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Infinitatem Venatus

The Infinity Game

Rating: PG-13 // SFW

Genre: AngelsandDemons! AU | angst | romance | drama

Pairing: OT7 x [Reader/Layla/Saoirse] 

Warnings: Strong Language, extreme angst, violence, Jin is Lucifer. Jin is the Devil. [just making sure that’s out there], religious undertones [things have been embellished/changed to fit the nature of the story]

Word Count: 4.3K

A/N: Firstly -  there are bold and italicized phrases scattered throughout. That is meant to represent Hoseok speaking to [reader] as these moments are happening throughout the day! Second, shout out to @aroseforyoongi​ ​for requesting a drabble for the 100 follower special. If it weren’t for that drabble? I probably wouldn’t have mustered the courage to even pull this AU to Tumblr. And @moccahobi​ cause Hobi is a bad ass. Issa lot. Thanks to Admin E for the beta-panache! And to Admin L who wanted a saucier Devil Jin.  Enjoy! 

© thebiasrekkers ( Admin T). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

There was a line drawn in the sand.

Pain. 

“Moloch, did you really think I’d let you have her?” Hoseok’s voice was a deep; raspy growl. A sound that you weren’t used to hearing. Not your Hobi. He couldn’t possibly sound like this. He wasn’t capable of such vehemence, right? But it was him. It was Hoseok hovering above you. His eyes blazing a fiery gold as his hands clenched and unclenched at his side. The air stirring with each flap of the large white wings protruding from his back.

The demon across from him smirked, tapping a finger against a bloodied lip. “If I knew she was the key to getting you to play with me, I’d have attempted to grab her sooner.” The sulfurous stench of the underworld was thick in the air, and it made you nauseous. Moloch’s blood-red gaze landed on you, causing you to back up just a hair more. 

You didn’t care that your hands were shredded. A trickle of blood from your ears left you disoriented from the previous explosion. Hoseok snapped his fingers rapidly in front of Moloch. “Eyes here, asshole. I’m going to tell you one more fucking time, Moloch. If you risk the game, if you test me any further...I will kill you,” he hissed between clenched teeth.

Moloch looked taken aback by the words coming out of Hoseok's mouth. After a moment, he scoffed at the malevolence oozing from the archangel. “You love her.” The demon said, puzzled as a muscle ticked near Hoseok’s jaw. He looked down at you; just as bewildered at Hobi’s behavior. “I’ll be damned! You fucking love her!” Moloch pointed and howled his amusement, a devious glint sparkling in his crimson eyes. “She probably doesn’t know, does she ..Hobi?” The demon’s tone was smug.

Hoseok swallowed thickly, turning his gaze to you. “Moloch...leave before I make a scene.” Moloch held up his hands in mock defeat. 

“Fine, Hoseok. Have it your way...” The large black wings spread as the demon hovered. “...you may love her, but her soul is still up for grabs. So you better let her know what’s at stake, Hoseok. The game is still afoot.” Moloch narrowed his eyes before shooting skyward with what seemed to be a mere quiver of his wings.

A game set in motion before the advent of humanity.

The scent of sulfur finally seemed to disappear as Hoseok descended. He had his back to you for a few tense, silent, moments. The wings disappeared as he turned to face you. He looked like himself, the deep brown of his eyes sad at the state of you. 

“Oh, baby...” He moved toward you and you moved back. He flinched as if he was gut-punched. “Listen, I would never hurt you. You know that, right?” He held his hands up as he approached you slowly. Your eyes were wide and full of unshed tears.

“What are you, Hobi?” The first tears slid down your bruised cheek. He gasped kneeling down to wrap you up in the warmth of a honey-cinnamon scented embrace. “Why is this happening?!” 

You clung to him. The only thing that you knew was safe. The only place you felt like home. You sobbed into his chest as he stroked your hair. Hoseok placed an arm under your legs, hefting you up against his chest. “Hey, hey, calm down. They can’t hurt you anymore.” 

You nodded softly, sniffling into his shoulder. He turned to see the devastation from such a minor confrontation. You didn’t notice the pressure of his fingers digging into your skin.

They can’t hurt you anymore. Because he wouldn’t let them.

There was only us in the beginning. Everything was fine. Or so we thought.

“You don’t understand what you’re saying?!” A shrill voice seemed to rattle the glass around them. A set of fierce green eyes seemed to blaze in fury. Saoirse was vibrating as she stared down someone she once thought to be her friend. “You cannot mean that. Please tell me you’re joking?” Her gaze softened slightly, a hand reaching out to the immovable object before her.

“I-I can’t, Saorise. And I am very serious about this.” Soft, gentle, and too pure for this world. Layla, eyes full of unshed tears, stood in on the other side of the line. “I love Him, Saoirse. Even with what He is - I still love him.” 

Saoirse felt her heart race again. It wasn’t supposed to be like this; at least that’s what had been explained to her. They were special - the Acquisitae. They were beings that carried the weight of many lives. Souls that existed rolled into one existence through time. Past lives? Deja vu? All of it flickered, bits of memory seeping into the consciousness of the current owner’s life.

There were few of them left undecided. Some refusing to be a pawn for either side; some choosing a particular side for one reason or another. But, in the rare instance, if a side was chosen, it was mainly because of hate or love. 

In the scheme of things, there was nothing wrong with that. But, Saorise couldn’t fathom anyone in their right mind falling in love with Lucifer. He wanted to destroy the already tedious balance, splatter the land in chaos and strife - just because he could. “Layla, you cannot save Him. He is beyond it!” 

“No one is beyond saving, Saoirse. You of all people should know that.” Layla’s demeanor cooled as the other woman flinched. “For all that you’ve done, you still were granted forgiveness for choosing to stand with the Caelestis. You made your choice. I’ve made mine.” She crossed her arms, posture straightening. “I believe I can make a difference in my own way. So until this thing comes to a head, This is goodbye. I’m with Tenebrarum. Period.”

But someone wanted more. He wanted more. None of us could understand it.

Saoirse’s mouth fell slightly agape as Layla dropped that finality. It wasn’t just about their friendship, mostly. It was about the fate of all of existence. They were in the final days and they needed to be together.

They should have been together.

The sound of cellphone ringing interrupted the heavy silence. Layla answered immediately. “Yes, Sir?” 

The smoothe dulcet poison of Jin’s voice echoed into the open space. “Come to me, Layla.” 

Saoirse couldn’t deny the prickles sliding against her skin at the sound of his voice. But she had enough willpower to deny the sensation. 

“I’m on my way.” Layla hung up the phone, aware of the sway Jin could have on others. She turned one last glance to her friend. “Stay away from Tenebrarum - and me.” She pushed past Saoirse as a muscle clenched in her jaw. 

The scent of sulfur lingered faintly in the air, causing Saoirse to wrinkle her nose. She left the building, yanking her cellphone out of her pocket. The phone seemed to barely get a full ring before a worried voice answered on the other end.

“Saoirse?” A sudden warmth filled with the scent of earth after a cleansing rain rushed over her. 

“Jimin. She’s gone.” Her voice sounded weaker than she’d intended.

There was a long sigh. “Ah, love. I’m so sorry. You tried. Come home, okay? I’ll let the others know.” She could feel his disappointment on the other line. 

“She thinks she loves him.” Her fingers tangled in the fiery red-gold strands of her hair. “She thinks she can help him.” 

His way of thinking had always been different. But...we never thought that he would...

“It’s a part of his charm, love. It’s unfortunate, the spell that she’s under. But such is the price of those who choose him.” Jimin respected her desire to rescue her friend. He wanted her to try, because it would make the coming days easier had she come along. And now? “I don’t want you on that side of town too much longer. Please come home?” 

“Yeah.” Saoirse nodded while turning to The Shard. It was one of the tallest buildings in London - home to Tenebrarum Acq. Ltd., the current residence of CEO Kim Seokjin. Only a handful knew the truth. 

Hell was empty. Empty because the devils were all here.

Somewhere in the In-Between…

“Check.” 

A Knight moved to capture a King. There was still a way. There was always a way out. 

The opposing side chuckled while moving to a King-side castle. The King was protected with the Rook blocking the way. 

They both sighed softly. “How long have we been at this?” Taehyung’s deep baritone echoed in the mystical space. 

“Does it matter?” Jungkook smirked, retreating his Knight. He could swoop in to take the Rook, sure. But, losing his Knight to the King? Even he appreciated the role of smaller pieces on the game board. “Are you weary, Michael?” Jungkook crooned with his fingers clasped against his knee. “Maybe you should reconsider my offer?” He leaned forward so that the magma-lined ring flared in the depths of his dark brown eyes. 

Taehyung’s nose wrinkled at the slight sulfuric odor. “Perhaps it is you that should reconsider, Samael.” The Angel was steadfast and unmoving in his conviction. “Come back to us. This is pointless.” Taehyung’s brow furrowed as he tried to reason with someone he once called Brother.

“Is it?” Jungkook’s eyes were ablaze. “We are pieces, Michael! We are nothing but showy pieces and for what?” He hissed. “To keep a world in order that thrives in disorder? LOOK AT THEM!” His hand waved to disturb the cloudy aura around them. The world flickered below. 

Poverty. 

Destruction. 

War. 

Greed. 

We never thought he would Fall. 

Taehyung stared at all the things that gave Jin power, establishing his reign in the mortal realm. A tear slid down his cheek without warning. Jungkook sighed, reaching forward to brush the sparkling drop away. “Hark, a tear for those who destroy themselves.” There was a fizzle against his skin - a reminder of the choice he made when he fell from Grace.

Taehyung grabbed that hand before it moved too far away. “Please. I don’t want to fight you.” Jungkook stared at the slender fingers wrapped around his wrist. 

“It’s too late, Taehyung. What will be, will be.” He pulled away, leaving Taehyung’s hand hovering. “And when the time comes? I’ll make you change your mind.” Jungkook stood up, stuffing his hands into the pockets of pressed black slacks. That fiery ring flared in the center of his eyes as he walked away,his form disappearing into the thick hanging mist.

Taehyung watched the path for a few minutes before lowering his hand. His eyes wandered to the board locked in a stalemate. A deep inhale had his nostrils flaring before he slammed his fist against the board. 

Smashing it, and the table, in two.

The balance has always tipped more one way than the other.

It was a stupid comparison, after all. Life being a chess game. Because while you could sacrifice plastic pieces, it was something far riskier to sacrifice pieces of flesh and blood. 

Even heavier a price should this game be lost.

All the things you know about the Final Days are absolutely true. 

Winter receded, leaving all the auction houses hungry to get into their season. Famous artists settled their wares, antique rarities were whispered among certain circles and the buys were ready to redecorate. The competition was fierce between all the art brokers. But none more fierce than the lasting feud between two of the oldest brokerages. 

Caelestis Wares and Tenebrarum Acq. Ltd. 

It was always a spectacle when the two vied for valuable pieces. 

A lucrative one. 

There were members of each auction house that were known to cause a scene. Imagine the hint of blood lust in the air when those two members were in attendance. The auction was abuzz because they were in attendance at the same time. 

“Did you see them?” An overly-jeweled socialite purred to her circle of friends. A flutter of fans attempted to dry beads of sweat pooling atop their skin. “I don’t think I plan to do anything but watch.” Her eyes were wide and lust-blown. 

The group of women swallowed thickly as their eyes hit the left side corner of the room. Kim Namjoon was one of the most seasoned brokers at Tenebrarum. He wore a suit of gray tweed that tucked and cut against his form. A lighter turtle neck stretched against a broad chest. A pair of glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. The silvery blonde of his hair was smoothed at the sides, settling against the collar of his jacket. His arms crossed, causing the fabric to stretch against the push of his biceps. A smirk lifted the corner of his lips as he spoke.

All the things you hear about the Supernatural? They’re real too.

They couldn’t hear what was being said, but they knew who it was being said to. One of the women let a small whine slip as they ogled his conversation partner. 

Min Yoongi. 

Yoongi stood a hair shorter than Namjoon. Even so, he still gave off an air of unmistakable authority. He wasn’t just the head broker of Caelestis Wares. He was the current CEO. There were a few rare pieces that both houses had their eyes on. 

The whole room buzzed over which item it could be, let alone the monetary bloodbath that would ensue for either to acquire it. The prospect was more exciting than anything they would bid on later.

“Gabriel, it’s been a while since you’ve left the roost.” Namjoon tilted his gaze to Yoongi. “It warms my heart to see you using those old legs of yours.” There was that magma-lined flare in the depths of his eyes. “Things really are getting tight if you’ve come out.” 

There was a weary sigh from Yoongi as he fingered the button on the black jacket he wore. A white button-down worn underneath, paired with pressed slacks. The clinking of rings against his fingers were audible as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You still have a big mouth, Mammon.” A side-long glance was given to the taller demon. Yoongi scoffed. “And you’re still expensive.” 

Namjoon’s brow rose as he looked over his outfit. “Come now, Gabriel. You should know that these things are about status and expense. I must look the part, after all.” He placed a gentle hand over his heart - at least where his heart should be. “It’s all about playing the game, no?” 

Nothing is safe from the Apocalypse. Everybody is choosing a side or being bribed into making a choice.

There was no mirth to be found in Yoongi’s narrowed gaze. “Namjoon, there’s going to come a day...” A muscle ticked near his jaw as he bit back his words. 

“Oh, I’m aware, Yoongi. If I have my way...” He pushed off the wall to lean a hair closer to Yoongi. “...it will be pretty soon.” He patted Yoongi on the shoulder as he side-stepped away. “Good luck today.” 

Yoongi watched Namjoon strut into the circle of women that had been staring them down. He rolled his eyes as one woman looked ready to melt to the floor. The vibration of his phone gave him a reason to step out of the room. 

His brow furrowed as he saw Jimin’s name flash on the caller ID. He picked up and didn’t get a chance to greet the younger. “We lost her, Gabriel.” The sadness was palpable in his voice. “Saoirse tried to convince her, and she said she loved him. She doesn’t understand--” 

Yoongi pinched the bridge of his nose, cutting him off with a heavy sigh. “Breathe, Uriel.” There was a shuddering sound that slid into a soft sniffle. “We knew there was a chance for failure. We’ll figure it out, Jimin. Alright?” There was a sound of words that wanted to be spoken, but ultimately were held back.

“I’m sorry, Yoongi.” The remorse in Jimin’s tone only grated on his nerves. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. No one but his own. 

