#jongdae fanfiction

[rancidtae]

ARCADIA’S LULLABY | CHAPTER 5

Genre: Mafia AU. Vigilante AU. Sci-fi (AI). Warnings: ANGST. fluff. mentions of near-death experiences. mentions of drug use. emotional tension during breakfast. chanyeol crying. Pairing: exo & Original Female Character (Jung Jiah/Kang Rina) - Kim Minseok/Original Female Character - Zhang Yixing/Original Female Character Word count: 11k+ chapter summary: the one where shit gets real and sehun just wants everyone to talk about their feelings and let him have his breakfast in peace. a/n: WE'RE SO BACK. (we're so over) but make it old-friendship-turned-sour core.

guess what you need isn't always what you want from me

masterlist - meet the characters

082809 - 5:34 pm.

13 years ago

“Yo, open up.”

It was the third time he knocked.

Chanyeol pressed his ear against the wood and heard the muffled murmur of a news anchor.

“C'mon, I can hear the TV, I know you’re in there.”

Not one to be patient when people were purposefully being assholes, he fished the set of spare keys Mr. Kang gave his mom from the pocket of his ripped jeans and jingled them extra hard. Just to piss her off and warn her.

“Wow, this is depressing.” he blurted out, closing the door behind him.

His 15-year-old neighbor did not look surprised, nor tried to pretend that his presence wasn't unwanted. Chanyeol, however, had never worries about being on her good side. They'd been annoying each other all their lives.

Tall piles of books covered the living room, some even went over his head. They were playing videos of the memorial with the president giving a speech in the background on the TV. A steaming bowl of noodles and some side dishes waited on the small dining table.

It was the anniversary of the Seoul Metro bombings. 

As always, every year the city shut down for the memorial. No one was allowed to forget such a dark stain on the country’s history. Over 900 casualties, even more injured.

Chanyeol remembered the day of the attack. His mom rushing to pick him, his sister Yoora and Rina from school, earlier than usual. She didn't answer their questions until they got home and she locked the door behind her. Mr. Kang didn't pick up Rina until the next afternoon, and he looked like a ghost.

That was the day he learned the meaning of the word terrorism.

He took a look at the family picture by the entrance and picked up the remote, turning the TV off.

“What is that?” Rina suddenly asked, making him jump on his feet.

She was curiously looking at the pale pink box under his arm, and it took him a second to remember he'd brought it with him. With every year that passed, Rina only looked more and more like her mother, the resemblance was scary sometimes.

He fixed his throat. “Pastries from Swimmy’s”

Of course, she knew that. It was her favorite bakery.

Rina, however, turned around with feigned disinterest.

“Ah. How’d you even get them? Aren’t they closed today?”

“I don’t know. Yoora’s boyfriend sent them, but she hates him right now so she gave them to me.”

“Cupcakes?” she asked over her shoulder, rattling things inside the fridge.

“Multiflavor.” he nodded, fighting back a cruel grin when she stills.

“You want some?” she asked, pointing at the bowl of steamy noodles.

Chanyeol couldn't remember her ever willingly offering him a bite of anything.

“Nope, I’m good.” he chirped.

Her face dropped. Suddenly deciding that there's nothing inside of her interest, she slammed the poor fridge door.

“Ok, let’s go,” he finally said, feeling like he annoyed her enough for the day. He did not lie when he called the scene depressing.

Her sitting down on the floor and eating overcooked noodles alone when there was a perfectly nice summer afternoon right outside kind of softened his heart.

“Where? Why?”

“Seriously? We’re not gonna sit here and eat them alone, that’s some loser shit. Plus, it’s way too much sugar.”

“It’s not” she protested, struggling to put on her worn-out white Converse.

“Maybe not for me, but it is when you spend your life slugging inside. When’s the last time you went for a run, huh?”

Naturally, they ended up making their way inside Arcadia, her father's arcade spot just a few blocks away. They entered through the backdoor, using Rina’s spare key that she religiously wore around her neck.

Baekhyun nearly landed on his ass when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, hand to his chest when he recognizes them and immediately lighting up at the prospect of eating pastries.

Rina found a seat on the countertop, while Chanyeol brought two chairs for himself and his legs from the backroom. Baekhyun picked up his copy of Rebirth and saved his strawberry-flavored gum for later, carefully wrapping it in a sticky note, much to Rina's disgust.

The three indulged in a cupcake each, humming in bliss.

“So," Baekhyun smacked "where you been?” 

“Busy.” she said, legs swinging happily, licking buttercream off her pinky finger.

“Doing what?"

"Stuff."

"Like what, sleeping inside a coffin? You look like you haven’t seen the sun in months.”

Chanyeol agreed. “You’re gonna regret staying inside once we’re back to school.”

Rina was not about to tell them she'd been reading those books at home, one per day like an apple. Her father kept bringing new ones, leaving them stacked up on every surface he could find, building a labyrinth out of them.

The last was Fahrenheit 451. Baekhyun would've liked it if, but he was more of a manhwa guy.

She took a look around the room, all the machines were on. She remembered something. “Wait. Why are you working today?”

Baekhyun pointed one finger at the door. The open neon sign was off, and the door was locked. “I'm not. My aunt and my cousins are visiting and I needed some alone time. And they’re all on because–”

“He doesn’t like the silence.” Chanyeol said, mockingly, with his cap on sideways and clearly finding Baekhyun childish.

“Please don’t tell your dad.” he requested with his customer service voice. “That reminds me, you think he’ll give me a raise if I ask him?”

“Aren’t you only covering shifts for Yuan? I don’t think he even knows you work here.”

He did not take well to that. Sitting up straight and dropping what was left of his cupcake on the box, he put his hands on his waist.

“Only covering– what are you talking about? I know this place better than Yuan ever could. I’m more of an Arcadia member of staff than he is or could ever be” he started counting down with his fingers, Rina took a deep breath. “I’m the general manager, I’m HR, marketing, I’m the cleaning and security staff, I keep an eye on Mintchoco at the back and even–”

Thank god, a knock at the front door interrupted his rant. Jongdae was leaning over the glass, cupping his face and pointing at the lock on the door. Minseok stood just behind him on the sidewalk.

Standing up with a groan and still complaining about the disrespect under his breath, Baekhyun let them in.

Minseok was hugging a ball against his side, had dry blood on his left knee, and his usually squeaky clean soccer shoes and white socks all dirtied up. Jongdae was no better, face dripping in sweat, fanning his shirt, complaining about the heat.

“Swimmy’s?” Minseok asked, eyes wide.

“Like I said” Baekhyun continued. “Arcadia is me. I am Arcadia. I know the consoles. I love this place. This is like home to me. I absolutely, totally, most definitely deserve a raise.”

“If you love it so much shouldn’t your pay be enough?” Asked Jongdae, standing under the a/c vent.

“Right. He makes a good point. You should be doing it for free, even”

Baekhyun glared at Chanyeol. “So what are you suggesting? Unpaid labor? I have a family to feed.”

“Your parents do the feeding in your family” Laughed Minseok, asking Rina to pass him a strawberry cupcake. One of the same strawberry cupcakes Rina had threatened Baekhyun and Chanyeol not to touch.

Chanyeol gave her an odd look, she pretended not to notice it.

“Just say you’re saving up to buy yourself a laptop.”

“That I will get my hands on soon if our dear Rinrin here tells Mr. Kang how good of an employee, and friend I am.” he paused. “Maybe just mention the employee part, nepotism goes against my values.”

"Ok” she agreed. But then she crossed her arms and lifted her chin, and Baekhyun’s cheerful grin crumbled. “But you’ll owe me”

“Ah. What’s this?” he sucked on his teeth “I thought we were friends.”

"You said nepotism goes against your values.”

“So you’re blackmailing me.”

“We’re negotiating.”

“Woah. This is unbelievable. You're really growing into an evil little thing.”

"Speaking about evil little things, we saw your boyfriend on our way here. He was totally asking to get his ass kicked.” said Jongdae through a full mouth. “Ith wath him, right Mintheok?”

Minseok tried to telepathically get him to keep his mouth shut, but he kept going, clueless.

“Looked like he pissed Youngjae off again. You know how he hates being stared at”

By her boyfriend, they were talking about Kyungsoo, who was nothing of the sort. He was, though, known for being excellent at getting on the bad side of people. It wasn't his fault, some just read him wrong.

Kyungsoo was just misunderstood. Often. And Youngjae was a bully.

“And now she has been summoned. Our peace maker.” Chanyeol announced, watching her expression drop. She jumped from the counter and started putting her hair up on a ponytail.

Extra tight, extra high. She meant business.

“Wait. For real?”

“You know, just because you’re a girl and your dad’s a teacher it doesn’t mean Youngjae and his friends won’t beat you up one of these days” Jondgae called out, finally noticing his mistake.

“Hold on, wait wait wait! You’ll tell your dad, right?” Baekhyun asked, watching her walk behind the counter and get the pepper spray from its secret spot.

“You’ll owe me.” she said, and walked out of the door.

The guys saw her cross the street and disappear from view.

"What was that?" asked Jongdae.

"Pepper spray."

Chanyeol groaned. “Dude, why did you tell her? Mr. Kang’s gonna be upset if she’s home late.”

Jongdae did not take well to that, and quickly started firing back questions about how is it his fault that she likes to take on other people's problems.

Sighing, Minseok rubbed the crumbs off his hands and silently made his way to the door.

“Really, you too?”

Minseok shrugged. “She shouldn’t be going alone. And you shouldn't have let her take the pepper spray.”

Jongdae, not at all surprised, only shook his head and stuffed his mouth with another bite. The outcome came as no surprise, he was just glad that the possibility of Rina getting in trouble and Mr. Kang being upset about it had significantly decreased.

Minseok wasn't much of a fighter, but he knew how to make younger kids respect him.

“Are these fresh?” Jongdae was frowning at the cupcake. “How’d you even get them today?”

“Mr. Kang asked me to pick them up. I don't know how he did it, but he got them to bake these for him.” Chanyeol answered, pausing for a bit before adding. “He asked me to get her out of the apartment.”

Jongdae and Baekhyun nodded in understanding, no more questions on the subject were asked.

081322 - 05:12 pm 

Consciousness comes in waves.

First, pain. Second, something warm and blinding.

Sunlight.

Third: white.

The room slowly comes into focus. White walls. Wood framing the window. Sheer curtains.

Fuck. It really fucking hurts.

She can deal with that. The disorientation? That’s different.

A burst of anxiety threatens to come to the surface at once.

Everyone has cycles waiting to be kickstarted at the beck and call of the smallest trigger. Good or bad, but most importantly, unavoidable.

Jiah spent a good chunk of her life testing out remedies for the bad ones. Prescriptions. Therapists. Thoughtfully curated lists of habits; healthy for the long term, destructive for a quick fix. 

And even though nothing could have prepared her for this, time has worked on her.

So as the events from last night come back to her and the doorknob turns with a click, she stays calm and lets her eyes close again.

The person lingers for a moment, doing god knows what. His shadow flickers through her eyelids. Eventually, she’s alone again.

When she opens her eyes again the drowsiness has faded. There’s a classic mid-century flip clock on the nightstand. A piranha plant figure stares back at her with its teeth all bared out, and her transmitter’s politely placed next to it.

She knows right away whose bed this is.

Painfully, she props herself up to a seated position and inspects the sling and the dressed wound. No ethical doctor’s gonna give her the dose of painkillers she’ll need for that.

She’s wearing a thin, depressing hospital gown, and that will not do.

He's definitely loaded. The house is enormous, enough to get lost in and fit her apartment maybe five or six times. Several doors line down the hallway leading to a vast, asymmetrical set of stairs. Vaulted high ceilings top up a communal area, with a long skylight that washes everything in abundant natural light.

She pads down the stairs, following the sound of voices and laughter.

And there he is, stomping out of what looks like some kind of office made of glass walls.

“Hey, hey, wait. No. That is not fair, how was I supposed to–”

He locks eyes with her.

Bewildered. Like he forgot she was there and that just a few minutes ago he was in that room with her.

She looks back at him, like she didn’t know it was him the second her eyes landed on that piranha plant.

A tremor goes through his body before he starts coughing violently.

“Fuck— what the fuck?” more coughing, he plucks something from his mouth. A ridiculously chunky piece of pink gum covered in thick saliva.

Heads turn at the rough edge of her voice “That’s what happens when you try to chew a whole wheel of hubba bubba tape at once.”

Byun Baekhyun stares back at her like she just said the most offensive thing possible, gum still between his fingers.

“Well you can’t just stand there and– lurk looking like– like Shanks and not expect to scare the shit out of innocent people.”

Two figures by the kitchen entrance watch them. One looks kind of confused, the other one crosses his arms and holds back a smile.

“One Piece? Are you twelve?”

“Says the grown woman who can’t get her arm through an oversized sleeve.”

“I'm wearing a sling, you asshole.” she snaps. Baekhyun looks down at the fluttering sleeve, sucking in his lips between his teeth.

And then, like switch is flipped, their expressions shift. Her brows soften, and a wry grin tugs at the corner of her lips. A lighthearted smile spreads across his face.

Jongin gives the person next to him a bewildered glance.

“What’s up with the hair?”

Baekhyun runs his fingers through it. “You don’t like it?”

“Let me rephrase that, did you go to Lady’s Room and talk to the girls?”

Silence.

“I don’t know what–”

“You still touch your hair when you’re lying.”

“Ok. Yeah. No.” He points a finger at her “You’re not going Sherlock on us when you just woke up after a near-death experience.”

“Says who?”

“Says me," he snaps with an attitude, quickly adding “Doctor’s orders.”

“So first Yixing’s a cop and now you’re a doctor?” Startled, Baekhyun opens his mouth and closes it. “What’s next, Kyungsoo’s a wedding planner?”

“Youth pastor, actually. Very successful. The youths love him. And I could be a doctor if wanted, by the way.” he scoffs.

She cocks an eyebrow.

“Whatever. Ah, this won’t do. You suck at reunions. Go back upstairs, we’re doing this again.” he waves his arms at her, urging her back up the stairs. Surprised, she spurts out a laugh. The rebound pain from her shoulder makes her stop and hiss.

“Alright, leave her alone.” 

That face she’d recognize anywhere. It’s unfair that they’ve all aged so nicely. Kim Jongdae looks like an upgraded version of himself, just with different hair and somehow, better skin.

“How are you feeling?”

“Lucid enough to steal my clothes, clearly.”

She realizes she's been staring at him like an owl and fixes her throat.

“Been better.” she nods, bowing quickly, awkwardly waving at the end. “Hi.”

Baekhyun snorts. "Did you just bow?"

Jongdae bows back and waves, amused but ignoring Baekhyun. “Wanna take a seat? I bet you're starving.”

She’s famished. The thought of food is enough motivation to postpone the thinking about everything that is happening right now. And since she's not escaping anytime soon, she might as well acknowledge the other person in the room.

“So, is Jongin your real name, or is this another Juyeon/Sehun thing?”

The kitchen is ridiculously huge, with another skylight at the top and an island at the very center. She sits down, leaving an empty stool between her and the impostor, who shares a look with the other two men.

“Yixing slipped up, wasn't hard to figure out.” she explains.

Jongin fixes his throat. “Jongin is my real name.”

“And how do you know Taemin?”

“We used to go to the same dance studio for a while.”

“And he just introduced us. By coincidence.”

Baekhyun steps in. “You had a horde of mercenaries on your track. We were trying to get them before they got you and Jongin was there to keep an eye on you. Him being Taemin’s friend was a happy coincidence.”

It's not convincing at all, and the thinking starts.

That’s for being so fucking stupid. Do you realize what you got yourself into?

Go ahead, big guy.

“Where’s Chanyeol?”

“What, are we not enough for the welcoming party?”

Jongin, however, knows what she's thinking. She doesn't like it.

"It wasn't him. The man in the bathroom came with backup. We thought we’d handled all of them, but a stray one took us by surprise and shot you.”

“I mean, we can show you the footage of him following the guy.” Baekhyun offers immediately. “But come on, you don’t think he–”

“No need.” patching her up defeats the purpose of taking her down, but that doesn't make up for several loose ends. “However, the manhandling was unnecessary.”

“You did kick Jongin in the balls.” Jongdae reminds her, putting a glass of cold water in front of her. 

“If you guys knew I was being followed then why didn’t you just give me a heads up?”

How did they know?

And where’s the rest?

Baekhyun smiles. "You made it abundantly clear to Yixing that you didn't want us near."

"So why didn't he come?"

“He was out of town, but he asked you to be careful. Several times, he said.”

He did. And she rejected his attempts at helping her beyond getting Haneul protection. Several times indeed. He was very insistent. She brushed him off every time.

Disoriented, she sticks to nursing her glass of water in slow sips. Several details keep her alert.

One, eyebrows/Tuxedo Mask/Sehun had or has been protecting Lee Chungjae, despite Yixing’s insistence that they’re not involved with his people.

Two, Baekhyun definitely went sniffing around Lady’s Room, and if she knows anything about him, he didn't just stop at that.

Three, Junmyeon and Minseok are members of the syndicate.

The sound of a motorcycle roaring outside grows closer and gets her out of her head. The conversation has moved in a completely unexpected direction without her.

“This might be out of my expertise, but I don’t think you can compare periods to getting shot.” Jongdae says, unbothered by the noise.

“Why? Blood is blood, no matter where it comes from” Baekhyun argues. “And I’ve heard scary stories about cramps” 

The steel door is slid open just enough for a tall man to come in, balancing piled up pizza boxes and complaining about someone needing to lube up the damn rail.

“This is the last time you use me as a delivery guy” he declares, dropping the boxes on the counter. He stops when he notices her. Stoic as ever, a face impossible to forget. “You look rough. Bet you wish you listened to my advice about not getting in the way of bullets.” 

She frowns, but then another figure walks in. He's holding two helmets, sliding the door shut with a nudge of his shoulder. He takes a look at her, evidently unimpressed.

“I heard you were begging to see me. How you managed to live all these years without me, now that’s an unresolved mystery, one of many.”

“I don’t know how I held up, honestly” she replies, voice flat. “Every day I woke up feeling like my life was missing something.”

“Poor thing.” He tsks, mockingly pouting at her, hanging both helmets on the wall. “But I heard you’ve had some interesting characters keeping you company, so at least you weren't lonely, right?”

The bitter undertone is unexpected.

“Rin,” Baekhyun calls, a smile on his face, and a sideways less friendly glare at Chanyeol. “You still like orange soda, right?”

They move like protocol, opening the boxes and taking drinks out of the fridge, Jongin walks out of the kitchen after losing a match of rock paper scissors to Jongdae.

Chanyeol stares at her like she's about to stab someone. The pizza looks too good for her to care.

“So, up to anything exciting?” 

“Not much. You?” 

“Oh, come on. Half of the city’s freelancers are searching for you as we speak. Those were some expensive mercenaries following you around.” 

“Makes you wonder how shitty the cheap ones must be.” she points out.

“You also looked too calm for someone who thought she had a gun pointed at her face.” he finishes, folding a piece of pizza in two and devouring half of it with one generous bite. "Definitely wasn't your first time."

“I didn’t think you had it in you.” she shrugs, taking a first bite. It's good. She has to close her eyes and sigh for a moment. “And it wasn’t my first time, he ruined my favorite jacket the other night, remember? Got my ear ringing for a few days.”

Sehun shrugs. "You got in the way."

“Right, how’d that happen anyway?” He points at his big ass ear. The left one. Eyeing hers like he didn’t get the point across. Her hair is covering the transmitter, but of course, they don't need to see it to know it's there.

She snorts, not amused at all. “Aren’t you too comfortable?”

Jongdae calls his name, something like a warning. Chanyeol drops the subject and focuses on getting his hands on a second slice, Sehun chuckles at the scene.

“You guys couldn’t wait for us?”

Jongin reappears, followed by a familiar face that feels like a punch to the chest.

His eyes scan the room, curious about the sudden silence. It ends when he notices her. There's a flicker there, but whatever he's really thinking is quickly guarded by a stoic expression.

“Why is she here?”

“She’s feeling fine,” Baekhyun shrugs. “I’d be dying to get out of bed after 15 hours of sleep too.”

Do Kyungsoo offers no answer, doesn’t even spare her or Baekhyun another glance. He washes his hands in silence, takes the spot next to Jongin, grabs a slice of pizza for himself and that's that. Her eyes stay on him, surprise slowly dissolving from her face.

And then Baekhyun claps, starling her.

“Shit, I almost forgot. Dessert first!”

It happens at once—a sloppy plan set in motion by Baekhyun’s insistence. Ignoring whatever he has in store, Jiah beats Chanyeol to the last slice of neapolitan while Jongdae helps Baekhyun look for something in their endless cabinets.

"The drawer by the coffee machine,” Kyungsoo mutters.

Someone must cover her eyes for this, Baekhyun insists. Jongin gives her a careful look waiting for her consent. She shrugs, pushing the last bit of crust past her greasy lips, and soon her eyes are engulfed in the warmth of his hands.

There’s the sound of hushing and Chanyeol’s poorly contained laugh, then a click.

“Ok, ready? Jongin, hands off. You can open them.”

She blinks away the flash of white and frowns at them before looking down.

Cake. 

Pink frosting and strawberries. It’s decorated in terrible piping work, topped with those colorful sprinkles that taste like nothing and several thin and tall candles scattered around.

There’s a message in red jelly, off-centered.

“Sorry you got shot on your–”

Whoever wrote it miscalculated the space they had available, so the word birthday has all the letters stuck together and get increasingly smaller.

Baekhyun’s satisfied grin stays put even when he ducks as a strawberry flies over him. Jongdae yelps dramatically when another hits his shoulder, his hyena laugh is interrupted by a long string of complaints.

Jongin warns her not to eat the frosting, because Baekhyun got excited with the food coloring and it tastes like medicine.

“Did you bake this?” she bites down on a strawberry. It's just a hint of sweet but perfectly juicy, it bursts in her mouth “It’s looks like a 4 year old decorated it.”

“Ok, It’s her." Baekhyun says. "Good job, team."

“Do you think I’m some kind of impostor?”

“You have a whole new name, we had to make sure.”

“Wait, so that was your birthday?” Sehun asks, shaking his head when Jondgae offers him a paper plate with a slice of cake. Only Chanyeol seems to be interested in trying it, taking his sweet time getting rid of the frosting.

The cake itself isn’t that bad. Just the usual vanilla cake mix flavor, a little dry but easy to eat.

“No, today is her birthday.” 

“Is it?” Jongin asks, scanning her face.

“Yeah. August 13th.” Baekhyun stops. “Wait, you didn’t–”

The question trails off when all she does is shove another piece of cake inside her mouth.

“I usually celebrate it in December.” 

Several weirded-out looks come her way. 

“Damn, that’s fucked up.” Sehun mumbles, and now he's getting looked at wrong. "What? I’m just saying, if I had two birthdays I’d celebrate both."

