#jungkook witch au

[jessikahathaway]

Tainted Love - JJK (M)

Hello hello everybody!

Here is Demon!Jk as promised~

Thank you to everyone who expressed excitement from the teaser! And a special thank you to my bb Ella (@oddinary4bts) for betaing this fic for me and listening to me scream about Demon Jk on discord for the past month. Love you babes!

Alright, fasten your seatbelts, I went a lil AWOL with this but I hope you all enjoy regardless! Please let me know what you think~

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook X F!Reader

Rating: 18+ (Minors DNI)

Genre: Fantasy!AU, Demon!Jk, Witch!Reader, unrequited love, romance, smut, angst, lil fluffy bits in there too.

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, main character death (not permenant), Demon!Jk can be toxic, reader is in love and knows she shouldn't be, darker themes - Jungkook is an old demon and isn't a very happy one, they use each other a bit but they work that out. SMUT WARNINGS: Multiple smut scenes (you heard me), unprotected sex (don't be silly), oral (f and m receiving), creampies, rough sex, emotional sex, standing/wall fucking, Jungkook is pussy whipped confirmed, dirty talk (jungkook and reader freak nasty), switch!Jk and switch!reader, hair pulling, vaginal sex.

Words: 16.4k

Summary: Jungkook sometimes forgets the time. Except the time he's spent with you, he's certain those times he'll remember until the day he turns to dust. As a demon with a time limit on his life, will he let you in? The witch who has shown him tenderness instead of a blade at his throat. Does he trust you with his life? Or will you be too late?

Jungkook sometimes forgets the time. 

And not in the sense of he can’t remember the time of day, or the day of the week itself. No, it’s gotten much worse over his millenia of life. He legitimately doesn’t remember if it’s the 1700s or 2020s some days. Time is a much more relative construct than most people believe. Life isn’t always linear. Things can happen backwards, things can happen too fast or not at all when someone has believed it to be otherwise. 

Jungkook had forgotten the time again today. The smoke of his cigarette rose up above his head and swirled and flowed along with the fan spinning slowly above his head.

He laid on his bed in this dingy apartment that he pays for with money he conjures. Being a demon has its perks. But, to remain under the guise of a regular human, he works at a local mechanics shop. 

He lives life as a typical low level human being. He has a backstory and everything. His parents passed away when he was little and his great aunt cared for him until he was old enough to move out on his own. While away she passed and he’s been alone ever since. This small village had accepted him, unfortunately for them. 

Now, Jungkook was a demon, but that didn’t mean he was wasteful. Nor was he ruthless and bloodthirsty. No, he was nothing of the sort. He was far too old for childish nonsense like that. His temper had almost fizzled out with the will to change his fate for the better. At this point? He’d rather disappear and be done with it all. Constantly looking for new souls to take, it had been exhausting in the beginning, and now? Now he didn’t care really one way or the other. 

He had one year before it all went away. 

One year before he dies.

The reason? Jungkook had betrayed his brethren. His fellow demons sentenced him to a life on Earth until he could fulfill a quota of ten thousand souls. Specifically, ten thousand souls of those who are the victims of the painful fate of unrequited love. As that was his crime.

He loved a human woman, and so? He was forced to kill the poor saps that had fallen into his own trap. 

A painful irony, but Jungkook had quit feeling pain a long while ago. Five thousand years to complete his task, to take ten thousand souls that were suffering the same pain as himself all those years ago. And finally, after far too many years, his task would be ending. And him along with it all. 

He couldn’t find it in himself to care much about himself. He was far too tired.

There was, however, one Earthly pleasure that he’d found himself enjoying. 

You. 

A witch in your own right, a member of the coven in the area. You’d moved in a few years back and noticed Jungkook immediately. He was handsome, he was dark and mysterious. How were you supposed to resist?

Jungkook initially hadn’t taken that much of a liking to you. But you were persistent and perhaps even a little desperate for a friend that knew at least some of your true identity. Jungkook had finally relented on his reluctance and had let you in. Not much, there were things you were certain he would never tell you. Perhaps some things you wouldn’t want to know in the first place. But, it didn’t take long for you two to start fucking after that. 

He was weak for very few things. However, cheap spicy ramen from the convenience store down the street, cigarettes and sex had proven to be nicely distracting.

You were pretty and nice enough, although Jungkook didn’t particularly care for you at first, once you two fucked a few times he could see himself forgiving your little nuisances. They didn’t really matter on the large scale anyways. 

Nothing did, actually.

A knock at the door brought him from his stupor. He didn’t have to work today, he’d be pissed if Hoseok came to ask him to cover again. He’d already done it five times in the past month. He put out his cigarette and moved towards the entrance. With a scowl on his face he answered the door to see your frame standing in the doorway. 

Jungkook raised a brow at you before looking down to see you dressed in your work uniform. You also had a regular job, but you worked as a bartender at the local joint in town. You took notice of his scowl and gave him a playful pout. 

“Aw baby, you look so much cuter when you smile,” you said with a pat to his cheek. Jungkook rolled his eyes but let you in as he saw you carrying his favorite booze in your hand. You set the bottle on the table and went to take your shoes off when Jungkook saw a flash of your panties up your skirt. 

It was Saturday. You and Jungkook usually fucked during the week as it worked best with both of your schedules. It was rare to see you on the weekends, as this was when the most tips came from the bar's patrons. 

“It’s Saturday,” he said, eyes trailing back to your face. 

You’d noticed his staring, but you didn’t care-this is usually what happened when he hadn’t seen you in a while. 

“Does that mean we can’t fuck on a Saturday?” you asked, head tilting to the side. 

Jungkook lit another cigarette. “Why aren’t you working?” he asked, taking a deep drag off the tobacco stick. You smiled at him and Jungkook sighed deeply.

You only smiled like that when you were up to no good. 

“I’m trying to set Sana and Alex up,” you said with that same damned smile. 

“Why the fuck do you want to do that?” he asked, tapping some of the ash off his vice into a glass. 

“Because they love each other, they just need a push to figure it out for themselves. So I asked to take an earlier shift today because we had a date,” you said, walking closer. Jungkook watched the sway in your hips and felt the stirring in his lower stomach. He wouldn’t mind fucking you tonight. It was better than forgetting what time it was. Again. “Plus a few of my sisters from the coven are coming over tonight.”

Jungkook sighed, decidedly ignoring the mention of your coven. “A date, huh?” 

You pouted and he smirked at your disappointment. “What? Can’t I say that’s what it is? Got something against dating me?” 

He inhaled deeply. “Not particularly, but demons and witches don’t mesh well.” 

A sharp jab to your heart, but Jungkook was great at those. Without realizing it, he broke your heart day after day. It was ridiculous honestly, you shouldn’t have fallen for him in the first place. Really, you shouldn’t have. You knew it was wrong. Jungkook wasn’t incorrect when he said witches and demons don’t get along well. Some witches had a strong moral code and demons could go against all of them without even a second glance. 

Jungkook technically could get you kicked out of your coven. 

But he was too enthralled with the fact you put out on the regular and you were too enthralled with him in general.

Overall, it wasn’t the best situation, but Jungkook had done you some favors in the past. Acquiring materials for your coven’s spells, summoning a few extra hundred dollars when you’re short on rent, and giving you an equally satisfying sex life. 

Hopefully, tonight was going to prove no different. 

“You seem to mesh just fine with me,” you said, voice teasing and obviously hinting. 

His eyes flashed a deep crimson at the thought of being able to fuck you. He’d been wound up and needing something besides cigarettes recently. Your body would be a welcomed distraction.

 “I do, don’t I?” he said, voice turning smoother.

Jungkook was an attentive lover, always making sure you came multiple times. As a demon he had good refraction period and was able to fuck you after cumming-sometimes multiple times a day. Especially if you hadn’t been able to come over often enough.

You hadn’t seen him in probably two weeks, you had to travel for a coven meeting. But it seems those two weeks left him needing you. 

He crowded your space, hands winding around your body and squeezing your ass. He rested his head against your collarbone, hiding his face in your neck. Jungkook did this sometimes, almost as if he could shrink his world and thoughts down to just this moment. This space. This breath happening between the two of you. 

You were about to ask if he was alright when he captured your lips in a hungry kiss. You responded, letting him back you up towards the wall. Your thighs clenched at the attention. Jungkook had to be the best sexual partner you’d ever had in your almost one hundred years of life. Being a witch had its perks as well.

He was desperate against your mouth, panting and eagerly licking in between your lips, parting them so he could tangle his tongue with yours. His hands wound up your lower back. 

“Jungkook, baby,” you whined softly, as he swallowed your lips once more. “I gotta be quick today,” you frowned.

“That’s fine, I won’t last long anyways,” he said, already painfully hard in his jeans.

He turned you around, having your palms flat against the wall. “Think you can stand while I fuck you?” He asked, licking his lips at the sight of your ass presented nicely to him in your short skirt.

“Yes-I can,” you bit your lip, mind reeling with the fact you were about to have him again. You and Jungkook fucked fairly often, probably three times a month, sometimes more if he could swing it. And this had been your arrangement for almost a year now.

People at work knew Jungkook, he was a regular at the bar and people often referred to him as your boyfriend. In their minds you two were just young adults figuring out life and it would all work in the end. You two cared for each other-right?

“Hey,” Jungkook said, voice softer. “You there?”

Ah, you slipped into your thoughts again. 

“I’m here, it’s fine-please,” you whimpered, looking over your shoulder at him, the burning in between your thighs causing you pain. Jungkook nodded before flipping your skirt up and tugging your panties down your legs. You were soaked, wetness pulling away with your panties that had Jungkook hissing between his teeth.

“Fuck, do I have time to eat you out? Just a bit? Fuck please,” he begged, kneeling behind you and kissing your ass hungrily. “Let me, I need it baby, please?”

You really did have to be quick, members of your coven were coming over tonight and you’d have to scrub yourself stupid in the shower to not smell like demon. But fuck-when he begged like that?

“Whatever you want,” you said, voice breathless at his eagerness. 

He was so good at getting what he wanted. It always worked with you, and it always would unfortunately.

“Fuck yes,” he groaned, placing his mouth on you in needy kisses. Jungkook’s tongue threaded between your lips and found your clit almost immediately. You cried out and gripped the wall as he ate your pussy like a starved man. 

He liked it.

He liked eating your pussy so much. Honestly, he wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was the flavor, the amount of slick you produced for him, the way you rutted your hips back against him whenever he did it. You made the sweetest noises when he had his mouth on your cunt and now was proving no different. Jungkook almost felt high at the feeling of your wetness collecting on his face.

Maybe it was that part he was addicted to. Or maybe it was worse than that. In times like this, he really could forget. He could forget he was a demon, not many people willingly share this much of themselves with a demon and know the consequences. But as a witch, you knew what would happen if your coven found out. You knew and yet? You still let him in. You let him touch you and fuck you. All of it.

“Kook~” you cried out, head pressing against the wall. “Please, gonna cum,” you whimpered out. 

Damn, he was hoping to get a little more than that. The next time you came over he was going to want to eat your pussy for hours.

“Then cum for me, baby, get yourself nice and wet for my cock,” he said.

You didn’t need much today, you were just as needy as he was. Probably more so. A few more heady sucks of his lips and you were cumming.

“Jungkook-fuck,” you gasped. He smirked and stood up, licking his lips as he undid his jeans. You panted harshly against the wall, mind whirling in pleasure.

“That’s it, pretty thing,” he cooed, approaching with his now crimson eyes. You knew he must be needing this if he’s so worked up already. 

“Please baby, give me your cock?” you asked, reaching behind you to grab the front of his undone jeans. Jungkook followed easily when you tugged, your hand dipping underneath the fabric to grasp his cock. He sighed in pleasure, pushing his pants down further and head tilting back just a touch. He pushed his boxers down as well, freeing his cock entirely before you smiled back at him and taking him in your hand once more. 

“Fuck, yes,” he said, voice turning raspy and dark. 

You winked and pumped him a few times before lining him up with your dripping core. He hadn’t stretched you but you wanted the burn today. “Fuck me then,” you said, inviting him inside you once more. 

Jungkook held your hip as he started to lead his cock between your lips. “You wet enough?” he asked, raising a brow at you.

Such a smug bastard. But his cock was big enough he needed to ask-because he didn’t want to hurt you. His demonic nature was there, but honestly hurting someone that had continuously done him favors didn’t seem that important.

“Y-Yeah,” you whimpered, rubbing against him. “Please put it in, want your thick cock in me so bad Jungkook!”

He nodded, finally pushing in just a touch. You whined, head falling back as you felt the full sensation begin. Jungkook growled out at your tightness gripping his cock just right, giving him the rush of tingles down his spine. He gave gentle thrusts into your heat to ease you open, although you were really squeezing him today and his eyes rolled back in his head at the sensation of your sweet cunt letting him in inch by inch. 

“Fuck I love your pussy,” he groaned, rolling his hips into yours fully. 

“Love your cock,” you cried, walls clenching down on him harshly. Jungkook couldn’t stop his reaction of bucking into you roughly. You let out a sharp cry at his cock hitting deeper than usual.

“Sorry baby, m’sorry,” he murmured against your skin, kissing your neck and shoulder. Moments like that were the ones you remembered with pain in your chest. The way he easily apologized for the slightest harm to you. All except the harm to your heart.

You shook your head. “It’s okay, don’t worry-just, oh! G-give me more!” 

He didn’t need to be told twice, holding your hips he started thrusting inside of you with firm pushes. He huffed in his own pleasure, watching your puffy pussy swallowing his cock with each rut forward. “Look so good like this, take my cock so well,” he sighed, the sweet sensations of your warm, wet walls sucking him in had shivers rocketing down his spine and pooling heat in his stomach. 

“Cock so good, made to take it baby, love having you inside me like this,” you mewled. Jungkook smirked at your pleasure cries reaching his ears. 

“Made to take me huh?” he asked, giving harsher thrusts inside of you and watching as your face morphed into shocked pleasure. 

“J-Jungkook!” you sobbed out.

He was panting against your skin, thrusting inside you with eager pushes of his hips against your ass. The sound of skin slapping echoed through his apartment.

Jungkook could barely think at this point in sex. He was driven by your high pitched cries and the boiling need in his stomach. “Cum baby, cum all over my cock. Gonna let me cum inside today baby?” He teased, huffing sex driven laughter across your throat while he bit down.

“Mmm~ah! Y-Yeah, it’s fine, I have the potion for it,” you cried, grabbing his hand that was gripping one of your hips. He wound the other around your front to start playing with your clit to get you there faster.

“Then I’m gonna fill you up baby, feel it dripping inside of you huh? Wanna cum baby, fuck I really want it, say I can have it,” he groaned.

He loved hearing you beg for his cum. It did something to him, made his high that much sweeter because you pleaded for it. You wanted him that badly. There was something hot about having your watery eyes beg with his to finally let you cum. 

“You can, you always can baby,” you promised, holding his wrist while he pounded inside you brutally. 

Jungkook smiled against your skin before husking permission to cum against your jaw. With a deep gasp you came, Jungkook following not too shortly after. Your pussy milking him with each pulse of your afterglow. 

“Thank you-fuck, oh baby,” you shivered against him, leaning into the kisses he trailed along your shoulder. 

“Fuck give me a second, I came so hard,” he said, slumping against you while he pressed you against the wall with him still inside of you. But soon enough you felt him soften and with a deep sigh he pulled from you.

You shivered as his cum trickled down your thigh. 

“Ah shit, sorry baby,” he said, running to grab a few tissues. You panted softly against the wall, keeping yourself steady so as not to make a mess. He came back and helped you clean up a bit and offered you his shower. 

“Can’t, got sisters coming over tonight, if I shower here they’ll smell demon on me from a mile away,” you stated. “But thanks,” you said with a smile. 

He nodded, sitting at his tiny coffee table smoking a cigarette. 

Jokingly, you teased him. “Those’ll kill you one day,” you said, pulling on your shoes. 

Jungkook’s face didn’t smile like you were hoping. Although it rarely did, you felt the difference. He was… upset?

“No, I’ll be dead by next year regardless,” he whispered. 

The room went eerily quiet. Your heart was hammering in your chest. What did he mean he would be dead by next year?

“What the fuck does that mean?” You said, walking towards him in concern. “The fuck do you mean you’ll be dead by next year?”

Jungkook wasn’t phased by your anger. You hardly knew his story and he preferred to keep it that way. Because he knew this would be your reaction. And he hated fighting with you. It never made any difference. 

“Didn’t you find a demon, on its own-no contracts or groups or general mayhem happening-a little odd?” He asked, putting out his cigarette.

You swallowed thickly. It was odd. But you weren’t going to argue with a good thing and, perhaps you’d hoped that there was maybe just a happy coincidence, for once.

Of course you were wrong.

Naïveté hadn’t served you well in the past and it seemed to stomp your heart once again in this long life of yours…

“I never found you odd, Jungkook,” you said. 

“You should’ve.”

Your heart was racing making your next words slightly frantic. “What’s wrong with you, huh? What’s going on? Are you finally gonna tell me?”

He sighed deeply. He hated the sound of your voice right now. You sounded like you were going to cry, and he didn’t want to make you upset. Watching you cry was painful. 

“I have a quota of souls to collect. If I don’t collect all of them by the time set-I disappear,” he said. “The souls of those who know unrequited love.”

Your throat felt dry at his statement. What could you say to that? Was there anything to be said? It’s not like you two were dating, it’s also not like you ever could with you being in the coven.

“How many souls do you have left?” You asked, voice sad. 

“Ten,” he breathed.

Ten. Ten souls before next year didn’t seem crazily difficult. But the specificity did complicate things.

You nodded. “Okay, I’ll help you,” you said. 

Jungkook’s head snapped to you, and he stood quickly. “Don’t fucking say that,” he said, voice shaking with anger. 

“But why not? Why can’t I help you? I have the ability to find souls like that, we can travel and you can collect.” You explained. 

“We?” He asked, raising a brow. “You really think I trust you enough to let you do that? How do I know you wouldn’t take me right to that coven of yours?”

You felt your heart break. “Is that what you think I would do?” You said, voice sad and in disbelief. Jungkook knew it was a low blow, but he had to get you to leave if this is where this conversation was going.

He didn’t like hurting you, or your feelings. It usually wasn’t necessary but sometimes you dug too deep, and he had to back you off somehow.

“The fuck is your problem you asshole,” you sniffled, wiping your eyes. “All I did was ask to help you, is it so wrong that I actually want you around? That I actually like hanging out with your crabby ass… call me when you’re not being a massive dickhead” you said, grabbing your bag but intentionally leaving the booze. All it would do was make you think of him anyway. Jungkook was about to call out your name but you slammed the door right in the middle of his sentence.

“Fuck…”

He knew that wasn’t fair, he knew that he shouldn’t have snapped at you like that but… sometimes you did get too close. Jungkook knew what his end would be, and there wasn’t anything you or he could do about it.

At least, nothing he wanted to do about it…

—

You hadn’t spoken to Jungkook in a week or two now. He hadn’t reached out and you weren’t particularly interested in fighting with him again, not right now. He really did hurt your feelings… He could trust you, you wondered briefly what it would take for him to listen. To hear that you wanted him to collect those souls. 

You were just as damned as he was, you knew that. Even more so if your coven discovered what you were up to in your bedroom. And heart…

Just as you were about to suck it up and call him, your phone rang. It was a number you didn’t immediately recognize, but the area code was local.

“Hello?” You answered. 

“Hey, Y/N?” Hoseok’s voice echoed through the phone. Hoseok was a fellow mechanic at the shop Jungkook worked at. 

But what would he be calling for?

“Yeah? What’s up Hoseok?” You asked.

“Um… Jungkook, he collapsed at work, he might need to go to the doctor but we’re slammed. You’re his emergency contact so I’m calling you to let you know what’s going on?” His voice sounded worried and confused. Jungkook never got sick, he was a demon, but they didn’t know that. They just knew he was a healthy young guy. 

But this was odd. 

“I’ll be right there,” you said, hanging up and grabbing your keys.

The drive through town was relatively quiet, but when you got to the shop you could see that there were several people waiting for their usual tune ups and repair work.

You walked in and Ashley, the receptionist, smiled at you. “Hey Y/N, thanks for coming. Jungkook’s in the office with Namjoon,” she said softly.

With a nod you headed back towards the office. You heard Namjoon speaking to Jungkook, but it seemed like he was either not responsive or just choosing to ignore him. The latter seemed more probable. Namjoon was the head mechanic at the shop and ran it for his friend Chen who owned a couple different car places throughout the area. 

You opened the door and Jungkook’s head turned towards you. “Baby,” he called. You tried to keep the smirk off your face but you crossed your arms and leaned back against the door.

“Oh, so now I’m your baby?” You said, running your tongue along your teeth with an unimpressed look on your face. Jungkook sighed heavily, knowing that you were going to be pissed with him, he was lucky you came at all. Especially after how he treated you the last time you two saw each other. 

Namjoon sighed, used to the bickering and sour looks shared between the two of you here and there. “I don’t know what caused it Y/N, but he seems pretty sick. He might need to go to the doctor.”

Jungkook was about to protest when you nodded. “I’ll take him,” you said. His eyes flashed red in annoyance but it was brief. 

“Chen’s already given him the rest of today and tomorrow off,” Namjoon said. “So hopefully that’ll give him some time to recoup, but if he needs more just have him give us a call.”

You nodded, reaching for Jungkook’s hand. He took it, sitting up slowly. You read his energy and found yourself immediately concerned. He seemed to notice your worry and sighed deeply before standing and leaning against you. Without much more ceremony you ledhim to your car.

Neither of you said much as you got him in and started off towards his place. You would have to do an energy transfer for him tonight, luckily it would just take a few potions or a spell to replenish his energy, sex worked as well but ultimately the cause had you concerned. 

His human body was starting to deteriorate.

When you arrived you grabbed him and helped get him inside his house.

He was panting softly and laid back on his bed in a huff.

“You need energy,” you whispered, leaning forward to give him some of yours to ease some of his pain. Jungkook turned his head to keep your lips from connecting in the way he needed. “You’re being a shit, either let me help you or delete my number.”

Jungkook frowned, swallowing hard before turning his head so your lips could connect. He breathed deeply in relief as your energy flowed through him softly. Your energy had always been soothing to him, but right now it seemed to help immensely.

He’d missed you.

When you moved to pull away he grabbed you by the back of your neck and connected your lips again. You kissed him with a gentleness that he wasn’t used to, your lips gliding over his softly and with a warmth that was addictive. 

He loved your bites and eager kisses but this… This had things stirring in his stomach that frightened him.

Jungkook was afraid of very few things. But your genuine care for him scared him most of all. Because he knew he didn’t deserve it. Jungkook wasold and angry and yet, more exhausted than anything.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and settled in his lap. Kissing him a bit more to relax him. The energy would settle soon enough and he would at least be able to tell you what happened. 

“Baby,” he called, voice raspy and tired.

“Yes, Kook, what’s wrong?” You cooed, running your hands through his hair to ease him into accepting your energy. The more he fought it the less it would work. “Relax baby, I can’t help if you don’t let me.”

He nodded, head dropping into your neck as he simply tried to feel you. It had been a long time since he’d needed a transfer from you but each time he always forgot how easy you made it. 

“Good job, sweet boy,” you praised, kissing his cheek and temple.

Jungkook sighed heavily against your skin, placing tender kisses there as well. “Can I have more energy baby… please?”

You smirked. “Do you want the potions? I know they taste bad but they work, or we can do a direct transfer through sex-”

“Yes,” he said quickly. 

You chuckled softly before nodding. “That’s fine then, lay back baby,” you said, undoing his belt and getting his pants unbuttoned. 

“Fuck,” he sighed, head tipping back in bliss as you touched him. He felt encompassed by you and your soothing energy.

Your hand slipped in his pants and squeezed his cock gently to encourage him to harden. Your kisses on his jaw and neck stayed sweet but they were firmer, something told you he needed to be babied today. And even though it was rare, you adored it every time. You pushed his pants down further so they wouldn’t be in your way, sending him a look as you spat on his cock. You wrapped your hand around the shaft and pumped slowly, watching the pleasure write across his features. 

“F-Fuck, yeah-ah,” he whimpered, eyes shut and brow furrowed in ecstasy.

“Getting so hard so fast, gonna feel so good in my pussy baby,” you cooed, taking his hand and leading it under your skirt. 

Jungkook’s eyes practically sparkled at the fact you were so wet. “Soaked-you’re soaked angel,” he moaned, touching your core carefully.

You hiccuped a soft sigh of pleasure before leaning down and taking his cock in your mouth. Jungkook’s breathing stammered at your hot and wet throat swallowing his cock.

You’d always done it so well, and Jungkook could say he would die happily if you were sucking his dick. “F-Fuck, angel, please-mmm,” he groaned, his other hand gently caressing the back of your head. “Sweet tongue, feels so fucking good.

You swirled your tongue around the head of his cock before eagerly swallowing it again. Jungkook’s submissive whines had you clenching your thighs together as his fingers snuck inside your panties.

“O-Open your legs-please, wanna touch your pussy, need to feel you,” he whimpered.

Without much ceremony you did as he asked, opening your legs to let him touch you. Jungkook moaned at the feeling of your slick heat against his fingers, he plunged two inside of you causing your throat to tighten around his cock, giving him a rush of heady pleasure down his spine. He could feel you everywhere. Your energy coursing through him, your hot mouth on his dick and your juicy pussy dripping down his fingers. He was quickly getting overwhelmed in the best way. He wanted more of you, more and more until there was nothing left to give. He wanted to give you more too.

He desperately wished he could sometimes.

“Koo~” you moaned on his cock, rutting your hips gently to remind him you were currently soaking his hand and needed some stimulation or you were going to lose your mind. 

“Yeah angel baby, soaking pussy feels so good...”

You whimpered on his cock, using the vibrations to pleasure him that much more. But his fingers were working so much slick from your core you knew you needed to have him inside or you were going to go insane. He cried out when you pulled away, eyes wide with need. You kissed him then, giving him a touch more energy to help ease his frantic breathing. He shivered when you climbed on top of him, your warmth and wetness seemingly everywhere. 

“Ready baby? Want me to put you in?” you asked, tugging your panties off and slipping your skirt down and off of your legs. 

Jungkook nodded quickly. “Please, please baby let me feel you,” he said, reaching for you as you crawled back into his bed. You smiled and rubbed yourself against his cock teasingly for a moment before Jungkook looked about ready to cry. 

“Alright sweetie, I’ll stop teasing now, take what you need,” you said, easing yourself down on him. Jungkook’s hands settled at your hips, huffing out desperate breaths of pleasure as your tight heat swallowed his sensitive cock. 

“Yes! Yes fuck, feels so fucking good angel, oh baby,” he cried, sounding wrecked already. 

You had a feeling you would be doing most of the work today, so you started gingerly bouncing on his cock. Jungkook’s eyes were sparkling, turning a soft purple color as your magic intertwined with him. You had been training for years to have this level of mana and Jungkook knew he’d only scratched the surface of your abilities on days like this.

Sometimes he wondered how strong you really were. You handled him like you weren’t afraid of him or his powers. Albeit his strength was significantly less than it was back in hell.

Even then though, he was curious.

“Fuck~ Jungkook!” you whined, grinding your clit on his lower stomach. “Please, please baby, wanna make you cum,” you pleaded. “Cum inside me baby, please? Give me your cum and I’ll take it like such a good girl. Your good girl Kook,” you said, reaching down to play with yourself.

Jungkook groaned in pleasure. “So close baby, so close-ah fuck!” he gritted out through his teeth.

“Gonna fill me up? Please give it to me, Jungkook. Wanna have your cum so deep inside.”

He couldn’t hold it back anymore, Jungkook sat up and pulled you close as he rutted deeply in your pussy for a few quick thrusts before he shivered in release. You felt your core pulsing at his whimpers and whines from the pleasure your body gave him. His head was flush against your chest as he panted.

You smiled, running your fingers through his hair to soothe him. Your energy was mellowing nicely with his giving him more color in his face that eased your own heart. “Kook,” you said softly. “D’you feel okay?” you asked, hips and thighs burning from the effort to fuck him, but the pleased look on his face made everything worth it in your mind. 

“You didn’t cum,” he said, reaching down to touch your sensitive clit. He was still decently hard inside of you, but you knew he didn’t have long. “Wanna make you cum angel,” he said, rolling his hips up into your gingerly.

“Mmm, baby,” you called in a pitched tone. “Won’t take much, I’m so close,” you hiccuped, resting your head on his shoulder. 

Jungkook grunted, his cock was sensitive but your sweet moans kept him up long enough to feel that tight squeeze from your pussy and the rush of slick that soaked his cock in response. “Fuck, yes, yes give it to me,” he begged. 

You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly. You scanned his energy quickly and felt relieved to know it was almost back to normal. “Thank you baby,” you said, patting his cheek with a dizzying smile. 

“It’s not as good if you don’t cum, love feeling you squeeze me,” he sighed in bliss, your warmth still holding his cock nicely. 

Sometimes he liked this. He liked just feeling your body against his, his cock inside you for a few moments after you both came. You got wetter and slicker and your walls felt so nice on his cock he thought it would make him cum again some days. 

You smoothed your hands down his back, holding him close as your energy finally settled and his eyes changed back to their regular brown color. 

With wobbly knees you got up and headed towards his bathroom. 

Jungkook laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. He wanted a cigarette but he’d run out the night before.

You came back and stood before him. Jungkook could see up your skirt and he was trying not to focus on that as you stood there with a waiting expression.

He inhaled deeply. “I know you read my energy. You know what’s happening to me,” he said.

“I want to hear you say it to me,” you stated.

Jungkook nodded, agreeing with your demands of honesty. Finally.

“Not all demons are without humanity. Some have more than others, yet I always seemed to stray towards more rather than less… there was a woman, I slowly found things I liked about her. Then things I enjoyed… then things I found myself smiling about on my own. I was endeared to this woman… I loved her in a sense,” he said, staring at the ceiling.

“And yet, it wasn’t enough,” he breathed. “My fellow knights laughed at me, then berated me for genuinely showing care towards a human. As one of the high knights of hell I was expected to have higher standards than disgusting humans. So they bound me in a human body, locking most of my powers away, so I would no longer be able to communicate with the human I once cared for. And then I was given the quota I told you about… and five thousand years to make it happen. If I didn’t collect a thousand souls then I cease to exist, it’s starting. My timer is running out.”

You swallowed thickly. “How do I help you stop it? How do I help you?”

Jungkook gave you a tired smile. “Baby, I don’t want to ask that of you. I’m so old now, this life doesn’t matter to me anymore.”

You felt a few tears well up in your eyes despite yourself. “It fucking matters to me…” you whimpered. “You matter to me.”

Jungkook was stunned. “Y/N,” he said, reaching for you.

You sat on the bed next to him. “I don’t want you to disappear. What will happen if you collect all one thousand souls?”

“I will be reinstated in Hell,” he murmured. “I won’t disappear and I will be back to full strength once more.”

You swallowed hard, nodding your head. Either way you’d lose him, but at least one way he’d still be alive… “Then let me help you, I don’t want to see you die like this.”

Jungkook sighed deeply. He’d never had many friends. He had people he kept around for convenience, but overall he’d kept to himself throughout the years. You were the only one in recent history that he’d told anything to. Perhaps he could truly do this. He could be reborn in hell once more.

And when he got back to hell… he could rip those knights apart for what they put him through…

He nodded. “I’ll need your help,” he said.

“You have it,” the words fell easily from your lips. “I won’t let you die like this.”

“Then I won’t.”

—

Jungkook hadn’t expected you to take this so seriously. And yet, here you were in his apartment. You had your glasses on and were gazing at your spellbook as a potion boiled on the stove. Jungkook alway thought you used a cauldron.

‘You think my tiny ass apartment could fit a cauldron?!’ You’d cried in annoyance at his teasing.

So here it bubbled and boiled and no doubt would cause trouble for Jungkook when he would ultimately have to clean it later.

“Baby,” he called, moving closer to you with your cup of coffee.

You’d stayed the night last night-Jungkook may have fucked you stupid enough he was worried about you driving. There weren’t any sisters of the coven stopping by soon so you could spend the night wrapped in his sheets. And you did exactly that.

You had ten months and twelve days to complete the task Jungkook had been given.

Ten more souls in ten months.

You’d already gotten a list together of possible cities you could look into. Once you had your potion perfected, Jungkook could go out and find his prey with minimal difficulty.

You took the cup from him, setting your spellbook aside as he sat across from you on the couch. You sighed and removed your glasses, rubbing your sleepy features before taking a sip of the hot coffee.

Jungkook watched you and gave your knee a squeeze. “Don’t use up too much energy baby. I’ve got ten months,” he said.

“Ten months isn’t a long time for a witch, nor is it for a demon, we need to work quickly before your condition progresses,” you said, drinking more of your coffee.

Jungkook crawled forward, taking your coffee from you which caused a pout to befall your features. He set your coffee down and crawled on top of you, laying his head right under your chest. He’d crawled between your thighs and was lying entirely over you.

“Need more energy?” You asked, running your fingers through his hair. 

“No, I’m fine,” he said, resting against you.

You chuckled before resting back, hand still playing with the hair on his head. Recently, Jungkook had been craving these more than his cigarettes. Simple touches, soft kisses and conversations. Jungkook had never felt so at ease before. Even in his life as a knight of hell.

Jungkook rested heavily against your stomach, laying in between your legs. You knew this could be a side effect of your energy transfer-but it had been a while since he’d needed one. Usually the clinging from your energy would dissipate in a day or two.

It had been at least a week at this point. So what made Jungkook so snuggly? You didn’t want to complain about a sweet thing however.

Jungkook leaned into you more, curling around you as you kept rubbing his scalp. He seemed happy to just stay like this for a while. And you wondered what was causing such a change in him. Was this what he was like with those he trusted?

Sweet and softer?

Or was this purely for you-

No.

You couldn’t think that way, not about Jungkook. Either way this ended with him leaving you… you had to keep focused, you were doing this for your friend.

Your truest friend.

Jungkook snoozed on your belly, content to laze about while you did the hard work. But your heart broke a little more that day.

As you slowly started to fall for a man without a soul.

--

You’d been stressed today. 

Jungkook could tell that you were just by the cute frown on your face, it seemed to have a permanent place on your pretty features today. It always appeared when you were frustrated or angry. He’d seen it directed at him several times, but right now it was at the potion you were working on. 

There was a new ingredient you were sampling in it or something to that effect, Jungkook didn’t really understand much of what you were doing to be honest. But it was clear you were stumped for now. It was almost two o’clock in the morning.

“Y/N...” he trailed off, approaching as you sighed deeply.

Jungkook rarely said your name, so to hear it come out you knew whatever he said next he either was serious. 

“Time to take a break,” he whispered, standing behind you in his kitchen. There were bags of ingredients all over the kitchen and it would no doubt be left there until later when you two woke up. You’d been staying at his place more and more lately and he couldn’t find it in himself to complain. He had access to your sweet lips and body daily, but it seemed rare that he wanted sex recently. Not that he wasn’t attracted or he was disinterested, it was merely there were other things about you that he was finding more and more interesting. Sex would always be one of his favorite activities with you, but right now he felt that he was learning new things about you everyday. It had him excited in ways he hadn’t been in centuries. 

It also had him concerned. 

Jungkook was a demon, he shouldn’t be having feelings like this. It almost shouldn’t be possible. It was not in his design to care much about people or have interest in them other than striking deals and killing them to collect their souls. 

But Jungkook pushed all of those worries and thoughts to the back of his head. 

Because your frown had appeared again, and that sweet pout he wanted to kiss. 

“I’ve almost got it,” you said, voice soft and sleepy. 

“I’m sure you do baby, but you’re tired and you won’t work well when you’re falling asleep,” he said, kissing your shoulder. “Come to bed...”

You leaned back heavily against him, looking up at his face while you sighed. With a tired smile you patted his cheek. 

“I don’t want to give up for the night yet, you go to bed, I’ll join you in a bit...”

Jungkook wasn’t going to take that for his answer. So he turned the burner on his stove off and lifted you into his arms deftly. You didn’t have it in you to fight him, you expected this result anyways. 

He laid you in bed and crawled in next to you. He pulled you into his embrace and sighed heavily as you snuggled in. He wrapped you up in his arms and you looked at his expression and gave him a smile. A real one. In reward he returned it, kissing your lips before laying back on the pillow. 

“Sleep baby, we can try again in the morning.”

His words soothed something inside of you, the desperate thirst to have this potion done so you didn’t waste any more precious time. 

You could waste a little time though, right?

Here in his arms you thought you could waste a lot more time than you had...

—

A weekend trip to the city was easy to conceal from your coworkers and sisters. You claimed you wanted a weekend away from coven activities-which was a bold-faced lie as you would be using magic in public which was almost exclusively forbidden. And doing it to help a demon. 

Needless to say you hoped no one in your coven ever found out about this.

Jungkook grabbed his bag and tossed it into the back of his car as he got your stuff in too. “Got my keys baby?”

You tossed them across his car and he caught them, moving into the drivers side and opening your door for you. You climbed in and buckled up and shortly thereafter you were on the road.

You and Jungkook turned on a playlist and drove out of the town's limits and made it to the highway. Jungkook changed the playlist and you two settled in for a while.

After a bit, Jungkook reached over and grabbed your thigh, driving with one hand on the wheel. You looked down at his hand before gazing back at him.

“What?” You asked softly.

Ten months and three days. That’s how long you had left.

“Just wanted to.” 

Your mouth curved into a shy smile before you placed your hand on his, afterwards your fingers intertwined in your lap.

Soon, you rolled into the city. Jungkook had gotten a decent hotel room for a few days for you two to have a home base. You’d find sections of the city where the next soul was and Jungkook could go out at night and collect.

His powers made it discrete however. Usually the attack was made to look like a natural cause. Rarely did it arouse suspicion. All by design.

When you two made it to your hotel room, Jungkook was quick to attach himself to you. He’d been less interested in solely gaining sex from you recently. However it had been a while since your last romp.

His lips found your neck as you tried to get your stuff out of your bag.

“Kook, what do you want?” You huffed as his hard length brushed against your ass. An aroused shiver rushed through you, sex being a little less frequent between the two of you had you more sensitive to his touch than usual.

“Wanna fuck baby, please?” He asked, rutting against your core softly.

You rolled back against him, unable to help yourself in this instant. His body felt so good and you were more than willing to have him between your legs.

“Yes, fuck me, Kook,” you breathed.

Jungkook didn’t waste much time, he hooked his fingers in your pants and pulled them down quickly. Your panties were damp and Jungkook purred at the sight. “You’re so wet baby,” he smiled, his hand dipping in your panties while he kissed your jaw.

You couldn’t help the soft juts of your hips into the cup of his pelvis, causing your ass to grind against his cock. “Fuck… Jungkook,” you whined, head rolling back on his chest. A soft chuckle escaped him at your needy tone.

“Yeah, m’gonna fuck you so hard baby,” he said. His fingers found your wet folds, sinking two inside your entrance shallowly, causing you to clench desperately.

You held his wrist, whimpering in need. “Please, please,” you panted. “Need something inside. Need you inside me, Kook.”

Jungkook kissed your jaw, a smile on his face. “Want my cock baby? Want it in that sweet little pussy?”

“Yeah~” you pleaded. 

With a deep sigh Jungkook took his hand from inside your panties, tasting your slick and moaning. 

“I need to eat your pussy first,” he said, turning you around and laying you on the bed. You laid back on the bed, peeling your legs open so that he could lay between them. Jungkook grabbed your panties and tossed them away. He breathed out in an eager pant. His eyes were locked on your core and then he looked at you. 

“Wanna eat it baby?” you asked, smiling at his hungry eyes. 

“Yeah,” he whined. “Let me have it, please baby let me eat your pretty pussy. Make you cum so nice,” he said, licking his lips.

Jungkook looked at your core, furrowed brows as he seemed as if he was almost in pain. “Please…”

You nodded. “Okay baby,” you said with a grin. “Take it then.”

He captured your lower lips in a hot kiss, moaning deeply as he licked between your folds to gather more of your sweetness that had him addicted. “Fuck… yes,” he groaned, moving to hold your thighs apart so he had better access to your dripping core.

“Kook!” You whined, head falling back on your shoulders as your fingers wound into his hair. “Fuck, fuck your mouth!” You cried.

Jungkook was eager to eat, it seemed that no matter how much time he spent between your legs it wouldn’t be enough. He’d always wish for one more minute, your sweet cunt on his mouth and your wetness gathering on his tongue had his cock pulsing in need. But he didn’t care about that, getting you soaking wet for his cock was all that was on his mind.

He took your clit between his pretty lips and started sucking harshly. He swirled his tongue around your sensitive bud before going back to suck again. You mewled in pleasure, thighs trembling at his heady touches. His middle and pointer fingers rubbed over your core before catching at your entrance. With a soft smirk he pushed his two fingers inside your hot walls. 

“Jungkook!” you cried, grabbing his hair harshly. He just moaned in acknowledgment, happily slurping the wetness you leaked as he thrust his fingers in and out of your pussy slowly. His eyes shimmered at the sight of your slick coating his digits as it always did. 

“I love your pussy so much, fuck,” he growled, lips and chin covered in you. 

“So close, Jungkook,” you begged, the throbbing in your walls a clear sign of your oncoming orgasm. 

He smirked again, before pulling away. You were about to cry for him to keep going when you heard him unbuckling his pants. With eager hands you moved forward to grab at him, pulling him closer as he chuckled at your neediness. 

“Don’t laugh at me,” you scowled.

“Sorry baby,” he cooed, kissing your jaw. “Gonna make you squirt on my cock to make up for it huh?”

You felt the rush of his words tingle down your spine. He rarely didn’t mean what he said. And you were his good girl. If he wanted you to squirt on his cock then so be it.

You two quickly got worked up as Jungkook kissed you breathless and you tugged his pants down his thick thighs. He pulled his shirt off of his body and your eyes always widened. His tattoos were on full display and his toned body moving on top of you had stars forming in your eyes. 

“You’re such a slut for a hot body,” he smirked, eyes dark and swirling with red undertones. 

“I’m a slut for your hot body, yes,” you corrected. His eyes widened at your statement, but you were pumping his dick in your hand and he quickly felt his need for you taking over. 

“Then let me put it in,” he sighed, naked now.

You were pulling your bra off when Jungkook leaned close. You looked at him in bewilderment for a moment before you smiled and wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. 

There was this... sensation in Jungkook’s chest. Your bright eyes, teasing smile and sweet kiss encasing him and making him feel...

Lighter.

You laid back once you were naked as well and Jungkook moved eagerly to get in position. You giggled as he dragged you closer, adjusting you so his cock was now level with your pussy.

“Gonna put it in now baby,” he said, pushing just the tip of his cock inside before pulling out. You cried in impatience and Jungkook nodded, listening to both of your desires and pushing in further. Your fingers gripped the sheets of the bed and Jungkook rubbed your clit with his thumb to ease any tension from you so you could take him easily. He pulsed inside your cunt, a shiver of bliss running down his spine. It felt like electricity flowing through him. Your pussy was warm and snug around his cock and he could feel your wetness leaking down onto his balls already and he smiled. 

“Jungkook! Please, please move,” you whined, eyes watery and pretty. 

“Yes angel baby,” he agreed, thrusting inside of you with a steady pace. 

The two of you moaned in appreciation of the other. Jungkook’s thick cock filled you in every way you wanted and needed, hitting all the right fucking spots. You’d never had another partner make you feel this way in the over one hundred years of your life. You clenched tightly and Jungkook swore he almost lost his fucking mind. He grabbed your thigh as he ground his pelvis against yours after every other thrust, holding himself up with the other hand. He was rewarded with your decadent cries.

“Fuck! Jungkook, fuck me baby, please, more-I need more,” you begged, grabbing his upper back and shoulders desperately. 

Your wish was his command. He moved your thighs so your knees touched your ribs and started fucking you harder. The sound of your wet pussy swallowing him filled the room and he could hardly think. The only thing driving him was your cries and the pulsing in his lower stomach. 

“Fucking wet pussy, yes-yes!” He sighed, his head tipping back for a moment as the pleasure of the moment overcame him.

“So big-so full!” you whimpered. 

Jungkook smiled at your mewling cries, they coursed through his veins and made his chest tighten. Bringing you to this point was always so exhilarating. He loved pushing you to your limits and watching you shudder and gasp as he forced you to take it over and over again while the sparkle in your eye never faded. You wanted to take it, take him. You loved challenging him and bringing him to his knees just as often as he did to you.

“Yeah, take my big cock, snug little pussy takes my cock so well,” he growled, leaning down to kiss you with dark passion. He sucked on your lower lip before capturing your tongue in between his lips instead. 

“Ahhh~” you whined, his hips pushing harder and harder against yours. He finally released your tongue and pulled you into another deep kiss before giving two more firm thrusts before looking at you, his eyes swirling with their beautiful red hue.

“Wanna fuck you from behind baby,” he purred, pulling from you and encouraging you to roll onto your belly. He spanked your ass, gripping the flesh between his fingers and watching you writhe in need for him.

“Please Kook,” you begged. “Put it back in...” you said, wiggling your hips to entice him. Jungkook spanked you again, causing you to gasp in pleasure. 

“Wait for my cock you needy girl,” he said. “I’ll make it worth it,” he promised, leaning down to kiss your shoulder. You leaned your head to the side and reached up to cradle his neck. Jungkook trailed his hand down to your soaked pussy, throbbing with the need to cum. He slipped his fingers inside of you, reaching his other hand around your throat to tilt your head up. You watched him tower over you while his fingers plunged in and out of your sopping pussy. 

Jungkook bit his lip while watching your eyes glaze over with the desire to cum. He loved bringing you to this point. Needy, eager and pleading for the pleasure he can deliver to you. “Sweet pussy baby, wanna cum? Wanna cum on my fingers?” 

You couldn’t even form words with how good he felt. Your mouth was open as you panted your pleasure out in desperation. 

“Or do you want my thick cock making you cream and squirt?” He teased, curling his fingers to hit that spot inside you that had stars swirling in your vision. “What does my angel want?”

“Kook, p-put your cock in, need it!” You rasped, feeling far too fucked out to handle anymore teasing.

Jungkook honestly couldn’t wait much longer either. His stomach felt tight with desire and he really needed to cum. 

“Okay baby,” he cooed. Honestly, Jungkook was at his limit too. He couldn’t wait to feel the walls of your pussy wrapped around him while he plowed you into the bed and finished inside. Fuck, he wanted it so badly. 

Finally he lined up with your entrance and pushed inside slowly. A soft cry came from your lips that Jungkook shushed, a lazy smile on his face. “Don’t cry at me baby, I’ll fuck you even harder for it.”

Little did Jungkook know, you wanted the rough treatment right now. You wanted more of it. He sighed in bliss when he bottomed out in your tight cunt, a deep seated pleasure boiling in his stomach. He couldn’t wait to feel you cream around his cock. You were flat on your belly, legs together but ass perched slightly up so Jungkook slid all the more easily. 

“Yeah... just like that, good girl angel, that’s my good girl,” he said, starting to pick up pace rather quickly. You didn’t need him to be careful, you needed him to make you cum. 

“Kook-Jungkook!” you cried, gripping the sheets between your fingers as he started pounding you just as he promised. 

He couldn’t help the grin that fell over his features when he saw that ring of your cream forming at the base of his cock. “Fuck, fuck baby you look so good like this. Letting me fucking cream this pussy, ah~” he whined at your clenching walls sucking him in-begging in their own right for his cum. 

“Please kook, so close, let me cum baby, please-I need it, need you Kook!” you cried. Jungkook’s hands found yours as he leveraged his hips so he could go even harder inside you. 

“Gonna make me cum baby, make me cum fuck,” he huffed out, breaths coming in short pants. His brow was sweaty and the muscles in his thighs were trembling from the position he was fucking you in. But he didn’t care. Because your pussy was working him over and his balls were tensing as he waited for you to rut those cute little hips back. 

Like clockwork you did as he expected, one of your tells you would be cumming soon. “Fuck, Jungkook! So close-so close!” you squealed, gripping his hands desperately as he was slamming into you. The wet squelching noises of your pussy were driving him up the wall and the view of your ass while he wreaked havoc on your body.

“M’gonna cum, angel, tell me where you want it,” he said, panting against your ear as he leaned over you. 

“Inside baby, want all your cum inside me,” you whined. 

He growled deeply, kissing your neck and biting down while he rutted inside harshly. “Take it then, cream my cock while I fill you up,” he said, another passionate snarl leaving his lips.

You answered with your own sweet mewls of pleasure, egging him on, whispering more naughty things to make him fuck you that much harder. 

It didn’t take much longer before you both found yourselves thrown into orgasm. You first, walls squeezing him tightly, pulling him over the edge of bliss alongside you. He breathed hard against your shoulder, kissing along your skin to ease both of you through the intense sensations. 

His cum started seeping past his softening cock and Jungkook finally found the ability to move once more. He wandered to the bathroom and got a few washcloths to clean the pair of you up with. Soft kisses were placed along the crown of your head, your cheeks and lips. “Such a good girl, angel baby,” he praised, more words of affection lain across your skin with his mouth. 

Jungkook crawled into bed with you, pulling your frame close. “You alright?” 

A soft chuckle escaped you, curling into him with practiced ease. “Yeah, m’good,” you said, eyes drooping slowly.

He smiled at you then, and you felt an odd pulse go through you. 

The sooner you helped him, the faster he would slip from your grasp. These moments with him were fleeting, each time closer and closer to the last time you’d be entangled like this. Each kiss counting down in big red numbers. Your heart squeezed, and before you knew it, tears started to fall from your eyes. 

Jungkook startled at the sudden change in emotion from you. “Hey, what’s wrong baby? Y/N?” 

For a moment you really thought. 

You really thought that you two could love each other...

--

Jungkook left your room late that evening. He kissed your head as you slept, curled up in the sheets naked. Jungkook almost didn’t want to leave you, he wanted to sleep as well-he wanted to hold your warm frame against him as he did.

These thoughts were starting to concern him. These were the very kinds of thoughts that had damned him to spend five thousand years on Earth. He wasn’t keen on suffering for another five thousand.

As a demon, Jungkook wasn’t sure if he should be able to feel these things. He was starting to care for you. He wanted to spend time with you, he wanted to be around you. But he knew that your time together was limited. Either he died or was sent back to hell, and either way you two would lose each other in the end. 

It made him angry that this was your fate.

He didn’t want his time with you to be on a countdown. But the world is cruel by design and there was nothing Jungkook could do. You would ultimately be ripped from each other. 

As he walked down the streets, Jungkook took your potion you’d made to help him navigate all the different souls at once. Jungkook wasn’t used to hunting like this anymore, it felt like decades since his last hunt. Perhaps it was, he wasn’t sure at this point. One thousand souls is a lot of people to collect from, and five thousand years is a long time to be on Earth. He was always forgetting the time before he met you.

Now, his time had never felt more limited. 

Jungkook weaved through the people of the night, watching with keen eyes that were enhanced with your potion. Your potion also enhanced his other abilities, his strength and allure were heightened as well. 

Everything would increase Jungkook’s likelihood of taking a few souls tonight. 

He slid into a seat at a random dive bar, he charmed the bartender to give him a free drink as he walked through the people. There was a woman here, she was in her early thirties. Jungkook followed her, projecting a different face to lure her in. 

Jungkook approached her cooly, speaking in soft tones and shy smiles to coax her into divulging her name. He handed her the drink and she blushed softly. The poor woman was in love with her boss, who was married. There was no way they’d ever get to be together. He always felt moderately bad for these people, but before he met you he thought they almost deserved it in a sense. That’s what they got for getting their hopes up. But now.... 

He led her outside into an alleyway where he seduced her just a bit more. Jungkook breathed her name out, capturing her lips in a kiss, and soon her soul was traveling from her to him, absorbing into Jungkook as he caught her, laying her down on the ground. It looked like she merely had a heart attack and fell over in the alleyway. 

A sad ending for her. 

Kerri Jesen...

Jungkook walked away from the scene, his old persona melting off and his regular human form, although the feeling of a soul coursing through him had his heart pounding in his chest. It was a rush, almost like getting high. His head was spinning and his mind was reeling, but he knew this was simply due to the fact he hadn’t been collecting souls as frequently. 

Usually demons didn’t get this kind of rush.

Jungkook was wandering the streets towards the hotel when the distinct feeling of being watched fell over him. 

He didn’t stop moving, but he knew it was a witch tracking him. His mind was still a little hazy from the collection but he knew that it wasn’t supposed to last much longer. He didn’t head back to the hotel yet. He didn’t want to lead an angry witch right to you if he had a choice.

Just as he was about to turn another corner, a blade was presented to his throat. Jungkook stopped moving, the witch brandishing her blade scowling at him. 

“Demon,” she spat at him.

“Witch,” he spat back.

“You murdered my sister,” she growled, slicing at him with her knife. He dodged it easily, but he really didn’t want to fight. She wasn’t going to count towards his quota so there was no point in killing her, except to get her off his back. 

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” he answered honestly. 

“I saw you!” she yelled. “You were at the bar! Then you shifted,” she said, taking another deep jab at him. 

He dodged again, but he could tell she was going to cause a scene with the way she was going. He had to get out and fast. When she lunged again, Jungkook took her by the wrist and threw her onto the ground and took off running. He ran towards the hotel, his only instinct was telling him to head for you.

He bolted into the elevator and then took off towards your shared room. It was almost two am, he didn’t want to wake you but he was afraid he wasn’t going to be given an option. 

“Baby,” he called, walking into the room. 

You were asleep on the bed, curled up right where he left you. He moved closer and kissed your shoulder. “Baby, Y/N, we gotta go,” he said, urging you to wake. 

You did so slowly, exhaustion filling your limbs and making them heavier than lead. “What? What’s wrong Kook?” you murmured, reaching for him slowly. 

“Need you to get up, we’ve got trouble,” he said. 

Your eyes cleared and you moved to get dressed quickly. Jungkook was starting to grab your stuff when the window to your room shattered. 

“Fuck!” You screamed, falling back on the floor as the witch jumped through the now broken window. 

“Y/N!”

The witch stood and glared at you. You felt the hostility and rage pouring off her in waves. Whatever Jungkook did, he really really pissed her off. Without much more ceremony you stood and blocked her from Jungkook.

“What are you doing?” you asked, voice firm. “What the fuck is going on?”

“That fucking demon killed my sister-and you... you’re a fucking witch! What the hell are you doing with a demon anyways? Did you summon it?”

“Him,” you corrected. “I didn’t summon him, I’m helping return him to hell,” you stated calmly.

“And helping it return to hell involves fucking it?”

You bristled at her tone.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” you warned, feeling your magic swirl in your fingertips. 

“Baby-”

“Don’t Jungkook, you stay behind me right now,” you stated. 

The witch looked at you with curious eyes. “You love this demon?” 

Jungkook’s head snapped to you as you stared straight ahead. This witch was bad news. She wasn’t from your coven, but she was from one in this region you were certain. This was exactly what you didn’t want to happen. Because now she was picking a fight with a different coven. And she knew. She knew you were falling in love with Jungkook and it was her greatest weapon against you in this moment. 

You hardly had time to blink before she made her first attack, a flash of lightning directed for Jungkook. You didn’t even move in order to cast your magic,  you made a ward that protected him entirely without even the lift of a finger. 

“You’re strong, how old are you?” she asked, like the question was an average thing to hear from another person.

“Old enough to know when to pick my battles. I don’t want to fight with you, and Jungkook doesn’t either-”

“That demon killed my sister! I won’t let it live,” she growled. 

“I won’t let him die,” you said with a deep tone. Your eyes flashed purple and you sent magical flames towards her feet. They wouldn’t burn anything but the intended target. She shrieked and jumped onto the bed, rolling and throwing a knife towards you. With a quick flash you stopped the blade in the air and turned it towards her, propelling it forward with your magic. 

Jungkook was stunned to say the least. He’d never seen you use your magic like this before. He didn’t even know you were capable of this much mana manipulation and things of the like. He knew you were strong before because of how much energy you’d always been able to give him, but this was on an entirely different level.

“You’re betraying your sisters for this?!” the witch cried. 

“I am,” you said, a shot of ice towards her. Elemental magic was much more complex than most witches understood, so to have you wielding it so effortlessly had Jungkook impressed all over again. 

She dodged it. 

“What’s your name huh? What coven do you belong to?” you asked, warding against another attack. 

“My name is Maya Tudor, I’m from the Coven of Nyx Rienhardt, and we will not tolerate the murder of one of our own,” she hollered. 

“You’re not supposed to act on your own,” you said, blocking more of her attacks. “You’re meant to report this to Nyx herself. She would then dispose of me how she sees fit,” you said, pushing back against her. “Acting on your own without the thought of your sisters is just as damning. Isn’t that what I’m doing? You’re acting no better than me, little witchling.”

Maya shoved back against your wards, causing you and Jungkook to stumble onto the floor. Jungkook caught you, holding you close as Maya attempted another strike when you snapped back with a whip of ice. 

She cried as the magic burned her skin, causing a blister to form along her arm. “Fucking bitch!” she snarled, standing back as Jungkook pulled you to your feet.

“Come on,” he said, pulling you towards the door. 

The pair of you booked it down the hallway, the sound of Maya hot on your heels made you concerned. People weren’t supposed to know witches and demons or anything in regards to the supernatural. Maya was breaking more rules than you were at this point. 

Jungkook and you made it to the parking garage.

He was just trying to get you to the car so you could gather a bit of your strength to help the pair of you get away. At least for now. 

“Jungkook, slow down!” you cried, stumbling over your feet. 

“Can’t, we gotta get out of here Y/N,” he said, pulling harder. 

“Jungkook she’s gonna hear you-fuck!” 

With a pained whimper, you fell to your knees. The car was just a hundred yards away. “Y/N?!”

You held your side, as a small dagger peaked between your fingers. Jungkook kneeled with you, looking at the damage. You’d survive, he just had to get you in the fucking car. 

Unfortunately, it seemed you had different plans. 

You lifted yourself up onto your feet, wavering slightly as you stared at the brat of a witchling who you knew wouldn’t know any better. But honestly, this was too much. You weren’t going to lose Jungkook to her.

Yourself on the other hand...

“Enough,” you said, pulling the dagger from your side and dropping it to the floor. Maya looked at you with disdain evident in her eyes.

“I will get revenge for my fallen sister,” she growled.

“I won’t let you hurt him,” you declared firmly.

Jungkook swallowed hard. This witch was different then he’d originally anticipated. He was starting to sense a difference in her magic. You were taking most of the hits and he wondered why, up until now. 

She could slay a demon with the blade she’d hit you with. 

Banishing magic. 

No wonder you were being so fiercely protective. One hit with those blades and Jungkook would be killed. Or at the very least, sent back to hell.

But you were already hurt, he didn’t want to see you get injured even more. 

“Baby,” he called softly. 

“Don’t, don’t distract me or she’s going to-”

She sent rapid fire bolts towards you that you had to work hard to dodge, messing with your orientation enough that you stumbled. Jungkook tried to support you but you waved him off. “Go, go baby, get out of here.” 

Jungkook scoffed in shock. You were going to sacrifice yourself... for him?

That’s when he understood what Maya said in the hotel room. 

You loved him...

Jungkook’s throat got tight as he thought about you. However, his heart didn’t race. It couldn’t, he couldn’t love you the way he is now. Even if he was more human than most demons, he was still-ultimately-a creature of chaos. A creature that didn’t have a typical set of emotions. 

Although he knew... He knew deep within himself had he been human, he would love you. He’d love you with everything he was if... if only he could. 

Perhaps he should do this for you. He should make the call and give you the last thing he can.

His life. 

It would always be yours.

You and Maya were going back and forth. You were doing harder work, protecting yourself and Jungkook as Maya made ground with her attacks. The wound on your side was aching, and there was nothing you could do about it. Not without losing more of your energy that could be spent protecting and hopefully getting this bitch to leave you and Jungkook alone.

You were sweating, the magic energy finally starting to drain. However, the witchling didn’t look much better. If you could just hold out a little longer. 

Unfortunately, there was a hidden trump card. 

Maya shouted an incantation before you were surrounded with bright light. The pain hit you first as you thudded to the ground gasping, Maya had slammed you with lightning. You weren’t even able to get a ward up to protect yourself from the exhaustion coursing through your veins. Jungkook moved in front of you.

Maya stalked towards Jungkook with purpose. You whimpered from the ground, looking at him with a pained expression. He just gave you his smile before turning to face the witchling once more. 

“If I let you kill me, will you leave her alone?” Jungkook asked.

“Jungkook, no!” you cried desperately.

Maya considered it for a moment. “Yes, her coven will take care of her.”

You tried to get up, sending a bolt of ice towards her once more. It threw her on her ass for a moment before she was aiming another lightning bolt in your direction. 

“Y/N enough!” Jungkook said, looking back at you. “I’ll do this for you, okay?”

“No, no please don’t do that,” you begged. 

Maya approached Jungkook, taking the invitation and slamming a blade into his back. With a grunt Jungkook fell to his knees. 

It hurt like a bitch.

But the look on your face was infinitely worse. You looked so sad. 

“Justice for my sister has been served, I will leave you to your coven.”

With that, the witchling limped off, her powers effectively drained just as much as yours. If not more so. The only reason she won is because you were doing the work of two people. 

It didn’t matter now. 

“Jungkook,” you cried, crawling forwards to grab him. 

He was bleeding black blood, it was pouring out of the deep gash from the knife in his back. The banishing magic made it so he couldn’t heal himself. Not even your energy would save him now, not like you had enough of it to spare. 

“It’s okay,” he said softly, looking up at you. “This should be enough,” he huffed. 

“No, I don’t want you to die please,” you said, voice watery and eyes tearing up. 

Jungkook smiled at you. “Don’t cry baby, please don’t cry-I hate it,” he said, reaching to wipe your tears with his thumb. “I’m not worth crying over.”

“You are to me!” you sobbed. “Jungkook... I lov-”

“Shhh,” he shushed you. “I don’t deserve to hear those words,” he said, laying back. “I couldn’t even use my powers to protect you because of how far I’ve let myself fall... You had to make me a fuckin potion so I could hunt, baby,” he coughed. “Don’t say those words to me, I want to say them back but I can’t...”

You were crying hard enough for your shoulders to shake. “Please Jungkook, I don’t care if you can’t say them. I don’t care,” you promised.

“I do,” he whispered. “I want to say them to you someday. But not yet, save it for then...”

You nodded, barely able to speak anymore. “Don’t go...”

Jungkook breathed out slowly. “I’ll see you... again... Promise...”

