Hybrid Ateez - Tumblr Posts
Do I have maybe an ateez series coming up??? đđ !Also! in a hybrid universe where hybrids are just as common as humans and there's a lot of fluff and angst? And it's quite different than the good and old bread and butter we have already?? Maybe! Maybe! I'm not saying anything,
THE 'U' IN 'US' - AN ATEEZ SERIES - THE INTRO
Summary: You weren't really the lonely girl⢠of campus, but it does feel like it when you look around, and there's no one by your side when everyone else are talking and whispering between each other. You did have "friends", more like "group projet friends" that you managed to get for yourself, but they were the ones that were real close, you were there only when they had an extra empty seat. But it seems like the gods above took your nonchalant facade as a challenge. Oh, you don't think you need friends to survive through college? Bet.
Pairing: Non! idol OT8 ateez x reader (platonic)
Tags: college! au; hybrid! au; ateez! au; fluff (a whole lot of fluff and wholesomeness); angst; hurt/comfort; mentions of loneliness and insecurities; mentions of hybrid mistreatment and abuse
WC: 420 words
N/A: I'll be writing the first three chapters next week, and then I'll be posting it once in two or three weeks!
If anyone it's interested in being tagged, let me know!
X MASTERLIST ZERO
Ateez Masterlist
You took a deep breath as you notice people naturally siting together at the cafeteria in slow waves. Even if you had courage to walk up to any of them, you knew you didnât belong, and they would realize soon enough too. And you can be a lot of things, but proud is right up there at number one.
You didnât have anyone, you werenât anyoneâs priority, but you would rather die than let that show. So you do what you always did, let the headphones build the illusion that you chose to be unavailable.
You ate at your own pace, half embarrassed at the thought someone would see you eating, half annoyed at yourself for caring so much still.
You were so stuck in your bubble and silly TikTok videos that you didnât notice the sudden chaos that ensued after the doors opened wide, nor when that boy walked up to you.
His shoes by the side of your table was the first thing you saw. Then his long ass legs as your eyes trailed up his body until you found his eye smile and red ears. He had two set of golden caramel ears on top of his blonde hair.
Why this dude was smiling at me like won the lottery?
âCan I sit here?â, you read his lips, then slowly took off your headphone.
What kind of sick joke from the universe is this?
It wasnât a joke, and it didnât even start yet, you quickly realized as seven other boys walked up to your table.
âCan we sit here?â, a tall boy with a deep voice asked as he leaned over the shoulder of another one, a slightly smaller, yet muscular one with a cute smile and black hair. Both of them had tails waving slowly behind their bodies, but no ears in sight.
âDo I know you?â, you scanned their faces one by one, until you found his yellow tinted brown eyes again.
Somehow they seemed familiar, some had tails, others ears and only one seemed like you, a 100% human. But where the fuck did you meet them before?
âDonât you remember us?â, one of the shorter ones with brown hair, the one who looked human asked, but he didnât seem sad about that fact, he was smiling just as much as the others.
What did you do to make life give you a brand-new group of friends, you didnât know⌠yet.
I'M SO GLAD YOU THINK SO HONEY đ This was so supposed to be up tomorrow, but I couldn't wait to know what you guys'd think!! Thank you so much for the love đ
THE "U" IN "US" - AN ATEEZ SERIES - CHAPTER ZERO
Summary: You weren't really the lonely girl⢠of campus, but it does feel like it when you look around, and there's no one by your side when everyone else are talking and whispering between each other. You did have "friends", more like "group projet friends" that you managed to get for yourself, but they were the ones that were real close, you were there only when they had an extra empty seat. But it seems like the gods above took your nonchalant facade as a challenge. Oh, you don't think you need friends to survive through college? Bet.
Pairing: Non! idol OT8 ateez x reader (platonic)
Tags: college! au; hybrid! au; ateez! au; fluff (a whole lot of fluff and wholesomeness); angst; hurt/comfort; mentions of mistreatment and abuse.
WC: 2,2k
N/A: It's finally here!! Please reblog and let me know your thoughts, the feedback is really important to me đ If you want to be tagged, also let me know!
INTRO MASTERLIST ONE
Ateez Masterlist
Donât you remember us?, the words repeating in your head as you stared back at the brown haired boy. Now that your attention was on him and him only, you noticed the smallest of ears picking up from his hair, the color blend made it almost invisible. He was not a human, he was a bear hybrid, and you remembered exactly where you met him for the first time.
The police station was a complete chaos that day. It was a sudden change from the monotony of the small town your father started working at the beginning of his career. There was at least double the people walking left and right. Doing what? Youâd never know, but it seemed important enough that youâre too scared to interrupt any of them to ask where was the bathroom, much less your father. He was not in the best mood since you moved, and you hated to be the reason for more stress. Also, he busied himself in conversations you could only watch from a distance, not even keeping his eyes on you sat at an old chair.
He wonât even notice that I leftâŚ, how stupid of you.
You wandered off, walking next to the walls so no one would bump into you while carrying a stack of thick papers. There was no sign of a bathroom in the room you were, you didnât even know where you were, no idea it was the heart of that police station.
You kept walking further and further out of the room into the empty hallways at the back, ignoring the signs at the top of each door, too focused on the triangle dress you couldnât find. You turned right, but you only found a single wooden door.
The sight was discouraging to say the least.
You sighed, or you thought you did, because you heard it, but it didnât seem like it came out of your own mouth. Then you heard another sigh, now you were sure it wasnât you.
You stared at the door a little longer, then up to the sign at the top of it, it said âRH waiting roomâ. You didnât even know what RH was. A waiting room so far back? Maybe there is a bathroom inside of it. That was enough for you to grab the handle, but it wouldnât open.
âYou have to be kidding meâ, you said as you looked up to the ceiling, but you hoped all the gods above could see your disappointment. You were out of luck for the 4th time this week.
Inside the room, there was only silence, something you didnât notice right away. If you were there, you would be able to feel the tension and fear as the hybrid stared at the door.
âHey, is there a bathroom in here?â, Jongho repeated the first words you said to him back to you. âYou remember now, yeah?â, he could see the embarrassment coming back as you recalled what happened after that, which made him giggle with the others.
You never remembered that moment as funny, because your father told you what RH stood for and why anyone would be there in the first place. But he did.
âWait, thatâs actually the first thing you said to him?â, the one with the bunny ears asked, while laughing so hard he almost fell.
âYes, I did MinâŚâ you tried to recall as he leaned forward, a glee of expectation in his face as you said his name. ââŚgi, of course, Mingiâ, you said as casually as you could.
He seemed so happy, you felt bad that it was whispered to you behind his back. You would get to it eventually, he did make a good impression of himself when you first saw him too.
âI do think I remember each one of youâ, you said as you looked at each of them, one getting harder to greet than the other, until you reached the last two, Yunho and Hongjoong. They didnât seem to hold any grudges against you, Yunho smiling wider than Hongjoong, but that was a given considering the little you knew about their personalities.
âItâs okay if you donât, itâs been quite a whileâ, the blonde boy gestured it wasnât a big deal with his hands. âIâm Yunhoâ.
âYou didnât have blonde hair back thenâŚâ, you trailed off as you remembered the one day you wished to forget.
âNor the height, itâs truly unfairâ, Wooyoung said with a sad tone as he gave the blonde one a side eye, but his fluffy red tail continued to bounce back and right with energy.
That comment made everyone giggle a little, even yourself. It was true, he grew up well that one, he seemed well nurtured too. That thought calmed your heart a bit.
âSo can we sit, then?â, Mingi asked then sighed as if he was standing for hours by the table. Even his long bunny ears were tired of standing on top of his head, alert of all movement around him. He got one lightweight slap on the arm for that. âOw⌠why-â, before he could whine, you interrupted.
âOf course, but thereâs no-, Hongjoong, Yunho and San already went to get some extra chairs before you could finish the phrase, while the other 5 got comfortable in their sits.
Only then you noticed they wouldnât be eating since there were no plates
âDo you guys want some?â, you asked as you looked down at your food.
They all declined, including the three ones that just came back with chairs, but you could see some of them eyeing your fries for a bit too long, so you slid the plate to the middle of the table.
âSo, every single one of you came to study here, and this is a complete coincidence or this conversation has another purpose than to chitchat?â
In your mind, there was a clear answer. They wanted something from you, and youâll be glad to give it to them if you could, but what can you do when the cases closed so many years ago?
âWe saw you around campusâ, Wooyoung said as he leaned over the table, you noticed one of his hands holding onto Sanâs arm, just like you remembered. âWe didnât think you would recognize us, thoughâ, Hongjoong added after a beat of silence.
âSo you followed me here? I donât get itâ, you looked at each one of them.
âNo, w-â, Jongho said, but then looked at San and Yunhoâs guilty smiles and back to you. âKind of, some of us saw you around two other times, we werenât sure it was you the first time, but your scent didnât change much from back thenâŚâ, his voice losing its confidence and volume by the end of the phrase.
âWe hoped you would be here, we did not see you todayâ, Seonghwa cut him off as he leaned forward. His smile was shy, but you could see it was sincere. âThatâs the only time of the day we all have to be together before dinner, so donât worry, we werenât stalking you together like thisâ, he giggled while talking and then gestured to them all at the end of the phrase.
The effort Seonghwa had to make to not cover himself with his ears were more than he could express. He was glad his tail was out of sight, clinging to Hongjoongâs thighs in search of some comfort.
It was a weird feeling to be in front of you after so long, and Seonghwa knew the others would agree. He noticed how Yeosang was uncomfortable, readjusting his position on the chair every so often, and how Sanâs legs bounced without him even noticing.
âWell, thatâs good to knowâ, it was easy for you to smile when they were being so adorable without even making an effort. âBut that doesnât really answer my question, so did you guys just wanted to talk?â
On one side, you had Mingi and Yeosang barely looking at you, at anyone for that matter. Then you had Hongjoong and San, apparently the air was so dry to the point they needed to wet their lips every 3 seconds. Seonghwa, Jongho and Yunho were too awkward to say it first, they could only smile to try to hide their own embarrassment. Wooyoung was eating to keep himself calm.
âIs it that bad?â, your joke made Yunho and Seonghwa giggle and shook their heads. âThen you can tell me, itâs okay, did I make that big of an impression in some of you when we met?â, it was supposed to be a joke, they were supposed to laugh.
But all of them nodded. In such a serious way, too, they werenât awkward smiling anymore. Their staring suddenly became intense. You couldnât pretend they didnât mean it, and you didnât know what to do with that information.
What could say? You didnât do anything to help them, you couldnât do anything at that age and with the little independence you had. Not to them, nor any other hybrid who stepped foot into that police station.
Your silence spoke for you, and your surprise spoke more than you intended to.
âWe just wanted to see how you were doing and to show you how we were doingâ, Hongjoong broke the silence.
âIâm glad you all are doing wellâ, they recognize a certain softness as you said those words, they knew you meant it from your heart.
It was this softness you carried with you whenever you spoke to them that made such a big impression. Humans tend to be harsher while talking to hybrids, maybe because they couldnât see themselves in their position to be kinder or because they thought hybrids were born stronger and less emotional, they wouldnât care about those things, right? Up until they met themselves, the only kind one was you, even when it was so brief they barely met your eyes.
âYou werenât even scaredâ, you barely heard Yeosangâs voice, but the other boys heard him as clear as the day.
He seemed like he was in another world, since he wasnât looking to anyone in particular. Yeosang jumped out his skin when Seonghwa nudged him on his ribcage. The red colored his cheeks, ears, and nape as Wooyoung did a poor job at hiding his laughter.
You did laugh yourself, but you cleared your throat. âWho wasnât even scared?
âHmm, you, you didnât seem scared when we came byâ, Yeosang said as he searched for something to look at to calm himself down, but you did deserve the respect of being look at while being spoken to, so he ignored his instincts and all the bullshit he learned to look at you.
âWhy would I be scared of you?â, you said as you watched all of them.
That didnât even cross your brain, you only realized now. You were too busy wondering why someone would break the ultimate rule of society âdo no talk to someone wearing headphonesâ, because that would be much more rare than a hybrid attack out of nowhere. Okay, that wasnât a real statistic, but it could be.
Yeosang thought you were talking about him for a moment, but then he noticed it wasnât the case. It was clear no one would ever be scared of Yeosang or Seonghwa, they were at the bottom of the hierarchy, even Wooyoung wouldnât scare many hybrids, much less many humans. The other 5 were a different matter. By their tails only, one would know they were predators hybrids. Jongho could be underestimated, but smart eyes could tell he was a bear hybrid and not to be messed with.
They were surprised by your genuine question, including Hongjoong, but he felt like he shouldnât be. You seemed to be just like the kid he met.
âMost people would, but you donât seem like you are capable of being scared of hybrids, do you?â, Hongjoong said as he observed your body language.
His words carried more meaning than he let it show to the others, but you got it, of course, you did. You also remembered.
âGuess my mom was right when she said Iâm not like everyone else thenâ.
âFuck, I missed youâ, those were the first words San said to you and it caught everyone off guard.
It sounded so genuine and raw, San himself didnât know what to do now that he said it. Until now, he was observing, checking in with all of the others body languages and emotions, Wooyoungâs more than the others only because he was right beside him. But his own emotions were boiling inside of him, he had to say something to you, but he couldnât find the right words, well, until now.
