#its what sicheng would want us to do laid ease

[lelenoir]

pairings: childhood friend!dong sicheng x reader [ft. wong yukhei]

word count: 3.6k

synopsis: wherein sicheng always thought that he would spend the rest of his life with you. only to be smacked with the bitter truth.

dedicated to: engel @jenoir, the no to my noren.

inspired by: the song it's over, isn't it? from steven universe

note: hellooo finally got this out after rotting away for days hehe. anyways i hope you like it!! it'll probably be my last fic for a while since school and stuff and also my other blog. this was supposed to be a small drabble but i guess the universe had other plans KSKSK

DONG SICHENG ALWAYS LOVED YOU.

It was always written in his stars, always engraved in stone and he always believed that the moment he laid eyes on you he was struck by Cupid's bow and arrow. Of course, he never noticed this until later on.

It happened in your local playground. The tall---at least in his standard---five year old boy buzzing with joy as he rode his bike across the street. His hair flowed freely with the wind as he fought the urge to raise his hands up. Legs pedalling as if he was in a race against the fastest cyclists around the globe. The world blurred in his vision, pure bliss coursing through his veins. As a toddler, he didn't want that moment to end.

Unable to contain it any longer, the boy slowly let go of the handles, ghosting the rubber for a few more moments until he finally decided to let it go. For him, in his toddler state of mind, nothing could compare to the feeling he felt that moment. The street of his small childhood town zooming all around him as he let the world's breath engulf him. It looked like what Luke Skywalker saw whenever he drove a spaceship in that movie his brother always watched.

The moment only lasted for five seconds. It all happened so fast. One minute he was on top of the world, the next he was tumbling down fast. The ground hitting him hard. His hands were quick to hold on to his wounded knee as soon as he landed, eyes closed from the pain and a strong hiss leaving his lips. Tears welled up in his eyes as he watched the blood on his exposed flesh. He groaned when he tried to touch it.

"That was stupid." Three simple words. One simple statement. And you had his whole attention on you. Eyes wide from shock but you mistake it as confusion. "What you did. That was stupid." You repeated as if he was dumb. A dull look rested on your eyes as you looked down on him. It took him by surprise when he saw your extended arms in front of him. He couldn't help but gawk at the gesture. "What? Aren't you gonna take it?"

Slowly, he did. Gulping slightly as he stood up, wincing once he felt the sting of his wound. "It's just a graze. Nothing serious." You spoke up once again. His eyes looking towards your face, only to see you staring at his knee. "Do you need help walking?" You asked, finally meeting his gaze.

He was speechless. He'd never talked to anyone that wasn't his brother or his classmates. He rarely ever talked to the girls in his class, in fear of the disease his brother dubbed as cooties.

"You okay?" You quirk an eyebrow at him, making him flinch up in alertness. His hands felt slightly clammy as he clenched and unclenched them.

"Yeah…" he trailed off, voice barely a whisper. He saw you break into a smile. It shook him to the core. Especially with how intimidating you've presented yourself to be. He didn't know why but he wanted to see it again.

"So… walk?" You asked once more. It was like a switch had been turned on inside of you. Sicheng felt a bit confused on what to feel about the current change in aura as he slightly nodded his head in reply. You hummed, nodding your head once as you made your way to his fallen bike. You pulled it up with such ease. Even he had a difficult time carrying the heavy thing. You steadied the bike with your hands, walking to him as you let the bike trail next to you. "Where do you live?"

Sicheng should've felt embarrassed. After all, a girl, of all people, was walking him home. Him. It should've been the other way around. He felt like an utter loser having tears threatening to spill from his eyes while a girl carried his bike for him. He sighed, preparing himself for his brother's endless teasing.

"What's your name?" He spoke up, halfway through the walk. So far none of you thought of initiating into another conversation, basking in each other's company in the form of silence. "I'm Sicheng, Dong Sicheng."

You didn't even flinch at his question. "Y/n" you replied, eyes never leaving the path ahead until you turned your head to look at him for a second before turning back once again. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, y/n." Maybe it was his pea sized brain or just his lack of comprehension but you clearly didn't want to start a conversation. "What school do you go to? I don't think I've ever seen you around."

"I'm homeschooled." You answered. "My mom teaches me." Sicheng gaped at the revelation, never ever meeting someone like you.

"That's so cool!" He exclaimed. "I wish I was homeschooled. That way I won't have to wake up too early just to get to school."

You only hummed in reply, ready to fall back into your comfortable silence. Sicheng suddenly gasped. "That means you don't get to see other kids!" He says it like it was the biggest breakthrough of the century. "Doesn't it get very lonely?" He laid his head to the side in question.

"Not really," you shrugged, "I'm kind of used to it."

He gasped once again. "You shouldn't though."

"'Life isn't always what you expect it to be.' is what my mom told me a lot. I guess I just preferred to accept it rather than dwell on it too much." You explained, keeping your expression as undecipherable as possible. It drove five year old Sicheng's brain crazy.

"Then I'll be your friend." He declared, pointing his thumb on his chest. "Heck, I'll be your best friend!" He shouts joyfully.

Your eyes widened at his words, not really used to such enthusiasm. Still, a small smile cracked on your features once again. He didn't know if you saw it but Sicheng felt his eyes beam up at the sight of it. You nodded your head. "Okay."

A proud smile adorned the little boy's face, not minding his previous concerns as he walked alongside you. The wound still hurt from walking but his mind seemed to have flown elsewhere, its current occupation slightly numbing the pain of his nerves.

You were the coolest girl he's ever met.

DONG SICHENG LOVED YOU UNKNOWINGLY.

Barefaced and a little tired, you laid your body down on the grass next to him. You sighed, eyes up the stars as Sicheng took it all in. Not the night sky but you. A content smile on his features as he indulged himself with your presence.

"First day of school…" you breathed out. "I wonder how everything would turn out."

He noticed the way your fingers toyed amongst themselves, saw how your breathing slowly turned erratic. In all the years Sicheng has known you, this is the first time he's ever seen you this nervous. Tomorrow was the start of highschool for the both of you. For Sicheng, he wasn't nervous. Maybe a small bit but that was normal as first day jitters. You, on the other hand, were a different story. It was your very first time coming to school after being sheltered by your mom for so long. Sure she never intended it and it was mostly your refusal to go to school that made her teach you in the first place, but none of that helped calm your nerves.

A billion questions rang in your head. A billion possibilities playing along with it. You were in a whirlpool of your own thoughts and you were gasping for air.

Luckily, Sicheng was there to pull you out. His hand intertwining with yours as he drew circles to calm you down. He knew that always calmed you. He felt your body relax next to him. A good sign. He smiled at his small accomplishment.

"Don't worry," he tightened his hold on your palms but not to the point where it would hurt. Only to make you feel his presence more. "I'll be right here."

Highschool rolled in as normally as it could. You were nervous as you walked down the halls but you kept your face relaxed. Sicheng's presence next to you adds up to your ease as he tries to tell you as much as he can about school. Still, knowing Sicheng, he wasn't really as social and loud as he was with you. In these halls he tried to put up a mask for your sake. He smiled at unfamiliar people, nodded his head whenever they greeted him and even said a few 'hi's and 'hello's just to ease your doubt.