With those words, Jungkook’s human frame disintegrated into ash, his clothes left behind in your lap and the blackened blood from his wound staining your hands. You gripped his shirt and cried desperately. You cried until your head ached.

You’d lost... everything.

--

Jungkook woke up in a forest. He wasn’t familiar with this place. 

Was he wrong? Did he not get sent back to Hell? 

“Nope, you didn’t,” a calm tone called from behind him. Jungkook whipped around to see a shorter man with blonde hair looking at him with peaceful features. 

“Who are you?” he asked, stumbling backwards. Where was he? And what was going on?

“I’m Jimin - and to answer those questions stumbling around in that head of yours - we are currently in purgatory,” he said. 

“How-”

“Can I know what you’re thinking?” he asked, finishing Jungkook’s statement. He rolled his eyes.

“Stop that,” he demanded. “I thought I would end up in Hell, why am I in purgatory?”

Jimin sighed deeply. “It’s complicated. But, I’ll explain it the best I can... You are a demon that is being punished by the Knights of Hell for acting in the interest of a human - is that correct? You’re Jungkook?”

“Yes, I am,” Jungkook confirmed. 

“Very well, then I am here to offer you a wish.”

Jungkook’s eyes widened. “A-A wish?”

Jimin smiled, eyes disappearing as he chuckled. “Yes, a wish. Just one. You were a demon that sacrificed your life for the life of another. We Angels have deemed that you are entitled to a wish for your acts,” he explained. “Choose wisely,” his voice turned serious. 

Jungkook could hardly believe what he was hearing. A wish? For saving you? The woman he wanted to love. He still had this feeling in his chest that he didn't deserve it. He didn’t deserve you. But, maybe he could. If he tried. If he made his wish and found you again, would you take him back? Would you let him love you properly this time?

There was only one way to find out. 

“It seems you’ve thought of a wish?” Jimin said with kind eyes. 

“A life - with her,” Jungkook breathed. “I wish for a life with her.”

“It will be a human life, you won’t have any magical abilities or powers. I can give you enough money to sustain you for a time but nothing longer than a year. From there you are on your own. If you die or are injured before finding her there is nothing I can do about that,” Jimin said. 

Jungkook nodded. “I want a life with her, that is my wish. As long as I can be with her that is all I want.”

“Then that is how it shall be.”

--

How had three years gone by already? 

You asked yourself this as you wiped down a counter at your job in a local cafe. Your coven had exiled you. You were extremely lucky they didn’t kill you. But they’d taken your magic-giving you enough to leave town and never return.

With that you hadn’t looked back. You only looked ahead, the only person you wanted could be out there right now. Right this very second. You only had enough magic left for a few tracking spells, and they’d led you to the countryside. A smaller town, but big enough to hide in if necessary.

You were hoping he was here. Your magic had never steered you wrong before, you just wanted to see him again. 

Was he alright? Did they hurt him in Hell? Was he still a demon or was he able to become human... 

All these thoughts swirled in your head. You cleaned the counter tops and the other tables and helped your boss, Seokjin, lock up for the evening.

“Alrighty,” he said, wiping his hands off and smiling. “You’re free to head home! Felix comes in tomorrow morning so you can take the day off if you want?” he said, a twinkle in his eye.

You tilted your head but nodded regardless. “Alright...”

What an odd one this guy was, but you decided to let it go-just appreciative of the day off tomorrow as you’d been working doubles the last week. 

Seokjin came closer with a smile. His irises flashed a bright neon green for just a moment. You could’ve sworn it happened but somehow you almost doubted your own eyes.

“Go home safely, Y/N, don’t worry about tomorrow here Felix will cover for you,” he said. “Have a good evening.”

With that, he placed his baseball cap on his head and trotted away.

Your mind clicked for a moment but all you could feel was appreciation.

No wonder Seokjin accepted you so quickly.

One exiled witch helps the other...

A small smile was on your face as you made your way back home to your apartment. It was tiny, but it was home and you honestly rather preferred the small space. You’d worked hard to make it cozy and welcoming and-

What the fuck?

The door wasn’t latched. You’d locked and latched that door when you came home. The only other person who had a key is Seokjin which you gave to him for emergencies only and this-

“Baby?”

Your head snapped up at the voice you thought you heard. But when you finally laid eyes on him, it was hard to believe he was actually here.

You looked at him, unable to process that he was actually there. Right there in front of you and you could just reach out and touch him but... the tears started faster.

“What...?” your voice was weak and breathless.

Jungkook stood before you, looking almost as if he’d never left. His hair was still long and curly. He was dressed in decent enough clothes, nothing fancy but he looked strong and well fed. Your heart was trembling in your chest at the mere thought of him coming back to you.

He was a demon, he didn’t have to do anything like this for a simple witch turned human. But here he was, standing inside your apartment.

“Hi...” he trailed off, looking sheepish.

“How did you...?” you asked, slowly moving closer into the apartment and out of the chill of the night. “How did you find me?”

Jungkook shut the door behind you and you turned to fling your arms around his neck. He caught you easily with a shy smile on his face. 

“I’ll always find you,” he said, like in some cheesy romance movie. But it made your heart throb in longing all over again.

“Are you a demon? You don’t feel like a demon-”

Jungkook snorted at your questions, knowing that you still couldn’t quite believe he was here. He held you close by your waist, kissing your temple as you breathed him in. “Baby... I’m not a demon, I’m human, just like you,” he said. 

It couldn’t be possible. You didn’t just hear those words from him. “H-Human?”

He pulled back from your embrace just enough to look into your eyes. “Look, I don’t have any demonic energy,” he said, his eyes deep brown and there was nothing underneath them but warmth. 

Human.

“How?” you asked, reaching forward to touch his face with a shaky hand. He held your hand against his face and leaned into your touch.

“Because I didn’t want to live without you,” he said. “I wound up in purgatory, and Angel granted me a wish due to me sacrificing my life for yours-I wished for... for a life with you, because my time with you-well... I only got a taste of it and I want more, I want more of those days like the ones at my place. I just want to be with you.”

Tears thatched along your lashes as you pulled him closer again.

“Can I say it now?” you whispered against his chest.

Jungkook laughed softly and kissed your head. “I hope to hear it often,” he said, leaning down and pulling you into a sweet kiss. “But wait just a bit longer,” he said, kissing you again.

You were wrapped up into his embrace as he pulled you back towards the couch. You eagerly followed, letting the moment of your reunion fuel this passion boiling in your stomach. 

Jungkook kept kissing you, almost as if he were trying to remember every inch of your lips. His hands trailed down your body, squeezing and moaning softly at the alluring softness. “Fuck... Fuck baby,” he grit out.

A teasing smile made its way onto your face. “Yeah? What do you want, Kook?” you nudged your nose against his. You sat down on the couch and pulled him closer by his pants. 

He sucked his lower lip between his teeth, watching with hazy eyes as you fished his hardening cock out of his pants. “Please baby, suck my cock for me, missed your pretty mouth so much,” he said, running his thumb from your jaw to your throat and pressing gingerly.

Your lips ran over his cock tantalizingly and Jungkook had to swallow to make sure he didn’t cum on your face. He hadn’t been touched since the last time you two were together and having human stamina now made it a little harder to refrain from his eagerness.

But, Jungkook knew what patience meant, so he calmed himself but his cock was heavy and throbbing in your hands.

“Fuck... must hurt to be this hard,” you said, and before he could growl at you to get started you swallowed his cock with practiced ease. You ran your hands up under his shirt and dragged your nails down his lower stomach while you sucked his cock deeper into your throat. 

Jungkook’s hand made it into your hair, gripping it as you bobbed your head to pleasure him. He sighed out harshly through his nose and you knew he was enjoying it. If you could smile you would’ve, his little tells were still the same. He smirked down at you, watching as your pretty eyes locked with his.

“Suck it so well baby, always so good for me my angel,” he groaned, voice turning whiny at the end. “Fuck!”

You took his balls in your hand and palmed them gently. Jungkook’s eyes rolled back in his head, breaths coming out short and stilted at your pleasuring him. You pulled off him for a moment to catch your breath. “Love sucking your cock baby, love it so much,” you smiled.

Jungkook laughed a breath out and ran his thumb over your bottom lip. You bit on it gently causing him to smile. “You wet for me?” he asked, his eyes sparkling. 

You dropped his cock and quickly pulled your pants off as you sat on the couch. Jungkook mirrored your actions, taking his clothes off as you laid yourself on the couch with your knees up, hiding the place he wanted the most right now.

Now, Jungkook wasn’t above begging. In fact, he rather enjoyed it from time to time. He crawled to you, naked and smiling. His hands wound around your calves and squeezed them gently before placing kisses along your shins and ankles. 

“Please baby,” he said, lips trailing along your skin and leaving goosebumps in their wake. “Please open your legs?” he asked, voice sweet and pleading. “Gonna let me eat this pussy? Want my tongue on you?”

You smiled and pulled him in for a kiss while opening your legs so he could touch. He kissed you passionately before leaving tender smooches along the soft swells of your skin. Your breasts first, capturing a nipple between his sinfully sweet lips as his hand trailed to your dripping pussy. He let out a desperate breath against your chest when he pushed a finger inside your heat. “Fuck, fuck baby your pussy-fuck,” he said, moving from your chest to your core with deft movements.

Jungkook looked at your core swallowing his fingers and you couldn’t help the mewls falling from your lips. “B-Baby!” you whined softly, running your hand through his hair. 

“Yeah,” he breathed against your core. His eyes flicked up to yours and they swirled with hunger. “What is it baby?”

You swallowed hard, biting your lip. “Eat me baby? Please, so needy for you,” you begged. 

One of your favorite things about sex with Jungkook was he could be in charge one moment, then the next second you could take it from him. It made the intimacy between the two of you spontaneous and alluring. Jungkook knew you just as well as you knew him and that was exciting. It made you cry for him, begging for the pleasure and bliss you knew only he could give you.

“Alright angel, lean back and let me make you cum,” he said, pulling you closer by your thighs so he could eat your pussy the way he wanted. He placed several warm kisses along your inner thighs before running his tongue through your folds with a fat lick to your clit. You cried softly for him to continue, which he did.

Jungkook made each lick on your center hotter than the last, running his tongue over your clit differently each time. Your feet twitched when he sucked on your core with his plush lips. “Fuck, fuck-Jungkook!” you whimpered, pulling his hair back and away from his face so you could see his flushed face between your thighs. 

“Taste so good baby,” he moaned, smiling before licking into your cunt once more. 

“K-Koo,” you said. “Please baby, wanna cum,” you moaned sweetly.

His chest throbbed at the sound of your pleased noises. He really wasn’t sure if what he felt with you before was love, but now? Now he knew it wasn’t, because the feeling in his chest... the one taking home in his heart right now was absolutely love. 

“I’ll get you there baby,” he promised, sucking your clit into his mouth. He pushed two fingers inside you this time, making your stomach clench in bliss. 

“Yeah~ Right there Kook, right there baby please!”

He worked you up further and further, pushing his fingers along with his tongue to create a tension in your belly that had you fit to burst. But just as you would feel yourself cresting to that perfect orgasm waiting for you, he’d slow down or remove his mouth from you entirely.

After the third time you cried at him for it.

“Koo! Baby, please-lemme cum, wan’ it,” you begged, your hairline was sweaty and Jungkook smiled at your desperate sounding voice.

“Tell me one thing baby, then I’ll let you cum,” he said, working you up for the fourth time.

“Anything baby, anything you want.” Your weak tone made him smirk.

“Tell me you love me baby, say you love me and I’ll make you cum,” he said, moving over you to kiss your lips while his fingers still played between your legs.

Your heart stammered in your chest at his request. But it was an easy smile that made it to your face as you answered him after your kiss. “I love you,” you murmured, kissing him with those beautiful words fresh from your lips.

He wanted to kiss those words, he wanted to kiss you and tell you the same... “Baby, Y/N,” he breathed, capturing your lips in a reverent kiss. “I love you,” he said. 

Jungkook was stunned at how simple it was to say, and yet it made his heart quake. “I love you, Y/N,” he repeated.

“Jungkook,” you gasped when he pulled his fingers from you to put them in your mouth. You cleaned them as he seemed to want and he moaned with the need to be inside you. Although you were just as eager. Your hand reached down to pump his woefully neglected cock. Jungkook moaned against your temple, hips rutting slightly at the stimulation.

“Want me to put it in now?” he asked, voice breathless.

“Yes,” you whined. 

Jungkook didn’t make you wait, taking his cock and lining it up with your soaking pussy. He gave you a look and you just nodded, giving him your consent and with that he pushed inside slowly. You both moaned in pleasure. “Fuck... fuck you’re so wet,” he panted. 

“Jungkook!” you cried out. He kissed you desperately then, his mouth searching and hot against your own. 

“M’right here baby, always gonna be right here,” he said, voice tender against your skin.

You mewled at his gentle thrusts to open you up. It was so much and yet not enough. “More,” you pleaded with him, hands finding his back.

A sharper thrust made your eyes roll back. “Right there?” he asked, eyes wild and chest heaving. He’d been holding off really well but now that he was inside of your pussy it was game over. He loved being inside of you like this far too much. “Baby your pussy feels so good. Fuck, fuck please,” he gasped.

You smiled at his frantic features. He didn’t want to cum without you. It was sweet, but he really didn’t need to worry. You had almost cum just from him putting it in. 

“Jungkook, c-close,” you said, eyes watery and pretty in the evening light.

He nodded. “I’m right there too,” he whispered, thrusting harder and harder into you. It had you seeing stars. He kissed you, sucking on your lips and tangling your tongues together. “Yes, yes, fuck...”

The tightening in your stomach was finally on the verge of snapping once more. Jungkook was whispering sweet words into your ears as he pounded you against your couch. “Fuck-fuck!” you sobbed, arms wrapped around his neck as he covered your body. 

You felt a heat in your belly as your orgasm rushed through your body in deep pulses. Jungkook was stunned as you creamed his cock, pulling him along shortly into his own climax as he painted your walls white with his release.

He groaned your name against your neck, shivering and gently coaxing the pair of you through your two highs. You turned your head to kiss him, smiling softly. 

“Holy shit,” he laughed, looking at you with a dizzying smile. “Give me a second baby, your pussy almost killed me.”

You snorted at him, kissing him once more regardless. “I missed you,” you said tenderly, pulling him closer. Even as his cock softened inside of you.

Jungkook kissed you back, cradling your head as he pulled out. His eyes met yours and he gave a sweet smile. “I missed you too, but I’ll be here from now on... I’m yours, if you want me.”

“I’ve always wanted you, Jungkook,” you said, kissing his jaw and relishing in the afterglow that was settling into your warm body.

“Keep me then,” he said with a smile.

“I’ll keep you-forever...”

[chimcess]

→ Chapter Nine: Landscapes Pairing: Jimin x Reader Other tags: Werewolf!Jimin, Witch!Reader, Shifter!Reader, Shifter!Jimin, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha!Jimin Genre: Supernatural!AU, Werewolf!AU, Angst, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Smut, Word Count: 10.2k+ Synopsis: Within the four realms of Lustra lay the Bangtan forest home to the Foxglove pack of the south and known as the “land of magic.” It is also home to the Bridd, a powerful witch from a cursed bloodline who is one of the sacred guardians of the forest. Y/N is the newest Bridd, a young girl who was given her position too early. Now a woman, Y/N is revered amongst the wolves as the most powerful witch they have ever known, but hiding under the surface is a woman who has to battle between her duty and her heart. Warnings: ANGST, strong language, PTSD, flashbacks, self-hate, self-depreciation, talks of death, nosey birds, Moland is a lot of fun to write about, (sorta) theft, home sickness, magic, very tame A/N: Don't know how I feel about this chapter. It was a bit difficult to write. I think you'll understand why in a moment. Thanks for reading!

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Namjoon pov

I stood in the cramped boat house, the scent of Bridd lingering faintly but unmistakably fresh. It was a small concession I could offer Jimin, a flicker of hope in a sea of frustration. Hoseok had instructed me to search outside and follow the trail, a task I’d already performed yesterday. Jimin, in his usual manner, insisted on a double-check. Today’s search yielded better results; I could discern the subtle shifts in the scent. Bridd had stood exactly where I was standing no more than forty-eight hours ago.

“She’s long gone,” Hoseok’s voice echoed clearly in my mind, despite the distance between us—five miles at least. “Wonder where she went.”

“Taehyung mentioned Viridi Gramine,” Hyuna interjected, her focus sharp and unyielding as she scanned for any trace of Bridd. “Do you think she might be headed that way?”

“Doubt it,” I said, tracing the scent from a small cot on the floor to a rusty fridge. “I don’t think she was ever planning to visit our cousins.”

Hyuna mulled over this, while Hoseok wrestled with guilt. We had all chided him for it, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that if he had been able to speak to Bridd and Jimin, none of this would have happened. Apologizing for his perceived failure, the younger wolf returned to pondering Bridd’s whereabouts.

“Not far,” Hyuna mused thoughtfully.

“She could be out of Moland by now,” I said, my tone edged with concern. “I have no clue which direction she might have taken. She could be lost out there.”

The thought unsettled us all. Hoseok, knowing Bridd’s limited experience with the outside world, worried about her lack of navigational skills. Without a map, she was likely adrift. Hyuna, however, believed in Bridd’s survival instincts. If she had to fight, she could, and her shifting abilities would serve her well. Most likely, she had flown over the swamps and into Clarcton—an efficient and practical choice.

“That makes the most sense,” Hoseok agreed, his mental voice tinged with resignation.

Following her scent outside, it abruptly stopped at the small deck adjacent to the house. She must have shifted from there. We had hit a dead end. Hoseok let out a frustrated huff, while Hyuna attempted to calm him. I could now catch my sister’s thoughts, fraught with anxiety and worry. Yeong-Mi had always been prone to migraines and panic attacks; her stress was palpable.

“Shut up,” she snapped at me, her irritation clear but tinged with underlying stress. “He’s right, oppa,” she addressed Hoseok. “You can’t blame yourself. We all know who’s really to blame for this.”

Sol’s face flickered in her mind—distorted and unfamiliar. Yeong-Mi’s memory of Sol was tainted, a far cry from reality. She had no intention of facing the Luna again anytime soon, a sentiment Hyuna echoed with a delighted giggle. Hoseok mumbled something about Sol only trying to help, but none of us paid it much mind.

“Sol can’t bear all the responsibility,” I gently rebuked my sister. “Bridd still made the choice to run off.”

“If she had just minded her own business,” Mini barked, her frustration boiling over, “Bridd wouldn’t have fled! God, how could she say that to Jimin Oppa when we all know how stressed he’s been?”

“An idiot,” Hyuna snapped back, her anger flaring once more. “Between Bo, his brother, and the copiae, the guy hasn’t had a moment’s peace.”

I had tried to remain neutral but found myself agreeing with Hyuna. Sol had overstepped her bounds. Taehyung’s reaction to her misjudgment offered some solace. The boy had yet to touch his mate since Jimin’s frantic panic the night he discovered Bridd’s empty bed. Rumors of their constant arguing since her disappearance were spreading through Bangtan.

“Eun-Jin mentioned that Jimin said Bridd was heading to the Ozryn mountains alone,” my sister added. “I haven’t been around him since she left, so I don’t know the full story, but he’s devastated.”

Hoseok growled at Jimin’s name. Mini defended her favorite alpha while I reminded him of the bigger picture. Sol’s misleading information had set off a chain reaction. Jimin’s reaction, driven by incomplete information, had resulted in his current turmoil. Hoseok vehemently disagreed until Hyuna asked him how he would have reacted if he had believed she was going off to harm herself after recovering from an injury.

“She’s alone out there,” Hoseok grunted, his resolve wavering in the face of his wife’s reasoning. “He should have never let that happen.”

“It’s not his fault,” Jong-Hyun, Jungkook’s older brother, chimed in, having returned from his eastward search. “They’re both stubborn, and I doubt Bridd would have allowed him to come along. Ji-Hyun mentioned they had an argument the afternoon she left. He feels partly responsible for what’s happened.”

I growled, “That boy’s attitude is going to get him hurt. Is that why Callisto’s been even more irate than usual?”

Mini laughed, “I think that’s just how she is around you.”

We shared a laugh, the tension briefly easing. Hyuna and Hoseok had found each other, and my sister was their next stop. She was almost to Syrena, and the couple wanted to go for a swim. We declined their offer—I had no desire to be a magindara’s next meal. Yeong-Mi chose to wait with us, keeping an eye out for any elves.

I drowned out the cacophony of voices, focusing instead on the faint, elusive trail I was following. The swamps were vast and treacherous, a labyrinth where finding Bridd seemed almost impossible. Fear gnawed at me. I hoped to God she was out there, safe and vigilant, though I knew she wasn't invincible.

I sat by the murky water, staring into its depths as if it might offer some answer, until Hyuna’s voice broke through. Taehyung was looking for me. My father was worried about a group of elves spotted in the northwestern corner of Moland and needed me out of the forest. Jimin, stubborn as ever, refused to come home. Taehyung needed my help to strategize. Hyuna had looped back to meet me near Bridd’s now-destroyed cottage.

“We’re leaving him out here alone?” I asked, a hint of disbelief in my voice.

“Of course not,” Hyuna replied, her small red form bristling slightly. “Jong-Hyun and Hoseok are keeping an eye on him. He’s deep in the forest somewhere.”

She was disappointed about their postponed beach trip but chose not to dwell on it. I tried to offer some comfort, imagining them swimming and laughing together another day, but she waved it off. She was grateful, but the thought of discussing it further would only trouble Hoseok.

“And he hasn’t found anything?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Hyuna confirmed.

As I stepped into Bridd’s clearing, the sight of the wildflowers struck me. Her garden was a riot of colors, an oasis of beauty amidst the desolation. Her cottage, surrounded by a lush garden of vegetables, fruits, and herbs, seemed almost surreal. A porcelain birdbath stood at the front, perpetually full, as though enchanted. The perfect, curated meadow seemed a divine attempt to keep Bridd from sinking into despair. Hyuna lay in the grass near the ruined house, her face etched with sadness. Taehyung had said an elf caused the damage. Bridd’s scent still clung to the remnants of her home, but it was fading.

“I wanted to go inside,” Hyuna said, her gaze fixed on the gaping hole in the cottage’s front. Her sadness was palpable. “But I don’t think Jimin would appreciate it. This is the only place that still smells like her.”

“He’s been here,” I said, noting the strong, fresh scent of Jimin. “Is he sleeping in there?”

She nodded. “I think he’s trying to fix things up. Jungkook mentioned it to Cadoc. Jimin’s obsessed with getting everything right before she comes home.”

We exchanged a look. Neither of us held out much hope that our little bird would return soon. I had more faith in Bridd’s survival skills than Hyuna did, but neither of us knew when—or if—she would come back.

Hyuna recalled her trips to Bangtan when she lived in Viridi Gramine. The Ozryn mountains were harsh, unforgiving, and lethal. Despite her royal lineage and traveling with the most skilled guides, there was always a risk she might not return. After finding Hoseok, the thought of crossing those mountains had never crossed her mind until her mother fell ill.

I had never traversed the Ozryn myself, but Hyuna’s memories sent a chill through me. Bridd might very well perish out there, and no one could prevent it. I considered suggesting that Jimin and I abandon Foxglove to search for her, but a single glance from Hyuna wiped the thought clean. We couldn’t leave the village without more information.

Bridd’s death would shatter Jimin, and Taehyung and Sol’s marriage—already strained—would likely fall apart completely. The Park family would never be the same. I desperately hoped she would return to her senses, but deep down, I knew she wouldn’t. The fierce determination in her eyes when I visited her cottage after Sol’s birthday spoke volumes. Bridd had more fire in her than Hyuna realized.

“She’s never seen so much of the world before,” Hyuna whispered, her voice as if confessing a forbidden truth. “How can she know where to go if she doesn’t even know what to look for?”

“She has maps—”

“Maps that predate the industrial revolution,” Hyuna cut me off sharply. “That girl is lost, and you know it.”

I didn’t need to say more; we were in agreement. I reminded her of Bridd’s tenacity when threatened, recounting our fight outside the cottage. Hyuna chuckled, acknowledging Bridd’s fighting spirit but still worried. When Bridd was in the infirmary, the witches had mentioned her fainting spells. How could we be sure she wouldn’t collapse out there?

“We don’t,” I admitted. “We just have to have faith. For Jimin’s sake. For her friends’ sake.”

“And Bridd’s,” Hyuna added.

“And Bridd’s,” I agreed.

A distant howl pierced the forest, signaling it was time to move. Taehyung rarely shifted anymore, so it had to be urgent. Hyuna decided to accompany me and wait for her husband at the Temple, her thoughts wandering to the prospect of confronting Sol, though I chose to ignore it.

As we neared the village, I heard the voices of the other copiae joining the search. Ji-Hyun’s loud complaints about his sister-in-law’s dramatics stood out. Hyuna fought to suppress a snarl, her thoughts simmering with anger. The younger wolf quickly dropped the subject, but my distaste for him remained. Taehyung shared my sentiments and told the Park boy to head home for the day. Ji-Hyun managed to keep his thoughts to himself long enough to change, severing our connection.

“Irrumator,” Hyuna grunted, her thoughts shifting from Ji-Hyun to Sol.

I chuckled. “He’s young. Cut him some slack.”

“He’s older than Taehyung!” Hyuna snapped. “He should know better. What he said to Bridd was out of line. How can you defend him?”

I bowed my head, conceding. I respected Hyuna enough to avoid an argument, especially with the looming threat of war. Disagreements with her would mean disagreements with Hoseok, and that was something we couldn’t afford right now.

“It’s not defending him,” I said, trying to keep annoyance out of my voice. “I just think this is a time for unity. Arguing over something we can’t change is pointless.”

Hyuna huffed but let it go. I felt a small victory in that, knowing we needed to focus on more pressing matters. Taehyung’s thoughts reflected his inner turmoil. While he agreed on the need for unity against our shared threat, he was hurt and betrayed by his closest friend’s disappearance.

Sol stirred complex emotions within me. My yearning to lead had once blinded me to her true nature. When Taehyung was chosen over me, I was disappointed, but any lingering romantic feelings vanished. I was genuinely happy for him, even if my actions didn’t always reflect it.

Sol had always been obsessed with Jimin, her infatuation apparent in her teenage ramblings. Ahn had asked me to escort her while she shifted, and her incessant daydreams about Jimin were the last thing I wanted to hear. I found myself wanting to be at her side, to lead, and her thoughts of me were less than flattering.

Sol’s heartbreak over Jimin’s lack of interest was palpable. She had desperately sought his affection, willing to overlook her mates. Jimin, though kind and cordial, had rejected her advances. I understood now, and it made sense. He was deeply devoted to another.

Sol’s life took a nosedive into chaos the moment she found herself wrapped in Taehyung’s arms. At first, confusion and disbelief painted her world in shades of gray, but soon, that confusion melted into something pure, almost ethereal. It was as if she had been in love with him all along, as if it was written in the very fabric of her being. For Taehyung, the feeling was a mirror image of hers. Before Sol, his heart had been tethered to a local girl named Minji. But love, it seems, has a way of changing the script.

Still, Sol’s obsession with Jimin was almost automatic, a reflex she couldn’t control. They were closer in age than most of us (except Taehyung), though Jimin was still seven years her senior. He was always kind and thoughtful, qualities that drew her in like a moth to a flame. When she heard he might be in danger, she rushed to his side. What she told him, which I knew only because Jimin couldn’t stop replaying that night in his head, was meant to soothe him. Yet, she shoved her friendship with Bridd aside, put her trust with Taehyung on the chopping block, and risked straining her bond with Jimin himself—all to protect his fragile heart. It would have been admirable if she’d taken a moment to think, rather than barreling into his house like a bat out of hell, spewing melodramatic, and frankly, distorted versions of the truth.

The fallout was catastrophic. Jimin’s argument with Bridd was fueled by Sol’s words. The man was already on edge. His pack of fifteen had dwindled to seven, the newer recruits too green to be of much use. Stress and frustration boiled over the moment Sol’s dramatic tale hit his ears. She painted Bridd as a suicide-bound lunatic, claiming the witch was deceiving everyone about her intentions, determined to atone for her past sins. It was absurd, though not entirely untrue, but it came from a teenage girl who hadn’t truly listened. To Jimin, all he could hear was his mate marching to her death to atone for her silence.

The whole situation with Bridd was surreal. I was irritated by her reluctance to share her visions, but that frustration faded when I realized the depth of her fear and helplessness. We weren’t on good terms. Foxglove had distanced itself, and Ahn had been vocal about his plans to visit her cottage. I couldn’t blame her for hesitating to speak up when the threat was uncertain. Ahn might have had her killed.

“He would have been a fool,” Hyuna mumbled, breaking the silence.

“When wasn’t he?” I shot back, my tone dry.

Everyone shared my sentiment. Bridd was the last person to blame. Her actions, once she understood the gravity of the situation, revealed her true care. Cadoc’s account of waking up to find the little witch, broken and bloodied, but still determined to reach Foxglove, was enough to reduce even the toughest to tears. The second her eyes opened, all she could think about was getting back to Foxglove. Any lingering doubts about her intentions evaporated. Only a few, Ji-Hyun among them, remained wary, but they were making an effort for the pack’s sake.

At the village’s edge, I parted ways with Hyuna. She gave me a brief farewell before I shifted. I was more private than the others, especially Hoseok and Hyuna, and they were accustomed to giving me space during the shift. It was my most vulnerable moment, and I loathed feeling exposed.

Bangtan had various items of clothing stashed away, none of them tailored or particularly stylish, but they were functional. My mother was responsible for keeping the copiae clothed and cared for, a job she took very seriously. It was one of the few things my father felt proud of. He often demeaned her, telling her she needed to do better, be better, spouting the same old demeaning slogans the older men in town were fond of. I could never see the faults in any of the women, especially not my mother, but she never commented on it, and neither did I.

I found a pair of large, baggy pants and shifted. After putting on the cotton garments, I decided to forgo a shirt and made my way to the Temple. Taehyung was waiting for me, and I didn’t want to add to his burdens. I felt I had done enough of that already.

As I walked through the town, I saw Jimin’s mother, Mi-Jeong, helping Jungkook’s father chop wood for his roof. The Parks were an unusual family. Mi-Jeong was outspoken, fierce, and refused to bow to men’s expectations. Her stubbornness was rivaled only by her youngest child. My own family often criticized her ‘atrocious’ behavior, but I had always been fond of Mi-Jeong.

Ji-Hyun, on the other hand, was a quiet boy, favoring his mother with his sharp features and moss-brown eyes. He followed his brother around for years without complaint. That quietude lingered into his teenage years, but when he fell for a human girl, it sparked a fierce possessiveness. He fought for her, both verbally and physically, a devotion that changed him. His attitude was often defensive and quick to judge, but his love and loyalty for his family were unparalleled, even surpassing his older brother.

Jimin had always fascinated me. From the moment he was born, he had the village at his feet. His father had been a formidable figure, embodying the strength our people revered. His choice of bride was unusual, but everyone believed Ji-Won was up to the challenge of handling Mi-Jeong. Jimin, like his father, possessed all the traits of a Park: charm, wit, courage. What set him apart was the hidden sweetness he kept from the world. I saw it. I had always seen it.

The first glimpse I got of that sweetness was when he chased butterflies in his backyard. He was no older than four, but even at that age, boys were expected to show maturity. In public, Jimin was the epitome of a perfect child. Yet, watching him blow bubbles and giggle as he chased a monarch butterfly, I knew his public persona was an act.

Now, that same sweetness was on display once more, though in a far more public and painful manner. Jimin had shut himself off, avoiding conversations and shunning his closest friends, hiding away and waiting for the other piece of his heart to return. It was a strange sight: Park Jimin, usually so strong, now weak and in agony.

As Mi-Jeong’s eyes met mine, I saw the same sadness and worry reflected in her. I hoped her family would pull together, but I doubted it would happen until Bridd returned, if she ever did. The thought of the Park family’s fate if she didn’t come back sent a shiver down my spine. 

I didn’t stop to talk to anyone, as I usually did. My mind was too scattered, and frankly, I was done with conversation. A constant stream of thoughts and voices in your head will do that. Fortunately, no one seemed put off by my silence. We were all grappling with uncertainty since losing one of our strongest fighters.

“Anything new, dog?”

The voice slithered through the air, smooth and grating, a rasp that scraped against my nerves. I clenched my teeth, trying to ignore the familiar sting. With a deep, slow breath, I turned to face the source of my irritation.

Seokjin was there, of course. He had become my personal Dante’s Inferno over the past few days. The man had a grudge that could outlast a vampire’s curse, and he still hadn’t forgiven me for taking a swing at his friend. His face was a storm cloud, eyes dark with disdain. Beside him, Yoongi was a ghost of his former self. He looked worse than ever—thin and ragged, like a paper doll battered by the wind. His hair was a disheveled mess, and his once vibrant blue eyes had dulled further, his pupil barely visible.

“Unfortunately not,” I said, keeping my voice even, though I wanted nothing more than to escape this confrontation. “A few are still out searching, but I was pulled away.”

“Hmft,” Seokjin crossed his arms, a gesture that seemed to tighten the knot of irritation on his face. “Figures.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I snapped, irritation bubbling up.

I never did like much about him.

“You don’t give a damn if you find her or not,” Seokjin’s voice was thick with anger, each word dripping venom. “None of you do.”

My patience was fraying, “That’s not true—”

“It’s that bitch’s fault she’s gone,” Seokjin shouted over me, his voice cracking like a whip.

“Stop yelling,” I said, struggling to keep my composure. The scene we were causing was spiraling out of control. My father would lose his mind. “I know what Sol did. None of us are happy about it, but I’m not a god. I can’t rewind time or bring her back. What’s done is done.”

“Yet you still follow her orders like some lapdog.”

“I follow Taehyung,” I corrected, my voice tight with restrained frustration. “By extension, that means I follow his wife. We’re at war, Seokjin. I’m sorry about Bridd, truly, and I hope she’s safe, but my life doesn’t revolve around her. I have a village to protect, a village she isn’t in. I won’t abandon it to chase shadows.”

Seokjin’s face was a furnace of rage now, tears brimming in his eyes. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for him. Bridd was a close friend of his, and she had abandoned them—harsh words, but accurate in the rawest sense. The others had voiced their disgust when she vanished, their anger directed at our governing bodies. Sol had barred them from the Temple after one of Seokjin’s entourage had lashed out. Since that night, they’d remained cloaked in silence, not a whisper of their departure from the Park house.

“You’re going to let her die,” Seokjin’s accusation was a punch to the gut, raw and brutal.

Yes, if it meant saving my own. Bridd was a distant concern compared to the stakes at hand. I barely knew her; respect didn’t equate to prioritizing her over my sister. In this high-stakes game, I had to trust that she could handle herself and accept it.

“Jin,” Yoongi’s voice cut through the tension, soft yet firm. I had almost forgotten he was there. “Let it be. Namjoon has done what he can. Let’s return to Mi-Jeong’s.”

I was relieved that Yoongi seemed more composed than Seokjin. I sneaked a glance at him and was glad to see his hair growing back, a sign he was getting enough to eat. It was a small comfort, considering the grim reality of his condition. Yoongi’s blindness wasn’t just a loss; it was a nightmare. I remembered how his pain had been described—a brutal assault on his senses, panic attacks ripping through him like storm winds. Samanya had said the spell should have killed him, and his survival, with only his eyesight lost, was a cruel twist of fate.

“But—”

“Drop it,” Yoongi said, his voice a low rumble, stopping Seokjin before he could unleash another tirade. Without turning his head, he addressed me. “I apologize for his callousness. We’re all on edge. I hope you understand.”

This was the most I’d heard Yoongi speak, even during our time at Bridd’s cottage in the Spring. “It’s not an issue. I hope you’re feeling better.”

It was unnerving to talk to someone who couldn’t meet my gaze. Yoongi’s eyes, unseeing and vacant, stared blankly at the village’s edge. His voice was gruff and monotonous, a strange contrast to the depth of the situation.

“I am fine,” he replied. “We’re here because my mother wanted to know how far you believe she could have gone. I’ll tell her that she must have shifted and lost her scent.”

“Thank you,” I said, relieved by his ability to keep Seokjin quiet. “She was on a houseboat for a few hours before she left. Any ideas?”

“Thelma,” Seokjin grunted. “She must have rested and then taken off. Was anything missing?”

I shrugged. “I couldn’t say. Sorry.”

Seokjin shook his head angrily, a futile gesture.

“No need to apologize,” Yoongi said, raising a hand in a dismissive motion. It was unclear what he intended, but I chose not to dwell on it. “We’ll leave you alone now.”

Seokjin opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it. I smirked, feeling a bit of triumph. Yoongi’s presence was a useful deterrent for the annoying one. Scowling, Seokjin wrapped an arm around Yoongi and turned towards the residential district, their figures fading into the distance.

Taehyung was pacing when I finally found him in the Temple library. Books were strewn across the tables like fallen soldiers, pages ripped from their bindings stacked haphazardly at the edge of a massive oak table that had seen better days. His blonde hair was a shaggy mess, the back grazing his neck while the front hung just past his ears. Thick, wavy bangs spilled over his eyebrows, so long they were kept at bay by a headband.

The sight of him worried me. Taehyung was unraveling, a fraying thread in a tapestry of stress. He managed to keep it together during the elder meetings, putting on a brave face to avoid giving Ahn any satisfaction. But anyone could see the cracks beginning to show. Jimin was doing his best to keep Taehyung from falling apart, but he had his own demons to battle.

I had taken it upon myself to pick up the slack where Taehyung faltered. I owed it to both him and Jimin after my role in their exile. Taehyung, ever the forgiving soul, was more generous with grace than Jimin. But I knew I was skating on thin ice. Others might have taken my head for the disrespect I’d shown. Jimin might have if he wasn’t so focused on keeping the peace with his mate.

I needed to focus on the task at hand. Taehyung had summoned me for a reason, and I had to be there for him. His pacing showed no signs of stopping as I entered, a bad omen for the kind of conversation I was about to have. He seemed to find a semblance of calm when we discussed strategy, a fleeting solace in the chaos.

“Sorry for the delay, Tae,” I said, my voice soft and steady, hoping to cut through his distress.

He paused, his eyes bloodshot and glossy, cheeks flushed like someone had poured a pot of boiling water on them. His lower lip quivered despite his best efforts to steady it. Taehyung’s emotional rawness was always a puzzle. He was kind, gentle, a giant child who laughed at his own clumsiness and played with his younger siblings as if he were still a child himself.

He never shied away from tears. When Jimin’s father died, neither he nor Ji-Hyun shed a tear in public, though I knew better than to believe they didn’t grieve privately. Their show of stoicism was celebrated, a mask of bravery they wore for the town. Taehyung struggled to wear that mask as seamlessly as Jimin had.

Taehyung’s father hadn’t died in a blaze of glory. No heroics, just illness. Ahn had called him weak for succumbing to an infected wound, a sentiment not widely shared but unchallenged. My own mother, a loyalist to Ahn, had called him cruel for further tormenting a grieving family.

“I didn’t realize it had been so long,” Taehyung mumbled, resuming his restless pacing.

In that moment, he looked more like his father than ever. Dong-Min had been respected and wise, but he wasn’t the sort to attract crowds. An artist from Viridi Gramine, his works were beautiful, but he remained in the shadows. He’d found his muse in Hana, who had come from an abusive home. They had fled Withertusk together, and their troubles had melted away in Foxglove.

“You’re upset,” I said bluntly. Taehyung preferred directness. “What’s wrong?”

“Have I done something wrong?” His voice cracked, the tremor betraying his tears. “I want your honesty, Namjoon. Have I done anything horrible to her?”

“To who?” I asked, stepping closer to comfort him. His shoulders shook with quiet sobs, an effort to hide his pain from the world. It never occurred to me that he was trying to conceal his suffering so well. I had always misread him. He could only shake his head, eyes squeezed shut as new tears poured forth.

I wrapped him in an embrace, feeling the weight of his grief pressing into me. The last time he had cried on my shoulder was at his father’s funeral, a day when Ahn’s cruel words had cut him to the bone. Taehyung had stumbled out of the building, bleeding and torn, begging me to hold him. My father, showing rare kindness, had taken him home to clean up.

“You could never wrong her,” I said, not great with comfort but hoping my words would help. “Whatever happened between you two is just a wrinkle in time. Sol is angry with herself. She loves you, and she knows how much you love her.”

Tae sniffled, his cries muffled against my shoulder.

“Not Sol,” he sobbed. “Y/N.”

That was a harder pill to swallow. I could spout meaningless platitudes about his mate all day. Their love was a given. Taehyung had been furious with her for talking to Jimin behind his back, but I knew they’d work through it. Their bond was strong. His relationship with Y/N, though, was a different matter. I had never witnessed it firsthand, but I knew it was meaningful. Taehyung saw her as the older sister he never had, but I felt ill-equipped to guide him through this grief.

“You didn’t do anything to her, Tae,” I reasoned. “She made a choice to leave. She didn’t harbor ill will towards you. She even left you a note with your necklace. Doesn’t that say something?”

The red gem from Bridd’s gift pressed against my skin, a bittersweet reminder of her kindness. Taehyung had worn the necklace since reading the note, a gesture he hadn’t truly earned but had been given nonetheless. I had my own connection to Bridd through that journal she gave me, which had turned into a poetry book. I respected her, and that respect guided me in my attempt to console Taehyung.

“I told Sol,” Taehyung whimpered. “I told her after she asked me to keep quiet. It’s all my fault—”

“I’m done with the blame game,” I sighed, gently pushing him back to arm’s length. I gripped his shoulders. “Everyone’s been wallowing in self-pity. Y/N left to find help. No one forced her to do that. You and I both know she’s capable. Stop acting like she’s dead. She’s out there trying to help us. We need to stay focused.”

“What if she…” His voice faltered, unable to utter the word “death.”

“Then we make sure her sacrifice isn’t in vain,” I said, releasing him. “We plan, strategize, and fight tooth and nail against those things. For Bridd.”

I didn’t relish invoking her name this way, but I knew Taehyung would cling to it. Her name was a beacon of hope in this dark time. His eyes ignited with a renewed fire, the heat returning to them.

“For Bridd,” he echoed, as if making a solemn vow.

Inside, I prayed for her safe return. I was unsure how long this newfound fire would last, or what would happen if it burned out of control. Taehyung was obsessive by nature. As a child, he painted like his father, sculpted like our grandmother, and later, dived into gardening. Now, I feared his focus would be consumed by this war. He wasn’t ready for what was coming, but I had to believe in his strength.

“You should go see your mom,” I said sincerely. “I’m sure Jong and Jin miss you.”

I left unsaid my concerns about him being cooped up in the Temple since his return.

He nodded, “I will. Let one of the maids know I’ve left. I don’t want Sol to worry.”

“You’re not telling her you’re leaving?”

He frowned. “We’re not on speaking terms at the moment.”

Oh, Bridd, why did you have to leave? Why did Sol have to stir things up? Seeing Taehyung so defeated was a blow. The fire I had ignited in him didn’t soothe my worries. He was still adrift, and I feared my attempts at comfort had done more harm than good. Maybe it would have been simpler to let him cry it out. Navigating whether I’d said or done the right thing was a far more daunting task.

The day slipped through my fingers like a handful of sand, the minutes eroded by the grind of endless work. After my talk with Taehyung, he had gone off to find his siblings, while I remained buried in the heavy silence of the library. Despite our grim business of war, we still had our East Coast obligations to handle. Hours ticked by as I drafted warnings and travel advisories, scribbling frantically until my hand ached. 

When the time came to face the maps spread across the tables, I hoped the change in scenery would spark a breakthrough. The library was a cavern of paper and ink, and I dived into its depths, searching for something—anything—that might tip the scales in our favor.

But the talk of war had become a cacophony of angry voices. My father and Jimin were at each other’s throats, each stubbornly clutching their own version of strategy. My father wanted to march straight into Northorn, to meet our enemy head-on. Jimin, with his uncanny knack for seeing beyond the obvious, thought it was nothing short of idiocy. He argued that the elves would have the upper hand on unfamiliar ground. Our pack knew the forest better than anyone; it was our home turf, and it should be our advantage. 

Jungkook and I were on the same page, much to my relief. We didn’t want to die, but if the situation demanded it, we would. He leaned towards Jimin’s strategy, favoring a defensive stance in Bangtan. It made the most sense—until the elves found a way to stir up trouble.

The witches from Syrena arrived in the late afternoon, a storm of anger and despair. Their leader had fallen during the attack, leaving them in the care of the swamp witch. I felt a pang of sympathy for them, as they stumbled into our midst. Their rage was palpable, their grief a raw wound that bled into everything they did.

Yoongi was on my mind again. He was adjusting to his blindness, but the idea of him fighting was laughable. He was a fantastic fighter when he could see, but now he was little more than dead weight. It was a shame—he had been a force to be reckoned with, even if a spell had temporarily taken him out. I had no doubt he’d be back, even if it meant defying orders. His death, when it came, would be a dignified one.

Then there was Seokjin. He surprised me in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Despite my dislike for the witch, I had to admit the man could fight. He had defended his girlfriend, taken down countless elves, and even saved his father’s life. I hoped we could set aside our differences and train together. It was crucial that we learned to fight as a unit. I planned to discuss this with Jimin later.

Before I could lose myself further in thought, I caught her scent. The sweet, cloying aroma of Sol was unmistakable, a stark contrast to the damp, cold air of the library. Her bare feet were a whisper against the marble floor, and I braced myself for the encounter. Sol’s attempt to mask her natural scent had always been a losing battle, but I couldn’t fault her for it. Ahn had stripped her of her self-confidence, leaving her to second-guess everything about herself.

She appeared before me, her small figure framed by the ornate grandeur of the library. Her hair, unbound and flowing, was a cascade of dark waves, a sharp contrast to the cold sterility of the surroundings. I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with her exposure. Modesty was an old relic, but Sol had been taught its importance, and Ahn had made sure she lived in its shadow.

“Luna,” I greeted, my voice tentative. “Your hair…”

She sighed, as if resigned to my reaction. Her tone was edged with annoyance, but I couldn’t decipher why. Ahn had instilled in her a warped sense of propriety, and the way she wore her hair now seemed to mock it.

“Does it matter?” she murmured, a hint of bitterness in her voice. “We all know I’m no longer virtuous.”

I frowned. “Your virtue isn’t tied to your virginity, Sol.”

I could feel the discomfort between us, the unspoken boundaries crossed. Sol’s presence was like a weight on my chest, and I had to force myself to remain composed. Taehyung would be devastated if he caught us in such an awkward position. I stood up, putting a respectful distance between us, and turned my attention to the doorframe, trying to look anywhere but at her.

“What’s bothering you?” I asked, keeping my voice steady. “Aside from the obvious.”

I leaned against the doorframe, peering into the hall, grateful for the distance it offered. I heard Sol take a seat in the chair I had vacated, the sound of her movements marking her presence more than her words.

“You must think I’m pathetic,” Sol’s voice was a fragile whisper.

“Why would I think that?” I countered, genuinely puzzled.

She laughed, a hollow sound that resonated with self-deprecation. “You’ve been a constant in my life longer than anyone. You were there before Taehyung. You and I were almost betrothed, according to my father.”

The mention of Ahn made my skin crawl. He was no father of hers. The real truth was darker—Ahn had taken her from her real parents, Cho Haneul and Bong Ha-Yun, who had vanished from the village under suspicious circumstances. Whispers hinted at banishment or worse, but I’d always taken my mother’s word that Ahn had been behind it all. 

“I’ve never been fair to you,” Sol continued, her voice trembling. “I was mean, rude, and cold. I wanted Jimin so badly that I mistreated you. I’m sorry for that.”

I listened, indifferent. Sol’s words were a weak balm to old wounds. I knew her well enough to understand her manipulations, her selfishness veiled under layers of false remorse. 

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.

“You knew me before Taehyung did. I know you didn’t like me, but I trust your opinion. I know I don’t deserve your kindness, but I’m asking for it anyway.”

Her voice was weary, and I found myself disenchanted with her pleas. I reminded myself of her age and the naivety that came with it, but it didn’t soften the irritation I felt. She had made mistakes, breached boundaries, and caused chaos, all while thinking she could remain unscathed.

“Am I a bad person?” she asked, her voice barely more than a breath.

“No,” I said firmly, though it was hard to mask my irritation. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll lie to make you feel better. You’ve caused enough damage, and it’s your responsibility to deal with the consequences.”

Her soft sniffles were a distant echo to my frustration. She had stirred trouble and failed to take responsibility for it. I wasn’t here to placate her. I was here to get through the day.

“I’m not the one to offer you comfort,” I said, turning away. “Seek solace from your maids. They’re trained to dry tears; I’m not.”

With that, I left the library, my mind already set on finding a place to rest. The Temple was no refuge from the turmoil of the day, but it was all I had. Maybe Sam would be around, and her company would be a welcome distraction. Her beauty and confidence had always been a bright spot, even if I wasn’t ready to entertain any advances. Tonight, though, I’d take any semblance of normalcy I could get.

I had no desire to return to my family home. Spending too long around my parents was like slowly going mad. The pretense I maintained with my father was exhausting, and my mother—well, she never had the backbone to stand up to him. My childhood was a grim carousel of beatings, with my mother watching, her own misery forgotten as long as she avoided the brunt of his rage. By the time Mini arrived, those days were behind us, and my father had stopped drinking. Our relationship had improved, but the bitterness lingered, festering like a wound that never fully healed. Sometimes, I wondered if I truly hated them both.

Lately, I had been crashing at Hoseok’s place. But he’d asked for some space, and I was buried in work, too tangled up to find another spot to crash. It was a far cry from the opulent room I had at the Temple, but the Temple had become a place I loathed. I’d have joined Jimin and the rest of the copiae, but the weight of my responsibilities kept me tied down. Stepping down as head council would mean my father or Bo would handle public relations, and the thought of that was enough to make me want to gnaw my own arm off. Taehyung would go berserk if those two were left in charge.

I racked my brain for other friends to stay with. The Parks would welcome me, but their home was overflowing with guests. Yoongi and the swamp witch’s families were still there, Jin’s group was with Taehyung’s family, and the Syrena witches were scattered among the wolf families and humans. They’d planned to stay at the Temple, but Sol had made a mess of that arrangement. Everything had spiraled out of control faster than I could keep up with.

“Lost in thought?” Jimin’s voice cut through my musings. 

I stopped in my tracks, realizing I had wandered into the copiae grounds. Jimin lounged on his porch, a large glass in hand, his face shadowed by a dark expression. The sharp scent of alcohol reached me even from the street. I approached him, trying to ignore the tumultuous thoughts of my father.

“You’re drunk,” I observed, taking the glass from his hand and sniffing it. Mead, probably from Jungkook’s stash. “This isn’t going to help.”

He shrugged, a gesture of defeat. “I know. Just needed a distraction.”

Here I was again, being dragged into someone else’s emotional wreckage. Even if Jimin hadn’t asked outright, I knew I’d end up hauling him inside and making him sleep. At least, I could crash here afterward. Tomorrow, I’d make sure he ate something and then convince him to help me go over documents at the Temple. He was the battle strategist, after all.

“I’m not in the mood for a heart-to-heart,” I said bluntly. “I’ve already dealt with two sob stories today, and my patience is shot. So you’re going to let me help you, and we’ll talk in the morning.”

Jimin leaned back, sweat glistening on his forehead and his hair a tangled mess. He looked uncharacteristically disheveled. I rubbed my face in frustration.

“Fine,” I sighed, “how about this: I need a place to sleep. I can’t stand Taehyung and Sol right now, and you—” I gestured at him, “—look like hell. Obviously, you’re a mess, but the pack needs you to pull yourself together so we can get through this.”

Jimin didn’t move. He remained like a statue, eyes fixed on something distant. “I’ll stay the night. Tomorrow, we’ll talk feelings or whatever. Then, we’ll come up with a plan to get you back in the game. Sound good?”

He rolled his eyes, a humorless laugh escaping his lips. “What’s the point?” His face crumpled in despair. I felt lost at sea, unable to handle his sorrow. Thankfully, he composed himself, though the heaviness lingered. “What’s the point of anything? Without her... it just doesn’t matter.”

I sat down beside him, the cold, rough wood against my legs. I tried to focus on this as a conversation between friends. Jimin had never asked me for anything before. When Taehyung was chosen, Jimin had been the first to urge me to stand firm against Ahn. I had been foolish, ignoring his advice. Now he needed me to be the rock, and I couldn’t let him down.

We couldn’t keep going like this. Jimin wasn’t in the right frame of mind, and I knew the only way to get him back on track was to think of something drastic. My mind was already spinning a plan, one that had seemed hopeless earlier, but now felt like a desperate gamble. Maybe, just maybe, giving him a glimmer of hope might help him pull himself together. Feeling a pang of guilt, I decided to go for it and face the consequences later.

“I know you’re hurting,” I said, trying to soften my tone, unsure if it worked. “I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. When you and Taehyung were gone, the guilt nearly ate me alive. It must be worse for you.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he started to protest, but I brushed it off.

“I think I do. No one else seems to be,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We’re in deep trouble right now, Park. We need you.”

Jimin shook his head. “I wouldn’t be much help right now, Joon.”

“I don’t believe that,” I replied. “Honestly, anything you do would be better than the mess you’ve got going on. And by the way, your girl’s on my side. She’d be furious if she knew how much you’ve been slacking.”

That made him chuckle softly.

“That’s fair,” he said, a wan smile spreading across his flushed face. “She’s such a little firecracker, isn’t she?”

I nodded. “She once tried to set me on fire.”

We shared a laugh, remembering that day. Truth was, she scared the hell out of me. If she had really wanted to hurt me, she could’ve. I’d barely escaped with just a few scratches and bruises. Jimin had beaten me senseless when she got hurt, but I had a lifetime of memories that made me untouchable. Bridd, however, was another story.

“What if I made you a deal?” I asked, catching his attention.

He perked up. “What kind of deal?”

“If we make it through the next wave on top, I’ll help you find her.”

His eyes sharpened, a flicker of hope lighting up. “Really?”

Guilt twisted in my gut. I didn’t truly believe we’d reach that point. The elves were everywhere, their grip tightening on Northorn with each passing day. We were far from ready, and with traitors in our midst, the situation was dire. The alliance with the quietus was fragile, and the witch problem was something only Jimin could fix. It could be weeks or even months before we could search for Bridd. Still, I had to use her as leverage. We needed strong leadership, and the witch was the best motivation I could offer.

“I’ll go with you,” I said, doubling down. “We can take a small group. I’ve got connections with a quietus who knows the lay of the land. Finding her could be straightforward.”

“You’d do that for me?” He looked genuinely surprised.

I nodded. “If we’re in a position to do it, why not?”

I watched as he mulled it over, the distant look in his eyes dissolving into something clear, almost serene. He was on board. Hope unfurled in my chest like a fragile flower reaching for the sun. With Jimin on my side, dealing with Taehyung would be a breeze. The older alpha’s desire for redemption would give us a leverage, and if Jimin and Taehyung could join forces, we’d have Hoseok back in the mix too.

Things were starting to tilt in our favor. Soon, the elementals and witches would be joining our discussions, the elder council would be edged out by a new generation of leaders, and the war would start to feel like something we could actually manage. I might even be able to recruit a fresh wave of warriors to the copiae once the village saw Jimin’s renewed determination.

“Stay here as long as you need,” Jimin finally said, and I was doing a mental victory dance. “You can crash on the couch.”

I sprang up, ready to hit the sack, and gave his head a playful shove. He chuckled, swatting my hand away. We used to mess around like this all the time as kids—Jimin always had a knack for winning our wrestling matches. He was slippery as an eel.

“Let’s go, kid,” I said, stretching my arms above my head. “We’ve got an early start tomorrow. Council meeting.”

He nodded, reaching out for my help to stand. He must have imbibed more than I realized; it took a lot for alcohol to hit us this hard.

“Hopefully, Taehyung will deal with the two ancient relics in the Temple,” he slurred, stumbling inside and mumbling about how his bed felt like it had swallowed him whole.

A/N: So Joon pov??? How do we like? He's not the only pov switch we're going to have, but we will be seeing a lot of our favorite (to hate) alpha joining our main squad. I thought he would be a good outside mind to get inside of since he's not as emotionally connected to Bridd as the others. Any guesses as to who our other switches might be?

p.s. These pov chapters will be a bit shorter than our normal, reader pov ones, but not by much.

Taglist: @greezenini@adventures-in-bookland@kthstrawberryshortcake-main@zae007live@jimin-neverout@nikkiordonez12@canarystwin@yamekomz @chimthicc@michiiedreamer@amorieus@mima795@yunki-yunki-yunki

© chimcess, 2024. Do not copy or repost without permission.

[taevbears]

Magic Shop - 09

One day, when I wake up at 3:00AM, unable to sleep, I will look next to me and you will be there, Sleeping peacefully beside me. And suddenly, the world won't seem so lonely.

⤑ pairing: OT7 x witch!reader, Jimin/Yoongi focused ⤑ genre: magic au, romance, angst, hurt/comfort, slow burn ⤑ rating: 18+ ⤑ word count: 6.5k ⤑ warnings: implied smut, interrupted foreplay, heavy angst, oppression against mages, jimin as a warning himself tbh ⤑ note: surprise!! i took a few months off from writing this story to pursue other story ideas, but i ended up wanting to come back to this one lol. i have another story in the works, but i do plan to start posting semi-regularly for this series again soon ^^ i hope you guys enjoy! this takes place right after the final of pt 1.

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

From the distance, the haunting, sonorous tolls of church bells ring in the hour for the sleeping town of New Haven.

Once. Twice. Three times.

3:00AM. The witching hour.

Monsters and magic are most active at this time of night. Their connection to the Veil – a realm of dreams and demons – is at its strongest peak, opening a window of chaos and mayhem and spilling them into the living world.

For mortals like Park Jimin, the witching hour is dangerous. Humans become prey to these abominations. Kidnapped and sacrificed, they become targets of dark magic, tortured for a mage’s sadistic greed and pleasure.

By law, those cursed with magic are condemned to their high towers and impenetrable castles. But there are some who’ve managed to escape their confinements. Who’ve garnered sympathy from fools they’ve bewitched, and who’ve hidden their unnatural powers to inconspicuously blend in with human villagers.

That’s when the hunters come in.

While the wardens are busy keeping the monsters locked away, allowing them to practice tricks and spells deemed safe by the Devoted, and silently killing them through deadly trials like the Harrowing, it’s the hunters that protect the towns and villages from mages outside their gilded prisons. People who, without law or regulation, take matters into their own hands when facing the Wicked.

History speaks of the war between humans and mages. The human sacrifices, the stolen blood of innocents, the dark summonings, the ominous hauntings, the deals with devils. Magic, after all, is the root of all evil.

And the latest of these horrendous acts is what happened at Blackstone Castle.

Several apprentices rebelled against the teachings of the Devoted and performed a forbidden summoning. The mutiny caused mages to attack the wardens, unleash creatures beyond nightmares into the mortal realm, and escape the castle’s defenses. The leader of the apostate group is rumored to have transformed into a hideous beast that the Warden-Commander had successfully defeated, but by the time the monster was slain, it was too late. Many mages have fled from Blackstone and found refuge in nearby villages, causing fear and suspicion to strike within the communities.

Any mage, surrounded by the temptations of the mortal realm, is a dangerous threat.

Two months ago, when news of Blackstone Castle hit the capital, there was no doubt in his mind what he must do: he had to return to his hometown in New Haven, make sure there aren’t any mages infiltrating his town, and eliminate the ones he finds.

With the key to his grandmother’s floral shop and the blessings of his family from the capital, Jimin returned to town, surprised to see not much had changed since he was last there.

Except for one thing.

The unnamed shop across the street.

The one odd place in town, full of mystery and wonder. What once was ruins and a disarray of abandonment is now warm and cozy with whimsy and comfort. Colorful and mix-mashed, yet in a way that works together. Like it was made of magic. 

And, to his dismay, the cutest shop owner he’s ever seen works there. One that he’s hopelessly fallen head-over-heels with. 

Even though he highly suspects that you are, ironically, the very thing he hunts down.

Jimin reminds himself of that as he sits back on a chair and faces the bed. Under the gleam of moonlight, the dagger in his hand shines. Embedded in the blade are ancient symbols of the Devoted. Once penetrated, it will render even the strongest mage useless, temporarily paralyzing them from using their powers as the effects of the enchanted markings sink in.

An heirloom and a prized possession of the Park family. One that his father used when he became a hero of the town. One that his grandfather used to kill the mage that murdered his parents. And now, one that belongs to him.

He flips the nullifying weapon in his hand over and over. Keeping it close to him, just in case.

In case you suddenly wake – snapping your eyes wide open, the colors of your pupils turning into an eerie, bright gold – and lunge toward him in inhuman speed. In case you levitate off the bed and hurl things flying in his direction. In case the devil’s mark sears red on your skin during the witching hour and turns you into one of them.

Wicked.

Like those corrupted mages – easily trading their souls for wealth, beauty, power, and fame – that the Devoted has warned them about. Like the ones he’s seen attack humans with their unnatural strength and twisted powers. Like the ones who had surely killed his parents.

After all, magic is the root of all things evil.

And you, a mage, are a monster. A human vessel that will inevitably succumb to the darkness and unleash chaos into the world with your cursed power.

His eyebrows furrow together and a deep frown is set on his plush lips

You – the most evil, dangerous, wicked thing to ever exist – continue to sleep soundly on his bed, blissfully unaware of his inner turmoil. The black dahlia – doused with potent lavender extract – is disposed of, but it’s already done its job. Keeping you unconscious. Keeping you vulnerable. Right where he wants you.

Time ticks on and Jimin tightens his grip on the dagger. He has to act, and he has to do it fast. He’s certain once the sleeping effect wears off, you’ll attack him.

One minute passes. Then, two. Then, three more.

Abruptly, Jimin stands with the dagger at hand. The chair legs scoot back against the wooden floorboards as he steps closer to you, blinking away the drowsiness from the potent side-effects of the flower.

Was he wrong?

No, he’s certain you’re one of them. He’s certain that one or more of them in that shop are like you as well. Mages and monsters.

Yet, there’s no trace of a golden glow in your eyes. No objects suddenly falling out of shelves, no picture frames or doorknobs rattling, no unexplained knocks or whispers. No faded bite mark that a demon left as a claim on your skin.

His fingers barely touch your neck when you make a sound.

A moan.

Of someone’s name.

Jimin freezes, eyes wide as he looks at your sleeping face. He can’t be certain if you said his name or—

A chuckle of disbelief comes from his lips and he runs his fingers through his hair. This should be easy. Insultingly so.

