#just the swells of conflicting emotion as they come as they watch their lover and friend and confidant being celebrated

[butmakeitgayblog]

Any new headcanons brewing in your head after seeing Alycia at the AACTA

Not... entirely

But I've had thoughts. Bear with me.

I'm not even remotely the person to write something like this at all, but it definitely did have me thinking of a SORT OF SHOEH-esque type fic. Something involving them being closeted and in Hollywood. Getting their flowers for their talent and being in love, but having to keep it quiet their entire careers. I've seen some fics along this line here and there, but inevitably in the fic, one or both eventually come out on stage or something.

Which is great! That's a lovely and hopeful ending.

But also....

Not entirely realistic.

Or even half as heartwrenching.

"Well yeah jesus fuck, why do you want sad shit Andi, why are you always such a glutton for punishment and literary pain?"

Well I'll tell you why: cuz... shut up

Idk it just got me thinking of Clexa as two Hollywood starlets on kind of differing ends of the spectrum of Hollywood that in the public eye are generally never really thought about together.

Lexa tends to do more gritty work, a lot more indie films. Dark threaded moody pieces and emotional roles, not generally thought of as box office fodder, but pretty much always a contender at awards season. Sleeper hits, you get me. Things like that. She definitely has a well known name, but she's selective in her work and that gains her a lot of respect with fans, even if they have to sometimes wait 2-3 years between projects. Because whatever she signs on for, it's pretty much always really fucking good. Whereas Clarke is more of a mainstream girly. She does a decently broad spectrum of films, but they're by and large always ones with bigger budgets, bigger release dates, more screens. It's not that they're not quality pictures, it's just that Clarke likes to work a broad range of things. One year she's in a comedy, the next a period piece, the next action. There's no real labeling her career.

And most importantly, they're both very, very straight.

At least, their personas are.

Alexandria is a smoky eyed femme fatale who leaves all the men eating out of the palm of her hand. Very "Look but don't touch" attitude that adds to her allure, to her mystery, despite her always being attached to leading man's arm. Miss Griffin is the picture of buxom Hollywood glam that every guy has on the List. Known for leaving a string of broken hearted men in her wake with little more than a cheek kiss-stained in signature red lipstick

Lexa and Clarke though?

Lexa and Clarke are two friends who have been deeply in love and committed to each other for the better part of 5 years.

They love each other in secret because that's what they feel like they have to do. They have two seperate houses with two separate addresses, and only one bed they actually sleep in.

It only really burns on the big nights, which I think would be an interesting oneshot. Just a glimpse into their life and what it feels like in that moment. The night when all their work and their sacrifices are being honored. Because even though, yes, they do play the part of friends and manage to sit near each other, it's not the same. It's not the same when they can't get ready together or even show up in the same car. When they have to remind themselves not to lean into each other too often, or even reach for the others hand to calm their nerves.

When one wins, they walk up alone without a hug or kiss from the only person who actually matters. They thank their families and their friends and their management that they can barely stand half the time, and remind themselves to smile like it's the happiest moment of their life even though at least half it all feels like a lie. Because yeah, they get lonely in the months when projects and shooting schedules pull them to opposite sides of the globe... but somehow those months never feel quite as lonely as being in a room filled with people who act like they adore you, while the love of your life sits quietly with her own "date" half an aisle away

[tojisbbg]

𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙚

❝come and take a walk on the wild side, let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain; you like your girls insane.❞  

♡ geto suguru ♡

a/n: was listening to this song earlier and it reminded me of him. 😞 i know there's been a lot of angsty shit on my blog recently, but i promise new content soon! how we feeling about a tattoo artist!geto smutfic? 👀 lmk in the comments!

likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated! <3

content: geto suguru x fem!reader, takes place after geto becomes a silly little cult leader, spoilers (slightly, i changed up some stuff), angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, friends to lovers, a little long 'cause i got carried away lol, not edited.

---

"y/n?! weren't you on a business trip?" gojo gasped, your sudden appearance made everyone's heads turn, including his.

however, gojo's words flew over your head, frozen in your tracks as your eyes widened. it really was him, his hair was much longer than the last time you saw him which was... ten years ago.

"suguru.." you breathed out, feeling your backpack that was slung over one shoulder slip off and fall to the ground. you felt your body tremble, his eyes meeting yours as they never wavered.

without any hesitation, you began to walk forwards, pushing past the sea of higher-ups that were grouping around behind gojo. you were about to walk past the tall white haired man as well, only to be halted as he grabbed your wrist.

"don't. he's not the same suguru that we once knew, y/n. don't let your emotions conflict with you, he's a threat to jujutsu high." gojo sternly said, his other hand lifting the bandages of one eye as he looked down at you with a begging look.

you looked up at him with a glare, a frown painted on your lips.

"let go of me, satoru." you calmly replied, making him thin his lips before a heavy sigh left his mouth.

"y/n-"

"i said to let go." you spoke through gritted teeth, twisting your wrist in his hold before ripping out of his grasp. the crowd gasped at your actions, you could hear principal yaga and gojo yell your name, but all of that just sounded like white noise.

you were blind and deaf to anything that wasn't related to the man in front of you. geto looked at you with an amused grin, watching your wobbly legs walk up to him without a single care for your safety, as you were now just a few inches away from him.

you noticed how his eyebags got darker, his eyes that once shimmered with joy were now replaced with nothing but emptiness and tire. it made your throat swell up, feeling it burn as tears stung your eyes.

"you grew out your hair, sugu." you said, though your voice was as soft as a whisper, allowing only geto to hear. you brought up a shaky hand and caressed the long and silky smooth ebony locks. he allowed you to touch it, humming in response.

"i didn't have the time to cut it." geto bluntly responded, onyx eyes looking down at you as you never once broke eye contact with him.

"busy?" you casually asked, earning a nod from him.

"killing people, right?" you added a follow-up question, which you knew the answer to, but all these years you were still in denial about it.

you heard it all over the news, read it on the paper and yaga himself told you. yet, still in your heart you believed that he was innocent and that it was nothing but a mistake or someone trying to frame him.

you knew geto like the back of your hand, he was gentle, calm and soothing. he reminded you of a soft, gentle spring rain shower in the middle of the night.

however, all of that hope would soon come crumbling down as you saw him smirk.

"how'd you know?" his tone dripped with nothing but sarcasm and malice, setting off goosebumps all over your body.

"you're lying to me! i know you'd never do this, suguru. i've known you for years. who's behind all of this? there's still time to fix everything!" your voice trembled, clammy palms coming up to cup his face as your thumb dragged along the soft skin of his cheeks.

"fix? there's nothing left to fix, y/n. everything that you heard was true, i killed that entire village. matter of a fact, it didn't stop there. i killed more and more and even more people all these years!" he laughed like a maniac, making your heart rate increase, feeling his larger hands cup yours.

"stop... please, stop." you sniffled, tears streaming down your face, which made him frown.

"why are you crying? isn't this what you wanted to hear?" he asked with faux sympathy, his thumb brushing away your tears as you looked at him with glossy eyes.

"i missed you so much. every night, i prayed that one day you'll come back and say that everything was a lie. and here you are now, telling me all of this bullshit! why, suguru?! why did you leave??" you yelled at him, not caring about your safety at that moment, knowing that he wouldn't dare to lay a finger on you.

"it's simple, y/n. i'm creating a world where us jujutsu sorcerers can live peacefully without these filthy monkeys." geto tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, his words making your stomach churn with sickness.

yet, this was your last attempt in trying to convince him. who knew when you'd ever see him again? if he disappeared for ten years without a trace, then perhaps your next encounter with him might be too late.

without thinking, you closed the distance between you both, burying your face in his kimono as he let you embrace him without any protest.

he still smelled of the same fragrance that you bought for him in your teen years. you cried on his chest, gripping onto the fabric as your arms tightened around him.

"please, don't leave me again. come back to us, suguru. we'll find a way to fix this, i promise. i'll help you!" you tried to persuade him, feeling his chest take in a huge supply of air before breathing it out. suddenly, you felt him pull you away from him.

your breath hitched when you saw his face morph into a scowl, his fingers grabbing a hold of your jaw to look at him dead in the eyes.

"come back? come back to what, huh? my execution or that terrible life that i abandoned ten years ago? it's time that you realize that things aren't the same for us anymore, y/n. i am no longer on your side, we are enemies now. your sweet sappy talk won't work on me, i'll proceed with my plans no matter what. and if you get in my way—" he harshly spoke, each of his words stabbing you in the heart multiple times, making it bleed and cry.

"i'll kill you." geto's eyes darkened, his tone dropping an octave lower as you gulped. he let go of you, walking back to the huge bird that you assumed was his form of transportation.

"i'll see you all on the night parade of a hundred demons! bye-bye~" he sang out, waving at everyone as the bird took off. you watched him grow smaller and smaller into the distance until he was no longer visible to your eyes.

your knees felt like jelly, no longer being able to support your weight before collapsing. you sat on the cold cemented ground, tears dropping onto your thighs as you sobbed. you could hear distant murmuring which belonged to the higher-ups, probably snickering about your unacceptable behavior today towards a traitor, but you couldn't have cared less.

he was your suguru, your best friend.

he's the only person who's ever made your heart flutter and make you feel like the world's cruelty didn't seem so bad when you were with him. in a never ending void, geto was your comfort.

you heard footsteps nearing close to you before feeling a hand on your shoulder. you turned to your side, being met with the familiar cerulean eyes.

"come here." gojo softly said, pulling you into his embrace as you cried on his shoulder, feeling his arms wrap around you.

"it's so unfair! so fucking unfair, satoru!" you choked out, feeling him stroke your back in a comforting manner.

"i know... i know, y/n."

---

it's been about two weeks since the incident, you were on mandatory house arrest while the higher-ups further investigated your loyalty towards jujutsu tech. not that you minded, in the end, you knew you'd slip out of these accusations because gojo satoru existed.

and yaga knew you as if you were his own child.

nonetheless, you treated your little 'punishment' as a well-deserved break. long before the incident, you've been quite literally abused with never ending missions, the majority of them shoving you overseas since gojo couldn't go on them frequently due to his students.

you'd occasionally see him, but it was like on a rare moon. you worked full-time and overtime as a sorcerer.

what a hassle.

night had fallen, you glanced at your window which was slightly opened to let in the cool spring breeze. you could hear the faint sound of the sky rumbling, storm clouds slowly grouping together.

"looks like it'll storm tonight." you mumbled to yourself, walking towards your window as you closed it along with the curtains. a few seconds later, you heard a knock at your door.

who'd pay you a visit at this hour? it's nearly a little past midnight.

regardless, you pushed your thoughts aside and went ahead to open the door.

"oh, shoko?" you called out, your tone a little surprised in seeing her so late, assuming that she'd be long knocked down by sleep.

"mhm, mind if i come in?" the dark brunette asked, taking one last drag of her cigarette before throwing it on the floor, crushing beneath her foot.

"no, of course not!" you gave her a smile, stepping aside to let her enter your house.

"so, what was that whole romeo and juliet incident involving you and suguru about?" shoko chuckled at her own joke, making you sigh.

"so you've heard." you replied, making her hum.

"i did. you know, i'm a little hurt that i didn't hear it from your mouth instead. those shitty higher-ups really have a way with their words, and it's not poetic." she snickered, making you scoff.

"they always exaggerate shit." you grumbled, balling your hands into fists.

"mhm, so, i need to hear it from you now." shoko took off her white coat before tossing it to the side, plopping on your couch as she patted the empty seat next to her. you took in the offer, sitting down as you looked down at your lap, fiddling with your fingers.

"i.. he-" you could feel your words starting to get stuck in your throat, the memory of that day washing so vividly clear in your mind, making you feel sick. shoko attentively watched you, a long pause embracing your lips.

"you know i trust you, right y/n?" she suddenly blurted out, making you look up at her with wide eyes.

"huh?" was the only thing that left your lips, a little astonished to hear it from the lips of the woman who was left to cope with everything by herself after geto's departure.

it was cruel and uncalled-for, after all, the four of you were best friends. but, life happened and it was a harsh split.

"if i were in your place, i'd feel the same and i know satoru felt the same too. he's just too ignorant to come to terms with his emotions. so, tell me." shoko offered you a small smile, comfortingly rubbing your back as you told her everything.

"ah, i see. i've gotta say, you got some balls, y/n." she giggled, making your face turn red.

"that's not the case, my body just led without my control." you defended.

"hm, you must've gotten a harsh earful from principal yaga." she leaned back in the sofa, hazel eyes meeting yours.

"yeah." you thin your lips.

"are you serious right now, y/n?! you're one of my most trusted students, a senior and mentor at jujutsu tech! how could you act so rash and stupidly like this?! it makes no sense, i'd rather have it be satoru than you. do you know how much of a dangerous position you're in now? they're investigating you because of rising accusations that you might be suguru's accomplice. they're questioning your loyalty and if you're possibly another traitor like him!"

yaga's words rang loud and clear in your head, making you scowl as you slumped back.

"you're still in love with suguru, aren't you?" shoko suddenly blurted out, making you choke on air as your eyes widened.

"what?!" you gasped, a little mortified at how she knew.

"i'm not stupid, y/n. you were so painfully obvious back when we were teens and it seems like nothing has changed now either." she smirked at you, watching how your body was fidgeting as you tried to think of a quick lie.

but, you soon gave up, not having the energy or will left to care about covering up your stupid crush. you nodded your head, not meeting her eyes as you were afraid of being teased.

you've kept this little secret of yours hidden for over fourteen years, but, now someone knew.

"shoko?" you absent-mindedly called out, being lost in your thoughts.

"hm?" she hummed in response.

"you're a doctor, right?" you stupidly asked, making her laugh.

"of some sort, yes." shoko played on with your words, even though you already knew the answer to it.

"then tell me how to stop feeling like this. i can't live knowing that he's suffering and being swallowed in a pit of self-loathe, blame and pity. i can't stop loving him, shoko." you looked at her with begging eyes, feeling tears pricking them.

"i'm a doctor who heals people's injuries, not a relationship therapist." she nonchalantly spat, her words smacking you back to reality.

"right." you said, tone laced with disappointment but you expected it. after all, there simply was no answer to your question, nor was there a solution to your problem.

"but, i can try." she gave you a cheeky smile, making you cock an eyebrow.

"how?" you asked, a little confused at what she was suggesting. shoko grabbed her coat, digging something out of her pocket as you watched her pull out a small card.

"what's that?" you asked with curious eyes, taking the card before examining it.

"suguru's number, well, it's his weird cult's main line. but, maybe it might come in handy. i don't know, do as you will with that information. i should get going before it rains." shoko smirked, looking at you with a playful glint before getting up and putting on her coat.

you walked her to the door as you watched her slip on her shoes, twisting the lock afterwards to unlock the door.

"you won't tell the higher-up or satoru about this, right?" you asked with a little caution, feeling a little uneasy.

"of course not, my time is pretty precious, you know? i'd never waste it on talking with those fools. oh and by the way, i never gave you this information. goodnight, y/n." she gave you a bright smile before waving at you as she walked out.

---

"hello, master geto suguru's assistant speaking, how may i help you?"

"uh, may i schedule an appointment with master geto? i've been dealing with sleep issues and would like to consult him."

"and what are these sleep issues like?"

"well.. um, of monstrous creatures, i think? and it feels like there's another entity residing with me."

"i see, well, you could come first thing in the morning tomorrow."

"ah, you see, these dreams tend to worsen at night. so, i was hoping if i could perhaps consult with him tonight?"

"at this hour? i doubt he would."

"could you ask, please? i'm willing to pay a pretty penny to him."

"please hold."

the line goes silent.

"he surprisingly agreed. master geto will be meeting you within the next hour at the location that will be texted to you."

"thank you."

---

your heart was beating rapidly in your chest as you skillfully sneaked out of your house, avoiding all the cctv cameras. it was pitch-black outside, the only source of light was from the dimly lit street lamps as the moon was covered by the thick storm clouds. you decided to take a cab to the designated location, which was a park close to shibuya, not wanting to loop ichiji and waste time to create lies for your cover-up.

it seemed like you arrived first, leaning against a tree as you waited for him to come. your hands were getting cold and sweaty, your nerves were eating you away as well.

what if things escalated and got out of hand? you had no backup plan for a potential attack. your cursed energy is drained due to your fatigue, and geto is a strong sorcerer himself, it'd be difficult fighting against him.

all these last minute questions buzzed in your mind, making you slowly regret your rash decision to contact him without any proper precautions.

was this a bad call?

"so, i was right. it is you." you heard a familiar voice speak within the distance, footsteps nearing you as you looked up to see a figure inching closer to you. the faint light emitting from the street lamp allowed you to see the figure that was dressed up in a purple hoodie and green cargos.

geto stood in front of you, taking off his hood as you saw his disheveled hair from being shielded inside the hood. it seemed as if he grew fond of the new hairstyle of keeping a half-up do.

he knew it was you?

"but, how?" you asked, a little shocked at how you failed at being so discreet. you didn't even speak to him nor give a name to his assistant.

"it was a hunch." geto smirked with his eyes closed, shrugging his shoulder. you looked down at your shoes, your fingers playing with the hem of your t-shirt as you didn't know what to talk about.

"so, why'd you wanna see me? surely, it's not to exorcise curses." he cut straight to the chase, raising a brow as he looked down at you.

"i don't know." you blurted out, not meeting his eyes. it was true, you didn't know why you called his stupid cult to set up an appointment with him at like one in the morning.

you didn't know why your mind couldn't wait and think this whole plan twice. you had nothing in particular to tell him, it was clear that geto didn't agree with your plans of him returning to jujutsu tech.

"do you think my time is something to waste?" he scoffed, making you wince at the brazenness of his tone. you let out a sigh, finally looking up at him with a furious glint in your eyes.

"could you stop acting like that?" you balled your fists in anger, making him narrow his eyes at you.

"like what?" he bluntly spat out.

"like we're strangers! how can you just forget everything that we've been through, huh? you were my best friend, for fuck's sake! we went to school together, hung out almost every day, went on missions together, celebrated each other's birthdays. all kind of that crap! how can you just stand here and look at me like i'm nothing more than a mere bug that you could step over and move on with your life?" your voice trembled as you spoke out your feelings, but, your voice never once wavered. you made sure that each of your words were loud and stern enough to drill into his skull.

"you wanna know why, y/n? i'll tell you why. it's 'cause you don't mean anything to me. i've cut all my ties between everyone back in that school. you are nothing more than a stranger to me, actually, you're being quite a nuisance to me now." geto said in a monotone, words piercing through your heart as it made tears sting in your eyes.

"lies... you're lying! cut the bullshit, suguru. you promised me that when we're both together, we're the strongest. even stronger than satoru!" you bellowed, feeling the rush of adrenaline as your body was being overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions.

pain, anger, sadness and frustration.

nothing was making sense, he wasn't making sense!

"yeah? well, welcome to reality, y/n. i don't need you anymore to be the strongest. in fact, i don't need anyone!" he yelled back at you, his face now displaying an irritated expression, but you continued to push his limits. you cupped his face in your hands, thinning your lips as you saw his face relaxing to your touch, going back to his resting face.

"i know, suguru. you never needed me or satoru to be the strongest. suguru... mistakes happen, it wasn't your fault." you spoke to him in a soft voice, caressing his cheeks. his eyes widened at your words, looking at you with a puzzled look. you felt his hands creep up before wrapping over yours.

"don't you dare speak to me as if you know everything. god, you disgust me." he roughly shoved your hands off of him, making you gasp, as it wasn't your intention to offend him. geto looked at you once more before turning his heels, walking away.

"sugu-"

"i'll let it slide this time, but i can't promise to be this generous if there's a next time. let's never meet again, y/n. unless... it's for killing one another." geto spoke with a low voice, his face turning to the side as he looked at you through his peripheral vision.

your mouth was wide open, not believing how crudely he could say those words and prance off. you gritted your teeth, running towards him before harshly grabbing his arm, pulling him towards you with all the strength in your body.

"what the f-"

"i'm sick and tired of your bullshit. you act like the world revolves around you, like you're the only one who's been through shit. yet, when it comes to facing things, you're nothing but a fucking coward!" you glared at him, your grip on him tightening to make sure he can't break free. geto scoffed, using his free hand to grab your jaw, pulling your face closer to him before looking down. you squirmed in his tight grasp, but he didn't budge.

"oh yeah? my words must've hurt your little feelings, didn't they, y/n?" he pouted, faux sympathy laced within his tone.

"shut up! you know i'm right. the incident with riko and toji had a toll on all of us, but it struck you the hardest." you tried your best to speak coherently through your squished cheeks.

"it did. what about it? you never did anything and neither did satoru. i took my own matter into my own hands. that's not cowardice, it was a leap to another direction, my redirection. silly little girls who chew on their emotions like you won't understand my motives." he smirked, making you wince as he squeezed your jaw, your hands coming up in defense to peel them off.

"redirection? ha! don't make me laugh. you wanna hate toji for killing an innocent girl who you were supposed to watch over? it'd make you a hypocrite, 'cause what makes you any different from him now?" you gave him a grin, bullets of sweat running down your forehead.

"guess you do have a brain somewhere in that stupid head of yours." he grumbled, releasing you from his hold before turning around to once again leave.

even if it meant that you'd have to chase him to the end of the earth, you're more than willing to do so.

you lightly jogged behind him before catching up, now standing in front of him as you blocked his space. you could sense him slowly getting annoyed, hand dug inside his pocket.

"don't you know that it's rude to leave mid-conversation, master geto?" you threw in a slight tease, trying to ease up the situation, but that might've irritated him even more.

"seriously, what is your problem? move." geto sternly ordered, his patience running low. but you didn't bother lifting a single muscle, staring back at him.

"no."

"i'm gonna kill you."

"okay."

"i'm being serious, y/n. go home."

"no."

geto grumbled at your stubborn behavior, scratching his head as he didn't want to use jujutsu against you when he knew that you were bluffing around.

"fine! then what do you want from me?!" he was fed up, eyes boring holes into your body.

"i need answers. i want... no, i need you to tell me everything that you went through after that incident." you replied, eyes looking into his with determination and perseverance. geto's eyes locked with yours, your knees turning into jelly.

you tried to look for some form of truth in his eyes, but you only see nothing but a vast abyss. those same eyes that once twinkled on those hot summer days where you spent being a bunch of reckless teens doing stupid shit was gone.

suddenly, it began to rain. a few drops turned into pouring rain, making your clothes wet along with his. you saw him take in a deep breath before averting his gaze.

"goodnight, y/n." geto pulled up his hood in order to avoid his hair from getting wet as he avoided your request, deciding to walk in the opposite direction.

you stood frozen in your steps, not bothering to run after him. you watched him slowly get smaller and smaller in the distance, just like you did two weeks ago.

you felt your heart shattering to pieces, watching your best friend, and the person who owns your heart walk further towards the dark path. the sickening and thick feeling of guilt has always embraced you ever since geto left jujutsu tech for good, the feeling of being responsible for his outcome always washed over you.

you were his best friend after all, yet you failed him. you watched him spiral down to his downfall, still, you turned a blind eye. it was foolish, you were young and so stupidly dumb.

of course, you didn't know any better at the tender age of sixteen. hell, you didn't even understand your own emotions, let alone anyone else's. nonetheless, after that whole incident, there was a split between the connection you, geto and gojo shared.

gojo coped by training until he passed out cold on the ground, geto resorted to self-isolationism, and you?

you'd disappear to god knows where. it wasn't a lie that you were a very rash person, your decisions being impulsive. after you touched school grounds, you booked a ticket to italy and stayed there for a couple of weeks.

no one questioned it, none of your friends.

of course, yaga soon tracked you down and threatened you to either come back or else the outcomes wouldn't be in your favor if he had to go there to get you.

so, when you did come back, gojo seemed as if nothing ever happened. meanwhile, geto's condition looked extremely poor. however, you selfishly ignored the red alarms in your head and thought maybe he was still going through it and needed space.

not to mention that you haven't properly healed from that incident and seeing how satoru was doing a little too well, neither has he.

at that time, you didn't want to bring up those events nor even trigger those horrific memories for you or the others. the mere thought of it made you have an instant panic attack. so, you chose to ignore it and hoped that maybe geto could recover on his own.

but, that's where your mistake was.

you should've asked. you should've been by his side and tell him that it wasn't his fault. you should've been there for him.

all these should've and could've's, yet nothing could ever fix what was already broken.

which is why your decision was final. you already lost him once and you weren't gonna lose him for a second time.

you woke up from your trance, picking up your legs as you ran as fast as you could. surely he couldn't have walked that far in the span of five minutes. you ran like a lunatic in the pouring rain, your clothes sticking to your body. although your vision was blurry with a mix of your tears and the rain, you were able to make out his figure, which was leisurely walking at a slow pace.

without thinking twice, you crashed into his back as you wrapped your arms around his waist. you felt geto jolt from the unexpected impact, his body freezing on spot.

"what the fuck?" geto breathed out, his heart nearly exploding from the shock. he looked down and recognized your hands, exhaling in relief that it was just you.

"do you remember when you'd summon your stingray shikigami every time i'd whine to you about my feet hurting from a long mission?" you sniffled, your words slightly muffled into the cloth of his hoodie, but geto had keen ears.

"yeah, you were pretty aggressive about it too." he snorted, making you break out into a small laugh.

"i sometimes lied about my feet hurting. your stingray shikigami can't carry more than two people at a time. i wanted to spend time with you alone." you snuggled into his back, squeezing him gently in your arms to get impossibly closer to him.

you could vividly remember how you and geto would spend hours surfing the sky on the curse, overseeing different people and how they lived their normal lives.

"did you chase me all the way here to confess that?" geto laughed, making you let out a deep sigh as you loosened your grasp on him. this allowed geto to turn around, now facing you.

he took note of how beautifully destroyed you looked under the dimly lit streets. your hair sticking to your neck and forehead, cheeks rosey red, eyes puffed up from crying and lips swollen from biting them so much.

you looked up at him, his face now wet from the rain as his hood was long put down, his hair messy and wet as well. your heart bled little by little as you looked at his drained out face. in your mind, you thanked god that it was raining or else he could've seen how your tears were like a nonstop waterfall.

"i'm sorry." you choked out, looking at him with glossy eyes. geto raised an eyebrow, slightly confused at your sudden apology.

"what?" he asked.

"i'm sorry for being a horrible friend. i knew that you weren't holding yourself up well. when i came back, i saw how thin you got, your dark eyebags, those fake smiles... i noticed it all. yet, i didn't say anything because i was selfishly thinking about my own sanity. i'm sorry for not being there when you needed someone the most, suguru." your knees gave out, collapsing on the ground as you sat on your knees while crying into your palms.

geto's eyes widened at the revelation, unable to move a single limb as his brain tried to process your words. he never craved for attention nor did he ever raise a hand for help, but, he always hoped that someone saw through those fake smiles while he died a little inside every day.

and you did.

geto never resented you or gojo in the slightest when he chose his own path, it wasn't something he did out of hatred for you two or anything against anyone in jujutsu tech. it was his brain that twisted everyone's words, from toji's last words that were uttered to him along with yuki's ramble about sorcerers.

it was during the wrong place at the wrong time.

whether you were there with him or not, there was no saving geto suguru.

he crouched down to level with you, watching how your body shook as you cried uncontrollably in your hands.

"i don't hate you, y/n. and... whatever that i went through and the outcome of it isn't your fault either, so stop blaming yourself." geto spoke in a gentle voice, peeling your hands off of your face to look at you. with tear-filled heavy eyes, you opened them and looked at him through your fuzzy vision.

his voice was now like the suguru you used to know, so soft and honey-like. there wasn't any malice or anger rooted into his words or tone.

"i could've stopped you from leaving." you reasoned, choking on your breaths as you tried to calm down, wanting to hold a collected conversation now that he's willing to open up.

"i don't know about that." he thinned his lips, looking down at the cemented ground.

"everything fell apart after you left. satoru tries to hide his pain, but i could see right through him. he doesn't wanna talk about it. then shoko... she didn't even know the full story until much later and i don't think she's coping too well even now. everyone's a mess because you left, suguru. you were the glue that held us together." you confessed, making him pause for a second.

"and i wore off, yet, no one put me back together. this path that i chose—it was the only way i found relief. it held me together at my lowest, y/n." geto's voice shook, your throat going dry as you could see him slowly break in front of you.

"suguru." you called out his name, not even knowing how to respond to such heavy words. he stood back up while collecting his composure back, extending a hand to help you up. you accepted, the skinship between his flesh with yours sent electric shocks all over your body.

"i'm glad that even after all these years, you still have the heart to love and care about someone like me, y/n. however, if you met up with me tonight with the intention of trying to convince me to come back, then i'm sorry because it won't be happening." he gave you a sad smile before fixing your soaking wet hair that was sticking to your face. you shuddered at his touch, looking at him in disappointment.

"i know." you bit your lips, preventing a cry from escaping your throat. geto nodded at your acknowledgment.

"you should head home before you catch a cold, y/n." he spoke with genuine concern, making your stomach flutter. you chewed on your bottom lip, not wanting for it to end this way.

"run away with me, suguru." you suddenly blurted out, your own mind shocked at the suggestion that left your lips. geto's eyes were now the size of two full moons, his mouth wide open.

"what?" he gasped, completely flabbergasted at your ridiculous suggestion.

"i mean it. let's run away, together." you gave him a crazy look, holding his hands as you gave him an insane smile with pleading eyes.

"are you out of your mind, y/n? did you drink before coming here?" geto asked in shock, but there was no foul scent of liquor radiating off of your body or mouth.

you were completely sober and in the right state of mind.

"i can't watch you destroy yourself like this anymore, suguru. this path that you call your redirection is slowly killing you. i can see it in your eyes. you kill people not because it's fun or you want to, but because it's a coping mechanism from what you witnessed. if you go back to jujutsu tech, you'll be executed without hesitation. so, why bother living a life like this? let's start fresh somewhere else in this huge world." you explained your idea, as each word leaving your lips made you sound even more insane.

were you even thinking this through? you're asking him, a mass murderer, to runaway with you, one of the strongest jujutsu sorcerers to be born in this era that's supposed to help humanity.

"you're willing to throw away your life for someone like me? no, i can't accept this." he shook his head, declining your offer.

"do you think this is a life that i want to live? a life where i'm chained to the responsibility of saving people, to fight life and death face to face every day, to pretend that everything's fine? i've reached my limit, suguru, and so have you." you argued, making him bitterly chuckle.

"do you have any idea how many people i've killed with these hands? if blood was thick enough to stain, my hands would be darker than red. do you still want to forgive a sinner like me?" he shamefully admitted, an attempt to make you disgusted of him or even burn in hatred.

he wanted you to loathe him for his crimes, to have an immense amount of resentment towards him. but, instead, you treated him like a delicate petal.

you brought his hands up to your face before kissing each of his palms. geto's eyes widened at your sudden action, not expecting you to react this way.

"i'll bear your sins with you. you're not alone anymore, suguru. i'll follow you into the deep pits of hell if i have to." you cupped your face with his hands, staring deep into his eyes with a determined glint, making him speechless.

that was the last straw, those very few words that you uttered to him in a matter of seconds was all that it took for geto's walls to come crumbling down. you watched his eyes well with tears before he bit his top lip to stop a painful cry from leaving his throat.

"it's okay, sugu. let it out." you encouraged, rubbing comforting circles on the back of his hand with your thumb.

"i-i.... i swear, y/n, i didn't take my eyes off of her even for a second. i even offered to take her away from the mission so that she could live a normal life. i didn't know when that shitbag entered, i didn't even sense him the slightest. one minute she was smiling and then... i see her on the ground bleeding." geto cried, trying his best to speak in between his sobs as you attentively listened to him. your heart shattered to millions of pieces as you watch him break down in front of you.

"i know, suguru. it's not your fault, come here." you closed the distance between you two, hugging him tightly as geto buried his face in the crook of your neck, the pouring rain continuing to rain on you guys with no mercy.

"satoru definitely blames me. i screwed up, y/n!" he added, making you shake your head as you disagreed.

"he doesn't, suguru. he knew the extremity of the situation and both him and i were nearly on the verge of death. it's not your fault, suguru. whether it was me or satoru in your place instead, riko would've died regardless." you comforted, stroking his hair as you tried to calm him down. he pulled back, looking at you as his eyes were now red and puffy from crying.

"i felt like i killed her and because i found no escape in that pit of guilt, i tried to derive relief by killing even more people. i.. i didn't even wanna kill them, but i did it for that feeling of finally being able to breathe. i can't do this anymore, y/n, i can't! absorb, exorcise, ingest, absorb, exorcise, ingest! i can't fucking do it anymore. i can't even enjoy a meal because of how pungent the taste is left on my tongue. the taste of curses, like a rag wiped with shit and vomit. i'm tired, y/n." he rambled, finally opening up about his true emotions. seeing him like this only broke you more, seeing him this panicked, scared and shame-filled.

he was just a kid.

"i know... i know, suguru. it must've been so hard on you and you've suffered enough. it's time to tap out and find happiness, sugu." you stroked his wet cheek, feeling him tremble under your touch.

"why would you do it for someone like me?" geto whispered, his voice cracking as a lump formed in his throat.

"because i love you, suguru. as my best friend and as a person. i loved you ever since we were kids. i can't live without you and i learned that the hard way through fourteen lonely and miserable years. me living a happy life is a life with you, sugu." you confessed your feelings, watching his eyes soften.

"i love you too, y/n." he smiled through his tears, arms wrapping around your waist as he pulled you closer to him. your heart was filled with content, an overwhelming wave of emotions struck you.

you pulled his hood over his head before pulling his head down. leaning in towards his face, your lips just centimeters away from his. geto closed the distance between you two as he grabbed the back of your head and pulled you in for a kiss. your hands clutched harder onto the fabric of his hood, your lips perfectly molded against his soft ones.

you could taste a mix of the rain along with both of your tears, kissing him hard in the pouring rain. geto walked forwards with you still in his hold, your back now hitting against a tree as he pressed his body into yours. the warmth radiated off of him to you, making you whimper.

geto couldn’t wrap his head around this new feeling which set his soul on fire. his mouth was producing more saliva than usual, like how you’d salivate when you eat good food. the awful taste of curses no longer lingered on his tongue, instead, now replaced by the taste of your sweet cherry flavored lips.

it nearly made him cry.

he tilted his head, angling his lips to kiss you deeper and harder. you could feel his body shudder, lips shaky as he kissed you like this was his last time with you.

you let go of his hood, the wind blowing it down which made you tangle your fingers into his wet ebony locks. geto's tongue swiped against your bottom lips and you gasped, allowing him to enter his tongue.

the kiss was full of need and love, the both of you touching one another and pressing onto each other impossibly closer. you both finally pulled away, gasping for air as you looked up at him, a warm smile painted on his lips.

you went on your tippy-toes, pressing gentle kisses all over his face. you kissed his forehead, cheeks, the tip of his nose, his chin and finally; you pressed a tender and loving kiss on his lips. geto chuckled at your actions, enjoying the affection he was receiving.

"so, what do you say?" you asked once again, looking up at him with hopeful eyes. geto looked down at you, seeing how your eyes glimmered with anticipation and it warmed his heart to see how much you wanted this.

not for you, but for him.

geto gave you a cheeky grin, gently grabbing your chin before leaning down to press a kiss on your lips.

"let's run away, y/n."

---

"happy anniversary, y/n! open it, baby." geto eagerly encouraged, his eyes sparkling as he placed the small, neatly wrapped gift on your lap. you chuckled at your boyfriend's adorable behavior.

it's been about five years since you both left behind your tragic lives, finding escape in the peaceful city of venice in italy. you both left that night, in your sopping wet clothes, not even bothering to go back for your stuff because it'd be too risky.

these past five years were nothing but a dream that finally came into reality. no more curses, no more exorcisms, no more death or tragedy. you and geto were just two normal people living your lives.

sometimes you sit alone in your balcony and think about how your life did a whole three-sixty. all those lonely nights that consumed you with your own guilt, self-loathe and tire... was no longer an issue.

instead, you slept peacefully besides your lover, wrapped up in the soft silk duvet that smelled like a mixture of you and him, indulging in his warmth.

of course, it was never that easy in the beginning. you both still suffered from very traumatic dreams, especially geto. you'd wake up in the middle of the night finding him crying quietly or having a panic attack.

but, you were always there for him, holding him like a precious gem as you cradled him in your embrace. you stroked his hair, kissed his tears away and held him tight.

you healed geto suguru.

you spent five happy and peaceful years with the love of your life, as if you both started from a clean slate. they say that hair holds memories, so, geto cut his hair back into his shoulder-length wolfcut. you dyed your hair along with cutting it short.

both you and geto owned a small restaurant that was pretty famous with various japanese cuisines.

it was definitely a new beginning.

"oh my god! this is adorable, sugu!!" you squealed, nearly falling off of the gondola as you held up the bunny plushie before hugging it. geto looked at you with hearts in his eyes, watching his cute girlfriend gush over the toy.

"there's a surprise for you inside its carrot." he gave you a cheeky smile, making you hum in confusion as you examined the carrot. you noticed it had a little zipper, tugging it before shoving a finger inside.

you felt something thin and cold, like a ri-

your eyes widened at the realization, tears pooling in your eyes as you looked into geto's eyes. the familiar softness and adoration that he's always held for you shone through his beautiful onyx eyes.

"pull it out, my love." his voice was like a whisper, your tears streaming down your cheeks as you pulled out the gorgeous diamond ring.

"if someone were to ask me what is a moment in my life that i never regretted, i'd answer that it would be every moment that i spent with you. i don't think i'll ever be able to repay you for all that you've done for me, as my best friend and as my lover. you saved me, honey. because of you... i had a second chance to life. thank you for everything, y/n. i love you so much, so, so, so, much. there isn't enough languages nor words on this earth that exists for me to express my love for you. which is why i want to keep loving you until the end of time. will you marry me, y/n?" geto caressed your face, watching you give him a bright smile as you cried tears of joy.

"yes! make me your wife, geto suguru!" you yelled in happiness, surely to have piss off the italian neighbors who were trying to sleep at this hour.

but, you didn't care. you just got engaged with the love of your life.

geto chuckled at your reaction, slipping on the ring before pulling you in for a kiss. all of a sudden, you felt wet droplets on your head, making you both pull away and look at each other in shock.

"it's raining." you said the obvious, making geto smirk before once again pressing a gentle kiss on your lips.

"it's a sign that we're meant to be together forever, y/n." he smiled against your lips, making you giggle at his superstitious reasoning as you pecked his lips.

after your little date, both you and geto reached home, changing out of your wet clothes into pajamas. you walked outside the bathroom, watching your fiancé place down two hot cups of tea on the table before sitting down on the sofa.

you took in a moment to soak in the image of how gorgeous geto was. sometimes, you questioned if you even deserved to be with such a beautiful man inside out.

"so, you gonna stand there and watch me or come here to get a better view?" geto teased, patting his lap as your cheeks tinted red. you giggled, walking over to him before sitting on his lap, placing your head on his shoulder as you watched the diamond sparkle under the light.

"this is like your hundredth time looking at it, honey." you can feel the deep vibration of his laughter against your chest, making you hum.

"it still feels like a dream, a long dream that i never wanna wake up from." you admit, gawking at the ring before nuzzling your face in the crook of his neck, pressing soft kisses.

"this is our happy ending, y/n. it's just you and me, together forever." he whispered, making you smile as you raised your head to meet his eyes.

"that's all i need." you answered, kissing him on the lips.

geto stared at you as if you hung the moon and stars, eyes twinkling with love and adoration. he couldn't get enough of your voice, your touch and your presence in general. you were the light in his life, the person who kept him sane.

you rested your head on his chest, your arms wrapped around his waist while he played with your hair. you listened to his heartbeat, feeling yours syncing with his as the gentle thumping sound lulled you to sleep.

"do you miss them?" geto suddenly asked, making you hum.