With that you smiled. And god he would never get tired of that sight. For a moment the two of you didn't move. For a moment it was just you and him. For a moment he let himself fall for you. He wished he could stay there with you, not a care in the world as he held on to your gaze. He thanked the stars for bringing you to him.

Sadly, even that moment had to end.

He was never one for crowds but seeing your guarded position and tense posture made him want to assure you that everything was going to be okay. He offered you an assuring smile which you returned gratefully.

The bell rang, snapping the both of you back to reality. He took your hand in his, drawing circles on it like he always did. "Your class is here. If you need me I'm right across your room." He said pointing towards the wooden door a few feet away. Just then, he enveloped both his hands around yours. "I'm always here, okay?"

You sighed in relief. A firm smile on your lips as you nodded. "Okay."

With that, he lets you go. He stepped back from you, waiting for you to walk in. You straightened up your posture before turning around. You closed your eyes, preparing yourself for whatever was on the other side of the door. Counting the seconds in your head before walking inside.

Sicheng smiled proudly at your back. He waited until you turned to your left towards the chairs before he too went on his way.

You've watched plenty of teen movies to know that you should never pick the seat in front. You looked around the unfamiliar faces of the people in the room. Some eyed you curiously while most had their head on their arms, presumably asleep. You couldn't blame them, it was the first period of the first day of school. All those times running around or sleeping in during the summer before suddenly getting thrusted into school was probably annoying.

You claimed your spot by the second to the last chair by the window. You rested your cheek on the palm of your hand as you looked out, admiring the sky and the gray roads.

"Hey there," a voice spoked up. You lifted your head to see a boy. He had a big beaming smile on his face as he settled his things on the chair next to you. "I'm Xiaojun."

You watched him curiously, pursing your lips for a second before turning your gaze back to the window. "Y/n."

DONG SICHENG REALISED HE LOVED YOU WAY TOO LATE.

He often wondered if he could change it. Always counted the different ways, the different scenarios and outcomes everything would've led to. He spent many nights figuring out how he got to this path. This path that he desperately wanted to stray from. Alas, he could never. Life was a road barricaded by formidable iron walls. Once you step on to one path, the other one closes, locking you in.

He waited for you in the halls, by the door of your Psych class. The both of you were in college now. He shifted his footing before turning to the small window on the door, peeking for just a glimpse of you.

It felt weird. He thought to himself, watching you smile from ear to ear at whatever your classmates were saying. It felt like only yesterday when he met you. Closed off and very reserved. It felt so surreal not being the only person to have broken down your walls. For Sicheng, he wasn't jealous. The opposite actually. He felt proud. He loved seeing you with the company of others and loved the way you managed to grow.

Just then, you met his eyes. He smiled, lifting his hand up in a small wave. And there it is. That smile. The one only he could cause. The smile that was reserved only for him. He felt his heart pound in his chest.

One of your classmates pulled your focus away from him. Your features reverted to that easy smile you gave everyone else.

Sicheng felt his cheeks warm at the thought, his feet turning to rest his back on the wall next to your classroom door. He sighed, closing his eyes. He could see your smile as he did so. Flashing before his eyes like a Polaroid trapped in time. Forever displaying your face with that smile he loved so much.

The bell rang loudly across the corridors, making him jump a bit before composing himself. He felt so nervous today for some reason. Something inside him was commanding every bit of his body to leap out. He shook the nerves of his fingertips, taking the time to compose himself.

He waited for you to come out, almost bouncing in joy when you did. "You seem happy…" you tell him, "what's up?"

"Well I just finished all my assignments, got a high grade in an essay I stayed up for, and managed to get the last cheese burger at lunch today. All in all it's not a bad day." He answered cheekily. You rolled your eyes at the response but maintained a lighthearted expression. You smiled softly, the both of you maintaining a slow pace as you walked away from the door.

"Y/n!" A voice called out. You were quick to turn to the voice, Sicheng mimicking the action subconsciously. What greeted you was the sight of a tall panting boy. Sweat on the sides of his head as he tried to catch his breath. "Thank heavens I caught up to you."

Lucas lifted his head up, a playful smile on his face as he looked up at you. Sicheng felt his breath get caught on his throat. A nervous and unsettling feeling resting on the pit of his stomach. He didn't like this. Not one bit.

"Lucas! What a surprise." Sicheng snapped his head towards you, a subtle look of disbelief as he noticed your smile. It wasn't like the others and it wasn't the one that was for him. This was different. Your cheeks were tucked to the highest point below your eyes, face beaming with delight. Happier. Lucas wasn't any different either. A small yet noticeable pink dust spread all across his face. His gaze focused solely on you as if in a trance.

Lucas breathed to his nose, bowing his head a bit before returning back to you. "Are we still going on Friday?" He asked, hopeful.

Sicheng could visibly see you elate with his words. His jaw clenched subconsciously as your whole face grew brighter. No. His palms grew hotter on his sides, his heart pounding nervously as he held on to your next words.

"Sure." And just like that, he felt his heart ache. His previous mood going down in the slumps in an instant. Still, he held his head up high. His face stoic and unwavering. From afar you wouldn't have noticed the storm in his eyes.

"That's great," He heard Lucas sigh in relief. They make eye contact for a brief moment, both of them narrowing at one another before breaking it abruptly. You fail to notice the quick exchange, wrapping your arms around Sicheng's and already pulling him away.

"See you on Friday!" You called out over your shoulder.

Right. Sicheng shouldn't fret. He is your best friend. He's known you ever since you caught him that fateful day with his bicycle. Lucas stood nothing against him when it came to you. He was confident. The air around him lightened as you rested your head on whatever part of his arm you could reach.

"I missed hanging out with you." You whispered. He knew you weren't looking at him. It was a habit of yours to avoid his gaze whenever you grow sentimental. "You're my best friend yet I feel like you're worlds away from me now." You continued. "We're okay, right?"

Sicheng turned to look at you, watching your face contort to a frown. He sighed. He shifted your bodies so the two of you faced each other. He took his arm out of yours before resting both of his palms on your cheeks. "We're okay. Okay?" You smiled sheepishly at his words, nodding your head. He pushed you to his chest, hugging you tightly. You could slightly hear his heartbeat relax, making you sigh. "You're my best friend. We've been through hell and back together. I don't think anything would change that."

He's fine. He assures himself. There had been plenty of guys before Lucas. Plenty that you have downright rejected: Xiaojun from highschool, Hendery during summer and many others after. He shouldn't be worried. In the many years he has known you, he was sure the two of you would end up together. He just needed the right moment.

Sicheng was never one to wear his heart on his sleeve. In fact, you've never actually seen him romantically with a girl. But whenever you felt down in the dumps, he was sure to give his all to you. He'd wrap you up close, shower you with attention and do everything he can to make you feel better. At the same time, Sicheng was also a very emotional kid. Oftentimes it was he who cried on your shoulders and you'd be there to listen. You were each other's support system. The very rock that keeps you grounded. From childhood and now as you both walk wherever.

