He was fast, as always, in good shape and ready to tackle the night’s challenges. I smiled at him proudly as he came to stand in front of me, hands settling on my hips as he licked his lips and looked down at my mouth, “If anything feels wrong, go over to Mr. Do, he will keep you company.”

“I don’t think poor old Mr. Do will be able to tackle a god like Zeus if he shows up,” I said with a chuckle as I circled my arms around Hongjoong’s shoulders, standing on my tiptoes to reach his face better. He chuckled as his eyes searched my face, the amber swirling as fear made its way shown, “I will be alright, Hongjoong, don’t you worry.”

“Of course you will be.” He answered with a scoff as if Zeus showing up was such an impossible feat, “And when I return, I will show you once again just how eager I am to have you with child, to spend the rest of my eternity with you and our son or daughter. I want them to have your kindness and faith, and I want them to have my determination and strength.”

“Aren’t you thinking a bit far ahead, my love?” I asked with a snicker as Hongjoong pouted and shook his head.

“Of course I’m not, my beloved, the seed has been planted, we both felt it.” Hongjoong lowered his face and I watched as his lips parted, “The shift in the Universe has happened, the stars aligned for our love once again, Y/N.”

“We’ve been blessed.” I whispered and tangled my fingers in the hair at his nape, pushing Hongjoong’s face closer to mine, “I am fully yours now.”

“You’ve always been fully mine,” Hongjoong’s voice dropped as his fingers dug into my skin through the fabric of my gown, “only mine.”

I hummed and leaned my head back as his warm lips pressed against mine, instantly eager as they pressed together firmly and forcefully, asking me to part my lips for him. Hongjoong moaned when my tongue dragged against his, coaxing him in deeper as our saliva mixed and tongues brushed together, lighting my skin on fire. My heart pumped faster and my skin jittered, hushed voices and hazy orbs fluttering behind my eyes as a vision threatened to kidnap me from this moment. But I stopped it, I wanted to enjoy the touch of my lover, the sounds of my lover, as I knew the darkness would be back if I were to succumb to the greater force.

Our pace was languid as Hongjoong dragged each kiss out, sucking on my bottom lip before he’d dive right back in, sucking on my tongue too and making me whimper as my hand found an anchor in his nape, holding him as if I were afraid he’d pull back too soon. But he didn’t, he soaked up in the sounds and only kissed me more desperately, pulling back for air when it became too much for our human bodies. I was breathing hard and Hongjoong struggled to even out his pants, our foreheads pressing together as he cleared his throat once and then twice. He licked his lips and then pursed them, fingers twitching as he raised his hands to cup my cheeks, “I wish to return earlier tonight, I’m not done with you yet, Y/N. I have figured if I go earlier and stay for a shorter amount of time it should be fine, Zeus will want me to report back to him so I’ll try to make my journey as fast as possible.”

“I’ll be right here so don’t rush yourself, I don’t want anything to happen to you,” I said worriedly as we untangled from each other, I tried to smooth out the knots I created in Hongjoong’s hair. His outfit remained spotless, the black fabric tight and secure around his strong and well-built body, hugging him snuggly in places that wouldn’t restrict his movement.

“I’m too restless to remain until the end of the festivity either way,” Hongjoong shrugged and kissed my cheek before he went to grab his petasos, “Go to Mr. Do if anything feels even a little bit wrong.”

“I will, I promise.” I smiled reassuringly as my lover headed for the front door, pausing to turn back around with a worrisome look on his face. I knew he was reluctant to go, but he had no choice. One of us had to go and it was him, it was always him, he’d have to report back to Olympus either way and he was right, the quicker he got over with everything, the faster he could return to me. But as soon as the door closed behind me and I was left alone in our safe abode, dark visions clouded my eyes and sent me tumbling to the floor.

The evening had been harsh to me, the visions seemed to turn only darker as the hours passed by, taunting me. It felt as if I wasn’t in control anymore, as if it was someone else controlling what I saw. My heart pumped fast and my head thumped wildly making my ears ring, and I felt boneless as I tried to stand from the chair I managed to drag myself into. My sight was hazy as I felt around the table for the glass of spring water Hongjoong and I had collected earlier this day, but I failed to reach the cool glass and thus gave up as a harsh wave of nausea almost made me gag. I had never reacted to my abilities so harshly, I couldn’t determine whether it was worrisome or not that my body was having such visceral reactions to the darkness that seemed to linger in the corner of my eyes.

I knew that I was alone in the house and that my visions were tricking me into believing someone was watching me from the shadows, candles unlit as I found the task too strenuous to do with my current state. It all felt too real, it made me scared of how easily my body was succumbing to the terror-filled memories that followed my bodily reactions. It wasn’t the first time my body threatened to shut down, but it’s been far too long since I had felt so sick. It made me remember my captivity and everything I had to endure at Zeus’ hands when he pushed my body over the limit and forced me to become nothing but a vessel that relayed the visions of a seer. I was scared because Hongjoong wasn’t here and because I couldn’t figure out just exactly what was triggering this reaction. All of Isis’ blessings seemed futile all of a sudden, and I found myself wondering whether I could ask the Goddess for guidance and help in dire need, a beckon of light to help me survive until Hongjoong returned and figured out a way to stop my suffering.

But I remembered that Mr. Do was a healer of sorts, a little too old and grumpy, but the villagers loved him and trusted him with their lives countless times before, I have seen it firsthand. Hongjoong and he seemed to have a mutual respect and a deeper understanding of the other’s force that I failed to see and sense. And despite every muscle and joint in my body protesting when I finally pushed myself up into a standing position, I found Hongjoong’s deep trust in the old man a reassuring thought that pushed me to take action and bring myself to the old man’s doorstep, perhaps he knew how to fix this. I had barely reached the front door of my house when my muscles locked up as if they sensed danger, my skin tingling in a way only around another deity it did. But I was alone inside the house, it made no sense, perhaps my seer abilities became uncontrollable and started lashing out in peculiar ways.

I swung the door open, finding the task difficult as my body vehemently tried to disobey my mind’s commands, and despite the haze that clouded my sight, Mr. Do’s small frame not even a few steps away was unmistakable. I hadn’t noticed, but the wind was howling as it bent the weaker branches of trees in odd ways and not one candle was lit inside the neighbouring huts. Cold darkness wrapped around us and I shuddered as it bit at my skin mercilessly, “Mr. Do?”

My voice sounded breathless and pained and my eyebrows furrowed as the older man stepped closer so that I could see him clearly, “Oh, you look sickly, my dear. Let’s head inside.”

I couldn’t find it in myself to object and stepped back inside my house as Mr. Do followed, his height shorter than my lover’s. It seemed to be relatively warmer inside the house, but I still shuddered as I brought the shawl tighter around my shoulders, pressing my nose against the fabric as it smelled like Hongjoong. It brought little comfort, but I relished in it as I willed my sight to clear, at least that little if nothing else seemed to be right with me. Mr. Do seemed curious as his eyes searched the place and I watched him with slight confusion, wondering if it’s been too long since he’d stepped inside our house. But it looked as it always did, the interior hadn’t changed since last week when Hongjoong insisted on having the old man over for dinner as a payment for his kindness after he healed Hongjoong’s broken fingers. It was a freak accident; one he couldn’t heal down here unless he wanted to be caught by the mortals.

“What is bothering you, my dear?” The warm smile felt wrong on Mr. Do’s face, he was someone who never smiled nor showed affection, his face a mask of coldness and uninterest. He never used nicknames and he had never once in his life before directly addressed me. Mr. Do seemed to be afraid to say my name for some reason and he always brought pastries whenever there was a rainbow in the sky, that’s the most emotion he had ever shown. That’s how I knew he didn’t completely mistrust me or hate me. This man standing in front of me was not Mr. Do. But it was too late now, I had already welcomed him inside. I quickly realized that despite his disguise, he couldn’t hide his godly aura, the faint glow around his body or the respect it demanded.

“Why are you here?” Despite my voice being faint, it carried conviction, and braveness, “What do you want?”

“My little seer back.” The man disguised as Mr. Do chuckled and walked further inside the house, walking around as he touched vases and ornaments that clearly belonged to Hermes, “You must understand my utter shock when I found out she was gone. My utter anger and annoyance when I searched for her relentlessly and she was just gone as if swallowed by the earth itself. I assumed it was Hades at first, we know how he likes to play me and taunt me, but when I found him gone from his kingdom and meddling with humans from far away times, I realized something more peculiar had happened.”

I didn’t dare speak up as Zeus walked closer, the face of Mr. Do scrunching up as he tsked, “Imagine my utter confusion and rage when I find out Hermes, my precious messenger and guide, decided to settle amongst the mortals. Not only did I lose my seer, but my messenger too.”

“Hermes never stopped serving you.” My voice was harsh as I willed the bile down my throat and blinked my eyes quickly to try and get rid of the haze, which was very possibly induced by Zeus himself. I understood why my body lashed out like this, it sensed danger and it was warning me. But it was too late now, I had walked myself into Zeus’ trap.

“He didn’t, you are right, little seer, but he also started slacking off.” He scoffed and I gulped as I remained put, my feet frozen to the floor, “You must imagine I assumed he was frolicking with the mortals at first, but then certain inaccuracies just stopped making sense, you see. I have other means of looking into my little deities, Iris, I don’t need you—”

“Then why did you keep me for so long?” My voice raised as my sight finally cleared and I was able to glare at Mr. Do’s serene face, fire and anger replacing my fear as I stared the God down, “If you don’t need me, why did you subject me to so much strenuous work and pain? Why did you force me to seek and seek without break, to bend myself and ruin who I once was?”

“The secret to being a deity is so simple, my little seer,” Zeus’ voice was quiet as he walked even closer, eyebrows slightly furrowed, “We are just like these mortals that worship us, we are greedy and selfish and we take without consideration, we possess and we demand, we punish and we slay, so, what sets us apart from them?”

“Immortality, lack of morals and care of those around us,” I whispered, unable to gulp down the lump in my throat anymore as my heart raced faster, ears starting to ring once again.

“Power, abilities that mortals will never have, is what sets us apart, Iris—or should I call you Y/N, now?” Mr. Do chuckled but his voice sounded distorted. My muscles tensed when his short frame suddenly grew taller, towering over me menacingly, “This is why you are such an insignificant deity to most, you are too soft, you love and want to be loved. You wish to belong to someone and to possess someone, it makes you weak. You act more like a mortal than a Goddess.”

“I never felt like I belonged in Olympus,” My face became hard as my eyes narrowed, unafraid to speak my mind for once. A surge of anger pushed me to speak my mind, to stand up for myself and demand the respect I was never given, “I was always pushed away by my kin, made fun of and ostracized. Your own lovely wife made me a slave of hers, and then you. You look down on me and judge me, but you wish to possess just as much as I do, if not more.”

The God remained silent as his jaw ticked and Mr. Do’s face formed into an unfamiliar shape, features mixing with familiar faces, but still unknown. It didn’t stop shifting as Zeus’ eyes bore into mine and it felt like the air was ripped from my lungs as they started squeezing in on itself, choking me as I fell to the side, clutching onto the table tightly.

“I want to punish you direly for thinking you could abandon your ruler, Iris, I really do wish.” His voice was a dark hiss as I tried to breathe, but couldn’t, “But you’re too precious to be turned into foam or a star, Hermes, however, I know just the perfect way to make him suffer for his insubordination.”

My eyes widened at the mention of Hongjoong and I tried to speak, but I couldn’t as dark spots started colouring my vision. I tried to object and scream, but no word left my mouth as I scrapped at my throat in despair while Zeus watched on with an amused expression. He loved seeing his toys fret and beg for mercy, he loved feeling like the King he was, able to rule over everyone and decide everyone’s fate. But before my misery could continue, the door of the house was slammed open and loud panting filled the house.

“I forgot my satchel—” Hongjoong’s breathless words caught in his throat as suddenly the airflow was back in my lungs and I started coughing loudly as my knees gave out and sent me tumbling to the floor. Hongjoong was by my side in an instant, body hot and skin sizzling as he grabbed my cheeks and forced my head up. His amber eyes were almost fully red as he searched for visible injuries and his jaw ticked as he turned his head to face Zeus. He had a vicious look in his eyes and he almost but spat in front of the God as his voice thundered in the confined space, “What are you doing here?!”

“I came for what’s mine—” The laugh that left Hongjoong’s mouth was guttural and it made me shiver as my frantic eyes looked at my lover with despair, begging him to remain level-headed so that he wouldn’t ruin his chances of survival furthermore.

