Cupid's Shot

Cupid's Shot🩷

pairing: lee felix x reader

genre: fluff, angst, slow burn

word count: 10.4k

description: what happens when Cupid breaks the rules and falls in love with a mortal?

warning/s: there are suggestive parts so mdni! not proofread!

a/n: here i go again with another felix fic and i'm really proud of it, except i feel like the ending is rushed but i had to write it twice cause i accidentally didn't save it the first time jddkdll

but anyways there will be a second part to this, with smut. it will be a continuation on this main fic but could also be read as its own thing.

please reblog if you like it!🩷

Their purpose is simple: bring two destined souls together by helping them get rid of their fears and insecurities, assist them to find the happiness they deserve, the love they would nurture with their soul mate.

Contrary to popular belief and the information in many books, there isn't only one Cupid, there is a whole nation of them, living in another realm, invisible to the eyes of the mortals, but they can see everything. Including the mortals auras, souls and their destined lovers.

The only rule they have to abide by is to not fall in love with a mortal. None of them really questioned it, they're just beings of light, existing to fulfill their purpose, until they disperse into little particles of shiny dust, disappearing into The Great Source Of Light.

They would get their assigned charges and do everything they can to cross them off the list after they manage to finally match them with their loved one.

Felix often wondered about a lot of things, like why was he born a Cupid, was he even born and where he actually came from if he wasn't. He wondered what The Great Source Of Light actually is and where it would take him after he fulfilled his duties. He wondered why wasn't he allowed to fall in love when love was so soft, warm and fuzzy. Wasn't love the ultimate goal? Was this some kind of punishment because of what he did in a past life; to be a mere messenger of love but never be able to experience it?

Ofcourse, he never dared to say anything like that out loud for the fear of what would happen if he did. He's never actually seen any punishments or violence happening in his little world, everything was cheerful and perfect, the Cupids worked and flew around with blushing cheeks and smiles painted on their faces; never complaining, never tiring. But he didn't want to risk it, or seem like he is defying the natural order of things, he is only curious.

Felix gets a scroll with names of his new charges, and he opens up the paper. Scanning over the names as they shine in a white-ish glow off the paper, something calls to him. His eyes flick around until they land on your name. Something inside him blooms, chimes and explodes in little fireworks. He chants your name in his head. It's time to find you. His eyes close and he focuses on your aura. Mixes of purples and blues swirl behind his closed eyelids and he can feel it closer, smell the sweet flowery scent with a hint of petrichor in it.

He opens his eyes and he's transported, his eyes meeting yours but ofcourse you don't see him. Your chin is resting on your palms, elbows perched on the table as you stare a hole into the computer screen in front of you. Felix quickly takes note of the surroundings, the clacking sounds, telephones ringing and chatter in the distance. He's in an office building, and you're sitting in your cubicle, your hair neatly tied and face devoid of any emotions. But he can see your aura, it's swirling and wilding around your frame, painting pretty designs around you. He thinks he's never seen something as beautiful as you are.

"Y/n!"- someone slams a stack of papers on your desk, startling both you and your Cupid, making him float back a little as he observes you.

"These papers need to be finished today."- the woman says, a malicious undertone in her voice.

"B-but it's almost six. I've worked overtime and-"

"It's not my fault you're slow. Next time work during lunch."- the woman turns around, leaving like it's none of her business.

Felix sees you immediately slump in your chair, the pretty blues and purples of your aura dimming down a little as you grip the papers and start going through them. Cupids weren't supposed to feel bad feelings like anger or envy or anything of that sort but Felix somehow felt annoyed at the woman, and moreover he felt bad for you. He wished he could help you get home faster somehow, but he knows he shouldn't meddle into anything except your soul mate.

Speaking of soul mates, as soon as Felix came down from his realm to yours, he couldn't feel another soul that's supposed to be binded to you. That was unusual but not impossible, sometimes charges had their hearts closed off and the Cupids had to try and open up their hearts first before actually connecting them with love.

He dismissed it for now and focused on you, trying to send you a lovely boost of energy so you don't feel too bad. You were tired and stressed, sick od being mistreated at work, seen as less than. There is a lump forming in your throat and tears threating to spill down your cheeks as you keep working. Suddenly, you feel relief, like someone untied the knot inside your chest and you take a deep breath in and somehow feel more energetic to keep working.

It's already past 9pm when you're done and you're beyond exhausted. All you want right now is a nice shower, a warm bowl of noodles and your bed. Felix observes as you tidy your desk and he follows you when you leave the building to your car. The walk through the empty dark parking lot is eerie and Felix can sense the fear creeping up inside you so he floats a little closer to you, his pink soft wings almost touching you. Not that you would feel it even if they did.

Your apartment is small, but it's cozy and clean and it smells like you, like your aura. It makes Felix's senses fuzzy, something he never experienced before. He looks around the living room full of plants you obviously love taking care of, pictures of you and your friends and family, little knick knacks you collect. He does a full turn and comes face to face with you, in your bra and he panics and scrambles away, almost flying into your lamp. The lamp swings ever so slightly and Felix is not sure how his wings have effect on anything physical in this world because they usually don't. He turns away from you giving you your privacy, waiting for you to leave to the bathroom.

When you do, he slowly flies back closer to the lamp and tries to touch it but his hand goes right through it. It was nothing, he sighs, relief washing over him. He keeps looking around, gathering information about his charge so he knows how to help you open up your heart and find love. Some kind of weird feeling washes over him shortly but he shakes it off. You come out of the bathroom, thankfully in your pjs which look adorable on you, Felix thinks as he smiles and watches you.

After your quiet dinner, you get ready for sleep and crawl into your bed, finally relieved to be in your safe space where no one can harm you. Felix ofcourse doesn't want to intrude and be around while you sleep, at least not yet, not when it's to early to enter your dreams. He turns around to fly out, back to his realm but a sniffle stops him. He stays still and listens, another sniffle coming from under your blanket.

A pang hits his chest when he realizes you're crying. He turns back to you and floats closer, the closer he gets, the more pain in his chest he feels. Why is it like this? Felix has always felt emotions of his charges to a certain degree but never this intense. It's almost unbearable to him and he struggles to come closer to you. He tries anyways, shining a little light he made inside his palms to look at you, but you're in the dark and can't see it. But he sees you and you look completely shattered as tears stream down your cheeks, eyes already red from crying. Your lips quiver, your aura fades more into gray and Felix feels what you feel.

He feels used and abandoned, ridiculed and lonely, unloveable. The feelings are so strong that they force him back away from you, tossing him into the wardrobe behind him, making the door rattle. You gasp and scramble into a sitting position, turning on the lamp beside your bed as fast as you can. You swallow in sudden fear as you look around but nothing's there. Felix is still, he's looking at you and he feels so bad that he scared you, especially while you were in a vunerable state. He still has no idea how he managed to make the door rattle or the lamp swing but that scares him too even though he didn't even feel any pain from the impact.

You shake your head and lay back down, turning the lamp off and wiping your tears away. Felix slowly floats towards the window, cautious not to touch or knock anything down. He looks at you one more time before he shimmers himself back into his realm.

"Have you ever moved a physical item in the earth realm?"- Felix whispers to his coworker and friend, Hyunjin, one of the Cupids he was close to.

"What?"- Hyunjin looks at him, his pink lips pouty and eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Like... like have you ever accidentally made a lamp swing or a door rattle?"- he tries again and Hyunjin chuckles at his friend.

"Did you hit your head somewhere, Lix? We literally can't touch anything, we're not made from the same stuff earth beings and their things are made of."- Hyunjin says, closing his scroll and looking at Felix again.

"Yeah, yeah I know. It was just a stupid question."- Felix says quickly.

"Are you sure?"- Hyunjin squints his eyes at him.

"Yeah, positive. Don't worry about it."- Felix smiles in hopes to get the other Cupid to not ask any further questions since Cupids weren't really capable of lying.

"Eh, alright."- Hyunjin shrugs, opening up his scroll again and Felix sighs in relief. His friend was never one to pry information out of someone or ask incessant questions, which in this moment Felix is thankful for.

He's more than excited to see you again today, hoping you feel better than you did yesterday. He concentrates on your soul and aura, seeking you amongst the 8 billion souls on earth. As soon as he senses you he's transported into... the office bathroom? He's about to fly out because this is a breach of privacy but then he hears a familiar sniffle. There's no way you're crying in the office bathroom stall, is there? Felix slowly floats, looking for the source of the sound until he stops in front of the last door. He inhales and pushes himself through it, his eyes shut tightly. He slowly opens his eyes and squints, praying that you're not in some kind of compromising position.

You're not, you're just sitting on the closed toilet, your face in your hands and you're crying. Felix feels it again, the negative feelings drowning you in sorrow, one especially prominent. You feel excluded, invisible. Unimportant. Cupids don't really have a reason to cry usually, but Felix can feel your pain deeply with all of his being and his eyes water, golden sparkly tears sliding down his freckled cheeks. He reaches his hand towards you, trying to channel anything good through it, simultaneously fighting the bad feelings pushing him away. He knows he's not supposed to touch you or transfer any kind of light into you unless it's a dire soulmate situation but at this moment he doesn't care. He just doesn't want you to feel so sad and hurt so much. He places his palm on the top of your head, gently sliding it towards the back of your head and your head snaps up, your hand touching your hair where he just touched you.

Felix backs away immediately, pulling his hand to his chest as he panics, his big doe eyes wide as you look around in confusion. How did you feel that? You were only supposed to feel the light energy, but you actually felt his touch. Felix panics more when you reach towards him and he floats back out of the stall. Turns out you were just reaching for the door as you swung them open and hurried towards the sink.