"yeah. do you?" you asked him the same question. you felt his chest heave before relaxing, a heavy sigh leaving his lips.

"yeah." he softly answered.

"do you think satoru's married by now?" you thought out loud, making geto snort.

"i highly doubt it. he's too much of a manwhore." geto snickered, referring to how gojo was a player by heart.

"so were you! getting all the ladies back in high school. but, look at you now, stuck with me forever." you looked at him with a smirk, making him laugh before pecking the tip of your nose.

"that's 'cause you're the only lady my heart was meant for." he cheesily answered, making you squirm in his embrace.

"what about shoko?" you asked, since you were on the topic of your old friends.

"eh? hopefully with a boyfriend if lung cancer hasn't taken her out already." geto nonchalantly responded, making you gasp as you slapped his arm.

"suguru!" you scolded at his brash words.

"ow! i'm being logical." he winces, even though it wasn't a painful impact.

"i hope shoko's doing well. if it wasn't for her, none of this would've happened." you smiled, reminiscing back to that night when you last saw her.

"hm, you should give her a call then. i doubt she changed her number, she's too lazy for that." geto suggested, making your eyes widen.

"huh? wouldn't that be too risky?" you looked at him as if he grew two heads.

"probably not, i'm sure she predicted something like this." he shrugged.

"i'll see. i don't think satoru has changed his number either. you should give him a call in that case, suguru." you caressed his bottom lip.

"maybe. i'll see." he copied your answer, making you chuckle.

a lot has happened between these past five years, both you and geto took it one step at a time. maybe one day, you both can finally muster up the courage to catch up with your old friends.

but for now, no one else needed to exist in the world that you both created that was meant for you two only.

[scummy-writes]

Morning Bliss

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Gilbert/Reader

Words: 1,465

Tags: somnophilia (light), handjobs, dirty talk, breeding kink, eyepatchless gilbert, markings

Warning: Dubcon - it's not intended to be, but those sensitive to it may not want to read.

Summary: It's a beautiful morning, and for once, you've woken up before Gilbert.

Early mornings were a special treat for you. The warmth of the light tickling your nose, slow blinks as you processed waking, getting to drowsily delight in seeing Gilbert’s darkened room seem to wake with you. The way the bookshelves seemed to come to life as the break of the dawn's early rays struck them, the deep colors held within lit with a comforting glow.

Most days, you woke like this as Gilbert nuzzled you from behind, his tight hold around your body now a welcomed comfort. He’d often tease you for seemingly showing more interest in the room than himself, but that was often shushed away by your sleepy kisses. He was kinder in those quiet moments, his touches softer and saccharine.

However this morning, Gilbert was nestled against you, his chest rising slow with each slumbering breath he took in. There was no teasing smile waiting for you, no sly comments or nips to your skin. There was just the beauty of Gilbert relaxed and at peace.

Watching the way he rested should have made your emotions swell with love. Yet, as you took in the sight of your lover before you, you only felt a flurry of conflicting emotions.

Because for once, you had succeeded in waking up before Gilbert.

It would, perhaps, be normal to lay there idly and watch your lover rest. Of all the romances you've read, this felt ingrained that you should take this as a sacred moment, especially given how Gilbert never let his guard down.

But your heartbeat thrummed in your ears instead, consumed with heated ideas that plagued you late at night. Consumed with those thoughts you had when you were left alone and with an idle hand.

Would he be furious, if you dared to do what your mind was screaming at you to try? To play out the same fantasies he tested with you? How many times had you awoken to him inside of you, or to kisses and wandering hands…

Surely, it was fine to indulge in giving him some morning bliss in return?

Carefully, you reached out and swept his bangs aside, clearing up your view of his face. He didn't sleep with his eyepatch on last night, so you took the time to stroke his left cheek, gathering your courage. 

Your hand left his cheek slowly, tracing his jawline languidly. Gilbert seemed to settle his chin in your hand as you stroked there, but he was back to nuzzling against your shoulder again, taking in your warmth. 

So your touch slid down his neck, tracing the lovebites from the night before, and counting the spots where you wish you could have left more, until you reached the first button of his shirt.

Were you really going to do this?

The first button was undone slowly, anxiety winning in the worry that such a small movement could awaken him. But with the first button undone, and more of his chest exposed, you realized he was warm. Not overheated, but warmer than his body usually was.

Just how much did your nightly cuddling heat him up? No wonder he clung to you so tightly…

Each undone button revealed more of his torso, and soon you were battling your own arousal as you soaked in his body. The lean muscle tone, the faint scarrings from fights long ago, the recent red bloomed lines from your last tryst… Gilbert was able to leave his mark on you, from bites to handcrafted jewelry or clothes, yet this was all he had from you. Temporary markings that you constantly wanted to revive.

Would he still love you if he knew just how badly you wanted to mark him in ways for everyone to see?

Spreading open his shirt, you noticed quite more clearly that his sleeping pants were low on his hips, giving you a clear view of his happy trail and adonis belt. 

There was certainly no turning back now, now when your hand moved impulsively, following his happy trail with your fingers and watching what you could see of his face.

His brows furrowed at the touch, lips parting slightly, but you were rewarded with a soft sigh from your actions. 

Emboldened, your fingers deftly slipped under the waistband of his sleep pants, a thrill alighting when you realized he wore no underwear last night. As you took in a deep breath, steeling your nerves, you ghosted your fingertips along the length of his cock. The more you teased his shaft, the more he hardened, and soon Gilbert was nuzzling into you further, his breath hot against your neck. The rise of his chest came slightly quicker now, and your thoughts spun as his sleepy sighs slipped out with a lusty undertone.

Growing bolder, you carefully grasped his cock in earnest now, your own excitement throbbing as you felt it twitch in your hand. Biting your lip, you gave his shaft a few strokes, and your reward was Gilbert taking in a shaky breath- a low groan leaving him.

At the sound of it, your heart beat faster in excitement, proud that you could draw such a noise out of him. And how sensitive he was! Just a few strokes, and he was melting into you.

During an upwards stroke, you used your finger to gently swirl his precum around his tip, using what was there to tease his glans. This time, you felt his grip tighten around you, and when you rubbed his frenulum, Gilbert moaned.

It was quiet, but unmistakable. 

In that moment, you realized just how much his inhibitions were stripped while he slept, and the only thought running through your mind was how badly you wanted to draw out more moans. How good you wanted to make him feel, how you wanted to spoil him…

You felt him take in deeper breaths in his slumber, features twisting into one of pleasure, and his hips slowly move as if trying to chase your hand.

God, how badly you wanted to see his cock. You wanted to see the flush tip, drink in the sight of his precum leaking out because of you, because of what you could do to him.

All you needed to do was pull him out-

And suddenly, his hand was grasping your wrist, nails digging into your skin. Your eyes flicked to his, and all voice was stolen from you as you met his glare. Never had you seen such a soured expression directed towards you before, yet all your body did in response was clench your thighs tighter together.

"I know that my little rabbit isn't trying to get me to cum like this, hm?"

Not even a smile as he spoke, just those words, gruff with sleep, as he bore into you. All you could manage was a few shaky breaths in response.

Unsatisfied, his free hand pushed its way between your thighs, forcing them apart as he cupped your warmth.

"I thought I made it clear that I intend to fill you up with every last drop of me. And you're trying to waste that effort?"

"N-no!"

Quiet, as if he's contemplating your words. For a second, you believe it's fine, that he understands you just didn't realize how serious he was about such a thing. But then he's pinning your wrists together with one hand, slotting himself between your knees as his other hand works his pants down. 

He murmurs something inaudible as he looks at your cunt and the way your arousal is seeping through your underwear, ignoring the way you shiver and flinch as your wet warmth is exposed to the cool air in the room. Then his eyes flick back to yours, a quiet annoyance still lingering as he leans over, nipping at your neck as he roughly wraps your legs around his waist.

"Were you planning to use your mouth? Lap up every last drop?"

Nothing but gasps on your end- his cock is pressed against your pussy, the length of it sliding between your folds and stealing your reason. Each grind is delicious friction against your clit, but you're whimpering when his tip brushes past your entrance without pause. 

It would normally cause Gilbert to chuckle: your neediness blatant, knowing that he's gotten you hooked on the feel of his cock. But today, he's ignoring your obvious wants, biting your shoulder hard before he speaks again, breath husky with his arousal.

"You know that's not my favorite place…"

"I-I just wanted to make you feel good-!"

"Make me feel good?" He scoffs, gripping the side of your underwear. You jump as he smoothly yanks the fabric, feeling one side break apart from the force. 

"Little rabbit, all you've done is ensure you won't be leaving my bed today."

Let me know if any other tags are needed. Also thank you to @crystal13unny for reading over this and helping me fix a few things.

This was supposed to be shorter than it was, but apparently I can't let sleeping Gilberts lie.

If you enjoyed this, please consider commenting and/or reblogging! 

Taglist (let me know if you'd like to be added/removed!): @yarnnerdally @katriniac @kissmetwicekissmedeadly @bakaneko-chan @skoetiepoetie @bestbryn

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[protags-fic-blog]

August 26

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A/N: Ukyo's Good Ending retold. 2.5k words. I wrote this in about 3 days and it may be a little cringe but the point is to enjoy so enjoy >:)

—☽—

—☽—

After another encounter with her scheming—no, just logical—boyfriend, he knew he couldn’t keep trying. The look in his eye told him this was enough, the look in her eye begged him to continue on, it was an everlasting conflict. Sometimes he just wished that he let her die. She was so peaceful then, not a single hint of discomfort on her face, but he was selfish, and wanted more.

The men always looked at him with a twinge of pity, as if they knew the lengths he was going for her, but they didn’t care. He was just a nobody, some guy who keeps to himself. In fact, he was a nobody, who was both eyeing their girlfriend with murder in his eye, and with adoration and love that only someone insane would do. A fitting adjective.

She looked at him with nothing. Her eyes were once windows in to her soul, and yet they were boarded up now. There was a hope that one day, she would remember everything, and come running in to his arms, and everything would go back to normal… but that was a stupid fantasy, wasn’t it? She was happy now, happy here, and nothing would change that. This version of her would live on.

The sun was just peeking above the buildings, casting the scarce clouds in a romantic pink and warming the earth for one of the last few nice days of what would be September. A few birds flew by overhead. There was a gentle breeze, blowing his hair enough to tickle his cheeks. He closed his eyes to enjoy the wafting scent of freshly baked goods and pollen from the blooming spider lilies. He allowed himself to smile for her, because he knew it would be the perfect day for her.

He threw himself from the roof.

There was a comforting peace that came with death. An acceptance of fate, even if only for a moment. For him, it meant the lesser of two evils. He’d die everyday for her. Of course… That wasn’t what always happened. But it was his breaks that made him want to push forward. For every time he hurt her, he would lay down his life for her tenfold.

“Ukyo.” Nhil’s voice echoed in his mind, a reminder that his mission had not yet been fulfilled. “I fear our tether is unwinding. This trip may be our last.”

He chose to remain silent. “If we do not carry on any more, let yourself return. Return to your world, follow your path of destiny, and let yourself love her one last time.”

He could let her die in his arms one last time, watch her take her final breath, and he could go with her. Let his body finally rest, and go wherever it is that spirits go. They could meet in the world beyond, forever in lover’s bliss. Would that be considered giving up? Giving in?

Maybe. But he was tired. Taking the coward’s way out wasn’t so bad. She was his other half, but they were doomed by fate.

“I’ve never seen anyone try so hard. I want you to be happy in your last life.”

Ukyo suppressed his tears. He couldn’t tell if his swelling of emotions stemmed from being relieved or sad. But neither changed that this would be over soon.

“Let’s go home.”

———

The name had a heart next to it. “Ukyo…” she said out loud. Pale green of his hair, the aquamarine of his eyes. His thin, tall body, and his lithe fingers. She wished she had the whole picture instead of these few fragments. She wanted to know him, who he was, what he meant to her.

For a long time, she always figured that if it’s easy to forget, it’s easy to leave out, but she had an inexplicable desire to know who he was. She scrolled through messages, taking in their story through the good morning texts, and the good night texts, and the midnight texts, sent wondering if it was too late to talk. If she wasn’t mistaken… there should’ve been a good morning text sent over an hour ago.

Orion peered over her shoulder. “Wow… this guy must really like you!” he exclaimed, almost excited to find someone who was definitively on your side. “These are old messages. Judging by them, he would normally send a message by now, but nothing. Maybe I should send one?” she asked, looking to the spirit for guidance.

He shrugged. “Aren’t you supposed to help me?” she asked, folding her arms. “I’m not a guardian angel, don’t get it twisted. Your love life is important, but regaining your memories comes first! Come here, I think I found your purse—it might have some information in it!” Orion said, ushering her over.

She unzipped her bag and pulled out her wallet, a strangely familiar process. Old habits die hard, right? Maybe this wouldn’t be complete amnesia then. If she could do mindless things, maybe she could find her way to work, or to school. A school ID. “Hey, I think that school is nearby! Maybe we should go visit?” Orion asked, looking to her for guidance.

She nodded before she dug through her purse again, finding a few more IDs, a couple membership cards, and a printed work schedule. “You’re free for a while too! Lucky lucky!” he grinned. She looked at him, and smiled back.

“Let’s go get my memories.”

———

She looked at him with her mouth hung open, as if she wanted to say something. There was a furrow in her brow, and she was searching for something. She didn’t remember. Every single time, she never remembered. Perhaps it was divine interference. Perhaps it was to carry out the universe’s plan. If she didn’t know him, she didn’t trust him, then she would die easier. But if she did know him, she did trust him, she would just die at his hands.

“Have you forgotten me?” he asked, hoping the answer was no, but praying the answer was yes.

She mumbled something, and glanced at the ground. “No, I remember. I just lost my train of thought, that’s all. What’s up?”

He shook his head. “Just out on a walk. Are you headed in to campus? You shouldn’t, it’s dangerous. Today and especially on the 25th.”

She nodded slowly, her eyes looking off to the side as if she didn’t want to meet him. She knew that he could tell she was suspicious of him. There was no way she remembered. “Hey, you didn’t send a message this morning. Is everything alright?”

Out of all the questions, that was one he didn’t expect. What was he supposed to tell her? That contact was too dangerous? Not to trust him? That it was just a different Ukyo? He could say they broke up, but that would be a lie that would send her in the complete wrong direction. He can’t tell her that only August is a threatening month, he can’t tell her anything! She was better in the dark, but in the dark, she was at risk. Nothing was perfect here, it was infuriating. But he had to say something. He took a breath in, then said, “I forgot to charge my phone.”

He was never a great liar, but this was embarrassing. “Well, um, I should go home. I’ll see you,” he stumbled, trying to save the conversation.

And he avoided her for 3 weeks. When he showed up to her work, he would be sure to only talk to her co-workers. When he saw her in public, he would dart away, hoping to lose her in the sea of people. When he received texts, he ignored them. Guilt grew in his stomach, rolling around, churning. He felt horribly sick. He couldn’t continue to deceive her. She deserved to know the truth, to understand what has happened, what continues to happen.

He decided it then, he was going to tell her. One of them would be dead by tomorrow anyway. He had to tell her, it was unfair to leave her in the dark.

With a deep breath, he picked up his phone and drafted the message. Once, twice, nope. This was definitely not something that was communicable over text. He had to see her.

Before he could think twice, he told her to meet him at 10. Her response came in seconds, not giving him the chance to rethink things. Where? He couldn’t just say ‘nevermind’, not now. This was a commitment that he made. Follow through.

‘The park.’

She sent a quick text back, and Ukyo felt his pit in his stomach grow deeper. He was putting her in danger. If she would just stay inside for the next four or so hours, she would survive. She would go on. But he was too selfish.

He didn’t want to go, but his legs wouldn’t stop. His body was set on going there—the universe found a way. He cringed in horror as he watched himself slip a knife in to the inside pocket of his jacket, screamed out as he stepped out the door, but it was like he was in a dream, watching himself do all of these horrible things, and not being able to stop himself, not being able to wake up.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, hoping to keep his hands away from the knife that he couldn’t seem to take out of his jacket. He searched once, and immediately found her in the dark. She stood under a streetlight, glancing around anxiously. Sometimes she would focus on something, then look away. She seemed to be questioning her decision to come… which she should.

“One of us dies tonight.”

———

She thought he was crazy at first, but when she glanced to Orion, he was slowly nodding his head. So she started listening, piecing the puzzle together, and creating the bigger picture. Then she remembered. She remembered everything.

A rush of nausea waved over her, and she fell forward, stumbling. “Are you okay?” Ukyo asked, holding her arms to balance her. She nodded, but it just made the headache worse. Everything came streaming back all at once.

Memories of cherished times, of despair, of painful love. Memories of meeting under the sakura tree, memories of holding his hand, memories of taking photos together, going to art fairs, visiting picturesque landscapes, everything she cared about now was Ukyo. Her whole world revolved around one person. Her heart belonged to him.

She looked up at him, finally seeing his true beauty. He gave her a soft smile, but it faltered. “Are you… Are you crying?” he asked, moving a hand to wipe her cheek.

Ukyo looked away, dropping his hand. “Don’t waste your tears on me. I don’t want your pity.”

He grabbed her neck with surprising force and she let out a strained choke. “If the world won’t kill you now, then someone has to!” he yelled, tightening his grip. In a last ditch effort, she moved her hand and struck him across the face.

He stumbled back, letting her go. “Ukyo!” she cried out, and he looked at her as if her words burned him. She took several steps back until the back of her legs were against the edges of the bushes. Something shined in the darkness, and with a creeping dread, she realized he had not come unprepared. She was too trusting, too naive. But… maybe it was her turn to die in his stead. If their fates were opposite, and he had traveled through so many worlds to let her live, it was about time for her to let him rest.

“Ukyo! It’s okay! Just do it!” she called, opening her arms wide. Anger flared in his eyes, and she knew that she couldn’t watch any longer. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the worst.

She could almost feel the cool blade against her skin. But nothing happened. She opened her eyes, wondering if this was all a dream, and saw him, standing inches away, the knife hovering just above her skin.

She looked him in the eye, and he closed them in shame. As a final act against the world, he willed his arms to shove the knife in to his chest, doubling over in pain.

In his silence, she screamed. She tried to catch him as he fell, but crumpled beneath his dead weight. Her bare knees sank in to the grass, and she pulled Ukyo’s body closer to her, resting his head on her thighs. When she pulled her hands away, they were wet with blood. Loose blades of grass and specs of dirt stuck to her hands. “Ukyo…” she whimpered, brushing his bangs away from his eyes.

He stared back at her with his aquamarine eyes, but they had lost their luster. He was fading away. “Ukyo!” she screamed in to the sky, but her voice was not heard.

A faint touch to her hand, and she looked back down at him. “It’s okay. It’s over for me anyway. For my last time, all I wanted was to see you survive. Live a happy life,” he told her, rubbing the back of her hand.

She stared back at him, watching as her world died in her arms. “I can’t live happy with you. Please, Ukyo, you have to, you have to!” she pleaded.

He didn’t respond. She didn’t want to know if it was because he was too weak, or because he was dead. She pulled his limp body closer to hers, cradling him. Blood still pouring from his wounds stained the area around them, but she couldn’t care less.

“Whatever god is out there, hear my plea. Let him live, please. Don’t take him. I don’t care what he’s done, I don’t care at all, just let him live!” she wailed.

The world was silent then. No tree frogs or crickets released a call, no wind rustled the leaves. No owl dared to ask who?, no person considered to look out their window and ask what?, nothing. The world was silent. She couldn’t even hear a heartbeat.

Any adrenaline leftover from the furor of the night was gone. Her body gave up on her, and she slowly let herself lay down on the dirt. “Ukyo…” she whispered, then cried.

The next morning, she was still clinging to him. The park was still silent, but the rising sun was a warning that people would be coming soon. She didn’t know what to do, so she did the only thing that felt natural at that point. She closed her eyes again and buried her face in the neck of her lover. ‘It’s over.’

Her eyes snapped open, and she untangled herself from Ukyo, looking around to see who could’ve spoken, but nothing had changed. The park was still empty. She glanced down at Ukyo’s body, wondering if she was hearing things, when she saw the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Her mouth hung open in disbelief, but she refused to get her hopes up yet. She was obviously in denial, she was seeing what she wanted to see, she knew it was just a trick of the mind. But as his eyelids fluttered, she knew this was real. He blinked once, then twice, then glanced at her and smiled.

“It’s over.”

[bloomyagi]

bleed me dry (m)

summary: where Itadori is your bottom-loving boyfriend and Sukuna reluctantly learns this vessel is the real curse. or: where seduction is a dangerous game, and the King of Curses loses.

pairings: itadori x f!reader, sukuna x f!reader

warnings: subby itadori, sub sukuna (yeah you read that right), light bondage, blindfolds, sukuna’s havin a whole ‘reconsidering life’s meaning’ moment, lotta swear cause u know sukuna things, coming untouched, he faints (yeah you also read that right) and is actually unabashed about it, all things considered

length: 1,432

notes: what? me? obsessed with jjk? that doesn’t sound like me at all! 

.

.

.

His vessel is in love.

The word curdles in his mouth, tastes like ash. He has never known such a thing. It is part of his nature, he muses absently. Hardened from centuries of death and decay. Of destruction and war. He revels in it. Feels the most alive amongst the chaos.

But that’s the point. Curses can feel. They can have emotional attachment. Can’t you see? In so many ways, they’re not so different from us. He thinks you’re too loud. Your thoughts and beliefs are too loud. They’re also pointless and naïve, and he likes to pop by just to drive it home.

Hello, Sukuna. Where is the fear? Where is the resentment, the anger? The disgust? He enjoys it. But you—you just sit there and coax him into conversation like he’s another one of your classmates. Like he can’t crush your windpipe with a single flick of his hand. Like he isn’t the slow bleed of a death sentence for your lover. Like he isn’t anything at all. Like his titles and powers are stripped. What is he beyond it all? Who is he?

You ask about him sometimes. He rarely gives any indication he’s listening, but he does. Of course he does. There’s not much to do, bound and locked in this pink-haired boy. He lounges on this throne and watches his vessel pine and blush.

Sukuna watches his vessel fuck his fist and mewl your name every night.

It’s sad. “Brat,” he hisses. “Grow some balls. This is just pathetic.”

Itadori swallows. “Oh. Can you—?”

Sukuna shoves him off the ledge. A faint yelp travels, followed by a large splash. “Fuck her already. All this sitting and plotting is making my ass itch. If you won’t, I will.”

“You wouldn’t.” Sukuna tilts his head to peer down. Itadori’s eyes are narrowed, uncharacteristically solemn.

His lips bare into a slow grin. “Try me.”

Itadori blinks once. And then vanishes.

.

.

.

Fuck. It’s the only coherent thought his muddled mind can pierce together. He gazes down at his palm, opening and closing languidly. His vision is blurry, spine tingling. He raises the other hand, reaching for his palm.

Mmm. He shakes his head firmly. The sharp tinge of metallic and iron coating his tongue clears the fog a little. The pain fades quickly, muted from his years of conquest and ruin.

Every nerve is on fire. His skin, this flesh cage, burns, an unfamiliar heat curling in his lower stomach. Sukuna is no stranger to the pleasures of the flesh—is well-acquainted, spent much of the centuries indulging in his vast harems. In the haze of blood and carnage, there is the memory of writhing bodies, of soft thighs and breasts, of glazed eyes and cries of his name. Of women fucked into wanton abandon, bred and lost in the worship of his cock.

But this. This heat is foreign in every sense. In its strange intensity and all-encompassing hold. All his senses are heightened but laser focused on the other pair of hands mapping his body. On the addicting sensations they’re inducing.

Can you—? Yes. Yes, he fucking can. He can feel everything and he wants to wrap his hand around your throat and squeeze.

His eyes roll back. Ngh.

“Fucking wench,” he snarls. You’re a fuckin’ tease and if you edge him again, he is going to murder—

“Ah, ah. Watch your language, Sukuna. Ask nicely.”

He jolts. Finds his eyes cloaked in darkness, arms tied to his back and legs spread. Bare, save for a pair of briefs that’s slick and restricting. Kneeling. The sheets bunch beneath him. Every muscle in his body is tensed, body coated in a thin layer of sweat.

This position—!

“That brat—mmph!” Is that a fucking—gag? Did you just gag him? He struggles harder against the binds, but he feels your lips curl into a smile where you’re suckling against the column of his neck.

“You’re powerless here. The binds will restrict you for the next twenty-four hours … unless you can be good.” You trace the thick knots, smiling only growing at the way he lets out a muffled growl.

Every fucking sense is heightened tenfold. He’s on firefirefire. The flames consuming him inside out, like he’s being exorcised from within.  

It’s humiliating. It’s exhilarating. It feels—

“King of Curses. I want you to beg.” You’re a witch. You’re enthralling. Temptation incarnate. His head falls forward, chest heaving.

“Mmmmf!”

“What a dirty mouth,” you murmur, and his struggling is renewed when he feels your fingers dig into his thighs.

Oi, brat, he growls. What the hell is this?

His vessel is silent, but the back of his mind prickles. He’s watching. That freaky little shit.

“So stubborn. Let go. You’re good at that, aren’t you?” Fuckfuckfuck, you’re palming his cock over the thin fabric. Maybe it’s been a while, maybe there’s a little more truth lurking beneath it, but he vaguely notes he’s never been so hard before.

You—! You’re fuckin’ burning his briefs off. Ash tickles his nose. A small part of him thinks it’s hot. His cock throbs, and even without visual confirmation, he knows you’ve paused at the sheer size. His mouth curls into a lopsided smirk, dark pride making his chest swell. What was he so worked up for? You’ll just end being another one of his breeding bitches, fucked stupid by his thick, long cock.

But then you pinch his left nipple, twisting harshly. Electricity courses through him and a sound he’s never heard in his absurdly long life escape his lips, muffled by the gag. His back arcs, head hitting the mattress beneath him.

His mind blanks, eyes rolling back as white noise fills his ears.

.

.

.

He rouses slowly.

He blinks lethargically at the ceiling, gaze unfocused. Everything feels muted, limbs heavy like he’s swimming in a pool of ink. But he’s not restrained anymore. There’s a blur of movement in the corner of his eye.

He turns his head to peer at you, half-lidded.

“That’s a very nice expression,” you chuckle, moving to sit by his side. The mattress dips lightly. He lifts a hand to tug at the hem of your outfit, expression twisting at the staggering movement.

“That’s a very nice look on you,” he murmurs in response. You’re wearing one of his vessel’s dress shirts, the oversized fabric falling mid-thigh. It simultaneously swallows you and presses against your curves. Something inside him stirs. His throat feels shot, even though he knows he hasn’t had much of a chance to speak.

You help him sit up, propped against the headrest, before offering him a glass of water. His lips lift into a half-smirk and you sigh, shaking your head but acquiescing. You take a mouthful before kissing him. Water dribbles down his chin.

You wipe it away with a half-fond, half-exasperated expression. His chest tightens.

“How long—?” He tries to move, but you stop him with a firm hand. He’s conflicted at the way his body responds immediately to the touch. His temperature flares despite his obvious fatigue.

“A few hours. I asked if Yuuji would keep you out until you woke.”

There’s a pause, and the knowing look in your eye tells him you know he’s mulling it over.

And then—

He reaches for you, and you set the glass aside to climb on his lap.

He bares his fangs. “Then let’s make the most of it.”

As you press him into the bed, tongue stroking his in such a manner his brain is starting to haze over again quickly, he thinks, brat, we’re going to have a long talk after this.

Sukuna doesn’t expect an answer after his vessel’s continued vigil, so he starts when Itadori replies, she’s ours.

I don’t share, he slurs. He thinks he sees a flicker of Itadori’s grin.

You’re going to have to. Because you like her, too. And she’s the one in control, not either of us.

Dimly, Sukuna acknowledges he’s right. You might be the one bouncing on his cock, but he’s not the one fucking you, you’re the one fucking him.

Fine, he gasps as you run your nails down his abdomen. Deal.

Good, his vessel says. Because I’m next, and you better not get in the way.

He growls, eyebrows knitting.

Your smile only grows.

[below-average-fangirl]

do ALL the tgm asks <3

Haha. Okay *cracks knuckles* here we go.

1. Favorite dagger duckling

B.O.B and Phoenix - I’m cheating and having two because it’s my ask and I can. 

Phoenix: I’m dead dickhead.

Bob: See you in the afterlife Bagman.

How could you not love them?

2. Favorite line

To take that line, which is so prevalent in pop culture, and turn it into a moment that shows how grief changes over time, how it becomes a lasting connection to a loved one, and a reminder that we love and miss them is beautiful. 

3. Favorite scene

The entire Darkstar sequence is not only stunning to look at, surprisingly emotional and thrilling, but it also does a pitch-perfect job of introducing who Mav is as a character to a new audience, as well as showing the existing audience how Mav is still Mav.

"Just a little push" 

4. Scene that made you cry the most

My cry count at this film is 7

The Darkstar “Talk to me Goose”

Mav watching Rooster through the bar window

Ice/Mav meeting. “It’s time to let go.”

Iceman’s funeral

The moment Mav enters the bar to say goodbye to Penny, until the mission launch and his goodbye to Hondo

“Dagger one is hit”

Mav: Thank you for saving my life. Rooster: It’s what my dad would have done

Out of those, I think the one that really gets me every time and that I can cry about just thinking about is,

Gif by @ethanhunt

And the reason for that, as I have said elsewhere and I will be a broken record about, is that Rooster is, of course, talking about Goose... but he’s also talking about Mav. Plus, it’s tears of happiness because they’re family again.

5. Scene that made you laugh the most

Gif by @ethanhunt

You’re not expecting it on the first viewing, and it was such a fantastic way of breaking the tension because you’re relieved Rooster is okay, and they’re finally talking.

6. Underrated moment

So I want to highlight this moment between Hondo and Admiral Cain because it shows why Mav and Hondo are friends.

My other underrated moment is when Mav is in the bar watching Penny and Amelia. He’s on the outside looking in and you can see how much he craves to have that kind of life.

7. Favorite song from the soundtrack

The Man, The Legend/Touchdown 

8. Favorite character

Let's take Mav being a favorite as a given. So my non-MAV favorite is Penny. God, she’s fabulous and every time I watch the movie I love her more and more. That Oprah Winfrey gif probably sums up my feelings about her best: "She is … the mother I never had. She is … the sister everybody would want. She is the friend that everybody deserves. I don't know a better person. "

Jennifer Connelly does such an excellent job hinting at how Penny is feeling internally and the things she wants to say but can’t, the conflict that comes with loving someone like Pete.

9. Favorite flying sequence

Maverick completing the course in 2:15. It’s thrilling every single time. And to see Mav from behind in the F-18 as he’s flying is such a small detail, but it gives it so much more intensity and puts you right in there. The supporting cast do a fantastic job of reacting in character. The more I watch the movie, the more I start to well up as Mav reaches the target, with the swell of the music and the look on Cyclone’s face. And Rooster too, watching with some pride and wondering how Mav is able to fly like that and how he can to.

10. Favorite hug

No dialogue needed, the hug says everything. Tom and Jennifer do a fantastic job of imbuing that relationship with so much love, respect and unspoken history.    

11. A fan theory, that you maybe don’t subscribe to, but you find neat.

Shipping wise, Hangman and Rooster are ex-lovers. I don’t ship them personally, but I can totally see why people read there relationship that way.

A fan theory I can see, but don’t subscribe to is that the movie is a death dream, as mentioned in this article, “I’m sure you’ve heard the popular theory that Maverick died in the opening Darkstar sequence, making the rest of the movie a death dream.”

Which fits with an observation from this article. “There’s a ghostlike quality to Maverick in that scene and others — in that early bar scene, where the kids almost see past him, and then later, when he shows up in his Navy whites to say bye to Jennifer Connelly. He feels like a ghost.”

Personally, if any part were to be a death dream I think it would be after dagger one is hit.

12. Favorite shot

Gif by @indifferentvincent

And this from @rochc93 is why I love Tumblr because it’s as if you can all read my mind

[jennanydots]

I wanna...know more about Grizdots...Jennybella....

sorry this took me so long to answer! I was away for the week <3 (also I’m incapable of talking about grizadots without jellygrizadots getting involved sooo)

Jennyanydots and Grizabella are about the same age, and when they were young they were as close as two cats can be - along with Jellylorum they were tied together at the hip. It wasn’t often you saw one without the others close behind (and if they were separate you knew anything shared with one would soon reach the others ears). 

And then Grizabella left. Jenny was heartbroken, her confidant, her fellow gossip, her dance partner was suddenly just gone and this gaping hole was left behind. Jellylorum felt the pain of her leaving too, but her predisposition to helping others over addressing her own feelings made her cover them up to help Jenny. because Jenny’s heart is so big and open that when she hurts she just bleeds her pain out. she was inconsolable for a little while until it really set in that Grizabella didn’t intend to come back. Jenny and Jelly became the tight knit pair that the younger cats are familiar with, but the space that was formerly filled by Grizabella remains, subtle, but those who remember can see it in Jenny and Jelly’s eyes, especially when they forget themselves by watching young queens bloom and the blindness of young couples and lovers. 

(Grizabella’s perspective on this I can’t say much for, apart from that she was so swept up in where she’d gone off to that she barely had time to think of her lost friends, only realising her own loss and the hollow shape inside of her when she the glamour fell away.)

So when Griz returned years later to make her plea at the Ball, all of Jenny’s long hidden anger and hurt bubbled to the surface. I like to think you can see it in the way most performers play it, she’s rarely just aggressive and there’s often a level of conflict and hurt, even when she’s lashing out and pulling Victoria or other kits away. She takes a moment to take in the face she wasn’t sure would ever look into hers again, and chooses to turn her back on it. Jellylorum’s response to Grizabella’s return is much sharper, a fragile shell of anger. Her protectiveness of Jenny and her ability to hold a grudge winning out over the swelling feeling in her chest at seeing her old friend. Together they play the main role in keeping the kits who don’t remember Grizabella from reaching out to her, convincing themselves they’re keeping them from making the same mistake they did in trusting her. (I also believe this isn’t the first time they’ve warned cats away from Grizabella - but that’s probably something I should make a separate post about as I have a lot to say that’s not super relevant here.)

But then when the tribe chooses to accept Grizabella back, when Victoria and the other kits with their untainted perspective reach out to her without consequence, they realise their mistake. often it’s staged as Jelly almost leading Jenny forward to meet Grizabella, and, especially in the 1998 video, there’s so much weight to that small interaction. Jenny trembling as she takes Grizabella’s paws in hers and the weight falling from their shoulders. like maybe the past can’t be forgotten or returned to, but they can move forwards from where they are now. (also why I get SO emotional about the idea of griz stays aus, the idea of these older cats working to rekindle the relationship and the love that they used to have, how easy it is to fall back together.)

and all of this is why I adore this moment in the oasis bootleg, because Jenny is the only one to react to Griz’s presence during Moment of Happiness, only realising that space in her heart had felt whole for just a few moments when suddenly it empties again. (and the way that moment happens just before Gus’ song about the loss of days gone by, about growing older and the loneliness that comes with it. a theme I think is especially emphasised in this production.)

bittersweet note to end on but yes! they were best friends! they were in love! they were the worst gossips in the junkyard and always managed to steal the show when they danced together. deeply contrasting personalities that work so well together. pride vs care, loud vs quiet, soft vs sharp. but always able to bring out the best in each other. 

[ah-ga-seven]

Till’ The End of Summer - Chapter 9

<< series masterlist >>

Pairing: Choi Yeonjun x Reader

In a Nutshell: College!AU, Rich Kids, Friends to Lovers, Fuckboy athlete Yeonjun, Overprotective Best friend Soobin, contains all of TXT and other Idol cameos, Omnipresent perspective.

Synopsis: You and Yeonjun are caught up in a cat and mouse game because of unspoken feelings and endless pining for each others’ attention. With the summer break approaching and lots of college parties, will you finally get a chance to explore your feelings for each other; even though the world and Yeonjun’s reputation makes things complicated?

Word count: 11,5K

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Warnings: Mentions of a broken family, abusive parents, conflict and death.

Yeonjun followed his mom inside of the house he used to call home before he left for college. The familiar scent of amber and vanilla welcomed him as he stepped inside.  

The heels of his shoes made a loud ticking noise on the luxurious black marble tiled floor with each step he took. The place hadn’t changed much. The only thing different being the flower arrangements and the emptiness of the massive Villa.  

It used to be way more lively in here. There were always all sorts of visitors in the house, if it was staff, family members, or friends of his dad’s; there was never a quiet moment during the day, which made the silence even more confronting and saddening.  

He sighed putting his bag down, stretching his aching body as a result of the long drive.

“Your room is exactly how you left it.” His mom says timidly. “I guess somehow I wished you’d return home someday so I didn’t have the heart to change anything about it.”

Yeonjun looks at his mother a little puzzled. All of the emotional confessions are taking a toll on him and he isn’t quite sure what he should be saying to her.

Just as the silence was starting to get awkward, they get interrupted.

“Yeonjun? Is that you?” a voice sounds from across the hall.

Yeonjun’s ears perk up and as he makes eye contact with her, his lips curl up into a loving smile.

“Yes, Lita imo, it’s me…” he says shyly as he let the older woman hug him tightly. Lita is the head housekeeper who has been working for the family since Yeonjun could walk.

She’s the one who packed his lunches and sat with him at the dinner table when his parents were too busy working. The only person he truly missed from the household was her. So, seeing her again after all this time made his heart swell.

He just wishes the circumstances were a little different.  

She sighed as she held him at arms-length and studied him for a second. “Did you grow even more? When does it stop? You’re getting scary tall. And where did your baby cheeks go huh?” she says pinching his cheek, making sure to baby him like she used to.  

“Ah-ah-ah” he whines as she let go of his cheek. They were beaming at each other and his mother noticed. A faint smile also on her face as she watched their dynamic.

She never really noticed how close they were until now.  

“I’ll go make your bed. You must be tired from the trip.” Lita says, patting his shoulder before she makes her way up the stairs and into his old bedroom.

Yeonjun watched her go up with a small smile and sighed contently.

He followed his mother into the formal living room and sat down on the couch, letting his fingers graze over the velvety material.

“So…where is he?” he asks looking at his mom.

“He’s in the hospital.”

“Do we go…tonight?” He asks, uncertainty evident in his tone of voice.

“Yes, but let’s have some dinner first alright? I told Lita to make your favourite.”

“I can’t believe you stole the tournament bus,” Taehyun says clicking his tongue.

“It’s not stealing if I have a key.” Soobin argues back. “Besides how else were we all going to fit in the same car.”

The small bus had space for exactly 7 people, so you were glad it was even an option. Soobin being the team captain and all had its perks. He has keys to almost every facility and even the fucking school building.  

“I hope this little stunt doesn’t get me suspended,” he says nervously biting his lip.

“No one will notice it’s missing hyung, it’s summer break.” Hueningkai retorts as he leans forward to pat Soobin on the back. Hueningkai was seated next to Taehyun in the middle row, while you and Beomgyu cozied up together in the back seats as Mia assisted Soobin with navigating in the front seat.

If the situation was any different, this could have accounted for a fun road trip with your friends, but the reality of things was a lot more somber.  

“No, baby no! It’s a left here.” Mia panics as Soobin misses the exit.

“You said the next one!” he whines, slightly raising his voice.

“This is the next one!”  

“Ugh, great. That at least an hour detour,” Taehyun states yanking the phone from Mia’s grip to inspect the route.

“Don’t get annoyed with each other already, we’ve been driving for only an hour,” you say interrupting the couples’ arguing.  

Everyone was tense. None of you knew what the fuck you were even driving towards, where you would stay, what you would do when you’d see him.  It was a permanent decision made on temporary feelings and you were anxious, to say the least, and given everyone’s attitudes, so were they.  

“Well originally it was only 5 more hours, but thanks to someone it turned into 6.” Soobin says, which made Mia glare at him venomously.  

