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runariya · 2 months ago

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Crash Course in Love • 2

pairing: snowboard instructor!Jungkook x ex-gf!reader (feat. platonic OT6) genre: rom-com, Exes 2 Lovers, slow-burn, angst rating: 18+, MDNI warnings: strong language, slow burn, angst, fluff, tension, bad communication skills, jealousy, alcohol, smoking, heartbreak, lmk if I forgot smth word count: 17.3k

a/n: 19 days later and here's part 2 at last! hope you like it still and I can't wait to see your reactions lol DON’T HATE ME! LOVE YOU ALL 💕 ENJOY

a/n 2: This work is purely fictional. All characters and events are entirely imaginary and do not reflect reality. No translations are allowed without permission. Thank you for understanding! 💕

01 • masterlist • 03

Day 2

There’s something about the way you crash after a day that’s drained you not just physically but emotionally too. After your bath and after you grabbed your luggage when you were sure Jungkook wouldn’t be in his room anymore, and with your stomach still full from the Korean BBQ at Tae’s, you passed out immediately. Yoongi’s snoring didn’t bother you in the slightest—if anything, the vibrations seemed to massage your sore body through the mattress.

You feel even more lost when you wake up just after 5:30 in the morning, fully rested but with muscles still stiff. You’re not sure if Tae’s smoothie did anything or if you’d feel completely dead now without it. It’s not that you want to go back to sleep either, knowing you’ll just wake up even more tired if you try, experience showing that extra hours do more harm than good.

Not wanting to listen to Yoongi’s ongoing snoring any longer, you carefully slip out of bed without waking him and reach for the book you brought with you. But just as you’re about to head out of the suite, you stop, eyeing Yoongi’s coat.

Should you?

You quit smoking months ago, only started when you broke things off with Jungkook, but just thinking about everything that was said yesterday—and what’s still to come—makes you struggle. You’ll probably hate yourself for it afterwards, but still, you go back to his coat and rummage for his cigarettes and lighter.

Realising you only brought one pair of boots, which are currently at Hope’s, and there’s no way you’re stepping out into the snow in slippers or your snowboard boots, you grab Yoongi’s spare designer boots and your snowboard jacket as well.

It’s impressive, really, that you manage to carry everything out of the room without dropping anything, and that Yoongi stays sound asleep despite the obvious rustling of your coat as you move.

You’re thankful Namjoon kept his word about keeping the fireplace lit, not just because its warmth meets you in the corridor but also for the soft glow it casts along the way to the main area.

Pausing for a second, you can hear Yoongi still snoring through the door, along with louder, muffled snores further down the corridor, which must be Namjoon’s. And, who would’ve thought, you hear some very light snoring coming from Jungkook’s room too.

It feels like you’re walking past caves in some forgotten time, surrounded by Neanderthals who snore more to fend off predators than from sinus problems. It’s funny in a way, you reckon. That’s just how biology works, even if you and every other woman in this world are the ones who suffer through the night because of it.

As you reach the main area, of course, you can’t manage all the things you’re holding, and your book falls to the floor, the sound louder than it should be. You think it didn’t wake anyone, but you’re not sure—Jungkook might be awake, he’s always been a light sleeper, though Namjoon’s snoring is too loud now to tell.

Not bothering to pick it up, knowing you’ll drop something else if you try, you kick the book towards the couches, hoping none of the great authors are cursing you for it. The heat of the fireplace, even though it’s only simmering, pulls you to sink back into the cushions once you’ve set your things down.

The hostel feels so much cosier than by daytime, long shadows casting a warm, festive glow like Christmas morning. You almost wish you’d spent the holiday here instead of alone at home.

Just yesterday, you longed for Jungkook to be by your side, to experience this place and this town with you. But now, even though he is here, it doesn’t feel as fulfilling as you thought it would.

Obviously, he’s been here before, and even when he’s spending time with you, it’s under circumstances you wish were different. It destroys you how things are, how you’re treating each other, how much hatred he clearly has for you now, just at the sight of you.

You understand his bitterness though, understand that he probably wishes he’d never seen you again. But what can you do? It’s not like you booked this hostel on purpose, as if you orchestrated the whole thing just to run into him.

No, it’s all just a coincidence. A brutal one at that. You didn’t have time to prepare yourself, didn’t have time to think about how you’d approach him after all this time, or what you’d say.

You reckon he feels the same—blindsided, overwhelmed, hurt. And he has every reason to be. Still, it hurts so deeply, so excruciatingly, that you just want to leave and never look back. It feels like there’s no saving your relationship with Jungkook, not even the hope of being friends.

Or maybe this trip will be the closure you need. Maybe it’ll be the final heartbreak, the one that’s been dragging on for far too long, but now will come to a head and let you move on, even though deep down you don’t want to. You’re sure Jungkook was the one for you—a love once in a lifetime, the one who got away.

Tossing the book from one hand to the other, your eyes can’t help but linger on the pack of cigarettes lying on the table in front of you. It’s dumb, smoking—you know that, always have. But God, you’re broken. You’re so, so sad, it’s suffocating. And you know it won’t help.

You know smoking, like any other addiction, is just a result of loneliness. That doesn’t make it any easier to resist.

You set the book down, slip into Yoongi’s boots again, and pull on your coat, ignoring the voice in your head telling you not to backslide, not to undo months of progress. But still, you ignore that voice as much as you ignore Namjoon’s snoring, and grab the pack and lighter and stand to head outside once you’re fully clothed.

You’d forgotten about the chime when you open the front door, pausing for a moment as if it’s trying to stop you, but you keep moving, letting the door shut behind you as the early morning greets you.

The streets are empty, the air biting cold. But the fairy lights are still on, their glow reflecting silently off the snow and ornaments, but you can’t bring yourself to enjoy it.

Your breath fogs with every exhale as you slowly open the cigarette pack, your hands turning rosy in the cold, warmth steaming off them like dumplings.

You take one out, slip the pack into your coat pocket, and toy with the cigarette between your fingers.

Should you?

You know you shouldn’t.

You.

Know.

But no one’s here to stop you. Who would even care? So you put it between your dry lips and light it, guarding the flame with your hand as if to stop it from dying the way your heart did.

The first drag is equal parts disgusting and relieving, and soon, your thoughts start to fade. Your chest feels lighter, despite the toxins filling it. Maybe breaking up with Jungkook was the first step towards your own downfall. Maybe it was always meant to be.

The front door opens behind you when you’re halfway through your cigarette, but you don’t turn around. There are only three options for who might join you—Yoongi, up for his first smoke of the day; Namjoon, woken by the chime and curious to see what��s going on; or Jungkook. Though you wouldn’t know why it’d be the latter.

“Smoking kills.”

“So does snowboarding,” you reply through the puff of smoke escaping your lips.

“Fair.”

Silence. You can’t bring yourself to look at Jungkook, now standing beside you, both of you staring at some distant ornament, avoiding each other’s gaze.

“What are you doing out here this early?” he asks, as if it’s not obvious.

“Thought I’d get some fresh air.”

There’s no humour in your tone, just defeat, and those few words seem to sap the last bit of energy you have. You feel like you’ve had the same effect on Jungkook—his voice is as dry as yours.

“Funny.”

You know you can’t undo all the damage between you and Jungkook, but still, you want to at least be civil.

“I’m sorry you have to be our instructor. I didn’t know.”

“Sounds like you wouldn’t have booked it if you’d known.”

You shrug. “Probably.”

“Is seeing me again really that unbearable?”

It is.

Of course it is. But only because you can’t bear seeing him having moved on. So you shrug again.

“I see.”

You take the last drag of your cigarette, drop it into the snow, and stomp it out before immediately reaching for another.

“It’s really bad for you.”

“Why do you care, Jungkook?”

“Because you—”

“Please, just let me be, Jungkook.”

It’s desperate, your plea, resigned. And when you finally lock eyes with him, it almost hurts as much as on the day you broke up with him. He looks like he’s stepped straight out of a dream, the smoke from your cigarette swirling up into the sky between you. He’s so beautiful, especially in the morning when he’s just rolled out of bed. But his hurt eyes—hurt that you caused—are something you can’t handle.

“I never did you wrong.”

His words hit like a slap, and you reckon you deserve it, deserve even more, so you let him continue, knowing he’s far from done.

“Why did you leave me?”

You can’t meet his eyes now. Not just because tears burn in the corners of both yours and his, but because you can’t bring yourself to tell him the truth—that you were never worthy of him. That you were never the one for him, not when he’s found someone like Hara, who fits him so much better. So you shrug again, trying to swallow the lump in your throat as your shaky hands lift the cigarette to your lips for another long drag, hoping he’ll think it’s just the cold affecting you, not the emotions welling up inside.

“God, ___.” You see Jungkook look up at the dark sky, rubbing his hands violently against his face and eyes in your peripheral vision. You’re not sure if it’s out of anger, frustration, or pain, and you’re not sure you want to know.

“I’m sorry,” you force out, losing the fight against your tears as they silently roll down your cheeks. Quickly, you turn around, trying to make it back inside before Jungkook notices your breakdown.

“For leaving me, or for being with me in the first place?”

“Both.”

You don’t stop, can’t stop even if you tried. Bolting straight into the hostel, you leave your book where you placed it earlier, your only aim to escape, to get to your suite as fast as possible. Away from all you’ve done and can’t take back.

It’s not like it’s really possible for you to get away from Jungkook, not when he’s still not only very much physically present but still consumes every thought and every space in your heart. It breaks you to see his pain, breaks you even more because you don’t know how to fix it. You’ve created a mess, of the whole situation and of your and his heart, that’s impossible to mend now.

Even if you could, the hurt has left wounds and open scars, which won’t ever heal, especially on Jungkook’s soul, and you reckon he’ll never want you back to begin with.

The door to the suite slams shut behind you, waking up Yoongi, who just turns to look at your broken self, tears still running down in waves.

“Talked to Jungkook?”

“Yes,” you sob.

“Next time, try at daytime, it’s not as emo.”

Well, thank you very much. As if that would have changed a thing. But you don’t bicker this time, knowing that somewhere in Yoongi’s words lies the truth, even if you’re not able to accept it in this moment.

Kicking off his boots and yeeting them across the room where he placed them before you took them, and letting your coat fall off your shoulders, you don’t pay attention to Yoongi’s scolding, disappearing into the bathroom to take a cleansing shower, or rather, to let all the emotions and tears out without being bothered and without being a bother to Yoongi.

It doesn’t take long before the hot water mixes with your tears and for you recognise that you need to somehow get your head straight, or get it checked, because it’s only the second day. A lot more is to come, and you’ll be regretting it if you just wave the white flag and leave. If there’s nothing else you can do, nothing that can help you heal and move on, you want to at least help Jungkook to do so.

You owe it to him, and frankly, that was the main point of why you broke up in the first place. You’ll need to forget your own hurt for the time being, answer all his questions without breaking down again, and you’ll start with that as soon as you’re out of the shower.

“Hurry up! I need to take a piss!”

You’re glad you had half a mind to lock the door, but still, the banging of Yoongi’s fist disturbs you so much, you won’t be able to neither cry nor think in peace.

“Ten more minutes!”

“I’ll piss on your pillow! Open the fucking door!”

Ew. Sighing, you rinse the rest of your shampoo out, hurrying to at least wrap a towel around yourself before unlocking the door. You’re not able to push the handle down because Yoongi bolts inside, ripping his pants down and immediately starting to empty his bladder.

“Ew, gross!”

“Next time, your pillow, ___,” Yoongi sighs, but you’ve already fled the scene. As relatives, you’re close, yes, but not that close.

Nonetheless, you’re thankful for this distraction, even if it just helped you not be dragged further into the blue.

Hearing Yoongi close and lock the bathroom door and turning on the shower does the rest as you now stand fully dressed, with dripping wet hair, in the middle of the suite.

You know there’s no way he’ll open that door back up again, even if you’d knock as violently as he did just now. He simply doesn’t give a fuck. So you see no other option but to get some breakfast with wet hair, knowing there’s not much time left before you’re back on the slopes, or rather the beginner’s hill.

The corridor is empty again, though you hear some chatter from Namjoon and Jungkook down the way. Taking a very deep breath, you try to school your face into happiness, or at least neutrality.

You find both with Jimin in the dining area, the latter unpacking his bread and some pastries onto the table.

“Good morning,” you try to sound as cheerful as possible, but as you lock eyes with Jungkook, you know he notices the red rim around your eyes.

“Hey! Look what I’ve got for you.” Jimin practically explodes with happiness as he gets a see-through box of macarons out of his paper bag.

“No way! Jimin, that wasn’t necessary! Thank you!” You can’t help the genuine smile that spreads across your face, hands eagerly grabbing for them as you unbox them against your stomach, too occupied to even sit down.

“But I wanted to. I’ve never seen someone so obsessed with these.” Jimin laughs his beautiful laugh at your already stuffed smile, as Namjoon just smirks, and Jungkook, well…Jungkook just seems odd.

“Here, at least sit down.” Namjoon offers you the chair beside him, and to be honest, you’d much rather sit somewhere else than face Jungkook, but there’s nothing you can do.

You don’t thank Namjoon this time when he pushes the chair for you to sit down, too embarrassed by your chewing. You shouldn’t have put two macarons in your mouth at once.

“Coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

Jungkook stays silent throughout it all, just watching you, especially watching Namjoon carefully, while you avoid eye contact. Jimin, on the other hand, can’t keep his eyes from flickering between you and Jungkook with a broad smile, as if he senses something’s wrong. He takes the last empty chair at the small table and sits between you and Jungkook.

“Black, so you’re not overdosed.” Namjoon places your coffee in front of you as his eyes also flick to Jungkook, and you’re not sure what’s happening right now.

“Hold up, hold up, I’ve got my favourite with me. Just for you, ___. You liked it the first time, right?” Jimin pulls out a cup of iced Americano from his bag, this time in a fitting container, but you can’t seem to understand why he’d bring you this when, despite you loving it, it hurts you just as much and he knows it.

“You know,” Jimin continues with a glint in his eyes that not only makes you uneasy, but clearly Jungkook as well, the latter looking two seconds away from punching Jimin square in the face. “It’s called ‘Only Love’. Right, C? You created it.”

Ah, that makes a lot of sense now. What doesn’t make sense is you choking on the macaron. You should have put two and two together, to be honest, should have seen the connection the moment Jungkook appeared in front of you with everyone in this forsaken town being friends with him, but frankly, you didn’t.

You haven’t been thinking clearly for years, and you reckon it has something to do with Yoongi, who, even though he’s the only constant in your life now, is equal parts disturbing and unable to help you balance your emotions. Not that it’s his job, but being a bit less insufferable would be nice and a welcome change.

Jimin’s still holding the cup towards you, for longer than would feel just friendly, but now you see all the evil clearly. You don’t really know what to do, especially when you look at Jungkook and see him more pissed than you’ve ever seen before. Should you even take it?

“I… I think I’ll stick to black. Not that I really overdose on sugar or anything.” You stammer, wanting the earth to swallow you up rather than this shit morning continuing into a day full of hatred towards you.

Jungkook just scoffs at that, and you’re sure you hear him mutter “of fucking course, perfect timing” just as Yoongi enters the dining room.

“Morning,” Yoongi mumbles, and right as he’s about to sit at another table, Jimin places the Americano in front of you and gets up.

“No, please, sit down. I was just about to leave.”

Jungkook attempts to call Jimin out on his bullshit, but shuts his mouth in an instant when Yoongi claps Jimin on the back and sits down between you both. Turning to Namjoon, he’s still very much smirking as if he’s figured out the whole situation with you and Jungkook, especially when both his legs nudge yours and his, as if daring you both to say something.

“Bye!” Jimin sings as he’s out of the room before anyone can even breathe.

“You forgot your phone in our room.” Yoongi grumbles, stealing some macarons from you as if they were M&M’s, and preparing his plate. “A coffee please.”

“Black?” Namjoon’s grin spreads across his whole face as he gets up to fetch Yoongi’s order, because, dear lord, it wasn’t a kindly meant request.

“You got it.”

As if the morning hadn’t already strangled your emotions enough, your blood’s now boiling because Yoongi couldn’t just bring your stupid phone with him as if that would have been the greatest task in the world. But somehow, seeing Jungkook’s mood crash even more, you’re glad to have a moment to escape the scene, hoping that when you return, it won’t be with police tape around the place.

You don’t have the faintest idea what’s up with him. It’s not like he’s just mad at you—although you know he definitely is. Hell, you’d be mad at yourself if you were him. But something else must’ve happened, something that’s got him this wound up, not only at the sight of you and Yoongi, but his friends too.

It’s no surprise to find your phone where Yoongi said it would be, and seeing it now, face down, you’re beyond thankful he didn’t just hand it to you in front of everyone.

You just want to grab it quickly and shove it into the tight pocket of your leggings, thinking it’s lying on the info sheet from Namjoon, when Yoongi’s handwriting catches your attention. Black ink, neatly written down for all time:

‘Future’s gonna be okay.’

It soothes and breaks your heart all at once, especially when you spot a teeny tiny black heart too. Yoongi might argue it’s just a splatter from the pen, but you know better. Being close to your cousin is a rollercoaster in every imaginable way, but it’s worth it. Because he cares. Because he’ll understand, even if he doesn’t always show it the way you need.

Taking a very, very deep, steadying breath, you leave the note where it is, knowing you’ll definitely need it when you come back tonight, after what will surely be a wonderful day with Jungkook. You just hope you survive it.

Snowboarding doesn’t even scare you as much as Jungkook does. But you steel yourself not to panic, not to freak out about how clueless you are. Time will tell. Future’s gonna be okay.

And with that thought, you head back to the others, wanting something more substantial in your stomach than sugary sweets.

“Odd?”

“Yeah, odd,” Jungkook growls, and you stop short before entering the room again.

“I think I’m treating her just right for who she is to me,” Yoongi laughs, and you can hear the mischief in his voice, full of shit and in full wind-up mode.

There’s no way you’re really letting this turn into a crime scene, so you march into the room, eyes boring into the back of Yoongi’s head, knowing he’ll feel it.

Thankfully, no one says anything, but the looks speak volumes. Jungkook’s glaring daggers at you, Namjoon’s got that worried, torn look like a parent watching their toddler near the stairs, and Yoongi’s just…amused.

Frankly, your appetite’s vanished, and you don’t want to risk sitting down and getting dragged into whatever mess you’re missing today.

“When do we leave?” You ask Jungkook directly, using a tired, fed-up tone you haven’t dared yet.

It seems to do the trick, sobering everyone up as they take their last bites and gulps of coffee, getting ready to move.

Namjoon, ever the sweetheart, hands you the americano, and this time, you’re grateful for it. Screw the memories—you need caffeine to get through this day. A shot of something stronger in it might’ve been better, but alas.

“Thanks, Joon.”

That, of course, earns you a dirty look from Jungkook and an amused one from Yoongi.

“I’ll just grab my stuff real quick.”

“Yeah, we’re waiting in our slippers,” Yoongi says drily, overtaking Jungkook by the door, who looks at you like he can’t believe this is happening.

You ignore them both, turning to Namjoon to escape the drama, but only stumble into another one instead.

“So he’s your ex.”

You groan, shoulders slumping along with your coffee, exasperated as you realise Namjoon’s got you alone.

“Kinda obvious.”

“It is. Some other things are obvious too.”

You give him a long stare, the kind of stare you’ve perfected from hours of silent contests with Jungkook, but Namjoon, who’s obviously used to this too, isn’t fazed the slightest.

“Spill.”

“You’re both adults. Talk.”

Yeah, like it’s that simple. Sit down, have a rational, level-headed chat with Jungkook? Not likely.

“Thanks for breakfast. I’m out.”

You throw a peace sign over your shoulder, knowing you’re not getting anything more out of him, whether he’s right or wrong.

Being civil with Jungkook would be step one before you could even dream of a productive conversation. But based on how this breakfast is going, hell, the whole stay up until now, it’s clear that ‘civil’ is something you’ll never be when it comes to Jungkook.

“Here.” Yoongi’s brought you your boots and gear, and the reason is instantly clear when Jungkook reappears, glaring at Yoongi like he’s about to snap.

“Could you both please be civil? I’d like to enjoy this holiday,” you snap, so utterly fed up, wishing you could put them both in time-out.

“Sorry,” Yoongi and Jungkook mumble in unison, but the looks they exchange right after make the apology feel pointless.

Even though you’re still struggling way more than you should with these snowboard boots—which surely came straight out of hell just to make your life that little bit more difficult—you still don’t let anyone help you. Not Jungkook, who stopped moving towards you after you shot him an evil glare, and not Yoongi, who suffered the same fate.

Eventually, you manage, somehow. And when you’re ready to go, the three of you grab your snowboards, which are leaning against the wall near the fireplace. It’s not easy to carry yours on your own, especially when the sharp edge cuts into your gloved palm and your other hand is occupied with your Americano. The bindings are digging into your forearm with their stupid weight distribution, but there’s no way you’re going to drag it any other way. Not when you’re not willing to sacrifice your caffeine—that’s just not happening in any lifetime of yours.

Yoongi, for once, is chivalrous enough to open the door for you, but you can’t really appreciate it like you would under normal circumstances. Your nerves are running thin—so thin you’re half-tempted to just smash the chime to dust with your snowboard to shut it up yourself. But you’re not strong enough, and with your luck, Jungkook—who’s walking right behind you—would probably end up on the receiving end of your terrible aim.

No one says a word during the entire walk to the hill, which, now that you think about it, feels worse than all the snide remarks. It’s not like fighting—or going straight for each other’s throats—is the best solution, but this simmering tension isn’t much better either. And you reckon it’s only a matter of time before someone goes off like a bloody nuclear bomb.

Though the real question is, who?

You’d love nothing more than to get inside Jungkook’s head, to take a peek at whatever thoughts are running through his pretty head and figure out why he’s been acting like this—irrational around others, but all sentimental when it’s just the two of you. It’s starting to seriously grate on your nerves.

Seeing that he wants to talk about everything that went down between you both is something you never thought would happen. But his approach? Not ideal. There’s no way you’re having a deep conversation with him before the day has even properly started, and definitely not in the middle of the street. And you’d much rather not have this conversation with others around too, thank you very much.

But the thing is, you’re still not sure if you want to be alone with him. What if your resolve to be all mature and talk like adults crumbles the second he looks at you with those sad eyes again? What if he’s just looking for answers so he can have the closure you know you’ll never get?

The thought feels selfish in every possible way. It disgusts you too, but you’re only human, not some robot who can function without feeling, without knowing what love or losing it is.

You let out a loud sigh, no longer able to bear the weight of the world—or the burning gaze of Jungkook boring into your back.

“S’up?” Yoongi nudges you causing you to sway, the heavy drag of your boots not helping either.

“Just enjoying the fresh air.” You bullshit, stepping right up the snow at the base of the beginners hill.

“The only thing getting fresh air are my middle ears. Fucking feel the inflammation building.”

You’re sure Jungkook hadn’t intended to snort at Yoongi’s remark, but even he can’t seem to resist the humour in the nonsense that sometimes escapes Yoongi’s mouth.

“Some air gonna knock you out?” you tease, trying to nudge Yoongi back, though you fail miserably.

Thankfully, Jungkook’s quick enough to steady you with a free hand before you face-plant into the snow, which is far from the fluffy stuff it was yesterday—now hard as stone.

“You know you’re old when air’s hurting you, ___. You’ll understand when you’re my age.”

You hope that‘ll not be true.

“Alright,” Jungkook claps once, and you and Yoongi fall into line in front of him after setting your boards and coffee aside. “Yesterday we covered most of the snowboarding theory. Three important things. What are they?”

Silence.

“Awareness, balance, control.”

It’s clear Jungkook’s waiting for something, and after a few agonising moments of just staring at each other, it clicks. He wants you to repeat what he said.

“Awareness,” you start, but Yoongi either hasn’t caught on or really doesn’t care, but you give him a nudge, and eventually, the two of you echo back Jungkook’s words.

“Awareness, balance, control.”

“Right, now, while we’re at it—let’s talk a bit more theory. After awareness, balance, and control, it’s all about anticipation. You can’t just react to things at the last minute, yeah? You’ve got to anticipate the changes. Know what’s coming. Whether it’s an obstacle in your path, a turn, or… someone doing something you didn’t expect.”

“For fuck’s sake, Jungkook! Man up and say it to my face if you’ve got something to say!”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“Fuck you did! And you—shut your fucking mouth!” You jab your gloved finger at Yoongi, who stops laughing immediately.

You’re not sure what’s gotten into Jungkook to act so irrational again, but whatever it is, you’ve had enough. Either he stays professional during the lesson, or you’re out. This kind of treatment—whatever you did to him or not—isn’t something you’ll tolerate. Not from him, not from anyone.

Jungkook seems to realise his mistake, or maybe he just doesn’t have the guts to confront you directly about what’s been bothering him. You reckon after all these years, he still hasn’t learned how to communicate properly. Then again, you’re not exactly great at that either.

“How about you stick to teaching during the course and stay in your lane? How about I can at least enjoy this for a few hours?”

Jungkook just nods, not the least approving, and if it weren’t for Yoongi placing a hand on your heaving shoulder and sucking his teeth, you might’ve lunged at Jungkook and strangled him right then and there.

“Right, well, before we get onto the boards, we need to warm up. Can’t have you both pulling muscles before you even touch the snow properly.”

“Please, no running,” Yoongi mutters under his breath.

“No, no running. First up, let’s stretch. Loosen up those muscles. Very important. Otherwise, you might… strain yourself. And trust me, some people,” he side-eyes you, “have a habit of rushing into things without getting properly prepared or listening to what the other person has to say.”

You grit your teeth. Oh, you’re so ready to kill him. If looks could kill, both you and Jungkook would be dead by now. “What the fuck is your problem?” you seethe dangerously low.

“So, what are we doing first? Jumping jacks? Star jumps?” Yoongi asks sarcastically, more to defuse the situation than out of any real interest in actually participating in this course.

“No, mate. We’re not at boot camp. Just a simple warm-up to start. Arms, legs, get the blood flowing.” Jungkook begins rolling his shoulders and doing some arm circles. “Follow me. Arms out, nice and wide. Slow circles. Loosen up your shoulders. You need a good range of movement, especially when you’re… navigating tricky situations.”

You and Yoongi do your best to follow along, despite the thick jackets. Opting to be the bigger person here, you do your best to ignore Jungkook’s pointed glances and the occasional gust of cold air grazing your stomach whenever you raise your arms too high.

“Good. Now, bend forward, touch your toes—well, try to. Don’t force it. Some people are naturally more flexible than others, but hey, no rush.”

Throughout the whole stretching exercises, you keep your mouth shut, knowing that playing into his madness wouldn’t do either of you any good. You just can’t process it all at this point. And how could you?

Since the moment you stepped foot into this stupid little town, you haven’t had a minute to think. Especially not after Jungkook entered your life again. You’re jealous of all the people out there who can adapt to every moment, who aren’t as utterly pathetic at handling things as you are.

It must be genetics, because, dear lord, you’ve never been good at handling tricky situations, but the ones involving your ex are on another level. You can tell yourself to be cool and collected as much as you want, but at the end of the day, Jungkook will always trigger you.

And if it’s not with his passive-aggressive remarks, it’s with his broken sadness.

“Perfect. Let’s move on then. Before we get into the snowboards, I’ll just have to adjust your bindings real quick, and then we’ll start. For that, I’ll need to see which foot of yours is the dominant one.”

Jungkook walks silently behind you both, looking down at the snow with a slight frown on his lips while you follow his movements with your eyes.

“I’ll start with you, Yoongi. Relax your stance, I’ll push you from behind. Don’t think too much, just catch yourself, yeah?”

Jungkook’s now standing directly behind Yoongi, and as he raises his hand and places it on Yoongi’s back, right between his shoulder blades, your gut twists, fearing Jungkook might push him too hard, letting his anger out because he can’t restrain himself.

But to your relief, Jungkook pushes Yoongi ever so lightly, causing the older man to take a step forward, landing on his right foot.

“Right foot back, your stance is regular.” Jungkook just nods to himself, moving on to stand behind you now. “Your turn, ___. Again, just relax, don’t overthink it. I’ll push you now.”

