#i finished saeran's route three or four days ago

[myuntoldstory]

Mystic Messenger | To Rest Deservedly

AO3 | FF.net

Half-Awake, Fully In Love

Part two because I can’t stop writing, apparently. Also, I realised I should have written something *for* Jihyun than the other way around. In saying that, though, still happy with what I first produced. So I hope this one is just as adequate?

Now, on to the thing!

Enjoy.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: V | Jihyun Kim/Main Character

Warning: N/A

Word Count:1,607

To Rest Deservedly

“I’m home!” Lux called, stepping into the foyer and closing the door.

Silence. Not even an echo answered… but she wasn’t expecting it anyway. Before venturing further inside, she removed her shoes and put on the slippers. She made her way to the studio, detouring to the bedroom to deposit her things on the bed. As she approached the door, she noticed the tray before it. Sighing, she crouched. The glass of juice was full, the sandwich and fruits she had prepared untouched. She ate a piece of browned apple before rising and knocking on the door. “Jihyun?”

Silence again. She opened the door and looked inside. The studio was dark, but not completely; silvery moonlight found its way through the gaps the curtains had left, giving the room a dim glow. Lux walked inside, leaving the door open to let some of the hallway light in. She saw him on the bed, wrapped tight in a thin blanket. She walked to the curtains and drew them apart; then, she faced the canvas he’s been working on for two months. It’s nearly halfway finished… but it’s been that way for four weeks now.

Lux breathed deeply. It was the sixth piece for his upcoming exhibition and it seems to be his toughest to date. Jihyun never said anything; he didn’t want to worry her, but she sensed his struggle—his desperate and urgent need to break through the walls that blocked him. Being unable to do so easily made the ordeal more excruciating. She dearly wished she could do something for him, destroy the walls herself, but… this was a hurdle he must overcome himself as an artist, as his new self. All she could do was support him, ensure he ate and rested properly—though, right now she seemed to be failing spectacularly at that.

Guilty, she turned to him now. The blanket had nearly hidden him from view. She sat at the edge of the mattress and gently brushed away his fringe from his eyes. She noticed the dark circles, the result of his sleepless nights. The line of his jaw and cheeks were more pronounced. Lux stroked his hair, listening to his deep breaths. It’s best he stayed asleep a bit more… at least he’d have some respite. She kissed his temple and adjusted the blanket around him before leaving. She picked up the tray, left the door ajar, and walked to the kitchen.

She better make some proper for him to eat.

***

“Jihyun?” Lux returned to the studio after nearly an hour of cooking. She shook him gently. He stirred, lids fluttering open. She smiled at him as he stared at her, eyes dazed. He mumbled her name and she stroked his arm. “Are you okay?”

Shaking his head, he took her hand and pulled her to him. She followed where he led her until she lied next to him, pressed tightly against his body with his arms securely around her. He sighed and nuzzled into her neck. “Recharge…”

“Recharge?” Lux repeated, chuckling. “Been picking up Zen’s vocabulary, are you?” Jihyun remained silent. She smiled—she could feel him blushing. “Jihyun?”

“I… heard it from Jumin.”

“Jumin!?” she snorted. It was impossible to imagine such words coming out of the stoic corporate heir. “S-should I ask?” she bit her lip to keep herself from laughing at Jihyun’s determined silence. “M-maybe not, then…”

Silence fell between them. Jihyun’s breaths were warm on her neck and it comforted her as she ran her hand along his arm, giving him as much comfort as she could in return. Before them, the canvas glowed underneath the moonlight. Even at night Jihyun’s creation looked as glorious as it did during the day. Now, however, it seemed to taunt them in their peace, exacerbating Jihyun’s insecurities when it meant to challenge them. Lux glanced at him and saw that he was staring at it, eyes now clear and dark. She turned in his arms, blocking his view, and placed her palm on his cheek. “Talk to me?”

Jihyun now looked at her. She smiled encouragingly. With a sigh, he held her hand. “During my time overseas,” he began, voice low, “I was alone.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“But… I was also free.” Breathing deeply, he looked away from her as his thoughts travelled to a place she couldn’t reach. “Without the ropes of my history binding me I could… say whatever what I wanted, be whoever I wanted without feeling guilty. There I… could say I was an artist, be honest with that part of myself, and believe it. Because no one knew who I was.”

Lux didn’t say anything. She only continued to listen as she stroked his cheek.

“Returning… it’s as if I bind myself once more.” He closed his eyes. “The ghosts of my sins and inadequacies haunt me. Once again I wonder if I truly deserve—if I could even be—” he stopped, shaking his head with a sardonic chuckle. “No, I’m sorry. Forgive me. I’m worrying you with insecure nonsense.”

“No—”

“I don’t regret returning home, Lux,” he continued, determined. “I don’t. I’m glad to be here with you. To be with the RFA. This is… the pressure of the exhibition reaching me. I’ve hit a block on my new piece and it’s… resurfaced memories.”

“It’s okay.” She kissed his forehead. “I understand. You don’t have to hide it from me.”

“I want to.”

“No, please.” She smiled when he looked at her again. “Would it be better if it was overseas?”

“Perhaps… but I want to start here. I want to work here.”

“Then start here.” His fringe was in his eyes again. She brushed them aside. “The past… is something you can’t forget. Not because of your ties here, but because it’s a part of you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start again. You... now live as the person you want to be—the person you’ve always been. It seems difficult now because you had to be someone else for a while.”

Jihyun said nothing and only looked at her.

“You deserve this,” Lux continued. “You can do this. You’re doing the best with your art, like you always do with everything. As long as you put your heart and honesty in everything you make you can’t do wrong.” She beamed. “When they finally see what you made it will reach them. They will hear you and respond. They’ll see you as the person you are and react positively.”

“Will that happen?”

His eyes were glistening. He looked into hers so deeply, so desperately, looking for something she was trying her best to give. Ever since his return almost all days were good days—days when Jihyun loved himself, what he did, and no amount of doubt dragged him under. Some days, though, were like this: when doubts overtook. Days like this when she tried her best to give him faith. “Yes, it will,” she said, “I know it will. I believe it.”

Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes and nodded. “Okay.”

