#oh sehun oneshots

[imaginidol]

Sehun: Wait For Me!

"You're gonna wait for me?" Sehun gently placed a kiss on your head as you scooted closer to his body. You were both cuddling against the couch and watching a movie together, one of the many intimate and loving moments you wanted to share before he'd be dispatched to the military soon.

"I'll wait for you," you grin, looking up at him. "You'll still talk to me when you're big and buff, right? I bet you're gonna have everyone's attention by then," you tease.

"Shhh," he giggles, wrapping his arms around you and burying his face into your neck. "I'll come back and I'm still gonna be yours."

He lifts his face and starts leaving soft kisses on your jaw, trailing them all the way to your mouth. You smile into his lips, caressing his face as you immerse yourself into the intimate moment.

You were going to miss this boy. You were going to miss his scent, the feel of his kisses all over your body, the way he hugged you and dipped his head into your neck, all of it.

Two days. Two days and you'll be off.

Of course, you'd be able to see him again once he settled to a decent military service schedule, but it was his absence for the incoming bootcamp period (and throughout the longer span of the next two years) that you weren't ready for.

"Sehun," you whisper, pulling back from him, "do you really think we'll be together after two years?"

"Yes," he smiles, "I'm sure of it. Wait for me, I'll wait for you."

Suddenly, a devious thought crosses your mind.

"When you come back," you say, "you're gonna be real hot. Like, more than you already are."

He scoffs.

"What if I couldn't hold back and made you a dad when you got back?"

"What?" Sehun's eyes widen at the sudden request, and he straightens himself up in front of you. "Did you just say--"

You giggle and shove your head under the blanket, nudging yourself into his chest as he desperately tried to bring you out.

"No, wait, ask me again, I didn't get that," he says, and you finally pop back out from under the blanket.

"What did I say?" you tease.

"You're gonna make me a dad when I get back!?"

"I said that?"

"C'mon, don't play with me," he giggled as a smile beamed across his face.

"When you come back," you whisper, "I'll find a way to surprise you."

"I have to wait until I get back?" he groaned, pinching your cheek.

"Hmm," you think, "I could maybe promise you one more thing."

"And what's that?"

"A going-away surprise, something for you to remember me by."

Sehun starts laughing, hugging you tighter.

"Yeah? When am I gonna get that? I leave in like, almost two days!"

"Hmm," you ponder, planting a kiss against his cheek, "I'll let you make that call."

"Say less," he says, throwing himself over you and carrying you bridal-style back to your bedroom as the sounds your laughs echo throughout the living. You both leave to your surprise-filled intimacy, not bothering to find the remote and turn the television off.

[soleilceirinen]

Wind in my hair | Oh Sehun x fem!Reader AU

Summary: you're trying to study for your last exam but Sehun has other ideas. He uses his powers to distract you.

A/N: this is an EXO AU where Sehun has powers, as if he's some sort of alien. This is completely fictional, not based in real life.

Warning: nothing.

Also, English isn't my first language, sorry if there are mistakes and thanks for reading!

EXO Masterlist

The soft wind moved the curtain in front of you, delicately brushing your arm in a tender caress. Without taking your eyes off your notes, you moved your arm and slapped the fabric away as you tried not to lose track of what you were studying. Only one more exam and you would be free, that’s what you repeated in your mind to keep yourself motivated. 

Suddenly, the curtain hit you in the face, blinding you for a moment, all the previous tenderness of its movements gone. With a sigh, you pushed it aside and stared at the window to check if it was open. But no, it was still closed, just like you had left it before starting with your study session. 

Then, you turned around in your chair and faced your boyfriend Sehun. He was lying on your bed, smiling at you. Clearly, he was having a great time as he messed with your patience. 

“Stop it, Sehun. You’re not letting me study,” you complained. 

He put a hand over his chest and feigned surprise. “Me?” he asked innocently, although he seemed to be fighting a smile back. “I’m not letting you study?”

You nodded. 

It was him who had been moving the curtain all along, thanks to his wind controlling powers, whatever they were. You still didn’t fully understand the nature of his powers or his own existence, he came from another planet. So, technically, Sehun wasn’t human, and he wasn’t the only one. 

You didn’t care about him being an alien, as you liked to call it. What worried you was the fact that he and the others were the good guys, at least in theory, but there were also bad ones. Sehun refused to talk about them and you tried not to think about it most of the time. More than once he had promised you that he would keep you safe and you trusted him, you knew that he could be really powerful. 

It was a pity that right now he was using his power to piss you off. 

“Sehun, I need to pass this exam.”

“And? What am I supposed to be doing?” 

His faked innocence was starting to be replaced by a mischievous smile. It made you roll your eyes. Without any more words, you turned back to the desk and focused again on your notes. 

“You know exactly what you’re doing,” you murmured after a while. “Just leave me alone for a couple hours, I’m not asking for anything more than that,” you said, resting your face on one hand. 

He seemed to accept it, little did you know that he wasn’t going to stop that easily. 

-

You had lost count of how many deep breaths you had been taking in order to stay calm. It was impossible to tell by now. You were quite proud of yourself though, considering that you hadn’t stabbed him with a pencil yet, with the constant wind ruffling your hair, blowing it into your face and moving your notes around, of course not allowing you to study.

With a deep sigh, you took the elastic band that you always wore on your wrist and tied your hair up in a messy bun. It didn’t solve the problem because then, the wind increased, causing your notes to fall all over the floor. 

Sehun’s laugh could be heard behind you. 

Since you were so fed up already, you grabbed the first pen that you could find and turned around fast, throwing it at Sehun’s head. The pen hit him in the face. Under normal circumstances, he would have been able to avoid it without any difficulty, he was an alien after all, but he was so distracted laughing at you that he didn’t move away in time. Well deserved, you thought. 

He covered his face with his hands as he let out a soft cry. “Ouch,” he said, rolling onto his side.

After a few seconds, you got up and approached him. It wasn’t your intention to hurt him, you were just tired and frustrated. 

“Sehun, let me see,” you murmured softly, sitting next to him on the bed. You placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to make him turn so you could see his face. “I didn’t mean to hit you hard but I have a really good aim, what can I do?” you joked. 

He didn’t seem to find the joke funny. Instead, he made a sound that sounded like a hurt little puppy. This made you frown, what if you had hurt him for real?

"Sehun, take your hands away, let me see."

He removed his hands slowly but you couldn’t see anything because suddenly he moved so fast. Before you could realize, you were lying on the bed, with Sehun on top of you. A big smile was present on his face as his hands pressed your wrists against the mattress.

"You're an idiot, you know that? I was really worried."

Sehun laughed and brought his face closer to yours to kiss you but in the last moment you turned your face to the side, so his lips connected to your jaw instead of your mouth. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked in a low voice, nuzzling your neck with the tip of his nose before starting to leave a trail of small kisses that made you shiver under him.

"Oh really? What’s wrong?" You asked back, mocking his words and raising an eyebrow as you looked at him. As much as you wanted him right now, you had other priorities. "Now is not the time. Let me finish studying and then we can do whatever we want, or continue this. Alright?”

He released your wrists but didn’t let you go, still laying on top of you, now resting his head on your chest where he could feel your heart beating fast. After a few minutes in which your breathing became one, you started stroking his hair. It felt very soft between your fingers and smelled like your favourite shampoo from the last time he showered at your place. 

“You’ve been studying all day, I’m bored of waiting. You don’t let me talk, or make the slightest noise, or play video games, or listen to music…” he listed, mumbling.

You could feel the vibrations of his vocal chords against your chest, it was kind of calming.

“This exam is important to me, Sehun. Also, you can do all those things out of here, you don’t have to stay in the same room as me.”

He raised his head and looked at you with a frown. “But I want to be with you,” he confessed. 

This time, when he leaned in searching for your mouth, you didn’t turn your face away. The kiss was long and slow, without rushing. When your lips parted, you took the opportunity to take Sehun’s face in your hands, stroking his cheekbones with your thumbs. He stared at you, mesmerised. 

"An hour," you said. "That's all I need. Stop acting like a brat for an hour and when I'm done we'll do something together."

He seemed to hesitate, but finally he dropped to his side, freeing you from his weight. “Fine, an hour.”

You stood up from the bed, feeling cold without his warmth, and stared at the mess of notes scattered all over the floor with your hands on your hips. From the corner of your eye, you saw Sehun lying back on the bed with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankles. He looked as relaxed as always.

A gust of air made the papers move until they were arranged in a small pile at your feet. You bent down to pick them up and smiled at him. Sehun winked at you. He could be a pain in the ass sometimes but you couldn’t deny that since he came into your life nothing had been the same. 

You loved him like no one else, and couldn’t help but dread the day he’d be gone. After all, he didn’t belong on this Earth.

[aqupisrecs]

[ ● FIC REC ] FILE NAME : SEHUN / OH SE-HUN

CONTENTS : M - Mature, ✰ - Favorites, ⚘ - Fluff, ♧ - Angst

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Oh, Baby! > </ ⚘ ♧ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Formidable > </ ⚘ ♧>

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Neighbors > </ ✰ M ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Yes, Sir ft. Kai > </ ✰ M >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀While You're Asleep > </ ✰ M >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Teasing > </ M >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Mutual Mast*rbation > </ M >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Good Morning > </ ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Drunk Scenario > </ ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀A Hug Is All You Need > </ ✰ ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Baby Boy > </ ✰ ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀How Sehun Acts When He's In Love > </ ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀//coming soon...

Updated [ 2023 - June - 10 ]

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ -> Masterlist

[hocesthelas]

The Slytherin to my Hufflepuff | Sehun

Pairing: Hufflepuff!Sehun × Slytherin! Reader Word count: 1.3K Summary: Sehun, which had been expected to be Slytherin for all intents and purposes, was sorted into Hufflepuff, while you, a Hufflepuff in blood and bones found yourself in Slytherin. Authors note: This is my first fic on here. I do feel that I have gone waay off from my original idea, but hey, if anyone ends up reading this, I hope you enjoy! :)

It all began with a bam. You were walking down the corridors with Hannah. You were looking at the sky and quickly got distracted by a cloud in the shape of a mouse. You were looking so intently, and you were so distracted by your own thoughts, that you no longer registered to what the Hufflepuff beside you was saying.

You most definitely couldn’t tell that someone was walking directly towards you, someone, who had also been distracted.

In the blink of an eye, you found yourself struck and on the ground with a sore bum before you even registered what happened. As you looked up, your eyes met his. You quickly concluded that this face was the most pleasant one you had seen in Hogwarts. A face which the glow of the sun had made look heavenly. You looked down at his dishevelled black and yellow tie. A Hufflepuff!

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was…”

“sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was…”

“going”

“going” you both said simultaneously.

You broke down laughing, and he gave you an amused grin.

Later that day you pestered Hannah on who the Hufflepuff was and demanded she share everything she knew about him. She looked at you in confusion “you don’t know Oh Sehun?” you shook your head no.

“Well,” she began “If you are a Hufflepuff in Slytherin robes, he’s a Slytherin in Hufflepuff clothes; I reckoned you would know him.”

Following this incident, you've gotten closer to Sehun. You also learned more about him; like how he used a bird-conjuring charm on a Ravenclaw who was bothering his friend, or how he came from a family of Slytherins, and how his family had been greatly disappointed that he ended up in Hufflepuff.

You also had a lot in common; you were both sorted into the ‘wrong house’, you both spent more time with students from other houses than those of your own and even though you were both fairly well known in Hogwarts, you somehow never heard of one another before you literally bumped into each other in the corridors. What was truly frightening was how nearly all of your friends were his friends too.

Moreover, you had constantly spent time in the Hufflepuff common room, even though it was technically not allowed. Despite this, somehow, miraculously, you had never — not once — come across him.

This didn’t mean that you never, unknowingly, crossed paths. Soon after you started frequenting the Hufflepuff common room, some of the occupants were not happy to have you there, and they were not shy to share their thoughts with you.

Seeing as you thought it inappropriate to complain to your Hufflepuff friends, you recounted all that happened to your Gryffindor friend. It didn’t take long for these incidents to cease. Flooded with schoolwork and exams, you never had time to think much of it.

You now learned that Chanyeol had gone to Sehun to speak of the matter. Sehun then took measures to keep his own housemates in check. All this while he too had never seen a hair on your head.

It only took a short time before you felt as if you'd known Sehun your entire life. You'd spend as much of your day stuck to each other as possible, and you would never run out of things to talk about.

Presently you were both sprawled beside each other on the grounds just outside of Hogwarts. As per usual, curiosity made its way through your system, and you could only keep it in for a few brief moments before you spoke up “Sehun, you have brewed Amortentia before, haven't you?”

“I would like to think that by now I have, yes” you rolled your eyes at him, even though he couldn’t see it.

“So, how was it? what did you smell?” he turned his head towards you “I smelled the fear from my enemies” this sent you into a laughing fit, and he too couldn’t help but laugh.

You slapped him on his chest “oh come on dummy, I’m being serious, what did you smell?” “not telling” he said in a teasing tone.

You moved closer and you turned to whisper in his ear “come on, tell me, what did you smell”.

He tried his best to shield his ear “Jeez, are you always this touchy with your friends? why don’t you find someone else to annoy” “No” you answered.

“No what? you are not touchy with your friends, or, you can't find some to annoy?”

“both” you turned to look at him again “don’t think I’m dropping this, now tell me what did you smell?”. He continued lying there, still. You weren’t sure if his reaction was because of your question, or because of your answer.

You impatiently got up on your elbow, and fisted your left hand, as if preparing to punch him “are going to tell me, or do you plan on getting beat?” he put his hands up in surrender “alright, alright! why do you Slytherins always revert to violence”.

As you laid back on the grass, he hummed in thought, stole a glance at you then focused his eyes back on the sky before finally saying “it was lavender… freshly cleaned laundry, and…” he looked at you again ”and Pelargonium”.

You propped yourself back up on your elbow and looked at him intently “no way, are you serious?” he seemed waver at the question, but answered with a hum and a nod of the head.

Your smile just grew bigger and bigger “guess what I smelled?” you didn’t even give him a chance to answer before continuing. “lavender” you saw his eyes instantly grow in shock “freshly cleaned sheets” he looked at you in disbelief before retorting “well, I do hope you aren’t the biggest narcissist in the world, and have Pelargonium as your third scent”.

He had accidentally given himself away, and this was all the reassurance you needed. You gave him a quick peck on the cheek, earning you a pair of reddening cheeks. “Of course I didn’t smell Pelargonium. My third scent was apple”.

He stared at you, eyes glued to yours. You couldn’t decipher the look he gave you, so you attempted to further elaborate “you also smell of apple if you didn’t realis-”.

Before you could finish the sentence he grabbed your face, pulling you down for a kiss. You could feel each other smile through the kiss and felt yourself engulphed by the smell of apples, drowning you under a blanket of comfort.

As you pulled away, your eyes found each other, and you were lost in his. He was the first to break the silence “if there is any doubt in your mind, you smell like Pelargonium” you couldn't wipe the smile off your face “I know”.

You then threw yourself on top of him, hearing him whimper in surprise. His arms snaked around you, making you feel giddy. As he caressed your back you heard him speak “I guess the fact that we smelled nearly the exact same thing proves that we were meant to be together” “oh, so we’re together now?” “haven't we always been?”.

You sighed in relief “good, now I don't have to be the only one without a boyfriend”

As you cuddled each other, you couldn’t help but think about the sorting hat, and how ironic it was that you were both sorted into what you thought was each others house. “Sehun” he hummed for you to continue. “do you think the sorting hat was playing matchmaker with us?”.

You could feel him grin from under you “I’m telling you, we were meant to be, it’s just that the sorting hat realised it earlier than we ever did”

[louisatfanfics]

Sinopse: Viver um relacionamento requer responsabilidade, cuidado e companheirismo, além de ser atento aos detalhes envolvendo o seu companheiro e cuidar de tudo com muita cautela. Oh Sehun e Kim Jongin eram um casal exemplar e dividiam a vida de namorados de forma leve e tranquila. Atento as necessidades de Jongin, Sehun prepara um final de semana isolados em um chalé, programando a melhor viagem da vida deles, mas foi ali, naquele local, um cuidando do outro e notando que sempre se cuidavam, que decidiram viver a vida como um casal para sempre.

LINK DA FANFIC:

[nyoominmin]

Oh Sehun fic recs

@seihun - I have never once been jealous of Park Chanyeol in my entrie life (Friends to lovers au) // here

》 Fic rec masterlist

[shinescape]

A Proposal

Boyfriend Sehun x Fem Reader

Requested!

note: I hope you like how this turned out, anon. Enjoy the read <3

As you're getting ready, you can’t help but let out a snort every time you imagine Sehun playing with his nephew. You grabbed your house keys and quickly went off to your boyfriend’s place.

The moment Sehun opened the door for you, his tired face greeted you. You went in notice that the house was so quiet and nothing seemed out of place. “Did he fell asleep already?” You whispered.

The moment Sehun opened the door for you, his tired face greeted you. You went in notice that the house was so quiet and nothing seemed out of place. “Did he fell asleep already?” You whispered.

He didn’t say anything and walked with you to the main space of the apartment. The young boy was on his sleeping mat, playing slime all by himself. You can’t help but smile at the sight and slowly approach the boy.

“Hi there.” You started off. He saw you and passed the slime that was in his hand. “Are you Hun’s friend? Here...slime for you” You took the neon coloured slime from him and thanked him. Sehun on the other hand had something else to say to his nephew.

“She’s a stranger. What did I say about talking to strangers?” He was sitting right beside you, arms crossed over his chest. You lightly slapped his arm, afraid that the boy might burst into tears.

But instead he looked at Sehun and said, “You brought her to our house. She’s no stranger then.”

You let out the biggest laugh and can’t help but fall on your back. This kid reminded you of Sehun in a way, there’s no doubt they were related. You obviously did not expect that coming but that was sure a good comeback from a child that young.

You composed yourself and sat up again. “But he’s right. You should not freely talk to strangers, okay? I’m Hun’s friend, nice to meet you.” You introduced yourself and extended a hand for him to shake. Instead of taking your hand, he wobbly stood up and ran away.

It was Sehun’s turn to laugh at you. “He doesn’t like you I guess.” You turned to your boyfriend and showed the slime you got earlier. “He gave his precious slime, he likes me alright. You’re just jealous.”

He didn’t want to be petty but the way you were teasing him, annoyed him a bit. He inched closer and pecked your lips all of a sudden. You were taken back and stopped teasing him altogether.

“Sehun, what if he saw us?”

“He should know you’re mine at least.”

Exactly that moment, his nephew came running back to where both of you were. He went up to you and opened up his small palm in front of your face. “This is for you. You will wait for me until I grow up, right?”

You took the candy ring from him and put it on your forefinger. “Of course, I will. I can’t believe I just got proposed.” You giggled and watched how Sehun was glaring at the younger boy.

He suddenly wrapped his arms around you and confessed. “She’s my girlfriend. I’m the one she’s going to marry, not you.” For the second time, you hope that the child would not start crying because that was something you can’t handle.

“I gave her a ring. She’s mine.” He answered back.

You had to do something at this point before a fight between a grown man and his younger nephew would break out. “He’s right Sehun. Don’t worry, I'll wait for you. But in the meantime, Hun will be with me until you grow up bigger and stronger. How’s that sound?”

Sehun was panicking hearing your words but you patted his thigh to calm him down. The boy was looking at both of you, thinking of his next words.

You knew he was smart for his age and hoped that he would just let this go before something undesired happened and your boyfriend freak out even more.

“Fine then. Hun can take care of you for me while I grow. Keep the ring, okay?” He grabbed your hand with his small fingers and gave you a sweet smile.

He then started to rub his eyes and yawned. “I’m sleepy...” He then crawled over to your boyfriend and placed his head on Sehun’s lap.

“I can’t believe what just happened and he still has the nerve to sleep on me like this.” Sehun grumbled and placed his nephew back on the mat properly, not forgetting to cover him in a blanket that was sprawled for hours.

“At least, he’s asleep now.” Upon hearing that, it was his turn to rest his head on your shoulder. “You better eat that candy before you leave this house. I don’t want to see it anywhere near you.”

“You should have seen the way he proposed. Smooth as silk, Oh Sehun could never.” You chuckled as you felt his arms hug you tighter.

“Stop teasing me. You belong to me and only me. Remember that.”

Hearing that brought a shy smile to form on your face. Your arms wrapped around his waist as you planted a quick kiss on his shoulder.

“I love you.”

“I love you more”

[imaginidol]

Hello😊

Headcanon with Sehun, the reader breaking up with him by text

Hi anon!! Thank you so much for the request!!

I’ve written this for you here, I hope you like it!! Pls feel free to send more requests. As of rn I have received a few more and I’m working on those so I’ll have those up sometime in the next few days <3

[papermatisse]

flowers & pomegranates || O.SH

pairing: hades!sehun x persephone!reader

genre: fluff, angst

word count: 28k~ (oof)

warnings: none? barely any plot? just kinda word vomit ive been working on?

synopsis: the hades/persephone story, but it's sehun

a/n: im new. that is all.

masterlist

A scowl crossed the face of Sehun who emerged from his dark hovel for the first time in centuries. The accursed Sun deemed its primary ambition of the day to blind the God of the Underworld who dared tread the once prosperous lands of Earth. He says once prosperous, acknowledging the state in which the Earth has been left in; Pestilence and famines ravage the lands, and Sehun hadn't the need for the update given to him by Demeter, for the torrent of lost souls arriving in his world was key enough that it were time for Hades himself to visit the now plagued lands. 

Although having morphed in one way or another over the past few decades of his absence, Sehun knew the precise path to take to lead him to Mother Earth herself. He hoped he wouldn't have to collide with any other god who may feel the need to catch up with the man himself, wishing to just crawl back into his dark domicile and away from life.

Life.

The concept to him was once his main concern long ago. Not regarding the lives of the mortals he'd see everyday crossing the River Styx to their designated afterlife location, but instead his own. He once detested his family for tossing him aside and condemning him to the Underworld to manage the traffic of the dead, but now he thanks them as he is devoid of drama that haunts every god in Olympus. Whilst Aphrodite pines over an uncaring Ares, and Hera scolds her adulterous husband, Sehun raises his Cerberus in peace and silence. He has no complaint whatsoever of his outcome now as he feels he lives the simplest of lives regarding social statures compared to the others. 

At least that's what he found himself reminding his conscience of.

As if the Earth beneath his feet decided to greet him with some ill humored gag, the most hyperactive of the gods spawned before him as if from thin air, though Sehun knew it was the god's unfathomable speed which formulated this illusion. 

"Well, well, well," drawled out Jongin, 'Hermes' as the mortals have labelled him. "If it isn't the King of the Underworld himself, gracing us mere minor gods with his presence." Jongin bowed dramatically, one arm crossed over his waist and the other extended behind him. "I thank thee, and acknowledge your superiority over me."

"Enough," Sehun grumbled, treading past the god who burst into laughter.

"Oh, you can't blame me!" Jongin jogged over to catch up, patting his sore stomach from his laughter. "I haven't seen you in a millennia!"

"Would you stop being so over dramatic, it's only been but a handful of centuries." Sehun was exasperated already with the messenger, though he did find a sliver of nostalgia upon seeing him once more. It truly has been quite a long while since he's spoken to anyone besides Charon and the Fates. Perhaps an escort to guide him to Demeter wouldn't be too strenuous of a deed. 

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your arrival to the Mortal Realm?" Jongin seemed to have had the same idea as Sehun, as he was now walking beside him and continuing the conversation. 

"As you know, the mortals have been suffering," Sehun began, taking notice of the ever growing amount of greenery in their wake, signaling his venture with Jongin wouldn't be too long and agonizing. "Demeter wanted me to visit the lands and take a casualty report of sorts."

"Why?" Jongin scoffed, kicking a stray rock along the dirt path. "It's not like you're at fault for all of this, why are you being tortured?"

"You know how bad my reputation is to the Olympians." Sehun sighed, remembering yet another reason to not visit the others regularly. "Plus, Demeter is rather distraught over this. I can tell this is just her way of grieving. I've seen it tons of times, families calling out to the gods to remember their lost ones. I guess Demeter is just very close to this city or something." 

