#having all those shots of jihyun like its a secret to look at him

[piganatur]

THE EIGHTH SENSE EP 3

Honestly, I was a little afraid because the first two episodes blew me away so much that it felt almost ridiculous. I so wanted this to continue, and when I anticipate something to this extent the dread of it maybe falling flat, of it refuting me and my anticipation is sky high. My pulse legit rose before clicking on ep3 that’s how jittery and insane this show makes me. But I worried for nothing, the creators of this show clearly know what they want and what they are doing. Ep 3&4... all I can say is: 👏👏👏 solid follow-up

Episode 3 (and a part of ep4) is all about parallels and the contrast between these parallels: 1, like the entirety of whatever happened between Jaewon & Jihyun in ep2 vs. walking the same steps, doing those same motions but now doing it alone? Brilliant! Taking care of others vs. not taking care of them (so they have to take care of themselves) and the reason for doing all of that...it’s all about perspective.

2, another parallel is the dynamic of Jaewon/Yoonwon vs. Jihyun/Aeri Jaewon and Yoonwon are what Jihyun and Aeri could be in the future (down to the detail of one of them thinking the other liked them bc they acted so friendly, or that they didn’t like the other but found a true ally) I'm a friendship maniac I love it more than anything. Now I want to make a separate post all about the importance of friendship for Jaewon and Jihyun and their character arcs

3, Joonpyo aka the heavenly hand of fate Joonpyo being obedient for once and not saying a thing just like Jihyun asked him to when meeting Aeri vs. Joonpyo introducing himself and chatting up Jaewon in the middle of the cafeteria without anyone asking him to... both of those times, at that moment, what Joonpyo did was the opposite of what Jihyun wanted (and what he felt he’d be saved by) yet as we can see in ep4 both of those times his roommate (enter Jihyun’s voice *and menace of a childhood friend*) actually helped Jihyun

4, the evolution of Jihyun and Jaewon’s interpersonal relationships Jihyun collects people after careful deliberation or is it the other way and others are the ones collecting him? broadening his circle (a place of support and care) is, in fact, in parallel with Jaewon slowly slipping out of others’ circles whilst tightening his own. They are both treading towards the same ideal but while Jaewon has to cut ppl out Jihyun has to let ppl in to get to that place where they are seen and valued for who they are

5, the cherry on top was the closing sequence. I’m in love with the visual, the music score, all the details building up, the parallel lines and symmetry in every single shot, seemingly playing on different sides and directions but colliding in the most breathtaking and intense harmony to complete all the unsaid things in a nonverbal way. But it is a quietness that screams

[soundsaboutrighttumblr]

Stray thoughts about The eighth sense, in no particula order, now that I’ve finished watching:

- The parallel of the therapist and the diner boss? Like this last ep’s scene where Jaewon sat with her and she got answers out of him so casually, it made me think back to their very first appearances on screen, it struck me then how their faces, first the therapist and then the diner lady were cut so close after one another, that I had to rewind a moment to check if they were the same actress at first glance. The function of an experienced older lady friend who is willing to listen to your stories, interested in the youth and their problems, and all the ways therapy/emotional work for growth can look like with a support system? Especially for young men maybe?

- the shots of the therapy sessions mirrored in those glass orbs, that give the association of small bubbles? like small bubbles outside of reality, a mirror to it, focusing some aspects for Jaewon, but being a small enclosed world nonetheless? We see the therapist reflected in those, reachng out, handing over prescriptions? It does feel like a limited reach and inflence, when she is in there, in contrast to when she moves freely in the room like in that last scene of hers with Jaewon, behind him and provoking him from the side, much more an interaction.

- the ocean metaphor with all its facets, if the ocean is life, or emotionality, we have all the variants for Jaewon: the fish tank in therapy as a tamed confined ocean safe to look at, the wild and dangerous waved of the real ocean, that Jaewon surfes and that make him happy, that he seeks out. The Han river and how he dips his toes in in that last ep, reconnecting with waters, emotions, a body of water that is closer within reach...

- in that context also the song Yoon Won sings at the campfire at the beach? about life tossing you inside the waves but that’s okay you will get through it’s just what life is, you can fall, it’s a part of it, also foreshadowing

- Jaewon’s secret photography account as a sign to us that no, his hope and dreams are not dead, just well hidden, but there’s actually a person still under that depression-paralyzed rigidity and frozen exterior

- how Yoon Won’s display of emotionality, there in the club room, her close up tears and struggle is what shakes Jaewon out of his rigor? How the therapist said ‘you are so caught up in your own trauma that you forget others’, and then we see the pain on Yoon Won’s face as she voices her struggles that must be a close mirror to Jaewon’s own emotional inner struggles and monologues, and suddenly, from out of the frame Jaewon reaches in, emphatically responsive in a way he could not fully be with Jihyun a moment before, where he still sat robot like, just holding out to preserve his armor because, not being able to allow that connection just yet,  Jihyun is too close still to his own trauma and warped need to protect, but underneath his depression Jaewon is empathic af, and the sincere responsiveness in his reaction then, that maybe is as important for accessing his own healing as it is important for Yoon won?

I’ll surely think of others, but. Man.

[jeongyunhoed]

A year after the events of Past-Present-Future, Lee Mirae, Choi San, and Jeong Yunho receive a mysterious envelope containing photos and notes about the deaths of several individuals. The deeper they go into the case, they find that the entertainment industry hides a very dark secret.

Group: ATEEZ Pairing: Yunho/OC Genres: It’s a little bit of: adventure, romance, mystery, crime, fantasy, action. Things to note: It also features mentions of other idols/artists: Junhong (Zelo), Dean, Chanyeol, Enhypen etc.

Superpowers AU if it wasn’t obvious as well.

T/W: Themes of death, violence, demons, cults, blood, use of weapons and/or firearms, use of drugs (both recreational and medical), implied/referenced assault, implied/referenced suicide

A/N: As I have previously been posting, here are the links to the origin stories / the first manifestation of powers of Seonghwa - Mingi - Wooyoung - Jongho for reference. 

Masterlist

Chapter 4

“We’re back,” Mirae pulled up in front of the Kang Entertainment building again. Hongjoong and Yunho leaned over to get a look at the building, seeing cars come and go from the driveways and parking lots. There were lights that were still on in several floors of the building, one of which was where Mirae had her little scuffle with the idols in the CEO’s office. 

“You think he’d be in his office by now?” San asked, scanning the building for any indication of a back entrance or at least a visible fire exit. 

“It’s hard to tell, especially with those fans standing by to look at people coming in and out,” Mirae muttered. “But we’ll have to try, I’m just not sure they’ll be fond of seeing me come back.” 

“We could go through the artists’ entrance at the back, that’s where those cars seem to be going when they come in,” Hongjoong pointed to the other driveway that seemed to be for executives that was hidden from view from the main entrance they were looking at. “It doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting out of there quietly though.” 

“We never really get out of things quietly,” Yunho pointed out. “But it’s worth a shot, we need to speak to the CEO.” 

The four of them began putting on the belts Junhong gave them and they got out of the car. They saw a black van leave the driveway, followed by the cheers and screams from the group of fans that were quickly following the van and leaving the building. “How convenient,” San said, as they crossed the street. 

They caught up with another black van pulling up the driveway, filled with suited men that stepped down. Mirae, San, Yunho, and Hongjoong slipped in the midst of the crowd, making it past the security guards in time before the doors closed. “This would be so much easier if Hyuk was with us,” Mirae mumbled as they separated from the crowd that was going into one conference room and into the company proper. She led them down the hall that was in the direction of the CEO’s office, stopping when they saw that no one was at the secretary’s desk. 

It gave Yunho an idea, noticing a shadowy part of the hall. “Come over here, I’ll get us in,” He said. Mirae held his hand, while San and Hongjoong’s hands were on his shoulders. They vanished and reappeared in the office himself. Before they could move, they saw that the CEO wasn’t alone. The secretary was standing by, including a few other men who seemed to be executives as well. 

“Well, this is awkward,” San muttered. 

“I guess you remember me?” Mirae looked at the CEO. 

“Cha Jihyun, was it? Or… Lee Mirae?” The CEO smirked, looking impressed. “My, my, I guess the rumors were true. Mutants in my company.” 

“Demons in yours,” Mirae countered. “We’ve got some questions to ask you, I hope you don’t mind taking some time to talk.” 

The CEO chuckled. “Unfortunately I don’t, but they would,” He gestured to the executives that were standing up. All of them were brandishing batons and guns, some of the batons emitted sparks of electricity. Mirae took her staff out, Yunho with his sai, San with his harpoon, and the blades slid out of Hongjoong’s sleeves. The office doors opened, and in came more men, part of the security team, all armed and ready to attack. 

“Definitely like the one in Sky Sushi,” San nodded and he jumped over the couch to knock one out with the handle of his harpoon, prompting everyone else to attack. He shot his harpoon at the CEO who was about to leave and his eyes glowed, making the blade that pierced through his leg stun the man, making him squirm on the floor. He quickly tied the rope that was connected to the blade to the nearest steel object or furniture he could find while kicking away a few that were about to attack him. 

“Let’s try not to kill anyone, try,” Mirae eyed Yunho and Hongjoong, who threw off the others that were coming from opposite directions. Her eyes and fingertips glowed as she hit several of the executives that were about to charge at her, one of them bringing her out of the office and breaking through the door. Mirae took out a deck of cards from her pocket, shuffling with a flourish that made the cards attack them, sending them flying in all directions and hitting walls with a slight crack. 

Hongjoong used the blades in his sleeves to block any hits from the batons. Noticing how both San and Yunho were slowly getting outnumbered, he sped through each of them, knocking the executives off their feet, further incapacitating them by slicing their ankles deep enough to wound without dismembering them. Sparks of electricity were left behind in his wake as he took on the rest of the executives. It felt as if everything slowed down for him, everything and everyone was slowed down to the point that they almost seemed frozen, even shards of glass and other objects were floating in mid-air. Realizing that this was part of what his powers now brought on, he fixed a few of the shards to attack the executives instead, keeping Yunho, San, and Mirae out of harm’s way even as he could see they were holding their own. 

