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Phichit: Just go tell Leo, he's cute. What's the worst that could happen?
Guang-Hong: He could hear me.
I always fantasize about sukuna chasing you in the middle of the forest but, I don't even think he would run after you. it's just you, running away from him as the darkness of the big trees engulfs you and sukuna walking leisurely behind you.
The scene feels like something out of a nightmare, almost as if you're watching the scene through a blurry, time-distorted antique camera. The atmosphere is dense, suffocating, with the humidity of the forest clinging to your skin as you flee without direction, guided only by desperation. Sukuna doesn't run because he doesn't need to. He enjoys the game, reveling in your panic, every step you take amuses him, every time you stumble, every anxious gasp that escapes your lips. A lamb trapped in his territory, and he has all the time in the world to hunt you his way.
The forest becomes a living trap, trees rustle in your wake, branches seem to try to catch you, sounds stalk you from every direction. The darkness is almost tangible, enveloping you in its suffocating embrace as you try not to think about those crimson eyes you feel fixed on your back, calmly following you from the shadows. Sukuna's deep purr vibrates in the air, moving closer and further away in a sadistic dance, playing with your senses.
Just when you think you've managed to lose him, when the sound fades, you find a small respite as you lean against a thick, gnarled tree. Your breathing is in chaos, mixed with the racing sound of your heart beating frantically in your ears. It is at that moment that the air changes, becomes thicker, warmer. The ground beneath your feet vibrates slightly, as if something powerful is moving just below you.
The warm breath brushing the back of your neck freezes your every muscle, and terror grips your body. Before you can process it, a low, twisted laugh echoes behind you, ruffling every hair on your body. Crows caw and fly in every direction, shattering the silence of the forest as those scarlet eyes appear again in the darkness. This time, they are right above you, shining with a predatory intensity that takes your breath away.
The tree "breathes" behind you, his body taking shape in the shadows. His figure, towering over you like a beast, watches you with four pairs of eyes that blink in sync, each one reflecting the despair on your face. His grin is wide, grotesque, a flash of sharp teeth telling you that you have nowhere to run anymore. The sound of his laughter rises from deep in his stomach, mocking your panic, as he extends a hand toward you, ready to claim what is his.
Tears of Glass & Marble
Artist!Hyunjin x cursed statue!fem reader
Words: 11.4k
Genre/theme: non idol!au, fantasy, reincarnation, smut (MDNI 18+)
Warnings: use of Y/n, blood, Major Character Death (don’t worry he’s okay tho), angst with a happy ending, pet names (mi amor, muse), body worship (they’re in love your honor), reunion? sex, unprotected sex (👀👎), oral (f receiving), praise, creampie
**The lovelies in the poll have spoken, so eat well babes thank you for your input 🫶🏻💗 It got kinda long but this shit is soft as hell 🤭 got me all blushing and teary eyed at some points 🫣 Please check out my other fics and leave any and all feedback, I love to hear it! 🫰🏻 This is not meant to represent any persons in real life and is a work of fiction. Do not repost or translate ©jagibangbangchan**
Ari’s masterlist
Time had an interesting way of shifting one’s perspective on life, and the only thing Y/n had left was an excess amount of time. Fate had taken everything from her and forced on her an existence of solitude and near insanity. Funny then that fate would turn around, with enough time, just to give everything back.
Somewhere in the distant past
Once in her life, she’d been immensely happy. A successful sculptor, often hired by the wealthiest of society, she was a master of carving and shaping marble into the softest form with the most incredibly subtle detail. Her talents were renowned throughout the highest houses, and once she had even been honored to capture in sculpture the form of someone of royal status.
With the commissions she made from these art works, she lived comfortably with the love that fate had granted her. Hyunjin, an ethereally beautiful man that possessed an exquisite talent for painting, his portraits and painted landscapes covering the walls of their shared home. He was less inclined to sell many of his personal paintings, but did profit from his talent by creating portraits for the same wealthy families that hired her.
However, one unexpected event can shatter even the most serene and comfortable life, a fact Y/n discovered the day her reputation brought her a new wealthy client, the day she rejected the commission of the rich man who would tear apart her world.
Hyunjin had left early in the morning to meet with a wealthy madam that wished to commission a portrait from him. Not expecting any company, Y/n had settled into a relaxing day in her study, smoothing over the rough edges of the current sculpture she worked on. A harsh banging on her door was followed by the sound of it crashing back on its hinges, startling her terribly.
Lord Choi Seongsu was not a man to be taken lightly, his wealth and power built on fear and blood money. He stormed into her study, demanding that she create a sculpture of him for his family manor. With a hand over her heart to calm herself, Y/n stepped off her ladder and bowed, asking for more details of what he was looking for. He was insulting and abrasive, belittling her skills as an artist and her life’s purpose as a woman. She held her tongue, aware that she was in the presence of someone of higher standing, but he was angering her more with every word he spoke. He finally gave her the information she needed, but when told how much time it would take and how much it would cost, he became belligerent.
Y/n reeled as he slapped her across the face, falling back against her sculpture, rocking it on the stand. Lord Choi attempted to grab her, but she pushed him off roughly, running into another room while he staggered and slammed the door behind her, locking it quickly.
‘Come back, you bitch! You think you can just demand that kind of money from me?!’
‘Go away! I have friends in the high families, they’ll find you if anything happens to me!’
Y/n’s voice trembled as she yelled, wishing with everything in her that Hyunjin was there with her. But her love wasn’t home so there was no one to help her until the man left.
Lord Choi was silent at her words, psychotically fuming but also knowing there was a chance she was right. He needed to do some checking on her reputation, but a twisted smile crossed his face as he decided her fate now rested in the hands of someone more sinister than himself.
Y/n didn’t hear anything else from the other side of the door, except the sound of retreating footsteps and an eerie silence. Too frightened to leave the room in case he was still waiting in her study, she curled into a chair and held herself tightly as she quietly cried.
Hours later, Hyunjin returned to a heavy silence in the house, an uneasy feeling stirring in his gut.
‘Mi amor? Where are you?’
He walked into her study, noticing her current work was askew on it’s pedestal, a smattering of supplies dropped across the floor like someone had bumped the table. He heard a muffled cry from behind the bedroom door, turning to it quickly but finding it locked when he grabbed the handle.
‘Y/n, are you in there? What’s wrong, mi amor?’
Y/n was flooded with immense relief at the sound of Hyunjin’s voice. Standing and ripping open the door, she threw herself into his arms, taking a shaky breath as he immediately hugged her back tightly.
‘What happened? Are you alright?’
Y/n shook her head against his chest, his hand coming up to hold the back of her head gently.
‘No, I had a rather frightening visit earlier from a potential client named Lord Choi. I had to threaten him with our wealthy friends to get him to leave me alone, as he grew very upset about the cost of my labor.’
