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aethelwyneleigh27 · 8 months

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Cod Characters General Dating Headcanons (part one)

+ Random and Some bits of Chubby Fem S/O Headcanons with mentions of different nationality S/O

+ What type of BF/GF they would be

Including John Price, Simon "Ghost" Riley, John "Soap" MacTavish, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, Alejandro Vargas, Rodolfo "Rudy" Parra

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Fem terms and pronouns like she/her are used for the reader

ꕥ HOPE YOU ENJOY! ꕥ

My rules for requests and characters I can write for

Please comment if you want to be added to the taglist, the next part or cod content alone.

Taglist: @marshmallowinamess

A/n: Hi lovelies! Lia here, I'm back after a nerve-wracking week of school. This is a bit short but I hope you enjoy it otherwise. God I fucking hate school. I wrote all of this in a cold room, a heat pad on me (because period cramps) and at 3am so any mistakes will be edited out as soon as I'm aware of it.

This is divided into a multiple part thing (I think 2-3?) because God knows I can't fit them all in one post because of the limited amount of gifs and photos. I'll add more to these in the future, some are longer than others because I can't think. Also because I can't write them all at once, that's a lot to write okay 😭

Disclaimers/warnings: Typical Cod things, OOC characters???, Unrealistic, Some suggestive themes and language, I'm so sorry but English is not my first language so please don't come after me. Most of the content I've seen are on TikTok and Tumblr I don't actually play the game but I love the characters so much, same with any other content I have for other video games.

Tiny sidenote: the reader in this has been describe to be shorter than the characters and has been mentioned to have a soft body rather than the muscular type.

John Price

ꕥ (OH MY GOD LOOK AT HIS SMILEEE) (He's such a quokka)

ꕥ Price who literally is such a father figure, doesn't matter whether the relationship between you two is romantic or platonic. He often takes the dominant caring role.

ꕥ Doesn't smoke around you, doesn't matter if you insist he doesn't. He still won't and definitely will criticize you if you try or do smoke because he doesn't want you do end up like him.

ꕥ If there's a bit of an age gap between you, I'd say he's hesitant. Definitely afraid of what the rest of the task force thinks (He can't help it, they're basically his boys)

ꕥ John Price who wants to settle down with you, maybe have kids if you want but just a white picket fence life with you without the chaos that is war and his job.

ꕥ He only ever let's you have his hat, only when he gives it to you though. Most of the time it would be while you're out, he'd put it on your head from his. (Cowboy hat rule? I heard that in more respectful terms rather than sexual, it respectfully means that you are theirs)

ꕥ John Price who rests his chin at the top of your head no matter how much he needs to crouch down whenever hugging you from behind. Love doing it whenever you're busy doing something too. (Props for the effort because you cannot tell me he doesn't have back, neck and knee pains)

ꕥ Is constantly worried if you share the same line of work, like at first it was nothing but a tiny crush and slowly he finds himself caring about your well-being more and more over time.

ꕥ Can't help but think he's an acts of service type of guy, reaching up for things you need or better yet lifting you up so you can reach them and loves opening things for you like bottles or anything canned. (Girlies who get their nails done or wear press ons know this struggle ( I'm a press on girly)

ꕥ The kind of man who would turn on some oldies music and slow dance with you in the living room, your footsteps and breathing being the only other sounds as you smile at each other, foreheads against the other's.

Simon "Ghost" Riley

ꕥ Ghost who is such Doberman/Black cat boyfriend. Like have you seen this man? He's so tall and intimidating, one distasteful look from him and if it was physically possible that person would drop dead.

ꕥ Ghost whose a chubby chaser through and through, he just looks for something different from what he's used to.

ꕥ Is definitely a tits kinda guy, doesn't matter how big or how small they are. He'll definitely play with them in some way during doing the you know what.

ꕥ Feels like you can take him and his size better because of your plush body. Has a size kink and likes seeing it bulge a bit when he's inside you.

ꕥ You're just so soft and warm, he wants something away from what he usually feels doing his job. Not really that touchy but he gets quite clingy within closed doors.

ꕥ Likes to squeeze your thighs, his grip on them would not falter. Doesn't matter whether it's in a sexual or domestic way.

ꕥ Thinks you deserve better than what he can offer and needs constant reassurance, never says it out loud but you pick up on what he feels. (please be patient with him)

ꕥ More often than not, he thinks you're quite fragile. Even if you can protect yourself, one of his ways of showing you he loves you is through protecting you. Hence the Doberman boyfriend scenario.

ꕥ Doesn't like PDA but knows when it's necessary, him placing his arm around your shoulder is enough to keep perverts in their places. If that rando is really that bold then they'll most likely end up with a few broken bones depending on how pissed Simon is.

ꕥ If you work alongside him, he'd constantly worry about your well-being but at the same time is conflicted because he's confident that he can protect you.

ꕥ Only you and the TF141 can call him Simon, he still feels uneasy when he gets called that but when it's you saying it, it doesn't sound as daunting to him. Still dislikes in in certain tones of voice because his name reminds him of his past.

ꕥ You've seen his face, it took a long time but after that he trusted you enough to show him. The fact that you didn't find his face revolting and even kissed his scars while cupping his face was enough for him to want to marry you.

ꕥ Isn't fully insecure about his face but has his moments. (You know like the voice line where soap asks him to take off his mask and asked him if he was ugly and Ghost said "Negative")

ꕥ Takes a little while to get him to open up and little things like letting you hold him takes him a bit of time to get used to because it makes him feel vulnerable.

ꕥ God forbid something were to happen to you and he couldn't do anything to stop it, Simon would lose his fucking mind.

John "Soap" MacTavish

ꕥ Soap is a Golden Retriever boyfriend through and through. He's energetic, loyal and really affectionate.

ꕥ He's a lighthearted flirt at first because he doesn't wanna scare you off but damn does he gradually get bolder over time.

ꕥ Very hands on, touchy, and could be clingy at times unless you don't consent him, secretly always finding new ways to touch you.

ꕥ A sucker for cheek kisses, lips are his favorite but he can't help but break out a wide grin whenever you kiss his cheek. Can't help but feel kinda manly whenever you do.

ꕥ Adores making you laugh, no matter how stupid your sense of humor is he will absolutely say that joke if it gets a laugh out of you. Would be concerned if you had a dark sense of humor but will eventually get used to it. To describe it, hearing you laugh makes his heart feel full like in a content domestic way.

ꕥ Also, see the gif? You cannot tell me that he doesn't look at you that way because he absolutely would.

ꕥ Loves your weight against his body to the pint he's begging you to lay on him. You, him in the bed while he's shirtless with grey sweatpants on and you in your night clothes sharing each other's warmth with your head on his broad chest.

ꕥ Shows you silly and cute pet videos, especially the cat ones:

"[Name], look at this one!"

"Soap, we're not adopting a pet. Not right now at least"

ꕥ He was upset and gave you puppy eyes the whole time because the only time he had pet was when he was child, it was a hamster which was killed because it got sucked into the vacuum by his older sister.

ꕥ You're the only one allowed to tough his hair, he's very proud of his mohawk and will let you style it. Won't wear it out if you did something silly to it though.

ꕥ Soap who loves showing you off to everyone, loves light PDA but doesn't wanna potential put a target on your back.

ꕥ He definitely is the guy you want to take home to your family and friends (or found family <3), he's funny and easy to get along with. Very flirty with you but he'll straighten out because he's terrified on making a bad impression.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

ꕥ (HE'S SO FREAKING UNDERRATED WITHIN THIS FANDOM)

ꕥ He gives Labrador boyfriend vibes, you can't help but want to take care of him.

ꕥ Gaz who literally had to do a double take when he first saw you, he turned to Soap with that "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" look in a good way.

ꕥ Gaz who literally had to ask you out multiple times before you said yes thinking he's only doing it for a bet or a cruel joke.

ꕥ Constant reassurance from him because he doesn't want you to feel insecure about your looks because to him you are literally an angel.

ꕥ Loves to chill with you, cuddling and just relaxing. Maybe scrolling on TikTok occasionally and show you the funny ones he chuckled at.

ꕥ He has a sixth sense whenever you crave something, say you want chocolate or drink of some sort then he'd definitely being home whatever it is you we're craving without having to ask you.

ꕥ Kyle who has your Starbucks order memorized because he likes being the one to order things for you. Will playfully argue with you on who'll pay this time. (Don't even try anymore, he always wins anyway)

ꕥ Puts his hat on your head mostly when you're out, has done it the first time because it was hot out and the sun was in your eyes. He's picked it up from Price and once you smiled at him through the shade of his cap, he has not stopped doing it.

ꕥ Definitely a words of affirmation and acts of service kind of guy when it comes to love languages. Sometimes whenever he'd give you two thumbs up and a cheeky smile, you can't help but laugh a little.

ꕥ He's very thoughtful, so much so that he prides himself in knowing you better than anyone. Everytime you two go out to eat, when he gets something and know that you'll want to taste it (he knows damn well whether you'll like it or not when he tastes it) he'll bring it upon himself to order you one before you even say you want some.

ꕥ Soft snores when he sleeps, it's cute but you know damn well he's tired. Also I think he's very cuddly, like he just likes reminding himself that he's not alone and that his bed is warm because you're in it. Therefore at minimum always has an arm around you in bed.

ꕥ Dances in the rain with you and loves it when you pull him gently on his arm while your hands are intertwined. Takes note of how the the raindrops sometimes fall on your lashes while you look up at him smiling.

ꕥ Kyle Garrick who wants nothing more in the world to see you happy and smiling. His "this is the woman I'm going to marry" moment was when you baked his favorite cake for his birthday despite it being so hard, you nailed it perfectly. (Whether it's out of luck or skill is up to you)

Alejandro Vargas

ꕥ (idk how to write for this angry Mexican man but I'll try my best, love him and his megamind hairline though <3)

ꕥ Alejandro is definitely a flirt, a very bold on at that. He's quite forward when it comes to liking someone so yeah.

ꕥ He lives for it when you boss him around. That being said, he isn't picky about body type or any of the sort.

ꕥ Will teach you Spanish if you don't know any, definitely prioritizes the curse words and laughs whenever you jokingly call him pendejo.

ꕥ Wouldn't mind you teaching him your own culture and mother tongue. Bonus points if it's similar to his.

ꕥ Has Spanish nicknames for you because I imagine his own culture is important to him.

ꕥ Would hate it if you had the same line of work but will never take it out on you, it's just that it's so dangerous given the people he's involved with. (It's definitely Valeria)

ꕥ Speaking of El Sinombre, I don't think they had anything romantic going on. It's mainly platonic and the "betrayal" sucked on Alejandro's side. They definitely had some rivalry and the tension was through the roof. (Mainly because I headcanon Valeria as Lesbian)

ꕥ Can be so romantic when he tries, you can't tell me this mf ain't a smooth talker because he definitely is. Can be very blunt like in a forward way with his affection too.

ꕥ Likes kissing your wrist and feeling your pulse against his lips because it reminds him you're alive. (The amount of angst this scenario carries would be something I'm up for to write)

ꕥ Is sent on a fit of rage when something happens to you, say you got kidnapped then this man would tears off the walls of every building if he had to.

Rodolfo "Rudy" Parra

ꕥ (ANOTHER UNDERATED CHARACTER)

ꕥ Another Golden Retriever boyfriend. This man is just loving and dotting, very husband material.

ꕥ Loves chubby women, has a soft spot for them and just likes holding them.

ꕥ He's definitely used to the insecurity that comes with the body, also doesn't get why such beauty standards are even in place. Has and would fuck the insecure out of you again if he had to. (It's in a very gentle and loving manner)

ꕥ If you hold him in your arms, he'd be absolutely living for it. He already has had a long day and being honest he hasn't had many lovers that went far so having you care in this way about him would have him wrapped around your finger.

ꕥ Worships the ground you walk on. That's it.

ꕥ Would take everything to heart whenever you teach him or mention something within your culture if you aren't of Spanish origins like he is. He just loves you so much that it makes him happy knowing more about you.

ꕥ Would adore slow dancing with you, brings him back to reality where he realizes that he has you and that you're there.

ꕥ Terrified that one day you'll end up leaving him so reassurance would be much appreciated by him.

ꕥ Definitely a sucker for receiving forehead kisses, as for giving he likes to kiss the back of your hand.

ꕥ If ever danger presents itself to you too closely, he would have a heart attack like full on crying but not in public though.

#cod x reader #task force 141 x reader #ghost x reader #soap x reader #gaz x reader #price x reader #los vaqueros x reader #alejandro vargas x reader #rudy parra x reader #cod headcanons #cod x female reader #Aethelwyne Lia writes

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miupow · 2 months

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okay but like cowboy tyun tying you up with his lasso rope 🫠 legs spread nicely 🫠 while he fucks you on his dick, riding him like his pretty little cowgirl 🫠

omg smiles... don't get me started on cowboy tyun

cw// lia falling into her slightly toxic husband tyun brainrot again (cowboy edition)

hardworking, thick buff cowboy tyun w big calloused hands good lord 🙏🙏 out in the sun all day, skin so pretty n tan, abs so cut >< only soft for his sweet lil housewifey who stays home n takes care of their farm while he's hard at work ^^ comes home to a kiss and dinner on the table, fills her pussy up w his cum every night <3 might just make her a mommy so he can have a perfect lil family to come home to <3

ouuu cowboy tyun tying u up... maybe you made him angry hehe, defied your husband's orders!! punishes u by rendering you almost completely immoble, just a toy for him to use <3 bounces you on his hard cock while u sob for more, so deep in ur tummy, his nails cutting crescents into ur plush hips, sometimes pulling his hands back to give you ass a slap >< so so so mean to his wifey :( cooing at her cries w faux sympathy,, aww, sugar, is it too much? too bad...

