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bbkoolkatz · 4 months ago

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𝖋𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖓!

comment to be added to the taglist for this story!

»»————> presenting;

pairing: barbarian!prince! Katsuki Bakugo x chief!daughter! reader.

synopsis: an arranged marriage to the prince of the barbarian clan to save your kingdom from being wiped out... cliche innit. stem's off the MHA fantasy au!

content warnings: FEMALE READER! strangers to lovers! slow burn! MHA fantasy AU! adult themes! arranged marriage! sexual content! rough n gruff Katsuki! mentions of blood in a lot of scenes! rituals! dub-con in some scenes! (for caution, because y'all can't understand each other) if u're religious, PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!! angst! fluff! smut! WARNINGS APPLY TO ALL CHAPTERS!!! and are there to exercise caution!

updated on Wednesdays and Saturdays!

𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊↓; 2.5k+ words

»»————> LORE! [you can continue without reading all this]

the barbarian clan is known for conquering any village, kingdom and/or empire. they are brutes, usually settling anything by waging war and desecrating the land.

the barbarians speak in old Norse! conversing is difficult...

Katsuki is the only son and prince of the barbarian clan.

barbarians are stronger and bigger in size than regular humans.

your kingdom is ruled by your father—called cheif instead of king—who's a big softy and doesn't see the point in things like war... he prefers to talk things out and leave casualties to a zero. even if that means marrying off his only daughter...

you are the only daughter of your father which only makes you more precious and worthy of bearing the heir of both your kingdom and their clan.

tetsugami; a huge, semi intelligent crab. [there are few now as people have hunted them down to the double digits.]

crimson dragons; giant flying lizards. [they are very friendly despite their mean looking faces & their scales are extremely valuable.]

(more coming soon)

Old Norse Alphabet;

1. A/a- Pronunciation: ah as in "father."

2. B/b- Pronunciation: b as in "bed."

3. D/d- Pronunciation: d as in "dog."

4. Ð/ð (called eth)- Pronunciation: Soft th as in "this."

5. E/e- Pronunciation: eh as in "bed."

6. F/f- Pronunciation: f as in "fox." Between vowels, pronounced as v.

7. G/g- Pronunciation: g as in "go." After certain vowels, it softens to a y sound.

8. H/h- Pronunciation: h as in "house."

9. I/i- Pronunciation: ee as in "see."

10. J/j- Pronunciation: y as in "yes."

11. K/k- Pronunciation: k as in "king."

12. L/l- Pronunciation: l as in "lamp."

13. M/m- Pronunciation: m as in "man."

14. N/n- Pronunciation: n as in "name."

15. O/o- Pronunciation: aw as in "law."

16. P/p- Pronunciation: p as in "pen."

17. R/r- Pronunciation: Rolled r, like in Spanish or Italian.

18. S/s- Pronunciation: s as in "see."

19. T/t- Pronunciation: t as in "top."

20. U/u- Pronunciation: oo as in "moon."

21. V/v- Pronunciation: Often interchangeable with f, pronounced like English v.

22. Y/y- Pronunciation: Similar to ee but with rounded lips, like French u in lune.

23. Þ/þ (called thorn)- Pronunciation: Hard th as in "thorn."

24. Æ/æ- Pronunciation: ai as in "air."

25. Ö/ö- Pronunciation: ur as in "bird" (without the r).

M-LIST!

𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 1 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 2 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 3.5 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 3.5

marriage. the best thing that could ever happen to a girl. all your life, you'd imagined being a bride; delicately decorating your hair with wild tulips, adorning your body in silver and white silk. spending the rest of your life with the person you love most.

now you're here, kneeling in front of a bonfire beside a complete stranger, cloaked in boar fur and animal skeletons, as the thick, warm blood of a lamb is poured over you. your marriage ceremony... filled with unfamiliar faces—including your now-husband—and traditions. drinking, dancing, and celebrating the union.

"nú ger hana konu þína!" a spiked-blonde woman, with an uncanny resemblance to the man kneeling beside you, announced, raising her hands in the air. you looked around confused as ever, as he leaned in, blood-stained fingers pulling you in by the back of your neck. your nose scrunched at the metallic taste of blood that his tongue shoved past your teeth. you push him away, gasping at the foreign feeling.

"hvat í helvíti, kona!?" he frowned, turning away from you, mumbling something under his breath, that you didn’t quite catch. not that you'd understand what he was carrying on about anyways...

the spiked-blonde woman—whom you guessed to be some sort of priestess or elder—shot you a sharp glare, her arms lowering slowly as she spoke in a hushed yet commanding tone. her words were incomprehensible to you, but the crowd seemed to murmur in agreement. your husband huffed, his frown deepening as he looked at you over his shoulder. you were kneeling there, with eyes pressing on you from all directions. the fire crackled in the silence, and the warmth of it did little to ease the chill settling in your chest.

two women approached you, their faces painted with intricate swirls of red and black. they tugged you to your feet without a word and began guiding you toward a tent decorated with bones, animal pelts, and dried herbs hanging from the entrance. inside, it was dimly lit by a few small lanterns. the air smelled of earth, smoke, and something sweet but unfamiliar.

they gestured for you to sit on a low stool and began pulling at your ceremonial garb, their movements quick but not unkind. your protests fell on deaf ears as they stripped you of the heavy fur cloak, wiping the blood from your skin with damp cloths. one of them muttered something, shaking her head as she scrubbed at your face. it was clear they didn't understand you either, but their disapproving looks were universal.

by the time they were finished, you were dressed in a simpler gown of rough-spun fabric, a far cry from the silks you were used to and had imagined for your wedding night. the older of the two handed you a wooden cup filled with a thick, bitter scented liquid. she pointed to it, then your mouth, her expression stern. reluctantly, you sipped it, grimacing at the taste. the woman nodded, seemingly satisfied, before they left you alone in the tent.

you sat there, staring at your hands, trying to gather your thoughts, but instead, they drift back to just a few mere hours ago...

"arranged?" you seethed in disbelief, looking at your defeated father, seated across from you at the council table, surrounded by old wrinkled elders.

"yes, daughter," he affirmed, voice devoid of emotion. "war against the barbarian clan would destroy everything we've built—"

"so they made a proposal, a very very rare one," one of the wart ridden elders interrupted-

"to make an arrangement," another continued-

"one that cannot be broken once forged," -

"a marriage,"-

"your sacrifice would save us all, child," the eldest croaked, concluding the proposal, "and as the chief's daughter, it is your duty to your people." one after the other, they all slowly turned their heads toward you, kneeling at the center of their godforsaken grey gazes.

your eyes flickered between them, their crinkled foreheads making you feel sick to your stomach as their words wrung your heartstrings. "marriage is sacred... it can only happen once. i don't know this person that you'd like me to be bound to for the rest of my life..." you snarled, stating the very obvious to those expired raisins.

"i'm afraid you misunderstood us, girl," the eldest fumed, weakly slamming his fist down, "it is arranged. you will wed the heir of the barbarian clan. that is why you have been summoned." firmly raising from his seat to intimidate you.

"that is my daughter you're speaking to, elder... as old as you are, mind your tongue." your father shifted his attention to you. "unfortunately, he is right, my dear. it's already been arranged, and you are to be wed at sundown."

dumbfounded... that's the look on your face. they we're giving you away to complete strangers... and at sundown!? despite all the colorful words that wanted to fly out your mouth, you grit your teeth and settled with a curt nod. you do have a duty to your people.

though it wasn't supposed to happen like this. it was supposed to be the happiest day of your life. you only get married once in your entire life after all.

the sound of heavy footsteps outside the tent snapped you out of your thoughts. the flap was pulled aside roughly, and your husband stepped in. his presence filled the small space, his broad shoulders and wild blonde hair almost brushing the top of the tent as his crimson eyes bore into you, a mixture of frustration and curiosity in his gaze.

he said something, his voice sharp and demanding, but you could only blink up at him in confusion. "i don't understand you," you said softly, shaking your head, as your voice trembled, despite your efforts to stay composed.

he huffed, combing a hand through his hair before pointing at you and then gesturing to the pallet of furs in the corner of the tent. his tone suggested he was giving you an order. when you didn't move, he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"leggjask. sofa." he barked, his frustration very much evident. when you still didn't respond, he crossed the space between you in two long strides, grabbing your wrist and pulling you to your feet. the roughness of his grip made you wince, but he didn't seem to notice as he guided you toward the furs. he pointed again, his expression leaving no room for argument.

you hesitated, thinking that maybe he wanted you to lie down, and slowly you lower yourself onto the makeshift bed. he stood over you for a moment, his intense gaze making your skin prickle, before he turned and left the tent without another word.

you let out a shaky breath, your heart pounding in your chest. you were alone in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers who you couldn't even get to know, married to a man you didn't understand. tears pricked at the corners of your eyes with the overwhelming thoughts, but you blinked them away, refusing to let yourself break down on your wedding night.

the two women that cleaned you up earlier came back with him, and they began to remove his furs. you quickly averted your eyes, feeling a heat crawling up your neck, as the thought of them removing more than just his cloak tainted your mind.

"nei!" the old one scolded, "Þú verður að líta!" ... why are they babbling their jibberish when they know you don't understand them... "she said, 'you must look'," the younger translated, seeing the confused wrinkle in your brows. oh thank the gods! you smiled briefly at the familiar words before coming back to your senses.

"must i?" you blush, slowly turning back to them.

"yes," she smiled, cleansing your huge husband before your eyes, "if you do not, you give chance for another woman," she carefully rubbed the damp cloth over his bloody forehead while you let the thought sink in.

"leave," you softly ordered, "I'll take care of my husband," and without hesitation she whispered to the old lady, they dropped everything and left. ain't no way you were about to let your husband be seduced away on the night of your union...

gently, you wrung the cloth of most of its water and brought it back up to his face, wiping away the dust and dried blood that covered little scars freckling his almost perfect face.

his eyes burned through your skull with his staring, slowly scanning over the curves and dips of your body as you moved. your finger danced over his skin, tracing the scar on his right cheekbone, moving down to brush past his thin lips, wiping away the remnants of dirt on his well built, chest. he seemed to relax against your touch, closing his piercing crimson eyes, and hanging his head back to let you do your work.

so soft... and smooth... the texture of his skin isn't what you expected. who would've thought that such a rough looking barbarian had the skin of a baby? would explain all the scars though. like this one running down his neck to his collarbone, and these over here trailing down his firm biceps. you almost forgot you were supposed to be cleaning him up... you've finished the upper half and tugged at the leather holding his pants up, struggling to get them undone.

a low chuckle rumbled in his throat and your eyes shot up up to his smirking face, "what's so funny?" you quiver, frowning, as he shifted to stand, undoing the leather and dropping his pants to the dirt floor. "þar," he rasped, smug at your flustered state.

having those women clean him up was starting to seem more and more reasonable now... nevertheless, you dippied the cloth in the bowl of warm water and squeezed it, before wiping at his lower abdomen. you're so adorable between his legs like that, avoiding his eyes at all costs, while you wipe your way down and around, to his back. again, your hands moved of their own accord, twitching along the scupletd bumps on his back.

he grunted softly as your fingers worked over the knots in his shoulders, his broad frame shifting slightly under your touch. emboldened by the lack of protest, you continued, pressing harder into the muscles along his spine. his head dipped forward, and a low sigh escaped his lips, sending a wave of warmth through you. he brought a large hand up to yours on his shoulders and guided you in front of him.

both your eyes reflected in each other's for a long moment before you tried to break the silence, your words sounding like nonsensical ringing in his ears. he pulled you into his chest, just holding you there in an attempt to shush you, closing his eyes as his brows pinched over them.

"what's your name?" you asked softly, your voice barely audible over the crackling of the distant bonfire. you paused, waiting for a response, but he didn't seem to react, his eyes still closed as if savoring the moment. you tried again, a little louder this time, "what is your name?" you pointed at his chest.

he peeped through his eyelids, a sliver of vermilion meeting yours with a flicker of confusion. "nafnið mitt?" he asked, the foreign words rolling off his tongue. he tilted his head, as though trying to piece together what you were asking.

you frowned, gesturing to yourself. "i'm…" you said your name slowly, pointing at your chest, then gestured to him, raising your brows expectantly.

he blinked, mildly confused, before a smirk tugged at his lips. "Katsuki," he said, his voice low and rough. he tapped his chest, meeting your eyes again. "Kat-su-ki," he repeated, in the same manner you pronounced yours, ensuring you understood.

"Ka-tsu-ki…" you tested the name on your tongue, the unfamiliar syllables feeling oddly satisfying. his smirk widened slightly, pleased that you had caught on.

you nodded, offering a small smile in return, then gestured to yourself again. "my name is…" you repeated your name slowly once more, hoping to bridge the language barrier. his brows furrowed, lips moving as he attempted to mimic the unfamiliar sounds. his effort was clumsy but endearing, and you couldn't help the small laugh that escaped you.

his frown deepened at your amusement. he murmured your name under his breath a few more times, his pronunciation improving with each attempt, until he finally said it with enough accuracy to make you grin.

"that's right!" you cheered softly, nodding in approval.

he held your gaze for a moment longer, his expression unreadable, before his hand came up to gently brush against your cheek. his touch was surprisingly tender, his calloused fingers rough against your skin, but warm.

"sofa," he murmured again, his tone softer this time. he gestured toward the furs, his crimson eyes watching you closely.

you hesitated, unsure if he was commanding you or simply suggesting something. this is it. you thought, heart racing, as you slowly nodded, giving him a glance over your shoulder, before crawling onto the makeshift bed.

he stood for a moment, watching as you adjusted yourself among the furs, before he joined, sinking beside your head with his weight on his palms, caging you in under him. his hair fell beautifully over his narrow, glowing eyes, his nose brushing against yours as he lowered to your quivering lips, sucking them between his, tugging at your plump bottom lip with his teeth.

footsteps thumping right outside your tent made your heart race, thinking someone was coming, but he didn't stop, nor did he care, he hiked up the thin fabric of your dress, his large hand caressing your upper thigh as he shed the leather covering his— good god... you look down and your eyes widened. he smirked and hooked the strap of your dress with a finger to pull it down, and expose your heaving chest.

"Katsuki!" the blonde woman from earlier yelled, barging into the tent, "Tak hendur þínar af henni, þú þarft at vera við ráðsafn. núna!"

"För Guðs sakar, kona!" he yelled back, moving himself off you to sit. he looked up at her worried frown... "Ek kem..." you had no idea what was happening... eyes darting between them as their words flowed out of their mouth and their hands moved in frustration as they spoke.

katsuki looked back at you, a worried expression overtaking the lustful one he had mere seconds ago. he kneeled down kissed you, then threw on his cloak and left. the woman rested a comforting hand on your shoulder, gently smiling before she too headed out, leaving you alone, following behind your husband.

»»————> 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖘𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘; <————««

❈ "Nú ger hana konu þína." - now make her your wife

❈ "hvat í helvíti, kona!?" - what in the hell woman!?

❈ "þar" - there

❈ "nafnið mitt?" - my name?

❈ "leggjask" lie down

❈ "sofa" - sleep

❈ "Katsuki! Tak hendur þínar af henni, þú þarft at vera við ráðsafn. núna!"- katsuki! take your hands off her, you need to be at the council gathering. now!

❈ "För Guðs sakar, kona!" - for gods sake, woman!

❈ "Ek kem..." - I'm coming...

hope u enjoyed and look forward to more! don't forget to comment to be added to the taglist! mwah~♡

mlist!

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megalony · 4 months ago

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Valuable To The Emperor

Here is a new Emperor Geta imagine, requested by my lovely @missdreamofendless I hope you will like it.

Thank you for all the lovely feedback on my first Geta imagine, I am in the process of writing a few more for him as I am hooked. Please let me know what you think.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @kyky9103 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth @chaoticnosleepinfluencer @gs29 @wh0reforsmutstuff @mel-vaz @natashamea18 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

@zoeybennett @mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @rainechase45 @lolalolsstuff @jupiter1700 @ashdoctor @an-aliens-ghost @lunaroserites @houseoftwistedspirits @callsignwidow @winterreader-nowwriter @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay @harry-satellite @midsummereve1993 @babyqueen17 @buckyyyismahhlife @sammiejane22 @mrsyixingunicorn10 @op-81-lvr-reblogs @talicat713 @niamhmbt

Main Masterlist

Summary: When certain people from (Y/n)'s past begin to notice how much she means to the Emperor, they start to wonder what he might pay if she were to be taken. When the Emperor finds out, he is less than pleased.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With her hands curled around Geta's arm, (Y/n) leaned into his side as they approached the home in front of them.