Hyunjin looked down at her, shocked and angry that someone would treat her like that. He’d seen several rich assholes get all up tight about how much she commissioned for her artwork, but he’d never heard of any of them becoming violent, to the point that she would lock herself in another room. Sliding his hand into her hair, he leaned her head back and saw her cheek was beginning to bruise. Clenching his jaw, he fumed at the audacity.
‘He hurt you? How fucking dare he touch you at all, inexcusably with violence.’
Y/n shook her head at him sadly, reaching up to hold the wrist of his hand laced through her hair.
‘As much as your anger warms my heart, there’s nothing to be done, love. We have no status against him, and his wealth would silence us, if he doesn’t do it himself…’
He pulled her against his chest again and held her tighter, rubbing her back and shoulders soothingly.
‘I’m sorry, mi amor, the rich are a bane on this world. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help.’
‘They are a bane that keeps us housed, my Jin, and you are here now, that’s all that matters.’
They held each other in comforting silence for a moment before Hyunjin leaned back, cupping her bruised cheek so tenderly as he pulled her into a soft kiss. Y/n melted into his achingly familiar lips, every fear gone from her and everything right with her universe again.
They retired for a quiet night, Hyunjin luring her into his charms until she was a dazed, panting mess where she was spread beneath him. After he’d replaced every fear she’d had with a pleasure only he could provide, she fell asleep in Hyunjin’s arms, unaware that it would be the last loving moment they would share for several lifetimes.
Spells and curse-craft were taboo subjects among those in everyday life, but they were a hidden dark tool of the wealthy and elite, the arcane and supernatural simply another way for them to achieve whatever they desire.
Lord Choi was one who exploited such powers, a curse user often being sent from his home into the homes of his enemies. His reasons were petty, anyone who disagreed with him, rich or poor, became any enemy worthy of destroying.
After leaving Y/n’s study, he’d immediately returned to his manor to locate the sinister curse-user in his employ. The shadowy figure found him first, seeming to sense his master’s intent.
‘You seek me, my lord?’
‘Yes, I have an urgent job for you.’
The gaunt man bowed, motioning to walk with him as he relayed his instructions.
‘The woman must suffer before she alerts someone who might defend her. A cruel irony in her fate feels appropriate. No miserable artist, a woman at that, can speak to me with such disrespect. I will erase her very name from history if I have to, even the wealthiest of her friends will have a price they’re willing to accept to forget her. If anyone interferes with your duties, kill them.’
‘A cruel irony, my lord? She is a sculptor, correct?’
The curse user smiled cruelly when Lord Choi nodded.
‘I have the perfect fate for her, my lord, leave it to me.’
Many times through the years did Y/n think back on this day, a day that started so normal and ended in such tragedy.
Laying in Hyunjin’s arms still as they peacefully slept, both were unaware of the same shadowed figure that stalked the halls of their cozy home.
He lay the groundwork for his curse the moment he entered the house, taking inspiration from the numerous sculpted works displayed around the lower floors. Ascending the stairs as quietly as he could, the curse-user froze at the very top when a loose board protested loudly under his weight. He listened for a moment, his breath held as he waited to hear any movement. Nothing stirred, so he relaxed minutely and continued his journey towards his destination, the curse layering the upper floor as well.
Hyunjin wasn’t sure what woke him, his eyes fluttering open to the picture of her bathed in moonlight, naked in his arms as though she were made to be there. He captured the sight for a moment, committing it to memory and hoping he could successfully paint it later, though he doubted the warm feeling would be the same.
Suddenly parched, he gently extracted himself from around her, stretching with a quiet sigh as he moved to open the door and get a drink of water.
Startled, both men froze at the sight of the other. Hyunjin’s blood ran cold to see the dark figure in his house, immediately connecting the dots that this is what woke him. The curse-user acted on instinct from where he’d crouched in front of the door, remembering his master’s orders to eliminate anyone who interfered with him cursing the sculptor.
He swiftly stood, clamping one hand over Hyunjin’s mouth as he pushed him against the hallway wall, drawing a long blade from his belt and stabbing it sickeningly upward into Hyunjin’s heart.
Pain seared through Hyunjin’s chest, with no time to react he was powerless as he choked a gurgled yell against the attacker’s hand. His head rapidly grew fuzzy, his arms losing their strength faster than he could believe.
No…what is this? Am I…dying? No! Y/n, please wake up!
All of this rang through Hyunjin’s head as he beat weakly against the curse-user’s hold, but no words left his mouth, the hand still clamped firmly around his jaw. He could feel the warmth of his blood running down his side and leg, his breathing growing shorter as he slowly lost the strength to stand.
Sliding him down the wall until he was sat, the curse-user sneered at Hyunjin as he saw the fight leaving his limbs.
‘Not easy to fight back as you bleed to death, is it boy? Don’t worry, I’m not here to kill your girl, no…she’s going to live for a long, long time. Maybe then she’ll learn not to disrespect those who are above her.’
His hissed words were heard as though Hyunjin were underwater, his head lolling to the side against the grip over his mouth, using the last of the strength he could feel leaving his body to gaze at her still sleeping form. Tears ran from his eyes as he etched the image of her so peaceful into his mind for the last time. Darkness clouded the edges of his vision, his last thought echoing through time.
Anywhere in forever, mi amor…I will find you again.
Y/n shifted awake as her back grew cold, opening her eyes as she realized Hyunjin was no longer in the bed behind her. Sitting up, she looked around but couldn’t see him in the room either.
‘Hyunjin? My love?’
When no response came from him, she draped herself in the sheet and moved to get out of the bed. The moment her feet touched the cold floor, terror shot through her entire being. Fear that felt so instinctual her skin seemed to crawl with it, choking her breath, and causing her heart to hammer wildly beneath her ribcage.
At first she thought that same fear had frozen her legs and kept her from moving, but with another attempt to step toward her bedroom door, Y/n started to panic when her legs were unmoving from the knee down. She couldn’t wiggle her toes, and she tried to convince herself that it was a trick of the light that made her feet look as pale as marble.
‘Hyunjin? Jin, please! Where are you?’
Her cries echoed through the empty house, still no response coming from him anywhere. A deadening feeling began climbing it’s way past her knees, Y/n looked down in horror as the sheet around her thighs melded to her skin, turning into a flawless swath of silky marble. The realization that she was being cursed came with a flood of conflicting emotions; Where was Hyunjin? Who was cursing her? Was she going to die?
She thought she should be crying, but she’d heard stories from the rich people that she’d worked for and she knew only the wealthy would send a curse-user after someone, and so instead she was filled with rage.
The squeak of the bedroom door had her looking up, hope in her eyes to see Hyunjin standing there, ready to help her as the deadening feeling traveled farther up past her hips and to her waist.
Luckily she couldn’t feel her stomach anymore as it turned to the same stone as her legs, or it would have lurched at the sight of the stooped and shadowy figure that stood before her instead of her love. She knew in the back of her mind that he was the one responsible for cursing her. Hatred, frustration, fear, and rage all crossed her face, her mouth trying to open as she prepared to unleash hell in her words, but suddenly she could no longer speak. Forget speaking, she could no longer breathe…
‘What’s the matter, woman, curse got your tongue?’