“What’s yours?” Hongjoong spat, eyes falling on me once again to make sure I was alright. He gulped as he cradled my cheeks and I opened my mouth to beg him to stop and walk away, but lips pressed against mine firmly before I was staring back into his wild amber eyes once again. He had made up his mind, and I could do nothing to convince him to stop, to think through whatever action he took next. He was here to protect me and if that meant he’d lose his life in the process, he didn’t care. He had sworn to protect me and I knew he’d do no less than that, “Enlighten me, Zeus, what’s yours again?”

The God seemed appalled by the way Hongjoong spoke to him, face contorting into disgust as he watched my quivering form and Hongjoong’s protective stance as he stood up and shielded me from the God’s furious eyes, “Iris is what’s mine, you fool. I will feed you to Cerberus if you utter one more word—”

But Hongjoong was reckless and he didn’t care as he threw his head back to laugh loudly, hysterically, and I clutched the trousers at his ankle and yanked on them to get him to stop, but he was gone, far gone. He’d go to unimaginable lengths to protect what was his and not even his lover could stop him anymore.

“Cerberus would hack me back up if he were to swallow me, don’t be foolish you old man.” Hongjoong tsked as if he was scrutinizing a child and my heart raced in fear for him, “Besides, Hades likes me too much to let me perish, after all, I make his job a lot easier with all the souls that I carry for him to the gates of the Underworld.”

Zeus hissed and stepped closer, hands balling up into fists. I took notice of the wind picking up frighteningly so outside, to the point it rattled the hinges of the windows, and I could only pray the other villagers wouldn’t be affected by Zeus’ wrath. They haven’t been anything but kind and loving to us, I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to them.

“Before you destroy this lovely village,” Hongjoong seemed to be thinking the same as he smirked, the look on his face eerie as red swarmed around in his dark irises, overshadowing its beautiful caramel hue, “I must inform you that I have claimed Iris and she has claimed me, so you cannot touch neither one of us, you old fool.”

My cheeks heated despite the predicament and I gulped when deafening silence followed, the wind suddenly disappearing. My heart raced in my chest and it felt like it had ascended into my throat as I felt Hongjoong’s hands around my forearms, helping me up to stand next to him. His smirk remained frightening to any mortal, but the mischievous glint in his eyes told me that he was in control, that the odds were for once in our favour as he smoothed my hair down for me, “And since you are the one that loves to make up foolish rules for your peasants to follow, do I need to remind you what it means when a deity claims someone?”

Zeus just gulped, eyes darting between me and Hongjoong, the veins underneath his skin lightning as they travelled, his eyes turning a misty grey. No one knew Zeus’ real face, but I had come close to seeing it more than once, it was ugly. It reflected the person he was on the inside; he was ugly through and through, no wonder he chose to disguise himself even between his own kin, “I can still use her abilities to my liking, Hermes, that’s not what claiming one enthrals.”

“Oh, does it not now?” Hongjoong chuckled and I felt an arm sneak around my hips until his palm pressed flatly against my belly, his bottom lip between his teeth as raised an eyebrow mockingly, “Even if the seed had been planted to bring forth a new life?”

“She’s pregnant?” Zeus’ voice raised octaves as his eyes widened comically and the fundament of the house shook as I shuddered, clutching onto Hongjoong’s arm for stability. My skin was cold and I was shivering, but Hongjoong remained like a pilar by my side, supporting me and offering me braveness.

“She is pregnant with my child, yes.” Hongjoong’s smirk spread into a wide grin that made him look crazed as his amber eyes simmered in the darkness and the ground shook again. I looked at Zeus reluctantly as I let my hand rest above Hongjoong’s, our fingers tangling together as we held onto my belly. Zeus could feel it too, the shift in the Universe and the change in the alignment of the stars, he knew Hermes and I were fated to be together; he knew if he went against the wishes of the Cosmos, it would be him paying the price and not us. I couldn’t help but huff as I suddenly felt all tension leave my muscles, serenity infusing my brain and body like never before. Hongjoong, too, knew we were safe when his offensive stance relaxed and he stood tall in contentment.

“You are both traitors.” Zeus hissed, but there was no force in his voice, only defeat and despair, “And if I can’t make you pay, the Cosmos will find ways to make you suffer for what you’ve done.”

“Is that what you say to all the mistresses you keep?” My tone was cold and unforgiving, it shocked both Hongjoong and Zeus, “I wish you nothing but an eternity of suffering and misfortune, I wish that all of your children turn on you and bring your demise like you had brought your own father’s, Zeus.”

“Did you just curse me?” His voice boomed as Hongjoong threw his head back and started cackling loudly, bringing a small smile to my lips as I chuckled.

“I am no witch, Zeus, but I believe the Cosmos works in peculiar ways.” I stopped to take a breath, to finally say what I always wished to tell him, “And just because you are supreme to all of us, it doesn’t mean you are invincible. The Cosmos doesn’t differentiate in kind.”

Somewhere in the distance, a bolt of lightning struck and a deafening roar travelled through the forest as Zeus turned into nothing but dust and charged energy, lighting our house in blinding light for a second until everything was covered in darkness and silence. I remained frozen as Hongjoong started giggling, cradling my face as he grinned at me widely, “You are the most breathtaking creature I have ever had the luck to come across, my beloved.”

“I love you too, Hongjoong.” I chuckled and let him kiss me messily before he pulled back and giggled again, unable to contain the giddiness our small victory brought upon the both of us.

“Do you think I still have to report back to him tonight?” The question made me laugh as I threw my arms around his torso and pressed my body against his, revelling in his comforting warmth as I nuzzled my nose against his neck. Hongjoong pressed a chaste kiss against the crown of my head and I melted into his arms, feeling safe and like a weight had been lifted from my chest. We would be alright for the time being, the child would be safe down between the mortals and Zeus would leave us alone for now. I couldn’t tell what the future had in store for us, at least not until a vision came to me, but I didn’t care as long as Hongjoong was by my side.

The Cosmos gifted those deserving and took from those undeserving.

❱❱ Next star

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#feedback: cosmically divine #my moots 💕 lovely people <3

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blu-joons · 3 years ago

Note

Hi hi hi💜 How’s the health doing? I see that you’ve been extra busy updating your to-do list. Don’t overwrite yourself, okay? Me and the entire blujoonie empire are sending you awesome vibes and lots of positive love 💜

*whips out a list* Now, I wanted to send some thoughts your way, so please don’t hate me 😂💜

1. How are YOU enjoying the April challenge so far? I, personally, have been enjoying these little bits of brilliance. All of them are amazing but some faves so far: cold, angry, inspired and forgotten 💜

2. Recent imagines and reaction have been OF COURSE the toppest of notches.

Plus-size insecurities with Hongjoong where he disagrees about being different, that they’re both human and love each other *flushes pink from cuteness* IT’S THE SIMPLE THINGS YOU KNOW 🫠

Clingy drunk with Minhyuk HAH just the overall setting of the story, loved it and I can’t help it. Also stop staring I mean, let me live that life 💜

Ateez being the little spoon oh god, the fluff THE FLUFF IN THAT REACTION *sighs*🫠

Crisis talks with Bang Chan WAS SO BANGCHANESQUE PLEASE HELP. ‘What’s in the frame is broken anyways’ *me getting punched in the face by WORDS* don’t break up with me CHLOE *me getting KNOCKED OUT BY MORE WORDS* but I love it💜

Jungkook’s cranky baby. So basically here’s my math: Jungkook + babies * Bam = MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN 💜

Baby kicks with Jung Taekwoon. I don’t stan Vixx please don’t come for me but this imagine, again THE FLUFF 🫠

Fast English with BTS. That was so funny like please 😂 I can’t like I could actually see them in that scenario. Personal fave was Taehyung’s I know he’s my bias and I AM BIASED OKAY but like the sheer panic it’s like someone has opened her up and pressed fast forward *spits out water*. That reaction is comedy gold right there 😂

Obviously all the reactions and imagines are outstanding, these are just few that caught my eye. FLOWERS TO ALL WHO REQUESTED THESE BRILLIANT STORIES 💜💜💜

Okay, I’m sorry for this huge annoyance *bows* but love your work and I WILL NOT stop praising you because you deserve it and more so, Chloe 💜

-🐿

I don't even know where to start aside from just saying thank you for all your loveliness towards my blog! It's really helpful to receive your feedback and know that you've enjoyed what I've posted recently 💜

I'm really enjoying the challenge, it seems to be getting a nice reaction which is the most important thing for me! I'm recovering well too healthwise, my first negative test came back this morning 💜

#🐿 anon

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honey-lemon-goose · 2 years ago

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Y/n takes into account of so much!! Setting a meeting up at a closed restaurant not e enough that waiting until the guest comes to order food to make them more comfortable!!! A really queen for sure🙌 'mistakes were very common - it was how we responded to them that mattered.' Y/n back with the facts!!👏 'you would be interested in learning more about what kind of food he liked so you could make a suggestion that would suit him.' Man my heart would skip a beat too nsksndkwnsk🤭💛 Convinced you could have Yeosang help with anything as long as you get him fried chicken in the end🤣💛 'At this point he was not sure if Hongjoong even had the right to call himself a captain anymore because of just how masterfully you navigated discourse' 😱😱😱 I feel like Hongjoong shivered from that thought alone🤣😱 "Said what you assumed I wanted to hear. While I do appreciate how considerate you are, and how you respect my profession, it does little to help me get to know you." Aksnskendo oh I love y/n lmaoooo🤭💛 "Not to worry. You can quote me anytime, Yeosang." Pycotxfizkgxjfu woah😳🫣💛 'Yeosang pinched the bridge of his nose, imagining just how nonsensical his friend could be' WOOYOUNG IS BEST WINGMAN YEOSANG!!🤧✊️ "Not at all, I am flattered. And a word of advice, do not apologise for your friends if you cherish them, and especially if they were acting on behalf of you." Wow. Woah. Y/n. Out here with God level maturity!🤭👏 "Then let's organise for when we shall meet again, so I can look forward to it." Qjwnewn smooth Yeosang, that was smooth!!!✊️👏 'pyjamas-clad Wooyoung hopped out from behind the kitchen counters, recorder in his hands, and started playing an ear-bleed worthy rendition of George Michael's Careless Whisper.' AKSMSKSMKS NOT CARELESS WHISPER!! WOOYOUNG YOU MENACE🤣💀 How I live for this man's antics in this series🤭💛 no member is safe frfr🫡 'but with one 'you wanna fight bro' taunt from Jongho - and him moving to stand in a boxing position, made the taller member turn right around and loudly proclaim 'NOPE'. Me too Mingi🥲 no one messes with Jongho! Man with rip you apart like that apples! R.i.p apples😭🙏 'Yunho, who just stepped out and was leaning against his doorframe.' 🫠🤭 Yunho can do anything normal or mundane and have me on my knees oml��💛 but fr imagine him leaning against a doorframe, arms folded just looking at you!? Aksnekwnlwwnwk🫣💛 "Nah, I have no beef with Yeosang, he was a homie when I was having problems with a certain someone." Akwnskem is this referring to your fan yunho y/n!!???? "And not because.... goth gf?" Yeosang could not help it. He saw the opportunity." Akwnsksks😱 Wooyoung + recorder = loud and one in the same💀🤣 I see and understand why Hongjoong is worried for Yeosang in liking a celebrity interviewer. I mean yeah all the risks are there! But as we have read y/n isn't like that but Hongjoong just has to find out for himself so dad mode can subside!💛 'Hongjoong had all but forgotten the quarrel, preoccupied with promotional schedules and training.' And goth gf🤭👏 Hongjoong was worried yes but did he take it a bit too far? Yes.🤦‍♀️ Man Yeosang is smitten🥰💛 "You and Yeosang had a thing for asking questions. And now, together, were crafting the answers, one by one.' AHHHH WJWNEKNW ADORABLE OML🥹💛💛

Your fan, Yeosang (part 2)

(part 1) (your fan ml)

📺 pairing: yeosang x talk show host!reader 📺 genre: romance, fluff, mutual pining, drama 📺 summary: a bulletpoint-style wordstream of what it would be like if yeosang was stanning you 📺 wordcount: 8.0k (hehet? this be a long boi v sorry) 📺 warnings/tags: language, drama, reader has connections, woo and jongho are best homies, seongjoong parents, flute remixes to soothe the soul, general chaos, 6d chess master plans, prejudice, growth, interviews and press, discussion of media, mention of eating, slight sleep deprivation, sneaking out 📺 taglist: @acciocriativity, @senpai-of-doom, @layzfeelit @jcngh0-hq @black--awsum @honey-lemon-goose 📺 a/n: Hello!! <3<3 Is drama on the horizon for Yeosang? Let's find out! Thank you so much for your love and support, big hugs, much love and hope you enjoy <3 (p.s.: can you guess who is next? hint is: sOft chaos bringer)

The clock struck eight in the evening as you were sat in your favourite family restaurant, toying with a napkin that you had taken from the table drawer. You did not want to order anything before his arrival, just in case if the meeting were to be cut short for some unknown reason.

