Seonghwa Scenarios - Tumblr Posts

blacklist }} p.sh (masterlist)

❥ summary: because when you fuck with park seonghwa, you get blacklist

❥ pairing: park seonghwa x reader

❥ status: complete

❥ genre: badboy!seonghwa, fuckboy!seonghwa, enemies2lovers, social media, very slow-burn romance?, fluff i guess?, etc.

❥ word count: 56k

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter One

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Two

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Three

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Four

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Five

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Six

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Seven

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Eight

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Nine (final)

"to even say you love something, somehow it does not express how you completely feel with your heart and soul." Ugh this part 😩 this is so accurate I love how descriptive you are

“You look like a flower.” you said, smiling up at the stranger. He was indeed just as beautiful.

“You're as pretty as one.”

I'm already suffering and feeling so soft just at seeing this interaction they've had once again 😭 so cute!! Love how you chose Tulips 🌷 seonghwas fav

War of Hearts | Seonghwa | intro

Prompt requested ⇢ (Historical au) we were soulmates hundreds of years ago and now we’re reincarnated and you remember everything.

Summary ⇢ During the Joseon dynasty, you fell in love with the man who was supposed to kill you. After tragedy strikes, you lose your life and the one within you. Hundreds of years later, you are face to face with your soulmate—although he’s the only one who remembers everything.

Pairing ⇢ assassin/writer! Seonghwa x princess/artist! (fem) Reader

Genre ⇢ enemies to lovers, historical au, some fluff, smut, angst

Chapter warnings/tags ⇢ none

Chapter Word count ⇢ 2.5k

Requested by ⇢ @hwalysm

Taglist ⇢ @atinywhore @ch0isa99ie

war of hearts masterlist || ateez masterlist

Intro

Love. The single word holds up a lifetime. It is just four letters, so what makes it hold such a heavy burden?

Love is more than just an emotion. It is more than a feeling, and to even say you love something, somehow it does not express how you completely feel with your heart and soul. If there was a better word, that would be unbelievable. But what makes love..real? What makes the word valid? It is the actions. The emotions. The heart wrenching pain one might go through, or the feeling of butterflies swelling within. It is subjective, and in your instance, it lasts more than just a lifetime. Your own war between hearts, so to say.

Year 1550,

Joseon Dynasty, Korea

You were young. With only eleven short years of your life lived, you had expectations to meet. As the daughter of the King of Joseon, you had to win the favor of your people. Being the princess, you had duties to complete and hearts to win, but you also had to hold a deep secret to your heart. The fact that you were illegitimate weighed heavily on your heart, and the only way you can keep your positive image, you had to keep that fact away from the world.

A lot was on your mind at your young age. You didn't think about having fun or basic things a normal eleven year old would care about, you were more concerned about your position as the first princess of Joseon. Being the first heir to the throne, your little mind was determined to become the ruler of the nation, even if it wasn't entirely possible.

However, your secret is known to a select few. Sadly, those people who know are the ones detrimental to your life. They didn't know the whole story, though.

“Your Majesty.” The queen’s handmaiden came rushing in, and spoke in the quiet of the night. “I have news.”

It was late. The queen was in her quarters, although the handmaiden was not supposed to be out at this time. Ever since you were born, your “mother” has been looking for ways to eradicate you from the family line. “Pertaining to?” the queen sneered happily, knowing it had to do with you somehow.

The handmaiden looked up from her kneeling position, staring at the queen between the eyes. “Concubine Bin is deathly ill.”

At that, the queen started to snicker. Her bright teeth were showing as she laughed, and the timid maiden began to laugh nervously along with her.

Queen Eun-Bi was the wife of the king, however, you were not her daughter by blood. You weren't entirely sure who your real mother was, but you were aware that Eun-Bi was not it. She also was not any of the concubines, thus making you unable to have the title of the first princess. You did have a younger sister, who just so happened to be Queen Eun-bi and the king’s only daughter by true blood.

You weren't sure how to gather it all at your age. All you could do was just continue as you were living, and to keep your mouth shut about the truth. The king’s concubine—concubine Bin— has taken you as her daughter, which is why you are currently safe from harm.

She was who you looked at as your mother figure, and when her life was on the line after she was poisoned, you found yourself as far away from your quarters as you could, standing around a hidden pond you liked to frequent.

As you stared at your reflection in the water under the moonlight, you held back your tears as you were told. No one was around, and you snuck out of your place to see the fireflies dance across the water. It smelled fresh around you as summer was beginning to unfold, and tall weeds and soft pink flowers surrounded you on every side.

Your reflection showed your beautiful clothing, although you weren't dressed in your usual princess dress. You dawned the beautiful color purple, catching the sparkle in your eyes. The color also matched the scattered tulips that made the scenery even prettier.

It was peaceful here. The only place you were able to think clearly. Sure, if your father found out that you weren't safely indoors past the dusk of the night, you would indeed get scolded. But you gave yourself the benefit of the doubt, allowing yourself to not care what anyone has to say.

Just as you were going to sit down and really take in the scenery, you heard a rustle coming from behind you.

“Who’s there?” you demanded, standing strong on your short legs. Just because you were only eleven didn't mean you couldn't put up a fight.

The rustle got louder and louder, until a young boy tumbled his way through the bushes, almost knocking you into the water. You stood shocked as the boy laid on the ground, his blue garb as dirty as it could be. His hair was pitch black as well as the bruise on his cheek, and he had a bit of leaves caught up in that mess of hair. You held in your laugh after you realized he wasn't a threat, but you wished you could have shown off your martial arts training your father made you go through.

“Who are you?” You questioned softly, unlike your tone before. You grabbed a stick on the ground next to the boy, and then you poked him with it. “Are you dead?”

“No, I ain't dead.” He scoffed, staring up at you through the moonlight. He looked slightly older than you. Maybe only by a year or two, but your little heart was spinning as you looked down at him. He had a slight smile resting on his face, and you were certain you'd never seen him before.

“You look it.” you murmured playfully, still poking him in the chest with the stick. “Who are you to trespass past curfew?” you raised your eyebrows, suddenly aware of the strange feeling in your heart. Now, you were only young, so why did you feel this strong of a pull to a stranger?

He took a moment to look at you, and as if he was trying to figure out who you were, he furrowed his eyebrows. “And who are you to break the curfew? The princess or something?” he chuckled, a smirk on his youthful lips.

You tensed up, afraid that he knew who you were. Your identity was kept hidden for the most part, and it was also helpful that no one was important enough to be able to grace your appearance. You didn't really care for that rule, and you broke it as much as you wanted to. “As if!” You huffed, tossing the stick away from his chest, instead, you now reached a hand out to help him. “Here, I’ll help you.” you smiled at him, and he took your hand hesitantly before getting back up onto his feet.

His clothing was nothing special compared to your wardrobe, but it was clearly expensive. He had to be the son of an official or a tutor, and you were quite curious about who he was. Although you hoped he didn't share the same curiosity about you.

After a few moments of silence and what it felt like a tear in your heart, you kept your cool and cleared your throat. Before you were able to ask who he was, lanterns from behind the bushes began to appear. The boy sprung behind you now, as if he was being chased. Maybe he was…

“We gotta go, they'll hurt us for being out this late.” He frighteningly spoke out, and he gripped your hand until it tingled both your fingers and your heart. You took a gulp as he ran with you, your untied hair flowing behind you.

Your footsteps were loud, and maybe it was because he was basically dragging you like a ragdoll. Maybe if you would have just told him you were the princess, he wouldn't feel the need to sprint like he was. Anyway, it was far too late for that as you made your way throughout the hidden garden and into the palace paths.

The gravel was getting kicked up from your feet, and your hair was draped messily around your face. He looked like a scaredy cat, unlike what you could've figured by his outward appearance. He was older and taller, and his hand was way bigger than yours. Your little heart fluttered as he pulled you into the Palace library, where he seemed very comfortable.

You didn't spend much time here other than when it was required for lessons. It took you a lot to want to learn on your own, especially when you were more interested in the martial arts and painting.

You and the boy leaned up against the rickety door, breathing heavily after all that running. “Why’d we do that? We would've been fine—”

“No.” he took a gulp, and turned to face you. “They already punished me before.” His blackish bruise was much more visible now in the dim lighting of the candles surrounding you, and you caught yourself reaching out to touch his cheek. He stood still, but his facial expression was bewildered. “Ah, yeah. My father wasn't happy.” He smirked, indicating that his father was the one who hurt his beautiful face.

“How old are you?” you tilted your head as you looked at him, your childish manner taking over. He chuckled at that, grabbing your hand from his face and putting it at your side.

“Don't you want to know my name first?” He laughed, and both of you have caught your breaths by now. “I’ve made thirteen trips around the sun.” He smiled at you, and you raised your eyebrows at that. He was two years older than you, but it didn't matter to you. He looked quite young to be thirteen, so you ignored it childishly.

The flickering of the candles reflected in his irises. They were dark just like his hair and his bruise, and once again, you felt a pull like no other. Maybe it was your immaturity taking over, and it wasn't fair that he was attractive, even with the leaves that looked like they were sprouting from his head. “You're a flower.” you said as you giggled, standing on your tiptoes to pick the leaf off the top of his head. “See?”

“That doesn't make me a flower.” He chuckled with you, and brushed the top of his head with his fingertips.

“Well you look like one.” you shrugged, watching his eyes dance with amusement.

“You're as pretty as one.”

Current Day

Seoul, South Korea

April 2022

It was late. You were still cooped up in your shotty studio that you paid way too much for. It was worth it in your opinion, but your salary sure didn't like it.

You had just celebrated your twenty-first birthday. It was the new year, and you sure as hell weren't determined to do any resolution or anything. A few months have passed since new years day, and besides your commitment to freelance art, you had a job to do.

You worked as an illustrator for book covers of all types. Childrens, romance, sci-fi, you name it, you did it. It was as if you did art for centuries, you were insanely good at it. The company you worked for was well known–and you were too, at least in the editing business.

You cleaned up your mess, forgetting about the mess of paint on your hands as you tidied up. You didn't care if things got dirty, it was the least of your worries. The ringing in your ears took over any thought in your mind, and another terrible headache dawned on you.

You've had them all your life, but they only recently began to get bad. Mostly around the winter into spring time they would flutter into your life, and it would always be around the time you would start to see the tulips blooming.

On your way home from your studio, you decided to take the long way. The short way was filled with dark alleyways and blandness, so you decided on the scenic route. After passing storefronts and a few streets, you made your way down an alleyway that is usually drenched with artificial street lights. Only one was working properly, and before you noticed what was lit under the spotlight, you huffed angrily.

“Dammit, just what I was trying to avoid.” you groaned, but your eyes caught onto a beautiful garden—the only thing lit up by the single streetlight that was working, and it was as if it was calling to you.

You moved toward the light like some kind of bug, and once you reached the gorgeous flowers, you let out a comfortable sigh. You had a soft spot for tulips, but you weren't quite sure of the reason.

You reached out to touch it, your heart swelling with emotion. It began to beat faster, like it was the first time you ever laid your eyes on these flowers. There wasn't even a thought in your mind about how weird it was for a garden this beautiful to be in this location.

As your fingertips grazed the soft petals, you felt a presence from beside you. It was as if you were in a trance, you stayed quiet until that presence spoke.

“Pretty, aren't they?” His voice was deep, almost intoxicating. You still kept your gaze on the plants though, as if your subconscious was afraid to turn and face him. You forced yourself to tear your gaze off the petals, and you came eye to eye with a tall man. His eyes were dark and his hair matched, as well as the suit that dawned his body. He was unreal, and so was this situation.

The look in his eyes was quite strange though. He was crying, but wasn't making a sound. His eyes were red and his cheeks were flushed as he looked at you. You had no idea who he was, but damn, you were curious. Maybe it was because it seemed like he put some sort of spell on you, you couldn't stop the words that came out of your mouth as you looked at him.

“You look like a flower.” you said, smiling up at the stranger. He was indeed just as beautiful.

He stood there, the tears silently falling a bit faster now. He didn't tear away from your gaze though, and he peered into your soul as if it was the only reason he was living.

You watched his eyes dance with emotion. You reached out to touch his cheek just like you did with the tulip, and you softly wiped his tears.

“You're as pretty as one.”

"He refined his movements in a complex dance routine, because he could dissociate from his inner turbulence." this reminded me of my own old self, using forms like dancing as ways of coping, hiding yet healing.

"Love was assuaged grief when the soul was the bare branches of a cherry blossom" wow

"And for the first time, Seonghwa found his footsteps and his heart getting lighter, and the rain no longer provoked despondent rumination, leaving the cyclical, habitual aches that only time could heal." i got so happy for him here 🥺 this was a beautiful way of saying

"How he had traversed each city believing that he finally understood the meaning of utopia and paradise, only for the rose glasses that he had unknowingly been given to be shattered, leaving him experientially blind." my god ur words are give me life 😩 i drop tears

"As you’re healing, the sun shines brighter, the days get longer, and the world awakens. It would be a shame to miss the spring, don’t you think?” this was like a big fat hug to me, such comforting words im wow... speechless. thank u 🥺

"The same memories, but with each passing day, growing brighter and lighter, until they turned into white clouds floating across the skies of sweet daydreams, serving as nothing more than a signifier of a past that had paved the way towards a marvellous present. If this was what you envisioned, then, certainly, this was what Seonghwa wanted to learn to feel." words aren't enough for how amazing this is, this is what and how we should see things and feel. this gave me so much solace ❣

Love was spring

(masterlist) (join taglist)

💮 pairing: seonghwa x gn!reader 💮 genre: comfort, fluff, tid-bits of angst, strangers to lovers 💮 summary: following a serendipitous meeting with you, seonghwa blooms in love after heartbreak, and learns that "if you intend to love a single flower, you must love its generation and extinction, presence and absence." - Do Jonghwan 💮 wordcount: 2.6k 💮 warnings/tags: allusion to idol!hwa, heartbreak, recovering from heartbreak, flora, cherry blossom season, implied ideation of death, time, healing, overcoming hardships, rainy days, discussion of life and its meaning, reassurance, meaning of forever 💮 a/n: the sentimental mood, bittersweet reminiscence have not left me after listening to Seonghwa's cover of Angel Baby, so I hope you enjoy my expression of this <3 Thank you so much to Sky (@/legohwas) for reading and for helping with the name, forever grateful<33 Much love and any reblogs, comments, thoughts and notes welcome!

💮 perma-taglist (open): @legohwas @acciocriativity @doom-fics @justhere4kpop @honey-lemon-goose @byuntrash101 @shakalakaboomboo @starillusion13 @hongthoven @cqndiedcherries @uwuheeseungie @hoshischeekss @frankenstein852 @charreddonuts @miriamxsworld @mingigoo @michel-angelhoe @innsomniacshinestar @foxinnie8 @preciouswoozi @wooyoungjpg @mystar1024 @nebulousbookshelf @wowie-hockey

Love was pernicious when the soul was a snow-covered, sleeping tree - a notion that Seonghwa had been unfortunate enough to explore, and a terror to experience. In the flickering embers of what used to be a blazing passion, Seonghwa had remained intentionally oblivious to himself, and to the troubles that constructed a suffocating enclosure around him until catastrophe was imminent. When he had been at his lowest and needed precious love and unconditional support the most, he had been left to perish in the lonely silence, accompanied solely by the drumming of a biting cold winter rain. That day, his heart had joined the millions of droplets by shattering into a myriad of miniscule white flowers, only for their pure luminescence to be extinguished in the blink of an eye and blend with the wet concrete as sickly grey sludge.

As he watched the sun leave his life, the back of the one who had all his adoration and had promised him a forever turning into that of a total stranger, he ceased to believe in the feeling. If it was something so easily disposed of, equivalent to the passivity one experienced when discarding a plastic wrapper or an old, useless and broken toy, then he did not want any part in this farce. Evidently, he had been mistaken in his romanticisms, in his dreams and in his vision of soulmates, and thus, in his future.

Nights blended into days, remaining colourless as Seonghwa drifted in a melancholic somnolence. A hollow shell of a human being, he did what he had to do to be deemed functional enough, competent enough, acceptable enough for the rotating cogs of the societal machine. Seonghwa smiled, because his muscles were trained to do so. He refined his movements in a complex dance routine, because he could dissociate from his inner turbulence. But, in the darkness of his room where he had long ceased to turn on the light out of fear that he would see the ghosts of his history, he let himself collapse onto his bed and study the vapid monotony of his ceiling, so intently that he saw a reflection of his own heartache and misery in the off-white paint.

Amidst his endless search for some form of relief, the dark-haired man had taken to visiting the same bridge every rainy evening. The very bridge on which he had parted with the one who he had called the love of his life, physically metamorphosing into nothing but a black dot with every confident step away from him, but still having the ability to transform into a festering wound in his cranium. Seonghwa had nothing left to give, and yet he kept on hoping that one day everything could turn around, and the sun would shine once more. Alas, the rain had only gotten stronger, until the unforgiving element was a loyal spirit hovering above his lowered head.

Pulling the heavy weight of fate behind him, Seonghwa trudged to the bridge once more, turning in the direction of the flowing river and regarding the way in which large droplets collided with the surface, disturbing an otherwise innocent, serene mirror of the sky. Collapsing onto the stone guardrail, he peered at the waters below absent-mindedly and toyed with the idea of becoming a leaf, be it an oak or a maple; exist to gather energy, give, give and give some more only to break away from familiar territories and succumb to eternal rest on the current’s bubbling surface. A long, tranquil holiday. Away from all of this. Away from judgement, misinterpretation, anxiety that gnawed at his insides like a voracious dog. If only Seonghwa had known that it would turn out like this; then he would have never given into the silly risk that was now poisoning his thoughts, his feelings, and was rapidly approaching his actions. 

And it was at that moment, in the desperate solitude, amidst a battle with himself that he met you, and the unforgiving downpour cowered in your radiance.

“Hey, you come here often?” The cheesy phrase pulled him out of his ruminations, and he spun his head around to register the source of sound, finally stumbling upon a figure wrapped up in a raincoat, face partially hidden by an umbrella. Out of politeness, he chose to respond to the mysterious passer-by, flabbergasted when the umbrella moved to reveal a megawatt grin and an adorable face. While you looked to be about his age, you possessed a fascinating contrast of wise eyes that gave the impression of having seen many lives, wonders and displeasures of the world, and the refreshed, youthful face with the faintest natural blush coating your cheeks. In his mind, you were the promise of spring after a detestable, incorrigibly brutal winter.

Love was assuaged grief when the soul was the bare branches of a cherry blossom tree, early buds only just beginning to peek out from their bundled cots, and revealing their youthful colours against the warm grey bark that was decorated with memories of past trials and tribulations; an ode to time itself. This was a notion which you had proposed to Seonghwa amidst your improvised performances - an attempt to elicit at least the ghost of a priceless smile. After the initial meeting, you had come to cross paths more and more often, until serendipitous grew into coincidental, grew into intentional. And for the first time, Seonghwa found his footsteps and his heart getting lighter, and the rain no longer provoked despondent rumination, leaving the cyclical, habitual aches that only time could heal.

The routine was simple. Every evening when the sleepless sky caressed the earth with millions of diamonds that connected to form thousands of threads, embellishing the heavens and tying the mortal and the timeless, you would meet. Same bridge. Same time. Same umbrella, decorated with ornate flowers. You had not asked Seonghwa for much, except to show up, and to bring you a story that brought him warmth. Even if the side effect of the otherwise happy and reassuring memory was a stray tear or two. Raindrops, condensation of the soul, you called them. Trickling reminders that he was able to feel and was capable of knowing when he was on cloud nine prior to entering his period of monsoons and thunderstorms.

Each rainy night, of which there were many, come early signs of the spring season, he recounted what love had meant for him before being subdued by a ruthless frost. How he had traversed each city believing that he finally understood the meaning of utopia and paradise, only for the rose glasses that he had unknowingly been given to be shattered, leaving him experientially blind. Suspended in his retrospections, Seonghwa ambled through his mind’s labyrinth as he divulged the stories of the many shops, cafes and quiet cobbled streets he had visited, with the memories now having transformed into bitter anguish.

The more he shared, the more despicable the prior fondness became. How dare this terror haunt him so? How dare the scenes appear before him in a warm sepia tone, when Seonghwa wanted nothing more but to let them go? He wanted to shed the dead leaves. Anything to submit to an unfeeling winter for a while, for the remnants of the prologue to his solitude to be frozen solid.

“You may wish to forget and say it never happened, it is only natural. But sooner or later, the ice and snow will melt and all that you had buried will be streaming down memory lane and back into your heart.”

“I suppose, but either way I will be thinking about it. So what does it matter if I think about it now, or later?”

“Acceptance, Seonghwa. Acceptance. With steady reflection and time dedicated to yourself rather than your demons comes acceptance. As you’re healing, the sun shines brighter, the days get longer, and the world awakens. It would be a shame to miss the spring, don’t you think?”

He lowered his head in silent musing, letting your words echo in his head before turning to survey the landscape. This was his first venture in the park near the bridge, despite him passing by it countless times. It had been a setting, a backdrop for his chilling thoughts, so deeply entrenched in periphery that he had never even considered stopping and admiring it. And now, with you, he felt that it was right that he did - without you walking by his side, finally having let him take a hold of your umbrella and hold it above your heads, he doubted he would find this collection of bare trees, murky ponds and meandering cement paths as miraculous as he did now. You pointed out the buds, so young they were a pale turquoise, and the fresh grass, thin lines of green among the wilted greys and browns. 

Perhaps this was what you envisioned when you talked of love. The nightfall turning into sunset as the clocks chimed the same hour. The same tree, adorned with the promise of a stunning canopy. The same memories, but with each passing day, growing brighter and lighter, until they turned into white clouds floating across the skies of sweet daydreams, serving as nothing more than a signifier of a past that had paved the way towards a marvellous present. If this was what you envisioned, then, certainly, this was what Seonghwa wanted to learn to feel.

Love was harmonious when the soul was the flurry of cherry blossom petals dancing in the wind, enveloping the beholder in the spring embrace and decorating the world in a snowlike carpet and in baby pink. While the tree did not bloom for long, reaching its most beautiful peak and burning out at times in a matter of days, the fleeting, divine glory that it achieved was what you and Seonghwa would consider an eternity. If anything, the growth, the blossoming, the fall were reflections of every living organism in the expanse of space and time; a slow inhale, and a level, measured out exhale all in the hopes of a next cycle. 

“You know, Seonghwa, I think that every single person is like a cherry blossom tree. Grand, ever-expanding, unique… bare. However, our identity, our interests, our friends and family… fans, they are all blossoms, leaves, the curvature in the bark that decorates the magnificent branches.”

Your musings were Seonghwa’s favourite pastime and focus, the words forming philosophical symphonies as he let himself be guided from one piece to the next. He had found comfort in sharing his troubles with you, and as soon as the weather had gotten warm enough for you to be able to do so, sitting side by side under the awakening flora to ponder their meaning into a fuzzy abstraction. The conversation had stemmed from your observation of the falling flowers, appearing to be shed as soon as they blossomed. Taking note of the lack of regal white robes on some of the branches, Seonghwa had pointed out that they might have been stolen away by the heavy rain last night, thus falling into a moment of melancholy as he recollected the circumstances of your first meeting.

Gently, you placed a hand over his in an expression of reassurance and a reminder that you, indeed, were here with him, and were not striving for impermanence. Turning his own hand so the palm was facing upwards, he intertwined your fingers together, comfortable with the sweet affection, since the throngs of observers hungry for photographs of the blossoms at their most splendid had long whittled down to lazy stragglers. They still retained a sliver of a chance to capture the grandeur of the remaining veterans before they too would join the fallen white raindrop, preferred to amble past, enraptured by their own routines, their own growth, their own blossoms.

“Flora has its life cycles. The same goes for everything in life. Some things and people appear and disappear in a single season, with only pictures or a passing thought to retain them in your psyche, whilst others, either on their own accord or by joining forces with like minded souls become a continuous presence. You see, even those who you had to say goodbye to were precious. Because they are irreversibly a part of you. Anything you do, anyone you meet is an addition to that beautiful blossoming tree, just like you are to theirs.”

Seonghwa shifted his gaze towards you, taking in your serenity as you basked in the April sun. Leaving behind the flowery umbrella and with it the rainy days, he was caught in a silent bliss, eagerly waiting for each tomorrow, all while living vicariously through every today. He found himself reconnecting with passion, with art. No longer was he functioning for the sake of appearances, but was well and truly living. After having assumed he had to love only beauty and solely seek perfection - the exact notion which had resulted in his near demise, it was a breath of fresh, resurrecting air to discover that to truly love, meant to love the silence, the obsoletion and the absence. Now, as one season changed into another, and as gorgeous blossoms fell to turn into colourful water streams he was able to sit back and quietly observe the metamorphosis instead of mourning it. Because he knew that this meant there would be a future, with new colours, new leaves, new blossoms.

“Life does not stand still…” he murmured, squeezing your hand ever so slightly, a warmth spreading in his chest as your eyes met his and your lips curled into a soft, adorable gleam. 

“And what do you think about that?” you held your breath, your heart swelling with pride as you urged Seonghwa to go on.

“I find it to be… like love itself. Even in the quietude of the branches left bare, the fondness and awareness of knowing they had once been home to thousands of petals makes it worth it. And, as such, they never leave, turning into a transformative forever.”

The heavens sighed, a strong breeze washing over the park, your two forms settled on the wooden bench, the shedding canopies of white. Blossoms erupted in a visual catharsis, and scattered across the earth as far as the eye could see. The final flickers of this beautiful season’s embers. And yet, it did not feel like a dismal, all-encompassing finale, but rather the end of the beginning. While Seonghwa did not know what this renaissance would bring, and what florescence shall be his future guide, he was confident that in his newfound tranquillity, you were the reason why loving was easy. Why love was like being brought back to life.

“It is easy to believe in ‘the end’. And takes an infinite, intrinsic love, transcending time and seasons to believe in ‘forever’.” you agreed, and gazed at the scene before you. The glimmering waters of a pond - the sky’s mirror, dotted with brilliant ethereal cotton, soothed by the wind’s caresses. You and Seonghwa watched on as the floral dancers cascaded down in their closing act, elegantly waving their farewells before settling on lapping foam. 

Slowly, he was learning the intricacies, the little things that formed a delicate equilibrium that was adoration, devotion, enamourment. Equanimous, Seonghwa wanted nothing more than to live in this ever-changing present, and, with you, love the beauty and the silence after it had fallen.

Seasons came and went; he broke your heart in the icy winter, you learned to fill the hollow in your chest by spring - as the cherry blossoms that reminded you so much of him blossomed - and by the beginnings of summer, you liked to believe you were alright, sort of." god damn writer u pulled my heart with these few sentences this was incredibly heart touching and beautiful wording 🥺❣

“I know I broke your heart but let me put it back together again.”  😭😭😭 this was so cute!! at the same time I'm like hwa please 🤨 don't act like that again! but men will be men as usual haha

how you get the girl - park seonghwa

"say it's been a long six months and you were too afraid to tell her what you want. and that's how it works, that's how you get the girl. and then you say; i want you for worse or for better, i would wait for ever and ever, broke your heart, i'll put it back together, i would wait for ever and ever"

pairing: park seonghwa x fem!reader

genre: fluff, angst if you really really squint

word count: 1.8k

warnings: hwa being dumb

author's note: thank you so so so much to @hoonieversed for proofreading this for me, you're literally an angel <3 this is quite literally a brain rot generated by cutting up strawberries while listening to how you get the girl by taylor swift and thinking of seonghwa,,, yeah.

masterlist | navi

Six months since he disappeared from your life leaving a hollow right in your chest. You would be foolish to say that you did not want him anymore even after so long, even when he left without an explanation. 

“I just think we don’t work anymore.”

That was all he had left you with, no more, no less. And what could you do if not let him go? You couldn’t force him to stay with you if that was not what he wanted anymore. It hurt like hell, but you foolishly kept telling yourself that he would be back if he really loved you. Delusion? Perhaps. Some “if you love them, you have to let them go” type bullshit. That was what you chose to believe. What you had to believe to not fall apart.

Seasons came and went; he broke your heart in the icy winter, you learned to fill the hollow in your chest by spring - as the cherry blossoms that reminded you so much of him blossomed - and by the beginnings of summer, you liked to believe you were alright, sort of. Now, you would be lying saying you did not want answers for whatever was on his mind when he broke up with you. You also started hating the part of you that still loved him - that still cared - anyway.

The cashier’s cough pulled you from your thoughts, looking at you expectantly once your eyes focused back on them. Right, you needed to pay. You handed over the cash with a sheepish smile, quickly accepting the change and picking up the bag of groceries. Faced with the automated doors of the supermarket you sighed in surrender; the rain was unforgiving tonight. You made a beeline for your car, muttering curses under your breath for forgetting your umbrella. 

A short car ride later, and another mad-dash under the downpour, and you were in the comfort of your apartment, sighing in relief. After a hot shower, you put together a quick dinner to enjoy on the couch; a little treat to end the horrible week coming now to an end. 

Only, when you turned on the TV, his favorite movie was playing. You let out an exaggerated groan of frustration, more so because, once again, you thought of him. Only the pitter patter of the rain outside gave you small comfort, like it always had. You switched to Netflix quickly, a bitter taste in your mouth upon realizing stupid, trivial things like these could still get a reaction out of you. And it was safe to say that your mood only soured when the doorbell rang, interrupting the near-perfect peace and quiet of your apartment. You sighed, getting up, wondering who it could be so late at night. 

Apparently, the last person you expected it to be.

“Are you insane?” were the first words that left your mouth upon seeing him standing at the entrance, big brown eyes pleading and wet like a dog. Not bad for the first interaction you had with him in six months. 

Seonghwa stood there like a ghost, hair wet and clothes clinging to him as if he had walked under the rain to get there. Had he? You stood there, looking in each other’s eyes, trying to have a silent conversation. 

Are you just going to stand there and not say anything? 

Please, let me in, let me explain. 

Why should I? 

Conflicted, you still cracked the door open a little wider. His eyes lit up for the briefest of moments but he stood his ground, refusing to move until you said so. You jerked your head, motioning him to come in. You couldn’t just turn him away. 

“Hold on” you said, disappearing down the hallway only to emerge a minute later with a big towel and slippers. He silently accepted them, quick to discard his wet shoes and quickly pat his hair down after closing the door behind him.

You stood, stealing glances, not really knowing what to say given the absurdity of the situation. This was not what you had planned for the night in the slightest. Your head was just about to explode with the amount of questions spinning around in it. You thought you’d never see him again.

“I’m sorry for showing up out of the blue,” his voice was quiet and low and you couldn’t help but scoff. “It’s been a long six months and I… I wanted to talk.”

“Talk?” shocked could barely cover what you were feeling right then. He wanted to talk? “Couldn’t you have texted?” 

Seonghwa must have sensed the frustration in your voice, you saw it in the way his shoulders sagged a bit. 

“I was walking by and-” he sighed. “I don’t know, I just wanted to see you.”

Oh, this was rich. 

“Weren’t you the one who suggested not doing that ever again?” you crossed your arms, voice accusatory. You could not believe this in any capacity. You sighed, after all, wasn’t this what you wanted all along? For him to show up and give you answers? Looking back at him and seeing him stand there, a little lost, a little afraid, made your heart twist. You silently led him to the kitchen, where he sat and waited as you fixed up hot tea for the both of you. 

“I was afraid,” he said, still not meeting your eyes, when you set his cup down in front of him. Your eyes widened a bit, not expecting this from him at all. You sat down, suddenly with shaky legs. 

“I was too afraid to tell you what I really wanted,” finally, he looked at you, that familiar look of sadness in his eyes making your heart speed up the littlest bit. “Which I don’t know how translated into me leaving you, I must’ve lost my mind. I’m sorry.”

There was a part of you, the one who had kicked in when he left, that was resisting against it. That was reminding you of all the ways you had grown to be without him, of how you could do it alone. Then there was another, a bigger, part of you pulling at your heart, saying that yes, you could live without him, but you did not want to. 

“I don’t know if sorry will cut it, Seonghwa.” Despite this, you felt yourself giving in, which you still were not sure was a good thing. 

“Don’t you miss it?” he asked, leaning closer. Your breath hitched. “How things used to be when we were together? I do. I miss waking up to you, talking to you, hell, I just miss you.” 

Of course you did, who were you trying to kid. You missed how he always made sure to pack your lunch when he packed his, how he knew to hold you a little tighter when you were stressed beyond belief and whispered sweet nothings in your ear until you fell asleep. When you came back home after a long day and found that he had let himself in with his spare key, and was waiting for you with a warm meal ready. And how after, a little tipsy from the wine, he would suggest dancing. How you would not have time to answer that he was already pulling your giggling figure off the chair and into his arms, gently swaying around the kitchen as he sang softly.

He was so attentive, so loving, everything you ever wanted. You missed loving him, being loved by him.

“Why?” you despised the tears burning in your eyes, blurring the sight of his face. A beat of silence. You blinked, letting the tears fall, seeing him in no better condition.

“I was afraid I needed you more than you needed me,” he whispered. Your heart gave a painful tug in your chest, mind racing, asking how could he believe something so untrue. 

Silence hung thick in the room and Seonghwa started doubting his decision of showing up. His heart was beating to the rhythm of the word stupid, stupid, stupid. Of course you wouldn’t want anything to do with him after he broke your heart in such a way, of course you would have nothing to say to him anymore. But something inside him broke, and all that he had kept bottled up for months came pouring out of his mouth in a shaky, stumbling rant.

“I never wanted anyone else but you. I want you for worse or for better, and I know I don’t deserve another chance, but I would wait forever for you. I won’t be the same idiot again. I should’ve talked to you back then and I’ve been kicking myself over it all this time.” 

And there they were, the words you had wanted, yearned, to hear for six months. Big, brown, desperate eyes staring at you and all. In them, you searched the love you were so used to seeing, a soft gasp leaving your lips when you found it. 

“I know I broke your heart but let me put it back together again.” 

You sat, numb, words failing you, as you let your emotions wash over you like a bucket of ice-cold water. There was no doubt in your mind that you still loved him, that you wanted him. Floored by the apology of the century, the wildest dream of anyone wanting their person back, you didn’t notice the hopeful look in his watery eyes vanishing, his shoulders dropping.

“I’ll go,” Seonghwa smiled curtly, beginning to stand. You pulled him back down by the hand, heart beating so loudly in your chest that you were afraid he was going to hear it. 

“I don’t want you to,” his eyes widened upon hearing your words. 

