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xxlady-lunaxx · 1 year ago

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I'm just like you, Nee-san! | {SaneGiyuu}

Theme: Angst mostly I think

Note: Slightly gore-y at the beginning but the descriptions aren't explicit so dw :33 If I could handle it than it's prolly fine!! (I hate gore sm!! Can't stand it yet I write it sometimes)

Major spoilers!! DKT!

The picture makes Giyuu look so majestic (i mean he already is but even more so yk)

Giyuu's eyes sparkled as he watched Tsutako smooth out her dress.

"Nee-San! Nee-San, I'm going to be like you!" he said giddly. "I'm going to grow up like you and be really nice! And then—and then I'm going to find a boyfriend and marry him!"

"Oh really?" Tsutako teased. "A boyfriend?"

Giyuu nodded, then paused. "Should I have... a girlfriend?" he wondered.

Tsutako shook her head. "Either one will be fit to you! I'm sure girls and boys would be falling on their knees for such an adorable Giyuu," she said, laughing.

Giyuu smiled bashfully. "Well... more so for you, Nee-San!"

Tsutako knelt down and hugged him. "You're the best person in the world, Giyuu."

He flushed. Tsutako complimented him ceaselessly but he always was unsure how to take them, embarrassed. "You!!" he shot back.

She pulled away and booped his nose. "I'm sure you'll be an amazing person, 'Yuu. You already are so wonderful."

Giyuu smiled brightly. "Can I help you pick out more flowers for your wedding?"

"That's so random!" she laughed. "But alright, why don't we go out tonight? The moon will be beautiful."

He nodded. "Okay!"

~~~

Tsutako held his hand tightly as they made their way back home. They'd been out longer than she had anticipated and she wanted them home soon given that her wedding would be tomorrow and she didn't want them both tired.

They entered the house and she had a strange feeling that something was off.

The door hadn't been locked.

Hurridly, Tsutako whispered, "Giyuu, go to our room and hide. We're going to uh.. surprise our visitor! Okay? Here, take the flowers. I'll be right there."

Giyuu nodded, confused but obeying, for he trusted Tsutako with his life. He hid under the bed, thinking that they would jump out on her fiancé (whom he assumed was the 'visitor') and scare him for fun. They often played around like this before and Giyuu loved amusing himself with these antics.

He heard Tsutako saying something from the room over as he slipped under the blankets of the futon and made himself appear to be a pile of pillows.

He heard her scream and at first mistakened it for one of surprise because she hadn't hid in time, but then he heard a note of panic in it. The door opened ever so slightly and Giyuu peeked out, confused. He looked right as a fast-moving figure slammed his sister against the wall.

Tsutako screamed again, pain lacing her voice and cracking it to pieces. Blood spilled out of her and Giyuu barely stopped himself from shouting out. He shut his eyes tight as the other figure beat her to death. Giyuu shook under the blanket, pale and terrified.

The figure left, then, and Giyuu waited a few minute in complete silence except for the light dripping of blood. When he was sure the other person was gone, the young boy stood and rushed out.

All the blood drained from his face as he saw his sister, not even recognizable, plastered all over the room. Some of her limbs were missing and blood painted the walls a deep, terrifying red.

Giyuu let out a choked sob and fell to his knees weakly. Why... Why had this happened...

He didn't know what happened after that. He vaguely remembered someone coming by to see what was all this noise. He thought it was Tsutako's fiancé but he couldn't bring himself to think about her. He thought that perhaps something had happened and he'd explained everything but he only knew that now everyone was shouting at him, calling him dislusional and stupid.

Giyuu found himself in a house he recognised but didn't know how to place it. Then he heard a voice calling his name. A familiar one.

"Giyuu!" the voice said. "Come here, you need to eat."

Not wanting to eat but knowing it was impolite to not respond, Giyuu stumbled towards the voice and into the room. A man stood there. He looked kind and sad. Familiar.

"Who are you?" Giyuu mumbled. He realized he didn't want to know the answer, though. But why?"

"Uhm.." The man looked confused for a second, then his expression softened in a bit of realization. Giyuu was going through a hard time, it was only normal for him to be a bit weary of everyone. "Your sister's fian-"

Before he could finish, Giyuu's eyes snapped open and he turned abruptly and ran off, not wanting him to finish. He didn't want to be near this man. He didn't like it. This man had something to do with her. He would only make it worse, he would make him remember.

Giyuu ran for a long time, he didn't know how long or how far. He stopped only to take a breath, his legs weak with exhaustion. He breathed quickly, trying to calm his heart, and he panted pitifully. He sunk down into a crouch and looked around, resting his elbows on his knees to give him more balance.

To his relief, he didn't recognise this place. It must've been far from... there. Anywhere he knew would only bring back painful memories.

Giyuu sat back onto the grass and closed his eyes, leaning back. He would stay here for some time.

And he did.

He fell asleep.

When he woke up the sky was already darkening and there was a person standing above him. Someone with a red tengu mask. Giyuu jolted up, confused.

"Who are you..?" he whispered.

"Sakonji Urokodaki. What are you doing out here by yourself? It's dangerous," the man said, helping Giyuu stand.

"I... ran away?" Giyuu said tentatively, unsure what to say to that.

"Well, bad things can happen to children who run away. Why did you come all the way out here? There aren't many houses nearby," Urokodaki said quietly.

"Bad things already happened to me. I don't care." Giyuu crossed his arms and looked away.

Urokodaki paused and seemed to think about something. "Did a demon attack you?"

"A demon?" Giyuu asked, giving him a strange look.

"Or not, sorry, I heard something about it a woman dying by a demon and decided to see what this was all about."

Giyuu flinched. "My... someone... died." He looked down, willing the tears not to come. No. He'd come here to escape the memories, not relieve them.

Urokodaki's posture seemed to soften and he crouched down to Giyuu's level. "Hey, do you have anyone to care for you?" he asked slowly. "I train people to become demon slayers, to rid of the demons who make the world horrible by killing our loved ones."

Giyuu looked up. Become a demon slayer, hm? If he did, could he... help people like Tsu-... like she did? Like she had done right up to her death..? He nodded carefully. He could be a wonderful person for her. He would save people because she had saved him. "Okay. I want to become a demon slayer."

Urokodaki nodded as well. "How old are you?"

"Twelve..." Giyuu mumbled. Perhaps because he was so young that he wouldn't be allowed.

"I have another young boy your age I'm training at the moment. His name is Sabito. Would you like to meet him?" Urokodaki asked.

"Okay..."

"You don't have anyone caring for you now, I take it?" the trainer asked as he stood.

"No." Her fiancé didn't count. He was... not an option. He would only remind Giyuu of her.

"Alright. Let's go."

~~~

Years past in a blur. Sabito, the boy Giyuu had befriended, died a year later at Final Selection. It was horrible and it brought Giyuu into a daze, but he had to get back up. He had to save people like Tsutako had done. Like Sabito as well.

It was necessary. Something he felt would redeem all the times he'd been saved.

Giyuu trained ceaselessly, pushing himself past his limits.

He became a Hashira.

He didn't know how, he didn't feel as though he deserved this title, but he had to do it. He couldn't back down.

And then... something happened.

He happened.

Sanemi.

Sanemi was rash and arrogant, the Wind Hashira. He was... beautiful. Giyuu loved him.

In the past, Giyuu had thought about marrying. Finding a lover and marrying them. He'd told this to Tsutako. Well, he thought, here was the lover.

And what came after that? He'd said something about wanting to grow up like Tsutako and marry someone...

Only one more step to that.

Of course, if Giyuu lived to see a day he could actually marry peacefully.

He wasn't all too hopeful on that, deciding there was no point on hoping for something so absurd.

And yet...

~~~

Sanemi and Giyuu grew closer, surprisingly, despite their extreme differences. All of the Hashira were having a hard time believing it—including the two themself—but none of them were complaining.

They ended up dating and Giyuu felt himself want to hope for the best for the future. He wanted to think that it would all be alright. He wanted to wish for a time when he could marry Sanemi. Where he could be happy.

But he forgot. He forgot one thing.

He wanted so much to be like Tsutako, he'd been striving to be as much as like her as he could.

He wanted to be kind like her, to help people his whole life and save other's. He wanted to find someone to love and to love him, to grow with him and to live with them to the end.

But he forgot one thing about Tsutako. He forgot that she had died before she married. He forgot that she hadn't actually married yet.

Giyuu had fought Muzan and his Akaza and all the other demons that had been put out there for them in the Infinity fortress. And now... it was over.

Muzan was... dead. He was dead.

Giyuu found Sanemi amongst those who had survived. Unfortunately, Sanemi wasn't in a good shape. And yet, there was still hope. He was still alive.

"Sanemi," Giyuu whispered, placing his remaning hand on his lover's chest.

Sanemi opened his eyes slightly and gave Giyuu a small smile. "Told you we'd get through it."

Giyuu practically laughed in happiness, tears springing to his eyes. "I love you," he said. "I'm glad you're alive."

"Yes, now we're going to marry and then live—actually live," Sanemi said, referring to the plans Giyuu had spoke to him before about.

They'd agreed to marry when it was all over. If it ended. If not, then when they retired. It could've taken decades but luckily, they'd made it through.

Giyuu got up and said, quietly, "I'm going to check on Tanjiro, alright? I'll be back."

"Mhm." Sanemi gave him what appeared to be a nod and Giyuu turned and left, looking for the Kamado he hoped was alive.

But... he wasn't.

Giyuu had failed.

He'd wanted to be like Tsutako, yet no matter how hard he tried, people died one after the other.

Tanjiro was dead.

Giyuu sank to his knees and tried not to cry, bringing his head against Tanjiro's. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

Tanjiro looked up.

Giyuu blinked.

The Kakushi around them moved, confused.

And suddenly, Tanjiro brought his arm up, moving as if to kill the Kakushi.

Giyuu moved instinctively, pushing the Kakushi out of the way.

"Tanjiro..?" he said.

The boy looked at him. Only, he was no longer the boy Giyuu knew. He was a demon.

"No!" Giyuu shouted. "Move. Move!"

The Kakushi were confused, unsure what was happening.

Giyuu darted forward, knocking the Kakushi away from Tanjiro's attacks.

"He's a demon! Anyone who can still fight! Please assist!" Giyuu shouted towards the direction of the others.

He heard people start to come around, but he didn't wait to see if they would come. Giyuu pinned Tanjiro down, trying to burn him in the sun.

Why? Why did this keep happening?!

He saw Inosuke and Zenitsu move over and start fighting.

Inosuke hesitate and Tanjiro nearly killed him if it weren't for Nezuko moving in front.

"No! Nezuko! Don't do that!" Giyuu and Zenitsu shouted almost in unison.

Tanjiro wouldn't burn. He had resisted the sun.

Giyuu shoved Inosuke out of the way, not wanting him to die from Tanjiro.

Nezuko was saying something to her brother, shouting. She blocked one of his attacks and Giyuu hurriedly slipped between Nezuko and pushed her onto Zenitsu, trusting him to care for her.

"Don't you dare hurt them," Giyuu said, his voice shaky. "Tanjiro! Come back! Come to your senses!"

Tanjiro looked at him with his blank, demonic eyes and plunged his hand into the Hashira's chest.

Giyuu let out a strangled scream and fell limp onto Tanjiro's arms.

Someone shouted and another darted forward, injecting Tanjiro with the last concoction to turn a demon back into a human.

Both bodies fell onto the ground and Kanao lifted Tanjiro up and away, away from the person he'd just killed.

Inosuke fell to the ground next to Giyuu's body and slowly turned him up, facing the sky.

"He died," Inosuke murmured.

Zenitsu nodded, leading Nezuko to her brother to save her from seeing the Hashira.

"He saved me," Inosuke said to himself, looking at his hands. "Tanjiro killed him."

~~~

When Tanjiro learned what had happened, he'd told them to kill him. He said that what he'd done couldn't be forgiven.

But in the end, Tanjiro stayed alive.

When Sanemi was able to speak to him again, having been the closest to Giyuu out of anyone, had said that the guilt would be enough punishment. He said there was no use killing Tanjiro anyways since it would mean more bloodspill than necessary, and Giyuu had cared deeply for the boy and would've hated for something like that to happen.

Later, when Sanemi was allowed out, he made his trip first to Genya and Giyuu's graves. He had to see them.

First, he went to Genya's, sinking to his knees in prayer and apologizing to him. He left a couple flowers on the gravestone and moved on to Giyuu's.

When he got there, he stared at it for a long time, the shock still wearing him out to the bone. Then he bent down and placed a bunch of flowers on the stone. He sat down and placed his hands on his knees, looking down and closing his eyes.

Why had Giyuu done that. Why had he let himself die...

"You wanted to be like her," Sanemi whispered finally. "Like your sister." He looked up, his eyes lingering on the words, "Giyuu Tomioka."

"You said you would be like her... save people and then marry. You said she died before she married her fiancé. You are like her, Giyuu. Only, more so than you meant to be," Sanemi murmured, a sob lacing his voice. "Idiot. I wish you weren't. You should've lived. Why? Why'd you...

"Giyuu, I came here to tell you that living is going to be hell. More than before. Because you're gone. I loved you, Giyuu. I did. I do." Sanemi sighed and stood, looking one last time at the gravestone before turning away. "Goodbye. I'll see you soon."

{Word count: 2504}

I'm so proud of this. Why? I'm not sure, BUT I AM!!

Also,

i didn't swear ONCE in this whole thing :p

I don't think hell counts anyways..