How can you stay relaxed when Jungkook’s now directly behind you, when you not only feel the weight of his hand on your back but imagine you can feel the warmth of it too? It nearly leaves you gasping, not used to Jungkook touching you anymore.

“Relax,” Jungkook mutters ever so softly, causing your shoulders to drop as you take a deep breath, willing yourself to block him out as best you can.

The push is gentle, and while you take a step forward out of reflex, it’s the same reflex that misses his hand on your back.

“Left is your dominant foot, so goofy’s your stance.”

“Goofy?!”

It sounds offensive. Does it sound offensive? Because both Yoongi and Jungkook look at you, puzzled by your outburst.

Wasn’t that another jab?

“Yeah, it’s called goofy,” Jungkook says, Yoongi nodding as if to tell you to calm down.

“Oh. Okay.”

Jungkook pulls a tiny toolbox from the inner pocket of his jacket while you follow Yoongi, who’s picking up his board. He takes Yoongi’s snowboard first, placing it on his bent knee and unscrewing the first binding.

“Forefoot 18 degrees, back foot 7 degrees,” Yoongi mutters, not the least bit mocking.

You’re not sure why Yoongi has a preference, but Jungkook doesn’t seem to question it, just nodding and adjusting Yoongi’s bindings to his liking.

When it’s your turn, Jungkook still doesn’t say anything as he takes the board from your hands, and while the adjustments look just the same as Yoongi’s to you, it’s clear both men see the difference as Yoongi interjects, “Fix the left one a bit more outwards, it’ll give her more control.”

Jungkook looks up at that, not angered, not ready to snap, as his eyes flit briefly to you before he eventually just nods and does as Yoongi suggested. Maybe not playing into Jungkook’s remarks earlier was the right course of action, seeing that even though it’s still awkward between you three, it’s more civil than it was before.

Jungkook stuffs his toolbox back into his pocket and turns to grab his own snowboard. As he straps his right foot into the binding, he calls out, “Fasten your front foot onto the board. We’re practising gliding.”

Yoongi does as instructed without a hitch, but you’re struggling a bit. The straps keep getting in the way, making it impossible to secure your foot properly.

Without a word, Jungkook hops over, dragging his board behind him, and quickly fastens the bindings for you.

“Thanks,” you mutter, but he doesn’t meet your eyes, just nods before heading back in front of you both.

“So, it’s simple. Push yourself forward with your free foot, step on the board, and glide for as long as you can. It’ll help you get a feel for the board. And remember—where you look is where you go. Look down, you’ll fall. Look forward, and you’ll be fine as long as your balance is decent.”

Jungkook demonstrates the glide with ease, while Yoongi follows suit right after, looking like he’s done this before, making it seem like a breeze.

Alright, how hard can it be?

Turns out, pretty damn hard. As soon as you try, your arms flail like mad, desperately trying to regain balance. You stumble forward, managing to catch yourself at the last second, but not before the board lifts off the ground and slams right into your calf.

“Ouch!”

It hurts like hell, and you’re certain a bruise is already forming.

“Take it slow, no rush,” Jungkook says, not even glancing back.

You try a few more times, and while it feels like you’re going to lose a leg by the end of the day, you’re slowly getting the hang of it.

Yoongi’s already finished, standing beside Jungkook and watching you like some proud parent their child who’s learning to swim. You don’t mind though—better that than getting frustrated watching him nail everything effortlessly.

“That’s great, let’s move up the hill and practise side slipping. It’s like a lazy way to snowboard, but it’s useful.”

Dragging yourself up the hill feels like a workout in itself with your board still clasped onto your foot, your calf still throbbing from earlier.

“First things first,” Jungkook’s bending down to his board, “strap your other foot in as well. You want to be on your heel edge or your toe edge. We’ll start with heels, ‘cause if you start on your toes and mess up, you’ll just end up pissed off.”

Once again, Jungkook demonstrates the technique, and once again, Yoongi seems to pick it up straight away. Meanwhile, you’re down on your ass every other minute, frustration building but refusing to quit just yet. Jungkook lets you keep at it until you’ve finally got the hang of it, while Yoongi again just stands there with him, chatting the day away, apparently needing no extra practice.

“Why doesn’t he have to practise?” you yell down the hill.

“Because he doesn’t need to.”

You’re fuming, but deep down you know Jungkook’s right. Still, Yoongi’s supposed to be doing this with you, not just standing there like a supervisor. The anger helps though, because as you slide down the hill again, it’s smooth and controlled—and you feel damn proud of yourself.

“Alright, next exercise. We’re going to slide down on your toe edge now. Flip over so you’re facing up the hill, with your toes digging into the snow.”

You’re already panting from the climb back up the hill, but there’s no rest in sight. Jungkook leaves his board behind as you drag yourself up again, determined to finish this.

“Now,” Jungkook says, “bend your knees, lean forward slightly—like you’re bowing to a king. Lift your heels off the snow, so you’re balanced on your toes. And don’t panic if it feels weird at first. Yoongi, can you please demonstrate?”

“Sure,” Yoongi says, nailing the move effortlessly.

You can’t figure out why Yoongi’s suddenly Jungkook’s little helper, or why Jungkook’s board is still down the hill, but you focus on trying to imitate Yoongi’s technique. You get into position, dig your toes in, but the next second, you slip, barely catching yourself before faceplanting into the snow.

Jungkook’s by your side in seconds, pulling you up by the arms. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” you pant, swallowing the panic that’s rising in your chest. But your grip on his arms gives away just how terrified you are.

“Come on, I’ll help you.”

Jungkook’s hands slide down your arms until he’s holding your hands securely, but just as quickly, he lets go. You immediately lose your balance, nearly falling backwards as your whole life flashes before your eyes.

“Shit!” His hands grab you at the last second, keeping you from toppling over.

“Don’t just let go like that!”

“Why are your gloves this wet?”

You don’t have time to defend yourself against Jungkook’s scolding as he abruptly forces his leg between yours, angling his heel between the snow and your board to keep you in place and balance.

The proximity to Jungkook has an instant effect on you. Your brain shuts down, and though your blood is rushing through your veins at an overwhelming speed, it somehow calms you down just the same.

Being this close to him, not only seeing him but feeling all of his body pressed against yours, mixed with his intoxicating scent, makes you never want to let go of him again.

“Hold onto me,” he murmurs softly, the closeness making it unnecessary to speak any louder than a breath.

You can’t help yourself, staring at his face, even though he’s avoiding eye contact as he removes your gloves, letting them fall silently behind him. You reckon he hasn’t changed much—just a few piercings and some faint lines caused by age now marking his otherwise mesmerising face. But still, he’s the same.

The same lashes framing his big eyes, the same kissable lips now a bit cracked from the cold, the same glowing skin with that faint scar on his cheek.

It throws you back in time but also makes you ache for all the time spent apart. It’s impossible to feel resentment for the harsh things he’s said, impossible to feel anything but the deep love you still have for him. It’s impossible to look away, even though he isn’t meeting your gaze, busy tugging off his gloves with his teeth.

When his hand reaches for yours, wrapping them in the warmth of his own gloves, you feel like you might break right then and there. You’ve been a fool for pushing him away, for ending things in the first place, when he’s always been this good to you—even now, after all these years.

When Jungkook finally finishes and his eyes meet yours for the first time, you don’t dare breathe, even if you physically could. It’s like the heartbreak never happened, healed by the closeness of two hearts that know they can only beat as one.

You see it in his eyes, like you always could back then, that he feels it too—or at least something close to what you feel.

“I never meant to hurt you,” you manage to say, your voice breaking ever so faintly, with a slight sheen of tears coating your eyes.

“I know,” Jungkook smiles ever so softly, as if he’s always known, as if he understands. But still, he steps back, leaving you cold and longing again, only holding your hands just firmly enough to help you keep your balance. “Try again, toes in the snow, knees bent.”

You swallow the hurt down, knowing you’ve got no right to feel this way, and with Jungkook’s help, you slide down the hill. You succeed, but as soon as you reach the base, Jungkook steps back completely, walking over to Yoongi while instructing, “Try again now on your own.”

And you do. Multiple times until you master it as best you can, all while you know you’re being watched by the two most important men in your life.

Lunch is spent in a tiny fast-food restaurant nearby, just because you’re so hungry you can’t wait ages for a proper meal. Jungkook excuses himself to take a phone call, and you notice a picture of Hara on his screen, though you weren’t fast enough to see whose name was at the top, or if it’s his lock screen or Hara’s contact picture.

“Why are you so good at snowboarding?” you try to sound angry, though your mouth is stuffed, hoping Yoongi can still make sense of the words.

“I’ve been snowboarding before.”

“You what?” You swallow the bite forcefully, needing space to articulate the insults he deserves. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why am I paying for a crash course for you?”

“I didn’t thi—”

“Why the fuck have I paid for and rented your gear?!”

Yoongi goes silent, eating his meal like he’s bored, giving you time to yell at him some more before he speaks. But you don’t, just widen your eyes and shake your head to emphasise how livid you are.

“I didn’t think you’d want to come alone.”

“That’s such a shit excuse, Yoongs. You should have at least paid for yourself. Fucking parasite.”

“Yo, show some respect. You said you’d pay for everything. It’s not like I forced you.”

“Forced me?! You wouldn’t have come otherwise!”

“I can still hang in our suite and leave you alone with Mr. Leaf-in-the-wind.”

“That’s rude.”

“It’s true, and you know it.”

He’s kinda right. But you can see where Jungkook’s coming from, somehow understand why he’s acting the way he does.

You sigh at that, leaning back with another mouthful of food, knowing you should really work on your manners. “You’re not leaving me alone with him. No way.”

“If you say so.”

You startle slightly when Jungkook slides into the seat beside you, hoping he didn’t catch any of what was said while he was gone. And even though you’re dying to know who was calling, you’d rather strip bare in the middle of the restaurant than ask, not wanting to look like some jealous, controlling ex-girlfriend.

“Hara called,” you fucking knew it. “Said Namjoon’s arranged dinner at Jin’s.”

You and Yoongi just hum, though you reckon you’re the only one finding it rude. But who can blame you? You are jealous, you are a fucking control freak, and Jungkook looking the way he does definitely doesn’t help.

You hadn’t noticed before, thanks to his oversized clothes, just how buff he’s become. But seeing him now, his upper body hugged by thermal gear so tight it might as well be see-through, makes you even pettier than you already were at the mention of Hara. And how could you not be?

Clearly, he’s been working out more since you split. Maybe you were holding him back from getting in shape too. It’s funny—you always thought Jungkook peaked while he was with you, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

You force the rest of your meal down in silence, occasionally glancing up at Jungkook and Yoongi, who are doing the same. It’s not like you want this silence to linger, but you don’t know what to say, and neither do they.

It’s slightly bothering you that both men were comfortable enough to chat the whole morning away while you were busy trying not to face-plant into the snow, and now can’t seem to say a single word with you around. Maybe you were the problem all along.

Ugh, you hate having those thoughts again, especially since you’ve made such progress with your self-esteem recently, and now it’s crashing back down, spiralling like something you can’t escape.

When everyone’s finally finished, you pack up your things and step back outside into the cold, hoping the rest of the day goes by as civilly as the last few hours have been.

Hours later, you’re spent. So utterly spent you’re sure you won’t make it to Jin’s without falling asleep midway through. Like Snow White, you want to lie down and sleep, and for no one to kiss you awake. Though, if you think about it, Jungkook would make a formidable prince.

Stop. You can’t think like this, you won’t allow such homewrecker thoughts. Not when things went well after lunch and there’s hope you can talk shit out.

After finally managing to learn how to take turns on that snowboard straight out of hell, and now being able to proudly say you can get down the beginners’ hill without breaking a single bone, you feel more accomplished than you ever have. Still, you hate snowboarding, and still won’t be doing it again once the two weeks are up.

“Why aren’t we eating at the hostel?”

You didn’t mean to say it out loud, not with Namjoon walking right beside you, and it might come off as though you’re calling him out for saying he’d be your chef during the trip, but hasn’t cooked a single thing for you yet. Namjoon’s blush only deepens your regret, though he takes it in stride.

“Well…uhm…I just thought that—”

“He can’t cook to save his life.” Jungkook interrupts Namjoon’s clear attempt to save face, and you’d never expected to see such a smug look on Jungkook’s face while throwing his friend under the bus.

“Oh, that’s cute. Plenty of women like to cook for their man.” You nudge Namjoon, hoping it’ll ease the tension just a little.

“Ah, I don’t know about that.”

“Did you watch the game?” Jungkook asks, louder than necessary, slowing his pace so he falls in beside Namjoon, forcing you to step aside to avoid colliding with his stupid back.

The glare he sends your way matches your own, and you’re sure you can read in his eyes that he wants you to back off from his friend. You barely register what Namjoon and Yoongi are talking about, something vivid about an epic basketball game, too caught up in a silent conversation with Jungkook about what his problem is—and yours. But it’s like you’re out of sync, all questions missed, and answers elusive throughout the whole short walk to Jin’s.

You hadn’t expected Jin’s to be such a lavish restaurant. Despite having the same rustic feel as the rest of the town, there’s a touch of poshness that makes it more enchanting than any other place you’ve been.

Jungkook wastes no time after stepping inside behind you, passing you to get to the bar where Hara and Hope are perched. Sadly, or maybe thankfully, you don’t see how he greets them, as a man steps into your view, broad shoulders blocking everything else.

“Welcome! I’m Jin! You must be ___.”

Jin practically squeezes you to death with his hug, your sore muscles protesting at how tight he holds you. You can’t hold back your laugh, not only because his greeting is the warmest you’ve ever received, but because you know the moment he lets go of you, he’ll do the same to Yoongi.

“Thanks for having us, Jin,” you squeak, tapping his back in hopes it’ll make him release you.

“Oh please, I’m so thrilled to finally meet you both.” Jin beams down at you before turning to throw himself at Yoongi, just as you predicted. “Yoongi, hi!”

“Please let go of me.” But Jin doesn’t listen, and you think he squeezes your grumpy cousin even tighter than before until he finally lets him go too.

“I’ve prepared a whole course for you three. I know Jungkook can be a bit demanding with his food, so I’ll make sure you’re well fed.”

Jin guides you to a table near the bar, and like the little control freak you are, you opt for the chair that gives you a view of the whole restaurant, including the bar. You don’t have a great view of Jungkook and Hara, though, as Namjoon is standing perfectly in front of them, but you think you see Hara leaning against Jungkook.

It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, twisting the knife of jealousy oh-so-slowly in your gut. You’re not sure how Jungkook could have found someone new so quickly, especially after telling you over and over again that you were the love of his life. Maybe it was just heartbreak that drove him to find solace in someone else. Maybe it’s just a hungry heart wanting to be fed with a fraction of love.

But you don’t want to assume that Hara’s love for him can’t compete with yours. Even though a part of you is certain that what you felt—and still feel—for him is beyond anything humanly possible. And even if her love for him is pure, yours will always outshine hers. Or maybe that’s just the green-eyed monster talking, infecting your thoughts.

But so be it. There’s nothing left to lose after you lost Jungkook, after you lost yourself, not just during your relationship with him, but in so much more.

Jin takes your drink order, and while at first you thought a Diet Coke would be nice after today, you opt for a whole bottle of wine. Not to share. Oh no, it’s entirely for yourself, because if you’re going to spend the evening witnessing Jungkook with his new flame, you’re definitely not doing it sober.

“You look jealous.”

“You don’t say.”

“Talk to him.”

“About what, Yoongs?” you snap as quietly as possible, fingers digging into the tablecloth to stop yourself from losing it. “How he’s fucking that model? Or how easy it was for him to move on?”

“That would be a start.”

“You’re ridiculous. Now shut up, they’re coming over.”

It’s not like you want to stare, but seeing Jungkook so at ease with Hara makes your stomach turn. And why Yoongi had to sit opposite you, leaving no other option but for Hara and Jungkook to sit on either side of you, is something you’ll never forgive him for.

“Hey!” Hara greets you both so warmly that you regret bashing her in your thoughts. Even if she’s Jungkook’s girlfriend, she’s always been nice to you.

“Hey, how have you been?”

Jin takes this moment to bring over a tray full of drinks. Yoongi has a beer, Hara a glass of water like Jungkook—yuck—and he sets the whole bottle of wine with a fitting glass in front of you. You should feel embarrassed, but you really don’t.

“You want some too?” you ask Hara out of politeness, knowing Jungkook never drinks during the week, as you pour yourself a generous first glass of your survival drink, wanting nothing more than to down it all before dinner starts.

“Oh no, thank you! I’m pregnant.”

The bottle’s still in your hand, but the glass is already at your lips with a hearty sip in your mouth, which you promptly snort back into the glass. You’re not sure if the tears springing to your eyes are just from the wine burning your sinuses and uncontrollably coughs or from your heart crumbling into dust at this revelation.

Jungkook—bless the tiny space you still occupy in his heart—is at your side in seconds, helping you recover from the near-death experience, but his touch feels scolding now.

Scolding in a way that makes you think back to all the times he said he wanted to be a dad, to all the times he fucked you raw and let his kink give you the best orgasms of your life. And eventually, you have to force yourself not to picture it—how he found all of that with Hara.

“Congratulations!” you manage to force out after everyone’s back in their seats and a bit of quiet has settled.

“Thank you! We’re all so happy, right?” Hara caresses her stomach, beaming at Jungkook, who looks just as thrilled as she does.

“Yeah! It’s going to have a wonderful mother.”

“Duh.” She laughs, sipping her water while you drown your glass, smiling and nodding as if you couldn’t agree more.

You don’t recall much of the conversations during dinner, don’t remember the sweet lies you told to hide how broken you are. But when Jungkook and Hara disappear into the kitchen after the meal, you grab Yoongi from his chair and drag him towards the door.

“Bye! Thanks for dinner!” you call to Namjoon and Hope, who look confused, but you’re too tipsy to care. Too tipsy to make out what Jin says to you as he rushes out of the kitchen, while you stumble outside.

“What was that?” Yoongi pulls his arm out of your grasp, hating it when you’re like this.

But you can’t hold it together anymore, alcohol always making you sad, emotional, and sentimental. Maybe it was the last straw—time to let Jungkook go, though him being so wound up this morning still nags at your mind.

“I’ve changed my mind.” You start walking towards the hostel, hearing Yoongi following, the snow crunching under your feet. “You’re free to do whatever you want.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

Yes, you are. You need to end this limbo once and for all.

“I need answers, and I won’t get any if I’m not alone with Jungkook.”

Day 3

Maybe opting to spend the day alone with Jungkook wasn’t the best idea you’ve had. Not that it isn’t necessary to finally get the answers that have been piling up, but you’re not sure how to ask him without it turning into an interrogation.

Facing Jungkook first thing this morning would’ve been too much too, especially since you’ve barely had time to process the pregnancy bomb Hara dropped on you. So, sneaking out of the hostel it is.

You regret not stopping by Hope’s to grab your winter boots, but with no other option, you head out in full snowboarding gear, aiming to grab breakfast at Jimin’s.

What you didn’t expect was to spot Hara in the pastry shop as you stand outside, staring longingly at the treats like a starving kid. You can’t face her right now, so you quickly turn and decide to head anywhere else but here or the hostel, hoping there’s another bakery somewhere in town.

But of course, in your bulky snowboarding gear, you’re not exactly inconspicuous, looking more like an oversized ball of dark fabric against the snow. Naturally, Jimin spots you straight away, waving you in like you originally planned.

And of course, Hara notices too, her soft eyes and glowing smile radiating warmth as she waves at you.

Forcing a smile, you head to the entrance and with one deep breath, step into the lion’s den, thinking breakfast spent with Jungkook would have been the better option.

“Morning, ___!”

“Hey Hara. Jimin.”

You’re still a bit pissed at Jimin for being a little shit yesterday, stirring the pot between you and Jungkook for no reason. But seeing him now, friendly and without the evil glint in his eyes, tempers your anger just a bit.

“The usual?”

“I didn’t know I had one,” you laugh, now standing beside Hara, who’s practically pressed up against the glass display of sweets. It’s kind of cute, and you reckon the pregnancy hormones are hitting her hard, especially this early in the morning.

“I’d die for a coffee,” she mumbles, fogging up the glass and quickly wiping it clear again to not spoil her view.

Jimin’s back is to both of you, already busy with the coffee machine. “I could make you a decaf.”

“No, I read somewhere that decaf isn’t really decaf. And while nursing, caffeine stays in the baby’s system for up to three days. I don’t even want to think about how long it stays in their system when they’re still in the womb.”

“Oh, that’s wild. I didn’t know that.” You’re genuinely shocked by the news, and a little concerned for any women who don’t know either.

“Yeah.” Hara sighs, fogging the glass up again and immediately wiping it clean.

Why Jimin’s not serving Hara first and is making your coffee instead is beyond you, but you don’t say anything. Maybe she can’t decide what to eat just yet, or there’s something she’s avoiding. Either way, you don’t want to end up as the town’s biggest grouch.

“Aren’t you warm?” Hara asks, glancing at you, though her gaze keeps drifting back to the sweets.

“Yeah.” You stammer a little, awkwardly taking off your coat, walking back to the door to hang it up on the rack, which has been bodged together again. You realise quickly that Namjoon or Jimin clearly aren’t cut out for DIY which is definitely a pass.

“Something to eat?”

“Yes,” you and Hara answer in unison, though hers is more of a relieved sigh, making you giggle as you make your way to the table you sat at some days ago.

“What’ll it be then?”

“How about a bit of everything as an apology?” you tease, unable to let his mischief slide like you probably should.

“Touche.”

“What did he do again?” Hara’s now sitting beside you, both of you watching Jimin as he diligently piles treats onto a massive plate. A brief flicker of guilt runs through you as you think about the way you’ve been eating lately, except for that one perfect meal at Jin’s. But you’re only here for a few days, so you might as well make the most of it. There’s no way you’re saying no to all this food, especially when Jimin owes you more than that.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Mhm, sure,” you smirk, crossing your arms as you exchange glances with Hara, who’s clearly curious and ready for some gossip, even if it’s at your expense.

She looks stunning in the soft morning light filtering through the window, her thick black hair falling in loose waves like she’s fresh from a blowout. Maybe it’s just good genes, because her skin is flawless—no makeup, no blemishes, no dark circles.

Maybe, in another life, she could’ve been a friend. But there’s no way you could ever be close to someone who’s got the man you love.

“Oh, come on, it wasn’t that bad.”

“What did he do?” Hara’s leaning forward now, elbows on the table, hands framing her perfect face as she eagerly looks between you and Jimin, clearly hooked on your tea.

“He’s been a little shit, stirring trouble.”

“I just brought you your favourite,” Jimin grins innocently, making his way to the table. But you can clearly see the mischievous glint in his eyes again, and before you know it, he’s setting down the dreaded americano in front of you. Hara’s already grabbed a macaron, barely waiting for the plate to touch the table.

“What’s so bad—” Hara starts, talking through a mouthful of food in a way only you could relate to, but Jimin cuts her off.

“She’s his ex.”

Hara’s reaction is immediate—she starts choking on her pastry, and you flash back to last night when you nearly drowned yourself with wine. You’re unsure what to do, hesitating with your hands hovering over her, worried about whether patting a pregnant woman on the back is safe as your panic rises. Luckily, Jimin sprints behind the counter, grabs a bottle of water, and leaps back over to hand it to her.

Thankfully, Hara recovers quickly, and your heart slows down as you see she’s alright.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?!”

That’s…not the reaction you were expecting.

“If you’d just checked the group chat, you’d know.”

“Wait, you have a group chat where you talk about me?!”

“Not important.” Hara waves you off with a hand, though the growing smile on her face makes the gesture anything but rude. She pulls out her phone and starts scrolling through missed messages, clearly catching up on something you’re not privy to.

You try to sneak a glance at her screen, but she leans away, blocking your view. Instead, you watch her face as she scrolls—at first, there are little giggles, but soon her expression sours into a full-on pout.

What the hell are they texting about you? Isn’t that illegal or something?

“Why?” she whines, looking at Jimin while your confusion just deepens.

“Dunno. Ask Namjoon.”

“Namjoon?” The name slips out before you can stop yourself. It doesn’t make any sense for him to be involved in this.

Hara lets out an exasperated sigh, sinking into her seat like she already knows the answer Namjoon would give but is too drained to accept it. “Ugh, no way.”

You clear your throat, hoping to redirect the conversation, though the frustration is building. “Namjoon?”

“Yeah, Namjoon. Now eat before it gets cold.”

“Your pastries are cold,” you shoot back, but Jimin just waves it off.

“See? Now eat.” And with that, he disappears through the door leading to the back, leaving you stewing. You hate him for this—stirring up chaos and then vanishing as if he didn’t cause it in the first place.

Hara, meanwhile, seems lost in her thoughts, again eating, one hand’s wrapped around a croissant, the other clutches a muffin. How she manages to look like she’s stepped straight out of a commercial is beyond you, and somehow it fits that Jungkook would be with someone like her.

You hesitate, not daring to nudge her. You’ve never spent much time around pregnant women—how fragile are they, really? Better safe than sorry.

“Namjoon?” you ask again, more gently this time.

Her eyes flick up to yours, as if she momentarily forgot where she was. There’s no defensiveness in her gaze, only a soft apology. She places the muffin down and reaches out to touch your arm after wiping it clean on her sweater, her hand gentle and comforting like a mother consoling a child. She’s really going to make a great mum.

“I’m sorry, love. I can’t tell you.”

Surprisingly, it doesn’t make you angry. You should be furious, with how cryptic everyone’s being, and especially with how inconsistent Jungkook’s been treating you lately. But you can see the sincerity in Hara’s face. She really is sorry, and somehow, that makes it harder to be mad. She’s just…lovable in all the ways you’re sure you never could be.

So you just nod, defeated, and finally start eating your breakfast as well. Thinking about all the conversations you could have with Hara right now makes deciding which one you’d actually want to have not that easy.

Asking about her pregnancy could be a start, maybe how far along she is since she’s not showing yet. It would be a question asked just for the sake of it, to get to know her a bit better. Because quite frankly, even if you checked Jungkook’s or her social media to confirm if he was in town and might be the father of Hara’s child, it wouldn’t really help. The evidence wouldn’t be enough, seeing as he’d apparently be in Hawaii now if you took socials as proof.

Asking her how her relationship with Jungkook is? Not an option. Why would you willingly want to hear anything about their intimacy? Definite no.

Her childhood? Pass.

Her job? Don’t care.

Whether she has pets? Hmm, that would be nice to know. You love animals, regardless of their owner, so that’s where you settle.

This time though, you swallow the bite of food before speaking to Hara, who’s managed to eat half of the huge plate sitting before you both while you were lost in thought. Just as you part your lips, inhaling enough air to ask your first personal question, she freezes mid-bite with a half-eaten cinnamon roll in hand, her eyes wide.

“Oh no…” she breathes, mortified, cradling her stomach as she drops the roll and bolts towards the nearby toilet, gagging.

To your dismay, she doesn’t close the door behind her, and you can hear her throwing up everything she’s eaten so far, which sets off your own stomach. You start gagging too, barely able to stand, hating this reaction you’ve had since childhood whenever someone’s vomiting or even gagging near you.

You need to leave. Now. So you call out a quick “sorry” and “bye” with your hand over your mouth, grab your coat while passing the sad excuse of a fixed coat rack and rush outside. You’re not even fazed by the freezing cold, just relieved to be as far away from the sound of vomiting as possible.

Seeing no other option than to go back to the hostel and get your snowboard, you try to calm yourself as much as you can. It’s finally time to face Jungkook alone, how you’ll manage, you don’t know—but you’ll figure it out as you go.

When you enter the hostel, Jungkook’s already standing in full gear in the main area, turning his head from the hallway leading to the rooms when the chime signals your arrival. He looks confused for a moment, but as you approach your snowboard, you try not to let his presence faze you.

Though you fail miserably when your voice embarrassingly cracks. “Good morning.”

Jungkook still has the same effect on you. Anytime your eyes catch even a glimpse of him, whether in person or just a pixelated picture on the internet, he takes your breath away and makes you flustered all over again. It’s not like it’s something new—he’s had that effect on you ever since the first time you saw him, when he was tapping on your car window, asking if you needed help as you were clearly having a breakdown because you couldn’t, for the life of you, park in the narrow side street.