Wooyoung was only surprised by the sudden emotion coming from San, but he couldnât say he was surprised he felt that way in the first place. You must not know to this day what truly happened to them when they met you, but your kindness was the only thing they had to hold themselves onto and if it was up to him, you would never know.
âIâm- I-â, Choi San was blushing like a school girl and that was enough for all chaos break loose.
The other students couldnât help, but get curious to know what the hell was so funny as laughter dominated the whole cafeteria and to know who were those hybrids that no one saw before.
Tagslist: @asherthehimbo @katsukis1wife @a1i33a @idfkeddieishot @pyeonghongrie-main @h3arteyes4mingi
THE 'U' IN 'US' - AN ATEEZ SERIES - CHAPTER ONE
Summary: You weren't really the lonely girl⢠of campus, but it does feel like it when you look around, and there's no one by your side when everyone else are talking and whispering between each other. You did have "friends", more like "group projet friends" that you managed to get for yourself, but they were the ones that were real close, you were there only when they had an extra empty seat. But it seems like the gods above took your nonchalant facade as a challenge. Oh, you don't think you need friends to survive through college? Bet.
Pairing: Non! idol OT8 ateez x reader (platonic)
Tags: college! au; hybrid! au; ateez! au; fluff (a whole lot of fluff and wholesomeness); angst; hurt/comfort; mentions of mistreatment and abuse.
WC: 2,2k
ZERO MASTERLIST TWO
Ateez Masterlist
â⌠project, how come you did not come to see it? Did you know that youâre walking withâŚâ, Wooyoung was talking your ears off about his dance major while the nine of you walked out of the cafeteria, both of his hands around your right elbow as he walked with a skip on his steps.
It was an adorable sight if San was being honest with himself, but he was too afraid of being only a house of cards to enjoy the moment. He could only hear his own nervous heart and anxious thoughts. Usually, walking alongside of a hybrid could only be two things for a human: a burden or a prize, but he never felt like any of those things around you. Which made everything worse.
Itâs been almost two hours and the right time never came. San felt his throat closing around the words anytime he brought himself to say it. He felt bad. Yes, he missed you and yes, you did so much for all of them, but if they didnât have a clear goal in mind, he doubted heâd talk to you again. You reminded him of the old days when he needed you. Once again, he needs you, but he wished he didnât.
Iâm so fucking selfish, his brain kept telling him. He hated that he was there to only ask for a favor without anything to give in return, as if heâd have anything you already donât.
âSan?â, your voice woke him to the conversation again.
The moment he looked around, he noticed how you already were near the entrance of campus. His pack was also expecting an answer from him. They knew why he got so distracted all of a sudden, they could feel how heavy his heart was and could only imagine the thoughts running through his head.
âSorryâ, he forced a genuine smile and you waved it off his apology. âWhat did you say?â
âWhat are you thinking about? You seem a little lost in thereâ. Once again you give them an opportunity to tell you whatever they wanted to.
Sanâs mind froze. It was the perfect time, he could just ask then and there. What if you said no? What if you hate us for taking your time for nothing? What are we going to do then? Where are we going to go?
It was your turn to force a smile, they changed the topic anytime you got close to ask what they actually wanted. It was cute when they insisted the first time they just wanted to know how you were doing, so you let it go. But they seemed more anxious as the time went on, if Wooyoungâs nails extending and retreating rubbing against your arm was anything to go by.
âCan I help you guys with anything?â, their expressions were the answers that you needed to know. âWhat it is? Why donât you just tell me?â
âWe donât want to bother youâ, Yeosang said so fast you barely understood it. âWe only, w-weâŚâ, he sluttered as everyone eyes fell on him.
âWe were going to find a way ourselves, but then we saw you and you are the only human we can trust to ask thisâ, Jongho interrupted, taking all the attention to himself and Yeosang hid behind him.
You nodded along, getting a little nervous yourself. If it was money it would be fine, but they seemed so tense you thought they got into some serious legal trouble and you were far from being a lawyer.
âDo you happen to know a safe place for us to stay?â, Hongjoong said the final words.
It was a strange sight to see Hongjoong being so indirect, so shy about something that he wanted, that was the last thing you expected from him for something so small to you.
But it wasnât small for them.
As the seconds passed, the more anxious they seemed to get. Wooyoung couldnât look at you, although he was still attached to you by the hip. The floor seemed much more interesting to him.
âI think I do, but Mingi mentioned an apartment, did something happen?â, you asked and everyone glared at Mingi in a subtle way.
It was clear Mingi himself didnât remember to mention it. He had a silence discussion with them through his eyes only. The apartment was a sensitive topic and nobody else was supposed to know.
âItâs nothing you can doâ, Seonghwa said after a long sigh. âSome nosy bitch found out that all of us lived thereâ.
âWhatâs the problem with that?â
âOnly half of us are free hybridsâ, Yunho informed as he crossed his arms in front of his body. Out of instinct he shrunk into himself because of those words.
âOh, fucking stupid lawâ, you said the words in your mind and that earned you a couple of smiles from them. âA safe place, huh? Like a hybrid facility but better?â
Yunho scoffed at those two words, but agreed nonetheless. âBetter would be greatâ.
But even the facilities were shutting down one by one, thanks to the years and years of protests against the mistreatment and down right abuse from those institutions. To find something better than wouldnât be easy.
âI have my own place, but I can try to find something better in the meantimeâ.
They seemed lost in thought, then looked at each other. The silent conversation between them showed you a bit of the true connection they had. It made you a bit uncomfortable all of sudden, like you shouldnât be witnessing whatever was happening in front of your eyes.
If San seemed uncomfortable in your presence before, now it was clear to you the reason wasnât because he said he missed you, but because of this whole situation. It also brought you some flashbacks and it made sense that he hadnât looked your way in the past half hour or so.
âYou guys can think, how much time do you have until you have to leave?â
âNot a lot, but can I have your phone number?â, Hongjoong took a step further with his own phone in hand. âIâll let you know if we took upon that offerâ.
âAnd Iâll let you know if I find something else, so send me a quick message, okay?â, you got another smile out of them and took it as a small victory.
âThank you so so muchâ, Wooyoung said as he rubbed the marks he accidentally made on your skin before pulling away from you.
It then downed on you his tail was around your waist this whole time like a warm blanket protecting your skin from the wind and you only noticed it when it left your body. It didnât cross your mind how strange it was when he got so attentive and clingy the moment he had an opportunity for it.
Did that fox just used his seductive skills to win me over?, you thought as you tried to keep a poker face.
To his credit, Wooyoung didnât plan to do anything of that sort. He was only being himself, at least 99% of himself with only 1% of boldness he usually hadnât in him. He felt like he did a walk of shame back to his pack, because, of course, they noticed. Sure, he knew he didnât need to do that to you, but in the back of his mind he knew that was the only way to get into someoneâs good side and they needed to be in your good side.
Wooyoung only took a deep breath when he felt the comforting hands of San rubbing his back. At least San wasnât judging him.
You thought he was cute. Really, all of them would always be kind of adorable in your head and you werenât mad at him or anything. But the fact he thought he had to do that with you was disheartening. Now you had another hybrid avoiding your gaze.
âWhich side are you guys going to?â, you broke the awkward and full of unspoken emotions silence.
Jongho took that bait as a sign and pointed to his left with his left thumb.
âIâm heading the other way, I hope we see each other soonâ.
It was a lie, your home was the same exact direction, but you took the long way around it.
San could say he never had a silent way back home such as this, but there was no home to come back to.
He didnât need to look at the others to know how they were feeling. There was hope, frustration and anger hanging in the air, still nobody dared to be the one to say those words.
Hongjoong was the most frustrated one. Nothing went as planned, since they didnât even planned to reach out to you in the first place. At least not now, but time never was on their side just like every other fucking thing. It was Mingiâs idea to go into the cafeteria and if you were there, they would go talk to you. What were the actual fucking chances you were there?
He walked in front of everyone else without a new plan yet, which was pissing him off further. His head was too heavy for his shoulders, but he needed to find a roof for his pack, so he couldnât complain about it.
Mingi and Yunho were the last ones in line on purpose.
Yunho was a ticking bomb, he could keep the smile on his face as long as he wanted, but Mingi knew better. Yunho always thought this pride thing was kind of ridiculous in this situation. He was the first to agree to Mingiâs plan and the one who encouraged everyone else to at least try to find you, because there was not another alternative. Why was that so hard to understand? This could easier than the mess they created it.
And Yeosang was trying so so hard to conceal the hope that everyone would be ok in your house and would be able to figure it out from there. He understood why the others were hesitant, freedom wasnât a joke for hybrids like them, who hadnât any for so long. But at the same time you wouldnât abuse your powers as owner of the house and only human, he would lose faith in humanity if you were like that after all he went through.
Everything was aligned for a fight to happen at any minute and San was more anxious than ever. It came out in waves off of him, Wooyoung, who was by his side, could actually feel it penetrating his own skin and therefore making himself anxious.
âStop!â, Wooyoung yelled and all of them paralyzed in the middle of the sidewalk. He took a deep breath as a couple glared at them before bumping into Mingi. Jongho held Yunhoâs arm before he could give them a piece of his mind. They can not afford to grab this much attention on the streets. âFuck, guys, stop , letâs just⌠thereâ, Wooyoung pointed to an empty alley.
Wooyoung did little to explain himself as he walked away.
âYou canât just do shit like this in the middle of the roadâ, Hongjoong angry whispered to Wooyoung, barely able to contain himself as he was the first to follow him.
âI know, I know and Iâm sorryâ, he whispered back as he disappeared in the shadows and the others followed suit.
âI do no-â
âDoes anyone have a better plan?â, Wooyoung interrupts Seonghwa without noticing it. âBecause I donât think anyone does and weâll be out here until they throw us into jail, is that better than to just accept some help?â
âWe can at least tryâ, among the whispers, Sanâs voice was the softest. âWe did it once, didnât we?â
âWe are trying and where is that taking us, Sannie?â, Wooyoungâs voice sounded as tired of that topic as he felt dirty from the lack of shower for the 2nd day in a row. âWe came back to level zero and we even lost all of the progress for Yunhoâs caseâ.
At the mention of that topic, Yunho turned around to face the wall.
âGuys, we have to leave right nowâ, Seonghwa said as he looked over his shoulders. âNow, come on, we have to goâ, Seonghwa pushed Mingi and Jongho to move first.
The two of them started with small steps looking for what Seonghwa saw, then they noticed the weird white dude talking on the phone on the other side of the road. The whispered words reached their twitching hybrid ears. It was something about safety laws and ⌠hybrid security.
They ran.
Jongho didnât know where he was going, but he found himself guiding them through neighborhood after neighborhood. Unfortunately it was hard to be discreet when there was nine hybrids running in broad daylight and as time passed, they got more and more attention from humans.
Their ears up in their heads, waiting for the first sign of sirens to come, because they always did if any stray hybrid was out in the open by 5.
Then, Jongho suddenly made a turn when he caught a familiar scent. The others were too busy to noticed the change in route. Instead of the nation park, now there were headed to the outskirts of the small residential area.
When they all noticed, it was too late.
They were in front of your house.
And the siren let them know it was well past 5.
Tagslist: @asherthehimbo @katsukis1wife @a1i33a @idfkeddieishot @pyeonghongrie-main @h3arteyes4mingi @huachengsbestie01 @hhoneylix @alxxxnya @queenproxy-blog @staytiny816
THE "U" IN "US" - AN ATEEZ SERIES - CHAPTER ONE
Summary: You weren't really the lonely girl⢠of campus, but it does feel like it when you look around, and there's no one by your side when everyone else are talking and whispering between each other. You did have "friends", more like "group projet friends" that you managed to get for yourself, but they were the ones that were real close, you were there only when they had an extra empty seat. But it seems like the gods above took your nonchalant facade as a challenge. Oh, you don't think you need friends to survive through college? Bet.
Pairing: Non! idol OT8 ateez x reader (platonic)
Tags: college! au; hybrid! au; ateez! au; fluff (a whole lot of fluff and wholesomeness); angst; hurt/comfort; mentions of mistreatment and abuse.
WC: 2,2k
Ateez Masterlist
â⌠project, how come you did not come to see it? Did you know that youâre walking withâŚâ, Wooyoung was talking your ears off about his dance major while the nine of you walked out of the cafeteria, both of his hands around your right elbow as he walked with a skip on his steps.
It was an adorable sight if San was being honest with himself, but he was too afraid of being only a house of cards to enjoy the moment. He could only hear his own nervous heart and anxious thoughts. Usually, walking alongside of a hybrid could only be two things for a human: a burden or a prize, but he never felt like any of those things around you. Which made everything worse.
Itâs been almost two hours and the right time never came. San felt his throat closing around the words anytime he brought himself to say it. He felt bad. Yes, he missed you and yes, you did so much for all of them, but if they didnât have a clear goal in mind, he doubted heâd talk to you again. You reminded him of the old days when he needed you. Once again, he needs you, but he wished he didnât.
Iâm so fucking selfish, his brain kept telling him. He hated that he was there to only ask for a favor without anything to give in return, as if heâd have anything you already donât.
âSan?â, your voice woke him to the conversation again.
The moment he looked around, he noticed how you already were near the entrance of campus. His pack was also expecting an answer from him. They knew why he got so distracted all of a sudden, they could feel how heavy his heart was and could only imagine the thoughts running through his head.