Yet, Jimin finds himself sitting back on the chair and facing his bed for the fourth time that night. He’s had that dagger in his hand since you fell asleep hours ago. He has every intent to kill you and the others in that shop.

But not tonight.

Tonight, he silently takes you in. The distinct features of your face that he likes, the way your lips part slightly as you sleep, the slow sound of your breath and the way your eyelashes touch the top of your cheeks. The way the moonlight is cast upon your bare skin, almost making you look ethereal in the night. 

He thinks about earlier that afternoon, when you came to his shop, picking flowers to lay out a message of apology and confession. He thinks about the genuine surprise in your face when he admits that he loves you too, that you already have his heart. He thinks about how he meant what he said too.

And as the shop closes and the afternoon rolls into evening, he thinks about his hand in yours as he leads you upstairs to his room. He thinks about your shy giggles when he kisses your neck, your collarbone, and the top of your breasts until you start to remove your clothes for him. And as Jimin takes in your body, he whispers that you’re beautiful without realizing the words came out of his mouth.

This should’ve been easy. If he had known you were a mage sooner, before he caught any feelings for you, perhaps this would have been different. 

But tonight, Jimin sheaths the enchanted dagger and lets you live for one more night.

Your dreams. They always start like this.

High walls of a strong, impenetrable fortress made of dark brick and stone. Willow trees in the courtyard, and a prism of sunlight peeking through the weeping, green leaves. Rows of old books stacked together on long shelves with worn bindings and stain-aged pages. Faceless apprentices in uniformed robes, passing through the candle-lit hallways from one lecture to another, their disembodied voices echoing down the long passageways. Plated armor and concealed weapons of guards that look down at you with disdain.

Blackstone Castle.

Once upon a time, that place was all you’ve ever known. An institution where you’ve excelled too well in the classroom lessons and teachings. Where your exposure to the outside world is limited through words on paper and stories from fellow apprentices of what they could remember before coming to the castle. A so-called home where you had the promising future of becoming one of the best enchanters among your peers.

You lean back against your chair in the lecture room. Notes in your handwriting are on the desk, detailed with whatever you thought is important to note. You tilt your head, frowning a bit in confusion as your hand continues to write.

You’re … actually not sure what you’re taking notes on. The longer you look at the scribbled words, the more ineligible they appear.

The sound of giggling catches your attention. When you glance at the source of the noise, you drop the quill in shock.

Mina?

At the back of the lecture room, Hoseok and your old roommate are snuggled together. Neither of them are paying attention to the lesson, shamelessly making out and touching each other through their clothes. You see her running her hand through his hair and tugging him closer as their tongues slip in each other’s mouths. Although they’re sitting a bit far, you could hear Hoseok as if he’s right next to you. You hear him tell her, “It should’ve been you that made it out of the Harrowing instead.”

“Hoseok?” you utter, your voice pathetically soft. Why would he say that?

When you finally force yourself to look away, Namjoon stands before you. No longer are you in a lecture room, but at the library. His face is completely neutral. Guarded. He asks you, “What is it that you want?”

“I just…” you begin, but before you could answer, he pushes you down on the table.

“I’m not your boyfriend. I couldn’t care less about what we are,” Namjoon tells you as he pins you down. His hand flips up the end of your dress. “There’s only one thing I want from you.”

When you exhale, it’s shaky. Like you’re trying not to sob.

Before anything happens, Namjoon is shoved away. When you turn around, you’re in the ritual room. Seokjin has his hands full, fighting beastly creatures from the Veil with a sword and shield. He shouts for your help, and it takes you a moment to process that you’re in the middle of a battle.

You need a weapon.

The tower rumbles and debris falls from the ceiling. Your heart races as you look through the rubble for a wand, a tome, anything to help Seokjin.

But you’re too late.

An anguish scream cuts you deeper than any blade. Panic and fear seizes your entire body as you watch him slump to the ground. The battlefield is deathly quiet, and you’re sitting there, alone, cradling his head on your lap and crying apologies for what feels like hours.

“Scary.”

Through your tears, you see one other person standing in the distance. You sniffle when you recognize who it is. “Jungkook?”

“You did that to him,” Jimin says from the other side of the room, opposite of where Jungkook is. “You couldn’t save him. This is your fault.”

“I know, but—”

“Scary,” Jungkook repeats, both of them looking at you like you’re something evil. Black smoke swallows them whole, thick as clouds. It takes over the room, Seokjin, and eventually, it takes over you as well.

But once it clears, you find yourself in a séance room. Taehyung sits across from you in a black and gold cloak and a crown on his head. He shuffles tarot cards and asks you the same thing Namjoon does. “What is it that you want?”

“Love,” you answer. Exhausted. Heartbroken.

You don’t want to be seen as a monster. You don’t want to have these doubts. These insecurities. This nightmare.

He sets down one card in front of you. The Reversed Hermit.

Betrayal. Isolation. Paranoia.

As it sinks in, you realize that Taehyung has disappeared. Vanished into thin air. Truly, you are alone again.

You’re not sure how long you sit there in the deafening silence. Wax melts from the candlesticks as the fire burns down the wick. The shadows in the room stretch longer, surrounding you in darkness. But the thoughts in your head are loud, calling you loveless, weak, incompetent, never enough.

Suddenly, you hear music playing. A soft, faint melody from a piano.

You don’t want to be here anymore, so you run toward the sound. A sense of déjà vu hits you as you exit the séance room and find yourself in a long, dimly-lit hallway full of identical doors. Just like your Harrowing, each door you enter leads you to the same hallway over and over and over and over. Despite how gentle the music sounds, you feel desperate to reach it. To see him.

Relief washes over you when you finally do.

In the domain where you first saw him, Yoongi stands behind a piano, dressed head to toe in all black with silver jewelry. One hand presses the black and white keys of the grand instrument, absently playing a tune you vaguely recognized. One he’s certain would bring you right to him.

He glances at you expectantly. A faint smile tugs on the corner of his lips.

Without hesitation, you run toward him, lost and then found. Grief, fear, doubt, and anxiety melt away the moment you’re in his arms. “Yoongi!”

Your familiar pulls you close, brushing his lips against your hair, just as a sharp sting claws into your inner thigh. You whimper and gasp from the pain, squirming in his arms, but Yoongi grabs your jaw and continues to kiss you like nothing is happening.

When the pain subsides, Yoongi finally lets you go. You back away from him, breathing hard, and finally, you notice the golden color in his eyes. He doesn’t move as he peers down on you, lips tugging a bit with an arrogant smirk.

Hesitantly, you lift the bottom of your dress to look at your thigh. A strange, red mark is visible on the skin.

Yoongi merely tilts his head and reminds you, “You’re mine.”

A loud wail is what wakes Jimin from his sleep. His body jerks in reaction, and before he realizes it, he’s tumbling off the chair and onto the wooden floor.

As clumsy as he is, this isn’t unusual for him. He is, however, surprised to see your black cat glowering down at him. Its tail swishes back and forth slowly as an annoyed grumble comes from its chest.

“Sorry,” you apologize, holding a blanket over your body with one hand and shutting the window with the other. “He was crying outside.”

Jimin blinks slowly at you, and then turns his attention back to the cat, who continues to glare down at him. He squints back and whispers, “Isn’t it too early in the morning to be a menace?”

Yoongi gives a grunt of a meow. As if Jimin should’ve known better than to question it.

“I should get going anyway,” you tell him, your voice soft and sad. If Jimin wasn’t wide awake before, he certainly is now. He pushes himself up and sees the redness in your eyes and face. You’ve been crying. “I didn’t mean to stay overnight.”

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jimin gently asks, jumping to his feet. He starts to approach you, but stops himself. His eyes linger at the blanket you have loosely around you, and how, somehow, you’re even more beautiful to him in the daylight. 

You peek at him with wet eyes. Even now, there’s not a trace of wickedness in them at all. “I’m okay. Bad dream.”

Yoongi meows and rubs himself against your legs, trying to comfort you. A wry smile touches your lips as you bend down to pet him, quietly assuring him again that you’re okay. It feels like this is something that happens every now and then.

When the connection between you and the Veil are the strongest.

It’s subtle, but it’s still proof that Jimin isn’t wrong about what you are after all. He’s never been to a Harrowing, and he knows very little about the Veil itself, but mages leave their physical forms behind to enter that dream-like realm. In order to seek truths, gain knowledge, enhance their skills, and meet both good and evil spirits that reside in that world. It shouldn’t surprise him that mages that fall into a deep sleep during the witching hour could be affected by the Veil.

Jimin crouches down to meet your eye-level. There’s a pleasant smile on his lips as he reaches over to rub your back. “Why don’t you stay a little longer?”

You feel good after a long sleep, a good cry, and dipping into the warm water of a bath. The others at the shop are worried about you, even though you’re just across the street. Yoongi tells you as much as he helps you wash up.

“I know. I meant to go home last night.”

Your memory is a bit fuzzy, but that much, you know, is true. Sometimes, when it feels like you’re dreaming in the Veil, it’s hard to distinguish reality and dreams. You look at your thigh, where you envisioned the devil’s mark to be, and see nothing out of the ordinary on your skin.

He doesn’t say anything as he continues to rub soap on your back and shoulders. It feels nice. You start to lean in on his touch and sigh with content. Then, he asks, “Did anything happen?”

“Other than the obvious? No. I just fell asleep,” you answer, almost certain that there isn’t more to the story. Wake pulled you out of sleep as gently as the nightmare ended, and as you laid on Jimin’s bed, you were overwhelmed with emotion. Every detail, every word from your dream, you remember it. But through the tears in your eyes, you saw Jimin sleeping on a single, uncomfortable chair, facing you and dressed in his clothes from the night before. He had let you sleep on his bed throughout the night, watched over you, and kept you safe. And somehow, just seeing Jimin there with you after a terrible nightmare only reassured you that you were okay. That a dream was just a dream. “I really like him, Yoongi.”

“I know you do,” is all he says. You don’t need to face him to know that he isn’t entirely happy with it. “I just want you to be careful around him.”

“I will, Yoongi. You don’t need to worry about me.”

It isn’t long until you’re out of the bath and dressed up. The two of you are relatively silent as you face a mirror and use magic to fix your hair. Then, Yoongi asks, “Do you want to talk about your dream?”

You glance at him from the reflection. He’s dressed in black clothing and silver jewelry, just as you imagined him. His eyes, however, are normal. Dark, inquisitive, and gentle. Unlike the haunting yellow from your nightmare.

“No. Not yet,” you reply, your hand twitching as you try not to touch your thigh. There’s no pain and no strange mark, but it’s the first time you’ve dreamed of it. The mark that Yoongi mentioned once in passing to further strengthen a bond between a mage and their familiar. “Soon, though.”

You’d think those kinds of dreams would’ve stopped by now, especially after hearing from the boys themselves that they loved you. It feels silly to even question it when it’s obvious that they do. Yet, the same dreams keep occurring over and over, filling your mind with doubt and insecurity.

“Okay.” Yoongi stands next to you as you finish getting ready. “You look nice today.”

You grin at him, a little shy from the compliment, but tease, “Are you saying that I look bad other days?”

“You look nice every day,” he corrects with a shy kiss on your cheek. Then, before you could retort, he’s back into his cat form. You smile at him lovingly and hold him in your arms, feeling the rumble of his purrs vibrate from his body.

Downstairs, Jimin finds himself in a bit of a dilemma.

He has nothing to eat for breakfast.

Work has him traveling out of the shop often, delivering bouquets to customers, picking up new supplies and flowers, and even stopping by local guilds to pick up any magic-related reports to take up. It doesn’t occur to him that he’s rarely home to stock up on his personal pantry.

He’s still rummaging around for something when you finally come down with Yoongi in your arms. “Jimin?”

“I’m back here!” he shouts, grabbing pieces of stale bread and a half-empty jar of strawberry jam. This will have to do for now, he supposes, though it clearly isn’t enough for both of you. When you enter the back room, he tries to bite into the hard, jam-coated piece of bread and asks, “Breakfast?”

“I think I’m good,” you tell him, looking around. It’s notably empty, you realize, as you turn your attention back to his plate. “Is that all you’re having?”

“Maybe it’s a better idea that we eat out,” Jimin agrees, pushing the half-bitten bread aside. He isn’t hungry for that anyway. If it were up to him, he’d take you right back upstairs and have you stay with him a little longer.

He takes a quick glance at the cat in your arms, who seems to hold a steady glare at him. As if daring Jimin to make a move on you while he’s around.

You smile at him. “I know a place we can go.”

Across the street, the aroma of baked bread and brewed coffee welcomes you into the little shop. Seokjin is up bright and early, humming quietly to himself as he carefully puts pastries on a display case. Hoseok pours coffee into several mugs and adds cream and sugar to everyone’s preferred taste. Namjoon is doing an inventory check with Taehyung and Jungkook, writing down what he needs to shop for when he goes to the market later that morning. But as soon as the bell chimes from the front door and you step through the threshold, a sweeter welcome awaits you.

“You’re home!” Taehyung exclaims with a big, boxy smile and pulls you and Yoongi into a tight hug. The cat meows in protest in your arms, but it’s muffled when Jungkook giggles and joins in the group hug as well.

“We were worried about you, pretty girl,” Hoseok comments, holding two mugs for you and Yoongi in his hands, though he seems relieved to see you.

“Yeah, you didn’t come home last night,” Namjoon agrees as he and Seokjin come into the entrance together.

“Sorry, that’s my fault,” Jimin says from behind you. He steps into the shop with a sheepish smile on his face, seeing that he’s faced with the very over-protective men you live with.

Seokjin scoffs under his breath. “That explains a lot.”

“Is it okay if he stays for breakfast?” you ask them, hopeful. There’s a bit of hesitance, as if they’re not really sure what to make of you and Jimin still.

“Yeah, why not? The more the merrier,” Namjoon quotes with a shrug.

Your heart feels warm at their acceptance. Seeing the boys all together in one room, all seven of them, it feels right. It feels complete.

Both Hoseok and Namjoon look at you with so much care in their eyes, scolding you lightly for making them worry. Seokjin smiles at you, alive and well, before he takes Yoongi from your arms to help him in the kitchen. Taehyung and Jungkook refuse to leave your side, still keeping you in their hold until Seokjin bats them away.

If this is all a dream, it’s the cruelest one yet.

Hoseok hands you your coffee and smiles brightly at their guest. “I’ll get another mug. Do you like cream and sugar in your coffee, Jimin?”

Breakfast goes surprisingly well. Laid out on the table are sunny-side eggs, crispy pork belly, toasted bread with butter and jam, a bowl of fresh fruits, vegetable pancakes, and leftover stew from the night before. It’s a feast compared to what Jimin tried to eat at his own shop earlier that morning.

Everyone sits together on the long table, happily chatting and eating. Hoseok feeds Taehyung and Jungkook food from his plate before he eats himself. Seokjin tries to fish for compliments from you and Namjoon for working so hard in the kitchen. Even Yoongi – who strangely appears when the cat disappears – takes a seat beside you and immediately reaches into the fruit bowl for tangerines. 

It’s a little strange, but Jimin seems to fit in really well. Both Hoseok and Taehyung include him in their conversations, asking him what his opinions are about if tigers or bears are the superior animal or the types of cool dances that they’ve seen at the town square. Namjoon and Seokjin make him laugh at their witty banter, and how they bring out the goofiest sides of each other. Even Jungkook is excitedly clapping his hands and giggling at their antics before cutely asking Jimin if there’s any pork belly left on his side of the table. And while he’s certain that Yoongi hates him, he’s surprised when he is offered a piece of his peeled tangerine.

There’s a sense of belonging that Jimin can’t really describe when he’s around you guys. Something that he hasn’t really felt anywhere else.

It’s a stark difference to when he returns to his lonely flower shop afterwards.

Floral fragrances greet him as he walks in the door instead of the aroma of baked good and brewed coffee. There’s a notable silence that fills the room when there aren’t any customers around, unlike at the lively shop across the street, where there’s always music playing and people talking. It feels cold and empty, far from the warm and homey feelings of yours.

Running a shop by himself keeps him busy. It’s hard work and long days, but he likes the smile on people’s faces when they find exactly what they’re looking for, or when he delivers things he’s made to his customers.

Today isn’t any different. Except, it is.

Because just across the street, you’re there. He can see you welcoming curious people inside, checking on the plants outside the shop that Jimin helped you garden with a raven perched on your shoulder, going to the market as Namjoon holds your waist and Jungkook holds your hand, and coming back to the shop less than an hour later and being showered with affectionate greetings from the others upon your return.

Because Jimin can’t stop thinking about how you and the others across the street are supposed to be wicked, evil, vile creatures that feast on the blood of innocents and animal sacrifices instead of tangerines, coffee, and bread. That you must’ve bewitched humans to do your bidding, even though it clearly seems that Seokjin has a mind of his own and wants to be with you all. That you’d use your power to bring chaos and destruction to the world instead of love and comfort in your shop.

Because Jimin realizes that he can’t kill you because he loves you. Even though he shouldn’t. Even though it’s his job to eradicate people like you from his town. 

Yet, here he is, thinking about how concerned he was when you woke up crying. How troubled he felt when he wasn’t able to make breakfast for you. The way he felt a bit nervous entering your shop and facing your other lovers. How they all tried to make him feel welcomed anyway, even if there’s some uncertainty with how they feel toward him. How the morning after with you was nice until he had to return to his shop alone.

The enchanted dagger upstairs is locked away in his room, waiting to be used. Eager for that next opportunity when you’re alone with him. But Jimin, who watches you from his shop’s window with a forlorn sadness, wants to keep you with him a little longer.

And that, truly, is a problem.

“We need to talk.”

Your heart stutters nervously at the words. Silently, you exchange looks with Seokjin, who is washing dirty dishes next to you. But you know why Namjoon is suddenly summoning you all for a family meeting.

At the market, you noticed it. You’re certain Namjoon and Jungkook did too with the way they tightened their hold around you.

In the town square, they were there.

Hunters.

Many of them are talking about Blackstone Castle and the mages that have escaped. They’re asking townsfolk if they’ve noticed anything suspicious, advising people to stay indoors at night, taking notes of any clues they find through their investigations. The three of you manage to avoid them on the way to the market, but it’s clear that their very presence is a threat: the hunters are here, and they’re looking for you.

“It’s too dangerous now,” Seokjin whispers, worried. His thumb caresses the back of your hand as you sit beside him. “We’ll be safer if we get out of town.”

“Where would we go?” Namjoon questions, a bit frustrated. You can tell he’s trying not to raise his voice. “This is our home. We’ve just started to settle down.”

“All the rooms aren’t filled yet,” Taehyung points out as his eyes lock with yours. He’s been certain that Jimin is the last one. That the final room in the shop belongs to him.

Jungkook sighs heavily. “What do we do?”

Running away isn’t an option. You guys already did that, and you don’t want to leave this place behind. Fighting them would only bring more unwanted attention toward you and the shop. Even you’re a bit stumped with what to do next.

“More and more of those hunters are coming into the town,” Hoseok says with a frown. “We have to be careful. We have to look out for each other.”

Namjoon nods his head. “Just as we always do.”

Yoongi catches your eye this time. “Are you sure we can trust him?”

The others look at you as well. Yoongi doesn’t have to say his name for you to know who he’s talking about. You’re the one who knows Jimin the most. They trust your judgment, despite any divination readings Taehyung has on him.

“Yes,” you answer without hesitation. “I trust him.”

By the late afternoon, as things begin to wind down, you return to the flower shop with containers of food from your shop. “I don’t know if you ate your dinner already, but we made these for you.”

He smiles fondly at you, touched by the sweet gesture as he takes the containers from you. “Thank you, baby. I’ll eat it well.”

As he leaves to put the food away in the back for later, you take a walk around. His shop is empty of customers. Various flowers in full bloom sit prettily on display in arrangements and in pots. Everything is beautiful and pleasing to look at.

Though, you notice that there aren't really any personal touches in Jimin’s shop at all. No family pictures, despite his father being a hometown hero or that his grandmother had owned this shop prior. No food that he keeps in stock with favorite dishes and snacks. Even his bedroom feels minimalistic compared to what you’re used to at one of the boys’ rooms. 

If he ever decides to live with you, in that empty room on the second floor, what would his room look like? Would it be like this shop? Would it be something different?

As you lose yourself to your train of thoughts, you nearly trip over something.

A bucket of lavenders.

It sits innocently near a painted cart among other buckets of bouquets. Its calming fragrance is masked by the other floral scents in the shop. But it makes you back away from it as if you just saw something truly horrifying.

Arms suddenly wrap around your midsection and pull you into their chest. You nearly scream, wiggling to get free, until you hear Jimin’s infectious laughter behind you. “What’s wrong? Did I scare you?”

“Yes! How dare you!” you playfully shout, relieved it’s just him. He chuckles and starts to kiss your cheek and neck in apology. His lips feel soft against your skin, and your hand reaches back to touch his neck, turning a bit to kiss him back.

It’s easy to be swept up in him. To get lost in the heat of the moment and not think about anything or anyone else. To push your worries about bad dreams, hunters, and the other boys aside and just melt in his arms. You trust him. You know you can.

But something is bothering you. His mouth moves away from your lips to kiss your jaw and the spot just below your ear, and as you turn your head and sigh in content, you notice the bucket of lavenders again. 

“Stay tonight?” he asks against your skin, eyes hazy with lust. 

You’re tempted. But you answer, “I can’t, Jimin. Not tonight.”

With the hunters in town, you have to make sure that the shop is safe. Hoseok and Namjoon have prepared to sage the entire shop to ward off any harmful intentions to you and your family. And you need to cast added protection spells on the doors and windows so that your shop won’t be easy for them to find.

He hums but places another kiss on your face. “We got a bit carried away last night, didn’t we?”

You glance away from the lavenders and meet his gaze. Again, you remind yourself that you love this man. You can trust him.

“Jimin, about last night…” you begin. His smile fades a little as he arches an eyebrow, waiting for you to continue. “Did something happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m having a hard time remembering how the night ended.”

No matter how hard you try, you can’t remember how you ended up falling asleep in Jimin’s room. The last thing you remember is telling him you had to go back home. That Yoongi would be upset, and Jimin said—

“You just fell asleep, babe. Nothing happened.”

“I see.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“It's not that,” you tell him, not sure how to state this without sounding accusatory. You glance over at the lavenders again and quietly admit, “I just feel like I’m missing something. I don’t know. Did… Did something more happen?”

His hands cup your face, warm and a bit calloused. They contract a bit with the cold, silver rings around his fingers.

“What makes you think I’d do something to hurt you?” he questions, trying to sound a bit offended. But for a split second, you could’ve sworn he almost looked amused.

“I don’t know.” Your eyes flutter close as he tilts your face up, greeting you with soft kisses again. His thumb gently caresses your cheeks, hands slowly gliding down your neck, fingers tracing your collarbone. Despite the light touches, your heart pounds hard in your chest, and you feel yourself chasing after his lips. 

“Should I remind you then? About last night?” he asks, nose bumping against yours and a hand against the back of your neck.

“I can’t stay,” you remind him, eyes fluttering close. But his lips feel so full and soft when he kisses you. Each kiss entices you for more, and he chuckles when he feels you tug on his bottom lip.

“Then should we stop?”

He pulls away from you a bit, teasing you, but you don’t allow him. Your arms wrap around his neck as you needily answer, “No. Don’t stop.”

“Good girl,” Jimin praises and rewards you with another heated kiss. You could only moan in agreement, far too distracted to pay attention to anything but the way his tongue slips into your mouth or the way his touch warms your skin, igniting memories of last night with the way his hands roam your body.

With Jimin, it feels easy to love. It feels easy to simply be. Whether as friends, lovers, or something else you can’t quite place, it feels easy to get caught up in the moment with him. Without overthinking of what this all means, without the worry of what you are to him, without caring when the dream ends.

Your back hits the counter, but it doesn’t break the kiss. He feels you over your clothes, and your hands tug him closer.

“Jimin…” you gasp, panting hard when he finally pulls away. He spins you around so your back is against his chest again. Vaguely, through the lust-filled haze, you’re reminded of the night before.

Visiting the flower shop, an apology and a confession, a night spent together. You were trying to get home. Yoongi was upset. The tattoo on Jimin’s chest. A black dahlia.

“Don’t think about it,” Jimin whispers against your skin. He starts to push you down over the counter. Had you been able to see his face, a chill would’ve run down your spine from the way he looks at you in that very moment – like a predator to prey. “Just trust me.”

The chime of a bell snaps both of you out of it.

“What the hell?” a last-minute customer exclaims, unable to open the door all the way to get through. As if, somehow, the door got stuck. “Jimin? Are you there?”

Immediately, Jimin backs off and clears his throat.

“Yes, I’ll be right with you!” he answers, running his fingers through his hair. He stands over you for a moment, protectively shielding you from anyone coming in. When he glances over at you, however, you’re already smoothing over the front of your clothes. Your face is a bit flustered, but not a single hair is out of place. “Are you okay, love?”

“I’m fine, Jimin. I should get going anyway,” you tell him bashfully. He kisses you one last time before he finally lets you go.

With ease, you pull open the front door as the customer nearly stumbles inside. 

When you look back at Jimin, he seems to be staring at you and the door curiously. Then, his eyes lock with yours, and he gives you that same, knowing smile from last night.

The kind of smile where he knows something you don’t. A secret he isn’t meant to find out.

And it dawns to you, just then, that his smile was the last thing you saw yesterday before your world turned black.

Thank you for reading ♡ Comments & reviews are greatly appreciated!

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[magini0]

Kimset - (II)

Pairing: ot6 x Jungkook | Jungkook x Everyone

Genre: Witch AU, Soulmate AU, Ex's to Lovers, Angst With a Happy Ending

Summary: Jungkook has until the next Witching Moon to develop a cure for his chronic illness. With his race against time, he really doesn’t have the nerve to be constantly pestered by his old coven mates—whom he had left behind after a mission gone wrong. Back as a famous healer and sponsored by a renowned magical society, Jungkook is ready to do what it takes to survive. Now, if only his former coven would back off and stop being so damn persistent in making up for their old mistakes…

Word Count: 16k

Also accessible on ao3 => Here Previous Chapter => Here Next Chapter => Here

The sound of clapping filled the room like an encouraging symphony, the student at the podium trying—yet failing—to hide their smile at the favorable response to their inquiry. Kim Yugyeom, a face Jungkook hadn't intended to see again in his life. Yet again, he hadn't intended to see any familiar faces when attending this university. A thought he didn't want to dwell on; he had barely managed to push the subject away this morning. He had gotten dressed and rushed off to present his inquiry to his fellow students and the MCA association currently present. 

After all, your inquiry had to be approved before you could actually start. The university's board of education and the MCA would then score your presentation; the higher the score, the larger your funding pool would be. How exactly the scores were determined was yet to be defined; publicly, it was described as a completely unbiased procedure and criteria; however, it was clear that even in the magical world, influences could come from anywhere. 

Corruption was truly the only one unbiased. It affects everyone.  

The sound of heavy auditorium doors opening shifted his attention from Yugyeom's presentation. The aspiring witch's inquiry consisted of finding a caladrius and further studying the bird's supposed healing properties. Jungkook barely knew anything about mythical beasts; he had never been very good with animals nor very interested. But he did know that caladrius were rare and practically extinct. That was why the university board was so approving of the inquiry, considering that if Yugyeom's mission was successful, it would benefit the university itself. 

But all that seemed to simmer into a lingering thought when his eyes locked onto the sight of a sitting, silently brooding Jimin, arms folded over his chest as he observed Yugyeom's presentation. Even to the untrained eye, the blonde witch appeared tense. Shoulders pull back slightly more than what was considered casual, mouth etched into a slight frown. Jungkook hadn't meant to stare; he wasn't a part of Jimin's life anymore. The thought was supposed to console him, but in reality, it only fueled the sinister ache inside his chest. 

Jungkook hadn't actually gotten a look at any of his old hyungs this morning, having gotten dressed and heading for a quick escape out the front door. He didn't want to face them. Perhaps it was the naive hope he clung to that he could simply avoid them for the remainder of the year. 

But even at the sight of Jimin simply sitting in the auditorium, Jungkook realized that his ambitions were rather hopeless. Like a moth to a flame, he couldn't keep his gaze focused. How could he? Look away from something— someone he had hoped to see for the past six years. 

"Jimin!" Taehyung's hushed voice called out, light and happy. 

The brunette sneaks up behind Jimin's brooding form, snaking his arms around his neck and pressing a few gentle kisses against the other's cheek. Jungkook watched, with an untold heaviness, as Taehyung trailed around Jimin's seat—the witch was sitting at the end of an aisle—before plopping himself in the still vacant seat beside the blonde. And Jungkook's gaze lingered with an untold masochism as Jimin's unhappiness melted away. The earlier locked jaw pushed out an exhale, the previous frown turned into a smile, and those chilling eyes took on an expression entirely too fond. 

Jimin leaned forward, cupping Taehyung's cheek and pressing their lips together. It wasn't an all-too-sensual kiss, considering that neither of the two witches could push down their smiles long enough to kiss properly. But it hurt.  

It hurt so much.  

But the worst part was that it still hurt to be hurting. 

As Jungkook sat down aisles ahead of them, partially to remove the temptation to further damage himself by glancing back, the world around him grew distant. The loud, projecting voice of Yugyeom drowned out the applause that would follow a particularly enthused statement. It was all gone, distant. Although present, Jungkook wasn't really there. 

He was somewhere else entirely, a place with rhythmic ballads, self-playing violins and cellos as witches danced tangos and waltzes. He recalled the night vividly, their first festival at the academy, celebrating the Veilweaver's Moon in all its glory. But Jungkook didn't remember the night over some planet in the sky—no, he had gotten something most precious that night. That night, he had his first kiss.    

He had felt so jealous.

Jealousy.

An adjective with different meanings, but in this case, it could be defined as feeling fiercely protective or vigilant of one's rights or possessions. Only Jungkook didn't have a right over what he was jealous of; after all, he didn't own Jimin. 

The witch was his own person, and Jimin had always been like a bird prancing in the wind. Free. It hadn't bothered him before, quite the opposite; in all of Jungkook's coolly constructed and scheduled childhood, Jimins adventurous nature was like a breath of fresh air. He had adored it. But watching as Jimin, his sweet Park Jimin, dance with another oddly stung. The rational part inside Jungkook pleaded for an audience inside himself, trying to explain that Hoseok was Jimin's soulmate. They all were soulmates; it was unreasonable to feel how he felt. 

But that didn't change the fact that he felt it. He felt greatly, wave upon wave crashing against each other like tsunamis pushing against his heart—his soul. Seeing Jimin laughing, eyes creasing, and teeth on display. Nose occasionally scrunching up, his own giggles distracting him enough to misplace a step or two within the dance. Jimin looked so gosh damn happy. 

Those smiles used to belong to him. 

The sight was too much; it fueled the insecurities inside himself like gasoline thrown into a bonfire. It provided a speaker to that voice inside his head that insisted he wasn't enough. Jimin was like the sun, warm and giving. And Jungkook felt himself become inadequate to be basking in its soft glow. 

It was why he had left the event in the first place; the academy's ballroom had seemed so endless when everyone had come together to decorate it. Marble tiles stretched out, meter-long windows reached for the curved ceiling, and a chandelier reflected light off of its glass embellishments and jewelry. It had been beautiful. It still was. 

Only now, the room felt suffocating. His own jealousy wrapped around his throat, body, and soul before it squeezed. Everything felt inconsequential; the classical music sounded distant, washed out as if underwater. The chatter surrounding him drowned alongside the music, nearly mimicking a language he chose not to understand. All he could focus on was them. Hoseok and Jimin. 

They looked perfect together. Hoseok was similar to Jimin in ways Jungkook could never be. A realization that made the phantom noose around his throat tighter, unyielding in its pursuit to torture him further. Although Jungkook barely bothered with any of his other soulmates, from the little interactions he had shared with Hoseok, the older male carried a similar chipperness to Jimins. Once, during breakfast, Hoseok had reduced Jimin to a pile of wheezing laughter, the kind that hardly made any noise at all. 

Jungkook was rarely ever that funny. 

But it wasn't until the halls began whispering about how Jimin and Hoseok were the perfect couple, how the soulmates were so clearly made for each other, that birthed the intensity of his envy. At first, he made nothing of those words; they were idle chit-chat students murmured to pass their time with senseless gossip. No one knew Jimin the way he did.

But seeing them dance, Hoseok's hand tauntingly resting against Jimin's waist. Laughing so beautifully, a thought—realization—skipped across his mind. 

Those students had been right.

"Kookie?" 

Jungkook sniffled, shoulders hitching up as the voice seemed to protrude his little moment of solace. He had left the party nearly twenty minutes ago; instead, he sought asylum in the academy's library. Aisles were replaced by extended bookshelves, reaching so high up to the ceiling a sliding ladder was against each shelf. They weren't used often, mainly by first years who hadn't learned the proper spell yet to simply pull the needed book towards oneself. There was a second floor that took the shape of an O, leaving a gap in the middle to peer down at the stretching wooden desks available to students. Narrow but long windows decorated the west side of the room, and small cushioned ledges made the window sills most desirable. 

The sun rose in the east and set in the west, casting the library in an orange hue that made everything look golden. Jungkook sat against the windowsill, legs pulled against his chest and back leaning against the wall that separated this window from the next. He had watched the sun die against the horizon, replacing the warm sky with something cold and encompassing.  

 A small thread of irritation lit inside him; the night had gone horrible; no, the week had been an accumulation of utterly shitty events. So why? Why couldn't he at least be left to sulk in peace? 

The entire week, Jimin had been distracted with the others, helping Namjoon with his cultivation, Jin with cooking duty—It wasn't even Jimin's scheduled date to help—and herding the griffin babies together with Hoseok. For an entire week, Jimin had spent time with the others instead of him. Even Taehyung, their rudest covenmate, was teaching Jimin how to spray paint. Or Yoongi, who had offered to tutor Jimin in herbology. Jimin hated herbology, but all of a sudden, he was its biggest fan. 

It's only been a month since the two of them came to the academy, thirty days since the six red strings knotted to his finger found their destinations. He hated it. 

Hated that he hadn't been bunked with Jimin and instead got Taehyung, a rude riff-raff wannabe who had cussed him out for placing his suitcase on 'his side of the room' only thirty minutes into their introduction. To put it simply, he vehemently disliked the edgy artist. He was irascible and unpredictable, a potential danger to Jimin, if not only a bad influence. His other soulmates were more bearable, but he wasn't really interested. He had Jimin; the two were a team. Not a group or a party—it was them against the world. No one else. 

But Jimin was so eager in his utterly loving nature. It wasn't even surprising to Jungkook how quickly the rest of them fell for the bundled-up sunlight that was his hyung. Who wouldn't fall in love with Jimin? 

He knew he did. He had loved him instantly. 

A bundle of nerves had taken place inside his chest like all the strings inside his soul became knocked. A painful tug erupted within him whenever he saw Jimin smile for one of them—the same way he used to smile for Jungkook 

"You should be at the party, hyung." He murmured, voice hoarse in a way that made him cringe. He didn't need prying eyes against his crying figure. His own gaze was still cast out the window, taking in the colors of the sky as if he'd never see the sunset again. Perhaps not meeting Jimin's gaze right now was his own weak attempt at preserving his already bruised pride. 

"I would," Jimins voice trailed off as his footsteps approached the window. Slowly, Jimin's figure sat down beside him. Immaturely, Jungkook refused to look at him. Sniffles still occasionally betrayed him, prompting him to wipe at his wet cheeks rather irritably with his pulled-up sleeve. "But my soulmate isn't there." Jimin finished. 

"One." Jungkook muttered bitterly.

"What?" 

"One of your soulmates wasn't there." He clarified, his own jealous bitterness sinking into his tone. Tainting it with his anger. "You seemed to be having fun; who knows—maybe Namjoon stopped dancing with Seokjin? Or maybe Taehyung's free. You seemed to be all for bad boys lately." 

Jungkook felt guilt spread through him at the sound of Jimin's sharp intake of air, the silence between them adding invisible weight to his chest and shoulders. He felt foolish and immature for his feelings. It wasn't Jimin's fault for wanting to spend time with his very own soulmates; it was normal. Good even. Jimin shouldn't fall victim to his envy. 

If only he could tell his feelings that. 

"Oh Kookie…" A hand rested on his arm, thumb rubbing softly against his uniform. Still unable to meet Jimin's gaze, the irrational fear of finding a look akin to pity kept his gaze outside. Where the night choked out the colors in the sky, stars began to peek through, and the moon began to show. 

It wasn't until he was pulled into a hug, arms wrapped around him in familiarity, that forced his defenses to lower. Because this was his Jimin, his sweet little sunlight. And unlike the sky, Jungkook would keep its light blazing within the sky for an eternity. 

That night, Jungkook's lips had pressed against Jimins for the first time. He had savored the taste and feeling of those lips against his in an empty, closed-off library. It was simple, sweet, and innocent. A type of kiss that, with Jungkook's inexperienced eagerness, left their teeth hitting against each other's, resulting in some breathless giggles. Jimin's hands had cupped his cheeks, pacing Jungkook gently as the two soulmates grew closer. This was simply one of the many firsts Jungkook would give to Jimin. 

Watching the sunset filled Jungkook with an irrational sensation, a collaboration between fear and dread. Jimin was like the sun, but what if he, too, would set in Jungkook's world? What if one day, his world would become just as dark and obsolete as the night sky. 

The sound of clapping bid Kim Yugyeom goodbye, the witch-polished smile somehow seeming unfamiliar to Jungkook; he had always known Yugyeom as a completely genuine person, seeing him plaster on something so fake threatened his nose to scrunch up in distaste. Jungkook didn't know Yugyeom anymore. 

With a quick glance around, anybody could practically sense the anxieties and tensions in the air. The constant rustling of clothes being tugged and rearranged, legs bouncing up and down rhythmically, the sheer restlessness nearly seeping into the other magicals auras. Everyone was nervous, well, almost everyone. 

Walking up to the podium himself was, admittedly, a little nerve-wracking. Jungkook wasn't shy; the thought of strangers silently evaluating him didn't really bother him. What irked him was the knowledge that they would be watching too. An observant gaze lingering against his skin, something that would've left a trail of goosebumps across his skin in a welcomed way, now became all too unwelcomed . 

A strange sense of urgency lingered inside him, bubbling like an overflowing cauldron as he walked up the small steps. He wasn't sure if it was his pride or hurt ego at their presence, but Jungkook wanted to show off. He was feeling petty. A part of him so desperately wanted to shove it into their faces that he was doing good without them. That he had and was successful after their separation. However, a nagging little voice inside his head wasn't necessarily certain which party he was trying to convince. Them or himself? 

Clearing his throat, he finally stepped up to the podium. Head held high, something Balam drilled into him before reaching the auditorium, posture straight and confident. A polite, practiced smile tugged at his lips. Jungkook knew that the university sought him out specifically due to his achievements during his apprenticeship; if successful, Jungkook could bring the establishment glory. 

“Hello, I am Jeon Jungkook.” He introduced himself politely, with a small bow to his introduction. This was standard procedure; not many witches actually strived to complete the seventh level; it was an extracurricular in the magical world—one with benefits he was more than eager to reap. Glancing around the room, the smell of wood and carpet filled his senses. The auditorium was clearly as old as the university itself, large and glorious as it took on a circular shape. Instead of a flat ceiling, a large dome covered the structure. Before the stage, three rows of seats stretched to the back of the room, only separated by two narrow aisles lined with an extravagant red carpet. Its high, vaulted ceilings are adorned with intricate frescoes, and towering columns line the periphery between the windows, further creating a sense of grandeur. Rich, polished dark wood paneling and plush velvet drapes added warmth to the sophisticated space. Again, the fact that this university reminded Jungkook more of a castle was a theory evermore confirmed the longer he observed. 

Candles floated above their heads, no doubt there to provide everlasting light. Something entirely unnecessary at the moment due to the walls of the auditorium bearing long, narrow windows that kissed the edges of the dome ceiling. Natural morning light flooded the space. It felt oddly bright, silently waking even the still drowsy students. The sky was a clear, untainted blue. Making the small glimpses outside even more captivating, the nature surrounding the university was just as mesmerizing as its interior. 

"Throughout my apprenticeship, I studied Astrobiomedicine under the guidance of Kwang-sun with the pseudonym JJK." He paused, swallowing down the temptation of his lips to turn crooked—a smirk begging to contort his practiced feature and reveal how much he reveled in the small gasps and murmurs within the room. Ah, he had nearly forgotten how famous JJK had gotten. 

"Throughout that time, I have managed to leave a more positive footprint on our community. With supported inquiries, guidance, and dedication, I was able to develop aid and cures in the Astrobiomedicine field." A smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes as the small dopamine of praise washed out. A strange—no, familiar feeling began blooming inside his gut. As if Balam could feel it herself, she nudged her head against his leg. In her cold stare, she encouraged him to go on. 

"One of my first achievements under Kwang-suns guidance was by making witching flu medicine more available for everyone; this was done by replacing newt syrup—we all know how arduous it is to get a hold of that—" A light-hearted joke escaped him, a desperate attempt to have the audiences own amused chuckles lift his own spirits. Save him from his own gnawing thoughts. It didn't work. "With the widely available thistle." He concluded, smiling politely at the clapping that interrupted his presentation. 

A traitorous thought escaped him. Were they impressed? 

"Throughout my second year under Kwang-sun, I modified the pre-existing medicine for Draemori Flux with a specifically cultivated flower found on the peaks of Mount Chelopee, previously endangered and now being reintroduced into our ecosystems. Successfully extending the life expectancy of those diagnosed for approximately twenty years." Another wave of clapping finished his sentence for him, the strange feeling inside his gut and chest growing nauseating. 

"During my last year, I worked with Kwang-sun and my team to develop a cure for Faerune Fever, a disease we are most aware of that is fast, rapid, and deadly." A small whooping noise followed by, again, intruding applause made Jungkook pause. The voice of the praising noise sounded familiar, but Jungkook suddenly didn't want to boast anymore. He felt uncomfortable, and the smile he should be wearing felt like the hardest thing to maintain at the moment. 

"Throughout my apprenticeship, I wanted to remain as true to myself as I could be. One of my goals has been, and always will be, to give back to my community." The sinking feeling inside his gut grew claws, howling and hissing inside himself as it clung to his heart painfully. "Therefore, as my inquiry for my seventh level, I have taken it upon myself to develop a cure for Nexus Entropy." 

Encouraging clapping fills the room as Jungkook ends his presentation, bowing politely as he exits off the podium. The eager looks, the chattering about selflessness, and the fond look surrounding him make Jungkook sick. Without a word, Jungkook leaves the suddenly suffocating atmosphere the acceptance of his inquiry brought him. Breathing unevenly as he wanders outside, seeking asylum on a nearby bench. 

Closing his eyes and gulping down his growing emotions, Jungkook focused on leveling the overwhelming amounts of emotions he felt. They weren't strange; he had grown used to them, but perhaps he was surprised by their frequency since arriving at the university. 

The sight of the school board and MCA holding up a small paddle with the heavy, glowing numbers of a bold ten burned themselves into his mind. A ten. The highest score one could get. He had gotten full funding. And yet, Jungkook sat on a wonky park bench, trying to even his breathing. Slowly, the monster inside his gut reveals itself. 

Guilt. 

It swallowed him whole because he was the only one who knew. Jungkook had never been selfless. He had never done anything purely from the goodness of his heart. 

Jungkook was doing this for himself.

"Do you know who I'll be sharing the laboratory with?" Judging by the sun and the lack of students roaming the halls, it must've been around lunchtime. The sun was high in the sky, merciless as always, forcing the lounging students in the courtyard to seek shelter underneath the inviting shade of the trees planted around the grounds. It looked peaceful, nothing but idle chatter and a still-warm breeze delicately shifting strands of hair. Perhaps if Jungkook wasn't feeling so cowardly, he would've gone and searched for Yugyeom, taken that time to catch up with his old friend—a strict understatement considering how inseparable they were during their academy years— yeah, Yugyeom had been his best friend. 

But after they returned from the Deep before graduation and split up, Jungkook had sought refuge in Yugyeom's arms. A few days had passed, and Jungkook had made up his mind to leave everything behind. Although Yugyeom knew the most, Jungkook left him behind, too. With a hug and a vague, I'll be alright , was all Yugyeom had for the past six years. As if the earlier guilt didn't gnaw holes into his constitution already, the endless uncertainty regarding his relationship with his old friend tormented him regardless. Yugyeom would have moved on, too. 

Before attending the university, Jungkook was aware of how much had changed. None of them were kids anymore; he wasn't an innocent, naive first-year who read about happy endings anymore or, the sixteen-year-old with immense temperament issues, or even the seventeen-year-old who felt nothing but love and devotion regarding his coven. Glancing around himself, now more than ever, Jungkook could see the past six years, from immature teenagers to the adults that now sauntered the halls looking to fulfill a great witches purpose. 

"Why do I even waste my breath talking when you aren't even listening? Honestly, it's like talking to a wall sometimes." The sharp tone of Balam's chiding tugged Jungkook back into the present, the sound of his footsteps echoing lonesomely amongst the halls. Balam, as elegant as always, didn't even make a peep. 

“What?—Ah, sorry Balam.” Pulling his gaze from the windows, he glanced at the disapproving look from Balam before shifting entirely against the opposing wall. Closed, wooden doors, each labeled with a letter and number indicating which laboratory one would find behind it. 

"Tsk, if you're going to ask someone something, at least have the common courtesy to listen for their answer." Balam paused; she had a small habit of doing that between scoldings, perhaps to give whoever was on the receiving end to actually absorb the lecture. "Like I was saying, I don't know who you're going to be sharing the space with." 

"But why do we even need to share a laboratory with someone? It could invite all kinds of trouble, like accidental contamination—or they could just be distracting and—" 

"Will you stop? You'll drive yourself crazy in the first week alone at this rate. Every laboratory is shared between two people, partly because of convenience but mostly for socialization." Balam finished, a tone filled with finalization that didn't leave Jungkook any room to argue. It's not like he had any. 

"Ah, here we are. Room B013 that'll be your laboratory." Balam stated, tail swaying casually as she watched Jungkook nod before opening the door. The sight was pause-worthy, at least for the young witch who stood stunned by the doorframe. Balam walked idly between his legs, a smugness to her gaze as he sauntered inside and hopped onto one of the black marble counters. Beginning to groom herself dutifully. 

The laboratory was a large space, a silent worry of Jungkooks deminishing as the space could easily fit two magicals. The walls were a creamy white, contrasting with the deep mahogany of the windowsill and framing. Two large, ceiling-reaching windows gave the space a good amount of natural light. For the actual workspace, there were long rectangular islands made out of a marbled black stone. Material like that could withstand certain chemicals; no doubt why the university chose such a heavy surface in the first place. 

To each side of the room, hugging some free space against the walls, was a display case. Walking over and opening the case, Jungkook marveled at the sheer amount of vials, cylinders, and other equipment waiting to be used. Looking around, he didn't mind the slight unevenness of the floorboards. The university was old, and although he was sure certain spells kept it maintained, age was something irreversible. 

The space was open, not as homely as other aspects of the castle, but this was a laboratory. It wasn't supposed to be overly decorated or warm, places like these never were. But Jungkook found himself comfortable, which was rather important considering how many hours he'd be spending within this room. He should get to work.

Setting his bag down on an empty chair, Jungkook began familiarizing himself. Grabbing an empty notebook and taking inventory of what was available already, having found a section of dried-out herbs on a shelf on the south side of the room. It was important to note what he already had and what he needed to order, although there were rare oddities he would need to cultivate himself. He had sent Balam off a few minutes ago to check the greenhouses for thornvine—a plant that would only grow in October—making it important for him to know in case he needed to cultivate some of his own. 

"I should've known you'd be in here."

Spinning around on his heels, Jungkook sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of his old friend, Kim Yugyeom. Now that he wasn't mentally preparing himself to present in front of an audience, Jungkook silently looked over the way Yugyeom, after all this time, hadn't really changed appearance-wise. Still, the same straight black hair parted to the side and loose, comfortable clothing. The only noticeable difference was that Yugyeom wore light, natural-looking makeup. Small dabbles of highlighter and eyeshadow extenuating his already soft features. 

What do you say to someone you left behind?

Although the sight of Yugyeom warmed his heart, feeding it with a bittersweet nostalgia that threatened to tug a crooked smile across his lips. Sweet because he and Yugyeom were like two peas in a pod, they understood each other. Unlike Seokjin or Namjoon, Yugyeom never tried fixing Jungkook. Not because he wasn't worried or approved of Jungkook's delinquent tendencies but because Yugyeom had faith in Jungkook. Because, unlike anyone, Yugyeom understood where the aggressive behavior came from. Yugyeom knew that one day, Jungkook would move on. So on days when Jungkook would hide out from his Hyungs after having gotten into another lone fight, lord knows how fussy they all could get, lip busted and bruises forming above his cheekbone, Yugyeom would let him in and simply listen. He wouldn't touch or coddle, ask a hundred-and-one questions, scold or reprimand him—no, Yugyeom would continue playing on his computer, waiting for Jungkook to talk if he wanted to. 

Jungkook hadn't wanted to for a while. 

He would sit by the window, beanbag, or bed, and simply exist for some time. Waiting for Yugyeom's accepting personna to break, for the other to finally realize he wasn't going to get some juicy gossip from Jungkook and move on. Only Yugyeom never did. Not when Hoseok came knocking on his dorm door, asking about him, and Yugyeom convincingly lying about his whereabouts. Covering for him over and over again. So one day, sitting on Yugyeom's bed, back leaning against the white wall the bed frame was pushed against, knees to his chest, and fingers idly picking at some of the scabs covering his knuckles. Jungkook talked, and Yugyeom had listened. 

So, how do you talk to someone you left behind six years ago? Fully expecting and accepting, never to see them again? 

"What, not gonna say 'Hi' or anything?" Yugyeom's mused lips curved upwards in a kind smile. A smile so strikingly familiar, that Jungkook felt practically unworthy to be basking in its warmth. Just moments ago, Jungkook was reminiscing about how everything in his life had changed without him, and there stood Yugyeom, again , standing utterly unchanged before him. Still, the same buoy that kept Jungkook afloat all those years ago. 

The prompt got Jungkook out of his momentary stupor, hurriedly fumbling over his words as he tried narrowing them down to just one sentence. Thousands of questions plagued him all at once, wanting to know so much while simultaneously apologizing for even more. Fortunately, Yugyeom seemed to have mercy on him once more, filling the room with a genuine laugh at Jungkook's fumbling. 

"What? You can't be surprised to see me; you presented your inquiry right after mine, after all." Again, Yugyeom carried a smile that reminded Jungkook of the Cheshire cats, only less mischievous and more amused. And Yugyeom's question wasn't wrong; he wasn't surprised by his presence but by the fact that Yugyeom was actually talking to him. Yugyeom should be mad at him; he'd have every right to , he thought deprecatingly. 

"Well, I just didn't think you'd, well," Jungkook paused, gesturing with his hand, "come find me." He concluded, sigh heavy on his tongue. 

Yugyeom's smile dwindled at his words, the sight reminding him of nyctinasty, a rhythm that allowed plants to open and close depending on the time of day. Although his words were unorganized, watching them have such a horrid effect on Yugyeom made them feel terrible. Without much hesitation, Yugyeom walked over slowly, methodical in his steps before pulling Jungkook's still-tense body into a hug. They stood like that for a moment, Yugyeom's arms wrapped around Jungkook, a type of hug that felt just so encompassing, warm, and protective. Yugyeom was hugging him like he used to. Jungkook's arms worked on their own, wrapping tightly around his old pillar in life, hand carefully clutching the knitted material of Yugyeom's warm, marbled-looking sweater. His head disappeared into the crook of his neck, mostly to keep Yugyeom from seeing the watery shine to his eyes, inhaling the subtle scent of citrus still clinging to his friend. A perfume oil Jungkook had gifted Yugyeom for his seventeenth birthday. 

A comfortable, emotional silence spread throughout the room. Distantly, one could hear a bird chirping, singing softly to itself as it landed in its nest, tucked against the outside windowsill along the left window. Sunlight shone through the windows, its light subtly spreading heat wherever it touched Jungkook's body. The two simply held each other, wordlessly making up for lost time. 

"It's really good to see you again, Jungkook," Yugyeom murmured into his shoulder, and even without seeing the other's face, Jungkook knew he wasn't the only one choking on his feelings. 

Jungkook wasn't exactly sure how long they stood like that, either party unwilling to release the other. Perhaps, in a silent fear of losing the other for another six years— or maybe even forever. They didn't say anything; however, the room never ceased to actually quiet, whether that was for the birds singing or occasional students passing down the hall or the pure liveliness of the castle itself that kept the room from ever really feeling silent.  

It nearly forced an ironic chuckle to escape Jungkook as he recalled one of the first things that had pulled him towards Yugyeom in the first place. No matter what, the quiet had never felt uncomfortable. Maybe that's Yugyeom's true specialty. Jungkook mused to himself, hands subconsciously tightening their ghostly hold on his friend. 

But just like any moment, this one had to leave them too. Jungkook struggled between saying too much and simultaneously not enough, apologies prancing at the tip of his tongue. But he also wasn't sorry. For leaving them, for distancing himself after they left him. However, in his pursuit to feel nothing, Jungkook accidentally lost what he still had. 

"I'm sorry." A croaked, emotional voice broke the silence. 

Yugyeom chuckled, but Jungkook could hear the heart behind it. Somehow, Yugyeom had grown emotional too. But it wasn't anger like Jungkook had expected, nor resentment or aloofness. Perhaps it was because Jungkook found none of that—that Yugyeom still looked and embraced him with all of his flaws, that really broke the nonchalant facade Jungkook tried so desperately to maintain. 

"I don't know for what in the world you could be sorry for, Jungkook." Yugyeom mused, a delicate sing-song voice that made his words just sound so easy. So simple. 

Maybe Jungkook simply was just a masochist, someone in strict denial that his actions would go unpunished. Because in an instant, Jungkook didn't hesitate to remind him. "For leaving you, for not contacting you, for disappearing for the past six fucking years—"  

The discouraging tutting noise from Yugyeom quickly shushed Jungkook's feeble attempts at self-sabotage. The older male pulled away from their hug, instead cupping both of Jungkook's cheeks and forcing the spiraling witch to gaze back at him. “Jungkook, I understand . You needed to get out, to leave and collect yourself. At your own pace, in a place of your choosing." Yugyeom reminded, as if the barebone intentions had escaped Jungkook in the midst of all this chaos. 

"I knew that one day we'd see each other again. And when that day happened, I told myself that I'd greet you like the friend you always were." Yugyeom's voice shifted from serious to one lighter in tone, filled with fondness. "And here we are, nothing but old friends getting to spend time together once more. I'm really happy to see you again, Jungkook; you've been up to quite a lot, haven't you?" Yugyeom teased, letting his words wash over Jungkook as if his unconditional affection was only a mist against Jungkook's skin and not a complete and all-consuming wave crashing against his fridged heart. 

Jungkook hadn't even realized it himself, when exactly his heart had grown so brisk and glacial . Uncaring and detached from his past. But being with Yugyeom again, in an occasional silence that never once felt overbearing, melting at the sheer love that still endlessly poured from the other. Jungkook felt himself slowly thawing, begrudgingly accepting that Yugyeom was something of his past he didn't want to let go. 

"I know I let you pace our conversations yourself, but I am dying to know what you've been up to. Besides being a famous physician and all—which I'll get to later, don't think I'll let that one go." Yugyeom began, pulling away from Jungkook and instead hopping onto one of the working surfaces in the laboratory. Dangling his feet carelessly. 

Jungkook smiled at the shift in tone and Yugyeom's tendency towards the dramatics. Jungkook found himself sitting beside his best friend, talking about the past six years. About how he had met his Halmoni, about the rather—abrupt adoption into Chae-wons family. Helping out in the bookstore, dealing with angry customers and dodging flying books, even tutoring. A fond tone edged his words as he described Jung-so and how Jungkook looked forward to seeing the little witch grow. 

Along those lines, Jungkook skipped his diagnosis. Not necessarily intentionally, but mostly due to the fact that he couldn't bring himself to ruin the fond smile that had etched itself onto Yugyeom's lips. 

"What I don't understand is why you went with medicine, like—you hated herbology, biology, any of that stuff. You hated it because your parents forced you into it; the Jungkook I knew cared more about which colored paints to pair with which because apparently there's this entire color theory thing—" Jungkook couldn't help but laugh at Yugyeom sidetracked rambling. The chuckles got him a huff from the other and a playful nudge against his shoulder. "Anyways, what I'm saying is, why Astrobiomedicine?" 

Ah. 

Jungkook hummed, acknowledging the question as he tried to formulate his words. Eyes suddenly glued to the floor, legs swaying before stopping altogether. The truth was unwelcoming, cold, and bitter; the reality sunk into one's skin like poison. If Jungkook could, he would spare Yugyeom of it. The inevitable truth is that Jungkook would die sooner rather than later. 

"A year after I left, after we graduated and went our separate ways." He began, "I started feeling ill. My magic, well, it grew weak. I couldn't feel it like I used to, had to focus more when I needed to pull on it, and eventually it began hurting when I did." Jungkook vaguely recalled the nights spent trying not to hyperventilate when his undiagnosed symptoms would appear. How he would gently palm and rub on his chest to try and soothe the ache away, trying to convince himself it was lingering soreness from an earlier activity. But it wasn't until the shadows appeared that Jungkook sought help. 

A pregnant pause, a shaky breath, and Jungkook continued. Eyes clouded as he talked, body present but mind far away, recalling in vivid, gruesome detail what he had gone through. "The pain—the pain, it got so bad eventually, like someone was sucking the mana out of me like I could feel my magic die inside of me. Felt my body go absolutely haywire, trying to mend itself. Using what little mana I had available to subconsciously attempt to restore myself. But using magic made it worse, and the pain intensified. It wasn't—it wasn't until I started coughing blood that I went to see a healer." 

Jungkook hadn't realized how weak his voice had gotten or how Yugyeom had pulled him close and into his side. Rubbing small circles into his back like little incantations meant to soothe him. Jungkook hesitated because he didn't want to say it. Saying it made it feel so real . It invited the fear he tried so hard to suppress to consume him, body and soul. 

"I was diagnosed with Nexus Entropy." 

Yugyeom didn't have to say anything. That quiet, quivering breath spoke volumes. 

"How—" Yugyeom visibly struggled to ask; the sight plunged Jungkook's heart from its roots. He didn't want to make Yugyeom say it; to ask him that question, everyone eventually narrowed his condition down to. 

"How much longer do you have?" 

"By the end of the year—" Jungkook couldn't meet Yugyeom's gaze but reluctantly looked into his best friend's eyes. He could see the teary reflectiveness threatening Yugyeom, and all it needed was the catalyst Jungkook was about to provide. 

"By the end of the year, I'll be dead." 

Jungkook had until the next Witching Moon to figure out a cure, or else JJK would have been a prodigy.

The sound of the front door unlocking and Jungkooks shuffling inside filled the space, a long, exhausted sigh escaping him as he removed his jacket and hung it onto the nearly filled coat rack. Sliding off his shoes and slipping into a comfortable set of slippers, glancing at the remaining ones. It was always easy to tell who was and wasn't currently home simply based on the amount of house-slippers left. Two pairs were still there, which unfortunately meant for Jungkook—one-third of the coven was present. With everything that had happened today, presenting his inquiry, reconnecting with Yugyeom, talking about his diagnosis, Jungkook felt drained. Emotionally and physically, he had nothing left to give. It was worse enough that his supposed safe space wasn't a place he could recharge in either, quite the opposite actually; Jungkook had rarely ever felt such dread . 

He was good at distracting himself, diverting all his attention and energies to certain subjects or jobs to the point that nothing else was able to occupy him. Somehow, Jungkook had even managed to push the topic of his exes away, too. Beside his feet, Balam yawned and stretched out her front paws, arching her back in a dramatic gesture. The sight made Jungkook slightly guilty; unlike all the other familiars who had been allowed to rest alongside their witches throughout the day, she had opted to stick by his side. Today was supposed to be easy. 

"Balam, why don't you head to my room already? I'll just go and eat some dinner first." He suggested, glancing at the Siamese cat spirit beside him. She looked skeptical, and he wasn't exactly sure what persuaded her: the thought of sleep, Jungkook entering his dormitory space instead of hiding, or perhaps Balam was able to decipher the fact that Jungkook wanted some space. Either way, Balam nodded and sauntered her way down the hall and into his room. 

Jungkook walked alongside her until they reached the living room, momentarily getting paused by a small pomeranian with mixed-colored fur circling his legs excitedly. Jungkook had been a little surprised to see the dog until he quickly recalled that this must be one of the other familiars. In Jungkook's rush during the previous night to escape the others' prodding stares or simple presence, he had failed to notice the company of any other familiar besides Balam. A part of himself wanted to be a bit immature; the need to nudge the dog away with his foot and move on nearly made his leg tingle. But the other familiars weren't responsible for their witches' actions; it wasn't fair to let his frustrations out on the spirits. 

With a tired smile, he kneeled down before the hyper dog. It's tail wagging wildly, sniffling at Jungkook's outstretched hand. “Hello, I’m Jungkook.” He introduced, amusement twisting his drained expression into a more genuine one. Talking to the familiar was apparently like opening Pandora's box. 

"Hello Jungkook, I'm Yeontan! But I go by all kinds of names, like Tannie, or if you wanna be really formal with me, you could call me Kim Yeontan. But I don't really like it when people call me that—So Yeontan, or maybe Tannie? No, I'll go with Yeontan. Call me Yeontan!" The pomeranian spirit babbled, his tiny tongue slightly hanging from his mouth. A small, quiet panting accompanied Yeontan's excitement. 

But before Jungkook could even utter a word in response, the admittedly cute pomeranian shot back instantly. "I've heard a lot about you; I mean—he won't shut up about you. I wasn't listening very much, but soulmates! Isn't that romantic? It's very romantic, oh gosh, it's kinda like candy. We should go get some candy—"

"Yeontan!" The sharp, scolding voice from Seokjin contained the chipper dog; the other witch must've come from the kitchen if the amusing, pink with white polka-dotted apron didn't speak for itself. Yeontan listened, pausing his train of thought and remaining seated in his spot—well, trying to felt more accurate. The little dog shifted on its feet, swaying between the left and right front paws, tail swishing hazardously against the floorboards. The thought that this might be Seokjin's familiar flashed through Jungkook, but it was rather odd, considering how different the two were based on his outdated knowledge. Soekjin was an earth witch, different from a green witch like Jungkook—who dealt more with energy—earth witches could literally manipulate the ground around them. Although it was stereotypical to assume all earth witches were low maintenance, Seokjin did carry himself with a very grounded nature. At least, that's what Jungkook remembered. 

