Room For Three (j.yh + P.sh)

room for three (j.yh + p.sh)

summary: stood up at the bar on a saturday night, you decide to have one more drink and then head home, but a handsome couple has other ideas in mind.

note: 18+ content, minors DNI. for everyone wondering why i've been quiet, i'm on the mend from covid but finally feeling better and writing again! more to come very soon, including more into the aurora. x

warnings: non idol!yunho, non idol!seonghwa, fem!reader, established yunhwa relationship, mmf, praise, degredation, impact play, suggestive language, oral (f receiveing), oral (m receiving), rough sex, noona kink, use of 'whore' but in a sexy way, extremely intense orgasms, big dick yunho, talented dick hwa, cute husbands adding a third

pairings: yunho x seonghwa x reader

genre: nothing but smut here

word count: 9.1K

my masterlist || read it on AO3 || the sequel; and if i stay

              After an hour, you’re sure he’s not coming. You can’t say you’re too disappointed, another in a long line of blind dates set up by your mother trying to find you a husband, and you’re starting to think that maybe this just isn’t for you.

It’s not the first time you’ve been stood up, but it’s the first time in a long while and you had forgotten the sting of it. The way it feels to a be a woman alone at the restaurant bar, checking your phone endlessly and nursing a drink, feeling the pity of the wait staff and bartenders when you tell them you’ll wait just a little bit longer.

You had started off with water, but around the thirty-minute mark you decided it was a fifty-fifty chance he was ditching you, and you should just start drinking. You’re paced with your first cocktail, still giving this faceless man the benefit of the doubt. Traffic could be bad, work could be crazy, phone lines everywhere in Seoul could be down, or he could have just decided against meeting you.

              Sipping the end of your cocktail, you sigh. It’s also possible that he made it to the restaurant, saw you, and left, but that’s a thought you can’t entertain for too long without feeling sad about being thirty and single.

              Your phone lights up with a text message and you open it to see the incoming message from your best friend – how is it??? is he cute??

              a no show – you respond quickly, and you see the bubble pop up immediately to indicate that she’s typing.

              what an ass – she says, and then a second message comes through – you deserve a drink.

              way ahead of you – you tell her, sending her a picture of your fancy looking cocktail.

              pick up a handsome stranger – she suggests with a cheeky emoji – and never agree to a blind date from your mom again.

              haha – you roll your eyes as you type – i’m just going to go home, order pizza, and watch a movie or something

              suit yourself – she sends with a shrugging emoji – call me later

              You sigh, sending her a thumbs up and leaning back from the bar. It’s a pretty restaurant, romantic and warm, and you really would have liked to eat here. You watch the ice in your glass melting for a minute and check the time. You should go home, kick off these ridiculously high heels, and find something infinitely more comfortable to wear than this dress.

              You’re a moment away from standing up and going to going to coat check when the bartender returns and slides another drink in front of you with a smile.

              “Oh,” you shake your head slightly, “I didn’t order another drink,”

              “It’s from the gentlemen across the bar,” he nods over his shoulder in a vague direction.

              “Thank you,” you tell him, and you’re sure the surprise is evident on your face. As he leaves to tend to other patrons, you turn and look for the men who sent you the drink.

              The first thing you realize is how striking they are, and the one with the sharp eyes raises his glass to you and nods with a smile. The man next to him, with kind eyes and an easy, relaxed air about him simply gives you a warm smile before turning back to his friend.

              You recover quickly from your surprise and nod back in thanks. They make no effort to get up, and both have already looked away from you, so you accept the drink quietly and settle back into your seat at the bar for just one more. The only thing is that you can’t stop glancing over at them, handsome and ignoring you, which just about always describes your type. The kind looking taller man stands, and you watch him out of the corner of his eye as he drops a handful of bills on the bar. He leans in close to his friend and murmurs something in his ear, and you watch when his hand rests on the back of his neck, and softly strokes the hair at the nape of his neck. More than friends then.

              As the tall one disappears back into the restaurant, presumably to find the bathroom or check on their table, you realize these men are clearly a couple who realized you had been stood up and sent you a drink. It was sweet, and also kind of sad, and you draw your eyes back down to your phone to finish your drink in relative peace and silence.

              It startles you when a man slides into the seat next to you, and you realize it’s the one with the striking eyes and plush mouth, no longer across the bar but right here in front of you. He smiles wide, revealing perfectly white teeth, “Hello,” he says and his voice is deeper than you expected.

              “Hi,” you shift in your seat to angle towards him just a bit, “I guess I should be thanking you for the drink,”

              He shakes his head, waving your thanks away, “Forgive me if I’m assuming something here,” he says, “but you look dressed for a date.”

              “Mm,” you nod and shrug, “he didn’t show,”

              “I thought that might be the case,” he says, and he breaks your gaze to reach out for the bartender, ordering two more drinks with an easy silent hand gesture.

              “And you?” You ask him, a striking flutter in your stomach when he looks at you again, “Are you and your partner waiting for a table?”

              “Husband,” he corrects softly and then moves smoothly past it, “No, we just stopped by for a drink or two. We just noticed you sitting alone and thought we might be able to make your night a little better,”

              “That’s very kind,” you smile, relaxing into some easy conversation. He’s handsome, and it makes you feel a little like blushing every time he looks at you, but knowing the pressure is off for flirting leaves you feeling more comfortable than not.

              “I’m Seonghwa,” he introduces himself.

              “y/n,” you reply.

              “That’s pretty,” he smiles, and as the bartender returns with the two drinks you realize one isn’t for you, but for his husband. You had most of the drink that they bought you left, and you take a quick sip as Seonghwa thanks the bartender and takes one of the drinks.

              You’re about to thank him again or find something to make conversation about, when a hand drops onto the back of your chair and Seonghwa’s husband steps closer, occupying the space between your two bar seats and feeling even taller standing over you. He’s handsome too, especially up close where you can really be dazzled by his kind smile and broad shoulders.

              “There you are,” the man smiles down at Seonghwa and then turns to you, “I’m Yunho,”

              “y/n,” you tell him, and you don’t miss the way Seonghwa’s hand reaches around Yunho to rest on his back.

              “That is pretty,” he nods, and then he refocuses on the drinks at the bar, “is that for me?”

              Seonghwa nods and passes him the glass.

              Yunho’s hand stays anchored on the back of your chair, but you don’t mind. You’re tucked up close with them at the bar, these two strangers, but it feels comfortable and easy, and almost like you’re sharing a little secret amongst the three of you. You don’t mind not being alone at the bar anymore either.

              “So, your date,” Yunho moves the light conversation back to you, “did he get stuck at work or something?”

              “Ah,” you sigh, shaking your head, “no, he’s just a no show. It was a blind date though, so maybe I dodged a bullet.”

              “I’d say so,” Seonghwa observes.

              “His loss,” Yunho agrees, “I’m sure he’d be kicking himself if he knew how beautiful you are,”

              His tone is almost flirtatious, and you can’t hide the blush that warms your cheeks, aided slightly by the second cocktail. “Well,” you take a sip of your drink, “thank you,”

              “I never liked blind dates,” Seonghwa’s nose scrunches a bit at the idea and Yunho laughs.

              “You went on one,” Yunho shakes his head, “and you were twenty. Of course, it was terrible,”

              Seonghwa smirks up at him, “I meant I never liked the idea of them,”

              They’re sweet together, and you think idlily for a moment you wouldn’t mind being their friend.

              Yunho turns back to you and holds your gaze, “Do you do this a lot, then?”

              “Blind dates?” You clarify and he nods. “Lately,” you smile, “I’m doing my best to appease my very nervous mother,”

              “Ah,” he takes a long sip of his drink and then asks, “no promising candidates?”

              “Not yet,” you laugh, “I think I’m about to give up dating men entirely.”

              Yunho hums, a low pleased sound and looks to Seonghwa before meeting your eyes, “You need someone to take care of you.”

              The tone has shifted from casual joking to whatever this is with one look, and you feel a sudden strike of heat in your stomach. There’s no mistaking his gaze now, and you wonder suddenly how you got so far out into such deep water.

              Seonghwa’s voice is low and direct when he says, “We could take care of you.”

              You lower your drink to the bar, afraid that if you don’t it might slip right through your fingers, and they watch you carefully. The way your eyes widen in surprise and your lips part softly, a pink flush up your neck and cheeks. When you shift on your barstool, your legs tightening, unconsciously applying a little pressure to your core, they know they have you.

              “I’m not sure I understand,” you manage.

              “If you’re interested,” Seonghwa leans forwards just a few inches, “we’d like to take you home with us.”

              “Tonight?” you ask.

              Yunho grins, quietly laughing, “Yes, tonight.”

              “But I thought you were,” you gesture between them, drawing a line in the air from Seonghwa to Yunho and back again.

              “We are,” Seonghwa smiles, “but that doesn’t mean we aren’t interested in you, and we still would like to take you home.”

              You’re suddenly a little embarrassed, you didn’t mean to assume anything about their relationship or their sexuality, but you’d be lying if you said this is what you expected when they came over to have a drink with you. You nod, mostly to yourself and consider their words. You want them, a striking realization. You want them, and you want them to take you apart, and that thought terrifies you.

              “What does taking me home mean, exactly?” You ask.

              “It means you would spend the night with us,” Seonghwa explains.

              “All of us,” you clarify, “together?”

              “If you’d like,” he nods.

              They wait patiently while you consider things, and in the back of your mind you hear your best friend’s voice in your head, she had suggested you find a handsome stranger. You certainly didn’t expect to find two. You look between them, their eyes still warm and kind, and you have a sense that you can trust them. As you take a breath to answer them, you hope you aren’t wrong, “Okay,”

              “You don’t have to be nervous,” Yunho says softly, and you’re suddenly aware of how close he’s been standing to you this whole time, “we’ll take good care of you.”

              For some reason, you believe him.

              You swallow hard, your skin buzzing with anxious anticipation. Seonghwa seems visibly relaxed now that you’ve agreed, and he takes a sip of his drink, “We’ve been looking for someone to dote on,”

              They seem amused by your expression, and you shake it off come back to reality. You’ve had one night stands before, but they’re few and far between and never quite like this, but no matter how safe they are making you feel now, you should treat it like any other time in the past. You clear your throat softly and ask, “Would you be uncomfortable if I shared your address with my friend?”

              “Not at all,” Yunho shakes his head, “whatever makes you feel more comfortable.”

              You take your phone off the bar and open your texts, tapping out a quick message to your friend to let her know you took her advice, and you’d call her tomorrow, before sharing your location with her indefinitely.

              “Once you’re ready,” Seonghwa nods to your drink on the bar.

              “Oh,” You push the drink away slightly, “honestly, I’d rather keep a clear head.”

              “Of course,” he smiles, and lays his hand on top of yours.

              “I’ll order a car,” Yunho says, and he quickly organizes an Uber ride to pick you up outside the restaurant.

              It feels like before you can blink, you’re tucked between the two of them in the back of a black sedan, their apartment only twenty minutes away in the evening Seoul traffic. The ride is quiet, and you hope they can’t hear the way your heart is pounding against your ribs. This was easily the most spur of the moment thing you’ve ever done, but after months of failed dates with boring men you don’t seem to care.

              Seonghwa gently runs the back of his knuckles down your forearm, and you inhale sharply, your skin erupting in goosebumps. He looks over to you, but his hand against your arm doesn’t still, “You okay, love?”

              You nod, but you’re unable to really say anything after the way his voice sounded, low and crisp when he called you love. Something deep inside you wants him to say it again.

              The car drives on, and Yunho seems calm and collected as he watches the city flick by outside. Your body tenses when he drops a hand on your bare knee, sliding it up just enough so that his fingertips rest softly on your inner thigh, his thumb stroking your knee slowly, steadily. You can’t help but picture him moving his hand further up your thigh, under your skirt, teasing your wet folds with his long fingers, sinking them inside you. You don’t even realize the way you’ve parted your knees for him like a reflex, only an inch or two wider, but he smiles softly at your response and continues watching out the window.

              You notice the thin, simple ring he wears on his index finger and realize that neither of them is wearing a traditional wedding band.

              “We’re not far now,” Seonghwa tells you, and you nod, shaken out of your thoughts.

              Yunho’s hand stays steady on your knee, possessive, the weight of it grounding you to the moment as the car finally turns down their street and slows to a stop, hazard lights on. Yunho opens his door, tightening the hand on your knee for just a moment before pulling away and climbing out of the car, and your breath quickens.

              He offers you his hand, and you take it gratefully, you don’t want to be unsteady on your heels or in this tight dress. The street is busy, cars rushing past you in the night, and Yunho keeps you tucked between himself and the car, maneuvering you with ease and a hand on your waist.

              You meet Seonghwa on the sidewalk, and he waves you towards the tall apartment building. You pass through an entry way with a doorman who greets Seonghwa and Yunho kindly, calling you miss even though you’re pretty sure you’re older than both men by a couple of years, and get into an elevator to take you to the tenth floor.

              The building is nice, incredibly nice. Far nicer than yours, and you wonder what their jobs could be to accommodate something like this in such an expensive part of Seoul.

              Once inside their apartment, the gentle tension between the three of you diffuses, as you’re finally able to acknowledge more openly what’s about to happen. You step into their space and look around, wide windows along the far wall, clean and neat décor – masculine with a few interesting accents, and it’s overwhelmingly clean.

              “Welcome,” Seonghwa takes your coat and hangs it neatly in the entryway closet before ushering you more properly inside. “I’ll get you some water? Unless you’ve changed your mind about the drink?”

              “Water’s fine,” you smile, and he steps through the open concept space into a large, bright kitchen.

              “This apartment is beautiful,” you say as you take it in.

              “Thank you,” Yunho smiles, seeming even more relaxed now that he’s at home, “we love it here. It’s right in the middle of everything,”

              “What is it that you both do?” You ask, trying to find a tactful way of finding out how they could possibly afford the space.

              Seonghwa returns with your water, and they bring you into the living room, gesturing for you to make yourself comfortable on the sofa. Yunho takes a seat on chair opposite you, “Seonghwa’s a writer,” he smiles up at his husband, clearly proud, “and I’m a lawyer,”

              “That’s interesting,” you lean forwards, and Seonghwa moves past you to sit on the sofa with you.

              Yunho makes a face and shrugs, “It’s contract law, so not that interesting really, but he’s published now.”

              Seonghwa looks a little shy while his husband touts his accomplishments, and shakes his head, “it’s nothing, really.”

              Yunho shakes his head, “It’s two books,”

              “That’s impressive actually,” you tell him, “novels?”

              “Yes,” he nods.

              “I’d love to see,”

              “Another time,” Seonghwa shakes his head and waves Yunho off, who you can tell is a breath away from running to the bookshelf.

              Seonghwa shifts a little closer to you on the couch, “What about you?”

              “Oh,” you smile, “I’m an engineer,” a job that the men you dated often found intimidating.

              “Interesting,” he replies, “do you like it?”

              “Very much,” It feels suddenly like you’re on a real date with them, and you’re grateful that they are easing you into their space and the night, it helps your nerves melt away. “How did you two meet?”

              “College,” Yunho looks to Seonghwa, and you can see the deep affection in his face.

              “That’s nice,” you murmur.

              “y/n,” Seonghwa clears his throat, “can I ask how old you are?”

              “I’m thirty,” you offer without hesitation, “and I’m a little upset that you guys have a much nicer apartment than I do when you’re younger than me.”

              Yunho chuckles and shrugs, and after a beat you find yourself asking too, “How old are you both, then?”

              “Twenty-seven,” Yunho offers and nods to Seonghwa, “he’s twenty-eight.”

              “Two books by twenty-eight,” you sigh, “I see why you talk him up,” you say to Yunho, and he smiles, eyebrows raised to Seonghwa.

              You take a long sip of water and it’s quiet, a lull in conversation, and you watch as Yunho and Seonghwa silently communicate something with their eyes.

              “Is there anything else you need?” Seonghwa hand rests on your leg for a moment.

              “No, I think I’m fine,”

              “Then we should discuss tonight,” Seonghwa says, “we’d like to be sure we understand your boundaries.”

              “Oh,” you’re surprised again, “okay, that makes sense. We hardly know each other,”

              “Exactly,” he nods, before looking to Yunho and giving him a nod.

              Yunho leans forwards in his chair, elbows on his knees and he gently clasps his hands in front of him before he says, “First, I should ask, do you have any hard lines? Anything specific that makes you uncomfortable?”

              “I don’t think so,” you search your brain, but can’t come up with anything.

              He nods and adjusts, “Let me ask it a little differently,” he says, “are you comfortable being more submissive?”

              You blush, and Yunho smiles, loving the way you jumped into this experience headfirst but still seem completely embarrassed by the logistics of it. You nod a beat later to respond to his question, “I’d prefer it,” you tell him honestly.

              “That’s good,” his eyes flick to Seonghwa, and back to you. “If I had to guess, you seem like you would enjoy praise, but how about a little degradation? Name calling and more targeted dirty talk?”

              Your stomach tightens at his words, and you nod again, “All good.”

              “And pain?” He checks.

              “What do you mean?” You fold your arms unconsciously, leaning back and crossing your arms in front of you, which does not go unnoticed by either of them. The spectrum of pain that could be incorporated into sex is a wide one, and you’re suddenly nervous.

              “It’s okay if you don’t like it,” he assures you, “it’s just good for us to know before we start anything.”

              “I mean,” you let your arms drop, and try to delicately work out exactly what he means, “rough sex is fine, that can be good, and I don’t mind light things, I guess? I just wouldn’t want to,” you knot your hands together, “actually be in pain, I don’t think I would like that.”

              He nods along with your words, “I understand,” he says, holding your gaze, “we won’t hurt you.”

              “Last thing,” Seonghwa brushes a hand down your back, “if you want to stop for anything – to take a break, to stop altogether, or if you don’t like something, just tell us. We want you to feel safe with us,”

              “I do so far,” you admit.

              “Well then,” Seonghwa smiles and looks to Yunho, “is there anything else?”

              “Ah,” Yunho nods, “birth control. Should we be concerned about that, would you prefer we wear condoms?”

              “I’m on birth control, but,” you look between them, “is this something you do often?”

              Yunho shakes his head, a warm, small smile on his lips, “No, and we’ve been tested since our last additional partner. What about you?”

              You laugh and shrug, “I haven’t gotten out much lately, and at my last physical I tested clean,”

              “Then we’re comfortable if you are,”

              “I am,” you nod, and Yunho leans back in his seat, looking pleased. You were both taking some things on faith about each other, but everything’s felt shockingly right since the bar, and with the way Yunho was carefully walking through your boundaries beforehand, you feel like you can trust them.

              Yunho leans back in his chair fully, his legs seated wide open, and his eyes darken. “Hwa,” he nods to his husband, and you realize you’re about to start – no longer talking in hypotheticals.

              “y/n,” Seonghwa’s voice is soft and a little tender, “come here, love.”

              You lean towards him, and slowly he presses his mouth to yours. He’s careful with you, kissing you with closed lips and settling his hand on your hip, but slowly he starts to probe forwards. His tongue dips deliciously into your mouth as your lips part, and his hands start to stray as he moves to hover over you as you still sit side by side on the couch.

              Seonghwa’s lips move across your jaw and slowly down your throat, when his hand on your ribs tightens, you gasp pleasantly.

              “Mm,” Seonghwa hums against your throat, “you’re so responsive,”

              At a nip of his teeth you jump, a little shockwave running over you. You shift to kiss his lips again, and he drags you forwards against him so you can hold onto his shoulders. You hum against his lips and try to shift so that you’re facing him better on the couch but the tight column of your dress gets in the way of your movement.

              Seonghwa tugs collar of the navy-blue dress a little and you feel his fingers find the zipper on the back, “Let’s take this off you, hmm?”

              You nod, all you seem to be able to do with your brain short circuiting like this, and he drags the zipper down to expose your back to the cool air of the apartment. Seonghwa peels it away from you with ease, and it pools at your waist. You’ll need to stand to shimmy it off fully, but he doesn’t seem to be in any rush.

              He drinks you in, and you’re suddenly grateful that you chose the underwear you did. He cups your breast over your bra, a little lace in peachy pink, and squeezes softly. “Isn’t she perfect?” Seonghwa turns and looks to Yunho.

              You had almost forgotten he was in the room, so quiet while you and Seonghwa explored each other, but when you follow his gaze, you see Yunho’s eyes dark with desire his lips wet. “Perfect,” he confirms.

              Seonghwa stands and pulls you to your feet, and he loosens the zipper on the back of your dress the rest of the way. With a slide of his hands he strips the fabric off you, his hands splayed wide on your thighs as he settles behind you.

              Yunho holds a handout to you, and you step forwards, Seonghwa’s hands falling away.

              “Come sit,” he adjusts his legs and pats his thigh, prompting you to straddle him on the chair and sit on his lap, facing him.

              His gaze is exposing, and you can feel yourself blushing when you look away from him. He makes a negative noise with his tongue against his teeth, and he raises your eyes with his and on your jaw, “What’s the matter, baby?”

              “Nothing,” you shake your head, “I just don’t know that anyone’s ever looked at me this closely before,”

              He smiles and looks down at your body, pressing softly on your chest to make you lean away from him a little, and you brace yourself with a hand behind you on his knee. He drags his middle and ring finger down your body, starting at your breastbone and coasting slowly over your stomach, dipping along your navel, and stopping just above the hemline of your panties. He strokes the skin here, massaging it gently, “You deserve to be looked at,” he lets his thumb slip under your panties, continuing his massaging circles, “and to be touched.”

              “Oh,” you shiver, and he likes the way you’re already twitching with need above him.

              “Do you want to be touched?” his thumb slides lower and brushes it lightly your skin.

              You nod, a little desperately, “Yes,” you already sound a little breathless.

              “Not yet,” he moves suddenly, sitting up and dragging you forwards against him in one smooth movement, and he catches your mouth with his, he’s lips insistent and hungry against yours.

              His hands roam your body, palming each breast, sweeping along your hips and thighs, and squeezing the soft flesh of your ass. You can’t help the soft moan that slips out of your mouth when he catches your bottom lip with his teeth, and he sighs into you.

              “Yunho,” Seonghwa’s voice cuts through and you both break the kiss to turn to him, “let’s take her to bed, hmm?”

              “Mhm,” he holds you close and hoists himself standing, pulling your legs up around his hips and hooking one of his arms under your hips to hold you up, “Let’s go,”

              “You can put me down,” you offer him.

              “Not a chance,” his hands squeeze you.

              Once in the bedroom, he deposits you in the center of their king mattress, appraising you and waiting for Seonghwa.

              “You look good in our bed,” Seonghwa observes, his voice dropping at the sight of you.

              You push up on your elbows, “Where should we start?”

              “Just relax,” Yunho eases you, “we’re in no rush,”

              Yunho moves behind Seonghwa, dropping his head to nuzzle softly against his temple, bringing his arms around Seonghwa’s shoulders. Your mouth runs dry the minute you watch Yunho’s mouth working against Seonghwa’s throat, and his hands start to unfasten the buttons of his shirt, bearing Seonghwa’s chest to you little by precious little.

              You inhale sharply and watch Seonghwa drop his head back to bare his neck, adorned in a fine gold chain, his eyes slipping shut and letting himself sink into the tender ministrations of his lover. As Yunho runs his hands up Seonghwa’s chest slowly, your legs part on their own and the hand you had resting on your stomach starts to creep lower.      

              You can’t tear your eyes away from them, Seonghwa’s chest rising and falling in quick pants as Yunho sucks on his pulse points and runs his thumb across a nipple. You dip your fingers under your panties, sinking your fingers into your already wet folds, and start to circle your fingers expertly on your already swollen clit.

              At a broken little whimper from your lips, Yunho and Seonghwa both look to you and for a moment they watch the way your hand bobs up and down, fabric straining over the back of your knuckles, but then Seonghwa steps forwards and seizes your wrist, pulling your hand free.

“We told you,” He kneels on the bed by your side, “we’ll take care of you.” He raises your hand to his lips and takes your wet fingers into his mouth, tongue curling around your digits and sucking off any evidence of your arousal.

              “Oh,” you breathe, nearly groaning at the sensation.

              He slides your fingers slowly from his mouth, kissing the tips softly before dropping your hand back on your stomach and sliding off the bed again. In the interim, Yunho has stripped down to his boxers and undershirt, and you’re electric with anticipation.

              “You have to taste her,” Seonghwa says, unbuckling his belt to drop his trousers, leaving him in just his boxers.

              “I will,” Yunho assures him, and the promise of it has you aching to be touched.

              Seonghwa slips back onto the bed with you, only this time he slides down to lay next to you, rolling you to face him on your side and kisses you hard, his lips more insistent this time and his hand tight on your hip. The bed dips behind you, and Yunho brings himself close to your back, almost spooning. He runs his hand along your thigh and presses it up, maneuvering your one leg up and bent at the knee, and Seonghwa deftly catches it and holds it hitched over his hip.

              You’re trembling when Yunho starts to touch you, running his finger along your clothed slit, and you want to beg for more, but Seonghwa won’t let you leave his kisses for anything but air. Yunho knows though, reading your body’s twitches and jerks, and he hooks his finger under the edge of your panties to push them aside and sink a single finger inside you. You gasp against Seonghwa’s mouth and Yunho kisses your bare shoulder, “You’re so tight, baby,” he works his finger in and out of you slowly, “do you really think you can take us?”

              Seonghwa smiles against your mouth and his fingers tighten on your thigh, “Too tight for Yunho’s fingers?”

              All you can manage is a moan, and when Yunho pulls out this time, he adds a second finger and presses you open more. “We can work you open,” he breaths against your back, warm breath on your bare skin, “don’t worry, baby.”

              “Oh my god,” you can’t believe how good they are at this, practiced in how to touch and what to say, and you know there’s no coming back from this, every touch making you more insatiable.

              Yunho’s fingers leave you, and he leans away to unhook your bra, sliding the straps down and you maneuver with them to take it off and toss it aside. Seonghwa moves closer, impossibly so, and slides his leg between yours, pressing up firmly with his thigh against your center. He slips a hand into your hair and holds you firmly before holding your gaze tightly and nodding, his thigh flexing under you.

              You know what he wants instantly, and you rock against him, grinding yourself down on his bare thigh, the rough lace of your underwear creating sharp friction against your clit. Yunho’s hand slips between you, palming your bare breast and tweaking your nipple, flicking and rolling it as it pebbles up hard under his fingers.

              Seonghwa’s face has a hardened edge to it now, and you hold onto him desperately as you work yourself against him, embarrassingly close to coming already. He adjusts his hold on your hair and holds you tight, “Come on then,” he taunts you, “you wanted to make yourself come so badly,”

              “Oh god,” you try to drop your eyes, but he holds you steady, his free hand delivering a quick slap to your backside.

              You jolt, whimpering into a moan, and Yunho massages the spot to soothe the sting. When you come it’s fast against Seonghwa’s thigh, and they let you drop back against the bed a moment later.

              Yunho pulls his shirt over his head and lays back flat against the bed, getting himself comfortable before he turns to you. You’re looking into his eyes when you feel a tug on your panties, Seonghwa pulling them down and off you.

              “I need you to come up here,” Yunho grins, tapping his chin. 

              “What do you,” you’re starting to say, put Seonghwa has already pulled you up and away from Yunho before you can finish your sentence.

              “You’re going to sit on his face,” Seonghwa says, not a question but a command, “and he’s going to make you come.”

              Your breath is caught in your throat, but you’re ready, throwing your nerves and any lingering self-consciousness out the window. Seonghwa watches as you move to climb onto Yunho, but he interrupts you when he sees which way you’ll be facing. “Turn the other way,” he says, and guides you until you straddle Yunho, resting two hands on his chest to hold yourself steady.