There were a lot of things you knew Park Seonghwa to be, and one of them was being genuine. He had never lied to you, not now, not when he left you. Yes, he should have talked to you, but even then he had acted on what he believed to be the truth. 

“Really?” his voice was barely above a whisper, eyes searching for any indication of the opposite on your face. 

“Seonghwa, you quite literally got the girl,” a small smile tugged at your lips as he still looked at you, lost. “You better know how to keep her this time” 

His wide, beaming smile melted your heart, you had not seen it in a while. You hoped you got to see it forever. You pulled him into you and he happily welcomed you in his arms, hiding his face in the crook of your neck. You felt his tears wet your skin, just as yours were his shirt. 

“Please never believe that I don’t need you, Seonghwa,” you whispered against his chest. 

“I promise.” 

Seonghwa knew this hurt he put you both through was all his fault. Of all the mistakes he had ever made, giving you away was his worst one yet. He would never let go of you, never again, not when you were the only thing he had ever gotten right.

ateez fic recs

main masterlist

· · ♡ · · tysm to the amazing creative minds of the writers for giving me sevaral moments of joy reading your creations

i´ll be constantly updating this list so make sure to check it out often for new recs ;)))

pls remember to reblog if you like any of my recs❤️

ot8 / poly

ateez as boyfriends - smut, the description is so- just read it pls, you´ll get the visuals

loved - angstttty, they make you feel insecure about the relationship so you leave and they want to kts, part 2

mythical beings! ateez as your boyfriend - 80% crack, mingi is def my fave one lmao

in the same class - they´re so fucking flirty and hot and sdfksjdfkjsldkfjh i loved it, yuhno plays too much, the yeosang one would me be fr, mINGI MANSPREADING YESSS

when they have a crush - love love love, so fluffy

realizing they´re in love with you - so fluffly too :(

hongjoong

he´s kinda hot - demon! joong, he kills ur ex-bf bc he sold his soul for some stupid shit, now he wants you

seonghwa

biker seonghwa - slice of life, brother´s best friend! hwa, yeosang as the brother, he is flirtyyy, "pretty girls don't use their pretty mouths to lie"

san

fucking you stupid - idol!san, this made me want to sCREAAAAAMMMM bc wtf????, he is MEAN but at the same time it´s an aPoLogY kind of fuckinG?? ikyfl, he marks you,, LITERALLY.

car accident - angst, angst, angst, aNGSTTTTTT, my god. reader is pregnant with twins, read if you want to fucking crY :)

glimpse of us - a lil angsty angst, break up au

his princess - smut, fluff, bad boy! san, innocent spoiled! reader, he´s obsessed with her, so so in love

wooyoung

mingi

the princess treatment chronicles -fluff, crack, f2l, best friend!mingi, he has this 5 step princess treatment list and falls in love with whoever completes it.. yes, reader gave him princess treatment, as she should. this is really cute, she does everthing on accident and he paniCKS bc they´re besties and all that, very very cute

virgin loser!mingi - smut, shy! mingi, brain dead every time he sees you, he´s a fucking pervvv skdfskjd, dirty thoughts 24/7, dreams of you, watches porn thinking of you, ass man (canon), he´s so obsessed omg

you´re drunk - slice of life, I LOVE ITTTTTTTTTT, bf! mingi taking care of drunk oc but she doesn´t recognizes him, he call her "tiny" :(, he fixes her skirt :(((,

no good - angst, cheating au

yeosang

prince yeosang - royalty au, I LOVETHISSSSSSSS, he´s so husband material :(, it´s so well written

his fan - ido! yeo, baby daddy! yeo, long distance relationship, he falls in love with a fan at a meet & greet, pregnancy, he just wants his own lil family :( so cute

yunho

yunho as your boyfriend - fluff, smut, I hate thESEEE bc they make me so delusional sdlfjsdfj

hands - smut, "do you want to breathe or do you want to cum" SIR?????

size kink - smut, we already know yunho is a big mf, tiny! reader, you wear one of his shirts and goes all praise kink on you, we love that

size training - smut, size kink, wwwwhat do you mean size trAINING??? what is we talking about rn??

jongho

so lovely - fluff, you take care of him after a show, this is so CUTE, it´s pure sweet love

ateez as royals who fall for you (hyung line)

read maknae line here

genre: royalty!ateez x fem!reader, fluff, angst, smut, crack, a brainrot and smutfest of royal tropes

length: 12.8k

c/w: very nsfw scenes - mdni, explicit language (dirty talk, swearing, insults), death, violence, blood & injuries, weapons, heavy & mature themes (sex work, murder, assassination, execution, mentions of misogyny)

a/n: this has simultaneously been the pride and joy of my life and the bane of my entire existence for the last 2.5 months 🥴 and tumblr is an inept incapable CLOWN who cannot handle the full 24k worth of bullet points so here is the hyung line first - maknae line coming soon (yumi @sorryimananti-romantic can vouch for my unsuccessful 3-hour attempt at formatting them into a single post)

hongjoong

pov: you're the king's royal courtesan

“fuck,” hongjoong lets out a deep growl from within his chest as his head dips down to rest against the crook of your neck. “you’re just as tight as last time”

when your hips involuntarily buck from the pleasure, he nudges your thighs further apart and keeps your wrists pinned above your head

he can’t help but let out another groan when he feels your walls clench around his cock as you adjust to his thickness

“i thought- god,” a moan escapes you after he thrusts his hips against you, “thought you never fucked the same woman twice”

“i don’t,” he simply says

and it’s true

hongjoong is one of the youngest princes to have ruled during the kim dynasty, having risen to power after the previous king succumbed early to an unknown illness

he has the choice and selection of all the courtesans available within the palace and outside its walls

hongjoong also has a reputation of being highly sought after by everybody, not just amongst courtesans

it’s not only because he is devilishly handsome, knows how to properly fuck somebody dumb, and is the literal king

the main thing that makes him so desirable and unreachable?

he never sees the same courtesan more than once

“yet here you are,” you hook your legs around hongjoong’s waist to gain leverage and meet his thrusts with your own hips, “between my legs for the second time”

you smirk when he curses and throws his head back

his grip on your wrists tightens and his voice drops dangerously low

“the first time doesn’t count because i was meant to see lady chae. so really, this is the first time i’m requesting for your services”

he silences you from retorting by pressing a bruising kiss against you, lips messily attaching to yours before trailing down the sharp angle of your jaw to bite your neck

you are a courtesan for people of nobility and royal status

part of the ‘house of flowers’ and commonly referred to as ‘flower courtesans’, you and the other women are highly-sought after for the companionship you offer

you are well protected by the house of flowers though - the services of companionship that you provide is requested by your client, but is ultimately accepted or rejected by you

lady chae, another of the flower courtesans and one of your closest friends, is requested by the king for her services

it is quite clear what it is going to entail and you both spend several of the following nights giggling and whispering scandalously to one another

whether the rumours about his stamina will be true

whether lady chae will be the first to break his one-fuck rule

except when the day of the meeting comes around, she spikes a sudden fever

lady shin, the head of the house of flowers, takes all but one look at her before ordering her to bed rest despite both of your attempts to, albeit unconvincingly, persuade lady shin that chae’s fever would only serve to help make the king’s dick warmer

lady shin is not amused to say the least

with the last minute hitch, the king agrees for you to be sent out to him as a replacement instead

and you end up being the flower courtesan who he breaks his reputed rule for

(lady chae is initially jealous, understandably)

(but very quickly, she appears to be even more excited than you are as she combs through your undergarments for the “sluttiest set” that she can find)

your attention is brought back as hongjoong flicks his tongue over your hardened nipples, continuing to drag his length in and out of you while your back arches off the bed

you tease in between short breaths, “are you really bringing up another woman’s name while you have your cock inside me?”

“you brought it up first,” he reminds you, accentuating his answer with timed thrusts

you grind your hips against his, chasing more friction against your clit as you feel your high approaching

“why?” he snakes one of his hands down between your connected torsos to rub messy circles against your clit, smirking as he asks, “are you getting jealous already?”

for that, you clench down hard on his cock, immediately feeling the way it throbs inside of you as you bring him closer to his orgasm too

“as if. fuck off”

your words are hardly audible from the whines that are leaving your mouth due to the added pressure of another finger against your clit from your retaliation

“i’m close,” hongjoong releases his grip on your wrists so that he can straighten his body, anchoring his hand on your hip instead so that he can fuck you and rub your clit with his other hand with renewed vigour

when you hear him groan, “cum for me,” the string snaps and your whole body quivers in his hold as your orgasm washes over you

hongjoong’s hips gradually stutter to a pause, an occasional thrust inside your clenching pussy as he milks out the rest of his cum inside of you

he finally eases himself out of you and hums in satisfaction as he watches his cum slowly leak out of you

hongjoong drops down beside you, toned chest covered in a sheen layer of sweat as it rises up and down with his pants

when your fuzzy mind has cleared a little from the blissful haze of your orgasm, he strokes his fingertips along the side of your thigh, along the curve of your ass, and over the dip of your waist just under your breasts as he says, “you better not be jealous. first one to get jealous loses”

“if anyone’s going to get jealous first, it’s you,” you scoff back

he raises an eyebrow

oh yeah?

he shoves his leaking cum back inside of you and fingers you to another orgasm

now that shuts you up

for a man who barks, he sure has no bite, because you find yourself being notified by lady shin several days later of yet another request for your services under the king’s name

and another request turns into another

and every single time, hongjoong makes sure that the only word leaving your lips for those many hours is his moaned name

but at the same time, the more you and hongjoong meet, the more he just savours in your simple companionship

he asks you to teach him how to embroider because you’ve mentioned before it’s how you like to spend your free evenings

he rifles through your bag of materials that you bring

you smack his hand away at the carelessness with which he’s upturning everything

“what’s this?” he holds up a large, wooden hoop before trying to fit it through his head, “a necklace?”

“i wonder if people know they appointed an idiot to be king,” you say as you gently unscrew the hoops and demonstrate how to align a piece of fabric between the rings

he watches with interest as you screw the outer hoop tighter until the fabric is nice and taut and then repeat the process so you both have one to work with

you have to help hongjoong thread his needle too, because apparently the king’s fingers are only good for scissoring you open

you weave your own needle through the fabric at a slow pace whilst telling him the different names and uses of the stitches you’re showing him

except, when you look up to see if he’s following?

his own hoop has been abandoned to one side and he’s leaning against his hand as he gazes cheekily at you

“were you even paying attention?”

he sounds a little too confident when he answers not at all

in return, hongjoong shows you how to write hanja the next time you meet

he positions himself behind you with his hand over yours as he guides you through different characters stroke by stroke

he claims that there are specific ways of applying pressure to the brush so he has to be holding your hand at all times

you most definitely roll your eyes several times but you indulge him anyway

there are a lot of giggles and teasing pushes when you accidentally dip the end of your sleeve into the ink and you try to spread it onto his robes too

(the calligraphy may or may not become forgotten when hongjoong pins you down to stop your cheeky behaviour, because things naturally escalate whenever he has you under him)

you two do eventually manage to finish one decent-looking scroll of characters which he ends up gifting you so that you ‘don’t forget’ about him when you’re not with him

when you walk back into the house of flowers, the hanging scroll perks lady shin’s interest as you walk past

“hongjoong taught me how to write my name today”

lady shin waggles her eyebrows at you suggestively because of how casually you refer to the king, for which you nudge her with a shoulder

she laughs then asks to have a look

you unravel the paper to show her but then she makes a funny noise

“that’s not your name? these are the characters for- oh,” she cackles scandalously to herself, as if she has made a secret discovery

“what does it mean?” you hurry to clarify

you wouldn’t put it past him to have taught you a crude phrase instead, like ‘best tits’ or ‘biggest ass’

lady shin lets out an amused exhale, handing the scroll back to you

“it says, my flower”

you’re looking at those exact characters from where you lay on your bed when a knock sounds on your door several days later

lady shin steps into your room with a warm smile as you greet her

“you have an appointment with lord min tomorrow, but the king has just inquired about your service availability for tomorrow,” she informs you. “would you like me to give him the usual answer?”

this isn’t the first time a clash has occurred, particularly with the increasing frequency with which hongjoong requests to see you

you have always told lady shin to ask for hongjoong’s pardon and to offer him an alternative time or day, because in the end, you still need to maintain a professional and admirable reputation as a flower courtesan

and as you open your mouth to tell her ‘yes’, your eye catches the scroll hanging on your wall

my flower

you hesitate

“actually,” you look away from the hanja, “i’ll see hongjoong.”

lady shin gives you a motherly smile as she nods in understanding and closes the door behind her

the next day you see him, he excitedly points out the large tambour frame in his room that he bought just a few days prior, claiming you two can work on a big embroidery patch together now

you give him one look then demote him back to the small embroidery hoop because he still hasn’t learnt his basic stitches yet

(that’ll teach him to not pay attention when you’re demonstrating, ha)

you relent and end up going through the different stitches with him again anyway

and you find that he’s actually not that bad with embroidery once he’s actually focused on the task at hand

it’s nice, basking in each other's presence while he threads his little square of fabric and you work with the large frame you have now essentially claimed as yours

not that hongjoong minds; he did buy it solely to make you happy

and then you offhandedly mention that someone had gifted you a handkerchief with your initials embroidered on one of the corners the other day

“i actually have it on me, in fact,” and you take it out from where it’s tucked into your waist so that you can show him

he juts out his chin as he peers down at the delicate letters, huffing, “it’s pretty, i guess”

then as an afterthought he tacks on, “bet i could do a better job”

“are you jealous right now, kim hongjoong?”

said man is hellbent on avoiding your eyes as he picks up his needle and thread again

“no i’m not!”

“whatever you say,” you smirk

after that day though, you don’t receive another request from hongjoong to meet until two weeks later

which, in the grand scheme of things, really isn’t much

but in comparison to the frequency at which you are used to seeing him, the frequency at which your body is used to having him, it is much too long

you are almost beginning to wonder whether you shouldn’t have brought up the handkerchief gift

yet, he greets you with his usual teasing squeeze of your waist, dangerously close to your ass

you make a move to follow him through the doors to his chambers but he turns around to produce a silk cloth

he starts to blindfold you, whispering sultrily, “i have a surprise for you”

you feel the hairs on the back of your neck raise at his tone

guiding you inside, hongjoong gently pushes you down so that you sink into the plush duvet of his bed

“do you trust me?” he whispers

trying not to dwell on the urge to lick your dry lips, you answer, “of course”

you feel him tugging slowly on the string that holds the front of your corset together, loosening your dress with tenderness like you are a fragile gift

you shiver when your shoulders are suddenly exposed to the cold air

and then the sensation is followed by the warmth of hongjoong’s soft exhales along the expanse of your collarbones as he leans closer to fully disrobe your shoulders

you have to remind yourself to keep breathing

“you can look now,” he tells you

you remove the silk cloth from around your eyes, unsure of what to expect

it takes a few blinks to readjust your vision to the room around you but then your eyes finally focus

and you gasp

there, hung on the wall with its striking viridian green, shimmering threads and intricate swirls on glorious display, is quite possibly the most stunning dress you have ever laid eyes upon

“try it on,” he encourages

but as you step closer, you realise the lacing across the front of the corset and running down the sleeves of the top dress is in fact, not lacing

it’s patchy

it’s uneven

it has empty areas

but it is no doubt embroidery

“did you…did you make this?” you reach out a hand to lightly caress one of the embroidered flowers, not quite daring to believe that hongjoong would go to these lengths for you

“of course,” he wraps his arms around you from behind and presses a light kiss against your temple, “i’m not losing to a lousy handkerchief”

“is that why you disappeared for two weeks?”

you let out a laugh, sinking into his embrace, because the image of the great king holed up in his chambers for days on end, hunched over your dress with a needle, thread and frown on his face is just too endearing

he lets out a warning huff as he turns you around in his embrace to face him

upturning his hands, he shows you the tips of his fingers and grumbles, “i poked myself so many times for you and you laugh at me?”

you bring his hands closer to your face, pressing light kisses to his fingertips as you smile, “thank you, joong. i love it so much, i really do”

he looks at you impossibly soft

under his tender gaze, something suddenly rushes to your very core

you hold one his hands steady in front of your lips then swirl your tongue out in an experimental lick over his fingers

it’s almost captivating how quickly his pupils dilate and zero in on your tongue

so you dare to bring his fingers into your mouth

you suck on them a little harder

a little deeper

and then you moan around his fingers, “i want you”

he lets out a groan himself, feeling the front of his breeches tighten as his cock twitches

“i- fuck, i didn’t give the dress to you in hopes that it would lead to this,” yet despite his words he is stepping you backwards so that he can pin you against the wall

“i know, but i want you,” you palm his growing bulge, your knees going weak at how hard he already is. “and i need you. now.”

he doesn’t need further encouragement

he shoves the remainder of your clothes aside before inserting his fingers roughly between your folds

it doesn’t take long for him to bring you to your first orgasm, curling his fingers relentlessly as you ride them

he spreads your cum over your pussy and you buck your hips with a whine when he circles over your clit briefly

then he’s turning you around and bending you over, one of your hands bracing against the wall, your other arm held behind your back by hongjoong’s firm grasp

“fuck, you’re so wet,” his whole body shivers with pleasure as his cock slips right into you

the obscene sounds of his hips slapping against your ass and your slick being pushed back into your hole over and over again fill the room

and to the clenching of your pussy from another orgasm, hongjoong also cums into you with a guttural groan of your name

he gently carries you to his bed and lays you on top of the covers

he leaves your side for a moment and you listen to him rummage through something while you try to regain control of your quaking legs

when he comes back, you feel him gently spreading your legs and then the ticklish sensation of a soft cloth along your inner thighs

a whine escapes your lips when he rubs over your sensitive clit and hongjoong grips your thigh a little tighter

“be careful what pretty sounds you’re making if you can’t handle another round”

it isn’t until he finishes cleaning you up and lies down next to you to start wiping himself down that you look over and realise what it is that he’s been using this whole time

your mouth drops in disbelief

when hongjoong notices your expression, he smirks, “the man who gave you this has no idea his handkerchief is being used to clean my cum off your thighs”

“hongjoong!” you flush with a laugh. “you are definitely jealous, aren’t you?”

“yes, i’m fucking jealous,” he growls, “you’re the only one i want. you’re the only woman i’ve been requesting for since i’ve seen you. and i want to be the only one who gets to have you, too”

you confess, “well, you can have all of me. because i’ve started refusing other people just for you”

he looks at you for another moment before he’s suddenly straddling your hips

“change of plans,” he says breathily, “i need you again”

“very good plan,” you grind up against him

and then you pause, mirth starting to bubble in your throat, “one last thing though”

hongjoong looks down with amusement in his own eyes, wondering what could possibly be so funny

“that handkerchief?” you start, struggling not to laugh when his eyes immediately narrow, “i never said it was from a man. it was a gift from lady chae”

seonghwa

pov: you're his royal guard

as soon as you notice the movement out of the corner of your eye, your body reacts straight away

you murmur seonghwa’s name with a tight voice and move to position yourself in front of him, unwilling to risk the prince’s safety

one of your hands grasps the hilt of your sword, ready to unsheathe it at the first sign of danger, as your calculative gaze darts between the two young men stumbling closer on the dirt path and the line of forest trees from which they appear

they are wearing simple tunics and breeches with their colour faded and seams loosening from wear

from what you can discern, they are simply commoners, but that does not rule out the possibility that they are bandits

seonghwa seems to think otherwise, though

unsurprising but still grating

the prince places his hand on your shoulder gently in a silent reassurance and request for you to step aside

albeit reluctantly, you force yourself to move to his left

it becomes clear to you as the two figures stop just shy of a few feet away that the term ‘men’ was pushing it - their faces are young and they appear to be no older than seventeen or eighteen

the young strangers dip their head in greeting, one of them apologising as well as he pulls out a tattered map that he extends out for you two to see

“my companion and i are traveling to the village norshaw but seem to have lost our way. would you be able to point us in the right direction?” the one with the map asks

“of course,” seonghwa offers with a kind smile

you watch as the three of them step closer together to look more closely at the map

on high alert, and just as you are predicting, you see the companion shuffle closer to seonghwa, hand inching towards the leather pouch that hangs from the prince’s belt

you catch the subtle motion of seonghwa’s eyes flickering down just an inch

because of how well you understand his body language, you know that it means he has already noticed the thieving intention

but because of how well you understand seonghwa, you know that he isn’t going to do anything about it either

so you strike in his stead

your hand darts out to snatch the thieve’s wrist, twisting his forearm upwards so that he is forced to lean awkwardly towards one side to prevent his elbow from snapping

his partner drops the map, letting out a string of curses and hesitating for all but three seconds before he turns around to flee

scoffing, you threaten the one who is still in your hold, who then bolts with his tail between his legs after you release him

"did you really need to scare them off like that? it's not like i had any money in the pouch anyway," seonghwa chastises with a chuckle

"yes," you deadpan. "i did not spend the last two hours of our trip pausing every fifty meters to wait for you to pick up a rock because you thought it looked pretty, only for them to be stolen by a pair of petty thieves"

"it would have been funny to imagine their faces after realising what they stole," seonghwa grins

“mhm,” you hum, “and the next thing you know, you’ll wake up to your palace ransacked, because word in town is that you can steal from the prince and get away with it”

he levels you with a boyish scowl, “you’re so dramatic. what are you, my mother?”

“no, but i am your royal bodyguard”

“exactly. you are my bodyguard, not my brainguard. if i am to be swindled of my pretty rocks, then so be it”

you roll your eyes out of exasperation, but everything is swiftly forgotten minutes later when you point out a heart-shaped rock and seonghwa rushes over to pick it up

it has been like this ever since the incident occurred - him, the sunshine; you, the sunshine protector

it has been almost four years since it happened

somebody had attempted arsenic poisoning of not only seonghwa, but also those working under him

you had noticed strange discolouring of the silverware in the kitchen and on the table serving his dinner, which prompted an investigation and subsequent discovery of the perpetrator

an act of betrayal and treachery by one of his closest relatives - his very own uncle

seonghwa was - still is - too merciful and tender-hearted to punish his uncle, even if the severity of his uncle’s crimes warranted execution

to have his trust broken so shatteringly hurt seonghwa more than if he were to actually have been poisoned

you still remember like it was yesterday; the sight of the prince slumped against the wall, weighed down by chains of turmoil and despair as whispers fly through the palace of the weak-hearted prince who is unable to deliver fair judgement

it is the sight of the prince looking so small and lost that drives your feet forward to stand before him

as the soft draught coming through the windows tugs gently on your tresses and the flickers of candlelight illuminate the glint of steel in your hand, you make a decision

“i’ll be your sword,” you pledge

not just as his royal guard, but as his haven when he is forced to face corruption and wickedness

and when you see the way his shoulders immediately sag with relief at your declaration, the way he nods like a child who has been reassured that everything will be okay, you tell yourself that seonghwa will never have to dirty his hands as long as you are with him

you will be the dark to his light; the yin to his yang

quietly, you see to it that his uncle is executed for his crimes - your statement to the rest of the palace that prince seonghwa is not to be mocked

neither of you bring it up again, but seonghwa knows

he pulls you into a wholehearted hug, arms enveloping you securely as his chest shakes with shuddering breaths of thank you over and over again

you rub your hand up and down his sturdy back soothingly

it is an action that simultaneously reciprocates his embrace and his crossed line of professionalism

one that starts the shift in dynamic between you both, boundaries of sought comfort blurring with friendship and then something more

where seonghwa is too trusting and too soft-spoken, you become his skepticism and his voice

“you should be more wary of others,” you always remind him

“and you should be more trusty of others,” he’ll retort

yet, he will never make a decision that does not receive your input nor one that you do not agree with

where seonghwa is too gentle and too humble, you become his sword and his shield

you do not waver when you strike down foe, and friends turned foe alike

you speak up and establish firm boundaries when others take advantage of the respect he shows everybody regardless of their class or status

and yet, if you find yourself on the receiving end of someone’s condescension or discriminatory treatment, be it due to your rank as a guard or identity as a woman, seonghwa will be advancing forward to defend you before you can do so yourself

where seonghwa is too innocent and too bushy-tailed, you become his eyes and his caution

your morning walks together always last for longer than they are scheduled for

he stops to watch every butterfly and bumblebee that flutters along the flowery path, and he waits for caterpillars to crawl onto a leaf that he holds by the stem so that he can move the critters off the pathway

you love to watch him and his glittering eyes, his cheeks rosy from happiness and from the air still crisp with morning dew

but you also make sure to watch his surroundings with greater vigilance because the quiet peace that the freshly awoken sun brings simultaneously increases the likelihood of a targeted attack against him

as much as you rib him for being a marshmallow personified, however, and as much as he banters back that you are more than welcome to resign at any time, neither of you want it any other way

seonghwa carries out a lot of gestures that he justifies to himself as being eternally grateful for you and the things you do for him

he likes to gift you flowers he has plucked from his garden or the bushes he walks past that remind him of you

(“that’s actually just a very pretty-looking weed, but thank you, seonghwa,” you tell him on more than one occasion)

(it’s adorable, because the next time he finds a flower, he goes to the length of certifying that it is indeed a flower with the merchant who sells bouquets in the nearby town before presenting it to you, eyes gleaming with pride)

you stand still and let him tuck a flower behind your ear, sometimes braiding your hair gently so that he can weave and secure the stem into your hair, holding your breath as his features fill with the same enrapturement that he would admire a beautiful artwork with

after you voice this out one day, seonghwa supposes to himself that there is not much difference between an artwork and you

not that he’s attracted to you or anything - you just…have an objectively attractive face

yes.

especially when your usually-piercing expression is softened by fatigue, guard no longer up as you sleep slumped over a desk while accompanying him during his late night of studies

he does not realise his feet have moved until he is right beside your resting form, as if the soft exhales escaping from your slightly parted lips are a siren’s song

seonghwa tenderly brushes your stray locks away from your face and behind your neck

except he forgets to account for the fact that you are trained to sleep on the brink of consciousness

the squeal that leaves his mouth when your reflexes kick in and you almost slit his throat resounds at a frequency so high you almost believe it comes from your own mouth

you have a grand time watching his beet red face stutter out an excuse as to what exactly he was doing so close to you

needless to say, that is the last time seonghwa ever tries to do anything while you are sleeping

but as much as he bumbles around, he also reveals his perceptiveness when you least expect it

like now, as you accompany the prince to one of his meetings with numerous advisors and ministers

it is relatively dull and uneventful, mostly a cordial appearance to maintain amicable and loyal relationships with his subjects

conversation is limited to pleasantries and at one point, seonghwa even points out the calligraphy paintings hung at the back of the room

everyone nods with throaty laughs as if the paintings are indeed the most exquisite and tasteful artworks they have ever laid their eyes upon

when you and seonghwa arrive back at his chambers following the conclusion of the meeting, he walks over to his bed and shakes the sleeves of his robe over the expanse of his duvet

and out drops a neatly-wrapped sweet, followed by another, then another, until there are enough to amount to two handfuls

baffled, you look at seonghwa, because these are the very same treats that had been plated on the tables during the meeting

“you smuggled candy out of the room?” you try to keep the amusement out of your voice

he peers into his sleeves to ensure there are no more stragglers, before turning to face you as he waves his hands over the small collection of goods on his bed

as if they are-

“for you!” he exclaims almost proudly. “i saw you eyeing them during the meeting so i took some for you”

okay

most definitely proudly 

you feel something tickling you from within, as if he has reached through your chest to directly caress your heart with a delicate finger

“when did you even…” your voice trails off when it comes out a little fonder than you are expecting it to

“remember the paintings i pointed out?” seonghwa giggles, and you think that the hand in your chest is now cradling your heart completely. “i swiped the sweets when everyone was looking back at them”

“thank you, hwa,” you settle on saying, because you do not trust yourself to say anything else

that is more than enough for him, though

which, of course it is - this is seonghwa, with his huge heart that fills easily with the smallest of things

he eagerly hands you one of the treats and you unwrap it to place into your mouth

you’ve had these before, but this one that he has specially grabbed for you tastes remarkably sweeter

you wonder if his lips will taste the same…

but then you accidentally bite your tongue, hard enough to draw blood, and you realise just how wrong you are for letting those fleeting thoughts into your mind

because while you navigate the world in thick droplets of red and sharp glints of silver, seonghwa sees the world in soft hues of pastel and gleaming rays of yellow

how could the two palettes ever blend together harmoniously?

so instead, you grant yourself one last moment of selfishness and pull him into a hug, a gesture that toes the already shaky borders of professionalism yet can still be excused under the guise of friendship

you realise that he has always meant much more to you, but that is what this will stay as - a mere realisation

seonghwa wraps his arms around your form as he relaxes into the way your bodies naturally meld together

it’s strange how easily you slot into his life, his thoughts, his heart

he wonders whether it’s possible for feelings of appreciation to run so deeply and potently within somebody, like a drug that he cannot get enough of

and when you take a step away from him, leaving his chest feeling physically and emotionally empty, he wonders if he is perhaps…

in love with you

following that incident, it is almost as if a switch flips - both of you take several steps away from the line that has been danced around

but neither of you notice the distance because you are both consumed by your own thoughts

until one of your usual morning walks around the castle walls of his palace

seonghwa is wondering whether the bushes you walk past remind you of the flowers he used to gift you and you are debating whether to reach out to brush a petal out of his half ponytail 

then, like deja vu, your eyes flicker towards the burst of movement as a figure covered in black comes darting forwards with their blade raised intended for murder

you immediately start to unsheathe your sword, feet poised and prepared to defend-

until you are harshly tugged back and the prince steps in front of you to parry the strike that the assassin tries to land

it takes your lifetime of training and experience to snap back into focus and thrust your sword into the enemy’s exposed side

when you are sure he is dead, you whirl around to descend upon seonghwa with a voice trembling from both anger and relief

“what in the world were you thinking?” you yell

“i-”

taking a step forward, you toss your sword to one side, “no, actually. you weren’t thinking at all”

“i was afraid that you would get hurt!” he takes his own step closer

“that is my duty!” the volume of your voice raises even more. “i am willing to lay down my life to ensure your safety! i have been guarding you for years now and you have never acted this way. what has changed?”

for a moment, the only sound that punctuates the silence is your harsh breathing

seonghwa swallows

“my feelings…” he whispers, a stark contrast to the peak of emotions you have been riding. “my feelings for you have changed”

your throat tightens at his words

it is your turn to whisper, a noise of confusion leaving your lips

he takes another step closer, bringing himself to stand right in front of you as he looks down earnestly into your eyes

“i’d rather be the protector, and you be the protected”

“but…why?” your heart races with anticipation

“because i’m in love with you” 

right at the invisible border that has been separating you two for as long as you have been his guard, seonghwa now stands, hands wringing together as he awaits a response

“then that makes the two of us,” you confess

you step forward to take your familiar spot on the other side of the line, except this time you do not stop

you stride over the boundary completely to stand by his side

raising yourself onto your tiptoes, you pull him down slightly by the front of his doublet so that you can press a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips

it stretches wider and curves upwards under the nurturing of your own smile

you can’t help but give him another kiss on the other side of his mouth to match the one you just gave him

“from now on,” seonghwa starts, “i’ll be your sword”

you wouldn’t really, and you will fight him to let you continue being his guard, but that doesn’t stop one last teasing question from escaping you

“does this mean i get to retire?”

yunho

pov: you're part of a rebel group

the crown prince is not in his fucking library

for the past three weeks, the crown prince has always been in the royal library at night

until today

under normal circumstances, his royal guards and staff would be alerted to ensure that the deviance in routine is a conscious decision and not an issue of the crown prince missing

except doing that would make your job significantly harder…

considering you have been ordered to assassinate him.

you’re part of the ‘red sun’, a revolutionary movement aiming to overthrow the current monarch

following the debilitating state of the king after falling ill and the subsequent coronation of queen jeong into power, she has since then established numerous royal decrees to keep everyone under her reign on a tight leash

a leash made of barbed wire

people are quick to become resentful and thirsty for an end to the dictatorship and bloodline

although he has made limited public appearances, the crown prince has also developed a reputation rivaling the queen’s

within the second year of the jeong dynasty, red sun has already amassed a multitude of supporters

the focus is currently on growing in numbers, preparing for an imminent revolution and picking off corrupt royals and noblists, be it through incrimination or assassination

dealing with those in positions of higher power is a task only completed by an elite selection of red sun rebels who have distinguished skills and traits that set them apart from peasants and commoners

and you are amongst the elite team

which is why you find yourself staking out on the tiled roof of the imperial palace, clothed in black with a mask and hooded cowl covering your face that blends you in with the darkness of night, on the orders of a higher-up to assassinate the crown prince

except the target is missing; the information you were given is wrong

which never happens

you can’t risk staying around for much longer, especially now that the crown prince has broken his routine

he could be anywhere and so could his royal guards

you shift your body to a crouch and place your hands on the cool tiles beneath you, ready to leave

only to spot a figure, crouched just like you are, on the opposite side of the roof

their face is a black hole of nothing within the shrouded confines of their hood, but you can feel their gaze piercing into you all the same

you run

you scramble to the edge of the roof and nimbly leap off the curved eaves to the neighbouring structure of the study room

when you glance backwards, you see the man - physique now obvious - is keeping up easily along the stepping stones of roofs

this game of cat and mouse isn’t going to work for long

if you don’t get caught by him first, you’re both going to get caught by the palace guards

so you make a split decision and alter your next trajectory lower

keeping your arms outstretched for the eaves, you grab on tightly when your fingers touch the edge of the roof and use your core to kick your legs up to stop your body from slamming into the wall from the momentum of your jump

you let go and drop to the ground like a feline, noiseless, and slink towards a line of trees

then you wait

he’s good, you note to yourself, when the only sound that alerts you to his presence is the quick scuffle of his feet as he softens his impact against the wall and the muted thud of his body landing on the ground

“state your purpose,” he demands, voice low yet firm

you ignore him to ask, “who are you?”

now up close, you can see that the man is wearing attire almost the same as you are, identity also hidden by the his bandana and hood-

wait

even the dark red stitching that subtly replaces the original seam on the right shoulder of his outer clothing is the same

the same as those on the elite team

“one of you,” he confirms your suspicions

except you don’t recognise his voice nor his build

being one of the earliest members of the rebel organisation, you are familiar with all the members who carry out missions like yours

he is not one of them; not one you can trust yet

when you don’t speak, he adds on, “we need to go. the safehouse might be in danger”

we

he refers to the two of you so easily, as if you and him are an unspoken team

you cannot trust this man until you know for sure he is part of red sun, so you ask him

“when is red most beautiful?”

it is a vague question with a fixed answer

one that reflects the heart of the revolutionary itself

during the sunrise of a new beginning 

“during the sunrise of a new beginning,” the man says resolutely

the tension releases from your shoulders 

“okay,” you opt to abandon your original mission. “let’s check on the safehouse”

the man offers you a hand to hike yourself up onto one of the outer walls of the palace before he jumps up himself with ease

you both flip over the top and land in unison

the moon illuminates the ground beneath your feet as you both sprint into the surrounding forest

the safehouse is really just a small hut situated far enough from the palace to stay inconspicuous, yet not close enough to the outer borders of the kingdom to risk discovery by the frequent border patrols

you both slow down as you approach the clearing, steadying your breaths and treading with cautious steps

and then you hear it

the shattering clang of a desperate parry

all it takes is a quick glance at the man by your side before your eyes harden with purpose and your steps are dashing in unison towards the hut

you’re both hit with the smell of a metallic tang in the air, and it’s not from your drawn swords

bursting through the door, you quickly take in the scene before you

several red sun members are scattered around the hut and slumped in varying degrees of injury

it’s easy to spot the intruder; they’re yanking their sword out of a body’s torso as they simultaneously turn to look at you

and it’s hard to miss the royal insignia of the jeong monarch on their chest plate

you have the element of surprise

but only for the next few seconds

you leap forward with the thud of footsteps of your partner following almost immediately, side-stepping once you close the distance to dodge a haphazard swing

there’s a brief break in defense when the enemy tries to aim for another strike that leaves the gap in the side of their armour exposed

you feel the slight resistance of your sword entering flesh as you thrust it forward into them

except when you try to tug it back out, a hand grasps your own and the hilt of your sword, stopping you from stepping away

the enemy has realised they are not going to make it out of this alive

but if they are to die, then they are going to take one last person with them

you.

you see glint of metal as they use their other hand to swing their sword down onto you, only for it to be deflected at the last second by another sword

the man you have met for barely an hour is now at your side with his towering protectiveness

in one smooth kick, his long leg sends the other careening into the wall of the hut with a mighty slam

you feel yourself jerking forward from the enemy’s grasp still on your hand

but the man next to you quickly tucks you into his side before you are also sent sprawling

“check on the others,” he briefly says, and then he is striding towards the fallen intruder

you only spare him another quick glance and then you rush to the nearest figure on the ground

you go around checking for pulses, and for those who are still breathing, the extent of their injuries

there are several casualties but nowhere near as many if you and the man had not come to check on the safehouse

which suddenly makes you pause in your tracks

how did he know about the attack in the first place?

you stretch your legs from their squatted position next to one of the red sun members and turn around to confront him

except…the man has disappeared

and so has the intruder’s body

days later, the question of whether you will chance upon the man again tonight flits through your mind when you find yourself perched in the very same spot on the tiled roof of the palace that gives you a clear view of the royal library

you have received another order to assassinate the crown prince as soon as you see the opportunity arise

this time, the note is accompanied by a cyanide capsule, a non-verbal message that this mission is to occur with your life on the line

you spot him

he’s preoccupied by the scroll in his hand as he makes his way through the shelves of parchments

you wait until he’s walked far enough into the library before you drop down from the roof, keeping your stance low to ensure you stay hidden as you silently move closer

you take out the jagged dagger from its sheath by your waist as you anticipate it will be too difficult to wield your long sword in the narrow aisles

and there the crown prince stands

he has his back to you, exposing him to your mercy

mercy that you have no intention of showing him

the cruel heir to the throne of an even crueler dictatorship deserves none

“it’s you again, isn’t it?”

you freeze

the crown prince still has not turned around to address you, but you can feel the dark gaze of his eyes on you as if he were looking at you

“you were here a few days ago”

fuck

how he knows you have no idea

what you do know though is that you have about two seconds to make a move before you lose this chance to assassinate him completely, and quite possibly, lose your life as well

the pill you have hidden in the breast of your tunic feels heavy

“you are part of red sun, are you not?”

this time the crown prince does turn around to face you, but it isn’t the nonchalance with which he reveals your identity that makes your head reel

it is the warmth and softness in his gaze and the hint of a smile on his face that does

what the actual fuck

you’re convinced that the crown prince is not only heinous, but also batshit crazy

“i am,” you spit out at him, “with orders to assassinate you, in fact”

his mouth thins into a tight line, “the orders you have received are false”

“sounds exactly like something a crown prince would say to avoid being assassinated,” you scoff

but then his next words change everything

“red is most beautiful during the sunrise of a new beginning”

before you have time to fathom the bomb that has just been dropped, your heads swivel simultaneously towards the entrance of the royal library when a voice calls out for the crown prince

“hide,” he hisses urgently

and then he’s stepping further away to conceal your presence as best as possible

you hear the shuffle of footsteps approaching before they stop, dangerously close to where you’re crouched behind a bookshelf

“apologies for interrupting your time, crown prince,” they say

from where you are you can see the crown prince’s expression clear as he lets out a small huff, “i have told you many times to just call me yunho”

“of course, crown prince yunho”

even though you can’t see the other person’s expression, you can hear the amusement in their voice

they continue, “i have the information you have requested for”

“thank you,” you see him - yunho - receive a small scroll. “the queen does not know?”