Felix's heart beats hard in his chest, a strong fuzzy feeling shimmering in his insides, so dizzying to him that he doesn't even realize he floated right next to you. He gasps and looks at you but luckily you don't see him, you just splashed your face with water and you're looking at your reflection. He wonders what's happening to him, because a charge never made him feel like this nor did they feel him as you apparently did. He didn't even know who to ask about these things, and his friend Hyunjin seemed to know as much if not less than he does.

Felix throws that in the back of his mind for now, his main concern being; what or who made you cry at work? He follows you back to your cubicle and notices a few people gathered around another woman in the office, they're talking and throwing glances at you. Felix floats closer to listen in, even though he shouldn't really be doing that.

"Wow, Natasha, that ring really is beautiful."- one of the woman gushes as she speaks to the so called Natasha.

"I'm glad you're doing a bachelorette party."- one of them squeals.

"And I'm glad you didn't invite that weirdo. She seriously gives me the creeps."- another woman says, and Felix quickly realizes they're talking about you.

"Ugh, who cares about her. Let's talk about the party."- Natasha waves her hand and Felix feels something boiling in his blood, something he never felt before. Something that scares him and makes him wish he could do bad things to anyone who hurts you or makes you cry, but it quickly dissipates when he looks at your face. You look so dejected and he doesn't want you to think you're alone. He flies back to your cubicle and settles right next to you. And you're boiling. With sadness, anger and hurt, you're on the verge of exploding. Felix feels the push you're involuntarily making, pushing him and essentially pushing love away from you. Your aura is in the darker hues of blue and purple, swirling angrily. You stand up and as much as Felix wants you to stand up for yourself, he feels that you're not in the right state of mind and you might get yourself in trouble.

He quickly stands behind you, his hands hovering above your shoulders, scared now to actually touch you so you don't get spooked. He only hovers his hands above, as close to your skin as he can and sends some soothing light energy into your tense muscles. You relax visibly, the feelings of anger subsiding a little. You shake your head and sit down, deciding to ignore the bitches in your office because who really gives a damn about Natasha's wedding? You for sure don't so you go back to your work and Felix sighs behind you.

As you did yesterday, you continue working late into the night, leaving the building last again, crossing the creepy parking lot to your car and Felix follows closely like he did the day before. There's something different about your aura after that bout of anger you had in the office, something wilder brewing inside you. Felix can feel it and for some reason he doesn't recognize the feeling and he's left confused the whole way home as you drive, your hands gripping the wheel harshly.

You're calmer when you walk into your apartment and you do your nightly routine just like you did yesterday while Felix observes you patiently. You take a shower, he waits in the living room, he joins you for dinner and waits for you again in your room while you get ready for bed.

You lay down in your bed and the unfamiliar feeling that floated through you earlier is back. Felix struggles with it, he can't really comprehend the swirling he feels in his gut and he can't wrap his head around it being either a good or a bad feeling. He should leave but his curiosity gets the best of him, especially when you start making noises. Are you crying again?, Felix thinks and floats closer to you slowly only to realize in shock and horror that you're touching yourself.

He gasps, that feeling deep inside him stronger the closer he is to you and he feels like his insides are throbbing. Cupids don't exactly have a body they can touch but they know what sex is, after all that's part of relationships and love. And they also know they shouldn't be intruding on a private moment like this so Felix floats away towards the door, ignoring the fuzziness blurring his senses and vision. He tries to float through the door, the physical barriers never stopping him before, but his forehead collides hard with the door causing him to fall down on his butt, and he groans in pain. Pain? Since when do Cupids feel physical pain from impact like that?, he panics, his hand coming up to rub at his forehead.

"What the hell?"- he hears you say as you sit up and turn your lamp on, your eyes trained on the door. Felix guesses he made a lot of noise, again, and startled you, again.

"If there's a ghost in here now, you're sick!"- you yell out into the room and Felix looks up at you but luckily you don't seem to see him.

"Ugh, ghosts are scary."- he shivers, muttering to himself. You don't hear him, you sigh and lay back down, leaving the lamp on and opting to grab your phone. You open up Instagram, the mood you were in gone now.

Felix lifts up, dusting off the imaginary speckles of dust and glances at you again, feeling embarassed about this whole situation. He's confused about the door and how you managed to hear him smack into it. There's only one person he could ask about these happenings, and he's beyond nervous because of that.

"Hey Lix, how's it going?"- Changbin, one of the more experienced Cupids greets Felix as he makes his way to the Elders. Specifically, one he wants to talk to. Minho. For some reason, everyone is scared of him and there are rumours going around, rumours Felix doesn't even wanna think about because he gets scared easily.

"I- I need to talk to Minho."- Felix gulps and Changbin's smile falters.

"Oh? What for?"- he asks.

"It's personal. About my charge."- Felix answers.

"Ah, you got a tough one? Probably doesn't want to open their heart up for love, hm?"- Changbin wears a small smirk on his face as he plays around with the scroll he holds in his hands.

"Something like that, yeah."- Felix answers.

"You summoned me?"- there's a voice behind Felix and he shivers and turns around quickly, only to be greeted by a very pretty being, one that has sharp eyes and facial features but somehow there is softness underneath all that.

"Y-yes I did. I'm Felix."

"I know who you are. Tell me what you need."- the Elder called Minho talks calmly.

Felix turns to Changbin and he understands and shimmers away from them.

"Well, something weird is happening with my charge."- Felix says, clearing his throat.

"Weird how?"- Minho asks, the white light shining around him almost blinding Felix.

"I can feel her feelings, emotional and physical ones very strongly. So strongly that they managed to hurl me into her wardrobe and... and the door made noise. And then last night... I tried to float through her bedroom door and I banged my head into it."- Felix explains and he gets quieter and quieter as he talks, looking at Minho's face. The expressions Minho made during Felix's speech looked like he went through the five stages of grief in a few seconds.

"Has she heard you or seen you yet?"- Minho asks sternly and Felix is now scared for real.

"Yet? No, I mean no, she didn't. But she felt my touch. At least I think she did."- he mutters the last part.

Minho pinches the bridge of his nose, a long sigh coming out of his mouth.

"Someone screwed up. Again."- he says, annoyed.

"W-what do you mean?"- Felix feels like he's about to cry.

"Okay listen, just keep watching over your charge like you normally would. Create a link with her and infiltrate her dreams, fill them up with love. I'll talk to the others and we'll see what we can do. You just keep doing what you're doing. And don't be scared."- Minho places his hand on Felix's shoulder gently, in hopes of calming the young Cupid down. But nothing about Felix is calm in this moment.

It must be something big if Minho didn't tell him what's happening and he's asking to meet the other Elders. Something seriously bad is happening and Felix can't help but panic. In that moment of distress, he suddenly yearns to be by your side, the sweet scent of your aura, of you enveloping him and caressing him from the inside out. Felix opens his eyes and he's transported into your room. He didn't mean to do that and it startles him, he merely had a thought about you and he was suddenly there.

It's morning in the earth realm, way past your time to go to work but you're still in bed. It must be your day off or the weekend, Felix reckons. He hovers over your sleeping form and looks at you. Your aura is peaceful right now, the blues and purples leaning more to the pastel hues, and a slight silver shimmer between them swirling and dancing slowly. You must be having a good dream, Felix thinks as he smiles and reaches his hand towards you. He knows he shouldn't but he can't help himself. His palm rests on your cheek, and a buzzing feeling goes through him. A feeling he knows too well.

He gasps, retracting his hand as you stir in your sleep. Did you feel it too? His touch? The buzzing, the one that Felix always feels when a charges soulmate is near by. He couldn't believe it, he suddenly felt the other soul binded to you. But it was weird, like it's so close, almost like it's part of him. Something washes over him, a kind of melancholy and he doesn't know what to do with it. Sparkly tears brim at his eyes for a reason unknown to him and you're finally awake.

Your eyes flutter open and you stare straight at Felix, your sleep covered eyes boring into his wide ones. You freeze and he freezes too, his brain short-circuiting at the moment.

"What in the-" - you start and he shimmers away as fast as he can. There's no way. There's no freaking way you just saw him. He hopes he was fast enough so you'd think you were still dreaming. He shimmers back into his realm and accidentally bumps into Hyunjin hard, throwing him off balance.

"Woah! Felix?"- Hyunjin looks at him wide-eyed. "How did you do that?"- he asks.

"Do what?"- Felix's panic spreads wider inside him.

"You pushed me. How did you push me?"- Hyunjin looks confused.

"I- I don't know. I can't explain it right now, I just need to talk to Minho."

"You can't. The Elders are having a meeting. It's something serious by the look of it. Even The Great Source Of Light is attending the meeting. You know it's something bad when they're there."- his fellow Cupid explains.

"Oh my god!"- Felix cries, tears streaming down his cheeks and his friend gasps.

"Oh! You're crying! Why are you crying?"- Hyunjin flails both his arms and wings. He's never seen his fellow Cupids cry like this, especially not the always smiling Felix.

"I can't tell you. I need to go!"- Felix shuts his eyes tightly, concentrating on you again. He hears Hyunjin shouting his name, but it's too late, Felix is transported into your apartment again.

Only this time, it's the living room and you're sitting on the couch, talking to someone on the phone.

"I'm telling you it looked real. He was like some kind of angel. But like Barbie pink version."- you say and Felix accidentally chuckles. He covers his mouth fast but you didn't seem to hear him behind you. He slowly circles the couch to stand in front of you but you look through him.

"Well alright then my dreams are vivid as always. He was kinda cute tho."- you giggle and Felix feels warmness spreading in his face and chest.

"Sure, sure I need to get laid. According to you."- you laugh into the speaker, playing with the hem of your shirt, your legs tucked under one of the decorative pillows on your couch.

"Okay, let me know when you find a normal one."- you chuckle again. "I'll see you soon then. Bye!"

