Within The Forest | Chapter 9

within the forest | chapter 9

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader x prince!Seungmin word count: 2.2k words summary: you opened your heart to Seungmin and it was a great decision. But something happened in the forest. warning: a slight mention of blood

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“What is this about, Your Highness?” Beomgyu asked, sitting on her bed uninvited. Early in the morning, Taehyun requested Beomgyu to send the princess back to the palace before anyone noticed her disappearance (as it wasn’t the first time she did that). Since the brunette had once intruded on the castle, Taehyun didn’t hesitate to ask him, and Beomgyu agreed without another word being spilt.  As he was leaving, Y/N suddenly asked him to stay, which brought him to this moment, awkwardly shifting on the bed and waiting for her to finish writing.

She turned around and handed him a folded paper. “I would be grateful if you give this to Chan. I’m going out with Seungmin today.”

“Oh! Have fun with the prince then. I’ll head off now.” Beomgyu bid goodbye and flew out of the balcony. His silhouette turned blurry as he entered the forest. A soft knocking snapped her from the short sightseeing.

“Your Highness, Prince Seungmin is expecting your arrival,”

“Please tell him I’ll be there in a few minutes, Sarah. Thank you”

“You look stunning, Y/N” Seungmin complimented as she walked down the stairs. Her fit wasn’t the daily attire she wore. Instead, of a dress that would swipe the ground beneath her, she chose a knee-length peach dress and a pair of brown boots. She muttered a thank you, beaming a tender smile. Seungmin pecked her hand and escorted her to the carriage, only for her to shake her head.

“Let’s take a stroll without your carriage. It’ll be much more satisfying to feel the real Stellious with both legs” 

“You stretch enough for a long walk?”

“Of course! Don’t underestimate me, Prince Seungmin” 

The prince chuckled, heading to the carriage driver to inform the matter. The aged man nodded. Picking up the reins, he gave the horse some slack. The horse’s head perked up and it began leaving the castle's front yard. Seungmin gestured for her to take the lead, but she pulled him to her side. Having a stroll around the town in the morning while breathing in the fresh air was something she'd missed. Her mother had lost her strength to walk a long distance as she aged. Adding a fact, nobody dared to bring the princess out of the palace after the incident took place

White cotton-like clouds sprawled across the blue sky, as they marched further, the sun rising behind the mountain greeted them, casting golden rays on the cobblestone path and trees. The morning breeze gently caressed their face. They chatted throughout the walk. What started from a random topic he brought to start a conversation turned into sharing a piece of their childhood life. Today was the longest record Seungmin had talked to her since their first encounter.

The walk to the town didn’t take hours. Setting foot in the city, the early birds of the town welcomed them with smiles and ‘good morning’ wishes. Flying birds scattered in the sky as they hunted for food and their growing children chirped their enchanting whistles. The town had always kept the same smell from the beginning, the smell of her childhood. Clasping Seungmin's hand, she dragged him through the street, heading to Aunty Rosie’s bakery. They never miss a chance to reply to the villagers' wishes.

The wind chime rang above the creaked door, and the smell of fresh baked goods and newly grounded coffee beans engulfed them. This was one of the things she was fond of in the silver-haired woman’s bakery, the smell greeting her is comforting. 

“Y/N! You’re early today!” Rosie beamed and shifted her gaze to the prince.

“Prince Seungmin, isn’t it? It’s such a pleasure meeting you!” 

“Don’t need to be too formal, Aunty. Call me Seungmin or whatever you prefer, please”

“Of course, sweetheart. You haven’t eaten your breakfast yet?”

She grinned sheepishly and nodded. Aunty Rosie turned to her kitchen, bringing out just-baked croissants and handed them to the prince. “Any preference in your drink?”

“A tea is good enough, Aunty. At this age, you should hand everything to your children”

A chuckle sounded from Aunty Rosie’s lips. She couldn’t leave this bakery behind as it was the only place she could recount her children and Y/N’s moments of growing up. The place was all she had after the children exited Stellious. At least, when they come back, they know where to find their beloved mother.

“This bakery meant everything to this old woman, Seungmin. Take care of my flora, mhm?”  Aunty Rosie ushered the prince to the princess and let her bring the tea to their table but Seungmin insisted on helping her. A small fight broke out between them, Y/N witnessed it, and she giggled.

A sulky Seungmin arrived at the table along with Aunty Rosie, whose lips had stretched into a proud smile. Y/N was elated to see someone could let that smile dominate the figure whom she’d called mother. They thanked her for breakfast, and the sulky face didn’t subside from Seungmin’s features throughout breakfast, causing laughter to burst from her.

“Come on, Seungmin. Sulking doesn’t suit you.” She joked although it sounded awkward. Somehow, it managed to light up Seungmin’s mood. They finished breakfast and Y/N brought her around the city while introducing some of the villagers to him.

After the long stroll, she figured his legs couldn’t go for another mile(alluding to him constantly asking for a break) but Y/N didn’t blame him, the beaming afternoon sun sure burned some energy from him as well. Lacing her hand with his, she led him back to Aunty Rosie’s bakery. As dumbfounded as he was, he let her take control over his steps despite knowing the kind woman was out with her husband that afternoon. Whatever they were doing, Seungmin hoped they spend a blissful day in their late age. 