She had never been here before. In all truth, there were many fine places in Rome that (Y/n) had never had a chance to go or be invited to. And with her humble, broken background, being invited to a Senate's home was never something (Y/n) had been given the pleasure to do and it wasn't something she ever thought would happen to her.

Her eyes took in the fine art that decorated the hall when they were welcomed through the doors. The art was something to take her mind off the desperate urge within her to shrink towards the back of the floodwave.

(Y/n) didn't feel worthy of this, of walking by the side of an Emperor.

Even the concubines and women of the night who often kept Caracalla company weren't walking by his side. They were more towards the back, walking behind the other Senates who were entering this home and the few Generals and high lords and ladies of court who had been invited.

But any thought (Y/n) had of shrinking away was vanquished when she felt Geta's hands move. He kept his left elbow bent so (Y/n) could keep hold of his arm, but he moved his left hand to grip one of (Y/n)'s hands.

His eyes cast down in her direction and the smirk that flooded his face was enough to make (Y/n)'s knees quiver beneath her gown. She loved the way those reddened lips curved and contrasted to the paleness of his face. She loved how his eyes would crease and zoom in on whatever he was studying and if it happened to be (Y/n) that he was focusing on, (Y/n) felt humbled and unworthy all at once.

His thumb stroked along the back of her hand as they walked through the marbled hall adoned with a few statues that (Y/n) guessed were of the Senate's family members. Their faces didn't resemble any of the great leaders of Rome and (Y/n), despite her background, had studied hard. It was one of the things that helped her gain what little power she now had.

Her attention was stolen away from the artwork to glance at the other Emperor who had quickened his steps to follow their host.

There was a skip in Caracalla's step and he seemed to be in one of his more joyeous moods. Being close to Geta meant (Y/n) was privy to information that was otherwise unknown to the people of Rome. She knew about Caracalla's ailment and how it would cause lapses in judgement and changes in mood. She knew it also tended to cause blemishes on his skin which was why he tended to wear make up more heavily than his brother.

Sometimes it was sad to bear witness to, but seeing Caracalla in one of his good moods like this was always endearing.

He had a certain stride in his pace and his back was straight as he followed through to the chamber that adjoined and led towards the garden.

"This should be entertaining." The way Geta leaned down and whispered the words against the shell of (Y/n)'s ear made her shiver and smile to herself. She wasn't sure whether he was referring to the gathering that they were attending, or his brother's attitude, but it didn't really matter.

She agreed with Geta on all counts.

The room they walked into was spacious and looked out onto the garden. There were many open windows and large doorways to let the natural light pour in and there was a table set up with delicacies and various vases of flowers and vines and roses dotted around.

"This way, my Emperors." The senate had a rather nervous smile and he seemed to (Y/n) like one of those people who would do anything to please the highest bidder in the room.

He ushered his arm towards the left corner of the room where there was a large lounge sofa laid beneath the high window where more light was streaming beautifully into the room. Small fires were lit in either corner to cast more light and give off heat where the cold dwelled along the old stone walls and it gave off a cosy effect.

(Y/n) wasn't sure where to move or what to do with herself, but she didn't have to worry. As soon as Caracalla placed himself on the right corner of the sofa, Geta followed suit and he didn't tear away from (Y/n). He barely moved an inch without her, making sure she kept up her pace walking beside him.

Geta gracefully sat down beside his brother and his head tilted up so his eyes could follow (Y/n), making sure she sat alongside him. There didn't look to be much space left for (Y/n) to sit down alongside the Emperors and she briefly debated where to sit as others filtered into the room.

One of Caracalla's concubines sat on the floor right beside him with her cheek resting on his thigh. A few other women stood behind the sofa and leered over like they were posing for a portrait and (Y/n) noticed one of them leaning over the arm rest to be closer to Caracalla. She was practically sitting on the armrest.

(Y/n) thought it would be safer to sit beside Geta in the small space he was clearly glancing at to make sure she stayed right by his side. She couldn't perch on the arm rest like the other woman was doing, it wasn't proper. Nobody should sit higher than the Emperors.

Once she was sat down between Geta and the armrest, Geta crossed one leg over the other and leaned back. He spread his right arm out along the back of the sofa and rested his hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder. His touch was delicate and so light that (Y/n) could barely even feel it, but the sensation of his fingertips lightly skimming across her arm was soothing.

She allowed herself to recline back just a little so she was leaning against his arm but still sitting straight to keep her manners. Her hands rested on her lap and she began tapping her fingers against her thighs to try and keep herself calm and content.

She never knew what to do with herself at events like these.

(Y/n) wasn't one of the ladies who were currently draped around the sofa like rolls of silk. She wasn't someone who hung around the Emperors for favours or money or to provide services.

She was someone who had scraped her way up through the classes to make something of herself. Someone who had nothing when she ventured to Rome, the same as both Emperors when they were children.

Geta saw that in her. He saw that part of himself that he wanted to forget, the part that had done everything to protect his twin and get them away from the gutter and the abuse they had suffered. He saw how hard (Y/n) fought for what she had and what she wanted and it was something that he could relate to. Something Geta wanted to worship.

What they had was something Geta wanted to protect at all costs. He had found someone other than his brother to love and protect in (Y/n) and he wanted her by his side at all times.

It was what set her apart from the other women who trailed along behind them like the women crowded around them right now. They were play-things to have around, they weren't loved or worshipped or protected and adored.

They weren't the one that Geta wanted to make his Empress.

His fingers continued their administration across (Y/n)'s shoulder while his other hand tapped against his knee like he was counting or keeping track of something. It made him look unamused but the small smile tugging at his lips showed he was pleased.

"What have you planned for our amusement?" The hint in Geta's voice gave away that he had an idea of what might have been concocted to please them. It would be something to do with the games that were install over the upcoming days, he was sure of that.

"My reigning champion, Emperor, against the barbarian."

Geta quirked a brow and nodded and from the quiet whispers he could hear murmuring around the room, he figured this had been planned quite suddenly. He could hear bets being placed on who would be the victor. Geta didn't like betting the odds. It didn't amuse him as much as being in the colosseum did because then, he had true power.

Betting meant taking the risk of losing, but in the colosseum, the people looked to him- and Caracalla- for verdicts. They wanted to see if their Emperors would be generous or ruthless, to see whether they would execute or let the gladiators live another day.

Holding life and death in the palm of his hand, that was true power, and that was what Geta loved to toy with. Just like a predator who stalked his prey and toyed with it before going for the kill.

(Y/n) stole her eyes around the room, taking in the other people who were rather crowded all around the room. People were stood with glasses of wine, others were picking at the fruits, sweet meats and delicacies laid out on the table at the far end. And some were simply gossiping. There were lots of people and a few faces looked familiar, but (Y/n) didn't have time to look around them all.

She felt the way Geta perked up beside her and sat forward when the two fighters were brought into the centre of the room. They scuffed along the cold stone floor, kicking flecks of sand and dirt up in their wake and their eyes were looking one another up and down, sizing up their enemy. Although (Y/n) could tell one fighter looked rather reluctant to be in this position. Maybe it was his first fight. Maybe he wasn't equipped to yield a weapon.

Just as their host stepped forward to announce the fight, Caracalla burst to his feet. He wanted to make this interesting. If he was watching a fight, he wanted one that would rise gossip and be worth their time. What good was a fight unless it was a fight to the death?

"A fight! A fight to the death! There shall be only one victor." Caracalla's voice boomed around the room and echoed off the large walls and the high ceiling. And the smile on his face was positively crooked. His teeth flashed through his smile, giving view of the golden tooth that sparkled in the same way his ruffled hair did and the open-mouthed grin gave away just a hint of devilish insanity.

He stepped forward from the sofa, moving his arms as if to make sure everyone understood he was being serious, but nobody seemed to have a response for him.

Not until the barbarian's master began to clap to show his approval and a smile filtered across Geta's lips.

He removed his arm from around (Y/n)'s shoulders so he too could rise to his feet and he placed his hand on his brother's shoulder to show his support. Geta reeled his twin into his side as if to tame him and make sure he didn't get too over excited.

(Y/n) watched the way Geta turned to face their host, an elder man who's hair was thinning him to the brink of being bald and his gaunt, hollow face had turned a rather worrying shade of pale grey. He didn't suit the colourless complexion, not like the Emperors did. They added no colour to their cheeks, in fact they painted their faces white as if to abolish any hint of a healthy glow and it only made them look more regal. At least in (Y/n)'s humble opinion.

She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from Geta. Confidence rolled off of him in waves. Everyone knew he was the highest ranking person in the room, everyone saw that he possessed all the control and the atmosphere. If he smiled they would smile, if he grew angry then the crowd would follow his emotions.

The way Geta leaned forward towards his host showed just how much power he had. Someone wealthy and elder and experienced like him was shrinking away from a younger man who had been in control less than half this man's lifespan.

"What do you say? Are you prepared to bet the life of your victor?" Geta's voice was silky smooth and the crooked smile on his curved lips made (Y/n)'s heart jump into her throat.

She watched his head angle to one side like his neck had snapped and his eyes creased when their host nodded furiously.

"Of course. A fight to the death." He rose his voice to make the announcement, as if the room hadn't already heard the exclaim from one of the Emperors. And he waved his hand towards the guards, demanding that they arm the fighters.

If it was a fight to the death and blood was to be spilled, they needed weapons. Bare fists would take too much time and wouldn't create as much gore as everyone in the room was now pining for.

Both Emperors moved to sit back down and once Geta was beside her, (Y/n) leaned across to rest her hand on his shoulder. She squeezed lightly and felt encouraged by how quickly Geta moved a hand over to hold hers. He leaned his cheek against her arm as he lightly swayed from side to side, eager for the fight to begin so he could see some bloodshed and feel bursts of adrenaline liven his system.

(Y/n) began to glide her thumb across Geta's shoulder while they watched both men be handed swords.

She found it funny how the one labelled as the barbarian seemed to be bartering with the other man. He was trying to dissuade him from going through with it. Either he was pompous enough to believe he could easily win this fight or he didn't believe he had the capability to best his opposer.

Bargaining wouldn't do him any good. If he refused he would likely be punished or sent to the colosseum to be slaughtered. He had a higher percentage of dying than making it through the fight.

"I don't like the victor's chances," (Y/n) murmured into Geta's ear once the fight began.

The victor was older and he was sloppy with his movements, he wasn't the one (Y/n) would bet to win this fight.

"Nor do I."

The fight rose on and (Y/n) liked how both Emperors would lean to one side or straighten up and move along with the fighters. Each time they jumped to one side or clattered their swords and fell to the floor, the Emperors would move too like they were experiencing the fight themselves.

When the barbarian's sword was knocked beneath a table out of his reach, Geta leaned to the right and dragged his hand along (Y/n)'s thigh. He leaned closer until his head was almost laid on her chest and his left hand moved to graze along his chin and mouth, obscuring his smile as he watched the fight intently. The way he hunched forward made Geta look like a predator stalking his prey, as if he were about to pounce and join in the fight himself and it made (Y/n) smile.

Her eyes left the fight in favour of watching the Emperor who was almost laying across her lap. Her eyes focused on his hair that was almost set alight like flickering flames in the midday sun and the gold crown sunk beneath each tendril of hair was sparkling and glimmering like it was melting into his flock of hair.

(Y/n) couldn't help herself. She couldn't refrain from moving her hand across from Geta's shoulder until her fingertips were grazing along the back of his neck. She felt the way his skin shivered beneath her touch and when she dragged her nail up his neck and wove her fingers into his hair, he shuddered and fought the urge to close his eyes and groan.

He inclined his head back into her touch, loving how she tangled her fingers into his hair like she was either trying to scratch his scalp or carefully remove the crown from his head.

Her touch was enough to send him wild. No one else could have this affect on Geta.

He allowed his eyes to tear away from the fight that was starting to become interesting so he could sneak a glance behind him. His eyes caught (Y/n)'s and his grin widened before he was looking back to the fight when one of them crashed into a few of the guests near the far table.

Geta's hand tightened around (Y/n)'s thigh and he let out a laugh that was like melodic music to her ears. That was the trouble with fighting in such a small place like this which could not compare to the colosseum, there was very little room when fighting for one's life. Spectators were going to get caught in the middle if they were stood too close.

Geta liked that; he found it amusing that people were getting close enough to be caught in the way. Although he was glad that they were over here. He knew none of the guards would allow the fight to become too close to either Emperor or their guests surrounding them on the sofa. He wouldn't want to have to brandish a sword himself and end the fight, or fend either fighter off if they came to close to (Y/n).

He would do anything to protect her.

"Is that her? (Y/n)? Sat with the Emperor."

Could it be her? Could that be the girl they knew? The one who had lived on the outskirts of Rome with them, dreaming of a better life. Dreaming to be in the centre of things, to be allowed to have what was owed to them for all the hardships each of them had been burdened with from the beginning.

Could that be the girl who had fought to claw her way out of the gutter and earn her way in the world and earn herself a better life.

Had the Emperor truly taken that same girl under his wing? How could she be over there, and the rest of them be over here?

How could they be on opposite sides when they had all but grown up together, when they came from the same place?

"People say she is to be the new Empress."

The group of three spoke in hushed whispers, speaking around goblets of wine in a quiet corner to dispell any prying ears from listening to their contemplations. If that was the girl they had grown up with, then none of this was fair. They were skulking in the corner, unknown and already long forgotten by the peers around them. But (Y/n) was over there, being held and embraced by the Emperor as if she were already his better half.

She came from the same place as them. When (Y/n) left her hardships behind and found her way to Rome, she became one of them. She worked with them, she had sewn clothes and paid her way in the world and tried to learn to better herself.

But none of them had managed to make something of themselves. None of them were privy to the palace or being in the eyesight of either Emperor. How was that fair that she was over there, and they were stuck here?

"That makes her valuable to the Emperor… I wonder, what a man like that would pay for her safe return, if she were to be taken."

It was a bold presumption and a risky thought. If she were as close to the Emperor as she clearly seemed to be, that made her worthy and valuable of something. The Emperor was clinging to her. He had a possessive hand on her and he was leaning into her side and laughing at whatever she could whisper in his ear. That made her valuable to him. And the Emperors were the highest authority in Rome which came with the most riches in their great city.

They had the wealth to pay a high sum if anything were to happen to someone they cared for. Someone they loved.

"If she is to be Empress, he would be willing to pay a high sum for her to be returned unharmed… untouched."

***

Raised voices blurred and rose higher throughout the dark halls. The sound of boots hitting the stone floor echoed through the damp halls.

(Y/n)'s bleary eyes tried to open and adjust to the moonlight seeping through her room. She tried to make sense of the distant noises she could hear, wondering if this was another late night meeting or if there was possibly something wrong with Caracalla. There was a physician who lived at the Palace strictly to see to both Emperor's health and to treat any ailments they had.

Sometimes Caracalla's changing moods could turn into outbursts during the night, especially if he was paranoid.

(Y/n) pushed herself to sit up and her head inclined to one side as she tried to focus on what she could hear. The sounds were becoming distant and retreating which made her shoulders relax with relief. But the sudden jostling of her chamber door made her heart palpitate with fright and try to burst out of her chest.

Her shoulders hunched forward and her right hand scurried beneath her pillow, desperately trying to reach for the blade she always had with her for emergencies. The golden blade with studded red gems studded into the handle.

A gift from Geta.

He trusted the guards in the palace to protect all within it, but that didn't mean he wasn't opposed to some extra protection. The guards couldn't prevent any and every attack and possibility and when Geta brought (Y/n) to live at the palace, he gave her the blade.

It wouldn't do their reputations any good if they shared a room, and (Y/n) had worked hard for the reputation and status she had. She couldn't throw it away and have people claim her to be one of the mistresses or whores that frequented the palace. Not when that wasn't what she was and when Geta never saw her that way.

He wanted to marry her, he had been setting the plans in motion already and as soon as that was done, there would be nothing stopping either of them from sharing a room. And being together at every moment of the day.

(Y/n)'s fingers curled around the grooves of the blade and she whipped it from beneath the pillow, brandishing it in front of her just as the door to her chamber opened. She threw the sheets to one side and bolted to her feet, wielding the blade with determination and a firm arm locked in front of herself protectively. She may never have taken a life before, but (Y/n) knew how to arm and protect herself. Growing up in hardships and living on the outskirts of Rome, she had to defend herself somehow.

Deep breaths heaved past her lips when the dim light from the hallway flickered into her room and created an aura around the guard who blundered over the threshold and stumbled into her room.

A guard. In the middle of the night. Something had to be wrong.