You hang up and shake your head, thinking to yourself that you've really gone mad if you started hallucinating like that. You get up and make your way to your room and Felix follows behind you silently, his senses buzzing again. You open up your closet and start sifting through your dresses. Felix heats up when he realizes you're about to undress. He turns around fast, closing his eyes, trying to be respectful even though there's a strong pull inside him telling him to just turn back around to face you. But he fights it and stays with his back turned to you.

When he's sure you're dressed he whips back around and his eyes land on you, dressed in a pretty dress and checking yourself in the mirror.

"Oh."- Felix gasps, his chest fluttering. He's never seen you dressed like that and his senses start buzzing even more. He's dizzy suddenly so he moves away from you, into the living room. He doesn't want to risk bumping into something or you seeing him again even though he has no idea what actually triggered that.

You finish getting ready and head out, Felix floating behind you. It's a beautiful sunny day and you walk to the park near your house, where your best friend waits for you.

"Y/n!"- Jisung waves at you, getting up from the bench he was sitting on and opening up his arms.

"Sungie!"- you yell back and close the distance, returning the hug.

Felix's lips fall open, and he feels something stirring inside him, something kind of uncomfortable at the sight of you hugging another man like that. You and Jisung part and start walking down the path together. Felix hurries up behind you, trying to put his hand on Jisung's shoulder so he can feel his soul. Jisung's aura is invisible to Felix, since he's not his charge but he can still 'read' his soul only if he manages to make the connection.

"So, how did your date go?"- you ask your friend.

"Which date? The one on Wednesday or the one last night?"- he smirks and you chuckle, smacking his arm and unkowingly startling your Cupid.

"Which ever one was better... or more eventful."- you wiggle your eyebrows.

"Honestly, they were both a snooze. This guy last night almost bored me to death. I'm beginning to think I'll never find my soulmate."- Jisung sighs. Felix's hand is almost on his shoulder.

"Aww, don't say that. I believe that you of all people will actually find your soulmate."- you say.

"I don't see it, unless Cupid personally comes down to earth and finds someone for me."- Jisung jokes and Felix freezes and retracts his hand.

Why did he say that? Did he actually believe in Cupid? Or was he just saying it?

You reach your favorite diner, and Felix manages to float through the door this time while following you. He stands behind your friend's chair as you chat and order, his hands hovering above Jisung's shoulder. He finally places them down, little lights forming from them as he tries to feel around for that familiar buzz and warmness.

But, nothing happens. Jisung doesn't flinch, you keep talking and laughing, and there is no buzz or warmness or love. At least not that kind, Felix can feel that Jisung cares about you as a friend but he isn't your soulmate and Felix feels relieved. Why is he relieved?! He's supposed to find your soulmate, that's his only purpose! He feels confused suddenly, thoughts swirling inside him and he decides - tonight will be the night he will try to infiltrate your dreams.

Felix waits for you to fall asleep instead of shimmering away this evening. When he's sure you're entering deeper into your dreams, he floats closer to you and hovers over you. He places his hands above your head and closes his eyes, concentrating on your energy. Little particles of light shine out of his hands onto your face, warming you up and creating the link your Cupid needs to basically transport himself into your mind.

You're dreaming, at least you think you are but it feels real. More real than any other dream you had before. You're in a field that seems to stretch forever, it's warm and sunny, you're surrounded by beautiful flowers but there's something different about them, different than flowers you see in real life. They're glowing, you realize. The light on their petals glimmers into million different colors, you've never seen anything like it.

"Pretty, isn't it?"- you hear a deep voice behind you and you whip around fast, but you're met with more flowers and grass.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"- you say.

"Not yet."- the voice says. "I don't want to spook you."

"Who are you?"- you ask.

"I'm... someone who's trying to help you open up your heart to love."- the voice reckons.

"Oh? I don't think my heart's closed though."

"Then why do you feel so lonely?"

"Ouch! That's none of your business!"- you feel slightly annoyed at the voice, but this is also just a dream so it must be your subconscious.

"Actually, that is exactly my business-"

"Honestly, I feel crazy talking to a void. Just come out from wherever you're hiding."- you hear a deep sigh and then you see a blinding light. Your arms come up to shield your eyes as you wait for the flickering to subside. When you put your arms down, you come face to face with a beautiful creature. You've never seen anyone as pretty as this creature is, they're practically glowing, their pretty pink wings shimmering and moving lightly as they hover over the ground.

"Hey, I know you!"- you say suddenly, pointing at him and waving your finger. "I saw you this morning when I opened my eyes. Oh my god, I am going crazy. I've conjured up some kind of pretty man in my dreams! You are a man, right?"

"Ugh, well, I'm not technically human. But for humans I am male presenting. I'm actually-" - Felix doesn't get to finish his sentence, he's suddenly forcefully thrown out of your mind.

The link is broken, why? Felix opens his eyes and you're awake. It's still night so why did you wake up? He floats away from you, giving you space as he sees you fumbling for your night lamp.

You turn the light on, your hand coming up to rest on your forehead. The connection must've been too much for you that it caused you a headache and that's why you woke up. Your Cupid feels bad that he caused you pain so he comes closer to you again, lifting his hands up over your hair to take the pain away. His light heals you and the pressure that was throbbing inside your head and behind your eyelids is suddenly gone. You go back to sleep feeling exhausted and confused about your dream even though you couldn't remember the details of it. Felix decides to stay next to you tonight.

It's been a few weeks, and the Elders haven't said a word about their meeting or Felix's 'situation' to him. He was still scared and panicky but he tried to stay calm for the sake of his charge - you, who he had to help find love. He tried to ignore the constant buzzing he felt whenever he got closer to you, but it was consuming him and making him feel weaker. Like his powers were harder to call upon, and he had no idea how you or the soul binded to you were doing that. Speaking of that soul, he had yet to find them and he tried to 'read' every single person interacting with you, but every time the reading came up blank.

Tonight, Felix decided to appear in your dreams again and try to make the dream longer so you could have a proper conversation.

You find yourself on the pretty field again, those wondrous flowers glowing beautifully around you.

"Hello?"- you say, looking around the now familiar place.

"I'm here."- the deep voice says and you turn around towards it.

"Indeed you are."- you chuckle. "I must be crazy."

"I assure you, you're not. Let me properly introduce myself. My name is Felix, and I am... well I'm your Cupid."- he says and you look at him in disbelief before you burst out into laughter, startling the poor creature.

"Okay, this is just a dream."- you shake your head.

"Yes, it is."

"At least I'm not hallucinating in real life."- you say.

"I've come to talk to you. I'm having some problems in finding the soul binded to you. I feel them close but I can't find them. It must mean that your heart is closed off to love."

"Is that like a soulmate?"- you play along this illusion you created in your head, when in fact you know you're just talking to yourself.

The glowing creature nods.

"What if I don't have one?"- you ask.

"Nonsense! Everyone has a soulmate."

"Even you?"

"I am just a messenger of love."- Felix shakes his head.

"Maybe I'm not meant for love. Maybe I'm an exception and I don't have a soulmate or whatever."- you sigh and Cupid floats closer to you.

"Is that how you feel? Undeserving of love?"

"Are you going all psychological on me?"- you chuckle, he's now closer to you and you feel warmth radiating from the light around him.

"Well, I need to know what's stopping you from finding love."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."- you say, your mood sour suddenly and Felix feels it.

"Okay, we can talk about anything else."- he smiles at you.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be? Aren't you supposed to help people find love?"

"I am one of many."- Felix chuckles. "I'm supposed to be right here now. With you."

You're about to talk but your alarm blasts next to your ear and you realize you're waking up. The pretty field, flowers, sunshine and Cupid disappear into oblivion and you wake up in your room. The clock is showing 6:30am and you have to get ready for work. You have a warm feeling inside you and you feel like you just came from somewhere, some happy place and you're trying to grasp it again. You hate when you forget your dreams like that, but it must've been a good one because you're feeling more positive than you usually do.

Jisung calls you that evening, all excited about finding you the perfect date. He's been yapping about his coworker, Chan, for days, trying to get you to go out with him.

"Just take a risk. It's one date, what do you have to lose? If you don't like him just ghost him or something."

"Because that's very nice to do, Jisung."- you roll your eyes even though he can't see you over the phone and he laughs.

"Look, maybe it will just be some nice dick, but god knows you need that anyways."

"Oh my god!"- you laugh. "Alright then, I'll go out with him."

"Yes!"- you can imagine Jisung jumping up and down in excitement. "Wear that pretty black dress you have!"

And you do, you wear the dress, you put your heels on, you even put a little more makeup than you usually do and Felix watches.

He seethes in jelaousy, he recognizes it now, it's something Cupids aren't supposed to feel but he does. He wants you to make yourself this pretty for him, only for him. He knows it's the highest rule he's breaking but he can't help it, he's fallen in love with you.

You really don't have high expectations out of tonight, having been disappointed in people again and again. So you're surprised when Chan turns out not only handsome and funny but a real gentleman and someone you can actually have an intelligent conversation with. But you're cautious and don't want to jump to conclusions, or start anything serious.

That's why you decide to let go for the night, after a few encouraging drinks in your system, you invite Chan over to your place. You haven't been touched in so long, you forgot how good it feels to have someone kiss you as passionately as he does. You forgot how it feels to have gentle hands on your skin, worshipping you, laying you down on your bed.

Glowing golden tears slide down Felix's cheeks as he watches from the corner of the room. He knows Chan's not your soulmate, he linked to his soul back at the restaurant you had dinner at. And while he sensed that Chan was a good man, he still didn't want him anywhere near you. Felix still wants to give you privacy, but the buzzing and fuzziness clouding his senses don't let him move his wings or shimmer. He feels paralyzed and all he can do is turn his back to the bed, forced to listen to your pleasure, your strained moans, short breaths, your wetness caused by the man touching you and kissing you, the way you kept chanting his name.

