EVOL — 58: PUZZLE PIECE

→club pres!renjun x publicity officer!reader

genre: fluff, slow burn, romance, slice of life, coming of age, college au

synopsis: you’ve made it clear that it was important he heard what you truly felt towards him, now it’s your turn to hear how important it is to him that you knew how he feels towards you.

wc: 3.6k+

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an: we’ve reached the end </3 dw, some extra parts will be up

“Beomgyu, where the fuck are they?!” Renjun was past scared at this point. You never missed any of Makeout Creek’s performances yet you still weren’t at the venue when the entire show was almost over.

Not only would your spot be complete shit and make his proposal rather difficult but the off chance that you’d just miss the proposal overall was eating him alive.

“I don’t know! I don’t know, neither she nor Mark are answering their phones. All I knew before coming here was that her parents were angry so they’re probably holding her back.” Beomgyu was just as anxious, biting at his nails while trying not to be weak for your future boyfriend.

Renjun mimicked Beomgyu’s actions and bit at his nails, his eyes showing obvious fright while looking around the venue. In only minutes or at least after two more performers, Renjun and the rest of his friends would go up on stage but with you not even in the picture, it was eating him alive.

As in for you, now all you could do was anxiously lay in bed until your parents called you down. Your brother trying to comfort you by showing you his collection of vending machine stickers. “Do you want me to go spy and listen to what they’re saying to him?” He slowly spoke, still woozy from the anesthetics.

He felt slightly guilty; earlier he had gotten his wisdom teeth taken out and his bratty behavior had taken a toll on their parents. The older pair weren’t used to either of their children throwing tantrums from the lack of spending time with them so having their day ruined by one of them not being able to calm down, made them take it out on you.

Despite you taking care of him the entire break and dealing with the tantrums he throws with you to avoid your parents knowing how he is, you could only take solace on the one day of the week you were allowed to go out. Even the entire day when he didn’t want your parents in the same room or the food they gave him, you came to the rescue, knowing well what he liked and would consume.

It wasn’t enough for them though and when they saw you act peaceful compared to their state while getting ready for tonight’s event they laid it out to you that you wouldn’t be going out at all.

Even when you tried to explain that they had already said yes, that you never missed a performance, and Renjun was finally back in town so you wanted to see him— they still wouldn’t let you go.

That’s when they also noticed you throwing a fit. Your constant placement of your hand over your chest, your nails sinking onto your skin, and you cutting yourself off to not say something vile to your parents. There they agreed that they truly didn’t know their children well.

“No, it’s fine. I’m sure Mark can sweet talk them.”

“He’s funny, I wish they would let him come around more often.”

You could only shrug with a sly smile on your lips. It was shameful that your parents never allowed any of the guys to stay for longer than half an hour and if they did, they had to be there. Kenia was the only lucky one to even know how your room looked besides FaceTime calls and pictures.

With a soft knock to your door, he opens it to find Mark making his way inside. “Okay, let’s go.” Motioning with his head, leaving your brother confused as to how he made it that far. “Really?!” Your excitement not noticing your brother’s concerns.

“Yeah, we better hurry before they process that they allowed me to come up to your room.” He smiled, ruffling your brother’s hair. “You’re right, oh my god— You want anything if we stop anywhere?” You asked your brother, gathering your sweater and purse, trying your best to hurry and not miss at least your friends.

He only nodded, gathering his own stuff and going to his room. Once gone, you turned to Mark, surprised that he could make your parent’s mind change. “Dude, what did you say to them?” Through smiles, you made your way down the stairs with him following behind, helping you put on your sweater.

“Don’t worry about it, I always find a way— You should get a jacket too, it’s actually really cold out there.” Agreeing you just grabbed the first jacket on the couch.

Though you didn’t ask questions and let it all be, your parent’s looked from their room window. They didn’t mean to ruin your day so knowing how much it meant for you to keep your streak in the words of Mark along with Renjun’s plan— they changed their minds and allowed you to go.

It was nice to know their daughter was in good hands, how caring your friends were, and the lengths Renjun was going to to profess his love for you. So with just Mark’s sweet words they did it, lifting up whatever restrictions they had.

Mark giving you his jacket after realizing you had taken your brother’s only cementing how you did have people who cared for you.

“Here,” you gave him the jacket in the back seat just so he wouldn’t freeze over either. He took it with a simple thank you, driving off the driveway and to your destination.

Through shaky-shivering voices the both of you conversed, him hearing you complain about your day while he talked about how mild his was.