In a second, everything appeared to return to its normal pace, the four of them left standing amongst all the bodies that were either incapacitated, unconscious, and for some, already dead. All of them had some blood stains from the fight, and Hongjoong’s sleeves were stained with red. The CEO remained squirming on the floor as the four of them huddled over him. “Are you going to talk now? Or are we going to go through this again?” Mirae bent down to ask him. 

“Never,” The CEO tried to spit in her face but she leaned away in time. 

“You better answer if I were you,” Yunho threatened. “What do you know about Min Junghwa? You were on that list of people she was planning to sue when she died.” 

The CEO cackled. “You honestly believe that? I did nothing to her. Her career was going nowhere, she would be nothing without me!” 

“Oh really? What did she have to do to make you convince everyone she’s as good an actress as you’d promote her to?” Mirae asked. She took out the small atomizer from the compartment in her belt and sprayed some of its contents onto his face. “Tell the truth.” 

The CEO’s expression went blank. “Yes I did, I did make a pass at her. It was the price she needed to pay in order to succeed. Women hardly make it big in this industry unless you were exceptionally beautiful. Min Junghwa wasn’t as beautiful, but she needed to convince me she was worth it…” He blurted out almost easily, as if in a trance. 

The four of them stared at him. “What does Madame Seo have to do with it?” Yunho asked this time. 

“Madame Seo knows everything about everyone who matters in this industry. She gives us protection in exchange for…” the man stopped talking. 

“What? In exchange for what?” Mirae asked again. 

“I am protected, she knows who you are,” The man was staring at her, his eyes glazed over. “principium est, et finis est initium, principium est, et finis est initium,” He said, chanting in his place. 

Mirae, Yunho, and Hongjoong stared at him while San looked confused. “The beginning is the end is the beginning,” She muttered. “principium est, et finis est initium,” She repeated. 

A chill ran down San’s spine as Yunho and Hongjoong also seemed to understand. The man kept chanting in his place. “If she knows who we are, she’ll either want us alive or dead, and I have a feeling she wants the latter,” San said. 

“What do we do now?” Yunho turned to them as they got up. “At least we know he’s guilty, what then?” 

“The only other thing we need to do, track down the four others, who’s next?” Mirae took out the pieces of paper with the notes from her pocket. “Yang Tan, Seoul City Journal CEO,” She read. “You think we should call it a night?” 

“Yeah, I think we should,” San nodded. “We’ve got all day tomorrow, and I don’t think they’ll budge anymore tonight.” 

They suddenly heard beeping coming from their belts. Yunho took his communicator out, the slim piece of matte black metal extending. “Hello?” 

“Yunho? Mirae? It’s me,” Junhong was on the other line. “Mingi and Wooyoung are here, their mutant genes have been activated. Ino says Seonghwa and Jongho may be waiting for you at the record store.” 

“Seonghwa? Jongho? Did it happen to them too?” Mirae stared at San. Hongjoong looked just as surprised. 

“Ino could sense that it has,” Junhong said. “Find anything from the CEO?” 

“Yeah, he’s guilty as charged, but we’ll call it a night for now, we’ll go home,” Mirae replied. 

“Wait, what about me?” Hongjoong suddenly asked. 

“I can take you back to the safehouse,” Yunho suggested. “Or you could run all the way there since you’re fast enough.” 

“I don’t know the way back, though.” 

“Alright, I’ll bring you back,” Yunho nodded, he kissed Mirae on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.” He turned off the lights and with Hongjoong, they vanished. 

San turned the lights back on, looking over at the man who was still staring at the ceiling, eyes glazed over yet chanting and muttering the same phrase. “What do we do with him?” He asked. 

Mirae shrugged, retracting her staff and with a swift hit to the head, knocked the man unconscious. “He’ll snap out of it in the morning, I guess.” 

~ 

Mirae and San arrived later that night, pulling up in front of the now-closed store for the day. “Both of them are here?” San turned to her. 

“That’s what Junhong said they would be. I can only imagine what kind of powers the two of them would have,” Mirae observed the store for a sign of anything unusual happening inside. “Keep your harpoon ready.” 

San reached into his belt, hand already poised to take his weapon out as they parked the car and quietly got down. The two of them went to the side entrance that led to her office that was also the back room. Mirae’s hand was already on her staff while holding what was left of her deck of cards in the other as they approached the door. They stopped when they saw a faint green glow from the inside and what looked like a large rip across the curtain. San quietly turned the knob and opened the door, the two of them ducking when an object was flying towards them, crashing against the threshold. 

“...Hey! It’s us!” Mirae called out, feeling for the light switch to turn it on. 

Seonghwa stood in his place near the couch, frozen. Jongho was seated in the corner, his expression pained and his sleeves bloody. “Mirae? It’s you!” Seonghwa breathed a sigh of relief. 

Before Mirae could answer, she was pinned against the wall by Jongho, who still looked like he was in pain yet there was some rage. “Did you cause this?! What’s happened to me?!” He said, his hands on her collar. San and Seonghwa quickly tried to pry him off but spikes began to appear from the holes and rips of his shirt and coat. 

“I didn’t do anything to you! This was going to happen!” Mirae dropped her staff and deck of cards, both hands on his wrists. “You hated the fact that I was a mutant, and now you are one too.” 

“Explain before I do this,” Jongho pulled back one hand, and she could see it was twisting and turning into a sharp point, aiming for her throat. 

“Get your hands off my sister,” San pointed his harpoon gun at his temple. “If you want answers, you get your hands off her now before I pull the trigger.” 

“Jongho, just stop,” Seonghwa said with an exasperated sigh. Jongho didn’t budge. “Stop it,” His hands began to glow as he tried to concentrate, the shorter male slowly moving away, as if getting pulled off of Mirae. Seonghwa tried to focus, feeling some resistance from Jongho until he pulled him away, almost sending him flying across the room and crashing onto the boxes near the file cabinet. 

Mirae slid to the floor, quickly picking up her staff and the deck of cards, San helping her up as they watched Jongho get up. “So, you’re a telekinetic too, huh?” She said to the taller. 

“Is that what this is?” Seonghwa said, the green glow from his hands fading. 

“Yeah, my best friend’s a telekinetic too. When did that happen?” She asked. 

“Hours ago. I was at a shooting gallery when it happened.” 

“What about him?” San gestured to Jongho, the spikes suddenly disappearing back into his body, making him groan. 

“Around the same time as I did, I guess,” Seonghwa shrugged. “But he’s probably on the run by now, he got on the bus to go here,” He added. 

“Did you kill people?” Mirae glanced at him. 

“A bunch of drunk dudes tried to pick a fight, and then it happened,” Jongho breathed, nearly staggering as he sat down on the nearest chair. “I swear, this is more painful than those missions we had.” 

“Coincidentally, Mingi and Wooyoung are also going through the same thing right now,” Mirae revealed. “Hongjoong’s activated this morning.” 

“So you mean we all...have powers?” Seonghwa stared at her. She nodded. “...Good thing I came here then, I remembered this was where you’d be. Where’s Yunho?” He asked. 

They heard someone appear in the dark breakroom. Mirae gestured to the room, and out of the shadows, Yunho appeared, stopping when he saw Seonghwa and Jongho. “Are you alright?” He looked at Mirae’s slightly ripped collar. San still looked especially wary of Jongho, gripping the handle of his harpoon gun tightly.  

“Yeah, I’m now wondering what to do with these two,” Mirae said. “If you two want to stay over, I think you can have the couch. Yunho’s couch is also free for one of you to stay in,” she suggested. 

“Wait, I think I have a better idea of where we can stay tonight,” San said. “We may as well all go back to the safehouse.” 

“That’s true. That way all of them are together and Junhong and Ino could better handle them. You two will want to train with Junhong, he knows what to do,” Mirae advised. 

“Oh right, he trained you back in the Center, didn’t he?” San turned to her, and she nodded. 

“We need to tell Junhong what we found out from the CEO too, he’ll probably have answers for us,” Mirae said. She turned to Yunho and sighed as she reached for his hand. “This is probably what Ino meant when he said unit.” 

Yunho chuckled. “Yeah, very much like old times.” 

~ 

Ino and Junhong looked at them with satisfied smiles, seeing all of them together including Mirae and San at the safehouse. Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Mingi, Jongho, and Wooyoung all seemed to be terrified at the realizations of their powers. Junhong looked especially fascinated as he wrote down notes on his clipboard. “The CEO of Kang Entertainment was muttering something in latin when we got around to questioning him,” Mirae explained, figuring to get to the point. “He said the beginning is the end is the beginning. It’s all he kept saying when we asked what Madame Seo wanted in return for her protection.” 

“You understood latin?” San looked surprised. 

“So do the rest of them. I figured it was one of the things programmed into us back at the sanitarium,” Mirae gestured to the boys, squeezing Yunho’s hand. 

“The beginning is the end is the beginning,” Ino tried to think. “It sounds like a mantra.” 

“I-I saw how those actresses died,” Wooyoung suddenly spoke. “They were killed by something that wasn’t human. It was like a creature. Blood, everywhere.” 

“So were those idols I fought in that agency, so were the clerks in Madame Seo’s fashion label,” Mirae said. 

“The only way we can put an end to this is to make Yeosang talk, to be honest. He’s the only connection we have to that woman, whatever she probably is,” Yunho looked frustrated. “He even drugged me for god’s sake.” 

“We can’t even reach Yeosang. That bastard’s way too guarded up at that tower of his,” San frowned. “He’s never going to talk. Not even if Mirae’s the one asking him.” 

“I won’t need to ask,” Mirae suddenly had an idea. “In fact, we don’t even need to ask him at all, it only takes one look from Wooyoung and we’ll have what we need.”

Wooyoung’s eyes widened at the mention of his name. “Eh?”

“You’re all we need,” Mirae said. “You only need to look at Yeosang to figure it out, get the information we need. That guy might not talk, but his memories won’t lie to us either.” 