"Why don't you tell the others that dinner is going to be ready soon?" Seokjin suggested in a soft tone, but a quick glance at his expression gave the hyper pomeranian the idea that his suggestion wasn't debatable at all. But the dog didn't seem deterred by the command, excitedly nodding its head and trotting down the hall. The soft patter of the familiars paws and nails tapping against the floor gradually disappeared into another room. 

But with the sudden absence of the overzealous spirit, Jungkook so desperately wanted him to return. He didn't want to be alone with Seokjin, not with any of them, actually. The pause between them stretched, and unlike his earlier interactions with Yugyeom, the quiet between them was heavy against his shoulders. 

"Uh, is Yeontan your—"

"What? Oh, no." Seokjin chuckled; the sound was happy, even if he looked a little relieved. "No, that familiar belongs to Taehyung." 

Taehyung?

The thought of the old academy Taehyung, more delinquent than student. The witch who would bite and bark at the slightest hint of coddling, who complained about anything slightly outside of his apparent agenda. Who was too cool for bright colors and cutesy stuff, being paired up with a small, hyperactive, easily enthused fluff ball? Unwillingly, the thought made Jungkook's lip curve upwards. 

However, it did remind Jungkook about the sheer amount of time he had missed. Recalling the soft colors Taehyung was dressed in last night, the way his style had changed from rough-and-rugged to a well-put-together, although easy-going, student. Exactly how much had Jungkook missed from Taehyung's growth? The small, vague smile that had crossed his expression disappeared. A cruel, intimate feeling of being robbed slowly took shape inside himself. Growing vicious, more dominating the longer he thought about it—

"Come, I made Bibimbap." Seokjin successfully interrupted Jungkook's spiraling, even if it was just for a moment. The older witch spun on his heels, walking back into the open kitchen. The space overall was very open, besides the two corridors that led off to the bedrooms and bathrooms. The kitchen was off to the far left, raised a step from the rest on a wooden platform that expanded to the dinner table. The only thing that mildly mimicked a wall between the kitchen and dining room was a long marble island. Then, the floor lowered a step or two and made room for the living room. Two couches rested on the now carpeted floor in an L formation around a coffee table. The space was wide and open, with potted plants and large windows, making the space oddly homey but exclusive. Again, another reminder of how loaded the university was. 

The seducing scent of Bibimap wafted through the space; glancing at the counter, he noted the already prepared namul and signature gochujang paste being set off to the side on the counter; the meat still seemed to be sizzling inside the pan. Which is what Seokjin had hurriedly returned to, back now turned to Jungkook as the elder stirred the cooking meat. Bowls of white rice, another with eggs and other dishes to serve as toppings filled the space. It kept Seokjin distracted, allowing Jungkook to lean against the island counter. Arms crossed over his chest, gaze painfully observing the sight of Seokjin cooking. 

Jungkook distantly recalled how when he released the glimmerkins in beastology—the study of magical beasts—he had gotten detention and a date with the Headmaster, where he was promptly trialed without having gotten to eat dinner. Originally, Jungkook did it purely to prank the new first years, glimmerkins were ghastly little beasts who caused chaos wherever they went. What hadn't been part of the plan was for the glimmerkins to team up on one first year in particular and hang them from the ceilings chandelier. Or splash an entire group with blue eldertwine ink, an ink that was derived from a wilted twine root and was completely waterproof—subsequently staining both faces and uniforms. Or for the glimmerkins getting into the bestiary pens and releasing the Nixalopes and Gryphalos.  

Yeah, Jungkook truly learned the extent of how mischievous glimmerkins were that day. But despite the scolding he had gotten from both the dean and Headmaster, along with his hyungs, Seokjin still loathed the idea of Jungkook going to bed hungry. Which is what had led them to sneak into the kitchens after curfew; Seokjin easily navigated the space, considering how often he volunteered to work cooking duty and made Jungkook a serving of bibimbap.  

Returning to the present, Jungkook fought the bitter feeling of wonder as he watched Seokjin cook. The taunting, daunting curiosity of what if. What if Seokjin was making bibimbap because it had been Jungkook's favourite? 

Jungkook had to stifle both a scoff and grimace. Since he had reunited with the others, he was uncertain which emotion he felt more. Blinding, engulfing anger, or all-consuming sorrow. As if Seokjin could feel Jungkook's burning gaze against his back, the elder attempting to fill the silence with idle chatter. 

"Yeontan and Taehyung seemed to be really close already; I wouldn't be surprised if the two actually formed a proper spirit bond. Though, my familiar is a real cutie too; they're—"

"Is this what we're doing now?" Jungkook interrupted with a badly hidden snarl, distaste and frustration evident in his tone. "Pretend like nothing happened?" anger . The pendulum dancing between hurt and anger stilled for a moment, and like those cheap magnetic knock-offs human kids would get to try and predict the feature; Jungkook's internal pendulum stopped spinning over his anger. The kindling had been lit earlier, and now Jungkook had a fire inside himself itching to burn. 

"Bunny—"

"Oh please, spare me the informality, Seokjin-sii." He watched as Seokjin inhaled at the formal address, and a sadistic satisfaction watched over himself at the twisted expression it earned him when the elder turned off the stove and turned to him. Untying the apron, folding it before setting it onto an empty space along the counter. Seokjin, like always, seemed to be taking his time formulating a response. 

"What was the plan here, huh? Act like nothing happened? Like I just went on a dainty little vacation, and now we can all go back to playing family again?" Distantly, Jungkook could hear chatter down the corridor halt. The others, although he was uncertain on who , had become aware of the confrontation currently occurring. Of course, in an open space like this, there wasn't much room for privacy besides in their own separate rooms and the two bathrooms. Good, let them hear. Jungkook thought bitterly. 

"Although, it seems you guys already did that. How long did it take for you all to get back together? A week ? A month ?" Jungkook's voice was mocking, and although he knew he'd feel remorseful for letting his own anger singe other people, a part of him wanted them to hurt, even if their pain was insignificantly narrowed compared to his. 

"We're not together." Namjoon's voice injected, walking up to Seokjin and standing only a meter or two away. Body leaned against the sink, arms crossed, as he calmly looked at Jungkook. It was those signature, composed expressions that really irritated Jungkook. Because he was feeling it all at the moment, and before him, one of the six causes to all this turmoil and mess, was a man who had the gall to look so unphased?

"Namjoons right, we aren't all together like we used to be," Jimin added, standing by the dining room table with Taehyung. Although, Jimin's expression contorted into one of—remorse? Sadness? Jungkook didn't linger on it. 

"I don't give a flying fuck who you've all decided to fuck or not; my point is that you don't get to address me so casually anymore. We aren't friends; I'm not your bunny ," A sharp glance towards Seokjin, "Or your Kookie , I'm your roommate. Don't call me out for dinner, or lunch, or any other domestic little spiel." Venom laced Jungkook's tone, and he could feel his own magic simmer and boil underneath his skin. He could feel it pulse, submerging some parts into his aura, subconsciously signifying how absolutely volatile Jungkook felt at the moment. He could see the witches in the room react, inhaling sharply or quiveringly. What infuriated him more was that Seokjin or Jimin didn't even have the nerve to meet his gaze. 

After all, Jungkook's anger and pain were the product of their betrayal. 

A sudden but hesitant tug on his finger pulled Jungkook's fury away from Namjoon and Seokjin. One of the red strings tied to his pinky tugged once again until he met Jimin's remorseful gaze. The blonde's eyes were teary, lip seemingly bitten raw, and hands a little restless with nerves. It was clear, but Jimin had a contorted expression that the witch was holding back tears. 

"Jungkook, please , I–" Jimin's quivering, raw voice was cut off by Taehyhung. 

"We're sorry. I’m sorry, Jungkook.” 

It wasn't enough; two words would never make up for how Jungkook was hurting. How he had been left behind , how the unwanted jealousy coursed through him in dangerous, turbulent waves. Threatening to take what little restraint, what morality, he had left under with it. It wasn't fair ; it wasn't fair that even if they didn't have all of each other, they still had some parts of each other. 

Had they honestly expected him to stay and keep contact after everything that had happened? The mere thought made a cold, bitter scoff escape him. Expression twisted into a small sneer, Jimin lowered his gaze at Jungkook's response, suddenly seeming all too interested in the shiny, laminated floorboards. Taehyung, always the prideful one, did not divert his gaze. But the brunette's expression was filled with remorse, a glassiness to his eyes that threatened to make Jungkook feel guilty. 

But the longer the silence filled the room, the less wind there was to fan Jungkook's flames. Slowly, he loosened his hands. Not having noticed exactly when he had balled them into fists. His nails have dug into his skin, leaving red, slightly irritated crescents indented into his palm. The pain, although as cynical as it was, grounded him. Inhaling, the sound of sucking breath into his lungs, only to eventually let out a vulnerable breath filled the otherwise barren room. 

Jungkook's eyes flickered over to Namjoon; the older witch had his arms crossed over his chest. But unlike Seokjin, who also had his arms crossed, Namjoon looked like he was shielding himself while Seokjin was practically hugging himself. It was the sight of Seokjin's glistening cheeks, reddened eyes as the oldest cried unabashedly, that somehow derailed Jungkook from his tyrannical warpath. Because why was Seokjin crying? After all, it was them who hurt him . The only person currently allowed to cry was Jungkook. 

“Jungkook, Bun, Kookie—”

"Jungkook." Jungkook's tone was sharp in its reprimand, but the sound of his old nicknames from any of their lips felt like salt in the wounds he already carried. He hated it, hated how vulnerable Seokjin sounded, how much sorrow and sheer regret was tainting his aura. 

The sound of Seokjin sucking in his breath, gulping audibly as the elder clearly tried to swallow the choked sound of a sob down. Grimacing and contorting his face to control the wobble of his lips, the sight was enough to make Jimin's muffled sniffling more auditable, too. The sight and sounds somehow managed to irritate Jungkook further, the threads tied around his pinky tugging uselessly. The souls inside themselves weakly calling out for reconciliation. 

But Jungkook wasn't going to reconcile. 

Eventually, in the suffocating atmosphere of the room, Seokjin found his words, perhaps with the gentle help of Namjoon, who had started rubbing circles onto the weeping witches' backs. 

"Kook—" Seokjin inhaled, hurriedly trying to amend his mistake at Jungkook's sharp glare. “Jungkook, I’m sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. I've hurt you and—"

"Why?" Jungkook prompted, turning his full attention to Seokjin. Back now turned towards Jimin, the witch's downcast gaze desperately trying to avoid contact with the world. Ah, when had Jungkook's world turned so melancholic?

He had never wanted this. He had never wanted to be so sad. He never intended to spread that sorrow either. 

"Why? Why are you sorry, Seokjin? Was it because you left me?" A choked-down, heartbreaking sound escaped Seokjin's lips. The elder hurriedly cupped his palm over it, hiding his fully trembling lip and runny nose. Eyes squinted with tears, yet the witch refused to look away. Jungkook wasn't sure what motivated him to go on, maybe, in the most twisted parts of himself; did it feel good to see one of the people who hurt him feel even the slightest amount of what he's been carrying for the past six years. Or, perhaps it was also a combination of adrenalin from actually having this confrontation that didn't let Jungkook relent in his sadistic pursuit to shed tears. 

"Why?" He prodded further, voice whispery yet mocking.

"Jungkook, that's enough—" Namjoon tried cutting in, realizing how this conflict was escalating. The sight made Jungkook snicker because where was that motivation when everything was on the line?

"Was it because you didn't even look back? Or, maybe how you didn't even fight it?" He prompted, taking a step closer. 

"Jungkook, stop. Let's calm down—" 

"Hmm? Come on, Seokjin, tell me what you're sorry for. Was it because you knew how much our coven meant to me? Or, was it because you knew how much I lov—"

"Because I failed you!" Seokjin finally cut Jungkook off, voice loud and booming, but it cracked at the end. Raw with emotion, with pure, unfiltered desolation . 

And the gusto inside Jungkook dwindled, and for the first time since, he had been reintroduced to his past. Felt the mockingly familiar pull on the red strings uniting them; the bulwark that had been protecting what little face he had left relented. Hot tears threatened his waterline before falling down his cheeks and kissing at the bottom of his chin. No one dared utter a word; the only sound was the sniffles, hiccups, and weak attempts to downplay the depths of their shared agony. 

It took a moment for Jungkook to find his own voice, shoulders trembling as his gaze turned downcast, too. Gulping down a sob, he nodded.

"Yeah, you did." 

"All of you did." 

Before his knees could collapse under his weight, the heart in his chest suddenly felt miles heavier than it ever had. He turned around, desperate to preserve what little dignity he had left, and retreated to his room. He swayed, tears making his vision blurry as he swung open his door and nudged it shut behind him, the bang unintentional and imposing. In some ways, the bang signified, or rather— felt , like the means to an end. An odd, somewhat relieving feeling spread through him as he dived face-first into his mattress. Arms swinging around his pillow, face pressed into the downy as he finally let sobs wrack through his body. 

Because finally. Finally , he was able to tell them. He was able to say it to them. 

His coven hadn't just left him. They hadn't just misused his trust, hadn't just broken his heart—They had failed him. In every sense of the word, they had let him down to shatter amongst the floor. But Jungkook had time—six years, to be specific—and within that time, had pieced himself back together. 

He'd be damned if he ever let them break him again. 

“Mr. Jeon?” 

Perking up from his spot in the waiting room, Jungkook glanced at the nurse standing by the hallway closest to the front desk. Raising his hand, the woman spotted him quickly, a friendly but stale smile plastered onto her lips as she tucked a brown clipboard against her chest. 

“The doctor will see you shortly; follow me, please.” Her voice was honeyed, but it was something Jungkook was used to by now. Nearly every nurse he’s met was sweet, voice usually soft, not always in tone—but in nature. 

Sitting up from the uncomfortable waiting room chair, he always tried to avoid touching the small cushions patched on the base and back of the seats. They were always in different colors depending on what hospital you went to; in this case, they were a faded pink. But it wasn’t the color that made Jungkook cringe slightly; it was that fake, leathery texture. Of course, he understood why it was that specific texture. They couldn’t go for actual fabric since it couldn’t be cleaned easily; authentic leather was expensive and shouldn’t be cleaned with harsh chemicals, either. Therefore, fake leather was the best option. But that didn’t change the fact that Jungkook disliked it, the texture, and the hackneyed appearance. Maybe it was so because the only time he’d ever had to sit in one was when he was in the hospital.

At this point, Jungkook was no stranger to any hospital. No matter the location, they all worked on the same principles. The only thing that was ever different or mildly difficult was finding the damn floor you were supposed to be on. 

But Jungkook had managed; he always did. Standing up, smiling a timid but kind smile to return the nurse's politeness before promptly following her. 

Hospital hallways were always eerie; he wasn’t exactly sure what contributed the most to its unsettling atmosphere. It could be the pure whiteness of practically everything: the stale gray vinyl flooring, the off-white, sometimes cream-colored walls, the haunting pattern of your footsteps. The sound was hard to explain in hospitals; it was usually quiet, unsettling as one dangled from their own anxieties, but when there was noise, it was loud. 

Whether that noise came from an incessant EKG monitor or the vital sign monitors that practically start screaming when a value is off, to the minute details, such as grabbing a set of gloves from the glove compartments hung against the walls, unwrapping medical supplies, moving machinery around on unoiled wheels, and the constant pacing footsteps of nurses flying around like busy bees. 

But Jungkook preferred that, preferred the noise over the silence any day. Which is why he hated his sessions so much; the kind nurse guided him down the hall before entering a room. She let him enter first before plugging a set of gloves from its respective box before checking his vitals, jotting them down, before giving Jungkook a moment to settle. 

Jungkook sat at the edge of the hospital bed, not yet wanting to lay down on the thin mattress. There was a process to this he had grown accustomed to; first, the nurse would check his vitals, then he’d wait— that following silence taunted him with gruesome ambition. Then, the doctor would arrive, observing the progression of Jungkook's health and determining the speed at which he was actively deteriorating. Then the doctor would leave, and silence followed before a nurse pushing a heavy, modified centrifuge entered. Lastly, Jungkook would dance with unconsciousness for approximately four hours until the Satan spawn was removed from his arteries. 

The entire process had made Jungkook so incredibly anxious the first time he had done it, but his Halmoni had been there with him. Holding his hand, fussing over him, and eventually taking him down to the bakery across the street when he was done, those moments filled him with a gentle warmth because he hadn’t ever asked Halmoni for any of it. They weren’t even related, but the old witch saw something within him that Jungkook might not ever see. But she loved him, and in all her disorganized glory, Jungkook loved her, too. 

It was that very love that prompted him to grow more silent over his festering condition. Why he had eventually asked her not to accompany him anymore because seeing the sheer amount of sorrow in her old gaze whenever the doctor confirmed his worsening symptoms and not the desperate hopes she clung to about his improvement made Jungkook take care of his diagnoses independently. 

He couldn’t stand the sight of her spirit and hope dying alongside him. 

Jungkook hadn’t changed doctors before, but he couldn’t exactly make the ten-hour trip back to Busan for every appointment or check-up; that would be an absolute hassle; besides, he had an illness to cure. He couldn’t necessarily afford many distractions, and he needed to consume what little energy he had left for his research. He couldn’t take time off once every two weeks just to get an apologetic look and poorly hidden pity from a doctor or nurse three towns over. So, Jungkook allowed his primary provider to share his medical history and current treatment plans with this new doctor. 

A knock on the door, followed by a gruff sounding “Mr. Jeon?” Was the only warning Jungkook got before the doctor entered. The woman seemed to be approximately in her late thirties, visible tiredness hanging from the slight discolouration underneath her eyes. Hair tied into a bun, with curtain-like bangs poking out and framing her face. Sharp, pointed ears sported elegant but subtle jewelry, making a bold guess Jungkook might assume the doctor was a fairy. Based on the pointy ears, the natural grace with which she sat down, and the purely calming—settling aura she gave off. 

It was a stereotype Jungkook wouldn’t admit to socially. Still, it was relatively common that fae, witches, fairies, and elves focused their attention on healing and the general health of the magical society. But Jungkook couldn’t necessarily refute that stereotype, considering that he’s a part of it. 

“I’m Sook Geumseong, and I’ll be your doctor for the foreseeable future. I have taken a look inside your medical history and treatment plans sent to me by your previous doctor, Mr. Jee.” Jungkook nodded absentmindedly, trying to snap out of the taciturn mindset he always entered when in a hospital. It wasn’t his fault ; he didn’t want to be here, after all. It was simply easier to nod and drift off than currently be present. 

Geumseong nodded, making a slight hum as she spun in those small half-stools with wheels at the bottom. She typed a few curt sentences into her computer, the soft clicking of the keyboard doing little to put him at ease. 

“Any new symptoms that have occurred within the last two weeks?” She asked, gaze now locked onto his. Suddenly, Jungkook got the impression that Geumseong was a very efficient person.

He nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat as he pulled up his sleeve. There, against his pale skin—an unfortunate side effect from his illness—stood imposing black veins along his left wrist. That morning, when Jungkook had been woken by his alarm and Balam. He had nearly refused to leave his bed; the temptation to hide and sulk within the comforts of his downy fortress was impossible, especially with Balam swiping at his face. 

The freshness of his confrontation with Seokjin, Namjoon, Jimin, and Taehyung stuck fresh in his mind and body. Brain-wracking senselessly over everything he had said, over everything he hadn’t said, or everything he could’ve said. Body, an accumulation of relief, heaviness, and bitterness, and an odd sense of guilt . Because throughout the jumbled mess, he could still hear Seokjin choke on his sob. Blinking, Jungkook could see Jimin's reddened cheeks and raw-bitten lips. And although it had somehow fulfilled him during that moment, Jungkook hadn’t felt satisfied. 

Seeing Jungkook's hyungs, his old lovers , in pain didn’t relieve his own. It didn’t mend the six years spent sulking and healing, bandaging wounds that had just started scabbing over. Seeing his hyungs again, they’ve all been reopened. But yelling and spreading more grief didn’t help him in finding more bandaids or bandages, and it didn't provide him with a sling or crutch. It just left everyone aching, and Jungkook felt so tired of hurting. 

It was the sound of a knock, knuckles hitting against the wooden door, that prompted him to sit up. For a moment, tense and nervous that one of them would enter. Jungkook couldn’t afford to lose the little safe space he had left. But that didn’t happen; the sound of someone clearing their throat was slightly muffled against the wall between him and whoever was outside. 

“I—I’ll leave your breakfast outside. I know you said not to call you for breakfast or anything, but—well, you didn’t eat dinner, so—” Jimins voice mumbled, rambling on as Jungkook could practically picture the blonde wringing out the end of his shirt nervously as he talked. 

It was the short, hiss-like voice of Yoongi that he could distantly make out. “Jimin, let him be now!” 

Balam had perched herself back on his desk, tail swaying as she glanced at the door before back at him. It amused Jungkook because if she could, she’d probably be scowling with a raised brow at their behavior. It also reminded Jungkook that their late-night fiasco must’ve been passed on to the two absent witches. 

It was good to know Yoongi still understood and respected personal space as much as he had done back then, too. 

But Jungkook hadn’t heard the sound of footsteps padding away, only the silence as he anxiously waited for any sound to indicate Jimin's departure. 

“There’s so much I want to say, Jungkook I—”

“Jimin!” 

A pause, the sound of a sharp inhale, and ruffling outside the door followed. 

“Have a good day, Jungkook. Drink lots of water and stay hydrated, yeah?” Jimin finished, the subtle sound of defeat infiltrating his tone before the sound of footsteps told Jungkook of Jimin's departure. 

Once Jungkook was sure Jimin and no one else was in the hall or nearby, he opened the door. Gawking at the tray that stood before him, a small bowl with what he assumed to be miso soup, steaming gently beside another small bowl of rice and a side of banchan. He picked it up, kicking the door closed gently behind him with the heel of his foot. Walking over to his table, he sat the tray down. An uneasy feeling settled inside his stomach, making him subconsciously gnaw on his lip piercing. Along the tray was a folded piece of paper, folded in half, the cardstock material stood up. It was noticeable and a part of him dreaded the message that could be written on the note. 

“Breakfast in your room?” Balam questioned, but that tone of her voice gave hint to her subtle disapproval. It was clear that although she encouraged Jungkook to take his time with handling his situation, she didn’t necessarily approve of his hiding habits. 

Nodding numbly, Jungkook felt conflicted. Somehow, it felt as if accepting the meal would also be him accepting the small gesture of apology. But Jungkook didn’t accept their apology, no matter how exactly their remorse was shown. 

Letting the food sit on his desk, he eventually grabbed the note meant for him. Sitting on the edge of his bed, stomach tied in knots, Jungkook was about to fold the paper open properly when a spine-curdling sight crossed him. There, where his hoodie hiked up at his movements, showed his wrist, but unlike the usual assortment of small blue, green, or maybe purple veins, now stood in terrifying vividness—thick, black veins. The dark lines faded into his palm, most prominent around his wrist and a little down his forearm before fading. They were spreading. 

Jungkook knew what this meant, but it was such a rapid change from two weeks ago. Why hadn’t he noticed earlier? Grabbing the end of his now rolled-up sleeve, Jungkook roughly pulled the fabric back up. Covering the sight, he leveled his breathing. Perhaps it was his own fault to be so caught off guard. He had noticed the gradual change in his skin; once tanned and healthy-looking, it had now grown pallid and dry. That happened weeks ago. The note, now long forgotten, fell beside him onto the mattress as he jumped to get ready. 

Which is how he had found himself here, sitting in front of his doctor, Geumseong, slowly rolling up his sleeve. He didn’t even notice the chill all hospitals came with like usual; no, his body was cold. A part of him wasn’t sure if that was a byproduct of his fear and anxieties or another symptom. Presenting the disturbing sight of black arteries replacing his blue ones. The doctor didn’t need to say much; the subtle, sharp intake of air was enough. 

This wasn’t a good sign. 

“Have these appeared anywhere else?” Her straightforward, authoritative voice questioned. 

Shaking his head, he watched as a small flicker of relief flashed within the doctor. But it was quickly replaced with what he assumed to be pity; they both knew what this meant. 

“We’ll have to double your treatment plan, replace it from every two weeks to one.” Nodding, Jungkook let out a long, tired sounding sigh. 

“You’re all set, Sir; take as much time as you need.” 

The dizziness eventually diminished, that signature odd tingling leaving from his fingertips and feet. The debilitating weakness that would usually follow faintness gradually said its goodbyes and the signature ding from his phone alerted Jungkook to a notification. 

Reaching out to his phone, he managed a weak smile at Yugyeom's text notification. Upon their last meeting, the two friends hurriedly exchanged numbers. Jungkook still felt in slight shock, or rather, disbelief, that Yugyeom held no resentment or reclusiveness towards him. No, it was like he and Jungkook had never parted. 

Yugyeom: 

“Has your appointment finished? I’ll pick you up! Mark suggested we go to Enchanted Brews. The café just opened up, and since you’re in town right now, I thought we could eat lunch?” 

Smiling slightly, the message reminded him of the café visits he’d indulge in with his Halmoni. Besides the old witch and Yugyeom, no one knew about his condition. In some ways, it was comforting to have his closest friend be there for him. It filled him with a fluttery, light warmth, similar to when one would get to bask in the warmth of golden hour. It felt good. 

Somewhere in this cold body of his. There was a subtle warmth. Similar to when the meadows get covered in a layer of thick, frosty ice. Making a once lush field plane, berron, and monotone in its white colors. But then, as the first primrose pokes its head out to greet the warming air. Jungkook, too, felt something bloom subtly within him. 

Jungkook: 

“Just finished; I'll be outside in a minute.” 

It was bizarre, the feeling of knowing someone was waiting outside the hospital for you. It made the lingering smell of rubbing alcohol and sterilizing cleaners escape his senses sooner. Slowly lifting his body in an upright position, he slung his legs over and off the hospital bed. Waiting a moment as if to challenge the dizziness to return before he slowly stood up. Patting down his pockets—these appointments always made him so forgetful—before heading out. Back down the hall, past closed-doored rooms. 

A lingering thought washed through him as he walked—as if the very words he formulated were written in sand. Will I die here—among these sad, dreary walls of white? Although most of his wardrobe consisted of black, Jungkook loved color. The vibrancy of life was stunning, a combination of pure, raw beauty that had no benefit to gain from its resplendent nature. What did the sky gain from painting the heavens? When a bunny hops between the blades of a thriving meadow, what does the grass gain from its rich shade of green? Or the poppies from their dying red? 

Color was a sign of life, and when Jungkook walked along these erie corridors, past the reception with faded pink chairs. A sense of urgency, a need tugged him forwards. 

He will not die here. 

Opening the front glass door of the hospital, a breeze of fresh air fanned his skin. Somehow, it felt welcoming. As if greeting him back to the world of the living, even in its freshness, threatening to tint the tip of his nose pink, he welcomed its presence with open arms. 

“Jungkook!” 

And just as those solemn words were carved into the sand, the sight of Yugyeom, smiling at him from across the street, was like a wave, crashing against the shore and washing them away. 

No, Jungkook would most certainly not die here. 

Yugyeom had crossed the street, a slight skip or pep to his step as he sauntered over. A smile, genuine and significant, was displayed across the witches' features. A contagious happiness that seemingly infected Jungkook within minutes, the usually brooding sickly witch breaking his misanthrope-like persona rather quickly. Yugyeom had hooked his arm against the crook of Jungkooks, leading him down the street and away from the hospital. 

The town adjacent to the university was quaint and consisted of considerably more foot traffic than vehicular. The streets beside the sidewalk are no longer a flat pavement but a combination of closely arranged cobblestone. 

“How’d your appointment go?” Yugyeom asked, breaking their streak of idle chit-chat. At least, Yugyeom considered the topic of his coven—one Jungkook knew nothing about— idle . He was reeling; the thought of having missed the moment of Yugyeom finding his own soulmates left a bitter taste on his tongue and a sinking feeling in his gut. He had missed it . He had missed hearing about their first meeting, had missed Yugyeom's first date, and had missed the day the witch completed the bonding ceremony with his soulmates. 

It made the words of abandonment echo inside his soul, his mind reeling on the fact that, effectively, he was a stranger. Yugyeom had been okay with him leaving, or rather, hadn’t stopped Jungkook from leaving. But the sickly witch felt uncertain how deep that okayness actually went. 

“—Jungkook? Hello, earth to Jungkook?” Yugyeom called out, drawing out the words theatrically as he stopped. Waving his other hand in front of Jungkook's face, successfully snapping the witch out of his guilty stupor. 

Yugyeom, unaware of the heavy turn Jungkook's feelings went, snickered, amusement clear in his expression. “Where’d you run off to this time?” 

“I’m sorry, Yugyeomm.” 

Just like with his first apology, Jungkook watched as Yugyeom's carefree smile turned crooked and forced before resigning to its fate entirely. 

“You already apologized, and I already told you that it’s fine—” The witch began, but a shake from Jungkook's head hauled him to a stop. Throughout their time, Yugyeom learned through the rare times Jungkook would talk to let him express what he needed to before jutting back in. 

“It’s not, though. I’m sorry, I really am Yugyeom. I missed so many special moments in your life; you were there for me. But I wasn’t there for you.” He began, for a moment, not meeting his friend's gaze, inhaling sharply as he collected his thoughts before returning to those clear, bordering eyes. “I can’t,” He began, his own face contorting into one filled with regret. “—can’t change that. But I can promise you now that I’ll be there.” Grabbing Yugyeom's hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze when he finished his sentence. A silent, physical reminder that he was actually there. That he meant it. 

“And I’ll be staying, Yugyeom. I’m done hiding; I’m done running. I want to be a part of your life again. If you still want me to be in it, of course—” 

Jungkook's words were cut off by the force of which Yugyeom hugged him, the witch's arms wrapped around his neck. Momentarily knocking the air and his words out of him. It took Jungkook a moment to process, his own arms hovering over Yugyeom's back. Before the sick witch fell into the embrace, hiding his face in his friend's shoulder—arms snaking tightly around Yugyeom, as if the witch would slowly evaporate within his hold. 

“Oh, Jungkook, I missed you,” Yugyeom admitted, the words making Jungkook's arms tighten as he exhaled shakily. Yugyeom's jacket muffled the sound. 

“Whatever the world holds for us now, let’s face it together again, yeah?” Yugyeom suggested, a hopeful tone dominating the otherwise emotional voice Yugyeom spoke with. 

Unwilling to shed tears in public, Jungkook nodded. Letting out a sad, wet chuckle. “Yeah, let’s face it together.” 

The rest of the walk was subtle and easy-going, the sight of what Jungkook assumed to be the cafe approaching. It had a similar style to his Halmonis bookstore in that the bottom floor was styled differently, the second floor remaining simple and most likely only serving as an apartment. The block the establishment was located in split the road, creating a Y formation where the streets parted ways. The store was, literally, a corner store. A set of two doors, blunket in color, provided entry to the cafe. Adjacent to the doors were carved, varnished wood beams with a deep but aged appearance with two large rectangular patterns carved into the panelling. The designs were growing much darker, nearly black in color from age. Nailed against the wooden beams was a black picture frame displaying the menu. The sides of the cafe, besides the large, open windows, had its wooden frame painted a matt black. Over the entrance doors was a neatly hidden wooden ledge, an extended assortment of vines growing down onto either side of the doors. The bougainvillea and purpleleaf grape vines mingling well with the otherwise green foliage, it almost gave off the appearance that the entry to the cafe was somewhat hidden. The plants were supposed to remain above striped, black, and white awnings; however, the vines had grown bulky and already begun to stretch over the protective fabric. 

The cafe was clearly busy, bustling with customers inside and out. Small, circular tables and woven chairs hugged closely to the outside of the store were already occupied. Entering the cafe, the overpowering aura of magic filled Jungkook's lungs with a quick glance around the otherwise lively space. He watched how brooms swept the floors by themselves, washcloths wiping over vacated desks, dirty dishes collecting themselves and floating into the kitchen. Once again, the sight of such mundane magic made Jungkook's heart swell. Although he can no longer indulge in magic himself, being able to observe it, practically living all around him, felt somewhat consoling. 

The cafe had its charm, mimicking the same aesthetic as its outside within the store. Matt blacks, rich varnished woods, and plants decorated their surroundings. A black, spiraling staircase stood beside the end of the counter. Leading to a second floor, which remained open and covered only one half of the remaining cafe. Delicately designed railings line the open wall. The occasional lamp, chandelier, or lined LED gave off a warm orange light. Mixed with the dominant scent of grounded coffee beans and vanilla, Jungkook knew he’d visit this place more often. Walking over to the counter, Jungkook couldn’t help but smile a little as the fae took their orders. The sight of two large, ivory wings resembling those of a bird. Pointed ears, adorned with hanging jewelry, and pale skin. Within the midst of Busan, Jungkook hardly ever saw a lot of magicals. Sure, the occasional creature here or there. But it was no secret to anyone that magicals preferred to stick together, making small towns like these heavily populated with all kinds of magical folk. It made Jungkook feel strangely at home. 

With their orders placed, Yugyeom and he sat down at an available table. They had chosen a table on the second floor, hugging the railing and giving them a good view of the interior design and general clientele of the cafe. 

“You know, you never did answer my question.” Yugyeom chimed in, having taken off his jacket and draping it over the back of his chair as he settled in. 

Perking up, Jungkook shook his head as he shrugged. “Which question would that be exactly?” He mused, tone playful and a little jokingly exasperated. 

“About how your appointment went,” Yugyeom reminded, and if he had seen Jungkook tense at the clarification, he hadn’t mentioned it. A long, calculated sigh escaped the sickly witch as he mulled over his thoughts and words. Having Yugyeom support him was a bittersweet but heartwarming feeling. But again, Jungkook found himself wanting to spare his friend from the gory details. There was a pause in conversation, Yugyeom clearly giving Jungkook the time he needed to formulate his response. 

“Well, the procedure itself went fine.” Jungkook began, debating silently whether or not to keep his answer at that. But a glance at Yugyeom and a resolved shake of his head, Jungkook confessed. 

“I’m, well—I’m getting worse.” He watched as Yugyeom inhaled sharply, his friend's chest filling with air and keeping it there for longer than necessary. A shaky, broken exhale followed soon after. But Jungkook was stuck trying to formulate his words in a way Yugyeom understood; unlike Jungkook, who had studied Astrobiomedicine for the past years and understood complex medical procedure terms and certain biological cell structures going on within him, Yugyeom didn’t. Jungkook knew from experience that adding large, imposing words to anxious confusion simply made things worse. 

“Jungkook, will..” Yugyeom drawled out his words, looking away at the patrons below them as he seemingly swallowed a lump within his throat. “Will you be okay?”

Before Jungkook could answer that question, he was unfortunately interrupted by two flying porcelain mugs and two plates carrying a slice of strawberry shortcake. Their earlier placed orders floated towards them before gently landing on the table before them; the subtle smell of vanilla and latte, along with the warm breath of steam lightly kissing his face, Jungkook found himself relaxing a little. 

“Yugyeom,” He began, his town a practiced level of clarity and stillness. “Nexus entropy develops in stages. But at its core, it develops when your magic grows unstable. The mana begins to attack itself, gradually becoming more corrosive as the disease develops.” Taking a sip from his latte, Jungkook let the bitter taste of espresso settle him. Glancing at Yugyeom to check if he was following, a curt nod from the witch was all he needed before continuing. 

“Of course, there are all kinds of side effects throughout this process.” A dry, humorless chuckle escaped him. Recalling the restless nights spent in bed, tossing and turning because his entire body ached. Or the times when he would lose nearly all of his energy, spending days absolutely bedridden and at the mercy of his Halmonis hellish soups and regenerative concoctions. The spouts of nausea, vertigo, heat and cold flashes, headaches, the list was excruciatingly endless. 

Sometimes, in his delusional state, he imagined Yoongi sitting by the end of his bed. Hand resting firmly on his ankle, a distant but reassuring touch, similar to how when he had gotten sick at the end of his first year. The stoic witch had feigned nonchalance at missing the ceremony—where the present witches graduated into a higher class—and remained by his side. Yoongi didn’t say much during those times, but Jungkook didn’t need him to. Whenever a cough would wrack through him, leaving him hunched over and wheezing slightly, that red string connecting their hearts would tug, needily, silently prompting Jungkook to lift his drooping head and look at Yoongi. To confirm to the older—secretly worried—witch that he, too, would be alright. 

Jungkook still recalled his sheer surprise as he was startled awake, not even having realized he was nodding off until the door was nearly slammed off its hinges. His soulmates had ushered in, all still wearing their traditional ceremonial robes; if Jungkook didn’t feel like he had just trudged through the moors by himself, he would have smiled at their urgency to return to him. Yoongi, unlike Jungkook, was very unamused by the intrusion. Berating the others for waking him after having just dozed off. Everyone was there, in their tight two-bed dorm room, even Taehyung. That night was spent by six powerful witches desperately fighting the little gremlin that was Jungkook's cold. Namjoon constantly realigning or replacing the cold towel over his forehead, Jin having gone off before retrieving a steaming bowl of soup, Hoseok nudging a pillow behind his back and helping him sit up before subsequently feeding the steaming bowl of soup to him. Jimin was gently massaging his sore muscles, chatting aimlessly since the witch knew how much Jungkook hated silence. Surprisingly, Taehyung had helped with the conversation, helping in his own, reserved way. Yoongi, throughout all of this, had not let go of his reassuring hold on his ankle. 

But opening his eyes, Jungkook would always be greeted by the sight of his white ceiling. The rhythmic patter of rain hitting his windows would never soothe him like Jimin's theatric gossiping, nor would soup ever cure what he has. 

Clearing his throat to get back on track, Jungkook leaned his elbows against the table. “Well, I’m sure you know how mana works. Although it's spread throughout your entire body, it is most dominant within the bloodstream. Hence, when powerful magicals get injured, their powers quickly diminish along with them.” He made a slight motion of his hand, gesturing to his body as he explained their basic biology. Not because Yugyeom was dense or misinformed but simply because Jungkook remembered Yugyeom nearly failing their biology class. 

“When mana becomes–” He paused, trying to find the right words for Yugyeom. “—Corrupted?” He settled on that, waiting to absentmindedly rub his cold thumb over his wrist. “It becomes visible; it turns black.” 

Watching Yugyeom's eyebrows furrow with untold questions, Jungkook rushed to explain. “It’s kinda like when we cast a detection charm, and the magic surrounding you gives off a colorful aura? Dark magic usually has a red or black atmosphere, not because it has gained sentience and wants to appear all brooding and edgy, but because it's dangerous. Spells with red auras are that way because the spell caster sacrificed something to conjure it. Black auras aren’t given something; they take something. Similarly to how the color black absorbs the wavelengths of light.” Jungkook prayed to the gods that his explanation made sense. He wasn’t used to explaining his diagnosis; his Halmoni knew because the doctor had explained it to her for him. No one else knew. Well, besides Yugyeom.

Taking a moment to pause, Jungkook let his friend process his abbreviated explanation. “My veins are turning black because the mana inside me is consuming itself.” Jungkook's magic, his essence, was killing itself. Subsequently, taking Jungkook with it. 

Yugyeom had stilled somewhat before beginning to pick at his slice of cake anxiously. No longer lifting pieces to his mouth but instead gently nudging a cut strawberry across the white porcelain. 

Guilt crept up on Jungkook like an old acquaintance, tapping his shoulder before becoming his companion once more. He had never been able to forget the glassy eyes of his Halmoni, her gray eyebrows contorted and expression low. Seeing Yugyeom like this reminded Jungkook of the sheer helplessness he felt in those moments. Because what should he say? He couldn’t promise a brighter future, especially since he wasn’t sure if he’d even have one. 

But the urge was there, persistent and relentless. Clearing his throat, he pulled the lost Yugyeom back towards him. Unable to bear the burden of those far-off gazes. “Do you know what a centrifuge is?” With a shake of Yugyeom's head, he continued, “Well, it's a machine that basically separates heterogeneous mixtures into their various components. Humans use a centrifuge to separate red blood cells, platelets, and plasma. The red cells are then transferred back to the human.” 

Jungkook shrugged off his jacket, folding down the soft woolen ring around his neck to reveal a skin-colored bandaid. “Something similar happens to me; they take my corrupted blood—” He then moved to scrunch up the left sleeve of his black turtleneck until he reached the juncture of his arm. A bright turquoise self-adhesive bandage, bulging slightly where the wool swab laid underneath, “and transferred the “clean” blood back into my body. Devoid of any mana.” Pulling his sleeve back down and correcting his turtleneck, Jungkook leaned back against his chair with a tired sigh. 

“The procedure takes about four hours.” He stated, watching Yugyeom's mouth gape. The witch had been awfully silent throughout his entire lecture, and Jungkook couldn’t really blame him. He wouldn’t be faring much better if he had just found out his best friend had a terminal illness and then gotten a crash course in said illness only a day later. 

He should be in the lab right now. Jungkook thought absentmindedly, although even his own thoughts were laced with a bit of bitterness.  Meeting with Yugyeom would never feel like a waste of his time, it just felt like something he didn’t have at the moment. He didn’t have any time left to spare. 

“I—” His words choked him, their heaviness preventing him from pushing them from his tongue. He wanted to gag. “In order to give myself time, the mana inside me needs to be removed.” He repeated, frowning deeply. “I don’t really have any magic anymore.” He whispered, blinking rapidly to prevent the wetness clouding his eyes from spilling over. Mana was a part of a witch's soul. They were made of it. To be without mana— without magic , was a witch's equivalent to being a wanderer without a soul. Incomplete. 

Before Yugyeom could shed a tear, something Jungkook now realized was a genuine threat. He reached out, plucking one of Yugyeom's hands and encasing it tightly within his own. He rubbed his thumb over the warm skin, a taunting contrast to his own, lifelessness. Lifting his head, Jungkook locked his gaze in with his friends—a steel-like, determined look and tone accompanying his promises. 

“But don’t worry, Yugyeom, I might not have magic now. But I don’t need it at the moment either. I have enough time till the end of the year, and by then—” An auspicious smile graces Jungkook's features, “I’ll have a cure.”  

A moment of silence, the nonsensical chatter, and gossip of other patrons felt distant, swallowed by a wave neither of them could see. The sound of silverware greeting porcelain, the coffee bean grinder below them, the opening and closing of the front doors. It all felt so distant as if Yugyeom and he were part of a much more melancholic reality. Before Jungkook's running nerves could force the silence away, Yugyeom spoke, “Promise?” 

Now, Jungkook wasn’t in the habit of making idle promises. To swear on something he wasn’t certain about. To lie for comfort was never his style. 

With a nod, Jungkook sighed. “I promise, Yugyeom.” 

Internally, Jungkook hoped this wouldn’t be the first time he’d break a promise.

Yugyeom seemed satisfied with that answer before covering his face in the palm of his hands and sighing dramatically. “I leave you alone once! Once Jungkook.” He joked, pulling his face out of his hands and collapsing against the back of his chair exasperatingly. 

And Just like magic, the tension between them faded into the air like steam. Finding himself relaxed, Jungkook lifted his now lukewarm latte to his lips, sipping on it with a new sense of appreciation. It finally gave him the right deck of cards to be the one asking the questions. With a mischievous smirk, he pointed towards Yugyeom vaguely. 

“So, is that coven of yours responsible for that purple hickey on your neck?” Jungkook asked, tone casual and nonchalant as he poorly hid his mischievous gaze. Yugyeom blinked, once, twice, before slapping his hand onto the crook of his neck harshly. The sound made a few customers glance their way briefly, all bearing different levels of intrigue or confusion. Jungkook's shoulders slightly shook with how desperately he was holding in his own laughter. The heated look of Yugyeom before the witch grabbed their bag, rummaging through it before grabbing a small compound mirror and checking the validity of Jungkook's teasing. 

Upon finding the dark, bruised love bite, the witch flushed. Grabbing some concealer and dotting it onto the spot, he tried to salvage a quick cover-up as he rubbed the pigment in. “And how long were you planning on sitting on that information?” Yugyeom asked a hiss to his tone. It was a fake kind of heat, even if Jungkook wasn’t familiar with it already; the slightly amused curling of Yugyeom's lips gave the flustered witch away. 

Shrugging, Jungkook chuckled. “We were having a moment.” 

“You brat.” 

Jungkook laughed, rolling his eyes as he finished his latte. Yugyeoms feathers successfully ruffled, he could relax again. Watching his friend settle back down, putting away the compact and concealer with a bemused expression. “But seriously, tell me more about your coven.” He nudged, desperately wanting to make up for lost time. 

Jungkook wasn’t exactly sure what caused his feelings of bittersweet nostalgia, the way Yugyeom lit up at the mention of his coven or the fact that the love-drunk witch couldn’t stop himself from gushing about them. Pushing those feelings aside, Jungkook felt himself feel happy for Yugyeom; his coven, a total of six members excluding the witch, sounded perfect for Yugyeom. 

They seemed to make him very happy. 

[aloneatpeace]

Library of aloneatpeace

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐛𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.

Hello there , this my masterlist for all my work .I'm mostly writing about tv shows , movie and series that i like .my first language is not English so there might be some mistakes so don't mind it . update will be slow so be patient and thank you for reading ❤️✌️.this is my Wattpad

The incorrect quotes will be in the blog you can search it by using the tag i decided to shorten my masterlist

All updates will be slow.

✔️ complete |. 🖋️on going. |. 📌 on hold

TV Shows

Teen wolf,vampire diaries, supernatural,wandvison

1.In another universe ✔️

Find chapters here

2.Cosmic Chaos 🖋️

Info. She THE SCARLET PHOENIX

THE SCARLET PHOENIX OUTFITS

Find chapters here

3. BTS

1.Fall Of Empire 📌

Find chapters here

2. 𝙰𝙿𝙾𝙲𝙰𝙻𝚈𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙲 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙻𝙳 📌

Find chapters here

4.BULLET TRAIN 📌

Find chapters here

5.Shadow of the past 📌

Find chapters here

[btschooseafic]

AO3 Recs

there's no nicer witch than you by wildlikeawolfpack [completed]

jungkook x hoseok (hopekook), jungkook pov, some borrowed world building from hp, but like, only a little, magic shop au (kind of), cafe au, witches, gods (probably), hurt/comfort, lowercase fic

as a government employee, jungkook is sent to investigate a cafe to see if the owner is misusing magic. or, jungkook gets injured a lot and hoseok gets concerned. / cute, interesting world building. love the rainy days comfort vibes

[jjungkookislife]

Fetish For Blood: Ruin You

pairing: vampire!jungkook x witch!reader

genre: vampire au, established relationship, [18+]

summary: You finally meet some of Jungkook’s friends... and one of them just can’t seem to keep his eyes off of you.

wc: 386

warnings: blood, alcohol mention/use, biting, jealous!koo, slightly possesive!koo, implied smut, hickeys

a/n: original here

date: October 5, 2022

You're not sure how you ended up here, but you weren't going to knock it. Sure, Jungkook had taken you out to meet his friends, and one of them had a bad habit of eyeing you like he wanted to devour you in front of everyone in the club, but that was here or there.

Jungkook rarely got jealous when you went out, often giggling when you'd get hit on and ended up with a free drink for yourself and him (aka your friend when men asked).

But something about his so-called friend hitting on you all night left him green with envy. By no means did you acknowledge it and you're sure Jungkook gave him a stern talking to, but now you were in the bathroom pressed to the wall with one leg wrapped around his waist while he kissed you.

"You're mine, baby. Don't forget it," he growls, and you nod mindlessly. Your fingers card through his locks, moaning when his fangs scrape your lips. "Say it. Say you're mine."

"I'm yours, Kook. Only yours. Don't want nobody else," you assure him as his fangs sink into your skin. You gasp, arching into him as he presses his hips to yours, and you moan when you feel how hard he is.

"Just need you to be mine," he whimpers as he licks the slow flow of blood that runs down the column of your throat. He lets it go lower and lower until it goes between your breasts, and he licks it all up before he's going in for another drink.

"I am yours," you say as he sinks his fangs closer to your collarbone, taking a deep drink. Your eyes roll to the back of your head, body hot with arousal as you find it hard to think, much less breathe.

"I can't wait to get you home, baby. I'm going to ruin you. Devour you whole." Jungkook licks his lips before sealing your wounds. His lust-filled eyes meet yours, a smirk on his lips as he sets your leg back down.

You're nodding, still breathless, as he presses one last kiss to your lips before leading you out of the club. You pass his flirty friend and Jungkook makes sure he gets an eyeful of the marks he's left on your skin.

[telephaaty]

Exiled: What is she?

✧Chapter 4✧

(Photos retrieved from Pinterest. Credit to whom it may belong. Edit made by me.)

Previous < Masterlist > Next

Genres: Fantasy, Supernatural, Werewolf! AU, angst, hurt, fluff

Series rating: Mature

Summary: I have spent half my life in exile. I woke up in the middle of the forest with no memories. I don't know who I am, how I ended up like this, I don't know if someone is looking for me or even if I have a family. The only thing I know for sure is that I must hide and that when the full moon is at its highest, disaster begins.

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Author's note: Hello everyone! How are you? I'm sorry I've been missing for so long. Last year was a difficult year. Adult life is complicated 🥴

Here I leave the promised chapter, we are still in the introduction of the story so you can probably find it boring but it will improve as the chapters go by (I hope so🤭).

I don't remember if I already mentioned it but all the data that appears in the story as potions or scientific data are not exact, many are inventions and others I tried to investigate to make the story more reliable, but as I mention in this chapter if you are not involved on the subject, it is very difficult to understand.

I hope you enjoy it!

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"I told you! I told you! I told you!” Joohyuk kept repeating to me over and over again as he paced back and forth. "Or didn't I tell her?" he looked at Jisung, who was coming down from the first floor with a bag.

Joohyuk's house wasn't fancy, but it was comfortable and homey. It was a two-story cabin, with two bedrooms, a dining room and a kitchen, it also had a garage where he kept tools and supplies. The cabin was located near the lake and had a small bridge that took you to it. I loved spending time at Joohyuk's house, especially on rainy days like today, where I could sit on the porch with a cup of coffee and watch the rain fall. But, now I'm looking at it from the inside, sitting bored on the couch, listening to the scolding of the half-vampire. I had arrived an hour ago, totally soaked, although we had already agreed that we would meet here, I should have taken the most direct route and arrived much earlier, but let's say that Mr Mafia sent his lackeys to follow me, so I had to deviate and mislead them.

"Yes hyung," the omega rolled his eyes. "We already understood that you told her, calm down."

“Calm down?!! You must be kidding, Jisung!! It goes straight to his death,” Hyuk said pointing at me.

“The other option was a direct kill,” I told him, looking at him tiredly, “at least this will give me a little more time to plan an escape plan. Anyway, you didn't want me to get a pack for Jisung? … There it is, the best pack that an omega can be in, a real luxury,” I said ironically, moving my hands exaggeratedly to make my point.

"Yes, but I didn't ask you to crawl after him."

"Oh! Yeah! Thanks for getting rid of me,” Jisung said despondently looking at us sideways.

“No one is getting rid of you on their own, little guy,” Hyunk proceeded to sit in the single sofa next to the fireplace. “If you continue to live in the cave with Girl…” Jisung intended to interrupt him, but Joohyuk stopped him and continued. "Or, if you live here with us, you will die", the sad omega looked down at his feet. “As I very well explained to you, wolves are destined to live in packs, they become crazy and wild if they are alone, which leads them to be eliminated or die of sadness and anguish. You are lucky to find someone like your noona, he even managed to be with you in that pack.”

“When you go into annoying mode,” I told him as I threw the towel off his head, “you're unbearable. Well," now looking at Jisung, "we must agree on our stories so as not to make mistakes if they come to interrogate us, we don't have much time and we must hurry if we don't want them to come to find us."

“That is not important now. What are you going to do with your…with your medicine?” Hyuk made a quotation mark with his hands when mentioning the said medicine.

“I will not have this discussion again. I already told you that I don't need it, it won't be a problem.”

“Don't be stubborn, you know you will weaken. It's dangerous, too."

I sighed. I was tired of always arguing for the same thing, he was not going to understand and I was not going to agree. It was preferable not to answer him and settle the story with Jisung. I needed to prepare him and reassure him so they wouldn't suspect anything, my life now depended on how convincing Jisung was to the royal pack.

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It was already night and the rain had stopped a while ago, but we had to leave the cabin even when it was raining, we took the long way to dispel any trace of Joohyuk's scent. We didn't have many belongings, a medium bag where we had our clothes, many of which we shared, and my backpack where I had a couple of books, my notebook, my mortar and my herbs. While we were walking, we were reviewing what we should say. Obviously, we agreed to hide that we knew Joohyuk and that the things we had, we got from the surrounding villages.

I knew that the one at a disadvantage in this situation was me. Jisung was a weak omega who would instinctively be protected by this pack, instead, I was a strange orphan girl who, apparently, due to the attitude of suspicion and resentment they showed me, was considered a threat. I looked at Jisung who was walking a few steps behind, he was tired and shivering from the cold, if we didn't hurry up, he would get sick. I took Jisung's bag to ease his tiredness so he could walk faster.

We were reaching the border of the pack, I could slightly hear some murmurs, they were already waiting for us. Instinctively, I touched my pants pocket where I had the box that Joohyuk gave me before we left and which I had to keep hidden. It was very likely that they would go through our things, so he had told me that I should keep it with me until I found a safe place to hide it.

As we came into view, the wolves that were waiting for us turned and urged us to hurry up as we were already late. The one who seems to be the leader of the wolf guard warned us that from now on we should use the main entrance and stay away from the borders and that if we wanted to go out into the city or the forest it must be in the company of an alpha. I had to bite my tongue to avoid getting a curse word out about his last comment, I looked at Jisung who was doing everything possible not to appear nervous and was listening carefully to what the alpha was saying. He would adapt easily, I on the other hand was sure that things were going to go south at any moment.

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Here we are, in the office of the alpha of the pack. There were a lot of people here, some I didn't know. I looked at Jisung who was with his head down trying not to look anyone in the eye, I could feel his nervousness and I could also feel the calming pheromones that the alphas in the room were producing to reassure my friend.

“Your name is Jisung, right?” Prince Namjoon asked, and Jisung nodded without looking up. “Taehyung told us something about you, but I would like to hear it from you, what pack did you belong to and how did you get into this situation?” he concluded the alpha looking at me.

“Umm…well, I'm…I was from the Dawn Pack. I was banished for mating with someone I shouldn't and he disgraced me by breaking the mating mark. My family despised me, and the only thing I remember was arriving at one of the human villages near the pack and I fainted, I woke up a few days later and Girl was by my side, she took care of me and let me stay with her,” he concluded holding my hand looking for support.

Prince Namjoon looked at our joined hands and then looked at me raising an eyebrow, then he turned his gaze to Jisung and smiled saying, “Don't worry, you'll be safe here. We'll give you a new identity if you want or can keep your name, but you'll officially belong to the royal pack. And you,” he looked at me seriously, “you will also have a temporary identity until you find out who you really are or until the alpha king decides what to do with you. Well, I'll make the formal introductions. They are the two oldest princes in the family; Crown Prince Seokjin and Prince Yoongi," he said pointing to where they were standing to his left, "alpha prince Hoseok and well, you know prince Taehyung," they were to his right, "and he's our omega Prince Jungkook," he concluded pointing to one of the people who were a few steps behind us.

With Jisung we turned around to see who it was. The guy standing behind us gave us a brief nod, he was the same guy I had crossed earlier. Now, he was dressed in white shorts and a beige long-sleeved shirt, our eyes met again, but he quickly diverted it. Now that he knew he was omega he could make out a trace of a sweet scent, however, the smell of the alphas prevented me from identifying his scent.

“And then we have Mrs Park, the housekeeper, and Miss Choi, one of the employees who work inside the castle,” the prince continued. Both women curtsied to us and smiled at us. “So, tomorrow you will have an appointment with the royal doctor for a general check-up and we will talk about your studies. After they settle in and shower, Prince SeokJin, who has studied medicine, will briefly check on them and ask them a few questions. Mrs Park shows them their rooms, please.”

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Mrs Park gave us a brief tour of the ground floor of the mansion, showing us the living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, and places where we could not enter without permission such as her majesty's office, the laboratory and the basement. Then, she led us to a large white marble staircase with gold details that branched off into two other large stairs. It was located in the centre of a room with a different entrance than the one we had entered. In the centre of the wall that divided the stairs, there was a carved shield of the head of a black wolf about to bite surrounded, on one side, by a crescent, where there were some rare symbols and, on the other hand, some golden figures similar to elongated diamonds that apparently formed the rays of the sun. In turn, he was surrounded by a strange and perfect braid.

"Good. That door you see over there,” I point to the door across from us and diagonally towards the stairs, “is the front door for pack members and guests. It is through that door that you technically have to enter. The entrance through which they passed is only for royalty, even they avoid using these stairs so as not to bother the omegas. Through that large sliding window that you see there,” we both follow the gesture that she made towards the place, “you go out into the garden that is connected to the training ground.”

“By the way, omegas are not allowed to be in the training place. It's for security,” adds Miss Choi, who was accompanying us on the tour.

“What do you mean 'not to bother the omegas'?” I asked Mrs Park as we walked up the stairs.

“As I said, it's a place that members of the pack frequent. The staircase on the right leads to the castle annexe where many of the members live, including underage omegas who lost their families or those who came seeking refuge or protection from other packs. There are also alphas and betas that belong to the royal guard, but many of them use the entrance connected to the training ground. They avoid making the omegas nervous, they don't want them to feel uncomfortable and insecure."

“So, is in the annexe where we'll stay?” Jisung speaks for the first time since he started the tour.

"No. You will stay in the main wing,” she said as we went up the stairs of the left, “on the first floor together with the youngest princes who are not here at the moment. On the second floor of this wing, are the rooms of Prince Namjoon, Hoseok and Jungkook. Also on that floor is the library that is shared with the annexe. On the third floor are the kings' rooms, those of princes Seokjin, Yoongi and Taehyung. I recommend that you don't go peeping around, Prince Yoongi is too territorial.

While she was explaining everything, she was trying to memorize all the way we are walking to our rooms. There were many corridors and doors, not just the rooms she had mentioned earlier. We arrived at a gloomy corridor, there was no light and a strange energy was felt an indescribable sadness; we share an uneasy look with Jisung. Mrs Park flipped the switch on the wall to her right and excused herself by saying that it wasn't a very busy place. She asked Miss Choi to show Jisung his room while she led me down the hallway. We stopped in front of a double white door, it had gold details as I saw on other doors, with the difference that this one had a letter 'M' in a very beautiful and elegant calligraphy made with some type of shiny stone. When she opened the doors, I was amazed, the room was decorated in white, beige and pink tones, in the middle of it there was a large double bed tucked into a slight arch-shaped opening that was illuminated. On both sides of the bed, there were two long shelves, there was a hanging round ceiling lamp that simulated a flower crown, on one side there was a window with two medium-sized armchairs on the sides with a round table; in front was a mirror with a shelf and chair and next to the door was an empty desk.

“This is where you will sleep,” Mrs Park said as she opened the large window, “this is the balcony and over there”, she pointed towards a corridor with two doors, “is the bathroom and the wardrobe.”

I followed her to both doors, she stopped at the door that was on the side of the hall and opened it. It was the closet. Well, calling it a closet was a way of saying it, it looked more like another connected room. It was a two-story room in the shape of a completely white semicircle, it had an old pink carpet that covered the entire floor, and there were many shelves and mirrors in between. It also had a central table that contained many drawers and doors, the upper part was transparent and you could see how it was divided into sections.

"This is a bit much, don't you think?" I said as I walked around the room.

“I would say it's a standard wardrobe. You have to see the ones with Princes Taehyung and Seokjin, those are a bit exaggerated.”

"Even this shelf here is too much for my few clothes."

“Believe me, it will be full in no time,” Mrs Park said in a whisper. "Speaking of clothes, I need you to give me your clothes to wash them."

"It's clean," I said a little indignant.

"Don't get me wrong, please. The princes requested it because they are sensitive to odours outside the pack. You come from the forest,” I was about to refute how stupid that sounded, but she beat me to it, “I know what you are thinking 'it doesn't make sense', but it's hard to explain. Although they are wolves and technically surrounded by forest, she will later realize that each pack has a particular scent. This is why they detect so quickly if someone who is not from the pack enters the territory. All your clothes, although I don't doubt that it's clean, still have a strange smell, so I need to wash them with special products.”

I kept thinking about the words I use to explain, was she trying to get me to give myself away?

“I don't know how I'll find out later if I don't have the developed super sense of smell that werewolves have, but well if it's really necessary. Jisung has the clothes in the bag he has with him. A lot of the clothes, we share.”

“And what about that backpack?” she said, pointing to my back.

“There are only personal things like notebooks and books, no clothes,” I said as I left the wardrobe.

“Okay, then I'll ask Jisung. I suppose you know how to use the bathroom, don't you?", she question pointing towards the last door that was at the end of the small corridor.

"Of course. How wild do I think I am?"

“I just wanted to make sure, I wasn't trying to offend you. When you finish taking a bath, you will find clothes on the bed. I'll tell one of the employees to bring you a change of clothes,” she concluded going to the door of the room.

"If it's not too much to ask, I'd prefer it not be pink at all," I said as she gave the room another disgusted look, "I already have enough pink to burn my eyes."

Mrs Choi laughed at my comment, nodded her head and left, closing the door. I gave a sigh of resignation, took the box that Joohyuk had given me from my pocket and I headed towards the bathroom. I had to find a safe place to hide it.

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Was it so hard to have a normal shower? I almost drowned in there. The bathroom was another room, there was even a jacuzzi in it. When I came out of the bathroom wrapped in a robe and drying my hair, I saw a pile of clothes on the end of the bed. The clothes were neutral and cold colours, mainly black and gray, it had a light scent of vanilla that was comforting. I grab a long-sleeved black t-shirt and matching cargo pants.

After changing and finding a temporary hiding place for my backpack, I headed downstairs to look for Jisung, since I didn't feel his presence. On the way, I met Miss Choi, who was surprised to see my outfit. She wondered me why I was wearing those clothes and I told her that someone had left them on the bed, that Mrs Park asked for a new outfit for me. She explained to me that these were not the clothes that she ordered her to give me, she had even just found the clothes and was about to take it to me. She told me to go see Prince Seokjin who was waiting for me in the lab and after that I change my clothes immediately.

When I got to the entrance hall, I stayed for a while thinking in which direction the laboratory was until I heard someone approach.