#i blacked out for a second #lia's hard hours 🔥#taehyun hard thoughts #taehyun hard hours #txt smut #taehyun smut #txt hard hours #txt hard thoughts #📥.requests #📥: smiles! 🧸#nightly.nsfw #nightly.tyunnie

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totaly-obsessed · 8 months

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Personal Hero

Katie McCabe x reader fic

-> The reader, Arsenal's Social Media person, is very tired and burnt out - Katie just wants to help her (she is just such a girlfriend...)

➳ Masterlist

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

Most Gooners knew you.

To them, you were the reason that they got media content of their favorite players. The players however saw you as their friend, a steady companion who was there every day, working as hard as you possibly could.

The first season you were with the team the media content was upped by seventy percent, not only on Instagram but also YouTube. One day the players were mic’d up in training, the next day they were playing a fun little game, and sometime after that they were visiting cities, taking the fans along with them.

In the beginning, you always sat behind the camera, the fans only being able to hear your voice but your usual suspects Leah, Katie, Beth, and Lia soon convinced you to sit with them in videos.

So you did.

The social media platforms of the team skyrocketed and it was safe to say, that you earned your contact expansion once Jonas joined the team. The fans loved you and your close connection to the team, always finding it funny how you wound them up, not just quietly sitting there while they answered questions – everyone could see that you were having fun.

And while you were certainly close with everybody on the team, there was just something special about a particular Irish defender.

Katie McCabe...

Katie, who would bring you coffee knowing that you had edited a new video throughout the whole night.

Katie, who would always give you her jacket, even though you insisted you weren’t cold (she saw you shivering and she rarely got cold herself).

Katie who would always carry your heavy camera equipment for you, so that you could already take pictures of everything around you.

Katie who was so rough on the pitch but so soft with you.

And while both of you were oblivious to the change between you, the fans and Katie’s teammates certainly noticed. Soon there were edits all over TikTok and Instagram and the teasing in the dressing room got worse, although she would never tell you anything about it.

But one day the hidden glances and touches came to a harsh stop – in the best way possible.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

It was game day – the most stressful day for you in the week. The whole day would be vlogged by you while simultaneously taking good pictures and live updating Instagram and Twitter, which was just stressful in itself.

Instead of arriving in separate vehicles like most of the staff, you had your own seat on the team bus, Katie being your bus buddy.

Obviously.

You had handed the vlog-camera to Beth and Leah who occupied the seats behind the two of you.

“Hey guys!”

“Hey, guys? That’s a stupid beginning”

“Shut up Leah!”

It was already chaotic and as fun as it was, you were dreading editing the footage. Katie, sweet Katie saw you scrunching your nose and shutting your eyes, quickly handing you her water, wanting to prevent your surely coming headache – glaring at Beth who was laughing to loudly.

Once the two blondes behind you were finally finished explaining, that the team was on their way to Kingsmeadow stadium to play Chelsea, they handed you the camera back and busied themselves.

Upon arriving at the stadium, you quickly took the obligatory dressing room pics and videos of the hung-up jerseys and cubbies. Wanting to get a head start, you looked for your camera set up, so you could take pictures during the match, but the bag wasn’t there.

It was gone. The incredibly expensive club camera? Gone…

Lotte was the first to see you. “Katie? Why is your girlfriend running around like a headless chicken?” The defender didn’t even acknowledge the relationship title and turned around so fast, that she was close to getting whiplash.

Upon seeing you, she started jogging until standing in front of you. “What’s wrong baby?” Frantically you ran around her, looking at every bag that you could find.

“Baby?” It was like you weren’t even noticing the Irish woman who was trying to get a hold of you. Until she finally managed it – holding onto both of your elbows, so that you couldn’t escape her again. Her grip was secure, but not in a way that could hurt you.

“Breathe – please!” Your panting made it seem like you were on the verge of a panic attack.

“The camera…!” That was all she needed, realizing what had you panicking.

“Baby I already set your camera up.” Your face fell, not knowing what to do.

“No – It, it was right here!”, you pointed as well as you could, with both elbows in captivity. With a gentle smile on her face, Katie dragged you to the Arsenal bench “Look right here – your camera!”

And there it was – your camera, already set up, and the seat equipped with an arsenal training jacket, water bottles, and your work phone. “Oh, Katie!”

The brunette smiled, satisfied that she calmed you down. “That’s so nice of you!” Now you were close to tears – you really were a tired wreck.

“Let’s get you seated, yeah?” Warm hands pushed you down, pulling the jacket over your knees, as a makeshift blanket. The number 15 printed upon it, smiling at you, once again making the tears well up again. “You are so nice to me.”

“Nah, just taking care of my best girl.” The brunette was squatting in front of you, wiping the already-fallen tears away. Warm hands lingered on your very cold cheeks – desperate to calm you down.

And it worked! No more panicking. Everything was fine. Thanks to the one and only Katie McCabe.

“Thank you.” Slowly you leaned forward, resting your forehead on Katie’s, taking in the peaceful moment between the two of you.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

After the game, you were stressed – having to upload all the pictures to Instagram, keep Twitter up to date, edit the behind-the-scenes vlog, and still having to edit a video from yesterday’s training session.

You were swamped.

Usually, you would wait outside the dressing room, wait for Katie, and get on the bus together – but today was different.

The Irish woman had waited for you to come, but you never did. Katie only left when Steph texted her, that you were already on the bus, working on your Laptop.

With a pout on her lips, she sat next to you, trying to gain your attention. But nothing worked, you were too focused on your screen.

Sure the drive from Kingsmeadow to the Arsenal Complex wasn’t too long, but you wanted to get done what you could.

But after you stared out the window, your head wobbling dangerously, Katie had enough. She saved your document and closed the Laptop, packing everything away.

“Babydoll?” you didn’t even notice, too busy being spaced out. Gently hands pried at your jacket, or rather Katie’s jacket. Wide, bloodshot eyes stared back at the defender, who was startled. You hadn’t been this bad before the game.

“Okay, let’s get ya’ down, yeah?” She maneuvered you so that your head was cushioned by her lap and your legs could curl up tight to your body in your original seat. “Let’s rest for a bit.”

When you didn’t fight back, she knew you were really out of it.

“Can’t have my girl be this tired can I now?” In nice, slow motions the brunette started to massage your scalp.

“Katie?”

“Mhmm?”

“What are we?” With tired eyes, you looked up at your personal hero, who had a gentle smile on her face.

“Whatever you want us to be baby.”

You hesitated for a short moment, but with a newfound confidence, you finally asked her: “Do you wanna’ go on a date with me?”

“I thought you’d never ask!”

#katie mc cabe x reader #arsenal wfc x reader #katie mccabe #woso #woso x reader #woso imagine #katie mccabe x reader

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capapers · 1 year

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꒰⠀⠀✿⠀𝗂𝗍𝗓𝗒 : 니닁 ꒱ 𝗌𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖾 !

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀♡ 𝗈𝗋 𝗋𝖾𝖻𝗅𝗈𝗀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝗆𝗒 𝖾𝖽𝗂𝗍𝗌

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kaijaeger · 2 years

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⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑜𝑜ℎ, 𝑢ℎ, 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜? ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎, 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎*:✧*:･ﾟ

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mint-yooxgi · 4 months

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{2} - Fight or Flight - Yandere!Redcap!Mingi X Tall!Chubby!Reader

Fae!AU & Yandere!AU - Part of the CoDN Thrill of the Hunt Collab

Genre: Fantasy, Mature, Horror, Angst, Fluff, Smut

Pairing: Mingi X Reader

Words: 9,105

Rating: Mature - 18+ MDNI

Warnings: Please read the warnings carefully, as this is a very heavy story dealing with many dark topics. This is also all of the warnings for this fic as it is one long one shot that I had to split into multiple parts, and I'm too tired right now to individually categorize all of these warnings to their respective parts. 8 ft tall Mingi. Slow burn. Violence: depiction of a massacre, a deer being slaughtered, as well as physical, verbal, sexual, and emotional, both alluded to and not. Blood and gore. Abuse: physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual, both alluded to and implied. Assault: physical, and sexual, both alluded to, implied, and attempted. OC has a really rough past, really this isn't for the faint of heart. Whipping, both alluded to, and done. Mentions of branding. Heavy themes of possession and ownership. Deception. Arson. Really, there's a lot of dark subject matter. Mingi falls hard and fast, thus, he simps a lot for the OC, but it's not a story written by me if Mingi doesn't simp for the OC. The reader is mentioned to be both tall and chubby, but it is not mentioned often, so it shouldn't disrupt the flow of the story when ready if you are not tall and/or chubby. I think that's everything, but if I missed something, please let me know! Smut: Biting/marking, outdoor sex, fingering (fem. rec), oral (fem. rec), hand job (male rec), come eating, overstimulation, Mingi has a dig bick, sex in a spring, really, it's very soft in comparison to the subject matter. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.

P.S. If there are any spelling or grammatical errors, please ignore them. I did my best through many rounds of editing, but some are liable to still slip through.

A/n: I am SO sorry this took me LITERALLY forever to complete. I meant to have this out so much earlier, and actually posted on time, but it turned out much, much longer than I ever anticipated it being. I'm really proud of how this story turned out, and I didn't want to split it into multiple parts because I felt it would take away from the story as a whole. I'm super excited for you all to read this one, as I had a tremendous amount of fun writing it, and I really hope you all love Mingi's and OC's journey as much as I do. Huge shoutout and thanks to @anyamaris and @kwanisms for listening to me ramble and rave about this story both before and during the writing process, and for always encouraging me while writing! Also, huge thank you to @sanjoongie for being so patient and understanding with me as I write this all out in full. I hope you all enjoy! As always feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy!~

Summary: Out of one horrible situation and into another, the cycle of abuse never stops. You've lived with monsters your whole life. So, what's one more?

P.P.S. Please don't let this flop guys. If you enjoyed it, please reblog!!!

Mini Masterlist - Part One

It’s early one morning when the redcap encampment explodes in an uproar. The sun has barely crested over the hills when a cry rings out, echoed by another, and then another until Mingi can no longer hear himself think.

“Quiet!” His voice booms out over the encampment as he steps out of his tent, silencing everyone in their path. “What is the meaning of this?”

“General!” A gleeful voice cuts through the silence. “General, it’s the human!”

Mingi’s eyebrows raise, eyes widening slightly in exasperation as he watches both Darius and Lias approach with grins wide enough to showcase their sharp teeth.

“She’s gone.” Darius snickers, his tongue darting out to trace over his top row of teeth.

“Speak clearly.” Mingi commands, his brow furrowing as he stares down at the two redcaps before him.

“We don’t know exactly what or when it happened, General,” Lias is quick to say, his eyes shining in glee. “All we do know is that she’s gone.”

“What do you mean gone?” Mingi looks between the two fae, lips pulling back in a snarl. The last thing he needs is to be carting around a dead human until they can properly dispose of the body. That, or his men tearing into your flesh because they got ‘hungry’.

“She ran away.” Another voice cuts through the looming silence, and all heads turn to see Windfel holding the tattered remains of your clothing.

This… this is somehow worse.

“The human tricked us?” A voice of disbelief rises in the crowd.

“She couldn’t have gotten far.” Another says, many beginning to stir as some already begin to look around the area in search of you.

“Who was the last to see her?” Mingi sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Great. Just what he needs. Another setback to keep him from returning home to his keep, where he so badly wants to be. He knew this human would be trouble, and now he has to worry about going to find her.

All eyes turn to Windfel as he tosses your worn clothes to the ground. “She stunk so badly, I told her to change.”

“She must have slipped away at that point!” Lias growls, his teeth snapping together in ire.

“When was this?” Mingi rounds on Windfel.

“Not three days passed.” Comes Windfel’s reply.

Silence so deadly settles over the encampment that no one dares to breathe.

“She’s been missing for three days?” The loud timbre of Mingi’s shout causes a flock of birds to take off in the distance.

Windfel cowers back, taking note of the snarls now sent his way by both Lias and Darius. “I told her to wash herself in the stream and change. I returned with her clothes, but they must have been enough to overpower the senses.”

“She never returned?” A voice from the gathered redcaps shouts.

“I wasn’t about to watch her bathe!” Windfel shouts in defence of himself.

“You trusted a human to go off on their own?” Another calls out in disbelief.

More and more cries of outrage rise through the crowd. Seeing as the human was their responsibility and you’ve now escaped, each and every single one of them knows what this means. Yet, none want to waste their time taking a detour to find you, even if they would get the immense satisfaction of ending your pathetic excuse of a life. None, except for one.

“I’ll go.” Windfel drops to his knees before his general, bowing his head to the ground. “Let me amend my mistake and rid us of this pest once and for all.”

“No.” Mingi’s voice is firm, and his response garners a few shocked exclamations from the gathered redcaps. “Since I can’t seem to trust any of you to watch over one measly little human, I’ll go.”

“But General-“

“Return to the keep.” Mingi cuts Windfel off, his tone leaving no room for arguments. “I’ll be back soon.”

Without another word, or even waiting to hear an ounce of protest, Mingi takes off into the woods, back in the direction in which they came. He’ll travel faster alone, especially if he travels light. The sooner he gets this done, the sooner he can put this all behind him. Perhaps he’ll even dispose of you while he has the chance.

Stomping his way through the bush, Mingi curses his subordinates. The only reason he agreed to take you in in the first place was so that they could have fun. They wanted you to do who knows what to, and he allowed it.

That was his first mistake.

As Mingi soon disappears from sight, all that follow after him are the sounds of his encampment bursting back into action, and a wicked grin pulling over blood red lips.

***

Seonghwa is infuriating.

Nothing gets Mingi’s blood boiling as much as that smug faerie and his ‘holier than thou’ attitude. Talking with him is like pulling teeth. Though, in actuality, Mingi quite prefers that. At least pulling out someone else’s teeth can be enjoyable!