You liked to give people space to breathe, and that always started from the way one carried themselves, and whether they were forward-thinking enough to consider how some of their most insignificant actions could result in something much, much bigger.

For celebrities, and any public figures for that matter, this was amplified a thousand fold and had many nuances and interpretations.

Take a scandal stemming from exposure. Why you had chosen this restaurant in particular, was so that there would be no curious eyes: the storefront was covered by a myriad of posters, an old vending machine, and stacks of crates. Most importantly, they were actually closed today, and only because of your close ties to the owner were you allowed in here 24/7.

Take a red herring or misleading information. You were clear in your demands for the meeting, and appreciated the directness with which you had been approached. Seeing as this was an unofficial introduction, you had picked the time and day when you were bound to be off work and did not have to lie to your colleagues.

Take foolishness and lack of reflecting on one's actions and words. It was a simple error to make. Many had done it. You tried your best to veer away from such disasters during interviews that you led, but some... were just prone to talking first, thinking second.

This is why, when you saw the handsome young man by the name of Yeosang walk through the door, lowering his mask just a little to let you confirm that it indeed was him, you waited for him to greet you first. Perhaps you might have come across as cold, but you felt that it was the right tactic to choose considering that you had never crossed paths before.

Of course you knew ATEEZ, and had even tried to organise interviews with them before, alas, it had not worked out. At the time you either had not gained enough traction to come across as important enough, or they were simply too busy. Aside from that, you had a hand in suppressing some recent 'what could have been' scandals, but you kept your battles with the yellow pages under wraps.

Destiny had its own plans for you personally interacting with ATEEZ. Destiny in the form of a complex entertainment industry network and... an intriguing broken telephone that led you to contact a certain Jung Wooyoung directly.

And upon doing so, you had finally gotten to exchange a couple of message with none other than the instigator of this whole spy movie-level plot. The contrast between him, and the other member was nothing short of hilarious. Down to the emoji count and the use of punctuation, their personalities revealed themselves to you in seconds.

But Yeosang still seemed... odd. Like he was guarded. And you adored when people were guarded. Especially towards you. Since that normally meant that in reality, they had a lot to say.

He stood at the entrance, feeling a little awkward since he was unfamiliar with the place, it being in a distant neighbourhood to both the company and the dorms. To add, it was you he was meeting, so even if he tried to act cool, it would be a bit of a lie. He rocked on his feet a couple of times, fiddling with his face mask that he had now fully taken off.

Then, as his eyes scanned the surroundings, he spotted you. You were sat at one of the tables furthest from the door, and seemingly did not notice him yet. You were folding the tissue paper in your hands into an elaborate origami structure, and looked almost the same as on screen.

How you were sat reminded him of the little segments during the shows when the camera cut to you a little bit early, and you were still in your zone, waiting for a cue - this had been more prevalent in the earliest episodes, and even then was barely noticeable.

The only reason why he knew was because during an anniversary episode you had dedicated a portion of the show to discussing professional blunders, taking your own as examples and encouraging your viewers that mistakes were very common - it was how we responded to them that mattered.

That had resonated with Yeosang, and as such, he had written about this (for research purposes) in detail. It had motivated him to not be so hard on himself, at least in the moments when he recalled that you had said so.

You had become a sort of stabilising presence in his life, since he admired you so greatly, and he had begun to enjoy pretending that it was exclusively him that you were sharing wisdom with. He had been in denial about that part for a few days, but managed to convince himself that a provider of fan service had the right to enjoy some imaginary fan service too - now if he were to bring that to LIGHT.... that would be a different story.

Not appropriate for a first impression. Matter of fact, not appropriate for later impressions either. He vowed to keep this unfounded 'strangers to whatever it was'!au in his head until he himself turned into a blue bird.

He ambled towards you, straightening out his clothing as a soothing gesture, and when he was a couple metres away from you, froze in place. This was real, wasn't it? He blinked slowly a couple of times. Yep, yep it was. Wooyoung really did have mafia-level connections. All so Yeosang could act like a mafia boss. Bro code certified.

As he wondered how exactly to better gain your full attention and running through different alternative scenarios, you beat him to it, raising your head and beaming. Your cheeriness was contagious, making him return the smile two-fold.

"Kang Yeosang, right? A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure is all mine, L/N Y/N."

Yeosang took a seat right in front of you, and as if she had been waiting this whole time, the ahjussi who owned the restaurant strolled up to your table, and asked for your orders. With a kind, yet still unreadable smile you ordered a couple of things off the menu from memory. It seemed both you and the owner were on the same wavelength, existing in an alternate universe where no one forgot anything.

As he fumbled for the menu, not finding anything on the table, then struggling to figure out what the scribbles on the wall were as they seemed to have been written in stereotypical calligraphy of a medical professional, you softly captured his attention.

He half expected you to make a joke about his lost expression, or about how he was pulling a classic Yeosang moment and struggling to catch up, but you only mentioned that the best items were always the ones off the menu, and you would be interested in learning more about what kind of food he liked so you could make a suggestion that would suit him.

Yeosang's heart skipped a beat. Was this what it felt like to be in the studio with you? Were all the people who you worked with and travelled memories with actually there to just... fall for you?

But in the words of the greatest, we must stay focused, brothers, we must stay focused. He pushed the fanboy trapped within him a little bit further down so he wouldn't act up at least for the next hour, and nodded appreciatively towards you.

After confessing his love for certain types of fried goods, but making sure to politely add that really he was okay with anything, you grinned, and explained to him one of the specialties, that luckily, included chicken. He gazed at you, head resting on the palm of his hand, as he pondered just how nice it was to listen to you.

It wasn't just about how you asked questions really. Though that was technically what brought in the money in, as one could say. It was about how you treated your conversation partners with respect. You were not forcing the conversation, nor letting it burn out.

At this point he was not sure if Hongjoong even had the right to call himself a captain anymore because of just how masterfully you navigated discourse, guiding it but not overwhelmingly so. Just enough to keep things interesting. (but Yeosang did not have a death wish, so this was again, personal and exclusive to his mind palace)

As you two were served some soft drinks while you waited for the food to arrive, you decided to cut right to the chase.

"I have heard a few things through the grape vine, and have some conclusions of my own, but I would love to hear about a certain thing from you personally. How would you describe the purpose of a master of ceremonies, of a show host?"

Yeosang needed a moment as he contemplated the question. It felt purposefully cryptic, but he could not feel any malice behind it. Was he being too trusting? He could not help it though, you had an innate ability for welcoming yourself into the inner worlds of others.

Quick, quick... what should he say that would make him appear knowledgable? He could not have a person he looked up to, was basically stanning, think that he was a fool.

"Uh, someone who... and MC is someone who embodies the message of the show, is a reflection of it in a sense. They are a personification of what the programme stands for, from the language they use to how they dress to how they behave overall."

He listed off, feeling proud that he managed to muster up something he deemed worthy of your analysis. At least, until he saw your eyes narrow, and stopped fiddling with your glass of water, instead intertwining your hands together and resting them on the edge of the table.

You extended both your index fingers, and directed them at him. Be it in accusation, or because you wanted to emphasise something, he had no clue. But panic mode was upon him and he began to replay what he had just blurted out in search of an error or any sign of what could have possibly upset you.

The side of your mouth twitched upwards as you noticed a familiar series of behavioural patterns right before you. It was only natural for people to act that way when they said what they thought they had to say, instead of what they really believed in. Especially when you gave the sign that you did not buy it.

"In total agreement with you, Yeosang. Now how about you? How do you view it?"

"But I just-"

"Said what you assumed I wanted to hear. While I do appreciate how considerate you are, and how you respect my profession, it does little to help me get to know you."

Why did that sound so... double sided? Yeosang was at a loss for words. He had not prepared himself for this. The interviews... the shows... they all were so smooth-running. Yes, you were just as nice right now, and probably your technique did not change much either, but feeling it full force was making his brain fuzzy.

"Then how about this. You tell me about your experiences. You have quite a few events and filming under your belt. How would you evaluate your growth over, let's say the last year?"

He jumped at the modification of the question, thinking it was somehow easier and was neutral enough. He told you about how in shows with the rest of ATEEZ, he preferred to take more of a listener role, since there is always so much to cover and so much to do. He even went so far as to explain that prior to any filming, they normally got a rundown of who is expected to have what screen time. His nerves were getting the best of him and he was beginning to ramble. So much for pretending that he had some sort of master plan, when a real master was right in front of him.

But you did not stop him. Not once. You listened intently as he walked you through his journey as a new MC. You enjoyed his diversions into a couple of funny episodes, him stumbling over his words as he realised he was about to spoil something... but especially when he finally touched upon what you had been waiting for.

"...and I have been practicing daily. I find this to be like any singing, or dancing. So needs a unique approach... and... yeah..."

"How? That must take so much effort and the fact that you do it is so admirable!" You encouraged him, motioning for Yeosang to continue and elaborate.

He could not resist you, not when you were right here, not talking over him, complimenting him, and looked interested and not in a rush for time.

"I watch and try to work together with episodes or with clips of people I admire a lot."

"And how are you developing your unique style?"

"Late Night Di- oh. Oh no this is awkward wait oops haha I..."

"Not to worry. You can quote me anytime, Yeosang."

He swore his face just flashed beet red, went pale and heated up again. Instinctively he raised his hand to feel one of his ears - yep, he was beginning to burn up. Did this mean that...?

"And to answer your question, yes, I did watch the episode. And I appreciate you prefacing it by saying 'as said by one of the greats'. Respectable and endearing." you leaned back. This was just the beginning for you, but you already saw Yeosang starting to crack a little.

That front that he had entered the restaurant with, some agenda that was not true to his intentions... it was crumbling away as you laid out the facts in front of him. Using the quiet that had fallen upon both of you, you continued your simple, but impactful monologue.

"I would like to apologise to you for being so persistent in my inquiry. As you probably know, I like to have those who contact me to be open. Maybe it is just how I am, or how I had adapted over time, but I have little patience for saying only half of something. And I think you can agree with me on that."

He merely nodded, unable to break his trance. He was feeling how he was enraptured by you. There it was. That magnificence. The professionalism only you had, paired with the sweetest words and silver-screen femme fatale looks (because even though he did initially find you and became a fan because of your talents, now, sitting together with you, all of his senses were going into a bit of an overdrive).

"As we have already established, we are aware of one another. At least from a distance. So, whilst I must thank Wooyoung for his pains, I have yet to see your intentions."

"Oh?" he whispered, looking straight into your eyes, hypnotised.

"You have a great friend, Yeosang. He almost made this rendezvous sound like a blind date with the number of good things he told me about you."

Yeosang pinched the bridge of his nose, imagining just how nonsensical his friend could be, and what sort of conversation that must have happened between the two of you.

"Gosh I am very sorry about that... Wooyoung is, well Wooyoung." he could not exactly say

"But he has a heart of gold. He lives for the people in his life, even if he might show it in unconventional ways at times."

"Well, that is one of the best ways I have heard him be described. I guess I will not be digging my hole any deeper if I say I am blown away by how you can read and understand people?"

"Not at all, I am flattered. And a word of advice, do not apologise for your friends if you cherish them, and especially if they were acting on behalf of you."

Yep. This was it. This was why he was here. Why Yeosang was just so into you. While he was often labelled as quiet, or shy, or zoned out, or slow, to you he was an open book. And instead of making him feel unsettled, it reassured him that there was someone right here with whom he could stop pretending and stop being unnatural.

This was the moment when he mustered up the courage, and in a tiny voice that got louder as he became more reassured by your nods, hums and overall attentive reactions, began to answer the real, unspoken question that had been hanging over him as soon as he had walked in.

Yeosang expressed his fascination with your approach to being a show host, commended you for starting and leading one of the best programmes on television, and listed of niche, thus even more special reasons for why he was just grateful to you.

For the first time in his life, he felt like he was on the other side of the fansign table. Like he was about to take out an album for you to sign or give you something, anything (he would give you his heart but you already had it).