She went to the side of the bakery, halting on her steps. She rummaged through her blouse’s pocket, searching for the silver key her mother gave her. Inserting the key into the hole, the bottom of the metal door ran against the rock, letting out a low rustling as she pushed the door.

Seungmin didn’t ask so much about their whereabouts, he believed Y/N wouldn’t bring her to a creepy or odd place, right?

Soon, a meadow filled with flowers of many kinds entered his vision. The air in here became thinner and he saw a single tree growing tough in the middle of the field. As expected, the girl pulled him toward the tree. 

“Welcome to my first haven,” She uttered, lying on the grass. The grasses were poking her back but she didn’t bother to sit, the evening sky was gorgeous not to tear her gaze for a moment. Seungmin settled beside her, shifting his weight to the tree, legs spreading on the grass.

“Why did you call it your haven? Shouldn’t it be your palace instead?”

“My palace is home but living there began suffocating me when I was 8. Something happened and they didn’t allow me to get out of the castle”

“That accident must have caused trauma to them that they took one step further protecting you”

She chuckled, glancing at him “It did. Anyway, this place was the only place I could feel a sense of freedom. Look at this wide field, the 8 years old I will run around while screaming”

“Then what is your second haven?”

“My second haven is a person. It's my best friend, Chan and he’s a fairy. He’s my real haven. A moment with him never wasted without laughter and smiles”

She couldn’t hold back a smile every time she opened up a story about Chan, the image of the man always managed to creep a smile on her face. Every memory they spent was vivid in her mind and she held each of them dearly.

“A fairy?” Surprise hinted at his tone until she needed to raise her head to see his reaction. Luckily it was the expression she was looking for; a pair of eyes glimmered in excitement toward her. It was a rare sight from someone.

“I always heard of them in the storybook. I didn’t know they co-exist with us! Can’t I meet him? He seems like a great man”

“About that, I will find time for both of us”

“Thank you! Also, thank you for today. You opened my eyes to Stellious's beauty and gave me a chance to get to know you”

“No, it’s all thanks to you. You snapped me out of my little fantasy. I realised I closed my heart to everyone when I met Chan but he isn’t the one I blame. It’s me. While chasing my freedom, I forgot the one who taught me what freedom was”

“Maybe I thought, if I had Chan by my side, no one would be important to me anymore. I was wrong, I need them because they came before him. Soon enough, I will have my husband who will teach me what freedom is”

“Y/N-”

“Having a new company will make Chan and myself happy. Besides…”

She sat beside him, head turning at him, giving him a smile

“-he would be glad to know I’m in good hands as a queen and as a wife”

Giving it a chance to the prince was a good idea after all.

The flowing water from the flowering pot rained upon the flowers in his front yard. He moved to the other side of the yard to water his other flowers only to stop when a dagger shoved into his neck. The item dropped from its grip as he glared at the intruder. He sensed magic encircled the man but knew too well it didn’t belong to him. Whose magic was it then? His fingers moved, and from behind, roots crept up and bounded the man onto the floor. 

“Who sends you here?” He asked and went to the open field, away from the man. The roots will untangle themself any moment now, the magic that was with him was much stronger and dangerous than his, and so was the danger that was lurking. The man kept his mouth to himself and silence consumed them. Chan didn’t expect an answer anyway.

The low crunching leaves caught his attention. He turned his body around and sent a gust of wind with his wings toward the man, hurling him to the other side. Taking the opportunity, he tried chaining the figure with his magic again. His attempt immediately turned in vain, the roots burned.

He hurled at Chan, thrusting his blade toward Chan’s chest. Chan avoided the attack, gripping the man’s hand in advance.

“The king sent you, didn’t he?” 

“A fairy shouldn’t exist in the first place” He eyed Chan before twisting his wrist, aiming for Chan’s neck, and it took Chan by surprise. The blade grazed his neck as he pushed himself up to the sky, attempting to escape. He winced as he landed back. 

Chan flew toward the man, taking the man by the waist and they crashed into a tree 

Chan’s hand wrapped around the man’s neck.

“Tell me, what does he want?!”

“Nothing more than your disappearance from this world”

His jaw clenched. The king had hated them for centuries because of their differences. The hatred wouldn’t die down as long as the king was alive or turned a bit merciful. He tightened the grip, only for it to loosen the moment the scream echoed in the back of his mind – His friend's screams. The man blew a fatal punch to Chan’s cheeks seeing his almost unconscious condition. 

The attack continued aiming at Chan’s chest and he could feel his body slowly giving up. Using his power drained a lot of his energy. The man noticed Chan's decreasing speed and movement.

A sharp pain dug into Chan’s stomach as the silhouette of the man left his gaze. He was not running away, instead, someone had pulled him away from Chan. He snatched the dagger as blood oozed out from his new wound. 

Dropping to his knee, he heard Taehyun shouting his name. 

“Chan, send him back! I can’t block him any longer!” Biting back the pain, he rosed to his feet, limping toward Taehyun. He mumbled a spell, and the male vanished from the forest in a wave of black feathers. 

His body collided with Taehyun’s. The blonde hugged the black-haired male, leaning his body against his chest, and pressing his palm into Chan’s wound. A shout burst from his lips and a tear fell.