A full day and a half has passed since Mingi set off on this hunt, and so far, all he’s learned is that you passed through this town, and took a dip in the wild stream. If his guess is to be correct, it shouldn’t take him that much longer to find you. Being both injured and human, you can’t have gotten far. Besides, this is the direction your scent lingers in, and though it’s faint, he knows that this is most likely the way to go.

What’s even more irritating is that you smell faintly of Windfel. The two scents mix together in an unnatural aroma, guiding Mingi through the bush as he stomps his was through the forest and towards where you must be hiding.

In the back of his mind, he wonders if you know he’s coming after you. Are you scared? Do you think you have any chance of escape? Will your panic cause you to make a mistake? Is he already too late?

Stupid Seonghwa wasting his time with games. Yet, what surprises him most is the fact that the faerie even involved himself. Ever since the incident, the elder fae has changed significantly. At least, that’s what Mingi has been told. He never knew Seonghwa before meeting him how he is now, and currently, that’s the least of Mingi’s worries.

Perhaps he’ll take a page out of the faerie’s notebook and stop outwardly caring about those around him. Only involving oneself to their own benefit does have its perks. He could simply stick to hunting and ravaging, both of which he’s quite good at.

Mingi has always prided himself on his tracking skills. Not only is he a fast hunter, but he’s thorough. Not a trace will be left of you once he finishes, and he’ll finally be rid of this irritating side quest once he catches up to you. If you’re still alive, that is. It really all depends on the state in which he finds you in. There’s no telling what could happen to an unaccompanied human in this realm. Maybe he’ll get lucky and find you already torn to shreds, saving him both the time and energy of having to bring you back.

Yes, Mingi could just kill you, but where’s the fun in that? He much rather prefers when his prey fights back, and against a human, there’s no fight at all. Mingi easily overpowers you, and bathing the band currently tied around his upper arm in your blood would be a waste.

No real general prides themselves on an easy kill, least of all him.

Taking a deep breath in, Mingi calms his nerves. Though he’s irritated, he knows he’ll think better with a clear mind. You’re close, he can almost taste it. It won’t be long now, and soon, he’ll be able to finally determine your fate.

After another full day and a half of travel, Mingi finally spots you through a thicket of trees. You seem to be sitting on the ground, your back resting against the trunk as your sleep. Your hands are clasped over your stomach, legs outstretched in front of you as if you have not a care in the world. In your hands, a lone flower stem rests.

Furrowing his brow, Mingi picks up his pace. Like hell is he going to let you get away from him now. Not when he’s spent the last five days hunting you down. It’s been a parade of none stop walking, tracking your every movement until all paths lead him here. Oddly enough, it looks as if you’ve been placed on display, as if someone has set a trap…

Mingi freezes in his spot, using the thicket of trees as cover. His lips pull back over his fangs in a snarl, nearly letting out a low growl.

That’s when the smell hits him.

He freezes, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he gazes upon your seemingly peaceful figure laying against that one tree. Now that he’s closer, he can see that the flower held in your clasped hands is a sprig of red spider lilies, and he scowls.

You reek of decay. Of infection.

Of death.

Were it not for the faint beating of your heart he can still hear echoing throughout the empty woods as he focusses in on you, he would have believed you have already died. Not that you aren’t already inches from death’s door at this very moment.

Taking a deep breath in, Mingi crinkles his nose. He doesn’t try to mask his approaching footsteps now, each stomp crashing through the bush as his sharp gaze zeroes in on you.

He watches you crack an eye open, hearing you hum softly.

“Oh,” your voice is hoarse. Weak. “It’s you.”

Mingi’s eyes flash, a low growl permeating the air.

“Are you here to finally kill me?” Your voice crackles from lack of use, taking in a harsh breath in attempts to fill your aching lungs.

It’s as if it’s getting harder and harder for you to breathe, your chest rising and falling much slower than what Mingi is used to. He’s surprised you’ve lasted this long on your own, being both human and severely injured from the looks of things. The fact that you reek of infection is an obvious side effect from the wild stream. No being escapes those waters unharmed. You should be shrivelled up, gasping for water and air by now, but there seems to be some fight left in you still.

“Hurry up and get it over with,” you continue to fill the silence stretching on around you, settling slightly further back into the tree you rest upon as you close your eyes.

“I’m not here to kill you.” Mingi replies gruffly, that frown still pulling at his features as he glares down at you.

You hum lowly. “Shame.”

“Do you wish to die, human?” Mingi’s nose scrunches, the stench even worse the closer he stands to you. “You stink of death.”

“I feel like death,” you agree, eyes still shut. “Or maybe I’m already dead. Hell’s not so bad after all.”

“Why didn’t you run?” Mingi counters, eyes narrowing warily at you. He keeps a little bit of distance between the two of you still, unsure if this is a trick or not. Though, he doubts you could overpower him in the slightest. “Surely you knew you were being hunted.”

“Whispers,” you wheeze, chest heaving as you begin to hack out a cough. Your whole body violently jerks, eyes squeezing further shut as your face contorts in pain. “Always whispers.”

Mingi crouches down, observing you carefully. “You should be dead.”

Weakly, you shake your head. “Never dead. Always dying.”

Another cough wracks your whole body, and Mingi sighs. “Frail little human, can barely handle the wind.”

“You’d be surprised what I’ve survived.” Your eyes are suddenly sharp, lips parted as each breath escapes you as a wheeze.

He can’t help it. Mingi laughs. A loud, boisterous laugh that causes him to toss his head back, his eyes crinkling at the sides.

“If this is your attempt to make yourself sound tough, all it’s doing is amusing me, mortal.” Mingi grins, his fangs flashing beneath the eerie glow of the moon.

The canopy you both reside under is abnormally bright, letting you see the redcap general in all his glory. Claws rest on the tips of his fingers, filed and polished to perfection. Teeth as sharp as razors line the inside of his lips, of which are now pulled back in amusement as his dark eyes glint in the moonlight. His ears, which taper off into points, are slightly hidden behind bright blond locks, the faintest of hues of red splattered throughout the strands.

“Get up. We’re returning to the keep.” Mingi stands back to his full height, looming over you as he lets out a sigh through his nose. “I’m not making another detour for you again.”

You don’t respond.

“Get up. Before I make you.” He snarls, kicking your left foot with the tip of his own.

Still, you don’t respond. You don’t even flinch when he touches you.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake-“ Mingi goes to haul you upwards and onto your feet, only to stop cold in his tracks.

Slowly, the hands you had resting on your stomach begin to slide to either side of you. The single stem of red spider lilies falls from your one hand as both hit the ground beside you. Your head lolls to the side, as if suddenly too heavy for you to hold up, and your shoulders droop.

The smell of decay fills his senses, and Mingi curses lowly. He crouches near you once more, studying you carefully. Faintly, he can see your chest rising and falling in laboured breaths, and he exhales a long breath through his nose. At least you’re not dead.

Shaking his head, Mingi soon moves to crack his neck. The past five days have been spent non-stop travelling to find you, only for him to greet you as you sit at death’s door. Some hunt this has turned out to be; not even worthwhile.

Well, it’s not like Mingi expected much. He was so annoyed at his subordinates, he didn’t realize just what he was getting into. You’re probably both severely dehydrated and starved. Not to mention the blood red hue that graces your right leg, the smell of infection wafting from beneath your clothing, originating from that very thigh. You’re going to need some tending to before Mingi can even think of beginning his trek back to the keep. If he’s lucky, you’ll be back on your feet by tomorrow afternoon.

Letting out a sigh through his nose, Mingi scouts the area. At least he can gather some resources while you sleep. Who knows. Maybe by the time he returns you’ll be dead and he can just leave you to the crows. Either way, he knows that even he needs to rest, and you shouldn’t be left on your own for too long. Who knows what’s wandering around the dark depths of the forest at this time of night.

At least you won’t be able to run away while he hunts for some supplies.

The next morning, as the sunlight is streaming through the branches and casting a warm glow on your surroundings, you finally begin to stir. It’s slow, and your breathing is still laboured, but you manage to blink open your eyes, vision blurred as your body feels the weakest it’s ever been in your life.

Shifting your head, your brow furrows. To your left rests three new things that weren’t previously there the night before. One seems to be some berries on a large leaf. They’re small and red in colour, the juice already staining the green. Another appears to be a canteen, with what you can only hope to be water residing inside it. The third and final thing is another leaf, a dark green paste of sorts residing on the light green plant. The paste is a little grainy from what you can tell, but there’s an almost sweet aroma rising around you which you can only assume comes from the dark green substance beside you.

Cautiously, your gaze darts from the items beside you to the redcap sitting across from you. He hasn’t taken his eyes off of you since you opened your own, and you can just tell that he’s watching your every move carefully.

You stomach twists in hunger, throat burning with thirst. You try to swallow the dryness in your mouth, but every movement is a challenge, and your limbs feel as if they are made of lead. Your wound on your right leg stings, and if you weren’t severely dehydrated, you’re sure tears would be springing to your eyes at the way you can physically feel your body shutting down.

Your fingers on your left hand stretch open, twitching as you attempt to reach for the canteen of water first. If you could only take a sip, you’re sure more strength would return to you…

“Fragile little human,” the redcap tuts, shaking his head in disappointment. “Should have saved your strength for now instead of wasting it picking flowers.”

The most you can muster is a glance in his direction, vision blurring at the edges as you attempt to reach for the canteen of water once more. You hardly notice the fae standing to his feet across from you, approaching you slowly. It’s only when you hear the crunching of grass right beside you that you spare a glance upwards at the shadow now looming overhead.

“Do I have to do everything for you?” He rolls his eyes in annoyance, taking a knee and snatching the canteen from the ground.

Harshly, he undoes the cap, irritation marring his brow. A moment later, he leans in, fisting the back of your head in his hand, his nails pricking at your skin. He doesn’t even flinch when you attempt to pull away from him, your eyes wide as you look between him and the canteen he shoves against your lips.

As he tilts the container against your lips, your eyes fall closed, finally accepting your fate.

The moment water touches your lips, cold and refreshing, your eyes are flinging open. A small gasp escapes you, greedily drinking from the canteen as liquid spills over your chin and onto your shirt. Only, you don’t care, drinking your fill of this addicting nectar that floods your senses as he holds the canteen to your lips.

“What?” He scoffs, his grip tightening ever so slightly on the back of your head. “Did you think it was poisoned or something?”

You can only muster a glare at him, your mouth occupied with taking in as much water as you can for as long as he’s offering it. It doesn’t taste like anything in particular, so you assume it’s the same as you’re used to. Hopefully, no major, or magical, side effects.

“If I was going to kill you, I wouldn’t poison you.” The redcap shakes his head as if it should be obvious. “I’d have torn out your throat a lot earlier if I had wanted you dead.”

Your eyes dull, looking forward as you focus in on the water filling your throat. Sounds begin to muffle, taking note of the low timbre of his voice droning on in the background as the flow of water from the canister begins to slow. Then, and only then, do you focus back in on your surroundings, noticing how quiet it’s gotten within a few seconds.

“I asked you a question, mortal.” He pulls the canteen away from your lips, his gaze harsh and unforgiving.

You blink, swallowing lightly as you attempt to catch your breath. You can feel some strength returning to your limbs. Enough so, that you are able to lift the back of your hand to your mouth to wipe at the remaining water that clings to your skin.

“You did?” Your brow furrows slightly in confusion, blinking up at the redcap beside you.

You watch as his eyes close, hearing him let out a long, exasperated breath through his nose.

“I did.” He confirms, blinking his sharp gaze back open to meet your own. “What is your name?”

You purse your lips, a small spark igniting behind your eyes. You’re not going to fall for that.

“Would you rather me refer to you as ‘human’ this whole time?” He asks, cocking his head in irritation.

Again, you stay silent. Pulling your hands into your lap, you clutch that flower stem for dear life.

“Suit yourself,” He sighs, standing back to his full height and casting your figure in shadows once more.

“Why are you doing this?” Your voice comes out low, strained from the lack of use. A clear sign that you’ve been passed out for much longer than you thought.

He pauses, clearly caught off guard by your question.

“I told you,” he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We need to return to the keep.”

“Why not just let me die?” You whisper, staring down at your hands.

“You’re less use to me dead, than alive.” He states bluntly, walking back over to his original spot across from you. “Now, hurry up and eat. We haven’t got all day, and I’ve already wasted enough time looking after you.”

You purse your lips, pain slowly creeping throughout your entire body. “Why won’t you just let me die?”

Your question clearly catches him off guard, for he’s blinking at you in mild shock before schooling his features. He lets out a small huff, latching the canister back onto his belt.

“I just told you, you’re more use to me alive, than dead.” He rolls his eyes. “None of my other underlings can carry what you can over such distances without complaining. Well, for the most part. You’re useful, and you’re mine. Or did you forget your parents practically gave you away?”

The sharp sting of tears prick at the back of your eyes, but you hold them off. After all, this isn’t anything you’re not used to; you’ve heard it all before.

Opting to remain quiet, you avert your gaze to the side. Your eyes land on those berries, and without wasting another moment, you begin to eat. He said he wouldn’t poison you, but now you’re wishing he could lie. In the back of your mind, you begin to hope the water mixed with these berries you’re eating forms a toxin within your stomach to claim your life so you don’t have to go through this all over again.

Just when you had thought you had finally broken the cycle, and escaped…

“Eat slowly, fuck!” The fae shoots you a pointed look. “I don’t need you getting sick on the way home. You’re already fighting off a damn near toxic infection. What even happened to you?”

“Why do you care?” You snap, almost instantly regretting the words once they escape your lips.

You watch as the fae before you closes his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself before responding.

“I don’t care about you.” He snaps, his dark eyes flashing open. “I do care about the trouble you’ve cause me since you were thrust upon me by those stupid mortal parents of yours.”

“Then, leave me here to die!” You retort, a fire blazing now behind your irises.