"Lady (Y/n), will you come with me please?" The guard gasped like he had been running through the palace and the way he glanced around showed he knew it was improper to burst into her room like this. He knew the consequences of this, he knew how the Emperor would react if he found out. That much told (Y/n) that something had to be very wrong for this guard to burst in like this and try to usher her somewhere in the middle of the night.

"What's happened?"

"You need to see the Emperor my lady." That didn't sound pleasing. The tone of the guard's voice implied he was panicked and (Y/n) wondered if he truly understood what was going on or if he was simply following higher orders.

She wanted to refuse, she wanted to defy and stay here where she was enclosed and safe, but she couldn't. Sitting in her room and waiting was only going to double her worries and make her unsettled and it would enrage her curiosity.

The blade stayed firmly in (Y/n)'s grip as she tossed the sheets to one side and reached out for the gown draped over the back of the chair in the corner of the room.

Her eyes stayed on the guard, watching him closely as she shrugged on her gown and pulled it tight. She had no reason not to trust any of Geta's guards, but growing up in hardships had made (Y/n) wary of trusting anyone, even those seemingly here to protect her. The only person she could truly rely on was Geta. He was the only one she would trust.

Her fingers twitched around the handle of the blade that tapped against her thigh and when she advanced towards the guard, she nodded. She would follow him and find Geta. They had to know what was going on.

Her other arm wove around her waist, keeping her gown tightly pinned across her front and it helped her to remain calm and keep her back straight as she walked. (Y/n) suddenly wished she had stopped for a pair of sandals when she hurried into the hall and the soles of her warm feet hit the frozen stone floor.

It felt horrid to pad across the floor and jog down the dark winding stairs that were so cold it was like walking on a frozen river during winter. Each step was covered in flecks of dust and the soles of (Y/n)'s feet began to turn numb as she passed down the stairs.

At least with nothing on her feet, her steps were almost silent. No one would hear her coming, although they would undoubtedly hear the harsh, flat-footed steps of the guard in front of her. And his armour clattered and rattled with each hurried step he took.

The palace looked different in the dead of night. (Y/n) had often thought this, but as she headed down the corridor that was oddly silent, everything looked and felt unfamiliar. The shadows were murkier and seemed to grow tenfold during the night.

The walls stretched and the ceilings rose higher until she felt no taller than a mouse. The corridors dragged on into miles and (Y/n) felt disorientated in the dim light provided by the torches scattered along the walls.

Even the main hall looked strange when she followed the guard through the large oak doors and into the spacious room.

The tappestries lining the walls looked like dark omens threatening war and doom and with the light breeze fluttering through the open windows, they came to life. The gliding movements of the woven threads made them sway and made the animals bare their jaws and come alive in the most monstrous ways.

Everything looked worse in the darkness. (Y/n) found herself clutching the blade of her weapon tighter to her side and her other arm pinned into her waist like she was trying to give herself a comforting hug to dispell her unease.

Just as the uncomfortableness started to take over, (Y/n) looked ahead of her towards the other entrance to the main hall.

Geta. He burst through the doors like a storm raging war on the world. His bright flamed hair was askew in all directions, set alight by the dim glow of the torches around the room. His complexion was no longer deathly pale with no hint of colour or life but was now a pale shade of cream with just the slightest hint of pink to his cheeks and beneath his eyes.

But his expression was maddening. Those dark eyes were blazing with fury and narrowed like he was scrutinising the room for something. His nose was crinkled and his lips were parted as he ploughed towards the centre of the room.

He too was barefoot against the stone floor which was seemingly making him shiver and he had one hand deadlocked around his red and golden robes to keep them around his frame.

It made (Y/n) wonder if he wore anything beneath the robe or if he was as bare as the day he was born. The way he scrunched it up around his chest suggested he was bare and it was clear he had been woken up in haste the same as (Y/n).

She shook her head to rid the shameful thoughts from her mind and focused on watching Geta.

His sights set on the head of his guardsmen first, noting that the other man was stood with his hands clasped behind his back and a stoic expression on his face.

"What is the meaning of this?" There was anger laced into his voice but when Geta turned his head, a slither of confusion pooled within his eyes.

(Y/n) had been woken too. Why was she here? When there were urgent matters of state, it was the Emperors who were woken and very few else in the palace. One or two servants and messengers if the Senates needed advising or informing about something, but that was it. All others weren't bothered during the night like this, so for (Y/n) to be here it meant this was something very serious, or it had something to do with her too.

"What is this?" There was a desperate, whining tone to Caracalla's voice as he traipsed into the hall behind his twin, stomping one foot down while his hands balled into fists at his sides.

He didn't like being woken up during the dead of night like this, much less being dragged from his bed- and the women who accompanied him- for reasons unknown to seemingly everyone here.

Caracalla's hair was ruffled, his eyes were worn and tired and his expression was taut as he gruffly walked until he was stood close beside his brother. Turning his head from side to side to try and get someone to explain what was going on or let him go back to bed.

Geta looked between the guards that were filtering into the room like they were preparing for an attack or preparing to encircle around the Emperors in case of an emergency. Whatever this was, Geta didn't like it.

The moment he waved his hand towards (Y/n) to beckon her closer to him, she obliged. She sidestepped the guard who had woken her up and moved to stand with Geta instead. He made her feel better, he stopped her from panicking and calmed her down.

She let his hands find her shoulders and turn her so she was stood directly in front of him and his hands curled and tightened around her flesh like he was making sure she wouldn't dare take one step away from him. She let herself lean back into his chest a little while Geta tilted his head down and pressed a flushed kiss to the top of her head.

"Explain." One word was enough to make the guards shiver and nod and the guard in charge motioned his hands towards the opposite side of the room.

The hall was dark enough that none of them had noticed the presence of other people along with them in the room.

Both (Y/n) and Geta whipped their heads to the left at the sound of footsteps approaching and they watched as two guards pushed three figures forward, stepping out of the shadows. All three figures had their wrists and ankles in shackles, preventing any quick escapes which implied that they were prisoners of some sort. But Geta had no idea who they were.

"We caught these people trying to gain entrance to the palace and heard them plotting, Emperors." The guard lowered his gaze as he spoke, it seemed that most of the guards who worked in the palace never wanted to look either Emperor in the eye. It was too unsettling and provoking.

"Plotting what-"

"To slay us?!" Caracalla's outburst caught all of them by surprise and (Y/n) shuddered back against Geta.

She felt his hands begin to smooth up and down her shoulders and arms to try and soothe her and he kissed her head again, hastily, before he let her go. He sidestepped to the right and expertly grabbed his brother before Caracalla had the chance to rush forward and try his luck brandishing a weapon to attack the perpetrators.

Both Geta's arms circled around his brother's waist and he reeled him back into his chest while Caracalla shouted and thrashed to try and be let loose. He would show them. He would unleash Hell if they had been plotting against him and his brother.

With a deep, rumbling sigh, Geta twisted his brother to the side and muttered 'calm brother,' in his ear to try and lessen his rage. Geta was used to the outbursts. He was the only one who could talk any sense into his brother and calm him down from his fits of rage.

He glanced from his brother who was taking heaving breaths and glaring holes into the enemy across from them. And he looked back to the guard, silently demanding he continue to explain what exactly that woman and those two men had been plotting to do.

"No, Emperor, they were trying to find Lady (Y/n)'s quarters." The guard seemed very nervous to speak, rightfully so. He knew just how his words would rile up one of the Emperors and when he looked over at Geta, he saw the fury boiling over in his eyes.

Geta's arms removed from around his brother who had gone from enraged to confused. His chest heaved and his darkened eyes looked between these people and (Y/n).

Why would they plot to find her room? What did they want with her? How did they know her- did they even know her, or was this some pitiful game to them that they were playing? What possible reason could they have to go after (Y/n) and try to cause chaos by finding her in the palace?

Fury dwelled deep within Geta's gut and simmered inside his chest that started to heave as he stepped away from his brother and moved to stand beside (Y/n) once again. His hands curled around her arms and his chest pressed flush against her back while his eyes narrowed on the three men stood ahead of them.

There looked to be nothing special about them. Nothing regal. Their clothes suggested they weren't Generals or Lords or of any value in high society, they weren't from the upper classes. They were clearly no one special because Geta couldn't place their faces; if he had seen them before it had been brief, in passing.

"You know them?" Geta's hollow voice whispered into (Y/n)'s ear and he kept his lips tickling the shell of her ear with his cheek pressing against the side of her head. He pulled her back against his chest, keeping her moulded up against him in hopes that it would help in somehow protecting her and keeping her safe.

He felt the shivers that coursed through (Y/n)'s blood and made her raise her left hand to grip his wrist. When Geta looked down at her, it was as if he was looking at a ghost, a figment of his imagination with how still and shocked she seemed. She looked like she was about to fade before his eyes.

And when he looked down, something cut at his heart that was pounding against his ribcage when he noticed the blade in her right hand. She was gripping it so tightly that the circulation had to be cutting off towards her fingers and her grip made her hand begin to shake.

He traced his hand down from her arm towards her wrist and his fingertips ghosted over the back of her hand until he was holding onto her fingers. He gently uncurled them and slipped the blade from her now trembling hand, taking it so he could tuck it into one of the many pockets in his robe. She didn't need to arm herself any longer; he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"I used to." Her voice was hollow and held no emotion but she could feel every thought raging through her head and every emotion dwelling in her blood until it felt like she was going to faint.

They were ghosts from a previous life.

People she used to know when she first found her feet on the outskirts of Rome. People who fought like (Y/n) to make their way into Rome, to escape their hardships and their past and make a new life for themselves.

They were people who wanted more, but people who wouldn't better themselves or fight hard enough to escape. They found lives on the outskirts and that had been enough for them. They didn't want the fresh start like (Y/n) did and once she fought to get her name and her place in the world, they made sure she knew she was no longer 'one of them'.

They were faces she never thought she would get to see again, people she never thought she would be around and who would want nothing to do with her even if they ever bumped into her again.

"Why would you come for her?" Caracalla angled his head to one side as he squinted at the group on the far side of the room. There was still an air of anger and madness surrounding his tone, despite the confusion pooling in his hazy blue eyes.

What was so special about (Y/n) that they would risk breaking into the palace to find her? To possibly try and take her?

The three of them seemed to share glances with each other. There was no point in trying to bargain or come up with a lie. The Emperors would see right through them. So would (Y/n). Telling the truth was their only option now, they knew that getting caught would seal their fate, but they took the risk anyway.

Both men shared glances with one another, wrangling with their shackles and stole glances at the accomplice who adverted her gaze to the ceiling, not willing to speak a word.

"To see how much you would offer for her safe return if she… disappeared." The shorter man arched a brow and let his head loll to one side but he chose his words carefully so the intent would be clear.

Doran's words made (Y/n)'s stomach churn and she tried to take a step back until she was flush against Geta's chest and she felt his hands glide down from her arms to hold her hips. As if he were keeping her in place and holding onto her to protect her. He would swiftly switch places and push (Y/n) behind him if either of those fiends tried to take one step towards her.

How could they do that? Tears welled up in (Y/n)'s eyes that couldn't look anywhere but at the three people she used to know. They may have splintered off into different worlds, but (Y/n) bore no grudge against any of them. Why should they bear one against her?

If they wanted help all they had to do was ask. If they truly wanted to make their way in the city- something (Y/n) highly doubted- they could of asked and she would have helped them.

But to stoop so low as to try and kidnap her, to risk harming her in the process, and all for a great sum. It was despicable.

(Y/n) didn't want to contemplate what Geta would have done if they succeeded. She wouldn't want him to pay a price for her safe return, it would be too risky and it was demeaning. And she didn't know if Geta would pay a price, he wasn't the type to give in to demands no matter who was making them or what they were threatening him with. He would sooner gouge out his eyes than give in to someone's trivilous demands.

He might not have paid any sum at all for (Y/n). He might have become reckless and searched for her himself. He might have bartered his guards, promising them the reward if they found (Y/n) and took the heads of those who tried to harm her.

In truth, (Y/n) had no idea how Geta would react in a situation such as that and she had no desire to find out.

(Y/n) didn't realise she was crying until she felt one of Geta's hands reach up to brush away some of the tears now cascading down her features. His touch was gentle but the tremor to his hand showed the violence building up inside of him, threatening to spill over the edge.

Within moments, his hands left (Y/n)'s skin and his body was no longer wrapped around her like a protective suit of armour.

The rage within him simmered to the surface and the pale expanse of his neck strained and tensed as he stepped forward. He felt a sudden and great urge to lunge like a tiger prowling in the colosseum. Geta felt like bearing his fangs and sinking his teeth into their necks for what they had planned to do.

If they had somehow managed to get (Y/n) out of the palace and make demands for her safe return, Geta might have slipped into a worser state of madness than his brother.

"You think I would allow you to take her? That I value her as an object that I would pay to have returned to me?" The callous tone of Geta's voice made each of them look at him.

Both Emperors were known to be skittish and ruthless. They laughed when people were slain, even if it was their own people on their own streets of Rome. They thrived in madness and decay and they seemed to hold no one dear to them except for each other. And (Y/n).

Yes. Yes, the three of them truly believed they might be able to extortion something out of the Emperor if they took (Y/n) and were willing to give her back to him. They would have kept her relatively unharmed and sent her back to him without a bruise or a scratch if the price had been right. And they believed he might just have contemplated the bargain if they had managed to get to (Y/n) before they were discovered.

Well he wouldn't. Geta wouldn't pay any price to have (Y/n) back because she wasn't something to be bargained over. Geta would have scoured the streets himself to find her. He would have burned all of Rome to the ground before he gave one coin to anyone because he knew it wouldn't be likely that he would have found (Y/n) unharmed if he paid these Cretans for her.

And that would imply that Geta thought (Y/n) was worth a reasonable amount, that there was a right price to pay for her. There wasn't. No amount of money or gold would be enough to show how valuable and precious she was to him.

When Geta took a step closer to the three of them, close enough that they could see and feel each harsh, froffing breath he took, the guards stepped closer to. No one was sure whether they were trying to protect the Emperor, or save the fiends from their Emperor's wrath.

Geta's hands balled up into fists at his sides and his chest rumbled as his reddened features tensed and twisted into a malicious smirk.

"I deal in blood. And all of you are now in debt to me." He sneered through gritted teeth and a twisted smile as his head angled to one side. "You shall join the games tomorrow, I want your blood painting the walls of the colosseum. I want you torn limb from Limb."

For what they had done, they had made themselves in great debt to the Emperor, and Geta wasn't going to rest until all the blood was drained from their bodies and not even the greatest physician in Rome would be able to piece them back together.

#imagine #gladiator imagine #gladiator ii #gladiator 2 #gladiator movie #emperor geta imagine #emperor geta x reader #emperor geta #emperor caracalla #geta x reader #geta imagine #joseph quinn

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hwaightme · 5 months ago

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03:10 AM

(masterlist)

🌃pairing: bf!seonghwa x gn!reader 🌃genre: timestamp, comfort, healing, fluff 🌃summary: 3am, a time for overthinking. is love louder than your thoughts? 🌃wordcount: 1k 🌃warnings/tags: unedited, introspection, lack of confidence, two people in love, kissing, cute sleepy seonghwa, writer is rusty 🌃taglist: at the bottom. would love to add you if interested <3 🌃a/n: oh how i wish to write again, to pour words onto pages and let my heart bleed into the ink. this timestamp is mildly inspired by maro's 'we've been loving in silence'. sorry for rustiness, and any love is so appreciated...

Everyone is deserving of love. Love in all its shapes and colours. A love that looks like a tender conversation in a tiny kitchen, a love that looks like unstoppable laughter under the starry night sky, a love that looks like unwavering dedication and adoration even when it seems impossible. Every person is worthy of a love that makes their heart feel full while being fully aware of the world and all its complexities, shadows and anguish. A love that gives one hope.

Sometimes, this complicated feeling looks like speeding down the city streets as a salvation in the time of trouble. It could even look like a distraught, disjointed embrace accompanied by a cacophony of sobs and stuttered breaths. Love can look like feeling another’s pain, living through it as if it is one’s own. Love can mean heartbreak, over and over again until there is seemingly nothing left, and yet still the ground up powder of affection would be offered as a sacrifice to this mystery.

What is love to you?

You wonder, particularly on nights like this, when a blanket of calm covers the metropolis in which you found yourself, not too dissimilar to a shell being washed up on the shore to encounter a glorious, blazing sun. A twinkling magic on the other side of the glass greets you, and you rest a finger on the coolness, tracing distant shapes of building after building, only to haphazardly wipe it down with the edge of your sleeve. How did you end up in a place where you thought you would never be, feeling what you had sworn you would be unable to feel?

