#ravens is one of the most heartbreaking fics ever. like. i cannot stress how heartbreaking of a fic it is.

[flebdoodle]

World's End

I still can't get over this fic AKA, Echoes back at it again Quote and close-ups under the cut :]

"...And we… we had stars. Sort of. A billion Overworld servers, so far away they might as well have been stars. And then, at the end of the year, they would fall behind the edge of the universe. World’s End.” A long moment passes. “Okay,” Skizz says. “You can’t just say things like that and not explain.��Fall behind the edge of the universe?” “Sort of like an eclipse,” you say. “Bigger than any server or star or planet, though. It would blot out the whole sky, and we’d light every candle and lantern, string them from every surface until it looked like the islands themselves were the stars.” You have to stop and try to clear the lump from your throat, though it seems the ability to swallow has suddenly escaped you. “I could see Helleath all the way from Lioneth on World’s End.”

^This building, the one I'm pointing directly at, is what I was thinking to be Helleath :D

[goodnightkisseu]

Chae Hyungwon - Love Contract

→ pairing: hyungwon x reader

→ genre: angst(?), demon!au

→ word count: 5514

→ warnings: a couple of curses and slaps are thrown, but nothing major

→ summary: in a world where making contracts with demons is the norm, through an unfortunate event, you find yourself working for Chae Hyungwon, a demon that specializes in love contracts...

→ masterlist // monsta x masterlist

note: so this fic was the one that I had planned for Halloween, but ultimately didn’t post at the time. It’s based off of a dream I had about Hyungwon, and honestly, in writing it out, it’s gotten a bit out of hand and lengthy ^^”” There is a very strong possibility of a part two for this (the Hyungwon muse in my head is already campaigning for it) but please let me know what you think about it! Let me know if you would like a part two! Enjoy~

- ash <3

It was a relatively easy location to find once you knew what to look for. The building was tucked away, down two narrow alleyways and across a small street. Each of the suites was filled with a tiny office, doing different businesses that ranged from accounting to large prints. However, this particular business was unique. It was the only one in the three-story building that was opened later than five in the evening. 

Taking a look inside, any individual would have thought it was just a typical office. One desk was situated to the right as you entered, a spot where someone working the front desk would have sat, though, the area looked like it was vacant. To the left was a small seating area, furnished with dark pieces and a glass table, all for the clients that would visit. In the back was a door that led to the only independent office in the entire space. Though the furnishings were lovely, filled with clean wood finishes and the most delicate leather, the room was very... average. The strangest thing about the office was probably the reddish glow that started to envelop the space as the sun fell past the horizon. 

Though the atmosphere was strange, you knew you couldn't back down. You came here intending to see the owner, and you weren't going to leave until you did. 

Yet, the moment you entered the office, you couldn't get over how eerily quiet it was. No one came to greet you, and for a moment, you thought the office was completely empty. You were about to back out of the office when you heard the door in the back open, revealing a tall figure. Your attention was instantly pulled towards the slender individual, his strides long but slow. As he came out from the darker areas of the office, you finally got a good look at his face. It was a handsome one, one of a young man, stoic in expression. It wasn't a face you would see on any average mortal, and that was when you knew you had the right person. This was the man your friend had spoken about through her tears. 

"What brings you here?" he asked. The male gave you a once over before his eyes settled on your own. "Are you here to form a contract?"

The mention of the word 'contract' was an instant reminder to the sole reason why you were there. You snapped out of your trance, looking at the male before you with a fire in your eyes. "No. I would never form a contract. However, I do want to talk about a contract that you formed with someone else."  

This seemed to pique his interest, evident from the way he quirked his brow. "Oh? What's the offer's name?"

"Her. Her name is Mijoo. She said that she came here about a month ago and made a contract with you..."

The male nodded. "Yes, I remember her love contract. She told me that she had been distraught over her boyfriend. His feelings for her seemed to be wavering, and she was aware that he was cheating on her. She wanted a contract to try to get him back. I believe that the timeframe she said she needed was... five weeks? If she fails, then she offers her soul up to me."