His gushing was making you blush. It was hard for you to take the compliments, seeing as the whole time you had been in the business, you just took it day by day.

Though you were on the 'entertainment' side of things, you were still a journalist. You still did your fair share of articles for your company, and you still were in the know about the gossip pool. So you had come to ignore all comments made about you or said in your address, since to many you were a 'vulture'.

A lot of people did not care for your good intentions, nor for what had motivated you to start your show in the first place. They only saw a creature who wanted to coax juicy details out of big stars in exchange for huge lumps of money and clout.

Even your bosses, whilst they praised you and had given you a lot more free rein than to others in your age group, they were much more attracted to the connections and sums you were bringing in. That was the darker truth of your business.

You had found yourself forgetting the eagerness you had when you had just started, how you had done the same things Yeosang was doing now. His words woke up a hope within you. That maybe you were not the only one in this industry who wanted to see the brighter side of things was was working hard for that to happen.

His speech slowed down, and he began to pick words carefully, which made you hang onto each one. Then, he asked what you had suspected, but did not think he would go ahead with:

"May I... learn from you? As in... could we meet... sometimes? Whenever we are free..."

How were you in this position right now? A global star, asking you to basically be his coach??? His teacher???? Impostor syndrome was very real and activated, 0 to 100. The woman was too stunned to speak.

You studied Yeosang. The honesty in his eyes was overwhelming. To an extent you were not sure you even deserved this. But, if he wanted it. So be it. You had nothing to lose from continuing to speak to him, especially since he was now fully open with you.

"I would be more than happy to meet with you again, and would be honoured to teach and learn from you, too."

"I really don't know how I can repay you for that. Truly, thank you." Yeosang was on cloud nine as he heard your agreement. And he was mentally patting himself on the back for not becoming a puddle over the duration of this discussion.

"I have an idea." he perked up.

Your show host and main promoter of 'Late Night Dive' side would not let go of you, so you rapidly thought of something in return for sharing your wisdom. You produced a document out of your bag which had been resting on the chair right next to you, and placed it in front of Yeosang.

"These are just some brochures that we use to pitch LND to different agents. Truth be told, a couple of years ago I did try to talk with KQ, but nothing happened. So if you have the chance, mention my show to the big man. And it's a deal."

"Consider it done."

"Thank you. And by the way, I am really glad we met, Yeosang."

"Then let's organise for when we shall meet again, so I can look forward to it."

So you planned one meeting. Another. And the next one after that. It was pretty much like a meeting series on Outlook Calendar at this point. And then, you had stayed in that restaurant until you began to hear a bassline of a snore coming from the kitchen, which upon inspecting, was the ahjussi having a good ol' time sleeping against a wall.

Feeling bad about staying until what had turned out to be past midnight, you and Yeosang had split the bill and left an envelope with the money, adding a little extra in secret so that it technically was not a tip, but a treat instead.

You ambled towards the front door and locked it, having seen the owner do it many times, and with Yeosang's help, pulled down the inner shutter for safety. Then, you guided your companion to the back door, and soon enough, you were back out on the Seoul streets, fresh air hitting your smiling faces. Since you did not want to risk him having to take odd commuting routes at spooky o'clock, you drove Yeosang back to the dorms.

For the duration of the drive, you noticed a light blush on his cheeks, and when an ATEEZ song began to play on the radio, he practically tried to blend with the seat by squeezing himself into it. Did he think you looked very cool while you were steering and generally being all powerful behind the wheel? Yeah. Was he again doubting Hongjoong as captain? A little.

When he got back to the dorms and crept in through the front door, everything was enveloped in darkness. Not a single ray, from any of the rooms. Not a sound. Very, very suspicious. As he took of his shoes, washed his hands in the bathroom sink and was on his way to slink into his room, his suspicions were confirmed.

In the blink of an eye, ALL LIGHTS were flipped on, blinding him after he had gotten used to navigating without it, and a pyjamas-clad Wooyoung hopped out from behind the kitchen counters, recorder in his hands, and started playing an ear-bleed worthy rendition of George Michael's Careless Whisper.

There was no such thing as dynamics in this interpretation. It was just continuous musical screaming. One that made Yeosang double over and cover his ears. He thought it would end there. But, alas, the vocal line had other plans. A wild San and Jongho strolled out from their respective rooms, and launched into one of the later parts of the song. Damn were they going to have to apologise to the neighbours for this... again.

"TONIGHT THE MUSIC SEEMS SO LOUD-"

"...it sure IS GUYS CAN YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP WE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!?" a disheveled Seonghwa stormed out of his room, a selfie stick in his hands that now appeared to be a little to much like a weapon.

"I WISH THAT WE COULD LOSE THIS CROWD-"

"...guys I will legit dispose of all of you and JONGHO I CAN FIGHT YOU TOO I AM NOT AFRAID!" Mingi stepped out too, barely having time to put on his glasses, but with one 'you wanna fight bro' taunt from Jongho - and him moving to stand in a boxing position, made the taller member turn right around and loudly proclaim 'NOPE'.

"MAYBE IT'S BETTER THIS WAY"

"WE'D HURT EACH OTHER WITH THE THINGS WE'D WANT TO SAY"

"Guys???? Is no one going to stop them?????" Seonghwa was at a loss, and searching for salvation in Yunho, who just stepped out, and was leaning against his doorframe.

"Nah, I have no beef with Yeosang, he was a homie when I was having problems with a certain someone. Now his roommates on the other hand... well, you can see they want their revenge for the savagery." he simply shrugged, enjoying the show of a very flustered Yeosang not knowing how to process what was happening.

"At my ears' expense? Why is Hongjoong not home... OH HONGJOONG HELLO!!!!" Seonghwa spotted another figure at the door - an incredibly disturbed captain, who had initially walked in with a small smile on his face, but that rapidly turned to disgust.

"I swear I leave y'all for just a COUPLE OF HOURS and you legit start a shitty flute band????? What brain cell is responsible I need to have a word, and YEOSANG? Where were you?"

Yeosang was hoping that Hongjoong would not pay much attention to him since he was not the one being loud, and he managed to make his way behind the San and Jongho line, but nope. Eagle eyes. When he did not respond, Hongjoong basically flung his shoes off his feet and stormed across the room while muttering:

"I swear to all that is good in the world I am wearing all black because I am about to attend y'all's funeral."

"And not because.... goth gf?" Yeosang could not help it. He saw the opportunity."

"BOI sit down on the couch right now, and Woo give me this... instrument? When did you get this?"

"This morning. Saw it on sale. Isn't it great?"

"You should have picked this as your 'main object to describe you' for Watcha."

"Life-changing, monumental, legendary?"

"Loud. RIGHT. Seems you and Jongho are also part of this little... escapade involving Yeo's disappearance into the midnight. Care to explain?" Hongjoong's exhaustion was evident as he lowered his voice and was generally on the verge of letting them do whatever. But once a leader, always a leader. And he could feel that something was up. Something that needed his involvement.

The other members promptly retreated to their rooms, since their wake up alarms were going to be ringing in a couple of hours and they needed to at least pretend they got eight hours of sleep. San quite literally skipped back to bed, seeing as he managed to have his share of chaotic fun, but escaped the scolding. The only one to remain was Seonghwa, who sat down at the dining table and set the selfie stick of doom aside.

Hongjoong took one of the chairs and slid it towards the living area, so that he could sit in front of today's trouble maker trio. Clearing his throat, he asked no one in particular:

"Okay. Why do I find out about everything only after it happens?"

"Maybe because you don't come home?" Wooyoung quipped, stopping playing with his phone and looking up to face the leader.

"Excuse me, I don't come because I am working, for you guys, by the way. I literally carry the ATEEZ lore on my shoulders." obviously hurt, Hongjoong sent back a retort.

"No wonder you are the closest to the ground." Jongho commented on the other's height, looking off in a different direction, the picture of innocence.

"Yeah, so I'll drag you to hell if you dare say that shit again."

"Calm down, demon line rep, it's just banter." Wooyoung stepped in, because even though he did sent a thumbs up to the maknae behind his back for being so quick, he did not want this argument to get any more heated. "Plus, weren't you out on a date tonight, and not working, as you so proudly say?"

"Uh... that... I was yes." Hongjoong could not deny it. At the end of the day, it just would not be respectful to the one he was out with.

"Bro code?" Yeosang asked, breaking his silence.

"I'm sorry, bro, but I am afraid your bro code evaluation and policing privileges have been revoked, you are in the grey zone." Wooyoung turned his attention to him, a smirk on his lips.

"Wait hold up back it up-"

"Yeah you heard Hongjoong, baaaack it up-" Wooyoung was about to hop up, with every intent to begin twerking, but Jongho pulled him right back down and forcefully held him in place.

"And you should retire from your ho era." Jongho addressed him, face remaining emotionless.

"Okay Jong-ho."

"Do you want this fist?"

"Yes fist me."

"Just- oh my word." Jongho face palmed at Wooyoung's intentionally out of pocket statement. At least it did the trick of getting everyone to move on and right back to the main topic at hand.

"Anyways... Yeosang, care to elaborate about this so-called grey zone?"

"First off, they are blowing it out of proportion just to take revenge on me. Second off, I met up with someone today." he kept it vague for now. Maybe it would be enough.

"And I take it that someone is in your sphere of interests, yes?"

Yeosang starts blushing and looks away. Of course, that was not enough. And of course Hongjoong knew him far too well to see he was acting smitten.

"OH MY GOSH YES IT IS SEONGHWA GET THE CAMERA KANG YEOSANG LIKES SOMEONE!" Hongjoong, acting like the dad he was, called out to the eldest, who just remained sitting in his place, processing.

"Dude not so loud the others will give me so much shit." Yeosang pleaded, waving downwards at Hongjoong to emphasise the need for a volume drop.

"I think all the shit has gathered on that couch next to you my guy." with a grand gesture, Hongjoong swept over the two others on the couch with Yeosang.

He glanced in their direction, surprised that they did not act out, and only shrugged.

"Okay, so, who is it?" Hongjoong was not letting up.

"Do I really have to-"

"Yes. Yes you do."

"Y/N."

"Okay? Do I know her, this Y/N?"

"Well... maybe. L/N Y/N?"

Hongjoong went pale in the face upon hearing that name. He took a moment, and asked for Yeosang to repeat it. Once he confirmed for himself that no, he was not being delusional and this in fact really was you, that he was aware of, that Yeosang was talking about, he was distressed.

"So... you are talking to press, basically." Hongjoong jumped to the conclusion, disappointing Yeosang.

"Where did that come from?"

"I should be asking you that, Yeo! How the fuck did you even reach her?"

"I just... I just did." he did not want his friends to get mixed up in this. At the end of the day, it was he who was your fan... it was he who liked you.

"Ugh, okay fine. Yeah, media people are all over the place. But were you even thinking? She is a big name in the industry right now. If she wants to she can squash us, and here you are selling yourself out?"

"Why are you saying all of this nonsense about her? What did she ever do to you?" Yeosang raised his voice, discouraged by the aggression he was suddenly having to face. The derogatory remarks, the prejudice, all of this was now hurting him personally.

"I know the likes of her. They try to get close, really butter you up and then they expose you and hang all your dirty laundry out to the world."

"Who hurt you, man?" Wooyoung placed a reassuring hand on Yeosang's shoulder. It was not hard to guess that this was the last thing he wanted to hear.

"Shut it Wooyoung, I am worried!"

"Dude, she is really nice and understanding, have you ever even seen an episode of-"

"Have YOU ever filmed a variety show or been interviewed before? You know how we all change in front of the camera. So. Does. She. She gets paid to act, 'tis the way of life."

"I think you are overreacting Hongjoong." Jongho joined back in.

"Look. Music people? Fine. Internet people or athletes? fine. Literally so many other people except those that drag us through the dirt? So fine. But this is just dangerous. Yeosang. You trust so easily, and I do not want you to get in trouble, nor subject yourself to the terrors that come with such close, unmediated interactions with those people."

"You are saying such shit about Y/N right now, and you dare attribute terrible qualities to her? I'll have you know she has NOT ONCE exposed ANYONE! She purposefully CUTS THINGS OUT OF HER SHOW IF THEY ARE SENSITIVE, even if including them would bring her more views. She literally helps her guests out of uncomfortable topics, and-"

"So she is manipulative?"

"WHY ARE YOU TWISTING THINGS?"

"As much as we need media people to survive, there are vultures out there, and I don't want you to become a victim of one. Seonghwa, thoughts?"