#sanegiyuu #kny #kimetsu no yaiba #sillyness #demon slayer #fluff #angst #more random tags #sanemi shinazugawa #giyuu tomioka #sanemi x giyuu #kny sanemi #angsty #tsutako

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monamipencil · 1 month ago

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hello, i have come here to once again cry abt this fic.

first of all, mia tysm for letting me beta read!!

and second of all. your brain?? the talent to come up with a plot like this and be able to pull it off??? omg. i have never been so excited to reread a fic like this ever. that's the grip this story had on me

ngl, rereading the fic felt like i was in a buzzfeed unsolved true crime video lmao. i was analysing every bits and pieces. 😌 im simply such a fan of mia's works

also, annotations below!! (SPOILERS AHEAD!)

(ps, the annotations are very sarcastic at some places lmao. seeing everything in a diff light was very enlightening ngl. and how tf did i miss so many forebodings???)

Joshua turned his attention to what he liked to call his ‘murder board’. Wrong choice of name yes, but someone once told him that positive manifestation was a real thing. Maybe if he kept calling it a ‘murder board’ for long enough, one day he’d finally find himself climbing the ranks, handling real murder cases.

very nice choice of words. (just realised what this meant, im shook🧍‍♀️)

What bothered Joshua the most was that he had spent five years in the field, aced every exam, and most importantly, the sergeant position had been vacant for two months How could he ever climb the ranks with these six cases making him look like an undeserving amateur?

how pitiable … wow im so sad for him 😞

If only they walked into the station, looking for him. And then, you did.

girl—🧍‍♀️sighs i feel like an overzealous grandma watching this all unfold again

When you finally met his eyes, Joshua softened his expression, silently urging you to speak.

… speak girl, speak. i am SO done lmao

Joshua blinked in disbelief, then scoffed softly. “Spirits?” He repeated, incredulous. “You’re saying ghosts are following you?”

hmmm… i wonder who told her to

He had to engage you till he had help, he had to play his cards right.

this sentence sounds so different now …

Looking around the room at nothing in particular you began mumbling something. Slowly, one after the other, you started dropping names as though you were repeating after an invisible, unheard voice.

yk if i was her, i’d be so embarrassed or start laughing bcuz lmao what??? home girl doing all this for love

This couldn’t just be a coincidence right?

oh no why would it be a coincidence, josh??

Some of them looked terrified, constantly looking around, some looked at him plain confused like they still hadn’t put the pieces together.

he rly played all of them so well

“She came to me, the case is mine,” Joshua looked at her pointedly. “So I call the shots.”

ofc he’s dealing with the only skeptic like this

Turning to you, he pulled your chair closer. “Show me.” His voice was low, urgent. “Right now.”

he can be a good actor, oscar award winning actor joshua.

Something about you unsettled him, though he couldn’t put his finger on it. His eyes found their way to you, running all over your features, lingering longer than they should have.

omg what a cute couple ?!?!? 🙂

“I believe every man should have some bad habit.” Joshua chuckled, offering a small smile. “Keeps him grounded.”

uhuh …. I see. of course, smoking is the only bad habit you have

You hummed, looking far off at the quiet darkness of the town. “I don't know if this is bad but, I tend to go to any lengths to help the people I love.”

down bad means being 6ft underground for her. Nothing like digging your own grave ofc

Joshua’s lips pressed together. His gaze flicked to you, considering your words. “Must be why the spirits chose to talk to you,” he muttered, more to himself than to you. “Maybe they knew you’d help no matter what.”

le sigh yep, definitely. Soo true

“Not now, tomorrow morning.” He glanced at your eager expression, hands itching to tuck that tiny strand of hair behind your ear. “It's late now, you should head home.”

i used to ship you both… oh my god, this is annoying me. HE PROLLY DOESN’T EVEN MEAN HALF THE THINGS HE SAYS

Maybe you were never really terrified. Either way, the unsettling shift in your demeanor troubled his mind.

ohh is it troubling you officer josh???

Or were you the trouble that was looming around the corner?

… bro oh my god, just. le sigh x2

god this makes me sick knowing the truth

All ten of them had died on their birthday and not just that - all of their birthdays fell on the 30th of the month.

his bday falls on 30th too…

Perhaps it was because he knew the moment he revealed this discovery, all eyes would turn to one person—You.

i wonder why it would turn to her

“Ji Ho, just because the two of us were once a thing and it didn’t work out-”

damn, this is how he was riling her up and making her think he’s innocent too

You turned to him, curious. “Did you find any of the killers?”

the fact that she doesn’t actually know the truth kills me

“I won’t be surprised.” You pursed your lips. “I’ve never really liked the number 30 either. It’s like a deadline... something always looming, reminding you of the things you haven’t done. The things you can’t undo.”

i am very curious on why she said this.. particular thing??

Joshua nodded. Exactly. It was easy. Which meant it couldn’t have been you, could it? You wouldn’t have committed those crimes and then set up a trap for yourself would you? That made no sense.

oh who could’ve done it?? (quoting shane madej, 2016)

And it was evident you liked him too.

it is very evident, trust me

Except there was only one tiny thing between the two of you - you might be a potential murderer and Joshua might have to implicate you for your crimes. Which is why none of this could be true. You could not be the killer.

yes ofc

“But you could have helped the killer.” Minho shrugged. “The sentence for an accomplice to murder is less severe Miss Y/n, if you admit to it, we can help you-”

🧍‍♀️so many foreshadowings but i never saw it coming at all

Joshua took a step back, mind running through the possibilities. About who might have such a motive, who might have manipulated the evidence…..

who could’ve done this pt.2

The suffocation her competitiveness brought forth was what stifled their bond - Joshua couldn’t live with it any longer.

now i dont trust these words either–i wonder if there was actually any fault on her or if it’s his twisted feelings

“I know you Josh, I know something is wrong. Your judgement has been clouded for days, you’re not thinking straight. But I am.”

… something is wrong

“The people at the store confirmed that a few weeks back she had run in, scared and shaking, claiming she was followed. The neighbours also said that she had approached them for help a few times but they didn't see anyone.”

miss girl is down bad, ain’t no way im doing all this for some guy i love

“Joshua….” You looked up at him, eyes widening. For the first time in days, you saw something other than apology in his eyes. You clung to that look, hoping it meant he was still on your side. Ji Ho followed him, walking into the room right behind, earning a small frown from you.

did i mention that she was down bad??? and she’s jealous. honestly, i feel bad for her

“You'll be fine.” He held onto you tighter. “I'm not going to let anything happen to you.”

the manipulation is crazy

“You can also think of it as an early birthday present from me.”

yeah, exactly what he wanted

Joshua glanced at the calendar, the black rimmed circle placed over 29th December. His birthday was tomorrow.

it should’ve been a red flag from the first. why was he not worried abt himself in the first place??

Something about your words stung Joshua differently. Indeed, the perpetrator should be punished, but for that, it was necessary to find the real culprit. A tiny voice in his head was making him doubt his choice.

…

It didn’t feel like an intimate gesture, more like a goodbye, a farewell to something unspoken.

….

It smelled faintly of lavender, mixed with a subtle undertone of something he couldn’t quite place.

im also curious abt what’s this smell??

your eyes searching his face as if reading something he didn’t want you to see.

…

"Did I play my part well, Shua?" At last, at fucking last, Joshua allowed the mask to crack, a small, victorious smile dancing on his face.

i was so fucking shocked the first time i read this, almost lost my damn mind

Dragging his hand down from your cheek, he wrapped it around your throat, pulling you closer,

listen-im just a girl 🎀

But before you could, hand on your head, he pushed you down, forcing you onto your knees.

cough cough i-uhm, one chance pls josh—*alarms blaring*

He had supposedly solved all six of those never ending missing cases, he had secured his promotion and no one even found out that he was the real killer.

mia, your brain never fails to amaze me. Just how do u come up with these plots??

Knowing what he was going to do next, you obediently stilled as he held your face with both his hands and, god did he fuck it like there was no tomorrow.

He wasn’t trying to trap you, no no, you were his favourite doll - he just needed to somehow introduce the twin twist, his most brilliant plot point.

smthn is wrong with me, why do i like this

“Happy birthday Shua.” Cocking his head at you, Joshua returned your smile. “Happy birthday to you too sweetheart.”

and this ??? my god, your thinking >>>

About how you hated your sister, how you were the one the Mayor wanted to adopt but she had locked you in the storeroom while she took your place and left to live a life full of luxuries.

i still don’t feel bad for her, she had it coming

Joshua's joy knew no bounds when he discovered the tumultuous relationship between you sisters. Oh this could be his most elaborate scheme yet, so many birds to hit with one stone. But the first and most important thing he needed for that was for you to be irrevocably in love with him.

what a fucking psycho

Surprisingly, that was the easiest part. All it took was some praise, some attention and a few sessions of love making - within a month, you were ready to do or die for him.

grrr, he’s so manipulative

That was his final victim of the year - another death on the 30th, another death on their birthday.

jeez, such a sicko

She had white hair, her back was bent weirdly, there was a burn mark on her hand….. Ye Soon.

twist after twist, just how do u do this, mia?!!?

Outside, the loud sirens of the ambulance heading towards the precinct resounded in the otherwise quiet town. It seems the story of the Calendar Killer had finally come to an end.

the perfect end to the most perfect story

all this for a promotion and a paycheck.... damn. honestly understandable. have your paycheck and ticket out of this town boy. no one's blaming you 🙂

and the fact at the end, it's her who is facing the consequences of his actions. and i actually shipped them both in the beginning 🧍‍♀️... even fictional men are betraying wtf??

and also insane choice of member. joshua suits this role so perfectly!! im telling you mia, your such a talented writer. you pulled this off so flawlessly and this was not predictable at all. kudos to you <33

Calendar Killer (HJS)

Was it really love if it didn't include just a little madness? What was love if it didn't cross the line? And how was it love if it didn't care whether it was the red of love and the red of blood?

Pairing - Afab!reader x Detective! Hong Jisoo (Joshua)

Word count - 14K (we are back to Mia's inability to be concise)

Genre - Psych thriller, smut (18+), supernatural elements hinted, warnings under the cut!

A/n - This is the last installment of my 95s psych thriller Halloween series - I know its late but I just wanted to finish up what I committed to. Also, this is the wildest thing I have ever written, I'm not kidding, buckle up! I do suggest reading Jeonghan's and Cheol's before reading this though - the plots aren't connected, its just, they may feel a little underwhelming after this one.....I truly went all out

Thank you to Lola ❤️ @monamipencil, the love of my life for beta reading this and filling our chat with 'oh my god's and frantic comments - I'm a lot more pleased with this piece now hehe

Warnings - Please note that this fic is dark, not morally appropriate at all and as psychotic as it gets. With that being said, let's goooo - people missing, mentions of deaths, bodies, murders, serial killer, mentions of stalking, choking, blowjobs, throat fucking, hair pulling, cum in mouth, masturbation, manhandling, unprotected sex, rough sex, marking, slight dubcon, creampie, psycho thoughts and behaviour

The station buzzed with the oppressive hum of a fluorescent light, flickering occasionally. The air was thick with the musty scent of old paper, the subtle clicking of the typewriter and cold winds blowing in through the open door.

“Great job today boss.”

Joshua looked up from the paperwork strewn across his desk at Minho standing by the coffee machine, a mug in hand. the dark circles stark under his eyes. It had been a sleepless few weeks for everyone in his team and nights at the station were only getting longer and longer.

Giving a tired nod of acknowledgement, Joshua turned his attention to what he liked to call his ‘murder board’. Wrong choice of name yes, but someone once told him that positive manifestation was a real thing. Maybe if he kept calling it a ‘murder board’ for long enough, one day he’d finally find himself climbing the ranks, handling real murder cases. He knew with just a little more power in his hands, he could be brilliant - he was a good detective, he had great intuition, he was sharp, efficient. Oh he’d make a fantastic sergeant or maybe even a lieutenant but instead, here he was, sitting in a tiny cubicle, the pages of his case files scattered across his desk, each one heavy with unanswered questions.

Six missing persons cases. That’s what Joshua was stuck on now.

Given his brilliance, it normally didn’t take more than a week for him to crack a case but these? These cases had turned into a three-month-long nightmare of frustration - endless hours of interrogation, dead end leads and constant running in circles. What bothered Joshua the most was that he had spent five years in the field, aced every exam, and most importantly, the sergeant position had been vacant for two months—ever since Hye Jin left for maternity leave. And yet, here he was, stuck in this cubicle, staring at the empty faces on case files, with no promotion in sight. How could he ever climb the ranks with these six cases making him look like an undeserving amateur?

One miracle—that’s all he needed. Six miracles, really. One clue per case, just a single point he had missed, one thing he might have overlooked. Shutting his eyes and leaning back in his chair, he sighed, wondering where on Earth he should look for answers. If only they walked into the station, looking for him.

And then, you did.

The creak of the door was what made Joshua’s eyes flicker up, following you as you stepped into the precinct. You were wet from head to toe, hair sticking to your face and neck, your knee-length white nightgown clinging to your body as if you’d been caught in a downpour.

Joshua glanced outside.

The sky was gray and heavy, but it was not raining.

He frowned, rising from his chair. “Can I help you?”

You didn’t speak right away, your eyes darting around the room, searching for something. Joshua’s instincts flickered to life. Something was off, not in a way that screamed danger. Just… unsettling.

