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kayewrite · 6 months ago

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blue sticky note (part 2)

OT8 x reader!! stray kids x reader!! word count: 5.9k

stray kids fic wherein, you know the answer of the mystery of the blue sticky note in your binder, but then keep denying it.

AN: i literally love this guys. please tell me your thoughts also im crying.

(part 1 here!!)

Does Bang Chan like you?

Why did he create a song for you?

Your mind raced as you held the blue sticky note, staring at the familiar handwriting that had been haunting your thoughts for days. You replayed the moment when you confronted him, hoping for a straightforward answer.

“Are you the one who put this in my binder?” you had carefully asked, showing him the sticky note that had left you sleepless for nights.

Bang Chan didn’t answer right away. His eyes softened as he looked at you, and for a brief moment, you thought you saw something deeper in his gaze. But instead of responding to your question, he gave you a gentle smile, one that made your heart skip a beat.

“Did you know we all made this song?” he said, his voice calm, almost as if he was leading you from the truth you were seeking. “We all helped to do this.”

His words left you more confused than before. What did that even mean? Was it some kind of cryptic message?

“You know what,” he suddenly said, his tone shifting to something more casual, “you should really attend Changbin’s party this weekend. I’ll be the one to pick you up.”

And just like that, he left the studio without waiting for your reply, leaving you standing there with a thousand questions swirling in your mind. The mystery you thought you were close to solving only seemed to deepen, the answers slipping further from your grasp.

You tried to focus on your upcoming presentation in class, but Bang Chan's words and that blue sticky note kept intruding on your thoughts. Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, you wondered why this was all becoming so hard to figure out.

Suddenly, a knock on your door snapped you out of your thoughts. You opened it to find Felix standing there, a soft smile on his face as he greeted you.

“Hi,” he said, holding his favorite yellow plushie—a chicken. “I’m back again.”

You let him in, and without a word, he walked in and instead of heading to the sofa like usual, he went straight to your bedroom and flopped down on your bed..

You followed him, sitting at the edge of the bed as you pulled the blanket over him. You felt a pang of sympathy for your friend. He always seemed so worn out whenever you saw him in the mornings at school, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. You knew it must be because of his noisy neighbor.

“I think my neighbor is angry with me,” Felix mumbled, his face half-buried in the pillow.

“Why?” you asked, your voice gentle.

“He only makes noise whenever I’m about to sleep.”

��Maybe we should complain to the landlord,” you suggested, but you knew Felix. He was too kind-hearted to make a fuss about it. He’d rather suffer in silence than cause trouble for someone else.

"I’ve decided I should move out here," he said quietly.

"Really? Finally," you replied, a bit of relief in your voice. You’d wanted someone to share your apartment with for so long. Living alone had become so lonely.

"But I’ll be moving next door," he added.

Oh. That was fine too.

You couldn’t help but smile as you lay down beside him, both of you staring up at the ceiling. The silence was comfortable, but your thoughts were still tangled up in the mystery of the blue note.

“I think I should talk to someone about this,” you finally said, breaking the silence. The questions were too much for you to keep inside anymore.

“Talk about what?” Felix asked, his voice calm but curious.

“The blue note…” you began, turning your head to look at him. “Do you know who owns it?”

Felix took a deep breath, clearly expecting this conversation. He didn’t answer right away, instead asking, “May I ask you a question? Who do you think owns it?”

“I don’t want to assume anything,” you admitted, “You guys are giving me a hard time. I don’t want to jump to conclusions.”

Felix’s gaze softened as he looked at you, his expression unreadable. “What would you do if you found out who owned it? Would it change things between you and us?”

You sighed, running a hand through your hair. “I see all of you as my brothers. But if it really was one of you… then…” You trailed off, not knowing how to finish the thought.

“What if it was all of us?” Felix’s voice was quiet, almost hesitant.

“What—” Before you could react, Felix leaned in and pecked your lips, the suddenness of it leaving you frozen.

“Do you know how hard it is?” he whispered, his eyes locked on yours. “Loving you means risking our whole friendship. But as long as I could hold it in, I thought I should. But right now, I can’t.”

His confession hung in the air between you, heavy and filled with emotion. He searched your eyes for a reaction, his heart clearly on the line.

“Please,” he continued, his voice breaking slightly, “when tomorrow comes, forget what I did. And I hope… you’ll forgive me.”

And then, before you could process everything, he claimed your lips again, this time with more urgency, as if trying to convey everything he couldn’t put into words.

The next morning, you walked to class feeling like you were floating. Felix was already gone when you woke up, leaving behind only a note saying he had to go.

The memory of last night's kiss made your cheeks flush as you touched your lips, but you quickly shook the thought away.

Why does this feel so wrong?

You've been friends with these guys since middle school, and now, everything felt like it was spiraling out of control.

You slumped into your seat next to Yuji, dropping your head onto your table.

“Girl, you look stressed,” she said, combing her fingers through your hair.

“I know. I think I should just die.”

“No, not yet! We still have that concert to go to, remember? Physics might make you want to drop dead, but focus on the bright side��concert!” Yuji playfully shook your shoulders.

“What concert? Why didn’t you invite me?” Seungmin’s voice interrupted as he approached, handing out papers.

"Oh! it's seungmin." Yuji immediately straightened up, trying to play it cool. “I have two tickets. One for me, and one for her.” She pointed at you with an exaggerated modesty. “But she can always buy new her own, so I’ll give you hers.” She smiled sweetly at Seungmin like a puppy.

Seungmin didn’t even look up as he continued distributing papers. “Never mind. I’ve got plans with her, anyway.”

You blinked, confused. Plans? He hadn’t mentioned anything to you.

“What plans?” you asked, tilting your head in curiosity.

“It’s a surprise.” He finally looked up, flashing a small, knowing smile before moving on to the next student.

Yuji’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, is there something going on between you two?” she asked, crossing her arms and pouting. “You betrayed me?! I thought you were on Team Seungmin and Yuji!”

You barely registered her words, your mind suddenly flashing back to what Felix said last night.

“What if it was all of us?”

Was there a chance that Seungmin… liked you? Or were they all just playing with your feelings?

The stress of it all made you tug at your hair in frustration. But then you remembered Felix’s kiss, making you feel even more confused.

After class, you were about to leave when Seungmin called out to you.

“Hey,” he said, jogging over. “Let me treat you to the cafeteria.”

Normally, you’d jump at the chance for free food—who wouldn’t? This was just how you and Seungmin usually were. But after everything that happened, you found yourself questioning his intentions.

Still, you plastered on a smile and nodded. “Sure.”

As you both sat down, Seungmin played with his spoon, eyeing his food. “Do you think short hair would suit me?” He ran a hand through his hair, “I’m thinking about getting a haircut.”

You looked at him, trying to picture it. “Honestly? I think everything suits you.”

“Oh really?” He laughed, raising an eyebrow. “Well, if it turns out ugly, I’m blaming you.”

“It won’t,” you assured him. “Promise. Trust me, just imagining it, I think it’ll look great on you. And why would you blame me? I’m not the one asking you to cut it; I already think it’s perfect.”

You forced yourself not to think about what Felix said, focusing on keeping the conversation light and normal, just like always.

“Hey, why are you two eating alone without me?” Changbin suddenly appeared, sliding his tray onto the table like some kind of cool bad boy—though you knew he was a softie at heart.

“Because according to Seungmin, you eat too much,” you teased, even though Seungmin hadn’t actually said that. Changbin shot Seungmin a playful glare, his expression saying, ‘How dare you?’

“Why? It’s true,” Seungmin teased back with a casual shrug.

“Well, it is,” Changbin admitted with a grin. “But do you really think you can get away without buying me food? I put it on your tab at the cashier.”

You laughed, enjoying their playful banter. This is what you wanted to keep, this easy friendship with them. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Hey, don’t laugh! You owe me, too!” Changbin suddenly turned his attention to you.

“What? I don’t remember owing you anything. If anything, you owe me,” you shot back, munching on your food.

“Well, you’re right about that.” He chuckled, then leaned in closer, his tone turning serious. “But you owe me a promise. You have to come to my party. And you too.” referring to Seungmin.

“Tell me why I should attend instead of going to my weekly seminar,” Seungmin challenged, always enjoying a good tease.

“There’ll be lots of food.”

“Valid, but not enough,” Seungmin replied, feigning disinterest.

“I’ll be there,” Changbin said. Seungmin just rolled his eyes before standing up.

“I’m done eating,” he said, grabbing his tray. Then he looked at you, “Finish your food and eat well. I’ll go ahead.”

“What happened to you?” Hyunjin asked, concern etched on his face as he glanced over at you.

You were lying on one of the beds in the school clinic, feeling utterly drained. “I think I’m coming down with a fever. Can you give me some medicine?”

Hyunjin’s eyes narrowed slightly, a familiar sigh escaping his lips. “Again? Don’t tell me you’re pulling that trick to avoid PE.”

It was Wednesday, and Hyunjin was on clinic duty again. It seemed like every time he was here, you somehow managed to find your way to the clinic as well.

“I just really dislike playing volleyball,” you complained, curling up under the blanket.

“You know it’s part of the curriculum,” Hyunjin said firmly, reaching out to help you sit up. “Now, get up and get moving.”

But you stayed put. “I’m serious this time. My head is pounding.” You pressed your fingers against your temples, trying to relieve the discomfort.

Hyunjin’s expression softened, though he still looked slightly exasperated. “Alright, alright. Just stay here.” He walked over to the medicine cabinet, opening it and rummaging through the various bottles.

You watched him, admiring how he looked in his white lab coat. He seemed so professional and competent, and it made you smile despite your discomfort.

After a moment, Hyunjin returned with a small bottle in hand. “Here, take this.”

You examined the label. “Gummy vitamins? Really?”

Hyunjin grinned. “Yep, gummy medicine. It’s actually quite effective.”

“But… isn’t this for kids?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re never too old for gummy vitamins,” Hyunjin said with a teasing smirk. He leaned closer and playfully tapped your forehead. “And besides, you’re basically a kid.”

“Ouch!” you said, rubbing your forehead as you accepted the bottle. You popped a gummy into your mouth, making a face as you chewed. The taste was oddly medicinal, and you struggled to hide your reaction.

Hyunjin chuckled, his laughter bright and genuine. “You look like you’re eating something terrible.”

“It’s not as good as the regular gummies,” you said, grimacing slightly. “But I guess it’ll do.”

Hyunjin shook his head, his smile softening. “You really need someone to take care of you. I swear, you can’t even handle a gummy without making a face.”

“I can take care of myself just fine,” you insisted, stretching your arms out as if to demonstrate your health. “Look, I’m perfectly okay.”

“Yeah, right,” Hyunjin said, sitting down on the chair next to you. “But even if you can take care of yourself, you don’t need to do it alone. I’m here for you, and I’ll always be here to look out for you.”

His words were meant to be comforting, and they were—though they took on a new weight as you recalled what Bang Chan and Felix had said. It suddenly seemed like there might be a deeper layer to Hyunjin’s concern.

You pushed those thoughts aside, forcing a smile. “I’m really glad to have you guys around. It means a lot.”

Hyunjin’s eyes softened as he returned your smile. “I’m glad to hear that. Now, try to get some rest. You need it.”

“Hey, Han,” you called out as you entered the library, spotting your friend among the sea of students hunched over their books. Probably finished of his schedule in the counter as a librarian assistant.

“Oh, hi!” Han looked up from his desk, his glasses perched on the edge of his nose. His eyes were bright with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. You often wondered how he managed to juggle work, study, and his other responsibilities so effortlessly.

“I finally finished that novel you recommended,” you said, making your way over to his table. “..And it was so boring.”

Han’s eyes widened in mock horror, his hands flying to his chest. “What? Don't do that to my most favorite book!"

You couldn’t help but laugh at his dramatic reaction. “Just kidding. It was actually really good.” You gave him a thumbs-up, your voice low but full of mirth, mindful of the quiet atmosphere in the library.

Han let out a relieved sigh and shook his head with a smile. “You almost had me there. What did you think of the ending?”

You shrugged, a hint of frustration in your tone. “I’m still confused. How can the main character like her but never pursue her? It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Han’s face took on a look of mild exasperation as he leaned back in his chair. “Did you read it with your whole heart, or were you skimming through it?”

“Of course I read it!” you protested, feeling a bit defensive. “I just didn’t get it.”

Han’s expression softened into a more thoughtful one. “Well, sometimes love isn’t as straightforward as we want it to be. The character had reasons for not pursuing her, even though he wanted to.”

“What reasons?” you asked, genuinely intrigued. You leaned forward, eager for an explanation.

Han sighed, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice, can't believe he has to explain it to you. “It’s not always easy to explain. Sometimes, there are external factors, personal struggles, or circumstances beyond our control that affect our decisions.”

“Oh, I see,” you said slowly, trying to digest his explanation. “I still think the ending was a bit of a letdown, though.”

"Me too." Han chuckled, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, it’s definitely not the happiest of endings. But that’s what makes it memorable, I guess.”

“So, why is it your favorite if it’s so depressing?” you asked, genuinely curious.

Han hesitated, a thoughtful look on his face as he stared into the distance. “Because…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, leaving you hanging. You could guess what he might mean, understanding more than you let on. Sometimes it was easier to pretend you didn’t get it than to face the deeper implications of his words.

“Why would you need another cat when you already have three?” you asked, following Minho around the animal shelter. The space was filled with the soft meows and playful purrs of the cats, and you tried to keep up with his purposeful stride.

“Having one more won’t make me poor,” Minho replied, his gaze fixed intently on the cats. He seemed completely absorbed in the task of finding the perfect feline companion, his focus unwavering.

You chuckled softly, “Based on your face, you don’t look like someone who’s a father to a bunch of cats.” well he does look like a cat but you'll never tell him that, it might boost his overflowing confidence

“I don’t take opinions from anyone who’s trailing behind me,” Minho said with a smirk, still not turning to look at you.

“Oh, so you brought me here just to hear my complaints?” you sighed dramatically, trailing behind him. The endless walking was starting to wear you out, and you couldn’t help but think about the stack of assignments waiting for you at home.

Suddenly, Minho stopped in front of a white cat who was sitting calmly, watching him with wide, curious eyes. Minho crouched down and began speaking to the cat in a soft, melodic tone that seemed to mimic the cat’s own meows.

“I think I already found it,” Minho said with a satisfied smile, glancing up at you.

Back at the shelter’s counter, Minho was busy with the paperwork, preparing for the adoption. You watched him efficiently handle the forms and place the cat into its carrier. As he completed the final details, he turned to you with a beaming expression.

“Let’s go,” he said cheerfully.

You both headed to his car. Once inside, you buckled up, only for Minho to place the cat carrier on your lap. You opened it gently, letting the cat come out and stretch. Its beautiful white fur was soft and silky under your touch.

“What should we name her?” you asked, stroking the cat’s fur as she nuzzled closer to you.

“I don’t know,” Minho said, adjusting his seatbelt. “Why don’t you name her?”

"why would I be the one to do that?" you protested,

“Then, I’ll just name her after you,” Minho teased, looking at you with a mischievous glint in his eye.

“Oh no, don’t do that,” you laughed, shaking your head.

“Right? She seems to like it.” Minho chuckled as the cat responded positively to being called by your name. “She’s our daughter now.”

You felt a flutter of surprise at his words, but you tried to keep your emotions in check.

“Well, now you’re officially the baby of our friend group,” you said, hugging the cat gently. The little creature purred contentedly in your arms, and you couldn’t help but smile. “Welcome to the family.”

You were about to drift off to sleep when your phone buzzed with a FaceTime call from Jeongin. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you fixed your hair a bit and answered.

"Hey, what's up?" you greeted, trying to sound awake as you adjusted the phone to make sure you looked presentable.

"Hey!" Jeongin's cheerful voice came through, though his face was momentarily obscured as he set the phone down. The background of his room appeared on screen: a collection of action figures and band posters. He returned, holding his guitar. "Got a minute? I have a performance evaluation tomorrow, and I was hoping you could listen to my song and give me some feedback."

"Of course," you replied, leaning back against your headboard. "Why me though? You have plenty of musician friends who could help."

Jeongin laughed softly, adjusting the tune on his guitar. "Well, I think I’ll get the most honest comments from you. Han just tells me I sound like bread—whatever that means—and Changbin mostly just laughs at me."

You smiled at his playful tone. "Alright, hit me with it."

With a nod, Jeongin began to strum his guitar and sing. His voice filled the room with a soothing melody, performing Day6's "Afraid." His rendition was as captivating as always.

When he finished, you sighed in appreciation. "That was beautiful. Seriously, the song fits your voice perfectly."

“Really?” Jeongin’s face brightened with a hopeful smile.

You nodded enthusiastically, giving him a thumbs up. “Absolutely. You did an amazing job.”

Jeongin chuckled. “The truth is, that wasn’t the song I intended to perform,” he admitted with a playful grin. “but i hope you enjoy that song. It's for you.”

You laughed softly, feeling grateful for the unexpected late-night serenade. “I did. Thanks for sharing it with me.”

You enter Bang Chan’s studio, balancing a coffee cup in one hand. The studio is buzzing with activity, but Chan looks up with a smile as you walk in.

“Hey, thanks for the coffee!” Chan says, taking the cup from you with a grateful grin.

“No problem. I figured you’d need it. I’ve heard you’re practically living here these days,” you tease, slipping into the casual banter you’re used to with him.

“Yeah, it’s the price of fame,” Chan chuckles, pretending to adjust an imaginary tie. “I’m basically a coffee addict now.”

“You’ve always been one. Remember that time you tried to make your own coffee blend and nearly set off the fire alarm?”

Chan laughs, shaking his head. “Oh, don’t remind me. I’m still convinced it was a conspiracy by the coffee machine.”

You laugh along, feeling a comfortable ease in the familiar exchange. “So, are you busy today? Or can you spare a few minutes?”

“Earlier, I was buried in work, but now I’m taking a break. What’s up?” Chan asks, settling into his chair.

You nod, setting your coffee down on a nearby table. “I actually came to talk. And, well, I left my glasses here the other day.”

Chan raises an eyebrow playfully. “So it’s a dual-purpose visit: coffee delivery and a retrieval mission?”

“Exactly. I’m multitasking,” you reply with a wink.

“Impressive. I’d expect nothing less from you,” Chan says, leaning back in his chair. “But seriously, what’s on your mind?”

You take a deep breath, shifting your focus from the lightheartedness to a more serious tone. “You know, Chan, I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About everything that’s been happening with us.”

Chan’s expression shifts to a more serious one, sensing the change in tone. “Go on.”

“You know I’m always proud of you and everything you’ve achieved,” you begin, your voice softening. “And I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me. But lately, I’ve been worried. I don’t want to ruin the friendship we have.”

Chan looks at you with a mixture of concern and curiosity. “What do you mean?”

“I just hoped that everything you’ve said, and everything I thought, is wrong,” you continue. “I don’t want to ruin the friendship I have with you guys.”

Chan’s smile is gentle but sad. “You know, now that everyone likes you?”

You look down, fiddling with your coffee cup. “Well, I hope it’s because you all care for me as a friend and not something more.”

Chan’s eyes are filled with a warmth that both comforts and troubles you. “You’ve always been special to us. And we’re okay if you have to choose one of us. We promise it won’t ruin anything.”

“I don’t want to choose any of you,” you say, your voice trembling slightly. “You’re all special to me.”

It was Changbin's birthday, and you were carefully wrapping the gift you had bought for him—a watch. You knew it wasn’t as extravagant as the ones he usually wore, but it was thoughtful and sincere, a gesture from a poor uni student to a friend who seemed to have everything. Still, you hoped he would appreciate the sentiment.

A knock on your door startled you, pulling you from your thoughts. You were expecting Chan, who had offered to pick you up for the party, so you hurried to answer the door.

But it wasn’t Chan.

“Hey.” Felix stood there, a small, familiar smile on his lips. The sight of him made your heart skip a beat, especially after everything that had happened between you two in the past few days. You had promised yourself to forget about it, to push those feelings away, but seeing him now made it all come rushing back.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Felix greeted you, his voice as smooth as ever. He looked effortlessly handsome in his suit, his charm radiating as always.

“Thank you,” you replied, trying to keep your voice steady. You appreciated the compliment, but there was an undeniable awkwardness in the air, a tension that neither of you wanted to acknowledge. “You look great too.”

Felix chuckled softly, his eyes briefly meeting yours before he looked away. “I try,” he said, his tone light, but you could hear the underlying edge to it. He cleared his throat, trying to ease the tension. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah,” you nodded, grabbing your bag. “Chan’s waiting downstairs.”

Together, you walked down to the first floor, where Chan’s car was parked outside. He rolled down the window as you approached, flashing you both a bright smile. “Finally! I was about to start the party without you guys,” he joked.

“Wouldn’t be much of a party without the birthday gift,” you teased back, holding up the wrapped box.

Chan laughed, unlocking the doors. “Get in, then. Can’t have you showing up without it.”

In the car, the three of you quickly fell into easy conversation, laughing about inside jokes and reminiscing about old memories.

“So, what did you get Changbin?” Felix asked, looking over at you with genuine curiosity.

“It’s just a watch,” you said, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “Nothing fancy.”

Felix shook his head. “It’s the thought that counts. He’ll love it.”

You smiled at his reassurance, but the heavy tension lingered, especially with Felix sitting so close to you. You could feel his presence, his warmth, but there was a wall between you—one neither of you seemed ready to address.

As the conversation continued, you found yourself getting lost in the sound of Chan’s voice, trying to push away the awkwardness. But no matter how much you tried to immerse yourself in the moment, you couldn’t shake the heaviness in the air.

Finally, you arrived at the party. The venue was stunning, elegant in every way. All your friends were already there, looking beautiful and sophisticated in their formal attire. As soon as you entered, they complimented you, making you feel like you belonged in that glamorous setting, even if you often doubted it yourself.

Yuji, who had also been invited, greeted you with a warm hug, her energy infectious. “You look amazing!” she gushed, her eyes wide with excitement as she took in the atmosphere. “This party is insane, right?”

“Yeah, it’s something else,” you agreed, smiling at her enthusiasm. “You look great too, by the way.”

She grinned, doing a little twirl. “Thanks! I can’t wait to see what happens tonight.”

The party began, and you found yourself seated at a table with your friends. Minho, who had always been obvious about his feelings for you, couldn’t take his eyes off you. He looked at you like you were the only person in the room, his gaze intense and unwavering.

“Are you okay?” Jeongin whispered in your ear.

You nodded, trying to act nonchalant. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Jeongin didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t push it. Instead, he casually wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him. “Just let me know if you need anything,”

You smiled gratefully at him, though the tension between the table was palpable, and you could feel the weight of Minho’s gaze even more acutely.

Then there was Han, who had always been more subtle about his feelings. He had never made it obvious, but tonight, when the air began to cool, he quietly draped his coat over your shoulders, his fingers brushing against your skin as he did so.

“Thanks, Han,” you said, looking up at him with a soft smile.

“No problem,” he replied, his voice low and warm. “Can’t have you freezing out here.”

As the evening went on, the program began, and Seungmin took the stage to offer a song. His voice was beautiful, capturing everyone’s attention as he sang. But as he performed, your heart began to race. He kept looking at you, his eyes locking with yours in a way that made you feel both flustered and vulnerable.

Yuji, sitting nearby, was practically glowing with happiness. She leaned in close, whispering, “I think this song is for me!”

You forced a smile, unable to bring yourself to tell her otherwise. “Maybe,” you replied, but your heart knew better.

Hyunjin, ever perceptive, seemed to pick up on the tension in the air. He observed quietly, his sharp eyes darting between you and the others, before taking a long sip of his wine. “Quite the night, huh?” he murmured, more to himself than to anyone in particular.

Then, out of nowhere, Changbin appeared at your table. His face lit up when he saw you, and without hesitation, he pulled you into a tight hug. “I’m so happy you’re here!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine joy.

You laughed softly, hugging him back. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Everyone at the table watched the interaction closely, some with smiles, others with unreadable expressions. But as you stood there, enveloped in Changbin’s embrace, a strange feeling crept into your chest.

And in that moment, you realized that perhaps it was better not to know. Ignorance, as they say, might be bliss.

As the night deepened, the more you wanted to go home. It wasn't that you didn’t enjoy spending time with your friends—quite the opposite—but with the tension growing thicker by the minute, you’d rather be curled up under your blanket, away from the chaos.

You were about to take another sip of your wine when a hand gently stopped you.

"You should stop drinking. You shouldn't get drunk," Han said, his voice soft but firm. He took your glass and, without hesitation, drank it himself.

The loud music continued to play in the background, filling the air with a vibrant energy that contrasted sharply with the underlying tension. Everyone else was getting more and more absorbed in their drinks, except you—Han never let you have another sip.

"Hey, do you want me to sing a song on stage?" a voice asked, leaning close to you to be heard over the music. You turned to find Jeongin grinning at you.

You laughed, feeling a bit lighter in his presence. "Why would you ask for my permission? You should go up there and do what you want. I'm just here to support you."

Jeongin nodded, his smile growing wider. "That's the reason I like you." He stood up from his chair, leaving you momentarily stunned by his words.

As the seat beside you became vacant, Seungmin slipped into it, his presence bringing a different kind of tension. He smiled at you, his eyes soft and warm as he said, "You look beautiful tonight." Then, almost as if he couldn't stop himself, he added with a slightly slurred voice, "You know, I realized I should have kept you to myself."

You went quiet, not sure how to respond. Seungmin had been the reason you met all of his friends, the one who had introduced you into this complicated circle. Now, his words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken feelings.

He rested his hand on the back of your chair, and you let out a nervous laugh, trying to shake off what he said by teasing him instead.

"Hey, Seungmin!" Felix called out, drawing everyone's attention. He smirked as he teased, "That song you sang earlier—it didn't sound like a birthday song at all. Are you sure you weren’t serenading Changbin?"

Seungmin, who was still looking at you, replied without missing a beat, "Well, it wasn't for him."

The tension at the table thickened, and you could feel everyone’s eyes on you. Hyunjin, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up, his voice cutting through the charged atmosphere. “Changbin, you were the one who put the note, right?”

It was the question you were asking, but then you suddenly don't want to know the answer now.

Changbin, who had been busy entertaining guests earlier and was visibly tired, looked up with a blank expression. “Yeah, that was me,” he admitted, his voice flat.

Minho scoffed, taking a sip of his drink. “That was weak, Changbin,” he remarked, his tone dripping with disdain.

You could sense the unease building, the tension wrapping around you like a vice. Jeongin returned, plopping down in the seat Seungmin had vacated, his carefree demeanor a stark contrast to the heaviness in the air. “The band didn’t want to let me sing,” Jeongin said with a laugh, though even he seemed to feel the strain. “I think Changbin didn’t let me.”

“Well, it’s true. I put it in there,” Changbin confessed again, this time with more emphasis. He looked at you, his gaze heavy, and you realized how exhausted you were by this whole ordeal.

Chan, ever the mature one, noticed the growing tension and tried to intervene, but before he could speak, Felix’s voice rang out. “I kissed her.”

The words hung in the air, heavier than anything that had been said all night. The atmosphere at the table grew unbearably thick, and for a moment, you felt like you couldn’t breathe. Yuji had left earlier, and suddenly, you wished you had gone with her.

You stood up abruptly, your chair scraping against the floor. “I… I need to go to the bathroom,” you muttered, not waiting for a response as you made your way through the crowd, your steps unsteady.

In the quiet of the bathroom, you stared at your reflection in the mirror, your heart pounding in your chest. This couldn’t go on. You had to do something before everything fell apart, before you lost the friendships that meant so much to you.

Determined, you took a deep breath and opened the door, only to be pulled into a dark corner. Before you could react, Minho’s lips were on yours. The kiss was desperate, filled with emotions you didn’t want to face. You pushed him away, tears welling up in your eyes.

“Minho, stop!” you cried, your voice breaking. Minho stepped back, his expression one of shock and regret.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to…”

Without another word, you turned and hurried back to the table, grabbing your bag as everyone’s eyes followed your every move. “I’m going home,” you announced, your voice steadier than you felt. Chan offered to drive you, but you shook your head.

“No, it’s fine.” You left before anyone could argue, the night air cold against your skin as you flagged down a taxi.

As the car sped away, tears streamed down your face, each one heavy with the realization you had been avoiding all night. You knew why you were crying, why you wanted to run away. Because deep down..

you already knew who you wanted to choose. But the thought of hurting the others, of breaking the delicate balance between you all, was too much to bear.

an: who do you want to choose?

@hpnsfwaddict @stay-tiny-things @velvetmoonlght @tonkatesuramen @spearbinnie0327 @leezanetheofficial @furioussheepluminary

#stray kids fanfic #stray kids x reader #stray kids #skz x reader #skz x you #skz x y/n #skz x oc #lee know x reader #bang chan x reader #stray kids smut #hyunjin x reader #felix x reader #skz jeongin #skz #skz smut #skz imagines #seungmin

268 notes · View notes

wrttenbyhan · 28 days ago

Text

big argument

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

upset!fem reader x husband!han jisung

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞

sorry guys for not posting for ages, but i’m back! sorry if this flopped, this isn't my best piece, i will get back to this and edit it if it has any mistakes!

“why would you say that?”

han bristled at your question, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"because it’s true! you never listen to me, you always do what you want, and you never consider my feelings or opinions!"

his voice rose in volume as he spoke, his frustration now palpable. you protested that you did care, but he just rolled his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief.

“no, you don’t. every time we have an argument, it’s always about what you want. it’s always your way or the highway.”

he retorted, his tone becoming more heated.

“why do you think i married you then?”

you snapped back, shoving your left hand in his face so he could see your ring. you pull your hand back as he scoffed, his expression hardening further.

“don’t pull that card. just because you married me doesn't mean you suddenly care about my feelings or my opinions.”

“i’ve always cared. we both know that.”

han let out a huff, his expression still tense.

“really? then why does it always feel like you completely disregard my feelings and opinions whenever we have an argument?”

his eyes locked onto yours, his expression challenging. you screamed back that han always causes the arguments, and they’re always his fault and he clenched his jaw, his frustration reaching new heights.

“my fault?! how is it always my fault? i’m not the one who's constantly disregarding the other’s feelings and opinions!”

you retort,

“you always start the arguments!”

he shook his head, his expression disbelieving.

“i start the argument? don’t put all the blame on me! it takes two to argue, and you’re definitely not innocent in all this.”

“i didn’t start this. you did. i asked you to stop teasing me but you kept winding me up.”

he let out an exasperated sigh, his patience thinning.

“and why do you think i start these ‘fights’? it’s because you frustrate me, you never listen to me, and you always act like you know best!”

you explain to him how you just wanted him to stop teasing you earlier, but han? he rolled his eyes yet again, his annoyance mounting. you were basically ready to see steam coming out of his ears at any moment. it was almost scary how a cute and sweet boy could be like this.

“you’re being petty. it’s just playful banter, harmless teasing. i was just trying to lighten the mood, but you always have to overreact.”

you kept arguing back,

“when someone says stop, you stop, han.”

han bristled at your words, his expression hardening.

"oh, so now i’m supposed to just stop everything i’m doing just because you say so? don’t you think that’s a little controlling?"

“no, it’s called consent and boundaries.”

he scoffed at the mention of “consent and boundaries”.

“oh, please. this isn’t about consent and boundaries. it’s about you wanting me to walk on eggshells around you, always tiptoeing around your fragile feelings.”

you started to feel tears prickle your eyes, and before you know it, teardrops are tumbling down your cheeks like a waterfall. han’s expression softens as your tears start flowing, his anger slightly abating.

"hey... don't cry. i didn't mean to upset you.."

he tries to reach out, wanting to wipe your tears away, but you snatch your hand back, losing yourself in the moment. you shout,

“no! you always mean it. you never think before you speak, do you?”

his expression becomes more troubled, a mix of guilt and frustration flickering across his face.

“no, no. i don’t always mean it. i just... i don’t know, it’s just harmless jokes. i don’t mean to hurt your feelings i just....”

he trailed off, his eyes meeting yours, the sight of your tears causing him to waver in his conviction.

but you were already leaving. you ran out of the house, and hid in a bus stop nearby. it was raining, but you didn't care, neither did you care about being in your pajamas right now.

after a few minutes, you see your husband rushing towards you with a stressed and almost scared expression on his face. when he sees you cuddling yourself and tears in your eyes, han’s expression softened, and he let out a sigh. he looked at you with concern, his eyes tracing the tear stains on your cheeks.

raindrops clung to his long, dark eyelashes, and his hair was stuck to his forehead, giving him a disheveled appearance. his clothes were wet, and the rain had made them cling to his body, emphasizing his muscular physique.

he was still angry, but as he watched you cry, his anger melted away, replaced with worry. his grip on your arm loosened, and he gently caressed your cheek with his thumb.

his expression softened even more, and he moved closer to you, his hand still on your cheek. he studied your face, taking in the tears streaming down your cheeks.

“please stop crying,”

he whispered, his voice much gentler than before. his eyes searched your face, his expression a mix of concern and regret.

he hated seeing you cry, and it was clear that he was blaming himself for the argument.

the walk back home was filled with an uncomfortable silence. han kept a tight grip on your arm, guiding you through the rain.

his wet clothes stuck to his body, and his hair was still damp, hanging in his face. he didn't speak, his expression still brooding, but it was clear that his worry for you was overruling his anger.

once you arrived home, he ushered you inside, closing the door behind him. the rain continued to fall outside, the sound of it pounding against the windows.

after changing into warmer clothes, you sat down on the bed, and han took a seat next to you, his expression still tense.

there was a moment of silence between you, both of you unsure of who should speak first. he fidgeted with the hem of his t-shirt, his eyes avoiding your gaze.

finally, he let out a sigh, his shoulders drooping.

“we need to talk about what happened,”

he said quietly, his voice was serious. he knew he messed up, and it was evident in the way he couldn't meet your eyes. he had been the one to start the argument, and he knew it.

han ran a hand through his damp hair, his expression showing a hint of guilt.

“look, i know i was out of line, okay?”

he said, his voice a bit gruff.

“i shouldn't have snapped at you like that, and i’m sorry.”

he noticed your nod, and a sense of relief washed over him. he was glad that you had acknowledged his apology, even if you still seemed upset.

han leaned back on his hands, his gaze roaming over your face. he could tell that you were still hurt, and he wanted nothing more than to make things right. he took a deep breath and continued, his voice quieter now.

“i lost my temper, and i said some things i didn’t mean. i know i overreacted, and i’m sorry for that.”

“it’s okay, honey.”

han let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. a small hint of a smile appeared on his face at your words.

“are you sure?”

he asked, his tone hopeful. he reached out, taking your hand in his, his thumb tracing small circles on the back of your hand.

he looked into your eyes, searching for any trace of anger or resentment, but all he saw was a glimmer of forgiveness.

“yeah, i’m super sure.”

His smile widened, his shoulders visibly relaxing. He scooted closer to you, draping an arm around your waist and pulling you into his side. He let out a soft sigh, his fingers drawing small patterns on your hip.

“thank you for forgiving me,”

he whispered, his voice soft and sincere. he nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck, his breath warm against your skin.

he wrapped his arms around you, returning the hug tightly. he burrowed his face into your hair, inhaling the scent of you.

han held you close, his arms like a comforting vice around your body. he could feel the tension ebbing away from both of you, replaced by a sense of comfort and familiarity.

he pressed a soft kiss on your temple, his lips lingering there, as if he was savoring the feeling of having you in his arms again.

“i love you so much, hannie.”

he chuckled softly at your words, feeling a wave of affection wash over him.

“hannie, seriously?”

he said, his voice playful. he pulled back from the hug a bit, tilting his head as he looked at you with a mixture of amusement and affection.

“and here i thought you couldn't get any cuter.”

he took your face in his hands, his thumb brushing over your cheek. his expression softened, and there was a hint of adoration in his eyes.

“i love you more, my cupcake.”

108 notes · View notes

estellan0vella · 27 days ago

Text

The Greatest Fucking Tragedy: L. Mh Lee Minho x fem!reader (College AU)

WC: 14.3K

Content Warnings: Marijuana Use, Depictions of Focal Impaired Awareness Seizures (FIAS), moments of dissociation, and post-seizure disorientation, Drowning/Non-Consensual Submersion, Retaliatory Violence, Threats of Harm, Crude Humour, Background Jilix

General Masterlist SKZ Masterlist

The Alpha Phi frat house smells like weed and stale beer. It’s a permanent scent, woven into the fabric of the couch cushions and lingering in the wooden floors no matter how many times Seungmin bitches about cleaning. Right now, though, the weed is winning. Thick smoke curls through the dimly lit living room, the cheap LED lights flickering in rhythm with the low hum of music playing from someone's speaker.

Minho is sprawled across the couch, legs spread, shirt discarded somewhere across the room, his grey sweatpants hanging low on his hips. He takes a slow drag from the bong before passing it to Chan, his eyes heavy-lidded, lips slightly parted. It’s a good high, the kind that makes his limbs sink into the cushions, makes the world feel warm and slow.

Across from him, Felix is perched in Jisung’s lap, and Jisung, the little shit, has both hands shoved down the front of Felix’s sweatpants. Felix barely reacts, eyes glazed over, exhaling smoke through his nose.

“Dude,” Changbin mutters, head lolling to the side as he looks at them. “At least fucking pretend like we’re not all here.”

Felix grins, a lazy, stoned smile. “Nah.”

Jisung laughs, head tipping back against the couch. “You’re just mad because you’re not getting any.”

Changbin flips him off, but it lacks any real heat.

“You know what’s actually pissing me off right now?” Hyunjin announces, draping himself dramatically across the armchair like some Renaissance painting. His long black hair falls into his face, and he exhales, letting the smoke swirl in front of him before looking at Minho. “Minho doesn’t know how to fucking swim.”