Nearly to the venue, Mark took a left, parking just right outside a convenience store motioning with his head to follow him.

Though you two were already late and you were scared of missing Chenle and Jisung, you just followed suit not questioning why he decided to stop. Probably because he wanted to get something for your brother.

“I got offered a job by one of my clients.” He smiled your way, his hand reaching for the hotteok packages that read ‘2 for 1’. You smiled at him figuring this was a celebratory snack.

You were ecstatic to say the least, any time he came to you with these news he was always so excited to explain what he was to do. The giddiness in his voice making your chest full with pride.

“Yeah, it’s like long term though. Something about having my own cubicle and all but I don’t know.” He softly smiled, grabbing cups of ice from the cooler, one for you and one for him.

Humming in response you looked through the tea pouches, wondering where it was all leading. “Because you prefer like your own space? Why don’t you bargain with them?” Showing him a pouch to ask if he was interested he just nodded, grabbing two.

“Like how? Ask her if I can get my own office?” He chuckled at the idea, walking to the register and putting the items down along with the ones in your hands.

You nodded in response, taking a hold of the items once they were scanned. “I mean yeah. If they want you that bad why wouldn’t they?” You continued, following behind as he put his card away and walked towards the car.

When he unlocked it, neither of you hesitated to hop in. Even with cups full of ice and on your way to drink the tea, you were still going to complain about being cold.

“I don’t know, I feel like I’ll push my luck. They’re already going to do so much just to get me there if I agree.” Pouring the tea into the cup, Mark’s phone lit up signaling it was charged enough to finally turn on.

Chewing the hotteok before continuing, your eyebrows knitted a bit confused, the neon lights of the store highlighting your features.

Maybe it was because you always tried to get the most out of a situation and never tried to feel bad that you didn’t understand but that was just you.

“I guess it feels silly? Like thinking of all the expenses of just getting me an office in their building or letting me work from home it’ll be kind of pointless cause in that case I might as well stay where I am.”

Confused at his last sentence, time didn’t let you question furthermore. His phone finally rang once again with the angry ringtone designated for Beomgyu.

Checking the time, Mark muttered a soft ‘shit’ before pulling out of the parking space and pressing a button on his steering wheel to answer.

“You’re on speaker.” Mark put in quickly to which Beomgyu’s angry questioning was cut off. “yn in the car?” The one in the other line asked, you responded with a ‘hi’.

“Okay well Chenle and Jisung already started, they’re about to do their second song and they’re only doing three, so hurry up!” His desperation was growing towards the end, Mark speeding to get there.

The venue wasn’t that far from the convenience store but there were multiple traffic lights that you’d have to get through and right now you were four away.

“Is Renjun there?” You cut in, your obvious main goal to be with your lover. “I don’t know, I haven’t seen him. I’m backstage, Chenle told me to stay for when you guys get here so you can get a better spot.” Mark didn’t react but he surely thought it was funny how Beomgyu’s voice got slightly high when he lied.

Disappointment settled within you. You truly did want to go for Chenji but you also missed Renjun so much and this was your only reassurance of seeing him after almost a month.

“Oh my god they’re starting the second song. Can you guys just call me whenever you’re outside so I can let you in? I feel like I’m about to shit myself.” Beomgyu confessed, making the both of you and those around him laugh.

Mark reassured that he was two traffic lights away and that he should calm down, that he was probably more nervous than ‘them’.

Beomgyu’s last scream of frustration was the cause of the phone call to end making both you and Mark laugh. “He’s more worried about my streak than I am.” You joked, struggling to grab the cup without freezing your hands immediately.

“We just want the best for you.” He didn’t turn to look at you but he smiled, the fluorescent lights of the city flashing by his complexion.

He was more quiet than usual which only led you back to the conversation you were having before Beomgyu interrupted.

There was no way to pinpoint anything though. After the happenings at the start of winter break, it had taken a toll on his demeanor so you truly didn’t want to push it.

He had told you how he felt and what he had done and though he was confident and aware that he had let it all go, you still wanted to know if he was truly okay.

You dropped the thought though. If he is sure he was okay then you should trust what he feels about himself.

“Fuck it’s full.” He complained once arriving to the venue. All the parking spots were full and he could only guess he’d have to drive down a bit more to find an open area.

He felt anxious now, not for you but because he didn’t want to miss a second of the performance either. As for you, he planned on dropping you off just right outside, calling Beomgyu and letting him know you were out the back door while he sped to find a spot.

“She’s out there? Okay— okay, shit, um… Park where the performers are parked and come get the permit real quick, I’ll take yn to where Keni and Hak are at and then I’ll come back for you. Guys hide, I’m about to let yn in!”