A gentle melancholy aches in your chest, etching the curves and edges of your ribcage, an incessant little bird, bubbling up that old sense of unease. What is this that you are living in? If you do not know, will it go away? The loud mind, an old friend and enemy, one which had accompanied you through all stages of your life, to find itself equally as bewildered as your heart, but a lot more terrified. Caught between bliss and a painful awareness of the unknown, you walk a tightrope blindfolded.

At least until a hand reaches out for you, warm, reassuring, and guides you across to an oasis. A beating heart, a familiar breath, palm pressed against your upper arm take you out of your spiralling musings, and beckon you to look in the direction of a soft, barely audible whisper of ‘my love’.

You turn to meet Seonghwa’s eyes, endless pools of glistening brown sugar, enough to both extinguish and ignite, turn dark to light and wrong to right. A timeless poetry is in his face, the rhythm of his features casting a spell over you as you glance over them. These sleepy eyes, stunning nose and cheeks that bear a pinkish hue, plush lips caught in a miniscule pout, dishevelled hair that you know your boyfriend tried to tame, to no avail. You turn your body to meet him fully, and fall into his arms. They envelop you tightly, and you inhale the ghostly remnants of his cologne, a tantalising note of his, and your favourite shampoo, all intricately blended with fabric softener and cotton - put simply, you are home.

“Why aren’t you sleeping, hm?” he asks, voice still a little raspy. It must have been only minutes since he woke up to find you.

“I’m sorry… Did I wake you?”

“Mm… no. Your absence woke me up,” you could cry, not that you would say it, or rather have to say it. Seonghwa knows how his words affect you anyways, judging by the swift squeeze of his arms before he returns to slowly rocking side to side.

“I just had a lot of thoughts. Wanted to get rid of them somehow.”

“Want to talk about them?”

You are not sure if you would be able to summon enough courage to talk about what is plaguing you, at least now, in the semi-darkness of yours and his apartment, you feel far too fragile to look inside of the boxes you keep shuffling. Unbeknownst to yourself, you begin to bite your lower lip, trying to pick the right words. Any attempt to formulate whatever excuse you have been seeking inevitably fails as Seonghwa’s lips find yours, erasing your habit, erasing your worry. Caught off-guard, a quiet gasp escapes you, only to be rewarded by an airy chuckle.

“So… not talking, then?” you press your face into the crook of his neck, sensing heat rising on your cheeks.

“You surprised me, is all…” you trail off, slowly guiding yourself upwards, but still being unable to meet Seonghwa’s gaze.

“I’ll happily kiss all your worries away, if that’s what it takes,” his tone is humorous, and the phrase is light-hearted. His glances into your eyes, at your lips, at the strands of hair that you know he will adjust for you like he usually does, holding promise and commitment. If you so wish, he will. If you so want, he will. If you so will, he most definitely will.

Your hands grip onto his sleeping shirt as you mumble a thanks, inching closer until your timid smile melts into his. A pleasantly languid rhythm, a moonlit paradise, drawing a masterpiece with your bodies until you are struggling to breathe. An adorable exchange of sweet nothings as you fill your lungs with air, no distinction of space nor time while you are in this trouble-less duet. A small peck on Seonghwa’s lips prompts him to pull you in again, eyes fluttering shut as he floats, flies, soars in love with you. You swear you can see the stars while the taste of his cherry lip balm lingers.

As you follow him back to bed, sinking into the sheets with a sigh, inklings of somnolence settle over your slow-moving intertwined bodies. His breath turns steady, a comforting rise and fall against your back. Seonghwa’s hand is over yours, thumb making random patterns on your skin.

“Dream of me,” he says against your shoulder, grinning when he hears your sharp exhale.

This, this is love to you.

🌃taglist: @shakalakaboomboo @charreddonuts @miriamxsworld @innsomniacshinestar @preciouswoozi @wooyoungjpg @wowie-hockey @hongjoongs-patience @jaehunnyy @maddkitt @ren-junwrld @marsstarxhwa @yeonjunnie @asjkdk @northerngalxy @my-loves-my-life @http-gyu

enjoyed? i would love to hear from you, it means the universe to me. thank you.

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aphroditesmoon · 2 months ago

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smoke signals (part i)

lighthouse keeper!sevika x selkie!reader

summary: sevika is content with her life, the loneliness that comes with her job is inevitable. but then one day, as she reaches the peak of mundanity, almost turning towards insanity, you appeared. cold, quiet, clueless, sea-sent you, like a wish fulfilment for her.

warnings: selkie!reader, reader has selective mutism. soft!sev, sev curses a lot.

a/n: i promise the next part will be more interesting lol.

taglist: @lilredbird101 <3

PART 2 PART 3

---

Sevika must be dreaming. The air felt warmer today. Which was impossible. The air out here has always and will always be brutally cold. almost painful to the skin without a protective layer.

And yet today, she extends her arm out of the square hole carved on the rough tall walls of the tower and felt it, the slight heat coming from the outside wind, almost undetectable. But Sevika detected it. She never missed a thing.

Not a hard thing to do when you're forced to live in an isolated space on your own. Sure sometimes Vander and his daughters would make a trip in their old ragged boat with supplies or to help take her back to town to stock up, but those monthly visits move quickly. She would always regret not saying more, or looking longer once they'd bring her back after the trip.

Sevika decided she would cherish the little gift of warmth by the sun by going out to rest against the rusty railing and felt its light on her face. The wind was still incredibly chilly, but she adapted. Closing her eyes, her lids have painted her vision red as she lets out a slow somber sigh.

Most people think working here as a lighthouse keeper must be a gift. being able to stay so close to waters, the peace and tranquility that comes with it. And they aren't completely wrong.

Sevika isn't a people person, and so yes, she appreciated the silence. But sometimes it gets too much, too quiet. And when she reaches that point, she she could hear every tiny little noise the walls and the floorboards make and it drives her mad.

And it's worse when it's raining thunderstorms. The waves would lash out against the sky so strongly, she could've sworm she heard a voice calling for her from the sea.

But today, the weather is good, and the deep sinking feeling in her chest isn't as persistent as it usually is.

A loud but distant growling, lapping sound fills her eardrums. Sevika looked down and smiled at the source of the noise. The greyish, wide eyed seal from inside the water, greets her joyfull. The sight was so endearing, it had manage to warm the woman's solid heart.

Seals aren't completely a rare sight. Sevika has been working here for over a year, and has so far spotted them for about a few times now. They don't stay close or linger long, but are always an enjoyable company.

"Fancy seeing you here, little guy." Sevika yelled down, aware of the irony in referring the enlarged seal as "little."

The seal shook it's body as if agreeing before diving back unto the water, and jumping back out with a splash pulling a grin out of Sevika. "A show? All for me?" She joked with it, well entertained.

The adorable seal let out another growl-like squeal before it made its way back underneath the clear blue waters and disappeared from Sevika's line of sight.

The deep sinking feeling in her chest returned. She sighed tiredly. There goes her only friend.

Perhaps she'll spend her evening sketching again. She isn't exactly a connoisseur of art, but she was skilled enough for it to be a worthy hobby. Her bedside wall is filled with her little drawings of the seashells she had found, the lighthouse tower itself, the view of the sea from inside the window. She should add a seal to her collection, she thought.

Walking herself back into the enclosed space, Sevika decided that there wasn't really anything she could do about that hollow feeling inside of her chest. It was like a boulder that sat on top of all her other feelings. She would describe the feeling as, "it's like you're mourning all the could've beens and what have beens."

Climbing up the small staircase leading to her bedroom, she changed her mind back to the seals, letting the wide eyed creature's face dominates her thoughts.

---

It's 7:45 PM, her wristwatch read. Sevika shoved her sketches aside on her desk and gave herself a light slap on the face to wake herself up before she stood up and began walking downstairs.

She needed to cook something up for dinner. To eat and to have something warm in her arms again. If you thought the air in the afternoon is cold, then you'll never survive the air in the evening and night.

Sevika reached her small but sufficiant kitchen and began boiling herself some eggs to go with her rice. The meals here are repetitive, but you'd never catch her complaining. Almost everything she does is for survival, It wasn't necessary for her to like her routines, She simply had to live through them.

Once her boiled eggs were done, the scent of the food filled the whole tower and she felt her stomach growl in automatic response. She placed her meal on the small table and let herself take a peak outside the small window that served as a balcony.

It was already so dark out. The moonlight glowed down on her dark cheeks as she gazed up, counting on how many stars she could seek out.

Sevika dipped her head down, looking into the water and felt a small relief at stillness in tonight's waves.

She stayed for a while, simply watching the large empty space that's guarding her. And then as her eyes roam, she saw it. The long, white piece of fabric that clung to the rocks of her tower.

"What the hell." She muttered under her breath. There was something else next to it. A build. Something solid. But she wasn't able to see ot clearly in the dark, It seems to hide behind the rocks.

"Fuck me." Sevika groaned. She did not want to have to go out at this time, the blistering coldness was an ass to deal with. But then again, she had to admit, this was the most exciting her life have been. So she pushed herselff of the railing and scattered down the stairs towards the entrance.

Sevika shoved the heavy metal door as strong as she coulf until it opened and then shoved the large stone on the floor in between the space so it wouldn't close. She managed to stop herself from letting out another "fucking hell" as the wind struck her unprotected arms and moved as gastas she could.

"There you are." She mumbled to herself as she picked up the wet, soggy, white fabric up in her hands. It was heavy. The fur is thick, one of a real animal's, she figured. Slinging it over her shoulder, Sevika crouched down and used her arms as stability as she pushed her face further into the rocks in front of her to study the creauture that had landed in her space.

It's a woman. Sevika's heart dropped. This isn't good. An unknown woman appearing on her rocks, passed out, only meant one thing, death. How else would you explain being able to swim this far? Sevika placed two fingers on her neck, checking her pulse. It was beating, and that was enough for her.

Sevika kneeled on the rocks and used her long arms to pull the naked woman into her arms. One her waist is safely secured around her arms and onto her lap, Sevika forced herself up and made her way back inside, kicking the rock that held the door open with one feet, and entered inside with a loud bang from the door.

She carried her limo body to the bathroom, turning her around so she'd face the floor. With the woman's back against her front, she pushed to have her choke out the sea water that would nearly suffocate her lungs. It wasn't too late, there's a pulse, it cannot be too late. Sevika would not soend the rest of her month with a corpse.

She tried the cpr again, pushing onher chest over and over until finay, the woman jerked her head up and threw up clear water out of her lungs.

The movement was sudden and short lived, she turned limp again almost immediately. Sevika twisted her around and saw that her eyes are open, but was blurry with tears. The relief of air comes with chest pains and a headache, she's sure.

"It's alright. you're alright." She assured her, holding the woman close to her. She had gotten Sevika's long sleeved shirt completely wet, but that was the least of her priorities right now.

"Can you hear me?" Sevika asked, enunciating each word slowly. She remained dazed and confused, but Sevika saw how her eyes were following the movement of her mouth. "Blink twice if you can hear me." She tried again. No respond.

"Fucking hell." Sevika groaned. Maybe she didn't understand her. "Look." Sevika commanded. pointing towards her set of eyes. She then closed her eyes tightly and opened them widely. Again, she repeated the movements.The woman was accessing her properly, that she could tell.

Even with the confusion, she seem to be able to focus on her gaze. Sevika almost gave up completely on getting a reaction, until finally, she closed her eyes tightly. It remained closed for almost a minute, her heartbeat fastens as she waits. And then her eyes opened widely, staring right into Sevika's.

A small smile slips onto Sevika's face. "That works for me.'' She said.

---

You must be mute, Sevika thought as she sat on the edge of her bed, watching over your sleeping body.

Once she had helped clean you up and changed you into something more warm and suitable, you had fallen asleep quite easily on her soft sheets, your eyes seemed tired, and with how weak and cold ypur arms and legs seemed, Sevika could only assume that you had been swimming for god knows how long towards shore.

There's must've been a shipwreck somewhere, or maybe you fell of a boat, who knows? But there was no doubt that you had been in the water for hours.

She wished she had something stronger than the little candle on the bedside to keep you warm, but this is all she could afford to offer as of now.

You've been asleep for about 4 hours now. And she had been sat across you for exactly 4 hours too. She couldn't move. Another human to look after, she wasn't sure if its a blessing or a curse.

It isn't as if she's never seen a person before, but your presence has her feet locked on the spot for some reason. You looked so at peace in her small space, taking it up like it's her own. You had a face like no one she's met too. It was as if you've been pieced together by the goddess of beaity herself.

And even though Sevika didn't want to think of that, trying to avoid feeling perdatory or absurd, it's true. You were beautiful.

Sevika shook her head, freeing herself from further thoughts and slowly helped herself up. You would be hungry when you wake up, so she should cook something up for you.

A throaty groan escaped you, Sevika stops on her tracks and turnes hee head slowly towards you. She couldn't tell if it sounded like you were wailing or barking.

"Oh, hey." Sevika whispered out, shyly smiling at you.

You snorted loudly- very unladylike, and then sniffled. "Ah you've got the flu, don't you?" She wasn't expecting you to answer her, and you didn't.

"Well that's what happen when you go out for a swim for too long." She attempted to joke and laughed dryly. She hoped she didn't offend you, but your blank stare assured her that you were completely clueless.

She didn't wait for a response as she rushed to the kitchen to crack up some boiled eggs for you. There isn't much here but eggs, bread, jam, and boxed soup. But she figured it's not like you're in any position to complain.

Sevika walked quickly, she hadn't felt this sense of urgency for ages, the feeling of necessity pulling on her heart. She's never had company over, though she doubted her social skills would come in handy with a mute girl.

Rushing back upstairs with her neatly nade boiled eggs, Sevika was surprised to find you out of bed. She panicked when seeing that only a ruffled blanket was left in your place. She turned her head first towards the open window, as if afraid you might've jumped out.

But then she finally spotted you, huddled over her bags by the window, rummaging through it like a curious squirrel.

"You." She called out, in shock. "Back on the bed you wild creature." She placed the bowl on the bedside table and went for you swiftly, pulling you back by your arms.

You made a grunting noise, and flapped your arms strongly, trying to break free. Sevika was impressed by the sheer strength you have, she had barely left you for 5 minutes, and you're already on your feet, scavenging, or thieving, she wasn't sure.

"You sure know how to make yourself at home." She muttered loud enough for your ears as she dragged you back on the bed against your will.

You didn't fight back, though you scowled snd kept growling at her. like an angry puppy.

"You're in no condition to be whining. You should be glad I didn't leave you out to die, girl." She sternly

Once she had you sat back on the bed, she helped tuck you in safely under the blanket and picked up the bowl of food, bringinh it near to your face, you sniffed it and made a face of distaste. Sevika would be offended if she weren't already amused with your peculiarity.

"Don't knock it till you try it." She said and offered it to you again

This time, you opened her mouth as she fed a spoon to you. You winced at the texture and paused chewing for a bit before slowly continuing it. "Not bad, eh?" Sevika asks with a raised brow.

You scrunched up your nose as if you understood her and let her feed you the rest of the eggs. She knew it wasn't enough to fill you up, but she wanted to see how your stomach would reactl with a little food first. If it's been a while since you ate, then its most likely your guts would need some time to process food and get used to it again without nausea and pain.

Sevika also noticed that you were no longer as pale as when she first found you. Things went by quickly. She had expected you to still be in a weaker position as you had just woken up, but you are accepting your surroundings and condition pretty well.

There wasn't even a glimpse of panic in your eyes despite the fact that you're being fed some shitty boiled eggs by a stranger in a lighthouse. Either you were extremely calculative, or extremely naive. She was willing to bet on the latter.

"You will rest here tonight." She tells you as you kept eating, completely ignoring her.

"It'll be quite a few weeks before Vander's next trip here, and I don't have any other way to reach the outside world for now, so you'll have to accommodate." She continued. You paused your eating and looked up to her, locking gazes.

A small sign of acknowledgement in your eyes before you continued eating.

Sevika let out her 500th sigh of the day and nodded to herself. "Better than nothing." She tells herself.

Once you were finished, you slowly laid your head back on the pillow, visibly getting tired again. The irony isn't lost on Sevika. She's had you for less than 10 hours, and you were already filling up the role of a lazy housecat.

There were deep parts of her mind and heart that are pushing her to start interrogating you, figure out who you are and how'd you get here. But she didn't want to spook you, and either way, your only way out of this place isn't going to be here for a while.

Sevika stood up awkwardly and looked down and at your sleepy presence, unsure of what to do next while your eyes were already droopy. “We can talk tomorrow.” She spoke aloud, more towards herself than to you.

You gave her a smile that is so soft and subtle that she almost missed it, but she never misses anything. Giving you one last nod, she left the room to sleep by the rocking chair downstairs.

