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haknom · 1 year

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A COMPLETE GUIDE TO DANCE (AND DEFINITELY NOT LOVE) — NISHIMURA RIKI

SYNOPSIS: Niki felt his world crumble after hearing his doctor’s words—he wouldn’t be able to compete in his biggest dance competition. After an incident that left him injured with the need of 4 months to recover, life was considered terrible. When he receives the news that you, a newcomer, would be taking his spot he knew he had lots to teach you. Starting with putting you in your place.

PAIRING: dancer!niki x dancer-fem!reader (ft. enhypen, soobin from txt, jisung from nct dream, dino (chan) and wonwoo from seventeen, sunwoo from tbz, and mentions of many more).

GENRES: highschool au, dance au, (kinda) enemies to lovers, unrequited love, romance, some angst, and lots of humour.

WARNINGS: crying, a lot of insulting (they hate each other at the start), injuries, mentions of blood (nothing rlly serious), eating, kissing, mentions of overthinking, lmk if i missed anything!

PLAYLIST: here!!

NOTE: special thanks to @soov and @hanniluvi for helping me write parts i struggled on ☝️☝️ but here is the final product!! i was determined to finish this so It took me about a week. very happy! title is also from @sunoksunny and it literally fits the fic so well which makes it even better. ty to @amakumos for proofreading as well🤗

WORDCOUNT: 15604 words

TAGLIST: @soov @redm4ri @ox1-lovesick @urszn @feeeli @taejays @hanniluvi @dakkisz @dimplewonie @ddeonudepressions @xiaoderrrr @ja4hyvn @mmaplepastries @essmarye @w3bqrl @jennaissantes @yenqa @yeokii @yyunari @wvnkoi @flwrshee @starz4hyunz @eulris @alicesolengg @ohmylix @txtbrainrot @miyaheartsjortega @eneiyri

STEP 1.

Dance was Riki’s most prized possession. Growing up he was told he had impeccable talent in dancing which only made him love it even more. He loved the compliments he got and took them in as motivation to continue improving his talent to wow others even more.

As a child, he always peeked inside his parents dance studio when classes were happening. He learned a few tips and new moves that he made a mental note for to practice once he returned home in front of his mirror.

The dance studio was like a second home to him. Although his parents were the ones who owned the studio, he was spotted there way more than they were.

If you couldn’t find him in his room playing video games, he was most likely in the dance studio with dimmed lights and dancing flawlessly in front of the mirror.

It ended up becoming a habit of his; rushing to the dance studio once school ended and staying there until dinner was served. His uniform drenched in sweat, tie loose, his shoes squeaking once harshly pressed against the polished floor with music playing to back it up.

Nothing—besides video games—but dancing with friends or alone could bring him the joy he needed to survive.

But for it to all crumble away after hearing a few words made it feel like everything meant nothing to him.

“What?” He didn’t want to believe what his doctor said was the truth. “I said you’ve severely injured your ankle. It must’ve gotten worse since you continuously danced on it and ignored the pain until it became unbearable.” Wonwoo spoke while pushing away from his desk causing his chair to roll over to Riki.

“Therefore, you won’t be able to partake in any practices and competitions for 4 months.” He said in a disappointed tone. Riki’s eyes widened. Suddenly it became harder to breathe upon hearing those words. Words that he never wanted to hear.

He felt like he was suffocating. Body becoming immobile with the throbbing in his ankle not making it any better. It made him irritated and frustrated. He wanted to cry there and then but fought back the tears until his appointment was over.

His opportunity to attend the biggest dance competition he ever had that could practically predict his future career was gone in a mere second. It was 3 months away but he would still need an extra month to heal. There’s no way he’d heal in time.

“Here, you seem like you need it.” Wonwoo’s voice pulled him out of his suffocating thoughts as he looked up in confusion but the single droplet that fell from his lash line was enough to answer his unsaid question.

He was crying and he hadn’t even noticed it. The grip he had on the edge of the chair tightened as he harshly bit his bottom lip—hard enough to draw small droplets of blood. Wonwoo felt terrible. He knew how much dancing meant to Riki.

Ever since Riki was a little kid, he always had something new to say about dancing every time he visited Wonwoo’s office. It was something that never changed. So breaking the terrible news to Riki was already hard enough but seeing his reaction made it even more difficult.

“Dr. Wonwoo, please come to the main office.” The nurse said on the intercoms. “I have to go, stay healthy. Don’t knock yourself out because of this, it won’t be that bad. Mum, please monitor how he is for the next 4 months and come back monthly for a checkup. Call if you have any worries.” He smiled at her, she smiled at him, and then he was gone.

“Riki, let’s go. It’s best if you start resting now.” His mother said as she reached for the crutches left by Wonwoo but he didn’t move an inch. He was still trying to process the sudden heartbreaking news.

He wasn’t able to dance nor partake in the competition that was in 3 months. The one he had been training for his whole life only for it to be swept away before his eyes. How else was he supposed to react?

During the drive home he didn’t bat an eye at the studio. Looking at it then at his ankle would only make what was supposed to be reality be reality. It had been an hour since they left the doctor's appointment. An hour for Riki to take in everything that had happened. And he did, sadly.

Slowly, one by one, tears began flowing from his eyes in silence. It wasn’t a bad cry but more of a silent cry. It began to progress into something even worse causing his shoulders to shake to his sobs and sniffles.

It was a terrible sight to see which only made his mother feel even worse. She knew it wasn’t her fault but seeing her own son react in this way made it seem like it.

Rolling into the driveway didn’t stop Riki’s sobs. Nothing did. Not even the so-called comforting hugs from his sisters and parents. Once it was time to sleep, his eyes were dry and puffy. It was like he cried out every salty tear he had within him.

“Riki?” His mother called from his doorway. She sighed at the silence and walked over to his bed. His body shuddered at the sudden cold feeling of the ice pack on his injury.

“Lift your leg, if you can.” She whispered as he followed through. Gently, his mother placed a soft object, most likely a pillow, motioning him to relax his leg once again. She covered him with a medium weighted blanket and smiled at his drowsy state.

“Sleep well.” Her voice sounded distant and close to a mumble as he felt himself slowly falling asleep by the minute. With the little amount of energy he had left, he thanked her, causing her to stop in her tracks for a moment and smile even brighter.

It was like the moment his door clicked shut, it felt as if a switch labeled 'SLEEP" was activated, swiftly transporting him to dreamland. 99.9% of him was hoping whatever had happened earlier was a part of his dream. The other 0.1% knew it most likely wasn’t.

Waking up the next day with the same throbbing pain from yesterday proved his hope was useless. In return, he can never dance again no matter how hard he tries or prays.

STEP 2.

It had been a week since the doctor’s appointment. He was doing quite better than before. The news finally sunk in, leaving him to cry less but it wasn’t as bad as he expected.

Once he found out the more he rested the faster he could heal, fighting the urge to dance wasn’t that hard. He even switched to singing to distract himself—but spoiler alert, it’s definitely not his thing. At least he still had video games and friends to keep him occupied for the time being.

He took his seat on the bus already tired from using his crutches to get to the bus stop. “Woah, what happened to you!” His friend Jake exclaimed from the seat across from him. He turned around to face the boy and sighed.

“Long story.” He was tired of explaining it to everyone who had asked before. Jake hummed in response, grabbed his backpack and fled to the empty seat behind Riki.

“So, how’s the dance for your competition coming along?” His question made Riki freeze. Although he was getting better, that didn’t mean the thought of the competition didn’t hurt him. “Wait, are you not competing?” Jake asked.

“Apparently, my ankle will heal in 4-5 months. Maybe even 3 and a half if I’m lucky.”

“So you’re not participating?”

“Only if my injury doesn’t heal before the performances,” he explained. “But you’re still going to be behind, right? Soobin might have a replacement for you instead.” Riki looked directly at Jake with daggers.

“Just saying, that’s what happens during our choir performances, especially the solos.” He backed away, hands in the air for his defense and took his seat.

He wasn’t completely wrong and that’s what Riki hated.

He didn’t like the thought of being replaced after working so hard to get to where he was. If he were to get replaced, he hoped it would be someone with enough talent and skill like him, for example, Chan or Jisung, his close friends on the team.

The bus stopped at another spot, picking up new passengers. Riki adjusted his crutches to make an easier walkway and leaned his head on the window.

He really didn’t want Jake to be right.

Monday mornings always had a scheduled 7:15 AM dance practice before attending classes followed by one during lunch but Riki's condition made him limited to many things and waking up early wasn’t one of them.

The dark circles showcased under his eyes proved his point. The constant throbbing pain he felt throughout the night made sleeping a struggle. He definitely would be napping the moment he got home.

As he walked with his crutches under his armpits, heads turned at the sound in shock. The boy who boasted about dancing 24/7 was now incapable of doing so.

“Dude? What's up with you?” Chan came running over to Riki in a hurry. “April Fools is a month away, are you perhaps doing it earlier?” He inquired. Riki looked at the boy in confusion. “Are you being for real? Chan, I seriously injured my ankle.” Chan’s eyes widened at his words.

“Impossible! What about your competition, the one you’ve been training for since forever?”

“Can’t,” Riki exhaled, “I can’t participate in it anymore.” They stood in front of his locker with a crutch laying on Chan’s.

“You’re lying.” He spoke in disbelief.

“I’m not, but I wish I was.” Riki pulled out his notebooks, slipping them into the opened pouch of his backpack.

“And this isn’t bothering you? Come on, it’s the biggest event of your life!” He exclaimed. Riki looked at Chan while shutting his locker shut with a loud slam.

“Of course I was sad—very sad. But still, why are you offended by this more than I am?” Riki truly was unsure of how and why Chan felt like this but the way Chan walked away in annoyance was not a good enough answer.

“Okay then…” He mumbled, swinging his backpack on then grabbing his crutch. All he had to do was walk to his next class which was located upstairs. Hopping up the stairs on one foot would definitely drain his energy.

Usually, he and Chan would walk to History together but that wasn’t the case for them today. He was long gone—nowhere to be seen, and that only took him 5 minutes to get there. It was like he was teasing Riki but really wasn’t.

The bell rang the moment he stepped foot in class, shocking everyone especially his teacher, Mr. Junhui, meaning he would have to go through another explanation process.

“What happened, Riki?” Mr. Junhui questioned as he sighed, opening his mouth to speak whatever flew out but someone beat him to it.

“He hurt his ankle and can’t participate in the upcoming competition.” Chan said, anger visible in his voice.

All heads turned to look at Chan, including Riki’s. “Really? Is that true?” A classmate asked. Riki cleared his throat and nodded. “Sadly, yeah.” He said as the classmate gasped.

“How did you feel when you heard the news?” She asked once more. “Heartbroken. I cried a bit, which is quite embarrassing to admit, but it’s not like you can choose what happens in your life.” He took his seat, beside Chan, while placing his crutches at the side of his desk.

He slouched over his desk, letting out a deep sigh. Once Mr. Junhui began teaching, Riki looked over to Chan in curiosity. “Stop,” Chan mumbled and looked away from his curious gaze.

“What am I doing wrong?” Silence. “Come on, are you really mad?” Silence, again.

“Chan—”

“Are you really going to throw away the competition just like that?” He whisper-shouted, startling Riki with his sad but slightly annoyed tone. “Look, I really don’t have a choice. For the most part…” Riki hesitated.

“You or Jisung could replace my spot. That’s an even better opportunity for you both.” As much as he didn’t want to say those words, there was still a high chance of them being his replacements.

Chan tucked his bottom lip underneath his teeth at the thought. They promised each other to pursue a career in dance together. This competition being the only one that could decide whether or not it was possible just had to take place at the wrong time.

“No thanks. There’s no way I’d take such a big opportunity like that away from you over a silly injury.” Chan said dryly but nicer than before. His attention was then brought back to focusing on Mr. Junhui’s teaching. Riki smiled to himself with the urge to tease him even more.

“Hey, can I have a pencil?” He asked, gaining his attention again but his eyes still on their teacher. “Get your own, you probably have one somewhere in your backpack.” He’d emphasize.

“Chill, I organized it the other day. I had nothing else better to do.” Riki said while reaching for his own backpack as Chan hummed in amusement. He pulled out a pencil he kept for this exact occasion. “Perfect,” he mumbled in satisfaction and began writing on the assigned worksheet from a while ago.

Chan glanced at the boy then did a double take at his pencil. “What the hell is that?” He asked. “A pencil, what else?” Riki said, stating the obvious with a chuckle. “Riki, that’s at least 5 centimeters. Is this your way of making me give you a pencil instead?” The said boy looked over at Chan offended.

“Hey! Is that what you think of me?” Riki questioned as Chan nodded. “Well then, you know me so well!” He whispered with a smile, opening his hands for a new pencil. Chan scoffed at the action but still handed him a pencil either way.

It was way better than the one he was previously using. “Thank you,” he said, smiling growing even more. Chan looked at Riki’s happy state as he wrote the date and his name on the blank worksheet, a smile slowly growing on his own features.

There’s no possible way for him to stay mad at a boy like Riki.

Riki was starving. A slice of toast wouldn’t easily fill him up for the whole morning. Once he arrived in the empty gym, he took a seat on the edge of the stage and placed his backpack on his lap.

His crutches leaned on the edge of the stage as he waited for the rest of the dance team to arrive for practice. It was silly that they were having practice in a gym where competitive team sports members trained all day long instead of a studio like usual.

But after the incident during one of their practices that caused what looked like a distinguishable fire to take place, left many more damages than they all had expected. Lesson learned at the time; don’t leave a fireworks machine near inflammable objects near a group of teenagers.

The sound of the heavy metal doors opening echoed through the silent gymnasium revealing his dance team. “Well you’re here early.” The coach of their team, Soobin said. “I have nothing else to do,” Riki joked while pointing at the obvious cast on his foot.

“You hurt yourself? How?” Soobin asked,shocked and confused. “Riki injured himself?” Jisung said, appearing from behind Soobin. “Fouettes,” he started, “I must’ve injured myself the day we were practicing them.” His words elicited a few reactions from the crowd of students.

“I thought the pain was from me practicing a lot which should go away eventually but the more I kept practicing, the more painful it became. Almost unbearable.” Riki said before taking a bite of his sandwich. “Then my mother took me to the doctors, and guess what. That’s when this came in,” he pointed to his covered ankle and crutches.

“Did it hurt?” Yunjin, another member, asked. “Eh, not as much as before since I stopped putting pressure on it. But when receiving the news, yes. It’s going to take at least 4 or 5 months to heal.” He said, gaining Soobin’s attention.

“That means you can’t participate in the final competition.” Soobin seemed worried about Riki's condition and the final competition. His slender fingers delicately weaved through the strands, messily fixing up his hair obviously stressed at the thought of having to change the final lineup. The real question is: who would match his dance style the most?

He’d let out a deep sigh with a shake of his head. “Everyone, let’s start with stretching.” He said as they placed down their belongings and claimed a free spot in the gymnasium. Riki watched in amusement as they all went about with doing their own different stretches.

“So this is what we look like…” He mumbled, stifling a laugh at the same time. It wasn’t because they looked weird but more so silly. He was glad he didn’t have to partake in the stretching session.

“I’m here! I’m sorry that I was late,” a voice exclaimed from the entrance of the gym doors. All heads turned to look at the exhausted figure. Soobin’s eyes seemed to have lit up at the sight of you as he approached you with a huge grin.

Why aren’t you angry… You thought at the sight of Soobin’s expression not changing. “Ah, Y/N, just the person I was looking for.” He said as you raised an eyebrow at his words. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

STEP 3.

“What?” You questioned, confusion evident in your features. “I’ll tell you in a bit, first join the group of stretchers.” He instructed as you hesitatingly nodded, cautiously dropping your bag to the ground and heading off to join the crowd.

Soobin smiled to himself, satisfied with his mind. Since Riki was incapable of participating in the final competition, you could cover for him. Your dance styles were very similar and were both passionate in the things you did. Determined to complete it flawlessly no matter what the consequences were.

It was as if you two were the same person placed in different bodies. Quite creepy.

You weren’t able to forget about Soobin’s words from a moment ago. Curiosity crept up your body with an even bigger urge to find out what he was talking about. In silence, you stretched your limbs as the others partnered up to assist each other with specific stretches.

It was awkward. You had only recently joined the team, around a month or two ago, and seeing everyone in friend groups and so on made you feel like an outsider. In your time alone, you were able to learn the names and faces of some members on the team.

For example, Yunjin who hung out with another group of girls; Karina, Chaeryeong, Jiwoo, and another face you couldn’t place a name to. Then there was a group of both males and females consisting of Haewon, Changmin, Haerin, and Jaemin. And once again another face you couldn’t place a name to.

Although you knew most of their names and faces, that didn’t mean you had spoken to them one on one. There were many times when you’d coincidentally eavesdrop on their conversations whenever you were nearby and eventually picked up their names.

As well as those times when Soobin would call them over or say their names during group sessions. It helped a lot with matching their names to their faces.

Riki packed away his container into his backpack, unaware of Soobin’s tall figure approaching him. “Riki!” He called from a few steps away from him. He looked up at the sound of his voice, flinching once he noticed Soobin standing right in front of him.

“Yes, coach?” He asked. “So, I understand you won’t be able to participate in the final competition…” Soobin started as Riki’s eyes lit up. “Oh, about that. My doctor informed me that if I rest a lot my ankle may heal in 3 and a half months instead.” He said, causing Soobin to ‘ah’ in understanding.

“But either way would you be ready in time?” He asked the boy who sat before. Riki pondered for a moment. He wanted to say yes but if he was being honest, he didn’t want to perform.

With his injury holding him back, all his team members would improve their dancing to perfection while his would look sloppier than ever. He would be behind.

“I wouldn’t,” he said with a frown. Soobin gave him a tight-lipped smile in return. The way he felt was understandable. Once known as one of the team’s best dancers and ended up as the ‘worst’ in a blink.

“That’s okay.” Soobin reassured him, feeling even more terrible. He wasn’t sure if he should still tell him about the news or keep it to himself. “But enough of that. What is it that you wanted to say?” He asked as Soobin hesitated.

“I mean, you seemed like you had something to tell me when you first arrived in front of me.” Riki said as Soobin shook his head. “Well, since you’re incapable of performing…I was thinking of having someone take your spot,” he started as Riki nodded. “Yeah I was thinking that was going to happen. I was thinking of someone like—”

“Y/N.”

“—Chan or Jisung—what?!” He exclaimed at his words. It’s not like he didn’t know who you were, it was only because of how long you’ve been on the team.

“Why her? There’s way more capable people on our team who have been here way longer than she has. Are you even sure she has enough potential and is prepared?” He asked, leaving Soobin quite offended by his choice of words.

“First off, be nice. Second, you guys are practically the same people. Your talents are similar and your desires to complete tasks perfectly are the exact same.” He said, Riki’s face contorted in discomfort.

“Although she’s only been on our team for a month or two, she was still able to show her true skills and determination, which is why I think she deserves to be qualified for something like this.” Soobin finished his sentence. What nonsense was he even talking about?

Riki couldn’t argue back. Soobin was his coach and whatever he had ready to say back wasn’t anything nice. “Okay,” he mumbled, “Go ahead, it doesn’t bother me.” He said in a convincing unbothered tone.

That was a lie.

It bothered him a lot. It felt like he wasn't being appreciated for his skills. Yes, he was jealous. How could he not be after losing his biggest opportunity to someone he wasn’t even acquainted with?

If it was given to someone he knew or had incredible talent that he had seen before, that wouldn’t have bothered him as much as you did.

Soobin smiled and nodded while clasping his hands together. His actions infuriated Riki even more but he held back his anger and watched Soobin walk off to gather the group of dancers in silence.

“So, as you all may know, one of our dancers is terribly injured and won’t be able to participate in the final performance.” Soobin said as they all nodded with frowns displayed on their faces. “No worries! Riki and I had come to an agreement that someone else will replace his spot in the competition. Y/N, congrats!” He cheered while clapping, alone.

Everyone gasped, eyes wide as they hastily looked over at Riki who seemed more furious than ever. You, on the other hand, stood in confusion. Who was Riki and why were you chosen to take his spot?

Suddenly all eyes were on you, some shocked, scared, and confused but one face in particular caught your attention. He didn’t show a physical reaction to Soobin’s words. Instead his eyes showed it all. It carried many emotions, specifically sadness, jealousy, and most of all, anger.

What trouble did Soobin put you through now?

STEP 4.

You filled up your water bottle using the water fountain that was located outside of the gymnasium. The wind blew the trees as they swayed in sync. Nature reminds you a lot about dancing. There were many aspects that were similar to the things used in dance which made you fall in love with nature as well.

Photography was also something you enjoyed. Combining it with nature only meant perfection. It was even prettier than alone.

You’d place the cap back onto your water bottle after taking a short sip, sighing in satisfaction. It had only been 10 minutes since practice ended. You noticed everyone was gone from the gymnasium when you peeked into the windows.

Walking around the corridor that led you to another building of the school—Drama class, you sighed at the thought of your group presentations that were due today. Everything was finished and ready to be shared but you still felt slightly nervous. You continued your walk to the building before being brought to an abrupt stop.

“What the—”

“Listen, I don’t care about teaching you the 4 dances I choreographed myself, but just because you replaced my spot in the big competition after joining our team only a month ago doesn’t mean you’re better than me.” He said while staring daggers into your narrowed eyes.

You were genuinely very confused. Who was he and why was he talking about the incident from a few minutes ago? Why the hell did he look like he was about 2 feet away from you?

In your peripheral vision, you located a blurry silver-grey item that caged you in his little compartment. You turned your head to get a better view of the item which appeared to be a crutch.

You looked back at the boy who stood in front of you then down to his feet. He stood on one foot somehow maintaining his balance. Connecting the dots in your head, you were finally able to figure out who he was.

“Oh, you must be Riki.” You said, slightly unphased by his approach. He definitely wasn’t what you were expecting him to be like. At the sound of his name and reactions from everyone in the room, he seemed to be very admirable. You were quite excited to meet him but he turned out to be nothing of that sort.

“Are you really trying to intimidate me with your crutches?” You said in disbelief. He stiffened in his spot. Clearly his plan didn’t work. You bursted out in laughter. That’s definitely a new way to approach someone.

“Whatever, keep my words in mind. Meet me today after school in the gymnasium. We can start practicing there,” he said as your laughter came to a halt. “Yeah, no thanks. I’m not free today.” You explained as his brows furrowed, unsatisfied with your response. “Let’s just start tomorrow,” you said and began walking away.

He was speechless. For someone who's quiet during all practices you sure knew how to run that mouth of yours. He hated it and slowly began to hate you as well. It was safe to say the feelings were mutual.

Riki kissed his teeth in frustration while raising up his crutch at your now far away figure to only drop it by accident. He sighed at the sight of it on the grassy ground and reached down to pick it while maintaining his balance on one foot.

It would’ve been a lie if he told you he didn’t have time tomorrow to start your practices because he did. His injury made him unavailable for many extracurriculars nowadays.

He took a seat in the same place from yesterday’s practice during lunch, the edge of the stage. He awaited your arrival, watching time pass by on his phone, timing you. It was 3 minutes past 3:00. Only 3 minutes ever since the bell rang. Yesterday’s practice showed your habit of being late and he hated it.

The opening of the gym doors echoed through his thoughts as he looked up from his phone, spotting you in the distance. “You’re late,” he said in a stern and annoyed tone as you walked over to him. “Why should I be on time for someone like you?” You said while rolling your eyes leaving him to scoff at your words.

He ignored your previous sentence and watched you place your backpack down on the polished wood floors. Even the way you placed your backpack down ticked him off. Who throws it so carelessly as if there’s nothing delicate inside?

You began stretching on your own as an unsettling silence fell between you two until his irritating voice had to break it. “Do you have anything prepared to showcase your skills?” He asked as you stopped in your stretching position.

“What?” You asked, genuinely confused. You were never informed of this. “Like a premade dance… Have you never attended auditions or something?” He asked as you shook your head. “I only dance for fun, why should I compete to win?” For some reason, your answer irritated him.

Should he really let you take his opportunity at this rate? You both had different mindsets when it came to dancing. Your responses left him unsatisfied and frustrated which was never a good sign.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down before proceeding with asking questions. “So you have nothing to show?” He asked as you thought for a moment. “Well, there’s one thing,” you started while walking over to your backpack to get your phone.

“So unprepared…” He whispered but with the shallowness of the gymnasium, his words echoed over to where you stood. You rolled your eyes while mocking his annoying voice in return. On your phone you pulled up a song you normally enjoyed on a daily basis and walked over to where he sat.

“It’s nothing long, so don’t get your hopes up,” you warned as he laughed. “I wasn’t going to anyway.” Once again, you rolled your eyes at his words and waited for the song to play while getting in position.

As the first beat sounded, your position switched. You proceeded with the choreography you had practiced for most of your teen years. Riki didn’t know what he was witnessing or whether to be traumatized, amazed or both.

He had always been too focused on his own movements and never noticed yours. You practiced at the back end of the gymnasium while he practiced in the area near the doors. That was definitely something different about you two.

Your movements were sharp and clean, similar to how he viewed himself. It was impressive how similar your dance styles were. Maybe Soobin wasn’t saying nonsense like he thought he was.

He watched in amusement as you went along with the dance. It’s been a few minutes since you’ve started the dance. He wasn’t sure how long it was supposed to be but he truly wanted to see more.

“Okay… You can stop staring at me now,” You said in an awkward tone. “I was not!” He exclaimed with slightly wide eyes. You nodded with a hum as he rolled his eyes.

“Anyways, I could do way better than that.” He insulted you as you scoffed. “In those crutches? Yeah, please.” You retorted with narrowed eyes. He cleared his throat in embarrassment as you stifled a laugh. “That’s what I thought,” you mumbled.

“So, we have only 3 months, meaning you’ll have to practice a lot. There are 4 dances; 2 solos, a duo, and a group dance. Are you sure you could do them all?” He explained as you nodded. “Yeah, right.” he mumbled and you raised your hand in a punching motion.

“Whatever!” You exclaimed and walked over to your backpack for a sip of water. Thinking back to his words before, you were curious as to who the second person included in the duo was.

“You said there’s a duo dance, right? Who’s included?” You asked, eyes filled with genuine curiosity. Mostly everyone on the dance team didn’t take a liking to you. A few would start up short and quick conversations with you but nothing else.

Judging by yesterday’s incident, their perspective on you had gotten a lot worse even if you hadn’t done anything.

“It’s Chan, my friend.” He said while searching through his phone for previous dance practices to show. “He’s a great dancer and quite closed off. It’ll be hard to build a relationship with him, so don’t try to.” He warned.

After witnessing Chan’s anger once he found out Riki injured his ankle, he was worried about how he felt after finding out about the news. He would’ve been 100% against that fact.

You had no clue who Chan was. There wasn’t a face you could match his name to but didn’t bother asking for an in-depth explanation of who he is.

“What about the group dance?” You asked. “Right. It consists of most of our team members; Jisung, Changmin, Yunjin, Haerin, Jaemin, and Chaeryeong.” He lists as you nod. Finally, people you knew.

The lineups weren’t bad at all. You’ve watched their dances many times and admired how they moved in their own ways.

“Here,” he said while handing you his phone. “Don’t do anything silly with it.” He warned with narrowed eyes as you took the device from him. “Wasn’t planning on it.” you looked at the screen.

It showed him in what seemed to be a dance studio. The lights were dimmed but his face was still visible. The subtle shine on his forehead showcasing the sweat from his hard work that caused a few strands to stick against it.

You began to play the video, revealing the first solo dance. By the looks of it, the dance seemed to be intermediate level which wasn’t bad for you. But the more you watched the choreography in his other 4 dances, it became harder.

During the duo performance, he and Chan moved very fast. It was almost impossible to distinguish what moves they used. You weren’t sure if you’ve seen Chan’s face in person yet. The video didn’t show his as well as it showed Riki’s aggravating one.

“Okay. Like I said before, there’s only 3 months to learn those 4 dances. In the group dance, there’s not many solo moments but more duo moments. I’m not sure if they’re going to tune the dance to fit everything again, but yeah. Goodluck.” He smiled and took his phone back from you.

These 3 months will definitely be the worst moments of your life.

STEP 5.

Although it's only been a few days since your first practice with Riki, you hated it. You returned home with sore limbs at least everyday. Your mind was occupied by learning these dances before the deadline that you even forgot about the semester switch.

Semester 1 was finally over while semester 2 rolled in meaning there would be new classes, new assignments, and new classmates. You were usually excited to see who your classmates would be but today wasn’t the case.

“What are you doing here?” You asked in annoyance. “I was going to ask you the same thing.” He said. Biology, previously known as your favourite class, was now your most hated timeslot on your schedule. You looked around the room, looking for any other empty seats but there was nothing.

The only empty seat happened to be beside Riki, your new lab partner. He held a cocky smile across his lips as you grimaced at the sight. “What are you planning, weirdo?” You insulted and took your seat beside him.

“What makes you think I’m planning something?” He asked while twirling his pencil between his fingers. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, don’t bother asking me. I’d rather be the one walking in crutches than do anything for you.” He looked at you, smile faltering. “Well, that’s insulting.” He mumbled.

At least you only had to share one class with him in the morning.

Or so you thought. Walking into all 4 of your classes being greeted by an unpleasant sight, Riki. And to make things worse, the only free seat was always beside him. How bad must your luck be?

“Can I have a pencil?” He asked but you ignored him. “Hello? I’m talking to you.” He said while lightly poking you in the shoulder. He acted like a child who wanted attention from their parents.

