Lonely St.
Pairing: Kim Seungmin x Reader
Grim Reaper AU; Soulmate AU
Genre: Angst; Fluff
Words: 3322
Warnings: implied major character death; implied suicide; strong language
Masterlist | Fictober Masterpost
Taglist: @soobin-chois
Wandering.
Watching.
Waiting.
That’s all Seungmin really knew.
He wandered around the material plane, invisible to mortal beings, watching them enjoy their short lives. He saw them laugh and cry, celebrate and grieve. He watched their senseless wars, their fighting, their deaths.
And then he waited.
He waited for the feeling. The pull to a newly deceased soul.
It was all he’d ever known.
Ferrying souls so that they could rest, he’d never had a choice in it. It was what he was created to do.
The Fates had molded him in the shape of the beings he worked with, helping to gain their trust once they had left their mortal bodies and making it easier to get them to cross over.
He wasn’t frightening. He didn’t kill. He just did his job. He might’ve been a bit reserved towards his… clients, but he was anything but scary. Despite the rumors that the Grim received.
Presently, he was monitoring an older woman in the hospital. He could feel the tug. Any moment…
“Oh dear…” She sighed, eyeing her children and grandchildren weep over her. “I didn’t want them to mourn me.”
Seungmin nodded at the woman’s soul, “It’s what humans do. It can’t be helped. It simply shows that you were loved.”
Her wavering form seemed to smile up at him. “So are you the terrifying reaper, taking my soul?”
He shrugged, looking back over at the husk that the humans cried around. “I suppose that is what they say about me. Are you ready?”
“More than anything… I suffered long enough. I want to be with my husband again.”
“Just through there,” Seungmin motioned to the doorway of the hospital room, shimmering a white light. “He’s been waiting for you.”
The soul seemed to wriggle in excitement, becoming more and more amorphous as it melded into the white light of the other side, leaving Seungmin behind to once again wander… Watch… Wait…
What an odd thing it was, waiting.
He never knew how much time would pass.
🎃
The tug was there, and he followed it.
Just like always.
He found himself in a park, families with children and dogs with their owners playing all around him. As he settled on a bench, he felt the tug again.
Just in time.
A small brown puppy ran towards him, leash trailing behind.
He would’ve paid no mind. The creature wouldn’t be able to see him anyway.
“Hey! Grab that leash!” A young woman shouted at him.
He really would’ve paid no mind. If the woman hadn’t been able to see him.
For the first time in probably his entire existence, he moved reflexively. He didn’t simply wait. He reacted.
Seungmin grabbed the puppy’s leash in time, and the little dog whirled around in confusion, yipping at—presumably—nothing.
“Oh my god,” the woman gasped, coming to stand in front of him, “Thank you so much…?”
His mouth fell open, eyes wide and disbelieving. “You can see me?”
She plopped down onto the bench beside him, “Um… Yeah… Should I not be able to? Are you a spy or something? Oh shit! Am I blowing your cover?”
Sarcastic. The woman was sarcastic.
“Anyway, thanks for catching my dog. M is such a troublemaker. He’s always running off… I’m Y/N, by the way.”
Pretty. The woman—Y/N, his brain slowly supplied—was pretty.
“M is a letter.”
She hummed. “Very quick wit you have there, super spy. I wanted to name him M&M, y’know like the candy, since the day I got him he stole an entire bag of them, and then I had to rush him to the emergency vet… But he won’t respond to that. Only M, or just Puppy… If I’m being honest, I think he knows what his name is supposed to be and does it just to annoy me.”
Kind. Y/N was kind.
Wait.
Y/N could see him.
There was his brain coming back online…
How could she see him?
Was she on the cusp of death perhaps? A terminal illness? It would be rude to ask.
It also didn’t feel right. Those who saw him could usually tell who—what—he was. But she simply assumed he was a mortal out for a stroll in the park.
He turned to stare at her. The sun glittered against her skin. She was completely at peace, ethereal, in her human shell.
“You never told me your name.” She finally spoke, standing to leave with her dog.
He hummed but was still in too much of a daze to respond. She left with a shrug and a small laugh.
Dizzying. Her laugh was dizzying.
🎃
Her name had not been on his list, despite the tug he had felt to be in that spot at that moment.
It was as if he was destined to meet her.
But that shouldn’t have been possible.
He didn’t meet people.
He ferried souls. He did his job. He wandered, watched, and waited.