Hongjoong turned around, expecting support from his friend, only to see that he was face down forehead resting on his arms, and fast asleep. Hongjoong groaned, and turned back, his voice dropped into a whisper.

"One last thing from me then. I suggest you stop talking to her before things get serious. And no talking back at me right now. We need to be up soon so get your ass to bed."

As Yeosang watched the two eldest going back inside the room - Seonghwa having been awakened just enough for him to be able to migrate on his own, he was distraught. He did not believe a single word Hongjoong had said. Especially not in your address.

Yes, he knew far too well about how hatred can spread. He knew about the negativity, and about just how ruthless a journalist could be. But Yeosang also had the chance to meet you, and had spent even longer learning about you. And you were nothing like the rest. Not one bit. And just like that Yeosang decided to go against his own Captain.

"So... uh... want to learn how to sneak out of the dorms unnoticed?" Wooyoung leaned over and mumbled, making sure no one except those left in the living room could hear.

"I can help you plan better meet ups." the maknae offered his support immediately too.

Yeosang felt like crying, there really were people on his side. And on your side. Those who saw through the horrific, unfounded claims.

The next day, he took the risk and slipped the LND brochure into one of the senior publicity manager's desks. He was not sure whether it would work, nor if he would get caught, but he did not care. He was trying his best to repay you.

He did not bring up this topic to any of the members except his roommates, and was stoic enough to not give rise to any suspicions. Hongjoong had all but forgotten the quarrel, preoccupied with promotional schedules and training.

But, under Wooyoung's and Jongho's guidance, unconditional support and even pestering, Yeosang continued seeing you. If Jongho had the abilities to be an orchestrator of the most elaborate plans, Yeosang was doing it in 6-dimensional space, since not only was he dedicated to keeping his connection with you alive, but you too were giving 200%.

He did not give a single shit about what his hyungs had to say. Because you made him happy. You listened, you asked, you shared everything with him. You did not have a single judgmental bone in your body.

You had organised a couple of your 'meetings' (but really a couple of months in you had long transitioned to calling them dates) together with Yeosang's roommates, because he wanted them to meet you. They could not be more gleeful, and you had impressed them both.

During one of the deeper conversations, after Wooyoung had asked about whether you had known anything exclusive about them ever, you offhandedly mentioned certain Dispatch pictures of Wooyoung leaving a cafe after closing hours. Initially, that made Wooyoung ill at ease, suddenly remembering what Hongjoong had said. But then you launched into a story of how you almost physically fought the paparazzo who had taken the picture, and the editors, managing to make them delete some of the more 'exclusive' and 'breaking' pics that involved another person, for good.

This had elevated you beyond belief in the two members' eyes, and made Yeosang completely fall in love with you. He had never expected for that to happen so quickly, but you were easy to adore. He felt it - this was for the long run, and he was willing to fight for it.

You were witty, and smart and really could see through any bullshit and would strike if the situation called for it, but you never did it out of pocket. In reality, you were the nicest, most selfless person of all time. You cared about everyone.

At first, you were his coach and a fellow MC, then you were his inspiration, then you were his love.

Now, because every camera and stage where he had to MC was associated with you for him, so Yeosang glowed on camera. He just pretended that he was talking with you, and it all flowed. He had also improved his skills greatly, and had allowed himself to joke, to be truly joyful and just... be himself.

You had almost completely regained your faith in the industry, thanks to Yeosang always cheering you on. After any episode of your show, he would get back to you with a detailed review, and would praise you and if it was a date night, would bring a little gift, to celebrate.

During one such date, he had bought you a delicate silver chain bracelet, and asked you to be his girlfriend. Because even though Hongjoong and probably Seonghwa too would not approve, he did not see any other way being right. Much to his delight, you had agreed then and there.

All was calm, and all was bright, until one day, you had to come to the KQ Entertainment building because the publicists responsible for ATEEZ promotions had contacted you about a potential interview. Although it had been a few months, you were no stranger to waiting. Moreover, this made your heart soar as you just knew this was Yeosang's doing.

It was a success. By fate, filming could be done next week. You were ecstatic. Yeosang had explicitly told you of how the leader of ATEEZ felt about you, but you did not mind it, so long as he could be professional. But that hope flew out of the window when you accidentally bumped into him when strutting down one of the numerous corridors.

He recognised you instantly, and the side eye he gave you was less than pleasant. Smile a little too tight, phrases too generic and superficial, he was definitely less than fond of you.

You tried to turn the conversation around, and mentioned how you were excited to learn more about his leadership and hard work, about how he operated in the studio, his inspirations. But this led him to just grunt and rather coldly state that 'ah, so that's happening'.

Hongjoong guessed quickly enough that you were talking to Yeosang. And that broke him, for not only was Yeosang in danger, in the leader's eyes, but also that the member felt the need to lie, and conceal his feelings towards you. He was up front, and asked if you were together, to which you responded with a quick yes.

At that moment, none other than Wooyoung had walked around the corner, and sensing a possible conflict nearly ran over to the two of you. If hands were going to be thrown he was ready - no way in hell was anyone messing with Yeosang and the one he loved.

"What's popping party people? Manager just texted that we'll be on Late Night Dive, isn't it exciting? And hello Y/N!"

"Did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That she, and Yeosang, they are... they are dating?"

"Boy they are official. Not just dating. Really a match made in heaven let me tell you. If you were to open your freaking eyes dude, you would see just how happy Yeosang is. Hah sorry Y/N, but yeah man's glowing."

"Is there any reason for me to fully trust that you won't do any harm?"

"For once I can say, time is on my side, for I never had, have, nor ever will want to harm him, nor anyone connected to him. You do not need to trust me, Hongjoong. I accept that and am used to it. What I would like is for ATEEZ to be harmonious, and for us to connect. I really respect you, and it would be a shame if we could not get to know each other better."

Your colleague, who had just wrapped up another meeting, called out to you as they appeared in the corridor. You parted ways with the two ATEEZ members before either of them could say anything else.

After you left, Wooyoung noticed a figure standing off to the side, evidently someone who had been in hiding, but chose to reveal themselves only now. It was a livid Yeosang, who had been hoping to find you, but now, just wanted to give Hongjoong a piece of his mind.

He admonished the leader for being so weirdly judgmental of you. For not wanting to just be happy for his own close friend. For being hypocritical, and forgetting about the fact that love was often found in the most unexpected places.

And it just so happened that yes, Yeosang had found his love in you. In a person who had dedicated themselves to journalism. Media. Broadcasting. Televised entertainment. Interviews. Celebrity life. But that was not not a manifestation of some kind of evil. Quite the opposite. It was you searching for the best in people. By doing what you did, you made people shine brighter than the damn sun.

He dropped facts on Hongjoong about how you had purposefully invited a star who was receiving unjust hate, and thanks to that episode, literally transformed their career for the better. Yeosang did not fail to mention the Wooyoung Dispatch - a recounting which made the Captain's jaw drop.

And, explaining that if Hongjoong still did not want to care about you a single bit, then he should know that only thanks to you was Yeosang so much more confident. thanks to you was he getting more offers to MC, or to make guest appearances. Because you had changed him. And he was proud of it.

Oh how Hongjoong regretted being skeptical and untrusting after seeing Yeosang's certainty. But the innumerable apologies that had followed that day, and lasted for the week until interview filming did little to influence Yeosang and how he was treating Hongjoong in private - like a stranger. Hongjoong needed to apologise to you.

It was the day, and ATEEZ made their way to the company where you worked. After styling and some final touches on makeup, they appeared on set and greeted the staff. You were nowhere in sight. As they were instructed on how they were going to make their appearance, and on different cues and generally what the structure was like, Yeosang kept on looking around.

In part because 'woah this was the real deal this was the set'. In part because he desperately wanted to see you. To cheer you on like he always did.

You appeared on set ten minutes before the scheduled time slot, and since you had to communicate some details to the staff, you barely had any time left for ATEEZ. You exchanged niceties and were incredibly polite (but extra friendly to Wooyoung and Jongho, and sent a loving glance towards Yeosang), but that was it. Hongjoong was becoming more concerned.

But there was no purpose in that, as the interview went better than anything he could have hoped for. Everyone was engaged, you asked each member questions that resonated with them, threw in some cheekier comments to successfully elicit laughter, and really were the master that Yeosang had described.

You had even given Hongjoong special attention for his captain status, which left him in awe. How were you not mad at him? Were you indifferent? Were you just an amazing actress? Not really, you just had a thing for asking a lot of questions, and understood how people were when they were trying to protect someone they loved.

But what had left a permanent impact on him, was Yeosang. He was the most joyful and comfortable of the lot - a stark contrast to the more introverted disposition he normally adopted. He was in the same flow state as you, and at times was almost like a guest host, an improved role which you had welcomed. Yeosang was screen time king. He made you laugh, effortlessly recounted stories, did not spoil any shows, stages or comebacks but instead sent witty remarks your way. Finally Hongjoong could see, you really did give Yeosang everything and more.

After filming, Hongjoong had taken a split-second opportunity and apologised a number of times, with each iteration becoming more and more formal until he was basically doing a ninety degree bow. But you had forgiven him much faster than that, because being who you were and having seen the things you had seen (due to your job), you were not one to ever stay angry for long, if at all.

As you chatted away, with your boyfriend promptly joining you, both of you were elated, and were inseparable during a private dinner that the eldest members had organised. You had helped to pick out the venue, knowing exactly which locations were the safest - perhaps it was going to turn out to be very advantageous for the group in general to have you on their team.

Yeosang was over the moon as he watched you work your social magic - how you rapidly became close with each one of the members off camera, and were, quite simply, being yourself. His heart melted at the way you so quickly integrated yourself, and the adorable smiles, meant just for him, as well as the squeezes of his hand under the table... he really was a goner.

If he were to be told even a year ago that he was going to find a you in his life, he would have laughed. Because then, he had not yet understood that the most important phrase to live by was, in fact, not a statement, but a question. A dare, a motivator to take risks and a description for how you and Yeosang had become a beautiful duo:

Why not?

You and Yeosang had a thing for asking questions. And now, together, were crafting the answers, one by one.

#yeosang x reader #kang yeosang x reader #ateez yeosang x reader #ateez yeosang #yeosang x y/n #your fan series #hwaightme #ateez #ateez x reader #🍯🍋recs #Kang to the Yeo to the Sang🤣💀 still in my head💛#i love the development in this! not only with y/n and Yeo but with Hongjoong too!#and truly y/n is best host!! out here saved Wooyoung and yf woo y/n from something bigger!!🙌🥹#Hongjoong dad mode is no joke🤭👀 he is just worried for his kids. . . even though they keep escaping🫣👀👀#loved that Yeo had a death wish and questioned his captain's status💀🫢

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bvidzsoo · 3 months ago

Text

My honest to God reaction when these idiots decided to fly the plane without actually knowing what they are doing:

I don’t want to spoil the result of them flying that plane to those who haven’t read this yet and plan on doing, but my honest reaction to them suffering the consequences of their actions:

Putting aside the goofiness, I really love the idea behind this world and the way you’ve constructed it, I think it’s super cool and leaves way for creativity and imagination AND you BETTER give me that oneshot of Yunho inside this world, I believe I deserve it, bestie 🤨👺

Also, in true fashion to you, we get hot and cold Hongjoong with a little tough love that ultimately leads to him being on his knees for MC and I can’t deny, I love it lol. BUT in very not so true fashion to me, him “disciplining” her like that was a bit rough but I do see why it would be necessary, and to be super real…it kind of did something to me once Hongjoong realised what he’d done 🫠👺

Anyways, good job this was a good read, AND, remember, I will torment you if you don’t give me that Yuyu oneshot, and that’s a promise 👹🫶🏻

☣︎Whispers of The Darkened Mist☣︎

☣︎ Pairing: Kim Hongjoong x female reader ☣︎ Word count: 8,8 k ☣︎ Warnings ☣︎ - cursing, mentions of death, injury, mentions of blood, suggestive

☣︎ Summary: The world is shrouded in a dark, venomous mist that makes survival nearly impossible. Alone and hunted by other desperate survivors, you were on the brink of giving up. But then, Kim Hongjoong's fearsome crew found you. Though Hongjoong seemed intimidating and distant at first, he secretly cared for you, even if he didn’t show it. Now, in a world where betrayal could mean the difference between life and death, will you be able to trust each other enough to survive?

Or will hidden tensions tear you apart before the world does?