âSorryâ, he forced a genuine smile and you waved it off his apology. âWhat did you say?â
âWhat are you thinking about? You seem a little lost in thereâ. Once again you give them an opportunity to tell you whatever they wanted to.
Sanâs mind froze. It was the perfect time, he could just ask then and there. What if you said no? What if you hate us for taking your time for nothing? What are we going to do then? Where are we going to go?
It was your turn to force a smile, they changed the topic anytime you got close to ask what they actually wanted. It was cute when they insisted the first time they just wanted to know how you were doing, so you let it go. But they seemed more anxious as the time went on, if Wooyoungâs nails extending and retreating rubbing against your arm was anything to go by.
âCan I help you guys with anything?â, their expressions were the answers that you needed to know. âWhat it is? Why donât you just tell me?â
âWe donât want to bother youâ, Yeosang said so fast you barely understood it. âWe only, w-weâŚâ, he sluttered as everyone eyes fell on him.
âWe were going to find a way ourselves, but then we saw you and you are the only human we can trust to ask thisâ, Jongho interrupted, taking all the attention to himself and Yeosang hid behind him.
You nodded along, getting a little nervous yourself. If it was money it would be fine, but they seemed so tense you thought they got into some serious legal trouble and you were far from being a lawyer.
âDo you happen to know a safe place for us to stay?â, Hongjoong said the final words.
It was a strange sight to see Hongjoong being so indirect, so shy about something that he wanted, that was the last thing you expected from him for something so small to you.
But it wasnât small for them.
As the seconds passed, the more anxious they seemed to get. Wooyoung couldnât look at you, although he was still attached to you by the hip. The floor seemed much more interesting to him.
âI think I do, but Mingi mentioned an apartment, did something happen?â, you asked and everyone glared at Mingi in a subtle way.
It was clear Mingi himself didnât remember to mention it. He had a silence discussion with them through his eyes only. The apartment was a sensitive topic and nobody else was supposed to know.
âItâs nothing you can doâ, Seonghwa said after a long sigh. âSome nosy bitch found out that all of us lived thereâ.
âWhatâs the problem with that?â
âOnly half of us are free hybridsâ, Yunho informed as he crossed his arms in front of his body. Out of instinct he shrunk into himself because of those words.
âOh, fucking stupid lawâ, you said the words in your mind and that earned you a couple of smiles from them. âA safe place, huh? Like a hybrid facility but better?â
Yunho scoffed at those two words, but agreed nonetheless. âBetter would be greatâ.
But even the facilities were shutting down one by one, thanks to the years and years of protests against the mistreatment and down right abuse from those institutions. To find something better than wouldnât be easy.
âI have my own place, but I can try to find something better in the meantimeâ.
They seemed lost in thought, then looked at each other. The silent conversation between them showed you a bit of the true connection they had. It made you a bit uncomfortable all of sudden, like you shouldnât be witnessing whatever was happening in front of your eyes.
If San seemed uncomfortable in your presence before, now it was clear to you the reason wasnât because he said he missed you, but because of this whole situation. It also brought you some flashbacks and it made sense that he hadnât looked your way in the past half hour or so.
âYou guys can think, how much time do you have until you have to leave?â
âNot a lot, but can I have your phone number?â, Hongjoong took a step further with his own phone in hand. âIâll let you know if we took upon that offerâ.
âAnd Iâll let you know if I find something else, so send me a quick message, okay?â, you got another smile out of them and took it as a small victory.
âThank you so so muchâ, Wooyoung said as he rubbed the marks he accidentally made on your skin before pulling away from you.
It then downed on you his tail was around your waist this whole time like a warm blanket protecting your skin from the wind and you only noticed it when it left your body. It didnât cross your mind how strange it was when he got so attentive and clingy the moment he had an opportunity for it.
Did that fox just used his seductive skills to win you over?, you thought as you tried to keep a poker face.
To his credit, Wooyoung didnât plan to do anything of that sort. He was only being himself, at least 99% of himself with only 1% of boldness he usually hadnât in him. He felt like he did a walk of shame back to his pack, because, of course, they noticed. Sure, he knew he didnât need to do that to you, but in the back of his mind he knew that was the only way to get into someoneâs good side and they needed to be in your good side.
Wooyoung only took a deep breath when he felt the comforting hands of San rubbing his back. At least San wasnât judging him.
You thought he was cute. Really, all of them would always be kind of adorable in your head and you werenât mad at him or anything. But the fact he thought he had to do that with you was disheartening. Now you had another hybrid avoiding your gaze.
âWhich side are you guys going to?â, you broke the awkward and full of unspoken emotions silence.
Jongho took that bait as a sign and pointed to his left with his left thumb.
âIâm heading the other way, I hope we see each other soonâ.
It was a lie, your home was the same exact direction, but you took the long way around it.
San could say he never had a silent way back home such as this, but there was no home to come back to.
He didnât need to look at the others to know how they were feeling. There was hope, frustration and anger hanging in the air, still nobody dared to be the one to say those words.
Hongjoong was the most frustrated one. Nothing went as planned, since they didnât even planned to reach out to you in the first place. At least not now, but time never was on their side just like every other fucking thing. It was Mingiâs idea to go into the cafeteria and if you were there, they would go talk to you. What were the actual fucking chances you were there?
He walked in front of everyone else without a new plan yet, which was pissing him off further. His head was too heavy for his shoulders, but he needed to find a roof for his pack, so he couldnât complain about it.
Mingi and Yunho were the last ones in line on purpose.
Yunho was a ticking bomb, he could keep the smile on his face as long as he wanted, but Mingi knew better. Yunho always thought this pride thing was kind of ridiculous in this situation. He was the first to agree to Mingiâs plan and the one who encouraged everyone else to at least try to find you, because there was not another alternative. Why was that so hard to understand? This could easier than the mess they created it.
And Yeosang was trying so so hard to conceal the hope that everyone would be ok in your house and would be able to figure it out from there. He understood why the others were hesitant, freedom wasnât a joke for hybrids like them, who hadnât any for so long. But at the same time you wouldnât abuse your powers as owner of the house and only human, he would loose faith in humanity if you were like that after all he went through.
Everything was aligned for a fight to happen at any minute and San was more anxious than ever. It came out in ways off of him, Wooyoung, who was by his side, could actually feel it penetrating his own skin and therefore making himself anxious.
âStop!â, Wooyoung yelled and all of them paralyzed in the middle of the sidewalk. He took a deep breath as a couple glared at them before bumping into Mingi. Jongho held Yunhoâs arm before he could give them a piece of his mind. They can not afford to grab this much attention on the streets. âFuck, guys, stop , letâs just⌠thereâ, Wooyoung pointed to an empty alley.
Wooyoung did little to explain himself as he walked away.
âYou canât just do shit like this in the middle of the roadâ, Hongjoong angry whispered to Wooyoung, barely able to contain himself as he was the first to follow him.
âI know, I know and Iâm sorryâ, he whispered back as he disappeared in the shadows and the others followed suit.
âI do no-â
âDoes anyone have a better plan?â, Wooyoung interrupts Seonghwa without noticing it. âBecause I donât think anyone does and weâll be out here until they throw us into jail, is that better than to just accept some help?â
âWe can at least tryâ, among the whispers, Sanâs voice was the softest. âWe did it once, didnât we?â
âWe are trying and where is that taking us, Sannie?â, Wooyoungâs voice sounded as tired of that topic as he felt dirty from the lack of shower for the 2nd day in a row. âWe came back to level zero and we even lost all of the progress for Yunhoâs caseâ.
At the mention of that topic, Yunho turned around to face the wall.
âGuys, we have to leave right nowâ, Seonghwa said as he looked over his shoulders. âNow, come on, we have to goâ, Seonghwa pushed Mingi and Jongho to move first.
The two of them started with small steps looking for what Seonghwa saw, then they noticed the weird white dude talking on the phone on the other side of the road. The whispered words reached their twitching hybrid ears. It was something about safety laws and ⌠hybrid security.
They ran.
Jongho didnât know where he was going, but he found himself guiding them through neighborhood after neighborhood. Unfortunately it was hard to be discreet when there was nine hybrids running in broad daylight and as time passed, they got more and more attention from humans.
Their ears up in their heads, waiting for the first sign of sirens to come, because they always did if any stray hybrid was out in the open by 5.
Then, Jongho suddenly made a turn when he caught a familiar scent. The others were too busy to noticed the change in route. Instead of the nation park, now there were headed to the outskirts of the small residential area.
When they all noticed, it was too late.
They were in front of your house.
And the siren let them know it was well past 5.
ZERO MASTERLIST TWO
Tagslist: @asherthehimbo @katsukis1wife @a1i33a @idfkeddieishot @pyeonghongrie-main @h3arteyes4mingi @huachengsbestie01 @hhoneylix @alxxxnya @queenproxy-blog @staytiny816
THE 'U' IN 'US' - ATEEZ SERIES - CHAPTER TWO
Summary: You weren't really the lonely girl⢠of campus, but it does feel like it when you look around, and there's no one by your side when everyone else are talking and whispering between each other. You did have "friends", more like "group projet friends" that you managed to get for yourself, but they were the ones that were real close, you were there only when they had an extra empty seat. But it seems like the gods above took your nonchalant facade as a challenge. Oh, you don't think you need friends to survive through college? Bet.
Pairing: Non! idol OT8 ateez x reader (platonic)
Tags: college! au; hybrid! au; ateez! au; fluff (a whole lot of fluff and wholesomeness); angst; hurt/comfort; mentions of loneliness and insecurities; mentions of hybrid mistreatment and abuse
WC: 2,4k
N/A: Do we have some plot? Yes we do!! I'm excited to hear you guys thoughts. If you enjoyed this, don't forget to reblog so my work can reach more people <3
ONE MASTERLIST THREE
Ateez Masterlist
In your neighborhood, most residents were 60 something that complained about any noise after 5 p.m. so they heard the sirens miles away and the commotion was set even before you saw 8 guys running straight to your house.
You froze, standing still by the window for a moment or two. You just got into the house, and you were sure you said send a text, which you were waiting for the whole way home, but you got nothing. The moment they stopped to breath was the one where your legs seemed to function again.
You opened the door wide and gestured for them to come in and to do it fast.
In front of all of your nosy neighbors, they got into your house for the first time.
You saw the relief in their faces as each one of them walked in and let their shoes by the door. You noticed the sweat in their foreheads and how much they were hyperventilating, how could you not? They looked like they just ran a marathon, and you didnât doubt it, considering how fast they reach your house, almost as fast as you did.
âHow about a cup of waterâ, you heard the streams of thank youâs as you went to the kitchen.
You never had to use that many before and would never have bought it if it depended solely on your social circle. For the first time, you thanked your parents for hosting so much when youâre younger and just wanted to watch some TV in the living room.
It was when you took the third glass cup out of the cabinet, you noticed they were silent. There were no footsteps sounds, no voices talking, no nothing.
âCome on, thereâs no need for that in hereâ, you said in the same calm and low voice tone.
Hongjoong cleaned his throat and did his best to pretend he wasnât that embarrassed by your call-out. He searched the whole space without moving a muscle, he found nothing near threatening as he thought, but out of instinct, he stood there as he looked out for them and out of instinct the rest of them waited for a sign to actually rest and let their guard down in that new environment.
The moment Hongjoong waved lightly with his right hand, it was a domino effect. Mingi sank to the floor as he took a deep breath. Yeosang leaned on the floor to collect his own thoughts. San and Wooyoung, hand-in-hand, slowly roamed through the huge living room, but not as big as the one they once called home and hell in the same breath.
Yunho and Jongho followed you to the kitchen as Seonghwa rubbed Hongjoongâs left shoulder, then made him walk to the others.
âIâll help you with thoseâ, Yunho said, then took three full cups with both his hands as if that was his second nature. His eyes were gentle as he looked at you for those couple of seconds, the words âthank youâ werenât needed to send the message.
Jongho leaned against the wall as he waited for you to fill the rest. âThank you for taking us in, and sorry for the troubleâ, he said it while his head looked down to your carpet.
âThis wasnât trouble, I shouldâve known none of you is the kind to send a âhey, help meâ textâ, both of you giggled together at that. âArenât you tired, too?â, you glanced at him before putting down the last glass cup on the counter.
He was holding himself together well if he was just pretending in front of you.
âI stretched before going to campus, guess it gave me some results todayâ, he shrugged, a small smile on his face as he took other three cups.
Before you could help with the last two, Yunho swiftly took it off of your hands and lead you the way out back to the living room.
âSoâ, you said as they chugged down the water and were comfy on the couches and armchairs, at least for that moment. âIs there something I should know for when the police comes?â, the words caused some wide eyes and nervous looks from Mingi and Seonghwa. âI kind of have a plan, Iâll get them off our backs for now, but I need to know I wonât be caught in a lieâ.
âHm, thereâs not much to know, we kept our distance from them for years now, beside the thing with the apartmentâ, Seonghwa said as his tail moved left and right even when he tried to stop it.
âCan they prove all of you lived there?â
âNoâ, Hongjoong answered it fast.
You smiled because, of course, he destroyed everything before they ran out of there.