              Yunho pulls you down sharply, his tongue probing your slick folds to find your clit. His arms wrap tightly around your hips to hold you steady, and you’re left to do nothing but hold yourself up and rock your hips against his tongue.

              “Eyes on me,” Seonghwa says, and your head snaps up. Seonghwa pulls Yunho’s boxers down his legs with ease, and your eyes widen at the sight of his cock standing hard at attention. You moan, wanting him with such a sudden heat that your hips drop down a little further and you hear Yunho hum, pleased and encouraging.

              Seonghwa drops between Yunho’s legs, and though Seonghwa himself is not a small man, between Yunho’s thighs and long legs he looks it. You watch as Seonghwa starts to work Yunho’s cock, rolling his wrist and pumping up and down his thick length. Yunho moans into you and sucks your clit sharply in response, your brain spiking with pleasure, and you collapse further down onto Yunho.

              “I’ll show you what he likes,” Seonghwa says, and he dips his head to accept Yunho in his mouth. His hips jerk, and Seonghwa slaps Yunho’s thigh softly as if to tell him off. Seonghwa bobs his head up and down Yunho’s cock, as far down as he can take him comfortably and you are flushed with heat, a tight knot of pleasure building inside you.

              Yunho moans into you again and your legs start to shake, his constant attention to your clit driving you up fast and you can’t control the sounds that leave you now. Seonghwa pulls off Yunho when he hears you, and reaches up to take your chin, “Spit,” he commands, holding out his hand and you comply easily, pooling saliva in your mouth and letting it run from your lips into his hand.

              Seonghwa drops the hand you spit into on Yunho’s throbbing cock and works his hand faster now, the sound slick and wet and with Seonghwa’s eyes on you, you come again, falling fully onto Yunho’s chest and abdomen and arching your hips, letting him hold you to his tongue for as long as possible until he’s sure you’ve come through it.

              He pulls away from you with a gasp, “Hwa, stop, stop,” and you see the way Yunho’s hips are jerking, thrusting his cock into Seonghwa’s tight hand, too close to coming for how early it is in the night.

              Seonghwa pulls his hand away, and leans forward to kiss you, tender, “You’re doing so well,”

              You smile, dreamy, and ease yourself off Yunho.

              Yunho sits up, pulling you into his arms with ease, “Look at you,” he kisses you and smiles, “you’re perfect,”

              “Love,” Seonghwa brushes his hand along your thigh, “what do you need?”

              Your hand drifts, coasting down Yunho’s front, and you run your hand along his hard cock. Yunho groans softly, his eyes fluttering shut, and you kiss his chest, “I want you in my mouth,”

              Yunho pants slightly as you pump your hand, but you turn in his arms to look at Seonghwa, “and I want you inside me,”

              Seonghwa’s lips quirk into a smile and he chuckles, “Is that how you want to be treated, love? Like a whore?”

              No one’s ever called you that before, and you whine unexpectedly, Seonghwa watching when your face melts into a needy pout, and he knows he’s unlocking something for you.

              “If that’s what you want,” he shrugs, and he taps Yunho to tell him it’s time to move into a new position.

              When Yunho shifts off the bed to stand, Seonghwa kneels behind you, and he pulls your hips up fast to position you on all fours. The head of his cock is pressing at your entrance a second later, and he pushes down on your back to arch you open.

              “Please,” you look back at him, “please fuck me,”

              He shakes his head, “Take him in your mouth first,” He says, “as far as you can,”

              Yunho steps towards you, and you open your mouth eagerly, ready and waiting. He cups your chin and sinks his hand into your hair, holding the back of your head steady as he shifts his hips forwards and slides his cock over your wet tongue.

              You hear him exhale hard through his nose, and you extend your neck to take him further, your mouth stretched wide around him, and your throat opens to accept as much of him as you can take. He bumps the back of your throat, and you choke around him, your gag reflex firing and he slides himself out of your mouth. You shake your head, a heaving gasp on your lips, “No, no, I want to try again,”

              Yunho looks down at you, his tongue against his teeth as he holds himself back from throwing restraint away and fucking you throat, “Is that right? You want to choke on my cock?”

              “Please,” you groan, opening your mouth wide, looking up at him from under your lashes.

              He presses back in, and you take his cock down again, this time slower and more controlled. You steady your breathing, and when you softly choke against him this time, you keep your panic down and don’t gag against him, just struggle through a spluttering cough that seems to only make him harder. When you think you’re getting the hang of it, Seonghwa thrusts forwards and shoves his cock into deeply, griding his hips against you and gripping your waist once he’s fully seated inside you. The sudden stretch has you startled, and you pull off Yunho to cry out, your body trembling as you try to hold yourself up the way they want you.

              Seonghwa’s hand comes down quick, striking your soft skin, lighting up your backside pink, and you gasp into a choked cry. Yunho pushes your hair back from your face and crouches to be at your eye level, but before he can say anything, Seonghwa delivers another punishing spank and you jolt forwards, body shaking and a tight noise from your lips.

              “Hwa!” Yunho’s voice is quick and cutting and you feel Seonghwa still completely. Yunho holds your face and meets your eyes, “Too much? Are you alright?”

              “Why’d you stop?” You press your hips back into Seonghwa, panting and blinking through the haze, “Keep going, please, please,”

              “I knew it,” Seonghwa thrusts hard, knocking his hips into yours.

              Yunho presses a messy kiss to your lips, “You’re such a good girl,” he all but growls into your ear, and he stands again to press his cock head to your lips. You lick him sharply, your tongue flicking over his soft slit before you sink your mouth over him once more.

              Seonghwa picks up the pace of his thrusts, driving his cock into you at quick pace, and he curses tightly, “I knew it when I saw you at the bar,” he says, spanking you harshly again, “you were going to be a perfect little whore for us,”

              Your brain whites out at his words, the sensation of him filling you fully and completely combined with the sting of his slaps and Yunho’s cock in your mouth has you completely out of control, held tightly between both men as they thrust into you. Yunho’s hand tightens on your scalp, and he pulls away from you, addressing Seonghwa over your shaking body, “Slide back for me,”

              Seonghwa shifts back, his cock leaving you for a moment, and he pulls you across the sheets, repositioning you quickly before thrusting back inside you and resuming his relentless pace. Yunho kneels low in front of you on the bed, his knees open wide so he can sit low and better meet your gaze. He smiles at you, nodding when he sees the fucked-out expression on your face, and gathers your hair up, securing it a little better in one fist behind your head, his other hand coming to hold your jaw steady.

              You can’t control the noises that slip out of you now, your body feeling like a live wire as Seonghwa pistons his hips harder. Yunho watches you with awe, and he curses when you make particularly pained whine and grip down on the bedsheets beneath you.

              “Mhm,” Yunho coaxes you, his brows knit together as he nods, “there you go, taking Hwa so well,”

              Your muscles tighten down and Seonghwa groans behind you, quickening his hips.

              “Oh god, oh god,” you’ve never felt something like this, your body building to something new, and you feel the way your legs are shaking, hearing the vibration in your voice as you cry out. Yunho draws your hand to his stiff length, and you start to work it without a thought, dragging your hand over him at a steady pace, watching as Yunho’s mouth drops open in pleasure.

              Seonghwa’s hand drops down on your ass again, fully unexpected this time, and you cry out, a sharp, surprised sound, but it tumbles into a keening moan as a tight string inside your body breaks and you crest into a shaking orgasm.

              Yunho pulls you forwards, leaning you on his shoulder to help support you, and he kisses your hairline, his hand shifting to find your throat and squeezing down perfectly. “There you go,” he whispers to you, soothing you as you crash through it, “let go, baby, come for us, baby,”

              His hand releases and you inhale sharply, a tight high-pitched whine, and you press further forwards, your entire body shaking as you come down. Seonghwa pulls out of you, his hands that were a moment ago tight on your skin now soft and massaging, and he brushes his hand lightly over the tender pink skin where he slapped you, soothing you easily now.

              “I can’t breathe,” your chest is heaving, and Yunho directs you easily with his hands so that you’re lying back on the bed now, eyes shut as you recover your breath and try to feel your limbs again.

              Your eyes open again when a hand caresses your chest, softly stroking your skin and running over your stomach. Seonghwa is looking down at you with kind eyes, “Hello, love,”

              You sigh, a long deep exhale and reach for his hand, interlocking your fingers together, “Hi,”

              “Feeling good?” He smiles.

              “So good,” you let your head loll to the side and bump right into Yunho’s thigh.

              “Hey, pretty girl,” He takes your free hand and kisses it softly.

              “God,” your body still feels like it has the shakes, “I didn’t know it could be like that,”

              Seonghwa grins, “We’re not done with you just yet,”

              Yunho slides away from you and moves to the other side of the bed, closing his hands around your calves and dragging you forwards to position you better. He opens your legs, folding them back and you feel your them starting to tremble again already.

              Yunho sighs, and you watch him palm his cock, stroking it as he moves closer to you, nudging your clit with the warm velvet head. Your legs jerk, your hips shifting back and away at the overstimulation, and he shushes you softly, brushing his hand up the back of your thigh and looking down at your warmly, “You’re alright,” he soothes you.

              You watch as he looks up to his husband, and moments later Seonghwa moves in low behind you, reaching around you to take each of your legs and hold you open. Yunho bites his lip softly as he looks down at you before reaching to the side and grabbing a small bottle of lube. He spreads just enough over his cock to make it glisten from tip to base, and when he starts to press inside of you, you’re so grateful for it. If Seonghwa had filled you completely, Yunho was splitting you open and you cry out, your hips shifting back on their own and your head dropping back against Seonghwa’s shoulder.

              Yunho presses forwards, stretching you open, and Seonghwa kisses your temple softly, “Come on, noona,” he whispers, husky, “you can take him.”

              The sound that leaves your lips is sudden and wanton, and when your eyes flutter back open you see Yunho grinning down at you, his cock now fully sheathed inside you. “Listen to you,” he teases, rocking his hips a little, “you liked that.”

              “I don’t,” you shake your head, struggling to reach for coherent thought as he starts to pump himself in and out of you, dragging along your g-spot perfectly and sending sparks of pleasure up your whole body every time he sinks all the way inside, “Fuck, fuck, god,”

              Seonghwa holds your shaking legs open, but dips low to catch your ear in his teeth, softly pulling on the lobe and kissing the hollow of your ear, “Such a dirty mouth, noona,”

              You’re crying now, you have to be with the whimpering sounds that leave you now, but you can’t make sense of anything, just the feeling of Yunho’s hands on your hips, his cock filling every tight little space of your cunt, and Seonghwa’s voice at your ear.

              “Fuck,” your body starts to spasm, and you hear Yunho chuckle, “please, please, fuck,”

              Seonghwa looks up to Yunho, “Faster,” he directs him.

              Yunho tips forwards, his large hands closing over your waist to hold you steady as he fucks into faster, driving his hips down with a pointed snap on every downward thrust. Seonghwa holds you tight, kissing your face, “Do you like being our noona, baby?”

              Your body shakes, locking up and you drop your head back to the bed, letting them both hold you down. Seonghwa shifts his hand to massage your clit and you keen, your walls spasming tightly around Yunho’s hard length as you come apart beneath him.

              “Good girl,” Yunho groans, “come on my cock, noona,”

              You brain blanks, your body quaking uncontrollably and the wave of your orgasm holding you under, blood rushing in your ears.

              Seonghwa chuckles above you, “There we go,”

              Yunho continues to pump his hips, “I have to come,”

              Seonghwa eases up on his forearms, cupping Yunho’s cheek, “Come then,”

              As your body flutters through your orgasm, Yunho groans above you, collapsing on top of you and coming hot and fast inside you. His chest is pressed against yours, and you can feel the way his heart is hammering away, and Seonghwa brushes a hand down both of your sweat slick skin, comforting and calming. When Yunho recovers, he lifts up and captures your mouth in a kiss, sighing against you.

              A few moments pass, and then Yunho realizes you’re shaking beneath him like a leaf, and he slides out of you, rolling to the side.

              Seonghwa cups your cheek, looking at how thoroughly spent you look, but he drags his thumb along your lower lip, “Can you take a little more?”

              “More,” you repeat, but you brain hasn’t reconnected yet.

He pulls you gently so that you’re further on the bed, and slides between your legs, “Can you?”

You’re not entirely sure that you can, but you nod and let him open your legs up to thrust slowly back inside you. He rolls his hips into you slower this time, and you can tell just from looking at him for a moment that he’s close.

You reach to the side, your hand connecting with some extremity, and you gasp out, “Yunho,”

He shifts around to kneel by you both, and as Seonghwa works himself inside you, Yunho cups your cheek, smiling when he sees the way you’re still shaking.

“Yunho,” you repeat, your voice caught in a moan.

“I’m here,” he murmurs softly.

“He’s close,” you pant, and Yunho’s eyes darken, Seonghwa making a shaky groan above you, “he needs to come,”

Yunho realizes in a second what you’re looking for, and it fills him with warmth. Turning his head, he presses a kiss to Seonghwa’s shoulder, before surging forwards and catching his mouth in a heady kiss. Yunho drags a hand down his back, cupping his ass and urging him to fuck you faster. He leans in to his husband’s ear, “You look so beautiful fucking her, so beautiful,”

Seonghwa moans against Yunho, panting as they lean against each other, foreheads pressed together, and you whine beneath them, reaching to tease Seonghwa’s nipple under your thumb to get him closer.

“Oh fuck,” He stutters.

“Please, Hwa,” you moan, “please, come, I need it, I need it,”

You watch as Yunho secures a hand to Seonghwa’s throat and squeezes, and he jerks, coming hard and sudden, his hands that are holding you steady gripping down hard enough to leave bruises. Yunho lets him go but kisses him hard.

Seonghwa pulls out and comes up on his knees between your legs, and your muscles flutter, still spasming with little aftershocks, and you feel the rush of wet warmth between your legs when their combined release drips out of you.

You’re all a little dazed, but Seonghwa recovers first, and you listen as he starts water in the bathroom for a bath. Yunho smiles softly and pulls you into his arms, lifting you with ease and following Seonghwa into the large ensuite.

“How’s that?” Yunho kisses your temple tenderly when he deposits you in the warm water of the bath, and you groan pleasantly at the sensation.

              “Perfect,”

              Seonghwa and Yunho both shower together, poking their heads around the glass wall to make sure you’re still doing okay every few minutes, and by the time they’re cleaned up and wearing soft sleep pants and t-shirts, the water is starting to go tepid and you’re ready to come out.

              Once again, Yunho holds you steady as you step out of the bath and Seonghwa wraps you in a fluffy white towel, patting you dry while Yunho holds you standing and handing you a pretty, champagne colored robe.

              “You can use this for now,” he murmurs, and you tie it around you.

              “Let’s get you some water and some food,” Yunho says, his tone like Seonghwa’s, even and low.

              “I feel like I’m in a fog,” you take a deep breath and sweep your hair back from your face.

              “Mm,” Seonghwa nods, “you need rest.”

              “Can I,” you taken an unsteady step and they both move to hold you steady, “do you mind if I stay for just a bit, I think you’re right, I could use some water.”

              Yunho shakes his head at you, amused, “You’ll stay with us tonight, don’t worry about a thing.”

              “I don’t want to impose,” you sigh.

              “It isn’t an imposition,” Seonghwa insists, “we want you here. Now relax and let us help,”

              So you do. They keep you close for the rest of the evening, cooking for you and massaging the aching muscles in your neck, kissing you with soft familiarity, and treating you much more like a date than a one-night stand.

              Later, you rest in bed between them, laying up on Yunho’s chest and talking to him softly as Seonghwa brushes through your tangled hair. Yunho plays with your fingers, idlily as you lean against him. Your thumb passes over his bare ring finger.              

              “You don’t wear wedding bands,” you observe, more of a statement than a question.

              “Not traditional ones,” Yunho smiles, and he moves your fingers to pass over the ring he wears on his index finger.

              “I wear my chain,” Seonghwa says from your side, and you remember the gold adornment around his neck from earlier.

              “I like non-traditional,” you murmur.

              “It always worked better for us,” Yunho shrugs, “maybe it works better for you too.”

              You hum softly, kissing his chest and Seonghwa puts the hairbrush aside to cuddle close to you both.

              “Noona,” Seonghwa runs a hand across your arm, “how would you feel about doing this again?”

              You blush at his innocuous use of noona after your unexpected response to it earlier, and Yunho chuckles. You look between them, “You mean seeing you both again? The sex?”

              “Yes,” Seonghwa nods, “seeing us again,”

              You nod, trying to control your grin and Yunho dips to kiss you soundly, “Good,”

              “We like you here,” Seonghwa sighs against you.

              “I like me here,”

              They wrap you up between them, soft touches and traded kisses, and you have no idea what more time with them will mean, but you’ll take anything if it means you can rest like this in their arms a little while longer.

Where Do I Go

bodyguard!jongho x reader (royal?au)

genre and warnings: angst, fluff, suggestive, violence warning

word count: 23k

synopsis: you're the owner of hotel crescent in mist island, where secrets are traded. you're infamously known as the gossip-dealer and known for manipulating people, which means you're not safe. however, the last thing you expect is your power-hungry father to send jongho to be your bodyguard, but you suspect it's not because he fears for your safety but because he wants to keep tabs on you as he joins prince woobin's side while you join prince hongjoong's side. as your father comes from eden to mist island to become the minister of foreign affairs, the political situation between the two nations worsen and you fear for war, but you risk your life for your homeland, and find jongho joining hands with you as you both uncover secrets and betrayals from your father.

You clicked the necklace into place as you stood in front of the mirror, admiring how the ruby provided a starking contrast with your midnight blue gown, the square neckline making a display of your collarbones, the sleeves full and fitted just like the bodice after which it fell in an elegant flair down to your ankles. You clicked your fingers and the maid arrived behind you, fixing the tied curls in your hair upon your indication. Everything about you screamed mystery and power, and you both loved and hated that. 

“I’ll be back soon after midnight- have a warm bath prepared for me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the maid bowed before leaving and you stepped into your matching flats. For the past half an hour your maid had basically polished you- styling your hair into an elegant but messy bun, doing your routine makeup, dressing you up. It was time to get to the counter and deal with your ‘customers’. You took a deep breath, glancing at the sword that was hanging as a decoration in the living room. Smiling, you left the room and walked downstairs, greeting the maids and waitresses that bowed to you before settling behind the counter, your usual spot where you managed the guests- of course, that was also a pretence among the other things about your personality.

“Good morning, Sakura. I hope everything is in order today.”

“Madame Lee,” the receptionist bowed, motioning you to take her seat- she would now be moving to the other desk until you leave. “Everything is well. I hope you’re doing well.”

“Absolutely,” you smiled, waiting until she was out of sight before you sat and pulled out the register, sitting on your seat and glancing at the few customers you had- some of them were residing temporarily here, while the others dropped by for breakfast- either to meet a resident or to mingle. You sighed, feeling a little bored- you always did, in the mornings it always got interesting around evening, when the people present would exchange gossip and secrets, make decisions that could change the course of this little island that was home to many- Mist Island. 

Of course, no matter whether you were busy or not, time flew. You had quite a few interesting guests in your hotel today, and right now, almost 10 in the night, you were dealing with a… difficult client who was testing your patience with every passing minute.

“Look, Madame,” he began, his eyes travelling all over you as he smirked. “All I’m saying is it’s dangerous business to get involved in places you aren’t meant to be.”

“I hope you haven’t forgotten, Officer,” you sipped tea, glad there was a table between you two- you wanted nothing more than to kick him in the shins. “Money buys everything. You, of all people, should know.”

He raised his brow, wondering just what you were implying. It didn’t help that you wore your statement smile that revealed nothing but at the same time, made men shiver with worry. “Yes… money buys everything.”

You tilted your head, pleased to see he was confused. “If you can afford a secret, we’ll have a deal. You know I only give out freebies if I feel generous, or… if it could provide for some entertainment in this boring town. And frankly… I’m not feeling very generous right now, I’m afraid.”

The Officer made a face, nodding his head slowly in denial more than agreement, his black uniform almost blending with the leather chair in the dim lights. “And what pleases you, Madame? I’ve heard it’s not always money that you demand.”

“A secret in exchange for an even better secret, or… something valuable to you would do,” you grinned and the Officer thought you looked like a magpie at that moment, ready to snatch whatever caught your eye. “So?”

The Officer bit his lips nervously, leaning forward once again. “I’m desperate, Madame. I need to know what the Prince’s Right Hand and the envoy from Eden talked about. Don’t you care about the future of Mist Island? I think that should be enough to tell me the secret- I report to the Prince and I think the Prince’s Right Hand is betraying him-”

“You’re wrong about that, I’ll give you that, at least,” you relaxed back. “The Prince’s Right Hand is very loyal to the Prince- all of Mist Island knows that. You have nothing to worry about- you don’t need to know what they talked about now, do you?”

He almost pulled out his hair and you smiled- he was definitely reporting to someone else other than the Prince. You leaned forward, pretending that you were about to share some scandalous thoughts- and perhaps, you were. “Officer.. If you tell me who you really report to, I’ll give you the secret for free. I promise. And your secret will, of course, stay safe with me.”

The Officer paused, thinking about it. He had clearly not expected the owner of the hotel to be so clever and curious like a cat- it could be your besetting sin, he thought. “Hotel Crescent is an interesting place, I must admit.”

“And you’re welcome here anytime. I don’t forget a face,” you smirked. 

“Well…” the Officer threw his hands in the air before surrendering. “I report to the Minister of Defence. He’s keeping tabs on everyone around the Prince in case someone betrays him- you know how the situation is between Mist Island and Eden these days. He’s preparing us for the worst, he says.”

You only nodded, giving him no reaction. “We should always be prepared for the worst, in any situation. Well, thank you for the information. One of my maids happened to overhear the Prince’s Right Hand and the envoy talk about changing the Minister of Foreign Affairs- perhaps, someone well known in both Eden and Mist. They would prefer someone from Eden, which would be quite… strange, if I have to admit.”

“Ah,” the officer shook his head in disbelief. “That’s a shame. Someone from Eden as the Minister of Foreign Affairs? Way to make it obvious that Eden wants to take over our land.”

“Well, a secret for a secret. Our deal is sealed,” you winked before getting up. “Enjoy the rest of your tea, Officer.”

You smiled to yourself- you had played this one well. Of course, the Prince’s Right Hand was loyal to the Prince. No lies there- but it really was the Prince himself that this ‘concerned’ officer should be worried about. It still looked like most of the court was unaware of the schemes cooking in the palace. And then there was the matter of the head post of the department of Foreign Affairs-

Oh, how you had resisted the urge to tell the officer that it was your own father who wanted that post. You couldn’t help but think about ways to mess up your father and his little mission to become the Minister of Foreign Affairs here- the audacity-

The bell at the door indicated the arrival of a person and you shook your head, ridding it off the schemes, looking ahead at the man who had a rather big suitcase with him. You smiled at him as you opened the register. “It looks like you’ll be staying here for a long time, Mr…”

“Choi. Choi Jongho,” his voice was low and he looked around. 

“Choi Jongho,” you repeated, writing his name. “Room no. 1117 is free. May I ask the duration of your stay?”

“Might be a day, might be… longer,” he smiled politely and you nodded, almost narrowing your eyes- you had definitely seen this face before. “Can I have dinner before I settle in my room?”

“Of course, I’ll get you a table in the corner, if you prefer,” you sighed at the loud group of people that were occupying the centre of the hall to your right. “You must be tired after all the travelling.”

He only nodded in response and you called for a maid, muttering your orders and asking one of the porters to transport Mr. Choi’s bags to his room. The maid accompanied the man to the corner and you finished writing his entry, pausing when you realised just where you had seen him-

In Eden. With your father.

Had he sent this man on business? If he had, he would never have stayed here- you and your father were worse than enemies when it came to business. Perhaps he had sent him to spy on you.

A devilish smile creeped up your cheeks as you shut the register and took a peek at Choi Jongho, who was ordering his food. As soon as he was done, he met eyes with you and you were surprised that he didn’t immediately look away like any other man would have. 

You didn’t exactly know who he was- you had only seen him once, perhaps twice, in your father’s office in Eden. Perhaps he didn’t know you as well and this was a huge coincidence on his part, but you couldn’t sleep tonight without knowing the truth. So you waited until he was done with his dinner and before he could get up without tea, you took the liberty of sitting down across from him with a cryptic smile. 

“Tea is on the house- unless you’d prefer another drink.”

“That’s very kind of you,” he raised a brow, shaking his dark bangs away from his face. “Madame… Lee, is it?”

“The one and only,” you scoffed. “How’s Mr. Lee doing? I hope Eden has worn him down more than he’d like.” 

The way Mr. Choi paused and shook his head, told you that your suspicions were right. You scoffed in disappointment. “What are you, his spy? He must be growing anxious back there since my business is booming.”

“Not a spy,” he told you and waited as the waitress arrived with tea. Once she was gone and you had taken a sip and he was done scanning you, he began. “How did you know it was me?”

“I don’t forget a face, Mr. Choi,” you said and he whistled. “Especially one I’ve seen near my father.”

“He has some… other plans.” When you only raised your brows as an indication that you were waiting, he sighed. “I understand that you had an… accident recently in one of your dealings? I don’t know exactly what you do, but your father thinks it’s best that you hire yourself a bodyguard- nothing too fancy, just a shadow.”

“Interesting that he would suggest so, since he’s the one who cares the least for me,” you narrowed your eyes at him. “Mr. Choi Jongho, I’ll deal with any ‘accidents’ I have myself. You can return and inform my father of that- I don’t require a bodyguard.”

“Maybe we should talk privately,” Jongho noticed the maids at the other corner. “You have a lot of eyes on you.”

You took a deep breath, willing the anger roiling in your stomach to calm down and nodded. “You can come to my room at the strike of midnight. When you go to your room, make sure you don’t unpack- I have a feeling you’ll be taking the next train back home.”

Before hearing what Jongho had to say, you were back to your desk and Jongho scoffed to himself- you were a handful, just like your father had described. Haughty, spoiled, and more- you were proving your father correct. He noticed the permanent smile you wore even as you worked and he wondered if you never got tired- but then again, people like you lived off the gossip that travelled around here.

A gossip dealer, Mr. Lee had explained to Jongho, not going into the details. Gossip, he explained, was a two-edged sword. It could cut the wielder if dealt with unprofessionally. But as Jongho looked around at the hotel that even your father admitted was a pretty successful venture, Jongho had to admit perhaps you did have the brains after all. This place couldn’t run without a good head.

Jongho never went to his room, opting to wait right where he had been sitting, reading the paper and catching up to the news. At the strike of the clock, he found you staring at him and with a tug of your head, he was up and following you to the room on the first floor, at the very end- a suite. He watched you turn the keys and open the room, allowing him to enter first before you shut it behind you and turned the lights on. 

“Please, take a seat,” you said and Jongho understood what you meant- stop stalking around. Jongho passed a nearly devilish smirk before he settled down, noticing the sword. “How long have you practised?”

You were surprised that he didn’t dismiss the sword as a mere decoration- or perhaps, your father had told him. What you didn’t realise was that he noticed the blade looked like it had been sharpened and the hilt wasn’t in top condition. “I’ve practised long enough. Now… shall we get back to business?”

“Look, Madame,” Jongho turned his full attention to you. “Things between Eden and Mist Island are going to get rough- this is me speaking, not your father. You need a bodyguard, especially with the job you do-”

“And what, exactly, is my job?” You crossed your legs, smirking. “I’m interested in hearing what Mr. Lee told you about my job.”

Jongho licked his lips, finding it difficult not to groan at your displeasing behaviour. “Gossip-dealer?”

You couldn’t help but scoff at that. “I understand why I should hire a bodyguard- I’ve had this thought for a while now. But tell me why it has to be you, who’ll most definitely be reporting my every move to my father.”

