#jin is me at all those idiots not wearing their masks

[whyse7vn]

BREAKING POINT -

[ ot7 x reader ]

this is like super short pls forgive me tan twitter tl for context

tan on twitter!!!

8 participants - 8 online

———————————

tae: yoongi pls unblock me on twitter

yoongi: kill yourself

tae: i tried guys why doesn’t he love me 💔

y/n: that was a pathetic try

tae: guess what

y/n: what?

tae: ligma man..

y/n: ligma??

jimin: no way 😭

jk: baby…

namjoon: really

y/n: WHAT???

jin: i’m with her

wtf you guys on about??

hobi: this is a sad day

tae: LIGMA FUCKING BALLS BITCH

y/n: drown

jimin: ur fault tbh

hobi: real

y/n: leave me alone

jin: look you made her upset idiots

y/n: IM NOT UPSET

hobi: cheer up baby ❤️

namjoon: it’s okay tae upsets me all the time

y/n: im fine

hobi: bts song

jk: i know bts

tae: me 2

y/n: i want to stab you with a pencil

tae: watch out namjoon

namjoon: she is definitely talking to you

tae: proof?

hobi: bts?

jimin: i’m gonna bts outta you shut the fuck up

hobi: aw man :/

jk: bts?

jin: beat the shit

tae: beat MY shit

jk: woah

yoongi: he actually needs to kill himself wow

tae: @y/n u 2

y/n: LEAVE ME ALONE

jimin: she’s mad

y/n: I’M NOT MAD

jin: y/n are you still with that scoups guy?

namjoon: didn’t we just find out they we’re together like a week ago?

jk: WE DID????

jin: she moves on fast tho so idk

y/n: NO I DONT????

jimin: yoongi mingyu jk scoups mark wonho minho san all of us

there’s more hold on i’m thinking

hobi: all of us?

jk: say sike…

y/n: ARE YOU FUCKING SICK???????

jin: woah major slut alertttttt

namjoon: shut up

y/n: ONLY LIKE 4 OF THOSE NAMES ARE RIGHT

jk: what

y/n: AND IVE ONLY FUCKED 2 OF THEM SO KILL YOURSELF LEAVE ME ALONE

yoongi: she’s a grown woman

y/n: RIGHT

sorry i’m hot as fuck and pull bitches it’s not my fault

jin: u mid

y/n: ur 30

jin: ok please leave me alone i’m sorry

tae: my body count is also 2

jimin: -2

tae: ummmm?

jk: i’ve killed no one

i could of but don’t worry

namjoon: ??

hobi: fyi she did not deny being with scoups

jimin: TRUE

jk: NO

y/n: i deny it

jimin: too late we know

jin: SLUT

sorry

pls i’m sorry i didn’t mean it pls don’t be mean to me

please oh my god i’m sorry it slipped out

love u

please

y/n: THIS IS NOT FEMINISM

namjoon: it���s okay if ur with him

jk: NO ITS NOT STOP SAYING THAT WHATS UR FUCKING ISSUE STUPID STUPID STUPID

y/n: IM NOT

tae: who have you fucked

yoongi: are you stupid?

tae: no i’m curious

hobi: OH IM CURIOUS YEAH

wow i love shinee

y/n can you please start talking to minho again and then get married to him so i can be at his wedding and we can be forever connected

jk: SHUT UR MOUTH

y/n: you guys know so much about my relationship life it actually makes me want to throw up

jimin: ur easy to stalk

hobi: she’s fucked jk and yoongi

tae: and me

jin: in dreams doesn’t count

yoongi: lol

tae: LOL AWAY FROM ME YOU NASTY BITCH

U THINK UR WINNING BUT UR FUCKING NOT

WHEN ME AND Y/N GET MARRIED IT WILL BE ME KIM TAEHYUNG WHO LOLS IN UR FUCKING FACE

YOU RAT

yoongi: L

tae: no

yoongi: O

tae: YOU FUCKING STOP RIGJT NOW MIN YOONGI

yoongi: L

tae: 6pm seoul south korea apartment block C floor 7 door number 279 a ak47 a man a mask and a fucking dream

namjoon: wow ok that’s great!!

nice vogue shoot btw jungkook!

jk: I WILL NOT FUCK U GO AWAY

namjoon: oh my fucking god

hobi: scottish pride!!

jimin: ???

hobi: was he not wearing a kilt?

jimin: a what?

hobi: killing myself

jin: why they put you in that dirty ass bathroom omg?

tae: dirty shoot for a dirty man

jin: ?

tae: what?

jin: just a bit crazy coming from u

y/n: tae you need to shower

tae: you in love

ha

fucking bitch

jin: do you fuck her or fight her damn?

jimin: right he’s pissing me off

tae: can you leave me alone i’m going through a lot rn

jk: dick

tae: ??

jk: a lot of dick

yoongi: lmao

namjoon: he likes men?

hobi: ewwwwwwwwwwww

jimin: homophobia?????????

jk: yes so he’s going through them

cuz he does not like y/n

yoongi: you say this like every 2 weeks

jk: because it is true

y/n: thank god

jk: no thank men

hobi: thx men

jin: so it’s not jimin?

jimin: what??

tae: i’ve never touched another man let alone sleep with one

hobi: amen

y/n: now that is just not true

namjoon: who cares

tae: I DO

hobi: no one will ever say those words to you

jin: i will

tae: fr 🥲?

jin: LOL

tae: ok kys

and fuck that bitch y/n

yoongi: have

tae left “tan on twitter”

hobi: cuteness overload ^_^

y/n: what crawled up his ass today tf

jk: hi do you need me do you want me do you love me

namjoon: can we just talk about life or like

jin: let me guess trees?

jimin: weed?

jk: OH MY GOD NAMJOON WANTS TO TALK ABOUT WEED

hobi: life is a downward spiral noting matters we are all slowly dying the government hates us money is worthless drugs are all around our water is running out

jk: where is it running out of

let’s catch it

y/n: tae was being super weird right?

hobi: super shy

namjoom: what’s new

hobi: new hair

namjoon: stop

hobi: forgive me master

namjoon: i’m at my breaking point

jimin: breaking bad

jin: drugs?

jimin: it all links back to namjoon…

jk: omgggggg namjoon is this true……..

namjoon: LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE

—-

pls lmk if you like the twitter concept idk if i’m feeling her yet but if you guys are i will do more idk trying to be different 🙈

#bts crack #bts fanfic #bts fluff #bts imagines #bts fic #bts text #bts x reader #bts x y/n #bts x you #namjoon x reader #jin x reader #yoongi x reader #hoseok x reader #jimin x reader #taehyung x reader #jungkook x reader #bts texts #rm x reader #suga x reader #v x reader #jhope x reader #hobi x reader #bts fake chats #bts incorrect texts

[ghcstchild-a]

THINGS SAID BEHIND YOUR BACK — @cuckoo-among-beasts

❝ WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO? ❞ comes a whiny remark, fingers digging into his shidi's shoulders as he finds himself plastered over his back once again. Wei Wuxian doesn't need to see the other's eyes roll to feel it, as if the searing pain isn't enough to remind him how miserably that little endeavour failed. ❝ Who knew the old man had another pair of eyes on his back? And Nie-xiong was struggling back there, how could I not help? ❞ The mere thought of being stuck here for more than a year makes him shudder, he cannot help but ponder the unfairness of it all, but of course, it's even less fair now that he ended up being the one to suffer a harsher punishment than his test-failing friend. ❝ Besides, he promised to copy the rules for me, so it seemed like a good deal. ❞ Lashes sting, but shallow cuts don't take too long to heal. They'll have to be sneakier next time.

✧ ✧ ✧

❝ Wait, Chifeng-zun is dead? ❞ a pair of chopsticks freezes in mid-air, it doesn't take more than a second for another realization to strike him. When he speaks, it comes without much thinking. ❝ It must've been hard for Nie Huaisang. ❞ The look he receives in return is not particularly expressive, so he picks up the piece of spicy pork and bites into it again with a shrug. ❝ He's not built for it. Being a sect leader. He's more skilled in other matters. ❞ A smile blossoms, chasing away the briefly thoughtful look that doesn't quite suit this new local-idiot persona of his. ❝ Hey, remember that book I once showed you?— ❞

✧ ✧ ✧

❝ Does it really matter anymore? ❞ it's not much of a question. There's not much genuine musing that goes into it either, not when there's a copper taste in his mouth, not when his head won't stop spinning. A hand comes to clasp another, fingers entwined to offer a bizarre kind of solace — the dawn rising over the temple might yet bring new surprises. A brief distraction to be chased away by the exhausted rawness of his heart. He watches a sombre figure hiding behind an ornate fan, and a smirk lights up his face, if only for a moment, if only a bitter fracture of the light he wears like a mask. ❝ Nie-xiong, Nie-xiong... so much for 'the headshaker', huh? ❞ The tiredness of his eyes doesn't give way to fondness, but no judgement creeps into his tone. ❝ Lan Zhan... can we go home? ❞

✧ ✧ ✧

❝ He's the only friend I have left, ❞ he says, and it hits unexpectedly hard, this sudden acknowledgement — Wei Wuxian wouldn't even be here otherwise. Who knows what could've been, then, had Jin Guangyao been left alive. And then, it's something he tends to do. He doesn't give up on people easily. ❝ I don't think what he did was right. But I could never judge him for it. ❞ A few moments pass. A minute. It's easy to lose count, with a whole new life ahead of them. ❝ Those years must've been so lonely for him, too. ❞ It takes another minute. Maybe an hour. He feels a soft hum of a response rather than hears it. ❝ Do we have any business in Qinghe? ❞

#cuckooamongbeasts #some additional lqr bashing in the first one ig

[yoohyeontual]

Tag by @leejooheons of course I’ll do it !!! I just forgot yesterday jchdjdhdj

lockscreen / homescreen / last song / last meme / last idol / last screenshot / favorite songs / favorite groups + biases

Favorite songs (as right now) :

-Stars (Loona)

-Oops! (Loona)

- Mago (Gfriend)

-Lovesick girls (Blackpink)

-Love to hate me (Blackpink)

-Beastmode (Monsta x)

-Go hard (Twice)

-Hell in heaven (Twice)

-Queen (Twice)

-I can’t stop me (Twice)

I mostly have Loona, BP and Twice on repeat right now or listening to anything (half of the time going back to the cab jchdjdhdj)

Favorite groups + Biases :

I want to all group only like top 10 jcjdhxjshs

-BTS : Jungkook

-Dreamcatcher : Yoohyeon

-Loona : Jinsoul, Yves & Olivia Hye

-Red Velvet : Seulgi

-Exid : Hani

-Monsta x : Minhyuk

-Seventeen : Woozi

-TXT : Yeonjun

-Twice : Dahyun

-Blackpink : Jisoo

-Gfriend : Sinb

Let’s stop her ekcbdjhxksjdd

I tag (if you want ) : @uyeau @wonheons @hyelesbian @lunarchaeng @seiswife @vyvesvi @kingparkjinyoung @jintual and anyone who want to do it I’m getting tired bfksgxhsjhxs

#DO NOT REBLOG #I don’t have memes in my phone so I went on my iPad and it took me ages to find one cjbdjdbdns #jin is me at all those idiots not wearing their masks #I still have the fancy iPhone thing so I’m showing it before it disapear one I show my cousin how could it is kchdixhskdb #once* #also Gray and Wendy 💕💞💕💞💕💞💕 #tag #tag game #lockscreen tag #get to know me

[vvienne]

CHENGXIAN FIC RECS

Petals on a Wet Black Bough by DachOsmin

While drinking at a tavern that caters to men that favor men, Jiang Cheng happens upon a masked stranger that looks eerily like his dead brother.

from these nettles, alms by callowyn, zorrosuchil

Jiang Cheng didn’t have a plan for Wei Wuxian coming back into his life, and he realizes now this was a mistake. He’s going to slip up. He’s going to give it all away.

Fate—or at least Jin Ling—is going to make sure of it.

you're the one that I want by verity

They haven't really talked about what's going on between them, except this morning while Jiang Cheng was eating breakfast and Wei Wuxian was lying on the sofa with his arm over his eyes, Wei Wuxian said, "Are you going to be weird about it if I hold your hand in front of our friends?"

Jiang Cheng chewed his youtiao.

"Just let me know," Wei Wuxian said. "It's chill."

Oh, Jiang Cheng knew very well that it was not chill. But he wasn't like Wei Wuxian; he couldn't just do things like that, like it was nothing. Wei Wuxian could name his sword—gleaming now on the rack above his head—Suibian, he could do whatever he wanted. He got all the curses and the blessings of being always inside and outside the Jiangs, and Jiang Cheng got everything else.

"You can hold my hand," Jiang Cheng said after he swallowed, feeling like he'd just walked over a bed of hot coals.

letters from inside the storm by serein

"Jiang Cheng," Wei Wuxian hears himself say, echoing and strange as if from underwater. His hands feel slow and fumbling as he reaches for Jiang Cheng's chest, watching the blood soak through the silk and keep dripping.

______________

A year post-canon, Jiang Cheng takes a blade meant for Wei Wuxian. Things unravel.

family resemblance by ruche

“I am good-looking,” Wei Wuxian cuts in, theatrically pouting. Then he drops the act and gestures at Jiang Cheng’s-- everything, “but in a different way than you, obviously.”

In which Wei Wuxian takes Jiang Cheng to a sex store. They are, as always, so incredibly supportive of each other.

i was put together wrong, still i was made for you by finedae

Wei Wuxian wakes up in Mo Xuanyu's body, and the five slits across his wrist. He also wakes up in a brothel where the Mo family had sent Mo Xuanyu after the embarrassment of harassing Sect Leader Jin Guangyao, his half brother and now Chief Cultivator.

Jiang Cheng pays for a night, looking for a demonic cultivator.

too much, not enough by Shamelesscooper

“Okay, so good news!” Wei Wuxian says, swanning into the room with just enough energetic cheer that Jiang Cheng knows whatever it is he’s going to say is going to be awful. “We figured out the nature of your curse! You’re probably not going to die! It’s not even going to hurt!”

“Yeah? And what’s the bad news?” Jiang Cheng gruffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

Wei Wuxian does a double-take, like he’d expected his (fake) good mood to fool Jiang Cheng. Like it’s ever managed to fool Jiang Cheng. His laugh is a little shrill, a little frenetic as he says, “Well, uh. You know our ghost friend back there? Yeah, she’s possessing you. Which is why...” He makes a gesture at the general area of Jiang Cheng’s... problem.

“Ah,” Jiang Cheng said, expression souring. “I’m not going to like the cure, am I?”

“You’re not going to like the cure,” Wei Wuxian nods.

--

Jiang Cheng gets cursed on a nighthunt. Wei Wuxian helps him with the cure.

Halves by jusrecht

What do you call halves that fit each other in all the wrong ways?

Start a Riot by ohwhatevrewhatevr

“They killed A-Die and A-Niang,” Jiang Cheng says, his sharp but defined muscular frame curling in. He's all lean, purposeful muscle, nude and bruised.

“Wei Wuxian -” Jiang Cheng grits out in a dangerous, furious rasp - there’s a slight tremor to it still. He still isn’t looking at Wei Ying, just lying there limp, his face to his side, showing his profile and those sharp cheekbones. “Where the hell did you go? Where did you go that was worth leaving me behind ?”

“I-”

“And why won’t you tell me? Why won’t you-”

TL;DR Jiang Cheng goes into heat, they fuck, and hormones make them spill some of the beans before they go spill some Wen blood. (no romance happens :/, just sex)

like you’ve never known fear by tsunderestorm

He doesn’t want to take it slow, because Wei Wuxian doesn’t want things slow. Wei Wuxian wants passion and skill and things Jiang Cheng doesn’t have, he just has anger and inferiority and a head full of fucking thoughts that won’t stop running around and bumping into one another when he’s trying to focus on this.

翻云覆雨 // in clouds and rainfall by oh_fudgecakes

A night hunt goes wrong when the group encounters a Qiongqi. While protecting his nephew, Jiang Cheng is hit with poison by the beast. They don’t have time to research an antidote, but prolonged dual cultivation with another cultivator will neutralize the poison...

When he’s chosen for the job, Wei Wuxian is surprised, and determined to give his shidi a good time. Alternatively: In Which Yunmeng Recon Happens While Wei Wuxian is Balls Deep In Jiang Cheng.

oh my god they were (step)brothers by serein

"Really, boys?" Yanli sighs. "Right in front of my salad?"

________________________

chengxian and step-brothers porn tropes: a montage.

baby it's a black hole by villainousfriend (katzenfabrik)

"What's wrong, Jiang Cheng?" he asks suddenly, looking up from his bowl.

Jiang Cheng just meets his gaze, not even lifting an arm to convey, Where do you want me to start?

"You've been... staring at me, this whole evening, shidi," Wei Wuxian adds, more slowly. The colour in his cheeks didn't fade after the bath, and now, with the food and candles, the room's got stuffy and he's even pinker than before. It should look healthy but it only highlights the shadows under his eyes, so deep they look like grooves in the skin.

"No, I haven't," he says automatically, and shoves a meatball in his mouth.

Jiang Cheng meets up with Wei Wuxian after Baoshan Sanren restores his golden core, just as they planned. After this, surely things are going to go right, right?

don't you worry honey, 'cause i can't say no by Runespoor

Wei Wuxian tests a talisman and hopes Jiang Cheng doesn’t make it weird.

hungry little fool by serein

Despite the easy warmth of the picture, Jiang Cheng immediately pegs something as wrong.

Wei Wuxian's looking at his slim forearms, held aloft in the air, with that look on his face like his unease is lapping at the edges, threatening to escape.

Like the tide is rising too high, and it's threatening to wash Wei Wuxian away.

[soft chengxian post-canon ft learning to love your new body]

lotus bridge by Sectionladvivi

Wei WuXian comes to visit Jiang Cheng's shitty apartment and they wax nostalgic about when they used to whack off to porn together as teens.

for a moment (i forget to worry) by everyearning (noctiphany)

He wants to fuck him, of course he does. But this is good. It’s almost too good. Wei Wuxian is afraid of things that feel too good now, too scared that he’ll wake up and it will all have been a dream. But he thinks as long as he can keep them like this, right on the precipice, maybe he won’t have to find out. Maybe this won’t get stolen from him like so many other good things.

smoke by serein

"You do piss me off," Jiang Cheng replied automatically, ignoring Wei Wuxian's faux-sad swoon. Jiang Cheng scowled. "If I'm such an oblivious idiot, why didn't you say something?"

Wei Wuxian huffed. "Well they're very confusing feelings to explain, Jiang Cheng. I want to kill anyone who thinks they can hurt you, but I also want to fuck you until you cry." Oh. Jiang Cheng's stomach fluttered in mixed interest and trepidation.

Canon divergent AU chengxian ft. Jiang Cheng's not so subtle danger kink and Wei Wuxian being a jealous, dangerous gremlin.

when everything soft abrades you by tsunderestorm

Jiang Cheng had said “no” when Wei Wuxian had first asked him to wear lacy panties and a bra when they fucked. He doesn’t feel bad about that, either - after all, it hadn’t even been a serious request, more rather one of Wei Wuxian’s off-hand, teasing remarks. They come off as jokes - at least, he means for them to - but Jiang Cheng knows from experience that they are backed one hundred and ten percent by Wei Wuxian’s modus operandi of “haha, unless it you’re into it though”.

Turns out Jiang Cheng is into it, too.

weaving figure eights and circles by vrooom

“Wait hold on. Jiang Cheng?” The voice is no longer sultry. It’s matter of fact, incredulous, and horrifyingly familiar in a way that makes Jiang Cheng’s insides shrivel up and crumble into dust.

“Wei Wuxian?” Jiang Cheng says, holding the phone as far away from his ear as possible. He glares at the phone like it personally betrayed him. “What the fuck are you doing on my phone sex line?”

can’t train a moth by Runespoor

"Hey. You alright?"

"My boyfriend wants to put nudes of me after sex on Grindr. Take a wild guess."

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng attempt communication and a new kink.

clothes make the man by verity

Jiang Cheng requires a new suit. Wei Wuxian removes it.

#chengxian #mdzs #mdzs recs #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #fic recs

[aliteama]

☆彡 Drabbles☆彡

Jin Kougasaki

☆彡 Warnings: light cursing, spoilers

☆彡 “Get over here you ass” 

With open arms you made grabby-hands towards the masked boy who only rolled his eyes in retort to your childishness. He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t tempting, he could practically feel your body heat from where he stood at the foot of the couch. And affection did sound quite pleasing after living in the cold for so long. 

Swallowing his pride he let himself sink into your hold, gloved hands tentatively wrapping around your waist to bring you closer. You were warm. He felt safe.

“You can take your mask off” you sounded so quiet despite being so close to him.

Dragging your fingers over his ear to push back blonde hair you slipped a finger under the mask before pulling it down. Staples and beautiful scars on display as you pressed your lips to each one. No matter how many times he had complained you couldn’t help but grow to love them, they were a part of him after all. 

Reaching to take hold of his hand you peeled the gloves off and held his stitched knuckles to your lips, “You don’t have to wear those ugly gloves around me”

“Firstly, they’re not ugly”

“No need to lie, we know you have no sense of fashion”

“I will leave”

Threading through his hair he smiled into your neck while his finger tapped at the apple of your cheeks, “Yea sure you will” 

For someone so tense all the time you couldn’t help but swell with pride at how open he had become around you. Especially since your first meeting had ended with a fight, sure he was an asshole but he was your asshole. One who would put his life at risk to jump in front of you if it meant you could preserve your blood, one who would beat the crap out of anybody who so much as looked at you, one who purposely got tied up during hide and seek so you could grab the ball. Maybe he was a bit of an idiot as well. 

“All quiet now huh?” 

Laughing lightly you traced over his stitched arms, “Shut up” his voice was hazed with sleep and if it weren’t for him dozing off you would’ve hit him for talking to you like that.

It’d only been a couple minutes but that's all it took for him to fall asleep. Nothing compared to being in your arms, you were so soft and warm. You were welcoming. Nothing like those tight air vents he used to sleep in or the newspaper piles that he curled into in search of heat. He likes you. He likes you a lot and he’d do anything to never lose this feeling. 

#Drabbles #tougen anki #tougen anki x reader #Jin kougasaki x reader #kougasaki jin x reader #Jin kougasaki

[yslkook]

complicated

pairing: seokjin x reader summary: in which you and seokjin are figuring your “relationship” out. word count: 2415 warnings: cursing, alcohol, brief smut (like very brief) a/n: a part two to ships in the night. ty to @taestybae​ for listening to me rant about this!!

You and Seokjin somehow find your rhythm, even after months of being out of sync with each other. It makes him nervous, how easily he falls back into his friendship with you. It scares him how now that he’s allowed to, he sees you in a different light.

Like you had said. It was a cliche, that he was coming to terms with his seemingly hidden feelings for you after a three year long engagement with another woman. Another woman that he hardly thinks of these days. Because all he can think about is how soft you feel curled up next to him, and how your hands feel intertwined with his. All he can think about is how your face lights up when you see him, as if he’s the only one in the room.

It’s been almost eight months since Jin had ended his engagement with Taeyeon. He doesn’t know what the appropriate time is to wait into jumping into another relationship after a failed engagement. But does it bother you? 

You don’t like complicated. So you let him hold your hand. You let him kiss you. You let him sleep in your bed, reminding you of when you were both in college. You let him hold you in a way that is definitely more than friendly.

Yoongi tells you that you should ask him what he’s thinking. Ask him where you stand with him. But the idea of complicating whatever you have with Jin doesn’t sound very appealing. Yoongi tells you that you’ll break your own heart again if you don’t figure your shit out with Jin. Jimin gives you flirty eyes and his warm smile, finally happy that his two friends who were like his older siblings finally are venturing out of the bounds of friendship. And Jungkook worries that you’ll get hurt.

They’re all probably right. And you deserve better than a boy, regardless if he’s your best friend or not, have you out of sheer convenience. But you know Jin. You know his heart, and you know when he’s genuine. But still, you make a promise to yourself. That you’ll talk to him at some point.

Jin had asked you to accompany him to his parents’ house for dinner about a week later. You think nothing of it- you’re closer to his family than your own family. You had contemplated whether you should dress more casually or dress up a little. You decide on dressing up a little bit, wearing a blouse tucked into your pants and a brown plaid jacket. The way Jin’s eyes widen as you swipe your lip gloss on makes it worth it, you think.

“You look better than I do,” Jin whines, pulling you into his side and dropping a kiss to your lips quickly. You swipe at his bottom lip to take the remnants of your gloss off of him. It should be strange, how easy kissing him was. 

“God forbid,” You roll your eyes and wrap an arm around his waist, pulling you flush against his chest.

“We’ll be the only tens in the house. Well, I’m an eleven, but you’ll do,” Jin says and you scoff fondly.

“Alright, keep dreamin’, Jin. Keep living in your delusions. I won’t burst your bubble.”

“Kim Seokjin!” You hiss at him, swatting your hand over his shoulder, “You did not tell me that your brother and his pregnant wife were coming. And your cousins. And your aunts and uncles! You ambushed me!”

“What’s the big deal?” Jin hisses back, rubbing his shoulder, “They all love you anyway! You act like this is the first time-”

“The first time! It is the first time, you idiot,” You pull him to you by the lapels of his jacket, cursing his stupidly handsome face, “It’s the first time I’ve been around your entire family while we’re doing whatever it is that we’re doing!

“No wonder your mother is looking at me like she has a secret,” You rant, “Oh my god, and your brother- he looked so fuckin’ happy to see us. Oh my god-”

“Hey,” Jin says sharply, “Will you relax?”

“Seokjin! No, I will not relax! Can’t believe I had to be ambushed just to get an answer out of you for what it is we’re doing here-”

Jin sighs and pulls you into his arms, muffling your surprised gasp. You melt into his hug quickly, and most of your irritation has washed away. He’s always been an instant source of calm for you, and this time is no different.

“Is that what this is about?” Jin murmurs and before you can snark at him, he clasps his hand over your mouth, “You’re mine and I’m yours. That’s how it’s always been. And that’s it. Doesn’t have to be so complicated, baby.”

“Complicated…” You echo, feeling your muscles relax, “Unconditionally?”

“Yeah. Unconditionally.”

At the end of the night, when Jin’s father insists on a family picture with everyone in it, you don’t even feel out of place pressed up against Jin. You squeeze his hand in yours tightly and smile.

It’s not so complicated.

You almost drop your coffee when you see none other than Taeyeon, Jin’s ex-fiancee, staring at you as if you have ten heads.

“Uh,” You say eloquently, squeezing your cup of coffee. You had gone to your favorite coffee shop after work to pick up pastries for you and Jin before seeing him later that evening.

Taeyeon finally gives you a weak wiggle of her fingers. “Hey. Long time no see,” She says. She looks good, you think. She looks happy. Happier than when she was with Jin.

“You look good,” You comment, voicing your thoughts out loud, “How have you been, Taeyeon?”

Your heart is slamming in your chest, for some unknown reason. You can’t help but feel guilty all of a sudden. Even if you had done nothing when her and Jin had been together.

“Good. How have you been?” Taeyeon says politely.