âThatâs good enough for meâ, you took a deep breath. âIf any of you ever got questioned, you are under the hybrid protective services of my dad, Mr. Lee, just give them this name and wait for me whatever situation may be and for the record, youâre staying here under law protection, everyone on the same page?â
âYes, but is that even real? Are they going to leave it alone?â, Jongho asked.
Hongjoong and San were the most unsure ones with this plan, trying to form a backup plan already if shit went down, and they needed to go on the run.
âIt is, but I need a lot of paperwork to prove it, lucky us these people are underpaid and understaffed, when did they actually do more than needed of them, right?â
Right there, you made a good point. They could always count with the low effort and incompetent policemen, but usually that made everything worse for them. To make that a benefit would be a welcomed first.
âAny more questions?â, you felt stupid acting like a teacher to those hybrids, but if anyone found a hole in this story, the pleasure of ruining your lives could be bigger than fatigue, there was no doubt in it.
They shook their headsâ no.
âGood, I have four bathrooms so be my guest, all of you can take a shower, and Iâll order some food for us, okay?â
âOh, thank goodnessâ, Wooyoung got up as soon as you finished. âSo whereâs the dir- ow, that hurtsâ, he whined as he caressed his left forearm up and down.
San gave you an embarrassed yellow smile and then went back to avoiding your gaze once again.
âBasement first door of the corridor, downstairs second door to the right, upstairs second door and the right door on the last bedroomâ, you showed with your hands as you gave the directions. âIt would be politer to give you all a house tour, but youâre not any common guests so wander as much as you like to, I really donât think youâre going to be lost with those good noses of yoursâ.
Now, not even San could hold back a genuine smile.
âThat is it, Iâll bring some clothes now go, goâ, you gestured for them to hurry.
You seemed pretty confident in yourself and if they noticed the facade, nobody said anything. You did not mention on purpose how much you counted with the respect of your fatherâs name and reputation, which was quite a lot, but youâre confident on your lying skills, since you spent years of your teenage years polishing it.
As they went their separate ways, filling the empty shell of your house, you felt warmth as a quick thought crossed through your head, but you let it go as fast as it came.
You felt breathless as you rummaged through your fatherâs closet. You found some peace in that dusty room as your mind started to catch up with everything you did and said and the possible implications of it all. There are 9 hybrids in the house now, and you put your neck in line for them without much thought like always. You have always been the act first, worry next kind of person, but itâs the first time the full responsibility would fall on your lap if the plan went south.
âThis would have to do it for nowâ, you said as you looked at the heavy pile in your arms.
They still didnât come to the living room when the doorbell rang, not once, not twice.
It occurred to you that you needed to clean this mess at some point, he left too many clothes behind for you to pretend like he cares for them.
You ran to the door, suddenly nervous about the amount of lies you were about to spill.
âHello, how can I help you?â, you forced a smile as soon as you saw the uniformed man standing there, thank goddess one you didnât know.
âWell, hello Miss, one of your neighbors told us nine hybrids invaded your home⌠Is that true? You seem uninjuredâ, he was calm as someone who was ready to break down a door would be.
Behind the man, you saw other five of them holding guns ready to step in as back up. Since when were they allowed to carry guns? You focused your attention on the man in front of you again.
âThey didnât invade, Iâm sure this is a misunderstood, do you know my father chief of the hybrid protection department Mr. Lee?â, the flash of recognition softened his featured and he nodded. âWe found them, and we took them over to be under law protection here until we have a good home for them, itâs been tough with the hybrid facilities closing recentlyâ, you said it with an unspoken sadness you didnât feel over that at all, but he nodded along with you.
âYeah, I heard they are going to go after the fight clubs too, so no more show for us, I guessâ, he said it like it was just a silly comment and his whole demeanor was different all of a sudden. The man was young, but to lean on your door like a love interesting out of a romcom still made you want to throw up.
âOhâ, it was the best you could say, because you couldnât make yourself agree to that. âRight, so are in the clear? I mean if you want to you can talk to my father bu-â
âNo, no, thereâs no need, this is not the first time he became the hero for some mut-â
There was no movement in the house.
âHave a good day, misterâ, you closed the door onto his face and your smile faded.
Your hands were shaking as you slowly made your way to grab yourself a glass of cold water.
If Hongjoong couldnât hear their hearts, he would be worried. It was him and Seonghwa at your basement and both werenât in the mood to talk since they arrived at the house for different reasons. Hongjoong had this habit of being lost on his own worries and what ifâs, Seonghwa did his best to pull him out but, still unsuccessful until he smelled the officer scent.
People like that really made Hongjoongâs blood boil, the ones who are there only for the status the position gave, but who also took full advantage of the fuck-up system they were supposed to rebuild. Heâd rather a cruel officer than a hypocrite one, at least the cruel one he knew what to expect of.
âHey, heâs nothing we didn't dealt with alreadyâ, Seonghwa grabbed Hongjoongâs arm, and noticed how his nails grew on length, which was never a good sign. âComâon, itâs your turn, the water is still warm so donât take too longâ, he said as he pushed Hongjoong into the bathroom and closed the door.
Wooyoung sat on the floor of your room as San pretended to take his shower. The words were ringing on their ears. âThey are going to go after the fight clubs tooâ, he said. The water kept running, but he knew San was as distraught as he was.
Wooyoung didnât notice the door opening, but he felt Jonghoâs arm taking him off the ground and shielding him from his own thoughts.
âIf they do go after him one day, Iâll make sure he doesnât get to you, to you bothâ.
San could only feel a sense of gratitude because even if he hated he wasn't the one reassuring Wooyoun, he was thankful that Jongho was.
Yunho and Mingi came to collect Yeosang out of there, it was getting painful to stand outside waiting for the timing to come in, so the three of them inside could have their alone moment for a longer while. They were also the first ones who sat by you on the couch and ate first, since the food had already arrived by then.
You didnât know what to say and they didnât feel the need to say anything, but as much as you tried to act natural, they could feel your side eyes.
âItâs okâ, Yunho whispered to you and he wished he could comfort you they way he can with his pack, but you couldnât feel the waves of serene energy around the room. âYour plan was flawless, wasnât it? He acted like a piece of shit, thereâs no surprise in thatâ.
But you did felt better, because he implied you werenât part of that category and to know he still keep you separate of them was enough for you.
âCan you take those to them?â, you asked Yunho while gesturing to the two other closed bags on the coffee table. âAlso can you two discuss with them the bedroom arrangements you guys want and let me know, please? Again, look around if you need to, mine is the green one, Iâll be there if you need anythingâ.
They did as you said, Jongho went downstairs and you followed Yunho upstairs.
The moment your back touched the soft texture of your blanket, you felt asleep.
âWe shouldnât be doing this...â
Tagslist: @asherthehimbo @katsukis1wife @a1i33a @idfkeddieishot @pyeonghongrie-main @h3arteyes4mingi @huachengsbestie01 @hhoneylix @alxxxnya @queenproxy-blog @staytiny816
YESS, ohh do you like to paint??? HERE, BOUGHT IT ALL FOR YOU. I agree 100%, I live for that kind of thing. Don't you worry cause you'll have a lot of moments like this in present day and also in the past too đđ
Also I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! I already started the next chapter so It won't take long (I hope so)
THE U IN US - ATEEZ SERIES - CHAPTER TWO
Summary: You weren't really the lonely girl⢠of campus, but it does feel like it when you look around, and there's no one by your side when everyone else are talking and whispering between each other. You did have "friends", more like "group projet friends" that you managed to get for yourself, but they were the ones that were real close, you were there only when they had an extra empty seat. But it seems like the gods above took your nonchalant facade as a challenge. Oh, you don't think you need friends to survive through college? Bet.
Pairing: Non! idol OT8 ateez x reader (platonic)
Tags: college! au; hybrid! au; ateez! au; fluff (a whole lot of fluff and wholesomeness); angst; hurt/comfort; mentions of loneliness and insecurities; mentions of hybrid mistreatment and abuse
WC: 2,4k
N/A: Do we have some plot? Yes we do!! I'm excited to hear you guys thoughts. If you enjoyed this, don't forget to reblog so my work can reach more people <3
ONE MASTERLIST THREE
Ateez Masterlist
In your neighborhood, most residents were 60 something that complained about any noise after 5 p.m. so they heard the sirens miles away and the commotion was set even before you saw 9 guys running straight to your house.
You froze, standing still by the window for a moment or two. You just got into the house, and you were sure you said send a text, which you were waiting for the whole way home, but you got nothing. The moment they stopped to breath was the one where your legs seemed to function again.
You opened the door wide and gestured for them to come in and to do it fast.
In front of all of your nosy neighbors, they got into your house for the first time.
You saw the relief in their faces as each one of them walked in and let their shoes by the door. You noticed the sweat in their foreheads and how much they were hyperventilating, how could you not? They looked like they just ran a marathon, and you didnât doubt it, considering how fast they reach your house, almost as fast as you did.
âHow about a cup of waterâ, you heard the streams of thank youâs as you went to the kitchen.
You never had to use that many before and would never have bought it if it depended solely on your social circle. For the first time, you thanked your parents for hosting so much when youâre younger and just wanted to watch some TV in the living room.
It was when you took the third glass cup out of the cabinet, you noticed they were silent. There were no footsteps sounds, no voices talking, no nothing.
âCome on, thereâs no need for that in hereâ, you said in the same calm and low voice tone.
Hongjoong cleaned his throat and did his best to pretend he wasnât that embarrassed by your call-out. He searched the whole space without moving a muscle, he found nothing near threatening as he thought, but out of instinct he stood there as he looked out for them and out of instinct the rest of them waited for a sign to actually rest and let their guard down in that new environment.
The moment Hongjoong waved lightly with his right hand, it was a domino effect. Mingi sank to the floor as he took a deep breath. Yeosang leaned on the floor to collect his own thoughts. San and Wooyoung, hand-in-hand, slowly roamed through the huge living room, but not as big as the one they once they called home and hell in the same breath.
Yunho and Jongho followed you to the kitchen as Seonghwa rubbed Hongjoongâs left shoulder, then made him walk to the others.
âIâll help you with thoseâ, Yunho said, then took three full cups with both his hands as if that was his second nature. His eyes were gentle as he looked at you for those couple of seconds, the words âthank youâ werenât needed to send the message.
Jongho leaned against the wall as he waited for you to fill the rest. âThank you for taking us in, and sorry for the troubleâ, he said it while his head looked down to your carpet.
âThis wasnât trouble, I shouldâve known none of you is the kind to send a âhey, help meâ textâ, both of you giggled together at that. âArenât you tired, too?â, you glanced at him before putting down the last glass cup on the counter.
He was holding himself together well if he was just pretending in front of you.
âI stretched before going to campus, guess it gave me some results todayâ, he shrugged, a small smile on his face as he took other three cups.
Before you could help with the last two, Yunho swiftly took it off of your hands and lead you the way out back to the living room.
âSoâ, you said as they chugged down the water and were comfy on the couches and armchairs, at least for that moment. âIs there something I should know for when the police comes?â, the words caused some wide eyes and nervous looks from Mingi and Seonghwa. âI kind of have a plan, Iâll get them off our backs for now, but I need to know I wonât be caught in a lieâ.
âHm, thereâs not much to know, we kept our distance from them for years now, beside the thing with the apartmentâ, Seonghwa said as his tail moved left and right even when he tried to stop it.
âCan they prove all of you lived there?â
âNoâ, Hongjoong answered it fast.
You smiled because, of course, he destroyed everything before they ran out of there.
âThatâs good enough for meâ, you took a deep breath. âIf any of you ever got questioned, you are under the hybrid protective services of my dad, Mr. Lee, just give them this name and wait for me whatever situation may be and for the record, youâre staying here under law protection, everyone on the same page?â
âYes, but is that even real? Are they going to leave it alone?â, Jongho asked.
Hongjoong and San were the most unsure ones with this plan, trying to form a backup plan already if shit went down, and they needed to go on the run.
âIt is, but I need a lot of paperwork to prove it, lucky us these people are underpaid and understaffed, when did they actually do more than needed of them, right?â
Right there, you made a good point. They could always count with the low effort and incompetent policemen, but usually that made everything worse for them. To make that a benefit would be a welcomed first.
âAny more questions?â, you felt stupid acting like a teacher to those hybrids, but if anyone found a hole in this story, the pleasure of ruining your lives could be bigger than fatigue, there was no doubt in it.
They shook their headsâ no.
âGood, I have four bathrooms so be my guest, all of you can take a shower, and Iâll order some food for us, okay?â
âOh, thank goodnessâ, Wooyoung got up as soon as you finished. âSo whereâs the dir- ow, that hurtsâ, he whined as he caressed his left forearm up and down.
San gave you an embarrassed yellow smile and then went back to avoiding your gaze once again.
âBasement first door of the corridor, downstairs second door to the right, upstairs second door and the right door on the last bedroomâ, you showed with your hands as you gave the directions. âIt would be politer to give you all a house tour, but youâre not any common guests so wander as much as you like to, I really donât think youâre going to be lost with those good noses of yoursâ.
Now, not even San could hold back a genuine smile.
âThat is it, Iâll bring some clothes now go, goâ, you gestured for them to hurry.
You seemed pretty confident in yourself and if they noticed the facade, nobody said anything. You did not mention on purpose how much you counted with the respect of your fatherâs name and reputation, which was quite a lot, but youâre confident on your lying skills, since you spent years of your teenage years polishing it.