"Jungkookie, have you seen my-" I think it was Prince Hoseok who was approaching looking at his cell phone and when he looked up he looked at me confused. "What are you doing with those clothes?" he asked with a frown.

"Um... someone left it on the bed", I said while I was looking at the clothes, what was wrong with it?

"Just change it if you don't want Namjoon to be in a bad mood," he determined, paying attention to his phone again.

"No," before my denial he raised his head suddenly, he was about to lash out, but I interrupted him. “I like it, it's comfortable and the smell of it is comforting, so I won't change it. If you'll excuse me, Prince Seokjin is waiting for me."

I left, leaving him stunned by my answer. I hated that they wanted to boss me around, much less without arguments. It's going to be hard living with alphas, they weren't used to humans or omegas rebelling against them and I wasn't used to them demanding authority over me.

After a few minutes, he had finally found the laboratory. I opened the big metal doors and the first thing I saw was Jisung putting on his shirt and getting off the stretcher. He barely saw me, he smiled at me and spoke to me through the link.

-Noona, don't worry just he i-

-Has he seen the mark?

"Oh! You're here," Prince Seokjin said as he finished arranging some jars on the table, “Take a seat on the stretcher, I'm done with Jisung”.

-No, I covered it with the makeup that Joohyuk gave me, I nodded and walked towards the stretcher. Remember to hide your eyes, he'll check them, Jisung concluded. We cut the mental link and he walked out the door.

I sat where the prince told me, he turned around observing for the first time the clothes I was wearing. He looked at it for a few more seconds and looked at me seriously, then he gave a forced smile and told me to raise the sleeve of my shirt. He tied an elastic band to my arm and prepared a syringe, when I saw what he was trying to do I jumped and pulled my arm back.

"Wh-what are you going to do?" I asked.

He laughed softly. "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. I just need a blood sample,” seeing my look of suspicion, he continued. “It's for the pack's database. So if something happens, we can act quickly. It won't hurt, it'll just be a prick."

After analyzing it a bit, I held out my arm. He drew the blood sample and began filling the tubes with it. He continued to listen to my heart and my lungs, he measured and weighed me, checked my eyes with a small flashlight and asked me to follow the light. Luckily, I put on the special contact lenses that Joohyuk had given me, I no longer had the strength to hide them myself.

The prince began to make me medical questions, which had the answers the same, 'I don't know'. He gave me a pitying look and told me that we were done, he asked me to go eat something and then go to sleep because tomorrow was going to be a long day.

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Seokjin' POV.

It was already quite late in the early morning and I didn't know if what I was seeing was correct or if I was too tired to see clearly. I had never seen anything like it and the fact that it was now in our pack I didn't know if I should be relieved to find something like this before others or worry if it was a threat.

The door opened startling me, I didn't realize Namjoon was getting closer.

“Here I am,” he said, stopping near the desk where he was analyzing the results. "What do you have?"

"I called you an hour ago, where were you?"

"I'm sorry, hyung. I was wit-”

“It doesn't matter anymore. Look, I found something weird,” I transferred what I was seeing on the computer screen to the large TV on the wall. "That you see there is Marian's DNA and it-"

"Marian? Are you so comfortable already with her to you call her that?” he questioned crossing her arms.

"Please, not now. focus. Now, as I was saying, this is the girl's DNA, it's super weird, I've never seen anything like it. The gene is different from an average human, even from a werewolf,” I added two more images: one of human DNA and Jisung's then got up and walked over to the TV to give Namjoon a good explanation of what he was seeing. “This second image is of a human and the third of Jisung, an omega werewolf. The difference between the two is that in the first, the nuclear genome is smaller than the mitochondrial genes present in werewolves. Furthermore, werewolves do not have the same nucleotide base pairs as humans. But if we look closely at Marian's and zoom in a little more we can see that instead of being a double helix DNA, it is a triple helix. The nucleotide bases are the same as humans but it has others that I cannot identify at this time. This will definitely go into my thesis.”

When I looked at Namjoon he was looking at the screen thoughtfully. He is very intelligent but this could be too much for someone who is not dedicated to this. I was about to explain it again in other words, when he decided to speak.

"So you're telling me that she's not human, but you can't tell what kind of being she is either?"

“Exactly,” at least he got the point.

"Can you find out that is she?"

“Yes, but it will take me a while. I cannot promise a specific time, there are many new things that I have never seen."

"We must keep her in our custody in the meantime."

"Do you think we are doing the right thing to let her stay in the pack?" I was the crown prince, I should know well what is good for my people, but since it is something we had no information about, it is not something to be taken lightly. I needed more opinions.

Namjoon knew my internal conflicts very well and understood them. This was our agreement, to consult the decisions of the pack together, we would both be the leaders in the future and if we disagree it would bring problems.

"Don't worry, hyung. I will take care of moulding her and if she becomes a threat, I will eliminate her with my own hands.”

©2023 Telephaaty. All rights reserved

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If you want to be part of the tag list, let me know😊

I hope you have started the year well and I know it is late but I wish you much success this year.

Feel free to comment or ask me anything 😊 See you soon!👋

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🌕 Taglist 🌕

@zae007live

@mayla548

[xanni-devito]

Witch Seokjin

Dragon Hoseok

Siren Yoongi

Dragon Namjoon

Fae Jungkook

Dragon Taehyung

Fae Jimin

—————

Moodboards for a VERY long running RP, Summer Thunder, where dragon coven Joon, Hobi, and Tae kidnap for ransom in order to survive as the last living dragons. They fall in love with their most recent catch, though, and a whooooole lot of shit happens, including but not limited to, Yoongi reaching maturity via soulmate bond, Taehyung becoming consort of a fairy kingdom, and Jin and Joon reviving a dead language. Also, a fuck ton of heinous smut.

[leprincedesdragons]

René-Antoine Houasse was a decorative French painter recognized for his q and his work decorating the Château de Versailles. Houasse was the director of the French Academy in Rome from 1699 to 1704 and is also known for creating an entire series of paintings depicting various myths involving Graeco-Roman mythology figures.

gw characters x artists — colour palettes

[writersrealmbts]

We Could Be: Part 32 (Shrunk)

Description: In a world of magic, mortals, and immortals; seven souls are brought together, blah blah blah, It was their desire to show Seokjin just what “We Could Be”. Now if only the government would stop trying to mess with them.

Posting Date: 09/02/2023

Wordcount: Shrunk (1,560)

Tags: Magic Au, Ot7 bts, werewolves, werecats, vampires, nymphs, magic users, etc.

Previous.  Next.

Yoongi felt uncomfortable in his own skin, and he was craving milk, and everything just felt weird. He also really, really wanted his mom.

He snuggled closer to the warmth, grumbling about waking up and how he wanted to sleep for another decade.

The warmth chuckled at him. “Could you stop kneading my chest? Feels weird.”

Yoongi stilled, about to object.

But no.

He had been.

Why had he been doing that?

He groaned and opened his eyes, blinking blearily.

Why did the world seem so big? Continue Reading on Ao3…

Previous.  Next. Ot7 Stories Masterpost

Tagging: @park-jimin-isnt-real

[jessikahathaway]

A Witch's End

Oh my wow, hello everyone.

I am here, with an update. I'm sorry to make you wait so long but I've had a tough year in regards to my mental health and things of that matter. So i'm sorry for going ghost on ya'll for so long.

I can't promise it won't happen again, but my creativity is stronger these days so I'm hopeful.

Thanks for being here, everyone.

Thank you especially to Hali @haliiimede for betaing this for me, you're a peach and I appreciate you so very much <3

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook X Reader

Genre: Fantasy!AU, Romance, Smut (Like a lot I'm pent up okay?), Fluff

Warnings: Violence, major character death (I'm sorry just read it I promise you'll be okay), angst. Smut warnings: Oral sex (fem!receiving), so much cum play I'm sorry-, creampies, unprotected sex (hey I see you don't do it), dirty talk (seriously they be filthy in this), impreg kink, breeding kink, Jungkook is so in love.

Words: 19.5k (don't look at me like that)

Rating: 18+

Summary: You and Jungkook had been seeing each other for a while. But when new challenges block your way, will you be able to hurdle to obstacles? Or will your differences be too much in the end after all.

*NOTE: This is a continueation of an older one shot I wrote called Witch's Brew, you can read that one if you want but you can also read this as a stand alone.

HOPEFULLY THIS FIXES THE FORMATING ISSUES

You and Jungkook had a little arrangement going on between you two for the last seven months. He’d come to your forest while he was out on patrol, or something along those lines and you two would go at it like bunnies before he’d leave and return to his king.

And over this span of time, you’d become rather fond of the royal guard. His sense of duty was honorable, his humor was light but sometimes dangerous, he was sweet as ambrosia in the spring and deep as the oceans to the East. When he was away you longed for him to come back and spend the days with you in your little hut.

Whenever you two would be done with the more... debauched activities of your time spent together, Jungkook would watch you make concoctions, potions and salves and sometimes even charms. But you were an old being, and you were fickle. You didn’t like the prospect of being tied to this hut for much longer.

It was starting to grow stuffy and cramped in the space you called home. You’d been here for roughly a century, perhaps it was time to find a new forest? With new animals and new plants to experiment with.

But doing a relocation spell was tricky, and you never knew where you’d end up... Your mind wandered back to the young Knight who’d spent many nights wrapped up with you in your sheets. Never before had you been so infatuated with a human. Let alone a high ranking official like Jungkook. But, you couldn’t help the way you felt. He was an addictive little sprite, always doing what he could to get what he wanted.

A chill ran down your spine as you thought back on your most recent encounter with the man, making your thigh clench out of desperation to feel him all over again. He’d been gone longer than usual. Normally you’d see him every week, but it was going on near two since the last time you’d felt his hands wandering over your frame. Your body was wired to react to his touch, it felt like. As if Jungkook was the only one that could bring you to the edge of bliss and back again over and over until the two of you were sated.

But there was a darkness growing... You could feel the change as time went on. More murders happening, more plagues and more death. It was all so overwhelming, especially for a creature like you who was so tied to the energy here. You were certain that she had returned... Your damned sister that had been around just as long as you, but more hell bent on causing trouble.

You liked a little bit of mischief here and there, but it was only to make fun never to harm. Your sister on the other hand, she was dangerous... You weren’t sure what you’d do if she was actually back and on the prowl for souls once more. Your mind wandered to the villages nearby and the tragedy that had been striking them. You were able to help curb the plague, with medicinal herbs and potions they had survived. But just barely. You had always been the weaker one of you two and your sister’s magic wasn’t something to be sniffed at.

She was always more driven than you, wanting power and more power until there was nothing left but ashes in her hand. You had taken a more lax approach to your magic. Letting it grow with you instead of forcing yourself at a young age. However, that did mean you were constantly thrown against each other to fight and see who would come out on top.

Sometimes she’d win, other times you’d win. But for the most part, it was her that reigned victorious. Not that you minded, you weren’t overly competitive for the most part.

It was a dangerous world if your sister truly had returned. The last time you two had been together you’d managed to trick her into a magic circle that was supposed to bind her for two thousand years. That was probably a century ago now, seeing as how you’d made your home here shortly after.

But what could’ve caused the circle to break? Lost in your thoughts you didn’t hear the tell tale signs of the hut’s door opening and closing. The sound of armor being removed and you didn’t her Jungkook call out to you.

So when you felt a pair of warm arms encircle your waist, you panicked. Throwing your elbow into the abdomen you whirled around to kick them in the face when you saw the pained expression of your lover looking back at you as he gazed at you in awe.

“Oh! Jungkook!” You gaped, placing your hands on his face and shoulder. “I’m so sorry! You startled me!”

“I... announced myself,” he huffed, rubbing at the tender flesh of his stomach.

“I was lost in thought, are you alright? I didn’t think I hit you that hard,” you tutted, moving his shirt up to look at his flesh. There was a bandage around his middle, it was older. Although it wasn’t there the last time he was here.

“I’m alright, it doesn’t hurt that much anymore,” he said, standing up to his full height above you.

“No? Where have you been?” You asked, wrapping your arms around his neck and falling into the comfort that was him.

“Mmm, got sent out to the outer reaches of the kingdom. There’s been some strange happenings out there and we were dispatched to see what was going on,” he said, bringing his lips down to meet yours for a moment.

“How did you get hurt?” You asked, pulling away to better assess the damage.

“One of my men got... I don’t know, possessed? Something overtook him and he attacked us,” he said.

Blood magic...

That was your sister’s specialty.

“Oh no, is he okay now?” You asked, but you already knew how blood magic ended.

“He, uh... Didn’t make it,” Jungkook said, trying to keep from wincing.

The price of blood magic was steep. The victim would do the master’s bidding, and then kill themselves to ensure that the master wouldn’t be persecuted. Your sister had perfected the skill at the tender age of 120, it had taken you almost twice that to even grasp the concept.

“I’m sorry, that must’ve been hard,” you said, smoothing your hands over his broad shoulders. Jungkook sighed and placed a tender kiss to your forehead.

“You lose people in my line of work, I shouldn’t be so affected by it but... What can I say? I’m a bleeding heart,” he whispered. You knew that he was upset, you could see it as plain as day on his face. So you gave him a soft kiss on the lips, pulling back to assess his features again. Another kiss. And you kept going until he was smiling under your lips.

“That’s better, you’re much cuter this way,” you giggled. Jungkook pressed forward, kissing you deeper this time. You could feel the stirrings of arousal starting in your stomach as he covered your mouth with his eagerly.

“What if I don’t want to be cute? What if I want to be tough?” He asked, raising a brow.

“You’re very tough, kook. But you’re also very cute,” you smiled, pinching his cheeks.

“Ow, let me go,” he pouted.

“But what if I don’t want to?” You asked, wrapping your arms around him tight.

“Then don’t,” he smirked, picking you up. You grinned as he carried you to your bed, laying you down on your sheet before crawling over you. Just as he was about to devour you, he got a weird look on his face. You noticed that he’d stopped moving, so you sat up and leveled with him.

“You alright?” You asked, putting your hand on his cheek carefully.

“I-I don’t want you thinking that all I want from you, is this?” He said, gesturing between the two of you.

“What do you mean?”

“I-I’ve been thinking about it, and, I-uh, want us to... maybe, um... I’ve been thinking about, courting you,” he blushes, face turning pink at the words.

The wind was knocked out of you. He wanted to court you?

“Jungkook,” you began, and he whined immediately.

“This is why I didn’t say anything,” he sighed, sitting up on his knees.

“Jungkook, I’m a witch, if you’ve forgotten,” you said, gesturing at yourself.

“And? Y-you’re a good witch,” he reasoned.

You frowned and looked down at your hands. “I didn’t used to be.”

“What?” Jungkook asked, raising a brow.

“And I’m far from perfect Jungkook. I won’t obey you, I refuse. I don’t want to be tied down to one place. And... You’ll be long dead before me,” you swallowed. That was another thing that was hard to come to terms with. Your life was going to be longer than Jungkook’s. As he aged, you’d look relatively the same. It broke your heart that someday, this loveable man wouldn’t visit you... He’d eventually have to settle down and get himself a wife that would bear him children, something you weren’t able to give... A normal life, a good life. Something that would make him happy.

“I don’t want you to obey me, I don’t want to tie you down but... I want you to be mine, please, please think about it,” he begged.

“Do you really think in these seven months I haven’t thought about you in that way? That I haven’t thought through every scenario in which we could be together? All of them end with death, Jungkook. I don’t want to see that happen to you. I can’t watch you die in front of my eyes,” you whispered, eyes starting to mist with tears.

“If you want me too, then why can’t we do this? We could be together, the King would approve of you I promise,” he said, smiling lightly at the end.

“I seek no one's approval, Jungkook. Not even my own,” you said sharply. Jungkook frowned at your statement.

“Why are you so hell bent on this failing? Do you have so little faith in me?” he asked, looking genuinely hurt by the prospect.

“No, Jungkook. This isn’t about you... It’s about me, I-I have nothing to offer you. No money, no title, I can’t even give you children.”

This gives Jungkook pause.

“What do you mean? You’re barren?” he asked, sounding hurt. But not for himself... For you.

“Jungkook, magic doesn’t come without its consequences. The world must have order, have balance. And if you meddle with the natural order, eventually, the price will come due.”

Jungkook saw the first tears falling down your cheek and he felt his own heart shatter. You were doomed to be alone. Everything you had done together, would just be a memory for you down the road. And eventually, he would become one of those memories. The thought of not seeing you made Jungkook more restless than he’d care to admit. But you were here now, he could comfort you now.

“Y/N,” he breathed, kissing your cheeks gently. “Look at me.”

You really couldn’t. If you did the dam would burst and you could agree to anything he says. Because, you wanted a life with him. You really did. It was killing you to sit here and deny everything you’ve ever wanted and more. But if it got him to realize... You’d say anything.

“I can’t, I can’t do this Jungkook,” you said, wiping your tears. “You deserve a wife who will always be there for you. Someone who can give you what you want.”

“You’re what I want,” Jungkook said, biting his lip.

“No... I’m not Kook,” you said, smiling sadly. Jungkook’s eyes filled with tears of their own.

“I do. I do want you,” he whispered, taking your hands in his, placing them on his chest. “And you want me too.”

You bit your lip, trying to keep yourself from bursting into uncontrollable tears. He wasn’t wrong. You did want him, you always did. But this attraction, this draw to him... It would only end in heartbreak, it already had.

“Jungkook,” you started again, when he cut you off with his lips.

“You want me, you need me,” he breathed, pulling your hair back from your face. “I’ll give you anything you desire. Money, a title, children. Whatever will keep you with me.”

“Jungkook, this isn’t about you not being enough. You’re more than enough. I-I’m the one who isn’t enough for you. I-I don’t-I can’t be with you.”

“Then why? Why did you continue to see me? Why did you give me hope?”

“Because,” you said, looking into his eyes. “Because I wanted hope too.”

This broke him.

Jungkook came forward and embraced you. “I’m not giving up. I’m in love with you. You’re more than enough for me. You’re smart, you’re funny, so beautiful and kind. You make me feel things, I’ve never felt for someone. My heart, it beats for you.”

“What happens when it stops beating, Jungkook? What happens when you die? I'm forced to watch my happiness disappear from my eyes? It’s not fair, Jungkook! W-Why must I always be alone? I-I didn’t know what I was getting into with magic. It’s given me a new life, but it’s a life where I walk alone,” you whispered.

“You never walk alone,” Jungkook said, bringing your head to his chest. His heart was beating hard against his ribs. You clutched his shirt.

“I must...”

“Not with me, never with me,” he said, sounding so sure.

“Make me believe it,” you breathed out. Jungkook’s eyes sparkled for a moment.

“I will,” he growled, pushing you back down onto the bed. “I’ll show you how much I care for you. How much I want this. Want you.”

Jungkook’s lips were soft as ever, taking your breath away with his kiss. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer so that your bodies were pressed against each other tightly. Goddess, this was it. This was going to be the last time you felt him. You had to put everything into this. Remember every detail. The way the light makes his eyes shine. The look of wonder he gets every time he sees your center, dripping and ready for him. You moaned as he ran his thumb against your slit.

“Fuck you’re wet,” he moaned.

“Need you, Kook,” you pleaded.

“You’ll get me,” he encouraged.

“Hurry,” you whined.

“So eager, I love that. Every time...”

He dropped to his elbows on the bed and brought his lips to your center in a chaste kiss. You let out a shaky breath at his tenderness. Normally it was you who took control. But not tonight, Jungkook was in charge of this exchange, and you were more than happy to oblige him.

Slowly, Jungkook pulled your undergarments off and threw them away from the bed. You sighed in pleasure when Jungkook’s lips met your center. Jungkook didn’t like using the potion to eat you out anymore. He got off on the taste, the sweet feeling of your lower lips against his tongue. Fuck, he couldn’t get enough of it sometimes.

His tongue laved against your swollen clit as he gathered your flavor. He moaned into your center, moving his tongue from your entrance to your pearl, taking fat licks to get every ounce of nectar you let him have. “Fuck, Kook, so good baby.”

“I could do this for hours. Until your legs shook and you couldn’t take anymore,” he said, wrapping his hands around your thighs and pulling you closer, so he could get a better angle on your sex.

“Jungkook!” you cried, head thrown back against the pillow. He took his tongue and probed at your hole, testing the waters.

“You taste so good,” he said, nosing your clit gently causing your hips to buck against his face.

“Y-You’re gonna make me cum,” you moaned out, hands grabbing at his hair to urge him along.

“Want you to cum baby, wanna taste it, get you nice and ready for my cock,” he groaned, palming himself through his trousers.

“F-Fingers, Jungkook. Give me your fingers,” you begged. Jungkook wasn’t in the mood to deny you or tease you. Carefully, he slid one finger into your cunt.

“Shit you’re tight,” he whimpered. “Want to fill you with me.”

“I want it, Jungkook, please baby!” you said, trying to keep yourself from falling over the edge too quickly. You wanted this to last. You wanted him in your bed, in your heart, forever... Something told you it had already come true. That he would be in your heart forever... It was so hard giving him up like this.

“Want another one?” he asked, teasing your center with another finger.

“Yes! Yes please!” you cried out.

Jungkook nodded and pushed a second finger in, stretching you out deliciously.

“Going to stretch out this pretty cunt for me. Then, I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t ever think about leaving me. You’ll need me to fill up this beautiful pussy with cum over and over.”

His words sounded strained, like he was trying to keep himself from crying. But, you kept quiet. Let him believe this would save your doomed romance.

He was beautiful.

You don’t think the world had created such a beauty that could rival his. It made your heart ache to know that you’d have to give him up. To let him go, but you couldn’t be selfish. You couldn’t let you stop him from becoming everything he could be. But for now?

He was yours.

Jungkook was licking your pussy with fury. He groaned and continued to pump his fingers inside of you faster. So much so that he was making a mess of you. Your body tensed up, cunt pulsing from his work. You could taste your orgasm. He was so close to giving it to you.

“Cum for me my love,” he moaned.

You gushed at his words. You hoped that he wouldn’t notice, that those words were the ones you longed to hear from him. Even if you’d never hear them again, you’d commit his husky tone now to memory. You’d never forget him, ever.

“Jungkook!” you cried, leaning your head back into the pillows as you came on his fingers.

Jungkook smirked and took his fingers in his mouth, cleaning himself up before licking you gently to clean you as well.

“Are you alright?” he asked, placing a warm palm on your thigh.

“Yes, give me more, Jungkook,” you pleaded.

Jungkook nodded and pulled his pants down. He was far too impatient to remove everything, he just wanted to feel you. He wanted to be buried deep inside of you, he didn’t want to waste anymore time struggling with his clothes when your perfect cunt was right there eagerly waiting for his cock. Jungkook wasn’t patient as he grabbed you, pulling your hips flush against his as he lined up himself with your entrance.

You gripped his forearms as he entered you with purpose. Your pussy stretched to its limit always left you breathless. Jungkook left you gasping for air, regularly. He wasn’t huge, but his girth and length mixed together were a deadly combo.

Jungkook reached behind your head and grabbed the pillows and arched his back, rutting into you gently. You moaned as he pulled out, leaving you desperate for more. Jungkook seemed to understand your feelings because soon he was making a rhythm with you, pushing forward as you came down on his dick perfectly. Your body was on fire with the sensations he was pulling from you, making you tremble in his hold.

“It’s alright, I’ve got you pretty girl. Just focus on me, how good do I feel?” he whispered.

“So good Jungkook, so good,” you cried, rocking your hips forward, eager for more.

“You too, your pussy is so tight, love when you clench down-yes, just like that,” he moaned, letting a surprised gasp escape him when you tensed up your muscles for him. He felt so good, he was brushing against that one spot that made you want to scream. It was so good, so perfect.

“Fuck, right there Jungkook,” you pleaded, bringing his lips to yours again. It wasn’t a sweet kiss by any means. It was hot, passionate and full of biting and teeth. Jungkook moaned as he lifted his shirt slightly, giving you a glimpse at his side, his injury not stopping him from pounding you into the bed.

“Want to make you cum again, want to feel you,” he groaned, head falling back as he pistoned his hips forward into you.

“So close, I’m-ah!” you cried as he started going harder.

“Want to see you cum and then I’m going to fill you. Over and over with my cum until you’re stuffed to the brim so much so that you can’t move. Say I can do it, let me have it precious, tell me how bad you want my cum,” he said, leaning forward so that his head was cradled in your throat.

“Want it so bad, Jungkook. I’ll take all of it, pussy wants it so bad. Fill me up, come and fill me up please,” you mewled, feeling another orgasm looming over your head. But that didn’t make you eager, if anything, it scared you. What do you say to him after? How do you tell him?

You got so far into your own head Jungkook could see it on your face.

“Don’t think about it, not now beautiful. Focus on me, only me,” he pleaded, bucking into you faster. Your head was almost hitting the headboard of your bed, but you couldn’t let up. He was going to cum, then he was going to leave forever...

“Jungkook, fuck!” you hollered, running your hands under his shirt and raking your nails down his stomach. His hips stuttered under your dangerous move.

“Make me cum, make me cum,” he chanted, pushing your dress up until your chest was revealed to him.

“Oh fuck oh fuck,” you said, feeling the emotion rising in your throat.

“Cumming!” he cried, fucking into you sloppily, placing his finger on your clit to push you over as well. You felt the tears roll down your cheeks as you finished. Jungkook was shaking against you, no doubt still in the throes of his orgasm. You could feel him twitching and throbbing inside of you.

The sensitivity caused him to hiss as he pulled out.

He watched as his cum pooled underneath you, wetting the sheets.

“Fuck,” he groaned, pushing his sweaty hair off of his forehead.

You swallowed hard as the tears didn’t stop. You knew what this meant. You knew what you had to do. And you were certain it was going to kill you.

“I think you should go,” you whispered, looking at him with watery eyes.

“If I walk out that door now, I may never come back,” he said. “Is that what you want?”

You remained silent, letting the tears fall from your eyes. The silence was deafening. Jungkook gave you a curt nod, before standing up from the bed. He pulled up his pants and walked out the door, not sparing you a glance. The door shut hard, and you felt yourself fall into the sadness that surrounded you.

You were alone.

Again.

--

Jungkook never left your mind. These past months have been so hard, so lonely.

You struggled to do your regular tasks.

But you knew in your heart you’d done the right thing. He could move on, and he could be happy with someone who was deserving of him. Even though thinking of him in the arms of another made your heart ache with jealousy. You knew it was the last kindness you could do for him. Let him go.

There was a knock at your door. Quickly, you jumped up and headed there, not sensing any dangerous energy.

When you opened the door there was a tall man standing there. His hair was peppered with white strands and he was handsome. His head was also decorated with a fine crown, showing his status very blatantly. You swallowed hard, as you bowed your head to the King.

“Your Majesty, with what do I owe the pleasure?” you asked, raising a brow.

“What do you know of the witch Annalise?” he asked, saying your sister’s name with an edge.

“She’s my sister, what do you want?” you questioned, keeping your door cracked so they couldn’t see into your little hut.

“She’s been spotted off the southern reaches of the kingdom. She’s been terrorizing villages-she’s killing people,” he said.

“Again, what do you want?”

“You dare speak to the King that way?” someone growled from the back.

“You’ve obviously come here to ask something of me, and if the King himself came then he must want it badly. So, what do you want?”

“We want you to kill her. You’re the only one we can think of that is close enough to her that would know how to take her down.”

“You want me to kill my own sister? That’s a pretty brutal request,” you said, already knowing you’d help them. But watching them squirm a bit was never a bad thing. And maybe you could get something out of the deal. “What’s in it for me?”

“We will pardon your acts of witchcraft,” the king said. “You may live in peace here if you wish, no one will hunt you. If you refuse, however, I will send the captain of the royal guard here personally to dispose of you.”

Jungkook...

“So you ask for help and then threaten me? This isn’t usually how negotiations are supposed to go.”

The king seemed agitated.

“You would watch our kingdom be burned to the ground because of your deranged bloodline?” he asked.

“To be fair she’s my half sister,” you said, crossing your arms.

“No wonder, you’re the daughter of a harlot,” someone scoffed in the background. Your blood boiled at the thought of them disrespecting your mother. She was not a harlot, she was... she was in love with another. You brought a flame into your hand, the heat from it licking at your fingers.

“Speak those words again and it’ll be the last ones you ever utter,” you growled.

“Fine, you won’t help? What if a different person asked,” the King stated. “Bring him forward.”

“What?” you asked aloud, and gasping when Jungkook was brought forward, bloodied and weak looking.

Your heart thudded in your chest.

“If you don’t help us, I’ll kill him,” he said.

“What?! You’d kill your own guard captain?!” you shrieked.

“He lost his title when he decided to sleep with a witch,” the King growled.

“No...” you whispered, eyes filling with tears.

“If you help us, I’ll reinstate him. He will have everything he’s ever wanted. All you have to do is kill Annalise.”

“Jungkook,” you whimpered.

His head was hung forward, like he was ashamed to even be standing before you like this. Your heart ached to know he was hurting, and from people that he’d trusted with his life. They’d betrayed him so quickly when they figured out that he was wrapped up with you... Were you that repulsive to others? Is this all your existence caused? Sadness and pain?

“If you don’t make your decision in three seconds, I’ll execute him now.”

“Y-You’re lying,” you said shakily.

“One.”

“I don’t believe you,” you said, wanting to know this wasn’t true. This was a lie to get you to do their bidding. Jungkook sold you out. You should be furious...

But all you could do was stand there.

“Two.”

You were silent.

“Very well,” the King said, raising his own sword and swinging it down. You screamed when the sword moved.

“No! Please, I'll do it!” you cried, dropping to your knees. Jungkook was so close you could see the paleness of his lips. How they were dry and cracked. Nothing like the lips you’d kissed so many times.

“You agree to our terms then? Help us kill your sister and we’ll reinstate Jungkook into his former position,” the King said.

“Very well,” you said, looking at the man before you with a broken heart.

“Leave him here,” the King ordered. “He knows what the job is, and what will happen if he fails me again.”

Jungkook was thrown to the ground and the King sighed before walking away with his entourage. Once they were gone you scrambled forward and brought Jungkook into your lap.

“Kook?” you asked, brushing his hair away from his face. He was so pale. Fuck, what did they do to him?

“Y/N,” he whispered, keeping his eyes shut.

“Kook, can you hear me? Open your eyes huh?” you said, feeling the tears welling up in your eyes. Jungkook was limp in your hold.

How could someone who claimed to love Jungkook as his own son do this? Someone he followed so dutifully. The only crime he committed was loving you... This was your fault.

“I’m so sorry,” you whispered, clutching him tightly.

Carefully, a hand wound around your waist.

“Let me go,” he said, moving to sit up.

You did as he asked, moving away from him. Jungkook sat up, licking his lip and cringing when he ran his tongue over a cut on his perfect mouth.

Jungkook was back with you.

“What happened?” you asked, moving to touch him when his glare made you stop.

“You. You happened, Y/N,” he growled. “I thought I could... I thought I could convince them you weren’t bad. I thought that, if I showed up with their approval... It doesn’t matter, it’s a time that’s dead now.”

Did he mean...?

He doesn’t love you anymore?

“Jungkook-”

“Don’t. It’s over, I just want to kill this witch and be done with it,” he said, grabbing his sword that one guard had thrown on the ground.

You swallowed hard, but you nodded regardless.

“Very well,” you said.

“Your sister, you knew it was her, didn’t you. You knew all those months ago when I told you about my charge that had died. You knew it was her,” he said, keeping his back to you.

Was there any point in lying now?

“Yes, I did,” you said.

“And yet you’ll kill her now?”

“It’s not something I’m proud of,” you whispered. “But she’s my little sister, it’s hard to just betray her like that.”

“So it was easier to lie to me?”

“Kook,” you started, ready to defend yourself when you saw his form shaking.

“Don’t. Please don’t call me that anymore... It-It still hurts,” he pleaded.

“I’m sorry,” you said lamely, trying to think of better words but they never came.

“She’s hiding out in a village to the south. Fandolyn.”

“You think she’d hide amongst mortals. She hates them more than anything else in this world. She’s not hiding there, I-I think I know of a few places we can check.”

“Where?” he asked.

“There are a couple different places. Our old village was burned during the first war... It wasn’t much but it's where we grew up. Where our mother taught us everything we know.”

Jungkook remained silent.

“Or, she could be in the grotto where we were given our powers. There’s also our mother’s grave... I don’t know where she could be exactly, however. She’s... She’s unpredictable.”

“I told you, she’s hiding out in a village called Fandolyn.”

“How do you know? You saw her?”

“No,” Jungkook frowned, trying not to get too frustrated. “Because, a plague broke out there recently and the village was razed. There’s so much death there, we believe she’s drawing power from it.”

“That’s not how magic works,” you corrected.

“Forgive me, I don’t know much about this other than what was told to me during beatings,” he grit out.

You frowned now.

“If I would’ve known what would happen...”

“We need to make a plan,” Jungkook interrupted.

“You’re right,” you agreed. “She won’t be easily defeated.”

Standing up you walked over to Jungkook. He stood up, not without difficulty, you didn’t touch him though. You didn’t want him to be more upset.

“I hadn’t assumed so.”

--

A few days had passed and you and Jungkook had started searching for Anna. He was silent for the most part, not really interacting with you unless there was a question he had about Anna. You longed for him to look at you the way he had before. With sparkles in his eyes and laughter on his lips. But, those days were dead.

He was no longer the bright boy that had visited you...

He was a shell of his former self.

You’d done this to him. Not even you, just the mere association with you had done this to him. And it had destroyed his life. Fuck, you wanted to cry.

But Jungkook was determined to get his spot back on the royal guard. It was all he knew.

Besides you.

It was hard to work so closely with him. Especially when you knew what it would culminate in. The death of your little sister. But, you knew this day would come eventually. You knew she had to be stopped, but... She was still your sister, even if she had lost her mind.

Jungkook approached one morning, with a letter in his hand. You recognized the lettering on it right away. Anna had sent it. But why? Why would she send you a letter? Did she know Jungkook was with you?

“Let me open it,” you said, holding your hand out for him.

“And have you lie to me about the contents? I don’t think so,” Jungkook scoffed.

“Jungkook, please, if there’s magic in there it could kill you. I can take a hit from her, you might not be able to,” you pleaded.

Jungkook seemed to weigh the options in his head. But eventually he gave up the letter, handing it over to you with finality.

“Thank you,” you said, opening it.

Dear Sister, I have no doubt that the kingdom has enlisted you in a hunt for my death. But you know, I’ve always been the more powerful half of us. And you were stupid enough to open this letter, I know you wouldn’t let that guard of yours touch it. Enjoy the poison, you dumb cow. Insincerely, Annalise

You gasped when your veins started to turn black, pain shot through you. It’s been a long time since you’ve been hexed in such a way. Jungkook looked at you in panic.

“What’s happening,” he said, coming forward to look at your arms.

“Don’t!” you screamed. “You can’t touch me, or you’ll be poisoned too.”

Jungkook’s face was stricken with worry.

“What do I do?” he asked, looking around your hut for some kind of antidote.

“It’s black magic Jungkook, there’s no cure ready made for this. I-I have to dispel it somehow,” you breathed, trying to keep your mind clear.

Moving your body was even harder. It’s like your limbs had turned to lead. Jungkook watched silently as you tried to focus.

Dispel the magic.

Dispel it.

You drank one potion, then another, and another.

If you overloaded yourself with magic, perhaps it would all purge from your body.

“What are you doing?!” Jungkook hollered.

“It’s okay, I’ll be... alright,” you wheezed, feeling the magic taking over already. Your sister had gotten stronger in your years apart, and you had gotten softer. And she knew it too.

“Y/N...” Jungkook trailed off, looking at you like he wanted to rush over. It made your heart beat quicken, knowing that he still cared, at least a little, for you.

“Shit,” you breathed, collapsing to the floor.

“Y/N!” Jungkook cried, coming forward, but keeping his hands off of you.

“I’m going to be sick,” you whined. Jungkook grabbed a bucket towards your front door and handed it to you. Quickly, you threw up all the potions you downed. And slowly, the black ooze from your sister’s magic poured out as well. It took a while, and your body was still feeling the effects of her poison, but it was gone. For the most part.

Jungkook scrunched up his nose at the sight, but stayed dutifully by your side.

When you finally were done dry heaving, you collapsed to the floor. Jungkook yelped as he watched your body slump over.

“Y/N,” he tried, not touching you still.

No response from you.

“Y/N?” he asked, coming closer.

Your body remained still.

“Fuck are you breathing?” he asked, more to himself. Looking at your chest for a few moments he realized, you most certainly were not breathing.

“Y/N?” he asked again, feeling panic coursing through his veins. Were you dead? Was that it?

You still weren’t moving. Jungkook noticed that you didn’t have the black in your veins anymore. Could he touch you? Should he touch you? He tried to think logically, just being associated with you and being romantically involved with you had turned his life upside down. They didn’t stand a chance against your sister if you died however...

“God damn it,” Jungkook growled, before hauling you into his arms. “Y/N? Look at me, open your eyes.”

You were limp as a dead fish in his hold, making Jungkook worry even further. He picked you up and took you to your bed, laying you down flat. He checked for your breathing once more. Still nothing. Jungkook’s heart was gripped in fear.

His only solace in that fucking cell they threw him in was you... The memory of you and what you two had shared. They tried to convince him you were evil, that you were only playing with him. The ‘love’ he claimed to feel for you was a hex, a charm that you used on him.

But the panic he felt right now was very very fucking real. Your body, limp in his grasp, was real and he was scared.

“Y/N? Please wake up,” he said quietly. Your hands were getting cold, Jungkook desperately rubbed them to encourage circulation.

“Don’t do this to me. Don’t do this, please not like this,” he said, looking at your body with concern written all over his features.

What was he going to do? What could he do?

“Breathe baby, please,” he said, lifting you into his arms, smoothing his thumb over your cheek. You were so beautiful to him. Ever since he’d woken up in your bed you’d always been gorgeous. He knew what you looked like in the height of pleasure, and you were beautiful. He also knew what you looked like when you were sick, and you were beautiful...

“Come back to me, please baby,” he begged softly, resting his forehead on yours, his hand cradling your neck. If you died here, the last thing you’d know was him being mad at you... When it might not even be all your fault...

Was there anything he could do? Any potion you made? You said there weren't any cures, was that just a ploy? Did you want to die here?

“Y/N, my love... please open your eyes and look at me,” he hiccuped, trying to keep himself from crying. Fuck... Fuck he’d never been this scared.

Finally, finally, you regained some color in your face and Jungkook felt you shift on the bed. His heart was beating so hard against his ribs he was certain it would pound out of his chest.

You peeled your eyes open and looked up at Jungkook, who looked about ready to cry. “Hey,” you whispered, looking him in the eye.

“Fuck, you scared me,” he croaked, bringing you back into his embrace. You were shocked Jungkook was holding you so tightly. Did... Did he still care? Even after everything the King put him through because of you, did he still love you like he claimed to before? Your head was throbbing but you could feel him shaking as he gripped you.

“I-I’m sorry,” you whispered, patting his back.

Soon enough though, Jungkook inhaled sharply and pulled back, holding you at arms length again. You tried to hide your disappointment. He was worried about you, it made your heart flutter slightly in your chest as you thought about him. Holding you tightly like this, always...

“Don’t be so reckless,” he said, but instead of anger or annoyance you saw a different kind of pain on his face. He tried not to look at you instead choosing to look at the letter on the floor. “What did it say?” he asked.

“She knows we’re working together. She knows that you’re here,” you explained.

“I see, that does put a bit of a wrench in our plans,” he said, rubbing his neck. “How are we supposed to find her now,” Jungkook said, looking at you with confusion.

“We don’t need to find her,” you whispered, looking at the letter on the floor. “She’ll come for me.” You said, biting your lip.

“What do you mean?” Jungkook asked, raising a brow.

“She does all of this, because she knows it hurts me. She charmed the King, she did all of this to... To show me what I have and how easily she could take it from me.”

Jungkook sputtered. “What do you mean, she charmed the King? How could that filthy wretch-” you snapped your eyes to his in a glare and he stopped.

“That filthy wretch is my little sister, regardless of her actions. That doesn’t change that fact... No matter how much she wishes it would,” she said, frowning.

“What happened? Why are you two so different?” Jungkook asked, coming closer. “Or are you the same and you’re just using me-”

“Jungkook, I’m not on her side. I just... I want to protect her, even if it’s from herself. She’s so hurt over the loss of our mother... a loss that I caused,” you said, quietly.

“What? You-You killed your mother?” he asked, eyes wide with fear.

“It wasn’t on purpose,” you said, tears catching on your lashes. “It was an accident. I-I wasn’t ready for the spell but I wanted to try, my mother got in the way so she absorbed the spell... that way it didn’t kill me instead...” you stated.

Jungkook was silent for a moment.

“How did you get your magic?” he asked. You didn’t want to hide anything from him anymore. So, you opened the dark recesses of your mind and told him. Everything.

“I was born in a village in the North. It was called Dialade, my mother was an honest woman. Married to a farmer’s son. There was nothing special about us. Except... My mother was a witch. She practiced all kinds of magic, healing magic, defensive spells, runes. All of it. But, my father died of an illness and she ran off with the baker’s son. He said he’d take care of us. He treated me as his own. But when Anna was born, mom... she changed. She became obsessed with us getting magic as well. Anna’s father didn’t approve of us having magic. They argued and she took us, leaving him and everything behind... But, her mind was already made up. We would have magic, whether we wanted it or not,” you explained.

“How did you get your magic?” he repeated his question.

“It was a dark night in the fall. All hallows eve. It’s the time when young children can be tested for their aptitude at magic. My sister had an abnormal aptitude for defensive spells and runes. While I had more of a knack for charms and potions. My mother wanted us to be strong, so she decided to offer up our fertility to the Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis. She accepted our mother’s terms and my sister and I would be barren, but we would be strong. Powerful. Exactly what she wanted,” you sighed.

“I-Is there any way to reverse it?” Jungkook asked, hoping you didn’t get to the root of his question.

Would you ever be able to have children?

“As far as I know, once a deal is struck with the Gods or Goddesses it is final. To ask for it back could be seen as defiance against them, and you really don’t want a scorned God on your tail,” you explained.

Jungkook swallowed hard. “I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been,” he said.

“It wasn’t, at first. I didn’t care, because I was young and naive. I thought that power would bring me everything I wanted. But, when I started watching my friends die. My own family members, and I stayed the same... It broke my heart. I didn’t understand why my mother would do this to us, just for power? Not even for her, but for us?” You sighed. “But it was all she had to offer us. Immortality and power, something she probably wishes she could’ve had. But, magic comes with a price. It always has and always will. My mother never told me how she received her magic...”

Jungkook was shocked. But he kept his face neutral.

“Anyways, when my mother died, Anna blamed me. Saying I should’ve been able to control myself, that I shouldn’t have done it if I wasn’t able to handle that kind of power. I’ve been hiding from her for three hundred years. So, I’ve had to move around a lot,” you said, rubbing your arms. “My wards and cloaking spells only work for so long. Eventually she can sense my magic and... and she’ll track me down and kill me,” you said.

“And you’re just going to let her?” Jungkook said, face morphing into frustration.

“I don’t have much to live for, Jungkook. I’m tired, I can give you an opportunity. She’ll be more focused on killing me than you, use that and kill her. If I live, okay, if I die, oh well,” you sighed, adjusting so you could sit up a bit better.

“You expect me to use you? As bait?” he clarified, like the idea was repulsive to him.

“It’s probably the only chance you’re going to get, I can hold her off long enough for you to get a clear shot at her,” you said. “If she’s back and she’s dangerous? Then we need to stop her before she gains more power.”

“With your life as collateral?” Jungkook’s voice rose in volume.

“If that’s what it takes, Jungkook. Then I’ll do it, the alternative isn’t an option for me,” you said, moving to stand up. But Jungkook grabbed your wrist, freezing you.

“What if this isn’t an option for me either?” he said.

You swallowed hard. Fuck, you wanted to kiss him to hold him... You wanted it so so badly. But you couldn’t allow it. If you gave in now, you’d never let him go. And he deserves to have someone who can give him what he wants. A partner who isn’t constantly on the run, a partner who can give him children if they want, someone who isn’t scared to love him back...

“Jungkook, if there is a chance of killing her we need to take it. That hex on the letter wasn’t even a hair of the power she’s capable of. I underestimated her, and if you do the same there’s nothing I can do to protect you,” you warned.

Jungkook’s face turned stony. You swallowed, keeping your gaze fixed on him. He tongued his cheek in frustration, but it usually wasn’t directed at you... He was upset, but he wasn’t thinking about this logically!

“Then don’t worry about protecting me,” he said, voice dark. “I don’t have anything to live for either, Y/N. The King was ready to kill me for being involved with you, the Prince is the only reason he didn’t. He said you charmed me, you put a spell on me to make me say the things I did. He made me lie, all because... because I said that I was in love with you,” he said. “The King won’t forget that, neither will the Prince. They may reinstate me, they may give me all the rights I had before... But their faith in me isn’t what it once was, I refuse to follow them blindly any longer... And no woman will want a man who bedded a witch,” he winced, like the words hadn’t been said in a nice manner previously.

“The world is bigger than this Kingdom, Jungkook,” you said. “And certainly bigger than me and my little hut-”

“That never mattered to me,” he said.

You sighed and rubbed your forehead. “I can’t keep doing this... I can’t, Jungkook. I want to keep you safe and protect you, but-”

“But what? I told you I don’t need you to protect me, there’s nothing for me here. I won’t lie to the King or the Prince, nor will I lie for them. You don’t love me, you claim there to be no future for us, so... I have nothing to lose,” he said, eyes conveying his broken heart.

An orphan boy turned into the Captain of the Royal Guard for the Kingdom. Only to find love in the one woman he could never have. Does he lie to the Royal family? Does he lie to you? Or to himself?

When can he finally lay his burdens down and breathe?

“That’s not fair,” you said, voice cracking with emotion. “I never said I didn’t love you... I only told you the truth, we can’t be together, Jungkook. No matter how badly I want it...”

“Why not?” he pleaded, leaning his forehead on yours. “Why can’t we be together? Isn’t there a way? Some way for us to be together? We don’t have to have children, we don’t have to get married... If all I get at the end of the day is you in my arms then that’s all I want... I don’t need anything else, or anyone else...”

You let out a soft whimper, tears falling freely down your face.

“You should hate me, Jungkook. I took everything from you. I played with your heart, you were tortured because of me. You had a life before me, you had friends and-”

“They don’t know you, they don’t know and they don’t care to learn about something or someone they could never understand. But I will. I’ll wake up every day and look forward to learning something new about you. You gave me so much more than that life ever could. Walking into the barracks, exhausted and beaten after a day of training. Patrols that went on for hours and hours, the only thing that would stave off the boredom was the thought of you... Your smile, your eyes, the way you’d wake me up by playing with my hair. The way you touched me, the way I would touch you,” he said, moving to wipe your tears.

Your heart was hammering in your chest, his lips were so pretty. And the words he said were far more potent than any love potion you could’ve made. You wanted him... You’d be haunted by him for centuries, if you lived that long. Everything in you wanted him. If this wasn’t love, then you were frightened for what true love would be like...

What is love if not this?

Wanting to protect him, to keep him safe... Even from you.

“Jungkook,” you breathed, leaning forward despite yourself.

“Y/N...” he said, voice soft as your lips were a moment away from each other.

All the candles in your hut went out.

A dreadful chill ran down your spine at the icy presence that crawled over your skin.

She was here...

“Get behind me,” you said. Jungkook jumped over your bed and stood next to you, as you tried to stand up.

“Y/N, you can barely stand-”

“You heard me, now move aside,” you growled, voice darker than he’d ever heard it. Jungkook didn’t argue, he just got behind you and helped you up.

“Anna, you don’t have to hide, you can come out. I’m your older sister and you’ll respect me in my own home,” you huffed, licking your lips to hide your obvious anxiety.

In the front doorway, her visage appeared. She was just as beautiful as she had been the last time you saw her. She resembled your mother so much, it almost hurt. But, you swallowed hard and looked at her firmly. Even if your hands trembled behind your skirt.

“Well, it seems that you can still sense me,” she sighed, voice almost annoyed.

“I’ll always be able to, Anna, we get our magic from the same Goddess,” you said.

“I didn’t come here for a lecture, Y/N,” her eyes flashed crimson, a warning of the power she could unleash at a moment's notice if needed.

You inhaled sharply, she hadn’t played fairly at all. She knew you’d be able to dispel that hex she’d used on you from the letter. But it would make you weaker, and now she’d have the opportunity to do whatever she wanted.

Because you’d protect Jungkook with everything you had.

Even if it killed you.

Which it probably would.

“What do you want, Anna?” you asked, even though you knew the answer very well.

She scoffed, face turning disgusted. “What do I want?” she laughed, a strained and maniacal sound, nothing like the joyous laughter that had filled your younger years in the grotto.

Suddenly, she was in front of you with her fingers damn near crushing your windpipe. She grabbed you and threw you through your front door, splintering the wood as you landed in a heap outside. The beautiful morning had turned stormy, no doubt her doing.

You heard Jungkook scream for you, and you stood up shakily. But you tapped into your power and felt a push in your body that had you standing with a stronger stance.

Anna chuckled, you could hear it in your head.

With Jungkook in tow you watched as she dragged him out to the front of your hut, throwing him on the ground harshly. You winced for him, but kept your pace even as you approached him, hand smoothing down his arm to help him up.

Anna snickered, watching you worry for the guard that had stolen your heart.

“How pathetic of you, sister,” she said, twirling some of her hair around her finger. “I never pegged you for the type to fall in love with a human. A guard no less, someone who could be killed for even knowing you. You’re far more brutal than I remember.”

Her voice held no humor, but the look on her face revealed her amusement.

“If you’ve come to kill me, then just do it, Anna,” you scowled, eyes turning fierce. “But I won’t let you torture him. I won’t let you hurt him while I’m still alive,” you said.

Jungkook’s hand shot to your wrist as you tried to stand up. “Please, don’t...” he begged.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, prying your arm from his grasp as you approached your sister. “If I let you kill me, do you promise not to hurt him?”

Anna’s head tilted, looking like a puppy who was confused. But her eyes were much darker, swirling with something other than the magic you’d been gifted.

“What have you done, Anna?” you asked, noticing the markings on her arms more clearly now. “Do you have any idea what dark magic like this can do to your mind? What it can do to your soul and your body?!”

Anna scoffed. “I don’t think you’re in any position to be the righteous one here,” she warned, her voice turning far darker than it should.

“I may not,” you admitted. “But I’m still your sister, I still care-”

She growled before throwing a bolt of energy at you directly, quickly you diffused it but your shock was evident on your face. “Don’t you dare claim that you still love me, that you care for me,” she spat, throwing another bolt of magic at you. This one much stronger than the last, you blocked it with a simple ward but the message was clear.

“You left me!” she screamed.

Jungkook looked between the two of you, heart pounding in his chest.

“I couldn’t watch you anymore Anna!” you yelled back. “Losing mom hurt me too, don’t think I don’t have any guilt over it because I do!”

You felt the tears in your eyes, but you fought them back.

“You became obsessed with finding a way to bring her back, using black magic, using rituals that were dangerous! You were stealing bodies! Experimenting on people’s loved ones to try and find a way to bring her back, but Anna... You forget that you still had me! You forgot that I lost my mother too. I couldn’t bear the thought of her coming back to see what we’d done. It breaks our vow to the Goddess, we’d lose our magic if we did that. And we might not survive it! Anna, you need to think. This isn’t worth it,” you said, heart aching for her and for yourself.

“We can make a vow to a new goddess to a new power. I’ve researched it, Y/N, we need both of our blood to make it work! If you give me your blood we can revive our mother. You’d be so powerful, no one would dare take your guard from you. He’d be all yours, we could turn him too! He could be like us and-”

“No!” you screamed at her. “I couldn’t live with myself if I forced him into this life, look what it did to us Anna. Look what magic has done to us, you hate me and I killed our mother,” you cried.

“You shouldn’t have done a spell you weren’t ready for. That is your fault, and no one else's,” she said harshly.

“You think I don’t know that?” you scoffed, confused at her statement. “I never claimed it to be anyone else’s fault but mine, Anna.”

She approached you, a dagger in her hand. “You are weak! You claim you’ve done wrong but you refuse to do anything to fix it! You can remedy what you’ve done, just help me bring her back and all will be forgiven-”

“No Anna, it won’t be,” you said, raising a dagger of your own. You aimed it at her and placed a basic defensive spell on yourself. “If you need my blood for that ritual you’ll have to take it as it pours out of my dead body. I won’t give it to you willingly,” you said. “And you will have to explain to your mother why you had to kill me in order to bring her back. Do you think that would make her happy? Do you think that us fighting to the death would bring her any kind of joy?”

“That’s not fair!” she screamed, slicing at you with a staggering amount of force. The metal of your dagger’s clanged loudly in the air as she tried to swipe at you again. You managed to block it, but just barely.

“You only think of what will satisfy you in the moment!” you warned. “You never think of the consequences of your actions! What happens when my death doesn’t bring the gratification you want? What happens if I die and our mother is revived but won’t speak to you because of my death!? Is that a life you want for yourself?”

Anna snarled, sending you flying with a painful jolt of electricity. You hit the ground hard, the wind knocking from your lungs as you struggled to breath.

Footsteps approached you. Your mind was swirling but you managed to sit up as Jungkook made it to you. She’d launched you damn near twenty yards.

“Y/N!” he said, holding your shoulders. “Can you hear me?”

“Move!” you gasped, shoving him to the side as another shot of electricity rang through the air. Damn near hitting Jungkook square in the back. Your eyes locked on your sister, smirking as if she’d just done something clever.

“You’re willing to die, but you won’t let the little vermin get hurt? How noble of you, Y/N,” she sneered.

You climbed to your feet, heading towards her with purpose. You sent out a shock of your own, which she deflected quickly. Another. And again and again until you were maybe twenty five feet from her.

“You will not touch him,” you growled, picking up your dagger that you’d dropped when she hit you.

“What makes you so sure, hm?” she smirked.

You sent a stream of fire at her, one she narrowly avoided.

“Because I’ll either kill you first, or die trying. And if I’m dead, you have no reason to hurt him,” you said.

“Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean he’s safe,” she said, eyes narrowing at you. “I’d like to see the torture on his pretty face as you lay dying in front of him...”

You winced at her voice. “You’ve changed... I don’t know what exactly you tampered with, Anna. But you’re not the same, and you never will be. I’m sorry I left you, I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough for both of us. But this is enough,” you said.

“I hardly think it is,” she said, sending a bolt of energy at you again. This one sharp as a knife, and you felt it.

You gripped your side, pulling your hand back to reveal scarlet blood staining your hand. You winced as you applied pressure, it wouldn’t slow you down. You wouldn’t let it.

“Hurts? Use some magic to heal yourself then, little apothecary! If you’d trained with me, if you’d stayed you’d be just as powerful as I am now! Perhaps more so, but you didn’t! You hid yourself away and became lazy, making potions and ointments for people whose days are numbered anyways! Do you enjoy giving the terminally ill hope? When you know they’ll die come winter? Well, I guess they do say kill them with kindness...”

You were appalled by her words. Helping those who didn’t have much time left wasn’t a waste, it wasn’t unkind. You gave them time to be with the ones they loved, you helped ease the ache of their passing. It wasn’t weak to help those who couldn’t help themselves, and it wasn’t a waste of time either.

With an angry cry you shot more energy at her, one that was more accurate than the others.

She deflected your attack but just barely, she was probably hoping you wouldn’t fight back. At least, not this hard.

Your wound ached, and your body was tired. You didn’t have the stamina to keep this up. With a pained expression you launched another bolt, and another and another. Each one weaker than the last, she dispelled them all easily and with a smug look on her face.

“You’re pathetic, Y/N!” she laughed at you. “You can’t protect yourself, and you can’t protect that handsome guard of yours either.”

You could feel the cold sweat trickling down your back. “Maybe not,” you panted, voice weak. “But I won’t stop.”

Another sharp pain erupted from your shoulder. She’d done it so quickly you hadn’t even noticed. Either that, or the exhaustion from being hexed then over using your magic was starting to catch up with you. You felt the blood seeping into your sleeve but you raised your hand and sent a large blast of energy her way. One she wouldn’t be able to avoid, she’d have to either protect herself or move back.

You watched her throw up a ward to protect herself, even though she got pushed back about fifty feet. Your head throbbed and you felt your knees starting to buckle. But at the last moment, you managed to steady yourself.

“Impressive,” your sister laughed, levitating her way towards you. “But unfortunately for you, it’s not enough!”

With a large wave of her hand you felt the ground beneath you shudder. Your eyes quickly looked for Jungkook. He was still where you’d left him, but his feet were wobbly like yours were with the trembling.

“Run! Get out of here!” you screamed at him, but you left your back wide open.

“Y/N! Watch out-”

Jungkook tried to warn you but your sister was faster.

The dagger plunged into your back.

You didn’t feel anything for a moment, only shock as a ringing took over in your ears.

Your vision jolted and you realized you’d fallen to your knees.

Jungkook was closer now, he was running to you.

When you started to fall forward he grabbed you, pulling you into his chest desperately. “Y/N, easy, breathe... Hey, keep your eyes open, focus on me!”

He looked at the dagger wound in your back and swallowed hard. It oozed blood and you were panting against his neck. “Look at me,” he begged, pulling you up so he could see your face.

Your pretty lips were dry, your brow was sweaty and you were trembling in his grasp.

“K-Kook,” you croaked.

His eyes ran over your body, your shoulder was cut badly and it was also bleeding. When he tried to adjust you in his arms he found another slash in your side. There were too many wounds and all of them were bleeding badly.

“I’m here, baby, I’m right here,” he promised, brushing your hair from your face.

“I-I’m sorry,” you said, mind reeling at the pain.

Jungkook shook his head, placing his hand on your back to apply some pressure. He could feel your blood leaking past his fingers as he tried in vain to save you.

“Don’t be sorry... You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said, eyes filling with tears.

“I should have loved you more,” you said, eyes drooping. “I shouldn't... have held back... I should’ve shown you,” you swallowed hard, thumb rubbing his arm as he held you. Even when you were dying you tried to comfort him. “I should’ve shown you how much I love you...”

“You can, you will... Please, Y/N,” he cried, holding your neck to keep your head up.

You gave him a weary smile. “I really do... I really love you, Jungkook,” you whispered, raising a bloodied hand to hold his cheek.

“I love you too, I love you so much so please,” he begged. “Please don’t leave me...”

Your hand fell from his face and your eyes fell closed. Jungkook’s heart dropped into his stomach.

“No!” he screamed, pulling your body closer. “Please, please... Don’t go, I love you so please... Please look at me, baby.”

His heart ached at the sight of you, battered and bruised in his arms. Tears fell down his cheeks rapidly as he cradled your body.

Your sister sighed, wiping her dagger off before approaching.

“Give her to me,” she demanded.

Jungkook shook his head, unable to speak as he held you tighter.

“Give me my sister or I’ll kill you too!”

“Then kill me!” he said, eyes fierce with agony. “I have nothing left to live for if she’s gone. So, kill me... I don’t want to be in a world without her.”

Anna scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You’re so pathetic. She’d never want you to suffer, she’d never want to see you cry. So, I’m going to give you a little present,” she said with a smirk. “I’m going to take my sister and leave you alive. And, if you try to harm yourself or get someone to harm you? They’ll die instead.”

Jungkook’s face twisted in pain.

“You’re vile. You’re cruel and twisted. If you think any parent would wish this for their child you’re delusional!” he screamed at her.

“You-” she started to charge up another bolt of electricity, enough to stop his heart when the clearing became eerily quiet.

The chitter of the forest animals dropped out and left the space feeling uncomfortably empty.

The sky turned dark, even though the day had only begun mere hours before.

Jungkook had almost kissed you.

He wished he’d done it now... Now that he’d never get to do it again.

A soft light emerged from the treeline, as a pack of white wolves all trailed out from the forest. One after another until a tall and beautiful woman approached. Jungkook didn’t know why he looked, but now he couldn’t look away.

The woman was tall, lithe and appeared to be strong. She walked barefoot across the ground, walking towards them with a purpose. Jungkook instinctively pulled your body tighter, even though he knew he didn’t need to...

The wolves flanked the woman as she walked. Anna was silent, watching in amazement as the creatures approached.

“Annalise LeBlanche,” the woman said in a deep voice, halting just a few feet from where Jungkook sat with you.

“That is me,” she said, watching the woman with shifty eyes.

“You are the half sister of Y/N Y/L/N, correct?” she asked.

Anna grimmaced before nodding. “Correct.”

The woman raised a brow at this. “Then why, pray tell, have you murdered your own kin? Why have you besmirched my name?” she said, voice dangerously calm.

“She murdered our mother, I am trying to rectify that... I have a ritual that could solve the mistake-”

“Mistake? There is no mistake, child. Your mother died protecting her child, your sister, from a magic she couldn’t contain. There is honor in dying to protect your own. Just as there is disgrace in killing your own,” she said.

“Y/N shouldn’t have done that spell if she wasn’t ready for it!” Anna argued. “She didn’t have to die! Y/N make a reckless decision and-”

“Do you remember why she did the spell, dear Annalise?” the woman asked.

“I... It hardly matters, what she did was wrong-”

“I am the Goddess Artemis,” she warned. “You will not tell me what is wrong and what is right. You do not dictate those terms, I do,” she said.

The goddess approached Anna, grabbing her wrist and pulling her sleeves up her arms.

On her arms were several markings and scars. Artemis frowned and dropped her limbs in disgust.

“You have marred your body with black magic, you have killed your own sister forcing judgment upon her that wasn’t befit of you. The only one who may cast their judgment upon your sister is me.”

Artemis turned and saw Jungkook with your body. He’d kept his grip on you, scared that if he dropped you for a moment you’d be gone and he’d be alone.

“My pack will take you Annalise LeBlanche, you will work for your penance. I am stripping you of the magic I gifted you,” she turned and her eyes were glowing bright white. “You will serve under me until I decide you are free to go to the afterlife. If I decide that,” she said darkly. Artemis turned her head to her wolves. “Take her to the moon baths, bathe her and rid her body of that black magic... She will not taint our pack with such atrocities.”

The wolves descended on Anna, maws wide as they growled at her.

“Best not to watch this part. Unfortunately to get her into spirit form, her mortal body must be killed,” Artemis said, turning back to Jungkook.

Jungkook winced, but turned away as he heard Anna screaming and the snapping of bones.

Soon, it was over and the wolves had disappeared, as well as Anna’s remains.

Jungkook swallowed hard before making eye contact with the Goddess.