“As you said: this is a block. Blocks can be overcome,” she whispered. “You will overcome this and when you do, everything else will follow. I promise you.”

He nodded again and kissed her hand. “I believe you.”

“And I believe in you.” She tapped his nose.

Finally, he smiled and her heart melted at its brilliance. “Thank you.”

“Oh, I’m just telling you the truth.” Once again his fringe had fallen into his eyes. Chuckling, she swept them away once more. “Which sometimes you don’t see because of this long hair of yours.”

He laughed quietly. “But I like it this way.”

“So do I, honestly.” She leaned in close, rubbing their noses together before kissing him. He pulled her closer. She smiled against his lips, leaning away before he could deepen the kiss. “Shall we eat?”

“Mmm… no.” He shook his head. “I want to sleep more.”

“Okay.”

“Please stay with me,” he said, nuzzling her neck again. “Just a bit longer.”

“Of course—but you have to eat when we wake up.” He looked at her and she raised her brows at him. “You didn’t eat the whole day.”

He winced. “I’m sorry. I’ll eat everything you made, I promise.”

“Good.” She stroked his hair, watching as he his eyes closed. Soon, his breaths evened and he returned to slumber. His expression was calm and that made her happy. Two years ago, during those fateful five days, though he slept often it was drug-induced. One thing she noticed as she watched over him was the worry on his face, how it looked permanent because he didn’t look any different when he was awake. Even in dreams, he couldn’t rest; he couldn’t let go of his guilt and his sense of responsibility. It was as if he wasn’t allowing himself respite.

Now, though…

Now he no longer looked worried, no sign of restlessness about him. He even has a hint of a smile on his lips. It must have been a tough time overseas, being alone and trying to convince himself that he was allowed to sleep in peace, to rest without guilt. It was the struggle he had to endure to arrive here, to a place where his darkness could not reach him often. As she watched over him now she prayed to any higher being listening to let him continue this peaceful rest, this brighter life. She wished for him to live his days without any more guilt, to live it as the person he’s always been.

After everything that’s happened, it’s the least he deserved.

[baiqi]

hyun ryu’s patented cure-all

♡ characters: 707, zen ♡ word count: ~2900 ♡ ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24670588 ♡ description: noticing saeyoung's sour mood as of late, zen invites him over for an impromptu beauty treatment to help brighten his mood.  ♡ note: this was originally going to be part of a “fives time, one time” series, but i fell out of mysme before i could finish so idk if it’ll ever be done. but for saeyoung’s bday, here’s my fave chapter of it! 

[ZEN] hey,

[ZEN] is everything okay?

[ZEN] you seemed kinda snippy in the messenger.

saeyoung frowns at his phone. he doesn’t particularly want to think about the way he’d snapped at yoosung and jaehee barely an hour ago. they’d only been joking around with him, after all. normally that wouldn’t have been a problem; he’s 707! he loves to joke!

...except for the fact that for last few days, he hasn’t exactly been in the best of moods. 

his sourness is to be expected, given the circumstances. saeran left on his travel therapy trip three days ago, and saeyoung’s only gotten more and more tense as the days passed without being able to reach his brother. yoosung and jaehee likely were being a bit more playful than normal in an attempt to cheer him up. which, upon realization, only made him feel worse for being sharp with them and then abruptly leaving the messenger. 

another text pings its arrival. saeyoung waits a full minute before reluctantly checking it. 

[ZEN] if you want to talk about it, give me a call.

he doesn’t want to talk about it, is the thing. he wants to push the fact that it ever happened as far back in his mind as possible so that he can maybe, with any luck, forget about it entirely. he doesn’t like being mean, especially not to the only friends he’s got, but he also doesn’t know how to resolve the lonely bitterness twisting his guts into knots. 

“wow. i didn’t really expect you to call.”

zen’s voice shocks saeyoung out of his thoughts. when had he dialed zen’s number? had he really zoned out that hard? he doesn’t respond, trying to decide if just hanging up is the best route for him to take.

noting the silence, zen keeps talking. he’s good at that. “if you don’t want to talk, want me to talk instead? i can tell you about the audition i went to today.” 

wanting anything to keep him out of his own head, saeyoung agrees. 

that’s all zen needs to launch into a detailed play-by-play of his latest audition for a musical called illegally brunette. he even goes so far as to reenact some of his lines, incredibly overly dramatical just to (successfully) pull a laugh out of saeyoung, who knows enough of the musical to attempt an enthusiastic response in kind. 

by the end of it, when their laughter has died down, saeyoung sighs. the weight from earlier settles back onto his lungs. “i feel bad.”

“about jaehee and yoosung? you shouldn’t,” zen says simply. “they know you didn’t mean anything by it.” 

saeyoung hums noncommittally. “still, i was so mean… i should apologize again.”

“it wouldn’t hurt.” zen pauses. “hey, you know what else you should do?” 

confused, he says, “what?”

“come over tonight. i’ve got a new box of face masks i’ve been waiting to use, and i think you could use some good old fashioned self-care.”

the offer leaves saeyoung momentarily speechless again. “i’m not- i don’t know, zen, i’m not really the face mask type. i’m more the ‘forget to wash your face for four days and then wonder why it’s so greasy’ type.” it’s meant to be a lighthearted joke, but it falls flat even to his own ears. 

“even more of a reason for you to come!” zen insists. “that sounds incredibly unhealthy, for one thing. and you might find that you like having a nightly routine.” 

“hmm. will there be cute headbands?” 

zen laughs. “yeah, i’ve got plenty to choose from. any other requests?”

“not really,” saeyoung says sheepishly. “i don’t know much else about stuff like that.” 

“well, lucky for you,” zen says, excitement in his voice, “i’m the king of self-care.” 