Your hands balled up into fists as you heard him talk. To him, to this man, no, this creature, before you, this topic seemed so casual. However, for people like you, for mortals, these types of contracts and decisions held a much higher cost. One that a demon, like the one that stood before, would not be able to grasp. For them, whatever their client gave up in return was just a plaything. They didn't think the way that you did, and that's why you could never make a contract of your own with one of their kind.

Even so, many people made contracts with demons. They were a common occurrence in your culture, a part that you couldn't indulge in. Some would use them to get ahead in life, while others used them to wish harm to their enemies. Others still used it on things like love. Each contract came with different stipulations, of course, and there was always caution that should be observed when signing these contracts. Some demons were more truthful than others, though; those that were blinded by greed didn't care. It was something in your society that you abhorred. Everything was already so delicately balanced. These contracts just skewed everyone's ethical compass. Yet here you were, trying to reason with a demon nonetheless. You needed to do this for your friend. You needed to save her.

"She said that your contract doesn't seem to be working. Ever since she signed it, her boyfriend has been more detached. He doesn't even come around anymore. He spends days away from her and doesn't even try to pretend like he loves her anymore. Mijoo is... she's afraid that she won't be able to get him back."

"Then, if she can't do it, she will have to give me her soul three days after her designated timeframe. This was what was agreed upon in our contract," he said simply. 

His nonchalant answers frustrated you, and without meaning to, you lost your temper with him. "You can't just take Mijoo's soul away like that! Your contract isn't working. Everything she expected, the opposite is happening. You signed a fraudulent contract with her, didn't you? This is the only reason why it wouldn't be working!" you countered. You knew that you were challenging a being that was much stronger than you, but if he hurt you, then so be it. At least you would have ended it by trying to help someone so dear to you. Mijoo was all you had. 

Though you had started to raise your voice, the demon before you, peering at you through his raven-black locks, remained calm. "This is not a fraudulent contract. I have given your friend everything she has asked for. My agreements provide the signee with the power of persuasion over the person they name. That power should help her get her boyfriend back," he explained. "However, if persuasion is not working, it can only mean that this girl, the one he is cheating on your friend with, is the one that genuinely owns his heart. No degree of dark magic can help her if this is true."

"But how was she supposed to know whether she could win him over or not? His infidelity has been stressing her out so much that she couldn't think straight. You shouldn't have let her sign the contract."

He shook his head. "I asked her several times during the process if she truly believed that he loved her. I asked her if she knew that this would work. Your friend said that without a doubt, it was possible. It was her own fault that she didn't know her lover's heart could not be tamed."

His matter-of-fact words made your blood boil. You knew that he was right. You knew that he had done everything he was supposed to do before signing this contract with Mijoo. He didn't seem to use any trickery on her, but you were just so mad at the entire situation. You were angry that he wasn't even going to try and help. You were furious that the only person left in your life that cared about you, was about to disappear. Out of rage, your body moved on its own. You raised your hand, and as that fury overtook you, a slap resonated through the silent office. You had just slapped the demon before you. 

Yet, even though the blow was hard, and his head was turned from the force of the hit, he slowly turned back to face you. And once again, those same cold onyx eyes peered deep into your own, which were filled red with rage. "Are you done?" he inquired.

You had expended so much energy through your fury that you now felt helpless and limp. Your body collapsed to the floor in exhaustion, and as the waves of anger were washed away, they were replaced with someone else. Grief. Tears streamed from your eyes and pooled on the floor before you, your sobs incontrollable. "Please... please, you can't take her away from me. Mijoo is all I have left in this world. She means so much to me..." you muttered. 

The demon closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. Though he had dealt with many different cases of heartbreak over the years, they never got more comfortable. This one was particularly difficult because he knew he couldn't do anything about it. "I cannot go back on our contract. Once it has been signed, it has to be fulfilled. Your friend's soul will be mine once her three day grace period following her timeframe ends."

"However, there is one small thing I can do for you, to help alleviate the pain," he started. He watched as you gently lifted your head, your swollen eyes looking up at him through your hair. "Souls are kept here until they are ready to be delivered to the Collector, who stops by once every other week. As he doesn't come by often, you could, in theory, be here to see her off. I will not stop you."

"You'll... you'll let me stay here?"