“Good,” You echo. What does she want with you? She seems to hesitate for a minute before sighing deeply.

“Will you sit with me for a minute?” Taeyeon says quietly. Your lips part in surprise, eyebrows shooting up to your hairline.

“Yeah. Yeah, okay,” You murmur and lead her to one of the tables by the windows, “So how are you really? I didn’t think you’d want to hear from me. Considering…” You trail off, your eyes meeting hers.

“Yeah,” Taeyeon nods, “I didn’t. Want to hear from you, that is.”

“Fair,” You reply, “Not sure why you wanna hear from me now, then. Want a croissant?” You take a freshly baked croissant from the box and hand it to her. Her eyes glaze over your left hand, namely your ring finger. Before she can protest, you shove it in her hands and she murmurs a soft ‘thanks’.

“You bringing those for Seokjin?” Taeyeon says, not an ounce of bitterness in her voice. She was always too good. Better than you could ever be.

“Yeah,” You say simply. Part of you wants to say ‘is it any of your business?’ but you refrain. You’re certain this is hard for her. But she’s the one who wanted to talk.

“I was thinking about you the other day,” She says softly. Taeyeon is just full of surprises today, isn’t she. “I just…”

“Taeyeon… You don’t have to do this. We don’t have to do this. You can hate me-”

“Hate you? I never hated you,” Taeyeon says, taking a sip of her coffee, “Okay, maybe I did for a little. But that was only because you were the easiest person to blame at the time. Seokjin and I would have never been happy together.”

You stay quiet, chewing nervously on your bottom lip.

“I moved on. There’s no reason for him not to,” Taeyeon continues, her voice soft and melodious as it carries through. You raise your head in surprise, trying to mask it quickly. But she picks up on it and smiles.

“That’s great, Taeyeon. I’m happy for you,” You say, and you mean it. Her eyes brighten at your words and she gives you one of her show-stopping smiles. The smile that Seokjin fell in love with all those years ago.

“He hasn’t put a ring on you yet?” She says, half jokingly and you snort.

“How do you know I haven’t put a ring on him yet?” You wink at her. You remember why you had defended her to your friends when they said that her and Jin didn’t fit- she was genuinely so nice. But that didn’t take away from the fact that they didn’t fit. You missed her friendship, and that revelation has you surprised.

“He seems to be taking his sweet time. Considering that you were one of the reasons we ended things,” Taeyeon says airily. You wince at her oblivious bluntness.

“Taking his time with what?”

“Making you his. The way you should’ve been from the beginning.”

Breath seems to be stolen from your throat at her words and you choke on your coffee. “Taeyeon…”

“I’m only saying. He broke an engagement for you. What are you both scared of?”

“It’s…” You exhale, somehow trying to reconcile that you’re speaking about your relationship with Jin with his ex-fiancee, “Complicated. It’s complicated.”

“Is it?”

Jin’s head is in between your legs, your back braced over the couch. Your hands tangle in his hair, tugging lightly as a lewd moan escapes you. Despite his lips dotting your inner thighs in kisses, his hands flat over your hips… Your mind is preoccupied. 

Taeyeon’s words replay in your mind on loop. Jin can tell you’re distracted and he pulls away with a sigh and with rosy lips.

“Babe,” He sighs, “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” You mumble, wrapping your legs around his waist to nudge him by the heels of your feet. Jin lays on top of you, shoving a hand up your shirt to play with your tits lazily.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I saw Taeyeon today. Your ex-fiancee, remember her?” You say bluntly and Jin freezes for a second, his fingers clamped around your nipple.

“Of course I remember my ex-fiancee,” Jin hisses, squeezing your waist, “What could my girl possibly be talking to my ex-fiancee about?”

“What else do we have in common?” You roll your eyes, “You. And croissants. She looks good. She’s happy, told me about the girl she’s seeing.”

“And you? Are you happy?”

“She said something funny,” You say, ignoring his question, “Said you broke your engagement for me and that it was stupid that we weren’t together.”

“Not together? You think we’re not together?” Jin asks incredulously, “This is fuckin’ weird, baby. Because Taeyeon said we’re not together, you think we’re not together?”

“I don’t think anything, baby,” You say stubbornly, “It’s...complicated.”

“What’s complicated? I’m yours and you’re mine. That’s all there is to it, remember?” Jin murmurs, cradling your face. You pull him down for a hungry kiss. You don’t want to talk about it anymore. You only want him.

Hoseok’s New Year’s Eve party, or the party of the year as he dubbed it, was in full swing. Bottles of alcohol were opened on the designated table, red, black and gold streamers and decorations all over his apartment, with everyone dressed in either red, black or gold to match the theme. As per his request.

You were wearing a tight, red midi dress. Jin nearly convinced you to stay home, with his wandering hands and lingering touches. But you wanted to end the year with a bang, and you’d be damned if he held you up. He was hot, and you thought it was cute when his ears reddened at your soft sigh when you saw him.

You’re about four drinks deep, in the middle of drinking games with equally, if not more, tipsy friends and you’ve never been happier. You cheer loudly when your team wins, giving Jungkook and Yoongi’s girlfriend kisses on the cheek at your victory.

Seokjin is on a mission to get you alone. When he finally gets his chance, inching his way in between you and Taehyung, you grin widely at him. With your arms flat on his chest.

“Hey,” You purr, “Missed you.”

“Wanna tell you something,” Jin says, a little desperately and takes you outside, on Hoseok’s balcony.

“Outside? It’s cold,” You complain, rubbing your bare arms. Jin immediately draws you into his chest, replacing your hands with his. As nice as it is, you’re still cold.

“I need to talk to you,” Jin pleads, taking your chin in his hands.

“Jin,” You ask worriedly, “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

“I love you,” Jin exhales, “I love you so much.”

“I know that,” You smile, heart still skipping a beat at his words. 

“No, you don’t understand,” Jin says frantically, “I’m in love with you. I’m so in love with you. Even when I didn’t know it, I was. You are my best friend, my soulmate, and I am in love with you.”

“O-oh. Like that,” You murmur. His words are new, but for some reason, you don’t feel any different. Maybe it’s because you’ve known for the last few months. You’ve known how he felt about you. But still. His words are everything. 

“Yeah. Like that.”

“I’ve been so in love with you for… God, I don’t even know how long,” You sigh dreamily, melting into his kisses over your cheek, your forehead, your chin, “Say it again, Jinnie.”

“I’m in love with you,” A kiss to the corner of your mouth, “I love you-” A kiss to your eyebrow, “I fuckin’ love you,” A kiss to your lips.

“Want to end the year with you as my girlfriend,” Jin murmurs into your neck, “And start the next year with you as my girlfriend. Will you do that for me? Will you do that with me?”

“Yeah,” You nod, almost shy, “Fuck, yeah. I’ll do that with you.”

“I wanna do everything with you,” Jin sighs, “Every fuckin’ thing, babe. Do it all with me. I love you. I love you. I’m in love with you.”

Your heart is singing, you feel like you’re floating and when Jin kisses you at midnight in front of all of your friends… Even dipping you dramatically. The cheers of your friends are muted with the press of Jin’s warm lips on yours with the promise of a future together.

It’s not so complicated.

#seokjin x reader #kim seokjin #seokjin

[thebiscuiteternal]

What about Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang having a drink together in post-canon, bonding over both of them having faced the same situations (losing a brother, having complicated feelings about someone once close to them, spending the next thirteen years with only their anger and grief) as the other and ending up alone with only their sect, all relationships they had being torn apart from them whether by circumstance or their own hands?

This doesn't get into All of That, but baby steps are necessary for any future bonding, yes?

__________

Despite all the anxiety in the preparation, Jin Ling's first hosting of a discussion conference was going swimmingly and dramatics were at an all-time low.

Especially those of one particular person, Jiang Cheng noted as he watched Nie Huaisang out of the corner of his eye.

The man had barely spoken during the actual political meetings, only offering a few precise criticisms when someone tried to needle him into saying something stupid like he used to so frequently.

The mask of the Headshaker was fracturing.

Judging by the empty space that had collected around him, no one seemed to know what to make of what was underneath.

That was a familiar feeling.

Nie Huaisang glanced up from his wine cup, then gave a small, unsmiling, tilt of his head in acknowledgement. Caught, Jiang Cheng huffed and looked away.

It wasn't any of his business.

It wasn't.

They weren't friends anymore. They were barely even acquaintances, having spent a decade skirting each other only when necessary.

Even if Nie Huaisang had always seemed happy to see him when circumstances called for it, what did that really mean when everything else about his behavior seemed to have been a calculated act?

Despite the misgivings and uncertainties knotting themselves together in his mind, he found himself drifting through the crowd to stand by Nie Huaisang's side.

The other man blinked at him, seemingly in surprise, then quickly reschooled his expression into a neutral smile. "Is there something I can help Sect Leader Jiang with?"

He bit his tongue against the shiver that went up his back. "Stop that. Wearing his face isn't any less annoying than wearing the idiot one."

Another surprised blink, then a snort. "I apologize," Nie Huaisang said, leaning back against the wall. "It's difficult not to do around here, especially since your shixiong has made it clear that he thinks I am the next incarnation."

He bit his tongue again at the mention of Wei Wuxian, and kept the pressure down until he was sure he wouldn't say something he'd regret. "Then prove him wrong. Don't wear a mask at all."

"Ah, because that's so easy, isn't it Sandu Shengshou?"

"For better or worse, mostly for worse if you ask anyone in this room, I have only ever been me."

"And yet the 'me' that they would say you are is only the 'me' that you have been willing to show them, hm?"

He didn't really have an argument for that.

Nie Huaisang snagged a wine jar off the tray of a passing servant, replacing it with a silver tael he'd produced from gods only knew where. The woman huffed, but was smiling as she walked away.

"Is that how you recruited them? All the eyes you had watching him?" Jiang Cheng asked as he was handed a cup.

"Mmh, yes and no," Nie Huaisang said, and then didn't elaborate further.

Realizing he wasn't going to get any more of an answer, Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes and downed his drink in one go.

But he didn't walk away, and neither did Nie Huaisang.

Standing in their quiet little eddy amidst the currents of movement in the room, they finished off the jar together.

#mdzs #jiang cheng #nie huaisang #fanfic

[bangtan-sonyeonddaeng]

-BTS Reaction-

You were sitting at a cafe, sipping on your favorite drink and people watching from your window seat. You saw a group of individuals wearing their hats pulled low, sunglasses, and face masks. You knew clearly they must have been someone famous and didn’t want to be recognized. And you also weren’t going to spoil their cover so you minded your own business. You watched them walk up to the counter order their drinks, and then glance around the cafe. It was then you noticed the table next to yours was the only one open but it still wouldn’t be enough room. They all walk over and 4 of them are able to sit, you see them looking around for an empty chair so you clear your throat to get their attention.

“You can push the table together with mine and 3 of you can sit here if you need to. It’s okay I don’t mind.” You offer the friendliest smile you can muster and that seems to set them at ease. The one with the black snapback smiles back at you, and you can’t help but think that his eyes look oddly familiar. 

“Thank you! That’s very kind of you.” He says. Okay now you know you have heard that deep voice somewhere before. Could it be? No. Absolutely not, there’s no way. You tell yourself. You shake your head to clear your racing thoughts. 

“Oh it’s no trouble. I’ll just be working on a few things here so I won’t bother you all.” You scoot over so the one with light brown hair can sit next to you. A tall man with black curly hair sits across from you, you thought you saw tattoos on his hand but he quickly pulled the sleeve down on his shirt to cover them. It’s then that he looks at your shirt and smiles happily. The man with light brown hair takes his glasses off and you finally realize who it is that just sat with you. You’d recognize those warm brown eyes anywhere. You nearly have a freakout before you scold yourself. They’re just people. Just like you. No need to get all worked up. You take a few deep breaths and try to focus on your work when the one next to you pokes your shoulder. 

“Hmm?”

“You like BTS?” The man you now know is Jin asks. You try to appear nonchalant and shrug your shoulders.

“Yeah I mean, everyone knows who they are and likes them right? I’ve heard a few of their songs and they’re pretty good.” Lies. You’ve listened to them for years now and know nearly every song by heart because you listen to as many as you can in a day.

“Ah really? What’s your favorite song you’ve heard?” Jimin questions further.

“Hmm the song about Spring time? Spring season? What was it called?”

“Spring Day!” Taehyung chimes in. “That one is my favorite too. That’s surprising though I figured one of their songs from the Love yourself era would have been your favorite.” Taehyung is staring at your shirt but you don’t notice, having completely forgotten you were wearing their shirt from the tour you went to last year. Hoseok decides to tease you a little further.

“Ah do you have a bias?”

“I don’t think I’ve listened to them long enough to choose. They all have their charming points.” 

“Oh really? Hmm I would think you would be Hoseok biased. He’s really handsome you know? And you have a warm smile just like him!” Hoseok says. 

“Yeah he is. They all are though to be honest. And all of their smiles could light up the world, I swear.” Okay y/n dial it back a bit. Be chill. 

“Is that why you have a photocard of all of us in the back of your phone? You just love us all that much?” You freeze and immediately become so flustered you think you’re going to pass out. Jungkook reaches across the table and rests his hand on your own and now you can clearly see his tattoos.

 “Hey it’s okay! Don’t be nervous.”

“Oh my god I am an idiot how could I forget the photo card.”

 “You’re also wearing our tour shirt.” Yoongi adds with his eyebrow raised.

“Can a sink hole just form under my chair and end my misery please?” You ask to the forces of the universe. The members all laugh at that but Namjoon speaks to put your mind at ease.

“Hey like Jungkook said. It’s okay you don’t have to be nervous or try to hide from us.”

“I know that I just... was trying to keep my cool and not make a scene. I honestly didn’t even know who you all were when I offered you my table.”

“So how about we start over then?” Taehyung suggests. You nod.

“Okay. Hello. I am y/n. I have been your fan for years. I listen to your music everyday and would all day if I could. Your music helped me get through so many hard times and I respect and admire you all so much. No, I don’t have a bias because you all are too damn perfect and sweet and kind and beautiful. How could I possibly pick just one?” You let out in one breath and are huffing by the end of your little speech causing the maknae line you giggle at you.

“You’re adorable y/n. But really thank you for not screaming and making a big deal about this you’re.. surprisingly calm.” Jimin says as he studies your expression.

“Really? Well I am glad I have been able to come off that way to you because inside I am screaming and feel like I could jump out of this damn seat because holy shit my favorite group is just sitting here chatting with me like it’s nothing.” Jin laughs loudly at that and several of the other cafe patrons stare at you. He immediately ducks his head and covers his mouth to quiet his laugher. 

“Thank you for saying all that though. It’s always nice meeting army, especially when they are as kind and cool about it as you.” You can’t help the wide smile that spreads across your face. Suddenly Namjoon’s phone goes off and he’s talking in a rushed manner to their manager it seems. He sighs at the end and hangs up the phone. 

“We gotta go now guys. They want us early for the meeting.” The younger members plus Yoongi all let out a groan.

“Can’t we stay for a little while? Finish our coffees and talk to our new friend here?” You blush at Yoongi’s words and him calling you their new friend.

“Afraid not. We gotta go now. I’m sorry.” They all stand at once and let out grumbles. All of the members wave goodbye to you, and thank you for supporting them and hope you continue to do so.

“Of course I will. l signed up for this BTS shit for life.” Jin laughs again, this time not caring if someone recognizes them since they are leaving now anyway. They are all heading out the door but Jungkook stays behind for a moment longer. He slides into the booth next to you and tugs you into a tight hug. You’re shocked, but not unhappy. In fact you think this moment might be the happiest you’ve ever been. The hug is over much to soon for your liking. But when you pull away Jungkook ruffles your hair playfully. 

“You seem like a really nice person y/n. I am really happy we have someone like you as our fan. We usually come here on Friday afternoons if you ever want to join us again?” 

“I think I would like that very much.”

#bts reaction #bts scenario #bts imagine #bts drabble #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #min yoongi #rm #jin #suga #jung hoseok #jhope #park jimin #kim taehyung #v #jeon jeongguk #jeon jungkook #bts

[kanotototori]

Goryoujin: what’s the deal with Father? (89-2 edition) - Part 1

(Part 1 - here) (Part 2)

Me for like a year now, halfway joking: father reminds of an onryo haha Adachitoka, crashing through the ceiling: guess what MOTHERFUCKER

As always, Father backstory is living in my mind rent free so in this post, I’ll be talking about goryou(jin), onryo, asserting some facts, asking some questions, talking a lot, but most importantly, I’ll be begging Adachitoka to get the foreplay over with already and give. us. a. FLASHBACK. (please)

Dated: 08/07/2020 Word count: 4426

Ramblings under the cut!

The Facts: What We Know (And What We Don’t)

A little bit wordy but I just wanted to sum up all the relevant information we have so far.

Father was, without a shadow of a doubt, human. 

According to Ebisu’s mask data, he lived 1100~ years ago. This would put the beginning of the timeline at around 900~ CE, which is right smack in the middle of the Heian period (794 - 1185). 

The Sakura flashbacks take place in and around the old capital of Heian (modern day Kyoto). The manga explicitly mentions the outer street of Kujo (Chapter 46 - official translation, page 14). The exact year is unknown but it’s likely to be after 947 (the year when the construction of Kitano Tenmangu, the shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane we see in the flashbacks, was completed) but before 986 (when Sugawara no Michizane is officially deified as “Tenjin”).

He was very likely a Buddhist priest, judging by the simple motsuke koromo over a white kosode he wears in the flashbacks (the attire of your run-of-the-mill priest in the Heian period); the lingo + imagery associated with him (karma, Liberation, Chiki’s shakujou form) are strongly tied to Buddhist concepts.

He entered Yomi (in what way - by dying or by physically entering - is unclear), was given the first Koto-no-Ha by Izanami, then escaped via an unspecified “loophole” which allowed his soul to be called from Yomi by an unknown person. Real name used in the soul call is unknown. 

Izanami - who takes the appearance of the person closest to the viewer - appeared to him as a woman with a pockmarked face, which he lost to an unspecified natural disaster caused by a god(s). This is implied to have fueled his grudge against the Heavens: “Your ilk gets off scot-free for everything you do. But who do you think forgives the debt? People do. No matter how much you take from them, how much you walk all over them. I can’t forgive any of you. Not the gods… or any of the idiots who forgive them.”

After his death, it seems he became something akin to a goryoujin/onryo - either way, in his current state he’s neither god nor human but a “nonexistent creature abandoned by Heaven” whose escape from Yomi trapped him in an eternal cycle of reincarnation into other peoples’ bodies, which he doesn’t get to choose. 

He killed gods before realizing that it’s all pointless unless those who put their faith in the gods all died as well.

Although his exact motive for learning how to tame ayakashi is unclear, he states the following when Bishamon faces off with Heaven wielding Nana: “You have something you want to protect, even if it means being forsaken by the Heavens. You’ll do whatever it takes, even if it means following the path of disgrace and dishonor. You’re so predictable, Bishamon. You’re starting to remind me of me.” (Chapter 64 - official translation, page 25)

He named Mizuchi with the Koto-no-Ha.

As far as we know, Yato was born from Father’s one powerful wish, “the only wish [he] has ever been able to wish in [his] entire life”: to cull the herd. He gives him the name “Yaboku” - meaning “night diviner” - when he catches a star falling from Kanoto to Tori. This strongly suggests Father’s knowledge of the Chinese astrology system, as hinted at by the 28 Lunar Mansions illustrated on the cover of Volume 12 (Chinese astrology lore such as the 7 Big Dipper Stars, 9 Luminaries, 28 Lunar Mansions, and 36 Animals were all imported to Japan in the 6th century and later integrated into the esoteric Shingon and Tendai branches of Japanese Buddhism in the mid to late Heian period).

What is a “goryoujin”? (Infodump Part 2)

If you try to google “goryoujin”, “goryojin”, or any variation of this particular word in English, you won’t get any results (that are relevant, anyway). The word “goryoujin” seems to actually be a regional variant of the word goryō 御霊, literally meaning “honorable ghost” with the kanji for “god” 神 tacked on at the end. For the sake of cohesion, I’ll be using goryō from this point forth when talking about mythical goryō outside the context of Noragami.

Emerging in the early Heian period, the word goryō referred to the spirits of aristocrats who had died due to political causes (much like Tenjin, who is himself considered a goryō) and turned into wrathful spirits who carried out their vengeance against the public, causing things like epidemics, wars, and natural disasters. The ancient nobility would then honor these spirits as goryō (thus the name “honorable spirit”) to placate their wrath and turn them into benevolent guardians to bring peace to society (though some sources claim that not all goryō were vengeful spirits); this practice became known as goryō shinko 御霊信仰.

However, over time, the word goryō expanded its horizons - instead of just nobles being venerated due to fears about their wrath, any wrathful ghosts powerful enough could be honored as a goryō by people who feared that they might come back to take vengeance. This much-feared type of yokai 妖怪 is called an onryo 怨霊 (lit. “wrathful ghost”, “grudge ghost”) and any person who died an untimely, particularly grisly, or unnatural death or carried a powerful emotion to the grave (anger, hatred, grief, even intense love turned into jealousy) could become an onryo. Those who were thought to carry a risk of becoming such a spirit would have particular care and respect devoted to their burial and resting place to minimize the possibility of their spirit coming back into the world of the living. (However, it should be noted that most onryo are ghosts of women and very rarely men - and when the spirits of men manifest, it’s usually because of political disputes, grudges, or dying in wars. Adachitoka going for that trope reversal again?)

Onryo have one goal and one goal only in their cursed afterlife: to enact vengeance on those who had wronged them while alive. They are capable of causing harm to those in the world of the living, including physical injury, illness, misfortune, death, and even natural disasters.

Though the strength of an onryo’s curse varies on a case by case basis, they are regarded as incredibly powerful ghosts. Nothing illustrates this better than the Nihon san dai kaidan 日本三大怪談 or Japan’s Three Great Ghost Stories, telling three separate tales of yokai haunting the living: Banchō Sarayashiki 番町皿屋敷 (The Dish Manor at Banchou - Okiku), Botan Dōrō 牡丹燈籠 (Peony Lantern - Otsuyu), and Yotsuya Kaidan 四��怪談 (The Ghost Story of Yotsuya - Oiwa). Two of the three stories here center around an onryo (Okiku and Oiwa respectively). I won’t go into details about the stories of Otsuyu and Oiwa here (they’re easily found online if you’re interested) but it should be noted that, even to this day, the crews involved in any production of Oiwa’s story (film, plays, you name it) first pay respects to her grave in Tokyo before beginning work since misfortune, physical harm, and even death is said to befall those who are involved in retellings of her story - that’s how feared the power of a truly vengeful onryo is.

*While the English side of the internet didn’t yield any results for “goryoujin”, I did search it in Japanese and from what I could read with my sucky reading skills and a dictionary, the concept was the same as what I’ve read about goryō in English.

Continued here.

#noragami #my post #fujisaki kouto #father #89-2 #3 DAYS OF WRITING AND HERE SHE IS #you can tell i spend 90% of my allotted noragami time thinking abt father #god thank you adachitoka for this GOD tier villain. i love u ma'ams

[ripspaghet]

STUPID CUPID | 01

↳ series m.list | 00 | 01 | ongoing

→ pairing: jimin x reader

→ word count: 3,309

Prologue Summary; You and Jimin have been neighbors since you were four years old and hated each other ever since. It isn't until the two of you head off to college that fate, or rather, a certain baby with wings, decides its time to teach the two of you a lesson.

→ warnings/genre: bodyswap au, enemies to lovers, slight smut, eventual smut, slow burn

</3

It's not always in the dead of the night, or the middle of a downpour, that the people we love decide to leave us.

A splash of yellow paints across the canvas of a blue sky, wings fluttering against a cool breeze. Curious little things - butterflies that is - the way they flutter about and land on anything colored brightly, your windowsill for example.

The people we love often leave during ordinary days, just like this one.

Holding your breath you inch the tip of your index finger towards it. Of course, you know butterflies aren't meant to be touched. Though, what four year old is going to pass up something as pretty as this? As you itch closer it startles, but not from you. An abrupt slam of a door shakes your walls and you turn a cheek to the retreating insect. You stare at your bedroom door. Pushing yourself off the windowsill, you make your way over, feet brushing against the carpet floor, and out the door.

"How could you!" Another slam ricochets through the house and you flinch back, nearly retreating to your room, "How dare you!"

After that moment in life, you were no longer the type of person to let serendipity rule you - so, it's only natural that you ignore it when it falls into your lap - turn and walk away as if it'd never been there, to begin with.

A week before the Switch

It hadn't been long since the sun peeked out from the horizon, but the warm body next to you is what stirs you awake, limbs stretching and contorting. Going against your better judgment you let a heavy lid peek open, only to snap it shut again. 

"I saw that." An arm snakes around your shoulder and pulls you into a toned chest, his sun-kissed skin warm against yours.

"Then you should apologize for waking me up." You try wiggling out of his hold, but he follows you, nose nudging the crook of your neck while his slender fingers press into your hip bone. 

"Stay."

You sit up, "Let go," Pushing the blankets from your sweaty skin you realize you wouldn't be getting any more sleep with him beside you - the literal sun himself. 

His sleepy gaze follows you as you move towards your dresser drawers, "Come back. I'm sorry for waking you."

It takes only one glance to determine his motives, almond-shaped eyes flickering up and down your bare skin. He lays on his side, an elbow propping up his head, fingers combing through dark messy hair. You can't help but let your gaze wander down over the thin cotton sheets draped across his lower half. A smile ticks up the edge of your lips. More often than not, this guy has a way of forcing you to convey urges you push down. It's one of his many endearing qualities that annoy the living hell out of you.

"Come here."

Rolling your eyes you push your drawer shut again and make your way back to the bed. As soon as you slide back into his reach his hands are on you, tugging you to his lap as he rolls over. He looks up at you - eyes lowering to your exposed chest then waist, where his hands begin to wander up. When he reaches the swell of your breasts his fingertips graze along the supple skin, eliciting a sharp intake of air from you, "Say it."

Your eyes flutter open, annoyance coming full force, "That's a little cliché, don't you th-" His thumb and forefingers clamp down on your nipples and a submissive whine falls from your lips. 

"I said, " He hisses, lips pressing against your sternum, "say it."

You let out a sigh, "Hoseok, "

A satisfied smile lights up his face and he releases you, letting his hands fall to your thighs, "Good girl,"

You snort, trying to distract from your flushed cheeks, "What are you getting at?" You nudge the fingers that caress you, "Don't tell me you want more this early in the-"

"I do," He leans in, speaking between slow and teasing kisses that he places along your neck, "but," He sighs, "I do need to ask you something first."

"Ask me what?" You pull away.

"Ah, " He groans, "won't you let me soften you up first?" Hoseok has always been like this, avoidant of serious topics and more than active during the sexual or unimportant ones.

"No."

His eyes shift away from yours, finding your pastel sheets more interesting, "I don't want to ruin this."

"Oh, yeah?" You begin to pull away from him again, only his grip on you tightens.

"Alright," He hums, snaking his arms around your waist, "will you be mine then?"