“Morning. Where’s your other half?” Jungkook’s voice turns slightly bitter, but as you look at him, you can tell he’s more irritated with himself than anything.

“He’s not coming.”

Jungkook raises an eyebrow in question, walking towards the door to leave for the hill.

“He doesn’t need it. It’s just us. Or should we cancel the lesson altogether?” You grin at him as you walk beside each other, playful but secretly hoping for a way out that won’t involve you breaking a bone today.

“No, ‘s fine.” You think you catch a small smile tugging at Jungkook’s lips, but he quickly pulls his scarf up over his mouth, hiding it.

“Did you sleep well?”

You mull over his question, wondering if whining about being awake most of the night because of Yoongi’s snoring, which could probably warrant a sleep clinic appointment, and your own relentless overthinking about Hara’s pregnancy and Jungkook’s involvement, warranting an appointment with a psychologist, would be a good idea. But you decide against it. Not just because you don’t want to confront him yet, but because voicing a lie to explain why a whole bottle of wine didn’t lull you to sleep doesn’t cross your mind quickly enough.

“Perfectly. And you?”

“Yeah, though the beds are a bit too soft. You like them though, right?”

Nostalgia hits you like a snow storm—the fact that Jungkook still remembers such trivial details about you.

“Yeah, I even brought my snuggly,” you giggle, knowing he’ll definitely remember that as well.

What you didn’t consider is that the exact pillow you’ve been cradling every night since you got it was a gift from Jungkook himself. When his eyes snap to you, wide with recognition, searching your face to make sure he heard you right, you realise you’ve said too much.

He doesn’t ask any follow-up questions. In fact, he doesn’t say anything, and you’re too caught up in your head to even attempt small talk. How could you, with Jungkook? The two of you have never been like this, never awkward. You were always at ease, immediately friends, then more, and eventually…nothing at all.

It’s only when you reach the dreaded hill, with Jungkook stepping in front of you like the instructor he is—and how you should be seeing him right now—, that you try to bottle up everything, telling yourself you’ll bring it up later, maybe over lunch. It’s already late morning, so it won’t be too long until you get the answers you’re desperate for.

“So, today we’ll be snowboarding for real,” he starts, but it’s so much softer than when Yoongi was with you. There’s a gentleness in his tone now, something quieter, like he’s trying to ease you into it rather than push. “But before we lift up and go down the slopes, I want you to get a feel for gliding with a bit of speed.”

Yeah, no. He’s not easing, he’s definitely pushing you. You don’t like where this is going.

“First with a rope, then we’ll use the hill a few times, and hopefully before lunch we’ll make our first descent down the blue slope.”

“Blue?”

“It’s the easiest one. I’ll explain it in detail once we’re up there.” He points with his thumb over his shoulder.

Following the direction, you notice multiple skiers and snowboarders already dashing down the slopes. You’re pretty sure you hear someone scream right before they fall, snow exploding around them like flour hitting the ground. You gulp dryly, but you nod all the same.

When Jungkook pulls a cut-off lift cord from his jacket, you’re equal parts terrified and impressed by how much he carries around without you noticing.

“Clip yourself in, please,” he instructs as he unwraps the cord, walking towards you with both ends in hand.

Of course, you do as he says, but you can’t help glancing warily at the cord, still unsure of exactly what he’s got planned.

Shifting awkwardly on your snowboard, trying not to fall while Jungkook messes with the lift cord, you try to ignore the racing of your heart as Jungkook’s gloved hands tug gently around your body to secure it. But all your attempts to focus on anything other than how natural it feels for him to be helping you again, are futile at their best.

„You ready?“ He’s got this grin on his face, one you recognise too well—the kind that usually means he’s about to do something reckless or ridiculous. It’s the same grin he had that time he convinced you to build a fort out of every cushion in his apartment, just because and why not.

“Not even a little bit,” you admit, but still, you’ve never been able to say no to that grin. Snowboarding is definitely not something you ever thought you’d be doing, yet, here you are, letting your ex teach you. It’s awkward as it sounds, except…it’s not.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you. I’m gonna start pulling now. Just relax, yeah?” he grins, his voice carrying that casual, teasing tone that makes your heart ache just a little bit too much. Swallowing hard, you adjust your stance, trying to keep your balance as he gets into position.

“Relax? You’re literally going to run while pulling me. How am I supposed to relax?” you shoot back, giving him a look. Your knees feel wobbly just thinking about it, and you’re not even moving yet.

He chuckles, his eyes crinkling ever so lovingly at the edges. “Trust me, you’ll be fine. Just focus on staying straight and let me do the hard part.”

You shake your head, but deep down, you do trust him. You always have, even when you probably shouldn’t. Like that time he tried to teach you how to ride a bike after you told him you hadn’t been on one since you were a kid. He’d run alongside you, holding the seat, laughing the whole time while you screamed about how you were going to crash. And yeah, you did crash. But he was right there to catch you before you hit the ground.

“Okay, here we go!” Jungkook calls out suddenly, interrupting your thoughts. He grabs the lift cord a bit tighter, gives it a little tug, and then he’s off—actually sprinting through the snow, pulling you behind him like some kind of sled dog.

The board jerks beneath you as you’re dragged forward, and for a split second, you think you’re about to eat snow. But you don’t. Somehow, you manage to keep your balance, your legs flexing to stay upright as you glide over the snow. You can’t help it—you let out a yelp of surprise, half-laughing, half-shrieking, as Jungkook keeps running ahead of you, turning to look over his shoulder with a huge grin on his face, sparkling eyes, and a nose red from the cold.

“See? You’re doing it!” he shouts, his voice breathless but excited, clearly proud of you just for managing not to fall.

“Don’t distract me!” you yell back, laughing now despite yourself. The rush of the cold air against your face and the ridiculousness of the situation sends a burst of adrenaline through you, and for a moment, you actually feel like you’re snowboarding. Well, sort of. „I’m going to crash!“

„Nah, I’d never let you crash!“

You look up at that and he still looks annoyingly good, like he’s stepped out of a high-end winter sports ad. You wonder if he’s thinking about the past too—about the warmth you’d felt on those lazy Sunday mornings when you’d wake up next to him, the two of you tangled in blankets, sharing groggy laughter and sleepy conversation before starting the day.

Why did it have to end? That thought keeps creeping up, even though you tell yourself not to think about it. You weren’t right for each other, or maybe you were, but just not at the right time maybe. But there are still these little moments that get you. Moments like now, when he’s right in front of you, close enough but still far away.

Jungkook slows down a little, but his grip on the cord stays secure, guiding you as you slide behind him. It’s strangely easy, being pulled along like this. You’re not focused on your feet or the board or the fear of falling—you’re just…moving because of Jungkook. Making you remember all those rare times you’d dance around the kitchen with him guiding you in his sturdy arms, not caring if you looked ridiculous or if you were stepping on each other’s socked feet. Back when everything was uncomplicated, and just being with him made you happy.

“You’re not even trying to steer!” Jungkook calls out, teasing, his breath visible in the cold air. He looks over his shoulder again, his hair bouncing slightly as he jogs, and there’s something playful and secure in his eyes—something that makes you remember why you fell for him in the first place.

“I’m trying! Let me life!” you protest, though your voice is shaky from laughing too hard. It’s ridiculous, this whole thing, but you’re actually having fun.

“Alright, I’m gonna let go now,” Jungkook warns, slowing down even more. “Get ready to stop.”

You brace yourself, bending your knees just a bit more, trying to remember everything he told you over the last two days about controlling the board. But before you can do much more than panic slightly, he releases the cord, and you glide forward, the board still carrying you for a few more feet before coming to a slow, wobbly stop right in front of him, your snowboard between his legs.

You stand there for a moment, catching your breath, and when you turn your head up to look from Jungkook’s chest to his face, there’s nothing less than a satisfied smile on his lips.

“See? Told you it’d be fun,” he smiles, like this whole thing was a walk in the park for you. Honestly, it probably would be for him. He’s always been annoyingly good at making things look easy.

“Fun? I almost fell like ten times!” you exaggerate, but you’re still smiling. You can’t help it. It’s hard not to smile when you’re around him, even now, years later.

Slightly out of breath, he gives you that boyish grin that makes you swoon even more. “But you didn’t. And you were laughing, which means you were having fun.”

You want to argue with him, to say that just because you were laughing doesn’t mean you weren’t terrified, but the truth is, you did have fun. More fun than you’ve had in a while, actually.

“Okay, fine. Maybe it wasn’t that bad,” you admit, brushing some snow off your gloves. “But I still don’t know what I’m doing.”

“That’s the point. You don’t have to know what you’re doing. You just have to let yourself try.”

You stare at him for a second, trying to decide if he’s talking about snowboarding or —again—something else entirely. It’s funny how easily he slips back into your life like this when you’re alone and forget about the world, making you laugh, making you feel like things aren’t as complicated as they really are. It reminds you of all those little moments you had together—when you’d stay up late, talking about nothing in particular, just enjoying the sound of each other’s voice or binge-watching shows that neither of you were really that into but refused to stop watching because you both needed to see how ridiculous the plot would get. Or, even, those lazy afternoons spent cooking together, fumbling through recipes neither of you knew how to make, laughing at each other when you messed up.

Those days were safe, easy. And even though it’s over, you miss that ease sometimes—the way he’d make you laugh without trying, the way he’d look at you during the quiet moments when he didn’t think you were paying attention.

Jungkook steps back and bends down to pick up the cord again, glancing up at you with that familiar mischievous glint in his eyes. “Wanna go again?”

You sigh dramatically, though you’re already nodding. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

He laughs, and the sound of it is oh so wonderfully warm. “Nope. You’re stuck with me.”

As he starts pulling the cord again, you feel that rush of excitement building in your chest, the same way it used to whenever he’d suggest something spontaneous or ridiculously dangerous. It’s easy to forget everything else when you’re with him—how things ended, how you’re supposed to be moving on. But for now, in this exact moment, with him pulling you along like old times, you let yourself enjoy it.

Because quite frankly, as soon as you have the talk with him, you’re sure there won’t be any of these shared moments anymore. Ignoring the ticking countdown inside your head is everything you’re willing to do for now, you’re not quite ready to let go of the ease that obviously can still exist between you, fragile as it may be.

Some time later, after you’ve been gliding—no, really snowboarding—down the hill a few times, you’re sitting on top of it with Jungkook beside you. Both of you are clipping yourselves in, facing the lift where you’re about to head up for your first proper descent.

“People are already off to lunch, so the lift’s going to be pretty empty. Try to stop right behind me, I’ve got the ticket for you.”

“Okay.” you hesitate, but maybe it’s the perfect time to clear some of your questions. “Uh, before we start, could you tell me what you’ve all been saying about me in the group chat?”

“What?”

“Yeah, like, what you’ve been talking about me. About us.”

Jungkook looks completely confused, muttering, “We don’t talk about you there,” but he pulls his phone from his pocket regardless, unlocking it and heading straight to the group chat. “What the fuck?!”

“What is it?”

You try to peer at his phone, but the sun’s too bright for you to make anything out.

“They’ve removed me from the chat.”

Frowning at his phone, Jungkook quickly types out a flurry of messages to all his friends, each one filled with the same curse words and passive-aggressive tone. But when you see him typing to Hara, it’s just a politely phrased question, before he puts his phone away and turns to you with apologetic eyes.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s going on with—”

“Jungkook!”

You turn towards the chirpy voice calling out, spotting two snowboarders decked out in pink, gliding effortlessly towards you. Their gear isn’t baggy, snugly fitting and showing off their slender physiques.

“Who’s that?” you mutter to yourself, still transfixed by how effortlessly they come to a stop in front of you. You think you hear Jungkook mumble something like no clue.

Both girls remove their scarves and protective goggles, revealing not only perfect features but also flawless makeup—more suited for a night out than a day on the slopes.

“Hey,” Jungkook greets them, confusion evident in his tone.

“It’s so dope to see you again! Right, Minji? Best instructor in the world.”

Both giggle, and you notice Jungkook shifting uncomfortably. Did he sleep with them? They look so young, he wouldn’t have…right?

“Oh, thanks. Minji and…uh…”

“Sora!” She winks at him, still ignoring your presence. “It’s been, what? Two years? We’ve grown up now, right?”

“The Cho cousins! Of course! Wow, you really have grown up!” Jungkook smiles now, no longer bothered by the obvious flirting, though your mood sours the longer the girls stare at him.

“You remember,” Minji breathes, looking at him like a lovesick puppy.

“You want to grab lunch with us? Catch up a bit?”

“We were just about to—” you start, but Sora interrupts you with a pout.

“Pretty please?”

“Are your parents with you?” Jungkook asks.

“No, just us.”

Jungkook turns to look at you, and you school your expression into neutrality.

“We could have lunch now and then—”

“Yeah, the lesson’s over for today,” you say flatly, unclipping your feet from your board and getting up immediately. “See you later.”

You’re not proud of how you’ve handled it, but you’re done. You’ve wasted the whole morning without getting any answers, and now there’s another issue you wouldn’t have wanted.

“Wait!” Jungkook calls after you, but you’re already at the base, not looking back as you head straight to the hostel, hoping Yoongi had the sense and decency to finally grab your stuff from Hope’s.

Hearing Jungkook trying to catch up with you gives you that extra boost, despite your muscles aching, pushing you to increase your pace. It’s pretty embarrassing how you’re practically fleeing from him, but you’re pissed, and you’re petty, and he knows it too. Jungkook definitely still knows how to handle you when you’re like this, but right now, you just can’t.

Luckily, he doesn’t speed up, and you make it to the hostel first, stumbling inside. Everyone, literally everyone, is scattered around the main area as if they’re plotting something you’re not in on. They all fall silent the moment you burst through the door, with a few empty takeout boxes on the table and Jimin holding a clipboard and pen.

“Uh, hello?” you ask carefully.

That seems to break their trance as everyone starts blinking and moving again. Yoongi gets up with a takeout box in hand and walks over to you.

“Want some takeout?” He’s being too nice, and the way his eyes shift over his shoulder to Namjoon and Hope does anything but ease your nerves.

“What’s going on here?”

No one answers. Jin even starts whistling while cleaning his nails, which earns him a swift kick to the shin from Hara, who’s sitting between him and Tae.

“Just getting things ready for tonight,” Namjoon finally says, though you can see in his eyes that he’s straight-up bullshitting you.

You don’t have time to push for answers as Jungkook bursts through the door too, looking just as confused. “What’s going on?”

“Preparations,” everyone except you says in unison, making them seem even more suspicious than they already are.

“Why are you back so soon?” Hara tries to distract, smiling as she glances between you and Jungkook.

That’s your cue to leave though. You’re not dealing with this today. “Thanks for the takeout, I’m off for a shower. Bye~.”

And with that, you grab the takeout box from Yoongi, swap it with your snowboard, and stomp off in your snow-covered boots towards your suite. Locking yourself inside, you decide to spend the day on some much-needed self-care before you have to face the party tonight.

Because finally having the time to think—or rather, not to think—and just get back to your inner zen, maybe even start acting a bit more rationally, is exactly what you need. You’re just relieved that everyone, even Yoongi, has left you alone throughout the whole afternoon, only briefly interrupting you so he could get ready for the evening as well.

You’re not sure why you opted for the clothes you’re currently wearing, feeling ridiculously overdressed for this town, but at the same time underdressed for the weather. Still, you won’t let every other woman around you push you into their shadows, knowing there’s a spotlight for you too, even though you barely take it.

If Jungkook’s the visual type, which you know for a fact he is, then you’ll damn well show him what he’s missing. Not just to give him a mental middle finger, but also for you to feel at least a bit more adequate.

Maybe there’ll be someone at the party who’ll appreciate your appearance, someone who isn’t familiar with your past or your sorry attempt at being something you’re simply not. Maybe tonight’s all about getting answers and a change, closing the book written by Jungkook.

Grabbing your small purse, you stuff your phone into it, pulling on your boots, which don’t quite match your outfit, but leaving with heels would be a death sentence with the snow-covered streets. It’ll have to do, especially when you’re hoping that Jin’s place is dimly lit, so no one notices your footwear anyway.

When you enter the main area, Yoongi, Namjoon, and Jungkook are already waiting for you, the latter two stunned silent as they take you in. It makes you blush, though you hope your makeup stays true to its claims and doesn’t let the pink show through.

Jungkook’s decked out in all black again, his fitted jeans straining against those massive thighs you’ve always had a weakness for. You think you spot a silver chain peeking out from his collar—it looks familiar, but you’re not entirely sure. You reckon it might be a new one; time has definitely passed, and it would be odd if he were still wearing jewellery gifted by his petty ex who dumped him.

“Finally,” Yoongi breathes, standing up from the couch with a clap to his knees.

Jungkook throws him an evil eye, though you chalk it up to his general hostility towards him rather than any real annoyance at the semi-rude comment about how long you took to get ready.

“You look beautiful,” Namjoon smiles, that dimpled smile of his, walking beside you as you head out to the party.

“Thanks, Namjoon, I like your hair.” You compliment him back, noticing the effort he’s put in as well, his hair now gelled back, showing off his forehead.

You’re glad Jungkook doesn’t butt in again, though the silent simmering isn’t much better. It’s kind of childish how he’s acting—not that you’re any better—but still, it grates on your nerves. At this point, though, you’re not even sure talking to him would help, considering how loaded everything is between you two, you reckon there might not be a way back to normalcy. Not that you know what normal would look like with Jungkook.

When you finally reach Jin’s, you’re pleasantly surprised by how it’s transformed—not just because the whole town’s there, but because the decorations are on point. Multiple mistletoe hang from the ceiling, with glittery ornaments reflecting the fairy lights, making the whole place feel more like a Christmas nightclub than the posh restaurant it was just yesterday.

You spot Hope, Hara, and Tae right away, deep in conversation in front of a makeshift stage, where several microphones and instruments are set up. Jungkook and Namjoon are swarmed within seconds by women swooning over them like starved cougars which annoys you just a bit more than usual.

It’s too much for you again—you can’t stand to watch—so you grab Yoongi’s hand and drag him to the bar, needing to drown a shot glass, even if it ends up filled with your tears by the end of the night.

“Hey!” Jin greets you from behind the bar, shaking up a drink for an older lady perched on a barstool, who looks like a cross between a crazy rich Asian and a fashion icon. You’re sure to see Jimin’s hair flopping at the other end of the bar, probably helping out in serving drinks tonight.

“Yo, Jin, what’s up?” Yoongi daps him up, and you sit down, swirling slightly while deciding what you’ll drink tonight.

“What can I get you?”

“A beer for me and…”

“A shot of vodka and a glass of wine, please.”

“Going hard tonight?” Jin laughs, but he prepares your drinks without much judgement.

“It’s a party, isn’t it?”

“Of course. Enjoy yourselves,” he winks, setting down the drinks before heading off to serve another customer.

“You planning on getting smashed?” Yoongi asks, right before taking his first sip.

“Maybe. We’ll see.”

“Just talk to him.”

You give him a silent glare, throwing your head back as the vodka disappears before you know it. When you get home, you’ll definitely need to cut back on the alcohol—it’s gotten out of hand, and you know it.

“Maybe you don’t want answers.“

„Maybe.“

„You coming over?” Yoongi nods towards the group of friends, Jungkook standing with them next to Hara but with his eyes locked on you, watching intensely as you turn.

You can’t look away, not when he’s hypnotising you the way only he can, making you feel exposed to the core, even from across the room.

“No, I’ll come over in a bit.”

“Suit yourself.”

And with that, Yoongi’s gone, pushing through the crowd while you turn back to the bar, watching Jin and Jimin work, taking gulps of wine one after the other, just as soon as you set the glass down.

You can’t help but take occasional peeks over your shoulder at the others, always laughing and having a good time. But every time, Jungkook’s eyes are already locked on you, refusing to look away even when you catch him staring. His confidence is bold, and he’s never been shy about it—or anything, really—which only stirs the fire inside you, the one only he could ever ignite.

After your second glass of wine, your mind wanders to fantasies that can only come true in your dreams. What if he’s not with Hara? If he’s not the baby daddy? Would there still be a chance for you? Would you be enough?

What if you are? What if everything goes back to how it once was? Would you be happy? Of course you would, how could you not. Even the toughest days spent with Jungkook aren’t as hard as being without him. You’d take fighting with him over being apart from him any day.

But the fact that you’ve been sitting here for what feels like hours, and no one has even attempted to make a move on you, destroys your pride even more. Maybe you’re just not desirable enough, and Jungkook, being the peak of human perfection, would see it that way too.

When he joins you at the bar after some time, you don’t even need to look to know it’s Jungkook standing beside you, leaning on the counter—his unique fragrance mixed with his scent gives him away instantly.

“A whiskey, please,” he calls over the music to the barman, Jimin and Jin by now replaced by two unfamiliar faces.

“Didn’t know you drink during the week.”

Jungkook’s jaw ticks ever so slightly, his head hanging low as his fringe hides his eyes.

“Can’t I enjoy myself too?”

“Go ahead, enjoy yourself as much as you like.” You can’t help the bitter tone in your voice, hoping he didn’t catch it, but Jungkook noticed.

When he’s handed his drink, he turns to you, and you can’t help but take him in. It’s instinct at this point, letting your eyes shamelessly stray over his build and features, though he’s just the same.

“You look like you’re doing just fine without me.” Ouch.

“Maybe you do too.” You try to safe face.

There’s silence now as Jungkook takes a sip of his whiskey, his darkened eyes flickering over your face as if trying to make sense of you.

But eventually, he just shakes his head. “Having to learn how to live without you is a lesson I never wanted to learn.”

He’s gone as quickly as he appeared, and you’re left alone again. You can’t spend the whole evening like a fucking loner at the bar, so you order another glass, and once it’s handed to you, you get up and head towards the others.

Just like the rest of the night, they’re loudly chatting and laughing away, now joined by Jin, who’s massaging Hara’s shoulders, and Jimin, who’s clearly annoying the hell out of Yoongi.

“___!” Tae shouts over the heads of the others, bulldozing towards you as you stand beside Jungkook, throwing himself over your shoulders.

The hug mends your broken heart just a little, and you regret not coming over sooner, realising you were once again stuck in your head, missing out on the easy fun that was waiting for you.

“Tae, hi!” You feel a bit of wetness on your back, probably from the drink Tae’s holding, but you don’t let it bother you, knowing it’ll dry in no time with the heat surrounding you.

“You left so quickly this morning,” Hara pouts, and guilt washes over you instantly.

“Yeah, sorry, I’ve got a sensitive stomach and…well, you know…”

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

“No, it’s fine! Nothing you could’ve done,” you laugh, trying to brush off the awkwardness.

The chatter picks up again, and you’re relieved no one mentions you keeping your distance until now. Everyone seems pretty laid back, happy to let people take space if they need it. Well, everyone except Jungkook, who’s stepped a little away from you and closer to Hara.

It stings a bit—well, a lot—but you try to keep the tight-lipped smile intact, tuning into the conversations around you over the music.

“You ready?” Jin grins over Hara’s head at Jungkook, who shifts uncomfortably.

“Do I have to?”

“Course you do! It’s tradition at this point,” Hope laughs, and even though you have no idea what they’re talking about, his bright laughter makes you giggle too.

Jungkook still looks unsure, but when Hara nudges him, leaning away from Jin to whisper something in his ear while squeezing his bicep, he nods and hands his drink to Jimin, prompting cheers from everyone but you and Yoongi.

“What the fuck?” Yoongi mouths at you, and you just shrug, just as clueless.

“Here goes nothing,” Jungkook mutters, and as he and Jin make their way to the stage—Tae giving them both a hard slap on the ass—your own nerves start to flare up.

Hara stands right beside you, pulling you into a side hug. “I’m so proud of him.”

You don’t bother asking why; your question will be answered any minute now.

“Hello everyone! Thanks for coming tonight! And like every year, let’s kick off the real party with our babystarcandy!” Jin shouts into the mic, tossing paper hearts into the air as Jungkook grabs a guitar from the side, slinging the strap over his shoulder and stepping up to the mic Jin just left.

The room erupts into the loudest cheers you’ve ever heard, with Hara screeching the loudest. Jungkook glances at her bashfully with a small smirk.

“Hey, everyone.”

More deafening cheers follow, and you swear you see a black bra flying through the air towards the stage, though you’re not sure—your alcohol-hazed vision could be playing tricks on you at this point.

“What do you want to hear first?” Jungkook’s smooth voice reverberates through the room, and you realise he’s made for the stage. You’ve never seen him like this before.

The crowd shouts random song titles you’ve never heard before, but the loudest—and from Hara—is a request for a song called ‘Guillotine,’ one you’ve too never heard of. Jungkook locks eyes with her again and simply nods with cheeks dusted pink and a small smile.

“Alright, this one’s for someone special.”

As the first chords flow from his guitar, his tattooed fingers gliding effortlessly over the strings, eyes closed as if he’s pouring his soul into the song, the entire room falls silent.

“Sleep on me, feel the rhythm in my chest, just breathe.”

You gulp, not just because his voice is beautiful beyond words, but because when you glance at Hara, you see her with glassy eyes, softly mouthing the lyrics. You feel yourself starting to break. The words rain down on you, pulling you under, making it hard to breathe without gasping.

“I will stay, so the lantern in your heart won’t fade.”

This can’t be happening. It really can’t. Jungkook’s found the true love of his life, and it’s not you. You were never meant to be—just a prototype, an example for the perfect candidate, but only a candidate.

It’s her.

Tears well up in your eyes, though for entirely different reasons than Hara, who’s now curled into Jin’s side, still singing along, cheering for Jungkook, who keeps glancing in her direction with that same soft smirk.

“I know that you love me, love me, even if I lose my head.”

And as the whole room joins in, singing, clapping, and cheering, you silently crash. Splintering into a thousand pieces, never to be put back together. Your wine glass slips from your hand and shatters on the floor, but the sound is drowned out by Jungkook’s guitar. Still, Yoongi and Namjoon notice. They see you gasping for air, breaking, spiralling, and finally turning to flee from the hell that you’re forced to see.

You push through the crowd, head down, trying to block out the sound of Jungkook’s voice, but it’s everywhere, even as you burst outside and run towards the hostel. It’s still there, screaming in your head, with no way to drown it out.

01 • masterlist • 03

a/n 3: lmk what you think in any way you like! 👀 If you liked what you read, pls consider buying me a ☕️ Ko-fi.com/runariya 💕

Like what you read? Check out my other work here!

taglist: @kookiewithluv , @closer-to-jungkook , @dreamcatcherluvr , @blueofocean, @leah-rose03 , @httpjeonlicious , @futuristicenemychaos , @cryingoverpixelsetc , @variety-is-the-joy-of-life , @kawaiiisstuff , @delusionalsnack , @jaykay-world , @kookie-vuitton , @https-mei, @daisies-and-dandelionpuffs , @avawants2havefun , @kawaiiisstuff, @ancagab16 , @lovingkoalaface , @lachimolalajeon , @jkslvsnella , @asimuss7 , @elinaki92 , @minghaosimp, @whoa-jo , @jaytheatiny , @winterbeartaehyungbestboy

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preposterousjams · 2 months ago

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My opinion on the Latino Jason Todd headcanon

While I do understand ppl's criticism of the latino Jason todd headcanon and how its kind of racist to make the kid with parents with drug problems as the latino one, to me its more of a reclamation BECAUSE of DC's racism.

Read any 80s/90s batman issue that covers gang violence and drugs, most if not ALL of the criminals are poc; black people and latinos visibly make up the majority in the poorer neighbourhoods in Gotham. Aside from the caricaturist way they r drawn/speak, its not THAT weird cause its a reflection of irl big cities where immigrants and marginalised ppl are often forced to live in such situations, (like most of my dominican family lives in the bronx... it aint racist to say dominicans tend to flock there), BUT...the weird part is when the second a sympathetic character comes from that area, he's white and has a name thats "too fancy for the streets".

Obviously, Jason was created to look like the old robin, so I can't say that the whole "diamond in the rough" situation was purposely a tad bit racist, but its still a lil weird (especially with bruce's comment).

If Jason were a part of the overwhelming demographic in his area, the good-kid-in-a-bad-area trope has less connotations. DC is currently trying to fix this trope is by making crime alley whiter, which isn't bad but they could've just yk... humanised the non-white residents.