This was the first time it began to collapse.

He felt the air get knocked out of his lungs, watching as the scene unfolded right before his eyes; the gleeful smile on your face, the mirroring adoration in both your gazes, and finally a chaste but unconcealable kiss. The obvious buzz of love and its first stages oozing out of the two of you and Sicheng could do nothing but watch it all happen.

Friday. He never thought he would hate a day like it. The day before the relaxation of the weekends. The day you used to come to his house for a movie marathon. The day you went back to him with the happiest smile he's ever seen on you. The day he finally lost everything.

Wong Yukhei. He clicked his tongue at the name. Jealousy growing in the deepest depths of his gut, eyes green and angry. Seeing his stupid smile and the noticeable look of triumph on his features. The boy holding you close. Then he looked at you; hair a mess because of the wind with eyes as bright as the sun.

DONG SICHENG NEVER STOPPED LOVING YOU.

It was impossible. A scientific improbability. Not when you still come over during the weekends. Not when you still give him that smile. Not when you hold him so close that for a moment he fools himself to thinking it was all real. Not even when he raised his glass.

He glared at the small box on his hands. Tears brimming his eyes. He felt like he just crashed his bike all over again. Only this time, you weren't there to walk him home.

"A toast," he started, the low baritone of his voice grabbing everyone's attention, "to the newly wed couple, Y/n & Lucas."

It felt painful. Perhaps, the strongest pain he's ever felt. Years ago, he never saw this coming. He was fine. He was fine with all the other men that came into your life. Mostly because he knew no one could've compared to him and the bond you shared. He knew all your favorite movies, all your pet peeves, and everything that made you scared. Yet, he wasn't the one standing by your side right now. He wasn't the groom, the man you were going to spend your life with. He wasn't that.

"It's a miracle how you've managed to put up with her." It was a joke. "Lord knows I barely could." And another one. "Still, she's a very great person." That was real. "And I'm glad she's found someone to spend the rest of her days with." He was not. "We've spent the majority of our lives together as best friends. The day you helped me with my bike was the best day of my life. Lucas, you better take care of her or else." He warned jokingly, glaring playfully at the boy as he chuckled in reply and nodded his head. Sicheng could barely hold it in. "To the Wongs!"

And that was the end. A series of cheers and holler followed right after. You smiled at him and he could do nothing but return it. He watched you turn to Lucas and beam brighter. He sighed.

He wandered out, past the crowd of overjoyed relatives and friends. He pushed the balcony doors open, letting it fall to a close. The first drops of his sorrows slipping down carelessly and he did nothing to wipe them off. The wine in his glass reflected his pitiful expression and all he could do was stare before putting it down hastily. He didn't like the sight. It was over. It was all over. Isn't it?

He felt a strong pang in his chest and he found it hard to breath. He looked over disdainfully at the floor, fist clenched to his sides.

Why can't I move on?

[aesthyuckic]

AVENOIR | l.dh - OCTO

Genre: High School AU (at beginning) ; Tarot Reader!Witch!Hyuck

Word Count: 3.7k

Warnings: (will bold if in use) slow but with a purpose, belief contradictions, mentions of r*pe, blood, swearing, violence, mentions of abuse

Pairings: Lee Donghyuck (Haechan) x Reader (F)

THE STAR - hope, faith, rejuvenation

It had been a few weeks since they had met Johnny and joined his circus. To them, it felt odd and almost silly to be considered part of the circus... It never changed the fact, though. They hadn’t really met anyone there yet, at least not anyone to be considered more than a acquaintance maybe. Although, they did met a boy named Jisung, who was one of minor acrobatics, around Cosimia’s age.

They never saw him much, considering he worked in the big tent while they had a smaller tent of their own in the carnival part. They still lived with Ten and Sicheng, so immediately after they were done working they would go back to the trailer for some peace for themselves. It made it so they never really had time to hang out with the other kids their age or just the others there.

They were given a day off when they stopped in Texas, near the coast. Donghyuck was eager about the small break as he was exhausted from having to pick up and go every other day. It was all too much work for him on top of the long, hot days they had to go through. Cosimia remained on the other side of spectrum, excited about traveling and the work she was given. He guessed seeing the sparkle in her eyes whenever she looked out the window of the trailer as it moved down the road kept him going through it all.

They sat on the floor of the living room in the trailer. Sicheng and Ten were eating outside along with everyone else since meals were covered by Johnny at one of the tents. The green of money filed in neat piles in between the two as Cosimia counted the last of it. He stared at it, zoning out until the girl across from him picked it all up and put them together.

“We have around two thousand dollars,” She said, counting the bills again. “But I doubt we’ll spend it all today...”

“How are we even going to spend it?” Donghyuck asked. “We’re in the middle of nowhere and we don’t have phones to shop on.”

“Come on.” She rolled her eyes while getting up from the floor while she took all the money with her as well.

He didn’t really have a say in the matter and was quick to follow after her since half the money was his. She was fast, didn’t let him catch up for a second either as she walked all the way to the tent that had smoke coming out of it. The sound of people talking and coals crackling got louder.

He realized he had stopped for a moment right outside of the dirty white and red striped tent. He saw Cosimia round the corner, in enough time, to which he ran after her, almost loosing her in the crowd of their co-workers. She was walking toward the table Sicheng and Ten sat at. He stood back once he saw the dark haired male stand up and leave, not even bothering to look up from the ground. He still was not on very good terms with Ten, but then again, no one really ever was other than maybe Sicheng.

The other was left with a bunch of other people he seemed to be friends with. The girl continued to walk over to him, unaware she was even there until her hand rested on her shoulder and she bent down.

“Can we borrow the truck?” She whispered in his ear.

She had straighten her posture, him turning to looking up at her while putting his fork down. He moved around in his seat to go digging through his pocket. The familiar sound of keys jiggling rang before he gave them to her.

“Don’t crash it and never tell Ten I let you use our truck.” He demanded.

“Thank you!” She chimed before she walked away.

She had spotted Donghyuck when she turned around. He only looked at her with a questioning expression as he hadn’t seen the keys or anything. She grinned once she walked up to him and place the keys on his chest that then fell into his hands. He was shocked by it and stared at the set in his hands. She continued to walk, presumably toward Sicheng’s truck.

“Are you coming or what?” She chuckled as she turned around and walk backwards.

A slight smile came to his lips at her the sight of her chuckle. He run to catch up with her once again that day. They approached the rusty, blue, beat up truck together and got in. He, of course, drove but it took some time considering it was a stick shift and its age but it still started up.

They had smiled at each other once the engine started before he took off, rather quickly which left a cloud of dust behind them in the dirt.

Throughout the drive he noticed him occasionally looking over at her, just to check in. She remain quiet as she looked out the window, watching as nothing went by. For some reason, he found a little joy within just that. He wished the radio wasn’t busted because maybe then it would’ve made things more fun. The drive wasn’t long, the stores began to appear the further they drive down the road and they came to stop in front of a retro looking thrift shop.