Water dripped all over the floor as you walked barefoot, struggling to take steps, shaking eyes, trembling lips and bruised knees accompanying you. Hand hovering over his pager, Joshua’s gaze shifted to his team, who were quietly filling the room, all of them sensing the shift in the air.

“Are you okay?” He took a tentative step toward you, searching for answers on your face when you refused to meet his eyes. Instead they kept darting nervously over your shoulder and towards the door as though someone was about to follow you in.

Joshua frowned at the entrance. “Is someone else coming-”

“Don’t look.” You whispered, grabbing his hands, skin cold and grip tight. “I need help.”

With a single gesture, Joshua had his team pull up a chair for you as he shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around your trembling shoulders before gently guiding you to sit. The air around you hummed, almost electric, as if something unknown was lingering.

Stepping back, Joshua leaned against his desk. “What’s going on?”

You hesitated, glancing nervously around the room. When you finally met his eyes, Joshua softened his expression, silently urging you to speak.

“Talk to me.”

“I.. I’m..” You muttered, your hands nervously fiddling with the fabric of your nightgown. “I’m being followed.”

Joshua's brow furrowed, and he exchanged a glance with his team who immediately began heading towards the door. But you shook your head, fear evident in your voice. “They’re already here. In the precinct.”

“What do you mean?” He studied the room, his mind racing as everyone began frantically looking around, more alert than ever. “No one came in after you-”

“Y-you can’t see them.” You raised your head, looking directly over Joshua’s shoulder, gulping. “.....Only I can.”

Joshua followed your line of vision, his eyes finding the empty corner of the room. What on earth were you looking at?

“I don’t understand, Miss…?”

“Y/n,” Your voice was steady despite the fear in your eyes.

“Miss Y/n.” Joshua hesitated but still squatted in front of you, his eyes level with yours. “I’m here to help. You have to tell me exactly what’s happening..”

Taking a shaky breath, you pulled the jacket closer to your body. “It started a week ago, I was coming back from the supermarket and there was a woman, standing right at the edge of the street.”

“Was she someone you knew?”

You shook your head. “I could sense her following me all the way home so I made sure to close the door as soon as I stepped inside but when I went into the kitchen…. ..she was already there.“

Joshua’s jaw tightened as he listened, watching you gulp the phantom lump in your throat.

“I grabbed a knife and ran out, screaming for help, but when I brought my neighbor in… there was no one. It was like she vanished…. disappeared, into thin air.”

Joshua’s brows furrowed. “She ran off before you got back?”

You didn’t answer the question, simply continued.

“Then the next day she was there again, but this time with three others. It was too early in the morning, the street was empty, I-I couldn't even ask anyone for help. When I entered the house I locked myself in again, but when I went into the kitchen…” You let out a shaky breath. “They were already inside. And just like before, when I tried to get help… they disappeared.”

Joshua leaned forward, concerned.

“The third day there were more of them, but this time I ran back to the store to get the cashier or the other townspeople to help me but no one could see them….. even though there were, standing right there, at the door, no one could see them.”

The room grew tense as Joshua exchanged looks with his team. What was happening here?

“Miss Y/n are you sure they were there?” Joshua asked, his voice low.

“I’m not crazy,” You whispered, voice trembling. “They were there then… and they’re here now. All ten of them, right behind you.”

Joshua felt something cold trickle down his spine. This time, he didn’t feel like looking behind him..

“Y-you can’t see them because they…” You hesitated.. “They are spirits.”

The room that was already quiet to begin with grew more silent. Even the fluorescent light seemed to pause, waiting for someone to break the tension. Joshua blinked in disbelief, then scoffed softly.

“Spirits?” He repeated, incredulous. “You’re saying ghosts are following you?”

You didn’t flinch at his tone. Your gaze remained serious, too serious as you nodded.

Joshua’s eyes flickered to his team, who were exchanging nervous looks. Things were slipping beyond the edge of rational thought. Was this the universe’s way of taunting him? Yes he has always wanted to work on more complex cases but a beautiful looking seemingly mad woman who could see spirits? That was not on his bucket list. Nor was it his expertise.

Ji Ho, the only woman on the team and ever the skeptic, slowly walked up to you, her voice calm but firm. “Miss Y/n, don’t worry, we can get you the help you need-”

“You think I’m crazy.” You shook your head, eyes wide, desperate and not leaving Joshua’s “I swear, you have to believe me, I’m not insane.”

Realising you wouldn’t cooperate, Joshua held up a hand, signaling for Ji Ho to step back as he slowly reached for his pager, dialing in the code for help.

“I promise we’ll help you Miss Y/n, you need to trust us-.”

Suddenly, moving with startling speed, you grabbed the pager out of his hands, anger in your eyes sharp.

“You’re not listening!” You hissed, your grip tightening around the tiny device. Your hands, which had been shaking just moments before, suddenly stilled. It was as if you had snapped into a new state of resolve - you weren’t just pleading for help anymore; there was something else behind your gaze. Demand.. “These spirits won’t leave me until I give them what they want and you're the only one who can help me do that. I-I can’t live like this anymore.”

Joshua’s fingers tightened around the edge of the desk, his knuckles turning white. Something was off. You were clearly in distress, but there was something more beneath the surface. Something dangerous. The guard he had called for arrived at the door, waiting for his orders. Joshua nodded at Ji Ho who understood immediately and whispered something into his ears. As the uniformed man took off, Joshua walked over to this seat, pulling out a book and a pen. He had to engage you till he had help, he had to play his cards right.

“Fine.” He flipped to an empty page, ready to write. “Tell me more. These spirits, what do they want?”

“T-they’ve been telling me their stories, about who they are, about what happened”

“Okay…. Who are they?” Joshua tapped his pen against the surface. “Do you know their names?”

You shook your head. “I…I don’t but, I can ask.”

Looking around the room at nothing in particular you began mumbling something. Slowly, one after the other, you started dropping names as though you were repeating after an invisible, unheard voice. Joshua scribbled them down, eyes constantly darting towards the door, waiting for help. But as the list got longer, with each name he wrote, Joshua felt his guts twist.

As did the whole team.

Because they had all spent enough nights on those case files to have every detail memorised.

Six of the ten names were the missing cases they had been working on.

“A-are you sure these… these are the six names?”

“Ten.” You corrected him. “Yes, these are the ten names.”

Ji Ho met Joshua’s eyes from across the room, shaking her head. How could it be? More than half the names matching their list of victims, this…. This couldn’t just be a coincidence right?

“You said you can see them? Can you, maybe, describe one of them for me?” Joshua studied your face as your eyebrows furrowed. “The old woman, Ye Soon, what does she look like?”

“S-she’s around 60 years old. White hair, kind of like a curly bob. She’s got scoliosis so she stands a little crookedly.” You looked at the empty space behind him. “She also has a burn mark on her right hand.”

Joshua froze. You were right. Down to every detail.

“And Macy?”

You turned around, looking over by the window. “She looks like a typical college kid - soft features, long straight hair, cheeks a bit sunken. She also peels the skin by her nails, they’re all bruised.”

Right again. Your words matched the photos tucked away in the case file almost exactly.

“And Jason-”

“Officer Hong, we’re wasting time.” You shook your head. “Describing them is of no use, it doesn’t matter. What matters is what happened to them.”

“You mean….” Joshua tapped his foot, his mind racing, the realisation just dawning upon him.. “You mean how they died?”

“I mean how they were murdered.” You lowered your voice just a little. “And now they want justice.”

The silence now was cold, heavy and deafening. No one knew what to do - the weight of your words had immobilised them all.

“Josh.” Ji Ho, the only one unable to stay silent anymore, stepped up. “A word?”

Excusing himself, Joshua got up and made his way to his team, all seven of them huddling around. Some of them looked terrified, constantly looking around, some looked at him plain confused like they still hadn’t put the pieces together.

“Something’s wrong.” Ji ho crossed her arms. “There’s no way she-”

“Knows the exact names and descriptions of missing people? Details of a private investigation?” Minho quipped. “I think it finally makes sense why we’ve not been able to trace these people…. They're dead.”

“Which means all this while what we should have actually been looking for, are bodies.” Jaehyun sighed.

“What?” Ji ho looked at the boys like she couldn’t believe they were falling for this. “You think this is real? You think spirits are actually talking to her?” She turned to Joshua. “Please tell me you’re smarter than to believe in this madness.”

“I don’t know what to believe right now.” Joshua pinched the bridge of his nose, lost in thought. “I think we should hear what she has to say-”

“Josh-”

“Ji Ho, we've been on these cases for months without a single solid lead.” He sighed. “As impossible as this might seem, I am desperate and I want to take a shot.”

“You’re wasting the team’s time. I don’t think-”

“She came to me, the case is mine,” Joshua looked at her pointedly. “So I call the shots.”

Throwing her hands in the air, Ji Ho walked away, refusing to be a part of what she mumbled - a meaningless spectacle. Joshua returned, pulling a chair up, sitting right before you. Although he was the one who wanted answers, you beat him to the questioning.

“You don’t believe me do you?” You sounded so scared. “You think I’m insane.”

“I want to believe you, trust me Miss Y/n, you have no idea how easy it would make my life to believe you, six of these people are actually….” Shaking his head he held himself back, sticking to what was important. “The point is, you have come to the right place for help, the law can help you. But the law also requires proof, you need to prove what you’re saying is true.”

You gulped, tapping your feet unsure, eyes darting around.

“Ye Soon, that old woman.” You looked at him, slightly hesitating. “What if I took you to her?”

Joshua frowned confused.

“What if I showed where she is…. “ Scooting closer to him, you whispered. “She told me everything, I can take you to where her body is.”

Ji Ho looked at Joshua with narrowed eyes. Joshua returned her look with an unreadable expression. As though the universe had timed it all, the guard finally returned with help - two men dressed in soft blue scrubs carrying the logo of the town’s only psychiatric hospital.

There were one of two things Joshua could do. He knew sending you away was the right thing to do, he knew you needed help, he knew listening to you was madness.

But he also knew you were the closest thing to answers he had gotten in months.

Turning to you, he pulled your chair closer. “Show me.” His voice was low, urgent. “Right now.”

Joshua stood by the back door, the rain slashing against the pavement like a thousand tiny daggers. He lit his cigar, inhaling the smoke as the faint hum of the town’s heartbeat seemed to vanish into the downpour. The cold air bit at his skin, but he didn’t care. His thoughts, heavy with the case, weighed him down more than any storm ever could.

Beside him you stood, leaning against the brick wall, your arms holding on to his jacket, wrapped around your midsection as if bracing against the cold. Your damp nightgown had long since dried, but the way you stood, your shoulders slightly hunched, made it seem like you were still caught in the storm.

Joshua couldn’t help but watch you. Something about you unsettled him, though he couldn’t put his finger on it. His eyes found their way to you, running all over your features, lingering longer than they should have.

“Smoking is bad for your health.”

You finally spoke, looking at him with those big eyes. Brown, soft, expressionless eyes.

“I believe every man should have some bad habit.” Joshua chuckled, offering a small smile. “Keeps him grounded.”

You laughed softly—a sound that almost got lost in the rain’s incessant roar, but thankfully, his ears were sharp enough to catch it.

“Do you have a bad habit Miss Y/n?”

You hummed, looking far off at the quiet darkness of the town. “I don't know if this is bad but, I tend to go to any lengths to help the people I love.”

When he turned to see what you thought of that, he found a small almost imperceptible smile tugging the corner of your lips. It was subtle, but present, making his chest tighten unexpectedly

“What?” he asked, his voice betraying the flutter in his chest.

You shook your head, still smiling. “I’m just relieved you believe me.”

How could he not? Afterall, Ye Soon was indeed where you said she would be - at the abandoned ice cream factory, tucked away in a large freezer, the body months old and ice cold. His team—especially Ji Ho—had recoiled in disbelief, but you? You hadn’t flinched. You stood aside, quiet and composed, as the body was recovered.

Over the last two hours, samples of hair, nails, fluid and whatever else that could be found were gathered and sent to the forensic lab for analysis but Joshua had a bigger question to address.

“Is…” He took a deep breath. “Is Ye Soon somewhere around here?”

“She’s by the gate.” You turned to him. “Why?”

“I just want to confirm….. you’re sure she didn’t see the face of her killer?”

On the ride back, you had recounted Ye Soon’s entire story to the team. How she had felt like she was being stalked for a long time. How she didn’t usually go anywhere at night but on the evening of her birthday, she couldn’t resist the free dinner invitation she received. How she was walking to the restaurant, dressed up and all alone when she was attacked from behind.

You shook your head, expression slightly dejected. “No, her killer wore a mask so she had no idea who it was. One moment she was hit on the head and bleeding to death and the next, she found herself looking at her body in the freezer…. as a spirit.”

“If justice is what she wants, it's going to be hard without having any idea who the killer is.” He sighed. “For now, we can start looking into why a freezer was functioning in an abandoned factory for the last 4 months but…. I’m not sure if it’ll lead to anything solid.”

“Don't lose hope already.” You pushed yourself off the wall, taking a step closer to him. “The forensic team might have some answers.”

“I hope so.” He nodded, but his thoughts were elsewhere. His gaze lingered on you, and for a brief moment, he imagined what it might be like to trust you completely. “Miss Y/n, I'll need you to lead me to the other nine bodies too. I hope it won’t be too much trouble for you.”

“Of course not.” You shook your head, hand finding his wrist reassuringly. “Although one of them is quite far and it's already past midnight-”

“Not now, tomorrow morning.” He glanced at your eager expression, hands itching to tuck that tiny strand of hair behind your ear. “It's late now, you should head home.”