“What about the rest of us?” Mingi asked, fingers fumbling with the lighter he was holding. 

“The rest of you will be with me, just so you can all figure out how to train your powers even just for a little bit,” Junhong chimed in. “At least if you can’t control it, Ino hyung would be here to help.” 

“It might be best if Seonghwa tagged along with the four of you too,” Ino turned to Mirae. “Something tells me he’ll be useful in interrogations, especially with what you’re trying to find.” 

She eyed the older male. “...What did you see? I know you saw something, what did you see?” 

Ino cleared his throat, unable to answer. Wooyoung looked at him. “You’re worried. About Mirae,” He said, sensing his feelings. “He’s worried about you, he’s worried about Yunho too, and San. That’s all I could get from him, his mind’s blocking me so I can’t sense anything else from him.” 

“Is something going to happen to us?” San asked curiously, finding it odd that Ino would be worried as he knew him to always be especially confident in the three of them. Ino was always vocal about his confidence in Mirae, but what Wooyoung said seemed to hint that something was wrong. 

Wooyoung turned to Ino again. “I can’t tell. It’s like he knows how to block that now too,” He said. 

“You’re getting the hang of your secondary powers already, yes I think that’s a secondary ability you have,” Junhong suddenly pointed out, and Wooyoung looked impressed with himself at the realization. “As for your shadow form, going with the three of them could be your practice.” 

“Go to that Yang Tan now, I see something already happening,” Ino broke his silence. 

“Alright then, we’re going,” Mirae nodded. 

“We’ll be in touch then,” San told them as they turned to leave, Wooyoung getting up to follow them, taking his katanas along with him. As the doors closed behind them, Junhong turned to the older male. 

“What did you see?” He asked, also alarmed by the lack of response from him earlier. 

“I saw pain, a lot of pain. For Mirae, for Yunho, for San,” Ino muttered. 

“Then why are you letting them go out there?” Junhong looked concerned. “Why are you sending them out there now?” 

“Because they don’t have much time,” Ino replied quietly, looking down as if trying to process his visions. “The faster they move, the sooner we’ll have done good. Which is also why we must start training them immediately, they will need the four of them, they’re a unit.” 

“Unit? Are we going to be a unit?” Hongjoong looked confused. 

“Yes, it’s something I’ve begun thinking about ever since we brought the five of you in here. We know Mirae, Hyuk, and Chanyeol have been doing this much longer, but I figure it’s time for Mirae to lead again. No doubt Hyuk will find like-minded people to lead, as will Chanyeol,” Ino said quietly. 

“Ah, very much like old times then. Hongjoong would be her second-in-command,” Seonghwa pointed out. 

“Yes, to borrow a page from the people who turned all of you into the people you are now. Everything is leading up to this moment, the dangers of the world are beginning to surface, human and non-human,” Ino explained. 

“You’re talking like your father,” Junhong looked like he had grown six heads. “We all know what happened when your father tried something like that. The Seoul attack happened, your father dying happened.” 

“The Seoul-” Mingi gaped, almost dropping his lighter. “The Seoul attack?! That was all over the news at the time.” 

“Yeah, Mirae, Hyuk, and Chanyeol are the last surviving members of the group that saved the country, perhaps the world. We were there with them,” Ino revealed. “If we’re not careful, and if they don’t move quickly, something similar to the Seoul attack will be happening in a span of days.” 

“Alright then, what do we do?” Hongjoong got up. 

“The four of you, go with Junhong, he will run some tests for the four of you, Wooyoung’s will be done when they arrive,” Ino went to his office and closed the door behind him. 

Junhong sighed. “The four of you will have to come with me to the lab. I’m not getting paid enough for this, honestly,” He shook his head, leading them into the other room. 

“You get paid for this?” Mingi asked as they followed him into a white room. 

“Yeah, Ino hyung’s the only son of Professor Inhwan Jang, prize-winning scientist and occult enthusiast,” Junhong explained as if like clockwork. “Also one of those anonymous billionaires.” 

~ 

With some help from Junhong, Mirae, San, Yunho, and Wooyoung were driving down the village close to where the restaurant Sky Sushi was. “It’s almost too predictable knowing that Yang Tan lives in this village,” Mirae said, looking on at the quiet roads and mansions lining the subdivision. “I’m surprised Sky Sushi’s open too.” 

“Yeosang owns that restaurant, of course he’s going to reopen it,” San kept a lookout from the passenger seat. “Didn’t take him that long to get rid of all the blood and dust from the last time we were there.” 

“It has been a year,” Yunho muttered, leaning over in his seat behind Mirae. 

Wooyoung watched them. “So, the three of you have been doing this since the last time we met, huh?” He asked. 

“Well this is the first time in a year that we’re doing this again,” Yunho pointed out. “We’ve got day jobs.” 

The shorter male looked intrigued but chose to say nothing more. Mirae checked her phone for the address again and pulled up in front of the house that seemed to indicate that the CEO himself was around. “We’re here,” She said. 

Wooyoung looked up at the windows, sensing an unusual presence yet he couldn’t figure out what it was. It was exactly like the visions he had from watching the news. “Yang Tan’s in there,” He said, staring at the windows at the back that appeared to be dimly lit. 

“Then let’s go,” Mirae got out of the car, the three men following suit. 

[illneverrecover]

Better When it Feels Wrong (m)

➛pairing: saeran x reader/MC  ;   unknown x reader/MC ➛genre: halloween shenanigans. smut. porn with a plot if you squint really hard. ➛word count: 4,643  ➛rating: nsfw/mature ➛warnings: alcohol use, rough sex, unprotected sex, slight dom/sub, rough oral/face fucking (male & female receiving), over-stimulation, squirting ➛notes: Well, here it is! This is the piece I wrote for the @2019loveforallseasons project, which has been released (and is gorgeous, if I say so myself). I was very honored to be included in this with some amazing people, and am grateful for the experience. It still weirds me out to think people own physical copies of my smut, but in a good way 😜. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, let me know what you think!

“Truth or Dare?”

“Really Trustfund, you’re asking me?” Zen scoffed, swigging the last dregs of his beer before reaching for a new one.

“Do you have trouble understanding the question? Would you like me to repeat it for you...slower?” Jumin smirks, pouring the remains of a vintage red into his and Jihyun’s glasses.

You couldn’t help but laugh; the light buzz of alcohol pumping through your veins, tinting your cheeks. This wasn’t what you had expected when you invited the RFA over for a planning meeting. The Halloween Bash was only a few days away and there was still so much that needed to be finalized. However, the sight of your boyfriend slumped against his twin, laughing loudly at Zen’s disdain, would surely make tomorrow’s hangover worth it.

Saeran looks down at you before throwing his arm over your shoulder, amusement pulling at his lips as he takes in your glassy eyes and drunk-flushed face. He truly is beautiful, you think, still amazed by the fact that you’re lucky enough to call him your own.

Staring into his eyes, you didn’t hear what Zen was asked to do after he agrees to ‘dare’, instead leaning up to press a quick and small kiss to the side of Saeran’s mouth. While you had been together for a while now, the euphoria of being able to kiss him, to touch him had yet to fade. You linger for a moment, relishing in the way his skin feels under your lips.

It’s the cries of laughter that pulled your attention back the room. Zen was swinging his hips slowly to the music that, up until now, had served only as background noise, sashaying himself closer and closer to a very flustered Jaehee. When his arms cross to whip his shirt off, swinging it in circles over his head, Saeyoung stands up, screeching.

“Okay! Enough, enough! It’s been more than 30 seconds!”

“But I was just getting into it!” Zen pouts, shrugging and sitting back down, reaching for his beer.

Jumin’s eyes were brimming with tears, his hand wiping them away as they spilled over his lashes and down his ripened cheeks. It only took a glance to let you know that Yoosung and Jihyun weren’t fairing much better.

These idiots.

You love them.

“Okay, so that leaves…Oh. It’s your turn,” Jaehee smiles at you, nodding her head as you reach for the drink in front of you and shot it back. The soju burned, but you love the pleasant thrum – only rivaled by the way Saeran was smoothing circles into your shoulder.

“What will it be? Truth or da-“

“Actually, Jaehee, I haven’t gotten to ask anyone yet. Let me take this one.”

You roll your eyes as Saeyoung waggles his eyebrows at you. You know that he was taking this game very seriously and instantly realized that if he was the one asking, there was only one, definitive answer.

“Fine. Truth. And don’t pout at me – your dares are honestly terrifying.” You pour yourself another shot, fingers circling the glass.

“What’s one fantasy you have?”

“Pfff, really? And you call yourself a God-”

“I wasn’t finished. What’s one fantasy you’ve had...that you’ve never told Saeran?”

You gulp then, your eyes widening with a glare. That little shit. He looked beyond pleased, a hand coming to rest under his chin as he stares at you expectantly. Shifting nervously, you peer at Saeran in your peripherals,  attempting to gage his reaction.

He gives away nothing.

Your mind immediately goes back to that night…the first time he showed Unknown to you, all those months ago at Saeyoung’s apartment. Unknown...he was rough and dominating; his words clipped and bruised, demanding obedience, and as much as you hated to admit it, you couldn’t help the rush of arousal that pooled in your belly. Ever since returning, he treated you reverently, like a precious piece of glass, one that would crack too easy. Gentle and nurturing, he still pleased you every time you were intimate, always checking in and making sure your needs were met first. But you knew he was holding back, and there was a part of you that wanted him to take control again – to be rough and have you begging. You wanted to be ruined.

Of course you hadn’t told him this. He was still healing from the years of trauma, not to mention that you were perfectly happy with how things were. But, he did ask for a fantasy…and you know if you lied, they would know. Both of those demon boys.

“Um…can I pass?”

“No.”

“I hate when you two speak in unison.”

“Then answer the question, babe.”