You freeze against him, staring with wide, unmoving eyes, "Excuse me?" 

"I know, but I care about you. I even-"

"No." You shove his arms off to crawl out of the bed.

"You don't have to say it back. We can just-"

"No, we can't just. We had a deal. You were supposed to tell me if you ever developed feelings. I'm not the slightest bit interested in a relationship, or you for that matter."

He rolls his eyes as you put your clothes on, "I've always had feelings for you. I only said I didn't so I'd have a chance."

You freeze, turning to look back at him as he sits up, "Seriously?"

"I'm in love with you ____." He smiles as if he's just said the simplest thing in the world. Like it's easy for him to just give away everything he is to someone else - someone like you no less. A person who couldn't give a rat's ass for his so-called feelings.

You let out a dry laugh and turn towards the bathroom, "Love, huh?"

"Give me a chance to prove it and I'll have you falling for me in a week."

"I have no interest in love, Hoseok."

Hoseok clicks his tongue, "So cold, you won't even budge an inch?"

"What is it with men and not knowing what the word no means?" You pick up your toothbrush only to feel hands smooth over your hips and enclose you in a pair of strong arms. Where your skin meets him, a flame blooms, though you choose to ignore it to instead squeeze toothpaste onto your brush.

"Say you'll think about it."

You turn around to face him, your chest touching his, "If I say that, will you get out?"

He nods with satisfaction.

You place your toothbrush in your mouth and push him away from you, "I'll think about it."

"Good, " He smiles, "I'll be going overseas to visit my sister this weekend. By the time I get back, you'll have decided. Right?" 

"Sure," You feign interest and begin brushing your teeth.

"'Think about it', as if." You scoff, "I've told him a thousand times over that I'm not interested. After this, we're done. I've already blocked him."

"I mean, I can't blame the guy. You've been going at it for over a year now."

"Jin," You grab the finger his pointing at you accusingly, "he knows next to nothing about me."

He hums, taking his hand back, and passing you a paper bag that's filled with your favorite breakfast pastry, "I just saying, maybe you should give him an actual chance this time."

"Why?" You raise an eyebrow as you take the bag from him, "So he can prove me right?"

"You haven't been in a real relationship since high school. You can't act like you know what it's gonna be like."

"How much different can relationships be now? They're nothing but trouble. I fail to see how that can change just because I'm older." You furrow your brow while picking at your food.

"Relationships aren't trouble, they're work. You're just too lazy and cold hearted to see that."

You groan and take a drink from your coffee, "Whatever, as if you'd understand. You fall in love with everything with a pulse."

He nods at you, unashamed, "Love is the seasoning of life - to live without it is to be dead."

"You're so melodramatic."

"Alright, change of subject. I've been hearing whispers from people." Jin smiles brightly at you.

"Oh? And what's that? More gossip?"

"Gossip?" He scoffs, "I'll have you know that this is top-quality news I'm gathering day to day and I ought to be running an article for this school."

"Tch, " You take a bite out of your breakfast, willing yourself to ignore your elder.

"Anyway," He huffs dramatically, "as I was saying, this Valentine's Day there's going to be a big party at the Jjang house-"

"There's always a big party at Jjang."

He narrows his eyes at you, "If you'd let me finish I was going to say, they're making it so that everyone who shows up has to wear red and a mask, or you're not allowed in."

You swallow your food and cough, nearly choking, "Huh?"

"Yup, they finally got sick of all the hate the art department dishes out on them."

"Can you blame us?" The booth cushion dips beside you and you turn to see another one of your friends now leaning over you to steal a piece of your breakfast, "My grandmother could throw a better party than those guys and she's dead."

Jin chokes on his drink, "Jungkook! Your poor grandmother!"

You snort, "Hey, Kookie."

Jungkook gives you a goofy smile as he chews before turning back to Jin, "My grandma is alive and well, Hyung. It's only a metaphor."

"A metaphor?" Jin sputters, "Do you even know what a metaphor is?"

Jungkook shrugs and smiles when you pass him a bag of donut-holes, "Not exactly."

"I think what he said can be implied as a metaphor."

Jin's eyes cut over to you, "Yeah, well, you're as much of an idiot as he is, if not more so." A sack of donuts slaps against your chest and you catch it before it falls into your lap, "You two need to go before you're late to that practice again."

"Alright, but before that how'd it go with that girl Yuna?"

Jin's eyes snap back in your direction as he sucks in a sharp breath of air, only to choke on the egg sandwich he'd been chewing. Coughing profusely, he lets out a croak, "What the hell?"

You bite your lip to keep from laughing, watching as your friend wipes the egg off his face, which is more than you can say for Jungkook. He's cackling so hard that people in the cafe are starting to turn their heads.

"Honestly, I bought you both breakfast and now you're harassing me in public," Jin grumbles under his breath.

After a bit more "harassment" you and Jungkook leave Jin to head to your practice. As strange as it is for an art major you've had an obsession with sports since you could remember. So, you joined one of the few sports teams available at your university your freshman year. You also convinced Jungkook to join alongside you. Convincing him wasn't that difficult either, seeing as both of you are extremely competitive. All it took was a bit of taunting.

"Early as always you two." A hand pats your shoulder and you laugh nervously.

"Sorry, Irene."

"Whatever," She drops her sarcastic tone, replacing it with a cheerful laugh, "just hurry up and get changed. I swear you do on purpose."

You turn to look at her,"Do what?"

She glances at Jungkook, who's already left you behind to get changed, "Oh, nothing." She pats your shoulder again with what you might call a forced smile, "I wouldn't want things to be awkward."

You raise a brow as Irene leaves you be to start warm-ups, "Okay?"

Irene is the team captain and a good friend of yours. It's hard not to be her friend when she's so easy to get along with, although you've shared a few weird moments with her that suggests something to do with Jungkook. You've suspected for a while now that she may have a crush on your best friend, but being unsure you refuse to help her or get involved in any way. Jungkook hates when you meddle with his love life, which you learned from experience when you tried to set him up with a girl in your anatomy class. Long story short, Kookie was forced to turn that girl down and was upset with you for a week about it. Ever since you've refused to help any of the girls that have approached you to get to him.

Once in the dressing room, you quickly change clothes and lace up your shoes after tying your hair up.

Love just isn't something you should involve yourself with. Whether it's for yourself or your friends. Who knows, maybe bad luck with love runs in the family.

You leave the dressing room and approach where Jungkook waits for you on the court, "Warm ups?"

"Yeah," He nods, "Irene wants us to catch up with the others. So, she's probably going to give us more to do once everyone is finished. Let's get this done as fast as possible."

"Alright, full speed ahead." You playfully bounce on your toes a few times before making your way to the other side of the net across from Jungkook as he tosses the volleyball from hand to hand, "Show me what you got, virgin."

He laughs, "I think you have the wrong idea about me."

"Then you shouldn't have a problem proving it, right?"

"Just ask your sister."

"I don't have a-"

"Wait nine months."

"Huh?"

With that Jungkook tosses the ball up and jumps for it, landing a harsh slap on it that sends it hurtling through the air toward you - only, you're caught off guard when someone suddenly shouts at you and your head whips around. The ball slams into your chest, knocking the wind out of you with a dramatic 'oof'. And stood there, at the entrance of the gym, is a group of dance majors that you can't stop yourself from scowling at. Especially, when you notice him silently avoiding your eyes at the center of the group.

The one on his left laughs, having seen you land firmly on your ass, "Did you both see that?"

"Glad we came in late today. We could've missed it, right, Jimin?" The other nudges him.

He hums in response but doesn't look in your direction, just continues toward the dance studio.

Sixteen Years Before the Switch

"She's pretty isn't she, Jimin?"

The boy shifts his gaze before hiding behind his mother's leg.

"Why don't you go play? I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere."

"Can I?"

She nods with an encouraging smile, "She won't bite."

Jimin was only five at the time, you four and typically, when two children are neighbors they become friends, sometimes best friends for that matter, but that just wasn't the case with you and Jimin.

"Hi, I'm Jimin. Me, my mommy, and daddy live next door."

You didn't respond, just continued playing with your blue toy truck, quietly ignoring the boy next to you.

"I like the color of your truck."

You glanced over your shoulder at him, only to quickly look away again when you met his eyes. His presence was making you nervous, you only wanted him to go away. But, he didn't take your rushed gaze as a sign to give up and go away, if anything it only made him think to try harder and that's when he reached for your hand, "Let be friends-"

"Leave me alone!"

Sure, you didn't necessarily bite him, as his mother had suggested, but you sure as hell pushed him away and ran. Admittedly, it wasn't Jimin's fault. Moving to Busan had been the beginning of the end for you. Your Mom hoped that maybe Jimin and you would hit it off. After so much change in your lives, she wanted at least you to be happy, even if she wasn't. Though, the similar interest in sports and sweets made no difference. The bickering never ended between Jimin and you. Coaches were forced to put one of you on the bench, while the other played, or someone was getting hurt. If your families ever had dinner together, you fought over dessert.

"You'll only get hurt."

"Me being a girl makes no difference in my abilities to plow you into the ground, Jimin!" You throw the soccer ball at his face, landing a satisfying thwack.

You think Jimin grew to hate you for it. Not that it mattered at the time, since you disliked him first.

"But that's the last piece, Momma."

"Jimin is our guest ____. Don't be rude."

"But-"

"No buts."

You glared at Jimin across the table, wishing your legs were long enough to kick him from where you sat.

The older you got, the worse it became.

"What did you say?"

Your teammate scowls back at you, "I said, you're a girl and outta act like one."

"And who are you to say what a girl outta act like?" You shove him into the lockers just behind him and he yelps in surprise.

"Hey," 

You pause, head-turning to the left where the entrance to the hallway is.

"Don't you think you're being a bit reckless?"

Stepping back from your teammate, you sigh, "Great, just what I need."

Jimin has always been the popular type, loved by everyone for acting like someone he isn't. That's probably what annoyed you the most about him when you got older, he was never himself. He always lied about what he thought or how he felt to please others while acting completely different when no one else was around.

"Leave him alone and go to class, ____."

"Or what?" You laugh dryly, "You're talking as if I'm bullying this guy when he's the one who-"

"Didn't you hear me? Are you deaf?"

Your glare sharpens, "Oh, I heard you, Park."

Long story short, that was the first time you'd ever been suspended. Your mother was pissed, to say the least, and you quit the soccer team that year.

A week before the Switch

Jimin eyes you from the entrance of the gym, expressionless as his friends cut up on either side of him. You can't help the scowl that contorts your face, nor the tension that builds up in your shoulders. It's been a few months since you've seen him on campus and you'd almost forgotten about him, until now.

"You alright?"

You take Jungkook's hand and stand back up, "Fine." You dust off your bottom with a sigh. Another thing, none of your friends know about Jimin. Seeing as he is someone you wish you never knew, it makes sense that you avoid even the subject of him like the pledge.

"Let's start over, you hit this time." Jungkook passes you the ball then turns to head back under the net.

With a solid nod, you force yourself to relax, putting all your tension into your fingertips that now grip the ball.

Jimin just so happens to also have a love for the arts, which has lead to the two of you attending the same university - him being a dance major and you, art. Luckily, you rarely see each other since dance majors normally reside on the opposite side of campus. On the off chance, you do see him it's always because of volleyball practice or one of his friends, who just so happens to be an art major.

"____, earth to ____?"

"Sorry," You toss the ball up and slam your hand against it, sending it through the air and over the net.

"Nice," Jungkook bumps the ball back to you. You run for it, the feeling of eyes following you.

You have a sinking feeling that something super annoying is in the works.

.

.

.

To be tagged send an ask🏹💌

#bts au #park jimin #jimin #bts jimin #jimin au #jimin x reader #stupid cupid | 01 #stupid cupid series #bts crack #enemies to friends to lovers #enemies to lovers #childhood enemies #jimin fanfic #body swap au #eventual smut #bts slow burn

[jinterlude]

Protecting Each Other

↳ Header created by the amazingly talented @kimtaehyunq from the BHQ’s Banner Request Board.

—Pairing: Seokjin x OC (Sumin) —Genre(s): The Last of US!AU, Zombie Apocalypse!AU, Fluff, Romance, Angst, Fantasy, Slight-Action, & Slight-Humor —Warning(s) / Rating: zombies, semi-graphic description of violence (mainly shooting and killing zombies), weapons (guns and a sword), light graphic description of injuries, blood, brief mentions/hints of deaths of a loved one, light suggestive moments (mainly making out), & swearing / 18+  —Word Count: 16K —Summary: In just one year, the virus swept the planet, destroying everything and everyone in its path and drastically changing the world. However, at least one thing is for certain—Seokjin & Sumin will always have each other.    

—A/N: The moment you guys have been waiting for! It is the release of my BB Summer Collaboration Fic! Cue the cheers and confetti! I’m quite proud of myself with how this turned out! I would like to thank my soup friend and forever my number one supporter, Jey @softjeon. It is because of her that this story even came to be the way it is, so this story is dedicated to her. 

↬ It is also dedicated to my amazing people: @jinned​​, @hobiance​​, @j-sope​​, @mindays​​​, @ppersonna​​​, @miamorjoon​​​, @parksfilter​​​, & @mygsii​​​. Thank you guys for supporting me and just cheering me on when I needed it. You are truly one of a kind. ↫

» Feedback is always appreciated and thanks for giving my story a chance!  

Destruction. That single word echoed in Sumin's mind frequently—on an endless loop. The faint smell of burnt and decaying flesh invaded her poor nostrils as the exhausted young woman carefully maneuvered around the lifeless bodies. Her eyes surveyed her current surroundings, noting how colorless the world had become. How the suffocating silence circled her, engulfing her entire body. Oh, how she missed the times where the sounds of laughter and lively chatter greeted her like a dear old friend. Instead, it was either the painful silence or agonizing screams that said, "hello," to her.

No longer did she see the vibrant colors that caught her attention before the outbreak began. Shifting her gaze downwards, she noted her attire. A faint yet amused smirk formed on her lips as she thought about the irony of her previous observation. She, too, no longer wore bright colors. Now, she wore all black from head to toe.

Her leather jacket? Black.

Her shredded jeans? Black.

Shoes? Black.

Every article of clothing that covered her bruised and wounded body was dark. Well, at least she'd be ready to pay her respects if someone close to her tragically died.

Now, standing in front of a man, who's currently crouched down catching his breath, Sumin remained on high alert. Her right hand gripped the hilt of her Japanese sword to the point that her knuckles turned white. Meanwhile, her left hand held the trusty semi-automatic pistol in front of her. Her index finger rested nicely on the trigger—ready to pull it back at even the faintest snarl heard. She needed to be prepared to fall into action. She couldn’t afford to falter because if she did, then it would cost her significantly. Her hesitation would cost her the life of the person who was the keeper of her heart. She would lose her long-time companion—Seokjin.

Protecting that man was the reason she needed to stay alive. Sadly, he was her only reason to do so. Her family and friends had tragically died one-by-one over the years. To be exact, it was ten years. Ten fucking years since this outbreak came into the picture. Ten fucking years since the zombie attack destroyed any ounce of normalcy she established since she was a child. Then, in a blink of an eye, it was gone, vanished with a snap of someone's fingers.

Only her boyfriend remained by her side, and the protective young woman prepared to do everything and anything to ensure it stayed that way.

As Sumin continued to stare into the fog, searching for any strange shadows, her eyes picked up a faint sound. Her breath hitched as she clutched her weapons, prepared to attack at any second. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a hand. Without a second thought, she swiftly turned around, pointing her pistol at the person's forehead. At the same time, the blade of her sword pressed into the intruder's neck.

But then, she dropped her weapons, both of the lethal items dangled by her side. A long sigh of relief exited her lips as the exhausted Sumin gave the person a dirty look.

"Jesus, Seokjin. I could've easily slaughtered you. You know that right." She scolded the young man, who only chuckled in response, which further irritated her.

Seokjin wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as he planted a sweet kiss on her temple.

Sumin grimaced and pushed him away, "Ew. I'm all sweaty and bloodied up, Jinnie. No kissing until you and I shower," and just as she finished her statement, she dreaded it instantly. This sense of mischievousness twinkled in his eyes. His lips formed this playful smirk.

Oh, boy. Those two features never made a great combination in Sumin's book. If anything, what came next always left her either a blushing mess that couldn't string a coherent sentence together or chasing the idiot and threatening to punch him.

Silently, she prayed it would be the latter. Sumin wanted to make sure that she could still punch an undead person.

"Jinnie..." She began, forcing a sweet smile on her filthy face, "You better choose your next words carefully or else."

Seokjin's smirk grew, "I don't know what you're talking about sweetheart," He took a step forward, "I was about to suggest something that any loving boyfriend would do for his wonderful girlfriend." He shrugged as his eyes flickered towards Sumin for a moment.

Sumin's breath hitched but soon composed herself.

"Oh, so that's how he wants to play. Game on, Jinnie boy..." She amusingly thought, nodding her head slowly as an alluring smile crept on her face.

Without any warning, Sumin turned the pistol's safety on and tried to fire the gun as a precaution. She then tucked the firearm away in her thigh holster. She secured her prized weapon in its confinement, whistling softly to herself.

As she did that, this unsettling sensation washed over Seokjin's body. His heart raced as if he ran away from a hoard of starving zombies. He suddenly felt parched as Sumin continued to instill fear in him. Her body crouched as she tightened the shoelaces on her boots. How completely still she was as she did something so minuscule. His eyes continued studying her body language, noting how completely balanced she was. He subtly tilted his head, hoping to get a better look at his princess.

"Speaking of ass..." His eyes drifted down Sumin's back, but he forced himself out his unholy thoughts, "Wait, now is not the time to be checking out your girlfriend, Seokjin." He shook his head furiously. His ears perked up at the random sound Sumin made as she stood up. She dusted off her torn jeans before turning her body towards him. An overly sweet smile greeted the scared man.

Seokjin flashed a smile, chuckling nervously at her as he swallowed his saliva; his Adam's apple bobbed a few times. Sadly, it only made him thirstier.

His tongue swept the bottom of his dry lips. Then, he spoke,

"Princess," He began, clearing his dry throat, "Are you preparing for another battle with the undead?" A nervous chuckle escaped his lips, "You know, the more you whistle, the more anxious I become. Do you want that, Sumin? Do you want to be dealing with a nervous boyfriend while we fight for our lives? I think not!" He finished his rather dramatic yet short monologue.

Sumin's face went poker-faced as she nodded her head slowly. No words escaped her lips, maintaining the eerie silence that surrounds the environment. Her eyes narrowed as she homed in on her target. She cracked her neck, releasing the tension in her muscles as she took a step toward the poor man.

As she stepped forward, Seokjin stepped backward. The attractive couple continued this rather odd dance for a few minutes until - suddenly - Seokjin grabbed his pack and bolted away from the menacing young lady.

Sumin bolted after him, shouting at him to stop being such a coward and face her like a real man. Though, she was careful not to alert any enemies of their presence. The last thing she wanted to deal with, on top of Seokjin behaving like a child, was a mob of ravenous zombies.

Yup...definitely not on her nonexistent to-do list.

With her lungs practically begging for air, Sumin refused to let that man escape her grasps. She easily dodged the low hanging branches while keeping her eye on the prize. The prize of closing the gap between her and Seokjin, so she could punch the living shit out of him. What made the situation funnier was that Seokjin taunted her endlessly. Each insult that spewed out of that gorgeous man's mouth fueled her desire - that competitive drive - to tackle him to cold hard concrete.

Then, as if God answered her wish, Sumin's eyes gleamed with excitement as she focused her attention on his perfectly still body.

"HA! I knew you'd stop being such a little bitch and take my punch like a mature adult!" She exclaimed as she jogged up to him. Just as she drew back her fist, she swiftly caught on to Seokjin's odd expression. No longer did he wear this playful mask but now dawned an emotion that Sumin thought she'd never see again.

Complete and utter disbelief.

Carefully, Sumin placed a warm hand on the young man's broad shoulder; her eyes dripped with concern.

"Jinnie..." The concerned lady began but was soon interrupted.

"Do you know where we are, Sumin?"

"I...uh..."

"Imagine everything lit up. The entrance sign lit so brightly that blinded anyone who dared to stare directly at it. Now, add the sounds of the arcade and carnival games going off every second as loud chatter mixes in with the lively atmosphere. Children that scattered all over the fairgrounds as they ran towards their parents, screaming from excitement as they begged their parents to win them yet another gigantic stuffed animal."

Sumin still didn't quite understand what Seokjin was talking about until he said,

"Look at the broken-down stand in the far-right corner," He pointed in that specific direction, "You see those beaten up stuffed animals?" He asked as he intertwined their fingers together. He then guided the two of them towards the row of carnival games. The unhappy pair carefully maneuvered around the fallen debris, planning their steps accordingly. The last thing they wanted to do was deal with one of them having a broken ankle.

The more Seokjin and Sumin adventured down the row of destroyed carnival games, the more Sumin's face became solemn as sadness washed over her entire body. Her jaw clenched, and her breath hitched. She couldn't believe it. She took in every single torn down - practically shredded - dull banners as she passed the poorly maintained game stands. The same game stands she and Seokjin used to frequent every summer and the reason she came home with a massive pile of stuffed animals. It was thanks to that lovesick fool that she no longer had space in her closet for her cuddly friends. At the same time, it was because of those soft stuffed animals that got her hooked on Seokjin's charms in the first place.

God, the more she reminisced about her countless summer spent at this fair, the more she became depressed. However, she couldn't stop thinking about those specific moments in her life. After all, those days led her to the man that she absolutely could never imagine living her life without him.

"I wonder if this place was the first to go?" asked Sumin, voicing her innermost thoughts as her doe-like gaze switched to Seokjin. She noted how tight his jaw was as if he tried his hardest to maintain his composure.

"I hope not..." He trailed on as he continued to survey his surroundings, "Though, it wouldn't surprise me if it was since the annual summer fair always drew in a massive crowd." He finished, letting out a soft, airy chuckle.

The corners of her lips curved upward as Sumin read his mind.

"Yeah. Kind of how it drew us together for the very first time, right?"

"What do you mean, kind of drew us together? It matched two beautiful people together."

Sumin's face fell, "Are you sure? Because I remember our fateful meeting quite differently."

Seokjin gawked. He couldn't believe the words that came out of his princess' mouth.

"Oh, do tell how that day went, then, Minnie

"Gladly...!" She exclaimed with an intriguing twinkle in the corner of her eyes.

Seokjin scoffed playfully, "Oh, I can't wait to hear this."

The petite young female shot an irritated look at the attractive man before beginning her tale.

"Well, as you know, it started on that Friday evening. You had just gotten out of her last class of the week and..."  Sumin trailed on. Her words echoed in the back of Seokjin's mind as he, too, recalled their meeting so vividly.

For the twentieth time that evening, Sumin checked her appearance using her front-facing camera. Her trembling hands ran through her beach curled hair, positioning it in a way that made her look charming yet radiated innocence. It wasn't every day that she was set up on a blind date by a good friend of hers. However, she wasn't a stranger to the dating scene, so why did she feel so damn nervous? Why did her heart pound against her chest as if she ran from her house to the fairgrounds?

Suddenly a look of complete and utter dread washed over her face as this horrendous thought implanted itself in her frenzied mind. Without a second thought, Sumin subtly smelled herself, praying to every God known to man that her sweet rose perfume still lingered around her body. She sneakily raised her arms and took a quick whiff under her armpits.

"Oh, thank God. My tropical fruit-scented deodorant is still working." She thought as this massive sigh of relief exited her lips. She dropped her arm, and as she raised her head, her eyes went round. Her breath hitched as this feeling of embarrassment hit her like a tidal wave.

"Please don't be my blind date. Please don't be my blind date." She repeatedly chanted as a drop-dead gorgeous man started walking up to her. With every footstep, he slowly closed the gap between them, and as he closed that distance, Sumin's anxiety increased. The butterflies in the pit of her stomach flew into a flurry, which only caused the poor young girl to smile nervously. She also chuckled softly as she awkwardly waved her hand.

"Great. Now, that handsome fellow is going to think I'm this huge doofus." She mused as she quickly mustered the sweetest smile and introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Sumin. I'm Seokjin, but my friends call me Worldwide Handsome." The handsome fellow greeted back, playfully winking at her as he displayed this thousand-watt smile.

Sumin became lost for words. She slightly parted her mouth as she wrapped her mind around the fact that this attractive man seriously said that his friends called him "Worldwide Handsome." Her eyes flickered with annoyance before switching back to politeness.

But before she could ask him if he was serious, Seokjin beat her to it.

"I'm kidding. My friends don't call me that," Another wave of relief washed over Sumin, but once she heard Seokjin's next sentence, that moment of peace was over, "I call myself that. I've been spending my entire high school career trying to get my tasteless friends to admit that I'm good looks are enough for me to hold the title of 'Worldwide Handsome.'"

Out of nowhere, Sumin felt a slight twitch in her right eye. Her body heated up. Her breathing grew heavy as her nostrils flared slightly.

Yeah, they didn't even get past the formalities., and his words ended the date right there.

As the irked young lady opened her mouth, ready to apologize to him that she wanted to end the date, a high-pitch noise emitted from his lips. It was almost as if she activated her car's windshield wipers.

"Oh, my God, I can't keep this charade up any longer," He paused, continuing his fit of laughter. The laughter grew too much for him as he clutched the sides of his stomach. "Congrats, princess. You passed." He vaguely announced, further irritating Sumin.

The serious honey-brown haired woman stared at the tall immature man through slit eyes. Her mind battled if she should ask him to clarify or not. Part of her - scratch that - most of her wanted to go home, but, sadly, the curious side got the best of her, so she asked Seokjin what he meant by his strange words.

The towering, well-dressed man cleared his throat, "Well, my young and surprisingly beautiful princess, what I meant is that you passed the, 'can this potential girlfriend handle my arrogant side and be honest with her reaction rather be fake?' test." He answered, keeping this calm tone of voice.

Suddenly, Seokjin shot Sumin with a playful wink, as he dug out his wallet from the pocket of his light pastel blue zipper hooded sweatshirt. A faint, "ah-ha," escaped his plump lips as he waved his black leather wallet in front of the unamused female.

Sumin raised her brow, finding Seokjin's actions odd and silently berating herself for not going home yet. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something in the back of her head told her to continue humoring the princely idiot.

Her conscience had better be right.

"Is that your hint that you want me to pay for our entrance tickets?" inquired Sumin as she prepared to dig for her wallet in her cotton candy-colored purse. However, as her fingertips grazed the zipper of the wallet, Seokjin gently grasped her wrists. For a split second, a single strand of electricity shot up through her right arm, igniting the nerves that laid beneath.

The longer Seokjin touched her wrist, the more Sumin's cheeks became heated. Just this once, Sumin was glad that it was Summer. She could easily blame the heat on her flushed cheeks, and not the fact that she felt this unspeakable spark between them.

Not wanting to become a blushing mess, Sumin gently tore her hand away from his grasp—much to Seokjin's dismay. Unknown to her, but he felt that spark as well. Never in his years of dating other women did he feel the same that Sumin did. The kicker was that she didn't even know that she had this hold - this magnetic pull- over him. Seriously. She could ask him to tell his friend Jungkook that he sucked at bowling, and he would gladly do it even though it was a death wish in doing so.