I also feel like the messed up way Jason was treated post-death is what makes him so relatable to latino readers. His tragic story of dying while trying to save his only living relative is turned into a lesson for newer vigilantes. Jason's particular disdain for abusers on a few occasions was twisted (by both writers and characters) into him always being dumb, reckless, cocky, angry and disobedient, always violent, never having been able to get over his upbringing. None of those things were true (he was a normal level of reckless and cocky like every other robin, not more), but its an easier narrative to digest compared to how it was in reality; a kid who worked so hard and loved even harder, died to save a woman who couldn't care less about his existence. He was an emotional AND smart kid who wanted so bad to help others get better but was remembered as too emotional (in a bad way).

THIS is the reality for many latino diasporas in day to day life; Theres no question that Latino culture is passionate and emotive, but people from other cultures assume that it is followed by instead of logical. both can coexist. emotion does not mean u have no logic. Emotions can be irrational but they aren't inherently that way, and I wouldn't say that the moments where Jason lashed out as a teenager were irrational (in og runs, not rewrites post red hood), they were mostly done to protect someone (going crazy on abusers, disobeying batman to save sheila, that time he got into a fight at school to defend his friend).

A lot of euro-centric culture is OBSESSED with the idea that rationality is separate from feelings and emotions, but not crying at a funeral doesn't mean you're better than those who do. Emotions are the basis of human ethics and morals, they define the way we interact as a collective and ignoring them does not mean they are not there. Theres no winner to a contest of who can feel the less. And the way Jason's emotions are treated (pre-rh, hes definitely unhinged afterwards lol) is so in line with how white culture tends to punish those who aren't ashamed to feel.

I TOTES UNDERSTAND that some ppl who headcanon Jason as latino are doing it for the complete opposite of reasons, like "oh here some angry emotional guy with druggie parents, haha must be latino". Its weird. I dont like it. And its only brought up so he can swear in spanish in some rlly bad text post where his emotions are getting out. But to me there's so much potential for metanarrative and commentary on how latinos are treated in media that can be exemplified through the way his character is treated. Being latino would add SO MUCH DEPTH to his character and his dynamic with the others.

#this is just my rant lol #for the non-latinos who wanna write latino jason todd pls stop the spanglish... he dont even have to speak spanish at all #you can incorporate elements of his culture/upbringing (pls pick a country tho the experience is so diff everywhere)#im super biased but carribean jason>>>>#ok but like undead lore in dominican culture is crazyyyy... like the myth of zombies comes from hispanola #my grandma was genuinely terrified of waking up in her coffin bc of stories of ppl coming back to life that she wanted to be cremated #jason todd #latino jason todd #red hood #batfam

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mead-iocre · 11 months ago

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Our New Normal Pt. 2 | Leah Williamson x Reader

Our New Normal 2/4 (read pt 1 here)

“The next station is London Euston, where this train terminates. Please ensure you have all your belongs with you when you leave the train”

You pull out your AirPods from your ears and slot them back into it’s case. The train journey was pretty pleasant. Interestingly, the First Class cabin was quieter than usual, with less fellow travellers in this trip than usual.

You grab your hand mirror from your bag, checking your appearance and fidgeting around with your hair; making sure to retouch your lipstick and spritz a little perfume. You rarely wore makeup when it wasn’t necessary, but for some reason you wanted to make the extra effort to make yourself look slightly more put together when Leah picks you up tonight. Usually, the Arsenal defender only ever saw you in sweatpants and a hoodie, thick rim glasses instead of contact lenses, and with your hair tied up in a loose ponytail.

For the first time, in a very long time, you were nervous to see your best mate. That wasn't normal at all.

The first thing Leah spots is your familiar silver rimowa suitcase– in fact, it was hers first. When the wheels of your well-loved and well-traveled suitcase decided to break during one of your visits to London, Leah insisted that you take one of her many suitcases that she had stowed away. The blonde never ended up asking for it back so you’ve kept it ever since, and use it every time you take your little trips.

Leah’s eyes trail upwards until they meet yours. She cocks one eyebrow at the slight difference in your appearance. To her, you were always beautiful but there was something about you right then that seemed different– like you were currently going through a big lifestyle change and the subtle difference in your appearance reflected that. In her mind, the defender chalked it up to you preparing for your transfer to your new club. It wasn't something she liked to think about often as you still had not told her where you were moving to. She just hoped that wherever you moved to, it won't be too far from her.

Leah watched from the distance as your eyes scanned the busy station, trying to find her. She grinned as she sees you weave your fingers through your hair to push it back, a long-time habit of yours that Leah found very, very charming.

Eventually her time to admire you from afar gets cut short when your eyes finally meet hers. You both grin at each other from across the arrivals area of the station before simultaneously making your way towards each other, skilfully dodging other people along the way.

Leah is the one that closes the distance between the two of you, her arms wrapping themselves around your waist; meanwhile yours found purchase around her shoulders. For a moment, all you see is her strawberry blonde hair as she tucks her face into your neck.

“Hiya, beautiful” She mumbles against your neck. You can feel the light press of her lips as they move against your skin causing you to giggle slightly at the feeling.

You’ve missed her a lot.

This was normal.

It was normal to miss you friend this much.

“Hi, Lee” You say softly against her ear. This is what you’ve been craving for weeks now– Leah and her hugs. No matter how long you both were apart, there was nothing awkward about the first hug when you are both reunited. It’s instinctual, it’s comfort, and it’s home. You step closer to her, minimising whatever little space there was left between your bodies, and wrap your arms tighter around her neck.

Home.

“I’ve missed you, baby” A moment later Leah moves to break the hug, her arms gliding across your lower back, both palms pressing against you until they settle comfortably on your hips. She reaches up to cup one side of your face, tilting it to the side, before her lips land sweetly on your cheek. When she pulls away so you are both finally seeing eye to eye, there’s that familiar grin on her face. You couldn’t help but mirror it back with a big smile of your own.

“I missed you too” You mumble back, blushing slightly at the intensity of her stare.

You’ve nagged her in the past for her staring habit, and all she did was quip back saying she’s “making sure all your cute freckles are still there”

“Right. Let’s get a move on then” Without even waiting for your reply, the defender has one hand over the handle of your suitcase and the other tugging you along behind her.

You both walk outside towards the parking lot, the chill of the London air feels all too familiar lately, until you stop by her car. The blonde unlocks her car, opens the passenger door, and ushers you inside before jogging to the boot of her car to stow away your luggage.

Leah turns on the ignition and then presses a button on the console of the car to turn the heater on. You can barely make out the details of the other cars outside in the parking lot due to the chill fogging up the windows, barely being able to make out passer-buyers exhaling fogs of cold air as they chat to one another. She glances over to you, noticing that you’ve got your arms crossed, hands tucked under the cuffs of your long wool jacket.

“Cold?” She reaches a hand over to gently push back the strands of hair that have fallen over your face. Her hand lingers by your cheek, a frown already forming on her face.

This is normal.

Leah knows you don’t like the cold. Unlike those who look forward to “sweater-weather” and pumpkin spice lattes, you hate the autumn and winter months. You preferred the warmer months when you can sunbathe and wear tank tops all day. “Sorry baby, I should’ve warmed the car up for you earlier”

You smile at her. This is why it was inevitable that you grew feelings her. She’s the kind of person that would go above and beyond for others. Your close friends and teammates would tease you, often jokingly complaining that Leah is spoils you too much and gives you the “princess treatment” even in simple chores. It made you wonder if this dynamic was going to change once you became teammates for the same club.

“It’s fine, Lee. I’ll warm up in a bit”

Your answer doesn’t seem to satisfy the Arsenal defender because she immediately shrugs off her own black puffer and places it over your body. You were about to nag the blonde about how now she’ll be the one freezing her socks off, but she shut your protests up with a quick stern look in your direction. You figured there was no point arguing with her when you’ve got a surprise for her later on, so you reluctantly accepted her coat.

Speaking of surprises, you were starting to feel nervous. You have never hid anything from your best friend, especially not something as big as this, and you can’t help but overthink about what might happen after tonight. Part of you knows that Leah will most likely be ecstatic over your transfer, but a smaller, more pessimistic part of your brain was worried that Leah would hate being around you even more; or perhaps she might get sick of being around you constantly.

You were great teammates for England, but international camp never lasted long enough to really test how well you can communicate your feelings, and how you can deal with arguments. Sure, you’ve had a few disagreements here and there but you both always resolved it quickly due to the looming threat of having to say goodbye to one another once camp was over once again. You were worried that being together more often would strain your relationship considering you were both complete opposites when it came to how you expressed your feelings.

Leah was a very confrontational person and she does not hesitate to tell people exactly how she feels. On the pitch, she has no problem arguing with the ref whenever she disagreed with a call, and she was exactly the same off the pitch. You, on the other hand, preferred to bottle up your feelings until you eventually break. The few arguments you’ve had with Leah often resulted in you leaving the room to clear your head, and the blonde giving you the time and space to think things through.

Afterwards, when you did resolve everything, Leah often expressed how she wished you would stay and talk to her instead of running out. She said it nicely, comfortingly, but you knew a part of her was frustrated at the way you sometimes handled things. You never got a chance to resolve this issue or compromise because by then it would be time to say goodbye again– whether its because England camp has ended or you were due to separate and go back to your respective clubs. Being teammates for country and now club would mean that you both will have these issues more frequently, and you weren’t sure if you were ready for that.

The sudden change in your behaviour did not go unnoticed by the Arsenal defender. Leah watches as you adjust her jacket around you, the oversized puffer jacket completely engulfing you with only the lower part of your legs and your head visible. She watches as you fidget and fuss over the jacket in your lap, a nervous habit that she is very familiar with. She can tell you probably had a lot going on and she figured it was partly due to the looming deadline of the transfer window. She knows you well enough to know that the only way you will open up is if you are given the time and space to do so. Leah isn’t usually a patient person, but for you she can be.

She watches you silently for another moment. She swears she felt her heart skip a beat when you try and cocoon yourself further into her jacket, your eyes closed, mouth curved up into a satisfied smile– probably happy with the warmth you were now swaddled in. You didn’t know it but if you wanted her to, Leah would’ve tried to somehow turn winter into summer if it meant seeing you this happy. For now she’s just glad that her puffer jacket can offer you some warmth in the meantime.

Soon enough, Leah was driving the both of you out of the station’s car park, the navigation flashing the directions to her flat. Usually, the blonde would be blasting music in the car, sharing all the new songs she added to her playlist recently, but she must’ve noticed how tired you are because instead of the normal r&b tunes filling the car, the blonde has turned down the volume until you can barely hear the instrumentals of the song currently playing.

“Just sleep, y/n” You force your eyes open at Leah’s words, trying to blink the sleep away. You had been trying to stay awake, feeling bad about not being a more entertaining passenger on the long drive back to her flat, but the equal amounts of stress and excitement over the last couple of weeks seem to be catching up to you now.

As your hand reaches up to try and rub the sleepiness away from your eyes, the defender’s hand reaches up to grab your wrist before you can do so. “Don’t rub your eyes, baby. Remember that tiktok video I sent you?”

The eye roll that follows cannot be helped. Leah had sent you a tiktok video a few days ago about the potential dangers that rubbing your eyes constantly can do– something about weakening or distorting your cornea– but that’s in extreme cases. Why that tiktok video was even on her 'for you page', you didn't want to know.

“One little eye rub won’t damage my eyes, Lee”

“And let’s keep it that way, yeah?” You catch her smirk illuminated by the streetlights, already anticipating whatever cocky, unhinged thing that will come out of her mouth next. “Or else you’d miss seeing my pretty face”

You scoff, clutching her jacket tighter around you. One advantage of Leah driving you around is that it gives you the opportunity to look at your best friend, the woman you were in love with, without care.

The defender was a great driver, both hands always clutching the wheel, and always focused on the road. That meant you can stare at her without having to gaze into those blue eyes. A familiar shade of forget-me-not blues, unusually soft in the morning light, but can also reflect the deepest depths of the ocean when her emotions get the best of her. They say the eyes are the windows into the soul, and this woman was proof of that. She wore her emotions in her pretty blues, and sometimes you swore she felt the same scary, overwhelming emotions you had begun to feel for her.

But that’s why sometimes you find it hard to stare into her eyes, fearing that that unnamed emotion in her eyes– the one that you so badly want to believe might be adoration, or care, or love– might be gone one day.

“Piss off, Lee” Damn her and her caring nature.

The blonde risks a quick glance at you causing your breath to catch in your throat. All of a sudden, you feel a lot less sleepy and more aware of your rapidly beating heart.

“Take a nap, baby. I’ll wake you up when we stop at the gas station” Leah turns her head back to the road for a second, surveying the road ahead of her, before those pretty blues find their way back to you.

“Give your eyes a break for a bit. Wouldn’t want you to get tired of looking at me”

You giggle at that. As if.

“I’ll never get tired of looking at you, Leah” You cheesed out– partly jokingly, but mainly because it’s true. You hope your tone disguises that last bit though.

That being said, a short nap was beginning to sound very inviting. No sooner than later, you’ve allowed the familiar scent of her that lingers from her jacket, the music barely an audible hum, and the streetlights fading into a blur lull you to sleep.

Already halfway asleep, you miss the blonde’s quiet “same here, baby” whispered aloud for only her ears to hear.

——————————————

An hour or so passes and you were still fast asleep. Stopping in front of a red light, the defender takes the opportunity to spare a glance towards your sleeping form beside her. She can’t stop the corners of her lips from turning up at the sight of you, a mere puffy marshmallow lump in her passenger seat. Unable to help herself, she reaches over and lightly caresses your face with her thumb. My sleepy girl

Soon enough it was time for a petrol station stop. Leah pulls up to a petrol station with its bright lights flickering atop a weathered sign. The cold air was tinged with the faint scent of gasoline, mingling with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee from the attached convenience shop. The defender unbuckles her seatbelt before reaching over towards you. Her hand finds it way under her jacket– your blanket– before she finds your thigh and gives it a gentle squeeze.

When you start to stir, Leah runs a hand through your hair in the attempts of taming the bird’s nest-like mess that sits on top of your head. When your eyes finally open, the first thing you see is Leah already grinning at you. You feel your breath catch, like it normally does whenever the pretty blonde is looking at you like that. You silently hope that the inside of the car is dark enough that she can’t see the blush painting your cheeks.

“Hiya. Had a good nap, yeah?” The grinning defender is still staring at you, so naturally you playfully push her face away with a palm to her cheek.

“Don’t need your ugly mug to be the first thing I see, Lee”

Leah laughs loudly at that. Head thrown back, mouth wide open in glee, blonde hair cascading down in loose waves that was probably the result of being put up in a Leah-style “bun” earlier that day.

“Oi! I’ve been so good to you the entire evening– even letting you sleep and snore in my car– and this is how you repay me?”

You let out an exaggerated gasp and look at her, unable to stop the grin that is already growing on your face. “I do not snore!”

“Like a new born piglet, baby”

Before you could retort, the blonde leans forward in her seat over the console and sneaks a quick kiss to your forehead. This was normal, Leah was usually so generous with her kisses for some reason, but that didn’t mean your heart didn’t flutter every time she laid one on you. “You’re cute, y/n”

You swear your heart skips a beat. Is that normal?

“I’ve got to get petrol. There’s a shop over there, so why don’t you grab something to eat while I do this?”

You glance over at the convenience store, the promises of hot food and maybe something sweet to satisfy your cravings lately already luring you inside. You turn back to the blonde and nod, handing her back her black puffer jacket which you had essentially held hostage the entire drive. You unbuckle your seatbelt and quickly throw your hair into a loose ponytail, silently bracing yourself for the cold ahead.

Just as you were about to push the car door open, Leah pulls you back with a hand on your arm, and the next thing you know your vision is partially obstructed by a wool beanie placed on your head. “Stay warm, baby”

Before you could thank her, the blonde has already opened the door on her side of the car and has stood up to shrug her jacket on. She gives you a quick wink before she disappears from your view, making her way to the petrol machine.

You hastily make your way inside the store, grateful for the sudden warmth it provided against the harsh cold from outside. You scan the shop and make a beeline towards the hot food section, and pick up a sausage roll. You scan the rest of the options before picking up the potato wedges for a certain blonde in mind who happens to have the food palette of a 2 year old. You walk around the store for a few more moments, picking up a bottle of Sprite, Diet Coke, a pack of hand-warmers, and two packs of prawn cocktail crisps before heading to the counter to pay. You hear the sound of the automatic doors sliding opening, the wind outside shrilling loudly in your ears, before the doors slide closed again.

As you reach into your coat to pull out your card to pay, a familiar hand reaches around you and taps their phone against the card reader.

“Leah.” You mutter sternly, eyes narrowed at the blonde who now stood beside you.

“Perks of having Apple Pay, baby. You would know if you actually bothered to set it up” The defender grabs the bag with your food, throwing a quick ‘thank you’ to the nice man behind the till. She grabs one of your hands in hers and pulls you towards the doors.

“Brace yourself” Is the only warning you get before Leah pulls you through the doors and out into the cold once again. The cold is harsh against your cheeks, and you find yourself pressing yourself into the blonde’s side. She wraps an arm around you, steering you to her car. She quickly unlocks your car door first, and out of habit holds a hand out above your head so you don’t bump your head into the roof of the car.

You both settle inside her car and buckle your seatbelts. Leah shrugs her jacket off of her shoulders and places it over your lap. “Use that. You clearly need that more than I do, Rudolph”

She quickly glances over to you, chuckling at the unamused expression on your face as she backs the car out of the petrol station. This time, you were adamant that you will sit through the rest of drive to the blonde's flat, and you did. You and Leah took turns choosing the songs to play, both of you shouting the familiar lyrics from the top of your lungs.

From the corner of your eye, you see Leah take one of her hands off the wheel and flex it open and closed repeatedly. You reckon she must be feeling cold, especially considering you’ve got her puffer blanketing you in its warmth. “Cold, Lee?”

“Hmm? ’m fine, baby. The car will warm me up soon”

You were about to argue back when you remember that you had bought a pack of hand warmers earlier. Reaching into the plastic bag, you search through it and grab the pack, ripping it open and holding one out to your blonde driver. She glances at it briefly, before she shakes her head, both hands still on the wheel.

“I’m fine, Y/N. You need it more than I do.”

“I’ve got another one here. It comes in a pack of two” You reach back into the bag to show her the other hand warmer. She glances towards you briefly.

“I’ll put this one under my hoodie, and you can hold onto this one” Leah watches from the corner of her eye as you open your jacket and tuck one of the hand warmers, sandwiching it in between the layers of your undershirt and your hoodie. You settle more comfortably in your seat as you feel the growing warmth spreading from the heat pack.

“Here’s yours. Your hands are definitely cold”

“I don’t–“

“Don’t be so bloody stubborn, Leah.”

“Well don’t be so bloody annoying then, Y/N”

You sigh loudly, pinching the bridge of your nose. You wouldn’t be surprised if grey hairs started sprouting soon. Among all the people you could fall in love with, you somehow fell for the most stubborn woman on this planet– and you still have about an hour left of this drive.

But you know deep down there’s also no one else you’d rather be stuck anywhere with.

“Give me your hand, Leah” You stretch a hand towards her over the middle console, palm up. She glances at it briefly, one eyebrow raised, but didn’t question you.

The blonde took the hand nearest to you off the steering wheel and places her hand on top of yours. You gave it a squeeze, flinching slightly at the cold palm, and muttering “Your hands are fucking freezing, Lee”

You take the hand warmer that was supposed to be for her and place it between your interlocked hands. In front of a red light, the defender beside you turns to look at both of your hands, clasped tightly together in the center console of her car. When it came to physical affection, you rarely gave it away freely. Leah was the more affectionate one between the two of you, so seeing you initiate it was a surprise to her. She knows that the warmth that she feels wasn’t coming from just the hand warmers that both of you are sharing.

The rest of the drive was fairly quiet. Instead of the loud, boisterous music that was blasting from the car speakers earlier, the only sounds inside the car was coming from the gentle hum of the engine. You and Leah held hands for pretty much the rest of the drive, Leah only breaking your connection when she needed to turn the wheel.

“One second, baby” The blonde would say whenever she needed to make a sharp turn, her hand untangling from yours for a moment to grab the steering wheel firmly with both hands. Not a moment too soon, her hand would instinctively seek out yours from where it sits patiently waiting by the center console. Your fingers would intertwine with hers, and all was right in the world again.

The hand warmer, which now no longer emitted any heat, was promptly tossed aside earlier. You and Leah were palm to palm, the only source of warmth against the biting cold outside was the one exchanged between your hands. The rhythmic beat of the windshield wipers matched the soft patter of raindrops, as if the evening itself conspired to provide a soothing backdrop for the last leg of your drive.

——————————————

Soon enough the car was pulling up into the parking lot of Leah’s flat. The familiar building came into view, nestled in a quiet corner of town. The glow from the light inside some of the windows hint at the warmth within, promising respite from the biting cold of the outside. You couldn’t wait to be reunited with Leah’s warm and cosy guest bedroom, which had essentially become your home away from home during your frequent visits to London. After locking her car and making sure she didn't forget anything, Leah grabbed your gloved hand to guide you towards the entrance of her flat with one hand, whilst the other hand pulled your suitcase behind her.

The elevator ride up to her floor was quiet, but it was the comfortable silence kind. You both were stood side by side, one gloved hand interlocked with a bare one, the only noise in the elevator came from the subtle hum of the elevator tune. You knew that it was only a matter of time before you had to break the news of your transfer to the defender.

Part of you was relieved that you can finally put an end to this whole charade, but another part of you was worried that she might feel hurt over the fact that you kept such a big thing from her. Leah was someone that valued trust and communication, and while your feelings for her could warrant an exemption, keeping something like this was a big deal. You’ve had to lie to her a few times over the past few weeks, cancelling meet ups and declining calls, using football and a busy schedule as an excuse to escape her nagging questions over your transfer. You were worried that she might feel hurt that you were essentially lying to her.

Then there was also the bit about how this transfer might change your relationship with the blonde. Sure, she could be happy about your move to Arsenal and the fact that you were both teammates now, but what if in a few months she’ll eventually get tired of having you around constantly. Maybe she might get tired of you always being around her– not just during England camp but now at the same club. One perk about being in separate clubs was it allowed time apart and your feelings for Leah “cool down”– or at least you hoped it would. But then one meet up with her and your heart was rapidly beating against your chest again.

Part of you was also worried that the only reason why you and Leah stayed friends for this long was because being apart from each other and being at separate clubs gave you so much to talk about once you were together. You feared that the only reason why your friendship stood the test of time was because the time apart added to the excitement of being together again eventually. Conversations and face-time calls were endless and exciting because the two of you made sure to share all the mundane and the ordinary with each other because the other wasn’t there to experience it. Now that the both of you will be together more often, you were worried that that excitement and that spark will eventually fizzle out.

They always say “absence makes the heart grow fonder” and for a long time you were okay with it, but what happens now?

First of all, thank you for all the love and support for the first part of this fic. I hope you know I much I appreciated all the reblogs, likes and comments <333

Secondly, I know I said I would get the second part of this fic up last week but whilst I was doing my final reading before posting it, I ended up not like the direction the fic was going, so I redid the entire thing lol

I like this one a lot better and I hope you do too (also, note I added 1 more part to this so it is now a 4 part fic)

Hope you're looking forward to the next bit– I know I am!

The weather lately has been sunny and bright skies on my side of the world. Sending you a little slice of sunshine :)

-- kisses, butter.

*This work is my original creation. Please don’t copy, share, or translate it without asking for my permission first. Thanks for respecting that!

#woso #woso fanfics #leah williamson #leah williamson x reader #woso x reader #woso imagine #woso blurbs #woso community #leah williamson imagine #Our New Normal fic

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rassicas · 2 years ago

Photo

Splatoon 3 artbook is coming! and they gave us hi res sample pages! so i translated them!

I’ve already preordered the book, and since I live in Japan I should be getting it very soon after release. mark my words I’m gonna go crazee translating it i need that Lore

In the meantime, some translations of the sample pages! take a look under the cut:

Page 44, IKIMONO (Living things)

yellow text: Among the living things in the Inkling world, a wide variety of species exist. There are creatures that can take on a humanoid form as well, called "Inklings" and "Octolings", the former being squids, and the latter being octopuses. white text in gray box: The old and the new mix to make the Splatland's youth culture The young people who grew up in Splatsville take pride in being born and raised in the Splatlands, and there is an extremely strong sense of solidarity in the community. They deeply cherish their old local culture, which is unsophisticated and simple, yet strong. At the same time, they like to make fun of urban areas such as Inkopolis for acting like they're "all that". On the other hand, many of them secretly yearn for that sophisticated, high-collar, Inkopolis culture. The current culture of chaos created by the youth with such a flip-flopping mentality is becoming increasingly global.

I’m going to translate these roughly. character select screen outfit, left: lines pointing to reflective goggles, a mask that blocks dust, and the cape. the cape is made from kelp, and is meant to block out sunlight. hero suit outfit, right: the “ultra light earpiece” is so light, it doesn’t even feel like you’re wearing it. The ink display is a digital screen. Boots are meant for rough terrain. Interestingly, agent 3 is holding a weapon called a “Hero Extinguisher.”

the gear on the left is called “hunting equipment”. The earpiece is based on an udon noodle. It’s small, but it has a deep sound (with bass i assume instead of sounding tinny?) Around the neck are cooling pads. The shirt is made from a seaweed fabric. apparently its wrapped around their upper body and kind of hurts to wear. you can see their underwear, but its the kind of underwear that’s supposed to be seen for Fashion. idk what its called but you guys know what im talking about. The ink tank is homemade. in the pouch of the backpack are snacks. to the right are very early concepts.

Page 62, Deep Cut concepts

It’s a lot of handwritten notes with a lot of pointing out what the drawing is, so I’m going to translate roughly.

bottom left is pointing out various things about frye’s head anatomy. small chin, forehead sticks out, thick neck, head curves like this and this etc. middle frye with the bit of green and red makeup is described as having a clown-like feel to it. tiny furthest right drawing is commenting on a specific nose shape concept as “bird-like.” she almost had the same nose as my main OCs what the

red arrows on the right: long arms, long thighs, squared shoulders are pretty. hand in the middle with black text: something like ‘if she has hands with ornamentation like this it makes her hands seem long’ bottom left: the little doodle of the face reads that her ‘mouth is kind of like this.’ the other text talks about how her eyebrows move asymmetrically, as having that kind of variety in the movement is key.

left: she’s saying something about sharks? apparently she was going to be associated with sharks with shiver being associated with eels instead. right: various sound effects. “looking around absentmindedly” “rocking back and forth” “dozing off.” on the bottom it shows her suddenly stiffening to attention.

left: in her left hand, it’s a sensu (japanese folding fan). in her right, its a harisen (the kind of folding fan used to smack people in slapstick routines) gonna be real here the text on the right is too cursivey i cant read it

shiver mask designs. neat stuff.

early design concept.

Page 198, Scorch Gorge

not a lot of text on this page, mostly images, have a look yourself. top right passage: A majestic canyon where the history of the Inkling world can be seen in the strata and rock formations. Many enjoy rock climbing here. There's a spawn point that was once used for ink battles that no-one has bothered to remove.

#splatoon 3 #splatoon #splatoon artbook #splatoon translations

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 1 year ago

Note

AITA for this disagreement with some of my friends/colleagues?

So I(40s F) used to work in local level government. I quit to pursue other career opportunities because of burnout, but they asked me to stay on in an official-unofficial advisory capacity, and I'm still pretty close with the current office holders, particularly the current occupant of my former office (A, 30s X). Their boyfriend (H, 30s M), who also works there, isn't fond of me but more or less tolerates me when they're around, which is okay enough. Both their job and my current one necessitate a lot of travel, so it's not often an issue.

Things run pretty smoothly, overall, and I do think the entire city council has the people's best interests at heart. However, recently a natural disaster devastated our area and caused a lot of disagreement over how best to deal with it, and frankly the proposal that was eventually put forward was an awful one that would return a privileged few (about 25% of the population, after estimating numbers) to a semblance of normalcy while neglecting the other 75%. Neither A nor I are willing to back the group's play on this one, for what I feel are obvious reasons. A has gone completely no contact with all of us and I don't even know where they are right now, which aside from worrying me a lot, also hurt my position in the discussion since I officially hold no office anymore.