“It’s ok, Jimin. Take care of Saoirse. We’ll regroup tonight.” A tone sounded to notify guests the auction was starting. “Look, I’ll be a little late tonight. Get everyone caught up and I’ll get there when I can.” 

The tone sounded again. “Who is it, Yoongi?” 

He gritted his teeth as a long silence followed. He considered whether he needed to answer. “It’s Namjoon.” 

There was a hiss on the other end. “Shouldn’t we-”

“NO!” He flinched at the volume of his own voice. “No. I’ll be fine. Do as I asked. I’ll keep in touch.” 

“As you wish. Good luck.” 

The call disconnected.

It’s just that some of you are worth far more than you realize. 

Yoongi rolled his head back against the throb in his skull. “Stubborn woman. So, g’damned stubborn.” 

He stared at Layla’s contact fighting the urge to call her. The third tone sounded forcing him to let it go - for now. He walked into the auction space, his eyes landing on an 18th-century suspension lamp. It was rumored to be used by a pious man who made a deal to lend his soul to the benefit of Heaven. Remnants of his blood mixed in the oil kept demons at bay. A powerful relic that needed to not be in the hands of Tenebrarum.

He sat on the opposite side of the room from Namjoon. The auctioneer’s smile grew as he realized what was about to happen. They wheeled the suspension lamp to the front. “The first item up for bid, ladies and gentlemen, is an 18th-century suspension lamp from Italy. We’ll start the bidding at one hundred thousand dollars.”

Namjoon and Yoongi raised their paddles at the same time.

So what are we? What are the Acquisitae? 

Layla arrived at the top floor exhaling softly before tapping softly on the large double doors of its current CEO. 

“Enter,” came the smooth, buttery, poisonous silk of Kim Seokjin’s voice. 

She pushed inside to catch him leaning, lazily, against the massive blackwood desk. The perfect petal pink of his lips tilted upward. 

“Do you need something, Sir?” A brow arched as she closed the door behind her. 

A long finger crooked in her direction, beckoning her to come closer to him. “I need you, Layla.” She stepped closer as his finger tucked under the point of her chin. “I need you to stay away from Calestis Wares.” The other hand slid into the niche of her waist, pulling her against his taller frame. Her lashes fluttered shut as a breath slid quietly from between her lips. “You’ve made your choice, haven’t you?” His lips hovered over the apple of her cheeks. 

“Yes, Jin.” She had long gone nose blind to the scent of sulfur that surrounded the infernals. Being around Jin, in the beginning, caused her eyes to water. He gave off the strongest scent and she pushed through. Forced herself to endure, and now? “I told them I’ve chosen my path willingly. You don’t have to worry.” 

You are precious. You are the key to saving all of existence.

Jin smirked as she tilted her head, exposing the tender flesh of her neck. His breath was like a handheld blow dryer focused in one spot too long. She flinched, and endured, as he purposely caused her discomfort. The fiery-red ring flared in his gaze and he managed to keep his irritation at bay. He watched as her skin reddened from exposure to the heat. “You really have chosen me, haven’t you?” The smile was lazy as he released her. 

Layla’s fingers clenched into the fabric of her pencil skirt. The closer one stood to Jin, the more prone to loss of control. She gave another heavy swallow as she nodded rapidly. “Y-Yes, Jin.” 

“I knew you were smart, Layla.” He clasped his hands together against his leg. Her eyes widened at the black nails and silver rings adorning his fingers. “Maybe you can help them be smart too, hm?” Layla looked up, confused. Seokjin smiled and he seemed too radiant. Her gaze lowered to the floor as he continued. “Why don’t you invite your friend, Saoirse?” A brow arched as her gaze whipped upward. 

“Excuse me?” A breathless sound pushed from between her lips. 

“Saoirse isn’t so saintly, we know this. I mean she used to…” Layla cleared her throat before Seokjin finished his sentence. He smirked at her sentimentalism. “...you know what she used to do, Layla. Doesn’t it make you curious why they even let her stay? All the sins that have permeated her whole life. I wouldn’t judge her. I feel like she could be who she really is here.” Liar. Snake-oil salesman. Seducer. It was all true. Jin was all of these things and his good looks were the nail in the convincing coffin that he backed many people into. 

“I won’t do that, Jin.” Layla swayed on her heels before shaking her head. “I agreed to work for you. I have my own agenda and it doesn’t involve sharing.” She spoke through clenched teeth. 

“Oh ho! Is that jealousy I smell?” He pushed off the desk with a flare of nostrils. “I like this scent on you. Maybe I’ll pull her in myself?” He loomed over her with hellfire blazing in his eyes. “Because last I checked, I was the one in charge.” 

Layla’s posture straightened with no signs of backing down. “I know you’re in charge. I remember who you are, Lucifer, The Morning Star,” she spat, “and if you think I’ll let you hurt her, you do not know me very well.” 

You are the key to saving us.

Seokjin clenched his hand at his side as she smirked up at him. “Go ahead. If that’s the best you can do to assert your will.” The red in his eyes turned an abyssal black that swallowed the whites of his eyes. “You realize it now, don’t you?” Her head nodded as he remained quiet. “It’s different when we submit of our own free will.” She smiled, magnificent, triumphant that her theory had proven correct. “We are on equal footing, Seokjin.”

Her phone buzzed. She retrieved it from her pocket with a soft sigh. “Your two o’clock is early. You should do something about your temper.” She turned on her heel and left his office. Letting the air hiss from her lungs as she practically jogged toward the elevator.

Seokjin stared at the door in utter silence. Others came to him with very little need to flex his powers of persuasion. But when Layla came to him from Caelestis, he was eager to get his talons into Yoongi’s most prized possession. Now he realized something he hadn’t before - and now he wanted to corrupt her even more.

His blood was running hot at the thought of the next Spring Gala. A plume of smoke slithered through his nostrils as he chuckled. He turned to check his reflection in the mirror. If you thought about some of the most favored songs in all of history that were named after a woman, you’d tend to wonder what sway that person had on the songwriter, right? 

Seokjin chuckled, as he hummed that old Eric Clapton classic. “Laayyyla, you got me on my knees - Layla.” He adjusted his tie in the mirror, a full bright smile spreading across his face. “I’m begging darlin’ please, Layla…” 

He whistled as he settled into the leather wingback behind his desk. “...darlin’ won’t you ease my worried mind?” The door clicked as Layla entered again and he clasped his fingers on his desk. 

“Mr. Kim, your two o’clock is here.” 

You listened to Hoseok explain what was at stake. He spoke of the real world and the creatures that existed just in the shadows. He brought all your nightmares to life and then said that some were fighting on your side. 

Jimin and Saoirse showed up almost an hour after you. Luckily, you had a shower, a drink, and Hobi fretting over you for every breath you took. 

Saoirse kept eyeing a bottle of whiskey, an internal struggle visible in the shaking of her eyes. She opted to stay next to you, especially after retelling her meeting with Layla earlier. The two of you watched Jimin and Hoseok in the kitchen, deep in quiet conversation. 

“Does she know?” Jimin asked, pouring a cup of coffee. Hoseok stared off into space before Jimin spoke again. “Raguel. Does. She. Know?” A muscle ticked in his jaw as Hobi nodded, his shoulders sagging. “What happened?” 

Hoseok let a trembling hand settle over his eyes. “Moloch.” Jimin’s wide-eyed gaze turned to him. 

“Wait. Moloch came for her?” Jimin managed to keep his voice down. 

Hoseok nodded, the exhaustion apparent as he leaned against the counter. “We leveled half a neighborhood, Jimin. He was dead set on leaving with her in any condition.” They slid a glance over to the ladies hugging on the couch. Jimin noted the purple-yellow bruises on your shoulder and a bandaged ankle. 

The kettle was placed back on the stove before turning to Hoseok. “Yoongi is at the auction with Namjoon. Layla willingly gave herself up to Seokjin.” A bitter smile formed as he leaned next to Hoseok. “Things went from bad to worse, yeah?” 

Hoseok’s eyes were on you this whole time. “I’m not giving up on her, Jimin.” They both looked over to the two trying to find reasons to smile. You held Saoirse through a sob as she fought not to sink into her old habits.

“I’m not giving up either, Hobi.” Jimin placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. They picked up steaming mugs of coffee to join the two in the living room. Hoseok sighed deeply, trying to feign a smile for you. “And now, I’ll tell you who We are.”

Breathe: Hope In Isolation | PJM

For the @bangtanscenery​ - April Showers Bring May Flowers Project in celebration of the Spring Season!

Plot: For as long as Jimin can remember, the house is all he’s ever known. His only companion, a calico cat. Neither of them age as the house pulls them through time and space. He can neither interact with people nor stray far from the house. He is cursed to watch the world pass by every year and never be a part of it. But one day, someone not only is able to see the house, but they can finally see him as well.

Rating: PG-13 // SFW

Genre: time-slip!au | modern fantasy!au | angst | romance | drama

Pairing: Park Jimin x Female OC (Brianna Larkins)

Warnings: Strong language, extreme angst, anxiety, implication of curses/magic

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 11.4K

AN: This idea came from a mash-up song of Billie Eilish and BTS. Specifically the song "Serendipity". I have been told that this story is the epitome of what Serendipity stands for and to me, that is the greatest compliment I could ever hope to receive. In a time of isolation, like what we are experiencing now, it's always important to remember the things that matter the most to us. Which are often the things we take for granted. So for those of you who are feeling lonely, sad, or even a little anxious, this is for you. Remember that you are loved.

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Jimin’s grip tightened around the handle of the water pitcher as the house began to shake violently. The water sloshed from the pitcher, spilling onto the floor around his feet. The little calico cat that kept him company hopped onto the couch and curled itself into a ball of fluff. The few dishes he had trembled on top of the coffee table, all but threatening to fall to the floor. Craning his neck, he peeked out of the small kitchen window and sighed as the universe swirled in a kaleidoscope of colors and stars. The sheer curtains in the house fluttered with the speed of how fast everything was moving, causing his own blonde hair to fly back off his forehead.

Closing his eyes, Jimin held his breath and waited for the tremors to cease. He could never stare at the seemingly endless galaxies for too long. It always made him feel a little nauseous, even after all these years.

When the shaking finally ceased, he released the breath he held and opened his eyes when aggravated meows of protest reached his ears. Sighing, he turned to see the cat was now moving around on the couch in circles, kneading the cushions in determination before plopping its rump back down. The calico flicked its tail back and forth, patiently waiting for Jimin to open the window to let it roam about.

He poured the water into a glass, setting the pitcher down on the counter, and made his way over to the cat. Jimin stroked its head lovingly before leaning across the couch to unlatch the locks and pushed the window open. The cat wasted no time hopping outside to begin exploring. Shielding his eyes with his forearm, Jimin peered out to see where he’d landed this time.

When he’d landed this time.

The cat rolled happily in the bed of flowers, chasing after a butterfly. Wherever Jimin was, it was quiet and seemingly barren for as far as the eye could see. There were forests to one side and a rolling set of hills on the other. In the very center, separating both landmarks, was a wide open field of countless flowers in varying colors and breeds. A breeze pushed against his face and he smiled, savoring the smell and taste of the ocean winds. He was by the sea.

The weather was nice and calm. He wouldn’t need to dress warm, but he stripped out of his white t-shirt and slid on a long-sleeved one instead; also white. He kept his white linen trousers on and didn’t bother with shoes. It would be nice to feel the grass between his toes. His last location was a desert and sand got old very quickly, as did the heat. He rarely went outside during that year.

As his feet touched the grass, he was immediately filled with the fragrant smell of the flowers. He made sure not to inhale too much, or the aroma would overwhelm him. His little feline companion was long gone - seemingly off to explore and hunt whatever she wanted. Jimin didn’t mind. His friend always came back.

He walked around the entire radius of the house to get a good idea of his surroundings and tried to figure out the layout. Whatever time he was in, he couldn’t quite determine it. Not without notable landmarks and people to gauge their clothing or the latest technology of that era. Once he saw anything remotely familiar, he would figure out the rest. 

He’d lost count of how many times he’d moved through time and space like this.

Spinning on his heels, he spread his arms out and flopped into the bed of flowers. Petals fluttered in the air around him, some falling into his hair and on his face. He smiled widely and even laughed. How he’d missed the clean air and the feel of cool grass on his skin. Jimin made a note to savor every moment he had in this time before he was forced to leave it again.

The sun felt warm on his face, lulling him into a serene state until he felt his lids growing heavy. He would have drifted off to sleep had it not been for his furry companion feeling the need to hop onto his stomach at that moment. The cat purred as he laughed and stroked the cat’s back. 

“Did you find anything interesting?” he asked. The cat meowed in response, but not really giving him an answer. Jimin smiled, petting its head. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.” Sitting up, he gathered the cat into his arms and stood up from the ground. “Let’s do a bit more exploring, hm?”

The two of them wandered around where they could. An invisible wall prevented Jimin from going further than two hundred meters in any direction. As he pressed his hand against the barrier, he gave a dejected sigh before returning back to the house. On the outside, it looked like a Tudor cottage with natural brick and molding. Everything else was white or a soft yellow color for the trimming, the roof tiles a rich cobalt blue. It was the strangest house he’d ever seen and it was probably the reason he was drawn to it in the first place.

Truth be told, Jimin couldn’t recall how long he’d been in that house. He didn’t even remember how old he was supposed to be or what time period he hailed from originally. All the clothing, food, and other necessities were replenished on their own. If the climate he was transported to was cold, all of his clothing was suited for the temperature drop. If it was hot, humid or dry, his clothes changed to match it as well. The house provided it all. He stopped questioning how and why a long long time ago.

Everything he owned was white, save for the bedding, which was just a simple yellow blanket. The couch was slate in color. There were a few plants in the house but they were all green and simple to take care of. Namely the cactus that sat on his coffee table.

He set the cat down and opened the door, waiting for the calico to prance inside. The house had enough natural light streaming from outside that the lack of actual lighting fixtures made little difference to Jimin. If he needed a light source, he would always light a candle or burn some oil in the lantern.

It would be just another year for Jimin. One year of many.

After he finished showering, he changed into some fresh garments and began scrounging up something together for a modest meal. The scent of flowers overwhelmed him to the point where he needed to come inside and lay down for a few hours. After smelling the acrid air of the desert, it was a stark contrast but one that he knew wouldn’t take long for him to acclimate.

For the first time in a while, he was actually excited to discover more of his new environment.

The first few weeks were uneventful. They always were. 

