And If I Stay (j.yh + P.sh)

and if i stay (j.yh + p.sh)

summary: sequel to room for three - a year has passed, and things are going well, until yunho watches watches another man flirt with you.

note: 18+ content, minors DNI. // i just can't stop thinking about husband yunhwa, so please have this absolute smutty and fluffy brain rot.

warnings: non idol!yunho, non idol!seonghwa, fem!reader, established yunhwa relationship, mmf, jealous!yunho, rough sex, oral (f receiving), oral (m receiving), rough oral, praise, gratuitous use of good girl, mean!yunho, double penetration, the return of the cute husbands - please let me know if i missed any.

pairings: yunho x seonghwa x reader

genre: smut, angst, fluff

word count: 12.3K

my masterlist || read it on AO3 || part three; their gift

For the first thirty minutes though, it’s chaos. The gallery where the event is hosted is a labyrinth of contemporary art installations amid white lacquered walls, a maze of intellectuals and their cocktails standing between you and the much larger room where a small stage is erected for Seonghwa’s publisher to announce him, and for him to read a few passages from his new work. 

For the first thirty minutes though, it’s chaos. The gallery where the event is hosted is a labyrinth of contemporary art installations amid white lacquered walls, a maze of intellectuals and their cocktails standing between you and the much larger room where a small stage is erected for Seonghwa’s publisher to announce him, and for him to read a few passages from his new work. 

Like all things in your life, it goes slightly wrong at first before it goes right. Yunho is stuck in traffic, shooting off frantic texts to you about exactly how far he is and seeing what you can do to stall the event. You can feel Seonghwa’s nerves coming off him in waves when you finally make it back to him, pushing through the throng of people and past the empty stage to the quiet side room. He’s pacing, adjusting his tie again and again, and you know he’s having a hard time without the calm center that is his husband. 

“Seonghwa,” you murmur to him, standing in the doorway and hoping you don’t disturb. 

His head snaps up and you can see the way his hand is gripping a copy of his book, “Hey,” he says. 

“He’s on his way,” you assure him, “I just talked to him.” 

“On his way like he’s five minutes away or on his way like I still have to start this thing without him?” Seonghwa asks. 

“Somewhere in the middle,” you settle, “but he’s hurrying,” 

“He’ll get himself killed on the highway in that stupid car if he’s not careful,” Seonghwa sighs and tosses the book down onto the table, slumping back against it and resisting the urge to drag his hands through his hair. 

“You’re going to do so well, Hwa,” you step towards him, in his space now but not yet touching.

“Thank you,” he breathes, but he shakes his head, “I just do better when he’s here.” 

“I know,” you nod, and he lifts his eyes to meet yours. 

His leg bounces nervously and he sighs, heavy and sounding exasperated, “He keeps me calm, I always just look to him when I’m doing a reading,” 

“I know,” you repeat, soothing him. You reach out and rest your hand on his. 

He turns his hand over to interlace your fingers, his leg stilling, and he squeezes your hand as he takes deep breaths. Pulling his book back over with his free hand he flips it open to the bookmarked section, “Are you sure about this passage?” 

“Absolutely sure,” you reply without hesitation, “we all agreed that it sounded the best as a stand-alone,” 

“Right,” he nods, and you think back to two nights before, tangled up in bed together and pouring over his book to find just the right words for him to say. Yunho had stroked his lover's back with a steadying hand, giving him calm guidance and assurances. You know that’s what Seonghwa needs now, even though you also know the minute he’s on stage he’ll turn on the performance without hesitation. It’s just getting to the stage that’s the problem. 

“Do you want to read it out to me one more time?” You offer.

He silently skims the passage, his tongue darting out to wet his lips and he shakes his head, “No, no, I have it.” 

The sound of rushed footsteps is a sudden comfort – you were close to pulling Seonghwa up and convincing him to get out to the stage, but you know the presence behind you is Yunho before you even exhale out your sigh.

“Hey,” he sounds out of breath, and as you turn, Seonghwa stands and breaks his hand from yours. Yunho looks frazzled, his suit jacket a little wrinkled at the bottom, you suspect from laying on the back seat of his car instead of hanging in a garment bag like Seonghwa would have preferred. None of that really seems to matter now though, and Yunho finds his husband’s eyes, visibly relaxing when he does, “I’m so sorry – I’m, it, there’s no excuse, I’m sorry,” 

Seonghwa shakes his head and reaches for him, “It’s okay,” he sighs, long, letting Yunho pull him into a hug, “I just needed to see you before I went out there,”

“I know,” Yunho nods. 

In moments like this, even a year after you first bumped into them in the bar, you sometimes feel like you’re encroaching on their relationship. Yunho leans back from Seonghwa, holding his face, and dips forwards to kiss him, tender and slow. Seonghwa melts, leaning into Yunho’s chest and exhaling softly. 

When their lips part Yunho smiles, “I’ll be near the back wall on the left side, okay?” 

Seonghwa nods. 

“You’re going to be perfect,” Yunho soothes, his voice deep and warm, “and they’re going to love the book.” 

“Yeah,” Seonghwa nods, but you can hear the lack of confidence in it. His two previous releases, while received well, were done quietly. His book events in the past were small, private, and with much less fanfare, no stuffy literary critics ready to pass judgment. 

“Please,” Yunho rolls his eyes and you smile, “y/n and I are going to have to talk to a bunch of pseudo-intellectuals all night and pretend we care about… Sartre or whoever,” 

“Who would be talking about Jean-Paul Sartre at this?” Seonghwa laughs. 

Yunho rolls his eyes and shakes his head, “I don’t know but I wouldn’t put it past any of them,” 

“Okay, okay,” Seonghwa clears his throat and straightens up, “I’m ready,” 

Yunho smiles wide, leaning in to give him one more kiss, “I love you,” he assures him. 

“I love you too,” Seonghwa smiles, and you notice just how steady he is, calm and confident now that he’s had a moment to be grounded. He steps away and tucks the book under his arm, before reaching out for you and pulling you towards him. 

You stumble forwards in your heels with a squeak, but Seonghwa’s hands are sure, and he brings you in for a kiss. With a sigh as he pulls away he holds your eyes, “Thank you,”

“Always,” you squeeze his hand, “now get out there,” 

Seonghwa smooths down his jacket and disappears through the doorway to find his publisher and you turn to Yunho. He laughs immediately, “I think I’m parked illegally,” 

“Of course you are,” you grin and he reaches for your hand to pull you into his chest. 

“Hi, sweetheart,” he sighs, wrapping his arms warmly around you, “how are you? You look beautiful,” 

“Good,” you nod, “I’ve just been running around today. Is everything alright with your client?” 

He makes a dismissive, irritated noise, “Fine, he just wouldn’t stop talking and the meeting ran over time, but it’s not like I can tell him to stop, he’s paying the firm a lot of money,” 

“Mm,” you nod, understanding completely, “but it’s okay, you made it.” 

“We should get out there,” he says as the sound of a mic being tapped echoes through the gallery and Seonghwa’s publisher starts speaking. 

“Let’s,” you agree, and Yunho dips for a quick kiss before stepping away. 

You head back out with him to the main space of the gallery, Yunho’s hand warmly positioned on your mid back, his thumb brushing along your bare skin where the dress dips low. You make it to the back corner just as Seonghwa is introduced and together you watch him step on stage. He’s dressed smartly, his suit fitting exactly, and where you once saw nerves you now only see cool confidence and a bit of swagger. 

When you glance at Yunho, you smile. He’s watching Seonghwa with awe, but you also recognize the glimmer of desire in his gaze seeing Seonghwa so commanding and you’re sure tonight is going to be a memorable one once you all make it out of here and back into bed. 

Seonghwa reads three passages, his voice honeyed, the enunciation of his work is crisp and paced. The room listens with rapt attention, making the right noises at the right parts, and when he finishes and closes the book there’s a long breath of silence. Nervously, you glance at Yunho, but his eyes are steady on Seonghwa, centered. 

The applause is sudden, and you watch Seonghwa light up at the fond reception, moving to thank everyone for coming into the microphone and telling them to enjoy the free drinks. It takes about three seconds for someone to notice Yunho as the crowd starts to break up, and before you know it he’s caught in a conversation with someone who wants to talk about how it feels to be married to such a promising young writer. 

You touch his arm gently, “I’ll grab us some drinks,” 

He gives you a grateful smile, and then turns back to his conversation. 

You slip away, weaving through the crowd to the open bar. Thankfully at these events, you’re still able to fly under the radar. While Yunho and Seonghwa don’t make an active effort to hide your relationship, they also don’t advertise. After months of casual sex, you’ve simply became a fixture in their lives. They liked you, much more than they would have assumed, and their routine of going out to find a new partner every few months disappeared. They kept you. But it’s still only been a year, and labels so far haven’t really felt necessary, so there’s no need to find a way to describe what you are to each other. 

When you finally make it up to the bar, you select two glasses of white wine and start to make your way back. Yunho is still in conversation with the person who interrupted you both before, so you slow to a stop. You’re not sure if you should let the conversation run its course or save him from the interaction, so you decide to give it a moment and see how it plays out. 

Standing between large panels of brightly colored canvas you wait, studying the splattered mix of colors before you. 

“Do you like the art?” A voice startles you out of your fixed gaze on the painting, and you turn towards it. 

“Excuse me?” You ask, seeing now the source of the question. A man stands to your left, and you take him in immediately. He’s handsome, if not a little rough around the edges looking, with smooth, tan skin and dark eyes. He’s dressed well, in a satiny black suit that closes at the front, a sliver of his bare chest visible at the base of his throat where the suit parts, and a fine delicate silver chain hangs from his neck, disappearing down his chest. His hair is sandy, long, and the right kind of messy. 

“Do you like the art?” He gestures with a hand towards the painting, repeating his question for you. 

“Oh,” you blink, recovering a bit and realizing just how close he’s standing to you, but you make no move to shift away. You glance back at the painting, “Not usually, but this is nice,” 

He smiles widely at your honesty, and you find yourself noticing more little things about him. The dark freckle on his lip, the matching one under his left eye, his ears adorned with silver piercings. He nods, “Me too, I never know what to say to people at these things.” 

“Ah,” you smile, “so I take it you’re just here for the event?” 

He shakes his head, “I’m just here for the food,” 

You laugh, and he smiles wide again, his eyes direct and sparkling. You know he’s flirting, but you don’t necessarily mind. “That’s a nice suit if you’re just here to eat,” you tease him. 

He shakes his head again, brows knit together, “Well I am here for someone, it’s just not the book.” 

“Oh?” 

“My friend owns the gallery,” he admits, and then nods towards the painting you’re both in front of, “and this is his,” 

“Oh!” You exclaim, “You’re a friend of Hongjoong’s?” 

“You know Joong?” His eyebrows raise and he shakes his head, “He never told me he knew a girl this pretty, I’ll have to have a word with him later.” 

You don’t mean to blush, but you’re sure you do and you turn towards him a little more. “I don’t know him that well,” you concede, “but we’ve met a few times.” 

“Ah,” he nods, and you watch his eyes flick down to the wine glasses in your hands. He deftly takes one and smiles, “I take it this is for me?” 

“Presumptuous,” you laugh, but let him take it. 

“Maybe a little,” he takes a sip of the wine, his eyes never leaving you, and then takes a step forwards, moving into your space a little tighter, “so, beautiful girl, do you have a name?”

“I do,” you reply smoothly. 

“And are you going to tell me your name, or should I guess?” He takes another sip from what should be Yunho’s glass.

“It’s y/n,” you offer. 

Some kind of recognition sparks in his eyes, he’s heard your name before but he can’t remember where. He nods, “I’m Wooyoung,”

“It’s good to meet you,” you take a subtle step back and sip your wine, putting an extra inch of space between you.

“My night is certainly better now,” he says, and you’re about to open your mouth to protest but he continues, “tell me, are you free tonight?”

You shake your head and he pouts just slightly before saying, “Ah, I thought I could help make your night better too,” He coasts the back of his knuckles down your bare upper arm, soft and quick, removing his hand and returning it to his pocket before you can really register it. 

“I’m sure you did,” Your eyes flick over him. 

His narrow for just a moment, and the edge of his flirting fades, “Am I misreading things?”

“I would think so,” Yunho’s voice is abrupt, no trace of anger or irritation, just matter of fact, and he moves close to your side. He slips a hand over your hip and presses a kiss to your temple, “there you are, sweetheart,” 

Wooyoung’s eyes dart between you both and he takes a step back. It’s incredibly obvious what Yunho is doing, but it works. He doesn’t hang on you, simply slides his hand off you and moves to stand at your side just as he normally would, before extending his hand out to Wooyoung for a shake, “Jeong Yunho,” 

Wooyoung takes it, shaking it firmly and you can’t help but find the whole thing a little ridiculous and territorial, except that something deep in your belly fluttered at the tone of Yunho’s voice when he appeared. Wooyoung clears his throat, “Jung Wooyoung,” 

Yunho smirks almost imperceptibly at the shared surname before pulling back his hand and this time letting it rest warmly on your upper back, just at the base of your neck. 

“I think this was meant for you, then,” Wooyoung lifts the glass and then shrugs, “apologies.” 

“No harm,” Yunho replies, “I’ll get another.” 

You cut in there, looking up to Yunho, “Is Seonghwa still making the rounds?”

He nods but doesn’t break his gaze on Wooyoung, “We’ll be stuck a while, I’m sure,” 

Understanding dawns on Wooyoung’s face and he laughs to himself, your name and association with Yunho and Seonghwa knitting together in his mind. Hongjoong had mentioned you, it was just not in the context he would have hoped for. 

You look back to Wooyoung, an eyebrow quirked, and he shakes his head, “I see why you called me presumptuous now,” 

Yunho smiles at that, and you nod, “Mm,” with a shrug you smile, “sorry about that,” 

“No, no,” Wooyoung holds up a hand, begging off, “it’s fair enough. I should let you go and see if I can find Hongjoong,” 

“It was nice meeting you,” Yunho cuts back in, ending the conversation there.. 

“Yeah, it was nice meeting you too,” Wooyoung says to him, and as he starts to step away he gives you one more charming smile, “have a good night, beautiful girl.” 

Yunho’s hand tightens slightly on your skin and your stomach flips.

As Wooyoung fully turns away, he holds his glass of wine up once more, “And sorry again about the drink!” He’s gone through the maze of people in a second and you're left alone in front of Hongjoong’s painting with Yunho. 

“Well,” he breaks the silence after a moment, “he seems like an ass.” 

“I think he was a little embarrassed,” you shift away from him so you can face him and talk to him a little more easily. 

A brief expression crosses his face but he relaxes quickly, “I wouldn’t call it embarrassment,” 

“Well, anyways,” you shake your head, “we should get you a drink either way.” 

There’s a cord of tension suddenly between you and you’re shocked by your own response to it. A piece of you wants to roll your eyes and tell him to calm down, irritated at the way he was staking a claim on you, but the other piece has your stomach tight and an image of Yunho bending you over the first available table flickers through your mind. 

“Let’s go, and then let’s go find Hwa,” his tight expression clears, and he smooths his hand down your back again to steer you forwards. 

You end up staying at the event for two and half more hours and accidentally making eye contact with Wooyoung from across the room four more times, nearly bumping into him once when you go to say hello to Hongjoong. 

Not a single time escapes Yunho’s notice. So much so that by the end of the night Seonghwa is quietly asking his husband if something’s wrong. It takes another fifteen minutes to clear out of the gallery and find Yunho’s car, poorly parked in a clearly yellow zone with a ticket tucked under his windshield wiper. 

The ride home starts quietly, Yunho driving and Seonghwa in the passenger seat. Yunho’s hand is tight on the steering wheel, and you can barely believe he’s let Wooyoung’s naturally flirty nature get under his skin so much. You watched him flirt with at least three other women there, it was just clearly who he was. 

Seonghwa finally breaks the silence, “So are you going to tell me what’s going on?” 

Yunho sighs, his hands relaxing, “Everything’s fine,” 

“You really seem like everything’s fine,” Seonghwa says, throwing you a glance. 

Yunho smiles and reaches across the middle of the car, smoothing his hand over Seonghwa’s knee, “I’m sorry, everything’s fine. You know these things wear me out a bit, but you were great. Everyone was saying such good things about the book,” 

Seonghwa relaxes, “Good, okay. It felt like it was received well,” 

You lean forward, resting your hand on his arm, “All I heard were good things,” you assure him, “and you sounded perfect on stage.” 

“Thank you,” he rests his hand on top of yours, “I’m sorry you both had to make small talk all night though,”

“Oh, no it’s fine, I had a nice time,” you assure him. 

Yunho makes a small noise and you glance to him. You’ve never had an argument with either of them before, but all of a sudden it seems like Yunho is spoiling for a fight, and you had never pegged him to be quite so prone to jealousy. 

“Okay,” Seonghwa looks between you both, “what is going on?” 

“Nothing,” Yunho repeats, but then adds, “y/n met someone new, so I think she did enjoy herself.” 

Seonghwa is no stranger to that expression and immediately things start to click into place for him. Your jaw sets in annoyance, “Yunho, stop it. I’m not friends with him,” 

“I didn’t say friends,” Yunho shakes his head, “I saw the way he looked at you, and he was not interested in being friends.” 

“Fine,” you sigh, “you’re right, he wanted to take me home, but I’m obviously not there with him. I don’t understand why you’re so upset about this,” 

“I’m not upset,” he counters.

“Yunho,” you lean forward in your seat to see him better and he glances back at you. 

“Put your seatbelt on, what are you doing?” he waves you back.

You listen, but you catch the way Seonghwa rolls his eyes, and it seems like this kind of sudden type of response from Yunho isn’t completely out of the blue. 

You click the seatbelt into place, “There, happy now?” 

“That you’re not going to go flying out my windshield? Yes,” he huffs. 

“Alright,” Seonghwa finally interjects, “let’s all just relax.” 

“Fine,” Yunho says, but you can’t let it go. 

“Yunho,” you keep your voice calm and even toned, “he was flirting with me, yes, but I didn’t go home with him. You can’t get upset over every man that flirts with me. It happens,” you watch the twitch of his lip in the rear-view mirror at the idea and you can’t help yourself. You press his buttons further and you have no idea why, “It happens more often than you think.” 

His hands tighten on the wheel and Seonghwa sighs, “She’s right,” he says, “you really don’t need to get so upset about this.” 

The muscle in Yunho’s jaw tenses and relaxes, and he sighs heavily, “I’m sorry,” he glances up in the mirror to meet your eyes quickly before refocusing on the road, “he just bothered me. I don’t like the way he was talking to you, propositioning you like that.” 

You smile, but Seonghwa says it before you have to, “You mean like we did?” 

“That is completely different,” he protests.

“Is it?” You laugh, “You literally saw me across a bar and took me home. Arguably that’s more cliché,” 

“Alright, alright,” he says, exasperated, and checks his mirror to start merging into his exit lane to get back into their neighborhood of the city. 

“You’re cute when you’re jealous though,” you smile, “I thought you were going to smack that wine glass out of his hand for a second,” 

Seonghwa laughs and looks back at you, “He is,” he agrees. 

Yunho relaxes, letting you both poke fun at him and tries to let the image of Wooyoung inches from you in that dress fade from his mind. He knows you’re right, of course, you weren’t home with Wooyoung, you were with them just like always, but the niggling uncomfortable feeling in his gut just won’t go away. 

It takes another ten minutes to make it to their garage and up to the door of their apartment, but once inside you let out a sigh and slip off your heels, “I’m going to change, and then should we eat something?” 

“You didn’t eat at the party?” Seonghwa cups your cheek. 

“I did,” you assure him, “I just want something more substantial,” 

“I’ll make you something,” he kisses you quickly and starts for the kitchen. 

You smile at Yunho as you pass, and he returns it, loosening his tie and kicking off his own uncomfortable dress shoes. When you come back out to the kitchen you’ve changed, dressed now in soft cream sleep pants and a fitted tank top. Over the past year, you’ve gotten comfortable letting them take care of you. They had told you that on the first night you met, but at the time you had assumed they meant strictly sexually. You certainly didn’t expect a section in their closet and regularly home cooked meals, but they’re surprising like that. 

Seonghwa is still fixing you a small, light meal when you lean on the kitchen bar next to Yunho. There were plans for the night, things you all previously discussed that would be a special treat, but after the little disagreement in the car you’re wondering if Yunho’s still in the mood. 

You lean against his arm, and he glances over, “Hey,” 

“Hey,” you smile.

A beat passes and you watch as Seonghwa clicks off the burner and starts to plate your dinner. You rest your hand on Yunho’s arm, “Are we okay?” 

“Of course, we’re okay,” he answers immediately, “I’m sorry I got short with you,” 

“It’s fine,” you squeeze his upper arm softly, “but I promise there was nothing to worry about, he’s just a flirt.” 

“Mm,” Yunho nods, and you notice the way his fingers tap out a pattern on the bar. You push off the counter and you’re about to move away from him to meet Seonghwa in the main part of the kitchen when Yunho says, “Why did you flirt back if you weren’t going to go home with him?” 

“What?” You look back to him, Seonghwa immediately dropping the pan back on the burner and turning towards the conversation. 

“Why did you? It’s an easy question,” 

“Yunho,” Seonghwa’s voice is firm now, “you’re out of line.” 

“I just,” he sighs and turns towards you fully, standing tall and imposing above you, “I’m just trying to understand.” 

“I’m not having this conversation,” Anger bubbles up inside you and you push past him, but Yunho catches your arm in his hand. 

“I’m sorry,” he says again, “I’m being an ass, I’m sorry,” 

His words slow you down and you let him maneuver you back into his arms. Pressing close you shake your head, “You need to let this go, okay? It was fine at the gallery, but Wooyoung was trying to get under your skin, and now you’re letting him. This kind of jealousy isn’t sexy. It’s…”

“I know,” he insists, “god, I know,” 

“Okay,” you push up on your tiptoes and lean forwards, pressing a kiss to his chest where his shirt is unbuttoned and parted open, “I’m here with you, and there’s nowhere else I would rather be, okay?” 

He wraps his arms around you, dropping his lips to your hair. When you both pull away, he brushes his fingers along your cheek and dips down to kiss you properly, dragging you up against him so that you’re perched on your toes and holding onto his arms for stability. It starts soft, but you feel it when it shifts, his fingers gripping your waist more firmly and his lips parting to better access your mouth, tongue against yours. 

You gasp against his lips when he presses you back two steps and your back connects with the kitchen bar. He slides one hand to hold your back, and drops the other flat on the counter, fingers spread wide to stabilize you both as he kisses you harder, encroaching on your space in every conceivable way. 

His hand moves down, slipping into the waistband of your pants so he can grip the bare skin of your backside, and you release a surprised moan when he squeezes and kneads your plush skin. You break your lips apart, pushing him back a little, and you drink him in. He looks hazy, panting and his eyes blown out. 

“What are you doing?” You hold him, your back aching against the island behind you. 

“I want you,” he dips to kiss you again. 

You press backwards so he can’t quite reach you, “Yunho,” 

It’s clear to you now that he hasn’t quite let the evening go, but with hands on you like this and his hot breath on your cheek, your mind flicks back to the earlier image you had conjured in the gallery. Yunho standing over you, your body bent over a table and your skirt pushed up around your hips. His hand in your hair. Wooyoung’s face flashes next, the idea of him seeing, realizing you could never be his. 

Desire quickens in you, and you swallow hard, “I,” you start to say. 

“I’m starting to feel like I should be a little jealous,” Seonghwa’s voice snaps the spell and Yunho falters back a step. 

“Hwa,” he says, “fuck,” 

You expect the worst, but as you turn you see Seonghwa shake his head, and then he turns to you, “Are you alright?” 

You nod and he sighs, “Do you want to stop?” 

You cut him off with a shake of your head. Seonghwa and Yunho share a look, one you’re not sure you’ve ever seen before. 

“Don’t stop then,” Seonghwa moves towards you both, and your eyes are on him when you feel Yunho tug down your sleep pants and underwear before hoisting you up so that you’re leaning back on the bar countertop, your hips hanging off and fully supported by his arm around you.

“Fuck,” you breath when he pushes your legs open wide and steps between them, his hands working at his trouser zip for a second before he frees himself. 

“Be quiet,” Yunho directs you, and your mouth clamps shut. He strokes his cock to draw himself fully hard, and then sinks two fingers inside your cunt without a word. 

You jerk, gasping at the intrusion, but when he finds you already wet that’s all he needs. He shifts between your thighs, and before you can exhale the breath caught in your chest, he pushes inside you with one firm snap of his hips. 

You weren’t quite ready for him, and the stretch burns. He draws out of you and then back in with another sharp thrust, and a strained noise leaves you, one hand flying to his back to grip onto him. 

He meets your eyes, pausing for a moment and he adjusts to better support your hips in his hands, letting you fall back onto the counter top, your back against the cool stone. His eyes are dark, hair falling in them as he holds you steady on his cock, “Did you want him?” 

“What?” You blink, focusing now on his words. 

“Tell me,” Yunho says, “did you want him?” 

“No,” you shake your head, and he looks down, his eyes studying the place where your bodies connect. 

He thrusts hard, “I don’t believe you,” 

“I didn’t,” you insist, your fingers gripping the granite beneath you for purchase but slipping. 

“I saw you,” he pumps faster, and you watch his mouth drop open at the sensation of your hot channel around him, “I saw how you looked at him,” 

A rush of heat runs up your body at another sharp thrust, the head of his cock now rhythmically stroking that tender place inside you, and you feel the blush erupt across your chest and sweat at your brow. A harsh moan leaves you and you reach for him, but he doesn’t take your hand, “Baby,” you whine, “I didn’t, I promise,” 

He shifts forwards, hovering over you now, and sinks one hand into your hair, tightening against your scalp, “Aren’t we enough?” 

Words don’t come, and it dawns on you that the desperation in his face is real, the fear of you leaving with someone else is palpable. His words sink into your chest and he pants above you, “Don’t we give you everything?” 