Jiah closes her eyes and blows on what's left of the candles. “That'd be hard to explain to other people, though. My friend Irene gets me flowers, but that’s about it."

Irene. Yeri. Taemin. How could she forget? They must be worried about her. Before she jumps down from the stool, once again Jongin answers a question before she gets to ask it.

"It's ok, I told Taemin we left together."

Jiah stares at him in disbelief. "No, it is not. He knows I don't leave parties with random dudes and--"

Jongdae makes a face. "Jongin's definitely not a random dude."

"He knows me too. He'll have fit, but he knows you're safe with me, trust me."

"But Yeri-"

"Fine. He dropped her off at her dorm."

"Where's my phone?" she asks Baekhyun.

"I'm afraid it didn't make it through the night, but--"

“Question,“ Chanyeol asks out of nowhere. "Why aren't you freaking out?"

"Excuse me?"

“Someone put a price on your head, and they’re being generous about it. But you're... worried that your friends won't believe you had a one night stand?”

“It's not my head they want.”

"Excuse me?"

Chanyeol’s lips part, a burst of surprised laughter escaping his mouth.

“Yeah. No, totally.” he frowns, nodding. “They put a hole through you just for funsies. They were just trying to start a tickle fight.”

“He could’ve easily taken me down in the bathroom, but he didn’t.” She gets different looks of disbelief.

Jongdae frowns. “You still got shot after that, and I’m pretty sure that wasn’t just a warning.”

“Those were expensive mercenaries, right? If they wanted me dead, I would be.”

“And this, everyone, is why they tell kids not to do drugs,” Chanyeol gives the room a look, pointing his hand at her “She wasn’t this delusional before.”

“Shut up and eat your pizza, Chanyeol” Kyungsoo says, much to her surprise.

Baekhyun agrees. “Yeah, don’t be a dick.”

Sehun sucks his lips inside his mouth, subtly eyeing everyone.

Jiah shakes her head. “That's fine, I’m not exactly worried about convincing you.” 

“They want you dead.” Chanyeol enunciates slowly, like he’s talking to a foreigner “You were lucky we were there.”

“Probably, yeah.” She’s not gonna deny that. “I appreciate what you did."

He shakes his head at her like she’s fucking stupid.

“What? You want me to suck your dick or something?”

“Alright, this is fun.” Jongdae exhales loudly, moving away to get a glass of water, slapping Sehun’s back.

Chanyeol pushes his tongue against his cheek, nodding at her. “Right. What’s dying for you anyway, right? You’ll just pop right back up in another decade.”

Jongin doesn’t let Chanyeol’s jab sink, he turns to her in genuine curiosity. “Sorry, but can you explain where you're coming from?”

“You leaked those voicemails. Your name might not be on the story, but they know it was you.” Kyungsoo turns, stirring iced tea with a glass straw “You destroyed Lee Chungjae’s reputation right after his father announced his candidacy.”  

“Im Nayeon leaked those voicemails.” she corrects him, and no one notices, but Baekhyun smiles, a spark set in his eyes. “I only did what was necessary to get them to the public. Therefore, I’m the only connection to her.”

“So what you’re saying is that you’re some– kind of medium?” 

“She’s saying Nayeon is alive,” Baekhyun says, leaning over the island and looking at her with excited eyes. “That’s what you’re saying, right?”

“Yes. How did you—?”

“A week after her death her name came up, just like yours.”

“Her name came up?”

Though Baekhyun’s smile stays intact, he visibly pales, and that’s when Jiah knows she just hit a spot.

The question has without a doubt and without her meaning to, landed somewhere. Jongdae and Chanyeol share a look. Only Sehun, Jongin, and Kyungsoo are doing a decent job of keeping their faces straight.

She just knows they’re gonna have a conversation about this later, once she’s gone.

“Why would someone put a mark on a girl who’s already dead?” They visibly relax at her answering her own question. Kyungsoo just barely squints at her. He knows better.

“Shouldn’t you know that? You’re the one claiming she somehow survived that fire” Chanyeol juts his chin at her.

If she had to put a name to the look on Baekhyun’s face, it’d be all work and no play.

“There’s something I think you’ll want to see”.

081422 - 02:58 am

“You know what’s weird?” Baekhyun mutters as she hands him a photograph.

Fresh out of the printer, the girl smiling in it is Yoo Jeongyeon. She was 23 the last time she was seen last year and attended the same university Nayeon did. The only string connecting the two is a few common friends on Facebook. 

Baekhyun tapes her picture next to the other seven photographs on the board. Like the rest of the room, the board’s made of glass, worn out and opaque by the constant use of tape on the surface, unlike the transparent, clean walls around them. 

The station is rather impressive, she had to just stand there when she first entered and stare at the computer station sprawled before her on the only brick wall at the back. 

A cluster of screens stands tall, commanded by a main, curved, and wide monitor, flanked by a couple more of them on each side. And just in case that’s not enough, an extra trio of monitors hangs above, suspended from the ceiling by sleek metallic arms that sell the illusion that they’re floating. All of them on cast a gentle light on the surrounding consoles, keyboard, touchpad, and devices she does not recognize, each meticulously organized and aligned for optimal efficiency.

Her curious eyes took it all in while Baekhyun scratched the back of his head and acted like it was just some humble setup. Honest work, he called it, still in progress. She still can’t figure out what else he can add, or how he can rearrange what’s an already pristine network of wires hidden at the back, and she’s too afraid to ask.

“None of Nayeon’s friends have posted anything about the investigation or the voicemails. That’s weird, isn’t it? If there was a possibility that your friend was murdered, you’d be outspoken about it, right? You’d want answers.”

“They could’ve been threatened” Jiah reminds him, staring up at the eight pictures on the board.

A line of girls stares back at them, all of them undergrad students, just like Nayeon. There’s a pattern in there, difficult financial situations, complicated and sometimes no familial affiliations or support network, and they’re all seriously attractive under current beauty standards.

Two of them are orphans. Two are foreign. The last one, Jeongyeon, makes an exception by keeping in touch with her mother until the time of her disappearance. Baekhyun started working on the list and gathering info with Yixing last year, and so far, every single case has turned cold. Not for a lack of investigating, she has their files, courtesy of Yixing, splayed around her.

“Still…” he mumbles, leaning his head to the side and reaching for his glass of iced coffee, looking startled when nothing but ice cubes hit his upper lip “If one of the girls at the salon were in that situation, you’d ask for the truth, threatened or not.”

Her stomach twists at the thought. She would not stop at asking for it, she’s confident that she’d turn the city upside down until she found them, but who’s doing that for these girls?

“It’s different. It’s my job.”

“Pretty sure you’ve gone past the limits of journalism.” Baekhyun tuts. “But you see it, right? There’s something here. I’m not being a conspiracy junkie.”

“I see it, yeah.”

“Have you tried talking to Nayeon’s friends?” 

“I don’t think we should be focusing on her friends like that, we might not even be focusing on these girls the way we should,” she says, rushing to explain when Baekhyun opens his mouth “Don’t get me wrong, there’s a pattern, but Nayeon was– she left a message and everything, and these girls are all…”

“Silent?” Baekhyun offers.

“Yes.” she sighs, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling. “They’re all silent, it can’t be a good sign.”

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” Baekhyun says, breaking her out of her trance. 

She frowns and snorts. “Did you just quote Wilde at me?”

“The Importance of Being Earnest” he smiles proudly. “Kind of out of context, but it’s true.”

She smiles at him, sighing and looking back at the board. “In my experience, most of the time the truth turns out to be boring and people end up disappointed. Everyone wants a conspiracy.”

“That’s true. But when it’s not boring–” He gives her a meaningful look, and she wonders if that’s what she looks like to other people.

“Yeah.” she agrees, he doesn’t need to finish that sentence for her to know what he means. “This doesn’t look boring at all”

“And it doesn’t look fun either, does it?” he sucks in a sharp breath. "Maybe they’re not silent, we’re just not listening the way we should.”

As it turns out, The station has no semblance of soundproofing. When someone comes in through the kitchen, they can hear the low hum of voices, the sound of keys being dropped and groans of relief as shoes are taken off at the entrance.

A few seconds later there’s a soft knock on the glass.

She doesn’t know what she expected, but it was certainly not Kim Junmyeon dressed in casual attire instead of a suit like the last time she saw him, fresh out of a syndicate debut. Now he looks more like an older brother checking on his little siblings. A dad even.

“Baekhyun, it’s 3 am. I know this is how you choose to live but she needs rest” his eyes look as tired as he sounds.

“Do you think she’s here against her will?” Baekhyun asks, offended.

He walks in, leaving the door open behind him. Jiah thinks she sees a shadow walk past through the living room, but it’s gone before she can notice anyone.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.”

He nods. “It’s what we do”

“And for the lawyer, the other day. Yixing told me” she adds. And maybe it’s the meds kicking in, or the emotional exertion of the day and having to see so many old new faces, but fatigue is beginning to weigh down on her. 

“You did well,” Junmyeon says. “The girl needed help, he had it coming.”

He buries his hands inside the pockets of his jeans, pointing at the board with his chin. There’s a signature curious pout on his face. “What’s this about?”

“Don’t be nosy. We’ll explain in the morning” Baekhyun answers, fingers dancing all over his keyboard with speedy clicks. Junmyeon doesn’t look too convinced, letting out a loud sigh that makes her feel even more foreign in this place.

Do they all live here? Together? At their age? What about Minseok?

“Alright. There’ll be a lot of that in the morning.” he gives her a look she does not reciprocate. “I’m going to bed, you two should get some rest.”

He stops just as he’s about to walk out the door.

“We don’t have a guest room ready, since someone decided to use it as a storage room, so I hope you won’t mind taking Baekhyun’s bed”

“She’s getting the coziest room in this house, she doesn’t mind” Baekhyun speaks for her, standing up and leaning over her to start shutting down his monster of a station.

She catches a glimpse of Junmyeon's reflection on the dark screen that Baekhyun turns off first. He stands there for a moment, looking at them with a pensive expression before he turns around and closes the door behind him.

Some rest might be nice, she thinks, as Baekhyun starts talking her ear off again.

7:34 AM

A few hours later she’s closing his bedroom’s door behind her as quietly as she can.

The house is silent. No one can be bothered to be up so early on a Sunday, and she counts on that being the case until she figures out where her—

“Hey there. You looking for these?”

She can’t escape him, can she? A very sleepy and messy-haired Baekhyun has a hold of her boots and her bag, closing the door across from his room behind him. She gets a glimpse of someone’s sleeping form.

“I hid them, just in case you tried to sneak out,” he explains, rubbing his puffy eyes before stretching loudly. At this pace, he’s going to wake everyone.

“I need a shower” she winces at how loud her voice sounds “And I already stayed here for too long. Can I have them back?”

“Shower?“ he pretends to think over, nodding "We have plenty of those around here, I believe. Soap, towels, shampoo. You still take them at hell temperature?”

She blinks at him.

“Baekhyun.”

“Rina.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I! You can’t just leave on your own until we’re sure it’s safe for you out there, you’re not exactly in the condition to bite attackers either.”

“Am I a hostage?”

She doesn’t like the sweet little smile he gives her. “You’re a guest.”

“But you’re telling me I can’t leave.”

“We can negotiate after breakfast. Come on, I’m giving you a tour of my favorite spot.”

Thirty minutes later she’s waiting for him to pay for a ridiculous amount of overpriced breakfast sandwiches with different fillings. The cashier, a lanky guy with a bored expression on his face and ginormous red headphones swallowing up his ears puts everything inside a bag. 

Baekhyun sends a cheeky smile in her direction, making sure she’s still standing by the end of the counter, shifting uncomfortably in a huge pair of slippers. The lack of socks makes the experience even worse.

“That’s a lot of food,” she points out.

“We’re feeding ten adults, I promise you it’s never too much of anything in our house” he answers, starting the engine.

“Ten adults?”

“I texted Yixing. It’s been a while since we all had a meal together. I don't remember the last time we used the dining table.”

She sighs, leaning her head against the passenger window and trying to find any familiar street.

“Slept well?”

“I’m very uncomfortable with this and I don’t appreciate you withholding my things”

“Oh-kay, someone’s grumpy in the morning.” he chuckles, leaning over the steering wheel as he takes a turn. “Consider this your punishment for trying to leave without saying goodbye. You got a deadbeat father complex or something?”

She glares at him, half-heartedly. 

“Come on, it’s just breakfast with the boys. Best meal of the day, with the boys.”

“It’s not just breakfast, you know that” she mutters, closing her eyes to rest them for a second. 

“Hey, it’s just us,” He surprises her by finding her wrist resting on the seat. His fingers curl around it, giving it a light tug, like a kid trying to get a grown-up’s attention “No one will jump you or anything. I know things are awkward, but they won’t have to be once we all talk and catch up, yeah?”

The red light goes green after what feels like an eternity. It takes him a second to notice, and he’s back to quietly driving them across the street, still not letting go of her wrist. 

“You trust me, right?” he asks suddenly, giving her a glance.

“Seriously, out of nowhere?”

He doesn’t laugh, only turns to look at her with a serious look on his usually relaxed features. “Cause I trust you, Rin. I hope you know that.”

The fuck? 

“Ok? Thanks–” 

“I mean, I don’t know what you’ve been up to, obviously, or what– you know? Happened, but I know I trust you.” he nods firmly, fixing his throat and suddenly avoiding her eyes. "Whatever happened, it doesn't matter to me. I'm just happy to see you again."

She feels the sudden need to get out of the car, but her shoulder would probably combust, so she gives him the softest of nods. The feeling that it's a mediocre reply lingers.

Eventually, he lets go of her wrist.

About half an hour later, she's watching Jongdae fix a generous batch of coffee while singing his heart out to an OST only someone over 30 could recognize. He was the first to wake up, walked into the kitchen, took a look at her and immediately scolded Baekhyun for not getting her slippers closer to her size. 

They belong to Chanyeol and he thinks it’s just hilarious that she walks like a duck in them.

They all come down one by one in different states of sleepiness. All Jiah can think is that life has taken a seriously strange turn, and there’s not much she can do about it other than hold on to a cup of coffee and watch in silence, hair still wet.

“How are you feeling?” Junmyeon asks once again, taking some multivitamins and eyeing a plate of fruit that Sehun tries to keep safe from Chanyeol’s prying hands, asking him for the third time if he washed his hands.

He looks like Jongdae had to drag him out of bed, bed sheet imprints leaving red lines on his left cheek, swollen eyes and messy hair. There’s even dry drool on his chin. She wants to point it out, but they're not comfortable like that with each other.

He eyes the third spoonful of sugar she drops on her coffee but keeps any comment to himself.

“We can ask Dr. Jangmi for something stronger if you need it, just let me know.”

“Alright, thanks. I appreciate that,” she says for what feels like the 20th time in the past 24 hours.

Thanks. I appreciate that. This is weird as fuck though, can we not do this?

“Huh? What's this? What’s going on here?”

There is a soft giggle at the end of Yixing’s question. He's taking his shoes off, stumbling a bit, not closing the door behind him, holding a coffee cup carrier.

“Breakfast.” Jondgae says, and Jiah suspects he made a face. Whatever that means.

“Hey,” he makes his around the island and engulfs her in a careful hug. He's warm to the touch from being outside. “How are you feeling?”

"I’m ok.” she smiles, not being able to help her lips from pouting. “My shoulder’s kind of fucked, though.”

He frowns, shakes his head slowly, hands moving up and down her good arm, leaning down to press his lips to her temple. "I know. I'm sorry. But the more rest you get, the faster you'll feel better again, so don't rush yourself."

She nods, letting her weight rest on him for just a bit, eyes fluttering open when white cotton and a head of thick black hair passes by, startling her.

Kim Minseok is putting two extra carriers next to the one Yixing left on the island top. The door is now closed, but she never heard him come in. And now he's handing people coffee.

Chanyeol thanks him a thousand times. It seems like Jongdae's coffee making skills are controversial, he nags at them about being ungrateful, but walks over to get his cup anyway.

"Oh, that's–"

Jongdae's extended hand stops abruptly at Yixing's interruption. The cup Minseok was just about to give him is now being held by both of them.

"Dirty chai. That's Rina's." he explains.

Jiah, unsure about how to proceed, stares at the cup in front of her face, neither releasing it. Jongdae drops his hand, eyes shifting between them.

Yixing blinks curiously at Minseok, whose face she's avoiding to turn to look at.

Sehun leans over and grabs a cup of his own with his ridiculously long arms.

"Are you guys gonna give it to her, or–"

HIs comment wraps it up. Yixing gives her the cup, smiling down at her and paying no mind to the tilt of Jongdae’s eyebrow or Junmyeon's side eye.

“Oh, before I forget. I told Haneul you're taking a break. He sounded worried, maybe you should give him a call?” 

Right. Haneul. She’s been so distracted that she forgot about him as well. Yixing offers her his phone, but Baekhyun cuts him off and tells her to focus on breakfast while it's still warm.

Kyungsoo is the last one to take a seat at the table, lazily scrolling through his phone. There’s a pair of thick-framed glasses perched on top of his nose. He sighs at Baekhyun’s loud moan when he takes the first bite.

“Just as good as I remembered.”

The table is filled with the sound of eating and the low hum of someone's lofi playlist playing from the speakers. The moment lingers just long enough to become awkward.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I love uncomfortable silences during breakfast, I heard they’re good for digestion,”

Junmyeon stops mid-bite and gives Sehun a look.

“What? I mean she’s here now, can’t you just catch up? Ask her what happened on the third day?”

“Ok, Sehun. Just finish your sandwich.” 

He rolls his eyes, pointedly taking a big bite.

“Didn’t you have something to show us?” Jongin asks helpfully. Jiah has noticed that him and Sehun stick to each other, despite being on opposite ends of several traits.

“Glad you asked,” Baekhyun claps his hands, standing up as he licks his fingers having successfully devoured his sandwich. He disappears for a bit and comes back wheeling the glass board behind him.

Yixing turns to the side in his seat, pointing at one of the pictures. 

“There’s another girl?”

“Yep,” Baekhyun beams, the excited smile on his face melting immediately. He fixes his throat. “Long story short, these girls all are missing, they’re also all students, and they could be connected to Nayeon’s disappearance. We’re thinking they might help us find her.”

“Did you just say find her?”

“I did,” Baekhyun points his finger at Junmyeon, happy that he caught that “Nayeon is alive.”

Other than Sehun noisily blowing on his drink, the silence is heavy with skepticism. 

“We’re keeping a positive mindset here. There is a big, big chance she didn’t die in that fire. The body they found at her apartment was declared burned beyond recognition, and Nayeon didn’t have recent dental work done on her, so they couldn't even look for a match. And before you accuse me of being delusional, Rina came to the same conclusion all on her own.”

“Is this true?”

Jiah nods at Junmyeon. “She sent her brother the recordings through a shipping company days before the fire and scheduled the delivery. He got the package in the mail exactly two weeks after the fire.”

“So she knew she was in danger.”

“Creative.” Chanyeol mutters, impressed “She found a way to let her brother know without putting him in direct danger.”

“And then he tried to end Lee Chungjae himself.” Sehun adds.

“If she went through that effort, she would’ve tried to hide, right? It was only a theory, but Lee Chungjae probably has a reason to believe this as well, and he doesn’t want any loose ends.”

Junmyeon’s face is unreadable. 

“And well,” she points at her shoulder. “I think that night proved my theory.”

Yixing leans back on his chair, crossing his arms. It’s followed by a dry chuckle at the other side of the table.

“Can we just tell her?”

"Baekhyun tries to interrupt, but Chanyeol has a point to make.

"Nah, let her know, or she’ll go out there and successfully get herself killed this time just because she thinks she has backup.”

Jongdae tries as well, not without giving her a careful sideways glance that she doesn’t return, staring back at Chanyeol with just a slight narrowing of her eyes. Her lack of reaction so far has made his demeanor get a little more vicious.

“Let’s not–”

“How do you think they knew it was you, even with your editor protecting you?” Chanyeol finally asks “Your protector snitched on you, didn’t think twice before selling you out to Lee Chungjae’s team. He’s putting good money on his dad's campaign, did you not know?”

“Protector?” she blurts out, neither a question nor an affirmation. “Are you- wait, you mean Namjoon?” 

She snorts.

“I mean, yes? He knew about the investigation. I let him know before it came out.”

“You’re full so of shit. It's just sad.” Chanyeol shakes his head slowly.

“Like I said before, I’m not worried about convincing you.”

“Why?” he dares.

She can't judge him for being so remarkably slow. He doesn’t trust her, he’s probably terrified of whatever he thinks she represents. Yixing didn't lie about people being wary of her.

It’s disappointing to see him handle what he thinks is a threat so poorly, but then again he always was a heart-on-his-sleeve kind of guy. 

Others keep their silence and listen. Kyungsoo, even Junmyeon. Minseok's glare is impossible to ignore.

“Because sometimes being underestimated can work in your favor.” she speaks slowly like it’s a child across from her and not a man two years her senior.

The tension spikes. All these resources, a wide range of skills, a seat at the syndicate, and just a few harmless words make their mood drop.

Junmyeon leans in. “So what I'm hearing is that you put yourself at risk just to... prove a theory.”

“Of course not,” she wonders if he paid attention at all to what she said. “I hoped they’d come expecting to find Nayeon through me, so I set up a lead. It’s not about if they take it but who does. Chungjae's not doing this alone.”

“And did it work? The bait?“ Jongin sounds hopeful.

"I’m hoping it did.”

“You’re hoping it did?” Junmyeon repeats. “It’s been 48 hours, what if they realized you’re bluffing and decided you’re not useful anymore?”

“I’ve got it handled.”

“You never mentioned any of this” Baekhyun says, breaking his silence.

He has a look of disappointment on his face she wants to get rid of, and then she remembers that pale grin he gave her yesterday, like he was about to break into a cold sweat.

“I’ll let you know what I find.” 

There's something happening right in front of her eyes. As much as she wishes she could trust Yixing, his explanation about them being wary about her association with Namjoon doesn't cut it.

Her eyes find Minseok's and she hopes he's better than Baekhyun at subtlety. If getting himself a seat at the table is any indication, chances are he is.

Something indeed, and she's nearly convinced that it goes against the deal he signed a few days ago.

But that's not it, isn't it? There's more to it.

He lifts his chin, just barely, it feels too much like a silent warning. It has the opposite effect he wants. The dirty chai kicks in at once.

“Frankly, I don’t think you’re in the state to be handling anything right now.” Junmyeon’s amused little chuckle kills her momentum.

“I agree,” Yixing says, much to her disappointment “Even if you’re right, it doesn’t mean you're in any less danger.”

“I know how to take care of myself."

“Do I need to remind you that just almost bled out on the way to the hospital? This is obviously getting out of your hands. I won’t have your picture next to those girls'.”

