#not that i was expecting him to marry a child but he could've taken full advantage of y/n | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

loadingrat · 4 years ago

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⿻ 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞 → 𝐤. 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐣𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐠

🏻 ⃟⿻ 𝐠 𝐞 𝐧 𝐫 𝐞 → angst; retelling; fantasy

🏼 ⃟⿻ 𝐬 𝐮 𝐦 𝐦 𝐚 𝐫 𝐲 → with the burden of a crown on his head, Hongjoong finds himself forced to get a bride before he turns twenty two, yet he finds himself struck by love with a cursed young woman named Odette, who's body turns to swan at dawn. it all should be as simple as snapping your fingers to break the curse, when all it takes is three little words, yet, when spoken wrongly, they may do more harm then good.

🏽 ⃟⿻ 𝐰 𝐚 𝐫 𝐧 𝐢 𝐧 𝐠 𝐬 → this awfully written i apologise; based off the ballet, so suicide; dark magic; violence; mention of a curse; the usual swearing; hunting; instant love; drowning; overprotective parents and another shitty ass parent if you ask me; forced marriage; the reader is referred to as "Odette"

🏾 ⃟⿻ 𝐰 𝐨 𝐫 𝐝 𝐬 → + 5.5k

🏿 ⃟⿻ 𝐦 𝐚 𝐬 𝐭 𝐞 𝐫 𝐥 𝐢 𝐬 𝐭 𝐬 → main masterlist ⦚ retellings

Hongjoong always enjoyed watching as the wind bent under the will of his arrows, obeying them and letting the weapons find their way right in the middle of the red target. It brought pride in his chest, and helped him feel more like a boy stuck with a crown on his head than a prince stuck with the future of a kingdom on his back. He loved to see how flour would purr out of the sacks full of the snow like powder that stood in the royal yard, and so did his friends, as they always cheered him on, despite getting their expensive clothes all dirtied up.

Saying that Kim Hongjoong's life was anything but exiting would've been the understandment of the year, that only if the words wouldn't have reached his mother's ears. However the queen was always aware of anything and everything going on in her kingdom, as if the old woman with her hair like silver had eyes in every corner of the territory. The prince always disliked that in her as he himself was never allowed to even leave the palace without one of his parents following. Of course, he was grateful that the queen and the king were the most understanding royalties he's ever met, and he got to speak to a lot on a daily, however, when it came to actually understanding him, sadly they were left lacking. The prince hated the way he pictured himself in this situation, but he couldn't do much and just accept that he was like a swan trapped in a dove's cage, and it made him feel completely hopeless.

"You'll try getting out this evening, won't you?" The words slipped prince Wooyoung's lips as if he asked the same thing over and over. The smile on his lips had always faded during previous days, as the answer would've been a sad shake of the head, but the said day it only bloomed as Hongjoong turned his head around, looking at his bow as if it was the most interesting thing he's seen in his lifetime. "Holy shit, he didn't deny it!" Wooyoung spoke, a loud sound like a hyena's laughter ringing from his lungs as he repeatedly slapped his best friend's back. The other prince tried moving away, his abused body protesting with each hit Wooyoung delivered, but deciding that he'd fail anyways, Yeosang resorted to catching the younger's hand and delivering a harsh hit back. "But he did not agree to it either."

It took only two more hours for the man to find himself sitting at a lavish dinner table, all kind of foods placed before them, yet the anxiety growing inside his heart made it easy for his appetite to stray away. "Hongjoong?" His father's voice was harsh as he demanded the prince to give him his attention. His mother's words followed right after, tone dripping with honey and Hongjoong knew something was in her mind. "The date for your birthday ball is approaching." She stated, and the man couldn't help but try to anticipate what she would've said next. "And we thought that it would be a rather perfect time for you to find a bride."

The prince sucked in a hard breath, not trusting his voice to speak up his mind as it could've cracked, and he was not a teenager anymore, so he feared the way it could've made him look weak in front of the King. Hongjoong had met many princesses, duchesses, nobilities of all kinds, even country girls with exceptional talents, but none ever intrigued him and he surely wasn't going to choose a bride just yet. Hongjoong liked to believe he was too you for marriage, but his two friends always nagged that if he'll dare pass twenty five by himself, no princess will ever marry him for his heart, but for his crown instead, to which Hongjoong only scoffed as he dispatched another set of arrows. "I don't think anyone's marrying me for my heart now either."

"So what do you say?" He felt as if his words were stuck in his throat and he was unable to get then out, but even if he would've answered as he truly believed, he knew his pleadings would've fallen on deaf ears. Hongjoong knew this day was going to come sooner or earlier, he just didn't expect it quite yet. "I agree, mother," the prince didn't know what gave him the courage to stretch his words, or to arch his eyebrows upwards, or smile like he did, all the while still looking in his plate. "However i also have a proposal.."

Truly, Hongjoong doesn't know what came over him that evening, yet it was because of his boldness that he found himself mounting one of the finest mares in the stables. The prince had taken care of the horse since it was barely standing, he himself being only a child, enchanted by the pure white little fur on it. He's called her Zoya, a fitting name for a mount like herself, and despite leaving the palace only a couple of times, alongside of his father or mother, he considered the creature loyal enough to not abandon him when he'll most need her.

With his bow resting in at his hip, the prince started following a rather small river, which eventually brought him in town and down the valley the palace rested on. Hongjoong wearily adventured himself in the wide forest that spread before him, the darkness of it making him shiver slightly as his mind finally wrapped around all the danger that could've hid around. Wolves, bears, mountain lions, all kind of creatures lurked in the forest, however the silver haired prince advanced nonetheless, clutching his bow tighter as if it could've made him feel secure once more.

Just as he was about to urge his horse to start running, the sound of rapid wings flapping in the air made his skin crowl and his head shoot back, his eyes snapping rapidly on a flock of birds. Their fathers were as white as you could've imagined and as pure as it could've gotten, their bodies long, majestic and elegant, and Hongjoong couldn't help but let his mouth hang open as he stared at the beautiful swans that took over the sky. Within seconds, the brave prince clutched his bow and aimed skillfully, ready to let his arrow pierce through what he nominated as the prettiest swan, but Hongjoong wasn't as hard hearted as his father believed him to be, his eyes saddening and his chest burning as he asked himself how could he kill such a beautiful creature.

The prince sighed deeply, putting his bow back and giving the horse a gentle nudge as a sign to follow the flock and Zoya took off obediently, rushing Hongjoong through the woods. He enjoyed the way wind blew through his silver locks, caressing his cheeks harshly and he love the adrenaline that came with riding this fast and thinking about how free one could be, thinking about what he's missed his whole life. Hongjoong knew that where there was a smaller river, there had to be a wider water source near by, and the swans that seemed to start heading down only gave him more reasons to believe he was right. The only problem was that he was not expecting the woods to end so quickly, his horse coming to an abrupt halt as it hooves planted in the mud as harsh as it could.

He jumped eagerly from his horse and there, right before him and barely at two steps away from where his horse stopped, a grand body of water spread itself so widely that the other side of the lake was barley visible through the thin mist. The water sparkled in the shy sunlight of the evening, the sound of a small cascade barely audible in the back and the prince felt his jaw drop slightly one more time. If his mother would've been with him, she wouldn't even look at the beauty in front of her, but would scold him about how unmannered he looked and how that wasn't suitable for princes like him, not even in a million years, but as he spotted the swans floating happily around, everything about manners felt long forgotten.