There’s a beat of silence before the entire room erupts into laughter.

Minho groans, throwing his head back against the couch. “Oh, fuck off.”

“Wait, wait,” Jeongin gasps between laughs. “You’re telling me you, Lee Minho, who can probably do a backflip off a fucking moving car, can’t even float?”

“Jesus Christ,” Seungmin chokes out. “That’s embarrassing.”

“It’s not embarrassing,” Minho mutters, reaching for the bong again. “I just never fucking learned.”

“It’s embarrassing,” Jisung sings, poking at Felix’s stomach while Felix tries and fails to bat his hands away.

Chan, who’s been silent up until now, takes a hit before leaning forward, elbows on his knees. His short blue hair is messy, and his eyes are half-lidded, but there’s a sharp glint of amusement. “Bro, what happened? Did your parents just decide, ‘Fuck it, let’s let this one drown?’”

Minho exhales slowly, fingers flexing against his knee. “I grew up in Gimpo, dipshit. Not exactly a fucking beach town.”

“That’s bullshit,” Hyunjin interjects, sitting up suddenly. “I’ve seen kids in the middle of fucking Seoul learn to swim.”

“Okay, well, I didn’t, you fucking pretentious art bitch.”

Hyunjin gasps dramatically. “Excuse you, I’m an art history major. Say it with respect.”

“Art bitch,” Minho repeats, deadpan.

“God, that’s pathetic,” Changbin snickers. “Can’t wait to throw your ass into a pool.”

“You wouldn’t fucking dare,” Minho warns, narrowing his eyes.

“Oh, we absolutely would,” Seungmin grins. “Like, imagine the fear in his little rat face.”

“Fucking hilarious,” Jeongin agrees, laughing. “We’ll get some floaties for you, hyung.”

Minho exhales sharply through his nose, looking between them all with narrowed eyes. “Alright, you wanna go there? You wanna play this fucking game?”

Felix hums, head tilting slightly. “Always.”

Minho leans forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “Hyunjin, you pretentious fuck, you spend more time making sad little sketches of broken statues than actually studying for your bullshit major. Jisung, you look like a fucking poodle with that mop on your head, and I hope you choke on Felix’s dick one day and die happy. Felix, your mullet is an actual crime, and I’m gonna shave that shit in your sleep.”

Felix gasps, clutching at his chest. “Rude.”

“Jeongin, your entire wardrobe looks like it came from a thrift store run by blind grandmas, and Seungmin, I hope every client you have in the future fucking sues you into the ground.”

Seungmin just grins. “That’s fair.”

Minho shifts his glare to Changbin. “And you, motherfucker, I hope you trip over your own fucking dumbbells and break both your legs so I never have to hear you talk about leg day again.”

Changbin snorts. “Joke’s on you, I’d just talk about arm day instead.”

Minho exhales sharply, leaning back against the couch. “Fuck all of you.”

Chan chuckles, passing the bong again. “Love you too, dumbass.”

“You know what, though?” Jisung suddenly pipes up, squinting in Hyunjin’s direction. “Hyunjin, you were the dirty bastard that left the used condom in the hallway after banging that Kappa Tau girl.”

A collective groan fills the room, a mix of disgust and exasperation.

“Oh, what the fuck,” Changbin grumbles, shaking his head. “I stepped near that shit, man. You’re fucking nasty.”

Hyunjin, instead of looking remotely ashamed, stretches his arms above his head lazily. “That may be true,” he admits, voice smooth and amused, “however, no one saw me bang that girl.” He smirks at Jisung and Felix. “But we all saw you two going at it on the couch that one time, you dirty exhibitionists.”

Felix, without hesitation, points an accusing finger at Hyunjin and shouts, “Homophobia!”

“Shut the fuck up,” Hyunjin scoffs, rolling his eyes. “You’re just mad because your past sins are being brought to light.”

“It’s not a sin,” Jisung grins, tightening his arms around Felix’s waist. “It’s called being in love, bitch.”

Seungmin, who’s been lazily nursing a beer on the other side of the couch, snorts. “Jisung’s probably fondling Felix’s balls right now.”

Felix smirks. “He is, actually.” He adjusts slightly in Jisung’s lap. “I’ve been at a semi for like twenty minutes.”

Jeongin groans, burying his face in his hands. “Fucking gross.”

“Hey, don’t kink shame,” Felix says with mock offence, raising his brows.

Minho takes a slow drag from the bong before passing it off and exhaling through his nose. “Shame,” he deadpans. “So much shame. We all saw Jisung balls deep in you, Felix.”

Felix just shrugs, completely unbothered. “And? You're all just jealous.”

“We also saw Jisung’s nasty balls,” Hyunjin pipes up with a smirk, “and his surprisingly fat ass.”

Jisung gasps dramatically, clutching his chest. “Excuse you! My ass is none of your concern.”

Hyunjin leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “It became my concern the moment I had to witness it in a position I never wanted to see.”

Jisung glares. “Hyunjin, we all saw your used jizzy condom.”

Hyunjin smirks back. “But we all saw your nasty balls.”

Jisung whines, kicking his feet. “I fucking hate you.”

Felix laughs, patting Jisung’s cheek. “Ji, baby, your balls aren’t nasty or else I wouldn’t put them in my mouth.”

A collective groan of disgust echoes through the room.

“Jesus fucking Christ, man,” Chan mutters, rubbing his face. “I’m too high for this conversation.”

Jisung just grins proudly while Hyunjin mock gags. “You’re the most insufferable couple I’ve ever had the misfortune of knowing.”

“You’re the one,” Jisung suddenly snaps back, pointing an accusing finger, “who, instead of using tissues like a normal fucking person, used a sock to clean up after your wank sessions.”

Hyunjin instantly straightens. “Wait, hold the fuck up-”

Jisung steamrolls over him. “And then, like the absolute menace you are, you had the fucking audacity to send me looking for a pair of your socks when you sprained your ankle last semester.”

The room goes dead silent. Then Changbin lets out a wheeze.

“Oh my fucking god,” Seungmin mutters, eyes wide with horror. “No.”

“Yes,” Jisung continues, as if reliving a war story. “Me, being a good fucking friend, went upstairs, searched through your shit, and found your sordid sock of shame.” His voice rises in outrage. “It was hard, Hyunjin. Socks shouldn’t be fucking hard!”

The entire room erupts into chaos. Felix practically falls off Jisung’s lap from laughing so hard, while Jeongin looks seconds away from leaving the house altogether.

“Hyunjin, what the actual fuck?” Chan gasps, leaning away from him.

“You nasty fuck,” Changbin wheezes, shaking his head.

“I’m gonna be sick,” Jeongin mutters.

Minho just smirks, watching the conversation unfold, deeply satisfied that the attention is nowhere near his lack of swimming skills anymore.

Hyunjin groans, running a hand down his face. “Alright, first of all, that was one fucking time-”

Jisung interrupts with a loud, “Bullshit!”

Hyunjin glares. “Second of all, why the fuck were you digging that deep in my stuff?”

“Because I thought I was helping a fucking friend,” Jisung snaps back. “I didn’t think I had to watch out for a biohazard!”

“Fuck you,” Hyunjin mutters.

“I’m gonna get you a box of tissues,” Felix laughs, wiping his eyes. “That was the most disgusting shit I’ve ever heard.”

“You all suck,” Hyunjin huffs, slouching back into the chair.

“Not as much as Felix,” Jisung quips.

Felix beams. “That’s right, baby.”

The argument between Jisung and Hyunjin doesn’t die down. If anything, it escalates, because neither of them knows when to shut the fuck up.

Hyunjin suddenly grins, pointing at Jisung with a newfound spark of mischief in his eyes. “You wanna talk about nasty? You fucking humped one of Felix’s pillows once.”

The entire room explodes with laughter, except for Jisung, who lets out the most inhuman screech imaginable.

Felix, to everyone’s surprise, doesn’t even look offended. Instead, he tilts his head, looking at Jisung fondly. “That’s cute, Ji.”

Jisung glares at Hyunjin, face burning red. “Yeah, well, Hyunjin fucking jerked off while wearing one of Changbin’s hoodies!”

The laughter somehow gets even louder.

Changbin, who had been taking a sip of his drink, immediately chokes. “What the fuck?”

“I fucking knew it!” Seungmin yells.

“I don’t fucking know why you’re all so surprised,” Minho mutters, shaking his head.

Hyunjin throws his hands up defensively. “Okay, first of all, that hoodie was comfy as fuck. Second of all, it’s none of your goddamn business.”

“Oh, it became my business,” Jisung snaps. “Because you’re a fucking weirdo.”

Felix, wiping tears from his eyes, claps his hands together. “Alright, enough talking. Time for physical violence.”

And just like that, all hell breaks loose.

Jisung and Felix immediately launch themselves at Minho, and Jisung shouts, “POWER OF THE GAY BOYFRIENDS!”

Felix follows it up with a very enthusiastic, “YEAH! Like Power Rangers!”

Minho doesn’t have time to roll his eyes before Jisung tries to tackle him, but Minho is faster. Years of football training make it easy for him to dodge, and he grabs Jisung by the waist, flipping him effortlessly over his shoulder and slamming him down onto the couch. Before Jisung can wriggle away, Minho shifts, trapping him between his thighs in a tight grip.

Felix tries to grab Minho from behind, but Chan, who had been minding his own business, too high to care, suddenly gets dragged into the mess when Minho pulls him forward, locking an arm around his neck in a headlock.

“Fucking traitor!” Chan gasps, squirming.

Minho just grins, tightening his hold on both of them. “You little shits thought you could take me?”

Felix, still determined, throws himself forward, trying to grab Minho’s arm. But Minho is faster, he catches Felix mid-motion, wrapping an arm around his neck and securing him in another headlock.

“I got two of you now,” Minho announces, grinning wildly.

Felix flails. “Let me go, you fucking rat bastard!”

Jisung is still trapped between Minho’s thighs, thrashing wildly. “Felix! Betrayal! He got me!”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Jeongin and Seungmin are wrestling like rabid dogs.

“Your fashion sense fucking sucks!” Jeongin yells, trying to shove Seungmin off him.

“Oh yeah?!” Seungmin barks back, gripping Jeongin’s shirt and yanking him down. “At least I don’t look like a thrift store threw up on me!”

“I fucking told you, vintage is in, asshole!”

Changbin and Hyunjin have also somehow ended up grappling with each other. At first, it was just playful shoving, but now Changbin has Hyunjin pinned down, and Hyunjin, breathless, suddenly blurts out, “I’m weirdly into this. Is it because I’m bisexual or submissive?”

Without missing a beat, Minho, who still has both Chan and Felix in a headlock, calls out, “Both.”

Jisung takes advantage of the distraction and bites down on Minho’s thigh. “OW, YOU FUCKING GREMLIN!” Minho yells, immediately releasing his hold on Chan and Felix to shove Jisung off.

Jisung cackles maniacally, rolling off the couch. “FUCKING WORTH IT!”

Chan, now free, immediately lunges at Minho, tackling him. “Payback, bitch!”

Felix joins in, piling on top of them. “GET HIM!”

On the other side of the room, Seungmin has Jeongin in a headlock, Jeongin is still screaming about fashion, Changbin has Hyunjin pinned, and overall, the frat house is complete fucking chaos.

Just another normal night in Alpha Phi.

Minho stands in the frat house kitchen, flipping thinly sliced beef in a pan, the rich scent of soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil filling the air. His black hair is damp from a quick shower after the royal rumble in the living room, and he’s wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. A cluster of Hello Kitty bandaids is haphazardly slapped onto his thigh, covering the spot where Jisung fucking bit him like a rabid animal. He still doesn’t know where the hell Felix got Hello Kitty bandaids from, but at this point, he’s given up questioning anything in this house.

Just as he’s about to taste a piece of bulgogi straight from the pan, Chan strolls in, looking far too smug for someone who got his ass handed to him in the wrestling match earlier. He props himself up against the counter, arms crossed, watching Minho cook.

“Hey,” Chan starts, casual. Too casual.

Minho narrows his eyes immediately. “What.”

“I have a friend who can teach you how to swim.”

Minho blinks, staring at him. Then, slowly, he reaches over and turns down the heat on the stove before resting his hands on the counter. “You have friends outside of the frat?”

Chan scoffs, shoving at his shoulder. “Obviously, dumbass.”

“I don’t believe you.” Minho smirks, popping a piece of bulgogi into his mouth. “You leave this house for, like, two things. Football and music. That’s it.”

Chan rolls his eyes. “She’s an architecture major. Business minor. She’s the year below us, and she’s on the swim team.”

Minho chews, waiting for him to continue. “And?”

Chan exhales. “She’s kind of anxious. Kind of like Jisung, but where Jisung’s awkward and loud, she’s just quiet, doesn't really speak unless she has something to say.”

Minho hums, tossing the beef in the pan. “Okay.”

Chan leans against the counter. “Go to the college pool tomorrow night. That’s when she’s there. Just explain that you’re like a baby that got tossed into water, and she’ll take pity on you.”

Minho snorts. “Wow. That’s a real confidence boost.”

“She’s nice,” Chan says, ignoring him. “She’ll help.”

Minho raises an eyebrow. “She hot?”

Without hesitation, Chan slaps the back of Minho’s head as hard as he can.

“Fuck!” Minho hisses, rubbing his skull. “What the fuck was that for?”

Chan glares. “You’re such a fucking asshole.”

Minho smirks, rolling his shoulders. “Well? Is she?”

Chan slaps him again, this time across the arm.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Minho mutters, taking a step back. “I’ll just keep asking.”

Chan exhales through his nose, looking like he’s fighting the urge to hit him again. “Objectively, as a straight man? Yes. She’s attractive. But I don’t look at her that way.”

Minho takes another bite of beef, chewing thoughtfully. “Fine. I’ll go and see what she’s about.”

Chan nods, pleased. “Good.”

There’s a beat of silence, just the quiet sound of the stovetop sizzling. Then Chan adds, “Oh, also, she has epilepsy. FIAS.”

Minho’s chewing slows slightly, then he swallows. “Focal impaired awareness seizures, right?” He glances at Chan. “They covered it in my first aid certification course.”

Chan raises his brows, looking impressed. “Yeah.”

Minho shrugs, flipping the last of the beef onto a plate. “Alright.”

Chan watches him carefully. “That’s it?”

Minho scoffs. “What, did you expect me to freak out? ‘Oh no, the girl who’s gonna teach me how to swim has a medical condition, I guess I’ll just drown instead’?”

Chan snorts, shaking his head. “No, but I figured you’d at least have some dumbass question.”

Minho grabs chopsticks and digs into his plate, shrugging again. “Nah. I got it.”

Chan watches him for another second, then claps a hand on his shoulder. “Good. Just don’t be a dick.”

Minho grins, mouth full. “No promises.”

The air inside the college swimming centre is thick with the scent of chlorine, the sound of water lapping against tiled edges echoing through the vast space. Minho walks in, hands in his pockets, boots heavy against the slick flooring. His black top, with open-knit sleeves exposing glimpses of his arms, contrasts against the bright, sterile lights overhead. His black pants, speckled with splatter-paint details, shift slightly as he moves, and the layered silver chains around his neck glint under the fluorescents. The star-shaped pendant catches the light with each step.

His eyes scan the pool, and then he sees you.

You're in the water, moving with eerie precision, muscles cutting through the water like you were born for it. Your blue hair, tied back into a ponytail, gleams under the lights, the two silver strands at the front catching his attention. You’re wearing black yoga shorts and a white T-shirt, slightly translucent from the water, revealing the black swimsuit underneath.

Minho watches as you push off from the shallow end, slipping entirely under the surface. You don’t come up. Not once. He watches, eyebrows raising, as you glide through the water, streamlined, controlled. Your body moves with an effortless fluidity, and he finds himself unable to look away.

By the time you reach the deep end, a full fifty metres later, you finally surface. Not even gasping. Not even fucking struggling. You just exhale sharply, hands sweeping through the water to keep yourself afloat.

What the fuck.

Minho smirks, stepping closer to the edge of the pool. "Hi."

Your head turns towards him as you tread water, eyes sharp and calculating as they land on him. Your expression is calm, blank, like you're not entirely sure what to do with his presence.

He tilts his head slightly. “I’m Minho,” he says, tone easy, casual. “I, uh-” He gestures vaguely. “Need to learn how to swim. Because I’m sick of my asshole friends picking on me for it.” He grins. “It’s my only flaw, really.”

You blink at him.

Undeterred, he continues. “I’m free Wednesdays and Fridays. Whichever works for you. Chan referred me to you, so here I am.”

There’s a beat of silence, the water shifting gently around you. Then, finally, you speak.

"You need some swimming trunks."

Your voice is soft, quiet, but not hesitant. Minho watches the way your lips barely move when you speak, like you're used to making yourself small. He leans forward slightly, smirk deepening. "I can get those."

"Friday nights. Late."

"See you then, mermaid girl," Minho says, stepping back slightly. Then he pauses. "Wait, Chan mentioned FIAS. What happens if that happens in the water?"

You meet his gaze evenly, voice completely flat. "I pray."

Minho snorts. The bluntness catches him off guard, and for the first time, he sees your lips twitch, just barely. It's small, barely a movement, but he sees it.

Interesting.

"See you Friday, then," he says, turning on his heel, already looking forward to whatever the fuck this is going to be.

Minho arrives at the swimming centre late Friday night, the place eerily quiet except for the distant sound of water lapping against the edges of the pool. The fluorescent lights cast a cold, sterile glow over the tiled floors as he steps inside, heading straight for the men’s locker room. He’s dressed in sneakers, sweatpants, and a hoodie, his usual go-to for lazy days, but now, faced with the inevitable, he exhales sharply.

“Fucking hell,” he mutters under his breath, stripping out of his clothes.

He pulls on the black swimming trunks he bought earlier that day, minimalist, simple, no unnecessary designs, because he refuses to wear some ridiculous board shorts with neon patterns like an overexcited tourist. He rolls his shoulders, shakes out his arms, and then, satisfied, steps out of the locker room and into the main pool area.

You’re already there, standing by the edge of the shallow end, your blue hair tied back into a ponytail, the two silver strands in the front catching the light as they sway slightly. You’re wearing the same white T-shirt and blue yoga shorts as before, the fabric damp from where the water has already lapped at the edges.

Minho watches as you drop into the pool effortlessly, slipping beneath the water before resurfacing in the shallow end. The movement is smooth, controlled, as if the water is an extension of you rather than something separate.

Minho, however, is not fucking graceful.

He carefully climbs in, feeling the cold water instantly hit his skin. The chill makes him jolt, and before he can stop himself, his hands fly up to his chest, covering his nipples.

“Oh my!” he exclaims, voice high-pitched in mock horror.

Then he pauses, blinking.

“Fuck,” he snorts, shaking his head. “I sounded like Dorothy Gale.”

Your expression remains neutral, but the slight quirk of your lips does not go unnoticed.

Minho grins. “You’re holding back a laugh.”

“I’m not,” you say, though your voice is softer than before, almost amused.

“Liar,” he hums, letting his hands drop back to the water. “Alright, teach. What’s first?”

Without a word, you grab two inflatable armbands and a bright orange life jacket, stepping forward to hand them to him.

Minho stares at them, unimpressed. “Really?”

“No risk of drowning if you wear those.”

He exhales through his nose, shaking his head, but pulls them on anyway, the plastic squeaking slightly against his arms. The life jacket is a little snug, but he fastens it without complaint, standing in the water looking every bit like a grown-ass man being forced into safety gear like a toddler at the beach.

“This is humiliating,” he mutters.

You don’t comment, simply nodding towards the water. “Lie on your front and kick your legs.”

Minho eyes you suspiciously before doing as instructed. He stretches out, floating on his stomach, and starts kicking. The water splashes aggressively around him, but he doesn’t fucking move.

He pauses. Kicks harder. Still nothing.

You tilt your head slightly, watching the sad display. “Okay. New plan.”

Minho flips onto his back, groaning. “Thank fuck.”

You step closer, extending your hands toward him. “Hold my hands, and then kick your legs. I’ll pull you.”

He raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t argue. Instead, he reaches forward, grasping your hands in his own. Your grip is surprisingly strong despite your smaller frame, steady and sure, like you know exactly how to keep control.

Minho lets you guide him, kicking his legs as you gently pull him through the shallow end. It’s not exactly the most dignified moment of his life, but he supposes he has to start somewhere.

“We’ll stick to the shallow end for now,” you say, voice calm and even. “You need to get comfortable in the water.”

Minho watches you as you focus, your movements precise, controlled. Your face is unreadable, but he can tell you’re completely in your element here, unbothered by the water surrounding you.

“You know,” he muses, kicking lightly, “for someone so quiet, you sure take your job as a teacher seriously.”

Your grip on his hands remains steady. “You’d rather I let you drown?”

“Nah,” he grins. “I like the attention.”

"Keep kicking,"

Minho groans as he keeps kicking, his legs starting to ache. “This is fucking tiring,” he complains, gripping your hands tighter as you continue pulling him through the shallow end. The life jacket and armbands are doing most of the work, but still, kicking non-stop is a workout.

You don’t respond, just keep moving, your expression unreadable as always. The water ripples around you both, the fluorescent lights reflecting off the surface. Minho watches the way you move, barely making a sound, like you’ve done this a million times before.

Then, suddenly, you stop.

Minho doesn’t.

“Oof! Fuck,” he grunts as his face smacks directly into your stomach. His fingers clutch yours tighter on instinct, and for a second, he just stays there, processing the fact that he’s literally face-planted into you. He blinks before pulling back slightly.

Your fingers twitch in his grasp. Minho straightens up immediately, expecting some sort of reaction, maybe a shove, a deadpan glare, a snarky comment, but instead, you’re just standing there. Your body is still, eyes unfocused as you stare off into the distance, expression blank.

His brow furrows. “Uh, hello?”

You don’t react. Minho tilts his head. Then, cautiously, he waves one of his hands in front of your face, letting you hold the other. Your fingers twitch again, slight, barely noticeable, but he feels it.

Then it clicks.

“Oh,” he mutters, realization settling in. “It’s happening, huh?”

You remain frozen, still staring at nothing. Minho watches closely, observing the subtle shifts in your body. Your fingers keep twitching against his palm, and there’s the faintest movement in your lips, like you’re about to say something but never quite get there. He’s seen shit like this before, at least in training videos, but seeing it in person is different.

“Damn,” he murmurs, leaning in slightly. “That’s actually kind of cool.”

He inches closer, curious, watching the way your expression remains eerily blank. He wonders what it feels like, if you’re aware of what’s happening or if it’s just an empty space in your head. He’s about to say something else when you suddenly blink rapidly, your head jerking slightly.

Your eyes focus again and then you yelp when you see a pair of brown eyes inches from your own. Minho barely has time to react before you start toppling back into the water. His hands shoot out, grabbing you by the waist before you go under, keeping you steady. His grip is firm but careful, keeping you upright as you breathe sharply, eyes wide.

“Whoa, easy there, mermaid girl,” he says, smirking slightly. “You good?”

You blink up at him, hands gripping his arms instinctively, body still slightly tense from the abrupt shift. Your lips press together briefly before you nod, adjusting yourself so you're standing properly again.

Minho doesn’t let go immediately, watching you closely, making sure you’re not about to keel over again. Your fingers tighten slightly on his arms before you let go, taking a small step back. “Sorry.”

He snorts. “What the fuck are you apologizing for?”

You just shake your head, as if brushing it off, and Minho narrows his eyes slightly. “Does that happen often?” he asks.

You hesitate, then nod. “Sometimes.”

Minho watches you for a second longer, then finally releases his hold on you, stepping back as well. “Huh.”

You tilt your head slightly. “Huh?”

Minho shrugs. “I dunno. Just thought it’d be more dramatic. Like glowing eyes, speaking in tongues-”

You stare at him.

He grins. “What? I think that’d be cool as fuck.”

Your lips twitch again. Not quite a smile, but something close. Minho notices and he finds himself already looking forward to seeing more of it.

Minho wakes up feeling like absolute fucking death. The moment he tries to move, his muscles scream in protest. His legs? Useless. His arms? Betrayers. His back? Feels like he got hit by a fucking truck. He groans, flopping onto his side, and staring at the ceiling like it personally offended him. He knew swimming was a workout, but this? This feels like he spent all night fighting for his life against a bear and lost.

After several moments of regretting every decision that led to this moment, he decides he needs to get to the kitchen. Food. Coffee. Maybe painkillers. Preferably all three.

Except there’s one problem, his legs don’t work.

With a grunt, he rolls onto his stomach and starts crawling out of his room. The frat house hallway is silent except for the occasional creak of floorboards beneath his weight as he drags himself forward. His limbs feel like jelly, completely useless beneath him.

He pauses, exhales sharply, then keeps going, determined. If he dies, at least let it be in the kitchen where someone will find him before his corpse starts to stink.

Reaching the staircase, Minho stares down at the steps like they personally wronged him. No way he’s walking down those. Not happening. Not when his legs feel like they’re made of fucking pudding. So he sits his ass down on the top step, grips the railing, and starts bum-shuffling his way down like a fucking toddler. Every bounce sends a fresh wave of agony through his body.

Fucking fuck. Fucking swimming. Fucking Chan. Fucking mermaid girl.

By the time he reaches the bottom, he’s out of breath. This is the worst workout of his life, and it’s just existing at this point. He flops onto his back for a second, groaning, before realizing he still has to make it to the kitchen.

So he rolls back onto his stomach and starts crawling again.

This time, he doesn’t even pretend to make it look dignified. He’s just dragging himself forward with his arms, barely using his legs. Like some pathetic fucking soldier crawling through the trenches.

When he finally reaches the kitchen doorway, he gives up. Completely. With a dramatic groan, he sprawls out on the cool tile floor, pressing his face against it, arms and legs splayed out like a crime scene chalk outline. "I'll nap here," he mutters, voice muffled against the floor.

And he means it. If this is how he dies, so be it.

An hour later, the frat house is still mostly silent, everyone either still asleep or too hungover to move. The only sound is the faint hum of the fridge and the occasional creak of the old wooden floors.

Then, Jisung stumbles into the kitchen.

Still half-asleep, he drags his socked feet across the tile, rubbing his face, grumbling something unintelligible under his breath. His hair is a mess, sticking up in every direction, and he looks like he just crawled out of hell.

Which is exactly why he doesn’t see Minho sprawled out like a fucking corpse in the doorway. With absolutely no warning, Jisung’s foot slams down onto Minho’s ribs.

"FUCK!" Minho yells, jolting awake as if he’s just been electrocuted.

Jisung screams too, flailing backwards. "WHO THE FUCK- WHY THE FUCK- WHAT THE FUCK."

Minho groans dramatically, rolling onto his back. “Ji, you fucking dickhead.”

“Me?” Jisung yells, gripping the kitchen counter to keep himself steady. “Why the fuck are you sleeping on the goddamn floor like some fucking Victorian orphan?!”

Minho sighs, cheek still pressed against the cool tile. "Legs don’t work. I’m dead."

Jisung blinks, looking down at him, expression shifting from pure horror to vague amusement. “Wait, for real?”

Minho just groans in response.

Jisung smirks, stretching his arms above his head. “Damn. Sounds like a you problem.”

Minho lets out a long, suffering sigh. “Ji, drag me to the kitchen table.”

Jisung stares at him. “You want me to drag you?”

“Yes. By my ankles. Do it.”

Jisung shrugs. “Alright, bet.”

Without another word, Jisung crouches down, grabs Minho’s ankles, and yanks. Minho grunts as his body scrapes across the tile, arms flopping uselessly at his sides like a fucking ragdoll. The kitchen floor is cold and definitely not clean, but at this point, he has no fucking dignity left.

Jisung keeps dragging him across the room, humming casually, like this is a completely normal morning routine. By the time they reach the table, Minho is done. His pride? Gone. His will to live? Questionable.

Jisung finally stops and hoists Minho up into one of the chairs, grunting as he shoves him into a semi-sitting position. “Jesus, you’re fucking heavy,” Jisung mutters, rubbing his arms.

Minho flops against the table dramatically. “Coffee?”

Jisung leans against the counter, eyeing him. “You want it black or with a side of my dick in it?”

Minho barely lifts his head. “Both.”

Jisung snorts, shaking his head. “You’re fucking disgusting.”

Minho sighs, pressing his cheek against the cool surface of the table. “I love you.”

Jisung rolls his eyes, grabbing the coffee pot. “Yeah, yeah. You’re buying me breakfast, asshole.”

The swimming centre is eerily quiet this late at night, just the low hum of overhead lights and the distant echo of water lapping against the pool’s edges. Minho steps inside, adjusting the collar of his black leather jacket, his boots clicking softly against the tiled floor. Underneath, he’s wearing a simple black top, paired with heavily distressed light-wash jeans that hang loose around his frame. His silver chains clink softly with each movement.

He scans the pool area, expecting to see you standing by the water like last time. Instead, his eyes travel upward and his stomach fucking drops. You’re on the highest diving board.

Minho freezes, every muscle in his body locking up as his palms instantly start to sweat. The fuck are you doing up there? The fuck are you doing up there? His own fear of heights kicks in violently, making his heartbeat hammer in his chest.

Then, before he can even breathe, you leap off.

“Oh, what the fuck-” Minho slaps his hands over his eyes, peeking through his fingers like a horrified child watching a horror movie.

You free-tumble through the air, flipping effortlessly, the movements fluid and controlled like you’re meant to do this, like gravity is just a suggestion. Right before you hit the water, you take perfect form, slicing through the surface with barely a splash.

Minho drops his hands, exhaling sharply, watching as you pop up to the surface like it’s nothing, slicking your hair back casually.

You’re insane.

“I’m gonna go change,” Minho announces, his voice slightly higher than usual.

You just nod. He watches you for a second, still processing the absolute insanity he just witnessed. Then, a thought strikes him. “Is that safe for epilepsy?”

You shrug and Minho stares. “Cool, cool, cool. No doubt, no doubt, no doubt.”

Then he turns on his heel and beelines for the locker room, already questioning every fucking choice that led him to this moment.

Minho steps out of the locker room, now clad only in his black swimming trunks, his skin still chilled from the air-conditioning inside. The moment he emerges, he spots you standing by the pool, waiting, with those fucking armbands and life jacket again.

He stops in his tracks. "You’ve got to be shitting me."

You don’t even blink, just extend them towards him like it’s non-negotiable.

With a long, suffering sigh, Minho stomps over, yanking the armbands onto his arms before grudgingly pulling on the life jacket. It squeaks slightly as he fastens the buckles. He steps into the pool and immediately tenses at the coldness. “Fucking shit, fuck-”

You wait, completely still, just watching as he hisses through his teeth before finally sinking deeper, water lapping at his shoulders.

“This is actual torture. I’m filing a fucking lawsuit.”

You ignore his dramatics. “Okay,” you say evenly, voice calm, “so today, we’re going to get you comfortable with not being able to touch the floor.”

Before Minho can protest, you grab the back of his life vest and start towing him toward the middle of the pool. “Let me go!” he yelps, kicking his legs as if that’s going to help.

You nod. “Okay.”

And then you fucking do.

Minho immediately freezes, his breath catching in his throat as he realizes. He’s just floating. Not touching the ground. No solid surface beneath him. Just water. His muscles tense, but instead of immediately drowning like his instincts scream he’s about to, he just bobs.

Minho blinks.

You’re treading water beside him, effortlessly balanced. “See? You’re fine.”

He exhales, body still stiff, but, yeah. He’s fine. He lets himself bob around for a bit, staring at the ceiling, processing the fact that he hasn’t died yet.

After a few moments, you speak again. "Want to know next week’s lesson?"

Minho glances over warily. “What?”

You meet his gaze, voice neutral. “Getting comfortable being underwater. Fully submerged.”

Minho immediately straightens. “The fuck I am!”

Panic shoots through him as he starts paddling away, pathetically, in what can only be described as the saddest attempt at a doggy paddle ever witnessed. He doesn’t get far. Because you just grab his ankle and tow him back.

“NO!” he yells, flailing. “FUCKING LET ME GO!”

You don’t even struggle, just calmly drag him back toward the centre of the pool like he’s some misbehaving pet. Minho groans in defeat, throwing his head back.

This is actual fucking hell.

Minho storms into the frat house living room and immediately regrets it because Jisung and Felix are making out on the fucking couch. “For fuck’s sake,” Minho groans, marching over. “Do you two ever fucking stop?”

Jisung barely acknowledges him, just waves a lazy hand in Minho’s direction while still attached to Felix’s mouth. Minho scowls. Fuck this. He grabs the back of Jisung’s hoodie and yanks.

“HEY!” Jisung yelps as he gets ripped away from Felix, arms flailing. “WHAT THE FUCK?”

Felix blinks at the sudden loss of contact, lips slightly swollen. “Uh why?”

Minho ignores the way Felix looks two seconds away from pouting. “I need him,” he says simply, already dragging Jisung toward the stairs.

Jisung stumbles after him, grumbling. “Can I at least finish-?”

“No.”

“Jesus, you’re strong for a dude who doesn’t even fucking swim.”

Minho hauls him up the stairs, yanks open his bedroom door, and shoves him inside before slamming it shut.

Jisung huffs, straightening his hoodie. “Alright, asshole, what the fuck is this? Why am I here? And why-” He pauses, eyes locking onto the bathtub, which is completely full of ice water. “-the fuck is your bath full of ice?”

Minho sighs. “I need your help.”

Jisung squints at him. “With what? Are you planning a fucking polar bear plunge?”

Minho runs a hand through his hair. “I’m taking swimming lessons.”

Jisung stares at him for a long moment. Then, he just nods. “Finally. The bullying worked.”

Minho glares. “Fuck you.”

Jisung grins, clearly too pleased with himself. “So, what? You’re trying to get used to freezing to death?”

Minho exhales sharply. “My teacher wants me to get comfortable underwater, and I don’t want to look like a bitch in front of her. So, you’re helping me practice until next Friday so I can show her I can do this shit.”

Jisung snorts, crossing his arms. “And you think dunking yourself in a fucking ice bath is the way to go?”

Minho gestures toward the tub. “Water’s water.”

Jisung shrugs. “Fair enough.” He gestures toward the bath. “Get in, then.”

Minho grimaces, looking at the water like it personally offended him. “You’re gonna have to force me in.”

Jisung blinks. “Are you serious?”

Minho nods. “Dead fucking serious. My body is screaming ‘fuck that’ right now.”

Jisung grins. “Oh, this is gonna be fun.”

Before Minho can protest, Jisung grabs him by the arms and lifts him straight off the floor.

“WAIT- FUCK-”

Jisung drops him into the ice water. Minho screams. Not just any scream. A full-body, guttural, horror-movie victim scream. “FUCKING SHIT! JISUNG, YOU FUCKING DEMON SPAWN!”

Jisung, completely unbothered, leans over the tub. “Deep breath.”

Minho whips his head around, shivering violently. “What? Why?”

Jisung shoves his head under the water. The cold hits like a fucking truck. Minho flails, the shock rattling every nerve in his body, but Jisung holds him down.

Ten seconds. Ten seconds of pure, fucking misery.

Then Jisung yanks him back up. Minho gasps, sputtering water, eyes wild. “WHAT THE FUCK-”

Jisung claps him on the shoulder. “Only five more days of this. Deep breath.”

Minho’s eyes widen. “Wait-”

“Three, two, one.”

And back under.

Underwater, Minho screams, but all that comes out are bubbles. He starts shouting curses at Jisung from beneath the water, muffled but angry as fuck. Jisung just grins, keeping him down.

This is absolutely the best part of his fucking week.

The water is cool against Minho’s skin as he drops into the shallow end of the pool, his silver chains glinting under the fluorescent lights. The weight of them against his collarbones is familiar, grounding. The past week of Jisung’s torture training has prepared him for this moment, and for once, he doesn’t hesitate before stepping into the water.

You swim over to him, moving effortlessly, your sage green yoga shorts clinging to your hips, your white T-shirt damp and slightly translucent from the water. Minho catches the slight contrast of your sage green bikini top beneath it, but he doesn’t let his gaze linger.

"You ready for submersion?" you ask, voice quiet but steady.

Minho grins, rolling his shoulders. "Yep," he says confidently. "I fucking trained for this."

And without waiting for a response, he drops under the water.

Everything muffles. The sounds of the pool, the hum of the building, even his own heartbeat, it all dulls to a distant echo as he sinks just enough for his head to fully submerge. He hovers there, his body bobbing slightly, legs kicking just enough to keep him steady. His lungs burn slightly, but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s almost peaceful.

Then his mind starts wandering. Why the fuck is he so desperate to impress you? It’s not like he gives a shit about what people think of him. He’s always been confident, always had people watching him, but this feels different.

And then, before he can stop himself, his thoughts shift. To you. To how fucking beautiful you are. And then, seamlessly, to all the filthy fucking things he wants to do to you.

Minho smirks to himself, keeping his face submerged as his brain dives headfirst into every inappropriate thought he probably shouldn’t be having in a fucking swimming pool. But fuck it.

He thinks about you in his bed, tangled in his sheets, your body pressed against his as he drags his teeth over your skin, making you moan for him and him only. He thinks about your legs wrapped around his head, your hands clutching at his hair as he eats you out, taking his time, drowning in you in the best fucking way. He thinks about you with your legs around his waist, his hands gripping your thighs as he fucks you, your breath hitching, voice breaking as you say his name the way he wants to hear it.

His lungs start burning a little more now, but he stays under, letting the thoughts roll through him like waves. Then, finally, he pushes himself up.

He breaks the surface, shaking the water from his hair, and immediately locks eyes with you.

"Forty-six seconds," you say, nodding slightly. "Impressive."