The last bit was directed towards DNYL, Beomgyu had taken control all night and right now he had his phone stuck between his cheek and shoulder while filling out some paperwork to get a permit for Mark.

Maybe things like these are why the sponsor had made him Chenle’s assistant.

Jaemin, Donghyuck, and Renjun had heard Beomgyu clearly when he told them all to hide, scrambling to hide behind panels and other performers.

As in for Jeno, he wasn’t fast enough, not when he had hardly heard Beomgyu and was on a quest to finish a level in one of his games.

So when Beomgyu had opened the door to let you in, it was too late for him to scram. His eyes widened in horror knowing Beomgyu would scold him now that you had spotted him.

“What are you doing here? I thought it was only for performers.” You teased, greeting the boy. “Special privileges, friends and family passes.” He lied, tucking his phone in his back pocket.

You feigned being hurt, “Wait does that mean I could’ve come back here every time? That’s not fair. I could’ve had more time whenever Jaehyun performed.”

That being your first concern was making Renjun bite at his knuckles from behind a panel where he crouched down. His pained expression making Jaemin and Hyuck struggle to not laugh out loud.

“Yeah, good luck. Last time you couldn’t even move and he was standing right next to you.” You rolled your eyes fighting the urge to childishly stick your tongue out at him.

Thankfully Beomgyu broke the conversation, pushing at your shoulders and out the curtains not even letting you say bye to Jeno, claiming he still had to get Mark in.

Upon passing to the general area and noticing none of the guys were there, you grew a bit worried considering Jeno was the only one back there.

“Hey! I was worried you weren’t going to come!” Kenia greeted you, taking you into an embrace before repeating those actions with Haknyeon.

Chenle and Jisung had already finished their song but they were talking everyone’s ear off seemingly making time for whatever they would do for their last song.

You felt guilty for missing the entire show but right now all you cared for was the fact that none of their friends were there, Mark was still out the venue, and that despite looking all around— there were no signs of Renjun and it was simply making your mood die down.

“Have any of you seen Renjun or the guys?” Your sulkiness was becoming more evident and it was making Beomgyu slowly worry before rushing back to let Mark in.

Kenia and Haknyeon had no say in what was planned. They weren’t aware of anything so they felt most compassionate, rubbing at your shoulder for moral support in whatever you felt when they said no.

Jisung had spotted you looking around, struggling to suppress his own pout. Just as he softly slapped Chenle’s thigh to look your way, Beomgyu and Mark rushed to where the three of you stood. The two men softly panting from rushing and getting the guys prepared.

With a thumbs up towards the boys on stage, Beomgyu braced himself. Getting the clue, Chenle turned back to the crowd, a wide smile on his face.

“Finally our last song. This is actually a special act— quite a sweet romantic act I’ll say. Now don’t laugh, this will be something new for us but I think I’ll let the coordinator speak about it.” The echoing of the mic drowned when he smiled again, moving from his spot to which the curtains opened slightly, revealing his other four friends.

All you mustered was confusion but still relieved Renjun was actually here. Your obvious happiness showed through the wide smile and low squeal that rested on your lips when he smiled your way.

Attaining his position behind the mic, Renjun cleared his throat. “I’m not quite the performer but this means a lot to me and I’m glad everyone involved— guys, Mark, Beomgyu, even those abroad—“ Referencing Yangyang, Renjun turned to you with a smile.

“Thank you for helping me in expressing what I want to say in a more poetic way. yn— this is for you.” An adorable wink your way once again, not helping you stop from squealing in surprise and excitement.

Furthermore as the lights settled and you turned to Kenia, the both of you squealed out of happiness for you, the guys laughing, finding it cute.

The melody was soft, the guitar emitting a peaceful sound that Jisung produced as Hyuck began, his voice catching you off guard for how harmonious it was when most of his singing outside of this were playful broken notes for comedic relief.

It was a sweet feeling within you, the words the boys spewed made your heart swell, pushing you to feel overwhelmed in a good way.

It wasn’t until Jaemin came on and his words followed by Chenle made your smile turn into a delighted pout, the overwhelming feeling pushing its luck. You were in bliss.

“You’re my missing puzzle piece, finally put together. Broken into pieces filled up even my heart’s wounds.” Placing his hand on Chenle’s shoulder and leaning their heads closer, Jisung continued.

“You have come to become my everything, my missing puzzle piece.”