Once he was used to the floral aroma that wafted in through his windows, he made it a point to gather up fresh flowers and placed them throughout the house. The interior in its entirety was white, so the bursts of color that the flowers provided were a welcome change. Jimin could hardly remember a time where he was able to be surrounded by nature in its colorful bountifulness. 

He’d been from place to place and from one time to the next. He jumped from the past where architecture was still done by hand to the future where machines did most of the heavy labor. Some skies were clear and blue, others were dark and overcast. Rain, sleet, snow, high winds and desert storms. Jimin was able to experience them all thanks to the power of the house that moved him in and out of existence through an ethereal portal he couldn’t begin to hope to understand.

Strangely enough, he didn’t age. He assumed it was from the power of the house. There was no other explanation. He stopped questioning it years ago because he forgot the reason he was in the house in the first place, or how he’d gotten there. 

Certain things were made clear from his travels through time, however, and it made coping with his isolation a little bit difficult. The invisible barrier was one. His inability to grow old was another. He couldn’t destroy the house either. He tried many years ago in a fit of anger and didn’t leave a scratch on the surface. He couldn’t even burn it down. He tried that too. 

Jimin only stayed in one place and time for a year. Then the house would jump through time. The house would never leave without him, because the house and he were connected. Even if Jimin was outside after the year was over, he would get pulled back inside for the journey. 

The one that struck him the hardest, however, was the fact that no one could see him or the house. This made interacting with people impossible. 

No matter how much he screamed, no one could hear him. No matter how hard he tried to touch someone, they could not feel him. His hand would pass straight through their bodies, as though he were little more than a ghost to them. But he wasn’t dead, of that he was most certain. 

He couldn’t recall, exactly, how far back it was he’d learned these things, but they were lessons that stuck with him for a very long time. Since then, he simply flitted in and out of existence, watching the world and the people in it pass him by. So far, the only being he could actually interact with was the calico cat that lived in the house with him and as far as Jimin could tell, the cat was always by his side.

The months rolled on in an even keel and there was still no sign of a single person in sight. The weather was getting warmer, breaching into summer. From what Jimin could gather, he arrived at the onset of spring. It wouldn’t be long before autumn was upon him and he would no longer be able to relish in the lovely landscape as things began to die. The thought of it caused a pained expression to form on his face. He didn’t like to witness things wilting before his eyes, but what choice did he have?

It rained for a few days straight, cooling the air and giving it a refresher of sorts. The rain always made Jimin sleepy and he often napped for hours at a time before getting up to feed himself, shower, and then return to bed. The cat enjoyed rainy days because it gave her an excuse to cuddle with Jimin as he spent the days lazily lying in bed.

The sound of laughter pulled Jimin from deep sleep, causing him to rouse from bed. Bleary eyed and a little groggy, he shuffled around from his room and out to the kitchen. The laughter was louder now and it was more than one set of tones from what he could gather. Pouring himself a glass of water, he drained it in a few gulps and then splashed some water on his face to fully rid himself of the sleepy haze still settled on the backs of his eyelids. 

Pulling back the sheer curtains, he peeked out of the kitchen window and blinked rapidly. He wasn’t sure what he was seeing, but he knew he wasn’t dreaming. There in the fields of flowers were several people; young men and women. They were sprawled out on a blanket, laughing and talking as a small radio sat at their side. Jazz peeled from the speakers and he could tell from the model that it was a mid to late 80s radio. There was a large picnic basket between them and one girl with red hair began pulling out things from inside of it. Two of the three boys scrambled off the blanket and started tossing a baseball between each other, the sound of the ball hitting the leather gloves like whip cracks to Jimin’s ears. 

The boy who remained was sitting with the two girls who were chatting it up while putting things on paper plates. Confident they couldn’t see him, Jimin poured himself another glass of water and stepped outside so he could hear them better. They were just within the two hundred meter barrier, but just barely.

“When’s Brianna comin’?” asked the boy with dirty blonde hair as bit into a sandwich.

The red-haired girl shrugged as she poured some orange juice into a cup and handed it to the blonde-haired girl beside her. “I dunno. She said she’d be here soon.”

The blonde scoffed as she leaned back on one hand. “She’s always late to these things. We only have a month and a half of summer vacation left before the new school year starts.”

The two boys tossing the ball back and forth looked at them. One of them had jet black hair that fell around his ears and the other was mousy and in a bowl cut. “Then we’ll officially be college students.”

The red-haired girl groaned, falling onto her side. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I’m dreading it already.”

The boy on the blanket chuckled. “Yeah right, Miss ‘I’m moving to New York to be a famous fashion designer’ Maxine.”

Maxine pouted, shifting to lay on her stomach. “Shut-up, Eddie. You all know how hard I worked to get that scholarship.”

“Aw, come on, Max,” teased the blonde, “you know he’s only teasing. Eddie’s just sad to see you leave our little circle of friendship.”

Eddie puffed out one of his cheeks and bit into the sandwich in annoyance. “Psh, whatever. No one asked you, Stephanie .”

The blonde, Stephanie, glared at him. “It’s Stevie. Call me Stephanie again and I’ll knock your fuckin’ block off.”

“Language, Stevie,” called the boy with black hair as he flashed her a grin.

“Oh, fuck you, James.” Stevie flipped her middle finger at him, which only caused him to dissolve into a small fit of laughter. 

The mousy-haired boy laughed as he tossed the ball to James. “You two should just get married already.”

James missed the ball, balking at his friend. “You’re out of your fuckin’ gourd, Marcus.”

Marcus rolled his eyes and motioned for James to toss the ball back to him. When he did, instead of it falling into his glove like it had been, it was caught in a bare hand. Jimin looked up to see a young girl with light brown skin and dark brown curls holding the ball. Dressed in a pair of distressed denim overall shorts, she wore a hunter green t-shirt underneath; a black and white flannel shirt tied around her waist. On her feet, instead of sandals, were a pair of combat boots. 

This ensemble had Jimin canting his head slightly. It wasn’t exactly a summer-type outfit, but what did he know about fashion? Everything he owned was white.

“Well look who finally decided to grace us with her presence,” called Max as she sat up on her elbows, “we were beginning to think you were gonna be a no-show.”

“Yeah, Bree,” said Stevie, “where’ve you been?”

“Got held up at work,” Bree said as she tossed the ball back to James. She took a few steps and paused, her eyes meeting Jimin’s. The action was so sudden that he nearly dropped the glass of water he was holding. She pointed a finger at him. “Who’s the new guy?”

“Huh?” Eddie looked in the direction she was pointing, blinked as Jimin looked back at him, then faced Bree again. “Who’re you talkin’ about?”

This time she extended her arm, still pointing at Jimin. He took a step back, unsure of what to make of this new development. He could feel the heat rising up his neck and creeping over his face. 

“Him. Who is he?” Bree looked at the others as she placed a hand on her hip. “And did you guys actually ask him if we could hang out in the front yard of his house?”

Stevie’s brows furrowed as she stood up from the blanket. “What the hell are you talkin’ about, girl?” She turned her head in either direction. “What house? What guy?”

Bree rolled her eyes. “I swear to God, if you guys are tryin’ to play some game with me, I’m going to make your lives hell for the next hour.” She looked back at Jimin and his lips parted in both surprise and fear. “Hey you! Are you in on this too?”

“Bree, have you been smokin’ again?” Marcus teased as he gently pushed her back. “Told you about tokin’ it up so much during vacay.”

For a moment, all she did was look at Jimin; seemingly boring holes through his own sockets. He licked his lips, contemplating on responding, but was soon pulled from his shock after James moved to pick Bree up and spun her around as he hefted her stomach-first onto his shoulder. She kicked and smacked his back, turning her away from Jimin so that she could no longer catch him in her line of sight.

But that didn’t keep her from shouting.

“Yo! I’m talkin’ to you! Hey!” 

Jimin didn’t answer. He didn’t know how to answer. Someone was actually looking at him and speaking to him. This was the first time it’d happened in all the years he’d moved in and out of time. As much as he wanted to respond to her, he knew that she would only look like a raving lunatic if he tried to speak or interact with her in any way. So Jimin did the only thing he could at that moment.

He ran back into the house, slamming the door closed behind him.

Hours passed and the people still remained. Even as the sun was setting, they showed no signs of vacating the premises. They’d spent so much time out there that James managed to change the batteries on the portable radio in the midst of all their fun and games. Jimin was both confused and entranced. He longed to sit beside them as they turned on their flashlights and shared stories about their school year.

The one called “Bree” kept Jimin from even entertaining the idea of getting closer.

After the initial chaos from her outburst died down, he secretly hoped that she would merely view both the house and him as mere figments of her imagination. Clearly she was the more rebellious one of the group, partaking in recreational drugs as well as managing a part-time job. But that also made her a bit skeptical, at least from Jimin’s perspective. For a while, he believed she’d forgotten about him, as well as the house. But every so often, when he would peek out the window to be part of their little world, she would cast her umber hues in his direction, forcing Jimin to retreat back into the safety of his home.

Why was he so afraid? Wasn’t this what he’d always wanted? What he’d yearned for?

Hiding like this seemed silly and pointless.

When will I be able to speak to someone again? 

The thought weighed on his heart like a heavy anvil, threatening to sink all the way down to the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t remember how many years he traveled through the universe. But he could remember the loneliness he felt during that time. What was it like to have a normal conversation with someone? To be able to laugh and share memories together, no matter how exciting or dull they might have been? To cherish the small moments like the people were outside?

When would another opportunity like this come again for Jimin?

He knew this to be true. There was no sense in denying it or even ignoring it. There was no other truth. But it couldn’t shake the fear that lurked in the darkest recesses of his own heart.

He feared rejection. He was afraid of being turned away from anyone who could see him. So detached and far from the realm of normal, Jimin knew that anyone would find his circumstances both unreasonable and unbelievable. 

Being invisible was better than being ignored.

“So, we callin’ it a night or what?” It was Marcus. 

The sound of a yawn being stifled was heard. “Yeah, I think so.” Now it was Stevie.

There was a distinct rustling noise of things being gathered. Jimin, while locked away in the house, hadn’t strayed too far from the window. He made sure to keep himself hidden in case Bree had any urges to look in his direction. But in those hours, he’d grown accustomed to whose voice belonged to which person and enjoyed being able to get to know them despite the lack of interaction. It made him sad to know that they would be leaving; even more so that he didn’t know when they would be back. If they would be back.

He took a chance to peek out the window and saw the group rolling up their things. They all laughed, chatted more, and promised to get together again later in the week when they were all free. Something about hitting the mall or maybe going to watch a movie. Jimin pressed his back to the wall as the sounds of their footsteps faded off in the distance.

A movie. Jimin tried hard to think back on when he last saw a movie. His earliest memory was so fuzzy and he couldn’t be sure if it was accurate.

The calico cat meowed as she rubbed her body in between each of his legs, bringing him out of his thoughts. Crouching down, he began to stroke the cat’s spine and tail before rubbing her head lovingly. She purred happily to the attention and he smiled. “You wanted to play with them too, huh? I’m sorry, but it was too risky to let you out.” The cat meowed again, as if understanding his words, and he gathered her up into his arms. “Maybe I’ll read a book tonight…”

Jimin managed to take a few steps into the main living area when the sound of the door knocking caused him to drop his friend. The cat landed softly on her paws and scampered away to the couch, leaving him seemingly frozen in time. He couldn’t ignore the cold sweat dripping from his neck or the heavy ache in his chest from how hard his heart was thudding against it.

Craning his neck, he peered at the door. 

Again, three knocks hit from the other side.

“Hello?” 

It had to be her. It couldn’t have been anyone else. But clearly she’d left with the others. What reason would she have to turn back?

“Hey, I know you’re in there.” In most cases, that phrase would have been threatening. But her voice belied something else. “Look, I just wanna talk, okay?”

This was it. This was the moment Jimin wanted. He wanted it more than anything he’d ever wanted in his entire life.

Yet all he could do was stare at the door. His body refused to move. He wanted to, but his feet were rooted in place. There was a lump forming in his throat and he wasn’t sure if he could swallow it down enough to speak. To tell this person to go away, even though he secretly yearned for them to stay.

“J-Just a minute,” came his weak response. 

He wasn’t sure if she’d heard him, but he took a moment to gather his courage before forcing himself to cross the short distance to the front door. It wasn’t locked. She could have just waltzed in if she pleased. Jimin was thankful she hadn’t, though. He wasn’t sure how he would have responded if she’d barged in unannounced.

When he opened the door, Jimin felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at Bree. He shouldn’t have been surprised. It wasn’t like this was the first time she was seeing him. But this time they were less than three feet from each other. She stood with her hands folded across her chest, giving him the once over with a glance. Jimin flushed, averting his gaze for half a second before moving back to her. 

She’s pretty, he thought suddenly, causing another rush of heat to stain his cheeks. It was unexpected but was also still his own opinion.

“Good evening.” 

It was the only thing Jimin could come up with that didn’t sound stupid.

“You too,” she said almost dismissively. It wasn’t offensive, but it was clear that Bree had her own priorities. “So what’s your deal?”

He nervously placed a hand on the back of his neck. “What do you mean?”

“You. This house.” Bree looked to her left, right, then back to him. “How come no one else can see it but I can?”

Biting his lower lip, he felt his brows knit in worry. He couldn’t very well lie to her. So he chose to tell her the truth. “I honestly don’t know.”

A single brow lifted on Bree’s face. “You don’t know or you won’t tell me?” 

Jimin shook his head. “I really don’t know.”

“Bullshit.”

He winced slightly. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”

Sighing, she brushed a hand through her dark curls. “Okay, well what do you know?”

“That you’re the first person who’s been able to see me and this house.” The cat meowed, moving between Jimin’s feet to rub her body against Bree’s leg. She looked down and blinked at the feline, then looked back at Jimin. “And the cat.”

The calico continued to weave in and out from between Bree’s legs until she finally relented, leaning down to pick up the cat. His companion seemed to appreciate being able to interact with someone other than him and he felt a little offended. Bree petted the cat for a moment, then held her hand out toward him. For a while, all he did was stare at her hand.

“I’m Brianna Larkins. Friends call me Bree.”

Slowly, he reached for her hand. But just as he was about to touch her, he hesitated. Part of him still couldn’t believe this was happening. Jimin was afraid that his hand would pass straight through hers like he were a mere apparition. 