“It hurts…Taehyun. It hurts!” He winced

“I know. Hold it back just a little more” 

In his blurry vision, he saw three figments beside him. Two were lying lifeless on the grass, and the latter stared at them without sympathy, a smirk grew on his lips. He searched for the memory of the day, and he regretted it. Soon, the figment disappeared along with his pain.

“Duncan is helping the king. I sense his magic earlier”

“That’s how they entered this forest?”

“Yes, no human can destroy my shield except Duncan. He’s taking his revenge on me because I refuse to work with him”

“This is just the beginning. They’re coming for me,”

I can’t let my guard down anymore.

This part with this song "🥹🥹😭". Thanks for tears :')

Gold Digger- Minho part 2

Part 1

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within the forest | chapter 10

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader x prince!Seungmin word count: 2.6k words summary: A normal birthday celebration with Chan and Seungmin, everything will go well, right..? a/n: atp, I can say that I'm bad at coming up with a summary--

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A soft humming escaped from the princess's lips as she hooked an earring to her left ear, the little fairy sitting on her vacancy became her sole audience for her little show. Beomgyu snatched a nearby tissue and wrote a message to her with his gold dust. He purposely sneezed to gain her attention. It was his typical way Beomgyu started a conversation in his little fairy form. She stepped closer toward him, leaning into the vacancy.

“You seem happy today, your highness. Did good news reach you?”

“Today is my birthday, Beomgyu and I can’t wait to spend it with Seungmin and Chan!” She unfolded her hand in front of Beomgyu and with a little hesitation, he climbed onto her hand. She began spinning around her room as the thought of spending another day with Seungmin and Chan excited her more than she had expected. Beomgyu had held her palm tightly to control himself from vomiting and flew off her hand.

A knock on the door was all it took to save Beomgyu. The fairy flew out her window when she headed for the door. She opened the door and was greeted by Sara holding a tulip. The maid smiled widely as she expanded her arm toward Y/N. 

“Happy birthday, Princess Y/N! I pick up this before I come here.” 

“Thank you, Sara!”

“Let’s get your hair done, should we? I can put this flower on your braid if you desire.”

“That will be lovely.”

Sara chuckled and closed the door after her. The rest of the morning was filled with Sara and Y/N’s laughter as they shared what they would do today. 

His hand ran through the dresses on display, mind running through every possibility of her reaction to the dress. A frustrated sigh left his mouth as he grabbed a handful of his hair. He averted his gaze to Taehyun who was buying fruits outside the shop he was in. He never thought finding a perfect gift for someone would be this difficult. Buying a gift for his friends rarely crossed his mind because all his friends were temporary.

“Come on, Chan! Think of something.” He mumbled to himself. The store owner had his eyes on Chan for some time, emerged from the counter and walked up to Chan. Amidst his busy customers, he saw Chan had the hardest time choosing, alluding to how long he had been standing at the same place and the constant zoning out.

“I see you are having a hard time choosing. Can you tell me what she likes? I can help you, son.”

Chan’s hand retreated from the dress and faced the old man.

 “Oh uhm…she likes flowers and anything to do with nature. She’s like a child when she gets excited over something small. Her brown eyes look so ethereal under the blinding sun, that I would like to stare at them for a long time. She brought a huge change in my life.” A fond smile made its way to Chan’s lips.

“You really love this girl, don’t you?”

Blood pumped onto Chan’s face and he immediately rubbed his right ear when he realised his words sounded like he was in love with Y/N. He vigorously shook his head.

“You took it wrong! She’s like my little sister!”

The old man chuckled and patted Chan’s shoulder in a fatherly manner.

 “Whatever you said, son. She must be lucky to have you.”

Chan’s face turned into a much brighter shade of red at his statement. The old man took one dress from the display and presented it to Chan. It was a soft yellow dress with a pink flower motif all over the dress and a puffed sleeve. It was simple, something that Chan didn’t expect to get recommended by the owner.

“I always say to myself that a sincere gift is more worthy than an expensive gift. Let me pack this up for you, son”

The owner returned to the counter. Sincere – why was he worried about Y/N liking the present or not? 

After paying for the gift, Taehyun and Chan returned to the cottage. Chan twisted the doorknob and immediately sneezed loudly, causing Taehyun to jolt back in surprise.

“Are you okay, Chan?” He asked and Chan just nodded, looking at the ground. The floor was covered with gold dust that belonged to none other than Beomgyu himself. Taehyun placed his things in the kitchen and dragged Chan to the backyard after he had put the dress in his room.

Taehyun could guess the reason behind this gold dust mess in the living room. Upon pushing the door to the backyard, his guess was right. Beomgyu’s back was facing them and some bunnies were hopping beside him with a pink ribbon stuffed between their lips. Birds were putting ribbons and flowers on trees. Beomgyu’s wings flapped rapidly until a small mountain of golden dust formed under his wings.

“I’m sorry Chan. Beomgyu did this when something excited him” Taehyun had his head down when he spoke.

“It’s fine Taehyun. The tree already cleaned up the mess.” He patted Taehyun’s shoulder.

Chan went to Beomgyu and asked him to make some arrangements for the decorations to which Beomgyu nodded and instructed the animal. The bunnies quickly hop toward the birds, handing the decorations to the birds. Taehyun stood far from the event. A tender smile crept up on his countenance as he observed how the animal approached Chan with ease. Soon, he joined them to prepare for this evening’s celebration.