"Yes, but it will not be for free," he stated, watching as your brow furrowed in confusion. "My receptionist is gone, and I am in desperate need of a new one. If you can work for me for a month while I start looking around for a different one, then you can see Mijoo off to the next part of her journey. You will be compensated for your troubles, of course."

Still in shock by the news, and knowing that you couldn't help your friend any further, you knew that being here for her was the best that you could do. So in response, you gave him another nod, the tears still flowing around you. It was something you couldn't stop, but at least you would be given closure…

Even though you had only agreed to stay for a month, years later, you were still here, working at this office. You never thought that would be the case, though. You were angry with the demon, whose name you learned to be Hyungwon, for a long time. That first week working together had been hard. He expected a lot of you, making sure that everything was correctly filed, that appointments were properly booked. Through your hatred, you had made it all very difficult on him, a way of rebelling against someone that you knew you couldn't overpower. Yet during that entire week, not once did he lose his temper with you. Hyungwon either asked you to fix the mistake, or he changed it himself. 

As the weeks passed, your anger simmered down. A lot of that had to do with Mijoo herself. When she found out that you had taken the job just so you could help her forward, her heart hurt. She knew that there were bigger things that you wanted to do with your life, but to put it all on hold for her... she realized what type of situation she put you in. Her acceptance of her short time left came quickly, and as she grew to accept it, so did you. Hyungwon was right. The best you could do was accompany her in her last few weeks, make sure that she had good memories to take with her. Ultimately, she gave up on her boyfriend and spent the last of her time with you before the Collector came and received her soul. 

At that point, you should have left. You had only meant to stay and have that last moment with your friend. But in working for Hyungwon, in seeing what his job actually comprised of, something about it made you want to stay. It was because you started to understand the nature of his work. 

Sure, the act of creating a contract was something you still despised. You weren't sure if you would ever get over the idea of the types of terms that went into a contract. You were learning, however, that not all arrangements were as bad as you had expected. Case in point, the ones that Hyungwon dealt with. The reason people came to Hyungwon for these types of arrangements was that his deals ran a slightly different course than most demons that dealt in human love. 

General love contracts were, at their core, lust contracts. They would allow a client for a minimal price to enjoy a pleasurable evening with their chosen individual. It gave humans the ability to have a night of fun with no repercussions, and once the night ended, the price was paid. It was an easy way for demons to sign multiple contracts in an evening, mainly if they worked for someone higher up. 

Hyungwon's contracts were different. Rather than providing temporary lust, they endowed his client with the power of persuasion. This power allows them to entice another individual to be with them. His contracts aimed at a longterm bond between two individuals, bringing them together for as long as they saw fit. However, with such a strong ability meant that the contract stipulations had to be more substantial. It required the client to designate a timeframe in which it would take them to entice their partner. If by the end of this timeframe, their ability could not grab ahold of the designated person, they had to pay the price, usually with their own soul. 

Admittedly, from what you had seen, many of Hyungwon's contracts actually ended well. Most that came to him were already in love and were just looking for a way to ensure that their lover would stay with them. Others that came were couples that wanted to enforce the longevity of their contracts. Where things got a bit tragic were the remaining lot. Those that had a one-sided love. Those that wanted to be in love, but couldn't. These were usually where his contracts fell through. 

And with time, there was one other thing you learned that was the most significant hindrance to his contracts. True love. Though it was rare that someone's soul would be taken for this last reason, you had seen it happen on a handful of occasions... including Mijoo's. In Hyungwon's words, 'no form of persuasion can take a heart away from what it truly wants.'

As your hands shifted the papers on your desk, organizing them into the piles that you had grown so accustomed to making, your ears picked up on the gentle chime of your phone's alarm. Slowly, you stood from your desk, papers shuffling as you did so. You made sure that none disappeared into the hard to reach recesses before you grabbed your phone and headed into the kitchen. Before, this area had only been home to a single hot water heater and some tea leave containers. With much convincing from you, it was turned into a full-fledged kitchen. Besides, you even managed to persuade Hyungwon to get a beautiful tea set, mostly as it was for him anyway. He liked having tea at precisely nine every morning. You never asked why. It was just something that you had grown accustomed to doing for him.