Felix wishes to disappear, but at the same time his gut is stirring and he feels shame wash over him. He shuts his eyes tight, ignoring all the feelings brewing inside him, and suddenly he feels like he's being pulled up. He almost screams in fear but when he opens his eyes, he realizes he's back in his realm. Minho is glowing as he stands in front of him and Felix, still out of breath, slightly bows to his Elder.

"Felix."- Minho says and the Cupid gulps.

"Your powers are weakening fast, even as we speak."

"What's happening to me?"- Felix asks, fresh sparkly tears spilling out his eyes, lips quivering.

"You're losing your powers. You're becoming human, Felix."- Minho announces and Felix gasps.

"H-how is that possible?"- he's shivering now.

"I can't tell you yet. You need to find out on your own. Go back to your charge."

"B-but she's-"

"Go to her. Don't be afraid. Everything will be fine, Cupid."- Minho waves his hands towards Felix, little sparkly clouds coming out of them, soothing the Cupid's pain as much as he can.

"I can't shimmer."- Felix shakes his head, shaking a little.

"Just try to focus on your charge's energy and you'll be transported."- Minho says and Felix tries again, he senses you but he can't move.

"Hyunjin!"- Minho summons the other Cupid and he appears next to them. He takes in the state of his friend, shaking and tears still streaming down his cheeks. He's never seen him this weak or this sad.

"What's wrong?"- Hyunjin's brows furrow.

"He can't shimmer. Help him, just bring him to his charge, he'll show you the way."- Minho explains.

Hyunjin grabs Felix's hands gently and they both close their eyes, communicating with their minds, Felix sending his emotions and your soul's energy to Hyunjin. They manage to shimmer into your living room and Felix looks around. It's obviously the next day after that date, since time goes by differently in different realms.

"Hey, whatever happens, everything will be okay in the end, you know?"- Hyunjin smiles sympathetically at Felix, gently putting his hand on his friend's cheek.

"How do you know that?"- Felix's bottom lip quivers. "Do you know something I don't?"- he asks, vision blurry from tears. Hyunjin wipes them off.

"I don't. But I trust the Elders know what they're doing. And so does The Great Source Of Light. They would never harm us or anyone else for that matter."- Hyunjin reassures him.

"You really think that?"- Felix sniffles.

"I do. You'll be fine, my friend."- Hyunjin pats his head and shimmers away. Felix looks around again and you're not in the living room. He hears rummaging in your kitchen and he hopes and prays that Chan isn't still here. He wipes his tears away, trying to come to his senses, and you walk out of the kitchen towards your sofa.

You look up and freeze.

"What the fuck?!"- you squeal, grabbing the nearest object to you, which was just a decorative pillow in the shape of a flower and hurl it into the intruder standing next to your tv. Felix gasps, lifting his arms up to cover his face and the pillow flies right through him, a few particles of light dispersing around him as the pillow hits the wall with a thud.

"Okay, what the hell is this?!"- you say, obviously panicked and trying to pinch yourself so you wake up cause there's no way this is real.

"Don't hurt me!"- the 'intruder' speaks in a deep voice that's somehow familiar to you.

"What are you? What is happening?!"- you panic, half hiding behind your sofa. "Are you a ghost?"

"Ghosts are scary."- the creature shakes his head and comes closer. You squint your eyes, moving back a little, before realization dawns on you.

"I know you!"- you wave your finger at him and Felix feels a sense of deja vu. "You appear in my dreams. You talk to me. In some field with weird flowers."

"How do you remember that?"- he gasps. His powers must be really weakening.

"I remember a lot of my dreams. I don't remember what we talk about though. Am I going crazy and hallucinating right now? Talking to myself?"- you ask.

"No, I'm real."- the creature says.

You don't feel threatened for some reason so you come closer to him. Warmth radiates off of him and he looks ethereally beautiful up close. His hair is long and blonde, eyes dark but sparkles swim inside them, eyelashes long, freckles adorning his face, some of them in the shape of little hearts, even his upper lip is shaped like a heart. He glows, his pink shiny wings moving ever so slightly as he hovers above the ground just a little, before he plants his feet down on your carpet.

You reach your hand towards him, something pulling you closer to him and Felix stays completely still as he feels that buzzing again. His soul vibrates as your fingertips touch his ever so slightly and his eyes flutter. You gasp, only feeling electrifying warmness when you touch him, not actual skin like you would if you were touching a human.

"W-what are you?"- you whisper.

"I'm a Cupid. One of many. I was sent to help you find your soulmate."- he says and you laugh in disbelief, much like you did in your dream.

"I should call a doctor and get my head checked."- you sigh, sitting down on your sofa. Felix joins you reluctantly, almost shyly, and you eye him.

"I'm telling you, you're not crazy, this is real. It's just that you're not supposed to see me. But somehow you can."- he says.

"And why's that?"- you ask.

"I don't know. The Elders do. But they never told me anything, they said I should find out on my own."- the Cupid explains.

"The Elders?"- you play along to the madness.

"Yeah. Ugh, they're like beings of light like us, but like upper level. They take care of everything, keep the balance of Good in the world. All the positive feelings and such."- the Cupid explains.

"So is your name Cupid or?"- you say, trying to wrap your head around what's happening right now.

"No, my name's Felix."- he says.

"Okay then, Felix."- you emphasize his name and his chest flutters, some kind of vibrating wave washing over him. "How are you supposed to help me find my soulmate?"

"Well, I watched you and got to know you... and I'm supposed to feel the soul-"

"Wait, wait. You watch me? Isn't that kinda creepy?"- you stop him.

"N-no, it's literally what I'm supposed to do! Or it was, at least. I never intruded on your personal moments. I mean, not on purpose."- Felix says, looking away from you.

"What do you mean not on purpose?"

"I couldn't shimmer while you were here with your date last night. But I was summoned by the Elders anyways."

"Shimmer?"

"It's how Cupids transport through realms."- he explains, and you shake your head, your brows lifting up in disbelief.

"So you just watched me have sex?"

Felix cringes, the feelings stirring inside him last night threatening to resurface again.

"No, I didn't! I turned away. And just so you know, Chan is not your soulmate."

You scoff at him and grab your phone.

"Okay, I've had enough of this craziness. I'm gonna call the only person I trust, and if he can see you then you're real."- you nod to yourself.

"Jisung?"- Felix asks and you roll your eyes at him.

"You know eeeeverything about me, now do you?"- you say before Jisung picks up. You tell him it's an emergency and to come over asap.

And he does, just 10 minutes later, he's walking through your door.

"Come, I need to show you something."- you say grabbing his arm and pulling him into your living room.

"Where is the damn emergency?"- Jisung whines.

"There."- you point at Felix, who's standing next to the sofa now. "Do you see him?"

"You mean the pretty man with pink wings that's floating in your living room? Yeah I do and what the actual fuck?"- Jisung asks, his eyes widdened in shock.

"This is Cupid. One of many, as he says. His name is Felix and he's here to help me find love."- you sigh and Jisung laughs, shaking his head. "And since you can see him, either he's real or we're sharing a hallucination."

"I can't believe your ass was so lonely that you got your own personal Cupid to help you date."- Jisung jokes and you smack his head.

"Not funny!"- you say.

"Actually, you have your own personal Cupid too."- Felix chimes in.

"I do?"- Jisung's eyes widden again, his hand still rubbing where you smacked him.

"Everyone does."- Felix nods.

"So why can we see you?"- Jisung asks.

"I don't know. I don't know why any of this is happening. It all started when I accidentally swung the lamp and hit the wardrobe door-"

"That was you?"

"Yeah, and I'm not supposed to be able to influence physical stuff in the earth realm like that. I'm only made of light."- Felix explains.

"Okay then, you obviously need help. Since you can't shimmer or whatever, and people can see you, you have to stay here while I'm out. I mean people would probably be weirded out if they saw a guy with wings floating around me all day."- you chuckle and Felix nods, some kind of turmoil swirling in his chest.

"Shimmer?"- Jisung asks.

"Don't ask."- you say and Felix suddenly feels dizzy, he grabs at his chest, vibration going through his body.

"Felix?"- you tilt your head as you turn back to him.

He's buzzing even more now, little particles of light dispersing constantly around him.

"What's happening to him?!"- Jisung panics getting up and trying to get closer to the Cupid, only to be blinded by light.

Both of you lift your hands up to shield your eyes, and you hear some kind of little explosions like fireworks all around you.

The lights are so bright that you can see them under your closed eyelids.

You hear a thud and the lights disappear so you finally open your eyes. Felix is laying on the floor, seemingly unconscious and both you and Jisung rush to him.

You place your hand on Felix's shoulder and try to shake him only to realize you can actually feel him like he was made of flesh, not only the warmness and electricity that went through your palm earlier.

Felix is slowly waking up and he can hear Minho summoning him, at the same time he feels your hand on him, he feels the floor beneath him and he panics. He's pulled up suddenly, the action hurting him, his now human body screaming with pain.

"Felix."- he hears Minho's warm voice.

"What happened?"- Felix asks, slowly opening his eyes, all the light and swirling clouds that he was surrounded by every day of his existence suddenly making him naseous, intensifying the headache behind his eyelids.

"You're almost completely human. Have you realized why you're turning human?"- Minho asks and Felix shakes his head no.

Minho pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing in annoyance.

"Think about it. The buzzing you feel when you're close to your charge."

Felix thinks, despite the horrible aches going through his body, he tries hard to think about everything he knows. He gasps as realization dawns on him.

"I'm- I'm her soulmate?"- he says, his chest beating now and he clutches at it, realizing he now has a heart pumping blood through him.

"Finally!"- Minho chuckles.

"But how is that possible? Cupids aren't supposed to fall in love, especially not with mortals."- Felix recites the rule he learned the first day he opened his eyes.