“Yes,” you inhale sharply and grip onto his upper arms now that he’s hovering above you, “Yes, baby,”

“You let him touch you,” he drops his head, unable to hold your eyes any longer and you can’t answer him. 

He doesn’t slow his pace, and you arch against him at a shock of pleasure directly up your spine, a breathy moan suddenly on your lips. Your head falls to the side, and you see Seonghwa, leaning on the edge of the counter across from the bar, quiet and watching. You’ve been with them individually now, and always with the other watching, but this feels different. 

Yunho slams his hips forwards and stops suddenly, and you gasp against him, an unexpected whine leaving your throat. He brushes your hair back from your face with his wide palm, bringing your face back to his. He searches your eyes, and you can feel him trembling above you, just a little, “Would you have gone home with him?” 

“No,” you lay your hand softly on his cheek. 

“If we weren’t,” he sighs, “if you weren’t with us, would you have gone home with him?” 

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” your voice is almost a whisper. 

“Say no,” his hands tighten on you, and he starts to move his hips again, slow, and steady. 

You twitch under him at steady pressure on your clit, but hold his eyes, “Yunho, you don’t own me,” you murmur. 

Yunho’s jaw sets tightly, and he pushes off you, his cock sliding out of you as he steps away fully, and you brace yourself on the counter not to fall off the edge and instead ease down. He tucks his still hard length away and refastens his pants before running a hand through his hair and turning on his heel, disappearing down the hallway. The bathroom door slams with a sharp sound and nervous tightness floods your chest. 

“Come here,” Seonghwa’s soft voice murmurs from next to you, and he helps you step back into your sleep pants. 

“Hwa,” you turn to him, emotion tight in your throat, “what is going on with him?” 

“He can be like this,” Seonghwa says, his eyes soft. 

“Can he?” You look towards the dark hallway, barely believing it. 

“When he wants something? Yes,” 

“I don’t understand,” you slump into one of the bar chairs, “he has me, you both do,” 

Seonghwa glances towards the hallway himself, sighing and finally, finally meeting your nervous gaze, “Do we?” 

“How could you ask me that?” The night is officially starting to twist out of control.

“Listen,” he steps forwards and takes your face in his hands, “you know we don’t see anyone else. We love having you here, you know this. But we’ve never asked the same of you,” 

“Oh,” you soften under his hands, his words starting to make sense. 

“We don’t pry, we don’t know where you go every night. It’s not our place to ask,” He clarifies, “but if you think we like the idea of you with another man, let alone seeing you with one?” 

“We were just talking,” You press, “if that’s a problem then we need to have a much different conversation.” 

“Of course, it’s not a problem,” Seonghwa shakes his head, “that’s not at all what I meant,” 

“Please,” you sigh, “then what do you mean?” 

“Do you think you’d like it if Yunho and I saw other women?” Seonghwa asks, trying to explain himself, “If you came to meet us for a date, and you saw us talking to another woman like that?” 

A tightness knots in your stomach, “No,” 

“It’s like that,” he explains, “and we’ve never asked you stop seeing other people, but knowing that you might be is very different than seeing you talking to a man who you could go home with,” 

“I’m not seeing other people,” you say simply, and suddenly he looks relieved. 

“You’re not?” 

“No,” you shake your head, “I haven’t since we started seeing each other more regularly, that’s what… five or six months? You could have just asked me,” 

Seonghwa nods, looking down for a moment before he says, “We didn’t want to ask that of you when we weren’t sure what we could give you,” 

“Seonghwa,” you pull him closer, “I want this, just what we have, but I don’t want it with anyone else.” 

“So tonight,” he trails off. 

“A misunderstanding,” you explain, “Wooyoung is a flirt, and I won’t lie to you and tell you he isn’t good looking or charming, but that’s all,” 

“I’m sorry,” he drops his forehead against yours. 

“You don’t have to be sorry,” 

“I should have stopped things earlier,” he murmurs, “Yunho wasn’t thinking clearly, and he was too rough with you,” 

You shake your head, “I didn’t say stop,” 

“I know, but,”

“But nothing,” you shake your head again, “I wanted him too, but now…” you twist your head and look towards the still quiet hallway, “I should talk to him.” 

“Yeah,” Seonghwa kisses your forehead and steps away, “Go to bed, I’ll wrap the food up for later and be right there,”

“Okay,” you nod. 

In the bedroom you wait, sitting on the edge of the bed and listening to the sound of the shower through the bathroom door. The water is still running when Seonghwa walks into the bedroom, unbuttoning his dress shirt and running a hand through his hair. 

“I’ve never seen him angry,” you murmur to Seonghwa, “what can I do?” 

“Usually, he just works things out for himself,” he replies, “he doesn’t even share it with me most of the time.” 

The sound of running water cuts off and you reach for Seonghwa. He comes closer and sits on the edge of the bed with you. 

“This is weird,” you shift to push him back a bit, sitting between his open legs and pulling his arms to wrap around your torso, “that’s better,” 

Seonghwa smiles, hugging you to his chest and kissing your bare shoulder, “Yeah?” 

“Mhm,” you rest a hand on his thigh. Not touching him feels worse than anything, and now you’re so used to always having your hands on each other when you’re here, the centering calm of their warm skin on yours. Sitting next to him, passive, with space between you is foreign and cold. 

Seonghwa holds you, his fingers tracing patterns on your skin as you both wait. When the bathroom door finally opens, you sit up and Seonghwa follows suit, his arms loosening but not leaving you. 

Yunho's hair is wet and messy, and his skin is mostly dry except for the beads of water that still hang on his bare shoulders, a white towel hangs low around his hips. When he sees both of you on the bed waiting, he pauses. 

His voice is gruff, and he clears his throat, “Hey,” 

“Hi, baby,” you murmur, “are you okay?” 

His brows knit together, “Yeah,” he sighs, “I should be asking you that.” 

“I’m fine,” you dismiss, “I’m not upset,” 

Yunho’s eyes flick from yours to his husband’s and you feel Seonghwa nod behind you. You reach for Yunho, open palm extended and he moves to you and takes your hand in his. 

“Can I be honest with you?” You ask him, giving his hand a squeeze. 

“Always,” 

“You’re scaring me a little,” 

His expression drops, “What?” 

“I understand how you feel,” you tell him, “but you can’t ever accuse me of something like that again because you’re angry. I have never and would never do something like that to you.” 

His cheeks go pink, his ears heating red with embarrassment and he drops his eyes, “I’m so sorry,” 

“Come here, please,” you tug his hand down and he drops down, kneeling in front of you to rest between your knees, and you interlace your fingers with his. You stroke the back of his hand with your thumb, “Seonghwa helped me understand,” 

“He did?” Yunho meets his husband’s eyes, and you can see the nervous swell of emotion there. 

“I’m not seeing other men,” you say it clearly, simply, and Yunho’s gaze snaps back to yours, “I haven’t for a long time. I have no interest in sleeping with or dating anyone else. I want to be with you and Hwa, for as long as it feels right for all of us. I love being with you both, and I would never, ever hurt either one of you like that.” 

“Oh,” he can’t think of anything to say, but he lays a hand on your thigh warmly, giving it a squeeze. 

“Men are going to flirt with me sometimes,” you continue, “and that’s all it is.” 

He nods, and Seonghwa unwinds a hand from around you to rest on Yunho’s forearm. Yunho swallows hard and nods again, “I’m sorry, for everything I said,” he kisses the back of your hand, “you didn’t deserve any of it, sweetheart, and I’m sorry.” 

“Thank you,” you murmur, your voice small, and you feel Seonghwa exhale behind you. 

A beat passes and then you squeeze his hand again, “Yunho,” 

He looks up to you, holding your gaze as you pull his hand forwards and press it to the waistband of your pants. His eyes flick down and you see the question is his gaze, “Will you take care of me tonight?” 

Seonghwa loosens his hold and slips his hands to hold your waist, fingertips sliding along your bare skin, and you drop back against his chest.

Yunho looks hesitant for a moment, “Are you sure?” 

“Please,” you nod, “I want you both, I want to show you what you mean to me,” 

Yunho shakes his head slightly, “You don’t have to do that, I was wrong, not you,” 

“No,” you pull him closer between your legs and he comes up off his heels so he can meet you eye to eye, “I want to.” You brush your hand along his jaw, “You didn’t even know I stopped seeing other people… I clearly haven’t shown you much I,” the word catches in your throat and suddenly you swallow it back, it’s something you can’t tell them. You’re together, yes, but the love that exists is between them. It was here before you and it will be here after you, and the night had been hard enough without adding your emotions into the mix. You recover smoothly, “How much I care about you.” 

Yunho nods, and Seonghwa presses his lips to your temple before he says, “We’ll show you too,” 

Yunho’s fingers dip into the waistband of your pants, keeping his eyes on you as he slips them back off while Seonghwa maneuvers your shirt off over your head. Yunho pulls you forwards into a kiss, tender and slow, his hands coasting up and down your bare thighs. 

Behind you, Seonghwa unbuttons the rest of his shirt and tosses it aside. “Lie back,” he runs a hand up your spine and you comply, separating your lips from Yunho’s. Seonghwa widens his legs, and Yunho understands immediately where this is going, gently taking each of your legs and hooking them over Seonghwa’s thighs, holding you open wide for him. 

“Here we go,” Seonghwa soothes, leaning back onto a forearm into a reclined position, “how’s that?” 

He’s always so attentive, warm and concerned for your comfort, and you smile, “Perfect,” 

“Baby,” Seonghwa says, directed to Yunho, “take care of our pretty girl, will you?” 

His words make you twitch against him and Seonghwa hums against your back. Yunho shifts forwards, dipping down low to kiss along your inner thighs, his teeth dragging along your sensitive flesh lightly and making your legs quiver. 

He traces a finger along your slit, teasing gently and earning little pants and sighs from your lips. As Yunho teases, the softest brushes of his finger tip on your clit, Seonghwa reaches around with one arm and cups your breast, holding it in his warm palm. 

“Please, don’t tease me,” you look down between your legs at Yunho. He smiles, leaning back immediately at your words and you clench. He runs a hand through his wet hair to push it out of his eyes and sinks deeper into his position kneeling between your open  legs. It’s moments like this you savor, the anticipation of the night to come bubbling in your chest and the way they look at you. It’s the most honest thing you’ve ever had. 

“Don’t tease you?” Yunho’s lip quirks up, his hand falling away from your core. 

He wants you to whine, he wants to watch you breathless and desperate and aching for something inside you, and he drops his hands into his lap, ready to make you. 

“Hmm,” Seonghwa hums from behind you, the vibrations from his deep tone echoing through you, “I said take care of her,” 

“I know,” Yunho says, his eyes still locked on yours. 

“She needs something to touch her,” Seonghwa sighs, now shifting to tease you too, “look at how needy our pretty girl is,” 

Your hips jerk at his words, fingers tightening on whatever part of Seonghwa you can hold, and Yunho smiles, nodding, “Should we ask her what she wants? Or should we just give it to her?” 

A quiet whine slips from your lips and Seonghwa kisses your temple softly, “We know what she needs,” 

“Please,” the word a whisper. 

Seonghwa slides his hand from your breast, coasting down your stomach and stroking the skin softly, “I didn’t hear you, darling,” 

“Please,” you manage, a little louder, “Hwa, please touch me,” 

“Very good,” he soothes, and he presses down with his fingers, sinking into your wet folds and parting them perfectly, his fingers rocking against your clit with a perfect and sudden rhythm. 

Your hips draw back at the sudden sensation, moaning, and your hand slips off Seonghwa’s thigh to brace against the bed. Seonghwa doesn’t stop, and you shudder, the way that Yunho’s eyes darken as he watches knotting up a tense cord of sensation in your core. 

Yunho bites his lower lip, an unconscious response as you writhe before him, and shifts his hand over the towel around his hips, parting it and starting to stroke his hardening cock. His eyes flick between Seonghwa’s hand on your warm core and your face, his hand working a steady rhythm to match Seonghwa’s. 

“Such pretty little noises,” Seonghwa sighs, increasing the pressure of his fingers, and you inhale sharply, your hips jutting against his hand for the perfect pace. 

“Fuck it,” Yunho dives forwards, pushing your legs apart further with his sure hands on your thighs, and licks a firm stripe up your slit, catching against Seonghwa’s fingers as he does before shifting lower on his knees to better position himself, devouring you. 

You jerk back again, pressing hard against Seonghwa’s chest, your legs starting to quiver as you rapidly plunge to the edge of orgasm. You lock a hand in Yunho’s hair and he groans against you, his hands tightening almost painfully on your inner thighs. “Don’t stop,” you plead, “please, please, don’t stop,” 

“We’ve got you,” Seonghwa’s voice is deep and steady in your ear and you pant out a moan. 

You’re close, dangerously so, and at the sudden push of two of Yunho’s fingers inside of you, long and crooked up just right, your muscles flutter around him and you release, hard and shaking with a dizzy cry. Yunho pumps his fingers in and out of you steadily as you come, slowing down alongside Seonghwa when he knows you’re almost through it. 

Your chest is heaving, and as your sensation comes back to you, all you can feel is their hands on your skin and the way they lovingly stroke it. Yunho has relaxed his grip on your legs, and he leans his cheek against your inner thigh, sighing against your skin and pressing a quick kiss to your flesh. 

“There you are,” Seonghwa smiles, laughing a little, “I was afraid we broke you,” 

You shake your head, but still can’t quite come up with anything to say. Yunho grins up at you, “We might have,” 

They give you a few more moments, but eventually Yunho stands, stretching tall and the towel falls away from his hips. He reaches for you, carefully lifting you off of Seonghwa’s lap and putting you down on your feet, and you hold his biceps to catch your balance. 

Seonghwa stands up behind you both, crossing to the other side of the bed, “Come and lie down for us, love,” 

You shift back onto the bed, crawling across to where he’s standing. Seonghwa finally takes off the rest of his clothes, tossing them aside and he moves back to you, his cock red, straining, and aching to be touched. You settle on all fours at the edge of the bed, licking your lips and looking up at him with hooded eyes, “Like this?” 

He shakes his head though, a small smile on his lips, pleased that you’re so ready and willing to relax into whatever they want you to be. “Let’s get you comfortable,” he brushes his hand along your cheek, his hands guiding you where he wants you, “lie back,” 

He positions you flat on your back, the crown of your head at the edge of the bed. You’ve only done this position with them a handful of times, the first time a little terrifying when you ran out of air and spent fifteen minutes soothing your abused throat, both of them worried they had done too much. But you tried again, and after the third time you worked out a rhythm with them. 

Yunho follows you onto the bed, and you lift your hips up when he presents you with the angled foam cushion that usually stays stowed under the bed. He tucks it under you, and the three of you move in sync to slide you so that your head is hanging off the edge of the mattress and your hips are lifted up and supported just right. 

“Good?” Seonghwa checks, looking down at you. 

“Mhm,” you nod, “let me just,” you shift a little on the cushion, and then nod again. 

Yunho’s hands coast up your legs, massaging your pressure points a little, and then lifts your legs high. Holding your calves, he shifts forwards further and settles into a comfortable kneeling position, his hips now perfectly aligned with yours. He rests your legs up on his shoulders, and then looks down at you, squeezing one of your thighs in his broad hand. “Perfect,” he murmurs. 

“Yunho,” you sigh, “come here,” 

He pushes his hips forwards, the head of his cock pressed against your entrance. Your eyes flutter shut, and you let your head hang, your hands curling into the sheets underneath you and gripping them. He pushes in little by little, taking his time with you now, a little more gentle than normal and you suspect that has something to do with the way he fucked you in the kitchen. 

You whine when he seats himself all the way, his body pressed flush with yours, and he groans tightly when he thrusts once, dropping his hands to hold you better, one hand on your hip and one around your opposite leg. 

“Hwa,” he nods to his husband. 

Seonghwa lifts your head with his hand, and you open your mouth readily, tongue pressed to the bottom of your mouth and relaxing your throat open. He positions himself and as you take a centering breath, he slides his cock through your lips, over your tongue, down your throat. He gives you a moment, making sure you’re comfortable, but when you tap his thigh to tell him you’re ready, he can’t hold back any longer. 

Seonghwa moves first, picking up the pace of his thrusts fast. Your eyes squeeze shut so you can concentrate, tears gathering in the corners already from the overstimulation and limited air supply, but you breathe slowly in and out through your nose and keep your throat relaxed. You almost forget Yunho is inside you, you’re so focused on Seonghwa's thick length stretching open your throat. When Yunho draws his hips back and you feel the sensation of him dragging out of you, you make a muffled moan. 

Yunho’s slower, but picks up the pace, and the sensation of his cockhead steadily stroking over your g-spot again and again has you moaning more, the sound cut off and garbled by Seonghwa’s cock. 

“That’s our good girl,” Yunho’s voice is warm, honeyed and kind, despite the firm strike of his hips against yours now. 

“Yes, she is,” Seonghwa slips his hand into your hair, bracing the back of your head as he continues fucking your throat, “so pretty taking us both,” 

You whine at his words, hands tight in the sheets. 

“Do you like being ours to use, baby?” Seonghwa groans as he feels the head of his cock connect with the soft spongy back of your throat, and the way it tightens at his words. 

A hot flush runs through your body, a blush spreading up your chest and cheeks, and warm pleasure tightens in your belly. The sensations are overwhelming. Yunho’s hands holding you firm, the way your body stretches and shudders around his cock, Seonghwa’s crooning words, his praise at the way you’re offering yourself to him. 

You feel yourself cresting again, dizzy and hot suddenly, and you tap Seonghwa’s thigh a few times in quick succession. He pulls out of your mouth quickly, still holding your head steady, and a desperate cry falls from your lips unobstructed. You blink up at Yunho, “Harder,” you beg him, as if you can almost reach out and touch your pleasure, only needing a little more, “please,” 

He’s panting, a glisten of sweat across his chest, and he twists his head to the side to kiss your calf before he tightens his hold and draws out, forcefully pushing back inside you and knocking you back on the cushion as he does. 

“Fuck,” you moan, “I’m close,” 

Seonghwa drops to a crouch, holding your head steady in his hand so you don’t have to support yourself and kissing your head, “What a mess he’s making of you,” he says, low and pointed in your ear. 

“Oh god,” your body is trembling despite the way you’re held in place, and your mouth drops open. 

“Fuck,” Yunho groans, still thrusting into you, hips crashing against yours like a drumbeat, “fuck, baby,” 

With your eyes on Yunho and Seonghwa murmuring in your ear, your body locks up. You curl forwards, twisting on the bed with the sudden rush of pleasure and Yunho slips his cock free, letting you pull away from him. You’re shaking when he eases his legs off your shoulders, and you look to him immediately. He’s still rock hard, glistening with your slick arousal but still desperate and straining. Both of them still need to come, and despite being a shuddering mess, you want them again. 

Yunho rocks back and out of his kneeling crouch, stretching his legs out long in front of him and you watch him make a slight wince from his knees being bent for so long. Yunho relaxes against the pillows and smiles over at you. Seonghwa strokes your cheek once more, and then moves to settle next to Yunho on the bed, laying long next to him, his still hard cock resting on his husband’s thigh. 

If you had to guess, after the evening you had earlier, they probably both assume you aren’t going to want to try something new, but you do. You’ve wanted them both for months now. You pull yourself up and sigh, a laugh on your lips as you realize just how fucked out you must look. 

“Doing okay?” Seonghwa checks, always wary after taking you so roughly. 

You clear your throat, and though it feels a little tight, you’re fine. You smile and nod, “I’m good,” 

Yunho swallows, and opens his mouth to say something but you’ve already started to move forwards, pulling yourself up on his chest and meeting eye to eye. He chuckles and runs a hand up your bare back, “Hey, sweetheart,” 

“Hey,” you kiss him softly. 

“What are you thinking?” He smiles, “You have a look,” 

“Let’s try,” You murmur, pecking his lips again and reaching for Seonghwa. 

Yunho’s hand stills and he pulls away to get a better look at you, “Tonight?” 

You shrug, trying to keep things light despite the nervous flutter inside you, “Yeah, I mean, that was the plan,” 

Yunho still seems hesitant but Seonghwa leans in and captures your lips, kissing you tenderly and tracing his fingers across your bare skin, “If you’re ready,” 

You nod, and when both of you shift to look at Yunho, he sighs. He’s always been a bit nervous about both of them fucking you at the same time, concious that it might be uncomfortable or even hurt, but you know you’ll be fine. After months of getting comfortable size training with plugs and experimenting with them both, it’s just a matter of you all saying yes at the same time. 

Yunho nods and Seonghwa smiles, hopping up off the bed so he can go to his nightstand and locate a bottle of lubricant. Yunho positions himself a little better, reclined with his legs wide, but still largely seated against the headboard, and then he pats his thigh. 

You move to straddle him, holding yourself up on your knees and sinking down onto his cock again, shuddering at the full feeling. 

“Let’s take our time,” Seonghwa says as he climbs back on the bed and settles behind you, both of you now effectively straddling Yunho’s hips. 

You nod, turning to look over your shoulder, “So… how should we do this?” 

Seonghwa drops a kiss on your shoulder, “Don’t be nervous,” he wraps his arms around you, tucking you into his chest tenderly and settles his hands over your stomach. “You’re trembling,” he observes.

Yunho’s hands run up the length of your thighs, back up and down to calm you, “We’ll take care of you,” he soothes, “we always do.” 

“I know,” you murmur, and let your head fall back against Seonghwa’s shoulder. 

“Hwa,” Yunho looks over you to his husband, “she needs a little warming up,” 

You nod, and Seonghwa kisses your skin again, “Touch her, make sure she’s wet,” he kisses you again, “I’ll do the rest,” 

The hold you, pliable between them, and you can do nothing but let them. Yunho presses his thumb to your swollen clit and starts to rock it in circles, groaning a little when your walls contract in response on his cock inside you. Seonghwa spends time kissing you, his breath tickling your skin as he sucks softly on your neck, one hand moving up so he can flick your nipple slowly. 

You gasp, your body jerking lightly on its own, bouncing only an inch or so up on Yunho, but he nods, “That’s good, you can move,” 

With slow movements you start to lift yourself up and sink back down, fluttering warmth through your body and getting you fully accustomed to his size in this new position. You stay like this for a few moments, Yunho groaning softly below you, Seonghwa tenderly caressing your skin. 

You barely catch the look they give each other, but then Seonghwa leans back from you and Yunho reaches up, “Come here, baby,” he murmurs, pushing your hair over your shoulder as you lean over him. Yunho kisses you, tongue flicking against yours while he holds you steady. 

Seonghwa cups your ass with one hand and squeezes, kneading your soft flesh gently with soothing touches. You make a noise of surprise against Yunho’s lips when Seonghwa finally presses his fingertip to the tight ring of muscle between your cheeks. 

“Just relax,” Seonghwa pets you softly, “we’ve done this part before,” 

You sigh, dropping your head to Yunho’s chest, “I know, I’m good,” 

Seonghwa’s slow, practiced at making sure you feel no pain and you’re properly worked open before he even thinks about fucking you. His fingers are coated in warming lubricant and by the time he’s inserted two inside you and started to scissor them, you’re panting, “Please, I’m ready,” 

“Okay,” Seonghwa kisses your shoulder, “You feel good?” 

“Mm,” you nod against Yunho’s chest and he strokes his hand through your hair. 

Seonghwa shifts behind you and you hear him uncap the bottle of lubricant again, when he shuffles close the head of his cock brushes against your ass cheek and you inhale sharply. You’re starting to feel desperate. Seonghwa strokes your hip, calm and steady, and before you know it the head of his cock is pushing inside you. You gasp against Yunho, your fingers tightening on him at the surprising sensation. 

“There we go,” Seonghwa says softly, sliding in another inch, “how about now?” 

“More,” you nod, “you feel amazing,” 

Yunho chuckles below you, “That good?” 

“You have no idea,” you groan as Seonghwa moves again, this time pushing more, and he must be nearly all the way inside you now. 

“Fuck,” he breathes behind you, his hand suddenly tight on your hips. 

“Are you okay?” You glance back, but the expression on Seonghwa’s face is nothing but pure pleasure. 

“You’re so tight,” he groans again as he thrusts his cock just a little more, “Yunho… you’re,” 

“I know,” Yunho lets out a deep exhale and you shift around to look up at him. 

“Does it feel different for you too?” 

Yunho can only nod, biting his lip when Seonghwa finally thrusts again, this time fully pressed inside you and choke out a sudden moan, pulled from somewhere deep inside you at the sudden buzzing sensation in your belly. 

“Still good?” Seonghwa checks, his voice strained. 

“Yes, fuck yes,” 

“Thank fuck,” Yunho manages, “this is too good,” 

“I need somebody to move,” your hips shift back as if to draw them both deeper and they both make their own little noises of surprised pleasure. 

“You first,” Yunho says to Seonghwa, “let’s see if that still feels good,” 

You lean up, perched on Yunho’s chest, and Seonghwa kisses your shoulder once again before leaning back and starting to thrust. The first drag of his cock out and back in has you dizzy already, you’ve never felt so full. Combined like this they have your body stretched wide, but you can take it, and with every movement your muscles start to relax further. 

“Yunho,” your voice a tight whine. 

His eyes flick back to your face, “Baby?”

“I need you,”

“Are you,” 

“Don’t ask me if I’m sure,” your voice caught in a moan, “please just fuck me,” 

The switch flips instantly, “Hwa, stop,” 

“Why?” You blink your eyes open. 

Seonghwa stops moving but Yunho smiles at you, “Come here, hold yourself up a bit,” he prompts you and with his help you shift your hips higher. Yunho plants his feet on the bed and uses the leverage to pulse up once, an experimental thrust at this angle and you grip his shoulders. 

“Stay just like that for me,” Yunho holds your waist, his gaze darkening and he smiles up at you, “be a good girl and we’ll give you everything,” 

Seonghwa pants pleasantly behind you, humming a soft moan and as your eyes flutter shut they start to work in tandem. If you thought you were stretched before, full before, anything at all before this sensation, you were wrong. You almost lose your grip on Yunho and fall forwards but he won’t let you go. 