Minho grins, still thinking about the absolute filth that just went through his mind. "Told you I trained."

You just hum, watching him, but something in your gaze makes him wonder if you can somehow tell what he was just thinking about.

Then, after a pause, you say, "Hey, what's the best way to shut a guy down?"

Minho raises an eyebrow. "Depends. Are we talking politely or effectively?"

You tilt your head slightly. "Just straightforward."

Minho shrugs. "Just say, ‘Hey, not interested.’ That’s it. No explanation needed."

You nod, processing that. "Okay."

Minho narrows his eyes. "Wait, who the fuck are you rejecting?"

"Just some guy who asked me out that I’m not interested in."

Minho immediately wants to ask who, but shakes it off. Instead, he smirks. "There is another option. Do this." He lifts both middle fingers.

You pause, watching him, and for the first time since he met you, you smile. Not a twitch of the lips. Not just a small reaction. A real, actual fucking smile. And Minho feels it hit him straight in the chest like a fucking wrecking ball.

Oh, he’s in trouble.

The pool water is cooler than usual tonight, but Minho barely registers it as he steps in, his silver chains clinking softly against his collarbones. You’re already there, standing waist-deep, your blue yoga shorts clinging to your hips, your white T-shirt damp against your frame with the blue bikini top just barely visible underneath. Your hair is tied back as always, those silver strands framing your face.

"Okay," you say, voice smooth, measured. "You're learning breaststroke today. It’s the easiest for beginners. You keep your head up."

Minho nods, already bracing himself for whatever bullshit he’s about to endure.

You hand him the life vest. Without hesitation, he pulls it on, tightening the straps. At this point, he barely even complains about it anymore, just accepts his fate.

"Lie on your front," you instruct.

Minho exhales through his nose and flips onto his stomach, legs floating behind him.

"Hold the wall," you say.

Minho grips it, brows slightly furrowed.

"Legs are important in breaststroke," you continue, treading water next to him. "You kick your legs in a circular motion to propel yourself through the water. The legs are the primary source of propulsion, so it's important to get the technique right."

Minho hums, tilting his head slightly. "So what do I need to do?"

You watch him for a moment, then explain, your voice steady, clear. "Start with your legs in a streamlined position, feet pointed. Then," You pause. "Bring your heels towards your ass, with your knees slightly over hip-width apart."

Minho listens, brows furrowing slightly as he tries to visualize it.

"As your heels come up, turn your feet and knees out," you continue. "Then push your feet back in a circular motion. Finish with your legs together, stretched out, and in a streamlined position."

Minho blinks at the ceiling for a second. "That’s a lot of fucking steps."

"It’ll feel more natural once you start," you say simply. "Go ahead. Try it."

Still gripping the wall, Minho starts practising the motions, his legs moving through the water, awkward at first, but getting smoother as he repeats the cycle.

And then, your hand presses against his stomach. Minho freezes, muscles tensing beneath your touch. "Focus on keeping your core strong while you work your legs," you say, completely unaware of the absolute fucking war raging in Minho’s head right now.

Minho nods stiffly, resuming the leg motions, but all he can think about is how soft your hand feels against his bare skin, how close you are, how he’d kill to touch you in return. But he pushes the thoughts aside.

Because fuck that, he needs to get this right. He focuses hard, making sure his legs move in the correct circular pattern, making sure his core stays tight, making sure he doesn’t look like a complete fucking dumbass. Because if he’s going to impress you, he’s going to fucking earn it.

“And now stand up.”

Minho obeys, his feet finding the pool floor as he straightens. The water drips from his hair, sliding down his skin, but he barely registers it. His focus is entirely on you, watching as you move with that same effortless control, completely at home in the water.

“Okay, now the arm movements,” you say, treading water next to him. “You extend your arms, keeping your elbows tucked in, then push them forward to create a streamlined position.” You demonstrate, your arms cutting through the water with precision, your movements controlled and fluid.

Minho watches carefully, then mimics your motion, extending his arms in front of him. His elbows are a little too stiff at first, but he adjusts, rolling his shoulders, making the motion smoother.

“Then,” you continue, nodding at his form, “dip your head between your arms.”

He does, the coolness of the water surrounding him in a way that should be unnerving but isn’t. Not as much as before.

“And when you're using your legs and arms at the same time,” you say, your voice calm, even, “glide forward as your kick finishes behind you. Then sweep your hands out to the sides until they form a Y shape with your body.”

Minho mimics the arm motion, feeling out the movement. It’s strange, a little awkward at first, but it makes sense. He grins, looking at you with sharp confidence. “I’m ready to try and combine both.”

You nod. “Okay, let’s do it.”

Minho takes a deep breath, steadies himself, and then tries. It is an absolute fucking disaster.

The moment he attempts to coordinate his arms and legs, it’s like his entire body forgets how to function. His kick is mistimed, his arms flail in some horrific attempt at a Y shape, and instead of gliding smoothly through the water, he just sinks slightly, floundering like a dying fish.

For the first time ever, you giggle. It’s quiet, soft, but it immediately catches Minho’s attention.

His head pops up above the water, hair dripping into his face, and he grins instantly. “Made you laugh!”

You keep giggling, and it’s genuine, your shoulders shaking slightly as you try to compose yourself. “You looked so ridiculous,” you admit, voice breathless with amusement.

Minho’s grin only widens. “I didn’t look that bad.”

You nod, still giggling. “You did.”

You lift your hand and point at him, as if emphasizing how fucking ridiculous he looked, and you’re still laughing, the sound soft but real. Minho watches you, something warm spreading through his chest, and for once, he doesn’t say anything. He just lets you laugh.

The next day, Minho aches. Every single part of his body feels like it’s been set on fire, the result of spending hours practising breaststroke, pushing himself relentlessly just so he can show you his progress next Friday. His arms hurt, his legs feel like fucking concrete, and his core, don’t even fucking get him started on his core.

But it doesn’t matter. Because he’s going back.

It’s midday when Minho arrives at the swimming centre, determined. The pool is mostly empty at this hour, which is perfect, it means he can practice without distractions.

He strides into the locker room, pulling his hoodie over his head, tossing it onto the bench before stepping out of his sweatpants. His movements are slower than usual, stiff from soreness, but he powers through, grabbing his black swimming trunks and pulling them on. The moment he steps out, rolling his shoulders, he hears it.

Splashing. But not the normal kind. Panicked splashing.

Minho he snaps his head toward the pool. There, crouched at the edge of the deep end, is some Sigma Chi fucker. He’s leaning over the side, one hand pressed down into the water, holding someone under. Whoever it is, they’re clawing at his arm, fighting desperately.

Minho’s stomach drops. Then, he realizes.

It’s you.

“OI!”

His voice booms through the swimming centre, and the Sigma Chi guy jolts, head snapping up in alarm. The guy’s face drains of color, hands immediately raising in surrender the moment he sees who the fuck he’s dealing with.

Because everyone knows about Minho.

Minho doesn’t stop until he’s standing right there, towering over him and then, the guy removes his hand from your head. The second his grip is gone, you break through the surface, gasping for air, your hands immediately gripping the pool wall as your body wracks with coughs. Water drips from your hair, your shoulders shaking as you struggle to breathe, to steady yourself.

Minho’s rage spikes so violently he sees fucking red. Without hesitation, he shoves the Sigma Chi guy straight into the pool. There’s a loud splash, followed by a string of panicked curses, but Minho ignores him. His focus is on you.

He crouches immediately, reaching down and with zero effort, he pulls you out of the pool. The moment you’re standing, you cling to him, your body still trembling, coughs shaking through you. Minho wraps an arm around your back, pulling you closer, his other hand smoothing your soaked hair down in slow, calming motions.

"Want me to call Chan?" His voice is low, controlled, but his fury is boiling beneath the surface.

You shake your head, still gripping onto him, your fingers curled tightly into his skin. You don’t say anything, don’t let go, just keep holding onto him like he’s the only stable thing in the fucking world right now.

Minho doesn’t move. Just keeps rubbing your back, keeps smoothing your hair down, keeps holding you until your breathing steadies.

Behind him, the Sigma Chi guy sputters in the water before shouting, "What the fuck, Minho?!"

Minho doesn’t look at him. "What the fuck you?" His voice is sharp, cutting, layered with undiluted venom. "What the fuck are you doing trying to drown her?"

The guy scoffs, pushing his wet hair out of his face. “She deserved it!”

Minho’s jaw tightens. His fingers flex against your back as he holds you tighter, keeping you as far away from this fucker as possible. “Oh yeah? How?” His voice is calm, too fucking calm, and dangerous.

The guy’s eyes flare with resentment, his face twisting in rage. "She fucking humiliated me! She rejected me! Like anyone else would even be interested in her!"

Minho feels your fingers tighten around him, your whole body tensing against his.

That’s it. That’s all it takes.

Minho shifts, turning to face you, his voice gentle now, quiet. "Go get dry and dressed," he murmurs, his hand still soothingly rubbing your back. "We'll get coffee, yeah?"

You nod, hesitating only slightly before finally slipping away, heading toward the women's locker room. Minho watches you disappear through the doors before he finally turns back.

Minho crouches at the edge of the pool, his lips curling into a grin, but there’s nothing friendly about it. It’s the kind of grin that makes people sweat, the kind that carries the weight of a promise. One soaked in violence and bad fucking decisions. The Sigma Chi guy treads water below him, still coughing, still glaring, but there’s a flicker of something else behind his eyes now. Unease.

Minho tilts his head, fingers drumming against his knee like he has all the time in the world. “You wanna drown someone smaller than you?” he muses, voice light, almost conversational. “Someone who’s too shy, too fucking kind, too scared to fight back?” His head tips forward slightly, his grin widening. “Well, now, you’ve pissed me off.”

And then he moves. With zero hesitation, Minho’s hand shoots forward, grabbing the fucker by the collar and shoving him straight down into the water.

There’s a choked gasp, followed by a violent splash, but Minho doesn’t let go. He watches as the guy’s arms flail, his hands grabbing at nothing, his legs kicking uselessly beneath him. It’s not panic yet, not fully, but Minho can see it brewing, feel it building, and he revels in it.

It’s not even close to what the bastard did to you, but Minho doesn’t need long. Just a few seconds. Just enough to make a point. Beneath the surface, bubbles rise as the guy thrashes, his fists hitting at Minho’s wrist, but Minho doesn’t budge.

And then, just when he starts to struggle harder, just when the panic fully sets in, Minho yanks him up by his hair.

The guy breaks the surface with a ragged gasp, sputtering, coughing, trying to push his wet hair out of his eyes. His breathing is shaky, his expression furious, but it’s fury laced with fear now.

Minho leans in closer, voice low, steady, sharp as a fucking blade. “I see your face around her ever again,” he murmurs, tightening his grip in the guy’s hair, forcing their eyes to lock, “and you won’t resurface next time.”

The guy stills. His whole body goes rigid, his breath caught somewhere in his throat, and Minho watches as his brain finally fucking catches up. Minho lets go, standing up smoothly, towering over the water-drenched mess below him. He doesn’t need to say anything else. The warning is clear enough. And if the bastard is smart, he’ll take it.

------------------------------------------

Minho steps out of the pool area, rolling his shoulders as his gaze immediately finds you sitting outside the women's locker room. You’re curled up on one of the plastic benches, elbows resting on your knees, fingers playing with the hem of your white cropped hoodie. Your black sweatpants are slightly too long, pooling around the tops of your scuffed white Converse, and your damp blue hair is still tied back, the silver strands at the front framing your face.

You look small like this, curled in on yourself, your usual quiet presence even quieter than usual.

Minho exhales, schooling his expression into something lighter, something easier. He won’t make this worse for you by hovering too much, by pressing for details you probably don’t want to give.

Instead, he stops in front of you, tilting his head slightly. "I'm gonna go throw some clothes on, and we'll go, okay?"

You blink up at him, nodding once, your fingers still idly tugging at your hoodie sleeve.

Minho doesn’t hesitate. He turns and strides into the men’s locker room, making quick work of peeling off his swimming trunks. His body is still aching from hours of practice yesterday, and now with the added exertion of holding someone underwater, his muscles protest every movement.

Still, he moves fast, pulling on a pair of black sweatpants and a fitted hoodie, leaving his damp hair to dry on its own. Within minutes, he’s stepping back outside, rejoining you where you’re still sitting in the exact same position.

He doesn’t give you a chance to hesitate.

"Come on," he murmurs, gently pulling you up to stand, his arm automatically wrapping around your shoulders, tugging you into his side. He keeps his grip loose, non-restrictive, letting you lean in as much or as little as you want. "We’ll get you some tea or coffee, yeah? It'll help."

You nod again, your body moulding slightly into his warmth, and Minho exhales softly, steering you toward the exit.

The air outside is cool, the sun dipping lower, casting long shadows across the pavement as Minho leads you toward the frat house.

“We can go back to the house,” he says, keeping his tone casual, like this is just another normal day. "Everyone has lectures or shit to do, so it'll be quiet."

You nod again, your gaze fixed ahead, silent but steady.

Minho watches you for a second before tightening his arm around you slightly, his fingers tracing idle patterns against your shoulder. He doesn’t say anything else. He just keeps walking, keeps leading you forward, until the swimming centre is nothing but a fading memory behind you.

The frat house is exactly as chaotic and disgusting as Minho expects when he pushes the door open, stepping inside with you tucked at his side. You glance around, eyes scanning the absolute mess that litters the floors, the couch, the countertops, crushed beer cans, abandoned hoodies, a pair of sneakers that definitely aren’t the same size, and an inflated condom bobs around the hallway.

Minho kicks it out of the hallway like it personally offended him, muttering under his breath before leading you toward the kitchen.

You follow silently, your steps slow, as if still processing everything from earlier. Minho keeps one eye on you, making sure you’re not checking out mentally before focusing back on the kitchen doorway.

And then, you trip. Minho's arm shoots out immediately, catching you before you even come close to hitting the ground, steadying you with ease. But instead of focusing on you, your eyes drop to the floor, to the thing that nearly sent you flying or rather, the someone.

There, sprawled across the cold fucking tile, is a guy with fluffy brown hair, dead asleep. His cheek is smushed against the floor, arms sprawled out, one leg bent awkwardly over the other, like he just died mid-walk and collapsed.

You blink.

Minho exhales through his nose. "That’s Jisung," he says, bored, like this is the most normal thing in the world. "He’ll literally sleep anywhere. The fact that he’s still here means Felix isn’t, or else his clingy little boyfriend ass would’ve coaxed him into sleeping somewhere socially acceptable."

You nod, still staring at the grown-ass man sleeping peacefully on the filthy frat house floor.

Minho steps over him without hesitation before glancing back at you. "Just step on him."

You frown. "That’s cruel."

Minho smirks. "It’s Jisung, it’s fine."

You shake your head and carefully step around him instead. But Minho steps directly on Jisung’s back. There’s a grunted noise from below, a sleepy, confused “fuck off”, but Jisung doesn’t even move, just shifts slightly before settling back into deep unconsciousness.

Minho moves on, making a beeline for the kettle, rolling his shoulders as he opens a cabinet stuffed full of tea bags, instant coffee packets, and a variety of shit he barely remembers buying.

"Any preference for tea?" he asks, glancing at you over his shoulder. "I have every kind you can think of."

You hesitate for a second before murmuring, "Green tea."

Minho nods, pulling a box from the cabinet with one hand while reaching for the kettle with the other. "Honey?"

"Yes, please."

He hums, setting the kettle on before turning to face you, leaning against the counter. His gaze lingers on you for a second before he says, voice still casual but laced with something sharper, "So. What happened with that Sigma Chi dick?"

You don’t answer immediately, fingers curling slightly against the hem of your hoodie. Then, finally, you sigh, voice quiet but steady.

"He and his friends cornered me. He asked me on a date, I said no, and then, well, you saw how he took that." Your lips press together briefly before you add, "He was waiting for me when I arrived at the pool."

The sharp, earthy scent of tea fills the kitchen as the kettle steams, and from the floor, Jisung sniffs like a fucking bloodhound. His eyes crack open groggily, still half-asleep, but immediately locked onto the source of the smell.

"Tea," he mutters, voice rough from sleep. "Me want."

Minho doesn’t even glance down, just rolls his eyes as he pulls two mugs from the cabinet.

Jisung starts to push himself up but pauses mid-motion, blinking slowly as his gaze shifts to you, still seated at the table. His head tilts, squinting slightly, like he’s trying to confirm whether or not you’re real.

"There’s a Smurfette in the kitchen,"

Minho snorts, shaking his head. "Jisung, this is Y/N," he says, setting a mug down in front of you before handing you a spoon. "She’s my swimming teacher, my friend, and Chan’s friend."

Jisung blinks again, brain still not fully operational. "Chan has friends?" he mumbles, rubbing at his eyes before his head snaps up properly, realization finally fucking hitting. "Wait, wait, wait, you’re Minho’s mystery teacher?"

Minho sighs. "Give him a minute," he mutters to you. "His two brain cells need time to fucking jumpstart."

Jisung doesn’t even register the insult. Instead, he points at you, eyes wide, and then immediately swivels back to Minho. "What the fuck did you do to the poor girl?!" His tone is accusatory, like Minho’s some villain who just kicked a puppy. "She’s soaked and sad!"

Jisung scrambles up onto his feet, rubbing his eyes before dramatically throwing himself between you and Minho, arms outstretched like some tragic hero. "It’s okay, honey, I’m here to protect you from the big meanie."

You blink at him, processing the absolute whirlwind of energy that just came flying at you, before calmly saying, "Minho helped me."

Jisung freezes and his arms drop slightly, his brows furrowing as his lips purse in deep confusion. He turns to you slowly, like he’s trying to process words that don’t make sense. Then, with absolute seriousness, he asks, "Minho? Lee Minho? Helped someone?!"

Minho just rolls his eyes, stirring the tea, but Jisung isn’t done. His brain pivots instantly, fixating on you instead. He squints at you, tapping his chin. "You look like you have anxiety. I have anxiety. That makes us anxiety buddies."

You blink as Minho groans, setting his mug down with a small thud. "Jisung, she doesn’t need your crackhead anxiety energy right now. She needs calm."

You shrug, voice still soft. "I don’t mind."

Jisung immediately flips Minho off before he slides into the chair beside you. With zero hesitation, he digs into the pocket of his hoodie, pulling out a small fidget toy, a soft, squishy ball that glows slightly when squeezed, and places it in your hand.

"Here, these help," he says. His voice is genuine, no longer teasing, just light and warm and real.

You look down at the toy for a second before wrapping your fingers around it, testing the texture, feeling the slight give as you squeeze. It’s simple, but oddly grounding, and when you look up again, Jisung is grinning at you.

"It’s okay," he says, nodding sagely. "Minho might seem like a dick, but he’s nice."

You don’t hesitate. "I know."

At that, Minho pauses, his spoon still stirring, but his lips twitch slightly, a hidden smile that he quickly hides behind his mug as he takes a slow sip of tea before he turns back to the counter, grabbing the jar of honey and twisting off the lid. He dips a spoon in, watching the thick golden liquid drizzle into the mug, swirling into the warm tea as he stirs. His movements are unhurried, the soft clink of the spoon against ceramic filling the kitchen.

Behind him, Jisung shifts in his chair before he speaks again, voice more curious than concerned. "Uh, Minho, what’s wrong with her?"

Minho glances over his shoulder and immediately spots it. You’re completely still, your eyes locked straight ahead, your fingers still fidgeting with the squishy toy Jisung gave you, but your expression is vacant like someone hit a pause button on you.

Minho exhales through his nose, setting the honey jar down. "She’s having a seizure."

Jisung frowns, turning toward you, his head tilting as he waves his hand in front of your face. No reaction. You don’t blink, don’t shift, don’t even seem aware of the movement at all.

Jisung leans back slightly, processing, before muttering, "Aren’t seizures more-" He suddenly jerks his arms and shakes his whole body violently, mimicking full-body convulsions.

Minho snorts, shaking his head. "Different type of epilepsy, dumbass. She’s just not here right now."

Jisung drops the act, blinking at you with open fascination. "Dude, this is cool as fuck. I need to learn how to disassociate like this. My brain never fucking shuts up."

Minho just rolls his eyes, turning back to the counter and grabbing your mug. He lifts it carefully, making sure the tea is mixed properly, before moving back toward the table.

Just as he sets the mug down in front of you, your body jerks slightly, and then you blink. Your hands twitch around the fidget toy before your gaze refocuses, flickering around as if you’re reorienting yourself.

Minho watches, giving you a second before speaking. "Tea’s ready, mermaid girl."

Your eyes drop to the mug in front of you, your fingers hesitating for half a second before wrapping around the warm ceramic. You don’t say anything, don’t acknowledge what just happened. And Minho doesn’t press.

He just leans back in his chair, watching as you slowly bring the mug to your lips, your fingers still curled around Jisung’s fidget toy.

Minho arrives at the swimming centre late Friday night, his boots scuffing against the pavement as he approaches the entrance. The air is crisp, the quiet hum of streetlights buzzing faintly in the background. He spots you immediately, standing just outside the doors, your fingers fiddling anxiously with the strap of your bag.

You’re dressed in beige cargo pants, the fabric slightly oversized, hanging comfortably around your frame. A white knit sweater is layered over top, the sleeves slightly too long, the hem brushing just below your waist. A beige cap sits snugly on your head, your hair tucked back neatly, and your white sneakers scuff lightly against the pavement as you shift your weight from one foot to the other.

Minho slows his steps, his brows pulling together slightly. "You okay?"

Your fingers still against the strap for half a second before you nod, but your voice is quiet, controlled. "I didn’t want to go in without someone checking he wasn’t waiting again."

Minho nods once, his jaw tightening as a familiar wave of irritation flickers through him. He doesn’t say anything—just wraps an arm around you, pulling you close as he guides you inside with him. His gaze scans the space immediately, sweeping across the pool deck, the empty bleachers, the locker room hallways. His muscles are tense, his grip slightly firmer than usual, but he doesn’t let it show on his face.

After a few moments, he exhales through his nose. "I think you’re good," he murmurs, finally glancing down at you. His arm squeezes briefly, reassuring, before he steps back. "Meet you in the pool?"

You nod once, your voice slightly steadier. "We’re working on breaststroke in the deep end today."

Minho smirks, shaking off the lingering tension. "Great."

He heads toward the men’s locker room, stripping off his hoodie and jeans as he moves. His body is still sore as fuck from practising all week, but he doesn’t care. He’s determined. He tugs on his black swimming trunks, running a hand through his hair before stepping back out toward the pool.

The moment he does, his eyes immediately find you.

You’re standing by the edge, adjusting your navy yoga shorts, your posture casual, your skin still slightly damp from warming up earlier. You’re not wearing your usual T-shirt over your swimsuit this time, just a navy bikini top, the fabric snug against your frame, exposing more skin than usual.

You catch him looking and exhale through your nose, tilting your head slightly. "I forgot my T-shirt." Your voice is as even as always, but there’s a hint of hesitation, like you’re expecting a reaction. "Is that okay?"

Minho grins immediately, his gaze sweeping over you without shame as he hops into the pool, the water sloshing around him as he lands. His smirk is lazy, teasing, eyes glinting.

"More than okay," he says smoothly, shaking the water from his hair.

You don’t react. Just tilt your head slightly, watching him with that same calm, unreadable expression. But Minho notices the way your fingers pause slightly against the waistband of your shorts before you follow him into the water.

Minho paddles out into the deeper part of the pool, his strokes steady, his muscles aching slightly but functioning better than they ever have in the water. You swim beside him, your movements smooth, effortless, like the water bends around you rather than resists. The contrast is almost funny, where you glide, Minho is still learning, still adjusting, but for the first time, he doesn’t feel like he’s fighting against the pool itself.

“Remember what I taught you,” you say, your voice lighter than usual, more open. There’s a warmth to it now, something easier, something softer.

Minho grins. “Obviously,” he scoffs, then actually fucking does it—his arms and legs moving in sync, his body pushing forward without immediately sinking. It’s not perfect, but it’s breaststroke, and it’s working.

You watch for a few moments, and then, to his absolute fucking delight, you smile at him.

“What now? I’m like a fucking fish!”

You tilt your head, clearly unimpressed. “At best, you’re at a six-year-old’s swimming competency.”

Minho gasps, hand dramatically slapping his chest. "How fucking dare you-"

His overreaction costs him immediately. The second he loses focus, his rhythm breaks, and his body tilts awkwardly, sinking slightly. His instincts kick in, panic flaring for half a second, but before he can do anything, you move first.

You dive forward, reaching out without hesitation, your hands gripping his arms, steadying him, keeping him above water before he can actually fuck himself over.

Minho exhales sharply, adjusting, getting his balance back, and then grins triumphantly as he resumes swimming, this time more controlled. “You,” he pants, paddling closer to you, his voice smoother, cockier. “You’re a fucking miracle worker.”

You glance away, almost shy, before nodding slightly, the corners of your lips twitching again. Minho watches you for a beat longer before he moves.

Without thinking, without second-guessing, he surges forward, closing the distance between you in an instant. His fingers tangle into your damp hair, and before you can react, his mouth is on yours.

The kiss is hot and demanding, his lips moving over yours with no hesitation, no uncertainty, just pure fucking intention. His other hand grips the pool ledge, holding you right where he wants you, his body pressing against yours, chest-to-chest, nothing between you but water and heat.

Your legs instinctively wrap around his waist, your thighs squeezing slightly as you pull him closer, and he fucking groans into your mouth, his fingers tightening in your hair as he kisses you deeper, harder, hungrier. Your hands find his shoulders, gripping lightly, nails digging in as you kiss him back, the slow burn of tension between you finally fucking snapping.

Minho’s hand slides down, dragging over your thighs, your hips, your waist, mapping out your skin like he’s memorizing it, like he’s claiming it, like he’s been waiting for this the entire fucking time. And then, slowly, he pulls back, his breathing slightly uneven, his forehead resting against yours as he smirks. “I’m gonna take you on a date,” he says, voice rough, but amused, like the words just popped into his head and stuck.

You blink at him, slightly dazed, and he grins. “Somewhere where I have the high ground,” he muses, still catching his breath. “Like football.” His fingers trail lazily down your spine, and he smirks even wider. “Yes. I’m going to teach you how to play football.”

You stare at him for a second, and he knows you’re about to call him a dumbass, but before you can, he tilts his head slightly. “Wanna go on a date?”

There’s a pause, a small one, but a pause nonetheless, before you finally nod. "Sure."

The college football field is eerily quiet this late at night, the floodlights casting long shadows over the empty bleachers. The grass is slightly damp from the evening air, but the field itself is pristine, untouched, a perfect stretch of green beneath the stadium lights.

You stand near the centre, arms crossed loosely over your chest, dressed in black leggings, black Converse, and a long-sleeve black T-shirt. The fabric clings to your frame just enough to be flattering, but loose enough to be comfortable, your movements easy, fluid, as you watch Minho with quiet curiosity.

Minho, on the other hand, is grinning like a fucking idiot, clearly thrilled about whatever the fuck he has planned for tonight. In his hands, he holds his black and red #25 jersey, the fabric slightly worn but clearly well taken care of.

"Put it on," he says, handing it over with zero explanation.

You eye him for a second before taking it, fingers brushing against the material as you pull it over your head. The scent of fabric softener, faint cologne, and something distinctly Minho lingers in the material, comforting, familiar in a way you hadn’t expected. Minho watches, clearly pleased, before stepping closer and placing a football helmet on your head.

It immediately slips forward, covering your eyes. There’s a beat of silence. Then Minho sighs, shaking his head. "Okay, maybe we forget the helmet. Time to learn football."

You adjust the jersey, pushing the sleeves up slightly before glancing at him. "You know, I had hoped our date would involve food."

Minho waves a hand dismissively. "Food later. I’ll cook for you. I’m the best cook in the frat." His smirk widens. "But right now, I get to teach you something."

You exhale through your nose, clearly unconvinced, but before you can argue, Minho tosses you a football.

You reach for it and miss completely. The ball thuds against the ground, bouncing off into the distance.

Minho throws his head back, letting out an obnoxiously loud whoop, his hands shooting up toward the sky. "YES!" He claps his hands together. "You suck at something! Thank you, God! Finally!"

You glare at him, but there’s no real heat behind it. "Shut up."

Minho grins, clearly delighted. "Okay, can you run?"

You raise an eyebrow. "Yes."

Minho smirks. "Of course you can. At least you’re terrible at catching. You need a flaw, sweetness, and God has finally given you one."

You don’t dignify that with a response, just watch as he tosses another football toward you. You reach for it and miss again. With a deep sigh, you drop your hands. "This isn’t fun."

Minho hums, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Then, suddenly, he snaps his fingers. "Okay, let’s make it fun." He leans in slightly, his voice dropping into something lower, smoother. "Kisses. Lots of kisses. If you can take this ball from my hands, I’ll reward you."

You tilt your head, stepping closer. "Or," you murmur, your voice barely above a whisper, your fingers brushing against his as you lean in. "You could fuck me in your jersey."

Before he can process what the fuck just came out of your mouth, you snatch the ball straight from his hands and sprint. Minho freezes. His brain short-circuits completely, his entire system rebooting like a fucking crashed computer. His hands are still outstretched, fingers still slightly curled, like they haven’t quite registered the loss of the ball yet.

His brain screams at him to move, but all he can do is blink rapidly as the words repeat in his head on a fucking loop.

Then, finally, he reacts. "HEY!" His body jerks forward, snapping into motion as he scrambles to chase after you, his feet digging into the turf as he takes off.

But, you’re faster. You fucking sprint, your movements quick and controlled, your legs carrying you with ease as you gain distance. Minho grits his teeth, pushing harder, but you’re already ahead, already laughing breathlessly as you weave across the field.

The cool night air rushes past as you sprint across the field, the football tucked securely under your arm. Your heart pounds, not from fear, not from exhaustion, but from the sheer exhilaration of being chased.

You glance over your shoulder just in time to see Minho gaining on you, his strides long, powerful, relentless. His expression is pure determination, sharp and focused, but beneath it is a grin, a cocky, teasing thing that says he’s enjoying this just as much as you are.

Before you can push forward, before you can even think about trying to outrun him again, he lunges. His arms wrap around your waist, and for a split second, the world tilts. But instead of hitting the ground hard, he twists mid-fall, flipping the position so you land right on top of him, his back hitting the grass instead of yours. The impact is cushioned, controlled, his body taking the fall for you effortlessly.

You blink down at him, breathless, the warmth of his body radiating up through your clothes.

Minho’s grin is smug, his dark eyes flickering in the dim stadium lights. "Nicely played," he murmurs, his voice low, amused, his hands still resting against your waist, fingers just barely digging into your hips.

You smile, something mischievous flickering behind your usually calm gaze. Slowly, deliberately, you lean down, your lips barely brushing against his, teasing, soft, fleeting before you’re gone again.

You push off of him, sprinting away before he can even think about stopping you, the ball still firmly in your grasp. Minho bursts out laughing, a full-bodied, genuine laugh, as he scrambles back to his feet, his boots digging into the turf as he launches himself after you.

"Come on, sweetness!" he calls after you, his voice dripping with cocky amusement. "You can’t run forever!"

You know he’s right, his endurance is better, his reaction time quicker, and before you can dodge, before you can make another move, he snatches your wrist mid-sprint.

With one fluid motion, he spins you back into his chest, your body colliding with his, and in an instant, his mouth is on yours. The kiss is nothing like the last one.

This one is fierce, unapologetic, possessive, his hands cup your face, thumbs brushing over your skin, fingers threading through your hair as he holds you there, as if making sure you’re not slipping away again.

Your breath catches, but you don’t pull away, don’t hesitate, don’t second-guess. Instead, you press closer, your fingers gripping at his clothes, your entire body melting into the kiss like you’ve been waiting for it.

Minho makes a low, satisfied noise, something deep and approving, something that vibrates against your lips as he tilts his head, deepening the kiss even further, like he can’t help himself.

The football?

Completely forgotten.

The swimming centre is buzzing with faint echoes of water slapping against tile, but the real noise comes from the group of seven loud-mouthed Alpha Phi assholes standing at the edge of the pool, all of them dressed in various pairs of swimming trunks, looking either confused, bored, or outright suspicious.

Minho stands in front of them, hands on his hips, grinning like he owns the fucking place.

"Good afternoon, bitches," he announces, his voice echoing through the space. "Meet Y/N."

You’re standing slightly behind him, relaxed but observant, dressed in your usual yoga shorts and a bikini top, arms loosely crossed as you watch them all process the introduction.

Chan, standing closest, immediately steps forward and wraps you into a warm, familiar side hug, squeezing lightly before pulling back just as quick. You return it, a small smile forming as his presence is steady, grounding, something safe.

Jisung, already grinning, waves happily at you, his expression bright, easy, open—completely different from the crackhead energy he had the first time you met him. You wave back, your movement small but genuine, and Jisung nods approvingly, like he’s decided he fully supports your existence now.

Then Hyunjin, who has been watching Minho with pure suspicion, tilts his head, arms crossed over his chest. "Why are we here, Minho, and why the fuck are you in swimming trunks?"

Minho’s grin widens, clearly thrilled to finally say it. "Because, dear Hyunjin, I can swim." He claps his hands together, turning slightly as he throws his arms out dramatically. "And I'm here to prove it to all you bitches." Then, his voice shifts, going softer, more playful, as he turns to you. "Not you, baby."

Your lips twitch slightly, but you don’t say anything, just watch as Hyunjin’s jaw actually fucking drops.

"What?" Hyunjin sputters, looking wildly at the others. "Are we being punked? Are there cameras? No fucking way."

Chan, still processing, frowns slightly before turning back to you, his eyes narrowing. "Y/N, you and Minho?"

You nod once, your face calm, unreadable.

Chan immediately loses it. "WHAT? NO, NO, NO! NOT MY LITTLE BABY!"

And then, before you can react, he fucking cradles you. Chan, all muscle, all protective instinct, literally wraps his arms around you, holding you like you’re an actual fucking child, his voice dramatic, pained. "This is a disaster. This is the worst thing to ever happen. No. Nope. I refuse. We are undoing this. Y/N, blink twice if you need saving."

Minho, completely unfazed, crosses his arms, rolling his eyes as he waits for Chan’s meltdown to pass.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Minho waves him off, stepping forward, leaning casually against your shoulder, completely ignoring the fact that Chan is still holding you like a toddler. "I corrupted your baby. Wasn't really hard anyway. It's me, Chan. Time to accept it."

Chan groans loudly, shaking his head. "I hate this. I hate everything."

Minho grins wider, fully basking in the moment. "And anyway, none of that matters because the real point is-" He gestures toward the pool with both arms, dramatic as ever. "Y/N taught me how to swim, so my only flaw? Gone. I am now perfect."

Jisung bursts out laughing, clutching his stomach, literally bending over as he wheezes. "Your only flaw? Minho, you are the biggest piece of shit I’ve ever met."

Hyunjin claps sarcastically, still looking personally betrayed. "Wow. Wow. I’m so happy for you. This is truly a moment for all of us."

Seungmin leans against the edge of the pool, arms crossed, his expression completely unimpressed as he watches Minho stand there like he’s about to unveil the greatest athletic achievement of all time.

“Get to swimming then, Tinky Winky,” Seungmin deadpans.

Minho’s head snaps toward him so fast it’s a miracle his neck doesn’t break. “Fuck you,” he shoots back, flipping him off before stepping toward the edge.

And then, without another word, he hops into the pool.

The water splashes around him, cool against his skin, but he barely registers it before he pushes off the wall, kicking off with force, and starts breaststroking up and down the pool. His movements are controlled, precise, smooth, nothing like the floundering disaster he started with weeks ago.

It’s not perfect, but it’s damn good.

The guys watch for a few moments, still processing the fact that Minho, Lee Minho, the man who refused to even put a toe in the deep end, is actually swimming like a normal fucking person.

“Pssst, Y/N,” Hyunjin suddenly whispers, leaning in slightly. "Hi, I’m Hyunjin. How bad was he when he started?"

You tilt your head, your expression calm, innocent, but there’s a hint of amusement flickering in your eyes. "He wore a life vest and arm floaties."

Hyunjin’s hand flies to his mouth, trying to smother his snort, but it’s too late—a wheeze escapes him, and the others immediately zero in on the conversation.

You lean in slightly, lowering your voice just enough to make them hang on every word. "The first time he tried combining the arms and legs for breaststroke," you continue, straight-faced, "I thought he was going to die."

The guys erupt into laughter, the sound echoing through the swimming centre, bouncing off the walls as Chan doubles over, clutching his stomach, while Jisung literally collapses onto Felix. Seungmin is wheezing, Changbin is cackling, and Jeongin actually has to sit down on the edge of the pool from laughing so hard.

You smile innocently in Minho’s direction just as he reaches the wall, finishing another length.

He catches the look on your face immediately, and his own grin grows wider. "What are you talking about?"

Hyunjin, still laughing, straightens up instantly, clearing his throat. "Oh, uh, nothing, right Y/N?"

You tilt your head, playing along effortlessly. "Nothing."

Minho narrows his eyes slightly, clearly not buying it, but before he can say anything else, he reaches up, grabs Hyunjin’s wrist, and yanks him straight into the pool.

Hyunjin yells in betrayal as he hits the water, arms flailing dramatically, his voice muffled by the splash as he disappears beneath the surface.

The others cheer loudly, jeering as Hyunjin resurfaces, coughing and spluttering, glaring at Minho like a wet cat.

Felix and Jisung, still grinning, move toward you, offering their hands. Without hesitation, you take them, letting them help you into the water, the cool temperature washing over you instantly. Changbin, Chan, Seungmin, and Jeongin all hop in after, the pool filling with energy and laughter as the guys start splashing each other, the tension from earlier completely gone.