You nodded, drawing your hand back, and Joshua already missed the warmth of your touch. Taking a step back, you attempted to remove his jacket, but when a strong gust of wind blew, a shiver ran down your body.

Joshua chuckled, pulling it up your arms, adjusting it over your shoulders. “Keep it, it suits you better.”

“Careful officer.” You smiled at him. “If you come asking for it again, I won't give it back.”

“Fine by me.” He laughed. “Let me grab my keys, I'll drop you.”

“That's okay, I'll walk.”

“It's raining Miss Y/n. I don't think-”

“I like walking in the rain.” You stuck your hand out in the pouring water. “Makes me feel good.”

“I could walk you.”

“It’s not like I don’t have company.” Joshua frowned as you giggled. “The spirits, officer. They follow me everywhere.”

That flicker of something playful in your eyes - Joshua was seeing it for the first time. When you had walked in here earlier you had been so terrified, shaking, desperate for help. Now you seemed so unfazed. Maybe you were glad that you were finally getting help. Maybe you were never really terrified. Either way, the unsettling shift in your demeanor troubled his mind.

“You sure you’ll be okay?” His tone was lighter than he intended, masking what he was truly feeling.

“I’ll be fine,” You brushed him off with the wave of a hand. “I’ll just get lost in my own thoughts, without any distractions.”

Joshua didn’t stop you as you began walking. He simply watched as you glanced over your shoulder, muttering a small “good night” before stepping into the rain. Slowly, as your figure was swallowed by the darkness of the night, Joshua retreated into the debate in his mind. Should he follow to make sure you weren’t in trouble?

Or were you the trouble that was looming around the corner?

Joshua leaned back in his chair, his eyes locked on the scattered files in front of him. The low hum of the fluorescent lights above, along with the steady, almost rhythmic tap of his fingers against the desk, were the only sounds that filled the otherwise silent room. The pile of crime scene files seemed to grow heavier with each glance—each one a grim reminder of the ten bodies they had recovered. Ten people dead, each with their own story, now reduced to nothing more than photos, forensic reports, and police notes.

Two weeks. Two long weeks of following the trail you’d led them to, finding all ten victims hidden in the most unimaginable locations, each one’s story recounted with haunting detail. As per protocol, his team had collected every piece of evidence they could find, and the progressive inspection of each item only further corroborated your stories. Ji Ho, who had initially resisted being part of this madness, had also joined, keenly looking into the details of the investigation.

There was just one detail that Joshua could not wrap his head around - the fact that all ten victims had apparently not seen their killer’s face.

Each one had been attacked from behind - either struck on the head, run over by a car, strangled from behind or shoved off a building. It was always from the back, perfectly concealing their perpetrators face, keeping that identity a mystery. Aside from this one detail which was making the progress of his investigation incredibly difficult, Joshua did not notice anything strikingly similar amongst all the cases.

That was until he was staring at his now very real murder board earlier today.

It was filled with a dozen pictures and pins, only getting messier with every detail but there was one connection Joshua happened to piece as he searched for the finer details - Ye Soon was going for a dinner on her birthday, Macy was returning from a birthday party her friends had thrown her, Jason was going to meet his girlfriend to celebrate his birthday….. All ten of them had died on their birthday and not just that - all of their birthdays fell on the 30th of the month.

And that was when the pieces clicked. Joshua arranged all ten cases according to a timeline, spanning from January this year to November. Every month on the 30th, right on their birthday, one victim had died and Joshua knew for a fact that this was a pattern because there was no victim in February - the only month without a 30th.

This was an MO. This wasn’t the work of ten different killers. It was one. One serial killer.

The moment he realized this, he knew he should share it with his team, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to. Perhaps it was because he knew the moment he revealed this discovery, all eyes would turn to one person—You.

And sure enough, the door slammed open and Ji Ho entered, a thick file in her hand.

“I heard back from forensics.” She walked over, setting the papers on his table. “But you’re a brilliant detective Joshua, so you must have already figured this out.”

“What?” Joshua sipped on his coffee, trying to appear nonchalant.

“There were many different DNAs collected at the crime scenes, but one particular DNA was found at every single one.”

Fuck. There it was. His worst fear, out loud.

“This is clearly a serial killer Joshua.” When he didn’t meet her eye, she moved into his line of vision. “For heaven’s sake, why are you trying to protect her?”

“Who?” Joshua shot back, his jaw tightening.

“Y/n.” She spoke through gritted teeth. “Please tell me you’re not being an infatuated fool-”

“I’m not a fool.”

“But you don’t deny the infatuation.” Ji Ho’s voice rose as she pointed at him. “I’ve seen you two over the last many days - you think I don’t recognise the way you look at her?”

“Ji Ho, just because the two of us were once a thing and it didn’t work out-”

“This isn’t about us!” She threw her hands in the air, frustration evident. “You know I’m more professional than that. This is about you. You saw a petite, pretty damsel in distress who told you a sob story and leaned on your shoulder and you decided to forget about everything sensible.”

“You aren’t being sensible!” Joshua turned to face her, anger simmering. “Ji Ho, if Y/n was the killer why would she lead us to the bodies? Why would she try to implicate herself?”

“You know how the brains of psychos work. They think they’re too smart, that they’ll never be caught.” Ji Ho crossed her arms. “This is just a game for her.”

Joshua shook his head. “She’d have to be too dumb to expose herself like this. Using the paranormal to do it, don’t you think it’s too much?”

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.” Ji Ho let out a heavy breath. “So I did what I had to do. I called Y/n here.”

He frowned. “Why?”

“I took a sample of her hair without her knowledge and sent it to the lab.” Ji Ho took a step back, her eyes cold. “In a short while, we’ll know if that DNA matches hers… You’ll have your answers then.”

“Ji Ho, this wasn’t my order—”

“I’m sorry but I don’t care, Josh.” She stopped her tracks by the door. “We might have been in love years ago, but I know what you are like. You’ll do anything to protect her and I cannot just sit back and watch you indulge in this stupidity.”

“I’m none of your fucking concern!” Joshua’s voice rose in frustration as she walked out without another word. “Ji Ho, come back here, goddammit!”

Frustrated he slammed his hands on the table, the coffee cup toppling to the ground. It wasn’t like Joshua hadn’t thought of this possibility but this was his case to solve. He wanted to talk to you first, hear whatever it was from your mouth, not some cold DNA report.

Recalling Ji Ho say that you were here, Joshua bolted out of his room to the visitors lounge. There you were, sitting on the couch with your feet pulled up, flipping through a magazine while the sound of a Spanish telenovela played in the background. Annoyed by the noise, Joshua grabbed the remote and switched it off before walking toward you.

In the sudden absence of the sound you looked up, eyes finding him, a smile spreading across your face as he sat beside you on the couch. Normally, Joshua wouldn’t sit so close to a witness—or take her hand in his—but you were different.

“Hi.” You whispered. “You look tense.”

“How long have you been here?”

“About half an hour,” You rubbed his arm comfortingly. “Ji Ho said you wanted to talk to me.”

Joshua swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. “There’s been some progress in the case.”

You turned to him, curious. “Did you find any of the killers?”

“Not exactly.” He shook his head. “I…I got a lead, though. Actually I’m not sure it’s much of a clue.”

“What is it?”

“All of them were killed on the 30th of the month.” He watched you closely, studying your face for any flicker of recognition, of guilt. “It seems like a pattern. Like this might be the work of one person.”

“One person?” Your eyes widened. “You mean like a serial killer?”

Joshua nodded.

“A serial killer who kills on the 30th of every month.” You muttered, lost in thought. “Why the 30th?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged, his voice tight. “Maybe they don’t like the number.”

Joshua blinked, trying to keep his expression neutral. Please, please, please, this can’t be true.

“But if I am right and if this is a pattern,.” He stared at their intertwined hands. “30th December is not far off and maybe they have another victim in their sight…. I need to find this killer soon.”

“If it is a serial killer then this is much easier than we thought.” You reassured, turning towards him. “Think about it, isn’t it better to find one person than ten? And won’t all the evidence help you narrow down who the culprit is? All you have to do is something common amongst them all, right?”

Joshua nodded. Exactly. It was easy. Which meant it couldn’t have been you, could it? You wouldn’t have committed those crimes and then set up a trap for yourself would you? That made no sense.

Or perhaps Joshua was refusing to see sense in it. Perhaps he was so drawn by you that he couldn’t bring himself to see reason.

With each passing day, he had found his eyes lingering less over the crime scene and more over you. With each body being discovered, it was like the weight on your shoulders was lessening. You seemed more free, more at peace, more…..beautiful. Whenever your eyes met his, you began to smile. Whenever he rode his bike and you sat behind him, he felt his heart do a somersault in his chest. Just watching you walk into the station every morning made him feel a relief like no other.

Joshua had begun to like these small things. Your presence, your tiny quirks, the way you told stories, even though they were quite horrendous recounts, he liked how expressive your face was. He liked you.

And it was evident you liked him too.

At first, Joshua thought you liked to be around him because you felt safe but slowly you began sitting closer to him than usual. You began following him on walks to survey perimeters, holding his hand when you tripped but not letting it go even when you were steady. He could tell by the way you looked at him - you felt the same thing he was feeling. That undeniable attraction, that magnetism.

But no sooner than he thought that, the door to the visitors room flung open making the two of you jump apart and Ji Ho stepped in, a thin file in her hand.

“The results are back.” Her eyes flickered between both of you. “I’m sorry Josh but the DNA matches…. It’s her.”

Joshua's heart dropped. The words echoed in his mind, and for a split second, the world seemed to stop.

It was you. You were the killer.

Joshua stood in the observation room, his eyes locked on you through the two-way mirror.

You were slouched at the table, head low, your exhaustion palpable. The harsh light above cast long shadows across your face, making your features appear fragile and worn. Joshua’s heart tightened as he watched you. He longed to step in, to pull you close and promise that everything would be okay, but he couldn’t. He had to remain detached, professional—even though every instinct screamed to comfort you.

For the past three days, he had avoided entering the interrogation room, choosing instead to watch from the observation window, a silent witness to your suffering. He could see the strain in your eyes each time you pleaded for belief, for a chance to prove your innocence. Occasionally, you’d look towards him, and in those fleeting moments, it was as if you could see him right through the mirror. The desperate, pleading look you gave shattered something inside him—his resolve, his detachment. Every time, he felt that same arrow pierce his heart, and yet, he remained still, unable to intervene. Helpless.

His gaze flickered to Minho, who had just entered the room, pulling up his sleeves with the usual resolve. Joshua turned away from the mirror, his jaw tightening. He had to hold it together. He couldn’t let Minho see how he was unraveling inside.

“It’s my turn boss.” He glanced at Joshua. “Unless you want to?”

Joshua shook his head, sipping on his coffee. Minho sighed, pulling the door open and stepping in, catching you off guard with his sudden appearance. Joshua watched the man as he took a seat, settling the files on the table before you.

“Where’s Joshua?” You asked, your eyes flickering toward the door expectantly.

“I’ll ask the questions Miss.Y/n.” Minho cleared his throat a little too loudly.

“For the last time,” You sighed. “I did not do it. I am not the killer-”

“I’m not suggesting you are the killer Miss Y/n.” He pushed the file towards you. “I simply want you to explain why your DNA has been found on all ten sites.”

“I’ve already told you,” you leaned back in your chair, frustration evident in your voice. “When the spirits first talked to me, I went to some of those locations to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind. How many times do I have to repeat myself?”

“You mentioned you went to-” He flipped through the papers “-four sites. Then how was your DNA found at all ten?”

“Maybe because I was the one who led you to those locations,” you shot back, crossing your arms.

“Are you suggesting we are stupid enough to mess up the sample collection?” Minho’s voice grew colder. “That we sat back and let you contaminate those crime scenes?”

“Then are you suggesting that I am stupid enough to commit ten murders and walk into a station and implicate myself?” you retorted.

Minho leaned back, narrowing his eyes.“I don’t know Miss Y/n. I’m looking for you to give me the answers.”

“For god’s sake!” You slammed your palm onto the table, frustration boiling over. “If you think I’m going to cave to this tortuous questioning and admit to something I didn’t do, you’re wrong. I. Didn’t. Do. It.”

“But you could have helped the killer.” Minho shrugged. “The sentence for an accomplice to murder is less severe Miss Y/n, if you admit to it, we can help you-”

“I don’t need your help because I did not do this.” You glanced at the mirror,your eyes locking with Joshua’s yet again. “I made a mistake coming here thinking you could help me, you’d help them. But now I am being held here, blamed for something I didn’t do.”

Joshua’s grip on his coffee tightened, his gaze sliding away from you. He had nothing to say.

Minho exhaled sharply. “Miss Y/n, you are being held because the evidence clearly points at you-”

“Or maybe I’m here because you need a scapegoat to take the fall.” you interrupted, voice dripping with bitterness.

Surprised, Joshua straightened out.

“I heard six of these cases were in fact missing people that your team hadn’t been able to find in months.” you continued, your tone mocking. “Convenient isn’t it, to blame it all on the only other person involved in the uncovering of the crime scene? A nice, easy way to wrap this up neatly.”

“Are you implying that one of us manipulated the evidence to make it look like you’re the killer?” Minho snapped.

“I didn’t say that,” you tilted your head, your gaze sharp. “But you seem to be admitting to it.”

“Miss Y/n, don’t twist my words….”