“Good evening, princess and happy birthday! So, where are we heading today?” Seungmin asked and planted a kiss on the back of her palm. She laced her hand with him and dragged Seungmin into her room swiftly. It had become his routine to visit Stellious because of their wedding. 

In the past few days, they had ditched their responsibilities to get to know each other and the kingdom better. The prince had just arrived when she sneaked him inside her bedroom. To say Seungmin was confused was an understatement. The princess childishly glanced at him, causing the young prince to become bewildered once he stepped inside her room. She took the black feather under her pillow and held Seungmin's hand.

“Remember when I said I would bring you to meet Chan one day?”

He nodded with enthusiasm 

“Well, let’s go! Close your eyes”

Seungmin shut his eyes and a meadow came into his vision once he unfolded them. The birds' sweet melody greeted his ear and flew above them as if welcoming their arrival to Chan’s little cottage. She pulled him toward the cottage.

“Promise me you won’t be so surprised when you meet him.”

Seungmin raised his thumb and they entered the house. 

“Little flora, I’m in the backyard!” Chan’s voice erupted. Without her lead, Seungmin busted into the backyard and his eyes widened in amazement, he never thought he would see fairies that only appeared in his fairytale book. The three fairies halted their action as their gaze met the prince’s glimmering and curious gaze. The animals that were with them dashed away, terrified of the newcomers.

“I’m sorry for not telling earlier but this is Prince Kim Seungmin, my future husband.” She grinned sheepishly. 

“It’s alright! Finally, we met in person, Seungmin! Little flora had told me about you a lot.” Chan uttered, smiling at Seungmin. Seungmin replied with a big smile stretched; one that Chan always saw on a kid's face. His glimmering eyes reminded Chan so much of a puppy that his siblings adopted before he left their house.

“I’m delighted to meet you too! I mean the three of you! I thought you guys didn’t exist. Honestly,  you guys look even better than I imagined!”

By this time, Beomgyu had turned into a little fairy to hide his blushing cheeks which didn’t go unnoticed by Taehyun. Beomgyu rested on Taehyun’s shoulder, burying his face into the blonde’s neck. 

“Where did that ashed-hair fairy disappear?! I never read a tale that said they can vanish right in front of your eyes!” 

“I apologise for that, Your Highness. Beomgyu is pretty shy when it comes to compliments. The small fairy on my shoulder is him.” 

Beomgyu flew off from Taehyun’s shoulder. A wave of gold dust appeared and under them was Beomgyu, cheeks reddened. Chan chuckled and gently grabbed Seungmin and Y/N’s hands. He gestured to them to sit on the mat in the middle of the backyard. 

When they settled down, the princess just registered the decoration the animal had put up. Behind them stood two trees, a string of letters tied on its branches, forming a ‘happy birthday’. A tower filled with dessert and snacks was on the mat as well.

“Did you prepare this by yourself?!”

“With the help of them of course!” He pointed to the other fairies who swiftly entered his cottage when all eyes were on them. Taehyun mouthed something to Chan before fully shutting the door.

“Seriously Chan, you don’t need to prepare all of this. Being with you and Seungmin today is enough.”

 “Well, compared to what you had done in my life, this isn’t enough to repay them”

He averted his gaze to the prince and beamed “I hope you enjoy this dessert, Seungmin. Is not much”

“This is more than enough, Chan. Thank you for preparing this!”

The evening went on with Seungmin asking question after question toward Chan. Some questions were odd to ask but Chan answered them honestly nevertheless – it was entertaining he’d say. Their interaction was wholesome to watch. From her point of view, she saw figments of herself and her mother telling tales about the outside world in her bed, a single lit candle witnessed their laughter and smiles.

Out of consciousness, a tear poured down her cheeks. She hastily wiped it off but Seungmin held her hand and glanced at her worriedly.

“Are you okay? Did we make you feel left out or anything?” He asked, panic evident in his voice and she felt the grasp tightened. She rapidly shook her head and cleaned the stain with her free hand. She didn’t know why it had happened either.

“I’m okay, you just remind me of my younger self. Anyway, I’m glad you’re comfortable with him, Seungmin.”

Chan looked up to the sky and immediately grabbed their hand, dragging them to a familiar riverside. Seungmin and Y/N exchanged a confused look when they arrived and Chan simply pointed to the other end of the lake where two mountains stood side by side. The sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon, and the golden rays mingled with the sky, creating an orange-coloured sky for them to watch.

“It’s gorgeous” she muttered.

He became more infuriated every time he glanced at the dagger on his desk. His assassin promised a beating heart of the fairy in the morning but nothing. Blood coated the dagger and its metallic smell spread throughout the room, causing nausea to anyone who set foot inside. He gritted his teeth as he stood up from the comfort of his chair, palm slamming to the desk.  

He threw the dagger across the room and it clattered against the floor, his face was burning red as he marched toward the door. Relying on someone else wouldn’t fulfil his dying hunger so he better take it upon himself.

He rushed to his horse in the castle front yard and shoved Gale away before climbing up on the horse. He gave the horse a harsh slack and it ran out of the castle, the king clenched the rein in his palm as the horse picked up his speed toward the forest. Once the forest registered in his view, he pulled the rein and the horse followed suit, its feet came to an abrupt stop as it neigh.