Perhaps you can irritate him enough to give you what you want: peace from this godforsaken earth. A place you don’t want to live for one moment longer than you have to. Not after what you’ve been through.

“I’ve already told you,” he lets out a long sigh through his nose, “you’re more use to me alive than dead. Simply because you want something, doesn’t mean you’re going to get it.”

“You should learn to take your own advice, General.” You spit, eyes narrowing at the fae towering over you.

“Watch your tongue before you lose it.” His tone is sharp, gaze deadly as he leers down at you.

Your whole body shakes as you continue to glare up at him. You take note of his hands clenched in fists at his sides, and you decide right then and there that if he’s not going to kill you of his own volition, you’ll make him kill you. He doesn’t seem to have the most patience in the world, and of the few times you’ve observed him on your travels, his fuse is quite short. You’re not going to subject yourself to a life of servitude under another egotistical male who doesn’t know how to care for anyone other than himself. Not anymore. Not again.

Thus, you remain quiet. Your one hand clenches so hard around that flower stem, you’re surprised it doesn’t snap in half. Yet, for all of your own irritation, you cannot bring yourself to push him any further right now. The pain in your leg is far too great, and it’s taking all of your mental capacity not to start crying at the searing sting that stabs you with every shift of your thigh.

“Hurry up, and finish eating,” he turns his back to you, crossing his arms over his chest. “We leave at noon.”

“How do you expect me to travel with a leg like mine?” You quip, your own sharp gaze boring a hole into his back.

“It’s not broken, is it?” He replies smartly.

“I can’t put pressure on it-“

“What do you think that is for?” He cuts you off, turning to point at the leaf with the dark green paste on it. “I’m aware of how to treat injuries, mortal. I can do more than just cause them.”

“I’ve had worse,” you mumble, wincing as you shift your leg the wrong way.

Whether he hears you or not, you do not know. Instead, he chooses to blatantly ignore your statement, turning his back to you while keeping his arms crossed over his chest.

“Hurry up, and put that ointment on the infected area.” He commands, voice firm. “I will not be carrying you just because you can’t walk.”

A sharp huff of air escapes your nose, scowling openly at the general’s back. Almost reluctantly, you bring another berry to your lips, chewing angrily on that piece of fruit as you grab the leaf with the paste on it in your hand. Just as you open your mouth to say something, he cuts you off once more.

“Believe me, I have the same desire to gaze upon you as I do a gnat.” He begins walking back over to stand beside the tree he had been resting against when you first woke up. “You also stink, so the sooner you finish, the sooner I can find you something better to wear. Those clothes are awful on you.”

Again, you say nothing. Instead, you opt to do as told, and quickly as that. The sooner you get out of this place, the sooner you can put your plan into action. He doesn’t seem too keen on listening to you right now, anyways, so you’d rather not waste your time trying to rile him up when he looks as if he’s about to take off running into the woods. You doubt he’d let you get too far behind, anyways.

The process of tugging off your pants and unwrapping those now soiled bandages is long. The linen clings to your skin, and peeling back the now discoloured cloth is painful, a grimace resting on your features as you reveal the cut on your thigh.

The wound looks even worse than it did before you cleaned it at that stream almost a week ago, the jagged edges crusted over with dried blood and pus. It’s angry, irritated and swollen, and you fear touching it as every time you move, it feels as if thousands of pieces of glass are shredding into your skin.

You bite your lip, nearly hissing down at the wound. Hesitantly, you dip a finger into the paste, figuring you have nothing more to lose. Trusting one redcap led your this far. What’s one more?

The second the dark green paste touches your wound, you nearly breathe out a sigh of relief. Instantly, a cooling sensation spreads over the cut, and the more you add, the more you find your shoulders relaxing. Finally, after what feels like months, you’re experiencing some kind of relief.

Slowly, you watch as the paste begins to bubble, but the wound doesn’t sting at all. You can smell a faint aroma of pine and earth drifting from your thigh, and with every breath you take, the throbbing that you had been experiencing begins to ebb away slowly into a dull ache.

“Any longer and that infection would have spread to your heart.” A voice from across the way draws your attention.

Lifting your head, you stare at the broad back of the redcap general.

You purse your lips.

“I’ve never smelt an infection like yours in all my years.” He states bluntly. “You’re lucky to even be alive.”

You can’t help it. You snort. “I’ve heard that one too many times before.”

This time, it’s his turn to say nothing in response. Instead, all you receive is a grunt in acknowledgement as you continue to gently apply that paste over your wound.

A few minutes later, nothing remains of the paste on the leaf. However, just as you go to discard it, the redcap speaking draws your attention once more.

“Press the leaf over the wound. It’ll act as an adhesive until you can bandage it properly again.” He instructs, not even turning to look at you.

You nod, despite the fact that he cannot see you, and do as he says. The relief you feel as you press the large leaf over your wound is as instant as it was with the paste. A pleasant feeling travels up your thigh, causing tingles to erupt in its wake, and you find yourself breathing out a sigh of relief.

A small silence settles around you, nothing but the wind filling the space between you.

You swallow lightly, averting your gaze to the side. Keeping your voice low, you speak. “Thanks.”

You fail to see the way the redcap’s brow furrows in confusion. “Why are you thanking me?”

You hesitate, not wanting to tell him how grateful you actually are in this moment. Especially not wanting to imply that you’re grateful that he even cared enough to help you treat your wound, even like this.

“I don’t like to be indebted to others.” You reply, beginning to push yourself up after tugging your pants back on.

A grunt is all you receive in response, failing to see the way he spares a glance back at you from over his shoulder.

“Come on,” His reply is gruff as he begins the long trek back through the woods and towards the keep. “Let’s go.”

Silently, you follow after him, hobbling along with your injured leg. At the very least, your wound doesn’t throb with every step, but your ankle is another story. You just hope it doesn’t give out on you at any point. You honestly don’t know what will happen to you then.

About a day passes without rest, and by the time the sun is setting in the distance, you find yourself collapsing against the nearest tree. Despite quite a modified pace on your part, your chest still heaves, and your lungs burn with every breath you take. Your body still hasn’t recovered from the aftereffects of the wild stream, nor has it been properly able to fight off the infection from the wound festering on your right thigh. You’re surprised you’ve made it this far at all.

“Tired already?”

Looking towards the taller fae reveals him to be standing with a quirked brow. His arms are crossed over his chest, and you can just feel his gaze scrutinizing every inch of your body.

You nearly shudder.

“Not all of us are made of energy, you know.” You snap, leaning heavily against the tree as your legs begin to give out beneath you.

Not even ten seconds later, you’ve managed to turn yourself so your back is against the trunk. Another few seconds, and you’ve slid yourself to the ground, wincing as your ankle twinges uncomfortably. You can feel the wound on your thigh beginning to throb beneath the leaf you have adhered to it as a makeshift bandage. You should have collapsed from exhaustion by now, considering how badly your muscles ache.

The redcap lets out a long sigh. “Wait here.”

Without waiting for a response, the fae takes off into the woods. If it weren’t for the fact that he storms off in a different direction than that which you are headed, you’d think he might be abandoning you. Though, that wouldn’t really be a bad thing at this point. Maybe then you could pass on in peace. It’s not like you have anything waiting for you when you get back to the keep except another life of servitude.

Another life you don’t want. A life you have never wanted.

About ten minutes later, you hear rustling from the bush. Thinking it’s simply the redcap returning from wherever he went off to, you opt to ignore it for now. Only, the more rustling occurs, followed by no snarky comments about you having passed out, you realize it’s not actually him.

Cracking an eye open in the direction you register the noise coming from reveals a deer to be stepping out of the shrubs. From the spots on her back, you can tell the doe is young, or at least, you believe her to be. Time works very differently in this realm than your own, or so you’ve been told.

Cautiously, the doe approaches you. Each step she takes is light, her ears perked and listening for any abnormal sounds around you. Sounds even you won’t be able to hear, despite straining your ears. Her eyes are brown, and wide, and you can’t help but admire the almost innocent gleam that shines within them as she creeps closer.

You steady your breathing. This is the closest you’ve ever been to a doe before - hell, any wild animal - and seeing one like this only makes a tightness form in your throat.

So, there is beauty in this world, after all. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Ever so slowly, you begin to lift your hand towards her snout. She rests mere inches from you, treading carefully beside your left leg. You can see her nostrils flaring as she scents you, probably more interested in that stem of spider lilies you still have tucked within your pocket than anything.

You’re so close, and if you reach out a little further, you can touch her. However, before you even get the chance, a high pitched squeal fills the air. Something warm and wet lands on your face, and you blink in shock, the doe no longer standing before you. A blink and you hear movement as if there is a struggle happening right behind the very tree you rest upon.

A loud crack echoes through the forest, and all goes still.

Reaching the hand you had extended out to the doe to your face, your fingertips drag through the wet substance coating your cheek. You can feel the warm liquid smear against your skin as you pull your hand away to see red, and you cannot help the tears that spring to your eyes.

She was so young. She had her whole life ahead of her, and now she’ll never get to live it. Ever.

Turning your head towards the sound of approaching footsteps, you hear the familiar slide of a limp body upon the ground. A body which has given up. A body which has stopped struggling and accepted her fate, awaiting the familiar pain that is sure to come next.

With shaking hands, you shift your gaze upwards to see that redcap walk into view, dragging the bloodied corpse of that doe back into your line of sight.

“Perhaps you have more than one use, after all.” He says with a slight hum, completely ignoring how you avert your gaze to your lap.

Staring intently at your palms, you attempt to stop your hands from shaking. “Why did you do that?”

“What do you mean?” He frowns, and the dull thud of the deer’s entire dead weight falling upon the earth makes you flinch. “We have to eat, don’t we?”

No response escapes your lips. Instead, a feeling of both disgust and nausea builds in your stomach, creeping up your chest and into your throat. You can feel your jaw twitching as you hold your tears at bay, mourning for the life you never knew. The life lost once the first drop of blood had been spilt upon your skin.

Silence surrounds you. Something you’ve learned to be quite good at. You had to. It was the only way to survive. Long since has the loud, boisterous girl you used to be been forced into the shadows. She still slips through from time to time - an old habit, really - but you’ve learned that each slip of the tongue has never been worth anything in the end. Or at least, so you thought.

An advantage you’ll use once you have enough strength to think again. Once you have enough strength to fight back.

The muffled stillness around you is soon drowned out by the pounding of blood in your ears.

No, wait.

That’s the sound of flesh tearing. Of bones breaking.

Shifting your gaze back into focus, your eyes catch on the horrifying sight before you. A shriek of terror leaves your lips as you see the corpse of the doe, or rather, what’s left of it, completely eviscerated before you. Entrails cover the ground, staining the once vibrant green flora red. Jagged bones stick up in odd ends, pieces of flesh tossed upon the dirt as meat is torn from her hide.

You nearly lose what little contents you still have in your stomach as you see the redcap crouched over the carcass. Slowly, he tears the meat into strips, feasting on the raw flesh of the doe as blood drips down his chin.

Your response in involuntary. Almost immediately, you begin pushing yourself away from him, eyes wide as panic seizes your entire body. Your breathing quickens, and despite the sharp sudden pain that shoots through your thigh, you do not stop attempting to push yourself through the tree you’re resting against.

Slowly, the fae turns his head, staring at you with cold, dark eyes. His chewing slows, and all you can see is the monster that haunts your every living nightmare.

Before you have a chance to think, before you even realize what you’re doing, you push yourself to your feet. The moment you turn, you end up tripping over the roots of the tree you had just been leaning against.

The sound of your body colliding with the cold, hard ground echoes throughout the area. All that can be heard are your whimpers and choked breaths as you begin to crawl away from the terror bathed in blood behind you.

Blood. Blood… Always so much blood.

Your nails crack as they dig into the harsh earth, the brittle keratin no match for the sharp rocks and ruthless splinters that pierce your flesh with each desperate impact on the ground. The wound in your thigh burns, and you can’t tell if the warmth you feel spreading along your upper legs is blood or not.

“What are you-“

“Stay away!” Your shrill voice, terrified and desperate, rings out through the woods.

You fail to see the way his brow furrows as he stands back to his full height, his looming figure towering over you as you continue to claw your way through the dirt.

Sparing a glance over your shoulder, you see him take a menacing step towards you.

“No! Don’t touch me!” Your frantic plea falls on deaf ears as he begins to stalk towards you. “Not again! I can’t take anymore!”

Mingi freezes in his spot, cocking his head at your frantic wailing. He can smell more than just the deer’s blood in the air, and he lets out a sigh in exasperation.

Only, his reaction seems to set you off even more.

“No!” The word is but a shrill chant upon your lips as you grab another root to drag yourself further away from him. Your arms shake, legs completely limp behind you as your whole body begins to go numb. “I can’t- I can’t-“ You hiccup on a sob, choking violently. “I don’t want to die!”

Your breathing comes in ragged pants as you begin to hyperventilate. You just manage to turn yourself back around to face him when your vision starts to fade around the edges.

The last thing you see before your world fades to black is a large man looming over you, covered head to toe in blood.

***

There are sounds: a bird chirping faintly in the distance, the rustling of leaves above your head, and the crackling of a fire nearby. The smoke lightly fills your lungs, but not enough to sting, giving rise to the other scents hidden beneath the crisp burning of wood. Earth, damp and heavy rests just beneath the smell of the fire, an undertone of pine and sandalwood. Comfort during a long awaited rest.

Sensations begin to return, and you can feel the dirt beneath your fingertips. Softly, you scrape them against the ground, the soil giving way with each movement you use to steady yourself. Small jolts of pain shoot up your arms from the tips of your fingers, and you vaguely recall cracking your nails as you scrambled away from something, or rather, someone.

Air fills your lungs, and with each breath, your head clears, body feeling the lightest it has in weeks. There’s something small, and soft, supporting your head as you rest on the ground, your skin tingling as your eyes shift beneath your still closed lids.