As they went their separate ways, filling the empty shell of your house, you felt warmth as a quick thought crossed through your head, but you let it go as fast as it came.
You felt breathless as you rummaged through your fatherâs closet. You found some peace in that dusty room as your mind started to catch up with everything you did and said and the possible implications of it all. There are 9 hybrids in the house now, and you put your neck in line for them without much thought like always. You have always been the act first, worry next kind of person, but itâs the first time the full responsibility would fall on your lap if the plan went south.
âThis would have to do it for nowâ, you said as you looked at the heavy pile in your arms.
It occurred to you that you needed to clean this mess at some point, he left too many clothes behind for you to pretend like he cares for them.
Maybe I could make a good walk-in closet for them with this space.
You could, but as of now, you had to run to give them all the clothes and get the food, so that plan was off of your mind again.
They still didnât come to the living room when the doorbell rang, not once, not twice.
You ran to the door, suddenly nervous about the amount of lies you were about to spill.
âHello, how can I help you?â, you forced a smile as soon as you saw the uniformed man standing there, thank goddess one you didnât know.
âWell, hello Miss, one of your neighbors told us nine hybrids invaded your home⌠Is that true? You seem uninjuredâ, he was calm as someone who was ready to break down a door would be.
Behind the man, you saw other five of them holding guns ready to step in as back up. Since when were they allowed to carry guns? You focused your attention on the man in front of you again.
âThey didnât invade, Iâm sure this is a misunderstood, do you know my father chief of the hybrid protection department Mr. Lee?â, the flash of recognition softened his featured and he nodded. âWe found them, and we took them over to be under law protection here until we have a good home for them, itâs been tough with the hybrid facilities closing recentlyâ, you said it with an unspoken sadness you didnât feel over that at all, but he nodded along with you.
âYeah, I heard they are going to go after the fight clubs too, so no more show for us, I guessâ, he said it like it was just a silly comment and his whole demeanor was different all of a sudden. The man was young, but to lean on your door like a love interesting out of a romcom still made you want to throw up.
âOhâ, it was the best you could say, because you couldnât make yourself agree to that. âRight, so are in the clear? I mean if you want to you can talk to my father bu-â
âNo, no, thereâs no need, this is not the first time he became the hero for some mut-â
âHave a good day, misterâ, you closed the door onto his face and your smile faded.
This was supposed to feel like a win, but it didnât. They heard every single word and you knew it. You were only acting and they knew it too. Still, the whole thing made you want to disappear.
There was no movement in the house.
If Hongjoong couldnât hear their hearts, he would be worried. It was him and Seonghwa at your basement and both werenât in the mood to talk since they arrived at the house for different reasons. Hongjoong had this habit of being lost on his own worries and what ifâs, Seonghwa did his best to pull him out but, still unsuccessful until he smelled the officer scent.
People like that really made Hongjoongâs blood boil, the ones who are there only for the status the position gave, but who also took full advantage of the fuck-up system they were supposed to rebuild. Heâd rather a cruel officer than a hypocrite one, at least the cruel one he knew what to expect of.
âHey, heâs nothing about another one we dealt withâ, Seonghwa grabbed Hongjoongâs arm, his nails grew on length, which was never a good sign. âComâon, itâs your turn, the water is still warm so donât take too longâ, he said as he pushed the other into the bathroom and closed the door.
Wooyoung sat on the floor of your room as San pretended to take his shower. The words were ringing on their ears. âThey are going to go after the fight clubs tooâ, he said. The water kept running, but he knew San was as distraught as he was.
Wooyoung didnât hear the door opening, but he felt Jonghoâs arm taking him off the ground and shielding him from his own thoughts.
âIf they do go after him one day, Iâll make sure he doesnât get to you, to you bothâ.
San could only feel a sense of gratitude because even if he hated he wasnât the one reassuring the both, he was thankful that one was Jongho.
Yunho and Mingi came to collect Yeosang out of there, it was getting painful to stand outside waiting for the timing to come in, so the three of them inside could have their alone moment for a longer while. They were also the first ones who sat by you on the couch and ate first, since the food had already arrived by then.
You didnât know what to say and they didnât feel the need to say anything, but as much as you tried to act natural, they could feel your side eyes.
âItâs okâ, Yunho whispered to you and he wished he could comfort you they way he can with his pack, but you couldnât feel the waves of serene energy around the room. âYour plan was flawless, wasnât it? He acted like a piece of shit, thereâs no surprise in thatâ.
But you did felt better, because he implied you werenât part of that category and to know he still keep separate of them was enough for you.
âCan you take those to them?â, you asked Yunho while gesturing to the two other closed bags on the coffee table. âAlso can you two discuss with them the bedroom arrangements you guys want and let me know, please? Again, look around if you need to, mine is the green one, Iâll be there if you need anythingâ.
They did as you said, Jongho went downstairs and you followed Yunho upstairs.
The moment your back touched the soft texture of your blanket, you felt asleep.
âWe shouldnât be doing thisâ, Yunho said it more to himself than Hongjoong, who was looking over every corner of the room.
Tagslist: @asherthehimbo @katsukis1wife @a1i33a @idfkeddieishot @pyeonghongrie-main @h3arteyes4mingi @huachengsbestie01 @hhoneylix @alxxxnya @queenproxy-blog @staytiny816
THE U IN US - ATEEZ SERIES - CHAPTER THREE
Summary: You weren't really the lonely girl⢠of campus, but it does feel like it when you look around, and there's no one by your side when everyone else are talking and whispering between each other. You did have "friends", more like "group projet friends" that you managed to get for yourself, but they were the ones that were real close, you were there only when they had an extra empty seat. But it seems like the gods above took your nonchalant facade as a challenge. Oh, you don't think you need friends to survive through college? Bet.
Pairing: Non! idol OT8 ateez x reader (platonic)
Tags: college! au; hybrid! au; ateez! au; fluff (a whole lot of fluff and wholesomeness); angst; hurt/comfort; mentions of loneliness and insecurities; mentions of hybrid mistreatment and abuse
WC: 3,4k
N/A: It's finally here and a thousand words longer than the previous chapter! Please reblog my work and let me know if you want to he tagged in the next chapter <3
TWO MASTERLIST FOUR
You were always an early riser. The sun was breaking its first lights on the horizon as you got ready for the day, but there wasnât a single bone of excitement in you.
Your room reflected the mask you were trying hard to wear early in the morning, spotless and perfectly organized, that was until anyone noticed how messy your bed still was.
You feel asleep early for any college major, but somehow slept a total of 4 hours only. None of them knocked on your door, and you didnât hear a single peep or saw any lights on from your own slightly open door. They were capable of managing themselves well, you knew that, so you closed the door and were left to your own thoughts for the rest of the night.
Your brain wouldnât stop running to all the things you needed to do while waiting for a more appropriate hour of the day to actually do them. It was a suffocating feeling, and you hated to feel so impotent. So you cleaned everything you came across at 12 A.M. trying to be as quiet as possible, too restless and tired of all the toss and turn you did already.
You walked out of your room, and it was almost like every single worry you had all night was just in your head. The cop, the plan, your father, theyâre now living with you, the shopping you need to do, the paperwork you have to get, their legal documents you have to find wasnât splashed on the beige walls and the cold porcelain of the floor, so maybe you could just ignore it before your coffee.
âGood morningâ, Seonghwa said as you reached the 3/4 of the stairs, now sure that you could see him on the couch and he wouldnât scare you. Still, he did notice how you grabbed harder on the handrail and had a hard time trying not to smile, but his ears twitching could give him away. âIâm sorryâ.
âItâs okâ, you chuckled. âHave you been up for a while?â, you asked as you reached the bottom of the stairs.
âNoâ, he looked over to the windows, the sunrise clear on the horizon. âI did not even notice how early it was until I came up hereâ.
It was partly true, there were no windows on the basement area, instead a huge glass door that lead to the pool on the other end of the corridor. He did not see the sun rising and did not take notice of the time, he just did not sleep at all.
âWant some coffee?â, you said as you went around the living room to the kitchen.
âSure, thank youâ, he said, but made no moves to follow you.
Seonghwa was enjoying the quiet to put his thoughts in order, something he couldnât do lately. The last week took a toll on the whole pack to the point their scents changed a little due to stress. Nothing was planned and neither him nor Hongjoong wanted to put their trust and safety solely on your words.
Your presence on itself was something he couldnât decide how he felt about it yet. It was annoying how submissive and fake most of them got in your presence, including Jongho, which was a shocking sight back on campus. It was in Seonghwaâs nature to be attentive and caring towards others, he was aware of it, but he only offers that to his pack and pack only. There were no humans left that are worthy of that, Jongho himself said to him once. Yeah, he saw you before. All of them ended up on the hybrid protection department at least twice until now. You were just a human child bored out of your mind. Whatâs so special about it?
âHere it isâ, you left the mug on top of the coffee table, eye smiled at him and then left.
Seonghwa was paralyzed on his spot. He did not hear your steps nor your closeness to him. Now the only thing he could hear was his own-scared heart.
There was a dark cloud on top of Seonghwaâs head, so you give him his coffee quick and left him alone on the couch.
Now, you had at least a whole hour until you had to leave to take the subway. It was enough time to make a small breakfast for yourself and revise your notes for today, but not to make a decent meal for 9 freaking people.
You went to grab your coat near the entrance, even though in less than an hour it would be boiling hot outside.
âCan you tell the other boys Iâm grabbing food for us?â, you raised your voice as you looked over Seonghwa, at least 10 feet away, still on the same spot as you left him starting at the wall.
He winced because of your loud tone, and you signed, now aware of your mistake.
âIt wonât take long, sorryâ, you just left, it felt like the best thing to do.
Perfect, you said to yourself.
Perfect, Seonghwa said to himself.
He knew some of the others could mess up this new arrangement out of guilt for searching around your fatherâs office, but he couldnât let it happen.
Yunho was the first to walk downstairs, the both of them needed to have a little chat.
You could only hear the click and clack of the cutlery hitting the porcelain plates. For a table with 9 people, it was quieter than when you eat on your own.
The house was always just that, a house, a balance between a safe place for you to rest in and someone elseâs property that you had no control over, but never you felt so uncomfortable in it.
The night before you noticed how proper Yunho and Jongho were, but now, looking at all of them, it seemed forced. It was, because it was. Of course, they were trained to be.
âYou are really serious about food, arenât you?â, you couldnât take the silence anymore.
Most of them nodded, a small chuckle giving a little bit of life to the table. It was true, call hybrid instincts or whatever, but they meant business when it came to food, but they knew very well there was more than that to the atmosphere in the room, and it was best for you to stay unaware of it.
âItâs just that goodâ, Mingi said suddenly, as he took another bite of the fresh croissant. âMelting on my mouthâ, he mumbled more to himself than anything, still a little shocked at how good it was.
Your neighbors glaring at you as you left with four filled bags out of the small bakery three blocks away was worth it.
âYou should have it as a sandwich laterâ, you said, more than happy to have an actual conversation.
Mingi wanted to hear all about your best recommendations, while San, Yunho and Hongjoong had a staring contest.
Wooyoung, San and Yeosang, a trio you never imagined would work well together, but somehow it did.
On the way to university, you found out, actually, the three of them were dance majors, not just Wooyoung. To your surprise, Yeosang did most of the talking for them this time.
In all honesty, Yeosang just wanted to hide in a hole and disappear. Never in his life he thought heâd want Wooyoung to talk more or that he would wait for a miracle, but at that moment, he caught himself doing both.
Every single loud noise made him jump out of his skin, from the sound of the rails to the loud people talking on the phone. It was all too much all at once. Your attention on him and him only was new, his face was all red, and he couldnât look into your eyes. His hands hugged his bag against his own chest, but the weight wasnât enough. If it wasnât for two hands on his thighs, a clear sign of protection and sureness, he wouldnât be talking at all.
Bless your heart, you gave every bit of encouragement and reaction to every thing he said, but it was not helping.
âS-so, we were trai-â, Yeosang already small voice was interrupted by the announcement of the next station. The doors closed, and you held tighter onto the pole as it started to move again.
âTraining for what?â, you asked as you did your best to maintain the space between you and Sanâs body.
âThere is a performance at the end of the yearâ, Wooyoung said it, faster than Yeosang could think.
âThatâs so cool, so thereâs a date already?â
She thinks am I cool? It was unconscious how all of them perked up at the compliment. Wooyoung tail seemed like it had a mind of his own, swaying left to right. Yeosang turned even more red in the face, his fluffy gray ear covering the sides of his face as he recoiled between the two bodies on each side of him. San cleaned his throat as he looked the other way, he was not comfortable with how much he enjoyed it hearing such a small compliment from you.
Yeosang was a few beats late when he noticed you were still waiting for an answer.
âOh, hum, no, I d-do not think so, right?â, he looked over to the other boys, who agreed.
âWeâll let you know so you can come see usâ, Wooyoung said as he rubbed Yeosangâs back slowly.
âIâd love that, thank you, but are you sure itâs okay for me to come?â, you asked him, then glanced at San, who was already looking at you.
âWe want you to comeâ, San said.
He said a âweâ, when you were looking for an âIâ.
It was a painful and awkward silent the rest of the way, until the three of you could breathe again.
âItâs not hereâ, Seonghwa said a second time since coming back to your fatherâs office.
He was already tired due to a sleepless night, now he had to spend all his energy to look for papers that werenât even there.