“I always knew you could take us,” Seonghwa groans, “but feeling it?” 

You mumble, incoherent words caught in pleasure. 

“Look at you,” Yunho reaches to cup your face, his thumb flicking along your bottom lip where your mouth hangs open, “You were made for us,” 

Hot pleasure expands inside you, the feeling rising up your chest and into your throat and your body trembles between them, sweat slick now and aching but you never want this to end. His words pull another whining cry and his brows knit together as they fuck you. 

“This little body,” he pants, “molded just for us,” 

“Yunho!” your hands tighten on his chest. 

The pace increases, and that’s when it all falls apart inside you. It feels suddenly like tumbling, like you were building up to a perfect pressure and then a snap cracks apart inside you, a weightless blurry feeling to your limbs and a sudden heat flooding up your cheeks.

“I’m going to come,” you hear Seonghwa groan behind you as your muscles lock down around them. 

Yunho locks his hand over his husband’s where it’s anchored on your hip, “Fuck yes, baby, fill up our girl,” 

When Seonghwa comes it’s with a hard thrust, pushing you forwards on Yunho and only extending your orgasm, leaving you shaking, quivering and confused. Your ears are ringing, and when Seonghwa pulls out of you with a groan the sound that leaves you is panicked and tight. 

“Shh,” Yunho murmurs, soothing you. 

With Seonghwa shifting away, Yunho holds you to his chest and rolls you over smoothly, keeping himself locked inside you as he does. On your back your legs fall open, your muscles spent, and he kisses you again, Seonghwa moving to lay next to you both. 

“I can’t,” everything feels fuzzy, your orgasm leaving you tender and raw. 

“Come here, my love,” Yunho murmurs, holding you close as he rolls his hips into you at a slower pace. 

He’s never called you that before, and through the fog you meet his eyes, shining and warm. Seonghwa shifts closer, reaching between you to cup your cheek. “Our beautiful girl,” he sighs. 

Yunho grunts at a particularly forward thrust and catches your eyes again, “Can I have you?” He must be close, but the slow pace he’s keeping up for your comfort isn’t enough, and you nod quickly. 

“Always,” you manage, “I’m yours,” 

His eyes snap shut and he drops over you, fucking you faster and finding the right friction for himself. You hold on, gripping him tightly and Seonghwa shifts, kissing Yunho’s arm, his shoulder, stroking his back and tenderly coaxing him to release.

“You’re ours,” Yunho pants in your ear, and you shudder against him, “you belong to us, baby,”

You nod against him, “Yes, yes,” you’re overstimulated but still feeling lights of pleasure up your spine and you moan, biting your lip and your eyes slipping shut. 

“Say it,” he begs you, “please,” 

His words from earlier echo through your mind - Aren’t we enough? 

You wrap your arms around his shoulders, your lips against his ear, “I’m yours, I belong to you, baby. Only you,” 

He comes with a stuttered cry, falling over you, his cheek against the mattress next to your head, breath shuddering. His weight on top of you quickly becomes too much and you tap his side. Yunho shifts off, pulling his now softening cock free, and for the first time you feel a chill, utterly empty at the loss of them. 

Seonghwa notices your expression immediately, sliding down the bed and finding your eyes, “Are you alright?” 

You nod, and emotion catches in your throat, “Yes, but will you hold me please?” 

Yunho shifts around at the tone of your voice, and they both move in, cradling your body between them. 

Yunho strokes your hair, “What’s wrong, my love?” The first time you weren’t sure you heard it right, but you must have. You’ve only ever heard him call Seonghwa that. 

You push those feelings to the side for a moment and snuggle into Seonghwa’s chest, tugging Yunho’s hand so he’ll come closer and spoon you better from behind. “I just feel like I need you close,” you try to explain, “it was so much and then you weren’t there,” 

“We are,” Seonghwa hugs you closer, “I promise you we are,” 

You rest like this. It takes time for the feeling to come back to your body and for your mind to come through the fog, for the emotions that suddenly welled up to recede again. Seonghwa’s humming softly when you stop drifting in and out of sleep, his fingers in your hair. 

You sigh heavily against his chest, and Yunho shifts behind you, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at you. “Baby?” 

“Hi,” you breathe, and you kiss Seonghwa’s chest before you roll to your back between them. 

“How are you?” Seonghwa asks first. 

“Exhausted,” you smile, “but that was so perfect,” 

“Good,” Seonghwa kisses your palm and goes back to playing with your fingers gently, “we should get you washed up and get some food in you,” 

“Mm,” you stretch, testing out your limbs and the little aches of your body, “I don’t think I’ll ever make it out of this bed,” 

Yunho grins, “Come on, I’ll even keep you company,” he kisses you quick and stands, holding out a hand for you. 

Seonghwa sighs, “I’m going to warm up dinner again, I’ll shower after you.” 

“Oh,” You twist to look at him, “you’re not coming?” 

“I can,” he smiles, “do you want me to?” 

“Please,” 

Behind you the sound of the shower turns on and you know Yunho is warming up the water for you like he always does. Seonghwa touches your cheek softly, and pulls himself out of bed to locate his boxers, “I’ll tell you what, I’ll go preheat the oven and put the dinner in, and then I’ll come meet you in the shower. Is that okay?” 

“Yeah,” you sigh, “that’s good. I just want to be together tonight,” 

“I know,” he says, “I won’t take long, I promise.”

“Shower’s ready,” Yunho calls, and you stretch your tired limbs to stand and meet him. Your body feels sore, but in a good way. 

You meet Yunho in the bathroom, and he brings you up for a kiss, stroking your cheek gently before moving back the shower curtain and helping you step in. He dips you back into the warm spray, taking care with you as he scrubs you clean, somewhat of a post-coital ritual now in your lives. 

“I’m sorry about earlier,” he says quietly. 

“Yunho,” you rest a hand on his chest, “you don’t have to apologize again,” 

“I know,” he nods, “but I still never should have spoken to you that way, treated you that way. I was jealous, and I let it get to me,” 

You nod, rubbing his chest softly, feeling his heart thumping under your hand, “It’s okay,” 

“It’s not,” he shakes his head, “and I’m not normally like that. I don’t like that side of me, but when it comes to people I love, I don’t always make the best judgment calls.” 

The word hangs there between you, and he doesn’t even know he’s said it. He reaches for the shampoo like nothing, but you’re frozen, a knot tight in your gut. He glances and sees your expression, tipping some of the shampoo in his hand, “What?” 

“You love me?” 

His eyes widen, realizing his mistake, “I didn’t mean to say it like that,” he swallows tightly and nods, “but yes,” 

Tears prick at the back of your eyes suddenly, “What about Hwa?” 

Yunho grins, laughing at your terrified expression, “We both love you,” 

“You do?” 

“Yes,” he drops the bottle, letting the water wash his hand clean and pulling you in, “We weren’t sure when to tell you,”

“But what about,” you pull his hand to yours, your finger running over his ring.

“We’ll figure it out,” he shrugs, “none of that matters, we feel how we feel.” 

You dip forwards and rest your head on his chest, he wraps his arms around you snugly and sighs. “Yunho,” you murmur, “I love you too,” 

He kisses your head sinking into your touch, the nervous knot in his own gut dissipating with your words. A quiet knock sounds on the wall by the shower and Seonghwa’s voice floats in with the steam, “Can I come in?” 

“Yep,” Yunho’s voice cracks above you, and for a split second you think there might have been tears in his eyes but he clears his throat and recovers well if there were. Seonghwa steps in, relaxing into the hot spray and looks at you both. 

“What did I miss?” he looks between you. 

You can’t help but grin, they love you. Seonghwa’s warm round eyes assess you and he smiles, still trying to work it out, “What’s with you?” 

Yunho opens his mouth to cut in, but you get there first, “I love you.” 

Seonghwa stills, eyes flicking to his husband and then back to you.

“It’s okay,” Yunho rests a hand on his arm, “I told her,” 

You step closer, wrapping an arm around Seonghwa and tucking in close, “He told me you love me, that you both do,” 

“Oh,” he wraps his arms around you, “well then,” his voice a whisper.

Yunho rests a hand on your back, dipping down to kiss Seonghwa softly, an apology in his expression at the timing but it barely matters. Seonghwa had thought about planning something special, but in the end if you were together that was surely enough. He murmurs his love low in your ear, pulling you up for a kiss and holding you close. 

Under the warm water, both of your boys wrap themselves around you. Breathing steadily together and intertwining your fingers, hot kisses saying everything you’re not sure how to put into words yet. They give you dinner like always, and brush out your hair. They cuddle and caress you and each other on the couch later as you relax, and then ask you about your work week ahead. They spoon you in bed, and ease you asleep, just like always, and in the morning you know for sure, you’re staying for good this time. 

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.

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.

Stay

archer!yeosang x princess!reader

friends to lovers au

genre and warnings: fluff, angst, violence warning

word count: 18.6k

synopsis: you encounter archer yeosang not in the sports competition you had just sneaked out from, but in the forest where he saves you on your way to meet your 'boyfriend'- you're not sure what to call him. yeosang doesn't recognise you as the princess of this nation, however, you encounter him again as your replacement tutor and you become friends with him, sharing problems you face and sneaking out with him because you crave adventure. you find yourself falling for him because he makes you feel like no one else, and he finds himself falling for you but he thinks he's not worthy of you- even when you tell him again and again how brilliant he is. will he end up staying?

The air was filled with the cheers of the athletes, of the women wooing over the young participants, of the men howling in glee because they had waited the whole year for this day. The day where everyone- from the most royal to the peasants- gathered under the same sky, bathing under the same sun. The day where everyone had an equal chance of winning- if they were blessed with the right skills. The Athletics Championships- the annual sports event where people of every status, regardless of gender, participated. 

There was no shame in admitting that everyone from the oldest to the youngest throughout Eden waited eagerly for this day. The athletes practised all days of the year, stayed fit so they could show off. After all, a position in the palace and a cash reward wasn’t the only prize they won that day. Even the most lacking of the athletes could win someone’s heart that day. Since there was still a majority of men participating in the competitions, the women still new to being allowed to participate, the women were usually watching the athletes with eagle eyes- not for their skill alone. And the men never failed to show off- most of them anyway. 

You would have been one of those women too, but there were a number of things hindering that. Firstly, you were the Princess of Eden, seated right at the stage they’d had built for the royal family for the best view. That also meant the people could get the best view of you too, and you had to be cautious of where you let your eyes stray, of your reactions, which is why you opted to remain unfazed throughout the games, only clapping for the victors. 

Secondly, you had a really, really bad headache from the way the Queen, your stepmother, had chewed off your brains so early in the morning. His son, your stepbrother and the Prince of Eden, seated on your left was the only reason you could mildly enjoy the event. His mother might be an ambitious, greedy witch who wanted her son crowned the heir instead of you, but his son was very much the opposite, having little to no interest in the position himself, only doing it for his mother (at least, that’s what he insisted) and opting to fool around. The Queen scoffed loudly when his son passed you a bowl of candies and you took two, hiding it in your sleeve. She passed a glare to the Prince who only pretended not to know what it was about, making you smile a little at his childish antics. He was still a kid at heart.

Last, but not least, you couldn’t wait to get out. Yes, the competition was mildly interesting (mildly only because this time’s female competitors were giving the men a hard time and you enjoyed that and hoped you’d see more of them next year) and you were comfortable, but you had a little… date with your… boyfriend? 

You didn’t know what to call him. Yes, he was attractive, not bad to look at. He was a noble, and it made it easier for conversation to flow between you. He had a nice sense of humour (or maybe your scale of judgement had a very low base to start with). You two were friends, but at the same time, not really. And you two were dating, but not really. Currently, you were still figuring out why you were risking so much meeting a man in secret- the one you weren’t even sure about- yet. You hoped to be sure, though, soon. You just had to meet him a few more times, stop testing the waters and take a little dive, and see if he was someone you really liked.

You chewed loudly on the candy, earning some groans from the Queen. You glanced at her right where your father, the King, was sitting almost at the edge of the seat, looking as if he wanted to join the spectators instead since they could see the current game of fencing better from down there. You pretended to cough and your lady-in-waiting, Siyeon, took the signal and came forward, asking you if you felt alright.

“I just have a bad headache, is all,” you sighed loudly, making the Queen look at you two interact. 

“Goodness, you look pale, this won’t do,” Siyeon shook her head. “You should let me accompany you back for a while. A cup of tea or maybe some soup would do you good.”

“You can bring that here,” the Queen shifted in her seat. “We should maintain our attendance.”

“It would only take a few minutes, Your Majesty,” Siyeon insisted, bowing respectfully, and before the Queen could scold her, you got up.

“She’s right- I don’t want to create a scene here if I faint. I’m sure you wouldn’t like that, Your Majesty,” you smiled sweetly but the Queen could see right through you and she only rolled her eyes.

“You better be back before the hour is over.”

“You got it,” you winked at her, satisfied at the gasp that left her, grinning to yourself as you followed Siyeon. Once you were out of earshot, you slapped Soyeon playfully on the arm. “Nice work back there.”

“You’re going to get me executed, Your Highness, I haven’t even had the joy of marriage yet,” Siyeon grumbled, straightening her midnight blue gown, the uniform. “Please don’t take too long- I don’t want to go after you. In fact, going in the woods is a very, very bad idea- you’ll get lost, and I’ll get fired and executed for being lazy-”

“I’m glad you’re selfish,” you laughed. “I’ll find my way, don’t worry. Mingyu will be waiting, and he’ll make sure I get back safe. Just stay in my room and cover for me while I’m gone, will you?”

“I hope after all this trouble you go for this man, he treats you well,” Siyeon said and your smile didn’t meet your eyes. You entered an empty room outside your chamber, removing the outer layers of your clothes, the gown that indicated you were royalty, leaving you in normal clothes. You handed your tiara to Siyeon as well and she gave you the signal- no one would look at you twice today, at least. Not when you would be passing by as a noble woman, nothing more.

It was exciting, you had to admit. The thrill of sneaking out to meet someone- it would never get old. The way people met your eyes but didn’t look twice- it was refreshing, since all your life whenever someone dared look at you, it was either with wonder or fear. Mingyu, however, was different. He looked at you as if he was amused to find you to be the potential heir of the crown, and you couldn’t resist asking him what was so funny the next time you met him accidentally in the streets.

“I just think you’re too lovely to be wearing the heavy and dirty burden of the crown.”

“What makes you think I can’t handle it?” You had challenged, and he had laughed at that. 

“I never said you can’t handle it.”

You had smiled at that, and he had treated you to some ice cream, and you had found his company entertaining. You didn’t realise how you started encountering him more- in the palace when he came to meet a friend- which was an excuse to see you, or in the streets whenever you went out- having known from his acquaintances in the palace, but somehow, you didn’t mind him popping out of nowhere. He looked at you differently, and it got you.

You smiled at the thought as you navigated through the woods, the daylight a relief, trying to recall what Mingyu had said the last time he had come to the palace and sneaked into your room for a very short, dangerous moment to kiss your cheek and tell you to meet him in the woods near where the stream parted, when the fencing matches would start. You strained your ears to detect any signs of a stream but it seemed like you were still far. 

What you last expected was for two young men to spot you and grin at each other as they made their way to you, even when you had ignored them. They looked like they were athletes participating in the competition as well, since they wore the uniform. Perhaps they had come here as they waited for their turn, or perhaps they were done- it didn’t matter. It was your fault for thinking you could go alone in the woods on your own.

“And what’s a pretty little thing doing all alone? Lost?”

It was your fault. You rolled your eyes. “Making my way home- my brother’s picking me halfway. Have a nice day, gentlemen.”

You tried walking past them but they stepped in front of you. “We could drop you there- the halfway point.”

“There’s no need,” you insisted, this time pushing between the two and walking past, trying to ignore the way they laughed. 

“Why don’t you stop and have some fun with us? Won’t do you no harm.”

You should have turned and slapped them or punched them- you could do that. You had the training. But you did the most stupid thing you could have done. You ran- and that made them chase you as well. You couldn’t think straight- this was all so new, so you did the next best thing. You screamed for help, once, twice, before deciding the birds that were listening weren’t going to be much help.

But what you didn’t expect was the familiar sound of an arrow whooshing in the air and you only had a second to make a quick jump as you ran, the arrow lodging in the arm of the one who had been right behind you, making him stop and scream as he clutched at the arm. You turned back, trying to figure out the source, but you saw nothing. The second man who had been looking after his friend lunged for you but he, too, got shot by an arrow in the leg. You started running again, fearing you were next, finally hearing the damned stream and making the way there, hiding behind a rock.  

You watched the men struggling to run for their lives away from the stream and you sighed in relief, your breath catching when you finally spotted the person you definitely owed now- a young man with the most beautifully sculpted face you had ever seen, his physique radiating strength especially when he drew back another aimed arrow and put his bow down. You didn’t realise you were watching him shamelessly until he turned his full attention to you, flipping his hair back, and you immediately hid back behind the rock, praying to the heavens above that there was a small chance he hadn’t really seen you (even if you knew he had) or he would just call it a day and go back to wherever he came from-

“I saw you, you know.”

It was unfair, how even his voice had the strength to call your full attention- deep and rich, making you feel like it reverberated through your brain for a moment. You took a deep sigh- you had other problems to worry about, such as the fact that you were the Princess of Eden and this is the last place and situation you should be in.

“You do look awfully familiar, I have to say,” the man jumped in front of you and you put a hand on your heart- no living man had ever dared to pull such a stunt- not even Mingyu, yet. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

“I’m- I’m okay,” you managed to say, finally meeting eyes with him, finding them a rich brown. “Thank you for saving me back there.”

“No problem,” he looked down as he brushed his clothes. “But you shouldn’t have been out here all alone- not today of all days.”

“I was meeting someone here,” you explained but he shook his head, handing you his flask of what you presumed had to be water- he must have noticed how you were still out of breath. You took a swig, wiping your mouth with your sleeve.

“That someone must either live under a rock or must be stupid enough to call a girl here,” he frowned. “Men fool around here especially at events like these.”

“And why are you here?” You raised a brow, making him raise a brow at your sudden shift of tone. You were back to normal. “With an aim like that, you should be participating.”

He pursed his lips as he smiled. “I’ve got better things to do.”

“Like saving damsels in distress?” You scoffed, finally moving from the rock and going to sit by the stream, washing your hands in the cool water, wondering if Mingyu really was waiting. “Can you tell me where this stream parts into two?”

“Is that where you’re meeting whoever?” He asked, sitting a respectable distance beside you. 

“None of your business, but yes,” you sat cross-legged, retying your hair. It looked like he really didn’t recognise you and that was good. “So?”

“Just a few feet down the stream,” he pointed at your right. “Shouldn’t you go back though?”

“Maybe,” you shrugged, your shoulders slumping. “Can I just say he’s an asshole for asking me to meet there? He should have come to meet me! Why am I even making the effort?”

“Tell me more,” he turned his full attention towards you, resting his face in his hands, really eager as he waited. You glared at him but you needed to blow off the steam- the adrenaline from that experience was still there, and as someone who rarely encountered such incidents, you were finding that rambling was your coping mechanism.

“Yes, I’m meeting a guy. Here. Down the stream, actually. I’m not even meeting him anymore, he can go to hell. I don’t know why he thought I could even make it there or pass undetected. He really tests my patience sometimes.”

“And who is he? Your boyfriend?”

“I don’t know, maybe?” You shrugged and he gasped. 

“You don’t know? Interesting.”

“No, what are you doing here?” You scanned him. “Hunting? You do know hunting is banned in this part of the woods, right?”

“I prefer the term ‘practising’,” he straightened a bit. 

“Do you usually practise shooting on living breathing humans? Because if you do, we have a serious problem here-”

“Of course not,” he laughed a bit and you finally cracked a smile. “You really should go back- it’s going to get dark soon.”

“My time is up anyway,” you muttered as you got up, brushing your clothes and looking around. You had no idea which direction to go after running earlier. You asked him where the event was being held, making a story of how you sneaked here and your friends must be waiting. The way he looked at you made you wonder if he bought that story- he probably didn’t. He offered to drop you at the outskirts of the town and you agreed.

“I’m really curious though- why are you not participating? You’ve got a killer aim.”

He side-eyed you and you smirked. Groaning, he said, “I just don’t like being the centre of attention- not like that.”

You made an impressed face- you wished you had the luxury of deciding that for yourself too. “Well, I hope you’re doing something good or worthwhile with your skill. Wouldn’t want to put it to waste, would we?”

“I have better things to do-”

“You always do,” you interrupted and he smiled at that. 

“I just mean… I’m actually a strategist in one of the royal legions,” he admitted and you wowed at that- he was quite young. You thought strategists were always old or experienced people- at least from what you had seen. “So really, I do have better things to do.”

“Suit yourself,” you bowed in thanks when you spotted the hustle bustle of the town, the sound of the drums in the event not far. “Thank you for accompanying me.”

“Be careful,” he simply said, turning before you could ask his name. You would probably never see him again. You sighed deeply before making your way back to your chamber where Siyeon was already waiting, scolding you for taking so long. You didn’t tell her that you didn’t meet Mingyu, nor did you tell her about the person you had spent the hour with. However, he was all you thought about for the remaining part of the event, seated back as a royal. 

What different worlds you two belonged in. It was both thrilling and a little sad.

—------------------

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” you bowed deeply to your father, the King, before sitting down in front of him in his room. He watched you with mild amusement and you raised a brow in question, wondering what was going on in his mind. 

“Good morning to you too, I suppose,” he was taking quick puffs of his cigar. “Though I’m not quite sure it will be good by the time you leave this room.”

“Ah,” you scoffed, dropping all formalities since it was only father and daughter in the room- not king and princess. “Mother dearest must be on her way here.”

“With Chan,” he referred to his son, your stepbrother. 

“Isn’t that good?” You were smirking and your father practically glared at you.

“I don’t know why she thinks you are plotting something against Channie when you two are always partners in crime,” he shook his head, pinching his nose bridge. “If anything, with the relation you two have, you should be able to rule side by side, but-”

“But there can be only one ruler on the throne, for the peace of this nation,” the Queen entered, Chan right behind her who threw a wink in your direction. 

“For the peace of this nation, I never should have married you,” your father joked and the Queen rolled her eyes. “And then we wouldn’t be dealing with this… mess.”

“We’re a mess?” Chan put a hurt hand on his chest as he bowed and sat down beside you. “I bet your father thought so too, about you-”

“Chan-” his mother warned but you could barely contain your giggle and that made your father laugh too, making the woman shake her head in annoyance. 

“Anyways, back to business,” the King straightened and so did all of you. “The governors are all demanding a quick decision about who is going to be accompanying me when we go to the West. They think it would make a statement about the heir if I choose only one of you, so I’m suggesting you both join me.”

“Nonsense,” the Queen started. “Why would you take the Princess in a place where there will only be men? Just take Chan.”

“It’s not like there won’t be any women there,” your father began but you shook your head at him, asking him to not bother explaining himself. “Besides, she is older than Chan. He could learn from her.”

“If you insist, I’ll accompany you, but I think Chan should come with us too,” you looked at the Queen who narrowed her eyes as if you were cooking up a scheme. “I’ll feel more comfortable, and he should really start involving himself more in the court matters.”

“I don’t want to inherit the throne though,” Chan muttered, only for your ears. While the King and the Queen argued, you turned to him. 

“It doesn’t matter if you want to or not; you should still know how the court, how the palace works. That’s your duty, okay?”

“Okay,” he shrugged, “I know you’re only making me tag alone so you won’t be bored.”

“Duh,” you smiled and he grinned at you.

The King asked to be left alone after you two watched them argue senselessly for a few more minutes. As you exited the room, Chan scurried off before his mother could rant to him, which left you as her target.

“You,” she sneered. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re going to make a fool of my Chan and win your father’s favour.”

“In case you forgot,” you folded your arms, not bothering to be courteous when she always assumed the worst of you. “Chan despises the throne, and it’s not my favourite job either. We all know father only favours me because Chan hasn’t shown much interest.”

“That’s not true. He thinks you’re interested, and you’re older- that’s the excuse he always gives. Does he not realise you won’t make a good ruler?”

“And would you?” You challenged her, taking a step towards her, making her glare at you. “Aren’t you only pushing for Chan because you want to use him as a puppet while you run the palace?”

You didn’t wait for her response but got the satisfaction of her gaping at you. Siyeon, who was watching all of this from a distance, shook her head at the Queen and passed you a smirk as she fell in step with you, reciting your schedule. 

“Before you go to your room… there’s someone waiting for you in the guest chambers.”

You raised a brow and she nodded. You let her accompany you- it had to be Mingyu, and you were still a bit pissed at him. Siyeon made sure no one had followed you before letting you in, waiting outside.

“Your Highness,” Mingyu’s honey voice was laced with amusement and you got the sudden urge to accompany him to the palace prison. 

“I can’t believe you asked me to meet you in the forest, Mingyu,” you were angry and he was finding that funny, which was annoying you further. “As you suspected, I almost got lost and made my way back before someone would think my head was a nice place to land their weapon.”

Mingyu laughed at that, running a hand through his dark hair. “I waited for you, you know.”

“You shouldn’t have. Let’s not meet anymore,” you announced, about to turn back but Mingyu grabbed your wrist, turning you around and into him, putting a hand beneath your chin and lifting it up to make you face him.

“Did I ever tell you you’re cute when angry?”

“You don’t need to,” you scoffed but he had you- you were smiling now. “I know so.”

“Hmm, I like this confidence,” he tucked your hair back and kissed your cheek, making your hand go to the back of his neck, resting at the nape. “You know what else I like?”

“We don’t have much time, so shut up and kiss me,” you muttered and immediately, you two were tangling yourselves in each other as you kissed, fiercely and desperate, being chased by time. 

It was always like this with him. A few moments, stolen kisses, no promises of the future. No prying into each other’s personal lives. Just two people who got attracted to each other by chance, and decided to test the waters- you were sure he had better reasons for why he decided to play with fire, but you? 