They both placed their arms around their shoulder, their soft voices speaking about how the insecurities of being flawed plagued them but you being there helped ease them, helping them fill that void as they could fill yours (of course Renjun being the one with the sentiment).

Behind you the sniffling, making both you and Keni turn to spot Beomgyu and Haknyeon holding back tears or wiping them.

Once they heard yours and Kenia’s laughter they feigned the stuffiness causing congestion, Mark laughing at them as well before making you turn around to enjoy a performance special for just you.

With Jaemin reassuring you that Renjun always carried a piece of you (Referencing either the necklaces or film strips from your film photography days), you clutched at your own bracelet, a way to let yourself know you also carried a piece of him.

Yet with Renjun’s soft voice, your heart only seemed to ache furthermore. It wasn’t in a bad way but rather you have become overwhelmed now and to know someone liked you this much was doing it for you.

His arm hooked around Jisung’s waist, the rest of the guys surrounding the youngest as he sang: “you became a scenery in my world which I used to piece together alone.”

The lot turned to you as it seemed to come to an end and Jeno joined in connecting with Renjun; their words pleading you to not ever be apart from each other as you were his missing puzzle piece.

All that was left was Jisung continuing on strumming a few more strings, the guys smiling at each other feeling proud of themselves and hopeful for your response to Renjun.

When those on stage quiet down and Jisung placed his hand on the strings to signal he was done, the crowd cheered and applauded, thankful for yet another performance.

The lights had been turned off but to give their bows thankful for the cheers, the guys smiled at the crowd.

Renjun’s cheeks turned bright red when he spotted his siblings sitting at the bar and howling for him and his friends.

“Thank you for another night,” Chenle panted in between shy laughs, pushing hair off his face. “Would you want him to ask now or in private?”

Dismissing the crowd to turn to you, it was your turn to feel slightly embarrassed but your wide smile answering for you, barely able to say ‘now’.

The boys on the stage cheered when they knew your answer, patting roughly on his back and arms, pushing him towards the stairs to get to you.

Enthralled in the public commotion, the crowd followed his figure. “It’s quite overdue and I’ve been meaning to ask many times but something always stopped the plan but I truly want you in my life, forever if it’s possible—“

Holding his breath and his hands reaching for yours, Renjun smiled with an awkward laugh leaving his lips. “It would be a great honor if you agreed to be my… girlfriend. So would you?”

Renjun was still shy enough to ask the question, biting at his lower lip anxiously and his eyebrows living their own life as they contorted to his feelings.

You knew the question was coming but you still weren’t prepared to fully hear it coming from his mouth.

Eyes widened and your smile bigger than ever, your hands gripping his even more whilst you began to nod. “Yes! Oh my god, yes! I’d love to.” Pulling him into an embrace that made him relax and fall into a pit of his own laughter, his friends cheered which ultimately caused the crowd to also join the rumble.

Perhaps the majority didn’t care but it was entertainment you were giving them all. The cherry on top when you went in for a kiss, Renjun’s grip on your waist tightening as he kissed back.

With the echoing calm laughter emitting from the speakers, Chenle spoke against the microphone. “Again, thank you for the support and for helping these two. Have a good night!”

All in all you were extremely overwhelmed, prideful that you had friends that went out of their way to bring this joy for you and Renjun.

With that added, you’re glad your first love was with someone who also loved you, loved you immensely and for that you’ll thank whoever is out there looking out for you.

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EVOL— I WANT YOU FOREVER

→club pres!renjun x publicity officer!reader

genre: smut, humor, fluff, romance, slice of life, coming of age

tw:ADULTS ONLY, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT! oral sex (f receiving), fingering, hand job, virginity loss, protected sex, drinking, mentions of creepy guys at bars (please stay safe), praise kink, pet names, so much kissing.

wc:7.2k+

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© 2022 YOJEONGIN all rights reserved — please DO NOT translate, take, nor repost any of my works on other social media’s.

disclaimer: this is purely fictional; in no way am I condoning this behavior, trying to offend anyone, nor is it meant to place such image on the idol, these are only characters. read at your own discretion.

an: and we have reached the end with some smut, this took forever cause I just couldn’t get in the mood and I still don’t fully like it but anyways here we go <3 thank you guys for giving this series sm support!!

ps: I’ve made a spotify for this blog since I tend to get inspired by songs a lot so pls check it out, I tagged the evol playlist here and on the masterlist but the entire acc is linked in my master post (future fics and current fics playlists are being added rn)

How you and Renjun managed to get a room for the both of you, you couldn’t really tell. 

Well— maybe you could, with the help of Chenle who convinced the sponsor that since you both were an item, it was most economical to just get a single bed room for the two of you. 