Craning her neck to look down as much as she could, Y/n realized the dead feeling had spread through her arms and all the way to her shoulders. Draped elegantly in her bedsheet, she was now almost completely turned to stone.
This can’t be happening…why is this happening? Please, Jin, where the hell are you?
Looking back up at the intruder, only desperation filled her eyes now as she begged for anything. Giving into her silent plea, the curse-user cruelly granted her one last sight before she was frozen forever.
Stepping to the side, Y/n felt her heart shatter, the pieces tearing her from the inside as he revealed the slumped form of Hyunjin behind him. Sitting unmoving against the wall in a pool of his own blood, she could see no movement or breath from him, the image of his glassy, lifeless eyes turned to her burning itself into her memory for eternity.
NO! Hyunjin, my love, no!
In her mind, she screamed and cried, thrashed and tore at her hair. It was impossible, there was no way…no way that Hyunjin was dead. Their love was infinite, he’d promised her forever, how could the universe take him from her like this?
On the outside, she could only manage the tortured expression of lost love, and a single tear that managed to escape. It clung to the edge of her eye, never falling as it froze, numbness spreading over her entire body as she became a perfect marble statue. She could only watch as the intruder approached her then, whispering as though it was a great secret only she could know.
‘You really should have known better than to disrespect someone like Lord Choi. He sends his regards and hopes that you enjoy the rest of your lonely eternity.’
Modern Day
Y/n discovered that eternity held such darkness. Unable to move, unable to breathe, unable to do anything but spiral in the confines of her mind. Every stage of grief racked her frozen body, her emotions and memories her only solace and the prison that she could never escape from.
Years passed her by and time flowed around her and through her like the wind through a field of grass. She lost sense of what exact year it was, which museum or art school she was transported too and forced to be studied, which people were marveling at her craftsmanship without knowing the darkness of her secret.
The curse didn’t allow her to sleep the same way humans might, her mind stuck in an endless loop, her only respite being a waking dream that allowed her to relive her memories. After several hundred years of this endless cycle she had grown numb to the sharpest edges of her pain, even the saddest of memories sparking a twisted sense of comfort.
She would surface every so often to see if she’d landed somewhere interesting and learn what time period it was, but being a statue was rather boring and in five hundred years, nowhere she’d woken up had seemed very exciting for very long.
So she lived in her memories, the sight of Hyunjin still haunting her even in waking moments. No matter how much she forced herself to relive the happy or soft memories of him, they were always shattered by the image of his lifeless eyes.
The latest waking dream she found herself in was the worst in a long while. The dream started with that horrible night, the guilt she felt over not hearing him die manifesting in the imagined sounds of Hyunjin’s rasped breathing surrounding her.
‘Please…mi amor…help me.’
Y/n was used to the panic now, almost relieved to see him in such detail as she knew she still remembered him, even if his memory still scarred her. She was not accustomed, however, to when the memory changed.
Suddenly, Hyunjin stood from his pool of blood, standing before her in an instant, gripping her jaw in his bloody hand as he whispered intensely.
‘I can see you, mi amor…wake up!’
Y/n had never woken into the current time so quickly. Like jolting from a nightmare, and though she couldn’t feel her heartbeat, she knew it would’ve been hammering after a dream like that. Never before had it changed, he’d never moved, and he’d never spoken to her like he was right in front of her.
She gazed around as much as she could, considering her eyes couldn’t move, to try and distract her from her fear and realized she was in a different place from the last time she’d woken up.
The ceiling was vaulted, high above the large room that was filled with the evening sun as it streaked through the wall of windows running along one side. The soft marble and tiled walls glowed with warm light, a serene quiet filling the air around the array of other statues and sculptures positioned throughout the space.
She was displayed on a higher pedestal than she was used to, her gaze scanning the entirety of the room from her vantage point. There were velvet ropes around her pedestal, a placard standing near her that she assumed held a description of her exhibit.
A museum. Have I finally made the classics?
Y/n mused at her small joke, scanning the room again to acquaint herself. She almost forgot about her fear entirely as she realized she recognized the other statues that stood in the room around her. Every single one was carved into her very muscle memory as she’d spent hours upon hours perfecting the details of each piece. They were hers. The entire exhibit, each statue and its placard, was dedicated to her…
Wow…perhaps I should have been awake. It seems someone has curated my life’s work. I suppose I have made the classics then.
Y/n was astonished. She’d discovered that a few years after he cursed her, Lord Choi had gone around to the wealthy families that had commissioned her work and paid to convince them to forget her name. He tried everything in his power to erase her from history, simply because she’d offered him a price he disagreed with.
However, she could see now that he had failed. Someone remembered her, and if statues could weep, she would with tears of near joy.
She felt content in this space in a way she hadn’t felt anywhere else, being surrounded by her work again almost feeling like she was being brought home. The only differences were that she hadn’t been part of the exhibit to start, and when she originally sculpted the works in that room, Hyunjin was with her through it all. Even this many years later, the memory of him often still hurt like the first day.
Before she could begin to wallow into her past again, Y/n was drawn to the soft sound of footsteps wandering through the exhibit. Despite how boring immortality could be, she always loved to see a person when she first woke up, eager to spot the evolution of fashion and technology. Slowly snaking through the different statues, stopping occasionally to read an inscription, a tall, ethereal man with dark hair approached her.
Impossible.
Y/n was sure the wave of shock that coursed through her was strong enough to crack the marble she was made of.
No…that’s impossible.
She could live and die a million lifetimes, but Y/n knew she would recognize his silhouette in any universe. The angle of his nose, the curve of his plump lips, his long and delicate hands that only crafted beauty and pleasure.
I saw him dead…it’s. not. possible.
His features were carved into her heart more permanently than any statue of marble. As the man stopped in front of her, reading her description before backing up slightly to admire her in full, Y/n felt her heart beat for the first time since the day he died, the face of her lost love gazing up at her.
Hyunjin?
Hyunjin honestly couldn’t tell you why he’d suddenly decided to study the art of sculpting. He was a painter, not a sculptor, and while of course he appreciated other forms of art, even his best friend Seungmin had said his sudden switch-up was strange.
Truthfully, he’d noticed a flyer on the subway for the opening of a new sculpture exhibit, a finally completed dedication to an unknown artist of renowned talent. The way the style itched at his brain intrigued him, like seeing the face of someone you recognized from a dream. Figuring it wouldn’t hurt to just visit and see what it was about, on his next free day, he texted Seungmin about his plans in case anyone was looking for him, and then caught the subway across town to the museum.
The moment he set foot into the exhibit’s room, something heavy washed over him. Hyunjin knew the feeling of deja vu well, he’d found himself experiencing it many times as he pursued his art career, but this was deja vu so severe he had to lean against the wall for a moment.