#sevika arcane #sevika x reader #sevika #sevika arcane x reader #arcane #arcane x reader

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liuhsng · 3 months ago

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✩ˎˊ˗ breaking point ( ksn ! )

✩ˎˊ˗ part of the untouchable series | enhypen masterlist

⤷ word count: 13.9k ⤷ taglist for the series: open ! ⤷ warning/s: 18+ ( smut ! ), unprotected sex ( wrap it before you tap it ), p in v, pussy drunk!sunoo, a/b/o au, foul language, female pronouns, fem!reader, kinda slowburn, brother's best friend trope, mentions of drinking and alcohol, very very passionate sex, angst, one-sided at first to eventual mutual pining, sunoo's in denial, kinda shy!reader, sunoo falls for you hard, subtle mentions of heeseung's fic from the series ⤷ a/n: I'M BACK AFTER 4 YEARS.

✩ˎˊ˗ summary: being sunghoon’s younger sister by a year, it was clear to everyone that you were off-limits. sunghoon’s overprotectiveness made it impossible for anyone to forget that, especially sunoo, his best friend. the pink haired alpha, who always saw you as nothing more than his best friend’s little sister. he wasn’t looking for an omega or a mate, and that was that. but when things get heated between the both of you, he had no choice but to confront the feelings he always had for his best friend's younger sister that he couldn't deny anymore.

being the youngest daughter of the esteemed park family was hard, not because of who your brother was, but because of all the rules you were raised to follow.

from the moment you could walk, you were groomed to be perfect, poised, refined, and constantly reminded that you were next in line to rule alongside sunghoon. the pressure was suffocating. every step you took was measured, every decision scrutinized, and the expectations never seemed to end.

the problem? you had never asked for any of it.

as his younger sister, it was hard to make your own way when all anyone ever saw was the role you were born into. and to make matters worse, there were constant reminders that you were off-limits, not just because you were his sister— maybe just a little, but because you were the future of the family.

you were snapped out of your thoughts when you felt sunghoon tap lightly on your knee, the touch familiar yet still enough to pull you back into reality. his presence in the front seat always had an air of authority, and for a moment, you resented how easily he could just, command your attention.

"stupid alpha's and their stupid genes." you muttered under your breath.

"stop zoning out," he said, his voice a playful reprimand, though the smile on his face suggested he wasn’t too bothered by your distraction.

you rolled your eyes as you shifted in your seat. “i'm not zoning out,” you muttered, trying to shake off the feelings of frustration that had been rising under your skin. the weight of your family’s expectations felt heavier than usual.

sunghoon, sitting next to the driver’s seat with his attention partly on the road and partly on you, sighed. "you know mom’s going to expect you to bring a suitor with you to the dinner, right? at least someone who looks like they’re even remotely interested in you."

you could feel your chest tighten at the mention of it. it wasn’t even a dinner for a few more days, at least five, actually; but your mother had already made it clear that tonight’s family dinner would be just the beginning. it was one of those events designed to solidify your place in the hierarchy, and somehow, the spotlight was always on you and your older brother, no matter how much you tried to avoid it.

"yeah, i know," you said dryly, glancing out the window at the passing buildings. "you’re not the one who has to deal with her acting like your love life is the family business."

sunghoon chuckled, a sound that felt too familiar, dry and dismissive, as though he didn’t even consider anyone good enough to be worthy of you. “i just think no one’s good enough for you,” he said with a shrug, his voice almost bored as he looked out the windshield.

“mom’s just doing her usual thing. trying to find someone who’ll follow the rules and look the part. doesn’t matter who they are, as long as they check the boxes.” sunghoon sighed as he shot you a tight smile in the rear-view mirror.

you bit your lip to keep from rolling your eyes. the last thing you needed was your brother deciding who was worthy of you, especially when the last thing you wanted was someone picked for you based on some list of family-approved traits. “i’m sure she’ll find someone who meets all her requirements,” you said, sarcasm laced into your voice.

sunghoon glanced at you, the amusement in his eyes fading into something a little more serious. for a second, you saw a flash of concern in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly. "don’t let her get to you," he said quietly.

“the only thing you need is an alpha who cares about you,” he said, his tone oddly casual, though he sounded sincere. "like your mate, who i'm sure is just out there waiting for you. you’ll find him eventually."

you blinked, surprised by the unexpected softness in his voice. you weren't used to hearing him talk like that

you shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to say. "you really think someone’s out there waiting for me?" you asked, the doubt creeping into your voice despite the hope his words has caused.

sunghoon's gaze softened for a moment, his expression unreadable. "i don't think you need to worry about that right now," he said with a slight grin, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "when the time comes, you'll know. just… don’t let mom rush you into someone you don’t want."

you let out a quiet sigh, turning your gaze out the window as the car slowed. the city lights blurred past, and before you could process it, the familiar driveway came into view, an all too familiar mansion.

the car honked, and a figure appeared in your peripheral vision. you recognized him immediately, even from a distance. kim sunoo, casually scrolling through his phone as he stood by the front gate. as the car rolled to a stop, he looked up, saw you both, and then sent sunghoon a playful smirk through the rolled-down passenger window.

"well, look who finally decided to show up," sunoo said with a grin, his eyes lighting up as he slid into the car beside you without missing a beat.

but as sunoo settled in beside you, you couldn't shake the strange feeling that had been creeping up on you for a while now. you'd known sunoo for as long as you could remember, your brother’s best friend, always around when the two of you were growing up.

his family was just like yours, pureblooded with a reputation that seemed to follow them wherever they went. but to you, sunoo had always seemed harmless, just another guy who’d been around long enough to be a part of the family in a way.

it wasn’t always like this. there was a time when he had been just… sunghoon's best friend. the guy who teased you relentlessly, but never in a mean way. he was always present, always just there; at family gatherings, at parties, even during quiet moments when you'd end up sitting side by side, silently enduring the weight of family expectations together.

it wasn’t an obvious change, not something you could point to with a specific date. but, something that began to grow when you found yourself seeing him differently.

maybe it was during one of those times when you had to wait for sunghoon outside an office, a day when he’d gotten into a fight with another alpha after his classes. you were both stuck waiting for your brother, his stubbornness keeping him inside while you and sunoo were left in an uncomfortable silence.

you’d both sat there, avoiding each other’s gaze, the minutes stretched on, and something inside you felt weird. the way sunoo’s eyes would flicker toward you, like he was trying to catch your attention without fully looking at you, as if testing whether you were still there. you'd meet his gaze for a second, but he’d always look away too quickly, leaving you with the unsettling feeling that there was something he wasn’t saying.

his scent, always so familiar, seemed to hang in the air thicker than usual. it was the heady mixture of rum and neroli that you’d come to associate with him, something that screamed 'kim sunoo.' but now, it felt more intense, like it was seeping into your senses and refusing to let go.

each inhale felt deeper than the last, and with every breath, your heart began to pound faster. your inner omega reacted before your mind could process it, a soft whimper rising in the back of your throat as your body seemed to crave the closeness, the warmth that sunoo offered.

"omega…" sunoo grumbled under his breath, his voice barely a whisper, but it was enough to make your pulse spike. his eyes were narrowed, his expression flickering with something unreadable as he shifted next to you.

"alpha," you whispered, more to yourself than to him, trying to force some control back into the situation. the words barely left your lips before sunoo let out a breath, his hand brushing against yours, sending another wave of heat coursing through you.

before you could fully process what was happening, the glass doors to the office burst open with a loud bang, snapping you out of the haze you were in. sunghoon stormed out, his face contorted in irritation.

"let’s go," he grumbled, his voice laced with anger. he barely spared a glance in your direction before he turned, expecting both of you to follow. sunoo stood up immediately, his posture rigid, but not before shooting you one last look.

now, here you were, in the present, sitting next to the pink haired alpha in the backseat of the car. he hadn’t said much, just offering you a tight-lipped smile when you briefly met his gaze. his usual bright smile was gone when it came to you, replaced by something colder. you didn’t know what had changed between you two, only that it had.

and it was driving you crazy.

the school halls felt a little emptier than usual, you found yourself walking alongside heeseung’s mate, the two of you falling into a comfortable silence as you made your way toward the library.

"so, how's your relationship going?" you asked, breaking the silence between the two of you as you both navigated the winding hallway. your voice was light, almost teasing.

she raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a mischievous grin. "i haven't seen you in a hot minute, and that’s the first thing you ask me?" she chuckled, nudging your shoulder with her own. "guess i should be flattered, huh?"

you rolled your eyes but couldn't hide the smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "well, it's not like i have a lot of time to catch up with you," you replied, voice dripping with mock sarcasm. "plus, i'm curious what it's like to have a mate."

she let out a dramatic sigh, pressing a hand to her chest. "well, let me tell you, it’s a whole different world, but not in the way people make it seem."

you raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious now. "isn't that how it’s supposed to be? like, you find your other half, and everything just... clicks?"

she laughed softly, shaking her head. "it does click, but not always in the way you think. it’s not just about this perfect connection, you have to understand each other on a level most people never get. and that means sometimes stepping back, compromising, giving up things you thought you wanted."

you frowned slightly, trying to process what she was saying. "so, it's not all… smooth sailing?"

"not at all," she said with a grin, her expression softening.

the two of you slowed your pace as you reached the library doors, and you couldn't help but feel a little bit worried. "sounds like a lot to take in," you murmured.

"it is," she agreed, her expression softening, her voice quieter now. "but when it’s right, it’s worth every bit of effort." she paused, glancing at you with a hint of playfulness. "anyway, enough about me and my romantic life. what about you? any suitors yet?"

you snorted at her tone. "oh, definitely not. my stupid brother would never let that happen." you couldn't hide the frustration in your voice. "honestly, he’d probably pick the guy out himself if he had it his way."

as you pushed open the library doors, you immediately spotted sunoo. he was scanning the second aisle of books, his pink hair catching the light as he casually flipped through a book in his hands. the quiet rustle of pages echoed, but the moment you stepped inside, something changed.

his scent hit you; rum and neroli, as usual, but then, something softer, something sweet and floral lingered in the air, mixing with the familiar fragrance. cherries and daisies. your scent. you hadn’t realized it until now, but it was unmistakable. the realization hit you like a wave, the familiar smell of your scent blending with his in the air around you made your heart race.

sunoo looked up, his eyes immediately meeting yours, and you felt a jolt in your chest. his gaze flickered toward you faster than you could process, as if the sudden rush of your scent had caught him off guard. for a moment, he looked like he was trying to figure out what was happening.

the usual cocky grin he wore was gone, replaced by something that looked unsure. the silence stretched between the two of you hanged in the air. his lips parted as if to say something but closed again before he could speak, his eyes flickering to the side.

you felt your cheeks warm, a slight blush creeping up as you realized just how much of your scent had made its way to him. it wasn’t the usual mixture of rum and neroli; it was your scent, swirling around him, and it made everything feel strangely intimate.

after a few seconds, sunoo cleared his throat, attempting to break the tension. “hi,” he said, his voice quieter than usual. his hand went to rub the back of his neck in an awkward gesture. “what’s up?”

"i'—i'm just looking for a book," you said quickly, trying to steady your breathing.

"right," sunoo muttered, his lips pressing into a tight line.

before either of you could say anything else, heeseung's mate, who had been watching the whole exchange with amusement, couldn’t help herself. she stifled a laugh behind her hand, clearly entertained.

at this, sunoo’s gaze hardened slightly, his jaw tightening as if her subtle teasing had struck a nerve. his eyes flicked to her, sharp and full of irritation.

before he could even retort, a familiar voice called out from across the library, breaking the silence.

“dude, come on!” it was ni-ki, his usual energy apparent even in his rushed tone. he was standing near the library entrance, waving a hand as if trying to pull sunoo out of whatever awkward interaction he’d just walked into.

sunoo sighed, running a hand through his hair before nodding at ni-ki. “yeah, i’m coming,” he said, his voice strained. he hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking toward you once more before he turned and started walking toward the door.

ni-ki, however, didn’t seem to miss the stiffness his friend carried. as sunoo approached him, ni-ki raised an eyebrow, his gaze darting between you and sunoo with a smirk slowly creeping onto his face.

“not a word,” sunoo snapped, his voice firm as he grabbed younger by the arm and dragged him out of the library before he could say anything else.

the doors swung shut behind them, leaving you and heeseung’s mate standing there. she let out a low whistle, clearly entertained by the exchange.

“well, that was… something,” she said, raising an eyebrow at you.

you groaned, burying your face in your hands as the heat of embarrassment crept up your neck. "don’t start," you muttered, but the sound of her soft laugh made it clear she already had.

ni-ki wore a smug grin as he and sunoo made their way down the hallway toward jungwon’s classroom. the pinknette kept his head down, his jaw tight, while ni-ki practically bounced with every step.

"you know," ni-ki started, his tone dripping with mischief, "i could smell your scent from a mile away." he wrinkled his nose in exaggerated disgust, throwing a glance at sunoo. "and, man, it went sour the second you came near me. wonder why?"

sunoo shot him a glare, his fists clenching at his sides. "shut up, you brat," he muttered through gritted teeth, though the flush on his cheeks betrayed his emotions.

ni-ki just laughed, "relax, i’m just saying. you sure you’re not catching feelings?" his voice was light, and the teasing tone in it made sunoo’s brows knit even tighter.

by the time they reached jungwon’s classroom, sunoo’s patience was wearing thin. ni-ki opened the door without hesitation, poking his head in. "hey, president! we have a meeting,"

jungwon looked up from his desk, his sharp eyes instantly narrowing as they landed on sunoo. his nose scrunched as he groaned. "what the fuck, sunoo? what’s up with your scent? it’s all over the place."

sunoo let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing his temples as if trying to push down a rising headache. "it’s nothing," he said firmly as he shot jungwon a pointed look. "can we just go? get your ass up there before ni-ki starts running his mouth again."

but ni-ki wasn’t done. he leaned casually against the doorframe, his grin widening. "oh, he’s not exaggerating, though. your scent’s practically begging for attention right now."

"ni-ki!" sunoo snapped, his voice rising. his cheeks were now a bright red. he shot jungwon another look as his footsteps were already moving back toward the hallway.

jungwon sighed, closing his book as he trailed behind sunoo and ni-ki. his sharp eyes flicked between the two, lingering on sunoo’s unusually tense shoulders. "i don’t think i’ve ever seen you this worked up," jungwon commented, "what happened?"

"i already told you, it's nothing," sunoo said through gritted teeth, his pace quickening as if he could outrun the conversation. his hands were stuffed into his pockets, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

jungwon raised an eyebrow, "dude, i'm just concerned," he stepped closer to sunoo, his gaze scrutinizing. "and why does your scent keep spiking like that? it’s—" he wrinkled his nose again, "—weirdly sweet."

"woah, which one of you reeks of omega?" jake's voice cut through the tense atmosphere as he walked up from the opposite end of the hallway, his eyebrows raised in confusion. he stopped a few feet away, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group before settling on the pink haired alpha.

all of them turned to look at sunoo, who visibly tensed under their stares. his scent, usually subtle, was undeniably different now; sweet and overwhelming, like cherries and daisies after a summer rain.

jake's eyes widened slightly as the realization hit. "oh, it’s you," he said, pointing at sunoo, a teasing smirk spreading across his face. "what the hell, dude? i thought you didn’t want a mate. sunghoon’s gonna lose his mind if he catches a whiff of this."

sunoo groaned, his jaw tightening even further. "for the hundredth fucking time, it’s nothing," he snapped, his voice low.

jake wasn’t having it. he stepped closer, his eyes holding nothing but amusement. "nothing? seriously?" he let out a chuckle, leaning casually against the wall. "because from what i’m smelling—" he let out a chuckle, "it doesn’t sound like nothing."

and just like ni-ki, jake was far from being done. he leaned in slightly, his tone dropping into something more serious. "just saying, sunoo. you smell like you’ve already claimed her as your omega."

sunoo’s patience finally snapped. he stepped forward, his shoulders tense as grabbed jake's collar. "i already told you, it's fucking nothing!" his voice echoed down the hallway. he took a shaky breath, trying to calm himself down before speaking again. "can we just drop it?"

the hallway fell silent for a moment, the tension thick between them. jungwon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he exchanged a glance with jake and ni-ki.

"alright, let’s go," jungwon muttured. sunoo turned on his heel, his head held high as he stormed off down the hallway.

the council meeting dragged on longer than expected, leaving everyone tired but relieved as everything finally wrapped up. jay stretched his arms over his head while jake clapped his hands together, his signature smile plastered on his face.

before anyone could leave, sunghoon stood up, leaning casually against the table. “before we all go home to suffer through whatever my family has planned for us this weekend,” he started, glancing around the room, “i'm throwing a party at our place. consider it a little pregame before we have to suffer through whatever formalities my family has planned.”