To say the least the sponsor couldn’t really give a shit, the festival had paid for the hotels and plane tickets but if it made you all more comfortable then so be it, it’s not like he hasn’t spent more on the production overall (the things having money can do).

Of course when you had arrived at Jeju Island where the film festival was held and to the hotel, you had contacted your mother who very reluctantly had let you go. 

Like the over protective mother she was, she had almost gotten in touch with the sponsor to ask for details about rooms and even to see if she could go after knowing it would be you with a bunch of men, despite you being in your 20’s. 

Knowing Chenle, Beomgyu, and Haknyeon were there didn’t help calm her down, it made her weep. She knew well they were very sweet boys but when letting loose, they were insane and their supervision on you would be gone. 

You and her had hope in Genie attending as well as the second stylist but when a job interview was moved up to the dates of the festival, her fear only grew. 

Nevertheless she got over it when you had landed and showed her the room, making Renjun go to Chenle’s room and pretend as if you had gotten a room on your own.

Now it was the night the films had been presented all day and night. The heels Genie had set up for your outfit had been killing you and you had been nearly sleeping on Renjun’s shoulder for the majority of the ending. 

“On a scale from one to ten how bad do you think Chenle will flip out whenever they give the results tomorrow?” Renjun questioned, hand in hand whilst the both of you walked towards the shared room through the cold halls of the hotel. 

Awkwardly smiling, you shrug as a response. “A five, I think his plan to sweet talk producers into giving him an internship is more solid. He’s been attached from the hip to that one director.” Renjun simply smiled, nodding at the memory of his friend bothering the older man. 

“I’m a little scared of what we’ll get. That one kid did a really good animation and the metaphors— damn.” He laughed again, his key card pressed against the pad. 

Just as you were to reply to him, the smell of roses had made the both of you stop in your tracks. Warm yellow lights illuminated the room and your only worry was that you were set up in a cheesy romantic setting. 

To your luck there weren’t any rose petals, only the smell of them on the sheets and artificial candles plaguing the room just to be safe, a note in the middle of the bed. ‘Thank you for your participation, compliments from The Arthouse Festival.’

“Well… this is nice, right?” Renjun scrunched his nose, shrugging as he read the note again while you rummaged through the basket full of gifts and sweets. “Do you think if we pretend to be married they’ll give us more stuff?”

Renjun stood next to you, giggling when he saw they had given you a couples gift card to a resort restaurant. 

“We should, I want entrance to the massage parlor.” Grabbing two glasses for the wine you were gifted, he poured them in as you made your way to sit on the corner of the bed, your feet still killing you. 

Handing you a glass, he giggled at an idea he just got. “Mrs. Huang… rolls nicely off the tongue doesn’t it?” Clanking your glasses together as he stood in front of you to cheer for all that’s been given to you. 

The cold glass up to your lips, you threw your head back to let the liquid into your mouth, sipping it in hopes it would be tasty. 

Wincing at the taste while he seemed to enjoy it, Renjun took your glass with small giggles. “Didn’t like it?” 

Shaking your head whilst scrunching up your nose he giggled furthermore. “Mr. yln sounds good on you.” 

Renjun sounded off the entire name in his mind, smiling at how it’d look on paper. “I’ll be your househusband. You can be a UX Designer, making apps cute and conventional while I’m the stay at home husband who does photography as a hobby while I keep dinner ready, the house clean, and I give you massages after every shift. How does that sound?”

He leaned in to leave a soft kiss against your lips, the taste of the wine sweeter on them than it did in your throat.

“You’ve put a lot of thought into this scenario. Do you really want to spend a long time with me?” You both knew it was a stupid question. In the span of almost a year, Renjun had fallen harder for you than he could have ever imagined. 

He loved you enough to the point that every time he saw you, he shook from how excited he was that you decided to spend your time with him, no matter if he was your boyfriend. 

Renjun felt like a little kid getting to try their favorite treat for the first time even with just one glance you threw at him— that’s how ecstatic your presence made him and it truly still baffles everyone that this entire thing went from slightly one sided with you liking him to Renjun being as in love as you are with him or perhaps more than you could ever love him. 

“I said it when I asked you to be my girlfriend— I want you to be with me forever, even when you don’t want me anymore I’ll want you forever.” 

They sounded sweet and they were sincere, his eyes sparkling yet trembling whilst his hands caressed your face. 

No words could leave your mouth, almost as if it had been glued shut after not being able to find anything as romantic to say to him. Opting to instead wrap your arms around his torso and pulling him closer to you. 