What the hell?
He shook his head slightly to clear it, moving more slowly as he weaved through the different statues on display. Each one had a plaque that told the story of the aristocrat or royal-someone that the statue depicted. Beneath each familial description was the estimated date for when the statue was completed. A number on the pedestal of each one showed Hyunjin the chronological order of the artists work, and as he walked them in ascending order, he still carried the feeling of deja vu.
He knew he’d never seen this exhibit before, it had just opened, and yet every single one of the statues sparked a feeling of familiarity. None of the placards held the name of the artist, and as he reached the last date marked statue, he paused at the sight of a larger placard than the others.
The Last Work of the Artist Unknown
This exhibit is a sad testament to the savageness that is the flow of time. Through a hundred years, our curators have found these marvelous works of art that showed the masterful touch of the same artist. A signature style and eye for detail, this collection portrays the beautiful journey of one who’s name has been lost to history.
The final statue before you is the most recent dated work of this talented individual, and it seems also their last work. The peak of their craft is shown in the smooth embellishments and hyper-realistic expression carved into her beautiful face. Unlike the other commissioned pieces, however, this piece has no story. She is as unknown as the artist who carved her, and no matter how we wish to erase the torment from her face, the only solace we can grant her is that even unknown, she and her creator will be remembered.
A deep sadness filled him as he read the inscription, unknown regret and longing in his mind of a time he’d never known.
Stepping back with a shaky breath, Hyunjin finally looked up at the statue before him.
Stunned.
He was utterly and completely stunned.
Hyunjin had seen many paintings, photographs, and sculptures that could astonish even the toughest art critic, but he knew somewhere deeper than his heart, down to his soul he knew that she was the most beautiful work of art he had ever witnessed.
He gaped at her in awe, the delicate craft that shaped her showing in the curves of her figure, the soft look of the marble sheet as it draped across her body filling Hyunjin with a deep longing to pull it from her and feel her warm skin.
That shocked Hyunjin back to reality slightly as he thought, warm skin? Why would I think that about a statue?, looking at her more intensely as his eyes trailed up to her face. He again felt a hint of recognition, like he’d seen her face in a forgotten dream, and he was suddenly floored by sharp grief at the tortured expression she carried.
An image flashed through his head, a woman laying naked in a white bed as moonlight shone across her sleeping form, pain following it as he winced at the sudden ringing in his ear.
Shaking his head again, Hyunjin’s mind was swirling with a dizzying mixture of emotions and a growing headache. Looking up at her cautiously again, he still carried the heavy feeling of grief, but decided he needed to sleep off his impending headache before he tried to think any more.
Casting a longing glance at her one more time, he slowly made his way out of the museum, determined to learn more about her and the exhibit, and unable to fight a dragging feeling as though he were leaving something behind.
Neither of them slept very much that night.
Not that Y/n actually slept, but now she was fully aware, determined to watch for him to return, hope for him to return. At this point she didn’t care how it had happened, simply to have seen him alive was a balm on her broken heart. Her excitement was only sobered by the thought that he would never return to the exhibit again, but she found herself stubbornly ignoring that thought as her field of view stayed alert on the entrance to the exhibit.
Hyunjin didn’t sleep for a very different reason. After he made it back to his apartment, he completely ignored Seungmin and secluded himself in his room to research the exhibit. Hours of staring at his screen gave him little more than the information he could already find while at the museum.
The only new thing he’d learned was the name of the man who curated the final stages of the collection, and who’d sponsored the exhibit at the museum, a wealthy business man named Choi Jongho.
Growing frustrated, he shut his laptop down and rubbed his eyes with a groan, his headache really not helped by all of his screen exposure. Hands still pressed against his eyes, Hyunjin’s mind wandered over the heavy feeling of familiarity he felt throughout the exhibit. Again the memory of the sleeping woman flashes through his mind, his confusion only adding to the growing pressure in his head.
Heaving a sigh, Hyunjin left his room to eat a midnight snack, taking two pain meds to try and sleep through the pulsing behind his eyes. As he settled into his bed finally, his unconsciousness came quickly, his sleep anything but restful.
Hyunjin had never been one that remembered his dreams, though he knew he had them often, but the moment his eyes closed, he was trapped in the most vivid dreams he’d ever experienced.
A beautiful woman running ahead of him in a vast field of flowers, her hand stretched back to him as he reached for her. Catching her and rolling through the grass as her laughter rang through the air.
The cold biting against his cheeks, his arms wrapped around the same woman under a large blanket, the two of them gazing at a sky filled with more stars than could be seen today as she intertwined their hands.
Her gorgeous face again, laughing hysterically at him as she smeared oil on his cheeks, a startled gasp followed by more laughter coming from her as he responded by flinging paint through her hair.
A breathed moan echoed in his head as he saw her spread beneath him in soft pleasure, her hair a messy halo against his pillow as he made love to her.
Hyunjin jolted awake from the last dream, chest heaving and covered in a thin sheen of sweat as he panted. The tightness in his gut said he was embarrassingly affected by the phantom feeling of her under him, taking a few seconds to collect himself before he slipped into his bathroom for a cold shower.
He leaned his head against the tiles as he stood under the spray, remembering each dream for the first time in his life. Why was he having such vivid dreams of a woman he didn’t know? It carried a sense of familiarity with it that he realized was similar to the feeling in the exhibit, shocked at his next realization that he did recognize the woman. The statue, the unknown artist’s final work, depicted the woman that now filled his dreams. Maybe he did know her?
Hyunjin shook his head at his own ridiculousness. How could you know her, pabo, her statue is five hundred years old. He climbed out of his shower, dried off slowly, and returned to his bed as though on auto pilot, his mind still confused and anxious.
He tossed and turned for the rest of the night, only dozing until he heard the sounds of Seungmin shuffling around in the living room. Dragging himself from his bed, he slipped on a hoodie and met Seungmin in the kitchen where he was preparing coffee.
Seungmin chuckled at the sight of a sleep-deprived Hyunjin, pulling down another mug without him having to ask.
“You look like shit. What happened, did you lose a fight with the monster in your closet?”
Hyunjin glared at the back of Seungmin’s head, plopping himself into a kitchen chair with a groan and laying his head on the table.
“Well you always look like shit. And be a little quieter please, my head has been killing me.”
His voice was muffled, but Seungmin got the idea, rolling his eyes as he set Hyunjin’s mug in front of him.
“I know you’re not hungover, so what’s wrong with you? You better not be sick, I can’t afford to stay home from work right now.”
Hyunjin contemplated what to say as he sipped at his coffee. He’d known Seungmin for a long time, their friendship seeing some pretty strange times and making it through, but he still wasn’t even sure about what was going on and he was afraid Seungmin would laugh and say he was insane.
His silence worried Seungmin a little, hearing no snarky comeback was very uncharacteristic of Hyunjin. He moved to stand across from Hyunjin, poking him gently in the forehead to gain his attention.