"Well, someone screwed up. As you know, us Elders deal with good souls too, we help them reincarnate or pass on into different existences. Cupids souls are the souls of people who are done with their life on earthly realms, promoting them to a higher state of being. I mean, not only Cupids, but also Muses for inspiration, Sandman for dreams and many other light beings. The point is, your soul was supposed to be reincarnated as your charge's soulmate. But instead someone accidentally reincarnated you into a Cupid. Still, the pull of love is stronger than anything, travelling through realms and your soulmate ended up as your charge just so you can find love in each other. Weird how destiny works, but that is yours."- Minho explains and Felix just stares at him, the overwhelming amount of information seemingly suffocating him.

"Wh-what about my powers... My other charges..."

"Your charges have been divided between different Cupids, so don't worry about that. Your powers are actually what I wanted to talk to you about. They were one with you since the day you started existing, connected to your emotions so it will take some time for them to completely disappear. The transition will be hard but it will be worth it."

"B-but... what if she doesn't love me?"- Felix asks weakly.

"Oh, she already does. After all, she's your soulmate too."- Minho smiles, seemingly glowing even brighter than before.

"So what do I do now?"

"I will send you back to the earth realm. This is goodbye, former-Cupid. You did a great job helping people find love. It's your turn now to find yours."- Minho says beckoning Felix's friends to come closer. Hyunjin and Changbin float closer to Felix, both of them with golden tears sparkling in their eyes, threatening to spill out.

"You'll be fine, Felix. You deserve to feel love."- Hyunjin smiles at his friend and Changbin agrees.

Felix tries to hug them, but all he feels is the warmness of the light particles they're made of as they embrace him. It's enough for him to feel the love they hold.

"Shimmer him to his love."- is the last thing Felix hears before everything goes black.

It has been three weeks exactly since Felix disappeared and appeared again in your living room, without his wings, unconscious and running a high fever.

You and Jisung carried him to your bed when he appeared, unsure if you should call an ambulance or not. Jisung remembered that Chan's close to a doctor who's really good at what he does but you felt awkward since you never contacted him again after that night. He was still happy to help, holding no grudges against you and his doctor friend welcomes you to his ordination the same day.

You can't really explain the whole situation to the doctor lest he deems you crazy, but even with the little information you give to him, he takes care of Felix.

"Hm."- doctor Yang muses, staring at the papers in his hands. "He just has a fever, while all his other vitals are fine. It's just like he's burning up from the inside, like there's some kind of light or fire inside him."

Even after running all the possible tests, the doctor couldn't find the source of Felix's state, but you know it's gonna take more than any kind of human medicine to make him better.

And now it's been three weeks, Felix is falling in and out of consciousness, and you've tried everything and anything you could think of. Jisung's been helping you take care of him, and you've had time to think. Your heart ached for Felix, seeing him on the brink between life and death, holding on by a thread.

In the mean time, you decide to say fuck it and quit your job. It's not what you wanted to do originally anyways, you just had to pay bills like everyone else so you settled. But, after finding out about Cupids, Elders and whatnot, your earthly problems and concerns seemed kind of nonsensical. Life is so much greater than you thought it was, there is meaning in it, there is love and destiny and soulmates.

That's why you feel connected to Felix, in a way, he was excluded too, something you felt every single day of your life, especially at work. He was cut off from the only life he knew, he had no family or friends, no past on Earth, at least not in this life. You feel like you want to protect him in any way you can.

"Sungie, I'm worried. His breathing is really shallow."- you say, placing your hand on Felix's forehead.

Jisung is silent for a few moments, deep in thought.

"Jisung?"- you tilt your head at him.

"You know what I've been thinking? Since he is - well was Cupid, and he's made of light and love... wouldn't a true love's kiss make him better?"- Jisung suggests.

"Have you been reading fairytales?"- you chuckle.

"Cupid is kind of a fairytale though, isn't he? Or a myth, rather. I don't know, just think about it."

"That's so cliché though."- you shake your head in disbelief.

"Cliché or not, it could be the only way to help him."

That evening, you're alone with Felix and thinking about what your friend said earlier. It couldn't hurt to try, right? You got nothing to lose.

You get up from the couch that you've been sleeping on ever since Felix fell ill, and make your way to your room. He's laying on his back, his breathing fast and shallow, beads of sweat running down his forehead. You sit on the bed, nervousness suddenly washing over you and making your heart beat faster in your chest.

"Felix?"- you try like many times before, but to no avail. Your eyes water and you're afraid. If this doesn't work, he may not have much more time. The thought of that creates an empty hole in your stomach.

You lean in closer to his face and slowly press your lips on his. They're chapped but still soft and you feel something hit you, leaving you out of breath. Thousands of years of love, his soul that was binded to you since the beginning, stretching into forever, taking different shapes, nationalities, species. You may have even been two rocks on a shore when Earth first came into existence. You know him, you know his lips, you know his love.

You hear fireworks much like that day in the living room and you quickly pull back. Little lights are exploding around Felix and he opens his eyes.

"Y-y/n?"- he says weakly, his voice deep and raspy as he squints his eyes at you. The little lights from the fireworks disperse around you both.

"Felix?!"- you gasp. You can't believe it actually worked! Jisung is a damn genius, you think, smiling at Felix.

"W-what-"

"It's okay."- you touch his forehead and his fever seems to be subsiding quickly. "You have to drink some water."

Felix just nods, feeling completely confused and out of it. You grab a water bottle and help him drink.

"Oh, that's better."- he says. "What happened?"

"You were kind of unconscious for three weeks. Jisung and I took care of you. I thought you... I thought you wouldn't make it."- you say, your stomach swirling with many different emotions.

"How did you make me better then?"- he asks and your face warms up.

"I- ugh- I kissed you."- you declare and Felix's eyes widden, his cheeks rosy.

"Oh."- he looks away and awkwardness settles between you both as you have no idea what to do or say.

Felix's stomach suddenly grumbles making you chuckle as he gasps and grabs at it.

"I guess you're fully human now."- you say. "Let's go eat something."- you reach your hands towards him.

He grabs them, wobbling on his feet and you help him steady himself. After not using his legs for 3 weeks, he still feels weak and fuzzy even though your kiss basically healed him.

"My wings!"- he realizes suddenly. "They're gone!"

"Actually, they were gone as soon as you were brought back from your realm."- you tell him and he doesn't answer, seemingly deep in thought.

You decide not to pry with any questions as you both settle in the kitchen, he'll tell you what's on his mind when he's ready.

You whip up some instant noodles and bring two bowls to the table. Felix doesn't wait, he starts digging in with his chopsticks right away.

"Woah, woah, wait a little or you'll get burned."- you warn him, gently grabbing his hand.

His face flushes as he looks at you sheepishly.

"Sorry."- he mumbles.

"It's okay."- you smile at him. "You have lots of things to get used to."

When he does try the food, his eyes widden comically, lips falling open.

"Oh wow, this is so good! Must be food for gods."- he gasps.

"Thank you, but it's just instant noodles."- you chuckle. He smiles a little and continues eating as thoughts swirl around his head.

Now that he's completely human, everything he knew before and everyone he cared about was gone. Everything he ever was just evaporated, his powers, his wings, his duties. And even though he knows you're his soulmate, and you're bound to fall in love with him like he fell in love with you, he was still scared. If you didn't want him, he'd have nowhere to go.

"What's on your mind?"- you ask Felix after dinner, as you both sit on your couch.

"Well... I basically don't exist in this realm. I don't have a family, not even a last name. No one, but you I guess."- he sighs shyly.

"I know it's not the same, but I kind of of have no one except Jisung and well you either. I'm not really close to my family anymore."

"But the pictures-"

"Are old. They didn't agree with my choices and they didn't care for me when I was down. Jisung was there for me at my lowest so he's more like family to me than my actual one."- you say.

"I understand. It's just that... I'm scared."- Felix looks away from you.

"Of what?"

"I know we're soulmates but I'm afraid you wont see me the way I see you and then I'll truly have no one."- he says quietly. You chuckle, making him look up at you.

"You know what I felt when I kissed you?"- you ask and he shakes his head.

"I felt like I've known you for a thousand years. Like I loved you for a thousand years."- his lips tremble. "I've always been kind of a dreamer when it comes to love. But after being with wrong people I stopped believing. In soulmates, destiny, Cupids and whatnot. But kissing you tonight changed everything."

"Do you maybe want to try that again?"

Instead of answering verbally you start leaning in towards him slowly, your eyes travelling to his plump lips. Felix's heart starts beating hard against his chest as he leans in too. Your heart matches the beating of his as his breath hits your lips. He meets you halfway, your lips pressing together and you place your hands on his cheeks gently. You start moving your lips and he's stunned for a moment before he follows your lead. And suddenly, he feels all of it. All the precious moments of love you shared in your past lives. The purpose of his existence, he realizes as his soul buzzes is to love you. You smile into the kiss and he knows everything will be just fine.

within the forest | chapter 12

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader word count: 1k words summary: Taehyun recounted how he had met Chan for the first time a/n: 2 chapters more before this story finish </3

main masterlist | series masterlist | next

Taehyun propped his cheeks on his palm and stared at Chan’s silhouettes pacing back and forth in the hut. He sat alone on the branch, his legs swinging beneath him as a night breeze blew around him. Ever since the accident on Y/N's birthday, he couldn’t leave Chan alone, even though the eldest insisted he could manage independently.

He always said that, until it reached a point where Taehyun could no longer trust him. Every time he wasn’t with Chan, something happened.

“Did you regret it, Chan?” He mumbled

[13 years earlier]

The sound of branches breaking under his footsteps echoed in his ear as he descended deeper into the forest, a small flame in his hand to light the path ahead. After hearing a thud outside the house, Beomgyu had been roused from his slumber. Without telling anyone, he went outside to investigate the noise.