Your cheeks would flame whenever you would think about it. You weren’t sure how much you liked Mingyu yet, but you did like him. He was smart, and comfortable to be with. As a Princess, you didn’t have the luxury to explore much, so being with Mingyu sometimes made you feel like you were in the clouds. He would listen to you if you had some steam to blow off, and he would kiss your worries away. So simply put, you were lonely, and he wasn’t bad to be with.

What Mingyu was expecting out of this, you didn’t know, and you didn’t want to know yet. He was a part of the court, though, and that was the only thing about him that set you off. People were always greedy for something. And you wished Mingyu was greedy for the right things- like you were. Greedy for love and acceptance. 

“Where are you?” Mingyu paused to look at you, caressing your cheeks. “You’re lost somewhere, aren’t you? Is something the matter?”

“Nothing,” you smiled weakly. “Just the usual. Have you been well?”

“I have,” he kissed your forehead. “I’ll be coming officially soon- maybe we could spend time together then.”

“I’ll see,” you assured him, pecking his lips. “I have to go now.”

Mingyu nodded, scanning your face with a smile on his face before he kissed you again and then let you go. You left first, spotting Siyeon who looked like she was going to have a stroke. 

“What took you so long, Princess?” She huffed. “My heart stopped like ten times whenever someone passed by and spotted me.”

“You’re too dramatic,” you laughed at her, letting her accompany you to one of the scholar’s offices, where you were getting trained in strategy. You made sure you yawned wide and good as soon as you entered, and the old man shook his head at you.

“This doesn’t work on me,” he let you know.

“I’m feeling sleepy because it’s you who’s tutoring me, Professor Seo,” you teased, joining him at the desk. “So? Let’s start.”

The day passed like any of the other days. Professor Seo told you to meet him in the library when you would be free from your duties in the evening, and though he was an old man and a boomer, if you were honest, you respected him as your teacher a lot. He had honed you into who you were. You owed him much more than that.

However, the last thing you were expecting was to see another presence with him, one that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

“This is Kang Yeosang, one of my friend’s son, a strategist in the royal legion in the North,” your tutor introduced him and the man first bowed to you, but as soon as he raised his head to look at you, he frowned.

And you frowned.

And then it clicked.

“Uh, nice to meet you,” you glared at him a bit as you shook his hand, silently asking him to keep his mouth shut. However, he was thoroughly amused. 

“The pleasure’s mine… Your Highness,” he almost mocked and you two took a seat, your teacher looking between you two.

“Have you both met before?”

“Not at all-” “Never-”

“Alright, I get it,” the old man sighed. “Your Highness, I have an urgent matter to attend to in the North. I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you in your lessons, which is why I arranged for a replacement.”

You made an impressed face. “He’s… quite young for your replacement, I must say.”

The two of them laughed at that. “He’s the best I could offer. He’s a… prodigy, if you will. And if you like him better than me, maybe I can finally retire.”

“I got used to you, so I don’t know about that,” you fiddled with the hourglass on the table as you thought. “Is everything okay in the North?”

The old man looked at Yeosang and he cleared his throat. “There’s some conflict at the border, which he must inspect. I may be a prodigy but I’m not more experienced than him, which is why he suggested that we shift.”

“I understand, and I hope you return back well and healthy,” you smiled at your teacher and he relaxed visibly, making you roll your eyes. “It’s not like I was going to, I don’t know, throw a tantrum about you going. In fact…” you looked at Yeosang, “I think I’ll enjoy his company more.”

“No funny business, you hear me?” He pointed at you two and Yeosang raised his hands in surrender. “She’s quite difficult to handle, but hear me, Princess. He’s here for a reason. He’ll tame you.”

Yeosang coughed at that and you shot him another glare- he was making it too obvious now. Thankfully, the old man got up and told you both to acquaint yourselves, leaving you two alone in the library, both of you mirroring each other’s posture and expressions- folded arms and sceptic looks. 

“So, Princess,” he started. “I believe this is the first time we’re officially meeting.”

“Officially, yes,” you nodded- no point pretending that time in the forest three days ago didn’t happen. “Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, roasting some squirrels in the forest or shooting strangers?”

“And shouldn’t you be on the way to meet a certain someone-”

“Not one more word about it, not here, you hear me?” You were almost whispering, to his amusement. “The palace has ears everywhere.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about anything,” Yeosang adjusted the collar of his shirt as he spoke. “We’re meeting for the first time. It seems like I’ll be your replacement tutor for a while, so I expect you to match my pace. Let’s be punctual in the mornings, shall we?”

“Of course,” you almost scoffed. “I’m guessing my dear old Professor must have complained.”

“Not really,” Yeosang leaned in, as if sharing a secret. “I figured you’re that type of a person.”

“Really?” You leaned in as well, more surprised to see him not backing off like others would. “What made you think so?”

“What do you think?” He almost laughed, getting up. “It’s getting late so let’s continue this tomorrow.”

—-----------------

“I can’t believe you asked me to be punctual and all when you’re late yourself and you’re trying your best not to doze off.”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t sleep last night- Professor Seo took me out for drinks to introduce me to his friends here and you know how it gets…” Yeosang faltered when he saw your annoyed face. He smirked. “Are you the type that’s a teacher’s pet? Because you seem overly eager to be tutored-”

“I’m not,” you groaned, sighing deeply. “But you yawning widely when I’m reciting what I’ve learned so far really was the last straw.”

“I was only yawning, doesn’t mean I wasn’t listening,” he raised a brow and you glared at him.

“Did you hear the part about how I have to go to the East with the King?”

“You have to go to the West,” he smirked and you grinned. “See? I was listening.”

“I can’t concentrate if you look so sleepy, though,” you pouted. “It will make me sleepy too.”

“Then let’s just ditch all this,” Yeosang practically threw the register on the table to your left. “And take a little nap.”

“I ought to tell Professor Seo-” you were about to get up but Yeosang laughed, holding your sleeve and pulling you down and you raised a brow. 

“What?” Yeosang scoffed. “Don’t expect me to apologise or something. You still owe me for saving your life back there.”

You were the Princess of Eden, possible future Queen of an entire nation. But this individual seemed to not care about your status or the fact that you could end his career or life with a mere command alone. Perhaps because he had seen you as a damsel in distress, or perhaps because he was just like this. Peculiar. Interesting, even.

You rested your face in your hand, elbow on the table, as you stared at him. “I thought I told you to forget about that. It never happened. Nothing. Erase it from history.”

“I wasn’t aware the Princess of Eden had such secrets,” he mirrored your position. “And I wasn’t aware she was someone who took favours for granted.”

“Well, what do you want me to do? Pay you in gold? I can do that if you’d like.”

“I’m not interested in that, sadly,” Yeosang sighed as if it really was such a shame that he wasn’t. “I’m a rather humble person, which is why I only ask that we do not pretend that it never happened. I have an unfortunate habit of teasing, and if you can put up with it, that would be enough.”

“You’re an interesting person, Kang Yeosang,” you said and he smiled cheekily. “And your methods of teaching are also unconventional.”

“This is my first time tutoring someone,” Yeosang admitted and you were surprised at that. “So you can expect that. I think strategy is better learned from practical examples than by theory. And you don’t have to stick to battle. In your position, if you’re not strategic with every step you take, people will take the chance to pound at you from all directions.”

You considered that for a moment. “Did Professor Seo tell you something?”

“What he told me was enough,” he admitted and you relaxed- if he was someone Professor Seo trusted, that meant you could trust him as well. After all, the Professor was more a father than your own. “I still have to ask one question, if you would be so kind as to answer.”

“Go ahead,” you urged him.

“Why are you not interested in the throne, apart from the obvious reasons?” Yeosang leaned in, pushing back his dark hair. “You seem to have a rebellious streak within you, and I’m not sure why you’re not attracted to that offer- you could break the norms in Eden by being the first true Queen of Eden.”

“I know how big that sounds,” you sighed. “I’d be setting an example for all the females ahead- that there doesn’t necessarily have to be a Prince who rules the throne, but a Princess too. All these years in Eden’s history, if the eldest was a daughter, she would be considered negligible.”

“That’s right,” Yeosang nodded. “And Prince Chan isn’t too interested in the throne either. Everything seems perfect, yet…”

“Yet,” you almost smiled. “Do I really have to? I mean, I could. I’m ready, even, it’s what I’ve been trained for my whole life. Besides, my father, the King, would like me as his heir too. But as a person… I think I’m not good enough for that job. I have a few threats on my head if I am appointed the heir too, so I can’t jump on that chance without taking care of that matter- unless I’m okay with getting murdered which frankly, I’m not because I haven’t even lived yet-”

There it was. Yeosang’s knowing smirk- and your rambling mouth that was your besetting sin. Yeosang cocked his head. “You want to live a little, don’t you? Before you inevitably become bound forever? Is that why you’re risking so much meeting strangers in the forest?”

“First of all, you have no right,” you sneered but when he didn’t so much as twitch, you slumped back. “But yes. I guess so. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I don’t want to stop, yet. And anyways, our time is over,” you pointed at the clock. “Let’s continue this later, I have places to be.”

“Of course,” Yeosang nodded, resting his head on the table. “I’ll be taking a little nap here. You can go, Your Highness.”

You got up and stared at him, making him open one eye. “What?”

“I hope you won’t be rambling off whatever I said when you go to one of your drinks or something,” you muttered. 

“I’m not the one with the big mouth here, Your Highness- ow!” He rubbed his head when you not-so-gracefully threw your pen at him. You left, laughing loudly to annoy him but you could feel him smiling even though you couldn’t see him.

You didn’t know what it was about him that made the flow of conversation easier, that made you ramble without a second thought, that made you answer his very personal questions even when you hadn’t allowed this luxury to Mingyu, but… he really was an interesting person. You were having the sudden urge to ditch your next lessons and talk to him more, get to know him and judge him, see if he could be of more help, but you reminded yourself this was only your second (or third) meeting and you should take it slow. 

You shouldn’t make the same mistake you did with Mingyu.

Again, you found yourself pausing- whatever you had with Mingyu was a mistake, and this was the first time you admitted it to yourself. But… not all mistakes would bring bad consequences, right?

—------------------------

A few days later, Yeosang and you decided to take a walk around town- another one of his unconventional teaching methods. You were to dress as a noble lady, not the Princess, and learn the art of blending in.

You were also finding him wiser than you had initially thought. You two were crossing the road that led to the middle of the town from the palace when he explained the purpose of today’s lesson. “Strategy for you, Princess, is the art of disguising. When you are in the middle of planning an actual strategy for let’s say, a situation at the border or potential battle threat, or even civil war, would you trust everyone who’s in the same room with you as you plan?”

“I suppose not,” you nodded, adjusting your hanbok, walking comfortably for now due to the lack of the passersby. “As a Princess, I can trust no one. Not even family.”

“Exactly,” Yeosang clapped once. “You are capable of making several layouts in your head for any plan, I’m assuming?” When you nodded, he continued. “Real strategy lies in letting those people hear what they want to hear but doing what you want to. Please them but use them.”

“Ah,” you smirked to yourself. “I’m good at that.”

Yeosang gave you a doubtful look. “So, to make it seem legit, what will you do? You will need to blend in- not just in appearance, but in emotions, in their feelings. Now, we’ve almost reached town. I’ll let you lead and give you my judgement on our way back. We’re shopping in the marketplace first, and then we’re having lunch in public.”

“I wonder who allowed you to take me without guards-”

“I am the guard, in case you forgot,” Yeosang proudly pulled at his clothes and you scoffed. “I’m an excellent archer. Need I remind you how I-”

“I don’t see your bow and arrow today, though,” you pointed out. Yeosang paused as he looked at you.

“What makes you think my aim with daggers would be any weaker?”

“Wow,” you were actually amazed this time. “Maybe I should have paid attention when they were teaching self defence.”

“It’s never too late,” Yeosang resumed walking, urging you with a casual hand on your back. “Everyone should know the basics so they don’t encounter a situation like you did in the forest.”

“You’re never going to let me live that one down, are you?” You asked, tensing when you saw a couple looking in your direction and scoffing. Yeosang smiled to himself, not pausing, his hand keeping you walking as well. “Why did they laugh at us?”

“Why do you think? Now stop looking like you’re about to commit a murder and blend in.”

“But I am-” you shut up when you two took the final turn that led to the marketplace and this time, Yeosang let you take a deep breath as you took in the scene. 

There were people of all ages in the market- from old people who couldn’t even walk properly to kids running around, a group of them circling around you as they chased each other, making you almost yelp. Instinctively, you tried hiding behind Yeosang but he shook his head- this was your mission, after all. Blend in. the question remained- would people recognise you? Would they look at you twice?

“You have to stop at at least three shops and buy three things of different categories. So let’s start,” Yeosang said as he smirked. You glared at him before holding your head high as you walked. 

“Do you think you should walk so arrogantly?” Yeosang leaned in to whisper in your ear and you swatted him away, thoroughly annoyed.

“You think I can’t blend in? Fine- I’ll show you how good I am at it,” you said and didn’t bother waiting for Yeosang as you marched to the stall selling some candy. 

“What’s this called?” You asked the shopkeeper and both him and Yeosang snorted.

“It seems like she’s not from around here,” the shopkeeper smiled at Yeosang. “It’s called marshmallows.”

“Yeah, I’m not from around here, so I wouldn’t know,” you smirked at Yeosang and he raised a brow at how you had managed to twist the situation in your favour. “Is it a local delicacy? I haven’t seen it in the West.”

“Ah, yes, you wouldn’t see it in the West, I suppose,” the shopkeeper folded his arms. “Which ones shall I pack? They all taste the same so choose your colours- and add some flavoured jelly with it.”

“Hmm, let me see,” you took in the variety of the pastel marshmallows. “A few of each would be nice.”

The shopkeeper packed it for you with sticks for both of you and Yeosang paid for it. You were smiling cheekily at him as you waited for him and he scoffed when he saw you. “The day is not over yet.”

Yeosang wasn’t very surprised when you managed to shop for a few trinkets, a calligraphy brush and even a neck scarf. He had already judged you to be quick at adapting. You didn’t attract much attention at all, and he found you relaxing more and more as the day passed. Lunch was normal as well, choosing an outdoor dining as you ate noodles. However, the real test would be when someone would recognise her.

And he was going to make sure someone did. While you were busy admiring roses at a flower shop, Yeosang called a group of kids over and whispered what they needed to do, handing them some coins. The kids disappeared, unnoticed by you. However, as you turned, the kids (excellent actors, Yeosang laughed to himself) halted when they spotted you.

And you halted as well, frowning. Had the kids recognised you or what?

“Are you the princess?” One of the girls asked and you let out a nervous laugh, peeking at Yeosang who was currently too interested in his fingernails. 

“I told you, she is,” a boy elbowed her. “I saw her at the Athletics Championship.”

“You’re lying,” another girl argued. “Why is she not wearing her princess outfit?”

You snorted at that and the kids looked at you. “What? Do you think the Princess even sleeps wearing a fancy gown?”

“She doesn’t?” the first girl frowned. 

As the kids bickered among themselves, you turned to Yeosang. “I thought you could do better.”

“What?” Yeosang pretended to feign ignorance and you rolled your eyes. You were about to tell the kids to scoot off, but a woman came rushing towards the kids, scolding them for straying too far. You watched them, forgetting everything else for a moment until the woman looked at you and gasped.

“Your Highness!” She bowed deeply, and the kids burst into an excited fit that panicked you and you looked at Yeosang who was equally surprised. So this wasn’t planned…

“Your Highness?” A man who had been passing by also followed the woman’s suit and you groaned.

“Please, rise,” you commanded and they did, and you looked around, grateful for the lack of audience. “I am visiting town unofficially, so I hope you’ll keep my presence a secret.”

“Of course,” the woman nodded. “I’m a palace maid- you probably don’t recognise me. I’m happy to see that you’re out of the palace! You’re always inside- I hope you enjoy today.”

You were surprised at that- not her being a palace maid, but her observation about you. You thanked her, and the man grinned at you as a sign that he would keep it a secret as well and when they were gone, you finally looked at Yeosang who looked a little guilty. “Do I look that much of a bore?”

“What?” Yeosang laughed, not expecting that question so not understanding what you meant either.

“I mean,” you sighed. “The woman basically said that, right? That I’m always cooped up in my room?”

“Was she wrong?” Yeosang scoffed.

“No, which is why it hurts,” you laughed sadly. “I need more adventures in my life-”

You spotted a familiar face in the crowd- Mingyu. What were the odds? 

“Uh, Yeosang,” you kept your eyes at Mingyu who was alone, thankfully. “Do you mind if I go meet an acquaintance?”

Yeosang followed your gaze, right beside you. “Oh, is that the boyfriend? What a coincidence. I promise this was not arranged by me.”

“I know,” you tapped his arm as an indication that you were going. “You better wait right here- I’ll be back soon.”

Yeosang watched you boldly walk to the man who had to do a double-take as he saw you, and then you both disappeared in the alley, Yeosang laughing silently to himself. He had to admit- he was curious about what exactly was the relation between you two. He resorted to sitting on the bench and staring at the sky, while you?

You practically dragged Mingyu in the alley, the two of you stifling your laughs and hiding in a corner, you two were all over each other. You two were kissing like you were teenagers who had snuck out behind their parents’ backs, like you were past curfew. When you finally broke apart, Mingyu was grinning. “What are you doing here, Princess of Eden?”

“I was out with my tutor on a mission- blending in with the crowd,” you wiggled your eyebrows at him. “We haven’t properly sat in so long, Mingyu. Are you ever coming to meet me properly, or should I forget about you?”

“I promise I will,” Mingyu rubbed your arms. “I might get a job where I’ll have to frequent the palace often, so I’m concentrating on getting that first.”

“Really?” You were pleased. “What job?”

“My dad’s sick, so he might push me to handle his current affairs,” he said and you recalled how his father was a court member. “Let’s see how it goes.”

“Yeah, I’ll… look forward to seeing you,” you smiled at him. “I shouldn’t keep him waiting- I should go.”

“Okay,” he pecked your lips. “Go.”

Though you had just met your ‘boyfriend’, you didn’t look lovestruck, Yeosang thought, as you walked to him and joined him on the bench, slumping down with a sigh that made him feel as if something was bothering you. Yeosang simply offered you the same candy bag and you took some, the both of you staring at the sky.

“If you sigh anymore, I’m going to have to assume you broke up.”

“It’s not that,” you laughed. “It’s… I don’t know. He’s not my boyfriend, by the way.”

“Yet…” Yeosang raised his brows.

“Yet…” you sighed again. “He makes me forget that I am a princess when I am with him.”

“In a good way or a bad way?” Yeosang asked and you frowned- you had never had anything to compare it with, but today…

Or rather, with Yeosang, you hardly felt like a princess at all as well. And though Yeosang obviously treated you like just any other human… it was somehow better than Mingyu walking on eggshells with you or looking at you as if you would break. As if you were brittle- that you couldn’t bend, you’d simply break. So you only shook your head in answer, and that was enough for Yeosang. 

“Can I confess something?” You asked and Yeosang shrugged. He didn’t seem like someone who would judge you. “I don’t think Mingyu is the type of person I’d be happy with in the long run.”

“Ah, so that’s the name-”

“I think,” you ignored him, finding the fluffy clouds in the sky strangely comforting. “I think we’re both using each other one way or another. He’s handsome and I’m not the prettiest girl alive, so I wonder what he’s using me for. It’s obvious why I am, but I don’t think I want to know why he is. I don’t think I’d like the answer.”

“Then you don’t need to ask the question,” Yeosang commented. “You could part ways on good terms too.”

“That’s true,” you looked at him, smiling. “You know, you’re feeling more like a friend than a tutor or whatever you’re supposed to be. I like it.”

Yeosang put a hand on his chest and for a moment, you thought he was touched, until he said, “Then I have failed.”

You smacked his arm harshly and he laughed, shaking his head. “You’ve never had a friend, have you?”

“There’s Siyeon but she’s more like an elder sister,” you admitted. “Also, tell me you think of me as a friend too. I’d be hurt if you don’t.”

“As you know, I’m not the type of person who cares whether you’re hurt or not,” he brushed his clothes, getting up and offering you his hand, which you took as you got up as well. “But I think we could be friends. Only when I’m not tutoring you- I don’t want you to have the upper hand.”

You squeezed his hand, grinning. You could work with that.

—-----------------

“I can’t believe I thought you wouldn’t suck so much,” Yeosang was shaking his head in disappointment and you aimed an arrow at him. He didn’t even flinch when you let it loose- he already knew by what margin your arrows were always off, and he didn’t need to move- the arrow flew well past him. 

“It’s insulting that you didn’t even flinch,” you were laughing in disbelief at his guts. “How are you so good with all this calculating and aiming?”

“I grew up surrounded by archers,” Yeosang admitted, collecting the arrows as he walked around. You slumped down on the bench, waiting for him to continue. “I still think your case can be improved, so let’s not give up.”

“You remember what we promised, right?” You wiggled your brows at him and he rolled his eyes.

In the course of the past few days, there was a certain air of comfortableness between you two, growing casual with each passing day. As a tutor during the early hours of the day, you stopped giving him a hard time (only because you had the rest of the day to annoy the fuck out of him) and focusing on what he taught you- he was brilliant, you had to admit. He had taught you more tips and tricks than you had learnt in the entire course of your life. You would never admit that to him, or even to Professor Seo since he had shaped you at a good pace, but he really was amazing.

He kept insisting that you get basic self defence training before you go to the West. The civil war threat was still growing and the locals there were kind of brutal. You agreed that you’ve had enough of being the damsel, so you were going to learn to fight, at least enough to not get yourself killed in a stupid way. And Yeosang had been kind enough to try to teach you, albeit with little progress in the past two days.

Today, though, you struck a bargain with him- if your aim got better today, he would help you sneak out at night so you could meet up with Mingyu. 

Though he pretended to puke at the idea of it, he agreed only because you thought you wouldn’t get any better. He didn’t care if you met Mingyu or any other person, he didn’t care what you did with them, as long as he wasn’t involved, but for someone who didn’t bat an eye when others would very well crucify you, he was awfully curious. You were guessing curiosity was his besetting sin. Or maybe because you were the Princess of Eden, he was taking more interest in your life than he would have in any other person’s. Whatever the reason, you didn’t mind. You were very used to people prying into your private matters, but Yeosang was different- you just knew he didn’t have any evil intentions.

“You won’t ever hit your target at this rate, let me show you,” Yeosang said as he got up, making his way towards you. He stood next to you with his own bow and arrow, instructing you on how you should place your legs, how taut your arms should be, how you should hold the weapon properly.

“Like this?” You mirrored his position- or at least tried. He didn’t look satisfied but he nodded, urging you to try. You did, and surprisingly, this was the first time you hit the target on the tree, though you had almost missed it. 

“Again,” he instructed and you did, twice, watching him walk around you as he checked your posture. “I need your full focus on your target, not on me.”

“Yes sir,” you muttered, trying to pry your eyes from Yeosang who, frankly, looked absolutely ethereal in the glow of the sun. It was unfair how handsome he was. Sometimes you wondered how his parents looked like to have a son who looked like him. 

“Let me,” Yeosang met eyes with you, his hands raised in the air in front of you and you nodded. He fixed the position of your bow and then stood beside you, prying your fingers loose and positioning them correctly, his hands unexpectedly warmer than you had expected. With a hand on your back, he muttered instructions- which parts to relax, which parts to stretch, and the way his hands travelled all over your upper body-

Even though you were wearing a good amount of layers, you had to suppress the shiver with all your strength. Especially when he stood right behind you, snaking his arms around you as he positioned the bow and arrow.

“Shoot,” his breath caressed your ear and you were sure that was why you let go of the arrow, instead of the command. Yeosang drew back, clapping. “That’s much better. Let me see,” he said, standing in front of you and scanning you. 

“Relax that frown,” he pointed at your forehead. “And exhale with the arrow. Come on.”

You shifted your focus to the target and did what he said- this time hitting the arrow only a few inches above the bullseye. You lowered your bow, sharing a grin.

“See? Now you only gotta practise. And for the aim, try shooting daggers as well. Let’s do that next time.”

You continued to practise, your aim getting much better, while Yeosang lied casually on one of the benches, reading a book- or pretending to. You were pretty sure he had passed out at some point, and when you couldn’t shoot any more arrows, drained, you made your way to Yeosang, glancing around for any maids or guards- after all, you were still in the palace. Finding none, you flicked Yeosang’s forehead to wake him up-

Which resulted in him grabbing your wrist before you could blink, scaring you for a moment before he relaxed, letting go. “Sorry, I thought it was someone else.”

“Who would dare?” You rubbed your wrist, trying to calm your pounding heart. “You’ve got killer reflexes.”

“I do?” He laughed, tapping the space beside him and you sat down, stretching your arms and legs as you sighed deeply. “You’ve gotten better.”

He was staring at the arrows lodged in the target board. You grinned. “Now you’ll have to sneak me out.”

“I shouldn’t have helped you,” he shook his head but gave in. “As promised. But if we get caught, come up with a story before they send me for execution.”

“Of course,” you promised. “He’s coming tonight, you know. Mingyu. Should I see him before dinner or after?”

“Before would be better, night time makes everything more suspicious,” Yeosang ran a hand through his hair. “But then… everything is so visible before the sun sets down.”

“Night time is better,” you were thinking to yourself, folding your arms. “I can make the excuse of feeling under the weather and retiring early from my activities, and then wait for him in one of the guest rooms. All you have to do, Yeosang dear, is keep watch and alert me with three knocks on the door so I can sneak out from there and run.”

“What would happen if you got caught?” He asked and when you narrowed your eyes at him, he explained that he was just curious.

“I don’t know, actually,” you took a deep breath. “If it gets public, I guess the people will frown upon me, and then father’s plan of making me his heir would get more complicated.”

“You don’t seem particularly sad about that,” Yeosang observed.

“Well, it seems like I’m not hungry for that power yet.”