Suddenly remembering the shot in your hand, you down it quickly, wincing. Pulling in a shaky breath, you look everywhere except at the white-haired man beside you. “Uh, well, I sometimes think about…Saeran tapping into his ‘Unknown’ side a bit more.” You practically launch for the bottle, refilling your glass quickly, face hidden.

“What does that mean?” Yoosung’s head lolls to the side like a puppy.

“It means our little party planner likes it rough. Kinky,” Saeyoung winks, and poor Yoosung’s face turns bright red.

You choke a bit on the liquor, sputtering into the back of your hand and sending a pointed glare at your boyfriend’s twin. “So anyway, moving on...” You silently hoped someone would take over the conversation before the shameful flush that was working its way up your face reached your ears.

It was a squeeze at your thigh that had you looking over to him finally, a small reassuring smile on his face. He was opening his mouth to say something further, when another voice cut him off.

“My baby brother is a secret freak, huh? I mean, I should’ve been able to guess, with the collar and chains and everything...”

“Saeyoung, sincerely fuck off,” Saeran deadpanned, eyes rolling as the hacker roars into a fit of laughter. The unsolicited comments continued, and even Zen began chiming in, not missing the chance to take the heat off his own back. It was only when Jumin starting offering tips, much to your horror, that Jihyun finally clapped to get everyone’s attention, suggesting that the group end the night there. You offered him a grateful smile. Admitting your fantasy to your boyfriend was tough enough, you didn’t need your closest friends harping on it all evening.

A quick look at the clock tells you that he’s late. You huff impatiently, reaching for your phone to see if you have any missed texts.

None.

It wasn’t like Saeran to get delayed – not when it came to you, anyway –  and your anxiety flares at the thought  that he had changed his mind. Maybe the costume idea had sent him over the edge? You thought it was cute; you in your homemade Princess Peach costume, while he would be dressed as the Luigi to Saeyoung’s Mario. When Saeyoung first suggested it, your eyes lit up and looked to him expectantly, clapping with glee when he sighed but nodded his approval. But maybe it was too much?

The ring of the doorbell pulls you from your thoughts, and you move to grab your purse before heading to the door, ready to give him shit for making you wait. Which is why you were surprised when you open the door and found the wrong twin waiting for you.

“What the fuck, Saeyoung?”

“It’s not Saeyoung, it’s a-me, Mario!” He pinches the side of his obscenely thick, fake mustache.

You cock a hip, scoffing, “Mario, where is Luigi? Wasn’t he supposed to be picking me up?”

He reaches for your arm instead of answering, tugging you behind him towards his car. He had picked the red one for the evening, of course.

“He had to handle important plumber business. As the youngest and also the side kick, it was his duty.” He snorts then, realizing what he had said. This idiot. “Anyway, he’ll meet us there Princess, don’t worry!” He smiles at you, shutting the door and placed himself behind the wheel. For a brief moment, you could’ve sworn you saw the flicker of a smirk darken his features, but before you could even think about questioning it, he was back to beaming at you.

“Let’s-a go!”

“Please shut up.”

The event was a success, of course – the room was filled with costumed bodies, drinks being poured, heavy bass beats pulsing through the speakers near the dance floor. It didn’t take long to spot your fellow RFA members, offering a quick wave before resuming your search for the one person you wanted to see.

One scan of the floor yielded no results, so you made your way to the bar, requesting whatever red concoction that was currently in the punch bowl. Sipping to calm your nerves, you started your sweep yet again – and finally – you spot him.

Otherworldly ice green eyes pierce the crowd, his hand tangling through his errant bleached locks. A black hoodie was slung off of one shoulder, the obsidian inked eye tattoo on clear display, as well as the laced up red tank top showing off his toned, lean chest. A thick choker rested at the base of his throat; the roll of his adam’s apple drawing your gaze up his neck and to his eyes.

He smirks then and saunters to you, his eyes raking up and down your body. You could feel the heady lust as he drank in your appearance, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.

Jesus fuck. He had changed his costume. He was Unknown.

“Well hello, Princess,” he cooed once he was within ear shot, his body looming as you unconsciously press your back into the wall. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“Sae-“

“Ah, tsk tsk, Princess. That’s not my name and you know it.”

Swallowing thickly, you meet his eyes once more. Heart thrumming with anticipation, you attempt to clear your throat, your voice coming out as a pitched squeak, “Unknown. What are you doing here?”

“Mmm, much better.” His hand toyed with a strand of your hair, amusement ringing in his voice when you tremble under his touch. “Don’t play dumb. You know why I’m here...You asked me to be here.”

Your thighs clenched together at his husky tone, arousal wallowing shallowly in your gut. Biting your lip, you nodded instead of answering, gulping down the sickly sweet punch.

“Is Princess thirsty? Come on, let's refill your cup.”

Pulling at your arm, he started making his way back to the bar, dragging you behind him while you struggle to keep up. A new cup was forced into your grasp, and he studies your face as you take a tentative sip. Smiling, his right hand comes to rest dangerously low on your back.  “Follow me.”

Moving on autopilot, you’re guided away, mind churning with thoughts you couldn’t quiet. Was he serious? Did he really want to do this? Is he only doing this to make you happy? You steal a side glance at the towering man, cheeks rising with heat at the darkness swimming in his eyes, a sneer on his face. Fuck, it did make you happy…

The whipping of wind and the sudden blunt deafness of the music alert you that you’d been lead to the balcony, the patio large and overlooking the grounds of the property. Besides the twinkling of a few orange fairy lights draped over a pergola, it was mostly black, shadows blanketing concrete where the moon didn’t quite reach. Another gust of wind had you shivering, and it was then you finally looked around – no one else was crazy enough to be out here, it was freezing.

You were alone.

Suddenly, you’re falling backwards,  icy stone of the building making you arch and gasp. His mouth smothered yours, swallowing any noises you make. Strong hands that caged you now slide down until they’ve grasped your wrists, your forgotten cocktail slipping unnoticed as he pinned them both above your head.

Fire smolders in your veins, your eyes rolling back with the intensity of desire that slammed into your every nerve. He was licking into your mouth, demanding control, and you couldn’t remember the last time you had taken a breath – if you could even breathe. He was assaulting every single one of your senses, and you soon found yourself giving in to his devilish intoxication. His lips move lower, nipping gently at the tender flesh of your jaw and breathing hot on your ear. You couldn’t stifle your moan when he rolls his hips against your needy core, the friction delicious before he chuckles lowly. “You never could be quiet, could you? Don’t worry, I’ll have you screaming for me later. ” Pressing another wet kiss to the base of your throat, he pulls away. “But now it’s time to be a good girl and say goodbye to our friends.”

“But, Sae-” you stutter, catching yourself. “Unknown, we just got here. Our friends will notice we’re gone...”

“Say goodbye to your friends now, Princess, or you’ll be greeted with a punishment at home.”

Eyes widening, you stare up at the man in front of you, the rush of arousal at his words turning you into a puddle at his feet. Your body craved to give in to him, to submit, and for once you just wanted to let go. Steeling your resolve, you nod once, turning away with a look of determination on your face, pulling your boyfriend by the cuff of his jacket.

You didn’t say goodbye before you left.

Getting home was a blur, your heart and mind still reeling at what was happening...with what was about to happen. You aren’t sure if it’s the lingering effects of the alcohol consumed or just him, but the next thing you know, you’re in your bedroom, chest heaving as he finally released your mouth from a fervent kiss.

His grip was tight on your hips, mouth scraping and biting at your throat, your collarbone. Moans spill from your lips at an embarrassing speed as you clung to him like a lifeline. Just when one sensation would become too much – his tongue in your mouth, the sharp sting of teeth sinking into milky skin, his strong thigh pressing between your legs – he would move on to something new, always taking, taking, taking. Dizzy with greed, you give in to instincts, and fall pliable under his skilled mouth and hands.

You whine when his warmth leaves you, feeling exposed despite being fully clothed. His hungry glare trails up and down your body as he gasps for air.

Licking his lips, his darkened eyes boring into your own.

“Strip for me.”

It wasn’t a question but a demand.  You do as you were told, trembling hands removing your costume piece by piece; crown, gloves, and shoes tossed aside. Your fingers fumble with the zipper of the dress, refusing to find purchase. A soft ‘tsk’ had you looking his way; his expression was inpatient, eyes hard. “Do I have to do everything?”

Before you could question what that meant, his hands were spinning you, your back towards him. He grabbed the top and, without hesitation, ripped it down the seam, satisfied once the flimsy costume was in two pieces. You gasp when you feel his fingers trail up your spine, making quick work of your bra – which you are glad he decided to not tear to shreds – before you were facing him once more, only your lace panties left.

“On your knees, Princess. Be a good girl; don’t tease me.”

Wincing as your knees connected with the hard floor, you peer up at him through hooded eyes, the thought of having him on your tongue making you salivate. Licking your lips, you started to reach for him. “Ah, look how greedy you are for my cock,” he coos, batting your hands away to undo his jeans, sliding them down and off his body. You don’t move until he gives you a slight nod, reaching out to take his thick length into your hands and keening with pride at the hiss he lets out on contact. You place a kittenish lick at the head, swirling it lightly to collect the precum that had begun to pool there, before slowly tracing down his length. Thigh muscles jumped under your touch, and you know you are pushing the line of teasing – but you couldn’t stop yourself. Trailing lower, you press wet kisses on his balls, gently sucking the tender flesh into your mouth. The loud groan that releases from his throat was your reward, and you can’t help but moan when you see his eyes screwed shut, his face looking fucked out under your ministrations.

Just when you are beginning to feel smug, fingers tangle into the back of your hair tightly, wrenching you away from him completely. Titling you back until you could meet his glare, his free hand grabs your jaw, forcing your mouth open.

“I told you not to tease me, brat,” he growls, his hips pressing his dripping length closer to your pliant lips. “I really do have to do everything myself, don’t I?”

He thrusts himself inside your mouth, his hand dropping from around your jaw to join the other in your hair, guiding you down until your nose is pressing into the soft hair at his base. “Fuck, that’s it, Princess.” You swallow around him, gagging at the intrusion, and he pulls back hastily to repeat the action.