Bree took the initiative, grabbing his hand with her own. It caused him to jump slightly, the sensation of touching another person a seemingly foreign concept to him. He’d well and truly forgotten what it was like to feel the skin of another human being. All he could do was watch, dumbfounded, as she shook their hands up and down.

“I’m Jimin.”

She canted her head slightly. “No last name?”

“I can’t remember it.”

She didn’t bother hiding her scoff as she let his hand go. Already he was mourning the absence of her touch. “Figures.” Bree lifted herself onto the balls of her feet to peek inside the house just over his shoulder. “So, can I come in or what?”

Again, another question he didn’t know the answer to. Surely if she could see both the house and him, as well as touch him, then she should have been able to cross the threshold into the house. But that was just a theory. One he’d never had the pleasure of putting into practice.

“S-Sure,” Jimin managed to stammer out as he stood to the side, giving her room to step through the entrance. 

And just like that, she stepped past the door frame and into his main living area like it was the most natural thing on earth. Jimin stood speechless while still holding the door open. Bree pulled off her combat boots, the calico still held delicately in her arms as she moved in and out of the space he alone occupied for so long. Well, him and his little furry friend. It was too strange and his mind was having a difficult time processing everything that was happening. 

If he could describe the sensation accurately, Jimin felt like he was walking through water that was a mile deep and he was on the verge of drowning.

“Little lacking in the interior decorating department, don’t you think?” she asked while slowly turning as she walked. 

Jimin rubbed at the back of his head. “That’s not something I can really control, unfortunately.” 

And it was true. Even if he could paint the walls, they would just turn white again after a matter of minutes. 

Bree shrugged as she turned to face him. “Better than some awful wallpaper or something.”

“Yeah,” was all he could say. 

Why was talking to another person so hard? It shouldn’t have been this difficult, should it?

He watched her head to the sitting area where only his gray sofa was, along with the coffee table. She flopped down on the cushions, the cat wriggling out of her arms to crawl onto the windowsill. Bree looked at Jimin expectantly and for a moment, he didn’t understand what was supposed to happen next. She suddenly patted the empty seat next to her. 

“Well?”

“Uh, right…” Jimin took a step, then stopped himself. “Oh, I didn’t even offer you anything to drink.” He turned to head back to the kitchen.

“It’s fine, seriously, dude.” When he looked back at Bree, he saw her smiling, clearly amused with his flustered behavior. “I said I wanted to talk and I meant it. So c’mere.”

Deciding to just go along with whatever was happening, Jimin crossed the short space and slowly sank onto the couch beside her. His heartbeat thundered like war drums in his ear and he started closing and opening his hands by his knees. This was unreal and he couldn’t figure out what he was supposed to do next.

“So,” she said while clapping her hands together, “let’s try to figure some shit out.”

He whipped his head to look at her, half his vision obscured by his blonde fringe. “H-Huh?”

Bree shrugged while raising her brows. “I mean, don’t you think it’s a little weird that I can see you and the house and no one else can?”

“Well, yeah…” Though Jimin wouldn’t have necessarily called it weird as he would uncircumstantial. 

“There’s got to be some kinda puzzle behind this.” He watched her bite into her lower lip as her brows furrowed in thought this time. Bree gave a low hum, as if she were trying to piece something together in her head. “You’re obviously not a ghost.” She reached out and poked his cheek for good measure, causing Jimin to lean back a bit as his eyes widened in shock. Again, sensations he wasn’t used to feeling. “You look human, but that doesn’t mean you’re not an alien.”

He pouted. “I’m not an alien.”

Bree blinked at him, then laughed at his reaction. “Okay, fine. You’re not an alien then.” She gave her head a slight tilt while placing a hand on her chin. “Are you some kind of angel?”

Jimin relaxed a little. Her teasing nature eased some of the tension that was weighing on his shoulders. “Why would you think that?”

“Well, as stupid as this might sound, it’s because you’re wearing all white.” She gestured to the rest of the house. “The entire house is white.”

“Not all of it.”

“No, you’re right.” Bree leaned back, folding her arms across her chest. “But I can’t think of anything else.”

He sighed a little. Jimin couldn’t help himself, but it happened anyway. “Why can’t I just be human?”

For a while, a small stretch of silence managed to lurk between them. Suddenly, Bree sat up straight and punched her fist into her hand. It startled Jimin, causing him to lean back slightly. Her eyes were shining brightly, like she’d just had an idea.

“That’s it!” 

Bree jumped from the couch and Jimin felt himself standing on impulse. He watched her scrambling to put on her shoes and as he was about to call out to her, she turned to face him. Whatever popped into her head suddenly, she was hellbent on leaving to figure it out. 

“Where are you going?” 

Jimin hadn’t meant to ask. It just slipped out. Part of him worried that if she left, he’d never see her again. This was his one opportunity to be able to actually interact with another person and he didn’t want it taken away from him. The moment felt far too short. 

“I need to get home.” She held up a finger, still smiling. “But don’t worry. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

And before he could ask her what she meant, the girl turned and ran out the door. There was a heaviness that sank over him as the latch clicked. While he didn’t doubt her words, Jimin couldn’t ignore the overwhelming sense of loneliness clinging to him in her absence.

In just a few short minutes, his house felt emptier.

Bree returned the next day.

And the day after that.

And the day after that. 

Until Summer slowly came to an end, yielding into Fall.

Every day that she left and returned, Jimin was both sad and elated. He understood the meaning behind the phrase “welcome back”, even though he never said it out loud. The power of “goodbye” was heavier than he could even begin to fathom. He knew the steps that it took to truly get to know someone, because knowing a person meant cherishing every single feeling and interaction that came with it.

Bree brought over tons of books. Some were reference texts and others were compilations of fairy tales. He didn’t understand the latter until she explained it. And what she managed to divulge actually made a lot of sense.

“See here,” she said, pointing to a paragraph in the tale of Beauty and the Beast, “the Beast wasn’t allowed to leave the castle. There was a spell cast on him, a curse, and the only way the curse would be broken is if a person could see past the beast on the outside and into the heart of the man on the inside.”

Jimin furrowed his brows. “But it says that he was cursed because of his arrogance.” He met Bree’s gaze. “He turned the old woman away who wanted shelter from the storm and that’s why she cursed him.”

“So?”

“So you think I’m cursed?”

Bree sat up straight. “Don’t you?”

He frowned. “What makes you think I’m cursed?”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, I dunno. Maybe because no one can see this house or you, but you can see everyone else? Or maybe because you’ve been in isolation so long that that you lost your memories? Or maybe because you can’t go more than two hundred meters in any given direction?” Defiantly, she folded her arms across her chest. “Or maybe because you can’t age and your house is a literal fucking time machine that moves you back and forth from the past, to the present, to the future? Or MAYBE--”

Jimin held his hands up in defeat, not even realizing that he was smiling. “Okay, okay! I get it. Enough already.” He let his hands settle back into his lap. “Okay. Maybe you’re right.”

“Jesus, I wish you would listen to me,” she muttered while brushing her thick curls off her shoulders. Her attention returned to the book and she leaned forward, resting her elbows onto her knees as she scanned the pages again. Jimin came to learn of her sarcastic nature and was often on the receiving end of her tongue lashes. “All of it points to you being cursed, but it doesn’t help that you can’t even remember why you’re here or where you originally came from.” Chin still propped in her hands, she craned her neck to look up at him. “You sure you don’t remember anything?”

A pained expression formed and before he could hide it, Bree was already sitting up again. He could see the apologetic look on her face, and he felt guilty instantly. He hadn’t meant to be so expressive, but the more he interacted with her, the more free he was with his emotions. 

“I’m sorry, Jimin. I didn’t mean it that way--”

“I know,” he said softly, “it’s okay.”

She threaded her fingers through her hair, groaning in aggravation. “God, this is so frustrating!” Again, her attention returned to the book. “What are we missing?”

“A miracle,” Jimin said flatly, to which Bree cuffed him on the shoulder. He laughed from surprise more than actual pain. 

“I’m serious.” She pouted. “There’s gotta be something we’re not paying attention to.”

Jimin couldn’t figure out what the missing piece to the puzzle was. Part of him honestly didn’t care. He was enjoying the time he got to spend with Bree and there was no guarantee that he would be able to return to his original time. It was all just theories and hypothetical possibilities at this point. If it was one thing he learned during all of his travel through various eras in history, it was to value the present. The past and the future were inconsequential.

“Does it really matter?” 

He didn’t miss the look on Bree’s face at his question. But he wondered if it did, in fact, matter? He’d been living his life this way for so long. Interacting with Bree was a variable he hadn’t accounted for. He just wanted to focus on the here and now. 

She sat up a little straighter, then sighed. “Aren’t you tired of living like this?”

Yes, I’m tired of it.

But he knew the truth. She knew it too. When his year was up, Jimin was going to have to leave this place. He would leave it behind just like he did all the others; with no hope of ever returning. Regardless of what he may have wanted, the end result would always be the same.

A lump formed in his throat, making it impossible to respond. He parted his lips to speak, but then gave up. Averting his gaze, he stared at the open book on the table. His vision blurred momentarily as he fought back oncoming tears. A sad smile formed on his lips.

“...does it really matter?”

Jimin saw Bree less and less as the Fall season hit full force. School was back in session and she worked part-time. But she made a point to always come by on her off days or when she finished up with her classes. He was able to glean that she must have lived nearby. Was the area he was in a rural township of sorts? He thought about asking her to bring a magazine or newspaper the next time she decided to pay him a visit, but they were usually caught up with various other conversations and he only remembered long after she was gone.

Her absences weighed heavily on Jimin. They’d been so engrossed in fairy tales and folklore that he often compared himself to Rapunzel, trapped in isolation and waiting for his one true destined one to save him from his prison. It was safe, comfortable, and he wasn’t in chains, but it was a prison just the same. 

The leaves changed color and fell from the branches. Vibrant greens transformed into browns and beige. The flowers were long dead. Jimin could tell from the area that he was in that it would snow and while it was something he was looking forward to, he wondered if it would be safe for Bree to trek around the mountainous area in the dead of night. It wasn’t like he could walk her home like he wanted to. 

He was stuck.

The front door opened, pulling Jimin from his thoughts. He was wrapped up in a blanket on the couch with a book in his lap. The cat, now named Juno thanks to Bree, looked up from her perch on the armrest. Bree stopped knocking on the door months back and there was never a need to lock it. Jimin remembered winning an argument they had about his safety with keeping the door unlocked. There was really no point. No one else could see the house to break in and it wasn’t like he had a key he could give her.

Bree quickly unraveled the scarf from around her neck. She was carrying something in her arms and it smelled sweet. Untangling himself from the blanket, he made his way into the kitchen as Bree busied herself with the dishes. Peering out the window, he saw how dark it was and frowned. 

“It’s late.” 

She pulled out some chocolate chip cookies from the bag and plated them. “Yeah, I know. I got held up at work again.”

“It’s not safe for you to be wandering around up here by yourself so late at night.” He folded his arms across his chest. “You could have just come first thing in the morning.”

Jimin was reprimanding her, but it’d been several days since their last meeting. Secretly, he was happy she was there. 

“Can’t. I have class in the morning.” She handed the plate to him.

The worry lines on his brow deepened. “Then you definitely shouldn’t have come out here.”

Bree rolled her eyes. It was only then that he noticed her bookbag. “Psh, you’d go stir crazy if I didn’t show up today. Besides, I brought cookies as a bribe.”

He’d hardly call that a bribe, but he was happy for the present. 

She poured them both a glass of milk each. He carried the plate to the living room and they both flopped on the couch at the same time. Bree skillfully didn’t spill a single drop of milk before setting the glasses on the table.

“Don’t you have homework?” Jimin nibbled on a cookie as he cast a sideways glance at her.

Rifling through her book bag, she dropped a few notebooks and pencils on top. “I finished it during break at work.” 

He raised his brows as she pulled out extra clothes and set them on the floor by the couch. “Uh, what are you--”

“I’m sleeping over,” she interjected, reaching down to pick up Juno and cuddle her into her lap.

For a while, Jimin said nothing. All he did was stare as she pulled her thick curls back into a low ponytail. 

Finally, it registered.

“W-What?” He turned to fully face her. “You’re staying here?!”

She cut her gaze at him. “Did I stutter?” He was about to ask why, but instead a cookie was pushed into his open mouth. “Besides, I had an idea I wanted to run by you and it couldn’t wait another day.”

Attempting to swallow the cookie, he grabbed the glass of milk and washed most of it down. The awkwardness of her staying over was overshadowed by his curiosity. “What idea?”

Biting into a cookie, she quickly opened one of her notebooks up and showed it to him. “The conditions.” She pointed to a series of bullet markings. “All the folk legends and fairy tales state that certain conditions have to be met in order to break the curse.”

“Okay,” he said while nodding, “but those conditions all stem from knowing what the curse entails, doesn’t it?” Jimin sighed. “So we’re still back at square one.”

Bree set the notebook down suddenly, leaned into his space and soon her face was inches from his own. Blinking rapidly, his heart suddenly thundered heavily against his chest. Jimin’s eyes momentarily crossed when he felt the velvet texture of Bree’s lips brushing against his own. The contact was swift enough that he couldn’t savor it, but long enough for him to get a taste of her cherry lip balm. 

When she finally pulled back, Jimin just stared open-mouthed at Bree. He almost missed the rose tint on her cheeks. Her dark skin tone made it a little bit more difficult to notice it, but the moonlight outside seemed to illuminate her face radiantly. 

Reality sank down on Jimin’s chest as he remembered to breathe. “W-W-Wh-What was that for?!”

“Do you feel any different?” Bree leaned back a little more. “Did it work?”

The absurdity of the question helped Jimin to collect himself. “Does it look like I’m back in my own time?”

“Who says this time isn’t your time?” she countered.

He rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure it would be obvious if it actually worked.” Jimin pointed to a line in her notes. “Something phenomenal always happens soon after a curse is broken. That’s how you know.”

Bree snapped her fingers with a scoff. “Damn!”

Jimin couldn’t keep himself from laughing. “Next you’re gonna tell me to go slay some dragon.”

“If there was a dragon around, you bet your ass I would.” Jimin was thankful she turned away from him so he could focus on steadying his racing heartbeat. She bit her thumb in thought. “A kiss is usually a surefire way to break a curse. Since I’m the first person who’s seen the house and you, I figured that was the answer.”

Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he reached for another cookie. “There are probably more conditions that go along with that.”

Bree tilted her head slightly as she looked back at him. “So you think that I’m a variable in all of this?”