Oh, power was boring- you had seen enough of it in the two decades of your life. Sure, it had its perks- especially when you get to pull rank at times, however, once you took the crown and ascended as Queen, the little freedom you had? It would be gone like it was never there to begin with. So, yes. You did not like the idea of being his heir- at least not yet, and you were pretty sure you would never-

“Ah, so you’re simply hungry for an adventure,” Yeosang’s eyes practically gleamed as he made the connection.

You supposed he was right. After all, why were you still agreeing to meeting Mingyu, sneaking around the palace like a rat, walking on your tiptoes afraid of getting caught, all for someone you weren’t even sure about? Especially when you finally entered a guest room, finding that the thrill in your heart was not because you finally got to see Mingyu after so long but because of the excitement that came with the process?

As Mingyu smirked and walked towards you with light steps, tucking your hair behind as a greeting, you wondered if there was something lost in you. You wondered if you would ever find true love in your life- the kind of love they talked about in the books, the kind of love that people gave their lives for. Mingyu was not that person for you. And what turned you off the most about him was that he never tried to get to know you. Yes, he would listen when you would talk, but he never asked questions. He wasn’t interested in you.

Which meant there had to be something else that he was interested in. As far as you knew, he was only meeting you. He didn’t have someone else in his life, so what was he after?

“You feel so distant tonight,” he commented as he caressed your face. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just tired from all the practice,” you passed him a weak smile and he didn’t probe further, fishing out something from his pocket.

“Remember when we met in the market?” He grinned, “I may have gotten you something.”

You made an impressed face and opened the box- it was a necklace with a little golden heart pendant, intricately carved. “It’s pretty. Thank you.”

“You like it?” He pressed a kiss on your temple and you nodded, shy when he let his nose trace the angles of your face, his breath caressing you. “What else do you like, Princess?”

Well, the one thing he was good at was… whatever he was doing right now, snaking his hands around your waist and pulling you forward as he kissed you, letting his lips trail down your neck, peppering kisses and sucking at a few spots, drawing the collar of your dress away and making you gasp, drawing it away even further-

“Wait,” you suddenly pulled back, drawing your dress up and frowned when he looked disappointed. “I- I should go, we don’t have the luxury of time, Mingyu. Not right now.”

“It’s okay,” he got up and straightened his clothes. “I should leave anyway. My friend is waiting for me right outside the palace gates.”

“Oh, okay,” you nodded, getting up yourself. “See you soon?”

He smiled, tipping his hat before leaving and you didn’t realise how long you kept staring into the distance until Siyeon finally entered after a knock.

“Are you okay, Princess?”

“Ah, yes, I am,” you nodded. “Just taking a breather. Let’s go.”

You made your way to your room, not noticing Mingyu walking not towards the palace gates but to the direction where the Queen’s private chamber was. However, Yeosang who had forgotten his book in the library noticed Mingyu conversing with the Queen herself, hidden from sight- anyone else would not have noticed but Yeosang was more observant than the usual person. He wondered why the two were talking, dismissing it as their private matter, but as he tried to sleep that night, he kept wondering if you knew that the Queen and Mingyu knew each other enough to meet out of plain sight.

—------------------

“I didn’t know there was a place like this in the palace,” Yeosang commented, looking around after dusting himself. You passed him a grin.

“I found this when I was 11,” you told him. “My mother used to come here when she wanted to get away from things- I once followed her. After she passed away, I forgot all about this place until one day, I found myself walking here.”

“I can see why she would want to come here,” Yeosang folded his arms, nodding.

Away from all the hustle and bustle of the palace, at the far-east corner of the vast gardens that stretched at the borders, there was an opening in the fence, hidden from the overgrown vines. You supposed when your mother was alive, she must have maintained the place, but now… it was just a collection of forgotten memories, dust and overgrown plants. The hut was dark and home to spiders and other animals- you never dared go inside, preferring to rest on the stairs that overlooked the pond and the large tree which was the highlight of the little place- purple flower petals crowding the ground and the pond.

“Ah, there’s a cat here now,” you waved at the cat but it sneered at you before taking off, making Yeosang chuckle as he sat beside you, peeking inside the veranda. “What a rude cat!”

“You’re the one disturbing the poor cat’s peace,” Yeosang commented. “So? What are we going to do now that we’re here?”

“Well, I don’t know, not study for once?” You narrowed your eyes at him- he had been pretty strict with keeping the studying schedule. He had also been strict with your other classes- you were pretty good with weapons now- Yeosang would never admit that, always dismissing you off as ‘average’, but his proud cheeky smile? He couldn’t hide that. 

“Ah, so it’s just you and me then, huh?” Yeosang asked and you poked your tongue in your cheek as you wondered how to respond to that. He seemed to realise that and he shook his head. “I mean, as friends? That’s how we decided to go, right? Unless you’re planning to bury me here… pretty sure no one would find my body if you do-”

“Yes, let’s just talk and relax, and by the end of it I will decide if I really want to bury you here,” you passed him a sarcastically sweet smile. “Have you heard from Professor Seo yet?”

“I received a letter today, he’s doing fine and the situation is handled, but he decided to visit his family before returning,” he told you and you found yourself more relieved than disappointed about his late return. Yeosang spotted that right away and smirked. “Pleased that he’s not coming back soon?”

“He’s kind of boring and you’re… kind of not?”

“Why did that end as a question?” Yeosang frowned and you shook your head. 

“Anyways, you said you wanted to talk to me about something- what was it?” You asked and saw him visibly struggle as he decided whether he really wanted to say it or not. “Just spill- don’t make that face.”

“Well, it’s about Mingyu- let me make a few things clear first,” he cleared his throat and you raised a brow. “I am not interested in your relationship with him or whatever you do, and I don’t mean to pry, but what you said about him wanting something from you…”

“Well?” You urged him.

“Do the Queen and Mingyu know each other in some way? Because I checked and Mingyu wouldn’t need to privately converse with the Queen over his work matters.”

You felt your heart sink at that but tried to think rationally- maybe the Queen spotted him and called him? Maybe she found out about you two? But you couldn’t help but think of the worst- that the reason Mingyu was wasting his time on you had something to do with the Queen.

“Again, I could be wrong,” Yeosang sounded cautious. “Maybe it was a one-time thing and you don’t need to worry about it, but… you’re the Princess. You always have to be cautious, don’t you?”

“You’re right,” you nodded slowly. “It could be anything, but I have to be cautious. Thank you for letting me know, by the way,” you smiled at him and he pursed his lips, nodding. 

“I’ve ruined the mood, haven’t I?” Yeosang said after a moment and you finally huffed, laughing. “You said you wanted to ask me something as well?”

“Oh, yeah, did I?” You laughed nervously and Yeosang frowned in confusion.

For the past two days, you had been meeting with your father who decided he would have both you and Prince Chan accompany him to the West, despite the continuous attempts of the Queen to somehow make him choose their son over you. You felt better since Chan would be there and you wouldn’t be alone with the King and the generals and whatever officials you were going to find there, but you had an idea-

“If I asked you to accompany me to the West, with the King and the Prince, two days from now… would you agree?”

Yeosang raised a brow. “Is there a specific reason you want me there?”

“Uh…” Was there? “Just… it won’t be as awkward with you there, I suppose. Chan has his own friends there and I know as much as he likes me, he doesn’t like me enough to call me a ‘friend’. Besides, you’re a great strategist, Yeosang. We could actually use some help there. You’ll of course be representing me if you decide to go, so the court members realise I don’t have allies myself-”

“You don’t need to explain all of that,” Yeosang laughed to himself, shaking his head at you. “Come on. You’re the Princess. All you had to say was ‘it’s my order’.”

“I would have added it in the end,” you muttered, slumping but he knew you wouldn’t.

“You’ve warmed up to me, huh? Just admit it- you don’t want to die of boredom there. I make you laugh, I keep you on your toes, I even let you take those naps when we should be studying-”

“Fine, yes, you’re mildly amusing. I won’t say I’d die of boredom without you, okay? Don’t think too highly of yourself-”

Yeosang leaned forward until he was inches away from your face, making you blink in surprise. “But I think you would,” he almost whispered and when you didn’t push him away or respond, he seemed to realise just what position he was in, drawing back smoothly. “Talking about boredom, is there something fun to do right now?”

“I have dice hidden here somewhere,” you jumped down, pretending to search under the stairs while calming your pounding heart and trying to ignore the knot in your stomach. “Here it is. Let’s play?”

—---------------------

You were finding it extremely hard to get Yeosang alone once you arrived at the town in the west of Eden, where the Westerners were going to have meetings with your court to try and resolve the political problems they had with the King’s policies. The reason the King, his children and a good part of his court went themselves was a sign of good gesture- that you all were willing to listen and resolve this peacefully, but this was also a warning- that you would be assessing the situation and taking appropriate and immediate measures according to it.

However, you were warmly welcomed by the dwellers, and a large amount of the first few days were spent partying. You were, of course, the Princess and with that title, you had to display a certain amount of elegance, which Yeosang made sure to roll his eyes at whenever he came into your vision. He also made a note of telling you “I can see how hard it is for you to hold back” which only made you restrain yourself with a smile since the public was watching.

However, Yeosang clearly hadn’t expected you to sneak out in the middle of the night, leaving Siyeon alone in the room and tiptoeing to Yeosang’s room, following Siyeon’s map that she had drawn on your hand after you had begged her to let you breathe. Your heart was rhythmically matching your excitement, but you paused before you knocked on Yeosang’s room-

“Are you sure you and Yeosang are just friends?” Siyeon had asked.

“Of course we’re just friends, what are you implying?” You frowned.

“You’re different when you talk about him,” Siyeon smiled knowingly, which only confused you further. “I’ve not seen that smile once before. Not even with Mingyu.”

“Get your head out of the gutter,” you had muttered and she had laughed it off, but now that you stood-

The door slid open and Yeosang couldn’t keep from mumbling a curse when he found you standing with a hand outstretched. “What are you doing at this ungodly hour, Princess? And outside my room? Finally decided to kill me in my sleep?”

“It’s not even midnight yet,” you rolled your eyes, making your way inside his room and Yeosang watched you, peeking outside to see if you had eyes before shutting the door. “I knew you would be awake. Are you busy?”

“Not really, no,” Yeosang sat down on the couch, ruffling his hair. “Was just about to sleep, as you can see,” he pointed at his pyjamas. “Is something up?”

“I thought we could… I don’t know. Sneak out and enjoy the festival. I know we decided not to go because of security measures, but I learnt from my very wise tutor-” you pointed with both hands at Yeosang and he groaned, “-that the art of disguise comes handy. So we’ll blend in tonight, you and I, as civilians. No one would recognise us anyway- not when we dress up all fancy and… voguish, like them, eh?”

You could tell Yeosang didn’t hate the idea because he was not kicking you out of his room. “You do realise what you’re saying, right? You didn’t drink, did you?”

“I’m perfectly sober, thank you,” you got up and unbuttoned your cloak, revealing a pair of red jewelled velvet tunic and pants, and you revealed your hair tied in a bun- a mess of braids and curls. You waved your matching red mask at him as well, laughing when he gaped at you. “I’m ready. Are you?”

After a few protests and you dragging Yeosang and throwing clothes at him after shuffling through his bag, earning snarky remarks and how you looked ‘overdressed’, you finally got Yeosang to change. He looked perfect in his black outfit with a jewelled jacket, and then you made him sit on the chair in front of the mirror so he would take care of his hair.

“Don’t make me comb it myself,” you scoffed. “I haven’t ever done even my own hair apart from a ponytail, just so you know.”

“Snobby little princess-”

“It’s because I naturally suck at it,” you slapped his head and he glared at you, wondering why he was even doing this. 

“You know,” he started parting his hair to one side, shrugging because if he was going out anyway, he might as well look the best. “All you have to do is be yourself. People won’t recognise you even if you wear your crown over your head.”

“That’s insulting,” you leaned in the mirror, cleaning your slightly smudged lipstick. “But also, somehow good to know.”

Yeosang shook his head, finally done and you gave him an okay. “Now, how do we sneak out?”

“Leave that to me,” you smirked.

A few minutes later and one guard down after a random rock fell on his head (only knocking him out, you told Yeosang), you were in the brightly lit streets, the noise of the people and the music almost overwhelming, but even Yeosang was surprised how perfectly you two blended in- you had clearly planned this long ago. You stopped at a stall to get some cake and you slid down your mask, peeking around but no one recognised you- you felt safe.

“This is stupid, but I can’t say I’m not enjoying,” Yeosang took a bite of the cake. “I mean, when will I ever get the chance? The Princess of Eden in the streets with her replacement tutor, unrecognisable.”

“We’re friends,” you narrowed your eyes. “If you’re still calling yourself my tutor, go home, Yeosang.”

“I don’t know when the boundary blurred,” he pondered.

“Probably when you saved me in the forest,” you muttered. 

“Ah, saved you, did I?” It was the first time you had admitted and you scoffed. “If we hadn’t met that day, would we be here right now?”

“Maybe,” you shrugged. “What do you think?”

Yeosang looked at you as he finished his cake and waited for you to finish yours before stepping forward and you almost jumped when his hands went behind your head to untie the cloth you had been using as a mask. He locked eyes with you. “Can I?”

You didn’t nod but he presumed to tie it around your neck like a bandana, and he rested his hands on your shoulders when he was done. “That’s better. You look beautiful.”

As if just realising what he had said, he abruptly drew back, clearing his throat. “Evil. I meant beautifully evil. Or evilly beautiful?”

You couldn’t help but laugh at that, smacking his arm. “You don’t have to be awkward about it, Yeosang. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

You were the last person to talk about being awkward when you stood there with a silly grin until someone asked you two to move. You took a deep breath. “Let’s go watch the games?”

You got the first row in the audience that stood to watch the fire show and you didn’t realise that you had been holding on to Yeosang’s arm when he guided you through the crowd, but he didn’t mind- he liked it when you squeezed it whenever you were surprised. At some point, Yeosang himself had stopped watching the show, instead watching how your face looked in the glow of the fire, how your eyes reflected your excitement which was contagious at this point, how your red plump lips parted and pursed. He was smiling faintly when you caught him staring at you.

None of you looked away. You raised a brow. “Bored?”

“Not at all,” he shook his head. “Just want to get some air after this ends.”

“Let’s go right now,” you told him and he insisted that you finish watching the show because according to him, you looked like a cat who had seen a mouse for the first time, but you only held his hand and dragged him, almost exiting when you met a pair of mimers.

“Ridiculous,” Yeosang laughed when they started mirroring your movements.

“That’s not how we look,” you pointed and they mirrored that as well, making you gape at them. “That’s a personal attack! Choose someone else from the crowd!”

Yeosang burst out laughing at that and the mimers continued to mirror your exasperated expressions and movements, until Yeosang grabbed your hand and started running away, the mimers mirroring even that and following you, making all of you laugh because this was unbelievable but fun. The two of you kept running even after you had lost them and just when you were about to stop, Yeosang spotted them and slid into a dark alley, turning you and making you stop against him as he rested against the wall, out of breath.

“They’re right outside,” he whispered, shaking his head as he laughed. “Don’t move.”

You nodded, aware of your hands on his chest and shoulder, aware of his hands holding your wrists loosely but not letting you go, and you rested your head against his chest, out of breath as well. “Tell me when they’re gone. Or should we give them a little scare?”

“I’ll tell you when they’re gone,” Yeosang said and you hummed in agreement, not daring to move but feeling glad when you felt his tense body relax against you. His hands slid down your arms but didn’t let go, and even when he saw the mimers leave the area, he didn’t tell you. 

He wanted you all to himself just for a little longer.

And that realisation made him so utterly confused. He hadn’t intended to cross the line, yet… he knew you two weren’t friends at this point- at least he wasn’t, because he was falling. 

But you still liked Mingyu, didn’t you? Even when he had told you about the Queen and Mingyu’s meeting, you met him twice after, and Yeosang helped you. You told him you wanted to feel him out and see what exactly he wanted so you could catch him in the act, but… he was starting to realise why he hated it when he saw Mingyu touch your face- that guy was clearly not sincere.

Were his own feelings sincere then, he wondered. Is that how you felt about Mingyu? Unsure but wanting?

“They’re gone,” Yeosang finally whispered and you took your head off after a moment, looking up at him and finding him incredibly close. You grinned and let go of him. “Well, that was an adventure right there.”

“That sure was,” Yeosang brushed his clothes and you walked back to the streets, just walking and chatting and grabbing more snacks until you both were very tired, which was when you decided to walk back, sneaking past the guards into Yeosang’s room which was thankfully on the ground floor. 

Yeosang shut the window behind him and you secured your cloak, smiling at him and asking, “Tell me how tonight was. Tell me honestly.”

“Well, Princess,” Yeosang stepped in front of you, smirking and flicking your forehead. “It was the most fun I had in a good few years.”

“Really? You’re not lying?” You asked and he nodded, crossing at his heart. You smiled wide and slumped in relief. “Glad you don’t hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, why would you think that?” Yeosang’s voice was incredibly soft. “I like you. A lot. I like whatever we have, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I just hope you don’t forget all about me when you’re busy or when I have to go, y/n.”

Your heart did a somersault and you took a step towards him as well, almost closing the distance between you two. “This was the most fun I had too. In my life. Thank you, Yeosang. And I won’t forget you, ever. I hope you don’t if you go back.”

‘If’, you had said, Yeosang realised with a glimmer of hope. You didn’t want him to go back. It was up to him now. But he had to be sure about you first-

He didn’t expect you to lean in and kiss him on the cheek and then shyly look at you as you grinned. Oh, he wanted to cross the line so bad. “Thank you for tonight, Yeosang.”

Before he could respond, you scurried off, and he stood dumb for a few minutes until he smiled and sat in front of the mirror, taking off his accessories and looking at where you had kissed him-

Where the red smudge of lipstick welcomed him.

So that’s why you were grinning, he thought, laughing to himself as he wondered if he should just let the mark remain.

—-------------------

The situation in the West had been resolved and you made your way back, making the visit last for about a week and a half. A week after that night you spent with Yeosang at the festival. You had attended a meeting together where you got to see just what kind of a strategist Yeosang was, and he was one hell of a strategist- he managed to keep the political interests of both the parties in balance as he suggested ways to resolve the conflict, along with his seniors. He was applauded by the King himself and that made you giddy. It didn’t help that he looked incredibly hot when he was in operational mode, you told him.

“There’s something wrong with you,” Yeosang had made a face and you had only laughed.

“You know, my father approves of you. He even asked me if you’re my replacement tutor.”

“I should go and tell him how disrespectful my student is-” 

And that ended with the usual bickering as well. In the few days you spent in the West after the festival, you only got to meet up with Yeosang once during the evening when you two were walking around, and Prince Chan had joined, which ended up making you the third-wheel. They surprisingly had much to talk about.

Your lessons with Yeosang were going to resume today. You had also just received a letter from Professor Seo which said that he would be returning in a week or two. You felt anxious for some reason- could you keep Yeosang all to yourself? Would that be selfish of you? After all, Yeosang’s family and friends weren’t in this town.

You went inside the library, finding it utterly quiet. You almost called out loud for Yeosang, but you saw him dozing off, sitting crossed legged on the floor with his head resting on his arms on the table. You smiled to yourself- what a sight he was. You tiptoed towards him, sitting in front of him across the table and waiting for a while- he was probably tired. You heard a muffled groan and watched him as he frowned in his sleep- was he having a nightmare?

“Yeosang?” You whispered, but he didn’t stir. You slid away from the table and went to his side, carefully pushing a few strands of his dark hair away from his face- he seemed to be caught in a dream-

You noticed the redness on his temple that you had spotted before too- you hadn’t asked him about it and the way he styled his hair, you couldn’t detect it unless you looked carefully, but it looked like it was a birthmark. You touched it lightly, smiling-

You couldn’t even let out a scream when he went for your neck making you fall flat against the floor and him on top of you with his dagger threatening to slit your throat.both of you were looking at each other in surprise with wide eyes and you patted his arm cautiously. “It’s me… Yeosang, it’s me.”

Yeosang came back and sighed deeply, drawing back and immediately apologising. “I don’t know what I was thinking, I have nothing to say.”

“It’s okay,” you frowned as you straightened your clothes, getting up to go back to your place. Yeosang, confused, got up as well. “Are you alright, Yeosang? Are you haunted?”

Yeosang snorted at that. “Actually, I’m not always like this. I was attacked on the night when we came back, in my room. I didn’t get who it was, but someone’s after me, which means… someone’s after you.”

“Oh, come on,” you shook your head. “It might be something you did. You’re not a saint, Yeosang dear.”

“Could be, but I’m betting it has something to do with you-” Yeosang stopped mid-sentence and pulled you by your arm into his chest as a vase fell and crashed on the floor, making you scream and clench onto his clothes. 

“Wait here- someone’s definitely after you,” Yeosang said and before you could stop him, he went for what you figured was whoever he spotted. You took out your own dagger, waiting for him or whoever it was that dared attack you in the library, of all places. 

However, the last person you expected to see was Mingyu, calling out your name before he stepped in your line of vision and you frowned. “I heard a crash and a scream, I was just passing by. Are you alright?”

“You were just passing by?” You almost spat but then shook your head. “I’m sorry- it’s just been surprise after surprise today. I’m overwhelmed. Did you perhaps spot someone else leaving?”

“Only Kang Yeosang,” he said, stepping towards you but stopping when you raised your hand. 

“Do you know him?” You asked.

“He’s made quite a name for himself after the tour in the West,” he pointed out and you lowered your dagger. “He’s your replacement tutor, is he not?”

“That he is,” you nodded. “He’ll be back any minute.”

“Can I see you tonight?” Mingyu asked, shooting a playful smile in your direction.

“If you tell me why you’ve been meeting up with the Queen, sure, I can see you tonight,” you countered. You refused to believe him passing by was a coincidence- not after you’ve been suspecting him for so long.

However, Mingyu clearly didn’t like what you were implying. “Do you think I’m a spy or something? That’s a low blow.”

“What else am I supposed to think, Mingyu?” You countered. “You’ve been meeting up with her- I saw you myself. And you didn’t bother to tell me? A simple explanation would have done. You could have lied and I would have believed you. But you didn’t even tell me. You never tell me anything. You only call me when-”

“And what do you tell me about yourself, Princess?” Mingyu walked towards you. 

“I tell you enough,” you seethed. “I risk meeting you and tell you enough. You have no idea what the consequences would be if I got caught meeting you.”

“Well, no one would know unless you spill,” he stopped in front of you. “Have you?”

“I just- I can’t continue meeting you like this forever, you know it,” you sighed. “And you’re still not telling me why you met her.”

“I tell you enough as well,” he countered. You couldn’t believe him. You were about to walk away but he caught your wrist. “Come on. Don’t ruin this-”

“Ruin what, Mingyu? What are we?” You locked eyes with him, surprisingly relieved when you saw no signs of longing in them. “We never address that though, do we?” 

“Well, what are you with Yeosang then?” He countered and you raised a brow. “I’ve seen you both. He’s not your tutor-”

“He’s my friend,” you sneered, trying to break away your wrist from him but he wouldn’t let go. “And let go of me. You’re hurting me.”

“Friend?” He laughed. “Friends don’t look at each other the way I’ve seen you-”

“I suggest you let go of her right now, Mingyu,” Yeosang’s voice boomed as he walked to the two of you. “Let go of the Princess.”

Mingyu scoffed at him. “No, what do you two even do in here? I’m pretty sure it’s not just studying-”

The crack of the slap on his left cheek was the most satisfying sound you ever heard out of him, and you didn’t regret it, even when he looked betrayed and surprised. “Who do you think I am? You’re the first person I’ve been with, Mingyu, and you’re the only one. I can’t believe you think so lowly about me. I guess I should have thought that about you too,” you rubbed your wrist- he had finally let go due to the initial shock. “Meet me tomorrow night at the same place. We’ll end this- only after you tell me what you’re up to with the Queen. And don’t bother lying- I know what you’re up to. I only need to see if you’ll tell me the truth or not.”

Mingyu huffed, laughing in what you could only presume was disbelief. “I think we should. We need to think with clear minds, huh?” He looked at Yeosang and left the room, leaving you glaring at his passing figure. Yeosang stifled his smile as he stood next to you. “Well… that was one hell of a slap.”

“Shut up, Yeosang,” you muttered but smiled, looking at him. “I should have done that earlier. I don’t know what took me so long.”

“Do you really know what he’s up to?” Yeosang patted your back, urging you to settle down before sitting in front of you.

“I don’t, actually, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to continue whatever it is we had. It was only physical, and that’s… it makes me shameful to think of it.”

Yeosang looked proud of you though, especially when he said, “I don’t think I need to be your tutor anymore. You’ve learnt all you need to- at least about strategy and offence.”

You laughed at that. “Have I? You still have to teach me the damned nonsense the old scholars left for us that’s not even relevant-”

“Don’t disrespect your ancestors,” he shook his head, grinning. 

—------------------

When Mingyu entered the room, you didn’t get up this time. He didn’t approach you either, simply sat down next to you.

“I’m sorry for slapping you earlier- I could’ve dealt with that differently,” you told him. You were sorry- that wasn’t a lie.

“I deserved that,” Mingyu looked at you and you both shared a laugh. “I was being an asshole.”

“Glad you realise that,” you shook your head. “So?”

“The Queen… the first time that she called me, she only wanted to know who my father was- apparently, he used to do some of the Queen’s private tasks, so she thought she could trust me as well. I didn’t realise what she was on to until the second time, when she casually asked me if I was interested in you.”

“Wow, she’s still digging for something to bring me down,” you made an impressed face. “What did you tell her?”

“I told her the truth- that I admire you as the Princess. That’s exactly what I said. Not a lie, but not the whole truth either,” he winked.

“That’s smart, I’ll give you that,” you nodded. “How did she respond to that?”

“She told me I should meet up with you, that you might be interested in me as well. Honestly, I was confused- I didn’t know if it was a test or some twisted game where she wants us to get caught because it’s no secret that she hates you. So I just told her I’ll look for a chance. Now she just asks me if I made some progress.”