Wait, what happened? Where did those thoughts come from as he usually would never think about that, especially towards a woman he had just met? Pushing the confusion away, Seokjin lightly shook his head and plastered a sincere smile on his attractive face.

"Anyway, since we are losing daylight, why don't we go inside the fairgrounds, and yes, I'm gonna pay for your ticket. Don't argue with me on that, okay?" He kindly suggested as he maintained the wicked smile that caused both men and women to swoon over him.

Sumin chuckled, "Alright, you can pay for my entrance ticket, but I'm gonna pay you back by winning you a stuffed animal, cool?" She said with a sunny, innocent smile.

Seokjin's body slightly froze as he thought, "Okay, she might have beaten me in terms of having a smile that caused hearts to skip a beat," He quickly pulled himself back into reality and agreed to Sumin's suggestion.

Though, it wouldn't result in her trying to win him a stuffed alpaca. An hour into their date, Sumin wanted to succeed at winning him that cuddly stuffed alpaca but kept losing at the ring toss. Refusing to give up, the stubborn young lady shelled out another ten-dollar bill and slammed it on the wooden counter.

"Alright, Seokjin, prepare to- wait, what are you doing?" She questioned as Seokjin took the tiny plastic ring from her dainty hands.

The equally as determined man positioned himself in front of her and said,

"I'm gonna win you that alpaca, princess," He stretched his right arm, warming up his muscles, "So, prepare to be amazed by my professional throwing skills!" He announced; his voice was almost loud enough to be overheard by every single person at the carnival.

Sumin giggled softly, shaking her head playfully. Then, a brilliant yet bold idea popped into her mind.

With a seductive grin painted on her lips, Sumin stood on the tips of her toes and courageously planted a kiss on Seokjin's cheek. On the outside, Sumin appeared calm as a clam. However, on the inside, it felt like there was a tornado in the pit of her stomach. Then, a feeling of regret followed, but Sumin pushed it away. A good friend of hers told Sumin that she needed to be confident and more flirtatious. Now, she hoped that her friend's advice paid off.

"I'm sorry if that was too forward, I thought you could use a kiss for good luck?" Sumin quickly apologized, averting her gaze. Her cheeks became flushed as the bashful woman messed with the hem of her dress.

Then, a hand clamped over hers before the cold sweat from her hands left an embarrassing stain.

Sumin's eyes trailed upward and soon widened with how close Seokjin's face was. He was so close that their noses were merely inches away from bumping into each other.

As the doe-eyed Sumin parted her mouth to speak, Seokjin gently pressed his right index finger on her lips. Sumin's gaze flickered to his hand, noticing the plastic ring hanging on his pinky.

"First, thank you for that sweet kiss. It granted me all the luck in the world needed to win these rigged carnival games," He removed his index finger and stood up straight, "Second, now I'm even more determined to win you that alpaca so that I can get another kiss. Perhaps, this time, maybe on the lips?" He flirted, winking at her before he turned his back towards her and prepared to play the ring toss game.

Sumin mustered enough courage and composed herself.

"Let's talk after you win me, RJ."

"RJ?"

"Yeah, that's going to be the name of our cuddly stuffed animal."

Seokjin chuckled at how adorable Sumin was.

"Okay, RJ, it is."

Sumin cheered as she shook her hands in excitement, eager to hug the alpaca.

Her cheers faded into the back of his mind as Seokjin gently pulled himself away from that beautiful memory. It honestly felt so real to him. The smell of deep-fried food lingered around his nostrils while the sounds of Sumin's cute protests echoed in his ears. A reminiscent smile formed on his gorgeous face as he recalled the events that happened after he successfully won her RJ. She dragged him around each food stand and paid for any item that they wanted to try together, though Seokjin offered to pay for the more expensive food items. However, being the stubborn woman that she was, Sumin swatted his hands every time he reached for his wallet.

To this day, he could still feel the stinging sensation on the backs of his hands. Who would've thought that his princess had some strength to her?

"Why are you rubbing your hand, Jinnie?" Sumin's voice pulled Seokjin away from his thoughts. He glanced down and low and behold; he did rub his hand as if she smacked his hand a few minutes before. He ceased his odd action and then threw a warm and loving arm around Sumin's shoulders and pulled her close.

"Don't worry about it, princess, but I still think that you told some aspects of our first date incorrectly." He teased with a lop-sided grin. "If I remember that night correctly, it was I who tried out the ring toss stand first," He playfully tapped Sumin's nose, "And it was you came to my aid like the breathtakingly goddess protector I know you are." He finished before innocently pecking her sweet lips.

Sumin playfully rolled her eyes as the corner of her mouth curved upward. She then lightly shoved her foolish boyfriend, creating space between them.

"Anyway, where should we go next? We still need to find these so-called, 'Fireflies,' if we want any answers on this cure." She asked, surveying the abandoned fairgrounds. Her eyes flickered from every direction, ensuring that there weren't any abnormal shadows nearby.

A faint hum emitted from Seokjin's mouth as he, too, looked around. Then, something captured his attention as he was about to finish his search. He quickly focused his gaze onto the Ferris-wheel as he annoyingly pushed Sumin, repeatedly telling her to look into the distance.

The annoyed honey-brown haired girl lightly slapped his hand away, demanding that he stop being weird.

"I can't help it. You just make me a fool for you, Minnie." Seokjin flirted, causing his girlfriend to gag.

"I swear you are too much sometimes," She readjusted the strap that held her Katana, "But, when you want to, you do spout some intellectual things," She smiled brightly at Seokjin, "Let's head towards that Ferris-wheel and use it as our vantage point." She suggested, which of course, Seokjin agreed as he laced his fingers with hers. Then, the two hiked over to the gigantic wheel, hoping that it could give them some form of a clue.

Minutes later, the duo arrived in front of the rusty Ferris-wheel. The curious young woman broke away from her boyfriend as this strange magnetic pull forced her to step towards the poorly maintained ride. Her fingers grazed the rough cold metal as Sumin noted both the rust and vines that surrounded the wheel.

"It's so strange..." muttered the shocked girl as she stepped back.

Seokjin slowly nodded, unsure what to say next as specific memories plagued his mind. Thoughts of him and Sumin passing by this very Ferris-wheel as he begged her to go on it with him. Whenever he explained to Sumin why they had to ride this attraction, he always told her that it was part of the book of romance. Naturally, his sweetheart demanded that she sees this book so that she could see that so-called rule. The more he thought of that event, the more he chuckled.

His princess was always the skeptical one, but that made their relationship refreshing. They never behaved like any other couple, and he wouldn't want it any other way.

As he forced himself away from his beautiful memories of his lovely lady, he noticed Sumin doing something strange in the corner of his eye.

"Uh...sweetheart? What are you doing?" questioned Seokjin as he continued to watch his girlfriend with curiosity.

Sumin hummed as she glanced over her shoulder, "Oh, I’m gonna climb the Ferris-wheel and use it as our vantage point." She explained as she undid the belt that held her Katana and shrugged off her leather jacket.

"I see...I see..." Then, her words finally registered in his mind, "I'm sorry? Did you say that you were going to climb the Ferris-wheel? Miss ‘I'm afraid of heights’?" He asked with a quizzical expression on his face. The longer he thought about his girlfriend climbing up that poorly maintained carnival attraction, the more he became concerned. It didn’t help that those worries conjured up every worst-case scenario known to man and flooded his mind with them.

Yeah…

He definitely did not want Sumin climbing up there, and just as he shrugged off his jacket, Sumin spoke,

"Yup! Now, stay down here and keep watch, okay? You have my sword if you need an extra weapon." She said with a cheerful smile, reassuring her worried boyfriend. It was as if she read his mind and wanted to wash away his unnecessary concerns.

Seokjin looked utterly stunned. Every time he opened his mouth to say something, Seokjin swiftly closed it as he knew that he couldn't stop his headstrong princess from doing something if she already made up her mind.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Seokjin quickly hugged her and placed a warm kiss on her temple. As he pulled away, he told her,

"Remember what I told you the first time we rode this together?"

"Yeah...don't look down."

Seokjin uttered a quick, "good," as he released his loving hold on Sumin and watched her start her journey up the rusty fair ride.

His eyes remained glued on her body as he watched the love of his life climbed up the ladder of the neglected attraction. Seokjin's mind drifted to the first time he successfully got his princess to ride the Ferris-wheel as he stared at her fading backside, slowly becoming one with the sky.

Crossing her arms underneath her chest, Sumin blinked a few times. She tilted her head slightly as she tried to comprehend the fact that her boyfriend of almost two years wanted her to go to the Ferris-wheel. Also known as the fair's local death trap.

A short yet heavy sigh escaped the hesitant woman as her gaze focused on Seokjin, who currently nibbled on his bottom lip. A cute little habit that Seokjin had whenever he was deep in thought. That was one of the many quirks she learned about him over their two years of being together. The fun part of that sentence was that he always had her learn something new about him every day.

That was one part of their loving and entertaining relationship that she would never trade for the most expensive diamond in the entire universe.

Seokjin was priceless, and Sumin was incredibly lucky to be with someone like him.

Speaking of which...

"Okay, I got the ultimate bribery for you, princess!" Seokjin piped up, pulling Sumin away from her loving thoughts.

The corners of her lips turned up as curiosity burned in Sumin's eyes.

"Oh? And, what are you exactly going to bribe me with, huh, Jinnie boy?" She asked with hints of playfulness in her words.

Seokjin chuckled, "I'm glad you asked, my curious kitten," He then pointed at the nearby cotton candy stand, "If you go on the Ferris-wheel with me, I will buy you all the cotton candy your heart desires!" He exclaimed with eyes practically pleading Sumin to say yes.

A hum escaped her lips as Sumin lightly tapped her chin; her bottom lip jutted out as she "seriously" thought about his offer.

"I don't know, Seokjin, you know well enough that I'm deathly afraid of heights, you're practically asking me to risk my life just for tonight since you want to see the 4th of July firework show at the top of the wheel," Sumin lightly shook her head, "You're gonna have to do better than that, Jinnie." She stated, shrugged her shoulders.

Seokjin's eyes narrowed on her as he mentally cursed at how argumentative Sumin could get—when she wanted to be. He made a mental note to make sure that his princess never hung out with a particular headstrong friend of hers. If he didn't know any better, he knew that Sumin's good friend more than likely told her about his romantic plans for their 4th of July celebration.

"That pain in the ass..." He muttered to himself, rolling his eyes.

Unfortunately, for him, Sumin heard his words and assumed that he called her that. However, she knew better not to start a fight with him over an assumption. She learned that lesson the hard way after an evening of arguing with him over a hunch that almost caused them to break up just before the night of their big first-anniversary date. From that night on, Sumin learned to always ask for clarification. She vowed never to feel that devastating heartbreak again.

Mustering an innocent smile, Sumin eyed him accusingly, "I'm sorry, who's 'that pain in the ass'?"

Seokjin nearly choked on his spit. His body tensed. He then slowly focused his gaze onto the woman that not only made his heart skip a beat but also instilled fear into him. There was nothing in between those two feelings.

The nervous young man opened his mouth to speak but soon closed it as he had to pick his next choice of words carefully. Having a full-blown fight with her was certainly not on tonight’s romantic agenda. Instead, he wanted to share the most magical kiss with his princess and then confess how much he loved her.

While, yes, they had been together for almost two years, Seokjin and Sumin never said, "I love you," to each other. Their mutual friends told them that they took their relationship a little too slow for their liking. Still, Sumin wanted to make sure their feelings towards each other were genuine, and Seokjin respected that.

He wanted her to know that he was just as serious about them as she was.

Which motivated the handsome fool to say,

"Not you," He gently took Sumin's hands as complete and utter adoration burned in his eyes, "Which is why not only will I give you an endless supply of cotton candy, but I will bestow you the most romantic kiss ever known to man, if you agree to go on the Ferris-wheel with me," He quickly glanced at his watch, "We have exactly an hour to wait in that line, get on one of those carts, and slowly ride up to the top of the wheel where we will stop and enjoy the firework display," He smiled warmly at her, praying to every God out there that she would say yes, "So, how about it? You and me? All alone in that surprisingly roomy compartment?" He finished, eager to hear Sumin's answer.

Sumin remained silent as she glanced up to the Ferris-wheel, pondering for a moment. Then, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, she opened her sweet lips and said,

"Yes. I will ride the Ferris-wheel with you."

Sumin suddenly shrieked, followed by this soft laughter as Seokjin abruptly picked her up and twirled her around. Bystanders would've thought that he just proposed to her, and she said yes. That was how ecstatic Seokjin was for finally getting Sumin to agree to ride the wheel with him, especially since he knew how afraid of heights she was.

That was true love right there, and it solidified the never-ending devotion he bore for her.

Gently placing his princess on the ground, Seokjin softly pecked her nose before intertwining their hands together.

With a sincere smile painted on his lips, the handsome young man guided the woman, he absolutely adored, towards the semi-long waiting line to get on the ride. The happy couple passed the time by talking about everything and anything popped in their heads. They talked about how their college courses went the past Spring Semester. They spoke of how goofy their group of friends was, especially when two of their friends sabotaged each other's audition for the theater department's Spring musical.

Sumin still couldn't believe that Jungkook and Hoseok became infatuated with the same girl, who auditioned to play the main heroine in the play.

Slightly shaking her head, she cuddled up to Seokjin as she wrapped her arms around his waist, covering her goose-bumped riddled arms. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling the addictive scent of his cologne.

Seokjin peered down with an amused smirk plastered on his face.

"I'm starting to think that you only restocked my cologne with this scent because you personally like it," He shuffled their bodies up to the front of the line, "Not so much that you think that it's a scent that works well on me." He teased, chuckling at how precious Sumin was as she vigorously shook her head.

She then looked up with her doe-like gaze, “I bought it because you said that you personally liked it and it worked well for you,” She untangled himself for her but only for Seokjin to wrap his arms around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder, “Don’t pin it on me, mister.” She stated as the ride operator asked if they wanted to ride alone or together while the cart slowly stopped in front of the couple.

Seokjin quickly answered that they wanted to ride together before Sumin had the chance to say some sarcastic remark.

The ride operator nodded and waved them over, allowing them to cross the safety line. The carnival worker politely helped Sumin into the cart then helped Seokjin afterward. The worker quickly did the safety check, making sure everything worked properly before pushing the start button.

The second the cart moved upwards, Sumin’s breath hitched. Panic settled in the pit of her tummy. Her breathing grew sporadic as the carriage continued going higher.

Out of the corner of his eye, Seokjin noticed how tense his princess was and reached over to grab her hands. He gently caressed the backs of her hands as he whispered words of encouragement and peppered her faces with kisses.

“I know it’s too late to say this, but don’t look down.”

“Oh, you’re damn right it’s too late to say that!”

A low whine escaped her mouth as she continued to resist taking a peek down below. The extremely stressed out girl flailed her legs as if she hoped that maybe her kicking her legs would speed up the ride. It didn’t, but a girl could dream, right?

Sumin whined, “Ah, how much longer to the top, Jinnie?” She asked, her voice shaky as she placed a trembling hand on her chest. She felt how her heart practically hammered against her chest, and then it suddenly stopped.

Slowly prying one of her eyes open, Sumin saw Seokjin’s hands tightly holding hers. That explained why she suddenly felt this warmth transfer to her cold hands. However, she began to feel more than just his body heat; she started to feel his courage. The longer he held onto her, the more she felt safe with him. With Seokjin by her side, whispering words of encouragement and showering her with all of the admiration he bore for her, she felt invincible.

Seokjin challenged her by facing her fear of heights. He showed her that while yes, it terrified her to no end, she still had a courageous side to her that needed just a little shove.

Ah, Sumin hated when he unknowingly proved a point to her… God damn it…

Gently opening her other eye, a faint gasp escaped her gentle lips. Her eyes widened at the marvelous view. The city lights twinkled like the stars in the night sky as tiny streaks of red and white gradually passed by the fairgrounds.

What she currently saw, at that moment, was the epitome of a brand-new world—and she owed it all to Seokjin.

Without a second thought, Sumin grabbed Seokjin’s face and kissed his cheek sweetly, letting out a giggle as she pulled away.

A boyish grin appeared on Seokjin’s princely face, “What was that for, princess?” He lightly questioned.

Sumin maintained her loving smile, “For always pushing me to be better,” She said, resting her head against his broad shoulder, “You always know me better than I know myself.” She added as Seokjin rested his head against hers.

“Well, think of it as me returning the favor. You constantly pushed me out of my comfort zone, so naturally, I’d do the same for you.” He stated with a meaningful expression as the Ferris-wheel momentarily came to a halt.

Sumin’s brows furrowed as tiny creases formed on her forehead. Curiosity washed against her body but soon evaporated as the couple heard loud booms followed by flashes of colorful lights.

The easily enamored young lady stared into the night sky in complete awe. Her eyes sparkled like the fireworks that lit up the sky. It was during that moment that Sumin briefly forgot that she was an adult with responsibilities. Responsibilities that came with being a college student who enrolled in a full course load of classes. She forgot about the endless pile of assignments, group projects, and presentations.

For only tonight, the only thing - the only person - she needed to focus on was the attractive fellow that sat next to her.

Which reminded her…

Taking a slow, deep breath, Sumin emptied the nerves that riddled her body. She repeated that action a few more times until she felt weightless. For the past few

months, unknown to Seokjin, she practiced how to confess her love to him. After all, this would be a gigantic leap for them in their relationship.

With a final deep exhale, the shy brunette turned her body towards her boyfriend as the fireworks continued to decorate the black canvas that covered the town. Flashes of color illuminated the Ferris-wheel as Sumin slowly leaned in with rosy-colored cheeks.

“Seokjin…?” She softly called out to him, causing the boy to hum in response; though, his eyes didn’t leave the firework show.

“Can you look at me for a second? I need to tell you something.”

“Oh, that is not something any boyfriend wants to hear coming out of their girlfriend’s mouth.”

“I’m serious, Jinnie!”

“I’m serious too, princess! The moment any girlfriend says that  to their significant other, it’s—”

Seokjin’s lips were captured by Sumin’s. Her hands slowly reached up to his neck, gently grasping it as she pulled him closer. Their chests pinned against one another as the couple gradually became lost in each other’s embrace. Seokjin’s hands rested on Sumin’s thighs. At the same time, her fingers entangled themselves in between locks of his hair, gently tugging at them as their kiss grew more fervent.

Tiny moans floated into the air, mixing with the powerful booms from the firecrackers, as the two battled for dominance; neither one of them allowed the other to win, as Seokjin and Sumin remained in their tight embrace for what seemed like an eternity.

Reluctantly, Sumin pulled away as she remembered why she called for him in the first place.

“As I was saying before we passionately kissed each other,” She smiled brightly, chuckling as she wiped away her remaining lip gloss off Seokjin’s swollen lips, “I need to tell you something, and no, I’m not confessing a relationship sin nor am I breaking up with you, you dramatic doofus.” Sumin paused again, soothing the butterflies that fluttered in her tummy, “I wanted to tell you that…I’m in love with you…” She finally confessed with bright red cheeks as passion burned in her eyes.

A massive sigh of relief escaped her lips as she finally and courageously announced that she was utterly head-over-heels in love with him. Now, she didn’t expect Seokjin to say it back since they both agreed, at the beginning of their relationship, that they would say, “I love you,” at their own pace, but a part of her felt afraid. Scared that maybe she said it a little too soon for Seokjin’s liking and now scared him off.

Oh, great. Here came the regret of announcing her love too early, hitting Sumin like a massive tidal wave as her boyfriend remained silent with a straight face.

Sumin sucked in air between clenched teeth, nodding her head as she scolded herself for confessing her love. Slowly, she turned her body, and as she was about to create space between them, she felt a pair of hands cup her cheeks and pull her into the most mind-blowing kiss ever.

Her eyes fluttered close as she became lost in the kiss, and during that heated exchange, she heard Seokjin say in between pecks,

“I’m…in…love…with…you…too…”

With one and final kiss, Seokjin pulled away, though he would instead continue kissing her as he showed her just how much he loved her. As he unraveled himself from her body, he couldn’t help but smirk as he noticed how flushed Sumin’s cheeks were.

He wasn’t going to lie, seeing his princess, a total blushing mess boosted his confidence as this sense of pride surged through his body. He unknowingly puffed out his broad chest as he flung a warm around Sumin’s chest while the Ferris-wheel slowly resumed operating.

“You know, I don’t think our future anniversaries are going to top this one.”

“Yeah. I think you might be right, but I’ll still love you even if our next year’s date consists of us chilling on my roof and stargazing.”

“Huh. I think you just gave me an idea for our annual Autumn dates!”

Slowly opening her eyes, a faint smile graced Sumin's face as Seokjin's words echoed throughout her mind.

And true to her boyfriend's word, he did set up a stargazing date for their yearly Autumn dates.

It still baffled her mind that he was always consistent whenever he suggested something unexpectedly, but that was something that made her fall more in love with Seokjin.

Speaking of love…

Peering down with an exciting twinkle in her eye, Sumin took a deep breath before shouting,

“If I recall that night correctly, I did not confess my love to you until the week after!”

Not even a minute later, Sumin heard Seokjin’s fake laughter, causing the amused young woman to genuinely chuckle as she shook her head, slowly climbing down the Ferris-wheel. There was no point in staying up there if she didn’t see any abnormalities in the shadows.

As the fearless lady descended the ladder, Sumin could hear Seokjin make a few jabs at her memory—or lack of one.

“And another thing, my gorgeous yet always wrong princess! How could I’ve told the story wrong when my memory is ten times better than yours!? So, there! I win!” bragged Seokjin, completely forgetting the fact this booming voice could easily attract a horde of the undead.

A low growl escaped from the annoyed girl’s lip as she paused in her steps. Her gaze drifted upward as the anger bubbled within her chest. Her grip tightened on the rusty metal of the ladder; her knuckles turned white, which meant that the poor girl was seconds away from punching her oh-so-charming boyfriend.

Was it too late to leave Seokjin behind while she journeyed off to find the Fireflies? After all, her boyfriend could easily manage a bunch of zombies on his own.

Forcing out a sigh, Sumin continued her journey down, loving yet hating the fact that she could never leave him behind.

She loved him too damn much…

Little by little, Sumin gradually closed the gap between herself and the sweet ground that she wished her feet stepped on as opposed to the tiny stairs. As much as she didn’t mind heights anymore, she would rather be on the floor if she could help it. More comfortable to defend herself and Seokjin if necessary.

“Ah, I hope he’s doing….” She mumbled to herself, stopping abruptly when her eyes picked up something strange into the distance. She halted in her place. Her eyes squinted, hoping that it would help her vision become sharper. Then, her breath hitched as it grew sporadic. Her chest tightened as she gripped the ladder once again.

This heaviness of complete and utter dread crashed into Sumin’s body like a gigantic tidal wave that hit into a city. She slowly felt the wind knock out of her as the horrific shrieks drew near.

Then, her heart completely stopped the moment she heard Seokjin cry out to her in terror.

“Seokjin, just leave me!” She commanded sternly as the adrenaline-fueled woman rushed down the ladder, no longer caring if she fell from the ladder. Sumin was close to the ground anyway and could quickly get into a combat-ready stance while Seokjin dashed to safety.

Seokjin’s safety would forever and always be a top priority for Sumin…

As the worried young woman descended from the maintenance ladder, practically near the gravel, she heard Seokjin idiotically taunt the undead as they surrounded him, desiring so much to eat his warm flesh. However, the secretly terrified young man couldn’t let his fear consume him. He needed to protect Sumin as he could never imagine living his life without her. Since the start of this horrendous outbreak, the lovestruck man vowed to protect his beloved and ensured that no harm came her way.

He hasn’t failed yet, nor would he ever fail at keeping his promise because, just like Sumin, Seokjin’s utmost priority is his girlfriend’s safety.

Using his sacred promise as his motivator to keep fighting, Seokjin peeked into the scope and fired shot after shot with his semi-automatic rifle, readying another round of ammo as his ammunition clip emptied.

Just as he pulled out the emptied ammo, Seokjin felt something sharp swipe at his right arm, creating a gash on his bicep as blood streamed down and stained his black leather jacket; though, it didn’t matter as no one would notice it.  Well, the horde of undead caught it as the addicting scent of fresh plasma enticed them even more, sending them into a frenzy.

The injured man winced as the pain grew increasingly unbearable, but he refused to stop fighting. The moment he ceased firing, they would attack Sumin and more than likely kill her.

No…

Seokjin would never allow that to happen…

Not as long as his heart continued beating…

Exhausting his last amount of strength, Seokjin suddenly stopped firing and rammed the end of his semi-automatic rifle into one of the zombies before shooting a few bullets into its decaying body. As the adrenaline-fueled protector readied to fight off more zombies, he failed to realize that he had a few rushing at him from his flank. As their growls grew close, Seokjin knew it was too late to fire a few rounds at them while five more zombies ran at him from the front.

No matter which direction he focused on, those undead bastards would aggressively claw at him before devouring his juicy flesh. However, he couldn’t let that thought deter him from his personal objective; his mission of getting Sumin to the Fireflies, so those groups of doctors could create a cure that would one day restore humanity on this lonely planet.  

That’s why he had to keep fighting….

Breathing deeply, Seokjin readied his weapon, releasing bullet after bullet at the horde in front of him, ignoring the ones that rushed at him from behind.

But he also neglected his ride-or-die partner…

A loud grunt entered one ear and exited through the other, followed by the sound of a sharp object impaling one flesh after the other before bodies dropped right behind the handsome man. Their decaying, decapitated heads rolled towards the assailant’s feet before the person kicked to the side like a soccer ball.

Seokjin faintly scoffed as he glanced behind his shoulder and whispered, “And I thought it was my job to save you, p-princess…” as the last bar of his energy finally depleted. His face paled from the amount of blood that slowly drained from his arm. His eyes shuttered close as Seokjin gave in to the exhaustion that plagued him. His legs wobbled as his knees buckled in, ready for his entire body to collapse onto the pavement.

Yep…Seokjin depleted all of his energy…

However, as he was seconds away from dropping to the floor, Sumin quickly sheathed her Katana and grabbed Seokjin before he could. She then wrapped his uninjured arm around her shoulders as she hoisted Seokjin and supported his weight with all the strength she mustered minutes before.

“C-come on, Jinnie…” A few grunts left her lips, “You c-can’t give up on me just yet.” Sumin’s voice quavered as she struggled to reach for Seokjin’s assault rifle. Her fingertips grazed the strap a few times before she successfully wrapped them around the leather material and hung it around her boyfriend’s neck. Of course, she switched the rifle’s safety on before doing that. Insult to injury would be that she caused the death of her boyfriend.

“Alright…” She softly began as she surveyed her surroundings, hearing loud shrieks in the distance. Terror settled in her face, but Sumin didn’t allow it to show. No. The second she let the fear win, it was game over for her and Seokjin.

And Sumin would never allow that to occur, so she had to think of a place for them to hide.

Her mind went into overdrive as she thought of all the possible places for them to wait for the horde to lose interest in them quietly. The site also had to provide them enough cover that could not only disguise their scent but ward off the stench of blood as she patched Seokjin’s deep wound.