She seemed excited as she jumped out of the truck, leaving Donghyuck to run after her get again. When they got inside, he was saw the clothing racks were full of color, parts of the store were overcrowded with furniture giving it an oddly comfortable feel. There was a section he was drawn to, it was narrow but full of old board games, movies and recorders.

He could see Cosimia dashing around the store, taking things off the racks, impulsively, and carrying them. He could see her fine from the the corner of his as he mostly focused on the records around him. It’s not like he was going to buy any of them as much as he wished, he had no record player but man, did Ten’s music annoy him so much at this point... He sighed to himself as his fingers lingered on the old things.

He had just then noticed his friend was no where in sight. He started to feel panic arise in his chest, not being able to see her anywhere. He went looking everywhere like a lost puppy until he stumbled across a section of the store that had curtains hung up to make a sort of dressing room. It had a three way mirror in the corner that seem to sit in the sun just right. He realized the mountain of cloths that laid on the velvet banquette settee center. They were men’s clothes, in his size and everything...

He was startled when the bright yellow curtains opened suddenly to reveal the girl he’d been looking for. She didn’t pay a mind to him as she walked over to the three way mirror to stand in the middle. She wore a long, royal purple skirt with a gold and yellow pattern of a planchette from a ouija. She smoothed it out while trying to fix the way her white t-shirt tucked into it. To be honest, it seemed like her and it seemed she thought so too by the way she smiled herself in the mirror and twirled, playfully. It made him smile to watch her like that, he’d never seen her act that way. The way the sun lit up the fabric as she twirled was quite beautiful as well, in his thought process. With the skirt glowing around her, he saw she wore black boots, a little beat up but it worked for her. He caught himself staring too much, probably looking like an idiot from how afar he admired her from.

Bags filled up the small backseat of the truck by the time they were done in the thrift store. The vechile was welcomely warm and stuffy when the both of them had finally got in.

“Is there anything else we should get before we get back or are we good?” He sighed as his hands rested on the stirring wheel.

She looked at her hair. The cherry red that was once there was now gone and replaced with a strawberry blonde color. One of which he knew she wasn’t too fond of, on herself anyway.

“We should go get hair dye,” She answered. “You look like you could need some too.”

She ruffled his hair a bit as she spoke. She didn’t seem to notice how shallow her breath got at the smallest of touching she’d done as she buckled her seatbelt. It took him a second to come down and do the same before he drove to the nearest drug store they could find.

It didn’t take long for her to pick a box for herself as they stood in the aisle next to each other. His hair was fading to a chalky, pastel orange. It reminded him of pixie stick dust but fried and crunchy. How he came to end up with orange hair? His friend, Yangyang, decided to bleach and dye his hair an obnoxious color as a prank when he blackout drunk freshman year. It was surprisingly how the color held for so long, his roots barely showing.

“What about you?” Cosimia asked. “What color do you want?”

“I don’t know,” He shrugged. “Don’t really care that much either. The whole dyed hair was a prank and I never got around to dying it black again after it happened...”

“While I do think black would look good on you, I think lighter colors suit you better.” She sighed.

She remained silent as she looked at him for a minute while she clearly contemplated. She reached out and came to hold his chin, moving it around as she pleased to get a different angle. His breath easily hitched in his throat at her gentle action. She had never been one for physical attributes and to know she was doing the littlest things meant so much to him. She was getting more comfortable with him and he loved that fact. She let him go as gently as she had held him. She hummed a bit as she bent down to the colored dyes once again. She grabbed a box of silver hair dye with ease before she handed it to him.

“It will compliment your skin tone,” She have a slight smile. “Make it look more like gold than it already does.”

She turned a way from him with a smile, walking down the aisle, not even daring to look back at him which he was somewhat thankful about. He stood there, in the same place, too lost in himself as he could feel the skipped beats of his heart. He clutched the box of dye in his hand as he could feel the evident, hot blush come to his cheeks before it heated up his whole body. It was the littlest of things.

He didn’t understand it, the feelings that had never been felt before. Didn’t understand what intrigued him about her so much that he’d fake his death just go with her, didn’t understand the attraction to her like magnets or why he liked and hated the feeling as well.

The drive back remained a blur to him. He was too focused on her gestures throughout the day which meant absolutely nothing, to her at least. It was that odd blur where one remembers only how the felt and can piece small things together, but nothing else. He remembers the warm feeling he felt throughout his body, much like a fever as his grip on the steering wheel was hard enough to turn his hands white, but that was it.

When they had gotten back, the grounds were bare, few people were out running around in the dusty area. They went back to the trailer, even called out for Ten and Sicheng as they came back in. The two didn’t seem to be there when they came in which left them wondering where they could’ve gone since they had taken their truck. It didn’t last long though.

Cosimia threw the bags on the couch and grabbed the box of hair dye. She quickly grabbed Donghyuck’s hand before she ran to the bathroom. She even shut the door behind them, not taking into consideration how small it was. There wasn’t enough room for two people, leaving him leaned up against the wall. It was happening again, the hot feeling through his body he hated and loved.

“There’s... not a lot of room in here...” He practically gulped.

“Well, I’m gonna help you and you’re gonna help me,” She smiled with a glint in her eye. “We’ll make it work.”

He banged his head on the wall, on accident of course, after she had gotten closer to him in that moment. How close their faces were left him nervous. She giggled at him as he just held back a groan.

“Now, I definitely have to help you...” She chuckled.

He went first. She stripped his hair of the remaining pastel orange and washed it out. She was gentle, especially around where he has injured him. It felt nice to have someone run their hand through his hair, even if it was wet and his neck was straining. The moment felt nice as well in an unexplainable way.

As he wait for his hair to dry to apply the silver, he help Cosimia dye her own hair. He didn’t know exactly what he was doing but it gave for a few good laughs as the sink, floor and even their skin was stained a red-ish purple. Then it was his turn to have his put in which thankfully didn’t come out as messy since the girl knew what she was doing. The stains left by him where already going to anger Ten a lot, which enough.

He wrapped a towel around his head as she turned to wash her hands, the both of them smiling to each other without the knowledge. Before she could turn on the faucet, the very clear sound of the trailer opening was heard. They both looked at each with panic in their eyes. The girl quickly reached over the locked the door, leaving silver to stain the gold door knob. Ten was most definitely going to kill them for ruining the bathroom and probably the white towels the used impulsively.

The smell of chemicals stunk up the small space, lightly suffocating them. There was no doubt the smell hadn’t lingered out from the crack under the door and occupied the hall. A shadow appeared at the bottom of the doorway which made them jump a bit. A polite knock on the door.

“Haechan? Cosimia?” Johnny called from outside.

They both relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. Cosimia got of the sink to unlock the door and swing it open which startled the man.

“Have a makeover?” The dark haired man chuckled.

“You scared the shit out of us, we thought you were Sicheng and Ten.” She snapped.