“no, i made sure to be as discreet as possible”

yunho thanks the other once again and your eyes nearly fall out of their sockets when he bows his head in appreciation as he dismisses them

is this the same crown prince as the rumours?

and what is he doing behind his mother’s back?

you don’t realise you’ve been staring dumbly at him until he’s back in front of you with amusement on his face

he stands tall and proud, robes accentuating his stature and nobility

“who exactly are you,” you dare to ask

your voice is small - you feel small, crouched at his feet like a stark physical representation of the power he holds over you

but then he takes yet another step closer and kneels down so that your eyes meet at the same level

“i am the leader of red sun. the creator of the whole revolution”

your ankles actually do give out at that and you have to seat yourself on the floor

because how is any of this possible?

you must have voiced your thoughts out loud, because before you know it, yunho is crossing his legs and making himself comfortable on the floor right in front of you

it makes you feel so strange

the crown prince’s willingness to make himself an equal before you - and even to his staff from earlier

yunho starts to explain

a change in monarch, particularly one of such dictatorship, requires massive momentum and synergy; something he cannot produce alone nor without the support of the people

thus, red sun came into existence for the exact same reason you and all the other supporters have joined

in hopes of a sunrise one day that marks a new beginning

a new leadership

except recently he has had growing suspicious of the presence of a traitor within the organisation, which were confirmed the night the safehouse was attacked

“that night…that man was you,” you realise, “and that’s how you know who i am”

he nods, “and that’s also how i know your orders are false.” yunho nudges you playfully with his knee, “pretty sure i never ordered for my own assassination”

yunho continues to explain that he had taken the intruder back for interrogation, but then you frown when he reveals the enemy had swallowed a suicide pill before any information could be gained

he has an inkling that someone in a high position of power is involved, since the pills are almost impossible to gain access to, but it cannot be ruled out as a coincidence

“hang on,” you pull down the top of your tunic in a hurry

yunho scrambles to cover his eyes and turns his head as he jokingly sputters out, “woah okay, this is moving a little fast don’t you think?”

you tug impatiently on the sleeve of his robe, telling him to look

yunho hesitates for another second before lowering his hands and realising you have-

“a suicide pill?” 

you look at each other, because this can only mean one thing

the pills are not a coincidence; the enemy is much closer than yunho would like

you’re both unsure how much time there is until the traitor decides to order someone else to assassinate yunho, or worse, decides to finish the job off themselves

but from that very night of discovery, you and yunho work together incessantly against a ticking time bomb

it’s a delicate balance between finding as many leads as you can and spreading out your investigations to stay under the radar

yunho tries to look further into the cyanide pills while you try to uncover any information regarding the order you had been given

whoever is behind it all has kept their tracks hidden well

there isn’t much to report from either of your ends whenever you sneak into the palace to meet up with yunho

but he makes it very hard for you to feel discouraged when he makes your meetings seem like casual catch ups between - you dare say - friends

you have yet to catch him by surprise whenever you drop down from the roof in front of him in an attempt to scare him; he has an uncanny ability to sense your presence

except, you think you prefer being unsuccessful, because your indignant grumbles never fail to bring out his toothy grin and an excited body jiggle

other times he is the one trying to fluster you

“remember that time you literally tried undressing yourself in front of me-”

“i was taking the pill out to show you!” 

you bring your thumb and index finger closer together in front of your face and squint at the gap

“i am this close to changing my mind and assassinating you after all”

he gets a kick out of it, pretending to beg for your mercy, “oh please spare me, your majesty”

other times, yunho teases you for always keeping your cowl and mask on

“bet it’s because you’re ugly or something,” he jokes

and you bite back that he had his face covered too when you both met, so you’re one to talk, ugly

“but since then i’ve always shown you my face as the crown prince. you can see me nice and clear,” he suddenly leans forward, so close you can see the dip of his cupid’s brow. “what do you think about me now?”

you swallow hard

you’re glad you have your mask on because you can feel your face rapidly heating up

“i think…” you gently cup his jaw, “you look better with your mask on,” as you nudge his face to the side

you cannot help but join in with your own chuckles at his laughter and boyish glee

and eventually, you two have a breakthrough

yunho manages to trace the cyanide back to a traveling merchant operating under the guise of selling rare herbs and medicine

in the transaction ledger, there is an unusually large purchase under the name of ‘lee minjun’

“i’m sure i’ve seen the name before somewhere, but i can’t remember where,” yunho huffs

you let out your own huff at his elbow that has very naturally taken a rest on your shoulder

pulling out a stack of paper, you spread it out onto the table before you two

they are past records of certain red sun missions that, upon looking back, seem suspicious

“i noticed a mark on a couple of them, a drawing or character perhaps? except none of them are fully intact. it’s almost like the paper was accidentally marked”

you point them out to yunho in hopes that he will have a better idea

he doesn’t - not at first

not until he chances upon two that vaguely align with each other to form a clearer image

“this-” yunho runs his hand through his hair, “this is butler lee’s stamp. my father’s butler.”

the king’s butler?

lee?

your eyes snap to yunho’s, just as his meet yours

“lee minjun”

you sink back in your seat

there’s now definite proof that the king’s butler is at the very least involved

the question of why and what for remains

in fact, you and yunho would not put it past the queen either to be involved too

there is a long moment of shared silence as you both mull over what this means for the future

yunho breaks the silence first

“after this all ends…do you want to work for me, officially?” he clears his throat, “will you stay by my side?”

after this all ends

you two must still uncover butler lee’s motives; likely part of a much grander scheme involving queen jeong too

you two must still bring down the whole monarch; with the support of red sun, yunho needs to sit on his rightful throne

the sun has yet to rise but you can see the faint hues of orange and twilight blue in the horizon

the new beginning is close

and at that, something in you relaxes

crumbles and disintegrates with utter relief

“it would be my honour to stay by your side forever, yunho”

and then you are removing your hood and mask, daring to breathe and feel alive and hopeful for once

ironically, yunho chokes on air

you glance at him to find that he is unable to meet your eyes

you think your eyes are deceiving you because-

the tips of his ears are a glowing red

you could definitely get used to seeing the usually calm and collected crown prince become a shy, blushing mess

the corner of your mouth rises with smugness, “like what you see?”

“you should really keep your hood and mask on,” he mumbles

“and why is that?” you humour him

he finally looks at you

and when he sees the shit-eating grin plastered across your face, his shoulders suddenly fill out again with confidence and cockiness to match yours

“because,” his voice deep and flirtatious, “with a pretty face like that, you’re going to distract me from my duties”

yeosang

pov: you're in an arranged marriage with him

ever since you could understand the words coming out of your parents’ mouths, you have known that you will be married to yeosang

it just made sense

for the respective princess and prince of two powerful kingdoms to join together, leading to increased power and stronger allies

it is tradition for the pair to meet their chosen spouse for the first time only when both parties have turned sixteen, and even then, subsequent meetings are rare until the time of the actual wedding

so you spend the first sixteen years of your life infatuated with the idea of your prince charming - of prince yeosang - wondering what he looks like, what his personality is like, and how you two will fall in love

and when you finally reach that long-awaited first meeting, prince charming is everything and more than what you have envisioned

if angels with broken wings were exiled to earth, they would look like yeosang

he is soft-spoken and slightly reserved, as any awkward teenager meeting their future spouse would be, but you don’t miss the way that his eyes overflow with adoration and his shoulders shake with exuberant giggles whenever his little sister, yeoreum, comes tottering into the room

he always bends down onto one knee to match her eye level, uncaring of the stains that mark his pants even as his mother narrows her eyes in disdain, and he listens with utmost sincerity when yeoreum tells him about the secret pink and glittery fairy she spotted in the courtyard 

they remind you of the relationship you share with your own little brother, juwon, who is barely half your age and height, yet has you wrapped around his little finger

you lean down closer with a hum at the soft tug on your dress to hear your little brother whisper conspiratorially into your ear, “he looks stupid”

if looks could kill, yeosang would be dead right now

you stifle a laugh as you flick juwon’s chin affectionately at his sudden display of childish jealousy

if anything, you’re pretty sure you are the one who looks stupid

stupidly in love

because walking away from that first meeting with yeosang and his family, you know that you are absolutely smitten for the prince

unable to quell the restlessness of having to wait until the next unforeseeable meeting, you pick up a quill that very same day you return to your palace and start writing

it takes you all night, the gentle gleams and winks of the stars keeping you company until they rotate shifts with the songs of the waking world

but by the time you have crossed out and scrunched your way through rolls and rolls of parchment paper, you are satisfied with the letter you have written

the letter addressed to prince yeosang, which you task eunju, one of your maids, with passing it to the royal couriers for delivery to the kang palace

it is a simple letter, thanking him for the enjoyable day, yet it holds the deeper message that you are interested in him and would like to become better acquainted before your marriage

you wonder whether his cheeks will flush a pretty red as his butler hands him your letter

whether he will trace his fingers delicately over the curve of your words

whether he will bite back a smile as he pictures you saying the words to him

two weeks pass, and you approximate the letter to have just been delivered to his kingdom

and although you desperately wish for him to immediately sit down with a quill in hand to pen out his reply, you wait and give him a week before you eagerly start counting down the days until the arrival of his letter

your whole life you have been able to wait patiently

you wonder what has changed now that mere weeks feel like an eternity

the day yeosang’s letter is due to arrive, you are sporadic bursts of giggles, twirls and skips throughout the palace

even juwon is starting to become sick of getting swept up into a crushing hug to the cheery tune of i loveee youuuu every single time you pass him

nothing can bring you down from cloud nine

only…the letter never comes

not the day after, not the week after, not the month after

you’re disappointed, of course, but you busy yourself with reasons why yeosang has not replied, and you don’t give up

you send him another letter, and then another, and another

sometimes you just tell him about your day - what made you smile, what made you sad, something interesting you saw, something your little brother said

other times you tell him about yourself - your hobbies, likes and dislikes, aspirations, fears 

and you also wonder about him

you ask what he likes, what he smiles at, what makes him sad, what his dreams are

with each letter that you hand over to eunju to be delivered, it becomes harder and harder to stay optimistic - not even the words of encouragement from your favourite maid lifts your spirits

you continue like this for over a year, still yet to receive a reply 

until-

you do.

it feels like you are brought back to that very night of your first meeting, feeling so very alive as hope and excitement cascade into your body the moment eunju hands you a letter with a smile

with shaking hands, you fumble to unpeel the wax seal and free the envelope’s contents - a single piece of paper, neatly folded

your mind races with anticipated words and explanations

perhaps he had been too shy to reciprocate your letters earlier

or perhaps your letters had been lost in transit

you unfold the parchment as the hairs on your skin raise in anticipation, only to find it blank save for one scrawled sentence in the middle of the paper-

stop sending me letters.

and just like that, the clock strikes twelve

your carriage reverts into a pumpkin

and your carefully curated story of prince charming disintegrates into ashes

you don’t write to him again.

years later, the stacks of parchment scrolls on the wooden desk of the guest room you are currently residing in feel like a fresh slap in the face each time your eyes land on them

they are a stark reminder of your very own letters, the cold rejection you received, and the irony of the only letter you ever received again following his being one from the kang monarchs, announcing the proceeding of the royal wedding between you and their son

now, only a few days newly-wed to yeosang, the king and queen are gracious enough to let you sleep in one of the guest rooms temporarily, under your claims of adjusting to a life in a new kingdom and as a wife

really, you are trying to avoid yeosang for as long as you can

you spend your time instead getting to know his little sister better, which is why you find yourself sitting side by side with yeoreum, legs dangling off the edge of your bed

she eyes the vase of flowers on your bedside table curiously, “did you buy that?”

“no,” you reach out to touch the baby’s breath, “someone delivered it to my room”

you had offhandedly mentioned to some of your staff the other day that flowers would make your room look more homey, and you had woken up the morning after to find the beautiful vase teeming with flowers next to you

“why?” you ask yeoreum when she hums thoughtfully

“it looks just like the vase in my brother’s room, but he’s weird about it. yeo never lets anyone touch it, much less have it”

you blanch a little, “in that case i’ll give it back to him later then”

“you don’t like it? or…you don’t like my brother? my brother talks about you a lot, you know,” she reveals

caught off-guard by her perceptiveness, you reveal that you have been hurt before

you don’t specify by what exactly or who it is that you’re talking about, but she seems to understand regardless

later that night, sweet yeoreum barges into yeosang’s room and with as much feistiness as she can muster, she glares at her brother and interrogates, “what did you do to make her upset?”

before he can so much as blink, yeoreum concludes, “you boys are dumb. go talk to her and fix it or something,” and then walks out with a huff

there’s no one there to witness it, but yeosang nods anyway

heart feeling a little heavy after your conversation with yeoreum, you head towards the kitchen to seek solace in the sweet pastry you are usually served each morning

the first time you tasted the danish pastry, decorated with strawberries and cream cheese, was when you had traveled to yeosang’s palace at the age of sixteen for your first meeting

you remember the blissful expression that had bloomed across your face with your initial bite, and no dessert ever captivated your tastebuds quite the same way ever again

if there is one good thing out of this arranged marriage with yeosang, then it would be the reunion between yourself and the strawberry danish

“your highness,” the head chef bows, followed by the rest of the staff in the kitchen, “how may we help you?”

when you ask for one of the pastries, the head chef apologises that there are none

“but we can make you one now, if you do not mind waiting”

you tell him not to go to the trouble and ease his worries, “i just thought there may have been leftover pastries”

“we make only one fresh every morning, specifically for you,” the chef explains, and confusion must settle across your features because he adds on, “his highness has expressed that you may like them”

oh?

flustered, you can only muster a short response of, “i do, thank you,” before you smile once more and excuse yourself

because of all people to notice and remember such a small detail, and then to go out of their way to put in the request with the kitchen on the off chance that it was still true, it was yeosang? 

first the vase, and now this

you feel something deeply buried inside of you start to stir but you rush to nip it in the bud

your head and your heart are beginning to wage war against each other and suddenly everything feels like it’s too much

when you reach your bedroom, you throw open the double doors to step out onto the balcony, welcoming the chilling breeze of the darkening sky

you’re tired of fearing rejection if you open up

you’re tired of questioning yeosang’s intentions

and on top of it all, you suddenly miss home and you miss your parents and you miss juwon and-

“are you okay?”

yeosang’s soft question startles you, having missed his knocking at your door

he walks closer to join you out on the balcony when he sees that the answer is obviously a no, and he prompts you again, “what’s wrong?”

thoughts of vases and strawberry pastries flit across your mind

you start with half truths

“just missing my little brother”

“you love him a lot, don’t you,” yeosang smiles sweetly, “i can see it in the way you take care of yeoreum”

you can’t help the heat that slowly creeps up the back of your neck and to your ears, because it implies that he’s noticed all the times you’ve showered his little sister with the same love you give to juwon

it implies he’s noticed you

“what’s your fondest memory of juwon?” he asks when you nod

something within you thaws slightly at the fact that yeosang remembers your little brother’s name

you step closer to the edge of the balcony so that you can overlook the garden outside your room a little clearer, resting your hand on the railing as yeosang waits patiently

“we used to have this game we played. we had a lot of gardenia flowers growing around our courtyard and juwon loved cutting some to make me a mini bouquet,” you pause to shake your head with a chuckle, “it drove our mother nuts”

“doesn’t sound like it stopped him from continuing though, did it?” yeosang questions with mirth

“no, it didn’t,” your heart aches with fondness. “he would use a certain number of gardenias and make me guess what phrase containing the same number of letters he had in mind” 

it never failed to tug your mouth into a smile whenever juwon giggled at your attempts to guess the flower phrase, even when most times he would bound away whilst singing answers like y-o-u s-t-i-n-k or d-u-m-b d-u-m-b

yeosang supports himself on the railing with one hand as he nearly folds in on himself in laughter, and before you know it, you too are gasping for air and wiping away tears from your eyes

when you both calm down relatively enough, only intermittent chuckles leaving your lips, yeosang clears his throat and scratches his neck awkwardly

“i know it might not be much, but maybe we can go out into town tomorrow and it might take your mind off things? and we can bring yeoreum along if that makes you feel more comfortable, because you’ve probably spent more time alone with her than you have with me?”

you don’t admit it, but you’re already feeling a little better, so you decide to tease, “are you asking me out on a date right now, kang yeosang?”

“oh, well, we’d be doing things a little backwards since we’re already like, married…but, yes? maybe? is that okay?”

it’s yeosang’s turn to flush a deep red as his usually composed demeanor is reduced to stutters, but you don’t notice under the faint glow cast by the moon now reigning the sky

“yeah, that’s okay”

you and yeosang smile fondly as your little trio stroll through a nearby town the following morning, his younger sister skipping ahead to peer at the colourful trinkets being sold at the market stalls, and your own small squad of royal soldiers following behind at a respectful distance

it’s kind of endearing how yeosang points out item after item, asking whether you like it or whether you find it pretty, in a not-so-subtle attempt to learn about your preferences

you have to stop him from buying you something from every second stall you both pass, but you’re unable to convince him from purchasing a small wooden toy as a gift for juwon, insisting that you give it to your little brother the next time you see him

the more you actually interact and talk with yeosang, the harder you find it to associate him with the memory of the yeosang in your rejected letters

because the equation of the letters, the vase and the pastries just does not add up

as you two sit under the awning of a small shop, watching yeoreum play with the shopkeeper’s dog, you find yourself unable to hold back anymore

“why didn’t you reply to my letters?” you break the silence, trying to hide the hurt laced in your voice

yeosang looks at you with wide eyes as his mouth stutters open

and in the smallest voice you have ever heard him speak with, he says

“you wrote me letters?”

your eyebrows knit together as your eyes dart back and forth between his, searching for any hint of deception

“too many to count,” you confess, “until you sent a letter telling me to stop…”

“impossible. i never got your letters” 

your head recoils back as you try to make sense of his words, “but-”

“wait,” he interrupts

yeosang reaches into his robes, pulling out a small, wooden block, extending it out closer to you as he asks, “do you recognise this?”

upon closer inspection, you realise it’s a square seal stamp

it has the character ‘姜’ carved into it and you’ve seen it enough times to know it represents the kang family name - but the inscription that stylises the border is unfamiliar

“not the seal, no”

he swallows apprehensively, “i stamp all my letters with this to certify authenticity”

you let his words sink in as they throw you into a sandstorm of bewilderment

“but then-”

but then who wrote the letter?

and where did all your letters go?

the only people who would have known about them would be the royal couriers and…eunju

a memory flashes through your mind - the moment she handed you a letter with a smile

no, not a smile, you realise

a smirk

you are simultaneously overwhelmed with betrayal, guilt and apologeticness

yeosang doesn’t push you for a response, and you come to recognise that you are also grateful

“i’m sorry for doubting you,” you tell him

it’s nowhere close to the amount of things you want to confess, but it is a start, one that yeosang picks up on and understands immediately

“no, i’m sorry you felt the need to doubt me,” he offers. “that i didn’t make you feel loved enough”

“but i did, actually. the vase and the pastries, then our conversation last night…and even today”

he blushes a deep red as you list the things off with your fingers

“you weren’t meant to find out about the first two,” yeosang admits as he ducks his head shyly

then he suddenly perks up with a sudden thought

he ruffles inside his satchel that had been abandoned to one side, mumbling, “my sister said i did something to upset you…so i um, got you these” 

he turns around to reveal a bouquet of flowers, looking a little rough for wear after being hidden in his bag all morning, but his clumsy consideration only serves to makes your heart skip dangerously

“forgive me?” he asks cheekily, and you both giggle at the absurdity of his question because it should very well be the other way around

“if you insist,” you take the bouquet into your hands

and finally, you allow the chains around your heart to fall away, “i can’t say no to my husband, can i?”

yeosang lets out a little squeak as you look at the bouquet more clearly, counting the number of flowers

you turn to ask if he remembers the game you told him about, but the way yeosang suddenly finds the patch of dirt near his foot absolutely fascinating tells you everything that you need to know

eight flowers

eight letters

i l-o-v-e y-o-u

blacklist }} p.sh (masterlist)

❥ summary: because when you fuck with park seonghwa, you get blacklist

❥ pairing: park seonghwa x reader

❥ status: complete

❥ genre: badboy!seonghwa, fuckboy!seonghwa, enemies2lovers, social media, very slow-burn romance?, fluff i guess?, etc.

❥ word count: 56k

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter One

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Two

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Three

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Four

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Five

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Six

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Seven

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Eight

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Chapter Nine (final)

Deja Vu

hades!seonghwa x persephone!reader / prosecutor!seonghwa x florist!reader

past life/reincarnation au

genre and warnings: a lot of fluff, lots of angst, slow burn, suggestive, swearing, violence warning

word count: 22k

synopsis: you move to the city to open a floral cafe with wooyoung but encounter seonghwa by chance and become involved with him as he investigates the biggest drug scandal in the history of wonderland. however, a number of coincidences follow and you start to question if you were meant to meet him especially when you're plagued by dreams of another life with him. as the events of the past intertwine with the present, you both struggle to keep your feelings in check.

There were a number of things you had been afraid of ever since you moved into the heart of Sector 1 to live with your friend Siyeon after spending your whole childhood with your overbearing mother at the outskirts of the town.

Some of them included the ‘basic’ fears that you shared with your mom- you’d get into an accident, get kidnapped, get in trouble, etc. The list was never ending and also unlikely to happen if you had to say.

Your own fears were more like your mom paying a surprise visit to check on you, finding Siyeon doing something weird like she was always doing and take you back home. Or, she could be visiting the city and accidentally run across you and Wooyoung while you scrooged the area for a potential place for your cafe, find Wooyoung doing some crazy shit like he was always doing, and lose her blind trust in him and take you back home. You were surrounded by the craziest people but somehow, your mother trusted you with both Siyeon and Wooyoung.

However, as you grabbed the hand of a stranger and ran for your life while gunshots sounded behind you, your first thought was, now that’s one scenario I didn’t prepare myself for. Especially when you didn’t even know why you were running.

You ran from one street into another, his hand gripping yours tightly, until you took the lead and slid into a narrow alley, hiding yourselves behind large boxes. You both waited for the sound of running footsteps to fade when you finally looked at him-

And found a very familiar face staring at you. You frowned in confusion- you had definitely seen him somewhere, but you couldn’t recall where. And he, too, frowned as if he was trying to make sense of you. You scanned his appearance- he was dressed in a suit, his dark hair matted on his forehead, eyes sharp. You licked your dry lips. “I’m sorry- do I know you?”

“If you’re wondering why I dragged you,” he said and you thought his rich deep voice sounded familiar too, “Those men were after me. They wouldn’t have cared if you had gotten in the way- they would have hurt you.”

You rested your head against the wall, trying not to groan. You were out of breath. The man asked you to wait and went to check if the area was clear. He returned looking relieved and offered you his hand which you took to get up. He took out a card. “Prosecutor Park Seonghwa. I’m sorry for involving you- investigation went wrong.”

You gave him a sceptical look as you scanned the card. “Must be a dangerous case you’re working on.”

“You could say that,” he shrugged. “Are you alright? You scraped your feet- let me take a look at that.”

Before you could protest, he was down on one knee examining the long slash across your feet. It wasn’t noticeable when you were running but it ached now. You stepped back. “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure? It looks painful,” he bit his lips as he got up, looking guilty. 

“I didn’t even notice it before-”

“Let me accompany you to the convenience store then,” he insisted. 

“It’s not necessary,” you almost pouted but he didn’t look like he was going to back away. “Okay. I’ll accept that as an apology.”

He scoffed, urging you to follow him, watching you to check if you had a problem walking. Thankfully, you didn’t and you walked with him to the store which was a few minutes away. He made you sit inside and paid for the first aid and while you applied ointment on the wound, he made you some ramen and even got a few side dishes.

“You didn’t have to,” you smiled at the gesture. 

“I also need something in my system right now,” he sighed, sliding you the chopsticks. “I must say that I didn’t expect you to be this calm about it.”

You wondered if you could tell him that there were a number of scenarios you were more scared about, and most of them included your mother. “I’ve seen worse. Not guns,” you corrected when he raised his eyebrows at you. “But… yeah, nevermind. I guess I’m good at keeping my cool.”

“You must be, Miss…”

You told him your name and he nodded along, taking a bite of his ramen. You watched him curiously. “Is this your first time being chased like this?”

“Not really, no,” he replied. “Sadly, I’m kind of used to this now.”

“That’s a shame,” you took a bite, thinking. “I mean… what if something happens to you? Because you could have died- we could have died tonight. So if you die now, won't you have any regrets?”

He gave you a curious look and you memorised his face- he was very handsome, you noticed. You couldn’t stop staring at him and you were wondering if it was because you wanted to recall where you had seen him or because he simply was too handsome to not look at. He took a deep breath. “I would like to finish this case before I die. It’s more complicated than I thought and if I don’t get to the end of it, I’m afraid no one will.”

“That’s a work-related regret,” you pointed out in disappointment. 

“What about you?”

“Well, I also have unfinished business, quite literally,” you laughed. “I’m opening a floral cafe with my friend. I’ve been dreaming about it for like, a decade. I’d like to serve at least one customer before I die.”

“Isn’t that a work-related regret as well?”

“It’s my dream too, but I suppose you’re right,” you grinned and he joined despite himself, waiting for your answer. “I’d like to explore a bit. Live a little.”

Seonghwa could resonate with that. “I think I’d like to live a little too.”

You nodded, finishing the food. “Thank you so much for this- you really didn’t have to.”

“Consider it my apology for involving you,” he said. “Can I have your contact number? I might have to call you for a witness statement, if you’re alright with that.”

“Sure,” you took out his card and texted him on the number. “I don’t think I’ll have much to say though.”

“That’s okay, it’s just for paperwork,” he assured you and you got up, telling him you’d take a cab back home. You watched him leave first and then you slumped down on the chair as you wondered if those familiar sharp eyes were the ones you’ve been dreaming about for almost half your life.

What would that mean for you?

—------------------------

Flowers often wilted under your touch, and though your mother called it ‘wrong’, it somehow felt right.

That didn’t mean you felt excited about it. You were the goddess of spring. You were supposed to give life to flowers, not kill them.

You sat by the stream, digging your fingers under the soil. You laughed to yourself as you scanned the dead flowers around you, and you wondered what Lord Hades would think about this, because it seemed like the flowers were-

“Straight from the Underworld,” a voice sounded and you froze for a moment before you turned towards the dark figure of Hades announcing his arrival. You tried to look at his face- you could almost see it now…

“Interesting that they call you Persephone,” the King of the Underworld slid closer and then was down on one knee before you. “Why did you call me here?”

“I- I didn’t call you,” you managed to say, wanting to scoot away from him but you were captivated. “How?”

He smiled, glancing at your fingers still buried under the soil. Gently, he held your wrists and took them out, dusting your hands carefully. You tried taking your hands away. “I could hurt you.”

“No, you won’t,” he said nonchalantly before looking at you. “Have you ever hurt someone?”

“I think I have,” you found yourself saying. 

“And why would a sweet thing like you hurt someone?” He took one of the wilted flowers and tucked it behind your ear. “They probably deserved it, didn’t they?”

You were about to say something but he got up. “Go back before Demeter comes to find you. I’m not sure she’ll like this.”

“But…” you sighed, an indescribable ache in your heart. “I don’t know what to do. I feel helpless.”

“You’re not alone,” he simply said. “And if you ever feel lost, you can call for me.”

—-------------------

This wasn’t the first time you had that dream, however, this was the first time the voice sounded so familiar. 

As you got ready, pairing accessories with your pastel blue outfit, you wondered if you were closer to discovering the identity of the person you were dreaming about for so long.

Yes, it was probably a fictional story your mind had created for the sole purpose of your entertainment, where you were playing Persephone and your mother was playing Demeter. When you first started having these dreams a few years ago, though not as frequently as nowadays, you let the story play in your head until one day something occurred to you which prompted you to google the story of Persephone and Hades-

And left you gaping in surprise because it really did seem like you were legitimately seeing it from Persephone’s eyes.

You never mentioned it to anyone. You weren’t so sure you needed to- after all, there were various interpretations of the stories of the Greek gods. However, the character of Hades intrigued you a lot, and it was a shame you could never remember just who he was. Also, it didn’t help that your mother had been calling you Kore forever- she had been obsessed with Greek mythologies when you were little and read those to you as your bedtime stories. 

Perhaps these dreams were a result of hearing those dreams as a child, a trauma-

“If you’re done staring at yourself, the breakfast’s getting cold,” Siyeon popped her head in your room, snickering. “It’s only Wooyoung. Who are you getting pretty for?”

You glared at her. “Rich coming from you when we all know how big a crush you harbour-”

“Shut up and be at the table in a minute if you want me to drop you off.”

“Alright, madame,” you made a face and sighed, your mind wandering off to the familiar voice of Hades-

Your phone vibrated and you read the text from Prosecutor Park Seonghwa asking you if you were available to meet at the police station in an hour. You texted that you were and told Wooyoung that you were going to be a bit late before joining Siyeon at the table.

“Wooyoung told me you might have found a place for your cafe?” Siyeon asked and you nodded.

“We’re reviewing our options today and I hope we can finalise something,” you took a sip of coffee, sighing as you slumped back. “It’s about time we actually started running the business instead of just dreaming about it.”

“Right,” Siyeon nodded. “Your mother called me last night. Apparently you weren’t picking up?”

“Oh, I forgot to call her back,” you groaned. “What did she say?”