You take a deep breath in, and slowly, you begin to wake.

A soft groan escapes you as you stir, blinking your eyes open to stare up at the canopy of trees above you. Stars twinkle in the sky above, and you can just make out the faintest hues of light stretching across the vast expanse of black, turning all that was once night to day.

“Good.” A voice cutting through the calm of the night has your eyes darting to the side to see that redcap standing amongst the trees. “You’re up.”

You say nothing, opting to finally gather your full surroundings properly. To your surprise, you appear to be in the exact same spot in the woods where you initially passed out. What’s even more shocking is that the eviscerated doe is nowhere to be seen, nor are any signs that there had even been a mutilated corpse at all.

Turning your gaze back to the redcap standing within the trees, you take note of his appearance. Just like the surrounding area, he is clean of any evidence that would suggest of his previous violent actions. Not a spec of dirt seems to be on him, and he even appears to be wearing fresh clothing. Most surprising of all, his claws are no longer visible as his hands rest at his sides. Almost as if they’ve retracted somehow.

He seems… different. Calmer, almost. As if he’s suddenly become cautious around you. If you could even call it that.

“Do you remember what happened?” He keeps his stare fixed on you, but for some reason, it doesn’t feel as sharp as before.

A blink, and you swallow, opting to remain quiet for now.

He purses his lips slightly, but doesn’t comment on whether or not he believes in your silence.

“You managed to tear your wound open again.” He states, glancing from your face down to your injured thigh.

This causes you to panic, immediately moving to sit up only for your head to begin spinning as soon as you do.

In the blink of an eye, he’s crouching beside you. “Careful. You don’t want to aggravate it more than you already have. The last thing you need is for the wound to split again.”

Your eyes widen at his proximity, and before you can think, you’re shoving him away. The sudden movement only causes your vision to blur, losing your balance on the one hand you had been using to support yourself on the ground.

Of course, he barely budges, his brow furrowing as he lets out a sigh.

“You’re only going to hurt yourself more.” He states gruffly.

Reaching out his hands, he grasps you by the shoulders. Roughly, he pulls you upwards into a proper sitting position, practically shoving you against the trunk of the tree. He moves so fast, that you feel your head jerk forward, only for it to be pushed backwards with that same softness now resting behind it.

It’s then that you realize he’s folded his old shirt into a makeshift pillow for you to use.

“I don’t need your pity.” You spit harshly, averting your gaze to the side as both anger and embarrassment culminate as the heat beneath your skin.

“It will truly be a sad day if I come to pity you.”

A tense look pulls at your features, but still, you refuse to look at him.

“You’re unfit for travel.” He states bluntly. “We’ll rest here for the day to gather our bearings, then continue the journey back to the keep in the evening. As much as I despise the delay, I am not carrying you.”

“Why won’t you just let me die?” You sigh, turning to look at him in exasperation.

An image flashes in your mind of a familiar monster tearing into a mutilated corpse, covered in blood. You flinch, quickly averting your gaze once more.

“I already told you,” this time, it’s his turn to sigh. “You’re more use to me alive than dead.”

“Then, treat my wound.” Your voice is bitter, demanding. “It’s the only way the both of us get out of this faster.”

“I already have.” His response has your head whipping in his direction, eyes wide in shock. “Why do you think I’m making you rest here for the day?”

Your lips part slightly, heart thundering away inside your chest as your veins flood with terror. You are quite literally at his mercy. You have been at his mercy for who knows how long. Given the way your body feels in its current state, you fear chancing a look downwards to see just what kind of damage he’s done. Not to mention the fact that you’ve been unconscious this whole time. Who knows just what exactly he’s done to you.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the first time…

“Don’t give me that look, it’s not like I wanted to touch you. Believe it or not, I’m quite respectful when it comes to that.” He clicks his tongue, rolling his eyes. Not even a moment later, he points at your thigh, a sharp claw suddenly adorning his finger. “I even kept your pants on, and everything. You humans are so fickle about nudity, I swear…”

Pushing himself back to his feet, he stares down at you expectantly.

Sure enough, when you spare a glance downwards, you see your pants still on. The right leg of your pants is completely torn off, the fabric resting about an inch from the top of your wound. It seems as if he’s cleaned it properly and added more of that paste he made for you the other day, for when you remove the leaf from your skin, the cut is much cleaner than before. There’s also the familiar scent of pine and earth lingering in the air, originating at your thigh. The swelling seems to have gone down significantly, and there’s no more dried blood or pus around the affected area. The cut even appears smaller than before, as if your flesh is starting to mend itself properly the more you rest.

“You are to spend the entirety of today sitting. No pressure is to be put on that leg until this evening when I lead you to the pond nearby for you to bathe. Then, you’ll change into a fresh pair of clothes which I’ve scavenged for you after I’ve wrapped that wound up properly with bandages.” He instructs, voice firm and leaving no room for arguments. “We continue on foot from there.”

You purse your lips, fisting the dirt beneath your hands. “Yes, General.”

He takes a moment to study your features, the corner of his lips twitching upwards faintly.

“Good.” He huffs out dryly. “You do know how to listen.”

The glare you send him is harsh, but it only serves to make him chuckle.

“You’re about as intimidating as a rabbit, mortal.” He shakes his head in amusement. “Keep trying. Perhaps one day you’ll scare someone who cares.”

“Then, why help me?” Your mouth moves before you have time to think. Your voice is harsh, hands balled into fists at your sides. “Since you don’t care, why waste your time waiting for me to heal?”

The redcap pauses, as if considering his answer carefully.

“You are aware that I cannot lie, correct?”

“Yes.” You blink, brow furrowing in confusion as to where this is going.

“I have stated multiple times as to why I have kept you alive.” He replies bluntly, moving to sit himself across the fire from you, leaning himself against another tree.

“I’m just a means to an end for you.” You spit, bitterness residing within your tone.

“I may not like your kind, human, but I don’t necessarily kill without reason.” His sharp eyes narrow at you from over the fire. The light from the rising sun combined with the dancing flames cast an eerie shadow over his features, and it only serves to make him appear more intimidating that he already is. One of his hands comes up to cover his right bicep, resting directly over that red sash tied around his upper arm. “There is a meaning behind each time this has been bathed in blood. I do not like tainting it with those unworthy of death.”

“Great.” You huff. “So, now I’m not even worth killing.”

“Everything is worth killing, human.” The redcap blinks at you, as if stating the obvious. “What matters is when and how it dies. It’s less fun when your prey doesn’t put up a fight. Against me, you’d have no chance. Therefore, you’re not worth the effort it would take to kill you.”

Not even you can refute that. You know how strong the fae are. Hell, even other humans have always proven themselves much stronger than you. You wouldn’t last a second against a creature physically capable of splitting you in two.

A phantom crack echoes through your ears, and you are once again reminded of the image of the monster before you bathed in blood.

“Is that why you killed that deer?” You snap, tone low and resentful.

“To use your own words, it was a means to an end.” He hums, tilting his head back against the trunk of the tree to gaze upwards at the sky. “I’m sure you’re aware of what a food chain is. Just because I won’t bother to kill you now, doesn’t mean I won’t if it would serve me a purpose.”

“So, you’re saying you will still kill me.” You do your best not to sound too hopeful, tugging the spider lily out of your pocket to pick at its wilting flowers.

He shrugs, humming lightly. “Sometimes we do things to prove we can. Others, because we already know the outcome. You obviously knew that flower would die if you picked it, yet you still chose to snap its stem. All for what? A fleeting moment of happiness? What good will that last you?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Your reply is barely above a whisper as you stare down at your lap, twirling that dying stem between your fingers gently.

He quirks a brow. “Try me.”

“Sometimes it’s those fleeting moments that are all it takes to survive another day.” The flower stills in your hand, and you look up to meet his gaze. “You hold meaning in bathing a strip of cloth in the blood of your enemies. It might seem trivial, but that same meaning for you is what this flower is to me.”

“You… use that flower to celebrate death?” His brow furrows in confusion, shifting to rest his one arm on his now bent knee.

“I suppose you could say that.” For the first time in what feels like years, the corners of your mouth twitch upwards faintly. “It’s more of a symbol, or a representation. It’s the things you associate with it that matter most.”

“I suppose it’s very human to find symbolism in the most mundane of things,” he hums, his eyes falling shut as he rests against the tree.

“Don’t count yourself out, General,” your gaze narrows at the thinly veiled insult. “You find symbolism in bathing fabric in blood.”

Instead of annoyance, which you thought he would have at your comment, a snort of amusement escapes him.

“I suppose I do. Remind me to tear your tongue out if you ever compare me to a human again.”

“Then, who would you have to host such wonderful, and thought provoking conversations with?” You grin, only to catch yourself immediately afterwards.

Your heart skips a beat, staring intently at the redcap across from you. You half expect him to lunge at you for what you’ve just said, but instead, he simply lets out a low chuckle.

“Perhaps you have more than just one use after all.” He hums, remaining perfectly relaxed against that tree. “Maybe I’ll even let you keep your tongue.”

A chill runs down your spine, but you say nothing in response. Reality creeps in around you that you’ve just been conversing, somewhat casually, with a highly dangerous fae general. What’s worse is that it’s the first conversation in months that you’ve actually somewhat enjoyed.

Maybe, just maybe, this won’t turn out to be so bad after all.

#thrill of the hunt #cultofdionysusnet #mfu net #yandere mingi #yandere ateez #mingi scenario #mingi imagine #ateez scenario #ateez imagine #yandere kpop #kpop scenario #kpop imagine #kpop au #ateez au #fantasy au #fae au #chubby reader #tall reader

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novamariestark · 2 months

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Echoes, Fragments & Puzzle Pieces [B.B] [4/?]

Overall Summary: You are a young woman, trying to live your life after captivity. You live in the shadows after escaping from an organisation known as The Syndicate, desperate to copy Hydra's work. You were to be their Winter Soldier but with added "bonuses". But, when opportunity knocks, will you answer it?

Summary: Steve finds out about your concerns about accidentally hurting Bucky. Tony tells you he can help, but how?

[A/N] not proofread. Got off on a roll this morning but got some news and my mood just diminished. But I did promise to post this today, so here it is but I will most likely edit tomorrow.

Warnings: mention of murder (not detailed), Instead of Y/N I've put Lia, but of course you can replace it with your name.)

Word count: 3241

Fandom: Marvel

Pairing: eventual Bucky x reader

“I don’t know my own name,”

“I feel empty,” you continued, “Like I’m just a shell of who I used to be. Whoever that was,” you looked down at your fingers, slightly ashamed that you were admitting this. Ashamed at how weak your voice sounded, “I-I just… I don’t know. That place…” you started but stopped when you remembered Wanda’s brother. You shook your head and shrugged as if you didn’t know what to say.

“What place?” Wanda asked.

“That place from your memory…” you spoke to the floor, avoiding her eyes and possible anger at you for bringing it up again, “I’ve seen it before. In my mind…”

“Perhaps it’s a memory, L-” Wanda put forward, stopping short when she was about to call you Lia again, “Why do you think Lia isn’t your name?”

You shrugged again, “I don’t know. It sounds familiar but it doesn’t sound like mine,”

“So perhaps a family member,” Wanda suggested, “Your mom or a sister,”

Your eyes began to water as you gave a little defeated shrug of your shoulders. Wanda reached out to touch you, but you jumped back, not wanting to drag up another painful memory for her. You didn’t feel as though you had control of your powers at the best of times but when you were nervous or upset, they seemed even more out of control.

“This is good, we have a place to start looking,”

“Looking?” you asked,

Wanda nodded. “Yeah, for your family, your identity,”

“You would do that?”

“Of course, you’re family now,”

Being around Wanda somehow put you at ease. You don’t know how but you trusted her so easily. You both talked for another hour until Natasha came up to ask if you were joining them for training today. You gave a weak nod, not entirely up to it but you had to start some time.

“Great, get changed, there’s some gym clothes in your closet,” she gestured to the plain white storage unit that you had yet to look in, “We’ll meet Bucky and Steve in the gym,”

“No!” you said.

“Lia you just nodded a second ago,” Nat pointed out in confusion.

“I don’t want to train with Bucky,” you said, your voice quiet, barely audible to the girl sitting next to you.

Wanda lowered her eyebrows into a slight frown, “I thought you got along with Bucky,”

You nodded, “I do,” you replied quickly, only causing more confusion to the other’s in the room, “I just don’t want to train with him,”

Natasha nodded slowly and gestured for Wanda to leave with her, “Okay, we’ll leave you to get ready and I will inform Steve of the changes,” she said as she and Wanda moved toward the door.

After they left, you stood from your spot on the floor and went towards your closet. When you opened the door, you didn’t expect to see so many clothes. In fact, you hadn’t seen this many clothes anywhere except at a store. You took your time to look at each item, your fingers gliding across the soft fabrics, the texture changing slightly when you touched a different item.

You paused when you came to a dress and immediately shook your head. “No way,” you muttered aloud. No way would they ever get you in a dress.

A knock at your door startled you from your thoughts, “Come in,” you called. The door opened, slowly revealing the captain who stood on the other side.

“I’m sorry, Steve, I’ll be there in a sec. Just got distracted,” you said, assuming that the time you were taking was the reason he was there. It wasn’t.

“Actually…” he said, tentatively stepping through the door, giving you the chance to stop him,

“I’m here about Bucky,” he stopped just inside the door, leaving the door open so he didn’t make you feel cornered, “Now I know that The Winter Soldier has a bad reputation, but I promise you that Bucky isn’t him anymore, you don’t have to be scared of him…”

“I’m not,” you said but the look on Steve’s face told you that he wasn’t convinced. Why else would you want to avoid Bucky, “I’m not scared of him,” you said more firmly.

“Okay, we’ll see you downstairs,” Steve said as he moved to exit your room.