Your head resting on his lower abdomen, the warmth of his flesh radiating through the thin fabric of his shirt to your cheek. 

Renjun smiled tenderly down at you, his own arms coming around your neck and softly threading his fingers through your hair. Tingles of his delicate touch made you shiver and only caused you to pull him much closer to your body. 

“What’s the name of the restaurant? I need to look up the menu.”
“Um… I’m not sure but the card is behind you. I think it’s one of those restaurants with like ten course meals.”

Your grunt made him chuckle. To say you were a picky eater was an understatement and if they had you eating food concoctions you didn’t understand— you wouldn’t have much fun. 

“They should’ve just given us the money in that case.” Your scowl turns to a pout, burying your face in the fabric of his shirt. 

His hands smoothing down your hair the more you embrace him; “I still think they should’ve given us a gift card to the massage parlor.” 

Looking up at him with a forming smirk, your hands made their way from his waist to just down exactly his ass, giving it a squeeze and causing him to yelp. 

Laughter emitted from both your lips as he held your hands in place. “I could do that, you don’t need a masseuse.”

His laughter died down and instead looked down at you. The way your lips pouted while feigning jealousy of anyone touching him. Not only your lips but the wide eye look you were giving him as you held him close to you, chest pressing tightly against his— no. 

No, Renjun didn’t want to push it. 

But it didn’t get easier as you two kept talking, unconsciously you’d pull him closer to you. Those early (or perhaps not as early) stages of wanting to be as close to each other as possible. 

If you’d hug him a bit too tight, your body would grace his crotch, it’s warmth not helping him ignore the growing bulge in his pants. At this rate he feared you’d notice it but perhaps you’re opting to ignore it. 

Renjun wouldn’t doubt these past nights have been difficult when it comes to his normal issues. Sure you both have laid in his bed and cuddled before but someone was always in the house so you’d both know nothing would come out of it.

Nothing compared to these days in which you’d wear shorts and a cami to sleep in due to the summer weather. Laying in the vast bed but closely next to him. 

Usually you’d be the one to sleep later but Renjun had brought a book in hopes of picking up a new hobby and would stay up later. 

In those hours you’d tussle around occasionally but always ended up with your head on his chest, arm around his waist, and leg across his lower body. 

That’s when the problem came in. While the summer weather was horrid and would sometimes beat the hotel’s AC, the room got colder at night and instead of being uncovered as he read with you holding him— when the AC gave all of its potential, you’d get closer to him without a clue that your hard nipples from the cold would make him freeze in his spot and make him hesitant to even hold his hand near the area when he had been holding you all night. 

It was no problem the first night, he didn’t even notice. The second night he did notice but his shyness and the red of his cheeks made him just pull the covers up to you fully so he could have his arm wrapped around you while reading. 

Just last night though as you slept in the same position, cuddled up next to him and his arm around you holding you in place, his hand caressing the skin of your upper arm— the same thing happened except for the fact that your movement to get comfortable next to him was dragging down the cami slightly, the strap falling and your collarbones highlighted, a clear view of what he tried to avoid.

It didn’t help that your leg was on top of his lower half again, calf rubbing below where your chest is at right now, thigh on display and his hand holding onto it, grasp tightening slightly to lower begin his tender touching of running his hand up and down.

The memory alone made Renjun shudder for his thoughts towards you. Opting to sit right next to you, his hand taking yours into his while continuing to converse.

Though it became one-sided quite quickly when Renjun began to ramble about how maybe the restaurant would have a great view as you were in Jeju and was now regretting not bringing his film camera. 

“No but then the x-ray machine would fry the film. Actually I don’t know, in Germany I took it with me but bought film and developed it there so— what?” 

Upon noticing the glossed out dazed look in your eyes: a loving stare and your smile growing wider as he spoke— Renjun felt the strings is his heart being pulled. 

He knew you were listening but he also knew you wouldn’t stop gawking at him so he only chuckled, leaning in to capture your lips in yet another tender kiss. 

His right hand traveled behind your waist as his left hand held your neck, deepening the kiss when you mimicked his actions, fingers caressing the back of his neck. 

Parting your lips slightly, Renjun’s tongue graced against your own. The open mouthed kisses became feverish the lower his hand traveled, as of now resting on your hip.  

“You look extra pretty today by the way.” He broke the kiss knowing you both were running out of breath, his lips peppering the flesh of your cheek, lips softly traveling to your neck. 

The warmth of them in contrast to his wet kisses on your flesh made you shudder, holding onto him as he began leaving small open-mouth kisses on your flesh. 