It was too much for him to figure out. Honestly, it was outside of his duties… above his pay grade, so to speak. And yet, it bothered him that he couldn’t do so.
His job continued; the tug reappeared, pulling him to the next soul.
He discounted the experience and moved on.
🎃
“So we meet again?” She tilted her head up at him, eyelashes batting and a playful smile dancing on her lips.
The tug had lied to him again.
He’d been pulled to the front of this ice cream shop, only to arrive at the same moment as the woman from the park.
She could still see him. She still wasn’t a soul. She was still ethereal.
“I don’t know why this keeps happening. You shouldn’t be able to see me.” He muttered, more to himself than to her. She snickered at him anyway.
“So you’re still undercover then? Wait, wait… Am I the target? Is that why I’m not supposed to see you?” She looked around, eyes wide as if she was afraid and searching.
At the furrow of his brows, she laughed and nudged his shoulder. “C’mon. Ice cream is on me, just gotta tell me your name.”
He hesitated, considered leaving. Obviously this was another fluke… And it’s not like he could really enjoy the human treat anyway. But then the tug returned, and it was stronger than it had ever been. It was so persistent, so annoying. He had to follow it. So, he followed her into the shop with a small mutter of, “Seungmin.”
🎃
He had double, no triple, checked his list.
Nowhere to be found was a L/N Y/N.
He had even broken a rule and snuck into The Fates’ hall.
Finding hers amongst the millions of threads should’ve been difficult. Normally, one is only drawn to their own string, and only The Fates themselves can easily identify anyone else’s thread. But…
But, the never-ending tug when it surrounded anything having to do with the chatty, ethereal woman led him right to her string.
It was fine.
It wasn’t frayed like she was near-death or ill. It wasn’t cut like she was deceased and unaware.
Y/N was a normal woman.
Or, as normal a woman could be if they could see, talk to, and feel the Grim Reaper.
🎃
This time he had intentionally followed the tug, knowing it would lead to the enigma in his life.
He shouted her name, stomping through the bar and uncaring of all the people around. They couldn’t hear him anyway.
She turned to him, her furrowed brows eased and a smile lit up her face when she spotted him. She didn’t notice that no one else had reacted to him.
Seungmin nodded towards the side door, and she followed him into the dark alley.
“How did you find me?” She laughed, drunkenly, “Been keeping tabs on me, super spy?”
“Yes.” Seungmin stated, “I need to know how you can see me.”
Y/N groaned, “You’re still playing this game?”
Seungmin huffed, “It’s not a game, Y/N. I–” He hesitated but let out a steady breath, “I am not human. I’m a Grim. I was created by The Fates to ferry souls. You shouldn’t be able to see me unless you are dead… or at least dying.”
Her eyes widened, seemingly terrified, “I’m dying?”
“No!” Seungmin nearly shouted. He was a rational being, but she made him react so strongly. “That’s the problem… Your thread seemed perfectly normal to me. Granted, I don’t work with them. That’s not my job, but it wasn’t frayed or ended.”
“Oh my god,” Y/N let the scared face slip, falling back against the brick wall in another fit of drunken giggles. “Are you insane? You really think you’re the personification of death or something?”
“I’ll prove it.”
And he did. He dragged her back through the bar, snapping in front of people’s faces and tapping on shoulders only to be met with confused glances around. She finally noticed no one reacting to him; she also noticed the crazy looks she got when she reacted and spoke with him.
It was her turn to drag him away, back to the front and into a cab that she shakily hailed.
Y/N remained silent the entire drive, only speaking to the driver.
Once inside her apartment, she let out a heavy breath.
“So I can see ghosts?”
“I’m not a ghost.”
“Well, you’re not a person, Seungmin!”
He rolled his eyes, “I’m aware of that. But I’m not a ghost. Ghost implies that I died and didn’t cross over. That’s not what happened.”
“Okay then, how are you… this?”
Seungmin’s brows furrowed, matching her own confusion. “What do you mean? I’ve always been ‘this.’ I’m a Grim Reaper. That’s how The Fates created me.”
“Okay… Not a ghost. So…” Y/N dropped onto the sofa beside him. “The Fates. You mentioned them earlier too and something about a thread?”
He nodded. “Yes. By all accounts, only beings that have passed and need to cross over can see and interact with a Grim the way you do. In some rare cases, a being that is terminally ill or on the precipice of death will see us as well, but their strings are always fraying. I checked yours since I wondered if that was the case for you; however, your thread seemed to be perfectly intact to me.”