“Hello? Anyone up there?”
His tone was sarcastic, but Hyunjin could tell he was concerned, so he steeled himself before he quietly said, “I think I might be going crazy?”
Seungmin was silent for a beat, resisting the urge to make a pabo joke as he realized Hyunjin was serious.
“Okay…why do you think you’re going crazy?”
Hyunjin sighed, slightly relieved Seungmin didn’t laugh at him, before he collected his thoughts.
“Well…you know that new sculpture exhibit I told you about? I visited it yesterday.”
Seungmin nodded, remembering the text he received before Hyunjin caught the train. He watched Hyunjin nervously wring his hands, mind jumping to a million different ways this conversation could go.
“I don’t know how to explain it…but I knew every statue on display. And not in the way it would be if you went with me to a well known art exhibit, but in the way like I was…there when all of them were made?”
“You were there?” Seungmin asked, guessing from his tone that he was definitely too young to have actually been present.
“Well, obviously not! Every statue is over five hundred years old, of course I wasn’t there, but I just felt deja vu and I swear I knew their faces…ugh I don’t know Seungmin.”
Hyunjin dropped his head into his hands with a huff, Seungmin patting his head in an awkward attempt to reassure him.
“I started to get a headache in the exhibit…and seeing flashes of memories, I think? One of the statues looked really familiar, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before. The artist has no name, and the last statue has no model dedication, but I just have this feeling of…recognition. I tried to do some research when I came home last night, but I could only find the name of the exhibit’s curator.”
“What’s his name? Maybe we could send him an email or something and see if he’ll meet us so we can ask him some questions.”
Hyunjin looked up, wondering why he didn’t think of that.
“Choi Jongho. He’s a business man from a wealthy family. But why would he answer an email from us? And what would I even ask him? ‘Hey why am I having weird dreams about one of the statues you found?’ Because that wouldn’t get me escorted out for being a crazy person.”
Seungmin ignored his rambling as he scrolled on his phone, finding a business profile on the Choi’s company website that held the public emails of each member of the Choi family. Finding Jongho’s at the bottom of the list, the youngest son of the family, he copied it into a new email and typed out a message asking if he would be willing to answer more in depth questions about his new exhibit.
Not even 5 minutes later, he’d received a response with a time and address for a meet up.
“There.” He cut off Hyunjin’s rambling, turning his phone to show him the message. “Whether he thinks you’re crazy or not, at least you’ll get a chance to talk to him soon.”
And crazy wasn’t exactly the word Jongho would have used to describe the request he’d received from that random email. He’d had many people ask him for interviews and statements about finishing the collection and opening the exhibit, but something in his gut told him that the two men who walked into his gallery now were not here for journalistic reasons.
Hyunjin was speechless as they walked into the Choi family gallery. The family’s personal collection of generations of curated artwork, Hyunjin felt like he could wander around for hours and never grow bored. Turning in a wide circle as he stared around in awe, he bumped into Seungmin as he stopped short, bowing slightly to the suited business man that approached them.
Jongho smiled as he watched Hyunjin’s reaction, guessing that he’d be the one with the most questions. Bowing back to them both, he motioned around him.
“Welcome, gentlemen. It’s refreshing to see at least one fellow art lover walk through our doors for the first time. I am Choi Jongho, the one you emailed about the questions you had regarding the new statue exhibit at the museum. If you’d follow me, I have a smaller room where we can sit and talk.”
Hyunjin and Seungmin both introduced themselves and bowed to him again as they followed him into a cozy study, the walls lined with more collected art, the old bookshelves holding their own impressive collection of rare and antique novels.
Just as Hyunjin went to sit, a portrait next to Jongho’s desk caught his eye. His heart stuttered as he saw the woman from his dreams, the beautiful woman in the statue, her softly smiling image preserved in oil paint on canvas.
Approaching it slowly, any words the other two spoke at him went unheard. As he stood before the portrait, it was as though his entire world view came into focus. Instantly transferred through time, he saw his hand raised to the canvas, the painting incomplete but with the brush secure between his fingers, his muse posed beyond the edge of the easel, her loving smile blooming warmth in his soul.
Hyunjin was brought back to the present by Seungmin grabbing his shoulder. He looked at him dazed, worry lacing Seungmin’s face as he saw that Hyunjin was crying.
“What happened? Why are you crying suddenly?”
Hyunjin shook his head, unable to form any words that would be a decent explanation for what he saw and felt.
Jongho watched the entire scene curiously, more intrigued than ever with the tall man’s connection to the exhibit.
“Do you recognize that portrait?”
Hyunjin turned at Jongho’s question, uncertain if he should tell them his suspicions. Jongho approached his other side, all three of them now standing before her portrait.
“When I received your message, I had hoped that I may learn something as well from your curiosity. There are many who are interested in the notoriety of someone in my family curating and donating such a large project to a public museum, but I see now that neither of you are even slightly interested in topics of that matter. If I had to guess…I would say your questions stem from you recognizing the last and unknown statue in the exhibit, considering your recognition of a portrait of the same woman.”
Seungmin was stunned with Jongho’s quick analysis of the situation, something telling him this man knew more than he let on. Hyunjin was still quiet, gazing at the portrait before he spoke lowly.
“I don’t know if I’m crazy or not, but I’ve been having dreams and flashes of memories that feel as though they’re mine even if I’ve never lived them. It started when I entered the exhibit, I had such a strong feeling of deja vu, like I’d watched each statue be carved over hundreds of hours. The final statue…this portrait…I know her face. I can see her in so many different scenarios, so many memories that aren’t mine but that I can still feel in my heart.”
Hyunjin’s gaze was distant, Jongho smiling sadly as he put the pieces together.
“There are secrets that the rich keep only for themselves.” Jongho gained their attention with his soft words. “One such secret is hardly to be believed, but the evidence I’ve found has forced my belief. Years ago, one of my ancestors was a cruel man that made the base of my families great fortune through fear mongering and bloody violence. I found a record of him when I was a child, but my intrigue also led me to the discovery of my ancestors use of cruel and arcane arts to achieve his goals.”
Seungmin and Hyunjin listened with rapt attention now, something telling them that Jongho knew what was wrong with Hyunjin.
“You’re not crazy, at least not to me.” Jongho smiled dryly, “That was were my search for the unknown artist started, a page in the records showing a list of wealthy families from the time that had all been visited by my ancestor. Once I had the connection, I found the pieces of the puzzle through the statues that were completed. My family has always collected art, and fortunately they had already collected a few of the statues without realizing that they were done by the same artist. It took me until this last year to find her statue, however. It seems my ancestor is the reason that she is unnamed, and after finding the final statue, I felt obligated to ease the tortured expression on her face and atone for my ancestors cruelty.”
Jongho gazed at her portrait sadly then. “My ancestor held a record of a curse-user that worked for him, his signature way of eliminating his targets being something cruelly ironic to their way of life. My theory…is the curse-user is somehow responsible for the artists disappearance from history, the cruel irony being their art works surviving without knowing the talent behind their creation.”