"Makes sense." 

Sehun felt the subtle bitter pangs of jealousy strike his being, as he's rarely ever respected by the people. Not that he necessarily cares what measly mortals think of him, but instead how little they acknowledge him if not for the negative tragedies in their lives. Even his brother Jongdae, ever the idiot, gets one of the largest temples of the gods, a steady influx of gifts and offerings bestowed to his statue. The people seem to love him, labeling him as Zeus, god of gods. Little do they know of his absolute ignorance and skewed marriage. 

Oh, how he once detested his brother. 

Jongdae was the one to condemn him to the Underworld, a command which seemed not as awful as it truly was. Sehun thought it to be rather tricky to navigate from his realm to Mount Olympus at times, but he made do to keep in touch with his family. That was his agenda in the beginning, until the mortals began cursing him for taking the souls of their lost ones. That was when Sehun realized what Jongdae had done to him, and he stopped visiting Mount Olympus entirely. 

He still remembers reconstructing the Underworld entirely after that revelation. 

It was at first a plain of barren land, akin to that of the remains of a forest fire. He hadn't the slightest idea on what to do with these souls. He had just observed them wander about aimlessly for his own entertainment, watching them kick into the dry dirt beneath them, pass longing glances to one another, stare into the nothingness of his world for hours at a time. The first few batches of souls were well behaved, stayed quiet for the most part and tended to keep to their own devices. It was around the same time he started realizing his reputation on Earth that he felt the impact in his own realm. 

Hundreds of souls rioting against him, throwing slanderous words to him and expelling any and all rage upon him. That was the last straw for Sehun, and he finally began to do his role of a god properly. 

He looked over to Jongin briefly, recalling the last time he had actually spoken to him. He had heard his calls to him from across the River Styx, a fresh batch of souls behind Jongin as he awaited for his friend's arrival. Sehun stood beyond the river, explaining to him that Jongin was no longer needed for soul transportation, and that he was to now deliver the souls to the entrance of the Underworld and leave. Jongin tried questioning him, yet Sehun turned his back to him, his new decrees unshakable to him.

"Oh, we've arrived!" Jongin called out excitedly, walking ahead to take in the haven which was Demeter's garden. Greenery stretched across the Earth, dabs of color spread about as the flowers beneath them bloomed carelessly. The sky was a deep blue, not a cloud in sight for miles beyond.

Sehun grimaced at the display before him, his eyes aching with the influx of nature before him. Nymphs scurried about, smiles gracing their gorgeous features and flowers stuffed into their flowing locks. Sehun felt if he concentrated hard enough, he could maybe identify a distant harp playing graceful melodies to further amplify the elegant scenery. 

This was a paradise on Earth. Just not for Sehun. 

It served as a reminder to what he had lost many centuries ago when he barricaded himself beneath the Earth. He had forgotten what it felt to be with the living. To have the Sun warm his icy skin like a blanket, the wind brush against his stiff features as if trying to smooth out his tensions, to be in the presence of others. He had to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Where's Demeter?" Sehun asked, his voice sounding more demanding than curious. 

"Why are you in such a rush?" Jongin chuckled out, spinning around gleefully and taking in everything which Sehun detested. "Enjoy the Earth for a while longer before you crawl back into your pit of death." 

"Jongin–" Sehun attempted to reach out to his friend, feeling entirely too uncomfortable with where he was. However, Jongin grabbed Sehun's wrist and began dragging him along with him, slowly introducing him to dozens of nymphs who were insignificant to Sehun. He was growing increasingly irritated with his friend with every passing shudder displayed by those in the gardens. Sehun felt disgusted with himself, wanting nothing more than to shrivel up in his lonesome bed and forget about his eternal damnation. 

Before Sehun could utter a word of complaint, however, his eyes landed upon a girl seated upon a rock beside the river bed. It was as picturesque of a scene as it could get, the ever beaming sun basking her radiant form in a warm glow, the water behind her reflecting the light up and creating a breathtaking backdrop to the already otherworldly scene before him. Her hair fell in soft waves down her shoulders, gentle tendrils mirroring that of the waters before her. She hadn't a care in the world but thriving in nature and what she had to offer, yet Sehun felt no negative thoughts plaguing him this time. 

What would have been– should have been– envy, discomfort, and rage, was nothing but admiration, warmth, and, dare he say, optimism; Emotions Sehun couldn't recall feeling, for it's been too long for his cold heart to register anything before his isolation. 

"Who is that?" Sehun found himself asking, yanking his arm back to prevent Jongin from dragging him on. Jongin hummed in confusion, following Sehun's gaze which landed on the girl before. 

"Oh, that's just Persephone." 

"Just?" Sehun quirked a brow at his wording, his mannerism so casual that even Sehun the Stoic was concerned. 

"She's Demeter's daughter, so she's technically a goddess, but she's more of a nymph really." Sehun looked over at her again, studying her soft and calming presence. Sehun had never felt so at ease, and this was only looking at her from a distance. "She doesn't really matter though, so we'll just move on." Those words are what spurred Sehun into the beginning stages of a meltdown. Of all the nymphs in these accursed lands, she seemed to Sehun the most fit to hold the position of garden tender, nonetheless Demeter's daughter. How such a cold, uptight woman as Demeter could produce such a beacon of warmth was beyond Sehun, but that didn't stop him from nearly releasing his rage upon his comrade.

"Jongin," Sehun spat out, fists clenched beside him. Jongin ceased his rant, stumbling the slightest bit on his still feet after taking in Sehun's deadly expression. "Stop this nonsense and get me Demeter already." 

Once Jongin scurried away, fear encouraging him to dash over to said goddess rather than take his intended leisure stroll, Sehun found himself turning back to face Persephone. To any other passerby, she would've just been another nymph, what with her flowy gown, carefree hair, and overall natural ambience, but to Sehun, he could clearly see how much more important she truly was. He just knew there was something about her which held significance, whether to the world, or maybe to himself. 

Sehun's steady gaze met her wandering eyes, the two of them stiffening at the unexpected found attention. Sehun has stared into the souls of murderers, heroines, and everything in between, yet he was seemingly awestruck by her presence alone, even from the vast distance they shared. It was something to do with her attentiveness towards him which left Sehun incredibly perturbed, for he's never felt so open, like the subject of an anatomy lesson. Even as she tilted her head to the side in wonder, she dared not back down from this sudden challenge, even smiling at Sehun's frozen expression, though she was the first to break as she waved him over like a dear old friend. 

He was hesitant, of course. Did she believe there to be some ulterior motive to inviting him over? Would she reap the benefits of befriending the god of the Underworld? If so, she would be tragically incorrect, since "Sehun" and "charity" have never been put in one sentence, aside from perhaps him not acting upon said deed. So he believed maybe she would refrain after the first rejection by him, yet it was with an eye roll and a more exaggerated summoning gesture that finally had his feet stuttering forward. Perhaps he'd entertain her hidden agenda for a few moments until he either found out her intentions or was summoned by Demeter. Whichever came first. 

"Good day!" She called to him once he was within ear shot.

"Good day," he responded cautiously, narrowing his eyes to analyze her facade, expecting some signs of wavering, yet she was completely genuine; Genuine in her joy of his existence.

"I'm Persephone." She lifted her hand to him, palm turned downwards expectantly to which he responded by slipping his own hand into hers, bowing his head in a curt manner. He could feel her shiver from his touch, and he quickly retracted before she could. It was a common occurrence when those encountered him. Disgusted expressions, recoiling in fear, he's seen it all, though she remained smiling at him with her chin resting on her knees. "And you are?" 

"Excuse me?" He asked after a beat, voice low and steady. Who was he? He was one of the Olympians, brother of Zeus, god of the Underworld. He was notorious, a boogie man in bedtime stories to keep children on their toes. He was practically the living embodiment of fear, and yet here she was bursting into giggles and repeating her question like she wasn't in the presence of a malevolent god– supposedly. "My name is Sehun."

"Sehun." She repeated, voice soft and delicate like she. "I like it." If he had any semblance of emotion anymore, he could tell he'd have an abundance of blood flow reddening his face at that moment, possibly the closest thing to a compliment he's ever received. "Come sit with me!" She tugged at his tunic with a surprising amount of strength, having him nearly collapse onto the rock she occupied, though he caught himself and finished his journey down calmly. "I've never seen you here. Are you new?"

Was he new? He was older than not only her, but the existence of humanity itself on Earth. She truly did not know who he was. He feared she'd dismiss his presence upon hearing his name, or to immediately bombard him with insults. This was the last thing he expected, though he now realized how predictable this was to be. Of course Demeter didn't teach her daughter who he was. Demeter never cared in the slightest for him, even when he was younger. She was probably overjoyed she'd never see his face again once he went down into the Earth. Although, maybe he could use this ordeal to his advantage.

"I'm just visiting," he explained, keeping his sights low in order to avoid her piercing eyes. He could already feel her gaze roaming around his everything, from his dark clothing to pale skin. He knew he was grotesque, he didn't need to be reminded by such a beauty as she. With his weak disposition, he found himself glancing for just the briefest of seconds to her. She had to have easily been the most breathtaking sight he's ever beheld. Prettier than Aphrodite, ever the conceited being she was. Contrary to her, Persephone seemed to be kind and whole-hearted; Rare traits to find in the Olympians nowadays.

"Oh, business with Demeter?" She asked, scooting closer to him. 

"Yes, actually." He bit the inside of his cheek, finally deciding to turn and give her his undivided attention to which she straightened her posture and beamed even brighter for him. She was so optimistic, a complete contrast to the nymphs which alienated him upon entry. Speaking of which. "Why do you sit here alone?" She turned her gaze to the sky and hummed, as if deep in thought to his simple question.

"Perhaps I just like the lack of company," she answered, shifting her eyes to the river murmuring it's song. 

"If you enjoyed the lack of company, why would you invite me over?" She snapped her neck back to him, squinting at him with a smug expression. 

"Why did you come here so willingly?"

"Did you not notice my initial refrain?"

"Hmm, touché." She sat back after having leant forward excitedly, picking at the blades of grass peeking through the cracks of the stone they sat on. "If we're asking a million questions anyway, what is your business here with Demeter?" Did Demeter really not update her daughter on anything? Is this what Jongin was talking about? His uncaring mannerism when discussing her struck a chord with Sehun suddenly, who was now putting the pieces together slowly but surely.

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but the city has been struck with many disasters, and so Demeter wanted to discuss that with me." He explained, hoping to keep his ambiguity intact. "Like a counseling session." She nodded, a frown settling in place for a moment before being replaced with a forced grin. She really didn't know about the city. Sehun's heart ached, witnessing her sudden downtrodden expression. What kind of a mother is Demeter to have her daughter be treated like some black sheep. Like an unwanted pest. Like him. "I guess since you've asked me a question, I'm allowed to ask you one?" 

"Oh, yes, of course," she laughed, hugging her knees and gazing up at him. 

"Why do you call your mother by her name?" Sehun kept his attention on her, taking note of her sarcastic scoff and sudden stiff shoulders.

"So you know?" She asked. 

"That's all I've been informed of." He reassured her, hoping his tone was soft enough that she wasn't intimidated by him in any way. Her sigh and averting gaze proved her discomfort came with the topic rather than with him, but before he could revoke his question, she continued. 

"Yes, I am technically Demeter's daughter." She started, scratching her nail against the warm surface beneath her. "I say technically because I am her blood, but she's practically disowned me at this point." Sehun furrowed his brows, frowning in disbelief of Demeter's actions. "Apparently when I was born, I was the weakest god they've ever seen. Basically, all I can do is grow stuff, and every nature nymph can do things such as that." She tapped her finger on the crack of the rock she was ripping grass out of before, a patch of new blades sprouting out as healthy as ever. "Demeter was embarrassed by my existence, but didn't bother to get rid of me because I'm just an accidental nymph, and now I live here doing the tasks of a nymph." She looked back up at him, a sad smile gracing her lovely features. Sehun found himself despising any negativity on her. Sad didn't suit her. 

"I'm sorry to hear about this."

"It really isn't a big issue. It's always been this way. I actually did believe I was a nymph for a long while until I asked the others why they never include me in things, and they explained that I'm not them and that I should stop trying to be them." She plucked a flower from the basketful she had hidden behind her, twirling the stem between two fingers and smiling at the dainty petals glistening in the Sun's rays which seemed to glow brighter around her, like a halo of light. "Apologies. You probably didn't ask for my tale of woe, but I do not call Demeter my mother because she is not a mother to me." She pursed her lips into a thin line, as if stating the forecast casually to someone rather than having denounced her mother to nothing but a stranger. 

"I don't know if you'd be surprised to hear this, but I actually do understand you very well." She quirked her head to the side, eyes glistening in wonderment at his vague statement. "Why do you think you've never once heard of me before today?" She opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by someone calling out to him. The two of them turned to an approaching Jongin who stared at Persephone with a scrutinizing stare, not even attempting to conceal his emotions. 

"Sehun, Demeter asked me to take you to her." He explained, reaching down to help Sehun to his feet, but Sehun rejected his offer and turned back to the goddess before him.

"I apologize, I must cut this conversation short." He reached down and held her free hand in his, leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to her warm skin, which ignited another set of giggles from her. 

"I understand," she sighed out, looking down at her lap. Before Sehun could pull away from her, she tucked the very flower which once resided in her other hand into his unkempt locks. She laid her hand unto his jaw and gave one final grin. "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance." 

He bowed his head one last time before retracting from her warm touch, the feeling of her skin still present on his icy body. Sehun stood to his feet, following Jongin silently and relishing the tingling sensation which overcame his lips. It felt like witchcraft of sorts, the way his lifeless mouth twitched here and there, almost resurrecting a smile. He shook his head of such thoughts, recounting the last time he smiled being thousands of years ago. Yet here she was, so inviting and accepting of him whilst knowing so little of his life, and blessing his sorrowful aura with warmth and happiness. The way she wore her smile like an everyday necessity, even when she lives a life doomed to be as tortured as his. Her strength was admirable, and he hoped she continued to persevere unlike he who hid away in a labyrinth of his own machinations. 

"Did you hear anything I just said?" Jongin snapped, halting his steps and staring at Sehun, too absorbed in his own thoughts to care about his guide and his whereabouts. Jongin rolled his eyes upon seeing Sehun's glazed eyes, like that of a corpse. "I said steer clear of Persephone. You're already hated on the surface, and associating yourself with another outcast will further worsen your reputation which is already lower than your precious domicile."

Sehun stared at Jongin with his usual stoic facade, yet inside he was appalled. Jongin was always so chipper and hyperactive, more a squirrel in a god's body. He was one of the few who attempted to keep in contact with him many years ago, but he had given up when the ferryman forbade his entry. Sehun perceived Jongin as the epitome of positive energy. So why was he here speaking so poorly of the only person to show Sehun any form of attention aside from repugnance? And why was he getting the feeling that Jongin says the same thing about him to people?

"We're here," Jongin announced in a dull tone, gesturing to the most extravagant garden of this hellhole. "Stay quiet, listen, and don't mention Persephone." With that, Jongin darted away, gone with the wind. Sehun breathed a sigh of relief from the riddance of one nuisance, and prepared to handle the most insufferable of vexations known to mankind: Demeter. He could see her very clearly, stroking a broad leaf of one of her many vegetation. She was tall, with her light brunette hair pulled back in a braided bun and purple robes drowning her body. She seemed like any normal person you'd come across, but the wrinkles surrounding her brows gave away her unending fury towards anything and everything in her world.

Sehun had prepared for the worst case scenario, so he was perplexed by her kind grin and respectful bow. 

"Sehun," she called to him in a warm tone, similar to that of long lost siblings reuniting. This reunion, however, was not one supposed to warm the heart. It was a business meeting. "You look well. As young as ever." When she finally reached him, she placed her hands on his shoulders with a strong grip, and he couldn't help but think back to Persephone and her strength, both physically and mentally. "I wish we could've been meeting under better circumstances, but as you know, times are very tough." She turned and began walking deeper into her garden, leaving Sehun to trail behind her with long lazy strides. 

"Earthquakes every other month, flash floods after every monsoon." She reached a peak in her garden which overlooked the entire city, now dull and lifeless. Sehun was not as affected as she was by the sight as she gasped quietly and placed a hand over her aching heart. "If not plagues of locusts, the poor citizens are being tortured by actual plagues." She turned away from the sight of the debilitating city, tutting her tongue in dismay and retreating from the source of her pains. "It's heart wrenching, really. I've attempted to cease the never ending death toll, creating a garden on the opposite side of the city where they could pray to any god of their choosing, yet it seems like this land is just cursed."

After a brief moment of silence, she turned back to him, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. 

"Sehun, my dear. If you could do anything in your power to cease this, I would be eternally grateful. Please, you have to understand the chaos which is tormenting these poor citizens, find some sympathy in your cold heart for them. I beg of you." 

Sehun sneered at Demeter's pitiful attempt at begging, knowing she holds no authenticity to her words. She doesn't care about getting on Sehun's "good side," she just wants to help the citizens. Noble of her, yet foolish to think speaking to him would solve anything. Nevertheless, he cleared his throat and prepared the words which he has said to every single god who's asked, every person who's prayed, even to himself in situations like these.

"I am sorry that this is happening. I truly am. I more than anyone else understands the impact one death can have, let alone hundreds." She looked up to him with a shred of hope in her glassy eyes, but Sehun continued on with an unwavering seriousness to his face. "But I cannot do anything about this. I do not control the influx of deaths, nor does Thanatos who is the one who actually deals with death. I'm just in charge of the Underworld, where every soul winds up. I can make wagers with people who want to give up their life for another, but that's as far as I'll go." Demeter's hope dwindled to nothing, leaving her in her usual state of contempt for everything, especially Sehun. "My condolences for your people, but this is not my doing like you may believe it to be."

"Is this because of your condemnation?" She spat at him, hands on her hips and eyes narrowed into daggers. "You're seriously still holding a grudge after thousands and thousands of years?" Sehun raised an eyebrow, not surprised by Demeter's usual demeanor. She scoffed, brushing past him with a shove at his shoulders. "You're so petty, Hades. You think you're so high and mighty, better than the rest of us. Hiding away in your little chasm of death and acting like you were never one of us." She stood back on the edge of the cliff, staring down at the city once more as she continued to spew out grievance after grievance to the god who couldn't care less. "I don't even know why I tried to appeal to your better nature. You don't have a better nature." She whirled around and stomped to him, jabbing a bony finger into his chest with every insult his way. He stood his ground, staring at her with a blank expression. "You have nothing. You are nothing. You have no cares, and you will never be cared for." She paused for a breath, but her eyes landed on something stuck in his hair. She snatched it with no warning, pulling a hiss from Sehun as she yanked some of his hairs. She rolled her eyes, dangling the now crushed daisy between two fingers. "Of course you'd find sympathy for a nobody like her." Sehun watched as she dropped the once beautiful flower, stepping on it when it reached the ground as if it were an unwanted roach. "Two worthless gods with nothing to live for." 

Just like that, she broke Sehun's last defense. Sehun was furious. He felt the blood dripping from his fingers before he had felt his nails digging into his palm. Sehun had the patience of a saint, bottling his anger up whenever he had to deal with a god or an enraged soul, but Demeter was the one to finally crack his restraint.

"It was a pleasure to catch up with you, Demeter," Sehun stated, calm and collected as ever as he backed away from her. "But I find the company of my single colleague, three old hags, and my dog to be far more pleasant than you will ever hope to be." She gaped at him, eyebrows as tense as ever. He turned his head to the row of plants he had walked in on her stroking. He reached out with a bloody hand, repeating her actions and staining the leaves of the greenery. "I'm also so envious of your garden. Wish I had one of my own. You wouldn't mind if I took some of your ideas, would you?" And just like that, the once lovely plant began shriveling up, dying before her eyes. She gasped loudly, watching as not only that one plant, but the ones surrounding it began to turn brown and crumble into ashes. He turned and began walking away, hands stroking any plant he could touch, leaving death in his wake and causing Demeter to holler in outrage at his behavior. 

He was prepared to all but stomp his way back to his Underworld, never before so violently wrathful and not knowing how to exactly deal with such an apparent emotion. Before he could let his thoughts stray any further, though, Persephone appeared from his peripheral, steps so light and airy as if she were walking on clouds.

"Sehun, are you alright?" She asked in a soft, lilted voice. She gasped when she took in his bloodied hands, reaching out and grasping his fist in her hands. "Come with me." She insisted, no trace of argument evident. 

He couldn't reply, as she was already busy dragging him away from his escape. She cradled his injured hands in her own, weaving him through bushels of various flora, vibrant colors Sehun either hasn't seen or couldn't remember. Her touch soothed his skin, a comfort akin to aloe encasing a burn. She was the remedy to his pain.

She had taken him to a cottage stowed away in a remote area where he could no longer hear the joyous songs of nature and nymphs. It was silent with just the two of them. It was peaceful. Sehun never thought peace could occur with more than two people in the same room, yet there they stood together as one. He admired her as she washed his hands clean, running cool water onto his skin and easing the faint thrum of pain now ebbing away slowly. She concluded her work on a cushioned bench, lathering his hands with oils and wrapping cloth around his palms.

"I realize you're a god, and we heal faster than usual, but occasionally it feels nice to delve into the world of human remedies." She explained, laughing to herself as she tucked away the excess cloth. She examined her work, holding his hands in hers so delicately. His heart swelled at her every action, so minuscule yet so caring. "Are you okay now?"

"Yes, I am," he whispered out, flexing his fingers' mobility to reassure her of his health. "Thank you." She smiled again to him, nodding her head and focusing on his injury. A comfortable silence settled in the small room, reminding Sehun of his years of solitude. Although here, in this cottage with his side pressed against the most lovely woman he's ever met, felt different from all those other times. He knew after taking a whiff of her sweet, floral scent, he wouldn't be able to survive on his own again. Before, he didn't have a reason to keep in touch with anyone. Now, he wants Persephone. He craves her warmth, her sunshine, her happiness. The gentle touch she applies to his rough exterior, the smiles she gives with no malicious intent. She was wholesome and polite, like an angel summoned to bring light to his ever dark world. 

"I'm assuming your meeting with Demeter did not go smoothly?" She laughed at the groan he released, Sehun's exhaustion evident in the way he slouched and stared at the wooden floor. 

"It did not go well. She has somehow worsened over the years." He looked back to her as she listened intently to him. She didn't deserve Demeter's harsh words. She was not Demeter's harsh words. She was everything good in the world, and the only thing that was beginning to matter in his world. "I'd rather not go into explicit details of the matter, however. I apologize." It was silent for a moment as Persephone hummed at his words, curling her legs under her robes in a criss-crossed position. 

"Then allow me to take a wild assumption to what I believe Demeter said." She cleared her throat and took in a big breath. "She tried to manipulate you into saving the city, you said no, she got mad, insulted you, noticed the flower I put in your hair, crushed it, and then insulted me?" She snickered, taking his silence as answer enough. "I can feel the flowers I grow, so yes, I did feel her crushing my flower beneath her foot. The insulting is just a regular occurrence in our relationship, so I assumed the sight of my flower triggered that part of her." 

"You don't deserve this." Sehun found himself declaring, startling not only himself, but Persephone. "I know we've just met, but never in my life have I been so sure of someone's significance, and it's my job to decide people's worth." He straightened his back, focusing on the wall across him as he thought of his next words carefully. "I don't know if you've figured this out yet, but I am the god of the Underworld. I am hated by all, feared by all, and neglected by all. You were the first and only person to ever treat me as an equal." She was silent, absorbing his every word and letting it register in her head. "I understand you may be disgusted by me now, but I wanted to tell you all this before I disappear once more. I may never see you after today."

He shifted his attention to her with a lazy roll of his head. Her eyes bore holes into her lap, shoulders tense and eyebrows frowned. Her fingers were clenched into the cushion of the bench they sat on and her head was down turned with tendrils of hair acting as  curtains framing her face. Sehun could see she was deep in thought, and perhaps even uncomfortable with him after he said what he had. He grimaced at the thought that she now despised him, though he couldn't blame her. 