“You think I’m pretty?” It came out giddy, your grip on his shoulders tightening when he lapped at a certain spot. “You’re beautiful, yn. The prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.” 

His words made you feel like you were on top of the world, becoming giddy to where you made him turn just to pull him into another passionate kiss. Such actions followed by the both of you laying on your sides, holding each other.

Legs entangled with each other’s, his hand gripping your hip before running it up and down softly. In this moment as his tongue swiped across your lower lip and his knee had accidentally brushed against your aching arousal, you tried so hard to muffle the moan that left your lips. 

You could feel him smile into the kiss as he took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside your mouth, coming in contact with yours. Both muscles basking on the velvet feel of each other. Your own hand cupping his cheek to deepen the kiss you two were sharing.

Renjun felt ecstatic to know he was having an effect on you, just as you had been the past few nights. 

Neverthelesshe deepened the kiss and began to nibble on your lower lip, his free hand moved to pull you closer by your hips, pushing you closer even by a lower region. 

You groaned against him upon feeling how erect he was now, your hand going from his cheek to his neck. Your grip on his neck tightened a bit, he could feel how desperate you were becoming.

Renjun’s knee would begin to rock in between your legs making you bite his lip from time to time trying to hold off as you’d continued this feverish make out session. Renjun’s hands would twitch on the spot they laid on, obvious restrain within. Despite his needs he was still going to respect what you’d dictate.

You felt yourself need more air, slowly letting go from him “Wow…” you’d giggle, still holding onto him. He chuckled, pecking your lips and cheeks as you regained your breath. 

“You okay?” He’d question, his lips slowly moving from yours and cheeks to your jaw, leaving open mouth kisses, your eyes fluttering slightly as his lips found themselves on your neck again, leaving a tingling sensation on it. 

Taking his hand that rested on your hip and pushing it down the skirt of your dress, letting his hand rest on the hem of your underwear, “Mhm… you can touch me, Renjun. It’s fine…” he halted his actions, moving to look at you. “Are you completely sure? I’m fine with just making out…” you’d nod again, hooking his fingers to the hem now.

“I want you to be ready, yn. Not just because we’re horny from making out.” Chuckling despite his fingers shaking a little, the anticipation to pull down the fabric still lingering. “I’m ready, Junnie. I’m extremely comfortable with you, I want you…” 

You weren’t necessarily the type to wait to have sex with someone you loved, you always thought if the offer was presented and the other person seemed like someone you would be comfortable with— then so be it but it never came and when it did you always felt uncomfortable with whoever offered. 

To add on that, sex had become something you didn’t crave often nor was it that important to you anymore and often opted to listen to the stories your friend’s would tell (quite honestly a big reason it had put you off). 

At some point you had become comfortable just being a virgin who still had dated no one despite having some prospects in the past who never seemed to match what you wanted despite how much they thought they did and when Renjun came into your life— that comfort had shifted. 

You wanted to say you hadn’t fallen for him instantly but after those few days of interacting and immediately having everything in your mental checklist crossed out by him— you could only think about him. From how often he pouted despite not wanting to admit it, the birth mark on his right hand, and his bright smile when felt flustered about anything.

He smiled softly before leaning in for another kiss, his fingers finally pulling down the fabric of your underwear before whispering an “I love you.” You shuddered when you felt his fingers so close yet so far. His fingertips danced on the inside of your thigh as he worked to open your legs furthermore.

You held onto the nape of his neck whilst your other hand mirrored him and made its way to hover over his strained cock, they were soft touches not entirely sure if it’d be comfortable for either of you since he was already crouching enough to put his in between your legs.

As you’d copy his actions and unbuckled his slacks, struggling to unbutton them but eventually doing so, you pushed your hand down them, gracing his hardened cock firmly. Taking it out, slowly pumping it. Renjun moaned into your mouth, biting your lip softly as he tried to not make much noise.

Your hesitation became prominent from time to time in fear you weren’t doing well but whenever your thumb caressed his tip and small noises began cascading from his lips onto yours the more you continued, the hesitation lessened.

Renjun could tell you were somewhat embarrassed for being inexperienced and though he didn’t take advantage of it, he couldn’t help but enjoy the idea of him being your firsts. Even feeling the warmth between your legs exude to his fingertips was enough to let him feel pride that you were enjoying what he was doing to you.

His tender touches, taunting your clit. His fingers formed slow and soft circles on it to first notice how much of the build up you were enjoying. 

“Renjun…” That’s what he wanted to hear. 