“I can’t control it,” you blurted out before he could step foot out the door. He turned to look at you, his face showing you his next question, so you beat him to it, “I can’t control my powers,”

No matter how hard you tried to get them under control, you couldn’t. You didn’t know how and you had no guidance. Especially from The Syndicate, they just wanted you to be the most dangerous weapon they had in their arsenal. They didn’t care that your powers were too strong for you to handle, they didn’t care about collateral damage. As long as the target was dead, they didn’t care how many innocents you killed in the process.

Of course you remembered that. You remembered the blood on your hands, the cries of your victims, of innocent people just trying to live their lives. Lives they no longer had. Thanks to you, thanks to your powers.

“I don’t want to hurt him,”

“Lia, he’s a super soldier, like me, we can take it,” he said gesturing to himself. Obviously not understanding what you meant by "hurt him".

“I don’t mean physically,” you mumbled, fiddling with your fingers, “I dragged up one of Wanda’s worst memories and I hurt her.” You shook your head, tears beginning to break free from the oval chambers, “I don’t want to hurt him,”

He nodded slightly, “Okay,” A small smile began to paint itself on Steve’s face, “How’s your aim?”

You hadn’t used a gun in forever, especially after you got your powers, there was no need. Although, if you had used a gun then maybe less people would have died at your hands.

“Not sure,” you shrugged.

“We’ll focus on that today, if you’d rather not touch anyone,” Steve suggested, you nodded, smiling at his understanding. You had expected the man named “Captain America” to be a bit stricter, but he surprised you, “I’m going to go get Bucky and meet you there,” he said, before giving you a nod and leaving the room.

“Can I?” you asked, stepping forward, hoping he’d say yes, “I want to explain,” you added

Steve nodded and let you pass, he gave you directions to Bucky’s room and you followed them.

Your nerves increase with every step you take towards Bucky's room. When you arrived, you took a deep breath, trying to calm your racing heart, before knocking on the door.

"Come in," Bucky's voice sounded tired, like he'd been asleep. You pushed the door open, hesitantly stepping inside. Bucky was sitting up in his bed, his eyes widening when he saw you. "Lia?" he asked, sounding confused.

"I wanted to talk to you," you said, taking a step further into the room, "About-"

"About why you're scared of me? I understand," he said cutting you off, you could hear the pain in his voice. "I was the Winter Soldier, I did a lot of things..."

"I did a lot of things too, Bucky," you said, stepping closer, "That's not it," you shook your head, "I'm scared because of what I might do to you,"

"You?" Bucky asked, surprise coloring his voice. "What could you possibly do to me?"

"Did you see what I did to Wanda?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper, as you gestured vaguely to your chest, "I dragged up quite possibly the most painful memory she has,"

"But that was an accident, we all saw it," Bucky said, trying to reassure you. But he didn't get it.

"Exactly, it was an accident. One that I can't control and I don't want to do the same with you," you explained, taking another step closer to the bed. Bucky looked at you for a long moment, confusion still written all over his face. "I don't want to hurt you, Bucky. I don't want to drag up your past, I don't want to make you remember things you'd rather forget," you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving yours. "I understand that, Lia. And I appreciate it. But I trust you. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me on purpose," Bucky said, reaching out to take your hand in his but you moved away.

You swallowed hard, "I can't," you said, feeling tears begin to sting your eyes, "I can't risk it." With that, you turned on your heels, nearly running from the room. You didn't want to see the look on his face, you didn't want to see the understanding or the hurt, you just wanted to get away.

As you hurried to where Steve was waiting, you wiped the tears from your face, hoping he hadn't noticed. "I'm sorry," you mumbled.

"Hey kid," you jumped when you heard another voice, mentally kicking yourself that you hadn't noticed someone else in the room with you, "Capsicle here tells me that you are afraid of touching people because of your powers," you turned to look at the new voice, Tony.

You nodded slowly, "Yeah, I am. I can't control them, and I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Well, what if I told you I could develop a device that would stop you from using your powers?" Tony asked, leaning against the wall casually. You raised an eyebrow.

"You mean, I could be normal?" you asked, hope sparking in your chest.

"Well, you would still have your powers but the hope is that the device would stop you from using them." Tony paused, seeming to consider his words carefully, "But technically, yes, with the device on, you will be somewhat normal,"

You nodded, "Would you do it?"

"I suppose I could," Tony shrugged.

"Stark," Steve warned, frowning at the genius.

"Relax, Capsicle," Tony said, glancing over at Steve with a small smile. "There's a catch,"

You furrowed your brows, "What kind of catch?"

"I want to throw a party to celebrate our new Avenger," Tony grinned. "You're going to be the center of attention, kid."

"Tony, I don't think that's a good idea," Steve said but Tony waved him off.

"Don't worry, Cap, she'll have the device by then," Tony winked, "It'll be a great party, trust me."

You didn't know if you fully trusted him or not, but the idea of having some kind of control over your powers was too tempting to resist. You nodded slowly, "Okay."

Steve sighed heavily, "All right, you've got yourself a deal, Stark. But let's keep it low-key."

"You got it, Cap, low-key," Tony said with a smirk.

He walked away, already lost in thought about the party he was going to throw. You turned back to Steve, "Why do I get the feeling that Tony doesn't know the meaning of low-key?"

Steve shrugged, "Because he doesn't. But don't worry, it's not mandatory,"

"I feel that a party held to welcome me, the new Avenger, requires me to be there," you told Steve with a small smile.

Steve chuckled, "Well, I guess you can't say no," he said, putting a comforting hand on your shoulder, "You ready to start training?"

You took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll do my best," you said with determination.

The room was set up with targets for you to shoot, with various weapons laid out on a table beside them. You eyed them nervously, not sure if you were ready for this. Steve noticed your apprehension and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry," he said, "We'll start with the basics and work our way up. You'll be an expert marksman in no time." He handed you a gun showed you how to load it, "Always be sure to point the gun in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot," he instructed. You looked at him with your eyes raised, Steve laughed seemingly knowing what you were thinking, "I know common sense, just had to be sure,"

"Yeah, not so common," you nodded, taking the gun carefully and loading it. Steve stood a few feet away, watching you as you aimed at the target. "Okay, I'm ready," you said, taking a deep breath. With a loud pop, a bullseye appeared on the target.

"Not bad," you heard Steve say from nearby. You smiled, feeling more confident already.

You continued to practice with the gun, quickly becoming more comfortable with it. You tried out various weapons and even started to show off a bit, much to Steve's amusement. He encouraged you to keep up the good work, promising that with enough practice, you'd be able to handle anything that came your way.

"I suppose it's like riding a horse, not something you forget," you mused, trying to steady your aim as you took aim at the target. With a steady breath, you pulled the trigger, the recoil almost negligible in your hands. Another bullseye. You scoffed and shook your head.

"What?" Steve asked, walking up beside you.

"I guess that's what most girls my age would know more about. But me, I know how to load and shoot a gun," you spoke, sadness filling your tone as you thought about the childhood you were robbed of. "I guess it's just something you learn when you have to defend yourself." You took a deep breath and looked at Steve, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring down the mood."

Steve gave you a small smile and stepped towards you, picking up a gun and loading it, "When I was your age, I was determined to join the army and fight for my country. When Bucky was drafted I was more determined than ever. Bucky and I had our childhood, I'm sorry you never got to have yours. But you have us now, and we'll make sure you're safe and protected. You're one of us now. We're family"

You looked up at him, your eyes filling with tears. He reached out and gently wiped them away with his thumb. "Don't cry, kiddo. You're going to be just fine. And if anyone ever tries to hurt you, they'll have to go through me first."

"Is this what having a big brother feels like?" you asked, sniffling.

Steve smiled and pulled you into a tight hug, rubbing your back soothingly. "Yeah, kiddo. That's exactly what it feels like." You returned the hug, feeling a sense of belonging and security that you hadn't experienced in years. "Now," he said, releasing you, "let's keep training. You're gonna need to be in top shape if you're going to be an Avenger."

"Shouldn't be too hard to keep up with a bunch of old farts," you smirked, wiping the last of your tears away.

The hours passed by quickly as you continued to practice with Steve. He taught you how to disarm traps, throw knives, and even use some basic martial arts. As you trained, you found yourself becoming stronger and more confident and more comfortable. You were still wary about your powers and accidentally hurting Steve, either physically or mentally but you could feel yourself relaxing around him.

"You had enough for today?" Steve asked as he leaned against the wall, watching you as you collapsed dramatically on the mat. You giggled, feeling the familiar burn in your muscles. "I know it's a lot to take in, but you're doing great."

"I think I'm gonna lie here for a bit. Maybe an hour," you panted, looking up at the ceiling.

"What was that you were saying about keeping up with a bunch of old farts?" Steve asked, looking down at you. You rolled your eyes, but couldn't help feeling a small smile creep onto your face, "I think you'd feel more comfortable on the couch," Steve said, as a new set of footprints began to echo through the space. You were too tired to lift your head off the floor to see who it was.

"Hey punk," a familiar gruff voice called. You squinted one eye open, peering up at the man towering over you, "Steve, what did you do to her?" Bucky asked, looking down at you.

You smiled weakly, "Hi Bucky," you managed to say before closing your eyes again "I'm just a bit tired, that's all," you mumbled, "I'm sorry about earlier, Bucky, I just don't want to hurt you,"

"She called us old farts," Steve told him, ruffling your hair. You laughed weakly. "Hey," Bucky protested, "I'm not that old."

"You're like over 100," you said, sitting up slowly and wincing as your sore muscles protested. Bucky laughed, reaching down to help you up with his metal arm. He'd rather not touch you with something that caused many deaths but he thought you'd be more comfortable touching the hand that wouldn't cause your powers to go haywire.

"Yet you're the one on the floor with aching bones," Bucky pointed out with a smirk.

"Was all that payback for calling you an old fart?" you asked Steve, grinning as you stood up.

Steve chuckled, "Maybe a little."

You stretched your arms above your head, feeling the familiar pop in your shoulders, "So, what do we do now?" you asked, glancing between the two super soldiers.

"It's movie night tonight, you feel like joining us?" Steve asked, looking down at you, "Or are you too tired? Do you need an early night?"

You scoffed, "Sounds like fun, what are we watching?" You asked

"I don't know, whose turn is it to choose?" Steve asked, glancing over at Bucky.

"Stark's, I think or maybe Parker's," Bucky replied, rolling his eyes. "So, either Star Wars or Harry Potter. Again." You snickered,

"Star Wars?" you asked, "And who is Harry Potter?"

"You know what? Maybe it should be your turn," Steve suggested, you shook your head, you wouldn't even know where to begin. Movies and music weren't exactly on your to-do list the past 10 years.

"I wouldn't know," you said, shrugging. "I don't know anything about movies,"

"Ok, we'll choose," Steve told you, giving you a moment to think. You nodded.

"Okay, well, I'm going to have a shower and get changed and I'll see you later," you told them, heading toward the door. "Think of something good to watch. This is my first movie after all," you called back over your shoulder.

You headed back to your room to shower and change. The warm water flowed over your body, washing away the sweat and grime from your training session. You closed your eyes, enjoying the sensation of the water on your skin. As you washed your hair, you began to feel a little excited and nervous about the movie night. Excited because you'd never seen a movie before, at least not that you remember. And nervous because you hadn't really spent a lot of time with all the Avengers. You wondered what movie they ended up picking. If they have chosen one yet.

As you stepped out of the shower, you wrapped a towel around your body and looked in the mirror. "You can do this," you told your reflection. It's just a movie with the team. With your housemates and a step closer to being normal...

Taglist: @mrsevans90 @harrysluvv @vicmc624

#female reader #reader insert #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #avengers x reader

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iamthenerdqueen · 9 months

Text

The Red String of Faith - Chapter II

Idol!AteezXOCs Soulmates!ot8AteezXOCs OCXOC

slight twigger warnings: Polyamory, group of 10, two OC's -feel free to replace one OC with yourself if you'd like- ,eventual smut, listen this is an idea me and my best friend had and is something for fun read at own risk, not edited as always

Chapter I , Next

Lia was absolutely positive she was having a panic attack. She hadn’t felt this way since high school, it was the same anxious sickly feeling she had when she realized Lyra was her soulmate. Every happy feeling that people talk about after they find their soulmate is absolutely bullshit.

It’s downright terrifying and now Lia was face to face with not just one more soulmate, but 8 of them.

“Hello! We are Ateez!” The group quickly introduced themselves before becoming slightly less formal in the situation and spreading throughout the room.

Lia felt an overwhelming urge to disassociate and to ignore the situation at hand, but it was interrupted by the voices of Taylor and subsequently the members of Ateez. The members of Ateez who are also her soulmates.

Her soulmates Ateez? Lyra and her soulmates were part of the international boy group Ateez?

“Lia! Come say hi,” Taylor gestured over to the empty seat at the end of the small sofa.

“Yeah, sorry! Got lost in my own head for a minute,” Lia answered jokingly trying to play it off as she walked toward Taylor. To Lia’s surprise, the end of the sofa she was currently aiming to sit in was placed right next to a soft looking chair that was currently occupied by Hongjoong.

As she took the seat, she quickly glanced at Hongjoong who was softly smiling at her. When their eyes met, that gross anxious pit in her stomach significantly eased up. There was something reassuring in his gaze, it made her feel like everything was going to be okay.

It was obvious that the other members of this newly formed soulgroup were also aware of this new development. Lia could tell they were also trying to wrap their heads around the situation, glancing around the room she could see the different members spread around the room.

Hongjoong was next to her currently making small talk with Taylor, across from them was Vivian and Lyra on the other sofa chatting with each other and with an energetic Wooyoung. Seongwha, San, and Jongho were occupying the other chairs around the seating area seemingly going back and forth between listening to the conversations happening on either side of them.