The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood up as he heard a soft breathing sound from his right. It was a fast rhythm. Beomgyu whirled around and held out his burning hand. The bushes around him rustled together.

Maybe I’m hearing it wrong…

The surroundings became eerily quiet afterwards, which worried him. He wondered whether he should approach the sound or return to the comfort of his bed. He sighed and clenched his fist as he took a step forward.

A shadow lurked behind him and its hand slowly landed on Beomgyu’s shoulder. His feet were pinned to the ground and his whole body tensed under its touch. 

Here came another decision he had to make.

Unfortunately, a scream escaped his lips first and the shadow had to stuff its hand into his mouth to muffle the volume. 

“Hey, hey, it’s me, Taehyun!” Taehyun silenced him and raised his eyebrows when Beomgyu finally looked at him. The muscles in Beomgyu’s body relaxed at the realisation. The possibility of encountering a beast with bulging green eyes had opened up in his mind earlier.

“What are you doing outside of the house?” Taehyun asked and Beomgyu explained briefly. Taehyun turned his head to where Beomgyu's line of sight was and squinted, hoping that would help him. Black clouded his vision, but he could see something in the distance. He almost didn’t notice it since the thing was as dark as the velvet sky.

He wrapped his finger around Beomgyu’s wrist and pulled him towards it, his heart beating against his chest with a restless rhythm. Both eyes widened at the sight of an unconscious man on the floor, his leg wound still bleeding. His face was covered in scars. His right wing was torn apart.

Taehyun quickly came to his aid and brought him to their house. 

[Taehyun’s point of view]

The sun had begun sipping in through the ajar window and door, the bedrooms had emptied except for one I’d asked them to stay away from. The others were eating breakfast and I hurried into the room, my breath catching in my throat.

The sheet was on the floor, and the male sat on the corner of the bed, hugging his knee to his chest as he chewed on the end of his fingernail. His figure trembled slightly. If it weren’t for his wings, I might have thought he had shrunk.

I shut the door and settled on the bed, beside him. I left a gap between us acknowledging that we were strangers. He looked vulnerable, broken even. 

“What’s your name?”

He looked at me slowly and hid his finger, which was beginning to drip blood from his action earlier. He tugged his wings inwards and hid his face from me.

“Bang Chan and you?”

“Kang Taehyun. I can heal, so may I?” I pointed to the torn skin of his right wing. His eyes averted to the window next to us as his finger fiddled with the feather of his wings before releasing it. I beamed him a small smile and whispered thank you.

I placed my hand on the wound and removed it. I tilted my head a bit after I noticed the wound left a scar.

Is there something wrong with my power?

“Thank you but this could never heal fully. This is my punishment for disobeying him” He showed me his bleeding finger and I swiftly took his hand in mine. This time, it didn’t leave a mark. 

“Who is he? And why were you unconscious the other night?”

He remained silent and I waited for an answer.

Then seconds turned into minutes.

Then minutes turned into hours. 

I figured he wouldn’t open up that easily.

I tried again the next day.

And again, again only to fail

At least he ate what I gave him.

One evening, he suddenly spoke while I was putting the food on his bed.

“It’s a long story. Can you stay?”

“Of course, I don’t mind listening as long as it takes the pressure off someone”

A smile crept onto his lips as he nodded. 

 I wouldn’t survive a second with Duncan if I were in his shoes. I understood why it took him so long to say it.

Being within the forest was father’s greatest decision

3 days later, Chan asked me if I knew his family. I had already heard about his family from Mother, and as time passed, the story of the Bang family died with her. Mother said she was close with Chan’s mother before the family vanished out of the blue. 

His eyes sparkled with hope from the information. He insisted I accompany him to look for his parents’ house that evening.

So I did, although I only vaguely remembered the direction. I'd been to her house before.

We set off in search of it with a little hint from Chan. After flying for hours, we discovered an old cottage near the forest’s entrance. Chan landed immediately and opened the door before I reached the ground. I rushed to it and a cloud of dust washed over me, followed by a loud sneeze.

I looked around; all the furniture was covered in thick layers of dust, and cobwebs adorned every corner of the house. No light illuminated the room we were in, all the windows were closed.

“This is their old home,” Chan whispered and entered a room.

“Hey, Taehyun, I forgot to tell you something.”

“What is it?” I followed him to the room. He pushed the window open and faced me.

“I’ll be staying here so you don’t have to worry about me anymore”

This house needed upgrading and cleaning if he was going to stay here.

Present time

I guess you didn’t regret it, Chan. It’s not your fault how things have turned out now, it was never yours to begin with. 

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OHHH IT DIDN'T END JUST LIKE THAT😭😭😭 but issokay

Gold digger (Han's vers. Part 2)

A/n: 😬

Masterlist part 1

Well, I'm writing a skz x aot for fun. I'm excited to see how it will turn out! This is totally not me trying cope with the ending of attack on titan :')

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I'M CRYINGGGG, THIS HURTS MY HEART. And chan as the fairy godmother ;-;

My Favorite Princess | Hyunjin

ᑉ³pairing; Husband! Dad! Hyunjin x Reader

ᑉ³genre; Fluff

ᑉ³warnings; none

ᑉ³Authors Note; Hope you all enjoy :)

As you prepare for your daughter, Areum's Cinderella-themed birthday party, the air is alive with anticipation. Your little princess has been dreaming of this day for weeks, and you're determined to make it a fairytale come true.

With Hyunjin by your side, you dive into the task of transforming your home and backyard into a magical kingdom straight out of a storybook. The party decor team bustles around, hanging shimmering streamers in shades of blue and silver, while fairy lights twinkle like stars in the night sky.

"Let's place the Cinderella carriage centerpiece right in the center of the table," you suggest, pointing to the elegant coach adorned with sparkling crystals. "And we can scatter glass slipper confetti around it for an extra touch of magic."

As you direct the placement of each decoration, you can't help but feel a surge of joy at the thought of your daughter's delight. This party is more than just a celebration—it's a chance to make her dreams come true.

"Mommy, Daddy, look at this!" your daughter exclaims, twirling in her blue tulle dress as she examines the decorations. She is dressed in a custom-made Cinderella gown. As for you and Hyunjin, you've opted for a more casual approach to your attire, both donning outfits in shades of blue to match the party's color scheme.

"It's like I'm really in Cinderella's castle!" she continues.

You smile at her enthusiasm, feeling a warmth spread through your heart. "It's all for you, sweetheart." 

Hyunjin crouches down to his daughter's level, his eyes sparkling with affection as he takes in her excitement. "You look absolutely beautiful, just like Cinderella herself," he says, his voice filled with warmth.

She giggles, twirling once more, the skirt billowing around her like a cloud of magic. "Thank you, Daddy!" she chirps, reaching out to take his hand. In her other hand, she clutches Jiniret, dressed like one of the mice from Cinderella. "I'm so happy!"

Your heart swells with love as you watch the tender moment between father and daughter. Despite the stress of last-minute preparations, seeing the joy on their faces makes it all worth it.

Hyunjin takes her hand gently, his touch reassuring as he leads her out towards the backyard. The sun casts a golden glow over the meticulously decorated space, where shimmering streamers in shades of blue and silver dance in the gentle breeze. A canopy draped with twinkling fairy lights adds a touch of enchantment to the scene, creating an atmosphere fit for a princess's celebration.

Meanwhile, you continue to oversee the placement of decorations, your attention focused on every intricate detail. Each corner of the backyard and house is adorned with magical touches. Banners depicting scenes from Cinderella's story flutter gently in the wind, adding to the whimsical ambiance.

As the party guests begin to arrive, your home fills with laughter and excitement. The air is filled with the aroma of freshly baked treats, from cupcakes adorned with edible glass slippers to sandwiches cut into pumpkin shapes. Tables are adorned with bowls of fruit arranged artfully to resemble a majestic castle.

Areum eagerly greets each newcomer with a radiant smile, her eyes scanning the crowd in anticipation, hoping to catch a glimpse of the "real-life Cinderella." She can hardly contain her joy as she awaits the arrival of the enchanting princess she's been dreaming of meeting.

"Daddy, Mommy, when is Cinderella coming?" she asks, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Hyunjin chuckles warmly, ruffling her hair affectionately. "She'll be here soon, sweetheart," he assures her.

Your phone suddenly buzzes with an incoming call. With a furrowed brow, you step away to answer the incoming call. You were eagerly awaiting the delivery of the cake, and were hoping it wasn't a last-minute hiccup.

"Be back soon," you murmur, offering a reassuring smile before stepping away. "Hello?" you answer.

On the other end of the line, you hear a hurried voice speaking, delivering the news you had feared. "I'm sorry to inform you that the princess performer has fallen ill and won't be able to make it to the party," the voice says, its tone apologetic.

Anxiety begins to creep up within you as you hang up the phone, your mind swirling with worry. How will you possibly break this devastating news to your daughter? And more pressing still, how will you salvage her dream birthday party now?

In the background, curiosity sparkles in your daughter's eyes as she turns to Hyunjin. "Daddy, what do you think Cinderella's like?" she asks, her voice filled with wonder.

Hyunjin grins down at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, I think she's probably very kind and brave, just like you," he replies, his voice soft and reassuring.

Your daughter beams at the comparison, her heart swelling with pride. "Do you think she has a prince, like in the story?" she asks, her excitement growing with each word.

Hyunjin's smile widens as he considers her question. "I think so," he says with a playful wink. "But let me ask you something, my little princess. What do you like the most about Cinderella?"

Your daughter's brow furrows in thought as she considers his question.

As she nods enthusiastically, she reaches out to squeeze Hyunjin's hand. "I love that Cinderella's prince always finds a way to be there for her when she needs him the most."

Hyunjin chuckles at her observation, his eyes shining with affection. "Ah, so you're a fan of the prince, then?" he teases, a playful grin tugging at his lips.