“It wouldn’t make sense for you not to be.” He furrowed his brows and looked back at her notes. “Everything points to you being a part of it. We just have to figure out how.”

Groaning, she flung herself against the couch and began kicking the heels of her feet on the floor in frustration. “This is annoying!” She covered her eyes with her forearm. “I don’t know how people in research and development go through all this trial and error nonsense.”

He flashed her a reassuring smile. “It’s kinda their job, Bree.” 

He watched her slip her arm off her face and flop down beside while she stared up at the ceiling. “Conditions need to be met…”

Jimin lightly poked her forehead to get her attention. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up too much. I’m just thankful for all the help and effort you’ve been putting in on my account.”

She gently moved his hand out the way before sitting up again. “I was so sure we were getting close.”

“We probably are. We just don’t know.” But that also brought up another curious thought. “Why are you so adamant about helping me anyway?”

“Huh?” Her expression clearly stated that she didn’t understand why Jimin would even ask such an obvious question. “I mean, don’t you want to go back to where your friends and family are? They’re probably freakin’ worried out of their heads, y’know?”

He smirked. “I doubt it.” 

There was no cynicism in his tone. Jimin believed that everything happened for a reason. 

He met Bree’s gaze and was surprised to see a tiny flicker of sadness in her umber hues. “I just want to get you home. That’s all.”

Kindness to a complete stranger. It was something archaic to Jimin because he wasn’t able to interact with people for quite some time. He knew that the people he cared about more than likely moved on with their lives after his disappearance. But Jimin also knew that if he miraculously wound up getting back to his original timeline, then it would settle all the other paradoxes surrounding his involvement. Things would go back to normal, in theory. Whoever placed this curse on him must have realized this, hence why he was unable to interact with people until now.

Leaning forward, he reached out to Bree and pulled her into his arms. He heard her gasp softly, his motions completely unexpected even to him. But he couldn’t think of any other way to express his gratitude. In the months he’d gotten to know her, he knew that Bree was rough around the edge but was genuinely a good person. Her determination to get him home, to the place where he belonged, more than evident in her actions. They weren’t just empty words. 

Jimin could perceive that now after having been denied human interaction for many years.

“Thank you…” 

When he pulled back, their noses were just barely touching. Then he leaned in to press his lips against hers. He tasted the sweetness of the cookies and her cherry lip balm all over again. Jimin slowly urged her lips apart with his tongue, silently asking for entrance. When she complied, he slid his tongue across her teeth and over her own pink muscle. 

The sigh mingled with the moan Bree managed to push out from her chest and he pulled her even closer so he would be able to hear her heartbeat. Bree’s hands slowly slid up his torso, resting her palms on his chest. Jimin took his time pulling and nipping at her full lips, enjoying the sweet taste of her mouth. Part of it was the cookie. Part of it was her lip balm. The rest was just simply how she tasted naturally.

As their lips parted, he smiled and bumped his forehead against her own. Even though his shadow covered half of her face, he could feel the warmth simmering along the surface of her skin. Jimin closed her notebook with one hand, still smiling as he stared into her face.

“I know as the host, I should be nice and offer you my bed while I take the couch. But would you be against us both using the bed?”

Bree blinked a few times, then flashed a devious grin. “I wouldn’t be against it, no.”

Jimin immediately scooped Bree into his arms, carrying her like a new bride. There wouldn’t be any mischief. At least, that wouldn’t be the plan. All he wanted was to savor this moment, the sound of Bree’s laughter as he carted her off to the bedroom, Juno hot on their heels. 

The house didn’t feel so big anymore and the joy Jimin felt was indescribable. 

Fall was fleeting and Winter swept in faster than Jimin could have anticipated. The house was warm as per the conditions it needed for him to remain comfortable. His clothes changed to suit the shift in temperature. He had to be thankful for all that the house was able to provide for him. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to handle actually having to do everything on his own outside of the normal things. 

As much as he fussed at Bree for wanting to continue to trek up the mountain to see him, Jimin relished in the closeness that blossomed even further between them. 

True to his word, they didn’t actually do anything that night. He had a sense of morals and a conscience, not wanting to seem like he was trying to take advantage of Bree’s kindness and affection toward him. Outside of kissing, they just cuddled and slept in the bed. He wouldn’t go further than that and Bree seemed to pick up on his need to not press things too far.

Jimin was just glad that Bree took everything surrounding his circumstances in stride. She was understanding, open-minded, and willing to help. He couldn’t imagine what it would have been like between them if she’d been a full-blown skeptic. 

They never put a label on what they were to each other. He didn’t know about her, but Jimin felt there wasn’t a need. In six months’ time, he would disappear from her life like a passing dream. Maybe she would come to forget him. She would move on as if nothing changed and continue to strive towards her own aspirations. Jimin would remain in his proverbial prison, clinging to the memories that he’d made with her; hoping to seek solace on the more lonely nights when he knew he would inevitably miss her.

It was getting even colder out. He didn’t want Juno going out and getting frostbite in the snow that was slowly starting to pile up outside. The cat made a fuss about it initially, but after walking around just by the window, she understood that her little paws weren’t going to like being wet and cold. 

Despite the biting chill of the air, Jimin admired how picturesque everything looked. The floral landscape was completely covered in a blanket of fresh powder. Even if he hadn’t met Bree, he was still lucky to be able to enjoy scenery like this. Traveling through time helped him to appreciate all forms of nature, but he couldn’t get enough of these images. 

He had a pot of coffee brewing and the aroma filtered throughout the house. He wasn’t big on coffee. Not usually. Jimin slept when he felt like it and was awake when he wanted to be. Having coffee seemed almost a little pointless. But ever since he met Bree, he’d indulged here and there. It was more for her sake than his own since it was apparent that she didn’t get much sleep. Even less since having met him.

His brows furrowed slightly, shaking off the guilt that tried to sit on the forefront of his mind. Jimin knew it was her own choice that kept her coming back. No one else’s. She would have smacked him for trying to shoulder the responsibility all on his own and it wasn’t fair for him to take it.

As he poured himself a cup of coffee, he noticed the small clock on the counter. It was a present from Bree. There was nothing fancy about it. Just a simple clock that only needed batteries changed out every so often. She left said batteries in a drawer. Jimin scoffed about not needing to know the time, his predicament making it obvious as to why. 

“Just because you never know where you wind up doesn’t mean you should ignore what time it is while you’re there.”

Jimin’s lips pulled into a small smile. She was right. This, and many things, were the small lessons that he was beginning to finally learn. As if it was Bree’s purpose to teach them to him. 

It would make leaving her that much harder. 

He entered the living room after checking the time, his free hand reaching out to unlatch the window. Despite the cold, Jimin still wanted to get a bit of fresh air circulating inside of the house. The sun had long since set and Bree would be battling through the cold to see him. He saw a few flurries starting to float from the sky, his brows furrowing at the thought of the snow falling heavier and further impeding Bree’s trek up the mountain.

I hope she takes it slow…

The worry didn’t start setting in until several hours passed by. Initially, he simply shrugged it off as nothing. It wasn’t unheard of for Bree to be late. She could’ve easily gotten caught up with her job or even hanging out with her friends from school. The group she came up there with seemed close. 

But as the night pushed onward with no sign of Bree in sight, Jimin began to get a little concerned.

Unlatching the window, he pushed it open and a rush of cold air whipped across his body. The chill shot down his spine, causing his skin to pepper out in goosebumps. The muscles in his shoulder grew taut as he fought back the urge to shiver. Juno meowed in protest to the cold, hopping down onto the couch to curl herself against one of the throw pillows. The full moon hung like a pearl in the sky, illuminating the world around him. 

In the distance, he heard several howls. Their cries filled the night air, indicating that they were gathering together. Possibly for a hunt. The prospect of food in the area seemed a little slim, but Jimin didn’t think it was impossible. Especially if they were making rounds in preparation to stalk their prey. 

Fear suddenly gripped at Jimin’s chest. Juno’s mewling snapped him out of his trance and he hopped out of the window. The cold nipped at his feet, but he didn’t care. He could barely feel it. The snow crunched under his feet as the wind continued to push around him, the flurries falling heavier than they had a few hours earlier. 

He cupped his hands around his mouth. “BREE!” His voice echoed over the wide expanse of the landscape. “WHERE ARE YOU?”

There was nothing. Nothing save for the sound of his voice bouncing back at him. 

And then he heard a scream.

Jimin trounced forward, wading through several feet of snow. Desperation pushed him forward, forcing him to start running. He pumped his legs into the ground as hard as he could until he slammed into the invisible wall. The force of impact knocked him back-first into the snow and the cold clung to every inch of his skin. Not wasting a single second, he scrambled back onto his feet and began kicking and punching the wall, clawing at the barrier with his bare hands. At some point he started to scream, but he couldn’t remember when. The burning sensation rippling down his throat kept him alert until something snapped inside of him.

The sound of glass shattering echoed in his head. It was loud, like an explosion. Before he’d realized what’d happened, he was taking off at a dead run toward the cluster of trees near the base of the mountain. The world was a blur around him as he sped off toward his destination, following the howls of the wolves as his need to find Bree overshadowed all other rational thoughts that made vain attempts to come to the surface.

Pain registered in the back of his mind as he ran. The dying branches from trees and bushes seemed to reach out in their need to snatch him in the darkness. Jimin used the moonlight to guide him as twigs snapped against his body and dying leaves crunched under his bare feet.

Predatory snarls loomed around him, spurning him forward. Bree’s scream tore through the night, signaling where her location was. Slipping on wet grass, he crashed to his knees and rolled through the snow. The momentum helped him to get back up, making a quick right through the forest as the barks of wolves became louder. 

Bursting through a thicket of trees, he entered a clearing and saw half a dozen wolves in a semicircle advancing toward their prey. They turned in sync with one another in his direction as they bared their fangs at him. Bree was on the ground and holding her ankle while trying to shuffle back as much as she could. Jimin’s eyes met hers for a split second and he saw her face was red, splotchy,  and slick with tears.

“J-Jimin!”

Rage flared across Jimin’s chest as he picked up a broken tree branch. One of the wolves launched forward, his jet claws and pearl fangs gleaming in the moonlight. Jimin roared and swung with all the strength he could muster, the branch striking true as he slammed into the side of the wolf’s head. A sharp cry of pain came from the wild animal as it fell into the snow. The other wolves raised their hackles and moved toward him, snarling heavily as the clouds from their breath puffed in front of their snouts. 

Jimin took a second to glance at the branch in his hands and quickly assessed that he would be able to get one or two more hits in before it completely snapped. Splinters were lodged into his palms, stinging along his skin. He pushed the pain back as far as he could manage, taking a step forward as his grip tightened around the branch. 

“Bree, are you alright?” he asked. He sighed quickly at her nod. When he saw her about to stand, Jimin held his hand out to her. “Stay there!”

The wolves took this as their opportunity to attack and two of them leaped at Jimin. He swung out and hit one of their forelegs, causing the animal to hop back on three legs as it whined. The other wolf went for Jimin’s calf, forcing him to lift his leg up and out of the snow. The injured wolf launched himself from the snow and snapped his jaws. Jimin barely had time to react, using the branch as a shield and watching with horror as it snapped between the wolf’s teeth. 

A sharp pain registered on Jimin’s shoulder and he fell forward as another wolf’s weight smacked into his back. Claws dug into his skin beneath his sweater and the white fabric instantly stained crimson as the wolf bit mercilessly down into the meat of his shoulder. Crying out, he struggled to move out of the way as more of the wolves advanced on him. 

Bree’s scream brought him out back from nearly drowning in his agony and he looked up in time to see her throwing rocks at the wolves. One of them hit the wolf that was biting him, forcing him to release his grip. They snarled, making their way toward her. Jimin pushed himself up and ran at the wolf closest to her, kicking up a spray of white powder in its face. Without wasting another second, he snatched Bree’s wrist in his bleeding hand and pulled her onto her feet.

They ran like their lives depended on it.

The wolves kicked up snow as they gave chase, barking and snapping their jaws menacingly. Jimin’s vision blurred every so often, but the ensuing stumble quickly brought him back into focus. He tried to maintain his speed while also being conscientious of Bree as he pulled her along. Jimin could just barely hear their heavy breathing over the pounding of his heart. 

Jimin believed it was instinct that led him back to the house. Or was it the house itself pulling him by an invisible string? He didn’t question his surroundings and continued to run, his only concern for Bree’s safety. He was ready to force her to leave him behind if necessary.

Bursting through the treeline, they continued to run from their pursuers. The wolves gave chase only so far, however, and stopped completely as they rushed in through the front door. Jimin crashed onto the floor and Bree hurriedly slammed it shut. His breathing was labored as he lay there, his vision coming in and out of focus as he tried to stabilize his racing heartbeat. 

“Jimin!”

He could only just barely hear Bree’s voice. It felt so far away. Why did it feel so far away from him?

Something warm touched his back and he instantly took comfort in it. And then his body began to turn over. The sounds of wolf howls echoed through the night, announcing their retreat. They would not indulge in a meal tonight, forced to make due with empty stomachs.

“Are you crazy?!” Bree’s hand swept over his brow, brushing his bangs off his forehead. He couldn’t tell what her expression was, only that it was a mixture of fear and anger. “What were you thinking?!”

Her voice cracked a few times. Jimin could tell she was fighting back against something. But what, he couldn’t be sure. She cupped his cheek with her palm, sending more warm sensations across his entire body.

A hand’s warmth. 

It was something that people so often took for granted. 

Reaching up, he grasped at Bree’s wrist. “I’m so glad…”

Her face came into focus and he could see the tears sliding down her cheeks. She blinked down at him in confusion. “W-What?”

Jimin smiled. “I’m so glad...I was able to keep your hands...from getting cold.”

Bree sobbed, pulling him closer to her chest while burying her face into the juncture of his neck. “No! Please stop talking! Just...please stop…”

Letting her hand go, he started to pet her wild, curly hair. Bree gasped, pulling back a measure so she could look at him. He was happy she did so. Now he could see her beautiful face.

A strange sensation tingled over his skin, all the way down to the tips of his toes. He shouldn’t have been able to feel anything near his feet. They were more than likely frostbitten by now. But he wiggled them just to be sure, and the tingling feeling continued to increase. 

His body started to feel light, the sensation moving around in his stomach, through his lungs, and swirled around the center of his chest. Blinking, he shifted his gaze toward the window and felt his lips part slowly as he watched an aurora paint itself over the darkness. 