Sumin’s concerned gaze glanced at her boyfriend’s limp and severely injured arm as streams of blood stained his scarred hand.

Quickly shaking her head, the worried girlfriend forcibly pushed away any possible worst-case scenarios as it would neither help her or Seokjin in their current situation.

Suddenly, another thunderous, bone-chilling scream echoed in the eerie atmosphere, and this time it sounded nearby.

“Shit…!” She cursed through clenched teeth as she readjusted Seokjin’s weight against hers. “Okay, do you remember where the Hall of Mirrors was at?” She asked, guiding them away from the pile of lifeless zombies.

Seokjin groaned a few times. His eyes fought to stay open, but he found it difficult to do so. Shit, he barely registered Sumin’s question. That was how drained he was.

Sumin’s brows furrowed as wrinkles formed on her forehead. Her heart tightened from Seokjin’s lack of response.

“You know what, it’s okay, Jinnie,” Sumin forced an affectionate yet tired smile, “I think I remember where it was at,” She said, hunching her body as Seokjin’s weight slowly collapsed on top of her tired body. Still, she exerted enough of her depleting energy to keep them standing.

“Alright, let’s go.” She whispered, hobbling the two of them over to the entrance of the Hall of Mirrors. She kept her right arm anchored on Seokjin’s waist. At the same time, her left hand interlocked with his as she practically dragged them towards the entryway.

In between her grunts, she suddenly heard Seokjin let out this light chuckle. Sumin couldn’t help but giggle as her boyfriend’s delirious expression was priceless; though, she shouldn’t find his dying state hilarious. She believed the dehydration slowly crept on her emotional state and took a mental note to take a few big gulps from her canister. Just one of the many containers filled with water that Sumin and Seokjin filtered by boiling out the impurities from a river they stumbled upon a few weeks back.

But before she could dive into the hilarious memory associated with that river, a string of slurred words entered her ears followed with pain-induced groans.

Sumin forced air through her nose, “Seokjin, save what little strength you have. Okay?” She kindly suggested, though, it sounded more of a demand.

“B-But…princess…” Seokjin winced as his eyes opened slightly, “We can f-finally settle o-our bet once and f-for all.” He finished, stumbling over some words.

Sumin briefly halted their steps but swiftly resumed as they couldn’t afford to stop with a pack of starving zombies on their trails. 

With a raised brow, Sumin asked what he meant by his rather vague statement as she and Seokjin finally passed through the entryway to the Hall of Mirrors. Correction. The place was now a dark, spacious area surrounded by broken mirrors and cracked glass decorated the pathway.

“I mean, S-Sumin…” He coughed twice, causing the tired girl to become alarmed and even more concerned for Seokjin’s wellbeing, “Don’t you r-remember on our fourth a-anniversary that y-you a-and I made a bet—” Seokjin let out a loud cry as Sumin accidentally bumped his injured arm against the wall as her body finally gave up on her. The two of them collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily.

“Sorry, Seokjin.” The exhausted young lady mumbled as she took a minute to catch her breath before moving his body to a more comfortable position.

Seokjin made a face before continuing where he left off.

“As I w-was saying before you c-carelessly d-dropped me,” Sumin shot him an icy glare, resulting with him swiftly apologizing before resuming, “Anyway, you a-and I made a b-bet on our f-fourth a-anniversary because neither one of us h-had y-yet to come inside here,” Seokjin repeated, hoping that something – anything – triggered Sumin to have this lightbulb moment.

Then, like clockwork, she did.

“Oh, my God…” She trailed on as she took off her jacket and tied her hair up in a pony-tail, “Are you talking about that stupid bet that you created because you were too much of a chicken to go in this place by yourself?” She questioned, emphasizing a specific word.

Seokjin gawked but let out a few more coughs, “That b-bet isn’t stupid!” He declared, wincing loudly as Sumin carefully removed the torn leather jacket sleeve from his arm. The fabric lightly grazed his gaping wound, creating an endless wave of this unbearable stinging sensation.

Sumin smiled wanly as she gently held his injured arm, assessing the severity of the wound.

“I know you’re in pain, Jinnie, but the bet was stupid, and I’ll tell you why.” She said in a matter-of-fact tone, not realizing that Seokjin closed his eyes, surrendering to the darkness that slowly swamped his mind. Sumin didn’t notice this yet, but Seokjin sadly began reacting to the virus that caused this damn outbreak in the first place.

Minutes rolled by and still no snippy remark from Seokjin. Panic settled in Sumin as she immediately shifted her focus on him. She gently cupped his marked-up cheek; her eyes dripped with fear.

“Jinnie?” She lightly tapped his face while the anxiety settled within her chest, “You gotta stay away, okay? Just stay awake for me. P-please…” She desperately begged as tears formed in the brim of her eyes. “After all, you have to travel down memory lane with me on how that stupid bet came to be…” She stated in a soft-spoken voice as she applied pressure to his wound, refusing to give up on him.

Sumin’s eyes fluttered close, slowly breathing out of her nostrils. Her mind wandered off, transporting her back to that fun evening.

Harden stares. Smug smiles. Two people proudly stood in front of each other, hiding one of their hands behind their backs. The unusual duo anchored their bodies in front of the infamous entryway to the Hall of Mirrors, calculating the other person’s next move in their fun game of rock-paper-scissors. Rumors surrounded the infamous carnival attraction as legends said that a couple of fair-goers had unexpectedly grown ill and currently fought for their lives in the downtown hospital. Knowing that only enticed every single customer to want to brave it out and check out the attraction for themselves.

But not for Seokjin and Sumin. Nuh-uh. This quirky couple would rather look like complete fools in front of the infamous fair attraction than go inside.

And this all started because Seokjin stubbornly refused to go inside the Hall of Mirrors by himself.

Naturally, Sumin called him a coward; thus, it led them to their current predicament.

With an arrogant smile painted on her beautiful face, Sumin’s stare narrowed as if she had telepathic abilities, allowing her to read Seokjin’s next move.

“Stare at me all you want, princess, but you will never defeat the rock-paper-scissors champion!” taunted Seokjin with an equally cocky smirk plastered on his gorgeous face.

Sumin snorted; her eyes briefly flickered to the side.

“You and I both know that there’s no such thing as a champion of rock-paper-scissors. You giant doofus!” She quipped in a high-pitched voice, earning her a few odd glances from a few bystanders.

Yeah. That reaction resulted in Sumin’s boyfriend doing his infamous windshield wiper laugh, causing a couple of people to stop in their tracks with a confused expression.

The embarrassed college student hung her head low. Her cheeks heated from unwanted attention.

Shyly, Sumin lifted her head, uttering a few apologies to the strangers before shooting Seokjin a cold stare as he continued cackling for a good three minutes.

The agitated brunette blew air upward from her mouth before stalking up to her hysterical boyfriend and punched him in his bicep.

Seokjin yelped but showed no sign of his laughter ceasing any time soon, which further annoyed Sumin.

Finally fed up with her cackling boyfriend, Sumin shouted, “Enough! I’ll go inside the stupid hall of mirrors with you!” She walked towards the carnival worker, dragging Seokjin by his wrist while his laughter slowly faded away. He quickly wiped away the tears that formed because he laughed so hard that his stomach ached.

Ah, he hadn’t a good laugh like that since Namjoon broke their Chemistry professor’s beaker and set off the smoke alarms in the classroom.

Good times right there…

Softly shaking his head, Seokjin handed the worker two entry tickets. Then the employee granted them entrance into the Hall of Mirrors.

Gradually, the couple walked further into the hallway. The light from the sunset faded in the background as the young pair went deeper into the creepy attraction.

Without a second thought, Sumin wrapped her arms around Seokjin’s forearm and clung to her protector. The frightened girl shuffled alongside her boyfriend, disregarding the fact that she could’ve easily tripped him. Her heart pounded against her chest as she caught glimpses of her funny reflections in the mirrors.

Tiny whines left Sumin’s lips as she cutely stomped her feet because Seokjin wanted to admire his humorous reflection.

His action shocked her tremendously since it was Seokjin’s idea in the fucking first place that they played rock-paper-scissors to see if Sumin accompanied him or not inside this terrifying place. Now, she started believing that the attractive idiot she called a boyfriend hustled her.  

If that were the case, then what she was about to do next, she wouldn’t feel guilty whatsoever.

With both a devious smirk and gleam on her innocent face, Sumin turned her attention towards Seokjin, slightly tilting her head.

“Hey, Jinnie…”

“What’s up?”

“Wanna make a bet, especially since it’s our fourth anniversary together?”

Seokjin blinked a few times. His lips thinned as this uneasy silence covered them like a warm blanket on a Winter’s night.

His stare darted between Sumin’s innocent face and the random stranger squeezed by them.

The confused man opened his mouth but soon closed it as the longer he stared at his girlfriend’s doe-like eyes, the more he realized that there was a trap waiting for him.

With knitted brows and taking a step backward, Seokjin hesitantly took the bait and asked what kind of bet Sumin talked about.

“Simple, Seokjin,” She gestured to their rather cramped surroundings, “Since you and I both do not want to be in here any longer than we have to,” She then pointed towards the direction in front of them, “And judging from the bone-chilling screams that echo every five seconds, it seems that this place is only going to become even scarier.” She explained, though, not really getting her point across.

However, that was the beauty of their relationship. Seokjin always understood what went on in Sumin’s beautiful yet devious brain.

And sadly, for him, this was a bet that would result in his loss…

Looking briefly displeased, Seokjin sighed heavily before interlacing their fingers together and continuing their journey inside the spooky attraction.

“So…what happens if you lose the bet?”

“Me? Ha. That’s comical, Jinnie. Tell me. Who’s the braver one between us two?”

“Well, that depends princess on what we’re doing, you big goof.”

Sumin scoffed, rolling her eyes, “You just don’t wanna admit that I’m braver than you.”

Now, it was Seokjin’s turn to scoff.

“Uh-huh. Let’s see if you keep that mindset once we near the end of this hallway since I believe that is when we heard the most terrifying induced shrieks.”

“You’re on!”

And true to his words…Sumin freaked out first and punched one of the costumed workers in the stomach.

Yeah…

Safe to say that the carnival manager banned the couple from entering the Hall of Mirrors ever again.

Well, at least there was a positive aspect of this epidemic…

Seokjin and Sumin were allowed inside the attraction; though, the concerned woman wished it were under better circumstances…

A defeated expression washed over Sumin’s face. Yet, the anxious but determined young woman refused to allow Seokjin to succumb to the deadly virus. A few sniffles echoed slightly as Sumin maintained pressure on the wound, allowing the disinfectant to have some sort of effect on the injury.

“Come on…” The distressed girl repeatedly uttered as tears cascaded down her dirty and bloodied cheeks. Out of anger, Sumin threw the blood-soaked gauze and hurriedly applied another, cleaning and dressing the gash some more. The upset girl’s tears landed on Seokjin’s arm, unknowingly stirring the man from his pain-induced slumber.

A couple of faint groans escaped his precious lips as Seokjin’s eyes slowly fluttered open. He slowly turned his head; his gaze landed on Sumin’s.

A small smile displayed on the handsome man’s face before he started to reach out to Sumin with his injured room, stubbornly ignoring the severe shooting pains that surged through his veins.

“…n-now…why is m-my princess crying…?” whispered Seokjin as his bloodied hand cupped Sumin’s soft cheek, “Beautiful w-women shouldn’t s-shed any t-tears…” He added, successfully causing his concerned girlfriend to chuckle.

Sumin leaned into his warm touch, maintaining her solemn smile, before grasping his hand with hers.

“G-gross Jinnie…” She teased, forcing herself to make light of the situation for not only her sake but Seokjin’s as well, “I don’t want you touching me with your bloody fingers.” She added, removing her hands from his bloody one as she resumed tending to his wound. Using her jacket sleeve, the brunette carefully wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. The last thing she needed was her purposely causing more minuscule pain to Seokjin.

Seokjin tried laughing, but they soon turned into small coughing fits. The injured man rolled his eyes; though, he maintained his tiny, playful smile.

“Well, I’m s-sorry that I c-couldn’t w-wash my hands before doing t-this—” Seokjin suddenly yelped as he felt this unbearable pain shoot up his arm once again. Then, he felt a cooling sensation that followed shortly. Wondering what it was, Seokjin’s gaze followed Sumin’s arms and then noticed yet another gauze slowly soak up his tainted blood. Not even a minute later, that excruciating ache returned.

“Ouch woman!! Be a little gentler next time!!” cried the injured man, shooting glares at his girlfriend.

Sumin gawked, “You know what…I take my tears back now,” Her face became emotionless, “Since you’ll be fine now seeing as that you finally stopped stuttering caused by that excruciating pain you were in earlier.” She said blankly, blinking a few times before turning her back towards him to put away their shared medical supplies.

Tiny chuckles escaped Seokjin’s chest as he slowly sat up, examining his bandaged-up arm. He stared at his wound as curiosity slowly washed over him. His eyes trailed over to Sumin and instantly noticed that her left hand dawned a bandage. Then, it occurred to him. She must’ve fused her blood with the disinfectant and made a quick cure for his wound before the virus had a chance to completely take over.

With the corners of his mouth turning upwards, Seokjin shuffled his way over to Sumin and warmly placed a hand on her head. Love glowed in his eyes as he stared affectionately at her backside.

“Well, it’s thanks to you that I’ll be fine,” but not even a second after saying that, he winced; his hand rested on the side of his torso. “Damn, did those undead bastards get me somewhere else too?” He bitterly thought but was soon thankful that he didn’t feel any fresh blood on his fingers. However, he didn’t want to alarm Sumin yet again. He saw how anxious she became when those zombies severely injured his arm. Seokjin couldn’t put her through that heartache for a second time.

Through gritted teeth, the stubborn fool repeated that he’d be okay and that he could never die.

“As long as I’m breathing and standing before you, I will always protect you,” He pressed his plump lips to Sumin’s temple, “Again, nothing and no one can kill me.” He declared; his eyes burned with determination as if he made another sacred pact to himself.

A faint scoff escapes her lips, unbothered to show her face to him.

“What if someone is successful and does kill you? Then, what, Jinnie?” She asked; her breath hitched for a split second. “I-I can’t afford to lose you…” She added, muttering as her voice softly broke in the beginning. Then, Sumin closed her eyes, slowly exhaling through her nose as she desperately tried taming the anxiety that gradually swallowed her body. The thought of losing Seokjin always triggered it for her. There were days where she wished that she were this emotionless, ruthless killing machine immune to emotions such as love, but that wasn’t the case.

It was thanks to those beautiful emotions that Sumin was herself. If she was this robot, then she wouldn’t have met Seokjin.

And with that final thought, the uneasy young woman turned towards her boyfriend, facing him with a brave expression as Sumin swung her backpack around her shoulders and tightened the straps.

“And that is why I will not stop at nothing until I find that safe haven.” She declared suddenly yet firmly; her eyes sparked with this undying resolve for her personal mission. “You hear me, Jinnie? I will find us that secure place. I s-swear to you.” She finished, letting out a few sniffles as her eyes became glossy.

Seokjin remained speechless, unsure of how to answer Sumin’s question. He was also taken back from Sumin’s sudden declaration; however, his mind soon drifted back to her earlier question.

Truth be told, he never thought about his death since that was something, he couldn’t afford to even imagine it.

No.

The moment he thought about someone killing him, it would be game over. His body would succumb to the fear that Seokjin channeled countlessly into courage. He needed to be strong for him and Sumin.

He just had to…

Tapping his chin, Seokjin hummed in response before wrapping a warm around Sumin’s shoulders, pulling towards him. His chin now rested nicely on top of her head while his courageous girlfriend finally broke down and sobbed in his chest, dampening his shirt. She could only hold that brave face for so long.

“Aw, Minnie…” He cooed, softly rubbing her back and sweetly kissing her head, “You don’t have to worry about keeping me safe, and do you want to know why?” He asked softly; his eyes blazed with absolute devotion and admiration.

Sumin nodded her head but remained glued in his broad chest as more tiny sniffles escaped her precious lips.

Seokjin couldn’t help but chuckle in response, finding his girlfriend extremely cute at that moment.

“Well, the reason why you don’t have to worry about keeping me safe is that I’m already safe, princess.”

“Huh? How’s that possible, Seokjin?”

Then, he grinned widely before answering,

“Because I’m always safe whenever I’m with you, sweetheart.” He happily stated, earning himself a light shove and angry stare from Sumin. “Ah, that tiny push was worth it since you’re no longer upset and shedding your beautiful tears when they aren’t necessary.” He added, smiling brightly. His smile was so vast that his cheekbones practically touched his eyes, causing them to disappear.

Sumin made a face, “Unbelievable…” She trailed on, walking away from him, “After all these years, you still manage to become cheesier than your last attempt!” She shouted over her shoulder, wearing this amused yet teasing smirk on her face.

Seokjin shook his head, forever enjoying their endless game of cat and mouse.  

“I swear, I must be a masochist…” He humorously thought before chasing after his woman.

Inch by inch, Sumin peeked her head out; her gaze flickered toward every single direction, making sure the close was clear before leaving their hiding spot.

Seokjin’s breath fanned the back of her neck, creating goosebumps to appear. Tiny giggles emitted from her lips as Sumin hunched her shoulders, hoping that it would stop the rather affectionate man that she called her boyfriend.

However, it did not. If anything, the lovesick fool saw his girlfriend’s protests as a challenge. A challenge that he’d surely win.

Without a second thought, Seokjin wrapped a protective arm around Sumin’s shoulders, pressing his chest against her back. Then, he slowly lowered his head; his plump lips hovered over her ear.

“So…is the close clear?” He whispered; his hot, breathy tone caused the poor girl to become flustered as a small, yet enticing moan escaped her innocent lips.

Then, seconds later, a loud smack echoed throughout the dark, empty halls of the destroyed carnival attraction.

Seokjin grunted, rubbing the area where his girlfriend smacked him.

“Did you really have to go for my chest? You know how sensitive I am in that area.” He whined, pouting cutely as he continued rubbing his injured chest.

Sumin scoffed, ignoring his rather cute complaints, “Obviously. Why else would I slap you in your most sensitive spot beside your humongous ego.”

“Ego? That’s a weird name to call my—”

“Finish that sentence and no sex once we find the safe haven.”

Seokjin flinched. His face tensed from the mere thought of not being intimate with his girlfriend. Then, he hung his head low, “I’ll behave, princess.”

The triumphant young lady uttered a quick, “good,” before placing an innocent peck on his scratched-up cheek. She then gestured towards the exit, announcing to him that it was safe to run towards the fence that faced the abandoned, ruined mall. During the couple’s attempt at escaping the hungry horde, Sumin noticed a destroyed wall in front of the mall that she and Seokjin frequented for many years.

“You ready? Do you have enough energy to dash towards that gate?”

“I think I can manage, sweetheart.”

Tightening the strap that held her sword in place, Sumin slowly inhaled then released the pent-up stress and other frustration through her nostrils.

With a look of determination on Sumin’s smudged up face, the fearless woman charged out of the entrance; her gun fired round after round, emptying the clip before she quickly inserted another ammo clip. She briefly took note of how many clips she remained before she completely ran out.

Running behind her, with an infinite release of ammo from Seokjin’s semi-automatic, the protective yet still injured man guarded his girlfriend, protecting her like a royal knight for his princess as he safeguarded her from any harm. He shot down any undead bodies that rushed at Sumin, finding it a bit therapeutic as killing those zombies was another form of revenge for him.

Funny, huh?

Gradually, the abandoned mall became large as it appeared in the running couple’s sights. Their hearts drummed against their chest as they felt the adrenaline deplete from their bodies, but they couldn’t give up. Not just yet. They needed to find a safe haven and restore humanity to this rotting planet.  

They just had too…

Skidding towards the open gate, Sumin held it up, widening the gap so Seokjin could fit in the hole. She breathed heavily while her eyes homed in the rushing horde that slowly closed the distance between them. With her free hand, she aimed her gun at the dead crowded, firing a few times. The frightened girl landed head-shots and permanently killed them.

“Come on, Sumin!” hollered Seokjin as this wave of anxiety washed over him as well. Being on the other side of the fence did not sit well with him whatsoever—scratch that. Not standing right beside Sumin did not sit well with him at all.

Just as the worried man readied his weapon, Sumin scrambled through the hole, earning herself a small cut on the back of her hand.

Seokjin instantly noticed, grabbing her uninjured hand, and pulled her towards the ruined building. The exhausted boy tapped into any reserve energy he stored. At the same time, Sumin addressed his wounds earlier as they continued their mad dash for the broken mall building.

With the entrance doors in sight, Seokjin practically shoved Sumin inside before following after. He swiftly scanned his surroundings, looking for anything that could be used as a barricade. Seconds later, his eyes focused on a pile of pipes.

“That should work…” He frantically thought as he grabbed a couple and stuck in between handles. For added measure, he rolled over some of the fallen metal trash bins, completely ignoring the surging pain in his right arm. Even though Sumin wiped away the virus from Seokjin’s body, his gash still remained and gradually reopened.

A few winces escaped his plump lips, instantly alerting Sumin. She tucked her pistol in its holster before helping him push the trash bins.

Playfully shaking her head, Sumin gave him a look, teasing him in the process.

Seokjin rolled his eyes, scoffing before flashing her a boyish grin.

“You know I could’ve rolled that by myself.”

“Uh-huh. Sure,” Sumin pointed at his injured arm, “And that’s why your wound reopened, doofus.” She stated before maneuvering the metal bin in front of the door, securing its position.

Seokjin jokingly mocked her as he felt a slight tug on his wrist. He obediently followed Sumin, sitting down when instructed to. His eyes trailed up, noting how breathtaking his princess was despite the many cuts, bruises, and dried up blood that decorated her face. Soon, the corners of his mouth curved upwards as he continued watching Sumin redo his bandages. He couldn’t quite explain it, but he felt like he transported back to the day he first fell in love with her.

And it all because of the angelic smile that graced her beautiful face…

“Okay, all done.” Announced Sumin, tightening the knot on the bandage. “Next time you reopen up your gash, I’m gonna let it get it infected.” She warned with an overly sweet tone before placing an innocent kiss on his cheek.

Seokjin chuckled, jokingly saluting his woman before standing up. He grabbed his weapon and flung the strap around his shoulder, allowing it to lazily hang beside him as he and Sumin journeyed deeper inside the empty mall.

Walking past broken glass displays, where only a few shards remained hanging on the wall, Sumin mumbled the name of each storefront. Suddenly, she halted, tugging on Seokjin’s jacket sleeve.

Seokjin peered down, asking her if she was okay, and why they stopped in their tracks.

Without saying a word, Sumin simply pointed at the storefront. The concerned young man followed her finger and soon gasped.

“Is that—”

“Yup.”

Sumin took a step forward, walking towards the broken counter. She observed the discarded plastic cups and open cash registers. She clicked her tongue, devastated seeing one of their favorite food places utterly destroyed. She turned her head but quickly looked away after seeing the bloody hand prints that decorated the door that led to the kitchen.

The bottom of her lip disappeared as Sumin closed her tear pooled eyes. A few drops trickled down her cheeks, alerting Seokjin. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before pulling her body towards his. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against her head as he whispered loving words, hoping to soothe away her sadness.

“It’s just not fair, Jinnie.”

“I know, princess, but at least we have each other.”

Sumin sniffled before mumbling, “Kind of like how Hoseok had Lainey?”

Jinnie chuckled at her sudden lighthearted comment as he pulled away from his now smiling girlfriend.

“No. I think you’re thinking of Renae, sweetheart.” He corrected. Though he secretly could be wrong as he too couldn’t remember which girl, he and Sumin successfully paired Hoseok up with for his third blind date.

Quickly wiping away any remaining tears, Sumin cleared her throat a few times before speaking,

“I don’t think so, Jinnie. It could be this one girl. Oh, what’s her name…?” She trailed on, snapping her fingers in hopes that it’d help her remember. Then, it finally clicked. “Ah! Bunny, I believe, was her nickname!”

Seokjin shook his head briefly humming before correcting Sumin yet again.

“Nope. Wrong again, princess. She ended up with Jungkook, remember?”

Sumin lips fell slightly open, silently berating herself for having the worst memory. Granted, she and Seokjin busied themselves with saving the human race and fighting off countless undead hordes, so that played into her favor.

With her brows knitted together and her lips thinned, Sumin thought long and hard on who the fuck ended up being Hoseok’s girlfriend. Alys? No, she remembered that she wound up with Namjoon. Kenzie? That was also another no since she ended up with Jimin—or was it her good friend Lindy? Oh, my God. Sumin drew a fucking blank on the name as she swiftly ruled out another friend of hers, Bean, who ended up being Yoongi’s adorable girlfriend.

“Fuck!” She mentally cursed as she gnawed on her bottom lip, desperate to figure out who ended up with Hoseok.

Seokjin, on the other hand, laughed at how serious yet adorable Sumin looked. He found it especially cute when her cheeks puffed out as the frustration slowly washed over her face.

Should he be a good boyfriend and help her? The amused young man quickly weighed his options, finding both the pros and cons to helping Sumin out but decided to assist his poor, agitated girlfriend.

“It’s Nina.”

“Nina? Oh! Nina! I’m a dummy. I can’t believe I forgot her.”

Seokjin gave a lop-sided grin as he wrapped a loving yet protective arm around Sumin and repeated, “It’s okay,” and “I still love you, stupidity and all.” He then guided her away from the ruined food court and resumed their journey inside the mall.

Laughter echoed throughout the three abandoned floors of the humongous building. For that brief moment, Sumin and Seokjin were simply two lovebirds on a simple date.

The loving couple recollected all the times they ended up at the mall after an extravagant dinner. Seokjin gently caressed the back of Sumin’s date, releasing a chuckle or two as she recalled the time Jungkook stole a black leather jacket.

“I’m still trying to figure out why he thought it was wise to steal the mannequin as well.” Sumin laughed, smiling brightly as she oddly felt relaxed.

Seokjin shrugged, “I have no clue, but with Jungkook, I never do. That boy has always been a strange one.” Suddenly, sadness clouded his handsome features, halting his steps, the more he thought about Jungkook and the rest of his close friends. He had yet to receive any news on their whereabouts. The last time he heard anything was 7 years ago.

7…long…years…

Before he could dwell on his friend’s untimely demise, he felt a warm hand cup his dirty cheek. His solemn gaze trailed down and met Sumin’s loving and comforting stare.

“Hey. Think positive, Seokjin.”

“How can I? For all I know, they could be long dead, and I wasn’t there for them, like the older brother I was supposed to be for them.”

Sumin sighed but quickly validated his feelings. Shit. She felt the same way about her close friends and family, and she allowed the guilt to eat away at her conscience. However, it wasn’t until the 3rd year of this pandemic that she turned the blame into resolve and swore that she would avenge everyone she loved.

Softly rubbing Seokjin’s marked up cheek, Sumin plastered a sweet smile and said,

“Once we find that safe haven, we will go look for your friends, okay? I mean, they have Namjoon and Yoongi with them, so the rest of them can’t be dead. Alright?”