Junmyeon points at the board. He's wearing a ring on his index finger. She's surprised it fits. Maybe he had it resized.

“You can leave it to us this time, we’ll handle it.”

“I appreciate the concern, but it's not your decision to make.”

"Question," Baekhyun says, a surprisingly serious look on his face. "Would it be so bad to let us help?"

“That's not the point. I promised Im Haneul I’d see this through.”

“Wouldn't be the first time you let someone down. He'll survive.” Chanyeol coldly replies.

Her blood starts to boil. They're cornering her, and her patience has a limit.

“Alright, I don’t know what your problem is, but let’s get it over with."

A deep voice has heads turning to the right. “You know what his problem is. Don’t play dumb, it doesn’t suit you.” 

If Chanyeol’s voice was venomous, Kyungsoo’s tone feels like battery acid.

Chanyeol wastes no time. “Only a handful of people survived Hwacheon's fire, how did you make it out?”

“You shouldn’t believe official records, the prison system in this country is a joke.”

“So no complex escape plan? I was expecting some prison break shit from you.”

“Sorry to disappoint.”

He shakes a finger at her.

“I heard rumors, you know? About this girl that worked for Kim Namjoon. No one knew where she came from, not even back in their hometown. They said she was a witch, could sniff out a traitor from a mile away,”

Jiah has to give it to him, he sure knows how to set the mood with the storytelling.

“And then one day, she disappeared without a trace. People said he killed her after she tried to turn on them, others said someone in their circle knocked her up and he sent her away. Whatever happened, she vanished.”

“A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang." Sehun says, arm coming to rest around Jongin's shoulders. He pretends not to hear him.

“I don't know what you want me to say."

“Was it him, Hwacheon’s fire? Is that how you got out?”

To her utter disbelief, he's being serious. All she can do is open her mouth and close it, look around to see if anyone else understands how stupid that is.

Kyungsoo shrugs. “You’re not denying it.” 

“No, Kyungsoo. Kim Namjoon didn’t blow up a federal facility to help me escape. I can’t believe I have to explain this to you. I didn’t even know them back then.”

“Hwacheon is just ten miles away from Songju, isn't it? Right where Namjoon’s operation started. That was you. November 10th, the prosecutor's kids, the clean up, the start of the syndicate. You were there.”

"I was." she says without hesitation, still not understanding what's the big deal.

"Why?"

"Because they helped me out. And I because wanted to."

“Well, since we all know he cashes in all his favors, I guess the big, scary question here is what did you have to do to pay off your debt after they helped you out? Was it witchery, or was it-” 

“Ok,” Junmyeon interferes, putting one hand on the table. “You’re crossing the line.”

“Don’t worry, he’s not even close.” she says with a light tone, but the slight curl of her lips betrays the cutting edge behind her words.

"I just hope that if you got knocked up, you had the sense to get rid of it. Otherwise, you're an asshole for putting yourself in danger when you have a kid somewhere."

“Wow. When did he become this fucking pathetic?” she asks, genuinely curious, but they're all either too uncomfortable or embarrassed to grace her with an answer.

“Ok, I’ll translate for him.” Sehun chimes in, leaning forward with a serious expression on his face. Jongin closes his eyes and expects the worst. “What he's trying to ask is, did you engage in premarital sex with Kim Namjoon and/or any of his associates?”

Yixing drops his head. Jongin looks kind of mortified but kind of amused at Chanyeol's immediate response, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

“That is not what I’m asking.”

“No? So you’re worried about my hypothetical kid now?”

“Ok. Chanyeol, drop it. Let’s get back on track.”

But she likes this track. She doesn't see the point in dropping it yet.

"If you’re taking the misogynistic route, at least do it right. Don’t be a half-assed piece of shit, it’s pitiful.”

“Rina.”

“I’m not finished, Suho.”

A quick oop follows.

"I get it. I know what this is about. I see you. You're still dealing with your abandonment issues, but that’s not on me."

Chanyeol's face drops.

She carries on, no remorse. "What? You think you're special because your daddy wasn't around to play ball? Give me a break."

“Jesus. Ice fucking cold.”

A sharp grating sound. He forcefully shoves his chair back.

“Hey, hey–”

“Park Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol stands up at full height and others follow. Jongdae tries to talk some sense into him. Yixing doesn’t hesitate to do the same when she mirrors Chanyeol's stance, arm extended in front of her, shaking his head.

Sehun seems to be out of little quips. Like him, Minseok remains seated, looking at the scene from the end of the table.

Poor Jongdae, he's still trying. “Sit down, man. C'mon.”

But Chanyeol's not listening, his jaw is locked in, teeth gritted together. Finger pointed at her, spit spraying in the air.

”You let us all think you were dead.“ 

"I had my reasons.” 

She’s trying her best to not lose it against his stupid loud voice that takes up the room. Her head, her shoulder, her back, they all hurt. She should’ve left the moment she woke up, barefoot.

Chanyeol throws his arms in the air, growling.

“Your reasons? To let everyone mourn you for what? A decade. What the fuck is that about? Who does that?”

“I'm sorry, what’s the acceptable protocol for you? Enlighten me.”

“Dude, you’re seriously not asking that.” he winces, like he'd rather not look at her. “Kim Namjoon, seriously? That was your only option? You. Everything you tried to preach to us. Looking down at us, talking about better ways and shit, like you were some kind of paragon of virtue."

“Ah, fuck off. Seriously, fuck off." she repeats with closed eyes, an exhausted mantra. "Don’t selectively bring shit from the past into this."

"Was that just to make yourself feel a little less bad about, huh? About getting Yuan killed because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut?”

It feels like the air was sucked out of the room. No one was ready for that, perhaps not even Chanyeol. For a fleeting second he looks like he caught himself off guard.

Jiah lets out a shaky, hoarse little laugh, mumbling to herself. "You don't know shit. Not even now."

"You know you can repeat that all you want but that's still the truth."

“You wanna talk about the truth? The only reason I was there that night was to warn you, but you treated me like I was out of my mind. Everything I tried to tell you would happen, happened. That's the truth,"

Silence, she's not done yet.

"And then you got in that stupid car and sped down the fucking street,"

Not even near.

"You didn’t look back. You had the chance to leave it all behind and move on with your life while mine wasted in jail. But now you wanna act like I owe you an explanation?”

There's no way they remember that night as vividly as she does. Every tiny detail, the smell of shitty sewage water against her face, the weight of some asshole’s knee on her back pinning her to the street, the overlapping of people yelling in panic. Red and blue lights blinding her. Blasting sirens.

“I don't blame you. I fucked up time and time again and it’s not like you could’ve done anything to get me out of it.” she admits. 

“That’s right. You fucked up and we fucked up. So you decided that was it? You couldn't reach out for help or at least contact us? Did you not think of the consequences of letting people believe you were dead?”

She can’t help the bitter smile, half of her wanting to ask Chanyeol what he knows about consequences, but he’d mistake that for her wanting to hear an answer. Ten years later it’s not something that interests her.

"Pretty much, yeah,” she replies shamelessly, after a moment of consideration.

“That easy, huh?”

“Honestly, I was miserable back then. I was a kid, I only had you, I thought I could fix it, but everything kept getting worse.” she says, and the dam has not cracked yet, but it might. Any second now. “So yeah, after the fire, when I realized I had the choice to start over, I took it. That part? That was easy, yes.”

Chanyeol blinks at her, like he's not sure he's looking at someone.

“I was very careful. Don't think this situation here happened because of me being sloppy. I never planned to see any of you again, and I was at peace with that.” 

She wants to carry on but her throat feels raw, and Chanyeol’s breathing through his mouth. A couple of fat, anime-like tears spill down his cheek.

The dust has settled and it's clear that the room has shifted. Yixing was just sitting right next and now there’s some distance between them, like she’s exuding toxic fumes. Baekhyun looks like a kid with glassy eyes and a red nose. It’s too late to take back, it’s all out of her chest, too heavy to cage it back up.

“I do have a question though, why are you wearing my rings?”

Kyungsoo stands up, walking past her and stopping just to throw something on the table. The metallic rattle is enough to let her know what it is.

“They meant something,” he replies, chillingly calm. “Back when we thought you were dead.”

“But now that I think about it, I don’t think you made it out of the fire.”

[galoresficrecs]

[EXO] Jongdae

LAST UPDATED ON: Dec 2nd, 2022

newly added ✦ || personal faves ✪ || ongoing ✑

ratings:

not rated || general || teen and up || mature || explicit🔞

�� NOT HERE SHIPS ☙

jongdae x baekhyun x kyungsoo

jongdae x baekhyun x minseok

jongdae x chanyeol x minseok

❧ jongdae x minseok ☙

✪ A Tiger's Honor, a Magpie's Duty by XiuChen4Ever [50,5k words] pseudo-historical!au, royalty!au, arraanged marriage || explicit🔞

✪ As the Moon Loves the Sun by unnieunnie [72,6k words | 41 ch] gangsters!au, café!au || mature

✪ Chasing the Sun by XiuChen4Ever [14,5k words] post-apocalypse!au, sci-fi, korean mythology || explicit🔞

✪ Crocus Pocus by XiuChen4Ever [26,9k words] fantasy, magic!au || teen and up

✪ Fill the Long Night with Words by unnieunnie [4,2k words] poet!au || mature

✪ Ghost of a Chance by XiuChen4Ever [30,6k words] hybrids!au, enemies to lovers, ghosts, murder mystery || mature

✪ Have Your Steak (And Eat It Too) by XiuChen4Ever [82,3k words | 11 ch] hybrids!au || explicit🔞

✪ Hedge Over Heels by XiuChen4Ever [2,9k words] hybrids!au, neighbours!au || explicit🔞

✪ Hoping Fur the Best by unnieunnie [13,9k words] shifters!au, park ranger!au || explicit🔞

✪ I'm Gonna Thrill You Tonight by XiuChen4Ever [5,4k words] magic!au, necromancy!au || explicit🔞

✪ Just Kiss? by zhyixingie [4,4k words] historical!au, age gap, tutor/student || mature

✪ Marine Moving Under Skies by XiuChen4Ever [16,6k words] sci-fi, military!au, modern retelling || mature

✪ Northern Lights by uxiumin [25,2k words | 6 ch] fantasy, royalty!au, mama powers || teen and up

✪ Of Witches, Mixtapes and Memory by unnieunnie [19,2k words] college!au, 1990s!au, slow burn, unreliable narrator || mature

✪ Song of the Stars by XiuChen4Ever [112,3k words | 9 ch] magic!au, fantasy, fictional religion & theology, angst with a happy ending || explicit🔞

✪ Steal Away by XiuChen4Ever [24k words] TW: suicidal thoughts/permanent injury ;; hybrids!au, enemies to lovers || explicit🔞

✪ Tacit Understanding by XiuChen4Ever [48,8k words] a/b/o!au, college!au || explicit🔞

✪ Virgin SacrifICE by XiuChen4Ever [40,4k words] fantasy, dragons || explicit🔞

✪ We Must Wake Up Again by unnieunnie & XiuChen4Ever [2,2k words | 2 ch] afterlife!au || general

✪ You don't have to melt my heart to win it by unnieunnie [18k words] fantasy, magic-users, dragons || explicit🔞

❧ jongdae x reader ☙

[part of Welcome to the Exodus Mall] Reboot by yehet-me-up [26,9k words] f!reader, 1990s!au, mall!au, set in seattle, co-workers to lovers || teen and up

[part of The Cartel] The Money by kpopfanfictrash [8,1k words] 1970s!au, set in florida, crimes & criminals!au || explicit🔞

❧ otn/multi ☙

✪ Just watch, it's like magic by Lolistar92 [33,3k words] jongdae x junmyeon x minseok || urban fantasy, mama powers, prince!junmyeon || explicit🔞

[marshmallow-phd]

Genre: Regency Gothic AU

Pairing: EXO x Reader

Summary: A stormy night brought you to the manor in the middle of the woods. Nine strange men occupied its halls. They won't let you leave. A dangerous secret haunts this estate. Learning it might either be your saving grace or it could lead to the last breath you ever take.

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5

**

Lightning lit up the thin curtains covering the two small windows on either side of the carriage. Thunder rumbled and you felt it deep within your chest. Tugging your silk cloak closer, you closed your eyes and prayed that the driver would get you through the storm. There was no one to comfort you, to reassure you that a little rain and noisy sky wouldn't delay your journey.

Your father had insisted you take your sister or even a friend, but the two day’s journey didn’t  seem consequential enough to need a companion. Besides, what would they have done once you arrived? Your elderly aunt had only asked for you. From what you could decipher from her letter, she needed you to be a companion as she traveled to the southernmost coastal town. Apparently, it was now the ultimate fashion to travel to for the summer. Just the idea of rolling waves made your stomach churn. But what was worse was who else would be there–

The carriage jolted to the right. You spread out your arms, only barely catching yourself from falling to the floor. No sane person would have endured such dangerous weather. This storm had come from nowhere. Skies blue and cloudless as you had ever seen bid you farewell in the late morning. Most of the day's journey had been uneventful. Then the joyful light faded. Thunder shook the walls of the carriage. Rain pounded on the roof. When would you reach the inn? Bile rose up in your throat, burning the sensitive tissue as the carriage continued to rock violently. The horses neighed over the sounds of the storm. 

The carriage shifted hard to the left. And kept falling. You slammed into the door, nearly opening it with the force. You didn't know what was happening. The floor was now the wall and the wall the floor. A downward momentum made it impossible to stand. Screams ripped at your throat.

Then it stopped. 

The rain continued to pour and the thunder roared on but the carriage was still. Your legs wobbled as you slowly stood. With your palms, you pushed open the door. The thin wooden panel clapped against the outside of the carriage. Immediately you were pounded by the storm. Large drops pelted your face, obscuring your vision. It was dark. You could tell that much. And there were trees. In every direction. 

You climbed out of the carriage, calling for the driver. Your feet slipped in the mud, but you managed to keep your balance–for now. The mud was thick and sticky as you trudged to the front of the carriage.

 No. No, no, no. Both of the horses were gone. And so was the driver. Somehow, the carriage had fallen down a hill or ravine. With a storm this terrible, you needed to get to higher ground or risk possibly being carried away–or drowning. Clawing and digging your hands and feet into the soaked dirt, you climbed the hard incline back to the road. 

Once you could make out the road, you called for the driver again. No answer. He was nowhere to be found. You needed to find shelter. The storm gave no promise of letting up. You wouldn't survive the night in this forest, even if you went back into the carriage. The only choice was to find sanctuary. You stared in the direction you believed you came from. Nothing but trees and darkness. You turned to the other choice. All the same–wait. 

There was something... when lightning brightened up the sky. Your heart began banging in your ears. Spires, towers. Not trees. It was some distance away, but it was shelter nonetheless. 

With near tears in your eyes, you picked up your skirts–your fingers numb from the cold–and hurried towards the castle that could be your saving grace. 

*****

The manor was calm tonight. Odd, considering the amount of bodies roaming around these haunted halls. Only the beautiful storm outside and Chanyeol's sorrowful melody from the piano broke the silence. Jongin had draped himself over one of the arm chairs as he inspected the wine mixture within his goblet. The taste was… adequate. The cellar would need replenishing soon.

In the corner, a rather lax game of cards covered the small, round table. Minseok smirked at his winning hand. The faded wooden chips with bits of white painted around the edges were piling up in front of Yixing, who leaned back carelessly, sure of his next win. Little did either of them know that the youngest among them had a little... trick his sleeve. As the quickest, Sehun had perfected sleight of hand long ago. None had caught him yet.

A fire roared, coaling the usually gray and brown room in flickering orange. With how close he stood near the fireplace, Kyungsoo's silhouette was visible through his loose shirt. He leaned his palms on the mantel and let the warmth of the flames engulf him. Warmth was all they could feel after all these years. It could be an addiction so strong it was tempting to throw himself into the fire. 

Junmyeon joined him at the fireplace, leaning his shoulders against the brick. The bite of the edge hardly registered in his mind. Pain of that measure... it was only a ghost that had nearly crossed over. 

“Such strong thoughts for a night like this.”

Kyungsoo didn’t look from the fire, but raised a questioning eyebrow in response. 

Junmyeon shrugged a single shoulder. “I can’t read minds, but it's obvious you're turning something over more times than a praying rock.”

“It's the same thoughts,” Kyungsoo murmured in his strange, monotone voice. “Always the same thoughts.”

“One day you will have to let it go,” Junmyeon sighed. “This is our existence now. And forever will be.”

“Acceptance of the present doesn’t erase the past.”

“But it does make the present more enjoyable.” The red liquid sloshed against the rim of the goblet as Jongin draped an arm over Kyungsoo’s shoulders. He wore a mischievous smile. A clear indicator of his true intention. 

Junmyeon shook his head. “We’re not going out tonight. There’s nothing out and about in this storm.” Hunting in these conditions would wield no trophies. Tomorrow would be a better night. 

“Jun’s no fun tonight,” Jongdae teased as he and Baekhyun emerged from the hallway. 

“If you want to go out in this mess,” Junmyeon waved towards the front door. “Be my guest. Just don’t you dare get mud on the rug–”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Help! Please! Help!”

Nine pairs of eyes snapped to the echoing sound. None moved. 

Bang! Bang! 

BANG!

One of the double doors burst open and a figure fell to the floor, landing on its knees and palms. It looked up. A flash of lightning illuminated the face.

The face of a beautiful young girl. 

*****

Your knees vibrated when they hit the wooden floor. Water fell from your loose hair that clung to your cheeks. The chances of  the door opening when you pushed on the handle had been low–yet the barrier that kept you victim to the storm fell open and you crashed downward with it. 

Greeting you in this strange hall were several men, their jaws hanging open in a mirror of your own surprise. More men appeared from a side parlor, curious as to who dared intrude on their evening. One, two, three–you counted nine total. Nine men. This was not ideal–a bit terrifying, really–but you didn't have a choice. The storm raged outside.

"P-please," you stammered past chattering teeth "The st-storm overturn-overturned the carriage.” 

The men stayed silent as they exchanged unreadable glances. One raised a questionable brow. 

"Jongdae, go run a bath," ordered the man closest to you. One of the shorter residents nodded and disappeared into the darkness that led into the rest of the manor. 

That's what this place was. A grand old manor, not a castle. Isolated. When you'd first run through the rusted iron gate, you'd feared it abandoned. A long dormant instinct whispered that you might have been better off if it had been. 

The first man approached, each motion slow, deliberate, and hauntingly graceful. He crouched down in front of you and captured your frightened stare. The fear in you began to melt away. He was… beautiful. Obsidian fell over his forehead in gentle waves. His tunic was of a fashion your grandfather would have worn. There was something strange about this man–all of these men. Something... different. 

"Let's get you warmed up." He held his hand out and you were up on your feet before you even realized your fingers were resting on his. "Don't worry," he murmured. "You're safe here. My name is Junmyeon." 

You nodded, somehow believing him, but unsure if you should. Through your violent chattering, you managed to stammer out your name in response. 

Bang! 

You jumped at the sudden noise. One of the other men had somehow appeared behind you to shut the door you'd fallen through. 

"Thank you, Yixing," the man beside you said. The one named Yixing nodded and then shifted his eyes to you. “Come.” A hand pressed into the space between your shoulder blades and guided you down the hall, leaving a trail of mud in your wake.

The man led you down several halls until you reached an unoccupied bedroom. Red blankets draped the oversized bed. Matching curtains hung limply from the canopy. All of the wood was a dark sort, rich in color but not quite welcoming like other, brighter woods. 

Jongdae emerged from another door on the other side of the bedroom. Steam rolled out after him as if it were following him for its next set of orders. “Anything else?” he asked drily. 

“No, thank you.”

Jongdae strolled the from the room without a glance either of you and closed the door behind him. Your breath hitched in your throat. The two of you were… alone. It wasn’t appropriate. It was…

You looked to the man still with you, fear causing your heart to pound painful against your chest. You tugged your cloak closer to you, but it was soaked from the rain. Shivers violently raced down your arms and spine. The man didn’t seem to notice as he walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a long white cloth. 

“These should suffice for tonight.” He held up the cloth for you to see. A nightgown. An old one by the cut of it, though thankfully it hadn’t been devoured by moths or mice. “If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.”

You nodded. “Thank you.” 

He visibly suppressed a laugh at your small voice and waved you into the adjoining bathroom. Taking the nightgown, you tried your best to avoid his gaze. You scurried inside and shut the door. 

*****

Junmyeon smirked at your mousy state. It was understandable why you were so frightened. The women of this period were warned of being alone with a man. And now you were alone with nine. 

Nine very dangerous men. 

The proper action for him to take was to leave your room now that you were safe inside the bathroom, but his feet didn’t move. Somehow, the storm had stranded you in their forest. What had happened to the driver, he wondered. Surely a gentlewoman such as yourself was not controlling the carriage. And yet, you were all alone. Circumstances were… ideal.

A small hiss echoed in the bathroom. It stretched out, along with the sound of sloshing water. Junmyeon frowned. 

Hm.

He stood there for a few minutes more, listening to you sigh as your skin grew used to the scalding water. The sound of soap scraping against skin reached his ears, followed by more sloshing water. Soon, you would be getting out of the tub. Time to leave. 

He emerged from the bedroom, careful to close the door as quietly as possible. Everyone had gathered out in the hallway since they were too curious about their visitor to go about their night. Junmyeon found Jongdae blending in with the cluster. He glared at him as he hissed, "The water was too hot." 

Jongdae merely shrugged. Why would he care about water possibly being too hot? It would never hurt him. 

On the opposite end of the group, Yixing cleared his throat. "What are we going to do with her?"

Junmyeon glanced at the door behind him. There was only one best option, for all their sakes. "Tomorrow morning, we will send her on her way." 

The eruption was instant. 

“Enough!”

In an instant, the hissing ceased. 

Baekhyun huffed and folded his arms against his chest, collapsing against the wall. Jongin scoffed. "Such a waste." 

“A waste that will keep this household from tearing itself apart,” Junmyeoun countered. It was an outcome none of them wanted. No one wanted to cause a fight, but resisting was difficult. The temptation was great. The quicker you left, the better off they would all be. 

"Do you really think it’ll end so well?" Minseok’s mocking comment hung in the air. Silent agreements rippled through the air. 

Junmyeon looked to Kyungsoo, whose answer was to look away. "No one touches her," he ordered. They all would try, he knew. But their strength would only get them so far. He stared down a few of them especially, so they knew he meant it.

Sehun pushed off the wall with a roll of his eyes. "Just get her out of here so I can get some peace." 

Junmyeon started to call after him but was interrupted by a soft thud from the room behind him. Confused, he opened the door to find you lying on the floor.