The king’s eyes widened at the sight of huge blackthorns growing from the ground, concealing the forest’s entrance. It looked impossible to cut it down with a sword. He dismounted from the horse. His knuckles had become white from the strength of his clenched fist, he could feel his nails digging into the skin of his palm. 

“You’re a tomato, Your Highness” Someone snickered behind him, causing the king to whip his head to the source. Duncan showed him a smile while tilting his head – a smile that was too eerie to call it a normal smile. He approached the thorn and caressed its harsh surface.

“I’m sorry if that was rude, Your Highness but I believe you need my help?”

“I’ll never beg for help from you, Duncan!”

“Even if your precious daughter is at risk of getting killed? That’s just irresponsible. ” He jeered 

His jaw tensened at the statement. “Must I remind you that your people almost killed my daughter?”

“You’re slightly wrong, Your Highness. He was. After he broke the rule, he was simply a betrayer to me” He spun around, resting his gaze on the king’s. 

“I believe we have been in this stage before, Your Highness. Don’t be silly; you asked for my help before. You can’t kill him without me, you know that better than anyone” He smirked

Chan’s shoulder suddenly stiffened after a wind washed over him. His eyes observed his surroundings while he stood up. 

The air felt heavier. 

The hair on the back of his neck stood up. 

This wasn’t right…

“Chan? Something’s wrong–”

“Y/N look out!” She heard Seungmin shout before her view was completely covered by Seungmin’s chest and a warm sensation flowed from her forehead. His hand clenched around her shoulder as a grunt escaped. 

Her heart stopped beating momentarily when she saw an arrow piercing through Seungmin’s shoulder. Beyond his shoulder, she caught a figure hiding among the trees, preparing to shoot another arrow. Chan cursed under his breath before wrapping his arm around their waist and launching himself into the air.  

Although it began growing dark, she could make out the figure. Oh, how she wished the sky was coal black.

Chan landed on the ground and quickly screamed for Taehyun and Beomgyu. The called fairies exited the house and horror was written on their faces. They helped Seungmin into the house and pulled the arrow out. Seungmin chewed his bottom lips as Beomgyu cleaned up the wound.

“It’s going to be alright, Your Highness” Taehyun comforted as he hovered his hand on Seungmin’s wound. His hand glowed and before Seungmin’s eyes, his skin began attaching itself. A small gasp bubbled out from Seungmin as he ran his fingers over his injured shoulder – there weren’t scars or invisible marks.

Chan’s fist clenched as he headed to the door. Seungmin shouldn’t be injured, it should be him instead, the prince was innocent. She noticed his behaviour, grabbed his wrist, and shot him a begging look.

“Whatever is inside your head, please don’t do it. I don’t want you to be injured after Seungmin“ She pleaded, the edge of her eyes began brimming with tears. Chan released himself from her grasp gently and shook his head

“Stay with Seungmin, promise me. Return to the castle after this, don’t wait for me.”

He gave her a forced smile. His footsteps echoed through her ear and she swore her vision blurred briefly. In her blurry vision, she saw Chan’s gigantic wings facing her while huge orange flames devoured everything around her. She heard him muttered sorry to her before darkness consumed her.

Was that her imagination or a piece of her forgotten memories?

carry you

seungmin x fem!reader

genre: angst, fluff

content warnings: just angsty, smile insecurity, mention of hate comments

word count: 1.3k

summary: at a low point, seungmin finds out how much reader has been supporting him, no matter what. it fills him with a warmth that is nearly searing him from the inside, but he would have it no other way.

requested: @skzoologist

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Being an idol, Seungmin knew that he was bound to get hate, he wasn't stupid. However, when a part of him that was so natural, so pure, began to be picked apart by malicious commenters on the internet, there was no way he could control the way his brain believed it was true.

Why was it so wrong for him to smile when something made him happy? Why was it met with disgust when he simply smiled at something that made him laugh? Joy came to Seungmin just as easy as it was filling his lungs with air. It didn't matter what it was, whether he was messing around with his members or spending time hanging out with his best friend, he felt the muscles in his face twitch and his lips quirk upwards. But now, it was just as easy for his hand to instinctively cover the bottom half of his face, and it was much harder to avoid that feeling of suffocating.

Tears slowly raced down Seungmin's cheeks, fighting their way to be the first one to land on his phone screen displaying a multitude of hateful comments. The guy couldn't help himself. He purposefully searched his name, the word 'smile' and the word 'ugly' to have his new insecurity reaffirmed to him. In a sick and twisted way, he now needed validation to himself that the development of what he saw as a fault, was still circulating the internet by accounts that claimed themselves to be a stay. A part of him wished that someone could take it all away. He felt as if he had been doing so well in growing his confidence over the years of being in Stray Kids, yet he fell hook, line and sinker to just one person pointing out something about his appearance. And now, he couldn't get enough of it.

He was sat alone, curled up in the lounge of his best friend's apartment whilst she went to change into comfy clothes, or do her nighttime routine, something like that. Seungmin couldn't remember. His mind was elsewhere. Different to how he usually acted, when he'd succumb to the plush grey cushions on the luxurious sofa and end up falling asleep, he was instead fixated on the blue light from his device.

"Hey Mong-Mong," his best friend grinned as she curled up on the other end of her sofa, mirroring him close enough but not fully.

"Hey loser," Seungmin joked as he pretended to yawn for an excuse to wipe his eyes and have his face a bit red.