So I took pretty decisive action to stop them, and now three of our original council (H, plus other members E and L) are extremely pissed off at me and are trying to rally the rest to oppose me, while making some extremely shortsighted and harmful moves in the process that will hurt a lot of people. They don't seem to care, however. It's like they consider the majority lesser human beings and only care about that privileged 25%. I don't think I did everything right, but I did my best. We have to let go of the past and make the best of what we have now, for everyone's sake. No more shall man have wings to bear him to paradise. Henceforth, he shall walk.

AITA for sundering reality into fourteen reflections to stop my coworkers? Or should they have accepted that their paradise is gone, and ceded the reflections to their new fragmented, imperfect inhabitants?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole #fandom aita #ffxiv #ff14 #final fantasy xiv #unreality #good enough to post on purpose #shadowbringers spoilers #endwalker spoilers #ffxiv spoilers #(i don't normally tag spoilers but since i'm familiar with this one and it's a big moment)

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ozzgin · 1 year ago

Note

I can order a yandere cute (kawaii), who maybe because of his cute and innocent appearance managed to get close to his beloved, but maybe this boy is not only cute and has a very disturbing past...

When you described a cute yandere with a messed up past, all I could think of was Kanato from Diabolik Lovers. This one's less of an asshole though. Hopefully. I also wasn't sure what you had in mind for 'disturbing past', I may have gone overboard.

Cute!Twisted! Yandere x Reader

Children will say the strangest things. Such as the marriage promise you’ve received from the little boy you befriended a long time ago, when you were rather young yourself. Yet sometimes the words aren’t entirely devoid of meaning. He definitely hasn’t forgotten his intentions, and your current fiancé is a mere delay to his plans.

TW: mentions of abuse, obsessive behavior, violence, small age gap, death

He still remembers the day you met, so clearly and vividly. His most cherished memory.

It was particularly cold despite the sun and his feet were hurting. He didn't have the time to put any shoes on, he ran out the moment he'd heard the sound of glass breaking.

Mother was so scary when she'd get upset. The bulging eyes, the screaming mouth, the wild hair scattered over her face, darkening her features.

What if she were to follow him outside? No, she was never mean in front of others. Then again, the street was empty...He bit apart the skin on his fingers in panic.

"Isn't it a bit late for pajamas?"

His eyes darted up and met hers. A girl somewhat taller and older, holding a basketball under her arm and staring intently, visibly confused. He was, after all, shivering outside by himself, barefoot and in sleeping garments in bright daylight. He blushed in embarrassment.

"I snuck out for some fresh air."

"Rebellious already, huh?" She smirked and walked over, dropping herself on the sidewalk next to him. "I'm (Y/N). Do you live in the area? We could hang out when you feel like it. No need to sit by yourself."

She pointed to a house unexpectedly close. Has she always been nearby? Then again, he was never allowed outside. Besides the spontaneous escapades in order to avoid the burning rage, he didn't see other people much. It had always been him and Mother.

For his own good, really. At least that's what Mother used to say. When she wasn't angry, she'd cry and hold him tight, telling him how much she pities him between hiccups and candid sobs. A vile creature like him would surely be mocked by the rest of the world. Not his fault, the poor little angel. Alas, his miserable fate still had a glimpse of hope, because Mother would never abandon him. He would always find acceptance from her all-forgiving heart.

And yet, there was always the seed of suspicion in the depths of his mind. Her sweet, soothing words felt like a hot slap over the blooming wounds already adorning his body, shaping a paradox.

Then he met you. You didn't seem to be disturbed by his presence. The following days, whenever he approached you, you'd welcome him with the same warm smile. Just like you promised. He couldn't find the ridicule he'd so often been warned about.

The puzzle pieces didn't fit together, and it became painfully obvious once Mother confronted him about his secret outings. Somehow her wrath had faded. Her shouts were mere waves echoing from somewhere distant, only grazing by his ears. She must've noticed his indifference, too, because she began rummaging her pockets for the basement key. Perhaps an old fashioned discipline would have helped him regain his voice. But the dark, cramped walls of the basement no longer frightened him. During his time spent outside, he had discovered a fact of stunning novelty:

He didn't have to listen to her. Staring into her ferocious, bottomless pits, he only found the reflection of (Y/N)'s face. Her peaceful, loving expression, devoid of pain, or fury, or punishment.

His little hands reached for the box cutter.

"It's you that has to go downstairs, Mother. You're a liar. I hate liars."

Was it the right choice? His small outburst had ultimately cost him your company. That evening he politely called emergency to let them know his Mother had gone mad. And so they dispatched a couple of officers to investigate the gruesome cadaver, sprawled along the stairs with too many gashes to count. They shyly investigated the basement, and a social worker carefully inspected the little boy's abundant markings. This couldn't have been a suicide, but the tearful, frightened eyes of the child kept them from pressing further. Whoever had stepped foot into their home that day most likely did him a favor. Nonetheless, he was now essentially orphaned, requiring an adult, and was swiftly shipped to the first available relative.

He didn't have the time to meet you one last time. A shameful departure given his final meeting: completely inebriated with ardent affection, he dared to present to you his innermost wish. One day he'd marry you, he was certain of it. You chuckled and extended your pinky finger reassuringly. A sealed deal.

All he had was your name and your promise and God, how dearly he clung to them every night, every passing year. His true glimmer of hope.

You're scrolling through your emails, waiting for the bus to arrive, when a gentle tap on the shoulder startles you. Behind you is a young man, although the soft, feminine features give him more of an androgynous appearance.

"May I help you?"

"You're (Y/N), aren't you?" he bats his eyelashes expectantly.

"I am, but how do you-"

You gaze at the stranger intently. The big, innocent eyes, the childish demeanor, there's a certain familiarity to it. Who could it be? Suddenly you're overwhelmed by nostalgia.

"It's you! How many years...? And you haven't changed one bit!" You laugh merrily at the sight of your shy, quiet friend, all grown up.

"H-hey now, surely I look more mature this time." He tries to emulate a somber frown as a way to prove his adulthood. "Do you have time? I'd love to catch up."

He missed you so much.

"Right now is a little difficult, but I'll tell you what. Why don't you come over to our place in the near future?"

Huh?

"This way I can introduce you to my fiancé!" You flash him your phone in order to exchange numbers, enthusiastic about the surprise reunion.

He vacantly stares at the lockscreen depicting an unknown man holding you close to him. When he searched for your name online, he didn't find anything regarding a relationship. He didn't expect this. He shouldn't have expected this. His fingers tighten around the small velvet box in his pocket.

Did you forget your promise to him? Or was everything a lie? No, you wouldn't...you couldn't...He fucking hates liars. But you're not one of them, are you? You're not like Mother. No, no, no, no. Breathe. It's his fault. Of course, naturally. He vanished without a word and you must've thought he abandoned you. How careless of him. How terribly rude to blame you for his mistakes. It's okay, it's alright. He'll make it up to you. Sweet, darling (Y/N).

"Are you okay?"

He looks up and notices your worried face.

"Me? Yes, definitely. I was just a little surprised. Hehe. Who would've thought?" He grins and winks at you. "I have an even better idea! Why don't you two come to my apartment instead? I never got the chance to congratulate you for your engagement."

"Gosh, haha, don't worry about i-"

"Please. Pretty please?" He pouts dramatically, holding onto your coat, and you blush slightly at the adorable display. "It's my way of thanking you for the nice childhood memories."

"You really have your way to convince people, huh?" You ruffle his hair and he lowers his head, enjoying the touch. "I'll let my fiancé know."

"Such a cozy place you got yourself!" You beam at the lovely atmosphere of the room. Everything is bright and inviting.

"Uh huh. The ladies must love you." Your fiancé follows up in agreement, snacking on the fancy appetizers.

The young man places a tray on the table and hands you both a glass of sparkling wine.

"Do you live alone? I refuse to believe you don't have a girlfriend." You joke and turn to your partner. "He was a real loner back then. Never saw him around other kids."

"Don't out me like that, (Y/N)!" He pinches your cheek humorously. "As a matter of fact, I do have a girlfriend."

Your fiancé raises his eyebrows, encouraging the boy to continue with details, while he gulps down the pleasantly aromatic drink. Must be expensive.

"Then why didn't you bring her here? I want to meet her!" You whine.

The man fiddles with his glass, observing the air bubbles that rush to the surface.

"You already know her."

"Oh?"

Distracted by this knowledge, you stretch for your own glass and accidentally grab the one belonging to your fiancé. Before you can bring it to your lips, your head swings to the side and you can instantly feel your cheek throb, numb from the abrupt impact of someone's hand.

"Don't fucking touch it!"

Your childhood friend is standing before you, equally shocked by his act. He stares at his reddening palm and his face twists in terror.

"I-I'm...Oh God...I'm so sorry, (Y/N). I just, I didn't know what else to do. You have to understand, please. I'd never-"

As you listen to his erratic apology, you hear the wheezing coughs of your fiancé. His breathing is irregular and he scratches his throat, unable to verbalize his struggle to you. A white foam begins to form in the corners of his mouth. You try to get up, but the man's fingers dig into your face, forcing you back on the chair.

"Shhh shhh, it sounds uglier than it actually is. Trust me. Do you see now? I had to be a little rough, otherwise you would've gotten hurt. Hey! Look at me." He cups your cheeks with both of his hands, squatting in front of you. "Let him settle down. It won't be long."

Your vision becomes blurry.

"He needs an ambulance. Please. What did you do with the drinks?" You manage to blurt out.

"Won't make a difference."

He rests his gaze on your features for a few moments, admiring them dreamily.

"It breaks my heart when you're sad like this. Didn't I say this is an engagement celebration?"

Without breaking eye contact, he pulls out his treasured box and opens it in your lap, revealing a ring.

"I know I disappeared without a word, but I truly had no choice. This is my way of begging for your forgiveness. Not a day went by without thinking of you, (Y/N). I, heh...I actually got this many years ago. Just carried it in my pocket in case I ever found you again."

He giggles awkwardly, stroking your cheek protectively.

"So don't cry. I've kept my promise after all, didn't I? Aren't you proud of me~?"

By the time his little speech ends, the room has filled with silence. Your fiancé is slouching on the chair, still and quiet. The young boy picks up your limp body, humming cheerfully.

"You'll be the prettiest bride in the world.

Mine and mine only."

#female reader #yandere x reader #yandere x you #yandere x darling #male yandere x reader #yandere imagine #yandere imagines #yandere scenarios #yandere original character #yandere childhood friend #tw yandere

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hippopotamusdreamer · 7 months ago

Text

SKZ Code: Behind the Scenes

genre. A (heavy), F (eventually at the end)

warnings. Cheating, gaslighting, arguing, grabbing, cursing, swearing

additional notes. Female! Reader | You/Your pronouns, reader is aged between Hyunjin and Han, includes all members of Stray Kids

pairing. Yoon Jeonghan x Reader, Platonic!Felix x Reader, ot8 x 9th member reader

w.c. 7.6K

synopsis. Things get heated as emotional problems follow Y/N on set after an overdue encounter with her boyfriend. So what happens when something happens to triggers that fresh memory?

a/n. This is my first ever "published" kpop fic...be nice to me LMAO After having watched SKZ CODE ep. 40, that scene between Hyunjin and Han really stuck with me and just would not get out of my head, thus, this is the result. Constructive criticism would be nice, I feel like I added a lot of detail and it could get muddled and just become a wall of text, let me know what you think.

Kpop Masterlist

Fandom Masterlist

This in no way reflects the actual persons involved/based in this fic, nor their actual character. This is purely fiction.

Friday, 11:53 PM, unknown club in Hongdae

There were people all around you. Many of which were bumping and grinding on each other as they enjoyed themselves in all corners of the darkened building. The bass that reverberated throughout the entire club you were currently in was thumping so loud that you couldn’t differentiate it from the wild beating of your heart. The thrumming in your body kept you grounded as you walked through the dense crowd. LEDs were blinking with multicolored filters and there were even a few fog machines that made the place more hip than cliché. Unfortunately, the constant flashing of said lights made the oncoming headache you had, worse.

God, you wanted to leave.

You weren’t even supposed to be there in the first place. But you had gotten a text from Nayeon an hour earlier that just had “???” and then immediately after a photo of what looked like your boyfriend looking really fucking cozy with some girl for someone who had supposedly stayed late for practice at his company that night.

So there you were, in some random club in Hongdae, trying to keep yourself from turning into a mess. Dating ban be damned, you weren’t the only idol that had tried to date in secret, and you certainly wouldn’t be the last. Yet in this instance, as you made your way to the second floor VIP area, maybe you should have just followed the rules instead…

Was sneaking out of your dorm at the risk of your reputation and that of your group to get some answers a good idea? Absolutely not. And having had left yours and Hyunjin’s nightly skin care routine; claiming a, now very real, headache to go there didn’t make it any better. You’d be in for the scolding of a lifetime if any of the guys were to find out you where you were.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Saturday, 12:45 AM, VIP lounge, unknown club in Hongdae

Moving past the bouncer of the VIP section, Nayeon walked up, having waited for you to come. One look at your distressed state and she quickly pulled you into a hug. Letting go and without another word she turned you to the left and you finally came face to face with what you had been hoping was misunderstanding until this very moment.

Just like it had been in the photo Nayeon had sent earlier, there he was. An overly relaxed looking Jeonghan manspreading in his seat as an unknown pretty girl, who looked far too comfortable for it to be their first time together like this, sat perched on his lap. You both watched as she leaned down to whisper in his ear, placing her hand none too subtly on his chest in the process. The grin he gave her as he wrapped his arm around her waist was what snapped you out of your stupor.

“Y/N, wait!” Nayeon yelled after you as you finally found the will to move forward. Certain now that the thrumming you felt earlier was your heart and not the music.

You were practically in front of them and yet they paid you no mind. In their own little bubble, ignorant to the storm inside you. “Yah… Yoon Jeonghan, are you fucking kidding me?”

Jeonghan glanced at you slowly, like he hadn’t a care in the world for whoever was interrupting him, only to sit up from his slouched position, eyes wide in shock. Instantly pulling away from the girl that had basically plastered herself onto him. “Y-Y/N! What are you doing here?” He managed to stutter out, frantically looking around, unsure of how you got there.

“I should be asking you the same thing. The PLEDIS building sure got a damn upgrade since the last time I was there,” the venom in your voice apparent even over the loud music.

“Baby, please, it’s not what it looks like!” He gets up from his seat to get into your personal bubble to be heard. You see from your peripheral that the girl he was with slink off to somewhere else. The booming of the music made it hard to hear him but it’s easy to tell that he was trying to make excuses. Jeonghan probably felt the same way because in the next instance he was grabbing you by the arm and all but dragged you to the outside smoking balcony. You try to jerk free but he’s stronger than you, though he is struggling.

“Let me go!”

The balcony is empty of other people surprisingly and the music is still loud out there but at least you’re able to hear each other better as he whorls around to face you.

“Not until you hear me out!”

“There’s nothing for me to hear! It looks like my boyfriend was about to get Real. Fucking. Personal. With. Someone. Else.” You punctuate each word with a jab to his chest.

He grabs on to the appendage only to then forcefully let go as he steps away from you. The tick in his jaw letting you know he was already annoyed.

Good. So were you.

“Look would you just chill the fuck out! We weren’t even doing anything.”

“…She was sitting on your lap and you weren’t doing shit about it…”

“So she was sitting on my lap, who the fuck cares?”

“I do! And as my “boyfriend”, you should have had some respect for your partner and not do shit like that! How do you think that makes me feel Jeong?”

“Oh my god babe, it’s not that serious,” he says as he rolls his eyes, as if exasperated. He raked a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his body language.

“Ok, so if you were to see me with some random guy in the position you were in just now, it’d be fine? Is what you’re telling me?” You question hypothetically while aggressively gesturing to the building behind you.

“Babe…”

“No, I want to understand. Cause you’re saying it wasn’t that bad right? So I can just go inside and find some guy to get with and you’ll be ok with it, right?”

“…You’re starting to piss me off.”

“News flash, I’m already pissed off. If Nayeon hadn’t—”

“Nayeon? Oh yeah,” he spat out as he rolled his neck, “now it makes so much fucking sense. You know she fucking hates me babe, hasn’t liked me since you introduced us eight months ago. I told you she’s not a good friend if she keeps trying to break us up.”

“Oh my god, not this again...,” Now it’s your turn to roll your eyes.

“She’s always putting shit inside your head about us! She’ll say anything—"

“That’s not the fucking point right now! The point is that if you’re willing to do this in front of people, what kind of things are you doing when no one’s a-fucking-round! I know what I saw Jeonghan!”

“Jesus fuck! I made out with someone one time at a party and now you hold it over my head!”

“Because if DK and I hadn’t’ve caught you you probably would have slept with her! You practically had your hand up her dress that time!”

“She literally means nothing to me!”

“So, you’re willing to risk our relationship for nothing?”

“You’re being so dramatic right now for no reason!”

“No reason?” You were stunned.

“It’s not that big a deal! God, if I had known that you were going to be this insecure about our relationship, I wouldn’t have even asked you out!”

“I’m only like this because of what you did!”

The both of you were far too into your heated argument to notice that the door to the balcony open and close.

Only a split second passed as Jeonghan latched onto your arm tightly again and got in your face. You whimper out at the sudden contact knowing full well you’d most likely have a hand shaped bruise to cover up later.

You wince as pain radiates up your arm.

“Let’s get one thing fucking straight—”

But he never got the chance to finish his sentence as he was forcefully yanked away from you. The familiar multicolored hair of you bandmember stands in front of you as Jeonghan nurses his now bruising cheek.

“Felix…?” You whisper in wonder. What was he doing there? How did he know where to find you? Your heart picks up from the adrenaline of this night.

“Don’t you ever put your hands on her again, do you hear me?” Felix said evenly, glaring daggers at Jeonghan. Felix may have been shorter than him but in that moment, he was the most intimidating of the two.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Saturday, 2:19 AM, Felix’s bedroom – VOCALRACHA dorm

You sat in the back of the blacked-out car that Felix has pulled up in. The driver giving the two of you a moment as Felix comforts your hunched over crying form.

You had learned that when you had first confronted Jeonghan, Nayeon had a feeling something would go wrong and immediately went to call Felix. He had been in the middle of playing one of his games when he got the call and proceeded to also sneak out if his dorm to meet her at the front of the club. From there, he got the gist of the information and made his way upstairs with the thought of being a mediator. Only with what he witnessed, it quickly put an end to that idea.

It was Felix who had opened the door to the balcony in the middle of your argument and lost it when Jeonghan put his hands on you.

After that was a bit of a blur for you as Nayeon and Felix maneuvered you through the club discreetly in case someone saw and the media get a hold of that information. All you knew is that Jeonghan tried to come at the two of you but the 63 taekwondo medal holder put him in his place. Felix eventually managed to get you out of there safely but not before letting you confirm out loud that it was officially over between you and Jeonghan.

Jeonghan was too busy writhing in pain to argue back.

So here you were, finally allowing yourself to feel all the emotions of the night, crying into Felix as he pats your hair soothingly, protective arm wrapped around you.

“I’m sorry you had to come out h-here,” you hiccup.

“It’s alright Jellybean, I’m just glad I got there in time to stop him from doing anything more to you. How’s your arm?”

Sniffling, you pull back from him and shift your arm forward. He turns on the flashlight from his phone to see and the both of you come face to face with the repercussions of angry actions. As you thought, an outline of bruised digits were beginning to form like a bad tattoo on your bicep.

He sucks a breath between his teeth as he ghosts his fingers over the bruise. He’s silent as he tries to reel in his anger as he fights himself on going back inside and beating the shit out of the other idol.

But one look at your tear-stained face stops him.

“I’ll tell Chan and Lee Know-hyung that I called you over to our dorm later so they won’t go looking for you. That way you can just stay in my room.”

“Oh Lix, you don’t have—”

“No it’s ok, I don’t think you should be alone right now and I’m pretty sure you don’t want anyone to know about what happened.”

You stay quiet because you know he’s right. Reluctantly, you nod at his offer, grateful for the angel of your group.

He gives you a small sad smile as he brings you back into his arms, placing a comforting kiss on your head. Doesn’t say a word when you quietly start to cry again; just continues to pat your hair as the driver comes back into the car and takes the both of you back to Felix’s dorm.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

You spent a total of 5 days in Felix’s room, crying. You finally managed to explain to Felix that you and Jeonghan had been secretly dating for about 10 months until then but that he had already cheated one you at least once, that you know of, before at an after party of one of the award shows. One of Jeonghan’s members had been with you when you caught him in the act and had gotten you out of there before a scene was caused.

You’d forgiven him after some heavy persuasion on his part but that left you feeling insecure about the relationship since it happened just about a month ago. He’d always had anger issues, but the night at the club was the first time he ever tried to grab you like that. When Nayeon eunnie messaged you that Friday night about seeing him with a different girl this time; you had to confront him before he had a chance to deny it.

You felt bad but Felix kept reassuring you that it was ok that you stayed there and that made you want to cry more. As he promised, he messaged the oldest members of your whereabouts. And with good timing too since according to Chan, Hyunjin had went into your room Saturday morning to wake you for the morning skin routine, but you were gone and he was about ready to freak out.

After that first night, Felix came up with the plan to say that you got hit with a weird bug and that it’d be too much of a hassle to move you back to your room in the 3RACHA dorm (plus you and Hyunjin) so you might as well just stay in his room for the time being. Minho came to check on you that night, but Felix managed to convince him that it wasn’t bad enough to go to the hospital; you just needed to rest and eat something not too heavy. It wasn’t that far off from the truth honestly, and it was a good excuse to stop anyone else from checking up on you.

So Felix’s room was now a designated “quarantine zone” and no one was allowed to go in and bother you. Felix being the only one able to go in and out since it was his room after all. Your phone had been bombarded with texts from all your members trying to check up on you, pinging every few minutes with memes and well wishes. It wasn’t until you kept getting back-to-back calls and texts from your now ex-boyfriend that you turned off your phone, not wanting to deal with him now or ever again.

Just like you thought, the bruise on your arm had gotten darker and it was easy to tell what had caused it. With just one glance at your arm, you knew that with how protective the guys were over you, that the entirety of Stray Kids would go looking for a fight with your ex and your group absolutely did not need any heat in the media right now. It was hard enough keeping Lix from going out there once he looked at your arm again and taking matters into his own hands. Let alone all eight of them if word got out.

No, you had just wanted to wallow in self-pity for now.

Currently, Felix sat next to you in bed as you lay curled up by his side. He was letting you know that Chan had stopped by again to check on you when you were asleep earlier and had left you your designated SKZOO, a bear cub named Gom-N/N-ie, to “help you feel bettah.” You felt guilty for lying to him, all of them really, after that while accepting your SKZOO from the sunshine man. Bringing it to your chest, you bury your face in the familiar feeling of your plushie.

“You know you don’t have to go tomorrow, right? We can tell the managers that you’re sick, too,” Felix’s deep voice broke through the quiet of the room from his spot next to you as he gently combed his fingers through your hair. Tomorrow all of you were to begin shooting for a special new episode of SKZ Code for Chuseok. You’d completely forgot about it until you overheard Minho and Innie talking about it outside of the door earlier.

You were quiet for a moment, contemplating on what you should say and do. You know you can’t keep hiding out in Felix’s room like this, it’s not fair to him. He doesn’t like lying to the other members either yet is doing it just for your sake. He’s been working hard to deflect any and all questions, comments and concerns about your wellbeing while also placating everyone else. You’ve definitely put your younger member in a difficult position.

You owe him a lot, your little sunshine.

“…I’ll go.”

His hand stills in your hair, waiting to see if you’ll say anything else.

“I’ll go with everyone tomorrow. You’re probably sick of me being in here anyways,” you quietly laugh out.

“Naur, what?” His Aussie accent coming out as he switches from Korean to English and back again. “I’m not sick of you, I could never be. If anything, the others are jealous cause I’m the only one that’s gotten to see you!”

“That’s such a lie, Lee Yongbok!” you finally laugh out loud for the first time since Friday night while swatting him in the leg playfully.

“It’s true, noona! Binnie Hyung was about ready to tackle me to get inside the room yesterday!”

The image alone of your buff bun trying to tackle your sunshine lad had you in stitches. What you didn’t see was the loving gaze of said sunshine, glad to see you at least somewhat happy again after everything that’s happened.

For this moment in time, that’s all he could ask for.

Felix gently grazes his fingers over your bruised arm, his smile slightly faltering at what he sees. Moving his hand back to your hair, he gently pulls a few strands just to get your attention.

“It’s gonna be ok, you know. I’ll be there to help you if you need it, alright? You’re not gonna be alone.”

“I know Lix…thank you. For everything.,” you respond quietly.

His only action is to bend down and give you another comforting forehead kiss. The two of you remain quiet for the rest of the night until it was time for bed.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Thursday, 8:15 AM, VOCALRACHA dorm

As soon as you followed Felix out of the bedroom, you were accosted by the one and only maknae on top.

“Noona!” Jeongin yelled out, too loud for what time it was. “Are you feeling better? Do you need more medicine, a doctor?”

“Yah! Let her breathe.” The three of you jump in the middle of the hallway as the admonishing tone of Minho could be distinguished from the kitchen. He’d probably heard Innie from all the way over there.

Chuckling, you give him a small smile and a pat to his head to calm him down.

“I’m ok right now Innie, thank you for checking up on me.”

“You really had us worried noona, Lee Know-hyung was about to burst in there and take you to the hospital himself as soon as he found out you weren’t feeling good if it weren’t for Felix hyung.”

You’d figured something like that was bound to happen. You were even more grateful to Felix for all his efforts. You giggle at his comment and the three of you continue to the kitchen where Seungmin was also waiting.

“Morning everyone,” you greeted, sitting down next to the second youngest of you all.

“Are you sure you’re feeling ok enough to shoot today?” Seungmin asks quietly while placing a cup of juice in front of you which you gratefully take. You nod in agreeance as a bowl of porridge is placed in front of you. Minho pats your head before walking away to get the other dishes for breakfast.

“We’ll let the director-nim know that you should take it easier today at least,” he says while serving the rest of the guys at the table. Before you can protest, he sends you a heated look that leaves no room for argument.

With a twitch to your lips, you can’t help but to agree with him too. “I understand, thank you for breakfast.”

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Thursday, 11:15 AM – SKZ Code shoot location, dressing room 1

Meeting the other half of your group went just about the same. Except more scolding from Hyunjin for skipping out on your daily routine. Although that was mostly an excuse because he was just so worried when he didn’t see you in your room that first morning.

“Really Y/N-ie, you should have messaged me first!” the pout on his lips not hard to find as he tugs on your sleeve.

“Y/N-ah, you should have seen him!” the boisterous voice of Changbin joins the two of you as you sit in your designated dressing room waiting for your leader’s return. The two of them immediately ambushing you, much like Jeongin this morning, upon your arrival. “He wouldn’t stop bothering Channie hyung for information on how you were doing!”

That evokes the lankier one of the two to get flustered and from there the two start a playful argument of no-I-wasn’t’s and yes-you-were’s. Just being with them again really did set your mind and heart at easy after the past couple of days. Not to mention a good distraction.

A quiet “noona” catches your attention from the squabble in front of you and has you turning to face Han questioningly.

“I brought you a red ginseng drink to keep your health up today.”

You wanted to cry again for an altogether different reason. Your members cared for you so much, each in their own different ways. You don’t know what you’d do without them.

“Ahh, thank you, Hannie. I’ll drink this right now.” The initial taste of the ginger is gross but it had a hint of sweetness at the end so the overall drink wasn’t too bad. Especially if you try to take it all in one go.

Han sits next to you on the couch, Felix following shortly after, as I.N and Minho join in on the fray to annoy the already hyped-up boys. Although they could all be loud and wild sometimes, it was just a part of their charm.

Chan comes back into the room about 5 minutes later gaining everyone’s attention.

“Alright, I got everything squared away with the director and producers. Y/N, they know you’re just getting better,” he states, staring directly at you as if he—, no there was no way, right? “So, you’re going to be given more of the easier things to do alright?”