“We’ll be lucky if we arrive before midnight with breaks included.” Taehyun states calculating quickly as he passes the phone back to Mia.

Beomgyu was asleep with his head on your shoulder, ignoring all the banter. You envied his ability to fall asleep anywhere at any time and sighed as you fixed a piece of his hair.

“It’s not the end of the world guys.” Hueningkai says calming them down. “I know we’re all nervous and every second counts, but we don’t even have a plan for when we get there,”  

“The plan is to be there for him.” Soobin says tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

“No matter what.”

Yeonjun stood frozen on his feet with his hand on the doorknob to his fathers’ private hospital suite. The amount of security he had to go through was of insane proportions. If his mom wasn’t there to confirm that his dad indeed had a son, he was sure he wouldn’t even be able to enter on his own.

He let go of the knob and inhaled sharply before turning around to face his mother.

“I can’t do this,” he says with a shaky voice while his enlarged pupils dart to his mothers’ equally dark ones.

“Do you want me to go with you?” She asked putting a comforting hand on his shoulder as her brows furrow in concern.

Yeonjun thinks about it for a second but shakes his head in reply.  

If he’s gonna do it, he’ll do it by himself. Though the presence of his friends would have helped, that wasn’t an option.

“I’ll be right here if you need me.” His mother assures, and for some reason, that small sentence of encouragement was all he needed. Hell, it was the most encouragement he’s gotten from his mom his entire life, so he took it with both hands.

He nodded to himself, his demeanor shifting to a much more confident one as the look in his eyes changed while twisting the doorknob.

He peaked his head through, knocking on the door softly. The view of his father was blocked by the figure of a nurse but as she turned to look at who was at the door, his father was in full view.

His mom was right, his condition was bad.

The once so powerful and unbreakable businessman Daniel Choi looked everything but those things.

He had lost a lot of weight, his cheeks sunken, hair gray. His lips were chapped and dry, as was his skin. All in all, he looked sick, and far more dead than alive.

Yeonjun’s eyes widened at the sight. There was no way that Yeonjun wanted to show empathy towards the man but somehow, he felt bad for him.  

“Yeonjun, right?” the nurse says as she smiles at Yeonjun warmly.

He just nods in response and notices how his dad has only been staring at the wall in front of him, not responding to anything that was going on.

Yeonjun closes the door behind him and walks towards the nurse, keeping his eyes on his dad.

“He’s sedated to cope with the pain. He can hear you and see you. He responds if you get close enough, though it might take some time for him to process what is going on around him.”

Yeonjun nervously bit his lip, the sudden wave of emotions he was feeling becoming too much for him. He didn’t anticipate this, he thought he could have at least had one last normal conversation with him.

“Does he even remember me?” Is the first thing he says, the sound of his voice made Daniel’s head snap into Yeonjun’s direction and it startled Yeonjun.

His father’s fingers started to twitch in response. His movement became more demanding and the nurse immediately went over to him to calm him down.

“All he’s been asking for the past few weeks is you, Yeonjun. I think he’s surprised to see you too,” she says as she gives your dad a slight smile, patting his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.

All Daniel was looking at was Yeonjun. He kept trying to lift his hand to motion to Yeonjun that he should come closer, but the message wasn’t quite clear.

Yeonjun didn’t know what to do, he stood awkwardly frozen in place as he watched his dad become more and more restless.

“Do I need to leave?” He asked a little distressed.

“No, I actually think he wants you to come closer, it’s okay. You can sit next to him on the stool. He’ll appreciate it,” she says holding out her hand as she motions for him to approach.

He took a deep breath and looked his father in the eye once more as he walked towards the bed.  

His dad seemed to calm down as Yeonjun sat down beside him. His eyes scanning his son's face. He was able to grab Yeonjun’s hand, which surprised him, but he didn’t have the heart to pull away.

“I’ll give you two some space, if anything happens; press that button above his bed” the nurse says pointing toward the rectangular looking remote.

Yeonjun nodded, giving her a last look as she walked out. When the door closed behind her, he averted his attention back to his father. Sighing loudly as he looked at their intertwined fingers.

“You must really be out of your mind if you’re voluntarily holding my hand.” Yeonjun thinks out loud, speaking under his breath as he stares at their hands.

He felt tears prickle his eyes. His bottom lip trembling as the first tear escapes his eye.

He felt his father squeeze his hand, which made him look up at him.

“I really do hate you.” Yeonjun says in between sobs. “I do. I hate you.”

His father just looked at him, blinking a couple of times to show that he understands.

“So why the fuck am I even crying,” he huffs. This is a rhetorical question of course. He knows exactly why he’s crying. He’s crying because he’s powerless.

Yeonjun tears turned into frustration as he yanks his hand from his dad’s grasp. Angrily wiping his tears away as he collects himself.  

“You can hear everything right?”  

No response.

“Can you blink once for yes and twice for No.”  

One blink.

Yeonjun sniffed nodding to himself as he organizes his thoughts. “Ok. So, we can communicate,” he thinks out loud.

His confidence returned, he rolls his shoulders back and places his hands on his thighs as he straightens out his posture.

“Why did you want me here?” Yeonjun asks getting straight to the point.

Daniel cocked his head to the side to show confusion, but his fathers’ confusion to the question only confused Yeonjun more.

“You wouldn’t tell mom why you wanted to see me. So why did you.”

His father tried to speak, but it was to no avail as he gave up quickly. Sighing in frustration at the fact that he couldn’t form words.

“Right, that’s not a yes or no question.” Yeonjun realizes, crossing his legs as he buries his face in his hands, lightly massaging his own scalp to release the tension in his brain.

After a few seconds he looks up, catching his dad staring at him intensely. Yeonjun uncomfortably shifted in his seat, noticing how his dad was getting more restless as he tried his best to form words.

“T-t-table.”

Yeonjun’s mouth fell agape to the sound of his dad's voice. “The table? Which table?” he asks getting up. Looking around frantically to catch any clues to what his dad is trying to tell him.

He followed his fathers’ gaze and quickly walked towards the expensive-looking mahogany table in the left corner of the room.

His eyes fall on an envelope with his name on it. His fingers ghost over the paper material, scanning it thoroughly as he picks it up.

He looks back at his dad who was still staring back at him. Yeonjun nodded. Taking the envelope with him as he sat back down on the stool.

“You want me to read this?” he asks, which earned one clear blink.

“Alright.” Yeonjun sighs as he opens the letter.  

“To Yeonjun.” he reads aloud.  

I don’t know whether or not you will read this when I’m dead or alive, but that’s not the point. After you’ve read this, make sure no one else does.

Even if you think I didn’t show interest in your life, I watched your every move. I know about your schoolwork, your team, your friends, the girl you like. I know it all.  

I’ve had people watch you for me ever since I found out I was dying. Which has been years now. I made them write me reports on your character, your skills, and the way people perceive you and I have to say, I was surprised, to say the least.  

You have proven yourself to be a leader rather than a follower. You are passionate, hard-working, smart and competent and will do literally anything to fight for your goals.

The only reason you are all of these things is because you had to work for it. You were never emotionally cradled as a child and from an early age you were aware that success is something you don’t just gain without a bead of sweat

You have seen the world at its darkest before you could feel what true happiness is, and that was not done unintentionally.

Your upbringing might have been tough. But it’s what you needed to become the ruthless and determined person that you are today.  

That same ruthlessness and determination are what Choi Enterprises needs. Which brings me to the point of this letter.

There is no other person on the planet that I entrust with the future of Choi Enterprises other than you.

I don’t trust your mother and therefore I cannot let the company fall into the hands of your mother and her cunning family.  

For your entire life, all I did was make sure you were ready for this moment. And even though it came earlier than anticipated, If you sign the attached documents. It’s all yours effective immediately.  

Power comes with a price that I was willing to pay.  

And I hope that you will too.

-  Daniel Choi.  

Yeonjun blinks a couple of times to let it all register to him. He lifts his head from the paper and looks at his father's hopeful expression.

“You spied on me.” he says in disbelief.

“You spied on me, but you couldn’t send me a birthday card?”  It was a figure of speech, though his dad got what he meant.

Anger filled Yeonjun’s senses. The audacity this took from his father is on another level of crazy.

He got up, kicking the stool he sat on aggressively, making it fall to the floor with a loud thud.

His dad didn’t even flinch. He just kept staring at Yeonjun with the same look from before.

“Tell me.”

Yeonjun says as he inches his face closer to his father.

“Do you regret it?”

Daniel cocked his head to the side in confusion and waited for Yeonjun to continue.

“Do you regret being an abusive piece of shit? The whole, you needed to live through it to become strong shit isn’t cutting it for me. Do you regret it? Yes or No.”

Yeonjun was seething. He was inches away from his dad, fists balled, wrinkling the letter and attached documents in his left hand as a result of his strength as he anticipated his fathers’ answer.

The look in Daniel’s eyes went cold followed by two blinks.

“No.” Yeonjun scoffs. “Of course, you don’t.”  

Yeonjun took a step back, clearing his throat as he swallowed his anger with it.

“Well in that case…” he says inspecting the papers in his hands. He held it in front of his line of sight, making sure his dad can see what he’s about to do.

He held on to each side of the pile of papers, ripping it in half slowly.  

“Take that contract to your fucking grave.” He spits as he throws it into the nearest trash can.  

His dad started to panic, convulsing aggressively in his bed. Gulping for air as he tried his best to move and speak at the same time.

Yeonjun pressed the distress button and stormed out of the room, not bidding his dad another look.  

He slammed the door behind him, startling his mother who was waiting for him in the hall.

“Yeonjun!” she yelled after him. She quickly looked back to the room her husband was in, shocked with the sight of multiple nurses trying to hold him down.

She didn’t hesitate to run after Yeonjun, catching him in the hallway.

“Yeonjun wait a second!”  

He halted his long strides, breathing heavily as he turned around on his heels.

“What happened in there?” his mother asks wide-eyed as she lays a hand on his shoulder in order to calm him down.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he says clenching his jaw, shaking his mothers hand off of his shoulder.

“Okay…whenever you’re ready.” she tries carefully, trying not to tick him off any further.  

“Let’s go home. You’ve been through enough today.”  

“Hyung are you sure you put in the right address?” Hueningkai asks wide-eyed as he got out of the van first.

“This can’t be it,” Taehyun says with his mouth agape.  “This isn’t even considered a house. It looks like a damn palace.”  

“I knew Yeonjun’s family was loaded but this…” Mia remarks.

You get out of the car, your mouth going dry as you look at the biggest house you’ve seen in your life. It was modern, yet rustic. The home had huge windows and white pillars and there was a huge stone staircase that lead up to the front door.

“How many bathrooms do you think they have?” Beomgyu gulps, his eyes darting from one side of the house to the other.

“Really? That’s what’s important right now?” Taehyun argues

“I’m just curious,” Beomgyu says rolling his eyes.

“Well..let’s….knock?” Soobin says with uncertainty peeking through his voice.

You take a deep breath, calming your nerves as you didn’t know what you would walk into. You weren’t sure how Yeonjun would feel to see you again or to see any of you right now. You had hoped the 6 turned 7-hour drive wasn’t for nothing, and that you could talk to Yeonjun with a clear mind.

Soobin took the lead with the rest of you trailing behind him. He sighed looking back at you guys before he built up the courage to ring the doorbell.

All of you were dead silent, anticipating for the door to be opened.

After a few more seconds, the large double doors open automatically, with a timid rather small lady standing in the doorway with an equally confused expression on her face to match yours.

That can’t be his mother? Right? They look nothing alike.

“Ehm…can I help you? It’s close to midnight? You do realize this is private property?” Lita says looking at the group with suspicion.

“Ehm, Hi mam, my name is Soobin, these are my friends…well…Yeonjun’s friends. We kind of…followed him here.” Soobin stammers incoherently. “But with good intent! We just…want to be there for him because…well…we think he’s having a hard time and-“

“Soobin.” You say shutting him up. “I think she gets it.”

Yeonjun heard multiple voices at the front door and came down the stairs out of curiosity. As he turns the corner, seeing a raven-haired tall figure at the front. He knew exactly who it was.

His eyes widened as his pace quickened, walking towards the voices a little faster.

You saw Yeonjun emerge from behind the lady, and when his eyes landed on all of you, he stood frozen on his feet next to her. The first one he made eye contact with is you.

The two of you stared at each other for a few seconds before the smaller lady interrupted the moment.

“Yeonjun, do you know these people?” She asks with a much kinder tone as she speaks to him.

“Y-yes, these are my friends,” Yeonjun says breaking eye contact with you, looking at the rest.

“How did you find out where I lived?”

“Y/n found out actually…there was a box in your room with the address on it…under your bed,” Mia says jumping in.

Yeonjuns eyes landed on you once again, giving you a small smile which you reciprocated, not knowing what else to do.  

“Hyung, if you don’t want us here, I’m so sorry. But the way you left, we were worried and-”

Soobin couldn’t finish his sentence before Yeonjun pulled him towards him with a hard pull. The two hugged for a few seconds before Yeonjun let go, putting his hand on Soobin's shoulder as he looked at all of you with pure affection.

“I can’t believe you came all the way here…I don’t know what to say,” he says scratching the back of his head, still a little lost for words.

“How about, come in. It’s freezing.” Beomgyu says giving the older one a bitter smile as he chatters his teeth dramatically to show that he was cold.

Yeonjun chuckled, stepping aside so all of you could enter. And so, you did.  

All of your jaws dropped at the interior and detail that went into the decoration of the place. The hall was huge and connected all of the separate rooms and wings together. Apart from the dark tiled floors, the colour scheme was light. Different shades of whites and nudes made up the interior. It was stylish, yet classic at the same time, with pops of colours from different flowers in huge vases.

“Do I need to prepare the guest rooms?” Lita asks a little flustered at the sudden appearance of 6 more guests.  

Ah…so she’s the housekeeper, you think to yourself as you snap back to reality.

Mia nudged you, mouthing a subtle ‘Marry him’ to you, which you roll your eyes at.

“Uhm, yes. If you don’t mind. Thank you, Lita.” Yeonjun says bidding her a quick nod as Lita walks off quickly.

Yeonjun’s attention focused on all of you again, and Hueningkai barged his way through, ready to hug Yeonjun tightly.  

“Hyung, are you okay? What happened?” he asks as he rubbed the older one’s belly while he still clung onto him like he always does.

His mother stood at the top of the stairs, unnoticed by any of you. She looked at the dynamic of all of you, especially looking at how clingy Hueningkai was with her son. She didn’t peg Yeonjun to be the type for physical affection like this.

A smile crept on her face, moved by the fact that his friends would go to these lengths to be there for him.

She tied her robe around herself, making her way down the stairs. And as she did so, Beomgyu noticed. He nudged Taehyun and motioned for him to look up, so he did, followed by all of you as you fell silent.  

Yeonjun looked in the same direction all of you were focusing your gazes on, and immediately understood why you fell quiet like that.

As she made her way down the stairs, you got a closer look at her face, and the resemblance she had to Yeonjun was almost scary.

“Yeonjun? Who are these people?” Her voice was clear and warm, a little raspy cause she was probably asleep before you invaded her home.

She scanned everyones faces but when her eyes landed on you, they lingered on you, and it made you feel incredibly self-conscious.

Your paranoid ass started to get insecure, thinking she knew something about your relationship with her son, but her attention was quickly averted as Yeonjun spoke up.

“Is it okay if they stay here?” he asked politely.  

“Of course, make yourselves at home. Any friend of Yeonjun’s is welcome here. If you all move to the living room so you can talk, I’ll go make some tea.”

“Thanks, mom.”  

This whole dialogue confused all of you. To your knowledge, their relationship was questionable. But this seemed like a regular Mother and Son dynamic.

His mother disappeared in the massive hall as Yeonjun motioned for all of you to walk towards the living room. He knew he had a lot of explaining to do but he was dying to know why you were here after everything he said to you.

He was sure that no matter the circumstance, you’d never want to see him again. Yet here you were, looking at him with those big doe eyes of yours.  

As the rest of the group admired the rest of the house, walking towards the living room, Yeonjun stopped you by tugging at your elbow lightly.  

Your heart raced as he touched you, you looked down, hooking your pinkie in his before you looked up at his face.

His eyes were sad, apologetic, and insecure. “I…didn’t expect you to come with them…” he says looking at your intertwined fingers.

You sighed, rubbing comforting circles into his palm with your thumb. “Let’s talk later ok?” you say giving him a small yet reassuring smile. He nodded, letting go of your hand, leading you into the formal living room.

He caught Beomgyu playing with an antique object and Yeonjun’s brotherly side immediately kicked in. “If you break that you’re gonna have to work all of your life to repay my mother,” he says sternly as he sat down in the chair opposite from the couch all of you were seated on.

Beomgyu quickly let go of the weird-looking object and cleared his throat. “Ok, spill the beans hyung. What’s going on?” He asks as he sat down on the armrest of Yeonjun’s chair.  

Yeonjun sighed, not quite knowing where to start.

“First of all. I owe all of you an apology,” he starts choking up a little.

“Hyung…” Taehyun says, his eyes getting sad as he watched Yeonjun protectively.

The mood in the room suddenly shifted as Yeonjun sighed. You could swear his eyes were getting watery, and there was nothing more that you wanted than to hold him in your arms right now. You wanted to comfort him and tell him everything was going to be okay, but you had no idea what was going on yet.

His mother emerged from the entrance with a tray full of teacups and cookies. She put down the tray and stood beside Yeonjun in silence.

“I’m sorry for acting the way I did on the night of the party. The way I acted towards you guys was uncalled for, especially towards you… y/n.”

You lock eyes with him again, and you feel his mothers’ eyes on you as well.

Hueningkai sat down in front of Yeonjun on the floor, putting a comforting hand on his knee.  

Yeonjun gave him a small smile. Out of nervousness, Soobin grabbed Mia’s hand and squeezed it as all of you anticipated his next words.

“That night, I stayed at my uncle's house. The next morning my mom showed up to talk to me. It took some time but…we found some type of middle ground and I agreed to come back home with her for a while.”  

“So…what was the family emergency?” Soobin asks a little confused.

Yeonjun inhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. He fell quiet for a second, suddenly noticing the room full of people that cared enough about him to drive all the way across the country to comfort him in a situation they didn’t know of, even though he was being a complete asshole.  

He didn’t know what he did to deserve them. He looked at them individually and his heart started to swell with the intense amount of love he felt for them.

He looked at Beomgyu’s arm around him, Hyuka’s comforting hand on his knee, Soobin’s worried and glistening eyes to match Taehyun’s, Mia’s protectiveness, and your patient yet scared facial expression.

He bit his lip, getting emotional and he felt Beomgyu pull him closer.

“My dad is counting his last days,” he says looking at the floor.

You didn’t know about anyone else, but this was the last thing you expected.

The room fell silent apart from a few gasps. Your heart sank to your stomach and tears start to prickle your eyes as you watch him struggle to contain his emotions. His lip was slightly trembling, his hand covering his mouth as his eyes were big and sad.

“Oh, Yeonjun…” Mia sighs as she rubs Soobin’s back to comfort him as well.

Soobin isn’t one to cry but seeing the people he loves the most go through pain is absolutely heartbreaking to him. He wiped a single tear from his eyes and so did Taehyun as he sighed loudly.

Yeonjun huffed, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes to look at his friends. “Don’t cry. Stop, please.” He starts.  

“It’s going to sound awful, but I’m not sad that he’s dying. My dad was…is a horrible person. He was abusive, manipulative, and unreasonable. There was no one I feared more than that man. Every time I closed my eyes at night I wasn’t scared of aliens and monsters under my bed, I was scared of him coming into my room to yell at me or hit me. I think I’m sadder about the fact that I’ll never get an apology out of him for ruining me. I’ll never hear him say that he was wrong for the things that he did to me as a kid and that’s the hardest pill to swallow.” Yeonjun confessed all in one go.

You swallowed harshly, trying to suppress a sob. Taehyun noticed that you were having a hard time, so he put his arm around you, making you lean into him by subtly pulling you towards him.

“I went to see him today, and even though we couldn’t really communicate the way I hoped we would, he made it clear to me that he wasn’t sorry.”  

“What…” Soobin says in disbelief. “He wasn’t remorseful at all?”

“No.” Yeonjun shook his head, contemplating if he should tell them about the contract and the company, but given the fact that his mother was in the room; he decided against it.

He didn’t know if he could trust her, for all he knew she could be after the money and the company herself. Knowing his mother, she could be just as ruthless as her dad when it came to business matters.

“Yeonjun, we’re here for you. Seriously. If you need anything at all just tell us. We won’t be leaving unless you tell us to.” Soobin states confidently as they look each other in the eye. His words made Yeonjun feel assured, and he bid Soobin a small smile. It was nice knowing that he wouldn’t be going through this alone.

He took a deep breath, shaking the sadness off of him. “Thank you guys for coming, seriously. I think I needed all of you more than I thought I would.”

“Of course,” Hueningkai says.

“Anytime, we’re family,” Beomgyu says as he squeezed Yeonjun’s shoulder.

You heard a small scoff from the left corner of the room and saw his mother with her arms crossed.  

You narrowed your eyes at her, raising your brow.

“Friends are friends, family is family,” she says, genuinely believing her own words.

Everyone was looking at her by now, as was Yeonjun who just sighed, ignoring her.

You don’t know why, but suddenly you feel a surreal amount of anger boiling in the pit of your stomach. You scoff at her statement which made Mia give you a warning look.

“We’ve been more of a family to him than you have been his whole life,” you say clear as day before you can think of the damage that you’ve just done, and just like that the atmosphere turned cold.

Yeonjun’s eyes widened, looking at you in shock.

Soobin uncomfortably shifted in his seat and Taehyun gave you a ‘bitch what the fuck was that’ look.

“Excuse me?” his mother’s tone changed completely. The once so soft-spoken woman turned into the ice queen herself and gave you a look that would normally make you run the opposite direction, but you held your ground by staring back at her fiercely.  

“What she means is…” Taehyun jumps in quickly. “That we truly are a family, we’d go to hell and back for each other and that’s a fact…mam,” he says as politely as humanly possible.

You try your best not to roll your eyes, which Yeonjun noticed. He had an amused smile on his lips, which his mother then noticed and suddenly it clicked to her. You were the girlfriend who wasn’t his girlfriend. The girl that stole her son’s heart, and the girl that talked back to her in her own home.

“It’s getting late. I suggest everyone gets some sleep. You all must be tired from the long drive. We don’t know what is waiting for us tomorrow and if you are sticking by his side like you all say you are, then we better get some good night’s rest.” She says almost diplomatically, perfectly enunciating every word as if she rehearsed it.

You honestly didn’t even think of sleeping, you wanted to talk to Yeonjun, clear the air between you two, and comfort him to your best ability. He just told you his dad was dying, and his feelings were disregarded so quickly that it shocked you.

In your household, a revelation like this would result in hours upon hours of talking about your feelings, whereas in Yeonjun’s home. Feelings are seen as a temporary burden. It was scary how quickly the mood switched from emotional to almost business-like, but Yeonjun didn’t know any better. He was wired the exact same way as his mother because that’s how he had learned to deal with his feelings.

It’s like he only allowed himself to feel true emotion for a little while, seeing it as impractical to be vulnerable. This household really did feel like a business deal, which made your heartache for Yeonjun even more.

Soobin was the first to get up, stretching his tall body before he helped Mia to her feet as well.

Lita emerged from the entrance to lead all of you upstairs to your respective guest rooms.  

Soobin and Mia shared a room, as did Hueningkai and Taehyun. Beomgyu and yourself, however, got rooms to yourselves with attached bathrooms in a whole different wing than the others.

From the outside, his house looked enormous, but from the inside, it was even bigger. You were already getting lost in the halls even though you were in a group. You had no idea where you came from every time you turned a corner and Yeonjun noticed how lost you were, chuckling to himself a little as he walked closely behind you.

You were the last one to be appointed to a room, as everyone else was already settling down.

“This is where you’ll be staying miss.” Lita says as she points to the door across from Beomgyu’s room.

You nod sheepishly, turning the doorknob. Your mouth fell agape at the sight of the room. You could swear it was as big as your apartment. The interior was classic, yet modern. And looking at the way the bed was made you were almost scared to wrinkle the bedsheets.

You swallow harshly, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.

“This will do, right? If not, I have a bigger option at the end of the hall.”

“N-no, this is fine, more than fine,” you stutter.

Yeonjun stood behind Lita, leaning against the doorframe with a shit-eating grin on his face.

He was enjoying your flustered state, as it took a lot to get your smart-ass anywhere close to dumbfounded.  

You saw the playfulness in his eyes, and you cursed at yourself for being so obviously impressed with everything.

“If you need anything just give me a call with the house phone. The number is on your bedside table. Goodnight.” Lita says giving you a warm smile.

“Goodnight…” you mutter timidly as you close the door behind you after you watched Yeonjun walk off with her.

You lean your head against the doorframe, your mind spinning with all of the things that happened in such a short time frame.  

You sigh, throwing your bag on the bed. You decided to take a quick shower. The attached bathroom looked like one out of a magazine, so it took some time for you to adjust and figure out how to set the right temperature for the faucet.  

You really needed that shower to clear your mind and relax your muscles. You were basically clenching your butt cheeks the whole night out of nervousness, and you could already feel the muscles in your body getting sore. You sigh, finishing up your routine and slipping into an oversized shirt to sleep in.

During your whole routine, all you could think of was Yeonjun, and how badly you wanted to be alone with him right now.  

You stare at the ceiling as you laid on your back, completely engulfed in the soft sheets and pillows of the bed.  

You were wondering how he was doing, if he was thinking of you or if he was asleep.  

You sit up, turning on the bedside lamp as you reach for your phone, ready to text or call him but your actions were interrupted as you heard soft knocks on your door.

Your eyes widened, knowing damn well that it was him.

You put your phone aside and crawled out of the bed with lightning speed. 

When you opened the door and locked eyes with him, you launched yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his frame to hug him tightly.

He was surprised by your affection, wrapping his arms around you as well to hold you even tighter.

He closed his eyes as he buried his face in your hair, appreciating the moment.

God, he missed you.

You walked backwards, still in his hold as he closed the door behind him skillfully with his foot.

He let go of you slowly, grabbing your face as he searched for answers in your eyes for questions he hadn’t asked yet, but when you looked at him with the same longing facial expression as his, he knew enough.

He inched his face closer to yours, pulling you in for a soft and needy kiss that you yearned for so much. You stabilized yourself by holding on to his wrists as he kissed you with so much passion and hunger, that your mind went foggy. He pulled away slowly. Leaning his forehead against yours as you both try to catch your breath.

“Hi,” you say shyly, smiling up at him.

Your cuteness made him chuckle softly. “Hey,” he replies, letting go of you reluctantly.  

You sit down on the bed and pat the spot next to you as a way of telling him to sit there. He complies and you face him, looking into his tired eyes.

You remove a stray piece of hair that was prickling his eyes and sigh.

“Tell me how you’re feeling, honestly,” you say taking a hold of his hand.

He takes a deep breath, knowing he can’t bullshit with you. “I’m not sure,” he confesses.

“It’s like one second I’m fine, and I forget what’s happening and the next I’m sad and angry. I feel bipolar,” he says letting himself fall flat to the bed.  

You sigh, scooting closer to him. “That’s perfectly normal. I’m glad you’re still able to feel something given everything you’ve been through.”  

He sighs loudly pulling you down with him, so you were situated on his chest. You comply, knowing that he needed you close for comfort, and to be really honest with yourself, you missed the feeling of having him close like this. You stay like that for a while, enjoying each other’s presence in the silence before he decided to break it.

“I’m so fucking sorry y/n,” he says in almost a whisper as he plays with your hair, lost in thought.

You stay silent, getting sad as you think back to your explosive fight. “I should have never slapped you,” you admit choking up. The fact that you did was something you couldn’t get out of your mind nor forgive yourself for. Especially after Soobin told you about his abusive childhood, all you could do was hate yourself for it.  

Yeonjun noticed the crack in your voice and sits up immediately with you still in his arms.  

“Y/n if I was you, I would have done more than just slapped me in the face, I deserved that. It’s okay,” he says shushing you, caressing your cheek in order to calm you down.

You take a deep breath, blinking away the fluid in your eyes before you start to speak. “No, it’s not. And let’s not sugar-coat it. We were both wrong, and we were both right at the same time. I just don’t understand how we go from paradise to hell in a matter of seconds Yeonjun, it’s what scares me about us.”  

He just nods, not being able to counter act your statement because you were right.  

The not being able to live with or without each other was a level of toxicity that you swore you’d never fall for. But yet here you are, wrapped up in the arms of the man who basically told you his best friend could have you now that he’s done with you.

You can’t even tell him how many times those words rang through your head like a painful mantra, but that’s the last thing that you want to burden him with right now.

“I forgive you,” you say breaking the silence. “I really do. I know you only said those things to push me away because you’re afraid to let me in, but you’re not the only one that’s scared Yeonjun. So am I. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about anyone and that’s just…’  

“Scary,” he says, finishing your sentence.

“Yeah..”

Yeonjuns shoulders fell, giving you a kiss on your forehead. “We can figure out what all of this means for us later, but for now I’m just really, really happy you’re here right now.”  

You nod in agreement, kissing his jaw affectionately before you wrap your arm around his waist again, and suddenly his mind flashed back to the little altercation between you and his mother.

“I can’t believe you talked back to my mom like that.” He snorts as he pulls you back down again, making himself comfortable with you laying across his chest. 

“I’m sorry but it was the fucking hypocrisy that did it for me,” you huff a little annoyed as you think back to the moment.

Yeonjun just chuckles, and you feel his chest vibrate as he does so. “I don’t know. I get what you mean but she’s been trying. I can’t move forward with her if I don’t give her a chance to change but…I don’t trust her yet,” he says lost in thought.

“What don’t you trust her with?”  

Yeonjun bit the inside of his cheek, contemplating if he should tell you about the whole ordeal with his dad this afternoon, but since he wanted your opinion on the matter, he decided to tell you.  

“I told you guys I went to visit my dad, right?” He says rubbing your back absentmindedly.

You nod, looking up at him. “What happened?”

“He wrote me a letter saying that he’s been keeping tabs on me, and that he wants me to take over the business because he doesn’t’ trust my mom.”

“Wow, wow, wow. What?” you say sitting up again.

“Yeah, that was a very rough summary,” he says propping himself up on his elbows to look at you.

“He kept tabs on you?”

“He had people spy on me. It’s scary baby, he even knew of you.”  

Your eyes widen in shock. It’s like you were suddenly involved as a pawn in a very complex game of chess and you didn’t know what to think of it.  

“And he wants you to take over Choi Enterprises?”

Yeonjun just nods, looking up at the ceiling.

“Well…are you?”

“It’s never what I wanted. And It’s not like I want to grant his dying wish or anything like that but…”

“But?”

“It is my birthright.”  

You blink a couple of times, letting his words register. If Yeonjun was seriously contemplating whether or not to take the position of acting CEO, you were sure he wouldn’t need some lame college degree to back him up. He’d drop out of school; move back to his hometown and you’d never see him again. Selfishly it’s not what you wanted, but it wasn’t about you. It was about him.

“If I just let my mom run the company, I could always roll in if I wanted to, but if I would go behind her back and acquire the position myself, it’d break the little trust we built.”

“What if your mom is just using your good heart to get to that position herself?” You ask thinking out loud.

“You think she’d do that?” Yeonjun says genuinely interested, not offended at all by the assumption. If anything, he was happy to have someone to talk to, so he could look at the situation from multiple perspectives.

“I mean…what do you really know about her?” You ask tracing patterns on his chest with your fingers to keep yourself occupied.

Yeonjun looked at you, biting his lip as he got lost in thought again.  

“My dad did mention something in the letter about her, and her quote ‘cunning family’ being after Choi Enterprises, but I don’t know it just…seems like a stretch. My mom knows I don’t have interest in the company.”  

You halt your movements, laying back down on his chest as you make yourself comfortable.

He looked down at you lovingly, giving you a quick kiss on your lips when you looked up at him again.

“Maybe ask him about it. I can come with you if you want. First thing in the morning.”  

Yeonjun’s brows raised in surprise. “You’d do that?” he asks a little baffled at the fact that you’d voluntarily throw yourself in a lion’s den for him. This wasn’t just like visiting a relative in the hospital, there was so much more at stake that even Yeonjun himself couldn’t fathom right now.

You nod, not having to think twice about it. “Anything for you.”

The two of you fell asleep like that, wrapped up in each others’ warmth with your arms and legs tangled together. It was the best sleep both of you had gotten in the past couple of days. Though it was a short night, you were well-rested.

At around 8 AM you texted Soobin that Yeonjun and yourself went out to talk to each other in private when in reality you were going to visit the hospital to see Yeonjun’s dad. You were sure everyone was still in deep sleep and that you’d be back before they’d notice, but it felt better to at least let someone know that you left the house together.

The car ride was silent, nerves eating at the both of you as you held hands while he drove. He was nervously biting the inside of his cheek like he always does, and never let go of your hand the whole way.

As you walk through the endless halls of the hospital and pass security to the VIP section; you started to get more intimidated by the level of security present. They let Yeonjun through without a word and you trailed behind him with big eyes as you held onto his hand tightly.

He sighed, turning around to look at you as he stops in front of a massive double door. “Last time I saw him I stormed out in anger. Even when he’s not responsive he makes my blood boil and I honestly don’t want you to see me like that if it happens again.” He confesses as he looks at you seriously.  

You sigh, squeezing his hand as reassurance. “I don’t care. I’m not leaving your side.”  

Yeonjun nodded, taking a deep breath before he prepared himself as he opened the door to his fathers’ VIP area, but the sight he was welcomed with, was the last one he expected.

You noticed how he froze, and you frowned, standing on your toes to peek over his shoulder but your heart dropped to your stomach as you saw and heard what was going on.

Doctors and nurses were frantically trying to resuscitate Yeonjun’s father.  

“CLEAR!”  

The loud and continuous beeping of the heart monitor, followed by the charging sounds of the defibrillator was all the confirmation you needed to know that he was flatlining.

Panic was evident, and you knew that despite all the efforts of the doctors, chances were little to nothing that they’d be able to bring him back, given the state he was already in.

Your gasp was noticed by a few nurses and doctors which made one of them groan in disapproval.  

“How did they get in here!? No one is allowed inside.” The doctor huffs before he charged the defibrillator again.

“CLEAR!”

Yeonjun watched his father’s body contort as the joules of electricity were charged through his chest, but it was to no avail.  

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” One of the nurses says as she blocks the view.

Yeonjun pupils darted from his father to the doctors. He was in pure shock and unable to comprehend was going on before you lightly tugged at his hand. 

“Yeonjun,” you say in almost a whisper, trying to snap him out of it as you squeeze his hand.

“I-I’m his son,” Yeonjun says in an attempt to stick around. The same nurse from the day before gave him an apologetic look as she slowly pushed him out the door, while another doctor closed the curtain.

“I’m really sorry Yeonjun, but it’s protocol. You have to wait outside.”  

She closed the door behind her and left the two of you completely paralyzed in the halls of the VIP ward.  

Yeonjun turned around, leaning his back to the wall as his legs became weak. He slowly crouched down, and the sight broke your heart into a million pieces.

He wasn’t crying, he didn’t even look sad. He was just frozen. 

He looked into nothingness as he listened to what was going on inside of the room.

You quickly crouch down with him, not knowing what to do other than hold his hand and caressing his face with your free hand.

He still stared at the wall across from him as you pulled him close, making him rest his face on your shoulder as you whispered sweet nothings to him while he had to listen to what was going on in the other room.

The continuous beeping noise of the heart monitor followed by the sounds of the defibrillator sent chills down your spine as you held him to your best ability.

He didn’t respond to you or react to anything else, and when the noises halted after a minute or so, you knew they called it. 

He closed his eyes, suddenly tightening his arms around you as realization struck him.

“Time of death, 8.43 AM.”

You were seated in the family room of the hospital, handing Yeonjun a plastic cup filled with water.

He snapped out his thoughts and accepted the cup, taking a sip from it while avoiding eye contact with you.

He hadn’t quite looked at you yet. He was continuously staring into the void and it was starting to become scary. You wished he’d just say something, but he wasn’t able to, so you gave him time.

You promised you wouldn’t leave his side, and you were keeping that promise by handling the communication with the nurse, so he didn’t have to. You had called Soobin to tell him what was going on and you were sure they’d all be here in no time.  

You sat down across from him, trying to give him some space to gather his thoughts but it was like he wasn’t even in the room with you.

You sigh, taking a sip of your own cup of water and just as you were about to speak, his mother walked in followed by your friends.

She stepped aside as the boys enveloped Yeonjun in a tight hug, while Mia stood beside you, squeezing your shoulder lightly to show support.

Yeonjun sighed into the hug, loosening up a little and his frozen state seemed to vanish.  

Again, he wasn’t getting emotional, but he closed his eyes, letting his friends hold him in silence for a while.

The sight made your eyes water a little, but you choked back your tears, not wanting to be the one to start crying when no one else was.

His mother turned her attention to you, and you looked back at her while Mia was protectively standing next to you, still with her hand on your shoulder.

“Thank you for handling the communication with the staff. That must not have been easy, and I apologize for the fact that you had to do that. That should have been me. I’m sorry.”

You were taken aback by her apology and quickly shake your head in response. “No, no, please. Don’t mention it. It’s the least I can do.”

She gave you a simple nod and averted her attention to Yeonjun. He got up from the chair and walked over to his mother, opening up his arms for her.

She hesitated but went for the hug anyway, closing her eyes as she inhaled his scent, letting him hold her for a bit. The physical affection making her tear up.

He rubbed her back, patting her hair.

“It’s ok mom, you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

Everything happened so incredibly fast that you weren’t even able to process what the hell was going on around you. The Choi family had people for people who worked for those people, which meant that the funeral was basically held within the next day.

Lita made sure that the boys, Mia, and yourself had something appropriate to wear for the ceremony and you were in Yeonjun’s room, dressed and ready just half an hour before the service would start.  

You were seated on his bed, watching him fix his tie in the mirror.

He had been super quiet and detached, and you wanted to give him space, but he was adamant about the fact that he wanted you around. He hadn’t shed a single tear and didn’t even really talk about what happened. It was mostly you doing the talking for him.

Having to explain what you saw was rough, and you were worried it’d trigger something inside Yeonjun, but it didn’t. He kept himself composed and strong, and you were curious how long he could keep that façade alive.

You snap back from your thoughts and watch him struggle with tying his tie. A small smile crept upon your lips and you get up from the bed, walking towards him to do it for him.

He looked at you lovingly, holding on to your waist as he watched you tie the knot expertly just like your father taught you.

“What can’t you do?” he asks amused, looking down at you.

You look up at him through your lashes and scoff. “Get you to open up apparently,” you say as you finish up, giving him a soft pat on his chest to let him know you’re all done.

He blinked a couple of times, biting his lip.

“I love you.”  

Your eyes snap up to his in shock, making sure you didn’t just imagine that.  

“W-what?”  

“I love you,” he repeats, giving you a small smile as he fixes a piece of your hair.

“Y-Yeonjun I-” you stutter.

His confession was loud and clear, though it took you some time to process. You had no idea where it was coming from, but as you looked him in the eye; all he showed was confidence and sincerity.

“I think I knew the night of our fight, I wanted you as far away from me as possible to protect you from myself, and my uncle out of all people made me realize that that’s something you do out of love.” He explains making sense of his words.

“I don’t know what love feels like y/n, but when I look at you…the way you handled this whole thing. Sticking by me and supporting me emotionally even though I see you struggle with your own emotions it’s just…” He sighs, organizing his thought before he spoke again.

“I couldn’t put into words, how much I care for you and appreciate you, and that’s when it clicked that there’s a whole ass expression for that feeling,” he says, letting his hands travel to your waist again.