He brought upon death, and she gave life. He was cold and desolate, and she was warm and loving. He was monstrous in every sense of the word. How could she ever tolerate someone like him? It was with these thoughts that he found himself rising to his feet and heading to the front door, though before he could turn the handle, he felt a tug on his sleeve. 

Persephone stood right beside him, holding his arm loosely with her head still facing the floor. Even from the askew angle of their position, he could see the shimmer of tears staining her rosy cheeks. His eyes widened, hand sliding to her jaw and lifting her head so he could examine her. Red rimmed eyes, eyebrows stitched together, what seemed like a permanent frown pulling at her lips. 

"What do you mean I'll never see you again?" She asked under her breath. Sehun strained his ears to hear her broken question, heart crumbling at her unsteady voice. "I don't want you to disappear. Just as I am the first person to show you attention, you are my first." She pressed her forehead to his arm, sobs racking her shoulders. "I don't want to be left alone again." He was left flabbergasted by her touch and distraught over her crying, his hands twitching to touch her, yet restraining from the foreign urge to comfort. So they stood together, her arms wrapped around the one she wept into as he stood as stiff as a tree. 

Everyday, he woke up alone. He would feed Cerberus, check the surface world through the fates, and hand Charon the destination for each incoming soul. He'd do his work, wander his house, rummage through his cupboards for snacks. Then he'd go back to sleep. Alone. It was a routine he had grown accustomed to, though he remembers how difficult it was for him to accept it. He knew what he would be putting Persephone through if he were to leave. He kept reinforcing how she was the change he had always craved, yet he never considered he was just as influential to her as she was to him. He needed her just as she needed him. It would be foolish for either of them to part ways. 

But she was needed here. He just knew it. No matter what Demeter or Jongin said, he knew deep within she was integral to the stability of the surface world. He couldn't just selfishly take her for himself just so neither of them would be lonely. Though perhaps maybe that's exactly what's needed. 

"Persephone." He spoke, turning to face her directly. Her vision was bleary, but she could see his serious expression and knew that something had happened in his thoughts. "Do you like living here?" 

Of course she loved her home. She loved waking in her cozy sheets, preparing for her day in the familiarity of her abode, the flowers which would bloom as she made her way to the central area of the garden. Though she began weighing the negatives with the positives, realizing how much she hated being ignored by everyone, never being good enough for anyone. Everyday, she discovers new ways that she's been neglected, and today's was discovering that the town neighboring the garden has been dying, and no one had bothered to tell her this. 

"No. No, I do not," she answered in a sure tone, standing straighter to show her unwavering stance on the matter. She loved the peace and the beauty, but she would give all that up for the validation she had always craved. He bit his lip as he took her hands in his, a puff of air expelling from his mouth before he continued on. 

"Come with me." Her eyebrows shot up towards her hair line, eyes nearly popping out of her skull at his offer. Sure she was already thinking of running away, but never would she have presumed a man she just met today would so openly invite her to his realm. "You are worth more than anyone in this forsaken garden, and it's appalling to see how you are treated. You don't know what you possess until it's gone, and I believe everyone here needs an awakening."

"Are you sure about this?" He squeezed her hands in his and nodded.

"I've never been more sure of something in my life." It was now her turn to bite her lip, thinking back to the things she'd lose by going with him. The comfort of familiarity and routine, though she then looked to Sehun who's eyes only held kindness and she knew her answer. Sehun sighed at her rapid nodding, letting out a huff of disbelief and gripping her hands tighter. "I want you to stay here for now. Pack your things, prepare to leave. I'll be back by early dawn to retrieve you." He stroked back her hair, tucking the soft strands behind her ear and sighing. "I promise." 

With that, he turned and left the cottage, afraid his rationale would make an appearance in the conversation and revoke his every word. He made sure to keep his sporadic nature in charge for once. He didn't want to regret this decision. This was for Persephone. It didn't matter what he would've done if it hadn't been for his lack of intuition and reason. He knew any other day, he'd have left Persephone behind crying. What made him so different here?

On his journey back to the Underworld, he ignored the looks he received by the nymphs, glowering in contempt though fleeing when Sehun's eyes would merely flicker in their general direction. The thought of having Persephone residing in his lonely domain obscured any thoughts he had towards the disapproval he received from others. He did, however, absorb every scene he encountered as he left. He took in the structures strewn about the area; the landscape and various quirks about the world Persephone lives in. He noted everything up to the point where the green faded away into dark dirt and he knew he was home.

Upon entering the Underworld, Sehun was greeted by a chorus of groans and pleas, cries and screams, and more sounds of the tormented souls who hadn't enough money for the toll. A woman brushed against his sleeve, begging for a coin from him, but he brushed past her and made note of reorganizing the entry to make for a smoother waiting area. 

"Good evening, Sehun," Minseok called out to him in his usual bland tone, chin resting against his oar as he waited for the god to enter his boat. 

"Is this area usually this clustered?" Sehun asked as he stepped foot onto the vessel, more pleas wailing from behind him.

"More so than usual since I've been awaiting your return." Minseok ended the conversation there as he pushed off the shore and began wading through the Styx. Minseok had always been this way, and Sehun could only wonder if the atmosphere he's surrounded by has only worsened the ferryman's attitude. Nonetheless, Minseok did his work diligently, never wasted Sehun's time, and was respectful whenever they did wind up having discussions. He was glad for Minseok's usual silence this time around as he had far too many worries plaguing his mind at the moment. He had to prepare for Persephone's arrival, and he had virtually no time. "Sir, I forgot to mention that Hecate has decided to visit." 

"Hecate?" Sehun responded excitedly, the mention of his technical assistant hitting many points within Sehun. For now, he'll ignore her obvious infatuation with him and instead focus on how she does his bidding whenever he asks. 

"Yes, she's currently at your home." Minseok pulled over to the shore of Sehun's isolated island, nodding his head to his boss as the man fled the boat. Sehun had constructed an island to himself once the inhabitants of the Underworld began to hiss remarks at him any chance they got, causing even more seclusion for the god. The only ones to live on this tract of black dirt were Sehun himself and Cerberus, although Hecate, as mentioned prior, visited occasionally to remind Sehun of her unwanted presence. Though right now, Sehun was thanking himself and the other Olympians for her existence as he entered his home and saw her standing at the center of his foyer. 

"Sehun," she purred out, already making her way over to him earnestly. It was a known fact that she had an undeniable attraction to him. He's made it clear several times that he sees her as nothing more than a secondary transporter of souls and a mere assistant, yet she insists on trying to climb the fictional social totem pole she's created for herself. 

"Hecate, I am in dire need of your assistance," Sehun interjected before she could add any remarks to how she's missed him or how well he looks. Her presence was nauseating as is, he didn't need her useless small talk any more than he already tolerated. "I have a guest arriving here soon, and I need you to gather a crew to construct a separate section of this island for her."

"A guest?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes into slits suspiciously. "You've never had guests."

"I understand the confusion, but I do not have time to answer your questions. Will you assist me?" 

"Of course, your highness." She rolled her eyes, already exasperated by him and he's only just arrived. "What are your construction plans?"

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

As instructed, Persephone sat atop the grass outside her precious cottage, awaiting the arrival of the ruler of the Underworld. She had a woven sack of clothes and memorabilia laying beside her, stuffed to the brim and taking a rounded form due to the excessive content within. It was a warm night, and she tried to cherish the feeling for a little while longer before it would be gone. Before she would be gone. She didn't know for how long, though she knew it would be a rather long time. Until they appreciated her, Sehun had insinuated. 

They never would, she reminded herself. Ever since she was born, she was the forgotten one. Left to fend for herself, learn on her own. Her mother cared for the nymphs more than she did Persephone, and Persephone never understood why she was never loved. Not even by her mother. She could see Sehun's thought process in the matter, but he hadn't thought about the results thoroughly enough. Would she just remain beside him once he realizes the others despise her as much as they do him? 

Staying beside Sehun wouldn't be so bad. She rather enjoyed her time with him earlier that day, and even after he left, she missed him dearly. She had gotten attached, though who could blame her considering he was her first ever acquaintance. If this act of spontaneity on his part were any indication of his inner emotions, then perhaps he feels she's worthy of his efforts, thereby placing her on a special tier in his life. Either way, she knew they needed one another in this cruel world, no matter what the other thought of them. She could feel it deep in her soul that they were meant to collide, as if by fate. 

The earth beneath her rumbled, as if shuddering in fear at something. In this case, perhaps Sehun's arrival. The grass before her split and a hole formed before her eyes. If she wasn't startled enough, the head of her comrade popped up, mimicking that of a mole. The thought had her giggling as she crept over to the hole on her hands and knees. 

"Good evening," she whispered out, as if fearing the sleeping crickets would alert any wandering nymphs. At this point of the night, everyone was dormant and she knew this. "Rather, should I say good night?" 

"Indeed," Sehun huffed out of his nose as if replacement for a chortle, the corner of his lip quirking up a centimeter into an amused smirk. "Have you gathered everything?" She nodded, gesturing to the sack tossed behind her. Approving of the sheer capacity of the carrier, he held his hand out to her, helping her into the hole. 

The hole wasn't too low, though it did cause her some strain to get in without injuring herself in any way. Glancing up into the sky for perhaps the last time in a while, she realized the peculiarity of the hole (aside from it being a hole which generated with no warning). She was 6 feet below the surface. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, rotating her arms in his hands to check for cuts and bruises. When her skin appeared to be as flawless as before, he continued on, gesturing to behind her where an incline lower led them to a tunnel of sorts. "Then shall we?"

She took another look up, counting as many stars as she could, letting the crescent moon burn into her corneas, allowing for the last breath of warmth to touch her skin. She'd see them again some other time. With a smile, she nodded once more, watching as he raised a hand up and allowed for the ground to close up again with a silent thud.

She draped an arm around his as he guided her down the tunnels, torches lining the walls and lighting the path deeper into the unknown. She'd never been in such an enclosed space before, the height of the arched walkway being perhaps a foot taller than Sehun, and the width being able to hold maybe three people across. She couldn't help but cling closer to Sehun as the temperature dropped more and the silence seemed to thicken to the point that she felt the nonexistent weight of the still atmosphere pushing her down. A soft yet audible whimper drew Sehun's attention to Persephone, her trepidatious expression speaking for herself. 

"It'll be alright," he reassured her, placing his other hand over hers which clung to his bicep. "Nothing will harm you down here. Not as long as I am here." She chanced a look up to him, eyebrows curved in worry. He tried with every fiber of his body to display a sense of serenity, though the words thrown at him about his grotesque appearance shut down any further attempts on his part. "I assure you I shall never leave your side." 

She had no choice but to trust him, and she felt she did. He had been nothing but helpful to her. He would never lay a harmful touch to her. They were symbiotic with one another, assisting the other and helping them to survive. How could she ever feel unsafe with him? Her eyes stayed on his, dark and empty yet still retaining a sort of warmth which tickled her stomach in a silly way. They were so deep, even in the dim lights of the tunnel. They held so many stories, so many emotions, so many unsaid words. She spoke to her plants when she wanted to vent, knowing they listened and loved her. Who did he have here to listen to him? 

"This way." He lead her to an opening from the tunnel. A vast cavern with stalactites which threatened to pierce her if she dared look away. Although lacking the torches of the tunnel, a low blue light seemed to completely fill the atmosphere. It was cold, damp, and muggy, with only the sounds of water echoing off the stone walls. The dirt was nearly black with no life to it at all, not even a weed, though with the lack of natural light, what had she expected. He continued to hold her close to him, more so than before as she now spotted columns of people waiting in orderly lines. 

"There are people down here," she stated, voice echoing even at the low volume she spoke in. 

"They're souls," he explained, taking her around the throngs of the dead which stared at them with lifeless, sunken black eyes. They seemed to wear permanent frowns and sagging shoulders. Very different from the lively people who she had encountered to and fro in the city. 

He lead her to the source of the water she continuously heard. A large river lay before the souls in waiting, so wide she could barely glimpse the opposite end, and so long that her line of vision didn't even reach the point it stopped. At the shore was a long wooden boat manned by someone with skin as pale as Sehun's. He was frail, with a similar expression to the dead, but he seemed much more approachable. Sehun guided her into the skiff, making sure the ends of her dress didn't touch the cold water of the Styx. Once she was seated, he followed and sat beside her, still keeping her hand secured in his. The man pushed off the shore with a large oar and propelled weakly into the waterway. 

"This is Minseok," Sehun explained, "the ferryman of the dead. The mortals call him Charon."

"Good evening, Minseok," she called out to him. No reaction. 

"He usually doesn't respond unless he needs to, so do not take offense to his cold demeanor."

Even whilst seated on the boat, she was secure in Sehun's grasp as he further explained the development of the Underworld. The disorder which reigned beforehand, his initial plans and his results, the various locations of the Underworld which she wouldn't see during her stay. He explained that some parts of the Underworld would take weeks to travel to, so he went ahead and began describing each region of his land. She listened intently, expression morphing with every detail shared to her. Sehun found himself snickering as she clung to him tighter when he had gotten to describing Tartarus, deciding to only mention the bare necessities rather than delving into every intricacy of the Hellscape his tormented psyche had conjured. 

It was when he began speaking of the Elysian Fields that Persephone's eyes sparkled with mirth and fascination, unknowingly leaning her chin on his shoulder and gazing up at him as he recounted the glories of the wondrous land he created. The camaraderie and the general peace of this safe haven he had created for those who lived out their lives as significant heroes to the population. He detailed how he wished for more, but hadn't the resources to create it. 

"It sounds lovely nevertheless," she sighed, a dreamlike glaze directed to Sehun which he had yet to notice. She liked this side of him. She had taken a keen intrigue to him when they first met, but the more she learns, the more beguiled she becomes. "You have to take me there one day." 

Sehun gazed down at her in wonderment. She was the first person to ever ask to see his world. Though she is technically the first outsider he's taken in. Most grimace at the mention of his hard work, yet here she is completely enraptured by every tale of his. He cleared his throat, attempting to ignore the undeniable warmth that radiated off of her. A foreign feeling tugged at the corners of his lips, causing him to avert his gaze away from her and stare into the inky blackness of the Styx. A moment of silence had passed before he felt her body shift and get surprisingly closer to him, now leaning over his lap to stare into the river with him.

"Oh," she uttered, confusion entwining with her tone. "There's no reflection." She quirked her head to the side, leaning closer to try and find her face. Panic bubbled in Sehun, causing him to softly grip her shoulder and pull her back in her seat. 

"Don't lean in too close." He wrapped his arms around her, keeping her close to him as she giggled and nodded.

"Right, I apologize." It wasn't proper of him to hold a woman in such a way. He knew this, yet he couldn't resist the pull he felt around her. 'It's due to her unrivaled curiosity,' he insisted, head resting on hers for the remainder of the voyage. 

Minseok rowed to the surface of Sehun's mainland with the skill of a practiced sailor, an incomprehensible grumble sounding from him as he stilled the boat. Sehun stood first, holding her hand in his helping Persephone to her foot. Just as before, he made sure that the ends of her dress were untouched by the water before he himself stepped off. He turned to Minseok to thank him for the ride, but was met with a never before seen spectacle from his longtime associate: a smirk. He narrowed his eyes to the ferryman and gave a low growl, dismissing any remarks Minseok dared to arise. Minseok, although ever the cold and expressionless man he was, had an underlying personality that took Sehun decades to unearth, to which he regrets now as he knows he'll get an earful from him regarding his guest. 

Speaking of which, Sehun turned back to Persephone, holding out his arm for her to grasp once more as he began leading her to his abode. The further in they got, the more worried Sehun became. He hoped all of his efforts would be enough for her. The last thing he wants is for her to run away from him, begging him to return her and never wanting to face him again. These were the only thoughts in his head as they finally reached their destination. 

Sehun's home was that of any noble above; a two story home with a center dedicated to the courtyard. The only difference between his and a regular human's home would be the dark palette of the entire domicile and the lack of flora in the barren courtyard. Although dreary beyond belief, Persephone couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort whilst looking at the structure before her. It was Sehun, after-all.

"You have a very humble house," she noted, taking in the building some more. "I had expected you to live in temples like the others."

"I didn't deem it necessary, considering I myself am not a man to be worshiped." He glanced down to her again, meeting her gaze already on him. Flustered, he continued on with his main anxiety. "Follow me." He began leading her away from his house, now heading to another smaller structure just a few meters beside it. 

Persephone gasped, taking in the sight of the familiar cottage now residing in the Underworld. It was an exact replica of her own on the surface, though now surrounded by dark dirt with little to no life in it. Sehun released her, allowing her to wander on her own into the quaint house. It was exactly like her own, down to the placement of her bench where they had sat together earlier. The attention to detail took her breath away, all coming from Sehun and his brief encounter with her home. 

"How do you like it?" He asked from behind her. Her fingers grazed across the smooth countertop of her kitchen, staring out the window now facing Sehun's house. "I wanted you to feel comfortable while you were here. I had thought maybe your safe place would have been a good start to adjusting."

Silently, she turned around, tears freely flowing down her face as she nodded. Every word she wanted to say to him was caught in her throat by the lump forming, a sob racking her body causing her to clamp a hand over her mouth. With nothing else to say, she walked into his body, burying her face into his torso and tossing her arms around his, openly crying and nodding. 

"I love it." She finally settled for, holding the dear man tighter. Never before had someone made this much effort for her, and to think that he would do all of this for someone he met just the day before left her completely awestruck by him and his everything. Hesitantly, he patted her shoulder, movements stiff and awkward which only made her cry more at his endearing genuineness. How anyone could hate a man such as him was beyond her, and she began to loathe her mother and the rest of the Olympians even more than she did when they had just hated her. He didn't deserve this neglect, and she made it her every intention to repay him with the attention and respect he deserved. "Thank you."

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Life in the Underworld was harder to adapt to than Persephone had initially thought it to be. She felt drained, as if the world around her was rejecting her and trying to dispel her from the premises. The lack of life beneath her feet, the constant cold nipping at her skin, the soundless nights with no crickets nor wind to fill in the empty spaces. She persevered for Sehun of course, overjoyed that he made time in his busy schedule to accompany her during her first phase of living with him. Everyday he'd visit her or she'd visit him. They'd share meals together while he would tell her of tales from before she was born, the small dog she had grown acquainted with barking at her feet as she sat mesmerized by Sehun's stories. He'd take her on strolls around the mainland, and though he felt guilty for the lack of scenery he had, she couldn't have been more pleased by his presence. 

At first, she had completely forgotten about her previous life. Her life above ground. Although losing strength in her body and feeling more and more exhausted by the day, she couldn't have been happier. Sehun was patient and forgiving, allowing her to pursue her whims and curiosities freely without the usual scorn and reprimands she'd receive from Demeter. He had only ever raised his voice once with her during one of their frequent strolls. 

"Oh!" She called out, breaking away from their intended path at the sight of a patch of trees. She frolicked over to it, investigating the fruits of its labor. How a tree could grow down here was a mystery in itself, but she wasn't complaining. It was the first sign of plant life she had encountered. 

"Persephone!" Sehun warned from a distance, anxiously staring at her wandering hands. She stroked the dark bark of the tree, brows furrowed at the unfamiliar feeling on her fingertips. This tree felt very nearly dead to her, though it stood erect and sturdy. Tossing her head back, she spotted the plethora of fruits sprouting from its branches. Pomegranates. Excited, she raised her arms up, just barely skimming the surface of the pomegranate before a hand clamped around her wrist. She gasped, head whipping around to face an infuriated Sehun. The hard glare was unexpected and therefore sent shivers through her nerves, though it was not sent her way. Instead, his eyes focused on the tree.

"Don't touch those pomegranates ever." He seethed between gritted teeth. She could tell his frustrations all derived from the pomegranates before her, striking her with a sense of curiosity. At the sight of her worried expression, he quickly shook off his initial hostility and loosened his grip on her wrist. His fingers slid up her arm to her elbow, gently holding her close to him and shutting his eyes. "Don't eat the pomegranates. Please."

She shook the memory away, returning back to the present where she sat at her kitchen table with a glass of water before her. He never did explain what the pomegranates were for. Just briefly mentioned that no matter how many renovations to the land he made, those trees just always wound up sprouting everyday. She didn't have the heart to ask him, just briefly knew that their existence was a nuisance to him; the Underworld equivalent to a weed, she supposed. 

Sehun walked out of his house, prepared to start his busy day with breakfast accompanied by Persephone, just as every morning of theirs has been since she first arrived. Eventually, he did have to get back to his duties, just as today he has to attend a meeting with the Fates. Though now his days don't seem to be as dark as they once were, because now he has someone to return to after traversing his lands daily. 

He knocked on Persephone's door, stepping back to await her usual arrival of a swinging door. Instead, he was met by a curt, "come in!" Entering as told, he was met by the image of a lethargic Persephone, upper body draped atop the table weakly. Sehun rushed over to her, brushing back her hair to observe her pale complexion. Her eyelids seemed to weigh over the dull glaze staring up at him, the darkness shrouding her lower lash line showing the exhaustion within her. Even so, she still gathered enough strength to bless him with one of her breathtaking smiles. 

"Is it morning already?" She mumbled, closing her eyes completely and heaving a deep breath. "Oh, it's so difficult to discern the time of day here."

"Persephone, you're not well." Sehun stated, sliding a hand beneath her head to lift it higher. She hummed and leaned into his palm, smiling at the familiar coolness of his skin. Unbeknownst to her, Sehun near retracted at the feel of her skin, almost as cold as his own. She was ill. Scenarios blurred through his mind, her limp body lying in his arms all because of his selfish thoughts of taking her away from her home to give her a better life. That better life being the death of her own. He shook his head, attempting to clear away the images imprinting themselves into his mind as he scooped her up into his arms, shushing her as she mumbled in confusion. "It's alright, my flower, I've got you." He made his way over to her bed, lying her across the covers and brushing back her hair. He knelt before her, keeping a hand atop her head as she drifted asleep.

This had to have been due to the circumstances she was brought into. The Underworld was nothing like the surface world she resided in. Her body wasn't suited to the conditions that are unmistakably prepared for the dead, not a lively, ever jubilant soul as Persephone's. As he prepared a moist towel to place on her crown, the only thoughts swirling in his head were ones on how to make his environment more suitable for her. He believed she'd be perfectly fine if she had him and his attentiveness, yet even he has failed her. He felt no better than Demeter, though he gave her credit for keeping Persephone standing longer than he had. 

Droplets of water ran down the sides of her head, bringing back a small glimmer of golden glow which had once made up her skin tone. Sehun sighed, taking her limp hand into his. She would be okay, he reminded himself. Though for how long?

Sehun's ears perked up at the familiar sound of sloshing water– a clear indication of Minseok's skiff, though he wasn't to pick him up until later on. Abruptly, he rose, releasing Persephone's hand and rushing out of the cottage to the shore of his island. His jaw dropped upon seeing Minseok a distance away, two familiar, and far too vexing in his mind, passengers in tow. 

"Sehun!" Jongin called out, his voice grating on Sehun's hearing, more so with the reverberations of the cavern they were located in. Behind Jongin stood Apollo, more commonly known to his kind as Baekhyun. Single-handedly, the two managed to not only be the most irritating beings in Sehun's previous life, but also his only two confidants at this point. Although having seen Jongin more recently, he recalls the times he's spent with the two before the humans came along, where they'd reside together and enjoy each other's presence.

Those days were long over now, and Sehun's breathing hitched at the recognition of their presence. Something is happening on the surface, and he has a strong inkling it has something to do with the unconscious goddess he has hidden away. 

The vessel pulled up to where he stood, Jongin and Baekhyun stumbling out and thanking Minseok before scrambling to Sehun frantically. 

"State your purpose and leave." Sehun stated, not sparing them a single sympathetic glance. All of his sympathy went for Persephone who didn't deserve to wake to such chaos as these two. 