Then, from somewhere behind you, Seungmin calls out.

"CHICKEN!"

Minho turns to you immediately, his smirk returning full force. "Get on my shoulders, baby."

You raise a brow but don’t hesitate, placing your hands lightly on his shoulders as he ducks under slightly, guiding your legs around him before standing up fully, lifting you above the water with ease. For a second, the world tilts, your vision filled with stadium lights reflecting off the rippling pool, the sounds of laughter and splashing fading slightly as your focus shifts solely to Minho.

He’s looking up at you, his hands firm around your thighs, holding you steady. But his expression is different now, his usual cocky smirk softened, his dark eyes taking you in with something quiet, unreadable.

The lights from the pool cast a soft glow around you, catching on the strands of your blue and silver hair, making them shimmer like fucking stardust. And then, before he can even stop himself, Minho murmurs, almost in awe,

"You’re beautiful, you know that?"

You smile at him, a small, genuine thing, one that lights up your eyes. Minho smiles back instantly, warmth spreading through his chest, a deep, easy kind of happiness settling in his bones.

For the first time, he lets himself think about it, really fucking think about it. If the guys hadn’t bullied him into learning how to swim, if he hadn’t let his own stubborn pride push him to prove himself, he would have never met you.

And in Minho’s mind, that would have been the greatest fucking tragedy.

General Taglist: @nightmarenyxx @velvetmoonlght @annafee_bou @mlink64 @intoanothermind

Lee Minho Taglist: @0haerireah0 @linowzzzz

Proofread by the lovely @eastjonowhere

131 notes · View notes

honey-andmilktea · 2 years ago

Text

𝐈 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 '𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐦𝐞

-𝐋𝐚𝐦𝐛 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐎𝐍

・゜゜・．🤎📜☕️𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 [𝐎𝐧𝐞-𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭]

✒️ 𝟐.𝟔𝐊 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 | 🤎 𝐖𝐓𝐌!𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐱 [🚬] 𝐱 𝐋𝐀𝐋!𝐀𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚 [🕯️] | 🌙 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭 [🎻], 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 [🥢]

👜 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐱 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐀𝐜𝐞'𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞.

🕰️ 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐀 𝐋𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭, 𝐓𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬, 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐱 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 [𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠!]

🍁 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐜 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬! 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 @armysantiny 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐭 @welcome-to-maniac [𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐥!]

🎼 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐛 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧

🐻 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝! 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭! ^^

🍷 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤? 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞! | 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚? 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫! [𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞!]

The day Felix and Ace got together everything felt right.

Ace felt like he had found the man of his dreams. Someone who was going to take care of him and be there for him. That quickly changed once he started to realize what he actually got himself into.

How obsessed he really was with Hyunjin.

At first he just thought he was being a caring friend and giving him a second chance…how wrong he was.

It was date day for Felix and Ace. Ace was extremely excited since it was a very anticipated date that he planned out for the two. He dolled himself up, dressed in the best clothes he owned and took extra care with his makeup and hair. When he was ready to leave he got a text from Felix.

‘Hey Cupid I’m sorry, Hyunjin needs me for something so I won’t be able to make it to our date.’

‘I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.’

He reread the message over and over again feeling tears well up as he sat down on his bed.

‘It’s fine.’

He sent Di a message before throwing his phone across the room and curling into himself and sobbing. This wasn’t the only time he’s canceled a date for Hyunjin and he quickly learned it wouldn’t be the last.

He had gone to the bar to surprise Felix. He smiled big as he parked his car, making sure his lip gloss was on right and that his clothes looked nice. He walked into the bar weaving around people not caring if he got bumped into just happy to go see his boyfriend. He sat up at the bar and smiled big at Minho. He gave him a small smile back and ruffled his hair a little. “You here to see Lix?” Ace nodded quickly, giving a giggle at the affection. Minho nodded and went to go find Lix.

He walked out and smiled when he saw his boyfriend. When Ace landed eyes on him it felt like the whole world brightened up. His heart melted and he bit his bottom lip lightly knowing he was just falling deeper and deeper for the man. “Hey Cupid~ What you doing here? I thought you were busy.” Ace smiled and leaned over giving him a small peck on the lips.

“I wanted to surprise you!” He said happily as Felix smiled big, leaning against the counter.

“Well you did.~ What are you planning on doing for the day?” He said as he lightly brushed hair from Ace’s face.

“Hmmm maybe go shopping for somethings, get food and then go home.~” He said as Felix listened, nodding along and playing with Ace’s hair lightly. Ace smiled big, happy to have this time with his boyfriend. This is all he asked for. But that moment had to be ruined. Hyunjin stepped in and smiled at Lix.

Felix smiled back at him, his mood seemed to brighten up ten fold, his smile also seemed…different. Different to the one he would give Ace and that’s when the insecurities started to wash over. He shied away, overanalyzing how he looked, how he acted.

Was he too much?

Should he change?

Was he enough?

He looked at the way he looked him over, he looked at him like he hung the moon and stars.

Like he was perfect.

Ace felt a sudden hit of dreed and pain hit him like a train and his hands started to shake. He quickly moved away from Lix. Felix turned around and looked at him with furrowed brows. “Are you okay baby?” Hearing the nickname come from his lips made Ace want to crash down sobbing. He quickly nodded his head masking any tears that might have been collecting at the corners of his eyes.

“Y-Yeah! Totally okay! I just remembered I didn’t feed the familiars. I bet they’re starving! I should go. Um…bye!” He said quickly leaving without another word, no kiss, no nicknames or smile. Just ran out. Felix looked after him confused and worried.

He never forgot to feed his animals or leave without a kiss. Hyunjin looked worried too as he looked at Lix who just shrugged lightly hoping his boyfriend was okay.

Ace ran to his car, driving home as best as possible, not really caring if he got into an accident. He rushed out of it and into his house, slamming doors open and closed rushing to his bathroom. He broke down looking at himself in the mirror as he saw his makeup run down. “Why can’t I ever be enough…” He choked out as he slid down the bathroom wall, sobbing softly to himself. He saw his razor, its blade looking so tempting and welcoming. It knew it would give him some real needed relief, an escape from what he was feeling. His wrist burned as he kept staring at it, moving slowly for it until Claw knocked his head into his hand. The Arctic Wolf whimpered softly as Ace looked at him, more tears streaming down his face.

He hugged him and sobbed into his fur. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He kept whispering as he shook, feeling his world destroying.

His world was breaking and it was because of Lee Felix.

It was their anniversary day.

Felix almost forgot about it but Ace wasn’t surprised. He was expecting it. He sat at the kitchen table of Minho’s apartment waiting for Felix. He had asked Minho if he could stay at Jooheon’s for the night since he wanted to surprise Felix. He made sure no one else was going to be there and even got some help from Jisung on setting things up and setting the mood. He had messaged the blonde to come at a certain time cause he wanted to give him something but, here he was sitting down twirling a rose in his hand. His face was in his palm as he looked at the time.

He was an hour late.

To say that Ace was upset was an understatement.

He had planned everything and Felix couldn’t even come on time. He really did forget.

Said blonde opened the door to the apartment hair a mess and jacket thrown on half haphazardly. “Ace?! I’m so sorry baby, Hyunjin needed some help with things and it took longer than planned.” He said quickly as he took off his shoes. Ace’s fist clenched as he heard Hyunjin’s name come from his boyfriend’s lips. He took a deep breath in. He wasn’t going to let this ruin their night.

It was their night.

Their anniversary.

Not Hyunjin and Felix.

Ace stood up and smiled at Lix who looked around confused until he spotted Ace. “Happy Anniversary Baby!” He said excitedly with a giggle as he stepped closer to him. He was wearing a form fitting long dress with a slit at the front, garter belts on his thighs holding up black stockings with a pair of red heels. He had smokey pink and red eyeshadow with a deep red lipstick on. Felix’s breath hitched as he looked his boyfriend over, jaw dropped. He shook his head as he walked to him, putting his hands on Ace’s hips.

“I’m sorry baby. I completely forgot. Things at the bar have been hectic and-” Ace cut him off with a kiss to the lips before giggling.

“It’s okay.” I knew this would happen. “You can make it up to me.~” He grinned as he grabbed his shirt and tugged him along to Felix’s room. Felix laughed at his boyfriend as he kissed him and they stumbled into his room. Clothes being thrown off, sloppy kisses, both of them falling onto the bed.

That’s where they were now, Ace bouncing on Felix’s cock. His dress on the ground, Felix’s hand’s holding onto his hips, most possibly leaving bruises later on. He was covered in love bites but he didn’t care. If this is what he had to do to get his boyfriend’s attention, to get him to focus on him and not another man, he would do it over and over.

But the world was cruel.

Ace’s hands were on Felix’s chest as he moaned, picking the movement of his hips. “Lixie~” He let out as his head lolled forward.

“Hyunjin…” Felix moaned out and everything seemed to go still. Ace stopped moving as he looked down at the blonde with pain in his eyes. “Baby, I-I’m sorry just-” Ace shook his head as he got off of Felix letting out a sob. He stormed over to Felix’s closet pulling out one of the hoodies he had left along with a pair of sweats. Felix quickly threw on a pair of pants as he went to stop Ace when he noticed he was taking out the clothes he would leave over. “Ace! Please let’s talk, please.” He begged as he grabbed his wrists to stop him. Ace froze his head turning to him, his eyes weren’t their normal bright pink. They changed to a deeper hot pink and that’s when Felix knew everything was broken.

“Touch me again Yongbok and I’ll make sure you have no hands after.” He said, voice and eyes cold. Felix knew that was a promise so he let him go without another word. Ace’s jaw clenched as he texted someone before shoving his phone in his hoodie pocket and going to grab his duffle and stuffing clothes and other things inside of it. Felix looked at him with pain in his eyes but Ace stopped caring. He put everything into this and he was the joke again. He was the one being used and set to the side again. His head perked up as he heard the honk of a car knowing who it was.

He always did that.

He rolled his eyes as he slung the duffle over his shoulder. “Have fun with Hyunjin. I’m coming back for the rest of my stuff tomorrow.” He said without another word as he started walking out of the room.

“Ace please.” Felix begged as he quickly followed Ace out, his voice cracking feeling tears streaming down his face. “One more chance, baby. Please.” Ace’s eye twitches as he scoffs.

“I’m not your baby, don’t call me that. You had your chances, you don’t know how hard I’ve tried to be your boyfriend. How hard it is to not compare myself to Hwang Hyunjin cause he’s the apple of my boyfriend’s eye.” Felix went to hold onto Ace’s hand, repeating apology after apology promising to do better. Ace moved his hand away and shook his head as he hiccuped in tears. “No. No. No! You’re not allowed to do this! No. I’m tired and done with this.” There was another honk and Ace walked to the front door. “We’re through Lee Felix.” He said as he walked out and into the awaiting car.

He buckled up and watched as the apartment disappeared. He wiped at his eyes as he tried to calm down his shaking. “Thanks…for picking me up.” He said not looking up at the man.

“I would do anything for you, beautiful,” Ace rolled his eyes. “But I am a little surprised you texted me.” Alex said as he stopped at a light.

“You were the only one who wasn’t busy.” The bleached blonde muttered as he looked out the window rubbing at his eyes. “I’m assuming you still know where I live since you stalked me for almost a year.” Alexander felt a bang hit his chest at his words as he bit his bottom lip.

“Yeah I do.” He said simply as he started going once the light turned green. “Am I allowed to ask what happened?” His voice was quiet and low as if he was handling a scared animal.

“I made a mistake. Like I made when I dated you.” He said completely tired of everything, he didn’t care how harsh he sounded.

“Okay, I deserved that one.” Alex nodded as he parked in front of Ace’s house. He unbuckled his seatbelt and before Ace left the car he lightly grabbed his wrist. Ace looked at him, about to yell but he spoke quickly. “Can we please try again?” He asked. No. More like begged. “Please, Ace. I don’t know what to do without you. I hate myself so much for putting you through all that pain. I hate to know I’m the reason you had bruises on your body, that you felt used, that you cut yourself.” His eyes teared up as he brought Ace’s wrist to his lips.

“I hate it so badly. I just didn’t know how else to make you stay, I was so scared of losing you. I’m going to a therapist and anger management. I promise I’m doing better. Please, I need you.” He bit his bottom lip as he looked at him, tears streaming down his face.

And for some reason Ace believed him.

Maybe it was what he needed to hear after feeling ignored and insecure.

But he believed him.

“I…Okay…One more chance.” Alex looked at him with shock and surprise before his lips spread into a big smile and he happily kissed Ace’s hand. He cupped his face and brought him into a kiss. Ace lightly put a hand on his chest and pushed him forward with raised brows. “Slow.” Alex nodded his head quickly, reminding Ace of a dog excitedly waiting for a treat. “Don’t make me regret this.”

“I won’t. I promise. I’ll give you all my love and let everyone know you’re mine. No more hiding. No more just sex. Just you. I promise to take care of you.”

And Ace melted. That being the only thing he wanted.

To be taken care of.

A nice caring boyfriend.

That’s all.

Alex gave Ace’s nose a small peck before he sheepishly smiled. “So…you know how you told me like a couple weeks ago that Quack needed a new bed?” Ace slowly nodded as he waited for him to continue. “I may have gotten him a new one…also got Claw some treats…and Honey a new hive. Also Beauty has new plants for her pond.” Ace looked at him surprised that he remembered literally anything he told him. He let out a watery laugh before wrapping his arms around Alex’s shoulders.

Maybe he did change.

And for this once, Ace let himself forget about Felix.

Just this once.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 🍂✏️ @honey-andmilktea - 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭, 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞, 𝐞𝐭𝐜.

: ̗̀➛ 🤎🪵🪶 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧: 𝟎𝟒.𝟎𝟗.𝟐𝟑

: ̗̀➛ 🤎🪵🪶 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧: 𝟎𝟒.𝟎𝟔.𝟐𝟑

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asherthehimbo · 4 months ago

Text

Lightning in the Dark

synopsis: Yunho as a son of Zeus has always sought to defy his father, and well falling for the daughter of Nyx? that certainly sounds like something that would piss off his father. Well too bad, for Zeus- his spawn is much more powerful than he anticipated, and he can't do anything about it.

pairing: Son of Zeus! Yunho x Daughter of Nyx!Oc (Kyu), Side couple of Lee Felix X Male! Oc (Kai)

words: 28k

warnings: some of the gods aren't good parents but tbh wbk, abusive ex, mentions of abuse, stereotyping? suggestive content, violence, blood, fights, death, talks of infirtility, stabbing, mentions/ implications of suicide and r@pe but it's very breath and only in the begining (fuck Zeus, we say in unison🗣️🗣️), mature language and suggestive themes but no actual smut, Yunho is down bad

notes: WAHHH I BEEN WAITING TO WRITEEE THISSSS, it's an idea I've had for so long and after me and @kaisworlds plotted sm for this I decided to write for it because its stuck in my brain I can't do this anymoreeeeeee, anyway Skz & Atz are both involved in this. Godly parents and connections are explained here, I suggest you read that before reading this if you don't know a lot about Greek gods. also this is labeled as Oc since there are some specifics like hair color but I tried to make it inclusive so feel free to imagine yourself! also playlist! also thank you Nana ( @seongsangssbitch ) and Rayray ( @grapejellysollie) for supporting me while writing this <333 NOT proofread so if you find any mistakes please lmk<3 Happy birthday to me! as Ody said in epuc "A trade you see a gift from you and a gift from me" for all the love and support you've given me I wanted to give you guys this as a present on my birthday!

Yunho's mother- his biological mother was a beautiful woman, delicate sun-kissed skin and a tiny stature, long hair that's always tied into a French braid in all the photos he's seen. His Dad had told him about her, of the woman he fell in love with, the woman who looked so much like Yunho, but Yunho doesn't think any of his visions of her could ever match to the kindness his Dad had described. He hadn't ever met her, or he supposes he had, but he was too young to remember her then, before her death. So all he's left with is the stories his Dad would tell him right before bed.

Stories of monsters and gods, stories of creatures far more powerful than they thought possible, he told Yunho of people Yunho would meet- Yunho would always disagree, stating that the stories were just that- stories, but his Dad would give him that warm smile, eyes glistening with knowledge that Yunho was yet to learn.

See Yunho's mother wasn't a normal woman, well not the two years before her death anyway, not anymore. She and Yunho's dad had lived a quiet life on a tiny farm, the two of them had been in a type of love Yunho could only describe as pure by the stories he was told. His mother was beautiful both inside and out- but her beauty had seemed to be her downfall, as one day, the day Yunho's dad didn't join his wife in the strawberry fields of their little farm, the most horrific thing had happened.

Zeus, king of the gods, slayer of Kronos, god of the sky and thunder had seen Yunho's mother, in his usual adulterous ways had swayed her into warming his bed, and well- that's how Yunho came to be. His mother had been enamored with the king of the gods, no longer content with the quiet life she lived with her husband, no now she strived to be something more at least that's what his dad told him she had believed while pregnant.

Yunho's mortal father, his dad, had loved her no matter her indiscretions, and sometimes Yunho thinks he's stupid for it. Loving the woman that had left him the moment a more powerful being came into play, that hadn't been the love Yunho was told stories about, not the love they had before. Loving someone when they tell you that you aren't enough for them anymore, it seemed wrong to Yunho.

But then his father had told him, after his birth the spell had been released, and his mother had broken down in a panic at the realization of what the last few months of her life had come to, his mother was not a willing participant in Zeus's escapades, and the god had seemingly placed her in a false sense of delusion when he placed his offspring in her belly, but now that Yunho had been born, that delusion had worn off and all that was left was the shell of a woman she previously was.

His mother had been named Eun-kyung for ‘graceful gem’, but after his birth, all that had been left was a lump of coal eating away at her darkened soul. Yunho couldn't imagine what she must have gone through, the shattering of the perfect delusion that had been so carefully placed in her mind by a power beyond her control. Yunho guessed that's why she decided to leave them, to join the Elysian fields, the guilt of betraying her love, the hatred for the god that ruined her - and the lack of love for her own son must have driven her- and Yunho couldn't blame her for that.

Jeong Eunwoo, his Dad, not Zeus, no that man would never be referred to as his dad for as long as Yunho lives, but his mortal dad had been his biggest support. His dad was a kind man, always had a warm smile and a helping hand to offer to anyone in need, and he had taught Yunho the same. Even after the death of his beloved wife, his love for Yunho never faltered, he never showed Yunho a hint of aggression or inkling of blame, but Yunho knows it must have hurt. He could see it on the nights when they would sit at the table and his father would stare at him with this far off gaze, he used to hate himself for it, he was the spitting image of his mother, but with the blond hair and golden brown eyes of the god who ruined her.

Yunho's woken up countless nights, little feet silently padding from his room to the kitchen where he would see his dad silently crying to a picture of his mother, he never interrupted, despite the love he was raised with, he knew it must've been hard for his father, living in the home they built together without her. He never blamed his father for these moments of sadness, for the moments of regret he could catch in his eyes before it disappeared, he never blamed his father because his father never blamed him. Never blamed Yunho for being the cause of his mothers death, and Yunho will forever be grateful for that.

Yunho was barely two years old when she first came to visit him, it was right after the death of his mother and despite his dad's efforts, the older man had been in his own period of mourning. She had visited him in the middle of the night, with an intimidating gaze and a light golden glow around her that fascinated the little brain of Yunho.

Hera, queen of the gods, wife of Zeus, goddess of marriage, women and childbirth had stared down at his sleeping figure with disgust. Another demi-god offspring caused by her husband's infidelity, another boy that would grow up as egotistical as his father, trying to overthrow her for not accepting him, it happened countless times before and she had told Zeus to stop. That if he didn't ensure his seed would stay off the earth, she would. She had done this many times, but when the little babe had opened its eyes something in her heart stuttered.

A heart she had thought she lost long ago, that had been chipped at by Zeus with each act of infidelity, each proclamation he made- a heart she thought had finally given up when he married her darling Hebe off to Heracles. But this little babe, he had the eyes of Zeus, not the Zeus he was now, not the parallel of who their father was- no, he had the eyes of a young Zeus. Of a little god determined to save his family, to love and cherish the earth, of a Zeus before power and paranoia reached him. Of Zeus when he had promised her the world, not the Zeus who had taken her title of goddess of marriage and dragged it through the mud. No, he was different, he was… pure so to speak.

He had the eyes all her and Zeus's children had before they were touched by their fathers vile hands, and when he reached up at her, smiling in the darkness, she couldn't help but smile back. In a moment of weakness, a moment of nostalgia the goddess had reached down and let the babe cradle one of her fingers in his tiny hand, and he was so… warm. Not cold like the sky during Zeus's storms, not scalding like the fire caused by her husband's lightning, no he was just- warm, comforting, like the arms of her sisters had been before the revolution.

She couldn't bring herself to kill him as she planned, not that night at least, no, she would allow him tonight and come for him tomorrow, the pure soul deserved that at least. Only when she appeared the next night, with the same plan- albeit some added hesitance, the babe was not alone in his room. Beside his crib sat a man, he was handsome, and for a moment Hera thought he might do the job for her. For had this babe not been caused by his own wife's indiscretions? She could not see his face, but she saw the strain of his back muscles, the clench of his hand on the wood of the cradle, and she had mistaken it for anger.

“You're here for him aren't you? for my boy?” he had whispered, surprising Hera, she had thought her glamor had made her invisible to mortals, “I apologize my Queen, but I can't let you take him. I can't let you kill my son” The man breathed, his hand that was tight around the wood loosening as he gently held the sleeping child's head. Hera would've cursed the man had he been any other by now, but she did not have the rage to do so tonight, rather she had sympathy, this man must not have known, she wonders what his wife had told him then, what lies the woman had spun.

“He is not yours mortal, you must be aware of that” she had replied, her voice as cold as the golden glow illuminating her in the dark nursery. “He is more mine than he is My Queen's husband's. I am the one raising him…. please, please My Queen, he is all I have left of her” the man breathed, and Hera could hear the tears in his strained voice. “Left of who? “ Hera asked without thought, “of my wife” the man had responded, finally turning to face Hera.

“Your wife left you and the babe?“ she asked incredulously, studying the man's sunken features, he looked truly horrible at the moment, like a ghost of a person. “She had not just left us my Queen… the moment his delusion in her mind had broken, and she had realized what was done to her, she had left our mortal plane completely I'm afraid” the man's head droops down, and it all clicks for the goddess.

He has not shouted at her yet, so he's clearly not as stupid as most mortal men she's come across, he loves this babe, he's raised this child with love despite his own mourning, and that's why the child's eyes are so pure. The child no longer has a mother he would use to try and replace her with in some deluded sense of proving himself to his father-to Zeus. No this child is just…. a child. There's a moment of silence before Hera speaks, “Very well then… I am not here to kill your child” she walks forward, placing a hand upon the man's shoulder as she looks down into the cot. “I am simply observing the current cause of my curiosity” the man does not respond to her words, probably for the best, she muses. Humans tend to say stupid things when overwhelmed with emotions.

For now she'll leave the babe, watch it grow, if it ever does turn into its father like it's many brothers and sisters before had tried- well then she'll still have enough power to kill it. But the stars twinkle and the night seems to shift, as if the ancient Titaness that personifies it had been told something by her three daughters that Hera isn't aware of. For now she'll trust fate, she'll trust the Fates, unlike her husband she can understand when a being more powerful than her is at play. When a fate that is not her own is to be woven.

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

Hera had often come down to check on the little babe, her husband had been too busy with his own prospects to notice, she scoffs, of course he didn't care about the one babe she had allowed him to have. But she shouldn't complain.

Visits that started out as ‘insurance’ of her position as Queen of Olympus had turned into much more, she wouldn't admit it, not yet at least, but the babe had grown on her- and so had his father. She would often join the man in telling Yunho bedtime stories, and comfort him when he was missing his wife. These two had become her own secret little family, a present Hera would treasure and protect. Like an old friend and a son untouched by the unholy divinity of the gods, they had made her feel at peace.

But of course the mother of war could not live in peace for long. Ares, god of war and courage, the spirit of the battle personified in one hot headed god. Hera loved her son, despite all his antics, and he loved his mother in turn- so it was only a matter of time before he had started noticing his mothers absences. Sure she could blame it on the higher marriage rate, ensuring she had more work on earth- but Ares didn't believe that, if living in this family taught him anything, it was that gods would never share their truth-even when they had no reason to hide it. The paranoia of the divine was a fickle thing.

Ares was never known for his stealth, much preferring brutish force in the throes of his battles, but he had picked up a thing or two from Athena. So he had quietly followed his mother down to earth one evening, using the skills he acquired to remain undetected. The sun had started setting as he stared at his mother, the usually stoic goddess’s face now holding a small, pure smile he had only remembered seeing as a child. Before the fights with his father, before Hebe was given away, a smile he had longed to see back on her face.

Only this smile was not directed at him, not it was directed to the little boy running up to his mother with a smile that mirrored her own, the boy couldn't have been older than 6- if Ares's knowledge of human children were correct- the boy seemed to be around the age of Ares's own youngest currently. He stares as a man walks behind the boy slowly, greeting his mother with a soft upwards tilt of his lips. The scene seemed so… comfortable.

His mother lifted up the little boy, as if she was not a divine being and he was not just some - human. Thoughts run to the forefront of his mind, conclusions messily drawn as they always are in his brain. Had his mother had enough of his fathers infidelity? had she created a secret family of her own? but that couldn't be right? His mother was the goddess of marriage, as much as he wished she could, he knew going against her marriage with his father would be going against her very being. Nights he's spent begging her to leave Zeus, where she would just look down at him sympathetically, pat his head and leave it at that.

And now she had a family, a family he wasn't a part of- a family she didn't share with him. Hurt consumes him, but it quickly turns to rage as it always does, something in him snaps, whether it be jealousy of the toddler clinging to his mothers side, or his own insecurity of not understanding the situation, it bubbled up in his chest until it spilled out his throat, in one loud, guttural scream that silenced the whole field bathed in fading sunlight. “MOTHER-YOU- LET GO OF HIM MOTHER”

Ares had walked forward with force, he didn't charge- he would never charge at his mother, but the man beside her could be a great target to release his anger. The mortal at least had the mind to look scared, grabbing the child from Hera as she looked at Ares in shock, the child whom Ares could sense a faint aura of divinity from buried his face in his fathers neck as he looked away. “Mother what- are you alright? What has happened? What is this?” Ares' words are shot from his mouth faster than the twins shoot their arrows. His hands fly to his mothers face, gently holding her chin and inspecting her, as if searching for a crack in a porcelain doll- scared she had been broken.

“Ares it's not-” she tries to interrupt her son’s thoughts but his anger is boiling at a degree not even Prometheus' fire could reach. “No mother, what is this? I follow you because I worry and I find you- with some mortal seeming to do the very thing you've told me would dissipate your being” he's frantic. “Ares, listen to me” her voice is sharp, in that scolding way she always used to silence him when he and his father would have their squabbles around the dinner table.

“Yunho is not my son, nor is Eunwoo a mortal lover. “ Hera clarifies, and despite the confusion Ares still feels relief sink into him. “Yunho is.. an offspring of your father, whom I have been overseeing” Hera stops for a moment as she searches for the correct way to relay her words. “an offspring of father?” Ares raises a brow and his gaze drifts to the child in the grown man's arms, the child no longer hiding, his curious eyes now staring at Ares- an oh.. his eyes… They reflect the stories his mother had told him of a time Zeus had been kind. They look like a golden thunderstorm disguised behind the pupils of a boy.

“Does he know of this? “ Ares asks, understanding his mother a bit more now, “No, and he doesn't have too, not until Yunho is of age. He knows I have allowed this one to live but….. “ her sentence trails off and Ares can read between the lines enough to understand her, to understand what this boy will become. “and the mother?” he looks at the man, “Dead, my wife is dead.” The man speaks for the first time, and his voice is gentle, not what Ares would imagine a mourning man to have when faced with the son of the god his wife committed adultery with. Then again he's holding the child protectively, so Ares assumes there's much more to it.

He takes a moment, a breath of the sweet smell of fruits in the farm around them before he releases his featherlight hold on his mother, trudging over to the boy. His mortal father sets him down and the child does not hide away from Ares's intimidating figure, instead staring up at him with awe, it almost gains a chuckle from the god. Ares bends down, one knee hitting the ground as he stares at the child. “Your name is.. Yunho? “ he asks, remembering his mother's words, the child nods eagerly, reaching out a hand, “Jeong Yunho, nice to meet you sir!” he chirps.

“it is, not unpleasant to meet you either” he takes the child's hand in his, “do not refer to me as sir, from now on, I'm your brother, little prince” Ares gives a mischievous smirk as the last two words leave his lips, he can feel his mothers glare on his back, but Yunho is none the wiser. Jumping excitedly as he looks at his dad, “Really dad? He's one of my brothers?” ah-so Yunho had been told he had siblings, that's good, at least if any more are to pop up it wouldn't be a shock for the boy.

Eunwoo’s apprehensive face seems to melt away as he smiles warmly at his son, nodding in confirmation, Yunho jumps circles around Ares, the energy of a thunderstorm seeming to run through him. Ares cracks the smallest of smiles- Eros was never this energetic, nor were any of his other children, mortal or god, this boy is like a breath of fresh air. He quite enjoys it. “Ares” his mothers voice reaches his ears, it's a warning, but it's not commanding, she motions him over as he looks at her and Eunwoo seems to understand as he picks up the jumping child. “We'll be inside My Queen” he nods and Yunho waves goodbye from his fathers shoulders.

Ares walks back over to his mother as she gives Yunho a tiny wave, knowing she would go back into the home soon to soothe the thunderous offspring to sleep. “So you've chosen?“ Ares asks as he stands next to his mother. “No- and you shouldn't call him little prince, that's not what he is.” she responds, voice firm, almost as if she's scared of the repercussions his words would bring. “Not yet maybe, but I know you mother, you would not let one of father's offspring live this long- let alone help raise it- if you didn't have expectations for him”

Hera sighs but doesn't respond, she can't refute his words, because she knows it's true, she doesn't want Yunho to be apart of the world of the gods, but she knows it's inevitable - he's her chosen, the one offspring of Zeus she accepts as her own. The one who will rule Olympus if something is to happen to her or Zeus.

Yunho is the heir, but she'll be damned if she can't hide him from the king a little while longer.

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

Yunho did not like this, he did not understand it either. He didn't understand it and he didn't like it and his Dad has always told him to avoid things he felt this way about. So why was his dad making him do this? Why do they need to move?

At 14 years old, this is the first time Yunho is disagreeing with his father, he doesn't want to move. Why would he want to leave this place? a wonderful open farmland where he runs free, where he spars with his brother, where he meets his mother every night. He doesn't want to leave, but he's still following his fathers lead. He trusts the man's decision, that doesn't mean he likes it.

Standing in the newly bought house filled with boxes that still need to be unpacked, Yunho takes in how cramped everything is- well it's not cramped, but compared to the open floor plan of the farmhouse he grew up in it is. His dad said he'd make friends here but he doesn't want friends. He's too scared of hurting them, he knows he's different, knows the powers his godly parent had given him, - the power he will possess one day and he's scared to get too close to the mortals.

He may be half mortal, but he's aware of his innate ability to hurt them, and he doesn't want that. He was fine on the farm, just fine. “This will be good for you little prince” Ares ruffles his hair as the bigger god walks into the home, in one of his many human forms he's still taller than most mortals. Yunho grumbles back, swatting the elders hand away, Ares thinks this is his rebellious teenage phase, his own son was busy going through it as well, or at least that's what the kids mother said, he doesn't really know much about mortals and their ways.

“Stop calling me that” Yunho grits as he fixes his hair, he had to dye it black due to the regulations of this new city school he's going too- something about Koreans not naturally having blond hair- it's bullshit if you ask him, he wouldn't actually say that as an answer, he was raised too polite for that. But he'd definitely think it, for the first few days at least, until he gets used to it.

“Never, little prince” Ares chuckles and Yunho swears the god acts more like a child than he-the 14 year old- does. Yunho sighs as he follows Ares into the living room, throwing himself on the couch as his elder brother places down the big box in his hands, letting out a fake groan as if the box was heavy to him. “ ‘res? Were you ever scared? when you first came down to the mortal realm, yaknow interacted with the humans?” Yunho doesn't look at his brother as he asks, rather preferring to look up at the ceiling of his new home, porcelain white in contrast to the wood of his old house. He feels the couch dip as Ares sits beside him, moving his brother's legs to lay on his lap. “Now why would I be scared of mortals?” the god chuckles.

“not of them… of hurting them” Yunho clarifies and his brother sighs, “at first? no. I didn't realize how fragile they could be.. not until I had my first offspring with a human… despite having the power from me she still had her mothers mortality… safe to say she didn't last long. Is that why you don't want to be here? you're scared of hurting them?” Ares asks and Yunho finally moves his gaze to the elder, he hums in confirmation, not trusting his voice. “You're too young to be thinking like that little prince… too gentle to, you won't hurt the humans, not like you think you would”

“Ares I'm aware of the power our father gave us.. and now with Mom having claimed me as her own I…. I'm scared of myself sometimes, of the power I could possess… How could I not be scared of hurting someone weaker?“ Yunho asks, “Our mother… She's a piece of work sometimes but don't think of her claim as a burden, if anything it'll help balance you… it's a problem most demigods face, if they're godly parent has a power as strong as Zeus's well… they need to be at least acknowledged otherwise they're power will well… kill them from the inside..." Ares sighs, “Yunho you may have a destructive power, but don't think that's all it is alright? you're better than our father, it's why mom chose you.. you're special”

And before Yunho can respond, before he can say he doesn't want to be special, his dad and Hera walk in, “ah so we do all the work while you two laze around on the couch is that it? “ Eunwoo asks as Hera walks over to the two, gently slapping Ares' head as a sign for him to get up, “HEY - OW” he whines as he looks over to his mother, “we were just talking” he pouts. “don't pout, you're not a child Ares, it's unseemly” Hera says, and despite her tone there's a slight smirk on her face.

Yunho likes this, the little family that's been built around him, it may be unconventional but they're special to him.. oh… that's what Ares meant. He was special, if he wasn't special he wouldn't have his family. Maybe being special wouldn't be so bad if he could keep this peace…

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“You really need to find a way to release more energy Yunho” Eunwoo sighs as he looks out the window of their living room, the sky outside dark and dreary despite it being midday, lightning cackling, before his gaze drifts back to his son. “Your dad's right, your energy is too much for your body” Hera sighs as she stands in the entrance to the living room. “Yeah well if I could train with Ares this wouldn't be an issue” Yunho huffs, “well the city doesn't exactly have the space for that” his dad retorts and Yunho rolls his eyes. “Why not take up something after school? a sport of some kind, I hear mortal children like that!” Hera says, seemingly pleased with herself.

“Your mom’s right, why not baseball, didn't you say you found that interesting recently? some of your friends are on the team right?” his father asks and all Yunho can do in reply is hum, of course he's thought about it, but he's not the best at controlling his powers yet, something about puberty Hera told him, he kind of blocked out that part. Point is, he can't really play any power sport that is needed for him to release the energy in his body, he doesn't want to.

As much as he likes his friends, he always feels so.. distant from them, from the bonds they share.. he's tried treating everyone equally like his father said, and everyone loves him for it but…. he doesn't think they actually know him. He lets out a huff “no team sports” and Eunwoo nods his head. “hm what about dance? I've heard some of the gods have been putting their children into that recently” Hera walks over and sits on her rocking chair in the living room, nobody else sits in that chair except for her, it's like her own little throne in their home. “Dancing could be good! you have been liking those Idols recently haven't you Yunho?” his father drifts his gaze from Hera down to the boy who's still laying on the floor mindlessly throwing a soccer ball up in the air as he catches it again.

“Dance?... I mean maybe but…“ He pauses and his father seems to get what he means, “I heard of a great dance school in another town over? why don't you try that one? Come on, a few classes and if you don't like it we can try something else” Eunwoo pleads and the thunder outside crackles a bit louder, scaring Yunho into dropping the ball directly on his nose and causes Hera to hold a laugh back with her palm. “Fine I can try I guess” Yunho mutters rubbing his nose, though his mind is focused on the weather outside, he knows it's his doing, and he hates it because the more he uses his powers the greater the chance Zeus will wish to speak to him.

The god knows about Yunho by now, but after a fight with Hera had agreed to let the boy live relatively peacefully away from Olympian life, doesn't mean Yunho wants to remind him and have the god change his mind though. Besides, it won't be that bad right? it's another town over so he won't have to deal with most of his school friends hopefully, the only problem is now he needs to socialize with a new group of humans. Yay him!

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

Okay so maybe dancing isn't that bad, the kids mostly stick to their own groups or to themselves and only bother him when they need help with something. He's started picking up the moves relatively quickly and the sky's seem clearer these days, with most of his energy spent on practice, Yunho feels a bit lighter. His coach is great too, giving Yunho extra exercises or choreography when the boy asks for it, always checking up on him. It's nice, it's quiet, all he has to focus on is the music and his own footsteps, he doesn't have to worry about being overwhelmed and accidentally hurting anybody, because the passion that's quickly gripped him is becoming a grounding action.

Whenever he was in class and the kids would hoard around him, he'd rhythmically tap his foot to whatever choreography he's learning and suddenly that threatening spark that always seemed to simmer beneath his skin would be gone. It's helped him communicate more with his peers, something he's grateful for, he's always wanted to be seen as kind, and he hopes this helps him achieve it.

“Yunho, how would you feel if I introduced you to someone?“ His coach asked him one day after a particularly grueling practice, Yunho raises a brow as he drinks water, “uhm fine I think? May I ask why?” His coach sighs as he walks closer to the boy, taking out his phone seemingly texting someone. “I have this friend, he coaches at the other location this dance company has, anyway I've sat in with him a few times and you remind me a lot of one of his students… that boy is fast paced too, and he also doesn't interact much with his classmates” the coach gives Yunho a pointed look and he can't help but only give a sheepish one in return. It's really not his fault okay? He treats everyone equally, and not wanting to talk to one means not talking to the rest, not voluntarily at least.