What? Jimin thought, confusion settling over his heart, What is happening?

The aurora transformed into a pink and purple nebula, the stars swirling from the center until they fanned out in strange, ethereal tendrils. Jimin tried to sit up, but felt he had no control over his body. Only that it was getting lighter and lighter for some reason. 

Was the house preparing to jump again? But it was too soon! He still had several more months before it was time. 

“What’s going on?” Bree asked, and he looked down to see what she was talking about. Gasping, he could only stare in shock as her body was now visible through his own. “What’s happening?!”

“I...I don’t know.” 

Lifting his hands up to his face, he saw the tingling sensation now manifested into tiny glowing particles along his skin. With each passing second, his body grew lighter and more transparent, until he started to float off the ground. Bree tried to grab for him, but to her horror and his own, her hands passed right through him. Jimin moved to touch her, and while he could feel her body, the physical sensation was absent. 

Was the curse finally broken?

“No!” he yelled suddenly. The distance between them started to increase and they both attempted to reach for the other in vain, their hands dissolving into one another. “Not yet!”

Jimin’s body lifted higher off the ground and the glowing particles brightened. Bree quickly stood on her feet and he saw Juno appear in between her ankles. The cat meowed in protest as they seemed to get further and further away from him.

“Don’t go!” shouted Bree as she tried to jump and reach for him, but he was too far away.

Was this really the end?

“I love you!” Jimin yelled suddenly, causing Bree to stop her attempts to pull him back. 

She blinked up at him. “J-Jimin…”

A sad smile formed on his lips. This was inevitable. There was nothing they could do to stop this. He was going back to his own time now; to his own world.

“I love you so much…”

Bree gasped, covering her mouth. But when it seemed he would pass through the ceiling, she lowered her hands and flashed the same sad smile back up to him.

“...I love you too.”

And as though those were the magic words, everything quickly disappeared around him. The house, Bree, the cat. Everything was replaced with a swirling galaxy of stars and a colorful galaxy. A harsh wind pushed through his body, pulsing over the plane of his skin, and he felt his tears spilling from his eyes. Time slowed and sped up simultaneously and he curled himself into a ball, burying his face in his hands as he sobbed.

Jimin should have been elated. He was going back to his time. Things were going to finally fit themselves into the right place. All the pieces of the puzzle were found.

But at that moment, Jimin felt more alone than he had in all the years he’d spent in that house.

Because he’d loved and lost in what felt like a single snapshot of time.

His curse was lifted, but he felt emptier than he’d ever been.

To Jimin, his true curse was only just beginning.

Tears of Andromeda

For the @bangtanscenery​ - April Showers Bring May Flowers Project in celebration of the Spring Season!

Plot: Namjoon loves you. You are the sun to his moon. It’s been this way since you were young. But your oblivious nature is only apart of your charm. When he’s finally ready to confess to you? You’re already taken. Broken-hearted he goes to your favorite spot. For the first time he allows himself to cry. Then he hears it - like the liquid tinkling of tiny bells. The subtle glow of stars falling from his eyes starts the countdown.

Rating: PG-13 // SFW

Genre: StarTears!AU | angst | romance | drama 

Pairing: Kim Namjoon x Female OC (Mia Graves)

Warnings: Mild language, angst, lots of pining

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 4.2K

AN: So, I was tooling around on the twitter and found something in my feed. I had been reading it over and over trying to wrap my head around it. So, here is my interpretation of the StarTears!AU. Here is the thread in question - https://twitter.com/rchimedesu/status/1246209686682185730?s=20. Other than that? I don’t think I’ve ever written so much pining in all my life. I hope you enjoy and I hope to see more StarTears fics in the near future!

© thebiasrekkers (Admin T). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

It hurts. 

Namjoon collapsed onto the bench, a hand clutching over his heart. Panting, he willed the trembling muscle to calm. His lungs burned as he fought to catch a deep breath. His nostrils flared as he fought back the creeping panic inside of him. This was a pain different from any other. His memory rolls back to her enthusiastically kissing another man. The words that he had mustered the courage to speak swallowed back bitterly. She turns to see him, mouth agape in shock, staring. 

The confusion on her face made the moment all that more embarrassing. Because she couldn’t understand the pain etched into his face. Her brows furrowed as he wore that devastation so deeply. It almost looked as if he had witnessed the greatest betrayal. She reached out to him, suddenly wanting to pull him closer - and he ran. Namjoon turned on his heel to escape her. He took off in a dead run across the college campus. There would be no catching him, she knew that. Her boyfriend, just as conflicted, puts a hand on her shoulder and squeezes. A small amount of comfort as he wondered what he just saw. He wondered if she saw that broken-hearted gaze stealing the light from Namjoon’s eyes? He wondered if she knew? 

Did she ever know?

And now?

I’ve lost her. 

Namjoon sits in their favorite spot as the sun settles low in the sky. The vivid orange-blue, purple dusk of night time brings him little comfort. His bottom lip trembled, eyes closed, as his head fell backward. The oil-slick flickers behind his eyes deepen as his memories flood in.

It wasn’t uncommon to see strangers moving into the neighborhood. It was strange when they didn’t look the same. It became the talk of the town when Mia’s family settled in. Namjoon was 5 years old when he laid eyes on 3-year-old Mia Graves. His family knew her parents and were quite surprised when they showed up with their newly adopted daughter. It was no secret that they had a hard time conceiving - and had pondered adoption. So when they finally returned home with a beautiful dark-haired, hazel-eyed toddler? They couldn’t find a moment of peace. 

Luckily, it wasn’t Mia - a curious toddler, she was easily entertained with the simplest things. It was from the questions being fielded about how there was an obvious difference in their child’s heritage. 

She hadn’t started speaking, while stressful, gave them hope that she’d pick up another language just as quickly. There was a large Summer gathering that brought all the families together. Namjoon was smart enough to understand that there was something different about her. She played easily with the children in their age range. Mia had a habit of hyper-focusing on things that caught her interest. Namjoon saw this for the first time when a butterfly wobbled by to land on a flower. He felt his brow furrow as she knelt down to watch it. It seemed like an eternity before she blinked. He felt something strange as he watched the slow, soft smile that formed. 

“Wouldn’t that be cute?” Namjoon’s mother quipped loudly. She was on her third glass of wine as she nudged Mia’s mother. “We should let them get married!” Mia’s mother sputtered her drink giving the other woman a wide-eyed look. 

“Don’t do that to them, they’re just kids.” Her brow furrowed as if something unpleasant had been stirred in her own memory.

“Nonsense!” Namjoon’s mother waved the thought off. “Joonie! You should be Mia’s protector!” His father groaned, slipping back inside the house. Mia’s father held up his hands as her mother implored silently to assist in the conversation.

Namjoon pouted, “Mo-ooo-oom. She’s a girl!” Typical tiny human behavior. Namjoon’s mother tutted as she escorted him over to where Mia remained captivated by something so small and simple. 

“Mia, honey.” Namjoon’s mother took his hand - and hers. “My Namjoon is going to protect you ok?” Namjoon groaned as the other little boys snickered off to the side. His mother put Mia’s hand in his, smelling slightly of fermented fruits and sugar. “Look how cute!” She stood leaving the two staring at their connected hands.

Namjoon scratched at the back of his neck, trying to focus on anything else. “Don’t mind my mom. She’s really nosy.” He scoffed tilting his head down to Mia. His next words were cut as Mia’s wide-eyed look was aimed at their gathered hands. 

She looked up at him, with that slow, soft spreading smile. “Hi, Namjoon.” His name sounded strange coming from her. He couldn’t tell what it was - but he knew he liked it. His hand closed over hers. 

The fullness of her smile crinkled the corner of her eyes, the sunlight fading behind them gave her eyes an almost golden glow. 

“Hi, Mia. Don’t worry about anything, ok?” He knelt down to her level. “I’ll protect you.” 

“Why do you have to be so weird, Mia?” The taller boy stomped on her notebook with a grin. She’d been following the local butterfly swarms. The notebook held detailed drawings of wings, color variations, and the flowers they frequented. There was a pink flush underneath the warm brown of her skin. She narrowed her eyes until they seemed to resemble feline slits. The taller boy and his friends smirked as she walked toward him. “What’re you going to do, eh?” 

Before she could open her mouth, let alone swing that cocked right arm, there was the sound of impact as he hit the ground hard. The tall boy got knocked down a peg as Namjoon seemed to drive him into the ground with his shoulder. There was a hissing poof as the boy lost the air in his lungs. Namjoon stood up looking down on the bully with unbridled fury in his eyes. The boy’s friends decided it was no longer worth the trouble as they helped him up. 

The sound of a weak cough echoed in the distance as they made their escape. Namjoon turned to Mia gently trying to salvage scrap pieces of paper. Her lip tucked between her teeth as she sighed. 

“Hey.” He finally turned to help her gather the pieces of paper. The smeared drawings were handed over to her. “..I’m sorry, I-I should have been here sooner.” 

Mia shook her head, that soft, slow-spreading smile that made his heart stutter. “Thank you, Namjoon.” 

He scratched the back of his neck as he stood. Namjoon’s gaze was off in the distance as he lowered a hand to help her up. “Come on, let’s get home.” 

“Happy Birthday, Nam-Joooonniieee! Happy Birthday to yoouuu!” Sung in various degrees of unison. Namjoon groaned while blowing out the candles on his 17th birthday cake. A sound of applause echoed as the parents dropped their gifts on a table. “Alright, kids behave - but have fun!” The adults adjourned to the kitchen. 

“You’re a man now!” A thick hand clapped Namjoon’s shoulder, “Maybe you’ll grow a little taller now?” Blake grinned down at Namjoon. 

“Dude, we’ll never be as tall as you,” Namjoon smirked, clapping his hand against the other boy’s shoulder. Blake was a month older than Namjoon, but he was already 6’1”! Blake stood out mostly because of the gentle demeanor inside of that large frame. “We are turning into men, aren’t we?” The other boys gathered around to spy the party guests. 

Girls. 

The girls they went to school with. The girls that had been a part of their childhoods. These girls were blossoming into puberty right alongside them. That awkward stage of life when you realize the destructive power of hormones. How had they gone from ‘eww, girls’ to ‘ooh, girls’ so quickly? The girls, paying them no mind, turned their eyes on them. The boys quickly averted their gazes, feeling their ears heat-up at the sudden attention. The girls shrugged and continued to talk about their own changes.

“Mia is really pretty,” Blake spoke softly, as they all snuck a glance over to the group again. 

Namjoon felt the muscle in his jaw tick. “Mia is Mia. Come on. Let’s not get all sappy, ok? W-We’re men over here!” He gave a curt nod. “We should talk about boy things. This is my birthday, after all, gentlemen.” They cleared their throats and laughed loudly. They laughed at half-mustaches and acne. They laughed at the voices cracking and still too high. 

But every once and awhile, they stole glances over to the girls. 

Later that night when the bulk of their school friends left - it was just a gathering of childhood buddies. 

And a bottle.

“Come on, Blake! It’s your turn!” They did their best to keep their activities quiet. The adults were busy relaxing after a long day. 

“Spin the bottle already!” Namjoon pushed his best friend. 

“Ok, ok!” Blake spun the bottle with shaking fingers. They all watched it laughing as the bottle started to slow. 

“I bet he gets to kiss Namjoon.” A girl, Ava, chuckled leaning into Mia while giggling. That giggling stopped when Mia gasped. Blake blinked as he and Mia locked eyes. 

“Oh, w-wow. You got Mia.” Namjoon could find his voice suddenly. 

“Go on then! Stop stalling!” Another boy piped up on the other side of Namjoon. 

“Oh, this is ridiculous!” Mia popped up on her knees, her hands framing Blake’s face. “It’s just a peck.” She hoped he didn’t feel the tremble in her fingers. She leaned forward, lips pursed, dotting them against his mouth. “There!” 

The world was hot, dry, and dark for a mere few seconds when their lips connected. Namjoon found himself grabbing his chest. The others fell over laughing and making faces. Blake turned three whole shades redder than normal. He blinked slowly, letting his fingers sliding against his lip. 

“My turn!” Ava spun the bottle eagerly. Namjoon was in a state of shock, unable to comprehend the sensation rolling through him. 

“OOooOooh, Ava gets to kiss Namjoon!” That brought him out of his stupor in enough time to see Ava pursing her lips. He swallowed thickly as she smashed her lips to his in a far longer connection than he had liked. 

Bewildered, Namjoon turned to Mia who merely chuckled at his state. 

The rest of the friends filed out of the house. Leaving Mia and Namjoon to clean up the mess. Both of them were stuck in a loop of awkward - until he broke the silence. “Did you like it?” 

Mia hummed a soft response, “It was a nice party.” She swiped a row of cups into a garbage bag. She felt Namjoon’s hands on her shoulders, he spun her around the dark brown of his eyes hard. 

“I mean...I meant...with Blake?” He seemed startled at this moment of bravery. He moved his hands from her shoulders, scratching at the nape of his neck. 

“The kiss?” Mia tilted her head as if she had forgotten about the whole ordeal. “Namjoon it was just a peck. It wasn’t even a real kiss.” She gave him a dour expression. “I sure as heck don’t count it as a kiss. There’s no meaning behind it. It’s just a game.” Her body was half turned from him as she went to dump more garbage. 

“I mean it was your first kiss, wasn’t it?” Namjoon furrowed his brow as if he realized he was overthinking it. 

“No way! That’s not how my first kiss is going to go.” She sputtered into laughter. He suddenly felt lighter with the sound. “No, Kim Namjoon. My first kiss will be ...amazing.” There was a thoughtful expression that caused her eyes to sparkle. His heart wanted to break free of his chest and leap into the tender embrace of her hands. “And besides, Ava has had a crush on you forever. You should be lucky.” She gave him a soft elbow to the ribs. “Come on, we have finals next week. I need to get home.” 

That soft, slow-spreading smile undid him every time. He scoffed into a laugh. “Ava has a crush on all the boys that are taller than her. It’ll pass.” He watched her laugh while joining her to clean up the mess. 

She was right, though. Her first kiss would be amazing.

It just wouldn’t be him.

Finals were over and Summer dawned on their neighborhoods. They were being pressured to consider the rest of their life - i.e, College. Namjoon would be a Senior in the fall. He had the best grades so his school wasn’t a concern. 

Leaving Mia behind was.