---

when the door opens to zen’s semi-underground apartment, saeyoung is met with a wide grin and a plush robe being thrust at him. it’s black and covered in yellow stars and there’s no way zen just happened to have it on hand. he takes the robe, rubbing the fabric with his thumbs, and ignores the way his heart swells as zen ushers him inside.

the apartment is nice; it’s small, but not uncomfortably so, and zen keeps everything tidy. the lights are dimmed, replaced by a series of candles that smell like rosewater. instrumental music plays quietly from the tiny cassette player set up by the television. there’s a plethora of items situated on the coffee table; several types of face masks and headbands, a collection of skin-care products, a fruit tray, a machine he can’t identify that looks a bit like a vase, and a pitcher of water.

it’s… a lot. very much unexpected, especially since he knows zen doesn’t eat any better than he does most days. to mask his surprise, saeyoung jokes, “if i didn’t know any better, i’d say you tricked me into a date.”

zen shoots him a glare, which makes him snicker. the silver-haired man isn’t exactly the most threatening thing saeyoung’s ever seen, especially not when he’s wearing a fluffy gold-monogrammed house robe. “you just got here. don’t ruin it.” he plops down onto the couch. “put your robe on, kick your shoes off. get comfortable! you don’t have to be so stiff, you’re starting to look like jumin han.”

somehow, that does help saeyoung relax a little. zen’s not making this into a big deal (even if he has made it into a big production), so he doesn't need to be so stressed out either. he leaves his shoes by the door and pulls the robe on, shutting out the chill of zen’s apartment. “ignoring your horrible insinuation that i am anything like our dear ceo-in-training,” he says, taking a seat on the side of the couch opposite zen, “what’s the plan here?”

“our dear ceo-in-training,” zen repeats with a shudder. “ugh. there’s nothing “dear” about him. anyway, my normal routine is pretty involved, so we’re going to take it down a little.” listing out the steps on his fingers, he says, “we’ve got the steaming, the initial cleaner, then the exfoliation, the face mask, and the moisturizer last.”

“that sounds... good, i think.”

“great! let’s get started.”

saeyoung plucks a pale yellow headband with a small bow on it from the pile and uses it to hold his bangs away from his face, mimicking the way zen positions his own red headband. the first few steps of the process are easy: sit in front of the vase-shaped machine for ten minutes and let it “open his pores,” wash his face with a transparent blue liquid, then scrub with something that feels like sand (“how does this help your skin?” “it gets rid of dead skin cells.” “gross.”). 

the face mask is where the real fun begins. zen spreads out a selection of packets before him, each a different color and each with a different descriptor. saeyoung doesn’t know what any of them really mean (nor is he confident enough to ask) so he picks the first his eyes land on, labeled “sweet tea and lemon: for all skin types.” whatever that means.

“so, what you want to do,” zen explains as he scoots a bit closer to saeyoung to flip the packet over, “is spread this orange paste all over your face. it’ll feel like wet clay because that’s basically what it is. avoid your eyebrows and hair line at all costs.”

saeyoung looks up from the instructions. “why?”

“because this type of mask peels off and it will take hair with it.” zen winces at a memory. “trust me, i’ve done it.”

“huh. noted.”

---

when he’s finished applying his mask, saeyoung squints in zen’s direction. “is this good?”

zen leans forward to examine saeyoung’s face, wiping some excess exfoliating cream on his towel. saeyoung’s done fairly well for a beginner, zen notes, though it’s layered a bit too thick in some places. “you have some spots that need fixing. otherwise they won’t dry with the rest of the mask.” without thinking, zen reaches up to gently cup the right side of saeyoung’s face and drag a thumb across his cheek, just under his eye, to smooth out a patch of goop.

the second zen’s fingers touch his face, saeyoung’s heart nearly jumps out of his chest. he’s incredibly grateful for the honey-colored face mask he’d chosen - without it, his furious blushing would be impossible to explain. his eyes widen as zen’s ruby gaze locks with his, and zen is so close that saeyoung can make out his features crystal clear even without glasses. neither of them move for what feels like several minutes (but in reality is only twelve seconds).

and then there’s a loud clunk from the cassette player followed by an awful buzzing sound. zen snatches his hand away like he’s been electrocuted while saeyoung straightens his posture with an awkward clearing of his throat, staring at the radio with a look that could kill.

zen jumps up to go fiddle with the radio like he’s done a thousand times before - saeyoung sits with his hands in his lap, praying for his heart to stop hammering so loudly. after a beat, zen says, “there’s a spot on your nose that you missed,” without even a glance back at the couch. the player has stopped buzzing as loudly, but a low hum persists. 

contemplatively, saeyoung gingerly pats at his nose to adjust the spot zen mentioned. he doesn’t want to speak, still trying to wrangle the butterflies in his stomach, but his instinct to fix things wins out. “can i see it? the radio?”

there’s a pause before zen hands the radio off to saeyoung and sits back down, pretending to check something on his phone - saeyoung knows he’s pretending because he recognizes the motions of opening an app, scrolling for a moment, and then swiping up to close it. but saeyoung quickly becomes too absorbed in tinkering with the tape deck to pay attention to the way zen keeps stealing glances at him, then eventually shifting to watch with curious eyes. 

several minutes later, saeyoung finally makes a satisfied sound, looking up from the radio with a victorious smile. “there we go. you shouldn’t have to smack it around anymore.” he offers it out to zen.

“what was wrong with it?” zen asks (taking great care to not accidentally brush saeyoung’s hand with his own) as he takes back the object. “how’d you know how to fix it without any tools or anything?”

saeyoung shrugs. “some parts were just loose and banging against each other. nothing serious, which is surprising for something so old.” he laughs. “have you considered upgrading to something from this decade?”

defensive, zen hugs the cassette player to his chest. “not everyone is a genius like you, seven choi. some of us like our simple machinery.” the tension is ebbing, finally. thank god. he stands to return his treasured radio to its spot on the shelf. “you should be okay to start peeling off your mask, just make sure it’s all dry first.”

saeyoung obediently pats his face and, when no goo sticks to his fingers, he gently starts to remove it. the sensation is… unnerving, somehow. “this makes me feel like a serial killer.”

“i- that’s where your mind goes?”

“yeah! i’m peeling off a mold of my own face! i think i saw something like this in a horror movie a month ago except it was, like, a real face.”

“okay, gross. no horror movie talk in the self-care zone.”