The distraught boy nodded his head as the corner of Seokjin’s mouth twitched.

His princess always knew what to say, especially to light a fire underneath his depressed ass.

He sweetly pressed his lips against her forehead and muttered a quick, “thanks,” before taking her hand once more and resumed their exploration.

The completely smitten couple journeyed to the third floor, both of them finding it humorous that they actually walked up the broken escalators. Years ago, when it worked properly, the duo always rode it up to their designated floor. Even when it became evident that walking up the escalators were so much faster. However, they didn’t care.

They were proud to be called the “lazy” couple within their group of friends. Shoot. Sumin secretly found it amusing that they were dubbed that since she and Seokjin studied medicine before this horrific pandemic began.

Funny how everything turned out for the two of them. Seokjin became her protector, and she carried the cure that could potentially reverse humanity back to its original state.

Jogging away from Seokjin with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, Sumin peered behind her shoulder, enticing her boyfriend to chase her. Soft laughs escaped her sweet lips as she picked up the pace, wanting to increase the distance between their bodies.

“Be careful, princess!” advised Seokjin, feeling the anxiety slowly settle within the pit of his stomach. His worried gaze remained on Sumin’s retreating backside as the gap grew wider with each passing second.

Out of frustration, the concerned fellow ruffled his hair before running after his woman. Within minutes, Seokjin closed the gap between them and protectively wrapped his arms around Sumin’s torso as he shouted,

“Gotcha!”

Sumin laughed, smiling radiantly as her boyfriend peppered her face with soft kisses and whispers of adoration.

“You know that I love you to the sun and back, Sumin. Right?”

“Of course, Jinnie,” She turned her body, though, she was careful to not whack him with the hilt of her Katana, “And you know that I love you to the moon and back. Right?” She said sweetly and softly.

Seokjin hummed in response as his brows furrowed together.

Sumin gawked, lightly slapping his chest, and pulling away from him.

“I’m kidding, princess! Please come back! I need you in my arms, or else I’ll die.”

“Oh, my goodness. You’re such a drama king, Jinnie.”

“Well, yes, but that’s beside the point! Please give me a hug?”

Now, it was Sumin’s turn to playfully think about it. Then, not even a minute later, the stubborn young lady simply shrugged and walked up to her pouty boyfriend. She cupped the back of his neck, locking her fingers into place, and gently pulled Seokjin’s face towards hers. Their noses lightly bumped into each other as their dirt-stained foreheads pressed against one another.

The two of them, dawning warm smiles, remained lost in each other’s gaze for what seemed like forever until something captured Seokjin’s attention.

“Is that one of those luxurious contest cars?”

Sumin perked up her brow as she peered behind her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she untangled herself from Seokjin and ran up to the car, much to his dismay.

Curiosity got the best of her as her calloused fingers traced the cold metal of the car. She couldn’t help but admire how beautiful the car still looked despite its surroundings destroyed.

Well, until she heard a loud smash, causing the poor, unknowing girl to flinch as Seokjin swung his assault rifle back to its original position, blissfully unaware of Sumin’s death glare. He then carefully reached through the broken window and tried to feel for the door lock. His fingertips grazed the car door handle a few times before finally latching over the lock. Seokjin pulled it towards him, the two of them heard a click before swinging it open.

Like the gentleman he was, the attractive young man gestured towards the door, politely bowing his head at Sumin.

“Your chariot, my lady.” Joked Seokjin in a poorly imitated British accent.

Sumin chuckled lightly as she shook her head, brushing her shoulder against his.

“Why, thank you, my good sir.” She played along before removing her Katana from her back, making it easier for her to maneuver inside the vehicle.

Using the sleeve of her leather jacket, Sumin carefully brushed off the broken window shards from the car seat.

“You know, I’m thankful that the car battery died because you would’ve definitely attracted a crowd of zombies to us, you impatient dork.” She quipped, shimming her way towards the backseat. The exhausted lady let out a massive sigh of relief as she rested her head against the leather seats. Through a tired, cloudy gaze, Sumin squinted at the door and then realized something.

“Hey, Jinnie.”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“You’re a jerk for having me shimmy my way towards the backseat,” She then reached over the backdoor and unlocked it, “When you could’ve just reached even further and unlocked this door as well.” She finished, opening it up and flashing him a knowing smile.

Seokjin rolled his eyes as he teasingly closed the door on her before finally entering the car. He quickly placed his gun on the passenger seat and then put both hands on the steering wheel.

With a boyish grin written on his face, Seokjin glanced over his shoulder and asked,

“Where to, princess Sumin?”

A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she leaned in her seat and poked her head between the two front chairs. With an alluring smile painted on her lips, Sumin hovered her mouth over his ears and whispered sweetly,

“To the stars…” Before grabbing his shirt and pulling him towards the back of the seat. Though, it was a bit difficult at first given how bulkier and taller he was than her.

A faint grunt exited his lips as Seokjin found himself plopped next to the love of his life. His eyes bore into hers as he couldn’t help but admire how breathtaking she was despite going through hell and back.

Without a single thought in his head, the utterly smitten young man cupped his girlfriend’s stained cheek, gently caressing it. Then, slowly, the two of them inched their faces closer. Their eyes flickered from each other’s loving gaze to their lips before the gap finally closed.

A gentle moan escaped Sumin’s lips as she entangled her fingers in Seokjin’s hair. She slowly massaged his scalp, resulting in a low moan from Seokjin as he anchored one hand against the door-frame and the other against Sumin’s hip. He slowly lowered her body onto the seat, careful not to accidentally bump her head against anything.

“I love you, Kim Seokjin,” Sumin whispered, briefly breaking their passionate kiss.

Seokjin, slightly panting, simply smiled before capturing her precious lips once more. He poured all the love he bore for the woman underneath him and hoped that she knew how much he loved her.

For that single moment, Seokjin knew that actions spoke louder than words. Releasing her addicting lips, he trailed fiery kisses down the side of her face all the way to the base of her neck. His teeth lightly grazed her soft skin, causing a few moans to leave Sumin’s mouth, further igniting Seokjin’s hormones.

His hands buried itself underneath her shirt, the warmth of her skin contrasted the coolness from his hands. Seokjin’s fingers lightly trailed upwards, and just as his calloused fingers grazed the fabric of her bra, they heard a loud, terrifying shriek.

The couple instantly broke apart, fixing up their disheveled appearance as Seokjin promptly peeked through the window.  Now on full alert, he hurriedly scanned the area; his ears picked up even the tiniest of sounds. Then, the thunderous, horrific cry echoed throughout the mall once more.

Not wanting to chance it, Seokjin quickly instructed – well more like demanded – Sumin to run for cover while he provided covering fire.

Her mouth fell open while her eyes went round. Did Sumin hear him correctly? What Seokjin planned was a suicide mission as the hordes would easily overwhelm him. Still, deep down, Sumin knew that as she studied his overall body language. The frantic young girl vigorously shook her head, rejecting his idiotic idea with her entire body.

“Well, do you have a better idea, princess?” Seokjin asked, giving her a look.

“Yes, you run beside me, and we protect each other,” Sumin paused, cupping both sides of his face, “Like we did every single time we faced these undead bastards and will continue to do until it’s no longer necessary.” She finished in a courageous tone of voice.

Seokjin was rendered speechless but soon composed himself. Sumin was right because if he ended up dead, then who would protect her in his stead? No one worthy of her that was for sure. He needed to remain alive for her sake.

And she needed to remain alive for his sake…

Taking a long, deep breath, Seokjin’s eyes sparked with fearlessness as he stared at Sumin. He gently took her hand into his and quickly pressed a sweet kiss on the back of it.

“Okay, as soon as I open this door, you better be running right beside me. Got it?”

“I should be telling you that, Jinnie.”

Seokjin snorted, ignoring her comment as he pulled on the door-latch and opened the car door. He quickly grabbed his weapon from the passenger seat before diving out of the car. He readied his semi-automatic and peeked through the scope, looking for any scouts. Luckily, he saw none, but they needed to hurry and find cover. Then, his ears picked up a soft grunt followed by a string of swears.

With an amused grin, Seokjin glanced to his side, noticing Sumin rubbing her chin.

“Let me guess you hit yourself with that Katana.”

“Shut up and run.”

Sumin repositioned her sword and began running with her pistol out and ready to fire. Seokjin quickly followed behind, mimicking his sweetheart's every movement. This continued for a few more minutes until they found a suitable hideout and ducked behind the concrete wall. The two lovers seized that relaxing opportunity and calmed their irregular breathing. The last thing the two of them needed was to pass out while fighting a raging crowd of zombies.

Slowly, the loving couple inhaled the sweet oxygen through their nostrils and exhaled it through their mouths. With each breath they took, Seokjin and Sumin felt both their physical and mental strength restored.

They were ready to fight once more…

Slightly tilting his head, revealing this lazy smile, Seokjin gave Sumin a quick glance-over, making sure she didn’t have any secret injuries.

“So, are you ready for round 3?” He jokingly asked.

Sumin snorted, “Round 3? It’s more like round 5 at this point, Jinnie.”

This time it was Seokjin’s turn to let out a quick snort as he stood up with his assault rifle ready to fire at any given moment. The second he stood up, the blood-curdling shrieks grew near. Seokjin gave those undead gnats about ten seconds – give or take – before they swarmed their position.

“Careful, princess. People might think you’re talking about our sex life.” He joked, shamelessly winking at her as he pulled the trigger, firing a few rounds at the undead horde.

Sumin rolled her eyes as she unsheathed her Katana and shot up from her spot.

“What people?” She quickly gestured at the two of them and then at the never-ending onslaught of zombies that approached them, “In case you haven’t noticed, Jinnie, we’re the only ones here, so you have nothing to worry about.” She bluntly stated, completely missing Seokjin’s sarcasm, before impaling one zombie and decapitating the second one before raising her gun.

Sumin then cocked back her pistol and aimed it at the enemy, emptying the clip as she landed head-shot after head-shot. She hurriedly reached for another ammo clip and loaded it into the pistol.

Meanwhile, with Seokjin, the poor boy shook his head as he observed how frantic Sumin slowly became. He swiftly focused his weapon on her direction and fired at the zombies that threatened to swarm her.

“With you around, sweetheart, I will always worry.” He announced as he quickly fired at the zombies that rushed towards their direction. He then spun around and fired at his original path.

Sumin’s face reddened but soon composed herself, though her cheeks remained rosy.

She quickly cleared her throat before speaking,

“And to think, I thought you couldn’t get any cheesier.”

“Only for you and always for you…”

Protecting Each Other is copyright 2020 by jinterlude, all rights reserved.

#bb2020 #bangtanhq #bangtanarmynet #hyunglinenetwork #armyofwriters #btsguild #btspocnet #cypherwritersnet #kwritersworldnet #/mystories #bts #bts jin #bts seokjin #bts fanfic #bts fantasy au #bts x oc #bangtan #bangtan jin #bangtan seokjin #bangtan fanfic #bangtan au #bangtan x oc #seokjin #seokjin x oc #seokjin fanfic #seokjin au #jin #jin x oc #jin fanfic

[linkspooky]

ozone hawks wants to shelter jin from the coming storm of the hero invasion and know he’ll be safe when it’s over, even though he’s the one putting him in the most danger // writing for the jinkei bang written for this art by @comradetodoroki​

Storms have always put me at ease. 

There’s  something about the way they ravage our ridiculous world and wash it away like so much sludge. 

🌩️

He pulled his hands back through feathered hair. He smoothed it, only for it to pop back up ruffled again. It’s out of character. It’s anxious behavior. Hawks needed to be smooth. Water had to roll off of him and nothing could stick to him otherwise he would get weighed down. He’s just talking. Someone is talking. It’s amazing how his mouth is like a machine. He can hear the words come out and he doesn’t have to think too hard about them because he’s been trained at talking to others. 

But this guy. Jin. He’s easier to talk to than most. 

“It’s pretty dumb for a bird to be afraid of heights.” “Yeah, yeah. It’s bird brained.” “…You are my favorite person for saying that.” 

Hawks doesn’t bear his soul, that sort of requires having a soul and a soul is another thing that would weigh him down. Jin asked him what his fear was, actually Jin talked about his fears. It turns out Jin is afraid of almost everything.

Jin, Jin, he’s calling him Jin now. It’s Twice. Hawks doesn’t know if he’s scared of anything, but then Jin stared at him with those big eyes and he realized he was supposed to say something and ‘heights’ was the first thing that came out of his mouth. It’s not exactly heights, he can be in high places just fine. It’s the idea of falling. It’s out of his control, the falling. He doesn’t even mind the idea of hitting the ground. Just, smashing, and leaving a carcass of feathers, and fragile bones shattered. It’s the idea of falling forever unable to control his trajectory, utterly helpless. Falling at terminal velocity. The air doesn’t leave your lungs like you’d expect it to. And even though you’re surrounded by nothing but air, you’re suffocating, drowning in the blue sky. No, maybe it was the sky that scared him. 

Everyone else looked up at the sky and saw freedom. It was so liberating. The sky seemed endless to Hawks. But there was nothing to see. Jin suddenly threw his arms around him from behind, looping them on his shoulder. Jin- Twice was so touchy feely, and so heavy, almost too heavy as he leaned his entire body weight on Hawks. Hawks stumbled forward and hit his face against the glass of the window in the room the two of them used as a hangout. “Let’s go outside! No, I want to stay in my room forever. I’m never going to be a corporate slave, I’ll be a NEET like Spinner!” Twice tended to have two minds about everything, but Hawks was a good listener. “We can’t go out in full costume. People will see us.” Hawks wondered if he was really listening. Birds have a habit called mirroring. They can imitate the noises humans make with their mouths, they can say words, but it’s not like the words carry any real meaning behind them. Just a hollow imitation. He is a mirror that Jin looks into and sees a friend. Jin suddenly has a burst of energy and shakes Hawks by the shoulders. Hawks was shaken. His head bobbed back and forth. “Please, please, please. I’m not going to beg you.” 

“Look, at least one of us has to have common sense.” “And it’s me, right? Because I’m just a normal guy. I’m just your friendly neighborhood Jin.” 

“Yeah, totally.” Hawks doesn’t want to be mean. “You don’t want to be seen with me, is that it? Well, I’m too cool for you anyway.” Jin had stopped shaking him now, and Hawks kind of wished he would have kept at it. Now that they’ve both stopped, Jin’s hands were on his shoulders. His large hands, capable of holding so much. And Jin stared into his eyes. Jin is wearing a mask and yet his every feeling is so obvious. The emotions in those eyes… heavy. Heavier than the whole sky, like the sky’s weight bearing down on him, crushing him. 

“Yeah man, you’re way out of my league. The cool kids never let me hang out with them in high school. That’s why I became a villain.” Actually, he never even went to high school. “But that’s not it. It’s going to storm soon.” “Huh? So what?” “Can’t fly if my feathers get wet.” “Have Dabi dry them off for you!” 

“Um, thanks but no thanks.” “How do you know it’s storming anyway?” 

“I can feel it in my bones,” Hawks chirped. He can. His bones are light and hollow so he can fly, and when he was with Jin he felt a sort of empty pang in them. A feeling that made his toes curl, and his fingernails dig so deep into his palms that he left red welts. “Are you an old man?” “Something like that…” Hawks muttered. He certainly wasn’t a kid. He never was. “If we don’t go outside right now, I’ll cry. Is that what you want? You want me to cry? You meanie, big bully, villain, fiend! All of my friends will beat you up!” Hawks opened his mouth. He tasted only air. He dry swallowed. Twice smiled so earnestly with his whole face, in a way that it couldn’t be a lie. For some reason the thought of making him cry at this moment cut him. It peeled back all the layers, scars, skins, feathers, bone. Hawks was caught completely offguard. Bad, bad, bad. He was the one manipulating Jin, not the other way around. He couldn’t be moved by this he must stay firmly rooted to the ground. He closed his eyes and put on a smile, his smile so fake compared to Jin’s. “Awe man, I can’t say no to you, huh?” 

🌩️

“This is the best day ever. This is the worst day ever! I can’t believe it rained on our parade. Jin, you stupid idiot, who would ever throw you a parade?”

The pounding of raining, the rolling of thunder, both of them beat against Hawks relentlessly. The two of them stranded on a park bench. The noise of the storm washed away everything else, and it was like the two of them were the only ones there. If this storm was some kind of apocalyptic hurricane that washed away everything would and the two of them were the only ones left. If nobody was watching, under the cover of the noise of the storm, could he be his true self in front of Twice? Probably not. Anyway, enough with the deep thoughts bird boy. They walked for a little bit before it suddenly started to storm. The entire time Hawks studied Jin’s hand as if he was trying to comprehend the shape of it. He even tried to reach for it once, only to grasp at empty air when Jin suddenly got distracted by it and turned around. “Hey, a bird! A bird! Look at the stupid feathery asshole! You can talk with birds, right?” “God, I wish…” Hawks stared at the place where Jin’s hand was supposed to be with melancholy, but thought it was probably a bad idea in the first place. Then suddenly, Jin noticed and grabbed his hand. He made it seem so simple. Touching other people, being close to other people. Then the rain started, and the two of them were on the bench and Jin freaked out. He raised his hands up in the air, and played nice guy to calm Jin down. “Hey, hey, I don’t really mind.” “You should mind! You should care a little bit. You’re so careless.” Oh no, Jin was agreeing with himself for once. Hawks wondered what he had done. He could read the emotions on his face, but he didn’t really get what other people felt. He just knew he probably felt less than them, he was lighter, more hollow. “Oh come on, I care as much as the next guy.” That was a lie. He lied without showing anything. 

Hawks fidgeted. Sitting still was, hard, difficult. And Jin looked at him so intensely, in a way he wasn’t used to being looked at. He hated being scrutinized, was Jin suspicious? No maybe he just hated being seen. “You don’t care about yourself at all!” “What? We’re talking about me? Don’t I talk about myself enough? I’m a little bit self-obsessed. You know, pretty bird, pretty bird.” Hawks cooed. “You looked so upset! So I tried taking you out to cheer you up, but then I screwed it up and it started raining, and you don’t even care at all.” 

“Ah, I was sad?” Hawks head tilted, as if he might comprehend better by looking at Jin from a slightly different angle. “Hey, hey, no reason to be upset. Nothing bad is going to happen.” Lots of bad things are going to happen very soon. Hawks wing moved. Even though he was sure he did not give it the command. His wing moved on his own, it stretched into the sky and curled around Twice serving as an umbrella. His feathers stretched as far apart from each other as possible. He did not want a single drop of rain to touch Twice. He wanted Twice to stop shivering with the chill of rain.

How many people had he saved? Countless. Thousands, probably. He did it without thinking. He had complete confidence in himself. Then, why was he so afraid that he might not be able to save this one person. That he could do nothing to protect him from the coming storm. The people he saved were always faceless. To be honest, he was afraid of looking them in the eye. Even when they thanked him, he didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t do anything special. He had never wanted to save one person so much. And he might not. He might let him fall. Twice’s words are gravity. They drag him back from where Hawks is always floating. “You’re not understanding me. It’s my fault.” “No, you’re not, it’s fine.” “Stop saying it’s fine. Liar, liar, pants on fire. Dabi’s going to light your pants on fire, then you’ll just be standing there without any pants and everyone will laugh. Liar, stupid, I hate you. I don’t hate you.”

Twice suddenly grabs his head. A piercing headache. A splitting headache. Hawks does not know what to do so he simply floats there, his hands just hanging there in the air unable to grab anything. 

“This is getting in the way.” Twice grabbed at his mask. He clawed it for a moment. It’s like he’s trying to scratch the skin off of his face. Hawks felt an immediate sense of danger. Fearful. Twice is broken. He broke into jagged edges. Glass that can cut and sink deep into you. He pulled his mask off slowly. 

“Hey, you should put that back on.” Hawks said, genuine concern creeping into his voice. He realized, he didn’t care about blowing the mission, he didn’t care about the hoops he’d have to jump through to explain being seen with league of villains Twice in public. He just doesn’t want to see Twice break in two pieces in front of him. 

“It’s fine, I won’t break apart if you’re here.” But I’m not here. “Hawks, I want to meet you…” “But, I’m right here?” “I know. What I mean is. I just want to meet you.” 

The mask was getting in the way. Of what? Hawks perched on the bench, his knees drawn up to his chest, huddling like a child. He made himself look as small as possible. A nesting instinct. He wanted to be cozy. He wanted to be comfortable. To feel like he belonged somewhere. Jin, sitting on the other side of the bench. Hawks’ wings outstretched, the two of them udnerneath the same unmbrella. Jin’s hair, bleached white by stress. A large scar running down the center of his forehead. A perpetual five o clock shadow. A latex suit that covered his whole body, and the muscles which bulged underneath. He could see the way they shifted  as his body moved and studied it in close detail. There was something about the way he was shaped that made him look comfortable to lean against. His toes tap awkward on the ground, because Twice is as bad at sitting still as Hawks is. The rain was so loud, and even louder is Jin’s breathing, and his heartbeat, and Hawks’ senses were finely tuned to both. Jin’s shoulders were broad. Hawks’ were concave and narrow. They were going to break. It was heavy, too heavy. Heavy like gravity. He noticed finally that Jin was drifting towards him. Jin was falling. Hawks has to look at him directly, what good is the terrifying draw of gravity unless you know what you’re facing. Jin’s lips get closer, and Hawks’ imagines what it would be like to be tickled by the unshaven scruff on Jin’s chin. There are so many details that make up Jin, and Hawks’ is just not there, he is not present, he is observing the scene from behind a pair of eyes but he can’t be there with Jin. He can never be there with anyone. 

“You wouldn’t like me,” He finally murmured. Hawks said, trying to get what’s happening to stop. “How come?” “Because I’ve met him. I don’t like him.” “I used to not like me either, but even when you don’t like yourself there are people that will like you.” Jin probably didn’t like him. Jin is just a person who would be kind to anybody. All Hawks needed to do was look a little pathetic and Jin pitied him. That was all this was. He was nothing special to Jin. He was nobody special. He had been told that enough times. If he died, if he fell out of the sky what would happen? The hero rankings would shift a little bit and that would be all. There were plenty of people that used him but no one really needed him. Jin gets closer and his lips pull back. Hawks’ contemplated what it would be like to be struck by lightning. A hot stinging pain, every single muscle in your body tenses, and locks. A whiteness you see behind your eyeballs. You spend an  eternal moment trapped, your brain sending signals but your body not listening to them, you tingle because your brain can’t comprehend the intensity of what you’re feeling. 

Is it painful? That’s not it, it’s a sensation that’s impossible to describe. Then you wake up after it’s done, and there’s a scar left in your skin. The point of contact between his land twice’s  lips felt like they were burning as Twice pulled away, or maybe that was just his imagination. The acrid smell surrounded him. His nostrils wee full of ozone. His brain was full of fear. The entire sky is contained in Jin’s eyes for that brief moment. There’s a queasy feeling inside of him, dizzying, and it’s the first time he’s ever felt the joy of vertigo. He doesn’t know where he is or how he feels and it’s unbelievably pleasant. Jin is the entire sky. Jin would never know how much Hawks wanted to throw himself into the arms of that vast emptiness. Hawks’ head is empty. He’s empty. But he’s not. He’s filled with secrets, and lies. When he wants to think about nothing more than Jin and the smell of ozones, a thought broke through. It’s like a crack in the mirror. Hawks immediately rocked back. You lied to him. Jin looks like he did something wrong. Hawks wants to tell him he’s done nothing wrong but that’s not true, he’s a criminal, a murderer. A good kisser, but with blood on his lips. Hawks’ hands flew in the air. “I-I’m just shy. I’m a shy bird.” He pulled the collar of his fur jacket all the way up to just below his nose to conceal the expression on his face. 

Hawks looked at the scar that cut cleanly across Jin’s forehead. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the thought. Jin who had given him so much, and Hawks would only give him scars in return. His hands, his lips. There would be lines carved on his skin wherever he touched. Hawks’ and Twice the fact that they met was an incredibly unlikely event like a lightning strike, and just like a lightning strike it never should have happened. It was luck, it was bad luck. He would mark him worse than any lightning strike.The places where he had once caressed so sweetly would only burn now. He should have smelled the ozone ahead of time. He should have seen the storm coming. But it’s too late now, and he’s stuck here with Jin, and he’s completely hopeless, and he can’t fly in the middle of a storm the wind will whip at him back and forth and the water will soak him, and chill him down all the way to the bone. Hawks finally gasped for air. Ozone in his lungs he had forgotten to breathe.” “Twice.” “Jin, you can call me Jin. I always call you by your first name.” 

“…What do you think my full name is?” “Hawks Birdman?” Hawks wanted to laugh but he couldn’t. He was someone who could not even smile correctly. “Wait, wait, wait, is that not your real name? Oh shit, oh shit, I’m so dumb. I’m so dumb.” Jin rocked back and forth and Hawks was completely still. He finally looked Hawks in the eye again. “W-we don’t have to kiss ever again if you don’t want to. I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.” Why was he the one apologizing? Why was Jin apologizing? “It’s really hard to tell what you like and don’t like sometimes. If I got something wrong, I’m sorry because I’m stupid, and I don’t think, but ummm…can I call you by your real name?” “One day…” “When?” “When the storm ends.” Hawks said. Everything he said so far to Jin was a lie, and that might also be a lie. But he didn’t want it to be.

#jinkei #jinkeiminibang #twicehawks #hawkstwice #twice #hawks #jin bubaigawara #takami keigo #bnha #bnha fic #zeldi drabbles tag #theres a ff7 reference in this

[ftcoye]

[Ao3 Link.] - pairing: qingmian.

There’s a Jin standing in the burial mounds.

She’s not wearing the golden robes of the sect, nothing that highlights her as one of them so the others remain at ease, but Wen Qing knows this woman. Perhaps not personally, because she knows enough to recognize her, and she sweeps down to where she’s talking with Wei Wuxian.

“Luo Yang,” Wen Qing greets, voice unwelcome.

The woman looks at her. She can almost feel the judgement that this Jin gives, even if it’s not in her gaze – they have little here, and they do not look stunning by any means, but they get by. Wen Qing stares back at her. Dares her to comment on anything.

She doesn’t.

“Wen Qing,” she says instead, quietly, inclining her head.

Wei Wuxian blinks in surprise. “I thought your name was Mianmian,” he says, and both of the woman squint at him, and then at each other.

“That’s her nickname, idiot,” she tells him, and she lifts one hand to smack him on the head.

“Qing-jiiiiie,” he whines, like the toddler he often pretends to be, “How was I supposed to know? Everyone calls her Mianmian!”

Luo Yang frowns at him. “I get not knowing my name,” she allows, which is far more generous than Wen Qing would be. “But come on, why would Mianmian be my name?”

He pouts, rubbing his head. “Your parents could be weird, I don’t know…”

Wen Qing rolls her eyes so hard Jiang Wanyin would be proud. “What are you doing here?” she asks, since no one seems it fit to explain to her why a Jin is here. It’s concerning. It’s worrisome.