“I love you y/n. So, fucking much that it hurts,” he admits, closing his eyes as he leans his forehead to yours.

You sigh contently, letting your hand travel up to his cheek, softly caressing it before you peck his lips softly.  

“I love you too.”

Yeonjun didn’t expect you to say it back to him, but you meant every word you said. His eyes snapped open and a huge boyish grin crept upon his face, his eyes glistening with pleasure as he pulled you towards him roughly, which made you yelp in response.  

“You do?” He asks beaming at you.

“Yes Yeonjun, now wipe that grin off your face. We have a funeral to attend,” you say as you playfully roll your eyes.  

He snorted, letting go of you reluctantly, stealing a chaste kiss from you before he opened the door to his bedroom.

“After you, my love.”  

You were warned beforehand that the funeral would be more like a business event rather than a private family gathering. The ceremony took place in their back yard, so luckily you didn’t have to worry about running late.

The number of people you were introduced to, given the fact that Yeonjun paraded you around like an accessory was overwhelming. The only people that really stuck out to you were his uncle, Namjoon, and his wife Hye-Jin.

They were so happy to meet you that it felt like they already knew you personally.

Yeonjun basically had his game face on the whole night, it was a side to him that you hadn’t seen before and you realized that you missed the carefree, peer pong playing college boy from before.

As Yeonjun was talking to some stockholders, you decided to find your friends again.

“So…you and Yeonjun hyung are officially a thing now?” Taehyun asks as you join their table, completely exhausted from fake smiling to all the people you just met.

“Don’t think I don’t notice how he sneaks into your room every night y/n. Your room is literally right across from mine.” Beomgyu says as he gives you a bitter smile.

You roll your eyes at him as you smack his arm, earning a small yelp from him.

Soobin looked at you expectantly waiting for you to answer Taehyun’s question and you just nodded.

“We worked things through, I’ll tell you the details later but…we haven’t had the boyfriend, girlfriend talk yet.”

“Well, the timing is a little…” Mia starts.

“Yeah, exactly.”  

Hueningkai sighs, throwing his head back in annoyance. “What is going on, first Soobin hyung and Mia, then Beomgyu hyung and Ryujin and now Yeonjun hyung and you? Is there something in the air that I don’t know about?”

The group started snickering softly, trying not to be rude given the fact that you were at a funeral.  

“Maybe I should just start dating Taehyun.” He says jokingly nudging his friend.

“Actually, I’m kind of talking to someone too,” he says waving off the confused looks of everyone as he smiled at all of you.

“If it’s Yeonjun’s mom, I swear to god.” Beomgyu says.

“Ew, no. What the fuck.”  

“Can all of you please behave? Please. Just one night.” Soobin begs as he rubs his forehead, which made Mia chuckle, patting his back in comfort.

Soon after the music stopped. A spokesperson of the family took the stage, telling everyone to take a seat. Yeonjun’s eyes found yours, and he basically told you in sign language that he couldn’t join you guys, as it is expected that he sits at the front with his mother.

The ceremony was simple and short. There were multiple speakers and every once in a while, you checked Yeonjun’s facial expression to see how he was holding up.  

You noticed how the same hollowness returned if he didn’t have to act like the perfect son to all the attendees, and it worried you.  

After his mother took the stage, shedding a few rehearsed tears, they lowered the casket, and the ceremony was basically over with. Watching his mother put on such an academy award-winning performance, made you realize that apart from you, your friends and the immediate family, no one knew what kind of person Choi Daniel really was.

It made you sick to your stomach that he was being honoured as if he was some type of hero.

A few hours pass before the last guests leave the house. Your group was seated together in the formal living room, and when Yeonjun enters with an exhausted look on his face, all of you fall quiet as you stare at him.

He let himself fall onto the lounge chair and loosened his tie, slouching down in his seat as he threw his head back.

“Are you okay?” Mia asks, being the first to speak up.

“I’m just drained I guess,” Yeonjun says rubbing his temples.

“Well, we are leaving tomorrow, so we can go back to our normal lives asap. I feel like I’ve walked into some K-drama.” Taehyun retorts as he sits down as well.

Yeonjun lifts his head, biting his lip as he looks at the group of people he cares about the most. “Right, about that…”

His eyes find yours and you can already see that he’s sorry about something.

You cock your head to the side, waiting for him to continue, and then he sighs.

“I’m not coming back with you guys,” he says apologetically. “At least…not for a while. I can’t just leave my mom in the midst of all of this. There's so much more that needs to be taken care of…”

Your heart sank a little, but it was understandable for him to stick around longer. 

Mia narrowed her eyes at Yeonjuns words, and the guys just hummed understandingly.

“How long will you be gone for then?” Hueningkai asks.

“Till the end of Summer I think,” Yeonjun replies, his eyes finding yours.

You understood the circumstances, but you were shocked, to say the least. Even though you’ve been together non-stop since the incident, he hadn’t talked to you about it.

He gave you a sad look when you avoided his gaze, which Mia noticed as she looked at you two.

Yeonjun decided he had enough of the gloomy atmosphere and decided to crack open his fathers’ expensive collection of aged wines and scotches.  

Since they were at home, he let the minors indulge a little too. Everyone was letting loose a little. The old playful group dynamic returned slowly but you were still lost in thought about Yeonjun’s decision to stay behind.

He noticed how you sat far away from him and sighed. He walked towards you. Asking you to come with him to the kitchen and you agreed. Feeling that it was best to talk about this before you make matters worse by overthinking.

You took a seat at the breakfast bar, waiting for him to start talking, but he just looked at you with concern.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he says.

“I was just…speaking to so many people today and I realized I can’t just pretend that this part of my life doesn’t exist anymore. Especially now that he’s gone.”

“Yeonjun, I’m not mad. I just…don't get why you would tell me you love me when you knew that you weren’t going to come back with us," you say as you play with your fingers

His eyes widened and he got closer to you. Taking a hold of your hands after he made you look up at him by tugging at your chin.

“Hey, It’s just a few weeks. Nothing will change the way I feel about you; I promise. I just need time to unravel all of these family secrets. I never got to ask him why he didn’t trust my mother and after today I just…I have to figure it out.” 

You nod, understanding completely. Somehow you wanted him to ask you to stay here with him for the rest of summer, but the fact that he didn’t was all that you needed to know.

“Don’t be sad okay, we’ll stay in contact,” he says as he caresses your cheek. 

You nod and lean into his touch which made him smile. He inched his face closer to kiss you softly.�� 

You didn’t know what, but something was off about him. He looked at you with affection but at the same time, his eyes were hollow, almost soulless.  

A small knock on the wall snaps both of you back to reality, your heads snap back to see Mia in the doorway looking at you both seriously.  

“Y/n, Soobin needs your help with something.” She says as she gives you a small smile.

You frown, and so does Yeonjun, but you decide to go see for yourself, not thinking much of it.

“Alright then?” you say as you get up from the barstool, walking towards the formal living room.

Mia’s gaze followed you out the door, and before Yeonjun could walk back to the living room with you. She stops him.

“You’re not coming back are you?” She asks, looking him in the eye sternly.

Well, fuck.

Yeonjun sighs. He should have known. Mia sees through anyone’s bullshit; and given how protective she is of y/n. He knew he had to tell her the truth before she beat it out of him.

“I’m not sure yet,” he admits, avoiding eye contact with her.

Mia’s shoulder fell, her eyes getting sad. It was just an assumption she had, but she didn’t expect him to tell her the truth this easily.

“Yeonjun…you can’t do that to her.”

“Don’t you think I don’t know that?” he says raising his voice a little. He glanced through the hall at the group, making sure you didn’t hear him before his gaze returned to Mia.

She stared back at him in disbelief, waiting for him to explain himself.

“I just…I need time. I can’t be what she deserves the way I am now. It could take weeks, months, maybe even years but you have to believe me that I’m doing it for her,” he says trying to make Mia understand.

“If there was another way, I’d do it, but after today my world turned dangerous. There are too many people after the company. Money makes people do crazy things and I don’t want her anywhere near it. Y/n has to be protected at all costs. I have to handle this on my own.”  

Mia exhaled loudly, trying to gather her thoughts as her hand lands on her forehead.

“I love her more than anyone Mia. I do. You have to believe that I’m doing this in her best interest.”

Mia just shakes her head, swallowing harshly before she makes eye contact again.  

“What about the guys.”

“They have each other, and y/n has you. You have to promise me you’ll be there for her.”

“Yeonjun...I-”

“Promise me.”

Mia sighs, defeated in a game she never even played. She closes her eyes, nodding at his request.

"Ok, I promise.”  

Chapter 10

[cptnbvcks]

peaches and plums (bucky barnes x reader)

summary: after escaping hydra, bucky finds a pretty peach vendor to work out his troubled mind with.  

warnings: s m u t. fluff. mild pain kink. oral sex. rough sex. choking! bucky is a sex fiend. 

original prompt: Bucky after he escapes from Hydra? Doesn't know who he is, is trying to blend in, but he meets the reader and becomes very attached to her?

It’s one of the hottest summer’s on record in the city of Bucharest. The sun is unforgiving, and even your small sundress feels like one layer too much.

You swipe at your damp brow as the tourists drift by your small stall of fruits, each picked from the trees of your mother’s back garden. Plums that blushed dark violet and plump fuzzy peaches that tempted even the pickiest of children.

The radio was playing its usual forecast of spotless skies and unending heat as you began to fan yourself with a folded up newspaper. A couple appeared at the edge of your stall, giggling as they spoke to one another in American accents. The woman patted the man’s arm as he said something teasing about the peach she was fondling and he looked at her with so much warmth that your heart swelled with longing.

“How much are these?” The woman asked, her smile full of new love as her wedding ring glimmered in the sunlight. Ah, newlyweds, you thought.

“How many were you looking at?” You responded, watching as their faces lit up at the familiar language.

A small shiver ran up your spine then, creeping up along the back of your neck and into your hairline. It felt like someone was watching you. You cupped a hand over the back of your neck as you looked past the couple, scanning the crowd. They settled briefly on a man dressed in clothes too dark for the weather — too covered.

He was watching you.

“Excuse me?” You checked back into the conversation you were having with the tourists as they followed your gaze curiously. You blushed slightly and finished up the transaction, watching as they finally retreated into the warm cobblestone streets. By the time you looked back to the man, he was gone.

Your eyes searched for him in the crowd.

“Cât costă?” How much?

You almost jump out of your skin at the voice, deep and gravelly like it was only just growing accustomed to being used. Your hand fell to your chest, covering your thumping heart as you laughed nervously. It was only a moment after the scare that you realized it was the same man that had been watching you moments ago.

His hair was dark and long, hidden behind a beat up baseball cap. Up close, you could see the gloves that covered both of his hands as he looked down at the pair of plums he had picked out. He raised his eyes to look at you — stormy blue and pretty as hell — and you couldn’t help but blush. Had he known you had caught him staring?

“S-sorry,” you stammered out in English before quickly correcting yourself in Romanian.

“It’s okay,” He said softly, switching to English with ease. His eyes only raising to look at you as he set the plums down on the small countertop, “Just the two.”

You don’t know why, but his presence makes you oddly nervous. Something in the set of his shoulders and the way he keeps his head low. A meek laugh leaves your lips as you bag up the plums. “American?”

He doesn’t respond at first and you begin to wonder if you shouldn’t have even asked.

“Something like that.”

Okay, maybe you really shouldn’t have asked.

“My aunt’s from Brooklyn. Well, not exactly from,” you blurt out before you could catch the words in your throat. You notice his ears seem to perk up at the words and you wonder if maybe he’s familiar with the place that was totally foreign to you, “Never been though.”

You offered the bag back but he didn’t make a move to take it. You looked up to meet his gaze and felt your breath catch briefly in your throat. He was staring dead at you now, his gaze conflicted and searching your face’s features. Your cheeks bloomed red as your outstretched hand hesitated. You felt like he had you under a microscope, shining sun rays down as you squirmed in the blooming heat. You swallowed and his eyes caught the movement of your throat.

You jumped again when he dropped a handful of change onto the counter and took the bag. You barely caught his ‘thank you’ as he disappeared back into the busy streets.

Sweat slipped down the back of your neck and you shivered again.

—

Night comes slow and it brings a welcomed reprieve from the heat of the day.

Warm yellow streetlights dot the pathways as you pack up the crates of unsold fruit. You hadn’t meant to be leaving this late, and although you usually felt no fear walking the city streets late at night, something about today’s encounter with the strange man made the dark corners of the city seem a little more sinister.

You wipe your sweaty palms on the skirt of your sundress before grabbing one of the peach crates, lifting it to the rolling trolley with the rest. A sharp crack echoed through the half-empty street, followed by the soft thuds of the fruits hitting the paved walkway.

You cursed in Romanian as you dropped down to save what few hadn’t gone rolling away, tossing aside the broken crate with a frustrated sigh. Just your luck. You reached for one as it began bobbled down the street and stopped at the toe of a man’s boot.

You drew your hand back slowly as your eyes followed the boot upwards. For a moment, you worried it might be that strange man again. But your gaze settled on something worse.

“Hey,” the man smirked; familiar and shit-eating and your mood went from sour to fully rotten, “Thought I’d find you out here. Still doing the fruit stall beat? How’s that working out for you?”

You slowly rose from your lowered position, dusting the grit from your knees, “Better than being your wife did.”

His smirk fell slightly as he fixed you with a small glare. He kicked aside the soft peach, letting it roll down into a storm drain as its flesh burst open at its mistreatment. You couldn’t help but find the irony in it.

You planted yourself to the ground as he stepped forward, closing the space between the two of you. You refused to step back even if every internal failsafe of your body was begging you not to stand up for yourself. He might have been able to frighten the young, naïve nineteen year old runaway, but not the grown woman that stood before him.

His glare slowly softened as his eyes roamed over your face, pausing a moment on your lips before drifting back up to your eyes. Your heart thumped hollowly in your chest.

“I miss you,” he said lowly, his hand reaching out to push a strand of your hair behind your ear. His hand lingered at the curve of your neck and the familiar tenderness of the moment finally forced you to step away from him.

“Don’t—”

You barely managed to finish your sentence as his hand suddenly dug into your hair, grasping hard at the roots. You yelp at the force of him as your hand reaches back to grasp at his wrist. He sees the tears finally breaking through your hardened facade and knows he has not left your system — not yet. There were still chinks in your armour; finger-shaped grooves for him to pry wide open.

“I know you miss me too, doll,” he purred low, sliding his free arm around your waist. You felt his palm slipping down over the curve of your backside as the hem of your skirt threatened to hitch too high. Your stomach curdled as you stared up at him, terror living in your eyes, “Say you miss me too. Say it.”

A shadow shifts behind him and your eyes move past his face.

It’s the man again.

“Help me!”

The request barely leaves your lips before your the man finds himself getting hauled off his feet and thrown backwards into a short ledge dividing the street and a walking bridge. The force of his removal sends you scattering to the town’s cobbled road. You swear he ripped out some of your hair, judging by the way your skull throbs, but it’s the burning pain that shoots up your skinned knee and the palm of your hand that gets most of your attention.

“Get the hell off of me, man!”

Your head shoots up in time to catch the dark haired man gather the front of your ex’s shirt and lift him from the ground. Your eyes fix on his left hand. Gloveless and covered in glimmering steel.

The stranger lets out a vicious growl as he slams the man back down into the ground. Your ex coughs raggedly as it knocks the wind from him.

“Stay away from her,” the man warns, raising his metal fist as your former lover’s eyes round with fear.

You had never seen him scared before. In all the years he had spent putting fear in your heart, you had never once seen the same emotion flicker over his face.

A smile pulled at the corner of your lips.

You may be a hopeless romantic, but karma was your second favorite wonder of the world.

The stranger drove his fist into the ledge and it crumbled like nothing beside your lover’s head. The man gasped in terrified realization that his head could have easily been the one thing between that fist and the stone.

He’s on his feet and running the moment the stranger lets him go.

You stare quietly as the strange man straightens his stance and looks at you from over his shoulder. Your heart hammers in your chest, watching as he slowly picks up a fallen fruit from the floor before walking over to you. He offers you his right hand, but your eyes stay on the left hand’s silver fingers as they wrap around your peach.

Slowly, you take his flesh hand. It’s warm and rough and for some odd reason you wish to hold onto it a little longer.

“Were you waiting for me or something?” You asked, your eyes finally focusing on his face. A soft layer of stubble and plush pink lips that made him look even more handsome this close up.

His jaw clenched as he looked away. He didn’t want to lie, but the choice of telling the truth was a non-option.

“I saw him lurking. Got suspicious,” he said, glancing back over his shoulder in such a way that you wondered if he had been looking over his shoulder for more than just entitled exes and pretty dames in need of saving. “Who is he?”

You sighed softly as you looked down at your bleeding palm, hoping briefly that you hadn’t gotten any blood on him when he helped you up. “Ex,” you mumbled, stepping away to get back to picking up the fallen peaches, “Ex-husband.”

The man falls quiet as he begins helping you pick up the fruits.

—

You didn’t expect him to walk you home.

Hell, you had been wary to even let him see where you lived.

The walk had been a long one and he had offered to take the trolley of fruit crates that often gave your arms quite a work out while trying to navigate the pebbled streets. You didn’t mind, granted that your knee ebbed with enough pain to put a small limp in your step.

He didn’t speak much, and when he did it was to offer small commentary. His voice grew in confidence along the way and you noticed the small expressions that occasionally flitted across his face when you tempted him with a light joke.

He told you his name was Bucky and it made you smile. You repeated it and he liked the way it sounded on your mixed accented tongue. He wanted to hear you say it more — to hear it fall from your lips in every context imaginable.

You glanced at him from the corner of your eye and blushed when he caught you looking at his hand. You didn’t ask, but he told you anyway.

“Car accident.”

Something told you that he was lying but you didn’t press any further. You looked down at the untarnished peach you had torn into and slipped another wedge into your mouth.

“Sorry,” you offered, inwardly cringing at the thought that you had forced him to relive a painful memory. You knew what that was like, to be triggered, and you hated the thought of having done that to him, “Don’t feel obliged to humor me—”

“It’s okay,” Bucky interjected, his tone almost deadpan, “You should see the other guy.”

It took a moment to register that he had just told a joke.

You laughed, quickly covering your mouth to hide the half chewed peach that you almost choked on. Bucky couldn’t help the faint smile that tugged at his lips as he turned his head to watch you giggle.

“I’m sorry—” you paused to swallow before returning to a smaller fit of laughter, “That’s a terrible joke, Bucky. Teribil!”

The light in your eyes was bright and warm and when you raised your thumb to your mouth to lick the juice of the peach from it Bucky couldn’t help but consider this entire thing completly kismet.

Maybe it was naïve of you, but when you finally got to the alley gate that lead up from a bakery and into your apartment, you agreed to let him help you take the crates back up.

You’d be lying if you said that you weren’t intrigued with the way he hauled them up two at a time; barely breaking a sweat even in the lingering warmth of the night. You, on the other hand, were fanning yourself lightly with a discarded magazine as you began opening up most of the windows of the apartment to let some fresh air come in.

Bucky set down the final crate, pausing in your doorway as he looked around the small home. It wasn’t much, but it felt… homey. His eyes moved over the space before landing on your figure as you leaned over a couch, attempting to jostle open a stubborn window. He swallowed against the sudden dryness in his throat as he watched the teasing sway of your sundress as it brushed against the back of your thigh, tempting him with the thoughts of what lay just inches beneath.

He thought of the way that man — ex-husband — grabbed your ass like he fucking owned it.

Bucky flexed his fist at his side briefly, regaining his composure as he approached. He noticed that you were holding onto the half-eaten peach between your teeth and he had to fix his gaze on the window to avoid staring at the plump cushion of your lips molding around the perimeter of the fruit. “Need a hand?”

You open your mouth and let the fruit drop into your waiting palm, wincing slightly as you looked down at the fresh blood that began to pool again on the other hand you had just been using to pry at the window.

“The blasted thing’s stuck again,” you mumbled as you shift to the side and allow him to shove against the frame. Your eyes momentarily fix on his metal arm again. You could hear its soft whirring, all the way from his fingers to the cusp of his shoulder, when you stood this close. It must take up the entire span of his arm.

The window popped open with a creaky whine of protest.

“Thank you,” you smiled slightly, quickly averting your gaze in hopes to not be caught staring again, “You’re pretty good with your hands.”

You cringe immediately at the freudian slip, your brows furrowing with timid embarrassment as the man raises a brow at you. His lips are arched in a small half smile and you realize he’s standing awfully close.

“They’re better at other things too,” he says and you swear his voice has lowered an octave or two.  

Bucky knows all the things his arm is good at. Murder was at the top of that list. But with you, he tries to think of the softer things that he could manage — soft, like the peaches and plums that he could test without crushing completely.

He reaches for your hand and you fight the instinct to draw back. It’s your turn to swallow at the dryness in your throat as your cheeks grow splotchy and red and warm, “Wh-what?”

The man turns your hand over to expose the raw cuts that criss cross over the natural lines of your palm, “I can wrap these for you,” he glances up at you and sees the embarrassment grow there, “They’re not deep, but a wound doesn’t need to be deep for an infection to get in. Is there a first aid kit?”

He could tell by the look on your face that you had been thinking of something else. Bucky smiled inwardly — it was okay. He had been thinking of the same thing too.

—

You begin to think that maybe you should have just risked the infection when the man presses an alcohol soaked paper towel directly over your grated knee.

Kneeling on the ground before you, Bucky feels your leg stiffen in his hands as you fight down the small whimpers of pain, your hands wrenching tight in the couch’s cushions. He tries to ignore the way your skirt bunches up, or the way your thighs tremble in his grasp as he lifts your knee higher.

He was used to pain — but there’s something about the way you took it that works into his brain; insidious and delightful all at the same time. You took it like you deserved it. Like it was familiar.

Your head drops as you curse quietly, too polite to be too vulgar in front of guests. Bucky presses the alcohol pad in a little harder and feels your toes curl against the flat of his thigh as you gasp at the splendidness of the pain.

“I should have warned you it would hurt,” he offered softly.

You grit your teeth slightly as a forced laugh trembles on your lips, “I’m used to it.”

The words are loaded with meaning and something tells Bucky that you’re not talking about the alcohol’s sting.

You’re so distracted by the ache that you hardly register the cool touch of his metal hand as it cups the soft flesh beneath your outstretched thigh. His fingers squeeze gently as he raises his gaze to your face.

You’re looking right at him.

Your brows are tense with pain and something else. Something quietly primal and aching. There are tears there, Bucky can see them glistening, but he doesn’t think you’re upset.

You don’t stop him.

Bucky slips his hand further up your thigh and he wonders if he’s imagining the small movement of your knees parting further for him. Your glassy eyes stare down at him and your teeth are holding your lower lip captive, your mouth and cheeks blushed warm with the soft heat of city.

He squishes the pad again, letting the alcohol well under his fingers as he keeps your gaze. Your toes curl harder on the material of his jeans and the moan that echoes in your chest hits him straight in the groin.

Bucky sinks his metal arm between your fevered, trembling thighs, and you bloom for him. It must have been an entire lifetime since Bucky had entertained the warmth of a woman — but as he drops the paper towel and feels the soft dampness pooling against the crotch of your panties, it comes back to him with the familiarity of riding a bike and all the hunger of a thousand starving beasts.

Your head falls back against the couch as he cups your covered pussy in his metal hand. It’s cold and hard and doesn’t offer the soft warmth of skin, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t gentle. The heel of his palm presses down, grinding against your clit through the material of your panties, and you swear you feel him tighten his grip around the crook of your knee as your legs threaten to clamp shut with pleasure.

His fingers press against the resistant material of your panties, searching out the hardened nub of your clit, and you’re moaning for him, stammering his name into the warm breeze billowing through your curtains.

Your thighs are soft and he thinks of the peach you held between your lips. He presses his mouth against your thigh and bites.

Your body jolts and your pussy clenches hard around nothing and you think you might just die with his mouth on your thigh if you don’t get your panties off now.

Bucky looks up at you as your hands begin to hitch up the material of your sundress — the creamy off-white one with buttons down the front — the one that he thought you looked so pretty in while flitting around your fruit stall to fuss over customers. His eyes only lowered as you raised your bottom to shove down your panties.

Peach pink. He chuckles to himself as he hooks his fingers through the rolled elastic and drags them over your legs. He didn’t think you saw him when he slipped them into his back pocket.

He doesn’t waste a second as his hand disappears between your legs again, cold metal fingers dragging through your slick folds and trailing your wetness over your clit. He presses and rubs and holds your leg firmly open as you preen prettily in his grasp.

He slips his hand lower, impaling you on his fingers.

For a moment, he swears he feels the tightness of you and the warm velvet drag of your walls around the cool metal. He knows it’s just a trick of his brain — an inability to fully process the prosthetic as anything other than his own arm — but god, he swears he feels it even if the view is half obscured by your dress’ hem.

“B-bucky…” you whine needfully, squirming your hips against his fingers. He’s fucking them into you slow, curling them against every soft spot of you. His fingers are thick and you feel the stretch deep inside your cunt.

His cock’s pressing painfully against the front of his jeans and the sound of his name on your tongue while you fuck yourself on his fingers makes him wonder just how much self-control HYDRA had graciously left in him. “Bucky… harder.”

It’s all the permission he needs.

You squeak as he yanks your leg over his shoulder and slots his mouth against your cunt. Your hands fly to his shoulders as his tongue rolls against your throbbing clit. His mouth is hot and humid and his fingers are cold and foreign and you cry out at the pleasure of both.

You press your heel against the back of his shoulder as he curls his tongue against that bundle of nerves and you swear the entire room tilts on its axis. Your palm stings behind its bandages as you drag your hands through this stranger’s hair and urge him forward.

His free hand moves down your thigh, finding the knee that’s hooked over his right shoulder. He squeezes hard over your raw cuts and you come so hard you see fucking stars.

The pain of it and the pleasure of him choke in your throat as your scream catches on your exhale.

Bucky draws your over sensitive clit into his mouth and you tug his hair hard, earning a soft growl from him as he digs his fingers against your wounded knee again. You can feel the warm trickle of blood before it dries on your skin.

He’s looking up at you from the apex of your shaking thighs and you can’t help the small mischievous smirk that crosses your lips.

You like this, Bucky realizes.

You like the pain.

And you take it even better when it comes from him.

Bucky offers one last thrust of his fingers, catching that delicious spot that makes your determined expression falter back to shy pleasure, before drawing away. His stubble glistens with your cum.

You reach for his face, ignoring the slight tremble of your hand, and drag your thumb over his pink lips. Bucky stares at you, enthralled as you raise that thumb and slip it past your lips, tasting yourself with the same enjoyment as you had tasted the peach.

His eyes darken as he watches you pop your thumb from your mouth, a thin trail of saliva following the digit.

The next moment he’s dragging you down from the couch and into his lap and he can’t seem to get his belt undone fast enough as you press your lips against him hard.  Your mouth is peaches and plums and every delicious thing he had been denied of for decades.

You moan pretty and filthy things when he rips down the sleeve of your dress and catches the breast that spills out in his firm grip. He pinches your nipple hard and you pull his hair harder.

He’s leaving bruises and his stubble scratches rough welts over the delicate softness of your skin but this is how you like it.

You begin to shove his sweater from his body but he grabs your wrist hard enough to give you pause.

“It’s not pretty under there,” he warns and it takes a moment for the words to register in your head that he’s talking about his prosthetic. There’s a wary note in his voice, and it doesn’t necessarily strike you as self-consciousness. It’s vulnerable and when he searches your eyes with his own, you think he’s looking for any signs of rejection on your face.

You try to slow your breathing as you reach up to cup his jaw, liking the soft scratch of his facial hair when you rub your thumb over his skin.

“Neither here,” you say softly, brushing your thumb over his mouth before kissing him again.

For a moment, Bucky doesn’t understand what you mean until he feels you grasp his flesh hand and drag it down between your thighs. You moan against his mouth and he thinks you want him to touch you again, but you direct his fingertips over a puckered circular scar on the inner meat of your thigh. It’s a familiar scar.

He has several of them on the inner portion of his regular arm from the guards putting cigarettes out on his flesh to gauge his reaction. To see if the Winter Soldier was really as unfeeling as the legends say.

He didn’t know how he hadn’t noticed it earlier. He looks up at you as you draw your lips away from his. Your eyes are still closed as you press your forehead against his. You move his hand over the curve of your stomach and he feels another cigarette burn, he reckons a cigar caused this one judging by the circumference.

These aren’t remnants of rough play in the bedroom. These scars are wicked, cruel in their intent to damage the woman that sat in his lap.

His heart burns and his jaw clenches, “Who did this to you?”

You finally open your eyes and find those stormy eyes staring at you, so full of all the familiar things — anger, rage, and on and on. Your eyes are softer.

“Who did it to you?” You question, your words soft but pointed.

Bucky pursed his lips and knew your answer in his own response.

His lips found yours again, his kiss rough and urgent and you moaned for him again as your hips pressed against the rough material of his jeans. Bucky looped his metal arm around your waist and flipped you down onto the threadbare rug below.

He pulled back to peel off his sweater and your eyes immediately fell to the full length of his arm. You licked your lips slowly as it flexed smoothly, your eyes following the arching bicep of it until the thick band of furious scarring melded between flesh and metal.

“Touch me,” you begged softly, reaching for that metal arm and bringing it down to the rest of your tattered dress.

Bucky tore it open, the force of him jostling your body forward until he had you fully exposed and vulnerable beneath him.

There were more scars, many faded down to the thin ghostly remnants of past wounds.

He didn’t stop to stare as he tugged down his jeans just enough for the thick length of his cock to spring free, hard enough to curve upwards against his stomach. Your eyes widened slightly at the sight of him.

If there was anything more impressive than the metal arm, it was most certainly that.

Bucky smirked slightly at your response, hitching your thighs wide open against his sides. His cock brushes against the soft skin of your stomach and he groans at the feeling, lowering his gaze between you to note the way his pre-cum smears over your belly. It’s a filthy thing but he can’t help but ache at the thought of his seed staining your skin, of you taking it on your body and letting him mark you that way.

Bucky is not slow when he takes himself in his metal hand and guides himself into your cunt. You’re hot and tight and you whimper at the unforgiving stretch that burns through you as he forces himself through the clench of your walls. He doesn’t take his eyes off the obscene sight; not until he’s nestled so deep that you sob out his name into the hazy warmth of the night.

Your pussy tightens hard around him and Bucky almost falters at the sensation, an errant grunt echoing in his chest.  

Your thighs shake around him as he begins to move despite the small protest of your walls. You can’t fathom the words you’re babbling as he draws back and sinks into you with a decisive thrust, your back sliding rough against the rug and you know the familiar sear of rug burn as it rubs hot against your exposed skin.

His fingers dig into your hips as he guides you against him. His metal fingers bite into your hipbone and you know the bruises from it will be splendid come tomorrow.

Bucky watches the way your head falls back against the floor as the muscles of your throat contract and shift under the exposed length of your neck. He can’t tear his eyes away as you sink your hand down to where he’s fucking your blushed pink cunt and drag your trembling fingers across your clit.

The noise he makes above you is deep and hungry as he catches your wrist in his inhuman grip and pins your arms down beside your head. You don’t know if he means to hold you so hard but you wince as the small bones of your wrist shift together under his fingers.

Your cunt clenches down on his cock and you swear to the stars that you feel him in your belly with how hard he’s fucking into your body.

“Harder,” you grunt out, feeling the small rush of wetness that pools between your thighs at his forceful restraint, “Pl-please, Bucky!”

His mouth finds your shoulder and he bites you hard as he drags his body over your smaller frame, caging you in with every rut of his hips. Every thrust jerks your moans into choppy little noises as he releases your wrists to wrap the fingers of his metal hand around the delicate cusp of your neck.

He squeezes and your legs close around his hips. He can feel the way your pussy tightens greedily around his length as he holds your head down against the hardwood. He hears the unbecoming squeaks that eek out of your constricted throat as he drives himself into the warmth of your body as though he wishes to forever cement himself there.

He doesn’t speak when he fucks you, and when your body suddenly comes to life with a flurry of squeals and squirms, his only response is to kiss your open mouth and swallow the noises you make for him. His hair falls against his face and tickles your cheeks as you whimper breathlessly against his lips.

You’re coming and he can feel it.

Your walls grasp at him as he draws back and hits you deep, his hips pinning yours to the ground as he suddenly grinds himself against your fluttering walls. You can feel him nudging against the base of your cervix and it hurts but, god, your eyes roll back and you choke on your scream as you come hard on his cock.

His hips stutter against yours and his fingers bite into the sides of your neck as he spills his seed deep inside your fluttering heat. His hand finally releases from your neck and he hears the way your airy gasps devolve into soft whimpers.

He cups your face between both hands and crushes his lips against yours hungrily. His tongue drags across yours and you taste like citrus and he tastes like you.

Your thoughts float back slowly as you realize Bucky hasn’t stopped grinding his hips into you. Your brows furrow as you feel him inside you — still hard as hell and twitching with his orgasm.

Bucky’s almost as amazed as you are.

He can’t remember things being like this before HYDRA — before the experiments.

Your chest heaves with your breaths as he slowly begins to thrust into you again, his head dropping down against your shoulder as he savors the way your cunt nurses around his girth.

“J-Jesus,” you mewl, your thighs already tight and aching from being pressed open by his hips. Your body is sweaty and the skin of your stomach is beginning to stick to him with every heavy breath.

“Can you go again?” Bucky’s voice startles you slightly. It’s gruff and breathless and his hips are already moving against you before you can fully register the implications of his question.

You begin to wonder how depraved you really were when you shakily nod, your voice high and trembling with nervous excitement, “Y-yeah.”

“Good.”

You squeak with surprise as he draws himself from between your legs and flips you over with enough ease that the only thing you can do is catch yourself on your hands and knees when he lets you go. You blush at the sudden awareness of his cum, slippery and thick as it smears against your thighs. You don’t think on it long as his hands grasp at your hips and he enters you again before you can fully register the new position.

He fills you differently at this new angle and you whine low and needy as your head drops forward with exhaustion. He pulls your head back up when he wraps your hair in the cool metal of his fist and tugs hard. You moan and your pussy pulses as your head arches back to quell the tension.

Bucky pauses at the sight of a small tattoo that sits on your left shoulder blade.

A name.

He thinks of that man in the bazaar. His hands in your hair, just like Bucky’s was now. His hands holding you like you meant something to him.

Bucky grit his teeth at the thought of him taking you the way he was taking you now and he began to thrust into you with purpose. He heard the surprised noises that exclaimed from your throat as his hips smacked obscenely against your ass, his cock battering your already spent pussy.

He wanted to be the only one you think of. The only one your body remembers.

Bucky’s hand grasps the crook of your arm as he pulls you back to meet his thrusts, forcing you to carry your weight on your knees. It hurts, and the cuts on your skinned knees scream in protest, but he’s fucking you even deeper than before and you know you’re already dangerously close to coming again.

Somewhere on the coffee table your phone begins to ring. You can’t see the screen from your current position, but Bucky can. There’s an image to the name and he recognizes it with ease. He knows it because it’s the face he almost crushed under his fist mere hours earlier.

You feel the man behind you arch over you for a moment and you figure he’s declined the call for you.

You can’t think much of it — not with the unholy way his cock is pistoning into your body.

“Oh, god, Bucky!” You squeeze your eyes shut and swear you feel the sting of tears as he pulls your hair harder and squeezes your arm tighter, “Don’t stop! Bucky! I-, I— ah!”

You scream when you come again, the noise wrecked and high and you know you would have collapsed had Bucky not gripped you so tightly.

Bucky pulls you back by your arm, drawing your back flat against his chest. His arms wrap around you, his metal hand cupping your soft breast while the other sinks between your thighs to feel where your bodies meet. Your head falls back limply against his shoulder as your body trembles uselessly against his.

“Tell me you’re mine,” he grunts softly into your ear as his fingers drag through the slick mess between your thighs, mixing his cum and yours before circling the pad of his finger over your clit.

The words spill out of your mouth before you have the sense to question it.

“Y-yes,” you gasp as he presses down on the tender bundle of nerve endings, “Yours, god, yes!”

Bucky watches as your ex-husband disconnects the phone call.

This time his thrusts don’t falter when he fills you again.

—

The next morning is just as hot as the one before and you wake up sweaty and alone. The breeze billows against the curtains and you moan softly at the glare of the sun as it slants across your face.

The glare is only a small annoyance, but it’s the wide open front door that makes you jolt awake.

Your first and worst thought is your ex-husband.

You’re on your feet immediately, grabbing the torn sundress that no longer had any buttons and throwing it on quickly. You held it shut with one hand and grabbed your phone from the coffee table, ready to call the cops as you stepped out into the alley stairwell.

A soft grunt draws your attention to the man setting down two crates of plums on your trolley.

Bucky.

He lifts his head and squints up at you, raising a hand to shield his face from the sun overhead. He smiles shyly at you and offers a slight wave.

Your cheeks redden as you clutch your torn dress a little tighter at the memories he brings back. If it weren’t for the bruises that circled your arms, you would have worried it had all just been a very, very vivid dream. The man began to ascend the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Bucky’s eyes drop to your neck briefly and he tried to ignore the small twitch of his cock at the sight of the fresh crimson bruises that speckle your neck in the shape of his hand.

“Morning,” he greeted you, his voice returning to that familiar deep cadence, “How are you feeling?”

You rubbed your eyes with the heel of your hand as he stepped infront of you, his hands gently settling on your hip. You blushed a little at the intimacy of the contact. It was more than you expected from a one night stand.

“Good, now that I know no one broke into my house while I was asleep,” you offer a small teasing smile as you squint up at him.

Bucky chuckled softly, “Were you counting on me sneaking out in the middle of the night?”

“Middle of the morning, more like it,” you retorted with a small disbelieving laugh as you rest your hip back against the iron railing, “How long was I asleep for? Two hours? Three?”

Bucky blushed slightly at the insinuation of his prowess and you smiled at the small tenderness that broke through the solemn man’s hard exterior.

The stillness of the moment was cut short when your phone began to ring, loud and aggravating this early in the day. His face fell as you drew back to look at the screen.

Bucky felt a small relief when the image on screen wasn’t that of your prior lover, but his brow furrowed at the image of a vaguely familiar brunette woman with loose pin curls holding her hair neatly at her neck. She must have been in her late fifties in the photo, but he knew her with the glow of youth.

He knew her in a red dress under bar lights. He knew her smiling the way you smiled at him, but the smile wasn’t for him. It was for Steve.

“That’s my aunt,” you say softly, patting Bucky’s chest as he stepped back to let you disappear inside. He stayed on the stairwell, his gaze distant as he heard you answer the phone.

“Hey, Auntie Peggy, what’s up?”

—

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[ddarker-dreams]

Yandere Behavior: Narancia Ghirga

⋆ ˚｡ Yan MBTI: RDML⋆｡˚ ⋆

Narancia isn’t a subtle yandere. He utilizes his own type of manipulation, one that’s overt and easy to call out. He won’t pick up on the fact that his actions and words could be classified as manipulative, he’s speaking whats on his mind without a filter. Narancia’s a talk first, think later type. Knowing that his honest words are making you conflicted would sadden him, as he’s only getting the point across. Relationships are a new field to Narancia, that he doesn’t know how to navigate with ease. 

He stumbles over himself, promising to change and improve for your sake. It’s not that you pointing out his words as manipulative convicted him, it’s that the fear of losing you that drives him to hastily cover it up. All of those murky feelings are still underneath the surface, ready to be stirred up at any time. It’s hard to know which one is worse, as he evolves his act around you. 

Before, he’d blurt out what bothered him. When you smiled at others, spent too much time with people who probably have ulterior motives. Your patience is your downfall, taking the time to explain to him that these aren’t normal feelings does nothing. All he’ll take away from it is that being open displeases you, so he grows painfully sulky. Internalizing all of his negative emotions so you don’t chastise him again. From the way he avoids your eyes and makes his smiles forced, it doesn’t work out as he intended. 