[proudahgase-exol]

Exo reacting to the boys telling him he’s whipped for you

Minseok:

He was at home and had Jongdae and Baekhyun over he was doing the laundry when Baekhyun noticed some of your clothes so he took the opportunity to tease his hyung

“Hey that y/n clothes did she make you do her laundry now,” baekhyun said teasing

“Umm yes I’m doing my laundry and I saw she left some of her dirty clothes here from the last time she stayed over so I’m cleaning it” Minseok replied unbothered

“What else does she get you doing for her? Do you buy her pads too?” Baek asked again laughing now jongdae laughing as well

“Yes I have gone to get her some of her pads why is that funny Jongdae I know you have done the same or worse,” Minseok said rolling his eyes and smiling

“Eww I will never do that it will be so embarrassing,” Baek said making gagging noises

“I will be the one laughing when it’s you that does that,” Minseok said as he walked up to the laundry room.

Miseok didn’t mind doing your laundry because he knew you did him as well, he was just being the sweet boyfriend he is and didn’t care if his members made fun of him.

Junmyeon:

He was in London with the boys for a concert and they had a few days off so they went to explore when they got to a jewelry store junmyeon saw some earrings that thought would look good on you so he went and purchased them.

“You buying her more stuff? First, it was the keychain then the red dress now earrings. She got you whipped” Baekhyun said as he stood next to his leader

“I just the she will look good with them they go perfectly with her dress,” Junmyeon said smiling

“Yeah are you her sugar daddy too you have spent so much money on her,” Baekhyun said smiling

“She deserves everything and I want to give her a little gift anyway,” Junmyeon said as he gave the guy his credit card

“I wash it was her to have you spending money on me… she has you wrapped around her fingers,” Baekhyun said walking away

Who can blame the guy who loves to spoil you he might be whipped and he’s okay with it.

Yixing:

Lay loved sharing his stuff with everyone he didn’t mind letting the guy or you grab his clothes it was something normal for him but when Sehun came to complain about his favorite jacket being missing and then later found it on your body it got Lay laughing.

“Hyung why is y/n wearing my favorite jacket? I was supposed to use it tonight I’m going out with some friends and that jacket goes perfectly with my outfit tell her to give it back” Sehun said in a whiny tone

“Sorry but she got it first you can use any other jacket you like though,” Lay said smiling

“Oh come on if it was any of the other guys you would have asked them to take it off why does she get a free pass that’s so unfair,” Sehun said annoyed

“That’s because she’s the girlfriend he can’t say no to her and what she wants she gets that’s how whipped he is for her,” Jongdae said as he was walking past the two of them

“Yeah but that’s our jacket not hers so tell her to give it back” Sehun demanded like the spoiled brat he is

“Yeah that’s not happening he doesn’t have the heart to tell her to take it off plus she has more right to his clothes than you do,” Junmyeon said when he arias to Lay’s room

“That’s not fair hyung why did you have to be so whipped for a girl they are so annoying when I get a girlfriend I won’t let her use my stuff,” Sehun said walking over to Lay’s clothes and picking another jacket

“You will be like Lay or worst Mark my words Sehun,” Jongdae said walking away

Baekhyun:

The guys were at the mall buying new clothes and Chanyeol noticed that Baekhyun had a lot of matching clothes and he automatically knew who the other clothes were for.

“Hey Baekhyun are you buying matching clothes for your little girlfriend” the tall man teased

“Yeah way,” Baekhyun asked unbothered

“Aww that’s cute I remember you said that you will never be the type of couple,” Yeol said giggling

“Yeah well she asked if I could get this so I said why not” Bakhyeun said shy

“What else does she got you to do you have matching pajamas? Or matching phone case” Yeol said as he got Kai to make fun of Baekhyun too

“I’m sure he has matching phone cases or at last a shirt that says my queen,” Jongin said laughing

“Whatever if she’s happy then that’s all that matters,” Baekhyun said with a proud grin

Baekhyun knew he was whipped but he didn’t care if you said jump he would because your happiness is all that matters to him.

Jongdae:

Jongdae was at the dance practice texting you, you have been feeling sick for the past few days so he was worried about you. when you didn’t answer his texts he was so worried he called you and the boys heard him and when he got back they didn’t waste time and started to tease him.

“Is my baby okay do you want me to bring you medicine do you want chicken soup oppa can make it for you” Sehun said trying to mimic Jongdae’s voice

“It’s okay baby I’ll cuddle you lost when I get home make sure to drink water I love you darling” Junmyeon followed

“What’s with you guys,” Jongdae asked laughing

“Oh, you know just making fun of you, since when did you become whipped?” Kyungsoo asked

“Can’t I take care of my girlfriend?” He asked

“Yeah but you take it the extra mile you treat her like a baby she has you wrapped around her fingers,” Minseok said as he laughed

“That’s not true plus if you guys had a girlfriend you wouldn’t be talking,” Jongdae said smiling

Jongdae is whipped but he was only whipped for you he would do anything to make you smile he will give up everything if you ask him to that’s how much he loves you

Chanyeol:

Everyone knows he’s whipped he writes music about you but that’s what the boys know what they don’t is that his car and house are full of your stuff. You don’t live together but someone who didn’t know you guys would think that you do. Chanyeol makes sure he haves your toothbrush, hair products, and skincare products at his place in his car he haves hair ties and your fave lipgloss, and when the guys found out they were laughing their asses off.

“WOW Chanyeol you are something else you have everything you need for your girl that’s cute,” Sehun said as he got out of the car

“Wait till you see his bathroom he has her favorite hand soap, her skincare, and other stupid girl stuff,” Baekhyun said slapping Sehun back

“Ewww she has you so whipped,” Jongin said clapping his hands

“He’s so whipped he does everything she asks him to. If she wants him to carry her purse he will it’s cute but gross” Baekhyun said as he made kissing sounds

“Yeah yeah laugh all you want I’m just being a good boyfriend and a gentleman,” Chanyeol said blushing

“You wired dude that’s what you bring but go off,” Shun said smiling

After the guys were gone he called you to complain but you also agreed with them but you liked the fact he was whipped so now he doesn’t mind it too much.

Kyungsoo:

He was in the kitchen making your favorite food when Jongin walked in and whined about what he was cooking.

“Hyung were eating that? I was hoping to eat something like chicken,” Jongin said annoyed

“I'm cooking this for y/n not for you and if you want Chicken make it yourself,” Kyungsoo said

“ Lately you have only been cooking what y/n likes but not what I like or what the boys like” Jongin complain

“Well she’s asked if I could make her some of her favorite foods and I said yes so shut it,” Kyungsoo said annoyed

“You never do what I ask you to she does have you whipped chanyeol was right,” Jongin said disappoint

“What was he right about” Kyungsoo asked as he turned around

“That every since you started dating her she has you eating from the palm of her hand,” Jongin said

“I’ll kick his ass then I’ll kick yours now leave my kitchen before I smack you,” Kyungsoo said in a fake angry tone

Yes, he was whipped but didn't care he loves you and the boys have to deal with it.

Jongin:

He hates shearing his clothes specialty his fancy expensive ones he doesn't let anyone touch them and the boys knew it but when they saw you in Jongin’s Gucci hoodie they were quick to complain

“Hey that’s not fair why does she get to wear your clothes but not us?” Sehun asked in disbelief

“Yeah what’s so good about her that she gets the privilege to use your clothes” Baekhyun followed

“She’s my girlfriend there for she gets the privilege to wear whatever she pleases,” Jongin said happily

“Every since you started dating her you become so whipped it’s like you're a whole new person,” Chanyeol said eyeing him

“Yeah she got you so whipped it’s disgusting we want the old jongin back,” Kyungsoo said laughing

“You guys are just jealous she gets to wear what you can’t so stray jealous,” Jongin said sticking his tongue out to them and walking away

He is whipped and he loves it, it makes him feel like a good boyfriend like he’s doing everything right.

Sehun:

Junmyeon was hanging out with Sehun and he noticed how you were scolding him for making a mess and not cleaning up after himself he apologized and kissed you and even made Aegyo for you he thought it was funny and cute he didn’t know Sehun had this soft side. he knew by the way he looked at you that he was so in love that he was whipped for you so what did Junmyeon do? He teased him.

“Aww Jagiya sorry I’ll clean up don’t be angry,” Junmyeon said trying to mock him

“Stop it’s not funny,” Sehun said whining

“Oh you so whipped you didn’t even try to fight back like you usually do she told you to do the dishes and you almost said Yes ma’am it's so cute how whipped you are for that girl,” Junmyeon said laughing

“I’m not whipped and I’m only doing it because she asked me nicely,” Sehun said as he rolled his eyes

“Keep denying it you and I both know how in love you are and that you will do anything she asks you to,” Junmyeon said laughing hard

Yes, Sehun was whipped but he will deny it if anyone asks him.

—Well this was trash 😸 if you like any of my work please like and reblog 💕

[exo-archivist]

I Have a (few) question(s) for Exol.

I'm genuinely curious as to the answers, so if you see this could you please do me the favour of signal boosting this so it reaches more people?

I see posts circulating now and again about lack of interaction on fandom creation posts. No one reblogs. No one comments. But I never see anyone asking why. Is it simply a matter of being in the middle of an etiquette shift? Is it crossplanted members of social media communities having different social norms? Has the way people use Tumblr shifted? Speculation only goes so far so to better understand what I'd like to know is the following:

How long have you been on Tumblr? Any fandom not just Exo.

What is your take on fan created works on Tumblr and interacting with them?

Do you have a process for what goes on your blog? How do you find most of the posts you reblog? Through the dash? Through the tags?

Do you spend time on other platforms? Have you in the past?

How do you interact with fan creations on these other platforms? Do you like comment or share? Do you re-tweet? Etc.

When was the last fic of any length (drabble and blurbs and headcanons/reactions included) you read? Last time you saw fanart (including edits and moodboards and graphics) you enjoyed?

Did you reblog it?

If yes you did reblog did you say anything about it? Simple or otherwise? Leave a gif underneath that expressed how you felt? Put a comment in the tags? Left an emoji? Etc.

If you didn't leave commentary was there a reason? Do you feel like you start to repeat yourself when commenting? Do you think there's nothing to say? Were you following the adage if you cant say something nice dont say anything at all? Other reasons?

If no you did not reblog why? Is there a specific reason? Did you not like it and not want to say? Does it not fit your blog? Was it not a length or level of skill you felt warranted a reblog? Have your friends already seen it? Do you only post your own creations? Other reasons?

For our fan creators I have an extra question. Do you reply to your comments? Even if they're in the tags?

If no is there a reason?

Please take a moment and share your answers cause I'm trying to understand where things shifted from what they were before to now.

[exouniverse]

Code: ❀ — Fluff • ☽ — Angst • Ⅿ — Mature • ♡ — Requested • ✎ - One-shot • ◎ - Drabble • ∞ - Series

김준면 Suho

It’s Okay ❀ ✎ (wip)

김민석 Xiumin

Ob(li)vious ❀ ✎ (wip)

张艺兴 (레이) Zhang Yixing (Lay)

Dance With Me ❀ ✎

변백현 Baekhyun

All for You ❀ ✎ (wip)

김종대 Chen

Surprise! ❀ ✎

박찬열 Chanyeol

The Ultimate Party Planner/Partner ❀ ✎

도경수 D.O.

(My) Home ❀ ✎

Not by Happenstance ❀ ✎

Tightrope ☽ ❀ ∞ ♡ (ongoing)

김존인 Kai

Mr. Cool ❀ ✎

오세훈 Sehun

Seasons ❀ ✎ (wip)

End Game ☽ ✎

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[shine-on-fest]

Zero Gravity ✦ by Chanye_oh_l Junmyeon is a rockstar and Jongdae is his tour photographer, and maybe something more than that.

✧ Jongdae/Junmyeon ✧ G • 1.6k ✧ Touring, Fluff, Concerts, Established Relationship, SUHO Band Ensemble

[xiubaek-13]

Chapter 46 - White Noise

Requested: No

Genre: Canon-AU, smut

Pairing: ? (at this stage undecided) x Reader or is it Baekhyun x Reader ?

Warnings: 18+ fic, minors DNI! Smut, sexting, phone sex, masturbation (m & f), use of a vibrator, dirty talk, swearing, mention of threesome. We’re headed towards filth territory and this is the penultimate chapter okay?

Word Count: 6,958

A/N:I said two chapters to go last time but NOW there are two chapters left. Huge thanks to @way-of-the-sun​ for beta reading and fixing mistakes I missed.  I’m putting all of it under the jump because it’s pretty spicy from the get go.

You had gotten the response you wanted. He wasn’t shying away from this. You pictured him in his room, the room where the two of you had thoroughly explored each other's bodies. Repeatedly. The room where you lost count of how many times you came. The room where, even a day later, you could still feel the ghost of his caress against your body. Desire bloomed within you.

[4:31pm] You: So tell me, what would you do to me? 

[4:31pm] You: Because I am absolutely not thinking about you in a family friendly way right now. 

[4:31pm] You: How would you touch me Baek?

His response came immediately, both saying everything and nothing at once. Your mind began to cloud over with desire. It’s not like you hadn’t sexted before and it absolutely was part of his request. You were doing this for him… at least that’s what you were telling yourself.

You wanted him to feel comfortable enough to get specific with you. Dancing around the details wasn’t going to get either of you anywhere. The need in you was growing faster than you cared to admit. You knew how adept he was with his words and now was the time to test the full extent of his skills. 

[4:31pm] Baek: How would I touch you?

[4:31pm] You: You could always remind me ;)

You scoffed at his replies. The audacity of this man knew no bounds and the fact that you weren’t even remotely mad about it should have told you something. 

[4:31pm] Baek: I think we both know how I’d touch you.

[4:32pm] Baek: Would it kill you to ask nicely?

[4:32pm] Baek: Since I am wonderful and amazing and kind and generous I’ll help you out.

[4:32pm] Baek: You already look pretty relaxed on the bed so how about this? I want you to follow my instructions and touch yourself like I tell you to, like I would if I were in the room.

[4:32pm] Baek: And what might that be?

[4:32pm] You: You forgot modest and humble.

[4:32pm] Baek: Don’t answer that.

[4:32pm] You: This bed is comfortable. It is missing something though.

[4:32pm] You: You on top of me. 

You smiled as you sent the message, knowing the exact look that would pass over his features as he read it. You could practically hear his laugh.

[4:32pm] You: Ignore my previous retort. Please.

As you lay back on the bed you felt your body heat up in anticipation. Excitement crept through your veins, feeling increasingly like your nerve endings were live wires. You did as he instructed before sending your reply to him.

[4:32pm] Baek: Wow, that was such a cheesy line. I said listen to my instructions, not to make jokes like me.

[4:33pm] You: And then?

His reply did not take long, yet you were eagerly awaiting his reply already. 

[4:32pm] Baek: I want you to lie back and spread your knees.

You sighed as your fingers made contact with your body. It wasn’t like this wasn’t an action that was foreign to you but somehow it felt different. 

[4:33pm] Baek: Touch yourself, slowly at first.

[4:33pm] Baek: How does that feel?

[4:33pm] Baek: Are you wet noona?

[4:33pm] You: Feels good Baek.

[4:33pm] Baek: Let your nails graze over your skin and pretend it’s me.

Far more than you cared to admit. You had soaked through your panties before you’d even so much as touched yourself.  

[4:33pm] You: Yes.

[4:33pm] You: Makes me want more.

[4:33pm] You: DCIM387523.jpg sent

[4:33pm] Baek: Show me.

Part of you was glad that you couldn’t see his face when he saw the image but a much needier, much hornier part of you wished you could see how much the image affected him.

You bit your lip as you stared at the image. It was clearly not his first dick pic because beginners luck with dick pics was not a thing. He was hard, the tip of his cock already leaking pre-cum. You were reminded of all that he could do with said cock, and exactly how it felt inside of you. How perfectly it fit and how it made you cry out in pleasure. It was taking far more self control than you had anticipated to refrain from getting yourself off. That wasn’t what this reward was about though. It was about following his instructions and so far you were succeeding.

[4:33pm] Baek: Please. Wanna see how much you want me.

[4:34pm] Baek: Your panties are ruined and I have barely begun.

[4:34pm] Baek: So needy for me.

[4:34pm] Baek: Look at what you’ve done to me baby.

[4:34pm] Baek: DCIM5932123.jpg sent

The flood of desire in you just kept growing. So much so that you did seriously consider putting on a bathrobe and booking it to his room so that you could sink down on his cock. You clenched around nothing, feeling so empty and all you wanted was to feel him inside you again. You were getting tremendously worked up, and you knew you wouldn’t last long. 

[4:34pm] You: Fuck.

[4:34pm] Baek: Fuck that’s hot.

[4:34pm] You: Because I do.

[4:34pm] You: Feels so much better than my fingers ever will.

A whimper left your mouth as you closed your eyes and let the sensations overtake you. You let his words paint the picture of his hands digging into your sides as his mouth worked its way down your body, leaving a trail of love bites in its wake. Of his fingers pushing into your heat, drawing moan after moan out of you, stopping right before you came only to resume his actions with vigour as he watched you fall apart beneath him. Logically you knew that it was you touching yourself but with your eyes closed it was much easier to suspend disbelief and imagine that your hands were Baek’s, that you could feel his mouth on your skin and his voice in your ear. Even when he wasn’t physically present in the room, the man was overwhelming.

[4:34pm] Baek: Slow down baby. Don’t rush.

[4:34pm] You: Is it cheesy to say I miss your cock?

[4:34pm] Baek: Imagine I’m there with you.

[4:34pm] Baek: Think about my mouth on your neck, marking you up. Look at the mark on your hip and imagine me giving you a matching one on the other side.

[4:34pm] Baek: Think about my hand moving between your legs.

So much so that you had forgotten to respond to him. You were busy giving into the Baek your imagination had created that you had forgotten that the real Baek was present - even if it was just via text. 

[4:36pm] Baek: Yah! Don’t leave me on read because you’re busy masturbating.

[4:34pm] Baek: Move your hands slowly down your body, like I would.

You heard the message notification but didn’t want to cease the motions of your fingers in order to answer it. One hand was busy tracing light patterns around your nipples, your nails occasionally grazing over the sensitive flesh before you squeezed it between your thumb and finger. The other hand traced down your body, caressing your skin as you got closer and closer to where you needed to touch the most. 

Ring Riinnngg You jumped at the sound of your phone ringing, the sound shocking you back to reality. You saw Baek’s name and sucked in a breath as you realised that you had forgotten to continue texting him. But now he was calling, which meant you’d hear his voice and he’d hear how desperate you were for him to touch you. It would be embarrassing if he hadn’t heard you like this before… however that was in person. Lest you ignore his call as well and completely fail at providing the other half of his reward, you answered. “Baek.”

His voice was rough on the other end of the line. Hearing how affected he was made you clench around nothing, once again feeling far too empty. You let out a soft whine, a sound that was not missed by his ears. “Put me on speaker baby. Then your hands can keep occupied. You just have to listen to my voice.”

“This is much hotter than I thought it would be.” You admitted. 

You heard his breathy laugh through the speaker. “I can’t disagree with you on that.” You could hear his laboured breathing as he jerked himself off. “You know what?” He asked.

“What Baek?” You replied, your voice breathier than you ever remembered hearing it.

“If I was there right now, I’d tease you until you begged me to let you cum.” He grunted. “You know I would.” 

You whimpered, flashbacks of the hours you endured of him edging you flooding your brain. You licked your lips as you listened to the sound of his hand working his shaft. “God I want your cock in my mouth, to watch you come undone as I suck you off.” It wasn’t a lie, you had enjoyed every second of blowing his mind the first time you’d given him head. 

You heard him pick up the pace, soft whines sounding through the speaker as he really started to imagine he was fucking into your mouth. “You look so good with my cock in your mouth as well. Fuck.” He was really getting into this fantasy, really giving himself over to it, just as you were.  “You can use two fingers now. I know it’s not the same as my hands or cock but it’ll have to do for now.”

You plunged your fingers into your soaked heat, moaning loudly at the feeling of them. They weren’t enough though and they never would be. Not when you knew what all of him felt like, not when you knew exactly how he could make your body react. “Want. Fuck. Need more Baek.” You whimpered. “Wanna feel you.”

“I know you do baby, but you can’t have more right now. You’re just gonna have to fuck yourself on your fingers for me.” He moaned as he thought of stuffing you full of his cock, fucking you until you couldn’t form words. “Let me hear you.”

You moved the phone so it sat between your legs, hyper aware of how he could now hear exactly how wet you were for him. “Christ I’m so fucking hard for you, you know that right?” He groaned. “That sounds so fucking hot, holy shit. You’re dripping for me baby.”

You moaned again, hearing his voice like this was tearing you apart. “Tell me. Unf. Tell me what you’re doing.”

“I’m lying on the bed, pants around my ankles as I jerk myself off wishing I was fucking your mouth or your pussy instead of my fist. You feel amazing wrapped around my cock, like your body was made for me.” 

“Shit.” You whimpered. “What I wouldn’t give to sink down on your cock right now.” You sped up your movements, chasing your high.

He groaned loudly. “Fuck. You have a filthy mouth, you know that noona?”

��I’m visiting the gutter at present.” You smiled.

He laughed, never ceasing his rapid movements. “How committed to the gutter are you right now?”

“I’m having phone sex, what do you think?” You chuckled, your breath hitching as your hand grazed your clit.

“Touche.” He replied, grunting as his body responded to the sounds you were making. “By chance did you bring any toys with you? Long shot I know.”

“I. Fuck.” You replied. “I brought my vibrator with me.”

“Shit. Go get it.” He slowed his movements while he waited for you to retrieve your toy. He really wanted to cum at the same time as you but if the sounds you were making with just your fingers were any indication, he was in for an impossible task. He heard you return to the bed and instructed. “Turn it on, low speed. Keep fucking yourself on your fingers for me. I want you to hold it just far enough from your clit that you have to grind into it to feel it.” He started moving his own hand again once he could hear the low buzz of your vibrator and the squelch of your fingers. He was matching his pace to yours and every time you moaned or whimpered his name, he felt his cock twitch. “Fuck noona, the sounds you’re making are so hot.”

You’d forgotten to respond to him but at this point he didn’t really care. He could hear everything you were doing, everything he had instructed you to do and the sounds you were making were driving him insane. “If I was there, I’d be fucking you into that mattress so hard you wouldn’t be able to walk properly. I can hear how wet you are for me baby.”  

You cried out his name as you moved even faster, hearing him do the same. “Feels so good Baek, not as good as your cock but holy shit.” You could feel that familiar tingling in your core, and knew that you weren’t far from reaching your peak.

He cried out in ecstasy. “Shit. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to last noona. You’re making such sweet noises for me.”

You whimpered. “Baek, please.” It felt so good and like not enough all at once.  

He panted, somehow still able to form coherent thoughts. “You wanna cum baby?”

“I’m so close, please, I need more.” You whined. 