The boy in him had the urgent need to sit down in the slightly damp yet soft grass, eyes wide on the beautiful birds before him, yet the mature side in him wanted to mount back on his horse and move forward. There was so much more to explore and so little time, his mind wrapping around the fact that his father had gave him one single day to ride around the kingdom, with the condition that he'd return the evening before the horologe rang three in the morning. Therefore, the prince clutched on the horse's reins ready to mount, sparing one last glance at the lake, who's water started reflecting the rosy color of the sky.

Hongjoong sucked in his breath, feeling how air left his lungs as he swore he started imagining things. His head whipped back, the forest remaining the only sight for a while, and he took his time thinking about what came into his sight seconds ago. Not long after, he turned around and came to the horrifying conclusion that he was indeed watching as the small bodies of the swans, that now rested calmly on the shore, morphed and twisted, becoming mere humans. Their build was more than just elegant, bodies long and delicate, nothing short of pure beauty. Each wore long gowns, as white and pure as their dazzling wings were, little silver necklaces with one sapphire gem decorating their necks, yet he quickly took notice of the one swan that stood in the middle of them all, sitted on the old trunk of a tree, her eyes glimming with happiness while a silver tiara rested on the top of her head.

The prince watched them with amazement, as if they had put him under a thick spell like sirens would do to the poor sailors adventuring in the deep waters. Yet the more he watched, the more he couldn't help but feel like an intruder. The women danced and laughed when younger swans tried to impress them, then ran quickly to hide under an older swan's wing. The innocence of the moment was making his own heart fill with happiness, lips curling upwards gently and eyes turning in crescents as a squeaky giggle rolled off his throat.

The moment all the laughter stopped and a cutting silence settled in, the prince knew he had done something wrong. He felt the warmth that had built in his chest being stripped away from him, eyes growing wide and startled, just as the swans had became. It didn't take long for Hongjoong to see how every pair of eyes rested on him, making him feel anxious. Should he leave? Or was he supposed to stay now? Either way, the answer would've been to not panic, which he's failed the moment one of the youngest of the creatures approached him, yelling loudly the name of who he supposed was the swan with the tiara.

"Odette! Odette!" The small girl yelled happily, grabbing the prince's hand and jumping up and down while giggling. "It's prince charming! He's come to save us!" At her words, Hongjoong's cheeks started flaring pink, his heart beating faster as each pair of eyes rested on him, and he completely forgot about his tight grip on the bow in his other hand. The mare let out a loud cry, startled by the poor girl before slamming it's hooves harshly in the ground multiple times. In alert, Hongjoong let go of his bow, grabbing the girl's body in his arms and hurrying further away from the horse, who angrily took off back towards the town.

"Yuna, dear!" The swan quickly run to the prince, her hands coming to grip Hongjoong's arms, which were still holding tightly onto her. "Are you alright?" His voice sounded unsure as he let the woman gently take her in her own hold, hand placing the younger's head again her chest. When a little laughter came from Yuna's lips, everyone sighed in relief, smiles painted on the swans' lips when the smaller swan jumped back on the grass and began twirling around the royalty as she giggled loudly. "Yuna, where are your manners?" Another swan called out, her lips pulled in a thin line and her eyebrows furrowed, and she most definetly was the oldest of the group, her aura holding a maturity that amazed Hongjoong, despite her youthful features.

"Don't tense yourself, Yongsun." The youngest girl however rolled her eyes at the authority in Yongsun's voice, her own lips pulled in a pout as she bowed slightly in front of the silver haired man. He gave her a polite smile before bowing right back, sending the women in awe. "Come sit with us." The girl next to him offered, and he couldn't help but let his eyes wander over her striking features. She was an unique type of beauty, something he's never seen in anyone before, not even in all the princesses that's come to court him. He loved her voice as well, her tone being like honey to his ears and he couldn't even bring himself to care about the sudden drop of formalities when his orbs found hers.

"I would hate to make such beautiful ladies uncomfortable with my presence." He acknowledged humbly, felling a shy smile tug at his lips while hearing how the woman, who he assumed was named Odette, let out a wholehearted laugh, her eyes turning to crescents as one of her hands came to hide her mouth. "Bother us? It would be a crime to not enjoy your presence." She assured, nodding her head towards him like encouraging him to take a step forward, and so he did. One step at a time before he found himself sitting in the grass besides a couple of children, who playfully pulled at his clothes and wowed at the fine material.

"What's your name, son?" The oldest inquired, making Hongjoong's cheeks become pinker again, however this time, his eyes fell on the ground, where his ring decorated fingers gently pulled at the damb grass. "Kim Hongjoong." He spoke softly, not expecting any grand reactions form the group, who only nodded their heads in adoration. "We'll would you look at that, it really is prince charming." Another swan laughed, making Hongjoong himself let out a shy giggle, his eyes involuntary traveling to the swan with a tiara. It felt like hours that he stood there and just watched her, her skin bathing in the golden light of the sunset, and her eyes glimmering with love as she looked at each swan, before her eyes settled on him as well.

"Do you like to dance?" One of the younger swans looked at him curiously, her small hand coming to grasp at Hongjoong's with excitement as she awaited a reply, and when the prince nodded his head in agreemen, he girl softly tugged him after her, bringing him to his feet. Together, they marveled at the way the forest started lighting up as soon as the sun went under, mushrooms and strange plants glowing in the dark, along with the moss on the trees, it was absolutely beautiful. However Hongjoong didn't have long to observe the landscape, his attention being brought back to the small girl that began dancing with him as the others started singing along, and it didn't take a while for the swans to join in as well, a chorus of laughter spreading trough the rather dormant forest as they all had their fun.

Yongsun smiled happily as she took Odette's's hand, bringing her closer to the silver haired prince, who bowed deeply and offered his hand, an invitation, the girl concluded as she accepted happily. Perhaps only for tonight, she could forget about her curse, see herself as an actual princess and lose herself in the idea that Hongjoong would be the one to break the curse. However nothing like that happened as they began dancing, a tough wind starting to pull at their bodies, darkness spreading like a plague. The youngest girls found coverage behind the elders, while Hongjoong placed his arms around Odette and brought her closer to his chest, protecting the swan from whatever danger eas awaiting them.

"Well well.." the sharp voice of a girl that came with the calmness of the weather startled the prince, who felt reluctant to let go of the swan in his arms, yet still let go of her and watched as disgust painted over Odette's features and anger over the others. Just on the shore stood another woman, her gown way shorter and messier as well as dotted with darker shades of black. Her features were just as graceful and as striking as the others, her own features making her look like a devine, but something about her tone made the prince feel sure that she wasn't just as beautiful on the inside.

"The swan princess found herself a rescuer." She taunted while getting closer, her thumb and pointer wrapping around Odette's chin and bringing her closer. The princess, as the stranger called her, let out a scoff before pulling away, making the black swan laugh as if she was in hysterics. "Hoping you'll turn human again, little one?" She fumed, letting her eyes fall on Hongjoong, who stood stiff and angered, eyes on her like, if he had his arrows, he wouldn't have hesitated to let one of them pierce her heart.