At a base level, he looks up to you. He finds your strength in different aspects amazing, and will make sure you know that. Any of your hobbies are important to him now, same goes for your interests. Narancia latches onto you and has no intention of letting go, almost like a parasite. He wants so badly for you to return his feelings, placing unspoken expectations on you in the process. Ones that you normally break, given how ridiculous they are. 

He’s given thought to kidnapping you, but honestly, it made his brain hurt. There are too many aspects that he’d need to account for, and by god, would it make you heartbroken. Just the thought hurts him. So he lets you do as you please, pouting to get what he wants from you. It comes off as innocent, like he doesn’t intend for it to make you conflicted. What’s worse is that he doesn’t, making you even more confused. Slowly yet surely he’ll wrap himself around you, never letting go. 

Narancia could never come to terms with you not returning his feelings. He lives in his own little world where sweet [First] is his lover, his partner. Before you even know him he has your picture saved as his lock screen, bragging to Mista and Fugo how cute his significant other is. It might be endearing if not for the creepy, stalking undertones. How did he get so many pictures of you anyways...? 

If you ever managed to upset him, he’d take it out on some poor soul. Hurting you is the last thing he’d want to do, so he sulks away and unleashes his violent urges elsewhere. That doesn’t mean you’re off the hook, he’ll still use Aerosmith to track your movements and ensure you’re not doing anything he wouldn’t want. 

Narancia isn’t the best with money management. He’s seen in plenty of movies that guys give lots of expensive gifts to people they like, so he tries to emulate it! He’ll splurge on you, forgoing meals if it means he’ll have enough to buy you pretty roses. Those are romantic, right? You’ll like the flowers, and then like him by extension... right? 

He’s very sensitive about his education level. The only time you might ever get him to snap at you is if you bring it up, even without ill will. To him, that weakness is one that he thinks you would mock. Narancia is bright in his own right, but that doesn’t stop him from being insecure. Avoiding this topic is for your own good. It’ll be the only time you ever see Narancia upset with you. He might even start sniffling before he runs off, it’s a sad sight. 

He compliments you on everything. From your smile, your hair, new perfume, anything. Narancia might not notice small details, but expect your new haircut or outfit to be showered in stuttered out compliments. He’s swelling with pride at how you’re all his, whether you’re aware of that little fact or not. 

Patrols are done around your residence at night. He tells himself that it’s to ensure your safety, but... it’s more self serving than that. He likes knowing where you are at all given times, that you won’t betray and leave him like so many others have. It’s what plagues his thoughts and nightmares, the mere idea that you would up and disappear. To soothe this deep worry, he watches you on his radar. 

Physical affection is what he wants to indulge in, should you let him. Just know that once you give him a taste, he’s gonna be coming back for more. Holding hands, wrapping an arm around your waist, rubbing his face against yours... there isn’t anything better in the world to him. Whenever he makes you blush he’ll point it out and laugh. Not because he’s mean spirited, but because he’s so overwhelmed with your cuteness. 

If you two were to argue, he’d lose sleep over it. Neglecting his health, feeling no motivation to eat or take care of himself. All he can do is mull over the fact you were disappointed in him, and that you might leave him for it. The next time you meet there are bags under his eyes, and his smile seems strained. He wants to make it up to you, and that’s what takes priority. 

Narancia is one of the most clingy yanderes from part five. Should you ever want to make a grocery store run, or want to jog around the neighborhood, he’s volunteering to go with you. Narancia is attached at your hip if he’s not working, and he won’t be shaken away easily. Spending time with you is so much fun, after all. 

Quotes.

“Ah, there you are! I’ve missed you so much.” 

“I hate it when we have to be apart for too long... it makes me feel really weird.” 

“Let’s spend all day together, okay? I’ve been looking forward to it forever.” 

[shoyouth]

So I live live live for domestic hcs. Could you do the Ikevamp boys who have kids with Mc and how’d they’d be as a father? Keep up the good work!!

this is the cutest thing!! Thank you for the request and I loved writing this so much :(

napoleon ; He treats the children very similarly to the kids he teaches with Issac; he thinks it’s very important to instill morals and discipline into them—he was an emperor after all, he wants his children to be good, self-assured people. But Napoleon is still very teasing and playful, the kind to mess up his children’s hair and confuse his children into thinking he’s scolding them when he’s really just joking. Overall a very good dad, very good at balancing care, play, and discipline.

arthur ; Okay It’s kind of canon that he’s good with kids from his route, but he loves playing with your kids. Still gets kind of emotional that it’s your guy’s kids and your children will always be confused why he gets tears in his eyes. Will 100% stop writing whenever his kids want his attention and it may even lead to some discipline issues in the future. Also I am writing it into canon that he loves to read books to your children at night, ESP Sherlock Holmes because they asked about his writing and it made his heart swell in his chest.

mozart ; He tries to keep up a professional persona even around his kids in an attempt to raise them properly, but when in private (or around the closer mansion residents) he’ll allow himself to indulge in petting their head, briefly playing their games, talking to them in a gentle tone. I think he would adore teaching his children how to play an instrument, and I think you would urge your child to as well because it would allow them to get closer in a way mozart is very comfortable and touched.

leonardo ; Gosh, one of the best dads there could be!! Esp when your children are young, you will search the whole mansion only to find them napping together. Will naturally begin to teach his children different skills: painting, tinkering, astronomy, anatomy—his children will follow in his footsteps of being a jack of all trades. He will treat all of their drawings as masterpieces, and he will pin their art to the wall because he’s so proud. He’d had family pictures everywhere and he’s just such a family man; he’s so happy to simply spend a life with you, to live a little, and so he cherishes you all with his very soul.

vincent ; Such a loving father!!! Will legit be unable to discipline your children, quite frankly, so that will have to be your job, but his personality will probably rub off on them and they’ll sometimes be perfect little angels. He will always give them hugs and kisses and reassuring words, and he will make sure they know to treat others kindly and that emotions/crying isn’t weak. Will end up raising his children right without even meaning to because he just cares about them so much. His children will be very very close to him and he makes sure they know they’re always welcome, no matter how old they get.

theo ; An amazing father, it’s just a feeling. Maybe it’s because he always made jokes about treating you like a dog, but children do need training, oddly similarly to dogs. Therefore his discipline is godly; he’s not very harsh, but he is firm. He is such a sucker for your children and everything in him is telling him to give in, but he’s strong and he knows how to balance when to give in and when to be strict. Does not let your kid be a brat/throw tantrums, or he will put them in time out. If they are good though, he makes sure they know he’s proud and he will treat them to ice cream and cuddles in private. Just such a great father I can’t explain it.

issac ; He hasn’t had a family before nor any indication of how to take care of a child, but he tries. He does want to be a good dad, one his child will respect and love, but he isn’t a natural like Napoleon or Leonardo. He will work hard to be a good dad, but he would love to teach his child math and science if they show interest. He will ramble and grow excited to teach, all awkwardness and shyness out the window as your child becomes his partner; he’d set up the telescope for your child to look through or set up diagrams to show. He will love being a dad once he feels ready.

dazai ; Will teach your child how to be a good troublemaker and how to get out of trouble, I am so sorry. And though he may seem too unorthodox to raise a child, he actually would make a good parent. He will never act serious so no one knows his true motives, but his reasons are that if he lets your child have the freedom to do what they choose, they’ll develop their own morals and learn their own limits, therefore making them responsible on their own. Doesn’t like to restrict your child though he wants them to be safe, but he wants his child to have a good childhood. His children will come to him for advice in the future, and he’ll end up being friends with his children as well.

jean ; He was relatively young when he died the first time, so I think he would be quite stiff with a child at first. It still hasn’t sunk out that he has a kid, one that will look up to him and he’ll care for. I think he’d feel guilty being a vampire, thinking he can’t be a good father as one. Once you got it through his head that he can, Jean would be good at it. Similar to Napoleon, he will want to train his child into being noble and he will care in his own way, though back pats may be a tad awkward until he gets used to showing affection.

comte ; Spoiled. All your children will be downright spoiled. No expense is too much for him, from a beautiful music box to a pony. But he also teaches responsibility. We know comte has some hidden-scary-anger, so I believe he could be quite stern when necessary, and if his children begin to act like brats, he puts them right in their place and tells them that even though he can buy them things, it’s up to them to keep it in working condition/treat it well/not have it taken away. He makes for a good father.

sebastian ; Quite a strict father because he does have to keep up the image of a good butler, but all of the residents consistently tell him to take it easy because they’re happy for him. Will work even harder to finish quick to be with you and your child, but he is touched by the residents’ words and he will sometimes relent and let his child follow him around the mansion while he does chores. Legit one of the happiest to have a child, and would quite literally do anything for your child; he is so soft for them.

shakespeare ; This man...is so conflicted. He is so happy to have a child with you, to see them so happy—but he cannot wrap his head around the fact that he can be happy with your child, that he could be any good influence in their life. He wants to be able to lift them up, to gush to the child how much he loves him and tickle their sides, but something in him still tells him to keep his distance, to watch them grow from afar. It hurts you for sure to watch your lover think he is incapable of being a good father, but sometimes while the child is sleeping he’ll run his hands through their hair, and he will cry if the child approaches him first for anything.

[gingerpeachtae]

Concentric [23]

masterlist

Words: 25.4k 🤯💀

Genres: fantasy!AU, angst, fluff, enemies to lovers, eventual smut

Warnings: graphic depictions of violence and death

Summary: You had been ready for the end of the semester. You had been ready to spend time away from your best friend, Jimin, and finally move on from the feelings you harbored. Yet, after your friend was forced to reveal a secret, you found yourself in a new world that was chock full of magic, war, and wonder. So, here you were, basically thrown into your own fantasy novel, with your best friend on one side, and six male warriors on the other.

A/N: my braincell is ready for rest oof… PLS ENGOY YOUR EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER EVERYONE 💙

Holding his arms up in front of his face, Jimin flinched as the thorny vines of the thicket scratched at his wrists while he continued sprinting forward. The stinging pain lasted for only a moment as the half-Saeni sucked more air into his lungs and forced his legs to propel his body faster through the rugged, dense forest. The six other Saeni were moving just as quickly and were still protectively surrounding him as they ran. Through the bird calls, bug chirps, and shaking leaves, every single one of them could hear the sound of large paws hitting the earth gradually coming closer. The sounds of deep growls becoming louder.

At the front of the group, Ipsa leapt over a large tree root which caused her golden hair to flash in the sunlight that was peeking through the treetops.

As Geodin followed and easily jumped over the same root, he let out a low groan before muttering in an irritated tone, “Why in Exia’s name are we being hunted by wolves?”

“Just keep moving!” Mingi sternly ordered to the short male without even looking back.

Jimin ran beneath the bright green leaves that caused his pupils to dilate and expand rapidly from the constant changes in light, and as he passed by a skinny maple tree Illai spoke in his mind to inform him that they needed to veer more to the right. After grunting lightly in acknowledgement and pushing his apricot hair out of his eyes, the half-Saeni voiced her direction to the group between his heavy breaths and the Saeni promptly adjusted.

The seven pressed on, leaves and thin branches whipping across their faces and mud splattering against their shins. Mingi effortlessly vaulted over a fallen tree trunk that was almost parallel to the ground but not quite fully collapsed. Jimin, on the other hand, slid beneath it, his head barely missing the rough bark, before popping up to his feet on the opposite side and resuming his fast pace. Dirt and dead leaves clung to his thigh and side but he didn’t bother swatting any of it off as sweat trailed down his face and his heart pounded in his chest. He could hear the wolves grow even closer. Could almost feel their presence on the group’s heels even though the canines had yet to show themselves.

The terrain abruptly began to decline, causing all the Saeni to slow down ever so slightly and turn their bodies to the side to prevent themselves from losing balance. As they descended quickly but cautiously, Jimin heard a stumble behind him and Koliifa cursed as a rock came loose under his weight and his footing faltered for a brief second.

“Careful,” his sister hissed and helped steady the male.

Then, out of his peripheral, Jimin saw Stem furrow his brow and look out to the left while he skirted around a sapling.

After a couple of seconds, the archer hummed and returned his gaze forward. “I think one of the wolves broke off to our left.”

“Leaving?” Mingi called back in question while tilting his head that way and narrowing his hazel eyes.

“No, it’s moving lateral to us now. I think it doesn’t want us going that way.”

Ipsa frowned at Stem’s comment, but didn’t say anything as the group finally reached the bottom of the hill. The degradation levelled out and the Saeni were deposited into a small, bubbling stream that was surrounded by a stretch of flat land with plentiful but spread out trees.

Flinching as the stream’s cold water sloshed onto his leg while he and the others crossed it, Jimin wanted to stop and marvel at how serene and calm the area was but he knew there wasn’t time for that. Maybe later, though… if he survived.

Squinting through a ray of sunlight, the golden-haired female whispered to herself then sharply inhaled and glanced at the Saeni behind her. “For Exia’s sake, they’re herding us.”

None of the Saeni’s movements wavered in wake of the comment but Koliifa murmured another curse and Geodin grumbled in aggravated disbelief while everyone else was stunned into silence.

But it made sense. Realistically, the wolves should have caught up to them by now but they hadn’t or, as it now appeared, purposefully wouldn’t. They were keeping their distance but still making their presence known. Making sure the group went in a certain direction. The seven hadn’t realized it until now since it was the same direction they were wanting to go in, but that made Jimin wonder…

“Are they random wolves or-?”

“Or are they somehow a draikensu’s pet?” Opikal finished the thought in a dry tone. “I was thinking the same thing. Honestly, the timing seems too convenient for it to not be connected.”

“But if they’re with the draikensu then herding us-”

“Means they’re most likely moving us toward a trap.”

The Saeni fell silent again, considering what to do. They continued to move forward; they didn’t have the luxury of stopping… but with every step they took the idea that they may be moving closer to an attack loomed over their heads. The possibility weighed heavily on the group, but they also knew there was nothing to be done besides steeling themselves and being ready.

However, after a few moments, the siblings bringing up the rear exchanged looks, communicating without words, and nodded to one another before slowing down.

“Go on ahead,” Opikal said as she and her brother came to a complete stop beside an old oak tree, “we’ll take care of the wolves.”

The rest of the group looked back in shock at the determined siblings who were standing underneath the oak’s swaying leaves. Opikal’s dark eyes were serious as she drew her sword from its sheath at her hip while Koliifa was unwinding his chain whip with a confident smile.

Ipsa ran backwards as she regarded them with uncertainty swimming in her eyes. “Are you sure?”

Koliifa shrugged indifferently. “Yeah. It’ll be fun, right sis?” Then he shifted his grin to his sister, who only rolled her ebony eyes.

After sighing at her cheerful brother, Opikal gestured for the group to move on. “Just hurry up and go. We’ll take care of it.”

Jimin gaped at the duo, not wanting to leave them behind but knowing there was no time to argue or come up with an alternative. The apricot head’s mind swam with conflict as he watched the siblings turn their backs on everyone and ready their weapons.

“Come on.” Mingi’s deep voice seemed to reverberate through the landscape with his command. “Let’s go.”

Stem placed a firm hand on Jimin’s shoulder and gave him a look of understanding but still lightly shoved the half-Saeni forward as they all began to run at full speed again, leaving the siblings behind.

Reluctantly, Jimin returned to his previous pace and Mingi told everyone to be on guard. Stem stayed behind Jimin, taking over the rear position in place of the siblings while Ipsa dropped back to cover Jimin’s left. After a minute or so, the Saeni could no longer hear the wolf paws but instead a series of loud growls, barks, and whines rose up behind them. Doing their best to ignore the noises and focus on what lay ahead of them, the group of five followed the small creek while being mindful of the wet rocks on the bank.

Do not follow the bend in the stream. You must continue straight. The sweet voice of the mother goddess seeped into Jimin’s mind again. You’re getting close. Very close. Keep moving. Hurry!

Jimin instantly relayed the information to the group and Geodin gave an affirmative grunt in response. They then crossed the creek once more and went back into the shade of the thick woods.

It wasn’t long before a chilling scream resounded into the air and echoed off the trees. It was the type of scream that ran a shiver down a person’s spine and raised the hair on their arms. Filled with pain and desperation. It didn’t last long, though, and within a couple of seconds the sound cut off.

Gritting his teeth and clenching his hands into tight fists, Jimin felt the urge to do something swell inside him. He just didn’t know what he could do. The apricot head went to peek over his shoulder, back to where they had left Opikal and Koliifa, but Stem moved into his line of sight and shook his head.

“Don’t look back,” the archer said in a grave tone then he blinked a few times and looked up at the sun shining through the trees before steadying his gaze on Jimin once more. “They made their choice. We can’t do anything for them now.”

Jimin opened his mouth but snapped it closed and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before returning his attention to what was ahead of him knowing Stem was right.

The shade cast by the leaves suddenly felt too cold as the cruel reality of the situation settled over the half-Saeni. He had heard the scream, but had no way of knowing if Opikal and Koliifa were still alive or not. The suffocating realization tightened his throat because the same went for you and his brothers. The group had been able to hear the fighting for a while… what if one of those dying screams had been a member of his kiela? He knew how strong everyone was, including you, but… but what if…

All of the sudden, Jimin was yanked out of his upsetting thoughts when Mingi held up his fist. At the appearance of the signal, Jimin and the others slowed down and began to creep forward. Eyes scanning and ears alert. A slight rustle came from up ahead. A noise so minor and indiscrete yet so loud at the same time. The Saeni’s heads whipped in the direction of the sound while Mingi shifted to place himself fully in front of Jimin.

Then… the flash of sunlight glinting off metal… and a sickening thump.

Jimin blinked in horror as an arrow skewered itself through soft flesh of Geodin’s neck. The short male tried to gasp and stumbled while Mingi immediately turned to grab Jimin and tug him behind a large tree. The other Saeni followed suit and found cover as Geodin dropped to his knees, blood leaking out around the arrow and onto his chest. Deep crimson also trailed out of his mouth and stained his lips and chin. The world seemed to pause and hold its breath…

Then another arrow embedded itself into Geodin’s chest. The impact forcing the male to fall to his back. His chest shakily rose and fell… once… twice… and then he stopped moving altogether.

Your thighs and calves burned as you finally reached the peak of the steep incline. Slowing to a stop, you pushed your sweaty hair out of your face then waved your hand around to shoo away the bugs buzzing by your ear as you caught your breath. While gulping in air, you turned in a half-circle to try to see what was around you but all there was was an endless expanse of green and brown. You had no idea where you were or if you were even close to Jimin. It’s not like you had directions or landmarks to help you find your way. All you could really do was keep the battlefield either at your back or on your left shoulder as you ran through the forest in search of your best friend.

The basic plan was to go northwest toward the center of the enemy’s forces to where the rift supposedly was. Unfortunately, you didn’t have the privilege of mental GPS guidance like your dear best friend. Plus, you didn’t even know where the center of the draikensu’s forces were; you only had a generic idea so you were truly just winging it.

Doesn’t matter. I’m gonna find you Slim Jim. 

Swiveling back to face the direction you had been running in, you cracked your neck and back then inhaled deeply. Although you were a decent distance from the field by now, you swear you could still detect a hint of iron and death in the air. Maybe it was because you could still hear faint screams filtering through the trees, or maybe the smell clung to you, or maybe you were simply imagining the putrid scent because you were so on edge.

With how much adrenaline was pumping through your veins at the moment you wondered if you would ever be able to calm down again after this whole ordeal was over.

If you were even still breathing by then.

You were worried for yourself, for Jimin, for Jungkook and Tae and all the other members of the kiela who had become family to you. Mingi too. But you were also concerned about the draikensu. You knew majority of them were at the field but you didn’t know if all of them were and the last thing you needed was to run into a group of the fuckers. If what that one back at the cliff said was true – the key will die while you pathetically fight – then you probably didn’t have a lot of time to waste so you didn’t want to worry about your human ass sneaking around quietly or fighting any skirmishes on your way. Thankfully, you hadn’t seen anyone since you left the cliff but that didn’t mean you were about to let your guard up.

Doing a quick examine of the trees, you tried to ignore the distant screams as you focused your hearing…

Nothing.

No signs of draikensu… or Jimin.

You blew out a raspberry and let your eyes wander until they rested on a large rock that you started to approach coyly. “You wouldn’t happen to be a rock I can ride for miles like the pioneers used to… would you?”

No response, unsurprisingly.

With a bittersweet huff, you clutched your bow tighter and stepped up and over the rock before beginning to move onward once more. Lowering your head to avoid being whacked in the face by a large branch, you scampered over a collection of roots popping out of earth like lacework. Suddenly, a twig snapped and the shrubs rustled violently to your right and your eyes widened in alarm as you instinctively grabbed an arrow from your quiver while turning toward the sound. Your hear beat wildly as you drew back and squinted into the trees but all you saw was a small, russet-colored creature scuttling through the low greenery.

Just a damn animal. Your arms relaxed and you breathed a bit easier as you watched the creature disappear.

Returning the arrow to your quiver, you shook out your hand to relieve some leftover tension then got ready to start running again. Though as you shifted your weight to do so, a pained scream pierced your ears. Freezing, your breath caught in your throat but the shriek stopped just as quickly as it had come.

“The fuck…?” You murmured to yourself while looking around warily.

There’s no way that came from the field… it was way too loud to have come from the field.

While the birds resumed their singing, you drifted your gaze more west and narrowed your eyes. Of course, there was no way to be sure but you had a hunch the scream came from over there. Your insides yelled at you that it did and before you knew it your feet were moving on their own accord.

Rolling onto his back, Namjoon could almost feel the dew-and-blood-slicked grass soak into his armor and clothes. Ignoring the unpleasant sensation, the yellow-eyed male grit his teeth and used both hands to lift his heavy weapon over his face in order to block the serrated edge of the short sword being swung at him. The draikensu’s blade ricocheted off the hammer’s shaft with a shrill ring and a handful of sparks. Baring his teeth at the recoil that traveled up his arms from the attack, Namjoon shifted his weight to attempt to kick his opponent’s legs out from underneath him but a yelling figure with dark hair slammed into the draikensu without warning.

Jin threw his arms around the male going after his leader and tackled him to the ground with a defiant shout. The force of the surprise body slam caused the draikensu to involuntarily drop his sword and the eldest member of the kiela didn’t give the male any time to recover. Jin pulled his sword hand back then rammed the hilt of the weapon into the male’s jaw, making his head snap back against the earth. The draikensu growled and spat out a mouthful of crimson spit before grabbing onto Jin’s forearm and throwing his weight upward and to the side. As Jin was thrown aside, he clutched at the draikensu’s armor and pulled the male along with him.

The two males twisted and grappled in the torn-up grass. Their limbs tangled and grasped at one another while they tried to find an advantage and pin the other down, but the close proximity made Jin struggle. It restricted him from using the blade of his longsword. He simply didn’t have the space or time to use the gore-covered weapon.

While dodging the draikensu’s elbow, Jin tried to spot something he could impale the male on or if Namjoon was able to give him a helping hand… or better yet, a swing of his hammer. Seeing neither, the raven-haired Saeni could only think of one way to finish the fight. Jin released another powerful yell and brought his arm across the draikensu’s chest, gripping the male’s shoulder in his hand to anchor himself as he punched the male’s side with the hand tightly gripping his sword hilt. The draikensu gasped and Jin took that split-second to flip his opponent to his back so he could kneel over the male’s waist. After delivering another blow to the male’s torso to incapacitate his movements, the raven-haired Saeni adjusted the hold on his sword and sliced up from the draikensu’s belly in one fluid but deadly arc. Crimson spattered onto the grass and dripped off the tip of Jin’s sword as the draikensu swiftly began to bleed out while his eyes rolled back into his head.

With a pant, Jin went to stand but the air against the side of his face abruptly stirred and caused him to turn and raise his weapon. A sword screeched against the edge of his own blade. Jin’s fast reaction stopped the weapon from reaching his neck as was the draikensu’s intention, but the parry didn’t manage to leave him completely unscathed. The enemy’s sword shallowly slashed into his cheek and arm, leaving behind thin lines of red, and the attacked made the Saeni lose his balance. Jin stumbled and teetered to the side, falling onto his hip and forearm. He blinked up at the draikensu as he felt his warm blood well up from the cuts, and the sight of scarlet beginning to trail down his face made the draikensu’s eyes sparkle and lips twitch gleefully.

Jin heard a familiar voice call out to him desperately.

“Hyung!”

Looking past the male hovering over him, Jin saw Namjoon running over. His brown hair was matted, jaw clenched, and eyes narrowed menacingly. Not even a second later, when he was close enough, Namjoon reached out and firmly grabbed the draikensu’s collar before yanking the male backwards harshly. While the draikensu staggered and tumbled to the ground, Namjoon grunted and raised the bulky head of his weapon to the sky. Then he smashed it down onto the chest of the fallen draikensu.

Namjoon breathed heavily and lifted his hammer from the crater he had created in the male’s armor before wiping the back of his hand across his forehead then offering the hand out to his brother.

“You good?” The leader inquired while roaming his eyes over Jin’s body to check for injuries.

Taking Namjoon’s hand in his, Jin allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. “Yeah, I’m alright.”

After nodding, Namjoon shifted his gaze to take in the field and the mass of crumpled bodies that now littered it. With sad eyes, he observed the dead, the wounded and barely alive, and those still fighting through their exhaustion.

Shaking his head, he whispered, “How long will this go on…?”

Jin placed a gentle hand on his brother’s shoulder before saying they should try to regroup with the others. The elder tilted his chin toward a collection of flaring lights over by one of the trees scattered throughout the field and Namjoon could just make out the color of mint-blue from the mess.

The leader of the kiela went to agree but as he turned his head back to his brother, he saw movement in his peripherals. Eyes expanding in alarm as he registered two daggers rotating through the air toward them, Namjoon hastily pushed Jin out of the way.

Falling to his ass, the raven-haired Saeni looked up at the other male in confusion. “Joon? What th-OH MY GODDESS!”

Jin was gawking at Namjoon’s thigh and the yellow-eyed Saeni grimaced as he looked down and observed the blade now buried hilt deep in his flesh. Namjoon’s hand trembled as he reached down to lightly touch his fingertip against the hilt and he hissed sharply through his teeth at how the contact slightly disturbed the blade. Blood began to slowly course down Namjoon’s thigh and Jin forced himself to get over his shock and get back to his feet to scan the area.

“Where did it come from!?” Jin whispered frantically and darted his eyes around but when Namjoon only whimpered in response he swiveled his dark eyes to see that Namjoon now had his hand fully wrapped around the hilt. “DON’T TAKE IT OUT!”

“Aish, I know. It just fucking hurts.”

Jin snorted at his leader’s pouting response. “Well, no shit.”

Namjoon barked out a rough laugh but it was fast to fade into another pained moan. While he moved his hand to hold the muscle of his thigh right above the dagger, Jin felt a lump lodge in his throat as he took in his younger brother’s state.

“You… You really shouldn’t have pushed me. You should have gotten yourself out of the way.”

Setting the head of his hammer on the ground, Namjoon rested majority of his weight on the weapon while waving his now bloody hand dismissively and showcasing a tiny, dimpled smile.

“…Hey.” A stranger’s voice suddenly came from beside them both.

With a gasp, Jin pivoted and raised his sword but an array of emerald magic held his swing at bay. Underneath the glittering green was a muscular, emerald-haired female Saeni with both eyebrows raised at the eldest of the kiela. Seeing she wasn’t a threat, Jin eased up and apologized as the emerald light vanished. The magic user chuckled and just gave Jin another look then turned her gaze to the dagger sticking out of Namjoon’s thigh.

“Let me see that.” She crouched down so the damage was at eye level then glanced behind her shoulder at Jin. “You, keep any draikensu off us while I deal with this.”

Jin drew in a breath at her words, feeling the lump in his throat lessen knowing she was going to help his brother. Repositioning himself, he stood guard and protectively watched over them as the magic user put her strong hand around the dagger’s hilt, which made Namjoon curse in a deep voice.

The yellow-eyed male looked down at the female and lightly touched her wrist. “Don’t… save your energy. Don’t waste it on me.”

“Shut up and let me do this.”

Jin roared as a draikensu approached the trio and he took two steps to the side then powerfully slashed his sword across their chest before plunging it through their torso.

“I’m only doing enough to ensure you won’t die after I take out this little guy.” The female gestured to the dagger with her chin.

“Little?”

The magic user just stared up at Namjoon silently through her emerald hair until he swallowed nervously and nodded.

“A-Alright…”

“This is going to hurt,” she said while gripping the hilt more firmly. “On three. One… two… three!”

While bursts of magenta light came from several yards away as another Saeni magic user battled the draikensu with yellow magic, Yoongi crooked his fingers while diving to the side and narrowly avoided a crescent of amethyst magic surging toward him. Rolling to a stop near the base of a tree, his own magic shot out of the ground at his opponent’s feet. The mint-blue tendrils seized the female’s amethyst-glowing hands and began to crawl up her wrists and arms, preventing her from moving. At the same time, Hobi leapt toward the draikensu with a blade brandished in each hand. As he angled his daggers, the silvery-whiteness of his hair shimmered in the sun where it was still visible beneath the streaks of red and brown that painted his body. Aiming one blade just above the female’s collarbone and the other under her ribcage, the kiela’s spy closed in on his target but the female magic user contorted her face into a snarl and lifted one of her legs to plant her foot directly into Hobi’s sternum.

Yoongi felt his stomach drop as he watched Hobi land hard on his back while the female turned her attention to the mint-colored light curling around her arms. Claws of amethyst erupted out of her hands and pierced through Yoongi’s magic but the Saeni didn’t reinforce his bonds. He couldn’t bring himself to look away from his partner who had yet to get back up to his feet. The female draikensu began to violently strip off the mint-blue tendrils coiling up her limbs with her magic as Hobi braced himself on his elbows and let out a low moan of pain.

Petal pink eyes snapped wide open at the sound, and Yoongi thrust his hands forward to cocoon his magic around the spy before dragged him backwards until he too was underneath the tree. The mint-haired Saeni held out a hand and tried to keep the distress out of his voice as he asked if the other male was okay.

Hobi smiled gratefully while taking Yoongi’s hand, but as he was being helped up, the white-haired Saeni wrapped his free arm around his middle and grimaced. “Fucking Exia she can kick hard. I think she might’ve cracked a rib.”

Cursing under his breath, Yoongi immediately dropped his eyes to Hobi’s torso in concern but Hobi let out a breathy chuckle and placed his palm against the magic user’s cheek to gently tilt his face back up. “I’ll be fine hyung. You can fix me up and make me feel better later.”

The tips of the Yoongi’s ears began to burn as he stared into Hobi’s light brown eyes, the warmth of the male’s touch both scalding and soothing. Gaping slightly, the mint-haired Saeni felt as if the rest of the world blurred away as he gazed into those eyes. The sounds of fighting and pain and rage muted as if they were placed underwater and all he could hear instead was his frantic pulse and the echoes of Hobi’s voice. He felt as though he could live in that moment for the rest of eternity. A calming comfort in the middle of chaotic and deadly storm.

And then the moment was shattered as the female magic user screamed in impatience while ripping away the last of the mint tendrils from her arms. Both Hobi and Yoongi snapped their heads over to the angered female whose dark expression seemed to match the magic angrily writhing around her hands.

“Well,” Yoongi commented as he turned to face the draikensu with an annoyed quirk of his brow but he quickly replaced it with a lazy smirk, “someone took quite a while to get out of my magic. It wasn’t even that strong.”

“Goddess, sometimes I forget you’re just as bad as Kook with taunting people,” Hobi murmured and shook his head as the female’s gaze turned even more murderous.

Peering to the side and cracking his knuckles, Yoongi sent Hobi a sly grin. “Who do you think the sprout learned it all from?”

Before the kiela’s spy could come up with a retort, both males caught a glimmer of amethyst out of the corner of their eyes and they lunged in opposite directions as a harsh curve of magic flew at them. The magic hit the tree, gouging into the trunk and slicing into two of the thicker branches. The tree limbs creaked and groaned for a second before they fractured with a splitting crack and fell toward the earth, forcing Hobi to dive out of the way again as they hit the ground. Safely coming to his knees, Hobi reached behind his back to take out a medium-sized dagger while peeking at Yoongi who nodded and allowed his mint-blue magic to flare even brighter as he raised his hands. As the two males readied themselves to rush the female, an ear-splitting screech made both them and the draikensu halt their movements and look to the side.

The Saeni with magenta magic had the other draikensu magic user speared to the ground. The yellow magic enveloping the draikensu’s hands was growing dimmer and dimmer as she lay face down in the destroyed grass, a glittering magenta bolt piercing her body directly between her shoulder blades. The draikensu took a final, unsteady inhale then sagged limply while the last of her magic faded into nothing. Meanwhile, the Saeni magic user stumbled back a step but her legs gave out and she collapsed to her knees with a sobbing gasp. The magenta bolt vanished from the draikensu’s back, leaving an open, gaping hole, and the Saeni seemed to struggle to breath as she cradled her shaking hands close to her chest.

Yoongi and Hobi returned their gaze to the amethyst magic user and were alarmed as they saw her sneer and lift one of her glowing hands toward the weakened Saeni.

“Shit. Look out!” Yoongi yelled as Hobi desperately threw his dagger at the draikensu.

The Saeni looked up from her tremoring hands right as the draikensu spun out of the way of Hobi’s blade and simultaneously sent a sickle of magic from her hand. As the amethyst magic carved through the air, Yoongi flicked a line of his own magic out in a hasty attempt to latch onto the Saeni’s wrist and tug her out of the way… but it was too late. The female Saeni just quietly stared at the approaching wave of amethyst magic with hollow eyes until it cut through her neck and chest. Hobi swore, his voice holding regret and horror, and the two males watched as the Saeni’s now headless body slumped to the earth while her head rolled and came to a rest beside the body of the draikensu she had killed only moments earlier.

As you jumped down into a stream, cold water splashed against your ankles when the stone you landed on lurched to the side. After throwing your arms out to regain your balance, you crossed the water and saw you were now in a meadow-like area. Trees still dotted the earth but majority of the plants were grasses and ferns that ruffled in the breeze. It was beautiful and peaceful and allowed you to see your surroundings more easily… but you were also aware that it made you more visible and exposed. With that lovely thought in mind you kept moving beneath the sun and shade, although you couldn’t keep your eyes from flitting around more often to check your surroundings.

You still had no idea where you were, even more so now since the field was out of earshot. To put it simply, you were pretty much just going off instinct and gut feelings now. Right now, your gut was telling you to turn more to the east. There was no obvious reason as to why, maybe you felt as if you had gone too far west or perhaps it was some other subconscious sixth sense, but nonetheless you still listened to the feeling and adjusted your course. With aching legs and ragged breaths, you delved deeper into the meadow. Ferns gently grazed against your legs and the occasional bramble bush scraped your skin and clung to your clothes.

After a few minutes, the fresh, earthy scent of the meadow began to be overpowered by the distinct odor of blood and fresh death. Skidding to a top as the smell hit your nose, you looked around but saw and heard nothing out of the ordinary. But you knew that smell, as abhorrent as that realization was. Crinkling your nose, you took a tentative step forward… then another and another and another as you followed the disgusting smell to the source. You tried to control your breathing but you found yourself inhaling faster and faster as your anxiety grew along with the stench. Nervous of what you would find. Scared it would be a body with apricot hair.

Tiptoeing around a gnarly old oak tree, your breath hitched as you saw a lump of something laying in the ferns beside a log. Swallowing down your nerves as best you could, you grabbed an arrow and loosely notched it before slowly approaching the form. Tracing your index finger lightly over the arrow’s soft feather fletching for comfort, you neared and saw there was blood pooled on the earth beneath the thing. Blood also coated the stems and leaves of the plants beside it, the red contrasting so vividly to the bright green. The wind picked up and blew against your face, and you resisted the urge to cover your nose as you inched even closer. Then you paused as you saw patches of fur. Perplexed, you titled your head and stood still for a couple moments before moving around the vegetation so it was in full view.

Tail, large paws, and sharp teeth. It was a dead wolf. And it was covered in hundreds of gashes.

Taking short breaths, you squatted before the creature and looked over its maimed body. You had no idea what would create those kinds of wounds, and you didn’t want to stick around and find out. Furthermore, it wasn’t a Saeni or draikensu so there was no reason to hang around. It was time to get moving again. As you turned to leave, you glanced over to the log resting in the foliage a few yards away.

It’s shaped weirdly… must be pretty rotten and decomposed. You thought absentmindedly then gasped and did a double take as you felt your heart stop for a second.

What you had thought was a log wasn’t that at all… it was a person.

But they were no longer alive.

Biting your lip, you crept around the wolf and advanced toward the body. It was completely mutilated. Entrails spilled out from their stomach, deep gouges in their flesh, and torn out chunks of meat. The sight made you grimace and you had to look away for a moment.

After counting to three in your mind, you forced yourself to turn back to the body. Bringing your eyes to their head, some of the tension evaporated from your body and you squeezed your eyes in relief at how their hair was a baby-powder blue. You didn’t know them. You had no idea who they were or if they had been an ally or an enemy. Their body and armor were too shredded and torn apart to tell. Expelling a puff of air, you shifted your gaze to their red-stained hand that rested beside their head. In their palm was a metallic black rod that was connected to a series of smaller rods that were linked together by rings. The object was mostly piled in a heap but you could see the chain ended in a sharp dart.

Is that a whip?

You blinked at the weapon then looked back at the wolf.

Did they kill each other? Your brows furrowed. But why…?

Was this connected to Uzjuk or did you just happen to stumble upon a random, dead Saeni? You could have, but a normal Saeni wouldn’t be wearing armor or carrying around a weapon like that. Not unless they were BTS Saeni or a draikensu. The entire scene was utterly confusing and when you looked up from the wolf corpse your eyes widened yet again as you made out another lump up ahead in the ferns.

Brushing past some briars, you made your way over and noted it was another dead wolf draped over a dead female. A sword was buried deep into the stomach of the animal while its teeth rested against the female’s shoulder. Through the mess of fur, muscle, and sinew, you could see where its teeth had ripped her throat out.

Fucking hell… what happened here?

Scrunching your face at the sight, you peered at the female and wondered if some of her armor was intact beneath the wolf. If it was, you would be able to see if it matched the armor of the palace troops and thus know which side she, and likely the other Saeni, belonged to. Just as you went to kneel down, a series of loud and aggressive, but distant, barks resounded into the air which caused your head to whip up.

You had never heard a wolf’s bark before save what growls and howling were in movies, and although it sounded quite similar to a dog, you would bet your entire Spongebob Squarepants DVD collection that those had been wolf barks. They had to be.

As the sounds faded, you squinted through the trees then glanced up at the sun’s position. The barks had come from the north and a little bit to the east. You breathed in sharply through your nose at the realization, which you immediately regretted, then quickly dropped to the ground and set your bow aside before leaning over to pluck two big leaves off a nearby plant. Using them to cover your palms, you then pushed against the heavy body of the wolf. Once the canine had mostly slipped off the female’s body, you stared at her armor for a few seconds before snatching up your bow, standing up, and taking off in the direction of the barks with the image of the Saeni’s palace armor seared into your mind.

Dashing through the meadow, it wasn’t long before the stream popped back into view. It trickled and bubbled beside you as you ran alongside its bank. You didn’t know if those dead Saeni had been with Jimin but the female had the same armor as the palace troops so it was at least something for you to go off of. And your gut was telling you they had been with Jimin. Why else would they be this far from the field unless they had been heading to the rift?

I don’t know if Mingi and Jimin are alone or with others since I left before they probably finalized those plans, but wouldn’t it make more sense if they had brought a small group of Saeni with them?

You were pulled from your thoughts when another threatening bark followed by a whine echoed through the trees, the sudden sound startling you and making you trip over a rock. Cursing as your weight went forward, you stumbled a few steps but luckily didn’t fall. Continuing to move, you resented the damn wolf for almost causing you to eat dirt, but you were also glad it barked again because it confirmed you were still going in the right direction.