“Increase the speed and get yourself off baby. However you need to, just let me hear you as you come undone for me.” He listened as you increased the speed, crying out as you pressed the vibrator against your clit, holding it there while you fucked yourself on your fingers. “So good for me. Fuck I -”

“Baek.” You moaned. You were so close, so fucking close but you needed to hear him. To hear him lose it at the sound of you fucking yourself like he told you to. 

“Mmmph, yes baby?” He moaned, so close to finishing, you could tell by the strain in his voice, the speed of his hand and the erratic breathing.

“I wanna hear you cum. Please.” Your final request was all that it took to throw him over the edge, and hearing him moan your name as he came hurtled you into your own orgasm which made you see stars.

For a few moments all that could be heard was erratic breathing. Baek broke the silence. “Holy shit.”

“No kidding.” You replied, a post orgasm smile forming on your face. 

***

“You’re sure you messaged him?” Minseok asked as he paced around the room. He’d been doing this for the past five minutes and it was beginning to stress you out.

You reassured him. “Positive. I’m sure he’ll be here soon.” You could see that your words weren’t having the desired effect so you stood and moved to block the path he was wearing through the carpet. 

He realised what you had done at the last possible moment and stopped before he walked smack bang into you. You grabbed his hand, your free hand cupping his cheek. “Hey, calm down. This dinner isn’t a big deal.”

Minseok narrowed his eyes at you as he fidgeted. “Maybe not for you, but I feel like I’m about to embarrass myself in front of someone I work with, and live with.”

“You seriously need to just trust me.” You sighed. “Plus the first part of this dinner isn’t even about you anyway.”

The sound of knuckles rapping on the door caused Minseok’s next words to freeze in his throat. You gestured at him to look normal as you moved to open the door. He did his best but anxiety was seeping out of him in waves. There was no way Baek wouldn’t know something was off about him.

Baekhyun stepped into the room, grinning and giving you a hug. “I’m sorry I’m late! I fell asleep earlier and only just woke up.”

“You must have been tired Baek.” You smirked.

“I was worn out.” He said with a glint in his eye.

You ignored his comment, knowing full well what would happen if the two of you indulged in banter for any length of time, and instead chose to lead both of them further into the room. You turned around when you reached the small multipurpose table that was going to serve as your dining table. “Organising dinner was on me and I figured that since the final tour date is in two days that you could both have a bit of a cheat meal.” You saw words of protest appear on both of their lips, Baek’s far less truthful than Minseok's. “Before you complain, I ordered Korean food. I know you’ve been missing it. I didn’t order the healthiest food imaginable but it’ll be delicious and hopefully comforting.”

Minseok smiled at you. “That actually sounds great.”

“And Baek, don’t worry, there’s no cucumbers this time.”

Baekhyun did a little happy dance which made both you and Minseok laugh. “Noona doesn’t hate me!” He sang.

You looked down at your phone as you checked the app and saw how far away the driver was. “It should be here soon. I’ll go down to the lobby to collect it while you two set up somewhere to eat. I’ll be back soon.” You gestured around the room to help them get the message that they needed to move things around so that you could all eat. 

Minseok sent you a warning glare as you left the room. “Noona,” You ignored the complaint in his voice, knowing that if all went well you’d probably pay for that action later. Right now what mattered was getting some food into all of you.

***

Minseok set down his chopsticks after finishing a piece of chicken. “Alright, enough stalling. Tell us about your meeting.” You had been waiting for him to broach the topic, figuring maybe his nerves about the other conversation might have pushed this one out of the way.

Baekhyun was a little less gracious, immediately speaking whilst still trying to eat. The guy could sing and dance at the same time but he could not eat and talk simultaneously - no matter how hard he tried. “Yeah, what happened?” He started in between bites of his piece of chicken. “What did they say?” Another bite. “What did you say?” Another bite.

“Are you staying with us?” Minseok asked softly.

“Are they assigning you to another group?” Baekhyun asked with a certain amount of worry in his voice.

“Guys, calm down.” You set your own chopsticks down so you could talk to them before they bombarded you with questions. “The meeting went well. It was with two of the managers and Junmyeon was there as EXO’s representative. We all just discussed the criteria I was given when I took on the role. Feedback was provided from the staff as well as from you guys and then I provided my own opinions regarding my performance. Overall it was quite positive.” You smiled. It was the truth - the meeting was positive. Mostly.

Baek cheered as he engulfed you in a hug. “That’s great news! See we all told you how great you are at your job.”

Minseok however, was more reserved. He had a half smile on his face that said he knew there was more to the story than what you’d provided. “Why am I sensing a ‘it was quite positive, but’ moment?”

Baek stilled, refusing to detach himself from you. You sighed. “They have to send the performance discussion to the CEO and then he will make the final decision about my employment after your final performance. We won’t know the outcome until we’re back in Korea.”

“So you just get to stress about it until then? That doesn’t seem fair.” Baek muttered.

“I’m stressing about a few things.” You replied honestly. Maybe it was time to let them know what your brain had been wrestling with. 

“Like what?” Minseok asked earnestly as he reached across the table and grabbed your hand. “You know you can tell us. No matter what it is.”

You nodded. “Of course I’m stressed about my job. If they don’t keep me working with you guys, will they assign me to another group at SM or will I be going back to Mr. Kim and waiting for him to find me another group to teach?”

Baek rubbed your shoulders, muttering to no one in particular about the tightness of your muscles. His touch was both calming and distracting, which was precisely your problem. He paused to reassure you. “I’m going to speak for all of us when I say that you are great at your job regardless of the reward system you implemented. It was a definite bonus but even without that aspect of the lessons, we all improved greatly.”

Minseok squeezed your hand as he stared at you, his eyes full of warmth and love. “You’ll land on your feet no matter what happens there. You’re an excellent teacher and the company would be dumb to let you go to their competition.”

“That is another thing I stressed about.” You said, soft voice thick with emotion. “Were you only so willing to learn because it wasn’t always exactly professional? Our relationship was blurred before I was employed as your teacher.” It was something you had been increasingly unsure of recently. Would they have been as attentive and willing to learn if you had been less familiar and suggestive with them? Had you taken advantage of the situation? Had you taken advantage of them? These were all questions you were beginning to ask yourself and the negative thoughts  were growing louder by the day in your mind.

As if sensing the inner turmoil you were feeling, Minseok moved his chair closer to you so that he could grab your free hand. “If anything I think the fact that we knew you and got along with you before you were our teacher only helped make us feel more relaxed around you.” He smiled at the man who had resumed back hugging you. “Like Baek said, the less than professional side of the lessons was a bonus but at the end of the day you took our learning styles into consideration and adjusted the way you taught to suit each of us. That is not something every company assigned teacher does. They usually stick to their lesson plans rigidly and we have to work harder if their style of teaching is not beneficial for us.” 

His words pierced through, causing you to feel far more emotional than you had planned to be this evening. “Thank you Minnie.” You said, your voice trembling slightly. 

He released one of your hands to wipe away a stray tear that had escaped your eyes. “You are a phenomenal teacher. Don’t cheapen what you’ve accomplished just because you happen to have slept with us.” You choked out a laugh as he wiped a few more tears away. “We are all incredibly proud of our super talented friend and teacher for doing what no one else had been able to accomplish - teaching EXO English.” You smiled genuinely at that, thanking him for his words.

You tried to shrug but the act was harder to do with Baekhyun restricting your movement. “Pretty much.”

 “Was that everything you’re stressing about?” Baek asked softly from behind you, his head resting on your shoulder.

You shook your head. “Nothing I feel like discussing at this time though.” He narrowed his eyes at you in concern while you felt Baek remove himself from behind you, dragging his chair closer to Minseok’s so he could see your face as well. You saw the concern in his eyes and all you wanted to do was get away from this conversation. You weren’t ready for that part of the conversation yet and they would both have to trust you enough to not try and push you for answers. “I promise I will tell you as soon as I’m ready. I won’t dwell on it or anything like that.”

Baek crossed his arms. “I’d better not have to find you by the Han River again after you’ve gotten too upset.”

Minseok wasn’t having it. “I can tell from your face that there’s more…”

“You won’t. I promise.” You assured him. You had no intention of feeling as lost as you had that day. He nodded, sharing a look with Minseok that told you that they believed you and would let it go for now, but that this conversation wasn’t over. You would tell them eventually but you needed to work out the answer yourself before you even brought it up with them. You took a sip of your drink and wondered how exactly the conversation had been derailed so much that you had shed tears. That was not what tonight was supposed to be about. “I’m changing the topic now.” You stated. “How do you feel about the tour coming to an end?”

Baek smiled. “It’s been a lot of fun actually getting to visit places where we never thought we’d have that many fans. We’re only done with the American leg of the tour though. We’ve got the encore show in Seoul to prepare for, then the tour will officially be finished.” He licked his lips. “And then I can eat all the pizza I want.”

Minseok laughed as he begrudgingly added. “But then we have to start to work on the next album as well as CBX’s Japanese debut.”

“No rest for the wicked.” You replied.

Minseok shook his head. “No rest on the horizon for us. Are we tired? Sure. Do we love what we do? Absolutely. I think we all realise that we kind of get to rest in a couple of years once we have to start enlisting. EXO will have to take a break then.”

Baek chuckled. “We’re all workaholics though. So we’ll rest but to most people we’ll still appear to have too many schedules.”

Minseok sighed as he shook his head. “Why do we keep moving to heavy topics of discussion? Can we stick to lighter things?”

“Pick a topic then.” You smiled.

“Hyung. I think you owe me an apology.” Baekhyun blurted out.

Minseok looked bewildered. “For what?” He asked.

Baek stood abruptly and pointed back and forth between you and Minseok vigorously. “I was right the whole time! You and noona were fucking, the entire time!”

“Baek, seriously?” You blurted.

“It’s ok.” Minseok smirked. An unexpected action given the man was a nervous wreck not even an hour ago but he was if anything, never to be underestimated. “Baek, tell me, when have I ever denied it?” He asked, his head cocked to the side.

“What? Yah! You did though! Every time I brought it up!” Baek’s voice was increasing in volume as he got worked up.

Minseok however, remained the picture of unbothered, leaning further back in his chair as he got comfortable. Every other time Baek had brought up the idea of you and Minseok fucking, the elder had always been one breath away from punching him, but now that there were no bystanders he was toying with Baek. “No. I just never confirmed it. I never said we weren’t though. You just assumed that since I never told you you were right.” He shrugged.

Baek’s mouth opened and closed rapidly as he tried to find a fault in Minseok’s reasoning. “I. But. You.”

Minseok raised a brow. “You know I’m right.” He said.

Baek nodded a few times as he realised he had never heard Minseok or you deny that you were sleeping together. “Smooth hyung, smooth.”

“Shut up.” Minseok muttered, laughing under his breath, light dancing in his eyes.

“Wait! I have a question then.” He blurted.

Minseok groaned, that light dimming slightly. “Why do I know I’m not going to like this question…” 

“Don’t hate me. I’m just really curious.” Baek grinned.

“Fine.” He said.

“Since the two of you were fucking the whole time, how did a reward even work for you?” 

“Baek.” You warned. 

“What?” He exclaimed. “You told me everyone got a sexual reward, or punishment, and I get that. But if the two of you were already well acquainted with each other's bits then how could anything sexual still count as a reward for you?” It was a valid question, and the more you thought about it, it did lead to telling Baek about the threesome… and you were curious to see if Minseok would take the bait.

Minseok’s reply was guarded. The easygoing light was gone from his eyes, replaced by a wall. You willed him to just relax and tell Baek everything, knowing it would be better for Minseok’s confidence if it came from him rather than you. “I made a request.”

“But haven’t had it fulfilled yet?” He asked.

“Correct.” 

It was like trying to draw blood from a stone and Baek was doing his best to be respectful in how he asked. “Like, I don’t mean to pry but you have to know that kind of response only makes me more curious about what you asked for hyung.”

“Don’t play dumb Baek, you know what I asked for.” Minseok snapped. “She already told me that she accidentally spilled that information.” He groaned, embarrassed by the entire situation.

Baek took it in his stride as he continued the conversation as though Minseok wasn’t trying everything in his power to end it. “I have follow up questions.”

“Baek.” You tried. He shot you a look that said he’s my hyung and I know his moods better than you do sweetheart.

He pressed on with his questions. “Have you planned it yet?”

“What?” Minseok replied, growing exasperated but not surprised by the younger's antics.

“I don’t know hyung! I assume threesomes take planning?!” Baek threw his hands in the air, laughing nervously. 

Minseok stilled, finally understanding that Baek was trying to make him feel at ease with the topic at hand. “I. No, it has not been planned yet.”

“Oh, ok.” He replied, unsure of where to go next. 

Minseok put his head in his hands and grumbled. “Can we please stop talking about this?”

Baek smiled at Minseok lovingly. “Sorry hyung, I was just curious. Didn’t mean to make you self conscious.” He cleared his throat. “Just to be clear, there is absolutely no judgement from me, in case that was something you were now feeling weird about.”

Minseok had not removed his face from his hands but he still replied. “It’s fine. It’s just not a normal topic of conversation.”

It was time for you to step in and try to get this conversation to where it needed to go. Baek was closing in on it but had not asked the right question, nor did it seem like Minseok was going to provide the information required even if he had been asked the right question. “Baek, how do you feel about threesomes?” You asked.

Baek had not been expecting that question. “Well I’ve never had one noona, but I dunno, they sound like they could be good if the right people were involved.”

You pressed on, hoping that if you didn’t provide him room to think too much he wouldn’t make an ill-timed joke.“If you were to be involved in one, would you opt for two women or a man and a woman?” 

He mulled over the question for a bit, taking it seriously. “As hot as two women sounds, it also seems like a lot of work,” he began and you heard a small laugh from Minseok. Okay maybe jokes weren’t the worst thing Baek could throw into this conversation. “and not gonna lie I’d probably just watch the two of them and cum embarrassingly fast.” He laughed nervously. “So I’d probably go for a man and a woman.” He saw the look in your eyes and exclaimed. “What?”

You shook your head. “Nothing. I just appreciate your honesty.”

“You’re welcome?” He replied, slightly confused and feeling rather exposed. He fidgeted for a moment before standing and pointing at the fridge. “I’m getting a drink.”

Once Baekhyun was out of earshot Minseok glared at you and hissed. “What are you doing noona?”

You smiled innocently. “What? This is the perfect way to introduce the idea to him.”

Minseok was wrestling with his anxiety and fear of rejection. “But. Shit, I don’t know. Why is this so nerve wracking?” He wanted to get it out there but he was so terrified of the response.

It was your turn to squeeze his hand in reassurance. “Just follow my lead now, then if things go like I think they might, I’ll follow your instructions later.” You winked.

“...Fine.” He replied, not entirely certain that this wasn’t all going to end in flames.

You leaned over and whispered in his ear. “Just so you know, if this topic of conversation hadn’t come up naturally I was just going to bring it up. This is a far better way to do it though. Plus, you are not blind, you can see he’s interested.” You kissed his cheek as you pulled away.

“Can the floor just open up and swallow me already?” He groaned, looking anywhere but at you or Baek..

“So Baekkie,” You smiled. “I have some questions now.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?” He asked suspiciously.

“Like what?” You replied.

He stared at you. “Like a cat circling a mouse.”

“No idea what you’re talking about.” You replied, cutting him off before he could say anything more. “Anyway, my questions. Will you answer five questions for me?”

“Um, ok.” He looked confused but he rarely refused games involving questions with you. “Does Minseokkie have to answer as well?” He asked.

“He doesn’t have to,” You replied as you brushed your hand over Minseok’s leg.. “but I think it would be more fun if he did.”

“Okay.” Baek replied.

“Maybe.” Minseok added.

Here went nothing. Things were about to either get really awkward or work out swimmingly. “Do you like to watch?” You asked.

Baekhyun replied slowly. “That’s very vague noona.”

You replied sarcastically. “Given the previous topic of discussion I felt like it didn’t need to be more specific.” Neither of the two men looked like they were opting to speak first which simply was not going to work for you. “Fine. I’ll rephrase. Does the idea of watching two people having sex appeal to you?”

Baekhyun nodded. “I’ve watched porn, so that feels like a given.” He said matter of factly.

“Yeah.” Minseok agreed.

“Does the idea of having someone tell you where to touch your partner, and how to fuck them turn you on?” You asked, hoping this question would elicit more of a response out of them.

Baek shifted in his seat, a slight blush tinting his ears. “I, um. That. Yeah, that does sound really hot actually.”

Minseok however, as you expected, was not as enthralled by the idea of giving up control. “Hmm, not really.” He replied succinctly.

“Does the image of you and another guy sharing a woman, fucking her at the same time, hearing her fall apart because of the pleasure you’re both giving her make you feel some type of way?” It definitely made you feel some type of way, and you knew both of them were interested in the idea of a threesome so this question should have been an easy one to respond to.

Baekhyun swallowed thickly. “Fuck.” He was a bit flustered, the tips of his ears turned slightly red.  “Um, yes. That sounds really fucking hot.” He nodded.

Minseok still looked guarded but there was a fire in his eyes that told you all you needed to know. “Yes.” was the only reply you received.

Time for the final step. There was no taking this image back once you’d put it out there. “Would the idea of the woman being me, and the other guy being your hyung be a turn off?”

Baekhyun smiled softly, a complete dichotomy to the nature of the question you had asked. “Actually, not to expose myself here, but that’s what I’ve been imagining this whole time, and as long as it doesn’t get weird then no, it is absolutely not a turn off at all.” He avoided looking at either of you out of slight embarrassment. 

Minseok stilled, his breathing rough. “Fuck.” Reality slammed into him as he finally knew that his request was possible and that he would not be rejected.

You pressed on, hoping to calm the tension that was growing in the room. Baekhyun had yet to look at either of you after admitting that he was turned on at the thought of sharing you with his hyung. “Would you believe that your hyung picked you to be the one he wanted involved in his reward?”

His head shot up, eyes wide. “What?”

Minseok suddenly felt very exposed. “Noona!” He yelled.

Baekhyun shook his head. “Wait really?” He pointed at himself. “Me?”

You nodded, grinning as you replied. “Yes. You.”

He sucked in a deep breath and looked at Minseok. “I want to preface this with, I am flattered and 100% down for this but I have a question.” Minseok waited. “Why me hyung?” He asked.

Minseok looked torn between being relieved that this request seemed within his grasp and hoping that the earth would crack open and swallow him whole so that he didn’t have to explain to Baekhyun why he chose him for a threesome with you. “Uh… do I have to answer?” 

Baek narrowed his eyes at Minseok. “Yeah. You do.”

He took a deep breath and averted his gaze as he spoke, still embarrassed to be saying this in front of Baek. “You seem open minded, you have never shamed me when I’ve let a kink drop in a conversation.”

Baek nodded. “True.”

Minseok fidgeted with his hands as the anxiety worked its way out of him. “I also, uh this is embarrassing, I like to be in charge when it comes to sex. And I don’t think you’re the type who would challenge me on that.” He finally turned his gaze to Baek as he uttered his next sentence. “I also trust you not to fuck this up.”

“Thanks hyung.” Baek smiled brightly, laughing to himself right after. “Wow, what a fucking weird conversation.” He took a beat to centre himself before honestly replying. “Uh, you aren’t wrong though.” He shrugged. “I have no problem taking charge during sex but I also take instruction well and don’t care if I’m calling the shots or not.” Thay boyish grin returned to his face as he couldn’t help himself. “I’m just happy to be there.”

“Noona,” Minseok said as he waved his hand in front of your face. “Are you ok?” He asked.

“Hmm?” You shook your head as your eyes focused on the two men staring at you. “Sorry, I was just thinking about…” You replied, not realising how off with the fairies you had been.

“About what?” Baekhyun asked, a knowing gleam in his eyes.

Your breath shuddered as you spoke. “About both of you fucking me. Sorry, my brain is heavily distracted right now.” You bit your lip as you tapped your temple with your finger. “There are a lot of incredibly hot images taking place in there.”

“So uh, I guess the question of the hour is - are we doing this now?” Minseok asked quietly. Even though Baekhyun had all but jumped for joy at being selected as the third person, Minseok was still nervous about the whole thing. You remained silent while he posed the question, having led the discussion to this point, you were curious to see if he’d take over and lead from here. He gestured between all three of you before he continued speaking, his voice gaining in confidence the more he spoke. “Clearly we are all down for it, and none of us are unaffected right now. But do we need some time to consider it?”

You shook your head. He knew you were down bad for it since you kept drifting off into a daze whenever you thought about it. He all but smirked at you before turning his focus to Baek.

“I don’t need any time.” Baekhyun replied. It wasn’t a rushed response, just one he sounded very sure of. Both of your gazes focused on Minseok. His response would determine if you were fucking these two men tonight or if you were scheduling a threesome, which seemed like the strangest possible calendar entry you could make.

“I’m down,” He loosened a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding in. “I’ll just need a little bit of time to mentally prepare for it.” His gummy smile flashing as he realised the situation he was discussing. Baek raised his hand. “Uh, yes?” Minseok replied.

“I have more questions.” He paused, thinking over his next words carefully. “I’m completely up for this experience but we are going to have to talk about how it will work y’know. So we don’t overstep or make it weird.” 

You smiled warmly at both of them, proud that Minseok had persevered through his nerves to get to this point. He hadn’t been rejected (and you knew he never had that to fear) and was actually manifesting going through with it tonight. Proud of Baek for having the forethought to ask about boundaries to make sure the experience was good for all involved. Rather than coo at them about any of that, you decided to try and act nonchalant in an attempt to hide how badly you wanted both of them. “Alright then how about you go prepare. We’ll know when you return if Xiumin is getting his reward tonight or not.” You looked at Baek. “And if Xiu comes out, we will discuss how things will proceed. It’s his reward - we’re just excited to be here.”

A/N: Now you all just have to wait for me to die from writing this threesome, resurrect myself, dies while editing it, be resurrected again and then I’ll unleash it upon you. We’re so close to the end and I honestly don’t know how to thank everyone who has stuck with this fic because it’s been a damn long time. Years! So thank you - I really, truly appreciate it.

Masterpost | Chapter 45 | Chapter 47

[rancidtae]

ARCADIA'S LULLABY / the reboot

Genre: Mafia AU. Vigilante AU. Sci-fi (AI).

Warnings: Graphic violence, Strong language, Mature content.

Pairing: exo & Original Female Character (Jung Jiah/Kang Rina)

meet the characters

A/N: aaaaaand we're back! it's been a while. motivated by this exo comeback and a rewatch of the show that originally inspired this, I've decided to bring this blog back to life. This is a rewrite of a story i posted here a few years back. new scenes, flashbacks, plot improvements and easter eggs for part two are being added. (yes that is still in the works because this was always meant to be Part One of a series, including a bts centered prequel )

So, here it is:

If there’s one thing tenacious investigative journalist Jung Jiah knows about this city, is that trust is scarce and truth is a commodity. Forced to face a haunting past and reunited with the men she once considered family, instinct tells her to run and hide.