“Hm, probably shouldn’t snap at me like that. I am your boss and I came with something you ought to be thankful for.” He said while remaining calm but nevertheless, delivering what he said with a certain tone that was underlined vindictive. “I was going to say I finally found you two your own trailer. A nice one too, definitely bigger than this one. Though, if you’re going to act like that, maybe I should just feed you to Ten.”

“Thank you, Johnny. We’re very thankful but maybe so if you had said it was you when you entered. You also could’ve been an axe murderer for all we knew.”

He looked at her with an eyebrow raised. He practically had a foot on her and he was also more powerful than her in the terms of business. She didn’t stand down for a second as she glared at the elder waiting for him to utter anything in reason.

“Guess you’re not wrong,” He huffed. “The keys are on the counter and you can tell which on it is, it’s the nice one as I said. Probably best you get out of here before Ten shows up too.”

He walked away, leaving Cosimia to shut the door that creaked with the movement. She leaned her back against the door as she looked at the boy while taking a breath. In that moment, Donghyuck realized she was strong. He should’ve been able to noticed that sooner. He liked that, something about the trait made his heart flutter in a, yet again, unexplainable way.

“We should probably wash out the dye and get going.” She said, still leaned up against the door.

“Yeah,” He nodded, still sat on the toilet as he was knock out of his thoughts.

They rushed to wash the leftover coloring out of their hair. The water coming out purple and gray. The towels on the floor were scattered. His towel wasn’t that bad but hers, it resembled red wine, especially after the quick dry job that left it with even more stands. Her hair came out looking like a night purple which brung out there paleness in her skin. Oddly enough, the first person it reminded him of was Raven from the Teen Titans. He thought the character fit her rather well.

They gather the towels and cleaned up the floor and sink as best they could before putting them in the small laundry hamper in the closet in the hall. After that, they turned on the fan in the bathroom to get rid of the obnoxious smell that filled the place. Cosimia grabbed the keys off the counter before she took some of the bags off the couch. Donghyuck close behind her, grabbed the rest of their belongings as she hurried out the door.

It really was easy to find their trailer. It towered a little over the rest, though around the same size in length. It also looked quite a bit nicer than the others around them, a lot newer too. They didn’t understand why Johnny would’ve gotten them one so nice. They were kids and they did think they were getting a cheap one by what he said to them weeks ago. Still, they definitely weren’t complaining, just curious.

They settled in quickly, not that there was much to settle into. There wasn’t any furniture, food in the pantry or fridge with left it up for them to fill it up with what they wanted. There was microwave and coffee maker, though. There was a dusty sheet that covered the bed in back. The two pillows were fine but there was no blanket.

He walked out from the back to see Cosimia sitting on the counter, her back facing him. The sunlight barely hit her from where it slipped in through the blinds. It was the first time he’d seen her purple hair turn into a passionate red due to the light. It reminds of sparks and fire. He didn’t even think about how long he’d been staring from afar.

“What’s up?” She asked, turned around now after she realized the boy behind her who stared in complete silence.

“I’m just kinda tired...” He mumbled. “That’s all.”

It wasn’t completely a lie...

“Go take a nap then,” She chuckled. “We’ve got the rest of the day off and nothing to do with it.”

“What about you?” He questioned.

“Not to be of your concern,” She sighed. “I’ll figure out what to do with myself.”

He shrugged to himself. It wasn’t a half bad idea especially since he didn’t recall the last time he slept... He walked into the back and fell face first into the bed. The pillows were down and he could tell by the way the feathers poked out at his face and the way his head sunk into the pillow. He was still able to fall asleep in seconds of hitting them, though.

Donghyuck woke up with his head pounding and no concept of time. The banging coming from the kitchen is what really woke him up. At first, his sleepily self thought nothing of it until he remembered Cosimia. His mind immediately went to worst case scenario: Ten came to strangle them so he rushed out of bed. Though, he care out to see her just sitting in a stool, in front of her on the counter was her amethyst crystal only this time practically split into two. He also saw a hammer, chisel, some cord and small pieces of metal.

“What the hell?” He muttered as he rubbed his head to sooth the pounding.

“Sorry for waking you up.” She said rather sheepishly. “I was making something for you.”

“What?” He asked, forgetting about his headache.

It seemed like she was aware of what he had been doing though. She pulled out a bottle from her bag and opened it for a couple pills. She handed them to him along with a water bottle. She didn’t have to say anything but encouraged him to take him which he did without a word of it.

“I made you something.” She repeated.

She grabbed something he didn’t get to see before she hid it in her hand. She hopped off the stool before she made him turn around. He felt something hit his chest and could hear her tying of cord behind him too. He looked down and saw a piece of amethyst dangle in the middle of his chest. He turned back around, confused as he held the small piece in his hand.

“Do you remember what amethyst symbolizes?” She asked.

“Yeah...” He hummed, not able to really forget even the smallest details of that night.

“Good,” She smiled. “It’s so you can be protected from evil, even when I’m not around to protect you from it.”

He wanted to ask, what about her? What would protect her from evil? Who would protect her from evil? Why was it her job to protect him from it? But he knew what she would say, that’s not of his concern. She was like that. To be frank, he liked the idea of someone wanting to protect them but he also wanted to be one to protect them as well.

[heebiejbies]

Homme Fatal - Part Two

Characters: Yuta (With appearances from the rest of NCT minus the younger members)

Warnings: Mentions of violence, murder, strong language, etc. 

Word Count: 5.4k

Note: I know what some of y’all are probably thinking. “Trix, it’s about dang time!” After almost one month after the first part was posted, here’s part two of Homme Fatal. (Read that first if you haven’t already.)

Homme Fatal - A fatal man

Over the next few hours she started realizing where she was, and over the next few days, she finally remembered everything that had happened. What she dreamed wasn’t a dream, but a memory that came as a dream. Yuta did do that, but he pulled his arm away from her head before he shot her in the head—hitting her lower back in the process. Seeing as no one there knew first aid, he left her at a hospital so she could be treated for the gunshot wound he had accidentally given her. From there, after realizing how mentally unstable she was, she was put in an institution so she could be closely monitored at all times. 

“He… He ruined my life. I’m stuck here because of him… I’ll never be able to go back to normal…” In a session with her therapist, she became shockingly aware of her situation. She realized that, by him holding her hostage for all those months and making her witness all of those terrible crimes, he had forced her into a never-ending state of mania. Each night she had nightmares of him, nightmares of the things she witnessed, nightmares of each of the men that were part of her kidnapping.

“He ruined my life but… He cared about me? He would've killed me if he didn’t care about me, right?” She had a hard time explaining her feelings towards Yuta. She knew she hated him, she knew that he was evil incarnate. Despite that, though, she could still remember the fondness that he showed her. How he proclaimed his love to her, how he sometimes showed his care for her despite their situation. Her therapist brought up the aftermath of Stockholm Syndrome, and the fact that her mental state wasn’t in a normal state in the least to try and ease her thoughts. None of which made her feel better.