He fucks your face and you feel your eyes water, his pace punishing your gag reflex. Saliva drips from the corners of your lips, painting you a mess. He was using you so roughly, feeling emboldened after each stroke in your mouth, and you love it; moaning around him, thighs clenching. Your cunt was pulsing and throbbing with the need to be touched, and it took all your self control to not slide a hand between your legs for relief, knowing the man towering above you wouldn’t allow such disobedience.

Despite the harshness of his actions, you can see the soft smile pulling at the corner of his lips, secret fondness shining in his eyes as words of praise fell from his lips. “Such a good girl, taking me so well. So perfect for me, with her perfect fucking mouth…”

By the time he pulls you off his length you were wrecked; chest red and heaving, lips swollen and slick with spit, eyes shining and makeup smeared. Gasping for air, you didn’t even register that you were being picked up until you were pushed on the bed face first, a sharp grip at your hips positioning you onto your hands and knees. Pressing your face into the mattress, you mewl when you feel his hands slide up and down the backs of your thighs, hot breath fanning over your clothed cunt without ever receiving the relief of his touch.

“You are so needy, aren’t you, Princess? Just need to be fucked good by my cock, don’t you?” You whine at his words, your hips gently rocking to entice him to do something...do anything. Instead, a loud smack rings throughout the room, the suddenness of the assault on your now reddened cheek making you to yelp. “I asked you a question.”

“Yes, Saeran,”

Realizing the name you called out, you cringe in anticipation of punishment, only letting  the air in your lungs loose when it doesn’t come. Instead, an ironlike grip yanks the last scrap of fabric covering your core down your thighs, effectively binding your legs together. You can feel how wet you are, your slick coating the inside of your thighs, causing you to hiss at the cool air when you’re finally exposed.

“Then beg for it.”

His fingers began tracing slowly up and down your slit, featherlight and expertly ignoring your clit with each sweep. “Please, please give me your cock, I need it so bad, need you so bad,” you pant, not caring about anything but the feel of his fingers against your swollen folds. “I’ll be a good girl, I’ll do anything. Please, Saeran.”

As the last syllable leaves your mouth, he finally slides two fingers into your awaiting heat, curling them expertly to press at the tender spot inside you. His pace is punishing, not letting you ease into the sensation, before he leans forward to lick and suckle your needy clit into his  mouth.

“F-fuck,” you gasp, cries of pleasure incessant and becoming pitched. The coil in your stomach was so tight, so close to snapping, and you couldn’t help but catch your breath as his talented mouth and fingers brought you closer and closer to toppling over the edge.

You cry out when he stops abruptly, pouting until you feel his hands gripping the flesh at your hips.  He flips you onto your back, tearing your underwear from you and hurriedly sliding back down between your legs. “I want to see your face when you cum for me, Princess. Want to look in your eyes as you yell my name,”

His hot mouth tugs at your bundle of nerves again, fingers sliding home to the soft spot of your walls. “Cum for me,” he murmurs against your skin, another demand. One you were quick to comply with after a few more swipes of his wicked tongue. Shouting his name, white heat courses through you, your eyes screwing shut and thighs clamping firmly around his head. It takes you several moments to remember to breathe, and when you finally drop your legs to release his head he sits up, his fingers still fucking you through your orgasm until the feeling becomes too much.

Flinching, you attempt to push him away, body wiggling in attempt to separate him from you.

“Saeran, I can’t, it hurts.”

Instead of stopping like he normally would, your eyes flash open to see a devious smirk on his face, teeth biting into his bottom lip as he continued to press his fingers into your battered walls. You claw at him to stop, your hands reaching out to grab his wrists before he’s pinning your arms above your head, effectively halting all movement.

“You can do it, Princess, I know you can. It’ll feel even better the second time.” He presses his lips to yours, swallowing down your moans as he pulls his fingers from you. Confusion clouds your face, and it’s not until he pulls your legs up to bend them towards your ears that you realize that his throbbing length is pressing hotly into your core. “You’re going to come again, Princess, but this time it’s going to be on my cock.”

Suddenly his hips are slamming into you, groaning as he fully sheaths himself inside. The stretch burns slightly, but instead of giving you a moment to adjust he’s fucking you. Stars dance behind your eyes, and the heat in your gut is rapidly building at the onslaught of his hips, the powerful harshness of each assault  against your center. The angle is too much, too fast; the thickened head of his cock pounding that perfect spot inside you was sending you hurtling towards your peak, moans and broken cries spilling from your lips.

“Saeran, I’m, I can’t-”

“It’s okay, baby, let go.” he growls, a hand snaking down to swipe at your clit. You were thrown over the edge with unbridled force and a loud cry, heat snapping and bursting behind your eyes. You felt the gush of your orgasm flood your thighs, the force of it pushing him from your tender walls. You couldn’t help but mewl pathetically as he continues circling your abused nub.

“That was so fucking hot. Squirting all over my dick. You’re so good to me, taking me so well, like you were made for me.”

Fatigue sinks into your bones, and you want to nuzzle into the blankets until sleep takes you. Instead you feel him pulling you into his lap, arms circling his neck as he grips your hips and starts fucking upwards harshly. You whimper loudly, pressing your face into his neck as he seeks his high, the stutters and gulps of breath telling you he wasn’t far off. With each precise slam of his hips, his persona starts to slip more and more; the Saeran you have come to know and love over the last several months shining through. “I fucking love you, you’re so beautiful,” he moans, a hand leaving your waist to tilt your face towards his. Kissing you harshly, he suckles your bottom lip into his mouth, biting down lightly before releasing the abused flesh. “I’m so close baby, you’re doing so well.”

You watch as his eyes screw shut, the light sheen of sweat coating his face at the effort over his overworked muscles. Knowing he was close, you clench around him, coaxing him to his end. Turning to bite at the lobe of his ear, you beg breathily.  “Cum inside of me, Saeran. Please, I need you to cum. I need you.”

With a bite at your shoulder, you feel him tense beneath you, cursing as he finally releases. His thrusts slow as he milks himself inside your walls, hot spurts filling you. You collapse against him, chest heaving with exhaustion and Saeran wraps his arms around you, falling back until you’re both against the bed.

You feel your eyes getting heavy, about to succumb to slumber when he mutters huskily beside you.

“So…Happy Halloween?” You can hear the grin in his voice, your eyes snapping open to meet his. “I hope that was okay… was it too much?”

“I can’t believe you hid this from me!”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me your fantasy!” he chides back, a playful smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“I didn’t want to pressure you…I love you the way you are and the way our sex life is now. I didn’t want you think you had to change to keep me happy. I’m already so happy with you, Saeran.”

Warm hands cup your face as you finish speaking, and soon his nose was nuzzling yours, lips pressing softly against your own. “You’re so damn perfect.” He tugs you into his chest, arms smoothing errant patterns into your back.

You’re enveloped wholly, smiling to yourself at the rapid beating of his heart, enjoying the scent of sex mixing with his cologne. A small part of your brain reminds you that you should probably get up and clean yourself, the sticky mess of your combined release rapidly cooling against your skin. You take a few deep breaths, pressing your lips against his jaw before leaning back to get out of the bed and head into the adjoining bathroom.

“So…are there any more fantasies you have?” his voice rings out, and you laugh loudly, finishing within the bathroom and moving to find one of his shirts to pull over your head. “What? That one was actually pretty hot, I think I might like to live out all your fantasies.” He waggles his eyebrows at you, and you giggle at the sight, tossing his boxer briefs to him.

“Yeah, actually I do have another one. I’ve always had this fantasy of being double teamed by twins…” you let your voice trail away, sighing dreamily.

Suddenly you were pulled back into the bed, a growl your only warning before Saeran was back on top of you, pinning your arms to the bed once more.

“Do I need to punish you? Remind you who you belong to?”

“Who, Unknown?” you stifle a grin, a sharp bite at your throat letting you know you wouldn’t be getting off that easy.

“You are such a brat.”

[puppetwritings]

A Little Sprout of Love || Seungcheol || Pt. 7

Pt. 1 // Pt. 2 // Pt. 3 // Pt. 4 // Pt. 5 // Pt. 6 // Pt. 7 // Pt. 8 // Pt. 9 (FINAL)

Word Count: 1787

Genre: fluff, single-parent!au, daycare!au, casual writing

Summary: Seungcheol never thought he would be able to love again. He was distracted by his own daughter and he found it difficult to trust anyone. Love comes when one least expects it and Seungcheol certainly didn’t expect his daughter’s daycare teacher to be the one to plant the little sprout of love in his heart.

Seungcheol lifted the suitcase into the back of the van and straightened up, holding out his hands for the next one.

“Oh, it’s so nice having a nice, strong man to help us out,” Jihyun cooed as she rolled the next piece of luggage over to Seungcheol.

Mingyu raised an eyebrow. “Hey? Hello? Am I not here?”

“Are you the one putting our suitcases into the back though?” Jihyun shot back with a raised eyebrow and a tilted head.

“Jihyun, don’t be so harsh on him,” you sighed. “He’ll be pouty the entire trip.”

Mingyu frowned, “Is that the only reason you’re taking my side?”

“Of course, that’s the only reason she’s taking your side,” Jihoon replied cheerfully with a pat to Mingyu’s back.

Mingyu scoffed, looking utterly betrayed and Seungcheol laughed. “Aw, I’m sure they don’t mean it.”

“It’s okay,” Mingyu said, poutily. “I’m used to this. This is what I live through every day.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Yoona said with a roll of her eyes.

Once the crew had piled into the van, Jihyun leaned forward and tapped Seungcheol, who glanced back at her with an expectant smile. “How did you meet Y/N again?”

“She’s my daughter’s daycare teacher.”

“You have a daughter?” Yoona gasped. “Really? How big is she? Why didn’t you invite your wife along with you?”

You laughed awkwardly and gave Yoona a look but Seungcheol only politely smiled.

“My daughter’s about two and I’m not married.”