"Sehun, you know we would never come down here if it weren't serious." Jongin began, eyebrows upturned in worry. "That being said, we're in a crisis above."

"Aren't you Olympians always in a crisis?" Sehun felt the urge to walk away, but he knew they'd follow and most likely find Persephone. Reluctantly, he nodded his head. "Continue."

"Persephone has gone missing."

Sehun feigned his stoicism, masking his shred of anticipation with a single quirk of his eyebrow. 

"If I take into account what you've said about her, I believe this is a situation worthy of appraisal, no?" Sehun crossed his arms, glaring at Jongin who had dared to insult precious Persephone. 

"I know, I know," Jongin covered his face with his hands, taking a shaky breath before pushing on. "I know I, as well as everyone else, have no right to worry about her, but all the same, she is still but a youngling. I just can't help but worry for her. Where could she have gone? She doesn't even have her own temple, for crying out loud!"

"Relax." Sehun stated, worried the commotion will awaken Persephone. Gulping, he persisted with his neutral demeanor. "How do you know she's gone missing? I met her but a month ago, she seemed perfectly fine."

"Sehun, may we go in?" Baekhyun asked, rubbing Jongin's tense shoulders as he whimpered into his palms.

Sehun flickered his eyes in the direction of his house where Persephone resided close by, though he looked back at Baekhyun before he could notice, or at least acknowledge Sehun's trepidatious attitude. Realizing the conversation wasn't going to end anytime soon, Sehun reluctantly gestured to his house behind him with a simple head jerk, helping Baekhyun to guide Jongin up the small hill leading to the structure.

Jongin was distracted, Sehun could very clearly see, though Baekhyun remained conscious, eyes wandering around the unfamiliar location. His sights landed on the cottage a little ways away, pausing to stare. Baekhyun had never been to his island, so Sehun was about to disregard this observation, but there was a persistent shimmer which shone in the Sun god's eyes; realization. Expression unchanging, Sehun lifted a finger to his lips, silently whispering a shush past his index, which had gone past Jongin's despair directly to Baekhyun's probing gaze. 

He didn't know whether Baekhyun had caught onto his secret, though based off his silence, he believed they had made a silent agreement. 

Once inside, and once Jongin had gathered some semblance of rationality, he began to explain the situation. Demeter had apparently registered Persephone as missing a day prior to the search parties. Jongin explained that Demeter has put that Persephone has been missing for less than a week, but there have been different accounts from nymphs who have usually seen her, all stating different intervals of time of Persephone's disappearance. Some stretching from one week to a month and a half. 

"They say the last time they saw her was when she had spoken to you that day, which would have been a month and a half ago, but I had taken you to Demeter before you could even try anything, right?" Sehun nodded, refusing to meet the piercing stare of the second god on his other side. "Not only has this disappearance shaken Mt. Olympus– Did you know Hera is filing to take Persephone away from Demeter? She's outraged at Demeter's lack of attention to her own daughter– but aside from this matter, there seems to be a full fledged apocalypse taking place above."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, not only have there been plagues and famines, but now the Earth is freezing over." Sehun furrowed his brows, rather intrigued at this new development. "Yes, the rain has frozen into crystals, and rather than returning to the seas, they've just blanketed the earth."

"The humans are calling it an ice age." Baekhyun added. "Even my powers can't warm this atmosphere."

"Demeter is even more stressed now than ever before, and of course that has translated into an even more irate demeanor from her." Jongin rubbed his temple as if recounting the goddess's newly worsened attitude, one which Sehun hoped he'd never have to encounter. She was insufferable as is, Zeus forbid she suddenly has a thorn in her side, or more like a thorn missing from her side. Although everything Jongin has said has been far from good news, Sehun couldn't help but believe that Persephone's worth is already heightening above, which lightened his mood ever so slightly in the situation.

"So she wants Persephone back for what reason?" Sehun challenged, crossing his arms and clenching his jaw. 

"I'm just as confused as you are." Jongin scoffed and threw his head back. "She neglects the girl her whole life, and now that she's finally gone, she demands her back."

"I thought I'd never meet someone more conceited than Narcissus, yet here we are," Baekhyun flexed his jaw before looking back at Sehun, a mischievous glint catching Sehun's attention. "Can you imagine the audacity of someone to claim a living, breathing goddess as their own?" Sehun narrowed his eyes, refusing to back down from the sudden intimidation tactic. "To not let her breathe? Nor choose her own path? Instead, they believe that she is nothing more than cattle they can herd about mindlessly to their heart's content."

He knew. 

"Speaking of Narcissus," Jongin sighed, standing from his seat. "I actually have to go by the river to speak to Cephissus about this. Let's head out, Baek." 

"Actually, I'm going to stay." Baekhyun didn't even spare Jongin a glance, a smug smile on his face as he saw Sehun's momentary startle. "I'd like to reconvene with our dear old friend here." 

"If you insist. I'll have Minseok row back for you once he drops me off at the entry." With that, Jongin sped off in a blur, his speed calming Sehun as he knew the god wouldn't have turned back and seen Persephone's  cottage. Instead, that worry was directed to Baekhyun who remained silent. It's been centuries since he's reunited with Baekhyun; He couldn't deduce what could be going through that brain of his. From what he recalled, Baekhyun was the more elusive of the three, though Sehun hadn't a clue whether time had brought with it maturity, or if Baekhyun was at a standstill in his development. 

"So I see you're interested in surface architecture suddenly?" Baekhyun broke the silence, scraping a nail against the marble surface of Sehun's table. "I just think it's funny because that cottage is a near exact replica of Persephone's." Sehun stayed quiet, though he began broiling with rage at how Baekhyun knew where she had lived. He didn't trust anyone, especially when it came down to Persephone. He'd confess that he'd walk through all layers of Hell and back for her, though that wouldn't carry much weight considering his circumstances. "Sehun, do you have anything to say for yourself?" 

"I haven't the slightest idea to what you're insinuating." Sehun opted for the coy route. What Baekhyun couldn't confirm couldn't hurt him, right?

"Then you wouldn't mind if I just took a peek at said cottage, right?" Sehun's gaze wavered, dropping to the ground and biting his lip. No matter how much he delayed or refused, it wouldn't change the fact that Baekhyun somehow deduced that the obscure cottage by his house was none other than Persephone's. Sehun's anxieties resurfaced once more in his head. What would happen now? Clearly Baekhyun would take her back with him, and she'd fall into the clutches of her evil mother once more. Perhaps Sehun would never be able to see her again. Would never be able to stroke her hair, hold her hand in his, stroll beside her every morning. She'd be gone. He's lost her.

In the midst of his turmoil, he hadn't noticed Baekhyun standing and making his way to him until he saw the end of a white robe coming into his view. Meeting his eyes, he was greeted by a lopsided grin, harmless in every way and halting Sehun's thoughts.

"May I see her?"

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"I must warn you," Sehun began, hand clenching the knob of her door hesitantly. He stared at the swirls of the wood, hoping not to show more of his emotions than has already been seen by Baekhyun standing behind him. "She's fallen ill. I'm currently in the process of helping her recuperate, though I have never been in the presence of such a goddess." Sehun glanced back, eyes unwaveringly confident and still. "Nevertheless, I am working on helping, so do not doubt my efforts."

Baekhyun nodded, and Sehun took that as his cue to push open the door. He called out her name in the silent cottage and was met with silence. A few moments later, a small hum from her bedside could be heard by the two. Baekhyun's eyes widened as he beheld the sickly image of the once golden goddess. If it weren't for the steady movement of her breathing, Baekhyun would have assumed she were on her deathbed. With the little bit of strength in her body, she turned her head to gaze at Sehun, smiling endearingly at the man. She stretched her arm out to him, summoning him to her side as he cradled said hand in his.

"I fell asleep. I missed you this morning." She whispered, still unaware of Baekhyun's presence in the room. 

"Persephone, you have a guest." She blinked away her delirium, rolling her head over to find Baekhyun staring at her in shock. 

"Baekhyun?"

"Persephone." He gasped, breaking from his statue-like stance and rushing over to her. "Persephone, you were here this entire time? Do you know the chaos you've brought upon the surface? Every god and goddess is searching for you!"

"Baekhyun." Sehun warned, clutching her hand tighter in his to signal to Baekhyun not to further stress her. He sighed, taking in her dreary appearance as she huddled closer to Sehun. 

"I couldn't care less what havoc is occurring above." She huffed, closing her eyes as she breathed in Sehun's familiar scent. "I'm happier down here than I ever have been up there."

"You're dying." Baekhyun spoke in a raised voice, Sehun nearly rising from his seat to dispose of the nuisance before them. Persephone remained as is with her eyes shut and a peaceful expression gracing her features. 

"Then I will die blissfully in Sehun's arms." 

Baekhyun's gaze alternated between the two. Never before had he seen Persephone at such peace, nor has he ever seen Sehun in such a tranquil state. The sight itself had him holding back his laughter, the disbelief too overwhelming for him to remain entirely stoic on the matter. A bringer of life and the caretaker of the dead in perfect harmony, living with no worries in their own personal Utopia. So at peace with themselves that she was accepting of her fast approaching death. It was with one last look to Sehun, his eyes fallen helplessly on the girl beside him, that Baekhyun decided then that he'd do everything in his power to keep this strange relationship thriving. 

"May I try something?" He asked aloud, Sehun shooting him a weak glare. Although wanting to dislike Baekhyun for his keen observations which lead him here, he couldn't deny how desperate he was for a solution. Persephone squeezed Sehun's hand calling for his attention on her.

"Can I trust him?" She asked, eyes wavering in worry. Sehun sighed through his nose, reaching his free hand over to her face and gently stroking her cheekbone. He wanted nothing more than for her to recover, though he knew she had to make the decision herself. He didn't want to pressure her, to put her in an uncomfortable situation like her life before he had intervened.

"Do whatever your heart feels is right." He answered, running his fingers through her hair and letting the locks fall back into place. "Though know that I would have never allowed him to set foot in this cottage if I had any suspicions of him bringing you harm." That answer seemed to calm her nerves, and she slowly sat up, using Sehun as support to her weak frame. Once she was situated in a seated position, she turned to Baekhyun and nodded. He approached the two of them as if they were two deer ready to bound away at the slightest move, both their eyes trained on him cautiously.

Once he deemed himself close enough, he lifted his hands before him, stretched out in her direction. With a flick of his wrist, a small ball of light spawned before their eyes, hovering above his palm: a personal Sun. The moment the light touched her skin, she gasped, a plume of golden hue sprouting across her body. She leaned into the warmth, eyes shut and lips tugged back into a content grin. Like a flower, she seemed to thrive in the beacon before her, complexion and strength coming forth once more and returning her to her natural state. 

"She needs life down here," Baekhyun explained to Sehun who was happily brushing her hair with his fingers. If Baekhyun's eyes weren't deceiving him at the moment, Baekhyun could swear that Sehun's mouth was almost pulled into a grin. He figured if he wanted to remain living, he'd have to ignore the development before him. "I'll come back tomorrow with stuff she'd need. Meanwhile," with his free hand, gestured to their surroundings. "You have got to relocate this place. It's like a sore thumb here. I spotted it almost instantly."

"I need to protect her." He explained, now rubbing his hand up and down her back soothingly.

"No, you don't." Baekhyun scoffed. "You're on a deserted island in the most desolate place in existence." Sehun hadn't met Baekhyun's stare, only focused on Persephone blooming before him like a flower. A beautiful, strong flower. "I know you want to keep her close by, but you must understand you'll be doing her more harm than good." 

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"Like I had said prior, I'll return tomorrow with items I believe will fully heal Persephone. Hopefully my theory proves correct." Baekhyun stepped onto the boat manned by Minseok, waving Sehun off. Behind him stood Persephone who meekly waved as well. What a queer couple, Baekhyun thought to himself once more as he drifted further and further away from the duo. 

"Sehun," the gentle voice of Persephone drew him back to the present as he turned to face her. She was radiant once more, practically taking on the form of the Sun Baekhyun had conjured before. Her smile shone just as bright as her aura, and Sehun couldn't resist the temptation to reciprocate it. It was as foreign a feeling could be, the muscles in his face stiff from lack of use for quite some time, though it felt oddly natural – even more so with the sudden gasp emanating from Persephone. "You smiled!" Her hands rose to cup his face, fingers stroking the lines and valleys now indented into his porcelain skin. Her heart fluttered like leaves in the wind, a light and airy feeling now taking the place of her former sluggish mood. As unfamiliar as it was for Sehun to smile, the emotions stirring within her mirrored the rare spectacle. Even though she was on the brink of death moments ago, she couldn't have felt more alive at this moment, flourishing in Sehun's presence.

"Is it strange?" He asked, his smile softening into a close mouthed grin. She found herself overjoyed that his eyes still crinkled from even this slight expression, further proving he was just meant to have a smile adorning his face. As her eyes roved his features, his hands wandered to her own, encompassing them over his cheeks. He couldn't recall ever being held as such; With overflowing adoration and care. He was the embodiment of death, and has been for nearly his entire lifespan, yet she held him like she would a child. 

"It's not strange at all." She answered in a small voice, brushing the tips of her fingers along his cheekbones. With his eyes falling shut, he tilted his head into her touch, causing her grin to widen. "In fact, I wish to see it more often."

"I'm afraid to say that it may be a common sight from now on," he paused, breathing in her familiar floral scent which had never once left her skin. "Now that I have you." The moment his eyes opened, Persephone felt as if she were struck by the likes of Aphrodite's workings. The cinder of his eyes melted like chocolate over a flame, and held the warmth of the wood kindling that exact fire. Comforted her like the tea she'd brew every morning for him, anchored her like his touch on her skin, enthralled her like the sight of him appearing that night – the night he rescued her and made her fall in love. 

"I'd like that." She took one last look at his face before removing her hands from him, instead slipping them into his hands and tugging him up the hill and away from the shoreline. "Come now! We haven't had our daily stroll yet." 

"You should rest, you've only just recovered." He demanded, though followed her nevertheless. 

"I will rest after you spend all of your free time with me." He should've resisted, he knew, but with such an earnest shimmer to her eyes, how could he deny her.

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To Hecate's dissatisfaction, the only reason she was summoned by Sehun that day was regarding his supposed guest once more. 

"You want yet another shed on this island?" She groaned, rubbing her temple and attempting to understand why he insisted on demanding such menial tasks of her. 

"It's a cottage." Sehun corrected, gesturing to said structure before them. "And yes, I need it to be further away. Perhaps down the path a little ways, though not far. Just enough that it is out of immediate range of a passerby."

Hecate stared at him in disbelief, not fully grasping the situation at hand. He had a shed – or cottage, whatever he was demanding it be called – yet he wanted a secondary one? There was something askew going on, and she was suddenly quite curious as to what was brought upon her god to spiral him into this near deranged state.

"Anything else, your highness?" She asked, turning to him with a near hostile smile.

"Yes, I'd like all of the furniture and such from this cottage to be moved to the new one." His eyes were trained on the features of the building before him, continuing on after he had concluded his reveling. "I'd also like this one to be destroyed."

"Excuse me?" She scoffed, crossing her arms and glaring at the man. "You do realize we all but just constructed this. What purpose is there to rebuild an exact replica further away?" 

Sehun's eyes darkened the minute they strayed from the cottage, now directed at Hecate. She cowered before his towering form, suddenly remembering the embodiment of evil she worked for. Two pits of all things dark and malicious rooted her in place, a murderous aura seemingly fogging her surroundings in a black haze, blurring reality with the delirium brought upon her by her crippling terror.

"Are you questioning my authority?" His voice dripped venom, potent enough to kill if he so desired. Hecate had an inkling that he truly did. Her life would end with just one drop of this figurative venom, and she'd be worth nothing more than the dirt beneath their feet.

"No sir, of course not." She breathed out once she had gulped down the swell in her throat. 

"Then get this sorted out." He spat through gritted teeth. "Make note I want no more confliction with my decrees from now on." The scarlet glint in his eyes proved his murderous intent, and Hecate knew she was mere seconds away from meeting her untimely death – That is until the potential bloodbath distilled with the presence of a mellifluous call sounding through the tense atmosphere.

"Sehun!" His eyes had softened when they landed on the approaching presence, and Hecate had become irrelevant as he strode over to the new addition of the conversation. Now free from his domineering aura, Hecate whizzed around to see the being which tamed the notorious beast of the Underworld, gasping at the sight before her. 

A girl, with wavy locks like that of the ocean, skin seemingly kissed by the Sun itself, and the enrapturing smile of a nymph. She was all round curves and soft edges, dainty like the flowers beneath her feet whenever she greeted the surface above. Hecate's disgust somehow hadn't transferred to Sehun, who gently reached out to hold the girl's body. Hecate grimaced at the grotesque spectacle, never before having seen Sehun in such a visibly weak state. 

"My flower, what are you doing out here? I told you to stay inside while I work." Hecate's eyebrows shot up, the kind voice emanating from Sehun being the most bewildering display to ever occur in her life. The thing standing in his arms beamed up at him, entirely unaffected by his notoriety.

"I'm sorry, I finished our tea!" Sehun glanced at Hecate, uncaring of whatever else he had to do regarding her. 

"Hecate, get what I said done." His voice reverted back to it's usual cold tone. She was appalled by the sight of Hades succumbing to such a feeble thing like that, and to rub salt in her wounds, the girl turned over and waved in a friendly manner as if the two of them were acquaintances. As if Hecate would ever associate herself with the likes of that mangy mutt of a lapdog. Never before has Hades entertained a guest before, let alone an insignificant nymph, and to the extent of building a home for her. Something was off, and Hecate wanted to get to the bottom of it. Of course, after she relays to the construction team once more of Hades’ plans. 

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As instructed, the cottage had been completed by the end of that very day, now a distance away from Hades's domicile. The deed was done with little to no hassle from the workers, as they were mere mindless minions of the Underworld, but Hecate stood as the outlier of the bunch. She couldn't help but suspect this newcomer as anything but an innocent being as she carried herself to be. 

The Lily of the Valley was one of the most lovely flowers to grace the plains of earth; graceful and delicate in every way. They dangled gently like bells, and sported a pale blue tint which would lull anyone into a state of tranquility. Such a gorgeous sight can reel in just any being – at the body's discretion. The dainty little things could kill a number of beings, especially if taken at great quantities, and stands to be one of the most poisonous flowers discovered. The only way to solve a Lily of the Valley infestation is to uproot every single bloom before they cause harm.

Hecate crept up to the front door of the cottage, a small lantern in her grasp as to not draw any suspicion. Luckily for her, the cottage was far enough to not draw Hades's attention, that is as long as Hecate's deed is quick and silent. The door was new, so there wasn't a single creek upon her entry, keeping her silent as a field mice as she lurked over to the bed. Through the dim light, she could see the blankets tossed haphazardly over the girl's being, unbeknownst of her untimely demise she was soon to encounter. She slid the lantern onto the floor, the tap against the wood innocuous to Hecate's mission as she proceeded on to the still silhouette hidden away behind a mountain of sheets. Such a feeble thing, to cower from the natural chill of the Underworld behind a plethora of fabrics. Hecate was doing Hades a favor, and as this thought occupied her mind, she raised her blade beyond her head. In a single breath and with all the inertia within her, the blade descended and plunged into the now cold body with little resistance. 

Perhaps too little resistance.

Hecate gasped as a feather suddenly floated into her faint vision, and then another, and another. Abstaining her knife from the body revealed it to be clean. Swooping down and snatching the lantern, she turned to the scene of the crime, choking on her breath at the sight before her.

The girl was never there. 

In her wake was a now mangled pillow in a sea of down. 

Hecate's breathing became ragged, her fingers losing their grip on the source of light as it slipped away and crashed to the floor unceremoniously, the clatter piercing through the silence of the night, the knife following suit and joining the commotion. Now free of any objects to grasp, her hands rose to her hair, gripping the strands like reins as if they were the last grasp of reality she had left.

The girl was gone. Hecate had failed her attempt at murder. Though Hecate isn't one for giving up, she couldn't help but fret about the circumstances underlying this scenario. She couldn't have suspected Hecate. No, she was just a ditsy thing wandering without inhibitions. But why else would she have not been in her bed? Where else could she be? 

Frantically, Hecate scooped up the knife and lantern, whipping around and casting her light onto the rest of the cottage, breathing as labored as ever. She was nowhere. With one final glance around, Hecate stormed out of the house, now terribly weary about the girl and her intentions. Her knowledge. Her purpose. For now, Hecate was safe. She needed to find out more about her, and watch for the next opportunity to strike. 

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Sehun was an ancient being. He was there before the development of humans, thereby was present before their concept of time had been created. At some point, he tried to determine how old he was, but ceased his efforts when he had gotten an exceptionally high number– which wasn't even the final product of his calculations.

As such, Sehun had grown rather tired of life, as any immortal being would. He could see his brothers also having grown bored, regarding their reckless manners in the mortal realm. Though Sehun was equally as drained, perhaps more so considering his own situation, since he had refrained from sullying his image more than it had already been tarnished. His one escape had been the land of slumber, his one opportunity for peace and tranquility. He would sleep for days at a time back when he had been significantly younger, and was often teased by his brothers for being a resting dragon. What was once a bothersome title had now become what Sehun yearned to be. 

As time passed, civilizations rising and falling before him, humanity itself evolving in unimaginable ways, Sehun lost track of when his insomnia had first begun. First his dreams were revoked from him, though he wasn't one to complain since now his sleep could be silent. Before he knew it, he was sleeping for shorter and rougher periods of time. Eventually, his deep slumbers had become mere periodic naps. 

Now here he lay restless, gazing out of his window upon the depths of his creation, the River Styx. His days were torturous, his nights agonies. His eternal slumber would never reach him, and he wished ever so much that he weren't a god. That he had been born as a normal human with limited abilities and an expiration date. If he couldn't sleep, his body would shut down for him and he'd finally die. That was not the case now, as no matter how many years it's been since he had shut his eyes, his body refused to succumb to death's sweet embrace. So he remained in his state of unrest, waiting for a reasonable time for him to "awake" and proceed with his daily tasks. 

A soft pattering drew closer to his chambers, like a troubled doe stumbling unaware into the lion's den. Though Sehun's initial predatory instincts subsided at the gentle rapping at his door, followed by the delicate voice of his beloved flower. 

"Sehun?" She called out in her lulling voice, nearly putting Sehun to sleep if it weren't for his rush of adrenaline at her presence. He rose to his feet, taking long, rushed strides to his door and pulling it open. There stood Persephone, wrapped in a blanket and her nightgown, gazing up at Sehun with relief washed over her eyes.

"Dear, why have you come all this way?" He asked, reaching out and brushing her loose hair behind her shoulder. 

"I'm no longer used to sleeping so far away anymore, I'm afraid." She let out a nervous chuckle, tugging the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "Perhaps you could accompany me for the night?" 

It was dark, and her features were barely visible, though she still enraptured Sehun entirely, his immediate acceptance just proof of his devotion to the goddess. Which is how Sehun found himself just a mere distance away from her form, laid out across his bed right beside him.

So vulnerable, so susceptible to any outside dangers. She put so much faith into him. Why? He had stolen her away, he had nearly killed her, he had detained her in the land of the dead, yet she had given him all of her trust willingly. Her affections were all devoted to him, the last person who deserved her sweet attention. She was lovely, precious to him like gold to the greedy. 

Her eyes opened up, catching him in the act of staring. What flustered him delighted her, and she broke into a fit of giggles, rolling closer to him until she was just a breath away. 

"Thank you for protecting me for the night." She whispered, so silently that if there were anyone else in the room, they'd have not heard her simple message. 

"You should not trust someone so easily." He scolded, keeping his eyes trained on her.

"You are not just someone to me." She responded as if just asked the easiest of questions. "You are very dear to me. I wish you would understand."

He stayed quiet, unknowing of how to respond to such a compliment. He was never one for appreciation, yet here she was showering him with all of the admiration he could have ever hoped for. At his silence, Persephone leaned closer, resting her head against his chest, allowing the gentle thud of his old heart to serenade her like a lullaby. By the time her breathing had evened out, Sehun had overcome his initial shock, now wrapping his arms around the girl and taking in her natural essence.