"He's like a hero," she declares, her eyes shining with admiration.

As your daughter's excitement fills the air, your thoughts race, scrambling for a solution to the sudden dilemma. It's already an hour into the party, and with the festivities in full swing, so finding a replacement princess performer seems virtually impossible.

Hyunjin's laughter breaks through your frantic thoughts, drawing your attention back to the present moment. His gaze flickers briefly to you, sensing something amiss. A subtle shift in your demeanor doesn't escape his notice, and a furrow creases his brow as he registers your troubled expression.

"Mommy, are you okay?" your daughter asks, her concern mirroring Hyunjin's.

You force a smile, attempting to reassure her. "I'm fine, sweetie," you say, your voice catching slightly. "Just... thinking about somethin-"

But before you can even finish the sentence, he's already spinning a new tale. "Oh my goodness, look who's here! Your best friend Ha-ri just arrived!" he exclaims, his voice filled with excitement.

"Really?" your daughter gasps, her eyes widening with anticipation.

Without another word, she darts off towards the entrance, her Cinderella gown billowing behind her as she races to see her friend.

As your daughter bounds off to greet the guests, Hyunjin's playful demeanor fades, replaced by genuine concern. He stands beside you, his hand gently squeezing yours as he senses your distress.

"Is everything alright?" he asks softly, his eyes searching yours for any hint of what has occured.

You take a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves. "The princess performer... she's unable to make it," you explain, your voice tinged with disappointment. "I don't know how to tell our daughter."

Panic continues to bubble within you, your mind racing with thoughts of your daughter's shattered expectations. She had been so excited for Cinderella to be there, and now you're at a loss for how to break the news to her.

"She's going to be devastated," you murmur, your voice catching with emotion. "All she wanted was Cinderella... she didn't even ask for presents."

Hyunjin's expression softens as he listens to your words, his heart aching for both you and Areum. He wraps his arm around you, pulling you close in a comforting embrace.

"I don't know what to do, Hyunjin," you admit, your voice trembling with worry. "How do we make this up to her?"

Hyunjin's arms tighten around you, his touch a comforting anchor in the storm of your emotions. "Shh, love, we'll figure it out," he murmurs, his voice gentle and soothing. "We'll make her birthday unforgettable, even without Cinderella."

Your words hang heavy in the air, the weight of disappointment pressing down on both of you. "But we'll never live it down if it doesn't happen," you whisper, tears threatening to spill from your eyes.

Hyunjin's touch is tender as he brushes away a stray tear. "Don't worry about that," he says softly, his voice filled with determination. "You worry about greeting the guests and looking pretty. I'll take care of it, okay?"

His words wrap around you like a warm blanket, offering a glimmer of hope in the darkness of your despair. With a shaky nod, you lean into his embrace, finding solace in the strength of his arms.

"Okay," you whisper, your voice barely above a breath. "Okay."

As Hyunjin presses a gentle kiss to your forehead, you feel a sense of calm wash over you. With a shaky exhale, you reluctantly release yourself from his embrace, returning your focus to the tasks at hand.

As you make your way to the backyard to check on the guests, Hyunjin disappears into the depths of the house, determined to salvage the birthday celebration. Amidst the hustle and bustle of serving guests and attending to last-minute details, you lose track of time.

An hour passes in a blur, and as you glance around , you realize that Hyunjin is still nowhere to be found. A sense of worry hits you.

Where could he be?

Before you can dwell on your concerns any further, your daughter's voice interrupts your thoughts. She stands before you, eyes wide with anticipation, hope evident in her voice.

"Mommy, is the princess coming soon?" she asks eagerly.

You search for the right words to soothe her, but the truth catches in your throat.

"I... I'm not sure, sweetheart," you reply, your voice faltering. "But let's focus on enjoying the party, okay?"

As your daughter's questions become more persistent and her restlessness grows, you feel the weight of your uncertainty bearing down on you. Each inquiry chips away at you, until you're on the brink of revealing the truth to her.

But just as you open your mouth to speak, the sound of hoofbeats and the creak of carriage wheels cut through the air, stopping you in your tracks. 

Your daughter's eyes widen in wonder as she turns to you, a spark of hope dancing in her gaze. "Mommy, do you hear that?" she asks, her voice tinged with excitement.

Before you can respond, the source of the sound emerges from around the bend, and there, coming into view, is a magnificent horse-drawn carriage led by a majestic steed.

Your heart skips a beat as you recognize the unmistakable look of a horse-drawn carriage. At the reins is Minho, dressed in regal attire from head to toe. And in the carriage, dressed in shimmering all-white attire, is Hyunjin, a dazzling smile gracing his features.

As the carriage comes to a stop before you, your daughter's face lights up with sheer delight. "I get to have my own carriage!" she exclaims, her voice filled with joy.

Hyunjin chuckles warmly, stepping down from the carriage and sweeping your daughter into his arms. "Of course, my dear," he says, his tone tender. "Why bring Cinderella when you are already a princess? My favorite princess, at that."

Your daughter beams at the compliment, her cheeks flushing with happiness. "And every princess needs her prince, right?" she says, her eyes shining with adoration.

But the surprises don't end there. Coming out of the the carriage is Chan, dressed in an elaborate costume that can only be described as the Fairy Godmother.

Chan, with an exasperated sigh, straightens his posture and adopts a stern expression. He clears his throat.

"Hello, I am Chanita, your Fairy Godmother," he announces in a deadpan tone, clearly not thrilled about his role. You watch as Minho snickers in amusement.

But before he can continue, Hyunjin elbows him so hard that Chan's tone changes abruptly, now filled with excitement. "And I'm here to grant all your birthday wishes!" he exclaims, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

As Chan waves his wand theatrically, a burst of glitter fills the air, and your daughter's laughter fills the space around you. "Fairy Godmother!" she cries with glee, running towards Chan.

Your daughter giggles with delight as Chan scoops her up in his arms, placing her gently inside the carriage. She squeals with excitement as he lifts her, her laughter echoing through the air as she settles into the plush seat.

Meanwhile, Hyunjin descends from the carriage and comes to your side, a grin playing on his lips.

"How did this happen?" you ask incredulously, shaking your head in disbelief.

Hyunjin chuckles, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "I may have called in a few favors," he admits, his tone teasing. "You know, just to make our little princess's birthday extra special."

You raise an eyebrow, unable to resist pressing for more details. "And how on earth did you convince Chan to be the Fairy Godmother?" you inquire, still trying to wrap your head around the unexpected turn of events.

A grin spreads across Hyunjin's face as he leans in to whisper in your ear. "Well, let's just say Changbin wasn't available, and Chan and Minho both lost a bet and owed me a favor," he confesses, his voice laced with amusement.

As your daughter's joyful laughter fills the air, she calls out to Hyunjin, her voice echoing with excitement. "Daddy, come ride with me!" she exclaims, her eyes alight with anticipation.

Hyunjin's eyes sparkle with amusement as he glances at you, a silent question in his gaze. With a nod and a smile, you encourage him to indulge your daughter's request.

As Hyunjin climbs into the carriage, he keeps his gaze fixed on you, his eyes filled with so much love it's palpable. A smile blooms on your lips, and the warmth in your eyes doesn't go unnoticed by your daughter.

"You really love mommy, don't you?" she observes, her voice filled with curiosity.

Hyunjin's smile widens as he turns his attention to his daughter, his heart overflowing with affection. "Yes, sweetheart," he confirms, his voice tender. "Your mommy is my favorite princess."

Your daughter's eyes light up with understanding, and she snuggles closer to him, her small hand finding his. "That's why you're always going to be my favorite prince."

"Why?" Hyunjin asks, his gaze softening with affection as he looks at his daughter, waiting for her answer.

"Because you love mommy more than anyone else," she continues, her gaze unwavering. "And I want to be just like you, loving someone so much it makes magic happen."

Hyunjin's heart swells with pride as he listens to his daughter's heartfelt words. "That's right," he murmurs, his voice filled with tenderness. "Your mommy is the most special person in the world to me."

He intertwines his fingers with hers, holding her hand gently as he speaks. "And you, my dear, are the most precious princess," he continues, his eyes shimmering with love.

With a shared smile, they set off on their enchanting carriage ride, the gentle clip-clop of the horse's hooves accompanying their journey.

As the wind tousles their hair and the golden sunlight bathes them in its warm glow, Hyunjin leans in to whisper in her ear. "Happy birthday my sweet girl," he says softly, his voice carrying the weight of a thousand promises. "I love you."

*·˚ᑉ³ M.LIST | Ko-Fi | Taglist | Thank you for your support | Consider leaving a comment, reblog or like | © 2024 Valkyriexo  licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

within the forest | chapter 7

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader word count: 2.1k words summary: expect the unexpected they said(edit because I realized I write the same summery ;-;) warning: mentioned of blood

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He jumped, preparing to push himself against gravity for the first time in a while. He was up in the air with a heavy downstroke, and the beautiful scenery of Stellious met his gaze. He exhaled a deep breath as a cold breeze washed over him. The air felt much lighter up here, and his body eased - he liked the feeling embracing him now.

He flew forward, eyes darting from tree to tree, searching for her figure. He sensed her arrival a moment ago. After some minutes, he caught her at the riverside, playing with a small creature. He landed on the ground with a gust of blowing winds. The princess had folded her eyes as some fallen leaves blew into her.

“That was sure a strong landing, Chan. You blow my hair away.” She chuckled, placing the bunny on the grass and fixing her hair. Chan sat beside her, taking the bunny into his lap. His hand ran through bunny fur as it snuggled further into the male’s leg. She tilted her head to see the animal clearly before cooing at how cute it was.

“At least it’s not a wig. I will laugh if it is one.”

“Funny, Chan.” She filled a palm with water and threw it to Chan. Chan giggled while avoiding the attack.