“Kill me,” he begged her.

The Goddess’s eyes widened at his request, but softened when she saw who he was holding again. “You ask me to kill you? Not to bring her back?” she clarified.

“I thought that could only be done with... with dark magic,” he said, face puffy from crying.

“For those who aren’t Gods, perhaps,” she said.

Jungkook bit his lip as he looked at you. “Y-You can take her... Her soul was promised to you, right? You’ll... You’ll keep her safe wherever... wherever she is?”

Artemis looked at the young man and gave him a gentle smile. “Her soul was promised to me, yes,” she answered. Jungkook nodded, breathing in deeply so he could hand you over to her.

“Thank you,” he said, looking at the Goddess. “She’ll be happy, wherever she is... She’ll be free,” his voice cracked as he looked at your body. His hands were shaking and he was certain he’d still feel your blood underneath his nails well after he’d scrubbed himself clean.

The Goddess raised a brow at him, tilting her head. “I don’t think she’d be happy,” she said. “Whether she was free or not...”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Artemis rose to her feet, looking at your body and then to Jungkook with a determined look in her eyes. “Make an oath to her,” she said. “Swear your love will remain true. No matter how long, how far you may travel... Swear you won’t love another,” she said.

“I swear,” Jungkook said without hesitation.

Artemis chuckled softly. “If you prove yourself worthy, I will relinquish her back to you,” she said.

“Y-You mean, she’ll be back? We could be together?” he asked.

“Yes, child. If you prove yourself worthy enough, I will see to it you will be together if that is what you both truly desire.”

Jungkook looked down at you and then up to the Goddess.

“I swear, I will remain true,” he said, voice unwavering and his heart was soothed at the thought of you two being together in the future.

“Then it shall be.”

--

Days turned to weeks.

Weeks turned to months.

And soon, it had been almost three years since your passing.

Jungkook turned away from his Kingdom. The King and the Prince wanted to reward him for destroying the witches. But he merely asked for enough to travel out of the land. He turned down the offer of his former position, albeit respectfully.

And now?

He lived in a small hut in the woods, much like you had for years.

He wasn’t in complete isolation.

There was a small village that he was able to trade with here and there, and he did mercenary work on the side to give him some money.

Temptations had come, but when he thought of you? The life you two could have together?

Nothing was worth risking that happiness for the both of you.

His heart never changed.

It was a cool autumn night as he rode his horse back from the village after having a few drinks in the tavern with the barkeep's son, Jimin. He was a good man, a bit older than him and an incorrigible flirt, but Jungkook managed to direct his flirting to a pretty maiden that had been eyeing him for two months at this point.

He smiled when he thought of the two of them together. She was kind and gentle, something that would do Jimin some good.

When he got back to his small home, he tied his horse in the stable and set out some feed so he wouldn’t be hungry. Jungkook gave him a few strong pats before turning to head back in when the night became darker.

Jungkook grabbed the handle of his sword, ready to fight when a soothing voice called for him.

Hesitantly, he walked out of the stable and into the small clearing next to the hut.

Bright white wolves walked out from the treeline, much like they had those years ago. His heart hammered in his chest as he watched them file out one after the other.

The Goddess Artemis walked out from the trees with a calm look on her face. Jungkook jogged to approach her until he was roughly twenty feet away when he kneeled down with his head low before her.

“Goddess, I am humbled by your presence,” he said, voice soft.

Artemis chuckled softly before speaking. “Rise, Jungkook, you do not need to bow to me,” she said kindly.

Jungkook rose as instructed before giving her a kind smile. “You look well...”

Artemis snorted and Jungkook seemed surprised that the Goddess could make such a noise. “I am an immortal being, I hope I would look ‘well’, as you put it,” she said with a teasing smile on her face. “And you Jeon Jungkook? You’re a long way from your Kingdom.”

Jungkook sighed. “That Kingdom was not home for me. I could not be myself there, so I left. Looking for a place to become who I am meant to be,” he said.

Artemis nodded thoughtfully. “You didn’t fail,” she said. “No earthly temptation won your heart, nor did any man or woman... Even though you could’ve given up, you didn’t. There was no punishment if you’d failed,” she said.

“I’d have to disagree...” Jungkook said. “Living without Y/N for the rest of my life would be a punishment.”

Artemis chuckled. “Some wouldn’t view it in such a way, but I can see your point,” she said.

“Goddess,” Jungkook said, voice soft. “Why have you come tonight?”

The Goddess smiled before answering. “I said that I would see to it that you and Y/N would be together if it was what you both truly wanted and if you remained faithful to her. I am a Goddess of my word, so I have come to reunite you two.”

Jungkook’s heart stuttered in his chest.

“R-Reunite us?” he asked, breathless at the thought of seeing you again.

“Yes,” she agreed. “If that is your wish, I already know what hers is.”

“Please,” he said. “I-If she’ll have me then there’s nothing I’d want more.”

Artemis gave him a tender smile. “Y/N?” she called, turning her head back to the forest.

You walked out, dressed in a beautiful white cloak with gold embellishments while dressed in a simple gray dress. You had the hood up as you approached the Goddess and Jungkook.

Your heart was beating rapidly in your chest.

Had it really been three years since you’d seen him last?

Jungkook fought against every ounce of his being as you walked to your Goddess. She smiled at you before she lowered the hood and kissed your forehead.

“May the moon light your path as you walk forward in this life. May you be blessed with a happy home, good health,” her eyes flickered to Jungkook, “and a family of your own.”

You smiled up at her. “Thank you, Goddess,” you breathed.

“I am happy for you,” she said. “He’s very handsome. Make a lot of children, yes? They’ll be pretty just like you two!”

You flushed and hid your face in your hands in embarrassment.

“Thank you Goddess,” you said before dropping your hands.

“You are welcome,” she said. “Now go, this is my favorite part.”

Without another moment of hesitation you turned to Jungkook. He stood still, waiting for you to come to him first.

Quickly, you rushed towards him. He opened his arms as you slammed into him, hands winding their way behind him as you held his head in your hands. Tears blurred your vision as you looked at him.

“Y/N...” he croaked, clutching you to him.

“Kook...” you said, feeling like you could finally breathe after so long apart.

“Oh my love,” he said, kissing your temple sweetly. “I’ve missed you so... so much.”

“Me too,” you said, pulling his lips against yours desperately. Jungkook returned your passion in kind, strong arms wrapping around your body.

“Never leave me like that again,” he begged. “I won’t survive without you...”

You smiled, before kissing him again. Your lips slotted over one another quickly. Your kiss was passionate and soothing. The ache of being apart slowly ebbing away until there was nothing but the memory of pain.

“I won’t leave,” you promised, arms wrapped around his neck.

Jungkook smiled before hugging you tight again. You sighed happily into his neck. He was much stronger than he was the last time he’d held you. He’d also gotten older, he was barely twenty one when you’d first met. Now, he’s twenty five...

And he’s just as handsome as he was when you’d been separated. If not more so. His jaw was sharp, his lips still soft and pliant under yours, and his body wrapped around yours perfectly.

“Will you marry me now? Will you be my wife now?” he asked, eyes pleading. “Of course if you really don’t want to still I understand but-”

You shut him up with a kiss. “Yes,” you said. “I’ll be your wife.”

Jungkook’s heart could’ve burst with joy in that moment.

“W-Will you still live longer than me?” he asked. “I don’t want you to be unhappy, I don’t-”

You shushed him. He gave you a pout for interrupting him a second time but you just smiled. “Jungkook, I’m mortal. I will age and die just as you will. Although, I still have some magic. And I still have knowledge of all my plants... Is there a town nearby that’s in need of medicinal remedies?” you chuckled.

Jungkook smiled and nodded. “Yes, and they’ll love you,” he said, brushing your hair away from your face.

“I’m hard to resist,” you teased.

“I won’t resist, I’ll give myself to you fully and without restraint forever,” he promised, kissing you.

You smiled into his kiss, mind swirling with joy and happiness and thoughts of your future together.

“Is this your home?” you asked finally, when you managed to pull away from each other.

Jungkook nodded, a soft blush creeping over his features as you looked at it. He pulled you inside and you found yourself smiling at everything inside. There were soft sheets and a large bed in a side room, another two empty rooms that hadn’t been touched. A small kitchen and a nice place to curl up by the fire greeted you.

“It’s very nice, Jungkook,” you said with a soft gaze.

“It was abandoned. I had to build half of it all over again,” he chuckled. “But it was worth it, because I knew it wouldn’t be abandoned anymore... Especially if you returned while I was here...”

“Oh? You thought of me while making a home?” you said, poking his red cheek.

“Of course I did,” he huffed, hiding his face in your neck with embarrassment. You laughed softly until he moved his head enough to get his lips on your neck.

A quiet gasp left your mouth as you felt his eager lips touching you.

“Jungkook...” you said, leaning against him more.

Quickly, he unlatched your cloak and carefully draped it over the chair near the door. He grabbed you and turned you to face him, taking your jaw in his hand before pressing his lips to yours passionately. You moaned in surprise but held him tighter. Jungkook backed you up until you were falling into his bed.

You looked up at him as he crawled on top of you, his mouth already descending again to kiss you. You held his face as he kissed you again and again. His mouth was soft, lips just as sweet as the last time you’d kissed him.

“D-Do we need to be careful?” he asked, resting his forehead on yours.

“What do you mean?” you asked, raising a brow at him.

“A-Are you still infertile or do we need to be careful?” he asked, looking at you.

You gave him a kind smile, hands running underneath his shirt as you touched his warm stomach and chest. He shivered at the contact, but was waiting for your answer.

“I am not infertile,” you said. “But, we don’t need to be careful. If you want to wait then there is a spell I know but-”

“You want a child?” he asked, holding your face so he could look you in the eyes.

“Yes,” you smiled, blinking slowly in the candle light. “If it’s with you then I want several children.”

Jungkook wanted to cry, he thought he might for a moment. The certainty on your face as you told him this made his heart throb with love for you.

“Then I will give you as many as you want,” he promised, kissing you deeply.

You lost yourself in his kiss, nipping at his lower lip to gain access to his mouth. He let out a soft gasp and you quickly slipped your tongue inside to curl against his. Jungkook moaned in your kiss, leaning himself on one arm while the other reached to grab your chest.

A soft groan escaped the both of you as he groped your breasts. “Kook, baby, please,” you whined before he captured your lips in another messy kiss. He growled when you tried to move away from him to beg again.

“I haven’t gotten to kiss you in damn near three years,” he said, breaths coming in short pants across your wet lips. “Don’t be impatient. We have our whole lives, we have years of love to give each other. Let me kiss you just a bit longer. Then I’ll touch you,” he promised.

You huffed but nodded, accepting his mouth against yours again.

A feeling settled in your chest.

It wasn’t the longing you’d felt for centuries, no... You finally felt complete. As if you were at peace. Jungkook was your home, your peace and tranquility. There was an overwhelming feeling of love in your chest.

The past year without him had been extremely difficult. You’d waited and waited for Artemis to agree that he was ready. You’d seen him cry at night while he was alone, missing you. You’d wanted to wrap your arms around him, tell him you were there and that you loved him.

“Jungkook,” you breathed when he finally released your lips in favor of nipping at your neck.

“Yes?” he asked, sucking gently on your earlobe in a way that made your squirm.

“I love you,” you said, gripping his shoulders.

He froze, and for a moment you’d wondered if it was too much when he brought his lips back to yours desperately. “Me too,” he said while trying to keep kissing you. “I love you too...”

“Touch me,” you pleaded, tugging on his shirt. “I want you to touch me...”

Jungkook couldn’t hold back anymore.

With a nod he grabbed his shirt and tossed it aside before he moved to push your dress up. You eagerly complied, lifting your hips so he could push your clothes up far enough to get to your center.

He placed soft kisses along your stomach before you were sitting up and disrupting his course. He whined at you, ready to complain when you threw the dress off and onto the floor. You wrapped your arms around him again, smiling when his lips descended to your breasts immediately.

“Sorry-ah!” you cried when he wrapped his lips around one nipple, sucking gently. “Fuck...”

Jungkook ran his tongue around your peak with urgency. You moaned his name loudly, back arching a bit to press closer to him. He wrapped his hand around your other breast and ran his thumb over your nipple in a way that had you clenching your thighs.

“Yes,” you gasped. “That feels so good, fuck!”

He smiled before leaving your breasts and trailing his lips down to your center that was covered with a simple pair of white panties. Jungkook hooked his fingers in them before looking to you again for permission. You nodded quickly and he pulled them down your legs and left you completely bare for him.

You spread your legs so he could move between them. He wrapped his arms around your thighs as he pulled you closer to his face. Jungkook sucked small kisses into the soft flesh of your inner thigh with a smug look on his face when you cried out for him.

“So wet,” he huffed as his eyes watched your glistening core.

“All for you baby, want your perfect mouth on my cunt,” you panted.

Jungkook growled before kissing your clit. You reacted strongly, although to be fair you hadn’t had any action like this in three years. His tongue was demanding right off the bat. He gave firm licks to your core, gathering as much of your slick on his tongue as he could. Jungkook clutched your legs as he devoured your cunt.

“Mmm-ah~ Jungkook! Baby,” you cried, hands tangling into his now long hair to reveal his frowning face. But you knew that look was only when he was focused, or eating something good-

“You taste fucking incredible, I could live with my tongue in this cunt for the rest of my life... In fact, I might just,” he said before diving back in for more.

His nasty words made you clench desperately around nothing and Jungkook chuckled as he felt your hole throb with need for him. Another round of firm licks hit you and had your back arching into the pleasure that was thrumming through your veins.

“Ahh! Fuck, Jungkook, more... please baby,” you said, voice trembling in utter bliss.

He knew exactly where to touch you, he knew your body in ways you never could and he used it to his advantage.

“Want to taste your cum,” he said, sucking your clit into his mouth and tonguing it in a pattern that had stars blinding your vision.

“K-Keep doing that and you will,” you cried, hand clawing the pillow behind you while the other tugged on his hair in the way he loved. It always made him rut into the mattress in your small home in the forest. Your actions proved to still work wonders on the younger man as you saw his hips jolt at your eager pulling.

“Harder,” he whined when you gave a particularly sharp tug on his hair that had him humping the bed softly.

“I don’t want you to cum in your pants,” you smiled teasingly. “I want you to cum inside me, if I pull harder you might just spill your load on the bed-oh!”

You yelped when he growled and sucked your clit so hard you were thrown into an orgasm you weren’t prepared for. Your thighs shook as you struggled to breathe. Jungkook eased you through your climax gently, licking your slick much softer than before and rubbing soothing thumbs into your skin. Your heart was hammering in your chest and your vision was blurred from the intensity of your orgasm. The pleasure bringing tears into your eyes.

“Holy shit,” you said, voice weak and trembling in shock.

“Feel good?” he checked in, making sure you were still okay.

You nodded eagerly, pulling his face from between your legs to your mouth for a kiss that could barely be classified as one. Your tongues were intertwining and licking over each other as you tasted yourself on him and he felt your sweet muscle dip from his lips and lick wet kisses along his jawline.

His lips and chin were covered in your saliva but he couldn’t care one bit. You ran your hands up and over his shoulders and down his back, dragging your nails across his skin while you kissed his jaw and nipped at his earlobe. Jungkook’s cock was throbbing in his pants and he wanted to skip the pretense and just fuck you stupid into the mattress.

But he was far too romantic, he wanted to be gentle... to show you how much he loved you. How much he wanted-needed you.

“Please,” he croaked out, hand on your waist. “I want to be inside you, please, want to love you,” he said, turning to capture your impish lips that had been torturing his skin without regard to how much it fucked him up.

“Okay.”

You gasped for air when Jungkook pressed you into the mattress before he stripped himself of the rest of his clothes before joining you back on the bed. His lips met yours lovingly, gentle and soft pecks as he laid you back. Your eyes glowed in the soft light of the room. You’d done a small spell to light the candles in the room, you didn’t want to miss a single moment of this as you two finally got to make love to each other after so long.

“Jungkook,” you breathed against his mouth.

“Yes baby? Are you okay?” he asked, running his hands down your arms before squeezing your hands with his.

“Yeah,” you nodded, intertwining your fingers together with one hand while the other snuck up his neck and held his cheek. “I just love you, I’m glad to be here with you...”

Jungkook squeezed his eyes shut as he leaned against your hand, his breaths hitting your wrist in soft puffs of air.

“I’m glad too,” he said through his voice cracking. “When I saw your sister stab you and you fell into my arms I-” he choked up. “I was so scared, and when you stopped breathing... Fuck Y/N, never do that to me again. Please, I can’t take it,” he said, opening his eyes as tears fell down his cheeks.

You immediately sat up to hold Jungkook tight in your embrace. He cried into your neck as you kissed his shoulder to soothe him. It didn’t take him long to calm down, but he looked at you and sniffled and rubbed his nose cutely.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to kill the mood,” he said.

With a sharp shake of your head you kissed him again. “The mood is most certainly not killed for me,” you reached in between the two of you and squeezed his cock firmly. Jungkook grunted before his hips gave a sharp jut towards your soft and warm palm. “Doesn’t seem to be for you either...”

Jungkook reached and pushed your hand away so he could pump himself as he kissed you once more. “Lay back, spread your legs,” he encouraged.

You did as he asked, laying back into the pillows and warm blankets while spreading your legs happily for him. Jungkook shuffled forward on his knees as he brought two fingers to your entrance. With a gentle push he sank them into your wet core. You moaned as your head tipped back, hands gripping the sheets.

“Fuck you’re so god damned tight,” he said, voice strained.

“More~” you mewled, rutting your hips to take his fingers deeper. But it wasn’t enough, you wanted his cock. “Please... just go slow, but-you can put it in. I want you too,” you said, grabbing his arms.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you my love,” he said, looking up at you for confirmation.

“It’s okay,” you said, locking eyes with him. “Please baby, put it in, I want you so much.”

Jungkook didn’t need anymore prompting as he slowly sunk inside you. With a sharp inhale you wrapped your arms around his neck for comfort. It stung and the sensation wasn’t exactly pleasant for a moment. Jungkook felt you tensing and kissed your throat to ease the pain.

“My sweet girl, my precious girl,” he encouraged. “Taking me so well, I love you, baby,” he cooed.

“Touch me, Koo,” you pleaded. “Need you...”

He nodded, kissing a few of his marks as he trailed his fingers to your clit as he shallowly thrusted to open you up more. “That’s it pretty, that’s a good baby,” he whispered.

“Love your touch, you-oh!” you were cut off with a deeper thrust inside of your snug heat. Jungkook let out a deep grunt against your throat.

“So fuckin’ tight, god damn!” he snarled, pushing further inside you as you clawed at his back desperately.

“Yes!” you screamed. “Jung-kook!”

He growled at your whining voice. “Right here precious, always right here for you, gonna make you my wife,” he said darkly, like it was his greatest pride.

“Want to be your wife baby!” you whimpered. “I’ll always be yours,” you promised, kissing his jaw to keep yourself grounded as he started pounding into you harder. It stung a bit but the pain egged you on. The sharp pleasure coursing deep and dark in your belly as Jungkook growled and grunted as his hips pistoned into yours.

“And I’ll always be yours,” he panted against your lips as he searched for your kiss, desperate for the comfort of your embrace.

“My baby~” you called softly after his needy kiss. “Love you, love you so so much,” you hiccuped.

Jungkook nodded, acknowledging your emotions while trying not to be overwhelmed by his own. You knew how hard being away from him was, but you weren’t alone the entire time. Being a part of Artemis’ huntresses for a small time keeping you busy not only physically but socially.

Your sweet lover, however, hadn’t been as lucky as you.

The time was spent mostly on his own. The temptation of socializing with others too much to bear at times. So he kept to himself to avoid any chance of a future without you.

“Breathe Jungkookie, deep breaths,” you soothed, running your nails over his back gently.

He listened, slowing his frantic thrusts into deep, passionate rolls of his hips. The fluid and firm motion causing your vision to burst with stars.

“Yes!” you cried, one arm draped around his neck and the other gripping the sheets. “You feel so good,” you encouraged.

“You too,” Jungkook huffed, kissing your collarbone as he tried to soothe himself with your skin.

You held his face so you could look him in the eyes. “I love you, it’s okay. I’m here and I always will be,” you promised.

He caught a sob in his throat as he took in your devoted words. “I love you too,” he said, holding your waist as his pace increased once more. The urge to cum was getting harder to ignore.

“Ah! Baby~” you whimpered. You could feel the beginnings of another release coming, but Jungkook seemed a little closer than you.

“F-Fuck, I can’t hold it baby, I’m sorry!” he growled, trying hard not to cum this fast.

You giggled softly, rubbing his shoulders to calm him. “It’s alright baby, you can cum. It’s okay, I feel good just want your cum now baby... Don’t make me wait my love please give me your cum, wanna make a pretty baby for you,” you whined, a mischievous smirk on your face.

He wanted to hold off, just to spite you for that smug look on your face. But fuck you felt so good, too good. He hadn’t felt anything but his own fucking hand for nearly four fucking years. And being inside of you? Well, that’s an entirely different story. You begging for his cum so you can have his baby? Game over...

“You are such a needy little slut,” he warned, grabbing your lower jaw and throat with his entire hand. He applied a decent amount of pressure. Just enough to make your breathing shallow a touch.

“Yes...” you agreed pathetically. “I am for you baby... only for you...”

Jungkook’s possessive little heart thudded at your words. He loved you so much, and when you’d gone and he’d had to be loyal to you, he did understand that Artemis never mentioned you being loyal in return.

He hadn’t asked because in all honesty? He didn’t want to know. He knew he hadn’t been your first and that already made him annoyed at times. But, the idea of being your only one from here on out? He could forget anything else. You hadn’t needed to prove anything, you’d died protecting him. So, in all honesty he was honored to wait for you, because being inside of you right now? He felt like a god damned King.

“I know darling,” he breathed against your lips. “Such a good girl for me, loving me so well,” he praised.

Your skin practically glowed with his compliments and sweet words. As much as you could be a hell of a dom and toss him around like a fucking ragdoll, there were times where you were such a pillow princess and he couldn’t get enough of it. Your sweet flushed face and sweaty hair line as he hovered over you, pounding you into the sheets.

“Jungkook... Baby,” you called sweetly.

“I’m here,” he said, kissing your temple as he felt himself starting to slip into a trembling orgasm.

“Cum, please, want it Jungkookie!” you begged.

He couldn’t hold it back anymore as he filled you up, hips stuttering in their pace as he emptied himself inside you. “F-Fuck... shit baby,” he whined. “D-Don’t clench, l-like that-ah!” he winced at your tight walls gripping him hard.

“Sorry honey,” you panted. “W-Was almost there,” you said.

Jungkook immediately looked guilty. “Ah, fuck. I’m sorry Y/N, I should’ve tried a little harder to hold off,” he sighed.

“No, no no no,” you shook your head, forcing him to give you gentle pecks. “Not your fault, it’s okay. I’ve come before you several times before, it’s been a while and that’s alright baby.”

“Wanna get you there too,” he said, giving a soft thrust inside you to see how fast he could go again.

“You will, it’s alright, I felt good, I still feel good,” you said, kissing him again.

“You too, you feel so fucking good baby, god damn I love it,” he groaned, amazingly still hard inside you. “Fuck, I think I can go right now, are you okay? Think you can take it?”

You nodded desperately, but you were pushing him up and away from you as you switched positions. “From behind, want you like this too,” you begged.

“Yes, yes okay,” he agreed quickly, just wanting to be back inside you faster. He didn’t really have to wait long, you curved your spine just right and he slipped in with a firm push of his hips. “Mmm-ahhhh~” he whined out.

“So big, mmm! Jungkookie! Baby, so big in my pussy, keep going... give me more of you my love,” you pleaded.

Jungkook answered you with soft growls of your name against your shoulder as he caged your body in with his. One arm wrapped around your lower stomach protectively. “Take my cock precious, wanna give you that baby you want so much... Need to be a good girl and take whatever I give you... love you so much,” he said softly, dropping the soft dom act for a moment. “Really do, Y/N, I love you so much.”

You wrapped your arm around his neck and gently tangled your fingers in his hair. “I know honey, you’ve showed me. I believe you. Always will when you say it.”

“Thank you,” he cried against your shoulder. “Thank you for believing me...”

“Thank you baby,” you said. “I’m proud to be worthy of your love Jungkook. I wasn’t always so fortunate, I’m glad I am now.”

“You’ve always been worthy,” Jungkook said softly. “I was just mad that you rejected me...”

You scoffed softly before gasping at his thrusts turning sharper. “Was so mad that you loved me, but you wouldn’t let us be together. I wanted you more than anything else, but you were so stubborn... But, I know why-argh!” he growled softly at your clenching walls. “You thought you were protecting me, and in a way you were... I didn’t know what I wanted quite as much as I do now. Now that I know what it’s like not having you...”

“Baby, I wasn’t-ah, ah!” you whined as you gripped his arm that was locked around your waist. “Please fuck me harder baby... But-but I wasn’t being fair either... I should’ve asked you... I should’ve been honest with myself... But I have you now... And I love you,” you moaned weakly.

Jungkook was now pushing into you quickly, each thrust inside of your walls hard and aggressive. “I love you too, I’ll say it until I’m stupid...”

“A shame that won’t take too long,” you snarked. Your lover sat up in a flash as he sent a warning smack to your ass as he started forcing your hips back onto his cock as he fucked into you.

“Don’t test me you brat,” he growled.

“Gonna dom me now? Huh? Gonna make me take it like your bitch?” you challenged. Jungkook snapped at you.

“Shut up!” he growled. “I only wanna hear you begging for more you greedy little bitch, if it’s not about wanting my cock then I don’t want to hear it,” he said.

Your skin prickled in arousal. You knew the words weren’t true. If you truly wanted to say you loved him then you could say it, he would pick up on your tone. But, he wanted you to worship his cock? Fine by you.

“Uuunnnh!” you whined pathetically. “Cock so thick inside me, yes! M-More baby,” you cried with raw need. “Give me your big cock, kookie! Wanna cum on it like a good bitch, aaah~”

Jungkook purred in appreciation of you playing into his kink. “Yeah? Gonna cum all over my big cock? Mmmm, I want it baby, wanna see your pretty pussy creaming my thick dick,” he said, a certain level of pleading in his voice.

He really wanted to feel you cumming around his cock, even though he was close again. Your clenching was so fucking hard to ignore, not only that but you were so warm and wet too. Fuck, he would live inside your pussy if you allowed it. He was definitely getting you to sleep with his cock inside you sometime.

What was that called?

Cock warming?

Whatever it was, you were doing it. Or, he hoped you would.

Quite desperately really.

“C-Cumming baby, making me cum Jungkook! Please! Oh make me cum baby, love you so much please-oh!”

Your thighs tightened around his middle as your walls clamped down on him hard. You got even softer and wetter around him, making the glide in and out of you was that much slicker and creamier. “Mmm-fuck,” he grunted. “So pretty when you cum, love watching your pussy cream all over me... good girl, oooh fuck... Gonna make me cum too, uuuuhhhh good fucking girl baby,” he called, thrusting inside you with deeper and more frantic snaps of his hips. “Beg for my cum baby, beg me to cum inside this pretty pussy.”

You keened out in sensitivity but your hips bucked back towards him regardless. Your body knew what it wanted, it wanted Jungkook to cum inside. Wanted to feel him filling up your now fertile womb.

“Want it!” you cried, reaching behind you to grab his hips. “Please please please, baby,” you begged. “Give it to me... please... give it to me I want you so much.”

“Yes baby, right here, gonna cum for you,” he promised, feeling his hips stuttering as another hot load of his cum spilled inside of your eager pussy. “Uggh,” he sighed, kissing your jaw with tender love bites mixed in. “Such a good girl.”

“Thank you, thank you my love,” you sighed, falling into the pillows after his arm left your lower stomach. Jungkook huffed as he watched a single dribble of cum fall on your ass.

He growled softly as he gripped your ass and spread you so he could watch his cum drip out of your swollen and wet pussy.

“Fuck you look so pretty stuffed with my cum,” he praised. “Gonna give you more in a minute, give me just a minute and I’ll fuck you full again,” he promised.

“It’s alright,” you chuckled softly. “I-I think I need a while before I can go again like that... Pussy’s senstive, cock too big,” you whined as you looked at him with a small pout.

“Don’t be a brat about it,” he warned, smacking your ass as you gasped in surprise. “If you act up I’m gonna smack your ass red.”

You almost dared him, but when he placed a gentle kiss on your shoulder, you could feel the exhaustion creeping into your limbs. “Mmm, baby, sleepy,” you said, legs trembling as he ground his now softened cock against your sensitive mound.

“Mmm, but you feel good... Can’t I still have you? Even if you’re sleepy?” he asked, kissing your neck and shoulders.

“Yes...” you sighed, eyes rolling shut as he ground his now firming cock.

“You’re sure baby? We can be done, don’t wanna hurt you,” he said, kissing your temple softly.

“S’Okay,” you encouraged. “Wanna fall asleep with you inside. Stuffing your cum in me so we can have a baby,” you said.

Jungkook growled in agreement. “Yes,” he said, finally able to push himself inside of you. “Can feel you clenching baby...”

“Mmmm,” you encouraged, eyes closed as your breathing came in soft puffs against the sheets.

“Feels so good inside you,” he said.

“Big...” you murmured, hips twitching softly at his thrusts coming in harder.

Jungkook felt his balls tightening at your body naturally asking for him. Everything about you was tuned in to him, and he was the same in response. “Feels okay baby? Feels good to have my big cock like this huh?”

You mewled quietly, body submitting to the greedy rolls of his hips inside you. “Mhmm...”

“Close my baby, close to cumming. So good to me, such a good girl and letting me cum inside you like this, I love you so much,” he whispered.

A soft whine came from you as you gave weak little ruts backwards, and Jungkook couldn’t get enough of your submissive behavior.

“You’re making me cum baby,” he said, finally giving a final deep series of thrusts before giving you a few more heavy ropes of cum.

“Koo~” you keened.

He kissed your head, holding your hip as he gently pulled out of you with a soft kiss to your cheek. “Good girl, I love you so much.”

You looked at him over your shoulder with a lovestruck gaze and a sweet smile. “I love you too baby.”

He squeezed your hip as he gave your head a firm kiss before standing up to grab a cloth to clean you up with. When he came back he was gentle as he carefully wiped your tender core with gentle kisses to your thighs and ass here and there.

“You’re such a sweetheart,” you cooed, reaching out to run your fingers through his hair.

“For you yes,” he said, kissing your wrist before tossing the cloth to the side after he’d wiped himself down a bit as well.

With a soft but happy sigh you felt Jungkook wrap himself around you. He snuggled into your body with a comforted huff. “You fit so perfectly.”

“Good,” you said with a happy purr.

The two of you fell asleep that way, fingers intertwined and hearts beating softly, completely at ease in each other’s presence.

Souls finally comforted at the appearance of the other.

You slept better than you ever had that night, waking to your lover between your legs again.

And life was only going to get that much sweeter...

EPILOGUE:

You were wondering how long it would take after you said the words to Jungkook.

“I was thinking of having another baby.”

Initially Jungkook had been hesitant.

You had four already. The oldest, Mathias, a carbon copy of Jungkook. Then the twin girls, Salem and Waverly. Then your sweet girl Evelyn. She had just turned five last month when you had proposed having another baby to Jungkook.

Your oldest was now almost eight, and that was a long ways apart to have kids.

And, you loved all of your children. But... You really wanted another baby around the house. You missed the little feet and the sweet snuggles.

Not that your older children weren’t affectionate. They were Jungkook’s children so, naturally they clung to you like glue.

But, as you sat in front of your potion that confirmed your suspicions you couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Jungkook hadn’t outright said no to any more children, and he seemed to be playing into it the last few times you’d had sex.

But seeing the confirmed pregnancy was a little stressful. It was your fourth pregnancy but fifth child. “Oh goodness,” you sighed, leaning forward and rubbing your neck.

“Mama! Mama!” Evelyn shouted as she marched into your room with her pajamas on.

“Hi my baby,” you said, wrapping your arms around her and pulling her in for a snuggle.

“Mama!” she squealed.

“Yes baby, what is it bunny?”

“Daddy comes home today!” she said happily.

It was true. Jungkook was due back from his most recent assignment. He’d been taking small mercenary jobs to keep a steady amount of gold in your possession. Even though the goddess has blessed you well.

“That’s right princess, your daddy does come home today,” you said with a soft smile. “And I’m so excited.”

You picked her up and carried her out of your room and set her down so she could toddle away to find the twins. Those three were a menace to handle if they were all wound up, so you desperately hoped you wouldn’t have to separate another fight.

Jungkook had been gone for about three weeks and you were so happy to have him coming home. Things always ran smoother when you two could work together.

Just as you started making some bread for an afternoon snack you heard a horse approaching.

Quickly, you found that Mathias and the girls were already out in the front, waving their hands quickly as Jungkook rode in on his horse.

“Daddy!” The girls shouted.

“Dad!” Mathias called.

“Ah, my kids,” he cried, hopping off his horse and dropping into a crouch before walking forward to wrap his arms around his four kids. “Oh I missed you all,” he sighed, happily kissing each one on their beloved head.

You knew how much Jungkook cherished each of your children.

He was so happy to have them, especially with you.

“Daddy! Daddy!” they shouted, all hugging and squeezing him and each other.

“Hey!” you whined. “I want my hug too baby,” you said, watching as Mathias and Salem separated everyone so you two could embrace softly.

“Hello my beautiful wife,” he said, kissing your head. “I missed you so very much,” he said, sincerity aching in his voice.

You smiled and greeted him, having the kids all head inside while you and him gathered everything and brought it inside.

“I was preparing some bread, are you hungry? There’s cheese and fruit in the ice box, I can get something out for you,” you said, pulling your hair away from your face.

Jungkook came up behind you, molding his body to yours. “My baby, I’m hungry but not for anything like that. Wanna fuck you,” he moaned, gently pushing his hips against yours.

You flushed, squeaking in shock at his blatant groping and arousal.

“T-The kids baby,” you warned.

“Mmm, told them to head to their rooms, said we needed to talk, made it sound very serious,” he chuckled.

“You are such a sneak,” you complained.

“Come on honey, can we fuck? Please? Wanna be inside you already,” he whined.

“W-Wait, need to tell you something first,” you said, turning around to look at him.

“Huh? What? Are you alright?” he asked, face worried.

You gave him a soft smile before looking down. “Baby... I’m pregnant,” you said, voice a little weaker than you’d intended.

Jungkook froze, eyes widening at your statement. “P-Pregnant?” he asked, tilting your head to look into your eyes.

“Yes baby,” you said, eyes glossy with unshed tears.

“Oh my love,” he said, wrapping his arms around you. “I love you... I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” you said softly.

“Is this what you want?” he asked, looking at you with worry in his eyes. “I know we mentioned it but we never definitely said we were or weren’t trying.”

Your heart squeezed in affection for him. He was always so considerate of your wants in the relationship. “Yes honey, I’m happy. I’m excited for a new baby,” you said, tucking some of his hair behind his ear.

“Good, I’m excited too, I’m so happy,” he said with a tender gaze in his eyes.

You never imagined life could be like this. When you’d lost him the first time you truly thought you’d never get to cross paths with him ever again. And he came back, and even better, he forgave you. And you forgave yourself as well.

As with everything, there is good and bad. You’d had your share of fights, your share of tears and frustrations. But at the end of the day, you’d had each other. You both understood that your love was most important.

It hadn’t always been easy.

But, the good moments were sweet. They were special and wholly joyful.

And they were worth everything.

Every ache, every ounce of pain or tears.

This life with them, your family, was worth it all and more.

This... was the most beautiful moment in life...

And it was all yet to come.

[chimcess]

→ Chapter One: Blessed Under Moonlight Pairing: Jimin x Reader Other tags: Werewolf!Jimin, Witch!Reader, Shifter!Reader, Shifter!Jimin, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha!Jimin Genre: Supernatural!AU, Werewolf!AU, Angst, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Smut, Word Count: 19k+ Synopsis: Within the four realms of Lustra lay the Bangtan forest home to the Foxglove pack of the south and known as the “land of magic.” It is also home to the Bridd, a powerful witch from a cursed bloodline who is one of the sacred guardians of the forest. Y/N is the newest Bridd, a young girl who was given her position too early. Now a woman, Y/N is revered amongst the wolves as the most powerful witch they have ever known, but hiding under the surface is a woman who has to battle between her duty and her heart. Warnings: Cursing, panic attack, blood, self injuries, ritualistic scenes, pining, long haired jimin (this is a warning), mention of death, not much to say here A/N: Not me doing a complete overhaul of the series. Yes, it is a lot, and yes, there are a lot of changes happening, but I do think that they are good changes. This series has become more than I ever thought it would be and I wanted to make the changes I thought would line up with what I would have written back then with the knowledge that I have now- to the point that I have changed the name of the series itself. Don’t worry, nothing is changed too much. Thank you so much for reading, babes!

masterlist || next

The night was warm, the air thick and wet despite the gentle breeze that barely stirred the leaves around my home. Another howl echoed through the forest, sending a chill down my spine. Just a few more minutes, I thought. I felt the familiar itch at my ankle, scratched it quickly, and resumed my pacing. I had to make it in time. They promised they would wait. It was tradition, and traditions were sacred. But I knew their leader’s patience was thin. My steps quickened.

For a thousand years, my family had pledged allegiance to the Gods of the Moon. A desperate cry in the dead of night had turned into a curse. Each generation had to choose a sacrifice, a child who would replace the old. We were the Bridds, witches charged with guarding Lustra and its people. I was the chosen one, the only girl born since my mentor Aldara, and the youngest ever to wear the cold metal chain around my leg.

After Aldara's untimely death, I was thrust into the role of leading the blessing ritual in the wolves' village. It was a ceremonial occasion, marking the boys' transition into men. The pack was lost, and the Gods turned to me. I was thirteen, a child forced to take on this burden, blessing the wolves every year since. It was the only time I was allowed out of my cottage as a human.

Tonight was Kim Taehyung's eighteenth birthday, a significant age for the wolves, marking the day one could become a warrior. Yoongi, the kitchen witch deep in the forest, thought Taehyung would be like any other pack member. But I knew better. I had more contact with the wolves than any other witch. I was the only outsider permitted on pack land. I continued to pace. I could not be late.

Finally, I felt it. The thin, indestructible chain around my ankle began to tighten gently, glowing with an iridescent light. Pleasure washed over me, a cool sensation caressing my skin. The chain broke, and I stepped out. It would stay open until dawn. I grabbed my lantern, my pack of magical items, and slipped on my shoes. I whispered a spell to stop my cottage's magic, needing all my stamina for the night. Teleportation was too draining; I opted for meteor powder instead.

As I moved through the trees, the birds chattered. My friend Patto, a yellow-crowned night heron, perched on the bird bath the pack had gifted me. I knew I couldn't ignore him. Briefly, I stopped to exchange words.

“Human tonight?” he asked, hopping closer.

“It’s a man’s coming-of-age ceremony,” I explained, wrapping my shawl tighter.

“I won’t keep you then, Y/N,” Patto said, nuzzling my cheek before taking flight.

I pulled out my bag of meteor powder, a lavender-colored substance for quick travel. Drawing a detailed picture of the ritual site, I threw the powder onto the sheet. The page ignited in a bright purple flame. I spoke the destination's name clearly and hopped onto the flame.

When I opened my eyes, I was in the ritual cave. I thanked the Gods for allowing my magic to work and began setting up. The men and women required different candles and items. Betas were straightforward, omegas needed finely ground pearls mixed with paints, and alphas required more preparation. Jungkook, the only blessed child in a hundred years, needed sage during his ceremony.

In the Foxglove pack, there were three alphas. Jung Hoseok, who handled trading and pack affairs, Kim Namjoon, the voice of the people, and Park Jimin, the most mysterious of the three. As always, thinking of Jimin left a sour taste in my mouth.

After arranging my altar, I pricked my finger and drew a circle with my blood. The wolf would stand in the middle, trapped by salt and peonies. Unlike Aldara, who chained them, I found this method less cruel. Satisfied, I painted myself, adhering to the pack's customs. My colors were blue, red, and black, representing the raven.

I heard the wolves approaching, their scent filling the cave. My prey instincts urged me to run, but I stood my ground. I was a witch. Nothing scared me, not even predators. When it was silent, I knew it was time.

“Bless this child, Y/N,” came Ahn's voice, the pack’s Chief Elder.

Carefully, I sealed the circle and lit the candles, the orange glow illuminating the cave. Taehyung stood naked, as tradition required, his eyes filled with anticipation. I began the chant, feeling the tension in the room. They hoped for a fourth alpha, a status symbol in the wolf world.

Then, it hit me. The husky, woodsy scent of an alpha, stronger than any before. The pack's excitement was palpable. I continued the incantations, bracing for the struggle. Taehyung was becoming an alpha, and the pack's future hung in the balance.

Though I had done this three times already it never got easier. However, Jungkook had been the last wolf I guided through the change, and the sickeningly sweet scent that rolled off his young body made Taehyung’s feel like a gentle breeze. I could hear small exclamations of joy happening around us. The real party would be when this was over. I moved from one incantation into another seamlessly and braced myself for the fight to come.

I grabbed the bowl of white paint I had prepared and the bone knife, feeling the weight of the night pressing in on me. Silver was strictly forbidden in the village, no exceptions. As I continued to sing the incantation, I sliced the palm of my hand, letting my blood drip into the bowl. I walked over to Taehyung, bracing myself, and snatched his hand. This was why the circle was necessary; it held him in place, preventing him from breaking free and attacking me. I made a quick cut on his hand and placed the bowl under the wound. Taehyung howled in anger, too far gone to feel the pain. I backed away before he could shift, watching as the large, sandy wolf snapped and snarled at me.

I retrieved a new paintbrush and approached Taehyung again. Using magic, I forced him to shift back into a man and positioned him on all fours. My concentration didn't waver. I drew the pack’s symbol on his back: two large, parallel trapezoids. Then I traced the Aquila constellation on the back of his neck. My hands heated up as I chanted, calling for the Gods to bless the wolf through me. Taehyung screamed as the symbols branded into his skin, forever marking his transition into manhood. The scars turned from red to white within seconds, shining in the candlelight. The ceremony neared its end. I removed my hands and blew out the yellow candles, then lit the blue ones. 

Kneeling before the altar, I raised my arms and chanted, feeling a burning sensation in my back. My voice remained steady even as two large, metallic black wings tore through my flesh, the pain nearly unbearable. Blood pooled around my calves, but I couldn't stop singing.

The wings sprouted fully, and I reached with trembling hands to pluck a single black feather, placing it on the altar. I cupped the feather, continuing the chant. It lifted from the altar and began to spin. I moved my hands, lifting my arms straight up. The feather followed, glowing like my chain had earlier. My head felt like it was splitting in half as a blue jewel grew from my forehead and fell. I caught it before it hit the ground and placed it on the altar next to the feather. As I said the final words of the incantation, the jewel vanished. My wings retracted into my back, and the feather floated down. The cave fell silent.

Seconds later, cheers erupted around me. Exhausted, I smiled and leaned on a nearby rock. Despite my fatigue, I had one more task before I could leave. Using the rocks for support, I stood and grabbed the feather. It was tradition for the blessed wolf to keep the feather. Before the wolves came to Lustra during the Century War, they sacrificed birds for this occasion. Now, the Bridd took on the sacrificial aspects of the rituals, making such sacrifices unnecessary.

I approached the circle where Taehyung lay in his wolf form, horse-sized and yellow-furred. He looked smug, glancing at his younger siblings. Ignoring the pain in my back and the blood from my wounds, I forced myself to stand tall.

“Kim Taehyung,” I said, presenting the feather, “this represents your newfound freedom. I wish you the best in the future.”

Kneeling, I used magic to blow the salt away and placed the feather in front of me. Taehyung hesitated but finally took the feather in his teeth. I smiled at him, waving my hand to shift him back and clothe him in the robes Sol had laid out. The elders would award him his alpha sash at the feast. Taehyung smiled at me, his boxy grin innocent and sincere.

“Thank you,” he said.

“Thank the Gods, not me,” I replied, nodding. “Congratulations, Alpha Taehyung.”

Standing, I bowed to the new alpha before using magic to dismantle the altar and tools. Wolves, like witches, were unembarrassed by nakedness, so I felt no discomfort undressing. The bloody clothes stuck to me, and I was grateful to be out of them. Unlike wolves, I got cold easily and rarely left my cottage in winter except for ceremonies. 

Calling out to Luna Sol for permission, I packed my candles and prepared more meteor powder and another drawing, this time of my home. The few remaining wolves included the other three alphas. I ignored them, knowing it was best to stay out of wolf affairs. Even as a trusted ally, I was still an outsider.

“Excuse me, Bridd?” Hoseok’s voice stopped me. 

I turned, meeting the gazes of the alphas. Fighting the urge to glance at Jimin, I maintained eye contact with Hoseok, who was smiling.

“Alpha Hoseok,” I greeted, bowing. “Can I help you with something?”

“Namjoon and Jimin have lists of supplies they require,” he said.

I bowed to Namjoon, who had a calming warmth despite his intimidating mono-lid, and then to Jimin. His feline, sharp eyes were pitch black in the cave's darkness, his silver hair glowing. He was the palest member of the village, his silver wolf matching his hair. I forced my eyes away.

“Alpha Jimin.”

Hoseok handed me the lists. 

“Do you need new paper and ink? Your mate is still visiting family,” I said, glancing at the lists.

“You know everything,” Hoseok joked. “Yes, I’ll need more. Hyuna’s not back for three days. I’ve accounted for that.”

I nodded, placing the papers in my sack.

“I’ll need four days to prepare everything. I’ll be useless tomorrow and maybe the day after.”

“Of course, Bridd. In that case, disregard the extra paper and ink.”

Namjoon added, “Our pack is forever indebted to you. Please rest.”

“Thank you, alpha. I will.”

After bowing and saying my farewells, I returned to my drawing and powder. Saying I wanted to go to my cottage, I threw the powder and stepped into the flames. I ended up across the clearing from my cottage. Groaning, I threw the powder into my bag and cast a small spell to reach my front door. 

I still had two hours of freedom, and I intended to use them.

Inside, I slipped off my shoes and stowed my ceremonial gear on the small shelf by the door. Realizing I'd left my lantern in the cave, I quickly penned a letter to the pack, asking Hoseok to return it upon his next visit. I called out to Shiloh, my barn owl familiar who lived in the tree by the kitchen window. She delivered letters in exchange for treats or tips on where to find mice burrows. A bowl of crickets usually sufficed. I put the kettle on before changing into something more comfortable and washing off. This rare time without the need for magic was a luxury I savored.

As I tugged my shirt down, the kettle whistled. I returned to the kitchen, removed it from the flame, and fetched a cup from the cupboard. It wasn’t often I had this much time after a ceremony. Taehyung’s wolf hadn’t resisted, aside from the usual discomfort. Unlike the other alphas, whose ceremonies stretched until dusk, this had been relatively quick. The deep wounds on my back were just beginning to scab over. I’d never seen the scars, but I knew they’d turn purple before becoming a strange, almost-silver color. My body had learned to endure the abuse.

Shifters, blessed by the Gods, were seen by many as slaves, but I knew our abilities were gifts. The wolves were cursed to protect the land, their Gods ensuring their village remained plentiful and its people blessed with extended lifespans. Similarly, the role of the Bridd was a sacred gift, hand-picked by the Gods to serve for all days. In return, we received our magic and other blessings. The cottage would outlast me, serving future generations. I would become a bird, a spirit of the forest. This was my purpose.

I placed dandelions and a large tea bag into my cup, then went outside to enjoy the night air. I was never allowed outside during the day, confined to my home by the chain. I remembered frolicking in the clearing as a child, playing with the rabbits. Those were the years I was still Y/N, and the forest was my haven. Auntie had allowed me more freedom than previous Bridds, knowing my love for magic was strong. She’d told me I was special, that my connection would serve me well. The Gods would bless me for my love. But now, she was gone, and I was thrust into a world I was barely prepared for. The Gods had taken her from me, and one day they would take me from my student. It seemed too unfair to be a blessing, but I held out hope. Bitterness wouldn’t serve me well, even if it was all I felt.

The forest came alive at night, and I immersed myself in its glory. The sounds of crickets chirping relaxed me, and I took a deep breath. It felt nice to be free of blood and paint. Hoseok and the Luna were the only ones who had seen me without ceremonial gear. No one else visited, and my inability to wander the forest outside of bird form made it impossible for others to see me as a woman. This was the life of the Bridd—a quiet one filled with solitude and the honor of being a forest guardian. A lonely honor for only the best. I took a gulp of tea and sighed at its warmth. I loved it as much as I hated it.

A rustle in the bushes caught my attention. Two large white dots glowed in the darkness. I smiled, placing my cup down. It was a wolf, probably a young pup curious about me. Hoseok often spoke of how the children described me in town. I stood and reached out my hand.

The wolf hesitated before stepping into the light. Its color was hard to discern in the dark, but it was light-colored. In its mouth was my lantern. I gasped, moving toward the large animal. This was no pup; it was too large. I didn’t see the wolves often enough to tell them apart. They all smelled the same after the change. Its fur glowed in the moonlight.

“Thank you,” I said, taking the lantern.

The wolf touched its nose to my hand, a sign of understanding. I patted its nose gently, laughing when it nuzzled further. It might have been a teen like Jungkook, but the white fur set it apart from the prince. Jungkook was midnight black and less fluffy.

“I’m surprised they let you leave during such a joyous occasion.”

The wolf looked at the grass, and I laughed in disbelief.

“You snuck away, didn’t you? Bad wolf. What would your alphas think?”

The wolf made a chirping sound, laughing. Shocked, I stared at it. The wolf laughed harder, flopped onto the ground, and rolled onto its back.

“Alpha Jimin would be very displeased with you, pup,” I mocked, bending to rub its chest.

The wolf hummed in satisfaction.

“That’s not fair,” I mumbled. “He’s better to be around than Ahn.”

The wolf stared at me, and I snapped out of my trance. Wanting to forget my outburst, I grinned and scratched the wolf’s chest. It wiggled happily, its large tongue flapping out. When I scratched its ribs, its leg kicked.

“Aren’t you the sweetest thing?” I laughed.

Shiloh called from the tree beside my window. The sun would rise soon, and I should rest. I sighed, looking at the wolf. It seemed upset that I'd stopped.

“I have to go inside now,” I said.

The wolf whimpered, nuzzling its head into my lap.

“It’s my duty, little wolf.”

It finally moved, understanding duty. The pack thrived on duty and devotion to the Gods. I patted the wolf and stood. It followed me to the door, towering over me. I picked up my cup and used magic to open the door. The lantern went on its hook, and my cup floated to the sink, hopping in the air.

“It’s time to go, friend,” I said, hands on my hips.

The wolf nuzzled its head into my chest. I rubbed its neck and scratched behind its ear. Sadness filled me at the thought of it leaving. I laughed at my melodramatics. This wolf was a stranger, not my friend. I shouldn’t grow fond of it or cry about it leaving. I wasn’t that lonely.

“Go on,” I pushed its head lightly. “Before the pack realizes you’re gone. Alpha Jimin begins his rounds soon.”

The wolf nosed my hand once more before bounding off into the night, its white fur glowing under the moonlight. As I closed the door, the chain on the floor slithered toward me like a living thing. I walked toward it, and it wrapped itself around my ankle once more, a chilling sensation spreading through my body. I quickly performed my altar ritual before heading to my room. Sleep came easy, filled with dreams of brown eyes and the smell of smoke drifting through the air.

When I awoke, my shop was a cluttered mess of bottles, sacks, and labels. Hoseok’s request for supplies had never been this extensive. The volume of healing supplies and medicines I needed to prepare was overwhelming. I quickly labeled everything, feeling my sanity slipping with each passing minute. The monotonous process of making enough for all 200 wolves was draining. Slicing my finger, I hissed in pain and put the knife down. It was time for a break. I was running low on supplies anyway, so I sent Shiloh to Yoongi’s home to scrounge for extras.

Namjoon’s request for a new shipment of medicines had me restocking their entire inventory. Jimin’s order, though, was the real challenge: a convoluted and, frankly, unnecessary potion. I wrote to Enver, a young witch in the northern swamps, for the toads I needed. With Shiloh out, I relied on Delinah, a doe who helped me in exchange for fruits and vegetables.

Jimin’s order included a healing potion that wolves could take without shifting, portable heat suppressants, and a camouflaging potion. The healing potion was one of the most difficult recipes I’d ever made. With 15 wolves in Jimin’s party, I needed a surplus. The camouflage potion was even more challenging. For the first time in years, I had to reference Aldara’s grimoire.

Shiloh sang, signaling her return, and I rushed to her window to take the sack of supplies from Yoongi. He included a letter explaining the missing items—the sea witch coven had taken a lot for their rituals. I needed Shiloh to fetch the rest from Seokjin, a Solar witch.

“Alright, Lolo,” I said, running my hand through my hair. “Let me get you a new basket.”

“What now?” she deadpanned.

“You need to make a trip to Seokjin’s for the remaining supplies on the list.”

“The Solar witch?”

“Yes, Shiloh. What other Seokjin do we know?”

I began preparing another sack with a new list. Delinah was due back any minute with the toads, so I could begin the fifteenth, and hopefully last, trial of the camouflage potion.

“Why must you send me there?” she whined, flapping her wings in agitation.

“Because he always has a surplus of herbs and flowers, and I need them to complete my order for the pack,” I replied, securing the pouch around her neck.

“You know I enjoy Jin’s humor at the best of times,” Shiloh said, her voice already taking on a whine. She despised Jin’s familiar, a dog called Mannix, and I was throwing her into the deep end by sending her there. Unfortunately, I had no other choice.

“Shiloh,” I chuckled, putting the letter inside the bag. “Seokjin is one of the most brilliant witches in the land, and I know Mannix isn’t that horrible. It’ll be quick, and tonight I’ll be more inclined to go hunting with you.”

She agreed begrudgingly before flying away. I went back to the kitchen and started up the flame to my cauldron again. Using magic, I charmed all the completed potions to sort themselves and get into their bags before beginning to brew the camouflaging potion. The toads would be the last to go in this time. Delinah arrived, placing the jar of toads on my countertop.

“Stir this, please,” I asked.

The doe nodded, walking over to stir the potion with a wooden spoon held in her teeth. I put on gardening gloves, preparing myself. The potion required three whole toads, and despite trying alternatives, nothing worked as well. I placed the frogs to sleep with a spell and tossed them into the cauldron. Delinah and I switched places, and I saw the potion turn grass green. I began to chant, watching as it turned clear like water. I cheered, hugging the deer beside me. She nuzzled into my neck and gave me a lick.

“Good job, Y/N,” she said.

“Thank you, Dee,” I replied, retrieving a large sack filled with cabbage heads. “I’ll have apples next time.”

Delinah happily took the sack and left. I bottled the potion, confident it was correct this time. Shiloh hated testing potions for me, so I wanted to avoid another crisis. I turned to the packaged boxes of medications, curling the ribbons with my favorite bone knife. Like many forest witches, I collected bones and had a habit of foraging during my nights. Aldara always teased me about my “crow brain” and love for shiny things. My collection of gems and bottle caps was testament to that. Crafting was another love, and I enjoyed making my packages look neat and professional.

Aldara never stopped me from decorating boxes and collecting bones, even if she didn’t care for it. I spent hours making packaging boxes and pretty bows, but now I used magic to do the work for me. I matched the potions within, included a card explaining their use, and tossed in a magical card that would take anyone to my shop in case of emergency, except during my unavailable hours when it would send them to Yoongi’s instead. The stamper would stamp the box with a large bird, a brush would paint the Aquila constellation along both sides, and a ribbon would wrap itself around it. However, for Jimin’s packages, I opted out of decorations, keeping only the constellation.

As I placed the finishing touches on the orders, I heard the bell above my door ring and large, booming footsteps. Hoseok had arrived, and he wasn’t alone. I abandoned my ribbons, dusted off my apron, and went to greet him.

“Good afternoon, Hoseok,” I said, not paying much attention as I charmed the camouflage potion to begin packing. “My apologies for the orders not being ready. The things Alpha Jimin requested are time-consuming and challenging to make. Once my familiar returns with some herbs, it’ll be ready.”

I was a whirlwind in my cottage, curling ribbons one moment, writing cards the next. Hoseok was used to my informal address in my home, and I was sure whomever he brought along was informed of my rudeness. I was too busy to care if some wolf thought I was a poor host.

“I apologize for the strain I have caused you,” a sweet, melodic voice spoke up.

My body froze, as did everything else in the room, before it started up again. I turned to the two men and bowed deeply, my heart racing.

“I am so, deeply sorry for disrespecting you, Alpha,” my voice shook. “I had not realized who had come in.”

Hoseok laughed, clapping his hands together. He always enjoyed seeing me flustered and would have a field day talking to Namjoon about this later. It seemed like Jimin was the only pack alpha who paid me little mind. I forced myself to look up at the man.

Dressed casually, more casually than I’d ever seen, his silver hair braided down his back, Jimin’s small frame still towered over me. That menacing aura surrounding him was intact. Even in daylight, Park Jimin was untouchable. And yet, a familiar longing found its way into my heart, and I knew I needed to distract myself.

“How much longer will your owl be, Bridd?” Hoseok asked, unbothered.

“I’m not sure,” I admitted.

“Aren’t you lot meant to be infallible?” the alpha joked.

All Bridd were blessed with gifts. The first of us, the spirit, was responsible for selecting the ability, and those spirits became our companions as Shiloh had become mine. The Gods chose the gift that best served the forest. Aldara could only speak with owls and had a bit of foresight. The only other witch I knew with the same affinity was Enver, but his was more complex and accurate. I had my own limitations, unable to perform high-ranking spells due to the energy drain. My gift was both a blessing and a curse.

“That would be my aunt,” I joked back, unaware of the glare Jimin sent Hoseok’s way.

While Aldara’s gifts brimmed with power and the ability to foresee when to wield it, mine were rooted in the forest and its spirits. I could talk to any animal, regardless of my form. Yet, the most profound gift from Lilith was the power of mediumship. Auntie always said it was an intense gift, given only to those deemed worthy by the Gods. But I never fully believed that. As a child, weak and unable to grasp the gift's magnitude, spirits would possess me. I'd black out for hours and wake up somewhere random in the forest. They were trying to communicate, but I was oblivious. Though more attuned now, I still occasionally lost control.

Curling ribbons and assisting my charmed furniture with packaging, I half-listened to Hoseok rambling about Sol’s birthday. He wasn't interested, being mated for years, but was eager to see which of the three alphas Sol would choose. I made small talk, reminding him that the Gods made that choice. The Goddess of the Moon chose mates within the wolf packs. I found the idea of soulmates endearing. What would it feel like to be loved like that?

Every now and then, I stole glances at Jimin. He kept quiet, his eyes taking in my space with curiosity. I tried to recall if he'd been here before. Briefly, I remembered him helping me to bed after my first blessing ceremony with Namjoon. I was so battered afterward that I could no longer walk. Jimin, still a boy then, had assisted me with Hoseok, who was due for his own ceremony the following month.

“I am looking forward to the Luna's blessing ceremony,” I said, keeping the small talk lighthearted.

“I’m sure it will be an interesting experience,” Hoseok commented, touching every box of herbs he found. “How different is it from ours?”

The cottage hadn’t always been this cluttered. Auntie kept it neat and organized. She had just enough for the both of us, making it cozy in winter when we’d lay by the fire. Now, alone, I found it impossible to maintain the same structure. Where we used to lay was now a large table with herbs, flowers, crystals, and jars of specimens for potions. Beside it, a bookshelf filled with spell books. The rest of the Bridd grimoires were in the cellar. My little kitchen and potion-mixing station were overrun by bottles, boxes, and magical decorations. My bone collection sat in a display case by the front door, and my knives hung over the fireplace mantle.

“I’m sure Bridd does not want to answer that,” Jimin scolded Hoseok.

I forced myself to keep moving, though my body burned at the implication. Park Jimin defending me? It was almost too much to handle. I had a small flame for the alpha, but I knew better than to believe anything could happen between us. It would be too complicated, and we hardly knew one another. Still, it didn’t stop my skin from heating under his gaze.

“It’s alright,” I whispered. “It’s very different, but I’m not completely sure how. I still have a month to figure it out.”

“I wonder who the alpha will be,” Hoseok mused, grimacing at the bookshelf of grimoires before digging through the boxes again.

“Who knows,” Jimin answered before I could.

Shiloh returned then, angrily shouting about the “stupid dog” and his “even dumber owner.” I rushed to tend to my familiar. She looked disheveled, her normally cream-colored face caked in dirt. I could imagine her run-in with Mannix had gone as badly as she thought.

Fighting back a laugh, I took the basket from the owl before taking her into my arms.

“Whatever happened?”

As usual, Shiloh dramatically squawked and screeched about how much she disliked going to Jin’s house. She was on fire with anger and wanted to rip out the eyes of the “stupid, barbaric mutt.” I suspected she was trying to get more than a mouse hunting trip out of this. Knowing Shiloh, she’d complain until I agreed to visit Morla with her. For a spirit guide, Shiloh was surprisingly catty.

“Seokjin. Oh, that monster!” She placed a wing across her forehead. “He let his godforsaken, loudmouth, drooling mutt out on me!”

“Mannix,” I smirked, placing a hand over my heart. “Is a puppy. He’s not much bigger than you.”

She screeched in protest. “That dog is a giant, Y/N! At least fifty pounds and growing!”

“Oh, Shiloh, I’m so sorry,” I chuckled.

Mannix was just a baby the last time I saw him. Jin had gotten him from the market in Clarcton and called him a St. Bernard. They weren’t native to Lustra, so I knew little about the breed. Apparently, they grew much bigger than I thought. I’d have to write Jin and let him know his familiar was too big and rowdy to play well with mine.

“It was so embarrassing,” Shiloh grumbled, finally snapping out of her dramatic performance.

“And then the bees! I had to ask them for help. Me! Shiloh, the Bridd’s one and only familiar, asking those mongrels for help. Never send me back there again, Y/N. I beg of you!”

I rolled my eyes, walked her to our room, and helped her squeeze into her nesting box. While she usually slept in her large, cone-shaped nest outside, I let her sleep in my room when she stayed awake during the day to help me. I had built it as a child, gathering the wood while Aldara helped with the cutting, screwing, and other dangerous tasks. It was a nice size, 4x4, solid wood with a hole large enough for her to squeeze through. The inside was filled with dirt and sticks, just as she liked, along with a stuffed animal I’d given her when we became connected. The owl sighed and rushed to the dark side of the nest.