But there was no need to.

Joshua took a step back, mind running through the possibilities. About who might have such a motive, who might have manipulated the evidence…..

There was only one person who popped in his mind. Someone who was as driven as him to solve these cases. Someone who didn’t want to be a part of the investigation but had joined regardless. Someone who could possibly benefit from trapping you in this case.

Ji Ho.

Joshua knew his ex girlfriend well enough to dismiss this possibility of her involvement. It was the reason the two of them had broken up - She was incredibly competitive, she never seemed to remember the relationship the two of them shared when they were in a professional space, she was never happy for him, never acknowledged his achievements.

But that did not mean there was no passion between them outside the walls of the precinct. God they were wild and couldn’t keep their hands and eyes off each other. Things were fine till whatever happened at work stayed at work, but the more Joshua became successful in his career, Ji Ho started bringing her professional grievances home, between them. The suffocation her competitiveness brought forth was what stifled their bond - Joshua couldn’t live with it any longer.

But maybe, now that he thought about it, this situation allowed her to kill two birds with one stone - on one hand, the cases termed nearly impossible could finally be closed and on the other, you, his new person of interest would be out of the way. Joshua saw the way Ji Ho looked at the two of you, like she didn’t like it one bit - her incriminating you wasn’t exactly impossible. When she had secretly taken a sample of your hair to cross verify with the identified DNA, who’s to say she didn’t plant the other evidence the same way?

Grabbing his pager from the table, he gave you one last glance before pulling the door open, setting off to look for the woman in question. He had to act fast. He needed to find out if Ji Ho was involved.

Thankfully he didn’t have to look far, she was right at the visitors room, remote in her hand, watching the same Spanish telenovela that had been perpetually on the station’s TV for months.

“Ji Ho-” Joshua called out.

“Shh,” she raised a hand to silence him, keeping her eyes on the screen. “I’m watching.”

“Is that more important than what’s happening with Y/n-”

“Honestly? Yeah,” she replied without missing a beat, her tone flippant. “This is actually what helped save her.”

Joshua stared at her, bewildered. “What do you mean, ‘save her’?”

“I think she’s innocent,” Ji Ho said, finally turning to face him.

All points of argument that Joshua had come up with died in his mind. What?

“You do? You believe she’s innocent?” He placed himself right before the screen. “You were the one who was so sure she did it-”

“I simply believed the evidence that came up.” She rolled her eyes. “But unlike you, I don’t let my emotions rule over practicality.”

“I did not-”

“I know you Josh, I know something is wrong. Your judgement has been clouded for days, you’re not thinking straight. But I am.” She crossed her arms, taking a deep breath. “I knew we needed more irrefutable evidence and most importantly, we needed a motive so I had been looking and asking around. Turns out she has an alibi.”

“What kind of alibi?”

“Didn't you say that she might have done all that to make her story more convincing?”

“Yes but,” Ji Ho bit her lower lip hesitating. “I also broke into her house-”

“You what??”

“-and I found her passport and a couple of other things that prove she wasn't even in town when three or four of those murders happened, the timelines don't match.”

“So it might not be her?” Joshua let out an inward sigh of relief. “Then… then what about the DNA?”

“Precisely.” Ji Ho nodded, gesturing him to turn around. “Watch this.”

Frowning Joshua did, eyes falling on the tv screen. He wasn't really familiar with this show, the only reason he had ever watched it was because Ji Ho was obsessed with it. He did remember this particular part of the plot though - everyone thought Maria was the mother of Lizzy but it was actually her twin, Gloria.

Twin?.....

“Identical twins have the exact same DNA.” Ji Ho muted the show as his mind raced with the possibilities. “Do you know if Y/n has a twin?”

Joshua shook his head. He didn't ask much about your family or personal life, he didn't really find the chance to have such a conversation but if there was even a possibility….

Rushing out, Joshua barged into the interrogation room where Minho was still badgering you with his questions.

“Y/n,” Watching Joshua unable to say anything she walked up, shoving her hands in her pockets. “There's something important we need to know.”

“What is it?” You continued to look at Joshua who simply nodded softly, signalling you not to worry.

“Do you happen to have a twin? An identical one?”

Blinking rapidly, you hesitated. “I…. I do, yeah, why?”

Joshua and Ji Ho exchanged looks. Fuck.

“Where is she?”

“I- I don't know. We both grew up at the St. Mary orphanage. At around the age of eight, she was adopted. The family didn't want two kids so they only took her in. Few months later I was adopted by a different family so we haven't really seen each other or even heard from each other since then.” Your eyes flickered between both the officers. “Why? What happened?”

Thank god. Thank fucking god.

Joshua let out the breath he was holding, shutting his eyes briefly out of relief.

Ji Ho, who looked both guilty and curious, stepped closer to you. “So you don’t know where she is right now?”

You shook your head, “But I know she's a Mayor's daughter, I don't remember for which town though.”

Nodding at Joshua, Ji Ho whispered something into Minho's ears before the two of them hurriedly left the room. Standing up confused, your eyes followed them as Joshua neared you.

“Joshua what's happening?”

He didn't say anything, just simply pulled you into a hug, finally feeling your warmth again as you wrapped your arms around his waist.

“You'll be fine.” He held onto you tighter. “I'm not going to let anything happen to you.”

Joshua watched you fast sleep on the couch of the visitor’s lounge.

Curled up, with your hair spilling over your face like a dark veil, you looked peaceful, untouched by the weight of the world. As much as Joshua longed to slip in beside you and to hold you as you slept, he knew better. He had to maintain some distance. The team had already been giving him looks whenever you stood too close to him, leaning over case files, working through the details of the investigation. At least the pity and disdain in their eyes had faded—now that you were cleared, they saw you as less of a suspect.

Ji Ho, ever the efficient one, had tracked down your twin just a few days ago. She had been found in a town several hours away, barely conscious, dragged into the precinct with the sour smell of alcohol still clinging to her. Standing beside Joshua, you watched your twin in the interrogation room, hungover and dazed, trying to make sense of the evidence mounting against her. Though you hadn’t spoken in years, the ache in your chest was unmistakable. You didn’t want to believe it was her but even after sobering up when she failed to provide any alibi, the truth was undeniable.

Her neighbors, friends, and even family all corroborated the fact that she had fallen deep into drugs, her life spiraling out of control. The last few months had turned her into someone unrecognizable—violent, unpredictable and uncontrollable. No one could vouch for her whereabouts during the killings either and as the investigation wore on, the evidence stacked up against her, leaving little room for doubt. In the end, she was arrested, the case moving forward to court where she was to be prosecuted for her crimes.

Today was your final day at the station—just a few papers to sign, a final nod to close the investigation. After this, the case would be officially closed and the two of you would not be bound by the investigation anymore - there was no obligation to see each other.

“You know,” Ji Ho’s voice broke the silence, pulling Joshua out of his thoughts, “just because the case is over doesn’t mean you won’t get to see her.”

Joshua turned to see her standing in the doorway, arms crossed, leaning casually against the frame.

“I know.” He muttered, feeling a familiar pang in his chest. “But how do you always know what I’m thinking?”

She chuckled, stepping into the room. “Because I know you, Joshua. Better than anyone. I just wish you knew me too. I wish you knew me better. I would never incriminate someone out of pettiness.”

He winced, guilt tugging at him. “I’m sorry. I guess I was just ready to believe anything that meant Y/n was innocent.”

Ji Ho glanced at you. “Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. She is innocent. “

“Thanks to you.” He smiled, looking at you slightly shifting in your sleep, mouth now slightly open as you continued to doze off. “She would have still been a suspect if not for your brilliance.”

“Nah.” Ji Ho waved her hand, dismissing his words. “I only did what I had to, it's my job. But what's really amazing is you cracked the cases Joshua, the ones no one could solve for months. I heard the promotion letter is on the way.”

“It should have been yours Ji Ho.” Staring at the ground Joshua shifted uncomfortably, refusing to meet her eyes. He couldn't bring himself to. “I know how much you wanted this too, and I… I don’t understand why you gave all the credit to me.”

Ji Ho sighed, her gaze distant. “I did want it. But I felt like you deserved it more, especially for all that I put you through the last many days.”

“So this is out of pity?”

“It's out of admiration.” She corrected. “I don't know if I would have been able to keep my calm the way you did when Y/n was being accused. You put your job above everything, you were the one who figured out the killer's MO, you were the driving force of this investigation. It's only right that you go up the ranks.” She then paused as though she was unsure if she should continue. “You can also think of it as an early birthday present from me.”

Joshua glanced at the calendar, the black rimmed circle placed over 29th December. His birthday was tomorrow. Here he was, too wrapped up in all this to even remember but of course Ji Ho did. Even after all that happened, she remembered.

“Thanks,” he muttered, trying to mask the sudden rush of gratitude. Before he could say more, his gaze shifted back to you. You were beginning to stir, shifting on the couch, their voices perhaps pulling you from your slumber.

Ji Ho noticed it too, and with a small nod, she tucked her hands in her pockets and began to back out of the room. “I should go. You and Y/n should have a nice celebration tomorrow, okay?”

Joshua smiled, not entirely convinced as she disappeared into the buzz of the busy office. Was he really worthy of a celebration though? Even though the six biggest problems of his life had been solved giving him the promotion he wanted more than anything, Joshua didn't quite find himself fully relieved. It was as though there was something he still wasn't seeing.

When you finally raised your head, blinking sleepily, Joshua pushed all his conflicting thoughts aside. Right now, only you mattered.

“Morning sunshine.” He smiled softly, voice light.

You glanced at the window, then at the clock. “It's 6pm Joshua.”

“Yes but you've been sleeping like it's the dead of the night.”

“Can you blame me?” You yawned. “For the first time in days, I'm able to sleep without thinking about somebody constantly watching me.” When Joshua looked confused, you sat up, crossing your legs. “The spirits, Joshua.”

“They're gone?”

“I haven't seen much of them the last few days, ever since she was brought in…..” You trailed off, your gaze flickering down to your restless hands. “I guess they've gotten the justice they're looking for.”

“I'd have thought they'd stick around at least till the trial.” Joshua looked thoughtful. “She's the Mayor's daughter. What if she buys her way out of this?”

“I don't know.” You shrugged. “I know her background might allow her to escape this unscathed but I hope not. Perpetrators deserve to be punished.”

“I thought twins were naturally very protective of one another.” He glanced at you carefully. “You seem okay with whatever is happening to your sister.”

You looked at him incredulously. “Of course I'm upset but you know what she did. I'm not emotionally attached to her because we barely know anything about each other but even if I was, do you think someone who killed so many people deserves to walk freely? The spirits trusted me to ensure they got justice Joshua, how can I let their murderer not face any consequences?”

Joshua stared at the wall behind you, mind racing to the time it all began with you walking into the station. Your claim about spirits only you could see, all ten spirits being unaware of their killer yet all ten of them conveniently being killed by the same person. Your knowledge of all the crime sites, finding your DNA in every single one. You happening to have a twin sister who, in contrast to your perfect alibis, didn't have any. It was all too easy - was it a lucky coincidence that the spirits found the estranged twin of their perpetrator to be their yielder of justice? Or had he in fact caught the wrong sister…..Joshua felt a chill run down his spine. Somehow, it didn't seem like this case was over - there was clearly more to it.

He turned his attention back to you, gulping when he realised you were studying his zoned out expression intently.

“What is it?” You raised an eyebrow. “What are you thinking?”

“Just…” He cleared his throat. “I wanted to come over and get my jacket back but I realised I didn't even know where you lived.”

You cocked your head at him, a knowing expression on your face. “I told you - Once you give it to me, I won’t return it if you ask.”

“Right.” Joshua chuckled, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

Fuck. This was his one shot to confirm the truth before it was too late. Twins might look identical and even have the same DNA but their fingerprints? Fingerprints were unique even among twins and Joshua wanted to get his hands on yours. His jacket being a leather one would have been an easy way to obtain them but now, he had to think of something else.

“I was thinking, do you want to maybe go out and get dinner today?” He looked at you feigning casualness he was not feeling. “We've never really gotten the chance to do anything outside the precinct, I thought we could spend some time….”

You shook your head softly, a small, apologetic smile playing at your lips as you got up. “Not tonight. I have something I need to do.”

“Something more important than me?” He smiled half-heartedly, trying to mask the hurt. “Than us?”

Laughing softly you walked up to him, hands clasped behind your hand as you leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “I'll be seeing you tomorrow anyway, birthday boy.”

Joshua watched as you slowly pulled away from him and began to leave, the lightness of your kiss still lingering on his skin. It didn’t feel like an intimate gesture, more like a goodbye, a farewell to something unspoken.

He stood frozen, entangled in his web of thoughts, unsure of what to do with himself. But when the moment passed, he made up his mind. - he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to know the truth.

Rushing towards Ji Ho’s cubicle, his heart pounding in his chest, he called out to her breathlessly.

“You said you broke into Y/n’s place, right?”

Her eyes widened, surprised by his urgency. She nodded.

“I need you to give me the address.”

Joshua slowly pushed the door of your house, both surprised and thankful it was unlocked.

He had been hiding in the bushes for over an hour now, watching you move around through the glass of the window. About ten minutes ago, you had donned his jacket, pulled your hair into a high ponytail and left the house, walking into the dead of the night. Joshua glanced at his watch - it was 11pm and he had no idea what kind of business you had set off to do. Now that he thought about it, Joshua didn’t know anything about you at all - why then was he so enthralled by you?