“I wonder what’s going on in her head,” you sighed. “You should have told me, Mingyu.”

“I know,” he admitted. “I should have, but honestly… I’m not interested in you that way- at least not yet.”

“Neither am I,” you admitted. “We should end it, though. There’s no use continuing whatever we had, but I hope we can part on good terms, and possibly be allies in the future. You’re smart, Mingyu. I hope you won’t use our relationship to bring me down one day- I’d rather you be my ally, my friend.”

“Now that’s one tempting offer,” he laughed, tucking your hair behind your ear. “No hard feelings?”

“None,” you nodded. “Unless you pull something, in which case you can expect not to wake up after you sleep,” you smiled sweetly at him and he shook his head, raising his hands in surrender. “Also, yesterday… were you really passing by the library?”

“Ah, about that,” Mingyu straightened, recalling the detail he needed to tell you. “I did spot someone suspicious- dressed like a guard- around the library, so yes, I was just passing by but made a detour because I thought I saw something.”

“Who do you think could be behind it?” You wondered.

“Could be anyone at this point, but maybe start from the people closest around you,” Mingyu said. “Should I look into it?”

“Will you?” You asked and he nodded. You thanked him- that really was a kind offer, perhaps to make up for his behaviour.

After that meeting, you walked to your secret place just to have some alone time and think things through. You had just been in your room, and Siyeon had been beyond relieved after she heard that you broke things with Mingyu. 

“I’m just glad I don’t have to be the watchdog anymore, you know?” She told you as she prepared you for bed, about to go and bring your tea when you told her you wanted to get some air first. She let you go willingly this time.

But when you sneaked in through the vines around the fence, the last person you expected to see was Yeosang. What was more surprising were the empty bottles around him- he was drinking. 

He never drinked this much, from what he had told you. You whistled at the sight and went to sit next to him, shaking your head at his flushed cheeks. “You need to stop before I wake you up by pushing you in the pond.”

“What are you doing here?” He sounded surprisingly sober.

“What are you doing here? Why are you drinking?”

“Just needed to stop thinking for a few moments,” he admitted, offering you a bottle. You took a sip and told him you weren’t going to drink more. “Boomer. Look at the moon- it’s a wonderful sight. That calls for a few drinks as we admire the sight, no?”

“Yep, you’re drunk,” you folded your arms. “What’s keeping you up at nights, Yeosang?”

He was silent for a few moments, and you almost thought he faded into unconsciousness when he mumbled something. You frowned, “What was that?”

“You,” he said, and your heart sank. “You. You keep me up at nights. You don’t let me sleep.”

“Hmm, really?” You pursed your lips, stifling your smile. “And what exactly about me?”

He glanced at you and it was your turn to get flushed- he had rarely ever looked at you that way, but whenever he did… it drove you crazy. “I wish I hadn’t met you, y/n.”

Your heart broke like never before- it was a sharp blow. You managed to ask why.

“I’m not worthy of you. I cannot be with you. But I think I want to be with you. But… you don’t want me. So I wish I hadn’t met you- at least that day in the forest. Maybe if we hadn’t become friends-”

“What are you saying?” You shook your head. “What’s this bullshit about being worthy? I’m not some prized possession you need to win.”

“Oh, but you are,” he smiled, looking down. “You’re… wonderful. You’re brilliant. I’m nothing.”

“God, if you were sober right now, you would be saying the opposite. And that’s making me confused,” you tugged at his sleeve, making him look at you. “Are you joking right now? Do you like me or something? Because I’ve been the one afraid to take that step-”

Yeosang leaned in and kissed your cheek, making you pause. He drew back slowly. “That night… I wanted to keep you all night. I wanted you so bad.”

“Yeosang,” you whispered, “You can have me. You’ve had me long ago.”

“Is that so?” He traced your hairline, tucking your hair behind your ear, and you couldn’t help but shiver. You couldn’t help but compare- Mingyu had done this so many times, yet this single action had never made you a puddle, a mess like you are now. 

Yeosang continued to trace the outlines of your face. “I don’t want to let you go,” he whispered, “Are you real, or am I hallucinating? Am I too drunk?”

“I think you are drunk, but I’m real,” you managed to say, locking eyes with him.

“Even if you’re not…” he put his fingers under your chin and tilted your face up, gazing at your parted lips. You stifled a groan- his touch alone was making you go crazy.

And when he leaned in and finally pecked your lips, holding on to his shirt was all you could do to keep from falling down. As if realising you were real, he pecked your lips again, and again, until you parted your lips and kissed him back, making him cup your face and bring you closer as he kissed you like a man deprived of air, tongue colliding and swallowing each other’s moans. You had never felt like this, feeling his touch in every cell in your body, feeling the kiss as if he was caressing every part of you. 

When he drew back, you rested your head against his, and you wanted more, you wanted to kiss him all night, but he dozed off and you couldn’t help but laugh. You let him rest his head on your lap, caressing his soft hair and running your fingers through them, smiling because he looked like a cat. After you almost fell asleep yourself, you decided to leave him here- he needed to face the consequences of his actions.

But the next day, when he sat in front of you teaching you about one of your ancestor’s history, you weren’t listening- just watching him with a smirk. He seemed to be annoyed at that when he shut the book and glared at you.

“What’s so funny?”

“You look like you had one too many drinks last night,” you told him. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember.”

He didn’t.

“I remember. I never forget when I drink,” he said haughtily.

“Is that so?” You made an impressed face. “Do you, perhaps, remember meeting me last night?” He frowned in confusion and you scoffed. “Maybe you shouldn’t think too highly of yourself, Yeosang.”

“You came last night? There?” He groaned loudly, hiding his face. “I hope I didn’t do something embarrassing.”

“Nothing at all,” you shook your head. “Just did this weird dance and twirled around-”

“Now that’s a lie,” he declared and you laughed.

“If you do recall the events of last night, come find me,” you winked at him, opening the book back and leaving him confused.

—-------------------

A few days had passed when the King called you in his study to have a private conversation with you. You went after having breakfast and had tea with your father, chatting about the weather and Chan’s silly pranks when he steered the topic to what he had called you for.

“I want you to participate in court matters regularly as soon as you’re ready,” he sipped on his tea- basically telling you he was going to make it public that you were his choice.

“And what does the Queen say about this?” You asked, taking the umpteenth cookie.

“What she says doesn’t matter,” he told you.

“I think it does, a little,” you began. “She’s been sending some people after me- I don’t know if she wants to simply hurt me or kill me, but she’s out for me. I thought I should tell you.”

Your father stopped mid-air, bringing his cup back to the table. “Are you sure?”

“I am,” you nodded. “I have an ally in the court, you see. He personally caught and interrogated the guard she used. She made it a bit too obvious- it was one of her personal guards. Caught in the act.”

You weren’t lying- Mingyu had done exactly that. You had been practising archery when he sent an arrow for you- and if he had hit, all suspicion would have gone to Yeosang. However, Mingyu had been following him and knocked the guard out, and by luck, you had narrowly escaped from the arrow. 

“I don’t know what to do about her,” your father rubbed his eyes. “It would’ve been one thing if Chan himself was interested in the throne, but… he’s the least interested.”

“And so am I, but father… you know there’s another reason you didn’t groom Chan like you groomed me. You’re afraid of what the Queen would do to you. After all… She was royalty too, before you became your wife. She owns a lot of land, and a good majority would support her if she decided to do something about you.”

“I don’t know why I ever agreed to marry her,” he sighed. 

“Doesn’t matter, but… you don’t need to do anything about what the Queen did to me. She’s been after me all my life- I’ll deal with her myself. It would be wiser if you don’t interfere. She’ll never admit she was behind it anyway.”

“I should warn her though,” he said. “You’re my daughter. I don’t want anyone hurting you. Even if she gets Chan to inherit the throne, she’ll never let you stay here.”

“There’s always going to be someone after us, father,” you pointed out. “We’ll never feel safe. That’s the price we pay.”

The two of you concluded the discussion on the terms that you’ll both confront the Queen and ask her to back off, and that both you and Chan would sit in the court matters regularly, but you would eventually inherit the throne unless Chan is interested, in which case the King or the court themselves would cast their votes. However, that time would hopefully be after a good while. You wished your father lived long and healthy so you wouldn’t have to inherit the throne so young.

After leaving, you went to the library for your lesson with Yeosang, who had been acting a bit suspiciously himself the past few days. You didn’t know if it was because he recalled what happened that night, if he even believed, or if he regretted that, but you weren’t going to bring it up. Professor Seo was arriving in three days, and each passing day was making you anxious because with each passing day, you only became sure that you wanted no one else but Yeosang by your side. For the rest of your life. If he would return the feelings- you hoped he did, because you weren’t sure you could ever love someone like you had begun to love him.

Love- you never thought you’d get to experience that. Even as friends, there was love between you two, the kind that friends had in the books you read, where they looked out for each other and knew each other’s secrets, their likes and dislikes, and such. But the line between friends and more… it was always a little blurred between you two.

You found Yeosang waiting for you not at the usual spot but at the window. He looked at you with a mischievous smile and you raised a brow. He took a deep breath. “Do you want to go to the mountains? A little trip?”

You smiled slowly. “What took you so long! I’m ready.”

It was a thing between you two- sneaking out disguised as random civilians. You borrowed one of Siyeon’s pretty dresses (she always had prettier dresses than you while you wore ugly uniforms for the court) and hid most of yourself in a cloak, walking to the foothills of the mountain which was fairly near, just a long walk that passed by in a blink because Yeosang was suddenly feeling nostalgic and told you about the time he was a kid and climbed all the way to the top of the mountain as a challenge. When you finally started to climb, Yeosang held your hand, surprising you but you let him guide you all the way up until you asked for a break.

“This is a nice spot,” Yeosang stood near the edge of the rock and peeked down. “This shall do.”

“I’m glad,” you huffed as you sat down, Yeosang joining you. “I thought my legs were going to break.”

“I think we should ditch history and start working on your stamina,” Yeosang narrowed his eyes. “Imagine someone comes after you and you give up because you got tired after running a little distance.”

“I’m sorry but no one’s going to chase me up the mountain, I can run just fine,” you said and he laughed. You drank water from your bottle and he sighed, looking up at the cloudy sky.

“I told father about the Queen, by the way,” you said after a moment. “I thought you should know so you don’t worry your ass off.”

“What makes you think I worried at all? It’s a regret the arrow didn’t strike-”

“Hey!” You smacked his arm, pouting at him. “You’re so strange, Yeosang. You say one thing and mean another.”

“Oh? And what do I mean when I say I wished the arrow had hit you?” He turned towards you, appearing very interested. 

“Well, how about ‘oh, I wish I was there and could have taken the arrow for you’. Okay, I admit that was too much,” you sulked when he laughed out loud at that, very sarcastically. “You hate me, that’s fine.”

Yeosang scoffed. “You know what I would have done if I was there?” When you didn’t answer, he put a hand on yours, caressing it. “I would have shot an arrow back, not caring who it was. If it had been the Queen, the Prince or even the King… I would have shot them.”

You were about to smack him again for teasing you but when you saw how serious he was and his gaze- the same gaze you dreaded but wished to see again and again forever- it made you pause. “You’re serious?”

“I am,” he admitted. “And it scares me because I’m the type who weighs all the pros and cons before striking, as you already know.”

You scanned him for a few moments. “Do you finally remember what happened that night?”

Yeosang answered by sliding closer and capturing your lips in an eager kiss, smiling into it when you immediately responded with a surprised moan, clenching his shirt in your hands as he continued to slide closer and kissing you without a break until you two were out of breath. You locked eyes with him, laughing in disbelief. “You’re gonna tell me now that you’re sober?”

“Am I?” He made a confused face and you pushed him back, laughing again but he caught your hands in his. 

“Well, Princess y/n,” he began, smiling cheekily, making you bite your lips because gosh, he was criminally handsome. A walking sculpture- Siyeon had made the right observation. “I may have developed a… liking towards you.”

“That’s it?” You frowned, pushing him away properly this time, making him laugh until he couldn’t breathe. “Come back when you’re sure.”

“Okay, okay, hear me out,” he took both your hands in his. “I don’t want to go back, y/n. If you’ll have me… I want to be yours. I love you more than I thought I did. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. I fell for you before even realising- wait, you’re not taking this seriously!”

You let out the laugh you had been stifling. “I’m just in disbelief, because I love you and I thought you hated me and made a mistake that night or something. Okay, not hated me, but didn’t like me like that or something. But you’re telling me that…”

“That I love you,” he nodded, grinning. “And I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, you don’t need to do anything, just… stay and we’ll figure out, huh? But… stay at your own risk because I will not let you go if you stay-”

He shut you up by kissing you again, this time with a force that had you arching back until you were flat against the grass. You broke apart, “You have a habit of not letting me complete my sentences.”

“You love it, don’t you?” He caressed your face and you felt knots in your stomach. “What do you want me to do, then?”

“Kiss me until I can’t speak anymore?” You suggested and he started by peppering kisses all over your face, making you giggle. Then he kissed you ever so slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, making you melt into a puddle. He earned quite a few moans with the way he kissed alone, and when he started at your neck, it was the end of you- especially when he started nibbling at your sweet spot, sucking and licking and leaving a mark that he looked at proudly.

“Tell me you’re mine,” he whispered, caressing your cheek.

“I’m yours,” you nodded. “Tell me you won’t go.”

“I’ll stay,” he promised, sealing it with another kiss. 

“Even if I have to inherit the throne?” You asked. 

“I’ll be honoured to be by your side then,” he kissed your forehead. “If… if you would have me.”

“Well, you’re one hell of a strategist, and an archer- you shot that arrow at my heart-”

“Come on, you can do better than that,” he shook with laughter at your cheesy line and you pouted.

“No, I can’t,” you said. “But yeah. I’d be honoured to have a mind like you beside me. And a body and a face like yours to look at for the rest of my life, because honestly, you’re hot-”

“Ah, here we go,” he shut his eyes, basking in the compliments. “Carry on.”

You scoffed. “That’s all, Yeosang dear.”

He glared at you, lying beside you. “Can I take back everything I just said?”

“Yeosang!” You turned to slap his arm, getting half on top of him and grinning at your position, letting his hands on your waist guide you up on him. You spent a good few moments admiring him before you kissed him.

“To always and forever,” you said when you broke apart.

“To always and forever,” he nodded, about to bring you in again when you interrupted.

“What are we going to do about Professor Seo? Maybe I should ask him to retire,” you pondered.

“Can you not talk about other people when you’re on top of me?” Yeosang commented and you poked your tongue in your cheek, realising exactly the position you were in- practically straddling him.

“As you wish,” you let him kiss you senseless after that.

It was sweet, and it made your heart feel alive for the first time. You wished in that moment to have a forever and always with him. You would have no one else.

And weirdly, you were glad Mingyu had called you in the forest that day. How fate had worked for you two- meeting as strangers and meeting officially in the palace, finding an unexpected friendship and love along the way. Unexpected but welcomed.

For the first time, you felt safe too, when you lay in his arms. Even though you had told your father earlier that you didn’t have the luxury of feeling safe, you decided to one day tell him that you had found your home- the person that made you feel utterly safe.

| in love and lore | six |

pairing: ateez x fem reader

genre: fantasy/daemon/soulmate au

warnings: violence, death, yandere behavior, prejudice against mc. (things are a bit darker towards the end of this chapter)

summary: the daemon king and his seven black generals. names and faces of these eight had changed over the years as each new king was crowned, but their reputation as the most powerful daemons always remained the same. upon hearing the rumors one of the seven led the charge of the nearby battle, you should have stayed close to the encampment. you should have never wandered out on your own. but you did, and your life would never be the same again. good or bad, you would just have to wait to find out.

“There’s no need to be afraid, angel.” His words were a breath against the side of your neck. “You’ve done so much for us, let your king now return the favor.”

wordcount: 14.6k

| five | six | seven |

a/n: so, I knew this chapter was going to be long when i first wrote it, but it still ended up much longer than anticipated. oops. but this really is one of my favorites so far (though i have come to learn editing long chapters can be a pain) and hope you all enjoy this too! as always, all feedback is appreciated and loved. even if i don't reply, i read each and every comment and they always make me smile. :) the support for the series so far has been so sweet and i appreciate you all so, so much.

~

You had expected someone to wake you up the following morning, but found it was nearly midday when you rolled out of bed. The sun had long since reached its peak in the sky when you stepped outside, stretching out the kinks in your muscles. Just like Mingi had said, another Black General sat at the table near the entrance. He was scanning over a stack of papers, taking notes every so often in the margins, but looked up when he heard the tent rustling upon your exit.

You shuffled under his gaze, hovering near the entrance. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep so late.”

“Don’t worry about.” He waved your concern away, offering a smile in an attempt to ease your discomfort. “You’ve had a rough past few days and I’m sure the extra sleep was needed. If we had need of you, we would have woken you earlier.” Not only was he as attractive like the ones before, with streaks of red in his hair, but he was tall too. His figure towered over yours when he stood up to pull out the chair next to him and motioned for you to come over when he noticed you holding back. “But, please, come eat. We can head over to the infirmary when you’re ready.”

You were hesitant to take the seat, finding the act of someone pulling your seat out for you strange and foreign. Sure, Hyunwoo had done it for you a time or two, but only on special occasions such as your birthday, and even then it had been done in a half-teasing manner. But there was no hint of mockery in his stance, and he simply smiled at you once more.

He was gentle as you took the seat, pushing you forward and moving the full plate of food left on the table in front of you before returning to his seat. “I’m Yunho, by the way. It’s nice to meet you, angel.”

He stayed with you for the next few hours, leading you throughout the grounds just as Mingi had done the day before. He was less talkative than Mingi had been, and even more so whenever you tried to press him for answers, giving the same stupid excuses as all the others. You would just have to wait until you met with Hongjoong. When this meeting would actually take place, however, no one would say for sure. The only answer they gave was soon. You just had to be patient.

When the sun began to set, Yunho guided you back to the tent to eat and retire for the night, but it wasn’t just food that awaited you upon your return. Several daemons hung around the table when you approached behind Yunho, and you were quick to notice the black horns on each of them. Wooyoung and Seonghwa had made a return, as well as two others you had yet to meet, but were quickly introduced as San and Jongho.

Their presence was overwhelming. The aura of just one of them was intimidating as it was; the raw power each them held was nothing like anyone you had met before, and it all combined was nearly suffocating. But as oppressive as it felt, there was an inkling of contentment hidden beneath. The hollowness that had plagued you since Seonghwa had placed the mark on you had almost been filled, as though the part of you that had burned away had come back. For the first time in a while, you almost felt whole.

You grew accustomed to them quicker than you liked, no longer quite so tense every second you were forced to spend with them. You didn’t like them, and you hardly trusted them, but the nerves that had plagued you in the beginning began to dissipate with each day. You didn’t know what was to become of you, but the kindness they treated you with and the warmth that bloomed in your chest each time you saw one of them made you all the more confused and gave you all the more reason to keep your guard up.

Your time with them was vastly different than back in the city. You were under constant supervision by at least one of the Seven at all times, but they were much more lax with your work. No one ever woke you in the morning, allowing you to sleep as late as you wish and start work on your own time. And when you did work, no one dared to raise their voice or insult you. Your identity of being the Black Angel had become well known, and though discovering you were a half-daemon was a shock to them, it didn’t bother them as much as you had expected. Whether this was because they were actually grateful for what you had done, your constant guard, or both, it was hard to tell.

Hongjoong was oddly missing during the time you spent with them. While his generals were always more than happy to accompany you anywhere and everywhere - as long as it was inside their camp, that is - you had yet to even sneak a peek at their golden king. Despite the orders he gave towards you through them, he had remained out of sight for the time being. And though a part of you was itching to ask them when you would finally get to meet him and get the answers you desperately wanted, it was a different matter altogether to actually ask. Not when you weren’t even certain that he even was their king.

Yeosang was also gone more often than not, spending the majority of the time with Hongjoong in the city while you were left at camp. You had seen him once or twice, and the sight of his gleaming black horns had made your stomach twist. A painful reminder of the lies he had told you and the act he had committed in your name. He approached you once on your second morning, but was quick to pick up on your frustration in his attempt to strike up a conversation and kept his distance after that. The look he had given you as he went, so similar to that as a wounded puppy, had made your stomach twist once more. As though the fact he had hurt you had wounded him just as badly.

They had claimed you would stay with them until they had no further use of you. You had assumed this usefulness was in your healing abilities, but Mingi’s statements upon your arrival the first day had worried you. Leaving you with the fear your use to them was more than your ability, a thought that clung closer to you each day you remained here. Despite having attended to the remainder of their soldiers in the evening of your third day there, there was no inclination of sending you back from from Yunho when you arose the following morning.

And with no work at the moment, you were left with little else to do besides amuse yourself with your current guard. You had just finished lunch and was doodling on the back of one of the papers Yunho had been reading over when you had asked him for one. Though the two of you had settled into a relatively comfortable silence, you saw the way his eyes darted in your direction every so often to look at the random sketches you had done, especially the rough sketch you had done of him from your boredom in the top corner.

Your eyes glanced up when you felt the presence of another general, but it was the person who was with him that caught your eyes and had your breath hitching.

The pencil dropped from your hands and before Yunho could ask what was wrong, you were up from your seat and sprinting in their direction.

“Hyunwoo!” You called out your brother’s name and his head was quick to turn in your direction with just enough time to recognize you before you barreled straight into him. He caught you easily, arms wrapping around your body with the same force you had captured him with. “I was so worried about you. They said you were okay, but I still couldn’t help but wonder, you know? They didn’t lie, right? You’re not hurt?” The words came out in a single breath, rushing to voice the worry you had felt towards his and Soomin’s wellbeing in your absence. “And what about Minnie? Is she safe too?”

“We’re fine.” He pushed back the hands that had been running across his figure to check for wounds, brining your eyes back up to his face when you were satisfied he spoke the truth. “But what about you? Are you okay? Soomin and I were so worried when Suho informed us you had been taken.”

“I’m fine. I’ve just been sent here to heal their wounded for them.” You waved back his concern, knowing it was well placed with where you had been the past few days, but more worried about what had happened to him and your sister since you had last seen them. “What about you two? What happened to you?”

“We were ordered back to the house after the ceasefire was called. We’ve been there ever since, though I was called out for a task in the forge this morning before being brought here.”

His eyes flickered to Jongho, who you had yet to process was standing there next to you until that moment, his expression unreadable as he observed the exchange between the two of you.

You didn’t know how you felt about Jongho. While you had waved away Wooyoung’s and Seonghwa’s teasing comments about him the first night, you had quickly realized there had been some truth in them. He was quieter than the others. Almost bashful when it came to you, but a welcome relief to the way some of the others acted. You knew it very well could have just been an act to get you to drop your guard even more than you already had, but you still preferred his company more than the others, appreciating the silence that surrounded the two of you when you were alone.

“But you are okay, right, y/n? They haven’t done anything to you, have they?”

You shook your head, suddenly self-conscious under Jongho’s inquisitive gaze, wondering what thoughts might have been running through his mind at the moment. “No, I’ve been treated quite kindly since my arrival.”

“Don’t worry, your sister is safe here with us.” Jongho broke the silence, a hint of a smile breaking through as he added to your words.

“Woo, this is Jongho.” You pulled away from your brother, conscious of the way his and Jongho’s eyes kept glancing between each other. “Jongho, this is my brother Hyunwoo.” You knew there was a good chance the two had already become acquainted, but you felt the need to break the silence that had settled between you and it was the first thing you could come up with. “Is there a reason he’s here?”

Now that you were over your excitement of seeing your brother, the anxiety of what he was doing here began to settle inside you and whether or not you were the cause behind it. Jongho had been your guard the day before and had been curious about the dagger you had been using in the infirmary. He had asked to see it that night at dinner, testing out the design for himself. He had praised the workmanship of it, asking if it had also been your brother who had designed the arrowhead that had wounded Seonghwa when you had explained your brother had created it. You had been hesitant to answer his question, but you hadn’t sensed any hostility in his tone. Now, you wondered if you had made a mistake in telling him the truth and that your foolishness had gotten your brother in trouble.

“Hongjoong sent for him. He had a task for your brother earlier this morning and though you might enjoy having your brother accompany you back to your house to get ready for the ball this-“

“Wait, wait, wait,” you interrupted. Any relief you might have felt towards knowing Hyunwoo was was safe for the time being and you would finally get to go home immediately masked by the statement he had made towards your attendance of the masquerade. “I’m attending?”

You had first heard about the event at dinner when you had returned with Yunho that second night with them. It had been San who had first mentioned it, having given up his seat at the table for you to sit, and the first to inform Yunho of what he had missed in the peace talks that day. He had explained it was an event meant to try and lessen the tension built up from the war, but the knowing looks he had exchanged with the others, and the smirk Wooyoung had been unable to hide, had you doubting their words.

The only other mentions of it had been in passing; one general asking another if the proper preparations had been completed or not. While you held some curiosity towards the event, you never bothered questioning them on it. Your attendance was something you never considered, so you never had a reason to question them. The guest list had been reserved to a higher class, much higher than your own, and even if it hadn’t been, no one had extended an invitation your way. And you hadn’t cared. You had absolutely no desire to spend an entire evening surrounded by a crowd of people who would just serve to make your life as miserable as possible.

“Why wouldn’t you?” Yunho must have not trusted you when you had run off without a word and followed you over, his sudden response to your question making you jump. You hadn’t heard him approach. “It wouldn’t be a party without you, angel.”

“Oh, well, um, thank you for the offer, but I don’t really think me going is a good idea.”

Your head tilted, shuffling as a new form of panic bloomed inside you. They expected you to attend? It wasn’t because you hated social events, but rather just events filled with people who hated you. The thought of it sounded more like hell than a party in your mind, and you could only imagine what sort of hell would actually be raised when the humans realized you were there. Did they not realize that you would get kicked out faster than you could explain you had actually been invited. And that was only if you actually got in.