“Just the usual,” she grinned. “Tell y/n to stay safe, pick up her calls, stop roaming around so late at night- I don’t know how she’s gonna digest the idea of you and Wooyoung working together with actual people around you until midnight.”

“Yeah, I told her to be mentally prepared. I don’t know when she’ll understand I’m not a kid…” you sighed deeply. “Though after last night, I can kind of understand why she’s like this…”

“What happened last night?” Siyeon frowned.

You told her your story on the way to the police station where she was to drop you off. She was surprised but also momentarily got possessed by your mother as she scolded you for roaming around strange places all alone so late at night. When you arrived, the prosecutor was already waiting for you and Siyeon did a double take.

“That’s the Prosecutor that got you in trouble?”

You raised a brow. “You know him?”

Siyeon scoffed, getting out of the car and haughtily walking towards the prosecutor who looked at her and then at you, and then groaned.

“I can’t believe you almost killed my friend, Park Seonghwa.”

You gaped between the two, and he sighed deeply. “That’s an exaggeration, but good to see you too.”

“This is the Prosecutor who made my life at work hell a year ago,” she pointed and you nodded in realisation, stifling your smile- you had only heard bad things about him. 

“But we became friends over a few drinks, didn’t we, Siyeon? Or are you going to forget how I helped you out and saved your sorry ass?”

“I’m sure he was just doing his job,” you patted Siyeon’s arm. “You should go now- stop giving him that look.”

Siyeon glared at Seonghwa before saying bye and you gave the man a sorry look. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for too long, Prosecutor Park.” 

“Just call me Seonghwa. I’m sorry I had to call you. I would have dealt with it, but…” he sighed. “The police here don’t really like me.”

You looked at him in confusion and he led you inside. The officer in charge of the case made you both wait 10 minutes just because he was going through his phone (judging by the smile on his face, you were pretty sure he was talking to his partner), and though you both had stayed silent while you waited, you decided to break the ice. 

“Looks like you have some beef with him,” you commented.

“I don’t have beef with him,” Seonghwa laughed, caught off-guard by your comment and it made you stifle a grin. “We’ve just not had the chance to meet on good terms.”

“Same difference,” you muttered. 

Before he could retort, the officer finally looked up from his phone and gave you two a tired look, fixing his gaze on Seonghwa. “Prosecutor Park… ever so busy, eh? Still going after the elites just because they seem to be having fun? Still called the Underworld’s Grim Reaper?”

You blinked at the nickname and then it dawned on you why his voice sounded so familiar-

It was the same voice you had been hearing in your dreams.

“Officer Lee… I see you haven’t changed. I thought you got promoted after you rattled on about me to the superiors, but… too bad.”

The officer gruntled at that and you pursed your lips, looking back and forth between the two. Before they could make another jab, you cleared your throat and raised your hand awkwardly. “I’m here.”

Officer Lee passed you a page. “Fill this up and then answer my questions.”

You filled the page with your private information and then the officer asked you to narrate the events. By the end of it, he was tsk-ing at Seonghwa. “Now you’re troubling innocent civilians too. Do you have to go so far? Don’t you remember the last time you got a civilian involved-”

“You don’t have to worry about her inconvenience,” Seonghwa countered. “She’s a… friend.”

You raised a brow at that but decided to play along- it looked like the officer really wanted to get to him and you wondered just what had happened between the two. 

“Well, you’re free to go then,” he said after he asked you to narrate the event and you got up, bowing and waiting for Seonghwa who was still glaring at the man and then he exhaled deeply, getting up and going ahead without waiting for you. You followed him outside, watching him stop and run a hand through his hair, almost in frustration.

“You okay?” You asked cautiously. 

“Yeah. I’m good,” he nodded after a moment, scanning you- you suddenly felt like a child out of place in your pastel outfit. “Do you need me to drop you off?”

“No, it’s okay, I’m meeting a friend at the intersection,” you told him. “I’ll walk.”

“I’m passing by, so get in,” he motioned to the car and went ahead before you could refuse his offer, making you shrug and follow.

“Sorry for today,” Seonghwa said after a minute as he drove. “I won’t bother you again.”

“It’s okay, I didn’t mind,” you told him.

“I’m sorry for that day too,” he continued. “I could have gotten you killed, like Siyeon said.”

“It’s okay, it was just a big coincidence,” you shrugged and he glanced at you. “I’m just glad we’re both unhurt.”

Seonghwa raised a brow at your candidness. “Have you always lived in Sector 1?”

“I lived near the Sector 2 border- the town with the hills,” you told him. “I commuted for college and moved here not too long ago.”

“Is that where you met Siyeon too?”

“No, we’re school friends,” you smiled. “She also lived there back then.”

“Ah, I see.” A ghost of a smile lingered at Seonghwa’s face and you watched him, intrigued. “I don’t think Siyeon ever mentioned you but… we weren’t best friends either.”

“Siyeon never mentioned you either, I think- not directly. She did mention some jerk making it hard at work, but,” you laughed and he joined. “That’s about it.”

You spotted the intersection and told him to drop you off there. He offered to wait with you until your friend arrived, but you insisted that it was fine. Seonghwa did look at you a moment too long before he sighed. “I guess this is goodbye then. We probably won’t be seeing each other again.”

You scanned him, his sharp eyes just as familiar as his voice. You wondered if the ache in your heart meant anything. “Let’s hope if we do meet each other again, it’s when we’re not running for our lives or going to a police station.”

Seonghwa smiled at that and you watched his face transform into pure warmth, his eyes sparkling. “Sounds good.”

You watched him leave, wondering just what his deal was. He seemed to be dealing with a lot and you made a mental note to ask Siyeon just what exactly the officer meant by him being the Underworld’s Grim Reaper. At the sound of a horn, you turned to Wooyoung sticking out his neck and waving at you and you immediately got in the front seat.

“Did I keep you for long?” He patted your arm as a greeting before he drove off.

“Not at all,” you told him. “I hope you’re in full spirits because we’ve had enough of scouring potential buildings for our cafe. We need to decide today, Wooyoung. Don’t be a sloth.”

“Okay, okay,” he nodded his head furiously, his dark hair falling over his forehead. “I have a feeling that today is a lucky day.”

Today was indeed lucky. By the late evening, you went through your top 5 picks and decided on a spot to open your cafe- it wasn’t in the hotspot of the city but quite near it, and you were very satisfied by its architectural design which allowed you to make the most of the ‘floral’ part of the cafe. Wooyoung had no problem with it either, so you signed the deal and shook hands with him.

“I can’t believe we managed to do this today- I thought we were bluffing!”

“When I put my mind to something, I do it, y/n,” he simply stated. “Now let’s go for dinner- I’ll call the boys and you can call Siyeon- I hope some of them can make it. I need to introduce you to my other friends too.”

“Yeah, you know how hard it was for me to come back here when college was over,” you sighed. “And your ‘other friends’ are always too busy.”

“We should plan a proper party, though, what do you say?” Wooyoung asked. “We’ll treat them and then force them to help us.”

“That… sounds pretty good actually,” you grinned at him and he grinned back, bumping his fist with you as you both plotted the demise of your friends and how to exploit their services. 

With that, you and Wooyoung arranged a welcome party at a restaurant near your cafe on the weekend so you could have dinner first and visit the venue later. You invited Siyeon, which you started regretting when she decided she was in charge of dressing you up for the night, and you ended up in all black, with your hair and makeup more edgier than usual- she insisted you needed to look like you had your shit together and could tolerate doing business with Wooyoung which was no small feat. She still couldn’t believe how Wooyoung, who was the loudest and most blunt and outgoing person she knew, could be friends with you who was timid and always fidgeting with her words.

“But you can shut Wooyoung up, so I guess that counts for something.”

“I can shut you up too,” you countered. Siyeon snickered at that but didn’t deny it- you may have grown up sheltered and were just learning about real life and its responsibilities now, but Siyeon knew there was an undeniable fire within you. 

“But I don’t blab as much as him,” Siyeon pouted.

“Gosh, just tell Wooyoung that you like him, you’re so corny,” you threw your makeup sponge at her as she turned to hide her face after making that comment.

“I don’t like him,” she looked baffled. “He’s too much.”

However, as you entered the restaurant, you watched how Siyeon’s eyes darted immediately to Wooyoung and you rolled your eyes, greeting the rest of his friends- Yunho, Mingi and someone you hadn’t seen before. Yunho and Mingi you knew from college and met with them often.

“This is the famous Kim Hongjoong who is very hard to reach,” Wooyoung pointed and Hongjoong laughed in embarrassment. “You two better get along. We’re still missing one, but he’ll be here soon- he said we could start dinner without him.”

“Oh, we could wait?” You asked but Wooyoung told you it was okay, and you sat across Hongjoong, learning that he was a famous composer and Wooyoung told you that he was producing a soundtrack for your cafe as a gift too, which you really appreciated.

“Once I see what the vibe is, I’ll come up with something,” Hongjoong promised.

“No way, aren’t you asking too much from him, Wooyoung?” You looked around in disbelief and everyone laughed.

“It’s the least I can do-”

“It’s the least he can do,” Wooyoung announced and you laughed harder, Hongjoong promising to mess up the track if Wooyoung annoyed him too much and you enjoyed the bickering as you finished dinner and you all decided to walk to the cafe. You fell behind the group, watching them laugh over something and you smiled to yourself, glad you had such good people in your life-

You turned to your right and spotted none other than Seonghwa, dressed in a suit, probably coming straight from work, holding a big wrapped box. You met eyes with him and he stopped in his tracks when he saw you with the rest of his friends.

While you both stood gaping at each other, you suddenly had a flashback of the recent dream you had-

“I wish you weren’t so afraid, Persephone,” Hades crawled behind you, letting his fingers run down your sleeves and catch your trembling fingers- somehow, his touch comforted you more than anything else in this world.

“I just don’t understand what I’m supposed to do,” your voice wasn’t even and you looked down, watching his fingers interlock with yours as he rested his face next to your head. “I’m supposed to be the goddess of spring but all I seem to do these days is destroy.”

“And who said you were only the goddess of spring?” Hades' voice held a hint of playfulness. “You can be more than one thing.”

“Could I?” You smiled, embarrassed, moving away from him. Perhaps, he was trying to make you feel better. “I’m not even good at one thing.”

“You think we’re good at what we do?” Hades went to sit by the tree in front of you. “I can barely handle the Underworld these days.”

You sat near him, gazing at him out of curiosity. “What is the Underworld like?”

“Would you like to see?” Hades leaned in and for a moment, just for the shortest moment, your heart was gripped by the fear of your mother finding out who you’ve been hanging out with lately. 

“I don’t think I should leave the mortal realm,” you pouted. “Mother would instantly know I’m gone.”

“You don’t have to leave to see it,” Hades was smirking. “I can show you- close your eyes.”

You did and you felt his fingers on your forehead- and then you were suddenly shivering with cold, couldn’t see anything except darkness- until you realised you could actually see and it was just incredibly dark.

“This is the Underworld,” Hades said. “Where I live. A city down there. We have rivers too, but I’m not sure you’d like them.”

“How can I see this?”

“This is just my memory,” Hades said, drawing his fingers away and you opened your eyes, blinking a couple of times.

“It’s so cold there,” you tilted your head, grabbing his hand without a second thought. “You’re always cold.”

Hades frowned- could you actually feel the place from his memory alone? “I’ve clearly underestimated your powers, it seems.”

“I know just what that place needs,” you smiled, ignoring his remark- you tended to ignore anyone who talked about your powers. You watched Hades’ brow rise in confusion. 

“It needs a touch of spring.”

Wooyoung all but attacked Seonghwa with a hug that had him grimacing, going on about how he made it just on time but it was a pity that he had to miss dinner. When Wooyoung was about to introduce you two, you looked at Siyeon who muttered, “What a big fucking coincidence.”

You giggled at that, and Wooyoung looked between you and Siyeon. “Why does it look like you already know him?”

“That’s because she does, you idiot,” Siyeon slapped Wooyoung’s arm. “You should have told me he was coming. You know I have beef with him.”

“And that’s exactly why I didn’t,” Wooyoung looked proud and Seonghwa rolled his eyes. “I’m aware Siyeon and Seonghwa know each other from work, but how do you know him?”

“Uh… it’s a long story,” you shrugged, looking at Seonghwa for help.

“She was a witness in a case I’m working,” was Seonghwa’s short explanation and you nodded eagerly, hoping he wouldn’t ask more. Wooyoung didn’t, just dragged Seonghwa to the front and he greeted the rest.

“They’re old friends, huh?” You let out a short laugh, looking at Siyeon who looked both annoyed and curious. “Sure is a small world we live in.”

You reached the cafe and Wooyoung called you to the front, putting an arm around you. “This is us.”

“You sound like a married couple who just bought a house,” Mingi laughed.

“Might as well be,” Wooyoung scoffed. “Come in, let’s show you around.”

Wooyoung did most of the talking while you added in the details, showing them the main sitting area and a few private corners for people who would want to work in peace while having a break. The kitchen was huge and well-equipped as well, and upstairs, there was a terrace that you would be utilising for the customers as well, with two separate rooms that would be your offices. 

“We really won in the luck department with this one,” you finished showing them around, taking a seat with the rest on the terrace where Wooyoung opened the bottle of wine Seonghwa had brought as a gift. “I never thought I’d have a room here as well. I could practically live here.”

“That wouldn’t be very safe,” Seonghwa said.

“I know, but on the days when I’m too tired to go home, I could take a little nap here,” you shrugged. 

“Now that we’re all present and I’m pouring you all wine to commence the beginning,” Wooyoung finally began the speech you were expecting and you stifled your laugh. “I better see each one of your ass working with us.”

Hongjoong stopped in the middle of drinking. “Working how exactly?”

“Help us move!” Wooyoung slumped down. “Help us bring this place to life! With only the two of us, it’s going to take forever, especially with y/n’s clumsy ass-”

“I’m not the one who fell on her face because I was too busy looking upwards when I walked,” you muttered, referring to moments ago when Wooyoung tripped on empty boxes while he was walking, making everyone laugh out loud.

“Not the point!” Wooyoung glared at you and you glared back. “Anyways, all of you better be present here.”

“You’re only going to order us around and do absolutely nothing!” Mingi pointed his finger at him. “I still remember when I thought it was a good idea to move in with you.”

“I could help, but I expect something in return,” Yunho said and Siyeon clapped at that.

“My point exactly.”

“You owe me one in case you forgot, Yunho,” Wooyoung pointed his finger at him and Yunho grinned. “As for Siyeon… she could get a special discount.”

That fueled an argument on why he didn’t offer the ‘special’ discount to anyone else and Siyeon announced she didn’t need anything from Wooyoung, which made you elbow her. 

“We’re all busy and have a life, Wooyoung,” Seonghwa finally said and the boys clapped enthusiastically at that. “But… I’ll come around if I have some free time. And the rest of you should as well- otherwise don’t expect them to treat you any differently from the rest of their customers.”

You both were satisfied to hear that while the rest groaned, making promises to come and help, teasing each other. You opened a bag of chips and offered some to Seonghwa who was sitting near you.

“Funny seeing you here tonight,” he said as he took a few. “I didn’t recognise you for a moment. You look different.”

“That’s all Siyeon,” you touched your hair consciously, tucking behind your ears. “I thought you were just passing by. Seems like we have quite a few people in common.”

“Seems so,” he smiled. “Wooyoung always talks about you, I just never made the connection.”

“Really?” you laughed, looking at him who was still accusing his friends of being lazy. “He does talk a lot in general. He may have mentioned having a busy old friend- two of them. I met Hongjoong for the first time today.”

“He’s my oldest friend,” Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong and you watched his gaze turn soft. “He’s also the busiest, so don’t expect to see him helping around more than once. He uses any free time for a nap.”

“I see,” you turned towards Seonghwa, resting your face on your hand, elbow propped on your leg. “And will I be seeing you more than once?”

Seonghwa’s breath caught at the way you looked, with hair shining brightly under the moonlight, eyes tired but full of life. He mirrored your position, a faint smirk on his face. “Maybe you will.”

That night, Seonghwa woke up feeling like a bucket of cold water had been splashed over him though sweat laced his forehead. He checked the time- it was 03.47 am. He went to the kitchen to drink some water and recalled the dream he had seen-

It was you. He had dreamt about you, but… it wasn’t exactly the person he knew. And he had called you Persephone. You had been sitting by a lake, eyes wide and helpless, and he had touched your face and said-

“If I could… I would make you the Queen of the Underworld.”

Seonghwa sighed deeply- was he thinking too much about you? He had been busy with his work, and recently, he’d seen a lot of you, which was perhaps why he was having recurring dreams about you where he called you Persephone, which made him Hades-

King of the Underworld.

Or maybe he took his nickname way too seriously. Seonghwa shook his head- the dreams were causing him to be restless in his sleep. Maybe he just needed to relax a bit but… his recent case had him spiralling into darker territories, and he wondered if he could even get to sleep anymore.

—--------------------------

The last few days were the busiest. You spent most of your time in the cafe and the boys occasionally dropped by to help you out, though you noticed having company meant you also slacked off as you got distracted elsewhere, but things were looking good so far. You and Wooyoung were done setting up your office rooms so you could focus on the rest.

Today, you were back to the last bit of scraping. You arrived late, having slept in since it was Sunday and you found Wooyoung taking a nap on the couch in his office. You didn’t wake him up, deciding to put on some light instrumental music while you scraped and got lost in your thoughts.

These days, your thoughts mostly drifted to the recurring dreams you were having- they were almost like flashbacks of a memory, of a… past life. But you didn’t believe in past lives.

Maybe you should, you wondered to yourself as you shifted to one leg, lazily scraping. But even if you did believe in past lives, did you believe in Hades and Persephone? Even if you did, why would they look exactly like you, Seonghwa and the other people in your life? Why would they be speaking your language?

Maybe they speak your language for you, you found yourself thinking. You recalled having a dream in Japanese a while ago when you barely knew two phrases. Dreams were supposed to be weird, you told yourself. But were they supposed to be playing out like a story of someone’s life?

Your train of thought was broken when you heard someone clear their throat behind you and you realised you hadn’t been scraping at all for a while now. You put on a smile in an attempt to seem normal before turning to greet-

Seonghwa. He had a way of appearing exactly when you were thinking of him.

“Hi,” he waved awkwardly, dressed in something other than black for once. The denim quite suited him.

“H-hi, I wasn’t expecting you- or anyone, for that matter,” you managed to say, recovering from the initial shock. “Uh, please have a seat?”

Seonghwa looked around in amusement at the absence of any seats. “Where’s Wooyoung?”

“He’s taking a nap,” you told him, fumbling to empty the nearest stool. “I just came and decided to let him sleep.”

“Good idea, it would be way too loud with him,” he laughed, asking you to stop. “I’m not here to relax. I’m here to help you out, so tell me what to do.”

“Really?” You smiled, suddenly conscious of the dirty apron you were wearing- it had everything from dust to paint on there. “Well… you could scrape this part and I could start on the next?”

“Sounds good,” he scanned you. “Do I get an apron too?”

“Oh, yes,” you said, laughing. “We have a spare for this purpose.” 

You went to the box near you, digging out the apron and handing it to him. He wore it and got to work immediately and you watched him for a moment before resuming your own. “You didn’t actually need to help out- I’ve heard how busy you are with your recent case, and from what I’ve seen… it’s hectic.”

“Come on, even Hongjoong stopped by,” he laughed a bit, looking at you. “Or is it that you didn’t want to see me?”

“Now why would you think that,” you pouted, surprised at how playful he sounded despite the serious expression on his face. “I just thought you’d be tired- your job is demanding.”

“It wasn’t always like this,” Seonghwa glanced at you as he said, “I got myself into this mess, and now I can’t get out until I win or admit defeat.”

You put a hand on your hip as you scraped. “Admitting defeat sounds dangerous.”

“It is,” he sighed. “I’m not ready to give up yet.”

You turned to him but then paused, resuming your work- it seemed to be easier to talk when you were both busy and not looking at each other. “Just what have you involved yourself in, Seonghwa? I don’t think we’ve addressed the fact that you’re in constant danger.”

Seonghwa sighed deeply and it looked like he was actually considering telling you. “I can’t really talk about it- the less you know, the safer you are.”

“Well, maybe I don’t love being so safe,” you said, surprised at how you voiced that so boldly, making even Seonghwa stop and turn to look at you. You matched his gaze.

“Sometimes I wonder who you are,” he said, and you felt like he meant more by it. “Why were you so calm that day? And why are you willing to involve yourself in something dangerous?”

You shrugged, going back to scraping, ignoring the loud thump of your heart between your ears. You could still feel his gaze on your back. Thankfully, Wooyoung interrupted and you got a call right at that moment, going into another room to talk to your mother who told you she would be paying a visit-

Right now.

You got out of the room, waving your hand wildly at Wooyoung who moved closer to hear your conversation while Seonghwa watched awkwardly.

“But mom… I’m literally scraping- it’s an ugly sight. You should just go to my apartment and I’ll arrive right after you-”

“I’m near the cafe, Kore,” she said and Wooyoung sagged down to the ground. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” you hung up and kicked Wooyoung’s thigh lightly. “Get up. We’ve got to make this look presentable.”

“Your mother’s coming, what’s the big deal?” Seonghwa finally dared to ask and then regretted it when you two glared at him.

“She’s a monster, for starters-”

“She’s my mother, asshole,” you slapped Wooyoung’s arm. “And what’s your problem? She loves you!”

“She only pretends to!” Wooyoung shouted. “She threatened to hang me upside down on the ceiling if I tried anything funny with you!”

“Let’s just get to work,” you clapped, sliding all the stuff lying in the middle of the room to the corners. Just two minutes later, you heard the sound of the door opening.

“Seonghwa’s still here,” Wooyoung pointed out. “Should I say he is my friend?”

“He is your friend, Wooyoung, please wake up,” you almost cried and Seonghwa snorted. “If you’re going to say something stupid, you better just shut up- hi, mom!” You went to hug her, Wooyoung following with a smile.

“You look well,” she commented. “But there are dark circles under your eyes.”

“Those are proof that I’ve been working hard,” you smiled and she laughed at that, handing you the bouquet of fresh flowers that she brought from home- your favourites. You sniffed them deeply, sighing happily before setting them on the table.

“And this is?” 

“My old friend, Park Seonghwa,” Wooyoung introduced and Seonghwa bowed. “He came to help us out.”

Your mother gave you a look before she sat down. “I won’t be here for long- I came to visit a friend and thought I’d drop by and see what’s up. Would you excuse us, boys? It’s good to see you, Wooyoung.”

Wooyoung saluted, dragging Seonghwa to another room- or at least, pretending to. You just knew he would be loitering right outside the room, and chances were that Seonghwa would be too. You turned your attention to your mother. “You could have told me earlier. I would have arranged for dinner or something-”

“There’s no need,” she shook her head, looking around. “The cafe looks nice. Are you sure you need to stay and work with Wooyoung? You’ll only be dealing with flowers- you could do that from home-”

“Wooyoung is only going to be cooking, I’ll be handling everything else,” you reminded her. “We cannot work without each other.”

“It’s pretty late though- when do you even go back?” She checked her watch. “Here, all alone-”

“I’m going to be alone most days,” you straightened up- somehow, you found it easier to challenge your mother when you met her after some time apart. “Besides, there’s always company.”

She frowned at that. “Do you know that boy?”

“Wooyoung introduced us not long ago. He’s one of his old friends, like Yunho and Mingi.”

“I don’t like this, Kore,” she sighed and you groaned.

“You never like anything I do,” you said. “I’m not little anymore. I’m making my own decisions. Please give me space to breathe.”

“Do I suffocate you?” She raised a brow.

“Honestly? Sometimes, yes. I love you but you do that.”

Your mother didn’t look too hurt to hear that, which didn’t give you much satisfaction either. She got up, taking her purse. “I’ll be back when you finally open the cafe.”

“Sure, you have to make it to the opening. And please arrange for the flowers- I’ll send you a list soon, okay?”

She patted your cheek and left, and you finally felt yourself relax. You heard the sound of footsteps. “Damn. That was intense.”

“Shut up,” you groaned, looking at Seonghwa who told you that you looked pale and before you could protest, he poured you water and slid the glass. 

“Can I ask you something?” He asked and you nodded, glancing at Wooyoung who was peeking out of the window to make sure your mother was actually gone. “Why did she call you Kore?”

“It’s a nickname- she started calling me that when I was little. It’s something to do with Greek mythology-”

“I’ve heard,” Seonghwa nodded, accidentally brushing your hand as he took the glass from you and said, “Persephone.”

A stabbing pain in your head made you wince. “Sorry, what?”

“That’s what Demeter called her daughter, right?” he said and you nodded absently.

“Have you always known that?” 

“What?”

“That Demeter called Persephone Kore?” You asked, your voice small.

“Does it matter?” He asked and you thought that was a weird answer. Before you could probe, he went to Wooyoung, leaving you wondering why he didn’t simply answer that.

—--------------------

A few days later, Seonghwa found himself standing outside your cafe in the middle of the night.

There were a number of things that brought him here. The illegal drugs case he was investigating had taken a dangerous turn since the past few months, which meant he was being assaulted and blackmailed. His place had been ransacked, evidence stolen, and he found himself growing anxious with every passing day. But then, it involved the top class of Sector 1 notoriously known as the Underworld, and if he exposed the individuals involved, he was positive the citizens of Wonderland would lose trust in their government and officials.

He had told no one yet, and he wasn’t planning to, but now he was wondering if he could go on like this. He was being backed up by Mr. Ahn, the director of a leading pharmaceutical company, but he wasn’t sure he could trust him with the details- at least not fully. But he was powerful, and he had connections, which was how he had gotten so far and earned his nickname- Underworld’s Grim Reaper. 

He didn’t know how long he had been staring at the terrace until you appeared and noticed him, waving at him and motioning him to come inside. He sighed deeply- there was another reason he was here. 

He now knew why you seemed so familiar, why your voice shook him to the core the first time he heard you.

He had seen you in his dreams before he ever saw you.

He was positive about that- it sounded insane even to himself, but he was so sure, and it made absolutely no sense. But then he saw your mother the other day- he recognised her instantly from his dreams since she had a memorable face. And then, to top it off, she called you Kore. 

There was no way, he had thought at that time, but then… he wondered if somehow, you knew as well.

But he couldn’t ask you that, he thought as he went upstairs after looking around for Wooyoung. He couldn’t ask you like this. Not when it made no sense to him. Not when he wasn’t ready for the answer.

“Is Wooyoung not here?” 

“He went home a while ago,” you said, sipping from your coffee cup. “What brings you here at this hour- not for helping around, right?”

Seonghwa pursed his lips, taking a seat. “It’s a long story.”

You smiled, “I have some extra brewed coffee anyway. I think it was meant for you.”

When he had finally gotten a bit of coffee in his system, Seonghwa sighed for what had to be the tenth time. You were fidgeting with nervousness and anticipation now- it looked like he was going to tell you something big. “Come on- you look like you’re about to announce your divorce or something.”

“I don’t know,” he sighed, slumping back. “There’s a lot weighing on my mind, and I can’t really tell anyone.”

“I’m a good listener, and an even good secret keeper,” you told him.

“I don’t doubt that,” he laughed. “It’s just… it might be dangerous to share it with someone.”

“Is it about your case?” You asked and he gave you a look.

“You’re quick. Yes, it’s about my case- the same one that got me here with you right now.”

“Well, then I have a question for you,” you leaned forward, loving the challenge he was giving you. “Do you believe in coincidences?”

“I didn’t,” he thought about it, wondering if every meeting with you was just a plain big series of coincidences. “But now I’m wondering if I was wrong.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe everything happens for a reason. We encountered each other that day, perhaps, because you were meant to sit here right now-”

“Perhaps because we were meant to be-” Seonghwa glanced at you and you raised a brow. “Meant to meet,” he corrected. “That’s what you mean, right?”

“It’s up to you,” you relaxed back. “I don’t want to force you.”

Seonghwa wondered if he could tell you that he found you easy to talk to- in the past few days, he had visited a good few times. He got to learn little things about you and found himself drawn to you. “I’m only hesitating because it’s dangerous to know more than you should. Otherwise, I really like you. I really like talking to you.”

You nodded. “You know that I’ve lived a sheltered life with an overbearing mother, but Seonghwa… I’ve seen my fair share of horrors. I’m not easily rattled, not anymore.”

Seonghwa let that sink in- he always wondered where you got that edge from. He wasn’t sure he could ask. “The case I’m investigating is actually a case involving the top class of Sector 1- politicians, high ranking officials, influencers, you name it. They’re illegally trading drugs among themselves. They buy anyone with power and money.”

“Go on,” you urged.

Seonghwa shifted in his seat. “I’m being backed by Mr. Ahn of KQ Pharmaceuticals. He’s providing me with manpower and connections, but… I’m afraid I’ll have to investigate him at one point too. I’m not sure who’s constantly threatening me- the people I’m investigating or the one who hired me, telling me to stay in my place.”

You whistled. “A double-edged sword?”

“Yeah,” he let out a nervous laugh. “So I’m wondering how I can keep track of my progress, where I can store evidence and important documents. My apartment’s been ransacked twice now. They also stole from me in broad daylight.”

“Hmm… No one would suspect you coming to the cafe to drink some coffee and meet your old friend, right?” You asked and Seonghwa shrugged. “You could use my office.”

“I… When I said that, I didn’t mean that you should give me a space-”

“No, think about it,” you ignored his protests. “Me and Wooyoung are already practically living here. I can give you the spare key to my office- you can come and go as you please and store whatever you need to. I won’t mind.”

“Are you sure?” He asked and you nodded. “Well, I guess that could work.”

“And I know it’s too late to say this, but you should have backed out of this case when you first had the thought,” you said and he laughed in defeat. “It’s dangerous to back out now, isn’t it?”

“Very,” he confirmed. “But I don’t want to back out now either.”

You smirked at that. “Too late. Anyways, I won’t tell anyone. You can trust me.”

“I know I can,” he found himself saying.

“Why?” 

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “It’s something about your eyes.”

“It’s something about your eyes,” Hades tucked your hair behind. “I feel like I could trust you with my life.”

“But what if someone finds out because of me?” You looked down at your fingers, green with all the flower plucking Demeter had made you do as a punishment for being seen in public with Hades.

“Then I would know that it’s not your fault but mine,” Hades smiled sadly. “Because I got you involved.”

“What if someone finds out because of me?” You found yourself saying, feeling intense deja vu and you tried to gulp the feelings down.

However, Seonghwa had sucked his breath sharply as he heard that too. He watched you for a few moments before he said, “Then I would know that it’s not your fault but mine. Because I’m the one who got you involved.”

You accidentally dropped the pencil you had been fiddling with, leaning down to pick it up and gathering yourself in that moment. You cleared your throat. “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“Yeah…” Seonghwa shook his head, breaking the trance he was in. “I should go now- I’ll come by tomorrow with some stuff. Should I drop you off too?”

“There’s no need, I’ll get a taxi-”

“At this hour? I think not,” he poked your arm, urging you to move and you pouted as you picked your stuff. You told him the location- it was 10 minutes from the cafe. The ride was mostly silent as you both sorted your thoughts out. When you reached your apartment, you unbuckled the belt, halting when Seonghwa cleared his throat. “I don’t know how to thank you for everything. We just met recently, but… I’m glad I can trust you.”

You smiled. “Well then, we can work on that until you’re able to call me a friend.”

“You are,” Seonghwa laughed. “You know what I mean. Thank you, y/n. For everything.”

“It’s okay,” you nodded. “Just… stay safe, Seonghwa. It sounds dangerous and I really don’t like that you’re being chased around. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

It was a simple enough thing to say but it pulled at his heartstrings in the most unexpected way and he found himself tucking your hair behind your ear- he couldn’t help it- he had done that so many times in his dreams. However, he hadn’t expected you to basically stop breathing, and he realised his breath caught at the way you were looking at him too.

How were you so familiar yet so distant?

He patted your shoulder, nodding awkwardly. “I’ll try. Being safe, I mean.”

“Yeah,” you finally breathed. “Goodnight… Seonghwa.”

With that, you went upstairs to your apartment, glad Siyeon was sleeping because all you wanted to do was sink down in your bed and think of the way he had just tucked your hair-

Like he had done so a million times before.

Perhaps he had.

—--------------------

Seonghwa found himself coming to the cafe every other day, but he felt a bit guilty that he had to text you and ask the whereabouts of Wooyoung. He told himself that he was protecting his friend and that made him feel guilty because he might be putting you in danger, but you always assured him that it was okay.

It was an easy routine now- Wooyoung usually went home around 10 at night, which was when Seonghwa would drop by and sit in your office and do his work in silence. On the days when you were present, you would quietly come in and place some coffee and snacks on the desk. He didn’t hide anything from you but you didn’t want to intrude so you’d just leave and do something productive, finding it easier to get busy.

Tonight was one of those nights too. You had asked Wooyoung to take care of the other things while you did the painting, which was why he was out and about during the day, buying whatever you needed- you’d join him when it concerned you but since he was taking care of the kitchen, he was busier. You just needed to get the painting done so you could finally decorate and get the flower business started.

You began to think of the flowers back at home, of home, of your mother, of the house that almost felt like a prison and in several ways was, of the feelings of suffocation that still lingered-

You heard someone clear their throat and you looked up to see Seonghwa lingering in the doorway, passing you a tight-lipped smile and you looked down- you had been picking at your fingers- had he seen that? You got up and brushed your clothes.

“What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you had an extra marker,” Seonghwa said after a moment. “I couldn’t find it where you usually keep your stationery.”

“Ah, we must have run out- there might be one in the kitchen though, let me look for it.”

“It’s okay, I’ll look for it-”

“You’ll never be able to navigate through Wooyoung’s mess there,” you laughed and he grinned, finally relaxing. “I’ll be back.”

You went to the kitchen and after a few minutes, you were able to find a marker in one of the drawers. You went to your office and knocked at the already open door and Seonghwa urged you to come in. You noticed how he had pasted a few pictures and notes on your board, making a mind-map.

“Wow, that’s a lot,” you commented. “I hope it’s not so hard… what’s going on here?”

Seonghwa chuckled, pointing at the picture of a middle-aged man. “That’s Dr. Kwon of Wonderland Hospital Sector 1. That’s where the investigation began- apparently, Mr. Ahn got suspicious when Dr. Kwon stopped his business with KQ Pharmaceuticals, and Mr. Ahn wondered if he’s not buying from the best pharmaceutical company in Wonderland, who’s sponsoring him?”