"It'll never happen, we'll make sure of that, little Odette." The stranger cocked one of her eyebrows while shaking her head and her fingers glazed over the necklace she was proudly wearing. With a last laugh, the black swan took a couple of steps back before her body quickly morphed in the one of a swan, yet her feathers looked disturbed and unhealthy, her body, small, too weak for a creature that was supposed to look as beautiful as a swan.

"Who was that?" Hongjoong found himself asking, his own eyebrows arched upwards in confusion. His hand found Odette's and gripped it lightly a reassuring smile tugging at the girl's lips as she found comfort in the prince, who was still a stranger. "Odile.. Her father tried casting a curse on the town, however it did not go as planned and it ended up backfiring." She began explaining, choosing carefully her words as she took a glance at his chocolate warm eyes. The prince himself let his gaze meet hers, observant eyes curiously investigating her for a while before he spoke out loud. "Then why are you trapped as swans as well?" Silence washed over the group, the tension growing so thick that Hongjoong could've cut it with a knife. "I didn't say that it didn't work."

Not much passed before Hongjoong excused himself, getting up and fetching his bow that stood patiently in the grass. He's dropped it earlier when Zoya took off and completely forgot about it, however, in his favor, his loyal mare had found her way back to the lake, thirst driving it back the way it's come. After the prince found himself back on his mount, thanking all of his lucky stars for bringing it back to him, he finally let his eyes fall on the woman with a little crown on her head. He swore he felt his heart beating faster than ever, swirling with the desire to take her with him and keep her to himself, to make her his, and at that moment he knew that there was no one that could ever become his queen, except her.

"I must head out, however my family is hosting a ball tomorrow, at dusk, in order to find me a bride. It would be a honor to have you as a guest." He spoke softly, taking in the surprise on Odette's face, who only nodded before waving elegantly. With a polite nod from himself, the prince saw himself off as Zoya started galloping as fast as she could towards the palace.

"You must go." a cold and harsh voice spoke, making the girl's shoulders fall, she put so much hope that perhaps this time, she'll be able to find love by herself, and hearing her father speak like that made her whole world shatter. With a long sigh, the girl turned her head around, in order to hide her glassy eyes, telling herself that it all starts being unfair the moment even her father had turned against her. "I shall not, father." Was all Odile said before she lifted her chin high, eyes becoming sharp as she told herself that it was time to pull free from his strings, yet she had a feeling that it will not be as easy as denying his orders.

Rothbart, the black swan's father, smiled triumphally, as if the crown had already been placed on his head. He let himself turn around and face his only daughter and with a hushed voiced he whispered. "You'll go.. oh you'll go." Odile wanted to protest, to yell and say something, but the second her father touched her necklace, the poor girl knew it was too late. It took her a quick moment of thinking, preparing herself for what she might see, before she finally turned to the mirror that stood patiently on a wall. It was then that complete sorrow engulfed her heart, failing to find her own reflection. Instead, a familiar face started back at her, Odette's features looking so beautiful and so graceful, yet so ugly to Odile, as she was left to deal with her pain before she could've stopped it. "You do not have a choice."

"But what should i wear?" Odette sighed, bringing her hands in her lap as she eyed nervously the ground. Her crown was resting on her head, sapphires sparkling in the gentle moonlight. "I cannot show up to a royal ball in this gown.." as much as she loved her dress, it's material softer than silk and whiter than the pearls found in the ocean's depths, she feared it was nothing short of what noblewomen wore to sleep. The more she thought about it, the more Odette found herself trapped between her own thoughts. What if her hair was was not as elegant as the other princesses', what if her little white slippers were to dirty up the expensive carpets around the castle. Worse, despite knowing how to dance, Odette had little knowledge of etiquette, as she's grown up as a simple village girl. She was going to make a fool out of herself and the prince for inviting her.

"Worry not, Odette." A soft voice came from behind her, but before she's gotten the chance to turn around, a pair of cold hands rested on her bare shoulders, making her gasp at the sudden feeling of chilliness. Shivers traveled up and down on her back, eyes becoming wide in surprise as the speed she turned her head around could've given her a whiplash. Yongsun giggled softly, amused by the fact that she actually spooked the younger swan. "You look beautiful, and your gown is magnificent. Made with soft material like your wings, pulled together by a thread of magic. My dear, you look breathtaking."

Odette stood a second just looking at her friend, a long sigh leaving her mouth when she understood that Yongsun was right. All she had to do was to have fun, she'd be dancing and talking to people, nothing she hasn't done before, so why was she worrying now? "You should leave, it's getting late." Was all the older woman said as she bent down to kiss the top of her head like a mother would before sending off her child off. A couple of younger swans insisted of going with her, clinging on her gown and her hands before she agreed in defeat. A chorus of laughter and giggles following her the deeper she walked into the forest and the closer she's gotten to the palace.

Hongjoong stood sitting on the throne, a crown on his head while his parents stood at both of his sides. His rather small body seemed to shrink more and more with every second and with each nod he gave to the young women that would come to bow before him. They were all wearing beautiful gowns, feminine features painted by a thin layer of makeup, jewelries decorating their necks, ears and hair, he had to admit that they were all beautiful, but none of them where Odette. His Odette. He waited patiently for her to make her appearance, eyes running back to the spiral staircase in hopes that he'd spot her, and his observant mother did not take long to notice. "You're waiting for someone." She announced, a hand resting on her son's shoulder in a way of assuring him that it will all be fine.

Hongjoong nodded, his lips parting slightly as he pondered on his thoughts, however, before he's even gotten thr chance to speak, a familiar face made his heart beat like it never has, and his breath got stuck in his throat. A wave of heat crossed his cheeks, feeling as a strong blush took over his face. From one of the corners of the grand ballroom, he noticed Yeosang smirking his way, Wooyoung whispering something to him before they both snickered.

"Your highness.." when she arrived in front of him, Hongjoong quickly has gotten up on his feet, refusing to let her bow before him. One of his hands gently taking one of her own as the other traveled to her side in order to bring her body closer to his own with a shy embrace. At the action, a couple of gasps could be heard throughout the room, everyone surprised at the prince's action, yet he did not care, and it could've been the reason why he completely looked past the vile smile that played on the girl's lips. "Odette.. will you dance with me?"

"We've arrived too late!" One of the little swans warned as she peeked trough the closest window, huffing in defeat at the sight. Odette waisted no time in following her closely, face crumbling in defeat as he watched how her dear Hongjoong waltzed around the room with no one else but Odile. His eyes were so fixed on her that it seemed like she was his whole world, hands gripping her close like she'd parish if he let go, and everyone around them saw it. How in love he was, how much care he put in every step they made together, and that made Odette's stomach churn in pain. Her eyes began watering, heart screaming at her to do something yet her body remained frozen in place.

"Odette..?" The little girl asked, her tone wobbling as her own eyes began to water as she watched the princess of the swans. The young woman's skin began morphing, little fluff and white feathers growing from her arms and shoulders at a slow peace, like she was to turn in swan once more. With each second she spent looking at her beloved dance with another woman, looking so smitten by her, the little sapphires on the crown she wore began to crack more and more, and panic took over the three children when their own necklaces followed closely and as Hongjoong's voice rang trough their ears.