“So I’m not dead, and you’re not alive… But we’re able to talk?”
“Yes.”
“And that’s a problem?”
“It’s certainly not normal.”
“I see…” Y/N sighed, “Well, what if we just go our separate ways and forget about all of this until I actually am dead?”
“That’s the other thing…” Seungmin hesitated, “I keep getting drawn to you.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, normally, I am drawn to a soul that is needing to cross over. But for some reason, more and more frequently, I am being pulled to you.”
Y/N’s eyes widened, “That’s how you keep finding me… It’s what you meant by ‘keeping tabs.’ And here I thought it was a bunch of coincidental meet-cutes.”
He tilted his head, obviously not understanding, “I don’t follow. A ‘meet-cute’?”
She hummed. “It’s this plot device in movies and stuff where a future couple meet for the first time.”
Seungmin’s expression didn’t falter, but he whispered, “Couple?” to himself regardless. He was aware of the concept, of course, often interacting with sad souls being separated from their earthly partners or excited ones getting to reunite on the other side. But he himself had never considered companionship in depth… Particularly because before now he never thought it would be possible.
“You said those on the precipice of death can sometimes see you…” Y/N finally asked, breaking his lengthy pondering of what it would be like to have someone to wander through life with.
Seungmin noticed the quiver in her voice, the roughness of her tone. He hesitated, if only for a moment, before leaning forward and placing his hand on hers. “Yes, in rare instances. But, I can assure you that your thread was fine. You are not going to die anytime soon, Y/N.”
She shook her head, “That’s– No. I know you said that, and I believe you… I– I trust you. But… When I was little, I was in an accident. The paramedics who responded said my heart had stopped. I was dead for three minutes. Could that be some kind of exception?”
“I– I don’t know, Y/N.” Seungmin floundered. All of this was unprecedented for him too.
“Who would know?”
“The Fates.”
Y/N sighed, “I was afraid you were going to say that…” She stood from her sofa, trading her uncomfortable heels for sneakers. “Alright, let’s go.”
“Go?” Seungmin sputtered with wide eyes as he trailed her to the front door. It was the most reaction she had seen out of him; the most… human, he had seemed. And the cutest, if she was able to think about anything other than the fact that he was a Grim Reaper.
She shrugged, grabbing his hand without thinking to pull him to the elevator. “They are the only ones who know the answers to what is going on with us. So you’re going to take us to them, and we’ll get this sorted out.”
Seungmin gaped at you, “You’re insane.”
“Maybe.”
🎃
“Whoa…” Y/N breathed, staring up at the massive doors in front of her. “So this is the underworld?”
Seungmin shook his head, “Not exactly. It’s The Fates’ hall. It exists outside of your space and reality, a place that the trinity can weave time for mortals. It’s where I first remember… waking up.”
“Right. Well let’s go in.” She huffed, pushing forward as Seungmin’s eyes widened.
“Wha– You– We can’t just go in!”
She shrugged. “Why not?” Y/N asked, opening the doors and stepping through.
“Because it’s against th–”
“It’s about time you two showed up.” A voice spoke, reverberating down the neverending hall.
Y/N paused, gaping as she took in the millions of red threads strung around. Many of them crossed over one another, some tangling together and some fully knotted. There were strings dangling pitifully, obviously ended, and others clearly fraying and barely holding together.
What Seungmin had mentioned came to mind, settling like a rock in the pit of her stomach at how many people were so close to death without even knowing.
Another heavy feeling settled as she gazed over to the Grim, unaffected by the threads as he led her through the maze of red. How many people had he helped cross? How much death had he been around? How long had he been without real connection as the only beings that could speak with him were meant to leave immediately?
“Don’t think too hard, dear.” An elderly woman smiled up at her from a rocking chair, happily snipping a thread.
“Yes, child, you won’t likely remember any of those dreadful thoughts once you leave our chambers.” Another, middle-aged, woman spoke as she measured the string she was holding.
Y/N’s eyes widened, head shaking lightly to clear her jumbled mind, “Who–”
“Who are we?” The final woman, young—barely a woman—spoke, while she wove the red strings. “You know who we are. We’re The Fates. We’re time and destiny. And you are here because you are wondering how you can see our Grim Reaper.”
She nodded, unable to find words. Seungmin, likewise, remained silent. In all his existence, he had never directly met with The Fates.
The elderly woman tutted gently to capture the mortal and reaper’s attentions. “The Grim… Sorry, Seungmin… is a bit confused about his origins. We didn’t create him. He was a mortal once.”