☣︎ A/N: I would've never thought I was going to write something like this lol. This is really the first time for me. This is totally new territory for me and I tried my best istg, idk it just happened. Actually, it started because I dreamt about this world and I woke up saying I have to write something with this. I don't know if it even makes sense but I hope you enjoy it as much as I did while writing and I hope it's not so confusing, lmk. Also sorry for the mistakes I am really trying. I might return to this world with the other members *wink wink* (divider)

The world went quiet. Darkness embraced the streets and buildings, creating a bubble around the earth that whispered danger. The streets were empty along with the fields that were supposed to be full of wildflowers. But everything was black, it looked like hungry flames consumed the planet, leaving behind nothing but emptiness. The planet became more and more harder to survive for humans, they needed to adapt to the odd situation that came with not being able to breathe fresh air for too long.

The air was tainted with alchemical toxins, giving humans only a few minutes to find shelter where the air was filtered and cleaner than the toxic atmosphere outside.

It was tough, people's freedom was taken away the day when simultaneous terrorist attacks occurred worldwide. That we call the Black Day since. They filled the air with nuclear gas that came in the form of black smoke, which blinded the people immediately, because of how dense the smoke looked. Being too much in the smoke makes people feel dizzy, like they are a little drunk, feeling intoxicated from the venomous air spreading in their lungs like rivers all around a map. If the ones that were in the smoke for more than five minutes without a mask, their days ended for good. Specialized masks prevent the gas from getting into your lungs, but those are hard to get, and if you are not that lucky to somehow provide one for yourself, you are doomed. It's breaking into a lab that has a lot of these types of masks—but these are rare to find—or it's killing someone that has the mask.

This is the game of survivor. But this time it's not just a game.

It's already five years, five years of the world being in infinite darkness, the sun was already a forgotten phenomenon. More than half of the population was gone. No one could expect something like this. People who were still here were the strongest kind, it's not easy to survive five years in a world that was doomed for eternity. The world changed completely, it wasn't the type of survival where people needed to work to get money and to buy everyday necessities. It was the type of survival when people needed to fight for the things they needed, to search every inch of the cities that were ruined into specks of dust so they could find some supplies that they needed to survive.

If you were alone, you had no chance. People usually gathered together, because it was easier to survive along with others than being alone in the big and dark world that held only surprises for you. Being alone in the wild is like you are prey that has nowhere to run. People hunt for the lost ones because they have nothing better to do.

I had luck. A crew of random people found me on the top of a building unconscious, where I ran up to find shelter away from the smoke that was spreading through the air. In the beginning, there were places where the smoke still did not reach, it was spreading slowly, and after trying to survive for five months alone, being tired of the constant running away from the toxic air, that haunted me even in my nightmares. I stopped. I was on the verge of giving up. I was ready to let the fog consume me, to eat my soul and take me to a better place.

I was almost there, I could see the sun above me, which was beaming at me, embracing me in a tight and warm hug. I felt like finally I could rest and leave this world behind in peace.

But there was nothing like the sun above me and the warmth I felt was hands around me that pulled me up from the dirty ground on the top of a building that was so high, I could feel the warm beam of the sun.

That was the last time I felt the warmth of the sun. Since then, I had already forgotten how it felt and how the sky looked like when the sun was rising or setting down. The people who came to that exact building when I wanted to give up, slowly became my family. Felt like it was destiny. It needed to happen. It was a sign from life, that whispered I should fight until my last breath. And from that day, I decided I was not going to give up.

Kim Hongjoong was the leader of the crew. They saved me that day, Hongjoong lifted me into his arms and they took me to their base so I could survive. His sharp eyes were staring into mine when I was in a haze, trying to perceive what was happening. While I was recovering, I constantly saw his face in my dreams.

Surviving wasn't in my plan, those five months were torture, the worst days of my life, I had no food, and I needed to kill a little squirrel someday to get some strength from its meat. I needed to do a lot of things I could've never imagined I was capable of doing. The worst was when I needed to kill a woman, that had the mask I desperately needed.

This was life. To survive you need to do everything, and when our survivor instincts turn on, we can't turn them off. We become unstoppable and we lose our humanity. It drives us crazy until we can't think clearly. That was when I thought it was better if I gave up. But when they found me and did not let me die there, I realized, it wasn't my choice to die, if destiny wanted me to survive, then I was going to fight until my last breath. I owed my life to these people and one day I might get the opportunity to pay them back.

In theory, it was Kim Hongjoong who brought me to their base; it was his decision. But as the others later told me, he intended to leave me there to die. He argued that I wasn't their problem and wanted to abandon me. However, the others insisted on checking if I was still alive. Hongjoong was prepared to leave me behind, but the others refused, so he had no choice but to take me with them.

And since that day they became my family. Even though Hongjoong hated me for some reason, probably because he did not want someone new in their crew back then—especially a girl—he did some things that made me believe he did not hate me. For example, when they found me, he was the one who took me to their base in his arms—because he did not let anyone else do it.

Or times when it was my turn to explore an unknown sector of the city, Hongjoong never let me go alone. He always sent Wooyoung with me because of his exceptional archery skills—his arrows never missed their mark. Wooyoung was there to protect me if anything went wrong, and Hongjoong made sure I was safe at all times, even though he pretended not to care about me. At first, Hongjoong seemed unapproachable, with his strong charisma and the aura of a true leader. He was the reason everyone survived, always involving us in his plans and valuing our opinions. He was prepared for every possible outcome.

There were times when some strangers attacked our base because we had just been to collect the supplies along with some important masks we needed for survival. People knew about us; we were a strong unbreakable team and it was hard to break through.

And when they attacked us, it was a usual night. We were sleeping.

They managed to kill one of us. I am never going to forget that horrible day. It was a girl, who we saved just two weeks ago. I saw myself in her, he was as broken as me when they first found me on the top of that building. But when we found the girl, her eyes were shining and it was full of hope and with want of surviving, not like mine back then.

After the night they attacked us, we started to be more careful and did not trust anyone. People are here to survive; it was not a game where we could make allies with anyone. If you want to survive, you just destroy everything that comes your way. And that is why our world looks like it was destroyed by an army that looked never-ending, just to leave ashes behind.

Hongjoong always sent me out with Wooyoung, he was good at covering someone and letting you know if there were any dangers around you. Wooyoung's charisma was captivating and he radiated happiness in this sad empire. Wooyoung's nickname was The Hawk because he had eyes like a hawk. Sometimes when I wanted to tease him, I called him pigeon and he always pouted with his rosy lips with folded arms saying he is not a pigeon.

Wooyoung became my best friend since the first day Hongjoong sent us on a mission together. He taught me a lot of survival tactics and he even showed me how to use the bow. He was the closest to me, he was like my brother who I had not seen way before the Black Day, just like my family, and it hurt, it was like losing a piece of me, that belonged to my family. It is the worst when you don't know if they survived or not if they are in a better place or outside the cruel world trying to survive. I did not know which one was better.

We were in our bunker that was deep in the ground. This was the base of ours, where we could breathe, well—fresher air here than outside. It was built of concrete, the walls were huge and cold, and some pillars kept the weight of the building deep in the heart of the ground.

The huge hall where we were sitting, echoed the voice of Kim Hongjoong, our leader. He was standing in the middle of the room, us surrounding him. He was wearing his usual black fur coat, his black hair cut short, and his undercut as sharp as his jawline as I watched his side profile while he was speaking. With a lot of jewelry hanging from his ear, he looked intimidating and I would have given up instantly if I had run into him randomly on the empty streets. He was an interesting man. I have known him since they saved me, but he surprises me with every passing day. He was protective over his people; he would do anything for the ones who stood by him and followed him along this dark and bumpy road we were on.

I always respected him; five years is long. Our relationship was like a roller-coaster through the years. We had some times when we hated each other, and he made my stay a lot more difficult, as he always made me feel like I did not belong there. Like it was a mistake saving me. But also, there were times when he acted weird. This overprotectiveness of his came out a lot recently. And I did not know what to do with him. I couldn't yet figure him out. He was like a deep ocean full of secrets, some beasts lurking around in the dark. Kim Hongjoong was a monster and it was hard to quell him down. Especially if you betrayed him.

Like that one time, one year ago, when those people broke into our base and killed that innocent girl. It turned out there was a traitor between us. Someone betrayed us by allying with the enemy and revealing the location of our base—or so they thought. When we managed to eliminate them all, their leader, the last one standing, warned us to find Judas among us, then took his own life.

I have never seen Hongjoong like this. The veins on his forehead were visible, as he was shouting at us to tell him who betrayed us and whose fault was the girl's death. He was wearing his usual leather vest as he downed a glass of whiskey that flew down both sides of his neck, making him look like he was psychotic. His hands were still bloody from the fighting just like his face with some red stitches on it. He was furious, he trusted these people he called his family, but someone betrayed him and he went mad. Seonghwa, his best friend and our medic, tried to calm him down, but Hongjoong just pushed him away shouting at him to leave him alone. His best friend looked at him wide-eyed not recognizing the best friend he respected so much.

Seonghwa was already part of the crew when they took me in. He once saved Hongjoong's life, and ever since, Hongjoong promised to protect him if Seonghwa used his medical skills to help their people. Seonghwa was a calm and composed guy, never showing anger or sadness. He took his work very seriously and saved many of us over the years. Though he seemed cold, his charisma was rooted in deep care—his sole purpose was to save lives.

Then Hongjoong faced me. And I froze. It was like he was pointing a gun at me and I was just a little lost bunny in the depths of the forest.

"You," He pointed at me, his eyes shooting daggers right into my eyes, making them invisibly bleed. He slowly walked towards me. "You did this, didn't you?" He looked like a predator, and my heart started to beat fast afraid of getting caught. When he was standing in front of me, I avoided his gaze. If I had looked into his eyes, I might have started to cry, because I was terrified. Then I had no choice but to look into his eyes, because something sharp lifted my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. It was his knife with a wooden handle.

I was just staring back at his eyes, and when I did not say anything, he pushed me into the room behind me with a force suddenly I saw black dots in my vision. And it wasn't better when he pushed me against the cold concrete wall, his veiny hands around my neck. The air was knocked out of my lungs and I tried to scrape his hands off my throat, but there was no point, he was much stronger than me.

"You have one second to explain, then I'm going to kill you with my bare hands." He hissed through his teeth, close to my face, his hands getting tighter around my throat.

I tried to breathe, but it was impossible, there was no way air could go through his hands that were chains around my neck. I tried to speak. "M-mfb" Some noises came out of my mouth but made no sense.

"Try harder, sweetheart." His hands squeezed more and my mouth fell open, his lips almost brushing mine. I looked at him wide-eyed, I was ready to die in between the arms that saved me.

But I didn't want to give him that satisfaction. "M-m my br-brother." The words stumbled out as a whisper, the air long gone from my lungs, his face close to mine was blurry as black dots appeared next to his black figure hovering over me.

Then a sudden wave of air hit me in the face like I was in the ocean and the waves crushed me against the sharp cliff that stubbed my lungs. I fell on the floor, on my knees, supporting myself with my hands, breathing heavily as I coughed blood on the floor. My lungs were full of air, yet I still couldn't breathe, I was on the verge of fainting. But I needed to explain.

"Th-they told me, they have my brother." I looked at the dusty ground I was kneeling on, as a tear fell from my eyes, the bloody dust getting wet from my teardrops. I looked up at him, I still felt his hands around my throat as he was standing further from me, leaning against a table. "But I did not tell them, where our base was, Hongjoong, please, believe me." My voice cracked as I looked up at him with begging eyes. "They must have followed me when we met at the bridge, I wasn't careful enough, forgive me." I tilted my head down; I couldn't look into his eyes full of disappointment and disgust.

He pushed himself off the table and approached my sobbing figure on the floor. I only saw his shoes in front of me. "I should kill you, sweetheart. How did you even believe them? Did I teach you to believe anything they say to you?" He kneeled, lifting my chin with his fingers.

I shook my head. "But I thought I saw him, that is why I followed them. I don’t even know what I was thinking, he could be dead, but I just hoped it was really him. And when they caught me, they promised they were going to let my brother choose if he wanted to come with me. But they wanted masks in exchange. I would do anything for my brother Hongjoong and you know that so well." I looked at him desperately.

“I know, you would even betray us,” He grabbed my cheeks and lifted my head straight to his face.

“No! I would never, just listen to me, please…” I looked up with tears in my eyes.

"What happened after?" His thumb traced over my cheek to wipe away my desperate tears.