“Obviously your father knew that you’d be against the idea, but I’m patient and he must have thought I’d do a good job,” he relaxed back and you frowned in confusion. “He trusts me, and you can use it to your advantage if you wish. I have to find a few answers on this island as well. Maybe we can make a deal, think how it’s going to work for the both of us.”

You stared at him- he could pass as a local here. He didn’t look strange- plain dark hair, no unusual fashion sense. Everything about him screamed ‘normal’ which was going to be beneficial to you- this was probably a disguise and you could use someone who could pass away almost unnoticed in the crowd. Yet… there was this unmistakable air of mystery to him. Just what answers was he searching for that he was risking his life to become your bodyguard? He had to know just how many people targeted your head on a daily basis, didn’t he? You asked him that and he let you know that he was fully aware of the risk.

“Let’s hear what you have to offer then,” you studied him. “If I don’t agree, we can part ways right here.”

Jongho smiled as he nodded. “I’ll let you choose what exactly I report to your father- you have to give me something so he doesn’t get suspicious. He has other spies here anyway so we should act cautiously.”

“Other spies, huh?” You scoffed- you knew you weren’t paranoid when you felt like someone was watching you at the most random times. “What makes you think he won’t find out about our little deal? He’ll make you regret ever betraying him because you sound like someone he trusts enough, yet here you are, relaxed as you plan to betray him.”

“I think you’re a good actor,” he smirked and you snorted. “And so am I. I don’t see the problem if we’re agreeing on these conditions. I won’t betray you if you don’t interfere in whatever I’ve come here to do- nothing political unlike your field of work, I promise.”

“I think we can work with that. You’re right- he’s going to find out sooner or later anyway. He’s more sensitive now that he’s planning to return here on an official post, isn’t he?”

“You’re quick,” he clapped. “In return… I might need your help a little- not now, maybe later, but there is some digging I have to do and I’d like to keep it a secret- especially from Mr. Lee.”

“I hope it’s something that brings him down- then I can help you with that,” you smiled innocently and he chuckled at that. 

“You two really don’t get along, do you?” He shook his head. “So? Do we have a deal?”

“I have a few… conditions. You’ll refer to me as Madame and you will stay a respectable distance from me- especially when I’m ‘dealing’ with someone,” you began and he nodded. “The minute I learn that you’re betraying me in any way, you’re done for. I may not have a bodyguard but I have enough protection to save me from attempts like these.”

“Understood,” he shrugged- it wasn’t much you were asking for. 

“Then we have a deal. And make no mistake- I do not trust you. I still think you’re going to be reporting my every move to Mr. Lee. However, I won’t interfere in whatever you’ve come here to do… for now.” 

Jongho gaped at you as you got up and went for your room, dismissing him with a rather casual wave of hand. He sighed- just when he thought he had you. “You’re going to be so difficult to deal with.”

“I aim to please,” you said before shutting the door to your room and taking off your accessories, letting your hair loose before walking to the bath.

The bath had long gone cold.

—----------------------

Having Jongho as a bodyguard was proving to be… difficult, to put it simply. 

He wasn’t being a bother, not at all. He wanted eyes on you at all times when you were not in your room, and since you were mostly behind the counter or with the customers, all you needed to do was let Jongho go unnoticed as he seated himself in the corner on a chair with newspaper and an endless refill of coffee or tea- whatever he’d feel like. 

However, you did not like being watched even though it was necessary. It was just him making you aware of his presence time and time again that irked you. Stealing ‘casual’ glances whenever someone official he recognised entered, smirking when he’d catch you making a deal… a mere bodyguard should remain invisible to you. That’s what you told him in your evening break.

“Well, I’m not a ‘mere’ bodyguard, it seems,” Jongho shifted. “What exactly did I do?”

“You couldn’t have made it less obvious that you’re keeping an eye on me,” your face was emotionless so that anyone else watching wouldn’t catch on. “I get that it’s new for you but can you wipe that permanent smirk off your face whenever I’m dealing?”

Jongho laughed heartily at that. “Is that how it seemed? I’m pretty sure I had no such expressions on my face.”

“You don’t even realise it, do you?” You tsk-ed at him, fixing your midnight-blue sleeves before pointing at the left corner of your lip. “This gets lifted up like this, ever so slightly. It’s annoying.”

It lifted up again as a smirk creeped up his face. “Does it now? I’ll hide my face behind the newspaper then-”

“That’s worse,” you shook your head. “If you don’t improve by tonight I’m sending you back home, with a message to my dear old father that he can do better than this.”

“Go ahead,” Jongho, unfazed, went back to reading his newspaper that you were sure he had memorised by now. “I’m his best.”

“So arrogant,” you muttered, scanning him as you pondered your decision. “Just try to make it less obvious. We’ll deal with this later.”

Jongho, however, didn’t improve even slightly. You were just glad your customers weren’t noticing, and by the end of the night, you thought that perhaps, he did blend in. Since your staff was aware of him now and he could go inside and outside as he pleased, you supposed no outsider noticed him… for now.

And tonight, you needed to see just how good he was as a ‘bodyguard’. You were meeting with someone whose identity was better left hidden, though you were sure at least your father was aware of your dealings with the younger prince’s little gang of misfits. Even if he wasn’t, it was a little test for your bodyguard- if after this meeting, your father finds out whose side you are actually on, he would take swift action. 

Before every meeting, it was your strategy to think of every possible outcome and plan according to it. Tonight, you were meeting Park Seonghwa- Prince Hongjoong’s Right Hand, had he been allowed to have one officially. It was sad how the king and the elder prince had pushed the wiser one of their family out of the picture. What made you giddy with satisfaction, though, was that the younger prince was no fool at all. He was one of the smartest individuals you had ever had the chance to encounter, and you were sure he would one day take his position at the very throne he deserved to rule. Not his elder brother Prince Woobin, but him.

People suspected that you were in cohorts with the younger prince, but only to the extent that you provided him with the ‘gossip’. Thankfully, the reputation you had built for yourself preceded you. As it was a public fact that the younger prince had negligible power in the matter of the courts, no one cared. The only person who would care was your father, who had learned the hard way that everything you did had a purpose. 

“How am I supposed to protect you if I don’t even know who we’re meeting?” Jongho muttered, casually walking by your side even when you had instructed him to act like a bodyguard and stay a few steps behind you. 

“Who I meet is none of your concern, and you won’t be reporting this to Mr. Lee,” you gave him half a smile, observing your surroundings as the two of you walked through the very empty night streets. “We’re almost there- stay hidden while I talk. This man is not the threat tonight, so keep your eyes and ears open.”

With that, you stood at the corner of the street and tapped in a rhythmic beat thrice- a signal to him that you were not alone but safe. Out of the shadows, the tall figure of Seonghwa appeared, face masked and hidden further with the hat tilted all the way down. 

“One would think you’d walk right into a trap if all you can see in front of you is your goddamned hat,” you said and he let out a low chuckle as he slid his mask down and tilted his hat up. 

“My apologies, though I must ask who exactly that man is,” he pointed at Jongho who waved at him with a rather innocent smile.

“My ‘guard’, if you can believe that. Long story, perhaps for another time. How does the captain fare?”

The captain- what you called Prince Hongjoong in public. Seonghwa nodded, and that was enough of an answer. You continued, “My earlier suspicions were right. The Prince’s Right Hand is very loyal to the Prince, but now there’s another group we ought to worry about. The Minister of Defence is keeping tabs on everyone, and possibly you as well. Also, it is in discussion whether the new Minister of Foreign Affairs should be someone from Eden. I’m pretty sure Mr. Lee is on board for that position.”

Seonghwa raised his brow at that last piece of information. He knew Mr. Lee was your father, and the fact that you were telling him this… “And would Mr. Lee make a good minister?”

“If you wish to make Mist Island and Eden one again through bloody means, then yes. He would make a very good minister.”

“And how should we stop this from happening?”

“Find out who is actually behind this, and what Mr. Lee holds that grants him immunity as he tramples all over Mist Island.”

“On it.” Seonghwa tipped his hat and disappeared back into the shadows, and you clicked your fingers and resumed walking as if you had never stopped in the first place. 

“That was quick. Where are we going now?”

“To the place that I once called home,” you scoffed and Jongho raised his brows. 

Taking a few turns, you finally reached the house that you had grown up in. As you unlocked the main door and entered what was an average house, much like the other on the street, the damp smell and dust greeted you, making you take a step back. You would never get used to the house smelling like a memory long forgotten. Perhaps, you too were scared of opening the treasure box of memories and letting out the warmth of your mother’s arms. The house was not home after your mother left and never came back, presumed dead.

The truth was that you wished your mother was still out there somewhere, far away even, but safe. Alive. Living the life she wished she had, the one she always sketched in the bedtime stories she told you. 

“Looks like you haven’t been here in a long time,” Jongho’s voice brought you back from your reminiscing and you turned to look at him swat at a spiderweb. “Is this Mr. Lee’s residence?”

“He doesn’t use it much, but I assume he’ll be needing it soon- until and unless he arranges for something better. And me being the docile daughter, I thought I’d surprise him by letting him know that I was aware he would be arriving here,” you smirked, putting your hands on your hips as you surveyed the area. “Better get this place cleaned out tomorrow, don’t you think?”

Jongho looked confused- often, the lines of sarcasm and blunt truth were mixed with you. “Why don’t the two of you don’t get along, if I dare ask?”

“A number of reasons, each worse than the other,” you went for your father’s study, unlocking the room with the set of keys you had one of your men steal and make a copy of without his knowledge. “None that should entertain you much. Would you like to make a survey of your boss’ study? I’m sure you’ll find something of interest there.”

You didn’t miss how Jongho’s eyes flashed- so you were right. Jongho must be trying to look into Mr. Lee’s private life, which meant he must be trying to find out something about his close circle or whatever people he had been dealing with in the past. Jongho narrowed his eyes. “And what should I be looking for?”

“Whatever answers you were wishing you would find on this island. Perhaps you will find something if you’re lucky. I’ll be in the room upstairs when you’re done.”

With that, you left him in your father’s study- an act of faith in him so he could feel that you trusted him to some extent. You wanted him to loosen his guard so you could find out just what ‘answers’ he was desperate enough to look for- desperate enough to be a bodyguard for someone like you. You knew one thing about your father and it was that he wouldn’t force anyone to protect you, which meant Jongho had to have accepted rather willingly. Maybe to your father, that was an act of loyalty, but you suspected otherwise- and you had to, to remain safe.

You entered what had once been your room, now barely a fragment of who you used to be as a child. You did what you had to first- check the floor for that one odd sound and lifted that plank, taking out a box and unlocking it with the key only you and your mother possessed- no one else knew this box existed. It was a little secret communication device between you two while she was alive, and you hoped one day she would communicate with you through this as well. It has been almost a decade now since she went missing, but you used to come monthly here until you started coming less as you started losing hope (or hoping she wasn’t going to use this to communicate with you but another means). 

The letter you found was the same one you had left around six months ago. You replaced it with a new letter and shut the box back, making sure nothing seemed out of place before going to the window and looking out at the half moon. 

With every passing day, your suspicions that your own father had something to do with your mother not coming back without a word grew. Your hatred for your father grew along, especially when he morphed into an ambitious, selfish and wealth-greedy man. You just wished you’d get news if your mother was dead- even that would be a relief than not being aware what state she was in. at least you could mourn her then. 

Jongho hadn’t intended to sneak up the stairs but somehow, despite your good ears, you didn’t sense him with his hand raised to knock at the door- he paused, realising this was the first time in the past three days he saw you with your guard down. Candid. Your shoulders weren’t straight anymore, instead looked burdened. Your head was down with some worry that loomed over you, your mouth breathing sighs. Before you could turn, Jongho knocked on the door, startling you a bit.

“We can go now if you’re done,” he scanned you, feeling a little awkward.

“And? Did you find what you were looking for?” You asked as you followed him downstairs.

“Not exactly,” he sighed. “It’s going to be hard to find what would be a well-hidden secret if it exists in the first place, wouldn’t it?”

You paused- you hadn’t expected that. Jongho raised a brow and you smiled. “It looks like we’re in the same boat, even though our quests must be different.” He made a funny face at that and you locked the main door behind you as you exited. “Did you at least find something of interest?”

“Maybe I did.”The glint in his eyes confirmed that and you smiled in satisfaction. It looked like tonight wasn’t a waste afterall. 

—---------------------

Whether you would like to admit it or not, you were gradually getting used to the idea of having Jongho as your shadow. Especially when he was proving to be useful in several ways. As a bodyguard, he was doing an exceptional job. Since the relations between Mist Island and Eden were getting rockier with each passing day, making the citizens feel on edge, many of your customers who came to trade secrets with you tried to get aggressive. Earlier, you would handle the situation by either breaking a plate over their head or splashing whatever was in front of you on their face- whether it be hot tea or cool water. But now? As soon as someone so much as raised their voice over you, Jongho, who was preferring to seat himself as close to you as possible whenever you did your job, would casually start cleaning his gun or cracking his knuckles with a glare in their direction.

At first, you were pissed. You thought he was interfering, but when one of them ignored Jongho’s not-so-subtle warning and tried to twist your wrist when you annoyed him, Jongho ended up twisting the offender’s wrist so hard you were positive you heard the snap of bones. After that, word must have gotten out. Everyone who met with you was more careful.

Apart from his bodyguard duties, Jongho was also quite an entertainer, you were finding. He was good at making you smile, and your staff was the first to notice, since they could differentiate between your trademark smile and real smile. Jongho probably did not, and you were glad that was the case. You didn’t want him to think his dad jokes were funny- it could get in his head. Not that he would care- you found out it was his lifelong habit. But since Jongho was good at talking and also good at annoying people, you decided to teach him a trick or two about your job.

“We don’t know how long we are doing this,” you told him, fixing the collar of your periwinkle gown before you looked at him, peeking behind him to see that the customer/target was already seated in the hall. “So maybe you should join me. Maybe you could do some work in my stead when I ask you too.”

“I don’t know if I’ll be good at this though,” Jongho sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “You’re an expert. I’ll make a fool of myself.”

“You won’t,” you insisted, almost glaring at him. “You already know too much, don’t you? When you have too much information, you need to let it out through different channels.”

“And what’s that channel today?” Jongho looked towards the hall where all sorts of people were present- nobles, soldiers, foreigners, gangsters. 

“It’s a test. You have to figure out who he is,” you winked at him and he groaned. You only fixed the collar of his black shirt, ignoring how he tensed under your touch, before beckoning him to follow you, seating yourselves in front of the middle aged man who wore such plain clothes that it was impossible to tell if he was a noble or a peasant. But peasants didn’t come here, and he didn’t look from a noble family, Jongho thought.

“I hope you’ve been well,” you said as you poured tea for him, sliding the tray of cookies as well and he thanked you awkwardly. “How’s your family?”

“The same, but the youngest almost caught a cold,” he replied and you raised your brows.

“I hope he’s okay now?”

“He’s still at the… hospital. Not here, though.”

“Is someone with him?” You continued pouring tea for Jongho who had a sympathetic look on his face as he listened to the man’s story.

“He’s all alone, we couldn’t join him. But we wish to, when the time is right, when the matters are solved,” the man sipped his tea, rubbing a hand over his hairy face as he sighed. “It’s hard to travel these days, and we don’t have enough money to pay the doctor.”

“And you came here for my help?” You asked and he nodded. You took a moment to think.

“Maybe I ought to look at my connections or acquaintances for a reference?” You asked.

“I was thinking about the Minister of Defence. He seems to be an acquaintance of the doctors there.”

“Ah,” you nodded, glancing at Jongho to see how he was following the cryptic conversation. “I’ll ask someone to give my message to him then. Maybe he could put in a good word with your doctor after all.”

“Thank you, Madame Lee,” the man got up and bowed and you followed. “Even if he doesn’t help… thank you.”

You only nodded, watching the man leave with another bow in your direction after which you slumped down, munching on a chocolate cookie as you went over your conversation again. You noticed Jongho staring at you and you cleared your throat. “Well? Who do you suppose he was?”

“I would say an acquaintance, but I have never seen him around Mr. Lee or you, for that matter,” he began. “He doesn’t look like he’s from a noble family, and he doesn’t look very rich either, and frankly, your hotel is expensive. What was he really doing here, huh?”

“What was he really doing here?” You repeated, stifling your smirk. 

“I’m just guessing you talked in code words. There’s no patient, no doctor,” he took another cookie as he waited for your response.

“You’re both wrong and right. There is, in fact, a patient, and a doctor, though not quite in the literal sense. He’s a spy, one of his men has been caught by the enemy, and he wants me to do something about it- like either make a deal or force the Minister of Defence to release him.”

“Ah…” Jongho nodded enthusiastically. “It makes sense. But… who’s the enemy here?”

“Who’s the enemy?” You asked him. “I thought by now, you would have realised there’s no such thing as a single enemy. There are several sides. Whichever you choose to stick with, the rest you call your enemy.”

“And which side is yours, Madame Lee?” He asked in a playful tone.

“Not the one Mr. Lee chooses,” you said with a grin and found him grinning back. “You know, something tells me you don’t like Mr. Lee much either.”

“Don’t get me wrong, that man practically raised me,” Jongho brushed his clothes, having finished snacking. “It’s just… he’s a bit difficult, and he keeps a lot of secrets. He’s cryptic. Even as one of his closest personnel, he’s kept me at quite a distance.”

“When do you think he’s arriving?” You remembered discussing with Jongho a few days ago about the possibility of your father arriving on the island quite soon. “It’s going to get noisy here.”

“Should I casually ask? Or would he know it’s not really me who’s asking?” He scoffed at the thought.

“I have my sources, and they say he’s begun packing,” you teased.

“Well then,” Jongho straightened. “If you’re on the side against your father, and you’re both getting involved politically… do you think he would ever hurt you?”

“Do you think he’s never hurt me?” You asked, failing to keep the edge from your tone. Jongho noticed that. With a sigh, you said, “He’ll do anything to get what he wants. He’ll trample on anyone. It doesn’t matter who that is. But Jongho… once he arrives, you’re either my bodyguard or his man. Would you be able to protect me if it’s my father who decides to hurt me?”

Jongho’s mouth fell open as he considered this possibility and you left for the reception counter, leaving him wondering just why he had agreed to become your bodyguard when you were your father’s worst enemy.

—--------------------

Your father came earlier than you expected, but that was both good and bad, although the bad seemed to be outweighing the good for now. 

The island had been in a frenzy for the past three days, ever since your father proudly marched to the island, making a clear and loud statement- that Eden was not fooling around. Arriving on ships that included battalions, the man marched with an army to his hometown, and to everyone’s surprise, he and his soldiers were welcomed by the palace.

However, that day, you had an appointment with Prince Hongjoong himself, and he had specifically instructed you to make a public entrance to the palace. You had dressed in your finest gown of deep ruby, your hair tied back in an elegant bun, a black hat that complemented your dress well on top of your head. The ruby necklace was the only jewellery you wore apart from its matching ring for such occasions. You had instructed Jongho to dress his finest as well, and you weren’t surprised when he arrived at your door in a three piece suit, his hair swept back, though your heart sank suspiciously.

However, he had to pause and take a good look at you, drinking in everything he could see. He couldn’t figure out just what it was about you that made you awfully attractive to him- perhaps the way you carried yourself, strong and unwavering. Or perhaps the playful smile you always had on your face, the teasing eyes-

Or maybe because he thought you were simply beautiful.

“Good,” you nodded, taking a deep breath. “You look good.”

“You look good,” he simply said. “Shall we?”

You took his arm that he offered and together, you rode in the carriage sent by Seonghwa. On the way, you briefed Jongho about the actual plan.

“We’re making a statement, dear old guard,” you took off your hat before you rested your head. “We go through the main gate, encounter my father- a total ‘coincidence’, exchange greetings- you exchange greetings, I’ll piss him off. And then, we walk to Prince Hongjoong’s chambers while they watch.”

“Wow, okay, could have let me know earlier,” Jongho mumbled. “Wait- I’m meeting Prince Hongjoong too?” 

When your smirk was the only response he got, he groaned loudly, shaking his head in what appeared to be mild annoyance and amusement. “What will I be doing there? I’m sure you don’t need a bodyguard in the Prince’s chambers unless you think he’s a threat.”

“Maybe I just wanted you to tag along,” you challenged and he raised his brow, making your heart lurch again. What was wrong with you? “You’re right, I don’t need a bodyguard today. If you don’t wish to tag along… you are free to go back. I won’t mind.”

Jongho thought for a moment before he shook his head. “I’d like to tag along, actually.”

The two of you shared a smile before you looked out of the window. Something about him today was different. Or maybe you were just feeling strange as you got to know the different sides of him. But you didn’t mind his presence at all now, and coming from you in such a short period of time, in mere weeks? That was new and a little insane, especially considering he might still be reporting other things to your father. 

It was a little suspicious that he actually wasn’t. Not so far anyway, since everything was calm. Or maybe this was the calm before the storm- maybe he was waiting to gain your trust fully before he would pull such a stunt. But you were also cautious- you only showed him what wouldn’t hurt you if it got out. And perhaps he knew that, perhaps he didn’t, but you couldn’t be more careful. As you thought about all of this, playing with your necklace, Jongho cleared his throat and you glanced at him.

“Should I… I don’t know, act surprised when I see Mr. Lee in the palace?”

You considered him for a moment. “You know… you don’t have to keep putting an act in front of him anymore.”

Jongho bit his lip- you were very quick and perhaps this was your instinct now. “I think I need to. For now.”

You made an impressed face. “If it would help you for now, go ahead. It’s up to you, really.”

“I don’t think he would like it very much if he learns we’re a team now,” Jongho was grinning guiltily.

You shifted, appearing interested. “Are we then? A team?”

“Aren’t we?” He challenged with a raise of his brow. 

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, a teasing glint in your eyes. “All you’ve done is help me so far. I haven’t really helped you back, have I?”

Maybe Jongho wasn’t expecting that, which was why he gaped at you. You waved a hand in dismissal. “If you need some help, I can give it to you for free, in return for all you’ve done.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he promised and you reached the palace. Setting your hat back on your head, you exited the carriage, looking around at the vast expanse that led to the residence of the King, the cherry blossoms in full bloom bordering the path. You noticed Seonghwa, dressed in formal palace clothing, marching towards you and you passed him a subtle nod. Jongho narrowed his eyes.

“Is that…?”

“Shh,” you playfully put a finger on your lips. “What gave?”

“His arrogant walk?” Jongho suggested and you almost snorted as you turned back to Seonghwa, who bowed once. 

“Madame Lee. It’s been a while,” he said, looking at Jongho then, passing an acknowledging nod.

“Mr. Park,” you said. “I hope you’ve met with Mr. Lee?”

“He’ll be leaving Prince Woobin’s chambers in a moment. We might encounter him on our way to Prince Hongjoong’s chambers.”

“We better,” you whispered with a wink and Seonghwa nudged at you to follow him. You made Jongho walk beside you and as you took the turn to the direction of the princes chambers, you noticed a few men bowing as the exit the chamber, and noticed the man in the front-

Your father. You weren’t expecting the shudder that passed through you at the sight of that man who seemed to look the same ever since you were a teen- the same wrinkles on his face, the same arrogance around his mouth and eyes, the same stiffness in his shoulders. You continued walking, pausing only when your father met your eyes and almost dismissed you as a stranger until he saw another familiar face beside you and looked back at you.

And when he roared with laughter at the ‘coincidence’, you didn’t hide your wince at the annoying sound. “The person I last expected to see!” He shook his head, looking at his fellows. “You’d call it a coincidence, but I would call it fate.”

You smiled at that as you bowed to him, Jongho following suit as he greeted your father as well. “Have you been well?”

“In front of you, alive and healthy,” he boasted. “I hope you’re not giving my Jongho a hard time.”

“Should I not?” You glanced towards Jongho who wore no expression on his face. 

“Didn’t he tell you who he was?” Mr. Lee looked confused. 

“He just told me he was your ‘best’,” you rolled your eyes and he chuckled at that and Jongho finally gave in, groaning.

“He wasn’t wrong,” Mr. Lee nodded at Jongho. “I guess you don’t remember the Choi family. After all, you were too young when they passed away, unfortunately.”

You glanced at Jongho again and noticed that he was clearly not comfortable with your father mentioning the incident. “I’m not sure I remember, yes. Anyways, I must leave now- I have an appointment with the Prince here. Don’t expect me to catch up with you later, and I’d prefer if you stay away from my business, unless you have news worthy of my attention.”

Without hearing his answer, you nudged Seonghwa to lead the way again, and the sound of your father laughing sarcastically gradually faded. You entered the chambers and then the office, where the Prince sat behind his desk in a fancy hanbok.

With a deep bow and greetings exchanged, the four of you sat casually and the Prince served tea as he inquired of your health and business. 

“And who is this acquaintance of yours?”

“Choi Jongho,” Jongho answered, “I work for Madame Lee.”

“Do you?” the Prince asked and you and Seonghwa looked at each other in amusement. “I heard he worked for Mr. Lee. And anyone who works for Mr. Lee… I don’t think I’d like to interact with them very much.”

Jongho looked at you, confused before the Prince laughed, shaking his head, his dark hair messy. “I only jest, relax. I didn’t lie though.”

Jongho did relax then. “It’s true, I worked for Mr. Lee before I came here to work for Madame Lee. I’m not sure where I stand right now.”

“And do you trust him?” Prince Hongjoong looked at you.

“Respectfully, I trust nobody- not even you, Your Highness,” you gave him a subtle bow of apology and Seonghwa and the Prince both shared a grin at that. “You can’t ask me if I trust him.”

“Fair enough. Shall we get to business?”

You nodded and Seonghwa cleared his throat. “Mr. Lee just met with Prince Woobin- since he’s making clear whose side he is on, I think we don’t need to hide anymore. It’s going to get bloody here pretty soon anyway. And now Mr. Lee must know whose side you are on, Madame Lee.”

“It’s necessary that he knows,” you nodded and the Prince agreed. “And when he stays on his toes, that’s when it’s the easiest to catch him in my trap. You see… My father has a habit of being a bit too careful. I intend to exploit that weakness of his.”

“Would you like to give him a heads-up that you’re catching on?” The Prince rested his head on his hand, elbow propped lazily on the table. “I don’t think he’s the type of person to stop after becoming the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which he surely will- he just secured his position with Prince Woobin.”

“You’re right about that,” you nodded. “He’s after something- I’m not sure what yet, but something that will give him a reason to annex Mist Island- Eden’s prince is funding this operation, I’m sure.”

“Something that will be big enough to provide a reason…” Seonghwa pondered. “Whatever it is, who could possess such a thing? Prince Woobin would never keep it in his residence.”

“Anyone the Prince trusts?”

“Maybe you should look out of the picture too,” Jongho said and everyone turned to look at him. He shrugged. “Isn’t the Minister of Defence very suspicious too? He’s keeping tabs on you all, he must have a reason to do so other than simply being too interested in your lives.”

You nodded, feeling a little proud for a moment. “He’s right. I think we should start there- he’s been out catching your spies too, Seonghwa.”

“I took care of that,” he assured and Jongho sighed in realisation. “What do you think we’re looking for here? Physical evidence of some illegal movement occuring in the court?”

“That’s our best bet,” you nodded. 

“Thanks for making time today. We’ll let you know how to proceed forward- keep your eyes and ears open… both of you,” the Prince looked at Jongho and he nodded.

As Seonghwa accompanied you both to the palace gates, you paused before you could exit. “Have you heard any news about my mother?”

“Not yet,” Seonghwa shook his head in disappointment. “I can’t seem to find a lead, and that’s more suspicious.”

You nodded, thanking him. The carriage ride back to the hotel was rather quiet as the two of you sorted your thoughts out. However, that night, after you clocked out, a knock sounded on your door and you found none other than Jongho at your doorstep. You let him in and resumed cleaning your swords. “What’s keeping you up tonight?”