âThen look again, it has to be here somewhereâ, Hongjoong was loosing all his patience as he analyzed every single paper they found left on his desk.
Seonghwa took a deep breath. Hongjoong was being unreasonable, all of them already knew that, including Hongjoong himself.
âYou know thereâs no reason for why he would leave that behind, and itâs clear he hasnât been here in a good while, so why are we doing this again?â, Seonghwa put the old box down on the table, all of it was useless anyway.
âThis might be the only lead we get, do you just want to give up on him?â, the last two words barely a whisper as Hongjoong took a step closer to Seonghwa, the papers left scarred inside the drawer.
Both of them did not want Yunho, Mingi or Jongho to hear what was going on up there.
Standing so close to each other like this, eye to eye, they could almost touch the emotions swirling in the room. It was frustrating to Hongjoong. They had a goal and a chance, so why would they fail Yunho now? His anger, resentment and fear towards himself more than anything filled the room and suffocated both of them. Seonghwa looked nothing but empathetic and warm and welcoming to Hongjoongâs fears and worries, even when he could only feel the opposite, Hongjoongâs presence almost physically pushing him out.
It took Hongjoong only a moment to give up, which furthered Seonghwaâs worries.
âWeâre going to figure it outâ, Seonghwa whispered as he kneeled by Hongjoongâs side. He collapsed on the office floor, now holding onto himself. âWe always do, donât we?â
Hongjoongâs eyes seemed unfocused looking down to something on the ground, Seonghwaâs words barely registered in his mind.
When Seonghwa touched his shoulder, Hongjoong looked up to him.
âWe always do, donât we?â
âWe doâ, he sighed.
Seonghwa wished to say much more at that moment, but Hongjoong in that state would not hear it.
So he only did what he should do, offered a helping hand for Hongjoong to stand once more.
By the end of the day, you did all you could to not go back.
You called Jongho to tell him to get the food delivery when it was close enough to the house. He was surprised, jacket already on hand to buy lunch himself, but it was too late for a polite decline.
The bell rang and you hung up.
You did not come to eat with them, even though you had over two free hours in between classes, but they did not know that and even if they did, would they really call you out on it? It was more comfortable for them that way, so they could be free to behave like they wished to.
You stayed to study on the library after class, which you never did, you rather the comfort and quiet of your room for that, and it was barely 4 p.m.
The list was your salvation to skip dinner. This time, Jongho had time to thank you for the meal in the name of them all.
âItâs not a bother, donât worryâ, you said as you walked out of the second store, bags in hand and the phone tight between your shoulders and left cheek.
âWe can cook for ourselves, you know. Donât you trust us?â, he had that pouting voice through every word, and it took a small smile out of you.
âOf course I do, but youâre my guests and thereâs a clear rule, guest donât do any work around the house, so get used to itâ, those words hit him like bricks when you thought it was a string of fresh water.
It was silent on the other side of the line, and you thought the call ended.
âAre you alright?â, his question caught you so off guard, you stopped walking in the middle of the busy street and a woman bumped into you with full force.
âYeah, why wouldnât I be?â, you smiled to her, but the woman didnât look back to see your apologetic self.
Your voice was sincere, so Jongho allowed himself to stay calm.
She does not know, sheâs not mad at you, he kept repeating to his stupid mind. Of course, you did not know and were not avoiding them on purpose because of it, but he felt his heart heavy still.
âWe were just worried, you didnât say anything so⌠but youâre safe then?â
âIâm coming soon, alright? Donât worry about me, Iâm just shopping for some stuff I needâ, you walked faster, now feeling guilty to left them without a proper warning.
The moment Jongho hung up, the other 7 were waiting for an update. The winter night and the neighborhood made it seem later than it was. It was only 6:28 p.m., but there wasnât a single soul outside and barely any noticeable noise.
âSheâs coming soonâ.
Mingi plopped on the couch, relieved. He barely talked to you, yet your presence and actions warmed him, and maybe he was getting too comfortable too fast, but just the thought of you leaving them now made him want to sob.
Yunho sat beside him and Mingiâs gray ears turned to him instinctively, but he had nothing to say. He knew Mingi well enough to know this meant something else to him, it was the possibility of another person abandoning him, and he was ashamed as it was of it. So Yunho did not point it out how that mentality wasnât good for him at that moment, just offered his arm, that Mingi was elated to accept and cuddle with.
âDo not forget what we talked about today, can you do that Mingi?â, Seonghwaâs toned softened as he talked to him, a bit different from the actual conversation they all had.
Mingi only nodded.
It was a reminder for Yunho and Yeosang as well, no matter how they felt about the topic, theyâd do their best to keep the roof on top of their heads.
Before you could grab the keys in your purse, the door suddenly opened.
You watched with your heart on your feet as a yearning Wooyoung took all four bags out of your hands and disappeared inside, too stunned to say anything.
âUhm, Wooyoung, were you waiting for me?â, you asked as you stepped inside and closed shut the door behind you.
He hummed instead of answering you.
Beside him, there was no one in the living room, and the lack of noises was enough for you to assume they wanted to keep to themselves.
He carefully laid down your bags on the couch, then stood there with a small smile on his face.
âIs there anything else I can do to help you?â, he stood there shy and small in front of you.
The contrast of his behavior from yesterday evening to this gave you whiplash. Is this Wooyoung, or that was Wooyoung? You need to stop trying to figure them out. They carried huge baggage with them, and maybe youâll never get to see even a small percentage of it, that was clear to you. Still, it is hard to be the one that had to pretend and ignore the elephant in the room.
âYes, there is actually, but can we talk for a bit first?â
Wooyoungâs tail stopped its course in the air and his smile faltered, he nodded.
Both of you sat slightly turned to each other, but Wooyoung could not hold your stare, so he looked at the painting on the wall instead.
He thought his minds was playing tricks on him, but you seemed much nervous than he was. Your body was screaming to get out of there and run just like his. What could theyâve done for you to be so tense? Surely, you were not scared of him if you werenât even scared of Hongjoong or San.
You took a deep breath. Your own mind exhausted you the whole evening and night because of this very moment, you were tired of overthinking every single thing they did.
âI just want to make it clear, so we can stop walking on eggshells around each otherâ, your voice was barely a whisper, still Wooyoung flinched at the reminder of his own confusing behavior towards you, just like San heâs been hot and cold to you for no reason, when youâve been nothing but nice to him. âI want you and the others to be here, and you do not have to do anything because you feel like you have to please me in return, can you understand that?â
He nodded.
âI am also not mad at you by any means because of yesterdayâ.
That made him look at you, because you deserved at least that level of respect, even though your face was a bit blurry through his tears. He knew your kindness was undeserving, and he would do anything to compensate for it, no matter what you say.
You wished to hug him, and maybe he read your mind, because a second later, Wooyoung launched himself into your arms.
It was a silent cry at first, you were stunned in place, surprise by the trust and vulnerability he was showing to you, then you heard his sobs and the sound broke your heart, you never heard before and never wanted to hear again.
You held him tight through the soft tears, loud cries and slurred words he muttered under his breath on your shoulder. Even when your arms stared to hurt, he did not let it go, so neither did you.
It was comfortable to be near you like this, for the first time Wooyoung understood why San liked you so much, and that did not leave a bitter taste in his mouth this time. You were warm and kind and really soft, almost better than his favorite blanket.
âWooyoungâ, you broke your little bubble, and he hummed into your neck. âCan you call the others for me, please? I bought some clothes for you all to try onâ.
He was perfectly comfortable in that position, leaning into your side and the last thing on his mind was to move away, but the moment he looked at your soft eyes and pretty smile, he got up.
He should not be understanding San in this way.
Tagslist: @asherthehimbo @katsukis1wife @a1i33a @idfkeddieishot @pyeonghongrie-main @h3arteyes4mingi @huachengsbestie01 @hhoneylix @alxxxnya @queenproxy-blog @staytiny816 @loveforred @darlingz99 @sundayysunshine @puppyminnnie @officiallydarkgeek
THE U IN US - ATEEZ SERIES - CHAPTER THREE
Summary: You weren't really the lonely girl⢠of campus, but it does feel like it when you look around, and there's no one by your side when everyone else are talking and whispering between each other. You did have "friends", more like "group projet friends" that you managed to get for yourself, but they were the ones that were real close, you were there only when they had an extra empty seat. But it seems like the gods above took your nonchalant facade as a challenge. Oh, you don't think you need friends to survive through college? Bet.
Pairing: Non! idol OT8 ateez x reader (platonic)
Tags: college! au; hybrid! au; ateez! au; fluff (a whole lot of fluff and wholesomeness); angst; hurt/comfort; mentions of loneliness and insecurities; mentions of hybrid mistreatment and abuse
WC: 3,4k
N/A: It's finally here and a thousand words longer than the previous chapter! Please reblog my work and let me know if you want to he tagged in the next chapter <3
TWO MASTERLIST FOUR
You were always an early riser. The sun was breaking its first lights on the horizon as you got ready for the day, but there wasnât a single bone of excitement in you.
Your room reflected the mask you were trying hard to wear early in the morning, spotless and perfectly organized, that was until anyone noticed how messy your bed still was.
You feel asleep early for any college major, but somehow slept a total of 4 hours only. None of them knocked on your door, and you didnât hear a single peep or saw any lights on from your own slightly open door. They were capable of managing themselves well, you knew that, so you closed the door and were left to your own thoughts for the rest of the night.
Your brain wouldnât stop running to all the things you needed to do while waiting for a more appropriate hour of the day to actually do them. It was a suffocating feeling, and you hated to feel so impotent. So you cleaned everything you came across at 12 A.M. trying to be as quiet as possible, too restless and tired of all the toss and turn you did already.
You walked out of your room, and it was almost like every single worry you had all night was just in your head. The cop, the plan, your father, theyâre now living with you, the shopping you need to do, the paperwork you have to get, their legal documents you have to find wasnât splashed on the beige walls and the cold porcelain of the floor, so maybe you could just ignore it before your coffee.
âGood morningâ, Seonghwa said as you reached the 3/4 of the stairs, now sure that you could see him on the couch and he wouldnât scare you. Still, he did notice how you grabbed harder on the handrail and had a hard time trying not to smile, but his ears twitching could give him away. âIâm sorryâ.
âItâs okâ, you chuckled. âHave you been up for a while?â, you asked as you reached the bottom of the stairs.
âNoâ, he looked over to the windows, the sunrise clear on the horizon. âI did not even notice how early it was until I came up hereâ.
It was partly true, there were no windows on the basement area, instead a huge glass door that lead to the pool on the other end of the corridor. He did not see the sun rising and did not take notice of the time, he just did not sleep at all.
âWant some coffee?â, you said as you went around the living room to the kitchen.
âSure, thank youâ, he said but made no moves to follow you.
Seonghwa was enjoying the quiet to put his thoughts in order, something he couldnât do lately. The last week took a toll on the whole pack to the point their scents changed a little due to stress. Nothing was planned and neither him nor Hongjoong wanted to put their trust and safety solely on your words.
Your presence on itself was something, he couldnât decide how he felt about it yet. It was annoying how submissive and fake most of them got in your presence, including Jongho, which was a shocking sight back on campus. It was in Seonghwaâs nature to be attentive and caring towards others, he was aware of it, but he only offers that to his pack and pack only. There were no humans left that are worthy of that, Jongho himself said to him once. Yeah, he saw you before. All of them ended up on the hybrid protection department at least twice until now. You were just a human child bored out of your mind. Whatâs so special about it?
âHere it isâ, you left the mug on top of the coffee table, eye smiled at him and then left.
Seonghwa was paralyzed on his spot. He did not hear your steps nor your closeness to him. Now the only thing he could hear was his own-scared heart.
There was a dark cloud on top of Seonghwaâs head, so you give him his coffee quick and left him alone on the couch.
Now, you had the least a whole hour until you had to leave to take the subway. It was enough time to make a small breakfast for yourself and revise your notes for today, but not to make a decent meal for 9 freaking people.
You went to grab your coat near the entrance, even though in less than an hour it would be boiling hot outside.
âCan you tell the other boys Iâm grabbing food for us?â, you raised your voice as you looked over Seonghwa, at least 10 feet away, still on the same spot as you left him starting at the wall.
He winced because of your loud tone, and you signed, now aware of your mistake.
âIt wonât take long, sorryâ, you just left, it felt like the best thing to do.
Perfect, you said to yourself.
Perfect, Seonghwa said to himself.
He knew some of the others could mess up this new arrangement out of guilt for searching around your fatherâs office, but he couldnât let it happen.
Yunho was the first to walk downstairs, the both of them needed to have a little chat.
You could only hear the click and clack of the cutlery hitting the porcelain plates. For a table with 9 people, it was quieter than when you eat on your own.
The house was always just that, a house, a balance between a safe place for you to rest in and someone elseâs property that you had no control over, but never you felt so uncomfortable in it.
The night before you noticed how proper Yunho and Jongho were, but now, looking at all of them, it seemed forced. It was, because it was. Of course, they were trained to be.
âYou are really serious about food, arenât you?â, you couldnât take the silence anymore.
Most of them nodded, a small chuckle giving a little bit of life to the table. It was true, call hybrid instincts or whatever, but they meant business when it came to food, but they knew very well there was more than that to the atmosphere in the room, and it was best for you to stay unaware of it.