Lavender. Vanilla. Petrichor. 

Before he could acknowledge it, his eyelids lost their strength, and eventually, the warmth of Persephone in his arms and the concoction of scents surrounding him dragged him into the state of slumber he had craved for so long. 

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It was simple to say Sehun was thoroughly flabbergasted to have actually awoken a while later; to have experienced the heaviness of consciousness settling in upon opening his eyes and to actually feel compelled to close them once more. He took a moment to register his surroundings, knowing it was day even with the lack of Sun present, courtesy of his eternal damnation in the Underworld. It took another moment to register that the reason he had fallen asleep was due to the girl still in his grasp, though now more so laying atop his chest as he had rolled onto his back in the midst of the night. She was still fast asleep, and Sehun felt intrigued. 

She was sleeping so soundly, uncaring of him and what he could do to her unconscious form. Once more, she was far too trusting of a man who handled the dead, who should have no concern for the living. Though he continuously berated her for her lack of caution, he enjoyed having someone so at ease around him.

Of course it was obvious that everyone felt unsafe around him. Never having their backs to him, avoiding eye contact, attempting to keep a respectful tone to him. In all honesty, he'd prefer this respectable fear to the arrogance he receives more recently, treating him like an obtuse child rather than the god he is. 

Yet Persephone didn't treat him as a monster, nor as an unworthy degenerate. She spent her days around him, listening to his tales, filling his thoughts with whimsical stories she's read, prancing around him in her usual carefree manner. She treated him as more than just a captor, even more than a friend. Perhaps that wasn't so bad of a circumstance. 

Realizing she'd wake soon, he attempted to pull away from her, trying not to jostle her from her slumber, though failing as she grumbled softly and latched onto him. 

"Persephone," he whispered, stroking her hair with his free hand not caught by her grasp. She hummed, refusing to open her eyes and merely holding him closer. "I will be back. Keep sleeping." She was silent for a few moments as Sehun continued to brush her hair, and eventually she fell limp, allowing him to pull away and vacate the premises. 

Underworld mornings were as cold as the nights, and did not get any better in the afternoons. To have walked the short distance from her cottage to his home in the middle of the night with nothing but a nightgown and a blanket had to have been an obstacle in and of itself, proving her discomfort with the new living situations. The least he could do was to get one of her gowns for her to wear once she woke up, so as to save her from the frigidity of the outside.

Entering her cottage, Sehun made a beeline for her wardrobe, shuffling through the few gowns and robes to find a sufficient one for her to wear. Once he had found one he deemed warm enough for her, Sehun turned over to her bed, smiling at the thought of her abandoning its warmth and comfort just to get to him. 

At that thought, his brows furrowed in suspicion. 

She came to him in a state of discomfort, most likely rushing to get close to him and leaving behind any other matter of hers. So why was her bed made? He stepped closer, analyzing the scene. Judging from her character, Sehun knew she most likely just wakes up and goes on about her day. If she doesn't make her bed on any other day, why would she make her bed when in a hurry?

A speck of white caught Sehun's eye: a singular feather caught between the floorboards. Not exactly understanding his speculations, Sehun turned back to the wardrobe, grabbing an armful of her clothes, stuffing them into the wicker basket she used for their daily picnics, and left the cottage. He didn't fully comprehend what was happening, but he knew potential danger when it's in front of him.

Arriving back to his room, Persephone was just beginning to stir awake, rubbing her eyes to get a clearer look at the man now sitting beside her on the bed. She smiled, still rubbing her face awake and sighing out a, "good morning."

"What have you got there?" She asked, now sitting up and leaning her head onto his shoulder. 

"It's a few of your clothes I've brought over." He explained, placing the basket onto the floor and shifting to face her. "I don't feel comfortable leaving you in that cottage. Would you be alright staying here for the next few days?"

"With you?" He nodded, now fretting internally over her rejecting him and going back to her cottage. Before he could offer her another room in his house, she continued on. "Of course, Sehun. Why wouldn't I want to be with you?" 

He exhaled, relieved that not only did she comply with his paranoia, but had also assured him of her unfaltering affections while at it. To think that if she hadn't come to him at that time, his little beam of sunshine could have been extinguished for good. He couldn't let this possibility occur again. 

"I'd rather you also remain within the walls of my home." He added, thumb stroking her cheek tenderly. "As long as you have an escort, you may roam about as you usually do. Primarily either myself or Baekhyun."

"I understand." She nodded. "You've always taken care of me. For what reason would I have to doubt you?" The flutter of her eyes meeting his gaze matched that of his heart, their glaze as cloying as honey. She was the radiance of a morning sunrise, the portent of his unwavering joy whenever he basked in her presence. She sat before him with a demure grin, unaware of the fact that she had awakened a new love for mornings in him, and a reminder of his own love for her. 

"I'll leave you to dress." He spoke, tearing his eyes from her and down at their naturally intertwined hands. He fondly rose her own to his lips, pressing a delicate kiss to the pads of her fingers, continuing to hold her grasp in his for a moment more. It was pure agony to hold back his affections, his heart yearning to release the floodgates of his love for her, yet he reminded himself of his position. He was no good for a goddess of her caliber. She was everything beautiful in this world, and he was just a weed in her garden. "I will meet you when you are freshened up." 

With one last glance her way, a rosy tint dusting the apples of her cheeks, risen with the presence of her ever growing smile, Sehun sighed helplessly. While he was but a brief appearance in her own life, she had managed to become his entire world, and he was but a hopeless fragment of matter caught in her irresistible orbit. 

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As Baekhyun had promised, he returned later that day lugging a load of plant life in a sack over his shoulders. Sehun watched from the sidelines as the god revealed each and every fern and flower he had brought along with him, each unveiling coaxing a new reaction from Persephone. She attempted to collect each item in her arms, though failed as Baekhyun would bring out yet another item. 

After he had given her every plant in his possession, he started yet another Sun session with her, allowing her to replenish any exhaustion she may have suffered since the day prior. All the while, she described every plant she had received, explaining to Sehun wonders he had never even imagined in his dreary underworld. His mind was filled with her and her words, the lull of her voice soothing him as she promised to fill his world with unimaginable beauty. 

Baekhyun was still attempting to grasp the situation at hand. From what he had understood through the brief glimpses of their interactions, it was a symbiotic relationship; One which first began as one party benefiting the other for no benefit, but now had become a bond of mutuality. Persephone, the goddess which had once been nothing more than a nuisance, had become the hub of everyone's interest in just the span of a few months, yet stood as the absolute epicenter in Sehun's life. Baekhyun wasn't a fool. He could see the affections they both shared for one another. Though the surface world was suffering, he somehow couldn't find it in himself to obliterate such a doting pair. He couldn't destroy the one source of happiness in either of their lives. Even he could clearly see that they desperately needed one another. Though it would be considered treasonous to withhold the whereabouts of Persephone, he couldn't find any sense of hesitation in his decision: he was going to help them if it was the last thing he did. 

"You enjoy life down here?" Baekhyun asked once Sehun had gone away to feed Cerberus. Persephone nodded eagerly as she organized the plants given to her. 

"I do, truly." She paused to take in her surroundings. It was a bleak atmosphere, always lacking heat and remaining moist. The silence would leave her unnerved at times, though upon hearing any mere noise, she'd be left on high alert. Nevertheless, she couldn't have been more fond of the place which Sehun had created himself. "Thank you for these gifts. There is no sign of life here. It's rather daunting not being able to feel life everywhere I step." She caught a glimpse of the bare path which Sehun and her strolled every morning. Sehun had taken it upon himself to remove the trees which would sprout everyday before he would escort her, ensuring her safety from the accursed fruit he despises so. "Do you know the lore behind the pomegranates?"

"I apologize, but I am as clueless as you." Baekhyun responded. "Not even Sehun knows where they derive from." He pursed his lips, eyebrows furrowed as he attempted to recall any information he had heard of the trees. "Before Mt. Olympus had become as estranged as it is now, Demeter had actually spoken of a mysterious fruit growing in some realm. She believed they had the ability to condemn a person to the realm in which they grew. In this case, the Underworld. Though this could very well be another one of her deceptions to further worsen Sehun's reputation."

Persephone blinked in wonderment at Baekhyun's words. She remembered clearly how Sehun had reacted to her touching the fruit, as it was the only time she'd ever seen Sehun act even the slightest bit hostile.

If Baekhyun's intel proved correct, it would just be another case of Sehun going above and beyond to protect her, and yet another reason her heart seems to beat only for him, bleed only for him, yearn only for him. He had enchanted her entire being with his existence before she could even render the inner machinations of her emotions. She was so terribly, madly in love with him. 

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In the coming days, Persephone spent her time managing her garden. She worked tirelessly on bringing life back to the exanimate dirt beneath their feet before planting her collection of saplings. Once they were in the now fertile soil, greenery had spread like fire. Flowers littered the floor encircling her cabin, vines crept up the walls and claimed it as their own, branches of still infant trees sprouted delicate leaves and buds, soon to provide a canopy for the two to rest beneath. Sehun admired her power, the stamp of her existence now imprinted in his home. He usually loathed the sight of life and nature, but now felt comfort at the scenery in his own domain. He'd watch as she'd nurture her saplings, raising them from nothing, her devotion to her plants allowing Sehun's mind to wander to other scenarios.

How she'd nurture him if she were to stay by his side. He'd go to sleep with her beside him just to wake up to the same beautiful sight. She'd hold his cold hands in hers and whisper words of love to him, share thoughts of only love to him. They'd gather flowers together, have picnics together, spend their mornings together. 

"I am greedy for you." He said to her one day, sat beside Persephone in her evergrowing bed of flowers. "I'm afraid that when the day comes, I won't be able to release you." He stroked the grass he sat upon, enraptured by the sight of his beloved's simple creation. Near his feet sprouted a daisy. The same dainty flower she had given to him upon first meeting. The sight alone had him biting back his emotions, the internal battle becoming increasingly more unbearable the more time he spent with her. "You are but a flower which I do not deserve. A flower which should be blossoming in the Sun freely. I am but the gardener who cut your stem and brought you to your imminent death." 

There was a breath of silence between the two, Persephone absorbing his words begrudgingly, though she didn't like when he would speak so negatively of himself. She reached out to the daisy caught in his vision, plucking it from the Earth and raising it to eye level with her. 

"I am a grown woman, would you agree?" She questioned, to which Sehun nodded bluntly. He still hadn't met her gaze, instead focusing on the blades of grass once more. "Did you know it's a common practice amongst humans to shower their dead with flowers?" Sehun scoffed, nodding again to her queries. 

"They use the flowers to mask the scent of their dead." He explained, far too familiar with the shallow ways of humans. At this, Persephone giggled, causing Sehun to finally turn his head to look at her.

"Well, more common than that, they use flowers to display their love for their lost ones." She reached a hand over to him, planting the daisy in his obsidian locks. Her hand slid down to his cheek, keeping his gaze on her. "Perhaps I am a flower meant for you and your world."

Sehun was taken aback, the weight in his chest dissolving into a light, fluttery sensation. His skin warmed beneath her touch, melting him like mist in the wake of the Sun. Desire pooled in his irises the longer he took in his dearest one, the dam he had worked strenuously on maintaining crumbling into dust. Following the tides of his love, Sehun leant forward, mind going briefly vacant as his heart took command of his actions, pressing his lips to Persephone's in the softest manner he could muster. 

When she kissed back, he felt happy enough to die. No, he felt happy enough to continue living in his personal hell, because now he not only had a reason to push forward, but a beacon of hope which would light his endlessly dark path. The saccharine taste of her lips was like that of warm honey, encasing him in a blissful state of ataraxy at the delicacy in his grasp. He poured his heart into her kiss, attempting to display his affections for her though his heart was pathetic and inexperienced. Nevertheless, she embraced him wholeheartedly, inching closer and closer to him until she had found her throne upon his lap, arms wrapped around his neck in an endearing hug. His hand on her face was chill, tethering her to his presence beside her, though the opposing warmth of his lips had her falling limp in his hold, heat which radiated like a lone fire on a cool night. Even with their striking differences, they melded together, not like oil and water, but like milk and honey. 

He pulled away, lips still grazing over hers as their breaths mingled together, his eyes hooded as he attempted to settle back to reality. His reality now that he had Persephone with him, and for however long he had left, he was going to spend his every waking moment pleasing her, nurturing her, loving her. 

"Our world." He whispered, brushing her hair behind her ear. "For as long as you'll have me and even after, I want this world to be ours."

"That seems like a dangerous proposition, as I do not see myself letting you go anytime soon." She answered back, pressing her forehead to his. 

"You already have my everything til the point I take my final breath." 

"We're immortal, Sehun." At the sight of her smile, Sehun followed with one of his own, eyes falling into the crescent shape she had grown to admire so deeply. 

"Then you'll have to endure my love for the next eternity." 

"I look forward to it."

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Hecate emerged to the surface, having found no answer from the hearsay which traveled through the Underworld. The one constant she had detected was that many were dying from the unexpected shift in climate. At first she merely pushed it aside; humans are weak by nature, their composition having to be in such specific, stable conditions that she didn't understand how they had risen above the rest of nature's creatures. Though as she stumbled into the open world, a gust of bitter wind hit her, an endless tirade of crystalized water droplets obscuring her vision to the point that all she could see was a blur of white overtaking the landscape of Earth. The atmosphere was cooler than the Underworld, and the precipitation added onto the frigidity of the air.

As if the awaited Underworld wasn't bad enough, the living had to experience their own version of Hell. 

Hecate meandered through the dense blanket of white, her feet sinking into the foreign surface with every step she took. Her vision could only reach a few feet ahead of her before being shrouded by gray nothingness, and the natural life which had once occupied every viable surface had gone vacant. 

After following along the infamous mountainside leading to Demeter's garden, she reached what was once the entrance to nature's haven, now but a shell of its former self. Like the rest of the world Hecate had experienced this far, the ivory tyrant had taken over the once lush greenery of the garden. Trees had gone bare, not a leaf nor bird in sight. The waters had stilled into a solid state with no fish present. Of the dozens of nymphs which once ran the place, not one remained. Instead, through the deafening winds cried a defeated woman. 

Hecate had found Demeter amidst her own personal garden, equally as barren as the rest of the realm. She lied in the coat of white which had killed everything she had worked for, hoping for it to absorb her like the rest of her creations. She felt the pain which every plant had suffered through as the snow had frozen them to death, heard the trees go silent as they went into their eternal slumber. The fauna which had once pranced about freely had gone mute, all scattered someplace else in hopes of warmth. The overview of the city which she had loved dearly had gone deathly quiet. She couldn't recall the last time she saw a person leave their home. Their suffering seemed to never cease as this ice age followed along right after the other tragedies. What's more, the daughter she had once neglected and thought of as a mistake had all but disappeared in the wake of this incident. 

Anyone with a sense of mental capability could see the correlation: Persephone was the cause of this. When the nymphs had realized something was askew, they acknowledged Persephone's absence, reporting it to Demeter. She had no other choice but to call a wide search for her missing daughter, but she was nowhere to be found. Demeter could feel her lifeline still present, but she just disappeared off the face of the Earth. Hermes had been scouring the different realms for signs of Demeter, having even gone to the extremes of checking the Underworld alongside Apollo, yet both came back with no luck. Her daughter had truly disappeared, and she knew it was her own fault. She had no other child but this one, the one which spent her days peacefully with the other nymphs and did no harm whatsoever. Of course she'd run off elsewhere, and now everyone was doomed from Demeter's selfishness.

"Demeter." A voice called out to her. She pulled herself up, staring back at Hecate with complete and utter confusion.

"For what reason did Hades send you?" Hecate winced at the lethargic manner the once proud goddess currently carried herself in. "To gloat?" Demeter dug her hand in the snow, lifting a pile of the plush yet deadly material to her eyes. "To remind me that he was right when it came down to how I had treated my daughter?" 

"What is happening?" Hecate chose to ignore Demeter's nonsense, stomping through the thicket of frost beneath her. 

"Haven't you heard?" Demeter laughed sarcastically, letting the snow fall between her fingers. "My daughter has fled from here, and with her is the warmth this world so desperately needs." 

"Persephone?"

"Persephone." She scoffed, staring off in a blank daze. "The Bringer of Destruction." Demeter stopped and looked around her. "I had encouraged the humans name her that when I was told my daughter had virtually no unique abilities. She was the weakest of her generation of gods. In my disappointment, that was the only name that seemed fitting for a case like her." Demeter faced Hecate, not a trace of hostility which once made up her entire character. She was truly empty. "Look what she's brought: destruction upon humanity."

"This... This was Persephone's doing?" She questioned. Demeter nodded, a tear falling at the thought of her unloved daughter. A sinister smile pulled at Hecate's lips, connecting the surface world's scenario with what was happening in the Underworld. "Demeter." Hecate stepped closer, stretching out her hand to help lift Demeter to her feet. "I believe I know where Persephone is."

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Sehun awoke, blinking away the haze of sleep in his eyes to register his surroundings. He was in his room as expected, and it was morning in the Underworld from what he could detect through his window. Beside him lied Persephone, still peacefully sleeping against his person. Though months had passed since they had confessed their love to one another, he still felt unfamiliar with her presence and the effect it had on him. He was enraptured by it all, by every little thing she did. The drowsiness he'd feel whenever she'd nestle into his side at night, the calm that'd settle into his bones as she’d make him tea every morning, how she'd insisted she wanted to be beside him no matter where he went.

One of the first places he had taken her to was Elysium. It was the most pleasant of locations for the dead, designated for those who had done good in their life before passing away. He had assumed she'd cower away at the sight of the dead, insist they go back home and never return, but instead she looked upon his subjects with pity. 

"This is the place where the heroes go?" She questioned, taking in the surrounding area. It seemed to be a near replica of his own island where they resided. Dark sand beneath their feet, barely any light casted over the blindly wandering souls, an overall dark aura laid over the land like fog. She recalled his description of the place upon her entry to the Underworld, and how the heroes above were sent to Elysium as an incentive to their deeds. This was no good for a place honoring the brave and valiant souls from land. "May I help you with your work?" 

"If that is what you want, then of course." 

For the next few days, she worked on improving the conditions of Elysium, bringing life back to the ground until fields of viridian had been cultivated. Upon her request, Baekhyun had made a Sun for the citizens of Elysium, as well as making one for Persephone herself at home. Lastly, she lead Sehun's minions to construct houses for each tenant. The Elysium inhabitants were grateful, thanking her for her work and commending her warm heart. 

She couldn't help but smile, accepting everyone's thanks happily. Sehun grinned, watching as she was acknowledged for her good deeds. She deserved this. It felt like the risks Sehun had taken had finally paid off, and Persephone was experiencing what life had to offer. Though a dangerous idea came to him once more. 

Why give her up? Why not keep her?

She wasn't appreciated up above, yet not only does she have him, but she now has the hundreds of lives on Elysium who practically worship her. What difference would it make if she were to stay down here? 

As she laid her head against his shoulder, the sounds of the water encasing her as Minseok rowed them back, Sehun continued to fight his thoughts.

'She's treated much better down here, so she shouldn't want to leave me anytime soon, but the decision is entirely up to her.' He helped her out of the boat, dismissing Minseok and leading her to her garden, now shining brilliantly with Baekhyun's light. 'I'm just being selfish. I need to let her go when she's ready to leave.'

He laid his head on her lap as she plucked the daisies around her, explaining each step in creating a daisy chain. Though she believed he was listening to her every word, watching as she weaved the daisies together carefully, he was in fact far too distracted watching her. She was beautiful in everything she did. In how she carried herself and how she spoke, how she found charm in every aspect of the world, how she proved her love for him everyday. 

"You seem distracted." She commented, putting down her half finished chain to focus on the man below her. "Would you like to tell me what you are thinking?" 

"Nothing of significance." He mumbled while continuing to stare up at her, admiring how her hair framed her face and fell in soft tendrils. She pouted, fluttering her lashes as if asking him to be honest. Sehun sighed, ever susceptible to her methods of persuasion before adding on to his statement. "I'm afraid."

"The great Hades of the Underworld? Afraid?" She giggled, stroking his hair soothingly. "What could ever strike fear in such a beast?" 

"You." Her smile faded, now furrowing her brows in confusion. "Your control over me." He reached for a lock of hair dangling beside his head, gently kissing the strands. "I am entirely bewitched by you. You've enraptured my entire being by just showing me your true character." Her hand slowly came to a stop as he spoke. He locked his eyes with hers, now glistening with tears soon to be spilled. "I love you, Persephone." Her fingers traced down from his hair to his face, cupping his cheek endearingly with another smile. 

"I love you, Sehun." 

"I... Fear for the day that you leave me. I know you prefer the surface world, and no matter how much I refuse, I know I cannot hold you from your desires." Persephone leaned down, pressing her lips against Sehun's in a brief kiss. 

"Why would you waste your time on such nonsensical thoughts?" She laid another kiss on his nose, grinning at the way he wrinkled face at her action. "I should be the one afraid. You can dismiss me at any point once you grow bored of me."

"I would never." He insisted, brows twitching into a downturned, upset expression.

"That's why I'm not afraid. I know you love me dearly." His face softened as she stroked away his tension with her thumb, chuckling at his awed countenance. "I hope you know that I love you equally." 

He stayed in his place, trying to process that such a radiant, alluring soul like herself loves him, a shunned man who's name is used to scare both children and adults like a nightmarish tall tale.

She was life. She was the first laugh of a child, the whispers shared between lovers, the exhilaration of existing as one in a constant world of motion. She was the budding of a flower, a dewdrop atop a sprouted lotus floating on a lake. She was what everyone craved, a lovely oddity in nature taken for granted yet wanted by all.

He was death. He was the flu taking children away, the decay separating people. He was the fear riddled in everyone's lives, keeping them in check from experiencing too much of life. He was inevitable. Many have tried to evade his grasp, yet they've failed to understand that he is not a mere commodity at the end of the finish line, but he is always with them at every corner of the race, ready to strike at any given moment. At the end of the day, whether they liked it or not, everyone would become dust. 

She was the dewdrop of a lotus petal, indeed, but he was the force which pulled the drop down, soon to enter the lake beneath at any given moment. 

Yet here they were, life and death hand in hand in perfect balance. He was the painful truth to her beautiful lie, the darkness to her light, the biting cold to her comforting warmth. They were nothing similar to one another, yet they complimented each other brilliantly. She was what he needed in his existence, and he was what she needed. Perhaps that's why he can't seem to let her go. 

Nearby, Sehun's ears detected the familiar sound of Minseok's boat, shattering the trance he had been in as he rose from Persephone's lap, briefly holding her close to him as he stared off at the river. 

"Wait here." He commanded, standing to his feet and striding to the shoreline. His panic settled ever so slightly at the sight of Baekhyun, though he stayed alert at Baekhyun's presence. He never appeared this late. 

"Sehun." He stumbled out of the vessel, rushing to him and grabbing his shoulders. "They know." Sehun's heart dropped, his blood running cold as Baekhyun's eyes darted to and fro. "They know, they know everything."

"How did they find out?" Sehun spat out, to which Baekhyun quickly retracted his touch. 

"I assure you, I never spoke a word of this, not even to Jongin." He reassured. He pointed to the end of the river where he had come from. "Someone else who knows told them, and now they're at your entrance demanding your presence." Sehun clenched his jaw before turning around, rushing back to Persephone in her garden. 

"Stay inside, I'll be right back, don't answer to anyone else but me." He helped her to her feet, lifting her in his arms and taking her inside his home. He ignored her questions, too scared to give her a definitive answer to anything. He didn't know what was to happen to them. 

When he got to the entrance of the Underworld, Baekhyun and Minseok beside him, he grimaced at the welcome wagon awaiting him: his two brothers, Jongdae and Junmyeon, as well as Persephone's mother, Demeter. As he pulled into the shore, he was met by the hostile shouts of Demeter, pointing accusingly at him and stomping her way closer. 