“Many things,” Jongho admitted. “But first of all, why are you obsessed with your swords?”

“Maybe I just like the idea of a neat and clean blade slicing through someone’s throat?” You suggested.

“I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that you actually know how to use them,” Jongho snorted. “I thought you were a spoiled brat who only cared about her business and how she looked.”

“You weren’t wrong, but has your presumption about me changed yet?” You scoffed.

“I now think that you are a spoiled brat who only cares about her business and how she looks- and her swords.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at that, and Jongho felt pleased- that was the first time he heard you genuinely laugh. “You can’t blame me for being obsessed with these beauties.”

“Anyways… What should I tell your father about today’s meeting if he asks? Because I’m sure I’ll get cornered by one of his men pretty soon.”

“What would you say?” You asked, waiting for his response and he nervously fidgeted.

“That you’re obviously on Prince Hongjoong’s side, and are planning to find out why he wants to become the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but you have no idea what to look for?”

“You’re getting good at this,” you smirked. “My influence is clearly rubbing off on you, I see.”

“Bound to happen when I’m with you basically all hours of the day,” Jongho rolled his eyes.

You finished cleaning the last sword and started packing them in their cases. “Do you think I’m doing the right thing, Jongho?”

“I… actually don’t really know what exactly you are doing,” Jongho sighed. “You seem to be doing the right thing but there’s a lot of mystery still surrounding you, and honestly I cannot make a judgement right now.”

You nodded, finally meeting eyes with him. “Why did my father raise you?”

Jongho pursed his lips. “My father was apparently close to your father.”

“When did they pass away?” You asked.

“I don’t recall many moments of them… I think I was four,” Jongho answered. 

“But why would my father raise you?” You tilted your head. “He couldn’t even raise me right. He’s no philanthropist.”

“I don’t know,” Jongho was being honest, and you heard what he didn’t say out loud- I intend to find out. “Where is your mother?”

“I don’t know,” you replied, and Jongho could hear the honesty in that statement too. “I don’t even know if she’s alive or dead. Last I saw of her was when she left for Eden almost a decade ago.”

“Was that before or after your father had his shoulder surgery?” Jongho asked and you frowned. “Because she was there before that, in the house. I was there too. I heard that she left for Mist Island- I remember because your father said he wished his wife was there to take care of him when he was ill.”

You felt blood rush to your head- why did your father conceal this fact for you? All the decades spent sending people to find your mother in Eden, when she was supposed to be right here? Jongho noticed your clenched jaw and paling face. “Did you… think she was in Eden?”

“Are you sure?” Your voice was steel and gaze fiery. When Jongho nodded, you took a deep breath. 

What other secrets about your mother was your father keeping from you? How would you confront him about this- or rather, would you ever?

“Thank you for telling me that, Jongho,” your voice was still the same- unwavering. “You can leave now- it’s late.”

Jongho nodded, getting up and about to go to the food but then he paused. “If you want… I could help you look for your mother-”

“You will do no such thing,” you almost spat it out and Jongho frowned. “Did my father order you to tell me that?”

Jongho scanned you in confusion for a moment and then scoffed loudly. “I can’t believe this. I just thought I could help and you think it’s not me but your father speaking? I’m disappointed in you… y/n.”

You bit the inside of your cheek as the two of you glared at each other. “How can I trust you when I don’t even know who you are?”

“I don’t know who you are either,” Jongho challenged. “Yet here I am, betraying my boss for you. I should have thought twice,” he said and left the room, leaving your cheeks burning with shame at what you had actually done.

You supposed Jongho was right- he was actively betraying the man who had raised him for you. Maybe more because of whatever he had come here to find but perhaps because one day, he could use your help too. And what had you given him in return? Disappointment. 

You decided to reconsider whether you really needed Jongho as a bodyguard… or as a person you could keep close and confide in. A partner. 

It didn’t sound so bad. 

—---------------------

You found out Jongho could be pretty sulky too when he got angry with someone- or maybe with you, he was being dramatic. 

As you went to sit at the counter with Sakura, you noticed Jongho was already having tea in his usual spot while he read the newspaper. He only glanced at you once and didn’t meet eyes with you for the rest of the day. You were a bit amused, if you had to admit. Of course, you were going to apologise- you had been in the wrong- but you wanted to see the lengths to which Jongho could go consumed with his anger.

And the fact that he was usually somewhat rational, or maybe unaffected, by whatever you did? Or whatever stunt anyone else pulled, for that matter? You didn’t know whether to be worried or be amused, so you were feeling both. And the fact that you were worried was something you didn’t want to think about right now. 

You weren’t expecting any special guests at your hotel today- usually, whoever wanted to trade secrets sent a message in advance unless it was urgent. But the last thing you were expecting were a bunch of soldiers from Eden advancing into your hotel like they owned the damned place. They looked around as if expecting to see someone suspicious but upon finding no one and having alarmed everyone present, they settled at the bar corner. You sighed- you feared they might get drunk and create a mess. Soldiers from Eden generally had no morals- especially when it came to Mist Island.

Jongho also noticed how arrogant those men were but they recognised Jongho and the man who seemed to be their leader- a rather young soldier with an eyebrow slit- greeted Jongho with a bow and perhaps, asked what he was doing here. You couldn’t hear them but you saw Jongho dismiss him with a polite smile- he probably told him to mind his own business.

“Make sure they don’t create a scene,” you told Sakura and she nodded, pushing her glasses up her nose bridge before she went to whisper the orders to the rest of the staff. You had to take a little break to freshen up.

But while you were gone and the men had a few drinks, it got louder. By the time you returned, you noticed how most of the customers were annoyed and were trying to leave without attracting attention. You groaned, making a mental note to ask your father to keep his minions under control, but then you heard one of the men bark some orders to none other than Sakura who was passing by.

“Hey, you with the glasses! Where are my drinks? Why is your service so damned slow?”

“I apologise,” Sakura bowed. “I’ll check what’s taking so long.”

With a desperate glance at you, she went towards the kitchen and you met eyes with Jongho, noticing even he was annoyed. Still at the counter, you watched one of the maids set the tray on their table while they snickered and whispered things- probably commenting on her and trying to rile her up. Thankfully, she was a patient one, and after doing her job, she was about to leave when the supposed leader asked her where the woman with glasses was.

You watched Sakura frown as she made her way to the men and he started complaining about how she should have done better. You’d had enough- you started making your way towards the group but a loud shatter of glass breaking made everyone, including you, gasp.

“Why are you being like this?” The man was smirking devilishly as he grabbed Sakura’s wrist- the glass having fallen from the table as a result of her struggle. Before Jongho could get up, you raised a hand, indicating to him that you would handle it. Without waiting for his answer, you walked to the group and locked eyes with the leader.

“Is there a problem here?”

The man scanned you rather slowly with a smirk plastered on his face. “And who might you be?”

“The owner of this hotel. If you have a problem, you better discuss with me.”

“You? The owner?” The man scoffed and looked at his gang and everyone started roaring with laughter as if you had made a joke. “I guess you’re better than this one here. I was just looking for someone to… entertain us.”

One of the men on your left tried to grab your wrist. With your right hand, you snatched a plate from the table and smacked it across his head, shattering it in the process, and with your left hand, you produced a dagger from your pocket and swiped it across the leader’s hand that had been holding Sakura’s wrist. They roared with pain while you pointed the dagger at the leader’s neck, Sakura hiding behind you. Still, the leader managed to slice your arm with a table knife but you didn’t let the burning pain take over you, instead, you almost tried snatching the knife from his hand when Jongho interrupted and pointed the gun at the man’s head.

“Are you all fools, parading into the hotel of Mr. Lee’s daughter, creating a scene and hurting her?” Jongho roared with anger at the soldiers and saw the colour drain from their face when they made the connection- Jongho worked for Mr. Lee after all. The leader scoffed in disbelief, earning a smack from Jongho across his face. “Wait till Mr. Lee hears about this- I’ll make sure none of you can ever step foot on this island.”

“We didn’t know!” One of the men yelled at him. You glared at him.

“You’re a guest on this land, sir. You should have acted like one.”

“Get lost before I lose it,” Jongho told them and they all grabbed their things before skittering away, glaring at Jongho this time instead of you. You rolled your eyes, turning to Sakura.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m sorry, Madame,” she bowed her head in shame. “I should have done better. I should have cooperated-”

“I didn’t train you to be weak. I trained you to stand up to whoever dares to oppress you. You should have done what I did- that’s my only disappointment from you,” you smiled at her, touching her face. “You did well.”

Sakura smiled warmly. “Let me clean this mess up, at least.”

You chuckled at that. “You do that.”

Jongho heard that conversation and sighed internally- he hadn’t expected you to be so stupidly brave. “You know… the situation could have been handled in many other ways.”

“Ah, yes,” you turned to him. “I could have slit his throat. I didn’t. Kind of regretting it right now.”

Jongho shook his head. “You should have let me handle it. I’m your bodyguard, and yet… you took the lead. And now you’re hurt,” he pointed at the bleeding arm, the blood trickling down your hand.

“I’ll take care of it- it’s no big deal-”

“Let me,” he said with a tone of finality and didn’t wait for your response as he made his way upstairs, pausing to make sure you were following. The two of you entered your room and he asked you where your first aid kit was.

“I can take care of it,” you said as he brought the kit to the table, making you sit at a chair and he dragged his chair in front of you. You tried rolling your sleeve, flinching- your favourite plum gown was beyond repair as blood had spread all over.

“Just shut up and let me do something,” he fiddled with the kit and you gaped at him.

“Dropping all formalities, are we?” You scoffed. You didn’t get an answer in return- he dipped cotton into alcohol and glanced at you once before rolling your sleeve upwards gently, examining the cut. You pouted- it wouldn’t need stitches but it was deeper than you thought.

Jongho cleaned your wound patiently, rubbed an ointment with a swab and even covered it in gauze and bandaged your arm neatly. After he was done, he was still holding your hand in his and he sighed. “I wish you hadn’t done anything and let me handle it.”

His voice was low and barely a whisper. You frowned, trying to figure out how to respond. “I… handled it alright, didn’t I?”

“You could have been more hurt,” he insisted, finally looking at you. “How many times have you encountered people like these? Do you realise what you do is so dangerous as well? How could you not have someone to protect you before I came?”

“I can protect myself,” you insisted. “I really can. I have, all my life. Now is no different.”

“Do you have to be so stubborn?” Jongho sighed. “Let’s forget about the past, but today… You should have let me handle it.”

You shrugged, aware of how he was still holding your hand- so unlike him. “I know- I just… old habits, I guess. And you weren’t in the best mood either, so…”

“You really think I would have let you get hurt just because we had an argument?” Jongho gaped at you.

“Well… that would have made you a lousy bodyguard then.”

Jongho smiled at that and you wondered why it relaxed you so much- that the tension in his shoulders was gone. “Does it hurt too much?”

“Uh,” you took your hand from him, bending it at different angles. “I’ll take something for the pain.”

Jongho relaxed back, watching you. You stared back, mustering your courage before you took a deep breath. “I’msorryforlastnightIwasrude.”

“What was that?” Jongho scoffed loud enough to annoy you.

“I said,” you enunciated each word perfectly this time. “I’m sorry for last night. I said some things and made some assumptions I shouldn’t have. I know it was wrong of me to do so.”

“That’s okay,” he replied. “I should have… I shouldn’t have suggested helping you. I’m only your bodyguard.”

“No,” you shook your head at that. “You’re much more than that. I took you for granted, it’s just… you have to understand how it is with my father. He’ll do anything to ruin me, which has made it so hard for me to trust anyone. To trust you. I’m trying to, but honestly, you haven’t given me anything.”

“I realise that,” Jongho nodded. “I also understand where you’re coming from. I trusted Mr. Lee for my whole life until I heard something I shouldn’t have and when the opportunity to come here arose, I had to take it. And I might need your help too.”

“Well,” you smiled at that. “I guess we can both help each other.”

“I guess,” he smiled back before sighing. “I don’t remember my parents much. I think you don’t either- our families were close, though. I have a picture- perhaps you recognise them,” he said and fished in his pocket for his wallet, where he had a picture of his parents with Mr. Lee. You nodded.

“I’ve heard my father talk about them when he reminisces about the old times.”

Jongho nodded. “This isn’t public information, but my parents were spies for the King. He used them to obtain information on Eden and other nations. I don’t know what the nature of their job was exactly, but from what Mr. Lee had told me they passed away during a mission- my father was caught by soldiers from Eden and my mother escaped with me. She handed me to your mother before going back for my father- the two never returned, and they were found dead a few days later.”

“That’s… unfortunate,” you frowned. “How old were you?”

“Four,” he said, leaning forward. “Which is why I don’t remember much. But a few years ago, I accidentally heard him talk to one of his closest men- a spy as well. I heard him asking whether he really had taken care of all the people who had witnessed my parents' death. That’s… suspicious, isn’t it?”

“It is,” you admitted. “Do you think he’s hiding something from you regarding the incident?”

“It’s just the way he talked… it felt like he, too, had witnessed it. And if he really has… that means he lied to me. What would he lie for? Were my parents traitors to their homeland, Mist Island? Did they really die because they got caught during a mission? It doesn’t make sense anymore, and I came here, hoping I’d find some answers without Mr. Lee’s knowledge.”

“I think your best bet is asking Mr. Lee himself or the person he talked to,” you pointed out. “My father doesn’t really keep physical evidence of things he’d like to hide.”

“That’s true,” he nodded slowly. “The man he talked to- he’s Mr. Ahn. You know him, right?”

“Mr. Ahn?” You frowned. “He’s his secretary, but… do you know what his real job is?”

“I don’t?” Jongho frowned in confusion as well.

“He’s an assassin. The best of the best. There’s a reason my father is still alive after all he dares to do,” you told him and Jongho groaned in disbelief. “Also… what happened after you were given to my mother? I don’t remember seeing you- I do have faint memories of playing with a kid that could have been you.”

“When your mother came the last time I saw her in Eden, she told me something. She said she wished she could have raised me. She also told me not to trust Mr. Lee and that everything that I thought was the truth was not. She told me I was being used- and then Mr. Lee interrupted and I never got to ask her what exactly she meant. I thought that wasn’t something new- all of us know we’re being used by Mr. Lee one way or another. We know not to trust him with our life. But the way she phrased it… I could never get it out of my head, though it started making sense later when I heard Mr. Lee’s conversation with Mr. Ahn.”

You let that sink in. “Did my father take you with him when he left for Eden? When you were… around six?”

“Yeah,” Jongho nodded. “I was raised in his house.”

“I’m still wondering why he would bother with you- he’s not the type to raise his friend’s kid out of love. If not out of love, perhaps out of guilt? But that man rarely ever feels guilt, so… I don’t know. Maybe he wanted to make a loyal servant out of you.”

Jongho laughed at that. “I was, in fact, that, until a few years ago when I overheard that conversation. I thought I misinterpreted that but then your mother said some things, and I was lost.”

“Well, I hope you can find your answers,” you said. “I’ll look back at the house again- there must be something rather than nothing there, if you found that picture as well.”

“Thank you,” Jongho looked at you. “Why do you think your mother disappeared out of the blue? Do you really think she did?”

“She started to hate my father with an intensity that was unimaginable. She never told me why. But… I don’t think she would have left me alone if she ran away from my father. He says she might have died in Eden since Eden wasn’t in the best shape at that time- a lot of women met unfortunate fates. But you say she left for Mist Island, which changes everything as well. The fact that he keeps insisting that she’s dead…”

“Well, I guess we can establish that Mr. Lee is a liar and we can’t believe a word that comes out from his mouth,” Jongho said.

“True,” you nodded. “I still have my sources looking for her in Eden, and now here too. Keeping an eye and ear out for any news, any sighting of her. I’ve found nothing all these years. I just want to know if she’s alive.”

“What should we do?”

“We plan,” you smirked. “He will become a minister soon- we can’t stop that. But once we find something that shows evidence of his corruption, it’ll be more satisfying when he has to step down. We become aggressive with that approach so he focuses only on that while we look into the past in hopes that we find our answers. Are you in?”

“I am,” he nodded- the plan made sense. “So we really are a team now, huh? Am I still your bodyguard?”

“If you love protecting me so much,” you said and he laughed at that, making you smile as well. You liked the way his eyes curved and his lips stretched into a wide smile. “I’d prefer the term partners, but that’s only for our ears.”

“I like that,” he was looking at you with a gaze that made you uneasy. “I’d also like it if we don’t hide from each other as we find those answers.”

“You’re very cryptic,” you commented. He only smiled at that, taking your hurt hand again and caressing it once before looking at you and almost smirking before he pulled you closer, making your eyes go wide in surprise.

“I’m not protecting you because of Mr. Lee anymore. I hope you realise that,” his voice was barely a whisper and your heart swooped at that. Before you could say or do anything, he hesitated before he brought his other hand to your face and touched it once, ever so lightly, before drawing back and leaving the room.

Leaving you in a flurry of unrecognisable emotions as you sat in the remnants of his touch.

—-------------------

As soon as your father was appointed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, it seemed like all hell broke loose. The uproar in the palace as the subjects of the king expressed their disappointment in the decision could be heard for miles. The citizens started protesting especially when the soldiers from Eden started terrorising the locals, which led to innocent spilling of blood and unfair punishments- it was obvious even to a fool that the locals were at a disadvantage and were being treated unfairly.

However, your father continued to parade shamelessly through town, head arrogantly high and that permanent smug across his face. You had just been gazing out of the window, admiring the clear sky after a spell of cloudy days, when you spotted the person you least wanted to see and groaned audibly, making Jongho, who was sitting across you reading a book, look up at you, laughing to himself when he saw your incredibly annoyed face.

“I’m guessing Mr. Lee is making his way here,” he went back to reading his book.

You folded your arms as you glared at him. “I didn’t think you were actually serious when you said he would come visit any day now.”

“It was about time anyway,” Jongho flipped a page. “He’s really the kind to boast about his achievements, and you being on the side that’s against him… he’s going to rub it in your face. I suppose I’ll enjoy the sight-”

He blocked the spoon you threw at him with his book, chuckling. Before you could pick something else to attack him with, the ominous bell of the hotel door rang and you heard a good amount of people entering. With a glare at Jongho’s direction, you made your way to the reception.

“I don’t believe you have a reservation,” you said coolly, not bothering with greetings. “We’re quite full today, so-”

“Hotel Crescent,” your father looked around, pausing when he spotted Jongho who was pretending he was too busy to notice what the ruckus was about. “Business must be booming these days.”

“More foreigners than locals is not a good sign,” you raised your brow at him. He looked back at his gang of five- all from Eden- and laughed. 

“Good thing I’m a local then!”

“Are you?” You scoffed. “You haven’t called Mist Island your home in more than two decades.”

“Well,” Mr. Lee ignored that. “Can we have some coffee then? I’m here to discuss business with you, Madame. Let’s keep it professional, shall we?”

You motioned at Sakura to lead the guests to the empty table, but your father made his way to Jongho who finally looked up and pretended to be pleasantly surprised as he got up and bowed. As they seated, you watched your father have what looked like a serious conversation with Jongho. He was probably interrogating him and hearing what Jongho had to report. You made your way to that table after a few minutes, seating yourself before folding your arms and glaring pointedly at your father.

“I take it you’re getting along with Jongho here,” he smirked.

“Quite well, actually,” you narrowed your eyes at him. “Let’s talk business.”

Your father took a deep breath before shifting a bit in his seat to turn towards you. “I’ve heard you trade a secret for a secret. Any kind.”

“That’s true, but I measure the worth of your secret before I give something back,” you said.

“Well, I have something for you-”

“And with people like you,” you continued, “I don’t really believe a word that comes out of your mouth, so don’t expect me to give you something back.”

He chuckled loudly at that, shaking his head and looking at Jongho as if they could share that sentiment. Jongho, to your relief, didn’t respond. Mr. Lee shook his head. “How about this? You give me a secret about your dear Prince Hongjoong, and I’ll give you something you can’t resist.”

“First of all, I don’t have a very personal relationship with Prince Hongjoong,” you began. “I could have been working for Prince Woobin had he not resorted to ugly means instead of asking first like any respectable man should. Secondly… no thanks.”

“Ah, I’ll let Prince Woobin know that,” your father said as if he was quite friendly with the prince. “He thinks we lost what could have been a wonderful ally in this… game we’re playing.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “I don’t think he thinks that. He has people everywhere. He doesn’t need me.”

“And yet…” he locked eyes with you. “He fears Prince Hongjoong is growing stronger with each passing day, and he only has his own little group of spies and… you.”

You didn’t hide your smirk. “What do you have to offer?”

“I could tell you about your mother,” your father said and your heart sank. “I hear you’re looking for her in Mist Island too now. I could help you look for her.”

“What makes you think I need your help now, after all this time?” You replied, not letting him detect the agitation in your tone. “I’ll manage on my own, thank you very much.”

“I could tell you whether she is alive or dead, whether she’s here or in Eden or in another country as well. Are you sure you don’t want this?”

Unconsciously, you glanced at Jongho who was already looking at you. Somehow, his gaze alone made you gather your nerves of steel back and you looked back at your father. “If you don’t have anything better to offer me, then we’re done.”

You saw your father’s jaw clench and you smiled in satisfaction. If he had offered you the same thing a few years ago, you would have given him anything he wanted. You were not that person anymore. With a sigh, he got up and his men followed. He looked pointedly at you. “You’ll regret this.”

“Will I, now?” You scoffed, getting up and standing in front of him. “You’ll regret stepping foot back at Mist Island soon, Mr. Lee. Brace yourself.”

Your father left with disdain in his eyes and you waited until he was gone before you practically rushed upstairs to your room, shutting the door behind you as you began to process everything.

Your father knows where your mother is. He even knows if she’s alive or dead. He just didn’t bother letting you know, all these years. Why? Was there a reason behind it or was he just a sadistic bastard who loved seeing you suffer?

A knock sounded on your door and you heard Jongho call your name. “Can you let me in?”

“Now’s not a good time,” you hesitated before you replied, hoping your voice wouldn’t crack.

“All the more reason to let me in,” he said. You contemplated for a moment before wiping your eyes and opening the door for him, not looking at him as you went to stand near the window. 

“Are you… okay? I know it’s a stupid question but… talk to me instead of keeping it in. I can see that it’s killing you.”

For a moment, you wanted to ask Jongho who he thought he was to make assumptions like these (even if he was right). You wanted to fire him for crossing the formal boundary between you two- even though you two had established that he was not working under anybody now. You wanted to tell him to go back to being Mr. Lee’s loyal servant. But as you glanced at Jongho… you realised he was pretty much in the same position as you- it looked like your father knew what really happened to his parents as well, and he couldn’t ask him. And he wasn’t just your bodyguard anymore- you two were way past that. From eating your meals together, plotting schemes, trading secrets- you were partners now. 

“It’s funny, Jongho,” you sighed. “If he had made this offer a while ago, I would have accepted. It’s making me wonder where I stand now. I never pledged my loyalty to Mist Island and to Prince Hongjoong. I’m still searching for my mother. Yet here I am, protecting him and his land, throwing away the chance to end this quest once and for all.”

“You made the right decision,” he insisted. “At least about not letting your father hold that power over you. And I can see why you like Prince Hongjoong- he’s helping you look for your mother even in the midst of all this, even when you never asked.”

Your heart swelled- Jongho understood. “Does it make me a bad daughter, Jongho?”

“It doesn’t,” he moved from the fireplace and walked towards you, standing by your side as you both gazed at the sun setting over the busy streets of the town. “You’ve never stopped looking for her- you’re doing everything in your power. How could you think it makes you a bad daughter?”

“I’m just… tired of looking,” you sighed, putting a hand over your quivering lips. “It’s been years and it’s like she never existed. She disappeared without a trace. Did she abandon me on purpose? I keep thinking that, and then I remember how she promised me that she would never, and then I think I’m a bad person for thinking that-”

“Hey,” Jongho watched you hide your face away from him as your shoulders shook. Hesitantly, he put a hand on your shoulder, caressing it. “It’s okay to have these thoughts. But you know what? You won today. You don’t need that man to help you. You have so many people with you- Prince Hongjoong and Seonghwa have been helping you all this time because they care, because you help them in return. I am helping you- because I care about you too.”

“I just don’t know what to do anymore, why I’m doing this anymore,” you stopped crying, wiping your eyes. “Why am I running this business, putting myself in danger, when I could have lived a quiet life? Why am I doing all this?”

Jongho turned you towards him and he put his hands on your arms, rubbing them as he locked eyes with you and smiled. “You know… I thought you were some spoiled person with too much money and power but you’ve surprised me everyday. You’re nothing like your father. You trade secrets, manipulate, but I’ve never seen it bring harm to the place you live in. Whether unconsciously or consciously, you’ve been helping Mist Island itself- not the king, not the princes, but the land, your home. My home,” he tucked some stray hair behind your ear and your breath caught as he wiped a tear from your eye as well, proceeding to cup your face. “You’re so brave for doing that. Braver than any soldier. And you never gave up on your mother- that makes you the strongest person I know. And I know you’re looking into my parents, even when I never asked for it. You’re loyal to those who you choose, and I’m glad you chose me. I’m right about the last part, aren’t I? Or am I delusional?”

You laughed at that, nodding. “I think I am, unless I learn you’re still working for my father in which case, I’ll kill you in your sleep-”

Jongho shook his head as he put a finger on your lips to shut you up and your heart lurched- the air felt so thick right now, especially with his gaze on your lips. “I do think I should do something about this mouth of yours.”

He looked in your eyes and it was as if he finally realised the position you two were in- mere inches away, his hand on your face and the other on your lips. He cleared his throat as he put his hands back to your arms and you couldn’t believe that you felt anything but relief at that. You wanted his hands back-

“You can lean on me, y/n,” his voice was low. “Let’s not lean on anybody else but each other, shall we?”

You didn’t need to contemplate that anymore. As your answer, you stepped forward and put your head against his chest, almost at the crook of his neck. You felt Jongho tense and for a moment, you feared he never meant for any of this to happen, but then he wrapped his arms around you and you felt… strange, almost like you were safe. You had never felt safe in anyone’s arms before. You could feel the warmth and strength in his arms as he hugged you and you let your hands hold his jacket as you stayed like this for a few moments before you muttered a thank you.

“You don’t need to thank me,” he broke the hug and patted your cheek once. “I’ll be downstairs- you shouldn’t keep your business waiting for too long.”

You smiled at that and watched him leave, putting your hands on your cheeks in disbelief and finding them warm. What was happening?

—-------------------

A few days later, you found yourself back at the palace- but this time, in the middle of the night. You spotted Jongho trying to fight his yawn as the two of you waited for the prince to arrive and you scoffed.

“Just yawn, big and large, and get it over with,” you told him and he sighed, grinning. You didn’t realise you were grinning back until he paused and looked at you.

“What?” He asked.

“You have a… cute smile.”

You immediately realised a few things- Jongho never expected to hear something like this from you, you never expected to say something like this to anyone for that matter, and the fact that you actually thought about this-

“It’s the lack of sleep talking, isn’t it?” He laughed this time, all gummy smiles and curved eyes and you resisted the urge to pinch the cheek of the man who was sitting in front of you. In the royal chambers. You ought to get a grip-

“Yes, but it’s also the truth,” you tilted your head as you watched him in a teasing manner. “Has nobody ever told you that?”

“Okay, stop flirting with me,” Jongho clapped as he straightened. “The prince will be arriving any second now.”

“But he’s not here right now,” you teased and Jongho scoffed at you and shook his head in disbelief.