As interested as he’d been in Jongho’s altruistic motives in creating the exhibit, something dark scratched at the edges of Hyunjin’s memory with the mention of the curse-user. He had another brief flash of the past, a dark figure crouched before him, the glint of a silver knife covered in blood, a naked woman sleeping peacefully in the moonlight.
With growing certainty, Hyunjin looked back at her portrait.
In the heavy silence, he let his embarrassment fall away, turning to the other two with a hesitant look on his face.
“Do you…believe in past lives?”
Seungmin almost laughed in his face, but the serious look on Hyunjin, and Jongho’s, faces made him seriously consider. Past lives? Is that what was causing Hyunjin’s headache and weird dreams? He was remembering his past life?
Jongho folded his arms as he thought, asking “Your name is Hyunjin, correct?”
When Hyunjin nodded, he reached out and flipped the woman’s portrait around, revealing a letter on the back, the ink showing the age.
You deserve so much more than paint on canvas. The stars, the very heavens above would not be enough to portray my love for you, but to have your beauty frozen in time for me to cherish will be enough for me. May you have the happiest of birthdays, my muse.
Anywhere in forever, mi amor, your Jin.
Hyunjin felt more tears run uncontrollably down his face as he read the message. A letter that, without a doubt, he’d penned to the beautiful woman in the painting.
“I…painted this. I know I did…I remember.”
His whisper was hoarse, his fingers tracing the delicate shapes of the letters before he flipped the painting back around to her face. Jongho nodded, “There is a collection of paintings in the museum, all of them done at the same times that correspond with the statues of those wealthy families. Each one done by the same artist, in the style of this portrait as well, and all carry the signature of a man named Jin.”
Suddenly, Hyunjin remembered.
The house they shared, her study filled with half finished marble and carving tools, his easels and paint supplies surrounding him, her smile as she watched him paint.
The night he’d died…
‘Not easy to fight back as you bleed to death, is it boy? Don’t worry, I’m not here to kill your girl, no…she’s going to live for a long, long time. Maybe then she’ll learn not to disrespect those who are above her.’
The hissed word of the curse-user as he watched Hyunjin bleed out rang through his head like he’d heard it just moments ago. ‘…she’s going to live for a long, long time’? What did he mean by that?
Like lightning struck him twice, he realized what ‘cruel irony’ the curse-user had trapped her in. To some it would sound outlandish, but Hyunjin was suddenly deadly certain that he did know the unknown artist’s final statue. He knew her better than himself, she was the unknown artist, she was alive…and he loved her.
Turning to Jongho desperately, he held his shoulders tightly, his eyes reminiscent of a mad man’s.
“Can you take me to the exhibit? Please? I can’t explain it but I do know her, I know the unknown artist. Actually never mind…it’ll be faster if I just run.”
He turned to run from the room, fully prepared to sprint to her if he had to, but Jongho grabbed his collar, Seungmin pulling him back as well.
“Woah, woah, just slow down. I’ll take you there, I don’t know what’s going on but you’re not running all the way across town to the museum. Besides the exhibit would be closed by then, so I’ll let you in.”
Hyunjin was practically shaking with adrenaline, Seungmin holding him tightly to stop him from bolting as Jongho led them outside to a fancy black car.
Hold on, mi amor, I’m coming.
To say Y/n was surprised would be an understatement. Gazing out over the exhibit had slowly grown tiring, each dark haired man that entered her sight making her heart jump before being disappointed that it wasn’t Hyunjin. She’d given up for the day, seeing as her exhibit just closed, when rapid footsteps alerted her to the three men approaching.
Like the first time, her heart stuttered at the sight of him. He looked more beautiful than she even remembered, a warmth filling her that she’d been unable to feel for so long. She didn’t even pay attention to the other two that accompanied him as they approached her pedestal, frustrated when they drew close enough that they were below her eye line.
Hyunjin gazed up at her again in awe, grief and regret swirling through him as the feeling of familiarity made sense this time. Seungmin was also admiring her, still not entirely sure what was happening, both of them unable to get any clear explanation from Hyunjin while Jongho drove them there.
Jongho, however, had guessed more of the meaning behind Hyunjin’s words than Seungmin, looking up at her with a generation’s worth of guilt written across his face. The thought that she had been alive this entire time and he’d been so close to the truth ate at Jongho, but he shook his head as he resolved that he would fix his families mistake and hope that she forgave him.
“Hyunjin, don’t climb on the pedestal…come with me and we can get a ladder.”
Hyunjin stopped midway through analyzing if he would be able to climb up to her height, sheepishly turning to follow Jongho, the two of them swiftly returning with the ladder. Seungmin unhooked the velvet ropes in front of her and helped Jongho hold the ladder steady as Hyunjin climbed until he was face to face with her for the first time in five hundred years.
For them, time stopped.
Hyunjin finally saw her the way he’d dreamed. Up close, every moment of their life together swept through him like a warm breeze. His hand trembled as he slowly reached out, cupping her cheek as though she were made of glass, not marble.
Y/n felt the weight of her curse more than she ever had before. All she wanted was to throw herself into his arms, feel him alive against her once again. The familiarity in his eyes told her he knew who she was, he remembered her.
She’d never known if there was a way to end her curse, some sliver of hope that she would ever escape her terrible fate. But as he held her face so tenderly, she knew he was the only one who ever had the chance to free her.
His warmth seeped into her skin, her heartbeat thumping in her stone chest as the fated tide of their combined love became too strong to be contained by mere marble. Hyunjin threw any doubt he had to the wind, leaning forward to press his lips against the stone of hers as he whispered,
“I’m so sorry, mi amor, I’ve kept you waiting for so long.”
The dam in Y/n burst when he kissed her, the tinkling of a single glass tear causing Jongho and Seungmin to look up. Both were confused to see Hyunjin kissing a statue, but it quickly turned to astonishment as they watched the statue disappear.
Every tear she’d wished to shed over so many years finally poured from her eyes as they fluttered shut. Her lips softened against Hyunjin’s, her arms reaching out for him as he stepped onto the pedestal for support when her legs lost strength. Their arms circled each other tightly, their kiss breaking as she gasped before sobbing into Hyunjin’s chest. Tears of relief ran down Hyunjin’s face, his voice broken as he whispered into her hair.
“But I found you, Y/n, I’m here.”
Being a cursed statue one moment and human the next can be a very shocking experience for everyone involved, it seems.
Y/n hadn’t felt so many emotions and sensations in a long time, and the shock on her body had her slipping unconscious after crying so hard. They’d managed to get her and Hyunjin off the pedestal and down the ladder without getting hurt, Hyunjin still holding her in his arms where he now sat against the pedestal’s base. He brushed his fingers gently over her face, still amazed that she’d known him in the past, amazed that she’d been cursed and alive this whole time.