“Oh,” Yoona pursed her lips. “Sorry, I—”

“It’s okay, it’s a common question,” Seungcheol shrugged.

There was an awkward silence that dispersed as soon as the car started moving. You glanced at Seungcheol who smiled at the scene in front of him peacefully. You weren’t sure if it was a habit or not, but he seemed like a father watching over youths bickering and biting at each other. You pressed your lips together to suppress a laugh. Seungcheol glanced over and raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing,” you waved him off.

Seungcheol smiled slightly but looked away.

Once your group reached the destination, Seungcheol looked about in slight surprise. A cabin in the woods.

“It’s Yoona’s grandparents’,” you explained quietly. Seungcheol nodded slowly as he watched everyone unpacking. “They’re trying to make it like camping, except less…nature.”

Seungcheol couldn’t help but laugh at that and he grinned. “I haven’t been camping since high school.”

You glanced at him and took in his sparkling eyes. You could feel your heart do a little wiggle before you looked at your friends. “I’ve never been real camping. Just this cabin stuff.”

“Do you wanna go?” Seungcheol asked, turning to you with his sparkling eyes. “I can take you. We can go with Jeonghan and Ara.”

You laughed and nodded. “Sure. That sounds nice. But…”

“Are you wondering if Ara will like it? I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“Oh, no. I’m sure Ara would love it. I was wondering about Jeonghan,” you said jokingly.

Seungcheol stared at you for a moment for doubling over in laughter. You couldn’t help but smile at his amusement. You rarely saw this bright smile on Seungcheol’s face. Usually he was so restrained and…mature. Now, you could see a hint of what he had been like when he was young and before he had been heartbroken. You felt the warm feeling creeping its way into your chest and you could only look away when Seungcheol recovered and looked at you.

“Hey, are you two coming?” Jihyun called out.

“Coming!” you said, starting to walk towards the cabin. Seungcheol stayed rooted for a moment before he smiled and followed you.

“So, this is the plan,” Mingyu said. “We’re going to go into town to buy food but at least two people will stay here to clean up the cabin. We’ll draw lots.”

This was taking “getting the short end of the stick” a little too literally but in the end, it was you and Seungcheol who were unlucky. The others didn’t even bother to hide their glee as they quickly left, excitedly leave you two to clean the cabin.

“Those stupid kids,” you grumbled as you reluctantly picked up a duster.

Seungcheol chuckled and placed a hand on your head. He ruffled your hair, “We can only blame our luck.”

You glanced back at him with widened eyes but turned back to working quickly. Seungcheol smiled and the two of you quickly cleaned up the cabin. Even by the time you were done, the others weren’t back yet. You frowned and turned to Seungcheol.

“You don’t think they just left to eat, right?”

Seungcheol shook his head. “I doubt they did.”

“Gosh, I’m hungry,” you let out a long sigh, a slight pout on your lips.

Seungcheol smiled. “Don’t worry, they’ll be back soon.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. “Why does it feel like you’re trying to coax a child?”

“It’s probably just your imagination,” Seungcheol shrugged.

You narrowed your eyes at Seungcheol’s teasing smile and you scoffed before you spoke again. “Should we look for them?”

“It’s not like we can anyway. We don’t have a car,” Seungcheol pointed out.

You slumped against the couch. “Then what should we do? They’re not even answering the phone!”

“You want to eat some snacks first?” Seungcheol asked, figuring it would be best to stop your hunger before you got angry.

You sat straighter. “I forgot about those!”

You stood quickly and made your way to the kitchen. Seungcheol followed with a slight smile. You were a lot cuter when you didn’t have to be responsible. You grinned at Seungcheol and held up the snacks. “Want some?”

“Sure.”

You looked outside the window and frowned as you pulled open the bag of chips. “It’s raining…do you think that’s why they’re having some trouble getting back?”

“I think it might just be because they lost track of time,” Seungcheol replied reasonably, taking a chip. “They looked extremely excited to go down to play while we were cleaning.”

Your face darkened. “Right, we were stuck doing the cleaning, huh? That’s why we’re the ones that are so hungry right now. All that labor work.”

Seungcheol bit back a smile at your pout. He watched as you shook yourself out of your thoughts and turned back to eating the chips.

“Ah! That’s right! You haven’t called Jeonghan yet, right? We should call him,” you said, waving your hand for Seungcheol to retrieve his phone. “Check up on Ara.”

Seungcheol nodded and went to get his phone. He hadn’t realized it was already this late and it hadn’t even occurred to him to call Ara…a needle of guilt poked at his heart but he couldn’t help but stare at you in wonder. He never forgets about Ara.

When he came back with his phone, you were the one excitedly dialing for Jeonghan. Seungcheol only stared at you peculiarly and when Jeonghan picked up, he saw the scene of you being close to the phone and Seungcheol standing behind you, looking like he was facing an extremely difficult problem.

“Having too much fun, eh? Forgot to call us, huh?” Jeonghan allowed Ara to climb into view and you let out a small squeal at Ara’s chubby face.

“That’s not true! We’ve been starving because our friends aren’t back yet,” you said. “We’ve been too distracted by our hunger. Right, Seungcheol?”

Seungcheol jolted and looked at the phone before nodding earnestly. Even an idiot wouldn’t believe him, but you just smiled at Jeonghan. “See?”

Jeonghan raised an eyebrow at his friend but then directed his attention back to you. As he chatted, he acted as if everything were normal and not out of the ordinary at all but in his heart, he was elated to see Seungcheol so distracted by you. It seemed his hard work was paying off and his scheme was actually working.

You talked to Ara and Jeonghan for quite awhile before the crew came back. And when they did you excitedly rushed over to show them Ara, leaving Seungcheol in the dust. He hadn’t even given permission for them to see his child—why were you in a rush? Instead of feeling irritated though, his heart warmed and he could only smile at you as you gushed about how cute his daughter was.

However, the phone had to be hung up as it was time to start cooking. You complained the entire time as the group was getting food ready. You had been waiting for ages! And they had gone and had ice-cream! Mingyu had crumbled under your glare and had spilled the secret, much to the annoyance of the others. He could only ask for your forgiveness, which you quickly gave because Mingyu had obviously been the one who got dragged into it.

After dinner, the group gathered in the living room and gossiped and chatted as usual. Seungcheol was quiet though, since he wasn’t so familiar with the group. Whenever you looked at him, you would pull him into the conversation and his eyes would light up. Mingyu and them knew this wasn’t just from happiness that you were being considerate…but they didn’t say anything.

When it came time for bed, you went to Seungcheol’s room with the largest smile on your face as you showed him the picture Jeonghan had just sent you.

“When did Jeonghan get your number?” Seungcheol asked with a raised eyebrow. And he mumbled, “And why did he send you this picture of Ara and not to me?”

Hearing the pout in his voice, you could only pat his shoulder. “I got his number awhile ago. And he sent me the pictures because he knew I wouldn’t cry to go home after seeing Ara’s face.”

Seungcheol smiled a little at the sentence but oddly enough, he didn’t feel like crying to go home. Sure, it was weird that he wasn’t beside Ara and Jeonghan was the one next to her but he enjoyed it here. The reason was…unexplainable. He didn’t show these feelings, obviously, and only smiled and nodded as you relayed Jeonghan’s messages about Ara and how she didn’t even need her dad to sleep. What a good child!

You talked to Seungcheol until you were yawning and your eyes were drooping. After a gentle suggestion that you should go to sleep, you nodded and wandered to your room. You could just talk to him again tomorrow.

Seungcheol stared at the door for a long time before he laid back on the bed and then he stared at the ceiling. After, he reached for his phone and tapped Jeonghan’s number. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a long time before he typed out four words: “I am so screwed.”

[insideimasadrainbow]

~*+*The Things We Say*+*~

When he feels so good but he’s bad for you.

1. Things we say at 1 am~

It became their thing. A nightly ritual at one in the morning that started off with giddy high and contagious giggles as they snuck away into their own secret adventurous world, the thrill at being caught sizzling hot in their veins, and always ended up in the backseat of a rusted pickup truck with the windows fogged up as they rocked together, bodies slick, wet, and tangled.

A year ago he never did this. A year ago he didn’t know Jeongguk. A year ago, Jimin never imagined that he, a preacher’s son, would be sneaking out in the late hours of the night climbing over his balcony rails just so he could trust fall down from the two story ranch house into the awaiting strong arms of the town’s resident rebelling outcast, Jeongguk. Yet here he was, feeling liberated and warm, and alive as he stifled his giggles into Jeongguk’s sturdy shoulder while being held by the waist intimately against the familiar broad chest with the scent of cologne and cigarette smoke, slender arms laced around Jeongguk’s neck with a hummingbird fluttering heart.

As always after his exhilarating air dive, Jeongguk lowers him to the ground after holding him for a few moments and kisses him deep, large hands squeezing his slim hips before traveling downwards to cup his ass in a tight, greedy grip. And when Jeongguk releases his lips, he never has to wait long for whatever cheesy pickup line Jeongguk has prepared just for him, one he responds to with his own.

“Baby boy, I’m not a believer but a glowing angel just dropped down from Heaven into my arms. My touch on your skin is sin but I’m selfish and wanna lick you down from your sexy lips to your pretty toes.” Jeongguk whispered filthily in mock confession and leant down to nip Jimin’s plump bottom lip quivering from soft giggles. If his parents saw him now, so smitten and soft in the arms of Jeon Jeongguk, the boy he was forbidden to stay away from who was notorious for dragging God’s name and everything holy through dirt deeper than the Devil’s lair, they would send him off to a Christian boarding school overseas in a heartbeat without a second thought. His father would beat him black and blue with a belt before dumping him off but Jimin didn’t care. He was far in too deep to care. His lashes flutter over his eyes like a pretty veil as Jeongguk cups his chin and captures his lips again, the kiss tasting of peppermint and the ghost cigarette Jeongguk had smoked hours before. “Fucking hell, I wanna have you pretty thing, tell me that you’ll be mine for the night.”