“I’ll let the Prince know he ought to think twice before disturbing your sleeping schedule because clearly it’s messing with your brain- it’s like you’re a whole new person when you’re sleepy-”

“Or maybe I’m just too wide awake for my own good-”

“What’s happening? I wanna join- it looks like something interesting is going on,” Hongjoong arrived with Seonghwa right behind and the two of you got up, stifling your giggles- giggles- as you bowed. 

You really should have taken a nap today.

“Nothing, Prince Hongjoong,” you smiled sweetly at him and he pouted.

“You’re no fun,” the prince shook his head and Seonghwa scoffed.

“You’re one to say,” he muttered as he sat and Prince Hongjoong looked pointedly at him.

“This lad is practically asking for an execution order now,” he pointed at Seonghwa who dramatically bowed in apology. “Anyways, I have information that I need to share urgently. I know what exactly it is that Woobin has been trying so hard to hide. It’s a ledger which proves that the King and Prince Woobin have been illegally depositing funds to… make a guess where exactly.”

“Eden?” You shrugged, “But then… I think there’s a third nation involved?”

“Utopia is funding Eden’s mission to annex Mist Island- it’s nothing new if we think about it. Eden’s government has always been somewhat controlled by Utopia. Eden’s prince is one fool if he thinks Utopia will just sit and watch as Mist Island and Eden become one- they’ll take over Eden right after. I don’t know what they’re blinded by, but clearly a large amount of black money makes do.”

“So the physical copy is here?” You asked and they nodded. “And it gives proof of your brother and father’s involvement?”

“Sadly, yes,” Prince Hongjoong confirmed and you scoffed in disbelief. “As well as your father’s involvement.”

“Of course,” you nodded. “How do you want to proceed?”

“We were thinking,” Seonghwa began, “We obtain the ledgers and either resort to blackmailing or make it public.”

“Wouldn’t blackmailing put your life at more risk?” Jongho pointed out. “They won’t just sit back and let you control them even if you could make the ledgers public.”

“To hold the King and Prince accountable and stop this madness, I need more power- not just the empty title of Prince by my name,” Hongjoong said. “And there’s one way the King would have to renounce the throne- if the senior scholars in the palace, all eight of them agree that the King is not fit to rule anymore. Prince Woobin’s involvement will automatically make him unfit as well, which would leave me.”

“How do you plan to convince the scholars?” You asked. “They’d believe you right away but that doesn’t mean they would agree to stand against the King himself.”

“Have you ever kept… something from all of your years in this business, all of our years working together? Something we could use now? It’s okay if you don’t want to lend us if you have something,” Seonghwa glanced at Prince Hongjoong who nodded. “But I think it’ll be helpful if we have a detailed list or something like that.”

You looked at the Prince and his loyal friend- you wouldn’t call Seonghwa anything but a friend to Prince Hongjoong. A smile creeped up your face and the Prince mirrored it.

“You have. I knew you would have.”

“I have,” you confirmed and Jongho clapped at that. “And I’ll gladly lend it to you.”

“Let us know what you want in return,” the Prince was smiling warmly, but you shook your head.

“I want nothing from you, Prince Hongjoong. I’ve never wanted anything from you. In fact… I don't know why I chose to help you, but you haven’t betrayed me like anyone else would have. You didn’t simply use me. That’s enough.”

“I told you she’s our friend,” Seonghwa grinned at the Prince and you gaped at them while Jongho stifled his laugh. 

“I guess you could call it that, though I never imagined I would have such a friend circle,” you laughed as you looked around at the three men.

“I’d like it if you could talk to me informally, Madame Lee,” Prince Hongjoong grinned. “Just call me Hongjoong. Both of you.”

“Only if you stop calling me Madame Lee as well,” you said and everyone laughed at that. “So… I do have a record of all the events that took place because of my business. Would that be enough?”

“We’d like it if you could come with us when we talk to the scholars,” Seonghwa pushed his dark hair out of his eyes. “It would make a better impression- that the Minister’s daughter doesn’t approve of whatever’s happening.”

“I suppose it would be a slap on my father’s face as well,” you pondered. “I’m not sure they would like me much, though. I don’t exactly have the best reputation.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Hongjoong assured you. “So? Will you?”

“I will,” you promised.

“If I may,” Jongho began and everyone nodded. “Has anyone heard of the Twilight Society?”

“The Twilight Society?” You frowned, glancing at Seonghwa and Hongjoong who were looking at each other suspiciously. “It looks like someone has.”

“Where did you hear that?” Hongjoong’s voice was grim. Jongho straightened a bit, glancing at you.

“I imagine it exists then?”

“It existed,” Seonghwa corrected. “Long ago. No one has called its name out loud in two decades.”

“Who were they?” Jongho asked and Seonghwa shook his head.

“Where did you hear it?”

“I once heard Mr. Lee talk to his right hand man about some Twilight Society- it sounded like a name of a place or a group. I forgot all about it, but some recent digging into the past made me wonder if I shouldn’t have forgotten about it after all.”

You were confused- what was he getting at? Seonghwa was looking at Hongjoong, waiting for his sign to either proceed with the chat or shut everyone up. But then Hongjoong took a deep breath.

“Who is involved? Why are you digging into the past? The Twilight Society was dissolved two decades ago”

“My parents were spies for the King- your father,” Jongho began. “I’m imagining that the Twilight Society was some special mission group which my parents were a part of- they passed away during that mission.”

Hongjoong nodded slowly. “I’m not aware of the members of that society, but I’ll look into it. How does this help us, though?”

“I don’t think my parents passed away because of the enemy- I think something happened. I’m sure Mr. Lee wasn’t a member, but he knows all about what happened to the Twilight Society. If it really was a top secret mission, why does he know about it? Especially when he wasn’t an important figure back then? I’m sure none of the members would have told any outsider of what their mission was, or who they were, for that matter.”

“That’s awfully suspicious,” Seonghwa glanced at you and realised you weren’t aware of this either. “I think I should look into who the members were, and see if your parents really were members of that group. I should look into what exactly their mission was, and why no one dares speak of it.”

“Thank you,” Jongho nodded. “I’m sure the scholars wouldn’t be pleased to hear that someone like Mr. Lee knows of the King’s private matters since so long ago.”

After concluding the discussion, you and Jongho decided to walk back to the Hotel unescorted- there was this unexplainable rush of adrenaline you were feeling after finding out everything. You glanced at Jongho. “I really think we should look at my father’s old house again- there must be something back there.”

“I think so too- at first, I thought I was overthinking, but since they confirmed it…” 

You nodded. “How about we make a little detour?”

Jongho narrowed his eyes at you. “Isn’t it way past your bedtime?”

“I’m not some old cranky woman who cares too much about her ‘bedtime’,” you pouted. “Plus, I’m wide awake after that conversation back in the palace. The house is near as well- only a two minutes walk from here.”

“Well, I suppose we could-”

Jongho’s eyes caught a flash in the dark and you almost screamed when he grabbed your arms and turned around, hiding you two behind a tree as an arrow whooshed past you and hit right where you would have been. Jongho scanned you once to make sure you were okay. “Do you have any weapons on you?”

You nodded and he dared to take a peek, resulting in another arrow mere inches away from the tree you were hiding behind. You took a deep breath. “You have your gun?”

Jongho nodded. You told him your plan and he agreed. Jongho slid to his left, shooting at the direction from where the two arrows had come from and running to the other tree for cover right as you went to your right, separating from him, hoping there was only one or two persons attacking you instead of a whole group. You were right next to another street and you took advantage of the shadows and your black cloak to disappear into the street while Jongho, being a bait, made your attackers follow him away from you. But what you hadn’t told Jongho of your plan was that you were going to take a detour yourself.

You could hear the attacks- the gun wasn’t too loud thanks to the silencer but you could hear the scuffle. You went for the street across where Jongho was, spotting the men. They were two, to your relief. You produced a dagger from your boot and aimed for the closest person, hitting him square in the back.

If there was one thing you were proud of, it was your aim. 

The other man noticed his partner and aimed his arrow for you. You rolled to the side and waited for the arrow to miss you before throwing a dagger, practically blind, and missing him as well. You knew now that he was going to come for you, and you hid and waited until he did. You knocked the arrow out of his grip and almost hit him with the dagger but he gripped your wrist and twisted it painfully. You took off your hairpin, unravelling your hair from the bun, and hit his shoulder. He screamed in pain but unfortunately, his grip on your wrist didn't loosen and he twisted you until your back was flush against him, with the very dagger you had planted in his shoulder now painfully digging in your neck.

"I've waited so long to kill you," his raspy voice made you shiver. You rolled your eyes, about to hit his side with your elbow in an attempt to get free but then the man tensed.

"You move one inch and I shoot you right here." 

It was Jongho, right behind the man, and though you couldn't see him, you figured he had creeped up behind you and was pointing the gun at the man's head. The man scoffed, purposely dragging the dagger along your neck just enough to cut you before raising his hands in the air, dropping the dagger. Now free, you immediately turned and went behind Jongho.

"Who sent you?"

"You can kill me. I won't answer."

"You don't need to," you said, voice steel. "Do whatever you please with him, Jongho."

Jongho shot at the man's thigh, his scream ringing through the air before he stifled it. "Come prepared next time… if you can even manage to walk."

Jongho grabbed your hand and you both made a run for the house- someone was bound to come and check what the screaming was about, especially since this was a residential area. Once inside your old house, you shut the door and Jongho immediately grabbed your shoulder, examining the wound on your neck.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" He asked and you shook your head. Jongho sighed. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this was?"

"This isn't the first time," you simply said. 

"Why did you come back? I had it under control-”

“I couldn’t just leave you there-”

“You could have been hurt!” Jongho sounded exasperated but then he shook his head, touching the skin right behind the cut, wiping the trickling blood in process. “You could have been killed, and I-”

“You could have been killed as well,” you locked eyes with him. “You think I would have liked that? I came back for you. That’s it- I don’t care if it was dangerous.”

Jongho almost glared at you but soon he was smiling, brushing your hair away from your shoulders as he tucked your hair behind. The mere action was so intimate, nothing like you had ever experienced before, that you suddenly felt conscious of the distance between you two, the sound of his breath, and his gaze- he played with your hair. “I like you better with your hair down.”

You rolled your eyes at that, trying to push him away but he grabbed your wrists, making you look up at him. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, okay?”

You pursed your lips, feeling overwhelmed- he actually cared. You nodded, and he left your wrists only to wrap his arms securely around you, and this time, you hugged him back properly, wrapping your arms around his waist and sighing in relief because you had been wanting to do that for a long time now. With a kiss to your temple, he broke the hug, making you raise your brows at him. 

“You make me so confused, y/n,” he almost whispered, cupping your face and caressing your cheeks as he looked at you. “I don’t know how I went from strongly disliking you to… this.”

“This?” You asked. “Are you saying you actually like me now?”

“See?” He laughed. “You’re such a tease. I didn’t like that at first, but I’m not going to complain now.”

“I’m as confused as you right now,” you put your hands on his that were still holding your face. “What do you intend to do with me, Choi Jongho?”

He almost smirked at that, leaning forward and planting a lingering kiss on your forehead first, surprising you. His hands went further down your neck, tilting your face as he kissed your cheek, almost trailing his lips down to yours-

Before you could grab him and do the deed, the sound of something crashing in the living room made you both jump and Jongho once again put himself in front of you as you both went for the living room. The window was open, however, the cardboard boxes that had been right under it were almost smashed, as if someone had stepped over them. Whoever had intruded had probably knocked something over and was either hiding or ran away. You went for the window, spotting movement at the end of the street before it disappeared entirely. 

“I don’t think we’re safe yet,” you announced. “Let’s get this over with quickly. You search the office, I’ll search the rooms.”

“Okay,” Jongho’s gaze was indecipherable and he went to the office while you went to your room first, checking the box under the floor to see if whoever intruded had something to do with this. However, your previous letter was still there. Sighing, you went to your parents’ room, searching for something you didn’t know the nature of. But anything suspicious, anything that resembled a journal or an entry book, you grabbed that and met Jongho in the hallway, who had done the same.

“Should we wait before we go back? Someone might be outside.”

“That someone could very well come inside too, so let’s just go back- I feel safer in my own room,” you referred to your hotel and he nodded, putting everything in a bag that he wore before and grabbing more weapons before you left. Your walk was swift and silent, and you relaxed once you reached the hotel. 

“Someone must have known we were going out tonight- I told no one, though. Did you?” You asked Jongho as you went inside your room and he dumped the bag on the table.

“I didn’t,” Jongho shook his head. “Did anyone see you?”

“I don’t think so, but I think there might be a rat here, in my staff,” you felt bitter at the thought alone. “I’ll think about it tomorrow, I have the worst headache right now.”

“Just sleep,” Jongho nodded. “Let’s talk tomorrow?”

You nodded, and walked Jongho to the door. You called his name and when he turned, you tiptoed to kiss him on his cheek, catching him by surprise. 

“Thank you for… everything.”

Jongho made a funny face as if he couldn’t believe it but then he smiled, waving as he left, and when you shut the door, you sank to the floor grinning like an idiot.

—-------------------

“I don’t think we’re finding anything at this rate. It’s all so cryptic anyway- what are you doing?”

You were glaring at one of your father’s journals, the entries very cryptic, just like Jongho had said. You found out that your father usually noted when exactly he met someone and at what place, and you wondered if noting it down helped him with his memory- he didn’t have a bad memory at all. That must be the reason. 

“You know, glaring holes into these isn’t going to make something pop up,” Jongho tossed a candy near you and you glared at him once before unwrapping it and putting it into your mouth, going back to what you were doing. “You’ll have better luck looking at these albums- let’s switch.”

You sighed, smacking the diary shut and slumping back. “I think we’re only wasting our time. He’s not one to leave behind any trace.” You exchanged your diaries with the albums and started flipping through them. “And even if we find something, we can’t really link anything to what’s currently happening. It’s a long shot.”

“No harm looking,” Jongho said, flipping through the pages. “Besides, isn’t it fun just sitting here and doing basically nothing? A day off from your duties?”

“I don’t remember the last time I took a day off,” you smiled, but then it faltered. “However, this is the last thing I would want to do on my day off.”

Jongho looked at you then, suddenly curious. “What would you rather do instead?”

“I don’t know,” you stretched your arms, thinking. “Visit the beach? It’s been a while, but now there are soldiers everywhere. I could go to the beach in the south though. That area has been secluded for a while and I have acquaintances who live there. It would be nice to visit them.”

“Well,” Jongho threw the diary back into the bag. “Get up then. We’re going to the beach. I’ll be back in a few minutes, and you better be ready by then.”

“Wait, you’re serious?” You scoffed. “I can’t just leave like this-”

“You can,” Jongho grinned. “You’re the boss here. This place can run itself. Come on, get up.”

“Jongho,” you groaned, looking up at the roof as if that would help. Jongho only crawled behind you and flicked your forehead, making you mutter a curse at which he snickered before pushing you up. 

“Don’t be such a brat. Dress casually for once- and don’t tie your hair.”

“Why are you so obsessed with my hair-” you faltered when you recalled how you two had almost kissed last night. You glanced at him and were surprised to see a light flush across his cheeks.

“It just makes you look good. I like it, okay?” He fidgeted awkwardly and then shoo-ed you again, making you laugh as he practically pushed you inside your room. “Fifteen minutes!”

Jongho liked you, you were sure. You liked him too, there was no denying it, but you two were still figuring it out, it seemed. And you planned to get to know him today- not the Jongho who worked under Mr. Lee, but Choi Jongho, the person that he was. You shuffled through your clothes and wore a beige casual gown with ruffled sleeves, leaving your hair half tied with a straw hat, and finally pulling over your black cloak. As you stood in front of the mirror with a racing heart, you realised you were excited. You hadn’t felt like this in years.

Jongho was changing you and your life, and though you hated sudden change, you liked this. And you were realising that he was breaking your walls down. You would never let anyone get as close to you as Jongho had gotten in such a short period of time. You never trusted someone, never asked someone to trust you, yet…

You heard a knock on the door and took a deep breath before taking your bag and opening the door, both of you surprised as you scanned each other- Jongho because you really had let your hair down, and you because he was dressed in a white button up shirt under a brown coat and he looked really, really good.

“Who are you?” You asked, making him grin. “Remember to take your weapons- it’s not safe anywhere these days.”

“I’d remind you too, but I’m afraid to ask just how many daggers you keep on you.”

“Don’t ask,” you nodded, “Shall we?”

The two of you decided to take public transport until you reached the town that bordered the beach in the south. You pointed out a few spots to Jongho and he tried to recall what he remembered of Mist Island. You told him you should have shown him around earlier, but he insisted that now was okay. He also asked why you preferred the beach in the south as opposed to the one closer, when you both took horses for the rest of the path.

“It’s the one spot my mother took me whenever she felt overwhelmed,” you told him. “As you know, my father was absent for the most part of my life. Maybe she missed him. Maybe she just needed someone by her side- someone who was not a child.”

“And the people who live here, the ones you mentioned?” Jongho asked. “Who are they?”

“That’s where they live,” you pointed at a hut at the top of the hill, not very far from where you were now. “They were her friends- I don’t exactly know how. It’s been a decade since I last came here so I guess I will have to reintroduce myself. Maybe they’ll remember me.”

You tied your horses to the trees near the hut and decided to go around the beach first before visiting the hut. The beach was empty, only the sound of the waves crashing and the seagulls in the air. You took off your sandals and Jongho followed, grinning at the feeling of the wet sand in your feet. 

“This beach is a lot cleaner, I’ll give you that,” Jongho laughed.

“And there’s no one,” you smiled. “We’ve got this place all to ourselves- that’s my favourite part.”

Jongho watched you- something in you had shifted the moment you took off your shoes and started walking along the shore, occasionally bending to pick a seashell. He followed closely behind, loving the way the wind was blowing your hair away. You turned and caught him staring at you and you raised a brow. He only came beside you to walk with you.

“If we prevent this war and peace comes one day, what do you want to do? After everything is over?”

Jongho thought about it before answering. “I want to move back here. I feel like I’m home.”

“It is your home,” you nodded. “I’m glad you’re finally ditching Eden.”

“I never liked it much if I’m being honest,” Jongho laughed, looking at you. “What would you like to do?”

You took a deep breath, pausing and gazing at the setting sun, the pastels in the sky and the sea. “I want to sell my hotel and find lodging somewhere away from the city- preferably here. I could train the girls here in a variety of things- business, self defence, or even knitting. I just… want to live a quiet life…” you looked at him. “Would you like to join me? You could teach them whatever tricks you’ve learned from my father.”

Jongho threw his head back as he laughed, making you laugh as well. “Yeah? I could teach them how to deal with spoiled brats like you too.”

“Definitely,” you grinned. “What do you say? You and me in this town, away from all the drama. Living in a nice little cottage, growing our own vegetables-”

“Together?” Jongho asked, and something told you that he was talking about a lot of ‘togethers’. You looked at him, watching the wind blowing away his dark hair, his eyes glinting with a hint of amusement, a faint smile on his lips. Would you like to spend the rest of your life with him? Would he like to stay your friend at the very least?

“Together,” you nodded, promising. “If you’d like-”

You didn’t expect him to cup your face and bring you in for a kiss but after recovering from the initial shock, you immediately melted into it, kissing him back, your hands fisting his shirt. The moment couldn’t have been more perfect, and when Jongho broke apart, he joined his forehead with yours. 

“I’m only staying in Mist Island if it’s with you,” he admitted, looking in your eyes for an answer and you gave him a nod, kissing him again. The waves washed your feet as you kissed, making you shiver into it, and you both broke apart, giggling slightly. You put an arm at his back, leaning into him as you both watched the sun set, overwhelmed by the emotions so opting to let the moment talk for itself.

As soon as it got dark, you both headed for the hut and you spotted a woman. “Aunt Nari?”

The woman turned and you gasped at how much she had aged- her hair had lost its colour and there were wrinkles on her face, but somehow, she was still graceful, especially in the way she walked to you and touched your face as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Y/n?” She asked and you nodded which resulted in her immediately enveloping you in a hug as she expressed how surprised she was to see you here and how much she had missed you. “Where’s your mother?”

You glanced at Jongho and then back at the woman. Thankfully, her attention diverted as well and she asked who the ‘young handsome man’ was. 

“My friend, Jongho,” you introduced and Jongho raised a brow at you before greeting the woman. She made you two sit on one of the benches, lighting the rest of the lamps before going inside for refreshments and to call her husband. Jongho tapped your shoulder.

“Just your friend?”

“What else do you suppose you are?” You teased.

“Well, I don’t know,” Jongho leaned forward, making you lean back as well but he leaned to whisper in your ear, “Do friends kiss like that?”

He was so pleased to see you blush like that, and felt victorious when you had no retort. You were relieved to be interrupted by Aunt Nari’s husband coming to greet you both.

“You’ve grown up so much!” He laughed as the couple sat down in front of you. The man looked at Jongho. “Last I saw her, she was still this much-”

“I was not that small!” You scoffed and the rest of them laughed. 

“How’s your mother? I thought she would be with you- did she forget us? She hasn’t visited us in forever.”

“Actually, I’m sorry I didn’t come earlier,” you told them, sipping on the tea before continuing. “My mother kind of went missing a few years ago. I’ve been searching for her but to no avail.”

“Oh, goodness,” Aunt Nari set her cup down. “When did that happen? Where could she be?”

“I don’t know how or why it happened,” you sighed. “Last I know is she went to Eden to visit my father- about eight years ago- and then she never came back. I tried contacting you back then but you weren’t here.”

“That must have been when we thought we’d settle in Utopia,” Uncle Jung said. “We only came back to Mist Island three years ago.”

“Ah,” you nodded. “Well, Aunt Nari, you knew my mother better than me. Do you think she ever wanted to run away? Simply leave everything behind and escape? You know she didn’t have the best relationship with my father.”

“One thing I know for sure is that even if she wanted to, she could never leave you,” she said and you almost slumped in relief. Jongho put a hand on yours. “Did you not find a clue or something?”

“I searched all these years in Eden, but Jongho told me she had left- presumably for Mist Island. I suspect my father had a hand in this- he clearly knows whether she’s alive or dead but sometimes he feigns innocence. Sometimes he slips and says something which makes me think if he’s behind this. I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

“Oh dear, that’s unfortunate,” Aunt Nari looked at her husband and you noticed their cryptic gaze. 

“If there's anything you can tell me that might help… please tell me.”

“I suppose you’re grown enough to know this,” Aunt Nari looked guilty. “Your father isn’t the best man, I suppose you know that already.” You nodded at that and she continued, “Your father always wanted to involve himself in dangerous politics. Your mother opposed that strongly at first but then she gave in. The last time she met me, which must have been right before she went to visit him in Eden, she told me she was so close to discovering something about your father- something she could use to finally separate from him. He was always lying to her, that man. She knew he was a liar, a murderer, but he always denied it. She didn’t want to be with a man who she didn’t feel safe with.”

You nodded at that. You could understand that about her. “Did she tell you what she was about to find?”

“Something about this secret mission from the King- I suppose there are a lot of those, but this one somehow involved your father. She didn’t exactly tell me how or why, but she was convinced that your father had a hand in the mission going horribly wrong, which also caused the death of someone she was close with.”

You felt Jongho’s grip on your hand tighten a bit. “Is that it?” You asked and she nodded. “Thank you so much, Aunt. I’ll visit you again. I’m searching for answers myself, so this was very helpful.”

“Just stay safe, kid,” she patted your cheek as you got up. “Stay safe.”

You hugged them both, promising again to visit them when you’ll finally find the answers, and when you were about to ride back, you looked at Jongho. “This has to be connected to the Twilight Society, right? My father messed up something with that mission, it seems.”

“Let’s wait until Seonghwa confirms this,” he patted your shoulder before you two got up on your horses. “And let’s pray it’s not worse than we think.”

—----------------

Now that you had taken a step further into your relationship with Jongho, you were finding just how much everything had changed but strangely enough, nothing had changed at all. 

It was kind of funny- you both still teased each other to the point the other would be annoyed, you both still spent most of your time together. He hovered over you a lot while you were working, and when you had free time you two would talk. Yet… the way you looked at each other now was different. Every glance and every touch was more meaningful. You two didn’t have much experience in that field so you two were navigating your way together, at a calm pace. 

However, sometimes all you wanted was for him to hold you. Sometimes, at night after wrapping up, if you both were up for one last cup of tea or coffee, you two would sit by the fire in each other’s arms. He would massage your shoulders or you would play with his hair. Such simple gestures filled your heart with an overwhelmingly good feeling. And sometimes, when he would tuck your hair back before he kissed you, you would want to live in that moment forever. 

You both were still trying to figure out just what Mr. Lee’s role was in the disappearance of your mother, in the Twilight Society’s mission that had failed. With each passing day, there was this undeniable tension growing around you two. Mr. Lee was your father, and he was the man who raised Jongho. Though you two badmouthed the man all you wanted with each other, things were different now as the suspicions grew. 

As you closed the register and instructed Sakura to take the files to the storage, you glanced at Jongho who was sitting in a corner, going through some of his own work. He wanted to buy some land here since he had a lot of money from his time in Eden, and he was also trying to acquire the land that had once been his- his father’s home. You put your face in your hands as you watched him dreamily, your attention diverting when the bell rang and the customers entered-

Prince Hongjoong. Seonghwa. And a few guards. For a moment, your heart sank and an eerie silence fell in the hotel, prompting Jongho to look up as well. But when the Prince smiled after spotting you, you relaxed. 

“I’m just here to grab coffee with you, can you tell everyone to relax?” Hongjoong laughed as you greeted him.

“They can’t help it,” you grinned. 

“I’ll ask the guards to stay outside,” Seonghwa said and you led Hongjoong to the sitting area, who decided to sit with Jongho when he spotted him. Seonghwa joined and you had a maid take their order.

“Are you free right now?” Hongjoong asked. 

“I am,” you confirmed. “What prompted you to get coffee this late at night? Shouldn’t you be getting your royal sleep or something?”

Hongjoong chuckled. “I thought I’d visit here and boom your business. It’s been a while since I last came here.”

You nodded- it had been years. The only time he had visited was when he wanted to personally scout you. Hongjoong grinned. “I’ll visit more now, now that we’re… friends.”

“After all of this is over, this place might be no more,” you surprised him with that. “So visit more often, preferably months apart instead of years.”

“Alright,” Hongjoong nodded, glancing at Seonghwa and Jongho who were engaged in some discussion. “We’ve found out everything, y/n. About the Twilight Society. We have gathered proof, and I would like it if you could visit the day after tomorrow so we can talk to the scholars.”

Your heart sank. “Of course. Are you going to tell me what you learned?”

“After coffee,” Hongjoong sighed. “And alone. More because Jongho would need to be alone when he hears it.”

You glanced at him, your heart breaking. “How bad is it?”

“Worse than we thought,” Hongjoong sipped on his coffee. “I’m guessing you have a vague idea of what might have occurred as well.”

“I’ll let you tell me- I really don’t want to assume,” you took a big sip of your coffee, a million thoughts in your head, nothing making sense. Hongjoong talked a bit about the scholars and how they would like to hear whatever information you all would bring forward, but you could only pay him half the attention.

“I’ll brief him,” Seonghwa was the first to get up along with Jongho, who looked like he had no clue what he was going to hear. Seonghwa passed a subtle nod to Hongjoong and he got up as well. That was when Jongho got confused, when all of you made your way up the stairs. Jongho brushed his hand with yours, asking if everything was alright. You only squeezed it with a sad smile. “I’ll see you after we get briefed.”

Jongho nodded, confused when you parted ways in the hallway, Hongjoong following you to your room. He hadn’t missed the exchange between you two. “Is there something going on between you and Jongho?”

When you looked at him, your sad eyes were all the confirmation he needed. “Oh goodness. I didn’t realise how close you two were. Should I ask Seonghwa to stop-”

“That’s okay,” you urged him to take a seat. “Let’s hear it and get it over with.”