"So, Your Highness, would you say that you love me?" Odile questioned as she made eye contact with the prince, who giggled shyly before sighing deeply. He felt caught red-handed and all he could do now was nod his head slightly before speaking softly. "I love you." Yet something didn't feel right, deead filling his heart as he said his words, like a kid that's done something wrong and waited anxiously for his parents to scold him. It was then that he began to fall out of the spell he had been put under, noticing how the woman in front of him did not wear a crown yet a necklace, amber decorating the gem that rested patiently on her neck. The white gown that the swan once wore was not completed jet black, eyes harsh as a voice so cutting he began feeling dizzy.

"You're not Odette." He stated, stopping from dancing and taking a couple of harsh steps back. The prince's hand flew to his sword, threatening to take it out and use it, yet Odile's smile never faltered. "Even if you harmed me, my mission here had ended." She explained, giggling once more before turning herself in the same swan she morphed in when they first met and before anyone could do anything, she flew past him, soaring trough the open window where four little figures stood at.

"Odette..?" He asked, feeling his hear break as he noticed how heartbroken she looked, how her skin began turning in feathers and how tears cascaded over her cheeks like they couldn't be stopped. "Odette!" He yelled louder, rushing to jump over the window, yet failing to do so in time before the woman began running back towards the forest. "Hongjoong!" His father warned, yet the prince was far gone, already chasing after the swan with unshed tears blurring his own vision.

It didn't take long for the two to reach the lake, scratches from little branches decorating their skin as neither had been careful while running, yet that did not matter to them, the heartache burning every bit of ration they had. "I did not know, Odette!" He tried explaining himself, taking a step forward towards the woman, who only took one back, her feet so close to the shore that it made Hongjoong's heart freeze in place. "I thought it was you.."

Yet what was done was done and both of them knew it, the sapphires finally shuttering as Odette took her crown off, breaking it in two. Without even thinking about the outcome, the swan threw it into the lake, a muffled sob leaving her mouth as she herself took a step closer to the edge. "No! Odette please! I love you!" He shouted, yet it was all in vain as he knew that the curse will get to her before his words will.

The second he noticed what she intended, the prince rushed to her side, gripping her waist tightly and pressing a soft kiss to her lips, eyes deeply staring in her own like their hearts spoke to each other, and it all felt more than ethereal as both of their bodies hit the water, sinking slowly as they held each other like not even death could do them apart.

And perhaps it couldn't, as the second the sun began rising, the women that stood next to the lake and mourned the passing of their princess did not turn back to swans, and their gowns turned back to the clothes they once wore when they were running errands around the village. On the other side of the forest, Rothbart felt his powers leave him, a sudden weakness taking over his body as it slowly began turning to ashes. "No!" He yelled like a mantra, yet it was all in vain as ths moment the shy sunlight peeked trough his window, all that remained of him was an amber ring and his daughter, who only stared at the cracked mirror on the wall, ashamed of herself and mad at the world like never before.

And even years after, deep down, on the bottom of the lake, the two lovers stood embraced, untouched by the time, as if they were simply sleeping. So perhaps, the curse that once plagued the young women became a blessing, as not only has she found peace, but love as well.

#ateez #ateez imagine #ateez imagines #kpop #ateez fluff #ateez scenarios #ateez oneshots #kpop imagine #ateez hongjoong #ateez reaction #ateez retelling #ateez reactions #ateez smut

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loridrabbles · 5 years ago

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Imprisoned | Dogma x Reader (Part 22)

Dogma awoke to two guards standing over him, a pair of shackles in hand, but no muzzle. They stood, unmoving, waiting for him to wake up to the demands they spat at him. Unbeknownst to him, they were the same two guards who discovered that he and (y/n) had had a child, Frigate and Hubris.

"Your retrial is today." One spoke while the other put him in chains. "It starts in an hour. We're taking you to get cleaned up, then we will escort you to the court room where you will meet with your defendants."

"It's today?" He asked. He hadn't expected it to come so soon, though throughout the months, had lost track of the days, even though the prisoners were alerted as to when sunrise came and went. There were days where he didn't notice, but he slept through the day after taking a mid morning nap and wouldn't wake until the next morning. Was it depression? Stress? Emotional exhaustion? Or maybe just plain old physical exhaustion.

"That's what I just said isn't it?" Hubris responded. "Let's get going. We don't have all day."

The guards escorted him up and out of the depths of the prison, to a wing that looked like a medical facility. He assumed it was the same place (y/n) was taken when she was cleaned up for her trial. They reached a door and Frigate fumbled with the key card to get in. While Hubris berated his partner, Dogma examined his surroundings. His assumptions were made true when he spotted dried stains between the tiles on the floor. Not very much, but it was old and brown, unmistakably blood. He didn't have a very close relationship with Kix, but he missed him regardless.

(Y/n)'s heart pounded as she entered the court room. She passed by so many unfamiliar faces and felt trapped under their gaze. She spotted Rex giving her a hopeful smile as she walked to the stand. Kix accompanied him. His wheelchair was nowhere in sight, but he still depended on a set of crutches. (Y/n) sat next to them having decided the night before that it would be too nerve racking for her to testify. The court was quiet, everyone's head's snapped to a door as it opened. Two guards entered followed by Dogma. (Y/n)'s heart jumped to her throat and tears pricked her eyes as she gasped quietly. She felt Rex place a hand on her shoulder and Dogma smiled at her and he took his place at the stand.

"All rise." The magistrate spoke to the crowd as the judge entered the room. "Department one of the court is now in session. Judge Abedion presiding."

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of the Republic versus CT-4573. Are both sides ready?" The judge asked. His voice was kind, but authoritative and commanded the room. Both parties indicated they were ready to begin. "Now, Mr... Dogma, is it? I have been examining your case since it was submitted months ago and I already have in mind what I believe to be the proper outcome, but I will still humor a case and an argument from both parties. I'm curious to see what your attorneys have to say. Miss Amidala."

"Thank you your honor. My client will in fact today be found not guilty for the crime he is accused of. The Republic accused him of killing a Jedi general without permission from a superior. However, the law states that an able soldier may continue a superior's plan of action if that superior becomes unable to carry out stated action. His Captain, Captain Rex, had the authority to execute the Jedi general Pong Krell, and upon attempt to exert that authority, was rendered unable to do so. Rightfully, Dogma took his place, and executed the General himself."

"Is it not true that, immediately before the execution of the General, your client was imprisoned by the Captain himself."

"Yes, your honor."

"And why is that?" The judge questioned.

"He had drawn his weapon on him."

"Any why would an able soldier, draw his weapon on his superior?"

"He was defending the General, your honor. It wasn't until the moments leading up to the execution that it was brought to my client's attention that the general was a traitor." Padmé spoke smoothly and with confidence. (Y/n) nervously shifted in her chair.

"I believe in a statement received from CT-7567 that what you are saying is true, however, when was it stated that CT-4573 was a soldier granted capability to take place in executions?"

"Hours before the execution, General Pong Krell himself made Dogma the executioner for two other troopers." Padmé responded.

"So, it sounds to me that there was no reason Dogma was not permitted to execute the general. Would you agree?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Now a question I have for you is, who is to decide whether or not the General was worthy of execution?"