"How dare you, you pathetic excuse of a god." She jabbed her finger into his chest the moment he emerged from the boat. "Your ego must've been overwhelming for you to have the audacity to steal away my daughter. You may be one of the three brothers, but you will not be let off easily." 

"Demeter," Jongdae warned, holding a hand up to stop her. Sehun groaned, much rather preferring Demeter's fury to his brother's passive aggressive behavior. He had hoped he wouldn't have to see him for another millennia or so, yet here he was, the god of gods strolling over to him ever so nonchalant. "Brother, it's been a long while."

"I wish it were longer."

"That's no way to greet your sibling! Junmyeon also missed you, didn't he?" Jongdae turned to Junmyeon, the god of the seas that humans call Poseidon. He pursed his lips into a thin line, the only one to not approach Sehun.

When Sehun was younger, Junmyeon had been his closest friend, practically raising him himself. It was around the time that Jongdae had become the god of lightning and the skies that he sent Junmyeon to the waters and Sehun to the underworld that they stopped talking. Sehun never meant to show Junmyeon his rage, but he struggled for a long time to understand why his dear brother never bothered to help him in this scenario. Why he didn't take the realm instead, why he never visited him anymore, why he didn't fight for them. Now Sehun was indifferent as he looked upon the man he once cherished more than anything else. 

"I would have much rather preferred we meet again under different circumstances, Sehun." Junmyeon spoke softly, still staying a distance away. "I can't say I'm not disappointed."

"As if that were any new information to me." Sehun snapped, ignoring Junmyeon's pained expression to look at Demeter. "She's fine." At that, Demeter choked on her breath, a tear falling down her cheek as Sehun confirmed her daughters' existence there. She clamped a hand over her mouth, glaring once more at him. 

"That's fantastic news!" Jongdae cheered, clapping a hand over Sehun's shoulder. "So where is she?"

"In the Underworld." Demeter glared at him, just now realizing her daughter was nowhere to be found.

"Why didn't you bring her with you?" She snarled. He smirked, finding her turmoil far more pleasing than he had ever expected.

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news," Sehun derided, raising his hands in feign surrender. "But unfortunately, Underworld visiting hours closes when the Sun sets. Judging from the atmosphere in my world currently, it's past sunset." 

"So you're suggesting we leave?" Demeter retorted, scoffing at Sehun's arrogance and looking to Jongdae. "We know Persephone is in there. You're the god of gods. You can do anything you'd like, right?" Jongdae paused, contemplating what next to say as he had already known he was powerless at this very moment. Sehun snickered, knowing exactly what his brother was thinking. 

"Unfortunately, when he gave me ownership of the Underworld, he assured that this was my realm alone. No influence from Olympus could override my ruling." 

Demeter huffed, attempting to calm her broiling anger in that moment as Sehun continued to look over her demeaningly. 

"Then we'll be sure to return tomorrow at sunrise." With that final say, Demeter whirled around, gown flaring up in a dramatic fashion and exiting the Underworld. Jongdae followed suit, as well as Junmyeon, though more hesitant than the others. He offered one final sorrowful look to his brother before leaving the realm of the dead. Sehun released the breath he'd been holding, unclenching his fists and rolling his shoulders back. 

He'd managed to delay the inevitable, but he knew very well that his deadline had finally been met. He hadn't prepared for this, though he knew he should've. He had been ready to drop Persephone back home as if nothing had happened between the two, both going on with their lives with no troubles; He hadn't expected he'd fall in love with his abductee. 

"Sehun." Baekhyun's voice alerted Sehun to his presence, having forgotten not everyone had left him. "I am truly sorry about this. I know how much she means to you. I never intended to let anyone know. I haven't the slightest idea as to how they found out." Sehun acknowledged his words, studying the genuine anguish on Baekhyun's face for the plight at hand. Baekhyun had no part in this, and Sehun knew this. All this scenario had done was confirm that amongst his ranks resided a rat who had betrayed him. 

"You may leave." Sehun mumbled, pivoting to approach Minseok. 

"Sehun, I'm sorry."

"Don't feel guilty. I don't blame you for any of this. You're the only god I can trust." He turned his head to take a glance at Baekhyun, now standing there helplessly. Baekhyun had promised to protect them, yet he failed. Nevertheless, Sehun had still trusted him. "You did help me, though. Thanks to you, I have one more night to spend with my beloved." He bit the inside of his cheek, struggling to contain the influx of emotions now swirling in him. Having said it aloud seemed to impact him far more than he had intended. Not wanting Baekhyun to see him in this weak state, he stepped into the boat, taking a seat and sighing. "I will see you when the sun rises."

The ride to the island was silent, Minseok seeming to detect the turmoil in his overseer and opting to not press him. Sehun's heart ached as thoughts seemed to enter his mind with no exit, a hectic cacophony of the worries and stresses he had attempted to bury away in lieu of his joy; the joy which was spending his days with Persephone. He choked back a sob as he realized he'd never be able to see her endearing smile. Never feel her gentle touches on him when she believed he'd been sleeping. Never experience the euphoria when they'd connect in a kiss. He'd remain in this insipid cavern for the rest of his eternal damnation, having to live with the fact that his one and only love had been revoked from him. 

The subtle jostle of the boat pulling into shore alerted Sehun that he had reached his final destination. Looking up, he could see the house where he had shared every blissful moment he'd ever had with Persephone, soon to be desolate once more. He thanked Minseok before heading to his home where Persephone awaited, but before he could go very far, Hecate emerged from the house. She smiled at him, a sinister aura residing behind her expression. 

"Sehun!" She greeted, voice laced with a faux sweet tone. "How are you! I see the weed has finally departed as scheduled." In a moment's notice, Sehun clamped his hand around her throat, mercilessly slamming her to the ground and keeping his hold on her.

"So you're the rat." He rasped through gritted teeth. Hecate's prior boastful demeanor withered away as Sehun's belligerent stare burned into her retinas, reminding her that she was but a rabbit having wandered into a wolf's den. His grip seemed to tighten with every passing second, her airways becoming increasingly strained to the point that she felt she'd actually die, her immortality feeling more and more distant as she faced the god of the Underworld.

"It was... for the sanctity of your highness... and this realm." She wheezed, clawing at his hand to free her, though he refused to budge. 

"There is nothing holy of me nor my Underworld." Sehun pressed down harder, Hecate feeling herself sink into the ground more. Her eyes were begging to shut, a white haze gradually closing in on vision, creating a tunnel effect with the end leading to Sehun's livid glare.

Sehun felt the life draining from her, yet before her soul could completely depart, he pulled away. Her now unconscious form took in weak inhales, barely managing to hold on to her lifeline. He couldn't kill her. Not after what she had done. If she thought she could take his flower and get away with it, she was gravely mistaken. He grabbed the back of her gown, dragging her down to where Minseok had remained after hearing the commotion. Sehun tossed his former minion into the boat, uncaring of how she landed against the wood. 

"Take her to Tartarus. The deepest, darkest trench you can find. Dump her there. I'll decide what more to do tomorrow." He commanded, turning around once Minseok nodded. 

Sehun rushed into his home, scanning the area for Persephone. She must've hid when she heard Hecate come in, as Hecate had assumed her deed had been carried forth because of her absence. 

"Persephone!" He called out, checking every nook and cranny he could find, though not having to look very far. Beneath his bed, like a cowering cat, Persephone peered at him curiously. 

"Is she gone?" She asked, crawling out of her hiding spot with Sehun's assistance. 

"Yes, she's been taken care of." Once she was seated beside him on the ground where he crouched, he sighed peacefully, running his hand down the side of her face. "You're safe. Thank you for hiding." 

Persephone sat on her knees, leaning forward to pull Sehun into a hug. He held her back, digging his face into her loose hair and breathing in her scent. The scent he'd soon lose along with her. 

"Where did you go in such an urgent manner?" She asked, brushing the back of his head. He remained quiet, keeping her against him as if she'd dissipate when he'd release her. Sooner or later, she would. The thought had him pulling her closer, shutting his eyes to expel the reminders of what's soon to come. She seemed to realize what had been weighing down on Sehun, tears welling up in her eyes as reality settled in between them. She didn't know how, and she didn't know when, but she knew he had just received news that she was to leave him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her like he had done to her, as if molding them together would protect her from those outside. "It's okay, Sehun. I'm here." 

At this, Sehun released his first ever tear, the liquid seeming to just spill freely after the first. He was silent with his crying, but Persephone could feel the moisture building up on her neck, further shattering her heart knowing she'd be leaving this man behind. Returning back to her former world where no one cared for her, no one talked to her, everyone took her for granted and wished her gone. If they had wanted her gone so badly, why were they so insistent on taking her back to her suffering. She had finally found happiness in the arms of this god, a fellow reject who hadn't deserved the shunning directed to him in the first place.

A sob wracked through her body as memories of their love flooded her mind. Memories of him telling her stories from before she was born, burning the candle at both ends to make her feel secure in this foreign world, loving her with all of his heart though he remained unsure with himself. She loved him like she had loved no other, nor will she ever love another more than he. 

Sehun pulled her into his lap, pressing kisses beneath her eyes where tears had fallen. Sadness didn't suit her at all. He'd much rather prefer when she's content, when she's happy. It pained him that these intruders had infiltrated their utopia for their own selfish agenda, uncaring of how the two victims of their deeds would manage with the aftermath.

They had taken everything from him from the very beginning, left him in a grayscale, monotonous world while they enjoyed everything the surface world had to offer.

She showed him the splendors of life, the plethora of shades which he had been denied his whole life. 

He had never received anything in his bleak existence. Now that he finally has something in his grasp which he desires, he is forced to let her go. He didn't want to lose her. He didn't want to let her go. Though he had to. There was no alternative.

Once her cries had calmed to a mere weep, he directed her gaze to him, guiding her face up before pressing his lips to hers. She kissed back fervently, every ounce of love she had for him being exchanged through their touches. His hand traversed down her arm and into her hand, intertwining their fingers together. When he pulled away, allowing her to catch her breath, he admired her once more, memorizing every detail he could see. The slope of her nose, the curve of her lips, the curl in her lashes. 

"I love you." He breathed, placing a quick kiss upon her once more. "I love you so much."

"I love you, Sehun." She reconnected their mouths, her free hand tugging at the short hairs on the nape of his neck. He lifted her in his arms, not breaking the kiss until he had placed her on the bed, climbing in beside her before continuing where he had left off. One hand rested on her back while the other propped himself up, hovering over her form slightly. She held his shoulders, pressing herself against him once more, not wanting to be even a centimeter apart from the love of her life, the love which was being taken away from her. 

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Sehun awoke first, as he usually did. He didn't necessarily want to wake up, still exhausted from the night before, though his body willed him awake. He looked down to where Persephone lay atop his bare chest, her cheek resting on his shoulder and her arm draped across him. Beneath the covers, he could feel their legs intertwined to the point of confusion. He recalled Persephone's tears before she had fallen to sleep, how she begged him to do something more to ward the lot away. He reassured her that everything was to be fine, though deep down, his heart was pleading for the same thing as she. It was a miracle when she finally succumbed to her tiredness, allowing Sehun to shed a few more tears before he himself fell asleep.

Glancing at the window, he grimaced. Sunrise was in just a few minutes. He fought back the urge to cry more as he gently woke Persephone, pressing kisses to her eyelids until they fluttered open. 

"Good morning, my flower." He whispered, stroking her hair as if it were any other morning. 

"Good morning, my love." She responded, smiling at him, though the act hadn't met her grief stricken eyes. 

"You should get dressed." He pressed another kiss to her forehead. "They'll be here soon." She nodded, too empty inside to cry anymore in his presence, though she knew her tears would return tenfold by the time she reached the surface. Sehun was the one to separate himself from their meshed limbs, quickly dressing into his everyday attire as Persephone sat begrudgingly, contemplating why it was so easy for Sehun to separate himself from her when she was struggling to just leave his bed. He leaned over, kissing her lips one last time. Even after the short, yet sweet, parting gift, he lingered for a moment more, feeling her skin against his another time before he separated and left the room, allowing her to change on her own. 

She took another gander about the room. It was terribly dull, as was the rest of his house. She wished she had more time to really renovate and bring out more of Sehun's character. He was a diamond in the rough if she'd ever seen one, becoming more and more brilliant with every minute detail she'd discover. She pressed her nose into his pillow, drowning in the natural, woodsy aroma of Sehun. She had nothing to remember him by except the memories he'd ingrained into her brain. Every time she closed her eyes, she could clearly envision Sehun's breathtaking smile. The way his eyes would form those endearing crescents, glistening like stardust as they admired her. She raised her hands above her face, cupping them in the same way she would to hold his face, imagining he was before her, gazing down at her with such unfathomable kindness. He protected her from the dangers outside the garden when no one else cared. He guarded her from enemies like Hecate, saved her from her own exhaustion by introducing Baekhyun, even stopped her when she was close to eating the fruits of his island; those ceaseless pomegranates he despised so much. 

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Sehun had waited outside of his home, hoping Persephone would dress quickly before the rescue team arrived to take her away. He wanted more time with her, even a second more would have sufficed. A second more to be with his beloved flower. His pleas were silenced as Minseok rowed to the shore, an entourage of gods loading off the vessel and making their way to Sehun cautiously. Demeter was particularly uncomfortable, peering around the Underworld in disgust. 

"I cannot believe you've had my daughter detained in this pit with the likeness of you." She spat, standing before the now defeated Sehun. "Soon, she'll return to me and proceed with her daily tasks which she has been slacking on." Sehun gritted his teeth, standing at his full height and towering over the lot in front of him. 

"I'm afraid to say Persephone is currently dressing. She will be down any moment now." Demeter gasped, clamping a hand over her heart.

"You've had my daughter sleeping in the same building as yourself?" Sehun smirked, leaning down to be face to face with Demeter. 

"I've had your daughter sleeping in the same bed as myself." At this, she shouted indignantly at the shrewd man, stepping back to give herself space from Sehun, who was chuckling to himself after having found some source of pleasure in this predicament. 

"I'd much rather deal with the likings of Hecate than you." She jeered from behind Jongdae. 

"Please, be my guest. I'll take you to Tartarus myself." Before Demeter could argue back, Jongdae cut into the conversation. 

"When do you think she'll be ready?" He asked, eyebrows curving up in worry as he wanted not one more moment in this place. Sehun glanced up at the window belonging to his room, humming for a moment as he thought back to Jongdae's question. It was peculiar that she was spending a rather long while getting changed. She'd usually just toss on whatever was closest to her before running out to him, not wanting to waste another second without him by her side. 

"Allow me to check." Sehun was about to turn around until Demeter yanked at his clothing, causing him to stumble back slightly. 

"Like I'd ever let you view even a speck of skin on Persephone. I'll check." She attempted to move forward but stopped at Sehun's loud laughter. No one could recall the last time they saw Sehun smile, let alone display such joy. 

"Demeter, I'm sorry to tell you that once more, you're a tad bit late on these matters regarding Persephone." She began shouting profanities at the man who disappeared into his house in search of the goddess of the hour. He was about to head upstairs until he saw the back entrance of his house tossed open haphazardly.

She's run off. 

He stepped out again, scratching his head in confusion as everyone awaited his answer. 

"She's not here." He explained. "Follow me, she's most likely at her cottage." The group trailed behind him as he led them to Persephone's cottage. 

"What is all of this?" Junmyeon asked curiously as they approached the house surrounded by the flora of the surface world. The quaint and lively cottage was a rather far fetched juxtaposition to Sehun's dreary and modest home, so Junmyeon could see this was not fit to his tastes.

"I replicated her home so she'd adjust better to her new surroundings." He replied, reaching the entrance and knocking on the door. There was no answer. Now becoming increasingly worried, Sehun pushed the door open, peeking in as he called out her name. Nothing. 

Where could she have gone? They were on an island, Minseok was still at the shore, and she was in neither of the buildings. He turned around to the path they'd take in their morning strolls, wondering if perhaps she had decided to take one last lap around before leaving to remember their time by. It was rather early in the morning compared to their usual outing schedule, so early he hadn't had time to uproot the pomegranate trees from the surrounding area.

The pomegranate trees.

"Persephone." He whispered, his heart all but sinking to his stomach at the realization. His breathing kicked up, his legs pushing forward in a sprint down the path, leaving behind the flustered group calling out to him. "Persephone!" 

It took him less than a minute to catch up to her, crouched by the shore line with her back to him. He ran to her, pulling her into his arms without another moment of thought. She screamed, arms reaching out desperately as an object in her possession had collapsed to the ground. Sehun looked down, eyes widening at the sight of a half eaten pomegranate. He turned her around to face him, lips stained red from the juices of the fruit she'd consumed. His eyebrows twitched in rage. Not anger towards her, nor towards the fruit she had just eaten,but anger towards himself that he couldn't protect her to the end of the line. 

"What is the matter with you, Sehun?" Jongdae asked, wheezing as he had finally caught up. He gasped as he saw who Sehun had wrapped in his arms. "Persephone."

"Persephone!" Demeter called, running to the girl with a relieved expression until she saw her face. "What were you just eating now?" 

Persephone stayed quiet, rather instead shook off her mother's touch and recoiled into Sehun's hold once more. 

"Oh no." Junmyeon grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose as he too processed what had happened. 

"Persephone," Baekhyun breathed out, eyes frantically darting from the pomegranate on the ground to the red lipped goddess cowering from them. "Persephone, you didn't." 

"What did you do to my daughter, you tyrant!" Demeter shouted, causing Persephone to fight back for Sehun. 

"Leave him be!" She screamed, frightening the mass of gods who had only ever seen her as a timid nymph her entire life. "He is not the menace you all insist he is. He is the most benevolent of everyone currently here." She pressed herself closer to Sehun, stealing his warmth and shielding herself from both the frigid Underworld morning and the frigid parasites currently trying to steal her away from him. "I love Sehun." 

"Whether you love him or not does not matter. He is the harbinger of death and you are a goddess of life." Persephone scowled at the words being said to her, finding no significance in them as she knew the love she had for Sehun could not be understood by any mere living being. "You do not belong here. I'm taking you back home-"

"This is my home now."

"Persephone." Junmyeon interjected, stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're needed on the surface." She peeked at him, eyebrows upturned nervously. "You've probably already heard of what's happening up above, but it's becoming increasingly harder for the people of Earth to manage this winter." Sehun watched Junmyeon tenderly touch Persephone, smiling internally as he watched the aftermath of his plan unfold before him: they've finally acknowledged her worth as a goddess. "The people need you more than ever. You are now the herald of spring." 

"How can she leave though? She ate the pomegranate." Baekhyun questioned. 

"She ate half, to be specific." Jongdae added. "Meaning she's to spend half of her life in the Underworld."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Demeter questioned. "She's immortal, she has no end to her lifetime."

"It would still have the same effect as giving up half of her life in the Underworld if we alternated the times she spends here with the times she spends above using equal increments of time."

"Are you suggesting she spend 100 years above and 100 years below?" The lovers winced at the time span offered, holding each other tighter as they did not want to be separated. 

"I believe we should think more in the circumstance of humans, wouldn't you agree?" Junmyeon asked, glancing to Sehun with reassurance in his eyes. "Therefore, I suggest working in increments of years."

"So they meet every other year?" Jongdae asked. 

"I was thinking perhaps more so the time she's been gone: 6 months." Junmyeon allowed everyone to soak in his words for a moment before continuing. "6 months here, 6 months up above. That way, humans can prepare easier if this winter becomes routine. Like a habit." 

With agreements from every member in the circle, it had been decided like a contract. Persephone was to spend half a year with the humans and the gods, and half a year with her lover in their home. She buried her face into Sehun's chest, tears of joy spilling onto his tunic as she embraced him once more until they meet again, and this time they had an agreed upon reunion. Sehun hugged her back, pressing kiss after kiss atop her head, eyes beginning to water from the overwhelming delight he felt. He glanced over to see Junmyeon smiling at the pair, fondly watching over them like a father.

"Thank you," Sehun mouthed to him. He nodded, following the rest of the group as they retreated back to Minseok's boat. Sehun went along with them, holding Persephone close to him as they took their final ride for the time being. Though Demeter grumbled away about how she now had to associate herself with Sehun more than she previously had, the whispered support from Baekhyun and Junmyeon was enough to firmly plant Sehun's feet on cloud 9. He had finally won something in his miserable life, he's finally achieved the one thing he had been requesting for years: happiness. Persephone traced the lines of his hand, ignoring her mother's prattling to bask in Sehun's ambience one last time as they finally pulled into shore. Sehun pulled her to her feet, helping her to descend from the boat and guiding her directly to the entrance where he could see the flurry of snow everyone had been fretting about. 

"I guess this is goodbye." She smiled up at him, wishing she could take him with her, but she knew he was busy with his own agenda. 

"For now." He added, squeezing her hands. He wrapped his arms around her, encasing her with a little bit more warmth before she'd have to leave him. "Stay safe. You get so terribly cold in the mornings." 

"I will be okay. Take care of yourself. Get sleep, eat your meals, lie under the Sun. Remember you have Cerberus who loves you as much as I." 

"Persephone!" Demeter called, already having ventured into the blizzard. Sehun dove down, pressing a quick, firm kiss to her before separating, allowing her to retreat from his grasp and wander into the abysmal white of the atmosphere. When they had all faded from his vision, he slowly turned around, heading back to Minseok to return to his now near empty home. Though rather than mourning as he had originally planned on doing, he was hopeful. 

"6 months." He reminded himself, stepping on the boat and staring back at the entrance where she had just stood. 

"I assume everything worked out for the best." Minseok noted. Sehun nodded, a small grin on his face as he gazed at the hand Persephone had been touching. "The queen shall return soon?" His heart skipped a beat at the referral of her technical title. As she was now Sehun's other, she was, of course, the Queen of the Underworld. It was fitting for her. Not in an ironic sense, taking into account that she was the bringer of life, but in a practical sense. She not only was a perfect fit for him, a paragon of what a partner should be in both a romantic and professional sense, but she understood the Underworld. She understood the duties Sehun had, the importance of keeping everything orderly, as well as offering true incentives for those who deserved it. She was right for him in every sense of the word. 

"Yes," Sehun responded, turning away from the entrance for now as Minseok sailed off. "She will return in due time."

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Baekhyun bounded off the skiff, Junmyeon following close behind as the two made their way through Sehun's island. By habit, they ignored his house, knowing he was rarely ever home these days. Instead, they approached the distant cottage belonging to Persephone. As expected, at the center of the patch of foliage lies Sehun, far too preoccupied staring at the daisies sprouting around him to notice the duo approaching. 

"Sehun!" Baekhyun called out, stopping at the edge of the small garden where the grass began. Last he had stepped on a singular blade of grass, Sehun nearly sent him to Tartarus himself, claiming he had been tarnishing Persephone's paradise. Sehun turned over, waving at the two men before standing. 

"You two have arrived early." Sehun took a final gander at the garden before reconvening with his two accomplices.

"But of course," Junmyeon responded, patting Sehun's back as they made their way to Minseok once more. "If we had delayed for even a second more, you'd have left us behind." 

"Perhaps."

Junmyeon and Baekhyun had become frequent visitors of Sehun's after the Persephone debacle. Baekhyun had been there for him during the beginning of her absence, when nights had become more agonizing than they've ever been, and the only source of water her garden would experience were from his tears. Baekhyun gave him company, offered him hope for when she would return, and reminded him that he no longer had to suffer the agonizing loneliness he had endured before. Eventually, Baekhyun became a package deal with Junmyeon tagging along with him.

The two naturally made up, Junmyeon apologizing for having abandoned him so early on. He regretted doing so, always thinking of his well being and feeling heartbroken upon every awful rumor which circulated about him. He praised Sehun for having chosen the perfect girl, and for remaining true to his character after all these years. It was simple to say that Junmyeon had become Sehun's brother once more. Another person he could rely on. 

Now here they were together, off to retrieve Persephone from Demeter's haven.

"How is Persephone managing?" Sehun inquired. Baekhyun hummed to himself and grinned.

"She's well." He answered. "She misses you dearly." 