The panic in your head only allows you to nod at him as you grab Felix’s hand for a quiet support. He doesn’t skip a beat in intertwining your hands together.

“Great, we’ve got 10 minutes before they want us to start going to make up and changing. Then we’re all going to film an intro piece for the episode. Anyone have any questions or problems with that?

When no one responded, Chan just nods and heads to the far corner and sits with his phone for a bit. You can’t help but think you feel his gaze every once in a while but brush it off as paranoia.

The time eventually comes to split off as the boys go to their own designated dressing room and you stay in the current one. The stylists helping you to get ready for what is surely to be an interesting shoot if the hanbok you have to wear is anything to go off of.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Thursday, 1:15 PM – SKZ Code shoot location

[I.N - Lee Know's younger sister, Yongbok and Y/N's aunt]

[Changbin - High school jock / Always steps up to keep his family together]

[HAN - A sweet but strict father (But somewhat seems polite)]

[Hyunjin - The sassy mother]

[Lee Know - A tough woman but a lenient mother to Yongbok and Y/N]

[Seungmin - Survives through the attacks by Lee Know, I.N, and daughter’s Y/N and Yongbok]

[Yongbok - Sassy and brave like his mom, sister, and aunt]

[Bang Chan - The youngest son, loves his mom the most and hates his brother / Is always losing out to cousin Yongbok]

[Y/N – The exasperated oldest of the grandkids back from university/ Yongbok’s sister]

One rainy Chuseok morning, the SKZ Family are gathering in a long while today CHUSEOK SPECIAL : SKZ Family Returns

You stand off to the side, waiting for your cue to join, with the rest of the group as Channie and Felix do the beginning of the intro skit. It’s hard to keep the giggles in with how cute the both of them look and act.

“Hi...,” Chan started out shyly.

“Hi!” Felix sassed out immediately in response.

“How old are you?”

Felix counts slowly with his fingers, “…Three. How about you?”

“I’m five. I’m older than you.”

Felix plucks out two more digits to make five on his hand.

“You’re right.”

“Mm”

“You don’t look older though.”

“Why are you talking down to me?”

“Mind your own business.”

“Don’t talk down to me!”

“Don’t yell!”

“Okay…,” Chan whispers out. “Mommy!”

“Daddy!”

They both start crying and that’s your you cue to walk into the frame behind them.

“Hey! Stop crying!”

“Noona!” “Eunnie!”

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Filming was going smoothly so far. It was just the beginning though so nothing too taxing had happened yet. Felix just finished introducing himself as three-year-old Yongbok who gets her good looks from her mom and wants to live with her mother after their divorce.

“Waaah, my little sister is so cute,” you say out loud with a smile, Felix sticking his tongue out at you in response.

“Yes, both of my daughters are so cute,” Lee Know says while pinching your cheek since you sat beside him. There went your smile.

“Ahh! Mom!”

“Y/N-ie, it’s your turn to introduce yourself,” Seungmin, as your father, says not even bothering to help you out. You make a noncommittal sound as you fight with Lee Know to let go of your cheek still. More than half the guys laughing at your antics.

“Mom, please!”

“Ohh, but how can I let go of these cheeks huh,” he says in a babying tone, as he does in fact, let you go.

You rub your cheek as you sit down on the stool and face the proper direction.

“Hello, I’m Yongbok’s older sister, Y/N. I’m tirelessly working on maintaining my high marks in school but currently on break from university. So I’m glad to be home and able to spend this time with my family.”

“You get you book smarts from your dad,” Han says chuckling.

“And your street smarts from your mom,” Seungmin joins in. Lee Know, jokingly takes the bubble gun blower in front of him and aims it at his ‘husband’.

“That’s right, so you better watch what you say.”

You’re laughing at the scene before you as Hyunjin continues the skit, “Y/N-ie, what are you studying in college?”

“Uhh,” you didn’t really have a concept for this character, until you lock eyes with Chan and then the kiddie computer in front of him. “I’m studying…m-music producing?” you get out before laughing since producing was certainly not your forte. And everyone in front of you knew that.

“Noona is so cool,” Chan says from his spot on the ground. “Better than my older brother.”

“Aww, thanks Channie,” you beam at him as he beams back.

“Yah Bang Chan!” Binnie yells from behind him before yelling in pain because Chan leaned back against his legs.

“Changbin, don’t yell at you brother,” Hyunjin says as his mom.

“Mmm, my daughter is so talented. Getting in the best university of the country, getting good grades and look at her face, just like me,” He strikes a little pose. “Maybe next holiday she’ll bring home a boyfriend,” Lee Know continues in character.

The smile on your face freezes as your heart zings in pain. You’ve become still in your seat as you feel Felix’s eyes on you. He being the only ones to notice your hands balling into fists on your skirt.

“…Mom,” you start off slowly. Your hesitancy easily mistakable for your character’s young adult/college student love life being interrogated by their parent. “That’s…”

“She doesn’t need to be dating in college,” Seungmin cuts you off. “We met in college and now we’re getting a divorce!”

“Yeah but she won’t meet a mistake like you and go through any hardships. So she’ll be fine .”

Grin faltering, you begin to bite the inside of your lip to stop your eyes from getting glossy. Your nose starting to sting, a tale tell sign that you wanted to cry. Your actual hardships flashing in your mind.

“Mommy, daddy, don’t fight,” Felix tries to distract them.

“We’re not fighting,” Lee Know quickly responds as you get up from your seat to switch places with him. Felix quickly looping his arm around yours, taking your hand in his, giving it a quick squeeze.

You give him one back as you stare at a spot by your feet.

Despite the earlier hiccup, everything was going fine. Both Lee Know and Seungmin went on to introduce themselves, which was a skit about how Lee Know got married for money and that they were in the process of getting a divorce more than anything. And then Innie looking out for his nieces because what was said in front of them.

It was then decided that Yongbok was going with Lee Know and you were going with Seungmin. Both kids pouting at this information for being separated.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Next up was Han, who’s outfit immediately got torn to pieces by everyone in the room. Him trying to explain that he got his style from his father caused everyone to derail in laughter.

He brings back everyone’s attention by restarting his introduction.

“I’m Yongbok and Y/N-ie’s uncle, but I could be their new father.”

“Their new father?” Lee Know questions immediately as you and Felix looked shocked at him.

“I mean, I’ll be that much kinder to them.”

A few of the members understand what he means by that and Hyunjin speaks up in relief, “I was worried.”

“Hey, just a few days ago,” Seungmin speaks up from beside you asking a seemingly innocent question until it wasn’t. “Did you enjoy dinner with the friend I introduced to you?”

There was a pause in the room. Han looking a little shell-shocked as he responds.

“Why are you mentioning that now?”

Everyone’s quiet as Hyunjin gets up from his seated position. Your heartbeat picking up, flashes of your very recent tragedy of a relationship flashing in your mind. All the heartache came rushing back as the scene before you kept unfolding. Your heartbeat picking up in your chest as you look between the two.

“What does that mean?” Hyunjin asked cluelessly.

“You knew mom’s a jealous person!” Changbin yells from his spot next to I.N.

You can’t say anything as the ball of emotions in your throat gets bigger. Felix tries to comfort you but gets pulled away by Lee Know who’s trying to cover his eyes.

“Close your eyes and open your nose,” he says to Felix. If only you could shut out the blood rushing in your ears.

The deep breath that Hyunjin takes is something you felt from deep within your core. “Try explaining yourself.”

“What?”

“Try explaining.”

“You didn’t tell her?” Seungmin jumps in with a grin, making the situation worse. “I thought you did.”

It’s a joke. It’s a joke. It’s a joke.

You repeat to yourself as you try to control your breathing. It’s not their fault that you basically went through something so distressingly similar not even a week ago and they didn’t know about it. Staring at your lap, your hands begin to tremble and you can just feel your lips wobbling.

“Honey,” Han laughs out nervously.

“Was she prettier than me?”

You bring your hands up to cover part of your face. That had been one of many questions that had been plaguing you since the first time Jeonghan had cheated on you. You never got a good look at the first girl and the second girl was definitely pretty to you. You close your eyes, eyebrows furrowing, to try to block out the scene. You hope they can’t here you sniffling.

“…Yaaahh,” is all that Han can respond with, wanting to avoid answering the question.

Did he even feel guilty for what he did? Or did he just move on as if the last 10 months together didn’t mean anything?

A warm hand on your knee makes you open your eyes and you’re met with Chan’s concerned gaze as your eyesight becomes blurry with the tears quickly gathering there. His concern quickly becomes full on worry as a single tear drops down your cheek.

You needed to get out of there, quickly. It was a wonder how the others haven’t picked up on how upset you’re getting.

“Mom, no one’s prettier than you,” Changbin pipes up as he stands up next to Hyunjin.

“That’s right!”

Did Jeonghan ask his members not to tell you anything? Were they in on everything?

“Lee Know…?” Han questions.

“Huh?”

“Don’t tell them we met yesterday.”

Would they have told you if they knew? Or did they all laugh about you behind their backs? Did Jeonghan even like you, or did he just keep you around because you were convenient?

This endless cycle of negative questions kept spiraling in your mind as the skit the boys were doing continued to play out before you.

Lee Know, with a grin on his face, turns to look at Hyunjin who’s sat down next to Seungmin again. “It’s fine, I saw someone today too.” Hyunjin says in retaliation as he grabs onto Seungmin.

“Wait a minute…” Han starts but you’ve had enough by this point. The sob you try to hide was heard throughout the group and everyone freezes.

You hurriedly get up from your spot between Seungmin and Felix and trip twice trying to get out of there. The chaos that ensues as the fabric of your hanbok getting caught under your foot was instantaneous as Chan, Changbin, and Felix immediately try to catch you. The small leg space not making it easy to leave quickly.

“Noona?” I.N asks fearfully, breaking character as he sees the state that you’re in.

“Y/N-ah?” Minho asks from his side of the couch starting to get up from his seat.

Han, Seungmin, and Hyunjin quiet in their shock of what’s happening.

“Sorry—, I—, Please…,” you sob out as you finally get out of the cramped space. Felix and Chan following right behind you as you run to the restroom to lock yourself in there. The door closing in both of their faces. The brief look at your expression, blotchy and covered in tears, breaking their hearts.

You hug yourself as you slide down against the door, finally allowing yourself to cry fully. Even through your sobs, you can hear the other members coming up to the other side of the door to check on you. You could faintly make out the deep timbre of Felix’s voice most likely trying to diffuse the situation which makes you cry more. You weren’t ready to face any of this, or them, now. Should have just stayed home instead of making a mess like this.

You weren’t sure how much time had passed when you heard a gentle knock on the door behind you. Your tears still flowing slowly but at least you weren’t full on sobbing now. Sniffling, you’re hesitant as you look towards the locked doorknob.

“Y/N-ah, it’s just me,” Chan says from the other side. “Everyone else went to go talk to the manager and director to give us a break right now.”

Not saying anything, he clears his throat before asking quietly, “Do you think you can let me in?”

The double entendre isn’t lost on you. Whether Chan knew what he said or not was unknown to you. With some tentativeness, you manage to wiggle to the wall to be able to unlock and open the door for him.

Chan slips into the restroom and closes the door swiftly behind him. You look small to him as you sat huddled into yourself on the ground. Not like your usual boisterous self. He doesn’t say anything as he sits down next to you. Doesn’t pressure you to say anything, either. Just sits with you, waiting patiently for you to be comfortable enough to tell him what’s wrong.

So you sit there in silence for a few moments more. Trying to gather the courage to lay yourself emotionally bare to your leader. You pick at the fabric you have on, sniffling every now and then until Chan gently places his hand over yours in comfort. And to probably stop you from tearing a hole in your clothes…

He lets you play with his hand until you manage to take a deep breath. For the second time since the whole fiasco happened, you find yourself confiding your problem with a member. Going into a bit more detail than what you did with Felix.

You told Chan everything while on the floor in that little restroom.

How you first met Jeonghan, how you kept bumping into him after the shows you all did, how you ended up exchanging numbers. To how you kept in touch after that, kept meeting up until he eventually asked you out. Occasionally sneaking out of the dorm to meet up with him at his insistence.

You thought Chan would get mad at that, but he didn’t say anything. Just squeezed your hand to get you to continue with your story.

You told Chan how you caught Jeonghan cheating the first time, and how DK all but dragged you out of there but it didn’t even matter because you saw everything. That messed you up mentally and was the reason why you had messed up a lot during dance practice the next day.

Chan remembers the day you were talking about. He thought something was wrong but kept it to himself, hoping you’d come talk to him about it, but you never did.

You explained the fight that happened a week after catching him back then. How you eventually, and stupidly, ended up forgiving him and continuing the relationship only for him to go behind your back and do it again a couple of days ago.

“So you weren’t sick?” he cuts in, finally breaking his silence.

“I mean…not in the contagious sense…,” you explain while turning to him. He nods, letting you continue as he tries to wipe the dried tears off your face.

“So yeah, Nayeon called me up that Friday night and I had to sneak out to Hongdae. Sorry…about that by the way…,” you clear your throat, avoiding eye contact with him altogether. “So I saw him literally in the act again and had to confront him about it this time. We ended up going outside and basically just having an all-out screaming match with each other. Where, by the way, he tried to gaslight the shit out of me, but it didn’t work. Thankfully, Felix showed up when he did though because Jeonghan ended up grabbing me really hard. Who knows what he could have done if Lix hadn’t gotten there in time.”

You let go of Chan’s hand, which was still intertwined with yours, to rub against your bruised shoulder.

“Wait…he put his hands on you?”

You don’t pick up on his tone as you nod and take off the jeogori jacket layer of your hanbok. Presenting your, now, heavily bruised arm, Chan takes it delicately in his hands.

“I asked the stylist to try to use coverup on it, but it was just so dark and it still hurt so she couldn’t do much about it in the end.”

Gently, he touches the colorfully marred skin not saying a word, his jaw ticking in anger at what he’s seeing.

You don’t even get a word out before he’s up and bolting out of the restroom. Face clouded in rage.

“Ch-Chan!” Scrambling, you grab the jeogori from the ground and run after him, not even bothering to put it back on. “Channie, wait!”

The other members of your group had managed to clear the room of the staff and had been hovering close the door the entire time, waiting patiently for the two of you to come out. What they weren’t expecting was an infuriated Chan and an anxious you to come out of there.

“What’s happening,” Changbin asked, lowkey getting worked up just seeing his leader on edge.

“I’m gonna kill him,” is all Chan says.

“Who?” Han asks, also getting anxious.

“Noona, what happened to your arm?” Innie asks from beside you, gently grabbing your bruised arm. That captures everyone else’s attention. Your face pales as you realize your mistake.

“Is that a bruise?” “Why does it look like a hand?” “Who the hell touched you?” “Noona, are you ok?”

“I— ,” you’re on the verge of panicking, not knowing what to do.

This catches Chan’s attention and breaks the trance of rage he’s in. He makes his way back to you and brings you into a big hug. He holds you in his arms as you try to hide away from everyone’s prying eyes.

But honestly, they’re just so worried about you.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Channie whispers into your hair. Shaking your head, you understand everyone’s concerns, you just wish it wasn’t revealed this way.

Keeping your face in Chan’s chest to hide, your muffled response is heard. “Long story short, I got into it with an ex a couple of days ago because he was cheating and he…put his hands on me…”

Just like you thought, they were all visibly upset for you.

“This happened to you…and I was…” Han became visibly pale compared to the others as his actions up until you ran out sprang to his mind. That prompted the other boys, besides Felix, to realize why you had gotten upset enough to leave the set in the first place. All of them immediately apologizing to you, getting upset with themselves and begging for your forgiveness.

“Who is it?” Seungmin asks menacingly from somewhere behind you, voice quivering with emotion. Guard dog mode being activated.

“No, guys—”

“He’s gonna wish he only got a bruised arm once I’m done with him,” Changbin says while rolling his neck in annoyance now. Minho and Felix are taking off their own hanbok’s as I.N and Hyunjin stretch out themselves, preparing for a beatdown.

“Noona, seriously, who did this to you?” Han asks you quietly next to you, mood sad yet protective.

“Guys really, there’s nothing to forgive. You didn’t know what was going on, you don’t have to do anything,” You pipe up, finally pulling away from Chan a little. His arms tighten around you slightly, not wanting to let you go fully.

“Y/N-ah, we have every right to want to have your back on this. He’s not gonna get away with putting his hands on you,” Chan explains to you still upset about all the information that you’ve shared with him.

“No, I get that, I swear,” you rotate in his arms to face the others. “I appreciate all of you wanting to go and kick his ass. But I swear it’s not necessary. Felix already beat the shit out of him. His company put out a statement saying he’s taking a break for a bit for ‘health reasons’.”

All of you turn to Felix, who’s now taking off his headband, cool expression on his face. “I’m not against kicking his ass again, Jellybean.”

You stare at him dumbfounded until you burst into laughter because of course he wouldn’t. None of them would be. Because this is your family away from family. They’re dead set in wanting to protect you, and each other, from any and everything that could be harmful.

The others stare at you as if you’ve finally lost your mind which prompts you to just say, “I love you guys.”

Felix, besides Chan who is still holding you, is the first to step up and give you a very much needed hug. A little confused, the rest of the guys follow suit and you all end up in one massive hug.

Until one of the younger boys starts fighting with Changbin and they all break away.

“Don’t think this lets you off the hook for sneaking out of the dorm, Y/N-ah,” Chan says out loud from behind you as you’re still wrapped in his arms.

“You did what?!” Minho could be heard yelling, which causes you to groan.

238 notes · View notes

shiny-jr · 2 years ago

Text

✍︎ damnation [ the diviner ]

– Summary: When you commit a crime, you receive a punishment. This is especially true in your society. No matter the crime, your punishment is the same: banishment. But to where you will be sent in exile and how miserable will it be? No one knows, because no one has ever returned.

– Warning: Yes, this is a yandere thing. Gender-neutral reader.

– Characters: Floyd Leech, Jade Leech, Azul Ashengrotto.

– Note: I’m actually not super proud of this result. Out of the three out so far, this one is probably like my least favorite. Maybe that’s why I’ve been putting this off for a while and also rewriting Scarabia’s result a lot, just because I don’t want to feel like I did a bad job on it once I do complete it. Currently, at the time this is being posted, Scarabia’s result is like halfway done. Here’s to hoping its a good result.

– Pages: 40

– Not satisfied? Try looking here for the quiz to take it yourself and see where you end up banished!

The Hyena Chieftain | The Diviner | The Vizier’s Vassal

Damp. It was damp, and you awoke to the sound of crashing water. The surface you found yourself on was soft, comfortable. Sitting upright, you were surprised to see multiple blankets and pillows with mismatched patterns and some stitched with completely different colors. Around you was patterned fabric curving upwards, like a tent, but when you moved, this bed you were laying on swung with every movement. It was like a hanging nest, you realized, as you curiously removed part of the fabric wall that allowed you to step out.

It was somewhat dark, but there was just enough light from a huge gaping hole in the ceiling for you to scan your surroundings. There was a waterfall right in front of you, the water falling from the space above. You were behind the waterfall, in a hidden space with that hanging bed, lit candles scattered around, with lots of other little knick knacks and doodads that made it look like the home of one of those witches that collected crystals and other items. In one corner was a mirror, where you finally caught your reflection, it startled you. Instead of chains and a prison uniform, you wore long dark robes that pooled around your feet and a long piece of darker sheer cloth over your head and shoulders that made you look like a ghost that appeared in the woods and fog. For a second, your appearance actually startled you, because you didn’t recognize yourself.

What was this…? This wasn’t a prison cell, and if it was, it was a pretty neat one. With all those books on the small wooden shelf in the corner, you’d at least have something to occupy yourself with. But there were no bars, no guards, and no shackles… What exactly was going on? The last thing you remember was being banished and forced to go through a portal and… now you were here.

When you looked back up at the waterfall, you could see more light coming from the other side. With nowhere else to go and nothing else to do, you slowly made your way towards the source behind the barrier of water. Luckily you wouldn’t have to get drenched, because there was a small path of round smooth stones around it, tucked away and neatly hidden in a dark corner. One by one, you hopped along the steps, the sheer cloth flowing behind you until you were in front of the waterfall, now in a much larger, very spacious room, a cave, actually.

There were no exits or entrances, besides the hole in the ceiling and maybe someplace under the water. Speaking of water, it was much more prominent in this area compared to the space you had woken up in. There was a small dry flat where you could sit, but it was only a few feet big, before the water encompassed the rest of the space. Except for more flat round stepping stones, leading to the center where there was a firm pedestal holding up what looked to be a glimmering glass orb. Its glow gave off a dim light, shining off the rugged dew covered walls.

Entranced by the orb, you tilted your head, watching from afar as shapes appeared on its glassy surface. Balancing on your toes, careful to not fall into the water, you got closer to it until you were right in front of it. For a moment, you just wanted to reach out and touch it, but you didn’t. It felt like one of those things you shouldn’t touch, like a museum display that should be behind red rope and inside a glass case. But just because you were hesitant to touch it, doesn’t mean you could take your eyes off of it. Lowering your face towards it to get a better look, you squinted at the moving image it displayed, like it was some sort of screen.

Inside the glass, you could see a figure. But it most certainly wasn’t human. Their lower torso was that of a fish. A mermaid, or rather, a merman. He looked so real! With bright stunning red hair that defied all logic by somehow looking soft even when underwater, realistic looking flesh judging by his bare upper torso with only a satchel strapped around his shoulders, and his entire lower half consisting of a sparkling green-scaled tail that swished back and forth quickly to propel himself forward. There was even a little yellow and blue fish swimming beside him. How cute… It almost reminded you of the tale of The Mermaid and The Sea Witch.

“Yes, hurry home, little prince. Run back to dear old daddy and join the party.”

The sudden voice caused you to jump, turning your head up and gaze away from the orb only to see a large figure that had camouflaged itself in a smooth curved nook within the dark stone walls. You hadn’t even noticed them watching you! You adjusted to the darkness again, steadily able to make out the mass, and your eyes widened in shock as you did.

Hidden in the curve in the wall that acted as a cozy spot just an inch above the water, was a huge mass. First you saw sharp gray eyes, more focused on the orb than you. Then you saw his hair, beautiful wavy gray curls that reminded you of the waves of water. Slowly you noticed his skin color, his face was an odd gray like part of his thin torso but the rest of him… was pitch black. But he had no legs, in place of where he should have appendages to walk, he had large black tentacles with purple undersides. Like an octopus, exactly like the Sea Witch you were just thinking about moments ago––

“Waking up a bit late, aren’t we, angelfish?” Those eyes seemed to glow as his gaze flickered up to your frozen form. He appeared relaxed, tucked away and seated in the little nook, with his hands folded neatly in his lap. Before you could even consider a proper response, he turned his attention back to the orb, apparently much more intrigued with it. “Nevermind. Did you know, when I used to live in the palace, we had fantastical festivities and feasts. But now look at what they’ve done to me… banished!” Banished? Dramatically he leaned out of his corner, and you could finally see the light shining on him. Until he abruptly slid out of his spot, vanishing into the water.

You felt a slight sense of dread rise upon you when you frantically looked around and couldn’t see him in the dark waters beneath you. Just before you could react to your flight or fight instincts pushing you to run back towards the bigger piece of land, you felt a tentacle wrap around your ankle and pull you down. A yelp escaped your lips as half of you became submerged in the water, but you kept afloat by clinging to the small round stone piece you had been standing on before.

The octopus man was now across the stone from you and in the water as well, but you could only wrack your brain for escape plans or a way to beat this creature if things came down to it. However, it seemed that perhaps those ideas were unnecessary, because he scratched your chin gently as he cooed, “Oh, what would I do without you and the twins, my treasure? You, so helpful and supportive.”

Twins…? As in, the twin pet eels belonging to the sea witch? So this was really like the story? This was your punishment? Then that meant the theory your friends whispered about was true. Criminals would be banished to a fairytale. It was a ridiculous theory, something you adamantly refused to believe. Especially because some people would fantasize about going on mystical adventures or having a lovely romance with heroes and royalty. But how could you continue to refuse to believe when you were literally face-to-face with an octopus man? What did that make you then? If you remembered the stories right, the only others that the sea witch were close to was her pet eels and no one else. So how did you fit into this role? Let’s see, in the end, the protagonist won, that was without a shadow of a doubt. But the antagonists… the eels were accidentally obliterated by their owner when she went mad with new power, and the human prince with the mermaid princess plunged the sharpened bow of a ship straight through the sea witch. You shuddered at the mere thought of meeting a similar fate. You needed to get out of this somehow…

As the man in the role of the sea witch continued to scratch your chin affectionately, you were soothed a bit by the touch… That is, until his smooth charming voice became a shout,

“Those flimsy fishfolk will continue to celebrate in a few days time, but we’ll give them something to really celebrate soon enough… Floyd! Jade!”

You jolted back at his sudden increase in volume as he pulled his hand away and turned his attention to the magical orb still showcasing the swimming merman. You heard a hiss of pain and some mumbling from the orb, but it wasn’t coming from the red-haired merman.

“Keep an eye on that pretty little prince. He may be the key to the king's undoing."

You heard two different responses: an of course, Azul and a sure thing, Azul, both responses happening simultaneously. So the octopus man's name was Azul…

As soon as the orb flickered out, you climbed back onto the single stone and observed as a twisted sort of expression took hold on Azul's face. The type of expression that meant someone was plotting something terrible but the mere thought of it pleased them.

For a moment, you considered, didn't you know how the story would play out? Didn't that give you an advantage? This could be your ticket out. Without a second thought, you hopped back to the larger flat stone surface as you declared, "I had a dream."

In the midst of his pondering and scheming, Azul waved you off without so much as a second glance. "That's nice. No wonder you were lazing around all morning. Now, I have work to—"

"I saw you in it. And the prince with the king." You blurted out, which instantly stopped him from descending down into the murky depths. But he didn't yet look at you quite yet.

Entertaining the conversation, he hummed, "And, pray tell, what was this dream about?"

You hesitated. How should you word this without getting caught? You knew that if this Azul was anything like the sea witch, then he would be crafty and cunning. "I think… It was about the future."

Now that caught his attention. He finally turned around, raising an eyebrow with an intrigued smile, "Tell me more, won't you?"

"I will… but on one condition." You lowered yourself to kneel on the flat surface, using the cloth hanging around you as a cushion for your knees. When he swam closer and was peering up at you, you continued, "I'd like you to let me go." Living in a cave for the rest of your life, didn't exactly sound like a dream. Besides, you had much higher standards than these rags you currently wore and the old furniture behind the waterfall.

At your words, Azul appeared surprised before he laughed, "Let you go? Have you forgotten that you're my property? Remember, you signed the contract. In exchange for a chance to save your drowning loved ones, you sold your entire being to me, mind, body, and soul. So the knowledge in your mind, even in your dreams, belongs to me."

Yikes. For a moment, you forgot he was supposed to be the bad guy because of how pretty he was. But his multiple tentacles were a slap in the face, a reminder that he was not human. But at least you know now that whomever you replaced supposedly made a deal with the octopus to save others. But that knowledge did little to help.

From out of thin air, a golden contract appeared which he took in one tentacle to skim over. "According to our deal, your servitude to me is due to expire in exactly one year. However, since I do care so much for my treasure…" Well that's the fattest lie you ever heard. "I'm willing to hear your complaints and should you be persuasive enough, I may just change the contents of the contract."

Well, starting with the obvious. "I don't want to stay here in the cave."

"I allow you to roam and give you the freedom that comes with your job of spying on the humans for me." He responded quickly, efficiently. "Besides, don't I take such good care of you?"

That didn't work… Next, "I have high standards, you know. I want to live better than this."

"And you will receive your just reward if you stay with me. You'll get to live fabulously once I've regained all the wealth that was stolen from me!"

Ugh. Damn it. It seemed like he had an answer prepared for everything. You really didn't want it to come to this but you had no choice if you wanted to leave. "I can help you get the king's triton, then everything in the ocean will belong to you."

"I already planned on doing that." He grinned. God, that stupid confident smirk was getting on your nerves.

But! You had one more ace up your sleeve. Slowly you shrugged, eyeing the relaxed and amused octopus man, "You're right. I should've known you would’ve gotten that covered. Imagine that: ruling all the oceans and being all powerful… in the water. But what about the land? Sure, you may have the power to bring tsunamis and hurricanes, but waves and storms can only get so far inland. Will the ocean be enough for you?"