He had to snap out of it. He was here to find the truth and that’s what he was going to do. When he was finally convinced that you weren’t returning to grab something you might have forgotten, Joshua mustered his courage and stepped carefully into the dimly lit house, his heartbeat quickening with each creak of the floorboard beneath his shoes. This was the only chance he might have to explore your space, your sanctuary, see who you were outside that mask of affection you always wore when they were together. He knew it was dangerous and reckless, but he had to be sure.

The house was quiet. Too quiet. It smelled faintly of lavender, mixed with a subtle undertone of something he couldn’t quite place. He moved through the living room, avoiding the clutter of half-empty cups and newspapers, scanning for anything that might give him a clue. The space looked like it hadn’t been cared for in a while, like you hadn’t been home for a long time. Joshua made mental notes of everything as he walked in, his feet taking him around like he had been here a hundred times already.

It was only when he tripped over the rug that his tracks stopped, prompting him to look at the cause of his near fall - A loose floorboard. Frowning he crouched down and pried it loose, the cool edge of the tile slipping from its mortar with a slight scrape. Underneath, hidden in the narrow compartment, was a small wooden box, its surface worn with time. Turning it in his hands, Joshua pried it open.

Photographs.

Hundreds of photographs of you.

No, not you… you didn’t dress in designer wear, drink expensive champagne or drive in a Rolls Royce. This was your sister.

You had uncountable photographs of her, carefully taken and meticulously arranged. She looked young in some of them and much older in others. Some were clearly taken from a distance while others seemed more intimate, like they’d been taken while she was unaware….. You had been stalking her.

From the looks of it, you had been keeping an eye on her for years, watching her every move. Joshua’s stomach churned, a new sense of unease settling over him. You said you hadn’t seen her in years - you lied.

Spreading them out on the cold floor, he flipped through them, realising that everyone was right about her - she had an affinity to party and indulge in drugs, often blacking out in the middle of nowhere. But he also realised that she in fact, had an alibi…. A couple of dates on these photos were on the 30th… she couldn’t have possibly been the killer.

And more importantly, you knew that. If you had taken these pictures, you knew your sister was innocent - yet you watched her be put away behind the bars.

Fuck.

This was a terrible mistake.

Quickly moving, Joshua grabbed the relevant photos - Ji Ho had to see this, the whole team had to see this. But before he could smoothly stash them away in his pocket, he heard the familiar creak of the floorboard at the entrance. You were back.

Joshua’s breath hitched as the soft footfall of your steps echoed through the quiet room, getting louder and louder by the minute. Panicking, he quickly stuffed everything back in the box, shoved it back into its hidden compartment and placed the floorboard back in place, pretending like nothing had happened.

Just as he stood up, turning towards the sound, his eyes fell on your figure lingering by the large wooden arch, watching him intensely. Slowly, almost deliberately, you closed the distance in between, eyes not leaving him, not blinking. Joshua tensed, his body stiffening with a mix of fear and anticipation. And when you reached him, you didn’t speak - merely tilted your head, your eyes searching his face as if reading something he didn’t want you to see.

Then, without warning, curling your fingers around his collar, pulling him closer, you kissed him.

Your lips pressed against his, tenderly but also carrying an undeniable weight. Joshua's body froze for a moment, completely caught off guard by the intensity of it, the subtle brush of your lips conveying something far deeper than simple affection. Your hands moved, one sliding up to his neck, the other tangling in his hair, and for a brief second, Joshua forgot himself. His hand cupped your face, as he pushed you back against the wall, kissing you passionately, like he was a hungry man, finally being fed. You moaned as the heat swelled between the pressed bodies, both of you powerless to the undeniable attraction between the two of you.

Finally, you pulled away, just a fraction, your breath warm on his lips, and in that silence, you softly bit your lower lip, looking at him with big, lust blown eyes.

"Did I play my part well, Shua?"

Joshua’s heart stuttered in his chest, his breath slowing down, eyes fixed on you.

And then he cocked his head and gave a short nod.

At last, at fucking last, Joshua allowed the mask to crack, a small, victorious smile dancing on his face. The smile that had once been charming and controlled, faltered at the edges, now that he had come face to face with the full scope of the story he had spun. The facade he worked so hard to maintain, the calculated version of himself that had held the reins of this twisted game, finally slipped away.

Dragging his hand down from your cheek, he wrapped it around your throat, pulling you closer, angling your face up, pressing contrastingly soft kisses along your jaw. You sighed happily despite struggling to breathe, eyes rolling back as you grabbed his wrist, not to pull his choking hand away, but to hold it in place. Fuck. He loved that you loved this.

“You did great, baby.” He whispered into your ear. “You did so so well.”

“A…” He loosened his grip when you failed to speak. “Aren’t you going to reward me then?”

“Of course I am.” He pulled back, fully letting you go, supposedly to allow you to breathe again. But before you could, hand on your head, he pushed you down, forcing you onto your knees. As you quickly stripped out of his favourite jacket, placing it under you to cushion you from the cold floorboard, he unbuttoned his pants, getting ready for your mouth, his favourite place to be. Within seconds, you took over, pulling his pants down and his dick out, spitting in your hand before stroking it slowly. Joshua slapped your hand away and slipped his thumb between your lips prying your mouth open as he pushed his dick into your mouth.

“Fuck,” He threw his head back. He had missed this warmth of you, wrapped around him. “That’s it baby, that feels fucking good.”

Pleased with yourself, you hummed around his girth and without a warning, his hand finding the back of your head, Joshua pushed himself further in, your sound of surprise lost in your throat. You didn’t struggle too hard to take him all the way in, afterall, Joshua had been here a hundred times already. When he noticed you were running out of breath, he pushed himself just a little further before completely pulling out, throwing you into a coughing fit. Looking at you disappointedly, he shook his head,

“You can do better baby.” He tilted your face up. “Don’t you want to do better for me?”

Nodding eagerly, you took him in your mouth again, bobbing your head around his length just the way he liked it, just the way he had trained you to pleasure him. Without him even needing to say it, you clasped your hands behind you, only your mouth working vigorously, alternating between blowing him fast and letting him deep in your throat. Grinning at you, Joshua wrapped your ponytail around his hand, jerking his hips forward to match your pace, finding his orgasm building in him much sooner than usual.

Of course it did. Joshua was unusually happy today - afterall, everything he intended went according to plan. He had supposedly solved all six of those never ending missing cases, he had secured his promotion and no one even found out that he was the real killer.

Throwing his head back, he groaned as you skillfully let him so deep in, your nose nearly touching his groin, your face reddening. Dragging you off his cock, he looked down at you impressed, receiving your fucked out expression in return - eyes blown, drool leaking from the corners of your lips, mouth still open, waiting for more. Chucking, he stroked himself.

“Strip.”

And you did, pulling your gown over your head, tossing it somewhere far. Then you unclasped your bra, your perfect boobs spilling out of the cups as Joshua felt his mouth water from the sight of it. He had missed them so bad and by the end of tonight, he was going to irrevocably mark them as his. When you looked at him questioningly about taking off your underwear, he shook his head and pushed you against the wall by your shoulders, the back of your head softly hitting the concrete. Knowing what he was going to do next, you obediently stilled as he held your face with both his hands and, god did he fuck it like there was no tomorrow.

This was what Joshua loved about you the most - you never complained. Anything he gave, you took it oh so well, beyond his expectations, always proving just how devoted you were to him. That was why he was able to use you as the perfect instrument to orchestrate his scheme. Without you, there was no way he would have been able to secure that promotion and get out of this town.

He had committed too many crimes here, lingered for too long and if he had spent any longer, he knew the chances of him being caught were high. Although he was meticulous in choosing his victims and ensured they had no family or friends to notice their absence, six out of ten of them had landed on his table regardless. Just looking at the case files annoyed him. How the fuck was he supposed to get promoted if solving the very crimes he committed was the only way to deem him worthy? That meant Joshua needed someone else to take the fall, he needed a scapegoat and a story.

And that’s what everything so far was. Joshua spun an unimaginable, unbelievable story and centered it around you, his main character. He made you a meek, scared and vulnerable woman, just the kind that good old officer Hong would fall for while he himself played a well crafted role - a man tired of unsolvable cases finding his last ray of hope in a woman he happened to fall for. Being a part of a moral battle, guilt tripping his ex-girlfriend into handing him the promotion and coming out of all this with his love being victorious was just the icing on the cake. It was actually all too easy - the accurate decoding of his team’s psyche was what drove the whole plot.

He knew most of them were highly superstitious and the idea of spirits would terrify them enough to believe your tale. Although the idea of spirits was absurd and haunting, in a small town like this a touch of the supernatural was precisely what was required to get everyone on the edge, to make coincidences believable, to make the unreal seem real. He knew you wouldn’t mess this up - he spent hours telling you about each victim, making you memorise their appearances, their habits, their stories. He trusted you to do a good job, but it was Ji Ho who was the wild card, the one he had taken a risk with.

Joshua knew Ji Ho being the realist that she was, would never believe the idea of ghosts and would look only for solid facts and evidence. That’s why he had very meticulously planted your DNA in all ten sites, well aware that his ex-girlfriend would immediately suspect you. He wasn’t trying to trap you, no no, you were his favourite doll - he just needed to somehow introduce the twin twist, his most brilliant plot point.

Joshua was also well aware of Ji Ho's addiction to that stupid Spanish show - it was only a matter of time before she had a lightbulb moment and considered the idea of you having a twin. From there, it was a cake walk - he had already spent months ensuring your sister did not have significant alibis. Thanks to her drug addiction, she was already naturally sketchy, often aloof and most importantly, frequently unaware of her actions and locations. With the deletion of a few CCTV footages, and ripping up some parking tickets and restaurant bills, Joshua had made sure she had no solid evidence to back her innocence. Her being found in a state too far gone to vouch for the truth was no coincidence too - he had been secretly supplying her with stronger than usual doses of drugs for a while now.

And that’s how things went down exactly like he planned - an innocent person was sitting in jail, waiting to be tried for crimes she didn’t commit while here he was, promoted, free and fucking the mouth of the woman undeniably devoted to him.

Joshua focused his gaze on you, tears running down your cheek, the back of your throat most definitely bruised but you didn't ask him to stop. Instead you contracted your throat around him, drawing out those tell tale groans as he felt himself nearing his high. With a swift movement he let you go and pulled himself out, jerking himself hard as you waited for him patiently, mouth hanging open. The moment you stuck your tongue out desperately, Joshua came, spurts out white coating your tongue, spilling out of the corner of your mouth, down to your boobs. His chest heaved, much like yours, as he took a step back, letting go his softened length as he glanced at you. His masterpiece, the queen on his chessboard.

Slowly walking back he pulled up a chair, kicking his pants off before settling down on it. He wanted to pause this, let you catch your breath but the ironic thing was, you yourself didn't want to stop. Getting ready to crawl to him, you leaned forward but Joshua shook his head.

“Take a minute baby.”

You pouted. “I don't want to.”

“I know but I need to.” He chuckled, looking pointedly at his currently semi hard length. “Do you want to play with yourself till then?”

Nodding eagerly, you rested back against the wall, spreading your legs out wide, displaying your nearly soaked underwear for him to see. Fuck. Was that how wet you were from just sucking him off? Joshua bet he would slide all the way in with ease and god did he want to. But he could wait - he had all night to wreck you.

Raising your hips slightly, you pulled your panties, dragging it down your leg, tossing it to join the rest of your clothes. Sucking two fingers, you slid them along the folds, rubbing and spreading them, soft moans leaving your mouth. Joshua could already feel the blood rush down to his dick again. But not yet, he wanted to savour this sight first.

He watched as you reached for your clit, putting some much needed pressure on it as your head fell back, breath getting shaky and ragged as the feeling built in you. Your free hand found your boobs, squeezing it hard, the remnants of Joshua's cum smearing filthily. The man almost gave in, ready to rail you into tomorrow when coincidentally, the chime of the clock echoed in the room, indicating it was midnight.

You stopped moving, eyes glancing at the clock before turning to him, lips breaking into a sweet smile.

“Happy birthday Shua.”

Cocking his head at you, Joshua returned your smile.

“Happy birthday to you too sweetheart.”

The two of you sharing birthdays, Joshua didn't know whether to call it fate or a lucky coincidence but it was this similarity that drove the entire plot. It all started 4 months ago when he was looking for his next set of victims. He had just finished up with that old woman, Ye Soon, and frankly, all his targets were getting incredibly easy, serving him no excitement, no thrill.

He had stopped by at the gas station one day, hopping over to the store to buy a pack of gum when he overheard a bunch of young women chattering away about how the end of the year was packed with back to back parties - first with the Mayor's daughters birthday on the 30th, then new years on the 31st. Joshua had smiled to himself. What a perfect way to end the year indeed - a significant figure like the Mayor's daughter would definitely raise the stakes. Oh it would be so fun.

And fun it was.

The Mayor's daughter was a beautiful girl and stalking her was more exciting than Joshua anticipated. He didn't think it would be this easy to follow her around but she had an affinity for running away and falling in trouble. Oh she was perfect. But that was something else that was a little more interesting than the silly shenanigans she was up to - Joshua wasn't her only stalker, you were too.

At first, Joshua thought his eyes were playing tricks. The two of you were strikingly similar, but as far as he knew, the Mayor only had one daughter, not twins. Upon throwing himself into a little more research, Joshua found out about how the two of you grew up in an orphanage but were adopted into different families and to his luck, you were actually a part of his town. Something told him having you on his side might just make all the difference.