When the tea finished steeping, you moved it onto a tray, along with a matching teacup before you headed over to your boss's office. You gently tapped on the door with your knuckles, and the moment you heard an equally soft response, you took it at your cue to enter. Placing the tray down on the nearby table that you had placed there for this exact reason, you opened the door before picking it back up and heading inside. 

"Morning tea?" you inquired gently, though, at this point, you both knew the answer. It had been years of this same routine. You placed the tray down on the corner of his desk before you proceeded to pour him a cup.

Hyungwon's eyes peered up from his papers, his hands lightly placing them down. His gaze lingered on you momentarily before he looked at the tea that you were handing him. "Thank you," he said, bringing the drink to his lips and blowing on it. "I noticed that you were in earlier today. You don't usually get in before I do..."

You gave him a small smile, remembering the slightly surprised look on Hyungwon's face when he entered this morning. It was rare that you got much emotion out of him, but lately... lately he had been opening up to you a bit more. You were quite enjoying it if you were, to be honest. "We had a busy day yesterday. I didn't have a lot of time to organize everything properly. And since a certain someone like to keep everything in paper form, it always takes a bit longer to make sure that it's all neat and tidy. So I came in a bit earlier today to get that all squared away before our new day starts..."

Hyungwon chuckled. "It's an old habit I can't get rid of."

"All of your colleagues have switched to digital documents. I heard Minhyuk making fun of you for being the last one that still has paper contracts."

Hyungwon took the opportunity to take a sip of his tea as he listened to you. Ah, you had made the spring oolong. It as his personal favorite. "Well, if you would like for things to be easier, you are more than welcome to go and work for Minhyuk."

At your boss's suggestion, you couldn't help the way that your face scrunched up. "I'm okay, thank you. I also don't think I quite fit in with Minhyuk's line of work..."

He looked up at you, amused by your reaction. "Do you prefer it here, in this boring office that does things the traditional way?"

"First, I never said it was boring. I do like how quiet it is here, though. And sometimes we do good things for people too," you confessed, eyes picking up on the way that a smile spread across Hyungwon's lips. You had yearned to see his smile more often as of late. It always had a way of making your day just a bit better. 

 "Well, I'm glad that you're here. You make this place a bit brighter," Hyungwon admitted, his eyes meeting with yours momentarily before he lowered his gaze back to the papers before him. "We have some follow-ups today, don't we?"

You gave a small nod, mind trying to pull away from the way that Hyungwon looked at you, and instead focusing on the tasks for the day. "Today isn't nearly as busy as yesterday was. I think there are only a few today, about three or so? Of course, this doesn't count new clientele that might show up..." you said slowly. "Will you be heading out to meet with them?"

The male at his desk nodded. "Going to see them in person is the most efficient way. Please do me a favor and let me know the order that I should see them in. I can take care of the rest," he stated, watching as you gave him your usual eager nod before you excused yourself, heading back to your desk. 

That afternoon had been a quiet one for you. Typically if Hyungwon were there, you would at least hear the sound of rustling paper. But when it was just you, the office was eerily silent. You kept yourself busy, of course. The time alone allowed you to organize the rest of the paperwork from yesterday, filing them into the correct cabinets. You took some time to tidy up the little seating area that you had furnished, where all of his clients sat and waited for him. Hell, this time alone even allowed you to go through some loose paperwork that the two of you had, getting them correctly filled out and put away. Once all of that was done, you were just left to your own devices.

Though you didn't like to admit it, you had grown dependent on Hyungwon's presence. Losing Mijoo had taken its toll on you. Your best friend was your last tether to anything that even resembled a family. Without her, you had no one to turn to. You felt lost in the months following her passing. This job became the one constant in your life, and that was likely another reason why you stayed. 

Having Hyungwon there as a constant also helped. You had grown fond of him, which was something you had never admitted out loud. You paid particular attention to his little reactions towards you. Your heart beats a little faster every time he complimented you. None of these hinted at anything more, at least you didn't think that it did. Though, your relationship with each other was a strange one.