The sweltering heat of Summer became a time of awareness. The boys had developed muscle going through the changes of adolescence. The girls were glowing and mesmerizing as they tested lip tints and soft makeup. 

Blake confessed to Mia - and for some reason? It didn’t bother Namjoon at all. Blake was his best friend. Mia was his best friend. He was happy for Blake, truly. But, he knew something that his best friend didn’t. He knew Mia. He knew her better than anyone else - and they were not compatible. 

A camping trip to the woods, splashing in the river and the crackle of a fire at night. The friends were gathered to make memories. Blake kissed Mia under the moon by the river with the glow of the fire behind them. It was a sloppy attempt coupled with Blake getting a little too handsy for Mia’s liking. 

“Oh, come on, Mia!” He furrowed his brow as she narrowed her eyes at him. “I just touched your hip” He seemed bewildered by her annoyance. “They do it in the movies when kisses happen.”

“Blake, this isn’t a movie. Don’t you think you need to make sure I'm ready to take that kind of step?” The annoyance turned to hurt as he seemed to brush off the suggestion. 

“Man, I’m going back to the fire. This is dumb.” He scoffed making quick work to join the others. 

Mia sighed with her head lowered, the shift of fabric over her shoulders caused her to close her eyes. She didn’t even have to ask. “Hi, Joonie.” That soft, slow-spreading smile lifted to his taller frame. 

“Hey, kiddo. Need some company?” He let his arm drape across her shoulders as they stared up at the stars.  

“Yeah.” She watched as he turned his gaze skyward. Her head tilted as she studied his profile. Namjoon had really filled out over the summer. Broad in chest and shoulders, arms defined, a perfect side profile set with a strong jawline. She found herself staring at the fullness of his lips. The heat crept into her face as she tilted her gaze someplace else. “Thanks, Namjoon.” 

He hummed a soft response tugging her closer into the shadow of his body.

School started 

Everybody had changed over the summer - grown and filled out. It was exciting, and it was competitive. Namjoon focused on his studies as per usual, making time for football as he could. He, like the rest of his friends, was determined to build more muscle. The girls were into their looks a bit more. 

Homecoming was close. 

New faces joined their circle. New friendships were built and old ones? Well.

It was a few weeks before Homecoming in the Varsity Locker room - and boys will be boys. 

“I think that Mia girl is hot,” Namjoon heard someone quip. “...maybe I can ask her to homecoming. That’s one kiss I’d savor for life.” There was male laughter as he rolled his eyes. 

“Nah, that one is a bit of a prude.” Namjoon yanked the shirt down over his shoulders at the voice that spoke up. “I tried to kiss her and she got all skittish. It was the perfect moment too! Under the moon, by the river.” Blake stood up, he had the audacity to have grown another 3 inches over the Summer. “..I was perfect.” 

“You were impatient.” Namjoon finally butted in, his arms crossed as he smirked. “There’s nothing wrong with asking a girl for permission. You better get that through your head, all of you.” A hint of disappointment in his tone. “While, yes, the girls are pretty - we still have to act like decent human beings. This is not the time to go thinking with your pants parts.” Blake scoffed as the mood was suddenly broken.

The guys filed out as Namjoon hefted his bag over his shoulder. 

“You should tell her you like her,” Blake spoke up now that they were alone. 

“What are you talking about?” Namjoon gave him an incredulous look. 

“Namjoon, we’re not stupid.” Blake’s arms were crossed against his chest. “At least I’m not. I’ve seen you looking at her since we were kids.” He shook his head as he shrugged on his jacket. “You better make your move before it’s too late. Again.” 

Namjoon smiled, the dimples setting in his cheeks, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I don’t have anything to worry about, Blake. When the time is right. I will.” There was a moment of awkward silence before they left. 

Homecoming Week

“Mia Graves will you be my Homecoming date?” A bouquet of calla lilies was presented to her in the hallway. A boy on the floor with a declaration. He could see that strawberry tinge under the warm brown of her skin. 

“Seojoon, you big softie you. Of course I’ll be your date.” She laughed as he picked her up and swung her around. 

He was too late, again. 

Homecoming Night

Everybody swayed to the tune of a slow song. Seojoon and Mia kissed - and it was amazing. They decideD to start dating. Namjoon rejected Ava for the last time.

Christmas Break

Namjoon was settling into leisurely reading when he received a text message. 

Mia: Joonie.

He knew that she only called him that when something is wrong.

Joonie: Just come over, Mia.

He fixed hot chocolate and found the fuzzy warm blankets. She showed up minutes later her eyes red from crying. He pulled her in out of the cold, then bundled her up with hot chocolate and blankets. She fell asleep against his chest and he hoped it would stop beating so hard against her ear.

“We broke up.” Her voice was small. “Maybe they’re right? I’m just weird aren’t I?” There was a bitter tone that he wasn’t used to.

“No, Mia. You’re just...different from everyone else. And you know what?” He pushed the coils from her face. “That’s perfectly alright. Plus, you know I’m here for you.” A dimpled smile set her at ease.

“Thanks, Namjoon.” That soft, slow-spreading smile that she gave no one else. Even during the course of her relationship with Seojoon? She never smiled like that for anyone but him.

He pulled her against him again.

Let us go forth and claim our heart’s desire. Let us go forth and forge new paths. Let’s go forward.” Namjoon looked out amongst his classmates, gathered family and friends. “We were pushed to succeed by those around us. Now we move further forward to make them proud and realize our dreams. My friends - we take our first steps today.” There was applause for the Valedictorian Kim Namjoon. He moved his tassel to the other side of his cap and the rest followed.

“Congratulations to us all.” 

The day passes by in a blur as they gather, as they always had, at his house. 

“We did it!” A yell in unison as they raised their glasses. Namjoon was leaving for a college quite the distance away. But, its reputation was hard to deny.  The house slowly empties as he begins to clean up. 

“You’re going to forget about me.” Mia pouted as she helped clean up. 

“I could never forget about you.” He laughed softly. She missed that fond lovelorn look that filled his gaze. Too busy picking up trash to realize the nervousness bubbling within him. “Plus we have email.”               

Mia laughed, a sound he had sorely missed. “That’s true.” She bit into the meat of her bottom lip. “I’m going to miss you, Joonie.” 

“I’m always closer than I seem, Mia. Remember that.” They shared a quiet smile. 

The Summer was upon them again. 

Namjoon spent that summer making memories with Mia. Taking pictures, going to places they said they wanted to visit together. He felt like she might understand - that she might just see what he’d been hiding - harboring all these years. 

Mia realized that Namjoon has really grown into a dependable, wonderful man. 

The Summer ended - and Namjoon leaves for college. He promises to be back for her High School graduation.

“Do you have everything?” He asks softly. Mia was a bundle of nerves trying to arrange her speech. 

“How the hell did you do this?” She whines softly. 

“Just breathe. You’ve got this.” The connection is full of static. “I’m really sorry I couldn’t be there, Mia. I didn’t think this internship would get extended.” 

“Joonie, stop. You’re living your dream right now. I appreciate you calling me. It’s...good to hear your voice.” She smiled softly to him even as the video glitched. “Plus, I’ll see you when you get back right? By the time I get settled on campus - you should be back!” 

He smiled at the screen. “Exactly. Now, go knock them dead! And tell my dad not to shake the camera or I’ll get pissed.” He playfully furrowed his brow, causing them both to laugh. 

“You got it!” She blew him a kiss, checked her reflection in the camera. “I’ll talk to you later, Joonie.” She gave him that soft, slow-spreading smile. “Thank you, Namjoon.” 

Mia had matured so much since he left. She was a beautiful woman. Those hazel eyes had lightened over time to something like warm gold. The springy coils of her hair were tipped in a dark purple. He still saw the little girl that stole his heart all that time ago. “No problem, Mia.” 

The video call disconnected but his gaze lingered on the screen. He was stuck in the UK for an internship for the next four months. He should have been back but he did such an excellent job - they extended his time. 

He made the decision then and there; that he would confess. 

The internship lasted six months instead of four. He wasn’t able to keep in touch with Mia like he wanted. There were sporadic emails and text messages - but the art house firm he worked for was world renown. He got back home to visit his family before heading back to the dorm. 

He told them to keep his return a secret. He wanted to surprise her. 

Namjoon was the one surprised. This stunning woman was leaning against a man who nuzzled into the space where her neck met her shoulder. There was this bright smile painted across her face. The man spun her around in his arms as she looped hers around his neck. He kept walking toward them because he couldn’t believe his eyes. He hoped it was some sordid illusion playing out in front of him. Mia reached up to cup this man’s face as he spoke to her. Their foreheads touched as she leaned up to kiss him. The Mia who had shown little interest in the males around her - was enthusiastically kissing another man. 

“Mia?” The couple was disturbed by the calling of her name. Mia’s eyes went wide as she saw Namjoon looking perplexed - no...betrayed? 

“Joonie?” He looked different than the last time they spoke. She was awash in a sensation, an emotion that left her robbed of words. Namjoon looked between her and the man with his hand around her waist. 

Pain exploded in his chest as he backed away from her. He turned on his heel - and he ran. She called after him to no avail. She was left confused, watching him disappear into the distance. Why did that bother her so much? Why did that expression on his face give her pause? She felt her boyfriend’s hand squeeze at her shoulder. He tilted his head down to her catching the confusion etched in her features.

Her boyfriend hadn’t felt a need for jealousy since they met. But now? He watched a man lose his very spirit at seeing her with someone else. Did she see the light leave his eyes? 

Did she really even know? 

Namjoon’s heart was quiet as the moon rose in the night sky. He was too late, again. It hurt. It hurt because he was sure this time. It hurt because he was so sure that there would be no one but him for her. 

No one for her but him. 

His vision blurred as tears filled his eyes and he could do nothing but let them fall. The streams turned to full out sobbing within minutes. 

The sound of little bells chiming in the wind caused him to stare at his hands. The ethereal glow of starlight emanated from the pooled tears. A soft wind chime echoed as a breeze blew across his face. His gaze turned to the sky once more.

His vision blurred again as the star-filled streams slid down his face. 

The sobs shook him as he wept. He cried because the one thing he wanted to be was gone. 

His head fell back against nothing as he noticed that the moon wasn’t as bright and the night seemed to creep in the corners of his vision. 

Namjoon sat listlessly as his celestial tears sparkled in the wind.

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,832

Tag List: @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @unoriginal-username15432, @halussali​

CHAPTER 34: EPIPHANY

“Underneath the smiling mask, my true self is coming out.”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District South Korea

Anastasia groaned when she felt someone tugging at her shoulder, attempting to rouse her from her drunken slumber. Her body swayed back and forth and she swatted at the hand pulling her. Her hand fumbled around for the covers and she attempted to yank them up and over her head. Solace was given to her for a moment and she hummed in sleepy contentment.

However, her victory was short-lived when the blanket was completely ripped from her body, exposing her to the open air. Flailing like a toddler throwing a tantrum, Anastasia flopped onto her back and then sprung up into a sitting position. Her dirty blonde hair was messy and tangled but she didn’t care. Instead, she glared up at the person who was destroying her sweet slumber.

“Ana,” Raelyn said while shaking her head, “if you don’t get up and come on.”

Anastasia flung her arms around in various directions, fighting back an oncoming migraine and whining in the process. “Rae Unnie, it’s my day off!”

Raelyn held a glass of water out to her. She took it and automatically opened her other hand to accept the aspirin that was waiting for her. Raelyn smirked when she downed the aspirin and drained the glass.

“I made breakfast,” said the older woman, turning away from her to head down the small flight of stairs from the bedroom loft, “so get washed up and come down to eat.”

“Kay,” was all Anastasia offered before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

Not wanting to keep her friend waiting, she opted to wash her face and brush her teeth. She’d shower later. Once she made her way downstairs, Anastasia took note of the folded-up blankets and pillows on the couch. The previous night’s antics played out in her mind and she couldn’t help grinning.

Raelyn suddenly showed up at her door with two big bottles of booze. Anastasia wasn’t one to usually turn down free alcohol, but she also knew that Raelyn wasn’t the type to mindlessly indulge in binge drinking like some college student. There was clearly something on her mind and the only way to chase it away was through booze. Anastasia could relate and since she had the next day off, she didn’t mind spending the evening drinking away.

They played cards, Monopoly, UNO and vegged out on the couch watching Netflix. Neither of them talked about work or the boys. Anastasia could tell that Raelyn wanted to avoid those subjects as much as possible. Everyone deserved a night to escape and there was a part of her that felt bad that they hadn’t included Eden. When it was mentioned, Raelyn said that Eden had other plans. Without having to say it aloud, Anastasia knew that it was with Jungkook. The woman was brutally honest and stubborn, but her affection toward Jungkook was cute.

She would tease her about it relentlessly.

The smells from the kitchen made Anastasia’s stomach groan, reminding her that she was, in fact, starving. It reminded her of when she had her own aspirations to start a restaurant and ultimately failed. It was probably for the best, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t prone to thinking about those days from time to time.

Raelyn whipped them up a traditional Southern Style breakfast of sausage, eggs, grits and toast. A side of sliced strawberries were set on small plates. Anastasia watched her pour a glass of milk and a glass of orange juice for each of them. When everything was set, the two women sidled onto the chairs by the counter and began to eat, neither of them wanting to say anything until they’d gotten a few bites in.

Anastasia swallowed a mouthful of toast and scrambled eggs, washing it down with milk, before finally deciding to break the silence. “So, do you want to talk about it now?”

The fork hovered by Raelyn’s lips and stayed there for a few seconds. She sighed, setting the utensil down on her plate. Anastasia remained quiet, not sure if she should repeat the question. There was a glint in Raelyn’s eyes that almost screamed what was being turned over and over inside of her head. But doing that would mean she hadn’t processed anything; that she hadn’t been sitting on this something for days.

She wouldn’t have shown up with the offer to booze it up if she wasn’t prepared to get her mind right.

Stabbing at a piece of strawberry, Anastasia gripped the utensil and tried to slow her heart rate some. It never usually took Raelyn this long to speak her mind. Especially if something was bothering her. This, in turn, made her uncomfortable. But instead of prodding further, she waited.

She watched Raelyn pressing her hand to her forehead, sighing again. “Everything’s fucked up,” she finally said.

Anastasia blinked, canting her head slightly. “What do you mean?”

Raelyn was now pressing both of her hands to her face. “I mean everything is fucked up, Ana.”