The conversation between the judge, Padmé, and the prosecutors went on for hours. Tension was high and half the court room was on the edge of their seats, the other half biting their nails. The trial was emotionally exhausting and (y/n) could feel herself about to break. One minute, the judge would seem to be in Dogma's favor, and the next he would be almost insulting him. The judge stood.

"I believe I have all the information I need to make a decision. The jury will now retire to deliberate." The judge slammed down the gavel and left the stand followed by the jury.

The court was filled with chatter as Dogma was escorted out of the court while the parties deliberated in the back rooms. (Y/n) sighed and put her head in her hands, leaning on the ledge in front of her. She felt Rex give her a reassuring rub on her back. Barely an hour passed before the jury returned, which according to Padmé was a bad sign.

"This court is now in session." The judge said, banging the gavel as Dogma took his place at the stand. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

"We have, your honor." Nearly the entire courtroom stood in anticipation of the verdict.

"Members of the jury in the case of CT-4573 V. The Republic what say you?"

"Your honor, the members of the jury find the defendant guilty."

(Y/n)'s heart sank and she wanted to cry. Her breath shook and tears stung her eyes. Her head spun and she felt like vomiting and wished this day had never come. The court around her chattered in disapproval.

"CT-4573 the jury finds you guilty of one count of second degree murder and treason." The judge spoke. "However, I disagree with their ruling and overrule their decision." The people in the court gasped and began talking louder, quieting down upon hearing the gavel and the judge declaring order. "Sir, I do not find that the jury has reasonable enough evidence to declare you guilty of these crimes. No one in this room, but the two men sitting behind you know what happened during that campaign, at least not the full truth. None of us will ever know. I believe the decision you made may have been the right one." The judge leaned on his elbows with is hands folded in front of him, a slight smirk on his face. "I find you not guilty of these crimes. But, now we have another issue to address. Unfortunately, as a clone, you are property of the Republic, and I cannot let you go as a free man. It is now the 23rd of the standard month, by the 1st of the next I am sending you back to the 501st."

"Yes, sir." Dogma spoke.

"But we have yet another issue to address. I understand you have a child now. Am I correct?" The judge asked with a soft smile.

"Yes, sir." Dogma answered.

"How old?"

"11 weeks, sir."

"You love her?" The judged asked. Dogma could barely speak as tears stung his eyes. He nodded.

"So much, sir."

"I understand. I'm a father myself, and I, in my right mind, cannot separate you from yours. You'll need each other moving forward. I'd like to work something out for you. I've reviewed the tapes of how you and your partner were treated in the prison and it's unnerving. That should never have happened and I'd like to make it up to you. You will be living at��the base, whichever one your battalion is assigned to, however you will be permitted to move to and from on certain days when permitted by your general. Does that sound ok?"

"Yes, sir." Dogma tried to smile holding back tears. "Thank you, sir."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" The judge smiled.

"May I have permission to marry her?" He choked out.

"Is that your girl behind you?" The judge asked, nodding towards (y/n) who's face was wet with tears.

"Yes, sir."

"Yeah, you can." He smiled, giving him a curt nod before standing. "This court is adjourned."

The judge left the room as Dogma was escorted out. (Y/n) stood and rushed to Padmé.

"What happens now."

"He'll be processed and released. He can go home with you until the first of next month." She smiled as she was pulled into a tight hug. "He'll be released in an hour or so. Let's go wait for him outside the booking office."

"Yes!" (Y/n) said, grabbing Padmé and Anakin's hands, dragging them out of the court. They waited impatiently outside the office. The cool spring air at night was soothing and dried the tears off (Y/n)'s face, but more were sure to come. The three of them chatted for a while and Kix and Rex joined them as they waited. Finally, the door opened and out walked Dogma. He was given brown pants and a white t shirt, civilian clothes, for his trip home.

"(Y/n)!" He said as she ran towards him, jumping into his arms. He picked her up, hugging her so tightly she could've broken. He set her down and stood back, holding her face in his hands. "I love you so much." He said as he pulled her into a kiss.

"I love you too." She leaned her head against his chest. "Let's go home. Saiorse is waiting."

"Oh, Saiorse. I can't wait to see her."

#the clone wars #clone trooper dogma #clone trooper dogma x reader #dogma x reader #dogma #imprisoned #imprisoned part 22

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goparkseonghwa · 6 years ago

Text

Inevitable

—— Chapter One

——— Jimin x Reader x Taehyung

Word count: 5.7K

- Year 2047 -

"Fuck you and your pointless laws," You curse up at the building, middle finger in the air as you trudge towards the bus system that would take you back to your district. Several passersby stared strangely at your form that had an ice pack in one hand and the bird on display on the other. Most eyes wandered to the offensive gesture and scowled at you, throwing insults in your direction.

You almost stopped your haste pace to confront them, but decided against it when you realized your bus was departing in a couple of minutes, and you couldn't break curfew for your district. Not again, Namjoon would kill me before the authorities could even have a single thought to arrest me.

Shifting the ice pack across your forehead, you step in the direction of your bus, sighing out in defeat. You wince at the coldness that's beginning to become a bit too intense as it slowly spreads across your forehead and down your temple. The ache is almost too much to bear, and you think that ramming your head against the nearest wall or window would be better than enduring the chill that is seeping into your frontal cortex. But the numbing effect that it was seeming to have felt much better than the pain that your heart held from every beat that thrummed against your rib cage. A mere ten months time would determine the outcome for the rest of your life, and although ten months seemed to hold a lot of time, in actuality, it wasn't much time at all.

The bus driver watches you closely as you pull yourself onto the bus, questioning you about your forehead, then choosing to make a couple snide remarks afterwards. Not wanting to cause a scene, you ignore him and make your way towards the back of the bus to an empty seat, hastily sitting down and pulling your bag onto your lap. Clutching onto the mesh fabric, you release some of your pent up frustrations by tightening your hold on the material, then releasing it slowly once your knuckles turned as white as snow.

Today was horrible. You thought to yourself, sinking into the seat as the bus slowly pulls away from the curbside, beginning its trek towards the outer districts, towards your home. Absolutely, without a doubt distressing to a perfect T.

Watching the passing scenery was sickening to you, eyeing all of the strangers that held onto their soulmates hands or arms, was a mockery. You curse the day the system went into place, stripping you and everyone else in this damned country the free will to marry whomever they chose to. Wasn't it a given human right to be able to fall in love with whoever their heart longed for? To wander their homeland freely without fear of being punished for journeying into a district that was forbidden to their social class?

Only because the government feared that they were losing every ounce of control they had over their citizens, did they decide to put into effect the Law of Attraction — so unoriginal on their end, but when you've entrusted the entire country with a council of buffoons what else can you expect.

Closing your eyes, you recalled some faint memories of when you were younger. Running through a field with your older brother, playing, being free without a care in the world. With your heart full of love, and happiness, nothing could've ever stopped you or what dreams you wanted to achieve in life.

But every hope and dream your little heart ever yearned for was stripped from your grasp once you were informed of the meaning behind your tattooed code.

Ever since you were a toddler, you questioned what the markings were on your body and why they were there. Your parents always held pained expressions when that particular question was emitted from your lips, gazing into your wide, curious stricken eyes. They never knew how to properly answer your innocent question, not wanting to be the ones who would strip you of your future.