But when she finds that her childhood friends might be hiding the key to the one story she could never solve, she’s thrust into a web of complex relationships and blurred lines between guilt, trust, and betrayal. The quest for the truth takes center stage, and it reveals a world where neon lights cast long shadows, and nothing is as it seems.

CHAPTER 1: NIGHTCALL (OUT NOW)

CHAPTER 2: AFTERHOURS (OUT NOW)

[wolveswithblackpearls]

Werewolf AU!Chen

What did you see?” Jongdae pushed.

You swallowed. “Wolves. Giant Wolves. They chased everybody away. One of them saved me from the fire.”

“That was us.”

Since I’ve been binge reading this series, here’s a moodboard inspired by @marshmallow-phd ‘s “Fighting Instinct”.

~Admin J

Original date of publishing: Jan 10th, 2019

[marshmallow-phd]

A Manor of Shadow and Blood

Genre: Regency Gothic AU

Pairing: EXO x Reader

Summary: A stormy night brought you to the manor in the middle of the woods. Nine strange men occupied its halls. They won’t let you leave. A dangerous secret haunts this estate. Learning it might either be your saving grace or it could lead to the last breath you ever take.

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5

**

The grand hall was lit as bright as midday. Every surface was polished to perfection, reflecting the candlelight at a greater force. Brilliant brass and gold surrounded you as you made your way through the dancing couples, their movements in perfect sync. Wrapped in each other's arms, they spin around without a care for your wandering presence. 

While all who surrounded you were decorated in blacks and whites, your own dress was the color of freshly spilled blood. The heavy skirts that hug from your waist made it difficult to navigate the ballroom. Their fullness was of an older fashion, one that maybe your grandmother would have worn in her youth. The dropped shoulders left you exposed, your skin chilled despite the amount of bodies in here. 

You kept navigating the dance floor, on the look out for something, though you didn’t know what. Then you felt the familiar burn of eyes boring into your back, which sent a shiver down your spine. You whirled around to find the source, the dress brushing at your feet with the sudden motion. Through the crowd, you spotted Baekhyun leaning against the wall. With a single finger, he beckoned you over. And you obeyed. 

Breaking through the sea of dancers, you took in his elegant suit, the hems lined with gold thread that shimmered against black velvet. 

"You shouldn't dance alone," he purred. Arms crossed over his chest, he smirked at you with a grin even the devil wouldn't wear.

"I have no partner," you retorted. He held out a lazy hard. Hardly the romantic gesture. "No, thank you." 

"How about me?" asked a sweet voice in your ear. 

You turned your head to find Junmyeon at your back. He laid a soft hand on your hip to keep you from escaping out of propriety. When you didn’t shove him away, the hand slyly moved to your stomach, pulling your bare shoulder blades into his chest. With the fingers of his left hand, he tilted your chin towards him. 

"Am I a suitable partner?" 

No answer passed your lips. You could think of nothing to say. The thought of him twirling you around the dance floor was not… unpleasant. 

Junmyeon neither needed nor cared for a reply. He dipped his head to your shoulder and pressed a kiss to the skin. A small gasp passed your lips. And then he pressed another. More and more as he climbed up the curve of your neck. Heat rose from every inch of you as you sighed into the affectionate touches. You relaxed into his touch, welcoming each new contact of his lips. 

"It's rude not to share, Junmyeon.”

Your attention snapped back to Baekhyun, who you had forgotten was there. He pushed himself off the wall and stepped closer to you so he stood in front of the minor. 

No, not a mirror. There was no reflection. 

Except… there was. The mirror reflected the floor, the ceiling, the candlelight. You. 

But not Baekhyun. Not Junmyeon. And not the dancers still spinning behind you. 

Fingers snaked through your hair and pulled your head back, your vulnerable neck exposed. From the gallery above, Kyungsoo watched as elongated fangs flashed behind Junmyeon’s lips and plunged into your neck. 

*****

You woke with a start, the blanket flying off of you as you sat up in a fury. Sweet drenched every pore of your skin. Your day old dress clung to your skin in a way that felt suffocating. Each breath was a struggle for your lungs. 

Vampires. The nightmarish tale that had kept you up as a child until you were convinced they weren't real turned out to be true. But how could they be real? 

Creatures of the night. Blood drinkers. Horror stories meant to keep children from wandering about after dark. 

Curling your legs to your chest and encasing them in your arms, you tried to think of a way out. To escape. With what strength you possessed, you slid off the bed and walked over to the window. The sun, so bright and full of life, was just beginning its descent towards the horizon. Night–their domain–was hours away. If the legends were true, then they would all be asleep at this moment. Any risk that was to be taken had to be taken now. 

After changing into a sturdier dress, you retrieved your still mud-covered boots and, keeping them in one hand, you carefully pushed away the pathetic barrier and snuck out of the room. 

Each step was taken with unmatched caution. You tested every board with your foot before fully committing. Any squeak of a floor or stumble down a stair could alert them to your escape. But by the grace of a miracle, you made it to the front door. Fingers trembling, you pulled on the boots and tied up the laces before opening the door only wide enough for you to slink through. 

The next breath taken outside was like the first breath of life. But there was no time to take it in. 

Gathering your skirts in your grip, you took off into the trees. The dirt was dry and sturdy under your feet. Branches and leaves crunched with the weight of your boots. A lady’s delicacy was out of the question as you ran without abandon. You didn't know what direction you were running. But vampires needed blood to survive and they weren’t drinking yours. And Jongdae had brought those buns from a bakery, not their own kitchen. You doubted any of them knew how to cook. That meant a village or town had to be nearby. Junmyeon had lied about the isolation of the manor. If you just kept going, you could find freedom. 

However, your stamina was running out. This was never your preferred activity. Your lungs and throat burned in an unfamiliar way. The sun still shined above. A short respite could be spared. 

You leaned against a tree trunk for support. In your boots your feet pulsed. Only now did you realize that you had run away without food or water. Not knowing where the kitchen was located, you didn't have time to waste on it. You could survive, you told yourself. Just a little farther. The town couldn’t be too far. Unless you were headed in the wrong direction. 

A rustling rippled through the silent forest. You snapped to attention, trying to find the source. 

“The wind,” you gasped between ragged breaths. “It had to be the wind.” 

A low, rumbling growl said it wasn't wind. 

In the distance, large silhouettes emerged. Wolves. Nearly a dozen of them. 

You ran as fast as your crying legs could take you. With their superior nature built for the hunt, the wolves caught up to you within seconds. Their growls and howls grew louder and more threatening behind you. Running from the manor had been easy. Running from the wolves was to be your end. 

Powerful paws slammed into your back. You were thrown to the ground, rolling across the ground as a scream ripped at your throat. The momentum stopped you on your stomach. Hair covered your face, but you could still see your death through the strands. 

Wolves of gray and black gathered in a half moon circle. They had their prey in perfect position. The middle wolf pounced. All you had time to do was throw up your arms to protect your face. Claws raked across your forearm. Another scream echoed through the merciless trees. The wolf landed on the other side of you with pride. Now you were surrounded. A second wolf leapt. 

A blur appeared in front of you and collided with the wolf midair. The two bodies tumbled across the forest floor. A human and the wolf. 

Not a human. 

Chanyeol. The wolf trapped within his grasp, Chanyeol tightened his grip–

Crack. 

The wolf fell limply to the ground, its tongue hanging from its jaw. 

The others appeared seconds later. Not understanding what they were up against, the wolves let you go to attack the newest threat. 

"Are you alright?" Junmyeon knelt down in front of you. His hands were outstretched as if you were the wild animal on the verge of attack. Behind him, snarls and whimpers told of the fight–and who was winning. Despite not answering him, he caught sight of your bleeding arm. "We need to get back to the manor." 

He didn't ask permission before picking you up into his arms and sprinting through the forest. Everything blurred past you, your loose hair whipping at your face. He burst through the manor doors and didn't stop until he was able to set you down in the largest chair. Once you were safe, he fell to his knees, only his palms keeping him upright. The others soon stumbled in behind him, heaving and collapsing onto the floor. Only then did you notice the smoke floating up from each of their backs. Patches of burnt, red skin sizzled on their knuckles and faces. Anything that had been exposed to the sun. 

"Baekhyun," Junmyeon gasped. 

"I already have it." Kyungsoo came into the parlor with bottles stacked in his arms. He quickly passed them around, waiting until the others were quenching their thirst before pulling the cork out of his own bottle and chugging the contents. 

With his bottle empty, Junmyeon tossed it to the side and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Red smears stained the ivory fabric. You shrank back in the chair as he turned towards you. 

"What hell were you thinking!" He growled. "I warned you about the wolves!" 

"Junmyeon, she's shaken up enough," Jongdae defended. Before your eyes, his burnt skin healed to be like new.

"She could have been killed!" 

Your head was pounding. He was… concerned about your life? The legends said that the sun was a vampire's deadliest enemy. It was why they thrived in the darkness. But they had all risked a final death to come after you. 

"Did you hear me scream?" you whispered. You could barely feel your own lips moving. All heads tuned to you. 

Yixing was the one to answer. "Yes. We all heard you." 

"Why were you out there?" Sehun asked aggressively.

You sucked in a sharp breath. There was no escaping the truth now. You stared at Jongdae. "I figured it out.” 

Baekhyun laughed. "At least we don't have to walk around delicately anymore." 

"When exactly did you do so?" Minseok mocked.

"Then you should remember what I said to you before was true. Harm would not come to you within these walls." Junmyeon crouched down next to the chair. His eyes... there was something behind the darkness that tugged at your still wildly beating heart. "I know you were running away. And if you're desperate to get away enough to get yourself killed, then the choice can be yours. We can send you on your way with every provision. Or," he cleared his throat, "you stay here. With us." 

A choice? He was giving you a choice?

Your gaze drifted over the faces that stared back at you. Even Kyungsoo refused to look away while he waited. There was almost a plea in his expression, a subtle beg. But was it to stay? Or for you to run as far away as possible? 

Junmeyon took your attention away when he picked up your wounded arm with delicate fingers. His pleading was much more clear. 

To leave would be the better choice. The more sane choice. But what would happen afterwards? You could claim being lost in the woods. With evidence of the carriage and the missing driver, what else could they believe? After a few days on bed rest, you would be back by your aunt's side, following her every whim. Including indulging her on a "perfectly adequate" suitor because you had no other option, no other path. That suitor who would then become your future. But you didn't want it. You refused to give in to it. 

Already within these few days, you were… changed in a way. They might not be human, but these men would forever be burned into your memory. Who could move you with music the way Chanyeol had? What silent strength could match the aura of Junmyeon? You had been promised that none of them would harm you. The chance for something extraordinary was right in front of you. The kind of chance you had only read about. It just had to be taken.

"I think… I think I want to stay."

*****

The moon became an ever changing friend. You hardly saw the sun anymore. Like the men you had given yourself over to, you lived under the stars. It was oddly beautiful. This time was often forgotten about by you and many others. The night was only a background to your time within your dreams. But now it was your entire world. 

Every evening, you awoke to the dying orange light of the day. Breakfast always waited for you outside the door. It was the rule that no one broke; none could enter your room without explicit permission from you. Those walls remained your safe haven when things grew too overwhelming. 

Despite your decision to stay, discovering that other creatures walked the earth required a step away once in a while. Especially now, with you aware of their true nature, the men were refusing to hold back. 

Dropping from the roof, running around with spectacular speed, and lifting objects that ten men couldn't hold. It was remarkable. Except for the diet and inability to walk in the sun, the… condition seemed more like a blessing.

"You're rather thoughtful this evening,” Jongdae commented. He walked beside you like he did every twilight. 

After you finished your breakfast, you met Jongae at the front doors to go on a walk around the manor grounds. Often others would join you as well. Junmyeon was the most frequent, though Yixing, Changed, and Jongin made many appearances over the past week and a half. Boundaries were constantly tested, but one word from you and they retreated.

"I guess you could say I am thoughtful tonight," you finally sighed. You hadn’t realized that you were being so obviously quiet. Funny, since you would have thought Jongdae would enjoy the silence. You typically had many questions or comments of your own to make. 

"Should I go steal a penny from Sehun?" 

You laughed. "I'd like to think my thoughts are worth more than a single penny.”

"They must be if you've become so skilled in deflecting from them." He crossed over to block your path. Gaze narrowed, he studied your carefully guarded expression. "What are you thinking about so hard? Regretting your decision to stay already?" 

"No," you insisted. "Not at all."

He raised an eyebrow that simply asked, "Then what?" 

"Do you always stay here?" you countered. "At the manor, I mean." 

"We travel," Jongdae answered with a nod. "Not too often. It’s a bit difficult, you see."

"But we like traveling north.” Minseok dropped from who-knew-where, landing with barely bent knees and hands folded behind his back. "In the winter, the night lasts longer. Junmyeon has a small hunting lodge up there. 

A hunting lodge? "Then why do you stay here?" 

Minsoek shrugged. "This manor is bigger." 

"Having nine of us in one household can be a bit volatile,” Jongdae added. He stepped aside to continue the stroll. "We need the room to separate so we don't level a building." 

Your foot caught on an invisible lump in the grass. "You could destroy a building while fighting?" 

Minseok snickered as he caught your stumble and helped steady your stance. His hand lingered at your waist until your sharpened glare made him remove it. "We haven’t crumbled a wall in a few years."

You scoffed at the casual tone. "What sort of fight caused that?" 

"I can't remember." Minseok leaned forward slightly to look at Jongdae for help. But he didn't seem to recall either. 

"Who knows what started it between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.”

Your mouth dropped open in shock. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had fought over something to the point of destroying a wall to crumble? It didn't feel plausible. Neither seemed like the hot-headed sort. You wanted to know the igniting incident so desperately. 

Both Jongdae and Minseok suddenly whipped their heads towards the front of the manor. 

"What is it?" you asked when neither offered an explanation. 

"Junmyeon's calling for us." Jongdae scooped you up into his arms without warning. At your confused expression, he explained, "We're not leaving you alone out here." Remember your last adventure in the woods lingered in the silence.

The short lived wind whipped at your hair that you still wore loose to cover your neck. As soon as he stopped running, you wiggled out of his arms to be back on your feet. Everyone else was already gathered just outside the door. Several eyed you and Jongdae with suspicious and annoyed glares. You took a step away from him for some separation. 

Clearing his throat, Junmyeon called everyone to attention. "We have to go hunting–real hunting. Now, normally, we all go together, but now that we have our guest," he nodded towards you, "some will have to stay behind with her until the first party… comes back." 

"If you all need to go,” you couldn't quite speak the word feed, "then I'll be alright. For a few hours, at least." You weren't sure how long this excursion would take.

Junmyeon's features softened. "No. We'll go in groups. Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, Minseok and I will go first. We shouldn't be gone long." He reached out and patted the top of your head before disappearing into the trees. Kyungsoo gave no goodbye as he followed suit. The last two playfully shoved each other while taking off. 

"Come." Yixing took hold of your hand and started pulling you inside. "I want to show you something."

"But–" You had wanted to ask Jongdae a question, but the traitor was already gone, off somewhere to do something he would never tell you about. So, you let Yixing take you into the manor and up the main staircase at the end of the hallway. At least he let you stay on your own feet instead of insisting on going at his speed. 

Going down an unfamiliar hallway, you were reminded how big this place was and how much you still had to explore. The men occupied most of your time, vying for your attention and pulling you this way and that so you didn’t have much time on your own. It was odd and overwhelming at times. 

During your seasons in town, you were hardly a well-sought after prize. There were prettier girls with grander dowries. You had accepted that fact. Now you were the center of a courting dance to which you knew none of the steps and possessed endless partners. 

Yixing paused in front of a door that looked identical to all the others. He kept his fingers tight around yours as he slowly turned the knob with his free hand. The door swung open. 

The gasp inhaled through your parted lips wasn't enough to convey your awe. 

Maps of all the places you'd heard of and dozens more you hadn't covered the walls like homemade wallpaper. Slipping out of Yixing's grip, you walked further into the study, spinning slowly around to take it all in. The maps were varying degrees of tan, some as light as his skin, others as dark as animal leather. 

Instead of bookshelves, doorless cabinets waist high lined three of the walls. Their squared shelves were stuffed full of parchment and ink and quills. A lone sketcher's desk sat in the middle, an unfinished drawing laying against the tilted surface. 

"What is this place?"

"It's my personal study," Yixing answered as he laid a hand on the edge of the desk. "Kyungsoo gave it to me after I had accidentally taken over one of the parlors." 

Your awe increased ten-fold. Your initial assumption was that he was a collector, not the original artist. "You drew all of these?" 

He nodded almost... shyly. "I did. I was a cartographer. Before." 

"Before?" You understood what he meant, but you didn't know how to ask for the story. 

Turning his eyes to the parchment, he pinched it between his fingers. "I didn't just love traveling. I loved capturing it on paper. I wanted to make these places into art, but not like every other painting. I wanted them to be perfect. Exact replicas as if you were staying at them from God’s point of view. And I wanted to be the best. I couldn't be, though. I wasn’t good enough." 

You moved closer to him, entranced in the story. "What happened?"

A rueful smile tightened at his lips. "I was given a chance to become perfect. What I didn't know was that I traded everyone knowing my maps for the talent to make it happen." Sorrow rolled from him like the tide warning of an oncoming storm. 

Feeling the pull to comfort him, you reached out and covered his fidgeting hand with your own steady fingers.

"People will be able to know your work some day," you whispered. "I’m sure of it." 

Perhaps you had been a bit too forward, a bit too open. 

Yixing moved gracefully forward to eliminate most of the space between you. A smooth thumb that once must have been calloused when it was human caressed the edge of your jaw. His flickering eyes made intentions obvious. 

Clearing your throat, you stepped out of the touch. "Why isn't this one finished?" You pointed to the drawing on the desk. It was an aerial view of the manor, with the top half of the parchment containing the beginning edges of the garden hedges. Disappointed, Yixing sighed and went along with your distraction. 

"I'm still working out the maze. It is intricate. Much more than I was prepared for." 

"Goodness." You were thankful that you hadn't wandered in there yet, especially on your own.

"Yixing.” 

Both of you turned towards the door to find Sehun standing under the frame. 

"Yes, Sehun?" Yixing said through somewhat gritted teeth. The young vampire wasn't phased. 

"I need to speak with you." 

"Fine." None of you moved. 

Sehun looked at you with a pointed glare.

You received the hint loud and clear. "I'll leave you, then.” 

With more relief than you cared to admit, you scurried out of the room and down the hallway. 

Around the corner, you pressed your back against the wall and forced yourself to take deep breaths that filled your lungs to capacity. Panic had been the response at Yixing's closeness. You didn't mean for that to be the response. You didn't want to be closed off to any of them. But you couldn't help it. Maybe it was merely the closeness of the situation. 

Giving yourself a small amount of grace, you pushed off the wall and made your way downstairs. So used to your time being absorbed by the men that you weren't sure what to do with yourself. Two of the ones that remained behind were currently occupied. As for the three others, they could have been anywhere. 

You wandered around the main floor with a fleeting hope that one would come to find you. Then you saw them. A row of grand doors evenly spaced along the north wall called you forward.

The grand ballroom took your breath away. Not so dissimilar to the one in your dream, though this one’s lack of warmth and light left you heartbroken. Memories of dancing figures and lively music haunted these walls. In the corner, you could imagine a small orchestra strumming their instruments in delight. 

You walked to the center where dozens of pairs used to twirl and bow and embrace each other in time with the melody. Ghostly laughter echoed in your ears. What had once been  bright and golden and full of life was dull, dark, and covered in cobwebs that swayed in the breeze of unknown origin. 

Glancing around, you confirmed that you were truly alone before closing your eyes, lifting your arms, and began a soft hum. 

You danced with an invisible partner in the fashion that your grandfather had taught you as a small child. It was more intimate than the choreographed dances currently popularized. You had always imagined your first ball like this, instead of the disappointment you really experienced. You had pictured a boy you didn’t know catching your eye. As the music was struck up, he laid a hand on your waist.

Just like now. 

Hm. Your imagination was running wild, even pretending the weight of a palm was there on your lower back. And now in your lifted left hand. 

No. That wasn’t your imagination. 

Your eyes snapped open. 

Jongin had taken the place of your imagined partner. He smiled down at you with a feline smirk as his hands tightened around you, refusing to let you slip away. There was no choice in leaving this musicless dance. You had stopped humming but he continued to whirl you around the marble floor. He controlled the dance, in charge of every step. He led with an expertise he shouldn’t have possessed–if he were a man of this age. 

In one final move, he slipped his arm fully around your waist, pulling you so close that no room remained between you. Without breaking the spin, he lifted you from the floor as if you were no more than a kitten and whirled you around like the heroine from your favorite novel.

When the spin came to a close, he set you back on your feet, but didn’t let go. Your lungs heaved from the exercise–and from the way your bodies pressed together. Each rise of your chest brought you even closer to Jongin. He kept your gaze like a stablehand trying to calm a wild horse. His right hand slipped from your fingers, softly tracing the delicate inside of your arm. The touch left behind a fire you couldn’t explain. A cold, simmering fire.

He cupped your jaw as his eyes drifted down to your lips. This was a different reaction to Yixing’s wandering gaze. Not panic, but something similar. 

Jongin held you in place as he leaned down, his lips pressing gently into the corner of yours. The thin breath in your lungs hitched. He lifted his lips only to find a new patch of skin. The delicate skin covering your pulse. Every muscle in your body froze. He kissed the skin softly. Surely, he could feel the race of your blood. 

“Whenever you need a partner,” he said in a hush against your neck, “just whisper my name.”

And then, he was gone. 

You stared off at the empty path left behind Jongin. The sheer hubris.

His name lingered on your lips, wondering if he would really come back like he said. But you kept the whisper inside and left the ballroom just the same. 

[proudahgase-exol]

Exo masterlist

Here you will fine everything I had made for exo. :)

-𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘨 ♡

Last updated: 08/08/24

Guide: ♤ angst - ❀ fluff - ♡ smut - ✧ text au

𝕄𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥

-

Nothing here yet….

𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕓𝕚𝕕𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 ♤ ❀ ♡

𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 ♤ ❀

𝕎𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕦𝕟𝕟𝕪 ✧

𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕖𝕝𝕤𝕖 𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥? ❀ ♡ ♤

ℝ𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕖𝕩𝕥/𝕤𝕠𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕒 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕓𝕗! 𝕊𝕦𝕙𝕠 ✧

𝕁𝕦𝕟𝕞𝕪𝕖𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕓𝕠𝕪𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 ❀

Nothing here yet….