Hongjoong told you then. The only survivor of Twilight Society was the man who was now your father’s right hand man, who had actually faked his death on the documents to escape to Eden under the protection of your father. “Jongho’s parents were initially spies for the King before they met and fell in love. After their marriage, when Jongho was about two years old, the King gave them a mission which came to be their last.

“My father cherished his team, but this mission was risky. His spies were loyal to him so they wanted to take on this mission- they had to infiltrate Eden’s palace to retrieve some stolen documents. The mission was a success, actually. They came back unharmed, but Mr. Ahn- your father’s right hand man- he teamed up with your father to take all the glory for themselves. They stole the documents, and your father… he killed all the spies except him. After having a look at the documents, he made a copy and gave that to the King, but kept the original for himself, which is why he holds so much power.”

“Oh, goodness,” your hands were trembling when you brought them to your face. “My father killed his friends? Jongho’s parents?”

“We captured Mr. Ahn a few days ago, and he finally gave us some information but it was ugly,” he grimaced and you understood. “I’m sorry about this. I don’t know how Jongho will take it.”

“He raised him, Hongjoong,” you took a deep breath, willing your anger to subside but to no avail. “That man, that filth- he killed his parents and then raised him himself. What sort of a person does that? Jongho would have been loyal to him still had he not accidentally heard his conversation with Mr. Ahn and my mother’s warning-”

You paused. Your mother had gone to Eden. She had warned Jongho about a truth that she had discovered. Your father had heard her, and then she never came back. 

“What’s wrong?” Hongjoong frowned when he watched your face go pale. 

“I think he might have killed my mother too- she found out about the Twilight Society, Hongjoong,” you looked at him, fists clenching. “He would not have let her live, would he?”

Hongjoong sighed. “I think Seonghwa has something he would want to tell you about that matter.”

You waited, furious at everything and everyone, Hongjoong patting your back and then Seonghwa knocked and entered. One look at you and he felt like you had already connected the dots. He walked to you and sat beside you. “I’m sorry, y/n. Mr. Ahn told me your father… killed your mother. I don’t know if it’s true though- I can’t be sure if he’s lying or not.”

“I know he did,” you wiped your eyes. “He’s always hinted at that. And I’m going to kill him for that-”

“You will do no such thing,” Hongjoong’s voice was serious. “I get that you would want revenge. Jongho would too. But let us, let me handle it. People like Mr. Lee, their crimes should be made public. They need to fall from all that glory, and they need to feel the shame. I’m sorry, but he doesn’t deserve the swift death that you or Jongho would give him.”

You took a deep breath- somehow, Hongjoong was right. And somehow… you felt like you had known all this for a while. What kind of a man your father was. You nodded. “We can go to the scholars tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow then,” Hongjoong said. “I promise we’ll wrap up your father’s case quickly. This bloody mess shouldn’t turn into a war. Enough lives have been lost. Prince Woobin will be held accountable for possessing this knowledge and keeping it to himself as well.”

You were surprised to hear that- but then again, the relation between Prince Woobin and Prince Hongjoong was much like that of the one between your father and you. You thanked him for coming to tell you both in person, and when you shut the door, you thought of Jongho. 

Mustering your courage, you walked to Jongho’s suite, finding the door unlocked and you went inside, where you could hear Jongho’s soft sobs inside his room, the door shut. You wondered if you should back off and let him have some time to himself. He probably hated you and didn’t want to see you. After all, you were the daughter of the man who had killed his parents. With a wet face, you took a few steps until you were right in front of the door and then slid down, your back to the door. You could hear him- he was probably in the same position as you, with his back to the door too.

“Jongho,” you called and he fell silent, having heard you. “I’m so, so sorry Jongho. I- I don’t know what to say. I just want you to know that I’m sorry-”

He heard you break into sobs and he wiped his face. He heard you continue, “You can hate me. You’re allowed to hate me. Just let me see you once, please.”

Jongho couldn’t hate you- how could he ever? That man who was your father had also killed your mother. He had stolen as much from you as he had from him. You both were victims. Yes, you were your father’s daughter, but…

You were nothing like him, he thought. Your kindness, your dedication, your loyalty… you had basically freed him from the man who had held his clutches all those long, miserable years. You hadn’t caged him like your father had caged him. You were your mother’s daughter, the woman who had raised Jongho with enough love to last him a lifetime, the woman who had warned him and in the process, lost her life. Jongho couldn’t hate you. He felt sorry towards you- your mother had died because of him.

For a few minutes, the two of you sat like that until you heard Jongho get up and you moved away from the door, opting to rest your back against the wall. A few more minutes passed before Jongho finally opened the door and saw you with a black but wet face, knees drawn to your chest. He sat down beside you and some silent moments passed before he spoke.

“I hate Mr. Lee. Probably as much as you hate him, probably more.”

“I know,” you sniffed. 

“But y/n, what makes you think I would hate you?” he asked softly and you glanced at him. “I want to apologise too. Your father must have killed your mother after he heard her talk to me. She risked herself for me, and ended up dying. I’m sorry, y/n.”

“No, no,” you shook your head, turning to face him. “That’s not your fault at all.”

“Then you can stop crying, because being your father’s daughter is not your fault as well,” he simply said, facing you and taking your hands in his lap, caressing them as he continued. “We both lost so much because of that man. I think we should stop blaming ourselves now. I know that my parents have been dead for years now, but you only just found out about your mother. I’m so sorry for that.”

You nodded, looking down at your joined hands. “I’d understand if you don’t want to be together anymore, though-”

“And why would I leave you?” He tugged at your hands, making you look at him and your heart softened at the way he was looking at you. “You’re just y/n to me. The daughter who looked for her mother all those years. The woman who was strong enough to stand on her own feet when she was alone. The person who saved her home, Mist Island, by choosing the right side. The person who risks her life for the people she loves, for the people she chooses. The person I fell in love with- it’s not Mr. Lee’s daughter. It’s simply you.”

You smiled at that, tears rolling down your face again. “That was cheesy.”

“Yeah?” Jongho laughed, cupping your face as he wiped your tears, his gaze suddenly dark. “Tell me you love me too, y/n.”

You took his hands away from your face only to let him hold your waist as you crawled near him, sitting in his lap, running a hand through his hair, cupping his surprised face and kissing his lips once. “You made me realise there’s more to life than just chasing after something I can’t see. You’ve made me feel safe, and you made me feel loved. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else- I love you, and you only.”

Jongho sighed at that, resting his head on your shoulder as you held him, as if he was trying to let this sink in. His hands caressed your waist softly, and you played with the hair on the nape of his neck. When he finally shifted, he brought one hand to cup your neck as he kissed it, right at your weak point and you stifled a sigh. He felt that, and you could feel his smirk through his lips as he continued to kiss you along your neck, attacking your sweet spot way too many times until you moaned. You slapped the back of his neck. “Jongho!”

“I love the sounds that you make,” he muttered, cupping your face and swallowing any response you had as he kissed you with a feverish desperation- showing you that he loved you, that he didn’t want to lose you, that he didn’t care who your father was because you were the one that he wanted. You tried matching his pace but you let him have his way as he kissed all his worries and anxieties away, leaning into you with a force that had your back arching until you held onto him as he laid you down on the floor.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said as the two of you tried to catch your breaths, as he caressed your hair. “You’re… so beautiful.”

You couldn’t hide the flush that creeped up your cheeks- you wouldn’t have believed it had he not been looking at you with such an intense gaze. You let your hands travel down his chest, stopping at his waist, earning a sharp intake of breath from him, and he waited no further to start peppering kisses down your face, down your neck, and then you were making out again without any signs of stopping.

“Shall we take this to bed?” You suggested when you two broke apart to catch your breath. He smiled as he lazily kissed your lips again and again. 

“If you’d like, Madame,” he whispered into your ear, tugging at your earlobe with his teeth and you laughed, smacking his chest. 

“You’re naughtier than I thought.”

“Oh, you haven’t seen the best of me yet,” he said, picking you up effortlessly, earning a little scream from you, and you knew Jongho was strong but the way he had picked you up? Without flinching? It was hot, and it sent heat rushing through your body, especially when he put you down on the bed ever so gently.

“It’s a challenge,” you grinned, and he didn’t disappoint you for the rest of the night.

—----------------------

Mist Island had changed a lot in the past few weeks, ever since Prince Hongjoong was officially appointed as the person in charge of the palace, Prince Woobin having been exiled for his crimes, and the King having stepped down from the throne. Hongjoong wasn’t king yet, but already the people were absolutely pleased with him- all the traitors to the safety of this land were behind bars.

That included your father- with the heaviest sentence. His involvement was not made public simply because it would have caused the people to lose faith in their government and their officials, even though all of you would have loved to see his walk of shame. He had committed every crime that he possibly could, and the world was better off knowing such a monster never existed in the first place. 

You also found out just who the rat in your staff had been, who had been reporting to your father and the reason you were almost killed that night when you visited the palace. It was none other than Sakura- the person you worked closely with, the manager when you were absent. However, surprisingly enough, she had come clean to you herself, claiming to not know the extent your father was willing to go (after all, what father would do that to his own child?) and claiming that she was threatened with her own life too. 

You let her off the hook, only because you were closing down Hotel Crescent. A friend of yours from Eden was visiting and offered to buy the place, and you were glad for the timing. It couldn’t have been more perfect. You wrapped up everything in a matter of days before handing him the keys and taking what little you owned to your house.

You were going to keep the house, but you weren’t going to live there. You still wanted to move to the south, and you had even bought land near the beach, where currently your house was being constructed. Your and Jongho’s house, with wide gardens so you two could train people as well, just as planned. 

You looked at Jongho, laughing over something with Seonghwa and Hongjoong, who were currently in your house. You smiled to yourself, picking up the tray and setting the tea and snacks in front of them before sitting beside Jongho. “What’s so funny?”

“I have a job offer for you,” Hongjoong was grinning and you raised a brow in amusement. “I will be crowned king soon. Seonghwa would of course be my Right Hand, but I could use both of you too. I’d like you as my advisor, and Jongho as the head of security. If you’d like.”

You poured tea for him and laughed a bit as you looked at Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s faces, anxiously waiting for your answer. “I… would love that-”

“See, I told you she’d agree!” Hongjoong began-

“But,” you interrupted, “Not now. I don’t think I’d make a good advisor right now. I would like to live peacefully for a while, without a threat on my head as it has always been. You, of all people, would understand that.”

Hongjoong smiled warmly. “Of course. What do you plan to do?”

“Live with Jongho at the beach in the south,” you picked his hand and showed off your engagement rings to the two of them who clapped enthusiastically. “Just take a breather. Maybe train the women there in various skills. Jongho would like to do something similar as well.”

“You two could train our future spies while you’re there,” Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong who nodded and then at Jongho. “Would you like that?”

“Training your spies for you, but they would be answering to me,” you sipped on your tea and everyone laughed. You shook your head. “I would… like that, actually. And maybe once I’ve had enough of the seaside and once we’re sick of the beach, we’d come back. What do you say?”

Jongho squeezed your hand. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Well then, do come visit often. Don’t just forget us,” Hongjoong said.

“Don’t pretend not to recognise us when we come to visit,” Jongho said and everyone laughed at that. 

“You’ll make a very good king, Prince Hongjoong,” you told him and his eyes gleamed at that. “Don’t disappoint us. Remember- we can always kill you in your sleep.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have made friends with you,” Hongjoong looked at Seonghwa who was grinning. 

The four of you talked and joked and teased each other for a good while until it was time for the Prince to leave. You told them you were leaving for the south tomorrow as well. They shook hands with you and thanked you for your service. Hongjoong said, “I owe a lot of my success to you. I hope you know that, and I hope you appreciate that my doors are open for you, whenever you’d like.”

“And I owe the fact that I’m taking a breather to you too,” you nodded. “Come visit me for a vacation sometime.”

The two left and Jongho put an arm around your shoulder. “I’ll kind of miss them, even though I haven’t known them for long.”

“I know,” you smiled. “They really grew up on me.”

“You looked pleased when you showed off our rings,” Jongho teased and you laughed. “Are you that happy?”

“Of course I am,” you turned to him, straightening his shirt before putting your hands on his shoulders. “I’ll show it off to everyone I meet. I’m proud of us.”

Jongho smiled at that, and as you hugged each other, you knew that you’ll be at home with him wherever you go- whether it be the palace or this house or the south, or even another place, faraway.

He was your home.

---

Birthday Serenade: Song Mingi oneshot

Pairing- Mingi x reader

Genre- smut,tipsy sex, fem!reader, established long term friendship, confession, friends to lovers, tension building, birthday sex, normal life AU

Warning-smut, tipsy sex, unprotected sex

Word count-2,619

Summary-You wanted to celebrate your birthday by having a karaoke night with friends except only one shows up and it’s who you least expect.

You tapped your foot anxiously as you waited in the karaoke room you rented. You look at your phone in your lap but it didn’t light up at all indicating any notification.

Earlier you got a barrage of, “Sorry girl.” And “Hang diff time got busy” messages. Disappointment.

You felt your stomach turn in knots. It was your birthday and you thought making an invite for a group karaoke evening would be enough to pull your friend group back together and out of their busy individual lives. Ever since everyone went their respective ways it was always missed texts and endless late responding to just one text from days prior.

You leaned back on the couch, the loud music and singing in other rooms making you focus on how dull your room was.

A knock on the door, probably the waitstaff, you were going to order the most alcohol you could to at least make this fun if it was just you.

You opened the door and looked up at who was on the other side. Mingi.

“Hey, they said the reservation was for this room.” His dark eyes scanned the empty room, “I guess I’m the first to show up.”

It had been months since you last saw your friend Mingi. Last you heard he was attending evening classes for some program at a university nearby, helping at a family members restaurant and working on some music producing with a friend he met.

You were surprised to even see him show up, usually he never came to events and honestly him never responding to a group text was normal. The fact he was here and was the only one here felt like you were special.

He rolled his shoulders and threw his coat on the couch, drenched in rain drops.

“I think I need a drink.” Mingi plopped himself down on the couch and looked up at you as he stretched his long legs.

Staring at him now you noticed how much effort he put into dressing for this outing. Usually when you saw him it was utility pants and a sweatshirt and some sneakers; tonight he was wearing a thick sweater, black denim and some boots you would’ve never imagined lived in his closet. He even styled his hair, he had managed to make his slightly grown mullet look like something an idol would flaunt.

He cleared his voice, “You order anything yet?”

You shook your head, a tinge of sadness hitting you.

You sat down next to Mingi and bit your lip as you both stared at the T.V screen flashing colors in waves.

“Y/N, anyone else say they were coming?” Mingi leaned forward and grabbed the tablet to scroll through the drink menu, you watched as he checked some.

“Our friends suck.” You muttered as you stared blankly at the wall.

He laughed through his nose, “Yeah, they do. It’s why I branched out.” Mingi turned to look at you and smiled a toothy grin. “I’ll treat tonight. Just got a fat check from the restaurant yesterday so I think it would go best to helping out someone on their birthday.”

——-

“How many songs has that been?” You laughed as you caught yourself against the wall. Mingi laughed as he tripped and landed on the couch.

You both managed to make the coffee table in the karaoke room look like a liquor store. Your cheeks felt warm and between the dancing and singing your legs no longer felt like your own.

Mingi tapped the mic making sure it was still on and acted like he was a show announcer, “I think that would be 15 songs.” This wasn’t even funny but sent you both into a laughing frenzy.

“Water, I think we need water.” Mingi was messing with the tablet to request the waiter bring water to the room.

You were still swaying with no music playing. “I think we need to sing some more.”

Mingi nodded, his eyes taking you in. “Water first.”

You playfully puffed your cheek and then proceeded to plop yourself next to him on the couch. Suddenly feeling sentimental.

“Thank you for coming Mingi. I really appreciate it.”

You felt your throat getting scratchy.

He shook his head and smiled, the way he smiled made his eyes look like crescents and it made your chest tighten. “It’s really no problem. I wanted to catch up anyways.”

A knock at the door signaled water had made its way. You watched as Mingi went to get the order from the waitstaff. Your eyes analyzed and roamed over his body, you had never caught yourself looking at him this way. He was becoming a different Mingi than the one you followed to school as a kid. A pang of jealousy hit you. He probably was talking to someone now, especially now.

He gracefully sat your glass on the table in front of you, “Drink up.” You watched his throat bob as he gulped down the clear liquid. Mingi let out a refreshed sigh and sat back down next to you,seating himself in a way he draped his arm on the back of the seat and spread his legs. Careless comfort.

“So what’s new with you?” He raised a brow and smiled tight lipped.

You thought as you drank the water, the cool sensation easing your burning throat.

“Nothing really. Finishing up my last semester of Uni. Looking at jobs. Still haven’t found time to get laid and still have no real friends.” Your cheeks burned and your mouth fell open at the realization of what you said. “Oh my gosh, I didn’t mean to say that. Ugh I’m so sorry.” You contorted your face in embarrassment as you looked down at the ground.

You listened as Mingis’s deep laugh echoed the room, “Nah it’s honest. I respect it.”

You looked back up at him, he was watching you with playful eyes. His freckle on his cheek was still the same as you remembered.

You cleared your throat, “What about you?”

You waited as he ran a hand through his thick hair and appeared in deep thought. “Hmmm, I quit Uni. Wasn’t for me. I joined a dance group and some of the guys got me into helping them make music. And I’ve been helping at my Aunt's restaurant. Haven’t found time to get laid and I’m making time for real friends. Especially people who are important to me.”

So you counted as a friend, that was unexpected.

“Oh and no. I’m not seeing anyone right now.” Mingi grinned like the menace you knew.

You rolled your eyes, “I honestly am surprised.”

You grabbed the music selection tablet and picked the first song that came on, some slow lovers jam that you knew from middle school.

You shot up and focused on the screen, singing along to your heart's content.

Shit you forgot this was a duo ballad.

Mingi casually sang along while sprawled out on the couch watching you while he sang the male counterpart.

The way he looked at you, it was giving you an inkling of more than friends. You wanted to cross that threshold. Your curiosity and need knocking at your door. The way his dark eyes held your gaze made your cheeks and ears go hot.

You then belted out the powerful female verse feeling a wave of freedom crashing into you. Now the closing verse.

Suddenly, you felt a hand hold your lower back while you sang, hearing the words on the screen echo in harmony. You turn to face Mingi who was close behind you dueting the final verse, looking down at you passionately. Your body heated. His hand burned into where it was now on your hip. The song ended and you felt yourself raise on the tips of your toes to lightly press your lips on his. He didn’t pull back but instead pulled you in closer, dropping the mic on the floor as you dropped yours and ran your hands into his hair pulling him down to your level. His soft lips parted as his tongue playfully swiped against yours, deepening the kiss which earned him a soft moan that escaped your chest. His hands gripped your lower back pushing you more into his built frame. You carefully pressed your hips on his painfully hard erection as you continued to capture his swollen lips with yours.

“Gotta lock the door,” he half whined, music to your ears. He pulled away quickly as he went to switch the latch on the door, giving you both the privacy you needed. Feeling apart from him so sudden made your brain over work with thoughts of anxiety.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” You faced Mingi head on as he came back to you, his hands intertwined in your hair.

“Y/N, I think it goes without saying I’ve been into you. For a while.” His voice was deep and certain.

You had so many questions. Mingi cocked an eyebrow, but his face might as well have been carved out of stone. His voice was flat and hardly amused when he replied, “I’ve been into you for years.I just have been in my own head and couldn’t find the guts to tell you.”

A breathy laugh escaped your lips, you tried to play cool and retorted, “It helps you actually showed up for once.”

Mingi bristled. You knew poking at him was always sure-fire ways to get some very satisfying banter from his otherwise easy going and relaxed manner.

”And that’s on me,” Mingi said nonchalantly as the corner of his mouth raised playfully. “Maybe it’s time we finally resolved this between us.”

“Show me.” You murmured, sliding your fingers along his jawline.

Biting your lip you studied his face, his perfect face. “I think we have an hour left before they charge us more.” He spoke as one of his hands roamed further down pushing up your dress and pulling down your panties until they fell to your ankles, you eagerly stepped out of them, proceeding to slide off your shoes in the process.

“That’s more than enough time. I’m going to make you mine and you won’t be able to take a step for the rest of your life without thinking of me,” Mingi sensually threatened, visibly losing his patience.

He pulled you with him onto his lap as he sat down on the couch, you were straddling him pressing your thighs into him. His hands drifted past your hips and landed on your ass, pulling you closer to him. You moaned at the action, but pulled away softly. He chased your lips, making you laugh as his own landed on your neck.

“Wait, let me pull this off.” He immediately stopped, sitting back to look you in the eyes. You smirked as you grabbed at the end of your dress, pulling it up and over your body, throwing it somewhere in the room. He swallowed thickly, his eyes wide in surprise. You felt his hands tighten on you.

His eyes broke from yours, trailing your body and making you burn all over.

“Show me.” You whispered breathlessly. He sucked in a breath as his hands slid up your body, strong hands gripping at your chest softly. Closing your eyes, you relished in his firm touch, pushing yourself closer to him. “Please!” You almost whimpered. His lips were instantly pressing wet kisses to your jaw, your mouth letting a content sigh out into the open. Reaching down to his pants, you quickly began unzipping them and trying to push them down his thighs. Quietly, he took your hands away and pushed the pants down his legs and to the floor as you stood on your knees as you straddled him, eagerly he pulled his sweater over his head in one swift movement. Immediately without hesitation, your hands were grabbing at him, a hand rubbing him through his underwear. He let a moan out, head falling back onto the plush couch. Soon you were pulling his boxers down and revealing him to you. He barely opened his eyes at the action, another deep groan escaping him.

“Tell me what you want, birthday girl.” He spoke warmly into your ear. Smiling up at you.

“Song Mingi.” You murmured, grabbing at his face and pulling him to kiss into your mouth. You moaned at his touch, pushing yourself to your knees and lining yourself up with him. You pumped him a few more times, his tongue pushing into your mouth as you did. Closing your eyes you pushed down, allowing him to fill you up in all the best ways. A breathy moan left your mouth, Mingi pushing his hips up at the feeling. You grunted at that, eyes opening to see a satisfied grin plastered to his face. You ran your hands across his shoulders and down his chest, stopping at his lower stomach. His toned body tensed at your touch, his hands cupping your ass and pulling you up.

“I wanna ride you.” Amazed, he nodded, allowing his hands to slide up and rest at your lower back.

“Mingi!” You moaned out as you sunk back onto him. You watched as he watched you, his large hands warm on your back. His eyes drooped, watching you as you slowly picked up the pace. Slowly his hands reached up to pinch at your nipples, making you moan loudly.

“You like that?” You nodded as you pushed yourself down again, Mingi grunting at the pressure. Suddenly you were being held close to his chest as he flipped you onto your back. He held your left leg out, fingers gripping your thigh to keep your legs spread as his other hand pushed down on your stomach. You yelped at the new position and pressure as he hit that special spot beautifully. His lips leave a fiery trail across your chest, soft mewls pushing past your lips. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you pulled his body closer to yours. His sweat slicked skin slid against your own, his chest pushing against yours as he pushed into you. Your toes curled and your eyes closed in pleasure.

“I’m so close!” You gasped out.

“Damn, me too!”

He desperately grabbed at your hips, pulling you into him faster and stronger with each thrust.

“Please, like that!” You whined.

“Yeah? You like me fucking you like this?” You couldn’t even respond to his question, the Mingi you knew rarely spoke like that. It sent you over, feeling your high build quickly. His fingers were quick to rub at your clit, your body jerking sensitively.

You moaned loudly. Your nails digging into his muscular back. He groaned at that, his hips stuttering as he fucked into you one last time. You smiled up at him as you felt his warmth seep into you. “You like it when I fill you up?” You nodded shyly, your cheeks tingling. “I love to see your beautiful face, hearing you moan all for me.” He said simply, his voice deep and ragged. Your flush face burned even deeper under his comment and stare. After a few minutes of relaxing, he began to pull out, causing you to whine in over sensitivity. “Happy Birthday.” He spoke weakly as he got up. He then smiled down at you fondly. You playfully rolled your eyes as he helped you onto your feet. Stepping in front of him, you smiled up at him and wrapped your arms around his neck. He gave you a perplexed look as you spoke, “Walk me home and keep me warm tonight? You know if you don’t have anywhere else you’d rather be.”

“I think I can manage that.” He smirked.

---

killing me - yunho (m)

part of the frat boy series.

summary: roommate!yunho. after last year, yunho swore he would never live in a frat house ever again. that doesn’t mean he’s leaving the frat, though, so he moves into an apartment just down the street. and you? well you need somewhere cheap and walkable to campus, and yunho is leasing a room. so that’s how you end up living with the human embodiment of sunshine and puppies, but the more time you spend with yunho the more you realize he may have a darker side lurking beneath the surface. 

word count: 9.6k

warnings: smut!! m masturbation (lil perv yunho moment), a little rough, reader has female body parts/female pronouns used, slight cumplay? unprotected sex, creampie, don’t be like them, kinda unedited <3

masterlist

Keep reading

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Serendipity | Masterlist

Masterlist | Choi San x Reader | College!AU

#serendipty au | ignore time stamps

ser·en·dip·i·ty

noun

the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

"a fortunate stroke of serendipity"

When the theater department is down on it’s luck and has to bring in record breaking sales at the end of the school year in order to garner sponsors or else they’ll be defunded, the lead invites a few dance majors to practice one Saturday morning. One volunteers his class to fill in for the ensemble just to see a smile. It all leads to two semesters of chaos in putting together a student written and composed musical, drama amongst friend groups, and a dance major falling in love with a set designer.

y/n protection squad | mountain man’s clan

extras

01 | a sign from the gods

02 | fellow students

03 | I swear I fell in love

04 | are you disappointed in me?

05 | k dude

06 | commitment issues

07 | honestly…

08 | I’m done

09 | @jwooyounh, who are you?

10 | father eden

11 | unbiased opinion

12 | too far

13 | real gentlemen + written

14 | punish me daddy

15 | love you ❤️

16 | not my baby girl

17 |

18 |

19 |

20 |

Tag List: @naiify @baguette-atiny @xciiiomwliah @atinybitobsessed @elk-1998 @noonaishere @layzfeelit @kodzukein @rge-nini @atinytinaa @atinysthings

Send an ask to be added…

I don’t respond to comments because this is only a side blog… So I’ll respond with screenshots and posts if I do.

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their gift (j.yh + p.sh)

summary: third installment in the husbands series; your relationship with them grows, blossoming into something more secure and more permanent. you spend the night loving each other. part one: room for three || part two: and if i stay

note: 18+ content, minors DNI. // have even more husbands yunhwa. i can't contain it, every time i see them next to each other i want to write another installment....

warnings: non idol!yunho, non idol!seonghwa, fem!reader, married!yunhwa, established yunhwa x reader relationship, mmf, praise play, degredation/humilitation, use of a bdsm collar, pet play, rough foreplay, rough sex, oral (m receiving), hard dom hwa and use of sir, hard dom yunho and use of daddy, yunho also subs, fingering, squirting, gratuitous use of puppy, good girl, slut, etc., anal play and anal sex, dildos, thigh riding, some light pain play, spanking/impact play, overall this is just an exceptional fuck-a-thon - please let me know if i missed any.

pairings: yunho x seonghwa x reader

genre: smut, angst, fluff

word count: 11.2K

my masterlist || read it on AO3

You have to admit, you’re a little nervous. Riding in an uber back to their apartment - your apartment, you fidget with your fingers nervously and chew the inside of your cheek. It had been a very unexpected, and very detailed Saturday. You run the pad of your thumb unconsciously across the edge of your newly manicured nails and click the lock on your phone again to see if you’ve gotten any more texts from them.