So he began with meeting you almost regularly at the bee farm you worked in. Not many people dropped by there given the bees were quite terrifying but those tiny things were nothing for Joshua, he had bigger things to focus on. Given he was the only person you saw nearly everyday, a friendship began blossoming between the two of you and you slowly started opening up to him, telling him about your life. About how you hated your sister, how you were the one the Mayor wanted to adopt but she had locked you in the storeroom while she took your place and left to live a life full of luxuries. You on the other hand were taken in by two farmers who were negligent, unbothered and died very early in your life in a car crash. Since then you grew up isolated, constantly looking at your sister's life bitterly, knowing that it should have been yours.

Surprisingly, that was the easiest part. All it took was some praise, some attention and a few sessions of love making - within a month, you were ready to do or die for him. Then all he did was feed you his sorrows - talk about how he wasn't getting a promotion because his ridiculous ex was interfering in his workplace, about how he needed to do something exemplary to climb the ranks. That's how he had convinced you to do this stint - you promised you'd go to any extent for him and in exchange, Joshua promised you revenge. This was your chance to get back at your sister for ruining your life.

You did however keep asking him who the real killer was. Joshua knew you were head over heels for him, but he wasn't sure if you'd really stick through something as dark as his past. He didn't want to take the chance before his plan came to fruition. But now as he observed you looking up at him with earnest eyes as you fingered yourself, he wondered if you were ready to know more. Sure you listened to everything he said, going faster when he instructed you, stopping when he asked you to, even though you were almost about to cum, you loved him enough to listen. But was it enough to handle more?

He could find out about that later, right now he had enough of looking at you pleasuring yourself, he needed to be inside you urgently.

“Come here.”

Standing up immediately, you walked over to him as Joshua fixed his eyes between your legs, at the arousal dripping down your inner thigh. Using your own fingers, he collected your release, slipping them into his mouth, relishing the taste of you. No matter how many times he had eaten you out and made you scream on his tongue, every time felt heavenly.

Grabbing you by the thighs he pulled you closer and you already knew what you had to do. Turning around, you leaned back against him, grabbing his dick from behind and aligning it with your wanting hole before sinking down on it slowly.

“It doesn't matter how many times I fuck you.” Joshua groaned, relishing the way your walls fluttered around him. “You're still so tight.”

You didn't say anything in response, it didn't seem like you could, not with his dick so far in you.

“Fuck yourself on me baby.” He whispered, his grip on your waist bruisingly tight. “This is your reward.”

Muttering a string of thank yous, you began moving, rotating and rocking your hips, wantonly squeezing him tight. Joshua knew you were trying to reach for those sensitive spots so he let you, biting and sucking on the soft skin of your shoulder instead, leaving a trail of red. When you began clamping around him unbelievably tightly, he landed a warning smack on your ass.

“Move.”

And you did, bouncing up and down his length vigorously, pouring your everything into it, loud moans tumbling out of your mouth. Squeezing your boob hard, he trailed his hand up your chest, wrapping it around your neck, holding you against him while his other hand found your clit, drawing figure eights. It didn't take you much to fall apart around him considering you had already fucked yourself on your fingers for a while. Joshua could feel your arousal dripping down his length as he continued to thrust his length up.

“Sensitive…” You whined, holding his hand tight, when he just wouldn't stop. “Shua please…”

“Shh.” He muttered, pushing you off him much to your surprise before getting up himself and throwing you onto the chair instead, your knees on the seat as your hands held the backrest. Joshua stripped out of his shirt tossing it aside before he smacked you again hard, thrusting himself much deeper inside.

“Fuck, shua….it's too much.” You nearly cried as he began to snap his hips into you, your orgasm blending into another one.

“Come on baby.” He softly nibbled on your ear in complete contrast to how roughly he was pounding into you. “Don't I deserve a gift too?”

You didn't complain after that, only graphic moans and whines escaping your lips. This was the best birthday he could have asked for - here he was finally fucking you after so many days and there, your sister, his final victim was taking her last breath.

Joshua thought it was rather beautiful, the way it all came to an end. He knew your sister couldn't go more than a few hours without her usual drugs so he had made sure she had access to a little secret stash that she could sniff on when no one was looking. Little did she know, Joshua had poisoned it.

Not only that, he had also managed to slip a thin folded paper into her pants just before she was thrown in the cell. It read that she was guilty for all ten crimes and was incredibly repentful - she didn't think she deserved to live. That was his final victim of the year - another death on the 30th, another death on their birthday.

There was no particular reason why Joshua picked this date or why it had to be their birthday - he simply wanted to create a pattern, see if anyone could crack it, if anyone was smarter than him. So far, it seemed like nobody was even close. Perhaps, only after he died and as per requested in his will, if his diary was published as a book, would people know exactly what he was capable of. For now, he alone revelled in and celebrated his intelligence. Maybe you if you were strong enough for it.

Perhaps not, Joshua wondered as he glanced at you, sound slowly reducing as you inched closer to passing out. Gripping your hips tighter he began fucking you harder and faster, pushing himself to finish before you blacked out. Recognising his pace becoming erratic as he neared his climax, you looked over your shoulder.

“I haven't been taking the pill for a while Shua…”

He groaned, not stopping his thrusts. “You know how much I love cumming inside you.”

“Shua please…” You could barely manage to beg him to stop. Your body had been pushed beyond its limit.

Owing to your silence, he groaned, jerking his hips, once, then again and then he came, white coating your walls as he emptied himself into you. You fell forward, spent and exhausted as Joshua pulled out, watching his cum drip out of you.

Fuck. You were perfect.

This was perfect.

Everything was perfect.

It was probably the wee hours of the morning when you woke up, your throat hurting and dry. You rolled your head to the side finding Joshua fast asleep beside you on the bed. He had dragged you here for round two, fucking you into oblivion before moving to round three where he slowly made love, dumping load after load in you. Thankfully, he cleaned you up before sleeping - you had passed out the moment the two of you were done.

You slipped out of the bed slowly so as to not disturb him, desperate for a glass of water. Stretching, you grabbed the spare blanket and wrapped it around your naked body. Struggling to walk thanks to how sore you were all over you made your way to the kitchen, flipping the switches and bit back a scream.

Stranding by the counter was an old woman, leaning against it, looking at you like she was waiting for you. Instinctively you grabbed a knife from the nearby drawer, pointing it at her threateningly.

“W-who are you? And what-”

“You know who I am.” She said, straightening and stepping closer to the window. Your eyes widened. That was impossible - it was as though the moonlight was passing through her. You ran your eyes over her features. She had white hair, her back was bent weirdly, there was a burn mark on her hand….. Ye Soon.

“Oh Y/n,” She took a step forward. “Don't you want to know who the actual killer is?”

You continued to stare, jaw slightly hung, still unable to fathom what was happening. The spirits were a story the two of you had spun, how could it be…

“Who are you talking to?”

You turned around sharply at the sound of Joshua’s voice. He walked out, dressed in his pants, rubbing his eyes as he looked at you confused.

He couldn't see Ye Soon.

“You wanted to know the killer didn't you?” The old woman's voice was right by your ear. “Look, there he is.”

Your eyes widened, grip on the knife tightening as you stared at the man before you wordlessly. Joshua frowned, his eyes flickering between the knife and you as his eyes narrowed.

Outside, the loud sirens of the ambulance heading towards the precinct resounded in the otherwise quiet town. It seems the story of the Calendar Killer had finally come to an end.

A/n - If you have made it all the way here, thank you for reading, I know it was intense and heavy but I hope you enjoyed it! Do let me know your thoughts in the comments or tags, particularly about the twist - I need to know if my crazy mind managed to pull this off or not

#lola's recs <3 #i am still stunned by this fic #sending kisses to your brain (consensually)#officer josh can have my ass any day 🫶#just kidding #OR AM I #i can take him #(not in a fight)#omg who said that?#scandalous #but lmao i was having my own true crime podcast #it was that good #holding everyone at gunpoint to read this pt. 30 #yes it's 30 ...#also happy shua birth month to everyone #this is the most perfect fic to read now #and mia hfkdnciskjvfdclsx not you calling me loml in the mention 🥺🥺#i love you too !!

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finemealcreates · 7 months ago

Text

Chapter One

Clark is tired. He’s had a long day and is conflicted about what he wants to do. Part of him just wants to lay down, and perhaps stuff his face with food. Another part of him wants to cuddle up with Bruce in his very nice bed. The biggest part of him wants to fly to Smallville and find the scumbag that scammed his folks out of their hard earned money.

But he can’t do that last thing. His parents explicitly told him he isn’t allowed to do that.

So, now he’s at Bruce’s.

He knocks politely at the Manor door, despite how many times he’s been told he can just waltz on in. His parents' lessons on manners are hard-ingrained in him, though, so he refuses to just walk into Bruce's home.

The door creaks open, Alfred gives him a small smile.

“Ah, Mister Kent, how many times—”

“Until you start calling me Clark,” he interrupts, a smile on his face.

Alfred raises an eyebrow slightly, but the smile stays on his face.

The older man opens the door wider for Clark to enter and steps to the side to allow him to come in.

Clark smiles wider as he ducks into the manor.

“Master Bruce is down in the cave, shall I—”

“Thanks Alfred, I’ll go to him,” Clark interrupts again.

Alfred raises the eyebrow higher, but disappears into the kitchen. It is about time for dinner, Clark realizes distantly as he begins to make his way to the cave.

Typically Clark has better manners than to interrupt Alfred, but he still feels really antsy. And helpless.

He wants to find the guy who ripped off his parents. But it’s not like he can go all “Superman” on him. He wants to replace the part his parents had saved up to replace. But he doesn’t have that kind of money.

Instead, he continues to make his way to the secret entrance of the cave. Turning the time on the clock, it swings open and he enters the elevator. He descends down, and down, and down.

It dings quietly when it reaches the bottom, and Clark steps out.

Bruce isn’t suited up, but he’s sitting at the Bat Computer™ typing something up. Clark debates if he should’ve called or texted ahead of time. Bruce said he was welcome to stop by whenever, and has stopped by Clark’s plenty without warning. But still …

“Clark.” Bruce’s voice is warm, echoing slightly in the cave.

He looks up, releasing the end of his shirt that he had absent-mindedly been twisting in his hand.

“Bruce,” Clark greets back warmly, walking over to Bruce instead of flying.

“What a pleasant surprise,” Bruce states warmly, accepting the greeting kiss on his cheek that Clark gives him.

“I know we have a date tomorrow, I just wanted to see you,” Clark admits, shuffling slightly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything or—”

“Not at all,” Bruce interrupts, turning off the monitor quickly. “And you don’t need an excuse to see me. I’m always happy to see you.”

Clark smiles wider at that, but still feels slightly tense. Maybe he should talk to Bruce about it. Talking things through with Bruce always makes him feel better.

“I’m glad,” Clark hums as Bruce stands up.

Bruce slides his hand into Clark’s easily. His hand is warm, and his grip is firm. Bruce’s presence is always a grounding one. Whether he’s Bruce, Batman, or … pretending to be someone else.

“Have you already had dinner? Or will you be joining us tonight?” Bruce asks, leading them back to the elevator Clark just arrived in.

“If it’s not too much of a bother,” Clark states a little sheepishly.

He doesn’t want to admit to Bruce he hasn't really eaten anything today. Technically, he doesn’t need to eat as much as normal humans do, a lot of his energy comes from the sun. But, he still needs to eat something.

Bruce smiles at Clark and squeezes his hand gently.

“Never a bother, let’s just let Alfred know. Although he probably suspected it when you came in.”

Clark smiles slightly at that as they enter the elevator together. Alfred is a smart man and sometimes a better detective than Bruce.

“Prolly, yeah,” Clark agrees as Bruce presses a button. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Bruce hums and smiles at Clark as he leans into his side.

One thing about dating Bruce that never failed to surprise Clark was how physically affectionate he was. As Batman, he is very stoic. As Brucie Wayne he is overly affectionate. Clark had thought it was just an act. Apparently, Bruce’s need for physical touch wasn’t as much of an act as he assumed it was.

“So, how was your day?” Clark asks as they step out of the elevator.

“Well,” Bruce starts as they walk down the hallway towards the kitchen, “I had to threaten to bench Tim if he didn’t get some sleep. He’s been so focused on this case with Brother Blood that he’s pulling back-to-back all nighters.”

“And that worked?” Clark questions, a little surprised.

Bruce snorts, a smile growing.

“No,” Bruce answers honestly. “So I called his boyfriend to come pick him up.”

“Bernard, right?” Clark asks as they turn.

“Yes,” Bruce responds, his teeth showing with this smile. “I like that boy. He treats Tim right and he is the only one who can make him take a break.”

Clark hums in agreement. He hasn’t met Bernard yet, but Bruce and Tim have nothing but great things to say about him. Clark looks forward to meeting him eventually.

“Anything else happen?” Clark inquires as Bruce leads him into the kitchen.

“Well,” Bruce thinks as they walk close to where Alfred has begun to cook.

“Master Bruce,” Alfred greets as the two of them pause their conversation. “Will Mister Kent be joining us for dinner?”

Bruce hums as he nods, “Yes, Alfred. Will that cause any issues with your schedule?”

Alfred smiles knowingly at the two of them, a sort of twinkle in his eye.

“Of course not, Master Bruce. I already increased the quantity of the meal in case Mister Kent decided to join us.”