"You alright?" she asked in concern, acting different from her usual feisty self of fighting back against his comments.

She was always there to support him. From when he was a trainee, experiencing his first win at Music Bank, to celebrating his achievements overseas too, like when he went to the Met Gala. His best friend was always there, whether it was physically, in spirit or through an uncharacteristically cute message through text. She was a hype woman at heart, really.

"Yeah, just tired. It's so hard being an idol," Seungmin fake chuckled, removing his hands from his face yet pulling at the toggles of his hoodie to scrunch the fabric around his face more.

There was certainly some truth in that statement.

"Did Chan tell you off for calling him old again?" she smirked at him, kicking his foot til he made a sound of annoyance.

"Yah! Who's side are you on?"

His side. She always was. With valiant effort she was sure she could pull him back to the brighter side of life, so he was able to shine again, and his smile too. She wasn't oblivious. As someone who was chronically online, she was very well versed in being a Stay, and had seen other true fans upset about what they heard about Seungmin from antis, and also from how they'd seen it affect him. So, gradually, she tried to boost his mood, easing in comments about his smile amongst many other compliments she'd give him.

"I'm so jealous, Puppy. Your skin is glowing, the hair is hairing and the teeth are shining. Tell me your secrets and Jeongin doesn't have to get hurt!"

Ok so maybe she did threaten to take a pair of scissors to her Jeongin photo card, but it got a laugh out of him, even if it caused her great pain to hold a precious item at ransom.

It was later, instead of sooner, that Seungmin felt a change within himself. He felt lighter, warmer, happier. Although his bad habit had not completely stopped, he felt himself reaching out for his phone for a bedtime scroll less and less. That was all because she was there to help him not care. She really did carry him out of his hateful thoughts.

"You take care of yourself so well, look at how you've done your hair today, bright smile as always, and look at the fittttt!" she boasted about her best friend, to her best friend, standing up in front of his nonchalant form that was once again, right at home on her sofa.

She should give him a spare key at this rate.

"You want something," Seungmin rose and eyebrow in suspicion at her cheeky smile.

"Nope. No. No I don't. Why you lying Seungmin? I know you're lying," she nearly pressed her face up right against his as she theatrically and drastically changed her tone.

"Don't gaslight me," Seungmin groaned, shutting his eyes and pushing her away by her forehead.

"I would never do that," she smiled sweetly, dumping herself on the sofa.

"Stoppp! You want something, I swear," Seungmin smiled slightly, shaking his head at her antics.

"I just want my Seungminnie happy all the time," she pinched his cheeks, and just for fun she threw a little bit of aegyo in there to really harness a bigger reaction.

"First of all, never do that again. Like, seriously... that was gross. Second of all, you're asking a lot there," he leant his head back on the sofa, feeling exasperated yet humoured at the same time.

"I am. But I like seeing it. That cute smile-!" she moved quickly to pinch his cheeks again but he swatted her away.

"Noona!" Seungmin whined, still holding his arms out in front of him in pure defense.

"Aish, I'm literally a year older than you don't call me that," she shivered.

"You act just like my noona," Seungmin sighed through his nostrils.

"Hmm your noona seems smart. I miss her. I haven't seen her in ages. Maybe she'll be my new bestie," she teased him.

Seungmin laughed in disbelief, gaining a moment of peace when he saw her go quiet and just admire his face.

"Ahhh I knew it!!!" Seungmin lifted off of his seat, pointing at her in what she supposed was elation.

"Hmm? Oh you know something? That's really shocked me," she taunted him.

"Shut up, pabo. You've been trying to make me laugh this whole time!" Seungmin clapped his hands as he explained his thoughts out loud.

"Yes. And I won. Oh stays will love me so much," she started shimmying, a weird little celebration dance but Seungmin loved it nevertheless.

"Stays would think you're a nuisance," Seungmin kicked her leg lightly with a louder laugh, playfully raising his fists and pretending to try and box her.

She had been there the whole time lifting his spirits. He didn't have to bluntly say it then and there but there was a mutual understanding that she had done all she could to get him to smile and realise the beauty in such a simple thing. It was sad that people had stopped him but she had worked hard against that and was successful in the mean time.

And so the world saw the beauty in him again, that she had seen all along.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

tagged: @skz-streamer @kiraisastay @hannahhbahng @kpopmenace143 @sakufilms @arloo00 @dunno-wut-to-do @splat00z @cheesemonky @his-angell @2minstan @skzoologist @leonchansblog26 @atinyniki @writingforstraykids @minholing @lilmisssona @astraysimp @lixie-phoria @michelle4eve @linoalwaysknows @royal-shinigami @jolly0789 @turtledove824 @yangbbokari

within the forest | chapter 8

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader word count: 2.2k words summary: after facing the truth, something needs to change. warning: a slight mention of death

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Sara tidied Y/N's hair and tugged a lily stem onto the braids. She gazed at the princess’s expression and a disappointed sigh sounded as she set the brush back to its place. Any excitement was invisible on her face and this wasn’t the first time she witnessed it, that alone was enough to make her uneasy about the princess. Something changed inside of Y/N.

“Y/N, the Queen always searches for you in the evening. She seems sad when you aren’t here.” Sara confessed

Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the statement, yet she remained silent, allowing Sara to continue. 