“look, it’s even dried to almost match my skin tone.” saeyoung holds up a particularly large strip of faux-skin. “this is a weird hobby you’ve got, zen.” 

zen wrinkles his nose and reaches out to swat at saeyoung’s hand, except saeyoung’s faster than him and easily pulls back before the hit can connect. “there’s nothing weird about taking care of your skin. as usual, you’re the only weird one here.”

tossing the gunk into the small trash can by the table, saeyoung says, “if you want weird, i can flip my eyelids inside out. that always freaks yoosung out.”

“everything freaks yoosung out,” zen points out with a laugh, beginning to peel away at his own mask. “if you specifically look at him a little too long, he acts like he’s going to pass out.”

“it’s a superpower,” he replies proudly. he sheds the final remnants of his mask and blessedly puts his glasses back on, blinking a few times as the world comes back into focus. 

zen watches him as closely as possible without potentially getting caught for also doing something weird. “what do you think? does your skin feel softer?”

running his fingertips in circles on his cheek, saeyoung answers, “i think so. is that the end?”

“you didn’t moisturize, but it’s fine if you want to skip it.”

saeyoung decides he will skip it because he’s already feeling a headache blooming from not wearing his glasses for the last forty-five minutes. “do you really do this every night?”

“every other night,” zen nods. “my good looks are all natural, obviously, but a little maintenance goes a long way. it’s why i sparkle ten times brighter than anyone else.” he’s preening, clearly looking for saeyoung to reinforce his claims. 

and, well, he’s not wrong to brag. zen is gorgeous. everyone knows it, whether they admit it or not. his eyes glitter like refined gemstones, his hair is silky-smooth, he’s built like michelangelo’s david, for christ’s sake. 

“and the prettiest boy in all the land is giving me free skin care tips.” saeyoung can’t help the dumb grin plastered on his face. he places his clasped hands over his heart, batting his eyes at zen for added effect. “i’m so honored. perhaps one day i can be as beautiful as you, lovely zen?” 

“oh, shut up,” zen scoffs in response - but there’s an edge to his voice and a twitch of his lips that suggests he’s pleased with the response. “you’ll never match my gorgeousness, let’s get that straight.”

and saeyoung laughs so abruptly at that that he actually snorts, hands clamping over his mouth immediately as zen’s surprised gaze snaps to his. not that it matters; the giggling won’t be stopped now, no matter how embarrassed he is.

“what,” zen begins, trying to stifle his own building laughter, “was that?”

all saeyoung can do is shake his head helplessly as he sinks lower against the arm of the couch. he inhales sharply, trying to catch his breath, but his giggle fit doesn’t let up.

“saeyoung, you can’t die in my apartment. think of my image!” it’s a joke, of course, because now zen is just having fun watching saeyoung unravel at the seams like he hasn’t laughed this hard in years. hell, there are even tears in his eyes. 

“you can’t,” saeyoung manages after another minute of uninterrupted wheezing, “that never happened, you can’t tell anyone i snorted.” he takes his glasses off to wipe away his tears.

“are you kidding?” zen’s smile is radiant. “imagine what the rfa will say when i tell them i brought saeyoung choi to tears for literally just breathing.”

saeyoung swings his hand towel at zen without any real force. “don’t give yourself so much credit, i was definitely laughing at myself.”

zen catches the other end of the towel. “yeah, because i made you laugh hard enough to snort.”

“but only because half of your face is still green from your mask! you look like if double-face and hulky had a baby.” 

he drops the towel to touch his cheek, dry and wrinkly. “okay, fair point. stop distracting me and let me peel it all off then.”

“ooh, i’m distracting you~?” saeyoung sticks his tongue out at the frown he receives. 

“i go out of my way to do something so nice for you and this is the thanks i get?” zen sighs dramatically.

he knows zen isn’t serious, but it does motivate him to sit up straight and be genuine for a minute. “i do appreciate you inviting me tonight. it’s boring,” read: lonely, “staying at my place by myself, so it was good to get out. i needed it.”

“yeah, of course.” zen shrugs, attempting at nonchalance. “i don’t have much, but you’re always welcome here. you can stay tonight too if you want. we can order real food and watch movies.”

a fuzzy feeling settles in saeyoung’s chest. “really? but i didn’t bring any extra clothes or anything, so-”

“you can wear something of mine,” zen interrupts. saeyoung doesn’t have the safety of a mask to hide behind this time, so he fights against the blush threatening to color his cheeks. luckily zen is too busy removing his new layer of “skin” to notice. “it’s no big deal. you said you don’t like staying alone, right? and i don’t have practice until late tomorrow afternoon.” he glances at saeyoung, warm smile on his face. “you should stay.”

when was the last time he had a sleepover with someone that wasn’t yoosung? saeyoung has no idea, but the thought of lounging around in zen’s pajamas and a very soft robe while watching movies with a friend is incredibly enticing. 

at length, he says, “...yeah. okay, sure. that sounds fun.” he prays his smile doesn’t come off as shy. “thanks, zen.”

finally clean-faced, zen stands and motions for saeyoung to follow. “c’mon, let’s find you something comfy to wear.”

[sondepoch]

X: Neutral Route (Luciel)

Where Futures Begin

Life used to be simple for you. Peaceful. But the Savior had other plans for you, and in moments, she ruined what you thought was your one shot at happiness. Blinded by anger, you escaped the Mint Eye, but that triggered a series of events that would bring you further into the world of brothers Saeran and Saeyoung. And further into the twisted world of your love for them.

Neutral Route: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ✔

Saeyoung’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ✔

Saeran’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ✔

MASTERLIST

Luciel tried to comfort (Y/N), tell her that everything would be okay, but the devastated look in her eye left the redhead at a loss for words. That was Ray? He thought in disbelief. That person was mental! He spoke like a psychopath!

In seconds, though, (Y/N) had pushed her way past Luciel and was speed-walking out of the door. From her shaking shoulders, Luciel noted with sympathy, she was crying.

He felt sorry for the girl. He knew himself how hard it was to abandon people you love; he couldn't begin to imagine the pain she must have felt as that 'Ray' person spoke to her with so much hate.

If Saeran ended up hating me the way Ray seems to hate her, Luciel thought, I don't think I'd be able to handle it.