“I was a what?!” Seungmin interjected.
“Hush child, don’t interrupt your elders.” The middle-aged woman scolded.
The young woman continued, “Yes, it’s true. We did not create you. You were once a man who cut his own thread, so-to-speak…”
“That’s to say that you unfortunately took your own life, dear. And, the punishment for this sin is to be reincarnated as a Grim Reaper…”
“You were assigned an undetermined amount of time assisting souls pass on. To not know rest, child.”
“But, a few years ago, we decided you earned your second chance… If you could reconcile with the soulmate that you so cruelly left behind in your last life.”
Y/N’s eyes flickered between The Fates as they stared at her meaningfully. “Oh my god… You mean me?”
“Yes, dear. You and Seungmin are a destined pair. Would you like to see your threads?”
She nodded dumbly, while Seungmin gaped. “I– But I looked at her thread, and I didn’t notice anything odd…”
“Well of course you wouldn’t, child. It’s not your job to read the strings.”
Before Seungmin could argue further, the hallway around them shifted, the strings around them changing. The scenery settled, and the middle-aged woman held two threads gently. She motioned Seungmin and Y/N over, allowing them to follow her explanation with a demonstration.
“This was your original thread, so beautifully woven and tied together, until…” She held the end of one of the threads, cut short as the other continued on, fraying slowly. “You cut your string, while your soulmate continued on, decaying from heartbreak. You were changed into a Grim Reaper shortly after, and we created a new thread from you.”
“And then,” The young woman continued, as the scenery changed once more. Seungmin recognized the two threads she now held, “Your soulmate was reborn.”
The Fates admired their handiwork on Seungmin and Y/N’s strings, tracing over where Y/N’s was cut and retied—explaining it was from her near-death experience.
“It wasn’t quite your time, dear. I apologize for being a bit scissor-happy. But, it was also a way for us to ensure our sweet Grim and you become more easily tangled later on.”
The two threads continued on, crossing over multiple times to signify each time Seungmin was pulled to her, and The Fates held them both tightly together as they stood still in time with each other in the hall.
“What happens now?” Seungmin whispered finally.
“Well, that will be up to you and your soulmate, child. Ideally, you two will continue on your journey together and strengthen your bond to grant you mortality.”
Y/N gasped, backing away into the maze of red string, “This is… a lot…”
Seungmin turned to follow her, making sure she safely made it back to the entryway, “I’m sorry if you feel you have no choice. I had no idea…”
She smiled sadly. “It’s not that, Seungmin. I actually like you… getting past all of this,” she gestured at the hall behind them, “I just don’t want to feel like we’re only together because it was forced by destiny.”
“We’re not.”
Y/N scoffed, “How can you be sure?”
Seungmin shrugged, “If we were being forced, we would’ve seen the rest of our threads woven together already. They aren’t yet because The Fates are giving us a choice.”
Y/N huffed at his blase attitude towards all of this, “Do you even like me, Seungmin?”
“What?” Seungmin’s eyes widened, “Of course I do! You were so kind to me, even when you thought I was crazy and kept following you. And then, all of this, you’ve been so brave and patient. You have such a light heart and not to mention how beautiful you are. You’re ethereal to me. Just unreal. I just…” Seungmin sighed, “I won’t force you into anything for my sake when all of this was my fault to begin with.”
“I don’t want you to be alone anymore…” Y/N whispered.
“I don’t mind. I’m used to it.”
“I don’t want to be alone anymore either…” She added, stepping closer.
“Then you won’t be. We can wander together.”
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The Tales of Grim Reaper
word count : 1017
In a realm that straddles the line between the living and the dead,is a bizarre and unsettling experience. A whisper, velvety and malevolent, sent shivers racing down her spine. It was a voice that seemed to materialize from the shadows.
"Hello~" the voice whispered into her ear. She spun around, startled, but there was no one to be seen. The empty space offered no explanation. Then, like a bolt of lightning, a searing pain shot through her head, causing her to collapse to the ground.
When she regained her senses, she found herself staring up at a figure. The figure was a tall man in a long, ebony robe. His pale, angular face held a sardonic smirk, and his dark eyes gleamed with curiosity as he regarded her.
"How cute, mortal" he taunted with a chuckle. "I'm here to take your soul today."
She was not one to succumb to fear.