Your mother simply dubbed it your 'secret spy code' to ease the pressure on her and your father, as well as give you a chance to continue dreaming. This sent your imagination into overdrive, constantly running around acting like you were on top secret missions, and telling anyone and everyone how you were recruited at such a young age to be a part of the top agency in the country.

Once you entered the sixth grade, you knew the code you held was not one of a secret spy, but rather something more extreme. You just could never place your finger on the true meaning, so you simply brushed any thought of the ink off of your shoulders, continuing on with your everyday life.

Unbeknownst to you, the real meaning was to emerge during your seventh grade year of schooling.

Your instructors had gathered your entire class into assembly one morning, saying how they were honored to have a few guest speakers come in from the government to discuss the importance and significance behind your futures.

To you, at the beginning, it was just another pointless assembly. Probably to remind you of the importance of studying hard in order to have a brighter future. You had thought. But the moment one of them uttered something about the code that was tattooed onto your skin, your interest became piqued.

The government officials had no restraint when it came to discussing your code, immediately delving into the reasoning behind it. Lying through their teeth to everyone in that very room, but the students had no clue it was just a cover story to hide the real intentions of the Law of Attraction, plus you all were too young, too naive and gullible to truly understand the underlying tones the speakers held. The vile, sickening tones used to convince each and every soul to bend to their will and further obey them.

"Our great nation, several years ago, noticed a rapidly increasing rate of divorce," The man, Mr. Lowe, had started, eyes scanning over the mass sea of students in the auditorium, "Many people were unhappy, and it pained us as a whole to witness our precious citizens slip into the darkness of depression."

"We couldn't just sit around, watching so many being affected by the heartache of losing the one they loved, or never being able to feel the warm love of another, and do nothing about it." The woman, Mrs. Lee continued on for him, eyes shining as bright as her pearly white teeth under the fluorescent lighting, "Thus the Law of Attraction was born."

"A system in which would assign a person a 'soul mate' in order to spare the heartache of either never being able to find a future spouse, or losing one." Mr. Lowe picked up right where Mrs. Lee had stopped, "Hence, from birth each and every child would be given a tattoo with an alphanumeric code - a unique set of numbers, with one letter, which would be identical to only one other code in the world, your soul mate's."

So all along, this code that has been burning into my flesh, begging to have the veil of the unknown torn away so it's purpose could be revealed, is actually a means of being assigned a future spouse? Your seventh grade self had thought, mind absolutely blown and spinning just from that tiny bit of information revealed to you. Your eyes wandering down to your wrist, examining the numbers closely as the thought of it matching someone else's swirled in your subconscious

Chatter erupted throughout your class, shock and bewilderment evident in each of their tones. Everyone was just as taken back as you were in that moment, instinctively gazing at their own codes and comparing it to those around them. Teachers surrounding the outer edge of the seats began hushing all of them, threatening each with after school detention if they didn't settle down.

"Now that you all are aware of what those numbers inked onto each of your forearms truly means, the fun begins." Mr. Lowe announced excitedly, a fake smile overbearing his features, trying to enthuse the young crowd about the idea that was to follow, "Mr. Si, will you please do us the honors of telling our wonderful audience what happens next, now that they know the purpose of their codes?" He stepped aside, gesturing towards the third government official, who has been deathly silent, to step forward.

"With pleasure, sir." Mr. Si said, tipping his head slightly as his poised form strode to center stage. Pushing his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose, and clearing his throat slightly, he began to speak, "Before you all start running off to try and find who shares your code, I need to discuss a few things with you first."

Every single pair of student eyes were immediately drawn to his form, silence spreading over the crowd as fast a plague. The young mans face was stern, acquiring age lines already, making his youthful glow diminish into a dull shine. His grey colored eyes were piercing, and when he looked over the crowd you sucked in a deep breath, feeling intimidated under his glare.

"As Mr. Lowe said, this is where the fun begins, but you need to understand that there are some guidelines that are crucial for everyone to know beforehand," He pauses, allowing his gaze travel over most of the students. His eyes meet with yours briefly, and the intensity his gaze held made you intake a sharp breath. Something isn't right. Your brain nagged at you, but that thought flew out of your brain as fast as it came once he began to talk again, "To start, you all are aware that coming from District D that you are only permitted in certain areas of the city, from District G to D, you are allowed to travel anywhere within those parts - with some sections of C to A available to you all, including some buildings within the Union Circle. Your soul mate will be in one of your 'all travel' zones."

So he'll potentially be in a district from D to G... You inwardly spoke to yourself.

"We, as a government, do not inform any of you who or where exactly your assigned soul mate resides, thus making this into a 'scavenger hunt' of sorts," He walks around the stage, his hand raising in the air, with his pointer finger directed towards the ceiling, "Each generation, or class, has up until the end of the year which holds their twenty-fifth birthday to locate and marry their partner."

At this statement, the room began chattering again, each student holding wide eyes as they looked between each other. You could hear some of the worried statements made by a few people, each one uttering something similar to 'what if we don't have a matching code?'. That questions triggers your own worries and you can't help but become as anxious, or even more, as your peers. The air in the room seemed to grow thick with fear, suffocating you entirely.

"Calm down everybody, I can hear some of your concerns but there is no need to worry. Everyone is indeed equipped with a matching code, and you each have plenty of time to find them," He smiled at all of us, motioning for all of us to settle down so he could continue forth with his spiel, "This system has been in place for more than fifty years, and we have never had a case where a code did not match another's. Ease your minds, and rest assured that you all have someone picked out for you. The only thing that should be on your minds at this time should be how proactive you will be in getting out there to find them. So, from that, I wish you all the absolute best of luck with this journey and I hope that you all are satisfied with who you end up with."

Mr. Si bows to all of us before turning around and nodding towards Mr. Lowe to continue, "Now go forth, and let your hunt begin."

All of the adults in the room applauded the government officials, as they each bowed to the audience. A few students clapped as well, but your hands remained in your lap, eyeing the three adults closely, your intuition sending up so many red flags about the situation at hand. Your administrator went up onto the stage to personally thank them for coming, and asking for the auditorium to join her in a round of thanks and appreciation for taking their time to speak to us today.

The auditorium was then dismissed, each student chattering amongst themselves as they filed out of their rows. The air held excitement as well as some traces of fear, and you couldn't tell where you stood personally, you were of mixed emotions.

As your row stood to leave, with your mind heavy of newly acquired information, your heart felt like it was forewarning you of what was to come, and that alone made you dizzy.

Mr. Si was wrong, the only thought that was occupying your thinking space was this gut feeling that there was some underlying catch that was not said that would be crucial and potentially horrific if the said soul mate was not located. . . and somehow you felt that your code would send you spiraling down that unknown, dangerous path.

"District D, stop seven." The bus driver announced causing you to peel your eyes open, squinting slightly so your eyes could readjust to the lighting.

Sighing, you hoisted yourself up and out of your seat, into the aisle way, your bag landing over your shoulder once more. You carried the ice pack in your hands as you exited the bus, once again not responding to any comment the ill-mannered man dared to throw in your direction. However, when you were fully off the bus, you turned around, gave the most innocent smile you could muster, and threw up the middle finger at him.

The audible gasp that left his mouth, followed by a string of profanities to insult you, sent you running off down the sidewalk, fully knowing that that man wouldn't hesitate to get off the bus and show you what happens to impolite females who dared to disrespect an elder male. But being a pudgy elder, after all, he would barely make it down the stairs before you would disappear around the street corner.