âItâs just that goodâ, Mingi said suddenly, as he took another bite of the fresh croissant. âMelting on my mouthâ, he mumbled more to himself than anything, still a little shocked at how good it was.
Your neighbors glaring at you as you left with four filled bags out of the small bakery three blocks away was worth it.
âYou should have it as a sandwich laterâ, you said, more than happy to have an actual conversation.
Mingi wanted to hear all about your best recommendations, while San, Yunho and Hongjoong had a staring contest.
Wooyoung, San and Yeosang, a trio you never imagined would work well together, but somehow it did.
On the way to university, you found out, actually, the three of them were dance majors, not just Wooyoung. To your surprise, Yeosang did most of the talking for them this time.
In all honesty, Yeosang just wanted to hide in a hole and disappear. Never in his life he thought heâd want Wooyoung to talk more or that he would wait for a miracle, but at that moment, he caught himself doing both.
Every single loud noise made him jump out of his skin, from the sound of the rails to the loud people talking on the phone. It was all too much all at once. Your attention on him and him only was new, his face was all red, and he couldnât look into your eyes. His hands hugged his bag against his own chest, but the weight wasnât enough. If it wasnât for two hands on his thighs, a clear sign of protection and sureness, he wouldnât be talking at all.
Bless your heart, you gave every bit of encouragement and reaction to every thing he said, but it was not helping.
âS-so, we were trai-â, Yeosang already small voice was interrupted by the announcement of the next station. The doors closed, and you held tighter onto the pole as it started to move again.
âTraining for what?â, you asked as you did your best to maintain the space between you and Sanâs body.
âThere is a performance at the end of the yearâ, Wooyoung said it, faster than Yeosang could think.
âThatâs so cool, so thereâs a date already?â
She thinks, am I cool? It was unconscious how all of them perked up at the compliment. Wooyoung tail seemed like it had a mind of his own, swaying left to right. Yeosang turned even more red in the face, his fluffy gray ear covering the sides of his face as he recoiled between the two bodies on each side of him. San cleaned his throat as he looked the other way, he was not comfortable with how much he enjoyed it hearing such a small compliment from you.
Yeosang was a few beats late when he noticed you were still waiting for an answer.
âOh, hum, no, I d-do not think so, right?â, he looked over to the other boys, who agreed.
âWeâll let you know so you can come see usâ, Wooyoung said as he rubbed Yeosangâs back slowly.
âIâd love that, thank you, but are you sure itâs okay for me to come?â, you asked him, then glanced at San, who was already looking at you.
âWe want you to comeâ, San said.
He said a âweâ, when you were looking for an âIâ.
It was a painful and awkward silent the rest of the way, until the three of you could breathe again.
âItâs not hereâ, Seonghwa said a second time since coming back to your fatherâs office.
He was already tired due to a sleepless night, now he had to spend all his energy to look for papers that werenât even there.
âThen look again, it has to be here somewhereâ, Hongjoong was loosing all his patience as he analyzed every single paper they found left on his desk.
Seonghwa took a deep breath. Hongjoong was being unreasonable, all of them already knew that, including Hongjoong himself.
âYou know thereâs no reason for why he would leave that behind, and itâs clear he hasnât been here in a good while, so why are we doing this again?â, Seonghwa put the old box down on the table, all of it was useless anyway.
âThis might be the only lead we get, do you just want to give up on him?â, the last two words barely a whisper as Hongjoong took a step closer to Seonghwa, the papers left scarred inside the drawer.
Both of them did not want Yunho, Mingi or Jongho to hear what was going on up there.
Standing so close to each other like this, eye to eye, they could almost touch the emotions swirling in the room. It was frustrating to Hongjoong. They had a goal and a chance, so why would they fail Yunho now? His anger, resentment and fear towards himself more than anything filled the room and suffocated both of them. Seonghwa looked nothing but empathetic and warm and welcoming to Hongjoongâs fears and worries, even when he could only feel the opposite, Hongjoongâs presence almost physically pushing him out.
It took Hongjoong only a moment to give up, which furthered Seonghwaâs worries.
âWeâre going to figure it outâ, Seonghwa whispered as he kneeled by Hongjoongâs side. He collapsed on the office floor, now holding onto himself. âWe always do, donât we?â
Hongjoongâs eyes seemed unfocused looking down to something on the ground, Seonghwaâs words barely registered in his mind.
When Seonghwa touched his shoulder, Hongjoong looked up to him.
âWe always do, donât we?â
âWe doâ, he sighed.
Seonghwa wished to say much more at that moment, but Hongjoong in that state would not hear it.
So he only did what he should do, offered a helping hand for Hongjoong to stand once more.
By the end of the day, you did all you could to not go back.
You called Jongho to tell him to get the food delivery when it was close enough to the house. He was surprised, jacket already on hand to buy lunch himself, but it was too late for a polite decline.
The bell rang and you hung up.
You did not come to eat with them, even though you had over two free hours in between classes, but they did not know that and even if they did, would they really call you out on it? It was more comfortable for them that way, so they could be free to behave like they wished to.
You stayed to study on the library after class, which you never did, you rather the comfort and quiet of your room for that, and it was barely 4 p.m.
The list was your salvation to skip dinner. This time, Jongho had time to thank you for the meal in the name of them all.
âItâs not a bother, donât worryâ, you said as you walked out of the second store, bags in hand and the phone tight between your shoulders and cheeks.
âWe can cook for ourselves, you know. Donât you trust us?â, he had that pouting voice through every word, and it took a small smile out of you.
âOf course I do, but youâre my guests and thereâs a clear rule, guest donât do any work around the house, so get used to itâ, those words hit him like bricks when you thought it was a string on fresh water.
It was silent on the other side of the line, and you thought the call ended.
âAre you alright?â, his question caught you so off guard, you stopped walking in the middle of the busy street and a woman bumped into you with full force.
âYeah, why wouldnât I be?â, you smiled to her, but the woman didnât look back to see your apologetic self.
Your voice was sincere, so Jongho allowed himself to stay calm.
She does not know, sheâs not mad at you, he kept repeating to his stupid mind. Of course, you did not know and were not avoiding them on purpose because of it, but he felt his heart heavy still.
âWe were just worried, you didnât say anything so⌠but youâre safe then?â
âIâm coming soon, alright? Donât worry about me, Iâm just shopping for some stuff I needâ, you walked faster, now feeling guilty to left them without a proper warning.
The moment Jongho hung up, the other 7 were waiting for an update. The winter night and the neighborhood made it seem later than it was. It was only 6:28 p.m., but there wasnât a single soul outside and barely any noticeable noise.
âSheâs coming soonâ.
Mingi plopped on the couch, relieved. He barely talked to you, yet your presence and actions warmed him, and maybe he was getting too comfortable too fast, but just the thought of you leaving them now made him want to sob.
Yunho sat beside him and Mingiâs gray ears turned to him instinctively, but he had nothing to say. He knew Mingi well enough to know this meant something else to him, it was the possibility of another person abandoning him, and he was ashamed as it was of it. So Yunho did not point it out how that mentality wasnât good for him at that moment, just offered his arm, that Mingi was elated to accept and cuddle with.
âDo not forget what we talked about today, can you do that Mingi?â, Seonghwaâs toned softened as he talked to him, a bit different from the actual conversation they all had.
Mingi only nodded.
It was a reminder for Yunho and Yeosang as well, no matter how they felt about the topic, theyâd do their best to keep the roof on top of their heads.
Before you could grab the keys in your purse, the door suddenly opened.
You watched with your heart on your feet as a yearning Wooyoung took all four bags out of your hands and disappeared inside, too stunned to say anything.
âUhm, Wooyoung, were you waiting for me?â, you asked as you stepped inside and closed shut the door behind you.
He hummed instead of answering you.
Beside him, there was no one in the living room, and the lack of noises was enough for you to assume they wanted to keep to themselves.
He carefully laid down your bags on the couch, then stood there with a small smile on his face.
âIs there anything else I can do to help you?â, he stood there shy and small in front of you.
The contrast of his behavior from yesterday evening to this gave you whiplash. Is this Wooyoung, or that was Wooyoung? Then, you knew he was trying his best to charm you, and he did. So was he not like that usually, or will he not be like that to you?
They carried huge baggage with them, and maybe youâll never get to figure out even a small percentage of it, that was clear to you. Still, it is hard to be the one that had to pretend and ignore the elephant in the room.
âYes, there is actually, but can we talk for a bit first?â
Wooyoungâs tail stopped its course in the air and his smile faltered, he nodded.
Both of you sat slightly turned to each other, but Wooyoung could not hold your stare, so he looked at the painting on the wall instead.
He thought his minds was playing tricks on him, but you seemed much nervous than he was. Your body was screaming to get out of there and run just like his. What could theyâve done for you to be so tense? Surely, you were not scared of him if you werenât even scared of Hongjoong or San.
You took a deep breath. Your own mind exhausted you the whole evening and night because of this very moment, you were tired of overthinking every single thing they did.
âI just want to make it clear, so we can stop walking on eggshells around each otherâ, your voice was barely a whisper, still Wooyoung flinched at the reminder of his own confusing behavior towards you, just like the others heâs been hot and cold to you for no reason, when youâve been nothing but nice to him. âI want you and the others to be here, and you do not have to do anything because you feel like you have to please me in return, can you understand that?â
He nodded.
âI am also not mad at you by any means because of yesterdayâ.
That made him look at you, because you deserved at least that level of respect, even though your face was a bit blurry through his tears. He knew your kindness was undeserving, and he would do anything to compensate for it, no matter what you say.
You wished to hug him, and maybe he read your mind, because a second later, Wooyoung launched himself into your arms.
It was a silent cry at first, you were stunned in place, surprise by the trust and vulnerability he was showing to you, then you heard his sobs and the sound broke your heart, you never heard before and never wanted to hear again.
You held him tight through the soft tears, loud cries and slurred words he muttered under his breath on your shoulder. Even when your arms stared to hurt, he did not let it go, so neither did you.
It was comfortable to be near you like this, for the first time Wooyoung understood why San liked you so much, and that did not leave a bitter taste in his mouth this time. You were warm and kind and really soft, almost better than his favorite blanket.
âWooyoungâ, you broke your little bubble, and he hummed into your neck. âCan you call the others for me, please? I bought some clothes for you all to try onâ.
He was perfectly comfortable in that position, leaning into your side and the last thing on his mind was to move away, but the moment he looked at your soft eyes and pretty smile, he got up.
He should not be understanding San in this way.
Tagslist: @asherthehimbo @katsukis1wife @a1i33a @idfkeddieishot @pyeonghongrie-main @h3arteyes4mingi @huachengsbestie01 @hhoneylix @alxxxnya @queenproxy-blog @staytiny816 @loveforred @darlingz99 @sundayysunshine @puppyminnnie @officiallydarkgeek
THE U IN US - ATEEZ SERIES - CHAPTER THREE
Summary: You weren't really the lonely girl⢠of campus, but it does feel like it when you look around, and there's no one by your side when everyone else are talking and whispering between each other. You did have "friends", more like "group projet friends" that you managed to get for yourself, but they were the ones that were real close, you were there only when they had an extra empty seat. But it seems like the gods above took your nonchalant facade as a challenge. Oh, you don't think you need friends to survive through college? Bet.
Pairing: Non! idol OT8 ateez x reader (platonic)
Tags: college! au; hybrid! au; ateez! au; fluff (a whole lot of fluff and wholesomeness); angst; hurt/comfort; mentions of loneliness and insecurities; mentions of hybrid mistreatment and abuse
WC: 3,4k
N/A: It's finally here and a thousand words longer than the previous chapter! Please reblog my work and let me know if you want to he tagged in the next chapter <3
TWO MASTERLIST FOUR
You were always an early riser. The sun was breaking its first lights on the horizon as you got ready for the day, but there wasnât a single bone of excitement in you.
Your room reflected the mask you were trying hard to wear early in the morning, spotless and perfectly organized, that was until anyone noticed how messy your bed still was.
You feel asleep early for any college major, but somehow slept a total of 4 hours only. None of them knocked on your door, and you didnât hear a single peep or saw any lights on from your own slightly open door. They were capable of managing themselves well, you knew that, so you closed the door and were left to your own thoughts for the rest of the night.
Your brain wouldnât stop running to all the things you needed to do while waiting for a more appropriate hour of the day to actually do them. It was a suffocating feeling, and you hated to feel so impotent. So you cleaned everything you came across at 12 A.M. trying to be as quiet as possible, too restless and tired of all the toss and turn you did already.
You walked out of your room, and it was almost like every single worry you had all night was just in your head. The cop, the plan, your father, theyâre now living with you, the shopping you need to do, the paperwork you have to get, their legal documents you have to find wasnât splashed on the beige walls and the cold porcelain of the floor, so maybe you could just ignore it before your coffee.
âGood morningâ, Seonghwa said as you reached the 3/4 of the stairs, now sure that you could see him on the couch and he wouldnât scare you. Still, he did notice how you grabbed harder on the handrail and had a hard time trying not to smile, but his ears twitching could give him away. âIâm sorryâ.
âItâs okâ, you chuckled. âHave you been up for a while?â, you asked as you reached the bottom of the stairs.
âNoâ, he looked over to the windows, the sunrise clear on the horizon. âI did not even notice how early it was until I came up hereâ.