“No thanks”
“Excuse me?” The man tilted his head. “That wasn’t a question, it was a statement. You die, your soul goes to me. Them’s the rules.”
She propped herself up and, with unwavering determination, shot back, "And I said no thanks. Where are your manners?"
The man's smirk melted into a scowl. "Who are you to speak to me like that?" he growled, his irritation surfacing. "I'm a grim reaper. I'm supposed to scare the living daylights out of you humans. And yet you treat me like a child."
"Because you're acting like one," she quipped, her defiance unwavering.
The man’s smirk faded, replaced with a scowl. “Excuse me? I am thousands of years old.” “Ok boomer”
“You little brat.” The man muttered, crossing his arms and walking closer to you. “Do you really think you can speak to me that way and get away with it?” The man, now identified as a grim reaper, was clearly losing his patience.
"Wow, it must be nice to be so entitled," She retorted, not backing down.
He chuckled softly but stood up, brushing off his robe. "Who are you to speak to me like that? I'm a grim reaper. I'm supposed to scare the living daylights out of you humans. And yet you treat me like a child?"
"Because you're just a silly little guy," she fired back.
This time, Nigel's scowl deepened. "Excuse me? I am thousands of years old."
"Ok boomer," she teased, pushing all the right buttons.
"You little brat," Nigel growled, unable to hide his growing frustration.
"Do old man ears not work anymore?" she continued, relentlessly.
Nigel's face flushed. "What did you just call me?"
"Do you mean to tell me you can't hear properly, old-timer?" her audacity knew no bounds.
Nigel's response was to grab her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. His anger and frustration were palpable as he snarled, "You little brat. Who gave you the right to speak to the grim reaper like that?"
Undeterred, she had a response that took Nigel by surprise. "Wrong time to tell you that maybe I might be into this."
Nigel's grip loosened as he seemed to consider her words. He muttered, "Why are you humans so weird? Can't you just be scared of me like everyone else?"
"Because we all have our coping mechanisms," she quipped, her smirk intact.
Nigel's frustration reached its peak. "How are those coping mechan—shut up," he muttered, flustered. It was a strange moment for him.
She pressed on, "into that as well."
Nigel groaned. "Shut up."
Their verbal jousting had taken an unexpected turn, leaving Nigel in a state of flustered confusion. He placed her back on the ground, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, and a hint of a blush coloring his cheeks. “What is wrong with you?”
"Oh, that's a can of worms I'd rather not open," she added, "I mean, really, how much time do you have?"
"I am immortal, human. I have all the time in the world you could possibly imagine," Nigel replied, his eyes narrowing.
"Because you're just a silly little guy," she playfully taunted, pushing Nigel's buttons with an impish grin.
Nigel's face flushed. "Am not!"
Nigel rolled his eyes, pushed to the brink. "You're extremely irritating, do you know that?"
With a smirk, she said, "Worse than Ted Bundy? Hitler? Freaking Genghis Khan?"
Nigel, in a moment of weakness, admitted, "…yes." His face turned even redder.
She playfully continued, "He didn't have the balls to be like me," laughing at her own joke.
Nigel chuckled a bit and then muttered, "S-shut up." His defenses were clearly crumbling.
"I know I'm hilarious," she responded, amused. "That's why I understand why you'd want me. But I can't go with you. And the looking stupid part? I don't think you need my help with that."
Nigel shook his head in a mixture of frustration and fascination. "You're a brat." she seemed unfazed. "Yay, I love winning."
Nigel sighed and shook his head. "You are the most irritating human I have EVER met." A hint of a smirk played on her lips. "Aww, you mean it? Thanks."
Nigel's irritation reached its peak as he muttered, "…I don't even understand how you're not afraid of me."
But she had an answer ready: "I'm just a teenage girl in the teenage world."
Nigel's tone shifted, a mix of confusion and grudging admiration. "…You're still extremely annoying, but I have to admit, you are something. I've never met anyone like you."
"Awwww! Stop!"
Nigel, unable to make sense of the strange encounter, grumbled, "This whole interaction was unnecessary." Despite his protests, she had managed to turn what should have been a grim meeting into a bizarre and flustering conversation. The tension between them was undeniable, but an unspoken understanding had begun to take root.
With an exasperated sigh, Nigel conceded, "You're a brat." Unable to resist one final tease, concluded, "Meh, I've been called worse."
Their unique and bizarre encounter had created a peculiar connection between the young, fearless girl and the immortal grim reaper. But that was not the end of their story; there was still more to unfold.
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