Forgetting about the throbbing in your head, you run and maneuver through people and street carts, gaining a few yells your way for almost running into them.

You quickly called your apologizes back to the several pedestrians, not stopping your pace for a beat. Looking down at your wrist watch for a split second to acknowledge the time, you notice that you have just a few minutes before curfew goes into effect and the patrol units are sent out.

Pushing yourself harder, you speed up, running as fast as your legs could carry you. Within a minute you have rounded your street corner, and after another passes you are sprinting up the front steps of your porch, and hastily shoving your front door open. You quickly close the door and lock it, turning around to be met with Namjoon standing a few feet in front of you. You jump backwards a bit, your back hitting the door, from the shock of seeing him so suddenly.

Placing your own hand over your chest, you exhale a long breath of air, "Holy shit Nam, you fucking scared the living shit out of me." You stated, voice a little on edge and pointed. He knew to never sneak up on you like that, but yet here he was, being a little shit and all.

His arms are crossed over his chest, eyes piercing right through you. He didn't bother to say a single word to you, but to show you his annoyance, you watched as his tongue poked at the inside of his cheek. Namjoon was already clad in a pair of sweats and a simple t-shirt, probably getting ready to head to his room to wind down for the day, but since you were pushing it to the very limit in regards to curfew, he was awake to make sure you got home safe and sound . . . and then to also chew you out.

"You're late." He stated, hard glare meeting your own. His tone was firm and clear, indicating to you that he was beyond pissed off at the moment, "Where were you?" He continues, questioning your whereabouts even though you told him this morning you would be heading into Union Circle for an appointment.

"I was in Union Circle, just like I said I would be," You state back, shrugging off your cardigan and hanging it on the makeshift piece of wood you called a coat hanger. Slipping off your shoes and instead replacing them with your slippers, you stood straight up and began to move in the direction of your kitchen. Hunger was calling you, practically beckoning you to fill your stomach with something to ease the pain of it constricting. But Namjoon, on the other hand, was

Namjoon sighed and grabbed your arm to pull you back to stand in front of him, "I remember you informing me, but do you have any idea what time it is?" He cocks an eyebrow up at you, his harsh tone easing up a little bit, but still remaining strong to show you he meant business.

You huff, and roll your eyes, "Yes, I'm aware of the current time, now will you let me go eat? I haven't had a piece of food since breakfast so I'm starving." You gripe to him, but he doesn't allow you to leave just yet.

"How can you be so reckless, Y/N? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? I thought the patrol units got a hold of you again, and this time around, I wouldn't have had anything to bust your ass out." He scolds, shaking his head at you in disapproval at your actions.

Rolling your eyes, you shake the grip he has on your upper arm and duck around him, scurrying towards the kitchen, "Not my fault tonight. Bus line was running behind." You call to him, tone clipped as you reach your much anticipated destination - your fridge. Opening the door, your eyes immediately scan over the objects held in it, silently contemplating which option you thought would satisfy your growling stomach, "And besides," You start, grabbing a container of noodles and vegetables, "I wouldn't have needed you to 'bust me out' if the patrol units have caught me."

"You say that every time you have a close call," He points out to you, wandering into the small space, standing adjacent to your current body position.

Tucking a few strands of your long hair to the side, you stand straight up, meeting his soft gaze, "It's true," You whine, "I don't need my older brother hovering over me so much, I'm a grown woman after all, I can handle myself perfectly fine."

"Yeah, say that to me the next time a patrol unit decides it's time to take you to their station again," He scoffs at you, perching himself against the cabinet, eyes watching your every movement.

"God, would it kill you to have a little faith in me? I'm here, I'm not in the back of a patrol unit's car, and I didn't break curfew. Everything is perfectly fine, Nam, so just drop it." Your tone becomes pointed, annoyance seeping into your voice. You were tired of him treating you like a child most of the time, like you understood as to why he cared so much, but you were almost twenty-five for crying out loud. Even though your parents were no longer around, it doesn't mean that he has to pick up their role and fulfill it himself. If anything, it makes you want to resist him so much more.

"I'll put faith into you when you show me some responsibility. You know it's the Cut Off year, patrol units are heavier at this time because of that." He swings an arm at to gesture towards the front door for emphasis. He retracts the extended arm after a few moments of keeping it there, but instead moving his hand up to his face, fingers pinching at the bridge of his nose. Eyes fluttering shut as he shakes his head, trying to figure up a calm and collected way to get his point across to you.

"You don't think that I am aware that this is the final year for me to find my assigned spouse?" I say in a softer tone, "That's why I was at the Union Circle so late tonight, I was trying to find a way, any way for an extension on the cut off. I was trying to be responsible and take it upon my own shoulders, but you are choosing to believe that I just went out on a reckless whim of sorts." You place the container down on the counter, back now facing him as you bend down to pull out a pan to heat up your food. Placing the pan on the stove, you felt a tear slowly slip down your cheek. Quickly wiping it away, you turn the burner on, and harbor your focus on the food that was needing to be reheated.

Namjoon's shoulders slumped, feeling bad about bringing the sensitive topic up. He's watched you struggle for the past couple of years, spending any amount of free time out and scouring the permitted districts and areas to try and locate your future spouse. He's heard you crying at night through the paper thin walls, then walking out like everything is fine, and it absolutely rendered him numb. Namjoon has examined you as you would peer down at your code, tracing over the ink as silent tears would roll down your puffy cheeks. He's seen and heard everything when it came to you trying your hardest to find your partner who held your matching code, even though you didn't know he paid that close attention to you during those times, he knew everything when it came to your pain stricken heart regarding the damn code.

He knows how hard it has been for you, so for him to bring up the Cut Off was just petty and down right mean. Personally, he found his partner at age nineteen and married her at twenty-one. After marriage, Mei lived with him and Y/N for a few years, but once she caught news of her parents falling ill, she moved back home to take care of them and their household. She comes and visits every once in a while, but for the majority of the time it was only him and his little sister. So, yes, he had all of the time in the world to pick up on your struggles surrounding the issue, but he's harbored his knowledge, not wanting you to get riled up.

He watched you closely, not missing the way your frame seemed to slump down, your head hanging a bit lower than it was a few minutes ago. He picked up on the faint sniffle that left you and his heart clenched at the sound, feeling guiltier and guiltier by the passing second.

"I'm sorry, Y/N, I. . . I know it's a sensitive subject for you, I shouldn't have brought it up as carelessly as I chose to." He apologizes gently to you, walking over and placing a hand on your shoulder, squeezing it ever so slightly as a means of comfort, but you shrug his hand off of you, not wanting his comfort at the moment. "You'll find them, everyone has a matching code so don't be discouraged." He offered as a last attempt to comfort you from his error.

I don't think I have a matching code, I think mine is in fact an error in their system. . . You wanted to say, but chose to suppress your thought track, not wanting to make this conversation even more depressing than it already was.

Turning your head slightly, you falsely smiled up at him, "You're right, you are always right." You say, turning your attention back to your meal that was sizzling in the pan, "I'll find them eventually." You say softly to him, hoping he just drops it for now and allows you to go back to focusing on getting something to eat.