Luciel shook his head, sighing at the situation. He glanced at the laptop on the bed. From the way the machine sizzled and popped earlier, the redhead knew that Ray had managed to overwork the device and fry its insides in that terrifying 'pop' he heard earlier. The laptop was on (Y/N)'s lap, Luciel realized, Her legs must be in a world of pain right now.

Work could wait. Following (Y/N) out the door, he didn't need to see her to know where she had gone.

"Hey," He called, pushing open the door to the cabin, his eyes scanning the ground before settling on a blob of white and magenta on the ground, a little off in the distance.

(Y/N) didn't respond or acknowledge him, but Luciel climbed down the steps and joined her regardless. "You, uh," Luciel scratched the back of his head, "Want to talk about it?"

Yet again, the boy was met with silence, but Luciel was relentless. He wouldn't give up. "That's okay. We can talk about something else." The boy looked down and thought for a moment. What could he say that wouldn't further hurt you? "How about that questions game we played earlier? I think it's your turn. Ask me anything, (Y/N), I'll answer it."

Yet again, (Y/N) was silent. It was a different kind of silence, though. She was thinking.

"How...." Luciel's ears perked up, relieved to hear her voice. "How did you know I'd be out here?"

Luciel chuckled. "Although we're wedging five people into that cabin, it's really only meant for three. There aren't many places you can really go, not with the Mint Eye lurking in these same forests."

"Oh."

A temporary silence followed while Luciel tried to think of an innocent question to ask that wouldn't stir up any emotions or memories. He was careful. He didn't want to accidentally hurt (Y/N). "Uh, what's your favorite food? There aren't many ingredients up here, but I'm a decent chef if I try."

"I haven't had food in years. The Mint Eye gives people a diet of pills and elixirs. What about you?"

"When I'm not on a mission, my diet's mostly chips and sodas."

"That can't be healthy for you," (Y/N) giggled, a small sign that she wasn't thinking about Ray as much.

Luciel grinned, her smile like a victory lap for him. "Still, you haven't answered my question. I'm sure you've had something you liked from before you joined that cult."

"It's not a cult..." (Y/N) sighed, pausing her words. "My orphanage used to give cookies to the well-behaved kids. I had a couple...they were really delicious. I've always wanted to try them again."

Luciel smiled, relieved.

Back when he still looked after Saeran, his little brother would crave cookies and other sugary treats nearly every day. Luciel had spent months mastering the technique behind baking the perfect chocolate chip (alongside a dozen other sweet treats). He hadn't honed his skills in nearly a decade, but he was confident he could give (Y/N) the best cookies of her lifetime.

"My turn," (Y/N) said, before continuing, "Is that your natural hair color?"

Luciel chuckled, "Yeah. It's nice, isn't it? How about yours?"

"I had it bleached at the Mint Eye. I think my hair used to be (h/c)...honestly, I can barely remember what I used to look like." (Y/N) trailed off, her eyes distant once more. "I'd say I looked better before the bleaching."

"It's hard to imagine you getting any prettier than this," Luciel blurted, not realizing how embarrassing his words were until they were delivered.

"Thanks,"(Y/N) murmured, a pink blush spread across her cheeks. "Now it's my turn. Tell me, did you always know you wanted to be a hacker? That you wanted to work with computers?"

Luciel's smile dropped from his face, remembering how different he was from his childhood self. "When I was young, I wanted to be the perfect gentleman. A knight in shining armor for every person who crossed my path. I called myself the defender of justice."

(Y/N) turned her head to him, "And now?"

Luciel chuckled mirthlessly. "I'm a hacker. I'm one of the bad guys. You can hardly call me a defender of justice, with all the sins I've committed." Luciel glanced down at his neck, where a silver cross had hung for almost as long as he'd lived. "I'm okay with going to hell, though. Even if I didn't get to meet my dream of being a protector for everyone, I at least know that the one person I care about most is safe."

"Who?" (Y/N) whispered.

Luciel hesitated. Should he tell her about his Saeran? How he had given his little brother to Rika so she could protect him when Luciel couldn't?

"It's..." Luciel trailed off. "Not your turn." He stuck his tongue out at (Y/N), laughing at her exasperated expression.

"I swear, Luciel, you're impossible." (Y/N) rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go inside. It's colder than I had thought."

"You're obviously going to be cold if you wear a dress like that," Luciel murmured, gesturing toward the sleeveless, backless fabric that did a poor job of insulating the body.

"It's not like I had anything else to wear," (Y/N) laughed, picking up her dress as she climbed up the steps to the cabin. "And hey, I did bring a robe with me."

Luciel rolled his eyes, pulling the door open for her, "Yeah, and then you fell from forty feet into a bush. Very ladylike."

(Y/N) laughed, flicking the redhead on the cheek, feigning offense, "You said you wanted to be a gentleman, right? Well, a real gentleman would have offered me his coat, wouldn't he?"

Luciel rolled his eyes, closing the door behind the two of them as they both paused and basked in the heat of the cabin. "Will that jacket still be necessary? Or is this fireplace enough?"

"The fireplace, thank you very much." (Y/N) stated, holding her head up high and acting overly snooty before bursting into a fit of giggles, unable to hold the facade, even jokingly, for more than five seconds.

Luciel grinned at (Y/N), pulling her onto the couch by the fireplace where the two of them laid still, relaxing on the surprisingly comfortable material. "I don't think I ever apologized for how I treated you back at the Mint Eye," Luciel said, thinking out loud.

"No need to apologize," (Y/N) smiled, pulling her body up to make eye contact with him. "If I were in your position, I don't think I'd have trusted me, either."

Luciel chuckled, yet again pleasantly surprised at how selflessly understanding (Y/N) proved herself to be. "If you stay so considerate of everyone, people will walk all over you."

"Luciel, less than twenty-four hours ago, I was one of the Savior's council members at the Mint Eye, of all places. I've already been walked all over."

(Y/N)'s words were blunt, blurted in a moment of honesty, spoken without any expectation of sympathy or attention. Perhaps that was why Luciel found himself so torn as she said them.

"That's not fair..." He said, more to himself than to her. "You're too good for this world, (Y/N)."

For what felt like the first time, Luciel looked into (Y/N)'s eyes, and she looked back into his, the two studying each other without exchanging words. In the periphery of his vision, Luciel noticed how soft her hair looked, and how well her body fit into her purple dress.