“Ah, business rivalry at first, huh?” You said and he nodded. “So he started doing some digging?”

“Yeah, and he noticed that there was one specific drug that’s used for anaesthetic purposes that he wasn’t buying from any of the well-known companies. He has his ears everywhere, and he was quick to make a connection- that drug that the top class of Wonderland smokes, they call it ‘Mist’- it’s the same they’re using as anaesthesia in the hospital.”

“Oh,” you wowed, taking a moment to let that sink in. “That’s… intense.”

Seonghwa stifled his smile. “Now he just wants me to take down as many people involved as possible.”

“Why you?” You were curious.

“I’m called the Underworld’s Grim Reaper for a reason,” he smirked. “I won a big case a year ago too- probably caught Mr. Ahn’s attention.”

“It’s suspicious, though,” you went through his notes, looking at the pictures and frowning at a familiar face. “That he isn’t putting himself in the spotlight. Also, how is he involved?”

“You know him?” Seonghwa glanced at the picture you were holding. “That’s Mr. Jang, right?”

“From the Wonderland Art Museum, yes,” you confirmed. “He’s an acquaintance of my mother- we deliver flowers to him regularly. Is he involved in…”

“It seems so, but it’s only a suspicion right now,” Seonghwa sighed. “There’s no evidence of transactions- after all, the drug must cost something. I’m wondering if it’s not in the form of cash- which is why I’ll have to look into Mr. Jang’s paintings and who the real owners of those paintings are.”

You were still going through the pictures as you listened when you found a picture of a flower. “And what has this rare flower got to do with it?”

Seonghwa looked surprised. “You recognise this flower?”

“Of course I do. I’m a florist, Seonghwa,” you rolled your eyes.

“What do you know about this flower?”

“It’s one of the rarest flowers. It’s called the Middlemist Blue- wait,” you looked at the flower and then back at him. “This is the source of the drug?”

“Yes,” Seonghwa took the picture from you. “Where have you seen it?”

In my mother’s greenhouse.

“It’s very rare,” you attempted to sound normal but you were sure Seonghwa caught on. You sighed, taking a seat. “My mother found one a few years ago and since then, she’s been taking care of it and trying to reproduce it.”

“And was she successful?” Seonghwa dared to ask.

“Not that I’m aware of,” you shook your head, looking at him- for once, you felt scared. “Do you think she might be involved?”

“I can’t say- she isn’t the only one with that flower, though. There’s someone in Sector 8 who grows them too,” he said and you found yourself sighing in relief. “But… you understand that I’ll have to investigate her, right?”

You thought for a few moments- was this a big coincidence? Your mother did deliver flowers to Mr. Jang for display in his museum. What if she provided him with the Middlemist Blue as well? What if Mr. Jang really was involved in the Underworld’s drug dealing?

Seonghwa took a seat next to you, taking your hand in his and caressing it. “You don’t have to think of the worst, y/n. I don’t think a mother who loves her daughter so much would do something that could harm her. The world doesn’t know that the Middlemist Blue can be used as a drug- that could mean that your mother is unaware. After all, she’s a florist, not a pharmacist, right?”

“Yeah, that’s true,” you took a deep breath. “But… Can you do me a favour and let me find out? With you?”

“It’s too dangerous-”

“Please,” you put a hand on his. “If it involves my mother… you understand why I have to, right? I could also help you with Mr. Jang’s involvement. We could do this together.”

Seonghwa thought about it. “You’re not doing anything on your own, okay? Don’t pull a move and make everyone around you suspicious.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I also don’t want you to confront your mother until I’m sure she’s the one supplying whoever’s involved. She could simply be keeping a rare flower safe.”

“Yes, sir.”

Seonghwa chuckled, tucking your hair behind your ear, making your smile change into surprise. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

You understood what he meant. “I know you’ll keep me safe.”

There it was again- another conversation he was sure he’d had with you. He patted your cheek. “Let’s talk about this later, okay?”

You nodded, finding yourself unable to draw away from him, and perhaps the spirit of Persephone possessed you for a moment as you leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, making his eyes go wide in surprise. “Thank you for believing in me, Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa scanned your face, wanting to kiss you back but it took everything in him to simply smile and stand up to leave. He needed to clear his head, but most of all-

He needed to figure out just why he had been dreaming about you, and why the events of his dreams were playing out in the present.

—----------------------

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Seonghwa muttered as he pulled his cap further down and you groaned inwardly, taking it off and ruffling his hair, making him stop in his tracks. “What are you doing?”

“You’re looking too suspicious, Seonghwa,” you shook your head. “The mask and glasses are enough. You’re not a celebrity.”

“Might as well be,” he countered, pulling your hand and bringing you to the side when a bike passed by. “You should have disguised yourself too. My plan was better.”

“Mine is better, you’ll see,” you smiled at him and he thought you glowed in the sun. “Just a couple interested in art. What’s suspicious about that?”

It was a very basic plan- you wanted to go and check out the Wonderland Art Museum and see just how much your mother was involved- you were going to introduce yourself to Mr. Jang and you were bringing your ‘boyfriend’ with you. Seonghwa agreed to it because you insisted that you needed to learn just what your mother’s role was before he began investigating her, and for another reason-

Because you wanted to go out with Seonghwa, though you’ll never admit it out loud.

Interestingly, Seonghwa didn’t suggest someone else take his place or you go alone- it wasn’t uncommon to go alone. He had a few things he wanted to learn about you too, and he planned to find out today.

You both paused at the entrance, spotting yourselves in the reflecting glass- your lavender outfit was quite a contrast with his all black. The guards checked your ids, scanned you and allowed you to go inside and when Seonghwa exhaled loudly, you smacked his arm. 

“Not subtle at all, Mr. Park.”

“I’m only teasing you,” he rolled his eyes as he laughed. “You think I haven’t done this? Sneaked in and gotten into trouble? More times than I can count.”

You made an impressed face and made your way to the display section, blown by the magnificent art pieces and the florals surrounding them. “Mother really put her heart and soul into this. No wonder she thought I couldn’t take over this job when I suggested that. My initial plan did fail for a reason.”

“You can go ahead and look at the flowers or whatever,” Seonghwa looked down at your still linked hands. “I’ll hang around and… observe. I need to check who the owners of these paintings are.”

“I think it’s better if we stick together- and you can lead the way. I don’t think I need to take a closer look at the flowers,” you shifted your hands so you were holding his arm now. “Better?”

Seonghwa glanced at you, gulping before he nodded. He wondered why he was so damn nervous around you. This wasn’t his first date-

Was he thinking of this as a date?

He led the way and you went from one art piece to another, observing for a few minutes. One of the guides answered whatever questions Seonghwa had. When you were at the heart of the display, Seonghwa finally asked what he wanted to. “What was your life like back at home?”

He noticed you tense for the smallest moment and he may have dismissed it had he not noticed you do that whenever someone talked about home. “Nothing much. Boring, if I have to say, but I have to credit my mother for all I am today.”

“Even the dark parts?” Seonghwa teased.

“Especially those,” you grinned at him, glad he was keeping it light. “She’s the only family I have- my father was never in the picture. She did what she had to.” He didn’t probe further, nodding slowly and guiding you to the next part, wondering just why your relationship with your mother was rocky. You asked him about his family.

“We’re a small family, but we’re close,” you could see his eyes curve and you bet he was smiling under the mask. “But when I look at you… I think you found a family here. The way you are with Siyeon and Wooyoung… it’s endearing.”

“Old friends are like family,” you smiled, agreeing. Seonghwa motioned towards the guards stationed near the far end- it had to be the office. “Should we take a closer look?”

“No, the guards might recognise me if Mr. Jang is involved,” he said, leading you to the other corner and you continued admiring the art while he looked at the office. “Can I ask why you wanted to open a cafe as a florist?”

“Well,” you thought about it. “I’ve practically lived with flowers. It’s what I’m best at and what I’m most confident about, though I started hating it a little when I felt like I hadn’t explored my options much. But when Wooyoung suggested opening up a cafe because he loved cooking for others… I think that’s when I looked at it differently.”

“What do you mean?”

“How do you think people look when they receive food or flowers? There’s not only happy occasions, but they’re both meaningful. To be a part of someone’s life or routine… I liked the idea of that. So we decided to partner up- Wooyoung gives the food and I give the flowers. It may sound stupid but-”

“No, it doesn’t,” Seonghwa insisted. “I heard somewhere, that even the darkest of places can be brightened by flowers, and even the darkest of humans can be moved.”

You narrowed your eyes at Seonghwa. You had, of course, heard that in your dream. “Where did you hear that- oh, look at that.”

Seonghwa followed your eyes to Mr. Jang going to his office room, followed by who had to be his secretary. He was about to turn away reflexively but you tightened your grip on his arm instead. “We’re going to his office.”

“We are not-”

“My mom sent a wine bottle for him, and I am simply delivering it on her behalf,” you motioned to the bag you were wearing which contained the gift and he rolled his eyes. “You can stay back if you want to-”

“No, I’ll come with you,” he said, looking like he was in pain.

You considered that. “Won’t he recognise you?”

“I think if he’s involved, it might shake him a little, seeing me with you,” Seonghwa was almost smirking. “That is, if your mother is involved too.”

“Ah… so you’re going to use me as bait? Noted,” you said and began to move forward and he laughed, grabbing your hand and stopping you but you pretended to be sour about it and made it to the office, letting him grab your hand when you knocked.

The secretary opened the door. “What business do you have?”

“I’m here from Eden Florals,” you said, “on behalf of the owner. She’s an acquaintance of Mr. Jang- she sent a gift for him.”

The secretary asked you to wait a moment and then let you in. You took out the gift first and then handed it to Mr. Jang with a bow. “I’m y/n from Eden Florals.”

“Of course,” Mr. Jang got up and shook hands with you. “I remember seeing a picture of you at your greenhouse when I went for a visit. You’re all grown up now!”

You smiled shyly. “My mother sends her regards. I’ve actually been wanting to visit your museum for quite a while ever since I moved to the city, but couldn’t get the chance.”

“And it seems like you did,” Mr. Jang glanced at Seonghwa.

“Yep,” you squeezed his hand, urging him to take his mask off. “This is my boyfriend, Seonghwa. He’s a fan of your work.”

“Nice to meet you,” Seonghwa said and you watched as Mr. Jang paused for a moment before shaking his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I’m sure you have,” he commented before sitting down. “You’re quite busy these days, I’ve heard.”

You pretended to be surprised. “Do you know each other?”

“Oh, didn’t he tell you?” Mr. Jang laughed. “He’s a very famous prosecutor around here. We’re all a little wary around him even when we’re clean as a slate.”

“That must mean he’s good at his job,” you passed a warm smile to Seonghwa and took a moment to look around. You found nothing suspicious at the first glance. “Well, I must get going now- sorry for taking so much of your time.”

“Oh, it’s alright. I hope you visit again. Send my regards to your mother too,” he said and you bowed before leaving the office, deciding to just exit the museum as well.

“So?” Seonghwa asked when you finally got out. “What do you think?”

“I’m pretty sure he’s involved- he looked more surprised to see you,” you thought. “I’m not sure about my mother though- what do you think?”

“I’m not so sure either,” Seonghwa inhaled deeply. “But I know for sure that he’s aware of what’s going on in the Underworld, at least.”

“Well then,” you paused, spotting a barbeque restaurant and feeling your stomach growl at the thought of food. “Shall we think about it over some food? My treat for dragging you along.”

“Shouldn’t we just go back?”

“Come on,” you elbowed him. “You said you wanted to live a little, right?”

Seonghwa gave you a look but urged you to lead the way and you stifled your grin as you entered the restaurant and gave your orders.

“You remembered that I said that,” he said after you both relaxed. 

“Of course I did,” you shrugged, “We have that in common.”

“Is there something you want to do then?” Seonghwa rested his face on his hands, elbow propped on the table, looking casually at you. “I can’t figure you out. Sometimes you’re trying to dissolve in the background and then sometimes… you pull a bold move like you just did in Mr. Jang’s office.”

Before you could answer, the food arrived and you took that moment to think. “I could say a few things about you too, Prosecutor Park Seonghwa,” you teased and he groaned in amusement. “You seem miles away sometimes but then… you’re right here.”

Seonghwa raised a brow. “Are you talking about how I space out sometimes? Because I’ve been doing a lot of that ever since I met you. You make me confused.”

“Oh? How?” You asked, taking a bite of the meat. 

“I don’t know how to explain it without sounding like a madman so I’ll let you know some other time,” he promised and you made a face at that. “It’s also probably because you’re quite weird too-”

“I could say the same for you!” You laughed. “You talk to yourself when you’re working! I thought I was hearing things and then I thought you were on a call or something, but you were just arguing with yourself.”

Seonghwa hid his face. “I have to do that when I’m lost while I’m connecting the dots. And you! You stare into the space like you can actually see something! I passed by one time and thought you were possessed!”

You both had a good laugh over that. “We’re all strange in some ways,” you acknowledged. “Speaking of, did you find anything strange about the paintings?”

“Yeah, I’ve got someone on it,” he checked his phone. “I just need to check if Mr. Jang’s really the owner of those paintings that he claims are his, or if most of the owners are involved in this drug business. What are you going to do, though?”

“I think I should visit back home- when my mom is away. Ugh, I don’t know how I’ll work that part out, but I need her to be away if I want to confirm my suspicions.”

“You might be offended to hear this, but…” Seonghwa began and you urged him to continue. “Normally, someone would have refused to believe their mother was involved in something like this. Why are you entertaining the possibility, I’m wondering.”

You took a deep breath. “We’re not on the best terms, as you must have seen when she visited the cafe,” you looked at him and he nodded. “She’s… overprotective. Overbearing. And she wasn’t the best mother- she could have done a lot of things differently about parenting,” you let out a short laugh, sighing. “And anyways, the Middlemist Blue is very rare. I can pull out of this but I shouldn’t stop you from investigating.”

“I understand,” he looked a bit apologetic and you shook your hand in dismissal, pouring him a drink and changing the topic,asking him how he became friends with everyone you knew and how he got to where he was. After you were done eating, he took the bus with you which stopped near your cafe and decided to drop you off.

“You don’t need to, I can find my way,” you teased, the few drinks you had back there making you both more comfortable with each other, especially when you both had talked so much the whole day. 

“You know my car is parked there, right?” He laughed and you pouted. “It was your idea of a ‘date’.”

“You liked it though,” you elbowed him and he grinned. “When should we plan our next date? Do you want to go somewhere else before we go to my town?”

“I didn’t realise I was coming with you there,” Seonghwa casually grabbed your arm and pulled you closer.

“Of course you are coming with me,” you glanced at him. “We have a nice view there. I’d really like to show you.”

“If you insist,” he scoffed, though he was pleased. “Is there anywhere you want to go then?”

“I asked you,” you poked his arm. “Come on. Spill.”

“Well… I think I’d really like to go to the beach. It’s been forever since I went.”

“That’s great. I haven’t gone in forever. We should all go together- I could ask Siyeon and Wooyoung-”

“We could all go together, but…” Seonghwa paused, turning to you. “I’d like it more if it was just the two of us.”

“Oh, really?” You were about to tease him but then it sank in. “Oh.”

Seonghwa smiled, taking your hand and walking the rest of the way to the cafe in silence while your heart thumped wildly. When you arrived, he turned to you once again.

“Thank you for today. It was fun and productive. I never thought it could be both.”

You shook your head. “Always thinking about work first. I still haven’t forgotten how you used me as bait-”

Seonghwa shut you up with a chaste kiss to your cheek, laughing when he noticed how surprised you were. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s- it’s okay, just took me by surprise,” you unconsciously touched where he had kissed you.

“Do you like it then? Should I do it again now that you’re-”

“Ah, you’re drunk,” you laughed, pushing him away when he tried to do it again. “Kiss me when your head is not in the clouds.”

Seonghwa pursed his lips, his gaze changing and you realised what you had said. “I think I might be drunk too. I should go back inside…”

“I’ll remember that for next time,” Seonghwa promised and you waved goodbye, heading inside and unable to stop smiling for a good few moments.

—----------------------

“It’s not how I imagined us to be,” you said, caressing his hair, his head resting on your lap. It looked like he had stars in his hair. “Everyone thinks you’re the villain- that you’ve brought me here by force. It wasn’t my intention to make you misunderstood-”

“It doesn’t matter, Persephone,” Hades sighed in pleasure. “As long as you’re with me and happy… it doesn’t matter what the world thinks of us.”

“But Hades,” you couldn’t shake off the feeling of impending doom. “Mother will do anything to get me back. She won’t settle for 6 months on Earth and 6 months in the Underworld deal. She might get your brothers on her side, and then-”

Hades pulled away, sitting in front of you. “Did you know what would happen if you ate those pomegranate seeds?” You nodded and he continued. “You chose to do this. Will you choose to be by my side when everyone thinks I manipulated you into doing so?”

“Of course I will. I’m doing it now,” you pointed out and Hades smiled. “You’re the first person who saw me for who I truly was, and accepted me. You made me the Queen of Underworld and offered me whatever I wanted. I want to be with you, Hades. I don’t want to go back to Earth.”

Hades tucked his finger under your chin to make you look at him as he said, “You’re also the Goddess of Spring. You brought life to the Underworld- look around,” he glanced at the once dead forest that now bloomed with flowers of all sorts, bloomed with life. “I never thought it could be warm here- warm here too,” he touched his heart. “And you’re also the first one to look past the monster everyone has made me to be.”

With that, he leaned forward and kissed you in such a gentle manner that you wondered how he still managed to stay alive all alone in the cold Underworld. You kissed him back with the promise that he would never have to feel cold again. Hades was surprised when you kissed him back, because for a moment he wondered if he had made a mistake, if he had been too hasty- but when you climbed in his lap to kiss him deeper and his arms wound around your waist, he knew that he had fallen for you ages ago.

~

You woke up with a groan, your muscles aching and you found that you had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room. You rubbed your eyes, hearing water run- Siyeon must be showering. With a sigh, you got up and decided to make breakfast, cracking eggs and frying them, turning the coffee machine on-

And pausing in the middle of flipping eggs when the memory of the dream came back. You poked your tongue in your cheek, resuming the frying and scoffing at the memory- Hades kissing Persephone.

Seonghwa kissing you.

You cursed under your breath- it felt too real. You could feel butterflies in your stomach- or maybe it was because you already had a thing for Seonghwa. You had to admit that you did, especially with the conversation a few nights ago when he had kissed you on the cheek and you had asked him to kiss you again when he was sober.

You had met Seonghwa after that, but he had been a bit busy so he only said hi or made small talk when he stopped by at your cafe, both of you waiting for the day your mom would leave town which would be the weekend, you found out thanks to Siyeon. You both were pretending that conversation didn’t happen and things were pretty normal, if you had to say-

“Gosh, you scared me. Why are you smiling like a fool?”

You snorted, setting the table and sitting across Siyeon. “Just had a silly dream.”

“I had one too,” Siyeon laughed. “I was running away from a giant chicken. I think I should stop eating too much chicken…”

“Do you believe in coincidences, though?” You wondered out loud. “Like… do you think we can foresee things in our dreams?”

Siyeon raised a brow at the sudden change of tone. “I think I read something about that once. That sometimes we can actually foresee things. It’s pretty rare though, and most of the time it’s our mind making up scenarios.”

“But like, what if you’ve been foreseeing things for a while?” You leaned forward. 

“I don’t know,” Siyeon shrugged. “Are you?”

“Not really,” you shrugged back. “Just wondering.”

You wanted to tell her that you saw Seonghwa in your dreams so many times before you met him, but… would she believe it? Even if she did, she’d think you were crazy. You couldn’t blame her for that- anyone would think you were crazy.

“You look like you have been having trouble sleeping, though,” Siyeon commented.

“Yeah, I haven’t had good sleep in a while,” you rubbed your face. “I’m going to go change.”

Before Siyeon could ask more, you were off to your room. After getting ready, she dropped you at the furniture store where Wooyoung was already waiting for you. He had picked a few options and you both went through the designs, choosing round wooden tables and comfortable cushion chairs in light pink colour for the cafe- you were pleased by how it looked in your mind so far. 

“I think Hongjoong’s idea of a vintage theme really stuck to me. This is going to look perfect,” you pointed at some old frames.

“Get anything you want- I’m ready to spoil you,” Wooyoung nodded. “Just remember the budget. We spared a lot since you’re painting yourself.”

“Yeah, I just need to get some paints now,” you put your hands in your coat pocket as Wooyoung filled the receipt. “Brown and white should be okay, huh?”

“Yeah,” he was done. “Let’s look at the curtains next?”

You spent the good part of the afternoon shopping as much as you both could, getting lunch in between and making a timeline of when you needed to get things done and started. Wooyoung was busy with his cooking classes but you were mostly free so you were going to paint. He said he would ask the boys to give you a hand but you declined, saying it was something you’d prefer to do by yourself and you would be calling them anyway when you would need to decorate and set the furniture.

You got a text from Seonghwa when Wooyoung was about to drop you back at the cafe. 

Hi. Can you meet me at the intersection near the cafe? I’m passing by and need to hand you some documents- I’m meeting someone and I can’t risk taking them along.

If you’re not busy, that is. 

If you’re busy, I’ll just hide them in my office.

You smiled at the texts and Wooyoung glanced at you. “Already have a boyfriend?”

“No, it’s not that,” you groaned. “Can you drop me off at the intersection instead?”

“Meeting someone?” Wooyoung teased after agreeing. “I gotta see who it is.”

“Gosh,” you knew Wooyoung wasn’t going to back out so you gave in. “It’s only Seonghwa. He needs to give me something.”

“Seonghwa?” Wooyoung scoffed. “When did you two become so close?”

You suddenly felt guilty for not telling Wooyoung and Siyeon anything about Seonghwa yet. “We’re not that close. He’s just using my office to hide a few important documents because his house got ransacked twice- the case he’s working on. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”

Wooyoung made an impressed face. “He’s trusting you with that?”

“You know I’m good at hiding things,” you teased and he laughed, recalling that one time you were fourteen and bought a phone and hid it from your mother for about a year until she found out and gave you hell for it. 

He dropped you off with a promise that you’d give him more details and you waved goodbye, spotting Seonghwa at the far end near a shop. You went to him and he apologised for making you come out when you were busy.

“I was just heading back to the cafe- I was out running errands with Wooyoung,” you told him, taking the USB and putting it in the inside pocket of your coat. “I’m interested to hear why you think this could be stolen.”

“It’s crucial information… and I don’t want to be careless,” he looked around, running a hand through his hair and your stomach swooped when your mind decided to flash back that one scene from your dream where you were running a hand through his hair instead- “And I think I have a tail, which is why I didn’t stop by the cafe too much. I need to find out who it is this time.”

“Oh,” you pursed your lips. “I’ll hide it well then.”

“I’m sure you will,” he smiled, checking the time. “I’ve got to go. See you later?”

“See you,” you saluted, going backwards where you came from. You took two turns down the street when you felt eyes on you and you turned around, catching a shadow hide behind a pole- since it was getting dark, you couldn’t see well, but-

If Seonghwa had a tail, it was possible they were following you now.

Which meant there was no way in hell you could go back to the cafe.

You decided to go to the convenience store instead, taking another turn. You took out your phone and used the screen and the lights to see if anyone was actually following you or you were just being anxious-

There was someone. And he was close. 

You unlocked your phone and texted Seonghwa: I have a tail and he’s following me rn. You called him next.

“Wooyoung! Did you see my text? I sent you the receipt of the furniture.”

“Uh, it’s Seonghwa-”

“Yeah, I know,” you sighed. “Can you just take a look and see if it’s the right one?”

“Is anyone following you right now?”

“Yep,” you attempted to sound cheerful because you were pretty sure whoever was behind you could hear you. You decided to stay where it was crowded, though. At least he wouldn’t attempt something in the middle of a crowd, right?

“Oh goodness. Where are you?”

“Dinner? I think I’ll just have ramen at the convenience store.”

“Got it. Stay safe- don’t run. Stay around people, okay? I’m coming.”

“Yeah, we’ll see,” you said. “Aren’t you busy?”

“Stay on call, okay?” Seonghwa said and you could hear his breath sound like he was running. He had to be on foot now- you glanced around casually, noticing the man behind you properly now- he was wearing a face mask and a cap. 

Someone was starting to suspect you, it seemed. They couldn’t see you with Seonghwa.

“I don’t want to be seen with you, Wooyoung,” you almost scolded. “People will have the wrong idea.”

“Now is not the time to play games, y/n,” Seonghwa sighed. “I can see you- cross the street and when it gets busy, go to the backside of the convenience store. He’s a good distance behind you so if we run, we could lose him.”

“Got it. Bye,” you said and put your phone in your pocket, taking a deep breath and waiting for the signal to turn green, an old couple near you. You casually looked around- the man was indeed hanging around a few feet away.

You crossed the road with the couple, and after taking a sharp turn you started running when you spotted Seonghwa. He grabbed your hand and led you to an old building, exiting from the front and then going to another building, following him in the darkness and swallowing your panic until you made a stop at a parking lot.

“I think we’ve lost him,” he looked around. “You definitely had a tail-”

You sighed loudly in relief, your knees going weak and Seonghwa was quick to hold you against him, making you rest your head on his chest- you could hear his wildly thumping heart as well. Seonghwa chuckled in disbelief, patting your back. “I got you.”

“I was so scared for a moment back there,” you said as you finally looked up at him and he scanned your face, looking apologetic.

“I was more scared,” Seonghwa found himself tucking your hair behind. “I could see who's following you. I had to do something- I couldn’t simply wait and watch.”

You leaned into his touch, surprising him but then he brought you into a hug and you didn’t hesitate, wrapping your arms around his waist. He sighed deeply. “I’m sorry. I never should have asked that from you- I shouldn’t have let you do this alone. I don’t even know how they figured out-”

“It’s okay- I would have done it anyway,” you only hugged him tighter. “Besides, I was smooth. I’ve got it,” you broke the hug and patted your pocket that held the USB. “You should hire me. I think I might be a natural at this.”

Seonghwa laughed at that. “I think that’s tempting,” he licked his lips as he looked at you. “Let’s get out of here.”

He drove you home and insisted that you stay there for the rest of the day, just to be on the safe side. He made a call to cancel his meeting as well. When you arrived at the apartment, you offered him to come inside for dinner.

“I’m feeling chicken and beer now,” you said, getting out of the taxi and waiting for him. “A little company would be nice.”

Seonghwa pondered for a moment before following you out. “Isn’t this where Siyeon lives as well?”

“She won’t be home until 11 tonight,” you said, leading the way inside. He took off his shoes, looking around.

“Neat,” he commented. “I thought Siyeon’s place would look more like a dungeon.”

“It did,” you laughed. “Before I moved in. She’s better now.”

Seonghwa laughed at that and you took out the USB. “Should I just hide it here? It’s better to keep important things scattered, right?”

“Maybe, yes,” he thought for a moment. “I’ll just make a few copies of it.”

You sat down with Seonghwa on the couch, putting on whatever drama was airing and watching Seonghwa make copies on his laptop, handing you the original one to hide, which you did in a random jar in the kitchen that you were sure no one else would touch. Seonghwa was impressed. “I should have hid things in the kitchen too.”

“Doesn’t work everytime,” you told him and he shut his laptop and put it aside. The chicken arrived and you found yourselves absorbed in casual discussion, from the case to how he became a prosecutor to your family.

“We’re going this weekend, by the way,” you reminded him, having finished eating about half an hour ago and just relaxing with beer now. “You’re free for the day, right?”

“I am,” he confirmed and you scanned him- head resting on his hand, arm propped on the couch, sitting very comfortably on the floor. You could imagine him as Hades. Was it really a past life you were seeing or were you possessed? There was no way you were the goddess of spring and he the king of the underworld, but…

With your present occupations, you were beginning to doubt if it really made no sense.

“You’re staring, y/n,” he commented, his voice deeper. “What are you thinking?”

You gulped unconsciously. “Sorry. Just got lost for a moment.”

“I want to know what you’re thinking,” he pouted uncharacteristically and you laughed, taking the beer can away from him.

“Don’t tell me you’re drunk again!” You teased.

“I’m pretty sober right now,” he insisted and you narrowed your eyes at him, but he didn’t budge. “I also remember a promise I made for when I was sober-”

“Oh, please,” you looked away, feeling heat creep up your cheeks and he smiled at that.

“Do I make you nervous, y/n?” he asked, taking your hands away when you hid your cheeks and pulling them in his lap. “I’m sorry for today. I really wish you would stop involving yourself anymore.”

“Not this again,” you squeezed his hand. “We’re fine. We’re here. That’s all that matters- you know I can’t back out now anyway.”

He looked at you. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. It could get worse now.”

“Well, I want you to pull out too. I want to keep you safe, but it seems like we can’t get everything that we want…” you shrugged and he felt warmth inside after hearing that. “Now can you stop looking at me like this?”

“Like what?” He teased and pulled you closer, taking you by surprise, your face inches away. “Like this?”

His gaze dropped to your lips and you felt butterflies, unable to look away, your own gaze dropping at his plump lips now parted. He ran his thumb over your lower lip, patting your cheek before drawing away but you took his hand and pulled him back, taking him by surprise.

“You haven’t kept your promise,” you said.

“I don’t think I’m fully sober,” he replied.

“Does it look like I care about that?” 

There it was- your gaze changing, your persona changing. He absolutely loved it when you got playful like this, and he wasn’t going to miss this chance. He smiled, leaning forward and hesitating before he kissed your cheek, lingering there for a moment. However, when he saw you with your eyes still shut, he couldn’t help but take it a step further, brushing his lips across yours as if asking for permission and you took the next step, pecking his lips and then drawing back as if you had been caught doing something.

“Y/n,” he groaned before he cupped your face and kissed you properly, moving his lips along yours, your hands holding his wrists tightening with every second and then he drew back for a breath. You moved closer, propping yourself in his lap and he felt deja vu, his arms going around your waist as you cupped his face and kissed him deeper. 

You weren’t sure if you were supposed to feel this, but you felt like you were doing something absolutely right- you somehow knew where to touch him, where to hold him, how to kiss him- you already knew the planes and curves and edges of his face as you traced it while you kissed him, and you felt like you belonged there. Somehow, that thought made you feel overwhelmed and you broke the kiss, caressing his face as you looked him in his eyes.

“Don’t you feel like we’ve been here before, Seonghwa?”

Seonghwa thought he was hearing things, but he nodded. “I feel like I’ve known you all my life.”

You smiled at that, pecking his lips again. “Then I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

Seonghwa caressed your arms and you buried your face in his neck, wanting to feel closer, hugging him tightly. He hugged you back and held you for a long time before his phone vibrated and he came back to reality.

“I should get going before Siyeon comes. She’ll raise hell,” he laughed and you grinned.

“See you on the weekend then?” You asked. It was only two days away.

“Maybe you’ll see me before that too,” he smiled, taking his stuff and you walked him out. Before you could leave, he kissed you on your forehead.

“Let’s talk about this later, okay?” He said and you nodded, watching him leave, lovestruck.

—-----------------------------

You barely had the strength to move right now, but even if you did, there wasn’t any other place you would rather be, for you were home in the arms of your husband, the King of the Underworld.

Your king.

“I’m sorry it had to come to this…” he sighed. His voice sounded weary and you glanced up to meet his eyes- he looked beyond tired. “I wish I could take your pain.”

“We saw it coming, my love,” you buried your face in his neck. “One day or another, the mortals are going to forget us- we knew that. We knew we would dissipate into moths or flowers when that time came. And we are so brave to face it together- unlike the others who ended themselves.”

“I don’t like seeing you in pain though,” he insisted. “You could go to Styx. You could end this too-”

“Are you that miserable to be with me?” You teased and he laughed. You marvelled at how young his laugh sounded.

“Of course not. All I’ve ever wanted was to die in your arms.”

Your heart tugged at that- you had spent an indefinite time with Hades but when he said things like that, you felt like you were experiencing something new. 

“Do you want to make a wish, then?” You asked. “Don’t tell me you’ve used the wish we got from Hestia.”

“I don’t think it’s any use now. She’s as weak as us, if not more.”

“But we could try- if we have the same wish.”

Hades tugged your chin up. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking… that this is the end, but I’d like to meet you in another life.”

“I’d like that too,” he nodded.

“Shall we wish to be reincarnated as mortal lovers then?”

“Why mortal lovers? Their lives are short and meaningless.”

“But,” you sighed dreamily. “But they know that, and still love with all their might. I’d like to have that with you once again.”

Hades smiled at that- he couldn’t have thought of something better. “Well then… let’s make that wish.”

~

“Well…” you got off the bus that stopped at the town where your home was. “This is it.”

Seonghwa put his hands in his pockets as he looked at the cloudy sky over the hills, the air feeling cleaner than usual. “It’s beautiful here.”

“It is,” you smiled and Seonghwa thought there was something sad about your smile. You walked side by side, following the track that led to your house. Seonghwa made small talk but he felt like there was something weighing on you- something else other than the fact that your mother could be involved in the biggest drug scandal in the history of Wonderland, so he let the silence take over until you reached the cottage house. 

“Do you want to have some tea before we investigate?” You asked and he nodded, eager to see this part of your life. You unlocked the door and let him in and he looked around.

“It looks cosy but why is it so cold?” He shivered.

You smiled faintly. “It’s always been like this.”

You asked him to get comfortable and went to the kitchen, smiling at the pictures of your childhood hanging by the fireplace. When you came back, he asked you about the backstory of those pictures and you told him- first day of school, first broken tooth, first day at college and more. You showed him your room and he boasted how he would guess your room anywhere if he saw it- he was very familiar with your vibe now. 

“And that’s my mom’s room, if you’re up for snooping,” you said and went inside.

“Very minimalistic,” he observed. “I don’t know what to look for, actually. You can do the snooping. I’m kind of scared of her.”

You chuckled at that, going through her drawers and the bookshelf, asking Seonghwa to check if there were hidden compartments in the room. However, you found nothing.

“She’s not that simple, my mother,” you said as you made sure everything was in place before exiting the room. “We should check her private greenhouse. She may have something there.”

“Do you have all her keys?” Seonghwa asked and you nodded. “I don’t think she’ll keep something like that where you could access it.”

“I think otherwise,” you glanced at him. “We’ve been playing cat and mouse for years now,” you told him as you unlocked her greenhouse, shivering a little as a few bad memories flashed in your mind. “I think this is where she’ll keep it, and then she’ll test me.”

Seonghwa didn’t say anything, just watched you as you went around and zoned out, staring at the far end corner. He decided to give you some space but after a few minutes, he found you still staring at the same spot. 