Namjoon sighs out, smiling a tad as he sees a gentle, soft smile grace your face, but he feels that something is off about that look you're giving him. He doesn't want to press you for answers, so he leaves it be, trying to figure up something that would lift your spirits. He also chooses to drop the curfew fight, and just allow you to relax for the rest of the evening. It's been a long day for both of you, you more so than him, and it's draining to continue fighting over something he knew held no more importance since you were here, safe and sound.

"There's my girl, being positive," He states, hands placed on both of your shoulders, giving them a soft squeeze to show his gratitude for your attitude change.

If only you knew the truth. You say to yourself, but continue to smile to show that you had heard his message, so he didn't need to pester you further.

You finish stirring your food, and turn to place it back into its previous container, flicking the stove off in the process. Namjoon had moved away from you, and instead wandered over to a cabinet to retrieve a glass so he could get a drink of water. You in turn, walk over to the drawer holding the utensils to pull out the necessary ones in order to eat your meal.

Mid-gulp, Namjoon pulls the glass away from his mouth, "Shit." He mutters, and the profanity slipping past his lips causes your ears to perk up. You look over to him, watching as he places the glass down on the counter beside him, water sloshing over the rim of the cup. His arms immediately folded over his chest as his face contorted into one of deep thought. "Fuck."

"What's your problem?" You huff out, wondering where his sudden burst of frustration came from. You watched as his muscles stiffened slightly, and you knew whatever was running through his head was causing him a deal of stress.

"Do you work tomorrow?" He hastily questions you, eyes meeting your own. The gaze he was giving you was anxious, and you really started to ponder what could possibly make your older brother go from being as calm as the sea - on a peaceful day - to as panicked as an unstable tornado. Whatever it was clearly held significant importance.

"Uh. . . no? What's going on?" You apprehensively question him, placing your utensils down on the counter, the faint 'clink' echoing throughout the small space.

"Is there anyway you could potentially visit Seokjin tomorrow at some point? I was supposed to stop in and deliver a report on behalf of my superior, but he has taken ill and has requested me to cover his shift." Namjoon says, watching you carefully.

Seokjin? I haven't seen him in ages. Not since he visited our household after our parents passing. You ponder, eyes flickering down to gaze at the wooden floorboards beneath your feet, contemplating on fulfilling your brothers request.

"Why can't you take it in to him the day after tomorrow?" You ask. It's not like you didn't want to pay a visit to Seokjin, but in all honesty, he was mostly your brothers friend, so it would be a tad odd for you to turn up at his door rather than your brother. Seokjin and you got along rather well when he was around, but you hardly knew him, at least not in the way your brother did.

"Because the file that I'm needing to submit is due tomorrow, Seokjin needs it in order to process the newly wedded codes before it is presented to the council." He groans out, wondering how stupid he can be to forget about delivering such an important document, "Please, Y/N, I beg of you."

Wait. He works in Union Circle? This information piqued your interest. Your stature straightened up at hearing what your brother just uttered, your subconscious already going a hundred miles an hour at what you could potentially benefit out of this.

Slowly, you begin to nod your head in agreement, "Sure, I can do that for you." You utter, and Namjoon exhales in relief muttering a 'thank goodness' along the way.

His body relaxes and slumps back against the counter at your response, and he can literally feel his blood pressure begin its decline into its normal range, "Thank you so, so much." He says to you, relief filling his gaze. You could visually see him calm down, which was a good thing, a very good thing at that.

You smile at him, genuinely this time, and tilt your head to acknowledge his means of thanks, "No problem, now, before I forget to ask this, what department does he work in so I know where to go straight away?" You question, but you kind of already had a feeling of where Seokjin worked within the Union Building. Based off of Namjoon's description of the file, he should be working somewhere alongside the computer systems that stored and managed the different codes that the city possessed, but you wanted Namjoon to further confirm your suspicions.

"He's in the Coding Department, twelfth floor on the east wing." He states, and he notices the shift in your body language, picking up the mischievous glint that was starting to glaze over your eyes. Narrowing his own eyes at you, he speaks up, "Now, Y/N, I understand that you're possessing some hurt from the whole code situation but don't think for a moment that Seokjin will even tell you who your soul mate is in, let alone something as simple as their district."

"I wasn't thinking that at all. . . I know that as an official government worker, you are sworn an oath to protect those code databases no matter what." You say, suppressing your mischievous thoughts in order to convince your older brother that you would never betray your country like that.

He pauses for a few moments, eyeing you over, still a little apprehensive to the answer you had just given him. He knew you better than that, and he knows for a fact that your brain is still processing the information he just presented to you, but in order to successfully deliver this document in time, he would have to move past this and trust that you won't fuck it up.

"Good," He finally says, moving away from the counter and towards the living room entrance, "I'll give you the document in the morning, but for now it's time for both of us to go to bed and rest from the tiring day." Namjoon motions for you to follow suit, so you quickly grab your container full of noodles, as well as your utensils, and scurry over to his side. He slings his arm over your shoulders, pulling you into his side as he begins the short walk down the hall to your guys' rooms.

Upon reaching his door, he pulls his arm from over your shoulders and instead uses one of his fingers to gently boop your nose, "Love you, baby sis." He admits, smiling down at you.

You crinkle your nose from his previous actions, and the nickname he gave you several years ago, "Love you too." You grumble as you stab at a vegetable that was sitting on top of the noodle mound, placing it into your mouth immediately following suit.

"I'll see you in the morning, don't stay up too late, alright?" He orders you, opening up his door that led to his dark room.

You roll your eyes at him, "Nam, I'm not a child. . . " You remind him, but he snorts causing your eyes to widen and your body to naturally stand up taller as a way to prove it to him, "What?! I'm not!" You whine.

"Never said you were, just looking out for your health. Goodnight, young one." He says as he steps in side and slowly begins to close his door to separate the two of you.

"Uh-Huh that snort said otherwise." You grumble as you open your own door and step inside, kicking it closed with your foot.

"Hey!" You hear him call from the other side of your door, "Where's my goodnight?" He presses, and you practically hear the pout in his voice.

"You'll get a 'goodnight' when you come to terms that I am no longer a child." You call out to him, stuffing your face with more food as you sat down onto your bed.

"But you'll always be my baby sister, therefore always a kid in my eyes." He whines, and you can't help but chuckle at his attitude towards this. Shaking your head, you yell back a 'goodnight' to him after you swallow your mouthful of food.

Once you uttered that statement, he called one final 'goodnight' and the door to his room clicked shut, indicating he was finally enclosed in his own personal space, leaving you alone with your subconscious and the several thoughts racing by.

Sinking back against your pillows, you allowed your mischievous thoughts to resurface. Obtaining the knowledge of Seokjin working in Union Circle was fate, destiny, you knew it had to be, and you planned to use it to your benefit, regardless of what Namjoon had said to you. This was your only chance before you completely gave up all traces of hope you still tightly held onto. Maybe he wouldn't tell you exactly what you needed to hear, but from what you remember of Seokjin, he would surely at the least give you some clues to point you in the right direction.

Dearest Seokjin, you have no idea of what value you just became to me.

A/N: hOlY sHiT tHiS iS mUcH, mUcH mOrE loNgEr ThAn I eXpEcTed.

But anyways, chapter one is finally here! Woo woo, hope you enjoyed!

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