“your place?” jay asked, raising an eyebrow. “you sure about that?”

“yeah, well, we’ll deal with it,” sunghoon replied with a shrug. “i’ll handle everything. you guys just show up and try not to burn the house down, okay?” he flashed his trademark smirk.

heeseung snickered, leaning back in his chair. “no promises, man.”

sunghoon rolled his eyes. “you guys are exhausting. just be there, okay?”

sunghoon grabbed his bag from the chair beside him, slinging it over his shoulder with a casual flick of his wrist. he glanced at sunoo, who was still looking through his phone.

“come on, man,” sunghoon said, nudging sunoo with his elbow. “let’s head out. don’t make me wait on you.”

sunoo gave a short nod but didn’t respond immediately. he slipped his phone into his pocket and grabbed his own bag, standing up and following sunghoon to the door.

but sunghoon stopped just before they reached it, pausing for a moment. “actually, you go ahead,” he said, glancing at sunoo. “i need to make a few calls before we head out, wait for me at the car.”

sunoo nodded, albeit with a slight frown. “alright. don’t take too long.”

with that, sunghoon waved off sunoo and headed back to the council room. the pink haired alpha turned and walked out of the building, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.

you were already standing near the car, scrolling through your phone, when you heard those footsteps approach.

but instead of both of them, it was just sunoo.

he slowed his pace as he neared you, his eyes meeting yours for a moment before darting away. his posture was more stiff than usual, like he was trying to keep himself together despite the tension. he cleared his throat, offering a small smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“your brother had to make a few calls,” he said, trying to keep his tone light, though it didn’t sound quite as casual as he intended. “he’ll be out in a bit.”

you raised an eyebrow, noting the way he avoided your gaze. something was different about him, it seemed like he was even more avoidant that before. you leaned a little more against the car, letting your phone slip into your pocket.

“oh, alright. i was expecting you both,” you said, keeping your tone light. “guess it’s just you for now.”

sunoo’s gaze met yours briefly, but he quickly looked away, the tension between you two rising just from the quietness that surrounded you.

“yeah,” sunoo replied, his voice quieter than usual. “he’ll catch up soon.”

you both stood there, the silence stretching on a little too long for your liking, every time you shifted slightly, the pureblooded alpha's eyes flickered toward you, only to dart away quickly when you looked in his direction.

sunoo’s gaze wandered back to you, though his eyes lingered longer this time, his brows furrowed just slightly, as if trying to figure something out, something that was clearly confusing him. his hands, tucked into his pockets, clenched and unclenched as if he were trying to control his inner alpha.

he was trying to keep it together, but you could tell he was struggling, and it only made the tension between you two worse. your scent, the cherries and daisies that always clung to you, seemed to hit him harder now than it ever had before. he kept his head down at times, shaking it slightly, as if trying to will the thoughts away. but it was impossible.

before the silence could swallow you whole, a familiar figure came into view. sunghoon, bag slung over his shoulder, was walking toward you both, his sharp eyes landing on you. when he noticed sunoo, his gaze narrowed for a moment, before he pushed the door open and got into the driver’s seat.

sunoo visibly relaxed when sunghoon appeared, his shoulders relaxing. you noticed the way sunghoon’s gaze flicked between you two, almost as if trying to get a reaction out of you before his expression softened.

“let’s go,” sunghoon muttered, his tone light, but you caught the faintest hint of annoyance to it. as you got in, sunghoon’s eyes lingered on sunoo for a moment, an unreadable look being exchanged between them before he turned his attention back to you.

the car ride back to your house was suffocating with the silence between sunghoon and sunoo. their usual playful banter was absent, making it feel like there was a thick wall between them. sunghoon’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his jaw clenched, and his eyes were fixed ahead, not once glancing at sunoo.

when your brother finally pulled up to your house, he didn’t even look at you as he parked the car. “go on, i'll go home later, i'm going to hang with sunoo a bit at his place,” he said, his tone flat, though he didn’t make eye contact.

you hesitated, still confused by the strange tension between the two of them, but sunghoon wasn't one to order you around if nothing was up. you opened the car door and stepped out, the cool air hitting your skin as you closed it behind you. but as soon as you turned to head inside, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.

inside the car, sunghoon didn’t waste any time. as soon as the door slammed shut, he put the car in gear and pulled away, his face hard as stone. he spoke again, his tone colder than before.

“sunoo,” he said, his voice low, full of suppressed rage. “what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

the pink haired alpha didn’t immediately respond, his eyes flicking to sunghoon’s, and the words that followed were filled with frustration.

“what the fuck are you saying?” sunoo spat, his tone was angry angry, but there a hint nervousness he couldn’t hide. he was defensive, like he was trying to convince himself more than sunghoon. “i don’t know what you’re talking about.”

sunghoon’s eyes darkened, and he slammed his hand against the steering wheel. “don’t lie to me. i saw the way you were looking at her, at (y/n). you think i didn’t notice? you’re not fooling anyone, sunoo. you’ve made it clear you don’t want a mate, so don’t start acting like you care about my sister. she’s not some fucking toy for you to play with.”

sunoo’s breath caught in his throat. the words hit him like a punch. his anger rose and his pulse quickened, but he wasn’t ready to back down. he was kim sunoo, for god’s sake. a pureblooded alpha. the one everyone looked up to, admired, even worshipped as if he were some sort of god.

people didn’t question him. they didn’t dare. they whispered his name in admiration, gazed at him with awe, and hung onto every word that fell from his lips. he was always in control, always the one holding all the cards. yet here he was, sitting in sunghoon’s car, feeling like a cornered animal.

“i’m not—” his voice cut off. his eyes narrowed, and his jaw tightened. “you’ve lost your mind. you think I’m some kind of… what? a threat? to (y/n)?” he scoffed, shaking his head. “i don’t even—”

but the words got caught in his throat, the sheer audacity of sunghoon’s words sparked something primal that clawed its way to the surface.

“i don’t need your fucking lectures,” sunoo snapped, his voice rising, laced with frustration and something darker. “you think you can just sit there and tell me what to feel? like you know everything about me?”

sunghoon’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles turning white. his voice, cold cut through sunoo’s anger like a blade. “i know enough, sunoo. i know what you’re capable of. you’ve always been able to have whatever you wanted, and you never cared about the mess you left behind. i’ve seen it. i’ve cleaned it up.”

sunoo flinched, his jaw tightening as the words dug into him. “you think i’d do that to her? to your sister?” he practically spat the words, his voice trembling with disbelief and something he couldn’t quite place: shame, maybe, though he wasn’t about to admit it. “do you even hear yourself right now?”

“yes, i do,” sunghoon spat back, is glare was sharp enough to draw blood, and the fire in his eyes kept on burning. “and you’d better hear me too. i don’t care who you are, sunoo. i don’t care how many people bow at your feet or how many omegas line up just for a glance from you. she’s not one of them. she’s not yours to toy with.”

sunoo slumped slightly, the words hitting him harder than he expected. se opened his mouth to argue, to lash back, but the weight of his own best friend's anger pressed down on him.

sunghoon’s voice lowered, the cold anger hinting at something even more dangerous: protectiveness. “you’ve built your reputation on being untouchable like the rest of us, sunoo. on being the alpha no one can resist. but this time, it’s different. she’s different. and i’m not going to let you drag her into whatever this is. so if you can’t figure your shit out, then stay the hell away from her. not her, sunoo. not my sister.”

the silence that followed was deafening, the tension in the car so heavy it was almost suffocating. sunoo turned his gaze to the window, his jaw tight and his chest heaving. he wanted to say something, anything; but the words refused to come. for the first time in his life, kim sunoo didn’t know what to say.

and that terrified him.

the bass of the music slammed through the walls of your room, shaking the floor beneath your feet as muffled laughter and indistinct chatter filled the air. the faint stench of alcohol wafted in from downstairs, mixing with the faint scent of perfume you’d just sprayed.

you stood in front of your vanity, mascara in hand, carefully brushing it through your lashes. despite the loud party happening just a floor below, your mind was miles away, spinning relentlessly over the events of the day.

your brother's voice echoed in your head, commanding and impossible to ignore. “go on.” his expression was hard, his tone leaving no room for argument, and his eyed held something you couldn’t quite place. anger? frustration? and then, hours later, when he finally came home, his jaw was set tight and his movements sharp, he’d brushed it off entirely. “pay it no mind,” he’d said, as if you could.

you blinked, startled as jungwon’s mate’s voice broke through your thoughts. “well, don’t you look pretty,” she said with a teasing tone, her warm smile reflected in the mirror beside you. she leaned against the edge of the bed, holding a glass of wine, her relaxed posture a contrast to your tense one.

you managed a small laugh, the corners of your lips twitching up as you capped your mascara. “thanks,” you muttered, setting the tube down on the vanity.

“i mean, you always do,” she continued, waving her hand as if it were obvious. “your genes are just unfair, honestly.” she paused, tilting her head with a mischievous grin. “but tonight, i don’t know… there’s something different. you might just find yourself an alpha.”

“i’d kill to have your genes,” heeseung's mate chimed in from where she was perched on the armrest of a chair, twirling the stem of her own wine glass between her fingers. “the rest of us have to try, but you? you just wake up looking like that.”

you laughed lightly, “okay, calm down, it’s not that serious,” you replied, though a faint blush crept up your neck.

“oh, it is,” jungwon’s mate insisted, sitting up straighter. she gestured at you with her drink. “half the alphas downstairs are probably already talking about you, and you’re not even there yet.”

you rolled your eyes, about to deflect when a knock at the door broke through the conversation. all three of you turned toward it just as it cracked open slightly.

“hey—” ni-ki’s voice came from the hallway as he peeked his head inside, his dark hair slightly messy and his tie undone. his teasing grin widened when he spotted you. “oh, look who’s not ready yet. should’ve known.”

“what do you want, ni-ki?” you asked, crossing your arms but unable to suppress a small smile at his antics.

he leaned against the doorframe, his expression mischievous as his gaze darted between the three of you. “well, for one, jungwon and heeseung are downstairs losing their minds trying to figure out where these two are,” he said, directing his words to the other two omega's in the room.

both women groaned, rolling their eyes in unison.

“of course they are,” heeseung’s mate muttered, setting her glass down. “they’re so clingy sometimes.”

“tell them we’re having girl time,” jungwon’s mate added with a dismissive wave. “they’ll survive.”

ni-ki shrugged. “suit yourselves. just don’t blame me when they come storming up here.” his gaze flicked back to you, and his grin turned into something more teasing. “and you.”

you raised an eyebrow at him. “what about me?”

“oh, nothing,” ni-ki replied, his voice dripping with mock innocence. “just wondering if you’re planning to make an entrance tonight or if you’re hiding up here for a reason. you know…” he paused dramatically. “like maybe avoiding someone?”

your stomach twisted, and you tensed at his words. sunoo’s name was unspoken, but the implication was clear.

you avoided the curious gazes of jungwon’s and heeseung’s mates, focusing instead on smoothing down your dress as if that could steady the nervousness coursing through you. “i’m not avoiding anyone,” you said quickly, though your voice came out a little too defensive. “why would i be?”

ni-ki’s smirk grew, his eyes catching every flicker of your unease. “no reason,” he said casually, though his tone said otherwise. “but, you know, sunoo’s downstairs already. thought you’d want to know.”

your fingers tightened around the edge of your dress, but you forced a calm expression, brushing past his words with a shrug. “thanks for the update, ni-ki. anything else?”

ni-ki let out a low chuckle, pushing off the doorframe. “nope, that’s it. i'll let the boys know their precious mates are alive and well.” he shot you one last knowing glance before disappearing down the hall.

heeseung’s mate arched an eyebrow at you. “something you want to share?”

“nope,” you replied quickly, standing and grabbing your clutch to avoid their probing stares. “let’s head down before jungwon and heeseung actually come looking for you.”

the two omega's exchanged a look, clearly not convinced by your avoidance, but they didn’t push further. with a quiet sigh and a shake of their heads, they trailed after you, their heels clicking softly against the floor.

as you descended the staircase, the music grew louder, the distinct stench of alcohol mixed with the overwhelming mix of scents, some sharp and dominating, others softer and more inviting, hit you like a wave. the mingling of alpha and omega pheromones in the air made your head spin slightly, but you quickly composed yourself, steadying your breath.

the party was in full swing by the time you reached the ground floor. laughter blended with the music. you got lost through the crowd, your gaze scanning the room for familiar faces. a few alphas glanced your way as you passed, their eyes lingering a second too long, but you paid them no mind. your focus was on finding the one group that always stood out: your brother and his closest friends.

there they were, gathered in a corner near the back of the living room, a bunch alpha's that demanded attention without trying. you no one dared approach them, not even the boldest partygoers. they were untouchable, and everyone in the room knew it. the alphas who tried too hard to impress, the omegas who stole glances— they all kept their distance.

even from afar, you could see why. jungwon’s sharp gaze swept over the room like a predator assessing his territory, while jake leaned casually against the wall, his smile charming yet unreadable. heeseung reeked of confidence, sipping from his drink as if he had nothing to prove, while ni-ki and jay stood close, their presence equally magnetic. as if there was a warning sign above them that seemed to say, come close at your own risk.

then there was sunoo, his fox-like eyes gleaming under the dim light, observing the room with an intensity that made you feel as though he saw everything without even trying. he was effortless in the way he held himself, his posture relaxed but his presence was everything, as if daring anyone tocome close. his lips curved into a faint smirk, but it never reached his eyes.

for a moment, your breath hitched as his eyes flicked in your direction. it wasn’t a lingering stare, but something about the brief glance sent a jolt through you, like he’d caught you looking and wanted you to know it. you quickly tore your gaze away, pretending to focus on something else.

you straightened your shoulders, forcing yourself to focus as you made your way toward the group with heeseung’s mate and jungwon’s mate trailing close behind.

jay was the closest to you, leaning casually with his drink in hand. you stepped up to him, barely giving yourself time to hesitate before asking, “where’s sunghoon?”

jay tilted his head, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “last i saw, he was playing the host, chatting up some guests by the back patio.” he took a sip from his drink before adding, “you know your brother, always trying to keep things in check.”

your brows furrowed as you glanced in the direction he pointed, but sunghoon was nowhere in sight. “did he say anything about leaving?” you asked, trying to keep the worry from creeping into your voice.

jay shook his head, his grin widening slightly as he caught a glimpse of sunoo, who had moved a step closer. the flicker of something—irritation, jealousy, maybe both; in sunoo’s fox-like eyes didn’t escape jay.

“nope,” jay said, his tone casual. “he’s probably just busy. relax, will you? it’s a party.” his gaze flicked between you and Sunoo, and the amusement in his eyes deepened. “enjoy yourself. who knows? you might even catch someone’s attention tonight.”

the way he said it was so pointed that your cheeks flushed, and you stammered out a response, “i’m not—no, that’s not—”

but jay’s smirk only grew, and he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice like he was doing it on purpose. “don’t worry. you’ve definitely already caught someone’s eye.”

before you could even process his words, a sharp, distinct smell flared through the air, piercing through the mix of alcohol, sweat, and pheromones that spread through the room. the smell of rum hit your nose, strong and intoxicating, but it wasn’t coming from jake’s drink; and it made your chest tighten.

your eyes shifted to sunoo almost instinctively. his expression was unreadable, his fingers gripped the glass in his hand tighter than necessary, the faint clink of ice shifting barely audible over the music. his fox-like eyes, which normally held a teasing glint, were locked on jay, bordered on threatening.

it didn’t take much to connect the dots. the flaring scent wasn’t just the alcohol in the room— it was him, sunoo, struggling to keep his emotions in check. his gaze flickered to you briefly before he quickly looked away.

jay noticed too. of course, he did. he smirk on his face twisted into something more mischievous, “relax, sunoo,” jay said, his tone light but loaded, clearly meant to push the alpha's buttons. “no need to look so angry. i’m just saying she’s a catch, that’s all.”

the glass in sunoo’s hand creaked faintly under the pressure of his grip. “you talk too much,” he muttered.

your heart hammered in your chest as the tension between the two alphas crackled like static in the air. you swallowed hard, forcing a nervous laugh to break the awkwardness. “i’ll just… go find sunghoon,” you said quickly, taking a step back.

but even as you turned to leave, you could feel sunoo’s gaze following. the smell of rum still lingered, and it seemed to follow you out of the room like a shadow.

the back patio was quiet compared to the chaos inside. the music was muffled, and the cool night air was a contrast to the stuffy heat of the party. you glanced around, searching for any sign of sunghoon, but the space was practically deserted except for a few people sitting on the edge of the patio.

you sighed, frustration bubbling up. jay’s directions had been vague at best, and for all you knew, your brother could be anywhere. “great,” you muttered to yourself, rubbing your arms as a slight chill crept in.