Yunho, Yeosang, and Mingi were lingering near the food to the side of the room. It made sense to Lia, from the content she had watched and absorbed about the group Yeosang had a harder time with stingers very much like Lyra. It also made sense that a couple of his soulmates would stay closer to him to make him as comfortable as possible.

Looking around, seeing all of them there and together made the rest of the anxiety in Lia’s stomach dissipate. She was never one to freak and did her best to avoid getting so worked up over things, but her soulmate or now soulmates was the one thing that always sent her into overdrive.

“Did you enjoy the show Miss Lia?” The question from Hongjoong caused Lia to blush

“It was fantastic! We’ve been looking forward to this since 2020 and you all blew us out of the water!” Her southern accent became a little heavier as she spoke excitedly to the man beside her.

“I am glad you…” Hongjoong paused, obviously trying to think of the English word he was looking for, “decided to still come and see us, Miss Lia.”

“Please, just call me Lia,” her blush intensified as she dropped the formality, “besides, we would have waited as long as it took to see you all.”

In context her answer made sense, but it had a second meaning as well. The tension shifted again amongst the group slightly, Lia was more than aware that everyone had been quiet when she answered him. Everyone in their newly formed soulgroup had heard the unspoken meaning of her words.

Hongjoong smiled brightly before addressing Taylor to bring her actively into the conversation, across from them Wooyoung let out a loud laugh as he animatedly talked to Vivian.

Lyra couldn’t help but retreat into herself a bit in the room and the conversation at hand with the idols and their new concert friends. She was much more of an observer and seeing Lia this anxious only made it worse.

Lia was the outgoing one and she was who Lyra looked for to make situations like this more comfortable. It wasn’t until Lia began chatting easily with Hongjoong, Taylor , and the few seated off to the side that Lyra realized the situation wasn’t as tense as she first had assumed.

Wooyoung was an incredibly smiley person was the only observation Lyra had made thus far, and that he was trying incredibly hard to get to join the conversation more. Her small and one word responses were obviously a little less than satisfying to him.

“So, Lyra? Do you have a bias? Will you tell us who your favorite is?” Wooyoung asked in a joking manner, obviously trying to get Lyra to feel more comfortable and finally catching her eye and making solid eye contact. Like most soulmates, fate had a funny way of making sure everyone felt good around each other much like Lia before her with Hongjoong, Wooyoung’s eye brought her peace in this new situation.

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t,” Lyra answered playfully and with more than one or two words for the first time since coming into the green room. Her new reply caused both Wooyoung and the ever watchful Vivian to giggle in response.

Just like that everyone seemed to be comfortable during the meet and greet, after a few more minutes even Yeosang became comfortable and went out of his way to come interact as much as he could before their short time was up.

Standing in a line, shoulder to shoulder with slightly melancholic smiles, Ateez prepared for the meet and greet to end.

“Thank you all so much for coming and spending time with us after the show,” started Mingi, his words were obviously well rehearsed and it made both Lia and Lyra smile at the effort he and all the boys had put into their English throughout the night.

“We are so happy that we get to see Atiny again and are working hard to spend more time with them,” continued Jongho from the other end of the group, he had been rather quiet during the short meet up but had made a point of actively listening to their guests. He and Yeosang reminded Lyra of herself, the more observant type waiting to fully get comfortable with those around them to show their true personality.

“Atiny are the reason we do everything, Atiny makes all the hard work worth it,” San stated with a bit of a bounce to his voice and body as he rocked back and forth. It was clear that he was exhausted after the concert, he too had done his best to engage with everyone. He had been cracking jokes every now and then to keep the mood light with Yunho.

“You were all so wonderful to get to know, even if you wont tell me who your favorite is,” Wooyung chimed in playful and quickly stuck his tongue out to tease Lyra. Much like Lia had when she and Lyra first got to know each other, Wooyoung had made it his mission that night to try and get the brunette to come out of her shell more and more.

“It made our evening even better getting to see you and get to know you a little better,” Yeosang spoke politely from his spot, keeping it short and sweet but a genuine smile graced his face.

“This means we are one step closer to normal or a new normal, you all were fantastic to get to know. Thank You for coming to see us,” Yunho came next echoing the same sentiments as his bandmates (and soulmates apparently, but Lia was still reeling about the night's revelations in the back of her mind) offering a small bow in thanks to the group of fans across from the group.

“You all have given us a remarkable night! The concert was one of my favorites on this tour and getting to see some Atiny this way made my heart very happy,” Seonghwa was smiling brightly as he spoke, he had driven a larger group conversation through the meet and greet once everyone came together, taking some of the pressure off of Hongjoong and helping to create the lighter atmosphere despite the looming revelation.

“Yes, Seonghwa is right. Everything my members have said is very true! It has been one of the greatest nights of our lives and truly a turning point for us,” Hongjoong started speaking quickly, glancing at his members and making almost pointed eye contact with Lia and Lyra. It didn’t take much for the two to understand that his words had an underlying meaning. He started to speak again with the same deeper meaning to his words, “We have been looking forward to this longer than I think anyone may realize. When we are all together things just make more sense to us. Atiny makes everything worth it and you make things make more sense.”

Taylor and her mother were blown away at Hongjoong’s words, seeing them as top tier fanservice, which on a surface level was beyond imaginable fanservice. But for Lyra and Lia, it was something much more.

It’s like they had known that there was something more out there, waiting to join them. To Lia, it made all of her worries disappear. She had become incredibly comfortable with all of them in the short time they had been chatting during the meet and greet. It was one of her super powers in Lyra's mind, to be able to come to terms with things quickly. It didn’t always work out in some situations, but as far as in relation to choices and things regarding her connection with Lyra she had never been wrong in her trust.

Lyra, on the other hand, was once again letting her anxiety take over. When faced with a fight, flight, freeze, or fawn situation, Lyra would always choose flight. If she could get away from something she could think about it and process or avoid it. What was causing her the most panic was the fact she knew that she couldn’t avoid this situation. If they were apart too long someone was bound to become soul sick. It was almost guaranteed with 10 people being a part of the tether.

The others who made up the group of fans started saying their thanks and how much they enjoyed the evening, but Lyra was still trapped by her panic only managing to smile and say a meek thank you. It was Wooyoung who picked up on it almost instantly, his happy expression faltering only for a second before he made sure no one else could tell he noticed. Instead, he made sure to keep a close eye on the shyer of his two new soulmates wanting to make sure that nothing happened to her or any of the other tethers.

“If we could take you in groups of two, since you didn’t travel together. It is a downpour outside and we want to ensure everyone makes it back to the parking garage and vehicle safely,” A manager said with two security guards who were there to help get everyone where they needed to go.

“You guys go first, we wouldn’t feel comfortable if we didn’t know you had made it out safely,” Lia said looking at Taylor and Vivian.

“Are you sure, it’s okay if you go first?” Vivian began, her motherly instincts obviously having set in for the two other girls as well.

“It’s okay, please it’ll make us both feel more comfortable knowing you guys were all good.” Lia assured both Taylor and Vivian as Lyra confirmed her words with a warm smile and nod of her head, still not feeling up to words.

Taylor came up to Lia and warped her in a tight hug, the two exchanged some heartfelt words no longer as fan and entertainer, but as something closer, a mentor and mentee. It was rare that Lia got to spend so much time with bunnies who she didn’t already know. She didn’t partake in many panels or go to events hosted for streamers, so to Lia this was something incredibly special.

The mother and daughter duo were then escorted out by the security team, who carried umbrellas with them and headed toward a back entrance that was closer to the parking garage than the main entrance.

The two girls expected Ateez to be ushered out quickly by management, but it had yet to happen instead the members were still in their lineup. Looking at them, their hands, and the red string connecting all of them together.

There was a full minute of silence as they all looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do with their new situation. Lia, unsure of what else to do began to address the situation

“Um-”

“We-”

Lia and Hongjoong started to speak at the same time, both quickly stopping and looking at each other.

Hongjoong had this almost nervous look on his face, which made Lia giggle. She was so used to seeing him in the acting role as captain and being in control of most situations from the content the group put out, it was cute to see him nervous.

“You go first, please. I was just going to start talking until something made sense,” Lia laughed a little as she gestured for Hongjoong to speak instead of her

“Ah, Okay… We would like to speak with you both some more,” he paused looking at the other members and back to the two females in front of him, “about the tether and what this means now. We noticed during the concert and got lucky that you were a part of the meet and greet, but we alerted our managers to the situation and would like to invite you to our hotel.” He finally paused taking a breath, his words had been faster than usual and his english was slightly slurred due to the speed of his speech

Lia playfully raised an eyebrow at his unintentionally suggestive words, and before she could say anything Hongjoong started again

“Ah! I mean to talk and hopefully get to know you both better and… I’m sorry. I-”

“It’s okay. We understand what you were trying to say, Lia is just teasing you. We will absolutely go and continue talking about the situation. This is all very overwhelming, we didn’t know there were more parts to our tether or that we were in a soulgroup.” Lyra surprised everyone else in the room with her calm words, her face had morphed from the panic of before into a mask that Lia recognised as her ‘work mode’ face.

“Lyra is right, we will join you all, if you are all comfortable with this,” Lia confirmed Lyra’s words and emphasized ‘all’ as she needed to know that everyone was on the same page and wanted this. Especially, after the exhausting day the boys had obviously had.

In a matter of minutes, the boys were off, probably going to finally change out of stage clothes and the girls were in the presence of the same manager and security team that had escorted Taylor and Vivian out to their car.

“I am Lee Hajoon, Ateez’s main manager, it is nice to meet you both. The boys were very excited to find you tonight. I hope this is a good start to something wonderful,” Hajoon was a very tall man with a deep voice that gave Mingi a run for his money, but he seemed very friendly and understanding of the situation.

“Thank you, this is a lot honestly, we aren’t sure exactly what's going to happen and it’s just a lot,” Lia said as they entered the elevator of the parking garage heading toward the third level.

“Korea is very different to the United States on how they view soulmates and tethers generally. It is something that has the utmost respect among the country, even soulgroups, which is surprising considering the more conservative nature of the country.” Hajoon explained briefly as they reached their vehicle which was embarrassingly the last one on the level as most fans had already left due to the later hour.

“Ateez do not hide their relationship and soulmate connection, they are just private people and do not publicize it as to feel like they have something to themselves. I think this will be a good thing for them, they have been looking for their final two tethers since they found each other.” Hajoon finished his explanation and handed Lia a card with the hotel information on the back and quickly said that he would meet the pair in the lobby to make things easier.

Both girls sat in the car, Lyra once again staring off into space trying to process everything and Lia looking at Lyra as if to gauge her genuine reaction.

“So…” Lia said as she started the car ready to make the 20 minute drive from Duluth to the hotel address they had been given by Hajoon

“So…” Lyra copied Lia both knowing where the conversation was heading.

“What are your actual thoughts on this Ly? I could tell what you did back there. You went into work mode and just took your real feelings out of it to defuse the situation.” Lia wasn’t in the mood to dance around the subject and her tone said it all.

“Okay, well first of all, don’t call out my poor coping skills right now. I am very overwhelmed and seriously cannot wrap my head around any of this.” Lyra went quiet for a second, long enough for Lia to glance over at her and grab her hand in a comforting way when she turned her eyes back to the interstate.

“I am not the type of person who is put in these situations. Neither of my parents ever found their soulmates and their relationship was awful, I was the first person in my family on either side to find their soulmate in two generations.” Lyra had tears in her eyes as she continued. “I’m not confident like you or social and I-” a sob broke out from Lyra’s throat and tears rolled freely down her face now.

“What will we do? I don’t want anyone getting soul sick. But our native languages are totally different, they live on the opposite side of the world, Lia. Are we just going to up and leave our entire families so we can be close to them… What if it’s all too much and it doesn’t work. What if I get left behind again?”

There it was the real problem, fear. A visceral fear of abandonment, something both Lia and Lyra shared. Both had experienced their parents abandoning them in some way.

For Lia, her father had chosen drugs over his own child and hadn’t been in her life since she was thirteen. She had grown a thick skin after that, and if she wanted something or someone around she would do everything in her power to make them stay. She was a fighter in this life.

For Lyra, her mother had chosen another man breaking her family apart right as her father became terminally ill. Her father was a whole different issue as his illness had been a struggle for Lyra as she had been with him through the entire thing. She didn’t have the same thick skin as Lia about these things. She wasn’t a fighter.

“We are not our parents. I have never and will never leave you behind. You are my soulmate, my twin flame. Not just because fate put us together, you were the other half of me from the moment we became friends. If those 8 boys feel anything from our tethers that is even a fraction as strong as what we feel for each other and how I feel about them after just a few hours near them. They would never hurt us or decide to leave us behind forever, what do you feel when you’re around them Lyra?”

Lia squeezed Lyra’s hand as if to remind her that she was there and that they were together in this experience.

“I just kept looking around that room and thinking how happy I was. Even despite my anxiety, you all there made it okay. Like nothing bad could happen when we’re all together.”

“Exactly, Ly. We all had to feel that way, it’s fate design you know.” Lia stopped speaking and briefly let go of Lyra’s hand to place the car in park. The two of them now sat outside the nice looking hotel.

“Lyra, this will work one way or another. Even if I have to fly us back and forth from South Korea every weekend from now until we die, I will make this work. But, if you don’t want this we can turn back right now. Go home and start trying to find a doctor who will help us with soul sickness. If-”

“I want this to work. Or at least to try.” Lyra surprised Lia when she cut her off with words of confirmation. Lia had prepared herself to leave, to make sure Lyra was okay.

“Alright, then I guess all that is left is to go meet Hajoon.”

The two made their way to the lobby, where just as he had promised Hajoon was waiting for them.

“Hello again! The boys just beat you here, they’re waiting for you in their suite and have asked to see if you two had already eaten?” Hajoon was polite as ever

“Oh no, we haven’t eaten dinner yet. Our plan was to go after the show, but y’a know” Lia answered while the two of them followed the manager through the hotel

“Wonderful, the members have yet to eat and wanted to eat with you. They said they would eat whatever, so it’s your choice.”