“Hello—”

“Take it.” You harshly placed the pencil in his hand and searched through your pencil case for a new one. “Thanks,” he said. You sighed, thinking that was the last of his troubles but no, it was only the beginning.

As class progressed, he only bothered you even more. Asking for an eraser, highlighter, for you to get him a new sheet of paper. You would’ve declined all his requests and forced him to do everything on his own but he always found a way to use his injury as an excuse.

“It’s literally two steps away?” You said in disbelief. “Two steps I can’t take. Hello, did you forget?” He pointed at his cast as you rolled your eyes in return and followed through.

After this, every turn you took whether or not you were in class, he was there. His back and injured ankle was pressed against the brick wall with his crutches under his armpits. You quickly turned on your pivot foot and immediately began to walk the other way.

All you wanted was a peaceful lunch but he just had to ruin it. There was no dance practice too, it was perfect.

The sound of his crutches tapping the concrete floor quickened from chasing after you as hope began to drain from your body. Each tap showed his determination and strength, showing that he wasn’t letting an injury stop him from doing what he wants. He created a distinct rhythm that echoed through the surroundings, making you want to walk even faster.

Each step, the intensity grew, finding a way to overcome the physical obstacles you put him through. He just wouldn’t stop–his determination was killing you. You trying to tire him out only fueled his passion to catch up, wanting to annoy you even more.

Finally giving up, you turned around with a very annoyed look as he staggered on his feet, trying to maintain his balance from the sudden stop.

“What do you need now?” You asked, the annoyed tone still lingering in your voice. “Why do you always suspect that I have a reason?” He asked back, causing you to narrow your eyes. “So, you did that for no reason?” The annoyed look on your face never left and only deepened at the sound of his laughter.

“Of course not,” his laughter died down, “... Um, what was I here for again?” He looked up from his shoes and was met with your irritated face. “Hurry up or I’m leaving.” You warned as his eyes grew in size.

“I just remembered,” no he didn’t—he didn’t have a reason to talk with you but still wanted to do so, “Mr. Sunwoo said he wanted to see you.” He explained. “That’s all you had to say? And what does he need to see me for?” You asked as he stiffened. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as the thought of an excuse. “All he said was that he needed to see you. I don’t know the rest,” he said.

You looked him up and down and walked away. His hesitation was skeptical but you still went to the teacher’s faculty office either way. The walk over wasn’t that bad but with the humidity from the sun, it only felt worse.

Once you opened the office door, you were greeted by the sound of banging. You were concerned and confused at what it could’ve been but shrugged it off and continued your walk over to Mr. Sunwoo’s desk.

But to your dismay, the closer you got to his desk, the louder the unpleasant sound became. You stood at the opposite end of his desk, his back facing you. “Mr. Sunwoo,” you called but there was no response.

“Oh, hi sweetheart,” he said as a female teacher walked past his desk. He was known to be a flirt amongst many of his colleagues but the more you got to know him, you were able to see how nice he was. “The printer isn’t working at the moment…” He pointed at the said object and banged on it even harder.

You swore you heard a crack in response. He clears his throat at the sound and stands up tall, “Lovely day, isn’t it?” She hesitatingly nodded as he laughed awkwardly. “Fancy a coffee later? If you’re free, of course!” His voice raised in volume as she quickly walked away from him, shaking her head frequently.

He sighed as she disappeared into thin air and looked down at his now broken printer. “Mr. Sunwoo,” you called, startling the poor man. “Oh, Y/N! Hey,” he greeted with a slight smile. You smiled back as your eyes flicked over to his printer. He followed your gaze and sighed once more.

“Printy—I mean, my printer broke just now. I think I printed too many things at once…” He says, staring at the huge crack displayed on the printer’s surface. “I can tell…” You mumbled while looking directly at it. “Anyways, what brings you here?” He asks while grabbing his half filled coffee mug that sat near his computer.

“Riki said you needed to see me?” You said with an unsure tone. He didn’t seem like he needed to tell you anything. Did Riki lie to waste your time? “Uh… I don’t recall telling him anything about that?” He said also confused.

He definitely did lie.

“Oh, then that’s okay! I’ll see you tomorrow in English.” You waved goodbye as he did the same and went in for a sip of his now cold coffee. Today was just not his day.

STEP 6.

Riki sat on the bench, still dressed in his P.E. uniform. “What’s the point of wearing the uniform if you can’t even participate?” You teased as he rolled his eyes. “At least I still get marks for wearing it.” He retorted as you flipped him off and walked away.

You returned to the court, ready to play. Dodgeball was always a competitive game. Always having to dodge the balls that were thrown at you while trying to get others out added to the thrill of it all.

Your team members, Jake, Haerin, Sunoo, and Hyunjae and the opposing team members, Changmin, Chan, Eunchae, Heeseung, and Chaewon all stood on opposite sides of the court as everyone else stood on the perimeter of the court.

You all awaited for the blow of the whistle that commenced the game. As it blew, everyone ran to the middle, grasping a ball immediately. Some were thrown there and then while others ran back to their side of the court.

Riki watched from his spot on the bench in boredom. He focused more on the opposing team than he did with yours, finding theirs more amusing to watch. There were a few moments when he’d glance over at your team but it never lasted long.

You grinned in satisfaction at the sight of someone being hit by the ball you had thrown a second ago. He looked over at your team, catching a glimpse of your smile. He rarely saw you smile. Whenever he was around, you scowled.

However, something about this particular instance felt different. It was as if he saw you in a different light, finally seeing you without that angry face you’d make at him all the time. Seeing such a brief moment of your smile, made him feel…wait, what is he saying?

Side tracked from his thoughts, he notices Chan sitting beside him, a clear sign he had been eliminated from the game. “Why are you looking at her like that?” He asked as Riki immediately averted his eyes to the floor.

“Who?” Riki asked in an attempt to act clueless. He was clearly flustered that Chan had caught him looking at you, who would’ve thought. “You were staring at Y/N with a weird gaze,” he explained as Riki laughed nervously.

“Actually, I was staring at a bug that happened to be flying around her.” Riki explained in return, hoping Chan would buy it.

“Where is it?” Chan said in disgust. They both hated insects anyway. “Well, um, it flew away. Yeah…” He said as Chan nodded. Maybe he was seeing things.

“So, how is the training going?” Chan asked while looking at Riki. “It’s not bad, really, I think you two will be ready to practice with each other by next week.” He said as Chan grimaced. Right, the duo dance.

Before he could respond, you appeared before them. You stared at them with a blank look, you were spaced out. The boy who sat beside Riki looked quite familiar but you weren’t able to pinpoint where you had seen him.

“I’ll see you later,” Chan said to Riki while rising from his seat. “Is class over?” He asked you as you nodded to leave, not sparing you a glance. “Who was that?” You asked as he looked at you in disbelief. “That’s Chan, the boy you’ll be working with.” He explained as you nodded in realization.

Now you were able to pinpoint where you had seen him; during the big news at practice. He was the boy who looked at you with many emotions through one single glare.

He didn’t seem to like you at all. How were you supposed to do a duo dance with him if you two couldn’t even get along? You sighed and walked off to the changing rooms to prepare for your next class.

Riki, on the other hand, still questioned what happened earlier. What was he thinking about after he saw your smile? Why did that happen?

“You haven’t changed yet?” Your voice echoed through the silent gym as he looked over at you, startled. “Oh yeah, let me go do that. For now, start practicing? I don’t know.” and rushed over to the boys’ change rooms to change.

You watched as he hopped away in confusion. He was acting more differently than before but you weren’t sure why.

Instead of thinking even longer, you decided to go start with your stretching routines so you were ready before he returned.

While finishing up with your final stretch, the sound of crutches approached you, causing you to look up.

“Okay, let’s work on the last solo dance today and practice the first one.” He said while walking right past you. He didn’t even spare you a glance. You nodded at his words as he took a seat in the same spot as usual and got straight to work.

As you danced, he evaluated your moves. Your phone was set below his feet against the stage’s foundation, recording your moves.

During this moment, he took time to steal a few glances at you while using the excuse of evaluating you.

He was impressed. It had only been a few days, almost 2 weeks since you guys started practicing the first solo and you already got it down during that time being.

Once you were done, you walked over to your phone and crouched down to stop the video recording. He didn’t realize it until you stood back up that you were really close.

You watched the video with a slight smile on your face, not moving from where you were which only made Riki’s heart race even more.

But why?

STEP 7.

It hasn’t been long since Riki claimed that he hated your guts. During his moments of bothering you, he felt joy. But he was unsure why. Was it because he got the chance to annoy you or to speak with you? It confused him.

As time went on, the two of you began bickering less. It hadn’t come to a full stop but occurred ever so often. During those quiet moments, he was able to see more of your personality, even from afar.

You weren’t that bad of a person he thought you were. Forget about those times where he had insulted your skills and capability of participating in the competition. You were way more prepared than other team members and he was sure of it.

It’s not that he didn’t feel bad for his previous remarks, yet there was still a lingering feeling where he wondered why he uttered such hateful comments.

“Mr. Crutches, stay focused.” You said while tapping his worksheet with your pencil. “I get that you may not want to be paired up with me because I don’t either but we still need to pass this class.” You flipped through the stapled pages while releasing a hefty sigh.

His eyes looked at you then down to the booklet in front of him titled in bolded letters, “ROMEO AND JULIET (THE SCRIPT)”. Mr. Sunwoo seemed to be a sucker for romance. He was always speaking about plays even if they had a teeny tiny bit of romance.

You glanced at Riki who looked down at his script. Your desks were situated in front of each other which only made things even more awkward. Holding eye contact was not his best forte. You’d be lying if you said he wasn’t attractive at all. If only he kept his mouth shut, maybe you would’ve developed a crush on him a long time ago.

The longer you stared at him, you were able to notice more of his features. His lashes weren’t long but if you looked at them for a while, you could pick up on the separated lashes. His nose bridge was proportioned almost perfectly as well as his lips.

“Why are you staring at my lips?” He asked as you looked into his eyes in shock. “What are you talking about?” You asked instead of answering him. “If you like them that bad, just say that. I get that almost everything about me is perfect. For example, my dancing, mindset, friendliness, confidence, me looking great everyday—”

“Okay. Can we focus again?” You asked, interrupting his non stop complimenting. “I wasn’t finished though.” He frowned, leaving you to roll your eyes. “Save that for another time. We have to present this section to the class and attend practice right after.” You explained, avoiding eye contact with the boy.

“It’s a team practice and with your history of being late, I’m sure Soobin wouldn’t care.” You raised your hand in a punching motion at his words. “If we weren’t in class right now, I would’ve actually done it.” You said as he chuckled.

“Sure.” He teased. In return, you harshly flipped to the next page in your booklet, startling him in return. You were quite the scary type.

Unlike Riki’s words from English class, you arrived to practice on time. The only thing that was different from the usual setting was the quiet and dark atmosphere. At first, you thought you were late but that turned out to not be the case.

As your eyes adjusted to the dark gymnasium, you were finally able to spot something in the distance. “Where is everybody?” You asked the figure that stood far away from you. Their back faced you as they shrugged at your question.

In any horror movie, the main character would be cautious in situations like this but you weren’t. You were genuinely curious as to where everyone was and with the urge to find out, you approached the figure.

“Are we too early?” You asked. It was a quick assumption to think they were on the dance team and not something else, for example, the Badminton team. You were now standing behind them as they began to turn around. “I doubt—”

“What the hell are you doing here?” His sudden harsh and annoyed tone caught you off guard as the lights suddenly flicked on. “Amazing timing!” A voice exclaimed from the entrance. You both looked over at the boy in crutches with a confused but annoyed face—for two different reasons.

Of course, you were both confused on why the lights were off in the first place but Chan was annoyed with the fact that you were standing right in front of him while you were annoyed by the sight of the boy walking towards you two.

“Where is everyone?” Chan asked while pushing past you. You looked at him in shock but he still didn’t apologize. “Enough questions, we have work to do.” Riki said while hopping over to the stage.

“Work? What work?” Chan asked as you both looked over to Riki. “The duo dance… Did you really forget?” Riki reminded Chan, causing his brows to furrow. “You mean I have to do the duo dance with… her?” He pointed at you and whispered the last part but it clearly wasn’t quiet enough.

“Hello? I’m literally standing right here.” You said as he waved his hand in your direction as a way to shrug you off. “Enough of that. You expect me to dance with her? Why not Chaeryeong or Haerin? I’ll accept anything else at this rate.” You scoffed at his words and walked over to the sidelines.

“You’re like Riki but worse.” You insulted while slipping off your backpack. Riki whipped his head in your direction in confusion. “As if you’re any better,” Chan mumbled. Your words didn’t have an effect on him like you thought they would. He would love to be compared to his best friend.

Although he knew how Riki could be towards others, it didn’t bother him. “Moving on…” Riki said in an attempt to clear the awkward air. Something you didn’t understand about Chan was why he had something against you even though the two of you never spoke.

Only a few days ago, you found out about his name. You share P.E. with him and Riki this semester but even then you weren’t able to figure out his name until now.

“Listen, if you two are going to argue like this, clearly practicing won’t work. So… I have an even better idea!” He cheered while grabbing his crutches once again. The little amount of movement he did made you both realize he had never sat down in the first place. “That’s why I’m leaving you two to practice on your own. If Y/N and I could do it then you can too.” He said, ready to walk (more so hop) away using his crutches.

“Aren’t you the same person who told me not to build a relationship with Chan?” You asked the boy who froze in his spot. “Forget about that and just focus on the dance please. There’s only 2 months left.” He explained. “But where are you going?” Chan asked Riki.

“Monthly doctor’s appointment. Wish me luck,” he mumbled and left. There you were, both you and Chan looking at each other with a present scowl on each of your faces. He looked like he didn’t want to be near you at all and you were glad you could say the same.

It was like the situation with Riki all over again. Although the two of you were slightly starting to get along now (a few insults were still thrown into the conversations between you two but other than that it wasn’t so bad), it took a lot of bickering and eyerolls to get there.

“As much as I don’t want to dance with you, we have 2 weeks to practice. Don’t fall behind,” he said while walking over to his phone then back to you. You mimicked his words to yourself as he pulled up the dance video from his perspective.

You were now able to see his face more clearly than the video taken on Riki’s phone. Once the video ended, he pulled his phone back while placing it on the ground. “Sadly, I have to teach you this dance, alone.” He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his sweats.

You rolled your eyes. “Let’s just get this over with.” You said while walking away to begin your stretching. “Till this day I wonder how Riki tolerated you while practicing.” He mumbled and walked away to begin his own stretches.

Real question was, how were you supposed to tolerate each other for 2-3 weeks?

STEP 8.

Forget what you said earlier about Biology becoming your most hated subject. It was like your teacher, Mrs. Jihyo knew what you loved most—nature. Her announcement gained many different reactions from the students around you, especially Riki.

His jaw dropped with a very disgusted expression present across his features. The thought of being out in nature for longer than 10 minutes gave him chills.

“What’s wrong with you?” You asked the stiffened boy beside you. “What? Nothing.” He said, shaking off the jitters from earlier. There’s no way he’d make it obvious that he was afraid of insects to you.

You hummed teasingly as he softly nudged you in the shoulder. “You’re way scarier than nature anyway.” He insulted you, making you glare directly at him. Suddenly, your gaze softened as your eyes lit up at the memory. “Oh right, I just remembered. Why did you tell me that Mr. Sunwoo wanted to see me although he never said that?” You asked as his brows furrowed.

Trying to recall the moment, he tilted his head side to side. “I don’t recall doing so?” He lied. What was he supposed to say if he didn’t know why he did that in the first place? “Oh, okay. I was just wondering.” You said and directed your attention back to Mrs. Jihyo.

Why did he feel guilty? You didn’t seem to be hurt by his comment but still it felt terrible lying. He’s done it before in other situations but this one made him feel most guilty for what reason? Whatever he felt when he was around you was a feeling he hated.

It was almost like he went to sleep with a burning hatred for you and woke up with…feelings? As much as he wanted to refuse this thought, there was still a possibility.

“Riki and Y/N? You two will be partners for the walk. Y/N, stay with him so he doesn’t fall behind, no offense, Riki.” Mrs. Jihyo said, pulling Riki from his thoughts. His eyes slightly widened after taking in her words. The two of you would most likely be alone for the next hour in nature. Could his situation get any worse?

You stifled a laugh at Mrs. Jihyo's unintentional insult. “Alright everyone, let’s get moving!” She exclaimed with a bright smile as everyone followed through. “Dude, pay attention.” You shook his shoulder, bringing him back to reality. “Oh right.” He mumbled and grabbed his crutches as you began walking away.

He inhaled deeply in preparation for what torture he would have to go through.

One step outside was already enough to tell Riki that this trip would be terrible. It was humid and slightly muddy from the previous rain storm a few days ago.

The group of students were quite far from you both. You had a silly smile on your face as you looked around, examining every detail of the scenery. Riki, on the other hand, struggle with dodging any crawling insects that approached his shoes.

He held back the multiple screams he needed to release so badly but refrained from doing so. It would’ve been embarrassing.

“I love nature.” You said with a relaxed sigh. “You what?” His voice was slightly shaky as he continued swatting at mosquitoes that flew within his vicinity. “It’s a relaxing place to be. It helps clear my head whenever I’m worried or stressed about something.” You explained as he stopped moving in disbelief.

“So you’re telling me, you find an environment invested with feces and disgusting insects relaxing?” You turned around at his voice and nodded your head. “It’s not that bad.” You defended. “How?” He asked while catching up to your spot away from him. You two walked alongside each other, him hopping on his crutches but still managed to stay neck-and-neck with you.

“It’s similar to dancing—well, that’s how I view it.” You started, a smile slowly making its way on your face. He looked at you, intrigued by what else you had to say. “For example, the trees. When it’s really windy outside, they sway in sync, right?” You used your hands to emphasize your words as he nodded.

“That’s similar to, I don’t know, dancing as a group?” You said as he nodded once more. From his perspective, you looked like a child explaining their favourite game or toy. The corner of his lips turned up slightly which he was unaware of.

Your smile was contagious. Eventually the subtle upturned smile he wore before grew into an even bigger one. You continuously boasted about your love for nature and how similar it was to dancing while he watched with a gaze everyone but him could specify.

Next thing he knew, you both were standing in front of the group of students led by Mrs. Jihyo. His smile dropped the moment his eyes landed on the familiar faces as a light shade of pink covered the tips of his ears. Hopefully, nobody caught him smiling like a dork.

STEP 9.

It’s been a few days—almost a week since you and Chan began practicing with each other. At the start, you despised each other, and with every meeting, your hatred for him grew stronger. He would continuously belittle every move you made during practice with him, making his presence unbearable. He was even worse than Riki, whether you wanted to believe it or not. But now, that anger is fading away, and he seems a bit more likable.

It was 7:20 AM, 30 minutes before the team practice. You and Chan both came to an agreement to meet an hour to a few minutes earlier to perfect what parts needed perfecting.

“Let’s take 5. By that, I mean let’s rewatch the practice video.” He suggested as he walked over to stop the phone from recording while you went to grab more water.

“Here,” you handed him his water bottle as he accepted it with a smile. Out of breath and tired, you both took a seat on the cold polished gymnasium floors. The lights were dimmed with the cloudy sky darkening the room even more.

The two of you pointed out little details that could be changed or worked on, taking turns each time.

Riki didn’t know what to do. He was very early for practice and doubted that the doors would be unlocked anyway. Hopping over to the doors, he tested if the door was unlocked by pulling the knob lightly. There was no jammed noise and instead it clicked open quietly.

About to walk in and head over to his designated spot, he paused. His eyes squinted in an attempt to make out the figures— you and Chan.

It was understandable since you were both practicing for the competition anyway but the way Chan looked at you as you spoke and the way you laughed at whatever words he said made his heart pang from what could possibly be jealousy. His best friend who originally hated your guts because he felt as though you robbed him of his biggest opportunity now smiling while staring directly into your eyes? How else was he supposed to feel?

Instead of walking further inside he left. He shut the doors softly and took a seat on the nearest park bench and thought of the quickest excuse to tell Soobin once he arrived.

The only thing that made whatever he felt feel worse was his confusion. He still was unsure why he felt this away around you and what he felt when he was around you. And the question that bothered him most, did you feel the same way around him?

“Riki? I didn’t know you were here this early! What happened to you not being able to wake up around times like this?” A familiar voice spoke a few steps away from him. He looked up from his fiddling fingers and was met with a sight he went head over heels for.

You were smiling at him, shocked but happy. “Oh hey.” He greeted, putting on his most convincing smile. “Chan’s here as well if you wanted to say hi. I mean, you’re best friends after all right?” You teased and walked towards the water fountain. You filled up your empty bottle, still on your break time as Riki watched.

You were so concentrated on filling up your empty bottle without creating any spills, yet you looked so beautiful, causing a small swarm of butterflies to form within him. Seriously, what was this feeling?

“You should come watch us practice.” You suggested, breaking the silence between you two. “I’m practically done learning the dance, it’s been at least a week. There was a lot of dedication.” You explained as he hummed. He found you very impressive and he meant it everytime.

“So,” you turned around with a full water bottle in your hand, “Are you coming? Team practice is in a few anyway.” You said. He pondered for a moment but eventually gave in. He trailed behind you as you held the door open for him to enter. Chan turned around at the sound of your return, eyes landing on Riki. “Riki, hey!” Chan cheered while rising from his spot on the ground and walking over to you both.

“Practice starts in about 10 minutes. Spare us 4 minutes to show you the dance?” Chan asked as you nudged his arm. “He already agreed to watch. There’s no time to waste.” You said while setting up the music.

Riki sat in silence while watching you both perform the dance he and Chan choreographed together. If he was being honest, you and Chan danced great together. There was definitely chemistry between you two. He was jealous but still watched with open eyes to spot any subtle mistakes.

He couldn’t help but keep his gaze set on you. He glanced at Chan whenever he got the chance but they never lasted long. Seeing you two slightly smile at each other, compliment each other’s dancing, and do so many more things that he and Chan were supposed to do only fueled his jealousy even more.

But what was he jealous about? The fact that Chan had gotten close to you and shared smiles with you or the fact that you got the chance to dance with Chan on one of the biggest stages to the dance that they both choreographed together? It was confusing.

The doors opened as all your heads turned to face the entrance. “Oh, you guys are early.” Soobin said while placing his bag on the ground. “Chan and Y/N, did you finish learning the duo dance?” Soobin asked the two as you nodded in sync.

“Okay that’s great. Rest for a week or perfect your previous dances, anything works. After that, we will work on the group dance. The final project before we put everything together.” Soobin explained as everyone nodded. “1 month left,” Jisung muttered to Chan who stood beside him.

“It felt like we just found out about Riki’s replacement just yesterday.” Chan said as Jisung agreed. “You guys are so extra,” Changmin said with a sigh. “Goodluck on practice, I’m heading to the store nearby. I haven’t eaten anything and I’m starving.” Changmin said while grabbing backpack and leaving the gymnasium.

Jisung and Chan chuckled at his sudden appearance and walked over to Riki who sat on the edge of the stage as always.

“So…? When are you getting your cast removed?” Jisung asked, gaining Riki’s attention. “Not sure. He hasn’t given me a date yet,” He responded dryly. “You know, Y/N isn’t that bad of a person. I guess I was just being selfish.” He said while smiling softly at the memories from the past few days.

“Really? I figured.” Riki said while reaching for his water bottle in his backpack. He was acting drier than usual but Chan and Jisung didn’t bother asking why. Instead, they shared a confused look to each other and shrugged it off.

“Oh! Also, you know about the group dance? Who will be my partner now since it’s quite different from before.” Jisung asked while leaning on the edge of the stage. “Most likely Y/N. She’s replacing Riki’s spot anyway.” Chan responded as Riki nodded. “Either that or Soobin may change the setup.” Riki said, then took a sip from his water bottle.

“Ah, okay. I’ll see you guys later. I’m going to practice my parts.” He explained as he pushed himself up from the ledge. “Goodluck, don’t injure yourself like this guy.” Chan teased while pointing at Riki who glared at him as Jisung laughed. “Promised.” He said and began his stretches.

“I’m going to head to class,” Riki said while grabbing his backpack and crutches. “What? The bell doesn’t go till’ 15 minutes.” Chan said in confusion. “I have unfinished homework to complete.” He said and left the gymnasium without letting Chan respond. Weird.

He had no homework to complete but he couldn’t last in that gym any longer. It felt like the moment at the doctor’s office all over again and he hated it. He hated the suffocating feeling of jealousy but couldn’t say anything about it. Why? Because he didn’t want to lose his best friend.

STEP 10.

“What’s wrong?” His older sister said as she took a seat beside him. The comfort of the couch engulfed her figure as she held back a relieved sigh. “What do you mean?” He asked Konon as she scoffed. “You’ve been looking down ever since you arrived home. Is it because of the competition next month? I thought you accepted the truth last month…” She said as a frown appeared on her face.

“It’s not that.” He said while placing a pillow on top of his legs. “Then what is it?” She asked and turned to face him completely. He hesitated. “Riki, what is it? If it’s not something you want to tell me then that’s okay.” She reassured him as he sighed. “What does it feel like to have feelings for someone? Or a better way of putting this—What do I if I think I have feelings for someone?” He asked in embarrassment.

“You like someone?!” She exclaimed, shocked. “Shh, why are we yelling?!” He whisper-shouted and searched the living room for anybody but there was nothing. “Okay, maybe I do, but I’m not sure! That’s why I’m asking you for help.” He explained as she nodded in understanding.

“Okay… Let’s get straight to the point, was there ever a moment when you wanted to, you know, kiss her the moment you laid eyes on—” She asked as Riki rushed to cover her mouth. His head dropped low as his skin flushed a dark shade of red, earning a muffled laugh from his older sister.

“So it really happened. I was only kidding, Riki.” She teased as he removed his hand from her mouth. “Can’t believe my younger brother is in love…before me…” She said in disbelief. “Who’s the lucky person? Tell me more!” She sat up straight, more intrigued than ever.

“It’s someone on my dance team. She’s the one who replaced my spot in the competition so I’ve been teaching her the dances recently. But, we hated each other at the start.” He explained, leaving Konon to nod. “So, enemies to lovers basically?” She asked as he shrugged. “I guess, I don’t know. But ever since then, I mean you could say I fell for her? Believe what you want.” He said as Konon laughed.

“Okay… What’s holding you back from confessing?” She asked.

“My best friend.”

“Oh, well that’s new…” She awkwardly rubbed the nape of her neck unsure of what to say next. “Why’s that?” He looked at her then down at his hands. “I think he likes her? I’m not even sure if she likes me back in the first place. They seem way closer than we do.” He said a slight frown present on his face.

“Worst thing of it all, I don’t want to do anything that’ll make me lose my friend, you know?” He said and looked over at Konon. “No, I understand you completely.” She took his hands in hers. “I say… Confess. You never know how wrong that can go.” She suggested as Riki shook his head.

“It won’t end well, trust me. It’s fine, I’ll just push down these feelings until they’re gone.” He said while getting up from his seat. Konon grabbed his hand, pulling him back down into his seat. “How would you know that if you wouldn’t bother trying it out?” She asked as Riki looked at her in annoyance.

“It just won’t go well.” He said. “At least try?” She pleaded as he stared into her eyes. “No promises,” he said and grabbed his crutches to leave. At least she tried.

“Alright, the lineup is quite uneven.” Soobin said while pacing down the line of dancers. “Jisung, who was your partner previously?” Soobin questioned as Jisung pointed at Haerin. “Okay… Who doesn’t have a solo performance in this competition?” He asked. Yunjin raised up her hand, gaining his attention.

“Since the numbers are uneven, you can have a solo part in this. Technically you’ll be leading the group, kinda?” He shrugged as Yunjin smiled. She’d be noticed for a bit at least. “Then we’re all set!” He cheered with a clap. “Jisung and Y/N, you two can be partners. The rest stay the same.” Soobin instructed and walked over to the stereo, playing the song associated with this dance.

“Let’s get to work!” Soobin said as everyone nodded.

Jisung hasn’t seen you dance up-close before. Observing from afar, he noticed how Riki and Chan hated you at the beginning but now it was different. You all seemed like friends and to be honest he wanted to join in on the small group too but was too shy to communicate with you.

So, after hearing that he had a chance of being paired up with you he was thrilled. This could be his chance to finally communicate with you after chickening out everytime he built up the courage to.

You could say, he looked up to you a lot.

“Is this right?” You asked, bringing him back to reality. “Is what right?” He asked with a confused expression. You showed him your attempt of doing a certain move in the choreography. “Oh, yes that’s correct. If you can, you can try extending your arms a little more just for a bigger effect. Can I adjust one of them?” He asked, seeking permission first.

You nodded as he reached for your left arm, extending further. “There, much better.” He complimented. “Now try putting it all together.” He said and you did as told. He hummed in satisfaction and gave you a smile. “Here, take a break for now. You seem a little tired.” He suggested as you nodded. “Okay, tell me when you’re ready to continue.” Then you walked away to your backpack.

First of all, you were a very nice person. Very determined as well. This might be one of his favourite performances yet.

Riki sat on the floor, legs outstretched due to his cast. Watching you and Jisung train together only reminded him of the conversation with his older sister yesterday. Should he really tell you how he felt and face the chance of rejection or keep everything to himself and most likely watch you end up with Chan? He didn’t know which one to choose, they all sounded like terrible options and the outcomes didn’t make them any better.