He walked to you and gently put his arms around your waist in a back hug and felt you finally relax. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah,” you cleared your throat. “Just some bad memories here.”

“You wanna talk about it?” He pressed a kiss to your temple and you smiled faintly- you had missed this. You caressed his hands as you looked ahead. 

“She used to lock me up here when I misbehaved, and I wasn’t the most well-behaved kid as a child,” you let out a short laugh. “I learned to love the dark. It worked until she found out I wasn’t scared anymore.”

“Oh, y/n,” he hugged you tighter. “You don’t have to pretend to be okay anymore.”

You pursed your lips, not wanting to cry so you turned around and let him sway you in a hug until you felt better. He sighed. “I wouldn’t have asked you to come here if I knew.”

“I needed to come here one day or another,” you shrugged. “And I’m glad you’re the one with me.”

Seonghwa caressed your cheek, kissing you deeply and hugging you again. “You’re really strong, you know that?”

You smiled, breaking the hug. “Thank you. I’m just pretending to be.”

Seonghwa smiled back, tucking your hair. “We all are, aren’t we?”

You nodded, spotting the familiar flower behind him. “That’s the Middlemist Blue. They’re more than I expected.”

Seonghwa turned around and found a few pots of the very rare flower. “It feels unreal to see it here. Do you think she’s only trying to keep this flower from going extinct, or…”

“I’ll look around- I really can’t say,” you bit your lip, going through the cupboards until you found a locked drawer. “What do you think she keeps here?”

“I don’t want to guess,” he admitted. “No key?”

“Let’s break it?”

“No, we don’t want to leave traces,” he said, glancing at your head. “Bobby pins?”

“Oooh,” you grinned, taking the pins out of your hair. “Don’t tell me you know how to do that.”

“I’ve learned a few tricks in my field- though one would question if I’m really doing something morally right,” he began unlocking the drawer. “I say as long as it’s serving a good purpose, you’re allowed to do something like this.”

“Wow,” you said as it unlocked and he flicked his hair proudly, making you stick out your tongue before you opened the drawer to examine the contents. You found her old pictures, a few of your father, and some receipts that you handed to Seonghwa.

“So she is providing the Middlemist Blue to Mr. Jang,” he went through the receipts. “Question is- is she keeping these because she’s involved directly in the drug dealing, or because she suspects something and is keeping proof?”

“Yeah, because she wouldn’t keep the receipts in this drawer unless they meant something important,” you nodded. 

“But these date only a year ago,” Seonghwa observed. “Did Mr. Jang change his provider or did she only start suspecting foul play?”

“I guess only she could answer that,” you took pictures of all the receipts. “You’ll have to call her as a witness now, right?”

“I suppose, yes. I’ve found some other things too, but it’s better to call her privately and discuss it,” he looked sorry and you told him it was okay. You locked the drawer back and exited the greenhouse, taking a deep breath and turning to Seonghwa. “Do you want to go to my comfort place to get some food? I wanna show you the lake too before we go back.”

Seonghwa agreed- the day had been tense and he wanted to make the atmosphere between you two light again. You took him to the restaurant by the lake where you had some seafood. You walked around, now comfortably joking about stuff and making small talk until you reached the quietest spot around the lake next to the stream.

“I used to come here when I needed to be alone,” you settled down on the grass. “Never thought I’d bring someone here, much less a prosecutor who’s investigating my mother.”

“Please, can you stop joking about that already,” he laughed painfully, settling down next to you. “Tell me what you like about this place.”

“Well,” you looked up at the stars in the sky. “That. The sound of water. The dirt,” you patted the ground. “The peace this place provided. I felt disconnected here, as if I belonged to another world and was simply a visitor here.”

“Interesting,” he looked up as well. “I like the night sky too. Especially the moon. I feel at home here.”

You glanced at him- you’d heard that before, in a dream. You realised you had said the same thing as Persephone too. Seonghwa looked at you cautiously as well, swallowing the questions down but still daring to ask, “Do you dream when you sleep?”

“Don’t we all?” You frowned at how cryptic he sounded.

“I dream of another life sometimes,” Seonghwa decided to play it safe. “I dream that I’m all alone and cold in another world, until someone comes and puts life in me, around me.”

You felt your heart sink- could it be? 

“I dream too,” your voice was quiet. “That I’m misunderstood and confined until someone frees me and takes me to another world where I can make my own choices. Where I can be free and not have to pretend to be someone else.”

Seonghwa and you both stared at each other, each lost as they tried to fit the pieces together. “Have you heard the story of Hades and Persephone, y/n?”

As soon as he said that, you almost lost your balance in disbelief. It couldn’t be a coincidence this time, could it? 

You had one shot. You had to play it right.

“I’ve heard many versions,” you said cautiously and found his puzzled gaze confusing. “But… I believe in the one that I dream of.”

“No way,” Seonghwa breathed, turning to you. “What does the Underworld need?’”

It was impossible, but you found yourself leaning forward and caressing his cheekbone, tangling your fingers in his hair. 

“‘It needs a touch of spring’.”

Seonghwa couldn’t believe his ears. He watched you laugh in disbelief as well. “Don’t tell me you’ve been dreaming about Persephone too, Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa scoffed, looking up helplessly. “You’ve been dreaming about Hades?”

“I saw you before I ever met you, can you believe that?” You said and he held your hands, squeezing them. “I thought I was crazy.”

“I thought I was crazy- especially when I knew what your mother looked like before I saw her, and then I heard her call you Kore- I couldn’t believe my ears, I- this is unbelievable,” he sighed, resting his forehead against yours. “Am I dreaming right now?”

“I don’t think so,” you breathed. “If you’re Hades and I’m Persephone… what are we supposed to do, Seonghwa?”

Seonghwa shut his eyes, letting himself relax fully for the first time now that he knew he wasn’t alone. He heard you sniff and opened his eyes, finding your face wet with tears. “What’s wrong, love?”

“I don’t know what to do, Seonghwa,” you let him wipe your tears away. “I missed you. I’ve yearned for you my whole life, and when I saw you that day? I thought I was insane. I don’t know how I managed to hold myself back, but oh, goodness, I feel like I’ve waited an eternity to be with you-”

Seonghwa kissed your lips, taking you by surprise but you kissed back as eagerly as he was, clinging on to each other as if that could wipe the distance of aeons away. He found himself kissing your temple, your forehead, the places he used to kiss the most as Hades, and he let you run your hands through his hair like you always did. You let him get on top of you, not caring if anyone could see- it didn’t matter now. Nothing mattered now, except that you had finally found him.

He broke apart, resting his head at the crook of your neck, kissing your exposed skin lazily and you thought you could dissolve right in the ground. “You need to tell me everything.”

“Well…” you laughed, still finding the whole situation unbelievable. “Shall we find a place to stay the night then? I don’t think we can go back to my house…”

“Let’s go back to Sector 1- you can stay at my place… if you want to.”

“Of course, I don’t mind,” you smiled and decided to waste no more time.

Throughout the bus ride, you shared your stories- the first dream you had, when you had it, how it changed when you met each other. When you got to his place and had a few drinks (and a few kisses), you managed to sketch a timeline.

“So Persephone- or Kore, Demeter’s daughter,” you began, “didn’t know she was a goddess. She thought she was an ordinary flower nymph, but she had something else in her- she could make the flowers… die?”

“Sort of,” Seonghwa agreed. “I think she had anger issues.”

You gave him a look and he grinned. You sighed. “So she might have caused some destruction but Demeter always hid her from the world. That’s an awful lot like my mother. Anyways, one day she was panicking by the lake when Hades found her.”

“He said she called for him,” Seonghwa recalled. “Fitting how we found each other by the lake again, huh?”

You considered that, nodding. “So he offers her his company. Why?”

“He liked that she wasn’t afraid of him,” Seonghwa rubbed his chin. “And he found her powers interesting too.”

“So Persephone calls for him again- or he comes by- did he stalk her? Anyways, they talk a lot and get to know each other. Persephone realises Hades is not the cold monster everyone has made him to be. Hades realises she’s not the good girl she pretends to be.”

“I don’t think he stalked her,” Seonghwa pouted and you laughed. “Even if he did… I didn’t.”

“Whatever,” you rolled your eyes. “The events are somewhat similar to what’s happening in our lives now, right? You’re still the King slash Grim Reaper of the Underworld. I’m still a floral goddess. So the question is… why are we having these dreams? Are we a part of an experiment? Or is it simply fate playing games with us? Were we really Hades and Persephone in our past lives?”

“Do you remember that dream?” Seonghwa looked at you. “We were powerless and old. When people started forgetting us, we started fading.”

You raised a brow at how he was now referring to the entities as yourselves. “And then we made a promise to stay by each other’s side, and-”

“And made a wish. What was the wish, y/n?”

You felt as if you’d been dumped with cold water. “To be reincarnated as mortal lovers.”

Seonghwa smiled, “I don’t think we have to think too much then. We got what we wished for, it seems.”

You caressed his hand. “Do you think we only met each other because we’re Hades and Persephone?”

“I don’t care about that, but one thing I know for sure,” he looked into your eyes, eager to erase any doubts you had. “I fell for you in this life because of who you are today. I don’t care if we’re Hades and Persephone, if we’re meant to be or whatever. I know for sure that I would have liked you even if we were not.”

“Gosh, you say that but you’re still as cringy as Hades,” you laughed, making him groan. You scooted closer to him on the couch, letting your hand travel to the nape of his neck. “Well … I like you for just you too. I like Prosecutor Park Seonghwa. I wanted to be sure that the old feelings weren’t messing with me, but you’re right. We’re really meant to be if we like each other for who we are today.”

“But you know what I like better?” Seonghwa’s gaze was hot as he traced your lips. “I know you- not the basics, but I know in my heart what you like,” he let his hands travel down the curve of your neck, satisfied when you shivered involuntarily. “And I’ve wanted to do this for a long, long time.”

He took your lips in a kiss, swiping his tongue along them and you immediately opened up for him, letting his tongue explore your mouth, the memories of it tugging at the back of your mind. You positioned yourself on top of him, arms around his neck, his hands on your waist as he kissed you passionately and you let your hips roll once, making him groan into the kiss and break apart.

“You’re not the only one,” you said and Seonghwa sucked in his breath at how dark your gaze was. “I remember it all too well. You were the King of the Underworld, and I was your Queen. This-” you looked down at your bodies. “This was my throne. You were cold and mysterious to the world, but for me, you were vulnerable and warm,” you smiled, curling your hands in his hair and leaning in to whisper in his ear-

“And I liked your hair longer.”

Seonghwa laughed deeply at that, shaking his head and letting you pepper kisses where he liked- along his jaw, on his nose, and then on his lips, which quickly turned heated, extra layers of clothes off and bodies as close as possible. Every brush of the skin and every kiss felt heightened, now that you both remembered what you had found and what you had lost. And there was no hesitation in your actions now. You had never been more sure about anything.

He was the one for you.

—----------------------

“I can’t believe you could suspect me of something like this,” your mother glared at you and you felt heat creep up your cheeks but Seonghwa’s hand on your thigh made you feel better.

“She’s not suspecting you, ma’am. She’s just trying to keep you safe,” Seonghwa’s tone was hard and you felt a bit proud of how he was standing up for you despite panicking earlier because he was very scared of your mother- he had the memories of Demeter to blame. 

Seonghwa had allowed you to call your mother to your cafe for a private discussion first, now that he had conclusive evidence- but he wasn’t telling you right now, insisting he needed to hear your mother’s statement as well. You were thankful for that and he told you it was the least he could do for you. 

“I’m doing this for your sake, whether you believe it or not,” you sighed. “You just need to tell me if you really know what Mr. Jang and the others are doing with the Middlemist Blue.”

“He’s always been interested in flowers,” your mother replied, tucking her hair back in her bun. “So when he showed interest in that rare flower and offered a high price for me to reproduce it, I didn’t suspect anything. I would have done that sooner or later anyway.”

“But did you know that the Middlemist Blue can be used as a hallucinogen?” 

“Not at all,” she shook her head firmly. “I didn’t, until… until a year ago when I heard something suspicious- Mr. Jang was talking to his friend, saying something about a flower that makes him see another world. I overheard him talk about how he needed to find another source for the flower too. That’s when I started to keep the receipts- he found out that I suspected him and threatened me, but I was smarter. I told him if something happened to me… my daughter would expose the details to the world.”

You frowned. “Your plan was good but I had no idea- you never told me anything.”

“I didn’t know how to, and I didn’t want to involve you in something dangerous,” she pursed her lips. “They could have hurt you.”

You bit your lips as you thought. “So that’s it? You’ve been keeping track of his receipts?”

“I was trying to find a way to get out of this mess, but then I saw you,” she looked at Seonghwa and he straightened. “Prosecutor Park Seonghwa. I wondered why he sounded familiar.”

You and Seonghwa looked at each other. Seonghwa asked, “Why?”

“You were investigating the case,” she scoffed in amusement. “And you were by my daughter’s side. I thought you approached her because you were suspecting me. Is that true?”

“Of course not,” Seonghwa said before you could. “We have mutual friends. We met each other by chance.”

“Whatever you say,” she shrugged. “Are you done interrogating me?”

Seonghwa took a deep breath. “I’ll provide witness protection to you- you can stop providing Mr. Jang with the flowers now. I know you weren’t directly involved, I just needed to hear it from you. I do have to ask you, though… how do you know Mr. Ahn?”

Your mother tensed at that. “What’s that got to do with any of this?”

You frowned at the sudden change of her tone and Seonghwa looked at you before saying, “Mr. Ahn of KQ Pharmaceutical frequents your place a lot, doesn’t he?”

“What has my private life got to do with this case?” She practically seethed and you raised a brow in realisation.

“Don’t tell me you’re dating him?” You scoffed. “I knew you were seeing someone, I just didn’t realise who… wait-” you looked at Seonghwa. “Mr. Ahn of KQ Pharmaceuticals?”

“Thank you for cooperating, ma’am,” Seonghwa got up and bowed. “I think you should also stop seeing Mr. Ahn for a while. I’ll be issuing an arrest warrant for him tonight.”

Your mother gasped in realisation and you stood confused, wondering just what was going on. However, she stood up and straightened after a moment. “I should have known. No one’s interested in a mere florist- not a man of his standing.”

“Don’t be too disappointed- not everyone is like that,” Seonghwa had a faint smile as he took your hand and caressed it, making you jump- you hadn’t told your mother anything about Seonghwa yet, and she was quick to notice. She only smiled knowingly. 

“I’ll catch up with her later, but you-” she pointed a finger at Seonghwa, sighing. “You better do a good job at catching those assholes, and my daughter better not get hurt.”

“I’ll make sure of that,” Seonghwa nodded.

“Can I have a moment with you, Kore?” She asked and you nodded, going outside with her. She sighed deeply, looking at you with fondness, which was rare, but perhaps this time, you had earned it. 

“I would have scolded you but… I’m glad he’s smart,” she grinned and you laughed nervously as well. She patted your cheek. “Come visit me soon. I’ll have no company now.”

“I’m sorry about Mr. Ahn…” you hesitated but she rolled her eyes.

“I should have known better-”

“No. You couldn’t have guessed,” you assured her, patting her arm awkwardly. “It’s okay. You should come by more often too. Wooyoung’s mother misses you. You and Siyeon’s mother should all hang out or something.”

“Open this place soon then,” she said. “We’ll gather here.”

You watched her leave until Seonghwa came by your side. “I’m sorry for not telling you earlier, but… I had to respect her privacy too.”

“You did the right thing,” you nodded. “I’m not sure how Mr. Ahn is involved.”

“I don’t know whether he really likes your mother or he used her, but… the company that’s been creating the drug is his too. He set it up to put his rivals behind bars- he purposely disturbed the peace. He pretended to be fazed by the loss when Dr. Kwon of Wonderland Hospital Sector 1 stopped using his products, and he used that to create a drug scandal, tempt the people of power with the drug and then put them behind bars. He must have felt like a god, using everyone like that in his game.”

“Wow… that’s a lot,” you whistled. “How did you find that out?”

“Mr. Jang and I struck a deal,” he smirked and you gasped in realisation. “We decided to help each other out a little. When I told him there was a possibility that Dr. Ahn was behind all of this, he was all ears. I’ll have to cut him some slack though, where I can.”

“Wicked,” you grinned. “So what’s next?”

“I’ll be prosecuting Mr. Ahn… and he better have the best lawyer in Wonderland to defend him,” Seonghwa smiled. “He can’t get out of this now.”

“It’s going to be over soon, huh?” You wrapped your arms around his waist. “I’m glad it’s over, Seonghwa.”

“Me too,” he sighed. “It’ll take a few weeks and I’ll be busy but… when I’m free from all of this, do you want to go to the beach?”

“You have to make it to the cafe opening first,” you laughed. “It’s next Saturday, you haven’t forgotten, right?”

“Of course not,” he kissed your lips. “I’ll be there.”

He was there, as promised, when you opened the cafe officially. You and Wooyoung felt proud when all your friends and family arrived, admiring the floral exterior with flowers for sale as well, Hongjoong’s soundtrack running in the background, the vintage theme going along with the whole vibe. The first day was as busy as it could have gotten, especially when your friends brought their coworkers and colleagues and a famous blogger came as well. Wooyoung was excellent in the kitchen, working well with the team he’d hired, and you stood as a cashier for the day shift, greeting everyone and giving away flowers, making sure everything was okay.

Siyeon came at night again with the mothers, and when your mother gave you an approving wink, you felt like you had finally done something good to please her. Wooyoung noted that, joining the mothers at the table himself and Siyeon pouted because even her mother loved him. You called Siyeon to where you were standing at the counter.

“If you don’t tell him that he looks hot in the apron or whatever, then I will, because I know that’s what you’re thinking,” you poked her stomach and she glared at you. “Come on. Even I’m dating now. I didn’t realise you were such a coward.”

“He doesn’t like me like that-”

“Trust me, he does. He can’t stop glancing at you whenever you’re around. And he even took you to his apartment to make you taste his dishes! He never does that!”

“That’s only because I have superior taste buds-”

“Shut up, and I better see you both together tonight,” you announced and she muttered curses under her breath which you ignored. At that moment, Wooyoung passed by you two, casually patting Siyeon’s back and you wiggled your brows at her. Wooyoung went into the kitchen and while you two were teasing each other, he came out and told you he was almost out of ingredients, so you should close the cafe for the day- it was almost 10 anyway.

“The first day was a success, right?” You asked and he squeezed your hand.

“Huge success. We did it,” he grinned and you grinned back, going to change the sign on the door and watching Siyeon compliment something. You went outside for air.

You inhaled deeply, feeling a sense of achievement having announced the cafe closed, however… Seonghwa was very late. You wondered where he was-

“Are you not going to let me in?” He came in front of you out of nowhere and you blinked. 

“You’re late!” You pouted. 

“I know, just got held back at the court, but… I bought you something to make up for it.” He took out a box and you narrowed your eyes before you opened it.

“Oh goodness, you really are worse than Hades,” you laughed, making him grin. “Couple rings?”

“Aren’t people into this these days?” He took out your ring, taking your hand and looking at you for permission before sliding it in. You admired the silver band.

“Maybe. I love it, Seonghwa. I really do.”

“Come here,” he hugged you, swaying you back and forth and you got lost in it until Seonghwa paused. “We might have… an audience.”

“Oh, fuck,” you muttered and he snorted as you broke the hug and looked back at not only Siyeon and Wooyoung but also their mothers and your mother watching you both with silly grins plastered on their faces. You waved at them awkwardly.

“Let’s get inside,” he laughed. “I need some coffee.”

“I’ll be right in after a minute,” you said and he kissed your temple, nodding and going inside. You watched him bark orders to Wooyoung who put him in a chokehold, making everyone laugh. You smiled to yourself- with your loved ones enjoying together, it really couldn’t get any better.

—--------------------

Being with Seonghwa now that you both realised that this was not your first life together was a whole different experience. 

You had never envisioned yourself to be with someone who cared so much about you, for starters. You never thought you could meet someone who would understand you even when you didn’t explain, or know what you wanted even when you were not vocal about it. You sometimes found yourself wondering if he was real and you weren’t dreaming, but he was very real, and he was nothing like you had imagined- in the best way possible.

You had to come to terms with the fact that you were indeed living a second life. You spent a lot of days wondering what that meant. You wondered why you remembered it. You would have thought it was insane had you not correlated everything with Seonghwa- who also thought he was going crazy before he talked to you about it that day in your hometown. It was absurd, how you both found each other again, but it was starting to make sense. 

Most of all, you thought about the past. You thought about your life as Persephone- you didn’t have all the memories, of course. Only bits and fragments, and sometimes you’d see a dream that would play out similarly in your present life too. You thought about your mother who still had a similar nature as Demeter, though you were now working out on your differences more. You thought about Hestia and wondered who she was- was she a part of your present life too? She had fulfilled your last wish, after all. You would like to see who she was today, if she was still alive in some sense.

You thought about yourself- the flower goddess who was also the Queen of the Underworld, who could bring the dead to life but also suck the life out of anything alive. You read more about the story on Persephone but found a lot of contradictions and decided to not search anymore, instead letting the truth unfold in your dreams.

You also thought a lot about Hades. Of the cold and mysterious King of the Dead, ruler of the Underworld, who somehow turned out to be the warmest person you knew. He was strong and powerful but he needed you. And that made you feel proud, in a sense. He believed in you and he proved to be right when he thought you could bring life to the Underworld. He loved you like no one else and devoted himself to you.

Perhaps, Seonghwa thought about those things too. He probably did- and you two had made a promise to share whatever dream you’d have of that life, though you found out after a few days that whenever you dreamed, it was together. You couldn’t believe the coincidence and thought you really were meant to be. So you promised instead to not let the events of that life interfere in your present life- after all, that was another time, another world, perhaps. 

That didn’t mean Seonghwa and you didn’t use it to your advantage. You knew what his favourite flowers were, what he liked, how he approached things. He knew that about you too- when to give you space, when to hold you, when to tease you-

“You’re smiling like a fool,” Seonghwa’s lips brushed your ears as he whispered, and you leaned into his touch, digging your feet in the sand as the waves brushed them.

“Just thinking,” you muttered, caressing his arms that were slung around you and shifting in his lap.

“About?”

“Do you wonder where we would be if we didn’t meet each other that day?” You asked, squinting your eyes when the cloud passed by and a ray of sunshine hit the ground.

“Hmm… I do wonder but I get scared at the thought that you could have seriously gotten hurt that day.”

“But I didn’t,” you grinned and he kissed your cheek. 

“We would have met later- it was inevitable if you think about it,” Seonghwa nodded slowly. “We also could have met way before if that fool Wooyoung would have introduced us earlier-”

You laughed. “It’s not his fault. Who would have guessed we could be a thing?”

Seonghwa smiled at that. “Yeah, we have to give him some credit. If we didn’t have a mutual friend, we might not have met after the police station when you came for the witness statement.”

“Well, we might have encountered each other again,” you thought about it. “And we would have texted each other casually or something.”

“True,” Seonghwa nodded. 

“We could have met later, and you could have been dating someone else,” you sighed deeply, making him snicker. “Have you dated before though?”

“It never worked past a few weeks,” he admitted. “I always thought something was missing with the others.”

“But,” you shifted in his lap to face him. “We might have been interested in someone else if it wasn’t for our dreams and coincidences-”

“But that’s not why I was attracted to you now,” he pointed out. “I ignored the dreams- but you look like you’re interested in me because of them,” he narrowed his eyes. “Perhaps you should try dating someone else.”

“Please,” you scoffed. “I thought you were hot the minute I saw you. I would have tried to find you one way or another.”

Seonghwa raised a brow. “Is that what you think?”

You nodded eagerly and he laughed at that, shaking his head in amusement. “You’re too much.”

“Come on,” you poked his chest. “Be candid about this.”

“You want me to be candid about this?” He asked, his gaze changing as he shifted his position, making you lie down on the sand and getting on top of you. He licked his lips as he traced the outline of your face. “I think I would have used any excuse to meet you again- in fact, I knew what I was doing when I got your number the day we met… at least I like to think that I did.”

You laughed at that. “You had no idea back then, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll admit I only got your number because I needed you to come to the station later,” he said. “But… I would have definitely texted you again.”

“So you liked me first, huh?” You teased.

“Well…” he kissed your jaw, letting his lips trail down. “Does it matter?” He kissed your collarbone and you squirmed a bit but he pinned your wrists down and you giggled when the waves crashed and got you wet. “I like where we are now. Do you?”

“Hmm.. kind of, except the sand is getting in my hair,” you sighed loudly and he laughed, kissing your lips. 

“That’s what I like about you,” he shook his head, pecking your lips again. “You’re the most ridiculous and unexpected person in my life.”

“Wow, I’m so flattered,” you pushed him away successfully, kicking his leg before rolling away from him while he grinned. “You’re also the most annoying person in my life. I thought Wooyoung would hold that title forever, but he has some serious competition now.”

“Please,” he scoffed. “You love me.”

You stifled your smile. “I do. What about it?”

He matched your gaze for a few seconds before he hid his face in his hands and you laughed, crawling to him. “What’s the matter?”

You knew what was- he was feeling overwhelmed, just like you did whenever he told you that he loved you. You hugged him tight, kissing his temple and making him look at you.

“I love you, Park Seonghwa. Look me in the eyes when I say it.”

He did and then he captured your lips in a heated kiss, making you arch back, continuing to kiss you and tease you as you lay back down and you thought you couldn’t be anywhere else right now. 

He was there, with you, and it felt like you had another eternity to be with him.

bingo | park seonghwa

word count: 1.8k

genre: angst + fluff, single dad!seonghwa x reader

warnings: brief mention of hwa's ex partner not being in their daughter's life

author's note: after seeing seonghwa on that one show with kids i literally cannot get dad!teez out of my head

it's been almost a month? since you've started going out with seonghwa. he was a great guy, a little older than you and was always a gentleman to you, what more could you ask for? at this point, you were waiting for seonghwa to make it official but there was just something that was holding him back. you didn't know what it was but you trusted that with time he'll tell you.

tonight, was another date night and even after all these days you still got nervous before each one. it was no different when you arrived at seonghwa's house fiddling with the hem of your cardigan.

hesitantly, you knocked on the door to reveal a disheveled looking seonghwa. his usually slicked back hair wasn't done and a few buttons on his shirt were open.

"hi," seonghwa breathes out, a tired smile on his face.

"are you okay, hwa?" you ask almost instantly, concern taking over before you notice a tiny figure waddling up behind him. big doe eyes looking up at you from behind his legs, "oh hello!"

"yeojin, go into your room really quickly. appa will be there in a second." seonghwa softly asks, the exhaustion evident in his voice. "come in, i'm so sorry. just give me a minute, things have been...chaotic."

"oh no worries." you respond empathetically, taking note of how many toys and coloring books were scattered all over the place. so he has a child? is he divorced?

before too many questions popped into your mind, seonghwa immediately began talking as he began to pick up the scattered toys. "i'm so sorry about the mess. i had to stay at the office a little longer and then i picked up yeojin late and i just haven't had time to clean up and then our babysitter canceled last minute and now-"

"hey, hey," you interrupt before seonghwa combusts from being overwhelmed. to ease the burden, you also begin to pick up the toys around the living room after you placed a hand on his back. "it's okay. don't worry about it. there's always tomorrow seonghwa."

"i know, i know but-wait. you're not mad or disgusted?" the man stops in his tracks looking at you perplexed.

"i'm a little surprised if i'm being honest. i know taking care of a child is hard and by yourself i assume is even harder. your kid is more important than anything in the world, missing one date won't kill me hwa."

seonghwa was standing still, not a sound coming out his mouth which was beginning to freak you out. did you say the wrong thing? is seonghwa yeojin's dad or? "seonghwa?"

"sorry, i'm just a little shocked. not a lot of people are very happy when they find out they've been going out with a single dad." seonghwa lightly jokes trying to ease the tension in the air. "thank you though. it means a lot. really."

"of course," you smile at him.

a door opens to reveal a tiny yeojin peeking out from what you presumed to be her room.

"hey bubba, what's up." seonghwa asks, his voice becoming much softer.

she doesn't say much but instead pads over to the coffee table and attaches herself to her dad. "can we draw?"

"of course bubs. let appa go get the markers."

"i can get them." you say faster than seonghwa gets up to which he directs you over to one of the drawers in the living room.

upon your arrival, seonghwa has a bluey coloring book out for yeojin. crutching down to reach the table, you gasp softly at the blue dog. "is that bluey?"

yeojin nods her head shyly, a small smile appearing on her face as seonghwa looks up at you in surprise.

"ahh, i love bluey! who's your favorite character?" you ask watching yeojin point to the smaller, light colored dog.

"bingo?" yeojin nods again, her smile growing even bigger. "no way, i like her too!"

seonghwa watched the two of you converse in awe and he swears he couldn't have fallen more in love with you. it was always a gamble bringing up the fact that he had a kid to his dates and lately he's been ghosted more times than he can count. maybe that's why seonghwa took so long to talk about yeojin. although, he would never admit it, you had him wrapped your finger and he was scared to lose you.

so far though, you were taking his little "surprise" or "fun fact" about him better than he thought you would. still, he was worried what you would say when yeojin left the room. would you be mad at him? dump him on the spot? ghost him after tonight? he's never had one of his flings (?) ever meet yeojin because they all left at the mention of a kid. to say seonghwa was terrified of your reaction was a massive understatement.

"seonghwa?" you ask, pulling the dad out of his thoughts. "yeojin wants to watch bluey."

"right." he answers, gently removing yeojin from his lap as he goes to scrounge for the remote in his unusually disorganized apartment.

while seonghwa looks for the remote, you continue to converse with yeojin about bluey which was the show you ironically watched during dinner time. hey, there's actually plot and messages in the show okay?

by the time seonghwa returned, the two of you were in a deep conversation about some episode regarding bingo and bluey playing pretend with their grandad. almost immediately, yeojin eye's become glued to the screen as soon her dad puts on the kid's show leaving you and seonghwa to talk amongst each other.

"so, you know bluey?" seonghwa asks, a teasing tone to his voice.

an embarrassed laugh slips past your lips, "uh yeah, sounds silly but i watch it as background noise, you know?"

"i'm not judging," he pauses, "just surprised."

"yeah, i like the accents." you say in a panic causing seonghwa to smile, "so, um i don't mean to pry but i assume yeojin's yours?"

the smile slowly fades on his face as seonghwa feels the guilt build in his stomach. "yeah, her, uh mom isn't in the picture anymore."

"oh, i'm so sorry to hear that."

"it's fine now, it's better without her." seonghwa looks down at his hands trying to distract himself from the thoughts about the past.

"oh."

there was a beat of silence where the both of you didn't dare to look at each other, too afraid to make things weird. only the faint conversations of the tv and the sounds of the marker on paper were heard.

"look, i'm really sorry for dumping all this on you." seonghwa gestures to an oblivious yeojin. "i know you probably weren't expecting a child tonight or any of this really. i completely understand if you don't want to talk again or you need space. whatever you want, i'll do."

"it's okay,"

"i-you're not mad?" seonghwa asks in shock.

"i mean i'm not mad. i understand not bringing up a daughter on the first date. but i'm just a little disappointed you didn't tell me sooner." you confess.

"i didn't want to lose you."

"seonghwa-"

"i was trying to plan the perfect time to talk about yeojin but i just got so swamped with everything that time slipped through my fingers and you had to find out in such a shitty way."

your eyes dart towards a sleepy yeojin on seonghwa's lap at the curse word. even he jumps a little at his realization and then calms down when he realized that his baby girl was almost knocked out in his lap.

"would you have told me before we made things official?" you ask, testing the waters about how serious you could go tonight with the questions.

"yes. most definitely yes. i couldn't just ask you to be my partner and then surprise you that i have a whole child that i've been hiding from you."

interesting. so was he going to tell you about yeojin soon? was he going to make things official?

seonghwa could see the gears turning in your head at his words. "it sounds hypocritical now but trust me i really wanted you two to meet. i just-i really like you y/n."

you go quiet. processing everything he was saying. from what he was saying there was a very very high chance he wants you to be his like officially his but even if he actually wanted to make things official, he has a whole child. a child without a mother. were you really ready to take on the responsibility to be one? or anything similar to that role?

being with seonghwa meant much more than just being together and loyal to one another. being honest, you didn't mind yeojin. so far you got along great with her but a single interaction and convo won't predict the future of your relationship with her. it's a lot definitely but-

"y/n," seonghwa softly says pulling you out from your daze, "i'll be right back i'm gonna put yeojin down in her room."

you hum in response, letting your thoughts consume you once more.

your brain was beginning to ache because of how much you were thinking but one thing was for certain. you really liked seonghwa. enough that you were willing to accept everything that came with him - including yeojin.

you reminded yourself that dating seonghwa didn't mean automatically becoming a parent all of a sudden. he wasn't asking that of you. probably won't for a long time. he wants you for you. it's just a bonus you got along with yeojin so far.

there was a soft click of the door closing that made you turn your head. you look over to see seonghwa awkwardly make his way over to you, uncertainty written all over his face.

"i'm sorry for going quiet on you." you apologize, fingers toying with the hem of your cardigan once more. "i was just thinking."

a quiet laugh escapes seonghwa, "it's okay, don't worry about it. i'm sure tonight was a lot. but-"

"listen, seonghwa," oh here it comes. the "i'm so sorry, i don't think this will work out anymore". "i don't know what your plans were for us but regardless of what happened tonight, i want to be more. i know you having a whole kid might make things difficult or a little confusing but, i'm willing to try with you."

seonghwa felt his heart drop and then pick back up again when you finished talking. he didn't know what to say. he was grateful, excited, but most of all relived.

"so, how does another date this thursday night," seonghwa pauses, trying to not choke on his words, "as mine sound?"

"are you finally asking me to be your partner, park seonghwa?" you smile. it's finally happening.

"yes." seonghwa breathes out, truly terrified of your answer.

"then yes, i would love to." you answer, wrapping your arms around seonghwa's neck.

"sounds good then my love." seonghwa mumbles, his heart racing and his head buzzing from the overwhelming night but it didn't matter to him.

you were finally his.

・❥・ SEONGHWA AS BOYFRIEND

° Morning kisses. He would wake you up like that.

° Always texting you when you aren't together.

° A loooot of pictures of him or whatever he's doing in the moment. Selfie, airplanes pics, clothes pics. "My new baby" (and it's a picture of his new shoes).

° Voice message singing a romantic song.