Jaeho and Jaewoo were avid visitors of hers. The first time they met back up with her left them dumbstruck. It was her third day in the hospital, and she had not yet seen a dentist to fix her teeth after what Johnny did to her. Her hair had thinned, her body weight nearly half of what it was the last time they saw her, she looked lifeless. She truly had become unrecognizable. She glanced up at them, her eyes void of any and all expression. They blamed themselves for not being more cautious of that man, maybe if they had been leerier of him she wouldn’t be in this position.

Yuta sat with Johnny and Sicheng in their old house. He sat sideways in a chair, his coat slung over the back of the chair leaving him in his crisp white button up and silk tie. They had ordered takeout and were busy devouring their meal like hungry wolves.

“The best part of this damn city is the take out, one hundred percent.” Yuta leaned over the table and grabbed some of Sicheng’s noodles with his chopstick, the younger man swatting him away in response. Sicheng had managed to salvage the last bit of joy in Yuta after he shot her. Ever since returning to the city, Yuta had been keeping an eye on her. He would disguise himself as a staff member so he could sneak in to see her. The first time he saw her, she was getting ready to go to the dentist to fix her teeth. He grimaced at the memory of Johnny ruining her flawless face, but he hoped that time would clear up her wounds and she would go back to how she appeared before.

Learning that they locked her up in a mental institution filled him with such indescribable rage. They were treating her as if she were insane, but she was far from that. He had brought out her true nature, he had brought out the real her. After hearing the things she spoke with her therapist about, he realized that he had done one good thing in keeping her—revealing her true personality. Countless nights he dreamed of them together once more, his partner in crime. A modern day Bonnie and Clyde if you will.

“Hey, Yuta!” Johnny threw an unknown object at his head to get his attention, “Are you thinking about that spoiled brat again?” Yuta scowled at him, everyone knew how obsessed he had become over her. The day he shot her, they thought they were in big trouble. Yuta had brought her into their hideout, she had blood seeping out from her backside and Yuta was inconsolable. He made Jaehyun drive him to the hospital, Johnny tagging along for damage control if need be.

“I will not kill her! She won’t betray me, she may not know it but she’s dedicated to me. She won’t betray us, now just keep your mouth shut!” Johnny had told Yuta to kill her numerous times in the car, the tension rising between the two made Jaehyun nervous. He had to pay attention to the road, but it was difficult to do so with two grown men screaming in the car with him.

“Yuta I don’t know why you’re so enthralled with her, she’s nothing but a-”

“You wouldn’t understand!” He had pulled his gun from its holster and aimed it Johnny’s head. Johnny’s glare did not falter, he seemed to be daring Yuta to shoot him. Yuta might have actually done it, but before he could the girl started coughing up blood. Yuta’s gun fell to the floorboard, he immediately hoisted her up into a sitting position and held a towel to her mouth to catch the blood. She had been fading in and out of consciousness since he shot her, and after coughing up blood she fell back unconscious.

“Step on it, Jaehyun!” Jaehyun did as he was told. They miraculously made it to the hospital without being in an accident or being pulled over. Yuta debated on if he should go in with her, he did this to her so he knew he should be the one to be there for her through whatever they have to do to heal her.

“You’re an idiot if you think you’re going in there! Do you want to go to jail? The first thing they will do is call the cops and you’ll be the prime suspect. Then, you’ll get all of us caught as well!” Johnny’s words hit him hard. He also had to think of himself and the guys, they were his family and he had to protect them as well.

“I’m so sorry to have done this to you. I’ll be back one day, I promise,” He kissed the top of her head, then he and Johnny took her body and laid it near the emergency room entrance. As they drove away, Yuta could see staff members running out to her and lifting her to lay her on a gurney. He watched her image get farther and farther away, before completely disappearing once out of sight of the hospital. “I promise, you will be mine again. I will make sure of it.”

“Is it wrong to have dark thoughts?” Her therapist noted that her mental state had started to decline even more. She spoke of murder and kidnapping, and cleansing the world of ‘those that were not worthy.’ He tried to reason with her that all of that was only her capture’s influence, but she shook her head. “I think… I may have always had these thoughts. They didn’t give me these thoughts, I saw those things but it was my choice as to how I interpreted them. They only hurt the bad people, they only targeted the bad people.”

“And what of you? Are you a bad person? Is your father a bad person? They targeted you as well you realize?” She thought about it, and she realized she never did find out just what in particular they wanted her father for. In her mind, she knew there had to be a reason. She always thought her father to be a good man, but thanks to her experience she began to question that.

“I don’t know, is he a bad person? I’m questioning that myself. He must have done something bad to have them target him. As for me, guilt by association?” She gave her therapist a look as if to provoke him. He had never heard her speak anything less than positive of her father, and now he grew worried for how much damage really had been done to her. He felt like a failure, like he didn’t try his hardest to save this her from her own mind. He felt defeated.

She had nightmares every night. Nightmares of the horror she witnessed, of the men she lived with for nearly a ten and a half months. She found solace in these nightmares, each one she had made her fears slowly fade away. She also had dreams of Yuta. The man whom she once loathed slowly turned into someone she yearned to be reconnected with. He was the only one who didn’t treat her as if she had lost her mind. He didn’t look at her apprehensively. He didn’t think she had gone insane. He was a figment of her imagination—a mere dream—but she knew that is how he truly felt about her. She had seen his face many times before disguised as doctors or nurses or even visitors, but she believed that those instances were only her mind wishing for him to come back.

Little did she know, all of those cases were Yuta. He had been keeping an eye on her, silently watching and waiting for the moment to take her back. With Taeyong’s blessing, he would officially make her part of their crew. He sat outside her therapist’s office and listened to see what they were talking about.

“I’ve come to the realization… I was better off with him. I was better off with Yuta and those other men.” Her therapist attempted to interject, but she stopped him before he could, “All of you treat me like I’m insane! I’m not insane! You try to make me think that I am, but I’m not! I know I’m not! This is the real me!”

“What? No, no one here thinks that. We are trying to help you!” Yuta snickered at her therapist’s pathetic attempts to reassure her. He had watched long enough to know that they were trying to make her believe that she was without a doubt insane, but Yuta knew better. He didn’t know it when he was first assigned to her, but she was very much something special. He was glad that he didn’t give her back to her father that day. Her father had been soiling her potential for too long, she needed Yuta in her life. It seemed like fate, he thought. He took back every thought he had about regretting getting her involved, he knew now that this was how things were supposed to turn out.

He and Johnny had amended their once broken relationship, Johnny now wanted to help him with getting her back. Yuta had kept each of them updated on her whereabouts and well-being, and after convincing them that she was on their side, they began planning. They called in two old friends of theirs—Doyoung and Ten—and they agreed to help with getting her out. Doyoung and Ten were the other two people in the woods watching the meeting with Mr. Lockhart. They had left the group two years before, but they closely kept their eye on the group.

Yuta, Sicheng, and Doyoung were in the institution. Yuta and Sicheng had knocked out two staff members and hid them in one of the storage closets. They situated their uniforms and exited to the hallway, making sure the coast would be clear for Doyoung.