To distract his mind, he pulled out unfinished work that he had to complete before his morning classes. It was a perfect distraction in his opinion. Chan was absent from school today which made his day survivable. Not that he didn’t like Chan anymore, he just couldn’t stand the sight of you and him smiling at each other left and right.

Reflecting on the conversation from yesterday, Riki was definitely jealous and definitely had feelings for you. There was no other way he didn’t. All the signs were obvious and explained why he felt like that whenever you were around him. Did it really take him that long to figure it out?

The snapping of his pencil pulled him out of his thoughts. The previously sharpened tip now shattered and jagged made him sigh. He didn’t have any spare ones on him nor did he have a pencil. Maybe finishing unfinished work wasn’t the best idea.

There was one month before the final competition and eventually that month became 2 weeks. He didn’t know how to feel. He was over the whole situation but he still felt worried. Worried for you and your performances. Were they going to go well or would they be a complete disaster?

He ran his fingers through his hair while letting out a heavy sigh. Maybe he should confess to get rid of part of his stressful thoughts, right?

“A penny for your thoughts?” Your voice suddenly came from out of nowhere as you took a seat beside him. He fought back the heat that rushed up to his face and dropped his hand into his lap.

“I’m fine,” He said, lying straight through his teeth. “Really? You looked like you were stressed out over something.” You brought your knees up to your chest with your arms. “Are you really, really, really sure?” You said while peering over at him.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. What about you?” He asked and looked at you. The two of you made eye contact for a few moments before you looked away and sighed. His gaze was too intense for you. During those few seconds, you could sense the sincerity behind his question.

You were really worried about your performances but tried to take your mind off of them many times. It was a big opportunity and you didn’t want to disappoint anyone.

“I’m just worried about the performances. Like, I don’t want to disappoint anyone especially you since, you know, you choreographed everything. It was also originally your spot which only makes me feel even worse if I mess it up.” You ranted as he listened.

“Don’t worry about me. You’re not upsetting anyone if you make one tiny mistake on stage. It’s the same as practicing. Is this your first performance?” He asked and you nodded. “Then don’t worry too much about it. Take it in as an experience.” He said, looking at you as you did the same.

“Break is over, let’s get back on track!” Soobin exclaimed as he walked back into the gymnasium—no one noticing that he left in the first place. You two stared in each other’s eyes for a brief moment before he ushered you to head back to the centre.

“Goodluck, I’ll be here if you need anything.” He said while giving you a slight smile. You smiled back at him and jogged over to the forming group of dancers.

It felt like he was forgetting something after you had left. It wasn’t until you began practicing with Jisung again when he remembered what he was supposed to say. His confession. He was so caught up in reassuring you that everything would be fine that he even forgot about the most important thing.

Seems like it’ll just have to wait.

He began packing up his belongings as you walked over to him. “It’s finally over. But there’s still rehearsals.” You whined and grabbed your backpack. You were tired of practicing to the same 4 songs for the past 3 months. You could most likely guess every single one of them by the first 0.1 second.

“You know what, let’s go somewhere.” You suggested as Riki looked up at you confused. “Like where?” He asked but you shrugged, unsure of where to go too. “Let’s just walk—or hop… and see whenever it takes us.” You said as he sent you a glare, causing you to laugh. “I didn’t mean it that way, I swear.” You defended.

You both followed random paths, majority of the time hoping you wouldn’t get lost. “Are you sure this is trustworthy?” He asked as you stopped in your tracks. “Honestly, I’ve never been down here but it’s cool.” You said while looking at the small river nearby. “Look!” You pointed at the stream of water.

“Doesn’t it have a nice flow?” You asked as you both walked over to it. “Yeah, I guess.” His disgust for nature was slowly going away the more you forced him outside. You looked over at him as he looked back in confusion. You seemed like you had something to say but judging by the scenery he already knew what it was.

“It reminds you of dancing, doesn’t it?” He asked, causing you to crack a smile and nod. “You know me so well,” you stood up from your spot on the grassy floor and dusted off your pants for any excess grass.

“Okay. What now?” You asked the boy behind you. He shrugged, “I don’t know.” He said. “Yeah, I don’t have anything either. What time is it?” You asked and he shrugged once more. “My phone’s dead in my backpack.” He said. “Yeah, mine too…Okay, let’s pray that we get home safely.” You said, all hope gone from your body.

You walked past him as he fought back the urge to stop you but failed miserably. “Wait,” he called, hand holding your wrist. “What?” You asked as he avoided eye contact with you. Silence fell between you both as he hesitated uttering the words he’s been waiting to say for the past week only to have to wait longer once they didn’t come out.

“Nevermind, it’s nothing.” He said while softly letting go of your wrist. “Oh okay, then let’s go.” You mumbled, trying to clear the awkward atmosphere. Half of you wished what he stopped you for was what you thought it was—a confession. But to your dismay, it ended up being nothing.

The walk back wasn’t any better. It was filled with silence as you both thought back to the supposed conversation from earlier. His thoughts were filled with him confessing while your’s were filled with different thoughts. If he confessed, would anything good happen? And did he even like you the same way you liked him?

STEP 11.

Today was the day you’ve been worried about. It was finally D-Day. To be honest, it felt like you and Riki hated each other’s guts a day ago but now that you got along you weren’t sure how to feel. One thing you were sure about were your feelings for him.

You always tried to make it less obvious in case he didn’t feel the same way to save yourself the embarrassment and always covered it up with silly remarks. Ones that you didn’t mean after your so-called enemies arc.

You wiped your sweaty hands on your pants out of nervousness. The crowd was huge, that’s for sure. One peek through those curtains was enough to spot around 400 people.

“You’ll be fine, I swear.” Riki said while using his crutches to get to you. “There’s so many people out there, are you sure we’re seeing the same venue?” You said anxiously while reaching for the dark red curtains once more. “Yes but looking outside will only make things even more nerve wracking.” He said while using one hand to close the curtains before you could fully open them.

“I don’t get how you’ve done this many times.” You said as he laughed at your words. “I’m not sure either.” He said, laughter dying down. “Here,” he let go of his crutches and placed both of his hands on your shoulders to direct you to the nearest chair. “Take a seat for now to calm down. You’ll do perfect during your first two solo performances. The other two are with other team members so you’re not alone.” He reassured you.

He struggled to balance on his non-injured foot and you took notice of it. “Don’t let go of your crutches before you end up falling to your death,” you scolded while picking them up off the ground and heading them to him. “Right,” he said, taking note of your words.

He looked at the time on the clock that hung above you. “You’re on in 5 minutes. I’ll be backstage in the meantime cheering you on, okay?” He asked as you nodded. The thought of having to go on stage under 5 minutes was terrible. You watched Riki exit the stage, heading through the doors that led backstage and exhaled a shaky breath.

“Are you nervous?” The voice from the boy in front of you asked. “Pretty much yeah.” You bounced your leg anxiously as Chan chuckled. “You’ll be fine. I overheard your’s and Riki’s conversation a bit and he’s right. You’ll do great during your solo performances.” He said and you smiled slightly.

“Thank you, I—”

“On call, the first performance starts in 3 minutes.” A member of the stage crew said. “That’s you,” he said and gave you a pat on the shoulder. “I’ll see you for our performance, goodluck.” He waved goodbye and you did the same.

Everything went well during rehearsals but you were still nervous. You were now performing to a way bigger group of people than before. There being recruiters who would evaluate your performances as well only added to your nervousness.

You sat there overthinking for too long judging by how fast those 3 minutes went by. Next thing you know, you were standing on stage as everyone in the crowd awaited the start of your performance.

All you had to do was leave everyone satisfied and impressed. And so you did. Although it wasn’t as good as other contestants, you were still glad you were placed on the podium for solo dances.

You were thankful for the silver medal that hung around your neck. You ran over to backstage, 30 minutes left to spare before the duo dances began. Riki sat on one of the seats near the monitor that showcased all the dances on stage. He had a dorky smile on his face. One that you mirrored as you ran over to him in joy and pulled him into a hug immediately.

Once you let go of him, you held the medal higher for him to get a closer look. “I saw it, I watched the whole thing.” He said with a proud smile. Although you had only 3 months to learn all of the dance moves to these 4 songs, you learned them perfectly. There wasn’t one mistake he could spot on the monitor when watching you. Were you always this good at everything?

Seeing you in the medal that he previously claimed to be his while showcasing your beautiful smile was enough to set him off the edge. But this time, there wasn’t a feeling of anger nor jealousy. He’s not sure what came over him and made him feel any of these feelings but next thing you know, you felt his lips on yours, leaving you both in shock.

You both pulled away from each other, eyes wide. “Wait, I’m sorry for that.” He apologized immediately, embarrassment fueling his body. You cupped his face or cheeks with your hands as he looked back up at you.

You searched his eyes for any signs of regret from his previous action but there was nothing. Instead, his eyes glanced down at your lips for a brief moment yet you still caught it and smiled. With no more time to waste, you immediately pressed your lips against his once more.

If this was what he’s been imagining for everytime he saw you, he sure didn’t blame himself. Although there was no verbal confession between you two, the act of a kiss spoke more than you two ever could.

But not for all.

Too focused on what was going on between the two of you made you both unaware of the boy who stood at the entrance. All he wanted was to tell you congratulations on the medal you had earned, not you earning your first kiss with his best friend—the boy you probably had feelings for.

With 20 minutes left to spare before his performance with you, he walked away from the doors, heading towards the nearest window for fresh air. All he had to do was pull himself together to be able to face you again. That wouldn’t be so hard on his part. Although he felt terrible from what he’s seen, he knew there was never a chance of you liking him back.

For most of his time knowing you, he was mean and ignorant. You two only became ‘friends’ recently but he still doesn’t know why he fell for you so fast. It was odd. But still, he’s happy for his friend. From the looks of it, he seemed to be head over heels for you since that day in P.E. class.

It was quite obvious but he only played along instead of embarrassing him further.

You and Riki pulled away from each other silly smiles plastered on both of your faces. “You know… Do I still have to verbally confess my feelings to you even after that?” He asked as you laughed. “I guess not unless you really want to. But also, you should really start a habit of using some sort of lip balm or something.” You teased as his hand flew up to his lips in a haste.

You let out a laugh at his reaction and let go of the sides of his face. “I was only kidding, don’t worry.” You said as he rolled his eyes. “I was going to do a silly pickup line on you but I don’t think you deserve that anymore.” He said while taking a seat on the nearest chair.

“Wait, now I’m curious. What was it?” You asked but he shook his head and refused to respond. “No, honestly. I was only kidding, I swear!” You pleaded as he sighed. “I guess you deserve to hear it,” he started as you became intrigued.

He pointed at your medal as you looked down at it then back at him in confusion. “Notice how you got a 2nd place medal? That’s because I’m the one for you.” He said and you looked at him in disgust.

That’s what you begged for? He stared back at you, no embarrassment shown. How was that even possible after saying an atrocious sentence like that one?

“If you just asked me out I hope you know I’m planning on saying no.” You said as terror appeared on his face. “Oh come on, that was a good pickup line! I thought about it once you received your medal, see I’m a really creative person.” He complimented himself, causing you to fake gag.

“Creative where? That was traumatizing. Never do that again please.” You said as he scoffed. “As if you could do any better,” he said while crossing his arms. “Let’s not go back to that arc, it wasn’t our best one to be honest.” You suggested with a tight-lipped smile.

“Oh right. I forgot all about that.” He said and laughed awkwardly. “Anyways, I’m sure you have to go soon, right? At least 15 minutes passed with us talking, and well, you know.” He said, becoming slightly embarrassed and flustered at the memory. “You’re cute and yet so childish,” you teased with a smile.

“Am not?!” He argued.

“You quite literally are…Did you not hear the ‘pickup’ line you told me a few moments ago?” You said in disbelief.

“Hey, in my defense I warned you before I even said it.” He said as you nodded in a teasing way. “Yeah, yeah, okay.” You patted him on the shoulder, showing him that you ‘believed’ him even if he did warn you. Teasing him was quite fun.

“On call, duo performances start in 5.” The same member in the stage crew from earlier said. “Oh well, I’ll see you later.” You told him and waved goodbye. He smiled and wished you good luck while waving goodbye all at the same time.

Although it took quite a while, it was all worth confirming his feelings in the end. If there was something he learned during these three months, it was definitely these new feelings and his love for you and only you.

1K notes · View notes

jungkookschin · 3 months

Text

demigod trials: icarus falls | three

synopsis: you met jungkook at camp half-blood when you were 10 years old. since then, your fates have been infinitely intertwined.

word count: 7k

pairing: son of ares!jungkook x daughter of hephaestus!reader

genre: camp half blood au, percy jackson au, demigod au, childhood friends to lovers, exes to lovers , enemies to lovers, jungkook is sooo in love

warnings: multiple mentions of deaths, dangerous quests, QUESTS TO TARTARUS, violence, killing, monsters, ANGST, this chapter is fluffy tho, nct mark as a son of hephaestus, enhypen jungwon as son of ares, broken friendships

demigod trials masterlist

chapter one | chapter two | chapter three | chapter 3.5 | chapter four

With a gulp, Jennie addresses the assembly through the microphone. “Hades, my father, has lost his reign over the Underworld. The primordial god Tartarus has plunged the Underworld into chaos and is plotting to ascend to the surface, aiming to annihilate both demigods and gods.”

Her gaze shifts towards you and Jungkook. "He has somehow taken control of my body, sending me vivid and disturbing dreams. He's furious and demands a sacrifice – a sacrifice of the demigods who once intruded into Tartarus six years ago. If we don't comply, he threatens to rise to Earth through the surface of Camp Jupiter, annihilating Camp Jupiter completely upon his return."

Every single eye in the room flickers towards you and Jungkook.

At that moment, incomprehensible dread permeates your system. Like a broken cassette player, memories of your little vacation to Tartarus rewind in your head: drinking from the river of fire, the child eating demon Lamia, Damasen the friendly giant, and so much sheer terror you wouldn’t have survived without Jungkook’s protection.

However, the anxiety, the dread- it’s bearable.

Your window of tolerance has extended to Mount Olympus after narrowly escaping the clutches of death multiple times.

“So what?” Jungkook responds, “You gathered the whole assembly here to announce that you’re sacrificing Y/N and I? A heads up would’ve been nice,” His features are hardened, and the glare he sends Mina and Mingyu, the Praetors of the Roman Legion, is terrifying, resembling his father Ares.

“Jungkook,” Mina seethes, “Do you know how many people live here in Camp Jupiter? There are thousands of children, elderly, and innocent people who live on these grounds. We must publicize the threat and ensure that it is taken care of, for the safety of the camp.”

“And how do you think Camp Half-Blood will feel?” Namjoon intervenes, “You think they’re going to be happy that you sacrificed two of their head counselors? I guarantee you. You don’t want to fuck with us.”

Mina narrows her eyes at Namjoon. “Is that a threat?”

“It’s a warning,” Taehyung immediately steps in, rigidly serious aura clouding his eyes, “We’re not letting you touch Y/N or Jungkook. Camp Half-Blood will go to war over this.”

“Okay everyone chill,” Mingyu arbitrates, his booming voice echoing off the walls, “If there’s a way we can resolve this without sacrificing Y/N and Jungkook, we’ll take that way. 1000%. That’s why we’ve gathered: to discuss.”

Eunwoo, son of the Roman god Mars, clears his throat. “My wife is pregnant. We need to do everything we can to negate this threat. Look, I’m not comfortable putting lives on the line so what about evacuation? We can evacuate the entire city and rebuild somewhere else.”

“No,” Jennie cuts in, a tremor running through her body. “He’ll follow us- wherever we go- he’ll ascend to the surface and kill us all.”

Mina tilts her head, “Any other ideas?”

“Oh fuck you,” Rose scoffs, “You’ve lost yourself. Completely. Being Praetor doesn’t mean rejecting all your morals. You called an entire assembly here to announce you were going to kill two of your best friends? You sure Venus is your parent and not Narcissus?” Rose cocks her head to the left, raising her eyebrows in anticipation for Mina’s response.

“You-”

Mina doesn’t get a word in because Jennie’s body falls onto the concrete with a thud. Immediately, her eyes and mouth emit a red glow. The glow rapidly intensifies, transforming into a blazing red glow from her eyes and mouth.

Like a possessed spirit she ascends into the air and to middle of the Senate House. Her mouth begins to move, and Tartarus himself begins speaking through Jennie.

“Demigods, behold," the resounding voice sends shivers down your spine.

"I have at last arisen from my slumber, seizing dominion over the Underworld," an ominous cackle reverberates through the walls. "The offspring of Hades have been severely weakened, now feeble and enfeebled. You are next. Offer the children of Ares and Hephaestus, who dared encroach upon my realm, as sacrifices, and I shall spare your lives, permitting you to become my slaves after I claim dominion over the world. Refuse, and face your demise."

The red glow disappears from Jennie’s face and she plummets back to the ground before Mingyu catches her.

Mina’s features harden. “Jungkook, Y/N! You have the rest of the day to bid goodbye to your families and friends. At midnight, we will personally arrest you to prepare a sacrifice to Tartarus. That is the best we can do for now. Meeting dismissed!” She roars, before marching out the Senate House.

Mingyu shoots you an empathetic look before following Mina’s lead.

Annd to think, you didn’t get one word in before it was decided that you were to be thrown on the altar as a sacrifice.

Immediately proceeding the meeting, you take the portal from Camp Jupiter to Camp Half-Blood.

You, Taehyung, Namjoon, Rose, and Jungkook skirt through the sides of strawberry fields, past the pegasi stables, until you reach the cabins. The sun sets beyond the horizon and the sky is arrayed with hues of purple, orange, and pink.

Your fingers are intertwined with Rose’s, and she is seething in disdain over Mina’s behavior. You’re the one who wields fire manipulation, but you’re a little scared she’ll burst into flames.

“Gods, when did she turn into such a bitch?” Rose seethes, squeezing your hand hard enough for your bones to crack.

“Rosie, it’s okay,” you offer, “I died once. Who cares if I die again, right?”

At that, the three men in front of you stop in their tracks, whirling around to blink at you incredulously.

“Y/N, you’re not funny,” Taehyung frowns.

“I’m not trying to be funny,” you deadpan in return, “Isn’t it true? It’s not like I’m going to the Fields of Punishment. I’ll be in Elysium and we’ll eventually reunite there-“

“Okay,” Jungkook intervenes, “Then kill yourself right now.”

“What-“

“If your life doesn’t matter, then kill yourself right now,” Jungkook repeats, unsheathing his Celestial Bronze knife- the very knife you forged when you were ten- before offering it to you.

You remain still, and Jungkook re-sheathes his knife. “Exactly.” His voice is stern, but delicately infused with the right amount of warmth. “Y/N, there are people who love you. There are people who need you here, so don’t take your life so lightly. Okay?” His features soften and he turns back around, “Now let’s head to the Hades cabin.”

Jungkook surges forward and Rosie has to tug you in his direction to get your feet moving.

She side eyes you, verbal communication not necessary when her eyes tell all, full of pure skepticism. You shake your head, following Jungkook’s lead towards the Hades cabin.

Upon arrival, Namjoon knocks on the door to no avail. The Hades cabin has an eerie and somber appearance, constructed completely from dark stone. Skulls adorn the door frame, and an even larger skull embellishes the cabin above the entrance.

After its initial construction, the cabin’s somber presence sent chills down your spine. Now, everyone seems largely unfazed as Namjoon persistently bangs on the entrance, impervious to its eerie aura.

“Okay, fuck it,” Namjoon grumbles before kicking down the door. You and Rosie yelp, flinching at the thud before entering the cabin.

To your surprise, an eerie emptiness greets you — not a single soul is there.

The cabin’s interior directly mirrors its exterior. It’s characterized by dim lighting, dark décor, and symbols associated with the Underworld.

While the Hades cabin is one of the least populated cabins in Camp Half-Blood, it’s unusual for none of the members to be present.

The five of you conduct a thorough investigation of the cabin, flipping over mattresses, looking under shelves- just to realize that there are no traces of anybody ever living in it. It’s like a ghost cabin.

You repeat the process with the 18+ Hades cabin to no avail. Both cabins are completely inhabited.

Taehyung settles on one of the mattresses and rests his head in his hands. “Fuck guys- these are kids we’re talking about- where did they go?”

As far as you know, there are only six kids in the Hades cabin: two in the 18+ cabin and four in the cabin for minors. Jennie and Soobin are the only adults, whereas Hyein, Ni-ki, Danielle, and Ricky inhabit the cabin for minors.

Tartarus said it himself: “The offspring of Hades have been severely weakened, now feeble and enfeebled”

Where could they possibly be? Without a shred of doubt, you know that there must be a quest: a quest to locate the children of Hades. Jennie’s current state- deteriorating weakness that rendered her unable to stand or exist without exasperating herself- was already a bad sign.

It hurts to think about what may have happened to the others.

The five of you exchange ominous looks before breaking to the Big House to discuss the present situation with Chiron.

“Chiron,” Taehyung cuts in, “Mina and Mingyu didn’t have any qualms about sacrificing Y/N and Jungkook. I think that’s enough to cut ties.”

You shrug, “I don’t know. Mingyu looked like he kinda felt bad.”

All eyes in the room flicker towards you incredulously. “Y/N. This is serious,” Namjoon scolds. “We lost you once and we’re not about to lose you again. Chiron, we must employ every defense mechanism to keep Y/N and Jungkook safe,” he implores.

“What matters more is finding those kids!” Rose interrupts, “How old is Hyein? She’s like 13. It’s our responsibility as older demigods to look out for them. We have to do whatever we can to find them.”

“Even if that means sacrificing Y/N and Jungkook?” Taehyung questions, “We have to find the sweet spot: saving the kids, preserving Camp Jupiter, and keeping Jungkook and Y/N safe,” he enunciates.

“Which is why we need to employ defense mechanisms,” Namjoon argues, “to at least buy us time so we can figure out where the Hades kids are. Then we can spring into action.”

“But that’ll just lead us to war,” you argue, “For the first time in a millenia, the Greeks and Romans have peaceful relations. We can’t do anything to jeopardize that-”

“Yea, well I care about you more,” Taehyung intercedes, “I care about you more than the Romans and more than the Hades kids, so I choose you. Fuck everybody else,” he shrugs, and you meet eyes with Namjoon, turning red at Taehyung’s words.

Greek heroes were known to have fatal flaws: a fundamental imperfection , vulnerability, or moral weakness that, despite the hero’s strength, ultimately contributed to their tragic fate. Jungkook already confessed to you that his fatal flaw is love.

With Taehyung, you already knew. His fatal flaw is his blind loyalty to his friends. He’d watch the world burn if it meant keeping his friends safe.

“While the chivalry is appreciated,” Chiron adds, “It is imperative to do the right thing, objectively. Ask yourself, is it moral to declare war on the Romans? Is it moral to abandon the children of Hades? Is it moral to sacrifice Y/N and Jungkook? Child of Apollo, what do you think? You are of Roman descent and are able to offer a unique perspective.”

All eyes flicker towards Rose, who accepts the challenge. “We can’t declare war on the Romans,” she argues, “Y/N is right. We all know what happens when Greeks and Romans go to war. People will die and the world will probably go up in flames. But that doesn’t mean we can’t trick the Romans,” a mischievous smile creeps onto her face and she bites her lip.

Jungkook speaks up. “I have a plan.”

You tilt your head at Jungkook. His features are hardened- rigidly serious at the prospect of what could be going on.

His brows are furrowed in angry little Nike swooshes and all you wanna do is run your thumb over his brow to ease its arch.

He turns his head to you, his right hand man, and his features soften, like he’s signaling to you that everything will be okay.

WIth a deep breath, he explains the plan definitively. The way he speaks, the way he commands the attention and obedience of everyone in the room makes it seem like you don’t have a choice but to follow this plan.

At that moment, Jungkook’s little brother Jungwon and your little brother Mark step into the Big House.

Within the past year, Jungwon seems to have skyrocketed in height. He looks so big, for lack of a better word- nearly the same stature and height as Jungkook.

Mark grins at you, his cute features beaming with a sense of readiness- to accept any and every challenge. “Hey sis, welcome back. How was Olympus?”

He envelopes you in a hug, and as happy as you are to see your brother, you can’t help but eye him with a hint of skepticism.

Suddenly you connect the dots and your face falls. “No,” you express grimly.

“Yes,” Jungwon cheekily responds, throwing an arm around you.

The kid is lightyears taller than you now, and you hate it.

What Jungkook proposed- you also hate it. It’s the worst plan in the history of the universe and you want to sew his pretty lips shut so he’ll never speak again.

Jungkook’s plan involves offering a sacrifice to Tartarus- and it won’t be either you or Jungkook.

He professes to sacrifice decoys- and at first you’re on board because you’re confident that you can engineer mechanical versions of yourselves- but when Mark and Jungwon make their entrance, the gears in your brain begin churning.

“Does it make sense for us to send our siblings as sacrifices? We ourselves might as well go to Tartarus. What difference does it make?” you argue, frowning deeply and glaring spathas into Jungkook’s face.

When it comes to you, Jungkook’s mind always automatically masks your anger in a dewy haze. All he sees is a pretty girl pouting at him, and he has to choke a smirk back so you don’t actually stab him with a spatha.

Jungwon smirks, “It makes all the difference. We all know that you and my brother are the best duo Camp Half-Blood’s seen. We need you to figure shit out while Mark and I distract Tartarus.”

Your jaw drops. There was no way the sweet, kind, polite Jungwon just cursed in front of Chiron.

You whip your head towards Mark. “I don’t feel comfortable with that,” you state, “I’m not sacrificing my little brother so I can be free. That’s pure cowardice.”

Mark shakes his head.

“It’s not,” he declares, “I wouldn’t be willing to sacrifice myself like this if I wasn’t capable of being a good distraction.”

With that, he fishes for something in his pocket before pulling out a remote. He presses a bright red button, causing mechanical wings to erect from his backpack as Mark starts flying around the Big House.

“See? I’m a pretty good distraction! And I’ve got plenty of tricks up my sleeve!” he grins.

Jungwon points to a flying Mark before shrugging smugly. “So Y/N, what do you think?”

“Guys, this isn’t a fucking joke,” you scold, turning more rigid by the second. “Tartarus.. it’s a horrifying place. And quite frankly, I don’t think either of you are capable of surviving his domain.”

Mark lands on the ground next to Jungwon, expression now shrouded with concern.

“Y/N,” Mark argues, “We’re prepared,” he claims.

“Since you came back from the dead- like Jesus or something- I’ve been studying your journals on Tartarus, and Y/N, we’re prepared. Jungwon is the strongest warrior of our generation- he and I are a good team. We can do it,” he finishes his declaration with a sweet smile, but you still shake your head.

“Y/N, what did you say to me when you first handed me this sword?” Jungwon asks, partially unsheathing Cataclysm. “You said I was the only demigod from my generation you deemed capable of wielding an enchanted weapon- and didn’t I prove myself? I soul linked with my weapon in days and slaughtered so many giants with this baby,” he animatedly offers, patting the scabbard of his sword.

You soften a bit but still shake your head.

“I just- look- I-” you trail off, rubbing your bicep as you shift your gaze apprehensively, “I strongly believe that Jungkook and I only survived Tartarus for a single reason,” you inhale deeply, momentarily shifting your gaze towards Jungkook who is observing you with furrowed brows. You inhale. “Love.”

“If he didn’t love me or if I didn’t love him, I really don’t think we would have made it,” you elaborate, “I mean- Tartarus sucks the soul out of you.”

You redirect your gaze towards Jungkook, whose jaw is clenched whilst he leans against the ping pong table. “Jungkook… what do you think?”

Your declaration is bold, and you can’t help but think you might be crossing the line- but it’s true. Simply being in Tartarus drains one’s celestial energy, and the only reason you and Jungkook survived was because you desperately wanted the other to live.

“You’re right,” he offers, lifting his gaze from the ground. “But that’s the thing: we were the first to do it and now we can share our knowledge with the next generation- so they can do it without love,” he explains, motioning towards Mark and Jungon.

“You and I, we need to figure things out above Tartarus. And we can only do that with love,” he smiles, and it sparks a flint hope within your system. You soften infinitely at his proclamation.

He looks at you with soft eyes, their warmth mirrored in the tender curve of his lips. In that moment, it feels as if the fates have conspired to weave this moment into their tapestries. The outside seems to fade into the background, leaving just the two of you in your own little world.

“Besides,” Taehyung cuts in, “It’s not like these two don’t have a bromance going on, right?” At that, Jungwon and Mark fist bump each other.

Namjoon intervenes, pushing up his glasses. “Y/N, this plan makes sense. Jungwon and Jungkook emit the same energy. So do you and Mark. We can fool Tartarus with this,” he claims.

“I just- I don’t know I feel comfortable with sending my little brothers down there,” you sigh, rubbing your biceps like you can still feel Cheimarrhus’s frigid winds freezing you to the death..

“Oh? Am I a little brother too?” Jungwon teases, pulling you in for a side hug.

“We’ll be alright, sis. We can handle it. Just worry about figuring out how we’re going to kill another primordial god,” Mark offers, tweaking with the little remote in his hands.

Jungwon and Mark are like sunshine, and suddenly you’re warm.

“Okay.. fine,” you acquiesce “But that doesn��t mean that suddenly you look exactly like me,” you point out, “I mean- Jungkook and Jungwon look kinda similar, but Mina will know that it’s clearly not me,” you state, gesturing towards Mark.

Rose smiles, stepping in. Between her palms, specks of magical energy whirl from her fingertips, emitting a celestial pink glow.

So as it turns out, Rose has developed the ability to alter the Mist.