The tense silence was broken as Seungmin cleared his throat.
“Umm…as strange as this all is, we probably shouldn’t be found in the museum with her considering she was a statue until a minute ago.”
Jongho nodded, “Hyunjin, are you alright to carry her?”
Hyunjin shuffled her around in his arms as he nodded, picking her up bridal style and carrying her as though she were still a priceless work of art.
The car ride was equally as tense, Jongho finally speaking lowly. “If I had known she was alive…”
Hyunjin just shook his head, his eyes still not leaving her. “There’s nothing you could have done, Jongho. You did everything possible by putting together the exhibit of her work, making sure that she was remembered despite your ancestor trying to erase her. And because you did that, I remembered her. I remembered her and now she’s free.”
Hyunjin looked up at him in the mirror then, his gratitude shining in the tears along his lashes.
“Thank you…”
Jongho smiled, turning back to the road and feeling the guilt begin to slip away at Hyunjin’s words. He drove them to their apartment with Seungmin’s guidance, handing him a business card with his personal phone number on it.
“I would be very interested to speak with her…if she wishes to whenever she’s adjusted.”
Seungmin nodded and waved Jongho off as Hyunjin was already in the building. Once in their apartment he went directly to his room, laying her gently on his bed.
Sitting back, Hyunjin was hit with the gravity of the situation. What happened now? What was he supposed to say to her? What if she wanted to leave and never see him again?
Before he could spiral much further, Seungmin put a hand on his shoulder, the gentle pressure doing wonders to ground Hyunjin. He took a deep breath, “I’m sorry Seungmin…I don’t even know what else to say. This whole thing is a huge confusing mess.”
Seungmin shook his head as he said lowly, “Let’s just get some food ready, and you can change her out of her five hundred year old sheet…then we’ll take it one step at a time after she wakes up. It’ll be okay…just keep reminding yourself that you saved her.”
Hyunjin nodded, following Seungmin out of his room. His nervousness grew as they busied themselves with preparing everything, anxious to know what would happen when she finally woke.
Two days passed before Y/n finally opened her eyes. Hundreds of years had she been deprived of a restful sleep, the weight of her body unfamiliar as she sank into the comfort of her half-awake state. Her awareness was slower to catch up, the realization that she was laying down causing her to jolt upright quickly.
She pressed a hand to her head as the sudden movement made her dizzy, the strange room slowly coming into focus as she looked around. She sat in a soft bed, her body covered with a large shirt instead of her bedsheet. A warm light came from the lamp that rested on the desk in the corner, the top of it covered in scattered art supplies and open sketchbooks. The walls held sketches and paintings that were partially finished or beautifully completed. The style took her breath away, the delicate strokes shown in each vibrant color, a perfect reflection of his past life and one she would recognize anywhere.
Hyunjin…is it really him?
She remembered the kiss, feeling his warm lips for the first time in years. If it broke the curse, it had to be him…right?
Shuffling to the edge of the bed Y/n attempted to stand and leave the room, but the moment her legs were under her, they crumbled as they were unused to holding her on their own. Landing with a thump, she groaned as her knee reminded her of the feeling of pain before looking up when the light from the hall illuminated her form as the door swung open.
Hyunjin heard the thump from his place on the couch, the last two days fraying his nerves as he checked on her constantly and listened for any sign of movement. Grabbing a glass of water and immediately running towards his room, he paused at the sight of her awake and on the floor next to his bed.
They held each others eye for a frozen moment, tears brimming along her lashes as she took in the sight of him again. Not with her as a statue, not with him bleeding out, but finally face to face, and she couldn’t stop the tears that slipped as she whispered at him.
“…are you?…Hyunjin?…are you really my Jin?”
Hyunjin’s breath caught as he set the glass on the floor, kneeling in front of her with his hands out as though he wished to caress her face, but he hesitated.
“I don’t know…”, he whispered back. “I am Hyunjin, and I remember, I do…Y/n…but I don’t know if I am who I was then. But I swear, I will do anything I can to help you now.”
Tears laced his eyes as she listened, the forgotten feeling of her heart pounding in her chest enough proof to her that her lost love kneeled before her. She reached for him then with a watery smile, his arms automatically accepting her as he picked her up off the floor and set her gently on his bed again.
“You don’t have to do anything for me. You set me free, a debt I can never repay you for. There’s nothing to prove.”
Her voice was still soft, hoarse from no use for a very long time. Hyunjin felt like he was home with the sound of it, quickly grabbed the water and holding it for her as she sipped it gratefully.
“I want to help you, though. I meant it when I said I remember…mi amor…and I would feel like a complete ass if I just abandoned you in a time you knew nothing about.”
Y/n looked up at him as he whispered her beloved nickname, the recognition in his eyes the same that she saw in him at the museum. She chuckled as his declaration, her heart brimming with warmth at the idea that he would stay with her.
“Then you are still like you were in the past…loving, selfless, dramatic…”
Hyunjin couldn’t help but grin at her playfully when she teased him, falling into a pattern of conversation and jest that felt as natural as breathing.
“I’m afraid I was born with the drama, so I guess it transcends time.” His face grew serious then, his hand coming up to brush her hair behind her ear. “But…I left you alone…suffering for over five hundred years. That’s not selfless. It’s only right that I take care of you now, I have a lot to make up for.”
Her eyes closed as the warmth of his hand again seeped into her cheek, igniting her desire for him. Y/n blushed at the sudden feeling, looking away from him sheepishly as the tension between them thickened.
Hyunjin stopped her with the hand on her cheek, sliding his fingers under her chin to tilt her head back up. He shouldn’t feel such a powerful urge to kiss her, technically they barely knew each other, but that didn’t stop him from leaning towards her, his eyes trained on her lips.
Y/n held her breath, conflicted over the same fact of them not really knowing the other, but the less rational side of her, the side that yearned for him for five hundred years, screamed at her to let him make her feel again.
“Tell me if you don’t want that. Whatever you want, I’ll do anything to make it happen, even if it’s not me.”
“No!…no it’s you.” She leaned up to meet him half way, her voice still soft but growing desperate. “I can see in your eyes that you remember, I trust you Jin and I know I’m safe now. Whatever happens, I just hope you’ll let me stay.”
Hyunjin smiled brightly, her heart flipping when she saw he still had his dimples, his other hand coming up to cup her face as he pulled her into a tender kiss that healed every crack that time had wrought in her soul.
Her hands gripped the front of his shirt tightly, unbidden tears running down her cheeks again at the overwhelming amount of good feelings that came with the knowledge that she was free, this was real, she’d found her love once again.
He brushed his thumbs under her eyes to dry her tears as he pulled away, whispering, “Please stay.”, before pulling her back into a more passionate kiss. Y/n whimpered against his lips, trying to pull him closer but only succeeding in pulling him off balance, Hyunjin letting out a muffled squeal as he fell forward.