After a minute, the stream started to curve but since the bark had come from straight ahead you plunged into the cool water once more before reentering the dense forest. You ran and ran and ran, occasionally pounding your fist against your thighs to silently order them to keep working and moving. Your entire body hurt and ached but you weren’t going to stop.

I won’t stop trying to find you Slim Jim…

Gulping air into your burning lungs, you tried to maintain your breathing cadence but it was hastily slipping away from you. Knowing you needed to get it under control again if you wanted to keep pressing on, you reluctantly eased your pace a little to catch your breath. Your chest heaved but you slowly lost the feeling of being a fish out of water trying to get oxygen. Hitting your thigh with your fist again, you went to increase your speed when the wind let up and that too familiar scent of iron began to fill your nose once more. Gasping slightly at the smell, your shaking legs slowed down even more as you turned to follow it. Heart thumping crazily, you reached over your shoulder to retrieve an arrow while you crept as silently as you could.

You heard nothing beyond the usual buzzing and clicking of the forest, but the repulsive smell only grew stronger as you warily moved through the shrubs toward the source.

You ducked beneath a branch, hopped over an overturned tree, then, after squeezing through some bushes holding some kind of pink berry, you saw them.

The first body your eyes landed on was a male laying on the ground with one arrow in his chest and another through his neck. He had on palace armor. Your gaze then shifted onto two more bodies; one also impaled by arrows while the other had a bloody hole in their abdomen. Their armor was different. Darker and less intricate. Draikensu. Surveying the scene with shocked eyes, you counted a total of ten draikensu corpses. All dead. There was one more Saeni too, a female with golden hair pinned to a tree via a spear through her ribcage.

As you studied the carnage, a ragged, weak exhale came from behind you, causing you to whirl around instantly.

A male was sitting on the ground with his back against the base of a tree and one leg stretched out before him… but what really caught your attention was the arm drawing back a bow and the arrow levelled right at you. Astonished, you were fast to tug on your own bowstring and aimed back.

How did I not see him?

It was a standoff for one… two… three heartbeats then his arms began to shake and he seemed to involuntarily drop the bow with a self-deprecating laugh. The male let his arms fall to his sides and he tilted his head back against the tree bark.

Looking at you with hazy, hooded eyes, he murmured, “Just go ahead and… get on with it.”

Your eyes bugged out as you realized he was giving you full access to his chest for a kill shot. A split-second later you registered he was wearing bloodied palace armor, which meant he wasn’t your enemy… though with how unfocused his own eyes were, you considered he might think you were a draikensu.

“What? No, I’m…” You lowered your bow and stared at him. “I’m not draikensu. I’m not even a Saeni actually.”

Holding your hands up in peace while moving toward the male, you saw the leg he had stretched out was coated in deep red and there was a strip of blood-soaked cloth tightly knotted above a severe cut on his thigh that went down to the bone.

Lolling his head to squint at you, he took in your entire appearance from head to toe before resting on your face. “Your ears. You… You’re human. You’re his friend…”

“Wait!” You hastily crouched beside him, being careful not to touch him and disturb his leg. “Jimin, er, Chim!? You know him!?”

The male hummed in confirmation. “Five of us joined him and… and that guard, Mingi, on the mission to the… rift, but… we ran into trouble as you can... see…” He gestured to the bodies with heavy movements as you felt dread surge within you.

Taking a deep breath to try to stay calm, you asked him what happened.

“First… it was the wolves.”

The two Saeni from the meadow flashed behind your eyes and you stiffened but remained silent so he could continue.

“Then… Then they attacked us out of nowhere. We, the… the three of us, stayed behind so Mingi could get Jimin away and… to the rift.”

You covered your mouth with your hand.

“We knew that meant death for the three of us… but we also knew he needed to get to the rift or else… or else-fuck.” His voice choked up and you lightly placed your hand on his shoulder. “I guess you know what will happen if he doesn’t, yeah?”

Nodding, you whispered a tiny ‘yeah’ while you felt his body shiver underneath your hand. You glanced down at his thigh, noting how his femoral artery was most likely cut. If Saeni had those. You couldn’t imagine how much blood he’d lost.

“But just in case someone came… someone on our side… like you… I wanted… wanted to… stay awake to let you know they’re still out there. They got away. They went… that way.” He sluggishly pointed in the direction then shifted it slightly. “But we were heading that way.”

Turning your head to see, you had to admit that part of you wanted to immediately spring to your feet and take off looking for your best friend again. Especially now that you know he had to be close by. But… how could you just leave this male when he was hurt like this?

As if he could sense the conflict swarming inside your heart, the male turned his bleary eyes toward you and quietly said, “Go. Go help them.”

“But you-”

He shook his head slightly and moved his gaze to the treetops swaying high above him. “What’s your name?”

“Y-Y/N.”

“Can you do me a favor, Y/N?” His lips twitched in to a miniscule smile as he continued to look at the leaves and sky. “Can you un… undo the tourniquet and then go… help your friend for me?”

Taken back, you looked down at his thigh again and the scrap of fabric that was barely keeping him alive.

He would die in minutes if I did that.

“But-”

The breathy chuckle he released was so soft you weren’t sure if you had even heard it. “I know, I know. I’ve made peace with it.”

You swallowed hard and peered into his face that truly did seem to accept what would happen. “Okay… I-Okay.”

Logically, you could understand it was the best decision for him. He was in pain, his body slowly numbing as his life force leaked away. The tourniquet was only prolonging that pain and the inevitable. There were no magic users there that could heal him and it would take too long for one to get there.

You closed your eyes for a couple seconds then settled your gaze on his leg and reached for the knot.

He flinched as you touched the fabric. “I knew I was done for as soon as I… I got cut but… I didn’t want to give up… I still wanted to help. This was the… the only way I could think of.”

You nodded your acknowledgement then began untying the knot as gently as possible and blanched at how blood began to pour out of the wound. Sucking in a breath, you had to look away so you brought your gaze back to the male’s face.

As his breaths grew fainter with every passing second, you did your best to smile comfortingly even though he wasn’t looking at you. “I, um, I never asked what your name was…”

“…Stem… You can call me ‘Stem,’” he breathed out weakly.

His hand twitched at his side before jerking across the dirt and twigs as though he was blindly searching for something. You had an idea of what it is. Hoping it was what he was wanting, you silently reached over his lap to grab his bow from where he had dropped it, turned over his searching hand, and placed the weapon in his palm.

“It’s nice to meet you, Stem.” You tenderly took his other hand in both of yours and held on so he knew you were there.

“Th-Thank you… Y/N. Thank you.”

As he rapidly slipped away, you didn’t know what to do or say so you let the forest speak and sing for you. He probably found more comfort in it anyway.

A few moments later, Stem’s chin sank against his chest and you let out a long exhale while carefully removing your hands from his now limp grasp. After folding his hand over the other that held his weapon, you shakily rose to your feet, walked around to Stem’s other side, and took out some of the arrows in his quiver to transfer them to your own.

Stepping back, you gave him one last look and whispered goodbye, then took off running after Jimin and Mingi.

Sliding across the ground and tucking his head down, Tae narrowly avoided the spear being swung at him. Once he cleared the weapon, he then pushed himself up to a crouch.  As the draikensu whirled around and went to attack yet again, Tae reached over his shoulder but tensed as his fingers felt nothing but air. Empty quiver. The draikensu thrust forward with their spear and Tae was forced to somersault backwards to evade the deadly point. As he came to his knees, Tae did a hasty scan of his surroundings and saw a body a few yards away that was riddled with arrows which caused his eyes to light up. The draikensu lunged once more but the Saeni was already moving. The spear stabbed at empty space as Tae came to a stop on his knees beside the body. In the blink of an eye, he ripped out one of the arrows, flinging droplets of blood into the air and onto his already red-covered self. Then he twisted around and fired into the side of the draikensu. They fell to their knees with a hoarse scream, one hand grasping at the arrow shaft, and another Saeni turned at the sound and finished them off with a slash of their blade.

Meanwhile, Tae breathed heavily and turned back to the body next to him then removed the rest of the arrows, tucked them into his quiver, and rose to his feet before looking back over to where he had seen glimpses of Yoongi’s magic a few minutes ago. Sure enough, more flashes of mint-blue appeared near one of the large trees standing in the field. With his destination set, Tae rolled his shoulders then set out.

As he rushed through the field, Tae deftly disposed of any draikensu he encountered with efficient, calculated strikes. His muscles were sore and his body was tired, but he couldn’t afford to let his fatigue affect his movements. Even the tiniest mishap, the smallest amount of laziness in his actions would result in his death. His feather earring was heavy and stiff as he ran, dodged, shot, and slashed. More blood splattered against him, covering the gore that was already dried on his skin and armor, and it wasn’t long before he was retrieving the last arrow from his quiver. Expertly notching it and sending it straight into a female’s chest, Tae quickly followed up the shot by surging forward and slicing the sharp edge of his bow against her exposed neck while she was distracted.

Another corpse to litter the field. Another body to water the earth.

Tae continued moving toward the tree, wanting to get to his brother as soon as possible, and he prayed his other brothers were doing the same as he snatched up stray arrows from the ground and the deceased as he went.

Then out of nowhere, as he was leaning down to pull an arrow out of a corpse’s back, a tingle traveled up Tae’s spine and the Saeni instinctively dove to the side right as an explosion of maroon magic hit where he had just been squatting. The force of the eruption rammed into Tae’s back, throwing him further than he had aimed for, and as the blue-eyed Saeni shook his head in shock and staggered to his feet, he saw a male grinning at him. A quick glance down showed he had maroon light encompassing his hands.

Wiggling his glowing fingers at Tae, the draikensu sneered, “My, my, you’re a fast one, but you still won’t last lo-”

The magic user cut off his own sentence when another Saeni screamed and ran at the draikensu with his single-handed axe raised high in the air and a shield held in front of his body.

“They always think a shield will protect them,” The magic user said in amusement as his grin shifted into something more wicked then he threw both his hands toward the Saeni. “It won’t, though it’s cute you tried.”

Magic formed together in a ball-like shape between his hands before shooting out like a cannon and detonating at the feet of the Saeni in a burst of maroon light… and when the light faded, there was a small crater in the grass and only the upper-half of the male’s body was left intact. Tae didn’t even have the chance to react to the gruesome sight because the draikensu turned to him with a bored sigh and shot another magical cannon ball right at him. The blue-eyed Saeni lunged to the side and grunted as he was caught in the explosion’s shockwave again.

“Ah, so it wasn’t a fluke before. You really are just fast.” The magic user rubbed his hands together. “This will be fun then.”

Then the draikensu released another cannon ball but Tae was already running. Knowing he was at a disadvantage since there was nothing to take cover behind, all Tae could do was not stop. Just keep moving and evading. Slowly work his way closer. The maroon cannon balls never let up, but between the blasts Tae could hear the draikensu growling in frustration as the he abruptly changed directions for the umpteenth time. Sweat trailed down Tae’s face and made his eyes sting but ignored it and his body’s exhaustion as he slid on the ground. A ball of magic sailed over his head while he yanked an arrow out of the ground. He came up to a crouch as he notched it then fired at the draikensu before taking off again. The ball that had been forming in the magic user’s hands vanished as the male had to jump to the side to avoid the projectile.

Breathing heavily, Tae kept going. Grabbing what arrows he could and shooting while constantly changing his speed and direction to avoid the magical attacks. Essentially, he was being an absolute pain in the ass to the draikensu. The magic user roared in annoyance and screamed at him to ‘just stay fucking still,’ making Tae lightly smirk as he gasped for air and disregarded the request.

The mistake Tae was waiting for would be coming soon.

Another thirty seconds passed of Tae circling and backtracking and gradually moving closer as the draikensu released magic nonstop and angrily shouted. The field around them was now filled with holes, and the other draikensu and Saeni fighting close by were giving them a wide berth. They didn’t want to get caught up in the magic user’s destruction.

Tae let loose another arrow that managed to nick the magic user’s arm, which caused the draikensu to scream, “DIE ALREADY!”

And then the male thrust his clawed hands forward and sent a barrage of cannon balls at the Saeni. The bombardment was so bright, the magic user had to shut his eyes and hold his arms over his face. When the light finally began to die down, the draikensu lowered his arms and opened his eyes to find the field right before him utterly destroyed… but there were no body parts scattered in the dirt and clumps of grass. The male’s eyes widened in disbelief right as the blue-eyed Saeni silently took his final step behind the unaware draikensu and swung his bow.

The hazel-eyed Saeni had Jimin’s bicep secured in his grasp as the duo ran through the trees. Closer and closer they neared the rift’s location… but Jimin kept looking over his shoulder.

“Stop looking back,” Mingi quietly but sternly ordered.

The apricot-haired Saeni stared at the guard with a startled expression. “But we just left them.”

Mingi kept his gaze forward, not saying anything in response, but his jaw visibly ticked and he tightened his grip on Jimin’s arm.

“No!” Jimin pulled himself free and came to a stop. “How could we just leave them!? We need to go ba-”

The other Saeni grabbed Jimin’s shoulders and slammed him into the nearest tree trunk, his hazel eyes filled with pain. “I hate it too! I hate it… so much… but they knew the risk when they agreed to this mission. They know what will happen if it doesn’t succeed.” Mingi hung his head and lowered his voice so it was a whisper that could barely be heard over the rustling leaves. “Don’t throw away their valor by going back and getting killed. Please.”

“Mingi…” Jimin blinked in shock at the rawness of the other male’s voice.

“Please.”

“Okay,” the half-Saeni agreed softly and Mingi released him then stepped back.

Running a hand through his sweaty apricot locks, Jimin murmured an apology in a small voice. The other Saeni nodded and said they should get moving again. The duo resumed their previous pace, hastily making their way under the shade and patches of sunlight. Eventually, the ground began to slope downwards and the two Saeni started to tread more carefully.

The rift will be at the bottom of this gully, just a short distance ahead. The mother goddess’ sweet voice filtered into Jimin’s mind, and her words made his breath quicken.

“Holy shit, Mingi, we’re almost there,” Jimin said in astonishment while deliberately sliding down a steep section on his side then bracing a foot against the base of a tree to stand back up. “It’s at the bottom of thi-”

Snap!

As the sharp, loud sound made Jimin stop mid-sentence, Mingi held up his fist, shifted his gaze to the side, and peered into the forest. The Saeni held their breath for one… two… three… four…

A dark blur erupted out of the foliage, teeth and claws bared.

Something slammed into Jimin, sending him head over heels backwards down the slope.

A growl and agonized cry joined the symphony of chirping insects and birds.

Tumbling all the way to the bottom of the gully, Jimin flopped onto his back and groaned while pressing his fingertips to his forehead. Hot liquid smeared across his skin and when he pulled his fingers away they were dabbled with blood. His eyebrows shot up, making him wince as the action agitated at the cut at his hairline, and he took a shaky inhale then looked up. Mingi was still standing on the incline, a hand braced against his side as he positioned himself between Jimin and the prowling wolf before him. Red poked out between the guard’s fingers but the male grit his teeth and stared down the snarling animal. The wolf’s hackles were raised and its ears erect as it showed its sharp incisors then let out a series of nasty barks. But Mingi didn’t even flinch, challenging the animal.

Jimin wobbled to his feet right as the wolf crouched backwards. And then it pounced.

Mingi unsheathed his sword as the canine attacked, grunting as the movement tugged at the claw wound on his side. The wolf mostly twisted out of the way but the edge of the blade still sliced into its body. The wolf let out a high-pitched whine that morphed into another growl as it landed on its paws. Without hesitation, the wolf leapt again and went for Mingi’s legs. There was no relent in the animal’s aggression. It kept surging forward again and again and again. Teeth sunk into the Saeni’s calf and the wolf yanked its head, causing the male to fall and lose hold of his sword. The blade clanged to the earth while Mingi’s head landed on a rock. Jimin gasped sharply. The wolf released the male’s leg and turned to look at apricot head, who had been watching the scene unfold with an overwhelming sense of helplessness. But as if gazing into those black, threatening eyes brought him to his senses, Jimin shuddered, sucked in a gulp of air, and reached over his shoulder. Noting his quiver was much emptier after his tumble down the slope, he closed his fingers around the fletching of an arrow and began to pull it out as the wolf growled and started stalking down the slope. With a curse, Mingi sluggishly rolled over, grabbed one of the wolf’s back legs, and hauled the animal back. Then the guard climbed on top of the canine, pinning it down regardless of how much it thrashed. How much it dug its claws into his body and tried to bite him with gnashing teeth.

“GO!” Mingi’s booming voice was clear but his hazel eyes were clouded with pain as they bore into Jimin. “Get to the rift! Go!”

The half-Saeni’s feet were frozen.

“Fucking Exia, GO!”

Jimin, you must go. I know it is hard but you must. The mother goddess urged him to leave as well.

His body jerked but his feet stayed glued in place. How could he leave Mingi? How could he just go? He had to do something!

Don’t throw away their valor…

Mingi’s words echoed in Jimin’s head along with Illai’s.

You must go…

So, he did. He turned and ran. Eyes glossy with tears and heart brimming with hurt.

The sound of bubbling water soon rushed to his ears and a creek came into view. It was shallow, wide, and rocky. Jimin ran alongside and through the water as the creek curved and weaved through the forest.

You are nearly there.

The half-Saeni splashed through the cold water.

Just up ahead! On your left!

He bounded up and over some rocks. The creek twisted away and he began to make his way uphill.

Then skidded to a halt.

To his left was a rugged, rocky incline leading to what appeared to be a cavern opening.

But in front on him was a male resting on top of a large rock with smoky darkness coiling in the air behind him.

The male smiled at Jimin but the expression was sinister and chilling.

“Well, well, well. I’ve been waiting for you.” The darkness pulsed and expanded as the male smirked. “Ready to have your heart carved out, key?”

Hobi flipped the knife in his hand as he dodged another sickle of amethyst magic, grimacing as the pain of his cracked his spiked again. The white-haired Saeni refused to let it slow him down though, so he spun on his heels and threw the blade. The weapon rotated through the air toward the draikensu but she deflected it with a quick shield comprised of her magic.

“Stop throwing shit!” Yoongi snapped at his partner while lassoing a line of his magic around the female’s ankle and yanking hard. “You’re going to run out of blades again!”

The female magic user toppled to the side but caught herself on her knee. Using the stumble to his advantage, Yoongi lifted both hands and wrapped his magic around the female’s torso and chest. Mint-blue magic bound her arms to her sides and began to squeeze, gradually crushing the draikensu.

“NOW!” Yoongi yelled as sweat trailed down his face and neck while he slowly closed his hands into fists.

The kiela’s spy brandished another blade and rushed the restrained magic user from the side. At the same time, the female hissed and focused her attention on the arm closest to the approaching Saeni. Yoongi saw her efforts, her attempts to rip through the constricting blue magic with her own, and was determined to not let her break through. It was time they finished this fight. It had gone on long enough. He fisted his hands even more, causing the draikensu to scream through her teeth. Hobi was about fifteen yards out when the female somehow managed to twist her arm underneath the magic so her glowing hand slipped out. The sight made Yoongi’s petal pink eyes widen in realization. And dread. He had been wrong. She hadn’t been trying to tear through his magic but rather rebuff it so she could free her hand. Before Yoongi was able to restrain the released appendage, the female flicked her wrist and sent out a small crescent of magic.

And Hobi didn’t have enough time to dodge it.

Yoongi could only watch in horror as the other male tried to leap out of the way but the edge of the magic still cut through his side.

Once the magic passed through, the white-haired Saeni slowed down and pressed a hand to his torso as if in a daze, flickered his eyes to Yoongi, dropped to his knees, then crumpled to the ground. He didn’t move after that.

Yoongi stared, his blood running cold and hands beginning to shake, as Hobi didn’t move. It felt like there was a sudden hole in his chest and it was becoming hard to breathe. 

This can’t be real. 

This can’t be real. 

This can’t be real. 

Then the sound of pleased laughter reached his ears, and he turned his gaze back to the draikensu who was now giggling manically. Yoongi’s eyes hardened and his body abruptly became hot with anger. He took a step toward the female as she began to cleave through the magic around her. Another step and Yoongi clenched his fists as hard as he could. The mint-blue magic obeyed his orders and multiple cracking noises came from the female’s bones, making her shriek. Another step and Yoongi moved his wrist so his magic vanished from the draikensu’s torso… but an instant later, blue tendrils shot out of the earth and curled around her ankles and calves. The female yelled and sent a wave of amethyst magic at him. With an expression so blank it was terrifying, Yoongi held his hands out in front of him and his own magic easily burned through the female’s. His chest heaved. From anger, from pain, from shock, from disbelief. From no longer conserving his energy and letting his magic run rampant. Flexing his fingers, his magic snapped the bones in the female’s legs too. She screamed and the sound transformed into a gasping wail as she awkwardly slumped on the ground. Another step. More tendrils of mint-blue light rose up and clutched at her biceps. Another step. The draikensu desperately threw another wave of magic. Yoongi cut through it. Another step. Her humerus bones shattered. Another step. Magic coiled around her forearms. Another step. More broken bones. Another step. The female had tears streaking down her face as she pleaded with him to stop. Blue light wound up her neck and covered her mouth. Another step. The amethyst light around her hands started to blink and disappear. Ropes of blue magic surrounded both her wrists. Crack. Another step. A slender tendril of blue light coiled around both her index fingers. Another step. Crack. Another step. The middle fingers. Crack.

By the time Yoongi was right before the female, every single one of her fingers were broken and misshapen. He could hear her muffled cries and saw the tears pouring down her face as he crouched down. Her eyes begged him to stop. He said nothing, just held her gaze while raising his right hand and hovering it over her heart. Magic shot out and entered her chest. Her restrained body flinched and her pupils expanded as the tendrils wrapped around her heart. Then Yoongi jerked his wrist back and his magic followed, tearing her heart out in the process. The female immediately went limp and he released all his magic encasing her so she collapsed in a broken, bruised, bloody heap.

After tossing her heart aside, Yoongi blinked at his red, tremoring hands while the rest of his body convulsed from overexertion and his pulse raced. Suddenly, he stiffened and choked on air before half-crawling, half-sprinting over to where he had last seen him. Stumbling over the corpses and discarded weapons on the field, Yoongi finally reached the white-haired Saeni. He was on the ground in a puddle of his own blood, and the only movement coming from his body was the slightest rise and fall of his chest as he peered up at the sky with lidded eyes.

The cold, blank expression on Yoongi’s face cracked and he whispered Hobi’s name as he heavily dropped to the ground beside the spy, which made blood splash around his legs. “No no no no no….” The magic user’s bottom lip began to quiver.

At his voice, Hobi’s eyelashes fluttered and his light brown eyes seemed to focus more before shifting and settling on the mint-haired Saeni.

The kiela’s spy weakly smiled and croaked out, “Hi… hyung.”

A sharp ache spread across Yoongi’s chest, his throat started to close up, and a clear droplet landed on Hobi’s torso. Then another. And another. The magic user was crying as he stared at the gushing wound on Hobi’s side. He murmured unintelligibly to himself while placing his unsteady hands over the deep gash, making the other male jerk at the contact. Then Yoongi’s hands began to glow faintly with what little energy he had left.

“Stop… hyung stop. You need to… protect yourself.”

“No, you stop!” Yoongi was scared at how feeble the other male sounded as his tears now dripped onto the back of his hands and rolled off to mix into crimson. “Stop talking I can-”

Hobi sluggishly lifted his hand to place it over Yoongi’s. “Save your magic… to protect yourself… Let me go.”

“Shut up! SHUT UP! You can’t… you can’t just…”

“Shh… it’s okay hyung.”

A sob ripped its way out of the magic user’s constricted throat while his mint-blue magic began to dim. “NO, IT’S NOT! You can’t go. You can’t just leave me. I need you, Hoseok. I need you to stay with me. I love you. You can’t go!”

Hobi’s eyes went wide and he drew in a tiny, sharp breath but in the next second his body slackened and his hand partially slipped off Yoongi’s.

“H-Hoseok…? Hoseok!?” The mint-haired Saeni’s voice was laced with fear.

There was no response.

Yoongi felt like he couldn’t bring any air into his lungs as he jostled the other male’s shoulders desperately. When there was still no reaction the magic user shook his head, refusing to accept it. With strained gasps he moved his hands back to the wound and closed his eyes to pour everything he had into his magic. His energy, his life, his entire being. Mint-blue light flared up around his hands once more and grew brighter and brighter and brighter as the Saeni roughly screamed from exertion. Beneath the blinding light, Hobi’s flesh began to stitch itself together and Yoongi grit his teeth and pushed his magic beyond its limits.

It lasted for a few moments longer but as he took a shuddering, slow inhale, the light rapidly depleted. Within mere seconds, the magic was completely gone. Yoongi swayed on his knees and was barely able to open his petal pink eyes to catch a glimpse of the thin line that had replaced the wide-open cut. He exhaled lightly and lips quirked into a small smile, then his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the side.

After he hit the ground with a gentle thud and the breeze whispered over both their bloodied skin, Hobi slowly breathed in and his light brown eyes blinked open. Pressing a hand against his side, his brows furrowed when he didn’t feel his cut-open flesh anymore. His skin was still wet with blood but only a thin incision remained where the large wound had been. The kiela’s spy was confused and raised his head to look at his torso, and in the process saw a familiar head of mint-blue hair resting on the grass beside him.

Worried, the white-haired Saeni pushed himself up with a wince, which also caused an influx of queasiness, and rolled the magic user to his back. “Hyung? Hyung!? Yoongi!!?”

The magic user was unresponsive, causing Hobi to look around helplessly. The other fights were starting to draw closer now that there weren’t any magic users battling to make them keep their distance. The spy cursed and glanced over his shoulder. He had to get Yoongi out of there. His gaze narrowed in on tree with the broken branches and saw there was an open space between them and the trunk. Plus, the branches were thick and full, meaning the leaves would provide a good bit of cover. Nodding to himself, Hobi pulled Yoongi’s limp form into his arms and stood up. Ignoring the sharp pain in his side as well as the overwhelming urge to keel over, the white-haired Saeni staggered over the grass and bodies to the tree.

When he finally ducked beneath the tree limbs, Hobi was gasping for air and his entire body was shaking. Once fully underneath the cover of the leaves and smaller branches, his legs gave out as the last of his strength left his body. Both he and Yoongi tumbled to the ground. Whimpering and clutching at his side, the kiela’s spy took a readying breath then shifted around until he was able to ensure they were both fully concealed. Then he maneuvered Yoongi onto his back and leaned over him.

“Hyung?”

Suddenly the words he’d heard right before the world had floated away into nothingness surged to the forefront of his thoughts.

I need you to stay with me. I love you. You can’t go!

Yoongi’s voice rang in his mind over and over like a bell.

I need you.

I love you.

I need you.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

“Hyung wake up!” Hobi cradled Yoongi’s face in his hands as tears welled up in his eyes. “You can’t just say you love me then die before I can say it back!”

A low groan came from the magic user’s lips, making Hobi cry out and hold the other male’s face even more tenderly.

“Oh my goddess…” Yoongi muttered in a gravelly voice. “I’m not dead, I just passed out for a sec-wait.” His petal pink eyes shot open and his mouth parted in surprise. “Did you just say-”

“I love you too.”

Yoongi gazed up in shock, his body frozen from both absolute exhaustion and the surge of emotions he felt. He couldn’t believe it. His heart pounded in his chest while overwhelming relief and happiness settled over him.

But Hobi misunderstood his silence, flinching back the slightest amount. “I-uh-sorry. I should’ve known you didn’t mean it… um, like that.”

The spy went to lean away but Yoongi grabbed a hold of Hobi’s wrist and tugged him back while rolling his pink eyes. “I did mean it like that. Idiot.”

Then Yoongi placed his other hand on the back of Hobi’s neck and drew him down to his lips.

The intense surge of mint-blue light in the distance suddenly died down, making both Namjoon and Jin glance at each other in concern while they continued to hack their way through the enemy. Jin was in the lead, taking care of most of the draikensu, while Namjoon covered the rear. The kiela’s leader was still limping as he hammered the occasional dark Saeni out of the way, but thanks to the magic user who had helped him he was able to walk and wasn’t in danger of bleeding out anymore. He did regret that he hadn’t been able to properly thank her afterwards though. She had disappeared into the fray the instant she was done. He hadn’t even gotten her name.

Maybe he could find her once this ordeal was over to express his gratitude. Granted, that could only happen if they both survived.

Luckily, the draikensu no longer seemed to be pouring out of the trees. There were still plenty to fight, but there was some extra room to breathe and it was simply relieving to see the enemy’s forces did indeed have a cap. Plus, less draikensu made it easier for the two Saeni to move through the field.

The duo was heading toward Yoongi’s magic, drawn to his bright blue light like moths to a flame. But now they were worried. About a minute ago, their brother’s magic had gotten more vivid and intense than they had ever seen before. It seemed like everything in the distance had been consumed in it. Like the air had been set ablaze in blue. Then it disappeared and no mint-blue magic had flared up since.

But the two males were still determined to get to the spot where they had seen it.

Jin tore his gaze away from Namjoon and sidestepped the swing of a mace then stepped in and thrust his sword deep in the belly of the draikensu before him. They fell to the side and the raven-haired Saeni continued forward with Namjoon close behind. The Saeni made it about twenty feet before a new opponent arrived. Arms throbbing as they lifted his blood-covered sword to pary the attack, Jin quickly pivoted and ran the edge of his blade along the draikensu’s thigh then across their chest.

While Jin disposed of the draikensu, Namjoon was peering around the field for any possible threats when a flash of burgundy caught his attention. The yellow-eyed male perked up and squinted. Same hair color… right height and build… and Namjoon swore there was a sword in each of their hands. There was no doubt. It had to be Jungkook… but something was wrong.

The male was slightly hunched over and wavering from side to side as he shuffled forward frantically. His footsteps were heavy, shoulders sagging, and every few seconds he would cover his ears and shake his head as he stumbled along. And while he still cut through whatever draikensu confronted him, it wasn’t with his usual speed and precision.

Shocked, Namjoon whispered his youngest brother’s name, making Jin’s head dart up and look for the male.

When he finally located his brother, the raven-haired male began to feel uneasy. “What in Illai’s name is he doing?”

Namjoon shook his head, not having an answer, before calling out to Jungkook. They were close enough the Jungkook should have heard, even though the sound was somewhat muted by the other screams coming from around the field, but the male just continued moving as if he could only focus on what was directly in front of him.

Jin swore under his breath and went after his brother, and despite the injury on his thigh, Namjoon was fast to follow. The two Saeni made their way toward Jungkook, taking down any draikensu that dared to get in their way all while still yelling out to their little brother. Meanwhile, the burgundy-haired Saeni wobbled on his feet as he blocked an incoming attack with his swords and both Namjoon and Jin saw how he grimaced and favored his right side. With a strained grunt, Jungkook forced the draikensu back and ducked below their next strike to lunge forward and bury a sword into their stomach. He dragged the blade to the side, completely gutting the draikensu then pulled the sword free. Reeling back a step as the dark Saeni toppled, Jungkook’s chest heaved and his sweaty hair fell into his eyes while he reached his right arm behind him. He appeared to brush his knuckles against a spot on his lower back that made his face contort in pain. His peridot eyes squeezed shut for only a few seconds, but it was long enough for a draikensu to spot the vulnerable male and rush at him.

“Shit-JUNGKOOK!” Jin shouted loudly, his voice booming across the field.

The youngest member of the kiela slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times as he recognized the voice, but he still didn’t realize there was a draikensu coming at him. Seeing that his brother wasn’t moving, Jin decided to take matters into his own hands. Hefting his sword and pushing through the crowded field, he sprinted as fast as he could in order to intercept the draikensu while roaring to divert their attention from his brother. Their swords met with a shrill ring and Namjoon called out Jungkook’s name once more.

The panting burgundy-haired male raised his head with effort and looked for his brother’s voice. “H-Hyung?”

Seconds later, Namjoon broke through two draikensu blocking his way with a powerful swing of his hammer and ran up to his brother. As he approached, the worry budding inside Namjoon became a fully blossomed flower when he noticed Jungkook was painted in blood and that his entire body was shaking.

Coming to a stop beside the male, Namjoon let his hammer drop to the ground so he could reach out and pull his brother into a hug. “Kook, oh my goddess, what’s going on with you!?”

The younger Saeni trembled in Namjoon’s arms, but he suddenly stiffened and hissed when the elder shifted his arms lower on his back.

“What? What is it?” Namjoon peered over Jungkook’s shoulder and saw his hand was just shy of a particularly bloody area. “Are you hurt!?”

“It’s nothing,” Jungkook replied detachedly like he didn’t even care he had a stab wound on his back. “Hyung, I need to-”

“That’s not nothing!” The yellow-eyed male leaned back to go inspect the wound further but flinched when he noticed how hollow and empty the younger’s eyes looked.

“What’s not nothing?” Jin appeared behind Jungkook, having defeated the draikensu quickly, and raised his brows in question.

“Jin hyung!” Jungkook twisted in Namjoon’s arms and Jin was taken back at the wild desperation on the maknae’s face. “I need to know-”

“He thinks it’s nothing that he got stabbed!” Namjoon cut him off once more in a bewildered, stressed tone.

Regardless of the chaos around them, Jin felt his brain shut down for a moment and he blinked as it promptly rebooted… and then he shrieked, “WHAT!? WHERE!?”

Turning Jungkook by his shoulders, Namjoon pointed at the leaking wound and the raven-haired Saeni gasped. The two older males crouched down behind their protesting maknae and inspected his back. They prodded gently, although their touches still made Jungkook tense up and reach for the dagger that was no longer strapped to his side, while murmuring questions of ‘how did this happen?’ and ‘how much blood have you lost?’ and ‘how do we wrap this out here?’ and ignoring Jungkook’s pleas to listen to him.

“Hyungs.”

Namjoon looked down at his clothes and huffed in frustration. “I don’t have anything we can use.”

“Hyungs!”

“Fucking Exia, neither do I.”

“It looks like the-”

“Hyungs!”

“-blade went straight in and out but his organs could be damaged.”

“Our best bet is getting him to Yoongi.”

“FOR FUCKING EXIA’S SAKE, THAT’S WHERE I’M TRYING TO GO!” What little patience Jungkook had ran out and he screamed at his brothers while swiveling to face them. “SO, IF NEITHER OF YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO Y/N THEN LET ME GET TO YOONGI HYUNG!”

Namjoon gaped at his outburst. “Y/N? Wha-”

“She’s not on the cliff anymore.” The peridot-eyed Saeni went to touch his dagger again but remembered so he tightly gripped both his swords instead to ground himself even though it wasn’t the same. “She’s not there!”

Both Jin and Namjoon looked over at the cliff and searched for your familiar figure, but Jungkook was right. You weren’t there. Their eyes widened but they pushed down their alarm, controlled their expressions, and did their best to stay calm for the sake of their maknae, who was now pressing his fists and sword hilts hard against his ears while repeating what sounded like ‘shut up’ under his breath.

“Okay, Kook, just breathe.” Jin tried to place a hand on the younger’s arm but Jungkook stiffened then threw it off.

“No, hyung! I need to find her! She could be… could be…” An intense shudder ran through Jungkook’s body and the male grit his teeth while reaching his hand behind his back again and taking deep inhales before continuing. “So, if you haven’t seen her-”

“We haven’t,” Jin said regretfully while Namjoon looked down at his feet.

They both hated this. Seeing their youngest brother injured and nearly breaking down. Knowing you could be in trouble and not having a clue where you were. How could they have allowed this to happen to their family? How could they fail their family like this?

As the two Saeni were mentally beating themselves up, Jungkook’s legs buckled at the confirmation that neither of his hyungs knew what had happened to you, and he partially collapsed to his knee while burying his face in his arms. The angle made the pain in his back become searing and Jungkook released a groan that soon faded into a cry. Startled and feeling like their hearts were being violently squeezed, Namjoon and Jin immediately went to help their brother up. While they softly pulled the hyperventilating male to his feet, Jin noticed a draikensu coming at them and silently exchanged a look with his leader before letting go of Jungkook’s arm. The eldest member of the kiela stepped away, twirled his sword in his hand so the handle settled into his palm properly, then charged the enemy as Jungkook latched onto Namjoon. The burgundy head clutched at his brother in a way that was somehow both weak and ferocious, and tears finally spilled over his eyelashes and dripped off his chin to plop onto Namjoon’s shoulders.

The leader held him close and whispered what he hoped were soothing assurances. “It’ll be okay. She’ll be okay. She’s a scorja, remember? She’s strong.” He peeked over to check on Jin and saw the male was shoving his blade through the draikensu’s abdomen, then returned his focus on Jungkook who was blubbering against his shoulder.

“Y-Yoongi hyung can probably locate her through the kiela bond since w-we share-”

“Your connection.”

Jungkook sniffled, nodded, then slowly detached himself from the older male, being careful of the blades still in his hands.

“Come on,” Namjoon said softly while wiping away some of the stray tears on the maknae’s cheeks. “We’ll help you get to Yoongi hyung. Get you healed up and then find Y/N. Sound good? Yeah?”

Jungkook let out a shaky exhale as he nodded again and wiped at his face with his knuckles. The other Saeni faintly smiled then leaned down to pick up his hammer before wrapping Jungkook’s arm around his shoulders so he could carry some of the young one’s weight. Jungkook hissed and shut his eyes at the pain but took a deep breath and rasped out that he was fine. Namjoon whispered an apology. He really didn’t want to hurt Jungkook more by tugging on his wound, but he knew it was better than having Jungkook collapse on the way. Not to mention the pain would help him stay awake and alert.

As Jungkook reiterated that he was fine, albeit with a grimace on his face, Jin ran back to the two Saeni with a fresh cut on his forearm but was otherwise unhurt. Yet when he slowed to a stop and noticed Jungkook’s now red and puffy eyes, he had to press his lips together firmly and glance away momentarily to keep his emotions in check.

“Yoongi hyung,” Namjoon informed the older male and tilted his head in the proper direction.

The raven-haired Saeni hummed in acknowledgement, still not looking at his youngest brother out of fear of choking up, and shifted in front of them so they formed a squished a triangle. Then they all set out. They moved at a measured pace; fast but slow enough that Jungkook could keep up without needing Namjoon to drag him along.

It took the trio maybe five minutes to reach the area where they had last seen the distinct flashes of mint-blue magic. Somehow, they managed to have had only a few encounters with draikensu on the way, and Jin got had gotten rid of them quickly with efficient swings and thrusts of his sword. But as they searched through the crowd the magic user was nowhere to be found. All they could see was more fighting, no magic.

For a second, they thought they might be in the wrong place… but they couldn’t be. That large tree they had all seen in the distance beside the flares of mint-blue magic was right there.

“We can’t just run around looking for him.” Jin shook his head and peered over his shoulder at Jungkook, who was trying to hold in his groans, then at Namjoon. “Not with him like this and not with your leg.”

Jungkook tilted his head in confusion and asked, “Your leg? What happened to your leg?”

“I, uh, might have gotten stabbed too,” Namjoon replied sheepishly then cleared his throat and looked Jin in the eye. “Let’s make our way to the tree. It looks like there’s some downed branches Kook and I can shelter under while you look for hyung, and it’s a good marker for you to find us again too.”

“Alright, let’s go.” Jin once again began to lead the way, and the three Saeni weaved through bodies and weapons toward the tree.