Mist is a magical veil that conceals the true nature of the world from mortal eyes. It is a form of magical manipulation that alters the perception of regular humans, making them see things differently from what they truly are.

A minotaur wreaking havoc downtown? The mortals will see a wild giraffe on the loose.

That’s the power of the Mist- and sometimes, if the wielder is powerful enough, it can coerce gods and demigods into perceiving illusions rather than reality.

And that’s what exactly Rose does. With a snap of her fingers, Mark and Jungwon turn into identical replications of you and Jungkook, perfectly resembling your features, statures, and movements.

The transformation is uncanny, making it nearly impossible to distinguish Mark and Jungwon from you and Jungkook

“Hi?” Mark giggles (mocking you), twirling a strand of hair around his pointer finger.

You blink at your brother Mark, who looks and sounds exactly like you. It’s like looking in a mirror.

Taehyung shakes his head. “No, you gotta do more of a-“ He pouts his lips into a duck face, theatrically tucking a strand of hair behind his hair.

You smack his arm before you hear Jugkook’s voice.

“That’s fucking crazy,” Jungkook murmurs in awe.

Jungwon and Jungkook stand side by side, and it’s like there’s a pair of identical twins standing together.

“Okay, now practice trying to be them,” Rose muses, and after a brief moment of silence, Mark and Jungwon pull out all the acting cards.

“Oh, Jungkook, kiss me!” Mark mocks in a high pitched voice (which wasn’t necessary because he already adopted your voice), facing Jungwon and jumping on him.

“Oh Y/N!” Jungwon mocks back, making his voice obnoxiously deep and baritone. “I still love you! I’m just too emotionally constipated to express my feelings!”

After pretending to make out with each other, Mark (you) pulls himself from Jungwon (Jungkook). He clears his throat.

“And scene.”

“That was perfect!” Rose squeals, clapping her hands as she jumps up and down in excitement.

Jungkook smiles to himself, shaking his head in disbelief while he rubs his palms over his face- but you certainly don’t miss the way his ears turn red.

You feel the same way, unable to control the crimson spreading through your cheeks.

After establishing that Mark and Jungwon would be sacrificed to Tartarus as decoys, you gather everyone at the 18+ Hephaestus cabin for further preparations.

As the cabin doors gracefully slide open, Mark steps inside, greeted by the hum of machinery. The automated system, recognizing him through a full-body scan, seamlessly grants access to the demigod.

The Hephaestus cabin is reminiscent of a palace, where celestial bronze embellishes every architectural detail, providing extra protection against monsters.Each room is the epitome of celestial innovation, featuring amenities catering to yours and Mark’s individual preferences.

The training arena, for example, has a chamber of fire, adjustable at temperatures above 300 degrees.

You sometimes just sit in there and build up your immunity to heat. It’s like your personal sauna.

You and your friends whiz past the lounge/entertainment area, which is equipped with the comfiest red sofa that can morph into a loveseat, lounge chair, or bed.

With a scan of your finger, a 127-inch flat screen TV can unfold from the walls, running entirely on celestial wi-fi.If you or Mark weren’t in the mood to watch TV, the holographic displays can project immersive gaming environments that respond to the player’s movements and actions.

Your robot on wheels, Reginald, whirs past your friends, holding champagne and water on a tray.

Taehyung and Namjoon stare at Reginald in awe, eyes following him as he rolls around and occasionally tidies up the cabin.

“Would you care for a drink?” Reginald asks, to which Jungkook (Jungwon), attempts to grab a glass of champagne.

You swat his hand. “Jungwon! You’re not of age.”

“How’d you know it was me and not Jungkook?” Jungwon questions in return.

You purse your lips, not answering his question. You know Jungkook so well that you can just tell- but some things don’t need to be verbally expressed.

“So when I asked for a pool in my cabin, you bitched about it for weeks-“ Taehyung begins.

Namjoon continues looking around the cabin. “Gods, this is crazy. Leave it to you guys to make your two-person cabin the most luxurious in camp.”

Mark shrugs, “It’s what we deserve after building all your cabins.”

It’s so weird watching Mark talk. He looks and talks exactly like you. A smile graces your lips as you walk past the arcade room, moving on to scan your finger on a fingerprint sensor.

The bookshelf rotates 180 degrees, unveiling an elevator as it completes a full 360-degree turn.

"Come on in, everyone," you invite, pressing the down button on the elevator.

As the elevator descends, the sound of muzak plays through space. Namjoon shoots you a glance that seems to question the necessity of the muzak. You shrug.

The elevator doors part, revealing Bunker 9, a secretive location known only to you and Mark.

Upon entry, dim lighting unveils a colossal workshop adorned with celestial bronze schematics and intricate blueprints. Automated crafting stations hum with activity, surrounded by shelves of rare materials and celestial artifacts.

Holographic displays flicker to life, projecting encrypted messages and strategic maps. The bunker features a secure communication hub, allowing demigods to coordinate covert missions and exchange vital information without detection.

“Welcome to Bunker 9,” Mark muses.

“Gods,” Rose expresses with awe, “Do you guys even need all this space? This place is huge.”

Mark shrugs, “Yea, but here’s where we do all our top secret Hephaestus kid work. We need space.”

From the end of the bunker, a mechanical murmur fills the air.

"Pulchra!" you exclaim joyfully, hurrying over to affectionately nuzzle your forehead against your mechanical dragon. She responds with a comforting purr, clearly missing you during your year on Mount Olympus.

Jungkook joins in, offering the dragon a warm hug as she continues to purr and emit contented mewls. “How’ve you been girl?” Jungkook teases, to which Pulchra mewls affectionately.

Namjoon toys with a gaming controller directly connected to a holographic display of Camp Half-Blood. Mark approaches him from behind.

"This," Mark explains, "controls a simulation for various emergency scenarios. Chimera attacks, minotaur invasions, even war with a god— it replicates the emergency plans we'd need to implement."

As Namjoon maneuvers the controller, the holographic display responds in real-time, projecting dynamic scenarios that demand strategic thinking and swift decision-making. “You guys should have called me down here years ago,” he expresses, “We could have accomplished so much together.”

In the lull that follows, you delve into an industrial cabinet, rummaging for something before retrieving two rings.

Hurrying to join the rest of the crew, you share, "These rings are equipped with sensors— not ordinary ones. They use a new prototype technology Mark and I are working on,” you exchange a somewhat embarrassed glance with Mark before continuing.

“We call it WhisperTech. They'll capture every sound in your vicinity and transmit it to us in text format. The rings use a discreet audio-sensing system that captures and transmits environmental sounds in text form while monitoring physiological indicators such as heart rate and nerve levels. Make sure to keep them on."

You slide the rings onto the fingers of Mark and Jungwon.

“Let’s test it out,” Mark suggests.

On the holographic display in front of you, Mark’s dialogue appears on the screen.

Mark:

Let's try it out.

Biometric Analysis:

Heart Rate: 78 bpm

Mood: Eager

Thoughts: “I’m hungry”

Stress Levels: Low

Location Data:

Current Location: Bunker 9

Longitude: 155.789° E

Latitude: 36.432° N

Environmental Analysis:

Ambient Temperature: 22°C

Oxygen Levels: Normal

Light Intensity: Dim

Activity Insights:

System Status:WhisperSyncRings: Online

Connectivity: Stable

Encryption Level: Secure

Recommendations:

Continue monitoring for real-time data.

Encourage interaction to gauge response.

Await further commands or inquiries.

“Holy Hera,” Jungkook muses, “There’s no way- so this thing can read someone’s mind?”

On cue, the ring catches onto the dialogue and updates in real time

Jungkook: Holy Hera! There's no way—so this thing can read someone's mind!

Mark's Thoughts: I'm hungry

Biometric Analysis:

Heart Rate: 82 bpm

Moods: Intrigued

Thoughts: Curious about the technology

Stress Levels: Moderate

Location Data:

Current Location: Bunker 9

Longitude: 155.789° E

Latitude: 36.432° N

Environmental Analysis:

Ambient Temperature: 22°C

Oxygen Levels: Normal

Light Intensity: Dim

Activity Insights:

Recent Movement: Stationary (within Bunker 9)

System Status:

WhisperSync Rings: Online

Connectivity: Stable

Encryption Level: Secure

Recommendations:

Continue monitoring for real-time data.

Address Mark's hunger to maintain optimal conditions.

Anticipate further inquiries or commands.

Namjoon tilts his head. “I wonder what the location data will read from Tartarus.”

“As long as I’ve programmed it right, it should read Tartarus as the location. I’m not sure about longitude and latitude, though.”

Taehyung reads the screen. “Address Mark’s hunger to maintain optimal conditions- that’s funny,” he laughs, to which you nod.

“See? The rings will be helpful. We’ll know everything that’s going on, and if something happens, we’ll run in after you,” you exclaim.

Jungwon cocks his head, somewhat unsure. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you guys knowing my thoughts all the time.”

“Yea,” Namjoon concurs, “but what if you guys are in a situation where you can’t speak or talk? We need to know what’s going on somehow.”

“Swear we won’t tell anyone all your little secrets,” Taehyung jokes.

Rose places a comforting hand on Jungwon’s shoulder and you nod your head, “I swear we won’t pry into your personal life. I can design an algorithm to immediately delete all your personal thoughts and keep records of thoughts related to the quest,.”

Jungwon seems more assured. “If it’s for the mission, it’s fine. It’s not like I have any explicit thoughts anyway.”

You meet eyes with Jungwon, and you kinda wish that you didn’t because he seems unreasonably paranoid.

“Y/N, make an extra one for me,” Taehyung asserts, “If I ever get married I’m gonna put one on my wife’s finger to make sure she’s not thinking about any other men.”

Namjoon scoffs amusedly at that, “I’ll be praying for her in advance.”

You pout at Taehyung and give him an oh so platonic pat on the back. “You’ll find her soon.”

Taehyung smiles. “Thanks inferno princess,” he teases, using Jungkook’s nickname for you, “Just make sure you take of your inferno prince for me.”

Jungkook lifts his head and wraps an arm around you, giving you a side squeeze. “Yea inferno princess, take care of me.”

After bidding goodbye to your friends at the portal to Camp Jupiter, Jungkook suggests that you indulge in something you both rarely have time to do: sleep.

The anxiety of sending Mark and Jungwon as your decoys is killing you, and you can’t help but to pace around Bunker 9 while Jungkook blinks at you from the sofa.

“Y/N, it’ll be okay,” he offers but you shake your head in disbelief.

The dim lighting of the bunker shines eerily above you, and you don’t even realize where you’re going until you walk right into an industrial filing cabinet.

“Ow!” you yelp, to which Jungkook sighs.

He gets up from his seat on the couch and wraps his arms around your waist, resting his head in the crook of your neck. “Inferno princess, calm down. Everything will be fine. Just look at the screen,” he offers, pointing to the holographic display project Mark and Jungwon’s thoughts.

Taehyung: I’m thinking of going for a swim after they sacrifice you two.

Mark: Gee, thanks. That’s super comforting

Mark’s thoughts: I need to pee

“See?” Jungkook offers, “There’s nothing wrong. The kid needs to take a piss is all.”

You laugh, your shoulders relaxing a bit as you wrap your palms around Jungkook’s wrists. You stand there for a moment, reveling in the safety of Jungkook’s embrace.

Jungkook is your calm before the storm. He’s always there before you go on a potentially life ending quest , comforting you to reassure you that things will be okay.

“How long has it been since you’ve slept?” he whispers into your ear.

“Don’t know. ‘s been a while,” you mutter.

“Think you need to rest first. A nice long ten hours of rest before we do anything else,” he offers.

You hate the prospect of sleeping while your little brothers plummet into Tartarus because of you, but Jungkook’s right. You’re exhausted.

You wiggle out of his embrace and face him, placing your hands on his shoulders. Your eyes glaze over his face before you impulsively ask him a question. His eyes, nose, mouth- there’s a scar on his left cheek acquired during the two years where you were dead. You never had the chance to ask him what happened.

It’s been six years since your fiery dalliance, and the flame of your affections refuses to be extinguished.

You purse your lips.

“Jungkook, what are we?” you ask, features morphing into confusion as your eyes scan over his face.

He looks taken aback at that revelation. His pretty brown eyes widen, coupled with a slight parting of his lips. He doesn’t say anything so you take the chance to elaborate.

“Why are you wrapping your arms around me? Why are you entertaining our friends’ teasing? Are we- are we back again?”

A fleeting pause ensues- like a suspension in time- before he gathers his thoughts to respond.

“Y/N, you know how I feel about you,” is all he says, and his voice wraps around you like a familiar embrace, offering a comfort that no other sound can match. It's so familiar, and the sweetest things he says to you create a flutter of butterflies in your chest.

Warmth spreads through your veins and you suddenly feel like Icarus- the same Icarus who got high on the intoxication of flying and flew too close to the sun, plummeting to his demise when the sun’s rays melted the glue on his feathers.

Jungkook’s kinda like the sun. Last time you flew too close, you literally died.

Luckily, you’re immune to fire.

Jungkook continues, toying with his lip ring. “I’ve been holding back all this time, y’know. But if we’re going to die, do I really have to hold back? I want to be with you, Y/N.”

You face crumbles into disappointment before you actually laugh at the irony. The fates are cruel. “So is that how our stories go? We only get together when facing impending death?”

Jungkook says nothing.

This time, you’ll take the initiative.

Your features morph into desperation. “Jungkook, if we survive this, marry me. If we get rid of Tartarus for good and everything is okay, marry me. I’m sick of pretending that this isn’t real, like I don’t still love you. I want you, and I want you forever.”

Jungkook says nothing, just presses his lips against yours for a sweet and brief kiss- the first kiss you’ve shared since you were 19.

He withdraws, fingers playing with a bolt he had picked up from a nearby shelf. Then, lowering himself to one knee, he presents you with the bolt. “It’s whatever you want, inferno princess. Marry me.”

He slides the bolt on your ring finger before rising, strong arms around your waist before he kisses you again- for the second time in six years. You snake your arms around his neck, letting him take the lead as you literally have not kissed anyone since kissing Jungkook before you died.

In the trenches of your heart, you hate knowing that Jungkook has been with other people besides you. Nonetheless, you like letting him take the lead so you can be his pliant little inferno princess.

He pulls back a bit, his tattooed hand creeping up to smush your cheeks so your lips pout out. He laughs. “Gods, you’re cute. Now let’s get some rest, baby. We have more gods to kill.”

Finger intertwined and full of unnecessary giggles, Jungkook leads you to none other than the Hypnos cabin.

Hypnos is the god of sleep, a gentle and soothing presence in the realm of Greek mythology.He holds the unique responsibility of overseeing the tranquil moments when both gods and mortals find respite in the embrace of slumber.

Jungkook raps on the door several times, his fingers securely interlaced with yours as you both patiently wait.

No response.

Jungkook knocks again, and you can faintly hear the sounds of the locks turning before a very sleepy Sana opens the door.

Sana is the daughter of Hypnos and the head counselor of the Hypnos cabin. She rubs at her eyes, eyes barely open.

“Hello? Mommy?”

Jungkook purses his lips. “No Sana, it’s me and Y/N.”

At that, she forces one eye open. “Oh! Jungkook and Y/N! Long time no see! How was Olympus?” Though extremely groggy, she gets her words out before sleepily pulling you in for a hug.

You smile and return the hug. “It was great Sana. Is it okay if Jungkook and I come in to get some sleep?”

At that moment, a sudden surge of energy seems to rejuvenate Sana, and she perks up with newfound vitality. “Oh wow! You guys have never asked me to help you sleep! Come right in!”

You walk into the Hypnos cabin, where you’re greeted by two dozen more Hypnos kids dozing off in their beds.

Cabin #15 is often occupied by demigods with the ability to manipulate dreams and induce sleep. It’s a quiet place with dreamy, soothing colors.

The walls are adorned with calming murals depicting various dreamscapes. The beds are comfortable, and there’s a subtle scent of lavender in the air to enhance relaxation.

Sana leads you to a pair of guest beds before rumbling in a mini fridge for Hyponos’ Sleepy Milk. It’s a unique concoction made by the cabin members to help everyone relax and ease into a peaceful sleep.

She throws you and Jungkook baby bottles of milk. “This will put you right to sleep. I’m so happy you two finally came for a visit!”

“Thanks Sana,” Jungkook smiles, before trailing off, rubbing his bicep, “but could we actually share one larger bed?”

Sana beams at that. “Oh absolutely! There’s the couple’s suite down the hall and to the right. Does that finally mean you two are together?-“ Sana cuts herself off, collapsing onto a nearby bed and drifting into a deep sleep the moment her head hits the pillow.

You and Jungkook look at each other, shrugging before going down the hall and to the right where the couples suite resides.

The couples' suite in the Hypnos cabin has a more intimate setting within the tranquil atmosphere. The color scheme includes soft hues like lavender and indigo, creating a soothing and romantic ambiance.

The bed is larger and adorned with dream-themed decor, such as elegant drapes and dreamcatchers. Subtle lighting in the form of fairy lights and dim lamps add to the dreamy atmosphere.

A large, cozy white comforter adorns the bed, and Jungkook pulls it over, throwing his shirt off and at you.

It hits you in the face.

“Aren’t those jeans tight? Just take off your clothes and wear my shirt. It’ll be more comfortable that way,” he suggests, sliding into the bed.

You owlishly blink at Jungkook.

Gods, there’s no way this man is real and that he chose you.

Jungkook is the epitome of a Greek god. The lines of his eight-pack are so clearly defined, and you instinctively turn away, mentally and physically weak.

And Jungkook- the man has the audacity to laugh. “What, inferno princess? Never seen a shirtless man before?” A teasing lip graces his lips.

Your mood does a complete 180, and your features morph into pure petulance and displeasure.

“Just because you’re used to being naked around women doesn’t mean that I am,” you enunciate, pointing your finger in his face before you whirl around, blazing into the restroom.

“Oh c’mon Y/N, it’s not like that,” you hear Jungkook’s unserious voice reverberate through the wooden door.

You know it’s irrational to suddenly care about Jungkook’s activities after asking him to marry you- but peering into the mirror, you realize that your eyes are glossy.

It's not that Jungkook explicitly shared everything he was up to during your time apart; rather, you only became privy to the truth when Taehyung inadvertently spilled the beans during a drunken night.

His hookups, one night stands, friends with benefits- you’re aware of it all.

That evening, you joined in the laughter, feigning nonchalance. But an overwhelming sense of dread seeped into your system whenever the thought of Jungkook with another woman crossed your mind. It’s nearly unfathomable.

You hurriedly wipe your eyes, undressing yourself before sloppily throwing on Jungkook’s shirt.

You swing the door open to find Jungkook propped up on his elbow, lying on his side, patiently awaiting your return to bed. He raises his brows inquisitively at you. “Jealous, inferno princess?”

He’s such an ass.

You scoff at him, casually settling your left knee on the bed. “Jeon Jungkook, you’re a slut,” you seethe through your teeth.

Jungkook shrugs. “I’ve heard worse, now come lay with me, baby.”

Your features harden, and you stoically grab a pillow before placing it in between you and Jungkook.

Your father Hephaestus crafted an actual net to physically catch his wife Aphrodite and her lover in the act. Of course you’re petty enough to pull the makeshift pillow barrier move.

“Oh c’mon Y/N,” Jungkook scoffs in amusement.

You narrow your eyes at him, sliding under the covers and turning on your side with your back facing Jungkook.

Slyly, Jungkook removes the pillow barrier and closes in on you, enveloping you in his arms. He sighs into your hair.

“Since we were ten, you’ve owned me,” he confesses, “every part of me belongs to you. No other woman will ever compare.”

A heaviness settles in your heart. You and Jungkook have endured so much, suffered through so much. Jungkook has done well.

Sensing your body slightly tremble and hearing a sniffle, he tenderly cups your cheeks and gently cranes your head towards him. “Got it?” he confirms,a smile playing on his lips as he notices the tip of your nose turning pink.

You exhale, and he uses his large palms to force a nod out of you. “Got it,” you respond softly, “It’s just- I haven’t been with anybody but you. I guess it makes me insecure knowing how many women you’ve been with.”

Jungkook’s eyes soften, and his eyes become so clear that you can perceive your reflection in his irises. “That’s my fault, baby. I guess I did anything I could to fill the void,” he explains, “But being here with you, our first time- nothing compares.”

You pout, lifting your gaze towards him. “Do you mean it?”

He places a kiss on your nose. “I’ve been in love with you this entire time. Of course I mean it.”

You soften, fluttering your eyes shut as you revel in the feeling of Jungkook peppering kisses all over your face.

“See how natural it is with us?” he continues, “The gods made you for me.”

You pout, throwing your arm around his torso as he pulls you closer. He lets you rest your head on his bicep, and you look into his eyes.

“Is there anything I can do to make you feel more secure with me, baby?” he offers with a kiss to your eyelid.

To Jungkook, it’s like your mind has gone blank, observing the contemplative pause as you search for an answer to his question.

“Hmmm… maybe just tell me you love me from time to time?” you suggest, to which Jungkook bursts into laughter at how adorable he thinks you are.

“Alright, I’ll do that,” he instantly agrees, entertaining your suggestions.

“What’s funny?” you ask, to which Jungkook dismisses it with a nonchalant wave.

He raises the arm that you're resting on, causing your head to gently nestle into the crook of his armpit. “Drink up,” he offers, placing the baby bottle of Hypnos Milk to your lips.

Pliantly, you sip on the bottle and seconds later, you’re out like a light.

That night, you don’t have any unusual dreams, granting you the best fourteen hours of sleep you've ever experienced. When you wake up, a sense of rejuvenation washes over you, but a quick scan of the room reveals that your man is not beside you. Your eyes rapidly dart around the room in search of his presence.

At that moment, Jungkook walks out of the restroom with a toothbrush in his mouth.

His eyes glaze over you, admiring how you look in his shirt, still beautiful with boogers in your eyes. He casually saunters over to you, extending a hand with an invitation card gracefully held between his fingers.

You are invited to our 2000th year anniversary party in Mount Olympus!

A +H

author’s note: aphrodite and hephaestus are a and h

ALSO TJE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE A DRABBLE FOR EITHER jungwon x reader or mark x reader,

and the fourth chapter will be a son of poseidon!taehyung x reader 😌😌 jk and y/n’s story will resume in chapter five when they go to aphrodite and hephaestus’s anniversary party

#jungkook fanfic #jungkook scenarios #bts scenarios #jungkook fluff #jungkook imagines #jungkook x reader #jk fanfic #bts fanfic #jungkook fic #demigod!enhypen #demigod!jungkook #demigod!bts #demigod au #camp half blood au

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liliansun · 11 months

Text

🎧 : grab your headphones as we wait for the release of speak now (polaroid version). each track will have its own story to tell, musical notes ranging from heartbreak and first loves. don’t be fooled by the sweet title tracks of each song, not every story with a happy ending always starts out on the right note.

summary : you and your friends are trying to survive day by day at your school’s university NEOU. somewhere along your final two years, each of you finds your own love story that turns your reality upside and has you questioning if relationships in college is actually worth it. although you each have your own story to tell, you all hold onto the one thing you have in common and that’s each other.

featured songwriters: nct dream’s haechan, jaemin, jeno, mark and renjun with supporting vocals from jisung and chenle

original songwriters: joy, mal, neowa, sal and y/n

genre : university au, college au, young adult romance, swearing, mentions of lying, non-graphic mentions of violence, strangers to lovers, friends to lovers, heartbreak, angst, fluff, enemies to lovers, lots of crying, mentions of alcohol. slight mentions of adult themes but not in detail

send in an ask to be added to the preorder for each song or whichever track calls out to you most or comment down below

ENCHANTED TO MEET YOU : HAECHAN’S VERSION

pre order : completed

release date : 07 | 16 | 23

summary : college was enough to deal with, barely passing classes and struggling to keep up with what was going on in each was a daily struggle. not having time to catch someone’s eye was fine with you, that was until you met him. there was something about him that was enchanting, so you went out to find him, hoping you kept him up the same way he did you.

OUR LAST KISS : JAEMIN’S VERSION

pre order : completed

release date : 10 | 11 | 23

summary : he was cute, he knew how to poke at her soft spots and he knew what to say to make her laugh, but mal wasn’t like any other girl. she knew his type and she knew they’d never get past messing around in the night and forgetting about it during the day. so why is he always on her mind, even after he left? guess that last kiss he gave left more of an impact on her then he thought it did.

I SEE SPARK’S FLY : JENO’S VERSION

pre order : ongoing

release date : 11 | 25 | 23

summary : jeno was the calm before the storm, never letting his his smile ever turn sour. his touch was the warmth she never knew she needed and when his eyes turned into little crescents, sal thanked the moon that night for giving him such features that resembled. all things seemed fine, until she realized she yearned for that same smile too many have seen. scared, she runs from the feelings that knock on her door, unbeknownst that he was waiting for her to answer him.

taglist : @dinonuguaegi @shwizhies @jaylaxies @dearlyminhyung @cutesince2000 @minkyuncutie @haechansbbg @luv4jeno @haechology @velvet-side @sseramine @tywritesstuff @sunflowerbebe07 @i6renj @e-forgettable @myhaechan @nyukyujs @naids4luv @daegalfangirl

I GO BACK TO DECEMBER : MARK’S VERSION

pre order : unreleased

release date : tbd

summary : graduation was something mark had been looking forward to since the day he started university, but he didn’t expect how hard it would be once he met joy. she was his sunlight, brightening his day each time they passed by each other. now that he’s been set off into the real world, joy has to face the struggles of dating someone you just don’t see all the time anymore.

taglist : @dinonuguaegi @shwizhies @jaylaxies @dearlyminhyung @cutesince2000 @minkyuncutie @haechansbbg @luv4jeno @haechology @velvet-side @17ha @naids4luv

FOOLISH ONE : RENJUN’S VERSION

pre order : unreleased

release date : tbd

summary : renjun silently sat back, watching all of his closest friends spark relationships between each other. left wondering if there was anyone out there for him, neowa tries her best to show him how long she had been waiting for his attention to fall on her. but one can only wait for so long before the heart grows tired of hoping and renjun comes to realize it all too late.

taglist : @dinonuguaegi @shwizhies @jaylaxies @dearlyminhyung @cutesince2000 @minkyuncutie @haechansbbg @luv4jeno @haechology @iraa567 @velvet-side @miniature-tragedy @naids4luv

a/n: i tagged hyucks taglist for the ones who want to know about the spin-offs

©︎𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐍., 2023

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softsan · 14 days

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・⊹ 🎐 ˙ ̟!! NCT MASTERLIST

key: fluff 🤍 , angst 🖇️ , suggestive 🍶 , smut 🥛 , adult themes 🍚 , coming soon 📨 , in progress 🎧 , completed 📑 , requests 📁 .

✉️ ・ 𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 ・ ᝰ

˚ ☁️ ⊹ alphabet boy. — lee taeyong 10k ; 🤍 , 🖇️ , 🥛 , 📨 , single dad au, ceo au synopsis - after a nasty breakup with your ex-boyfriend, you return back to the city you once called home. not quite ready to face your parent’s disapproval, you beg your brother jaehyun to keep the secret of your return and help you out by securing you a job. what you hadn’t foreseen to come was the all-consuming relationship that would form with your new boss taeyong… what more trouble could you possibly find yourself into? - read here.

˚ ☁️ ⊹ champagne problems. — lee taeyong 10k ; 🖇️ , 🥛 , �� , 📨 , gangster au synopsis - the night was young, your parents were merry. this engagement would prove fruitful for you family, only furthering their fortunes. however, the infamous gangster taeyong has other plans. can you resist taeyong’s deadly allure? or will you fall helplessly for the for the enemy you should avoid? - read here.

˚ ☁️ ⊹ twist of a pen. — lee taeyong 10k ; 🤍 , 🖇️ , 🍶 , 📨 , fantasy au synopsis - you were a novice scriptwriter who had just received your big break joining the writing team for the upcoming miniseries starring some of hollywood’s finest. taeyong was the heartthrob lead, cold and distant to everyone on set. one rainy evening, whilst writing, you accidentally fall asleep and find yourself transported to an alternative reality where you are the princess of the script you were writing, and taeyong is the villain that tries to kill you. - read here.

˚ ☁️ ⊹ noir. — kim doyoung 10k ; 🤍 , 🖇️ , 🥛 , 🍚 , 📨 , 1950′s setting, gangster au synopsis - you were a daunting figure, a true-born witch of the lunar coven. doyoung was a formidable foe, a gangster from the city east. both of you worked in societies’ shadows to expand your own personal objectives. however, it appears fate has entwined your paths together in more ways than one. What happens when you pair an impulsive witch with a ruthless gangster? chaos. - read here.

˚ ☁️ ⊹ you're undeniable, love. — kim doyoung 10k ; 🤍 , 🖇️ , 🍶 , 🍚 , 📨 , medieval setting, fantasy au synopsis - you had promised the elders to keep a low profile. to do what you must to sell yourself as an ordinary being. once disguised as a maid, your lady who was betrothed to the merciless prince doyoung flees before her wedding ceremony, leaving her father with the impossible choice of finding a replacement to pose as his daughter in order not to offend the warring states. his replacement, most unfortunately, is you. however, will you survive alongside the lies, deceit and a husband the world has branded as a monster? - read here.

˚ ☁️ ⊹ mortem. — jung jaehyun 10k ; 🖇️ , 🥛 , 🍚, demon au synopsis - you were a struggling dropout who took a side job as a waitress at a maid café. not only were you financially supporting your high school sweetheart through law school, but you were also responsible for taking care of his elderly grandmother. despite your dedication to your boyfriend, he commits the ultimate betrayal, selling your soul to the underworld. desperate for your survival, you make an impossible choice…becoming a servant of a bloodthirsty demon, jaehyun. . - read here.