Chuckling, I went back to the kitchen and called out to Delinah from the window. She was still eating the cabbage I’d given her. The fawn looked at me.

“Whenever you’re finished, would you mind asking Nixie, one of the sea witches, if she could spare a vole or two? Shiloh is being dramatic again.”

Delinah laughed. Animals did it too, though not many were easy to detect. I had known the deer since she was a small fawn, so I knew her laughter well. Behind me, I heard Hoseok’s loud footsteps and remembered who I had in my house.

“Of course,” she replied.

“Great!”

I quickly spun back around and began to fix my hair. I hadn’t grown it back yet, but the nervous tick was still in full force. Hoseok was still looking around, unbothered, while Jimin remained rooted in the same spot. I worried I had annoyed him with our antics. While Hoseok was fond of the shenanigans in my home, Jimin was not. I’d always heard he was stern and serious with little patience for nonsense, but his stoic expression gave nothing away. I began to stack boxes and watch as they found their way into bags.

“Sorry,” I awkwardly laughed. “My familiar is a bit of a drama queen.”

“How is Shiloh?” Hoseok wondered, finally breaking away from the hundreds of items around him.

“Spunky,” I replied with a small smile.

I returned to the counter and started pulling out the items Seokjin had spared me. Just as I thought, he included everything I’d asked for and more, along with a note. With the boxes of medicine packed and ready to go, I decided to read the letter before diving back into work.

Y/N,  

How splendid of “you” to drop by. I know Shiloh came in your absence, but I’ll expect you tonight. I’ll brew your favorite tea. Here are the ingredients you requested:  

- 2 sunflower stems  

- 12 sunflower seeds  

- 3 baby’s breath bundles  

- A small comb of honey  

- 10 sprigs of vervain 

I’ve added some extras for the gardening tools you made me this year. I know you use a lot of mint and sage, so expect plenty. I’ve also started growing lavender to balance out the sea coven’s needs for Yoongi.  

Tea:  

- 2-3 cups honeysuckle flowers (whole)  

- 2 cups water  

- Wild honey to taste  

Much love,  

Seokjin  

I quickly put my cauldron on the flame and began to write back.

Jin,  

Thank you for the supplies. The mint is lovely, and I’m glad to hear about the lavender. Remember, full sun and well-drained soil are best. Yoongi would be a better source for tips. The tools were a gift for being such a wonderful person and friend. Pass my thanks to Mannix. Shiloh came home with her dramatics again. Haven’t I told you to stop picking on her?  

Tea sounds lovely, but I prefer the honeysuckle crushed. No honey—you know my diet.  

May the Gods bring you joy,  

Y/N  

“As dramatic as always,” I said, folding the paper and stamping it with a wax seal. “Auferetur,” I commanded, and the paper incinerated.

“Sometimes I forget she’s not a person,” Hoseok joked, coming to the counter to watch me work.

The alpha enjoyed seeing the process of potion-making, though he didn’t pay much attention to the details. I used to explain what I was doing until I realized he just thought the cauldron was cool. I used to be the same as a child, but things change quickly in this life.

“Well, she’s technically a spirit, but I understand what you mean,” I said, throwing in the vervain sprigs.

Healing potions were the strangest to make. As soon as they were done, they had to be taken off the heat and placed into jars. Then, suspicious stones were added to preserve them. Without the opal, the potions only lasted two days before losing potency. Next was the baby’s breath.

“Is everything in your world a spirit?” Hoseok cocked an eyebrow.

“Hoseok,” Jimin warned.

He did it again. Of course, I didn’t need Jimin to save me from Hoseok. They were both at my mercy here, and it was impossible to imagine Hoseok ever harming me. He reminded me of Mannix more than any wolf, and his heart-shaped smile only added to his puppy-like nature. Still, I was touched by the gesture. I was reminded of how poorly I’d spoken of him last night and felt ashamed. Stealing another look, I appreciated how his waist tapered to a pair of long, straight legs.

"Just about," I murmured, using my magic to get the bottles to scoop up the potion themselves, leaving them hovering above the kitchen island, ready for action.

"Isn't it hard to do all of that at once?"

"Hoseok," I slipped, my irritation showing, "I'm the Bridd. Do you truly believe that little of me?"

He laughed, a sound that somehow felt like an embrace, "Well, no. I've just never seen any other witch do it before."

"Do you see other witches often?" I teased, a smile playing on my lips.

Jung Hoseok, a master charmer and one of the politest gentlemen in Lustra, grinned back at me. His mate, a woman I scarcely knew, was lucky to have him. It was rare for an alpha to mate with anyone other than an omega, but they had grown up together and fallen in love despite her beta status. Their wolves had always gravitated toward each other, but the true depth of their bond only became apparent after they both went through the change. She would have come to help Hoseok today, but she was taking care of her ill mother back in her hometown of Viridi Gramine.

"Only the grumpy man who lives near the pixie coves." I snorted.

"Yoongi?" I confirmed, amused. "The kitchen witch?"

Min Yoongi was another close friend of mine. While not as personable as Seokjin or the sea witch coven, he was reliable and ready to help at a moment's notice. Of course, he complained more than anyone else I knew and loathed uninvited guests, but I knew it was because he hadn't had proper time to make them a meal. He became reserved so he wouldn't let on how much he enjoyed company since it was so rare on his edge of the forest. It made me happy to know that Hoseok’s visits weren't limited to me and that the kitchen witch fed off his great energy.

“He’s a kitchen witch? Could’ve fooled me.”

“He’s unorthodox, that’s for sure.” The potion was finally complete, and I quickly began lifting portions and filling the molds. “However, he is not a very sought-after host, so he can be clueless about manners or formalities. I’m afraid you’ll have to pardon him on my behalf.”

The entire house smelled of vervain, and I knew I would never hear the end of it. Shiloh was very particular, but I had grown used to her babbling. She hardly ever listened to any of my warnings until I reminded her that her reincarnation as a mortal relied on her being a good familiar. And yet, she always found a way to make my life harder. Still, I couldn't deny that the owl was my best friend. Or that I would be devastated if she didn’t get her wish granted. I wanted more than anything for her to become the beautiful red-headed woman she had always dreamed of, even if she liked to fly in like a bat out of hell and moan about bees attempting to make friends with her.

“What makes him a kitchen witch?” Hoseok always asked questions he never cared to learn the answer to. Anything to fill the silence.

It was a common question for non-magical people. While I would never consider a pack member a mortal, I knew better than to lump them in with us. Guardians, but all of their mysticism came from their shifting abilities, and since most wolves thought they were untouchable, they never did learn about magic regarding others. Witches, however, were expected to know everything there was to know about it. At least, that was my job, and as someone who did both, it was a tiring existence regardless.

“Well, all witches have the same base knowledge, but we can also have specialties,” I explained.

“And his is cooking?” Hoseok’s eyebrows knitted together.

I shook my head. “Something like that. It’s how he goes about cooking. There’s a fine art to kitchen witchery,” I tried to explain.

I was never considered a kitchen witch and knew only what I did because of our friendship. Growing up together, Yoongi, Seokjin, and Wendy, a girl from the sea coven, had been as thick as thieves. Our families were close, and our small group of four had gotten into enough trouble to last multiple lifetimes. Still, I knew the bare bones of each of their chosen magic. I was a forest witch like the other Bridd, but it had never bothered me. Generational magic was a common occurrence within covens.

Hoseok hummed in acknowledgment. Again, I looked at Jimin but couldn't pick anything out of his cool expression. He was no longer looking around the cottage and instead took to looking out of the large, rectangular window that took up the entire left side of the living room wall. He looked so ethereal in the sunlight. Agitated with myself, I again went back to pretending he wasn't here. I couldn't remember when these feelings began, but it had to have been years ago at this point. I could recall the warmth surrounding me during his presentation ceremony and how his wolf went frantic to get close to me. Of course, that was normal, and I paid it no mind, but I still allowed myself to wonder. My infatuation had only grown since then, a fact he had to be aware of, and I was grateful he never commented on it. Even the custos of Bangtan was a gentleman. Another wave of shame overcame me.

“What kind of witch are you?”

“I’m a forest witch,” I replied curtly, making sure to keep my eyes away from Jimin.

Hoseok didn't ask about my magic, but I assumed he thought it was too self-explanatory. Once all the bottles were filled and on the counter, I began to quickly place the stones in the center of the liquid. Soon it would become a jelly-like consistency that tasted like strawberries. It would be a week before the stones were dissolved, and they wouldn't be usable within that time frame. I moved swiftly, aware that they had been here far longer than they should have been. Hoseok never minded the longer visits, but I would feel guilty if I held Jimin up any longer than I already had.

“Are they ready to be used?”

My concentration slipped momentarily, causing the bottles to drop slightly. Quickly regaining control, I lifted them back up and continued putting the stones into the bottles. I hadn't expected Jimin to speak, and his silky voice threw me off. He was so soft-spoken, and the tone of his voice was sweet and smooth that it was difficult to imagine him as the war leader. His cherub face only made it more difficult. Jimin was too beautiful to fight.

“No,” I replied with great effort to keep my voice even. “They will need a week to be fully effective. Don’t open them until the stones are dissolved, or they’ll spoil and be useless.”

“Is everything else ready now?” Hoseok chimed in.

While I was pleasantly surprised he had been listening, I didn't let it show. He would most likely close his ears the second he grew bored. Boredom and silence were Hoseok’s worst enemies, and his mind drifted even more when Hyuna wasn't around. She was one of the few people that could make him hang on their every word. The only others I had seen the same restraint with were the other alphas and his older sister.

“Yes.”

Just as I had thought, Hoseok was back to touching things and wondering out loud. I never minded. He was unusually quiet today, and I guessed that Jimin had something to do with that. He always said the younger man was far too serious and concerned about unimportant things. However, I found that hard to believe. If he were so strict, he would have demanded I move quickly and would at the very least look annoyed with how slow I was moving. Instead, Jimin seemed comfortable waiting however long I needed. Still, I didn't want to push my luck.

“How do you even make these?”

The stones were all in the bottles, and I charmed the corks to cork themselves. That was the worst part of potion making, and I refused to make myself do that. Aldara had done it all by hand. Looking at what Hoseok was talking about, I smiled brightly.

“Bones, sandpaper, and a lot of patience.”

My knife collection was my most prized possession, only beat out by the cellar. All of them were made with bones I found while foraging and various types of leaves to make the handles. None of them were the beautiful steel that the people of Northorn used, but I adored them nonetheless. My favorite, by far, was the small one on the very far right. It was the first knife I ever made, and while the unsightliness of the bunch, it held a special place in my heart.

It had been made after a deer I was fond of passed on. His name had been Davian, and he was an older buck filled with fun facts and information. I was heartbroken when he stopped showing up to our playdates, and Aldara agreed to look for him after a few weeks. We ended up finding his bones, and Aldara comforted me with the idea of keeping a piece of him the way she had with a bird friend she had as a child. I took his scapula, and we came up with the idea of a knife. He quickly became my new favorite hobby. I had an entire wall in the cellar dedicated to my knives and hoped my future student would get great use out of them in the future.

“They’re beautiful,” Jimin complimented in his soft, angel-like voice.

The enchanted items made quick work of the boxing, and I took my time writing the note card. Since these suppressants worked differently than the liquid version, I needed to be highly detailed in my instructions. Unlike normal alphas, Jimin couldn’t drink his medicine since his wolf had a habit of rejecting it.

“You can take them now if you’d like.” I turned my attention back to the two alphas once the note was secured in the final box.

The air shifted slightly as Jimin joined me at the island. He was taller than me by several inches and had a sturdier frame. Unlike Hoseok, Jimin’s scent was faint. Almost nonexistent, really. It was normal for higher-ranking alphas and how they kept those below them in line. Jimin’s pack smelled like lavender and dandelions, while he smelled of nothing. It always piqued my curiosity. I always wondered what he smelled like to those he cared about and if it was just as intoxicating. 

Jimin reached out to one of the bottles. He moved slowly and cautiously as if afraid he’d spook me. It was rare for people to see witches practice magic, but he didn’t need to handle me like I was prey. Still, the closer he got, the drier my mouth became, and I couldn’t bear to look at him. I was sure he was getting some sort of enjoyment from how flustered he made me.

His hand brushed against mine. Just a light touch, but it sent shivers down my spine. I turned my head to see him looking directly at me. His expression was soft and his gaze was warm. He was aware of the effect he had on me, and I felt the embarrassment rise within me again.

"Thank you, Bridd," he said softly, his voice as gentle as a caress.

I managed a nod, my heart pounding. "You're welcome, Jimin."

With that, he took the bottle and stepped back. Hoseok, oblivious to the tension, clapped his hands together. "Well, that’s that! Let's get these to the pack."

They gathered up the boxes, and I walked them to the door. Hoseok gave me a playful wink. "Don't be a stranger, Bridd. We like having you around."

Jimin nodded in agreement. "Yes, please visit us sometime. The pack would be honored."

I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through me. "I'll consider it. Safe travels, both of you."

As they left, I watched them disappear into the woods. The cottage felt empty and quiet without their presence. Sighing, I went back inside, already missing the brief company. Shiloh swooped down from her perch, landing gracefully on the counter.

"They're quite something, aren't they?" she commented, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

I couldn't help but smile. "Yes, they are. Quite something indeed."

With the potion complete and the cottage returning to its usual stillness, I allowed myself a moment to reflect. Life as the Bridd was often solitary, but it had its moments of connection and warmth, reminding me that even in the depths of the forest, I was never truly alone.

The sun was setting when I finally woke, and I was thankful the change hadn't woken me up. Transforming had not always been so painful for my family, but legend says that once Rosette became the first Brigg, her natural ability to shift had become the most painful experience in her life. Aldara told me it was a sacrifice she made to protect her sister, but I always thought it was a cruel and unusual punishment. The sun was almost completely set, and Shiloh was nowhere to be seen. She must have left already. I would have to fulfill my promise another day.

Stretching, I decided to head into the kitchen and put down some towels. Blood was a nightmare to get out of fabric, but I’d take that over scrubbing the hardwood floors. There was already enough staining on the dark wood, and I didn't like adding to it. After setting my towels down, I sat and waited for the sun to set.

Suddenly, I felt the metal around my leg loosen slightly and knew it was time. I stood up, and instant, contorting pain took over. The world began to get bigger as I shrank down, and I cried out as the first feathers burst from my legs. Having seen Bridd’s transformation with my own eyes, I knew how horrifying it was to witness, and I was glad Shiloh and I were the only ones to see me like this. More feathers ripped through my skin, blood staining the floors, the sensation akin to a hot branding iron pressed against my flesh.

My body burned and twisted in agony. Falling to my knees, I screamed as my beak began to break through my skin. Even after all this time, shifting never got easier. Aldara had said it was the only true pain a Bridd could feel. If I could, I would tell her she was wrong. Flashes of fire invaded my vision, and I fell to the ground, a loud caw echoing off the walls.

It didn’t take long to get out of the pile of tattered clothes surrounding me. I was glad I was wearing something I wasn’t overly fond of. I’d use the scraps as tea towels and sew something new. Still, I should have considered taking off my clothes. I really was out of sorts today.

Flapping my wings, I felt light and energetic in this form, a stark contrast to my weighed-down human body. There were pros and cons to being a raven, but I always wished I could be like this more often—or at least whenever I chose. I resented my sun and moon routine, but this was the life of my kind. There was nothing I could do to change that.

I took flight and set off toward the trees. Shiloh would be with Morla now since the mice usually didn’t come out until the moon was higher. For her, I could sit and waste away my nights listening to overdramatic and hyperbolized stories and then eat mice that never tasted very good. I hoped this would ease her mind about this afternoon.

A few days later, I found myself sitting at my dining table. It was freakishly large, round, and stained a disgusting teal color, but Aldara had loved it, and so I did as well. None of the chairs matched, but I think it added to its charm. I hoped all the windows in the house would let in the fresh spring air. Beltane was a week away, and I was happy to celebrate the return of summer. I would write Jin and ask if he could bring me some wood for my fireplace so I could have my own little bonfire.

The morning sun was soft, and I smiled at the smell of rain that clung to the air. My meadow rarely saw the fog that covered the rest of Bangtan, but I adored the way dew smelled on the grass. Everything sparkled and shined, made more magnificent by the sprouting wildflowers slowly making their way through the ground. Sights like this made me even more excited for the return of summer. This year, I would try to host a Summer Solstice gathering for Litha, but I’d likely forget about it.

I made a mental note to write it down, but I also knew I was likely to forget that as well. Then, I told myself not to forget. I scoffed at my internal dialogue. Taking another sip of my tea, I sighed as I stared out the window. My favorite seat in the cottage gave me the perfect view of the flower fields, and I began to reminisce about playing in the grass as a child. Most of the memories I had were with Yoongi, but Jin and Wendy made their way into our little duo eventually. We were older when everyone got close enough to be considered best friends. I frowned, thinking about how complicated things got once we all reached our late teens. It saddened me to think that we would never be as close as we were as pre-teens.

“I’m going to sleep for a while,” Shiloh’s soft voice reached my ears. She was in her nest; I could make out the sounds of her talons against the wood, and I knew she was exhausted. She had spent the entire night out with Morla and Patto. “Wake me if you need something.”

“You should sleep outside,” I whispered back. “I will need to use the kitchen in a little while and might wake you.”

Shiloh shuffled around some more, and I heard her fly out the window. The faint rustling of tree leaves made me grin. My hearing was not as good as Shiloh’s or any of the wolves, but I was pleased with what I could make out. All my friends found it impressive when we were kids, but after Jin said I was a showoff when we turned twelve and made me cry, the conversation surrounding my slightly enhanced senses dropped.

I went through two more cups of tea before I saw the flash of white from the other side of the tree line. Squinting, I tried to make out the shape but couldn’t see enough of whatever it was to be useful. However, its size gave me a few hints. It was a wolf, and if the gentle whimpers were anything to go by, it was hurt. Putting down my cup, I called out to the wolf.

“Are you injured?” I asked, knowing the wolf could hear me once the whining stopped. “If so, then I can help you. I have enough supplies to get you back to the forest in a few minutes.”

The wolf seemed to consider this for a moment, as it didn’t move toward me. I suspected this was the same wolf from the other night, but I couldn’t say with certainty. White wolves were not a rare occurrence—Jimin was a beautiful white-silver color, as was Ahn. I scowled at the comparison. That was where the similarities ended. While I was busy with my thoughts, I hadn’t noticed the wolf getting closer until it was almost at my window.

“Come around the other side. You might need to shift back to fit through the door.”

The wolf seemed uncomfortable by this. I saw red stains on his hind legs, but I would need him to let me help if he wanted them to heal nicely. Wolves could heal scars and injuries like anyone else, but magic sped up the process and ensured a good recovery. This wolf would know that, but perhaps he felt self-conscious about someone knowing him as weak. Wolves were too prideful.

“Or,” I sighed when I realized the wolf wouldn’t shift, “I could teleport you inside and back outside. It feels a bit strange at first but it’s harmless.”

The wolf’s tail wagged happily, so I took that as my answer. I began to sing an incantation while picturing the spot in my living room. I thought about the red and white patterned rug as well as my sewing chair. I counted every stone that made up my fireplace and the knives that hung above it. I began to think about my small kitchen with its black cabinets, too large dining table, and mismatched chairs. My altar sat in front of the large windows at the front of the house, with beautiful, scented candles on it. All of it combined into one perfect picture of the cottage with a complete rendition of the rug I wanted the wolf to walk on. Feeling confident about my image, I began to draw the shape of a door with my fingertips and pushed it open with my hands.

The wolf looked excited by the magic show, and his tail began to wave frantically. I frowned when I noticed the slight limp he walked with, but he was already walking through the door I drew outside. In the next second, the door opened into my living room, and the wolf walked inside. I gawked at the sheer size of the white wolf and hoped he wouldn’t break my things. I might have to shrink him down to size after all. I asked the wolf if that would be alright, and he sat down like an obedient dog. A picture of Mannix came to mind, and I hid a giggle with a hand.

The wolf was now only twice the size of a coyote. A far better size to move around in my tiny space, the wolf limped off the rug and onto the wood floors. I stopped him from going any further and asked him to lay down so I could look over him.

I approached the wolf with little caution. I was glad to see my anxiety from the other day was gone, and I could touch the wolf’s wounds with ease. I could faintly feel my breathing get heavier but not uncomfortably so. I could help this wolf, who I was now certain was the same one from before. He had the same bright eyes and fluffy hair. Touching the bloodied fur, I scowled. These were teeth and claw marks, and I was angry at whoever had done this to my little friend.

“You’re really something, aren’t you?” I teased, trying to cut through the gloom that had settled between us. “Sneaking out of the village and now brawling with who knows what. What would your mother say?”

The wolf huffed, though his eyes sparkled with a touch of amusement. They were warm and rich, like polished mahogany, but with a glimmer of amber. It was an odd mix, but somehow it reminded me of Jimin’s eyes, though I’d never seen them quite so alive with emotion. 

I chuckled, rising to fetch the healing salves I kept scattered around. After all the times I’d sliced my fingers and burned my hands, I’d learned to keep remedies at the ready. This particular cream was the best I’d ever concocted and would be one of the first things I taught my successor. Simple but effective. The wolf remained still on the floor, watching me intently.

“Well, little wolf,” I said, my smile softening as I kneeled beside him. “Let’s get acquainted. I’ll start, and the next time we meet, it’ll be your turn.”

I began applying the salve to the jagged wounds on his flank. The healing was already underway, but I hoped to prevent any lingering scars. The salve clung to his fur, and I knew it would aid in the healing process. Nothing a good bath couldn’t fix later.

“People call me Bridd,” I said, concentrating on the application of the salve. “But if you’re going to hang around here, call me Y/N. Bridd sounds too formal for friends.”

“Y/N was the name my aunt gave me when I arrived. No one really knows how we ended up here, but we all agree the Gods had a hand in it. Aldara saw me and knew immediately it was the right name.”

I rifled through the tin, quickly discovering how much of it was sticking to his fur. I had to do the other side, so I went in search of more containers. I returned with four more and resumed my work. The wolf raised an eyebrow at me, clearly amused, and I laughed at my own absent-mindedness.

“I wish I knew your name,” I muttered. “Or your gender. Calling you ‘wolf’ seems rather impolite.”

The wolf let out a strange laugh, and I was taken aback. I’d always thought deer had the oddest laughs, but I was wrong. Wolves took the cake. Perhaps it was just this one. I grinned, contemplating a game.

“Shake your head yes or no,” I said. The wolf lifted his head from his paws. “Are you a woman?”

He shook his head.

“Fluid?” I asked, aware of the existence of wolves who didn’t conform to traditional gender roles. The wolf shook his head again. “So, you’re a man?”

The wolf nodded, his eyes twinkling with humor. I smiled and gestured for him to turn over. This side was more battered, and I scolded him for making me wait. He huffed and rolled his eyes, clearly not a fan of being fussed over.

I paid closer attention now. The bites and claw marks were deeper here, reaching the underside of his ribcage. I worked in silence, pushing fur out of the way to see the wounds better. The white fur tickled my wrists as I worked, and I struggled to keep it aside.

I cleaned off the bloodstains, revealing more bite marks. After applying more salve, I double-checked his body and hips. Once satisfied, I rewashed his fur. The wolf’s leg kicked when I scrubbed his right side, and I laughed.

“You’re good to go,” I said, patting his side.

The wolf’s ears pulled back, and he seemed reluctant to leave. We both knew he needed to get back to the village before they sent out a search party. As much as I wanted him to stay, I knew he’d be uncomfortable if they found him here. He shuffled closer and placed his head in my lap. I played with his ears, reluctant to let him go. It was nice to be around someone who simply enjoyed my company without any strings attached.

“Don’t worry, little wolf,” I whispered, burying my hand in the fur on his head. “You’re always welcome here.”

A week and a half after Hoseok’s visit, I had reignited the cauldron to tackle an order. Yoongi had back orders, and the sea coven was growing impatient. The potions were straightforward, and Delinah had gone to secure the necessary supplies. I’d sent Yoongi a letter to let him know I was back on my feet. He had sent bowl after bowl of soup laced with the finest healing magic and enough drinks to stock a small bar. I had to beg him to stop before my fridge was overflowing. He would be relieved to know I was back to magic and foraging.

I planned to visit Foxglove after sundown. Sol had asked me to come when I was well enough, and I figured now was as good a time as any. I’d finish my daily tasks, then prepare to see Sol. A shower was in order—I smelled terrible. After the meeting, I’d fly to Foxglove to hand-deliver a couple of apology letters to Jimin and Hoseok for my outburst. I knew they weren’t strictly necessary, but I’d feel better once I’d done it.

“You have a letter,” Shiloh called as she entered the kitchen, a small blue envelope clasped in her beak. Probably Yoongi again.

“Thanks, darling,” I said, reaching for the envelope.

Y/N,

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. Since Shiloh’s been by, I’m guessing you’re on the mend and well enough for her to make the journey across Bangtan. Do write back and let me know how you’re faring. Can I drop by tonight? Just want to make sure you’re still kicking.

Yoongi

I chuckled, shaking my head. It wasn’t like Yoongi to ask for permission to come over. We were close in age—he was two years my senior—and his mother had been a close friend of Aldara’s when she was alive. Back then, we’d run wild in flower fields until I got possessed, and Yoongi had to undertake the daunting task of finding me. My power had been far more volatile and frightening back then, but he still thought I was the most incredible witch around. Even if he couldn’t say it outright now, I knew that sentiment lingered. I prepared some paper and ink to write back.

The night was windy, my feathers ruffling with the breeze. I’d just finished meeting with Sol. We had to meet in shifted form; my bird could only speak with wolves who were fully shifted. As a human, I had no such luck. It was a limitation of my abilities, but it didn’t trouble anyone too much. The elders were also present to ensure Luna’s safety. I caught Ahn’s gaze, which was full of barely concealed disdain, and had to bite back the sharp retorts bubbling in my throat.

“I’m glad to see you’re recovering,” Sol greeted me.

“Thank you, Luna. I’m afraid I’ve caused quite a stir in Foxglove. For that, I apologize.”

Sol laughed and gave a lazy swat with her paw. “Please, Bridd. No need to apologize. You were already exhausted when the alphas arrived. It’s no wonder your instincts took over. We are predators, after all.”

After exchanging pleasantries and assuring everyone I would be present for Luna’s presentation ceremony next week, they bid me goodnight. Sol sent me home with a small gift—a wolf pendant adorned with pearls. When I asked what it signified, she merely smiled before shifting back into a human. Her silence left my curiosity hanging, but it was quickly overshadowed by my second task for the night.

Hyuna had returned less than a week earlier, so I avoided interrupting their reunion. I slipped the letter into their mailbox but felt it was a bit impersonal. Still, I knew they would understand and appreciate it. I could almost picture Hyuna’s face turning bright red when she realized why I had kept my distance. The thought made me smile, lifting my spirits as I flew toward Jimin’s home.

Finding the alpha’s residence was straightforward. He lived in the barracks with the copiae, the village warriors, in the largest bungalow. Unlike the other homes, which boasted furniture and decor, Jimin’s place was stark and barren, giving no hint of its occupant. His mailbox was a small, black box with a slit at the top. I couldn’t find a way to alert him to my presence, and knocking was out of the question. Seeing the lights on, I decided to find him.

I took a deep breath and began circling the house until I spotted the alpha. He was awake, sitting at his desk. His hair was pulled up into a messy bun, strands sticking out in every direction. He wore a white tank top that clung to his well-defined muscles like a second skin. The tribal tattoo of the copiae, an Aquila emblazoned on his creamy neck, was partially covered by his shirt. I took a moment to enjoy the sight, wondering how long it would take him to notice me. In the moonlight and candle glow, Jimin was a vision.

A strong gust of wind threatened to give me away. Aldara had said my scent could be detected from a mile away. Jimin lifted his head, sniffed the air, and then turned sharply toward the trees. Our eyes met, and I hopped onto his windowsill. It took him a moment to grasp what was happening, but soon he was opening the window, a small smile playing on his lips. He looked so young and approachable, and I lost myself in his scent as the window creaked open.

“Good evening, Bridd,” he said, his voice smooth like silk. I inclined my head in response.

“Oh,” he chuckled, “I forgot we can’t speak like this.”

I nodded and shook the bag from my neck. Jimin’s eyes lit up as he picked it up. My heart raced. He had always been a figure I both admired and feared, but right now, he was simply a man I cared for deeply. I often felt foolish for desiring someone I could never truly have, and guilt for even considering a relationship. But in this moment, with the moonlight dancing on his face and the warm glow of candles behind him, those thoughts felt distant.

“Is this for me?” he asked, and I nodded.

Jimin extended his hand, and though it felt strange, I hopped onto his waiting palm. We’d never been this familiar, but perhaps seeing me in a state of panic had stirred some pity in him. That thought bothered me more than it should have, but it was easier to think of it as him extending an olive branch, wanting me to feel at ease. That was a far more pleasant notion.

“I’m glad to see you flying around again. I heard you were bedridden the past few days.”

I tilted my head, and he understood the unspoken question. “Morla,” he confirmed. It made sense.

Jimin placed me gently on his bed, and I took in the room’s warm ambiance. The stark contrast to the outside was striking. His room was softly illuminated by candles, with a rich vanilla scent wafting through the air. Sage burned in a corner, and various pieces of armor decorated the walls. A large scroll with his name and two small paw prints hung prominently. It was a tradition for wolves to display such symbols after their presentation ceremony. Above the scroll hung his family’s sword, alongside drawings of his family. Jimin settled beside me and began unpacking the bag. He opened my letter first.

My Dearest Alpha,

I’m writing to offer my sincerest apologies for the outburst that transpired. I’m at a loss to explain what overtook me—one moment I was calm, and the next, I could barely breathe. Panic is a frequent visitor, though it’s usually not triggered by wolves. I hope you can forgive me. To make amends, I’ve included a small gift.

I trust you’ll find the knife to your liking. It’s one of my older creations, made from an elk’s scapula and shaped into an arrow-like blade. I wrapped the handle in twine, tree sap, and moss to give it a sturdier grip, though it was too cumbersome for my use. I hope it finds a better home with you rather than gathering dust in my cellar. There’s also a tin of tea leaves included. Would you care for a cup?

Bridd

Jimin’s face lit up with a bright smile as he examined the items I’d packed. I turned away, feeling a tinge of shyness. The knife, crafted with care from an elk’s scapula, had been a labor of love. Its handle, thick and wrapped in twine, tree sap, and moss, had been designed to be sturdy, though it had always felt too unwieldy for my own use. Seeing Jimin’s appreciation for it, as though it were forged from the finest steel, swelled my chest with pride.

“Tea sounds lovely, amica. I’ll prepare my favorite.”

The term “amica” was unfamiliar to me, though it sounded endearing. Wolves had their own array of nicknames; Hoseok and Hyuna used “caritate,” meaning love. This new word could mean friend or something akin. I’d have to ask Hoseok about it when next we met.

Jimin, though short for a wolf, was still towering over me. At two feet taller than I, his lean, muscular frame was devoid of excess fat. His physique was as agile as it was strong. I couldn’t recall ever seeing him stumble or hearing the faintest sound of his footsteps. As I admired his form, a fresh wave of heat coursed through me—he was nothing short of divine.

“Come,” he said, extending his hand once more. “I’d like to enjoy a cup of tea with you while we chat.”

I hopped into his hand without hesitation, savoring the warmth radiating from him. Wolves, much like vampires, were unaffected by the chill of the night. Where vampires were icy to the touch, wolves maintained a comforting warmth even in a blizzard. Jimin’s skin was a soothing contrast to the windy night.

His home mirrored the coziness of his bedroom. Personal artifacts adorned the walls, and warm light bathed the space. The living room featured a large sofa, a table, and a fireplace, with a glass display case on the mantle showcasing significant mementos, including the feather from his ceremony. I spotted his alpha sash tucked away in a corner. A large bay window, previously unnoticed, was lined with blankets and pillows, with a slender bookcase nearby. An open book rested atop the fabric mountain, its title hidden from view.

The kitchen was modest, akin to my own, with only the essentials. I marveled at his stove—a sleek, black, cast-iron model with a firewood compartment. It far surpassed the one at my cottage. The only personal touches were two towels draped over the oven handle and a bottle of red wine on the counter. The label indicated it was from Virdi Gramine. Though not as prestigious as a Northorn vintage, I’d heard eastern wines were delightful.

Jimin placed me on the counter and set about boiling water for the tea. He examined the tin of lemon balm tea I’d brought—a favorite of mine, sent by Thelma whenever I was running low. While I usually drank black tea, hot and unsweetened, lemon balm was a robust change of pace. I hoped Jimin would find it to his liking.

“Are you feeling better?” Jimin asked with a chuckle, clearly forgetting my current form made conversation challenging.

I squawked in acknowledgment, wishing for the ease of silent company like I had with Seokjin. Jimin held up a finger and disappeared into his bedroom, reemerging with ink and paper. I was touched by his effort; it was rare for someone to accommodate my avian form so thoughtfully. Dipping my talon into the ink, I scrawled, “I’m feeling better” in my clumsy bird-like script, my usual handwriting much neater.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Jimin said, his smile bright. “I hope you’ve been getting some rest. I apologize for rushing you so soon after Taehyung’s blessing. It won’t happen again.”

He retrieved a bowl of blueberries and a lemon from his cooler. Curious, I leaned in as he zest the lemon and added it to the blueberries, then poured everything into the kettle. It was a new trick for enhancing tea, and I was eager to learn from it.

After sealing the kettle, Jimin poured the tea I’d brought into it and retrieved five other containers from the cupboard. I chuckled softly—never had I witnessed such a convoluted tea-making process. It reminded me of Seokjin, who would relish such complexity. I watched with renewed interest as Jimin began his elaborate preparation.

“Is this too much?” I asked with a laugh before he could protest.

I dipped my talon into the ink and began to write, a task I’d grown accustomed to. When urgent messages needed sending in the dead of night, I had to be swift and clear. Jimin’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he waited for me to finish.

“Not if it’s something you like. My friends would probably enjoy this tea, and I’m curious.”

Jimin’s smile widened, shy and warm. “This is something my sister-in-law taught me.”

She must be quite particular to use all these blends. I assume you’re fond of blueberries.

“Clever girl,” he teased, and I blushed at his gentle ribbing. “Do you not like them? I can make something else.”

I love blueberries.

He hummed thoughtfully. As the kettle began to whistle, Jimin swiftly removed it from the heat and prepared our cups. I admired him again—my previous impression of him as big and intimidating was shifting. Seeing him now, meticulously blending chamomile flowers, peppermint leaves, and hibiscus into his tea, I realized how little I truly knew about him. Outside of his duties, Jimin was a kind soul.

“Now we steep,” he said, extracting empty tea bags and another kettle. He placed the mixture into two bags and filled the kettle with water. I tapped the counter to get his attention and began writing again.

Do you add sugar?

He shook his head, removing the tea bags and adding blueberries to the mix. He gestured for me to relax in his living room while he brought over the tea. I flew to the sink, turned on the water, and rinsed off the ink to avoid leaving a mess. Shaking myself dry, I found Jimin watching me with a soft smile. I settled at the table as he carried our cups to the sofa.

The tea was sweeter than I preferred, but I sipped it slowly, lifting my head and opening and closing my mouth to get it down. Even though the process wasn’t the most relaxing, I found no reason to complain in Jimin’s company. He drank deeply, seemingly unaffected by the heat. He glanced at me with curiosity, his eyes holding a hint of wonder.

“You didn’t have to apologize.”

I knew I didn’t, but I needed him to understand. Something inside me had urged me to make amends, despite my instincts telling me he wouldn’t hold a grudge. I had to show him how much I’d been thinking about him, how deeply I cared.

“Did you do the same for Hoseok?”

I nodded and started to write again. Jimin stood and retrieved a towel from a small closet by the bedroom door. I finished writing and hovered so he could place the towel underneath me.

Hoseok was busy when I flew by. I left him a note with a plate of muffins. He quite likes strawberries.

Jimin hummed in approval, seeming pleased with my response. I felt a flush of shyness; Hoseok would have dismissed my gesture. Jimin, however, remained an enigma. His shifting moods were bewildering, but it was becoming clearer he was trying to connect with me. He even apologized for any fright he may have caused.

“Well, while I’m grateful for everything, it wasn’t necessary.”

I didn’t know how to respond. Jimin was right; I had overdone it. I should have simply dropped off the items and left. He would have discovered them on his own. Even if a curious wolf had found the tea, it would have been less disruptive than making him feel guilty. Feeling like I’d made another misstep, I stopped drinking my tea and prepared to leave.

“Though I must admit, I’m enjoying spending time with you. You’re close with the other alphas—except Taehyung. I’m a bit envious.”

My heart skipped a beat. Jealous? Of the others? It was impossible to keep my heart from soaring. Was he truly fond of me? Why only now? The part of me that worried about his mate tried to surface, but I pushed it aside. My feelings for him blossomed into something beautiful, though I knew it could never be reciprocated.

“I should only blame myself for that,” he continued, placing his cup down. “I wasn’t very good at making you feel comfortable talking with me, and for that, I apologize.”

I hesitated but hopped closer, hoping he could see my gesture of forgiveness. He didn’t quite grasp it and continued to murmur apologies for his supposed “rudeness.” Frustrated, I tapped the table again and began to write. Jimin grew silent, leaning in to read.

You did nothing wrong, Alpha. I promise.

“I’m happy to say we’re friends now,” Jimin said with a bright grin. “Hopefully, I can brag about our closeness like Sol does.”

His kind words and affectionate tone confused me. Jimin had always seemed distant, reserved even. Now, his gentleness was a revelation. This moment was ours alone, and I knew I’d keep it close, away from the prying eyes of others, particularly Jin, who had long known of my quiet admiration.

“It’s very late, amica. You should head home. Dawn is approaching.”

I squawked and gave a quick bow. I heard the soft call of “ten” and realized I needed to leave immediately. I had to fly swiftly to make it home before dawn. I mentally thanked the spirits for their guidance, took one last look at Jimin—his smile gentle, eyes heavy with exhaustion—and squawked once more before taking to the night sky.

Taglist: @greezenini @adventures-in-bookland @kthstrawberryshortcake-main @zae007live @jimin-neverout @nikkiordonez12 @canarystwin @yamekomz @chimthicc @michiiedreamer @amorieus​ @mima795​​

So, this is very different. After rereading the first two chapters I felt like they could have been handled so much better, and I set out to remedy this as quickly as possible. We have a new title, new banner, and even a new nickname for our MC. I hope you guy enjoy this new-ish journey we are about to embark on and I, for one, am super stoked for the future. Love you.

© chimcess, 2023. Do not copy or repost without permission.

[magini0]

Kimset (IV)

Pairing: ot6 x Jungkook | Jungkook x Everyone

Genre: Witch AU, Soulmate AU, Ex's to Lovers, Angst With a Happy Ending

Summary: Jungkook has until the next Witching Moon to develop a cure for his chronic illness. With his race against time, he really doesn’t have the nerve to be constantly pestered by his old coven mates—whom he had left behind after a mission gone wrong. Back as a famous healer and sponsored by a renowned magical society, Jungkook is ready to do what it takes to survive. Now, if only his former coven would back off and stop being so damn persistent in making up for their old mistakes…

Word Count: 13k

Also accessible on ao3 => Here Previous Chapter => Here Next Chapter => Coming Soon

There was a strange, nauseating race to Taehyung's heartbeat as he walked down the hall. His feet cascaded down the tiled floor; his loud footsteps echoed tauntingly throughout the empty corridor illuminated by the afternoon sun. The shadows cast the window's silhouettes against the floor. His palms were strangely sweaty, restless as he switched through a cycle of clenching and unclenching his hands before he'd fiddle with his clothes for the umpteenth time, trying to catch a glimpse of himself in the window's reflective surface as he walked, combing through his hair. 

He followed the numbers on each door, trying to find the one that belonged to Jungkook. B013, right? He was nervous because, of course, he was. Their last conversation—if you could even call it that—had hardly even grazed the top of the iceberg that was their relationship. To be entirely fair, Taehyung strongly doubted that this conversation would go any differently. But unlike his hyungs, he just couldn't bring himself to give Jungkook space. He just couldn't. 

Not when it's been literal years since he's spent more than a fleeting moment with Jungkook, not when he had yet to fully take him in. His hair had grown out, Taehyung recalled. The still black, natural hair was cut into a styled fringe. Hair a little longer, bangs stopping a little over his cheeks with a slight curl to the end swaying from the face. The sides of his hair were still styled, covering the tips of his ears. A row of piercings lined one of his ears, along with his brow and bottom lip. His chest puffed with a momentary sense of pride as he had noticed them during their last encounter, and reluctantly wandered back to a place where he watched Jungkook marvel through a jewelry shop's showcase window—lamenting the fact that his parents would never let him tarnish his image through body modifications. 

Taehyung scoffed at the momentary reminder of Jungkook's atrocious set of parents. But there Jungkook had stood— his little bunny, sprouting piercing like it was no one's business. Because it wasn't, and Taehyung couldn't help but feel an assortment of pride and happiness that Jungkook had found that independence for himself. 

Having Jungkook before him terminated any and all of his thoughts, rendering him to nothing but a blubbering stupored twat—while simultaneously promoting such a heaviness to take hold of him. The kind of short, fleeting questions one could sense in the pit of their stomachs—sinking. What had Jungkook been like during his first piercing? 

Taehyung recalled in that vague moment by the jewelry shop window how he had promised Jungkook that when the witch turned eighteen, he'd sneak him out to get his ears pierced. A fleeting smile twitched across his face as he walked, his hand lifting to subconsciously brush against his earlobe. About a month after making that promise, Teahyung had snuck out of the academy and purchased a set of earrings, small silver stars hanging from a delicate chain, and a little clear glass diamond in the star's centers. It hadn't been much, and usually Taehyung wasn't such a fan of something so delicate. But his bun was discovering stargazing with Yoongi at the time—something that had totally not made him jealous��and seemed to be enjoying it. Taehyung had blown most, if not all, of his summer wages on that set. 

Because Jungkook getting his ears pierced had been so much more than just getting to buy some new jewelry. It was more than just an act of spontaneous defiance. It was a call for independence, a step towards individuality that Jungkook's parents refused to permit otherwise. Taehyung had understood that—he still does. 

Taehyung glanced outside, but his gaze was unfocused—did Jungkook need to hold someone's hand? Did his face scrunch up the way it always does, eyes squeezed shut, and nose crunched in that adorable way? Taehyung had missed it. That moment he had reserved for them—he had missed it all. The sense of loss that realization accompanied was unbearable. 

He couldn't help but wonder if Jungkook ever got those tattoos he had wanted, too. Of course, he wouldn't go on and ask something so personal. His bun might literally shank him for it. 

But he still felt unsettled and frustrated by their last meeting. He had wanted to say more, but just being able to see Jungkook again—before him, living, breathing, alive; vaporized any and every thought of his because Jungkook was finally there—he was okay.  

Jungkook had been angry— rightly fucking so, he might add. Emotional, frustrated, hurt. It killed him. Their eyes had locked, and suddenly he was speechless. There stood his baby, his stupid, naive bunny—crying, and he wasn't able to do anything about it. 

Ultimately, he was one of the six reasons those eyes were shedding tears in the first place. In that moment, it didn't matter how long Taehyung had prowled the streets of Korea looking for those same pair of eyes, how he scanned over the crowds to try and recognize that familiar head of tussled, unkempt hair, because Jungkook was there, crying because of him. 

Walking further down the hall, Taehyung didn't expect this conversation to go any better. Realistically, he was just psyching himself up to be yelled at, berated, and metaphorically thrown around as Jungkook vented six years of hate onto him. But Taehyung didn't mind because it was Jungkook's voice doing it. He didn't mind those heated, fiery gazes because it was Jungkook's chocolate eyes pointing them.  

Because even for a moment—he got to exist in the same space as Jungkook. 

And maybe, just maybe, after Jungkook got to say everything he needed or wanted to, Taehyung would be able to say he was sorry. He was really starting to hate that word—sorry. as if the depths of his remorse, the sheer level of guilt, regret, and sorrow could ever be narrowed down to five abysmal letters. 

Because he was so much more than just sorry. He cursed every day that had passed for the last six years—2,190 damned days, give or take a few. He hexed every watery blink, the haunting quiver of his sweet voice, the balling of his fist and shaking of his hand. For every minute, Jungkook was out there, thinking for even a second he hadn't been out there looking for him. 

Gaze following the labels against each the door, he felt the numbers nearing Jungkooks. The door was slightly ajar, and through it, Taehyung could hear the familiar voice of his soulmate. 

"But we fell in love." 

"Despite all odds—fuck, we grew to love each other above all else." 

"So—" 

"So when three of our parents demanded a trial." 

"We agreed." 

"Because—" 

"Because we thought we'd be proving them wrong." 

"We lost everything." 

"Or, at least—I had lost everything." 

Taehyung wasn't much of a crier—that was Jimin's job, and by the Gods, he hated those tears, too. So why—Why were his eyes suddenly so watery? The hair around him felt heavy, cold, and stale. 

He had half a mind to burst into the laboratory, stand before Jungkook, and proclaim that he was still here. That Jungkook still had him and that he was so, so fucking sorry. That there wouldn't be a day that would pass now where he wouldn't be there to hold his hand. Because Taehyung loved him. 

He hasn't stopped. The abrasive, explosive anger within a single night could never diminish even an ounce of the care he held for Jungkook. Because when they had first met, before it was him and Jimin, or Hoseok or Yoongi or Jin and Namjoon— it had been Jungkook. Despite having cared for all of them, Taehyung loved him first. 

He still does. 

But what should he say—now? When your soulmate stands before you, tone filled with such grief and desolation at the sheer recollection of you, of what you had and what you were. 

Taehyung didn't consider himself a coward—no, he was a true hothead who felt first and thought second. So he had practiced his confessions with Jimin, over and over, deep into the starry nights and bear ceilings. But his tongue felt heavy, and suddenly, all the words he had prepped felt inadequate. 

Taehyung had never been good with words. He couldn't string together poetic confessions like Namjoon or Jimin, lay out his soul like Hoseok, or make himself as clear and vulnerable as Jin and Yoongi. He was just well—unsure. He chose to act; when someone bothered Jungkook, he'd bash the perpetrator's head against a locker. If the headmaster went off again, he'd put a hex on the seams of his clothes. 

Jungkook deserved more than that. Not someone who immediately set out on a tyrannical war path, promising vengeance for every tear spilled because his baby bunny was upset and someone was paying for it. He deserved someone who didn't become completely overwhelmed with fury the moment he shed a tear, someone who would do more than just stand still with his head bowed low while being scolded. No, it had been six cursed years. Taehyung was going to show that he had changed, that he could—and would find the right words for him. He might not be as flowery or delicate—but they'd be his. 

"How'd it go?"

Jimin hurriedly asked before Taehyung even managed to close the front door. Taehyung, still feeling like a brooding cloud had formed over him, didn't utter a word as he meticulously took off his coat. He dusted it off despite only having walked to and from the science building before hanging it up. He stepped out of his shoes and put them neatly on the shoe rack, sliding into his slippers shortly after—to put it concisely, he was stalling.

Jimin frowned. It didn't take a genius to decipher the pensive mood looming through Taehyung's aura. Jimin would've gone with Taehyung to hopefully talk with Jungkook, but not only did the witch ignore his little note on the breakfast tray from earlier this week, but it also would have overwhelmed Jungkook. Neither of them wanted that—they just wanted to talk, to see him. 

Taehyung had finally looked up, eyes locking briefly with his own. His own breath caught briefly stuck in his throat at the pitiful sight. Taehyung's hair was disheveled, no doubt from his fidgety hands constantly combing through it. The rim of his eyes were a bit bloodshot, and trailing down his gaze to Taehyung's cheeks they appeared just a bit too red. Jimin bit the inside of his cheek, a poor attempt to keep his scolding at bay. He knew Taehyung handled his emotions differently and that whenever the witch was ever brought to tears, he'd wipe them away with such incredulous vigor till his cheeks turned raw. 

The sight was strikingly familiar. It barely felt like any time at all since Taehyung appeared like that in front of his door. Gods—it had been so late into the night that it became early. But Taehyung hadn't stopped; hadn't slept either— none of them had. The witch's cheeks had been sunken in ever so slightly, and the darkness underneath his eyes had completely altered Taehyung's otherwise healthy complexion. Taehyung had been out looking for Jungkook again. 

Jimin might never forget that night when he opened his door for Taehyung. How, during that night since Jungkook's disappearance, Taehyung had cried. Cried—a loose term for what had happened. Sobbed seemed more appropriate, the type that made one's legs feel weak, made it hard to breathe, and left you with a sore throat. It was the sound of someone losing hope. 

Taehyung never stopped looking—none of them had. But after the first few months, Taehyung's near-daily outings turned more sporadic. But they still visited Hangawoondae annually, still holding onto the fickle hope of spotting their bunny window shopping again. 

"Let's go talk in my room, hm?" Jimin suggested, carefully reaching out and taking a hold of Taehyung's cold hand. Walking past the living room still felt surreal to him, seeing Hoseok lounging while switching through the channels playing across the TV, elbow resting on the armrest and cheek squished against the palm of his propped-up hand. Jin was moving about in the kitchen, preparing a honey pastry with a ruminating look. The sweet dessert had been Jungkook's favorite, a fact that had gone unnoticed by no one. 

Nothing had been the same since Jungkook left. Being able to see some of his old hyungs and share a communal space with them again felt strange. He had missed it.  

Walking past the open space and down the hall, he ignored the twisting pang of emotion he felt by passing Jungkook's closed door. Whether Jungkook was there or not, that pale white door remained closed. He couldn't really blame him, especially after their last confrontation—Jimin understood.  

Gently nudging Taehyung into his (their) room, he gently closed the door. 

The enchantment wasn't necessarily very noticeable, the spells back boning loosely marked onto the inside of the doorframe. But walking through the door, a lingering sense of magic brushed against one's skin for a moment—not by much, but enough for anyone to be aware that the room they were entering was very much manipulated by an outside force.  

Gone was the dreary interior of a basic apartment bedroom, replaced by something more to Jimin's tastes, to his needs. The space was larger, with a wide circular window casting nearly the entirety of the room in natural light. Creams and soft colors scattered about, from blankets to pillows, frames, and wardrobes. A queen-sized bed covered in far too many throws and pillows. There wasn't a color out of place; everything followed a similar pallet. It would've looked stale if it weren't for Jimin's artistic eye, dotting little spots of complementary colors here and there, the occasional green plant from Namjoon giving the space a little liveliness. 

A picture frame of him and Taehyung rested on his bedside table, and a group photo of everyone during their third Solar dance in the academy hung against the wall. 

Jimin was aware of his contribution to their split. He had been so scared, hurt, frightened, and angry at the time. He had his reasons during that night; the time he spent in the Deep with the others was too long. The mission had been immoral from the start—who would do that to a bunch of teenagers? 

But still, he had never managed to actually get rid of any of their shared photos. He still had their old photo albums hiding underneath his bed; the one hanging against the wall was simply his favorite. Glancing at it now, their naive and smiling faces. His eyes lingered against Jungkook's young form; they had been holding hands. Jimin— Jimin couldn't bear to look at it. 

Yeontan was snoozing in his little dog bed, the hyper dog oblivious to the occurring drama. Hana, Jimin's white snake familiar, remained sunbathing by the window sill. Her sharp, snake-like eyes opened as the two witches entered the room. She remained silent, but she didn't need to say much to show her disapproval. 

Taehyung plopped himself down at the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his thighs while he dropped his head in his hands. Seeing Taehyung so depleted unsettled Jimin to the core, his pace slightly hurried as he sat down beside him.

"It didn't go well, huh?" Jimin hummed, beginning to rub gently at Taehyungs hunched over back. There was a silence that followed, a pause as Taehyung breathed, focusing solely on the rhythmic pattern of Jimin's soothing hand. 

"It didn't go at all," Taehyung muttered, voice hoarse. 

Ah. 

Ah.  

Jimin sighed, shoulders dropping as the little flicker of hope he had built dimmed. Taehyung had cried, when exactly he wasn't sure, most likely on the way back to the apartments. 

"Hyung…" Taehyung strained, the small plea halting Jimin's actions and line of thought at the sheer—grief? That Taehyung's tone carried. It broke his heart more than it already was. 

"Oh, oh honey, come here." He ushered, pulling Taehyung into his arms. A tight hold, reassuring in the sense of telling Taehyung that he was there, that I'd be okay, and that he's got him. So Taehyung fell. Small sounds, muffled by the wool of his sweater, soon became louder. More unkempt, earnest. 

"Hyung—hyung… he, he sounded—" Taehyung choked and sniffled as he tried pulling himself together. "He sounded so sad." 

Jimin shut his eyes, inhaling sharply. None of them had been spared from Jungkook's distraught gaze, from the disappointment and anguish encapsulated within those familiar eyes. They had deserved it. That much was clear, but still. Seeing it, hearing it, Jimin had wanted to drop to his knees. Bind his soul—more than it was already bound—to Jungkook and his own lifelong pursuit towards redemption. 

"Like—like the thought of us was something to grieve over." Taehyung's wavering voice cracked, prompting Jimin's own eyes to begin watering. 

Because that was his bunny, they were talking about. His companion from day one was that sweet, shy, silly mess he had bumped into in elementary school. The boy with the kindest eyes and most amazing abilities, his little prince, "Eomma says I can't be friends with nulls, Minie." How Jungkook never became like his parents was a true wonder, but he didn't. Not when they snuck off campus during recess or when they took turns pushing each other on the swings. Jungkook had always had a heart of gold, even when he was scared and riddled with insecurities; "Jungkookie, see this red string here? It means we'll be friends forever, forever and ever! Nothin' will change that, my eomma says we're lucky. So let's be lucky, k'ay? It's our lucky ribbon." 

Glancing down at his pinky, Jimin lingers on the five vibrant, red knots around his finger. The sixth, pale and washed out, only remained visible for a few inches before fading out into the air. But Jimin knows it’s still there—now more than ever. 

"We—we have to fix this hyung." 

Jimin nodded, gaze fixed and determined as he cupped Taehyung's cheeks. Using his thumbs to gently swipe away the offending tears, he looked into the scared eyes of his lover. The past week had been an utter cluster-fuck of emotions, a cruel combination of pure elation, utter grief, and guilt, and now fear. Because what if Jungkook never forgave them? It was possible. Despite how the singular thought tore at his heart, it was reasonable, too. 

They could lose him again. 

No.

No, Jimin wouldn't let that happen. He couldn't. Jungkook might never love them again, might never trust nor care for them. But he'd be there. In Jimin's life, in Taehyungs. 

"We will." 

Taehyung looked into his eyes, all too vulnerable and teary. Looking towards him for guidance, and Jimin felt all too misplaced. This was Namjoon's job, or Jin's, maybe even Hoseok's, when the situation called for it. They were all too adept at taking control, leading. But for tonight, he'd take Taehyung's hand and hopefully lead him towards a brighter future. 

"We found each other again. That's all we need." He mused, voice hushed and soft as he leaned down and pressed a kiss against Taehyung's furrowed brow. 

"We'll have forever to get it right."

Jungkook tucked his hands into his pockets as he walked, the warm coat doing little to keep the chill away. Mornings were always chilly around this time of year, just as autumn began to creep around. Jungkook couldn't really tell when his body was being affected by the outside temperatures anymore, considering how his limbs were gradually growing colder each week; breezes like these didn't really bother him anymore. A loud, exaggerated yawn pulled him from his thoughts. Glancing to his side, he smiled at Yugyeom's bundled-up form. A thick, knitted scarf hung around his neck, chin nestled securely in the warm material. The witch had never been much of a morning person—neither was he honestly, but nowadays he couldn't get more than five hours of consecutive sleep. 

Originally, Jungkook intended to stop by for only a day, fix his Halmoni up, and hop onto the next available train. But having Yugyeom here somewhat derailed his original, concise plan. With Yugyeom by his side, he couldn't help but want to show his friend everything he'd been up to and what he'd built for himself since leaving. Perhaps he was a little biased towards Jung-so, considering how the little witch had somehow nestled itself into his heart during their sessions. 

Iseul had stopped by the bookstore this morning, only there to briefly return a book she had borrowed. They didn't usually rent out books, but Chae-won had as much of a bleeding heart as he did, trying to support Iseul and Jung-so as much as she could. Which is how Jungkook ended up offering another tutoring session. Considering that it was a weekend and wouldn't conflict with the kids' schedule, Iseul readily agreed. 

"Since when do you like tutoring so much?"

Yugyeom's voice had cut through the comfortable silence, tone a little fussy from being wrangled out of bed before ten. 

Shrugging, Jungkook tried recounting exactly when he had grown to like teaching so much. He had grown up with all kinds of tutors; attending a school was mainly used by his parents as a form of socialization, a little something required by law, a hassle. If the teachings could be affordable by mainstream magicals, then they simply weren't good enough for his parents. Resulting in his rigorous schedule of six hours of public schooling only to come back home to be tutored privately; he only ever saw his parents for mealtimes. 

A blessing, really. 

Jungkooks upbringing was rigorous, strict, disciplined, and—well, lonely. 

Amongst missed birthdays and solitary dinners, Jungkook could account for two people who made his otherwise desolate childhood bearable. Jimin, a bundle of confident sunshine he met in elementary school, and Soo Choi. A middle-aged witch who began tutoring Jungkook long before he presented, before he could even materialize his mana enough to actually do something. But where his parents lacked, shrouded in the depths of their prejudice, there was the kindness of Soo Choi. A person Jungkook deems responsible for preventing him from becoming a replica of his parents, teaching him about magicals with an openness he hadn't found or seen before. 

Jungkook found himself wanting to be, in the presence of Jung-so and other uneducated children, someone that Soo Choi had been to him. A place of education, unbiasedness, and kindness. A person who taught magic, who could make all things mana, spells, and changes less scary, more natural. 

Letting out a small hum, he glanced at Yugyeom. "Probably because of Mrs. Choi."

Nodding, Yugyeom smiled. It was a fond smile, followed by a warm gaze Jungkook couldn't stand to look at for longer than needed. Yugyeom chuckled, cheeky bastard, clearly amused with Jungkook's flusteredness.

"What?" Jungkook muttered, not enjoying the giggling at his expense. 

"Oh nothin.'" Yugyeom snickered, the witch still clearly amused. "Although I'd love to see you teach, I don't really get why I'm here. You know how I did back in school." 

Jungkook nodded. Yugyeom had never been someone who let others or work stress him out. Jungkook still couldn't get over how Yugyeom had actually managed to pass their history class; considering how often he slept during those times, must've been witchcraft—considering it now, it probably was. 

"Remember Jung-so, the kid I told you about?" Yugyeom nodded, recalling one of their first catch-up sessions in the lab during inquiry day. 

"Well, he's the kid I'm tutoring now. He just recently presented as a witch, and his mom Isuel isn't a magical. The Dads out of the picture, and you know I can't perform magic. I was hoping you could show off a little, being able to see someone manifest some mana, meet someone who was a gifted witch too, might help ease Jung-so into things a little better." Jungkook explained, looking ahead as he watched the little cafe come into view. Cars passed them on the street, the clouded sky making the surroundings appear dull. 

Jungkook might not be able to relate personally to the struggles of gifted witches, but he was aware that they existed. Young children overwhelmed with their new abilities, uncertain how to proceed and finding the concept of magic unnerving. Jung-so was like that, a gifted witch originating from a mundane household. Unsure what being a witch meant, what that made him. 

Jimin had been like Jung-so.  

And he had helped him back then, too. 

"God, you're such a softy." Yugyeom huffed, smile fond as he playfully nudged Jungkook's arm as they walked. 

The cafe carried its usual warmth, a welcomed contrast to the otherwise freshness of the morning. Jungkook had only been away for about two weeks now, but seeing the familiar, cream-toned walls made him feel a little nostalgic. Jungkook could never recall a single day when the cafe wasn't filled, couples laughing, the occasional office worker chatting on the phone, the consistent calling of names. Despite the sheer number of customers, the place never felt rushed or hectic, something Jungkook ought to give the staff the most credit for. 

"Jungkook! I was beginning to think you switched cafes on us!" Han chuckled, making him flush a little. He hadn't come here that often, only every other day—and for tutoring, of course. Yugyeom, as if sensing his embarrassment, elbows him in the arm with a chuckle. 

"Hi Han, I actually left for my seventh trial, I'm only here to visit my Halmoni." Jungkook explained, receiving a simple nod from the barista. "I could've sworn I saw little Jung-so in the back; two hot chocolates then?" Han mused, but before Jungkook could agree, Yugyeom budged in. 

"And a coffee, please!" 

Han wrote down the order while he paid, Yugyeom waiting by the counter as Jungkook went to greet Jung-so. The thought of the little kid being on his own for too long unnerved him, even though he trusted the cafe—and Han, who always kept a watchful eye over the kid—he didn't exactly trust others.

Jung-so was sitting in one of the corner booths, slightly hunched over a book as he waited. Legs kicking out idly underneath him, he was the restless sort. But he wasn't crying this time, so Jungkook considered that a win. 

"Hey, kiddo, miss me?" He mused, prompting Jung-so to look up. The kid smiled, all crescent-eyed and flashing dimples, completely unaware of how it tugged on his heartstrings. Jungkook didn't expect it, nor did he expect the boy to hurriedly hop out of the booth and crush him in a hug, small arms wrapped around his waist and head nuzzled into his lower stomach. 

Chuckling, Jungkook crouched down and pulled the boy into his arms before picking him up and spinning them in a short circle. It strained his already sore arms, but Jung-so was laughing, and that's all he needed. Lowering him back down, he couldn't really suppress his own smile. "You make it seem like I was gone for forever," he teased before ruffling Jung-so's already messy hair. 

"You were." Jung-so huffed, sliding back into the booth. Jungkook followed, sliding in beside the boy. It was their usual spot, formed in a little semi-circle against one of the cafe's corners. 

"God, you two even look alike. Jungkook-ah, you sure your dad isn't keeping a secret from you?" Yugyeom chimed in, holding three drinks in a little carrier carton as he walked over and set it down. Glancing at the labels, he distributed the drinks accordingly. Jung-so shied away a little, glancing at Jungkook apprehensively. 

Jungkook laughed at the joke, rolling his eyes at the thought. He wouldn't mind it, having a brother and all. But Jung-so and he had already formed that kind of bond; they didn't need to be blood-related. “Jung-so, this is Yugyeom. He's a good friend of mine!" 

Yugyeom bent down so he was at eye level with the kid, holding out his hand and shaking it eagerly when Jung-so held out for a hand-shake. "Good to finally meet you, little man! I'm Jungkook's friend—well, more like his bestie. Now, someone's told me you presented as a witch. How exciting!" 