“I didn’t mean to be rude but you’re forgetting your family after you found Chan.” Sara watched her through the mirror, sadness lingered in her eyes when Y/N looked at her. Something inside her twitched in a bad way. The deep guilt suddenly crawled out, the feeling she never knew existed in the corner of her heart.

"You avoid the Queen, Seungmin and everyone in the palace. Everyone suddenly becomes a side character in your life when Chan appears. I know he brings happiness to you but that doesn’t mean you need to push everyone out of frame, pretending they never help you before."

“Get out, please, Sara. I will meet you in a moment” She uttered calmly but sternness was evident in her tone. Sara could tell she was holding herself back from exploding. She bowed and shut the door behind her. Y/N shut her eyes, regaining her composure, and took a big breath. Her gaze shifted to the picture beside the mirror - a portrait of her family beaming. 

Where did all of that happiness disappear? Is it her fault that her mother rarely smiles now? Was what Sara said true?  She shook her head instantly, eliminating the thought and exited the room. She headed to the dining hall where she was supposed to meet the prince.

Entering the hall, her mother swiftly held her hand and led her to the prince with a tender smile decorating her face. “Thank you for not running away this time, sweetie. I appreciate it and I’m sorry for taking your time today.”

Her eyes fell to the floor for a slight moment. She should apologised to her mother instead, not the other way around. Now, she saw the reality behind Sara’s words.

The princess and prince occupied the dimly lit library. The princess was flipping through the pages, and the storyline was vague - none of the words made sense to her preoccupied mind. Pretending to read a book was a way to avoid conversation. The latter just admired her from afar. The rumours were true after all, Stellious's only princess was exquisite, breathtaking even. It wasn’t odd if the prince had fallen for her beauty.

“Princess Flora, shall we head to the dining room? It is almost 7.30 p.m.”

“Sure” She closed the thick cover book and placed them away. The prince gestured for her to exit before him. The entire day, he couldn’t strike up any conversation with her. How can he marry someone without knowing them well? 

“Flora, I'm curious. Where did you go the other day?”

Her hands rubbed together as she walked “Out in the forest. Visiting a friend”

“Does your friend have anything to do with your unseemly behaviour today? Your smile lost its shine today,”

"I didn’t notice it”

“I want to get to know you before we go further. So, can we start as a friend?”

Her steps came to a halt. She turned at him, eyes staring directly into his. She was stunned by the request. Did she close her heart to everyone else after Chan came into her life? She was ashamed of herself after the realisation. She nodded.

“Of course. Let’s start from the beginning. I’m Y/N Flora, call me Y/N. I dislike people calling me Flora”

Seungmin chuckled “And I’m Kim Seungmin. You can call me whatever you like.” He beamed enthusiastically.

She stared at the forest through her window, hand fumbling with the black feather. Since Chan’s leaving and the unexpected meeting with Beomgyu, her head heaved with questions and worried…no, the worry had exploded into fear.

“Duncan is far away from kindness. I always see him with a dead body, the body of his victim. I’m afraid if Chan did accept Duncan’s protection, he’ll be forced into doing them again” 

“Doing what, Beomgyu?”

“Murdering, killing innocent life without solid reasons.”

The moment she heard it, she stood, frozen with widened eyes. What could surprise her more in a matter of two days? She folded her eyes as the image of Chan’s victim flashed in her mind, leaving her breathless for a moment. His smile crumbled down at the back of her mind.

“10 years, Do I want to crash down this friendship without knowing the whole picture?” Sitting in the palace, letting Beomgyu’s story devour her, wouldn’t suffice anything. With Chan’s image in her memories, she vanished from the bedroom, unaware of the infuriating eyes watching her actions behind the creaked door.

She tilted her head as she slowly pushed the door out of her way, perplexed at the slightly opened door. Setting foot in, she saw Chan duck under the fireplace and hit his head on the brick. 

“Little flora, what are you doing here late at night?”  He dusted off his worn-out trousers. He had his back on her. She felt terrified of him for the first time, not until he turned around, showing the same enchanting smile.

“Who’s Duncan?”

His face was stoic but she figured it out, he was surprised. “Just a friend, not blood-related. Let’s sit and ask everything you want.”

Taking her hand gently, he pulled her to the chair, beckoning her to sit.

“Can you explain these pictures to me then?”

She placed the pictures on the desk, observing Chan’s reaction. They were pictures of Chan with several unknown faces. She needs his honesty currently. If he were her faithful friend, he would tell her. His smile subsided, his relaxed shoulder dropped downward, and his gigantic wings engulfed his slightly quivering self. 

“There were my friends. All of them were my close friends but…”

“I had to kill them. It was either them or my siblings”

His vision turned blurry from the tears brimming on the edge of his eyes. He lowered his gaze, and the back of his hand felt wet. Words began tumbling on his tongue, and he couldn’t find a way to speak them out properly. 

“That is the condition of living under Duncan. One way or another, I was forced to kill them so my siblings are safe from the kings.”

The room suddenly filled with thousands of eyes watching them talk. She shifted her gaze to the fireplace, letting the fire crackling echo in her ear, trying to cover Chan’s low sniffling. Guilt was devouring her alive, she never thought that she would see Chan crying due to her curiosity.