It was partly true, there were no windows on the basement area, instead a huge glass door that lead to the pool on the other end of the corridor. He did not see the sun rising and did not take notice of the time, he just did not sleep at all.
âWant some coffee?â, you said as you went around the living room to the kitchen.
âSure, thank youâ, he said but made no moves to follow you.
Seonghwa was enjoying the quiet to put his thoughts in order, something he couldnât do lately. The last week took a toll on the whole pack to the point their scents changed a little due to stress. Nothing was planned and neither him nor Hongjoong wanted to put their trust and safety solely on your words.
Your presence on itself was something, he couldnât decide how he felt about it yet. It was annoying how submissive and fake most of them got in your presence, including Jongho, which was a shocking sight back on campus. It was in Seonghwaâs nature to be attentive and caring towards others, he was aware of it, but he only offers that to his pack and pack only. There were no humans left that are worthy of that, Jongho himself said to him once. Yeah, he saw you before. All of them ended up on the hybrid protection department at least twice until now. You were just a human child bored out of your mind. Whatâs so special about it?
âHere it isâ, you left the mug on top of the coffee table, eye smiled at him and then left.
Seonghwa was paralyzed on his spot. He did not hear your steps nor your closeness to him. Now the only thing he could hear was his own-scared heart.
There was a dark cloud on top of Seonghwaâs head, so you give him his coffee quick and left him alone on the couch.
Now, you had the least a whole hour until you had to leave to take the subway. It was enough time to make a small breakfast for yourself and revise your notes for today, but not to make a decent meal for 9 freaking people.
You went to grab your coat near the entrance, even though in less than an hour it would be boiling hot outside.
âCan you tell the other boys Iâm grabbing food for us?â, you raised your voice as you looked over Seonghwa, at least 10 feet away, still on the same spot as you left him starting at the wall.
He winced because of your loud tone, and you signed, now aware of your mistake.
âIt wonât take long, sorryâ, you just left, it felt like the best thing to do.
Perfect, you said to yourself.
Perfect, Seonghwa said to himself.
He knew some of the others could mess up this new arrangement out of guilt for searching around your fatherâs office, but he couldnât let it happen.
Yunho was the first to walk downstairs, the both of them needed to have a little chat.
You could only hear the click and clack of the cutlery hitting the porcelain plates. For a table with 9 people, it was quieter than when you eat on your own.
The house was always just that, a house, a balance between a safe place for you to rest in and someone elseâs property that you had no control over, but never you felt so uncomfortable in it.
The night before you noticed how proper Yunho and Jongho were, but now, looking at all of them, it seemed forced. It was, because it was. Of course, they were trained to be.
âYou are really serious about food, arenât you?â, you couldnât take the silence anymore.
Most of them nodded, a small chuckle giving a little bit of life to the table. It was true, call hybrid instincts or whatever, but they meant business when it came to food, but they knew very well there was more than that to the atmosphere in the room, and it was best for you to stay unaware of it.
âItâs just that goodâ, Mingi said suddenly, as he took another bite of the fresh croissant. âMelting on my mouthâ, he mumbled more to himself than anything, still a little shocked at how good it was.
Your neighbors glaring at you as you left with four filled bags out of the small bakery three blocks away was worth it.
âYou should have it as a sandwich laterâ, you said, more than happy to have an actual conversation.
Mingi wanted to hear all about your best recommendations, while San, Yunho and Hongjoong had a staring contest.
Wooyoung, San and Yeosang, a trio you never imagined would work well together, but somehow it did.
On the way to university, you found out, actually, the three of them were dance majors, not just Wooyoung. To your surprise, Yeosang did most of the talking for them this time.
In all honesty, Yeosang just wanted to hide in a hole and disappear. Never in his life he thought heâd want Wooyoung to talk more or that he would wait for a miracle, but at that moment, he caught himself doing both.
Every single loud noise made him jump out of his skin, from the sound of the rails to the loud people talking on the phone. It was all too much all at once. Your attention on him and him only was new, his face was all red, and he couldnât look into your eyes. His hands hugged his bag against his own chest, but the weight wasnât enough. If it wasnât for two hands on his thighs, a clear sign of protection and sureness, he wouldnât be talking at all.
Bless your heart, you gave every bit of encouragement and reaction to every thing he said, but it was not helping.
âS-so, we were trai-â, Yeosang already small voice was interrupted by the announcement of the next station. The doors closed, and you held tighter onto the pole as it started to move again.
âTraining for what?â, you asked as you did your best to maintain the space between you and Sanâs body.
âThere is a performance at the end of the yearâ, Wooyoung said it, faster than Yeosang could think.
âThatâs so cool, so thereâs a date already?â
She thinks, am I cool? It was unconscious how all of them perked up at the compliment. Wooyoung tail seemed like it had a mind of his own, swaying left to right. Yeosang turned even more red in the face, his fluffy gray ear covering the sides of his face as he recoiled between the two bodies on each side of him. San cleaned his throat as he looked the other way, he was not comfortable with how much he enjoyed it hearing such a small compliment from you.
Yeosang was a few beats late when he noticed you were still waiting for an answer.
âOh, hum, no, I d-do not think so, right?â, he looked over to the other boys, who agreed.
âWeâll let you know so you can come see usâ, Wooyoung said as he rubbed Yeosangâs back slowly.
âIâd love that, thank you, but are you sure itâs okay for me to come?â, you asked him, then glanced at San, who was already looking at you.
âWe want you to comeâ, San said.
He said a âweâ, when you were looking for an âIâ.
It was a painful and awkward silent the rest of the way, until the three of you could breathe again.
âItâs not hereâ, Seonghwa said a second time since coming back to your fatherâs office.
He was already tired due to a sleepless night, now he had to spend all his energy to look for papers that werenât even there.
âThen look again, it has to be here somewhereâ, Hongjoong was loosing all his patience as he analyzed every single paper they found left on his desk.
Seonghwa took a deep breath. Hongjoong was being unreasonable, all of them already knew that, including Hongjoong himself.
âYou know thereâs no reason for why he would leave that behind, and itâs clear he hasnât been here in a good while, so why are we doing this again?â, Seonghwa put the old box down on the table, all of it was useless anyway.
âThis might be the only lead we get, do you just want to give up on him?â, the last two words barely a whisper as Hongjoong took a step closer to Seonghwa, the papers left scarred inside the drawer.
Both of them did not want Yunho, Mingi or Jongho to hear what was going on up there.
Standing so close to each other like this, eye to eye, they could almost touch the emotions swirling in the room. It was frustrating to Hongjoong. They had a goal and a chance, so why would they fail Yunho now? His anger, resentment and fear towards himself more than anything filled the room and suffocated both of them. Seonghwa looked nothing but empathetic and warm and welcoming to Hongjoongâs fears and worries, even when he could only feel the opposite, Hongjoongâs presence almost physically pushing him out.
It took Hongjoong only a moment to give up, which furthered Seonghwaâs worries.
âWeâre going to figure it outâ, Seonghwa whispered as he kneeled by Hongjoongâs side. He collapsed on the office floor, now holding onto himself. âWe always do, donât we?â
Hongjoongâs eyes seemed unfocused looking down to something on the ground, Seonghwaâs words barely registered in his mind.
When Seonghwa touched his shoulder, Hongjoong looked up to him.
âWe always do, donât we?â
âWe doâ, he sighed.
Seonghwa wished to say much more at that moment, but Hongjoong in that state would not hear it.
So he only did what he should do, offered a helping hand for Hongjoong to stand once more.
By the end of the day, you did all you could to not go back.
You called Jongho to tell him to get the food delivery when it was close enough to the house. He was surprised, jacket already on hand to buy lunch himself, but it was too late for a polite decline.
The bell rang and you hung up.
You did not come to eat with them, even though you had over two free hours in between classes, but they did not know that and even if they did, would they really call you out on it? It was more comfortable for them that way, so they could be free to behave like they wished to.
You stayed to study on the library after class, which you never did, you rather the comfort and quiet of your room for that, and it was barely 4 p.m.
The list was your salvation to skip dinner. This time, Jongho had time to thank you for the meal in the name of them all.
âItâs not a bother, donât worryâ, you said as you walked out of the second store, bags in hand and the phone tight between your shoulders and cheeks.
âWe can cook for ourselves, you know. Donât you trust us?â, he had that pouting voice through every word, and it took a small smile out of you.
âOf course I do, but youâre my guests and thereâs a clear rule, guest donât do any work around the house, so get used to itâ, those words hit him like bricks when you thought it was a string on fresh water.
It was silent on the other side of the line, and you thought the call ended.
âAre you alright?â, his question caught you so off guard, you stopped walking in the middle of the busy street and a woman bumped into you with full force.
âYeah, why wouldnât I be?â, you smiled to her, but the woman didnât look back to see your apologetic self.
Your voice was sincere, so Jongho allowed himself to stay calm.
She does not know, sheâs not mad at you, he kept repeating to his stupid mind. Of course, you did not know and were not avoiding them on purpose because of it, but he felt his heart heavy still.
âWe were just worried, you didnât say anything so⌠but youâre safe then?â
âIâm coming soon, alright? Donât worry about me, Iâm just shopping for some stuff I needâ, you walked faster, now feeling guilty to left them without a proper warning.
The moment Jongho hung up, the other 7 were waiting for an update. The winter night and the neighborhood made it seem later than it was. It was only 6:28 p.m., but there wasnât a single soul outside and barely any noticeable noise.
âSheâs coming soonâ.
Mingi plopped on the couch, relieved. He barely talked to you, yet your presence and actions warmed him, and maybe he was getting too comfortable too fast, but just the thought of you leaving them now made him want to sob.
Yunho sat beside him and Mingiâs gray ears turned to him instinctively, but he had nothing to say. He knew Mingi well enough to know this meant something else to him, it was the possibility of another person abandoning him, and he was ashamed as it was of it. So Yunho did not point it out how that mentality wasnât good for him at that moment, just offered his arm, that Mingi was elated to accept and cuddle with.
âDo not forget what we talked about today, can you do that Mingi?â, Seonghwaâs toned softened as he talked to him, a bit different from the actual conversation they all had.
Mingi only nodded.
It was a reminder for Yunho and Yeosang as well, no matter how they felt about the topic, theyâd do their best to keep the roof on top of their heads.
Before you could grab the keys in your purse, the door suddenly opened.
You watched with your heart on your feet as a yearning Wooyoung took all four bags out of your hands and disappeared inside, too stunned to say anything.
âUhm, Wooyoung, were you waiting for me?â, you asked as you stepped inside and closed shut the door behind you.
He hummed instead of answering you.
Beside him, there was no one in the living room, and the lack of noises was enough for you to assume they wanted to keep to themselves.
He carefully laid down your bags on the couch, then stood there with a small smile on his face.
âIs there anything else I can do to help you?â, he stood there shy and small in front of you.
The contrast of his behavior from yesterday evening to this gave you whiplash. Is this Wooyoung, or that was Wooyoung? Then, you knew he was trying his best to charm you, and he did. So was he not like that usually, or will he not be like that to you?
They carried huge baggage with them, and maybe youâll never get to figure out even a small percentage of it, that was clear to you. Still, it is hard to be the one that had to pretend and ignore the elephant in the room.
âYes, there is actually, but can we talk for a bit first?â
Wooyoungâs tail stopped its course in the air and his smile faltered, he nodded.
Both of you sat slightly turned to each other, but Wooyoung could not hold your stare, so he looked at the painting on the wall instead.
He thought his minds was playing tricks on him, but you seemed much nervous than he was. Your body was screaming to get out of there and run just like his. What could theyâve done for you to be so tense? Surely, you were not scared of him if you werenât even scared of Hongjoong or San.
You took a deep breath. Your own mind exhausted you the whole evening and night because of this very moment, you were tired of overthinking every single thing they did.
âI just want to make it clear, so we can stop walking on eggshells around each otherâ, your voice was barely a whisper, still Wooyoung flinched at the reminder of his own confusing behavior towards you, just like the others heâs been hot and cold to you for no reason, when youâve been nothing but nice to him. âI want you and the others to be here, and you do not have to do anything because you feel like you have to please me in return, can you understand that?â
He nodded.
âI am also not mad at you by any means because of yesterdayâ.
That made him look at you, because you deserved at least that level of respect, even though your face was a bit blurry through his tears. He knew your kindness was undeserving, and he would do anything to compensate for it, no matter what you say.
You wished to hug him, and maybe he read your mind, because a second later, Wooyoung launched himself into your arms.
It was a silent cry at first, you were stunned in place, surprise by the trust and vulnerability he was showing to you, then you heard his sobs and the sound broke your heart, you never heard before and never wanted to hear again.
You held him tight through the soft tears, loud cries and slurred words he muttered under his breath on your shoulder. Even when your arms stared to hurt, he did not let it go, so neither did you.
It was comfortable to be near you like this, for the first time Wooyoung understood why San liked you so much, and that did not leave a bitter taste in his mouth this time. You were warm and kind and really soft, almost better than his favorite blanket.
âWooyoungâ, you broke your little bubble, and he hummed into your neck. âCan you call the others for me, please? I bought some clothes for you all to try onâ.
He was perfectly comfortable in that position, leaning into your side and the last thing on his mind was to move away, but the moment he looked at your soft eyes and pretty smile, he got up.
He should not be understanding San in this way.
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