˚ ☁️ ⊹ be my valentine. — mark lee 3.2k ; 🤍 , 🖇️ , 📑 , 1980's setting, best friend au synopsis - you’ve had a crush on your neighbour mark since you were a kid. one fateful valentines day dance you decide to confess your love. unfortunately, things go horribly wrong as a slew of misunderstandings occur. - read here.

˚ ☁️ ⊹ hold me tight. — lee donghyuk 10k ; 🤍 , 🖇️ , 🍶 , 📨 , soulmate au synopsis - . - read here.

˚ ☁️ ⊹ sugar cookie. — lee jeno 10k ; 🤍 , 🥛 , 📨 , slice of life, cafe au synopsis - life can be challenging. one of your daily challenges was trying to study in your brother’s cafe, in the presence of the cute barista boy, jeno. you knew you really should have gone elsewhere—you concentration fading by the second, but oh you couldn’t will yourself to leave, not after he flashed that smile of his in your direction. - read here.

˚ ☁️ ⊹ so called love. — na jaemin 10k ; 🤍 , 🖇️ , 🍶 , 📨 , soulmate au synopsis - . - read here.

✉️ ・ 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 ・ ᝰ

˚ 🌨️ ⊹ mafia au. — nct 10k+ ; 🤍 , 🖇️ , 🥛 , 🍚 , 🎧 , mafia au synopsis - dive into the dark, devious, devilish mafia universe. where one rejoices in deadly past times, and indulges in all sorts of sin. - read here.

˚ 🌨️ ⊹ werewolf au. — nct 10k+ ; 🤍 , 🖇️ , 🍶 , 🍚 , 🎧 , werewolf au synopsis - howl alongside the werewolf universe. come across the likes of moon beast, wolf bites, and other wicked and wild things. - read here.

˚ 🌨️ ⊹ hybrid au. — nct 127 10k+ ; 🤍 , 🖇️ , 🍚 , 🎧 , hybrid au synopsis - embrace the hybrid universe. overcome the greatest of differences and the hardest of challeges, for a reward most precious. - read here.

✉️ ・ 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒 ・ ᝰ

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ taeyong. [5:43 am] [1:58 pm] [4:09 pm] [5:26 pm] [10:58 pm] [11:56 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ taeil. [3:54 pm] [6:35 pm] [9:15 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ johnny. [7:43 am] [2:26 pm] [3:43 pm] [5:38 pm] [8:23 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ yuta. [7:45 am] [8:55 am] [4:45 pm] [5:47 pm] [6:45 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ kun. [4:56 pm] [6:12 pm] [8:45 pm] [11:04 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ doyoung. [10:12 am] [3:14 am] [8:36 pm] [9:06 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ ten. [12:31 am] [6:13 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ jaehyun. [3:12 am] [4:51 am] [8:56 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ winwin. [5:48 am] [11:03 am] [1:39 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ jungwoo. [7:07 am] [7:43 am] [7:45 am] [5:28 pm] [7:21 pm] [11:58 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ mark. [8:12 am] [6:59 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ xiaojun. [6:02 am] [10:17 am] [4:43 pm] [5:34 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ hendery. [6:42 am] [8:54 am] [2:30 am] [6:08 am]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ renjun. [12:03 am] [10:01 am] [3:25 pm] [6:02 pm] [11:54 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ jeno. [12:25 am] [10:12 am] [4:09 pm] [4:43 pm] [5:43 pm] [9:47 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ haechan. [11:15 am] [3:01 pm] [5:56 pm] [11:39 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ jaemin. [12:20 am] [1:06 am] [8:45 am] [11:03 am] [4:58 pm] [6:14 pm] [7:34 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ yangyang. [2:32 am] [7:45 am] [9:18 am] [2:58 pm] [10:56 pm]

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ chenle.

˚ 🌩️ ⊹ jisung.

#nct #nct masterlist #nct x reader #nct fanfictions #nct reactions #nct imagines #nct 127 x reader #nct dream reactions #nct dream x reactions

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acescavern · 9 months

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M.LIST

『WELCOME TO ACE'S CAVERN』

a (angst), f (fluff), s (smut), m (mature), c (crack/humor), v (violence)

『NCT DREAM』

↳ SCENARIO 1 - Mark Lee x gn!reader

(S)

wc; 1,073

Anon said 'imagine giving mark head when he's playing games tho' and i ran with it

↳ (NEW!) HOW YOU LOVE HIM - Mark Lee x Reader

based on an ask.

(F,S)

wc; 1,734

ask: 'thinking about taking care of mark after his schedules with warm bath and massages…started all soft until mark gets hard and it turns into a steamy bathroom sex'

↳ QUIET - Lee Jeno x Fem!Reader - College au (ft. nct dream)

(S,C)

wc; 2,329

When the night gets cold whilst camping with your friends, Jeno knows a great way to warm up or It's fucking in-tents

↳ GAME OVER - Lee Jeno x Fem!reader - College au - Add on to 'Quiet', (ft. nct dream, mentions of ten, hendery, xiaojun, johnny, jaehyun.)

(S, F, C, light A)

wc; 2,698

When your boyfriend invites you over to his place only to ignore you to play games with his friends all evening, you decide to go out and celebrate a mutual friend’s birthday instead. Jeno never minds when you go out to clubs and bars… only when a specific Loverboy doesn’t tend to leave your side all evening.

↳ SET ME FREE (TEASER) - Intern!Mark Lee x Mermaid!Reader - Set in the College au universe. (ft. brief mentions of nct dream, Minho from shinee is a professor) CANCELLED

(F,A,M)

wc; tbc

After managing to score an internship with a local science program, Mark soon discovers that the company he chose to work for does more harm than good. Especially, when he stumbles across the tank where you're held captive by your makers whilst trying to find the canteen. Mark sneaks in to sit with you every lunch break after that whilst he tries to devise a plan to set you free.

↳ OPERATION RIZZ - Na Jaemin x Fem!Reader - Set in the college au universe. (Ft. Yangyang, Haechan, Johnny, Jeno, and mentions of other nct members, nct dream are the friend group, the Jeno and his girlfriend mentioned are the same pairings from Quiet and Game over!)

(F,A,C)

wc; 7.8k

In an attempt to teach Donghyuck how to get a girlfriend, Jaemin helps him make a list only... that list seems awfully familiar.

『NCT 127』

(NEW!) ↳ END TO START - Soulmate!Johnny x Soulmate! reader, Taeyong x reader ( focus). ( Ft Mark, Jungwoo, Ten, Jaehyun, Taeil, Yuta. Mentions Jaemin once.)

(A,F,M)

wc; 4.9k

Taeyong had been perfectly happy to sit back and watch you and Johnny be together. However, when he starts to notice certain behaviors that are all too familiar, he finds himself unable to watch you slowly die. Just because Johnny may not love you anymore... doesn't mean Taeyong doesn't love you either.

『ATEEZ』

↳ (NEW!) Where are you, San? - San x fem! reader

(f, s, m)

wc; 4,825

Genre: Pure smut. No plot whatsoever. There is a sprinkling of fluff if you squint?

Synopsis: Your boyfriend invites you to the fancy dress party his frat are holding to celebrate the frats birthday. Only, nobody will tell you what he's dressed as. When you spend half of the party searching for him, Jongho gives away his location.. you're in for a night of fun. One question though, Do you like scary movies?

warnings: smut, smut,smut. Ghostface!San, Velma!reader. Rough sex, unprotected sex, Knife play ( WITHOUT cutting reader. The knife isn't sharp enough for skin), praise, degradation, manhandling, sex in a treehouse, reader's hands get tied, Reader has her view restricted, everything is consented, established relationship, light choking from behind?, reader gets carpet burn. I'm not sure if I've missed something.

↳ BLURB 1 - Song Mingi x gn!reader

( F )

wc; n/a

↳ PRAYER FOR HALATIA - OT8! x Fem!reader - Apocalyptic au, survival.

( A,M,V ) PT 1

multiple parts - on hold

Halatia, incorporates an appreciation for people, a love of music and the arts, and a high regard for nature, its mysteries and beauties.

#Acescavern masterlist #nct #nct dream #ateez #atz #NCT 127 #NCT U

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tvlipwon · 9 months

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shade of yellow; yang jungwon

in which two people, at the end of the day, always find their way to each other.

pairing—jungwon x fem!oc

genre—social media au, angst, fluff, idol!jungwon, femidol!oc, school classmates, friends to lovers.

warnings—FICTIONALIZED version of jungwon, other enhypen members, and r u next contestants, language (swearing), alcohol mention and usage. (again, this is work of fiction everyone!!)

summary—after raena was unable to debut during the R U Next survival show, her along with 5 other members that were unable to debut were put into one group after the show ended under the name of RUNYX. a certain ex schoolmate of hers, which is also her senior artist, was silently – maybe not so silently – cheering her on.

public accounts | private accounts

taglist. request open!

✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡* ✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ .｡✱｡:｡*.｡✱ ｡.｡✱

[note! i have other smau on my other blog dedicated to nct dream! other smau – Jaemin; Afar | Jisung; Cross The Line | Haechan; Just us | Mark; Mistaken Fate. ]

#shadeofyellow_yjw #smau #enhypen smau #enhypen imagine #jungwon fic #jungwon smau #jungwon imagine #enhypen fic #yang jungwon imagine #yang jungwon fic #enhypen fanfic #kpop smau #yang jungwon smau

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sixzeroes · 1 year

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moon taeil’s basement is where dreams come true. at least, that’s how it goes for no celestial, a pop rock band on the rise. part-time students, full-time artists—the four of them are booked and busy, their entire souls poured into their musical careers. but what the quartet want more than just fame is a taste of love—something taeil’s basement can’t exactly fulfil.

maybe, college might offer some help.

alternatively, a retelling of my college experiences through a not-very-researched band au because i’m desperate for band!nct </3

TRACK #01 _ is this song about us?

► eight years ago, you decided to end things with your first boyfriend after agreeing that the relationship wasn’t working. it was heartbreaking, but you got over him with time—or so you thought. your heart is starting to run at an all-too-familiar erratic pace. perhaps, your feelings for him never went away. and perhaps, he’s in the same predicament as you, considering that the band’s latest album is allegedly dedicated to his first love.

pairing. vocalist!renjun x psci-major!reader(f). genres. exes-to-lovers, pop rock band au, university au, non-idol au, tbd.

status. unreleased.

TRACK #02 _ the mundane things in life.

► you’re a little plain, but it’s not like you really care. there’s nothing wrong with simply living life on do not disturb, low power mode, silent mode on. but some alarm begins ringing in your monotonous lifestyle—and all of a sudden, you’re out on your very first clubbing night, drinking your very first cocktail, listening to a live band for the very first time, and having your very first kiss with the hot drummer in the restroom.

pairing. drummer!jeno x art-major!reader(f). genres. strangers-to-fwb-to-lovers, pop rock band au, university au, non-idol au, tbd.

status. unreleased.

TRACK #03 _ keeping tabs on lee haechan.

► this is the first time you’ve seen your best friend in love, and to be frank, it’s kind of scary. she’s developed a crush on some guy she slept with who just so happens to be a student in your faculty, too. so, you’re tasked with keeping tabs on her newfound love. no biggie, except for the fact that you’re starting to fall in love with the guy who was lowkey an asshole at first but is now caring and gentle and—wait, he has a twin brother?

pairing. guitarist!donghyuck x bio-major!reader(f). genres. (one-sided) enemies-to-lovers, pop rock band au, university au, non-idol au, tbd.

status. unreleased.

TRACK #04 _ ditto (hope you feel the same).

► one month, and not once have you seen the face of your student’s guardian. you’re more of a babysitter than a tutor at this point, teaching the teenage girl a few basic survival tips. when you begin to doubt the existence of her uncle, he comes stumbling through the front door, reeking of alcohol. you aren’t sure who you had been expecting, but nothing would’ve ever prepared you for the sweet family guy no celestial’s bassist is.

pairing. bassist!jaemin x econ-major!reader(f). genres. acquaintances-to-lovers, pop rock band au, university au, non-idol au, tbd.

status. unreleased.

IN A CERTAIN SENSE, MOON TAEIL IS A FATHER TO FOUR YOUNG ADULTS. In the same vein, he’s basically the manager of a pop rock band. Don’t ask him how or why; he’s not too sure either. At one point in his life, he ended up babysitting his younger brother and three of his friends. They must’ve had one hell of a time because afterwards, four little gremlins would show up at Taeil’s bedroom with expectant eyes.

Those four little gremlins are the same ones that have now established a band and utilise Taeil’s basement for all sorts of things. Not only is it their studio, it’s also become their makeshift living space. At least they pay rent through the revenue their gigs bring in.

Club Moonlight is located at the edge of Neo Culture University, amidst a plethora of restaurants that close by ten p.m. It’s a sensation on campus, a must-go-to-at-least-once-in-your-life sort of place. With the nightclub alone, Taeil rakes in a good amount of money. But when No Celestial performs, the income is outstanding.

Taeil, to be frank, is a little worried for the boys. He can’t even refer to them as ‘boys’ anymore, either. They camp out in the basement and live off of cup ramyun whenever Taeil forgets to feed them. But then again, it’s not like they lack survival abilities or social skills. Perhaps, Taeil is just overthinking as a result of practically raising them for nearly fourteen years.

He sighs, setting down the cup he’d been drying for the past ten minutes. In thirty minutes, the club is to open and No Celestial is planning to play a few songs. Taeil looks over at the stage, where the DJ set had been pushed aside for the band’s equipment.

Huang Renjun, the lead vocalist and keyboardist, is busy messing around with his electric keyboard, adjusting the volume to his liking. Taeil is the least worried about him; he’s quite the competent kid who has demonstrated independence on many occasions. Renjun is just…a little too mean to people with his blunt truths. Taeil fears he might end up creating several enemies here and there without actually meaning to.

Lee Jeno, the drummer, is flipping through his music sheets with his lips pressed into a thin line. Taeil is very, very worried about him—not that Jeno is incapable of surviving, but as his older brother, Taeil can’t help but feel nervous at the thought of allowing the kid to live all on his own with no adult supervision. Additionally, Jeno likes to sleep around. Taeil respects the game, but he’s concerned about, you know, STDs and the like.

Lee Donghyuck, the rhythm guitarist, is off to the side with his guitar, plucking the chords and fixing the tune. Taeil is also very worried about him. He’s a smart kid and will probably survive just fine, but he comes from a rich family who are rather dead set on making him a doctor. Donghyuck is also an alcoholic, although the kid firmly denies the accusation. Taeil just hopes that the habit of downing soju will disappear soon.

Na Jaemin, the bass guitarist, is nowhere to be seen. Taeil technically has nothing to worry about as Jaemin is already a legal guardian and has been taking care of his niece for three years now. But the kid is overworking himself to provide for the girl, and it’s evident that the hours spent doing physical labour is taking a toll on his body. Taeil can only pray that graduating will allow him to land a stable career with a hefty income.

The clock strikes ten forty-five. In fifteen minutes, the nightclub will be in full swing, with No Celestial on stage and his employees running around to keep things in order. Taeil scans the bar, ensuring that everything is tidy. He clasps his hands together.

It’s time for another night of fun.

now playing ► no celestial by le sserafim.

nabi’s note | whaaaat a pop rock band au when i have zero clue as to how bands work??? (dawg could i even count this as a band au it just feels like a college au,,) n e ways i am so so excited to start this series bc it’s a mix of my fantasies and my irl experiences lol we’ll see where this goes 👀 ngl this was supposed to be a university/college au but i really felt the need to make it a band au so i decided to shift some things around to make them a band 😹😹 i am a sucker for rockstar!00line so it was about time i made a cute lil bad boy rockstar band au for the dudes that i’m obsessed with ^^ ik i’ve been lowkey uploading a lot of stuff but i just have sm ideas rahhh i need to get them out asap! also yes this is inspired by le sserafim!! i don’t really listen to them but this song is so good i just had to <3

btw | i’m not too sure yet but depending on the flow of my feelings, these works may contain smut! for now, the series is definitely suggestive, but i might write smut if i feel brave enough lol ^

taglist | @strangevante @bockhyun @matchahyuck @ablackbtsstan @jlsavy @thesunsfullmoon @hwanunjin @loveazri @sundamariis @just-michell @mora134340 @haechology @leleluvss @loevngyuno @rum-gone-why @dandelionxgal @byungbyungbaek @littlestarjasmine @iheartchoerry @ldhstrap @wonforgyu @lovesuhng @schwizhies @ahnneyong @jenyoonoh @patitotodd @eaglesnotravens @sukistrawberry @haedgaf @vivisoni @shentlngz @haechoshi @minkyuncutie @maeyoung @carelessshootanonymous @hibernatinghamster @1oving-j4em

please send an ask or comment if you’d like to be added to the tag list! <3

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rosietaeyongswife · 2 years

Text

ain’t shit | lee taeyong

wc| 3k genre| mfia au, fluff, crack synopis| your husband is getting arested. you two were aranged marriage, so you don’t really care about him, or he doesn’t care about you. but money he made was gone, he took everything, when you need them. his friend come home with request from his boss aka. your husband. who knew trip to monks in japan made you realize how much your husband cared for you? warnings| cursing part of popping out casket fresh, looking like a fashion show.

“are you for real kun?” you dropped all things you have been in your hands. “did he leave me some money or?”

“no sorry.” kun bowed. “boss sent me here to take you to prison when he actualy is. he says something about money for you that you will have to get. i don’t think it’s just going to someone to get money, but rather travel a little, knowing our boss.”

you could only stare at your husband’s friend. it must be a joke. you didn’t care at all if your husband was arrested but not having money is what makes you care. known boss of mafia got arrested few days ago. it was funny to you, because you didn’t like him at all, and now you could be free. also, taeyong could only brag about how danegrous he is, and how rich he is. you gueesed it was trauma for his actions.

“i will kill him. as god as my witness, i’ll rip his head out.” you get your things. “take me to this dickhead”

drive to prison wasn’t that long. taeyong was still waiting until court starts, because they are still trying to find more evidence, and police visited you once, but let’s say they haven’t stepped inside even a foot. you knew that they are going to come again with paper, that will let them, but as long as it’s not now, it’s fine.

“you fuckin pieace of shit.” taeyong rolled his eyes. “fuckin dumbass. big boss of nct! look at him. getting arrested, and leaving his wife on ice.

“sit your ass down.” he again rolled his eyes. “it’s not my fault.”

“funny. it’s you who got caught out of 23 people, and look. you’re here dickhead.”

“just shut up already. you know, leaving in priosn isn’t the worst. i got rest i needed from you. it’s so peacful, and better when you’re not around.” he smirked, and you wanted to kill him on the spot. “i got you, huh?”

“i hope you will die here, taeyong.”

“ey, y/n don’t be mean. wouldn’t you miss me?”

“no, i would be glad. just tell me where the money is.”

taeyong looked around, but no ones around. you felt your heart goes faster than before.

“it’s not easy.” you slapped your head. “if you want money, then you have to go all the way to japan. that’s why yuta, and mark with johnny help you. i think they are around some mountains. i guess some monks are taking care of it.”

all you could do was laugh.

“did you really leave money with monks? in some fuckin mountains? in japan?” you could laugh sarcasticaly. “i’m going to kill myself. i’m done.”

“what? they were nice, at least to me. they wouldn’t be problem.”

“wait.” you cut him off. “how much?”

“around 100 thousands dollars. it’s going to be enough for you to survive.” you smiled. “rest of the money is around the world, and you won’t get them.” your smile dropped. “money you will find in japan are only like less than 1% of hidden money i have. you will get acces to them only if i die or if i won’t get out up to three months from now.” he was looking at you with something you couldn’t explain. “i guess i’ll be out in a week or two.”

“it’d be great if you’d stay here forever.”

“ah, i didn’t mention one thing.” he giggled. “as soons as three motnhs would be up, all my enemies would fight for money. they be looking for money, and then would kill you. before they kill you, they would torture you, and god knows what else.” you knew about his enemies, but kind of forget. “believe me, you are safer with me around.”

“yeah. can’t wait until you will be free my dear husband.” fake smile appear on your lips.

“i hate you to the core of my heart.” he sighed. “you have only two days to get money. in saturday they are going to check our home. doyoung took care for permission to take as long as possible. two days y/n. don’t fuck it up.”

“wait. what if two days pass?”

in you head it was only money, but it was clear there is something more, your husband didn’t say.

“police would find something for sure. my people will get into house in woods to clear place, because they still don’t know about this place, but if police get to know. it’s over. they will know most of the things, and you will be left with no money, and i guess someone from seventeen would like to have your head as their trophy.” your face could only show how scared you were. “but don’t worry. my people will have eye on you, i mean they already do. but it’d be hard if another guys would get in line for your head.”

“what the fuck.” you felt tear going down your cheek. “and what do you mean they already do.”

“let’s say i’m just keeping eye on you. and don’t cry. you look awful when you’re crying.”

“asshole.”

kun drove you to nct massion. to say you were stressed was much less than you looked. huge house, huge garden and a lot of expensive cars. you knew they all there, because their boss is locked. kun was by your side, trying to calm you down.

“boss ordered us to take care of her.” you knew this voice, taeil. “we have to.”

“shawty doesn’t do much beside laying in bed whole day. i was there yesterday for five hours, and nothing.”

“isn’t it good lucas? you don’t have to do much.”

“i know jaehyun, but still-”

“good morning.” you steped in. “nice to know i’ve been watched for such a long time, gentlemans. my husband hide money in japan with some monks as you might now. i want to go as fast as possible.” you turned your heard. “yuta, mark and johnny. you’re coming with me.”

three males showed up with small smiles. they knew about you since taeyong brags about you all the time. y/n pissed me off. y/n was mad because i didn’t do laundry. me and y/n fight. they heard it often so they got to know you pretty quickly.

“we will have to arrive at the airport at exactly ten pm.”

“good. we will get the money this fuckin donkey kept from me.”

few members let out giggle because of wife of their boss. you were funny and you weren’t scared of your husband like his members were. well, taeyong was only repeating quotes about respect and how important it is. he learnt his people to respect him which came with fear for example wayv was chinese unit and they didn’t talk that much with taeyong but they also don’t know him at all so they fear him. dream unit was younger guys who were scared of their big hyung who looked scary. you have never known why they are scared when you knew he is soft ball.

also, your marriage was poor deal. your father run weapon factory and his products were the best and none of neos have ever seen something like your dad work. taeyong visited him during spring two years ago. your father respected him so much and treated almost like own son which was mutual because taeyong was always happy with your dad work. but during one of his visits he noticed you. pretty girl standing in a corner looking scared. well, your dad wasn’t so sure of taeyong’s proposition but he gave in and let him marry you. at first you were angry but it faded away since your life became luxurious.

“why did no one told me it’s raining here?”

you asked when you were looking at the mountains and path you are going to go. monks were living exactly at the top of mountains and as you overheard conversation between johnny and mark about walking there will take exactly two hours due to rain.

“we have no idea.” johnny shrugged. “but it’s fine. we have umbrellas.”

“at least.” you smiled. “shall we?”

everyone nodded and go. you weren’t even dressed in comfortable clothes since you didn’t think much about it. meaning mountain you understood you would go by train or something but you were wrong.

yuta looked like the only one who enjoyed it. he was running with happy face while you and mark was dying. johnny was hitting gym everyday so he had good condition but you and mark? out of breath after five minutes, not even kilometer later.

“so how did you and taeyong met?” mark asked while being right next to you. “boss never told us.”

“my dad is owner of weapon factory taeyong buys from. i mean, some dude named lee haechan and moon taeil were the one buying from taeyong’s order. nevermind. he spotted me once and begged my father to let him marry me.” you chuckled. “my father wasn’t really with him but he is like second child to my father and he gave in. thanks to it, taeyong helped my father with business and now he is in top five factories who produce weapon. even few military units buys from him.”

“oh wow.” mark opened his mouth. “i had no clue you’re mr. kim daughter. everyone treat your dad as a grandpa.” both of you laughed along with yuta and johnny. “he literally treat us as his children. johnny when did he ordered few pizzas to us?”

“two weeks ago?” he was thinking. “something like that. your father knew we came from shangai from mission and he ordered pizzas to us. also, he scolded taeyong for not feeding us enough.”

“yes. taeyong was embarrased as hell.” yuta laughed out loud. “your father is really the nicest guy we have ever met. a big part of nct are foreigner and we miss our families while your father and mother are like parents to us.”

“even my mother?” you were shocked because they never mention anything. “what? explain please.”

“taeyong was asking about your family a lot and he got to know your mother was jobless since she didn’t have a lot of qualities or skills to be hired. i guess taeyong went to your house when you weren’t home and he hired her at finance sector and i believe jungwoo and taeil were helping her in it.” mark explained.

“she is like our grandma or mother.” johnny smiled. “she make tea for us and feed us because she said we eat shitty food.”

“that’s mum for sure.”

you didn’t notice when you were teared up. taeyong had never told you anything about your parents or their jobs he made. he was taking care of his members, family, you and your family which cause you to be emotional. this side of taeyong was locked and unknown for you.

“by the way, they always praise you and tell how much they love you.” johnny smiled and others agreed. “they were sorry for your marriage with taeyong but they love you so much and almost everyday during breaks they talk little stories about you.”

“stories?” you raised an eyebrow. “fuck.”

“when you were little.” mark laughed.

“oh no.”

“taeyong is the only one who asked for more.”

“so he isn’t that bad.”

“of course not.” yuta smiled. “he brag about you all the time. he is even excited about smallest things ever and always brag about it too.”

“he keep picture of your wedding in a frame on his deck in his office.”

all the things you heard today was so emotional to you, you almost bursted out crying. taeyong never told you he love your or he really cares for you because most of the time you’re fighting.

“please, make sure he will be out of jail quickly.”

rest of the way went in a sound of laugh and giggles because boys had a lot of stories to tell which made you feel safe and happy? these boys looked nothing like a mob members and it made you think about them and their lifes. their families. they were normal people with different kind of work. they were talking a lot about your husband which helped you in getting to know taeyong. he made good job with them. they were respectful and well educated. also, they told you how older members raised the youngest ones esepcially jisung, chenle, shotaro and sungchan. the last two of them were kind of new in a job and no one treated them badly. they still made sure to raise them well and give them childhood they deserved. few things were banned but for example, they were allowed to go to school since taeyong made their education a emergency.

“i guess we are finally up there.”

“water. i need water.” you mumbled and mark was fast to handle you bottle of water.

“yuta, will you speak to them?”

“yes. but remember to be respectful, not loud and quiet as much as it’s possible.”

younger male went first why three of you went after him. whole sanctuary was white and huge as in movies. people there was looking like a normal people but with white clothes and with buns on their head. also, flowers there were everywhere which lead to big garden at the back of the place. yuta was leading both of you to the garden where monks propably were doing meditation.

“good afternoon.” yuta bowed and rest of you bowed too. “we’re here because of our boss, lee taeyong, orders. my name is yuta nakamoto and i am japanese. here is johnny suh and mark lee whom are my co-workers and taeyong’s members. we are from nct.” guys bowed again. “and lady right here is lee taeyong’s wife and to be exact lee y/n.” you bowed.

“oh my lord.” guy around 70s laughed and smiled so widely it was making you all smile. “mr. lee sent you for money right? i heard he was locked down in prison. aish, it’s so sad and unfortunate since he is such a good person. my people went to visit him and gave him few gifts.” he laughed. “can you tell him i am very thanful for any donation he made?” older man bowed to you with a smile. “he helped us so much and with our work. we’re grateful for everything.”

“of course, i’ll tell him.”

“so, shall we go?”

older man was called akira. akira was like guru of the monks here and evryone bowed to him whenever he passed them. also, akira annouced to everyone that you, lee taeyong’s wife is here with his members. everyone was excited and looked at you since they liked taeyong.

you had no idea taeyong was doing such a good things and everyone loved him. maybe both of you should talk more with each other?

“we’re here. code to small atm is your birthday, mrs. lee.”

you felt butterflies in a stomach. taeyong really wasn’t so bad after all.

“here.”

all the money was in a small suicase. johnny took suitcase because it was too heavy for you to carry and he was gentleman. they would never let you carry suitcase for a whole way.

“my brother, haruto will drive you down.”

“drive?” you asked with raised eyebrows.

“yes.” he smiled. “wait. did you went here on foot?”

akira was laughing loud with other monks by his side. four of you were embarrased because of the way you got there.

“we didn’t know-”

“it’s fine. but we’re not old monks but rather a modern ones. we have this path at the right side of mountains when you can go by motorcycle or small car.” he giggled. “haruto, please take care of them and drive them down carefuly.”

“yes, akira.”

way to home was relaxing because doyoung sent jet for y’all to come to south korea faster and more comfortably. guys were sleeping while you could think about your husband. about his actions you weren’t aware of. or smallest things that made your hearbeat faster. even his apperance. he was hot as hell and many would consider him as a model. to be honest, you had times when you felt butterflies in your stomach but you ignored them since taeyong was cold towards you.

“y/n, jeno with lucas will drive you home.” kun said with smile. “close the doors and wait for taeyong. we have no idea when he will be free.”

“sure, thank you kun.” you bowed to him which surprised him. “thank you guys too.” you aslo bowed at them. “you’re amazing people. i’m grateful my husband helped y’all and make you the way you are.”

jeno and lucas were joking inside the car to raise the mood of everyone. they talked to you but you couldn’t focus at anything. your thoughts were around your husband who was secretly a symbol of good person. besides his work he was really one of the greatest people you have known but line of work was different taeyong.