ℂ𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 ♤ ❀ ♡

𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 ��𝕠𝕦 𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕀 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 ♤

ℕ𝕖𝕩𝕥 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕨𝕖’𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 ❀ ♡ ✧

𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖? ℍ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕘𝕚𝕣𝕝𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 / 𝕨𝕚𝕗𝕖…… ❀ ✧

𝕊𝕟𝕒𝕡𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕓𝕠𝕪𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝔻.𝕆 ❀

𝕁𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕚𝕟 𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕓𝕠𝕪𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 ❀

𝕋𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 ❀ ♤

𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕚𝕕𝕟’𝕥 𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕡 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕖 ♤

𝕊𝕖𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕤 𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕔𝕙 ✧

ℍ𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕓𝕠𝕪𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 ✧ ♡

𝕊𝕖𝕙𝕦𝕟 𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕪/𝕟 (ᴍɪɴɪ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ) ♤ ❀ ♡

ℝ𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕖𝕩𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝔹𝔽!𝕊𝕖𝕙𝕦𝕟 ✧

𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕙𝕒𝕚𝕣 ❀

𝕐𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕫𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕘 ❀

𝕊𝕖𝕩 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕤𝕖𝕩 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕖𝕩𝕠 ♤ ❀ ♡

𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕓𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ♡

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕚𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦 ♡

𝕀𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕘𝕒𝕡 ♤ ❀ ✧

ℙ𝕝𝕦𝕤 𝕤𝕚𝕫𝕖 𝕘𝕚𝕣𝕝𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 ❀ ✧

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕡 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕖𝕩𝕠 ✧

Love fool - EXO

1:54 ━━━━⬤─────── 3:24

⇆ㅤ ||◁ㅤ❚❚ㅤ▷||ㅤ ↻

If you don’t see a member’s name here is because I haven’t made nothing for them. Photos aren’t mine found them on Pinterest *credit to owner*

[exouniverse]

Chanyeol (late) birthday fic -WIP

Like obviously it has not been easy to finish Chanyeol’s birthday fic for me… how am I on over 8k words and still haven’t reached the end??? I am right on the finish line but girl… I knew it from the beginning, it was going to be a little long but this is closely reaching Kyungsoo’s fic word count. What do I do with myself fr 🙃 I say I would write small (about 1k or less) birthday fics but I am here writing them longer and longer and longer 😅

Here’s a little (not too flashy) summary if you want to read when I post it:

Established relationship, both with the same birthday. They create a bet and compete to see who throws the best party for the other. Bring in the Exo squad to pick sides and take part in the bet. Chanyeol ends up not going overboard and making something simple just for his loved one, surprising them with a private moment and a song to express what he’s been feeling. Like ILY milestone.

[shine-on-fest]

seaside (i wait for you) ✦ by Chanye_oh_l >>Sighing, Junmyeon shakes his head. “So lonely. My husband goes to sea, you must know. Sometimes he doesn’t come back for days! I sit at the edge of the waters and wonder if he will ever return to me…”<<

Junmyeon tries (and succeeds) luring his husband home from sea.

✧ Jongdae/Junmyeon ✧ G • 1.4k ✧ MerMay, Shapeshifting, Husbands, Fluff, Past Injury Recovery, Caretaking, Seal Mer Jongdae

[xiubaek-13]

Chapter 45 - Get You Alone

Requested: No Genre: Canon-AU Pairing: ? (at this stage undecided) x Reader or is it Baekhyun x Reader ?

Warnings: I guess spoilers if you haven’t seen all of Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Suggestive themes, mentions of smut. 18+ fic, minors DNI!

Word Count: 6,938

A/N: I wanted to post something to celebrate the return of Baekhyun from the military but this chapter got way out of hand so I’ve split it. Unless this happens again, we’ve only got two more chapters before this fic finally wraps up. 

“So you haven’t told him yet?” He asked.

“Not yet. I haven’t found the right moment.” You replied. You’d wanted to tell him but things kept getting in the way of the conversation. It was something you wanted to tell him in person and you had struggled to find sufficient alone time with the guy.

Minseok sighed as he leaned back into his chair. “You know I don’t enjoy being kept waiting.”

“You tell him then.” You snapped. You weren’t just going to drop that kind of bombshell on Baek with no warning. If Minseok was going to get snippy about it then he could buck up the courage to go hang with Baek and tell him. You knew he wouldn’t though. For all of his bravado there was still the fear of rejection dwelling in him. Regardless of how many times you reassured him that none of the guys would be disgusted by the idea.

He stared at you pointedly, one brow raised. “That was not our deal.”

You stood. You had to start to get ready. “Fine. How about after my meeting with the managers and Junmyeon tonight, the three of us have dinner together and talk?”

Minseok looked at you, his expression wrought with concern. “That’s going to be really awkward if he says no.”

You shrugged as you located your make-up bag. “I don’t think he will. He seemed excited about it when he knew that was what you requested. He really wanted to know who you’d picked.”

“Why would I not be surprised to find out he’s a voyeur?” Minseok half laughed. “It won’t be weird? Like it’s pretty obvious he’s been crushing on you.”

You shook your head. “No. We talked about it a lot actually, and we’re just going to see how things progress naturally.” You shrugged. “I mean all of us care about each other and desire each other to a certain extent so it’s a bit confusing to label anything yet. I’ll review it once this tour is over since my contract is finished then.”

He nodded before adding quietly. “Will you have to work with another group?”

You grabbed the make-up bag and moved to sit in front of the floor length mirror near the entrance to the room. You couldn’t lie, you had no idea what was going to happen during the meeting. You couldn’t see why SM would keep a contract with you and EXO if the group weren’t doing any further promotions in English speaking countries. There was a very real possibility that you would be assigned to another group or another company. “Possibly. It’s part of the purpose of tonight’s meeting. Kind of a review of my work and scope for likelihood of future work for me with you guys or with other groups. If SM isn't planning to rehire me then my boss will place me at another company.”

Minseok took a seat on the floor next to you as you applied your make-up. “It would be weird to not be able to have you around as much.” His expression was sombre as he thought about the reality of any of them not being able to spend as much time with you without it raising questions. You felt the same. You’d grown incredibly close to all nine of them and the idea that you wouldn’t be able to just drop by unannounced or attend schedules with them was difficult to think about but you also knew that it might actually be better to put a bit of distance between all of you. You’d be able to find ways to hang out with them in the future, and even if you weren’t under contract with SM you’d still be able to spend your free time with them, when they were available.

You paused. “Who knows, it might be good though. The lines between work and pleasure got kind of blurred, and that’s my fault, so separating my work from my relationships with all of you might help me to work out how this all looks moving forward.” You needed to work out what it was that you felt for each of them, and where things went from where they were now. At this point you had slept with each one of them and had deeper relationships with a few of them but you didn’t know if you wanted anything more with any of them other than friendship. You needed time to unpack all of your feelings, your time with Baekhyun had solidified that. There were feelings there but neither of you knew if they were ones that either of you wanted to try to pursue or if they were largely built off months of sexual tension.

There was one week remaining before all of you headed back to Korea. You had decided that once you were back in your home then there would be no more sexual encounters with any of them. Not until you made your mind up about what you wanted. Did you want all of them, some of them, one of them or none of them? You did not have an answer to the question that burned in the back of your mind. So you ignored it.

“Enough of this talk, it’s bringing the room down.” You softly chuckled. Minseok glanced at you through the mirror as you resumed putting your face on. “I believe you were telling me about the movie you were in and why I can’t watch it.”

He smiled. “You get sad when we die…”

“Do any of you act in things and not die?!” Minseok’s laughter rang throughout the room as you ranted about how you’d tried to watch a few of the things the members had acted in and every single one had ended with one of them dying.

“Cute.” He teased.

“Shut up.” Your response only made him laugh harder. The two of you continued to bicker about the dangers of watching anything any of the members acted in while you got ready. You both agreed that Soo would eventually have to remain alive during a role if he wanted to really explore acting. He couldn’t die in every role, you would threaten to nickname him Korea’s Sean Bean if he did. Minseok requested to video that particular encounter if it ever occurred.

Once your face was finished Minseok excused himself and left to go work out with Yeol and Jongin at the hotel gym. Those three and Baekhyun had been working hard on their physiques. Jongdae had joked that Minseok was Baekhyun’s trainer and Jongin was Chanyeol's, which put all too many ridiculous images in your mind. You felt sorry for whoever got stuck training with Minseok since he was overly enthusiastic about working out. You have never seen someone get so excited about the prospect of working out.

You began to pack your room up while you killed time before the meeting. All of you were off to the airport very early in the morning and depending on how tonight went, you might be short on packing time tomorrow. You pulled out clothes that you would need for tonight and for the flight tomorrow and packed everything else. You made a mental note to not do any more shopping out of fear that your luggage would be over the weight limit at the airport.

When there was no more packing to be done you turned your attention to the self evaluation sheet that you had completed prior to the meeting you were about to have. You had made a series of bullet points regarding your achievements, work ethic, teamwork and competence. You felt good about the performance side of the meeting. Your concern was going to be about the future of your contract. At least if they didn’t choose to keep you under contract with SM it would not be difficult for you to be placed elsewhere, not after the success you’d had with two high profile groups.

The sound of your phone pulled you from your thoughts. You really hoped it wasn’t one of the managers rescheduling the meeting because as much as you were starting to feel nervous about it, you just wanted to get it over and done with. Dragging the feeling out would not do you any good.

A laugh escaped you when you unlocked your phone. You should have known who would be the one messaging you. Baekhyun had a knack for texting you at moments where you needed distraction.

[1:24pm] Baek: Do you know what I’ve been thinking about?

You stared at the message. Of course you didn’t know the answer to his obviously rhetorical question. 

[1:24pm] You: Care to share with the class?

[1:24pm] Baek: Where’s the fun in not making you guess at least once?

You made a mental note to add eternally insufferable to the list of traits that applied to Baekhyun. He could bring a smile to your face with ease only to irritate you a moment later. You decided to play his game, the earlier conversation with Minseok popping back in your brain.

[1:25pm] You: Fine. You’ve been thinking about how to best apologise to me for making me watch the episode where you FUCKING DIE HORRIBLY alone. Even if that’s the wrong answer, you should be thinking about how to fix that.

[1:25pm] Baek: …That’s not what I’ve been thinking about, but I will consider options now.

[1:25pm] Baek: Did you cry?

[1:25pm] You: Of course I cried! It was heartbreaking and traumatising and oh my god I can’t believe you didn’t warn me!

[1:25pm] Baek: Aww, you cried that much for me? Were your eyes all puffy?

[1:26pm] You: Yes Baek. I ugly cried. Happy now?

The scowl on your face deepened as you thought of the smirk that would be on his face as he thought of you crying over his acting. At least no one witnessed you having an absolute breakdown over that episode. The story was heartbreaking and you had cried for his marriage, his family, his friend and everything horrible that was to come.

[1:26pm] Baek: Honestly? I’m not not happy about it. My acting must have been good!

[1:26pm] You: I mean yes, your acting was good but also there was the additional layer that is I saw someone I KNOW IN REAL LIFE die.

[1:27pm] Baek: Does it make you less sad to know that I was actually just asleep once I ‘died’ and was still in the scene? 

[1:27pm] Baek: Just had a nice little nap. Some of my best work.

If he’d dared say that to your face you would have shoved him through a wall. 

[1:27pm] You: I actually hate you, you know that right?

[1:27pm] Baek: Wow noona, lying is not a good look for you.

[1:27pm] Baek: Anyway, about what I was actually thinking about…

[1:28pm] You: You frustrate me so much.

It was the truth. He did frustrate you, so very much. Conversations flowed easily between the two of you but he knew exactly how to push you to the end of your rope without actually damaging your relationship. Even if he did make you want to throttle him on more than one occasion.

[1:28pm] Baek: In a good way though, right? Like sexual frustration ;) Pent up need, palpable tension. 

Your mind drifted back to the morning after his reward. The soft blankets, entwined limbs, and sleepy Baek who snuggled and wouldn’t let you leave the bed because apparently you were too huggable, comfortable and couldn’t you just tell your bladder to go back to sleep? Leaving the bed had been something you’d done reluctantly. Baekhyun was an excellent cuddler and his voice when he was still half asleep just did things to you, but when nature called you were provided with little wiggle room.

[1:28pm] You: Is this what you’ve been thinking of? Sex?

[1:29pm] Baek: There’s a study that says people think about sex between 10 to 20 times each day.

[1:29pm] You: So you’ve been thinking about sex.

[1:29pm] Baek: Yes. It’s a normal and healthy thing to do. I’m not weird.

You checked the time before you replied. You needed to wrap this conversation up soon and head down to the conference rooms for your evaluation. In addition to your nerves about your future with SM, you now had Minseok’s reward at the forefront of your mind again, and like every other time - you had no time to bring it up and discuss it with Baek.

[1:29pm] You: You are weird, but not for thinking about sex. Are you planning to elaborate on this important train of thought any time soon? I’ve got a meeting to get to.

[1:29pm] Baek: Oh right, I forgot about that meeting. Well, whilst the other night was incredible, it was only half of my reward if I get to have everything I requested…

[1:29pm] Baek: We’ll discuss how I’m not weird at a later time.

Shit, the phone sex. He’d requested that as well and you had not delivered on it yet. When he’d mentioned it you remembered being excited to see how skilled he was at it. The most either of you had ever done via the phone was flirting and for want of a better phrase, foreplay. Sexting-lite if you will.

[1:30pm] You: I had actually forgotten about that part of the request. Someone distracted me. Weird guy, incredibly hot and great in bed though.

[1:30pm] Baek: Sounds like a catch. Why’d you let him out of your sight?

You laughed out loud at his response. He never missed the opportunity to inflate his own ego or fish for a compliment.

[1:30pm] You: I can’t do this now Baek, as much as I enjoy our banter, I have to prepare for this meeting. It’s important. 

[1:30pm] You: I’ll make it up to you later by giving you the other half of your reward ;)

[1:31pm] Baek: Ah ok well with an offer like that, how could I refuse? Your meeting will be fine, regardless of the outcome btw. Unless they make you move out, then that will be awful.

[1:31pm] Baek: Forget I said that!

[1:31pm] Baek: Even if they don’t do another contract with us, you taught other groups at the company while we were in Japan so they’ll probably just have you as an in-house English teacher or assign you to another group.

[1:31pm] You: Thanks Baek, I hope it goes well. And to soothe your worries, I won’t move out. Mr Kim’s company rents the apartment, not SM.

[1:32pm] You: Oh! I meant to ask if you wanted to join Minseok and I for dinner after my meeting to debrief? About 8pm?

[1:32pm] You: And before you say it, I do not mean that as an innuendo. I’m the closest to both of you so I want to talk to you after the meeting regardless of how it goes.

[1:32pm] Baek: BUT I HAVE SO MANY COMEBACKS FOR THAT

[1:32pm] Baek: How dare you ruin my fun. 

[1:32pm] Baek: But yes, I’m free. I’ll join you both for dinner.

[1:32pm] Baek: I’d like to debrief you in person.

[1:33pm] You: Why are you like this?

[1:33pm] Baek: You secretly love it.

You refrained from replying to him. You hadn’t lied when you said you didn’t have time to banter right now. You needed to make your way to the meeting in the next ten minutes and before you left your room you needed to ground yourself. It was just a meeting. You’d had many meetings with the managers since taking on this job, and all of those meetings had gone well. This one was probably just to review the tour and schedule another one once you returned to Korea.

***

You entered the conference room on the third floor and had to hide your surprise at seeing Junmyeon seated next to two of the managers. He’d made no mention of being involved in this meeting when you’d had breakfast with him and Sehun this morning. A heads up would have been nice, you thought to yourself as you smiled and greeted each of them.

“Thank you for joining us,” One of them said. “Please take a seat and we’ll get started.” They gestured at the seat opposite them at the conference table so you did as requested and waited for someone to continue speaking.

The manager sitting in the middle began to speak. “Much like Mr. Kim, we assess you on three main areas. 1. How well the tasks were performed 2. How you worked with the clients and 3. Work ethic/professionalism. We have also added in the progress that has been made since our previous evaluation.” He gestured at Junmyeon on his left and the other manager on his right. “We will provide our feedback and EXO’s leader will also provide feedback on behalf of the group.” He smiled at you knowingly. “As you know, it is easier to have formal meetings with fewer members if you want it to be over in a timely fashion.”

You chuckled and agreed, having been involved in a couple of such meetings. They had left you wondering if you were just going to be in said meetings until you grew old and died. You’d even watched as a newer manager up and quit over not being able to settle on a takeout option in the practice room one day. The poor guy’s first mistake was asking what everyone felt like eating. After thirty minutes of heated debate between pizza, chinese and chicken you saw the exact moment they accidentally broke him. Having Junmyeon here made much more sense. He would have gathered responses from each of the members and summarised them for this meeting.

The man on the left pointed to a camera at the end of the table. “We are recording this meeting so that we can pass it on to Mr. Kim rather than holding another meeting to cover the exact same points once we return to Korea as well as sending a report to our CEO. He will review it as well as watch the final concert to see the fruits of everyone's labour.” You nodded in response. “To begin, we would like to hear your self assessment.”

“Thank you.” You replied. “Well to begin, I’d like to address the main development request from the last meeting. I have grown closer to the members which has made it possible for me to greatly improve my tailored lessons, but also allowed us to be more informal with each other and over time has removed any residual awkwardness that was present. They treat me like they do the other staff they work closely with, almost like family. Whilst I have grown close with the members, when I am in public with them I don’t act as friendly with them to ensure that no one thinks I am too close with them or that there is a lack of respect involved. We live in the same building so we do spend time together where we can be more informal with each other but that is with the safety of knowing no members of the media or public are witnessing our interactions. The same goes for being on site for any promotional work. I may have become friends with them but they have a job to do and so do I, so none of us interfere with that. To the best of my knowledge there have been no complaints about me being too close with them or causing delays in them doing their jobs.” Junmyeon smiled warmly at you. “I think the best way to move through this meeting is for us to discuss one point at a time.”

“We can do that.” The man in the middle nodded. “It will save backtracking.” He turned his head towards Junmyeon before he spoke again. “Would you like to provide your feedback regarding this point?”

Junmyeon nodded and sifted through his papers. “I don’t have a lot to add for this point. The company requested that our teacher become closer and more familiar with us so that it would not be awkward for our working relationship. Whilst it was a little awkward in the beginning, all of our members have welcomed teacher-nim with open arms. We treat her with respect and formality in public but when it is just her and us, she is our friend and one of the valuable members of EXO’s staff.” The managers added to their own notes as he spoke.

The one on the left spoke next. “I’ll keep it short. We agree that you have succeeded in achieving what was requested of you. We no longer see the stiff student - teacher dynamic which was present during the previous evaluation. We have observed your comfort levels around other staff as well as the members and are very pleased with how well you fit into the EXO family. The closeness has allowed you to not feel like you can’t scold them when they act up or are too playful, something not every member of staff feels comfortable doing. The thing we were concerned about was if fans would think you were too close with them or if any dating rumours would appear but thankfully there have been no issues.” The other manager chuckled and added. “Some fans now know that you have been the English teacher and translator for the entire tour and think you’re great at your job.”

You smiled at their evaluation. So far, so good. “To cover the first main point, I believe the tasks set out have been completed to a high standard. The group hardly ever required me to step in and translate responses for them during their ments or various interviews. I feel that the consistent effort by each member and myself to improve their conversational skills, pronunciation and vocabulary has been successful.” Junmyeon was the only one looking at you while you spoke, the other two were busy making notes as you spoke which was relieving, it was always easier to speak about your strengths when you weren’t being stared down. You took a breath and continued. “The interviews that have been released have received a lot of love from fans, who have been impressed at how much their English has improved and how they feel comfortable enough to play around in English during interviews. There have hardly been any slip ups with their ments, and considering that before I began my lessons over half of them were not confident to say anything other than their names in English, they have greatly improved. My one on one lessons have helped each member to learn their ments and memorise them without needing prompting.” You leant back in your seat once you finished speaking. You had delivered on the first of the criteria, you felt confident about that. The two managers finished making notes regarding what you had said before they finally looked back up at you.

The manager in the middle flicked through some papers before he gestured to Junmyeon. “Would you like to provide the feedback you’ve collated from your members?”

Junmyeon nodded and adjusted his posture as he picked up the paper in front of him. He paused to put on his glasses before he began to read. “I will have to jump through the points since we are only discussing one criteria at a time. I asked different members for feedback and in the interest of time I thought I’d provide a testimonial for each point. When I asked Chanyeol to tell me about his learning experience with our teacher he provided the following.” He took a breath. “Teacher-nim was always very organised. She kept our lessons interesting so that we didn’t get distracted. She worked out which learning style worked best for me and then adjusted her approach accordingly. She gave me music and movies as homework and asked me to learn dialogue from movies to recite to her in English. She paired us up and got us to interview each other, with the aim of providing responses in English, the more ridiculous the better. I think she realised that when you put a challenge in front of any of us that we are all too stubborn and prideful not to rise to it. My private lesson with her centred around music and was conducted in my studio. I think she did an exceptional job as she allowed us to dictate when and where we would hold lessons. She seemed to always be available, even if it was a quick phone call to ask about phrasing or pronunciation. I also think that how close we have become with her helped us when we felt nervous about our skill levels as we knew she wouldn’t scold us, rather she’d find a creative way to show us the correct wording.”

You suddenly thought of another point that you had forgotten to mention. “I have addressed how I worked with the clients already but I would add that whilst I have made myself available at any time, given their busy schedules, that they have made a group effort to not abuse my availability. If they are requiring a late lesson, they buy a meal for me. I believe we work very well as a team.”

Junmyeon nodded in agreement. “She’s correct. Yixing often had to have very late or very early lessons and he would make sure to compensate her for her time if it was well out of expected working hours. He had to have one lesson at 4am so he ordered teacher-nim breakfast to be delivered at a time she requested and made sure all of us were aware so that we could avoid requesting a late night lesson on that day in consideration for her lost sleep.”

The two managers jotted down their notes regarding everything that had been said. “We agree that you have proven to be a very successful teacher for the EXO members. The end result has exceeded our original expectations of them, something that shows dedication from both yourself and them. It speaks volumes about your ability to engage them in learning a language when they have as busy a schedule as they do.”

Just one point left, then the evaluation portion of the meeting would be done. You hoped they were going to give some indication about your future before you left the meeting but after mentioning ending this evaluation to their CEO, you weren’t sure if he would reserve his decision until after the final concert. “As for the third point, professionalism and work ethic. I believe my own work ethic has improved to keep up with how dedicated to their jobs they are. I am available at all times but I ensure that I get sufficient rest and breaks to prevent burn out or provide a sub par lesson. I believe I am very professional in my interactions with the group in public, more informal when it is just them and me but I am still their teacher and they respect me when I am doing my job.”