Barely catching himself from squishing her, he pushed himself up only to be frozen at the sight of her beneath him. As if she’d jumped from the past itself, or from his very dreams, she was flushed from his kiss and gazing at him with desperate eyes. The difference now was she was real, and an added bonus for Hyunjin was she was naked in only one of his shirts.
Throwing rationality to the wind, Y/n gave in to her need to feel Hyunjin after so long apart, the problems of the future fading into the background as they both reveled in finding their other half. Reaching up to smooth her hands through his hair and scratch her nails along the back of his neck, she was thrilled to see it still drew goosebumps from him, his arms trembling as he fought the urge to settle on her fully. Her whispered words were as desperate as her eyes,
“I’ve been trapped in darkness for so long, the last memory of your eyes haunting me with a lifeless stare. You say you remember me, but please Hyunjin, help me know you.”
Hyunjin shuddered a breath as she drew him into a kiss again, his weight settling onto her as her legs slotted around his hips. Like two pieces of a puzzle, they fit as though carved from a single being, the growing heat in their kiss threatening to meld them together for eternity.
He slipped his tongue into her mouth when she gasped at the feeling of his hands sliding over her bare skin.
“I don’t remember my dreams usually,” his voice was hoarse now, thick with need as her own hands began to explore, “but I will forever remember dreaming of you like this.”
Y/n couldn’t help smiling giddily at him, feeling like she was in a dream herself, one that she decided she’d never want to wake from.
“Show me.” She pecked his lips once, twice, “Show me that you remember, what you dreamt of. Please, my Jin.”
Hyunjin groaned, dropping his head into the crook of her shoulder, letting his instincts take over and immediately finding her weak spot behind her jaw, her arms holding around his neck as she gripped the back of his shirt.
“Don’t worry, mi amor, I’ll show you.”
He steadily restarted his hands journey underneath her shirt, sliding it up with his fingers as they pressed familiar paths into her skin. She arched her back and lifted her arms as he removed it completely, leaning back onto his knees to admire her, reminiscent of how he’d gazed at her in the museum. Seeing her naked before him, it was as though no time had passed. Every one of her curves was made for his hands, Y/n shivering as his warm palms smoothed over her thighs and his long fingers traced her figure, reacquainting himself with her beauty.
“…you were a pretty statue, mi amor…but to see you like this now, I can guarantee no work of art would ever be able to replicate the masterpiece that you are in the flesh.”
Her heart hammered at his words, a pretty blush dusting her face as she hid behind her hands. Damn him, five hundreds years and he still has a silver tongue.
Hyunjin chuckled at her shyness, stripping himself equally naked before leaning up to gently pull her hands from her face. Settling on her again, he kissed the tip of her nose.
“Also good to see you’re still as shy as you are beautiful.”
Y/n whined at him, cheeks warmed by the sound of his laughter again. Pulling her into a soft kiss to distract her, he slid one hand to her chest, fondling her breast as he parted from her lips, beginning to trail his across her jaw and down her neck farther. He took his sweet time, truly showing her that he remembered everything about her body.
By the time Hyunjin had kissed and love-bit his way down to settle between her legs, Y/n was panting and running her hands over every part of him she could reach. From his position, he admired the subtle marks across her soft skin that showed his path, his eyes finally settling on her core, a shiver running through him now from excitement that only came from familiarity.
Within seconds of his eager mouth connecting with her clit, Y/n was convinced. He definitely remembered parts of their past, nothing else could explain the way he had her rocketing towards her high without any buildup. He knew exactly what to do and where to lick to drive her over the edge. A lack of any physical sensations in hundreds of years had Y/n entirely shaken as her orgasm hit her like a brick. She unintentionally clamped her legs around Hyunjin’s head, a groan of appreciation leaving him as he gripped her hips, willing to drown in her essence as she trembled against his face.
Hyunjin rubbed her thighs soothingly as she relaxed her legs, no longer suffocating him, but now entirely breathless herself. Wiping his mouth on the sheet, he climbed back over her, kissing her softly when she pursed her lips at him.
“My consensus…you absolutely have some of your memories.”
Hyunjin laughed at her dazed words, the bubbling in his chest making him feel like he could fly. They kissed again, deepening it more slowly this time, her hands trailing down his body now, hoping to learn if he felt the same beneath her fingers.
He gasped into her mouth this time as she wrapped her hand loosely around his hard cock, slipping it against her entrance before lining him up herself.
Hyunjin pulled back, something in him needing to see her as he bottomed out. Y/n’s eyes fluttered at the feeling of him stretching her again, a string of fate solidifying as their hips joined.
They lay still for a moment, basking in the knowledge that they were completed, finally whole again after the retched events that fate had planned for them.
Wrapping his arms around her securely, Hyunjin began moving slowly, letting her adjust but also savoring the feeling of her clenching around him. She looped her arms around his shoulders again, their foreheads resting against each other as his pace increased, her breathy gasps brushed across his lips.
Y/n felt tears brimming in her eyes again, the pleasure she’d only ever felt with Hyunjin overwhelming her. Her fingers dug into his skin, his lips meeting hers desperately as they fell into each other’s love. The sting of her nails pushed Hyunjin closer, feeling proof that she was alive, she was holding him so tightly as though she wished their bodies were one and the same.
The desperation in her hold and her kiss had Hyunjin angling his hips, increasing her pleasure, and his own, and wordlessly promising her that this was real. He pushed every promise into her kiss, the glide of his tongue along hers a testament to his loyalty to her, the precise movement of his hips repeatedly hitting her sweet spot acting as his vow to never leave her again.
Breaking the kiss for air, Y/n breathed a moan against his lips as she felt herself approaching her high again.
“Hyunjin~…my Jin, please I’m so close.”
“Let go, my muse, let me feel you give in to the pleasure I deprived you of for too long. I’m not going anywhere, I’ll be here for you again and again.”
Punctuating his words with deeper thrusts, Hyunjin slid his hand between their bodies, rubbing her clit perfectly as her back arched with a gasp. Her nails left small indents in his shoulders as her mind went white, a moaned sob leaving her as the most intense orgasm washed over her.
Hyunjin gasped as well, almost whining at the feeling of her clenching so tightly around him. Holding her against his chest, he buried his face into her neck as he followed her into his high, pressing himself as deep as he could go and again wishing they could meld into one.
The calm after their mutual storm was like a field bathed in sunlight after the rain. Y/n was more than content, her body melting from the aftershocks of her pleasure, the warmth of Hyunjin on top of her, and inside her, bringing her a deep sense of peace. As he lifted his head, she brushed her fingers through his hair with a soft smile, one that he mirrored as he took her hand, kissing her palm before he brushed the hair out of her face.
“My Jin…”, she whispered, “I’m so happy you found me.”
Accepting his fate happily, Hyunjin pressed a loving and lingering kiss against her smile, one that traveled through time to the happy life of a sculptor and her painter.
“I told you, mi amor, I love you…anywhere in forever, I will find you again.”
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