"Then I told them I wanted to see my brother to make sure it was him—it wasn't him. So, I told them the deal was not valid anymore. They did not want to hear it, so they captured me and did not let me go. But I managed to escape, that was why I was late the other day from my exploring when you were so mad at me for staying out for so long…" I looked down at my hands on my lap, still kneeling on the floor, Hongjoong listening to me carefully, his expression getting softer but still angry. "I'm so sorry Hongjoong, you know I would never betray you and the others. You are my family, I know I made a big mistake, but for a moment I believed it was for real my brother, I was blinded by my feelings." Tears flowed down both my cheeks as I said with a weak voice, my gaze still on my hands.

"I'm glad we killed all of them." He said simply as I snapped my head up. "You should have told me though, you know you can tell me anything, sweetheart." He whispered cupping my cheeks.

"I-I know, but…I felt embarrassed of how naïve I was, they tricked me so easily, I don't want it to happen again." I wanted to be stronger, and the more I was with them, the stronger I became. "And that girl…she died because of me." I buried my face into my hands as I sobbed she was going to hunt me in my nightmares for eternity.

Hongjoong carefully withdrew my hands from my face to look into his eyes. "Sometimes we need sacrifices so we can learn from our mistakes. It happened, now we are moving forward, and you become stronger. Will you promise me?" His hands reached towards my black hair to tuck a string of hair behind my ear, his fingers tracing down on my red neck, his handprint fully visible on my skin, which is going to be red and blue reminding me of the mistake I made. I deserved it because an innocent girl died because of me.

I nodded. "I promise."

"Forgive me." He whispered suddenly. At first, I didn't know why he was apologizing but then his gaze was on my neck that mirrored perfectly the print of his hands around it.

"I deserved it," I whispered as he leaned down to kiss the redness.

"You deserve the world." He whispered in between warm pecks on my neck.

But the world was doomed anyway.

Since that day, I have become stronger. I did not let people fool me, to lead me towards the wrong way. Hongjoong's words echoed through my mind every time I needed strength, every time I felt like I might give up.

As we watched Hongjoong stand in the middle of the hall echoing his low voice, his black fur coat almost reaching the ground as he was wearing a black leather vest paired with black pants, the flashbacks from that night echoed through my mind as sometimes I still felt his hands around my long-healed neck. I always felt the urge to trace my fingers through my skin to calm myself down a little.

"We need to secure Sector 1 and Sector 2. Yesterday our exploring team said we are being watched again. We might have to move from here if we can't protect this base." Hongjoong turned around to look into every person's eye, who eagerly listened to Hongjoong's commanding words, then his eyes settled on mine and landed on my fingers that were on my neck. He must have noticed as it became a habit of mine and he seemed it bothered him. "Sectors 1 and 2 are around us, we need to set traps and even bombs, to slow the enemy." He averted his gaze quickly away from me as he continued.

It was funny how people were fighting against each other when it would be much easier to ally with each other and find a solution to this venomous fog that surrounds us all the time, like our nightmares that won't leave us since the Black Day.

"I can go to Sector 2 with Jongho!" San volunteered immediately.

"That sector is big, you are going to need help. I'm coming with you!" I said immediately as I knew that sector just as the back of my hand.

Hongjoong turned in my direction and looked at me sharply. "You are staying here!" He pointed at me.

"I explored that sector before; I can help them." I stepped closer to Hongjoong determined.

"We need you here on the base, Y/N! And this is my command!" His voice came out demanding as he hovered over me.

"Actually," I heard a voice coming from behind. "Y/N could really help us, we haven't been there once with Jongho, it's a new territory."

My eyes bored into Hongjoong's trying to convince him to let me go with them, as his eyes snapped between my eyes from left to right. "I want you to stay by my side, sweetheart." He whispered so the others wouldn't hear what he said his expressions seemed like he was worried.

"It's going to be okay; we did this a lot of times, we go out quickly, doing the usual and I'll come back to you, I promise. They need me out there Hongjoong." I looked up at him sounding confident, but deep down in my heart I was always afraid of going out, anything could go wrong.

He ran his fingers through his raven-black hair frustrated. "Okay, but Yunho is going with you!" He shouted so the others could hear him and they started to move to get ready. I wanted to turn to help the others pack but I felt a hand catching my wrist.

"It's not safe now out there, everyone wants our base and everything we have. Be quick, I need you here. I-I mean we—we need you here." He stuttered at the end as he scratched his nape a little shy. Wait a minute. The scary Kim Hongjoong who almost killed me, was shy?

"Oh, you need me, Kim Hongjoong?" I teased him as I bit my lower lip lifting my eyebrows.

"Shut up and go!" He said as his lips curved up barely visible.

"Now you want me to go or stay? I can't quite figure it out—" I said smiling at him pretending to be confused. I loved to tease him.

Then his hands were suddenly on my waist as he pulled me flash against his body. "I want you to go and come back to me." He whispered onto my parted lips his last word was like an arrow that landed right on my heart, making it bleed with a new feeling I had never felt before.

"Don't worry, you can't get rid of me that easily, Kim Hongjoong," I said close to his lips as I looked deeply into his eyes then pecked his right cheek and turned around leaving a stunned Hongjoong in the middle of the hall.

We started to pack some things we needed, especially weapons. Mingi was in charge of the weapons, he always knew what kind of gun or knife suited you. His charisma was always foolish a little, his eyes always bored into your soul and made you tell him everything. He was a reliable person. Yeosang on the other hand, who was responsible for the food, was a little cold, his charisma seemed nice, but I never had the chance to talk with him. He came with Mingi three years ago and he only opened up to him. Something very traumatic must have happened to them.

We were jumping over pieces of buildings and wrecked cars on the streets, our gas masks on as we were heading towards sector two. While discovering the sector with Yunho, San, and Jongho, we set off some traps so that if someone passes, they are doomed.

When we finished setting the traps we wandered a little out of that sector, and found ourselves in an unknown sector. We wanted to turn back immediately but then Yunho saw a 12-passenger plane. It was white and cute and Yunho wanted to drive it. He was not a pilot, in fact, he had no driver's license. But we somehow trusted in him and we knew it was a very important tool in discovering the city more. We needed it and Yunho was a guy, who was just naturally good at everything. His charisma was like sunshine that can turn into a storm rather quickly.

As he managed to turn it on without any difficulties, we pushed it to a clearing so it could fly, we settled into the seats and buckled in. I was sitting next to Yunho in the pilot seats, he checked the buttons if they were working or not, he was a very sweet guy.

Until some point.

He came with his lover, Hana, they were running away from the smoke when Hongjoong offered shelter for them. There was this one time when someone attacked his lover while we were out to explore the district we were in. As I said people are willing to kill for the masks we were wearing. They just wanted the mask and it happened to be Hana's.

The ones who attacked did not make it. Yunho killed all four of them with his bare hands until they couldn't move anymore. We had no chance to help, it happened in a blink of an eye.

Since that day I knew it wasn't good to play with Yunho's nerves. The girl was his weak point and he did anything to keep her safe.

Behind me in the passenger seats was San, who was a very buffed man, with wide shoulders and an intimidating charisma, everyone feared him who came his way, but in reality, he was just a cute guy, who loved to call Wooyoung pigeon as well. On the other side of the plane, Jongho, San's brother was sitting. He was also very muscular and carried a hammer as his weapon. Despite his imposing appearance, his charisma was sweeter than intimidating, unlike his brother's. Jongho was a man who did not speak a lot, he was similar to Yeosang, they both just observed from far away, but still coped with us easily.

The Choi brothers were unstoppable. They were the strongest links in the chain we created. Sometimes when the siblings bickered together it reminded me of my relationship with my brother and I felt jealous of them because they were there for each other, they could protect the other, but I just couldn't do it with my brother because I did not know where he was. Back then when I thought I saw my brother, hope blinded me until I was in danger. I could never let that happen. Not in this cruel world.

"It's pilot Yunho, welcome on board, we are getting off the ground in ten seconds," Yunho murmured into the microphone that was surprisingly working. We laughed at his bickering and breathed in when the machine started to move. The next thing I knew was us being up in the sky, flying through the black smog that was floating in the air constantly. My jaw dropped as I looked down, where I could barely get the shapes of the destroyed city, the buildings fallen apart, remains lying on the ground unmoving, the streets full of abandoned cars, and no living creatures in sight. I was in shock; it was totally a different point of view. As I looked further and further, as long as the fog let us. It looked horrible. Dystopian. Like it was a game where they dropped you into an abandoned city and you needed to survive. But sadly, it was not a game.

As we reached the end of the city heading towards our base, we spotted the ocean. We didn't even know we were next to an ocean the fog did not let us see it, it came in handy—maybe we could travel with ships, so we wouldn't meet with unpleasant people along the way.

Everyone was in silence as we tried to take in the view that wasn't the best in our lives. I looked down at the beach where I spotted a figure running, it looked like it was a girl, because her hair was flowing behind her and he was holding a gun wearing all black. I was so distracted watching her, that I did not notice the strange noises the plane made.

"What is happening?" San asked his voice getting worried.

"Don't worry, I can handle it," Yunho said as his face was focused, pushing some buttons on the console. He had no idea what he was doing.

"Oh my God we are going to die." Jongho's voice came from behind panicked.

I looked down, we were quite far away from the safe land, and my heart started to beat fast. There was no way it was going to end like this.

As Yunho pushed some buttons, it seemed the engine got to its full power again, and we released a sigh we all held on to that. But then suddenly the engine fully stopped and we didn't even have time to process what was happening. Only hold for our dear life, and pray to the Gods to save us. I looked at Yunho panicked who tried to control the plane to at least land in the ocean—which was safer than the dry land.

Then Yunho held my hands as I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to witness my own death. The next moment, I felt the collapse. It was overwhelming—an explosion of colors, and then everything went black.

The Black Day.

I was heading to my flat with my best friend from work after a tiring day when the chaos started. While we discussed with my best friend what kind of movie should we watch, that was the first time we heard the sirens. It was low and whispered danger. We did not pay much attention to it, as there were days when the city made some tests with these sirens.

But when we saw people run around panicked, my best friend held onto my arm, not wanting to let me go. Especially when the guards with scary big gas masks separated us, saying everyone needed to go to their district. I still remember the face of my best friend, when we cried trying to hold onto each other, she was heartbroken as we both cried, promising we were going to find each other. I never saw my best friend again.

When the guards told me to go home, I was lost. I wasn't in my hometown. My family lived miles away from me. I couldn't go home and see my family. I was a college student and it was my second year in university. I barely went home, because my family lived far away and I needed to work to pay my bills. It was hard not seeing my family only once a month.

But when I got close up with strange people in a crowded room, I have never felt that lost. I didn't know what to do and what was even happening. Then the people with the gas masks on came back and dragged us into a school bus to take us into an improvised survivor camp, where they only enlisted young and ambitious people. If there were children or old women, they transported them somewhere else and we never found out where they took them.

When the masked men told us what happened in the world and what are we doing there, I was full of anger and felt like I could burn the whole world down. Just as half of the population thought. And this is why the world now looked like it was in fact burned down.

The smoke was spreading unstoppably and no one knew how to stop it. So, people needed to adjust to this terrifying situation, they needed to survive. And in this survivor camp, they taught us how to do it. This was the reason I survived for five months alone. I was hoping somehow with a miracle happening I am going to meet with my family along the way. But I never saw my family again.

I was with my family; we were eating dinner. Everyone was smiling and laughing, my brother looked at me and said how proud he was of me. My mother held my hand and told me to keep going. Then I looked at my father whose face looked a little concerned, he opened his mouth to say something—wake up—but it wasn't his voice, it came from far away, I was confused as I still looked at my father's face.

WAKE UP! I heard again.

Y/N, WAKE UP!

Then I opened my eyes and sat up breathing heavily. My head was aching so bad I needed to close my eyes for a second, then I felt a painful stinging coming from my chest.

"Finally, Cinderella managed to wake up from her long beauty sleep." I heard a familiar voice that always made my heart relieved.

"Wooyoung!" I snapped my head up to look at him. His usual black framed glass was sitting on his tall nose, his sharp eyes were boring into mine, and he was wearing a light blue hoodie that hid his well-defined body well, paired with sweatpants. I hugged him close to me.

"Are you okay? Is everyone okay?" I asked starting to get panicked. I just realized I was in one of the base's rooms, where usually the injured ones were.