“Alright, we are in position and ready to get the hell out of here once you have her.” Jaehyun and Taeyong sat in the woods nearby in the getaway vehicle.

“Our eyes and ears are ready.” Ten, Johnny, and Taeil were waiting in a van in an alley a half a block away from the institution, ready to reroute the signal from the security cameras and kill the alarm system, and also help if they needed more men. Ten also kept a close eye on Doyoung—who broke off from the other two insiders and was in place to cut the power—through the security cameras. “I’m ready as well.”

“Alright, guys, if this goes south I want you all to get away from here as fast as you can.” They had been planning this and scoping out the area for days. They knew exactly what to do and where to go, but Yuta had this unrecognizable fear of failure that had been born in him not too long before this.

“What did I tell you? We are not leaving you in there. You’re our brother, we got your back. If you and Sicheng get caught, we will be your backup and Doyoung will get her.” Ten and Taeil voiced their agreement, Doyoung following in suit.

“Can I just say something? I am so proud of you all. I haven’t seen us work together like this is so long. Ten, Doyoung, it’s nice to have you two back. I’d love to have you two back on my crew.” Taeyong became sentimental at the sight of every member of his crew working together like old times. Only he knew why Ten and Doyoung left to begin with, but clearly, now all of that was in the past. He mentally thanked this girl for bringing all of his men back together again.

“Alright, we are ready to go. Ten-”

“Yeah?”

“No,” Johnny sighed at the boy sitting next to him, “Not you, Ten. I was starting the countdown.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Anyways! As I was saying,” Johnny started the countdown.

“Ten”

Jaehyun and Taeyong exchanged glances, both sliding down in their seats and focusing in on the building through the trees.

“Eight.”

Ten and Taeil were ready to reroute the security cameras, and Johnny was ready to kill the alarm system.

“Six.”

Doyoung stood in the basement with a flashlight on the main power grid, ready to shut down power to the entire building.

“Four.”

Sicheng glanced over to Yuta who had a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. He could see that Yuta had bitten down hard on the inside of his cheek, probably drawing blood. He patted Yuta’s shoulder in reassurance.

“Two.”

Yuta smiled at Sicheng. They were on the floor below the one she was on, and once Doyoung cut the power and Johnny cut the alarm system, the building wouldn’t be able to go into lockdown so they could slip in and out with ease.

“Now!”

Doyoung cut the power immediately, then relied on Ten and Taeil to help him navigate his way back out of the building. He moved a large filing cabinet in front of the basement door just in case someone thought to come check the grid downstairs. Taeyong and Jaehyun kept an eye on the people that were filing out of the building in confusion, also keeping an eye out for Sicheng and Yuta.

On the inside, doctors, nurses, and patients alike had started panicking. The backup lights still worked without power, but they were not nearly bright enough to make it so people could see well. The sun was quickly setting as well, so the little outside light to help them wouldn’t stick around for much longer. They navigated through patients falling over one another, nurses trying to help them up, and doctors trying to control the situation and keep everyone calm.

They exited to the stairwell and went up one floor—the floor she was on. From here, Yuta had the way memorized. He would always take this path when he would come to see her, so even with the little amount of light, he could easily maneuver his way around. Her room was the ninth down on the right, and so far it seemed that no one was in her room but her.

The power going out didn’t phase her. If anything, she was annoyed at the fact that she could no longer see to read her book. She sighed and placed it on a table in the room, then laid back on her bed with her arms behind her head. She could hear people outside freaking out and leaving the building. ‘So melodramatic,’ She thought. She couldn’t see why patients and staff were making such a huge deal out of a simple power outage. Everyone exiting the building would only cause trouble, who knows what patients would sneak off or get lost. If anything, it would have been better to keep them all inside. Whatever they thought was going on probably wasn’t what was actually going on.

She heard one of the doctors calling for the rest of the patients to exit their rooms. With the power off, the locks on the door were no longer working so they could open their doors without needing a key card. She knew one of the doctors would check the rooms to make sure everyone got out alright. She sat up in her bed and waited, either for a doctor to come pull her out of her room or for the whole ordeal to be over, she wasn’t sure which.

Yuta and Sicheng finally made it to her door. Yuta grasped the door handle and then opened it. He shined a flashlight in her room so she could see her sitting figure. It took her a moment to realize who the two ‘doctors’ were in the room with her, but the eyes gave it away.

“You came for me,” She mused. He came over to her and sat down on the bed with her. He brought his hand to caress her cheek, in complete bliss now that they were face to face. “I promised you I would, didn’t I? I missed you so much, I never want you to be away from me for this long ever again.”

“Yuta, I hate to break up the happy reunion, but we need to get the hell out of here right now.” Sicheng brought Yuta back to reality. He pulled her body up to his and kissed her temple.

“Come on, we’re getting you out of here.” As the trio exited her room, they were shocked to see her therapist standing in the hallway. He took one look at the two men and knew that they were not staff members.

“Let go of her!” He attempted to grab her from Yuta’s grasp, but Sicheng pushed him down on the ground. They made it halfway down the hallway when her therapist called to her again, “Ms. Lockhart don’t go with those men, they’re no good! They deserve to be dead!”

“And you don’t?!” They could all hear her voice through their earpieces. She was loud enough to be heard even when she wasn’t wearing a mic on her. “The things you people do, the way you treat people, you’re the one who should be dead! You shut people up in here like animals and treat them as if they are insane and need to be fixed, and for what reason?! Because they think differently than you?! You’re worse than we are, you are the type of people that need to be cleansed from this world. Every last one of you!” She grabbed Sicheng’s gun from him and aimed it at her therapist. Her therapist moved back against the wall as she stormed over to his body. She had it aimed right between his eyes, her finger on the trigger ready to shoot.

“Don’t do this! This isn’t you! I know the real you, you’re not crazy! We were wrong, you are right, everything you think is how we should all think. We could learn a lot from you,” For a split second, her face softened and she lowered the gun, “Please don’t kill me!” With that sentence, all softness washed away from her face.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you?”

“Think about your father, what would he think?” She brought her hand to her chin and hummed, he really thought he had gotten through to her with those words and that he had secured his safety. However, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“I don’t give a damn about what that repulsive man thinks!” She aimed the gun back at him and shot him in the head without hesitation. She watched his body fall to the ground, a trail of blood starting to drip out of the gunshot wound on his head. She couldn’t remove her gaze from his body, the first man she killed, her therapist, the one who tried to keep her from her real purpose in life. Yuta came over to her and took the gun from her hands and gave it back to Sicheng. He stood in front of her, she looked more beautiful to him now than ever before. She knew her purpose, she knew her and their purpose. She knew what they were all about, and at that moment she came to terms with this.

“You’re so perfect, I love you so much!” Yuta kissed her cheek and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, “I’m so proud of you. Now, let’s go home.”

At the sound of a gunshot, staff members were running into the building to investigate. Luckily, the three were able to make it out with one last group of people exiting the hospital. The sun had fully set a few minutes before, so now all that could be seen was darkness and the light from flashlights doctors and nurses were using to aid them. The three snuck away from the group and into the woods, finding Jaehyun and Taeyong with the getaway car already running and ready to go.