Mocha eyes twinkle under the coal sky shimmering with stars and small chubby fingers curl into the belt loops of Jeongguk’s ripped black jeans, tugging him closer. “Then have me. I’ll be yours forever.” Jimin drunkenly purrs, slim-thicc body curved up seductively against Jeongguk who growls softly and pins him against the side of the house, uncaring of the nature of flowers beneath their feet. No, nothing was more important than Jimin looking up at him with those damn exotic eyes between the makeshift cage of his arms locked above the soft black head of hair.

“Angel, you’ve sealed yourself to the devil.”

2. Things you said through your teeth~

“Don’t fucking preach to me.” Jeongguk sneered viciously through clamped teeth and Jimin reeled back as if he’d just been physically lashed out on. However, even the thickest leather whip would’ve brought less pain than his boyfriend’s tone, one he never knew existed before until now. The temper flared around Jeongguk had Jimin blinking back tears but his own brewing frustration was what made him stand his ground. He would not be yelled and cursed at for being a concerned boyfriend.

“I’m not preaching. I’m just worried about my boyfriend who suddenly has bruises showing up on him, is that alright?” Jimin shot back, voice echoing off the grimy walls. They were on the lowest level of their school and locked in the scarcely used boys’ bathroom where no prying ears were near. Jimin had dragged them here a few minutes earlier after seeing Jeongguk for the first time in days since their last nightly outing. The dark cloudy bruise marred on Jeongguk’s cheek was faded but still fresh enough for Jimin to know it hadn’t been there the night Jeongguk departed from him unless Jeongguk had magically smacked his face into the glass of his truck’s window when Jimin had rode him diligently in the back seat.

“Well don’t be because it’s nothing.” Jeongguk hardly simmered down and Jimin narrowed his eyes not liking or understanding why Jeongguk was behaving so hostile towards him.

“Then why are you being so defensive?”

“Why are you assuming I got into a fight?”

Jimin threw his arms up before crowding himself into his boyfriend’s space, pressing him against the sink as he tipped his neck back to glare at him. “What else am I supposed to think? You disappeared on me for days and then show up with this and scraped knuckles.” Jimin gestured to Jeongguk’s face before taking his hand that was balled at his side and glared at the broken skin. “What did you do, punch a brick wall? I just want to help-”

Jeongguk snatched his hand away before shoving past Jimin with a scoff. “Just fuck off. What good of help from a preacher’s son do for me.” Jeongguk exited the bathroom with a loud bang and left Jimin standing there frozen with a stricken look on his face.

3. Things we say too quietly~

Normally when his younger brother Jihyun stole food off his plate he’d throw a fit but now he stayed quiet when a few pieces of medium rare sirloin were stabbed away none too sneakily. Their mother scolded Jihyun telling him to mind his own plate before turning worried eyes on him, asking him if his day went alright.

“It was fine.” Jimin murmured, a quiet lie slipping past the ring of his downturned lips.

…

“You didn’t eat.”

“...”

“I saved this for you. Here, have it.” The lavender haired teen stared expectantly down at the unresponsive lump laying in bed beside him, pretty hands offering a small meat sandwich, just meat and crumbling bread. Though when it became clear that he would not be getting an answer of any sort, the lavender haired teen took a bite out of the sandwich himself before setting it aside in favor of wrapping his limbs tight around the lump. “Well seeing how you already beat up Jiwon’s goons I’m guessing your gloom has to do with your mysterious angel. Am I right?”

“...fuck off Tae.” the lump retorted quietly, voice muffled into the pillows.

The arms wrapped around him merely tightened. “Ah. You should just let him know. It’s not fair that I haven’t met him yet.”

4. Things you said over the phone~

It was two minutes until one in the morning when Jimin’s phone went off. He was still awake, too lost in thoughts of turmoil while curled on his bed in the dark. The glow of his screen lit up his room and displayed the caller ID, one he wanted to ignore but the weaker part of himself caved in and he picked up on the last ring.

“Angel, I’m sorry. I was out of line earlier.” Jeongguk wasted no time on the other line and Jimin slowly sat up in bed clutching the phone tight in his hand though he said nothing. “Come down and let me make it up to you.”

Jimin stared down at his sheets. “I don’t want to be fucked tonight. I just want to know what’s wrong but I guess that’s no good when I’m a preacher’s son.”

“Don’t say that.”

“You said that.”

“I didn’t mean it. Angel-”

“You know, I realized I still don’t know much about you but I call you my boyfriend anyway. Is that what we really are? Yet I know nothing of where you live or why you moved here or who you are behind packs of cigarettes and sex. The rumors about you don’t help either.”

“Jimin-”

“It’s been almost three months. How is it you know almost everything to know about me but I can’t get to know anything past your favorite color. Isn’t that something.” Jimin murmured dryly before hanging up the phone. He wanted nothing more than to just throw his covers over himself and stay put to spite Jeongguk knowing he was outside waiting on him but he didn’t, not when he was so soft hearted and weak for the delinquent. He swung his legs off the bed and stood up quietly to get dressed.

5. Things you didn’t say at all~

The car ride was uncomfortably thick with tense air. Jimin made sure of that as he stared stubbornly out the window, completely ignoring Jeongguk on the driver’s side and kept his focus on the dark shadows of the sunless world blurring past in dark waves.

Jeongguk made no attempt at small talk either, not until he pulled into a deserted parking lot to a park and parked underneath a broken lamp post, concealing his truck in the shadows. After he turned off the low thrum of the engine, Jeongguk pocketed his keys and settled back against his run down seat with a heavy sigh before looking over at the back of Jimin’s head. “Angel, will you look at me.” he asked softly but all he did was wait three full minutes for an unresponsive Jimin. So with another sigh, Jeongguk opened the car door and slipped out into the crisp night air. He went to the trunk and unclasped it in order to reach the items he gathered before coming to pick up Jimin. After closing it back up Jeongguk walked around to the passenger door and opened it, Jimin’s eyes not meeting his but instead tracing over the blankets bunched in his arms. “The foster home I live with relocated out here this year because we were threatened to get shut down when it became unaffordable where we were staying at before. And this isn’t my truck. Technically it’s not my best friend’s either. I’m good with cars and he jipped the truck from a junkyard, I just found its missing pieces and put it together. He lets me drive it because coming here for school is an hour drive for me while he can walk to his which is near the home. There’s no god for me but being as far away as I can from that shithole is serenity enough which is why I chose to come to school here instead.” Jeongguk said blandly and stared over the roof of the truck. “I had to fight hard but I always get my way.” a dry smirk spread over his slightly chapped lips and Jimin only stared, mocha eyes wide with shock. “Come on.” Jeongguk stepped away and didn’t wait for Jimin as he made his way into the grass searching for a good spot to spread the blankets over.

6. Things we said under the stars and in the grass~

Side by side they laid together shoulder to shoulder over the blanket Jeongguk provided while gazing up at the sea of glittering stars painted high in the clear midnight sky. Hand in hand, Jimin brought their locked fingers up to his lips and kissed the back of Jeongguk’s now bandaged knuckles. “Who did this?” Jimin asked softly and received a low hum.

“Taehyung.”

“Your best friend, right?”

Another low hum. “He’s always been a target for bullies but no matter how many times I beat their asses they come back to him like rabid vultures. It’s because I’m never there until later so they pick on him.” Jeongguk’s hand fisted over Jimin’s soft palm and Jimin caressed the tense knuckles gently.

“So you were getting into fights.” Jimin stated and Jeongguk tugged his hand free with an annoyed grunt. Jimin rolled his eyes before sitting up, throwing a leg over Jeongguk’s waist and settled himself down comfortably on the warm firm body. Jeongguk propped up his knees and Jimin leaned back against them, dark bangs falling over his rich coffee bean eyes as he gazed down at the other. With plush lips pursed, Jimin reached down and held Jeongguk’s hand again. “All I’m saying is you didn’t have to lash out on me like that. I was honest when I said I was worried about you and wanted to help. I’m being honest now when I say I just want you to be honest back with me. I feel like I know you but I don’t. You have me to the point where I’m comfortable enough to be open with you yet there’s a wall that you have put up between us and keep me blocked out from everything to know about you. I don’t like that but I won’t push it either. Even though you fuck me like your boyfriend but I don’t get treated as one.” Jimin crossed his arms over his chest and broke eye contact with Jeongguk who rubbed his large hands over Jimin’s folded thighs.

“How so?” Jeongguk asked quietly and Jimin snorted.

“What do you mean. You hardly tell me about yourself. After almost three months I’m just now finding out where you live and why you moved here. But that’s about the only personal thing I know about you. You know where I live. You know my favorite color, food, and drink, and every allergy of mine. It just feels unbalanced.”

“You know how I like getting head.”

The slap that suddenly resounded in the still air echoed so loud in the silent park Jeongguk was surprised birds didn’t go flocking to the sky, hell, that the ground was still intact and not splintered open from the force. Jeongguk struggled to find his breath, nursing his chest with a wince. Jimin had tiny hands but fuck they were lethal.

“Okay. I deserved that.” Jeongguk wheezed out as he sat up stiffly, the action causing Jimin to slip further in his lap, and trailed his hands up the curve of Jimin’s hips before wrapping his arms around the slender waist he loved so much. Jimin remained a statue under his touch even when Jeongguk held him closer, resting his chin over Jimin’s shoulder but Jeongguk wasn’t perturbed. In time he would have his angel soft and needy against him once more but for now he had to be forgiven. “Okay. Personal. From the very first time I saw you it took everything I had in me to not drop down on my knees in front of you and beg you to be mine. I’m insomniac. I’ve been bouncing homes in the system since I was five after losing my family to a break in robbery. I used to get into fights every day, I used to fight for money but then I met Taehyung when I was fourteen, and he practically took me in under his wing. I got my first tattoo done illegally when I was fifteen. Over time I got fifteen tattoos commemorating the fact that I was fifteen when I got my first one.”

“Are any of them legal?” Jimin asked genuinely curious, arms coming up to wrap around Jeongguk’s neck.