Luo Yang – Wen Qing was never close enough to call her by her nickname, and she is not presumptuous like Wei Wuxian – skitters her gaze away, doesn’t quite meet her eyes. “I left my sect,” she says, which is probably one of the last things Wen Qing ever expected. “They framed Wei Wuxian as… some murderer, who slaughters indiscriminately – that was wrong. I knew that to be wrong.”

There is no surprise in Wei Wuxian’s gaze, just a flicker of emotion – she must have told him already. “Hanguang-Jun spoke with me afterwards. Jin Guangshan… he means to make it sound as though all of you are dangerous. Hanguang-Jun has tried to protest that is not so, but been silenced – he explained to me that he saw you, that so few are cultivators.” Luo Yang sets her jaw. “So I came here.”

Wen Qing narrows her eyes at her. Sweeps her gaze up and down. “Why?” she asks.

Luo Yang looks surprised. “Because it is wrong,” she says. “It is wrong that- that any of this has happened. I have put my affairs in order and have come here to help.”

It is an easy thing to say. Less, an easy thing to do. “Most of your clan would see us here,” Wen Qing tells her. “And they would turn a blind eye.”

With that, she sweeps away.

---

Wen Qing watches her.

It’s instinctive, really – she’s a newcomer. Out of place. But Wen Qing can’t lie to herself and say it’s that, because she did not watch the same way when Hanguang-Jun came, and if he comes again, she still will not. She may not trust Hanguang-Jun with anything important but she knows that he will not harm them, would try to stop harm that comes their way – just from the way that he looks at Wei Wuxian and the way he looks back.

But she does not trust Luo Yang at all. She doubts that the woman will harm them directly – she’s not foolish. Leaving Luo Yang along with A-Yuan will never mean an injured A-Yuan.

Spying, however… it is a possibility. One that Wei Wuxian will not consider.

“Is it too much to think she might be good, Jiejie?” A-Ning asks her, always ready to see the good in people. It’s ironic, given everything. Wen Qing doesn’t like to think about it.

“Why would she do something now?” Wen Qing asks, instead. “How many Jins stood by? Only one is here to help, this special Jin, different from the rest?”

A-Ning is quiet for a long moment.

“…We stood by, too, Jiejie,” he says, and Wen Qing can hear the rebuke in his tone.

One Wen was there to help, one special Wen, different from the rest – Wen Ning. Her little brother. Wen Qing cannot even point out that she hid Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin as well, because they both know it came down to protecting Wen Ning more than anything else.

His core, she could protest, if she truly wanted to, but they do both know that part of it was the simple delight of being able to see if it worked, to test out her theories in a way she never thought she could.

(She regrets it, even now. Even if someone else asks, she will never do it again.)

So Wen Qing does not answer, and her brother reaches out to set a hand on her elbow, give it a light squeeze, gentle as can be. He’s always so careful, now. She regrets that he has to be. “Give her a chance,” he says quietly. “It could be… nice. She is nice, Jiejie.”

If A-Ning can accept her, even given what happened to him… Wen Qing will still not trust. Someone has to be wary. Someone has to be concerned.

But.

“I will try,” she says, and she narrows her eyes at her brother as he tries to mask his delight. “But I make no promises.”

“Thank you,” he says, and she doesn’t respond.

---

So Wen Qing starts to work with her, work alongside her – it’s strange, it’s different, and she can see Luo Yang giving her confused looks for it, but she does it anyway. They pull up radishes. They play with A-Yuan. Wen Qing even deigns to let Luo Yang help her collect herbs.

For the woman does, surprisingly, know more than Wen Qing would have thought. She can identify a good majority of them. She can even identify a few that Wen Qing herself did not know, strange ones that grow here in the Burial Mounds that never did in her home. “How?” Wen Qing asks, out of curiosity.

Luo Yang pinks, just a fraction. It’s not… a bad look on her. “I helped with the herb garden at Koi Tower,” she says. “Before I worked my way up, it was my primary job. We… had some of these.”

Wen Qing blinks.

Luo Yang isn’t one that Wen Qing has ever known well. A Jin, and one at Jin Zixuan’s right hand, and not someone that she had ever deigned to talk to. She… honestly knew nothing about her past, her history, that she had had to work her way up and had once started low.

The other woman seems to notice this, eyeing her straight on, daring her to say something – and Wen Qing feels foolish.

Foolish for both of them, if she’s being honest.

They’re both holding themselves so tightly, so restrained, waiting for the other to challenge. Burying hurts and insecurities and thoughts under walls of stone and just daring the other to try to chip away at that wall. It’s so foolish and it’s so stupid and A-Ning was right and Wen Qing shakes her head.

“I didn’t know,” she says, and she… wrestles with herself. Presses her lips together in a thin line, swallows sharply, attempts to get the words out. Luo Yang waits patiently, brow furrowed just slightly. “I have not… been treating you well,” Wen Qing finally admits, snapping the words out. Quicker she can say them, the quicker this can be over with.

There’s bewilderment in Luo Yang’s gaze, a flash of it that makes a hot shame flash in Wen Qing’s throat to see, but it’s not underserved. “I… thank you,” says Luo Yang calmly, choosing her words carefully, this alliance between two untrusting woman who now reside here with nothing. “It wasn’t…” She laughs quietly. “I get why you wouldn’t trust me.”

Wen Qing quirks a small smile. “And I get why you wouldn’t trust me.”

They sit there for a moment, kneeling in the dirt in front of the plants, and then Luo Yang stands up, brushing off her robes and offers a hand for Wen Qing. She takes it.

“A truce?” offers Wen Qing, standing up and then letting go of her hand.

Luo Yang shakes her head. “How about… friends?” she offers instead.

Wen Qing can’t help but snort a little and shake her head. Of course. Of course. She feels foolish, still, so foolish – but it is not a bad kind of foolish. “Friends, then, Luo Yang.”

Luo Yang grins. “My friends call me Mianmian.”

---

They stick together, after that – Wei Wuxian is a fool and Wen Qing loves her family to pieces, all of them (and yes, Wei Wuxian is included in that), but she… cannot remember the last time that she had a friend. It wasn’t that she felt unsafe among the Wens, for she did not, but she never truly made connections. Never truly reached out.

And now Mianmian was there.

She had good ideas for their gardens, new ways to grow – she helped Wen Qing experiment with the herbs neither of them knew, figure out what they were good for. Dried them and hung them up in the entrance to the building. They took alcohol from Uncle Four and drank sparingly, sitting on the floor and passing it back and forth.

Mianmian drinks and Wen Qing watches her swallow. “Do you miss them?” she asks, and Mianmian sputters.

She doesn’t spill any of it, but she sets the jar aside and blinks at her. “What?”

Wen Qing doesn’t falter. “Do you miss them? Jin Zixuan and the others?” She doesn’t know who else Mianmian was close to – they have yet to speak of it, of the people they’ve both left behind.

Mianmian glances to the side, knits her brow just faintly. “…Yeah,” she says. “But it’s…” She waves a hand, encompassing the room and everything beyond it, and Wen Qing understands.

“There are those I miss, too,” she says, brow knitting. Wen Ruohan, for all his faults, had been like an Uncle to her – his sons, her cousins. It’s hard, when those you miss were not good people, but that does mean that they did not mean anything to her, that they still do not.

Wen Qing wouldn’t classify herself as a good person, anyway. She doesn’t know a lot of those.

Mianmian seems to understand, eyes faraway and focused on something Wen Qing can’t see. It’s not as if she could speak of them, even if she missed them – the Jins are a fragile topic, a fraught topic, here in the Burial Mounds.

Wen Qing scoots a little closer, reaches out and puts a hand on Mianmian’s clothed knee. “Mianmian,” she says, quietly. “Tell me of them?”

She feels warm. Buoyed, perhaps, by the alcohol – and maybe Mianmian is the same way, because she smiles at the question. “Alright,” she says, “But only if you tell me about the people you miss.”

Their precious left behind people are the other person’s enemy, monsters, demons – Wen Qing nods. “Of course,” she says.

And when it’s so dark when they’re done talking that Mianmian falls asleep, curled up on her side but head back, so her hair spreads in a black cloud around her… Wen Qing doesn’t let herself resist the urge to touch. To let a few strands curl over her fingers, lets her thumb run along the silky hairs, and then lets it drop.

It’s enough.

---

Wei Wuxian gets invited to Jin Ling’s 100 days celebration, and he’s in wild, delighted spirits. He careens all over the compound with eyes bright and laughter on his lips – it’s welcome, to see him so happy. It is not that he is unhappy here, because he isn’t, but she can tell he misses those on the outside.

They all do, but at least with Wei Wuxian, he willingly separated himself from them. The Wens did not have that choice.

Mianmian goes quiet, and Wen Qing waits a few days – when it’s clear she’s not going to speak, Wen Qing does it for her. “You can go with him,” she says, and Mianmian tenses and then relaxes.

They stand in the garden, in a comforting spot with their feet in the dirt, just the two of them, and Mianmian slowly shifts to lean into Wen Qing’s side. Wen Qing doesn’t move, and they stand there together, the two of them.

After a long moment of Mianmian’s warmth pressing into her side, the other sighs. “I want to,” she says. “Are you… okay with that?”

Wen Qing’s brow furrows. “If I’m alright with Wei Wuxian visiting,” she asks, confused. “Why would it not be the same for you?”

Mianmian shifts away and looks at her. They’re about the same height and they meet eye to eye – Wen Qing’s side feels cold, now. “Wen Qing…” Mianmian breathes, eyes a little lost, and.

Oh.

Oh.

Wen Qing swallows sharply, and maybe something in her face shows her understanding, her grasp, because Mianmian relaxes, smiles, and then leans back in. Wen Qing lets her head turn slightly, breathes in the scent of her, of dirt and mint and the resentful tang of energy that fills everyone here. “…I’m okay with it,” she says quietly. “If I could see those I lost again…”

She doesn’t name them, even if Mianmian knows them, and she hums. “Thank you,” she says, and they stand together.

---

Wei Wuxian, A-Ning, and Mianmian depart together. They laugh cheerily together, brightly, happy and pleased for the trip.

They return that day.

A-Ning is carrying Wei Wuxian over his shoulder and Mianmian in his arms bridal-style, as she holds onto Wei Wuxian as well to keep him in place.

There’s blood on all three of them and Mianmian looks so pale and Wen Qing drops everything and she runs. A-Ning sets both of them down and Wen Qing doesn’t know who to go to first so she grabs her supplies from the corner first.

“Young Master Wei just passed out,” A-Ning says and Wen Qing crumples to her knees by Mianmian’s side.

There’s blood on her side, too much of it, and Wen Qing pulls away her robes as she hisses in pain. Her side is… gouged. Like claws took a chunk out as they scraped by, or-

Her eyes, reluctantly, slide to her brother. His hands are red with blood. “What happened?” asks Wen Qing.

A-Ning explains, as Wen Qing cleans off Mianmian’s wound, as she presses in herbs to help the clotting and to stave off infection, and bandages. He talks of an ambush, of Jin Zixun and too many cultivators, how they had removed all the corpses.

“If… If Luo Yang hadn’t been there…” he says, and he shakes his head.

Mianmian’s cheeks are looking pinker, now, more full, as Wen Qing slips her spiritual energy through their joined hands. “It wasn’t your fault,” she says, and when Wen Qing looks to her, she meets her gaze steady. “I had to push Jin Zixuan out of the way. Wei Wuxian lost control.”

Wen Qing closes her eyes. She doesn’t… it… “How many died?” she asks quietly, instead, because that’s an easier question than to ponder what she’s going to have to deal with when Wei Wuxian wakes up.

“Too many,” says Mianmian, and she pulls away.

Wen Qing’s eyes snap open as the other woman stands up. She doesn’t wobble – she’s firm. “I need to go to Koi Tower,” she tells them both, as their eyes go wide. “I need to diffuse this before it gets even worse. A-Xuan can’t do it alone, I know him, I need to be there.”

Her heart is in her throat. It chokes her, cloying and pulsing and Wen Qing doesn’t know what to say, what to do. “You’re injured,” she manages to squeeze out past the beating, and Mianmian meets her eyes square on.

“A-Qing,” Mianmian says. That’s too much, too soon, far too soon – Wen Qing jerks back a step, but Mianmian doesn’t falter. There’s sorrow in her gaze, sorrow that it’s too soon, but no regret. She reaches out and takes Wen Qing’s trembling hands and bends over to bring them up to her lips, presses kisses against her knuckles and then presses her forehead to them. “Please,” she says. “Let me protect you.”

A-Ning remains silent.

This isn’t his to comment on – this is all her, all her and Wen Qing and Mianmian who is already calling her A-Qing, it’s too much too fast and Wen Qing has never been good at any of this. She’s always held herself at an arms’ length to keep from dealing with this, to stop herself from choking on her own heart and tripping over words and shaking to pieces.

She tries to speak. One, two, three times – and she clears her throat to send her heart back to where it belongs. “If you need to go,” she says, and her voice is quiet. “Then you should go.”

Mianmian’s shoulders fall, slump a little, but she straightens back up – now, only now is there regret in her gaze. “Thank you, Wen Qing,” she says.

The woman turns, unsheathing her sword, but Wen Qing cannot leave it like that. She reaches forward, touches her elbow from her kneeling position, lets the warmth of her palm seep through the robe underneath and Mianmian turns to look at her, regret and sorrow and hope wrapped up in her gaze.

“…Be careful,” Wen Qing says, and Mianmian gives a tiny smile. A sad one.

“I will,” she says, and then she’s gone.

A-Ning says nothing. He doesn’t have to. He comes and sits beside her and they gaze at Wei Wuxian, unconscious, face twisted in nightmares, a damp cloth on his forehead.

Slowly, slowly, she leans into him, and he wraps an arm around her.

“She’ll be fine,” he says, with faith that she wished she possessed.

Wen Qing says nothing.

#wen qing #luo qingyang #mianmian #qingmian #mdzs

[v-hope]

His members tease you/him because of hickeys

Pairings: OT7 x Reader

Genre: Fluff, crack

Request: "if requests are open, could i request a maknae line (or ot7) reaction to where the other members notice that he or you have hickeys and teases you about it? tysm you're my favorite writer"

Kim Seokjin

“Wow, wha–” Jeongguk's eyes opened wide after catching a glimpse of something dark by your hips as you had been foolishly dancing around together on set. “Noona, put your hands up again” he demanded.

“What? Why?” you frowned.

“Just do it”.

Still not knowing what this was about, you complied, and that's exactly when your boyfriend's eyes fixed on you from the table, almost choking on air.

“Babe, no! Put them down!”

“Oh my God” Jeongguk's expression let both of you know it was too late already. “Now I understand why Seokjin-ie hyung has been so energetic while shooting today” he giggled like a little boy.

“Jeongguk!” Jin scolded him, and you knew, if it weren't because he couldn't move from the spot they were about to film him in, he would already be physically fighting the maknae somehow.

“I don't know what that twisted mind of yours is thinking right now, kid” you placed your hands on your waist. “I only hit my hips with my desk yesterday”.

Yoongi snorted by Jin's side at your shameless lie. “If ‘my desk’ is a metaphor for Jin hyung's lips then sure”.

Min Yoongi

“You had a good nap I see?” Namjoon cocked one of his eyebrows.

“Huh?” Yoongi frowned, standing by the entrance to the living room. “Oh, yeah. Really good one” he simply said, making his way over the kitchen.

“Oof, he's thirsty” Hoseok was the one to speak up as he watched his hyung go over to the sink, “it must have been one of those naps that actually leave you more exhausted”.

“I just told you it was a good one” he pointed out, chugging his glass of water.

The two boys laughed to themselves, leaving him clueless as ever.

“Oh, we know” Hobi giggled. “Must've been a really great one if you got a hickey out of it”.

Yoongi let out a sigh at the realisation, putting his glass down as he turned his head to the side so he could shamelessly ignore his friends.

“Wow, look at him showing off his mark” Namjoon pushed it further – the way Yoongi's cheeks turned a slight pink making it even funnier for them.

“Did Y/N also get a mark out of this nap, hyung?” Hoseok teased.

A smug smirk curved up Yoongi's lips, not moving an inch as he listened to them throw comments back and forth; not wanting to deal with their bullshit yet actually taking pride in this.

Jung Hoseok

“Aish, Hoseok-ah!” Seokjin threw his head back in frustration as soon as they got off the car at the airport. “You said this wouldn't happen again”.

“Huh?”

“The hickey on your neck?” Jimin smiled cheekily. “You do know a mask isn't going to cover it, right?”

Hoseok's hand instinctively went to the spot he knew you had left ‘something to remember you’ last night. “I'm wearing a turtleneck” he frowned.

“Should've worn a hoodie, bro” Namjoon patted his shoulder, standing next to him so they could start posing for the cameras waiting for them outside the airport.

“Just turn your head to the opposite side of the cameras and you should be in the clear” Tae smirked.

“Or someone just give him a scarf” Joon proposed.

“Nah, it's okay” Hoseok shrugged, dipping his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “I have a girlfriend and I'm leaving her for a whole month, anyone with two brain cells would know what happened last night anyway”.

It was too late to do anything at this point, which is why Hoseok decided to do the one thing he did best: own it.

Kim Namjoon

They always say it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. In this case, that was exactly what your boyfriend had been telling you and Jimin, over and over, as you ran around the stage whilst Jin rehearsed his solo for that night and Joon watched from the seats in front.

“Jimin, ah! Shit, that hurt!” you whined after you had turned around and one of your shoulders hit his body.

Told you.

“Are you alright?!” he worried instantly, his hands going to where he thought hurt. That's when he saw a pretty visible blue mark on your collarbone. “Oh my God, I'm so sorry” he freaked out, “I didn't mean to–”

“Jimin” you laughed lightly, “it's alright”.

“No, but there's a bruise and–”

“That's a hickey, you idiot” Yoongi shook his head in amusement.

“Oh” Jimin let out breathily – his previous worried look instantly turning into a cocky one. “So it was not caused by pain, I see” he wiggled his eyebrows, making you roll your eyes.

“I'd say it's the opposite, right Y/N?” Yoongi smirked.

“Quite the opposite, in fact” Namjoon confirmed, finally arriving to your side and pulling you closer by your waist; only then the heat reaching your face.

Park Jimin

“I'm here, I'm here!” Jimin said exasperatedly as he entered the car, having to sit alone on the front row since he was the last one.

“Always late, God” Jin shook his head in disappointment.

“I slept in, sorry” he apologised, clumsily searching for the seatbelt.

“You know” Yoongi spoke from behind as the car started to move, “Y/N was at the dorms this morning for some reason” Jimin tensed up, hurrying to fasten his seatbelt. “Such a shame you didn't get to see her”.

“You sure he didn't see her?” Taehyung joined in after having caught up on his hyung's intentions. “And that she has nothing to do with those poorly covered marks on his neck?” he teased, leaning forward to poke said spot repeatedly.

Jimin said nothing, instead fixing his eyes in front of him as a proud smile curved up the corners of his lips.

“No wonder he slept in” Jeongguk smirked.

“Man, I wish I had a best friend like that” Taehyung sighed in a longing way.

“Girlfriend” Jimin mumbled sheepishly, fidgeting with his hands on his lap.

All six of them shared astonished looks before they started obnoxiously cheering for their friend, only making his cheeks flush furiously. It was about time.

Kim Taehyung

“Y/N!” Hoseok let you inside the dorms, walking with you to the living room where the rest of them were. “You arrived earlier”.

“Well, yeah” you shrugged, “Tae asked me to”.

“So you can help us set everything up for the party?” Namjoon asked from the sofa.

You gazed over to him before your eyes fixed on Taehyung. “I guess so” you lovingly mirrored his smile.

“Great!” Jimin went to grab your hand. “You can help me– oh my God, you got a hickey” everyone but Taehyung gasped right there, making both of you roll your eyes. “Who did that to your pure, innocent soul?”

“Fuck off, Jimin” you glared at him, “just tell me what can I help you with”.

That had seemed to make him snap back, nodding his head before he dragged you to the kitchen. The rest of the guys looked at each other with open mouths.

“That was one huge hickey” Jin looked over to his members, having Yoongi agreeing in astonishment.

“Wow” Jeongguk breathed out, “I didn't know she was seeing someone, I wonder who did it”.

“Why?” Taehyung smirked. “You want me to give you one, too?”

He laughed as everyone was frozen still, tauntingly doing his signature V sign before he stood up and walked over to wrap his arms around you from behind.

The thing was, you had never even tried to hide your relationship; his members were just too dumb to notice the pretty obvious signs.

Jeon Jeongguk

“Woah, Jeongguk-ah!” his six members exclaimed the second the maknae entered the dressing room, leaving him completely baffled.

“Noona is going to kill you” Yoongi smirked, glancing over their stylist on the other side of the room.

“What'd I do?” Jeongguk wondered.

“The question is what didn't you do with Y/N, apparently” Jin shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Jeongguk remained confused for another second until his hyungs’ eyes looked down to his neck, near his collarbone. That's when it hit him.

“Aish, I told her not to leave m–”

“Jeon Jeongguk!” he flinched at the sound of their stylist's scolding tone. “Do you have any idea of how long it's going to take me to cover all those marks?”

“No, no, don't get mad at him” Hobi interrupted as Guk was about to apologise, placing an arm over his shoulder, “Guk-ie just wanted a little love”.

Jeongguk snorted at the sound of the nickname you called him. “Noon–”

“Like this” his second attempt of an apology got cut off again, this time by Hoseok teasingly pecking his chest in a way that had Guk trying to push him off immediately as everyone else laughed.

The stylist shook her head. “Hoseok, stop imitating Y/N” she turned around to walk away; her words bringing red tint to the maknae's cheeks – especially when she teasingly added: “And Jeongguk, let's go cover those love marks of yours”.

#bts #bts imagines #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #kim namjoon #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jeongguk #bts scenarios #bts reactions #kpop #kpop fanfic #bts fanfic #bts fluff #bts x reader #jungkook fluff #taehyung fluff #jimin fluff #yoongi fluff #hoseok fluff #namjoon fluff #seokjin fluff #recent

[briefololtragedy]

Something to Stay Part 4

Sakura X Itachi

Prequel to Say anything

Itachi doesn’t like being called Uchiha-san.

Rating G

Call me by my name

It was 4:55 when Sakura rushed into the locker room to change into her scrubs for the day. She was always at least 15 minutes early, but this morning it was hard to get up. Sasuke had so many questions and worry for his brother, by the time she go to answering all of then it after 11pm and she wanted to crash into bed, which she did the moment she got home. Shower be damned!

Her alarm woke her from sleep at 430, apparently she snoozed it at 4am. Next thing she knew she bolted out of the bed, almost tripped on her bedding that was now on the floor of her bedroom. When she says almost tripped, she means full on face plant to the floor. A quick shower to wash of the hospital grim just for it to be replaced by a new layer. There was no time to dry her hair, which she put into a quick messy bun. Looking in the mirror after throwing on a simple pair of skinny jeans and oversized T-shirt with a bowl of ramen on it, she noticed the bumps on her face and the slight break out she has gotten due wearing surgical mask so long yesterday and only eating cookies. Looking at her watch, it was 445, the time she normally got to work. She grabbed her Toms and ran out the door.

Sakura made it to handoff just as the clock hanged to 5. Kabuto looked smug. “You look like a walking disaster this morning. Try to put yourself together before seeing patients. We don’t want you giving them a heart attack with how dreadful you look.”

Sakura found herself having to count to 10. She could not punch Kabuto, in the face multiple times, it would be unprofessional. She was sure he was upset with her getting to assist yesterday. They had 20 patients to cover. Kabuto took 4 and split the rest between her and the other intern. Anticipation and worry came to her briefly, knowing that she would have to take care of Itachi. She hoped Sasuke and his parents got what ever peaceful rest they could obtain. She heard the nurses complaining how Fugaku demanded them be able to stay past visiting hours to see that Itachi’s needs were being meet. She planned to pre-round on him last, so she could make a quick escape to meet before the formal rounds with Dr. Senju.

She finished going through the charts of her other patients in record time and able to quickly examine them with no problems. She had a couple appendectomies, cholecystectomies, and hernia repairs. She had one hernia repair who tried to get a little to handsy when she was examining his abdomen. Sakura made a mental note to have a nurse with her the next time she had to be in the room with him.

She had 20 minutes before she had to meet with her team. She planned on taking 5-10 minutes to quickly check on Itachi and then get coffee. She already downed her first cup when she was sitting in front of her computer. Sakura also didn’t care to fix her appearance, aside from her dark circles, she looked presentable. She wasn’t here to appeal to the male sex, she wanted to learn and follow in the footsteps of Dr. Senju.

Hana quickly gave her a report on how Itachi was doing. He had woken up in the middle of the night and went back to sleep after some pain medication was given. His family had left before he fell asleep, which came to be a relief for the nurses working. He was still resting this morning.

Sakura took a deep breath, gently knocked on his door. Hearing no response, which she expected, she entered.

Many years have gone by since she last saw the oldest son of Mikoto and Fugaku. From what she remembers when she was 11, he was a tall, dark, intimidating force. He once snuck her some dango that Sasuke didn’t want following her punching him in the face. His parents weren’t happy with her. She had ran off into their gardens after the incident.

This man laying on the bed sleeping was not the picture that she carried with her all these years. He looked paler than normal, his lines under his eyes were more pronounced, IVs in both his arms, and the IV poll on his right side. His heart tracing looked steady, no arrhythmias. Oxygen saturation was perfect. His breathing pattern and heart rate on the lower side confirmed he was in a deep sleep.

“Uchiha-san, its Dr. Haruno. I will be taking a quick listen to you and then will want to look at your surgical incision.” She had placed on her hand on his left arm, gently trying to get him to stir. She then went about assessing him this morning.

It was now time to look at his incision and knew she would have to be more forceful when trying to get him awake. He started to stir.

“Uchiha-san, its Dr. Haruno. I am just going to check your abdomen quickly to make sure everything is ok. How is your pain?” Those words brought Itachi out of his dream world and as he opened his eyes he was met with the most color he has ever seen, bright pink and emerald. He was once again reminded of a cherry blossom field.

As his eyes started to focus more he was met with Sakura. Gone was the scrawny little thing, and now before him stood a grown women. She still had delicate features, gone was the baby fat of her face. Her hair was on the top of her head in a bun. No makeup on her face, which was a breath of fresh air compared to the other women he has come across over the years.

“I will need to bring your covers down to get access to your bandages, is that ok?” Her eyes were warm and welcoming. She had a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He didn’t answer her right away, but went to slowly push his blankets down. The slight crunch he did caused pain to shoot through his abdomen.

“Uchiha-san you should let me do that for you. It wasn’t even 24 hours ago that you have an intense surgery. I will let nurse Hana now that you will need one of your as needed pain medications.” Her voice was smooth like honey.

He didn’t even notice as she removed the bandages on his abdomen and inspected the site. She worked quickly and professionally. After she was done looking she redid his bandages with fresh gaze and tape.

“Do you need anything else Uchiha-san?” He didn’t know why she was acting so formal with him, but he could understand it. They hadn’t seen each other in years, she wasn’t even a teenager the last time they met. He couldn’t remember ever holding an actual conversation with her.