“Anyway, me and my friend thought it might be a good idea to get you two together, you're around the same age so your styles may align” The coach looks at Yunho hopefully, the younger letting out a sigh before nodding. His coach's face instantly brightens up as he pats Yunho on the back, “GREAT! because he's here!” The elder does a weird shimmy movement with his shoulders and wiggles his brows before scurrying to the entrance before Yunho can even respond. He's left standing there, mouth agape water bottle in hand watching as his fellow classmates leave and he's stuck waiting for his coach and a new person.

It's subtle at first when he feels it, the power that shocks him out of his dissociative state. It doesn't crackle and spark like his own, doesn't burn or feel like it's clawing to go somewhere, it's more….. misty. It's cold, it's comforting almost, like a light blanket, a knitted one with holes, or maybe one made of nylon, sheer and not used to block the freezing temperature.

The hairs on the back of his hair stand up, he knows Hera had told him he'd be able to sense others like him, other demigods, but this is a surreal feeling, he's not even completely sure it's his senses calling out to someone of his kind until the boy steps into the room with his coaches in tow.

He's tall, around Yunho's height, which is weird since Yunho is only this tall at his age due to his godly connection, the boy is pale and lanky, glaces placed on his eyes, which Yunho can't see due to his fluffy dark black hair covering it. The boy is sunken in on himself, not as if he's shy, no, more so uninterested in the situation.

It's as if Yunho knows, as if a voice in his head says “this one's like you” as he stares at the boy who finally looks up at Yunho. The son of Zeus sucks in a breath as he stares at the boy's eyes, innocent and wide on all accounts but Yunho can see something more… something dark, scary, concerning…. something deadly. “Yunho, this is Mingi- he's .... “ his coach trails off, almost as if unsure on how to handle the situation, luckily the other older man, whom Yunho assumes to be the friend his coach talked about, finishes his sentence for him. “He's like you” the man says and while Yunho's first instinct would be to believe he means in terms of skill as his coach had said at first, the man's tone suggests something deeper. “Like me? “ he manages to ask, setting down his water bottle.

“Godly, divine, different, half-bred, Olympian-” the boy makes a face at the last word, “Chthonic, holier than thou, whatever you call yourself these days” the man sighs and Yunho gapes, “wait you-”

“know? yes, most company higher ups do, a lot of coaches and scouts know in order to see who they want to recruit for entertainment companies” Yunho's own coach interrupts him, “you'd be surprised at how many of your idols are godly offspring” and Yunho does not know what to do with this information. “Well, you two get acquainted, we'll be off then” Yunho's coach clasps his hands together and rushes his friend out the room, closing the door leaving only a very confused Yunho and Mingi, who seems like he doesn't want to be there.

“So uhm - I'm uh- I'm Yunho- sorry I've just never met another demigod before like - I knew others existed it's just-” Yunho's nervous rambles are cut off when the boy speaks up, “it's just Olympians like to keep their kids away from one another, think you guys are gonna rise up against them or something” Yunho nods at the boys words. “So uhm I'm guessing you aren't Olympian then?” Yunho questions as he goes to sit down against the wall, Mingi following him. “Nope, Chthonic through and through” he nods, fiddling with his fingers. “What's that like? My mom told me the Chthonic are much closer than the Olympians” Yunho turns his head to look at Mingi.

“It's nice, the outside world can be lonely so our parents help keep the kids around one another, they don't have the ego and fear the Olympians have- no offense” Mingi laughs, “None taken” Yunho responds in kind. “So I don't really know the meeting other demigod etiquette uhm would it be disrespectful to ask who your parent is?” He looks at Mingi, and deep in his heart he's hoping his new found friend maybe says Hades, maybe he and this boy could be family, a family that could understand him. “hm, My mom's mortal, I love her with all my life, but my dad-” Mingi swings his head to look at Yunho, almost hesitating “my dad's Thanatos.”

Yunho's mouth hangs open “as in-” Mingi nods, “as in god of death yep.. how about yours?” Yunho sighs, “it would be hypocritical of me to say I don't really want to share right?” Mingi turns his body to look at him, “come on dude I just told you my dad is literally death personified I don't really think I can judge” Yunho raises a brow “oh no you can judge, trust me I do.. but uhm… my dad may or may not be Zeus… “ he mumbles the last part but Mingi clearly caught it as his eyes widen “HOLY SHIT DUDE WAIT ZEUS?? AS IN?? THAT MEANS YOU'RE - oh damn give me a minute…. dammit man now I owe my cousin twenty bucks” Mingi sighs, running one of hands over his face as Yunho looks at him confused. “you what??”

“bro the fates are real chatty and my aunt is like their favorite or whatever so they tell her stuff and they told her about one of Zeus's kids being spared cause Hera liked him then she told me and my cousin and we had a whole debate about it man” He takes a breath, “but damn Zeus as a dad's gotta be rough.. and I thought having to deal with grandma on monthly dinners was tough” Yunho looks at Mingi, and something in him hurts, the way he speaks of other godly beings, of family apart of this world, it's something Yunho yearns for. “and by aunt, grandma and cousin you mean…. “ Yunho trails off, not knowing who to refer to. Mingi's mouth makes an ‘o’ shape at the realization that Yunho wouldn't know who he was talking about, “uhm my aunt, she's a demi god- I don't think you'd know her, her names Kyu, by grandmother I mean her mother, Nyx, and my cousin is a son of Hypnos, his names Hyunjin” Mingi nods as he explains.

“Wait Nyx had kids??” Yunho asks and Mingi looks at him confused, “yeah dude like so many literally -” “no- no not godly kids like, like demigods?” he asks again more clearly. “Oh yeah well she and Grandpa Erebus were bored so they decided fuck it! and each went to a couple of their own choosing and had a kid, Grandma had a daughter, my aunt Kyu, and grandpa had a son, my uncle Kai” Mingi nods. “wow.. that's… hmhm damn, how old are they?” he asks, not really knowing how to process the information just yet, “well my aunt's our age, a few months younger than me actually and my uncle is like a year older than us- enough about my family though, tell me about yours, come on I gotta know HOW you managed to stay alive” Mingi looks at Yunho wide eyed with a smile.

He likes this, having a friend that understands him, he thinks he could get used to it. He hopes he and Mingi can stay friends, he'd like to hear more about the other's family, and wish that one day he can maybe be as close to those of his own.

Nyx was bored, she was so unbelievably bored. The entertainment of watching the mortals under her night sky could only last so long until the stories got repetitive, working with her children didn't really bring her joy. as much as she loved them, they were all grown now and their work was their own. She tried being a receptionist to help sort souls who had recently died and send them to her son Charon for travel, but a few to many mortals had got on her nerves and ended in the nothingness, so she was asked to leave ‘for a while’ which was Hades code for “please for the love of god this is too much paperwork”

Nyx wasn't childish, not by any means, no she was strong and powerful, she was feared, but when you leave an offspring of Chaos alone for too long… Well then she gets a bit restless. So, she bounds over to her husband, deciding he would indulge her in her boredom. Stepping into her cave she immediately feels the surge of power as her bare feet step on the dark void of a floor, her cave had always been where she felt the most powerful. It was her home, where she and her husband reside and where she had birthed her children.

“Honeyyyyyy I'm bored” she yells, placing her chin on his cloaked shoulder when she finds him sitting in his office, her husband's mostly made of smoke and darkness that can't really be solidified, but he does have a cloak that gives him a semi physical form. “And what could I do to cure that boredom, My Night?” he asks, voice monotone as always, her husbands never really been one to show emotion, but she's fine with that, she knows him well enough to understand him even when his tone seems disinterested to others. She hums as she thinks for a moment, watching him move pages around until a specific name catches her eye, she leans over him and stops his movements, placing her finger on the name that's written in dark black ink “Kai.” she states, “Kai? “ her husband asks.

“mhm, shouldn't he be ready by now? I wanna play with him” she clasps her hands together as she bounds to the other side of her husbands desk, sitting on a chair in front of him, “My Night, Human babies take nine months to form, he has currently only been in his mothers womb for eight” he states softly, “besides we agreed to let his mortal parents raise him as they see fit until he decides if he wants to be apart of this world himself, no?“ he tilted his head to his wife, reminding her of the rule she had set in place. Despite her seemingly bubbly nature she was always serious when it came to her offspring, step child or not.

She groans and sinks further into the chair “but I'm bored and the kids are all grown up and I have no one to play with” she pouts and Erebus lets out a chuckle, “Well I'm sure the King and Queen would allow you to borrow Cerebus for a while to play” he hums, but his wife seems to have other plans. She slams her hands on the table, standing up and sending the chair flying “I want a baby” she looks him in the eye, dead serious.

He sighs, realizing he is not getting any work done while she's here and sets down the papers in his hand “you want a baby?” he asks for confirmation and she nods, “come on so many of the gods had kids recently, even our sons! let's have a baby hm? come on imagine another little running around the cave!” she looks at him hopefully.

“My Night, firstly, if you wanted a baby we both know you could have just created one-” she nods, as she sits back down, “-which makes me believe there's a bit more to this. Secondly, if you make another child alone or with me that offspring would be a god- and as much as I love our children, I believe we have enough gods running amok already-” he points to the papers in front of him again, who knew helping consult Hades would be this tiring, Erebus hasn't needed Hypnos’s help to sleep since he took on this job in his wife's stead. “Thirdly, I don't think Zeus would take too kindly to us creating another god, you remembered how he was every time you announced another offspring, how he was when Hades had told him about Kai” Erebus finished and Nyx scoffs.

“Zeus can go suck another dick for all I care” she grumbles, she never really liked him, sure he was sweet when he was still a babe, she remembered Rhea showing Zeus to her, but she's always preferred Aidoneus more- or well Hades as he liked to be called now. “My Night I know you dislike him but he's still king-” she rolls her eyes, “yeah of Olympus” her husband nods his head, “- of Olympus and we really don't wish to cause little Hades any more trouble now do we?” he asks and she nods, she really likes little Aidoneus and knows her nature sometimes causes him enough trouble with his brother as is.

“Now, you agree with what I've said so tell me what this is really about him?” His voice is still monotone, and would be considered cold and crude to an outsider, but she loves her husband, and she can sense the softness in his tone. “Just… When you helped that couple conceive Kai, we went through so many couples who wished to receive this blessing, so many who wished to have more children and that made me so grateful for my babies but- they aren't my babies anymore yaknow? they grew up so quickly and I-” She stops herself, but Erebus finished her sentence for her, “you wish to have a child that does not grow as quickly? “ she nods.

“I want a mortal- well half mortal- demigod I think the others call it I just- I want one” she pouts at Erebus, and it's not the one she usually has, the one she gives him when she's in trouble or being petty, it's not the one that reminds him despite their age she's still his little sister. No this one is sad, it holds a sense of longing he last saw her have when she watched Rhea hold little Aidoneus, wishing for more of her own.

Erebus sighs, “okay” he gives a nod, “okay? “ she asks hopefully, “it might not hurt for Kai to have a younger sibling of his own kind…. besides the Fates mentioned something to me yesterday… so I think this might already be written in stone.”

Nyx stops her joyful kicking in the air as she looks back at her husband, “what did they say?” she asks curiously, worried about anything that may pertain to her future stepson or the prospect of her own half- mortal child. “I wasn't exactly listening, you know how they love to gossip, but they mentioned something about a lightning storm at night- I'm assuming that's probably just going to be Zeus overreacting to the news” he hums. “I swear I ought to teach that little lightning bolt a-” “ah My Night, why don't you focus on choosing the prospects for your child hm?” He tries to stop his wife from her vengeful tangent, already seeing the darkness creeping up on the tips of her fingers. It was daytime currently, so his wife was sporting her paler skin shade, not yet was it time for night to overtake her when she had to go to work.

In an instant the darkness dies back down and she lights up- figuratively of course, she stands and rushes to the door in excitement, before rushing back to him and placing a kiss on his head then out the door she went, screaming about how she's going to go sit with Persephone and look through the candidates her and Erebus had used for Kai again. He just sighs, mentally apologizing to the Queen of the underworld - wait no she'd enjoy this, mentally apologizing to Hades for having the time with his wife be interrupted.

Kyu loved her mother, really she did, the goddess was sweet and kind, always having love for her children- but she was playful too, as a daughter of Chaos she never allowed her family to forget where they came from, no day was spent without even the tiniest of a mischievous slip in her voice. It always brought a smile to Kyu's face, when she would fight with her mortal parents or be under the stress of her academics, her mothers eyes would sparkle with the most chaotic twinkle, letting her daughter know that everything would be okay.

Kyu loved her mother, but she was nothing like her, she couldn't be. She wanted to, gods sometimes she wished she could be as carefree, as mischievous. When she was younger, she would play around with her brother, Kai, they would pull pranks on their elder godly siblings, but she couldn't be that person anymore.

It started when she was six, her mortal parents had gone through a rough patch of sorts, partying on weekends and fighting when they thought she was asleep. She started spending more time with her nephews, visiting her mothers cave more, anything to just get away, to have the chance to be a kid without worries. She loved her mortal parents, and as much as it killed her she had to admit that despite their efforts those memories of her early childhood will always haunt her.

Her fellow demigods had become her refuge, her brother whom she didn't see a lot was a constant comfort for her, always shadow traveling to her when his own parents had gotten a little too much, he truly helped her feel at home. Her closest nephew Hyunjin, son of Hypnos, who lived just a few streets down would always come to her and excitedly show a new dance he'd learned. The boy loved the activity, and she could tell he'd have a future in it. Her other Nephew Mingi, son of Thanatos, she didn't see as often, he lived a bit away so their only interactions were at family dinners but she loved him deeply, her little - not little he had always been taller than her, and older at that- but he was still her little joy.

Being the youngest, her love for her family was as endless as the night sky itself, and for a while, that love was extended to Erin Gim. She met him when they were both thirteen, school had just started getting serious when she met him, an offspring that held the chaos a part of her craved to release when her powers got too much. He was her tiny piece of freedom under the crumbling pressure of being perfect, of upholding the image of the perfect and regal night's daughter.

It was such a cheesy story really, the goody two shoes, top of the grade class president and the delinquent that barely showed up for class, highschool sweethearts. Every endeavor she had pursued, he was there supporting her. Sure the relationship wasn't conventional, sure he wasn't always there, sure she didn't always feel comfortable enough to tell him everything she was feeling… but that was normal right? yeah it was… it was completely normal, everyone had things they kept to themselves. So yes, her love had been extended to him as well… until it wasn't.

Her entire family had decided to go into the glorious industry of the elite, Kai had become a designer in his own right, both her nephews decided they wanted to be Idol's, use their talents to connect with others and she… she just wanted to stay alive, to survive. Erin had become a bit more.. controlling, he would accompany her to classes, an action originally seen as sweet now a looming figure warning her of the dangers of a misstep.

“I love you honey, you know that” he'd always say, stroking her cheeks as tears fell from her eyes, she'd try to hide them in the beginning, but there was a point where she just gave in. “It's only because I love you that I'm doing this, if I'm to rule one day with you by my side, then you will need to be able to stand the ridicule you'll inevitably face” he'd speak softly, soothing tone and warm eyes contrasting his words, if she had been deaf his expression would have reminded her of the boy she loved. Yet she was only falling, falling deeper into the lost space of uncertainty.

She didn't know what to do with her life, so she decided to follow her family, without the liberty of creative freedom, she signed up to JYP entertainment for a management position and luckily she had been accepted. Some shadow program thing, she had been instated as the manager for a young trainee, a boy named Kim Seungmin, son of Demeter. He was sweet, clearly too scared to show it, but Kyu knew, she always did. She was good at reading people. The way little petals would fall from his fingers when he was praised, the small quirk of his lips when he saw something funny. It was a cruel business, but Kyu was determined to help this boy every step of the way. She guessed she'd gotten that maternal instinct from her mother.

Her work was her escape from Erin, he thought it was a good thing that she was networking with other demigods. Recently he's had this fixation, believing he and her could have some sort of uprising, rule the underworld in Hades and Persephone's stead, she learned to ignore his rambles. Throwing herself into working, taking on more responsibilities and opportunities than any other manager of her level, it was the perfect excuse, one to get her away from Erin, one he couldn't refute.

Of course she'd thought of leaving him, of telling someone, anyone of the downward spiral he was going through, but she'd spent too many years on this, on him. She wouldn't be seen as weak, wouldn't let her mothers reputation fall because she was too blindsided to know when she was being used. She just couldn't, she felt weak before him and she hated being weak, she wouldn't let others think of her as that either.

Deep in the back of her mind, her heart screamed at her that this wasn't true, that her soul was not meant to be hurt in the way it was, that it was meant to be cherished. Her family wouldn't be upset, wouldn't be mad she ruined their image, they would be rageful and that scared her even more. For if her mother were to take her anger out on Eris? it would simply upset the balance of nature. Kyu couldn't be the reason for that, she wasn't important enough in her own mind to be.

She only felt strong when others leaned on her, asked for support, looked up to her like an older sister or a mother. When Seungmin would come to her for comfort, when coworkers asked her for help, when God's complimented her maturity, she felt pride, like she was succeeding in a legacy of powerful, capable women, like she was worthy of being her mother's daughter. When Stray kids was formed, the company didn't really care much for them, decided that nine managers would be too many for a group that had the possibility of not succeeding, stating that only one manager would oversee the group and they had to decide who it was. The others immediately withdrew their own names, all young and too scared to take the risk, Kyu with her cousin and the boy she had taken under her wing on the line, decided she would do so.

That's how she got the position she was in now, head manager of the big fourth gen group Stray kids, although they had now downsized to eight she still couldn't be more proud of her boys. She'd never regret her decision, not aloud at least, she loved the boys really, they were like her own family, parts of her life she could not live without. Especially after her brother had been hired as a stylist for Minho, it felt like everything was complete, as complete as it could be. She'd watch the stolen glances between Kai and Felix, the giggles of Minho when he was plotting something, hear Changbin's warm laugh echo around the halls and envelope those around him in the comfort of his mothers hearth, watch Chan's sleepy eyes droop when he stays up in the studio, see Hyunjin slip a little sleeping potion in said leaders drink to have the man rest. She'd watch Han do something so hilariously stupid that Jeongin can't help but smile, bringing him out of his own mental spiral.

And while she'd never tell the others, her favorite thing to observe was a sleepy Seungmin, when he was all mope-y, when he finally fell asleep on the couch in her office after a long day yet refusing to go back to the dorms without her. He always looked so cute when he slept, little leaves sometimes forming from his hair if he had a good dream. She understood Demeter’s protectiveness over her children, especially with a son as cute as Seungmin. She mentally promised the goddess to look after the boy, and Kyu would never break a promise, especially not one as close to her own heart.

“You really need to stop babying him,” Kai sighs, whispering as he walks into Kyu's office. A sleepy Seungmin rests on the couch with Kyu's favorite blanket draped over him. “and you really need to stop avoiding Felix” she bites back, not looking up from the files on her desk as she writes. “Hey that's different and you know it” he immediately responds as he falls into the chair opposite her by her desk. She nods agreeing, doesn't mean she'll verbalize it though.

“Seriously though Kyu at this point you and Demeter have shared custody” Kai steals one of her pens and starts doodling on the corner of a paper closest to him, “okay and? I love Demeter so that's not a bad thing” she hums in response and Kai groans, “that's not what I meant” his voice remains monotone despite the playful atmosphere, he's always been like that, much like his father when it comes to showing emotion.

“Then what did you mean?” She finally looks up at him, “What I mean is you've been here a lot recently… and when you don't go home he doesn't go home. You baby him and now he's too attached” Kai still continues his doodles, “I have work to do I can't go home right now-” I don't want to “-I'll get him home soon so you can tell Lix to stop worrying” She says as she looks back down at her files. Kai stops his drawing, the reasoning behind his questioning being caught.

There's a moment of silence as Kai places the pen back in its place, “Seriously though, you have been spending too much time here recently - and don't tell me it's a work overload cause we both know that's bullshit”

“Erin's just been a bit stressed lately - you know I don't like being in stressed environments so I'm just letting him cool off” Kyu speaks, her response almost rehearsed in its entirety, Kai gives her a look, as if he doesn't believe her. Because he doesn't, he knows his little sister better than anyone, but they've had one too many fights about this, about Erin. He can't bring up his accusations and worries again, while not baseless his sister always manages to hide whatever proof he might find.

“hm, just don't stay here too late- or I'll sick Hyunjin on you” He hums as he stands up, taping her desk three times, she taps back subconsciously, “yeah yeah- now get out before you wake up Min” she throws a pencil at him and he lifts his hands in surrender as he backs out, silently leaving the office. She looks over at Seungmin and sighs, knowing her brother was right, and mentally preparing herself to go home so that she can ensure Seungmin went back to his own dorms.

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“I'm home” Kyu says softly as she opens the door to her apartment, sighing in relief as she shrugs off her coat and heels and puts on her slippers, she places her keys down as she walks more into her home, she hears a bit of noise in the kitchen. “Erin?” before she reaches the room her boyfriend comes jumping out of the kitchen, “Hi!” he seems excited, that's good, he leans forward to hug her. She doesn't like the way he hugs her, he's taller than her, so he always wraps his arms around her neck, she feels more trapped than comforted when he does this, reminded of far too many times his arms around her neck were threatening to find peace in them now.

“So I bought some stuff for cookies cause I was in the mood right? but I kind of forgot that I can't bake so I thought ‘hey! you know who can bake? My girlfriend! we should make a date out of it’ so I set everything out and well yeah what do you think” He smiles at her, one of the rare times there doesn't seem to be any intent of anything else behind. “hm that sounds nice, but I'm kind of tired. Could we maybe do this tomorrow?” she looks up at him, her words carefully and tone soft as she speaks.

His face drops, it's not really that noticeable, but Kyu knows how to read him by now, “are you sure? if we bake them now they'll be ready and you can take some to work tomorrow, you always like a sweet treat at work don't you?” he rubs her arms in mock comfort as he speaks down to her, it's supposed to be a reassuring tone but it makes her feel inferior to him and she hates that, because she knows it's not true- she knows and yet- yet she feels like it is.

He really doesn't know her, if he did he'd know she actually hates eating things like cookies when at work, prefers little snacks, things that don't make a mess. She also doesn't like apples, and knowing Erin he's going to want to make an apple cookie. “yeah-yeah uhm just let me go put on some more comfortable clothes and-” She's interrupted by Erin, “no come on, you can get dressed when we're done hm? cause then you can shower and you'll be all clean after we played around with the flour” he drags her to the kitchen and she sighs but doesn't fight back knows she can't.

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“guys guys guys guys did Persephone by any chance I don't know like have a kid” Yunho asks as he rushes over to his fellow Ateez members, almost sliding past them as they stand backstage in their allocated rooms of the Kingdom set, “Melinoe and Zagreus - did you not listen when we were taught -” Hongjoong starts as he looks confused at Yunho, who stops his leader from talking, “no-no not them like a demigod kid-like us” Yunho asks, his voice almost a bit frantic. “uhm no? Dude she and Hades are like, so in love I don't think they'd ever really have any demigod children” Seonghwa hums, eyes leaving his phone to look up at Yunho, “why?”

Yunho sighs as he sinks into the couch beside San, “because I think I just found the love of my life”, his words hang in the air for a second before all hell breaks loose, everyone whipping their heads to him. “WHAT?” Wooyoung yells as both he and Yeosang zero in on Yunho, “mhm.. she was so pretty and she smelled like strawberries” he smiles blissfully as he thinks back, head resting on the couch rest behind him as he looks up at the ceiling.

“oh so that's why you thought she was Persephone's? strawberries?” Jongho asks, trying to make sense of the situation, Yunho only nods in response. The members have learned not to ask him how he knows when someone is like them, he has a sense for it. “and you're in love?” Yeosang asks slowly, as if he's doubting Yunho. He's never shown any interest in someone before, so while this could be a good thing the timing of it all was not. “yeah…. HEY! doesn't Demeter have a kid!” Yunho shoots up, “I mean I thought she was Chthonic but maybe I was wrong yaknow? I mean Demeter that's -” Yunho shoots up as he thinks, “that would mean she's my cousin” he groans as he falls back.

“well good thing is as far as I know Demeter only has one kid- and he's a son, and apart of Stray kids so I don't think your mystery girl is your cousin if that gives you any hope” Jongho says, “hey didn't Mingi say his aunt worked for stray kids right? If she's a staff member, maybe she can help you guess who your mystery girl is? I mean there aren't any girl groups here so the only women would be other staff members or… partners” San offers the last word a bit hesitantly, afraid of what Yunho's reaction might be. Yunho always feels deeply, even if he doesn't show it to many, even if he tries to remain neutral.

Yunho doesn't seem to register the last word though, as he looks at San in excitement, “YES! yes oh you're a genius I could kiss you” Yunho turns to San, holding his face in his hands before he springs up, “hey where do you think you're going?” Hongjoong asks as he sees Yunho walk back to the door, “to find Mingi's aunt? I can just go find Hyunjin and ask him who she is and then I'll ask her who-” Yunho's rambling is cut off. “You can do that after the performance, we're about to be called for filming and I'm not having you be missing when we need to go up there” Hongjoong gives him a stern look, “But-” Yunho starts to protest but is once again cut off, this time by a knock on the door.

“Ateez? it's almost time, we're going to need you to get in positions” a staff yells from outside the door, and Hongjoong raises his hand in a ‘see?’ motion. “Come on Yun, you'll probably see her when we go stand out there yeah? Just do your best with this performance and impress her” San squeezes Yunho's shoulders as he stands next to him, “yeah yeah yeah I can do that - I can do this” Yunho psych's himself up as he looks at his members, eyes filled with determination.

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“Oh I can't do this, I can't fucking do this she's looking at me- guys she's looking at me fuck, are these cameras on? shit my knees feel like jelly, Holy Kronos her eyes are so pretty” Yunho speed mumbles as staff fixes his outfit, eyes focused on the woman across the room who's currently talking to Stray kids, as if she's scolding them and they're hanging onto her every word. He would hang on even tighter if he was able to get just a little closer, to hear her voice.

“oh? which one is she?” Yeosang asks as he looks over the staff in front of him, “The one scolding Stray kids like a Queen with her servants- she'd make such a good Queen don't you think? I know mom said I need to find someone to rule beside me-” He starts again, “Okay slow your role buddy you don't even know her name yet, seems like she's their main manager though. Wait isn't that-” Yeosang’s realization is cut off by San, “That my friend, is Mingi's aunt” he says as he smirks, Wooyoung's head suddenly poking out from behind him, “Oh shit Yunho fell in love with Mingi's AUNT??” he shouted.

“shut up shut up I did not” Yunho reached over to slap his hand over Wooyoung's mouth, accidentally knocking the staff in front of him out of the way, apologizing immediately when he noticed, “oh you so did” Yeosang says from where he stands, “Ohh Mingi isn't gonna like thissssss” he continues, “I did NOT fall for Mingi's aunt okay? that's not Mingi's aunt-” Yunho tries to defend, retreating his hand from Wooyoung's mouth “Oh no that's definitely his aunt he showed us a picture” Yeosang hums as he motions his fingers between himself and San, who nods in agreement.

Yunho looks at them, his lips pressing into a thin line as he seems to take in the information, he starts nodding slowly as the members around him watch, waiting for some sort of reaction. “You think he'd be okay if I gave him a shirt that says ‘you're my favorite nephew’” Yunho asks thoughtfully, although his face is almost void as he continues nodding his head as if all of this is just normal. Jongho looks at him as if he's just lost his mind. “First of all- ouch” the younger says in mock offense, clearly not liking his title being given away, “secondly, no I don't think he'd be too fond of that” his tone is almost deadpan, as if it's the most obvious opinion in the world.

“WRONG, Wooyoung next opinion” Yunho turns to the giggling menace, completely disregarding the staff who just huffs and gives up on styling him further,. “I think you should go for it, yaknow give Mingi a cousin” Wooyoung wiggles his brows as Seonghwa smacks him upside the head, “hey! your mom is like- the queen of breeding kinks you should agree with me!“ he tries to defend himself, only for Seonghwa to start chasing him around their little group huddle and trying to smack him.

“okay so don't follow Wooyoungs advice” Yeosang looks to Yunho with a facial expression that asks ‘can you really believe he said that?’ but stops once he realizes that Yunho actually looks as if he's contemplating it. “Yunho. Don't listen to Wooyoung.” he tries to snap his roommate out of it, but it seems to be of no use, “no, no he's got a point, I mean I'm my dads heir right? so obviously I need to have an heir” he nods again, as if all of life is finally starting to fall into place. “yeah, but uhm, in all Mingi's rambles about his aunt I think you're forgetting a very important detail” San says as he winces.

“wait you're so right I know her name now!” Yunho bounces, hands on San’s shoulders, “Thank you San this is so-” Yunho's enthusiasm is stopped by the mountain boys hands atop his own, “yeah that's good but I wasn't talking about that Yunho…“ San says almost sympathetically, Yunho tilts his head confused, the smile on his face turning strained but still there.

“Places everyone, we're starting in five!” a crew members voice reverberates through the large set, as everyone starts to shuffle into place San moves Yunho so he's looking back over at Stray kids, specifically at their manager who's walking away from them and going to stand next to a man who's slightly taller than her, he places a hand on her shoulder comfortingly as she breathes out and places her hand atop his, watching Stray kids walk to their position. “I'm talking about the fact that she has a boyfriend… “ San says and he starts moving, slightly pushing Yunho to walk with the rest of them.

“oh” Yunho lets out a sound, eyes locked on the two, he remembers, Mingi talking about his aunts boyfriend, he remembers Mingi asking Yunho if he knows him since the man was from Zeus's line. Yunho remembers once how Mingi had brought up a concern that maybe this guy wasn't the best for her, but never talked about it again after that. His eyes stay locked on them as he's swept with his members to their places, and it seems the other man notices, his gaze that seemed kind turns to Yunho, and there's a glint of recognition in his eyes begore his gaze turns cold.

He stares at Yunho, who's eyes flick between their faces and the hand Erin, because he remembers his name now, has on Kyu's , because god he knows her name now too, shoulder. Erin's eyes turn dark, staring Yunho down as if assessing an enemy before a slight smirk pulls at his lips as he pulls Kyu just a bit closer, and she leans in as if it's instinct, as if its natural. It seems so comforting, so loving, but something about it makes Yunho's stomach churn. “come on dude we have to go, we can talk about this after the performance yeah?” Hongjoong nudges him, trying to gain his attention and thankfully it works.

Yunho nods and puts on the best smile he could muster as he pulls his eyes away from the couple before anyone else could notice his staring. Unfortunately he pulled his gaze away just in time to not notice the way Erin ducked down to whisper in Kyu's ear, to not notice the way she clenched her fist and her posture went rigid beneath her boyfriends hold.

On the other side of the room, Kyu's nervous, her boys are about to perform and she has Erin breathing down her back, invading her safe workspace because whenever she has to be on filming's like these he insists to come with her, to meet the people she'll be spending months with. She feels his breath ghost over her neck, because he doesn't like it when she wears her hair down, “Someone's got an interest in you it seems, don't have it continue, before I get interested in them too hm?” he places his other hand on her hip, rubbing circles that would seem comforting to others, but only feel threatening to her. She doesn't know who he's referring to, but by the gods does she wish whoever that is leaves her alone. Lest Erin gain interest, it didn't go well the last time.

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“come onn we're like way much more fun you should switch to join us” Han whines from where he lays on the couch, kicking his legs as if to prove the point of his little overdramatic tantrum, Kyu sighs as she sits on the floor, her laptop propped on the coffee table in front of her as she types away, “I've already told you, I'm not managing the rap unit, the head managers pulled straws, I didn't get you.” she explains for what feels like the hundredth time. The mayfly units have been formed and to take some stress off of all the managers they decided they'd draw straws, some would be in charge of certain units while others could relax at least a little, unfortunately Kyu drew a work straw.

“exactly besides she's already going to exchange to be with us, duh” Seungmin retorts as he sits next to Kyu, playing with a piece of her hair like a cat as he keeps braiding and unbraiding it. Han sticks out his tongue at the younger, “that is just unfair- THIS IS NEPOTISM!“ he shoots up, pointing an accusatory finger at Felix. “just because we joke about Kyu being his mother doesn't mean she actually is” Minho remarks as both Kyu and Seungmin make an “ehh” sound while shrugging they're shoulders. “SEE?? NEPOTISM” Han looks at the others as if asking for backup.

“It's not nepotism because I'm not changing to the vocal unit either” she sighs out again and Seungmin makes a noise of protest, “HAH! suck it losers” Kai huffs from where he sits styling Felix's hair, nobody knows why since they don't have a schedule right now, but they've learned not to question whatever excuse the two make to spend time together. “why are you happy, it's not as if she's there for you” Minho days and Kai throws something at him in response, “yeah she's clearly not wanting to leave the dance unit cause she wants to meet San” Changbin stirs the pot a bit more, Kyu finally looks up to him.

“No, I'm doing this because it would be unfair to the other managers if I just-” Kyu's explanation is cut off by Seungmin, “Be honest, are you going to abandon me for him? because like I'm so much better I can do PLANTS he's like- just the mountains” he huffs out. “You're worse than a three year old when he gets a baby sibling dude you are a grown man stop this… it's just sad and weird at some point.. “ Jeongin says as he lays on the other couch, sipping on a juice box Kai had gotten him as he plays game son the elders phone, “hypocrite” Seungmin mumbles.

“I still find it funny that Mingi isn't your Ateez bias I mean he's your nephew” Chan speaks up from where he's typing away at his own laptop, “Seonghwa’s your brother and yet he's not your bias either” Kyu retorts back and Chan immediately goes silent again. “Okay that's not fair you know Chan's never even really met the guy except for recently” Kai says as he drops down onto the couch next to Jeongin, finally done with Felix hair that definitely doesn't look the exact same as when he started. Kyu turns her head to her brother, “He's your nephew too and last time I heard he was not your bias” Kai's lips press I to a line as he hears his sisters words, “yeah no sorry Chan you're alone with this one” he nods, “wait who's your Ateez bias?” Felix asks confusedly, “don't worry about” Kai responds immediately and Felix makes a face that lets everyone else know he is definitely going to worry about it.

“Besides I just think san is cute is all” Kyu shrugs, and before Minho can make a sarcastic retort she continues, “in the way I think Seungmin is cute not the way I think Erin is don't even start” she says accusingly and Minho lifts his hand in mock surrender, “keeping quiet.”

“Good, now speaking of Erin, if you'll excuse me I need to go talk to him” she sighs as she picks up her phone, walking out of the room as she brings it to her ear and they hear the fading dial tone. “So are we all just going to act like that Yunho guy that's in the dance unit hasn't been bugging us about Kyu like the whole show?” Kai asks as he looks around, “oh yeah, Zeus's kid got it bad” Minho whistles, “Hey I think it's cute, he's just being shy” Felix muses as he smiles, “It's annoying” Kai looks at him with a deadpan expression, “I don't want to be answering questions about my sister all day” he groans.

“He's hopeful, I don't think it'll ever really work with Zeus not liking Nyx and all, they're opposites, but cut the kid some slack” Changbin huffs, “kid? he's your age- actually I think he beats you by a few months” Han looks at him weirdly as he speaks. “I don't see how them being opposites should stop any feelings, sometimes you just can't help it” Felix shrugs as he sneaks a glance at the back of Kai's head, the fatigue of having spent the day with the son of darkness is starting to reach him but he doesn't want to let it show, so he blinks rapidly as he looks back to the rest in the room.

“I think we're all forgetting the fact that she has a boyfriend whom she's been with since like- highschool?” Jeongin questions, “that seems like the actual issue here” Seungmin looks back at him, “yeah but do any of us actually like Erin” he asks and nobody responds, “we may not enjoy his company but he's good for her so how bout we all just stay out of it hm?” Chan looks at his members as they nod at their leader's words, Kai lets out a low grumble of something they can't really hear, but they ignore it anyway, used to him sometimes mumbling to himself. Felix doesn't though, he could never ignore a word Kai says, and he tries so hard to focus, hearing the words “not really” after Chan had said that Erin was good for Kyu, and he furrows his brows as he looks at the love of- as he looks at Kai.

“hey guys I just got a text, they changed some schedules so they want the dance unit to meet and film now” Kyu sighs as she walks back in, clearly not happy that the schedule was moved up a few hours. “I thought you were talking with Erin?” Seungmin asks, “hm, I was, but then I got the text so I needed to come back- he understood” she reassured the boy as she ruffled his hair, packing up her own things. “I'm gonna meet you guys in the car okay? “ She looks at the boys assigned to her unit, “meet me there in ten. ”

“Yo do you need me? “ Kai asks lazily, “yeah, you're Minho's stylist and he's gonna be on camera so kind of” she looks at him as if he just asked the dumbest question, and he just repeats her words mockingly to himself as he stands up and shrugs on his jacket. “Can I call shotgun? I don't wanna sit between these two” Minho moves his fingers to point between Kai and Felix as he looks at Kyu hopefully, wanting to persuade her into giving up her seat. “Nope, I'm manager, I call the shots, I get shotgun, just sit somewhere else in the back” she shrugs before walking out and Minho groans in disappointment.