“he’s probably busy making out with some random omega,” a familiar voice drawled behind you, the words dripping with a mix of sarcasm and something bitter.

you turned to find sunoo leaning against the doorframe, his figure backlit by the dim glow of the house. his fox-like eyes were unreadable, like the alpha was holding back more than he was saying. the way his arms were crossed over his chest, fingers tapping against his bicep, only added to the tension that seemed to follow him everywhere tonight.

“excuse me?” you replied, eyebrows raising.

sunoo shrugged, but the motion was anything but casual. the slight quirk of his lips wasn’t a smile, it was a challenge. “what?” he said, his tone deceptively light. “it’s not like it’s the first time. sunghoon’s great at disappearing when there’s a pretty omega around to distract him

“you sound like you’ve done that more than once,” you retorted, your voice sharp, unable to mask the sting of his words. you stood your ground, eyes narrowing as you crossed your arms, unwilling to back down.

sunoo’s jaw tightened at your words, and for a split second, you saw the flash of something in his eyes, hurt? anger? it was hard to tell. but before you could process it, he took a step forward.

“i’m not having this argument with you, (y/n),” he bit out, his voice low, like he was trying to keep himself under control. “you don’t get it.”

you took a step closer, “no, i don’t think you get it, sunoo,” you retorted, your voice cutting through the tension between you. “you always avoid everything, avoid me, avoid the truth. you act like you’re protecting me, but it’s just you trying to keep things safe, trying to keep everything easy for yourself. but it’s not working anymore.”

without warning, sunoo stepped closer, his hand shooting out to grip your waist, pulling you flush against him. the sudden move took you by surprise, your breath hitching as his hold tightened, his fingers digging into your skin. the heat of his body, the closeness, his intoxicating scent sent a wave of dizziness through you.

his voice dropped to a whisper, right against your ear. “sunghoon implanted it into my brain, (y/n).” his words were almost a growl, “you’re off-limits. i'm bad for you. you don’t get it, do you?”

you gasped, your breath shaky as you tried to push him away, but he only pulled you closer, his chest pressing against yours. his gaze locked with yours, eyes dark and intense. “you don’t understand what you’re doing to me. every time i look at you, i’m reminded of the things i can’t have. the things i can’t do.”

your heart pounded in your chest, the feeling of his hands on your waist sending your mind into a whirlwind of emotions. you couldn’t deny the way your inner omega and body reacted to him, but you shoved the thoughts down, “you think i’m some fucking distraction?” you spat, your voice laced with frustration. “you think i’m just going to sit back and watch you avoid me because of my brother?”

his grip tightened, and for a moment, the intensity of his presence, pressed down on you so much that you almost couldn’t breathe. “yes,” he said, his voice hard, like steel. “because it’s not just about what you want, it’s about what i need to protect myself from. from you. from this.”

his thumb traced a line along your waist, and the action only made the heat between you two more unbearable. “you make me want things i can’t have.”

you shook your head, frustration boiling over. “so, what? you’re going to keep me at arm's length because of something he said?” you raised your voice, your words laced with disbelief. “you’re just going to keep avoiding this because of some stupid rule Ssnghoon created?”

the hardness in sunoo's gaze faltered, but it didn’t last. he grabbed your arm and pulled you closer, the cold night air forgotten between the heat of your bodies. his eyes softened, just for a second, before he spoke again;

“i never wanted a mate, (y/n). not when we were younger.” his words came out strained, “i didn’t care about that stuff. all i wanted was to be free. but then we got older… and things changed.”

his gaze dropped to the ground, and he looked away briefly, “and then i saw you, and everything i thought i knew, everything i thought i wanted started to crumble. but that’s the thing, (y/n). i can’t just fall into something like this, not with you. not with anyone.”

you felt your heart twist, the words hitting you harder than you expected. you opened your mouth to respond, but before you could, sunoo stepped back, releasing his hold on you.

“i can’t risk it,” he muttered, “you don’t get it. i didn’t want a mate, i didn't want an omega to call my own, and i didn’t want to care. but i do. i can’t have you. and i won’t.”

your heart hammered in your chest, the frustration, confusion, and anger bubbling up inside you. but you couldn’t just let him walk away like that, couldn’t let him think that he could just make decisions for you and push you aside.

without thinking, you reached up, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him toward you with such force that it was almost like you were trying to yank him into your own emotions. his eyes widened, startled by the sudden force, but before he could react, you pressed your lips to his, kissing him fiercely, almost desperately.

the kiss wasn’t gentle. it wasn’t tender. it was urgent, the kind of kiss that came from months of trying to ignore what your bodies already knew. both of you had been avoiding this, pushing back against the pull that your inner omega had insisted on, trying to deny what was always right in front of you. but now, in this moment, neither of you could hold back anymore.

his lips crashed against yours, and it felt like something had been broken. the months of years, the constant tug of your instincts; those feelings you both had pushed aside came rushing to the surface. you felt his body heat radiate through you, his hands desperate as they found their place on your waist, pulling you closer.

his scent mixed with yours so effortlessly, blending into something intoxicating. your inner omega, which you had been so determined to suppress, recognized him immediately, as if the very core of you had always known he was meant to be the one to claim you.

you moaned softly, a sound you couldn’t stop, and it seemed to fuel him, pushing him further into the kiss. his hands tightened around you, pulling you even closer, like he couldn’t get enough. you could feel his heartbeat racing against yours.

in his arms, you felt safe, wanted, like you were exactly where you were meant to be. he wasn’t just some pureblooded alpha. he was your alpha, and you were his omega.

but all too soon, he pulled away, his breath shaky, but there was a softness in his eyes that you hadn’t expected. his forehead rested against yours, both of you trying to steady your breathing, his hands still lingered on your waist, holding you as if to say, i'm not going anywhere.

sunoo’s gaze softened further, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "you don’t know how long i’ve been trying to fight this," he whispered, his voice low, almost a confession. "but i can’t anymore. not with you."

a shaky laugh escaped you before you could stop it. “i don’t want you to fight it anymore,” you admitted, your voice trembling. “i don’t want to fight this, either. not with you.”

without another word, the pink-haired alpha pulled you back inside, his hand never leaving your waist, his grip steady as he ignored the people around you, who were too caught up in their own worlds to even notice. it didn’t matter. it was just the two of you now.

he led you through the halls, when he reached the door, he didn’t hesitate, didn’t need to ask. he knew where your room was, his senses guiding him effortlessly. it was like your scent had marked the room for him.

he opened the door, his body pressing into yours as he kicked it closed with his foot. in an instant, his lips found yours again. it was like you had been waiting for this forever, and now that you were here, you didn’t want to let go.

his kiss was deeper this time, more desperate, as if he couldn’t get enough of you, as if this was the only thing that mattered in the world. the heat from his body collided with yours, and you could feel his heart racing against your chest, matching the frantic pace of your own.

you sighed into the kiss, the feeling of his lips on yours so intoxicating that your head spun. without breaking contact, he pushed you against the door, the pressure of his body reminding you of how close you two were. his hands roamed to your waist, pulling you in even closer.

the kiss became more demanding, more intense, as your hands found their way into his hair, tugging him closer. the world around you disappeared. there was only him, only the feel of his lips and the heat of his touch.

"jump," sunoo murmured into the kiss, his voice low and commanding, yet somehow full of need. his hands slid down your body, urging you to respond, to give in to him fully.

you didn’t think twice. without hesitation, you wrapped your legs around him, and he caught you with ease, lifting you effortlessly. the way his body moved with yours felt so surreal as you melted into him, every ounce of you craving more.

he gently laid you down on the bed, hovering over you, his body a warm against yours. the space between you was almost non-existent, your chests rising and falling in time with the rapid beat of your hearts.

he leaned down, brushing a strand of hair from your face, his gaze intense. "do you really want this?"hHis voice was soft, almost tender, but there was seriouness beneath it that made you pause for a moment.

your breath hitched, but you nodded, wanting this more than anything. you needed him. the words were on the tip of your tongue, but your body was saying it all already.

but sunoo wasn’t satisfied with just that. his eyes showed something deeper that made your stomach tighten with both excitement and a hint of fear. "words, baby. i need words." his tone softened.

you swallowed hard, your heartbeat quickening. you could feel the weight of his gaze on you, and suddenly, it was harder to breathe, harder to speak. but you knew what you wanted, what your omega needed.

"yes," you breathed out, your voice barely above a whisper. "i want this, sunoo. i want you."

his eyes darkened, he leaned in again, capturing your lips in a kiss that was all heat, all want, all raw desire. you could feel everything in that kiss; his hesitation, his longing, and his need for you just as much as you needed him.

you let out a soft whine, almost biting your lower lip in an attempt to control the heat of emotions eunning through you. sunoo chuckled against your lips, the sound low and dark, vibrating through your chest.

"i got you, baby," he whispered, his voice low and husky, sending a thrill through your entire body.

your body trembled the moment his lips found the soft spot on your neck, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine. his hands began to tease the hem of your short dress, his fingers grazing the skin of your thighs, drawing slow circles with the tips of his fingers.

“mhmm,” you gasped, biting your lip, your eyes fluttering closed as his lips left a trail of heated kisses along your neck, teasing, torturing you with every press of his lips. you could feel the pressure building, your body responding to his touch in ways you couldn’t control.

"alpha," a tiny moan slipped from your lips when you felt his hand brush closer to your core, the heat between your legs intensifying as his fingers inched closer. the sound of his name on your lips only seemed to fuel him more, his grip tightening around your waist.

the sound of his name on your lips only seemed to fuel him further, his grip tightening around your waist as he continued to tease you. his fingers swirled around your clothed entrance, collecting the wetness seeping through your panties. falling over his forehead as your breaths came in and out in shallow gasps.

sunoo's eyes never left yours as his fingers finally make contact with your throbbing core, sliding your panties effortlessly to the side as his fingers made its way between your folds.

the sensation was overwhelming, and you couldn't help but arch your back, pressing yourself closer to him. his thumb circles your sensitive bud, sending shockwaves of pleasure through your body. you arch into his touch, desperate for more friction. sunoo's dark eyes burn with desire as he watches your reactions, clearly enjoying the power he has over you.

"such a responsive omega," he murmurs, his hot breath fanning across your skin. "i've barely touched you and you're already falling apart."

sunoo's fingers stray away from your core and you let out a whine, wanting more of his touch. but he just chuckles and lifts his hand to lightly brush against your cheek.

"not so fast," he teases, his voice low and sensual. "i want to take my time with you."

your heart races at his words, knowing that sunoo was always one for attention to detail. he leans down to capture your lips in a passionate kiss as his hands tug at your dress, pulling it all the way down leaving you exposed. his hand traveled down your body to cup your breast. you moan into his mouth as he massages the soft flesh, his thumb teasing your hardened nipple through the fabric of your bra.

you arch into his touch, wanting more of him. sunoo breaks the kiss and trails hot kisses down your neck, nipping at the sensitive skin as he slowly removes your bra. his lips move lower and lower until they reach the swell of your breasts, his tongue darting out to circle around one nipple while his hand plays with the other.

you can feel yourself getting wetter by the second, desperate for your alpha's touch between your legs once again. but he continues to take his time, worshipping every part of you with his mouth and hands.

finally, when you think you can't take it anymore, sunoo's fingers return back to where they were before; teasing at your entrance. this time, he dips a finger inside of you and you gasp at the sudden intrusion.

"more," you plead, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

the pink haired alpha smirks down at you before adding another finger and curling them inside of you. your walls clench around him as he hits that perfect spot inside of you, sending sparks flying through your body.

he continues this rhythm until you're practically begging for release. with one final thrust of his fingers, you come undone, your body shaking as you ride out your high.

sunoo pulled your panties down as he positioned himself in between your legs, kneeling on the side of the bed. Yyur heart raced as you watched him, feeling a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

as if sensing your thoughts, sunoo leaned down to place a kiss on your forehead, his hands roaming over your thighs. "you're so beautiful," he whispered before trailing kisses down your stomach.

your skin tingled at his words and touch, and you couldn't help but spread your legs wider for him. sunoo's lips moved lower, leaving a trail of kisses and open-mouthed bites along your inner thighs.

you moaned in pleasure and frustration, wanting him to finally take you but also enjoying the slow buildup. sunoo looked up at you with a wicked glint in his eye before finally running his tongue along your folds.

the sensation was unlike anything you've ever felt before, sending bolts of electricity through every nerve in your body. you gripped onto the sheets tightly as Sunoo continued to explore every inch of you with his mouth.

his movements were slow, teasing and tantalizing you until you were begging for more. but Sunoo seemed to be in control of both himself and you, denying you the release you craved until he was satisfied.

just when you thought you couldn't take it anymore, he finally gave in and brought you to the brink once again. this time, there was no holding back as he used his tongue and fingers to push you over the edge into pure bliss.

you cried out his name as waves of pleasure consumed every part of your being. sunoo pulled away from you with a smirk on his face as he watched the aftermath of what he had done to you.

you whine, "alpha, please, i need you."

sunoo had to suppress a groan while watching your face contort in pleasure. he gently takes your hand once more and asks, "are you sure you want this?"

you nodded eagerly, your body craving sunoo's touch once again. You had begged and pleaded for him to take you, and you were finally getting what you wanted.

the alpha leaned down to kiss you deeply, his hand caressing your cheek. "then i'll give you everything," he whispered against your lips before kissing you more fiercely.

sunoo's lips never left yours as he clumsily removed his pants and button up shirt, you could feel his heat radiating off of him, the scent of his pheromones making your body ache for him even more.

the smell of rum and neroli filled your senses as sunoo's naked body pressed against yours. he kissed you deeply, his hands roaming over every inch of your body.

you moaned into his mouth, your hands gripping onto him tightly.

he pulled away, positioning himself between your legs, ready to claim what was rightfully his. but before he could fully enter you, he paused and looked deep into your eyes.

"i'm giving you one last time to think about this, omega, are you really sure about this?" he asked one final time, wanting to make sure you were comfortable and consenting before marking you as his mate, his omega, his (y/n).

you nodded, knowing that there was no one else you'd rather be with in this moment. sunoo's lips curved into a small smile before lacing his fingers with yours.

sunoo slowly entered you, his pace gentle as he made sure to take care of you. the bond between an alpha and omega was sacred, and sunoo wanted to make sure that he showed you the love and respect you deserved.

his movements were slow and careful, as if he was afraid of hurting you, his eyes never leaving yours as he made love to you. you could feel the connection between the two of you growing stronger with each thrust, your bodies moving in perfect harmony.

"fuck, omega, you're way too good to me," sunoo whispered in your ear, his hot breath sending shivers down your spine. you moaned in response, the pleasure building up inside of you once again.

his hands roamed over your body, caressing every inch of skin as he brought you closer and closer to the edge. he knew exactly how to touch you, and it was sending you over the edge.

"faster, please. i'm not gonna break if you go rough on me, alpha," the pout on your lips and the pleading in your eyes only drove sunoo wild with desire.

he couldn't resist your request any longer and began to pick up his pace, his thrusts becoming harder and faster. you moaned in pleasure, feeling a rush of ecstasy as he hit all the right spots inside of you.

"you're so beautiful like this, (y/n)," sunoo groaned, his primal instincts taking over.

your body was trembling with pleasure as sunoo's movements became more urgent and primal. he was completely lost in his alpha instincts, the need to claim you consuming him.

he leaned down to capture your lips in a heated kiss, his hand tangling in your hair as he continued to thrust into you.

your gasps and moans only drove him further, his movements becoming rougher and more animalistic. but it only added to the pleasure coursing through your body, making you crave him even more.

"god, (y/n), i can't get enough of you," sunoo growled against your neck, his voice filled with desire and possessiveness. "i want to claim you as mine."

you could feel his alpha instincts taking over once again, his need to mark and protect what was his. but instead of feeling scared, you felt a sense of comfort wash over you.

you turned to look at him with a small smile on your face. "i'm already yours, alpha," you said, placing a hand on his cheek. "and i want to be marked by you."

sunoo's eyes widened in surprise at your words. he knew that marking an omega was a sacred act and it required their full consent. he didn't want to rush into anything without making sure that it was what you truly wanted.

"(y/n), are you sure? you don't have to do this for me," he said gently, brushing a stray strand of hair out of your face.