“wake up.”

voice made you open your eyes and all you could see was face of taeyong looking at you with a soft smile.

“taeyong?” you were surprised. “finally.” you hugged him so strong even taeyong was surprised.

“oh did you miss me?”

“shut up.” you slapped his arm. “what are you doing here? i thought it would take much longer.”

“well, here i am. doyoung and winwin helped me so much. police can’t touch me now.”

“i am so thanful.” you let of breath. “why you didn’t tell me about everything you do? i had to got o know from your memebers. everything. about my father and my mum, monks, raising members, you bragging about me or about our picture on your deck.”

“you have never asked.” he shrugged. “you know, i know it might looks like i don’t care but i do. of course, we fight a lot but secretly i love it. i love it when you raise your voice at me and when you’re mean. it’s entertaining. i didn’t notice when i fell for you but i thought you still hate me so i didn’t say anything about it.”

“damn, taeyong. maybe if you weren’t so cold hearted to me then everything would be fine. you stupid motherfucker, come here.”

you kissed him with force and with emotions you have never knew you had. taeyong deepened the kiss and enjoyed every second of it. no one could count every time he was thinking and dreaming about this moment.

“men ain’t shit. you hide your emotions like a damn cowards and expect women to know everything.” you rolled your eyes and his chuckled.

“you’re right. men ain’t shit but you love me, don’t you?”

“maybe but shut up. i’m not confessing to you right now.”

“so am i.”

your husband was petty but you loved this about him.

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mcdonaldsnumberone · 2 years

Text

나야 나!

produce 101/idol au hcs

these r really rudimentary thoughts so . do what u will with them

rin does Not give a fuck about fanservice. he’s the type of edgy contestant that stares at the camera and goes “watch me,” and his fans eat that shit up.

producers will be BEGGING this boy to smile and do some finger hearts at the camera, and he grimaces instead saying smth like “why do i need cheap tricks to show my skill as an entertainer?” MF UR ON AN IDOL SURVIVAL SHOW

otoya, on the other hand, lives to suck up to his fans. always stops in the middle of going from place to place to sign people’s banners, phones, fans, etc… it takes him forever to get from one place to another because of that

he also strikes me as the kind of guy who has all the tea abt everyone in the idol industry?? if u ever upset him, you better pray that otoya doesn’t call up blue lock’s version of dispatch the moment he gets a second alone. bllk! dispatch wld be out of business if it wasnt for him feeding them crumbs of idol drama 💀

bachira is the idol that’s constantly spamming social media. it’ll be 3 am in the morning, and everyone’s notifications are going ham because he’s posting shit like “my guts are baja blasting 🤪🤪🤪” while going through his post-taco bell poop.

at the same time though, he’s probably the one that’s the most “genuine” on camera? he does whatever he wants, so he doesn’t feel a need to fake a parasocial relationship with fans or craft a work persona. this is both a managerial nightmare and a dream-come-true, but we fuck w it here

i also think bachira wld be a dancer btw

nagi livestreams all his gaming sessions. sometimes he’ll set up an among us room to play with his fans (cough nct taeyong cough). he falls asleep all the time whenever he isn’t actively performing, so fans will sometimes play “where’s waldo” with nagi whenever another member is filming stuff backstage.

he’s also RIPPED so like people will sometimes ask him to show his abs and he’ll be like :X before yanking his shirt up. he doesn’t get why people ogle over him, but hey, it gets his bills paid so who is he to complain

karasu’s a rapper. i think the visual of him leaning back in his studio while working on songs is sooooooo hot. bonus points if we get pictures of his hands n stuff

ok i Know rin technically is the first place and leader of bllk eleven, but for some reason, karasu gives me leader vibes? he’s trying to round all the boys up while they’re doing dumb shit and hes standing there like 🧍 mamas i do not get paid enough for this

hiori joins nagi in on gaming. he livestreamed him dying his hair once. it was just him, god, and his truckload of fans in a cramped ass bathroom while he wrapped his head in foil and sat on top of the toilet.

he’s also the one that gets the brightass neon hair each comeback. u know the song’s abt to slap when hiori shows up looking like the froot loops mascot 🗿

chigiri’s sister won’t quit airing out chigiri’s dirty laundry, and it drives him insane. it also drives him crazy when people thirst after his sister. also i think his fancams wld go the most viral just bc he’s very pretty, and i think he’d be fairly reasonable with fanservice

although he does get pretty snappy sometimes, so it’s a delicate balance finding what he’s in the mood for. the hair stylists love dressing him up since he’s one of the less fussy members (thanks to how much his sister used to dress him up when he was younger)

one out of the two visuals of the group (the other being aryu)

aryu practices english with his fans! he’ll attempt interviews, posts, and livestreams entirely in english to learn, and he’ll do his best to correct his mistakes :) everyone’s very supportive of him, even when he’s rambling about his latest hair styling tips in broken english and bits of japanese

also because he’s so fucking tall, he solos everyone whenever those idol sports competitions come around. his long limbs are lethal, and people will thirstpost about him violently. he’s also very fashion-forward, so he collaborates often with the styling team about the group’s concepts and outfits!

ISAGI’S THE MEOWMEOW OF THE GROUP!! he’s trying his hardest and always delivers. he’s also down horrendous for whatever noel noa is as an idol, and he’s practically begging for a collaboration every other tweet. poor boy nearly shits his pants whenever he sees noa at an awards shows or other big events

i’d also love to see him star as an mc on music shows?? he gives off the perfect zealous yet cutesy vibes to pull that off. he’s the perfect level of awkward to be endearing, and he’s always invited back because of how polite and hardworking he is :] he also def has a lot of gap moe between his self as an absolutely fucking feral performer who rips up the stage versus him being Just A Dude offstage

reo was a trainee w nagi! he practices by doing covers of other idols’ works (im trying rlly hard to incorporate his chameleon thing into the idolverse ok), and he’s really touched when trainees do covers of his songs and dances too! it shows him how far he’s come :]

he ties his hair up a lot, so fans beg him constantly to put it down! id like to think nagi once caught him on a livestream fresh out of a shower w nothing but a towel around his waist, and people went fucking NUTS over 1) seeing reo half naked all drenched w water and 2) finally seeing him without his little bun

reo is also a dancer in my heart (i am never wrong btw <3)

omg cld u imagine all the cute names u cld give to barou’s fans? the king and his loyal kingdom :] people also wld kill to see his hair down and ungelled, but he doesn’t like it bc it feels unruly so there’s some beef between his management and him over that

he got wrestled into a maid outfit once, but people loved it so much it became a key moment for the group. he doesnt mind it as much as people thought he would, but definitely wld prefer to dress up in other costumes for once. barou’s also an extremely talented performer, often shining the most when he gets solo performances over group collaborative ones.

niko is literally junji from onlyoneof 🧍he also strikes me as the kind of guy to rock eboy fashion? he absolutely eats up any dark concepts!! he kinda detests cute concepts, but unlike rin (who’ll throw hands w his management), niko kinda learns to grin and bear it

niko also composes his own songs! he’s a very self-made idol, and he’ll treat his fans to a snippet of his latest project every now and then (this is me trying to incorporate his special skills but idol version pt 2)! he’ll lock himself in his room for days on end during off seasons to compose, only coming out to use the bathroom and eat at ungodly hours. other members sometimes drop by to bring him snacks and water

gagamaru’s a lil . unhinged to say the least . he does mukbang streams every once in a while, and it gives his management a stroke when it goes viral because he ate everything using his hands. he’s getting good at using utensils regularly, but hey, if his fans wanna see him stuffing his face in the way that makes him happiest, then who is he to upset them?

gagamaru also solos everything on idol sports shows. whenever he’s on one of those wilderness survival shows, he comes back out looking just the same as he did going in, if not better. he’s also so flexible that it drives every dancer in the industry green with jealous that they can’t control their body like he does. he’s still very sweet and humble though, so no one can really hate him since he’s just a big hunky goofball that does what he wants :]

YUKIMIYA KPOPS GEM YUKIMIYA KPOPS IT BOY YUKIMIYA OUTSOLD YOUR FAVES

ok fr tho yukimiya still keeps up with his modeling on the side (kinda hc to be a model-turned-idol), so he sneaks in a lot of his sponsors’ clothes into his idol outfits! those kpop fashion accounts are always scrambling to identify the clothes he’s wearing

he also has one hell of a gap between performing and being off stage, and he’s so goddamn charismatic that it feels like he’s a completely different person when he’s on stage. like he’ll be all smiley and sweet, and then he’ll go fucking feral just like isagi that it’s hard to believe he’s normally a soft-spoken gentleman whenever the cameras aren’t on him.

ok now that ive talked abt the bllk eleven, extra hcs of idol au bllk that werent part of the main team

aiku gets into so many dating scandals that they dont even feel like a scandal anymore. everyone wakes up and is like “oh this is who he was fucking w this time” and moves on. good for him ig? at least he’s free on that end

sendou gets nervous talking to girl groups. he’s also really generous w fanservice and does gravure photoshoot bc he knows what its like to be a fan of them. good for him good for him!! go feed ur fans!!

sae def placed first on a previous season of bllk produce 101, which got rin inspired to become an idol. imagine the tension at awards shows OOF 💀 or the questions people post abt the brothers potentially collaborating for a comeback. sae also hates fanservice, but he goes out of his way to shut that shit down

kaiser is kpop’s ace!! there is nothing this bitch can’t do! he also refuses to cover up his tattoo and shows it off whenever he gets the chance. talks about wanting to get more in the future, but his management’s successfully keeping him restrained… for now.

ness wld be disturbingly good at cute concepts… it’s crazy how easily he can get people to fall for him with his easygoing charm, but the second people start talking smack abt smth he likes, he turns murderous. it’s always the adorable ones you need to watch out for. sometimes fans admit to liking him more than kaiser which usually throws him for a loop.

speaking of concepts, shidou devours dark concepts too! i feel like he’d make one hell of a vocalist, and he’s constantly hounding sae for a collab together. even his regular clothes are striking enough to be confused for a stage outfit, and he takes a lot of pride in keeping up his demonic aura (even though he lives for the thrill of performing more than anything else)

kunigami gives off such husband material vibes. baby gets invited to shows where he babysits kids, cares for pets, etc and everyone just ends up falling more in love with him. he’s so respectful about turning people down too like goddamn how is this boy real

nanase is 100% the maknae of the group. bonus points if he originally came from a nugu group that rose to a fair amt of popularity, and now he’s starstruck that he gets to interact w idols that he looked up to for so long

ego def used to be an idol before retiring and becoming a manager/head honcho behind blue lock’s produce 101. he hates the artificiality of idols and pushes the boys to become their own version of what they expect an idol to be like. hes also insane in this au too

anri is one of the biggest managers of the produce project! she’s the one behind the scenes, setting everything up! the boys are extremely grateful towards her, and she even has her own dedicated fanbase!

tokimitsu has bad stage fright, and his fans do their best to support him! they encourage him to do what makes him comfortable, and he promises to work hard to not let them down. he has one of (if not, the) strongest bond with his fans, and their interactions are super wholesome.

buratsuta is like jyp. hope this makes sense <3

check out this sick edit of bllk produce btw

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ambivartence · 1 month

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tagged by @dkbtho @lee-minhoe and @we-survive-endlessly to post my April receiptify :)

clearly had the bonedo comeback on loop lmao but besides their album i really enjoyed doyoung's solo album, riize's ep, skz recent jp ost WHY?, the kiss of life cb, and still loving the nct dream and xikers albums :) but mostly earth wind and fire !

tagging (no obligation ofc): @flaredpantsagenda @jcebeom @kimuramasaya @leetaehwan @llunapastell @lovely-quarterlife-crisis @neonun-au @peachjaem00 @senor-hoberto @sunminshine @xiaojuun

#tag game #song recs #im super excited for the rest of the zb1 album!!!#also still listening to txt's deja vu and i'll see u there tomorrow

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misswoozi · 3 months

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✨ empty inbox! ✨

Bring me your best fictional discourse — SFW or NSFW! The groups and idols that I write for are listed in my pinned post (along with some basic rules!)

Need a little inspiration to get the creative juices flowing? I've got you covered! Here are some common types of ask I find in my inbox.

🍐 MTLs (ex. "Who in Twice is MTL likely to catch feelings for a FWB?")

🍊 Rating questions (ex. "Rate ATEEZ's kissing game out of 10."

🍒 Kink questions (ex. "What would Taeyeon/Seohyun be into?)

🍋 Compatibility questions (ex. "Who in Day6 is most compatabile with Kyungsoo?")

🥝 AU questions (ex. "Which NCT Dream ship best fits an Avatar the Last Airbender AU?")

🍓 Idol Would You Rather questions (ex. "Would Seungcheol rather tease his partner in public or be teased by his partner?)

🍌 Top 5's (ex. "Who are the top 5 idols who take the most artsy/aesthetic nudes?")

🥥 Cross-ship questions (ex. "Would Mina be compatible with Beomgyu?")

🍑 General discourse (ex. "Which idol would make the best zombie apocalypse survival partner?")

#twice smut #ateez smut #day6 smut #exo smut #nct smut #nct 127 smut #nct dream smut #seventeen smut #exid smut #mamamoo smut #gfriend smut #snsd smut #shinee smut #txt smut

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kjmsupremacist · 2 years

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be like the love that discovers the sin (lover, be good to me) (jaehyun/mark)

When a child comes of age, they are brought to the temple of the gods and offered up for pleasure. Some are chosen and their lives are blessed. Some die. Some are not chosen at all. Today, it’s Jaehyun’s ceremony.

(working title: Hello, I'm Coming Out As A Certified Jaehyun Fucker)

Characters: Jaehyun, Mark, other members of nct

Genre: oneshot, smut, fantasy au, gods & goddesses

Warnings: major character death, mild violence, religion

Rating: Explicit

Length: 15.4k

Hello! For my longtime readers, I extend a quick and informal apology here for my sudden and long absence. I wanted to keep writing through the hard times, but the times got too hard and I had to divert all my energy to survival instead. Luckily, I survived! I am doing much much better now, and come back to you with a dozen new ideas and some rapid-fire updates. Keep an eye out :) much more to come from me, very soon.

Also, I apologize kind of for the life this work has taken… it was meant to be something short and horny and it is decidedly not short and more than just horny. Um. Oops.

The traditions had faded from popular fashion before Jaehyun was born. Out in the bigger townships, and even the medium-sized settlements, most people turned to other practices of piety years ago. But Jaehyun was born into a tiny village surrounded by acres of nothing, and there, traditions lingered.

It was never strange to him; he knew from the day he was old enough to comprehend something as wild and untouchable as the gods that one day, it would be his turn. When he came of age, he would be washed and dressed and made as perfect as he could be, and then taken to a sacred altar in the moonlight where he would be presented as an offering to the gods.

There was no way to know how the gods might react to each offering. The ideal outcome was a ravishment, but it happened only about half the time. A god would take to the human offering and bestow a coupling upon them. This showed the god’s favor, and if the offered human survived the ceremony, they would be blessed forever by that god.

Frequently, though, the offering would not survive it. The gods were strong and immortal, and a human body sometimes was too weak to withstand such an encounter. Other times, more than one god would appear, and the offering might be killed in the crossfire. Often, no god would appear at all, the sign of an ordinary life full of ordinary miseries, and nothing more.

Only those who had already undergone the ritual were permitted to attend, so no one knew what exactly to expect going into their own. Every teenager spent every day leading up to their twentieth birthday wondering what their ceremony would be like. Would they be chosen by a god? Which one? How would it feel? What would their life be like if they survived it?

Some were pleased with their match. When Jaehyun asked his friend Johnny what his ceremony was like, Johnny smiled, starry-eyed and dreamy. “It was like nothing else I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “It hurt. Everywhere, I could feel him everywhere.”

Johnny had been chosen by Yuta, the god of sex and love and beauty. Subsequently, all the boys and girls threw themselves at Johnny day and night ever since his ceremony. Those who survived always bore the mark of their god, and Johnny was undeniably beautiful.

Others found their god somewhat insulting. Ten, whose ceremony had occurred only a year before Jaehyun’s was set, had been chosen by Kun, the god of wisdom and courage.

“I’m not wise,” Ten spat. “Who needs wisdom?”

“You do have a certain wit,” Taeyong, another one of Yuta’s picks, wheedled. “Maybe that’s what it’s for.”

“Maybe he was so exasperated with your complete lack of wisdom he couldn’t stand to pass up the opportunity to put a little wisdom in you,” Doyoung suggested drily.

“I suppose that’s why you weren’t chosen at all, then?” Ten snapped. “You were already perfect?”

“Stop it,” Jaehyun complained softly before Doyoung could retaliate, and they did.

Jaehyun was the only child born in his year, so his ceremony would be the only one before a long stretch of quiet months. Usually, only certain religious officials and maybe the friends or partners of the offering would attend a ceremony, the rest of their loved ones choosing to spend the time preparing for their return, drawing up hot baths and making a soft bed; the rest of the village only faintly interested in hearing of the results. But because Jaehyun’s ritual would be the last until the new year, he had a feeling it would be a lot less intimate.

He tried not to think about it much. Wondering wouldn’t change his fate. He knew this. He was born a certain way, raised a certain way, and grew into the person he was now. Fretting over who might choose him, if any would at all, wasn’t going to make a change at so late an hour. Neither would praying, though he did this anyway to appease his parents.

But just because Jaehyun didn’t want to spend his time speculating didn’t mean no one else did. Everyone seemed to have an opinion. Many seemed to think Jaehyun would also be chosen by Yuta, for his good looks and his love of pretty things. Others thought it might be Donghyuck, the god of the sun, his warmth drawn to Jaehyun’s cold beauty, or else Taeil, the god of the moon, for Jaehyun’s delicate spirit. Jaehyun would nod at each suggestion, would say, “Perhaps, maybe,” but he didn’t think any of them were right. He couldn’t imagine the touch of those gods, so powerful and strange.

“Who do you think it will be?” people would always ask when they were finished spouting their own theories.

“I don’t know,” Jaehyun would reply, though he did have a faint inkling. “I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.”

Mostly, Jaehyun tried to keep his mind occupied. He read his books, practiced his music. He went for walks in the woods nearby, collected flowers and herbs to press the color out of for paints. He found himself fretting so quietly he hardly even noticed it, except for when the world was hushed and still around him and his hands and mind weren’t busy. Like so many before him, Jaehyun wanted so badly to be chosen by a god, to be proven worthy. Like so many before him, he’d spent his whole life wondering if he was good enough. Like so many before him, he was afraid to die.

But the days marched forward, and soon his birthday arrived, swift and merciless as the gods waiting for him. He woke to weak winter light and his mother hovering in the doorway, one hand holding the doorknob, the other resting almost absently over her heart. A strange sort of panic reared in his stomach.

“Happy birthday,” she said quietly when she saw his eyes were open. “Come get something to eat.”

Jaehyun did not want to eat. He wanted to curl into a ball under his blankets and cling to his childhood and never enter the holy house with their stark stone floors and sacrificial altars. He wanted to walk into the woods and never return. Whatever glory he might win from a successful ceremony was not worth this kind of fear, the kind that pressed at his throat and made it hard for him to breathe.

But that was not the way of things. Jaehyun was born into a tiny village surrounded by acres of nothing, and where tradition lingered, it doled out demands.

So Jaehyun rose, made his bed, and followed his mother into their kitchen. He ate his breakfast quietly, broth with a baby chicken stuffed with rice, something that would stick with him for the rest of the day and give him strength. When he was finished, his mother took his bowl, wordless, and passed him off to his father to help him get dressed.

It wouldn’t matter, anyway; when Jaehyun went to the temple of the gods this afternoon, he would be stripped and bathed in the finest hot spring water, prepped and primped and presented to the gods the same way the gods presented him to the world: bare and shaking.

Still, tradition doled out demands, and one was for respect. Jaehyun would dress in his finest things and present himself first to the priests and the shamans with humility and deference. He would be clean and pious and he would go quiet and willing.

His friends had gathered outside his house by the time his parents had deemed him acceptable. The sun was high in the sky. No one spoke; Johnny smoothed a piece of his hair and Taeyong took his hand. Ten ran his fingers down Jaehyun’s back. Doyoung nodded once and turned to lead them down the road and into the village. The older boys knew what was waiting for him, and they would guide him to it as gently as they could.

“Jaehyun!” A voice, high and shaking still with youth. Jaehyun turned; it was Jungwoo, one year younger than him and big eyes round with worry. He would stay home today, as would all the other children. Another one of tradition’s demands. No one under the age of twenty would step foot into the village today.

Jungwoo brushed past the boys and wrapped his arms around Jaehyun’s middle, crushing his clothes between their bodies as he tilted forward into an embrace. Jaehyun let him, closing his eyes.

“I will see you tomorrow,” Jungwoo said as he pulled away. His face was serious. He said it like a command. Without waiting for a response, he turned and ran, fleeing back into his house.

Jaehyun smoothed the wrinkles the younger boy had left behind, and resumed his walk to the temple. The other boys still said nothing, but Jaehyun could hear them breathe, the quick pattern of fear, in-out, in-out.

No one else was in the streets; even the market was quiet and empty. It was always like this on ceremony days, but Jaehyun had never been out to experience it. The silence pressed in on him from all sides, and though he could see no one but his friends and his parents, he could feel eyes watching him from every window.

A priestess was waiting for him at the doors of the temple. His friends fell away, and his parents followed him up the steps. The family bowed to the priestess, and then Jaehyun’s mother spoke.

“I present my only child, Jung Jaehyun, on his twentieth birthday, as an offering to the gods. May one of them be pleased.”

“Thank you for your sacrifice,” the priestess replied, voice smooth and gentle. She held out a soft hand to Jaehyun; Jaehyun took it. “As ever, his fate is with the gods.”

Though Jaehyun did not turn to watch, he could feel his parents retreating behind him as the priestess led him inside the cool dark of the temple. They would return home, he knew. They would not attend his ceremony; most parents did not, unable and unwilling to watch their child as they were taken and claimed; or worse, killed; or worse even still, ignored. His mother would cook far too much food and his father would work with his hands, likely splitting wood in the backyard, and both of them would try not to think of blood.

They would think of it anyway.

“Come, child,” the priestess called, and Jaehyun realized he was falling behind. “We have much to do to prepare for your meeting with the gods.”

Jaehyun was led past the altar. Even now, with the afternoon sun still shining in through the windows, the whiteness of the marble was nearly blinding in its brightness. It seemed to throw the rest of the room into shadow for its splendor, rich and pure and clean in comparison to the dusty wood and stone. Jaehyun’s eyes stuck to it, hungry for even a glimpse of the future, but it revealed nothing. He was pulled into a back room and he saw no more. The priestess led him through a maze of hallways and down stairs until he could smell the heat and sulfur of the springs.

She passed him off to a team of older priests waiting in an auxiliary chamber. They pulled his clothes off with delicate fingers, wordless and practiced. Jaehyun stood still and obedient, trying not to flinch in embarrassment as the last of his garments was removed and he was left naked in the center of the room. He did not have to stand long; they brought him into another room and there was a steaming pool of spring water. They helped Jaehyun up to the ledge and let him slip into it.

Jaehyun sank down, grateful for the warmth and the cover of the milky water, but the hands followed. They scrubbed him clean, not too painfully, but enough to leave his skin raw and stinging. They washed his hair, and then cut it, removing unruly pieces until it lay neat around his head.

The priests brought him from the spring to yet another room, wrapped him in soft cloths and patted him dry, then lay him out and rubbed earthy-scented oils into his skin. Jaehyun could pick out some of them—lavender, bergamot, cedar, sage. Others were unfamiliar, the smell coiling in his nostrils and lingering there.

Hours had passed. Jaehyun could only assume the sun was already setting. It was winter, after all, the days short and dim. As the last of the oil was smoothed into his elbows, his knees, his heels, the air seemed to change. It felt as though the world was holding its breath.

Presently, the same priestess who had greeted him reappeared in the doorway holding a simple white robe. “So you do not shiver all the way up to the altar,” she explained softly when Jaehyun gave her a strange look. “It is time.”

She helped Jaehyun into the robe. He bowed to the priests that had prepared him, and then followed her down the passageway, back up the stairs, and out into the main hall where the altar waited.

Spectators had already gathered. Jaehyun could hardly see them; candles illuminated the altar and left the rest of the room in murky darkness, but he could feel the press of the bodies, could hear the muffled rustling. It was as he had predicted. Many people had come to witness his ceremony, many people he did not know, eager for the chance to see the gods one last time before the long year ahead. The High Priest was the only one whose face Jaehyun could make out, and he let his feet take him to the outstretched hand.

The High Priest took off his robe for him, then stepped aside and gestured for Jaehyun to climb up the altar. Jaehyun’s legs shook as he ascended the few short steps, padding to the center and turning to face forward before lowering himself to his knees and ducking his head, his hands resting on the tops of his thighs. He cast a furtive look around himself. There was nothing to cushion his body, only cold white marble. He saw a few vials of what he presumed to be oils for lubrication sitting off to one side. There was that, at least.

“Jung Jaehyun has reached his twentieth birthday. He is now presented to the gods as an offering.” The High Priest’s voice seemed to bounce off the walls, the echoes ringing in Jaehyun’s ears. “May the gods know our gratitude. May he please them.”

“May he please them.” The murmur rose from the crowd, something learned and secret. Jaehyun tried not to shiver, but he could not help the tremors that ran through his body.

There was silence. It had been that way all day, a stillness, an anticipation. But now the silence seemed to be alive—malicious, almost, huge and terrible.

And then—a flash of light so bright Jaehyun’s eyes watered, and with it, the smell of drying paper, and a warm hand on Jaehyun’s cheek. Jaehyun blinked the tears of shock away as terror washed through him, and dared to look up.

The eyes that looked back at him were wide and intelligent, brown like his own. The cheekbones, sharp even in their boyishness. The lips, soft and sweet as they moved in the shape of Jaehyun’s name. This was not a god any of Jaehyun’s friends had mentioned.

But it was a god Jaehyun knew.

“Yes,” the god whispered. “You know me. Your hands know my touch. Jaehyun.”

Relief ran through Jaehyun’s body, abating the fear at least momentarily. He held himself taut, but the god was right. He knew this touch, had known it his whole life. He had felt these hands guiding him as he worked, as he played his instruments, as he sang, as he drew. Of course. It could be no other.

“Jung Jaehyun.” The god raised his voice for the whole temple to hear. “I, Mark, god of culture and the arts, claim you.”

And then—then, Jaehyun was being kissed, sweetly and fiercely, and he could hold himself up no longer. He sagged into the god’s arms, his relief making him weak. But Mark’s arms were strong, and he held him easily, tipping him back as he licked into Jaehyun’s mouth. Staking a claim, just as he said.

Jaehyun felt his back hit the cold stone of the floor and gasped. It broke the kiss, and Jaehyun’s eyes flew open, worried he had offended Mark. But Mark was only looking back with an intent sort of curiosity. His hand was still on Jaehyun’s cheek. He was naked, too, Jaehyun realized belatedly. He didn’t know why he was surprised. Everyone knew why Mark had come, what he was here to do.

Mark nudged Jaehyun’s legs open, and Jaehyun let them fall apart. He couldn’t look away from Mark’s face, the beautiful line of his jaw, the way a strand of hair fell into his forehead, the way his eyes almost seemed to glow. There was power in him, certainly, but it hummed soft under the surface. Still, terror clutched at Jaehyun’s chest. Just because this god’s strength was not so overt did not mean there was nothing to fear. He imagined Mark’s hands crushing the bones of his wrists. He could grind Jaehyun to dust between his palms if he wanted, and Jaehyun would not be able to stop him. Jaehyun noted with some kind of dull surprise that while this thought conjured alarm, it also conjured something else—something sweeter and darker, something that burned in the pit of his belly. He felt his ears go red, the heat of it seeming to pulse through him.

Mark’s lips found Jaehyun’s chest, his stomach. He stroked Jaehyun’s cheek with his thumb; Jaehyun wasn’t even sure he was quite aware of the movement, but found it comforting nonetheless. Though he could still feel all the eyes raking over their bodies, a mixture of awe and harsh scrutiny, it was Mark’s thumb moving across his cheek that instilled an air of intimacy. Yes, the village watched, as did the other gods, Jaehyun was sure, out of sight. But the circle of light contained only Mark and Jaehyun, a god and the mortal he had chosen, and it was for them alone.

One of the vials had found its way into Mark’s hand. Maybe he had summoned it; Jaehyun wasn’t sure. Mark sat back on his heels, eyes so focused, dark eyelashes casting shadows over his perfect cheeks. Jaehyun chased his touch as Mark pulled the hand from his face, and Mark blinked up at him, surprise and something Jaehyun had to categorize as amusement flickering behind his eyes. There was so much in the way of it, though—Jaehyun barely saw a glimpse before Mark’s face became wholly inscrutable again.

Mark regarded him, placid, as he slicked up a finger. “It will hurt,” he said quietly. Not an apology. Not even a warning, really, just a statement. Jaehyun nodded mutely. “You know, of course.”

Jaehyun knew. He had been told it would, not just by Johnny. It was a sacrifice, giving up his body for the gods. Jaehyun had never thought much of it beyond flat acceptance, had never been particularly pious, but now—now, he found he wanted it, hoped it would hurt, just so he could withstand it, just so he could show his devotion.