 Seonghwa’s last message hangs unanswered, and you drag up on the chat of your messages, as if that will make something new appear and explain what’s going on. 

When you get home, get cleaned up and put on the gift I’ve laid out for you. Read the note, and wait. 

He’s given you instructions via text before, but after the day you’ve had of pampering and preening, it feels different. The bags at your feet contain neatly wrapped new clothing, each piece folded perfectly between layers of fine cream tissue and wrapped with black ribbon. Seonghwa had provided you with an itinerary, a gift from both of your lovers, all paid for and planned meticulously down to the last moment. 

Life with them over the past few months had taken on new growth. No longer just casual and undefined, you are instead a part of their lives and they are a part of yours. Living in their apartment is new, but even after all this time they are still making good on their promise to take care of you. 

As the black car slides to a stop outside the apartment, your stomach erupts in little butterflies. It had been awhile since you had been properly nervous with them, and you pat your clammy hands dry on your trousers. You head upstairs, steadying your breathing, finding your key buried in the bottom of your purse, and continuously checking your phone. 

You push open the door to the apartment and look around, met only with quiet. “Hwa?” You call into the empty apartment, “Baby, are you here?” 

You’re met with silence. 

“Yunho?” You shut the door behind you, setting your bags by the door and sliding off your shoes. 

Again, the apartment is quiet, but when you listen a little more you can hear something faint in the background, the soft backbeat of music from the back of the apartment. You check your phone again, and still nothing. Moving through the apartment you start to hear the music more defined the farther back you go. With a sigh you push open the door, your mouth dropping open immediately. 

Your shared bedroom is lit with the warm glow of white candles, lining the sill of the large sweeping windows casting a soft yellow glow across the space, and the steady sound of warm summer rain against the window makes you wonder if he even planned that detail. 

Stepping closer to the edge of the large bed, your mouth runs dry. A sizable black box sits perfectly centered on the bed, a note resting on top. To the left of the box is a new robe, a perfectly shimmering cream and like soft silk to the touch. You run your fingers along it, realizing immediately where this night is going and your stomach knots in anticipation. Lifting the note, you read it quickly. 

Darling - 

We’ll be home in thirty minutes. Please put on your new gifts and wait for us, you know how we want you. Do not open the red box. Do not break the rules. 

With love.

It’s unsigned, but you know it’s Seonghwa. His handwriting is distinct, and while Yunho thinks ahead and favors games like this, he’s rarely the one to plan things out with this level of detail. 

You set the note aside and look to the right of the black box to see the red box that Seonghwa referenced in his note. Despite his instructions you see another, smaller note affixed to it and you smile when you read it. 

A gift for our darling, for Yunho’s eyes only. Be patient.

He had never planned something quite like this, you think. 

Checking the time, you know now you have more like twenty minutes, and you need to assess what he’s given you to prepare with, and how complex it might be. You set the red box on the bench at the end of the bed and slide off the lid of the black box. 

Your breath catches in your throat when you part the tissue paper inside and see what is laid inside for you. A blush pink set, simple and mesh but effective and sexy, leaving little to the imagination. A matching garter belt waits as well, a set of sheer cream stockings, and beneath it all a blown glass plug. He wants you pretty tonight, pliant and touch starved, and after the last few weeks of work you’re fairly sure it won’t be an act. 

Heat pools in your belly as you lift the plug, clear glass with pink twisting smoke inside to form a rosette at the base. The pink matches the lingerie perfectly, every detail perfect and soft. 

You move quickly, cleaning up as fast as you can in the bathroom and making sure you look and feel your best for the night ahead. When you’re ready, you relax yourself with a long exhale, and push the lubricated plug past the tight ring of muscle of your ass, and ensure it’s perfectly in place. Within minutes you’re finished dressing and looking yourself over in the large mirror that rests against one wall. As you slip the robe over your shoulders it all starts to fall into place. 

This night isn’t a gift for you necessarily, you are being wrapped and gifted for them, for Yunho. The thought sends a bubble of pleasure through you, and you can feel yourself tense around the plug, the pleasant weight of it already building the anticipation inside you. 

You had discussed a scene like this, but it was so long ago, and you are realizing only now that Seonghwa had kept his husband’s fantasies and filed them away for a night like tonight. You cinch the robe loosely closed, and position yourself in the perfect center of the bed, waiting patiently on your knees, the red box directly in front of you at the foot of the bed. You wait. 

You hear Yunho first, his laugh sharp and happy at the far side of the apartment. You can’t quite make out their words but they sound good, relaxed and pleasant like a Saturday night should be. You double check the way your robe is sitting, how it parts to reveal some of your skin strategically, before resting your hands on your thighs and waiting. 

“Is she home?” You hear Yunho ask, their voices getting closer to the bedroom door. 

“Mhm,” Seonghwa’s warm tone echoes through. 

“I don’t understand why she couldn’t come to dinner,” Yunho says. 

“Don’t you not trust me by now?” Seonghwa sighs and you hear the knob of the door rattle as someone on the other side grips it. 

“Hwa,” Yunho groans. 

“Come on,” Seonghwa says, and the door handle twists. 

When Yunho sees you, his lips part, eyes blowing wide as he takes you in. Seonghwa grins, leaning in and kissing his husband on the cheek before moving into the room, but Yunho barely registers it, his eyes are raking over you. 

“You look beautiful, darling,” Seonghwa crosses the room for you, cupping your cheek and leaning in for a kiss. 

“Hi,” You manage, “is this what you pictured?” 

“Let’s ask Yunho, shall we?” Seonghwa sits next to you, legs crossed and hanging over the edge of the bed, but he reclines towards you, your shoulders nestled together, “My love?” 

Yunho’s eyes flick to him. 

“How does our beautiful girl look to you?” Seonghwa’s fingertips run up and down your thigh. 

“Perfect,” Yunho seems to recover slightly now that the shock has worn off, and he steps into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. 

Seonghwa turns to you and kisses your cheek again, “Was the day nice?” 

“It was almost too nice, Hwa,” You rest your hand on his and give it a squeeze, “you pamper me too much,” 

“Hardly,” He shakes his head. 

“What’s this?” Yunho’s eyes find the red box, his long fingers brushing delicately over the note. 

“A present for you both,” Seonghwa explains. 

“What’s the occasion?” Yunho smiles. 

“Hmm,” Seonghwa sits up, sliding off his suit jacket and moving towards Yunho at the foot of the bed, “Honestly? You’ve both been working so hard. Long hours, sleepless nights, and I haven’t heard a complaint out of either of you.” 

Yunho’s smile softens, his eyes shining, and you feel warmth bloom in your chest. Yunho reaches for him and brushes his hand along Seonghwa’s jaw, “I know that look,” he murmurs, “you have something planned.” 

Seonghwa shrugs, “Open your present,” 

Yunho straightens up and lifts the box, reading the note again and looking at you. 

“If it’s not the right time,” Seonghwa says, calm and even, “we’ll save it for another night.” 

A flood of heat rushes through you, blush surely darkening your cheeks, and you know exactly what is going to be nestled in the box. These threads of Yunho’s fantasies are knitting together before your eyes, and while Yunho looks pleasantly bemused, you know that when he sees what’s inside he’s going to fall apart. 

Seonghwa meets your eyes, a pointed look communicating something silently, and you nod, assuring. You’ve grown accustomed to silently communicating with them, especially where the bedroom is concerned, and while Yunho doesn’t pick up on it, you see Seonghwa’s shoulders relax. 

Yunho lifts the lid, and his breath catches, “Oh,”

“Do you like it?” He checks. 

Yunho brushes his fingers along the item in the box that you can’t quite see yet, and smiles, “I love you,” 

Seonghwa sighs, relieved, and moves into Yunho’s space to kiss him softly. Your body buzzes with anticipation now that you know what’s about to happen. Seonghwa leans back and smiles at you, undoing his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves, moving behind you on the bed so he can kneel behind you. 

“Hello,” He murmurs as he shuffles closer, his legs wide so he can effectively fold around you, his chest warm against your back, “are you ready for us, love?” 

He can feel your heart racing, you’re sure of it, but you keep calm and nod, “Anything you want tonight, I’m yours,” 

Yunho hums pleasantly, and Seonghwa presses a sweet kiss to your temple. 

Seonghwa’s arms wrap around you, his hands settling over the looped tie of your robe, “Should I show you your present, baby?” 

Yunho swallows hard, his throat jumping and he nods. The room feels stifling hot and chilled all at once as Seonghwa slowly pulls the knot open, sliding it off your shoulders torturously slow and parting it open to reveal your body to Yunho. Seonghwa rests a warm palm over your belly and you can practically feel him smiling, “Look at how beautiful she is for us tonight,” 

Yunho closes the box, setting it aside and climbing onto the bed, kneeling in front of you both, looking between you, and you can see the moment he starts to shift into his firmer persona. His fingers coast over your skin, dipping over the swell of your breasts, dragging up and down your chest, his thumb dragging up the front of your throat and down again, resting at the hollow. 

“Baby,” Yunho murmurs, meeting your eyes and tightening his hand just slightly, “will you be good for me tonight?” 

Your hips shift unconsciously and Seonghwa chuckles behind you, his fingers stroking your stomach. You nod, “So good,” 

“Mm,” Yunho sighs, “do you want to see what’s in the box?” 

“Please,” your voice is needier than you want it to be so early in the night, but caged between them you can already feel yourself trembling. 

Yunho straightens up and reaches for Seonghwa over your shoulder, tugging him forward and catching his mouth in a hungry kiss. You jut forwards, pressing yourself against Yunho’s chest, your cheek on his crisp white shirt. Seonghwa moans softly into his husband’s mouth and Yunho laughs lightly against him. When Yunho’s hand closes over Seonghwa’s and starts to slide it down your belly you gasp, gripping onto his bicep to steady yourself. 

“I can’t believe you did this,” Yunho groans, still devouring Seonghwa’s lips. He moves his husband’s hand down your body, slipping under the hem of your panties without a second thought and you feel their combined fingers parting your folds. 

You can’t see them with how you’re sandwiched between them but you hear the moment their lips break apart and Yunho shifts, “You’re so wet already, my love,” 

“Oh,” You breath, your fingers tightening on him 

Yunho moves Seonghwa’s hand further, guiding two of his fingers up inside you before Yunho returns his own fingers to your swelling clit and starts to rock. The pleasure is immediate, sharp and hot and you press your eyes closed, moaning against them. 

Seonghwa’s fingers start to pump, slow and firm and you scramble against Yunho’s chest. 

“I think she likes being your pretty present,” Seonghwa’s voice is deeper now, and he kisses your shoulder. 

“Mm,” Yunho grips your hip with his free hand and rocks them forwards to reposition you as he teases you, “my perfect gift,” 

“Please,” You whine, jerking your hips again. 

Yunho slides his hand again, closing once again over Seonghwa’s, and he pulls both of their hands away from your aching heat and out of your panties. They love to tease, love to see how far they can push you before you fall apart, and then how many times you can come before it breaks you. Yunho leans back and direct’s Seonghwa’s fingers up to your lips. Holding his gaze you accept them against your tongue, closing your lips around them and sucking off the wetness of your arousal. You can feel Seonghwa’s erection pressing against the small of your back, growing harder with every sharp suck and he groans, his free hand cupping your cunt and holding you there, the heat from his hand making your head spin. 

Yunho pulls Seonghwa’s hand free and presses his own fingers to your lips, his mouth parted and he nods as you run your tongue along his digits. The weight of them on your tongue is pleasant and delicious and you rock your hips against the firm press of Seonghwa’s hand. 

“Calm down,” Yunho shakes his head, “you’ll come soon enough,” 

You shudder, his fingers sliding out of your mouth and he smiles before backing away properly to give you some air. Seonghwa’s hand releases you, and he simply holds your trembling body in his arms as Yunho reaches for the box. 

“Should I open it for you?” Yunho asks, his hand ready at the front of the box to lift it open. 

You nod, your stomach knotting up at the anticipation. 

Yunho shares a look with Seonghwa over your shoulder, and you watch him soften as he lifts it open. The gift nestled in the velvet interior of the box is just as you pictured, a perfect simple gold chain, with a square clasp at the back. Hanging from the center is a round pendant, a gold circle with a knot at the top to secure it to the chain. Pressed into the velvet next to the necklace is a small screw and delicate turn key, and your eyes prick with tears. You know the necklace is sexual, a collar meant to mark you as their submissive lover, but the permanent lock and the weight of what this means in your hands has you melting between them. 

“It’s so beautiful,” You breathe, glancing up to Yunho. 

He cups your cheek, bringing your eyes back up, “Are you ready for this?” 

“Yes,” You nod, leaning into Seonghwa’s arms, “please, put it on me,” 

“I told you,” Seonghwa murmurs. 

Yunho smiles, warmth radiating from him, and he sets the box to the side, deftly removing the necklace and shifting on the bed to come behind you alongside Seonghwa who gathers your hair into his hand and lifts it away from your neck. 

The necklace loops around you, the pendant perfectly hanging at the base of your throat, and you shiver at the feeling of the cool metal, the weight of it grounding you. Yunho brings the clasp together and you watch as he takes the screw and the locking mechanism from the velvet box. 

“Hold this,” Yunho murmurs and you feel Seonghwa’s fingers against your neck too. 

Their fingers working together, they secure the necklace with a click. They pause, Yunho’s fingertips brushing along the permanent lock for just a moment before your hair is released and both of your lovers gather you back into their arms. 

“Do you know what this means?” Yunho nuzzles against your head, kissing along your jaw and working his way towards your throat. 

You gasp, the way they tug you further against them making you lose your position on the bed and you unfurl your legs, steading yourself with a hand on Seonghwa’s thigh. Seonghwa cups your breast, flicking your hardened nipple and massaging the plush curve of your breast. Things are about to get heated fast, and you blink hard, “It means I’m yours, I belong to you.” 

“Mm,” Yunho sucks softly on your throat just above the necklace, the collar, “it means we belong to each other.” 

“Yun,” You gasp, falling back against his shoulder. 

“We’re going to take you apart tonight,” Yunho nips with his teeth, “every inch of you until you can’t remember your own name,” 

You moan, sharp pleasure striking through you. 

“You’ll take everything,” He presses down hard on the soft part of your stomach just above your pubic bone, “and you’ll say please and thank you,” 

“Yes, yes,” You’re already writhing in their arms. 

“y/n,” Seonghwa bites at your ear, sucking softly on the lobe before he murmurs low, “will you be a good pet for us?” 

Your muscles clench around nothing and you nod, panting, “Yes, yes, please,” 

“Yes, what?” Seonghwa’s thumb and forefinger tighten, pinching your nipple firmly and you gasp sharply. 

You weren’t sure when you walked into the night exactly who you’d be with - the way they shift fluidly between dominant with you, submissive with each other, and sometimes just devouring you with passion, with love and need like you’ve never known before. But here and now, with the collar locked around your throat, you know who you’re caught between. 

He pinches again when you don’t answer right away, not enough to draw real pain but just enough to shock your brain and you babble out the right response, “Yes, sir,” 

“There you go,” Seonghwa hums, “I knew you could do it.” 

Yunho’s fingers toy with the straps of your elastic pink garter, lifting part of it over your thigh and letting it snap back down against your skin with a sharp sound, “What a needy puppy,” 

Yunho sucks sharply on your throat again, snapping the harness a little harder this time and you moan, your hips rolling to try and find some friction but finding none, “Yunho!” 

He snaps the harness harder, “Not right now, sweetheart,” 

“Daddy,” You choke out, caught between the way their hands are exploring your body, “I’m sorry, Daddy,” 

He sighs hot and warm against your skin, pleasantly melting against you at the words on your lips. You had gotten used to using ‘sir’ with Seonghwa, especially with the way he usually commanded the harder scenes, favoring a punishment of sharp spanks while Yunho soothed you, but calling Yunho anything is new. You had moaned it out in the middle of an orgasm the first time, the word slipping out of you with Yunho’s cock buried deep to the hilt inside you, and his reaction had solidified it as not just a playful want, but a need. 

“God,” Seonghwa groans, “say that again,” 

“Daddy,” You repeat, your voice breathy when Seonghwa presses down on your clit through the mesh of your underwear. 

“I love when you call him that,” Seonghwa confesses, pulling Yunho’s mouth up to his and kissing his husband soundly. When they shift, you feel Yunho’s hard cock through his black trousers and you brush your fingers along it, pressing along the shaft with the pads of your fingers. 

Yunho breaks the kiss and curses, pushing your hand away and pulling himself off the bed to stand. 

For a beat, you wonder where things will go but then you watch Yunho recover and he sweeps his hands through his hair to smooth it away from his face. He crosses to the middle of the room, standing on the hardwood floor a few feet from you and he starts to loosen his tie. 

“Come,” He says, firm and even. 

Seonghwa pushes you forwards to help you out of your reclined position and you stand on shaky legs, moving towards him. 

“Down,” He glances quickly at the floor and lifts his loosened tie over his head. 

As you kneel, you hear Seonghwa move off the bed as well, the rustle of the bed sheets and the creak of the bench at the end of the bed as he sits behind you. Yunho licks his lips, glancing between you and Seonghwa before he takes a step forward and crouches in front of you. 

He strokes your hair, petting you softly until his thumb strokes across your lips, parting them and hooking over your bottom teeth to drag your mouth open. He takes the loop of his tie and presses it between your teeth and when you bite down on the fabric, he smiles before standing, his hand coasting down the length of the tie until he’s holding the end of it. 

Your body feels electric, every rush of air across your skin sparking goose bumps, and you can barely breathe. The loop of his tie obstructs your mouth a little, soaking through with your saliva as you breathe around it, and he smiles as you adjust to the feeling of it between your lips. 

“Such a pretty puppy,” He sighs. 

You whine softly around the fabric, feeling the bubbling knot of heat in your core. 

He wraps the tie around his hand, closing it into his fist and he tugs it experimentally, just enough for you to feel the pull and shift forwards to accommodate the newly taut lead. 

“Hwa,” Yunho looks up at him, “undress her,” 

“You sure?” Seonghwa asks, but you hear him stand behind you. 

“Positive,” Yunho looks over your body, “I want her in just the collar.” 

“Fuck,” Seonghwa breathes. 

You steady your breathing around the fabric, staying even through your nose, your eyes locked on Yunho’s as Seonghwa’s fingers travel over your body. He unclasps your bra and the garter belt, sliding them away from your body and tossing them to the side. He draws you up high on your knees and he pulls down your panties, but Yunho makes a noise and Seonghwa pauses. 

“Just pull them down, don’t… leave them,” He gestures and Seonghwa understands easily, tugging your panties down so that they’re caught tight and stretched between your thighs, but leaving you fully exposed otherwise. 

Yunho takes a step away from you, his arm stretching out to account for the lead, but then he tugs down sharper than before and you collapse forwards onto all fours, locking down your jaw around the fabric to brace for another tug. 

“What’s this?” Yunho smiles, leaning over you, “What a filthy little thing, you are,” 

Seonghwa presses on the plug, shifting it deeper and sparking heat through you, a pleasurable spike from your core to your nipples. When you whine again, it’s Seonghwa who chuckles at you. 

“We pampered you all day,” He scolds you, his hand kneading one of your cheeks, “like a princess, and you still can’t help but act like a little slut,” 

You moan sharply, your hips jerking. 

Seonghwa presses again on the plug and his hand cracks down across your backside in a sharp spank that leaves you shrieking out a startled moan, the tingling vibrations echoing up your spine. Seonghwa makes a disappointed sound with his tongue on his teeth, “Is that what you are, baby? A fucking slut?” 

You nod, your head hanging between your arms and your eyes unfocused, fixed on the way your underwear is stretched and cutting into your plush thighs. 

“Answer me,” Seonghwa smacks again, and you feel the lead tug upwards to raise your head. 

“Yes sir,” You mumble around the cloth, and though the words are swallowed up they know you’re answering just like they want. 

“You want us to fuck you like a slut, puppy?” Seonghwa doesn’t wait for a reply before his palm cracks down again. 

“Please,” you whine, “sir, please,” 

“How wet is she?” Yunho asks, and you look up the length of the tie to see his hand, firmly gripping the lead still, the veins in his hand jumping as he flexes. 

Your eyes snap shut when Seonghwa sinks two fingers inside you, working them deep for a moment and stroking along your g-spot before pulling them free. “Look at that,” Seonghwa muses, “I’ve never seen her this soaked,” 

You’re trembling more now, barely able to contain the little mewling sounds you’re making and you know things are about to heat up with Yunho sighs above you, a groan on his lips. Yunho draws your head upwards to meet his eyes with the tie between your teeth and looks down at you, a soft look on his face. He strokes your hair with his free hand, “Does my sweet puppy need to come?” 

Your eyes flutter shut and you nod tightly, “Please, Daddy,” 

The hand stroking your hair shifts, moving to cup the back of your head and Yunho’s expression settles before he yanks on the lead, the combination of the pull with the tie and the push with his broad hand in your hair leaves you collapsing unceremoniously on the floor over his smooth black leather shoe. 

“Down,” He urges you again, pressing at the back of your head. 

You’re shaking, but you ease down your front half, and Yunho’s hand in your hair directs your cheek against his shoe. He presses more of the tie into your mouth with his free hand, stuffing it tight and stroking your cheek once before he says, “If you move, I’ll make you wait all night.” 

Your body clenches, and his hand positions perfectly to hold your head down against him. It should be humiliating, it’s certainly the furthest down the path of degradation play you’ve ever been, but something’s unlocking inside you with every push forward. It feels out of body the way you respond to his words, but you nuzzle your cheek against the stiff, warm leather of Yunho’s shoe and arch your back, your ass held high and body open and ready for them. 

“Good fucking girl,” Yunho groans. 

You feel Seonghwa’s hand lift away from your ass, and you know what’s coming, but the sharp sting of the spank still jerks you and you whine again, pressing your cheek further down to avoid lifting away with a moan. The fabric filling your mouth is hot and wet now, abrasive and difficult to breathe around but you focus your breath through your nose just like you would when taking them down your throat. 

“Let’s go,” Seonghwa says firmly, “how fast do you think we can make her come?” 

Yunho pets you again, before tightening his hand in your hair, “Let’s see,” 

Yunho drops to one knee beside you, and the position would probably feel awkward if not for Yunho’s tall lanky legs which allows you the space to stay pressed against his foot while he kneels on the other leg and reaches back around you. 

Yunho’s fingers find your slick folds, sinking down hard onto your clit and rocking his hand fast and firm. You moan hard around the tie, the feeling of finally being touched building heat so fast inside you that you’re dizzy. Seonghwa spanks you fast and firm once more and you cry out, desperate to move but locking yourself in place, one of your hands coming down hard onto the wood floor to steady you. 

“Listen to her whine,” Seonghwa’s hard, dominant voice sends a shock through you as he spanks you harder, “slutty puppy, begging for something inside her,” 

Your eyes roll back, the feeling of an orgasm building across your whole body. They have you pinned perfectly between them, and instead of giving you a moment to catch your breath, edging you up like they normally would, they only seem to bare down harder. Yunho’s hand presses firm, moving so fast against you now that you’re barely able to comprehend it, only feeling the deep pressure building. 

“So needy,” Seonghwa spits, clapping your ass with his hand again before thrusting three fingers deep inside you, thrusting them deeply a few times and then returning to delivering punishing spanks to either cheek. 

The noise you make sounds tight, feral, and disconnected, and your ears feel like they’re ringing as your body starts to shake. Yunho’s murmuring to you, but you can’t quite hear it, all you’re able to understand is the overwhelming sensation. Pressure drops inside you, a tickling sharpness that concentrates under Yunho’s hand, and it’s like nothing you’ve felt before. You’re close to scrambling out of their hold, the heady feeling too much all at once, but when Seonghwa’s palm cracks down once more, your body does break apart under them. 

The pressure releases hot and fast, fluid spilling from you and pouring down your thighs as your body breaks into desperate shakes. 

“Fuck,” Seonghwa’s hands shift to hold your hips, a little more gentle than a moment ago. 

“Fuck, baby,” Yunho works his hand quick, coaxing more out of you until you jerk away from his hand and your head lolls to the side off his shoe, the scene forgotten in the haze. 

“Get her up,” Yunho says, and you don’t know exactly why he sounds the way he does or who’s hands are who’s, but a moment later you’re being dragged back from the floor and into Seonghwa’s arms. 

“Here we go,” Seonghwa hooks his arms under each of your knees and opens you up wide. “Quick,” he beckons to Yunho. 

Yunho pushes up his sleeve higher to hook over his elbow, and crouches by your side, three of his fingers sinking inside you, searching for a moment before he finds your spongy g-spot and crooking his fingers just right. He pumps his hand in little short bursts, concentrating his movements over the core of your pleasure inside you, and you writhe against Seonghwa, pushing your hips into Yunho’s hand to chase the pleasure.

“Come for Daddy, baby,” Seonghwa commands, widening your legs, “you can do it,” 

“Again,” Yunho drags his fingers inside you just right and the feeling from a moment ago returns, fast and hard inside you. 

With a harsh cry you bite down on the tie, shaking desperately, and this time you watch as clear fluid erupts from your core, beckoned out of you with Yunho’s fingers. As you start to squirt he drags his hand out, returning to rub your clit fast and hard, and it’s messy but it’s everything, and your vision whites as you let yourself fall inside the pleasure. 

A moment later, Seonghwa releases your legs and you feel their hands easing you to the floor, your body still shuddering as you collapse into the warm wetness below you and into Seonghwa’s chest. You don’t realize how hard you’ve come until you feel the tie being pulled from your mouth and Seonghwa’s hand taps your cheek, “Baby? Love, wake up,” 

You suck in a sharp breath now that your mouth is unobstructed and blink your eyes open, Seonghwa craning around to get a good look at you as you rest against his shoulder. He cups your cheek, “Hey, my love, look at me,” 

You blink hard, focusing on him until your vision rights itself and you are able to form any kind of coherent thoughts. “Hey,” You sigh, wetting your lips with your tongue. 

“Fuck,” Seonghwa smiles and drops his forehead against yours, “alright, there you are,” 

“Did I go somewhere?” You hear the question leave you but as you start to come back to yourself you realize what must have happened is that for a brief moment you lost consciousness. 

“Come here,” Yunho collapses next to you both, looking relieved, and pulls you into him, kissing you tenderly. 

“Just scared us for a second,” Seonghwa says as you break away from Yunho’s mouth and rest between them, your thighs still trembling. 

“I’ve never,” You shake your head, “that was intense,” 

“Never?” Yunho asks, running his hand through your hair, “Even before us?” 

“No,” You sigh, “I didn’t think I could,” 

“How was it?” Seonghwa strokes your bare skin, tender and curious. 

“Amazing,” You sigh, feeling boneless, “I just wasn’t ready for it, I didn’t know,” 

“It’s alright,” Seonghwa soothes. 

“I’m sorry about the mess,” You manage. 

“Oh no,” Yunho rests a hand on your chest, stroking softly, “that was… it was very sexy,” 

“Mess can be good,” Seonghwa kisses your temple, “especially if it makes you feel like that,” 

“Mm,” Yunho sighs, “I want to see if we can make you do it again,” 

“God,” You laugh, “give me a little bit,” 

“Mhm,” He kisses you, “we’ve got all night,” 

Seonghwa eases up off the floor, making sure Yunho has a good hold on you, before heading towards the master bathroom. You watch as he strips off his damp clothes, tossing them in the laundry and rummaging around in the linen close for a few towels. You blush feeling a little cold and exposed now that you’re no longer in the hazy glow of your orgasm. 

“Oh no,” Seonghwa sees your expression and shakes his head, “don’t be embarrassed, I know that face.” 

“Hwa,” You sigh, moving to push off the floor but your legs are still not working yet. 