Instantly responding to your words, you could see his smile flatten as the cogs turned in his head. Apparently, just the water was not enough for him.

"Let's say… a kingdom on land is a good place to start." This was risky, but you really had no choice. If you could somehow manage to trick both the merman prince and human princess, Azul could use the merman prince as a hostage in exchange for the king's triton and he could take the land kingdom from the human princess. How would you do it? You had no idea. It was a work in progress, but it had to be done. When Azul finally gazed up at you with a contemplative expression, you added, "If I help you with this, with getting the king's triton and the nearby land kingdom, I want my freedom in exchange." You already knew how the sea witch operated. There had to be a catch, in case you fail. "If I fail… you can extend my contract."

Quickly he switched from contemplative to talkative, lamenting his worries, “Ah, but you’re priceless to me! As my only eyes and ears on land, how could I let you go? Yes, your proposition sounds attractive, but let’s reconsider this, shall we?”

Damn it! He still wanted more. What a greedy bastard… You wracked your brain for an answer, deliberating on what else you could possibly give in exchange to walk free. That’s when you had it. If you might be able to take the merman prince hostage for the triton, couldn’t you also utilize the human princess in more ways than just for her kingdom? Brightening up, you began, “How about a royal human to do your bidding? How’s that sound?”

Instantly his eyes widened and he couldn’t help but laugh incredulously as he leaned his head against his hand with his elbow propped up against the stone. “A royal? Serving me? Tempting. You drive a hard bargain, my dear diviner. You have a plan in that wonderful little mind of yours, don’t you? Okay, before we change the conditions of this contract, let me hear this plan of yours. Then, I’ll decide.”

You summarized your plan without divulging any bits of the future, not too worried about Azul turning on you because a pair of legs and a trusty ally were required for this plot to work. After describing the details and events that would need to happen as vaguely as possible, you sat upright and watched as he reflected on the proposal. Steadily his contemplative expression shifted, his lips curling into a grin as either something must’ve dawned on him or he came to his conclusion. “Hah, how can I say no to you, my dear? Very well. Because you’ve served me well all these years, I’ll grant you this wish.” Call you crazy, but he actually seemed the tiniest bit sincere when he said that part… In one tentacle, he summoned a quill but of fish bones, which he used to write on the golden contract in neat cursive penmanship. “In order to gain your freedom, you will have to seduce the pretty red prince so he will enter a contract with me to be with you, which will allow me to use him to gain the king’s triton. Then, you must also earn the trust of the human princess and lure her far enough out into sea so that I can take control over her land kingdom, and then she will be the royal that will take your place.”

That sounded good to you. Once you gained your freedom, you’d find a way to get far far away from the water. You’d take enough riches and belongings from the land kingdom’s palace to support yourself and live in splendor. Then, you’d go live a fabulous life somewhere miles and miles away from the ocean. Where this greedy sea sorcerer couldn’t ever reach you, even if he wanted to try and use you as a tool again. It was an ambitious plan, but you’d make it work. Afterall, you didn’t want to try and stick around long enough afterwards to see if the villains would die anyway even after a plot change.

After making the adjustments to the golden contract, one tentacle held it up for you to read and another held up the writing utensil. Azul continued to linger in the water, the rest of his octopus appendages under the surface while his arms were casually folded over each other and resting on the flat rocky surface. When you looked down at him, he flashed a smile and hummed, “This will be a beneficial transaction for both of us, won’t it? Doesn’t it remind you of when we met? You, stuck in the middle of the ocean from a shipwreck, begging me to help. And I, the saint-like man that I am, extended a helping hand to you where you signed the contract that would bind you to me for years. But it hasn’t been a miserable type of existence, has it? The twins should be thanked as well. They’re the reason I even considered accepting your plea, since they had enjoyed your company for years.”

Well, considering how neat and well-decorated the room behind the waterfall was, perhaps this mysterious character you’ve replaced was content here. But you weren’t. You only hummed in response, acknowledging his words as your eyes went over the lines of the contract.

At the very top, read: I hereby grant unto Azul, the Sorcerer of the Sea… one soul, in exchange for… The text went on in detail, describing how in exchange for the original character’s soul, they were granted the power of enhanced breath, giving them more time under water. It must’ve been written in haste, because the signature was sloppy and only read V. Div. Wonder what that meant. It was a temporary deal. Now, there was more written, more added on, to create the current deal you were about to make. It detailed the requirements you would need to meet in order to gain your freedom or increase your sentence as property of the sea sorcerer. There was another line, empty, for you to sign. Snatching up the utensil from his outstretched tentacle, you ignored his growing smirk as you hastily signed: V. Div.

“It’s done then!” Azul cheered, smiling smugly as he snapped his fingers which caused both the writing utensil and contract to disappear.

You’d need to get to work quickly. According to the story, on the same day the sea witch is watching the mermaid princess was not only a day of celebration for the merfolk but also that very night was when she first saw and saved the human prince. Yet, a few minutes ago, Azul had said that the celebration was in a few days time. Which meant, you only had a few days to meet the sea prince and capture his attention. “I want to start work on the plan. Now. Do you think you can get the… twins to change the prince’s course? If they can drive him towards the shore, I might be able to catch his attention.”

“I see…” Imagining the scene that would play out, Azul chuckled and swam a few feet back. “I’m sure you can make an arrangement with Floyd and Jade. After all, they do adore you.”

So that was what they were called here. Floyd and Jade. You’d have to be careful not to mix them up, or they might suspect something would be wrong. What you didn’t expect to see was a flash of teal appear in the water. By the time you turned your head to it, it was already gone. Quickly you scanned the waters, growing a little nervous despite the fact that Azul seemed unbothered as he disappeared underneath the same murky depths the movement was coming from. When you carefully leaned your head closer to the water, you could barely make out the shape of more items below like a mirror, shelves of coral filled with glass bottles of mysterious substances, and openings that must’ve led to an underwater cave system. So Azul likely lived down there with the twins.

When you noticed a slow rippling water effect, you quickly looked up to see teal-colored hair with a pale, a very light shade of cyan, face. But it wasn’t a regular eel like you were expecting, it was half human. Just like Azul, but eel instead of octopus. He poked the top of his head out of the water so only his upturned eyes were visible. On his head, you noticed some strands of black had stuck to each other hung on the right side of his face. His eyes were particularly odd, the left was an olive-color and the right one was a sort of enchanting yellow. Several feet behind him, you could make out bits of what must’ve been his lengthy tail emerge from the water. His gaze focused on you intently, and he appeared to smile with his eyes. You assumed he was smiling, because you couldn’t tell since the rest of his face was hidden by the surface of the water.

Wait a minute… if he had a twin, wasn’t there supposed to be two?

When you looked down at the end of the water you were leaning over, you screamed just as that hidden second eel came swimming toward you at terrifying speed from right below you. Without so much as a warning, you were pulled into the water. Fearful of meeting your watery grave here, you fought in his grasp, which did practically nothing against his strong grip and large slippery tail that coiled around your legs to stop your squirming. You hesitantly, confusedly, stopped your flailing when this second eel let out a joyfully yet somewhat mocking laugh as he held your face above the water.

You barely had time to catch your breath from that mini heart attack, when you finally looked up at this guy. This eel did look extremely similar to the first, but there were a few key differences. This one had downturned eyes, the black strands were on the left, and his left eye was yellow while his right was olive. Yet some things they both had in common were their sharp nails on their webbed hands and their even sharper teeth.

“You let your guard down! Had it been anyone else, someone you couldn’t trust, I could’ve easily drowned you, you know? When will you learn? Humans just aren’t built for water. You got the whole legs thing going on. Look at me! I have feet! You should just let Azul turn you like us, right, Jade?” He mocked what you were guessing was his attempt at a human. It wasn’t a very good one.

You hadn’t even noticed that the first eel was already at your side as well, now both twins were right beside you and you were currently in the water. In the water you were practically at the mercy of these two. The first eel, who was called Jade, spoke more eloquently but you didn’t like his sly curved toothy grin. “It would be fascinating to see their legs twist and morph into a tail or other appendages of some sort, but that is ultimately not up for us to decide, Floyd. If our dear friend doesn’t wish to change and Azul wants to keep them human so they can continue to spy on land, then they will stay human. Although I would’ve enjoyed watching the excruciating transformation process.” You didn’t like the way he said that with a smile…

The other eel, who had been called Floyd, appeared irritated and was ready to say something when his twin pointed to something in his hand. To which immediately he attitude went from sour back to happy in a single instant. Talk about mood swings. Floyd’s deep frown quickly shifted as he held up a sizable clam. “We got you something!”

You didn’t have to worry about drowning… for now. You didn’t even have to waste energy kicking your feet continuously to keep you afloat, because the twins had positioned their tails as support for you to lean on. Now that they had actually let go of you, you didn’t think you were going to die right this second. Especially since one just offered a gift, and Azul would’ve probably interjected to save you, right? Right…? Nervously you smiled, about to accept the clam, “Thank yo––”

CRACK!

In the middle of your sentence, Jade placed a cold hand on your shoulder as Floyd took the clam in both hands and cracked it in half. You were stunned as he discarded one half and presented the other half to you with a proud grin. “There ya go!”

“Ha… Thanks…” You awkwardly accepted the half of the clam that was left. It didn’t fully register in your mind what this gift really was until you had it in your hands and looked down at it. In the half, were pearls. Lots of shining dark pearls that matched your robes. Beautiful pearls, the rare type, that could easily go for over a thousand for a single piece. At least, that was the common price back home. When realization dawned on you, you clutched the pearls close, eyes shining as you looked up at the twins with the brightest smile, “Thank you! Thank you! They’re beautiful!”

Both extremely pleased, Floyd giggled as Jade proceeded to reach for the pearls and spoke, “Allow me.” When you handed them over, he attached two of the orbs to small metal pieces that connected around your earlobe like earrings, and the rest he placed on a black string connected to tiny nets that held the rest of the pearls around your wrist like a bracelet. “They fit you quite nicely, if I do say so myself.”

Floyd flashed a grin, musing aloud, “Hm, what do you think they have for us in return, Jade?”

Your elated smile fell flat as you processed their words. They wanted… something in return?

“That’s a good question, Floyd. I can’t help but wonder as well.” Jade hummed as he pulled away.

Stupid! You’re so stupid! You shouldn’t have accepted those gifts! Judging by their toothy grins, they now expected a gift in return. It wasn’t fair! They gave you one gift, but you’d have to work to get them two gifts, one for each twin! What could you possibly gift something that can be appreciated by two eel-men, eels that you had next to no knowledge about? Wait… the land! They probably might be curious about land objects! Your frown shifted to a confident smug sort of smile as you gestured them closer. “I have an idea. If you guys can take me to the shore and somehow force that red-haired prince to come close enough to see me, I’ll make sure to give you both amazing gifts from the land! How does that sound? You can, well, I don’t care how you do it. You can scare that prince and chase him to your heart's content, for all I care! So, will you help me? Pretty please?”

You watched as the two eels exchanged looks. Their eyes glimmered with mirth and bubbling excitement, seemingly conveying something through their gaze. Must’ve been some weird twin telepathy or something, but you knew you had them hooked when toothy grins spread on their lips.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

You had been on the surface for a few hours now. Again, without warning, the two eels had dragged you under the surface, rapidly through the underwater tunnels that took a quick minute to navigate. When you reemerged on the other side, coughing out sea water, you cursed the twins. You were certain, had it been anyone else and without the gift of enhanced breath to hold in air longer thanks to the contract, you would’ve probably drowned during the short swim. And you know now for a solid fact, that Floyd and Jade enjoyed tormenting you so. You were tempted to just forget about the gifts in return entirely due to their stunt, but the thought of them being upset and doing something worse refrained you from doing so. Which is why you went a little further inland to gather random things and carry them in the satchel you brought, but when you came back what you didn’t expect to find was a merman. And not just any merman, one with bright red hair and a green tail.

You nearly dropped all your things when you saw him on a large rock out in the water, trapped within a net and seemingly unconscious. Oh my god, had they kidnapped him? The first thing that popped up in your mind is that they jumped him, but you’re really hoping that this was not the case. Leaving your stuff on the sandy beach, you quickly moved forward to wade through the water until you had climbed the rock his motionless body laid on. As swiftly as you could, you cut the net with a broken shard of glass, careful not to hurt the prince.

“Come on, come on…! You can’t stay here too long, someone will see you.” You hissed under your breath. He couldn’t die, not yet. Not when you needed him alive in order to win your freedom. A dead prince wouldn’t be much leverage against the king of the sea. You had no idea what the twins did to him. Thankfully, he didn’t appear hurt, but you hardly knew enough about sea-creature anatomy to be considered an expert, so you couldn’t be sure.

Pulling the net off of him and discarding it on the rock, you heaved it further up so he wouldn’t get trapped in it, before returning your sights to the merman. When you returned to his side, you knelt down to his level, removing the tiny cut pieces of net from him. As your gaze traveled up, you froze when you saw his eyes were open and gazing right at you.

He was frozen, but not in fear. On his handsome face was a sort of expression of wonder. His eyes were blue, as blue as the vast ocean, and they never looked away from you. Still defying the laws of logic, his captivating red hair was practically dry, soft and wavy as it curled down the side of his face and to his lower neck. You ignored the slow movement of his beautiful emerald green tail, trying really hard to not stare at the sparkling scales that shined in the sunlight. What people would pay for a real merman tail, especially one so stunning…

It was time to turn on the act. Slowly reaching forward, you placed a hand on his cheek and frowned in worry as you murmured softly, “Are you alright?”

His mouth opened, but no words came out. He gaped like a fish, slowly blinking, as if he truly didn’t believe his own eyes. When he steadily lifted his own hand to place atop yours that rested on his cheek, his tail began to move a little faster. Then, with no warning, he jumped back into the water.

You sat there, surprised, as bits of the water splashed onto you. “Um… okay. You’re welcome?”

As you stood up, gathering up the net and thinking about different ways you could use it, you felt as if you were being watched. When you looked behind you, you could see the sea prince shyly peeking at you from behind the rock. Just as you tore your gaze away from him, you heard his melodious voice,

“Thank you, for… for freeing me.” He had gained the courage to distance himself from his hiding place, having enough bravery to swim closer until his hands were against the large rock you stood on and he wasn’t hiding his face in the water anymore. The prince watched curiously as you bundled up the remains of the net. It seems he really was a curious one, because he couldn’t help but lean forward and ask, “What are you going to do with that?”

Surprised by his sudden interest, you shrugged. You had to answer, keep him intrigued. You’re hoping your theory was true: that he would fall in love with any human so long as they were interesting or good looking enough, since he must’ve never even seen one so close before. “I’ll probably use it to hold stuff, maybe as decoration.”

He looked astonished as he exclaimed, “I never thought of using nets like that! I should try that for my collection… Oh! I’m Rielle! What’s your name?”

When you hesitated to respond, he appeared nervous, as if beginning to regret telling you his name. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked? But that wasn’t the reason for your hesitance. The reason was because you were debating on whether you should use your name or not. Maybe an alias was better? You thought back to how Azul called you his diviner, and the signature under the contract was V. Div. After a moment, you finally swung the net over your shoulder and replied, “People just call me Diviner, or V. Take your pick.”

“Those are wonderful names! I think I’ll call you both of them!” Rielle responded cheerfully, floating beside you as you wade through the water. He must’ve remembered something, because his joy morphed into nervousness as he looked over his shoulder. “I, uh–– I have to go…! But… can I see you again? Please, Diviner? I’d like to get to know my savior! I know it’s a lot to ask, but I really want to see you again!”

Perfect. You had him, his cheeks painted with that pink hue was evidence enough. When you reached the shore, right at the edge where the waves brushed against your feet, you turned to him, watching as he lay at the very edge of the water, looking anxious as he awaited an answer. You smiled, nodding, “Of course, Rielle. I’d love to see you again!”

The prince broke out into the brightest grin as he threw his arms around your torso, almost dragging you into the water in the process as you had to kneel or he would topple you. The young royal was beaming. When you were on your knees and at his level, he held your arms as he explained, “I can’t wait! Let’s meet tomorrow, right here, at the same time! But you have to promise me, you won’t tell anyone about me.”

“I promise, you have my word. We’ll meet tomorrow. Here.” From your satchel on the sand, you retrieved a hairclip you had found on your scavenging adventure. It was old and rusted, but it was still pretty. When you reached forward, he didn’t move as you used it to decorate his hair. “Just to make sure, I’m giving this to you. So I’m depending on you to take care of it, and have it next time we meet.”

That always works, and it did this time too. Especially since you knew he collected and obsessed over human artifacts and objects. Rielle felt his own locks, and his cheeks turned as red as his hair. “I love it! I adore it so much! I’m never taking it off! I have to go now but… I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?!”

“Okay.” You chuckled at his energy, waving as he began to swim back into the depths of the ocean.

When he was a few feet out, he looked back at you with bright eyes and a wide smile, waving frantically as he called out, “Bye, V! I’ll see you tomorrow, I promise!” With a dive and a glimpse of his tail, he was gone, just like that.

You lowered your hand, sighing. At least that was over. You got him in your grasps now, all that was left was the princess. And if your theory was right just like last time, capturing the human royal’s attention would be even easier. Did all fairytale royals fall in love so easily, or was it just them? You never quite understood the attraction behind each of them.

“Bravo! Well done! I must say, your sweet tone and kind actions directed towards Prince Rielle nearly made me jealous! Your plan went well accordingly, I must congratulate you on a good show! Rielle really is quite… gullible and pathetic, isn’t he?” A voice from your golden shell necklace appeared to speak, like some sort of transmitter.

“Azul?” He saw that, which could only mean… You suspiciously scanned the waters, approaching slowly, until you spotted that familiar teal amidst the waves. You frowned at the two lurking about, and when you were close enough, able to feel the water but still far enough to run back to the safety of the land, you demanded, “What did you do to that poor guy? Do you know how worried I was? I thought I was gonna have to perform CPR on him and then I remembered that probably wouldn’t even work on a fish!” The two, amused by your words, laughed in response.

Floyd giggled, speaking in that shrill tone that could only mean he was in a good mood. “You’re so funny! But why’s it matter what we did? He’s alive, isn’t he? And you said to do whatever we want!”

“That’s true. You did say to do as we pleased. We merely did as we were told. Shouldn’t we be praised?” Jade hummed while eyeing the satchel at your side. “I wonder, did you carry out your half of the bargain?”

“For your information, I did. Go crazy–– Actually, I take that back. I said that last time and look what happened.” You tossed the twins the satchel of goods and treasures you collected, filled with random plants and other useless human items they might take an interest in. As the two rushed to claim their spoils, you gripped the golden shell around your neck while murmuring to the sea sorcerer, “I’m going to keep coming out here to meet with Prince Rielle, gain his trust and affection. In a few days, I’ll be going for the princess next. And I know exactly how I’m going to go about doing it.”

From the shell you heard an intrigued hum. “Oh? Do tell, my dear diviner.”

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

“Child’s play! This is mere child’s play! Even easier than winning a game of chess! It’s too easy!” Azul sang, seemingly in a very good mood ever since you returned to the cavern after successfully seducing the youngest prince of the sea. He had such a wild look on his normally calm and composed face, acting as if he’s already won with that cocky grin and laugh. When he looked at you, he smiled, a true one. Not one of those kinds he forged to coax you into doing something for him. This one was a happy sort of grateful one. “My treasure, you truly are irreplaceable. Even a royal human couldn’t possibly do what you do. I’m beginning to have second thoughts!”

You narrowed your eyes at the octopus man just lounging right past the waterfall. “Watch it. We had a deal.” You warned.

“I jest! Of course…” Before you could notice his strained smile, he switched the subject back to the matter at hand. “Picture it, my diviner. Darling prince, son of king triton, leader of the merfolk, falls hopelessly head-over-heels for human! It would send ripples throughout the entire ocean!”

“Maybe you should’ve opened a news company or something with juicy headlines like those.” You scoffed as you rummaged and organized the belongings of this room that previously belonged to the true diviner before you. You wonder what happened to them?

At your response, Azul laughed. Surprisingly, not another fake one that he used to make clients think they were funny whenever they said a horrible joke. And it wasn’t a concerning slightly maniacal type of laugh like from moments ago. “Perhaps I should, it could be profitable.”

You reemerged from behind the waterfall, walking carefully on the stones as the sorcerer perked up at your presence. “Nice. Glad I can give you an idea with that. Focus on the news later, please. For now, remember––”

“Prince Rielle will enter a nasty spat with his father and so, in his moment of great need, Floyd and Jade will appear to offer him a suggestion. That’s when he’ll come crying to me, begging for a way to be with you! Then, I offer him a deal he cannot resist, one that grants me power over him. That’s the gist of it, isn’t it?” He recited, looking over at you for confirmation. When you nodded, he continued to smile, but he eyed you a little strangely. “I find it a little odd how you know so much. Are you certain?”

Staring right back at him, you locked eyes, attempting to keep your cool and remain confident. If he saw you crack, he’d know something was up. “I told you, it was a dream. So far my dream was right, I say we keep going with it.”

“Yes, yes, whatever, we’ll continue with our chartered course. And by the way, I don’t believe you when you say the prince fell for you just because you’re a human that saved him.”

At his offhand comment, you raised an eyebrow, sitting yourself on the ledge by the water, closer to him to better engage in conversation. Placing aside the belongings for now, you demanded, “What do you mean? Of course that’s why he fell! Why else would he care?”

Upon hearing your confident response, he chuckled, shaking his head as he continued to scribble lines upon lines on his scrolls. “I’ve watched the princes for years, Rielle just happened to be the weakest of all the young royals. Of course you being human, the object of his fascination, and saving him, a hero in his eyes, helped, but that isn’t all. I’ve learned about the prince inside and out to fool him, and he tends to think that most only want him for his voice and for his status. Yet you know nothing of his status, and said nothing of his voice, plus you didn’t frown at his interest in human objects. That must’ve been a first for him.”

Considering his words, it made sense. In a way the reasons behind the prince’s affection made you feel a tad guilty, but it wasn’t enough to deter you from the end goal. Maybe if Azul was feeling merciful, he would spare him. Whatever the case, you wanted your freedom and still aimed to live a life of luxury later on. But slowly you shook your head, “It doesn’t matter. The point is, he’s in love and I have him where I want him.”

“How cruel.” He purred. “I believe I’ve thought up a fine fate for Prince Rielle… I think the sea king’s headstrong, lovesick son will make a fine addition to my garden.”

Right, his garden. Really, it was more like a sick twisted bed of weeds and unfortunate souls. As those words left his lips, you scrunched up your nose in disgust and leaned over the edge of the water to peer at the depths below. It was dark, so you couldn’t see it, but you knew it was down there somewhere in the underwater portion of the cavern. Based on what the three sea creatures had mentioned about it, you knew it was a portion of space where Azul kept those clients that failed to fulfill their contracts, which was essentially all those that ever made a deal with him. His victims, countless merfolk turned to ugly little polyps, forced to spend eternity as miserable little creatures trapped within the garden. What a horrible fate.

Glaring at the murky waters where Azul kept his secrets and deeds hidden from your prying eyes, you scorned, “You’re terrible.”

“Oh, how you wound me!” Azul cried dramatically as he held his hands to his heart… hearts? Didn’t an octopus have multiple hearts? Did that mean Azul has more than one heart? Weird…

As you silently wondered about the heart thing, you stepped away from the water. You didn’t ever want to get on his bad side and get turned into a polyp. Yet, you couldn’t help but wonder, the whole reason you were here was because the one before you failed to uphold their end of the deal, whatever it was. “Why didn’t you put me down there? Down in your garden?”

For a moment, Azul was quiet, which unnerved you. Why didn’t he answer immediately? He lowered a scroll he was reading over, and from the corner of his eyes he glanced at you. His smile now was… different. When one of his smooth but slippery and soft tentacles extended up and curled around your arm, you couldn’t move. Despite how Azul looked, he was much more capable physically. You had watched him juggle multiple tasks with ease by using his many appendages, and he had more than enough power to defend himself from unruly clients. The purple underside of his tentacle stuck uncomfortably to your flesh, preventing you from going anywhere. “Air-breathing little flora won’t exactly last under the salty waves and away from the sunlight. Besides…” The sea sorcerer smirked at you, “I like you as you are, you’re morethan just useful to me.”

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

A few weeks passed, and you continued with that vision of freedom within reach. You spent your hours busy, chatting with Azul and listening in as he lured in clients and trapped them, taking everything they had; entertaining the unsettling twins and listening to their reports and stories as they angered Azul by taking you out of the cavern to have fun in the hidden cove; meeting with Rielle, continuing to gain his affection and earn his love by talking about his stifling life as the son of the sea king and teaching him about the human things he adores. And finally, plotting. Plotting your meeting with the human princess.

The plan was simple enough. In the story, the human prince was saved by the mermaid princess after a storm hit his ship and caused it to sink. The mermaid returned the prince to the land, where he eventually regained consciousness. In his dazed state, he heard the mermaid singing and could just barely make out her face before she disappeared. From that moment forth, he becomes determined to find the woman who saved him, and is convinced that she’s the one meant for him.

Simple enough. All you had to do was insert yourself into the role of savior once again. Jade was tasked with making sure Prince Rielle didn’t see or approach the humans and the ship, while Floyd went with you to… speed up the process. You’ve learned that both twins were destructive, but Jade liked to appear polite and restrained at times, while Floyd was much more willing to wreak havoc with zero reservations. Besides, yes you had enhanced breathing but you couldn’t swim that far out that fast, which is why you required the presence of one of the twins because they were incredibly quick and strong swimmers.

It would actually be Floyd helping you do most of the saving, you were just the pretty face to keep the princess captivated. Which he was totally fine with, because he didn’t have the patience nor the charm to act all lovey-dovey. If it were entirely up to him, he’d toss the princess on the shore and call it a day without even checking if she was actually still alive. Luckily, it’s not up to him. It’s up to you.

You watched the explosions of light and colors, fireworks being fired into the sky off the sailing ship. It was a familiar sight to you, but for a creature of the sea like Floyd, it was not so much. Clinging to his back as he swam along, you noticed he quickened his speed as his eyes were captivated by the light show. “Wow, it’s so bright! I wanna touch it. Hey, hey, you’re human so you know human stuff. What’re those?”

You chuckled at his child-like wonder, shaking your head. “Fireworks, they’re just lights used for celebrations. I don’t think it’s possible to touch them, and even if you could, you might get burned.”

A frown formed on his lips as he complained, “Whaaat? That’s stupid! I wanna catch some fireworks in a jar and take it home to show Jade. Then whenever I shake the jar, it’ll go boom! Making more of those explosions noises and flashing colors!”

Fireworks in a jar under the sea. Huh, that would actually be sorta cool. As Floyd approached the hull of the ship, you released your grip on the eel and grabbed part of the wooden hull. Quietly, you gazed down at him in the water and replied, “Tell you what, I’ll see what Azul and I can do about that for you if this mission ends on a good note. That sound fair?”

“Yeah! Yeah! I––”

“Shh!” Quickly you shushed him, watching as he lowered the rest of his face in the water. But from the sparkle in his eyes, it was obvious he must’ve been hiding a grin. The chattering and voices of those on board with the sound of the waves were loud enough to drown out most noises, but you couldn’t risk anything. “Let’s keep it down, okay? Or they might hear us.”

Floyd continuously gazed up at you, before murmuring, “Hey, when the ship goes down and you’re lookin’ for the princess, can I take one of the drowning sailors?”

For that you had to pause and stare at him, not believing what you heard for a moment. Actually, scratch that, you believed it. That was one of the twins you were talking about. The eel continued to peer up at you with impatience, as if itching to just start the chaos already. When he lifted his head and his mouth was no longer concealed by the water, you saw you were right. Big toothy grin. You sighed, “Fine. One sailor, but do it quickly and quietly, then you find me. Okay?” Better some random sailor be drowned or torn apart by the eel instead of you.

“Okay~! Thank you! You’re the best!” He sang with the brightest beaming smile. To think such a desire for a morbid reason could make him so happy… but you were not going to divulge further into the topic. You didn’t know what kind of fun Floyd wanted to have by tormenting some poor person. But enough of that, you had bigger fish to fry.