Mark pressed a finger against his entrance, sinking in slowly. Jaehyun gasped; he scrabbled weakly against the marble without meaning to, instinct telling him to escape the discomfort. But Mark held him down at the hips, and Jaehyun’s feeble attempts to writhe away were entirely fruitless. Mark did not apologize and he did not stop. The terror lunged up Jaehyun’s throat in a great wave, his breath coming shallow and fast.

“Please,” he choked out. “Please, I c-can’t—”

“Shh,” Mark whispered. To his credit, he slowed nearly to a stop, eyes flicking up to Jaehyun’s face. “It won’t hurt for long. Be patient. It will help if you relax.”

Jaehyun shook, squeezing his eyes closed and trying to forget that there were dozens of people watching. What would happen if he couldn’t take even one finger? Would Mark proceed anyway, tear him open, leave him raw and bleeding and broken? Or would he lose interest, grow impatient, and kill Jaehyun in his frustration? Shame welled up in Jaehyun’s belly, and he realized what he feared more was not his own death, but Mark’s disappointment.

He fought to control his breath, drawing an exhale in as deep as he could and forcing himself to expel the air slowly. He had been chosen by a god. Now he would show everyone—himself included—why he had been chosen. Another breath, longer and steadier than the last, again and again until his heart rate had slowed and the terror no longer clawed at the back of his throat.

“Good,” Mark murmured, and Jaehyun’s next exhale came out with some of his voice attached. “That’s it, just a little more.”

Jaehyun blinked his eyes open and realized his vision was blurry with unshed tears. He brought a hand to his face and swiped them away so he could see. Mark was still bent over him, eyebrows creased in focus. At last, Jaehyun felt the junction between one finger and the next against his skin. Mark pet down his side, palms so soft, touch light and soothing. Jaehyun settled against the marble as the pain ebbed, turning from a sharp burning to a softer sort of ache.

Mark moved his finger and the pain came back. Jaehyun grit his teeth, forgetting the lesson he had just learned. The panic returned, too; if Jaehyun could not take even one finger, how was he supposed to take anything else? What if it did kill him?

“Relax,” Mark hissed out, grip solidifying on Jaehyun’s hip again. Jaehyun whimpered, too caught in his fear to listen, trying to pull away. “Jaehyun.” He heard his name and stilled, panting softly.

“Sorry,” he gasped, struggling to focus on Mark’s face. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I—I’m trying.”

“I know,” Mark said. There was no anger there; instead, something rich and mysterious and unknown to Jaehyun. Mark pulled his finger out and then worked it back in again, and Jaehyun forced his terror down and willed his tears away and waited. It won’t hurt for long. He knew pleasure would come next, but it seemed impossible. All he had was a stinging ache and a foreign sort of sensation along with it, and the dregs of terror still . He didn’t know how pleasure could be made from that.

Steadily, though, the pain dulled, and Mark was able to move his finger faster, meeting less resistance as the slick of the oil spread inside Jaehyun. Quiet wet noises rose up from between Jaehyun’s thighs and he remembered again his embarrassment, his audience in the darkened shadows beyond the altar. He imagined the flush of his cheeks, the way the light would catch the sweat beading along his hairline. He couldn’t imagine how the villagers would react. Did they think him pathetic? Wouldn’t gods normally be harsher than this? Was he simply weak?

Mark squeezed in a second finger beside the first and Jaehyun had to swallow a noise of surprise. The stretch was not as bad as the first, or maybe Jaehyun was just growing used to it. Mark pushed both fingers in, careful still but not too slow. He shouldn’t be. He was here to collect a reward. Jaehyun’s comfort was not important. Another wave of heat coursed through Jaehyun’s body at the thought. Maybe the pleasure was from this—being used for a god’s pleasure. Maybe Jaehyun would catch it, like a cough, or it would catch him, like a hungry flame licking at dry wood.

And then, Mark curled his fingers inside Jaehyun, and Jaehyun’s eyes rolled back in his head. “Oh, oh,” he gasped, pain forgotten or else blended so carefully into this new feeling, this desire sweet and hot like poison in his stomach, that he could not tell the difference. Mark stroked over the spot again, humming out a soft noise of satisfaction when Jaehyun let out a quiet moan.

“There,” Mark whispered, just for Jaehyun to hear. “I told you, patience. You’ll open up for me now, won’t you?”

“Yes, yes,” Jaehyun managed. He felt his cock twitch against his stomach and realized wetness had gathered at the tip. Mark twisted his wrist, pressing at Jaehyun’s walls, and it hurt, but it also felt good, and now Jaehyun understood. He let his legs fall open wider, silently begging for—what, he didn’t quite know. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to take another finger, but he didn’t care. If he bled, he bled. Tomorrow he could rest. Tomorrow Mark would be gone.

The god seemed to share his impatience. As soon as the swell of Mark’s knuckles no longer caught on Jaehyun’s rim, he pushed a third finger in. He was ready for it this time, mind and body adjusting quick and violent to something new. Jaehyun found he was rolling his hips, trying to meet Mark’s fingers, trying to get him deeper, trying to make Mark give him more. Mark kept a steady pace despite this, and when Jaehyun caught his eye, he thought he saw a satisfied glint there, something self-assured and pleased.

“Good,” Mark repeated softly, and Jaehyun couldn’t help it; he whined as more precome dribbled out onto his stomach.

Now that the pain was behind him and the pleasure had settled over Jaehyun’s body like a heavy blanket, he could almost laugh at how scared he had been. How had he thought he wouldn’t be able to take it? When it felt this good? He let his gaze travel from Mark’s face down his body—the wide shoulders, the sturdy chest, the small waist, all hardened by lean muscle; then lower still, where the shadows obscured what Jaehyun really wanted.

“Please,” he whispered. “I’m ready, please.”

“One more,” Mark muttered, and Jaehyun felt him forcing his pinky in beside the other three. Jaehyun nodded fiercely. One more, he could take one more if it meant he was closer to taking Mark’s cock. Mark curled his fingers with every stroke and the heat built and built inside Jaehyun until it threatened to consume him. Jaehyun realized hazily that through his fear and surprise and now heady pleasure, he hadn’t noticed how close he’d gotten. And now he could feel himself teetering on the edge, but Mark hadn’t even really begun. Would Mark be angry if he came? He had not said he could not. Still, it seemed wrong, for Mark to be the only one doing any work and the only one not getting anything out of it.

Mark must have been able to tell. He leaned forward, hand leaving Jaehyun’s waist. Mark planted his hand on the marble next to Jaehyun’s shoulder, hovering over him. He dipped his head and kissed him, tongue-first and a little messy. And Jaehyun couldn’t help it. “Sorry, ‘m sorry, ‘m gonna,” he tried to mumble against Mark’s lips, but it didn’t come out very clearly. It was too late, anyway; he was coming, his body wracked by the waves of pleasure that washed over him, release spattering across his stomach and chest, hot and sticky.

Mark didn’t pull away; instead, he kissed him through his orgasm, teeth snagging on his lower lip, a soft growl rumbling in the back of his throat as Jaehyun gasped and moaned. When Jaehyun collapsed at last, boneless, against the marble, Mark finally broke the kiss, pushing away, sitting back on his heels.

“Now you’re ready,” he said quietly, pulling his fingers out. He gripped Jaehyun’s hips and then lifted him, flipped him over. Jaehyun flailed for a moment before righting himself, palms slapping against the cold stone just in time to prevent his forehead from cracking against it instead. Mark pressed a hand in between his shoulderblades, pushing him down while his other hand stayed fixed on his hip, forcing Jaehyun to rest his cheek on the altar and arch back, to expose himself to Mark.

Jaehyun realized now how quiet the room had become. Before, there was faint rustling from the onlookers, whispers passed amongst the crowd. It had faded into the background of his mind, but now there was absolute silence. Jaehyun almost felt compelled to hold his breath in order to not disturb it.

He wished he had held his breath. Because one moment all he could hear was the soft noises of Mark preparing himself behind him, and the next, the head of his cock was pressed to Jaehyun’s entrance, and Jaehyun let out an embarrassing moan before he could stop himself, loud and needy. Mark sank in, unperturbed, curling over Jaehyun’s body as he pressed in deeper. Jaehyun could feel the warmth of his body against his back. How smooth his skin, how soft. Jaehyun let his eyes flutter shut as Mark bottomed out, and suddenly, his embarrassment was gone. It wasn’t important, what the spectators might think. They had not been chosen by this god, would not be able to please him the way Jaehyun would. He could feel how hard Mark was inside him, and that was all that mattered.

Mark did not give him much time to adjust. He drew his hips back and then snapped them forward again. Jaehyun’s cheek bumped against the marble from the force of it. He hardly felt the pain, too sensitive still from his orgasm to feel anything other than the creeping overstimulation.

Mark leaned closer, dropping to his elbows, arms caging Jaehyun’s head on either side. Jaehyun felt lips against the back of his neck, and he trembled. He knew his only role was to take it, but he wanted to do more than that. He tried to think back to anyone else who might have been chosen by Mark, who might have let something slip about what he liked, what he didn’t like, how to best please him. He realized with a jolt of trepidation that no one in his memory had ever been chosen by Mark.

A hand in his hair, nails scraping against his scalp; Mark made a fist and pulled Jaehyun’s head back, forcing him to turn his neck until his right ear was against the cold floor of the altar instead of his cheek. Jaehyun could feel the whisper of his breath fanning across his cheek. “Stop worrying,” Mark murmured. “You were made for me, and now you are mine. You’re doing well.”

“Mark,” Jaehyun slurred softly, tears pricking at his eyes. Like so many before him, he’d spent his whole life wondering if he was good enough. Now, here, with Mark rocking inside him, with Mark’s lips against the jumping of his pulse, Mark’s body pressed flush to his body, Mark’s hand twisted in his hair, he was discovering that the answer was yes.

The slap of skin on skin echoed in the hall. Jaehyun’s whole body felt like an open flame, hot and sparking, but Mark did not stop and Jaehyun did not want him to. Even though Jaehyun was exhausted and already sore, he did not want Mark to stop. You were made for me. Jaehyun couldn’t help but wonder at it. Did he mean it? Was Jaehyun made with Mark in mind, placed into a family that would shape him into something quiet and hardworking, gentle and smart? All for Mark to see, so that this moment could happen? It didn’t seem so ridiculous in the candlelight, the hushed tension of a ritual.

Jaehyun could feel the drag of Mark’s cock inside him, the way he hit that spot that made Jaehyun melt. Maybe he would dissolve in Mark’s hands, spill out down the steps of the altar. He panted quietly, blinking tears out as Mark went faster and faster, whimpering at particularly hard thrusts that might have resulted in Jaehyun’s skull splitting on the marble had it not been for Mark’s hand still in his hair.

“You can take it.” For once, Mark’s voice sounded a little strained. “Just a little more, you can.” Jaehyun let out something between a sob and a moan, nodding. He could take it. One of Mark’s arms snaked its way around Jaehyun’s waist, bringing them closer still. At this angle, Mark couldn’t thrust anymore, could only grind deep and dirty inside Jaehyun. His hand stroked down Jaehyun’s belly, like he was searching for a bulge there. Jaehyun couldn’t tell if he found one or not, didn’t have much time to think about it before Mark’s hand was around his cock instead, moving in time with the circling of Mark’s hips.

“Oh, fuck,” Jaehyun gasped. He felt so helpless, so pathetic, drooling onto the marble as a god fucked him hard and relentless. His vision was blurry, and he noted faintly it wasn’t just from the tears; his eyes had gone unfocused, and he didn’t know how to refocus them. All he could feel was Mark, Mark in him and on him, Mark’s cock, his hands, his lips, the heat of it, the held breath, the tension, ready to break.

“C’mon,” Mark gritted out. “With me.”

Jaehyun closed his eyes and gave in, spasming weakly as his cock twitched in Mark’s fist and he was coming again, shooting his release over Mark’s fingers and onto the pristine white marble of the altar beneath him. He sobbed as the feeling overwhelmed him, body no longer quite his own.

Mark groaned low in his ear, fucking into him nice and deep even as he came, filling Jaehyun with it so quickly he could already feel some of it dripping out with every shallow thrust of Mark’s hips. At last, Mark stilled, breathless above him.

There was complete silence for a moment. And then Mark pulled out, rolling Jaehyun over onto his back. He kissed him then, sweet and fierce like the first kiss they shared not an hour before. Had it really only been that long? Jaehyun thought he met Mark much before that.

Maybe he had.

He could feel more of Mark’s release leaking out of him, but his body was limp and useless and he couldn’t do anything to stop it or clean it up. He could only lie in the center of the altar, a used offering, as Mark pressed another kiss to his lips, softer this time, almost gentle.

“I will visit you again,” Mark whispered, and Jaehyun tried to nod, but his head was too heavy.

When he opened his eyes again, the altar was gone. He was resting instead on a table in a stuffy stone room filled with the smell of sulfur. He looked down at his body and saw that it was clean. A few priests shuffled past him, carrying folded clothing—his, from earlier that day.

“You’re awake,” one of the priests said softly. “We will dress you and escort you home.”

“Congratulations,” another one added, “on a successful ceremony. The gods are pleased.”

“The gods are pleased,” Jaehyun murmured dizzily, nodding. He let them dress him, sitting up and staring vacantly at the wall. He had been cleaned thoroughly, he could feel it, and oils had been massaged into his skin once more. Still, he ached, inside and outside and in his heart, too.

The priests brought him back up to the ground floor. The room had been cleared, the candles on the walls relit, the altar cleaned. No trace, no evidence of the ceremony remained.

Jaehyun was brought outside. It was dark, the sun already below the horizon, the sky tinged only very faintly a burnt orange. Jaehyun walked with the priests, silent, keeping his head bowed so he would not trip.

His parents were already at the door when they arrived. Someone must have told them, or else they seemed to sense it had been long enough. Their relief was painfully clear on their faces as they thanked the priests for their care—relief that their only child, their son, their only chance, was viable after all.

“He did very well,” the High Priest said, bowing to Jaehyun’s mother. “You raised a good son. The gods are pleased. He will be blessed.”

“Thank the gods,” his mother replied, mostly to herself. His father bid the priests farewell, and his parents ushered him inside.

It wasn’t all the gods his mother should thank, though Jaehyun didn’t tell her this. It was just one—one, for guiding his hand and inspiring him and keeping him gentle. Molding him into someone curious and bright, watching over him his whole life, and then coming to take responsibility for it when it was time, to say see, the beautiful thing I have created?

His mother fed him chicken stock and then shooed him off to bed. “Get plenty of rest,” she said, kissing his forehead. She hadn’t done that in years. Jaehyun blinked after her. “We’re so proud of you.”

Jaehyun nodded, happy to crawl into bed and sleep.

- - -

Occasionally, those who survive their ceremonies were visited by their god, if they were particularly pious. Some gods were busier, or else just had a wide selection. Jaehyun knew Yuta came to Johnny and Taeyong sometimes, still, but it was rare.

Jaehyun wasn’t sure what to expect. He wasn’t sure if he was expecting anything when he fell asleep, too exhausted to even consider it. Mark had said he would visit him again, but he hadn’t said when.

Jaehyun woke to warm afternoon sunlight, a quiet house, and a god sitting on the edge of his bed.

He swallowed a scream, scrambling to sit up, making to slide off his bed and onto the floor maybe, to crumble to his knees at Mark’s feet.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him. “Rest,” Mark said softly. “I’m sure you’re very tired.”

“But I—but you—” Jaehyun couldn’t fight him on it, but still, it felt wrong. He leaned back against his headboard, disquieted.

“Please, it’s alright.” Mark waved it away. “I don’t—I don’t want you groveling at my feet. Not like that.”

The power still hummed under his skin, but Jaehyun didn’t find it as frightening anymore. “Why,” he began slowly. “Why have you come to see me, then?”

“If not for groveling, you mean?” Something wry had entered Mark’s tone, and Jaehyun flinched, fearing offense. But Mark didn’t seem offended, just tired. “You… must know that I’ve never come to claim an offering before.”

Jaehyun blinked. He knew no one recently had seen Mark’s favor, but... “Never?” he asked. “Not once?”

Mark shook his head. “I am not like Yuta. I am not the god of love. I am not like Donghyuck or Taeil, whose domains are whimsical, whose routines are easy and ingrained. My domain is constantly changing. I have work, and lots of it. I do not have time for whimsy, for dalliances, the way many of the other gods do.”

“Then,” Jaehyun whispered. His throat felt dry. “Why me?”

Mark caught his gaze and held it. “My fellow gods are constantly seeking amusement,” he said. “I suppose I am too, in my way. A few of them got together, began plotting. They helped make you, and they made you impossible for me to ignore. They brought you into the world and knew I would have no choice but to watch over you, to steady your hand, to make you mine, over and over again, every day in secret until the day I would no longer be able to hide it.”

Something cold washed over Jaehyun. Mark had not wanted this. He had been forced, by fate and by the other gods, cornered and made to carry out a duty. Jaehyun was not special. He was an elaborate prank, and nothing more.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, casting his gaze down at his lap.

“No,” Mark said. Jaehyun didn’t feel the bed dip, but suddenly Mark was right next to him, one hand on his cheek. “That’s not what I meant,” he said. “You—you are a miracle, and I do not regret anything.”

“But you didn’t want this,” Jaehyun said.

“At first, no,” Mark admitted. “But—do you know how long I have been alive?” Jaehyun nodded tentatively; of course he knew. The gods had been alive since the beginning of time. “You know, but you don’t understand. I had found a routine. I had a method, I had my work, and I thought I was happy. I thought that was it. I am one of the most successful out of all of us. I hold one of the largest, most well-kept domains of all the gods. I am younger than most of them, too, started when I was hardly more than a child myself. I thought I knew everything.

“But in all my time, in all my diligence and all my care, I had forgotten those I had dedicated myself to. And then there was you.” Mark pulled back, hand falling from Jaehyun’s cheek to his knee. “The others were right, though I’m not sure they meant to be. How can I be the heart of humanity when I never speak with humanity?”

“I am not all of humanity,” Jaehyun mumbled.

“No,” Mark agreed, “but you’re a start.” He tipped his head to one side. “There is a lot I don’t know. I’m hoping maybe you can teach me.”

Jaehyun nodded, somewhat placated. Still, a question scratched at the back of his brain. “Would—forgive me, but would you still have done it, if I had been someone else? If you’d had this realization earlier, if I’d turned out differently?” he asked. Maybe he was begging. Was it really all for me, only for me? Or was I simply a convenient choice? Please. Please tell me I mean something.

Mark was silent for a moment, regarding him. When he finally spoke, his voice was rich with an emotion Jaehyun did not know how to name, but one he recognized all the same. “You could not have been anybody else,” he said. “It could not have been anybody but you.”

“Oh.” Jaehyun wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but the response nearly knocked him flat on his back. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do now, knowing a god had made him and claimed him so thoroughly?

Mark leaned close, pressing a kiss to Jaehyun’s lips. Jaehyun kissed back through his surprise, eyes drooping shut.

“Sleep now,” Mark said. “You still haven’t healed. I will visit you again.”

“Wait—” Jaehyun snapped his eyes open as Mark pulled away.

But Mark was already gone.

- - -

Jaehyun said nothing of this encounter, beyond that it had occurred, to his family. What was he meant to say? Of course he belonged to the gods, they all did. How could he explain he meant it differently without sounding heretical?

“Has Mark come to visit you?” Taeyong prodded one afternoon.

“Once,” Jaehyun replied quietly. “A few days ago. He said he would return. I don’t know when.”

“Yuta never promises a return,” Taeyong says, nudging Jaehyun with his shoulder. “I guess all gods are different.”

“I guess,” Jaehyun agreed.

Mark stayed away for a week. Once Jaehyun’s parents were convinced he had recovered, they felt comfortable leaving him home alone, and planned to help a nearby family with some household tasks—likely in exchange for food or supplies, though Jaehyun didn’t know the details of it. All he knew was that he was left to watch the house in their stead, to keep it tidy and safe while they were out. Jaehyun cleaned, fed the chickens, and then retired to his room to read.

One moment Mark was not there, and the next he was. Jaehyun looked up and saw him in the doorway and dropped his book on the floor.

“I scared you,” Mark said. “I’m sorry.”

“Startled me,” Jaehyun corrected, bending to pick up his book and lay it down on the table beside his bed. “I was hoping you might come.”

“Did you miss me?” Mark padded closer to where Jaehyun stood, though he stayed out of arm’s reach. There was something almost coy about the way he said it.

“Yes,” Jaehyun replied truthfully.

“I’ll visit more often,” Mark said.

“I thought you were busy,” Jaehyun said.

“Much of my time these last twenty years, I spent watching over you,” Mark replied. “Why should it be any different now?”

“Oh.” Again, Jaehyun found himself speechless. He didn’t know how to navigate this. Mark was a god, after all, but he seemed so familiar, so close. Jaehyun almost wanted to drop formalities with him. And he presented so young; he looked like he could be Jaehyun’s age. His appearance seemed to be in direct conflict with his essence, with what Jaehyun knew he was. He did not know how to balance the two.

“Would you like it,” Mark asked, “if I visited more often?”

Jaehyun swallowed. “Yes,” he said. “I would like it very much.”

Mark smiled then, and Jaehyun realized it was the first time he had ever seen him smile. The joy lit up his eyes, his cheeks; Jaehyun’s hands twitched at his sides. He wanted to take his face and kiss him, he wanted to pull him down into bed with him, he wanted Mark to fuck him again. But he also wanted to cook for him, to pick flowers for him, to bring him tea while he worked and brush his hair off his forehead while he rested, and—

Mark’s face was inches from his own. His hands ghosted over Jaehyun’s hands, almost touching, but not quite. “Jaehyun,” Mark said, a question hiding inside the word.

“Yes,” Jaehyun replied, and closed his eyes.

Mark kissed him, coaxing Jaehyun’s mouth open with his tongue, pressing up against him, wrapping an arm around Jaehyun’s waist and bracing it on the small of his back. This was different from the kisses they had shared in the house of the gods. Mark had had such a severe air about him then, and now Jaehyun knew why. He had been performing for the priests, for the other villagers. But here in Jaehyun’s bedroom, he didn’t have to. Mark kissed him and kissed him until they were messy with spit, until Jaehyun’s lips throbbed and his head spun, until Jaehyun was panting out desperate little noises of want.

Mark guided Jaehyun to his bed with hands on his hips, shuffling them along until the backs of Jaehyun’s knees hit the mattress and he was falling onto it. His head hit the cushion of a pillow with a soft whump, and Mark nearly crashed down on top of him, limbs tangling as he pitched forward.

“The house,” Jaehyun mumbled belatedly. “I’m supposed to be watching the house.”

“It’s under my protection,” Mark murmured. “I promise.” He kissed Jaehyun again, quick and chaste, then pulled back to work on his shirt, undoing the lacing in the front. Clumsily, Jaehyun hastened to do the same with his own—first the shirt, then his pants and stockings, and last his undergarments. Mark dropped his things on the floor, so Jaehyun did too.

“You’re beautiful,” Mark said quietly, tracing a finger down the center of Jaehyun’s torso, stopping just above his navel. He tilted his head. “I hurt you last time.”

“It was my first time,” Jaehyun defended.

“You bled.” Mark’s brows were furrowed. Jaehyun didn’t even know this, had been out cold throughout the cleaning process. Had he bled? Perhaps that would explain some of the soreness.

“It was my first time,” Jaehyun repeated. “And I don’t mind.”

“I’ll try not to damage you this time,” Mark said anyway.

Jaehyun blinked, watching as Mark sat back and searched the pockets of his discarded pants for something. He just said he wouldn’t mind it. He was here for Mark’s pleasure, after all; whether he was damaged or not in the process didn’t matter. Unless—he studied Mark’s face, wondering. Perhaps it wasn’t for Jaehyun’s sake that Mark would try not to damage him. Perhaps it was because Mark did not want to.

It was like a revelation. Jaehyun watched as Mark produced a vial of oil, as he drizzled it onto his fingers, making them slick. He’d always imagined the gods to be rough and ruthless, with no regard for or perhaps no understanding of how delicate humans might be, how slenderly protected their lives were. How could they? They were immortal and a human life was far too insignificant for any of them to even try to comprehend.

Mark nudged Jaehyun’s legs open with one of his knees, pausing to place a kiss to the tender flesh there between the warm press of Jaehyun’s inner thighs. He resettled on his heels, then pushed a finger inside, and Jaehyun nearly lost his train of thought. It hurt still, much like last time. But Mark was not rough or ruthless. He pushed in slowly. Jaehyun panted out harsh breaths, stilling his limbs, clenching his hands to fists and trying to force himself to relax. There was no reason to try and escape this, even if he could. Here was a god who was trying to understand. Here was a god who was gentle.

And Mark was gentle. He bent over Jaehyun’s body and distracted him with kisses while he waited for Jaehyun to adjust. Jaehyun could feel the wet heat of Mark’s mouth against his skin, the scrape of his teeth. He pushed in as slow as he could and mouthed over the point of Jaehyun’s jaw, his free hand running down Jaehyun’s arm until he found his hand. He intertwined their fingers and squeezed.

One finger became two and quickly three, but Mark was true to his promise. It hardly hurt at all. It was probably a combination of things—less pressure, more practice. All Jaehyun knew was that everything felt good. He reached out for Mark, one hand finding the back of his neck, the other finding his chest. He lay his palm flat against the smooth planes of muscle there, the sharp jut of his collarbone. He let his thumb roll over one of Mark’s nipples, and Mark moaned into his mouth, low and guttural and real.

Jaehyun knew it then, but he said nothing.

At last, Mark decided Jaehyun was ready. He pulled his fingers out and rearranged himself between Jaehyun’s legs. For some reason, Jaehyun thought Mark would flip him over again, like he had before. But this was different. That had been for claiming, a show of power. This was for something else, something Jaehyun knew but could not say.

Mark lined himself up, one hand keeping Jaehyun spread, feeding the tip of his cock into Jaehyun’s hole, then pushed in slow. The glide was easy, his meticulous preparations paying off instantly. Jaehyun could feel the wetness of it, the amount of oil slick and strange. Mark’s mouth moved silently, jaw dropped wide and pink tongue just barely visible in the shadows of his mouth.

“Mark,” Jaehyun mumbled softly, reaching out and running his thumb across the top of one of his thighs, back and forth. Mark hummed, flicking his gaze up to Jaehyun’s face. “Look so good.”

“So do you,” Mark replied, bending over Jaehyun, hiking his legs up higher until Jaehyun could cross his ankles behind Mark’s back. “So good, so perfect.” Before, Mark had been stoic. At the time, Jaehyun had thought perhaps that was how he was—quiet and introspective. Now, he realized Mark had forced himself to remain taciturn and imposing. “So tight, it’s like your body doesn’t want to let me go.” In actuality, Jaehyun was learning, Mark’s mouth ran away from him, mind moving too fast for him to reel it all in.

Mark bottomed out with a harsh exhale, bending down to kiss Jaehyun and practically folding him in half in the process. Jaehyun kissed back messily, gasping in breath when he could manage it, swallowing Mark’s noises. It was strange—Mark felt more and less like a god now. There was something so human about him, the way he moaned, the way sweat made his skin shine, the way his hair fell into his eyes and curled at his neck. Here, this close, Jaehyun could see the little imperfections, the cracks so fine he almost missed them—pores dotting Mark’s face; a mole on his cheek, another on his neck. He could feel them, too—Mark’s lips were slightly chapped; his nails were slightly ragged against Jaehyun’s skin when he cupped Jaehyun’s jaw and his fingers scraped at his scalp against the base of his skull.

At the same time, Mark’s godhood shone through. There was something so perfect about him and his collection of little flaws. He was made with so much intent, each piece of him slipped into place by a careful hand. The flaws all summed up into something beautiful, wonderful, whole. Jaehyun could not say the same for all his own little broken pieces. He could feel the difference between them especially keenly now. It drew a compulsion to worship straight from the center of Jaehyun’s soul, to lay himself at the mercy of something so great, so powerful, so much better than he could ever be.

But wasn’t that what he was doing? Mark drew his hips back and then forwards again, moaning with Jaehyun, whispering yesyesyes against his lips in a jumbled rush, bodies interlinked the way they were made to be. Jaehyun, offering himself to his god and being rewarded in pleasure for his piety.

“More,” Jaehyun begged. Maybe he was demanding it. “Faster, you can go faster. Can take it.”

“You can take it,” Mark agreed. “You’ll take whatever I give you, right?”

“Yes,” Jaehyun sighed, hiccuping out another moan when Mark did as he’d asked, the noise nearly shocked out of him.

“Greedy,” Mark accused, but there was no real intent behind it. He almost sounded pleased, reveling in Jaehyun’s greed because it was greed for him.

“Yes,” Jaehyun said again anyway, because it really was true. He would always want more of this, and nothing else, always; he had always been Mark’s but now he could be no one else’s. “Yours.”

Mark groaned low, ducking his head and biting kisses into Jaehyun’s neck, laving over the spots with his tongue to soothe the pain as he went. “Mine,” he whispered into Jaehyun’s skin, hips thrusting even faster, harder, then slowing to nearly a stop deep inside him, waiting for both of them to catch their breath before speeding up again. “Mine.”

It was impossible for Jaehyun not to know, but still he said nothing.

Mark fucked him like that, quick and hard and close, then slow and dirty, then fast again, until they were both gasping, until the sun was low in the sky and Jaehyun’s hair and sheets were soaked with sweat, until Jaehyun was crying softly and clinging to Mark and whispering please.