You were jolted from your thoughts when you heard the small bell that you had hung on the front door ricochet off of the surface, the resulting sound far more cacophonous than you were used to. The noise sprung you right to your feet. Though you were up and at attention, you hoped that nothing dangerous came through the door while your boss was out. Much to your luck, maybe, in strolled a woman. She was a bit older, likely the age that your mother would have been if she was still around. She carried herself with an extreme amount of poise, though right now, her expression was anything but regal. It was actually rather harsh. 

"H-hello, may I ask why -"

"I'm here to see that asshole, Hyungwon. Where is he? Bring him out to me this instant," she demanded, her voice getting louder with each statement. 

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but he isn't available at the moment. He's actually out attending to some business. However, if you could wait, or maybe come back in half an hour -" you started, but once again, you were rudely interrupted. 

"Listen, you sorry excuse for a secretary, and human being, didn't you hear a single thing that I said? I told you that I want to see him now. I don't care what he's doing. Bring him out. Now!" 

You could tell that she was seething, just on the brink of exploding. And while it scared you, you were also upset. Not many humans opted to work with demons. Though the formation of contracts was typical, those that worked for them... were usually seen as morally questionable. There was definitely a stigma there, and she just had to insult you with it. 

Riled up with your own emotions, you were about to speak up, trying to remain professional. However, before you could make any efforts to calm the woman down, the front door opened. You dreaded what would happen if it was another potential client, your mind not able to process how to handle the situation. Instead, much to your surprise and relief, the person that walked in was Hyungwon.

"I'm here now, so I would really appreciate it if you stopped yelling at her, Mrs. Yang. She had done nothing wrong," he said calmly. Momentarily, his eyes met your own, and he moved his head to the side, gesturing for you to sit back down. He could tell that you were hesitant, but you eventually did as he suggested. 

The woman let out a dry laugh. "No, you're right, Hyungwon. This girl human girl that you managed to entice to work here has done nothing wrong. This is all because of you! Everything that has happened is your fault!" she screamed.

"Please, Mrs. Yang, my office," he said calmly. You could tell that she was about to explode, about to lash out at him right there, in front of you, but she didn't. She obediently followed Hyungwon into his office, the door swiftly closing behind them.

Though you knew that Hyungwon could handle himself, you couldn't help but be a bit worried. As they argued back and forth in his office, you couldn't hear his responses to her, but you could definitely hear Mrs. Yang. She was screaming at the top of her lungs. She said that his contract was unfair, that it didn't work the same way that her contract with him had. The woman called him a fraud and said that he was just like every other lowlife demon that made a living off of humans. You couldn't hear the words that followed, but what you did hear was what happened after. A cry of anger as a hand made contact with flesh. Twice. 

You winced at the sound, knowing this reaction well. You had experienced it while working with Hyungwon on several occasions, and it had been your own reaction as well. Still, you stayed where you were, knowing that he wouldn't want you to rush in there. If anything, he had requested that you never rush into his office, in case the situation was far more dangerous than anticipated. Though you had agreed to his request, lately, it hurt your heart to do so.

Moments later, the door to Hyungwon's office swung open as Mrs. Yang stormed out of it. She threw you a glance on her way out and simply said, "If you can get out and find a better job, I suggest you do so. Working for a demon like him will only pull you down to their level, sweetie," before she promptly left the building. 

When you were confident that she was gone, you slowly rose from your desk and headed towards the kitchen. You grabbed the first-aid kit from under the sink. You ran a towel under some water, and you grabbed another one to wrap around an ice pack. With supplies in hand, your quick steps carried you into Hyungwon's office. You didn't knock this time. There was no need to do so.

The male sat calmly at his desk, going over the paperwork that lay before him. He seemed unbothered by the significant red mark that now tainted his sculpted face. It wasn't until you found your spot at his side, hand gently turning his head to face you that he made any movement at all. The moment that the cold ice pack made contact with his heated skin, he let out a sigh, hand reaching up to hold it in place so that you could tend to the rest of his injured face, cleaning up his split lip. He didn't say anything and instead allowed you to tend to his wounds like you usually did when a client got physical.