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“You don't have to stare at her that hard, yaknow, she doesn't bite…. unless that's what you want?” Felix startles Yunho as he creeps up behind the taller, his eyebrow raising. Yunho almost jumps as he turns around, spluttering and trying to defend himself, “staring? pfft what? no who's staring? not me nope, no sir” he scratches the back of his neck before sighing, “is it that obvious?” he winces as he asked, and Felix just nods. “yeah, but she doesn't notice don't worry” Felix tries to reassure him, “I don't know if that's a god or bad thing” Yunho sighs, and Felix hums in acknowledgement as his gaze drifts over to Kai for just a moment before moving back to where his manager is talking to an overly enthusiastic San.

“You don't have to kill him either, if you're jealous I mean. Kyu-noona has this thing of taking people in” Felix looks at Yunho, who returns his gaze confusedly, “aren't you supposed to be telling me to stay away from her? that she has a boyfriend?” he tilts his head as the question flows from his lips. “Probably, but I'm not her keeper so…. “ Felix makes this weird spinning motion with his fingers as he drags out his last word, starting to move away from Yunho, hips first as he leans his head back and holds the elders gaze before eventually releasing it and bouncing off to Wooyoung.

Yunho muses over Felix's words, while he would never actually try anything with her if she was in a happy relationship, talking to her couldn't hurt right? All he knows about her is what he's heard from Mingi, and from the research he's been not so sneakily doing but nobody needs to know that last part. Having an actual conversation with her might be good, maybe he could get over this feeling then, maybe it's all just intrigue, the mystery of her.

He steels his nerves as he walks over, thinking he could just use San as a bridgeway to enter the conversation but the slippery bastard spots Yunho first and moves away just in time where he can act like he didn't see Yunho coming but also in time for Yunho to look weird if he turns around now since he's basically already in front of Kyu. He stares down at her, blinking rapidly, by the gods she's even prettier up close, he swear with every blink he's taking a photo to keep stored in his mind, engraving another piece of her face in his memory as each second he spots another interesting feature, each more beautiful than the ones before.

“Hello? is there something I can help you with Mr. Jeong?” Kyu asks after a moment of silence, not understanding why he's not speaking. From what Mingi had told her about his best friend, which was a lot, he was quite a joyful person around most, so her first concern was that the man maybe didn't feel well. Were the lights hurting his eyes? He was blinking pretty rapidly. “You smell like strawberries” is what he blurts out, so many thoughts had been running through his mind and that was all he could get out.

She blinks at him as his own eyes widen in shock, he claps his hand over his mouth as if he can't believe his own words. “Oh my gods I'm so-” he tries to save himself but Kyu lift a hand to stop him, “It's alright, I've heard a lot about you so I'll try and not let this weird first conversation derail my view of you” she laughs slightly, clearly joking although Yunho lets out a breath of relief. “I'm uh I'm Yunho- but I guess you already know that” he says awkwardly, rolling on the balls of his feet, “I do know who you are, Son of Zeus. My mother speaks highly of you” she nods.

“Your - your mother speaks of me?“ Yunho asks, his voice breaking in surprise, internally his hopes already deflating, knowing the mistress of night isn't fond of his father. “Only good things lightning boy don't worry” she huffs out a slight piece of laughter, and Yunho relief is clouded by the loud thumping of his heart at the sound of her laughter. “Good things? that's not what I expected… but I'm glad then, I do have a lot of respect for your mother” Hera has taught Yunho how to keep his composure under many a circumstance, but he feels like all that training is going down the drain as his palms become more clammy, the urge to reach his hands out and cradle her own becoming almost overwhelming.

“hm, and she you, she does prefer you over your father so-” Kyu steps forward, placing a hand on Yunho's chest and patting it comfortingly, “-you have my family's support when your time comes at least, Lightning boy” there's a playful gleam in her eyes, one that reminds Yunho of her lineage and one that makes him yearn to join whatever game she wishes to play, even if he loses. She walks away, joining her brother and Felix, the former looking at Yunho with a thoughtful expression, or at least, what Yunho preserves to be one.

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“You're kidding me right…. “ Mingi says as he stares at his best friend through the screen. Yunho sits legs crossed and hands intertwined as if he's offering a proposition to a professional employer. “oh no he's like, dead serious, like it's bad, like I had to ask Eros if he didn't accidentally shoot Yunho with an Arrow bad“ Yeosang says as he sits beside his roommate, staring at Mingi who looks like he's just been told his best friend is in love with his aunt- oh wait that's exactly what happened.

“Listen I didn't know she was your aunt when I fell in love-” Yunho tries to convince Mingi, “STOP SAYING YOU'RE IN LOVE YOU BARELY KNOW HER??” he shouts through his phone, gripping his hair as he stares at him incredulously. “Listen Mingi love knows no bounds-” Yunho starts again, “THERE ARE NO BOUNDS TO KNOW YOU'VE KNOWN HER FOR A MONTH” Mingi stops him, Yeosang huffs out a breath of laughter and Yunho shoots him a look. “Listen, I'm not asking for your permission or anything, it's not like I'm going to act on it, I mean she has a boyfriend. I just thought I should tell you” Yunho shrugs. Mingi takes a deep breath before leaning forward and getting a bit closer to the screen, “and you're sure you like her? like, what scale of like is this? Is it like a playground crush? puppy love?” he asks.

“It's like…” Yunho stops a moment, trying to find his words, “You know that one iconic Gomez Addams speech? of like the ‘I would die for her, I would kill for her’ I can't really describe it but honestly? it feels like that and trust me you can be mad all you want, I mean fuck I'm mad at myself. Like who develops feelings this fast?? for a person in a relationship no less, it feels sickening, despite the depths of my feelings the speed in which it happens makes it feel unreal, like it will slip away at any moment but it's so deeply rooted I know it won't and I hate it. Because even if I did have a chance, even if the fates tied our strings together with their own hands I feel like my love would seem valueless to her, honestly who would believe me? you don't, none of you do. It doesn't make sense and I hate it” he says and his voice is shaky as he's trying to regain his composure, Mingi's eyes soften as Yeosang places a hand on his shoulder.

“Love isn't supposed to make sense, or at least that what my mom says, I mean do you think my brother kidnapping Psyche after he was sent to kill her but ultimately fell in love with her made sense? You think Orpheus turning around made sense? think Hades took Persephone because it made sense? Love doesn't make sense Yunho, and it's not that we don't believe you, it's just.. “ Yeosang trails off as he looks to Mingi for help, “It's surprising, you've never shown any interest in anyone, you specifically were raised to think of these feelings as the most important thing by Hera, so you saying stuff like this it… It's shocking, especially considering who she is” Mingi finishes.

“Because she's Chthonic?“ Yunho asks and Mingi shakes his head, “Because she's her mothers daughter, in every sense of the word” and the words hit Yunho deep. something about Kyu, it envelopes him like the veil of night her mother brings, the one gifted to her by her own brother- husband. He's only known you for a few months and he's barely spoken to you but God's does he yearn for more, to learn every inch of her skin, every memory she holds dear, every twinkle in her eye that reflects the stars of her mothers night sky.

“Just, Listen I'm not saying go for it, not at all, she and Erin have been together for years and while I may not like him, she loves him. So get closer to her, be her friend if you want, anything that will help lessen your own burden, but don't pressure your feelings onto her, otherwise I'll drag you to Tartarus myself” Mingi warns, “I'd never dream of doing anything of the sort” Yunho replies, “I know, but just because you don't mean to doesn't mean it can't happen”

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“I still don't think this is a good idea” Yunho says nervously as he walks with his members, holding one of the many baskets they’ve brought with them, “come on, you've gotten closer to her and your friends now, the awkwardness is gone bro, just relax. It's not like you're going to be the only people here” Mingi tries to hype up his friend. It's been a few months since Kingdom ended and Mingi had returned from his hiatus and while most groups on the show had become close, Stray kids and Ateez shared a certain bond. Maybe it had been their family ties, maybe it was just their personalities, but they meshed well together. Thus they planned a picnic, having the day off when both their schedules aligned was a grace in and of itself and they were determined to enjoy it, despite some people's anxiety.

“Yeah but it's gonna feel like it, I'm not going to be able to take my eyes off her and it's going to feel like it's only us to me but Erins going to be there and gods I hate that dude” Yunho grumbles, he tried, really he did, to push his feelings aside and become Kyu's friend, but it didn't work. The more time spent with her the deeper into the void he fell. it got so bad that when Eros came down to bother visit Yeosang his immediate response to greeting Yunho wasn't even a ‘hello uncle bro’ nope it was ‘god you smell like a yearning man in love it's sickening' now for a god of romance to tell you your feelings are so prominent that it sickens him isn't really what Yunho was hoping to hear.

And Erin, god that pretentious little bastard, Yunho wishes he could deck him sometimes, and it's not even like he treats Kyu poorly for Yunho to feel this way. He just doesn't treat her great either, and Yunho notices, because he can't help but notice everything about her. Erin seems weirdly possessive, and while Yunho understands given, he'd feel the same had he been given the grace of her attention, he would never dream of interrupting her life the way Erin seems to do. It's weird, the way her personality changes when he's there, she becomes soft- no, although it can be confused with it, not soft- withdrawn, insecure, scared almost.

“Eugh” Wooyoung makes a noise of disgust at Yunho's words, “Seriously man, get a grip, you can't be leading us after our time in the mortal realm has run its course like this” He slaps the back of Yunho's back and oh great that's another thing that's happened in the last few months. His father has so graciously decided that since Yunho is already named heir- something he finds bizarre given the fact that his father can't actually die therefore doesn't need one- the king of the gods decided each god should name an heir, and immortalize them- without their permission. So when Yunho stops aging at the age of thirty he'll be sure to thank his father-not.

Another reason the two groups had grown so close, all of them had been named their parents sole heirs, well except for Seonghwa and Chan, they've decided to split the responsibility. Walking up to the group who seems to already be setting up Yunho feels his stomach churn as he sees Kyu, Erin standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her shoulders and head resting on her head. Yunho doesn't like the way he holds her, it seems uncomfortable, and it obscures his vision of her delicate face, her peaceful smile.

Wooyoung is first to be bound over as everyone greets one another, Yunho going to help Changbin with the blankets. It's a beautiful day outside, sunny too. Felix seems extra happy, his hair a little more vibrant and freckles seeming to glow just the faintest bit as he smiles up at the sun, greeting his father probably. Yunho ensures a chuck of the blankets are placed beneath the shade of a tree, he knows both Kai and Kyu tire from being in the sun too long, and they had all planned to spend the whole day together and watch the sunset, two of them falling asleep wouldn't exactly help with that. Changbin pats his back and smiles as Yunho tells him why he moved their blankets, “Wow dude not even I remembered that and I'm like- King of hospitality” he jokes and Yunho just laughs along but his eyes flicker to Kyu once again.

She's standing with Erin as they talk to Seungmin who seems to have found some sort of plant, he looks frustrated in his ranting but Kyu is just smiling at him. What worries Yunho is that she's standing in the sun, and she's not wearing clothing that could protect her from it, rather a light gray sundress. Kai may be standing in the sun, but Yunho's seen him retreat to the shade for a few minutes before joining Felix again, and he's wearing a hat (Yunho also saw Felix lather the man in sunscreen so thick he doesn't think Helios could even reach Kai's skin but he's not going to talk about that). Still, Kyu's hair isn't even down to protect her neck, what if she gets sunburn? fatigue? He bites his lips as they continue setting up, nervously watching her every move to look for signs of anything. He knows being in the sun for a little while isn't that damaging, she works in the day for god's sake but, it's really hot today, and according to what he eavesdropped overheard she and Erin have been out in the sun since early that morning.

“Come on guy's we did all this work to set everything up standing around is just insulting” Changbin huffs and the group quickly makes their way over, Kai immediately sitting in the shade and Felix sitting in the sun right next to him, the line between the sunlight and shadow separating the two perfectly. Yunho sits opposite Felix on the blanket, next to the other shadow, hoping he could sit close to Kyu as well, he hasn't talked to her in a while. He watches as Erin goes and sits down between San and Seungmin, which is weird since he's never shown an interest in the two earthly demigods, who recently have grown close, they sit at the edge of the blanket opposite the shadows, furthest from the coolness and directly under the sun. Kyu walks between them, and she seems like she's walking to the spot beside Yunho, like she knows it was left for her, but a light move of Erin's foot taps hers just before she's completely out of his reach and as if on instinct she moves to sit in front of him, slotting herself between his legs as he wraps his arms around her neck once again. God Yunho really, really hates the way he holds her.

He sends a questioning glance to Kai whom he can see is already looking at Kyu worriedly, along with a few other members, Yunho doesn't think they noticed Erin's motion, “Aren't you gonna come sit by me?” Kai asks as he locks eyes with his sister who only gives him a soft smile in return, “I'm okay, I'm sitting with Erin” Yunho doesn't like the way she's speaking. He never does when it comes to Erin, because she never says that it's something she wants, it's not ‘I want to sit with Erin’ it's ‘I'm sitting with Erin’ and sure Yunho may be overthinking the little things, but after awhile the little things start to add up.

“Won't you get tired Noona?” San asks as he looks up from where he and Seungmin were playing some sort of game with the ground behind them, it's part of why they chose this place, they can release and enjoy their powers that weigh them down without being seen. Yunho wouldn't, he's mastered locking away his abilities compared to when he was young, but he still enjoys the bliss it brings his friends. “She's fine, I'm protecting her from the sun” Erin replies for her, settling his head into hers as if to emphasize his point of enveloping her, and while the others either shrug or find it cute, Yunho doesn't, and it seems like Kai doesn't either. “At least take this, you seem uncomfortable moving your dress the whole time” Yunho says as he hands Kyu a blanket to throw over her legs, it's light enough not to add any extra heat, but good enough to protect a part of her body from the sun. Yunho totally didn't buy it specifically for her and has totally not been watching her waiting for her to show she's struggling with a dress or skirt so he could offer it to her, don't believe what that target employee told you, it's a lie.

She nods and thanks him with a quiet smile and he returns it, ignoring the look Erin sends him because at least he had made Kyu smile. “alright everyone remember it's hot so remember sunscreen” Chan claps his hands together, “and hydration” Seonghwa finishes as he starts handing out water bottles, “we can get our own water yaknow we aren't baby’s” Han says and Chan gives him a look, “Last time we spent a day in the sun and we didn't remind you to hydrate you almost passed out from heatstroke” the puffy cheeked boy just purses his lips and starts drinking the water Seonghwa handed him without retorting, causing the group to laugh.

“okay first order of business” Jeongin says seriously, “card games” he finishes as he pulls out the giant pack of Uno, well, their version of the game, it's a bunch of different decks with different rules and cards shuffled together, they call it ‘Dos’ which is just wishful thinking that copyright doesn't catch them but hey if nobody snitches they should be fine…hopefully. The day drags on as the group shares laughter, Yunho sending glances to Kyu and taking whatever chances he could get to talk to her when Erin wasn't looking, although he must've caught on because he started dragging Kyu along whenever he needs to grab something or stand up to talk to someone.

Kyu only seemed to get more and more tired, her cheeks red, not with blush, but by the sun and the heat surrounding her, her eyelids would droop whenever anybody wasn't paying attention and she had gotten less and less verbal throughout the day. When sundown hit they all sat down and watched it, everyone admiring the scenery as Felix bid goodbye to his father, the blonde resting his head on Kai's shoulder as the days activities dawned on him. Yunho looked at Kyu, her smile small and her eyes closed as she breathed softly, the light of the sun now casting a soft glow on her skin, not harsh or burning as it had been earlier. She looked beautiful like this, at peace, the only thing ruining the picture for him was Erin's arm securely wrapped around her shoulders.

Yunho had thought that was the most beautiful picture he'd ever see in his lifetime, a moment he wouldn't have been able to capture on film even if he tried, memorizing each line on her face as the golden glow casted over her, no matter the teasing of his friends around him. Yet he was proven wrong once again when they had decided to stay out later and stargaze. He was worried, Kyu had clearly been tired and she didn't seem like she wanted to stay, but agreed when Erin looked down at her and whispered something in her ear, the others cooed, but Yunho only felt the electricity beneath his fingers twitch, a soft yet familiar hum starting to buzz against his skin before he forcefully snuffed it out.

Everyone was laying on their backs, spread out beneath the night sky as they looked at the stars above them. Kyu seemed happier, maybe because this had been her rightful domain, but even in her tired state she seemed more content than Yunho had ever seen before. The stars and the moon seemed to shine brightly that night, that was until Yunho went to lay down next to Kyu, he doesn't know how he got the motivation to do it, but Erin wasn't here, he was off somewhere else, having made the excuse of needing to take a phone call- that was half an hour ago yet Yunho isn't complaining. When he laid down next to her she turned her head to look at him, giving him that tiny smile she'd give Seungmin and San when they showed her whatever new little thing they made in the plants. It was comforting, made his heart warm up and his own cheeks flush. She looked back up at the sky, and when Yunho followed her gaze it seemed darker, the veil of night almost dimming the stars and the moon, who seemed all too happy to be coveted by its blanket.

He had decided then, that this was when she was her most beautiful. When she was at peace, when her powers seemed strongest and the night at its darkest, she was the most divine then. A being he'd make sure even his father worshiped if she would allow him to, if she'd give him the honor of admiring her openly. Under the stars, as the darkness of the night seems to reach out at her and she lifts her hand in response, darkness creeps from her fingers down to her elbows as she whispers something in return to the night.

He decides he'll marry her right then, become her husband, her king, anything to please her. If she'll allow him he would give her the world, the universe and all he asked for in return was to be able to gaze upon her like this, when she was at her most comforted. He was going to marry her, no matter how long he'd have to wait, he would do so with a smile on his face until the day he could put one on hers.

“So.. marriage” Hera’s voice rings through his dad's apartment, startling Yunho as he almost chokes on his glass of water. He had come to visit his dad on one of his few weeks off, and had not expected to have Hera surprise him at midnight when he went to get a glass of water after staring at the night sky through his window for a solid hour or two.

“I'm - I'm sorry- what?“ he coughs out confused, hitting his chest as he breathes heavily, “don't choke Yunho, it's unseemly” Hera scolds him, “Thanks mom I'll remember that next time” he retorts and Hera has a hint of a smile at her son’s sarcasm, clearly she raised him right- somewhat. “Yes, you should remember everything I teach you, you do, don't you?“ she moves her body to face him from where she sits at the dining table, clad in dark blue and green robes, golden jewelry holding the pieces of fine fabric together as it drapes off her, white hair tied in a bun with a peacock pin holding it together, the crown placed atop her head a tinier, more practical version of her actual one. Dark green eyes bore into Yunho's with an intensity he's never seen directed at himself.

“Yeah, yeah of course I do” he nods as he hops on the countertop, long legs dangling off the edge so he's facing her, “but I don't understand why you're visiting me in the middle of the night to ask if I remember what you teach me” he tilts his head confusedly. “You remember what I told you about marriage?” she taps her fingers rhythmically against the wooden table beside her, “uhm? that you oversee it and so you know the most about it?” he asks, not quite knowing what she's referring to, she's told him a lot about marriage, quite passionate about the topic.

His mother only sighs, “That it's an important promise, not to be taken lightly, especially not before the gods” she hums, and he swallows thickly, “yeah.. yeah I know that” he twiddles with his fingers in his lap, scared of where this conversation might lead. “You asked why I was here, visiting you in the middle of the night? so your father had no way of hearing us- he wouldn't dare poke his nose under the night's cloak, not recently anyway. I came here for an explanation, to ask you why your thoughts were screaming ‘marriage’” she doesn't look at him this time, rather looking out the window. His breath hitches as he stops all movement, “I don't - I don't know what you're talking about” he stammers out, knowing he would never really lie to Hera, but still trying anyway.

She turns her head back to him as she stands up, walking to stand in front of him, “Don't try and deny it, You were screaming, pleading, projecting your thought to me and to her who watched over you that night” Yunho's eyes widen at her words, “Wait Nyx heard-” Hera shakes her head, “Not her, Selene did, but it may as well be all the same, she would never keep anything from her lady. So if I'm going to be approached by a primordial because you have a crush on her daughter, I need the truth”

“I don't have a crush on her mom- I love her- I'm in love with her and it hurts mom, it hurts so much that I wish I didn't have these human emotions- she consumes my every waking thought, my every action every breath, it's like wherever I look I draw a connection to her because I've deluded myself into believing the fates are trying to show me she's the one for me. I know you've taught me about the sanctity of marriage and I know it would never work with Zeus in the way but I… “ Yunho breaks down, a single tear dripping from his eye as he lets his face fall onto Hera's shoulder, he's been holding it in so long that he feels like he can't real it back now that he's spilled everything.

“You love her” Hera finishes his sentence for him as she pats his hair, “but she has eyes for another” she continues, knowing that the girl is currently with her own grandson, she's never really liked the boy, neither has Zeus which is why he didn't care when he started dating the nights daughter, but Yunho.. Yunho is a different story. “I know, I hate it, I know she's with someone else but these emotions just won't stop growing, like my heart is ready to burst out of my chest and take my humanity with it” he huffs.

She brings his face from her shoulder, holding it with one hand as she gently cups his cheek, “I think that's the best part about you Yunho, the humanity. Unlike us Gods, you have a heart, a soul” she hums, “I do, and my heart beats only for her, my soul yearns for her touch I- I can't live like this anymore mother, can't continue living as if nothings wrong knowing she's in the arms of another man- a lesser man. She deserves more than him- more than me! more than the night sky, more than anything anyone could ever give her.. “ he confesses and Hera’s resolve steels. If her son wants this girl, if he believes the man is not suited for her, then Hera will make damn sure both she and her son get what they deserve, that the sanctity of marriage won't be sullied more. She'll need to talk to Aphrodite after this.

“What do you need” she asks, and he looks up at her, his eyes filled with a yearning she could only describe as purely human, yet with the intensity of the divine “I need- I need to offer her my bleeding heart, whether she cradle or crush it- I would still be at peace knowing it was touched by her darkened hands” he states, and she smiles at him as she hears his last words. He loves this girl, not only for who she presents to be, but for who she truly is. “then you'll do just that” Hera offers and Yunho looks up at her confused, but she doesn't say a word more, already knowing that up in the sky another conversation quite like this one is taking place.

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“Selene baby! What brings you to my neck of the woods?“ Nyx asks joyfully, trapping the shorter goddess in a tight hug as Artemis watches the two from a far, giving them their privacy but still doing her job. “I have news to share with you my lady, it's about your daughter- the half mortal one” Nyx's joyful face instantly disappears as she looks down at Selene with a serious expression, “What happened to Kyu? I knew it was strange that she hadn't talked to me tonight yet but… “ the elder bites her lips as she waits for the moon to respond. “No no, mistress your daughter is not in any.. immediate danger, but I am here to share news” Nyx tilts her head at the gray haired goddess warning but nods her head for her to continue.

“I believe an Olympian is in love with her” she states, and Nyx chuckles, “Well id hope so, I may not like the boy but they've been together so long id be worried if he doesn't love her… well id also rip his head off but that's neither here nor there” she hums as Selene nods her head, “Not Erin, there's another. The son of Zeus… a few nights ago his thoughts had been screaming, I could hear them- he sought marriage” she says and Nyx has a thoughtful expression on her face. “hm.. Zeus's boy…. he likes my daughter?” she asks suspiciously, “he loves her it seems my lady, I've been watching him. He stares up at the night sky every night and talks of her, I'm not sure if he knows I listen, or wishes for me to carry on his messages, but he speaks of her for hours, asking of her health and pleading for the stars to respond” she tells Nyx.

“And Erin? What have you seen of him?” she raises a brow, “I have not seen much of him, nor your daughter Mistress, it seems after she had greeted you he withholds her from enjoying the night sky” Selene says, bracing herself for the impact of Nyx's rage. “I… I entrusted you to look after my daughter when I had to work.. and you did not think to inform me that she was being withheld from my domain?” the primordial's voice is deadly calm, darkness around them growing stronger as the veil her husband had gifted her sways angrily, Artemis’s shoulders tense at the change in atmosphere and she locks eyes with the scene unfolding, Nyx's skin turns dark, almost unseen as her hands glow white, Selene falls to her knees, as if her light had been sucked info Nyx's hands. Artemis immediately moves to catch the Moon, trying to support her as she looks up at Nyx, “My lady maybe we should-” “How long” Nyx interrupted her as she stares down at Selene, a darkness looms over the both and a shadow hand grasps Selene's chin and forces it up from behind, “I believe my wife asked a question” Erebus’s voice rings deep in their ears, and alerts Artemis that they are no longer only in the night. Everything around them is pitch black and there isn't a star in sight.

“How long.“ Nyx asks again, and her voice sounds almost as if it had mixed with her husbands, dark and powerful, dripping with venom as she stares down at her dear friend, “How long has that bastard been keeping my daughter from me” Selene breathes heavily, “about- about f-five years” she says, and Erebus drops her head, no longer supporting her chin. “You've kept this, kept my daughter from me for FIVE YEARS?” Nyx shouts, veil and hair floating as she grows larger, fingers turning to talons as she looms over Selene, “My darling night, calm down” Erebus tries to reason with his wife, although he himself is not too fond of the information they were just given, “I AM CALM” she retorts, her voice distorted and monstrous.

“I'm sorry mistress, It's just- lady Kyu asked me not to tell you!” Selene shouts up at the giant goddess, and Nyx stops in her tracks, staring down into the moon's eyes for a moment as if to gauge if she is telling the truth, before the goddess starts to shrink down. Returning to her normal form and the light from her hands returning to Selene as she tries to stand up, supported by Artemis who does not interrupt what is clearly none of her business. “She what?” Erebus asks this time, the shadows of his figure wrapping around his wife to hold her, whether that be for comfort or the safety of the two moon goddesses before them he doesn't know.

“Five years ago, around the time Her group had just started out, she and Eris’s boy had a fight. I'm not sure what it had been about but it got heated, I would've told you but she pleaded with me not to Mistress and I…” Selene doesn't finish her sentence, not wanting to offend Nyx nor Erebus. Artemis holds her up, trying to support her and help her stand as she looks at the two primordials before them. “You didn't wish to disobey an ask from your future lady” Nyx finishes, her voice back to normal but lacking its usual steady tone. Selene nods in response, the black haired goddess takes a deep breath before she releases herself from her husband's hold, bending down to now hold the moon's cheek in affection again. “I'm sorry I yelled at you like that darling, but you need to promise never to hide such things from me again, especially when pertaining to my daughter, do we understand one another?” she asks, despite the soft tone there's a hint of malice as her gentle hand digs a nail into Selene’s cheek. Not hard enough to draw any ichor, at least not yet.

“Yes, yes I understand Mistress, I apologize” Selene’s response is immediate and laced with just enough emotion to have Nyx believe her. The veiled goddess releases her hold on Selene as she stands up, locking eyes with Artemis, “you'll ensure she keeps that promise, won't you darling deer?” she asks her, and the huntress only nods in response, feeling no more powerful than the animal she had just been named, caught trapped by a pack of panthers. “Very well, may you go” Nyx walks back to her husband as Artemis takes the chance and helps Selene back to their chariot, not sparing a glance back or waiting for the goddess to change her mind and continue their journey. Leaving alone the husband and wife of all that is void.

“My night I understand -” Erebus starts, “Five years, five years has my daughter been kept from me. I thought she had just been busy. I've heard that mortal kids often migrate away from their parents at a certain age. I thought it had rubbed off on her. I'm a bad mother Erebus, I didn't even realize my own daughter was not spending time in her rightful domain- oh my poor baby she must be so tired” tears well up in Nyx's eyes as she paces back and forth in the endless void of darkness. Her husband takes a breath acknowledging how serious this is for his wife to be calling him by name, no matter how enraged he himself is, he knows he needs to be the voice of reason between the two of them. He steps closer and holds her arms, his shadow mist wrapping comfortingly around her as he stops her pacing.

“You are not a bad mother for giving her space my night, it was a completely logical assumption for you to have made, never once has she given you any reason to doubt her” he tries to soothe her, placing a kiss to her forehead, she always enjoyed when he did this, said the cold shadow of his lips tickled her skin. “I'm her mother I was supposed to know, it had taken me too long to notice the way her mortal parents had been handling her and now- now she's going through Morai knows what at the hands of some Olympian bastard who doesn't know his place!” her voice starts to raise again, causing Erebus to rub her back as he tries to contain her. “My love, we cannot be sure of what it is they are hiding, while I am well aware of your dislike for the boy, and share the same notion, it is not our choice to make, now is it? Remember, when you had come to me the day you asked for her?” he asks softly and she nods in response, “I had told you about what the fates had shared, had I not?” he continues, feeling her nod against what should be his chest, “and what was it your wonderful daughters had said?” He waits for her to speak.

“You said they mentioned a lightning storm at night” she mumbles, gripping onto his figure like a vice as she's not understanding where he is going with this conversation. “Yes, and we had thought it had been connected to Zeus, and it could very well still be in a way… the news Selene brought, it had been of Yunho's admiration for our princess hm?” He continues, hoping for his wife to catch where his thoughts are leading, yet she only looks up at him, waiting for him to clue her in. “Now you and I both know you've spied on that boy enough to know he has pure intentions-” it's true, Nyx had not liked the idea of Zeus having another offspring, even if he had been approved by her darling Hera, she still had to ensure the boy was good, especially after he had befriended her precious grandson, “- and for Selene to have heard his thoughts of marriage, his cry must have been a desperate one, a meaningful one… we know he would never make such a proclamation, even in thought if he did not mean it, he is Hera's son after all” He finishes.

“So are you suggesting what the fates had told you has to do with him and Kyu?” she asks, contemplating his words, he only nods in response as a flicker of insight sparks in her black tear-filled eyes, “So you are suggesting we leave the problem to him… “ she asks softly and he only nods, “I have had a… premonition of sorts for the last few months, of something coming, something big… I believe this is something we must have them sort out themselves”

“I know but.. still I need the reassurance that she will be okay, otherwise I will rip off that Eris boys head myself” her eyes narrow as she speaks, Erebus thinks for a moment, before snapping his fingers. Before them his son materializes, messy hair, in nothing but pajama pants with his toothbrush still hanging from his mouth, “SHIT! Dad a warning next time” Kai yells as he slightly shivers from the cold hitting his bare skin before he observes the scene before him, “oh this is serious….. okay then” he nods slightly, wiping his mouth from toothpaste. He knew something was off the moment he was summoned, he and his father may not have a bad relationship but they aren't close either, boths inability to express actual feelings when not directed to their lover straining their relationship despite the love they have for one another.

“Does Zeus's boy truly love your sister?” Nyx asks, and Kai doesn't even act surprised at his stepmother's knowledge on the subject, all he does is nod in response, “He's more obsessed with her than uncle Hades when Aunt Perce comes home from spring” he responds and Nyx's face seems to brighten up just a little, “and the Erin boy… is he good to your sister?” his father asks him. “Not good, he's m.. I don't know what he is, when it comes to him Kyu is more private than she's ever been, she doesn't share much and I try to keep away from him.. something about him just feels off” she responds as he looks at the two questioningly, “what's this even about?”

“We heard some… news and wanted to ensure your sister's safety” Erebus tells his son, “So you feel it too then? the impending feeling of doom hanging in the air?” Kai raises his eyebrow at his father who nods in response, when his father does not offer another word he understands that he has said what they wanted of him, “can I go back now?” he looks between the two, Nyx nods. “yes, and do say hello to little Felix for me” she kisses the top of his head and walks off to who knows where, “what I wasn't even-” Kai tries to defend himself but his father only pats his forearm where a burn mark in the shape of a hand lays comfortably. “You need to tell that boy that his touch hurts you in the extreme light, he's too innocent to know otherwise” his father offers before walking away, and Kai can now only stare at his reflection in his bathroom mirror as he's teleported back to his apartment.

Something is wrong, the feeling consumes Yunho, stirring in his stomach, humming beneath his skin as it mixes with the ever building electricity that courses through him, creating a melancholic melody of ominous dread as he looks up at the sky. It had become his usual routine this past year, staring up at the sky hoping that Kyu was staring up at the same time as him, he’d talk for hours, about his day, the thoughts he would have of her, all shared with the moon. He wasn't sure if he shared these things in hopes she would hear, that the message would be shared to her, or if it was only to release himself from the guilt of feeling for a taken woman, he'd prefer the latter, for if it was the former, and the message had been shared then he wouldn't be able to handle the heartbreak of her never having responded.

Yet tonight his usual routine is interrupted as he stares up at the sky, it’s winter, a time he’s come to appreciate as the night sky grows longer and Kyu always seems happier, whether she’s more active online or responding to texts, the more constant feeling of her presence brings him joy. Unfortunately on this cold winter night the joy is diminished, the usual darkness of the longer night sky is brightened, the moon and sun seeming to outshine the darkness, creating a purplish veil instead of the usual darkness that had become Yunho’s comfort. It creates an uneasy feeling in Yunho’s stomach as he worries about Kyu, it’s not natural, was it due to her? Was the lustre light of the night connected to Kyu or her mother?

Thoughts swirled in his mind, maybe he should call her.. but that would be weird wouldn't it? if he had just called her randomly at night, but then again they were friends maybe it wouldn't be too abnormal. He bites his lips as he stares up at the moon, face pleading wishing she could give him answers. Was he being paranoid? sure but one quick text couldn't hurt… and then one quick text went unanswered, and it turned into two, then three, giving up he sent one to Kai, maybe he had heard something?

“Kaiiiiii you have a text from Yunho- he's asking if Kyu is okay- why would he ask if Kyu is okay?” Felix questions as he walks to Kai, giving the phone back to the taller person who's looking out to the night sky, “he's just worried” Kai replies, not responding to the text. His father was right, something was coming, and Kai did not have enough care to mess with fate, no matter how much he loved sister, this needed to happen. “Worried about? the night? it is a bit bright tonight” Felix hums as he rests his head on Kai’s shoulder, “Thinking about it Kyu hasn't responded in the group chat tonight” Kai only nods his head at Felix's words, “and she won't. not tonight at least, she's busy” he states, “with what?” The blond asks, Kai simply turns his head to kiss his cheek, not knowing the answer.

“Aren't you worried about her too then?“ Felix hums despite the smile on his face at the small show of affection, “of course, but it's not my fate to interfere with this” Kai turns, holding Felix's face in his hands, “so why don't you help distract me from my worries hm?” he asks and Felix only smiles up at him as the moon looks down at the two through the window.

Once she's sure they won't interrupt, she turns her attention back to the faux black haired male who's currently pacing along his balcony. She knows she promised the young mistress she wouldn't interfere, but it's getting worse and she'd rather break a promise than see her young lady then have to witness her death under the weakened night sky. She promised Nyx she'd take care of this, and had to have the goddess distracted lest she rip off the son of discord’s head and give Zeus a reason to start the war he'd been itching for. This has to happen tonight, and it has to be Yunho.

“Is she okay?” he asks up at the sky, voice shaking and desperate in a way Selene has never heard him speak to her before and this is just what she wanted to hear, the desperation and yearning ensures he’ll be willing to do what fate had lined up for him, so for the first time since he’s started talking to her, she responds. As a voice in his mind, cold and drifty in a whisper, “no, she needs you” Selene speaks and Yunho looks up in surprise, taking a moment to understand the importance not only of being called by the moon but also of her words, although all that is pushed to the back of his mind as he understands the meaning of her words. “Where” is all he grits, “The park under the night” she says, and at first Yunho doesn’t understand, everything is under the night sky, but the memory at the back of his mind resurfaces, seemingly forcefully dragged to the forefront of his worried thoughts. The night at the park in which he witnessed Kyu reach out into the night, and the night reached back to her.

Quickly he moves back inside the house, not bothering to grab a coat to protect him from the cold winter's night, the electricity murmuring beneath his skin already warming him enough, No longer a soft and subtle hum of nerves as it constantly was, his powers were now murmuring, whispering as if trying to coax him to release it, he had a feelings he’d have to listen, he ignores Yeosang question as he grabs his keys and rushes to the car, jumping in and driving off at a speed he’s sure to break the speed limit with, but he can’t find it in himself to care, quickly he navigates his way to the park not far from his own dorm, it’s quiet outside tonight, too quiet, as if the entire world had been put on hold for this very moment.

He doesn’t even park the car, only stops it and yanks out the key, jumping when it comes to a stop as he sees the park in his view, he can hear it now, the sound disrupting the quiet night, yelling and crying, loud and gut wrenching, the murmur of the lightning beneath his skin gets louder, his head starts to hurt as he tries to suppress it. The storm clouds build on the horizon as he rushes forward, the voice he can recognize as Erin’s growing louder, drowning out his powers. He only stops when he reaches the clearing, seeing Kyu stand before Erin, hunched over and holding her stomach, he hasn’t been noticed yet, his mind going into overdrive as his eye’s frantically take in the scene, Erin laughing up at the lightened sky, “YA SEE THAT? HM? SEE HOW YOUR POWERFULL DAUGHTER FALLS? KNEELS BEFORE ME?” he screams up, pointing a bloodied knife in Kyu’s direction, “THIS IS YOUR FAULT!” he turns the knife upwards, and Yunho is surprised he has yet to be smite, that he had ever gotten this far into hurting Kyu.

His powers are screaming at him now, head throbbing in a way that almost disorients him as rage builds, the thunder beneath his skin cooking the red blood in his veins into golden ichor as he slowly tries to creep to Kyu, no matter the unspeakable things he wishes to condemn Erin too, getting Kyu out of the way and in the safety of his arms is his first priority. She does not notice him until he’s behind her, gently wrapping his arms around her to support her, ignoring the warm wet feeling of her blood beneath his fingers as he tries to put enough pressure on the wounds to stop bleeding. She doesn’t make a sound at his touch, whether that be because she’s too tired too or because she recognized him he didn’t want to know, although the way her body went rigid before relaxing when he whispered in her ear suggests the former.