With the three finally in the car, and Doyoung being in the van that held Ten, Taeil, and Johnny, they were ready to leave.

“Thanks, guys, you all have no idea how much this means to me.” As they got on the road back to their house, Yuta glanced over to see her peering out the window. The moon illuminated her face, for the first time in a long time Yuta could see content on her face. He ghosted his hand down her arm and held her hand tightly.

“I still can’t believe they put me in there… I’m not insane, I know I’m not. I just think differently now.” She admitting this to Yuta made him think about how betrayed she must have felt when her family and friends put her in that place—her father and Jaewoo and Jaeho especially.

“Hey, they don’t matter now. We would never do that to you.”

“Yuta’s right. We are your family now, we will never do something like that to you. We will keep you safe and protect you.” She looked to the rearview window to see Jaehyun smiling at her—dimples prominent. Taeyong, who she hadn’t known well at all, even nodded in agreement.

She took a moment to think about her predicament. She could faintly remember how those first few months with Yuta were. She could remember the terror, the fear of death that she felt on a daily basis. She also could remember how that all faded to black and was replaced with something else—fearlessness. To her, she knew that she found nothing wrong with what Yuta and his friends did. After seeing what they did time and time again, in her mind she knew that those people deserved what happened to them. Why she got involved in the first place no longer mattered to her, what mattered now was the future. She had a new-found sense of justice and righteousness.

One year later, they had moved far away from New York City. Far away from her past and the memories of her old life. She had settled into life with Taeyong’s crew well, she learned all of the ropes of the job and she fit in perfectly now. She came in handy and lately, they had a surplus of male targets and she made it easier to apprehend them.

She waited patiently for her target for the night. He had requested to meet in a public area, saying he had fears of being alone with strangers or something along those lines—not that she really paid attention to that part. They opted to meet outside of a pizzeria in the heart of the city, there would be enough people around to see if anything happened to him. She knew she had to get him into an isolated area, but she had learned enough about him to know that she would need to reel him in quickly for her to be able to do so.

Once they met up, they spent the night eating dinner and strolling around the city. Going in and out of random shops as they pleased. She talked him into going down a vacant side street, a side street where Yuta patiently awaited the two of them. This side street had no security cameras, and since no one really came down here at night there would be no witnesses. They were steps away from Yuta’s hiding spot when her target stopped at a storefront. She looked to see what he found more interesting than her and it was a news report. A news report about her father.

“Byron Lockhart was indicted today on nine counts of embezzlement and corporate fraud. Authorities also arrested Lockhart Industries’ Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer in connections to Mr. Lockhart’s crimes. Authorities are seizing all financial accounts of every executive under Lockhart Industries and a special task force has been assigned to review the integrity of the company. We will keep you updated as more information is available.” The camera cut to another news anchor, a picture of her appearing in the top corner of the screen. Her target grimaced at her picture, his head hanging down low and a sniffle could be heard.

“Are you alright?” She asked, she placed her hand on his shoulder and lifted his face up to hers.

“Oh yeah,” He wiped a tear from his cheek, “She’s just… An old friend and I really miss her.”

She looked at the TV screen to see the governor during an earlier press conference, “We have no new leads into the investigation at this time, but we will remain diligent. If anyone has any information, please call the number on your screen. We will not stop this search until she is found and brought home safely, that is a promise.”

“I’m so sorry about that.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and rubbed his back, “I’m sure they will find her alive soon, Jaeho.” She held the hand of her old friend and pulled him along with her. They passed a lone man with his head down and a hat hiding his face. He showed his face to her briefly, then she winked at him as they walked by.

Johnny waited until she led Jaeho down the alley where Yuta hid before turning around and going in behind the two. Yuta held Jaeho’s limp body up in his arms and she opened the back of Jaehyun’s van to put him in. Johnny grabbed his feet and they lifted him into the back, shutting the doors behind them and getting in the van themselves.

“That’s some friend you got there, he didn’t even recognize you,” Johnny laughed and smacked her lightly on the shoulder. She turned around to look at the unconscious figure of her old friend. Of course, Johnny had a point. Jaeho, who had been her friend her entire life, had looked her in the eyes the entire night and didn’t recognize her. She assumed that the new her truly was unrecognizable, along with the minor changes to her appearance that she made.

“Hey, are you okay?” Yuta noticed her staring at the body, wondering if she perhaps was having a slight change of heart seeing as this boy was her friend at one point. “Are you thinking anything strange?”

“No, not at all,” She reassured him and laid her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her body against his. “His father played a role in covering up my father’s crimes, it won’t be long until authorities find out his connection to it. Until then, though, maybe having Jaeho will speed up the process.”

Yuta had finally explained to her why she was a target, she was a target because of the crimes her father had been committing for a year at the time of her first abduction. Yuta explained the situation to her in vivid detail, and she agreed that he had every right to take her. She knew it was guilt by association like she assumed. Now, after abandoning her criminal of a father and his business that was held up by lies and fraud, she was no longer guilty. She had severed her ties from that, and now she was out for vengeance. Vengeance, she thought, is the true way the world should be ruled. Regardless of who they were, if they soiled this world in any way they needed to be taken care of.

“We will lock him up in the basement and when he regains consciousness, we will begin. If he’s anything like you were, there will be one hell of a mess to clean up after I’m finished with him,” Johnny chuckled and bumped her shoulder. She watched them take Jaeho’s body down the stairs into the basement, the same basement she spent her first days in. She remembered those days. She remembered the way Johnny assaulted her, she could still taste the blood in her mouth and she could still feel the pain he caused her. However, it didn’t bother her, in fact, she found that she was very thankful to him.

“Are you alright?” Yuta could tell that she had something on her mind. Judging by the way she watched Johnny carry Jaeho to the basement, he assumed that something about this situation brought up old memories, “Are you mad at me for what I did to you?”

“What you did to me? Do you even know what you did to me?” Yuta looked at her in wonder, what had he really done to her?

“You showed me who I really am. Thanks to you, I know who I really am. The only thing I will ever be for that is thankful. The old me is dead and gone, she will never return. That ignorant girl will never be seen again. This whole experience stripped me of my fear and opened my eyes and made me truly see. See the world for how it really is, people for how they really are, and it showed me the way that things should be. I am also thankful that you allowed me to partake in the attempts to make this world a cleaner place.” She brought her hand to cup his chin, “Everything you’ve done has changed my life for the better, I can never repay you for all that you have done. This is all thanks to you.” She kissed the corner of his lips and left the kitchen. He stood there, amazed at what just happened. The person he just encountered truly was completely different than the girl he met so long ago. She had completely evolved into a different person, and he wondered if he played a role in doing this.

If this way of thinking had been planted deep in her, slowly metastasizing until she finally realized what she truly was, or if Yuta had truly driven her to the ends of all sanity and reason remain unknown. Who she once was had died long ago, and no one will truly know if Yuta is responsible. There is one thing that is for sure, though.

He truly is a fatal man.