° Beach dates. You two holding hands and vibing to the sound of the sea.

° "Open your mouth" and then he would just feed you as a baby.

° Matching clothes and cellphone cases.

° Asks for your opinion about something he wants to buy.

° It doesn't matter what you do or what you say, "you're so beautiful" is always coming out of his mouth and it's about you.

FUCK, BOY - PARK SEONGHWA - NSFW

Seonghwa x AFAB!reader

Genre: smut

Warning list: Fuckboy!seonghwa, Virgin!reader, dom!seonghwa, sub!reader, established relationship, fingering, pet names (sweetheart, darling, pretty, baby), degrading (slut), let me know if i missed anything!, not proof read

Word count: 1,393

Summary: Your boyfriend was a fuckboy, so why won’t he just fuck you already? Are you too gross, too ugly? It’s time to find out…

He was a fuck boy, past tense, was. Now he'd landed himself dating you, the girl who is known for being a virgin.

He was hot, and would fuck anyone whenever he wanted. You were gorgeous, but wouldn't let a soul even touch you, until you met each other...

You were complete opposites when you looked at the surface, but once you dove past stereotypes and reputation you discovered that Seonghwa liked all the small things you did, you were perfect together.

You both felt honoured to have broken the others "norms" but... you'd be lying if you didn't feel like you had to give yourself to Seonghwa now. He slept whit everyone, but he hadn't even tried to sleep with you, he was taking things slow.

That only left a bitter feeling eating away at your belly. Are you not pretty enough for Seonghwa? Are you not good enough for him to want to wet his dick?

Gritting your teeth you set in motion a plan you'd saved for the perfect moment. You'd finally decided you craved Seonghwa, and you needed him to want you back.

- call him over, and have him say he will be there: check.

- Hide the outfit you want to change into in your bathroom : check.

- Once Seonghwa is over, manage to slip away into the bathroom to get changed: check.

- Once in the outfit, seduce and fuck that man: in progress.

Now in your sexy outfit you hesitated, you were flustered. Your body burned red with pure embarrassment. What if Seonghwa thought you were ugly? What if he was just dared to date you? No, no, Seonghwa seems honest with you....

Looking in the mirror you saw the sexy lace bralette decorating your skin, the matching fingerless gloves coming far up your arms. Strapy little panties showing off your perfect body, Thigh high socks digging into your plush thighs, stiletto heels making you seem intimidating, you were anything but. You were positively shaking at the thought of trying to seduce your boyfriend, who had been with a variety of sexier girls, you stood no chance…

A knock sounded on the door "sweetheart are you okay. I could hear lots of shuffling and now you are silent, please don't be dead" he joked, and that sent a smile onto your face. He always made you smile.

"No No Hwa, I'm okay. Just sit back down I'll be out in a second" you giggled. He shot back agreement and waited, lazily looking at his phone as he waited for you.

It took you another minute but you eventually opened the door, and before he could even look up, you were sat on the edge of the bed, back turnt to him, eyes glued to the wall.

He hummed, and the sound of him shuffling behind you reached your ears. He leant up on his arms head peeping over your shoulder as he gazed over you, and you swore you heard a small groan slip from his lips.

As the idea of standing up and leaving danced through your mind, you felt one of his hands gently climb up your arm and rest on your shoulder, fingers lightly tapping at your skin. "You do this for me darling?" He slurs, voice slightly deeper than before. He sounded so fucking hot, but you couldn't bring yourself to turn around.

You hummed and he smirked, you could hear it in the way he spoke. "And what do you want from me?" He teased. He sat up further and his other hand dragged up to the other shoulder, both hands now rubbing at your shoulders.

You didn't answer him, you were too busy looking at your hands. One of his hands strayed from its place on your shoulder and grasped your cheek ever so gently and turnt your face towards his. As you looked at him you saw the pure desire in his eyes, he was absolutely hungry.

His hand slipped to the back of your neck and he grabbed lightly. His other hand slipped onto your lips, rubbing your pretty lip gloss around with a chuckle "so fucking pretty, aren't you baby?" He groans. His eyes flick away from your lips and up to your eyes, clearly expecting an answer. He shoved two of his fingers into your mouth and the pure lewd expression you gave him in return made his dick throb. You nodded, desperately trying to get your message across as you licked his fingers.

Releasing his fingers from your pretty lips with a pop, he leaned in towards you. The gap between your lips almost minuscule. "Do you actually want this darling? You don't have to do anything if YOU don't want to?" He reminds you.

In return you smile "I really need you Hwa". It comes out so pathetically desperate, and he could imagine you begging like that for years to come.

He leans in, the distance diminishing until your lips joined together in a kiss Seonghwa dominated. He was teaching you, and fuck would you let him. His lips glided against yours perfectly, tongue prodded into your mouth amazingly, moans slipped out so filthy.

He pulled away and stood up, pushing you backwards on the bed and climbing onto you, one knee on the outside of your leg and the other placed firmly on the ground. This is it, he'd ease you into it as carefully as he could when you looked so fucking delicious. He'd hold himself back... as difficult as it was... because he didn't want to break you straight away... you were to precious.

You slowly leant back, using one arm to cover your chest slightly as you realised how much of your cleavage was actually showing. Seonghwa tutted, grasping your arm and pushing it to the bed, setting an unspoken rule, 'don't cover yourself from me'. "My perfect girl..." he whispered eyes locked with your own as he crawled further up you, his other leg now on the other side of your legs, straddling you. Growing nervous you pushed yourself further away from him but he only grew closer.

He chuckled at you as you stilled "stop running darling, I promise I'll make you feel good. Just tell me if you want to stop and I will". He leant down and placed a sweet kiss to your lips then looked down at your chest. He used one hand to hold him up and the other to trace between your tits, watching as his finger got consumed by your cleavage. He ran his fingers over your tit then grasped it, squishing your nipple perfect with his thumb as he grabbed. You let out a small moan at the feeling, surprised he simply knew where your nipple was through your bra. He slid his hand over and did the same to the other tit, then ran his hand downwards to your stomach.

You began to sit up at the loss of contact and he only pushed you back and begun kissing your neck. He bit and sucked on your supple skin, knowingly leaving pretty pink marks that will remind you off him. His hand continued to run down until he got to your clothed cunt. Two fingers skilfully rubbed circles against your clit, getting you squirming and moaning as he continued to mark you.

He slipped your panties to the side and ran his fingers through your desire, absolutely coating his fingers. "Such a wet cunt~ all this for me sweetheart? Do you like being touched that much?" He teased.

You moaned out a small yes, learning to respond to him by now.

He chuckled at your desperation "awww such a slut. Tell me you're a slut baby. Tell me you're a slut all for me!" He groans in your ear, pulling back to look at you as you say it.

You whine "yours- I'm your slut Hwa... fuck. Please just fuck me".

Seonghwa was not ready to hear your beg like that, he'd imagined it sure, but hearing it was different. You were just too fucking perfect. "That's right, my slut" he whispered, then went back to kissing your neck. His fingers slipped into your begging hole, curling to hit the parts not even you knew you had until Seonghwa touched you like that. He really was good at this, a fucking sex god.

愛 . - best friends don’t kiss !

pairing .ᐟ bff!seonghwa x fem!reader

wc .ᐟ 3.8k

synopsis .ᐟ you tell you’re best friend seonghwa that best friends don’t kiss…. even after years of friendship.

warnings .ᐟ mostly fluff, angsty (are we surprised?), a bit suggestive, mature language, cursing, hwa and his lips (warning in itself), kissing, messy make outs, pet names (darling, love, baby girl, gremlin), bad humour.

a/n .ᐟ self reflection? no way. I wanna kiss this man so bad. Not proofread so probably a lot of grammatical mistakes.

mdni !!

though seonghwa was a grade above you, you guys got a long well. when he graduated middle school you were sulking the whole week, who were you gonna share your banana milk with?

you wanted to attend the same high school as him but you’re parents told you that was simply not possible because it was an all boys high school. you were just facing all of these hardships that stopped you from seeing your beloved best friend seonghwa.

you waited outside in front the gates of his high school, scanning the leaving students for your best friend. you hadn’t seen each other really since graduating middle school and now he was done with his final exams. seonghwa walked out of the school, his raven hair framing his beautiful face in a way that made you rethink your life choices.

“hey there gremlin, did you wait long for me?” he patted your head with a smile and you frowned at him. “stop calling me gremlin and no, i waited like 10 minutes.”

you both took off to the bus stop nearby, surprised how empty it was. “you know for an all boys school i think there’s at least half of these students crushing on you.” you said giggling, kicking some rocks on the floor. “you think so?” he smirked proudly, pushing his hair back. you punched his arm and mumbled “be humble.”

“you’re 18th birthday is soon” seonghwa said, smiling at you softly. “you excited?”

you groaned softly pulling out the banana milk you bought for the two of you. “what’s there to be excited about, I’m turning old. hear that?” he looked at you confused. “hear what?”

“the retirement home is calling, their patient escaped. oh what a coincidence sir you’re sitting right next to her!” seonghwa shook his head with a chuckle before grabbing his banana milk.

“you’re so dramatic y/n. you’re turning eighteen not eighty.” you grinned shrugging your shoulders giving him a look that said “same thing”

the bus came earlier than usual and you both sat at your usual spot in the back. seonghwa kept yapping about his final exams and how hard they were. you laughed as he explained why they took in an exam in art and you laughed even harder when he showed you what he drew.

his parents greeted you with a warm smile as you took of your shoes at the front door. you hugged his mom and dad before his mom dragged you in the kitchen to eat. “come eat with us y/n! i tried a recipe from Europe”

after eating almost four plates of this delicious pasta, you both went up to seonghwa’s room to play uno and whatever other game you could find. and soon you regretted suggesting monopoly because for some reason seonghwa was so good at it.

“you’re cheating. how the fuck” you whined rolling dices again only to end up in jail. “you put black magic in this game.” you glared at said man as he smirked smugly before drawing another jail break card. “not my problem that you suck!”

-

you’re 18th birthday rolled around faster than you anticipated and for some reason you were really not excited at all. seonghwa was abnormally absent in your life recently and you genuinely thought you did something wrong.

“hey mrs park is seonghwa home?” you asked rocking back and worth on your heels in front of his house. his mom had an apologetic look on her face and let you come inside before dropping the biggest bomb. “y/n dear, seonghwa is at his girlfriend’s house” you’re surprised look gave the older woman all the answers she needed.

“he didn’t tell you?” she asked plating some dinner while you sat at the dinner table sulking. “he usually tells me these things, also it’s my birthday in a week i really want him to come” you thanked his mom before digging into the food she made.

“i’m going to scold him when he’s home dear don’t you worry!” mrs park made her usual angry face making you giggle.

seonghwa opened the door to his house yelling ‘i’m home’ before freezing in his place when he sees you snuggled on the couch, napping your problems away.

“honey keep your voice down she just fell asleep” his mom walked out of the kitchen drying her hands on a towel. “also mister you and her have to have a conversation” she pointed a finger at him before leaving into her bedroom.

seonghwa sighed sitting down at the couch and placing your legs over his lap. he stared at you peacefully sleeping before poking your cheek repeatedly. “no misses park i don’t need- Oh hi hwa” you rubbed your eyes as you sat down normally, missing the fact you’re legs were on seonghwa’s lap.

“rise and shine gremlin” he smiled at you but when he saw the upset look on your face his smile dropped. “why didn’t you tell me you’re seeing anyone? we’re besties we tell each other everything.” you slowly laid your head on the back rest still feeling a little sleepy.

“i really wanted to tell you… i just didn’t know how.” he rubbed the back of his head a sigh leaving his mouth. “truthfully, she’s not very fond of our friendship.”

“well truthfully she can fuck off, you’re my best friend, you’re not gonna drop me for some girl that is insecure because you’re friends with a girl right?” you asked poking his surprisingly hard chest. it was silent between the two of you and it’s like all sleep got wiped off of you. “you’re seriously gonna fucking leave me for her?” you’re eyebrows furrowed in anger and he sighed again closing his eyes before also leaning back onto the back rest of the couch.

“y/n I’m conflicted. I obviously don’t want to throw away our friendship like that but i also really like the girl so maybe let’s just i don’t know… be less close?” you couldn’t believe what seonghwa was saying right now because if it was you in this situation you’d drop your boyfriend the minute he has the audacity to talk ill about him.

“well i see how it is seonghwa.” you stood up grabbing your bag, walking up to the door to put on your shoes. “just to let you know if this was me and my boyfriend had the audacity to talk about you like that i’d drop him” and with that you left seonghwa.

-

you’re 18th birthday was better than you expected. seonghwa showed up despite the incident a week back with a girl basically clinging to his hip. you approached them with a smile greeting the girl politely and introducing yourself. the girl looked you up and down giving you a fake smile before congratulating you on your birthday.

if looks could kill this girl would be ashes by now. you’re really trying to be nice towards her so she’ll know that you have zero interest in her boyfriend.

“seonghwa’s new girl is so irritating” hongjoong gave you an apologetic look knowing you tried your best to be friendly with her. “the fact seonghwa considered her words must mean he’s smitten with her” he took a sip of the drink you mixed him his eyes following yours which were glaring at seonghwa’s girlfriend.

“dude what did you put in this, it’s so good” he said after a beat of silence, his cup almost empty. “it’s a blueberry syrup with that sparkling lime soda we bought from the Japanese market the other day.” hongjoong nodded still fascinated by the drink in his hand. a tall shadow appeared beside you and you looked up to see yunho munching on caramelised pretzel pieces.

“awnyone elwse nawt too hawppy fith his new girfrienf” you looked at him in confusion before another tall shadow appeared behind yunho with a small grin on his face. “he said if anyone else is not too happy with his new girl” Mingi grabbed the pretzel pieces out of yunho’s hand to munch on them.

“of course you understand each other, fucking slender men” hongjoong rolled his eyes as mingi glared at him. “at least i’m not build like a minion” you bursted out laughing watching as hongjoong accepted defeat walking further into the kitchen to grab a water bottle. you were still laughing about mingi’s reference when you noticed wooyoung next to you with water.

“please breathe” he giggled a little seeing tears stream down your face. “he..he said hongjoong looks like a minion” you pointed at mingi and wooyoung joined in laughing his ass off. “he does” yunho laughed as well before the three of you finally calmed down.

-

after your birthday party some of your friends took you to the beach and you just relaxed around a bonfire. that sadly included seonghwa’s girlfriend who was still staring daggers at you while you laughed with hongjoong.

“i’m y/n and i’m so different, i only have 7 best friends that I wished were my boyfriends” aia said in a high pitched voice rolling her eyes. seonghwa looked at her warningly as she stood up to look down at him. “what? she’s definitely not a girls girl”

seonghwa sat there stunned looking over at you. you grew up with mostly boys around but you did have a fair share of girl friends. you were definitely not someone to say ‘i’m one of the boys’, you were a girls girl and you proved that by being nice to aia even after she said all of those things about you. even complimenting her makeup and dress she wore tonight.

you looked over seeing seonghwa alone staring at you. you waved at him with a small smile, turning back to resume the conversation you had with hongjoong.

-

you never ever sprinted faster to seonghwa’s home than today. it was about two weeks after you’re birthday and seonghwa only texted you….

hwastar 🤍 [4:35pm]

come over, i need my gremlin.

he was home alone he told you on the phone when you stood in front of the door and he came to open it. his parents left to a little hiking trip. when he opened the door though he looked awful.

“seonghwa what the fuck is going on are you okay?? you look pale” you bombarded the poor boy with questions once you two reached his room. seonghwa sat there for a few seconds before taking a breath. “I broke up with aia” the room was filled with silence as you tried to find appropriate answers to say to him.

“I’m sorry but i also am not, she saw it coming honestly. her behaviour and personality were so not acceptable not just towards me but the others as well. jongho told me she snapped at him after he accidentally gave her the wrong cake” you’re face filled with sadness when you remembered how hurt, despite his stoic face, jongho looked.

“I’m glad she’s gone” was all he said flopping on his bed looking at you. “I’m sorry i even considered leaving you for someone like her” you smiled patting his head “don’t worry about it love” your eyes widened as you realized what you said to him. “did you just give me a pet name?” he raised his eyebrow with a grin.

“it slipped! I told you i’m turning eighty” you sighed softly making him giggle. you smiled at the sound, a comfortable silence surrounding you two.

seonghwa suddenly sat up looking at you. “are you hungry? my mom left so many leftovers in the refrigerator downstairs” he laughed and you followed him downstairs where he heated up some food.

the whole time the two of you ate you talked about everything that crossed your minds. especially college and what college he was going to attend. seonghwa was still unsure what major he wants to go for but he did have a few ideas in mind.

after helping him clean up the kitchen the two of you got comfortable on his bed as you snuggled against his side. “you know I’m jealous of your lips” you suddenly confessed taking seonghwa by surprise, chuckling at your confession.

“why’s that?” he asked intrigued. you blushed a little hiding further into his chest whining in embarrassment. “they’re just so… plumb..” seonghwa smirked against your head while he massaged your scalp gently. “really?” his voice lowly asked and you felt yourself swooning over how deep his voice sounded.

“mhm..” you hummed. seonghwa grabbed your waist sitting you in his lap as you looked down at him. you’re cheeks flushed in embarrassment and your doe eyes curiously scanning his handsome face. “why don’t you put that to the test darling”

you’re jaw dropped so fast, thinking this was just another way to tease you. though when you stared into his eyes he was dead serious. “best friend’s don’t kiss hwa” you looked away from him suddenly finding his wall way more interesting. he tsked grabbing your jaw turning your head back to his.

“who cares, we’re just going to kiss nothing else” he shifted so he sat against the head board staring at you eye to eye. “hwa..” the nickname came out way whiny for your liking and before you could say anything else his lips locked with yours. you’re theory was right. they were so freaking soft.

seonghwa’s hand trailed up and down your sides as your kiss turned more aggressive. teeth clashing, tongues fighting and him constantly pulling at your lower lip. you hated how you whimpered against his lips already hot and bothered just from kissing him.

“you taste amazing baby girl” he panted leaning in to leave a few kisses on your neck. “seonghwa…” you whined as he left little love bites all over your neck.

“another kiss please” you begged leaning forward only for seonghwa to lean back a smug smile on his face. “but i thought you said best friends don’t kiss.” you groaned frustratedly pulling him into another kiss that turned even more heated than the last.

-

“not here seonghwa…” you ducked your head as you quickly looked behind him to see your friends distracted by ocean. “just one kiss, need your lips on mine darling or i’ll die” he dramatically held his chest as you pushed away with a sigh. “later okay?”

you couldn’t believe that you were occasionally making out with your best friend. it never went further but you still felt like it was… weird?

“fine i’m coming over and i’ll kiss you babygirl. maybe even take off your clothes to fu-“ seonghwa laughed as you punched his arm glaring at him. “I’m gonna tell my mom to not let you in because you have a disease called horniness.” you walked towards your friend group seonghwa trailing behind.

“can’t blame a man for wanting to spit in his best friends mouth” he whispered in your ear before you whined. “what is wrong with you?!!” you quickly stood somewhere near yeosang, trying to use him as protection against seonghwa.

“what’s up with you two?” yeosang whispered as everyone else engaged in a conversation. you sighed shaking your head softly. “nothing just usual bickering between us.”

the car ride home was filled with a comfortable silence and some side comments about mingi’s horrible surfing skills here and there.

as you both got off the bus, seonghwa gave you a knowing smile and you jokingly glared at him. “please come on let me sleepover. i don’t wanna sleep alone at mine.”

“fine” you replied walking up to the front door, your dad opening it with a smile on his face. “hey you two come in come in” your mom greeted the both of you before ushering you into your room so she can make dinner.

seonghwa’s been to your room a lot but he noticed some changes that made him smile. “those polaroids are from the bonfire at the beach” he mumbled inspecting them further while you took some comfortable clothes out of your closet. “yeah look at hongjoong and yunho” you giggled walking up to him to point at said picture. seonghwa laughed seeing yunho’s horrified expression and hongjoong holding a huge wooden plank alone. then his eyes drifted to a picture of you and wooyoung. he felt a sense of jealousy at the way wooyoung was hugging you from behind.

“I’ll go change” you said before disappearing out of your room. seonghwa’s jaw clenched as he spotted more pictures with you and your friends being way too close for his liking. he had no reason to be jealous? you were just friends with them. they didn’t kiss you like he did….

seonghwa’s thoughts got interrupted by the door opening, he looked back watching you walk up to him in hello kitty pyjamas. “if you wanna change out of your uniform you know where you’re spare clothes are” you smiled before sitting down on your bed. seonghwa grabbed some of his own clothes and told you he needs a shower before dramatically leaving.

soon you heard the water streaming and you sighed. is he going to kiss you again? is this what you’re hoping for?

you grabbed your laptop, pulling up a website to watch a movie with seonghwa.

just as you were scrolling through another genre of movies seonghwa walked in with damp hair and his tshirt clinging to his body. “you’re gonna make my bed wet” you whined frustrated and he shrugged his shoulders sitting next you.

-

the two of you watched some horror movies from the 90’s and it was so underwhelming it turned into a don’t try to laugh challenge. your mom knocked at the door to tell you dinner is ready. as you were closing the laptop seonghwa waited for you at the door. “hurry up baby girl we don’t have all night” he teased and you threw a plushie at him. “don’t stress me out baby girl” you said mockingly walking out of the door with seonghwa trailing behind.

your mom made your favorite dish and you eating so well, you ended up finishing three plates of food. “thank you for the delicious dinner mrs y/l/n” seonghwa smiled politely at her and she sighed dramatically “if i had a pretty and polite son like that i’d marry him to my daughter” your dad furrowed his eyebrows looking at your mom “but honey you have a daughter” he gestured towards you and you’re mom playfully rolled her eyes. “this girl doesn’t want to marry” suddenly seonghwa’s interest was piqued and he listened attentively.

“because, when you think about it, this generation of boys are only after one thing alone. you can’t even have friends anymore.” you sighed taking a sip of water your eyes drifting towards seonghwa. seonghwa saw the playful glint in your eyes and seemed to relax again. you were joking.

seonghwa offered to help your mom and so the three of you cleaned with your mom’s radio blasting some songs. seonghwa kept stealing glances at you from across the table as you picked up the remaining plates while he wiped down the other side. “y/n honey put those plates down here and you can go back to your room. thank you for helping me you two~”

back in your room you felt a weird tension hanging in the air. you sat down at your bed looking at seonghwa confused who didn’t move away from the door, leaning against it. “come sit hwa” you patted the seat next to you but he didn’t budge. you stared at him confused as you walked up to him. “what’s up hwa?”

before you could ask anymore questions he grabbed your waist pinning you to the door. something glinting in his eyes you’ve never seen before. “hwa…” you whispered as he leaned down and captured your lips in a gentle kiss. “i can’t stop thinking about your lips on mine” he groaned into your mouth before deepening the kiss his hands gripping your sides.

-

today was your graduation day and seonghwa’s official move in into his new college dorm. you sobbed a bit as you watched his empty room with him. “I’ll visit you don’t worry darling” he tried to calm you down but you couldn’t help the tears rolling down your cheeks.

“we’re going to be in two different colleges, we’re gonna be separated again” you sniffled as seonghwa gave you a side hug. “also why are you moving in so late?” you suddenly asked making him laugh. “the dorms were full. why trying to get rid of me and my kissing” he whispered the last part into your ear making your cheeks burn. “best friends don’t kiss-“ “we did though more than once. you were like ‘Mhm seonghwa more more'. almost as if i fuck-“ seonghwa faked moaned as you hit his chest. “stop i didn’t even do that” you whined hiding your face in your hands.

he giggled patting your head before removing your hands off your face. “come on give seonghwa a kiss” he puckered his lips jokingly and you glared at him. “i hate you-“ as you tried to walk away, seonghwa quickly turned you back to him and locked his lips with yours. you threw your arms around his neck deepening the kiss. “you taste so sweet baby girl” immediately he pressed his lips back onto yours and the kiss turned more heated. he picked you up your legs around his waist as seonghwa walked over to his empty bed.

“you need to stop kissing me…” you looked away from him as seonghwa laughed. “what if i wanna be more than you’re best friend. i wanna be your boyfriend darling. so i can kiss you even more” the fact the he always had to emphasise kissing made you embarrassed and you whined. “i’ll say no so you’ll stop kissing me.” seonghwa playfully put on a hurt face before leaning back a bit tickling your sides. you started laughing so hard tears streamed down your face. “but kitten whiskers daddy wants his kisses” he said his hands stopped tickling you and you glared at him. “alright pack it up prince charming” you both laughed before sitting on his bed with huge smiles on your faces.

“do you think after three years of relationship you’ll let me hit-“ “i will actually beat your ass.” seonghwa laughed as you chased after him with a figurine. “I swear park seonghwa!!” you yelled as he rounded a corner watching you almost trip, before falling onto the floor laughing when you accidentally trip and fall onto the floor next to him. “that was not fair i was wearing heels” you laughed with him before looking at each other with nothing but pure adoration.

tw: drabble, smut no fluff, pegging, very rough and mean femdom, sub!seonghwa, degradation no praise, heavy overstimulation, crying, begging, quite scary

w/c: 0.9k

a/n: its 4am and well shit

"youre a little slut, aren't you?" you murmur to him as he slowly adjusts to the dildo you halfway inserted into him. he is on his back facing you, his knees pressed onto his chest, taking all the harsh treatment. your delicate fingers caress his soft cheek, wiping his tears. he moans pathetically, "please, please."

"please what, doll?" you say, gently sliding your fingers down his flawless skin. "please..." his weak voice shakes as well as his entire body, aligning with the cruel vibrations. "please, let me cum," he cries. he knows that if he came without your permission, you would give him no mercy.

"not yet," you chuckle, watching how defeated he shows to be. you love how weak he is. you love the way his own cock is coated with your own arousal from previously. you love the way you came four times tonight, while he has not at all.

"you're so small," you say, beginning to insert one finger beside your dildo to stretch him. you heard his breath fall short, growing silent at the sudden unforgiving feeling, and you smile. you insert two, and he grows stiff, tears now flowing out of his eyes. you insert three, and he bites his tongue, unable to take anymore. you attempt to insert a fouth one in, but he is too small for that.

once youre done pottering, you take away your hand to grab his tiny waist. you begin to move in circles. every bit of pleasure seonghwa ever feels never goes unseen; it shows in his expressions vastly. he moans with his lips closed, as though trying to stay silent to no use. it's embarrassing for how sensitive he is. you begin to notice certain angles which trigger him most, focusing on them. you pause, and start to slowly penetrate deeper towards the most influencial spot.

"please theretheretheretherethere," he muffles. his eyes widen when you begin to fully insert the rest of the dick inside of him, and he whines so loudly as he expected lesser of its size. he couldn't adjust in time.

with no regard for his comfort, you pull out and slam into the very sweet spot.

he screams, his cum poured everywhere. he attempted to hold it in, but he couldn't. it felt so good. he releases a cascade of beautiful wails before he begins to sob. the damage is done.

"i- im sorry," he mumbles. "please."

you dismissed his response immediately, pulling out slowly and thrusting into him again towards the very same spot. he screams so much louder, now trembling from the sensation.

"you're so fucking loud. you're a spoiled little whore, you hear me?" you say, and his only response was a silent wince. you vigorously slap his round ass. he moans, crying more.

"a spoiled," "fucking," "whore."

you punctuated each of your final words with a sharp thrust forward, seonghwa releasing loud yells at each one. you genuinely doubt if the entire neighborhood didn't hear him.

"ahh... please- please.. please go easy.. please," he mutters.

"oh, you can take it," you reply, and he moans to another thrust. "a shit like you could take it."

he clenches.

you then start to fuck him, finally. you pushed towards all his sensitive areas, abusing them.

the speed was moderate, yet to seonghwa, he is barely handling it right now. his couldnt help rolling his eyes back as he lets out the most broken cries, but he refuses to admit that it feels so good.

having applied too much mascara, he's a sobbing mess, begging and crying for you. yearning for your utmost love.

your thrusts gradually become strong, as though you're aiming to go the deepest possible. at this extent, youre abusing the spot against his prostate, ruining his inside, beating him as hard as you could. seonghwa's eyes are shut as he's wailing louder now, his moans deep every thrust and conveying his sufferage. his tears coat his cheeks. he sounds exhausted, yet overwhelmed.

until you strike a specific part with that strength, his eyes widen and his entire body electricutes. he releases a second time, and all the fluids spill everywhere. a chain of the loudest squirms fill the room.

his back arches against the sheets.

he cries out louder and higher in pitch. his narrow, red tongue slightly sticks outwards, following the leaking saliva and other fluids. his trembling begins to worsen, his body tense and struggling to get away from you.

"wait- ahh~~ too-.. too much-"

the mixture of sweat and tears running down his face and the sound of his moans grants you a sense of satisfaction. you feel like you have complete control over him as he lies below you, crying and begging you to stop. he is powerless and helpless, fully under your control. you know he likes this.

the tight grazing ropes binding his wrists shuffle above him, restricting him from his will to get away. as he begs for mercy, you begin to grant the opposite.

you thrust at a faster, animalistic pace. you watch his eyes roll backwards from the overwhelming sensation, tensing himself, holding in his voice to process the feeling. however, it leads to no avail; his silence was only temporary when he begins to squirm louder than before, high sounds he never thought he could make. he clenches on the artificial dick as though he is trying to milk you. you care to no extent, fucking all sorts of fluids into his tight little hole.

Look what you made me do || P.S.H

Summary: Lin Iseul is a formidable woman. Born in a family considered royalty in the underside of Seoul and armed with intellect to match her reputation, she moves in the city controlling her family's deals and breaking suspects. But when a man from her past comes back to haunt her, it sets off a chain of events far too grand for her to comprehend. People that she had buried with her dead friend's ashes have come to life, and at the center of it all is the most feared man in the city, Park Seonghwa. Can Iseul escape the dead's longing calls while keeping her own emotions at bay, or will she be sucked back in time to relive the worst moments of her life?

Minors atleast pretend to not interact.

WC: 3.2k

Pairing: mafia!Seonghwa x mafia!OC

Warnings: Death, murder, violence, gaslighting, manipulation, mafia themes, weapons, angst, gore, eventual smut. I'm new at this lmk if I have missed anything.

A/N: This looked fun, if you have any feedback I am willing to listen. Also I am horrible at naming this and my beta reader was no help either, so if you can come up with a name I will give you my firstborn.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Chapter 1

I looked in the mirror once again.

It would have been unnecessary, I knew I looked nonthreatening enough. I had picked my clothes accordingly. I cannot take any chances, I thought. I ticked off my mental list of all the things I needed. Normal jeans and shirt, check. Moisturized skin, check. Details about the location, check. Information about the wimp, check. Red lipstick, check. Running boots, check. Gun. I looked at the black beauty lying on the dresser. Stuffing it under my jacket, I moved to the windows. Check.

I looked at my watch. 9:03pm.

The outline of Gangnam was something that always calmed me down, the floor to ceiling glass panels far too extravagant to showcase a modest view. But this city hadn't disappointed, not in the least. The lights were kind enough to reach me this high up, a canvas of florescent stars. I inhaled it's magic as much as the separation allowed me to, aligning my thoughts.

This wasn't meant to happen like this. Two years ago, I had made sure that it wouldn't. My memory served me well enough to remember the events, but a few details were sketchy. Still I was convinced that I hadn't forgotten something important, so I would be fine. Hopefully.

The wimp I was supposed to meet tonight wasn't exactly strong, and he wasn't very important. Two years ago he may have been, but he was supposed to be dead by now. Yet here he was, alive if not well. Annoyed at the potential sloppy job I may have done on him, I breathed a huffed sigh and gave my bedroom a once over before proceeding to move out.

Too many thoughts. I was having too many thoughts about this. Calm down, Iseul. I breathed once. twice. One more time.

The soles of my shoes were soft and silent on my carpet. The hallway was the same as always, the wall a pale cream shade of my mother's choosing. I switched off the lights as I went, not looking back. There was no need to, I thought with a wince. Nobody would be there anyway.

The main foyer could not have come soon enough. I hated passing the closed bedroom door on the way. It had been closed for a while, a fact that did not forget to strike me everytime I saw it.

I enjoyed living without my parents around, who lived in a bigger house further away. Mother had hated my moving out as much as I had expected her to. It was unnecessary for her, but necessary for me. And I had liked this penthouse. Bought it with my own money. She had called me arrogant then, but had taken up on my offer to decorate it nonetheless. The house reeked of her choices, and I wondered if it could have been a little different only if the door to the bedroom had been open a little longer, just enough. I shook my head and moved on. Now wasn't the time. The time was never going to come.

I took the stairs to the parking, and decided to walk to the location. I would think on the way to the house the moron had suggested. I smiled to myself, noticing my insults for him changed every minute.

I threw the jacket I had brought down in the backseat of my car. Now, to the task at hand. I checked my phone for the directions. A dilapidated house, previously in possession of Lee Jong In. The man himself was supposed to be dead for two years, but the house had not been passed on. His son was dead, wife had disappeared.

I should have noticed this before, I cursed. Father would kill me if he found out, and so would Jun. The signs had been there for two years. Too perfect to be accidental. The man had disappeared and I was the last one seen with him. Had everything gone according to plan, he would be found at the bottom of the river. I had specifically asked for it.

Still a month later he had been pronounced dead, body not found. Not a lot of noise had been made, people had expected him to die sooner or later.

Then the signs had started. I had heard rumours about people looking for a woman. Lee Jong In was a vile man, moving around Seoul picking up shady girls and making shadier deals. A freelance negotiator, he called himself. Him being missing had sent a message in the underworld, of which my family was an integral part. Most had ruled it as a deal gone awry, especially with secrets being let out so easily those days. It was when a particular spy had been very active. Jong In made deals with gangs and suppliers on behalf of other people, with an almost exorbitant commission for himself. But since he managed to make the deals to turn out to be the most profitable for his clients, the money he pocketed didn't look like a lot in the long run. He worked for anyone who was willing to pay, and had no qualms. A lot of people wanted him to get dirt on others, and more often than not he was the suspect behind leaked information. It was all false, of course. But not many people knew that. Jong In was loyal to his employers, and proud of the fact. Which was why he hadn't taken the accusations very well.

When he had gone missing, with the last person spotted to be a woman, people had assumed it to be a crime for revenge or saving face. Then his son had turned up dead three days later. He had been tortured, face bruised and swollen. He was missing patches of hair, a few nails and with a lot of internal bleeding. It was later informed that he was alive when he had suffered. The boy had been seventeen then. I winced at the thought. He had been innocent.