“YOU RAISED HER TO MOTHER EVERYONE UNDER YOUR SKY AND NOW GUESS WHAT?” Erin shouts deliriously, thinking the gods are listening to him with bated breaths, “SHE DIDN’T WANT TO CARRY MY CHILD- SO SHE WON'T EVER BE ABLE TO BEAR ONE NOW” he waves the knife in the air, her blood dripping from the cold steel onto his hand in a taunting manner, “SHE WON'T EVER LEAVE NOW BECAUSE NOBODY WOULD WANT HER AS BROKEN AS I'VE MADE HER- NOBODY-” his manic screaming becomes more deranged as he turns his head back to her, likely for another toxic spill of words to leave his throat, but he stops, noticing Yunho standing beside her, supporting her as her breath hitches due to Erin’s attention on them, “go” she whispers to Yunho, her voice weak and throat hoarse, he only tightens his grip on her in response.

“Or well, not nobody… the pathetic little puppy comes crawling for spoils that aren't his? You're just like your father aren't you? Taking women that aren't yours” Erin tuts, swinging the knife in Yunho’s face tauntingly, “Well sorry to break it to you but unfortunately her pussy can no longer bear whatever children you wish to put in her soo.. Shoe along now, uncle” the last word drips from Erin's mouth like venom and Yunho has to stop himself from lunging at the man. The thunder clouds roll in, dark and fast as they grow, reflecting the storm behind his eyes, “Yunho, go, this is not your fight” Kyu whispers to him, her voice weak in a way he never thought he’d hear from her, her face turns to him, sweat beading on her forehead mixing with the silent tears down her cheeks, her eyes are pale, no longer the soft gray, now more sullen and void as she looks at him desperately, “I don’t want him to kill you too, please” she begs, and Yunho does not understand why she doesn’t strike the man down, she’s much more powerful than him, even in her weakened state, so why won't she just let go of him.

“I’m not going to let him kill you either” my queen, Yunho does not add the last two words to his sentence, but it’s clear Erin knew he wished to say it, “No not me, Yunho-” she’s cut off by the brunette before them, “Not her you idiot, she is still my queen, I wouldn’t be able to take over the underworld without her unfortunately, so I won’t kill her- you on the other hand, are currently holding my prize so if you would ever so kindly let go” Yunho hates the way Erin speaks of her, as if she is not a person, not the love of Yunho’s life. “She’s not yours” Yunho speaks, his voice ringing through the clearing as rage fills him, sparks tingling at his fingertips, his hair losing its dark color as he feels Kyu weakly trying to push herself out of his hold. “Oh? And you think she’s yours?” Erin asks, tilting his head. Before Yunho can respond Kyu lets out a stronger push, breaking free from Yunho’s hold and simultaneously pushing herself toward Erin, stumbling before she grips onto his shirt for support. “Please Erin, stop this, I'm begging you” she pleads.

“aww Baby it’s okay hm? You know I'd never hurt you if not for your own benefit, I'm doing this for us” Erin says, stroking her hair as he looks down at her but not bothering to try and support her, Yunho wants to reach out, to grab her and take her as far away from Erin as possible, but he sees the sparks along his fingers, hears the faint clap of thunder above them and knows touching her would only hurt. “You see Yunho? She chose me, she doesn't love you, she knows to whom she belongs and for that she'll be rewarded… unfortunately she must have lead you on enough to make you believe she loved you, for that she has to be punished” Erin’s voice speaks and before Yunho can register it the sound of Kyu’s gasp fills the air as the knife is imbedded in her back this time, she’s thrown to the ground with a resounding crack implying she must of hit her head, she doesn’t move further and Erin’s attention is on Yunho as he steps forward.

“She'll live, don’t worry, she always finds a way to stay alive, like a cockroach, but it’s you and me now buddy. You think your dad will praise me when I give him your head? The son who dared love the enemy? Think he'll give me your position as heir? It’ll be a lot easier than fighting for it, not that I wouldn't win either way of course.” Erin speaks, and with each step he takes forward the thunder above them clasp louder. Lightning strikes down to the ground, and when he’s right in front of Yunho, who’s feet are planted to the ground, eyes looking terrified at the woman on the ground, the sound of a falling tree echoes through the clearing. His face falls, the ashy blond tips that are slowly seeping into the rest of his black hair obscuring his face from Erin's view, “Your right” Yunho says, voice void of emotion as his fists clench beside him, “Oh I know I am” Erin replies with a smile on his face.

“I am my fathers son…” Yunho says as he lifts his head, brown eye’s now glowing golden as he grabs the already scrunched shirt of Erin, sending a surge of power through his body just strong enough to make his muscle spasm and go limp as the knife in his hand made from Hephaestus's metal falls to the ground before he could even think of using it on Yunho. “And my father isn’t afraid of killing those who anger him” Yunho spits out, and before Erin could even think of replying Yunho sends the first punch, the power behind it along with the electricity sends Erin to the ground immediately, but it’s not enough for Yunho.

He falls to his knees, straddling the bloodied man beneath him as he continues punching him, the lighting striking as the storm rolls in time with his punches. “You really think you deserve her? You're nothing but a bastard and a shame to the family name, no wonder your mother abandoned you, you mutt. I'd be just as disgusted if my son were like you” Yunho speaks between punches, not holding back the strength not the power that's praising him, chanting beneath his skin in joy at the release, eating at the man beneath him whose face is already caved in and skin burned in patches. All the power Yunho’s ever held back is released, the door not being able to close as he simply sees red, his hair now fully golden, the man beneath him doesn't respond, but that’s fine, Yunho doesn’t need him too.

A cough from his side is what snaps him out of his rage, scrambling off the unconscious and barely breathing body beneath him over to Kyu. Blood seems from her mouth, her stomach, her back, and somewhere on her head that Yunho can’t find beneath the heavy black hair. He pulls her into his hold and she looks up at him with the faintest smile, “You look p-pretty in blond thunder boy” she tries to move but groans and stays where she is, “You n-need to stop, you shouldn’t become a murderer for me” she tells him, and he wants to scream at her, he'd kill anyone for her, massacre the whole world if that's what she wanted serve the heads of those who wronged her on a plate if she just asked him too. The tears fall from his eyes, “I- I need to get you to a hospital I-” he frantically panics, trying to position her in a way that wouldn't cause her wounds to worsen, the power that's still screaming at him to finish off the man behind him doesn't dance atop his skin anymore, not with her in his arms “Hey, hey no you- “ she splutters again, more blood emerging from her mouth, a golden sheen coating the angry red.

“You need to calm down before this storm attracts your fathers attention” she says, Yunho’s sure it already has but he couldn’t give a damn, he’s pleading with her, trying to have her keep her eyes open, her breath even. She smiles again, this time at something behind him, he doesn’t want to look, does not want to acknowledge the unmistakable feeling of death looming behind him. “Hey Than” Kyu says softly, “Hello μικρή αδερφή” the gravelly voice of Thanatos responds, his tone soft and caring in contrast to the rage Yunho can feel from him. Kyu closes her eyes in content, humming softly at his words, “No, no Kyu stay with me, please love, please open your eyes I'm begging you Kyu stay-” Yunho pleads as he holds her face in his hand, the mixture of her and Erin's blood rubbing off on her cheek from Yunho’s palm, sullying her beautiful face.

She doesn't respond, and feels cold in Yunho’s hands. She always ran cold, but this was different, she was freezing. “Don’t take her, please I'm begging you don’t take her” Yunho beseeches the god behind him, “I don’t want to” Thanatos replies. “Then don’t, as your future King I order you, do not take her from me” Yunho’s voice breaks, not holding the power or sounding nearly as threatening as he wishes it too. “I need to take a soul, a shade needs to be given to the underworld” Thanatos says as he looks down at his dying sister in the arms of the man she never had the chance to love.

There's a silence, no sound to be heard on the clearing except for the roaring tempest overhead, no breath, not from Yunho, not from the two unconscious bodies and certainly not from the god of death himself. “Then take him” Yunho breathes, “She’s closer to death than he is, by the power I was given I need to accompany the soul closest to their demise” Thanatos tells him, planting the seed in Yunho’s mind that he wishes will grow quickly. The silence overtakes them again before the last of the dark roots atop Yunho’s head turn a golden blond, matching his eyes and the ichor he’s created in his veins, there’s a strike of lightning behind them, so sudden and loud it takes Thanatos by surprise, luckily he does not jump, the glow of the bolt matches the one on Yunho’s hand that's holding Kyu’s thigh as he hugs her tight against him, trying desperately to listen for her heartbeat.

Thanatos looks behind him, the unconscious body burnt and the grass around it flaming, earth cracked from the pressure of the electrical discharge that hit the now dead body. “Take him.” Yunho speaks with finality, voice truly sounding like the order of a king, Thanatos nods, grateful that he did not have to reunite with his sister in such a way. “I'm sorry” Yunho whispers as he presses his forehead against Kyu’s own, feeling her heart beating against him. Whether he’s apologizing for becoming the murderer she asked him not to, or for the small amount of lightning he sent through her to jumpstart her heart, he does not know.

Ever since he had rushed her to the hospital, Yunho had not left Kyu’s side, staying beside her when she had been asleep for 3 days, holding her hand and praying to any god that would listen that she’d wake up. His father tried to summon him, but he refused, he wouldn't leave her, couldn't, Hera had stopped the King from smiting his heir, but Yunho knew his father wouldn’t be too happy about the damage caused. Even tried to come down to the mortal realm to get Yunho himself, only to be stopped by Nyx, who stated his son had been placed under her protection after saving her daughter. This caused Zeus’s anger to grow but he knew better than to cross the goddess of his nightmares.

When Kyu had woken up the first face she saw was a doctor, not Yunho. She could feel his presence, the electricity in the air, and the moment his name invaded her thoughts, the side of her right thigh started to pain, ignoring the voices of the frantic doctors she had thrown off her blanket, desperately yawning up her gown to gain access to the searing skin. Her eyes was met with the claim of thunder on her skin, pitch black contrasting with the paleness caused by her bloodloss, protruding from the soft flesh like a tattoo, little bumps of raised skin seemingly glowing with a golden sheen, she wanted to scream, because it hurts, fuck it hurts , but something about it, the searing heat of the lightning she can feel moving beneath her skin makes her feel alive.

Her eyes frantically move from the doctors to the room around her, desperately searching from his face, she doesn’t see him, but she does see a mop of unmistakable golden hair from the window leading to the halls outside her room, he’s not looking at her, back facing her room, but when she spots him the pain dies down, she relaxes as the doctors around her continue their work, the sound of them fading out as she focuses on the back of his head, memories returning to her of the moment right before she lost consciousness.

“You really need to talk to her, you know?” Kai says as he hands Yunho a coffee, it’s been a week since Kyu had woken up and the newly returned blond man had yet to enter her room. She yelled out at him, asked those who visited and her doctors to tell him to come inside and yet he refused. He couldn't look her in the eye, knowing what he’s done. “Mhm” he hums, dark circles beneath his eyes clear as he accepts the coffee from the other, sitting upright and ignoring the pain his back suffered from the cold metal chairs that line the outside of the hospital rooms.

“Seriously bro I’m gonna make you sniff some essential oils and sleep for at least a few days if you don’t get some proper rest” Hyunjin says as he walks out of Kyu’s room, looking over at Yunho as he goes and sits beside the blond. “Put him out for a week!” Kyu’s voice yells from the room, and you can hear Mingi’s soft huff of laughter following her words. “See?” Hyunjin makes a face at Yunho. “I'm fine, I'm not tired” Yunho defends himself and Kyu’s voice can be heard mocking him, he only huffs in response. “If you would just come in and TALK to me, then I wouldn’t be doing this and you wouldn’t be huffing and puffing!” Kyu shouts again as she hears Yunho.

“She’s right ya know, you'll need to go in there eventually” Kai says as he closes her room door, voice softer to ensure she can’t hear the conversation happening. “You've been sitting here the whole time, ignoring her and your father. You need to face something, hate to break it to you but sitting here 24/7 isn’t helping anybody” he sighs as he sits on the chair opposite Yunho. “I'm not here all the time, I go home to shower and stuff” Yunho mumbles, but he only receives a look in response, “Can I go face my father?” he asks and Hyunjin slaps his chest in response, “Go talk to her.” Yunho groans as he slides down in his chair.

“She’s not mad, I promise” Seungmin walks in on the conversation, holding a bag of clothes he went to go pick up for Kyu, “You say that and yet I do not believe you” he points a finger at Seungmin, “If she was mad I don’t think she’d be calling out to you everyday” Seungmin walks closer, throwing the bag in his hands on Yunho’s lap. “Go” the boy speaks with finality. “She may not sound mad but what if… what if I walk in there and the moment I look into her eyes and she’ll realize what I've done and hate me forever” he asks, only receiving three blank looks in response, “Yunho go in there or so help me I’m calling your dad- mortal one” Kai’s threat does not fall on deaf ears, “Okay now we don’t need to go that far” he tries to get himself out of the situation, but with the way he’s being glared at he knows it’s not possible.

“Yeah okay” He stands up, stretching as he hears his back crack, ignoring the winces of those around him, “If she hates me I’m smiting you all, because apparently I have the power to do that now” Yunho says before taking a deep breath, knocking on the door, Mingi opens it, eyes widening as he sees Yunho at the door, “Oh- well that's uhm- hm yeah I'm gonna go” Mingi fumbles before practically bolting out of the room. Yunho takes a breath as he walks in, he doesn’t take his eyes off the floor as he walks over to the closet to place down Kyu’s bag, he mapped out the entire planning of the room the first few days when Kyu was not, and kept retracing the steps of the room when he sat in the corridor to keep himself from going insane. “Yunho” Kyu’s voice seems much better now, he’s heard it yell to him from outside the room, but it’s different now. More clear, stronger than it was the night of the incident. “Yunho look at me please” she pleads, he grips his fists but only continues putting away clothes and not looking at him.

“I’m.. I’m sorry, that you had to be the one there, that I turned you into a murderer” Yunho finally turns at that, it’s not that he wanted to, but it felt like instinct to turn, to reassure her that none of this was her fault, “No-No Kyu it’s not-” his breath hitches as he finally looks into her eyes. It’s like he’s back to the first day he met her, butterflies in his stomach and his knees feeling weak, sparks sourcing beneath his skin in the way that makes him feel giddy and not ready for war. “Hi” she smiles softly at him, “Hi” he responds, voice shaky. He can feel tears forming in his eyes as he finally looks at her, she looks so much better, the light in her eyes shining in a way he’s never seen before.

She pats the spot beside her on the bed, Yunho takes the hint and moves forward, but he sits on the chair instead of the place offered, “When I- When I told you I didn’t want him to kill you too -” Kyu starts, but Yunho stops her, “You don’t have to-” Kyu interrupts, ”no, no I do- I - I need to speak okay?” she looks at him and he nods, she takes a breath before continuing. “I didn't mean it in the way of I thought he would kill me, He’s he’s killed before, for me, and I didn’t want that burned on your shoulders- I know- I know our parents take care of all this stuff but if this ever gets out it could ruin your career-” ‘I don’t care about my career, I care about you, I want you to be safe’ Yunho thinks, but he only continues to listen to her speak, “-When we were young, fresh out of highschool and just started college I thought of leaving him for the first time, I had this friend who wanted to help me, I didn’t really know him well, but he was such a sweet guy and I needed any excuse to get out.. But Erin found out and, well, he took care of the problem before it could show itself.” she says as she draws her knees up to her chest, she shouldn’t be able to, but her wounds have been healing faster than they should.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that” Yunho whispers, trying to suppress the urge he has to hold her in his arms, “I'm not telling you this because I want your sympathy Yunho, I need you to understand” she says, “understand what?” he asks, “Why I can't reciprocate your feelings, the claim you made Yunho I.. I know it wasn’t made with bad intentions, and I know you’d never be like Erin but, I've spent my whole life being his prize, being claimed by him and not seen as a person of my own, and as much as I hated him for everything he’s done to me I-” she breathes, “You loved him” Yunho states her thoughts, and she only nods. “I’m sorry I killed him” Yunho says, and she shakes her head again.

“Don’t, don’t feel sorry Yunho, you did what I wished I could have, it was something I was too weak to do despite the power that my mother gave me. I couldn't kill him, and it wasn't because I still loved him I- I didn't want to admit I was weak enough, stupid enough to have made the decision of loving him in the first place. So as much as I like you Yunho, as much comfort as you bring me I- I’m not ready to be claimed as someone’s else's before I get to find myself. I just- I need time, could you please give me that?” she turns her head to him, tears glistening in her eyes as her cheek is pressed against her knee.

“I never, I never expected you to even feel anything for me Kyu. The fact that you’ve just admitted you even have some sort of likeness to me is a blessing I didn’t even know could have been bestowed upon me…. You’re not weak Kyu, you're one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, I wouldn't ever force my feelings upon you.. I never meant to claim you it just- it happened and I will give you as much time as you need” Yunho looks into her eyes, brown with golden flecked iris’s staring into her gray and silver ones, reflecting the meaning and importance behind his words. “But I will tell you this, as much time as you need, as long as I need to wait.. I won’t lose you again. You don’t have to be mine, You don’t have to be the queen that will one day ascend the throne with me but… but I will forever and always be yours, the King that's willing to do anything for you, and I need you to know that”

She smiles at him, the unshed tears in her eyes finally falling, “I know Yunho, I know”

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“Do you understand what you've done boy? You've disrupted the balance. Killed one of your own.” Zeus’s voice booms through the Olympian court, of course the god couldn't just talk to Yunho normally, no he needed to summon him to the court, before the eyes of multiple gods to ‘face his punishment’ whatever that means. “Zeus I've told you I honestly do not care that the boy was killed” Eris says from where she sits, bored out of her mind. She didn’t care for the boy called her son, he wanted to disrupt the delicate balance of discord, he did not understand how to carefully plant a seed, she did think him deserving of her lineage anyway, if anything the boy who is technically her half brother did her a favor.

“Sush daughter, we must mourn the loss of Erick and punish this one accordingly” Zeus silences Eris, “His name was Erin..” Yunho huffs, his father doesn't care about the dead half god, just wants a reason to punish Yunho, he hasn’t ever really liked Yunho, not liking the fact that his son is more favored among the gods than he is. “That's what I said, Erin, sweet boy that one” Zeus nods his head solemnly, beside him Hera rolls her eyes. Ares huffs from where he sits besides Aphrodite in the stands of the fake courthouse his father created for this occasion, Demeter is standing there with her arms crossed and foot tapping in that livid manner that makes Ares shudder, like a mad mother she looks at Zeus.

“A sweet boy?” a dark voice haunts the room, sending shivers down the spines of the gods as dark smoke rolls in from beneath the doors, Yunho’s back straightens as he recognizes it, the voice that's come to talk to him in dreams, to both threaten and thank him for his connection with Kyu. As the shadows spread and the room is encased in a veil of darkness Ares smirks, knowing his father is in for it now. The doors open once the room is fully dark, “You call the bastard that hurt my daughter, sweet?” Nyx asks as she steps into the room, the light her husband has drained from the room running from her fingers to her elbows as she simply seems like a dark shadow, her husband is not beside her but they know he’s here, the darkness around them a show of his presence.

“Lady Nyx, as much as you know I respect your judgment, this is a matter not involving you” Zeus speaks through gritted teeth, tone strained as he tries and shows respect for the goddess he fears. “Doesn’t involve her? The dead had hurt her daughter, I think she has every right to be here” Hera speaks, her word carries the same weight as Zeus’s in this court, as much as he tries to deny it. “See? Hera gets it.. You know you've always been my least favorite of Rhea’s children Zeusy boy” Nyx states as she walks closer, flashing her hand atop Yunho’s shoulder comfortingly, “Unfortunately for you, my daughter has grown fond of him, and as any loving mother would, I protect what's hers. He’s under my protection Zeus, you will not punish him for having done what's right”

“My lady, Yunho has used the powers he was given not only to hurt a member of his future kingdom, but dared to turn his own blood to ichor. Blasphemy cannot go unpunished under my reign.” Zeus tries again, “He used those powers to protect our daughter, the ichor made in his system does not compare to what he will hold once he ascends, this is all redundant in your baseless case against the prince” Erebus’s voice rings through the room, seeming to have no clear starting nor end point, just as the darkness its all encompassing.

“That boy, tried to ensure my daughter would never know the joys of being a mother” Nyx spits to Zeus, “and as I was informed your daughter's ability to bare children remains in tact, he had failed so that cannot be used against the dead who's not here to defend himself” The king replies, and without missing a beat Nyx silences him by saying “Your father ate your siblings and yet they stand alive before you, does that release him from the punishment he currently suffers due to his cruelty?”

“Oh shit” Ares mumbles, eating some of the popcorn Hermes popped up with beside him, Apollo on his other side, Aphrodite slaps Ares upside the head to quiet him down. “Now My lady that-” Zeus is cut off by Hera at his side, “This is fruitless Zeus, you’re trying to punish the boy for loving that girl because you can’t handle that fact that they’d be more powerful together than you'd ever be, which is just insanity because they aren't even together” the goddesses words make the other gods nod in agreement, mostly because they don't want to be there.

“Yeah no see asking me to punish him is like asking me to go against love and that's kind of the opposite of my whole vibe” Aphrodite speaks, and the three male gods beside her nod while eating their popcorn like mindless puppets. “That girl has taken great care of my son, so I would not want to punish this boy for his bravery” Demeter interjects her own opinion. “So no one wishes to punish him?” Zeus asks, and everyone shakes their heads, he sighs, despite the anger rising he is a smart enough king to know he can’t go against the vote of all his subjects, and he does not want to anger two of the oldest deity’s known to the world. He nods, “Alright then the boy will be… released”

Months later, when the story had calmed and his fathers rage had mostly cleared Yunho couldn't be more content than what he currently was. Laying in bed with the soft hum of the tv, the golden glow of the setting sun and the love of his life in his arms he couldn’t wish for more. It was the beginning of summer and Kyu’s tiredness worsened as the sun got stronger and the days got longer. As worried as Yunho would always be for her during these times, a part of him wanted to thank Helios, for it only meant he got to hold his sleeping love in his arms longer.

Her back pressed to his chest, resting her head on his arm as she plays with the fingers of that hand and focuses on the show she’s watching, she looks so beautiful, ethereal even. Yunho’s other hand that had been resting on her hip was now mindlessly tracing the lines of the lightning along her thigh, grateful that the summer heat makes her wear shorts and gives his eyes access to the greatest piece of artwork he’s ever created. Her breathing matches his own, heart beating in sync with his as he can’t stop himself from leaning down and placing a kiss atop her head. “I love you, you know that right?” he mumbles into her hair.

“Mm, I don’t think there’s a universe in which I don’t” she hums back, a small smile playing on her face as she turns her head to look at him, “what brings this on?” she asks, instead of responding he just ducks down further, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss and she responds in kind before giggling. When he pulls away she looks up at him mischievously, a hint of chaos in her eyes as her lips curl into that tiny smirk that drives Yunho wild, “You haven’t been focusing on the show have you?” she turns her whole body around as she looks up at him, “What? I totally have how could you question that” he asks in mock offense, but his eyes don’t leave her lips.

“Alright then, what did Buck just fall off of?” she asks, and she can practically see the loading screen in Yunho’s mind, “Who’s Buck?.....” Yunho makes a face and Kyu playfully slaps his chest in response, he only grips her hand in his as he laughs down at her, “Come on Love, you can’t expect me to focus on some show when you look so pretty in my arms” he smiles as he watches the blush form on her cheeks. “Some show? this is my favorite show” she huffs and Yunho makes a noise of disagreement, “See now I know that’s a lie because your favorite show is The originals because you have a little crush on that hybrid guy” Yunho says knowingly and she buries her face in his chest. She grumbles before she looks up at him again, a hand coming up to tangle in his hair, no longer the golden natural blond, or the fake colors of his dye. No now it’s a soft blond with black roots and ends seeping through, proof of her affect on him.

“I've affected you too much” she beams up at him softly, “I could say the same” he moves her so she’s now laying atop his chest, his palm flattening out against the mark against her thigh as it glows a faint golden, sending a exhilarating jolt of electricity through her body. “But you know what?” he asks as he presses a kiss to her forehead, bringing both hands up as he holds her face in them, threading his fingers through her hair as he tuck a strand behind her ear. “What?” she grins up at him, “I wouldn’t have it any other way” he utters but before he could act on the thoughts swirling in his head, she beat him to it. Moving upwards and capturing his lips with a fervent need.

The tv still playing in the background, the setting sun and rising moon, the heat of the day worsened by the tension in their bodies is a stark reminder that the future King and Queen of the gods will never be separated, their bodies intertwined, souls connected and hearts beating as one.

Yunho remembers the stories his dad told him, of Humans having four legs, four arms and two hearts, being split into two souls by Zeus and left to roam in search of their other half forever. He never thought to ask any of the gods if this had been true, but feeling the love coursing in his chest for the woman atop him, he believes it must be.

taglist: @grapejellysollie @seongsangssbitch @idkwhatto-namethis @leezanetheofficial @waywardsummoner46 @randomfan218-blog @kaisworlds

waahh, im also planning on writing a spin off for Kai and Felix so if you wanne be tagged in that lmk😼

edit: spinoff written and found here!

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acidinduceddaydreams · 8 months ago

Text

Skz corrupting reader Pt 2 ౨ৎ ⋆｡˚

Synopsis: ot8 corrupting innocent crybaby reader slowly but surely. Again.

Part 1 here

Warnings: dub/con corruption kink; big time; mean skz bc i want them all to bully me so badly; unprotected sex, wrap it before you tap it folks; anal; spit; hair pulling; reader is really Innocent and really dumb; cries a lot too; kind of leans in to age play but never really gets that far; humiliation kink; daddy kink; deepthroating.

a/n: thank you to @vivienne-sim @skzskzskzskzskzskzskzzzz @gnab-nahc for requesting a part 2💗

The boys suggesting you all watch a movie that’s more mature and you’re not up for it but do it anyway because your best friends are very convincing. In one of the more raunchy scenes a girl gets slapped during a make out session. Why did that do something to you? Why did it make you feel good down there? You sat in binnie’s lap and all the boys definitely saw the way you tensed up, sharing knowing glances.

When you watch the two main characters kiss this time and were about to cover your eyes binnie stops you right there.”What did we say about being shy sweetheart?” “Here we’ll teach you.” Hyunjin piped up next to you. You didn’t want to protest. You wanted to feel his lips on yours. Maybe you weren’t so innocent after all. His pillowy lips were rough against yours. It felt almost like all the pent up sexual energy you caused them was going to manifest in them being rough and having their way with you. You didn’t know what to do when his tongue slid in to explore your mouth but you knew you didn’t want it to stop.

Suddenly you were being passed from Changbin’s lap into Seungmin’s. Laying on Seungmin’s lap you accidentally exposed your panties to him while still being in shock, head fuzzy from your very first kiss. Hyunjin’s smirk made your tummy fill with butterflies. Seungmin’s dick hardened instantly when he saw your bright blue and pink hello kitty underwear. He wanted to ruin you. “Wow puppy, is that really what you’re wearing.” He says between laughs. “I didn’t think I was friends with such a baby.” The blood rushed to your cheeks but made you feel wet. Why are they making you feel so naughty?

You couldn’t hold back your tears anymore. You were embarrassed and utterly humiliated. Before you knew it you hot fat tears rolled down your cheeks. Trying to defend your childish choice of underwear and failing miserably. Suddenly being made to keep quiet by Seungmin’s fingers in your mouth. “Shut up. Do you ever stop crying?” His hands never caught your eyes until now. They were so long, so perfect. You needed more of them, now. “Minnie” you say muffled against his fingers. “Need more.” Fuck why were you so needy? Why did your existence have to turn them on? Why was their innocent friend looking ready to be ruined?

“Oh sweet girl, what a slut you are. Only for us.” Jisung piped up. Felix’s smirk growing wider. “We’re going to fucking ruin you.” The feeling of your hair being harshly tugged on made your eyes roll to the back of your head.

“Cupcake, do you know what a safe word is?” Minho questioned you. “Yes.” You let out shakily as his grip on your hair tightened. “What do you want yours to be?” After a while it came to you. “Gummy bear.” Even though your safe word was just as childish as you were it was still a safe word all the guys took very seriously. Making sure they all heard and registered it before continuing. Tilting your head harder so you could face his mouth directly, your mouth automatically widened seeing his spit leave his mouth wanting it all to land in yours. “Good little slut.” He chuckled. While you were stuck in your own little euphoria Seungmin was still staring at your panties. You were soaked and your nimble little underwear did nothing to hide it. He hooked his fingers through the sides of your panties and slid it down your legs.

You still had your light pink sweater and frilly skirt on. White knee high socks added to your overall look. Even though your clothes were still on the removal of your panties left you cold and eight pairs of eyes staring at your princess parts made you feel very shy. “Fuck, pretty. You have the prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen.” Changbin broke the silence. “She’s a beauty.” You heard Chan say. You tried to cover your lower area to no avail. Your hands were immediately swatted away by someone else’s. You were so shy and their comments didn’t help with the blood rushing to your cheeks.

You needed more than just their eyes on you. “Please, need some friction.” That was all the affirmation they needed to get to work on ruining your innocence. Your skirt was the first to go, landing somewhere on the floor. Eight pairs of hands were on you. Exploring your half naked body. Your sweater was being removed now. “Lift your head for Jinnie, angel.” Jeongin uttered. You did as you were told. You always did with them. “Please.” “What are you begging for, sunshine?” Felix questioned. “Need you all to make me feel good.” They all seemed to chuckle at that. “And how would we do that, little one?” “Touch me, please?” “Our pretty baby doll isn’t as innocent as she seems, hmm?” Chan said in a mocking tone watching your little hole clench. “Shit, she liked that. What else do you like, honey? We’re here to make it happen.” Seungmin answered for you “The bitch liked it when that girl got slapped, bet she likes that too.” The hot sting from his hand on your cheek cause tears to fall but man did it feel so good. The moan you let out was all they needed to know.

Eight hands were exploring every inch of your body. The sounds you were letting out were warranted since you’ve never felt this before though that didn’t stop your friends from being so irritated with all your whining. “Now the crybaby will finally shut up.” Jeongin said as he shoved his now very hard cock down your throat without warning or prep. He barely fit before the tears in your eyes started again. He was just so long. As Jeongin was abusing your little throat you were allowed some time to breathe when he repositioned you to be on all fours. Chan sliding in underneath you wrapped his hands around you upper back to remove your thankfully less childish bra. “Hey bubs.” He finally let out. “Hi Channie.” “We’re gonna make you feel good m’kay?” “If it hurts just tell daddy, sweet girl.” Daddy? That was almost all you needed to cum untouched right then and there. You looked down. He’s huge. You couldn’t believe that he was going to break your little hole. As he slid in you had to grip down hard on his shoulders. Jeongin still abusing your throat. As Chris started moving Jeongin’s load was shot down your throat. He pulled out a little for some of it to land on your tongue. “Don’t even think about swallowing yet, angel.” Felix’s face replaced Jeongin’s pelvis near your face. You two started making out. Exchanging Jeongin’s cum and spit. Felix stopped to allow you to catch your breath. Chin messy, lips puffy. “Put it all in my mouth, sweetheart.” You did just that, pooling up all of the mixed saliva and cum into Felix’s mouth. Just for him to spit it out onto your tits.

Chan started moving in and out at a slow pace for you to get used to once he laid you out on you back. Eventually speeding up. The pleasure was almost too much. You felt like you were going to burst… or pee. You hadn’t ever felt this knot in your stomach. “Daddy, stop it feels so good, but I need to pee really bad.” “Dumb baby, you don’t need to pee it’s called cum.” Seungmin said giving you another harsh slap. This time to both your tits. “Dada, I’m cumming.” “Cum for me, little one. Make daddy’s cock dirty.” The knot in your tummy broke leaving you to ride out your high while Chan was still pounding into you. His cum coating your wall white. “Fuck, fuck, baby see what you’re doing to us.” You turn to see all the other guys ready to bust their loads. Binnie came first. His shooting hot cum landing on your tummy. Hyunjin was next. Landing his cum in your hair, ruining your two plaits. “Fuck, lovely” Lixie was next cumming on your tits. He loved painting them apparently. Jisung and Minho were helping each other with their hands. Cum from both of them landing right on your face. It was hot and sticky. You felt naughty. Still not believing what you and your best friends had just done. Head too floaty to think. “Daddy, can we do that again.” “Sure, but not now little girl. You need rest. Your body must be so exhausted.” “Let’s clean you up, hmm?”

You were almost fully asleep when you felt yourself being placed in a bath tub. Hyunjin sitting on the edge, ready to wash your hair. Then you were out. “We love you, our pretty baby.”

#bang chan x reader #skz imagines #skz x reader #bang chan x oc #bang chan x female reader #bang chan x you #bang chan x y/n #han jisung x reader #felix x reader #lee know x reader #hyunjin x reader #seungmin x reader #seo changbin x reader #stray kids #skz scenarios #skz #skz smut #in x reader

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blueberrylixie · 1 year ago

Text

cherry pie

lee felix x fem! reader

word count: 9,453

content warnings: dom!felix (sort of? he's not that dom lol), power bottom reader, pet names (baby, babe), oral sex (m and f receiving), vaginal penetration, pussy job (barely tho), fingering, overstimulation, voice kink, smell kink, nipple play, unprotected sex, creampie (use protection kids!),

let me know if i missed anything, this one-shot really isn't that kinky tbh but i tend to miss stuff lol

Mundane. If Felix could describe his life in one word, that would be it.

Everyday was the same. He woke up to his blaring alarm (because he'd just fall back asleep if it wasn't), took a burning hot shower, and ate the same breakfast before taking the bus to his work, where he just filled out paperwork and made spreadsheets all day. Then, he came home, ordered takeout, and fell asleep. Over and over and over again.

That was, until you came into his life.

He had just gotten off the bus, and was walking back to his apartment. The bus had been twenty minutes late, and he'd gotten caught in a random rain shower, so his briefcase and suit were soaked through. He held back a yawn as he pushed open the door to the front lobby.

Felix prayed he wouldn't run into his landlord. It wasn't that she was mean persay, but she was very uptight about the rules, and liked to grill him about the condition of his apartment. He didn't think he could go another minute without throwing on his pajama pants and lounging on the couch watching Netflix.

He hopped into the elevator, and hit the button labeled "3". The complex was five floors. He didn't mind being right in the middle. The neighbors above him had dogs, and he was occasionally woken up in the middle of the night by their barking, but other than that, it was peaceful. He felt lucky for that, at least.

He stepped out onto the third level, trying to pull the key out of his pocket to let himself inside. They'd gotten stuck on a loose string, and he tried in vain to tug it loose without ruining his pants.

"Ah! Son of a bitch!"

Felix looked up, abandoning the struggle with his keys in an instant.

There you were, attempting to heave an entire queen-sized mattress through the narrow hallway, all by yourself. It had gotten stuck on the door handle of an apartment about five down from his.

Donning a pair of earth-green leggings (an image that would forever be burned into his mind) paired with a black skin-tight tank top, every one of your perfect curves was on display. As you wiped a droplet of sweat from your forehead with the back of your hand, he couldn't help but stare.

Everything, from your luscious thighs, completely covered in that buttery material, to your toned yet curvy stomach and hips and your slightly flushed cheeks, which seemed to only glow with sweat, was stunning.

You grinned over at him, standing up for a moment to wipe your hands on your pants. "Don't mind me," you said with a laugh, one of your hips popped to the side as you looked him up and down.

A completely unwarranted image of you underneath him, your face just as flushed and beautiful just as it was now. Only it was screwed up in a look of pure pleasure, as he thrusted in and out of you. You clutched at the sheets, letting out little moans, begging him to go harder.

"You gonna help, or just keep staring at me?"

Felix instantly snapped out of his fantasy, his face instantly heating up. Jesus, what the hell was wrong with him? He hadn't even talked to you yet, and was already thinking the dirtiest thoughts imaginable. That was beyond wrong. He must be a total creep. On top of that, what if you were an awful person, or had bad manners? Or maybe you had an annoying laugh or smelled bad. Yes, he shouldn't be jumping to conclusions.

But as much as he wanted to believe that himself, he couldn't hide the uncomfortable strain of the zipper on his pants. He needed to get inside his apartment right now so you couldn't see. You would definitely think he was some kind of sicko if you found out what he was thinking.

"Oh! Of course, sorry!" Felix nearly tripped over his own feet to help you, his briefcase forgotten by the elevator.

You shot him a devastatingly devious grin. "I'm just messing with you, this is really no big deal. I wouldn't expect a busy guy like you to help me out."

"I want to help," Felix found himself assuring you, covering the lower half of his body with the mattress as he picked up one end. "Which apartment is yours?"

"Number 313," you replied, glancing down at the sheet of paper you'd managed to balance on the top of the mattress.

"Looks like we're neighbors," Felix replied, barking out a laugh. His heart started to race. What were the odds you were moving in right next door?

You beamed at him, and he felt his blood rush south again. Dammit, what was wrong with him? He wasn't usually the type of guy to get riled up this easily. But with you, this was already the second time in less than ten minutes. Get a fucking grip. He ordered himself once again.

"I really like this complex, it feels so homey," you said, attempting to grab the other end of the mattress. "Miss Haneul sure is a little... talkative, isn't she?"

Felix chuckled, caught off guard by your comment. "Yeah, she definitely likes a good conversation, especially if it's about the apartment rules."

"Yes!" You giggled, hefting the mattress into your arms and starting to walk backwards towards your door. "When I told her I didn't have any pets, it was like she thought I was hiding a dog under my shirt."

Felix nodded, trying not to focus on the way you looked when you squatted down to pick the mattress up. Was everything you did attractive?