“Ah, but you see-“ Yunho’s reply was cut off short, and while you had found it strange the first few times it had happened to him and the others, you had quickly come to realize it was Hongjoong who was doing it. Apparently you weren’t the only one who he had taken control of before and was now acutely aware he was observing the scene between the four of you and Yunho had been about to say something he wasn’t supposed to. “We’re aware of how some humans might respond to your presence, but you don’t have to worry about them. We’ll make sure nothing happens to you while you’re there. You’re safe with us, remember?”

You just barely caught the tail end of his eyes fading back to black as you turned your head, another sign you had quickly come to discover meant it wasn't actually Yunho who you had just been speaking to. And like always, you had a hard time fighting the urge to glare up at him, hoping Hongjoong would see your frustration. He was more than perfectly content communicating with you through the others, but remained steadfast in staying away from you at the moment. If it wasn't for the fact he was the only one allowed to give you answers, you wouldn't have cared. And though meeting with him still terrified you, you were antsy for that time to come. The unsurety of you fate was starting to drive you crazy.

"Yes, you've all stated that several times now." Your arms crossed, unable to hide the frustration that came with the phrase they had been repeating over and over again the past few days. "But I still don't think it's a good idea. And even if it was, It's not like I have anything to wear." You really couldn't have cared less about what you did wear, but knew the few items in your wardrobe would pale in comparison to anything else the other attendees would be wearing, causing you to stick out even more than your normal presence would have already.

"Don't worry. We've already thought of that and you'll find clothes for you and your siblings were delivered to your house this morning."

"Why?" Once again the question that had plagued your life the past few weeks popped out, more than thoroughly confused as to why your attendance seemed so important to them.

"To thank you for everything you've done, angel."

"And we've been over this a million times. I didn't save Seonghwa and the others because I wanted some sort of payment. I didn't ask for you to repay me. I don't need you to repay me."

You sighed, running a hand through your hair at the lies they continued to tell you. After all, if they truly wanted to thank you for what you had done, they would let you sit this one out. But they weren't. And if Yunho's earlier statement hadn't been proof enough for there being some hidden agenda - what had he been going to say? - then their insistence of you attending was. What that agenda might have been, you hadn't a clue, but there had to be one. This wasn't them showing you gratitude for saving Seonghwa's life, you knew that, but until Hongjoong decided he would talk with you, you had no choice but to play their game. Your very life might depend on it.

"And I'm not saying this because I'm not thankful for what you've done for me. I am, truly. But you've already thanked me enough. You don't have to keep doing this. You've done more than enough to return the favor and then some. Just let it go, let me go, and we can all move along with out lives."

"I know this has all been confusing for you, y/n, but will you let us do this one last thing?" Yunho's gaze had softened, unfazed by your ranting as he raised a hand to the side of your face. "I promise things will start to make a lot more sense after tonight. Just hold on for us a bit longer, will you, angel?"

You wanted to disagree, but one look was all it took for you to know nothing you did or said would change either his or Jongho's mind on the matter. You could try all you wanted in convincing them to let you be, but nothing you said or did would change the end result. It would just be wasted time and breath.

"Sure, whatever." It's not like I have a choice.

You had to bite your tongue to keep the last statement from coming out. While you had some leniency when it came to them - you sure as hell didn't see anyone else talk to them in the same manner you just had - you didn't want to take the chance at possibly putting yourself in a worse position than you already were because you couldn't hold your tongue.

"What the hell is going on, n/n?" Hyunwoo asked when the two generals finally let you leave with your brother. "Angel? Really?"

"Welcome to my life for the past few weeks," you grumbled, arms crossing as you did your best to hide the blush his callout of one of the nicknames they had all given you had created. You hadn't put too much thought into it though. It was nothing more than a playful reference they made to your previous hidden identity. "I keep trying to figure out what's going on and what they're planning to do with me, but they won't answer any of my damn questions. It's all just 'Hongjoong will explain everything to you later,' but Hongjoong seems to have a keep interest in avoiding me at the moment."

You briefly wondered if you should be more careful with what you said about him, just in case he was still spying on you, but you brushed the concern off as soon as it came. Perhaps if you made him angry enough, he would finally come talk to you.

"He has no problem spying on me and telling the others, 'Oh, y/n is exhausted so let her sleep,' or 'y/n's not supposed to hear that yet, so talk about something else.' It's all been Hongjoong this and Hongjoong that, but oh, no. You just need to have some patience. He doesn't want to talk to you right now. And why's that, huh? Because it would be a crime for the daemon king to be seen with a fucking mutt?"

"Are you sure you should be talking about him in that manner?" Hyunwoo's voice had lowered, eyes sweeping the general area to check and see if you had been overheard.

"Oh, trust me. He would have heard me if he wanted to. Did I forget to mention that he's in my fucking head?" You groaned, half regretting what you had just said, but also half hoping he had actually heard it. All of it. "They won't go into any specifics with it, but I'm pretty sure he already knows exactly how frustrated I am with all of this. He has access to my brain whenever he wants, after all."

"He can read your thoughts?"

"According to them, it's a little more complicated than that, but who's to say they're just not telling me the truth to keep me from freaking out more than I am already." You shrugged, letting out another exhausted sigh. It felt nice to finally be able to get your emotions out. To finally release all your frustrations after keeping them in for so long. "To be honest, I'm starting to think this is just some sort of game they're playing. That this nice exterior they've shown me is just a front for something more sinister. Now that they've gotten use of my ability, they'll embarrass me in front of everyone tonight for being stupid enough to believe someone like me could actually be something more in life. Why else would they be doing all of this?"

"I don't know." Hyunwoo's words were still soft as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder, doing his best to calm you down for the time being. "As crazy as it seems, I don't think their motive is anything sinister. I spent quite a bit of time with Jongho this morning, and I didn't get any ulterior motives from him. He just seemed genuinely curious about how my ability worked and even asked if he could see some of my previous work. And when he mentioned you, there was genuine warmth there. If you ask me, I think they really are grateful for what you've done for them, they just have a bad way of showing it."

"Maybe, but does it even matter?" You weren't sure how Hyunwoo's words made you feel. Unsure if them actually being grateful for you like they said was a better outcome than your own demise. "I don't know what they plan on doing with me, but the only good outcome that can come out of this is them finally letting me go. And based on what I've heard, I have a hard time believing that will happen." You sighed once more, wishing you had listened to your sister all those years ago and put your own wellbeing before people you didn't even know. "And now I've got you and Soomin wrapped into this as well. Minnie told me countless times to be careful and of how dangerous it was for me to be going out, but I just always thought the worst thing that would happen would be me dying. I never imagined something like this would happen. I just wanted to help people, but I only ended up managing to hurt the people I care about instead."

"It'll be okay, n/n. We'll get through this together." Hyunwoo's grip tightened, pulling you closer to him. "They offered you answers tonight, right? So we just have to make it through this silly party and then maybe you'll finally figure out what they plan on doing with you."

"I swear, Woo, if we somehow all make it out of this one alive, the next time you or Soomin warn me against doing something incredibly stupid, I'll listen. No ifs or buts."

Despite the situation, Hyunwoo laughed, the sound of it slowly easing the tension and fear that had been eating you up the past few days. "Well, if that's the case, you'll have to tell her that yourself. I'm sure Minnie would love to hear it."

"So she can hold it against me forever? Yeah, no thanks." You couldn't stop the giggle that came at his reply, playfully shoving him to the side, a sense of normalcy settling on you once more. For just a short moment, you were able to forget about the war and the daemons. For just a minute you could fool yourself into thinking it had all been one long dream.

But it all came crashing back down the moment you saw the dress the daemons had given you for the night's event.

If you didn’t think you were going to die beforehand, you sure as hell did now. Whether it would be at the hands of the humans, the daemons, or simply sheer embarrassment, you didn’t know. But you did know you wouldn’t be making it through the night unscathed. That was a given.

When Yunho had mentioned the clothes they had gotten you and your siblings for the ball that night, you had expected something similar to the dress presented to your sister. Something of high quality and beautiful, but simple enough to fit in with the rest of the crowd and not drive any unwarranted attention your way. You hadn’t expected something that would cause you to stand out more than if you had just been forced to wear one of the few dresses in your closet.

While Soomin’s was a deep maroon, yours was a bright, dazzling gold. The top was fitted, with a high neckline that crossed just below your collarbone in the front and let a small second of skin between your breasts bare alongside the entirety of your back. The skirt billowed out beneath your waist, and though loose and light with a slit that reached your upper thigh, still gave you enough cause for concern on what to do if you needed to run.

If the attention the style and color of the dress would bring didn’t make you uncomfortable already, the slit at your chest did. It wasn’t just because it showed more skin than you were used to showing - hell, you hardly even wore dresses, let alone something form fitting - but that it left the top half of the king’s sigil on your chest bared and exposed for anyone to see.

Soomin had attempted to alleviate some of your discomfort by reminding you it was a masquerade, but any relief the mask might have brought left as quickly as it came when you unwrapped the mask that had come with the dress. It was pure gold, melded and worked into an intricate design though extremely beautiful, did little to hide any of your discerning features. When Hyunwoo stopped behind you, you were quick to realize this was the task he had been requested for earlier that morning. You could see your brother’s gentle touch in the shape, and realized now why Jongho had been so curious about his ability.

But as beautiful as the piece was and as proud as it made you that even the daemons saw and appreciated your brother’s skill, you still regretted having to wear a mask that did nothing to hide your identity. If you weren’t certain of the daemon’s hidden agenda before, you were now. With a dress that screamed for attention all on its own and a mask that did little to hide your identity, they had to have something planned for you tonight. They wouldn’t have just dressed you up in something like this to simply thank you.

If it wasn’t for the fact Soomin and Hyunwoo would be at your side, you didn’t think you would have the courage to go. You had already tried to talk them out of making you go, begging for them to excuse your absence with being sick - the nerves bundled in your stomach definitely made you feel sick. But you knew it was pointless. Even if you did convince everyone to stay home, you knew it would be next to impossible. If they didn’t simply send someone to fetch you, Hongjoong could force you there on his own. And if it came to that, you weren’t sure how they might retaliate, afraid you would only risk your own life as well as your siblings.

Soomin did your hair, pulling and twisting it in a way that left the majority up and out of your face while leaving enough down to cover the tips of your ears. While this might have been enough for her to appear human in public, your luck of inheriting your father’s daemon eyes prevented you from easily blending in the way she could. And though she commented how pretty you looked, you couldn’t wish more than ever your eyes would suddenly appear human when she handed you the mirror. It didn’t matter how pretty you might have looked, all anyone had ever seen, or would ever see, were your slit pupils.

The trouble began before you even got inside the palace. Your cloak, once again mended and whole thanks to Soomin, was wrapped tightly against your body. Partially to keep out the brisk, autumn air and partially to keep the dress and mark hidden from view as long as possible. It did nothing to hide your identity, as an invitation with your names had come alongside the clothes given to you. The moment you walked up to the entrance and handed over the card, the guard eyed each of you with disdain.

It didn’t matter that he knew you were the people listed on the card and the guest list in his hands, the fact you were half-daemons had him convinced you were attempting to sneak inside and cause mayhem. For why would the council or the daemon king ever see fit to invite a bunch of mutts to an event that was meant to reign peace between them.

Though his actions struck a nerve with you, you were relieved all the same, hoping the commotion would be enough to send you all back to your house and avoid any further incidents. But just as you opened your mouth to convince the others to drop it and return home, a daemon guard approached your small group.

The human’s face blanched as the guard addressed you and your siblings in a cordial manner before quickly reprimanding him for offending the king’s personal guests. You didn’t know what part of the interaction made your stomach knot tighter. What might happen to the guard due to his mistake or the way the daemon spoke to you as he motioned you inside. The casualness of how he mentioned the king and his generals ‘eagerly awaited your appearance inside’ had you clutching the cloak all the more tightly around your body.

Unfortunately, you only had the safety of your cloak for a few moments longer. The moment you made it inside, a servant was asking to take it for you. And if you weren’t so terrified of revealing what laid beneath, you might have taken the time to note how strange it was to be treated like someone of a higher class for once in your life. You attempted to keep the cloak, shying away from their hands. The thought of taking it off and revealing the dress underneath made you terribly self-conscious, but when Soomin pointed out it might only attract more trouble, you hesitantly shrugged it off, shivering as the breeze from outside hit your skin.

You could already feel the eyes of the surrounding servants and guests milling around the antechamber as the golden dress was exposed. Your arms immediately wrapped around your chest and you hovered behind Hyunwoo is in shadow as the doors to the main hall were opened and you were ushered all the way inside.

You had been inside the castle of Maehwa before, often being asked to make personal calls to attend to any aches and pains of the council members and their families, but you were still left in awe at the scene before you. They had held balls and parties numerous times in the main hall of the castle, but they had never been anything but a fantasy for someone like you. Never before had you dared to so much as peek into one of these events, let alone actually be invited to one. And despite the events that had led up to this occasion, you couldn’t help but let a small smile sneak it’s way out as you took in the scene before you.

The main chandelier had been kept unlit, leaving the ones along the side as the only source of light besides the lanterns scattered amongst the room. It gave the scene a slightly eerie appearance from the way the shadows of the attendees danced along the way, but held a sense of enchantment all the same. Music filled the air from a small orchestra playing in a corner of the lower floor, while tables for food and drinks had been set up on the opposite end. And though the center of the main floor had been cleared for dancing, not many people occupied the space.

You strayed at the top of the staircase next to your siblings, taking in the sight of something that felt right out of a fantasy for you. And yet, here you were, dressed for the occasion in an outfit that was worth more than your own life. The gold glittered in the firelight, sending scattered beads of light dancing across the floors and walls it reflected off of. You might have been able to blend in well enough if you had been dressed in something more conservative. But the dramatic cut of the dress stuck out just as much as the color, influenced by the daemon’s style of clothing. There was no hiding in it, and already you could feel the gaze of the crowd around you, certain they were talking about you in hushed whispers amongst themselves.

You did your best to ignore them, fingers grasping for Hyunwoo’s forearm as you peeled past his shoulder to the scene below. A group was gathered at the base of the opposite staircase, set apart from the rest of the crowd that killed around. It didn’t take long to realize this was where the daemons had set up, recognizing the faces of the Seven behind their black masks. While you had always seen them handsome in their own way - something you would have never admitted out loud - it was even more evident tonight in the way they had cleaned up. Loose fitting shirts and leathers had been replaced with black formal attire, and the hair you always fought the urge to straighten out was slick and combed back.

An odd weight settled inside your chest as you observed them from across the room, tugging at you to go and free them. While the emptiness you had felt since the mark had been placed had nearly disappeared in your time with them the past few days, it had come back worse than ever when you had left with Hyunwoo. You had taken the tightness as nerves for the night’s events, but if that was the case, it should have worsened upon finally seeing them, not filled you with a bubbling sense of warmth and relief.

Whatever you thought of it though, disappeared when you took notice of the new face amongst the group. Even if it wasn’t for the way the lights glittered off the golden horns and crown that adorned his hair, you would have known who he was. Despite never seeing him before, you knew without a doubt this was Hongjoong. This was the daemon king.

He was breathtaking. Not that you had imagined him to be anything else. Not with the way each of his generals looked, but the sight of him still made your heart skip alongside a sharp intake of breath. Even with the distance and the golden mask - it’s twisted, metal shape that oddly seemed to mimic your own making you distinctly aware that this had been the other mask Hyunwoo had created - that hid his face, you knew he was just as attractive as the others. The way he was laughing at something Seonghwa had whispered to him making your stomach flip. Whether this was in awe, fear, or a mixture of both, you weren’t sure.

As though he knew you were looking at him - which very well could have been the case for all you knew - his head tilted up to the top of the staircase where you stood, eyes immediately locking onto your figure hiding behind your brother.

Hello, angel.

There was a hint of playfulness in his tone and you swore you could see a smirk cross his lips as the words echoed inside your head. If it weren’t for the fact he was actually there across the room, you might have felt some frustration over the fact this was the moment he finally decided to break his silence with you. Instead, it merely made your nerves spike and your heart skip another beat, each causing you to swiftly hide your face behind Hyunwoo’s back as a wave of heat flooded your body.

“I think I might go out to the balcony and get some air.”

Your words came out breathless, face hot and chest heavy as the situation you were in came rushing back. The awe of the scene that had killed you began to fade as those golden eyes seemed to pierce into your very being in that split second you had caught onto them. The words which had followed only confirmed it had been you he had looked at.

Now that you were finally seeing him, you wondered why you had ever dared to utter your frustrations towards him earlier. You might have wanted to meet him over the past few days, eager for just a hint of what was truly going on, but one look was all it took to make you weak. One look and you were ready to turn and run. The thought of having to get any closer than you already were nearly shook you to your core.

“But, y/n, you’ll freeze out there,” Hyunwoo replied, both he and Soomin oblivious to what had just happened. “Why don’t I just fetch us some drinks and we can find some dark corner to hide in for the rest of the night.”

“That sounds great, Woo. We’ll be over there,” Soomin voiced her agreement before you could voice any complaint you might have had, and dragged you over to an empty spot against the railing obscured by shadows.

“I don’t think I can do this, Min.” You leaned against the nearby pillar, trying your best to calm your anxiety as you purposefully positioned yourself so you weren’t facing him or the others anymore. “Everyone’s looking and I just know they’re talking. I can feel their judgement on the back of my neck.

“I know, but it’s just a few hours.” Soomin’s hand grabbed yours, squeezing it softly. “They did promise you answers if you came tonight, didn’t they?”

“That’s what Yunho said, but how do I know he wasn’t just lying to get me here tonight? What if it’s all just some scheme to pull me in and slit my throat?”

You gulped, unable to stop every worst case scenario from flooding your mind. Now that you were here, none of the options for how you saw this night going seemed very favorable. And even if you did succeed in getting the answers you yearned for, who’s to say they would even be anything you wanted to hear? And then, you would have to get close to Hongjoong to get them, a feat you didn’t know was possible or not.

“Did you see him, Min? He was so…” you paused, struggling to find the right word to describe how exactly he felt, “intense.”

“He’s something, that’s for sure.” Soomin nodded, observing him from across the room. “I can feel all of their auras from across the room. It’s…” she shivered, turning her gaze away, “uncomfortable.”

“Like you’re caught in a trap with no way out.” You struggled to suppress your own shiver, fully aware of what she was talking about. You may have grown used to their presence after the past few days, but the intensity had grown with the king in attendance.

Soomin nodded. “Though, it seems to do little to suppress Hayoon and the twins from fawning over him and the others.” Her lip twitched as she propped her elbows against the railing, a hint of a smile appearing as she watched them. “I wonder if they’re doing it on their own accord or if their parents put them up to it.”

Her statement caught you off guard and you turned back around to peek past the pillar to look for yourself. Sure enough, Hayoon and the twins, Sunhee and Yunhee, had crept as close to the daemons as possible. None of them so much as trying to hide their intentions as they did their best to catch the attention of one of the daemons beside them and wriggle their way inside.

You had very few interactions with the three girls over the years, but the few you had, had never been pleasant, making the scene with the woman at the infirmary a week ago nearly pale in comparison. The fact each girl had seemed to have suddenly put aside their dislike towards anything daemon because of a few pretty faces had you more frustrated than you had been when Wooyoung had first mentioned their attempt.

“I heard the council is trying to convince the daemons into a marriage union,” you replied, fighting the frustration that rose back up at the scene. “Funny how they don’t seem to mind daemon’s so much when they’re not the ones with the power. Do you think they realize what sort of children they’ll bear or do they magically think they’ll come out human?”

“And what are we talking about over here?” Hyunwoo had returned with the drinks, handing a glass to the both of you as his eyes attempted to follow your line of sight.

“Hayoon and the twins,” Soomin replied, pointing over towards them. “Apparently the humans are trying to secure a marriage alliance with the daemons, so there they are. Making an utter fool of themselves. I only wish I could hear what they’re actually saying.”

“Probably something about how hard it is to be the daughter of someone so high and respectable,” you huff, lips tilting upwards a smidge at the thought. They could try all they wanted to get the daemons’ attention, but you had heard enough over the past few days to know the marriage alliance was never happening.

“Or how difficult it is to find a respectable man in these times and day. All these men only seem to want to marry them for their money and stays. No one truly cares about who they are or how they feel. I mean, really? Who would ever do such a thing?”

You couldn’t hold back the giggle that popped out as Soomin followed your lead, quickly masking it with a hand to your mouth. The fact each girl was failing miserably at catching their attention only added to your amusement. And while the past few days had been strange and unnerving, you couldn’t help but wonder what sort of reaction you could pull out of them if they had known you had spent the past four days accompanied by them and each of them knew you by name.

“Oh, did they finally get a catch?” Hyunwoo asked, leaning over the railing to get a better look as one of the Seven, who you thought might have been San, whispered something into the king’s ear before breaking free from their group.

This immediately caught the attention of the three girls nearby, but any joy they might have felt fell when he passed them by without so much as a glance in their direction. You had little time to relish the disappointment that crossed their faces as San climbed the stairs behind them and began making his way in what appeared to be your direction.

You had no time to hide other than to attempt to obscure yourself in Hyunwoo’s shadows once more, turning your back towards him and hoping he would simply pass you by as he had done with them. Your attempts were in vain, however, as mere seconds later he drew close to your group and called you out by that ridiculous nickname they had given you.

You couldn’t stop the curse that slipped out from under your breath, nearly spitting out the sip of wine you had just taken and doing your best to compose yourself before he got too close.

“What are you doing up here hiding in a corner, pretty?” He peered around Hyunwoo’s shoulder, his smile playful as he caught your eyes. They didn’t stay long, straying for only a second or two before trailing downwards to fully take in your figure.

“Exactly what it looks like. I’m trying to stay inconspicuous.” You fidgeted under his gaze, arms crossing against your chest as you noticed the sets of eyes that had followed San’s movements to this point. Even Hayoon and the others had given up their antics for the time being to see what he was up to and who he might have been conversing with. “Which you’re not helping with by the way.”

“These must be your siblings.” San ignored your attempt at sending him away, turning to your siblings standing beside you. “Soomin and Hyunwoo, was it? It’s lovely to meet you both.”

“Likewise,” Soomin murmured, eyes glancing towards you as he smiled at her.

“Do you need something?” Your words pulled his attention back towards you, nearly shivering at the way his gaze shifted. You didn’t like that he was here meeting them. It felt strange, as though two different sides of your life was converging. As though he was wriggling his way into your private life.

“I happen to love dancing, angel, and am in search of the perfect partner.”

The inflection in his tone made you nervous and you swiftly shook your head, eyes widening. “No.”

“C’mon, pretty. You can’t just hide up here the whole time. Who will dance with me if you do?” He pouted, but his eyes were still teasing. “Please?”

“San, I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“You do realize that us just being here is akin to a taboo, don’t you? I can’t imagine what sort of hell you’ll raise if someone like you dances with me.” Your words were hushed, trying not to draw any more attention your way than there already was. The only reason you had yet to have anyone approach you was most likely due to the fact you had yet to be properly identified. Because the last person anyone would expect to be the girl dressed in gold was you. “If you want to make friends with the humans, you have to leave me alone. Go dance with Hayoon. I’m sure she would be dying to based on the way she’s been flaunting herself over there.”

“But I don’t want to dance with her, I want to dance with you.” He pouted, tilting his head, but his eyes were still playful. “And if that’s the best excuse you have, then, well, I’d say this place could use a little hell.” He grabbed the drink from your hand and took a sip of his own before placing it on a nearby table and grabbing hold of your wrist. “If you don’t mind, I’ll be borrowing your lovely sister here for a few moments.” He bowed his head in their direction and dragged you away before either of them could object.

“San!” you whined, trying to pull him back as the panic began to build inside the pit of your stomach once more. “I don’t even know how to dance. I’ll only embarrass you.”

“Don’t worry, angel, I’m a great teacher.” He looked back, a smug smile set on his face and completely unfazed by your second attempt to get him to stop. “Just follow my lead and you’ll be fine. I promise.”

You were left with no choice but to follow after him, bunching up your skirt in your free hand as he led you down the stairs towards the dance floor. If you didn’t have the entire room’s attention on you beforehand, you sure as hell did now. Everyone was bound to be wondering just who had drawn one of the Seven out onto the dance floor.

But as much as the humans’ curiosity unnerved you, it was nothing compared to the gaze of the other daemons. You made the mistake of glancing in their direction just once as San guided you to the center of the floor and immediately regretted it. Now that you were closer to them than before, you were acutely aware of the way their eyes had latched onto your figure next to San. Another wave of heat ran through your body as your eyes ran past each of them and you wondered just how exactly you were going to get out of this night alive, let alone in one piece.

“San, I really don’t think this is a good idea.” Your hands were shaking as he guided the left onto his shoulder. It was bad enough this was your first time dancing, let alone with someone else, but the eyes that watched you made it all the worse. You didn’t care what San had said, this was only going to lead to embarrassment on your part.

“Nonsense, just relax, will you, sweetheart?” His other hand wrapped around your waist, and you couldn’t suppress the gasp he elicited from you when he used his grip on you to pull you in close. “I’ll be doing all the hard work here. Just take a deep breath, relax, and let me lead you, angel.”

That was much easier said than done, but his grip on you was secure. Though you stumbled a few times in the beginning, he always pulled you into the next movement without skipping a beat. And while the ease of his movements did lessen your panic, the attention the action pulled was enough to keep you on edge. You didn’t know where to look. San’s face was completely out of the question with the smug smirk that was plastered there, but the onlookers, especially the daemons, weren’t any better. Eventually, you settled on his jawline, trying hard to not accidentally step on his toes, a feat you had somehow managed to avoid for the time being.

“See, it’s not so bad is it?” His voice was a breath against your ear.

“Everyone’s staring,” you mumbled back, risking a glance behind him and regretting it immediately. If you weren’t so terrified of San or the reaction it would pull from him, you would have just biting your head into the crook of his neck to avoid seeing all of them.