“Only three of them are.”

Jimin didn’t know why but suddenly a mental image of a much younger Jeongguk with fluffy black hair and doe eyes looking like a gust of wind could barrel his scrawny form over came into his mind. Imagining younger Jeongguk getting his first tattoo at fifteen years old seemed pretty equivalent to a baby bunny eating its first carrot. Jimin tucked his chin over Jeongguk’s shoulder and cooed “Aww baby..” against his white shirt.

“Ironically the only thing I can remember about my folks now was how hardcore Christians they were. I wouldn’t be surprised if they aren’t rolling in their graves every damn second watching over me. Maybe they turned their backs in their coffin on me, I don’t know and frankly I don’t give a shit anymore. There is no God to me, there had never been a ‘God’ to me. Especially after my family’s death. God wouldn’t rip his firm believers off the earth in such a brutal manner.” Jeongguk scoffed. “That’s why I turned to tattoos. I remember how therapeutic it was getting them and after my first four in the course of one week I discovered my new religion.”

“But how did you get the money for them?”

“I told you I fought. Underground fighting paid surprisingly well. Being in the ring was therapeutic too.” Jeongguk mused as he stretched backwards and lowered himself down on the blanket again, arms crossed behind his head as a makeshift pillow as he gazed unseeingly up at the sky. “I lived on the streets for awhile. Never slept in any of the homes, couldn’t trust anyone there. So I had to fend for myself somehow. My bad habits are broken though, angel.” Jeongguk’s onyx eyes refocused and locked on Jimin’s. He smirked lightly. “I’m a changed man.”

Jimin would’ve smacked him again had he not chose to lean down instead, gently placing his lips over Jeongguk’s, coaxing them into a languid make out session that ended with Jimin pinned on his back and Jeongguk between his pliant spread thighs. A soft breathy whimper spilled from Jimin’s mouth and disappeared into Jeongguk’s who sucked profusely on Jimin’s bottom lip, the velvet fold swelling up between his teeth.

They finally came up for air but Jeongguk didn’t back away. “What was that for?” Jeongguk murmured against their pressed lips.

“For sharing with me.” Jimin whispered back and stroked his fingers through inky black hair. “For letting me know about some of your intimate pieces. I’m sorry for the loss of your family. I’m sorry that everything you went through at such a young age you had to go through with alone, I’m so-”

“Jimin. There’s nothing there for you to apologize for. Thank you angel but nothing can done about what happened. I’m okay now, I’ve moved on and  gotten better. Way better after meeting you for damn sure if that’s any consolation.” Jeongguk said as he rose up to hover above the smaller male, trim hips pushing Jimin’s thighs apart even further. “To be honest, and not to break the mood or anything but, I want to fuck you under the stars.”

An absent glaze filled Jimin's expression as he used his thumb to trace Jeongguk's lips. "I said I didn't want to get fucked tonight. I want you to make love to me." he said quietly, shimmering eyes captivating as he gazed up at Jeongguk. 

Jeongguk who, without a word, leaned down and kissed him soundlessly.

[bigmysticmood]

How about V comforting MC when she gets nightmares about the whole mint eye thing (like from seven's route) bonus points for V feeling guilty and angst :D

Spoilers as heck for 707′s route + secret endings!

The way I’m thinking about this is that it’s like the end of Seven’s route except V isn’t dead and MC ended up with V instead of Saeyoung.

It took a while for things to really sink in, so the nightmares didn’t start up until a month or so after the events with Mint Eye and Rika.

Saeyoung still watched her through the CCTV every once in a while, because he knew she was scared to be staying alone in Rika’s apartment. To be honest, he was scared for her.

One night, he saw her walk into the kitchen, turning on every light on the way. He didn’t think much of it until he saw her go sit by the window.

MC stayed there for a few hours, just sitting, looking through the window or at her phone or the wall.

It wasn’t until it happened more frequently that he became concerned.

“MC, have you been sleeping well lately?”

“I’ve been sleeping just fine  ^^ Why do you ask, Saeyoung?”

“You’ve been up for half of the night lately.”

“Oh… Yeah, they’ve just been.. nightmares. I’m not really able to go back to sleep after I wake up from them, so I stay up. Aside from that though, everything’s been going well.”

Saeyoung didn’t really question any further. That night, he contacted V for the first time in weeks.

“MC has been having nightmares lately and I can only imagine what they’re about. As much as I hate it, she seems to find the most comfort in you. This is your fault, so go help her. It’s the least you can do.”

She was surprised when she heard someone knocking on the door of the apartment, and V almost got his head taken off because “Nobody’s supposed to know where I am! Oh god, it’s happening again….”

When she saw V’s hair, she finally felt a bit of relief, but having him with her brought its own anxieties.

He couldn’t see very well, which made it hard for him to navigate through the apartment, and he was obviously still shaken up about what happened at Mint Eye. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d taken his first shower since then just to come visit her.

“So what warrants this visit?”

When he hesitated, she frantically added, “Not that I don’t love seeing you! I just figured… if you came to see me, you must have something important to say.”

That on its own was enough to make him feel as if he’d been stabbed through the heart. Of course he wanted to see her, even when it wasn’t about business. He just didn’t deserve to see her.

“I just wanted to see you. I’ve missed hearing your voice. And since I’m not really welcomed in the chatrooms anymore…” He chuckled.

For a while, they both tried their best to ignore the elephant in the room. V was the first to bring it up.

“Luci-… Saeyoung told me that you’ve been having nightmares recently.”

MC cocked an eyebrow. It wasn’t like she was expecting it to be a secret, but she sure as hell didn’t expect him to run and tell V.

“Oh, yeah. Its no big deal though.”

“They’re not about Mint Eye, are they?”

They went back and forth on it a bit.

She kept trying to convince him that it wasn’t a big deal; that she was fine, she got enough rest, and the nightmares didn’t happen frequently.

But V could hear the tiredness in her voice, and he could feel her body shake every so often. Her breath smelled like coffee, her hands were clammy, and he spoke slower than usual.

By the time they had given up on it, it was already nearly 19:30.

“Would you mind… staying the night with me?” He was taken aback for a moment and his eyes darted up to look at her, even though she was just a colorful blob to him. “I-I didn’t mean that w-we should- I just- I want you to be here in case I have that nightmare again.”

“You never told me exactly happened in those dreams…”

“It’s… not important. Just- please..?”

He brought a hand up to lightly rest on MC’s shoulder. “Of course.”

He would have stayed even if he didn’t want to. He caused this to happen, so he had to be there to clean up the mess.

Staying with MC to comfort her wasn’t enough. She shouldn’t be having these nightmares in the first place.

If he had just protected everyone a little bit better…If he had protected Rika, Saeran, Saeyoung, MC, he wouldn’t even be sitting on this couch, wondering if any of them would ever be the same.

“V..?” He was only brought back when he felt a hand softly brush against his arm. “You alright?”

“Hm? Oh, yes, I was just… lost in thought.”

“Okay… So, this is a little embarrassing, but it completely slipped my mind. I don’t know where you want to sleep tonight. There’s only one bed here an-”

“Its alright, MC. I can sleep on the couch tonight.”

“You sure you’ll be comfortable out here?”

“Thank you for worrying about me. I’ll be just fine out here.”

“O-okay. Just, let me know if you need anything, yeah?”

He nodded his head before she slipped back around the corner. When she poked her head out one last time, she had his full attention.

“Hey, and V?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

He forced a smile and she left, but for some reason, her kindness made him feel like he’d be sick.

He dragged her into this, but she was still thanking him?? He didn’t deserve that. He didn’t deserve her kindness or any tender feelings she might’ve had for him. He deserved to be dead. He deserved to have been killed by that gunshot. Saeran should have wiped him out. At least then he wouldn’t be around to screw anything else up.

He didn’t sleep. All V could do was stare at the blurry ceiling and think about how he could make up for everything he’d done. How he could take back the pain he’d caused everyone.

Sometime around midnight, he heard groans and whimpers come from MC’s room. When he went to check on her, she was tossing and turning under the sheets, and her cheeks were wet.

“MC?” He placed a hand on her shoulder and shook a bit. When she didn’t wake up, he shook harder and raised his voice. “MC, wake up.”

She jumped a bit, but opened her eyes. She let out a small “oh my god,” as she wiped away the tears from her face, then her hands immediately went to hold V’s.

V continued to stand over her, not sure what to do now that she was awake.

“I know I probably look stupid, but it still feels so real every time.” She laughed out.

“You don’t look stupid…” He couldn’t stop wondering what exactly happened in her dreams.

He slowly brought his body down to sit on the side of MC’s bed, and he began to rub circles in the palms of her shaking hands.

“MC, what are your nightmares about?”

She stayed silent for a moment, unsure of how to say what she wanted and wondering how it might be received by him.

“They’re about what happened at Mint Eye….. Except, when you got shot, you didn’t make it. If I don’t wake up after that… Saeran, Saeyoung, and Jumin end up dead too.”

She took one of her hands away from his to wipe her face, and he used his now free hand to smooth out her hair.

“None of us are going anywhere, MC.” V pulled her into a hug, trying to calm her crying and trying to keep himself from crying with her.

He’d done a lot of crying in the past few years, but this just added more reason to do it.

Once she’d stopped crying, he pulled away a bit, then tried to put her back to sleep.

“Jihyun? If you don’t mind, could you stay in here with me?”

He nodded his head and began to look for a chair, but she stopped him.

“No, I mean.. Come to sleep with me.”

Without saying anything, V crawled under the covers next to her. One of his arms wrapped around her middle, and he listened to the sounds of her breathing as she fell asleep again.

Even when he was in the same bed as her, he couldn’t sleep. He felt so…. gross. He couldn’t believe that he’d done this to her. Her shaking voice repeated in his mind, and he started to wonder why she cared so much about him. If he had died that day, he would have been happy. Why wouldn’t she have felt the same?

V placed a small kiss to the top of MC’s head and whispered.

“I’m so sorry. Don’t forgive me…. Just… Just get better.”