Jaehyun came silently, mouth too busy kissing Mark for anything else. He felt Mark still inside him, felt his body stiffen under his fingers. They both breathed deep and shaking as they came, as the light grew orange and dim. One of Mark’s hands had found one of Jaehyun’s and he clasped it so hard it hurt, but neither of them let go.

At length, Mark pulled out. He got a handkerchief from somewhere and wet it with the water in the glass on Jaehyun’s dresser. He helped clean Jaehyun, holding him while he stripped the bed and laid fresh sheets, then curled beside him as the last of the light faded.

“My parents should be home soon,” Jaehyun said into Mark’s sternum.

Mark ran his hand down Jaehyun’s spine. “Yes,” he hummed. “I should let you go.”

“Will you come back?” Jaehyun asked.

“Yes, of course,” Mark said.

“When?” Jaehyun demanded.

“Tomorrow,” Mark promised, amused. He kissed Jaehyun's forehead. “You’ll wait for me?”

“Of course,” Jaehyun said. “I’m yours. I’ll always wait for you.”

A pleased noise rumbled in Mark’s chest; Jaehyun could feel it in his skull. “Mine,” Mark agreed.

Jaehyun sat in his room a long while after Mark left, even as it grew dark, even when his parents returned. He ran his fingers over his lips. He could’ve sworn they still throbbed.

“He came to see you again?” his parents asked that night over dinner, half surprise, half awe. “Why?”

“He likes me. I suppose he chose me for a reason,” Jaehyun said. It was not true. Jaehyun knew, but he didn’t say.

- - -

And so the months passed. Mark visited Jaehyun almost every day. Sometimes, it was in the quiet calm of his room. Suddenly, Mark was there behind him, watching him as he painted. Sometimes Mark brought his own work, scrolls to pore over, while Jaehyun sat beside him and read.

Other times, Mark met him out in the woods and taught him new things about the plants and animal life around them. They spent entire days out between the trees, just the two of them in the warm spring sunlight, fingers and shoulders brushing as they walked side by side.

Often, though, Mark came to Jaehyun at night, when the rest of the village is sleeping. Jaehyun learned better than anyone that prayer was not meant to be spoken in hushed tones over clasped hands. Prayer was all teeth and tongue and heat, and a thing Jaehyun knew but could not say.

“I will visit you again,” Mark always promised before he left.

“I will wait for you,” Jaehyun replied.

Months turned into years. Most of Jaehyun’s friends had their ceremonies. Most of them survived. Many of them did not receive a coupling. Those who did rarely saw their god. All of them moved on. For everyone else, the ceremony was a milestone, something completed and done. For Jaehyun, it had been a turning point.

Jaehyun knew this, had always known it. But somehow the gravity of it never hit him. If his life was different, what did it matter?

It came in three blows, the true end of Jaehyun’s childhood, though he did not know it when they struck.

The first came soft and joyous. “I am getting married,” Johnny announced one day as they strolled the market together.

“To who?” Jaehyun asked immediately, blinking at him in curiosity.

“Ten,” he said simply. “Yuta promised us a child.”

Yuta was the god of sex and love, after all. Johnny said he’d made a deal with the Earth Mother, and would bring them a baby once they were ready. It was an easy thing, and for once Jaehyun felt a small pinprick of jealousy, and of fear. Johnny would be able to follow tradition, to settle down with someone he loved and produce children and still treat with his god. He and Ten would be happy.

Their marriage was beautiful. Jaehyun was glad for them, even though he knew he would never have anything like that. Johnny and Yuta had gained a sort of easy camaraderie over the years, but their relationship was nothing like Jaehyun and Mark’s; Ten was only visited by Kun on rare occasion, and though they had come to a sort of comfortable understanding, they were not close the way Jaehyun and Mark were close. Jaehyun knew it wouldn’t be fair to whoever he might marry, knew that his devotion to Mark would always overshadow whatever lukewarm affection he might hold for his future spouse, knew his piety went beyond the normal measure. It would not be fair, so he would not marry. It left something hollow in his chest, but he thought of Mark and knew that it would be worth it.

“If you want to marry, you don’t have to worry after me,” Mark told him that night.

Jaehyun flinched. “I do not want to marry,” he said tightly, trying and failing to hide how Mark’s words stung.

Mark knew, of course. “I only meant—if there is a duty you must carry out, I would not stop you.” He pressed a kiss to Jaehyun’s neck. “I would not give you up, either.”

Jaehyun twisted around, catching Mark’s lips with his own, placated. “I think the village can bear one bachelor,” he said. “And who are they to say no to you?”

Mark smiled.

The second came as a creeping sort of unease. In the short intervening years since Jaehyun’s ceremony, the world changed. Suddenly, their tiny village was not surrounded by acres of nothing. A main traveling road was built not far from their lands, and soon, they had visitors from larger towns staying the night on their journeys. They brought novelty and excitement, to be sure, but they also brought a change in the winds.

Many of the new offerings never saw a god. Being selected was never guaranteed, but it had been much more common when Jaehyun was younger. Now, a god came only once every few months, and the village began to grow worried.

At first, they had built large pyres, slaughtering livestock and burning crops and pleading for a return of favor. The gods did not answer. When Jaehyun asked Mark about it, Mark only shook his head.

“They’re all a bit fickle,” he said. “This village saw our blessings for many, many years because this village was interesting. And then, of course, when they made you, they had to keep a close eye on your community to see their little trick unfold. Now that you and I have settled into our roles, the amusement is gone and they turn their eyes elsewhere.”

“They forsake us because they are bored?” Jaehyun demanded.

“Yes and no,” Mark replied quietly. “I wish I could explain. They will be back, undoubtedly.”

“Likely not fast enough,” Jaehyun muttered. “They already begin to lose faith.”

And it was true, in its way. The travelers were mostly from cities that did not keep the same ceremonial practices. They prayed and lit pyres and preached, and saw the favor of the gods for it. Some travelers said their fortune doubled once they stopped the rituals.

“The world is wider than we have ever known,” they would say. “The gods don’t have enough time to look in on every child that comes of age. It’s bothersome to them, and they would rather receive other kinds of offerings, ones that are more convenient.”

The village elders convened, and it was decided. At the end of that year, there would be no more ceremonies. The altar would be repurposed, the spaces beneath the temple opened to different uses now that the springs did not need to remain so pure.

“It’s probably for the best,” Taeyong said, worrying his lip between his teeth.

“The ceremonies took too many of us,” Doyoung added. This at least was true—so many children had been lost to the gods’ apathy and carelessness. At least there would be one less thing for parents to fear.

And so the end of the year came, and the altar was cleaned and the walls between the rooms near the springs taken down, and the village moved on. Jaehyun tried to move with it. It was strange, the change. It came so slowly to little villages like theirs that it felt violent when it finally arrived. Or maybe it was the first change to come that Jaehyun was old enough to care about. Either way, it left some anxiety trapped in Jaehyun’s lungs.

The third came sudden and cold, like a winter storm that arrives overnight and leaves snow packed a meter high against your door.

“Jaehyun,” Jaehyun’s mother said one day at dinner. “We’re wondering when you might consider marrying.”

Jaehyun nearly dropped the bowl he was carrying to the door. “Marry?”

“You’re a man now,” his father said. “Your mother and I wish to see you settled before our time is up.”

“But I—”

“The god,” his mother said quietly. “Your god. Has he demanded you not to take a partner?”

“No,” Jaehyun said, perhaps more sharply than he had intended. “He wouldn’t.”

“Then why do you hesitate, my dear?” his mother asked.

Jaehyun hesitated. “There is no one else for me,” he said quietly after many long moments. “And—no one else for him.”

Two sharp inhales—Jaehyun did not watch for the expressions on their faces. It was a borderline blasphemous thing to say, except Jaehyun knew it was true.

“If he would take you as his—but gods never do. Not with humans,” Jaehyun’s father said, half to himself.

“Think on it,” his mother said. A dismissal.

Jaehyun wanted to say, I have already thought on it, and I have made my choice! Jaehyun wanted to say, if I am a man now, why are you sending me to bed like a child? Jaehyun wanted to say, a god has chosen me. A beautiful god, a kind god, a gentle god. Isn’t that enough?

He did not say any of these things. He set his bowl down on the counter, nodding. “I will think on it,” he said.

His room was cold and dark and empty. He had not prayed in a long time, but tonight he lit a candle and knelt by his bed.

“Mark,” he whispered. “Please.”

The air was still, but Jaehyun felt the difference before he even opened his eyes.

Mark’s hand was on his hair before Jaehyun’s eyes had even found him. “I thought you were in danger,” he said softly.

“Sorry,” Jaehyun said immediately. “I had hoped to speak with you.”

Mark pulled Jaehyun up to his bed and sat down beside him. “What is it?”

“They want me to marry.” Jaehyun looked at Mark.

They were both quiet for a few long moments, hands barely touching on top of Jaehyun’s blankets, god looking at mortal, mortal looking at god.

“I don’t mind,” Mark said, “truly, I don’t. As long as I can still see you. Your—your spouse, they would understand.”

“I don’t care if they would understand,” Jaehyun spat. “I don’t care, I don’t want it. You said it yourself, I was made for you. And in that way, you are the only one for me, and there can be no one else. I don’t want it.”

Mark blinked. If he commanded me away, Jaehyun thought, to obey tradition and duty, I would do it.

But Mark only nodded. Jaehyun stared. In this light, he seemed older. Gods were ageless, so Jaehyun always assumed Mark would never change. But something had. Mark’s cheeks seemed sharper, his jaw sturdier. Only his eyes remained the same—clear and intelligent.

“You’re aging your appearance,” Jaehyun accused softly.

“To match you,” Mark whispered. “I had wondered when you would notice.”

“Oh,” Jaehyun breathed. Then—“Why?”

“I want to stay with you,” Mark said simply. “Step by step.”

Jaehyun could ask, he knew. If he would take you as his—

And maybe Mark would. He wasn’t like the other gods. Not to Jaehyun. He’d do it if only Jaehyun asked; Jaehyun wouldn’t even have to get on his knees. Mark never liked groveling. But he would have to fight for it, give things up. Jaehyun didn’t want Mark to give things up for him. It would breed resentment, and over time, it would fester.

“I won’t marry,” Jaehyun muttered.

“They won’t stop,” Mark said. “Now, it’s only your family. The tide of your village has turned. In time, your refusal will become known to everyone here. They will not like it.”

“And? What will they do?” Jaehyun asked. “Put me in chains and march me into the temple to be wed before the gods themselves?”

Mark laughed then, soft and light. “I suppose not,” he agreed. He squeezed Jaehyun’s hand, then kicked off his shoes and climbed up onto the bed properly. “Come here, then,” he said.

Jaehyun followed him, slipping under the offered arm. “So,” he said. “When I pray to you, you can hear me?”

Mark smiled. “If I’m trying to listen. It’s easier for me. Not a lot of people pray directly to the god of art and culture, so your voice was clear.”

“I’m glad you were trying to listen,” Jaehyun said.

Mark kissed his forehead. “I’d never let anything happen to you,” he said.

- - -

It would be years before Jaehyun saw that Mark had been right.

Quickly, other concerns consumed the village. They were hit with waves of illness, with failed crops, with bad weather. Jaehyun’s parents got sick during the first wave, but it took the third to kill them. They weren’t the only ones. By the end of each day, the funeral pyre in the square would have multiple bodies. It was lit every night and restocked every morning.

“Why is this happening to us?” Jaehyun asked Mark a few nights after he’d burned his parents’ bodies.

“I told you, the gods have turned their eyes elsewhere,” Mark said. “They are not punishing you. This is what happens when we stop paying attention.”

“What did we do wrong?” Jaehyun demanded.

“Nothing,” Mark said quietly. “We just can’t be everywhere at once. What did you think was happening in other villages all the years that yours enjoyed our favor? Do you think they deserved it?”

Jaehyun didn’t have a reply. He supposed he hadn’t really thought of it, or assumed it was the same elsewhere. But he realized that was silly. There were plenty of gods and they were plenty powerful, but even so they could not be everywhere at once.

At length, he said, “If you lose interest so easily and can’t help us when we need it, then why should we worship you?”

Another god might have gotten angry, but Mark only smiled. “Because you all hope you are special,” he said. “And we make miracles.”

“Still!” Jaehyun insisted. “All that suffering.”

“I know,” Mark said quietly. “I wish we had more power. We lost many of us to obscurity and infighting near the beginning.”

“And now you’re losing my village,” Jaehyun said. “I know they grow angry.”

“Then they will be angry,” Mark soothed. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Jaehyun couldn’t help it. “You let my parents die!” he snapped. He knew it wasn’t fair. Mark was not the god of illness, nor was he the god of medicine and science. He had limited power against something like a disease.

Still, Mark ducked his head. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I would have saved them if I could. I would save all of them, if I could. But gods, like humans, are never meant to be alone.”

Jaehyun wondered a lot about that. Was Mark lonely? Did he still see his fellow gods? Was Jaehyun tying him to a place where none of his kin were left?

The months passed. Things didn’t get much better, and the people began to grow restless. “We must be doing something wrong,” everyone said. “We have angered the gods, and we need to find out why.”

Jaehyun supposed he could have seen it coming. People, people he didn’t even know that well, began to come up to him and ask after his affairs. They would disguise it as concern for him, as he had recently lost his parents and lived in his house alone.

“Why don’t you marry?” they would eventually ask. “You’ll be so lonely without a family.”

Jaehyun tensed. “I do not wish to marry,” he replied.

“The god Mark hasn’t forbid you from marrying, has he?” the bolder people pressed.

“No,” Jaehyun admitted reluctantly.

“Then you should,” they said. “Our duty to our community and the gods we serve is to produce children so that we can remain strong. The gods have shown their displeasure to us, and we must all do our part.”

“Mark has not shown any displeasure towards me,” Jaehyun replied evenly.

“If you don’t have children, who will care for you when you are old?” people wheedled.

“Mark never forbade me from marrying, but I know he will not be pleased.” This was true even if Mark wouldn’t say it. Another place for resentment to grow. Another reason why Jaehyun didn’t want it. “Would you lose the favor of one of the last gods that watches over us?”

This tripped them up a bit, but they kept going anyway. “We’ve discontinued the ceremonies and chosen to focus on different ways of showing our devotion, and soon we will get all their grace back tenfold. Even Mark will come to see it’s for the best.”

Jaehyun gave up arguing. He dodged conversations when he went to the market and mostly kept to himself to avoid any more confrontation. His friends still came to see him, but his world shrank. He kept to his father’s old study, painting and reading to pass the time.

At least there was Mark. He sat with Jaehyun, kept him entertained, tried to keep him happy. And it worked, some of the time. Jaehyun could delude himself, for hours at a time, into believing that this would be fine, that eventually the others would leave him alone and let him live on in peace. He would be able to stay in his parents’ house and live out his life with Mark at his side.

But they both knew that wouldn’t happen. As long as the village continued to suffer, people would always look for someone to blame, and the easiest person to blame was always the person that was different.

“You could leave,” Mark said quietly. “Pack up and go somewhere else. I’d protect you. You wouldn’t need to worry about any of this. You could be happy.”

“I wouldn’t be happy abandoning my friends, my family home,” Jaehyun replied. “I have to stay.”

Mark gave him a wry smile. “I know,” he said. “It was worth a try.”

And still, years passed this way, tension palpable but still only simmering under the surface. Life went on. Though the waves of sicknesses slowed and lost strength, they still came. Their crops were never as abundant as they had been in Jaehyun’s youth, but there was never a true famine. Still, whenever a child died in the night or a plant yielded no fruit, eyes would follow Jaehyun through the streets.

The night of Jaehyun’s twenty-seventh birthday was cold and dark. The sky was clear but had no moon, and the stars seemed faint against the unrelenting black. Mark had been pulled back to the realm of the gods by more and more work—he said he thought the other gods were sick of the amount of time he spent in the human world. Jaehyun coped with it. He made dinner, washed up, and settled into bed.

It was a creak in the hall that woke him. He held his breath, ears straining. Another creak, and another, and the soft whispering of footsteps getting closer and closer. Jaehyun almost called out, hoping it was Mark, but decided against it. If it was Mark, he would’ve come straight to the bedroom.

As quietly as he could, Jaehyun slipped out of bed. The floor was cold on his bare feet, but he didn’t want to risk knocking something over when he searched for stockings. He left his bed mussed, and slithered down under it, grateful for the length of the skirt that hid the legs of the frame.

A few tense moments passed, and then his bedroom door was open. Someone walked up and tossed his blankets around, then whispered, “Not here. Check the study.” They retreated, closing the door behind them.

As soon as they were gone, Jaehyun dragged himself back out from under the bed and tiptoed to the door, opening it as slowly as he could and taking a peek down the hall. It was dark and there was no sign of the intruders, so he slipped out and headed towards the kitchen, mind racing.

How many were there? Was there a mob waiting for him outside? What was their plan? To kill him in his home, or take him and march him through the streets, throw him on the pyre and plead with the gods? He should have taken Mark’s advice. He should have left months ago.

But the street outside his kitchen was dark and empty. Jaehyun padded around the corner into the pantry and waited. Maybe they would assume he was out, and give up the search. How had they gotten in? His door was always bolted at night.

He heard light shuffling and froze, shifting deeper into the pantry. There was some muffled whispering, too quiet for him to understand, and then silence. And then—

“Jung,” someone called. He did not recognize the voice. “We know you’re here. Your bed was still warm, you haven’t fooled anyone but yourself. Come out, we need to talk to you.”

Mark, Jaehyun thought desperately, squeezing his eyes shut. Please help me. Mark!

But Mark didn’t come. The intruder continued, “There’s three of us and only one of you. You can’t skulk about your house all night, we’ll find you eventually. Let’s not waste any more time. We’ve already wasted years.”

The voice was closer now. Jaehyun ducked out of the pantry and away from the kitchen, skirting around the sitting room and towards the hall again. The shadows seemed to shift and flicker in Jaehyun’s peripheral, and every creak made his heart hammer in his chest.

Mark, he tried again.

His mistake was going back into his bedroom. He thought—he didn’t know. He wanted a reprieve from the sneaking, maybe, wanted his back against a wall. But there was only one point of entry, and suddenly it was blocked by three men.

He recognized them vaguely, though he didn’t know their names. “There you are,” one of them said.

Jaehyun stood, muscles tensed to flee. “I’m sorry for my lack of hospitality. You have to admit it’s not a usual hour to entertain guests.”

“That’s alright,” another one of them said. “This isn’t a social call.”

“No?” Jaehyun skirted along the edge of the room, keeping his back to the wall, keeping his eyes on the men. “I thought you said you wanted to talk. So let’s talk.”

“We’re well past talking. I think you know that.” Jaehyun could see a knife in one of the men’s hands.

“The gods are angry, Jung. And we’ve all done our part to try to please them, to pull our weight for the community. All of us, except you.” At least they had come out of the doorway now. Jaehyun was still barefoot, but maybe he could make a run for it. They were circling, trying to get closer to him. Jaehyun edged toward the door. “Maybe the gods are punishing us because we haven’t done everything we can. Maybe they’re punishing us because of you.”

“The gods aren’t punishing anybody,” Jaehyun said quietly. “They grew bored, that’s all. All we can do is wait for their favor to shift again. This is no way to gain it.”

“Compelling argument,” one of the men said. “Or perhaps you’re saying anything to get away.”

“Would that help?” Jaehyun was so close to the door now. “If I left? I could pack up and leave tonight. You’d never hear from me again.”

“No, I think we all know what the solution should be.” They were getting closer to him. Another step. “We can’t have you bringing your bad luck to other communities. The guilt would follow us.”

Jaehyun tore into a sprint, clipping his shoulder on the doorframe on the way out. “Mark!” he screamed as he sprinted down the hall towards the kitchen. “Mark, help me!”

The men had been poised and ready, and they chased him down with ease. One slammed him into the ground in front of his dining table. Another stood in front of his door. Jaehyun raised his arms to protect his face as a hand holding a knife swung up, and then down—

A flash of light so bright all of them cried out. Jaehyun slumped against the floor as the men screamed and then abruptly fell silent. He could hear the crunch of their bodies as they hit the walls and then crumpled lifeless to the floor.

“Jaehyun.” Mark’s hands had found his where they were clutching at his abdomen. “Jaehyun?”

“Mark,” Jaehyun breathed. He thought maybe it should hurt, but he could feel nothing, except the chill as the blood cooled on the backs of his fingers, and the ragged hilt of the knife against his palm.

“No,” Mark whispered fiercely. “I’ll bring you back with me, we’ll heal you, we’ll make you immortal. You can stay with me, away from all of this.”

“I don’t think I’ll make it to the realm of the gods,” Jaehyun murmured. “At least not like that.”

Mark pulled Jaehyun’s head into his lap. Jaehyun could feel the warmth of his skin even through his clothes. He could feel the way he shook. Mark curled over him, pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I’ll look for you, then,” he said. “I’m so sorry. You called me for a long time before I came, didn’t you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jaehyun said, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry,” Mark repeated. “I promised—I promised nothing would happen to you.”

“Maybe they’re right,” Jaehyun said faintly. “Maybe it’s for the best. Now your fellow gods will see what their indifference has done.”

“I wish I could kill them all,” Mark said. “Maybe I should’ve. Maybe then none of this would have happened.”

“Mark.” Jaehyun’s vision was blurring; his own voice sounded faint in his ears. “I’m scared.” It welled up in him, a new kind of terror, and with it, a grief so vast Jaehyun thought maybe that alone was enough to kill him.

“I know,” Mark said. He stroked his hair. “It’ll be alright.”

“I,” Jaehyun began, but stopped.

“What?” Mark whispered. “What is it?”

Jaehyun shook his head. It was something he knew, but could not say. He closed his eyes, letting the darkness sweep him away. The last thing he felt was the hot sting of a god’s tears on his cheek.

- - -

The legend goes like this. The god Mark was punished for meddling too closely in human affairs by confinement to the realm of the gods for five hundred years. His human charge was barred from the land of the dead, and instead forced to roam the earth, a soul without a body. He had no funeral. They left his body to the crows. The village saw the gods’ blessings again, and everyone was satisfied. At the end of the five hundred years, the human was whisked away to the land of the dead, and Mark never saw him again. Though his confinement is over, he never ventures beyond his domain, too sad and too bitter to see anyone.

Legends are always cautionary tales. Here is what happens when you go astray. Here is what happens when you do not listen to your parents. Here is what happens when you disobey the gods. Here is what happens when a god loves you.

Legends are never the truth.

In reality, Jaehyun’s friends snuck out and retrieved his body from the woods after the village had agreed to dump it there. They built him a pyre and set him atop it, let it all burn down to ash and bones, then buried the remains under a huge tree.

In reality, Mark tried to break his confinement every day. Jaehyun’s soul did float, aimless, a broken piece left amongst the living. He watched his friends die and leave the land of the living, watched their children grow old and follow them. He watched the world change. And still he remained, untethered and alone.

The worst part was the not knowing, he thought. No one had told him what would happen to him. He didn’t know of Mark’s confinement at the time, though he deduced there must be something stopping him from visiting. He didn’t know if there would ever be an end to it.

And so five hundred years passed. Most people forgot the gods, and those who remembered had lost the old practices long before. Jaehyun’s story faded into obscurity with them, and still he lingered. Towns and cities rose from nothing. Soon there were people everywhere, with buildings tall as trees and roads long as rivers. Jaehyun watched the development with a sort of detached interest, but it wouldn’t make a difference for him. He could take no part in it.

And then one day as he wandered through the forest, he met someone he had never seen before but knew all the same.

“Jaehyun.” The voice deep and gentle.

The god of death had no name. The land of the dead was ruled by Chenle; he was not the one who brought souls between worlds. Jaehyun hadn’t known what to expect. He’d always been skeptical of the images of dark specters in long black robes and skeletal hands and huge, gleaming scythes, but he could never think of an alternative.

But the god of death looked like a young man, almost human. He had an almost boyish face, with small, round lips and kind, gentle eyes, and mismatched ears, one rounded and one more pointed, that stuck out a little from his head. He didn’t seem like the god of death, but Jaehyun knew it all the same.

“Are you here to take me to the land of the dead?” Jaehyun asked. It had been so long since he had spoken to anyone else. It felt strange to be seen.

“No.” The god said it with a smile. He stretched out his hand. “Come with me. The gods have other plans for you.”

Perplexed, Jaehyun followed him. He would not give up a chance at change, no matter how strange and cryptic. “What, then?” he asked.

The god gave him a look—genuine sympathy. Jaehyun felt himself warming to this deity without meaning to, somehow; his presence was not frightening the way Jaehyun had thought it would be. “When you were killed, the gods got together and decided to confine your soul to this realm, and Mark’s soul to the realm of the gods. Five hundred years, as punishment for becoming far too intertwined. Humans and gods are never meant to see much of one another.

“But something very special happened with you.” The god takes Jaehyun’s hand. “None of us knew it, but you had been made so carefully, with such a specific purpose, that your fate would always have been so tumultuous and tragic. Those who had a hand in making didn’t even realize the heavy sort of destiny they were binding you to, the destiny set out for you long before you were born. You have been touched by the gods, and there cannot be any other place for you but among us. We know that now. And besides, you have both suffered enough.”

“What are you saying?” Jaehyun whispered.

“I’m taking you to Mark,” the god answered simply. “He has missed you.”

“Mark,” Jaehyun managed, his throat suddenly tight.

They walked through the woods in silence. They seemed to stretch on forever; Jaehyun was sure they were going in circles. But the god of death seemed to be following a path he could not trace. The sky stayed light, though hours must have been passing.

And then, at last, they came upon a simple wooden door. The god of death opened it; beyond was bright light Jaehyun could not see through. The god of death held the door and gestured him through.

“You’re not coming with me?” Jaehyun asked.

“This will take you to Mark’s domain,” the god of death said. “My domain is here, between realms.”

“Thank you,” Jaehyun said. He had questions, but they could be saved until later.

“I’m sorry you had to wait,” the god said softly. “And—Mark likes jasmine tea best.”

Jaehyun was already walking, and turned back to ask what the god meant. But the door closed behind him and disappeared, and the light faded, and Jaehyun realized he was standing in a large kitchen.

The room was modeled after modern civilization. Jaehyun had seen houses like this in his time wandering the earth. There was a gas stove and a kettle. Next to it, a cupboard. Jaehyun opened it and found rows and rows of different kinds of tea.

He set the kettle to boil and picked out the jasmine green. He sent a silent thought of gratitude to the god of death, though he wasn’t sure if he could hear him. He was glad he would not have to go to Mark empty-handed.

At last the tea was brewed. Jaehyun cupped the mug in his hands and padded out of the kitchen. The house was vast, but his feet seemed to know exactly where to take him. He went up a flight of stairs and then all the way down the hall to a shut door. He raised his fist, and knocked.

“What is it?” Jaehyun shook. The voice was achingly familiar, but hardened with anger and grief. “Enter.”

The door swung open and Jaehyun could only stare.

Books and scrolls and canvases were littered about the room, built up in great stacks on and around the desk where a figure sat, hunched over a stack of papers. His hair was still a deep black, thick and shiny. He had glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

He looked up and dropped his pencil.

“I brought you tea,” Jaehyun said, stuttering. “I always wanted—I had always wanted to bring you tea while you worked.”

“Jaehyun.” Mark was on his feet, swift and silent and unsteady. He took the mug from Jaehyun and placed it on top of a book and then swung back around and kissed him.

Jaehyun kissed him back. His legs shook but it didn’t matter because Mark’s arms were already around his body, pulling him close and holding him up. Mark kissed him deep and long and fierce, and it wasn’t until they finally pulled away that Jaehyun realized they were both crying.

“I had thought—“ Mark stumbled over it. “Today was the last day of my confinement, and I had meant to go immediately and pull you up to my domain with my own hands. I thought of you every day.”

“Me too.” Jaehyun wrapped his arms around Mark’s shoulders, still just a little lean, muscle just showing through his shirt. He could feel the warmth of Mark’s skin. Could feel the tremor in his hands. Could feel that thing between him, the thing Jaehyun knew but never said, still, after all these years.

“The others will forgive us, then.” Mark was half in his own world, mind always moving so fast.

“We have suffered enough, haven’t we?” Jaehyun asked. Mark hummed, the sound almost derisive. “Mark,” Jaehyun said, trying to get Mark to look at him again.

It worked. “Yes?” Mark lifted his eyes to Jaehyun, their usual warmth creeping back into them.

“I love you,” Jaehyun whispered.

Mark kissed him again; this time, their noses knocked painfully, but Jaehyun didn’t care. It was good to put it down, finally. After all these years. “I love you, too,” Mark said. “I never stopped loving you. Do you know that?”

Jaehyun smiled. “I know,” he replied. “I always knew.”

- - -

Most gods settled into their roles long before humans began to record their histories, but one god in particular has much more modern origins. He was not granted his title until many centuries after the height of the gods’ power, and the legends will never mention his name, but those who still practice pray to him the way they would pray to his husband, the way many prayed to his husband for thousands of years. He and his husband share a domain but split their duties, and their followers are known to be bright and intelligent, kind and gentle. They attribute this to these gods’ faithful and long-enduring relationship.

Though the gods very rarely visit the human realm, this new god takes frequent trips to walk among the mortals. He had been one of them, once, so the other gods allow him this dalliance. He knows what happens when gods disturb human lives. He spends his days watching them, guiding them in secret. When he goes home, he goes home to a love he has known his whole life.

His husband, the god Mark, still looks after culture and most of the arts, but pieces of each are left to him. Yoonoh, his followers call him. God of music and piety.

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