“I destroy a lover, someone’s shoulder to cry on, a loving brother and sister…a friend”

The blood-crudling scream became louder in his head, and his mind ached, begging for it to stop as tears dropped to his hand more. Every attempt to move on from the past was vain, not when their scream daunting him every time someone recounts the buried memories. The tension and Chan’s sobbing were swallowing her up, she couldn’t sit still, knowing all of this happened because of her. The reason the conversation occurred was because of her. 

She shouldn’t have brought the topic up, to begin with

“It’s a sin for me to smile whereas my hand held a dead body before…”

Before he could continue, she clasped his hand with hers, a tight grip as she pulled his hand off his knee. Chan raised his face, tears staining his pale cheeks and red dominating his nose. 

“Stop… Chan. You’re torturing yourself. I shouldn’t have asked you that, it’s my fault”

His hand reached for the new bitter tear to wipe it but she beat him to it.

“Let’s stop about Duncan here and have something warm to drink. It’s freezing tonight.”  

She gave a small smile and headed to the kitchen. His eyes followed her silhouette, rising to his feet after seeing her struggling to find the items. Her head perked up at the squeaking sound of the cupboard below her. Shaking her head, she rinsed her hand and wiped Chan’s face with her damp hand. He was bewildered, tilted his head and gave a questioning look to her.

“I don’t want to see your face stained with pain.”  

“Thank you, little flora” 

They continued the half-done work, comforting silence took over when a smile was exchanged between them. The silence reminded Chan of how much Y/N had grown up. Ecstatic shouts would accompany their cooking or tea session, there was some other time when the clattering of the fallen bowl rang throughout the small kitchen area, and Chan would be panicked, thinking she’d slipped. Watching her doing everything by herself, a sense of pride concealed him.

She brought the two cups to the desk, while Chan picked some books out of the brittle shelf for them. Setting the cups down, she saw a tiny figure with wings leaning against the jar of cookies, one of them nibbling the sugar cube that slowly melted in his grasp. A speck of glittering gold dust scattered on the surface of the wood

“What are you looking at?” 

She pointed at the unknown creature, and Chan kneeled, leaning in to take a clearer view of the creature, only to sigh.

“Taehyun, Beomgyu, what are you doing?”

The blonde one grinned.

“They want to join us. If that’s okay with you” Chan turned at her, a stack of books halfway blocking his vision.

“Of course! You say it before, having extra company will be fun.” The brunette fairy’s cheek turned chubby at the reply, and a broad smile crept up on his face. She couldn’t bite back a smile.

Chan handed her a book after they sat across from each other. Now, Chan realised how many years had passed with her. It was a familiar setting but with a grown-up little flora and a never-aged man, that was him. The shout of the owl had subsided by the time they closed the book and began sharing their old story. The little ancient cottage lit up with their laughter and giggling again. Nothing is more comforting after devastation than doing something you love with your beloved. The clock had passed midnight, and Beomgyu had fallen asleep on Taehyun’s lap. Beomgyu’s lips were coated with sugar that Taehyun had to wipe off with his sleeve. Her lid became heavy, past a point that she couldn’t keep her head from slumping. 

“Let’s head to sleep, little flora. You could have told me you’re sleepy.” Chan stood up, arm draping her shoulder, leading her to his bedroom. 

“Chan…” 

He stopped and glanced at her, allowing her to continue. She collided her body with Chan’s tough one, wrapping her arm around his waist. 

“I love you and thank you for these 10 years. I’m grateful that fate let us meet. Goodnight.”  She pulled herself away and shut the door behind her. 

Her words roamed around his mind, practically leaving him frozen on the spot. An unknown emotion dominated him. Was it ecstatic? Or was it heartwarming? The last time he felt this was before his mother’s death, it was the last he told himself. Hearing those again, he wanted to shed tears all over again.  Despite his hideous and terrifying black wings, he admits he’s a soft-hearted man.

Sometimes all one needed was sincere words to make them feel appreciated. 

“Maybe Beomgyu was right and I was too fed to myself to agree with him” Chan snapped his head toward the voice, coming eye to eye with Taehyun. 

“But I'm sticking with my idea. Don’t you think it much safer living under Duncan’s protection?”

“And allowing myself to crush into a bottomless pit? I can’t face that again, Taehyun.”

“I know you will answer that. Then I’m going to be your guardian angel now.” Taehyun chuckled and Chan shook his head, disagreeing with Taehyun’s idea. Taking care of him when they first met was risky enough. Taehyun shouldn’t have left him alone, die or alive, he should stop caring about him. The blonde had done well and Chan didn’t know how to repay him for his kindness if he did accept his offer. 

“I’m not giving you an option, Chan. I’m grateful enough you’re still alive today”

“Don’t–”

“I risked my life when I met you. Protecting you from the king is far away from difficult.”

“Fine…but if things get out of your hand, leave me alone” He uttered firmly

Taehyun nodded and approached Chan. He squatted down to Chan’s leg, hovering his hand above Chan’s wound. A beaming light spread through his hand. After a while, Taehyun retreated his palm and got back on his feet.

“I’m heading home. I can’t let anything disturb Beomgyu’s sleep. Goodnight chan”

🥹🥹🥹🥹

Wish you back: nine

Ex!Seo Changbin x sick!reader

Summary: you and Changbin have been off and on for years, and even though he knows he's made countless mistakes, he can't figure out why you're so set on staying apart this time. Can he get you back if you aren't you anymore?

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