“No,” He interrupts you with a hand on your knee, “Yunho’s right, it was beyond sexy. I want to see if I can make you come on my cock like that,” 

“Seonghwa!” You clap a hand across your lips. 

“I’m sure Yun agrees,” Seonghwa smirks. 

Yunho brings you against him a little better, reaching around and gently slipping his fingers over your swollen clit. You jump against him, feeling sharp and exposed, but he shushes you. He doesn’t move his fingers much, just feels the way your clit is uniquely swollen and hard and he nods, “I do, and I don’t know about you Hwa, but I want to taste her more now,” 

Seonghwa nods, crouching by your side to towel you off, Yunho’s fingers slipping away from you. As Seonghwa cleans up a bit, Yunho takes the opportunity to stand, stripping off his own clothes, his white dress shirt visibly wet at the front and you watch him smile, self satisfied at the sight. 

You sigh, letting them take care of you since you’re feeling pretty boneless, and Seonghwa lifts you smoothly into his arms. He cradles you against his bare chest before he sets you down on the bed, spreading you out over a series of towels that are now laid out over the bed. 

“Oh,”

“When you’re ready,” Seonghwa kisses you, “we’ll keep going,” 

“Can I have a glass of water?” You ask, tugging one of the lightweight blankets over you. 

“Of course,” Seonghwa shakes his head, “I should have done that earlier,” 

He jogs off before you can tell him he’s being fussy. Yunho stretches long, and you bite your lip as you watch the way his muscles shift, the way his cock shifts up and stands at attention. He crawls across the bed, moving towards you and eases down next to you, one hand snaking inside the covers so he can cup your breast. 

“Hey,” He murmurs, “you’re doing okay, right?” 

Yunho has a habit of checking in like this - where Seonghwa trusts you to stop him or say when you’re not into something, Yunho second guesses. In the moment he can be confident and calm, but he still gets nervous that they’re pushing too hard, even now. 

“I’m perfect,” You assure him. 

He touches the necklace gently, fingers tracing the O-ring and he swallows nervously, “And this?” 

“I’m perfect,” You repeat, closing your hand over his, “and I love you,” 

“I love you too,” He softens, gathering you close and bringing your lips to his, “so much, sweetheart,” 

You draw his hand away from the collar, intertwining your fingers and letting your lips part, tongues flicking against each other. Heat rushes to your core again with a dull, sore throb and your thighs squeeze together. 

“Yeah?” He murmurs against your mouth, breaking your hands so he can reach under the blanket again and cup your hip. 

The feeling inside you that’s knotting up is something insatiable, and you pant and nod against his warm skin. 

“You need something?” He strokes your back, working your mouth. 

If he touches you with his hands again you might burst, but you need to feel something and fast. You shift, rolling towards him and yanking the blanket over him too. He leans back, reclined against the pillows and you ease yourself over him, straddling one of his thighs and laying down fully on his chest. 

“Is that better?” He asks, shifting his leg a little, increasing the pressure up on your core. 

“Much,” You sigh, rocking your hips slowly and sighing against his chest. 

“You’re hungry today,” He strokes your back again before resting both of his hands on your hips over the blanket. 

“Mhm,” You nuzzle into him, slowly grinding yourself against his thigh, “I just can’t stop,” 

“Good,” He drags you with his hands, matching your pace but just adding a little pressure, “you know you can use me anytime,” 

You shudder out a sigh, “I thought you wanted me begging and calling you Daddy,” 

“I already had that,” He shrugs, “I just want to be with you,” 

You hear the door swing open but you let your eyes slip closed, rolling your body against Yunho still. You hear the sound of a glass being put down next to you, and Seonghwa’s warm hand lands in the center of your back softly as he leans over you and kisses Yunho. 

“Already?” Seonghwa murmurs. 

“I think she just needed to feel something,” Yunho replies softly, squeezing your hip. 

You hum pleasantly, the warm comfort of pleasure enveloping you, “I don’t know what you’re doing to me today,” you stretch, leaning up on Yunho’s chest to perch on your forearms. 

“Don’t stop,” Seonghwa sits next to you on the small section of bed between Yunho and the edge, “if you need to come, come,” 

“This is getting greedy,” You smile, your hips starting to move again, “I need to touch you both,” 

“You will,” Yunho shushes you, shaking his head and dragging your wet core along his hot thigh. 

“Tell us how you want us,” Seonghwa asks softly, reaching under you to trace his fingertips softly over your hard nipples. 

You jerk softly and widen your legs to drop lower on Yunho’s leg, “I thought I was the gift for Yunho? Shouldn’t he tell us what he wants?” 

“Mm,” Seonghwa kisses your shoulder, “that is a good point,” 

“Me?” Yunho smiles, “I don’t know,” 

“Yes you do,” Seonghwa drags a thumb over your nipple again, “let’s see.” 

“You can have my mouth,” You offer, “or you could fuck me,” 

Yunho nods, “What else?” 

“You could watch Hwa fuck me,” your hand that is braced on his chest drags down his stomach, coasting along his pubic bone and the base of his cock, “or you could fuck me together?”

“What if,” Yunho sighs, body tense under you as you keep fucking yourself on his thigh, “maybe I do know what I want,” 

Seonghwa reaches around you, and you feel his hand join yours to wrap around Yunho’s prone cock. Yunho’s head drops back and he groans, his fingers tightening on you. Seonghwa leans against you, “Tell us, yeobo,” 

Yunho reaches for you, dragging you down to his mouth again, “I want you to come again, right here,” he flexes his thigh under you, “and then I want to watch Hwa make you squirt again,” 

“Fuck,” You curse against his lips. 

“And then,” He groans as Seonghwa’s hand drags up and over the soft head of his cock, “I want you on top,” 

“Oh,” You shudder, “I’m close,” You drop your head against Yunho’s chest, working yourself against him feverishly now. 

“That’s right,” Seonghwa’s hands land on you, one on your thigh and the other stroking your back, “there you go,” 

“I’m,” You moan, and Yunho wraps his arms around you, gathering you close to his chest. 

“Come for us, baby,” Yunho murmurs low, “I know you need it,” 

Your body curls, hips jerking as you rut yourself against him, but when you come again you’re barely able to keep yourself up. You fall apart with a gasping moan, and it takes about a minute of sighing aftershocks and their hands massaging your skin with soothing circles for you to slip into sleep against Yunho’s chest. 

You’re not sure how long you’ve fallen asleep for, but when you wake it’s to the feeling of the mattress shifting and the sound of hushed moaning. Your core throbs again, and as your thighs shift, you can feel how slick your arousal still is between your thighs. You’re sore, but you’re also incredibly empty, and as you ease your eyes open you know immediately that you won’t be sated until one of them is deep inside you. 

They’re wrapped together on the other end of the king bed, Yunho on top, and their mouths are locked in sync. You watch as they rock their hips, not yet fully fucking but you can see their cocks are slick with lubricant and glistening as they grind on each other. Yunho dips his head, capturing Seonghwa’s nipple in his mouth and flicking his tongue over it, earning a tight moan from Seonghwa. They clearly think you’re still asleep, desperately trying to stay quiet and not rock the bed too much, and you wonder how long they’ve been at this teasing game with each other. 

You find your clit under the blanket and start to rock, watching them as they pleasure each other, but it doesn’t feel right. With extremely quiet movements, you reach an arm out to the bedside table and slide open the drawer. You wait to see if they notice, but they don’t. Yunho has Seonghwa’s head turned to the side away from you, and he’s whispering something you can’t make out in his ear as he thrusts his hips for some friction. 

Your eyes don’t leave them, but you search the drawer, a feeling of relief washing over you when you find what you’re looking for. Quietly you move the dildo from the drawer to under the blanket, not bothering to try and find lube with how wet you are. You watch them still, opening your legs wide, and pushing the dildo inside. It’s not quite as large as Yunho, but it’s sizable and you feel stretched immediately, the head of the phallus shape dragging along your soft spots perfectly. 

Seonghwa twists under his husband and catches Yunho’s ear between his teeth, and when you hear his words you nearly cry out on the spot. “Just say you miss her pussy,” 

“Fuck,” Yunho pants, and you start to work the dildo in and out of your tight channel. 

“You do, don’t you,” Seonghwa teases him, and they roll, ending with Seonghwa on top, nestled between Yunho’s open legs and their cocks rubbing slickly against each other. 

“Hwa,” Yunho groans, “I swear to God,” 

“You swear?” Seonghwa teases. 

“Shh,” Yunho groans, “you’ll wake her,” 

“You’re the one making all the noise,” Seonghwa says. 

You’re shocked they haven’t noticed you yet, especially with the way you’re fucking yourself in earnest now, the blanket covering you slipping down to your hips. 

“Who’s needy now?” Seonghwa bites down on Yunho’s chest as he kisses his way across it, “look at you,” 

Yunho makes a tight whine as Seonghwa pumps his fist over Yunho’s red and weeping cock, and the sound has you gasping, pleasure fluttering up your body as you watch them together. 

“Baby?” Seonghwa turns towards you, his eyes darkening when he sees you - exposed down to your waist and the blanket bobbing where your hand works the silicone cock in and out of your tight wetness. 

Yunho’s head falls to the side, “y/n?” 

“Hi,” You pant, a little breathless, letting your hand slow to a stop with the dildo pushed deep inside, “you didn’t have to let me sleep,” 

Seonghwa rocks away from Yunho to sit back on his heels and watch you, “We tried to wake you,” 

“You were dead to the world,” Yunho smiles. 

“I’m sorry,” You blush a little, “I didn’t mean to leave you by yourselves,” 

Seonghwa smirks, “I think we’ve been occupying ourselves just fine,” 

“I can see that,” Your eyes flick between them. 

“I was kind of proud,” Yunho grins, cheeky with his tongue against his teeth, “we fucked you to sleep,” 

“Shut up,” You laugh, hiding your face in your free hand. 

“Mm,” Yunho shakes his head, “no,” 

Seonghwa runs his hand down Yunho’s thigh and cocks his head to the side as he regards you, “How long have you been up?” 

“A few minutes,” You admit, “how long was I asleep?” 

“Um,” Yunho leans to the side to see the clock, “thirty, maybe forty minutes?” 

“Well,” You sigh, your muscles clenching around the silicone cock, “don’t let me interrupt.” 

Yunho glances up to his husband, coming up off his back to his forearms, and it seems like he might try and take back control until Seonghwa lays a palm flat on his chest and pushes him down again, shaking his head. 

“Hwa,” Yunho glances at you. 

“We’ll take care of her too,” Seonghwa assures, “but she’s right, we were in the middle of something,” 

Yunho blushes, his ears running red. It’s not often that you see him on his back, a breath away from begging, but suddenly the man who had your face pressed against his shoe looks ruined, flattened by his own desire and arousal, and his utter need for the man above him. You’ve watched them before, but it’s rare to see Yunho quite so nervous looking. 

“My love,” Seonghwa murmurs, his hands running up the back of Yunho’s thighs to tip him open with his hips angled up high, “I think our girl would like to watch. What should we show her?” 

Yunho’s mouth opens, but no sound comes out and you watch him swallow hard. Your hand moves on its own, gripping the base of the dildo to bob it in and out of you steadily. 

“Fine,” Seonghwa turns his head to you, still holding Yunho in place, “How would you like us, love?” 

Sometimes his words mean what position, but not this time. This time he’s asking who you want. The night has bled from their dominant aggressive personas to the tenderness of your lovers without any mask, and back to whatever this moment is, a razor wire that will determine the rest of the evening. How you want to come, how you want to be fucked, how you want to be talked to, will all unfold here with whatever you choose. 

A flash of your night earlier flickers through you - they way they had you controlled, begging, desperate and soaking, and you bite your lip. With a few moves, you kick the blanket off yourself, spreading your legs wider and making sure they’re both watching when you start to fuck yourself again. Yunho makes a soft noise, and Seonghwa grins. 

“Please, sir?” You murmur, moaning, admittedly a little theatrically, but you get the desired response. Yunho’s cock twitches and Seonghwa’s eyes flutter shut for just a moment while he thinks about his next move. 

“That’s it then,” He sighs. 

“Hwa,” Yunho looks between you both. 

“No,” Seonghwa shifts forwards, pressing his wet cock to Yunho’s entrance, “if our girl wants this, she’s going to get it.” 

“Oh, fuck,” You breathe, stunned by the expressions on their faces. 

“Baby,” Yunho groans as Seonghwa begins to shift his hips forwards. 

“Let me take care of you,” Seonghwa soothes him. 

“I,” Yunho’s eyes squeeze shut as he revels in the sensation of his husband’s cock filling him so deliciously, “I love you,” he manages. 

Seonghwa strokes his cheek once, dragging his thumb over Yunho’s full bottom lip and smiles, “I know, I know you do.” 

The sound of the room changes as Seonghwa rocks forwards and starts to pump his hips, sharp snaps down to drive his cock deep inside Yunho, and you start to match the pace of Seonghwa’s thrusts with your hand to feel full in just the same way that Yunho feels. 

“Hwa,” Yunho moans, his hands locking onto his hips to support his weight, “God,” 

Seonghwa stays focused, never slowing, but he turns his head to you. “Puppy?” 

You don’t expect the pet name, it’s not something that you play with regularly, but it is a perfect way to address you while he’s commanding the both of you. Baby, darling, love, all of these are endearments he says to both of you, each one like a secret soft kiss, but puppy is new. It runs the deepest strike of pleasure through you, and you press the cock deep, relishing in the feeling of it filling you to the brim. 

“Yes, sir?” You pant. 

“Come here,” He snaps his hips down and locks his pelvis with Yunho’s. 

You shift up, sliding the dildo out of you and shifting onto all fours, crawling across the expanse of the bed until you’re closer, “Sir?” 

“Kneel and face Yunho,” He directs you and waits for you to comply, “now hand me that,” 

With his gesture towards the toy, you grab it from its discarded place amongst the sheets and pass it to him. Seonghwa smiles, “Eyes on me,”

You look back at him, and watch as he drops his mouth over the length of the silicone cock, groaning as he tastes your arousal coating it. A low, tight noise bubbles out of you and he bobs his head a few more times over the toy until he lifts his mouth off and nods his head at you, “Look at Yunho,” 

You settle again, leaning onto your forearms with your ass in the air, a familiar position now. Yunho cups your face, smoothing your hair back and you can feel his hands trembling, the tension inside him as he waits for Seonghwa to keep fucking him more palpable than anything. 

“You think you deserve to be filled?” Seonghwa presses the head of the toy on your throbbing entrance. 

“Please, please, sir,” You press back, desperate now. 

“Darling,” Seonghwa says, and it’s clear immediately he’s not addressing you, “do you think she’s been good for you?” 

Yunho’s hips shift, you can feel the weight on the bed change as he does, and you know he’s a breath away from begging Seonghwa to make him come to, but recovers quickly and you feel his hand tighten up in your hair, “She’s been so good,” 

“Good enough for a treat?” Seonghwa asks. 

Yunho looks at you, his eyes soft, flicking between your eyes and the collar adorning your neck, “You know she has,” 

“Well,” Seonghwa sinks the head of the dildo inside you but no more, “if you ask Daddy nicely to help you come, maybe I can help,” 

The way the night has slingshotted between soft and hard has you spinning, but you decide not to think. With a whine you hold onto Yunho’s arm and comply, “Daddy?” 

Yunho shudders, nodding, “Yes, puppy?” 

“Please,” You moan, “please, daddy will you help me?” 

“Help you what?” He prompts you. 

“Come,” Your fingers tighten on him, nails digging into his bicep, “Daddy, I need it,” 

Yunho’s eyes break from yours and over your shoulder he meets Seonghwa’s gaze, “Fuck her,” he says, calm and cool, “hard.” 

The sharp press of the toy inside you knocks you forwards, but then Seonghwa holds it steady, “Fuck yourself,” he says, “I’m busy.” 

“What?” You twist around, feeling the dildo slip out of you a bit as his hand leaves.

“Don’t,” Seonghwa tuts, and his hand delivers a quick spank to your ass again, before he moves to brace himself over Yunho and resume his steady pace thrusting in and out of his tight, wet hole. 

Yunho groans, his head pressed back into the pillows, “Hwa, harder,” 

“Mm,” Seonghwa acknowledges softly, adjusting his pace. 

You’re at a loss, the teasing never being quite this direct, but you also know that not following instructions will leave you worse off later, so you settle next to Yunho, your head on the pillow next to him, and get comfortable. Reaching between your legs you secure the end of the toy, and start to work it inside you, as fast as you can without falling apart instantly. 

“Good girl,” Seonghwa says, pleased, “but you’ve come enough.” 

“Hwa?” You turn again, shocked at the sudden shift in him. 

“You’re not coming on that,” He reaches forwards, pulling the toy free and tossing it aside, “not tonight,” 

You feel dizzy, dazed and confused at the lack of direction, at the way he changes on a whim. Seonghwa pushes back, ending up on his knees, with Yunho propped in the perfect position for Seonghwa to continue fucking into him, and then you realize. 

“Take him in your mouth,” Seonghwa directs, “don’t stop until I tell you.” 

“Yes, sir,” You sigh, eager to be useful again, and you position yourself to take him in your mouth, sinking down over Yunho’s stiff aching cock until he connects with the deep back of your throat. 

Yunho moans, cursing and locking a hand down over your bare thigh, and you can feel how neglected he’s been. Seonghwa continues, moving steady, every thrust forcing Yunho’s thick cock deeper into your mouth. You can hear Yunho whining a little above you, cursing and fidgeting in the sheets, and you can’t help the way that your body jerks, attempting to grind into something, anything. 

Yunho’s hand coasts down your back, slips over the curve of your ass, and presses on the plug just enough to make you moan. 

Yunho’s tightening beneath you, the combined sensation of your tongue against his cock and Seonghwa filling him about to send him over the edge, when everything snaps and Seonghwa drags you back by your hair, disconnecting your mouth from Yunho. 

You gasp at the sharp pain of him tugging you by the scalp, and he drops you instantly, letting you fall back in the sheets by Yunho’s side. 

“Hwa,” Yunho shakes, “stop, stop, fuck,” 

Seonghwa pulls back, pulling his cock free and looking down at Yunho, waiting for the next step. 

“I need her,” Yunho confesses, “let me have her,” 

Seonghwa smiles, a little more gentle than before, and nods, moving back to let Yunho shift around in the bed and find you. 

Yunho descends on you then, hot kisses across your mouth, your cheeks, down your jaw and your chest, “I have to have you,” he groans. 

“Take me,” You widen your legs, tugging him forwards, feeling the head of his cock drag along your belly. 

“Tell me again,” Yunho pants in your ear, “say it again,” 

You’re not sure what he means at first, and you freeze, only a moan on your lips. 

Yunho leans back, brushing your lip with his fingertips, “Come on, babygirl, tell me again,” 

Your body flutters under his and you grip his shoulders, shifting under him to open yourself up, “Daddy,” you beg, “help me come,” 

Yunho groans, thrusting into you with one smooth downward strike of his hips. “You want to come so bad, puppy?” 

You whine, tightness building inside you again, and you let him maneuver your body, legs pressed back so far that you’re folded almost perfectly in half, hips up for him. The fill of the plug makes everything tight, and angles Yunho’s cock up into your g-spot. 

His thrusts change pace, instead of fast and full he adjusts to short and hard thrusts, fucking you deep and steady, “Come on my cock, puppy,” he groans, “make a mess for me,” 

You’re about to say something, anything, try to form coherent words, but Seonghwa’s hand slips between you both and starts to rub your clit at a fast, punishing pace. You keen, desperate and aching, and Yunho grips you tight in his hands while he fucks into you. 

“That’s it,” He croons, “let go,” 

The sensation you felt earlier is building again, and for the smallest of split seconds you wonder if once you come like that the first time, you can come like it whenever you like. Either way, the pointed pulse of Yunho’s cockhead on your g-spot combined with Seonghwa’s frantic rubbing on your swollen clit has you a second away. Pressure builds again, dropping the knot of your pleasure low and aching, and you cry out as you grip whatever pats of your boys you can hold onto, “I’m going to,” 

“Come, come,” Yunho chants. 

“I feel,” You’re close to babbling, thoughts disconnected and flickering in your brain, “I can’t, I’m, oh god, Yunho, oh god,” 

Seonghwa drops low and hums in your ear, “Come on Daddy’s cock, babygirl,” he nips at your breast, “I know you can,” 

Yunho’s hand drags up your chest, and you’re not sure exactly what triggers your orgasm, the way he tugs gently on the ring of your collar or the way he’s looking at you, or Seonghwa’s middle finger pressing perfectly down at the exact right time, but none of it matters. 

With an embarrassingly sobbing cry, the deep pressure unlocks and you feel the hot fluid erupt from your core once again. Yunho pulls out suddenly, and between both of their hands they stimulate you through the full extent of your orgasm, the splashing wetness making such a mess across all three of you. You’re shaking, the orgasm still heady and sharp, but Yunho’s hands move you fast. 

“Come here,” He rolls you onto your stomach, kicking your legs open wide, before he descends inside you again, moaning against you as he jerks his hips into you. 

“Yunho!” You gasp, finding his hand in the sheets and gripping it tight. 

He presses deep inside and leans up a bit, “Seonghwa,” you hear him say, “Please, can you try?”

In the haze of your orgasm, it doesn’t make perfect sense, but you feel the weight over you change, and when Yunho moans into space between your shoulder blades, one hand fisting the sheets by your head, you know that Seonghwa has taken up the spot behind him. 

You’re all frozen for a second, adjusting to the sensations, and where Yunho is shuddering between you both, fucked out and needy to come, Seonghwa still has some of his faculties. He leans to the side, searching for your face where it’s pressed into the mattress, “Are you okay? Can you breathe?” 

His concern for you warms you, his stress that both of them on top of you might be too much, but you shake your head, “I’m so, so good,” you assure. 

Seonghwa finds your hand and interlaces your fingers, “You squeeze my hand, okay?” 

“Mhm,” You manage, exhaustion pouring over you, “okay,” 

“Yunho,” Seonghwa says. 

Yunho dips low, kissing your cheek, “You with us?” 

“Yeah, yes,” You blink hard and surface. 

“Okay?” He checks. 

“Please,” You jerk your hips back and he groans. 

“So good,” Yunho sighs. 

The rest is desperate. Moaning, clawing at each other’s skin, gripping hard enough to leave bruises on hips. Yunho thrusts into you steadily, and Seonghwa follows suit, fucking into Yunho’s ass with tight curses on his lips. Seonghwa keeps his hand twined with yours, but you never need to use the lifeline he offers. 

“You’re our fucking girl,” Yunho chokes in your ear as he thrusts, “forever,” 

His hand winds around you, closing over your throat not to choke you, but to hold you where the collar nestles against your skin, and he melts down into you. Within a few thrusts he chokes, spilling himself hot and wet inside you, warmth filling your belly. You couldn’t come again if they tried, every inch of you feeling over-stimulated, but the heavy weight of his cock inside you as Seonghwa thrusts into him still feels pleasant and comforting. 

Yunho grips down on you, biting as gently as he can manage on your shoulder, and you know he’s feeling just as over-stimulated as you now that Seonghwa is working him still after he’s orgasmed. 

“Hwa,” Yunho moans, gathering you close in his arms as he rides it out, “I can’t,” 

“Shh,” Seonghwa hushes his husband, “I’m almost, I’m close,” 

Seonghwa thrusts steadily, and you feel his hand tighten hard on yours as he starts to come, groaning sharply and snapping his hips tight into Yunho as he spills his release deep inside. 

You’re all a shuddering mess, a mass of shaking damp limbs, and it takes a few minutes to recover. 

The weight of both of them on top of you finally starts to build, and you squeeze Seonghwa’s hand hard, “I need some air,”

Seonghwa pulls back first, dropping to your left side and looking about as blissed out as you’ve ever seen him. Yunho pulls away, his softening cock sliding free, but he stays braced on all fours over you for a few moments while he recovers before rolling over onto your right side. 

“Are you okay?” Seonghwa checks, rubbing your back, “It wasn’t too much at the end?” 

“Mm,” You shake your head, “never,” 

Yunho sildles close, pulling you into his arms in a spooning position, “My girl,” he sighs into your skin. 

“Am I?” You murmur, and you know it’s true but hearing it always fills you with delicious warmth and love, so you tease and grin against Seonghwa’s lips when he dives in to catch your mouth. 

“You know you are,” Yunho sighs, his fingers dancing over the collar, “always.” 

You rest in their arms a while, all three of you recovering your breath and easing into each other, sated and feeling delicious, until the chill of the room starts to raise goosebumps on your arms. 

“Cold,” You sigh, “someone tuck me in,” 

Seonghwa chuckles, and kisses your face, “We need a shower, and then we can sleep, okay?” 

“Okay,” You sigh, “I’m so tired though,” 

“We’ll just have to help you,” Seonghwa teases, “think you can handle that, Yun?” 

“Mhm,” Yunho presses a warm kiss to your shoulder, “I’ll get you squeaky clean,” 

It only takes twenty or thirty minutes to get cleaned up, but the boys are true to their word. Seonghwa showers quickly, leaving you and Yunho to finish out slowly. He helps you wash out your hair, remove the plug, and holds you against him in the hot spray to make sure you’re relaxed and ready for bed. 

Once you both make out to the main room, you can’t help but smile. Seonghwa has discarded the towels and remade the bed, one corner turned down to accept you into the plush cushions. Seonghwa himself is sitting on the bench at the foot of the bed waiting, dressed in his sleep pants and holding the red box in his hands. 

“Hi, baby,” You smile when you see him, Yunho wrapping his arms around you from behind as you wait for Seonghwa to respond. 

“We should sleep,” he finally says, “but before we do that I want to show you something.” 

“Okay,” Your eyebrows knit together, unsure of what he could possibly want to show you after all the  intimacy you shared tonight. 

“The key,” Seonghwa stands, and holds out the small locking mechanism for your necklace, “I want you to know where I’m going to keep it.” 

“Why?” You shake your head, “isn’t the point of this supposed the be unlimited trust?” 

Seonghwa smiles softly, and Yunho joins in, “Yes, but trust doesn’t have to mean blind trust.” 

“I don’t understand,” You admit, confused by both of their reactions. You thought you had understood what Yunho liked about the necklace, and accepting the risk that it was permanent was supposed to be a large part of your commitment to them. 

“We love you,” Seonghwa smiles, showing you the key between his fingers as he crosses the room to the bookshelf that lines one wall, “and you belong to us,” 

You nod, finding Yunho’s hand and holding it tight as you listen. 

“But you were right,” Seonghwa reaches for a small clay pot off the top shelf of the bookshelf and holds it out to you before dropping in the key, “we don’t own you.” 

“Hwa,” You breathe. 

“You’re with us by choice,” Yunho kisses your temple, “and for as long as you choose to stay, it would mean so much to me if you’d keep this,” he brushes his hand over the necklace, “but you always have a choice.” 

Your body softens against him and Seonghwa crosses to nestle close, cupping your cheek, “We chose you,” he murmurs, “and we hope you’ll always choose us.” 

Emotion wells in your chest and you blink back tears, “I can’t imagine being without you now,” 

“Then don’t,” Yunho hums in your ear, kissing you softly. He reaches for Seonghwa and tugs him in closer too, so that you’re gathered between them both. 

They wrap their arms around you. They hold you tenderly. Here, tucked close between them, you are forming a family. The collar around your throat means many things, but when you feel the weight of Yunho’s hand on your cheek you think of his ring, and when you press your cheek to Seonghwa’s chest, your fingers play with the delicate wrap of his chain. They don’t have to say a thing, and neither do you, but you all know what it means. 

You fall asleep in each other's arms. In your bed, in your room, in your apartment, your home. You can’t imagine what would be strong enough to pull you apart now, and even though they don't say it, neither can they.

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