At one point, while Jin was preoccupied with a female draikensu wielding a trident, another spotted how Namjoon was supporting Jungkook and bolted at them with a gleeful squeal. Both males cursed as the draikensu raised her lance. They knew they were in an awkward position to fight but before they could separate the female was driving her weapon toward Jungkook’s chest. The peridot-eyed male leaned almost all of his weight on Namjoon, who was fumbling with his hammer, and lifted his arm so the sharp point of the draikensu’s weapon bounced off the flat side of his sword. Jungkook set his jaw as the power behind her strike vibrated up his arm and into his body, which caused Namjoon to stagger slightly. Then, as Jin was slicing through his opponent’s armor and the female was bringing her lance around for another attack, Jungkook abruptly surged forward and kicked the draikensu’s legs out from underneath her. Her back hit the grass and in the next second Jin was plunging his sword through her body. The female craned her head upwards for a brief second, staring at the steel piercing her, then she went limp as blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth. Jin removed his sword while Jungkook gasped, clenched his teeth, and sagged against Namjoon in pain. The yellow-eyed male held him the as best he could and guided the youngest along when Jin went on the move again.

“Can you crawl?” The leader of the kiela asked as they quickly approached the tree. “Because I don’t think I can lug your heavy ass under there.”

Jungkook scoffed and rolled his peridot eyes while he tried not to drag his feet. “Why wouldn’t I be able to crawl?”

“Still difficult.” Jin sighed. “Even after being stabbed.”

A minute later, they finally reached the tree and skirted around the thick trunk until the broken branches were before them. As smoothly as he could manage, Namjoon bent his knees and eased Jungkook to the ground while Jin stood guard. After the burgundy head was gently plopped on the dirt and he rolled to his forearms with a wince, he peered into the dense leaves and stilled in astonishment.

“What?” Namjoon wondered aloud as he crouched beside the male and followed Jungkook’s line of sight. “Oh.”

Through the branches, their eyes settled on a stunned Hobi who was staring back at them. The male had one of his daggers in hand but his other arm was wrapped around the mint-haired Saeni that was laying in his lap. Yoongi’s eyes were closed but his chest was gently rising and falling as if he was in a deep sleep.

The plump leaves and branches had camouflaged them both from view until Jungkook and Namjoon had gotten right up to the foliage, but there was no mistaking it was their brothers.

“Uhhhh… Jin hyung?” Jungkook called up to the male who was still focused on watching out for draikensu.

“Yeah?” Jin replied loudly but he didn’t turn his back on the field. “Do you need help?”

“No, um, he’s here.” Jungkook blinked at Hobi who did the same at him. “Yoongi hyung. Hobi hyung too.”

“Huh?” The raven-haired Saeni whirled around with his jaw agape.

“Hi hyung,” Hobi’s voice faintly came from the leaves.

Namjoon couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as he let his head hang in relief. “Well, this makes things easier.”

But Jungkook got over his surprise, huffed, and began to move over the dirt and roots. “Is hyung seriously sleeping!? He needs to wake up! Now!” With every movement he made, the agony in his lower back soared, but he tried to disguise how much he was hurting by setting his jaw and continuing forward.

He needed to get to Yoongi.

Leaves grazed his head and twigs scratched his skin and he could hear rustling as Namjoon followed him under the branches.

“Kook’s hurt,” the yellow-eyed Saeni informed his brother.

“Oh, shit. Okay… O-Okay.” Hobi glanced at Jungkook and his gaze settled on the dark, wet spot on his back but he quickly averted his eyes to focus on lightly shaking the magic user in his lap. “I don’t know if he will wake up, though.”

“What? Why?” Jungkook glared while he pulled the rest of his body into the small open space his brothers were in.

Hobi gave them a tight-lipped smile and gestured to his side, which was covered in copious amounts of dried blood. “I, uh, almost died and hyung used all his energy to save me.”

Moving backwards so he could kneel closer to the group, Jin speculated that that must have been the cause of the intense flare up of magic they all had seen.

Namjoon shifted so he could check on Jungkook’s wound again while Hobi shrugged at Jin’s statement then leaned down so his lips were ghosting Yoongi’s ear. “Hyung, come on. You gotta wake up. Kookie needs your help.” The white-haired Saeni smoothed his thumb over Yoongi’s cheek and brushed some of his mint hair away from his forehead.

The other males saw the tender action and raised their brows at Hobi who started to blush and stammer.

“Oh, u-um, it’s, ah…”

“Later?” Namjoon offered with a small grin while helping Jungkook get more comfortable on his stomach.

“Y-Yeah. Thanks.”

Finally, the mint-haired Saeni stirred and deeply groaned but he only nuzzled into Hobi’s lap more, making the spy turn even more red and frantic with his shaking.

“Let me sleep, ‘m tired,” Yoongi huskily murmured.

Namjoon let out a long exhale and inched closer to the magic user. Then, using his “leader voice,” he ordered the other Saeni to wake up.

“Agh, why do you sound li-” Petal pink eyes cracked open. “Ah, no it actually is Joon. Great.” The male flitted his gaze around. “And Kook. You look like shit by the way. And I’m going to hope the creeper watching us through the leaves is Jin hyung.”

Hobi laughed nervously and Jin berated the magic user for calling him a creeper while Yoongi just snorted and looked back at Jungkook.

“Seriously, you look terrible… I haven’t seen you like this since I kicked your ass for the first time. Don’t tell me a draikensu gave you-”

“Shut up,” the burgundy head retorted weakly.

“-trouble and you ha-”

“He got stabbed and Y/N is missing,” Namjoon explained bluntly.

In a flash, Yoongi snapped his jaw shut and sat up in shock, but the fast movement made him hold his head as a wave of dizziness and nausea hit him.

While the magic user grumbled as his head spun and stomach lurched, the kiela’s spy let out a chirp-like squeak. “Hold up, Y/N is missing!?”

“Yes.” Jungkook felt his temper start to ignite again and he stabbed one of his swords into the ground. “So, can we please stop talking and do something?”

Namjoon placed a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder to try to calm him down but the burgundy head growled in impatience.

Hardened peridot eyes stared into Yoongi’s drowsy ones. “Can you track her through our connection and the kiela bond?”

“I… I don’t know. Maybe.” The magic user took a deep breath and flexed his fingers… but no magic sparked up. “I probably could but I’m so drained I can barely stay awake honestly.”

Yoongi looked down at his hands and clenched them into fists. Hobi rubbed his back, Namjoon was lost in thought trying to think of a solution, and Jungkook ground his blade further into the dirt while tears threatened to fall onto his cheeks again.

“That means you can’t heal Kook either?” Jin questioned, but he already knew the answer.

They all did.

Yoongi muttered a pitiful ‘right’ and the Saeni fell silent.

They only heard their ragged breathing, the leaves, and the screams and ringing metal coming from every direction.

Then Jungkook yanked his dagger out of the earth and began to shift around regardless of the pain screaming at him to stop. “I’m going to go find her.”

“No, you’re not.” Namjoon grabbed the younger male’s forearm.

“Let me go.”

“You can hardly move!”

“Bu-”

“He’s right, Kook.” Yoongi lifted his head, baring his remorsful face to the others. “You’re just going to get yourself killed.”

“I have to try!” Jungkook tried to pull his harm back yet again but Namjoon held firm, and his struggle caused a twinge to form in his brothers’ hearts.

Taking in the youngest’s wilted and wrecked appearance, Jin squeezed his sword handle tightly as he came to a decision and started to stand up. “I’ll go find her. Everyone else stay h-”

“HYUNG!”

A body slid to a stop beside a startled Jin and they looked up at him with a blood-stained face and big, boxy smile.

“Tae!?”

The younger Saeni gave him a little salute and let out a tired exhale before turning his head and widening his bright blue eyes in pleasant surprise. “Whoa, everyone’s here! You all saw Yoongi hyung’s crazy magic too, huh?” Tae then got on his knees and reached out to clasp a bewildered Jin’s forearm in greeting before clambering further beneath the two broken branches and saying hello to the other Saeni.

They all gaped at him for a few heartbeats, stuttering out quiet and somewhat stupefied ‘hellos’ in return, until Jungkook inhaled sharply and dropped his swords then pushed himself up with a deep, throaty groan. The blue-eyed Saeni went to ask why Jungkook was so pale and making such noises but before he could open his mouth, his younger brother was frantically grasping his arms and asking if he’d seen you.

“Little scorja?” Tae paused for a moment, the craziness of the situation making his mind go blank temporarily. The other Saeni waited anxiously… then his blue eyes lit up. “Oh yeah! She ran into the trees after fighting off a draikensu that got on top of the cliff.”

His words were like a remedy as the Saeni breathed out in relief, some of the tension and uncertainty lifting from their bodies and minds. Jungkook himself trembled and his hold on Tae’s arms loosened as he slumped to the ground while closing his eyes and turning his lips up into the tiniest of smiles.

But Yoongi looked confused. “She… ran? That doesn’t seem like her.”

Tae shrugged and intertwined one of his hands with Jungkook’s. “If I had to guess, she probably went after Chim for some reason.”

The burgundy-haired male whipped his head up and his eyes held hope as he whispered something about the rift.

“Fuck no.” Yoongi saw the glimmer in the male’s peridot eyes. “You’re not going anywhere while you’re hurt.”

“What!? Kookie, you’re hurt!?” The blue-eyed Saeni tightened his grip and rapidly scanned Jungkook’s body while the younger male mumbled out that it was his back. Tae peeked behind the male, frowned, and shook his head disapprovingly. “Little scorja is going to be pissed.”

As the blue-eyed Saeni forced Jungkook to lay down on his stomach again, Hobi glumly twirled his dagger in his fingers. “And hyung doesn’t have any energy left remember? He can’t do anything right now.”

Jin rested the point of his longsword in the dirt. “I can still-shit.” A draikensu had come too close to the fallen branches for the Jin’s liking so he cut off his own sentence and sprang to his feet.

The raven-haired male crept out from the leaves and swung at the unsuspecting draikensu. Jin’s longsword glinted brightly in the sunlight, and the flash caught the draikensu’s attention which allowed them to turn and block the attack at the last second. Undeterred, Jin attacked again.

“Well, can’t one of us give you some of our energy?” Tae tilted his head to the side, making his bloodied feather sway in the air.

“What?” Yoongi blinked hard to try to stay awake.

“I mean couldn’t you just siphon energy from one of us?”

Hobi widened his eyes and turned his head to the magic user resting against his him. “Could you do that?”

“I… I’ve never through of it before but… possibly? I’m not sure how it would work exactly though.”

“Hyung, please try,” Jungkook softly pleaded in a tiny voice.

“Here.” Tae stretched his arm out. “You can take mine.”

Namjoon placed his fingertips on Tae’s wrist and gently lowered it. “I’m injured as well so it’s better if he takes mine. That way there’s still someone who can go after Y/N with Kook.”

“But Jin hyung could go with-”

Tae was interrupted by a heavy breathing Jin disagreeing with him while crawling back between the tree trunk and the fallen branches. “Tae, you’re honestly the only one who could keep up with Kook right now. You go. I’ll stay here and watch over everyone.”

Adrenaline flooded your veins as you ran through the shrubs and underneath the tall trees. It made the painful aching in your body, especially your legs, bearable while you continued to move in the direction Stem had pointed in. The direction that should lead you to your best friend. You didn’t know how close or far he and Mingi were, but you were just going to keep running until you found them or your legs gave out. Whichever came from. And even if your legs refused to move, you still had functioning arms and hands. You would crawl. Hell, if Alex Høgh Andersen could do it as Ivar the Boneless in Vikings for seven years you could do it for one day for your best friend, dammit.

“But it won’t…come to that, Y/N,” you wheezed to yourself between breaths. “You’re fine. Totally fine… Keep moving. Just… keep… moving… Just keep… moving… Just keep moving… moving… moving… What do we… do…? We move… move.”

Airily chuckling to yourself while the wind blew past you, you tried to swallow but your dry throat made you choke and you started coughing. Gasping more air into your lungs that felt like they were on fire, your feet faltered and you grabbed onto a tree trunk to stop yourself so you could lean your hands on your knees and spit out the excess saliva in your mouth. Though as you straightened back up, the wind died down for a moment and your nose twitched as you smelled that smell again. Death. It was strong and coming from up ahead. You hadn’t caught the disgusting scent sooner since you were running upwind, and you weren’t sure if you should be thankful for that or not.

Heart hammering in your chest and leg muscles spasming, you nodded to yourself and murmured, “Alright, here we go,” and notched an arrow before lightly jogging forward.

A minute or so later, the ground began to tilt downward and the smell of blood and death grew even more pungent. You tapped your finger nervously against your bow while zig-zagging down the slope. Halfway down, a flash by your feet made you look down and you saw a deserted arrow partially hidden by the low foliage. Furrowing your brow, you moved on but a few steps later another arrowhead reflected in the light by your feet. And another and another and another. It was like someone had dumped out their quiver… or had taken a tumble down. You trailed your eyes along the arrows until your gaze reached the bottom of the slope.

In the shade there was another lump.

You crept down the slope while scrutinizing the shape.

It definitely wasn’t a log this time. Or a person. It was another wolf.

It lay crumpled between two rocks. It’s head awkwardly propped up, limp tongue hanging out, and throat slit. Blood coated its fur and stained the rocks and twigs and leaves beneath its body.

Was this the wolf I heard back at the meadow? You wondered as you finished descending into the gully and approached the dead animal.

Wrinkling your nose at the stench radiating from the body, you sighed and turned away to continue on your journey. Though as you moved around the wolf, you noticed there was more blood on the ground leading away from it.

In the same direction you were going.

On alert, you readied yourself to draw your bow while you tentatively followed the blood trail. Maybe you were just being paranoid. The blood could easily just be from the wolf… but it worried you that the red droplets were going in the same direction that Jimin and Mingi were supposed to be in.

Ducking below a thick tree branch, you started to hear bubbling water over the rustling leaves.

And then heavy splashing and groaning.

Biting your lip, you moved cautiously.

Quickly, you came upon the source of the sound of water. It was a shallow but wide creek filled with lots of rocks. It opened up the gully a bit, allowing for more sunlight and open space.

And thus, permit you to see the male that was stumbling through the creek further ahead.

He was moving fast but limping badly. One arm was dragging his sword behind him, the tip clanging over the rocks, while the other was pressed against his torso.

And as he staggered into a patch of sunlight, you reeled as you realized you knew him.

“Mingi?” You whispered in confused shock then hastily returned your arrow to your quiver before shouting after him. “Mingi!”

The male was exiting the creek when he paused at your voice and looked over his shoulder in surprise.

You sprinted toward him, not bothering to be quiet anymore. Your feet pounded against the ground, hands roughly shoved branches out of the way. When the creek curved before you, you plunged right in. Mingi was right on the other bank. You were almost to him. You were going so fast you lost your footing on a slick rock and fell forward. A yelp escaped past your lips as your hands and knees were thrust into the icy water and your palms scraped against the rocks. Some water even splashed up onto your chest, making you tense up from how cold it was.

“Y-Y/N?” Mingi stammered out in a strained, faint voice while you pushed yourself back up. “Are you okay? H-How are you here?”

You were dripping water as you safely crossed the remainder of the creek and launched yourself at the Saeni, wrapping your arms around his waist while murmuring his name in relief. But the male released a choking sound and stiffened as you hugged him tightly.

“What? What’s wrong?” You leaned back and took in the way the guard was breathing strenuously and his hazel eyes were darker than usual.

Suddenly it hit you that he was alone.

“Mingi…” You stepped back from the male. “Where’s Jimin?”

And it was then you realized Mingi’s entire front was red. Slashes covered his body and blood was spilling onto his arm and hand where he held it across his stomach. You gaped at the wounds and glanced down at yourself, seeing you were now blotted with red too. You hadn’t felt it seep into your clothes because of the creek water. As you looked down, you noticed his leg was also coated in blood and it was pooling on the dirt and sand beneath his foot.

The blood trail was coming from him.

Mingi adjusted his arm over his torso and let out a ragged exhale. “The wolf attacked… I sent him ahead while I dealt with it… rift should be very close.”

You grimaced at the amount of blood steadily leaking out of the male’s body then registered what he had said. “It’s close? So Jimin should be close too…”

I really don’t think Mingi should be moving around with those wounds… I don’t even know how he’s moving around with them right now.

“I’ll go after him. You stay here,” you told him.

You went to go around him and start running once more but he quickly grabbed your arm with his bloody hand before you could leave.

He shook his head, determination in his hazel eyes, while holding his sword hilt with more strength. “I’ll keep up. I have to… it’s my job to protect him.”

You eyed him, wanting to say no, but it was his choice to make. Besides, the longer you stayed here and bickered with him, the more time you would be wasting. So, in the end, you just gave him a nod. His bloody hand slipped off your arm and you took off running knowing he would be following.

And true to his word, he did keep up despite the obvious pain he was in. He just endured it with gritted teeth and the occasional low moan as blood continued to spill from his body.

After jumping over a small runoff, you looked back at Mingi and asked if he knew how far the rift was.

“No… but if we keep… going straight… we should hit it soon… at least I think.”

You grunted in acknowledgement and refocused on the terrain before you. It was quite rocky and uneven, so you really had to watch where you were going so you wouldn’t twist an ankle.

Not long after, the creek curved away and the ground before you started to rise into a minor incline. You hopped up and over the rocks and roots in your path as the sounds of running water began to fade away, though your ears perked up as your heard something that was definitely not the forest replace it. Deep chuckles, small gasps and groans, dull thuds.

Deep breath, stay calm. Deep breath, stay calm. Deep breath, stay calm. You chanted internally while vaulting over a fallen tree.

When your feet landed back on the dead leaves, dirt, and twigs, you retrieved an arrow and readied your bow. You glanced back at Mingi who raised his bloody hand to his ear then pointed ahead to signal he was hearing the noises too. Then he brought his red finger to his lips to indicate to be quiet before returning his arm to lay across his torso while hoisting his sword in the air with his other arm.

The two of you briskly tiptoed beside each other as the thudding sounds increased in volume… and seconds later you saw who you’d been searching so desperately for.

Except he was being beaten.

Amid the large rocks that cluttered the area, a male draikensu was holding a bloody and bruised Jimin by the throat while sending his fist into the half-Saeni’s torso. The draikensu was carrying a bow and quiver on his back and a knife at his side but was using neither as he smirked darkly and simply used his bare hands to overwhelm the half-Saeni… and there was a strange plume of black smoke swirling behind the male. The smoke seemed to expand and collapse, almost like it was… alive. That sight alone was disturbing, but what was worse was watching your best friend gasp for air while clawing at the draikensu’s hand, his face swollen and purpled. The draikensu scoffed at Jimin’s attempts to free himself, threw him to the ground, then crouched over him to deliver three successive punches to his face.

The apricot head moaned and turned his head to the side to spit out blood onto the dirt while trying to crawl backwards to his bow which lay wedged in the rocks several yards away. The draikensu tsked and held down one of Jimin’s arms while also pressing his face into the ground to pin him.

Coming to your senses, you cried out for your best friend and raised your bow at the male restraining him.

“Oh, we have company now?” The male spared you and Mingi a brief look then grinned as if he was pleased. “Good.”

Neither you nor Mingi rushed the draikensu. Not when he was essentially holding Jimin captive and could snap your best friend’s neck in an instant. You didn’t shoot either. You didn’t have a clean shot with the angle and the draikensu could easily lift Jimin’s body to use as a shield.

Jimin tried to crane his neck your way and mumbled your name. “Y/…Y/N?”

Right after your name came from Jimin’s lips, the draikensu returned his attention to the male under him. He released Jimin’s face but slammed his fist into the apricot head’s temple. Your best friend went limp as the punch forced him unconscious. The draikensu hummed and straightened slightly to reach for the blade strapped to his waist. The smoke behind him seemed to dance in eagerness.

OH, FUCK.

You widened then narrowed your eyes, seeing how the male had eased his hold on Jimin’s arm and wasn’t as close. Mingi whispered ‘Now!’ and you released your bowstring to send your arrow flying at the draikensu.

You and Mingi followed, darting forward.

The male dove to the side to avoid the projectile, which sped past him and vanished into the trees. When he came to a stop, the draikensu growled and swiftly grabbed his own bow and an arrow while you were reaching for your quiver mid-sprint.

He aimed… right at you. And shot.

Your eyes widened but suddenly you were being shoved to the side. Your bow flew from your grasp and you hit the ground hard. Twisting around, you looked back at what had rammed into you… or rather who. It had been Mingi… who was looking down at the arrow now protruding from his sternum.

He had pushed you out of the way but sacrificed his own body to do so.

Mingi!

You stared as more blood bloomed on his chest and blended into the other lines of crimson crossing his body. As you watched the red flow out, so many emotions battled for dominance in your heart to the point you were stunned motionless. Meanwhile, Mingi wrapped a hand around the arrow shaft, staggered back a step, gulped, and flashed his eyes your way.

But before you could get up or help him or even blink, another arrow thumped into his chest.

The impact made him fall down to the earth. And within a few seconds, the light in his beautiful hazel eyes disappeared.

It was gone.

Mingi was gone.

No… no, Mingi. Please, no…

You were trembling, not knowing what to do when a satisfied sigh made you tear your eyes away. You met the draikensu’s gaze and you saw he was taking out another arrow from his quiver as he stood over Jimin.

“Remember my name,” he spoke to you proudly, “Amarok. The one who killed the key.”

He breathed in deeply through his nose as if he was preparing himself, then he turned his eyes and bow on your best friend.

All at once, alarms blared in your head, bringing you out of your frozen horror. You scrambled to your feet. You didn’t even have a plan or really know what you were doing but you charged forward as fast as you could.

Fifteen yards.

Amarok notched the arrow.

Ten yards.

He began to draw back.

Five yards.

The male smirked.

The smoke hovered in anticipation.

You lowered your shoulder like seasoned football player and you slammed into the draikensu with a yell and all the strength you had in your human body. You tackled him away from your best friend, making his bow and arrow clatter against a nearby rock, and the sheer momentum of your attack made you sail over the draikensu after he hit the ground.

Tumbling over the earth, you dug your forearms and elbows into dirt and leaves and stopped yourself a few feet away from the male. You panted while you used your shaking muscles to get up and squinted as sweat dripped into your eyes. Meanwhile, Amarok roared in agitation, clambered to his feet, and turned to face you with a menacing glower.

His jaw ticked once then he rolled his shoulders and started moving toward you.

Okay okay okay. Remember what Jungkook’s taught you. Yoongi too.

You stood and got into your fighting stance, spreading your legs slightly and balancing your weight while positioning your hands in front of your face. Amarok rolled his eyes and reached out to grab your arm but you skirted to the side and dropped to one knee while spinning with your other leg extended. You figured getting him on the ground and into a hold would be the best way to approach the situation so you tried to knock the male off his feet but he was fast to back up out of the way. He hummed thoughtfully while you got back to your feet and surged forward, aiming your knee at his gut. Amarok blocked your attack and used your proximity to thrust his elbow into your side and shove you back then swung his arm at your face. After lifting your forearm to hinder the fist, you went to deliver a punch in return but Amarok sidestepped, grasped your arm, and used your energy to turn and flip you to your back. You were forcefully thrown to the ground, making you involuntarily let out a half-grunt, half-puff of air on impact. Blinking to clear your head and see through the sun glaring through the trees, you realized there was a flat rock by your left leg. As the crookedly grinning draikensu went to lean over you and capture your throat in his large hand, you braced one foot against the flat rock, pushed your hips up, and brought your other leg across his chest. Then you clenched your teeth and drove your leg, and therefore Amarok, down with a yell. Shifting, you kept your leg against his chest, and took one of his arms in your hands and pulled back while dropping the heel of your other leg as hard as you could into his abdomen. You managed to ram your heel into him twice before he caught your ankle in his free hand. Sucking in a breath, you immediately let go of his arm and crunched your torso to drop your elbow into his face but he raised his knee at the same time. Swiftly, you moved your arms so he hit your forearms instead of your cheek or nose. He let go of your ankle and you used the split second of freedom to roll backwards over your shoulder and back onto your feet. Amarok pushed himself up as well.

Your heart pounded and chest heaved. Alright, so… I’m obviously at a major strength disadvantage. But that’s no different than how I am with the boys when we train.

You and the male stepped around the rocks while you slowly circled each other and waited to see what the other would do.

I need to distract him. Make him start talking. See if there’s anything I can use to play with his emotions.

It typically would have been difficult to figure out how to start talking with someone in this situation, but something had been nagging you in the back of your head since before you’d started fighting so you mentally said fuck it and decided to go with that to start an utterly convenient conversation.

You sucked in a deep breath and tilted your head while keeping your eyes on the male. “Your name. I’ve heard it before. Who are you?”

“I’m my master’s loyal subject.” Amarok stopped moving and spread his arms wide. “His doorway and his tool. My purpose in life is to aid him in burning down the world.”

His doorway…? Is he the one Uzjuk latched on to? Your eyes expanded and darted over to the swirling black smoke which was floating over Jimin’s body. Holy fuckballs, is that raging vape cloud Uzjuk!?

But it was a mistake to look away. The moment your gaze shifted, Amarok ran forward and jumped off a rock toward you. He kicked at your side and you brought your unaware attention back to the male right as his leg made contact with your ribs. Stumbling back several steps, you winced and pressed a hand to your side but refocused to block his next kick. Dodging his quick follow-up punch, you rammed your fist just below his sternum, making him double over a bit, then swung your other fist at his cheekbone. While his head whipped sideways, you shifted your weight and did a double roundhouse kick at his shoulder than face. Both were deterred by his arm but you hastily planted that leg back on the ground and twisted so your other foot spun toward him. As Amarok leapt out of the way, you lunged forward for another punch but the male kicked your thigh and made you stagger back.

You caught your breath and placed your hand to your thigh before returning it in front of your face. “The world doesn’t deserve it.”

“Neither did my family,” Amarok angrily spat out while peering at you, “They didn’t deserve to suffer and die yet they still did. The world shall be no different.”

Then the male snarled and stepped forward to swing his fist toward you once more. You leaned back and blocked it with your elbow but as you were paying attention to his upper body, the male hooked his foot behind your ankle. Before you knew it, he was forcing your leg out from underneath you. With a yelp you fell yet again, this time landing on your side and banging your head against the hard earth. White spots danced in your vision while the draikensu went to stomp on you but you were able to roll back just in time. You only made it a few feet away but Amarok didn’t press after you. Instead he just watched as you dizzily came up to a crouch then returned to your fighting stance. Blowing some stray hair out of your eyes, you shook your hands out to rid some of the tension coursing through you and bounced on the balls of your feet a couple times.

I’m like tiny Steve Rogers. I can do this all day.

Chest rising and falling very quickly, you tried to slow your breathing down as you and the male considered each other.

Oh shit, right, distract him! He mentioned his family!

“Your family…? Your family wouldn’t want you going around killing people. They would want you to be good-”

“Good?” Amarok let out a ridiculing laugh. “There is no good in the world, girl. Just temporary illusions that eventually turn into ash and smoke.” The male stepped up onto rock and looked down at you. “Besides, it doesn’t matter what they want anymore. They’re dead. Nothing is bringing them back but I can make the world feel their pain. Feel my pain.”

You squeezed your hands into fists and looked up at the male in incredulity.

I can’t tell if it’s all him or Uzjuk’s influence but I think he’s insane. I get the whole retribution storyline but damn… the whole world?

Suddenly you heard a quiet groan off to the side, and out of the corner of your eyes you saw Jimin flop over onto his stomach, partially raise himself to his knees, and hold his head in his hands.

“My master showed me that the world needs to fall back to its true state of chaos.”  The draikensu inclined his head in Jimin’s direction and lazily hopped off the rock he was standing on. “And it starts with his death.”

Then he began to march toward Jimin.

Ah, shit.

Your feet moved without thinking and you ran up to Amarok. The male shoved an arm out to swat you aside but you dodged and moved in close so you could grab his shoulder for better leverage as you drove your knee into his torso again. He grunted and tried to seize you but in the next breath, you shifted your hands so you could pull the male’s upper body down as you jumped onto his back so his head was between your thighs. Then, with his shoulder and arm still in your grasp, you threw your weight down so you both fell to the ground.

You both sprawled out and, in your peripherals, you saw Jimin finally start to stand up, causing the black smoke to swell and shrink rapidly. Wobbling to his feet, he continued to hold his bleeding and bruised head as he fixed his brown eyes on you.

Hastily, you got to your feet before Amarok and moved so you were directly in the male’s path to your best friend. The draikensu lifted his head and when he realized Jimin was no longer on the ground, he released an irritated yell and pushed himself up.

He took one, two, three large strides forward but with a scratchy grunt, you powerfully planted your foot in the middle of male’s chest so he reeled back a few steps.

“Jimin, go! GO NOW!”

Hearing no response or footsteps running away, you risked a peek behind you while Amarok place his hand against his chest. To your disbelief you noticed Jimin was still standing there staring at you with a mix of confusion, uncertainty, and reluctance on his blotchy and swollen face.

A low noise came from before you so you tore you gaze away from your best friend to see Amarok coming at you with narrowed eyes.

“FUCKING GO ALREADY!” You shouted back at the half-Saeni and raised your foot to kick the draikensu once more but Amarok caught your leg and turned, tossing you aside.

While you skidded against the ground, your head narrowly missing a rock, Amarok calmly walked past you toward Jimin, who was looking back and forth between you and the draikensu in bewilderment and fear.

Fucking Exia, Jimin, you need to yeet out of here!

Clawing your fingernails into the dirt, you hoisted yourself up and sprinted at the draikensu’s back. Then you launched yourself at it. You slammed into him, your unexpected weight making the male teeter forward, and you went to hook your arm around his neck. Though before you could do so, Amarok snarled and reached up to secure his hands around your arm then tugged while bending over. You flipped through the air and onto your back yet again. All the air in your lungs was pushed out, making your body feel tingly and convulse a little. As you struggled for oxygen, Amarok stepped over you. Gasping, you forced your tremoring body to roll over and grabbed his foot.

It didn’t do much to slow the male down. It barely made him falter. He just kept going, getting closer and closer to Jimin as you held on with all you had.

While you tried to hinder the draikensu’s advance, you looked up and met your best friend’s torn expression. As you were dragged across the earth, you gave him a small nod and mouthed ‘go.’ Jimin opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but snapped it closed, then finally turned and ran for the mass of collapsed rock.

Relief numbed your pain as his apricot hair quickly disappeared from sight, blocked by the rocks and the way they inclined and curved away slightly.

Amarok, on the other hand, released a loud, frustrated yell and tried to run after Jimin but you pulled your body closer to his leg so both your arms enwrapped the appendage. He wouldn’t be going anywhere. Not while you were still breathing. You tightened your hold on the male’s leg as his yell faded into a growl while he leaned over to dig his nails into your wrists, making you cry out in pain. When you refused to let go, he cursed you then grabbed a fistful of your hair and yanked your head up and to the side. You whimpered and your grip around his leg unwillingly slackened. Then he sent his fist into your jaw. Your head snapped back and blood began to flood your mouth as your vision went fuzzy, your arms dropped, and you collapsed to the ground. The disorientation only lasted a few moments but Amarok gave you no reprieve as he let out an infuriated noise then kicked you in your stomach.

You curled in on yourself for a second, a sob coming from your lips. Amarok went to turn away from you but you groaned, clenched your aching jaw, and used your trembling arms to push yourself up to your jelly-like legs before spitting out a mouthful of blood at the draikensu while swaying on your feet.

Much to Amarok’s dismay.

An agitated rumble came from the male’s throat while he glared at where Jimin had gone then at you. “I was going to let you live, girl. But now I see you’re just a pest that needs to be disposed of quickly.”

His hand went to his waist and he withdrew his long hunting knife.

You blinked, quirked your head to the side, and snorted, showcasing your bloody teeth. Oh… well, you’re not the only one with a knife, bitch.

Then you wrapped your own hand around the hilt of the ruby-hilted dagger strapped to your side.

Jimin’s head was throbbing and his body stiff as he hurriedly climbed over the mess of collapsed rock leading to the cave entrance. He could feel how swollen and puffy his face was without even touching it and every time he swallowed he could taste the blood coating his inner mouth.

You’re nearly there Jimin. Keep going. The mother goddess urged the half-Saeni gently. Straight into the cave. You can make it.

The sun beat down on his back while he planted his foot against the flat side of a rock and leapt to the next one several feet away. But as he jumped off his leg buckled, making him fall forward and land awkwardly. One of his palms slid against the rock’s jagged edge which sliced the skin open. His knee banged into the hard fragment and he felt his flesh tear open on through his pants. His feet settled on smaller stones while he hunched over the rock and breathed heavily. He didn’t even feel the pain really, too distracted and overwhelmed to register the new injury. It just felt warm. Probably from the blood. Steadying himself on the rock, he closed his hand into a fist, causing crimson to leak out around his fingers and make a small pool, then he leaned his forehead against the sun-warmed rock.

He could hear the thuds and grunts coming from your fight with the draikensu. He hated himself for placing you in danger. For leaving you. For running away.

But he knew he had to.

Don’t throw away their valor.

He had to trust you. You would hold off the draikensu so he could get to the rift and close it.

That was his job. His responsibility.

Get up Jimin. You can do it.

Jimin straightened and ran his hand through his apricot hair, staining some of the strands crimson. Then he looked up toward the entrance of the cave that was so close. Then he nodded to himself and hiked himself up onto the rock so he could press on.

Not even a minute later, he was crouching at the cavern’s entrance.  A constant plinking sound echoed all around him. His brown eyes glanced up at the water dripping off the ceiling that was causing the sounds as they hit the rock or puddles below. Shifting his gaze to peer into the darkness before him, he shivered at the cold draft blowing out from the cave.

Jimin took a single deep breath and lowered his body to the damp ground.

Then he began crawling inside.

While they ran through the forest, Tae looked sideways at his brother in concern. Jungkook’s peridot eyes were focused and his pace hadn’t wavered once, but what worried Tae was how ragged his breathing was.

As well as the blood still trickling out of the male’s back.

They had been running for about thirty minutes. A third of that time was just getting out of the field and into the forest with as few confrontations as possible. Luckily, though, they hadn’t encountered any draikensu since entering the trees. They had been able to just sprint directly toward their destination, which Yoongi had told them was to the northwest.

The mint-haired Saeni, being the talented magic user he was, had figured out how to siphon energy from Namjoon after a montage of curses and just a few failed attempts. As Yoongi’s hands had begun to glow brighter and brighter with magic, the leader of the kiela had gotten more and more tired until he passed out. It was then that Yoongi ceased extracting his energy as to not harm Namjoon. Then the magic user used most the energy to heal Jungkook’s wound. Not completely, but enough so any damage to internal organs was gone and it wasn’t as deep. Then Yoongi used the remainder of the taken energy to locate both Jimin and Y/N, and found they were close to each other. The magic user’s eyes had started to droop and he’d murmured they needed to go straight to the northwest. Yoongi had crawled out from the branches and pointed in the direction before exhaustion overtook him once more and he slumped to the ground.

Very shortly after, Tae and Jungkook had left.

Both Saeni knew it would still be hard to find you and their brother with only a cardinal direction to guide them but it was substantially better than searching completely blind. Not that Tae thought Jungkook wouldn’t have done that if he’d had too.

But honestly, Tae would have still been right beside Jungkook even if that had been the case.

He wanted to find Chim and his little scorja. He was extremely worried for them.

But he was also worried for his younger brother. He didn’t know how long Jungkook would be able to keep going like this.

After the duo leapt over a skinny fallen tree, Tae took in how Jungkook’s hands were trembling and suggested they take a quick break.

Jungkook firmly shook his head in refusal.

“Just so you can catch your breath.”

“I’m fine,” the burgundy head replied through his teeth.

“Kook-”

“I said I’m fine, hyung. We need to keep going.”

It was apparent nothing was going to stop Jungkook, not even the risk of collapsing from blood loss. So, Tae just reluctantly resigned to the fact and continued running.

You hastily backed up as Amarok slashed down toward your thigh then jabbed at your throat. You stopped the blade from entering your flesh both times by blocking his arm with your hand. The male was bleeding heavily under his arm from where you had managed to get inside his defense a minute ago and stab him but he still wasn’t letting up.

Analyzing his movements, you bent at the waist and the edge of his knife cut through the air where your head had just been. Immediately after, you had to duck to the side to avoid his fist. Then you deterred the next thrust of his blade and lunged forward yourself, but Amarok sidestepped, turned, and used his free hand to redirect your arm while slashing his knife across your forearm. Following the motion of his blade, the male went to move behind you and cut the back of your neck but you quickly dove forward to safety.

Instead of going after you, Amarok used your escape as a means to escape himself. He turned and began running toward the rocks where Jimin had gone. Popping back up to your feet, you swore and flipped the ruby-hilted dagger in your hand so the blade was in your palm.

I know I suck ass at throwing knives but please Exia let it work this one time.

Even though the blade wasn’t meant for throwing, you did your best to channel your inner Hobi as you raised your elbow and threw the dagger.

It rotated through the air… then the hilt bounced off Amarok’s back.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

But you had had an inkling it wouldn’t work so you had sprinted after the blade as soon as you had released it. It was a miracle it even made contact with the draikensu so although it had not harmed the male like you’d hoped, it did create a distraction that allowed you to catch up with him.

Coming up behind the male, you sent your red, bloody knuckles into his spine, and he twisted around to slash at you with his blade while releasing an angry growl. You leapt out of the way and he faced you yet again with an enraged expression. He stepped toward you and as he went to stab at your side, you saw a brief opening and took it. You kicked your leg up, straight into his groin. At the same time, you caught his forearm that held the knife and used his motion to tug it beside your opposite hip. Then you placed your other hand over his and forced his wrist down while pressing his arm back toward his body quickly. A sharp crack came from his wrist and he hissed as his hand dropped the knife. Then you pushed your hips forward and jumped up, throwing your right leg over his shoulder and the other around his torso under his arm while leaning your upper body back. Feeling your weight around his neck, Amarok instinctively tried to raise his body but it was too late. You kept your head lifted as you hit the ground to not crack your skull and used your left hand to force his arm across his body then to help pinch your leg that was over his shoulder to around the back of his neck. You shifted your other leg up so you could lock your right ankle underneath it to secure the triangle choke. You squeezed your thighs together, beginning to cut off the male’s oxygen and blood flow, while also wrapping an arm around his leg to bring yourself close and further restrict his movements. Breathing through your nose, you focused on maintaining the grapple as Amarok struggled for air and tried to lift you and slam you down but was unable to.

Suddenly, the sky darkened above you and you looked up to see the smoke was now surrounding you and Amarok.

“Master… please… help,” the male croaked out weakly.

Help? How can the vape cloud help? Just pass out already!

Then Amarok began convulsing and he opened his mouth in a silent scream.

What the fu-

And then you felt it too.

A hot and searing pain that felt like it was burrowing deep into your brain.

His armor and skin were soaked from the water that trailed down the earthen walls and collected in puddles on the cavern floor.  Jimin’s teeth clacked together while he continued moving his body through the cold, quiet darkness. Thanks to his draeva connection he was still able to see through what he believed was an abandoned wolf den and as he rounded a tight corner the half-Saeni saw that the small cave seemed to widen a bit up ahead.

Crawling forward, a glow began to peek out from the underground chamber but it wasn’t the sun or phosphorous on the rock. It was an odd, unusual light. Murky and dark. Only a shade or two brighter than the pitch-black darkness.

Pulling himself completely into the wider space, Jimin then gaped as the source of the light came into full view. It almost looked like a sinister, shifting portal of thick smoke. It reminded him of the cloud of swirling smoke that had been with the draikensu male. The center was the darkest part, so black it nearly blended in with the rest of the cave. The margins, however, were tinged in a mixture of ashen grey and deep red.

There it is, the wretched thing.

“That’s the rift?” Jimin maneuvered himself to his knees and tentatively approached it until he was just an arm’s length away.

The air around it seemed to be even more frigid and chilling.

Yes. You did well Jimin. The soft voice of Illai soothed him. I will take over now.

The half-Saeni’s posture went rigid and his eyes shifted, turning into an every-changing array of colors like a rippling rainbow.

Then Illai lifted Jimin’s hand and laid his fingertips against the ice-cold center of the rift, and seconds later a white light started to burn away at its grey and red edges.