"The question is mine. Are you okay? You slept like a mummy, man. Seonghwa told us, you should wake up in a few hours but you just did not wake up, Y/N, you scared me…" His voice got low as he sat next to me on the bed. "You hit your head very bad and a few of your ribs are broken, but that should heal quickly now you are awake. Thank God." My best friend said as he looked down at his fidgeting hands, and I needed to smile at the fact of how worried he looked.

"I'm okay now, Woo," I said as I scooted closer to him and leaned my head against his as he turned towards me. Then I just hugged him again, because I loved him so much, I would burn the whole world down if needed, even though it was already burnt into ashes.

Then everything just flashed in images in front of my eyes. The plane. The falling. The crushing. The blackness.

I separated quickly from Wooyoung looking at him shocked. "W-what happened? Where are the others? Tell me they are okay Woo." Sudden emotions hit me and I was so scared something would happen with them.

"Hey, relax, Y/N. They are okay." He cupped my face into his hands as I sighed in relief. "Well…mostly."

"What do you mean?" I looked at him shocked, my heart rate at the highest.

"San and Jongho made it with smaller injuries. San broke his right arm and Jongho suffered a brain concussion, but it's slight so he is going to be okay." He said caressing my cheek to calm me down. "And Yunho…he is…he is in a coma. He hit his head severely and some nerves in his brain aren't functioning. It needs time to heal. It seems very serious but Seonghwa said let's not give up hope, he is a very strong guy, and he can fight this off." He wiped the tears away that escaped from my eyes.

We were so stupid; how could we think it was a good idea to take off a random plane without any knowledge of how to drive it? We were responsible for our lives and still, we just threw it away like it was garbage. I really hoped Yunho was going to be okay. No—not hoping, because I knew he was going to be okay.

"He is going to be okay, I'm sure." I nodded in determination as I said. "How's Hana?"

"She can barely keep up, but she is next to Yunho all the time."

"How did we get back here?"

"A girl found you and helped you. She said she was at the beach right when you crushed. You were lucky to crash into the ocean; it absorbed much of the impact. So, San was on the verge of fainting when she went to the plane to see if you made it. San told her where the base was and then she ran to our base to call us. But we were occupied a little back here." Wooyoung's face became frustrated.

"What happened here? The others?" One particular sharp face jumped into my mind and it seemed I couldn’t shake it off.

"Our base got attacked while you were away," Wooyoung said his expression getting sad.

"What? How? What the hell happened Woo?" I got up and ran my fingers through my hair stressed, ignoring the pain coming from my ribs.

"Some random people, who were well-armed, attacked our base and almost burned down the whole base. But we managed to fight them off. Oh my God, Y/N, I thought that's it. This is the end. But then these other guys came and helped us." He buried his face into his hands stressed.

"Who were they?" I asked feeling very thankful for those guys that saved my family.

"I don't know, they told us they came with good intentions and just wanted to ally with us. They call themselves Xikers or what, they are a bunch of kids but still helped us."

I felt relieved, if the base had been burnt down, that would have been the worst. And I was so thankful everyone was okay…well mostly okay. But I still didn't know one piece of information and it bothered me, boiling my veins with worry.

"Is-is Hongjoong okay?" I asked looking down at the ground as I needed to support myself on the table behind me.

Wooyoung stood up and walked towards me, he grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes with a sadness I had never seen before.

I shook my head. "Wooyoung don't do this." Tears appeared in my eyes.

"He's…" Wooyoung reached his hand towards my cheek to tuck my hair behind my ear. "Hongjoong is—"

Then I heard a door slam and I looked towards it and I saw him. Hongjoong was standing in the doorway with an angry expression that also showed clear signs of worry. He was wearing his black leather vest a black shirt under it paired with black pants, his hair messed up, and some black strings falling onto his forehead. I was speechless for a moment, but when I came to my senses, I let go of Wooyoung's hands and ran towards Hongjoong not letting him time to even blink I wrapped my hands around his neck and hugged him strongly.

"Hey, be careful, sweetheart, you’re injured," he murmured into the crook of my neck, his hands on my waist gently pulling me away to keep my broken ribs from pressing against him.

"I don't care, you are alive," I said into his ear almost tearing up.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked as he pulled away to look into my eyes caressing my cheeks with a frown.

"Wooyoung told me—well it seemed on his expression you were dead…" I looked next to me angrily, where Wooyoung was leaning against the table with a shit-eating grin.

"I didn't say he was dead, I'm just good at acting Y/N, I'm glad it worked." He giggled with a devil smile.

"Jung Wooyoung, I swear to God—you son of a pigeon." I escaped from Hongjoong's arms to chase Wooyoung and slapped him as he held an arm out as a shield.

"Okay, enough. Act yourself out Wooyoung." I heard Hongjoong's voice from behind me, his hands finding their way around my waist. I didn't see his expressions but seeing Wooyoung's told me enough as his smile faded quickly and he sprinted towards the door. I followed him with my eyes squinting my eyes at him. "Hongjoong got stabbed," Wooyoung shouted lastly before slamming the door.

I turned back to Hongjoong with wide eyes. "What the hell is he talking about?"

Hongjoong sighed. "It's not a big deal." He turned away and walked towards the table next to the bed. He always did this, he always turned away when something was about him. He always cared about the others but not about himself.

"How is it not a big deal when you got fucking stabbed?" My voice got higher. I just wanted to scream at his face to not turn away from me. I walked towards him, slowly approaching him. He supported himself on the table looking down at it, his wide back facing with me. I was next to him as I saw his face, his eyes closed, his undercut showing. He looked like he was in pain, not just physically.

I reached my hands towards his chin to slowly, carefully lift it. He looked so vulnerable I was scared I might break him. When he looked at me, I saw so much pain in his eyes. He went through a lot. His family died in front of his eyes. The smoke killed them and his family shouted at him to run and to survive. I knew this was what kept him going. But after five years, only their faded memory remained. What was the reason for him to keep going?

I caressed his cheek like my hands were a feather, scared his skin might fall apart. "Where did you get stabbed?" I whispered looking into his eyes that looked so divine, that I was ready to fall on my knees.

He looked away for a moment. "On my back," He scoffed. "It's so embarrassing, I can't watch my back for a second and this happens…"

I felt worried as I looked at his face it seemed he was really ashamed of it. "Hongjoong look at me," I tilted his head towards me to look into my eyes. "It's embarrassing for the person who did it. They couldn't face you because they knew they wouldn't make it alive if they did."

"Well, they didn't make it either way." His lips curved up a little and mine as well at that.

"Take it off!" I demanded holding his vest in my hands, feeling the leather material under my touch.

He just looked at me a little confused.

"I want to see your wound, Hong."

He just nodded and grabbed my hand to slowly take it off his body, so he could unbutton the vest, his sharp eyes never leaving mine. My heart was in my ears, I couldn’t hear the usual noises of the base coming from the other rooms. I only saw Kim Hongjoong in front of me as he unbuttoned his black shirt as well after throwing the vest on the floor. He slowly took off the shirt his upper body now fully on the sight. His abs were well-defined, his chest full of strength where a tattoo of a sneak's head was hissing at me. I reached my fingers towards the snake's head to trace the tattoo as I looked at it. Hongjoong's gaze still bored into mine. I followed the snake's figure with my finger as it came from his back, and then I walked behind him, still following the snake with my finger all over his back. My fingers traveled through the snake's length as I felt Hongjoong shiver under my touch. The snake circled all over Hongjoong's back, ending on his chest where the sneak’s head was.

I always admired the tattoo whenever I saw it, while he was working out or just changed. But I never got the opportunity to touch it, and that was one of my most wanted desires. Then there was the stab, it was stitched carefully, Seonghwa doing a good job as always, some white ointments were all over it, so it wouldn't get inflamed. I circled the wound with my finger as I heard him hissing. I leaned down a little to leave a healing kiss above it.

"So, it's going to heal faster," I whispered warmly onto his skin.

"Sweetheart," I heard his desperate voice coming from above.

I did not stop leaving kisses all around his back, following the line of the snake on his back, as I got up to his nape kissing it. My arms circled his abdomen as I left one last kiss on his neck, putting my chin on his wide shoulder. He leaned his head against mine as he kissed my temple. "Thank you," He whispered as he took my hands from his abdomen and turned around to cup one side of my cheek, his other hand on my waist pulling me close to him. I bit my lower lip as my body got hotter, my heart beating unstoppably. He looked into my eyes like I was his whole world, even though it was doomed into a speck of dust.

"I was so worried, Y/N, I thought you would never come back to me." His eyes were full of emotions and with tears.

"I said it's not easy to get rid of me." I smiled at him as I felt his fingers trace through my face.

He smiled at that too and traced his fingers through my temple, where I felt a little stinging, I didn’t even notice I got injured there as well. Then his warm lips were on my wound again.

"So, it's going to heal," His lips curved up into a sincere smile that I have never seen. It cured everything inside me, it didn’t matter if I was injured, his smile healed everything inside and outside of me. Then his hands traveled down to my waist and went under my T-shirt, touching my skin with his warm fingers.

"Let me see your wounds, Y/N," He whispered close to my lips, his eyes so genuine, that he made me trust him. I always did, since the day they found me on the top of that building.

I just nodded, signaling to him I trusted him. His fingers grabbed the hem of my oversized white T-shirt and lifted it very carefully, looking into my eyes the whole time. When he took it off, I was standing in front of him half-naked. We were now equal as both of us were standing in front of the other in a vulnerable state and were injured, yet full of passion that made our pain go away.

His eyes landed on my chest and on my ribs where a bandage was wrapped around my torso. There were a few black and blue marks under my ribs. Hongjoong traced his fingers through them carefully so as not to hurt me. Then he kneeled and looked up at me from there, his eyes questioning if he was allowed to touch me. I just nodded as words simply couldn't escape my mouth.

Hongjoong then leaned against my warm skin and left soft pecks on the blue marks. My chest was rising up and down quickly as I felt like I was in heaven. His lips traced above my ribs, on my chest, leaving healing kisses there, then he stood up and kissed my neck where once his hands were wrapped around when he almost sent me to the other world. Since then, he just couldn't stop apologizing for that move, saying it wasn't him and he would never hurt me. I forgave him because I truly deserved that and because he made me stronger, he made me keep going instead of my family. He was my family. They were my family.

“I’m jealous of Seonghwa because he got to see you like this before I did.” He whispered onto my lips in a possessive way and cupped my face.

As he caressed my cheeks I looked up into his eyes and after five years I felt like I was at home, home that gave me safeness and warmth in this cruel and cold world. When his warm lips met mine, it felt as if the world healed around us. The darkness faded away, and the sun emerged once more, casting warmth over a world that had been cold for five years.

The last time I felt this warm was when Hongjoong held me in his arms when I was on the verge of dying. That was the last time I felt the sun come out between the dark mist. He was my sun that we couldn't feel anymore.

His lips gave me warmth as they moved against mine, I wrapped my hands around his neck as he turned me around to lift me at the table. I wrapped my legs around his torso as he was holding me by my waist, squeezing it, making me let out a quiet moan as his hands squeezed a black mark on my stomach. My hands traveled down his chest and then to his back where I felt the snake as it almost circled my wrist. I felt his wound that I traced with my finger and he let out a hiss on that and sucked my lower lip between his teeth, making it almost bleed as I hissed at that too. He captured my lips in a deep possessive kiss, that made me part my lips and let his tongue dive into my mouth. Our tongues met with each other and danced along to our heartbeats as I let out a moan. I bit his lower lip as we fought for a little dominance, he let out a low groan at that, kissing me deeply like he was obsessed with me and could never get enough of me. I felt the same because I wanted to be with him in this dark and cruel world, to be his reason to keep going now that his family was just a memory. I wanted to be his reason to survive.

And he was mine.

When our eyes met again, his gaze was filled with desire and emotions that mirrored my own. Emotions that connected us, that made us feel like we belonged to each other in this cruel world, so we could fight together against the bad. That came in the form of a dark mist that always whispered you promises, promises that said it's going to be better if you die. But dying isn't the solution. Survival was the only solution here and it did not matter how long you needed to survive, you had to because there were people who counted on you, people who were the reason to survive.

Survival wasn’t about the world anymore. It was about the people you encountered along the way, those who became your family amidst the dark mist that whispered of unachievable desires. But if you fight for it, you can achieve anything. I was determined to stand with Hongjoong and the others, so we could save the world one day.

(Ateez masterlist)

#i have two theories that i will bother you with through dms hahaha #orshii #kim hongjoong x reader #kim hongjoong #hongjoong x reader #hongjoong fluff #hongjoong angst #my moots 💕 lovely people <3

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