For now, you focused on climbing until you peeked past a sizable opening in the side right by where the floor would be. As you peered in, you could hear instruments like a flute and accordion, in rhythm was dancing steps. The candles on board the ship provided plenty of lights, stretching out the shadows across the board. It looked like some nice fun, as everyone appeared to be having a grand old time. There was even a barking dog bouncing around. Right–– you remembered that one, that big dog happened to belong to the princess.

“Max! Come here!” A voice called, whistling and calling the energetic dog toward them.

Target spotted. Off to the side, a little bit away from the dancing crowd, was the very princess you had been searching for. She was pretty, with long hair as black as the night and icy blue eyes. Although, she didn’t dress exactly as you imagined, not really resembling the pictures of princesses of old in your textbooks from school. The princess dressed like a commoner or even a simple sailor, with a loose white blouse, a red sash tied around her hip, and a long but simple skirt that ended just a few inches above her ankles. Yes, she was definitely pretty, but you still didn’t quite get what should’ve originally been Rielle falling in love at first sight with her. Maybe you’d never get it, and it was probably for the best.

“Whatchu’ lookin’ at?”

You gasped at the sudden voice beside you, shocked to see Floyd was so close that he was shoulder-to-shoulder with you. He had somehow climbed the hull when you weren’t looking, and now was curiously peering inside too. When you looked back down, you could see his lengthy tail hanging down the side. When you looked back at him, he was eyeing the humans on board with a mix of confusion and boredom. “Floyd! What are you doing here? What happened to the whole sailor thing?”

“Ehhh, I’ll look for ‘em later.” He shrugged, suddenly losing interest. Maybe that was for the best too. You didn’t need possibly more blood on your hands. Floyd continued to watch the dancing people, resting his cheek flat on the edge where you were both hidden by the shadows and behind barrels and other supplies. “Which one is the princess? I can’t tell. They all look the same to me.”

Hesitantly you used your head to gesture to the woman playing a flute and dancing around with the dog. “Her.” As soon as he honed in on her, you scolded him lightly, “And don’t even think about trying to jump her like you and your brother did to Rielle.”

A fit of giggling came out of him as he lifted his head and glanced at you, “Aw, why not? Why can’t she be the sailor I choose to go after?”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Those razor sharp claws on his webbed hands appeared extra shiny today. They dug into the wooden edge where you both were peering over, carving little splinters of wood off as he hummed, “Hm, I dunno… Maybe I should dare. It would make you stay.”

There was no sign of him relenting, and it was beginning to make you nervous. If Floyd wasn’t willing to help you by the time the storm hit, then you could kiss your freedom goodbye. It almost made you lose your composure, but somehow you managed to stay cool and continue with a soft smile, “What would Azul say if he found out the plan failed because you were feeling possessive?”

Rolling his eyes, he laughed before it turned to whining, like an angry tantrum, “I don’t care what Azul says! I think the contract was stupid anyways. It’s not fair that he gets to decide your fate just because he wants some lame old artifact triton! It’s not fair! No fair at all!” Before he could bang his fists against the hull in frustration, he grabbed onto you, and you felt his weight dragging you down. He was literally trying to pull you back into the water. You couldn’t call for help because the humans would see you and everything would go astray, so you could only desperately hold onto the side until you were yanked down into the sea.

The cold water hit you, sending such a shock through your system, but you weren’t drowning. With your head above the water, you turned to Floyd who kept close. What unnerved you was that he no longer had a dopey smile on his face. “What are you doing…?! You’re going to ruin everything!”

That didn’t seem to weigh too heavily on his mind, because he only scoffed and his frown deepened. “Who cares about some stupid sailors and humans anyways?”

For a moment, you wished you had Azul’s strength so you could defend yourself here. Because you knew, Floyd was much stronger, and the only reason he wasn’t dragging you back like a ragdoll was because he respected you or liked you… somewhat. In his own weird Floyd-way. “I’m human, Floyd.”

“Yeah, maybe, but you're not stupid. Or boring.”

In the distance you could hear thunder rumbling. Oh no. The storm was coming, and if you didn’t change Floyd’s mind, he wouldn’t help you at all. In fact, he might try to get in your way. The waves were starting to become rough and wild, but the eel diligently kept you above the surface at all times no matter how savage the sea became or how the rain began to feel like needles pricking your skin or even how harsh the wind hit you. “I don’t want to live in that cave my whole life! Imagine if you had to live there, and the only way out was to ask someone else to take you or let you out. Wouldn’t you hate that?”

By now he had to shout to be heard over the howling wind, and he didn’t seem convinced. “Hmmm… yeah, but it’s not me. It’s you. Besides, I like you living right there with us.”

When lighting struck the white sails of the ship, setting the sheets ablaze, you knew time was ticking by. Yet you couldn’t snap, because that would only cause Floyd to snap too. You had to stay calm and think, quickly think of a way to convince him to help you. “Azul probably doesn’t want me to leave either, he’ll probably have some plan in mind to trick me at the last minute. Besides, I know you and Jade probably won’t let me leave anyways, even if I really wanted to. But think about it Floyd, if Azul gets that old triton and the land kingdom, he’ll have everything! Even stuff like those fireworks.”

That seemed to have a bit of an effect. You could only watch the ship, half ablaze, crash into jutted rocks, causing many on board to jump and abandon ship. Meanwhile, Floyd was still considering your words. Until what felt like an eternity later, he gazed down at you and spoke. “I wanna see more fireworks with you.”

“What?”

“Is your hearing going or something?” Annoyed, he repeated it louder this time, “I want to see the fireworks with you.”

Finally he was relenting. Hurriedly you agreed, growing more desperate with every passing moment, your calm facade had already cracked long ago, “Alright, we’ll see the fireworks together! With Azul and Jade too, we’ll use enough fireworks to paint the whole sky bright! We’ll even fire some ourselves. Does that sound like a plan to you?”

You impatiently watched his irked expression shift, having to squint your eyes to see through the rain and high and low rising waves. Had it not been for him holding onto you still, you probably would’ve been swept away in the powerful currents. Then, you saw it, a smile tugging at his lips, and he began cheerfully again, “Sounds like a plan~!”

“Great! Mmph––!” With no warning, he dove under the waves, moving much quicker under the water but you could only hold your breath for so long when you didn’t even get an opportunity to prepare yourself. You felt the pressure of the water push on you, soaking you down to the bone, but you continued to hold on to the eel as he swam at an incredible speed. When you heard the muffled sound of an explosion and saw a burst of fire above the water, you knew you only had seconds left.

According to the story, moments earlier, the princess must’ve gone back on the ship to save her dog from the inferno. Her foot would become stuck in the floorboards as the dog she carried made it overboard to a rowboat. But right then, the fires would reach the stored gunpowder, triggering the explosion that would blow the ship to smithereens and knock the royal unconscious, throwing their body into the ocean below.

When you reemerged above the water with Floyd, you saw the sharp jagged rocks, the burning ship slowly sinking, the debris floating all around you, and bits of wood on fire falling down from the cloud of ash and smoke in the sky. The eel had spotted the human princess at the same time you did, and he zoomed right over to her drifting form slipping off a piece of the floorboard. As soon as you were close enough, you grabbed her, holding her tight with both arms as Floyd, not particularly interested in the princess and more intrigued by the shipwreck, held you with one arm.

“I think I want blue fireworks. Do they have blue ones?”

You can’t believe that during all this chaos and while you were still trying to save the princess, Floyd was still on about fireworks. Exasperated, but still trying so hard not to snap at him, you exclaimed with an incredulous sort of laugh, “Yes, they have every color, even blue! Can we please, for the love of god, Floyd, just get her back to shore and go home?”

Thankfully, Floyd didn’t cause any more trouble and the shore wasn’t that far away. You had found a secluded little beach, where you left Floyd in the water and dragged the girl onto the sand, away from the now calm tides. Before it was night when everything happened, but now it was the dawn of morning. You stayed beside the unconscious princess, checking for a pulse, which she still had. In the chaos, the ends of her skirt had gotten torn, she lost her shoes, but she didn’t appear to have any major injuries save for minor scratches and bruises. Slowly she breathed, a sure sign she was alive. Frankly, it was a miracle she even survived that explosion, and it was all for a dog.

Ah–– right. This was when Rielle was supposed to start singing, and the princess would slowly regain consciousness, and would see his face. That was not happening, you were not singing. You were not like that curious merman prince that had taken to happily singing to you whenever you met up with him. Slowly you placed your hand against her cheek, she was still as you quietly hummed, and after a few minutes, as the sun began to shine, she stirred.

A soft smile made its way on her pink lips as she unconsciously pressed her cheek into the palm of your hand. That’s when you noticed her eyes slowly, groggily, opened half-way, and her hand ghosted over yours. She was looking at you tiredly, she probably couldn’t see too well at the moment, but her blue eyes continued to gaze at you with growing awe. “You’re safe now, don’t worry.”

As soon as you heard barking in the distance followed by voices that were getting closer, that was your sign to go. You sprinted back to the water, diving in once deep enough and quickly being snatched up by two eels that took you somewhere hidden to spectate. You were led off to the side, in the shadows of some large boulders, out of sight, close enough to watch but far enough not to hear.

You recognized the large energetic dog that came bounding to its master, and you could guess that the person who followed and appeared quite messy was a servant of the princess that had also survived the shipwreck. The servant helped the royal up, looking incredibly relieved to see them alive. However, the princess, now more awake but still woozy, was frantically scanning the ocean’s surface and the beach around them. An amazed smile formed on her face as she stumbled forward away from the servant, saying something you couldn’t hear, but she held her hand to her heart. Still weak, the servant supported her weight and escorted her away, out of sight, with the dog following in tow.

When the humans and their pet were finally gone, you continued to stand beside the rock, glaring down at the twins. Specifically the one that’s caused you the most trouble so far. That’s when you broke your silence. “I hate you.”

“Awwwwww, I love you too!” Floyd teased, looking so very pleased with himself.

Jade glanced at the two of you, sensing something happened enough to annoy you, which made him smile. “It appears that things went swimmingly in my absence.”

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

More weeks passed, you finally had a moment to relax as you allowed the prince and princess to marinate with their feelings for you. Floyd was somewhere, probably with Azul. When you got back from the mission, the two had gotten into a spat over how the mission nearly failed due to the eel’s mood swings. Which was fine, as long as it didn’t involve you, you didn’t care. You were relaxing, laying on the hammock you set up away from the water but close enough to the waterfall to hear the quiet and calming sound of the running water flowing down into the cavern.

As you lay there in peace, attempting to rest your tired eyes for a few moments. You heard movement. Jade was likely lingering about, doing whatever those eels did in their underwater portion of the cavern, but lately he’s been taking to using your half of the space for his new gardening hobby. It seems he really took a liking to the foraged items you bring, specifically the mushrooms you found. You would consider taking some from his garden and using them in a meal, but Azul warned you that for some reason, Jade liked the poisonous kind, so you were no longer keen on risking anything by going ahead with that idea of yours.

“I should make you aware, the prince came for you a few days ago.”

You stopped using your weight to swing you back and forth slowly on the hammock, only when it stopped did you peek one eye open to look at Jade tending to the various different types of mushrooms growing in the darkest dampest corner of the cavern. “What?”

“Prince Rielle came earlier than you expected. It seemed that he had his dispute with his father already destroying his collection of human artifacts, and you being absent from your usual morning chats with him made him so sick with worry that it drove him to take the drastic measures you predicted.” Jade wasn’t facing you, he was using the freshwater you gave him to carefully sprinkle over his beloved shrooms. “I must commend your odd new divination abilities, they were quite accurate, but not entirely correct. The prince did indeed trade his voice for a pair of legs which he declared he would use to walk and search for you in the land kingdom. The only thing that can save him now, is a kiss from you. So do try to avoid that. I thought it strange that Azul was not entirely… content with the deal, for whatever reason. It seems something was on his mind.”

You narrowed your eyes, focusing intently on the back of his head so he must’ve felt your stare burning holes into the back of his skull. You knew that he knew you were watching, judging by his quiet chuckle, the quick rise and fall of his shoulders from his short laugh. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Isn’t it common courtesy to compliment companions? I only wish to have a nice conversation with you, my dearest friend…” For a second he paused, he continued speaking clearly and smoothly, but everything he said in that tone he always used sounded like a lie, a trick, words meant to put you at ease and lure you into a false sense of security. Yet, you didn’t know if he was telling the truth or not, you couldn’t trust him. While his twin preferred to cause turmoil with his stubbornness that caused frustrations and wreckages, Jade preferred to go with the flow, confuse and disorientate his victims. “I only wish to help you with your dream of freedom. By the way, you needn’t worry about the prince or the princess. I made sure the tides and his friends carried Prince Rielle to shore. He happened to meet Princess Erika, and last I checked, both were searching for someone and they had joined forces to search for their true love. It seems that Princess Erika has spent the last weeks searching high and low across the land for you, while Prince Rielle has been concerned for you and plans to find you as well. Of course, neither royal knows they’re in love with the same person.”

For a second, you had to refrain from sighing. Actions spoke louder than words. Yes, you were relieved that the two hadn’t fallen in love with each other and were still focused on you, but you couldn’t let them stay together for long. If only you could actually choose both of them and live off the wealth their two kingdoms acquire, but alas, you already made a deal with Azul. Well, that aside, Jade had called you his dearest friend. Part of you didn’t know if that was just sweet talk to get you to lower your guard, or if he was being sincere. Azul had once mentioned that the twins adored you, but if this was their way of adoration, then it was weird and you didn’t want it. But, you decided to test your luck and prod with a scoff, mocking his previous words. “Dearest friend, hm?”

“Of course. However, you’ve become much more interesting these past few weeks.” Jade finally turned to glance at you with a sort of smile that you weren’t sure how to describe. His fingers ghosted over his beloved plants as he recounted, “When we were children, Floyd and I had never seen a human until you. When we lured you out to sea, you didn’t cry or scream, you were calm and amused us with your words. So, we became friends. Azul didn’t meet you until later, but he didn’t hold the same high opinion of you as my brother and I did. It was only later, when you were in your hour of need and with a kind word from us, did Azul finally take an interest in you as a tool for his business ventures. And I can’t help but notice that his disinterest in you lately has changed. It’s as if… you no longer are the same friend I once knew.”

You felt yourself go still, keeping your gaze on the few stalactites on the ceiling above, because you felt him staring at you with those mismatched eyes. Ever so slightly, his tone shifted, losing its charming feel to it.

“Should anyone I trust and call my friend choose to betray me, there is a special treatment I’ve prepared just for them. In truth, I’ve prepared several options, but I’m sure I can imagine more on the spot.” The longer he spoke, the more the growing horror slipped through your calm facade, making it crack as he went on and on with a cruel toothy grin. “The prince you fooled traded his voice away just to be with you again, so one could cut off your tongue and say you match him in muteness. On the other hand, there’s the princess you saved, I could tie you to a sinking surface as you pray she finds you before it’s too late. Ah, but then there’s your ability to breathe underwater longer, as granted by Azul. Well… in that case, I could still watch you drown as you wait with your waning breath, chained to the bottom of the seas with only fear and your thoughts swirling about as you reflect on every moment you tricked me and my brother until your lungs reach their limit and implode––”

There was no other way out, you were trapped in here with this monster. The only way out was the underwater portions of the cavern which you couldn’t reach because Jade would catch you the moment your toes touched the water. You would starve in this cavern, that is if they didn’t use some other twisted magic to bring about your demise. You would die here.

Then, his smile shifted as he noticed your visible panic and fear, before he tilted his head and chuckled, “Heh, of course, this is all hypothetically speaking. You weren’t my friend to begin with, so I hold no ill-will towards you. But I must tell you, you’ve been of great company to me recently. When Azul placed a contract on my human companion, I saw them begin to wither with the lack of freedom and heavy duties. But I’m assuming that changed when you, my new friend, arrived.”

That kind smile of his unnerved you after everything he said. To think you had actually been hanging out with this guy before and having nice conversations with him a few days ago, you were blinded by the gifts he brought you… That’s when a thought came to you. You felt your heart stop as you hopped off the hammock and demanded with as much of a composure as you could gather after his freighting words, “Does Azul know…?”

“...” His silence unnerved you, you wanted to snap and just tell him to spit it out, but you knew then that if you did that, he wouldn’t tell you at all. For now, he’d only hang the answer above your head, use it to make you impatient and frustrated. That was what he wanted. After a moment of seeing you remain calm, he slowly nodded, “This is Azul we are speaking about. I’m sure even in your short time here, you realize that he isn’t a man that leaves any stone unturned or coral unsearched when it comes to important business opportunities for him. And this opportunity you’ve presented him happens to be the most bountiful of all.”

Jade was right. It would be more shocking if Azul didn’t know by now. Afterall, you could only resemble someone you didn’t even know for so long. And if he knew, he was likely plotting to keep you here. You knew how the sea sorcerer worked by learning about him with your time here and by knowing the fairytales.

By now, the eel had swum closer, apparently deciding that this conversation was much more interesting than his mushroom garden. “I’m assuming Floyd hasn’t yet realized, or else we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Oh no, you did not want Floyd finding out. You had no clue how he would react. You were hoping that he was more fascinated like Jade was, but you couldn’t even be remotely certain as to how that would go. Ignore that topic, you switched it to another person to be wary of, the one you’d be tied to for an eternity if you didn’t escape his slippery clutches soon. “Are you going to tell Azul?”

For a moment he appeared to ponder on the idea, and as he lifted his head out of the water, you saw that grin that placed you on edge. Now, you were too nervous to get close to him in fear of the malicious threats spewing out of his mouth earlier. You had a feeling that he wasn’t lying about all that. His eyes seemed to glow a tiny bit as he hummed, “Contrary to what most believe, I’m not here for the money or because I’ve known Azul for years. He even instructed me not to let you out at all anymore unless he approved, especially now that he’s gone to retrieve his reward from the prince. It seems he doesn’t want you seeing others. But I serve whoever presents more interesting opportunities for me. I wonder, what more wondrous things and moments can you share with me, my friend, hm?”

Oh my god, Azul was minutes away from getting the triton, that is if he didn’t have it already. You had to get out of here. Now. “Actually…” You were beginning to concoct a plan of your own. Perhaps you could still fulfill your contract, even if the sorcerer would get in your way. If you had to guess, the twins were meant to be an obstacle. However, if you could get them on your side, then things would go much smoother. “I have something in mind, if you’re willing? But it involves me leaving the cave.”

Jade smiled, “No, I’m not willing.”

Well, that didn’t go according to plan. But you can’t say you didn’t try. Your last resort now, before Azul could return and somehow force you to remain as some eternal slave, was to escape on your own. You did your part, didn’t you? Sort of… You seduced Rielle so he entered a contract with Azul, you seduced Erika so she was always by the water now looking for you, it was the perfect set up for Azul. You did essentially everything he wanted you to do.

When the eel disappeared into the waters, that’s when you took action. You weren’t going to risk swimming and getting lost in those underwater tunnels only to get caught by Jade, oh no. If you couldn’t escape below, you’d escape above. With all the nets you had gathered from your scavenging and the time you had alone behind the waterfall, you made a fine sort of escape to climb, if you do say so yourself. It was definitely long enough to reach the very top where the water was coming from. So when Jade was nowhere to be found, you tied one end of the net to a hook and tossed it to the top. Pulling on it, testing its strength so it wouldn’t drop you down into your own personal prison, once you deemed it sturdy, you began to climb. You couldn’t manage to escape last time in your world, but now you could, and you’d get the freedom you desired.

Once at the top, you heaved a giant sigh of relief, part of you not believing it was that easy to get out. The only reason you got out with no issue was because Azul wasn’t present to open his hand and beckon you to come closer, with the magic shell necklace dragging you forward. As you picked up the pace to a run, you tried to remove the necklace, smash the shell, something–– but it never budged. The necklace was the shackles tying you to the sea sorcerer. You could only hope that it had some limit, like it wouldn’t work if you’re several miles away from this place. At this rate you don’t care where you went, you just had to get away before he became too powerful and dangerous.

Hey, on the brightside, maybe with his new power over the sea and part of the land, he’ll lose interest in you entirely! Yeah! If you were in his position and had control over the entire ocean and a whole kingdom on land, you wouldn’t care for anyone else, not even a human who had helped you get to that point. If you were Azul, you’d forget all about the human and instead focus on your newfound riches and power all at your disposal. That placed you at ease, and cleared your mind enough to allow you to focus on the most important matter at hand: your escape.

You needed to get far far away, go somewhere new and start with a fresh slate, seduce some lords or heiresses, maybe even a king or queen, and begin the life of luxury and wealth you deserved. You found your ticket out on a boat preparing to set sail. Yes, it was risky, but according to the tale, the sea witch never sunk any ships. The ships she had been impaled with and tried to use were all older vessels that were already at the bottom of the sea. So, you would be good. With ease you snuck onto the ship as the crew was nearly done loading the cargo. You blended in as one of the people onboard, only feeling better when the ship officially left the port.

The sun was setting, but you could enjoy its fading warmth on your skin and listen to the waves that rocked the ship gently like a cradle. The sky was painted a deep purple, the orange and red fading the more the sun inched down the horizon, making it darker and darker. For the first time in a while, you were at peace, you felt free already. There were no eels to torment you or no octopus to pester you, not even the merman that sang about love or the human princess––

“Excuse me?”

The sudden voice caused you to snap out of your train of thought. Slowly you removed your arms from the edge where you had been leaning, and you glanced back, prepared to smoothly slip your way out of this one should it be someone questioning who you were and why you were on this ship. However, as soon as you turned your head and quickly flashed your practiced smile, it dropped just as fast as you put it on. There, standing behind you, was the human princess, gazing at you with those beautiful icy blue eyes.

“I’m sorry, but you look so familiar…” As her eyes stared intently at your face, she visibly brightened up, a smile forming on her lips as she spoke hopefully, “We’ve met before, haven’t we? I knew it!” Taking your hand in hers, she continued to peer up at you while going on joyfully, “You’re the one! The one I’ve been looking for! What’s your name?”

It took everything not to just jump overboard right at that second. In your head, alarms were blaring, but you somehow managed to keep in your mess of emotions as you forced that smile back into place on your face. “It’s… V.”

“V… V!” She laughed, embracing you tightly, much to your surprise. “I’m so happy I found you! I wanted to thank you for saving me, but I couldn’t find you anywhere, no matter how much I searched! To think that you would end up here, on the ship I prepared to search for you on! I couldn’t find you in town or in the woods or anywhere! So I figured the only other place you could be was maybe in the water, maybe you lived in the coves or caverns! And here you are!”

You needed to get off this damned ship––

“Well, well, there you are. I was worried for a moment when you were nowhere to be found.”

At the end of the ship, near where the captain was supposed to be steering, was the very person who you were running away from, your captor and now, based on his new accessories, the new king of the sea. The five sharp white shells stringed with tiny pearls decorating his silver hair like a halo, made him look like royalty. It must’ve been a crown. In between his slim fingers, he tightly held the large golden triton. The triton glimmered like a giant knife in the fading light now blocked out by an increasing number of gray clouds heavy and pregnant with a storm. He had spoken loud and clear, causing everyone on board to notice his presence, making all onlookers gasp in horror at his inhuman appearance.

When his eyes turned to you, you felt a chill travel down your spine. There was no escape.

His black appendages curled around him in an unruly mass, taking up a considerable amount of space. Although he may have looked like a monster to everyone, including the princess standing protectively in front of you, you might’ve been in awe if you weren’t so fearful of losing your freedom. Part of him was beautiful, but his endless greed and this sort of crazed look in his eyes made him look frightening.

“You left our cozy little abode, but you led me right to the princess, so I can’t be cross with you. I couldn’t ever stay mad at you, my precious treasure. But… I was prepared to give you everything your heart could desire, my dear diviner. The world would become your oyster. I’ll lift shipwrecks off the ocean floor and empty them of all their treasures for you. I’ll summon storms and waves to drown any enemy you name. I’ll use all the magic in my disposal, all the magic in the world, just to amuse you and keep you beside me longer. Everything… Everything would have been yours…!” He stopped his growing rant, taking a deep breath, a forced sigh as he breathed, “But at least I’ve found you.”

Your necklace! He was still tracking you, he did still want you for whatever selfish reason. And now, he had the triton in hand. Which meant he must’ve already encountered Rielle again, and forced the king to give up himself in order to replace Rielle’s name in the contract. Who knew what he did to Rielle? He likely used the triton to end him swiftly, to make sure no one would get in his way.

Azul eyed the princess with disdain, “I no longer want that useless girl. No princess or even a prince could ever live up to your worth.” Without warning, he started crawling, and fast. With no legs, he couldn't run or walk like a human. So he crawled like some desperate creature, clawing his way forward with his tentacles dragging behind him, terrorizing all those on board and making them run and part ways for him to continue forward like a train at high speed. When he closed in on them, it only took one appendage to slap away Erika like she was nothing but an annoying buzzing fly in his way.

At inhuman speed, he grabbed you as you fought in his slippery grasp and screamed, “I have nothing more to give you!! Why can’t you just let me go?! You have everything!”

“Not everything, angelfish.” He chastised, wasting no time jumping into the sea until you were both under the cold water. When he tapped your chin with the sharp end of the triton, he instructed, “Breathe. Let’s make another deal, this one you will want to hear out.”

Hesitantly, unsurely, you breathed, watching bubbles emerge from your breaths, surprised to see it worked. It must’ve been the magic of the triton he touched you with. That’s when you finally spoke, snapping, “Why would I make another deal with you, you lying cheat?”

For a moment, he actually looked hurt, before he snapped back. “That’s amusing, coming from you. You were ready to run away before our deal could properly be completed!”

“I did everything you wanted, you had all the pieces! You won’t grant me the freedom you promised! I know how you work. You’re a sham! You planned to keep using me as a tool!”

Pursing his lips, Azul paused before replying, “Yes, I did. But that was before. That’s when I believed you were the V I knew before, but then I noticed you were acting strangely. Your so-called prophecy dream, your words, your actions, it was all off. You weren’t the same person.” As he spoke, his appendages let go of you, but they remained lingering behind and around you, trapping you in like a cage where your only option out was him. The sea sorcerer. “I saw it clearly. Those wretched little royals don’t deserve you! Prince Rielle is gone, and I ordered Floyd and Jade to sink Princess Erika’s ship, they get to do as they please with the humans on board. You won’t be seeing neither the princess nor the prince anymore, they won’t be pestering you. Onto more interesting topics. You’re something special, something otherworldly, am I wrong…? I read it in ancient texts once, about how sometimes there are people who mysteriously replace someone, and those people are not from anywhere known. You were banished from your world, just as I was banished from my home. They forsake us because they fear us, but we’re better now. You know what it’s like to be looked down upon, and you loathe it, don’t you?”

When he saw you were frozen, hanging to his every word with familiarity flashing in your eyes. The judges looked down at you, and the mere thought that everyone back home was watching your last moments at the trial with disdain… You must’ve been a criminal because the court said so, right? At that moment back then, you wanted to prove everyone wrong. You weren’t just some lowly nobody that should be forgotten and left to rot. You had worth, and skills, looks, personality, everything that could outweigh anyone.

He knew he was right. “I’m right, and you realize that. I said I don’t have everything. There’s one more thing that can make me the happiest man in the world. And that is… you.”

You felt his tentacles against your back, forcing you closer and closer to him until you were inches away from his face, his eyes gazing at you with a mix of greed and pleading.

But his voice, his assertive voice, was losing his confidence. The more he spoke, the more frantic and desperate he sounded, making you believe that even though he was pleading, you wouldn’t exactly be granted a choice in whatever he was about to offer up to you. “Let this be our final eternal contract. Be mine not as a tool or property, but as a partner. W-With you, we can rule not only the entire ocean but every inch of land too! I know what you want, I see it in your eyes and I know it because you’re like me…! I need you...! You need me! You don’t want freedom, you want wealth, power, and glory!" Slowly, steadily, all his appendages wrapped around you, constricting you, binding you in place. There was no real choice, no freedom, that was an illusion. The only choice he was offering was him. "Join me, sign the new contract, and you can have it all… But only if you choose me. Come on now, make your choice, we don’t have all night, my Dear Diviner!”

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