Something Sehun had noticed through this 6 month drought was that his love for her never ceased. He had heard of many gods growing bored of their plaything before tossing it away, soon to be forgotten by the time the next interest arrives. He feared he and his love would lose the spark they had, now condemned to one another for life whether they liked it or not. However, that spark had all but bursted into an undying flame. His love for her seemed to grow by the day, his heart yearning to reunite once more. Oh, how he missed her. 

The road to Demeter's garden seemed to stretch as far as the eye can see, and Sehun groaned at the distance still separating them. Baekhyun and Junmyeon encouraged him to persevere, laughing as he stared indignantly at them. Along the way, they picked up a stray in their path. A certain god by the name of Jongin. 

"Sehun!" He greeted enthusiastically. "It's great to see you again! I'm glad to see our meets are becoming more frequent these days." 

"Do not feel as if you are receiving special treatment." He warned, pushing past him and continuing his trek. "I couldn't care less of our interactions."

"Oh, I realize that." He followed along closely, continuing his conversation even if Sehun was neglecting him. "Every soul on Earth has heard the captivating tale of Hades stealing away the daughter of Demeter and living happily ever after." 

"Grossly mistold, I'm assuming." 

"To an extent. Nevertheless, it has gained you both more intrigue from the humans."

Sehun swept his eyes across the landscape, no longer swept away by barricades of snow, but back to its original glory thanks to Persephone's inherent warmth and power. Even if he was made out to be the villain of the story, he was glad to see that Persephone was finally being acknowledged as she should. 

Demeter's garden had also returned to its original state. Sehun had heard of how barren it had become, though now was flourished with life of all kinds. Nymphs rushed to and fro, making last minute preparations for the winter to come. As he meandered through the chaos, the three gods trailing behind him, nymphs would greet him respectfully, bowing their heads as they whizzed by. If even he was being treated as such, he could only imagine how Persephone was.

As if having heard his thoughts, a yell jostled Sehun into high alert, turning around to see Persephone bounding at him, giving him a mere second to respond by catching her. She pressed kisses over his face, holding him tightly as to ensure he couldn't escape her. Not that he ever would. A content smile stretched across his face, accepting every kiss given to him. He ignored the sets of eyes staring at him, the taunts coming from his friends, and even the domineering aura of Demeter herself. 

"Sehun." She snided, still not fond of him at all. 

"Demeter." She looked to Persephone, still latched onto him like a leech before huffing out of her nose. 

"Take care." She attempted to turn around but stopped for a moment. "That is both yourself and my daughter." 

"Thank you." Sehun bid her farewell. She nodded at his response, turning to further instruct the nymphs on how to prepare the animals for hibernation. 

"Hello," Persephone gushed, pulling away and stepping back to admire him fully.

"Hello." The two laughed as they embraced each other, disregarding any need for a proper greeting. They were too ecstatic to be reunited once more. Sehun's heart swelled with joy as he held her, relief washing over him as if he had found an oasis in the midst of the desert. Even being so far from the Underworld, he felt right at home in her arms. 

"We'll leave you two to make up for lost time," Baekhyun whispered, pulling Junmyeon and Jongin away as they waved back to the two. Sehun faced Persephone again, grinning fondly at the familiar face which had occupied his mind everyday for the past 6 months. She was now here, materialized before him, no longer just a figment of his thoughts. She was as radiant as ever, outshining the Sun above them with her smile and the stars at night with her eyes. He was truly blessed to have such a being love him, all thanks to that day where she spared but a shred of the kindness in her heart to the likes of him. Perhaps he had fallen in love with her right then and there. Perhaps he learned how to truly love along the way.

He took her hand in his, guiding her away from the commotion of the garden and leading her down the road to the Underworld. 

"I missed you, Sehun," She noted as they walked. He glanced at her, meeting her gaze on his eyes with a snicker.

"I missed you more, Persephone."

"Mother changed my name." Sehun quirked a brow at this, boring her stoicism in the matter. "Kore. It means daughter." At this, Sehun scoffed in disbelief.

"That woman is insufferable. After everything she had put you through, all she could muster was 'daughter?'" 

"It's not so bad." She kicked a rock along the way, lips pulling back slightly as she thought of her mother. "At least she acknowledges me as her own rather than thinking of me as a disaster."

"Shall I begin referring to you as Kore?" She laughed, shaking her head at his question. 

"I... Like my name coming from you." Her hand slid away from grasp, wrapping her arms around his in a gentle hug. "You say Persephone with such love. It makes me forget the true meaning. Instead, I feel like someone I've always wanted to be." She rested her head on his bicep, shutting her eyes and letting him escort her to their home. "I feel free when I'm with you. Free to do whatever I want to do, be whoever I want to be, love whoever I want to love." He leaned over, kissing the top of her head endearingly. "Thank you for giving me the life I could never have dreamed of having." 

"Thank you for giving me life."

a/n: if youre reading this: congratulations! youve finished it! i cant offer you much, but i am impressed at your resilience! thank you for reading my stuff :)

[pesiko]

SEHUN ONESHOT RECS

M mature | ✿ personal favorite

Oh, Bartender - age gap, fwb?, messy relationship M [20k]

Of the Super and the Fantastic - superhero AU ✿ [12k]

Recovered Hearts - police officer OSH & ZYX, abuse [10k]

Blue Roses - part of Exordia Academy M [9.8k]

People You May Know - idol, pregnancy, grieving, angst [8k]

Meminerunt Omnia Amantes - alchemist, amnesia M [7.9k]

Moths to a Flame - still friends w ex husband Sehun [7.5k]

Low Side - biker OSH gets injured and you help him [7.5k]

Domestic - werewolf, soulmate, denial, no pillows [6.5k]

Heartstrings - drunk Sehun, ft Jooheon, angsty M [6k]

Jackpot - a night and accidental marriage in Vegas ✿ [4.7k]

Day One - you’re both late to Jongdae’s NYE party [3.6k]

Pretty Girl - biker AU, shitty mattress on the floor M ✿ [3.1k]

Part Timer - your new coworker sehun is annoying [3.1k]

Glamour - Sehun is unrecognized as an idol [3.1k]

You Drive Me Insane - coworkers, unspeakable kiss [2.8k]

Unexpected - sharing a room and watching anime M [2.5k]

A Step Across a Threshold - instragram wife, Paris [2.4k]

Inertia - best friends, college, ft PCY & KJI M [2.3k]

Cute Couple - running in the rain, hotel rooms [2.2k]

Too Shy to Admit It - bookstore summer job, frenemies [2k]

Take a Chance on Me - neighbors, play, daughter [1.9k]

It’s Gonna Be Forever - knight OSH, “marry me” [1.8k]

Rookie - you’re in charge of training rookie spy OSH [1.7k]

Patience is a Virtue - waiting to play xmas songs [1.5k]

Fortunately Intoxicated - noodle boy [1.5k]

Fall Apart (So You Can Put Me Together) - doctor [1.5k]

Fearless - airport mob incident, hotel room, ft PCY [1.5k]

Goodnight - work stress, sleeping on the couch [1.4k]

Hidden Truth - mafia AU, he goes missing for a month [1.4k]

Chocolate Ice Cream - Sehun’s son wanders off [1.2k]

Hidden - “who said I wasn’t attracted to you?”, party [1.1k]

Power Suit - “did you hear anything I just said?” [1k]

❥ SEHUN NAVI

[main masterlist] [exo masterlist] updated 4-3-21

[breakyeol]

Give Him a Show

Pairing: Sehun x Reader

Genre: college au, friends to lovers au, suggestive, tiny pinch of angst

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: strong language, fuckboy!chanyeol being an complete asshole, !!! themes of harassment (not with malicious intent but it’s still not okay) !!! , mentions of drinking and marijuana use, mild groping, heavy making out

A/N ; hey guys. I feel like there is a slightly more serious topic addressed in this one shot. never let a man or woman or anyone treat you the way Chanyeol treats reader in this. don’t be afraid to put your foot down and tell them to fuck off. and if you don’t feel comfortable doing it then ask a friend or family member or anyone you trust for help. please be safe and don’t be afraid to say no ♡ also! this one shot in NO WAY portrays Chanyeol’s true character!! we all know that he is a respectful gentleman in real life thank you and goodnight

It was too often that you found yourself in places like this, surrounded by people like them.

Places like this being an entirely too crowded apartment, the scent of weed and sweat intertwining in the air, the deep bass of a song pulsing from unseen speakers causing the floor to vibrate beneath your sneaker clad feet.

People like them being your so called ‘friends’ who partied every weekend and got shit faced or cross faded every time an opportunity presented itself.

Don’t get it wrong, you knew how to get down and dirty with the worst of them. But tonight had been one of those nights— one of those nights that all you wanted was to sprawl yourself out in your bed and binge watch Scream for the gazillionth time while stuffing your face full of all your favorite snack foods. It hadn’t been the best day in the world, and just being able to sit back and unwind seemed like the most ideal use of your free time.

Unfortunately, that plan was abruptly negated when your friends got the brilliant idea of partying until their legs gave out. They found it of the utmost importance to drag you along as well, claiming dramatically it had been forever since you last hung out with them.

Since the beginning of the night, you had been tucked into the corner of the room on one of the unoccupied couches, pretending to nurse the cup of god knows what kind of alcohol, and wearing your best resting bitch face in hopes that everyone would just stay the fuck away. Thus far, the strategy had been successful. If someone started coming in your direction, all you had to do was shoot them an icy glare and they’d immediately spin around and walk in the opposite direction.

Though, there was one particular person that seemed to be completely oblivious to your blatant disinterest in being here.

“Y/n!”

You grimaced at the familiar booming voice, reluctantly tearing your eyes off of the window where you’d been counting the lights of passing cars on the street bellow. The one and only Park Chanyeol stood before you, signature lopsided smirk plastered across his face.

You’d known Chanyeol since high school, but you really only knew each other because of your mutual friends. In all honesty, you didn’t consider him much more than a good acquaintance. He was a sweet guy, funny and bright and very outgoing.

But, he was also one of the biggest fuck boys you’d ever met. And he was not shy in displaying the fact that he had wanted to hook up with you, to the point where you couldn’t even pretend that it was just your ego. Not-so-subtly eye fucking you whenever you walked into the room, constantly pressing you about your ideal man or what kind of guy you were interested in, finding any and every excuse to be near you or touch you in one way or another. It was all a bit excessive, especially considering that you just weren’t interested in him like that. Unfortunately, he couldn’t seem to get the hint— or, he just didn’t care.

All his indirect advances made it a bit uncomfortable for you to be around him. That was another reason you’d been subtly avoiding hanging out with the big group of friends, because he was always there. And every time you weren’t, he’d text or call you about it and you’d have to make up an excuse as to why you didn’t show.

It wasn’t even like he actually liked you, either. All that he wanted was to snag a quick fuck.

You’d told him straight up on several occasions that you just were not interested, when his advances got too much for you to put up with. He’d lay off for the rest of the night, and if you were lucky the rest of the next day. But by the next, he’d be right back to his flirting and excessive touching. The dude was relentless.

And it was honestly getting a bit exhausting.

But for tonight, you smile politely and just deal.

“Hey, Chanyeol.”

“I’m surprised you came!” He said, voice louder than usual, falling onto the couch beside you like it was where he belonged. You tensed at the feeling of his thigh pressing firmly against yours, and attempted to scoot away from him, only to be stopped by the arm rest digging into your side.

Shit. Did he not know about personal space? More than likely he did, but just didn’t give a fuck.

You only offered a mild nod of your head in response, lips tight, body rigid. He should have been able to feel it with how tightly he’d pressed himself up against you, should’ve felt the tension in your muscles, the uneasiness rolling off of you thick, heavy waves. But he didn’t even flinch, tossing a nonchalant arm over the back of the couch behind your head. You curled in on yourself as his fingers feathered over your shoulder, the corner of your lip lifting in an uncontainable grimace.

“Yeah, me too.”

For whatever reason, the stiff, grumbled response coaxed a round of guffawing belly laughter from the boy squeezed against you. Personally, you didn’t think it was all that funny.

“Well, I, for one, am very glad you came. But why are you over here all by yourself?”

You shrugged, sinking your teeth into the inside of your lip and turning away from him, opting to give your attention to the lack of stars visible in the light polluted night sky. “Just... not in the mood for all this, I guess.” The empty reply was intended to cut this one sided conversation short as soon as possible.

“Then... do you wanna get out of here?” He whispered the question against the shell of your ear, and you couldn’t help the way you lurched away from him. His breath reeked of vodka, the scent so strong that you couldn’t help the way your nose wrinkled in disgust. One thorough look at him was all it took to confirm your suspicions. His cheeks were flushed a deep red, his hooded eyes unfocused and bloodshot.

“You’re wasted, Chanyeol.” You deadpanned, arms folding over your chest.

“What?! N– no I’m not!” You could clearly hear the faint slur of his words now, only solidifying your point further. He was thoroughly shit faced. And if you weren’t too off base, you thought you caught a whiff of weed clinging to his plaid button up. “I’m fine, y/n!” He insisted, apparently lucid enough to catch the look of disbelief that flashed across your face. A sober Chanyeol was one thing, but dealing with him while he was cross faded? That was above your qualifications as an acquaintance.

“Listen, let’s just go somewhere, yeah?” He hiccuped and you almost hissed as one of his hands fell on your knee, and quickly pushed it away. A faint downward twitch of his lips was the only indication he even noticed it had happened, before he was covering it up with a wide grin and leaning in closer. “I know this great pancake place, open 24/7, most delicious milkshakes you’ve ever had in your life. Then maybe afterward we could... chill at my place. What do you say?”

You knew damn well that just ‘chilling’ was nowhere near being on this man’s mind.

“I say you’re drunk and need to lay down and drink some water.”

“Come on, y/n~” He whined at your blunt reply, and your brows furrowed in distaste as he tugged you closer, only to leap into your hairline when you caught his hazy gaze slip down to your mouth. He bit his lip, eyes fluttering. Fuck. Fuck. Was he going to kiss you? Shit. You couldn’t let this happen. But as you pulled away, he pushed further, and all at once you found yourself trapped against the wall. Fuck!

“I—!”

“Chanyeol.” Both yours and Chanyeol’s head turned, surprised by the sudden interruption. A soft breath of relief escaped your lips, though you also felt the familiar tug of embarrassment in the pit of your stomach.

“Sehun?” He mumbled, blinking in confusion.

“You’re fucked up, Chanyeol. Go drink some water.” The younger boy huffed, rolling his eyes.

“But I—”

“Seriously go, Chanyeol. Before you do something you regret when you sober up.” The exasperation in his voice brought a faint glower across Chanyeol’s face, but, to your relief, he pulled away. You watched with pursed lips as he stood on shaky legs and stumbled past his younger friend, roughly bumping his shoulder as he went.

“Fuck.” You cursed once he was out of ear shot, rubbing your palms over your face, frustration peeking.

When you looked up, Sehun was still standing there in his stupid leather jacket and ripped back jeans with his stupid black hair that fell perfectly over his annoyingly handsome face, pretty eyes narrowed into slits and focused sharply on you. You hated it when he looked like you like that. Hated the way your skin burned and your heart sped up in your chest. Hated the way your stomach stirred with butterflies. You hated it. But at the same time…

“What?” You sighed, grimacing at the faint quiver in your voice.

Sehun folded his arms over his chest. “You don’t have to put up with it, you know.”

“What?”

“It’s so obvious that you’re uncomfortable. Why don’t you just tell him to fuck off?” He asked, shifting his weight onto one hip.

“I have.” You groaned. “I’ve told him I’m not interested. He lets up for a bit but then he goes right back to pulling his usual shit.” You tried to explain, face twisting in irritation.

“Have you told him to go fuck himself?”

“Not in those words, exactly.” You admitted, rubbing at the back of your neck.

“Why not?”

“Isn’t it a bit mean? He’s an asshole but I don’t want to hurt his feelings or something...”

“Why the fuck should you care about his feelings when he refuses to consider yours?”

He wasn’t wrong.

Then again, Sehun is rarely wrong when it came down to things like that.

Even though he was the youngest, he always seemed to carry this strange sort of wisdom. He saw and understood things in ways your other friends, in ways most people just didn’t. He took the time to try and see deeper than most cared to look. You had always respected that about him.

While your other friends egged Chanyeol on, pushing you to get with him, Sehun saw past the fake smiles and forced laughter. He saw just how uncomfortable you really were. And he spoke up about it when he saw it going a bit too far. When Chanyeol got too touchy or too bold, he was usually the one to smack him upside the head and tell him to back off or pull you away. He was good like that. And it was nice to know that someone knew and was actually on your side.

Sehun had been a fixture in your friend group since high school. You hadn’t been very close to him at first because he was more on the quiet side and didn’t go out of his way to talk to you. Not to mention, the kid was intimidating as hell with all his leather jackets and ripped jeans and sharp, penetrating eyes.

Put bluntly, he scared the shit out of you the first time you met him. But then you saw him smile for the first time, saw the sweet blush that coated his cheeks when the older boys teased him, heard that goofy, high pitched laugh that rang like the loveliest bells in your ears, felt that unfamiliar fluttering in your chest. And you knew that you were done for.

The two of you hung out a lot in your freshman year of college, going on late night drives and blasting music and just living. For a while you thought that maybe— just maybe there was something there. A spark. A chance.

But he never made a move, and neither did you. Then there was Chanyeol and his flirting and annoyingly persistent determination to fuck you. Things got complicated and nothing ever ended up happening between the two of you. You thought you’d at least keep up the same momentum in your relationship, but Sehun started pulling away from you. His late night visits became less frequent, his texts dwindling to almost nonexistent, and his presence in your life becoming less and less every day. It hurt. But what the hell were you going to do about it? It was frustrating at first, but you got over it.

... kind of.

... not really.

That’s besides the point.

When you didn’t answer, Sehun sighed, taking a few tentative steps before dropping onto the couch beside you. You weren’t too sure how to feel about the space he left between you. It almost felt representative of the distance that had grown between the two of you in the past year. You didn’t like it.

“It’s not cool what he’s doing to you, you know that, right?” He asked, tilting his head at you. Concern shone through his gentle eyes, uncertainty. You couldn’t ignore the way your chest warmed at the thought that he cared. He cared about you, about your feelings. He cared, and you couldn’t begin to describe the immense joy that ignited inside of you. But you bit your lip to keep from smiling, to keep from sighing blissfully and melting into the familiar comfort of his presence brought you. The seriousness in his gaze kept you upright and alert, the topic at hand pulling you down from the brief high and you nodded gently.

“Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

Sehun pursed his lips, a thoughtful candescence falling over his handsome features. “I’ve known Chanyeol for a long time. He’s not a bad guy, but he is a fucking idiot and doesn’t always realize when he’s being a fucking idiot so sometimes you just gotta slap him in the face and tell him straight up to get his shit together. And he will.”

Just then, you spotted Chanyeol sauntering out of the kitchen, a water bottle gripped in his hand, a hazy kind of smirk on his face. You watched him toss an arm around Minseok’s shoulder and whisper something in his ear, tipping his head in your direction.

“You want him to back off?” You flinched at the unexpected closeness of Sehun’s voice, and made the mistake of turning to face him. He was close. So close. Close enough to count his eyelashes if you wanted. Close enough to see the faded pink of the scar on his cheek. Close enough to smell the subtle wisp of his earthy cologne. Close enough to feel the heat radiating off his skin. Your heart began thundering violently in your chest, a blazing heat blossoming beneath your skin.

“Yeah.” The word came out as less than a breathless whisper. You didn’t miss the way his eyes flashed down to your lips, before quickly snapping back up to your eyes, searching them with a tenderness that made your heart throb.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” There wasn’t a moment of hesitation, not the faintest hint of uncertainty. It was the truth. You trusted him.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye, and you followed his gaze to find Chanyeol standing across the room staring intently in your direction with brows furrowed. Gentle fingers pressing into the curve of your jaw drew your attention back to the man sitting in front of you. Ever so slightly, he tipped his face closer, his nose nudging against yours. Shallow, insufficient inhales swirled in your lungs as your eyes fluttered, utterly overwhelmed by the mere closeness of him.

“Then follow my lead.”

His lips met yours with a gentleness you weren’t entirely prepared for. They were light and cautious, waiting to see whether you’d push him off or pull him in. He let out a soft breath of relief at the feeling of your hand curling around the back of his neck, urging him closer. In an instant, he relinquished his restrains, melting into the warm pressure of your lips as you simultaneously melted into his.

You’ve experienced your fair share of kisses in the past. But something about this one — whether it was the slow, deep pace of it, or the lingering presence of ring clad fingers tracing the length of your throat, or the mere fact that it was with Oh Sehun, the boy that could set your heart ablaze with a single smile — there was just something about this kiss.

When he pulled away, you could still feel the phantom warmth, tingling on your skin. You refused to open your eyes, trying to keep the sensation alive as long as possible.

“Is that alright?”

Finally, you looked at him. And god, had you ever seen a man so beautiful? His cheeks were flushed a soft, endearing pink, deep chocolate eyes hooded and melting, lips just a touch darker in shade then they had been before. You were so awestruck by him that it took you an extra moment to realize that he’d asked you a question.

You nodded, tightening your hold around his neck in order to pull him closer and breathe the word into his open mouth before closing the distance completely, “Yes.”

Immediately following your consent, any and all of Sehun’s lingering reservations vanished. His hands dropped away from your neck, one coiling tightly around the curve of your waist and flattening against the small of your back, the other gripping your jean clad thigh and tugging it gentle over his lap. The new position ignited a dangerously familiar heat in the pit of your stomach, that quickly began to swell into something large and uncontainable, spurred by the delicious pressure of his fingers and skilled movements of his lips.

He groaned deeply as you tugged at his hair, silky tendrils clenched in a tight fist. The sound resonated through your body, vibrating in your chest and shooting straight down to your growing arousal.

“Fuck that was sexy.”

A low chuckle rumbled in his throat and you realized with an embarrassed flush that you’d said that out loud. But the buzz of nerve was quickly soothed when he mumbled breathlessly, “right back atcha.”

He emphasized his point by sinking his teeth into the sensitive flesh of your lower lip and tugging, eliciting a low, drawn out moan from the depths of your chest. Smooth flicks of his tongue soothed the afflicted skin, before he asked for permission to enter, not waiting a single moment to dive in when it was granted.

Feeling the burn of someone’s stare, your eyes flicked open for a moment, sliding lazily over to where Chanyeol still stood, seemingly rooted into the spot. His eyes were wide, lips gaping, cheeks flushed, though you couldn’t tell if it was from the alcoholic something else entirely. The grip he had on his water bottle had tightened substantial, and you couldn’t help the mild smugness that washed over you.

Without breaking to kiss, you kept your gaze on Chanyeol, making sure he was watching as you slid a hand around the front of Sehun’s throat, and captured his tongue between your lips, sucking gently. If possible, his mouth fell open even wider, eyes looking ready to pop out of his damn skull. Smirking to yourself, you cocked a brow at the gaping man. He visibly swallowed, before his eyes suddenly snapped down. You followed his gaze curiously and nearly scoffed in disbelief.

Of course he’d get a hard on from watching something like this. Nasty fucker.

“He still watching?” Sehun mumbled, detaching his mouth from yours only long enough to get the words out. You hummed softly in confirmation, shivering when you felt the slow upward curl of his lips. “Good. Let’s give him a show.”

In an instant, Sehun pulled you over to straddle his lap. Warm hands roamed over your body, though careful to keep a respectful distance from anything he thought you might not want him touching. You appreciated the sentiment, but with Sehun? You didn’t need respectful.

The younger boy faltered beneath you, chest swelling with a deep inhale when you reached around to grab hold of his wrists and slowly lowered them to the swells of your ass. He groaned roughly, fingers digging greedily into the jean clad flesh and pulling you flush against him.

You gasped when you felt him beneath you, hot and hard right between your hips. The rough friction made you clench and shudder, wetness spilling from your core and soaking through your panties. You probably should have been concerned about the heavy arousal seeping through the thick material of your jeans, but your mind was too far gone in the intoxicating warmth of his kiss that you couldn’t bring yourself to care.

“Fuck, Sehun.” You hissed, hips rolling hungrily over his.