"One last question for our game," Luciel whispered, bringing a hand to (Y/N)'s cheek, savoring the sensation of her soft skin against his fingertips.

He felt an overwhelming desire to kiss her.

"May I...?"

Even if he didn't finish the sentence, there wasn't a single doubt in his mind that (Y/N) understood his question. And his words were sincere. He wouldn't move an inch forward until the snowy-haired beauty in front of him explicitly told him he could. 

It felt like an eternity before she responded.

"Yes," She whispered, and then the space between their lips disappeared entirely.

The first moment was sweet. It was gentle and tender as Luciel kept his touch light against (Y/N)'s lips. As soon as they broke for air, though, they both returned to each other, hungry for more. The kisses turned rough and passionate, fervent with desire for each other.

Luciel pulled (Y/N) onto him, so that the girl was straddling him with her legs on either side of his lap as she sat in it, Luciel softly angling her head downward to further indulge himself in the sweetness he found inside her mouth.

His hands trailed down from her neck to the base of her back, fingers deftly flying over where he knew her body was cut from treating her wounds earlier. He settled one hand on (Y/N)'s waist and the other on her thigh, pressing her body into his as much as possible as he finally allowed himself to stop resisting and take what he wanted to make his so bad.

Luciel flipped her around so that (Y/N) laid down with her back pressed to the couch with Luciel was on top of her, hungrily staring down at the girl before attacking her lips once more. He left a trail of kisses down from her lips to her ear where he sucked on the tender flesh, (Y/N)'s quiet moans only further edging him on as he moved to barrage her neck with kisses and licks, searching for that one weak spot.

"L-Luciel!"

Found it, Luciel grinned to himself before flooding the spot with sensation, biting and sucking and nibbling until the skin looked raw.

He pushed a handful of white hair out of the way, admiring how soft it was for a moment before continuing to mark (Y/N)'s neck. Barely a few seconds had passed before (Y/N) was wrapping her arms around his neck and moaning Luciel's name out, the syllables never having sounded more seductive than as they rolled off her tongue.

Luciel let himself be pulled into another sensual kiss as (Y/N) tugged his head down toward her, her long fingers tangling themselves in his hair.

Their shared passion was intense, a session of heat and intimacy that they had both been deprived of their whole lives, but it was cut short.

"You fucking idiots!"

Begrudgingly, Luciel pulled himself off of (Y/N) to glare at Vanderwood, who had not wasted a single moment in grabbing him by the collar and pushing the redhead against the wall.

"Woah, woah, woah, boss," Luciel joked, the situation before him utterly unintimidating, "I know I'm attractive, but if you wanted to make a move on me, you really should have done it before I sta-"

"I told you not to fuck around with her!" Vanderwood shouted, pushing Luciel further up against the wall.

Luciel frowned, now mildly uncomfortable as Vanderwood tightened his grip around his neck. "Why should you care? The mission was completed, it's over. It doesn't matter what I do now!"

Vanderwood growled, further angered by Luciel's words. "No! I gave you an order, and you were supposed to follow it! If I were anyone else in this goddamn agency, I would have killed you for directly disobeying me! I'm your handler, not your babysitter—you should be heeding my every command!"

"Slow your roll there, boss," Luciel chuckled, "You sound kinky."

The brunette man groaned, utterly frustrated with Luciel and his utter inability to take anything Vanderwood said seriously.

"What's really the issue here, Vanderwood?" (Y/N) asked, her voice hesitant.

Vanderwood didn't respond, the scowl on his face unmoving. "Luciel, go to V's room."

"Why should I-" Luciel began, only to be interrupted.

"Just go!" Vanderwood hissed, turning to (Y/N). "You, stay with me."

Luciel glanced at (Y/N) hesitantly, slightly worried for the girl's well being. Luciel knew he could handle Vanderwood (especially a pissed off Vanderwood), but others weren't as skilled in the art of manipulation.

Then again, Luciel knew the stubborn look in Vanderwood's eyes all too well. His boss wouldn't be leaving any time soon. "Fine." Luciel offered a sympathetic glance toward (Y/N), mouthing 'good luck' as he headed to V.

He hadn't even closed the door when the blue-haired man spoke, "Luciel, there's something you need to know."

Luciel arched an eyebrow. V was a serious person, especially with MC being captured and then having to be rescued from the Mint Eye, but his tone was more than that. 

Pressing. Grave. Fearful?

"You'll want to be sitting for this," V said, but Luciel made no motion to do so. "Alright, then. I was just speaking to (Y/N), maybe half an hour ago...and she told me about the Mint Eye. Specifically, the people in the Mint Eye."

"And?" Luciel asked, bracing himself for the worst. But even that wouldn't be enough to prepare him for V's next words.

"Luciel, we've found your brother."

MASTERLIST

Neutral Route: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ✔

Saeyoung’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ✔

Saeran’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ✔

Word count: 2.3k

Notes: Aahahhh I'm sorry for being late in updating >.> I took a nap yesterday when I was exhausted, and I'd planned to wake up and publish this but then I slept through all my alarms. My bad!

Comment & Like

Next Update: 2/03/20

I do not own the rights to Mystic Messenger or any of the characters within it.

[veebcrry]

<– DAY 3・DAY 5 –>

SAERAN WEEK DAY 4 (@saeranchoiweek)

PROMPT: DOMESTICITY & WEDDINGS

Today we have a treat for you guys! Because both of these prompts really spoke to me, I’ve decided to draw for not just one but BOTH of them!

The first picture was drawn for the prompt ‘domesticity’ in which I’ve decided to take a bit of a different approach. It’s based on the prologue bad ending in which MC becomes Unknown’s assistant. Because technically they’re living together then as well.  I figured a lot of people would be drawing them cooking together, etc... but I’ve got a soft spot for couples taking baths together. <3

The wedding picture I’ve kept relatively simple because I really wanted the focus to be on the characters themselves. I put a lot of effort into drawing Sharon’s design from her tied up hair to the bouquet of roses. It would be a shame to take away from that with a complicated background. In my head, they’re at the beach in this scene, hence why she’s holding her shoes.