“That’s because of you, angel. Everyone’s wondering just who the pretty girl in the golden dress is.” He chuckled at the way his statement made your cheeks tint, but he didn’t stop there, continuing before you had the chance to rebuke him. “Which you look absolutely ravishing in, by the way. I knew you would when I saw the dress, but damn.” He sighed, fingers tightening against your waist and pulling you flush against him.

If it wasn’t for the music filling the hall, you were afraid he would have heard how fast your heart was now beating. And given the position you were in, you did bury your face into his neck this time, not wanting him to see the effect his words had on you. At the chuckle that reverberated through his chest, however, you knew your actions had hidden absolutely nothing.

“You’re doing great, angel. I think it’s time for you to try a spin.”

“No.” You pulled your head back out, shaking it quickly as a new wave of desperation filled you. You were barely hanging on as it was. Complicating things more than they already were was only a guarantee you would mess up. “Don’t do it, San, I swear-“ But your words were cut off when he ignored your pleas once more and did it anyways.

His grip on your hand was secure, keeping you from stumbling as he spun you around, the motion of your movement causing the fabric of your skirt to swirl around you, casting the nearby area in a sparkle of lights.

“Please, don’t do that again.” You tightened your hold on him when he pulled you back in, breathless by the act. It wasn’t quite as terrifying as you had expected, especially because you had managed it successfully, but you felt much more secure with both of his hands on you.

He laughed, pulling you back into him, a move you could only hope meant he would oblige to your request this time around.

It felt like an eternity, but the song eventually fell to a close and San seemed content with one dance for the time being. You were quick to excuse yourself before he could think to take you over to the others, claiming you needed the bathroom when in actuality you headed outside to one of the upper balconies in front a desperate need for some air.

Grabbing another glass of wine on the way, you were relieved to find an empty spot near the opposite end of the room overlooking the courtyard down below. With winter fast approaching, the majority of the attendees remained inside, but the cool air felt refreshing against the heat the dance had built up inside you, and you leaned against the nearby ledge with a sigh.

What were you doing here? You didn’t belong here.

You had been promised answers tonight, but the dance with San had only served to create even more, unsure of what insanity had driven him to do it. He had said the party could use a little hell tonight, but what had that meant? Was it because their intentions were true, and they truly didn’t care if your were a half-daemon like Wooyoung had insisted upon that first night, or were they simply using you as a pawn? Did they simply want to thank you with a night you had only ever dreamed of before, or was their invitation merely a way to rile up the humans?

And then there was the way San had complimented you. It was different than before. The others, including Hongjoong, had all complimented you before, but those were nothing more than teasing nicknames and playful remarks. Angel was only a reference to your time as the Black Angel, and pretty, was well… just something they said to amuse themselves with the reaction it could pull from you. Tonight, however, San’s words had been different. It had been in the shift of his tone. And in the way his fingers had tightened their grip, as though he was afraid you would slip right through.

You shook the thoughts away, fighting the blush that crept back on your face as your mind ran through the scene once more, hating how easily you had melted at the words. He wasn’t being serious. He couldn’t have been serious. He hadn’t been thinking clearly when he had said it, clouded by the image before him to remember exactly who you were. To remember exactly what you were.

The answers to everything were back in the ballroom, but how were you going to get them? We’re you just supposed to wait until one of them approached you or were you expected to come to them, yourself? Without knowing exactly where you stood with any of them, it was impossible to tell. They had seemed lenient enough with you back in the camp, but it was a different world here. A world where you were reminded just who they were and not the man who stood guard over you. They were the eight most important daemons and you were, well, you. Would they simply react the way they always did if you were to approach or would they punish you for daring to approach without permission?

Your thoughts were interrupted when you heard rustling behind you. Turning around, you expected to find one or both of your siblings, or perhaps even San when he realized you had lied to him. What you hadn’t expected to see was Hayoon and the twins in tow.

“You’re fucking kidding me. It was you?” Hayoon’s eyes hardened as she recognized you, lips puckering as she took in your appearance with a newfound disgust. “He picked the fucking mutt over me? What the hell are you even doing here?”

“I-”

“So that’s what she’s been doing since she got sent over to them,” one of the twins - you had never took the time to get to know them well enough to tell them apart - was quick to add as they approached you. “Fucking them in order to get some kind of favor, huh? Tell me, which one did you do it with to get this dress?”

“I can’t believe this. What the hell got in your head to think it would be okay for you to show up tonight, let alone in that thing.” Hayoon’s eyes raked over the dress, jealousy evident in her gaze. “My father said marriage was in the talks and that I should be sure to get his attention to secure it, but I can’t get him, let alone any of his stupid generals to even look in my direction thanks to you.”

“Well, well, well, would you look at this.” The other twin broke Hayoon’s ranting, finger pointing towards the golden mark gleaming in the moonlight. “She was the traitor after all. She was the one who killed that lady. She had to be. Daddy said they requested her by name, after all, so she must have been in league with them for some time now.”

“What did you even hope to gain from it, you stupid whore?” Her sister asked, head cocking. “I mean, you do know what they do to mutts like you, right?” She tan a nail against her neck, mimicking the act of them slitting it. “Did you think helping them would get you into their good graces? Did you think fucking them would keep them from killing you?”

“You do realize you’re nothing more than a pawn to them?” Hayoon was close enough for you to smell the alcohol on her breath, but her eyes were sharp. “That the only reason they’ve been entertaining you this whole time is to you use you against us? My father said marriage was in the works, but I’m not an idiot. I know the daemons would never dare to mix their blood with the likes of us. They’re too prideful for that. They’re just using you as a toy to mock us. Dangling you in front of us as a way to degrade us.” Her finger trailed against the fabric wrapped around your upper arm. “So, just what are we to do with this pretty, little plaything of theirs, girls?”

She grabbed hold of the fabric, tugging hard. The sound of it ripping left you gasping, making you wonder what was going to happen to you when they realized the dress had been ruined. You didn’t have the means or money to fix it.

“Hayoon, are you sure we should be doing this?” The twin on the left asked, more hesitant now that Hayoon seemed willing to act on her frustrations. Her eyes glanced back at the entrance to the balcony, as though worried of getting caught.

“Relax, Sunnie, they’re going to kill her once they’re done with her. We’ll just be doing them a favor when we beat them to it. After all, she is a traitor, so we’re only doing the right thing by turning her in once we have our fun with her.” She took the wine glass from your hand and tilted the rest of the contents onto the front of it, staining it beyond repair. “Oops, my hand slipped.”

You knew you should do something to defend yourself, either by words or actions, but you found yourself shutting down at the haughty expression Hayoon wore. After all, what if she was right? What if this really was nothing but a game for the daemons? And you were just a pawn to get back at the humans? That they would kill you once they were done with you.

Was this why they had brought you here tonight despite your insistence it was a bad idea? Did they dress you up and pull you out into the dance floor to attract trouble your way? To ensure something like this would happen to you? To ensure the humans would punish you, so they could use your death as an excuse to exterminate them all? And that they had only marked you as a means to see the war through to the end?

“What’s going on here, angel?”

Between the voice that spoke directly in your left ear to the arm that was suddenly snaking it’s way across your waist, you couldn’t keep from jumping. You weren’t they only one surprised by their sudden presence, and Hayoon stumbled backwards, eyes wide and blinking as she took in the figure who had just materialized behind you.

You didn’t have to look behind you to know who it was. Even if you hadn’t recognized the voice, you knew it was Seonghwa. While you had been confused by how quickly he had moved the night you had saved him, you had since come to learn his daemon ability had something to do with teleportation.

“Are they bothering you, pretty?”

You had a hard time deciphering the emotions running through you. You were relieved at his presence, grateful that he had come to your aid, but the venom that laced his voice kept you on edge. You didn’t have to look at him to know he was enraged. You could feel how tense his muscles were behind you, and you knew Hongjoong must have been observing you in your absence and had sent Seonghwa before things got out of hand. Whether this was because they were truly upset by the way the girls had spoken to you or because they were simply telling the truth behind the daemon’s behavior, you weren’t sure. Neither option ended with a positive outcome and the image of Hak Seongmin dead in the streets ran through your mind once more.

“No, I’m fine.” You tried to wriggle your way out of his grasp, growing more panicked as the situation began to escalate. If you didn’t do something quick, someone was going to end up in major trouble. “We were just talking.”

“Oh, are these friends of yours?” Despite your attempts at escaping, his grip on you was tight, fingers digging into your hip.

“Uh-huh, we’ve been friends forever.” Hayoon’s expression shifted at his response, eyes glittering dangerously as she took full advantage of his ‘mistake’. The innocent smile batted his way all but proving she was not aware of the danger in his stance. “I came out to compliment this beautiful dress of hers; it’s just a shame she spilled her wine. She’s always been a little clumsy.”

“Is that so?” Seonghwa twirled you around to face him, free hand roaming to the front of your dress that was no soaked. You couldn’t suppress the shiver his touch against your bare skin brought, the dark glint in his eyes lightening momentarily as his finger traced against the blade of the sword etched there. “It must have just slipped.” Oh, he knew. He definitely knew. “Why don’t we get you inside to warm back up, huh, pretty? The others have been eager to see you.”

“I… Mu dress, though. I should probably-“

“Invite your friends? What a wonderful idea, angel.” His hand raised to your face, cupping your cheek with a look that shook you to your core. “I’m sure the others would love to meet them.”

“Really?” Hayoon had a hard time holding back her surprise, but she recovered quickly, shooting a smug smirk in your direction when she thought Seonghwa wasn’t looking. The twins, however, seemed a lot less interested in Seonghwa’s offer, eyeing the two of you carefully as they whispered to each other behind Hayoon. “It would be an honor, sir.”

The last thing you wanted was to go with them. You knew something was up with Seonghwa. His grip was tight enough around your waist that you were afraid it would bruise, and the smile he sent your way was strained, not even remotely reaching his eyes. He was terrifying enough as it was when you had been with him before, but it was nothing compared to the scene now, and you couldn’t suppress a shiver from coursing through you when he dragged you along after him.

Hayoon, oblivious to the tension between you and Seonghwa, attempted to strike up a conversation with him as you went. She batted her eyes and hit him with the sweetest smiles she could manage, but Seonghwa didn’t even look in her direction. And once she realized her efforts were in vain, her smiles vanished altogether, exchanged for scowls directed towards the object of his fascination, you.

It would have unnerved you if your mind hadn’t already been elsewhere. Any fear you had felt towards Hayoon and her threats, and even Seonghwa, dissipated when the person he was taking you to finally hit you. Unless he decided to be mysteriously missing once more, you were finally going to meet Hongjoong. You were finally going to meet the daemon king.

“Seonghwa, I can’t do this.” Upon hearing you speak, he leaned his head towards you to better hear you, fingers drawing you all the closer towards him. A motion Hayoon was quick to pick on beside you. “My dress, it’s ruined. I can’t go in front of him or the others like this. Just let me go home, please? I want to go home.”

“It’ll be okay, angel. It’s our fault this happened. We told you we would keep you safe, that nothing would happen to you tonight, but we failed.” As you made it to the steps, his grip tightened once more to keep you steady. “The last thing any of us cares about right now is some stupid dress.”

“But-“

“Let’s just go see the others for a bit and then we can all go home, okay?” Seonghwa’s expression did soften this time when he looked down at you. “I promise.”

You wanted to tell him that defeated the whole point of your argument. As much as you did take relief in hearing you wouldn’t have to stay here for much longer, it did nothing to relieve the fears you had confessed earlier. It did nothing to get you away from having to see him. But any argument you might have been about to voice fell away as you took sight of the group you were approaching.

Despite the fear clawing it’s way through you, your eyes were quick to lock onto Hongjoong. He sat in the middle of the group, leg propped up as he lounged and looking every bit the king he was. His hair was multicolored, black on one side and white on the other, strange, but oddly fitting of his other features.

Mingi was bent over on his right, listening to something he was saying, but popped up as Seonghwa approached with you in tow. His dark eyes ran over your figure once before stepping away, allowing Hongjoong’s full attention to be on you as he disappeared to do whatever it was he had just been tasked with.

“Your majesty, I present to you Miss l/n y/n, the Black Angel.” Seonghwa’s grip released you as he bowed before stepping away to join the others and leaving you alone before him.

Unsure of what to do or how to act, you decided the best course of action was to follow Seonghwa’s lead and lifted your skirt to fall into a deep curtsy. You didn’t trust your voice enough to speak, so you remained silent. What would you have even said if you did find the courage? The proper etiquette for a situation such as this one was unknown and foreign to you. After all, never in your life did you think a moment like this one would ever come to you. Never in your life did you think you would be face to face with the daemon king.

He was silent at first, face unreadable as he took in your shaking figure. You didn’t dare look him in his eyes and stared at the floor instead, hoping he wouldn’t be upset by the fact the dress he had given you was now beyond repair.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person, angel.” He rose from his seat to approach you, and after only ever hearing his voice inside your head before, it felt strange to hear him speak to you out loud. “As well as to finally thank you for everything you’ve done for us.” It took everything in you to not flinch when he reached for your hand, but it was impossible to control the shiver that overtook you when his lips brushed against your knuckles. “You’ve done a great service to your king and your kindness will not be left unrewarded for much longer.”

“Please, you’ve already done so much. Any service I might have done to aid you had been paid in full already. No further reward is needed.” If he really wished to reward you like he said, he could do so by answering the questions that had been haunting you for the past weeks, but you didn’t dare voice this in front of him.

“Perhaps, but that doesn’t change the fact I feel my gratitude has remained unmatched by your kindness and grace.”

His head tilted and you were acutely aware of the way your hand was still grasped firmly in his. As much as you wanted to pull it away and disappear from his intense gaze, you found yourself leaning into it all the same. His mere presence was awe-inspiring. You could feel the power rolling off of him, the intensity of it far surpassing any of his generals, and yet, as terrifying as it was, it was also… inviting. You felt bare and exposed beneath him, and yet there was still a warmth to it hidden beneath the surface, as though inviting you to let his aura fill your entire being and make you whole once more.

The trance was broken when someone cleared their throat behind you, grounding you back to reality. You were swiftly reminded of the three other girls standing behind you awaiting the introductions Seonghwa had promised them. Hongjoong also took note of it, golden eyes glancing behind your shoulder and smile faltering as he took them in.

“These are your friends, are they not?” He spit the word out, as though the mere thought of them being anything resembling it was sickening. “Go see Jongho for me, will you, angel? I’d very much like to talk to them.”

“C’mere, angel.” Jongho called out to you, extending a hand towards you. Hongjoong used the grip he still had on you to extend it in his direction without allowing you to decide for yourself if it was something you wanted. Jongho’s hand was gentle, but firm as he brought you over towards him. His eyes were darker than normal and body tense as he pulled you close to him, masking his usual bashful behavior around you.

“Your highness, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Hayoon approached first, the only one who still seemed interested in this meeting, and drew herself into a deep curtsy. “I am Ahn Hayoon. My father is the lead councilman of Maehwa.”

“My interest doesn’t lie in introductions tonight as I’m already well aware of who you are.” There was a shift in his tone, dark and commanding. Even Hayoon seemed to be taken back, not quite as smug as you expected her to be when he stated he already knew who she was. “I’m far more interested as to what happened out on the balcony earlier.”

“I apologize, but I don’t quite understand what you mean.” Her face fell, eyes flickering towards you, almost as if she was asking for your help. Asking you to back her claims up. “If you’re referring to the dress, her hand slipped.”

“Ah, yes. And please remind me, was this before or after you threatened her life?”

“What? No, I-“

“‘They’re going to kill her once they’re done with her. We’ll just be doing them a favor when we beat them to it.’ Isn’t that what you had said? That you’ll turn her over to the authorities once you’ve had your fun with her?” A smile had crossed his features, but it wasn’t the same smile he had shown you moments earlier. There was nothing kind about this one. "Tell me, just what sort of fun were you referring to?"

“What does it even matter? She’s just a mutt. You already plan on killing her once you’re done with her anyways.” Hayoon’s face was pale, but she didn’t back down, frustrated by the fact you had seemingly still been picked over her and fueled by the alcohol she had consumed. “Whatever it is that she’s done for you, she just did it to save her own skin. She’s-“

But whatever other insults she was going to throw your way was replaced by a low gurgling and her hands flew up to her neck. In a movement faster than you could properly comprehend, Hongjoong had slit her throat; the only sign he had done it was the blood now dripping off his extended claws.

“Oops, my hand slipped.” He laughed, running his tongue over one of the nails to taste the blood that now stained them. “How disappointing,” his face fell, “it’s terribly bitter.”

Your entire body froze, heart nearly stopping as you watched her body slink to the floor.

He had killed her. Just like that. No questions asked. And all for what? Because she had threatened your life? Because she had offended you?

“You fucking monster!” A few scattered screams rose up, alerting the rest of the crowd of the murder that had just taken place, but it was Hayoon's father who drew your attention. "That was my daughter!" The high councilman of Maehwa made his way across the room, collapsing to his knees next to her body with a strangled cry. He was too late though. Hayoon was nearly beyond saving now. "You!" His finger pointed straight to you, eyes glistening with tears and yet glaring at you like this was all your fault.

Was it? Was this your fault?

“Get over here and save her. That’s an order.”

You knew you needed to move. You knew you needed to listen to him and pull yourself back together and try something to save her. She was gone, you knew that, but you couldn't just stand there and do nothing either. But no matter how much you screamed at your legs to move, you were frozen in your spot, paralyzed by fear. Your eyes were glued to the blood dripping off Hongjoong's hand, wondering why you had ever let your guard down around him. Why had you ever let your guard down around any of them? They were killers. You knew that. You had seen it.

Oh, god. Was Hayoon right? Were you next?

"Oh, that's an order?" Hongjoong bent down to match the man's eye level, head tilting to the side as though them ordering you to do anything for them was ridiculous. He grabbed the councilman's chin with his hand, bloody claws still extended and digging into his skin. "And what will you do after she saves your daughter's life, hm? What gratitude will you show her? A noose, perhaps? For taking the precious attention you and your daughter so desperately craved? You pigs make me fucking sick."

While the majority of the crowd watched the scene unfold in horor, glued to their spots in a similar fashion as yourself, a few attendees had made an attempt to escape through one of the two doorways leading out. But despite them remaining open, something was blocking them from leaving. Something invisible. Something that left their pounding fists bouncing back off uselessly.

"This woman has saved thousands of your soldiers and citizens and what have you done to show your appreciation, huh? What have you done to thank her?" Hongjoong dropped the councilman's head in disgust, standing to address the crowd. "She risked her life countless times to ensure the soldiers you left for dead had a second chance at life. Stayed up countless nights to brew the potions you took to save your own and not a single ounce of gratitude was ever shown her way. You punished her for the smallest of crimes. Claimed she was poisoning you. called her every derogatory name you could think of, treated her like she was less than you. You would let her die without a second thought, and yet, despite it all, she still worked tirelessly to help you. But that all changes tonight. Tonight, you'll pay for your crimes."

"C'mon, angel. Let's get you out of here." Jongho began to pull you away, guiding you to the stairs behind you.

"Why? What's going to happen?" You struggled up the stairs after him, nearly tripping on your skirts at his quick strides. You legs still struggled to move, the scene of Hayoon grasping at her throat repeating over and over again. If it wasn't for his tight grip on your waist, you though you would very well collapse. "What are you going to do?"

Your eyes glanced behind you as you traversed the upper level to the main door, unable to hear anything else Hongjoong was saying over the panicked crowd around you.

You didn't like Hayoon. Hell, if you were truly being honest, you would even say you hated Hayoon. Hated her for the way she had treated you. Maybe you had even wished she would known what it felt like to be the one on the other side, to get a small taste of her medicine, if just a little, but that hadn't meant you had wanted her to die.

"Nothing that you need to worry about. All you need to know is that you're safe with us now. None of these pigs will ever harm you again."

Jongho weaved his way through the crowd effortlessly, and the invisible barrier that had kept them from leaving had no effect on you as he guided you through the doorway with ease.

Jongho closed the doors to the hall once you were through, shutting out the noise of the room behind you. He seemed to breathe easier now that you were both out and motioned for a nearby daemon guard to grab your cloak before the two of you stepped outside. His shoulders were still tense, but his grip on you had lightened, fingers no longer digging into your skin.

"What the hell is happening, Jongho?" You pulled away from him as you found your strength once more, eyes narrowing. You didn't know what madness they had planned, but you knew nothing good was about to go down on the other side of those doors. Whatever it was, it was something they didn't want you to see. Something they didn't want you to know about. "Where are you taking me?"

"Has it... has it really always been like that for you?" Despite your obvious frustration, his gaze softened as he took you in, no longer in a hurry now that he had gotten you out of the main hall.

"What are you talking about?" You tilted your head, slightly caught off guard by his sudden change in topic.

"That girl. She treated you so horribly, even in front of Hongjoong, And the others..." His words were soft as he tried to reach for you once more, but you stepped back from him before his hand could touch, causing it to just fall short. "I could hear what they were saying about you. What everyone was saying about you. You've saved so many of their lives, and yet, the only gratitude they seem to show you is to allow you to keep breathing."

"So? It's nothing new." Your arms crossed, attempting indifference. "I've been treated like that since I was born. That's the price you pay when you're someone like me. You should know that. It's not like the daemons have ever treated us any better. Or has the fact you just kill us when we're born blinded you to the way we're treated when we're allowed to live?

"This," you motioned to your figure as you continued, to the dress that still adorned your body and the castle you were still standing in. "This isn't me, Jongho. This dress, this party, the people. None of this is me. They never have been and they never will be. Not for someone of my status. It's just the way that it's always been. It's the way it will always be. Hayoon knew that and you killed her for it."

Oh, god, why had they killed her?

"She was going to have you killed, angel."

"That didn't mean you had to kill her!" Your arms wrapped tighter around your body, unable to suppress the shiver that racked your body as your mind replayed the scene once more. "I didn't want you to kill her."

"I'm sorry, angel, truly, but she resigned herself to her own fate. You're under our protection and anyone who threatens the lives of those under the golden crown are punished with death. Hongjoong had no choice but to-"

"Choice? There's always choice." You spit back. "The law said I should have just let Seonghwa die, and yet I chose not to. So don't tell me you didn't have a choice. The only one who doesn't have a choice here, is me." You were done playing the nice and safe act. You were done playing their game. "So, what the hell is going on? And don't give me the fucking Hongjoong excuse. I want answers. Now."

"And you'll get them, angel, I promise. Let's just get you home and out of that dress. You can take a bath to calm down and change into something more comfortable, okay? And then we can talk. How does that sound?"

You shook your head. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"I know you're upset, y/n, and I can understand your frustrations, but will you please just come with me? I really don't want to have to force you back to camp."

You would have laughed at the irony of his words if it wasn't for the fact they had swiftly reminded you of the fact your siblings were still inside. In the midst of your panic, you had all but forgotten about Soomin and Hyunwoo, and your breath caught at the thought of them still being in there. Of something happening to them.

You scrambled back to the door, fingers prying at the handle to open it back up, but Jongho stopped your movements before just as it started moving.

"Let me go!" You struggled against his grasp, fighting to get back to the door. "My siblings are still in there!"

"y/n, please. You don't need to go back in there. Your siblings are fine. Mingi escorted them out a few minutes before we left. They'll be waiting for you back at camp when we return."

This made you stop. "They're at the camp?"

"Of course. We know how much they mean to you." Jongho smiled, taking advantage of your shocked state to let his fingers brush along your cheek, fully taking in your wide-eyed expression. "So, what do you say? Shall we head back and join them? The others will follow once they've finished taking care of a few things."

"If I agree, you'll answer my questions, right? You'll tell me what's going on?"

"You'll have to wait until Hongjoong returns, but yes. He promises to answer any and every question you might have for us." Jongho nodded, taking the cloak the guard had brought back and wrapping it around your body for you. "Is that okay, angel?"

You hated the sincerity he was showing you. How could he treat you with such softness after what had just happened? After everything they had done? Acting like he hadn't just willingly let his king murder someone and then following through with his orders without batting an eye. Acting like he was innocent in all this. Hongjoong may have killed Hayoon, but he was just as guilty for the role he had played.

Damn hypocrite.

Jongho flinched, making you half-wonder if he had just heard what you had called him in your head. Based on the frown that tugged at his lips, you assumed he had, but felt no ounce of guilt for it. After all, if he didn't want to hear how frustrated you were at him and the others right now, he shouldn't have gone digging through your mind.

"You already know the answer to that," you began your reply to his earlier statement, ignoring the pained expression that had crossed his face as you pushed past him to start the long walk back. "After all, we both know I don't have a choice."

~

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Obsessive || Kang Yeosang (series)

Parts ➞ [one] [two] [three] [four]

Part 1

Pairing ➞ brothers best friend! yeosang x (fem)reader

Summary ➞ You tried to pay no mind to your brother’s friends and their flirty antics, but it always confused you when only one of them seemed disinterested in you. Even though you’d never admit it, he intrigued you—to the point where when you kissed drunkenly at party, you wanted more. And you were going to get it.

Genre ➞ enemies to lovers au, friends with benefits, party au, college au, smut, fluff, slight angst

Series Warnings/tags ➞ 18+, sex, language, drug use (weed), oral sex (fem receiving), unprotected sex, friends with benefits cycle, daddy issues, toxic friends, heavy drinking, lots of intimacy, yeosang is a meanie at first, San is a flirt, party, hookups, etc

Chapter word Count ➞ 4.1k

Total word count ➞ 7.7k (and counting)

Parts ➞ [one] [two] [three] [four]

Taglist ➞ @atinywhore @ch0isa99ie

Maybe it was how you grew up, but you really couldn’t stand when someone didn’t like you.

Was it because everyone usually wanted you? Was it because you were so used to being the one your family was proud of? The one who lit up a room?

Well, maybe. But what you did know is that it bothered you that out of all people, your brother’s best friend had no interest in you. That beautiful, beautiful man that you can’t help but deny your attraction to. Since the minute you met him, you’ve barely spoken to him. What was the reason for his disinterest?

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