I reached the house he had specified, taking a look around. I knew it was trap. But I also knew the man who had set it wanted me to know that it was. It wasn't obvious, but the opposite. Far too elaborate to have been set up by one single person supposed to be dead for two years, and too remote and particular to have small, unorganized groups working together like it looked out to be.

I could see a few men at the entrance. The house itself was more of a barn, the living area minimum and the space used to make a miniature room to make deals unspotted. Too over the top. I calculated my chances. If I waited for the men, I would be searched. Weapons weren't an issue, but I did not want their hands on me. I wasn't planning on jumping in through the window either.

The area was remote. I couldn't help but think I had underestimated the situation. Surely Lee Jong In wouldn't be that active under the radar? I almost turned back. Called Jun, got backup. It was getting later than I wanted it to, but curiosity got the better of my judgement. I had to see who was so determined to set a trap especially for me. Not a lot of people knew what I did.

Sighing, I approached the door. The door must have been open if there were guards, so I walked straight ahead. The guards looked at me approaching, bracing themselves to talk to me but I moved past them and pushed the door. It swung in, just as I had expected it to. The guards may have said something but I didn't hear, choosing to move inside.

The man in question was sitting on a chair at the far end. Of course, I thought. The room was like any other closed room would be, unused and decaying. I took a few steps, and then stopped.

Something was wrong here.

I subtly looked around. The guards outside were unimportant clearly, the man at the far end hadn't so much as moved, and it was silent otherwise. Too silent. Thinking about it, Lee Jong In had his head falling to a side, like he was asleep. There were rafters above. Someone must be hiding there, I thought. The actual one in charge, who had set this trap. His men as well.

I checked my watch again. 9:47pm.

It was dark enough for the power players to come out. Why not have some fun then?

"Nice trap you've set here." I commented, walking to the almost lifeless Lee Jong In. My voice echoed in the hall harshly.

A soft groan, and movement of his head. So he was alive.

Something moved behind. The trap was being set in motion, I guessed. I halted a few steps behind the man. They must have wanted to catch a fly with all the nets they have hidden inside, I mused. I was confident there would be guns on the rafters, currently aimed at my head. Or knee, depending on their intentions. Two could play a game though, and I was more than willing.

"Lee, tell me. How did the water taste from Han river?"

The chair moved around, and I could finally see the man resting on it. I knew what to expect, but it still made me smile coldly. His eyes opened, trying to adjust to the light around. He blinked a few times, and finally seemed to register me. I could pinpoint the exact moment he recognized who I was, and his face contorted in pure rage. "You witch. You fucking witch, you're dead. You understand? Fucking dead." His voice was raspy, broken and coarse. He had likely been screaming. I couldn't shake off the parallel it brought back, with the younger Lee boy two years ago.

The man was tied to the chair. That explained the lack of movement. He was an old man, in his fifties. He looked haggard, stubble growing and eyes swollen. He had been beaten up worse than I had initially thought. The bruises were almost gone, but the ghosts remained. He looked at me with pure venom.

Something was even more wrong.

Perhaps I had been too cocky. I hadn't told anyone I was coming here, and my car was back at my penthouse. This ruined any chances of an immediate escape. A slight cold settled in my stomach. This could very easily blow up in my face. I took a deep breath once more.

"You look better than you did two years ago, Lee."

His eyes shone with the memory I was referring to, and another bout of rage gripped him.

"You witch, you did this. Didn't feel satisfaction with almost killing me for a wench?" A cruel laugh, interrupted by wild coughing. He must have a dry throat. "You know Lee, I do want to know why you think I am magical enough to be labelled a witch." I looked at his state, and then his face. "But I did not do anything."

He tried to hold my gaze but doubled over again, coughing what looked like blood. "Don't act so saintly, I had done nothing to you. You sent those men after me, yo-you...." What was he on about? We clearly weren't on the same page. I remembered the men outside. They hadn't so much as blinked at me. One had tried to say something but I hadn't paid attention. An idea began to form in my head. Had they beaten him up thinking I had hired them for it? Slight discomfort was beginning to form in my gut. I didn't like this situation. This was a better trap than I had anticipated. There were people using my name around. I had to get out, but I was sure my chances getting slim.

I grabbed my phone from my pocket to call Jun. Keeping one eye on Lee who was blabbering something, I dialed the number of my cousin.

After the third time, I realized that he wouldn't be picking up. The reception wasn't that good either. I shot him an emergency message with the address to the location, and pocketed the device.

I looked at the insolent brat in front. "Why did you come back." He didn't respond. My patience was wearing thin, and I wanted to get out fast.

"Who asked you to come back??" He spit more blood, this time intentional. "You can hardly breathe, Lee but you still want to act difficult." I seethed. "Doesn't harm you much to listen to me now, so start fucking speaking."

He smiled at my tone. Probably knew I was getting unsure, the audacity. I grabbed his head, forcing his face to focus on mine. I was beginning to lose my temper. "ANSWER ME YOU DIMWIT!" He looked like he was planning to spit again, but I was quicker. A hard strike across his cheek. His head went flying left, the chair moving a little. I held his face once more. My fingers were visible imprinted on his right cheek, and my ring had carved a bloody slash across the bruises. He groaned without holding back. Must have hurt, I had hit him where the swelling was worse. I could see tears in his eyes. I pushed the small feeling of satisfaction at the back of my mind and asked him the same questions again, with no answer from him to my annoyance. He didn't look like he was fully processing his surroundings, probably was hallucinating. What was he so adamant for anyway?

I needed to change tactics to get him talking, and I needed them fast. I exhaled slowly and gave him a thorough look, assessing his situation.

"You know, your son was far more vocal than you are. Kid broke like a stick, whined all the way to his grave." He stiffened, as I had expected. I knew his son. His death had been a mess. "You don't know what you have done, bitch. I-" a splutter of blood. He must have a beaten lung or something. "-I " God I had missed this. Breaking people when they were down. They looked so helpless, they spewed empty threats, and loaded secrets. My blood was singing. This would have been interesting some other day, but I did not have much time.

I yanked his hair a little more harshly, deciding to press harder.

"Come on Lee, speak up now. The son was better, you know. Cried like a baby for his father to come save him and begged for his life. Told me everything I wanted to know, and I let him out."

"Don't speak about him, you witch." He managed to grit out in a threatening tone. Another illogical response, I noted. What was happening?

"Does it pain daddy so much? To know that his little boy screamed for him to save him while daddy was drunk, passed out on some whore's lap?"

He paled. I had hit the right spot.

"He did, you know. The boy who hated you so much wailed for you like a wounded dog. It was a pitiful sight," I shook my head, breathing in once, long and deep. I gripped his hair harder, and he whimpered. "his face was swollen and you could see how he looked nothing like your wife. She left you, didn't she?"

A hysterical sob gripped him. He was close. Close to breaking. His sanity was singing to me, begging to be shattered. One more blow. One more blow and he would be gone. "Come on now, Lee. Changie must expect better from his father. Tell me who brought you back," I went closer to his ear, a gentle whisper meant only for him. "tell me, and I'll tell you your son's last words."

And moments later when I finally heard a sound, it wasn't Lee Jong In who was openly weeping but a voice from behind me, one I had heard before. Many times, as I had spied on his men, broken them for information, broken them for fun. A terrible man working for an even more terrifying man. My blood ran cold as his voice echoed,

"I did."

A few seconds went in silence, before I felt a cold object at my head.

My body moved on its own, fight or flight instincts kicking in. I could feel everything in slow motion, a gun slowly being pressed to my skull as I tried to whirl and twist away from the barrel.

"Don't move." This was a different voice.

I didn't pay attention, trying to get myself in a better position when a leg kicked me hard enough to lose balance and fall. Two hands grabbed mine quickly, and struggling wasn't of much use.

I could still sense eyes on me from afar. Someone else was watching.

Lee was still sobbing, saying something, pointing at me. People were getting him out of the binds, dragging him to some dark corner. He wasn't my problem now, I had a bigger mess. I knew it had been a trap, but I hadn't expected these people to be involved. Fuck, only my phone was traceable. Once switched off, it would mean nothing.

Too many thoughts again. I had too many thoughts to think clearly.

Someone gripped my hands and yanked me up, not very gently. I collided with his chest, and expensive cologne wafted into my nostrils. "Now now, darling Iseul. Lets not get roughed up now. There isn't much you can do anyway." I tried to tug at his hands to loosen his grip, but he only held them tighter. I stilled a little, gathered my breath. Before he could open his mouth again, I intertwined my left leg with his right and yanked hard. He fell, not expecting the move but dragged me down with him.

A loud thud could be heard, but he rolled on top quickly. I opened my eyes to be face to face with Bang Jae Min, a high ranking member of Ateez. "Why are you here." I managed to grit out. A gentle laugh from his side. "Come on, Iseul. Stop struggling. I am sure Seonghwa would like to pay his regards to you in person."

I stilled. This was the worst case scenario. If Park Seonghwa was the one behind all of this, I was in a huge, huge mess. I already regretted coming here. I had been too confident. If Jaemin was here, it could only mean trouble. Jaemin whispered in the ears of Ateez's eight constantly. His influence was significant. And he represented the will of Park Seonghwa. A powerful, powerful man. Cold dread and horrible sweat was the last thing I felt as a needle pricked my neck and I collapsed in Jaemin's hold.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

A/N: I really don't know what I was thinking doing this, but if you read this and would like to continue, make sure you tell me about it. I'll probably add warnings later, I am so new to this I still need to figure out half the stuff myself. Happy reading!

I actually laughed at the last pick up like, it was a good one, Seonghwa being too picky rn

「 phone tour 」 - if seonghwa was your boyfriend

「 lock screen 」

「 camera roll 」

「 ig highlights 」

「 recent texts 」

CR: to all the owners of the pictures used

Birthday Miracle - PSH

Pairing: shy!Seonghwa x shy! reader

Genre: fluff, angst (a tiny bit)

Tags/Warnings: conversation about shyness; some self-doubt

WC: 1,9 k

Reblogs are highly appreciated. Thank you for reading!

Ateez Masterlist

He's always been like that. There was a quiet shine to him that drew people in, but it was almost impossible to admire up close. Park Seonghwa is shy and sometimes quite intimidating, it was obvious since he joined KQ about 4 months ago.

As everyone decided to celebrate a few of fellow trainees' birthdays in April, including his, it was clear as day that he was on the reserved side.

"Should we go to the restaurant down the street this weekend?"

"The pork belly there is so good too."

"Yeah, it's been a while since we don't go together."

Yunho, Mingi, and Hongjoong were leading the conversation in one of the hallways, while the rest of us were listening and casually throwing in other suggestions.

Seonghwa was right across from me. He didn’t say anything, but he was attentive, focusing completely on who was speaking.

"The weekend then, is it good for everyone?", Hongjoong's voice was a bit louder, catching my attention once again.

There was a crowd of "Yeah" "Yes" and the next subject was a good time for all, 15 tired people that just needed some extra sleep, but decided to go out as soon as all of the classes ended.

"Shi-, we have to go, see yah all", Wooyoung left after checking his watch. He ran while waving and pulling Yeosang with him.

"I have to practice more for Mr. Yoon new choreography", San said, his mood dropping a bit.

Before he left, Seonghwa fixed his hair and Mingi patted his back.

Soon, one by one had to do something else and it was just me and him standing there.

"Have you made plans for your birthday yet?", I asked with a small smile on my face, but his attention was on the end of the hallway.

"Hm, no, not yet, it's a week day so, there won't be much time for that", he said and looked at me while at it, but his whole demeanor changed.

He didn't look at me in the eyes like the other ones. His posture changed, and he seemed to want to run away as fast as possible from there.

"I'm sure w-you can work something out to make it a little special."

I cursed myself for almost ruining the surprise.

"I'll try to."

I waited for something else, anything really that would keep the conversation going, but that was it. He clearly didn’t want to talk to me at all.

"You must be busy too, see you later.”

I heard the soft "Bye" behind me, but I didn't look back.

I hated to make him uncomfortable, but the few times we were left together, he didn't keep the conversation going and I wouldn't know what to say, the awkward silence was inevitable.

I was not as loud as most of them, nor it was easy to speak my mind, even less get close to people, especially when they have a friend group already. I'd probably still be eating alone if it wasn't for Woyoung befriending me last year, but I do try to get close to all of them, or at least, I think I do.

Should I just stop trying?, the thought was in my head for the rest of the day.

When the weekend came and most of us were all together in a 3-make-1 table, it wasn't going too different than I imagined. We all drank soda and ate as much as we could afford.

The table was way too large to maintain one single conversation going or to be able to listen to what someone was saying on the other side, so without realizing we split in groups to talk to whoever was closer.

At that moment, I sat between Wooyoung and Yeosang. I don't know why I did that to myself.

"Tell him I'm right, you know I'm right", Wooyoung was poking my side and whining.

"She does not lie, of course, she won't tell you you're right", Yeosang said, eating another dumpling.

"Has he ever been?", Hongjoong said, two sits away, and Wooyoung whined even more.

He mumbled something, but all the laughing was louder and I felt tears in my eyes, as I laughed harder. His face was priceless.

"Traitor", he turned away from us.

I genuinely didn't know if that was for me or Yeosang, but that lasted for at least 5 minutes until I bribed him with the last bit of kimchi I had.

I looked around the table with a small smile, just happy to be there and share that moment with them. It took me some time to shut down the loud voices around me and realize that Seonghwa wasn't there anymore.

I must have been staring at his empty chair, as someone nudged me.

"You good?", it was Yeosang.

“Just wondering, is he ok?”

"He's coming soon", he said and shrugged it off, because really, who goes home when your friend group orders more food?

The thing is, it's been almost 10 minutes, and no one really acknowledged it, too caught up in one of the few light moments we have together, I imagined.

It was dumb, but I got up with the excuse of buying ice cream, and I left the restaurant.

I thought he'd be nearby. He wouldn't just leave like that, and if it was an emergency, he would say something. But he wasn't near the front and I started to get worried. Did he feel sick or dizzy? Did he just go home feeling like that?

As I walked to the ice cream shop, many people passed by. The sun was setting down, the streets were getting busier and busier and almost let him slip right beside me.

"Seonghwa?", I said a bit louder than I intended, but he turned around, surprised with a bag in hand.

"Are you leaving early?", he looked around, searching for something, but then focused back on me.

"You beat me to it", I just pointed to his bag. "We are celebrating your birthday, you should not be the one paying today."

"Tsc, it's my treat for you all, don't get used to it too much", he was full on smiling now, the bag hanging in front of his body.

"You and Hongjoong are always paying for them, it's not me your money should be afraid of", I was smiling now, it was impossible not to when he was shining like that.

"Let's get going, shall we? Or this is going to melt before we eat it."

So we walked side by side, or at least we tried. As people passed by in a hurry, our sides were pressed together to try and create as much space for them as possible. As soon as he realized the touch, he started to walk in front of me.

"So, you suddenly remembered how much you love everyone and decided to forgive their annoying ass with a treat?"

He laughed.

"It was something like that, yes", he turned a little to his right where I was, a soft smile on his face.

By now, things get awkward, and the conversation dies, but I had a feeling it’d be different that time.

"Does it seem like it's been only 4 months?"

"Sometimes it does, other times... It seem like I've known you all for years."

“All of us?”, I whispered, but he heard it anyway.

He nodded and looked back at me, a confused expression in his face. But then the implication of my question became clear to him, as well as his red ears.

"I know we are not that close, but we are all friends, right? Unless yo-"

"Right, we are all friends, Seonghwa. I know it's not that easy for you, you know, to get close to people"

He stopped walking.

"Do you?", his voice got a little bit high, higher than I ever heard before.

Why was he so surprised?

"It's quite obvious", I said, and he got even more red, not only the tip of his ears but also his cheeks. "But it is for me too. If you were here last year, you'd have seen it."

"You seem so close to everyone tho", he mumbled, without looking at my eyes for longer than 5 seconds.

Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, I thought as I realized his body language changed little by little.

"But it took me a long time to open up to them. I've been here for almost a year", I said and pushed his back to keep walking with me. "I don't want to take that long to be closer to you tho."

"Y-you want to be close to me?", he said and looked at me with those big shiny eyes.

It didn’t feel intimidating to hold his stare. I analyzed his face quietly, him as a whole didn’t feel as intimidating anymore.

Again, why was he so surprised? Maybe he didn't notice, or maybe I didn't make as much of an effort as I thought.

"Of course I do, didn’t you say we were all friends?"

"I did, but still, I don't want you to be forc-"

He kept walking, but I held his arm.

"I think we need to talk about this misunderstanding", his eyes went to my hand touching him. I released his arm. "Sorry."

"It's fine", he said quickly. "So...", he looked for a place quiet enough, which there wasn't any at that moment.

"Later, but I want you to know that you didn't and won't bother me at all."

The cheers from our table were heard from anyone who walked past the restaurant, but I didn't care as much for the ice cream anymore.

4 days later, it was Seonghwa's birthday.

"Are you sure you forgot it there, not in your room?"

"I already searched there, if it's not in the studio, then we just go to the restaurant and I'll find it later."

We were walking fast to not get in the restaurant later than we were already. It was my fault, I took too long searching for my phone.

"How can you always forget everything?", he was half scolding me and half joking.

He didn't like the idea of being late, still, he jumped to help me as soon as I texted him.

Progress, it was a big progress in just 4 days.

"Don't listen to what they say about me, I don't forget stuff that often, who said it? It was Wooyoung, wasn't it?"

“Hm, suddenly I don’t remember anymore”, he was a bit tense because of the situation, but he smiled, which I considered as a win.

"I'll find out sooner or later."

We stopped in front of the dance studio. I was training in just 30 minutes ago.

The lights were off, and it was so quiet. I was surprised they made that miracle happen.

Seonghwa was conveniently in front of me, and he didn't hesitate to open the door and step inside.

The lights went on.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!", we all screamed together, and I heard a flash going off.

The sheer surprise in Seonghwa's face and everyone's smile, laughing and the cake raised high by San got captured in the photo.

It is crazy to look back at it and remember how we were back then.

"Something just came to mind", I said as we got into the restaurant where the boys were waiting.

"What is it?", Seonghwa nudged me.

The cheers were loud from our table, because the birthday boy had just arrived and we were about to drink until we couldn't stand anymore.

"What did you forget this time?", he stopped by the front door of the newly renovated restaurant.

"How old you are, I keep forgetting it everytime", I said and slipped in before he could catch me.

H/C > Hurt/Comfort; F > Fluff; A > Angst; S > Suggestive;

One Shots

Birthday Miracle (F)

Park Seonghwa was shy guy, what an understatement and you aren't that far from it, so what kind of miracle is going to finally change your relationship for the better?

Picnic Date (From the 300 Followers Event)(F)

You and Seonghwa went out for a special date you've been planning for a long time now. After such a crazy year, you both deserved a calm day to yourselves

Reactions

When they reject you... but it wasn't a confession

Series

The cat and the fox (F/A)(7,8 k) The cat and the fox I II III

I never even considered adopting nor fostering a cat in all the 25 years of my life, so why do I have a gray cat laid down on my couch, licking his fur without any worry in the world, as if that was his rightful place since the start?

Headcanons

Park Seonghwa as your boyfriend (F/A)

Hey !!

I just wanted to ask if you still do matchups ?

If so i was going to ask if you could match me up with somebody

My name is Adryanne

Im 5'1 i have dark brown shoulder length hair i have blue almond shaped eyes i have a pretty petitie frame so i have smaller hands and feet and its hard to find clothes that actually fit me i have a hourglass figure . I tend to be quiet and shy whenever in genral , and i tend to be really sensitive and i take alot of things to heart i also tend to be a bit of a people pleaser and i sometimes keep toxic people around me . My friends and family describe me as kind , empathic , caring , and thoughtful . My hobbies are Reading , Singing , Acting , or listening to music . In a future partner i look for somebody who makes me laugh and i look for somebody that will support me with mental health issues like social anxiety .

Hey there Adryanne 👋 Yes, I still do.

My 100 followers event is up until April 11th and the link is here, for more info and another kinds of requests.

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YOU MATCH WITH... SEONGHWA!

The thing about Seonghwa is, he's shy around new people, but when he gets comfortable, he gets so chaotic, omg... he is an extrovert after all. So I feel like he would understand you 100%, but also he would complete your personality with his a lot. He can be loud and random, but he doesn't go overboard with it, it's just enough to keep the tension light and bright, so it's a nice balance. He would want you to be comfortable around him, but he does it without effort to be honest.

Also he would never make you feel shy on purpose (opposite of some mfs that would 100% in this group, I'm so sure of this).

Seonghwa is so soft-spoken, so nurturing in general, kind and positive, you don't even have to worry about him hurting you on purpose or on accident (he would feel bad if he did, but he would make it up to you). He would discuss what your boundaries are, so he wouldn't make a joke that would offend you or something like that.

You match a lot with his passions, so I see a lot of bonding opportunities too. Sometimes he forgets how much he actually likes to sing and listen to music, when he does that at work for hours and hours and hours on end. It's quite exhausting and it's nice to have someone to let go and just enjoy it with, you know.

A funny person? You got it. Do I even need to say anything? He is the one nobody expects to be funny, the spontaneous kind of funny. Also a supportive partner? Yes, he would be the best one! I feel like he has that sixth sense for reading people. He would know if you need comfort and he would be on it immediately.

Also, he's a great listener. He'd be the type to hold you if you wanted to and just sit there and listen when you need to vent. He is the type to want to be his parnert rock and have his partner be his, so if you need some strength, he would give you some so you can fight and stand up for yourself.

That was it, I hope you like it! Have a great day and thank you for the support 💕

The cat and the fox I - PSH & JWY - TCTF SERIES

Pictures aren't mine, credits to the rightful owner

Pairing: hybridcat!seonghwa x reader x hybridfox!wooyoung (non-romantic)

Genre: fluff

Warnings/tags: mentions of blood and injuries; hybrid cat; hybrid fox

N/A: I'm late, but here it is the part 1 of the fic I planned for Seonghwa's birthday!

WC: 2,1 k

Ateez Masterlist

The Cat and The Fox II

The Cat and The Fox III

I never even considered adopting nor fostering a cat in all the 25 years of my life, so why do I have a gray cat laid down on my couch, licking his fur without any worry in the world, as if that was his rightful place since the start?

I just had a simple wish, to get home as fast as possible, take a shower and then sleep for at the very least 3 hours, but that seemed like a lot to ask. My living room was a mess. My rugs out of place, all of my decorations, cushions and photo-frames were on the floor, the latter ones were broken and there was glass all scattered on the floor and… blood? Yes. Drops of blood leaving the living room to the kitchen. I was paralyzed by the door, my jaw on the floor. Then I saw it, the window by my work table was open and all of my notebooks and computer were untouched, but I couldn’t say the same for my papers, the small pile scattered on the floor as the cherry on top.

I let the door open, just in case I’d need to run out. It could be a fox, a raccoon or worse. I walked through the living room, but I couldn’t hear a thing besides my own heart ringing in my ears. 

I wasn’t a monster, of course I like most animals and would never wish for something to hurt them on purpose, but if I had to choose, please, can it be gone or dead just this once? Maybe it wasn’t even here anymore, which would be the best I could get out of this, but what are the chances? There was only a single way out, the window. 

As I made my way to the kitchen, following the blood, I heard a screech, then a meow? A cat meowing? Then, something gray ran through my legs, while a red thing ran after it, or so I thought, but the red animal ran to the opposite direction, while the gray animal hid itself under the couch. I caught sight of a blurry red fluffy tail leaving through the open door, it was a fox, a bleeding one, as I saw the drops it left on my floor.

I ran to close the door and looked through the peephole, the fox was gone, then I heard another meow, softer and lower this time. The gray cat had only its head out, looking to the door and then to me. I stayed still as he kept staring, judging, something I expect of all cats, but then he hid again as I took a step closer.

Clearly, I didn’t pass the vibe check.

“Yo-”, I took a deep breath. “Ok, I get that you’re scared, just stay there, ok? I’ll clean this mess.”

I tried to be fast, not only because I wanted to be done as soon as possible, but also the cat could get out and hurt itself, if it wasn’t hurt in the first place already. The first step was to clean the glass the best I could - I knew I would find little glass pieces for the rest of the week in the most random places. The second step was way faster, to organize the living room and put the trash outside. The blood was the real nightmare, and I didn’t even consider getting rid of it all at that point. The little stain on the carpet would remind me constantly of what happened that day. 

While I rushed to one side of the house to the other, I kept an eye on the couch, yet I didn’t see it or its head at all. Was the cat that scared and overwhelmed? Maybe it was truly hurt, the fox chased it after all.

I looked at the couch and debated being a complete asshole for a moment. I could just take my shower and go to sleep, right? But what if it was true injured, and it gets worse because I wasn’t fast enough? The cat could take its sweet time destroying everything too. I didn’t wait another second to get my first-aid kit.

“Kitty?”, I said as I took a seat, one foot away from the couch.

I laid down on the ground to take a look under it, just to make sure it was still there, and it was. At the very back of the couch, I could barely see anything beside its shape, its head laid on one paw, the other one was hidden, and its brownish eyes looking at me. The cat glued on the wall, and it didn’t seem excited to leave it anytime soon. 

“You are hurt, aren’t you? It must hurt a lot, right?”, I whispered as I laid my head on my right arm, still laid on the ground, almost at the same position the cat was.

It meowed as it followed all of my movements. 

“Yeah, I’d love to know if that was a yes or a no.”

I pulled the aid kit to my side, in front of the couch. “Look, I want to help you, can you please not bite me?”, I asked as I reached for it under the couch to try and give my hands for him to sniff. 

I closed my eyes, ready for the inevitable, yet I didn’t come, but it also didn’t sniff me. “Hey, I’m trying to be friendly here, isn’t that how people do?”, I said as I took my hand away. 

I looked under the couch again, the cat was in the same position. 

“Okay, this isn’t going to work…”, I reached further under the couch until I could feel his fur. 

I heard the scared meows and waited for the worst, but the cat stayed still and let me pull it out without much fight, for my own surprise. I let my hands open and light, so I wouldn’t hurt it. The poor thing was paralyzed in my hand and looked at me with the same fear I looked at him with. 

I got up and sat on the floor, slow, to not scare him more than I already did. I didn’t know what to do for a moment as we just look at each other. If this cat was a person, this would classify as one of the most awkward moment of my life. He ended up on my lap.

 “It’s okay, kitty. I won’t hurt you”, I said, as I let my right hand in front of him to sniff on his own time. 

He was hesitant to even get close to my hand, body stiff while I held him with my left hand, but as soon as he realized I wouldn’t move, he took a step to finally sniff me, and when he was finished, sat on my thighs and I released him, more confident that he wouldn’t immediately run to hide again.

I blinked the sleepiness away and took my time to search for any visible injures without touching him more than necessary. His paws were still hid under his body the whole time, and my best guess was he still was too hesitant of me to be 100% comfortable. He wasn’t wearing a collar, and I couldn’t even imagine what he went through alone in the streets to be this scared, but the weird thing it’s he wasn’t seriously injured as far as I could see.

“Did that fox chased after you and you scared him away, kitty?”, I said as I petted him slowly on his head.

He meowed and purred nonstop, and I didn’t dare to stop for a single moment. I realized he started to lean his head on my hands, his eyes were closed, and his body laid on my stomach. 

“A cuddly one, I see”, I smiled as I looked down on him. “I’m almost about to forgive you for that mess you left me earlier”. 

I couldn’t help, but think he was adorable. He moved his head constantly to find the exact spot he wanted me to scratch and as soon as I found it, that specific spot behind his ears, I felt his body melt on mine once for all. 

I don’t even remember how long I stayed like that, but my wrist already hurt, and my eyes were too heavy to keep them open. The purring sounded calming for some reason, and I felt the stress leaving me as time went by, but I had to stop, and he didn’t like that one bit. 

“I can pet you later”, I said as I walked to my bedroom. 

I thought he would be happy in the living room, or he would be back to hide under the couch, but he followed me around to my room, to the kitchen, to the bathroom - and he even threw a little tantrum when I closed the door and didn’t let him in, he scratched the door, but stopped as soon as I turn the water on. 

Is that even the same cat that hid under my couch? He must have an owner then, because there's no way a cat is this friendly and trusting to strangers and lived on the streets for long. He must have lost his way home being chased by that fox or something like that, but then he had to have a collar. Maybe someone stole it? No, there's no way someone is that cruel and dead inside. 

I saw him sitting by the doorstep of my room, right in front of the bathroom, with those big bright brown eyes shining looking up at me. My heart melted as I picked him up, again, with a lot of care, but he snuggled in my arms immediately without a single care in the world. His cold nose hid into my chest and I petted his sweet spot, while I walked downstairs. 

"You must be hungry…can cats eat normal food?" 

He meowed, and I looked down at him. He was nestled in my arms while looking at my face, then he blinked slowly, then hid again in my chest. 

Well, that didn't help much, but it was adorable, so I'll excuse it this time. 

I looked up the foods cats could eat, and it turns out, it's much more than I thought, however I would have to boil almost everything I had at home and that would take way more time than to buy cat food in the convenience store nearby. 

"Okay, kitty. I have to buy some food for you, so you have to stay here alone for a little bit", I said in a soft tone of voice. 

I felt his eyes on me, yet he didn't protest as I put him on the ground, then I verified if the windows were all closed this time. As I walked to the door, I expected some kind of protest or whining, but he only walked to the door with me. 

"I see, are you scouting me out of my own house? Is that it?" 

As soon as I opened the door, he ran out. I froze by the door as he went straight to the side of the house, and before I could lose sight of him, I ran too. I couldn’t even think at that moment. The corner of the house was narrow and led to the small backward, and there was nothing there besides some old stuff I still had to throw out. I didn’t expect to see the cat snicking in one of the old boxes. 

“Kitty?”

The cat stood beside that red fox inside the box. The fox laid there, and it didn’t move as I got closer, and I wasn’t sure if it was conscious. Only then I noticed the trail of blood on the tiles, coming from the backward. I heard scratches on the box, and focused back on them. The cat looked at me, and it seemed desperate as it meowed louder and louder. 

“I know, I know”, I said as I tried to pick up the box, a little bit scared of the fox still, since it could attack me at any point, yet it didn’t move. “Come on, I’ll take care of you”, I whispered.

The fox opened its eyes, and I stopped in my tracks. It was too close of me already, it could attack me or run, maybe I should have run, but I was stunned by the brightness of the yellow on its eyes. He was as still as me, and I felt like the world had stopped breathing for a bit, too. 

The cat moved, and the fox cried out, that was what woke me up. 

PICNIC DATE - PSH (FROM THE 300 FOLLOWERS EVENT)

(Pictures are not mine, credits to the rightful owners)

Thank you so much @monstaxdirtywonk for the request! I hope you enjoy it 💕

Ateez Masterlist

You took a deep breath as you got out of the car.

The air smelled like fresh flowers and petrichor still, from the storm two days ago. Now the sky was blue as it could get. The soft blow of the wind and the low heat sun in your skin was the perfect combination to make this day even more perfect.

You didn’t even hear Seonghwa moving to get the basket and blanket out of the trunk until he stood right beside you.

You smiled as you felt his calming presence. His perfume could easily mix him well with all the scenery, and it’d be like he belonged there.

“Ready?”, he asked in a whisper as his hands held yours in a light grip.

You nodded and you both walked through the field of flowers until you found a nice spot closer to the trees.

“Doesn’t it feel like our first date all over again?”, you said as you both walked side by side.

You really thought you were free from teasing, it was a special day nonetheless. You kind of deserved it, right? Well, that was your first mistake.

“Do I still make you that nervous?”, he asked with a smug smile in his pretty face as he looked over at you.

The day of your first day with this very man beside you was… interesting, to put it lightly. You knew better now, though. In these two years, you learned how to make Seonghwa fold in a snap of your fingers.

“Do you really want to say that when you blushed like a tomato when I kissed you earlier today?”

The memory alone made a light pink appear on Seonghwa’s cheeks. You were visiting his parents this weekend, it was a first for both of you. For him to introduce someone to his parents, and for you to be introduced.

In his defense, he wasn’t prepared to show kinship in front of his parents so early. His heart have never beaten so fast in his life. Also, his parents cooed at him because as they said, “look at him all grown up”, which wasn’t on his bingo card of the year.

But then he looked at your cute, smiley face with that shine in your eyes, how could he ever be mad at you? Instead, he felt his heart swelling with the amount of love he felt for you.

The moment fades into the reality in front of him. You were still waiting for an answer, an eyebrow raised and a huge teasing smile on your face.

“You’re too adorable, how can you be so adorable?”, he smiled as he held your face, oh so carefully, between his two hands and got close to your squished face.

The 360° of his behavior took you a little bit off guard, but every day with Park Seonghwa was a surprise. You couldn’t resist how beautiful his smile was, you kissed him once again.

So you both sat on the soft blue blanket to eat snacks together and enjoy that moment to yourselves.

It was a lazy Tuesday evening in a separate area of a 2-hour-drive public park, so there wasn’t a lot of people there in the first place, just like both of you planned it.

“Isn’t a bit cold right now?”, he asked as he rubbed his own arms in an up-and-down motion.

It was a spring day, so you were quite surprise and worried. Maybe that was a sign he was getting sick? You both were stuck in the rain for a few minutes…

“Do you feel anything else, love? Maybe it’s a cold”, you said as you rubbed his left arm yourself.

You were ready to get up and get the jacket you insisted on bringing with you, when he leaned into your shoulder.

“I’m so cold, we should cuddle”, his voice was barely a whisper in your neck as he nuzzled himself in that sensitive area.

You felt the soft air in your neck and recoiled a little, but he wrapped his arms around your middle and clung to you. Looking down, there was only a mess of brown hair, but you knew he was grinning.

“Aren’t you the cutest?”, you asked as you caressed his hair, knowing well that he wouldn’t deny it when he is soft like this.

It is quite of a rare sight when Seonghwa lets you pamper the hell out of him like that. Most of the time, the roles are always reversed as he insists on babying you as much as he can. It is an instinct at this point for him.

“You are”, he whispered as he closed his eyes, letting the feeling of your hands sink in.

“You’re literally amazing, babe”.

“No, you”, he whined as he said it louder.

“No, you!”, you said as you held back laughter.

“No, you”, he leaned away to look at you in the eyes, just to show how serious he was as he said that.

You both held a stare down for 5 seconds.

You were just as passionate about it as him.

You tried to keep being serious, but then both of you laughed so hard, nether of you had the strength to get up anytime soon.

So you didn’t.