A few years back, you had inquired about his lack of resistance towards his clients. It was on a day much like today, while you were cleaning up his bruises. "When a contract doesn't work out, their hearts end up broken. They have to live in a state of immense grief for a few days before they forfeit their souls to me. That's more than enough pain for any human, don't you think?" he had asked, and you supposed there was truth to his statement. It wasn't often that clients lashed out, but whenever they did, Hyungwon always told you that it was unavoidable. They were all aware of the power he held, and this was their small act of rebellion, knowing that they could never actually best a demon. Hyungwon always let them do it, and you could tell he did it because he didn't want to harm others.

"It's going to bruise badly this time," you told him softly, brows knitting together as you saw how swollen it had gotten, even after having the ice pack on it. You gingerly took the ice pack and placed it on the desk, your boss letting out a light breath.

"It's nothing that time won't heal," he replied nonchalantly. "The pain is only momentary."

"Why was Mrs. Yang so upset with you? I've seen some angry people leave your office, but no one quite this angry..."

"Two months ago, Mrs. Yang brought her daughter in. Mrs. Yang had formed a love contract with me many years ago after meeting her current husband, and they've been together since. She thought that I could help her daughter, as well. Nana was a kind girl, very different from her mother. There was a man she was in love with, but he had no idea that she felt that way. I had warned them that a love contract based on a one-sided love was tricky, but Mrs. Yang insisted. Nana's timeframe was two months," he explained. 

"Today is the last day of those two months. Unfortunately for her daughter, it seems like the man that she loved has already found another. Her persuasion did not sway his heart, and now she owes me her soul in three days," Hyungwon added, knowing that this story would resonate with you. He saw you nodding gently as he spoke, and sometimes, he wished that you didn't have to bear that pain either. "It's regrettable as she was such a kind girl. She had a lot ahead of her, and it was a mistake to sign that contract..."

"Sometimes, everything is done with the right intentions... but the outcome is unexpected."

"Like with Mijoo," he pointed out, seeing you nod in agreement. "Granted, I do recall you hitting me pretty hard back then as well."

You knew that Hyungwon had brought up the memory, not as a way to berate you for your actions but to try and make you smile. The two of you had long since worked past that issue. A chuckle left your lips. "Well, it was before I understood how your business works. I was probably just as angry as Mrs. Yang back then. It's hard to see your loved ones have to pay for a mistake, but also have no recourse for it…"

"Tell me something," he started, ready to ask the question that had been gnawing him for the last few years. He had been itching to ask it, but never got the right opportunity to do so. "Why did you stay? Back then, I had only suggested that you work until Mijoo moved on, but even after all of that time, you're still here. You could have left."

Hyungwon's observation was correct. Nothing was keeping you at this job. You could have left, found a job like any other average human, at a typical office. But that wasn't what you wanted. Was it okay to tell him that now? After almost four years? You figured you could take the chance. There was no harm in it now. 

"This place... it has a painful memory for me. But isn't this job more painful for someone like you? Someone that has been doing it for so long?" you asked. 

Hyungwon gave you the smallest smile. "I don't know if I quite feel things in that manner anymore..."

"Even so, it's still a lonely job," you insisted. "I guess I stay because both of us are rather alone. We don't have people to turn to. I thought that we could be that type of company for each other..."

Your eyes had been fixated on your hands that sat squarely in your lap. These were never words you ever thought you would utter to Hyungwon. Yet, you could feel his eyes on you, burning an intense gaze into y our form. Though you hesitated, you slowly looked up, your eyes getting lost in those brilliant dark orbs. Those beautiful eyes that held an eternity of pain, eyes that had a great depth to them. It was his answer that ultimately pulled you back to reality. 

"As a demon, I don't seek that type of company, I'm afraid. Not anymore."

His words hit you hard, though you expected no less from Hyungwon. "Then consider that your companionship is of benefit to me, Hyungwon. It helps to calm my loneliness," you told him, bringing the conversation to an abrupt end.

Slowly, you moved to your feet, picking up all of the medical supplies from his desk. "We should probably close the office for the day. I don't think that you're in a presentable state for new clients. I'll go and make sure that everything is locked up. I hope that you have a pleasant rest of your day," you said, giving him a faint smile before you disappeared from his office. 

However, what you didn't know was that for the first time, since you had started working for Hyungwon, he allowed his eyes to trail after you. He allowed himself to watch you leave. And at that moment, he felt that sense of loneliness that you spoke of...