"She doesn't really trust anyone," Felix agreed, as the two of you finally stopped outside your apartment. "But don't let her get to you, she likes to threaten every tenant here. It doesn't mean anything, she's never kicked anyone out."

You laughed, and it was like a symphony to his ears. He decided his new goal in life was getting you to make that sound as often as possible, because it made him so happy. The happiest he'd been in months.

"I'll keep that in mind when I bring my dog here next week," you joked. "For real, do you think she'd be pissed if I got one? I've always wanted a pet!"

"She may have a heart attack, but she'll get over it," Felix joked back.

You smiled, taking your key out and unlocking the door before starting to shove the mattress through.

"Thank you for your help!" You said, gazing at him with sparkling eyes. "It means a lot, you taking the time to help a complete stranger. But I bet you're really tired. I can do the rest."

"I'm really not too tired, and I don't mind helping," Felix said. "Besides, we're not really strangers. We're neighbors now, right?"

You laughed and nodded. "You're right! What's your name, neighbor?"

"I'm Felix," he said, embarrassed that he hadn't even introduced himself yet.

You smiled, extending your hand and telling him your name. It was beautiful, he thought to himself as he repeated your name over and over in his head.

And he found that he wasn't lying. His exhaustion had completely vanished. On the ride up here, he'd wanted nothing more than to chill on the couch and watch tv with a bowl of ramen. But now, he felt like he could throw a party, maybe run a few miles, even stay up all night. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so energized.

"If you're gonna offer, then I wouldn't mind the help," you agreed, tugging the mattress through the door to let him inside.

Your apartment was the mirror image of his. The kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom were all on the same wall as his, with the living room on the opposite side. He found himself wondering how you would decorate the place, what home looked like to you.

After the two of you got the mattress into the bedroom, you lie down on it, letting your legs and arms sprawl out.

Giving a huge sigh of relief, you smiled up at him once more. Seeing you lying on the bed like that, an image of his earlier delusions flashed through his mind, and he gulped. It was almost like you were trying to tease him.

"Are you leaving your bed on the floor?" Felix asked you, trying to banish the dirty thoughts.

You shook your head, your hair fanning out around you. "No, my... boyfriend bought me a headboard and bed frame, but it hasn't come in yet. Actually, most of my stuff hasn't arrived. The mattress was the last thing I have right now."

So you had a boyfriend.

Of course you did. Someone as stunning, nice, and funny as you wouldn't be single.

Felix tried not to let himself feel disappointed. He'd just met you. It would be weird for him to care so much.

He should leave.

Just then, you motioned to him, patting the bed. "Since we're neighbors, you should already feel at home, right? My apartment is the same as yours."

Leave! Leave! Leave! His brain chanted, attempting to steer him towards the door.

But being your friend was better than nothing, right?

Ignoring his sensible side, Felix sat down next to you. As he did so, he was immediately wreathed in the scent of something warm and sweet. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it made his stomach flip. He was exactly where he was supposed to be.

Here, getting to know you.

Even if he couldn't be with you, he could be near you.

The two of you spent the next hour talking and laughing, learning about one another.

You were a yoga instructor at a new studio down the block. This was your first instructing job since you passed the course a month ago, and you were nervous to start your practice. You didn't think anyone would show up. He assured you it would work out. He didn't tell you, but he could tell just from your energy that you cared. He would make sure you succeeded.

You were very interested in him. You wanted to know everything. What his interests were. Did he have any close friends? What did he do for a living? He felt embarrassed that his job was so boring compared to yours, but you didn't seem to care. But it was when he mentioned that he liked to bake that your eyes lit up.

"I wish I could bake! Ever since I burned a batch of chocolate chip cookies, my boyfriend won't let me back in the kitchen. He says I'm a hazard," you ducked your head at that, looking sad for the first time since he'd met you.

"I could teach you," Felix offered before he could stop himself. He needed to control himself, shouldn't be inserting himself into your life in this way. But he felt a compulsive need to be something to you that no one else - especially your boyfriend - could. He found himself wanting to be someone for you, no matter how small.

You beamed at him and nodded, bouncing up and down on the bed a little. "I would love that! But be warned, I'm a major beginner. You might need to invest in some new pans after I'm done."

Before Felix knew it, it was getting dark outside, and when you stood up to turn on the bedroom light, he stood too.

"I should probably go," he said, not wanting to intrude any longer. "I have to eat dinner, and I've got work tomorrow."

You nodded in understanding. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't know! I bet you were bored out of your mind tonight."

You led him to the door, that delicious scent wafting after you like a pastry. He took a deep breath, not wanting to forget that smell. Your smell.

"Thanks for keeping me company tonight," you looked down at your feet, which were covered in purple cat-print socks. Felix couldn't help but find that adorable, storing that information away in a compartment of his brain now made specifically for you. "I-I don't have a lot of friends, so it was nice to spend time with someone so nice."

Your cheeks dusted with pink, you reached your arms out like you were going to give him a hug.

Felix froze as your arms circled around his waist. He could feel your chest pressing against him, and he had to fight to control his arousal. He would rather die than let you know how he felt about you, this early into your relationship.

He slowly put his arms around you too, feeling your small shape meld perfectly with his. His chest felt tight as he fought the growing attraction he felt towards you. You fit so well against him.

As Felix walked the few feet to his own apartment, he couldn't stop smiling. His cheeks hurt from the new sensation. He couldn't remember when he'd last spent so much time with someone else who wasn't his coworkers. It felt good.

As he lie alone in bed, thoughts of you invaded his mind. And not for the first time that night. In fact, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about you since he left your apartment.

He'd never met someone that he connected with in the same way as you. The chemistry was instantaneous. You were kind, funny, and passionate. And what was more, you were actually interested in him and his life, too. He wasn't anything special. But you made him feel like he could be.

And holy hell, you were gorgeous. Naturally, that was the first thing he'd noticed about you. Your petite, curvy figure paired with that bright, optimistic smile was now imprinted on his mind. No wonder you were taken.

He should stop thinking about you like that. Just letting you infiltrate his mind was getting his hopes up in a way he shouldn't. He barely knew you. Plus, he had impossibly high standards when it came to dating. You'd probably do something that turned him off, and that would be the end of it.

But those godforsaken leggings. They hugged you in just the right places, your tight, round ass bouncing just slightly as you bent down to pick up the mattress, your perky breasts pressed up against the black fabric of your tank top. That bright grin you sent his way whenever he said something even remotely funny.

Fuck. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to erase the memories that threatened to overtake him. His hard cock pressed against the front of his boxers, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop it.

Maybe I just need to jerk off. Felix thought, raking a hand through his already sweaty hair. Let off some steam.

It had been a long time since he'd masturbated, let alone had sex with anyone. Work took up so much of his time nowadays, he never went out. And by the time he got home, he was so exhausted, he usually just ate dinner and passed out.

Yeah, that must be it. Just jerk off, go to sleep, and feel better in the morning.

Felix slid a tentative hand into his boxers, wrapping his fingers around the base of his cock. Letting out a hiss, a mix of pain and pleasure, he began to stroke himself up and down.

Starting off slow, he tried to keep his mind off of you. But inevitably, his mind kept wandering back, to the way your tits bounced as you jumped onto the bed, the intoxicating smell of you when you hugged him goodbye, the way your chest pressed against him...

As he started jerking himself harder, those memories quickly morphed into fantasy. You sitting on his cock, bouncing up and down, moaning his name, squeezing those perfect breasts as you begged him to go deeper, move faster.

He thrusted into his hand, imagining he was hammering into your wet cunt as your moans turned into incoherent whimpers.

"Felix!" He could practically hear you gasp.

"Fuck," Felix bit out through gritted teeth, trying to keep his voice down. He imagined how tight you would be, squeezing him in just the right way.

"Please, go faster," you'd whine, and he would reach up to play with your tits as you cried out in pleasure.

Felix's breaths came in short, labored gasps as he thrusted harder and harder, the image of your moans turning to whimpers as you neared the top of the cliff.

"I-I think I'm close Lix," you'd pant, pressing your hands against his sweat-covered chest as your entire body shuddered above him.

Felix opened his mouth to say something, but only a loud moan escaped. "Baby, baby," he growled, fucking upwards like his life depended on it. "Shit, I'm gonna-"

He thrusted a few more times, his hips moving in stuttered jerks, before spurts of white liquid stained the front of his boxers, and he fell back onto the bed, gasping like he'd run the length of a football field.

He changed his boxers, before collapsing back down, exhausted, and passing out.

——————————————

Three weeks came and went. Felix continued to work at the same place, eat breakfast at the same time, and fall asleep alone in his apartment.

But now you were right here, next door. Things were somehow exactly the same, yet completely different with you around. You'd invited him over about a dozen times since your first meeting. You'd tried your hand at cooking that first day, which ended up with the oven nearly exploding, and only a charred casserole to show for it. After that, Felix had brought you over to his place for dinner, or you'd ordered in. You were a huge tv show buff, forcing him to watch a bunch of Korean survival shows with you. While they wouldn't usually be his cup of tea, he found himself enjoying them. Anything with you was fun. His life felt a thousand times fuller with you in it.

He had given up hope a long time ago of ever being with you. He just wanted to be around you, be in your presence. Make you laugh or smile, and if being your friend was the only way he could accomplish that, then so be it.

Felix would never tell you about what he did that first night after he met you. Or rather, what he'd done every night since then, with his hand wrapped around his cock, growling your name under his breath as he thought of you in every filthy position imaginable.

They were just fantasies. And that was all they'd be. And he was okay with that.

One day, almost exactly three weeks since you'd moved in, Felix was baking a cherry pie. It was the weekend, and seeing as he never had plans on the weekend, he'd decided he wanted to try his hand at baking. It had been awhile since he'd baked anything, but he was feeling in an especially good mood. Yesterday, you had fallen asleep on his shoulder during the finale of one of your favorite shows. He could still feel your rhythmic breaths against his neck as he stared at the tv, trying not to look down at you.

He'd thought about that all night, as he pleasured himself to what at this point had become an alternate version of you. A parallel universe in which you were single, and interested in him.

Now, he was mixing together the dry ingredients for the pie crust before he could mix it together and put the filling inside. He'd forgotten just how much baking calmed him down.

But right as he had placed the dough in the pie plate, there was a knock at the door.

After he recovered from the near heart attack the loud noise gave him, he hurried over and pulled the door open.

You stood there, wearing a pair of brown sweatpants and a plain white cropped tank top. He gaped at you, for a second unsure of what to say.

"H-hi," you said, your voice wavering for a moment. It was then that he saw how red your eyes were. Had you been crying?

"Are you okay?" He blurted. He'd never seen you look even remotely upset. The saddest he'd ever seen you was when your favorite idol from one of your survival shows got eliminated. But he'd never seen you cry. He decided he hated it. He definitely wasn't a violent person, but he wanted to punch whoever made you feel like this.

You nodded, trying to smile. But your lip wobbled as you did so, and he swore he would break down every door in this complex to figure out who the hell was responsible.

"C-can I come in?" You asked, peering inside his apartment nervously. "If you're busy, I can go."

He shook his head, immediately letting you inside.

You walked into the kitchen, rubbing your arms with your hands like you were a stranger, despite having been in his apartment multiple times.

You stopped and smelled the air. "Are you baking?" You asked, sounding like your normal self for the first time that day.

He nodded. "Cherry pie. I thought it could be fun, since I haven't baked in forever."

Your eyes brightened slightly. "When we first met, you said you'd teach me how to bake."

"You're right, I did," Felix chuckled. "I can't believe you remember that."

"I remember everything from the day we met."

You stared at him boldly, the remnants of tears starting to dry on your cheeks, leaving only a slight shimmer behind. He stared back, unable to look away. There had always been something alluring about your eyes. It was like you were trying to hypnotize him.

"R-right," Felix cleared his throat. "Well, I could teach you today, if you'd like."

You smiled, coming to stand next to him. You were close, too close.

He tried to subtly move away. Being that close to you was still intoxicating.

You were taken, he had to stay hands-off. And that was near impossible with your soft skin brushing against him.

"No one has ever wanted to teach me anything before," you said, staring at the pie plate with the unbaked crust sitting inside it.

"What about your boyfriend?" Felix asked. "Why did he give up so quickly?"

"He's uhh..." you paused, eyes laser-focused on the pie. "He's not my boyfriend anymore."

Silence fell over the two of you. Felix's mouth was so dry, he couldn't say anything even if he wanted to. Should he console you? Tell you "good riddance, that guy sucked anyway"? They both sounded grossly inappropriate.

"So, what do we do next?" You interrupted his thoughts, pointing at the pie.

"Oh!" Felix hurried back over to you, nearly slipping in his socks. "We take the cherry pie filling and put it in the crust, then we do a lattice pattern over the top with the leftover dough."

"Cherry pie is my favorite," you commented, poking a finger into the filling and tasting it. "That's sooo good! Did you make it yourself?"

If it was anyone else, Felix would have given them major side-eye for eating cherry filling with their hands like that. But this was you. His heart squeezed and his face heated up from the praise.

"Y-yeah, it's really not that hard," he scratched the back of his neck, trying to hide his blush.

You smiled up at him, dipping your finger back in and putting it in front of his face, like you wanted him to try.

He stared back at you, dumbfounded. Did you really want him to eat off your finger?

He guessed he must have stared at you for too long, because you shrugged and retracted your finger, before eating it yourself. He caught his breath, trying to calm his hammering heartbeat. Jesus, what were you doing to him?

"Fine, you wanna feed me instead?" You asked, the hint of a smirk appearing on your mischievous face. You held the bowl out to him.

You'd done cheeky things like this before, to the point that he wasn't sure if you were playing with him or not. Since you had a boyfriend, he'd just assumed you were a naturally flirty person.

Now that he thought about it, this wasn't the first time you'd come over with especially red eyes. He knew you didn't smoke or do drugs, and you usually played it off, saying it was allergies or something, so he'd just ignored it. But maybe this wasn't the first time you'd had boyfriend problems.

And now you were single - you'd just said it a couple minutes ago.

Maybe it was okay to hope again. He sure as hell wanted that. Because if he was being honest with himself, he'd never really stopped.

So he dipped his finger into the bowl, hygiene be damned, and offered you a taste.

You leaned forward and captured his finger between your lips. You sucked lightly on his fingertip, swirling your tongue along the surface of his skin, removing all the fruity syrup. When you released him and stepped back, an even more obvious smirk painted your stunning face.

Felix's heartbeat raced so hard he wondered if he was going to pass out. That had to have been on purpose. You were flirting with him.

And of course, it was working. His cock, which had been more active in the past three weeks than it had in his entire life, hardened instantly. The sensation of your wet tongue against his skin brought all of those dirty thoughts that constantly simmered in the back of his mind come exploding to the forefront. All he wanted to do was bend you over this counter and-

"Can I put the cherry filling in the crust now?" You asked, nodding at the bowl still in your hands.

"Uh- we have to um... yeah, put the filling in," Felix blustered, taking the bowl from you. That expression on your face as you looked him over, as if you knew exactly what he was thinking.

The two of you spent the rest of the day baking not one, but two cherry pies. He demanded that you take one home, and just bring the pie plate back when you were done. He hoped the gesture would remind you of him. And, even better, it gave him an excuse to see you, soon.

"If you're sure!" You held the pie in your right hand as you walked towards the door, your cheeks rosy from the warm kitchen. "If it's gross, I'm blaming you."

You stood on your tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek, before opening the door with your free hand and walking out.

Felix stared after you, trying to process what the hell had just happened. Your scent still lingered all throughout the apartment, and he couldn't help but breathe deeply as he dissected the entire day.

Did you just kiss him on the cheek? And had you just spent the entire afternoon baking in his apartment? And maybe even flirted with him, multiple times?

As he packed away his pie and continued to reflect, he had to admit one thing to himself.

He was falling for you. And he should just let it happen.

——————————————

Felix knew he should feel ashamed that he had come to look forward to his alone time right before bed. It had become something of a nighttime ritual. Every time he would cum to those filthy thoughts of you, he would tell himself "never again." But before he knew it, he was back, staring at the ceiling of his room, unable to stop thinking about you, and what he wanted to do with you. It had become a delusion, one he knew would never come true.

But now, after today? Felix didn't know where you two stood. Even he, who had been described by multiple friends as "miserably dense", had caught onto the fact that you were flirting with him. And as much as he tried to stay pessimistic, he couldn't help but let a desperate hope sneak back into his mind.

It was probably because of this hope that he couldn't even wait until after his shower, before his cock was heavy with need. He was so hard it physically ached.

As he stood in the shower under the hot water, he ran desperate fingers along his tip, arousing himself further. His hips jerked forward instinctively as hungry images of you, pushed up against the shower wall, flashed through his mind. Could it be at all possible that you might want this too? Did you think about him in this way?

"I've been waiting for this," he imagined you gasp against his neck as he pressed his mouth along every inch of your body that he could reach.

"Fuck, please," he moaned your name much louder than he'd meant to as he rocked his hips back and forth. All he could think about was you. Your touch, your smell, your taste.

It was all too much.

He gripped the wall with one hand, the other stroking his rock hard cock, frantically trying to satisfy his never-ending craving for you. He raced closer and closer to the precipice of his orgasm, his voice growing hoarse from the low, desperate growls of your name. He hoped his voice was drowned out by the pattering of the shower on his back. But as he came with a few shuddering thrusts, thinking of nothing but the vivid image of your tight cunt clenching around him, he couldn't find it in him to care.

——————————————

Fuck, today had exhausted you.

You'd broken up with your boyfriend for the last time, had a breakdown in your car, impulse bought a new vibrator, and barged in on your hot-as-shit next door neighbor. And that was all before noon.

All of it was a long time coming, honestly. Your boyfriend - now ex-boyfriend - was a steaming piece of shit, and you should have ditched him a long time ago. He'd been jealous of the amount of time you spent with Felix over the past few weeks, and after numerous fights and yelling matches, that had been the last straw.

But he'd been right in the end, hadn't he?

You would much rather spend time with the sweet, funny, adorable, new neighbor than your cranky, gym-rat boyfriend with a high sex drive, but low drive to give oral sex, anyday.

Not to mention Felix was frustratingly ignorant to how irresistibly sexy he was. How was that possible? He could probably charm the pants off of a sewer rat, and yet he spent most of his time at work, or holed up in his apartment by himself.

You had wondered, on multiple occasions, how experienced he was in bed.

Not that you'd mind no matter what. There was an appeal to someone inexperienced. But you had a feeling, or maybe it was just your dirty mind playing tricks on you, that he was better in bed than he let on.

You groaned, stretching your arms across the top of the couch, trying to distract yourself. How many times had you thought about getting Lee Felix into bed with you?

You knew that had probably made you a bad girlfriend, but it wasn't like your ex was any better. You hadn't cheated on him once, even when he'd gaslit you into staying with him months longer than you wanted to. Plus, you knew he was at least flirting with multiple girls at the gym, and stayed out past five in the morning everyday partying without you, so you didn't find yourself feeling sorry at all.

How could you, when Felix was literally the perfect man?

Not only had he cooked you your favorite meals, watched your favorite tv shows, and laughed at all of your shitty jokes, but he taught you how to bake. That was something that your ex, or anyone else, had never done.

Felix was special. He seemed to understand you on a deeper level than anyone else ever had. And you'd only known him for three weeks.

You sighed, heading into the bathroom to brush your teeth and get ready for bed.

It was probably wishful thinking, imagining all these things about your next door neighbor. You'd been stupid enough to stay in a shitty relationship for so long, he'd probably never see you as anything other than a fun hang, maybe even one of the guys. Yikes.

But as much as you didn't want to believe that, he'd never even slightly responded to any of your flirty advances. Even today, after you admitted that you were single again, he didn't seem to be interested. It kind of sucked to get rejected like that, but you supposed you couldn't be mad at him. It was your fault, anyway.

But as you started to brush your teeth, you heard a noise through the wall that almost made you choke on your toothbrush.

A moan. A really loud one. And it was coming through the wall. From Felix's apartment.

You paused, toothbrush still in your mouth, waiting to see if more sounds would come. Maybe you'd imagined it. Maybe you were getting your hopes up, wishing so badly that he might think about you the same way you thought about him, that you were actually going crazy.

Because honestly, who wouldn't think about getting Felix in bed?

But you supposed if you could hear him so clearly through the wall in your bathroom, he wasn't in bed. It was a little early to be going to sleep anyway, you supposed.

Straining your ears to try and see if you could hear anything else, you thought there was the faint sound of the pipes pulling water into his bathroom. You had noticed that you could occasionally hear when your neighbors flushed the toilet or turned on the sink.

So was he taking a shower?

God, there was something so irresistibly sexy about Felix masturbating in the shower. You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to keep the images of the water hitting his back, steam surrounding his lean, muscular figure as he pleasured himself, at bay. Your core throbbed at the thought.

It was such a filthy thing to be doing, getting turned on by your next door neighbor, who you hadn't even known for an entire month. It was wrong, wasn't it?

"Fuck, fuck..."

You heard it again. Only this time, something else accompanied those sworn oaths that made your entire body heat up.

Your name.

If he kept growling with that hoarse, raspy voice, holy hell, you could cum from that alone.

Your breath caught in your throat, and you struggled to breathe. Did you hear that correctly? Was Felix touching himself, and thinking about you while he did so? You washed your mouth out and put your toothbrush back, but you were unable to get the sound of his moans out of your head. Your panties were absolutely soaked already, and he hadn't done anything to you yet. You hadn't even seen him. How could he affect you this badly?

What were you supposed to do in this situation? You stood in front of the mirror, refusing to leave, just in case you might catch something else.

You heard the sounds come again, louder this time. Your name spilled from his lips over and over, and you could tell he was getting close.

All you wanted to do was go over there and provide the satisfaction the both of you clearly needed.

There had been many nights when you'd been sexually and emotionally frustrated, either after you had a fight, or even really bad sex, with your ex, and couldn't resist touching yourself. And as much as you'd tried to think solely about your now-ex, your mind kept slipping to Felix. His low, gravelly voice (damn, you really couldn't stop thinking about that, could you?) when he joked with you, the way his hand accidentally brushed your thigh when you sat on the couch together, the smell of his shampoo. Everything about him was so hot. And the knowledge that he wanted you too was unraveling your self control much too quickly.

You heard another moan, this one more strangled, almost choked, than the others. You closed your eyes, sliding your hand into your pajama shorts. If he was thinking about you while he touched himself, then it couldn't be too weird for you to do the same, right?

You lost yourself in the sounds of his borderline tortured pleasure, like he also didn't want to be touching himself in this way, but couldn't control himself. There was something so sexy about his gritted out moans and groans that drove you absolutely crazy.

You tried rubbing your own clit, imagining it was Felix touching you instead, but it didn't work. Your fingers paled in comparison to the real thing. You needed him. And it was clear that he needed you. You pulled your hands away from your body and fixed your shorts.

And as you lingered for a few more seconds to listen to Felix finish, relishing in those aching grunts, you decided there was only one option: you were going over there to take what you wanted. Or rather, what Felix had so kindly begged of you.

——————————————

Felix sat on the couch after his shower. He felt a lot less frustrated than before, but he still wasn't satisfied.

He needed more. He needed you.

A knock came from his door. He checked the clock. It was nearly 10pm, much too late to be getting visitors. Not that he got any normally.

Peering through the peephole, he saw you, and his heart sped up tenfold. What could you want at such a late hour?

There could really only be one thing, right? But no, he couldn't get his hopes up. There were surely other possibilities. You could have had another fight with your ex. You could have gotten locked out of your apartment. Anything except what he needed, needed so badly he physically ached.

But when he opened the door, he knew.

"H-hi Lix," you said, staring up at him.

Your cheeks were flushed hazy pink, your eyes wide and glassy, lips slightly puffy and swollen, like you'd been biting them. You were in a cozy gray tank top and matching pajama shorts. Like you'd been getting ready for bed.

You'd heard him.

Of course you did. He hadn't exactly been quiet about his intense pleasure, and you had adjoining bathrooms. If you'd been brushing your teeth or showering at the same time, there was no way you missed his loud groans. And he'd said your name. There was no questioning his feelings.

He opened his mouth to say something, to ask you if you'd heard him, see if you wanted to come inside and talk about it. Maybe you could still be friends after all this. Maybe you wouldn't absolutely hate him.

But before he could say anything, you stepped inside, slammed the door shut, and launched yourself at him.

As you pressed your lips against his, his mind went blank. You tasted sweet and desperate, as if you'd been waiting for this too. Pulling himself out of his shock, he kissed you back, flipping the two of you around and shoving you against the wall next to the door.

You let out a small gasp, but didn't protest as you wrapped your legs around his waist and deepened the kiss. Your tongue pressed against his mouth, and he opened willingly, biting your bottom lip while grabbing your ass to hold you up. Fuck, was this really happening? His mind was a blur as he let his own tongue explore your mouth, taking in your smell and taste.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" He breathed, sliding his hand into your hair to pull you closer.

"I-I heard you," you gasped between your tangled mouths. "And I had to. I've been thinking about this for so long." You slid your arms around his neck, finally breaking the kiss, breathed heavily. "I-I've wanted you so bad."

Felix unwittingly let out a soft moan as he gazed into your eyes, which were blown-out in pleasure. "You have no idea how long I've wanted this too. I can't believe you're really here. I didn't know you heard me..."

You giggled. "Of course I did, you were really loud."

Felix blushed, ducking his head. "A-and what did you think?"

"It was the hottest thing I've ever heard," you said softly, brushing your lips against his neck. He shivered, leaning into your touch.

"I'm glad you broke up with your boyfriend," Felix murmured, one hand moving to your waist and squeezing. "He was an asshole."

"Let's not talk about him tonight," you whispered, meeting his gaze. "I want this to be about you and me."

He nodded. "I'd like that," he agreed, his heart picking up again. He'd been right. You were here to see him, to be with him. And even though he was scared shitless, he was ready.

"Are you sure you want this?" You ran a finger down his arm. "I don't want to pressure you into anything, I just thought that- because of- you might want me as much as I want you."

"Yes," Felix said instantly. "With you, always yes."

You opened your mouth to reply, your face red with delight.

Before you could say anything, Felix kissed you with as much fervor as he'd been dreaming about. Knowing that you wanted him too, he couldn't hold back anymore.

You moaned against him, opening your mouth to him once more, grinding your hips against him in slow, sensual rolls.

"F-fuck," he gasped in surprise, his cock already straining against his sweatpants. "That feels so good."

"Yeah?" You said against his mouth, smirking as you moved harder. "Tell me what you want, Lix. Tell me how you like it."

"I-I just want you," Felix breathed, starting to move his hips back against you to counter your movements. "Please, I need you."

"But what exactly do you want, Lix?" You blushed. "I want you to feel good."

Felix looked down sheepishly. "I-I just want to smell you. You smell so good."

You grinned, hopping out of his grip and instantly onto the floor, kneeling in front of him. You still hadn't moved more than a few feet from the front door, but Felix didn't care. There was something so much hotter about the urgency at which you moved, like you were dying for a taste of him.

You started pulling his pants down, along with his boxers. The image of you on your knees for him was one of the lewdest things he'd ever seen, and he nearly came at the sight.

As you tugged his boxers off, his throbbing cock sprang free in front of your face. The tip was already red and angry, leaking precum, and you licked it away. As you took him by the base of his shaft, a hiss of pain escaped his lips. A confident smirk on your face, you stroked him once from the base to the tip, before sliding your mouth around him.

"Oh shit," Felix forced out, his hand finding purchase in your hair. He didn't know if he wanted to push you away or pull you forward, to make you choke on his dick. "Please, more."

You obeyed, taking as much of him as you could and sucking hard, your tongue swirling along the tip. Your hand stroked him up and down on the part of him that your mouth couldn't fit.

The pleasure was so intense, Felix thought he was going to explode in your mouth right away. He took deep breaths, starting to thrust his dick in and out of your perfect, wet mouth.

"God, you're so perfect," he gasped, fisting your hair as you gagged on his length over and over, saliva dripping down your chin. "You feel even better than I imagined."

"You're so big, Lix," you gasped around him, your free hand massaging his balls as you continued to take him, hard and fast.

"Ah shit, I'm gonna cum," he gritted his teeth, pulling you off him. "I don't want to finish yet, baby."

You stood up, playfully frowning. "But what if I wanted you to cum in my mouth?"

He groaned, pressing his lips against yours in response, breathing in your scent. You smelled even more amazing than he remembered, your usual sweet scent now mixed with musky sweat. Before he could stop himself, he licked your neck, wanting to taste you. Fuck, you tasted like candy.

"Let me pleasure you, baby," he growled, starved eyes meeting yours. Before you could protest, he tugged your pants off and ripped your panties, leaving them in a pile on the floor.

"Fuck, yes please," you gasped as he lifted your leg up. Your hand ran through his hair as you gazed down at him, eyes wide and face flushed. You looked like a wild mess, even hotter than his fantasies.

Now eye level with your cunt, which was already drenched with arousal, he'd never seen something so perfect in his life. He wet his lips before licking a stripe across your clit.

"Felix-" you gasped, tugging on his hair. It was slightly painful, but he didn't care. "More, please."

Felix immediately buried his mouth in your pussy, sucking and biting at your clit, sliding his tongue in and out of you.

"Can you use your fingers?" You moaned, your hips moving back and forth against him.

He slid one finger inside your tight cunt, then a second. You were already so tight. Just the thought of his cock fitting inside made him even harder. He wanted to touch himself, but instead he focused all of his desire on you.

He continued to suck on your clit, pumping his fingers in and out of you at the rhythm that made you whimper his name the loudest and pull his hair the hardest. He thrusted his fingers in as far as they would go, until they hit a spongey part inside of you that made you cry out in pleasure.

"Shit, Lix I-I'm close, please," you panted, riding his fingers and mouth as you desperately tried to reach your climax.

"Cum for me baby," he ordered, continuing to lick and suck on your swollen clit. Your hips were shaking so hard he wondered if he should slow down, but your cries of pleasure told him not to.

With a few broken wails of his name, you fell apart, nearly collapsing against him as your legs gave out, and a rush of wetness spread across his tongue. You tasted perfect, sweet and tangy. He kept licking your clit until you whimpered from overstimulation, pushing him away gently.

He barely had time to wipe his mouth clean before you pulled him close, kissing him over and over again. His hands rested on your waist, his breaths coming in quick gasps as you nibbled on his bottom lip, just as desperate as before.

"Please Lix," you mumbled against his mouth. "I need you."

It took him a second to realize what you were saying. You were really standing in front of him, lips kiss-bitten and swollen, asking him to fuck you.

"You don't have to ask me twice," Felix chuckled breathlessly, before picking you up by the waist and carrying you to his bedroom.

He threw you down on the bed as gently as he could. As you laid in front of him, bare from the waist down, he couldn't help but think of you, lying on your bed the first day you met. You'd looked ethereal to him then. Somehow, you were even more beautiful now, almost otherworldly. He felt like he really knew you. You were more than just a pretty face. You were smart, determined, and incredibly kind. He never would have guessed he would be here with you, like this.

You motioned for him to join you on the bed, and he obeyed, coming to stand at the edge of the bed above you. Grinning, you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of you. At first, he was scared he might crush you, but with your legs around his waist, your bare pussy rubbing up against his semi-hard cock, all coherent thought vanished. It was only you.

"Please, Lix," you whimpered, sucking harsh kisses up and down his neck. "I'll beg if I have to."

He laughed softly, pulling your shirt over your head. "I want to see you first," he whispered, cupping one of your full, perfect breasts in his hand. "You're so beautiful."

You blushed, but didn't respond. "If you get to see me like this, I want your shirt off too," You replied, tugging at the bottom of his shirt.

He helped you to remove his shirt too. He usually didn't like others seeing him like this, but with you, it felt completely natural. Comfortable even.

You smiled, running your hands up and down his chest. "I've always wanted to know what you looked like shirtless," you said, raking your gaze up and down his entire body. He felt heat rise on his face, but he didn't mind. He just wanted you. His cock, which had started to harden earlier, was rock solid now. Just seeing you completely naked made him want to destroy you.

You climbed on top of him, your legs straddling his torso. "Fuck, you're so big," you murmured, rubbing your wet clit up and down his length, coating him in your arousal. "You feel so good, babe."

Felix groaned, the lewd sounds of your pussy sliding along his cock exciting him even further. "We'll go as slow as you need."

You shook your head. "No, I don't want to go slow."

You gripped the base of his cock, before lowering yourself onto him. You let out a loud moan, throwing your head back as you slid further onto him. "Oh shit, yes! Fuck, you fill me so good, baby."

Felix tried to hold your waist, but his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't get a good grip. Your tight, wet cunt practically sucked him in as you impaled yourself deeper and deeper onto him.

"You feel even better than I imagined," Felix panted, starting to thrust up into you. You felt so good, he couldnt control himself as he went even harder. "I'm gonna ruin you, angel."

You whined at his words, your hands going to your breasts as you squeezed them, pinching the nipples and moaning. "Yes, faster Lix, please!"

Felix grabbed you around the waist, pulling you down so you laid on top of him, both of your chests pressed together. He breathed against your neck, smelling that warm scent that he loved so much. Fuck, fuck. He thought to himself as he thrusted harder and harder into you, slamming his cock in and out of your tight hole.

"You smell so good baby," he gasped, his hips stuttering as the pleasure threatened to overwhelm him.

"Lix, lix," you chanted his name like your life depended on it. Your hair fell over his face as you pressed your lips feverishly against his, whimpering into his mouth as you bounced faster and faster on top of him.

The slapping sound of flesh on flesh, mixed with the squelching of your soaked pussy, continued as he hammered into you, your name exploding from his mouth over and over again as you got wetter and wetter, your arousal dripping down his cock and onto the sheets.

"I-I want you on top," you whimpered. "I want you to fuck me so hard that I'm screaming your name."

"F-fuck baby, you're driving me crazy," Felix breathed, thrusting into you one more time before he flipped you over, digging your back into the mattress. "God, you look so sexy underneath me."

"I like being under you, baby," you smirked up at him. He grabbed your face and pressed your lips back together. Your tongue invaded his mouth as he sucked on your lower lip, your bodies still attached.

Felix rested above you, using his arms to prop himself up.

"Just to warn you," he began, his voice hoarse. "When I'm on top, I tend to lose control. I don't do gentle."

Your eyes lit up like it was a challenge. "Good, I don't want you to."

Felix's cock throbbed at your words. Were you trying to kill him?

He started off slow, trying to tether himself to a rope to start. He didn't want to scare you away. No matter how confident you were, he didn't want to go too hard and hurt you.

"Tell me if it's too much," he rasped into your ear as he started to move.

"Mm," you nodded, instantly wrapping your legs around him, pulling him close so he went in hilt-deep. "Faster, please."

Felix smirked. "We're on my time now, baby."

Your eyes widened, but you didn't object.

He closed his eyes, starting to speed up. The feeling of his hard cock thrusting in and out of your tight pussy was driving him insane. His hips lifted up and down as he fucked you harder, the bed bouncing up and down as he went.

"Fuck, yes Lix!" You cried out, your fingers digging into his back, nails scratching at his bare skin so hard it left angry, red marks. "You feel so fucking good!"

"Yes baby, yes," Felix grunted, opening his eyes to gaze down at you. Your eyes were squeezed shut, mouth open in a half-moan of pleasure. "You feel so damn good babe."

"Just like that babe," you panted, pushing his head down to your bare breasts. He took the invitation eagerly, bringing a nipple to his lips and sucking. You gasped, bucking your hips up against his in response. He growled against your skin, his hips stuttering at your sound of pleasure as he increased his speed even more. He bit your nipple a little rougher than he meant, causing you to squeal, your cunt tightening around him like a vice.

"Please Lix, please," you begged, rocking your hips desperately against his. "I-I'm gonna cum!"

"Wait for me, baby," he growled, and you nodded, a quiet whimper escaping your lips as you pulled him closer to you, his cock driving impossibly deeper into your tight cunt.

He switched to your other nipple, pounding his length into you as hard as he could. You felt so fucking good, he couldn't stop. He buried his face in your neck, breathing as deep as he could as he lost himself in the warm wetness of your body.

His hips began to stutter and his chest shook, and he knew he was close. "Fuck baby, cum for me," he snarled, biting your neck as he did so.

"Please, please babe, fuck me, fuck me," you sobbed, pressing your lips against him. "I-I'm gonna cum, Lix I-" you stopped mid sentence, your pussy squeezing around him so tight he could barely breathe. Your entire body shook as you cried out his name, before you exploded around him, your whole body quaking from the power of your orgasm.

"You're so perfect baby," he grunted, his voice breaking as he fucked you with so much power, your entire body shook. He thrusted brokenly in and out twice, before releasing inside of you.

You shuddered at the sensation as he slowly pulled out, the white liquid dripping out of your soaked cunt.

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you in close. He dug his nose into your hair, nuzzling into your neck.

"Fuck, thank god I'm on birth control," you said, letting out a soft laugh as you wrapped a leg around his waist. "That was even better than my fantasies."

Felix laughed against you and nodded. "Hell yeah. Can we go again?"

You smiled at him, nodding vigorously.

The two of you sat in silence for a few moments, soaking in each other's presence.

Suddenly, you turned to him."Why do you like my scent so much?"

Felix shrugged, breathing in once again. You still smelled fucking amazing. "I dunno, you just smell really good. Comforting."

You giggled, bringing his mouth to yours in a deep kiss.

It was at that moment that he realized what you smelled like.

Cherry pie.

laska's note —

eek! this was my first ever published smut one-shot here on tumblr, and i really like how it turned out! what did y'all think? was it too long? would you have liked even more character development? please give me all your honest feedback because i want to hear it! i love you guys and thank you for your support as i try out writing new stuff! i am not taking requests yet, but if this post does well or people really want it, then i might think about it! ily mwah!

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