“Thank you, Alfred,” Bruce says warmly. “We’ll get out of your hair then. Unless you’d like us to—”

“No thank you, Master Bruce. The kitchen may not recover should you choose to help out,” Alfred teases, turning back to the vegetables he’s cutting up.

Bruce’s cheeks turn red and Clark smiles warmly down at him.

Alfred had told Clark of the numerous times many of the Wayne’s had attempted to help him in the kitchen. From Martha Wayne down to Damian, all but a few had been a disaster. As far as he knows, only Jason and Cass are reliable in the kitchen. Everyone else is a hazard.

Clark follows Bruce out of the kitchen.

“Shall we go up to the family room until dinner? Would you prefer the library? Or—”

“Why don’t we just sit in the dining room,” Clark interrupts with a smile, rubbing his thumb against the back of Bruce’s hand.

Bruce smiles, shoulders relaxing slightly as his hand squeezes Clark’s gently once more.

“Sounds perfect.”

Bruce leads Clark through the semi-confusing twists and turns until they arrive in the family dining room. So many rooms, Clark isn’t sure how nobody gets lost.

He walks into the room behind Bruce, taking a moment to appreciate all of the artwork on the walls. Clark doesn’t recognize any of the artists, but he’s sure Bruce knows them all. Probably could tell him every single detail about each painting.

Bruce makes his way to the table.

Quickly, Clark heads over and pulls the seat out for Bruce at the head of the table, minding his manners like his Ma and Pa always taught him. Bruce’s smile lights up the room as his cheeks flush slightly, sitting down. Clark sits on his right as Bruce scooches in. Somehow, Bruce does so more elegantly than Clark’s ever seen anyone slide their own chair in.

“So, where were we?” Bruce asks, smiling at Clark as he holds his hand on the table.

“You were telling me about your day,” Clark reminds him, feeling his body relax just slightly as Bruce’s thumb rubs the back of Clarks hand in a comforting manner.

“Ah yes,” Bruce remarks, humming as he thinks for a moment. “Well, after Bernard collected Tim I had to deal with all the meetings by myself. They’re more grumpy and argumentative when they have to deal with me. I think they favor Tim now, despite their many initial objections to him taking over as CEO. I may be older than Tim, but he’s already proved to be a master businessman. I think they forget how young he is sometimes.”

“Maybe they think he’s easier to manipulate because of how young he is,” Clark speculates, frowning slightly. “But they don’t realize that Tim’s just good at making them think his ideas are their ideas.”

Bruce chuckles softly, eyes crinkling.

“Tim is very good at turning the board around so much they hardly know up from down.”

Clark snickers as he nods in agreement, feeling his chest go warm.

“Make any progress on the Black Mask case?” Clark asks, knowing that’s what Bruce had likely been working on before Clark had interrupted him.

Bruce hums as his brows furrow, likely thinking about what he has so far.

“Yes, although it has been more frustrating than normal. It’s been hard to find certain … information,” Bruce grumbles, irritation coloring his voice.

Clark raises an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

“Oh?” Clark prods gently.

“Black Mask has been primarily operating certain businesses in … Jason’s area.”

“Ah.”

Clark understands without Bruce having to spell it out. Jason’s probably taking it personally that Black Mask has encroached on Red Hood territory and is refusing any help. Or, to help. It’s likely Jason wants to handle it “in-house” without Batman stepping in.

“So progress has been slower than would be ideal. But Robin and I are heading out tonight to do some reconnaissance,” Bruce states, body slightly tense.

Clark turns his hand in Bruce’s to rub the back of Bruce’s hand soothingly, offering a small smile.

“You’ll get him, Bruce. You always do,” Clark assures, knowing it’s a little more tense this time because there’s a slight conflict with his second eldest. “And if you ever need some help, I’m but a word away.”

Bruce huffs slightly, but smiles warmly at him.

“And what about you, Clark? How has your day been?”

Clark feels his body tense slightly at the innocent question, irritation filling his being yet again.

“Ugh,” Clark groans, wrinkling his nose as he stops moving his thumb.

Bruce’s brows furrow together, concern clear on his face.

“That bad?” Bruce questions softly.

“Overall it hasn’t been the worst day,” Clark sighs, sitting back in his chair as he runs his free hand through his hair.

“So just one bad thing?”

Clark exhales harshly, nodding. Just thinking about what happened makes him angry all over again.

“Just … something that happened with my Ma and Pa,” Clark admits.

“Did you get into an argument?” Bruce prods gently.

“No, no. Nothin’ like that. It was something that happened to them and I’m feeling useless ‘cause I can’t do anything to help.”

Bruce sits there patiently, waiting for him to elaborate. His hand intermittently squeezes Clark’s gently, a reassurance that he’s here and he’s listening.

“My folks’ tractor’s front axle broke. They were fixin’ to get a new tractor, but they found this guy who was selling a new part for cheap. So, they decided to buy it from him.”

Anger and frustration begins to fill Clark again, thinking about how this dirtbag swindled his parents out of their hard-earned money.

“Well this scumbag didn’t even have the part they needed! Apparently he grabbed some pictures from a local shop to show my parents, and they don’t know they need to reverse image search that. And the guy seemed nice so they trusted him. Ya know how small town people are.”

Bruce nods, in agreement. Clark knows Bruce is holding back a retort that points out how Clark is still a small town folk at heart. Which Clark appreciates.

“So the guy scammed my parents outta thousand and a half bucks! And they said I’m not allowed to track the guy down or anythin’ like that for ‘em. So instead, I just have to be frustrated on their behalf.”

“Aren’t front axel’s generally more inexpensive than buying a new tractor?” Bruce queries, probably just thinking out loud.

“Well, their tractor’s a bit older, anyway. It’s why getting a new part for it’s so expensive. Harder to track down older parts, so getting it at the price they were being sold was practically a steal. Too good to be true.”

Bruce hums as Clark hears Alfred collecting dishes in the kitchen. Smells the food Alfred is finishing cooking.

“Anyway,” Clark sighs, getting out of his chair to offer Alfred his assistance with setting the table. “Just frustrated that my folks got scammed out of their hard-earned money by someone is all.”

Bruce nods, remaining seated. Clark knows it’s because Bruce has been banned from helping set the table after he shattered some plates that one time.

“It is understandable, Clark. I am also frustrated for your parents. People who scam folks like that are some of the worst people around.”

Clark smiles at Bruce and kisses the top of his head as he walks by.

“Thank you,” Clark says softly, gently squeezing Bruce’s shoulder. “I’m going to see if Alfred needs any help with anything.”

Bruce nods at him with a smile as Clark leaves the room.

He listens to Alfred’s heartbeat to find his way to the kitchen. Inside, he finds a delicious looking meal along with the dishes pulled out to take into the other room.

“Anything I can help with, Alfred?” Clark asks as he walks over.

“If you wouldn’t mind setting the table, Mister Kent. I have everything else handled,” Alfred answers smoothly.

Clark smiles and nods before picking up the stacks of plates. He also manages to grab the silverware, and decides he’ll come back for the glasses. He doesn’t doubt his ability to carry it all, but he figures he’d rather not risk breaking anything and being banned from helping in the future.

Finding his way back to the dining room, it seems Bruce’s kids have heard dinner will be ready soon. Cass, Damian, and Duke are currently present. Clark can hear Dick’s motorcycle heading up the driveway, with … Tim? Yes, that’s Tim’s heartbeat sitting behind his brother. He wouldn’t be surprised if Steph showed up halfway, either. It seems Alfred doubts that Jason will be joining by the amount of dishes and silverware he’s been given.

Clark gets to work setting the table the way Alfred had taught him too. Apparently it was important where each piece of silverware sat in accordance with the plates. Clark had made sure not to repeat the time he just put the silverware all willy-nilly.

“Let me just get the cups,” Clark comments after he waves hello to everyone. “Spoilers, dinner already looks delicious!”

Clark leaves the dining room as Dick and Tim come into view. They don’t seem surprised to see him as Clark waves hello. They duck into the dining room as Clark leaves to grab the cups.

Quickly making his way into the kitchen again, he finds Alfred balancing numerous food items. Clark grabs the stack of cups as Alfred frowns at a side dish he likely won’t be able to grab. Clark snags it up without another though. The butler nods once and gives a slight smile in gratitude. Clark grins back as he heads out of the room again.

Alfred follows behind Clark with most of the food, leaving the dessert behind for later. Clark doesn’t mind carrying one of the sides to help Alfred not have to make another trip.

Once everything is in place, everyone begins to fill their plates and cups.

Clark is happy to listen to them all chit-chat as he eats mostly in silence. Bruce hooks his foot around Clark’s ankle, and Clark feels a bit better about the sorta awful day he had.

( '}{' )

Picking up his phone, Clark sees it’s his Pa calling. Maybe it’s with an update on the situation? Or just to say hello. Clark doesn’t mind either way.

He presses the green button to answer the call as he puts the phone to his ear.

“Hey Pa, what’s—”

“Clark, we told you not to get involved,” his dad’s voice huffs through the phone.

Clark’s brows furrow, confused as he sits forward in his seat.

“What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about?” Pa’s voice asks incredulously. “The tractor that arrived here this morning!”

Now Clark is very confused.

“Pa, you know I can’t afford a tractor,” Clark responds gently.

He’s not doing too bad for himself, but a tractor is definitely out of his wheelhouse of affordability.

“Then how do you explain the new tractor we got?” Pa retorts, speculation in his tone.

“Did you ask who it was from when it got there?” Clark questions as he tries to think about his father’s question himself.

“Just said it was from someone anonymous. Apparently they heard about what happened and wanted to get us a new tractor for whatever reason. You know we don’t accept charity,” Pa’s voice huffs.

Clark knows his dad is torn between being grateful about not having to replace the tractor, while also being upset about taking a “handout” which he sees as a wound to his pride.

“I don’t know who—”

He cuts himself off.

Clark does know who would get his parents a new tractor. His heart flutters a bit.

Did Bruce really—

“Well who else would’ve known about it?” Pa groans.

“Maybe an anonymous donor, like the person who delivered it said,” Clark answers a bit distantly.

“Well, I suppose it’d be a waste to return it.”

Clark smiles as his dad begrudgingly accepts the apparently very expensive gift his boyfriend got his parents.

“It would be,” Clark agrees.

“You having a good day, son?”

Clark smiles.

“Yeah! I have a date later.”

( '}{' )

Clark is practically buzzing as he makes his way up the elevator. Susan at the front desk had smiled at him before she let him up.

Sure, their date isn’t until later, but Clark decided to use the rest of his lunch to see Bruce early. He just needs to.

Stepping out of the elevator, Clark nods at Bruce’s secretary, Danny, before he walks towards the office doors. Politely, he knocks. Only stepping inside once he hears Bruce say it was okay for him to come in.

Practically flying, he walks quickly towards Bruce.

“Clark?” Bruce questions as Clark approaches. “I thought our date wasn’t until lat—”

Clark interrupts Bruce by planting a kiss on his mouth, unable to help himself. It starts off as a closed mouth kiss, but Clark can’t help but deepen it. He wants to devour Bruce.

Bruce, who helped his parents out where Clark couldn’t. Bruce, who was so selfless with his money he just dropped lord knows how much money on a new tractor for his parents. Bruce, one of the best men Clark knows.

Clark only pulls away to let Bruce catch his breath, but dives back in before Bruce can say anything.

He’s standing over Bruce who’s still sitting in his giant chair. The angle would probably be awkward or uncomfortable for anyone else, but Clark doesn’t mind.

His right hand reaches up and cradles Bruce’s face gently. He pours all of his thank you and you have no idea how much this means to me into his kiss.

Part of Clark thought that kissing Bruce would help the ache in his chest. That the deep-seated need to kiss Bruce until they can’t anymore would subside. But they don’t. He feels more intoxicated by the man. He can’t get enough of Bruce. He doesn’t know if he ever will.

Clark pulls away again, heart pounding. Bruce’s pupils are blown as he pants, eyes half-lidded as his brain catches up.

“Hello to you too,” Bruce whispers, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

“Couldn’t wait until tonight to do that,” Clark admits, giving Bruce a crooked smile.

Bruce hums, smiling wider as he leans in and pecks Clark.

“I don’t mind,” Bruce admits, lips brushing against Clark’s as he speaks. “Is there any sort of occasion? I could get used to this.”

Clark hums as Bruce’s nose bumps into his.

“Just how much I appreciate you. And how amazing you are. And how lucky I am to have you in my life. And—”

Bruce interrupts Clark with a kiss of his own, fingers tangling in Clark’s hair as his other hand cradles Clark’s jaw.

They spend the rest of Clark’s lunch break trading kisses and soft words.

Can't Help Myself

Clark feels overwhelming feelings bubble up in his chest. His love for Bruce is all-consuming, devouring his very soul. And Bruce doesn't help when he does the sweetest things for Clark as if it's second nature. The closest Clark can get to sharing how he feels about Bruce is through kissing him, with all the love he feels. It still doesn't feel like enough, but it's the closest he can get.

Or: 5 times Clark kisses Bruce because of a sweet gesture Bruce does (even if he doesn’t know it) + 1 times Bruce kisses Clark because of a sweet gesture.

#finemeal fics #finemeal writes #ao3 #fan fiction #superbat #bruce wayne #clark kent #5+1 things #5+1 fic #fluff #posting chapter 1 on here #cuz i just finished chapter 2 #just need to edit it before i post it on ao3 #i'm excited y'all #my html skills really shine through in this second chapter #hope you're excited to read it #and hope you enjoyed reading this

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