“No Dr. Haruno. Have you heard from Sasuke any?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“I haven’t heard from him since last night. Hopefully he is getting some rest along with your parents, all of you have been through a lot. I almost thought you wouldn’t remember I'm friends with Sasuke.” She had a slight smile on her face. She was staring at him and it was then that he realized it was because he hadn’t said anything in reply. Itachi got caught up staring at her eyes, those dazzling emeralds.

“Sasuke talks about you and Naruto, well as much as someone like him can… Would it be possible to get something to drink? My throat feels raw.” He had to kick himself for asking her about the drink, he was an absolute idiot.

“Of course. I’ll see if one of the nursing students can bring you something. They are pretty good at checking in on patients and helping out. Dr. Senju and the team will be around later, get some rest Uchiha-san.” Sakura had brought his covers up to his chest and walked out the door. For some reason her saying Uchiha-san didn’t sit well with him.

A few minutes later he was brought multiple cups of water and students more then welling to help him. it was when his nurse came in with some pain medication that they were shooed away.

Itachi didn’t know what to do with himself now. When was the last time he was idle for so long.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura made it just in time to get a new cup of coffee before starting rounds with Dr. Senju. It was hard keeping an indifferent face when talking with Itachi. She couldn’t help as she acknowledged how attractive he was, but she wasn’t an airhead preteen anymore. She was able to separate work and her personal life. While Itachi muddied the water some, she would be professional with him and his family when they came into the hospital.

A proud smirk made its way onto her lips as she brought up her coffee cup to her mouth. She had beat Kabuto and the other intern to the meeting spot. She only had to make it though 3 more days until she had a day off. Sunday would be a glorious day!

Jin was the second to arrive, he was one in her first year class. He stood a head and half taller then her, he had an average build, his coloring was brown hair and brown eyes. Unlike her, he had a tan to his skin. He was doing a trauma rotation, but belonged to the orthopedic surgery program.

“ Wonder where Yakushi is? I heard you got to scrub into that surgery yesterday with Dr. Senju, man is she scary! “ She couldn’t help but be irritated by his voice, it wasn’t his fault that she was having the start of a migraine.

“He should be here soon, maybe he heard about a new case for the day.” It was unlike Kabuto to not have arrived by now. At times Wednesday could be a slow day compared to the other days of the week. Starting Friday - Monday you would get the reckless injuries that were brought about by too much drinking and wanting to have a good time. A couple of weeks ago it was a party boat that capsized when too many people were on it.

“Where is Yakushi? I’m ready to round, it was a long ass day yesterday. “ Dr. Senju came up, tea in hand. She was not Kabuto’s biggest fan to start and him not being here was not a way to get off her bad side.

“Dr. Senju, sorry to interrupt but Dr. Yakushi was pulled into a surgery with Dr. Orochimaru.” It looked like the nurses had sacrificed one of the nursing student’s to deliver the message. Sakura didn’t know the name of the poor girl, but could see her shaking.

A grumble came form Dr. Senju, her lips pressed together. “ Let get started. I take it you two are carrying the majority of the patients anyway. We will round on them and then you two can finish charting. You two will be up for first assist on the next surgery. Decide among the two of you who will take it when it comes.” She then started walking down the halls.

Rounds were lightening fast. It was decided that Jin would take the first surgery of the day since Sakura got the one yesterday. Jin vanished to do his work, while Sakura took to sitting at one of the empty computers at the nursing station. The gossip from the nurses would put Ino to shame. ‘notes and then lunch.’

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Shisui leave Sasuke alone. “ How many times did Itachi have to stop those two. Sasuke had gotten back at Shisui for giving his cell number to some of the nurses. Sasuke’s phone wouldn’t stop going off. In retribution apparently Shisui’s Instagram was hacked and was announced that he was undergoing treatment for multiple STDs, his prior conquests were not to happy about the announcement.

Shisui had come with food from Mikoto. Sadly he was unable to eat it due to being on clear liquids. The aroma itself was making Itachi’s mouth water. Itachi refused to let either Sasuke or Shisui eat his food and made them put it in the mini fridge in his room.

“I heard you have little Sakura-chan overseeing you. Aren’t you a lucky dog. Sasuke I don’t know how the two of you never got together even for a night.” Sasuke looked ready to attack. Itachi wasn’t aware that his cousin knew Sakura. Shisui initially worked for the family law firm, but then branched off with itachi to do pro-bono work. He typically got in later then Itachi and stayed to close up the office, where Itachi opened it. Shisui had guilt from not being to the office sooner he may have been able to prevent itachi getting shot.

“Uchiha-san I have come to check on you quickly. Sasuke-kun said that you may be in pain.” Sakura was at the door, her presence stopping the inevitable match between Sasuke and Shisui.

Sasuke looked annoyed and Shisui straightened up. Itachi could already tell Shisui was putting his best flirting face on. “Sakura-chan I have to ask if it hurt?” Sakura looked at Shisui annoyance spreading on her face.

“Shisui we have had this conversation before and I’m not currently in the mood to put up with your ridiculous pick up lines.” Sasuke was annoyed he knew his cousin was doing this to get on his nerves. He and Naruto made it their mission to make sure the guys wanting to date Sakura where fully screened, much to the annoyance of Sakura. She had to keep most of her relationships a secret, unless they were creeps. The creeps she held no remorse for when the two idiots chased them away. Just because they watched out for her didn't protect her from having her heart broken a few times, before she decided to focus solely on her training.

“Come on lets go find something to eat since Weasel here wont share his food.” It was then that Sasuke’s stomach started to grumble, he was in agreement to finding food and some tomato juice.

 After dumb and dumber left Sakura was able to speak to Itachi. “Uchiha-san I know you have been having increased pain and wanted to make sure you were doing ok. Is there anything that you need? “

“Why do you call be Uchiha-san? “ Itachi blamed it on his pain medications for having no filter.

“What am I supposed to call you? I think Shisui has dibs on Weasel. “ she looked playful, mischievous look behind her eyes. It reminded itachi of the little girl he remembered from another time it seemed.

“I would like it for you to call me by my name Dr. Haruno. I feel like my father should be in the room when you say Uchiha-san. “ Sakura couldn’t imagine anyone calling Fugaku by anything other than Uchiha-sama. His face would probably get as red of the tomatoes that Sasuke adores so much in anger.

“Itachi-san considering you are older than me doesn’t that make you an old man?” Before Itachi could reply Sakura’s stomach decided to interrupt their conversation.

‘I forgot to eat lunch again! Two appendectomies came in that Jin and her split, which was around lunch time.’ Sakura couldn’t help but be embarrassed.

“Excuse me Itachi-san, but I will leave you to get some more rest.” Itachi didn’t want her to leave. She was a breath of spring in the shade of beige room.

“My mother made me a bento and my doctor has decided to only let me have liquids. I don’t think she would mind me giving it to you.”

Sakura was speechless. Mikoto’s food was a precious commodity, one that Sasuke refused to let anyone have. “I can get some food in the cafeteria, that was made for you and I’m sure you would like to have it once you are cleared for a regular diet.”

“I’m sure my mother would make me a new one when the time comes. This one hasn’t been in the fridge long and will still be fresh. I insist that you take it. Although I do ask that you enjoy it here as a way to repay me. I could use company that doesn’t want to punch the other person in the face.”

“Well that’s an offer I can’t refuse.” This meal would be the first of many, neither of them knowing that at the time.

#itasaku #itachi uchiha #LawyerItachi #Sakura Haruno #SurgeonSakura #naruto #fanfic #prequel #part four

[minniepetals]

String of Fate 01

— summary: they set fire to the world around them but would never let a flame touch her.

— pairing: bts x reader

— genre: fluff, angst || poly!au, soulmate!au, mafia!au

— word count: 4.5K

— warnings: violence, harassment 

╰ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 

"Are you going to hurt me?"

"We will never hurt you."

Shattered glass, broken wood, screaming people, and all chaos fragmented around you yet the only thing you could focus on were them. The seven pairs of eyes who decided to make things more interesting by alarming the whole place with a single firing of a gun. Whatever he meant, that Kim Namjoon, leader of the most dangerous Bangtan mafia gang, you couldn't decide whether he was telling the truth or not.

Why would he?

You didn't know him and he didn't know you. Why would he tell you such a thing? The man, along with the six of his gang members, were nothing but cruel and ruthless—at least that was what you heard from rumors. There was only seven yet you heard they were more powerful than a hoard of mafias combined. You hadn't ever seen them in action, you hadn't ever seen them at all, until now.

And those deadly gazes they had pierced through the other gang who had been there just minutes ago told you they weren't playing any games. Just by the looks, you could tell how dangerous they were. And when they got into action by alarming the whole club, you knew the rumors must had been true. It astonished you when you had first saw them arriving, wearing simple black suits yet looking so sophisticated—because they were—and it confused you as to what business they had at a club. You had wondered what their reasons were to meet up with another gang out in public.

But now the real question was, why did they stopped at you?

Why didn't they scream at you to leave? Or threatened you to never say a word about what you saw as everyone else around you had fallen dead? Why weren't you dead yet? And why, why did Kim Namjoon say that?

You couldn't understand those eyes that bore into yours. Those looks that looked almost sad yet relieved and happy. Why were they staring at you like you had been their long lost lover? You couldn't understand anything at all. All you knew was that they were giving you the shivers.

"Please don't hurt me."

You wanted to sound brave, to look brave, but because of such a situation you were suddenly placed in, how could you? Your voice had shook, fingers trembling as you looked away from their eyes and circled yours around the dead bodies in the club.

"I've already told you we weren't going to hurt you, little dove." Namjoon repeated himself. That deep voice, the nickname he just gave you, you didn't know whether to feel flattered or to be even more scared.

The latter made more sense.

You knew who each one of them were (well, their names and faces), everyone in South Korea did. Their stories were heard everywhere, you just never encountered them before and didn't wanted to know more. Why? Because they were mafias.

Obviously.

What kind of dumb idiot would want to involve themselves with mafias?

As one of them took the advantage to approach you, you lightly took a step back out of fear, only to find yourself stepping on a dead hand and instantly jumping and squeaking out a yelp, in process finding yourself right in front of the man who had approached you, Kim Seokjin.

You felt your heart beating faster at that point, not only from the frightening moment around you but because your body was now up close to a mafia, and boy was he handsome. You had to admit they all were, but to be face to face with one as you looked up at his tall figure, you found yourself flustered and awestruck.

You were stuck between him and the dead body.

Not knowing what else to do, you shrunk back in fear and gave out a small whimper. It wasn't because you were scared he'd hurt you, something within told you he'd never hurt you, at least not intentionally. You didn't know your exact reason but your heart gave off some aching feeling, almost as if you really had been their long lost lover. And to your surprise, the man did nothing but gave you a small sad smile and voiced out a question. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"My heart," you squeaked and instantly regretted it the minute it was said.

Darn you! Why do you have to be so stupid at such a crucial moment?!

A light chuckle escaped Kim Seokjin's mouth and for some reason, you found that quite charming. Whatever you were feeling at the moment, you could tell your fears was starting to lessen a bit all thanks to him. "Perhaps going home and taking a nice warm bath will help slow down that heartbeat of yours."

Perhaps so.

Wait.

"You're letting me go?" You blinked, totally not aware that they'd ever do such a thing. I mean you had witnessed everything from the start, why were they letting you go when there was a chance you'd go on and snitch to the police or just say something to a friend or two, resulting in a whole spread of new rumors?

"Why wouldn't we?" Jin asked, voice as silky as a satin fabric and that raised brow made you weak in the knees.

"Uhh..." you gave an awkward laugh, staring at all the dead bodies in the room. Surely they knew what you meant right? Everyone else in the room died, why weren't you one of them? You couldn't had been an exception, you shouldn't had been.

So why?

"Go home," the man in front of you simple ordered, "before any more chaos explodes." His face darkened a bit as he averted his eyes from you to the dead bodies and you shivered from fear. But before long, one gaze on yours was enough to have him looking soft all over again. Or perhaps it was only a facade masking his true self.

But then again, why? His true self was a mafia, why hide that scary side from you when that was exact opposite of what was supposed to happen in such a scenario?

You didn't wanted to find out. So without further ado, politely gave them a bow for allowing you to leave before turning around and began walking away. You gave just one last glance over your shoulder and realized their eyes had still been entranced on you before turning back and finally leaving for good.

It was just a dream. Why dwell on those mysterious eyes when you'd never see them again? It was just a dream so you had to forget about it. Forget about your shivers, forget about the trembling of your hands, forget about about those lingering gazes, forget about the strange aching, and forget about that strange feeling of wanting to be near them.

It was just a dream. It had to be.

"See to it that she gets home safe," Namjoon ordered but Jimin didn't had to be told twice to take up the offer. He walked away from the building and followed your steps secretly while the rest of them stayed, quiet and still.

The scene just before had still been set in their minds and they couldn't seem to let go of it. You were there in front of them looking all vulnerable and scared of them. Them. They found you, they saw you, they spoke to you. There was no way they'd ever let the chance of seeing you again slip away.

Which was why the whole chaos had erupted in the first place. Taehyung and Jungkook had been watching you from their places the second they laid eyes on you while the hyungs dealt with the drug dealers. But because the dealers weren't cooperating and the two guys almost lost sight of you, it ticked the guys off, causing the whole gunshot to had been fired in the first place.

They couldn't lose you. Not again.

Even if that meant killing everyone else who got in the way during the process.

The guys couldn't believe how long it had been since they had last saw you, since that incident had occurred. They didn't wanted to remember it yet seeing you again, your petrified face in fear of they themselves sparked the emission of the tragic past. If they could have gone back and change up their past, then perhaps they wouldn't had found themselves in such a situation with you no longer knowing them.

"Hyung," Jungkook spoke almost breathlessly, "I want to see her again. I want to hold her so badly." His hands trembled underneath him as Jungkook's heart began aching. The sight of you made him finally be able to breathe after all that searching, but now the only thing he wanted, needed was you once more. Tears aligned at the corner of his eyes, heart filled with both relief and affliction, Jungkook craved to be near you.

"I know, Jungkook, I know," Namjoon breathed softly. Not even the leader knew what to do as he felt the same affliction burning in his chest. "But we need to give her some time."

"It's been centuries, hyung," Jungkook argued, jaw clenching and ready to just...leave, run to you. "That's more than enough. I can't live another day not seeing her face again especially now, knowing she's here and that we've finally found her again."

How much longer were they going to suffer? How much more did they have to live through the pain? Being the greatest mafia in Seoul didn't even compared to the feelings they felt whilst living without you. Each day they craved to be with you, to see that precious smile of yours, only to fall back into reality as they wake up without that familiar face greeting them. Dealing with drug dealers and other mafiosos was much easier than having to deal with their broken hearts.

"Jungkook's right, Namjoon. We can't wait any longer," Yoongi said as his brows furrowed while staring at the spot you had just stood at minutes ago. "I miss her so damn much," he added in.

Turning around at his older friend, Namjoon's jaw clenched. "What do you expect us to do? We can't just go up to her and say that she's our soulmate and expect her to come running into our arms. She doesn't even remember a damn thing about us."

They knew their leader's logic was right. They knew especially of his last words being true yet it had hurt even more for it to be spoken aloud and having them facing another wall once more.

"Well, we have to do something," Jin said softly, eyes casted to the ground as he remembered you shrinking back at the sight of him. That had hurt him a lot, to see you being scared of him. "Otherwise she will never remember us."

~~

Once you had been far enough from the club, you found yourself finally having the courage to break down in the middle of the street. Your reason, you had no idea.

But there was a strange aching in your heart that just wouldn't stop throbbing. Just remembering their lingering gazes, those beautiful eyes, made your world turn upside down. Everything was confusing that night starting and you couldn't even begin with just one question because each of them led to more and more questions.

Luckily there hadn't been any pedestrians around being that had been quite late—or so you thought.

The second you had broken down, Jimin, who had followed you back, felt afflicted on whether to just watch you cry or actually do something about it. You were crying and he knew you didn't understood why which made the situation even more hurting.

You couldn't remember.

And it was hurting Jimin to just stand there watching you as your legs gave in and you fell on your knees, cries stifled as you tried not to let it be heard. He wanted to do something, to being you into his embrace, to soothe your pain, and to tell you that everything would be alright.

But he knew he couldn't risk it.

You didn't know him, you didn't even know your own reason to crying, and with him being a mafia, he knew he'd only make things worse. So reluctantly, he had to watch you cry silently to yourself no matter how painful it was to just stand there and not do anything about it.

The last time he had saw you, your eyes were filled with tears, the last light vanishing from your eyes and falling into complete oblivion. You were gone and it was all because of them. Each day they could never forget that incident, it had been engraved in their minds no matter how much they wanted to get rid of it. It had served as a reminder to what they had done, broken you and left you alone when they should had trusted your words instead of someone else's.

Jimin could never forgive himself, none of them could, especially at that moment when your eyes had fallen in terror with just the realization that they had been in the same building as you.

Would you even want them back into your life?

At the sight of your soft cries, Jimin doubted you did.

~~

"I don't know what to do."

You had contemplated on whether or not to tell your best friend about the incident the night before and in the end, told her all about. You knew you could trust her, she had always been there by your side since childhood times so of course she'd understand you. You did of course had her promise she'd never tell anyone about it at first otherwise things wouldn't go down too well.

And surprisingly, she didn't looked too surprised at your story. "You have to be someone special to them," Dahyun said, pursing her lips, "otherwise why would they kill everyone else and leave you as an exception?"

"But I don't know them," you pointed out, ever more confused as you spoke it aloud.

"Are you sure?" She asked, raising a brow. "Maybe you've met them before. Or mayyyybe you knew them but then got into this huge accident that caused you to lose your memories, WHICH is why you don't remember them now," she exaggerated and snapping her finger like that had been the best theory she could come up with.

You frowned at her. "This isn't some cliche drama you're watching, Dahyun," you grunted as you kicked her from under the covers of your bed, causing a burst of laughters to erupt from her. "Besides, we've been together since diapers, I've never been in an accident that huge. I've never even lost my memories, the heck?"

"You never know~" Dahyun singsonged .

"Why am I even telling you this? You're no help and I'm struggling here! Stop being annoying and stupid," you pouted and slammed her head with a pillow like a child not being taken seriously, because that was exactly what you felt.

"You asked for my opinion!" Dahyun groaned as she slapped your back with a different pillow.

"Well clearly they're not useful!"

"Fine," she grunted. "But it's not my fault your story sounds so cliche."

"Did you—"

"Yes I heard the news about that club you went last night. Everyone died there," she eyed you, "except they don't know that you were there and had survived."

You pursed your lips together, watching your best friend as she went on to smooth her hair out after that short pillow fight. "I'm surprised you're looking so unbothered by this."

She shrugged. "Maybe it's time for some romance in your life."

"Dahyun, I'm serious."

"I know, I know." She sighed as she looked out the window of your tiny room in your tiny apartment. "Are you going to tell the press about this? Or go to the police?" She asked, turning back to you.

You avoided her gaze and stared at your fidgeting fingers. "No," you said so hesitantly and timidly looked up to search for her reaction.

Normally a friend would get mad and urge you to actually do what she had just asked. Normally a friend wouldn't look unbothered by the situation. Normally a friend would worry for your life and have you fly away on a plane or something, somewhere far away from the mafias who seem to be interested in you.

Yeah. Normally a friend wasn't like Dahyun.

"Okay," your friend simply said.

"Okay?" you blinked.

"Okay," she nodded.

Then there was silence and you sat there blinking at your best friend, wondering why in the world was she like that.

You grabbed a pillow once more to hit her on the head, this time harder than the one before.

"Hey!" You best friend shouted.

"This isn't okay! Why are you telling me okay?! My life could be at death's door and you're telling me okay?! Do you even care about me?" You faked cry in front of her and even though Dahyun knew, she was still fast to pull you into a tight hug, her head resting on yours.

"You'll be fine, shh, don't cry," she said as she ran her hand up and down your back.

You rolled your eyes and pushed her off you, glaring at her as she held back a giggle. "This isn't funny you know."

"I know," she sighed, finally looking as if she had calmed down. "Mafias are seemingly interested in you for some strange reason and they're giving off the vibe that they don't mean any harm to you, am I right?" You nodded. "Well this is an odd story. You're really sure you've never met them before?"

"I mean," you trailed off to think back on the night before, "it's weird, you know? It's like there's these blurry fragments of lost memories inside my brain yet there's really nothing to recall. Not that I know of."

"They don't look familiar to you?"

You contemplated on that question but the answer was, you didn't know. There was so many unanswered questions and none of them seem to be unraveling soon. Perhaps if you saw them again, then maybe—

No.

They were mafias, you couldn't meet with them. Mafias meant no good and from what the rumors told you, their gang, Bangtan, had been specifically rumored to be the ruthless most dangerous and powerful mafia group even though it had only consisted of seven members. And the night before had proved it. They shot down about fifty people in less than five minutes without hesitation, you'd be in for trouble if you saw them again. You couldn't, you just couldn't see them again.

Yet why did you had that urge to just run out of your apartment to search for them?

"I don't know, Dahyun." You gave out a shaky sigh, overwhelmed by everything. "I don't know anything."

~~

Sad and dark.

Was that how they described the rain? Gloomy and unwelcoming, only bringing tears to everyone's hearts. Yet why was rain that bad to their eyes? The rain brought many happiness as well. Without it, there'd be no crops to yield, no herbs, and a forever drought to the Earth.

You had always appreciated the rain no matter what your mood was, even if you were solemn, because at least then it could be your friend and grieve with you. The rain was cold and that day as you walked under it without an umbrella, you began to understand a little about the reason as to why people hated the rain. But you didn't wanted to be like most people who hated the rain.

You loved it. Just not today.

And especially when your arm was suddenly caught by a strangers hand and you were too weak to pull away.

"Hey there, pretty lady," the creep smirked. "Whatcha doing here walking in the rain all alone? Were you dump by a man?"

The heck?

Why did guys had to be so stupid and think that every problem had to involve a girl being broken hearted by a guy? You weren't at all broken hearted, in your case, you were just in a state of confusion which was hindering your sunny mood.

"Don't touch me," you grunted and tried to get him to release your wrist yet the tight grip made it impossible. "You're hurting me," you said, gritting your teeth and struggling.

"But I just want to—"

The fear in your eyes almost vanished completely as a tall man suddenly appeared in front of you to rip away the creepy man's hand away from yours. "The lady said, do not touch her," he growled in a deep voice. Standing there, you could only see his back facing yours yet the voice itself sounded so familiar.

"Hey, what the heck man? Mind your own business," the creep grunted and before long, you knew he had regretting opening his mouth the second your saver effortlessly twisted his hand around and you cringed at the sounds of pain that came out from him.

"Do you know who I am?" When he didn't answered, the man went on. "Jung Hoseok."

Your eyes widened and the possibility of the creep having his life flash before his eyes was at a very high percent, especially when the grip on Hoseok's hand worsened around the creep.

You lightly gasped and instinctively went on to touch his forearm to help him calm down.

For some reason, that did the trick and Hoseok's muscles seemed to relax. "Don't you ever touch a lady again, especially her, or else I will kill you." The warning was enough to had the creep running away quickly in fear without looking back.

Hoseok turned back to look at you. "Are you alright?" He asked but you could only shiver in response. The cold was getting to you and seeing that, Hoseok was quick to take off his jacket and place it around you. "Come, I'll help you," he said as he draped an arm around your shoulder. You felt electricity surging through your body, like that of ecstasy, the feeling of sunshines and rainbows and of a happy contrast to the gloomy world around you.

When you looked up at Hoseok, you found him smiling down at you with a soft lingering gaze and suddenly, the rain was no longer the gloomy world everyone had hated, but was a euphoria you had always loved.

"Close your eyes, princess, and count to five."

And you did just that, closing your eyes, and with each step Hoseok lead you, you counted the steps.

One, two, three, four, five.

And before long, you opened your eyes when Hoseok had allowed you to and found yourself right in front of some large mansion that was certainly not your kind of home. But rather than being absorbed into the lavish mansion in front of you, you took a look at your surrounding. The city skyscrapers were no longer in view, nor was the street you had just walked on.

You turned to Hoseok and gave him a confused gaze. You only took five steps, how were you already (from the looks of it) miles away from where you had just stepped from?

But rather than answering your question, Hoseok switched the topic that had never been spoke of in the first place. He went on to examine your wrist that had been held by the creep and you regretted letting him do so because Hoseok's smile had vanished at the sight, replaced by the clenching of his jaw.

"He hurt you," Hoseok raged. "He—"

"T-that wasn't from him," you quickly cut him off by snatching back your arm and holding it close to your chest. "The gash was from..." you trailed off in hesitation, unclear on whether to tell him the truth or not because his angry face was scaring you.

"From what?" Hoseok demanded nonetheless.

You bit your lower lip while avoiding his gaze. "The night we met," you replied softly yet Hoseok still heard you. "I got it while trying to escape and accidentally slid it against a broken window."

"Why didn't you say so?"

You didn't replied. What exactly were you supposed to say? You had no right to tell him you were hurt when you had no idea who they were. Sure, Jin had asked you if you had been hurt anywhere but it still didn't uncovered the fact that they were strangers to you.

Seeing you shrinking back, Hoseok let out a sigh to calm himself down. "And the bruise?" He asked a little softer this time.

You looked down at the newly formed bruise on your skin and cringed at the sight. "That..that's probably from the creep."

Again, Hoseok's jaw clenched and you found yourself shrinking back once more. It was scary, the faces he made even though they weren't directly made for you.

"Y/N," the man called upon your name but rather than that growl he had, it was much more softer, much more gentler and your heart began pounding. "Are you scared of me?"

You were. But was it right to tell him that?

He sighed when you didn't answered, already knowing what it was. "I won't hurt you, ever. None of us will. You're too precious for this world, we're just here to protect you and make sure you're safe. You don't have to worry about us going against you. The whole world can be afraid of me but just know that I will never ever hurt you," he said. "Got it?"

Why he was so serious about it was confusing. Why he had even said it in the first place was ever more confusing. But then again, you weren't surprise for the new confusing information you were receiving, however it did surprise you of the soft gaze Hoseok held. He no longer looked as angry as he was seconds ago and that was the face to calm down your nerves.

You nodded at his assuring words and something within you told you you could trust this man.

Hoseok smiled only to frown afterwards as you shivered from the cold once more. "Ah, right," he grunted. "Let's get you inside."

He took your hand into his and you found yourself following after him. Despite him being a mafia, despite the fact that you had been scared just minutes ago, you couldn't find yourself to refuse him. Not when even the lightest touch from him made you feel delighted, happy, safe and warm.

"Wait, Hoseok-ssi," you then remembered, "how do you know my name?"

"Oh sweetie," Hoseok smirked as he looked back at you. "I know much more than just your name."

Your eyes widened in mere shock but before you could ask him anymore questions, another voice spoke over you.

"What's going on?"

Your steps paused in track at the new voice. "Jin hyung," Hoseok greeted then gestured his head at you. "She's hurt."

Just two simple words were enough for Jin to understand. So, taking you from Hoseok, he led you in further into the luxurious mansion. You looked back at the man who had taken you there at the first place and saw that he had given you an assuring smile.

"You'll be alright," he mouthed.

For some reason, you already knew that without him assuring you so.

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