There was a broken tone in her voice that was unfamiliar to Anastasia. She couldn’t help but worry that something terrible had happened. But from what she understood, the boys were doing okay. Their businesses were thriving, and they were walking away from the criminal underworld like they’d dreamed. Raelyn’s reason for worrying wasn’t even a factor anymore. She could date Taehyung freely and without the strain of having to look over her shoulder.

She didn’t understand what the problem was.

Anastasia reached out to place a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Did something happen?” She paused, brows furrowing. “I mean, besides what happened with Eden Unnie?”

She’d heard about the incident that occurred when Raelyn was dispatched to another hospital. Eden got half a dozen voicemails from her that day and an earful of high-pitched screaming when she finally answered the phone. Regardless of how tough her friends were, Anastasia didn’t want them getting hurt. Not when there wasn’t a need for them to worry about it anymore.

Raelyn shook her head back and forth fervently, her fingers clenching into fists near her forehead. “Things were supposed to get better once they went straight, right?” Anastasia’s brows furrowed when the older woman finally turned to look at her, eyes wide and shaking. “So why does it feel like things are going to get worse?”

“What?” She felt a lump forming in her throat. “What in the world is that supposed to mean? Why would they get worse?”

The older woman laughed, border lining mania, and this caused Anastasia’s hand to fall from her shoulder. “God, how could I have been so fucking stupid? How could I have missed it?”

Anastasia didn’t understand what she was talking about. However, just because she couldn’t understand didn’t mean that the implications weren’t unsettling. It felt like she’d eaten a bag of river stones for breakfast – her stomach heavy and cold.

“Jimin told me something, Ana, and I’m not gonna lie, it rattled the hell out of me.”

“What did he—”

“The boys might be out, but there’s competition that wants them to stay.”

She blinked, unable to believe what she’d just heard.

“Whoa, wait…what?” Again, she blinked. “Why?”

“That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?” Raelyn scoffed. “Why in the fuck—”

“—would they want their rivals to stick around when they could just claim the territory the Golden Jackals left for themselves?” Anastasia finished the thought and now it was Raelyn’s turn to look surprised. Averting her gaze, she curled her hand near her chin while glaring at her half-eaten breakfast. “That just doesn’t make sense. Strategically, when competition is gone, that leaves room for a takeover when the option for a merger is no longer on the table.”

From a marketing or bargaining standpoint, attacking the former Golden Jackals would lead to zero gain. She recalled a conversation she had with Seokjin about something similar. When companies refused to go along with mergers, a buyout option was presented. If the buyout option was refused, then eradicating all competition from the board was the next step. But if the competition chose to pull itself from the game, then the remaining competitors usually fought amongst themselves over who would take over what was left behind.

Pulling the competition back that chose to remove themselves would bring them no profit. It would create unrest all over again…

Is someone foaming at the mouth or something?

When she next met Raelyn’s gaze, it was like something dawned on the older woman. Several emotions passed over her face, but the one that Anastasia recognized immediately was anger. Something she’d said apparently set her off.

“They think they’re bluffing.”

“Huh?”

Raelyn stood from her chair suddenly, causing Anastasia to recoil. “They think Hoseok and the others are bluffing!” She began pacing and all Anastasia could do was follow her with her eyes. “They’re not sure if they’ve really dissolved or not. That’s why they’re not launching a war.” She smacked her forehead while letting loose a mirthless laugh. “That’s why the others haven’t started stirring up shit. They’re not sure what Hoseok and the others are going to do!”

Anastasia heard her laugh again, but it sounded terrible, making her skin crawl. “Rae…”

The older woman continued pacing for a few more minutes, muttering things to herself. When she suddenly stopped, Anastasia was halfway out of her seat. The two friends met each other’s gazes and it was like they both thought the same thing at that very same moment.

“What’s going to happen when they find out that it’s true?”

The work week seemed to crawl at a snail’s pace. It was unbearable and Anastasia was sure she would start the process of plucking her own eyeballs out. Seokjin and she hardly had time to see each other at all since he was doing his best to assist Hoseok and Namjoon at the new hotel in Yongsan. Not that she blamed him or needed her hand held. He wouldn’t have hired her if he didn’t think she was capable of handling things without him constantly being in the office.

Jimin being there was a boon and he was always at the ready to assist whenever she needed him. Even when she didn’t, he had coffee and snacks ready – encouraging her to take breaks before she got lost in a mountain of paperwork.

Burying herself in her work, however, was the only way she could successfully chase her worries from her mind.

She’d wanted to pick Jimin’s brain; to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. All she knew was the financial aspect of their businesses. It was her job to maintain it and make sure all the books were up to date. Nothing was out of place and Seokjin wasn’t asking her to fudge the books either. Accounts were stable and clean. No money was laundered since none of their funds were funneling in from an outside source even remotely associated with the criminal underworld.

Yet she couldn’t shake the frustration and worry that radiated from Raelyn. It was bleeding across to her now, making it hard to focus on her job. Seokjin and she were getting closer, sure, and others could clearly see that they were an item. But without him there to reassure her that things were going to be alright, Anastasia felt on edge. Hell, borderline neurotic. She could admit it.

Was their friend, Eden, suffering like this also? When she saw her a few days ago, it didn’t look like it. What was she doing that was different than what either Raelyn or she were? Had the mixed girl gotten her hands on some magic pills, being selfish and unwilling to share?

Wanting to stop by her friend’s shop on her lunch break, she took a breath of air in relief when she arrived and saw that nothing was happening. The garage was closed, a sign hanging out the window saying they were out to lunch and would be back in an hour. Anastasia finished her paperwork early and decided she would take a long lunch, so she had time to kill until her friend got back. Maybe Eden would have some answers to the questions that were constantly nagging at her.

Just as she was about to hail a cab to a nearby café, Anastasia let out a sharp squeak, realizing too late that someone was now in front of her. Her chest bumped into said person, causing her to stumble backwards. The stiletto points of her shoes scraped along the concrete loudly. When she was positive she was going to see the sky, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

“Whoa,” said a gentle voice, a hint of amusement laced through it, “careful there.”

“I’m so sorry!” Anastasia apologized, taking a step back and bowing her head. “I should have been paying more attention.”

“It’s alright. I was just wondering where the fire was.”

When she finally lifted her head to look up, she saw an unfamiliar man standing in front of her. He had mouse brown hair, umber eyes, and a sweet smile that mirrored in motion with said eyes. Flushing at his appearance, she quickly shifted her gaze to look away from him. She felt more embarrassed than anything else.

“There’s no fire.”

“I can see that.” She moved to look at him again just as the man brushed some of his hair out of his eyes. “Were you here for an appointment?”

“Oh, no,” she said with a laugh, “I just came to see my friend. Looks like I just missed them.”

He slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “In this day and age, you didn’t think to call her ahead of time?”

Anastasia pressed her hand against the side of her neck, giving a shy laugh while shrugging one shoulder. “I suck at surprises?” She laughed again until a thought struck her, causing a tiny shiver to shoot down her spine. Her hand slid slowly from her neck, falling to her side as she began narrowing her eyes at the stranger in front of her. “How did you know my friend’s a girl?”

“I assumed.”

“Assumed that I don’t have guy friends?” Anastasia took a step back when she saw the man’s gaze darken, his smile remaining. “Or that you already know who owns this shop?”

The man laughed, shrugging and then taking a step forward. She took another step back. He leaned forward, peering at her like he was examining a specimen in a jar.

“Clever girl,” he mused, straightening to his full height, “it didn’t take you long to pick up on that. No wonder you’re their financial advisor.”

Her eyes narrowed further. Anastasia didn’t appreciate being mocked. “…and who the fuck are you?”

“Ya, Yoo Kihyun,” called a familiar voice from the sidewalk. They both looked to see Yoongi approaching them and Anastasia felt a wave of relief wash over her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Kihyun gave a lazy smile but there was no warmth in the gesture. Anastasia shuffled a few steps back when Yoongi closed the distance between them. He made a point to place himself in front of Anastasia, shielding her from the man who was getting his kicks out of messing with her. She had half a mind to throw her shoe at him.

Peering at him over Yoongi’s shoulder, Anastasia maintained vigilance as the other man scrutinized over her rescuer.

“Ah, Yoongi-ah. It’s been so long.”

She heard Yoongi scoff. “Not long enough. Now answer me: what do you think you’re doing?” Kihyun said nothing. “Actually, a better question: why are you here?”

“No reason,” he dismissed and Anastasia bit back her urge to pop off, “curiosity mostly.”

“I’m not surprised. You’ve always been a sick, twisted little fuck.” Anastasia blinked at the barbs coming from Yoongi. She gasped when he suddenly turned around to look at her. “When Eden gets back, don’t tell her about this.”

“Huh? But why?”

“Please, Ana-ssi,” he said, his brows furrowing.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she finally nodded – albeit reluctantly. Yoongi’s expression relaxed somewhat and he bowed his head.

“Thank you.” He then turned around to face Kihyun. “You’re done here, Kihyun-ah. You talk to me now.” Yoongi strolled past the other man, not so much as giving him a backwards glance. “Follow me.”

Kihyun smirked, winked at Anastasia, and then followed after Yoongi as was demanded of him. Anastasia wasn’t sure of what to make of that encounter, but she knew she would have to thank Yoongi properly when she got the chance. Kihyun’s smile may have been charming, but the way he carried himself suggested something cold and unfeeling.

It left a knot in Anastasia’s stomach.

Is he one of the guys Rae was talking about? she thought, frowning, …are they the ones trying to pull them back?

Little Snuggles pt 2

Rating: G // SFW

Genre: modern day || pocket!BTS || PART 1

Pairing: Kim Seokjin x Female OC

Warnings: Thunderstorms? Person walking around in the dark? Kim Seokjin being dumb. I have no idea

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin L’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 1,111

AN: I AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO OBLIGE! I went a little further into it but I hope you like it!

© thebiasrekkers (Admin L). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft

It was just going to be a quick nap.

The day had been long and with the storm rolling in, your body felt heavy and unresponsive when you had finally drug it into your apartment. It was lucky that you had gotten there to shuck off the wet clothes and take a hot shower before it had started to really storm outside. The apartment was fairly quiet since the Nunnehi had left and honestly, it was a bit duller without them there. However, you couldn’t really have them stay there forever--knowing that eventually they would have to return.

Your bed seemed so much bigger without them to sneak themselves onto it. The stress of the day started to leave your body, your eyes drifting down as you thought about them. Were they ok? Did they get back safely?

Did they miss you?

You woke up to find that your hair had been wrapped up and a warm smell was coming through the door. Panicking, you racked your brain as you tried to remember if you had turned on the oven. Regardless if you did or not, the covers were flung off of you as you threw open the door to race to the kitchen. The oven was on but there were no signs of smoke and as you pressed the buttons to turn it off--there had been something that you noticed about the rest of the kitchen.

Flour was peppered on the sink and on counters, the once empty sink had dishes in there as if someone had prepared something. There was also a stray cabinet open, which you found that out when you turned and hit your knee on it. A growl escaped you as you clutched the injured knee, crouched over in pain. It suddenly hit you that these little things was a sign that someone else was in there with you. Hope sparked in your chest that they had come back to you but as you opened up all the cabinets, that hope bled away with each one you found to be empty of their tiny bodies.

Standing up, you started to clean the mess that was made. It still bothered you that all that mess was there but before you could get into it, a lighting bolt struck a transformer and caused the apartment to be plunged into darkness. A startled scream came out and had you knee the cabinets again. You just sat there, trying to catch your heartbeat and breath from the sudden scare. However, in the silence, you thought you heard a familiar voice.

“Miss? Where are you?”

“Jin?”

Jumping up, you felt along the walls until there was a body in your way. Confused, you had to back up--a feeling of dread washing over your chest because Jin never was that big. Another lighting strike illuminated the room and you saw a flash of a man there in your living room. Screaming again, you threw your hands up and attempted to get away but his hands gripped your elbows. You struggled so fiercely that the both of you ended up tumbling down, not hearing anything that the man had to say. There was a moment where you thought that your elbow smashed into his face, causing him to let you go with a yelp. The lights popped back on in that moment, eyes painfully trying to adjust to the sudden light.

“Ow, ow, ow. I wanna be small again!”

There on the ground, after you had backed up as far as you could, was Jin but instead of him being small--he was now nearly six foot tall. He held his face in his hands, tears in his eyes and a lovely pout on his lips.

“Oh.. my.. God…” You slowly reached out for him, not believing what you were seeing. Carefully, as if he would disappear like smoke, you touched his face and made sure that he was indeed solid. “Y-You’re ….. BIG!”

He scoffed, still sore about you attacking him but that scoff turned into a laugh when you threw your body on him. He hugged you back just as eagerly as you were, relief and happiness trading between the both of you.

“Thank goodness I came back today. I know how much you hate storms…” He pulled back from the hug and gently took off the towel that had been knocked askew in the scuffle. His fingers ran through your still damp hair, ruffling it and giving it some body as he looked down at you. “Plus, what were you thinking? Coming home and leaving your hair wet like that? You could have caught a cold!”

His scolding made you laugh, prompting another hug. He smelled of the earth, dark and musky but with a hint of spice. It tickled your nose as you held onto him, not quite wanting the moment to end. He enveloped you in his arms again, resting his head on yours--giving out a deep sigh.

“I wanted to hug you like this for so long but now that I get to…” He crushed you to his new body for a moment, his voice starting to tremble a bit, “I want to be big like this for you forever.”

Suddenly, he wasn’t there. Your arms enclosed themselves around your own body and you opened your eyes, your breath drawing in at the sudden emptiness. Tears started to prickle at the corners of your eyes, worried that he finally left or that it was a dream. A small pat on your leg caused you to look down, the clothes that he was previously wearing crumpled around your body but showcasing Jin as his normal size. He placed his cheek against your leg, closing his eyes and hugging what he could.

“I’m sorry I can’t stay big..”

You scooped him up in your hands and gave him another light kiss, the tears that were threatening to spill over--finally dropping down your cheeks. Jin grew concerned and put his tiny hands on your cheeks, his own tiny kiss making them fall even faster.

“It’s ok. I’m just glad that you’re back.”

“That’s right! And the others are going to show up soon too! I heard you turned off the oven, though.”

The little apartment felt like home again. You couldn’t help but laugh at him as he pushed up his white robes that appeared on his body when he returned to normal size to help wash. He looked up at you and pouted again, his little cheeks sticking out.

“But then you hit me! I just can’t believe that! I’m telling the rest this when they get here.”

“Ok, Jin.”