  This time Junmyeon didn’t wait to be asked to speak, he knew it was his turn after you. “I agree with the points made by but would like to add Jongin’s review.” You smiled as you thought of Nini. “Noona made time to come to my personal schedule to conduct my private lesson. She had to travel quite a distance to the photoshoot site, and then conducted my lesson with the knowledge that we would be interrupted and that I would be distracted. Nevertheless, she was incredibly polite to the wardrobe, hair and make up staff I was working with as well as the photographer. She knows each of us well enough to know our hobbies and what will motivate us. She based my lesson around lines from a book that I could read to my nieces which I found so touching. She conducted herself in a very professional manner that day, even the photographer was impressed by her adaptability and patience. She has never said no to a lesson request from any of us, nor has she not been available when we’ve had questions for her. We’ve never had a teacher like her and I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say she’s the best teacher we’ve ever had.”

The two managers smiled fondly as Junmyeon read out Jongin’s feedback. You had yet to meet a single member of staff who wasn’t whipped by that man. They were all utterly endeared by him, and you understood why. Jongin had been someone you had bonded with from the very beginning when you’d visited to keep him company while he recovered from his injury. “The members have covered your availability and effectiveness from their perspective. I would like to provide some feedback from the other staff members you have worked alongside with. Pretty much all of the staff, from choreographers, dancers, make up cordis and wardrobe team to the sound techs have reported getting on well with you. They have all reported that you carry yourself with a high level of professionalism and have been nothing but respectful towards them. Not once have you deemed your work to be more important than theirs and you have shown interest in what they do and how hard they work. You haven’t had any conflicts with staff or caused any problems for them. They have reported that the EXO members seem comfortable around you, that they take your work seriously and show you as much respect as you show them.”

The manger in the middle smiles at you. “I think it is clear that we are very satisfied with your work, the results speak for themselves. You have been easy to work with, have gotten along with everyone and done everything that was required of you. The members like working with you, and I was told by other idols at SM that you were a very good teacher from the couple of lessons you held while EXO were in Japan. We don’t get to decide about the continuation of your contract, that is up to our CEO. He will review the formal performance review report that we’ll send through today and we expect him to contact Mr. Kim next week. Speaking for us however, we hope that he will opt to sign another contract with you. It’s been a pleasure to work with you.”

The validation of all of your hard work felt good. Like really good. You knew you had done a good job, but to hear so many positive comments about everything you had done during your time with EXO was a huge compliment. “I understand that you don’t get to make the decision, and I will respect whatever decision your CEO makes. I understand that if EXO don’t have further schedules in the west that it would not make sense to re-contract me. I would like to express my interest in being assigned another group within the company, or, being hired as an in-house teacher/translator for all of the artists under the SM umbrella. I have been treated exceptionally well by this company, its staff and idols and have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.”

After that the meeting naturally came to a close. You thanked everyone for their feedback and their time before excusing yourself so that they could further discuss your work without you being present.

***

You needed a distraction after that meeting. You tried to decide on an option for dinner later that evening but your mind kept circling back to the fact that your future with the company was up in the air until you got back to Korea. It left you with mixed feelings. What if you decided that ultimately you wanted to keep working with the guys only for the CEO to deny you another contract? What if they were too busy to make time for you? What if after what if, each one playing on your anxieties a little more than the last. So you left your room and went to see Yixing after texting him to let him know you were coming over. He was lounging in his room watching a movie after having done interviews all morning for a show he was filming back in China. He smiled at you when he answered the door, pulling you into the room into an engulfing hug.

The two of you curled up and watched the rest of Kung Fu Hustle, the perfect movie to take your mind off things because of how ridiculous it was. The two of you laughed at different references, Yixing even paused to explain some of the ones that went completely over your head and you had to explain some to him - both of you laughing even harder when you worked out that the subtitles you were relying on were almost a different script to the audio he was listening to.

At some point during your second movie, a drama that you couldn’t remember the name of, he fell asleep. You decided to head back to your room and annoy the person who could always distract you. You sent your first text as you left Yixing’s room.

[4:23pm] You: Did you end up working out with the others?

His response was instantaneous, something that still surprised you. He was a busy guy, and honestly you had half expected him to be gaming or sleeping. 

[4:23pm] Baek: Ugh, yes I did. When this tour is over I’m going to eat so much pizza and never take my shirt off in public again.

[4:23pm] You: Is the diet & work out program that bad?

[4:23pm] Baek: …I hate to expose myself here but in case you haven’t noticed, I exaggerate sometimes.

You laughed heartily at his confession, as though he thought he was actually divulging a secret to you.

[4:24pm] You: What!? You?! Exaggerate?!

[4:24pm] Baek: Please don't make me laugh, my abs hurt. 

[4:24pm] Baek: Hyung made me work extra hard today. And now I can’t eat until dinner. 

[4:24pm] Baek: I’m so hungry noona.

Your mind drifted back to the dinner that was in a couple of hours. Why had Minseok made him work out extra hard? Was it his way of punishing Baek for not already knowing about the proposed threesome? Did he not want him to be limber for tonight if he said yes? Was he that sure that Baek would turn him down? Or was he trying to exhaust him so his guard was down? None of the options made a lot of sense to you given you would be surprised if Baek turned the idea down. 

[4:25pm] You: Poor Baekkie, you should rest your muscles.

[4:25pm] You: Does this mean I have to be careful to order healthy food for our dinner tonight?

You tried to think about healthy, protein rich, low carb options for dinner and… the options did not bring you joy. You had been thinking about ordering Mexican or Thai since you could all share everything and it was food that was still good when you woke up at midnight for a snack. 

[4:26pm] Baek: I really don’t want you to. I can have a cheat night. Minseokkie won’t get mad because you ordered the food. It’s win win.

You scoffed at his message. You had half a mind to order something that heavily featured cucumbers just to spite him but that also didn’t sound like an ideal dinner for you. 

[4:26pm] You: Using me for food is a new low even for you Baek.

[4:26pm] Baek: But you’re so useful noona.

[4:26pm] Baek: I would gladly use you in other ways ;)

Three minutes. It had taken him three minutes to steer your conversation down the suggestive path. If you indulged him he’d latch on and go for it. You weren’t against this kind of distraction… actually it could serve another purpose. One - it would take your mind off everything entirely for a little while and Two - if you really went for it, it could fulfil the second part of his reward. It wasn’t scheduled as such but you decided to see how the chips fell.

[4:26pm] You: How much is the rent?

[4:26pm] Baek: What?

[4:26pm] You: I’m just wondering how much rent you’re paying to live in the gutter.

You entered your room and flopped down on the bed, getting comfortable as you waited for his reply. He had said he was taking up residence in the gutter in the last text exchange you had but you weren’t sure how much of it he remembered given everything else that occurred that day.

[4:27pm] Baek: Oh, the gutter is rent free my dear.

[4:27pm] Baek: Why do you think I’ve taken up residence here ;)

Turns out he did remember. You smiled as you adjusted your pillows, wondering where was texting you from. 

[4:27pm] You: You’re shameless.

[4:27pm] Baek: This is not new information.

[4:27pm] Baek: You should join me down here. Like I’ve told you before, the gutter is fun.

[4:27pm] You: Fun is not a convincing enough argument for getting me to move. 

[4:27pm] You: You might have to convince me…

You’d laid down the challenge for him. Given him a free pass to engage with you however he chose to. He might go the funny route, or he might go the lewd route. 

[4:28pm] Baek: Oh? That I can absolutely do.

[4:28pm] You: You sound very sure of yourself.

[4:28pm] Baek: When it comes to the gutter, I am very confident noona.

[4:28pm] Baek: You’ve visited the gutter more than once. 

[4:28pm] Baek: It looked good on you.

[4:28pm] You: I have visiting rights, but I find my visits to the gutter more exhilarating because I don’t live there.

[4:28pm] Baek: Don’t move then, just have a holiday house here. 

That text made you laugh more than you should have. If anything you already lived down in the gutter, you just refused to admit it.

[4:28pm] You: Now that is a possibility. My visits have been more frequent as of late.

[4:28pm] You: I blame that on a certain someone.

[4:29pm] Baek: I’m flattered. 

[4:29pm] Baek: That means you’ve been thinking about me.

You had no intention of making this easy for him. He was already overly confident in himself in your text exchanges, and if you inflated his ego any further he’d be insufferable. No, you were going to make him work for it. He tended to react to being challenged by you with attempting to fluster you.

[4:29pm] You: No.

[4:29pm] Baek: No?

[4:29pm] You: No.

[4:29pm] Baek: Well that’s too bad, because I’ve absolutely been thinking about you.

[4:29pm] Baek: And to be clear. None of those thoughts have been family friendly.

There it was. The open invitation to engage in his second request, whether he realised it or not. However, unlike last time where the two of you did this in a packed room, you wanted to make sure he was alone and could fully indulge in this. 

[4:29pm] You: Are you alone now?

If he said yes, then you were going to do this. The thought of his request returning to your mind. ‘I want to read, hear and see you take instructions from me, and I you’ The reminder of his words hitting you in your core. 

[4:29pm] Baek: I am very alone in my room. Yeol is out shopping with Sehunnie.

[4:29pm] Baek: Why?

[4:29pm] Baek: Are you alone noona?

Before you could change your mind you quickly got off the bed and grabbed a couple of things from your suitcase, tossing them onto the bed as you returned, a bit more excited than you had anticipated you would be. You laid back and got comfortable against the pillows. You held your phone up and snapped a selfie of you biting your lip and hit send.

[4:30pm] You: sending DCIM052.JPG

[4:30pm] You: I am.

[4:30pm] You: I think you should tell me about these thoughts.

[4:30pm] You: In detail.

[4:30pm] Baek: Fuck. You can’t just send something like that with no warning.

[4:30pm] Baek: The things I would do to you…

[4:30pm] Baek: You are so fucking hot.

You had gotten the response you wanted. He wasn’t shying away from this. You pictured him in his room, the room where the two of you had thoroughly explored each other's bodies. Repeatedly. The room where you lost count of how many times you came. The room where, even a day later, you could still feel the ghost of his caress against your body. Desire bloomed within you.

[4:31pm] You: So tell me, what would you do to me? 

[4:31pm] You: Because I am absolutely not thinking about you in a family friendly way right now. 

[4:31pm] You: How would you touch me Baek?

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this update. I promise the next one picks up right where this one left off ;)

Masterpost | Chapter 44 | Chapter 46

[soft-jihoonie]

I Wanna Stay By You Forever - Chapter 8

Kyungsoo x Jongdae + Baekhyun x Chanyeol + Sehun x Jongin - 2.3K Words - Fluff and Angst

Part 2 of the Baby Don’t Go series - Part 1 is here

This is also posted on AO3.

A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven

Kyungsoo goes two days without speaking to or seeing Jongdae. Since they’d started their situationship, they’ve never gone this long without speaking before. Jongdae has tried messaging and calling Kyungsoo, but Kyungsoo just doesn’t feel able to see him yet. He’s sure some people may think he’s being overdramatic, but he’d let himself fall too easily into the idea of being Jongdae’s boyfriend, and it still hurts to think that Jongdae never saw a future for them. He guesses he’d let himself get hopeful that he and Jongdae would end up blissfully happy like Chanyeol and Baekhyun, but this wake-up call has reminded him of the pain Chanyeol went through to get to this happiness.

Speaking of the devil, Chanyeol walks into the living room, lightly tapping Kyungsoo’s head as he says, “What ya thinking about, Soo?”

“Do you think I’m being overdramatic?”

Chanyeol moves over to the cereal cupboard in the kitchen, pulling out a box of cornflakes as he responds, “Staring into a bowl of cereal at 10am looking like your world’s ending? Yeah, I’d say that’s a bit overdramatic.”

Kyungsoo chuckles, finally taking another bite of his now soggy cereal. Chanyeol walks over to the table, setting his bowl of cereal down opposite Kyungsoo. As he pulls the chair out to sit down, Kyungsoo responds, “No, I mean do you think I’m being overdramatic about the Jongdae situation?”

Chanyeol stops mid-chew, swallowing before responding, “I mean, I think it’s perfectly understandable that the whole situation hurt you so much.”

“But?”

“But, there’s only so long Baekhyun and I can tell Jongdae you’re ill and don’t want to see anybody, I mean you must get how hard it is for Baekhyun to lie to Jongdae.”

Kyungsoo nods, eating a few more spoonfuls of cereal before finally responding, “You’re right, I should at least send him a text so he doesn’t think I’m dead.”

Chanyeol smiles and says, “Thank fuck, you have no idea how whiney Baekhyun’s been to me.”

Kyungsoo chuckles, standing up with his bowl in hand as he responds, “I hadn’t heard anything?”

“Of course, he’s not gonna whine to you, he’s just a whiney baby to me”

Kyungsoo laughs as he heads to wash his bowl, calling back, “Should I tell him you said that?”

“Tell him and I’ll tell Jongdae you spent the weekend moping over him”

Washing his bowl, Kyungsoo responds, “Don’t you fucking dare.”

Chanyeol smirks as he comes into the kitchen, nudging Kyungsoo out of the way of the sink as he says, “That’s what I thought.”

Kyungsoo places his bowl on the drying rack, drying his hands with a tea towel before pulling his phone out of his pocket as he responds, “You’re the worst best friend.”

“Oh really? Is that why you’re about to take my advice and message Jongdae?”

“How do you know I’m not just texting Mingyu?”

Leaning over to look at Kyungsoo’s phone screen, Chanyeol says, “Because you’d never take that long to type out ‘Hello’ to Mingyu.”

Kyungsoo pushes Chanyeol away, deleting the ‘Hello’ as he says, “If you’re not going to help me then go bother your boyfriend.”

Chanyeol lets out a dramatic sigh, taking the phone out of Kyungsoo’s hand as he says, “Alright, I suppose I’ll lend you my master communication skills.”

Kyungsoo lets out a laugh, he wants to argue but Chanyeol has his phone and could very much jeopardise him right now. So instead, he just says, “Promise me you’ll show me what you’ve written before you press send?”

“Yeah yeah, I promise, I’m basically done.”

Sure enough, a few moments later Chanyeol passes Kyungsoo the phone, calling out “You can thank me later”, as he walks out of the kitchen.

Kyungsoo ignores him, eyes lowering to read the typed-out message on the phone screen. He has to give it to Chanyeol, he clearly knows how Kyungsoo would text. The message reads ‘Hey, sorry for the silence. I had an awful cold and couldn’t do much but sleep. Chanyeol had to force me to let him look after me, you know how stubborn I can be!’

Kyungsoo’s finger hovers over send before he decided to add ‘I hope you’re doing okay x’ as an afterthought. He doesn’t want Jongdae to think he hates him or doesn’t want him around, it’s not Jongdae’s fault that he got so attached.

He reads the message over a few more times before deciding that he can’t do anything more and pressing send. The moment he sees the words on the screen in a blue bubble, he quickly locks his phone, stuffing it in his pyjama pant pockets and deciding to go and get dressed.

He ignores the worry blooming across his body, trying to think about anything but the phone in his pocket and whether Jongdae’s read it yet or will even want to talk to him again.

When he reaches his bedroom, he places his phone on his bed, deciding he’ll look at it again for any potential messages once he’s dressed. He knows he’s trying to put off possible disappointment but after a weekend of moping, he’s not sure if he can handle further rejection. He dresses comfortably, still having no plans to leave the house, and he can’t deny that disappointment shoots through him when he sees that he’s not had a reply.

Telling himself he’s silly for expecting a reply so quickly, he grabs his laptop to take downstairs, planning on researching some new recipes to experiment with. Chanyeol shakes his head at Kyungsoo’s choice of clothes when they come out of their rooms at the same time. The former is dressed nicely with his hair styled, making Kyungsoo look like a mess in comparison.

Looking Chanyeol up and down before heading towards the stairs, Kyungsoo asks, “Date with Baekhyun?”

Following him down the stairs, Chanyeol responds, “Yeah we’re checking out a new record shop in town, probably be gone for a few hours.”

Kyungsoo heads into the living room, stopping and looking back when he hears Chanyeol ask, “You gonna be okay alone if I go?”

Shaking his head amusedly, Kyungsoo responds, “I’ll be fine Yeol, I’m not a child.”

He hears Chanyeol call out, “Could’ve fooled me”, just before the front door shuts. Rolling his eyes to himself, Kyungsoo sits down on the couch, turning his laptop on.

As sure as he was that he’d be okay, the silence of the house feels suffocating and all he can think about is checking his phone. Turning on the television for background noise, Kyungsoo throws himself into his research, succeeding for an hour at least. After an hour, he convinces himself that surely it’s okay to check his phone now.

Reaching forward to get his phone from where he’d placed it on the coffee table, he can’t help but feel nervous as he tilts the phone forward to light the screen up. A moment of happiness shoots through him when he notices a text message notification but it’s quickly followed by disappointment when he realises the message is from Mingyu.

Feeling like a bad friend for his reaction, he clicks on the notification, reading Mingyu’s message, ‘KYUNGSOO HELP’

Kyungsoo chuckles to himself at Mingyu’s dramatic ways, responding ‘what’s wrong, Mingyu?’

Moments later Kyungsoo’s phone rings, and Mingyu’s name appears on the screen. Kyungsoo takes a moment to prepare himself for interaction outside of Chanyeol before answering the call.

He can barely start to say hello when Mingyu blurts out, “Kyungsoo, Wonwoo is on a date right now at my workplace, I can’t handle this.”

Kyungsoo chuckles quietly before responding, “How do you want me to help you?”

“God, I don’t know Kyungsoo, maybe you can at least come to the cafe to distract me.”

Kyungsoo sighs loudly, weighing up his options in his head. He settles on the thought that really it’ll be good to get himself out of the house, responding, “Okay fine, text me the address.”

Mingyu sighs in relief, loudly saying, “Thank you Kyungsoo, I love you!”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, mumbling out, “Yeah yeah, see you soon”, before hanging up.

He takes a moment to prepare himself before dragging himself off the couch and up the stairs to his bedroom. One look in the mirror has him realising how much of a state he let himself become and he decides in that moment to sort himself out.

It takes him about 15 minutes to wash up and get changed and then he’s checking his phone for the address Mingyu sent him. Surprised by the fact he had no idea Mingyu had started working at the same cafe as Sehun, he pulls on his shoes and heads out of the house, texting Mingyu that he’s just left.

The fresh air is nice and the sun feels warm on his skin. Kyungsoo hates that he let himself hide away for a whole 2 days, telling himself that it was pathetic of him. He makes sure to enjoy his surroundings, looking all around him as he walks the familiar route to the cafe.

The walk only takes around 15 minutes and soon he’s arriving at the cafe, spotting Wonwoo and his supposed date sitting at a window table. He opens the door to the cafe and immediately is greeted by Mingyu, who clumsily pulls Kyungsoo into the cafe, loudly saying, “Kyungsoo, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Kyungsoo allows himself to be dragged to the ordering point, scanning the cafe for Sehun who he hasn’t seen in a long time. His eyes finally land on him, a smile appearing on his face at the sight of Sehun clinging to another attractive man, said man giggling. Sehun then makes eye contact with Kyungsoo, a wider grin appearing on his face as he comes up to the ordering point Mingyu has dragged Kyungsoo to.

Mingyu practically hangs on Kyungsoo’s shoulders as Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at Sehun and asks, “Who’s the cutie?”

A blush appears on Sehun’s cheeks as he says, “He’s called Jongin, he’s a new worker like Mingyu.”

Kyungsoo can’t help the smirk on his face as he says, “Mhmm okay, and how long have you liked Jongin for?”

Sehun’s eyes widen, quickly checking to see if Jongin’s heard before hissing out, “I don’t like Jongin!”

Kyungsoo lets out a chuckle and says, “Alright well you let me know when you’ve stopped being so dumb. Also, I’ll have a black coffee please.”

Sehun rolls his eyes, starting to ring up the order on the till as he says, “I don’t see you in months and you call me dumb, thanks Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo laughs, paying for his drink as he says, “You’re welcome, Sehunnie!” He’s almost immediately dragged away to a table by Mingyu, being pushed into a chair.

Mingyu pulls up the chair opposite and says, “God, Kyungsoo, what do I do? I can’t handle my crush on a date here.”

Kyungsoo glances over at Wonwoo again, observing him and his supposed date for a moment before saying, “Are you sure it’s a date Mingyu? It doesn’t seem very date-like.”

“He’s here with a girl, they hugged when he arrived, I’m pretty sure it’s a date”

“You do know men can be friends with women, right Mingyu?”

Mingyu rolls his eyes, loudly exclaiming, “Of course I do, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen as he sees Wonwoo’s head turn their way. A look of recognition settling on his face as he stands and begins to walk over. Mingyu swings his head around to see what Kyungsoo’s looking at before he looks back at Kyungsoo with a look of horror.

Mingyu hisses out, “What the fuck do I do?”

Kyungsoo chuckles and pats Mingyu’s arm sympathetically as he says, “Just relax, he’s probably just coming to say hi.”

Wonwoo strides up to the table moments later, grinning at the two of them as he says, “I didn’t know you two were here! What brings you to this cafe?”

Noticing Mingyu is unable to answer, Kyungsoo shrugs and says, “Mingyu started working here recently and my friend Sehun works here too so I thought I’d just come to see them both! What about you? On a date?”

Wonwoo laughs loudly, glancing back at the woman he’s left at the table as he responds, “God no, I’m just having a catch-up with my cousin, she’s in town for the week.”

Trying not to chuckle at Mingyu visibly relaxing, Kyungsoo says, “My bad, that must be nice!”

Wonwoo nods, looking at Mingyu as he says, “So, how long have you been working here Mingyu? I’ve been coming here for a while and haven’t seen you.”

Mingyu starts stuttering out an answer and seeing Wonwoo’s look of endearment, Kyungsoo takes that as his cue to move away. Sehun signals to him that his coffee is ready and Kyungsoo strolls over to the drink collection counter.

Jongin, the new kid, holds the takeaway cup with his coffee in out to him, grinning as he says, “You’re Kyungsoo, right?”

Kyungsoo nods as he takes the coffee, “Yeah that’s me! Thanks for the coffee.”

“Sehunnie’s told me so much about you! It’s nice to finally meet you.”

A soft smile appears on Kyungsoo’s face at the nickname and he responds, “Nice to meet you too! I’m going to head off so see you around.”

Kyungsoo waves goodbye to Sehun, heading towards the door to the cafe. He’s just stepped outside when he hears a voice call out, “Kyungsoo!”

Turning towards the sound of the voice, Kyungsoo’s eyes land on Jongdae rushing towards him with a grin on his face.

Kyungsoo tenses up, not really ready to see Jongdae so soon. He doesn’t hug back when Jongdae pulls him into a hug.

Jongdae pulls back to look at Kyungsoo, hands on either side of Kyungsoo’s arms, a frown on his face as he says, “Kyungsoo, what’s wrong?”

Kyungsoo sighs, realising this is the moment he needs to talk to Jongdae about what he heard. Jongdae reaches towards Kyungsoo’s face as if to cup it and Kyungsoo steps backwards out of his hold.

Jongdae’s frown deepens as he asks, “What’s going on?”

Kyungsoo runs a hand through his hair exasperatedly before finally breathing out, “Jongdae, we need to talk.”