"i'm sure," you replied, "i trust you completely, sunoo."

without another word, sunoo leaned down and pressed his lips against the scent gland on your neck. a low growl rumbled from deep within his chest as he marked you as his own.

the pain was intense and you hissed, clenching your fists as sunoo's teeth pierced into your skin. you could feel blood trickling down your neck and tears stung at the corner of your eyes.

but despite the pain, you couldn't help but feel a sense of pleasure. sunoo was claiming you as his mate, your alpha marking you as his own.

once he was finished, he pulled away and looked at you with an apologetic expression. "i'm sorry if that hurt, baby," he said gently, placing a kiss on the bite mark he left on your neck.

"it's okay," you replied with a small smile, running your fingers through his hair lovingly. "this is all i ever wanted."

sunoo's eyes softened at your words and he pulled you into a tight embrace. "i love you so much," he whispered against your ear.

the pain from the bite mark on your neck was quickly forgotten as sunoo's movements became more intense. he wasn't holding back anymore, his alpha instincts taking over completely.

"let go, omega," he growled, his voice deep and commanding. "i want to hear you scream my name."

and that's exactly what you did. you let go of and gave into the pleasure that was consuming you. sunoo's name fell from your lips like a mantra, a chant of worship for your alpha.

he continued to move, each thrust filled with passion and love for you. it was as if he was pouring all of his emotions into this one act of claiming you.

the air between the two of you only grew heavier with each passing moment. your bodies were perfectly in sync, and it felt like nothing could ever come between the two of you, not even time itself.

and when you both finally reached your climax, it was like an explosion had gone off within both of you. sunoo collapsed onto the bed next to you, pulling you into his arms as he caught his breath.

"you are mine," he said softly, placing a gentle kiss on your forehead. "my omega."

you smiled against his chest, feeling completely content and at peace in his embrace. "and you are my alpha," you replied lovingly.

the soft, golden light spilling through the open curtains gently woke you from your slumber. as the morning sun began its slow ascent. you stirred slightly, the remnants of sleep clinging to you, and instinctively shifted closer to the source of warmth beside you.

you look up, your eyes tracing the features of the boy who had been at the center of your every thought. sunoo’s face, so peaceful in sleep, seemed almost boyish now, free of the guarded expressions he often wore. his lashes, longer than you remembered, rested softly against his cheeks, and the faint glow of the morning light highlighted his face.

his arm was draped lazily over your waist, his body heat contrasting the coolness of the morning air. the rise and fall of his chest brushed softly against your front. a faint smile tugged at the corners of your lips as the familiar scent of him, his scent, which had been so intoxicating last night, was now calm; as if even his very being had been softened by the events of the night before.

you let out a quiet sigh, shifting your position so you were half-laying on him, your hand resting on his chest. slowly, you began running your fingers gently through his messy pink hair, marveling at how soft it felt under your touch.

you leaned down, pressing soft kisses against his cheeks. his skin was warm beneath your lips, and the movement of his chest against yours felt surreal.

sunoo stirred at the feeling, a low hum escaping his lips as his brow furrowed slightly. he opened one eye, squinting against the soft sunlight filtering into the room. for a moment, he seemed dazed, his gaze searching the room before landing on you. when realization dawned, his features softened, and a small, sleepy smile graced his lips.

“good morning,” he mumbled, his voice low and husky from sleep. he let out a deep sigh, his arm tightening around your waist as he pulled you closer. “you’re still here,” he murmured, almost to himself, as if reassuring himself that you hadn’t slipped away in the night.

you chuckled softly, brushing your thumb over his cheek. “where else would i be?” you whispered, your voice warm and teasing.

he closed his eye again, leaning into your touch. “nowhere,” he said with a sigh, his tone filled with a quiet kind of relief. “you belong here. right here.”

you couldn’t help but smile at his words, the warmth in your chest growing. “i'm not going anywhere,” you teased lightly, your voice playful as you ran your fingers through his soft hair. “not in my own house, at least.”

his other eye cracked open at that, and he chuckled softly, his hand on your waist squeezing gently. "your brother’s going to have my head for ‘defiling’ his little sister,” he murmured, his voice a low, teasing growl.

you rolled your eyes, though the nervousness bubbling in your stomach made it hard to hide the faint blush creeping up your neck. “sunghoon doesn’t even have a clue,” you retorted, a bit of nervous laughter escaping as you pushed the thought aside.

“not yet,” sunoo said, his smile widening as he traced the lines of your jaw with his finger. “but you know, i can’t help but think he’s got some sort of radar for these things.”

“please, i think you’re giving him too much credit,” you shot back, trying to keep your voice light even though the possibility of sunghoon finding out was looming over you. the thought of facing your brother’s wrath made your stomach flip.

sunoo’s eyes glinted with amusement. “right,” he said, voice dipping. “but, se’s probably still got his eye on you. wouldn’t put it past him.”

you groaned, burying your face in his chest to hide the sudden embarrassment that surged through you. “please don’t remind me. i’s bad enough i’ve got to deal with his protectiveness all the time.”

sunoo chuckled, his hand gently lifting your chin so that you met his gaze again. “i’m sure he’ll get over it,” he said softly, though his tone was a little too calm for your liking. “eventually. but in the meantime, i’m not exactly worried.”

you shifted slightly, meeting his teasing look with a small smile. “easy for you to say,” you mumbled, trying to push away the nerves in your stomach. “i don’t think you’ll be on his good side anytime soon.”

he leaned in, brushing his lips lightly against your forehead, his touch was soft. “i’ll take my chances,” he whispered, the warmth of his breath sending a shiver through you.

just as the moment seemed to turn into something more intimate, a loud crash broke the silence, followed by the all-too-familiar voice of ni-ki shouting from somewhere downstairs.

"do i look like i know?" his voice echoed, followed by the unmistakable sound of something clattering to the floor.

then came the unmistakable bark of your brother’s voice, cutting through the air authoritative, but completely incoherent. he sounded of frustrated and confused, but the words got lost in the noises of whatever had just happened.

the alpha below you immediately tensed, his body stilling as the atmosphere shifted into something more cautious. his expression shifted to something more serious, his lips pressing into a thin line.

you looked down at him, your voice barely above a whisper. “should we face them?”

sunoo didn’t hesitate. his hand found yours, his fingers intertwining with yours, soothing you. he looked at you protectively. “i’m your alpha now,” he said softly, “you’re mine, and you’re my responsibility. i won’t let you face this alone, not after everything.”

you let out a breath, your nerves easing a little, as you tried to steady your racing heart. “okay,” you whispered back, your voice steady, now more than ever.

you stood up, grabbing shirt that now hung loosely on your frame and paired it with some pants you found scattered around. you weren’t thinking of the mess, of the clothes, of anything. and though the reality of your brother waiting on the other side of the door was still there, the warmth of sunoo beside you made you feel like maybe, just maybe, you could face it.

sunoo had his pants from last night on, but he was buttoning up his blazer. you watched him for a moment, the way his focus was on you, the way he looked at you like you were the center of his world, like nothing else mattered.

"ready?" his voice was soft, but there was intensity behind it as he pulled you flush against him, your bodies pressed together. his warmth enveloped you completely. his chest against yours, his hands firm on your waist.

before you could respond, his lips found yours in a soft, loving kiss, and it was everything you didn’t know you needed. the kiss was tender, sweet.

you couldn’t help but smile into the kiss, the way your heart raced, the feeling of everything coming together just right. you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer, needing him, feeling safe with him.

you pulled away just slightly, your lips parting with a soft sigh. "come on, you can have more when we finish this faster," you teased, your voice playful and full of warmth.

he pulled back just enough to look at you, the grin on his face soft but full of affection. “yes, ma’am,” he responded with a playful glint in his eyes, a gentle smile that made your heart skip a beat.

you and sunoo descended the stairs hand in hand, the soft patter of your steps echoing through the quiet hall. the mess from the previous night had been surprisingly cleaned up, with only a few stray cups and streamers scattered across the expanse of the hallway.

as you both walked, the sound of the argument only grew louder, the echoes of raised voices filling the air. sunghoon’s voice rang out angrily, unmistakably tense.

“do not tell me to calm down, jay!” his words were heated, frustration dripping from every syllable.

“calm your fucking balls, Sunghoon,” jay’s voice was laced with annoyance, “(y/n) is big enough to fend for herself.”

that only seemed to enrage sunghoon more. “okay, so where the fuck is she then?”

as the tension in the air became unbearable, sunoo shifted slightly beside you. his hand tightened briefly around yours, he shot you a quick glance, a look filled with reassurance. it was as if he was saying, i’ve got this. trust me. you nodded subtly, taking a deep breath.

then, with confidence, he stepped forward, placing himself just slightly in front of you. his voice cut through the rowdy alpha's argument like a blade. “she’s with me.”

the room fell silent, sunghoon’s head snapping toward the two of you. his eyes zeroed in on sunoo, and you could see the way his jaw tense. “you good-for-nothing alpha,” he spat, his voice shaking with anger. “what the fuck did you do?”

you instinctively stepped closer to sunoo, but he was already ahead of you, placing a protective hand on your back and guiding you behind him with a calm, practiced motion. “stay back,” he murmured, barely audible, his tone meant for your ears only.

sunghoon’s anger exploded as he stepped forward, grabbing sunoo by the collar with a force that made your heart leap into your throat. “you fucking traitor!” sunghoon snarled, his voice loud.hHe yanked sunoo closer, his other hand twitching like he was ready to throw a punch.

but sunoo didn’t flinch. even with sunghoon’s grip pulling him off balance, he held his ground, his eyes steady and locked onto sunghoon’s. “calm down, sunghoon,” sunoo said, his firm, not a hint of fear in it.

“calm down?!” sunghoon’s voice cracked with anger. “you had one job, kim! stay away from her! she’s my sister, not some—”

“not some what?” sunoo interrupted, his voice rising slightly, but not losing his cool despite his closest friend calling him by his last name. “she’s not a child, and she’s certainly not yours to control.”

sunghoon’s hand shook violently, still gripping sunoo’s collar. “i already warned you! but you didn’t fucking listen!” his tone cracked, frustration laced with something else—fear, perhaps, or betrayal. “she’s not some toy for you to play with, sunoo! she’s my sister! my responsibility!”

sunoo’s gaze remained steady, his calm composure a contrast to the anger raging in sunghoon’s eyes. se slowly raised his hands, gripping sunghoon’s wrist firmly but without aggression. “i didn’t betray you, sunghoon,” he said, his voice low, almost like he was trying to speak directly to the part of sunghoon that could still listen. “do you even hear yourself? you’re acting like i don’t care about her.”

sunghoon’s jaw tightened, but his grip on sunoo’s collar didn’t loosen. sis chest rose and fell rapidly, anger still boiling within him.

sunoo’s next words were softer but carried a something that made them feel heavier than anything else he had said. “do you know how long i’ve loved her?” his voice trembled slightly, “i’ve loved her the moment you decided to leave us alone in front of the office when you got into a fist fight, sunghoon. i’ve loved her longer than i even understood what love really meant. it’s her, it’s always been her.”

“you think i’d ever hurt her?” sunoo continued, “you think i’d risk everything—my friendship with you, my own pride; just to ‘play’ with her?"

sunghoon faltered, his anger replaced by confusion. “but you—” his voice cracked, his own disbelief choking the words.

sunoo let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. “that I never wanted a mate?” His tone was sharp, yet there was vulnerability in it. “yeah, i said that. i convinced myself that i didn’t, because what was the point of wanting something i thought i couldn’t have? i thought if i ignored it, if i denied myself, it wouldn’t hurt as much.”

he looked directly into sunghoon’s eyes, “but no matter how hard i tried to push it down, it’s always been her, sunghoon. always. she’s not something i could walk away from. she’s my mate.”

sunghoon’s grip on sunoo’s collar loosened, his fists trembling at his sides. “you should’ve told me,” he muttered, his voice cracking, a mix of anger, hurt, and guilt evident in his tone.

sunoo sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. “and what would you have done, huh? approved? given me your blessing? you’ve made it crystal clear for years that no one was good enough for her, least of all me. do you know how many times i almost told you but stopped myself because i knew how you'd react?”

sunghoon clenched his jaw, “i’m not angry because you love her,” he said, his voice quieter but no less strained. “i’m angry because i trusted you to keep her safe. and now… now it feels like you’ve crossed a line.”

sunoo took a deep breath, his voice soft. “you don’t have to trust me right now, sunghoon. but you can trust her. she chose me, just like i’ve chosen her. and i’ll spend the rest of my life proving to both of you that i’ll never break that trust.”

the pink-haired alpha's gaze softened as his eyes found yours, his gaze was steady, and it gave you the courage you needed to take a step forward.

you turned to Sunghoon, your heart pounding in your chest as you met his stare. his jaw was tight, his fists still clenched, but beneath the anger, you could see the hurt; the protective brother who just wanted what was best for you.

"i love him, sunghoon. i really do," you said, your voice steady despite the nervous tremble in your hands. “this isn’t a decision i made lightly. i know what I’m doing, and i know who i’m choosing.”

sunghoon’s eyes flicked between you and sunoo, his shoulders stiffened, his lips pressing into a thin line, but he didn’t interrupt.

you stepped closer to him, your voice softening. “i know you’re angry, and i get it. you’ve always looked out for me, always tried to protect me from anything that could hurt me. but sunoo isn’t going to hurt me. he’s not just anyone, he's everything to me.”

sunoo moved closer, standing at your side. his hand brushed yours, a silent gesture that you leaned into instinctively. “i’m not asking for your approval right now,” sunoo said, his tone calm. “i know i have to earn that, and i’m willing to. but i’m not walking away from her, not now, not ever.”

sunghoon let out a heavy breath, his hands dropping to his sides. his gaze lingered on you, the conflict in his expression cutting deeper than any angry words could. "do you really think he can give you everything you need?" he finally asked, his voice quieter now, tinged with vulnerability.

you nodded without hesitation. “i do. and i hope one day you’ll see it too.”

sunghoon let out a defeated sigh, his shoulders sagging as the tension seemed to drain from his body. “this… this is going to take some time to get used to,” he admitted, his voice quieter now. his gaze flicked to sunoo, then back to you. “but if you’re happy, i’ll try. just… don’t make me regret this.”

relief washed over you, and you felt sunoo’s hand squeeze yours gently. you gave your brother a small, grateful smile. “thank you, sunghoon. that’s all i could ever ask for.”

before anyone could say more, a loud groan broke the moment. “thank fucking god,” heeseung said dramatically, burying his face in his hands. “i was not ready to explain to the hospital why i was dragging sunoo’s dead body in.”

his mate, standing beside him, rolled her eyes and smacked his arm lightly. “heeseung, stop being so dramatic,” she said, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her amusement.

heeseung peeked through his fingers, giving her a mock-hurt expression. “i’m just saying! Sunghoon was about two seconds away from committing a crime.”

“i wasn’t going to kill him,” sunghoon muttered, though his lips twitched, betraying the hint of a reluctant smile. “maybe just rough him up a little.”

“uh-huh, sure,” jake cut in with a snort, arms crossed and a smug grin plastered on his face. “maybe that’s why you were muttering about burying him alive earlier. real subtle, man.”

sunghoon shot jake a look, his ears slightly reddening. “i was venting bullshit, okay? that doesn’t mean i was going to actually do it.” his tone was annoyed, but the way jake kept smirking made it clear sunghoon wasn’t convincing anyone.

sunoo raised his free hand in mock surrender, his other still holding yours tightly. “okay, great, glad to know i’m not completely safe,” he said, voice light but laced with humor. “that definitely did not make me feel better.”

jake laughed, slapping sunoo on the back. “relax, man. if sunghoon really wanted to bury you alive, you’d already be in the dirt. guess that means he likes you more than he lets on.”

sunghoon rolled his eyes, groaning. “jake, shut up.”

sunoo’s lips curved into the faintest of smiles, the kind that reached his eyes, crinkling them at the edges. without breaking eye contact, he raised your joined hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles.

the warmth of his breath against your skin sent a shiver down your spine, and your cheeks warmed under his gaze. it wasn’t just the kiss; it was the way he looked at you, like you were his entire universe. “we’re okay,” he murmured quietly, just for you.

jake, however, wasn’t about to let the moment pass unteased. “aw, would you look at that?” he said, clapping his hands dramatically. “our boy’s gone all soft. sunghoon, are you seeing this? he’s whipped.”

sunghoon shot jake a glare, but even he didn’t miss the faint smirk tugging at his lips. sunoo, though, didn’t even bother responding this time, his focus entirely on you.

and as the chatter of the room carried on, you couldn’t help but feel like, somehow, everything was exactly as it should be.

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