That’s it for me! Admin Ice cream wrote something for the ‘weddings’ prompt today, so be sure to check that out as well!

- Admin Strawberry

PROMPT: WEDDINGS

Genre: FLOFF \ O / Pairing ( kinda ): Saeran x MC Timeline: Post - Ray route, three or four years after.

The sun had set by now. Drowning the beach into a deep darkness. Only the small lamps of the tents, gave some light. So the guests and the freshly married couple, wouldn’t accidentally stumble. The air had gotten fresher, but not too cold. It was one of the reasons, why their marriage had held place rather late. Some of the invited people already had went home, due to the time. The married ones, had sneaked away as well by now. Taking a walk, close to the water together. Hand in hand. Their body close to each other, as if it would kill them immediately, if they’d leave a bit of a distance between them. Listening together to the smoothing noises of the waves.  The young man, with white hair looked down at the brunette girl. God. How much he admired her in this dress.  It felt, as if it would be just a few seconds ago, when he saw her walking down the way to him. With her brother on her side, who gave a really clear death glare to him, before he gave Sharon’s hand to him.

Just remembering it, Saeran sweated. He trusted his brother in law, that he would attempt a murder on him, if he’d dare it to hurt the naive girl.

However. Shaking his head slightly, he banned those memories back into his deepest mind again. This day, should only be about the two of them. Gently, he squeezed her hand. It was unbelievable to him… he was married. If someone would have told him, that such a thing would happen years ago. The asian knew, he would have called this person insane.

“Saeran…?”, the former hacker heard his name, whispered in such a soft manner. It gave him goosebumps. Made his heart skip a beat, as if it couldn’t handle this happiness. However. Instead of replying with words or with a noise, the young man suddenly turned to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her body. His face nuzzled into the veil, smelling the strawberry scent of her hair through it with a slight smile in on his lips.

”Thank you, for saving me.”

Writernote: HHHH, I finished it! I’m so proud of myself T _ T~ I’m sorry that it took so long, to be posted today!

- Admin Ice Cream

[sondepoch]

VII: Neutral Route (Y/N)

Where Futures Begin

Life used to be simple for you. Peaceful. But the Savior had other plans for you, and in moments, she ruined what you thought was your one shot at happiness. Blinded by anger, you escaped the Mint Eye, but that triggered a series of events that would bring you further into the world of brothers Saeran and Saeyoung. And further into the twisted world of your love for them.

Neutral Route: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ✔

Saeyoung’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ✔

Saeran’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ✔

MASTERLIST

One would think that a person working in the Security Room would know precisely how to infiltrate its alarms and defenses.

You cursed at yourself, wondering why you hadn't thought to create some kind of back door that you could activate, like a god mode that would give you full control over the Mint Eye. Such a thing was definitely possible, yet in your emotional rush to never see Saeran again, you hadn't thought of your plan going awry as it had.

Even if Seven and Mary hadn't been here, my escape still would have been impossible, you thought to yourself, aggravated that you hadn't realized earlier that six stories was not a jumpable distance.

Close...so close, you thought to yourself, fingers flying across Seven's keyboard like birds landing on a cold lake. You were able to find the timer, just not a method to lengthen or pause it. Shit, shit, shit, they have less than a minute left.

You held back tears and worked faster, not even sure of what commands you were inputting but desperately aware that you were trying something.

10...

You tried to run your code, desperately hoping that it would be able to exploit the one weakness you knew existed in the Mint Eye's software security.

8...

There was an error in the code. Your eyes scanned the text, looking to see if you had missed a semicolon or to close a parenthesis.

5...

You began to pray that you had made a mistake writing the original program, that when the timer ran out, no alarm would ring, that some god above would magically whisk you out of the situation you were in.

2...

You stared at the screen helplessly, out of options, out of ideas.

1.

Timer complete.

The alarms began blaring at an agonizing volume, temporarily impeding your ability to think.

You heard the Savior speak over the loudspeakers, her prerecorded voice calm as she instructed believers and disciples alike to please remain calm and to not leave their respective rooms, and that no, this was not a drill.

You let out an angry cry of frustration, irritated at your shortcomings.

When you got out of this, you'd make sure you were a better hacker, that you could break your way into any system well within the time limit. When you escaped, you were going to...

When I escape? You thought to yourself, scoffing. How the hell am I going to escape now?

There was nothing you could do anymore. Nothing. 

Except...

It was a stupid idea, but it was the best idea you had. Better yet, you were already in the system, so you knew exactly how to execute the command.

You glanced down at Seven's computer and saw a small speaker built into the bottom. The audio would be poor, but it would work.

You fiddled with the keyboard for a few moments longer, trying to ignore the blaring alarms that were making this entire process more aggravating. Then, after a moment of hesitation, you hit the record button.

"Believers and disciples of the Mint Eye, this is council member (Y/N) with an urgent message," You said, keenly aware of how you sounded as your voice echoed back to you through the loudspeaker where the Savior's voice had once played.

"There are two intruders in the Mint Eye, dressed in full-black attire. They likely have stolen robes and are dressed as believers, among yourselves. They were last seen heading from the dining hall to the Savior's chambers. Their intentions are to kidnap our Savior and destroy the magenta we have worked hard to build."

You took a breath, trying to figure out what to say to best rile up the believers, "If you are in an open-access hallway, please head for the first floor and prepare to apprehend the fugitives. Thank you. The alarm will continue until the intruders have been captured."

You closed the program, and let out a shaky sigh, petrified for the sake of Seven and Mary.

Your lies should be enough to rid them of all the stranglers wandering around on the sixth floor; no believer would waste an opportunity to protect their precious Savior. Everyone would be rushing down to the first floor...and by confessing that the two had 'likely' stolen believers' robes, the believers would drive themselves mad with suspicion. 

It wouldn't be long before the believers on the sixth floor overrode the locks on the doors themselves.

You closed your eyes and hoped that Seven and Mary would be smart enough to wait until then.

And, strangely enough, you found yourself wishing for Saeran.

Saeran...

He would know that been scheming to escape.

If you hadn't made that announcement, he might have thought that the infiltrators kidnapped you or something, that you hadn't willingly left after promising him you wouldn't.

Then again, those promises were made eons ago, when he was a different person.