Jung-so nodded, a little more shyly but less reserved than before. Jungkook smiled, ushering them back to sit at the booth. He nudged the hot chocolate towards the kid, smiling at the polite thank you he got in return. 

"Jung-so, I brought Yugyeom here because he's a witch too." Jungkook explained, watching the kid's face light up. That was good, really good, actually. It was important for him to help Jung-so develop a good relationship with all things pertaining to magic and witches; it's a community that he could fall back on in the future. 

"Mhm, I sure am!" Yugyeom mused, smiling gently. 

One of the things Jungkook always admired about Yugyeom was how quickly the witch adapted to different people. This wasn't necessarily surprising, considering that Yugyeom was an empath. 

"I’m also a gifted witch!" 

Jung-so nodded, staring at Yugyeom for a second, then two, then three before turning to Jungkook:

"Whats a gifted witch?" He asked. 

Jungkook chuckled, watching Yugyeom blink a little as he recovered. 

"Well, magicals are categorized into two parties. For witches, it's between gifted and born witches. So, if both your parents are witches and you exhibit magical traits you're a born witch." He explained, before pointing to himself. "Take me as an example, I'm a born witch. I come from a long line of powerful witches." 

He paused, waiting for Jung-so to nod before continuing. "Gifted witches—" he continued, pointing at Yugyeom. "Like Yugyeom over here, are like you. Who don't necessarily have witching parents or grandparents. Sometimes, your great-great-great grandma was a witch and was able to harvest mana. Just enough to collect traces but not enough to use it. If she had mana, then her kid would likely inherit some too but remain dormant." Jungkook explained, grabbing a pen and paper and jotting down a simple family tree while he talked. 

"If there isn't enough mana in the body, it'll remain dormant. So it can easily pass through generations unnoticed, but it'll eventually accumulate and present itself through another generation." 

"Like me?" Jung-so mumbled. 

Jungkook nodded, "Mhm, like you and Yugyeom. Somewhere down the line, which can span across centuries. One of your ancestors began accumulating mana." 

"I know it can be a little startling, suddenly finding out you're a witch and all. Trust me, kiddo, I've been there." Yugyeom reassured, smiling kindly. Jung-so nodded, although it was obvious he still felt unsure. 

"Wanna see a magic trick?" Yugyeom piped up, no doubt sensing the slight dread through Jung-so's aura. He grabbed his cup of coffee, peeling back the lid and watching the steam rise through the air. Yugyeom kept focus, beginning to slightly twirl his index finger. Suddenly, through the cloud of steam, two silhouettes emerged. Dancing a small waltz around the cup, going higher and further into the air. 

Jungkook watched, smile crooked and unrefined as Jung-so's eyes widened with a natural curiosity. 

"What's important," he began, sipping at his own drink. Is that you remember that magic is only scary if you don't understand it—I know it's hard too. I mean, we witches carry extraordinary talents. To the untrained eye, that can be frightening." 

Slowly, as the steam began fading into the air, the two dancing silhouettes followed. It was a pretty trick; Jungkook had to give Yugyeom that. Although it looked fairly simple, it wasn't necessarily easy. They had both learned how to manipulate matter during their third year. Solids were much easier to mold than gas, especially when it came to such refined forms as a couple dancing, a realistic waltz at that. 

"But gifted witches are called gifted because—well, that's just it. Magic is a gift, something special." Jungkook smiled, gently patting Jung-so on the head. He wondered vaguely what kind of witch he was himself. Without magic, it was hard to carry the title without carrying what made him that. For the first time since cutting off his own mana, for sacrificing his own gift in exchange for a little more time. Did he feel like he had actually lost something. 

It was all just survival back then. He was competent enough not to need magic on a day-to-day basis. But seeing Yugyeom, the flying books within Veil's library, the familiars, the conscious shears and watering cans in the gardens, the constellations he'd cast onto his ceilings—it was all gone. Jungkook had given it all up. All for the sake of a few more days, months; he wasn't really sure. 

Seeing Jung-so discover the wonders of magic and how pretty it could really be, he wanted the kid to love it, to adore the craft as much as he did. He hoped that if all else failed and he truly did pass away, he'd be remembered for everything he loved because there was so much he cherished about this world. 

But he still had time. Eleven more months, that's all he needed. 

"Hyung, I thought witches weren't allowed to perform in public?"

Yugyeom began cackling, slapping his knee as Jungkook glared at him. "Oh hun, trust me. That's technically true, but you won't find a single person actually adhering to that rule!" This time, Jungkook reached over and nudged Yugyeom's arm.

"Yah! You're giving the kid bad ideas—Jung-so, don't listen to Yugs here. Follow the rules please." 

"Easy for you to say! Hmm, shall we talk about what you were like growing up, Kookie?" 

Jungkook narrowed his eyes, daring Yugyeom to continue. Which he did: "So, our Jungkookie here was actually quite the delinquent—"

"Lies and slander! Jung-so, avoid eye contact and cover your ears!" 

Jung-so laughed, "I already know! Hyungs Halmoni told me about it. Said you were a little riff-raff back in the days!" 

Jungkook gaped. Covering his heart as if he'd been shot, mouth open and eyes wide. "My Halmoni? My sweet—" Yugyeom's laughter interrupted his little spiel. 

"Aish, I grow to love that woman more by the day." Yugyeom heaved, wiping away his tears. It took them a few more minutes to calm down before Jung-so went on with his endless supply of questions. 

What was allowed, what wasn't. Chatting about their own experiences with presenting, cracking jokes here and there. Jungkook looked on as Yugyeom pulled Jung-so further out of his shell, the sight warming his heart. 

"Hyung, why does Yugyeom have more strings on his fingers than I do?" 

Jungkook paused, his eyes pulling together as he lowered his now empty cup. He glanced up, briefly meeting Yugyeom's surprised expression. "You—" he cleared his throat before sitting up. "You can see Yugyeoms soul strings?" 

Now it was Jung-so's turn to look confused, tilting his head. "Of course, most people have them. But Yugyeom has six, and I only have four." 

Jungkook nodded, it wasn't necessarily unheard of for people to be able to see soul strings. It was just a level of insight that most people did not share, it was rare of sorts. 

"Ah, Jung-so, being able to see soul strings isn't common." He avoided the word normal, the last thing he wanted to do here is make Jung-so feel like he was unusual. Too many neglected witches went through that feeling, and he couldn't help but want to shield the boy from it. 

"It isn't?" Jung-so mumbled hesitantly. 

"It's not bad!" Yugyeom hurriedly chimed in, unable to bear the sight of Jung-so deflating. It would've made him feel smug at how quickly he got wrapped around the kid's finger, but he wasn't any better off. 

"Witches can have affinities. Things they're really good at naturally, like unlocking special abilities that others can't. For example, I'm a green witch. It's an encompassing term for someone who has affinities towards nature—all things living. Some people have water affinities or light affinities." He went on, gesturing with his hand before pointing at Yugyeom. 

"Affinities don't have to be elemental or physical; for instance, Yugyeom over here has empath affinities. He can decipher auras and emotions far better than the regular witch." Yugyeom smiled, making a little heart with his pointed and thumb.

"So what does that make me?" Jung-so asked, still sounding tentative. 

The two older witches shared a brief glance, "Being able to see soul strings is most common amongst seers, hun." Yugyeom explained gently. 

"What's a seer?" 

"Someone who can glance into the future, who can look into people more than the average person." Jungkook tended to stay away from seers, mostly from his own eerie encounters. There's something about getting a hollow look from a stranger that just feels unsettling; he just didn't like it. 

"So, I'll be able to tell the future?" Jung-so went on, sounding more excited. 

Sighing, Jungkook hated having to burst the kids idyllic bubble. "Not exactly, Seers can't really control their affinities. Glancing into the future comes in short visions that you can't control—" Rising his hand, he hushed Jung-so before continuing.

"I know that sounds a little scary, but that's why magicals like you go to a special school. You'll find out what affinities you carry there, and the system will cater to your needs." Jung-so nodded, mulling over the new information. 

"So no one else can glance into the future?" 

Yugyeom sighed, a fond kind of sigh. It didn't surprise Jungkook, the kid never ran out of questions. Of course he wouldn't, this was all new and scary for him. Right now, he was just focusing on laying down the fundamentals for Jung-so so that when he finally transferred to a proper school or academy, he wouldn't feel too far out in the deep end. It felt like his responsibility. 

"Well, yes and no." Yugyeom chimed in. 

Jungkook rolled his eyes, continuing to elaborate. "Most magic can be learned. It's just different when you have an affinity for a certain subject. For example, some people can learn the art of future telling with tools like tarot cards and other mediums. But it will never compare to what seers are able to do. Someone with a water affinity cannot be compared to someone who focuses on spells manipulating liquids. You can study spell mastery all your life and still be different from a grimoire witch." Jungkook wished he'd have some glasses; he could push them up right now and look all proper. If his past self could see him now—he'd probably be stunned. After all, how could he have gone from a spray-painting delinquent to an eloquently educated tutor? 

It would've satisfied his parents; somehow, that thought made him sick. 

"Yeah! It's kinda like comparing a fish with a swimmer! You can learn how to swim, but you ain't nothin' like a fish." Sighing, Jungkook couldn't help but laugh. 

"Eloquently put, Yugs." 

"I'm a natural." 

Walking from the cafe, Jung-so held Jungkook's sleeve as they walked. Jungkook walked closest to the road, the kid in the middle and Yugyeom to the left. It was cute how the kid felt too "grown" to hold his hand and instead opted for his sleeve. 

They had spent another half an hour chatting, going over what they had already talked about and wrapping up any lingering questions. 

"Hyung?" 

"Hm?" 

"What can't I see your soul strings?" 

Pausing, Jungkook looked down at his pinky. The six red knots rested heavily against the skin, and yet, somehow, they remained as feathery as always. 

"Do you not have soulmates?" Jung-so sounded sad; why was he sad? 

A small chuckle pushed past his lips, mostly to usher away the grave expression taking hold on Jung-sos otherwise soft features. "I have soulmates; six actually. You're so young; don't expect your affinity to show up clearly all the time. It's unreliable so early on, you won't be able to see everyone's soul strings." 

Jung-so pouted, nodding his head as they walked. It was still afternoon, and although Jungkook wouldn't have minded spending the entirety of his free day teaching Jung-so, the kid needed a break, and so did Yugyeom, who had been rather eager this morning to walk around Busan for a bit. 

"Hyung?" 

"Hmm?" 

"How come we even have soulmates?" 

Yugyeom smiled. It was such an innocent question. It was clear why Jungkook had taken to such a kid, and although Yugyeom didn't know what Jungkook was like throughout his childhood himself, he could see some similarities. 

"It's a long story. It dates so far back that it's more myth than fact, really." Jungkook hummed. It didn't feel right to explain the gushy tale about soulmates. Even if he tried remaining natural, a quick glance between him and Yugyeom made his discomfort clear. 

"Have you ever heard of The Three Fates?" Yugyeom asked, taking the lead here. 

"No, were they the first soulmates?" 

Yugyeom shook his head, glancing down at his own tied-up pinky. "No, they weren't. The Three Fates were Goddesses in Greek mythology; together, they controlled the destiny of both gods and humans. One Goddess works as the spinner, determining a person's birth. The second was the allotter: she measured the length of a person's life. The third was the unturnable: she was responsible for cutting one's string with her shears." Yugyeom explained dutifully, not short on the theatrics as he acted out, spinning some thread before stretching it out and finally snipping it. 

"Okay, but what does that have to do with soulmates?" Jung-so asked, lowering his hand to hold onto Jungkooks hand properly. 

"Well, back then, everyone only had one string, their own. The strings connecting us to our soulmates now are still the same as back then, an extension of our own souls—the same ones The Three Fates would've woven and cut for us," Jungkook explained. It felt easier when he was just stating supposed facts. 

"Exactly! So, one day, Atropos The Unturnable ventured to earth. They say she met a kind stranger on her path, one who was hospitable and genuine, who offered her water and bread from their bag and shelter for the night." They crossed the street, nearing the convenience store.

"To reward their kindness, Atropos bestowed upon the traveler a favor should the time come." Yugyeom finished, ignoring the teasing look he got from Jungkook. 

"All it took was some water and bread?" Jung-so exaggerated, making them laugh. "Hospitality was very important back then," Jungkook reminded. 

"Anyways, the traveler disappeared. Years later, he came back to Atropos ready to exchange their favor." It was a well-known myth, considering that soulmates were the topic and all. 

"What was it? Did they ask for a soulmate?" 

If Jungkook had a penny for every question Jung-so asked—he wouldn't be rich, but he'd have quite a few pennies at this point. 

"No, the traveler had a lover. Sickened and weak, the traveler sought out Atropos. Realizing that their lover's string would soon be cut, they begged the Goddess to pardon their dying mate." 

Jungkook could relate to that desperation. Although he was assured of his capabilities, that finding a cure couldn't be impossible, that nagging urgency and despair with each passing month; Jungkook knew he wasn't above begging. Hells, he'd probably kneel in front of a goddess too if it meant he could stick around for a bit longer. 

"Atropos could not simply grant someone pardon however; and instead offered the traveler a compromise. She'd cut both their strings and tie them together, binding their souls and saving their beloved." Jungkook felt like Yugyeom was a natural storyteller. He had heard the same tale several times before while growing up. Still, Yugyeom treated it like a performance, capturing both his and Jung-so's attention while he talked. 

"But Gods aren't exactly well…the fairest. By binding the two mortal souls together, they were bound. If one perished, the other would as well." Jungkook knew gods still existed to this day, but they were rare. Demigods were really the only ones still spotted every once and again, from what he understood was that they preferred to lay low. Blend in. But boredom breeds a need for entertainment, no matter the costs.  

"Which is why it's called soulmates!" Yugyeom finished, clapping his hands together. "Soul because the souls are tied together, and mate, referring to one's beloved!" Jung-so smiled, walking through the convenience store's doors.

"So if one of my soulmates dies, I die?" 

Jungkook chuckled, letting go of the kid's hands before ruffling his hair. Grinning at the cute huff and pouty expression he got in return. "No kiddo, it's just an old myth. You'll be fine." 

"Hyung, how come I've never met your soulmates before?" Jung-so pouted, jutting out his tongue. Just as dramatic as Yugyeom, he remarked silently. 

"Well, they don't live here." He hummed, keeping his tone soft and leveled. He didn't want to think about it, about them. All these stories of love, sacrifices, loss, and happy endings were tying his stomach into a knot. 

Jungkook had loved. 

He had sacrificed. 

And he had lost. 

So, where was his happy ending? 

"Jung-so, listen to me for a moment." He breathed, kneeling down as he grabbed both of the kid's hands. "Soulmates can be wonderful. But they are just people, too. What matters most is how they treat you. Your happy ending does not lie in the hands of another, do you hear me? You deserve to be treated with kindness, respect, and love." He smiled, giving Jung-so’s hands a small squeeze before letting go. He tapped his nose, smiling gently. "Don't ever let someone tell you otherwise, got it?" 

Jung-so nodded, but his lips tugged downwards for a moment before he pushed to hug Jungkooks waist. 

"Hyung, you'll come and visit me often, right?" 

Jungkook wasn't too sure. He'd be busy, more than he already was with his inquiry. Time was ticking, and he still hadn't found a solid lead yet. He needed to work more, research more, study more, the list went on. He didn't have time to visit as often as he was, even if he wanted to. He couldn't promise Jung-so those frequent lessons anymore. 

"Hey, don't sound so sad. I'll come whenever I can, okay? If you ever need me, your eomma has my number. You can talk to me whenever you want and whenever you need something." Jung-so nodded, but he looked more upset than before. Jungkook knew that Jung-so could read between the lines, that this would be a longer goodbye than before. 

"Promise?" 

"Promise." 

Leaving the convenience store after dropping Jung-so off felt disheartening. It was always rough leaving the kid, especially when there was still so much to cover. Would Jung-so be okay? 

"I think the biggest lie you ever tried selling was the concept of you being an asshole." Yugyeom suddenly chimed in, breaking the silence. "You're a real sweetheart, Jungkook. You might not realize it yourself, but you always go the extra mile for people. Teach the lessons no one had taught you; that's admirable, Kookie." 

Awe. 

Jungkook flushed, he wasn't really used to such praises. It meant so much more coming from Yugyeom; it felt genuine. What should he say to that? 

"A twat maybe, but definitely not an asshole." Yugyeom remarked cheerily, clearly teasing as he grinned mischievously at Jungkook. 

"Yugyeom!" 

Laughter filled the air, the sun beginning to peek through the parting clouds. "Come on now Kooks, let's go shopping now!" 

Turns out that going shopping with Yugyeom was hard. 

The day had stretched on seamlessly as the two had stopped to eat lunch in a nook-in-the-wall restaurant, the type that was clearly run by an elderly married couple. The woman taking the orders before shouting them towards the back, a man skillfully preparing all forty-two dishes himself. At this point Jungkook had already taken Yugyeom to a few malls, splurging a little on his friends wardrobe, not without a little struggle of course and much to his own chagrin had been forced to try on countless items as well. 

Jungkook should have called it quits after eating; he had already felt a little rusty this morning. Joints hurting just a little more than usual, his head feeling just a little more foggy and tighter. He could tell from experience that today should have been a resting, lay-low kind of day. It was a kind of foresight one only really got through overestimating oneself, but Yugyeom hadn't been in Busan before. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted to show his friend his little part of the world. 

The pretty side. Away from all the melancholy shrouding him. 

Which is why Jungkook couldn't help but add another stop to their sight-seeing trip. "One of the best places to go for magicals in cities like Busan are markets like the Laminel Market." He explained, pushing past a metal gate. A little flash of heat prickled against his skin, a tell-tale sight of passing through a magical barrier. 

"Yeah, I haven't seen as many magicals in the city as I do in the suburbs." Yugyeom said, closing his eyes briefly as he walked past the barrier. 

"I mean, it's a lot harder to navigate a city with large wings or horns," Jungkook added, which got a shrug from Yugyeom before the witch paused and took in the sights of the market. 

Laminel was bustling with an array of magicals twisting and wandering around the lined stalls. Stalls and tents, crafted from materials ranging from spider silk to moonbeams, lined the meandering cobblestone paths. A symphony of otherworldly languages made the market hectic, but compared to other markets, that was rather normal. The air was filled with enticing aromas, whether from a wild assortment of herbs, teas, or other mystical treats from food vendors. 

Markets like these were the place to go if one needed any and all things magical; vendors, who themselves could be vampires, shifters, faeries, or witches, sell everything from cursed artifacts and ancient tomes to rare ingredients and flunky talismans. 

“Wow,” Yugyeom stammered. Eyes flicking over the surroundings as he walked through the market with Jungkook. The overarching sky was cast in a perpetual starry sky, a neat trick to make the bazaar more accessible to the nocturnally inclined. A pair of witches question and ogle a selection of simmering potions. Across the market, a dragon in human form haggles over a piece of meteorite. 

Further down, a group of mischievous pixies flit around selling maps to "hidden realms" to non-magicals. To the side, a faerie musician plays a peppy melody on a lute, captivating a crowd of diverse magicals. 

It was busy. It was hectic and so so magical.

Strings of fairy-lights hang from stall to stall, people conversing happily as they walked by. It was natural, a safe space for everyone who entered. Although humans were the most likely to get scammed in a place like this, they weren't necessarily unwelcomed as long as they behaved. 

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Jungkook teased, smiling at Yugyeom's slightly awestruck expression. The sheer auras must be a little overwhelming for the empath, but there was always a level of comfort when being surrounded by one's own kind like this. Being in a city like Busan left little room to properly indulge in all things magical; bazaars like this always seemed to refill that depleting battery. 

"It's so lively. I heard about the city markets, but I didn't think they'd be like this." Yugyeom vaguely gestured to all around him, eyes lingering on the jewelry stalls. 

"I get Halmonis tea from here, and I'm friends with the vendor." 

"Let me guess, the vendor's an oldie?" 

Jungkook passed, tilting his head as he glanced at Yugyeom. "How'd you know?" 

Yugyeom laughed, shaking his head incredulously at Jungkook's obliviousness. "Seriously! You're found fodder for them! A well mannered, polite little witchy boy who needs some affection." 

Jungkook paused, huffing as he looked away. They walked for a moment longer, his arms crossed over his chest as he pouted. "I'm not little…" 

Walking through the market was hectic, especially since Yugyeom felt the need to stop at every second stall they passed. But there was a sweetness to watching his friend converse so freely with others, laughing with vendors, trying a multitude of rings and necklaces. The occasional hat, shall, or other nicknack wasn't spared either. It felt strangely normal to be here with Yugyeom, and it still gave Jungkook a bit of whiplash to think they had only just reunited two weeks ago. It felt like they had never parted. A part of him understood why leaving Yugyeom had been a necessity and why he did it. But he also wished he never had; Yugyeom ushered away loneliness within him he hadn't even been aware he had. 

A sudden sharp throb against his forehead made him hesitate, his smile turning into a poorly concealed grimace as he let this new onslaught pierce against his skull. Jungkook knew he'd get a headache today, and most of his symptoms were accompanied by headaches. Like a headband far too tight, the pressure increasing throughout the day. 

His heart squeezed painfully like a small dull contraction, leaving his chest sore. He lifted his hand, gently rubbing small circles into his chest. His little episodes were bearable, but with each passing week, they were bordering on downright painful. But Jungkook managed; he was used to this, and he had been warned about this. He knew that if he were to glance at his wrist now, those hauntingly familiar black veins would mar his skin again like an unwanted tattoo. Instinctively, he pulled the sleeves of his black puffer jacket down further. 

"Jungkook—"

The earlier comfort in the market was gone, an unpleasant shiver running down his spine like the shadowy ghost of a hand. It was too loud, too busy, too hectic—

"Jungkook?"

His gaze snapped back to Yugyeom, blinking once, twice—again until he could focus back on who was in front of him.

“Jungkook, are you okay?” Yugyeom asked, skeptical gaze wandering across his tense frame. 

No. 

No, he felt awful. 

"Yeah, I'm good. Got a little lost in thought there, I'm still trying to find proper source material for my research y'know?" Word vomiting wasn't exactly a fair way to avoid confrontation, but Jungkook didn't have it in him to properly lie and make an excuse for himself. 

"Thornvine is good and all, but its potency decreases after introducing it to air." Jungkook paused, ignoring the confused expression from Yugyeom. "Of course, we could put it into an airtight container but the nitrogen, oxygen, and argon would still find a way to interact with the medicinal herb whenever used." 

"Jungkook—"

"Thornvine is a purifier, but it detoxifies the entire body. Considering that the mana is what is actually corrupted, would the thornvine root potentially strain the remaining body?" 

"Jungkook!!" 

Jungkook paused, mouth shutting with a small snap as Yugyeom moved in front of him. "Breath, okay?" Stable, unwavering eyes met his, and Jungkook found himself unable to do anything but breathe. Yugyeom had a very stern voice if he needed it. 

"We were talking about rings, when did you get to thornvine roots again? Jungkook-ah, I find your work ethic admirable and I understand— the pressure you're under. But balance is important, yeah?" Yugyeom explained, clear and direct. Jungkook nodded, exhaling slowly as he calmed down. He'd rather get scolded than have his friend worried, Yugyeom was enjoying the market after all. He didn't want to be the one to cut that time short. 

"Okay, sorry." He breathed, sporting a weak smile. 

Yugyeom stared at him a little longer, clearly still skeptical about something, before letting it go with a sigh. Jungkook grabbed his hand, giving it a small apologetic squeeze. "Let's go to that tea stall now, okay? They give out free samples." 

Nodding, Yugyeom let him lead them through the crowds. Jia ran the stall with her sister, the two elderly fairies had a larger space compared to the others; small foldable chairs and desks littering the front for anybody wanting a cup of tea in person. 

"Ah! Jungkookies back! Bora look—look !" Jia rushed, Bora—her sister—grabbed the dangling pair of glasses around her neck and quickly put them on. Clapping her hands together in joy, "and finally with some company too! Whose this, your boyfriend?" 

Jungkook laughed, shaking his head as Yugyeom snickered. “No no, this is Yugyeom. An old friend of mine." 

"Oh, how lovely. Sit sit! I'll make some tea." Jia ushered, waving them over to sit down. Jia was a very peppy woman, always adorned in far too many layers and patterns. A smaller but larger framed woman whose writs were always covered in large chunky jewelry. Bora was the opposite, a very tall and lean woman who wore monotone colors. Behind each of their backs were small fairy wings. Although Bora was more direct and brutally honest than Jia, both of them were sweethearts. 

They both sat down after some thorough questioning, each being given a steaming cup of tea to enjoy as they talked. Jia and Bora both busy with other customers. 

"Alright," Yugyeom announced as he set his cup down once he noticed Jungkook's thoughts straying again. 

"Thornvine root loses its potency after exposing it to the air, right?" Jungkook was a little surprised by the change of topic, feeling a little bashful at his poor concealment. His head still ached, and his inflamed ribcage was begging for a warm heating pad at the moment. 

"Yeah, it's complicated to prepare but durable. I can't use it if it loses its effectiveness during consumption either." He explained, thornvine root was the best herb he had found for his condition. "My theory is simple so far, thornvine is a strong antioxidant. It has long-lasting purifying qualities." He waited for Yugyeom's nod before continuing. 

"If my mana is the subject of corruption, introducing a purifying agent could control or reduce the levels of toxicity." Jungkook wanted a cure—something to rid himself of this disease. But he was running out of time, and being able to develop a cure that would reduce his condition from fatal to chronic, then he considered that a momentary win. 

"We could put a spell on it? A type of concealment spell to keep the air away." Yugyeom suggested, glancing at his teacup absentmindedly. 

Jungkook shook his head, sighing sadly. "In theory, but no. If you put a spell on a consumable item, you'll also be consuming a small amount of mana. That could potentially develop into a catalyst for the condition." 

Yugyeom nodded, frown deepening. Jungkook had gone through all of this before, developing a theory only to be proven wrong. The defeat grew worse the further on he went when hope was snatched out of his fingertips yet again. It breeds a hopelessness he'd like to spare Yugyeom from. 

"Oh honey, you need to find yourself an azurelbloom!" Jia suddenly popped up beside Yugyeom, making the witch jump a little as he hurriedly grabbed his nearly spilt teacup. 

Jungkooks brows furrowed, trying to recall the herb Jia was describing. "I've never heard of an azurelbloom before." 

Jia hummed, gently tapping Yugeums head in a silent apology for spooking the boy. "The azurelbloom is very old, one of the few truly sentient flowers left on the planet. It was said—" Jia began, lowering her voice into a whisper to make the story sound more interesting. She pulled out a chair, inviting herself to sit down at the table with them. 

"The flower was said to be used by the Gods." 

Gods? 

"Aish, don't believe any of that nonsense Jungkook." Bora muttered, dismissing the idea with her hand as he sat down at the last remaining chair, spooking Yugyeom once more. It made Jungkook stifle a snicker, the two sisters could be quite—sporadic. 

"What?! The azurelbloom existed!” Jia argued, crossing her arms. 

"Perhaps 500 years ago. You're feeding the kid a legend Jia, what Jungkook really needs to do is go find the Nereids." Bora objected, pushing up her narrow glasses. 

"Nereids, as in, the water nymphs?" Yugyeom asked, still recovering from getting jumpscared—twice. 

Bora nodded, waving around the closed fan she always carried with her. "Nereids pulled all kinds of things into the water with them if they were fond enough. They are masters at preservation; if they desired a daisy one day, they'd preserve it to never touch the depths of their springs. If they're able to keep air in, it's only fair to assume they'd be able to keep air out, too." 

Jungkook nodded, finding a way to preserve the thornvine roots was his biggest obstacle at the moment. Perhaps if the Nereids showed him how, he'd be able to finally begin creating proper prototypes. 

"That all said and good, but don't nymphs have an aversion to men?" Jia asked, frowning at the thought. "You're sending the boy out into danger!" 

Bora scoffed at the accusation, "as if setting him out to hunt down an ancient, cognizant flower is any better." 

"Well, it's better then—" 

Jungkooks head pulsed, his fingers trembling underneath the table. He had a lot to think about, and yet, there was so little time. But he had a new lead, and that's all he needed. 

Now, how the hell was he going to find a Nereid? 

Come on… 

A little more… 

So close—

Jungkook gasped as the library's ladder began to slide to the left. He was leaning off towards the side, trying to reach a book on Ancient Greek folklore, or more specifically, nymphs. Unlike most magicals, who could simply summon the book down from the shelves where the library's encyclopedia stood on the podium, Jungkook—for several reasons—could not. 

Perhaps he should have just climbed back down and shifted the ladder a little to the right, but it had been a long day, and he was still partially recovering from his trip to his Halmoni. So, he had been lazy and was now going to suffer the consequences of tasting the old carpeted flooring as the ladder continued to slide. 

Closing his eyes, Jungkook briefly expected the impact to come as he inevitably lost his footing on the ladder as it stretched his form out. Gasping quietly—this was still a library, after all—Jungkook braced himself only to feel tingly? 

Eyes snapping open, Jungkook shuddered as he shortly levitated in the air before being carefully lowered down. His feet touched the floor slowly, but the adrenaline still made him stumble. His savior's magic linger against his skin, like a subtle warm or fading caress. 

But Jungkook could recognize that magic from anywhere, and he didn't even need to wonder who had saved him before turning around greeting Namjoon's worried expression. 

"Did you hurt yourself, Jungkook-ah?" 

Perhaps Jungkook would never get used to the sight of his old soulmates again. The library was a loose term for what Veils had to offer; it was more like a grand and ancient archive. Long, stretching bookshelves required sliding landers just to be able to access the top sections of the bookshelves. The middle of the library had long, heavy mahogany desks available for the students. However, small, shorter desks were also littered around along with comfortable seating for anyone simply trying to read. 

Natural light seemed to flood the library, too. Windows lined the walls, filling the otherwise academic architecture with warmth. Namjoon stood before one of these windows, the light peeking around his silhouette and embracing his form. Jungkook hadn't taken the time to properly look over Namjoon, he had briefly glanced over him when moving in and during their last argument, but now Namjoon was before him and—and he looked beautiful. 

Yeah, Jungkook would surely never get used to the sight. 

There was a new sense of maturity in Namjoon's appearance, from the way his posture was straight yet still carried a certain mellowness. His face and features are now sharper and more defined. Six years had been a long time; somewhere along the way, all of them had gone from boys to adults. Of course, things would have changed. Jungkook just hadn't noticed it before, the intensity in Namjoons changed gaze. 

His style alone had changed too; back in the academy, Namjoon had never strayed from the required uniform, but on holidays, the mandatory dress code wasn't enforced; Namjoon had still chosen to dress in rather formal, business-casual attire at most. Jungkook recalled, rather fondly, how Seokjin and Jimin had dedicated nearly an entire day to pepping up Namjoons wardrobe. They had hunkered down in Jimins and Taehyung's shared room, clothes spewn half-hazardously across the floor, across chairs and their beds, Namjoon forced to parade in front of the full-length mirror like a personal manikin as they tried discovering Namjoons preferences together. Hopefully to stray from his interrogation-like style and more of a casual academic style. Their day hadn't been the most productive, but they did discover that Namjoon enjoyed certain styles over others. Jungkook had enjoyed that day, simply goofing off with his Hyungs and forcing his usually put-together Hyung in various styles and outfits. Having watched Namjoon be out of his element for once had quite the bonding factor for him, especially since Namjoon had struggled so immensely with showing his vulnerabilities. Vaguely, Jungkook couldn't help but wonder how much that has changed. 

Even now, Namjoon wore a soft set of grayish-brown suit pants—some habits never die, it seems—tied at the waist with a black leather belt that matched the black turtleneck that hugged his body. A loose, large-sleeved gray cardigan ties the outfit neatly together. Namjoon appeared soft but still put together enough that Jungkook assumed would make Namjoon feel comfortable. 

How could Namjoon simply look so effortless? It irritated him, mostly because he got caught staring. Who could blame him? He hadn't seen Namjoon in nearly six years; somehow, his eyes were still trying to catch up with the fact that Namjoon was real , that he was in front of him. Besides that, what frustrated him more was that within the past week, he had been asked the same question twice already by both Hoseok, Yoongi and now Namjoon as well. 

Jungkook had hoped silently that they could all just go their separate ways after their argument. At least they could all just pretend to hate each other, right? Hating them was easy. Even if Jungkook's feelings stretched far beyond just hate, what was going on was far more complex than just simply being sad or angry. Hating them was the only way it didn't hurt. 

Finally snapping out of his embarrassing stupor, Jungkook nodded. "Yep, just fine. Thanks." He murmured, looking around him to spot the book he had nearly taken the fall for lying on the floor. Bending down, he picked it up quickly. He wanted to leave. Lest he take a look into Namjoons all too familiar eyes. It was like taking a look at one's past while simultaneously glancing at one's own unachievable, daunting future. A world consisting entirely of what-ifs and had-beens. 

It scared Jungkook how much he was still able to hurt for these people. For him. 

"Well, anyways, I'll be going—"

Namjoon quickly stepped in front of him, stopping Jungkook from escaping the situation. Brows now furrowed in irritation, Jungkook took a step back. The string connecting them tugged lightly, almost unwilling to let him escape their unwelcome proximity.

"Namjoon, move." 

"No, please—" Namjoon exhaled, brushing his hair back with his hand nervously. He glanced around before finally locking eyes with Jungkook. It nearly took the sickly witches breath away, they hadn't been that close before, Jungkook hadn't seen those sincere eyes since— since then. 

It hurt.

“I’m sorry, Jungkook.” Namjoon began, frowning deeply. "For everything. Gods have mercy; there aren't enough ways for me to apologize to you for all that's happened. But also for our last argument, emotions were strung high and I—" Namjoon inhaled sharply, his exhale a little shaky. "You had every right to react the way you did, telling you to calm down was inappropriate of me. I spoke out of turn, and I'm sorry for that." 

Ever the diplomat, Kim Namjoon. Jungkook thought bitterly. However, an apology was better than none, Namjoon's reaction had been out of turn, no matter how diplomatically refined his apology came across. Jungkook stood silently between the narrow aisle of bookshelves, staring at the man he had loved endlessly six years ago as he let his apology dangle heavily in the air. But Namjoon was right, there weren't enough apologies in the world for his anguish to subside. 

Namjoons apology came too late. 

The silence between them made Namjoon nearly sink in on himself, the older witches hand hesitated as it briefly lifted to reach out for Jungkook, halting mid air before dropping limply to his side. Eventually, it balled up. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Jungkook." Namjoons usually relaxed voice sounded wobbly, unsteady as the pleading witch swallowed. 

And just like a dormant dragon, Jungkooks anger sprung back to life. Mostly because the sheer vulnerability within Namjoon's tone unsettled him, and another because the string connecting both him and Namjoon tugged weakly on his finger. He still wasn't used to that feeling; no, their bonds had remained devoid of any and all motion during the past years; feeling it move rattled him. There was something about seeing a shine to Namjoons's eyes that also irritated him. Why was Namjoon close to crying?—he had no right. 

Jungkook had been the one hurt here. 

The silence hanging between them was uncomfortable, nearly sparking from its intensity. None of them spoke, and with a resounding sigh, Jungkook's shoulders sank. 

"I'm not sure what you want me to say, Namjoon-sii." Perhaps that was the most level-headed Jungkook could be at this moment, but there was a certain defeat in his tone. 

"I can't say that everythings fine, that you are forgiven, that I don't hate you. None of that's true—" Namjoons remorseful gaze never left his, when had been the last time they had looked into each other's eyes? "—and you know that."

Again, the library's silence grew louder in its stillness. Namjoon seemed to be mulling over his own words, before he nodded. “I know that, Jungkook-ah. I'm not asking for your forgiveness," there was a pause, and Namjoon seemed to understand that asking for Jungkook's forgiveness was beyond him. That— that was something he wasn't allowed or able to request. 

"All I'm asking for is a chance—" 

"No." Jungkook cut him off, he wanted none of it. 

"Please, just to talk." Namjoon continued, a level of desperation as he pleaded. "Jungkook, I haven't seen you in six years. Please, I know I'm in no place to make requests from you—"

"So don't." 

Namjoon heaved a sigh, combing his hair back. "I've missed you."

Gods, what would Jungkook give to never hear Namjoon say that again. Such simple words, wrapping around his throat like a noose. 

But Namjoon continued, his own draconic eyes mirroring the desolation and fear that this could be their last time talking. "Please, Jungkook. Let's talk—we need to—to talk." 

Jungkook closed his eyes, inhaled sharply, and counted to ten until he opened them again. Keeping the wateriness at bay was futile, and he watched as Namjoon's hands itched to wipe his tears away. The elder stayed still, good. 

With a deep breath, tone cold and filled with a pained contempt, he spoke, perhaps a final time with Namjoon:

"You didn't just walk out of a room that day, Kim Namjoon." 

"You walked out on me."

There was a finality to Jungkooks tone, a bit unrecognizable to his own ears. But it needed to be said, Namjoon needed to hear it as much as he needed to say it. 

"The moment you walked out that fucking door. You relinquished everything you had on me. You have no rights to my life anymore. So don't—" Jungkooks voice quivered, forcing the sickly witch to swallow down his rising emotions. "—don't ask me to talk with you, especially when we have nothing to say to each other." 

Jungkook's hand tightened around the spine of the borrowed book, taking a few steps back. 

"Not anymore," he murmured, giving a slight bow with a politeness associated with strangers. "Goodbye, Namjoon-sii." He whispered, holding onto a faulty sense of closure as he walked away.

The sharp sound of a book slamming shut, followed closely by an elongated sigh, broke the silence surrounding the laboratory. Glancing out the window, the sun had set hours ago; leaving the sky generously decorated by the stars. Yugyeom had left the lab hours ago, not without the firm prompting of the Im coven threatening to send over some of its members to collect Yugyeom personally (which they had); it had been cute. It comforted Jungkook how well-matched Yugyeom and the Im coven were. He glanced briefly at the empty food container on his desk, a gift from Jaebeom since Jungkook had made a habit of getting take-out since he didn't want to spend any more time in his shared apartment than necessary. 

Originally, he had only accepted the meal under the guise that the coven had simply made too much for dinner last night, but this being the fifth day in a row, he was beginning to have some doubts. 

It had been—what? Six days since Yugyeom and he had returned from Busan? It took nearly the entire train ride back to persuade him to tone down his fussing, and even now, Yugyeom focused more on his meals than ever. Apparently, he hadn't been all that subtle at the market. 

Nearly every morning, Yugyeom would come in with a hot drink in his hand, usually a type of tea and a little snack. The teas, always kept warm by simple magic, contained some type of health benefit. Youngjae began joining them during the mornings, explaining a little more about each current selection. Jungkook later found out that Youngjae was the one actually making and brewing the tea specifically for Jungkook's health, each day selecting something different. One day, it had been a brew specific for his metabolism, another for his muscles or heart, and something generic and basic. Occasionally—and thanks to much discussion—the Ims would only bring him food for lunch every once in a while. Now that he was receiving food nearly every night for dinner, also accepting a clearly homemade meal for lunch just felt like too much. Too leeching.

So on the rare occasion where Jungkook allowed himself to be manhandled off towards lunch, he'd eat with Yugyeom and usually some of his other coven members. Depending on who had time at the moment, Yugyeom rarely ate alone. Jaebeom was the head of the coven, prompting him to be significantly more busy than the younger members. But Jungkook managed to spend nearly most of his week with the Ims, and it was—it was nice. Mark and Jackson made him laugh more times than he could count; Youngjae was easy to fall into conversations with, especially regarding his growing herb garden. Jinyoung had traveled a lot before finding his soulmates, and Jungkook loved hearing about the man's adventures. Jaebeom gave off a sense of authority that Jungkook generally avoided, but as the days flew by, Jaebeom grew softer and more doting. BamBam, as it turns out, is as much of a brat as Yugyeom, roping Jungkook into whatever they had planned for the day. 

Glancing at the fresh bouquet of flowers in the corner by the windowsill, he couldn't help but wonder which of the Ims was responsible for replacing and filling the empty vase every two to three days. At first, Jungkook found the gesture cute for Yugyeom, if only the flowers hadn't been on his side of the lab each time.  

The flowers didn't come from Youngjae's garden, so he could only assume it was another form of encouragement from the coven.

Spending time with the Ims felt natural and easy. Despite all their poorly concealed fussing, no one looked at him with those solemn expressions he absolutely loathed. Besides the teas, the inconspicuous push of vegetables, broths, and not-so-subtle additions of meats to his plate, he was treated like a person—not a tragedy but a friend. 

It meant a lot to him. 

A soft, subtle knocking disrupted his poor attempts at getting anything done. Glancing away from the flowers, he knew he'd have to revisit the topic of nymphs and nereids at a later date, most likely tomorrow. 

The lab door opened before Jungkook could get up, glancing around to see if Yugyeom had forgotten his coat or phone again. 

"What did you forget this time, Yugs?" Jungkook hummed sarcastically, turning to look at the door before halting. His amused smile slipped, taking in the sight of Jimin holding a large bouquet of flowers. A delicate assortment of purple hyacinths, tulips, sunflowers, and white lilies separated by the occasional green leaf or branch. 

The bouquet was beautiful, as were the last few he'd received. They would've been even more beautiful if he hadn't just realized they had been coming from Jimin. 

Jimin looked shocked, as if he wasn't expecting Jungkook to still be in the lab. Which was wild, considering that it was his laboratory. His eyes were wide, staring back at Jungkook in a slight stupor. He wore a white puffer jacket that was zipped up all the way, a gray scarf tucked snuggly around his neck. His cheeks and nose were dusted a light pink from the cold, the hand holding the bouquet a cold pinkish as well. 

Jungkook seemed to snap out of his surprise first, clearing his throat as he mimicked his nonchalance. "What are you doing here?" 

He sounded calm and insouciant. Jimins' presence bothered him, and so did the newfound knowledge that the bouquet of flowers he always spent time admiring each morning was from him. But it was well past midnight, and Jungkook had woken up early that morning to head to the library—his interaction with Namjoon still heavy on his shoulders. Working just helped in that regard, with each word he read and every page he studied. Devoting himself to what truly mattered helped sway the focus back to where it should be; his cure. 

As if snapping out of a trance, Jimin perked up before tumbling over his words. "What?—OH, yes—yeah, I just umm… came here to replace the—uh, flowers." Jimin looked sheepish, which was rare considering that hardly anything made Jimin flush back in the day. At least, they hadn't been able to. Jimin had been open to, well— most things. Besides little embarrassing hiccups around strangers, hardly anything could deter Jimin's unwavering confidence back in the day. 

Did—

Did Jimin consider him a stranger? 

Somehow, between all the bitterness and sorrow he felt when looking at Jimin, the thought of being reduced to a simple stranger bothered him. Not when they had known each other for longer than they hadn't. Not when Jimin had meant everything to him. 

"Ah," for a moment Jungkook wished he could string together an actual intellectual sentence. But it was hard to think around any of his old coven members, there was something about their mere presence that overwhelmed him with emotions. Clearing his throat, he glanced away bashfully as Jimin's gaze softened on him—fondly? 

"I wasn't aware you were the one leaving those." Jimins lip quirked upwards at his words, the witch rolling on his feet before Jungkook let him in with a stunted nod. He walked over to the vase, carefully taking out the resting flowers. Besides a few petals here and there, the bouquet never managed to look withered before Jimin supposedly replaced it. He tended to them with a level of care that borderlined on affection, and Jungkook couldn't handle the thought of any of them, including Jimin, being affectionate with him. 

"Yeah, I had wanted to talk to you after you got settled in. But when I got to your lab, you weren't there." Jimin explained, his voice composed and warm. He took the new bundle of flowers, removing its rapping carefully before summoning a quick set of pruning scissors and beginning to prep the ends. Jungkook sat still, unable to process the normality of Jimin's behavior. 

Maybe Jungkook was just really tired. He still hadn't fully recovered from his episode in the market, or maybe he just hadn't slept enough. But having Jimin in his laboratory felt strange, and so did his warm, gentle tone. It was just so Jimin. 

It had been years. Nothing about the man before him should still feel familiar. 

"I just noticed how dull everything looked, y'know?" Jimin went on, skillfully beginning to arrange the set of flowers he bought into the vase. 

"This is a laboratory, not a gallery, Jimin-ah." Jungkook retorted, crossing his arms. 

Jimin laughed, lightheartedly and airily. Like the gentle music Jimin's laughter had always been, even with how soft and quiet it was now, it eased Jungkook's tense shoulders. After all these years, Jungkook still found himself so weak for Jimin. 

A weakness he couldn't—shouldn't allow. This was about himself, his protection, his self-preservation, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to usher Jimin out of his sanctuary. He only lowered his head, picking at the soft fabric of his sweater.  

"I just—" Jimin paused, hand trailing over the stem of a white Lilie. "Remembered how you used to like picking flowers every spring; the seasons are changing and all, but I thought you'd like a little color in here regardless." Sighing quietly, Jimin stepped back to admire his work. The flowers were arranged beautifully, even if Jungkook didn't want to admit it. 

A silence stretched between them, lingering lonesomely. "This room gets a lot of light. So I thought sunflowers would look quite good in here." Jimin mused, glancing around Jungkook's filled work desk curiously. 

He should've asked Jimin to leave the moment he entered. But Jungkook was at a wits end for tonight, between too much work and little sleep, spending the better part of a day trying to figure out a way to get occasionally man-eating goddesses to help him out. 

It can't be that hard, right? 

Jungkook kept his gaze on the flower arrangement, there was something ironic about the sight of sunflowers without any sun to bask in. Jimin had a light affinity, a literal, breathing, sun. 

"You shouldn't be here this late, Jungkook-ah, it's not healthy—" 

"You were like the sun." Jungkook croaked, projecting a silence against the room. Faintly, one could hear the soft calling of crickets outside despite the laboratory being on the upper floors. 

His eyes lingered on a sunflower protruding from the arrangement, a strange sense of melancholy erupting within him. Jungkook was exhausted, there just wasn't any room for anger tonight. Looking at Jimin, all Jungkook felt was a bittersweetness that edged more on sorrow than anger.  

"You were my sun." Had his voice always sounded so fragile? There was a lump in his throat forcing him to swallow.

"And—" 

"—and when you left ." 

Jungkook looked up, his absent gaze finding Jimin's rueful ones. His old soulmate's waterline glistened, a wetness threatening to spill over if Jungkook went on.  

"You took the sunlight with you." 

Just because a witch had an affinity didn't mean they had to share a personality with their abilities. Necromancers didn't have to be edgy and downright creepy, nor did seers have to be reserved and wise, but Jimin— Jimin was like a ray of sunshine. 

When they had met Hoseok for the first time, it had been like two stars colliding. Erupting to create a light so warm, so gentle that they had all been drawn to it. 

"I—I spent years in that darkness, not able to see where I'm going, where I'm heading, it was all just empty." How many times, prompted by the jinge of the bookstores bells, had Jungkook wished he'd see Jimin's familiar face? 

"So when I finally—Finally managed to light a candle, you show up." He didn't mean to sound so grim, but their reality was; in fact, far from perfect. It had always been the two of them, like Bonnie and Clyde or Robin Hood and Marian. Until it suddenly wasn't. 

"And I don't care, I don't care that your presence promises me sunlight." 

"Jungkook-ah—" Jimins voice quivered, sounding watery. "Can I just please—"

"Because when you took it the first time, you also took my sense of security within you."

Had he been too dependent on Jimin? Of course not; they had been soulmates, after all.  

"When you left, you made it look easy —" 

Jimin had always shone so beautifully; if he had been the sun, then Yoongi would've been the moon. Only now did Jungkook realize that in all his life he had never been anything more than a mere sunflower.

"—like, like it was easy to leave me." 

Autumn was approaching; Jungkook hadn't noticed it before, the subtle chill joining the breeze brushing past him. The leaves were beginning to change colours, greens migrating into different shades of yellows and oranges. The park's gravelly path wasn't littered with foliage yet, but occasionally, a leaf would separate from its twig and dance through the air before landing on damp grass. 

It was early. Early enough in the morning, that the park was still a tranquil haven, cloaked in the soft hues of dawn. The trees stretch out the shadows of the rising sun, its golden hue forcing the dewdrop-covered leaves to practically sparkle as the warming light peaked through branches. The air still had a certain bite to it, a crisp that usually faded throughout the later mornings, currently carrying the sweet fragrance of dew-kissed grass and blossoming flowers. 

Jungkook wasn't usually an early bird; he was late to rise and even later to rest. But it had been Yugyeom's suggestion for Jungkook to indulge in other things outside the laboratory, which is why he was here now. Caring a small bag Yugyeom had gifted him consisted of nothing besides a small sketchbook and pencil. It was an old hobby of his—to draw. Quite frankly, he had ceased all of his hobbies after his diagnosis. It felt bittersweet; Jungkook hadn't really realized just how much he had given up that day. 

Jungkook consistently trod the delicate line between elation and guilt. Throughout his years of study, he carefully avoided any and all thoughts of his inevitable death. He could—He couldn't accept it. Every action he took, every chapter, every essay, every paper he read was done with an innate sense of dedication—of urgency. 

He wasn't going to die. 

The grass, still dappled with the glistening remnants of the night's dew, crunched underneath Jungkook's boots as he wandered off the path and towards an empty bench looking out onto the lake. A sense of renewal pervades the air, and the stillness carries a promise of unknown possibilities. Mallards still stayed floating on the water's rippling surface, heads tucked on their backs and against their wings. The birds nesting amongst the surrounding trees had gradually begun to sing, soft chirps and boisterous calls echoing through the rustling leaves. It was almost as if the park itself was awakening with the day, ready to unfold its wonders for those fortunate enough to witness its early morning beauty.

Jungkook almost found it amusing how Yugyeom's exuberance rekindled his own. How, in his steel-fortified focus, he hadn't recognized the depths of his own isolation. Along the way, toeing between different kinds of grief and sorrow, he had somehow convinced himself that companionship was unnecessary. Now, he had someone holding his hand again. Looking out onto the lake, Jungkook watched as the first ducks began awakening, beginning to prune their feathers before he glanced at the small beige tote bag Yugyeom had handed to him. 

It felt surreal—how things were beginning to change. Jungkooks own echelon was beginning to form, and watching the ducks cluster together as they awoke made Jungkook oddly happy. He had his Halmoni, now Yugyeom and Balam, and he was even becoming evermore familiar with the Im coven from their frequent visits to his shared laboratory. 

With every passing day, Jungkook felt his head slowly emerge from the water he felt himself sinking into. He had always boasted about his ability to move forward after his verdict, but comparing his current now and his previous then.

Had he ever really moved forward? 

His eyes caught onto the still resting form of a swan, the bird's long neck laid across its back and eyes closed as it drifted across the lake. He couldn't help but wonder lazily, what was the saying—Swans mate for a lifetime?��Moving to grab the tote bag, Jungkook grabbed the small sketchbook and pencil, perching the notebook on his lap before beginning to sketch the idyllic swan. He was rusty, no doubt from his six-year gap, but he quickly familiarized himself with the nostalgic peace sketching gave him. 

But the reposed silence didn't last long, the sound of someone sitting down beside him had Jungkook tensing. The slight edges of annoyance filling his aura, as a quick glance around gave way to several empty benches. Glancing to his side, Jungkooks breath caught in his throat as he looked at Taehyung. 

The witch wore a long, gray-textured wool coat that reached a little past his knee. A large, red and dark gray chequered scarf draped over the back of his neck, leaving his neck exposed. Jungkook wanted to scoff, partially because wearing the scarf was pointless like that, and to resist the urge to wrap it around Taehyung's neck properly himself. The hell was up with him?

The witch also wore a pair of auburn brown pants that matched well with his white sweatshirt. Taehyung's entire outfit gave off a clean but simple look, matching well with the growing autumn colours. Taehyung had yet to look at Jungkook, eyes instead gazing forward and observing the same picturesque scenery Jungkook had been soaking up all morning. Most specifically, Taehyung seemed to be watching the rising swan. 

Jungkook hated it. He found it abhorrent how his hands itched to fix the witch's scarf, how he couldn't keep his eyes from marveling at the stark change between his Taehyung and this Taehyung. However, he figured the worst part of all—was how beautiful Taehyung still was. 

Jungkook was no longer looking at a rough-looking delinquent with smokey eyeliner and overly moussed hair, and neither was he breathing in the smell of old leather or subtle spray paint. No, the Taehyung beside him was entirely different. He smelt of subtle cologne and wore no make-up at all, adorning a well-picked-out outfit for autumn that complemented his stature entirely too much. Taehyung, when did you change? 

"The others told me not to talk to you." Taehyung began, and somehow Jungkook couldn't help but connect the opposing witches' aura to their surroundings; somehow Taehyung carried the same nippy frost the freshening air did. 

"But I don't care," Taehyung added, and despite the clear disregard towards his own wishes—he found Taehyung's disobedience comical, familiar. "Jimin told me about what you said to him." 

Ah, Jungkook had almost forgotten just how close they all were with one another. Jungkook had accepted the fact that his path would never align with his soulmates again—he came to terms with that. But that night, all of them had split up. Jungkook had remained unaware that while he trotted around the world like a pariah, they had been wandering together. 

Jungkook inhaled, his shaky breath coming out quivery as it clouded against the fresh morning air. There was no way that that realization would ever not hurt him. 

"He looked for you." 

Taehyung hadn't looked at him as he spoke, but it carried a curtness he was familiar with. There was a subtle, pensive sweetness to the familiarity; that despite the physical changes, Taehyung would always remain Taehyung. It took Jungkook a moment to catch onto exactly what he had said, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion before realization dawned on him. 

Briefly, the scene of Taehyung entering the auditorium and jogging towards Jimin's brooding figure during Yugyeom's presentation flashed through him. The sight of Jimin's turbulent thoughts vanishing, practically melting under Taehyung's doting affections. They were so close to one another. Bonded. 

"What?" Jungkook piped, looking out at the grooming swan. It was ironic to be surrounded by so much ataraxia and yet remain utterly troubled. 

Jungkook watched as Taehyung's blank expression cracked, the facade quivering as he whispered, "We—well, we looked for you." 

This time, it was Jungkook's turn to avoid eye contact because—what was he supposed to do with that information? Give Taehyung a participation sticker? A part of him wanted the other witch to stop this conversation entirely because, despite his efforts, his unbridled hate and contempt for everything regarding soulmates—Jungkook still bled for them. With every word, with every encounter, his heart would begin to weep all over again. Taehyung's words hurt, an ache entirely different from anything that could've been caused by insulting him. It was a deep, visceral kind of throbbing.  

"We searched for years," Taehyung whispered, and perhaps if the park wasn't nearly as serene and empty as it was, Jungkook would've lost the softness of them to the wind. 

A moment passed, Taehyungs gaze lowering to the ground as his expression contorted into one of mild frustration. Jungkook vaguely remembers a similar reaction to a conversation they had long ago, where Taehyung confided in him and complained about his inability to properly express himself. Jungkook couldn't help but wonder if those words still applied today. 

"There wasn't—" Taehyung paused, inhaling as his tongue flicked to wet his lips. "There wasn't a pebble we left unturned Jungkook." Please, Jungkook thought pleadingly, please don't say my name like that. 

As if the world depended on Jungkook believing him. 

"Jimin hyung," Taehyung began again, "Jimin even went to your parents." The witch let out a dry, bitter-sounding chuckle that was more spiteful than anything else. Jungkook instantly understood, his own surprise at the information wearing off. His parents were huge, bigoted classists who were pretty prejudiced against gifted witches—those who weren't born into a witching bloodline—opposed to their superiorly born witches. 

Jimin was a gifted witch, as in he hadn't actually developed his abilities until the MCA classified him as a magical. There wasn't necessarily any difference between the abilities of a born witch and gifted witch, but prejudices still existed nonetheless. Jungkook never cared for any of that bullshit. But to imagine Jimin, a man who has always been viewed as inferior by his parents, knocking on their door and asking about his whereabouts stirred his mixed emotions even more. 

"You could imagine how well that went." Taehyung cursed, hands scrunching up. "The old hag tore him apart—rightfully so, but Jimin only ever repeated his question." 

A small flock of ducks flew down towards the lake, circling it once before slowly lowering into the waving water with energetic wingstrokes. They squeaked and squawked, playfully circling each other as they occasionally ducked for food. Gradually, people began entering the park too. The lonesome jogger or dog walker following the path outlining the body of water. 

"So I went to find Jimin, and together we began combing through Hangawoondae together." Taehyungs expression never truly changed as he recounted what occurred after Jungkook left. His fists were hidden in his coat pockets, but Jungkook could tell that he was cycling through a restrained pattern of clenching and unclenching his fists. 

"But together, we couldn't find you either." Somehow, Taehyung still managed to tone his words with a level of despair that made Jungkook wonder if he was still missing. "So we went to find Namjoon and Jin." 

Jungkook knew he shouldn't be indulging Taehyung like this—he should've left. But another part of him wanted to know , he wanted to know what they did when he left. The first weeks on his own were gruesome, a collaboration between being cold, hungry, and lonely. When all Jungkook had was an empty park bench to lay on for the night, his gaze cast up into the desolate starry sky. Wondering vacantly where they were, whether or not anyone was out there looking for him.   

Jungkook knew that despite all the supposed hate and disassociation he had prided himself on, he never lost a certain hope throughout the beginning. With every jingle of the front entrance bells at his Halmoni's store, Jungkook had hoped to see a familiar face. But that day never came, and those hopes died after the third year had passed. 

So Jungkook remained seated, his pale hands resting on his knees, fingertips dusted a light pink from the cold. Though the temperature hardly bothered him, his body didn't really heat up anymore. His mana too preoccupied at keeping himself stable to waste energy on heat.

"Namjoon and Jin went and found your Grandparents—fuck, we even tracked down your Uncle," Taehyung muttered. Jungkook frowned; he had cut all ties with his family when he left. There wasn't one member worse than the other, and they were all just dreadful. But to hear they had managed to track down his salacious, estranged Uncle? That must've come from Namjoon's connections. 

"Hoseok and Yoongi had apparently already searched for you on their own," Taehyung said that strangely—spitefully? And here Jungkook thought they were all lovey-dovey with one another. He had to stifle a snarky remark, but despite all that could've changed with Taehyung, they were still so much alike. And Jungkook knew that if he interjected now, Taehyung might close up and leave. 

"Not even Yugyeom knew where you were." Taehyung pushed through, and unlike the seething stare Jimin had centered around his best friend only a week ago, Taehyung had managed a look of anguish instead. 

Jungkook didn't know where to place that information, the thought of them looking for him. But then why hadn't they just cast a spell? A tracer. Hells, they could've just followed the red soul string connecting them if they had wanted to. It wasn't and never had been impossible to find him. 

Taehyung twisted to face him, steely, determined eyes nearly taking his breath away. "I'm not saying this to guilt you, Jungkook. I just—I want you to know. Know that there wasn't a day you were out there where I wasn't looking for you." There was an unyielding tone to Taehyung's words as if daring Jungkook to disagree. 

"Years we searched the media for any sign of your apprenticeship. But nothing, you were just—gone." Taehyung went on, an almost reminiscing look casting over his gaze. 

Distantly, birds sang, chatting and flitting through the air. Taehyung sighed, scrunching up his face before meeting Jungkooks. "We fucked up!—more than just that—we royally screwed up everything good in our lives." 

Jungkook felt a bubble of protest stuck in his throat because that couldn't be true. It just couldn't. They fucked up, yes. But Jungkook hadn't been that quintessential to their coven; they had moved on without him. How far would they have gone still if he hadn't shown up on orientation day?

As if sensing his straying thoughts, Taehyung reached over and grabbed one of his icy hands. Weakly, Jungkook could still make out the now unfamiliar tingles the touch of a soulmate provided. "Jungkook-ah," Taehyung called out softly. 

"Jungkook, you don't have to forgive us." When had Taehyung garnered the ability to look so vulnerable? Where had the turbulent man of his youth gone? It nearly pained him to look up at Taehyung to meet his soft, pleading features for longer than he already had. 

"Losing you," he began again, looking out onto the lake briefly as the swan swam closer to them before subsequently passing them by. "Was the greatest mistake I ever made." 

The handing holding his squeezed, and Jungkook wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to pull away or not. "I'll be the first to admit it. One year is what I get with you," and for a second Jungkook's heart sank before he realized that the Veils program only lasted so long.  

Suddenly, Taehyung's warm eyes were back on him. "But don't think that I—we won't spend every minute of it trying to make up for those mistakes." 

A silence stretched between them as Jungkook searched Taehyungs face for any integrity, or perhaps anything to promote the opposite. Softly, Taehyung began to chuckle. Letting go of Jungkook's warmed hand to comb his hair back, breathing deeply to relieve the phantom pressure that had settled over the older witch. "Big words, huh?" He mused, trying to lighten the mood. 

"I'll prove it to you, I—"

"Why didn't you just follow our bond?" Jungkook interrupted stubbornly as he looked up at Taehyung. But the pure confusion that met him somewhat derailed him. Taehyung's eyebrows had pulled together as the other now searched his face for signs. 

"What?" The unease settling in his gut made him feel antsy; why did Taehyung look so confused? 

"Jungkook," Taehyung's voice cut through the tension between them. 

"Your soul-string faded away after you left." 

[mochminnie]

The Warlock and The Witch

Demon Jungkook x Witch Lizzie (Reader/OC)

Troupe: Grumpy X Sunshine

There will be Bickering and Physical Attacks

Genres/Themes: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural, Coming of Age, Horror, Drinking, Smoking, Sexual Themes

Set Senior Year of High School - College

Jungkook and Lizzie are Classmates. Jungkook is the mysterious bad boy in the shadows. Lizzie is the sweet fun social butterfly teenage girl. She is a short from height (4'11 to 5'1) Plus Sized girl. No use of y/n or reader in the story. I have another Story on the works Lovin U Right Based on Jungkook's Seven. There will be other idols in this story. Everything in this Book is Fiction.

𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐨𝐤

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET DOWN! STOP! YOU TALK TOO MUCH!!!"

Half Demon (warlock) Half Human

𝐋𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐢𝐞

"What the Fuck? What the FUCK?! I didn’t expect that! TO GO AFTER ME!!!”

Witch

[btschooseafic]

AO3 Recs

Seeking Solace by starchase [completed]

hybrid!hoseok x witch!jungkook, magical realism,

I love how their relationship develops, all the friends that weave into their lives, and just their lifestyle in general. jungkook introduces hoseok to ghibli movies, but this fic kind of feels like a ghibli movie :)