“Oh! They didn’t have to wait on us, really” Lyra started to say feeling a little guilty that the boys hadn’t eaten yet and had worked so hard at the show

“They have insisted, and are very flexible in their food choice. Really anything you two would like,”

The conversation lasted through the short elevator ride and through several hallways and past a very buff looking security guard as the two girls argued with Hajoon about buying them food.

“Please ladies, they’ll be upset if I don’t talk you into this. They want to treat the two of you tonight.” Hajoon looked as exhausted as the girls felt from the stubbornness the two had just exhibited.

“Fine, but just know we will never get used to someone trying to spoil us. Got it?” Lia said half- joking half-serious

“Okay”

“And our original plan was to get Korean BBQ tonight, so” Lia dais giving the man a shrug as he prepared to open the door to the suite.

“That works, what would you two like?” He said hand ready to open the door and his playful message was clear. Give him their order before he would open the door, it also dawned on Lyra that he probably had the members' orders memorized.

“Spicy rice cakes, please” was the only request Lyra put in, with a slight pout to her lips which combined with her puffy eyes from crying reminded Lia of how a pouting child looks. It was cute, but in a way that made Lia want to squeeze Lyra’s cheeks until they were bright red.

Hajoon looked like he was about to try and get her to add to her order when Lia began to speak, “She craves carbs when she's tired or stressed, and in the case she's both so don’t question it. I’ll take some beef bulgolgi, and some gyoza, we’ll share so she’ll get something a little more filling.”

Lia stopped as if she was double checking she had said everything, “Oh, and would you mind getting me a diet coke and her a regular coke?”

With that, Hajoon nodded signaling that he had their order and proceeded to open the door. To some surprise, Yeosang and Mingi seemed to be on the other side of the door listening to the conversation that had been going on outside the door and were trying to play it casually.

“Hello” and “Hi” came from the two boys who had been waiting at the door as they saw the two girls with their manager.

“Hi” said Lyra, her greeting quickly echoed by Lia as they slowly made their way into the hotel suite. Mingi and Yeosang seemed to guide them from the entrance to a large living area which seemed to connect two rooms with two King sized beds in each from the quick glance Lia had when passing the adjoining doors.

She also noticed the boys had changed into normal loungewear, as the other six came into view she noted that they all were in a range of gray or black t-shirts with either sweatpants or pajama bottoms. She greatly appreciated the bright yellow striped bottoms Yunho had on. Lia felt a tug on her bag, looking to see Lyra looking at her.

In that moment it was like the two girls could read each others minds, they now felt overdressed as they were still in their concert outfits. But, true to form Lia just raised her left eyebrow as if to say, ‘We look hot. Let’s act like we look hot’ before confidently walking toward where the boys were sprawled out across a couple chairs and similarly to the green room, two couches.

“Lia, come sit here,” Yeosang surprised Lia and Lyra both by making the gesture for her to come occupy the other half other large chair he was sitting in. It was a very intimate seating situation, but Lia wasn’t one to question it.

Before Lyra even had the chance to awkwardly look around for somewhere to sit, Wooyoung started making a grabby hand gesture toward her and San moved to his right to make room for her to come sit between him. With some hesitation, Lyra went to sit between the two boys on the couch.

Its room had a relaxed air to it, all the tension and anxiety from their early interactions seemed to have been left at the arena or in the girl's case in the car.

“Thank you for coming, we got worried for a few minutes when we beat you here,” Hongjoon started to speak from one of the other chairs in the room.

“I’m not going to lie to y’all, I freaked out in the car. Cried a good bit and contemplated disappearing into thin air, but it’s all good. The nerves are gone for now,” Lyra said, trying to be humorous, but her words only seemed to put the boys on edge. Before she realized anything both Wooyoung and San slipped their hands into hers,

“You want to be here, right?” San asked quietly beside her. He was looking so intensely at her face, as if she would crumble under the weight of his grip on her hand and his eyes looked into hers like she had hung every star in the sky that very night just for him. It was a look Lyra recognized from him, fans had caught him countless times giving the same look to his members, namely Wooyoung.

“I want to be here,” Lyra confirmed, smiling at San softly and gaining a bright dimpled smile in return.

“We had a long talk in the car about this, we’ve been through a lot and this is super overwhelming, like we said before. We want to be here and get to know all of you more and to know what your views on the situation are. How you all would like to proceed.” Lia confirmed for the whole room, she had curled up into the large chair with Yeosang doing the same beside her. They were pressed against each other comfortably, as if they had known each other much longer than a few hours.

“We have been waiting on you both for a while, we all came together before we debuted and together is good. But not whole.” Yunho spoke looking at every person in the room, most of the boys in the room nodding to his words.

“How did you guys know? We had no idea that our tether was larger than just the two of us?” Lyra was obviously confused, she didn’t know the in’s and out’s of all of this. Her family wasn’t very into the whole soulmate stuff and the town she and Lia had grown up in was borderline against soulmates if it wasn’t a heterosexual monogamous tether.

“In Korea, when there is a larger tether they can run a test to see exactly how many there are in the soulgroup in efforts to make the search easier. Korea views the tether and soulmate connection as sacred, making large efforts to connect people and keep them together.”

Hongjoong’s words were a surprise to both the girls, they didn’t expect that type of devotion from Korea as it was known to have its own problems with non-straight relationships and was thought of to be a more conservative place.

Their thoughts must have been clear as Seonghwa chimed in from his place next to the captain of the group, “Not everyone in the country sees it this way, but enough to make it manageable for soulgroups and give us a sense of security.”

“You asked us what we want from this, and I will be truthful, “ Jongho said from next to San on the couch, “We have always talked about when we find you both and how we would take good care of you. Love you in whichever way you want. Protect you, to be with you and you to be with us in the ways that most soulmates are.”

The rest of the boys confirmed his words with head nods or vocally confirming their agreement. It touched Lyra and made her heart warm, she always struggled with accepting the fact that Lia was her soulmate, and even while they were a platonic pair she still cared for her in a way Lyra found unbelievable. Hearing this come from eight more people brought tears to her eyes again. A few slipped down her checks before she could stop them altering the Wooyoung to her upset nature, gently he pulled her head into his shoulder to comfort her,.

“Y’all are gonna think I’m a big cry baby, which I am sometimes, but still. I just- we-” It was hard for Lyra to continue as she seemed a loss for words,

“We want that too.” Lia confirmed for both her and Lyra making it easier on everyone in the room.

“Would you both be okay, in exploring a romantic relationship? We know you are currently platonic soulmates from your streaming channel.” Mingi said from his seat, breaching the question in a very nonchalant way.

“Um let’s start with the fact that you guys watch my streams, that kinda fucking embrassing. I have said a lot and i mean a lot of stupid, embarrassing things on their about my affection for your music and Ateez as a group and now i feel stupid cause i never thought that-” Lia started getting faster and faster as she spoke obviously going to fast for the non native english speakers in the room

“Woah!” Hongjoong stopped the near ranting twitch streamer, “Too fast, too fast and you’re cute on stream. Talking about us and how much you like being an Atiny.” Hongjoong was very smug in his words, purposefully ignoring the fact that Lia also talks about other Kpop groups from time to time while playing the Sims, his slight possessive side peaking through.

“Okay, fine. But while we are platonic, we didn’t start that way. We tried a romantic relationship and it just worked better for us to be best friends like we had before we found out we were tethered. So, I am okay with trying out a romantic relationship if we all agree that if friendship is better that's okay. “ Lia said after side eyeing the leader playfully.

“She’s right, that is how we started and I am okay with that too.” Lyra said from her place in Wooyoung’s neck.

For a few minutes, no one said anything, just sat in each other's company. A few of the eyes in the room would look to the red string that connected each and everyone of them to every person in the room. Then someone, it’s unclear exactly who started laughing. A clear and easy laugh that was contagious then suddenly the room had devolved into nothing but laughed. Loudly and happily, together.

It was interrupted by a ding from Hongjoong’s phone,”Hajoon is on his way back with food, he just stepped into the elevator”

“Oh yeah, what did you guys decide for food?” Yunho asked, whipping some tears from his face that had come with his laughing fit.

“Korean BBQ? I hope that's okay, it was are original dinner plans,” Lyra explained to the group before getting pulled into Sans side as he aggressively cuddled her.

“You two really are amazing, not only hot but you guys got them to bring us meat!” San almost yelled in happiness at the thought of meat.

“Hot, you think we’re hot? I mean, I think we are but we're not exactly the Korean beauty standard?” Lia was brutally honest sometimes with her words and this was one of those times. Her and Lyra weren’t what Korea would consider beautiful, both were curvy girls and while they both had tattoos and scars, at the moment, Lyra had smudged eyeliner all around her eyes.

“Duh,” began Wooyoung as he and Jongho got up to help Hajoon bring in the food, “When we spotted you two from the stage, I thought I might start drooling. Have you seen yourselves? It’s like someone looked into all of our brains and made you two.”

His words sent Lia into a giggling fit and made Lyra get shy as she hid her face in her hands. As the food was passed out everyone shifted slightly, Lyra and Lia now sat next to each other on the floor at the table to share their food with each other, most of the boys had also sat on the floor to eat at the coffee table where the food sat. Only Jongho and Mingi remained on the couch seatinging themselves right behind the two girls.

“What exactly are you so impressed with, huh?” Lia, ever the flirt, egged the boys on, both curious and wanting to tease them.

“You are both short and cute and when you smile, I can’t not smile,” started Hongjoong.

“Passionate, I could see you two screaming along during the concert and I like that,” Yunho joined in telling what he found attractive.

“Your hair, Lia caught my eye first. I like the black and white hair. And Lyra your eyes, I was trying to make eye contact on stage, green eyes are very pretty, “ Seonghwa was next in his confessions, his blush made the two girls smile.

It was San who began to speak next, his exhaustion was back and with that his filter seemed to disappear, “You both have… very nice,” he paused trying to carefully word his next sentence before his eye darted to Lyra’s now more exposed cleavage as she want bent over bringing a rice cake from the container to her mouth. His face went bright red as he continued, “everything. Very nice everything.”

Hongjoong lightly slapped the blushing boy on the back of the head as if to say that he hadn’t covered his tracks at all.

“Tattoos,” came from Jongho behind Lyra. “I could see them and now I want to see them all, and color them in,”

It dawned on Lyra that they could only see part of her leg sleeve, the parts without any color.

“I have one with color. I have a sunflower in one of my tattoos that is bright yellow.” Lyra chimed in, tilting her head back to look at Jongho. It was also at this point she yawned loudly and began to rub her eyes, messing up her make up further. She felt like she looked like a raccoon with how smudge her eye makeup had become.

“It’s late, guys, I'm sorry but we’ll probably have to go in the next couple minutes. We have a four hour drive.” Lia said finally realizing how late it had become nearly midnight now, it would be around four in the morning when they made it back to Columbia.

“Stay, that’s very far and dangerous at this hour,” Seonghwa said looking around for any rebuttal to his offer

“We couldn’t do that, you’ve already fed us and been so kind. We’ll be okay, and we can figure out a way to come see you all again in a couple days so we don’t interrupt your schedules.” Lia said in protest to the kind offer, not wanting to overstay their welcome.

“We said we want to take care of you, please let us,” Yeosang retorted, catching Lia’s eye and smiling at her.

With a little more convincing the two girls agreed to stay, deciding to sleep on the two couches and reluctantly accepting some t-shirts from the boys, (to be read, a long game of rock, paper, scissors between the boys to decide who got to offer them shirts… Jongho gave one to Lyra and San gave one to Lia.)

After the girls changed and took off their makeup, the entire group sat in the living room trying to make the most of their night together, still not sure what would come next. Before long, Lyra had fallen asleep on San’s shoulder, lightly snoring.

“I’ll take her to our bed,” San said as he shifted, getting ready to pick up the girl. Wooyoung nodded his head before standing to go to bed with them, tired himself.

“Wait, we said we’re fine with taking the couches, we really don’t want to put anyone out of their beds.” Lia said, not wanting anyone to be put out by their presence.

“We were never going to let you all, and if you’re comfortable with it and think Lyra would be, we can just share with you instead of anyone having to sleep out here all the beds are King sized and could easily fit up to three,” Hongjoong said from his spot next to Lia.

Lia let out a long sigh, “I think that will be fine, but please tell me you wont play rock, paper scissors again to figure out who I’ll be sleeping with tonight?”

“No, just go choose a bed and whoever already had claim to that bed is who you’ll sleep with tonight” Mingi explained as though they had already spoken about this – they had while the girls were taking their makeup off.

So, without hesitation, Lia wandered to the opposite room from where Wooyoung and San had taken Lyra to bed after she had answered Hongjoong, and plopped on to the one nearest to the bathroom.

Then a much too smug Hongjoong and Seonghwa came in behind her and sat on either side of her, letting her know that this was their shared bed for the night. After them Mingi and Yunho came to the other bed, flicking off the lights.

In a matter of minutes, everyone in the hotel suite had fallen asleep cuddled up with at least one of their soulmates next to them. Hongjoong was sure he was the last one fighting the pull of sleep, he could hear everyone’s deep breaths in the room and let his eyes close with a grin on his face.

For all of them it was the most restful sleep they could remember in a long time. Each felt safe and secure knowing that they were all together finally. They didn’t know what the next day would bring or how the small details would work themselves out, but that was a problem for the next day. In this moment the only thing that mattered was being together.

A/N: Sup? New part coming at you at 1 AM. This isn't edited, but I never edit so are we suprised??? Also, for some context this is taking place circa Januarary 2022. This really is just a fun thing for me and my best friend, but the love is very much apperiated and I hope you all enjoy. We will start looking into some heavier topics as we go, so be prepared.

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