“Baby.” He purred in response, and you swear you nearly had a fucking aneurism on the spot. Baby. Baby. Oh Sehun just called you baby. How long had you waited to hear him call you that? Too fucking long.

A desperate whimper pulsed from your throat, so entirely unlike you that it took even you by surprise. He didn’t seem to mind, pulling you so tightly against him that your ribs ached. But the pain was welcome, melting into a delicious cocktail with the fierce pleasure pulsing through your every cell.

“I don’t think he’s watching anymore.” Sehun breathed, glancing over your shoulder.

“I don’t care.”

You weren’t concerned about Chanyeol any more, far more focused on how Sehun’s lips tasted like mint and honey, and not like alcohol. The fact that he hadn’t drank made you feel even better, if that were possible.

Honest to god you probably would have fucked him right then and there on that couch in front of everyone (and felt damn good about it too) if not for the gentle pressure of Sehun’s fingers digging into your rolling hips, forcing their slow grinding to come to an abrupt halt. You pulled away from him then, completely out of breath and more turned on than you’d been in your entire life. Sehun was in a similar state, panting and flushed, damn near throbbing in the tight confines of his sexy ripped jeans.

“What is it?” You asked, still panting.

He shot you a lopsided grin. “As much as I would love to fuck your brains out in front of all these self centered assholes...” a hand drifted up the line of your body, delicate fingers following the cut of your jaw to trace over the seam of your bottom lip. “I think I’d prefer our first time together to be somewhere a bit more… private? Intimate? Somewhere I can treat you how you deserve to be treated.”

Your heart fluttered in your chest, warmth spreading through your body in thick, invigorating waves.

“What’d you have in mind?” You asked softly, feathering your lips over his. He smiled.

“I know this great pancake place that’s open 24/7, best milkshakes you’ve ever had. Then maybe afterward we could... chill at my place. What do you say?” Laughter bubbled at your lips as he mimicked the same line Chanyeol had used on you earlier with a cheesy grin.

And yet, the feeling was entirely different.

Sucking your lips into your mouth, you nodded shyly, arms going slack over his broad shoulders.

“Only if you’re paying.” You hummed playfully.

“Fine,” he sighed dramatically, “I’ll make an exception to my ‘seniors always pay rule’ just this once. Only for you.”

Only for you.

You could definitely get used to that.

[louisatfanfics]

Sinopse: Viver em um bairro afastado de Seul e rodeado de histórias não esclarecidas fez com que os jovens do local criassem um vínculo com a lua cheia e que em todas as noites que ela brilha no céu, se reúnam em uma casa abandonada, na última rua do bairro onde contam histórias de terror. Mas, o que eles não sabiam é que por trás das histórias tenebrosas, há uma realidade e que lobisomens tem uma mordida transformadora. Park Chanyeol e Oh Sehun sofrem as consequências de suas ações, um é transformado e o outro é caçador.

LINK DA FANFIC: https://www.spiritfanfiction.com/historia/a-transformacao-sob-a-lua-23865530

[cosmiclatte28]

Over Cups of Coffees (Sehun x reader)

warning : fluff! flirty sehun! 

enjoy! 

"One ice Americano," the tall guy with ominous aura places his order, for a second the café suddenly feels frozen. He looks and sounds cold, but once he steps into the counter in front of you, you feel the blazing sun of summer, the cute shy smile, and a gentle stare.

"One Americano, less ice?" you question him even when you remember his order nicely in the back of your mind.

The man across you smiles, "You remember?"

You smirk, deep inside your heart you wonder how one could forget if thats the only thing he orders in every single visit.

You take his card, swipe the bill, and rush to brew his cold coffee.

Ever since the cold and hot man enters that door last week, you quickly fell for his demeanor aura. You learn his name when he ordered his first cup of coffee in a bubble tea shop. Though you find it weird why he bought coffee when you guys are known for bubble teas, you did not reject his orders; you even wished with all your heart he will be a regular here.

"One ice Americano coffee to go, for Mr. Sehun," you scream out his name, and when he walks to take the bag, your hand swiftly drops in a piece of cookie inside the paper bag. He saw you and almost say you misplaced an order, but your whisper silence him.

"Its a complementary," You panicked, "Special for the customer who has the queuing number 100."

You see him smile and you hear your coworker stifling a laugh.

"Thank you," Sehun smiles and nods his head as he takes his order, "Thank you, see you!"

He leaves the counter with his expressionless face and your shift continues. You take more orders from other customers.

One of your coworker nudges you when the rush hour is over, and the café is a bit empty. "What was that, did you put in your number on the cookie earlier?" the elf-eared tall man teases you.

You blush, when your mind teases you back with the phrase Sehun said before he left.

"Stop it Chanyeol, I did not drop my number in it. Seriously, I just wanted to treat him a cookie, whats wrong with it?" You shrug your shoulder and choose to leave to take a short break. Well, secretly you scream out of joy when you reach the storage room. Sehun, the man who creates butterflies in your stomach is slowly recognizing you.

The next day, your shift starts and as time ticks by, your heart beats faster as you expect the presence of Sehun. He shows up in his regular time, with his regular cold face just that today he looks a bit tired and annoyed. You pull up your textbook-smile and try your best to control your heating face.

"Welcome, Is it another usual menu, or are you interested in trying todays special menu?" You flash a concern look to him. He catches your attention and runs his eyes through the menu. He sighs and inserts his hands into his pockets.

"Do you have any recommendation for a bad day?"

You nod in a second, "Are you okay with Chocolates?" he nods, you type in a menu and he seems to agree with what you call 'House favorite chocolate bomb bubble tea'

Sehun hands you his card and surprises you when he asks for a table number. He brings his number and sits on the corner, the secluded chair near the windows.

You are quite surprise, he never dines inside. With a question mark in your mind, you prepare his drink and once again sneak in another slice of red velvet cake. Chanyeol catches you again and smiles widely while wriggling his brow, "Go, and take that order to his table. Let me take over the cashier and orders."

You thank him and after tidying your appearance, you deliver the drink and cake to the man sitting alone and lost in his thoughts.

"Here's your drink, and I bring you a cake to cheer you up." You move the drink and cake from your tray to his table.

Sehun's cold façade melts away when he sees the red cake and your sweet attention, "Wow! Am I the 100th customer again today?" He laughs at his own words. You feel like melting into a puddle right then and there.

He takes his time enjoying the cake and reviving his mood with your special brew, you are once again busy behind the counter and running over making different orders of drinks. You can still see Sehun from several quick glances, and that is enough to make you energized until your shift end.

After 10 minutes, the tall man in suit fleets from his chair and queue into the line in front of me. You are perplexed when he shows up again with his shy smile,"I'm here to pay the red velvet and I want the cookies you gave me yesterday. I want two of them, all packed to go." You swipe his payment only for the cookies, the red velvet is from you.

"For someone?" You ask when you take out two fresh baked cookies and wrap them nicely inside a bag.

Sehun shakes his head, "It's for me, and Im working overnight today. The cookies will be my acquaintance tonight."

"Have strength! Good luck," you send him off with a wave of hand.

Thats the last time you ever see him. For a good one week, you never see his nose. Chanyeol teases you repeatedly for waiting and hoping like a fool, but you shush him off. One week feels like a month and the nosey customers really drain your energy.

One night when Chanyeol is already mopping the floor and you're already turning over the chairs, the door opens and a young man in a tidy suit surprises both of you. Chanyeol glances at the door sign; it clearly is turned over already, why is he here.

"Sorry, are you closed already?" the man you missed for one week questions the two of you.

You quickly leave your current work and take over the counter, "No, we can make it work for you. We still have 5 minutes to the closing hour, but feel free to take your time."

"Usual order?" You ask while turning on the brewer and cashier, Sehun nods then take a seat at one of the table you haven't turn over.

Chanyeol bids you goodbye after his mopping is done, and you're left alone with Sehun.

"Please make yourself a drink, can you sit with me for a while tonight? Drinks are on me." he sounds hopeful.

You take his invitation, making yourself a cup of warm coffee. You carry the dark liquids and a plate of cake from the storage.

You take your seat across him, he has his coat off already and he looks breathtaking in his white shirt and loosen tie. He is busy with his cold drink, and you preoccupied your nerves with the warm caffeine. Your heart is almost bursting out of joy, here in front of you the man you crushed, you finally get the chance to sit alone with him only. You don't care what your boss will do to you, if he ever finds out about this.

Sehun picks the fork and pokes the cake, "What is this?"

You snap from your daydream, "Oh, thats a new menu. A rainbow cake, were going to release them tomorrow." He raises his brow in curiosity,

"Each color has different flavor. Please try them." You look at him expectantly when he takes the red part into his mouth. He savors the taste, munches, pokes into the next color, tastes them and when he reaches the 7th color he finally makes his comment.

"Hmm it's cool, a nice idea! It also tastes good. I am sure buying this again." Sehun's eyes brighten and he gulps down his coffee to clean his palettes.

"(y/n)," Sehun surprises you by calling your name. You almost ask where did he learn your name, but you realize you wear name tags every day. "Thank you for opening the café for me, and thank you for sitting here with me tonight."

You shake your head and hands, "No, it's not a problem Sehun. Besides, I can probably help you if you need someone to talk and share stories too. Only if you're willing too," You panicked.

Sehun thinks for a quick second and smirk, "You're probably right. I need to share what's bothering my mind. Great idea!"

It sure is a great idea for Sehun, but not for you. Sehun has just finished his story about his break up with his so called girlfriend he loved dearly. You are actually surprised to find out he has been dating for one year and got dumped last week, because poor Sehun caught her kissing another man in the park. She chose the other guy over him. Sehun concludes that he's now traumatized and he will be staying away from falling in love for a moment. He is hurt, and he doesnt want to fall in love now.

You made a mental note about this, and continue to talk about more things. As the night deepens, the cake vanished, and the coffees finished, you learn each others hobbies and favorite singers.

Sehun helps you clean up the table and turning over the chair. He drops in extra tips into the jar, then he waits for you outside as you turn off all of the machines, lights, and lock the door.

"Thank you for listening to me tonight," Sehun bashfully looks into his shoes.

"Its nothing big, Im happy if youre feeling better now. So, good night Sehun," you wave your hand to him when your bus arrives. He waves his hand back at you and descends into his car.

After that night, you remember his words where he did not want to fall in love yet. That morning, you ensure your heart that the feeling must stop. You ask Chanyeol to switch with you and take over the cashier. You choose to work in the kitchen with your other coworker, Baekhyun. You're not going to fall more into Sehun, no you need to stop before you hurt yourself.

You tell Baekhyun why you're here now and the cheerful man just pats your back, "Aw, you're burying a feeling. It's okay you still have me and Chanyeol. We're both still free and available for blind dates." He winks and succeeds in cheering you up.

Weeks passed by, you work in nice union with Baekhyun baking cakes, and preparing bobas. Your life is bright again even without seeing Sehun, until one day Chanyeol barges into the kitchen and smirks, "(y/n), he's here and he wants to see you. I can't hold it anymore, I've been telling him lies that you're not here anymore, but turns out he saw you and he wants to see you!" today.

"Who?" Baekhyun asks

You freeze in your place, is it really the same man you're thinking of?

Chanyeol sees your reaction, "You want me to shoo him off?"

You shake your head, Chanyeol suddenly remembers something, "Ah yeah, he told me to tell you this. He's ready to try it again. I don't know what he means but he told me to deliver that message to you." Your eyes widen and you turn your body to exit the kitchen door, leaving the two men puzzled.

You quickly run your eyes through the customers inside the small café, but he's not there. Your eyes catch him leaving the door with a glass of Americano in his right hand and a small pack of cookies on his left.

You did not meet him yet, but you know when you will see him again.

Thats right, tomorrow.

The last rays of sun lights are slowly fading off, the sky is beautifully painted orange and purple. You tighten the apron over your waist and with the textbook smile youre taking in orders and payments once again.

"Good afternoon, what can I help you with? Maybe a special menu today? Rainbow bubble tea made especially for you." You wink at the man in front of your cashier counter.

He chuckles, "I'd take that as a yes, if you're going to sit with me in that table at the corner."

You blush and punch in his order, "That means youre having Americano today, because I am not free until my shift ends at 9."

He glances at his watch, "Three hours is nothing compared to a week. Please add a slice of rainbow cake too! I am waiting for my date until 9 tonight." He offers you his deadly smile, and you cannot feel your legs.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun heard everything, when Sehun goes away to his chair; the two men take their cue to mess with you.

"What do you want for a drink? Let me prepare it for you." Chanyeol takes over the cup in my hand and makes the order.

"Of course strawberry boba, right?" Baekhyun winks and walks to take a slice of rainbow cake and cheese cake.

"You love my cheese cakes right? Now, go sit with him and we will take over your part." Baekhyun unties your apron and pushes you to Sehun's table direction.

What? you're surprised with the sudden situation.

"Go get your love, good luck!" the two men unite and push you into his direction. Sehun turns his head and sees you walking to him. He smiles and gets up to pull out your chair.

"Guess this is it, I don't have to wait for three hours by myself, and my date is here already."

[sooibian]

Paragons of Virtue

image from pinterest

🚸 pairing: sehun x fem!reader

🚸 description: “the dog ate my homework!”

🚸 themes: innocence, friendship, fluff

🚸 au: childhood au

🚸 word count: + 1.7k

🚸 a/n: the EXOs are 12 year olds! no, really. in this universe they are! this one-shot kicks off the ‘Back To School With EXO’ series of drabbles/one-shots for all individual members. hope you enjoy!!! @is-that-baekhyuns-shirt​ you have the craziest elementary school stories! thank you so much for sharing

_______________________________________________

Your parents never ‘mistakenly shred your homework to bits just to show you how a paper shredder worked'. Neither did your homework ever ‘blow away in the wind while you were walking to school’. Because a: you hardly ever walked to school - your mother drove you everyday and b: your worksheets were always neatly stacked and sealed in shiny new folders (you’d even devised a foolproof method of avoiding unsightly smudges of fingerprints on the transparent ones). If academic learning was your one true love, simple but highly functional stationery was a close second - colour coded writing equipment, neutral notebooks (the ones with animated characters were a guilty pleasure), even your year old geometry tools were as good as new. 

A stringent schedule did now allow for any embarrassing dents, cracks, or cavities wherein lived the perennial ‘I did not have the time for homework’ excuse. Come hell or high water, you were always at the top of your game.

Additionally, your greyhound was a well-behaved, not-so-little fella, so the dog never ‘ate your homework’ 

….until he did. His choice of breakfast this morning was your Geography worksheet. Ravenous, he obliterated your hours of work in a matter of seconds. You fought tooth and nail to salvage it but his grasp on the paper was ridiculously strong. 

So just like that, all of your hard work was reduced to shreds of chewed-on paper. 

If there was one thing worse than ditching school, it was turning up without having the homework done. So you clutched your stomach with clasped hands and cried wolf, “Mom, my tummy hurts! I don’t think I can go to school today!”  Just then the corner of your mouth twitched ever so slightly and her keen eyes didn’t miss the movement. 

This awfully weird sudden convulsion happened every time you told a lie. 

Stupid twitchy mouth was a dead giveaway. 

The car ride to school, although a short one, felt like an eternity. Mother told you a story about a gardener boy who became king only because he told the truth. But you were no gardener boy! And you didn’t even want to be a king --- queen! All you wanted to do was to lie low and maintain your grades (and a spotlessly bright impression in the staff room - like a shiny new pencil holder, or a stainless steel writing pad). 

The wall clock loomed over the green chalkboard, ticking away frighteningly. If you told your mother about your tummy ache now, your mouth wouldn’t twitch.

The bell rang. Your heart sank.

It was time for the short ten minute break.

Feeling helpless, you put your head down on the desk only to be startled by a sudden tap on your shoulder. A lanky boy stood blinking at you, his eyes covered with unruly bangs and lips stretched into a rationed grin. 

It was the science teacher’s son - Oh Sehun. 

Vacantly, you blinked back - hands still folded upon the desk, posture crouched  somewhere in between sitting up straight and spiralling back into the comforting state of denial.  

You wonder how he manages to read at all with a vision obstructed by a cloud of black frizz. 

You’ve never bothered about Oh Sehun before (or anyone else for that matter), except for the one scarring thing you’d once witnessed him doing - truth be told it had left you a little concerned. It was really stormy one day after school and the grounds were empty. You’d stayed back to complete an assignment and he was  probably waiting for his mother to wrap up her teacherly duties. 

The wind motioned in circles, swirling dry leaves and whatever else it could muster in its rotations. Oh Sehun stood in the middle of this ‘mini-typhoon’. Hands outstretched, mouth open, eyes shut, eyebrows raised, head thrown back toward the dark skies, he pronounced, “I am the God of Wind! Bow before me you lesser mortals!”, to absolutely...no one.

He’s blissfully unaware that you’ve been witness to his indignity and you’d like to keep it that way. For one, he’s always stood second in class and never vied for your top spot (his consistency, you think, is commendable) and secondly - and most importantly - he is the son of an authority figure.

The boy's still hovering. Shifting his mingy weight from one foot to the other. Despite your inner turmoil, you plaster a polite smile onto your face and ask, “Can I help you with something?”

“No, but I think I can?” grin still rationed, eyes still clouded, uninvited he takes the empty seat to your left.  

“You can what..?” Your eyes follow his frame as he parks his bony bottom on the worn out wooden bench.

“Help you with something? There’s obviously something wrong with you today.” He rests his chin in his flattened palm and purses his lips. Blinking.

Am I that obvious? You have an indescribable urge to shake his hair out of his eyes - to get an idea of what he’s thinking exactly.

“What makes you think there’s something wrong with me?”

Moon Taeil, the class rep, is dusting the chalkboard clean for Geography but you know his ears are on your conversation.

“Your hand didn’t shoot up once during any of the lessons today...are you okay? Do you need to go to the nurse’s room?”

Your face flushes out of embarrassment and this is….an invasion of privacy. This scrawny boy is making you uncomfortable. But you know that you could use a friend right now. Is this what friends do? Share embarrassing secrets?

“I didn’t do my Geography homework”, you start and beneath the mop of hair you notice his eyebrows skyrocket to his hairline so you hurriedly explain, “I mean, I did the homework but...”

Blink. Blink.

“My dog ate it”, your hand slides down the pocket of your skirt and you pull out shreds of paper.

You fully expect Sehun to laugh, but he doesn’t. Instead he raises his twig-like index finger and says, “Wait.”

He dashes out and returns with his backpack dangling down one shoulder and slumps back into the seat to your left. He takes out a spotless transparent folder and hands it to you.

It’s his Geography worksheet.

“There’s no way I’m copying this! I, obviously, can’t now...Madam Park will be here in like, five minutes.” You’re mortified at your desperation.

“I want you to have it. Also, Madam Park is on leave today onwards since she’s going to have a baby and all that... A new teacher is coming in who, obviously, won’t know what your handwriting is like. You can submit my worksheet instead.”

“A new teacher?” Your mouth goes dry, completely aware of how important first impressions are.

He nods.

“But why?” You notice he’s left the space given for personal details blank.

“Loyalty.”

Eyes narrowed, you shrug, utterly bewildered.

“Toward my classmates. We’re all friends first. And if this is so important to you, you can have my worksheet.”

He can’t be serious (or not serious)! 

“Are you some sort of a “Homework Peddler”? Won’t people take advantage of your -” generosity, you wanted to say, “of--of you?”

“I’m not stupid, A+...I have a system.” He relaxes into the chair and you can practically see the ‘bow-before-me-you-lesser-mortals’ aura around him. 

Students are trickling back in and you’ve consciously kept the cruel clock out of your sight. Sehun doesn’t go back to his seat, instead he settles besides you.

I don’t want to be queen.

“What’s that?” He quips.

With the corner of your mouth twitching again, your gaze drops. You take the sheet from his hands and gently put it down between your outstretched arms on the desk, “Nothing...thank you.”

His lips curl upward. Faintly.

The after-break cacophony dies down as the new teacher introduces herself as Madam Jung.

In exchange for her introduction, she wants all of yours. So to submit worksheets, she individually invites every student before the class to introduce, and to say one good thing about themselves. 

She starts from the row to your right and your stomach clenches.

One good thing? I am incapable of making friends. I am careless about my homework. There’s nothing good about me! 

Your eyes flit between Sehun (who is annoyingly unperturbed) and the worksheet which boasts of his loyalty and illegible chicken scratch.

When you realise it’s your turn next, you glance over at Sehun one last time (who is now twirling a pen between his fingers). He feels your eyes on him and catches your worried gaze and nods as if to say that it’s okay.

Feeling yet another telltale convulsion rise, you quickly scribble into the personal details space as Moon Taeil drones on about his fourth “good quality” and Madam Jung seems mighty impressed.

Before stepping in front of the class, you shove the worksheet back into Sehun’s hands. He first gapes at it which has his own name written on it and then at you - your surprisingly confident stance. Chin up, shoulders back, although your breathing is a little heavy.

Madam Jung encourages you with a motherly smile and you return it.

After introducing yourself you say, “I don’t think I have any impressive qualities, dear friends”, from the corner of your eye, you catch Sehun intently studying your face, “unlike some of you here who are complete embodiments of friendship and loyalty...”, you nod in Sehun’s direction. His wide grin makes his eyes crinkle. He sticks his tongue out and sinks into his seat, making himself tinier. 

“...but I’d like to think of myself as an honest person and, Madam Jung, I hope you’ll believe me when I say that my dog...” a now wide-eyed Sehun is shaking his head furiously, “ate my homework.”

You produce scraps - a week’s worth of toil - and lay them on Madam Jung’s desk, and the class erupts in laughter. Pursing your lips, your eyes catch Sehun’s who wordlessly encourages you to laugh along. 

Shoulders relaxed, you look at your classmates with an inexplicable sense of achievement. The kind Madam Jung chuckles, shaking her head and patting your back and your new friend (you dearly hope you can call him that now) - Oh Sehun - stands up amidst the cheerful ruckus, applauding you.

[fullmindlady]

"Sometimes I wish I could have you like this..." - I think to myself. "Calm, alone and with that pink aura of love."

I think to myself,

I wish you'd look at me with that face. The same that stares at the drowning sun with trust and no worries, knowing that it'll come back by the morning.

I would.

I wish I could touch your jaw and say with my eyes, those that insists to shine everytime they see you - that you dont need to worry, indeed. I'm yours. And you're mine.

Are you?

But I'd still protect you, like the waves protect the sand, the paper protects the feelings e a hug protects the love.

Like the sun, that makes the moon shine just because, at night, she looks gorgeous and make the wolves howl.

But you don't listen to it. Maybe because the waves are louder than my weak heart.

...

By me, to Kim Jongin.

[idreamtofthereaper]

July 3, 2020

an: inspired by the exo_sc drunk ig live

--

You groan in frustration as you watched the snippets of SC's IG live last night through twitter, reading the tweets of fans that found the entire ordeal hilarious. 

To be fair it was, and you would definitely be laughing along if you weren't in charge of them. You left them alone last night after they said they're just going to get a couple of drinks, and you thought they were responsible enough to not go live intoxicated AND spoil the entire album before giving SM a shoutout. 

The chairs beside you was pulled back and when you lifted your head, you were met with last night's culprits. You lean back and cross your arms as you glare at them. "Got anything to say?" 

"What did the boss people said." Chanyeol asked lowly, signs of hangover still evident as he pick up the water bottle and took a slow sip. 

Sehun beside you didn't look any better as he have his hood up and is staring from afar, he even looks like he's about to fall asleep. 

"They're talking to each other and they're going to call me in later." Chanyeol nodded at your stern words, though it was barely a nod as he still doesn't want to move that much. 

"Sorry, noona" Sehun mumbled, eyes dropping. 

It was 7 in the morning and nobody else was in the cafeteria besides the three of you, so when a staff came in he just called you from the door. "Yn, you're up." 

You replied by a simple nod as you took your phone with you, already half way to the cafeteria when you look back at the Two of them. "Junmyeon will hear about this."  A groan filling up the room as you left.