“Anyway…is everything fine yesterday?”

He hummed nonchalantly while nodding. “Just a small incident. A hunter misfires his arrow. I guess he isn’t used to the bow yet. I’m sorry, I was overreacting yesterday.” He gently placed the sleeping bunny beside them and glanced at her with an apologetic smile.

After hearing her father's conversation last night, she took Chan’s reply as an excuse. When she had put her trust in Chan, it began crushing down slowly. Why did he lie? Was he trying to make her not worry about him? 

Persuading him to tell the truth now, wasn’t a great decision. He seemed happy today and she doesn’t want to see that angelic smile fade. She held herself back from spitting that question. She draped an arm on his shoulder and quickly pushed Chan’s body. He fell into the river with a huge splash, causing the creature to be slightly jolted in its sleep.

A hysterical laugh rang throughout the forest. Chan’s head perked up from the water, eyes narrowing toward her as he reached for her hand. Since she was into laughing, she was oblivious to his actions. In a swift motion, she was under the water.

“Got you!” Chan held her waist and raised her to the surface.

“Look who’s laughing now” He spoke.

“I can swim, Channie. You can let go of me.”

And he did. Y/N backed away and splashed some water toward him. It caught him off guard so he did the same. Each splash became wilder and harsher as time passed - as well as their laughter and joyous screams. The very moment felt like reliving their childhood. An evening where you laugh as if there weren’t tomorrow.

The bunny has got friends to observe their child's behaviour on the water edge. The blonde-haired fairy observed them with arms crossed on his chest, the latter in amusement until his sugar cube melted on his palm. They had their tiny legs soaked in the flowing meek water.

“They seem so happy together. She fills the gap in Chan’s heart, possibly healing his past too.” Beomgyu mumbled as he washed the sugar off and summoned a new sugar cube in his hand.  

Taehyun’s gaze softened at the realisation. He whispered, “Is that so Chan?”

Beomgyu nodded vigorously and Taehyun gazed at him, a gasp leaving his mouth. He dipped his hand into the water and wiped his wet hand over Beomgyu’s lips and cheeks which were sugar-coated.

“You’re much older than me yet you eat like a child. Unbelievable, Gyu.”

“Hopefully Aunty Rosie's shop isn’t closed yet.” She dragged him over the street, through the crowd. The town was busy today. Horses with carriages bustling on the road, folks chatting, it was noisy basically. Twice as he last visited. 

After the sudden chaos at the riverside, Y/N pleaded with him to try her childhood food. He used the magic Taehyun taught a few years back to hide his wings, and he prayed it would last until the end of their journey.

Sometimes, he’d to fasten his pace to keep the same pace as her. It reminds him of his excited younger siblings. A moment later, they arrived at the shop. 

“Aunty Rosie!” 

The 60-ish woman snapped her head from the counter to them. A tender smile rested on her wrinkly face as she placed the tray inside the glass. Her arm spread widely and engulfed Y/N in a warm hug as a mother would.

“Aunty, this is Chan. My best friend!” 

“Nice to meet you, Aunty”  Chan extended his hand but Rosie cupped his cheeks instead. Chan unconsciously took a step back, surprised by Rosie's friendliness. 

“What a handsome man you are. I’m sure you would be a great husband to her.” 

He could feel his face heated up. Chan let out a giggle and his dominant reached for the back of his neck, rubbing it – out of habit – after Rosie released his cheeks. He thanked Rosie for the unexpected compliment.

“Aunty! Don’t say something nonsense!”

“A husband should know his future wife personally. How could the king set you up with a stranger? I’m against it!” Aunty Rosie scrunched her nose to prove her point more.

“Let’s go to the kitchen. I knew you would come today, so I prepared your favourite!”

Y/N followed Rosie to the back, leaving Chan wandering around the shop. He stopped at the wall full of pictures and a photograph gained his attention – A woman with a young girl sitting on her lap. The girl’s face was covered with flour and baking equipment was scattered on the floor. A broad smile was tugged on their faces. He was sure the culprit was the little girl. 

“That girl is Y/N, Chan,”

He turned to his side and saw Rosie looking at the same picture. 

“She was clumsy back then, yet it’s one of her personalities that entertained me”

“Were you there when she was growing up?”

“Of course. I’m one of her maids. Aside from my daughter, she’s the brightest and most curious little girl I have met.”

“Aunty, do you have an extra container? I want to give it to Chan too.” She shouted from the kitchen. Rosie gave him a last glimpse and patted his shoulder.

“You need to take care of her properly if you want to stay with her for a long time.” She gave a tender smile before rushing back to the kitchen. 

“Stay with her? Would I be able to do that?” He whispered while peering outside the big glass. His shoulder tensed when the Stellious army roaming the town came into his view. He’d his back toward the glass before searching for Y/N. He can’t let his guard down, by now, they already recognise him – maybe.

“Chan, let’s go back” 

“Let’s go” Chan intertwined her hand and exited the shop. His grip turned tighter, pulling her closer to his side. He led their way out. Stepping a foot outside the shop suddenly became terrifying, as if there were thousands of guns aiming at him. She noticed the change but kept quiet. 

A strong blow of wind passed him and tore his pale cheeks apart, drawing blood. Her eyes widened and turned around, coming eye to eye with one of the armies. His gaze traced the arrow that landed upon him. Wasting no time, he undid the spell and grabbed her waist.

“Hold on tight, little flora!” 

They were off the ground in a second. The surrounding erupts into chaos, citizens running for shelter as the army continuously tries to shoot them since every attempt is vain. 

She hugged him securely, eyes staying closed. Hearing the screams from beneath them made her imagine what had happened. Chan pushed himself against the air’s current, wings descending rapidly to her palace. Unfortunately, an arrow pierced his right leg. His leg ached, nonetheless, he flew faster. Getting hurt was the least of his concerns, as long as she was safe, he would too.

He crashed into her bedroom through the window, landing on his arm as a painful groan ran throughout the room. That was his last energy, luckily, they made it in just in time. Y/N got out of his grip and guided him to lean against her bed

“Slowly, Chan. We’re safe.”

“You are, I’m glad.” 

Her eyebrows furrowed and she shook her head.

“Both of us are safe, Chan.” She said sternly. She carefully took his injured leg in her lap. An arrow had embedded into his skin and under it, his pants had turned into a brighter shade of black from the overflowing scarlet-like liquid.

“Can I?” 

“Slowly, please”

Taking the arrow in her hand, she pulled the arrow from his leg, carefully. His forehead creased and he bit his bottom lips, containing his scream within him. 

“There…it’s out.”

 She threw the arrow from her window and helped him stand up. His legs felt numb when he tried to emerge. Blood dripped on the floor while he went to the chair. 

“Stay still while I stitch them. I don’t want you to bear any more pain, Channie”

 She patted an unused cloth on the open wounds as Chan hissed and stitched them. While doing so, Chan grabbed her forearm. Her action immediately halted and she averted her attention to him. His eyes shifted away when their gaze met, guilt devouring him silently.

“Why are you treating me when I was the one who caused you to be involved in this?” He questioned with a low voice laced with devastation.

“Because that's what a friend does. I’m not going to leave you knowing you’re hurt because of me” She doesn’t dare to say the last word out loud.

“Thank you, little flora” He rose to his feet, limping toward the window. 

“Chan, don’t leave. It’s dangerous!” She grasped Chan’s hand firmly, pleading for him to stay. He rubbed her hand with a thumb, escaping the hold. 

“I’ll be safe, little flora” He smiled softly.

The queen saw the fairy leaving her daughter's bedroom, so she shouted his name. The fairy seemed hesitant about the call.

“I mean no harm, Bang Chan. I just want to have a conversation with you.” She beamed.

“Regarding what?” 

“About Y/N. Could we?”

The fairy begrudgingly landed. The queen handed him a letter and a stem of blue hydrangeas as soon as Chan settled on the grass. 

“I know she is at your place when she isn't here. Although she never mentions it”

“Did she tell you about me?”

“A lot when she was young, not now. Maybe she’s afraid someone will stop her from seeing you. There’s a small gift for you in there. If my time has come, I’ll be relieved as I already sent my gratefulness to you and not worry because you will be there for her.”

He accepted the gift, speechless by the queen’s sudden gift. It was the first time he received a gift for being someone’s friend. He looked at the queen for reassurance and the queen nodded.

“Thank you for the gift, Your Highness. I apologize but I need to go now”

Y/N fiddled with her fingers as she averted her gaze outside of her room. A knock on the door snapped her from agitation that began choking her. 

“Come in!” 

“Princess Flora” A male entered and examined the room before glancing back at her.

“Who are you?”

The brunette male closed the door. Feeling threatened, she reached for a comb, shoving it toward the male. The male cracked a laugh 

“I’m Beomgyu, Taehyun’s little brother!”

“Ohh–” She returned the comb to the vanity, and an awkward laugh escaped. She cleared her throat.

“Why are you here? Pretending to be one of the maids?” Beomgyu hummed and approached the window.

“You seem uneasy about Chan. I’m here to reassure you, he’ll be okay. Duncan is going to protect him from the killer”

The night was dimmed by a heavy rain pouring in Stellious. Chan wrapped himself with a cardigan and sat across the fireplace, hands clenching the queen’s letter. A tear dropped onto the letter when he realised that he might not be able to grant the woman's wish.

Something fell and clattered on the wooden floor. It glinted from the corner of his eyes. He ducked, grabbing the item. It was a necklace with a lily charm. The lily was identical to Y/N’s hairpin. He sniffled and buried his face into his knee.

Since when did looking forward to another day become difficult? 

Why has his future darkened? 

A blurry path was ahead of him.

His mother’s voice echoed in his head and his cry broke even louder.

“Achieving true happiness requires a great sacrifice from someone.”

---