A kinder person.

A more loving person.

Saeran thought you had a cold. He'd noticed that your nose had been red and that you'd been sniffling all day, but not for a moment did he consider that you might have been crying.

"Come on, princess, you have to drink soup if you want to feel better," Saeran murmured, pressing the spoon against your closed lips.

"Soup isn't what will make me feel better," You grumbled, grudgingly accepting the hot liquid.

"Hmm? This is what the Savior did for me when I was sick, though, and it helped," Saeran said, scooping up another spoon of soup.

You shook your head. "Saeran, I'm not sick."

The white-haired boy didn't respond, thinking you were lying or that you didn't like the taste of the soup he was feeding you. He pushed your head back down into the pillow you were resting on and dabbed a napkin at the corner of your lip where he had poured a bit too much soup in too little time.

"Saeran, I mean it."

The boy hummed in response, pushing another spoonful of soup to your lips.

"Saera-mmf!"

The stubborn albino shoved the spoon into your mouth mid-sentence, impressively devoted to forcing you to finish the liquid.

"Saeran, I wasn't sniffling earlier," You rolled your eyes and brought a hand up to his, pushing his spoon away from you, "I was crying, okay?"

Finally, Saeran stopped and put the soup down on the floor, and then he was on your bed, pulling you into his lap as he showered you with "Why?" and "What's wrong?" He turned your face toward his so that you couldn't look away and stroked your hair, confused at how you could have been crying when you seemed so happy.

"It's just..." You felt your throat blocking up as you remembered the dark thoughts that had caused you to cry in the first place, "This can't last, can it?"

Saeran cocked his head to the side, as he always did.

"What can't? The soup?"

You let out a light giggle, Saeran's antics never failing to make you smile. "This. Us. The Mint Eye. Being happy."

Saeran sighed when he realized what you were asking.

Too long, you had been miserable. Abused as a child and then brought to an orphanage that you never felt safe in. Life had been nothing but a series of curveballs where happiness was like a home run: brief and rare.

"No," He whispered, stroking your hair, "You and I are forever. We'll always be happy together. For as long as we're in the Mint Eye."

You smiled sadly. Happiness never lasted. You knew that.

But Saeran believed. He was relentless. He spent that whole night convincing you of what a fantastic place the Mint Eye was, and how as long as you and he stayed there, the magenta would keep you happy forever.

That was the first night you two spent together.

It was, without a doubt, one of the happiest nights of your life, and you didn't cry again for a long time afterward.

The second night you two spent together was half a month ago, restless and foreboding as whatever friendship you two shared was crushed later that very day.

Happiness is forever, eh, Saeran? You scoffed. Happiness is a lie. The only variable is how long you can keep lying to yourself.

You stared at the door in front of you, shutting the laptop Seven gave you.

You'd done everything you could from where you stood. Everything else was up to him and Mary. And MC, you added as an afterthought. Because to you, that's all she was. An afterthought.

You began counting the seconds as they passed by.

It wound up being three-hundred and eighty-four seconds before you stopped.

Footsteps outside the door, you realized. Multiple pairs. They were trying to be quiet, but after being abused as a child, your ears had grown used to listening for any indication of something headed your way. Especially if that 'something' could cause you pain.

You slowly shifted to a standing position so that, whoever came in, be it a disciple or Saeran or the Savior herself, you wouldn't go down without a fight.

But the amount of relief you felt at seeing the familiar blob of red as the cautiously opened the door was unlike any comfort you'd ever felt before. At that moment, you could have hugged Seven as he glared daggers at you in a familiar way that you couldn't quite place.

"(Y/N), is it?" Mary asked, looking you up and down, "Good work on the announcement. The believers were in chaos, suspecting each other and practically rioting over getting out of the room we wound up locked in."

You nodded your head, not quite expecting the compliment, and handed Seven's laptop over to him.

He didn't bother acknowledging you and simply set to dropping a ladder down from the window. "We'll go down the ladder in order of importance." He looped one end of the rope around the windowsill, and you winced; it didn't look very stable. "First MC, then me," he looped the other side of the rope ladder around his knot and took a step back, "Then the maid, then you."

You ignored his blatant insult, that you were the least important of the group, and nodded your head. MC was hesitant about traveling down the rope ladder, asking Seven a million questions about what you were doing there and why she had to go first when the rope ladder looked so unsteady. After Mary threatened to push her out of the window, though, she complied and began climbing down.

When it got to your turn to climb down, you tried not to think about the fact that if Mary looked up, he'd see that under your robe you were still wearing your magenta dress which, when looked at from the bottom, gave him a too-perfect view of your underwear.

Still, you didn't want to be like MC, so you didn't complain.

The climb was treacherously long, your heart beating a mile a minute with every step you took. As soon as MC hit the bottom, she began calling for the rest of you to hurry up, her shrill voice disturbingly loud in the quiet night.

You, Mary, and Seven all knew that if she kept yelling, someone would hear.

"Shut up!" Seven hissed, trying to keep his voice low. "You're going to get us caught!"

"Me? I'm not the one going at the speed of a snail! You need to-"

The rest of her voice was muffled when you heard Seven drop from the ladder and start berating her for compromising the mission. Amused, you glanced downward to observe the spectacle and only then realized just how high up you were.

Mary motioned to do the same, his sharp jerk downward shaking the ladder.

With the sudden dizziness you felt at realizing how high you were coupled by Mary's jerk of the ladder, you felt your fingers lose their grip. In your haste to rework your fingers onto the ladder, you barely noticed your feet slipping off their base, and without even realizing what was happening, you found yourself falling.

Mary tried to grip your wrist, but he was too late, his fingers holding you by your arm for a millisecond before gravity pulled you down onto the hard, unforgiving ground.

MASTERLIST

Neutral Route: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ✔

Saeyoung’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ✔

Saeran’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ✔

Word count: 2.1k

Notes: Ngl my life has gotten so much better between this and my past update it's crazy (and probably directly related to the fact that I haven't had any school) x3 things are looking up, though! 2020 might not be as bad as i initially thought :D

Comment & Like

Next Update: 1/23/20

I do not own the rights to Mystic Messenger or any of the characters within it.