You screamed.

It felt like your mind was being shredded apart with claws made of molten lava.

Letting go of Amarok’s leg, you clutched at your head. Your own legs were still wrapped around the male’s neck, but the hold was quickly loosening. You were in too much pain to keep squeezing your thighs. You couldn’t focus on it. Not when your brain felt like it was being squeezed and dug into. The smoke continued to whirl above you and the corners of your vision started to grow dark and fuzzy. Tightly shutting your eyes, hot tears started to leak past your eyelashes and trail down your cheeks as you writhed on the ground.

Amarok, who was still twitching and barely conscious, reached up over his head and weakly pushed and pulled at your legs. You couldn’t even fight him off. Your legs unwound from his neck and heavily fell to the side while a pained, groggy inhale came from the male as oxygen flooded into his lungs and he crumpled to his knees. He was basically right on top of you, his knee pressing into your thigh but he was still incapacitated as the burning agony pounded into both your minds.

Until it suddenly wasn’t.

It stopped.

Your body jerked once then you laid limply on the earth, no longer in pain but feeling sluggish and feeble and out of breath. A relieved sob escaped past your lips and you curled into a small ball at the abrupt disappearance of the pain while you slowly cracked your eyes open.

What was that… fucking ow it still hurts.

You watched Amarok struggle to his feet, somewhat amazed he could even move after that. “Thank you, master.”

The dark smoke overhead stopped moving.

“Master?”

The smoke seemed to shudder and it pulsed violently.

“Master!?”

The edges of the smoke turned grey and wisped away.

Still panting, you sniffled and rolled onto your back as the rest of the smoke became discolored.

Then it dispersed entirely.

Blinking, you stared up in confusion as Amarok shrieked for his master. But the smoke didn’t return. Uzjuk had vanished.

… Jimin…

You whipped your gaze over to where he’d gone. Steeling your mind and body, you forced yourself up as your heartbeat loudly thumped in your head and the urge to vomit surged.

You had just gotten back to your feet when Amarok pivoted and glared at you with pure hatred and anger etched over his face.

Wobbling slightly, you raised your chin and peered back at him as confidently as you could even though you wanted to keel over. “It’s… It’s over, Amarok. It’s done.”

A low rumble came from the heaving draikensu’s chest and he stepped forward, sending his fist into your face so hard you fell down with a cry. When you tried to stand, he picked you up slightly, turned, and threw you back to the ground. As you bounced and slid against the hard earth, you saw a flash of red in your peripherals. Tilting your aching head to the side, you saw Jungkook’s ruby-hilted dagger glinting in the sunlight only a couple feet away. Breathing deeply, you returned your eyes to the draikensu and saw he was looming over you with his fist raised. He was going to punch you again. Lunging to the side, you dodged his fist and wrapped your hand around the dagger’s hilt. Twisting back around, you swung the blade up in an arc. It missed Amarok though he had to rear back to avoid it. Staggering to your feet, you adjusted your hold on the weapon and lifted it in front of your face. Baring his teeth in a growl, he went for you again but you deflected his arm with your free hand and dragged the dagger across his belly.

Then, with a defiant yell, you plunged the blade deep into his neck.

Jin heavily parried the draikensu’s axe and stepped to the side to dodge their next swing. The raven-haired Saeni lifted his longsword but as he went to thrust forward the draikensu’s eyes widened and she took a couple steps back. Her axe dropped to the ground and she looked around like she wasn’t sure what was going on.

Furrowing his brows, Jin stayed on guard but the field seemed to suddenly grow quiet as most of the other draikensu also seemed to stop fighting.

A few seconds passed.

No more screams.

No more ringing metal.

No more chaos.

Blood sprayed in the air as you yanked the dagger out of Amarok’s neck. Crimson coated the blade and dripped off the tip as you stepped back and the male collapsed to his knees. He raised his hand over the wound but it was futile. Blood poured out past his fingers and drenched his chest. It gurgled out over his lips as he tried to breath.

You stood over him, eyes narrowed, while he bled out.

And less than a minute later, his body sagged over.

Fucking finally.

You braced your hands on your knees, taking in large gulps of air and closing your eyes as your head reeled and spun and your thighs spasmed.

Jimin… I need to find Jimin…

Tightly gripping the ruby-hilted dagger, you straightened and began making your way to the rocks.

It suddenly seemed too cold in the shade of the trees as you jogged, and your body trembled while you hoarsely cried out for your best friend. “JIMIN!”

“JI-JIMIN!”

You reached the rocks and started climbing up them.

Where is he? Why isn’t he answering?

A lump began to form in your throat and you tripped and fell down.

“Y/N!?”

Your head shot up and you saw him stumbling out from around the corner.

A sob ripped its way past your lips and you both rushed toward each other, clawing and stumbling over the rocks.

Slamming into your best friend so hard you both almost lost your footing; you hugged him and buried your face in his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around you. He was wet, cold, and shivering, but you were just as wrecked. Trembling in each other’s arms, your tears soaked into his already damp armor while his dripped onto your bare neck.

“I’m so sorry,” he blubbered against your skin while smoothing his hand over your hair. “I’m so sorry for leaving you.”

Shaking your head, you mumbled how it was okay, you were okay, he was okay, you were both okay.

Eventually, you and Jimin settled down. The tears had left tracks through the dirt on your faces and your bodies were barely holding up but you pulled away so you could take in your best friend’s face. It was battered, bloody, and swollen yet you smiled softly and placed your hand against his cheek lightly.

He leaned into your touch and sighed before reaching up and gently taking you hand in his. “Let’s get out of here.” Then he began to lead you down the rocks.

It was a slow process. The adrenaline in both your bodies was starting to ebb, allowing you to really feel how much you hurt. Which was a fucking lot. It was painful just standing but you had to keep moving. It was time to get back to the field. To get back to the rest of your family.

When you had almost reached the bottom, you were holding Jimin’s hand to keep yourself steady as you jumped to the next rock when the apricot head suddenly asked if you’d seen Mingi.

“Last I saw he was holding back a wolf so I could keep going.”

You tensed and looked away while you bit your lip, memories and emotions from the hazel-eyed Saeni’s death flooding back to you.

“What?”

Expelling a sad puff of air, you just told him to follow you. Limping past Amarok’s body and around the stray rocks, you led him to where Mingi had fallen.

“Oh,” Jimin said quietly as he gazed at the arrows sticking out from the guard’s chest.

The leaves swayed above you, a hint of blue sky and sunlight peeking through them as you approached the male. “He, um, he was really injured from the wolf. But he was still determined to come protect you, but… he… he ended up dying while saving me.” Dropping to your knees beside the Saeni, you had to press your lips together and take a deep breath.

Reaching over, you closed his eyelids; shutting those beautiful hazel eyes forever. Then, as you carefully removed the arrows from his body, Jimin spotted his sword on the ground and went to retrieve it. You both gently laid the sword over his body and folded his hands over the hilt.

A single tear trailed down your cheek while you thanked Mingi for his friendship and sacrifice in a choked-up voice. “I’ll miss you… please rest well.”

Jimin hung his head for a moment then stood up and rested his fingers on your shoulder. “Illai says he will only know peace from now on.”

You looked up at him in shock. “You can still hear her?”

He simply nodded while gazing down at Mingi, his face filled with guilt, before he helped you to your feet. You whispered one final goodbye to the Saeni and put your arm around Jimin to support his body as he also supported you.

Breathing heavily, you both started to shuffle through the trees and head back toward the field.

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[elizabeth-mitchells]

Andromaquynh’s Story - songs

(an incomplete list of my personal favorite songs/lyrics that make me think of the immortal wives. they come with sort of very specific context for each one.)

One night, one death. Hundreds of nights, thousands of dreams. Neither of them knows, at the beginning, what the dreams mean. Soon enough though, the dreams turn into hope, into a firm belief in each other’s existence. The dreams turn into love before they even look at each other’s eyes. The dreams are everything, and the best part is that they offer the possibility of something more. aka a hundred years of yearning:

When you sleep - mary lambert

I could make you happy / I could make you love me / I could disappear completely / I could be your love song / I could be long gone / I could be a ghost in your eardrum / When you sleep, will it be with me?

I swore I saw you in a dream / All dressed in white and wide smile

How did I miss you, when I didn't know you? / How did I miss you, when I didn't know you? / How did I miss you, when I didn't know you?

Quynh had giving up. She had given up entirely and she was determined not to walk out of that desert alive. Then... Andromache. The dreams were real, the dreams were standing right in front of her in the shape of the most strikingly beautiful warrior. Suddenly nothing else mattered but their future together. Their future was sweet, like Andy’s favorite pastries that Quynh adoringly watched her enjoy. The future was endless. Because as long as they had each other to come back to, death wasn’t strong enough to take them:

Work song - hozier

And I was burning up a fever / I didn't care much how long I lived / But I swear, I thought I dreamed her / She never asked me once about the wrong I did

There's nothin' sweeter than my baby / I'd never want once from the cherry tree / 'Cause my baby's sweet as can be / She give me toothaches just from kissin' me

When, my, time comes around / Lay me gently in the cold dark earth / No grave can hold my body down / I'll crawl home to her

Then there’s Andy. Thousands of years of solitude turn to nothing the second that Quynh’s eyes meet hers. For the first time Andy allows herself to feel hope, to love and be loved without the fear of loss. In Quynh’s smile she finds purpose, joy, and everything she could ever need for eternity:

The last of the real ones - fall out boy

I was just an only child of the universe / And then I found you, and then I found you / You are the sun and I am just the planets / Spinning around you

I will shield you from the waves if they find you / I will protect you, I will protect you

I'm here, at the beginning of the end / Oh, the end of infinity with you

I'm done with having dreams, the thing that I believe / You drain the fear from me

Fear the future - st. vincent

When the Earth split in two / I was I, you were you / I run for you, run for me, too / When the wall rose and fell / And the oceans all swell / I run for you, run for me, too

Cosmonauts - fiona apple

When I met you, I was fine with my nothing / I grew with you and now I've changed / What I've become is something I can't be without your loving / Be good to me, it isn't a game

Now let me see, it's you and me, forgive, good God / How do you suppose that we'll survive?

When you resist me, hon', I cease to exist / Because I only like the way I look when looking through your eyes

There was a time when she was worshipped as a God. And, afterward, there was no way Andy believed in the gods that humans make up every now and then. That is, until the first day she gets to hold Quynh in her arms. The eyes that can render her helpless and down to her knees. The smile that makes her feel alive yet the only thing that could kill her. The skin that’s soft, that’s on fire, that’s the only truly holy place where Andy has found herself lost in. aka homoerotic religious imagery for the immortal wives:

Take me to church - hozier

She tells me "Worship in the bedroom" / The only Heaven I'll be sent to / Is when I'm alone with you

If I'm a pagan of the good times / My lover's the sunlight / To keep the goddess on my side / She demands a sacrifice / Drain the whole sea

Holy - zolita

Worship your body as you walk my way / You're the only one who can make me pray / I fall at your feet, your breath's divine / And underneath my skin's an intrinsic shrine

I'll give my soul, sacrifice me / Cause your love is holy

I'd rather drown in your ocean / Than wither on the shore / Undying devotion, feel you in my core / Veneration, this faith's got me high / Nothing without you, live for you till I die

Church - fall out boy

Time capsule for the future / Trust me, that's what I will be / Oh, the things that you do in the / Name of what you love / You are doomed but just enough

If you were church, I'd get on my knees / Confess my love, I'd know where to be / My sanctuary, you're holy to me

The witches trials. Is there anything more to say? They go in feeling invincible. Partially for their immortality, mostly because they are together. They face death while holding hands and with smiles on their faces as they’ve always had. How could they have predicted what came next?:

Which witch - florence and the machine

And it's my own heart / While tried and tested, it's mine / And it's my own heart / Trying to reach it out / And it's my own heart / Burned but not buried this time / I'm on trial, waiting 'til the beat comes out / I'm on trial, waiting 'til the beat comes out

The bottom of the ocean is cold, it is dark, the pressure is unbearable and the pain unending. If Quynh has any time to think, before dying again, it might spent blaming Andy, missing Andy, hating Andy, loving Andy, with just enough time to curse the ocean around her. aka Quynh making the most of the water/drowning theme:

What the water gave me - florence and the machine

Time it took us / To where the water was / That’s what the water gave me / And time goes quicker / Between the two of us / But oh, my love, don’t forsake me / Take what the water gave me

Hold my breath until I die - tegan and sara

Late at night, when your words are eating me alive / Does it make you sad to leave me here like that? / In my dreams, the blood runs from my eyes / If I fall, will you catch me in your arms?

If I hold my breath until I die, I’ll be alright

Pool - paramore

I’m underwater / No air in my lungs / My eyes are open / I’m done giving up / You are the wave / I could never tame / If I survive / I’ll dive back in

Dying over and over again, Quynh comes out of the ocean with a certain... clarity. Hubris, she says is their sin. They’ve never claimed to be angels, but they’ve refused to be devils, which she says they are. She may or may not believe that their real purpose is to make humans suffer. If Andromache won’t listen, she’ll have to show her what it all means. aka Quynh coming out of the ocean to shame mankind, or just Andy:

Just one yesterday - fall out boy ft. foxes

I know I’m bad news / I saved it all for you

If I spilled my guts / The world would never look at you the same way / And now I’m here to give you all of my love / So I can watch your face as I take it all away.

Five hundred years ago, Andy lost the love of her life. But she meant it when she said she lost a soldier. She was a leader, she should have been the one to face Quynh’s fate. The least she could have done was find her soon, and she failed there too. Now, if Quynh has come back full of rage, furious and thirsty for revenge, Andy is willing to accept it with open arms. She believes she deserves it:

I don’t smoke - mitski

Being with you / makes the flame burn good

So if you need to be mean / be mean to me. / I can take it and put it inside of me. / If you’re hands need to break / more than trinkets in your room / you can lean on my arm / as you break my heart.

Quynh, having escaped her underwater prison, is completely overcome with conflicting emotions. She finds Andy broken, guilty, still wearing her necklace and crying for her. But wasn’t she the one that broke their promise, stopped looking for her, gave up? Quynh, dealing with an unmeasurable and overwhelming mixture of hurt, heartbreak, love, rage, love... love and all the pain that comes with it, and how it all might lead them to a final fight with each other from which both of them can’t come out alive:

My tears ricochet - taylor swift

Even on my worst day, did I deserve, babe / All the hell you gave me? / 'Cause I loved you, I swear I loved you / 'Til my dying day

I didn't have it in myself to go with grace / And you're the hero flying around, saving face / And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake / Cursing my name, wishing I stayed / Look at how my tears ricochet

You know I didn't want to have to haunt you / But what a ghostly scene / You wear the same jewels that I gave you / As you bury me

And you can aim for my heart, go for blood / But you would still miss me in your bones

You had to kill me, but it killed you just the same

You turned into your worst fears / And you're tossing out blame, drunk on this pain / Crossing out the good years

Then, of course, there’s Andy’s side of the story. Andy, did she ever really give up? Didn’t she pray to all the gods she’s outlived? Didn’t she protect that necklace more than her own life, even now that she’s mortal? She’d be ready to offer Quynh anything, everything she wanted for a little forgiveness, for a small moment just to love each other. In the end, will it all depend on the strength of their eternal love for each other?:

Old wounds - pvris

They say don't open old wounds / But you're still brand new

I've got nothing left to lose besides you / I've already lost you once, what more could you do?

I think I could love you 'til the day that you die / If you let me love you when the timing is right / And if they said I had to, I swear I'd wait my whole life / I think I could love you 'til the day that you die

[adrenalinesaint]

Frozen peas smart against the bruise on Jonathan’s cheek. It’s too late to stymie the swelling, but numbing it will help with the pain. He’s out of ibuprofen again, you see. Go home, Crane, the Penguin had told him, so he did. Lindsay knows better than to hem or haw around him when he’s in a state like this -- knows better than to grill him on the subject of his most recent injury based off of his facial expression alone. Sensing she isn’t wanted, she takes up her jacket and camera and slinks out the door shortly after his arrival.

Alone in the apartment, the veil comes off. With a quick blow, he punches the wall and fails to cause a hole due to lack of strength. Cobblepot was right. He’s stupid -- he’s being stupid. Even right now, it’s absurd. It reminds that reaching out at all for emotional contact is a dangerous gambit. Specifically, Penguin reminded him of that -- and he won’t soon forget himself again.

Standing now in his apartment bathroom, he blacks out his eyes using his hands instead of a makeup sponge. There’s only one way to cope with conflict like this -- only one thing he knows how to do to get a release. He can shoulder the burdens of others, delighting in the knowledge that they aren’t his, but when it comes to his own, he’s weak. So, so very weak. Doubt creeps into the fringes of his mind and when the burlap comes out, he feels a comfort in the knowledge that he’ll see what he needs to see soon.

What are you afraid of, dear reader? What strikes you like a pang of ice in the dead of night when nobody is there to distract you? What absolute certainty picks at your sanity, when you dare to leave that place in your mind unguarded? And what if you could face that thing -- look it dead in the eye and experience it as if it were real: your worst nightmare -- would you do it?

Some performers stand in the mirror before a show and tell themselves the worst things they can imagine an audience saying about their performance. It’s a way to steel the nerves -- exposure therapy.

When his face is sufficiently blacked out, he dons the mask and stares hard into the mirror. A pre-loaded syringe filled with toxin sits in the bowl of the sink, looking up at him expectantly.

As the needle goes into his arm, he shudders with the anxiety of knowing what’s to come. As it pours into his vein, the toxin tingles and burns like eucalyptus on the lips. Leaning in closer to the mirror, he watches closely as his pupils dilate. Normally, half a syringe is enough to incapacitate a person for several hours and send them into a state of total disconnect from reality. The plunger pushes a full syringe into his blood and rests for a moment as he begins to shake violently.

Breath doesn’t come. There’s a large black cat sitting on his chest. A shadowy figure of a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat enters the bathroom and snaps his neck. The floor is cold on his cheeks -- he’s convulsing. Somehow, he’s alive, and his lungs burn for air, is he breathing? Is he underwater? A powerful current lifts him up from the floor and thrusts him into every wall and then the ceiling -- black.

A single crow caws overhead, and Jonathan is laying on his side in the fetal position. Tall grass all around him moves as though its kelp in tepid waters, stalks of corn rising up above and a smattering of orchids below: a strange and impossible scene. The floor is sand, and as he walks, he can feel vibrations deep below him rumbling out of giant worms that can feel the rhythm of his fear. His feet sink into the sand as he moves, threatening to fall in all the way and be lost forever.

In the middle of the field, he finds a million raindrops suspended in the air in a perfect dome around two figures: masculine and an androgynous femme. They stand there together, frozen in time in Klimpts lover’s pose. It’s him -- or a creature he knows looks like him but isn’t him -- and he’s holding Kira’s face in that perfect expression of longing and adoration, kissing her cheek. She’s smiling, bittersweet, and holds her hand over his, knees bent. Were the figures not frozen like wax, she would be falling to the floor in a display of romantic rapture. Both figures eyes are closed in ecstasy. 

In this strange suspension of time, Jonathan can approach the lovers. He can even draw near enough to reach out and carefully move one of Kira’s hairs out of her face. Even though he had not touched her skin, the smell of it washes over him and for a passing instant, he’s no longer inside the field, but inside of her. She’s welcoming and patient. Cold, precise, and clever. The oldest soul he could imagine.

In this wash of comfort, he forgets the dream he’s in and attempts to touch her skin. But the rain begins to fall. He blinks -- or perhaps here, in this strange world, he does not need to, perhaps time or the universe around him blinked. Kira and this other Jonathan’s eyes are both wide as saucers, piercing him with a stare that penetrates his very core.

His doppelganger peels his face away from Kira’s to reveal that there was never a kiss at all. His mouth is attached to the skin of her cheek, tearing and bloody as he pulls away to separate himself from her. What remains of his mouth is a bloody mess, no teeth, no tongue, no opening, just a flat plane of bone and gore. The universe blinks again. He’s standing underneath this other Jonathan, pinned down by his ankles.

It’s surreal, like a dream. He can only see and understand that he is underneath this other Jonathan -- everything else is black. His doppelganger stands with his feet atop his ankles, and as he desperately tries to free himself and scurry away, his doppelganger grows larger and larger, heavier and heavier. As Jonathan’s energy wanes and exhaustion takes over his ability to struggle, he realizes that he cannot free himself because he is immaterial. Holding out his hands, he cannot bring them outward or backward. He’s two-dimensional, a literal shadow, stuck under the shape of his other self. Kira stands at the fringe of what he’s aware of and takes a pencil eraser to his edges, slowly whittling him away.

He can’t protest. Shadows can’t speak. He can’t move on his own; he’s only what’s left from the light touching that other version of himself.

The sight of his doppelganger and Kira fall down a long tunnel and again everything is water and currents in the deep.

He stands alone in a room in the familiar style of most Gotham architecture, but the walls, ceiling, and floor are all painted black and sticky to the touch. Stevie Nicks plays on the television and he’s fourteen again, humming along in the dark, praying to a God he doesn’t believe in that he won’t be caught.

Kira. Her face, emerging from a pool of opaque black ink.

“You’ll suffice,” she says. And then the flood gates open.

You’re nothing but a replacement. A band-aid for a wound that you didn’t cause. I love the idea of you, not you. My love is conditional. You’re unremarkable compared to the other you. He’s better in bed too. Why bother making yourself matter in my eyes? My thoughts of you are written in stone and you never got a chance to help write it. You’re just one more of countless other versions of you, each more likely to have his shit together than you do. Somewhere out there, Jonathan Crane let himself have happiness, why can’t you? Aren’t you supposed to be fear incarnate? Fear doesn’t have this much weakness. What’s wrong with you?

What’s wrong with you?

What’s wrong with you?

Mary Keeny strikes him in the back of the head with her cane and he hits the floor. He’s watching from the corner where the wall and the ceiling meet. Little Jonathan weeps and begs for forgiveness while his great grandmother continues to beat him senseless.

“What’s wrong with you?” She demands. “Why can’t you just be normal?”

[altrustichcpes]

HYLIA, ALONE ..

┈┈━ 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥’𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦⠀⠀:⠀⠀⠀hi!! hello , this is a lil thing i decided to whip up. i apologize that it’s eVERYWHERE and messy , B U T i hope you all like it. also if you could give any constructive criticism— that’d be swell!! enjoy! :))

┈┈━ 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦⠀⠀:⠀⠀⠀abuse , abusive relationships , emotional abuse , emotional manipulation , physical abuse , sexual assault , r*pe ( HEAVY implications ) and violence. if these trigger you, please take with caution.

┈┈━ 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 / 𝗦𝗬𝗡𝗢𝗣𝗦𝗜𝗦 / 𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚⠀⠀:⠀⠀⠀the beginning of war , hylia is facing the consequences of her actions... she waits anxiously whilst waiting for demise’s army to strike — only to come to a realization.

┈┈━ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦⠀⠀:⠀⠀⠀hylia , demise , nayru , din , farore , impa , link , fierce deity .

┈┈━ 𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗧𝗛⠀⠀:⠀⠀⠀1,810 words.

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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀Death was such a strange concept. It was a mortal concept — and she wished she learned more when she had the chance. The war , she knew it would kill her. But she was going to take what was hers. Even if she had to spill blood of others . . . or her own.

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⠀⠀⠀ The black skies hung low in the Heavens , as the white haired woman carefully took a deep breath , finding her gaze falling to the woman in the mirror. She saw the bags under her eyes , yet her hair was held into intricate braids that mashed together in one. She wore black , a black dress with a cape wrapping across her chest. She was ready. Ready to finish what she had started , ready to take back the Triforce of Power from the King of Darkness himself — and her outfit said that statement.

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⠀⠀⠀ Her sapphire gaze fixated on the quill and parchment that sat on the surface of her vanity mirror. She had been writing letters to him- Link. He hasn’t responded... The last thing she did hear was from Impa, saying that he was in safe hands ; helping her at Kakariko Village , she had heard from Fierce Deity as well, he said the same thing. Out of habit , her thumb began to stroke the inside of her right ring finger. A gold band sat steady — a beautiful gold band at that. With the initials ‘ H+L ‘ engraved in it... Link got her this just prior to the war. A promise ring. They both promised each other that no matter what , they’d find eachother once again.

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⠀⠀⠀ Out of everyone that she knows , Hylia hasn’t spoken to her sisters... not after Din’s proclamation to her hatred for her younger sister and not since Nayru had tried to persuade Hylia of war. Her brows knitted in thought as she took a deep breath. Her sisters... they were once close. Once close to the point where they knew everything about each other. But now? Hylia felt like a stranger to her own family. Farore doesn’t even speak to her anymore like she used to. She bit the inside of her cheek as the Crimson Loftwing from the balcony squawked. It was time.

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⠀⠀⠀ Making her way towards the creation she made long ago , raising a hand to his beak — carefully stroking it as she rested her forehead on his...

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⠀⠀⠀ “ This is it , buddy... “ She whispered , hearing him coo against her cheek.

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⠀⠀⠀ The Loftwing held a few things on it’s back ; a weapon of some kind - a harp that was wrapped with a cloth… It was the only thing along with a journal or two. Hylia looked around her realm , jaw clenched at the darkened skies. The clouds were heavy as she climbed onto the back of the Loftwing , exhaling deeply through her nose. With a light kick on the Loftwing , she flew off towards the Surface. Her nerves were high , high beyond measure as she gripped the feathers of the creature - vision becoming clear as the green land below came into view. Although it was no longer green. The land her sisters once made lush and beautiful was dead , and slowly rotting away with every moment it could get the chance. She did see the dark beginning to blanket the land in the horizon.

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⠀⠀⠀ With the civilization in Skyloft hanging overhead , Hylia guided the Loftwing to the Surface and landed where her own militia stood. Five races , Goron , Parella , Ancient Robots , Kikiwi and the Mogma all stood along with their own weapons in hand. Biting the inside of her cheek , her thumb brushed against the ring once again. She was okay. This was going to happen…

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⠀⠀⠀ She began to saunter towards the races. She wore pride on her chest , sending her army out to battle alongside her against the Demon King’s incoming strike. Hylia’s usual soft and gentle voice became sharp like glass as she shouted towards the army at her feet.

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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀ “ Today will be the day in history that we rid of Demise and his proxies of darkness. Today will be the day we seal The Demon King. Today will also be the day where lives will inevitably be lost. Today will be a somber one - yet a victorious one. Will you all lend me a hand —” Hylia spoke , chest rising with every word she shouted , gazing out to her soldiers… seeing their faces. She didn’t see him though.. She didn’t see Link. Her heart felt heavy for some reason… “ One final hand in this conflict? Will you all aid me in this fight? For this is our fight. Not just mine. Not just the gods above. We will win this and restore peace among my sister’s land. Fight for peace. Fight for justice… and may the Goddess smile upon you all. “ She ended her speech with a smile. It didn’t reach her eyes. Lately a lot of her smiles didn’t quite reach her eyes - nor was the light that once stood and shone brightly there anymore… her sapphire eyes were faded now. But she remained cool as she watched the races let out their victory wails , clanging against their weaponry if they had any.

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⠀⠀⠀ Nodding , she looked up to the sky now…

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⠀⠀⠀ The air froze , almost stopped completely as Hylia stood still. He’s here. Black blanketed the sky completely as a beam of light emitted from ground in the middle of her own militia , the earth protruding upwards as the large boar pulled himself up. Scaled , teeth an ugly yellow and stained with blood - Hylia watched in almost shock at what she was witnessing. Did he feast on the miserable before arriving? … Or did he feast on those in Kakariko… No- focus.

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⠀⠀⠀ As he came from beneath the ground , so did his own army. One by one slowly started to rise from the ground. Soon , hundreds began flooding the Surface. It wasn’t long until they all lined up , weapons raised. She caught sight of the many that Demise managed to recruit , either by force or volunteer. Three in particular. Ghirahim , Zant and… Ziva. Her eyes widened slightly , as Demise glared down at the woman.

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⠀⠀⠀ “ Men! Raise your weapons. Don’t show mercy,” He snarled , as he kept his gaze on his former lover.

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⠀⠀⠀ Hylia was quick to board her Loftwing , grabbing her harp and kicking his side. In an instance , she was in the air. Demises’ army hadn't struck yet… they seemed to be waiting. Demise’s golden hue’s followed the White Goddess and then he spoke.

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⠀⠀⠀ Voice crisp , clear and rage dripping with every word, venom almost; “ Kill them all. “ He spoke.

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⠀⠀⠀ Just like that , Hylia watched both parties go against each other - chest heavy as she attempted to regulate her breathing. She got this. Gripping the Loftwing’s feathers with one hand , the harp in the other , she watched… The Gorons used all of the force they could, the Mogma and Ancient Robots teaming up. But her mind began to drift…

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⠀⠀⠀ Her lover was in Kakariko , along with her best friends… Her sisters disowned her , for trying to save the relationship between her and the man who is threatening to kill her… This. This was her fault. It was. She willingly gave him the Triforce of Power… she saw him and Din together- she let herself get violated and abused every other day… Something in Hylia snapped. She wasn’t going to let anyone put her down again. And if she had to spill the blood of others to do so , she would do it.

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⠀⠀⠀ She took a moment , slowly beginning to strum the harp. Rays of light emitted from it as she flicked her wrist towards her own militia. The rays of light shattered , breaking into a million pieces and grazing her soldiers like glitter… “ Fight with all of your might! “ She shouted to them below before her sapphire gaze met the ones of the boar.

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⠀⠀⠀ She once loved this man. Once. She didn’t realize her hatred for him until she realized her worth, and now she stood in the air against him. He simply laughed at her expression. Her brows were furrowed and her jaw was clenched tight , fists forming as she held onto the feathers of the Loftwing.

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⠀⠀⠀ “ You bitch. “ He laughed , raising his hand.

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⠀⠀⠀ It was her against the world… and she was going to be ruthless.

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⠀⠀⠀ Death was a mortal concept. Hylia never understood it until this moment… Her breath hitched as she lay in the bed , hand gripping an object at her side. The war ended just the other day , two days ago. It was agonizing , and she had suffered most. Her injuries were mostly internal but her powers were slowly beginning to leave her grasp. Attempting to breathe , she looked to the doors that swung open immediately. Impa...

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⠀⠀⠀ “ Your grace- ” She spoke , rushing to the White Goddess’ side. “ Did you… “ Her voice trailed off , seeing her friend in the state she was in. It hurt…

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⠀⠀⠀ “ I made it, Impa…” Hylia responded shakily. “ You know, to make sure the next reincarnate finds it.. Guide him.” She handed her the creation- A sword. A purple-blue hilt made with such grace.. The blade itself was glowing with a faint blue hue. Hylia , weak in the hands pushed it towards the Sheikah and let out a chuckle. “ And can I ask a favor..? “

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⠀⠀⠀ Taking the sword with care , Impa cocked a brow , carefully taking her friend’s hand out of worry. “ Anything, “ She spoke , easing the goddess’ nerves.

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⠀⠀⠀ “ Don’t go.. Not until I’m gone. When I am, you can leave.. Just… not yet…” She breathed , staring up at the ceiling of her sanctum. It was cozy , warm… like a winter cabin.

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⠀⠀⠀ Impa nodded, taking a seat beside Hylia.

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⠀⠀⠀ A comfortable silence flushed over the two as Hylia spoke yet again; “ I see him… “ She whispered shakily.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀ “ Who, your grace? “ Impa cocked a brow wearily.

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⠀⠀⠀ “ Link…” Her eyes widened as she saw a hand reach for her.

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⠀⠀⠀ A light gasp of air escaped her lips… and her eyes glossed over.

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⠀⠀⠀ Waking up alone was horrible enough. Was this the afterlife? Or was she to wait for herself to be reborn. Wincing at the sunlight coming from the open doors of the balcony , Hylia pulled herself out of bed… Her feet touched the cold marble beneath her as she carefully stepped towards the balcony , walking through the opened doors. The light- good spirits, it was bright. Her eyes adjusted and there she saw them… Loftwings flying overhead. She took in a deep breath. A real.. Deep breath. This temporary peace relaxed her shoulders as she gazed down to Skyloft below , along with the Surface… Her thumb brushed against the gold band as a sad smile tugged at her lips... Death is peaceful… but she knew being reborn was going to be hell all over again, only this time; she’s alone.

[musicthatmadeus]

Folklore by Taylor Swift: An Album Review

by: (Older) Justine Choy

Taylor Swift’s music had always had a place in life. I remember watching her music videos play on MTV when I was a kid and singing my heart out to her most popular songs. However, I never really fully got into her music until she released folklore in July 2020. This record came in the perfect time of my life, when I was feeling extremely helpless and out of control due to the pandemic. I had this album on repeat the first few weeks it came out, and whenever I listened to it from beginning to end, I always felt more hopeful than I had been at the start.

The album begins with the 1, starting with simple piano chords that deftly build up sound through plucking guitar notes and casual drum beats. When Taylor Swift sings the opening line “I'm doing good/I'm on some new sh*t,” I immediately burst into tears. I wish that I, too, were doing good. (Or doing well, if we’re being grammatically correct. But that’s besides the point.) The simple production of limited instruments complements the heart-wrenching narrative of the lyrics as Swift wistfully laments on the one that got away. This song sets up the melancholic tone and pensive atmosphere of the rest of the record and is the perfect track to open the album with.

cardigan is the second track and lead single of the record. However, I found its production to be both lacking and underwhelming. The instrumentation stays constant throughout the entire song, with little to no variation in its inflection. The repeated piano riffs almost sound monotonous, and there is very little musical build-up throughout the song. The only thing that salvages the song is its lyrics, with poetic phrases such as “But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss/I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs.”

the last great american dynasty is a masterclass in storytelling, and it is one of the more outstanding tracks on the record. The song starts softly, with percussive piano notes and gentle drum beats moving the song forward at the beginning. The production slowly builds up throughout the song and creates an atmosphere that perfectly captures the tragic elegance and polish of Rebekah Harkness.

exile is a piano ballad that features Bon Iver acting as Swift’s estranged lover. The melody is a bit repetitive, and its monotony is further accentuated as the piano imitates every pitch of the vocals. The bridge is the best part of the song, and it makes listening to the plodding of the previous verses worth it. The production swells as the piano switches from playing notes to chords. Iver and Swift’s voices match perfectly, neither overpowering the other. Their anguish is evident in lyrics such as “You didn't even hear me out (You didn't even hear me out)/You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs).” The overall track sounds fairly cliche, but is still somewhat interesting to listen to.

The fifth song, my tears ricochet, is my least favorite track in the album, and I often skip it whenever I listen to the whole record. Choir-like vocalizations and soft synths make up the production of the track. The melody is repetitive and the narrative of the lyrics is cluttered. The only redeeming part of this song is Swift’s vocal performance, as it showcases her vocal range and shows how far she has come since her debut album.

mirrorball is an atmospheric piece that impeccably captures the feeling of high school angst and unsettled identity. Airy guitar chords resonate through soft drumming and chiming tambourines. With lines such as “I'm a mirrorball/I can change everything about me to fit in,” Swift flawlessly utilizes both the lyrics and the production to convey a narrative of unsteadiness and uncertainty.

The seventh track on the record, aptly titled seven, tells the story of looking back on a childhood friend. Swift’s breathy vocals, combined with the simple piano and guitar instrumentation, create a foggy, hazy atmosphere that perfectly conveys the theme of memory and nostalgia. The production builds up slowly throughout the song, emphasizing points in the narrative that are saturated with wistfulness and sentimentality. With Swift singing lines such as “Passed down like folk songs/The love lasts so long,” the overall song imbues feelings of reminiscence and longing to even its most callous listeners.

august tells the story of a short-lived summer romance. Gentle guitar strumming and resonant drum beats create a warm and hazy ambience befitting the narrative of the lyrics. Feelings of longing and affection are apparent in lines like “Salt air, and the rust on your door/I never needed anything more.” Swift’s echoey vocals, paired with the atmospheric production, give the track an enticing sense of pining and intrigue.

this is me trying is a melancholic song that has Swift repeatedly stating “I just wanted you to know that this is me trying.” A feeling of repetitiveness and an eagerness for reconciliation are evident in the circular, iterative form of the melody. Buzzing synths and sonorous brass horns create a soundscape that is quietly grandiose. The bridge, composed of the quickly-spat lines “And it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound/It's hard to be anywhere these days when all I want is you/You're a flashback in a film reel on the one screen in my town” make the track’s setting vivid and specific: I could almost imagine the song play out like a movie in my head.

The next track, illicit affairs, has a deceptively calm production that contradicts the intense narrative of the lyrics. It opens with peaceful guitar plucking, and soft vocals and quiet synths enter as the song goes on. The almost serene instrumentation makes the fervor of the bridge much more impactful, as Swift wails “Don't call me "kid," don't call me "baby"/Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me.” illicit affairs contains all of the conflicting emotions a person in an affair would feel, and Swift masterfully utilizes both the lyrics and the instrumentation to tell this story in a compelling way.

invisible string opens with tranquil guitar plucking, similar to that of the previous track. This is where the similarities stop: while illicit affairs is about heartbreak, invisible string tells the story of an inevitable sort of love. The track sounds quiet yet upbeat due to the ascending nature of its musical form. The minimal instrumentation makes the song sound warm and intimate. Listening to this song makes me want to experience being in love, and it thaws my heart even on the worst of days.

mad woman is not my favorite track on folklore. It sounds a bit monotonous, and its production offers nothing different from what the previous songs on the record had. The narrative is rather intriguing; however, its redundant production does not do its lyrics any justice. The constant, plodding piano riff and incongruent drum beats distract from Swift’s vocal performance. If this track was taken off the record, I would not feel sorry for it.

epiphany is Swift’s ode to both her grandfather and the frontliners of the pandemic. It is a beautiful tribute of a song, with atmospheric organ-like synths and choral vocal hymns. The lyrics are poetic and poignant, with lines such as “Someone's daughter, someone's mother/Holds your hand through plastic now.” Swift crafts vignettes of fragility cut through with a sharp sense of bleakness. It is a very emotional song that always leaves me raw after listening to it.

The fourteenth track, betty, is reminiscent of Swift’s country roots. It is an extremely fun song to belt (I know this from experience), with a compelling narrative about teenage love and heartbreak. Warm-sounding guitar plucking and full-rounded piano chords create a sentimental atmosphere that supports Swift’s earnest and heartfelt lyrics. A harmonica adds an extra layer of bluesy sound to the production. The music modulates at the last chorus, wonderfully reinforcing the turning point of the plot. Lines such as “But if I just showed up at your party/Would you have me? Would you want me?” capture the youthful vibe of the story and makes listening to this track almost like hearing a coming of age movie.

peace is my absolute favorite song of Taylor Swift’s. Its production stands out from all of the others on the album. While the other tracks rely on atmospheric guitars and resonant drum beats to create a dreamy ambience, peace creates a quiet soundscape through warm, strumming basses and a beeping drum machine that almost sounds like warning tones. Swift’s lyrics contradict the tranquil quality of the music, with beautiful, poetic lines such as “The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me/Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?” The breathy, soft vocals perfectly combine with the tenderness of the music to create a mood that is both fond and uncertain.

The last track on the record, hoax, is a light piano ballad composed of gentle vocals and delicate piano riffs. Swift’s lyrics tell a story of hurt and hopelessness, with lines dripping with fragile coarseness such as “Stood on the cliffside screaming, "Give me a reason"/Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in.” Although it is not the most optimistic, its subdued emotions and melancholic tones make it the perfect song to close the album with.

folklore is a welcome departure from Swift’s usually overproduced albums. It is a beautifully-written, cohesive-sounding record that is both hauntingly pensive and wistfully hopeful. The production on this record has greatly influenced my taste in genres and musical aesthetics, and I find myself often reaching to listen to this album whenever I get bored of listening to other songs. folklore is a masterpiece of an album, and I would give anything to have the chance to listen to it for the first time all over again.