Upon hearing his name leave your lips in adoration, leaning it to kiss him, his ego boosted more. His circling picking up the speed and his fingers occasionally leaving your bundle of nerves to collect your arousal on them.

It seemed his kisses helped you eased up; his index finger taunting your entrance and coating itself with much of your arousal enough to slowly penetrate you. Slightly startled, your grasp on his cock softening and his quiet shushes telling you it was alright. 

You knew it was alright, this was just new to you. It felt different than the times you tried it yourself but only ended up hurting yourself. This time Renjun did his best to slowly insert his finger inside of you. It didn’t feel as uncomfortable and what was left only dissipated when he began slowly moving it.

While he continued to finger you and added a second finger which made the pleasure presentable, you returned the favor by softly tugging up and down his shaft. Your thumb collecting every bead of fluid leaving the tip and using it as lubrication to continue.

Renjun loved the soft feel of your palm around him, how smoothly it went up and down his cock, and how your grasp would slightly tighten, giving him a new found sense of pleasure. 

His moans were silent but that’s because he wanted to focus on your pleasure, still thankful you wanted to make it fully mutual. Renjun wouldn’t deny that after almost a year he was glad he could finally do this with you, to make you feel good and know he could even with just the bare minimum. 

“You’re doing so good, baby.” He cooed against your lips, his fingers picking up the pace and when you were to respond, only moans left your lips feeling delight when the tip of his fingers had reached a certain spot. When he watched you start hesitantly squirm around, Renjun chuckled in satisfaction.

He kissed you again, letting your moans cascade into his mouth while he curled his fingers, pumping them in you at a fast pace, the ball of his palm rubbing against your clit which made the feeling grow and your moans louder. 

You were feeling something you’ve only felt once before at your own hands and hadn’t been able to get again so to now have your boyfriend bring that ecstasy with just his fingers, you couldn’t help but stop your actions on him and instead held his face again, pulling him in for a passionate kiss.

“Fuck I think I’m going to cum. Renjun, oh my god— Keep doing that, please, fuck!” 

With your juices flowing down his hand, coating his other fingers and palm, Renjun did as you said for the exception he went faster even if his hand would cramp up. 

Anything for your pleasure.

Squirming around not being able to handle it much, the coil in your lower stomach was slowly easing. Your legs giving up on you, separating from the kiss to bite on your lower lip. 

Renjun only continued until you finally came all over his hand, your panting and whimpers making a smirk rest on his face. 

He did this and he was proud of it.

Once you relaxed, you smiled at him. Your lips connect with his as a thank you for making you feel this good. 

After separating from the kiss to regain your breath, his hand which remained in between your legs made its way to his lips. The digits intruding the cavern of his mouth and his tongue poked out, wrapping itself around them to savor you.

He didn’t break eye contact, watching your chest rise up and down faster again, your legs shutting to cause friction, and your swollen lips parted in anticipation for what he’d do next.

“Taste as sweet as you are.” His words despite lewd were also making you feel giddy. Feeling the heat in between your legs rush to your entire body from how flattered you were by his words. “I think I want to taste more of it.” 

As he said it, Renjun lifted from his position beside you. His hands rushedly removing his jacket and unbuttoning as many buttons from his shirt just to settle between your legs. 

You shifted as well, laying on your back and bringing pillows to rest your head on. Bunching up your dress up to your stomach, Renjun took it as an opportunity to part your legs furthermore, letting your calves rest on his shoulders. 

The view before you was glorious. It was exactly how you imagined it sometimes. With his head between your thighs, laying soft open-mouthed kisses on your inner thigh that interchanged with the warm muscle his tongue was, raking it across the same areas he had just kissed. 

The closer his lips got to your aching cunt, the more you felt your abdomen clench. His lips teasing and gracing your labia. 

Throwing you one last glance, Renjun smirked against you. His tongue taking soft licks on your slit. Gradually those kitten licks transformed to his tongue laying flat before the tip of it teased your clit.

You could only grasp the fabric of your dress and closed your eyes letting him do as he pleased which thankfully worked out for you. 

His low hums vibrated against you, whenever he’d lap his muscle on your nether region, your arousal accumulated on his tongue; swallowing it with pleasure and satisfaction. 

Renjun truly did like your taste. He mostly liked that you were this wet from things he’s doing and his ego kept inflating more than it had this entire night. 

His hand gripped your thighs, holding you in place whenever you squirmed around if he did something you were liking. 

Eventually it felt like a kiss, like the ones he’d been laying on you all night. His jaw slacking to take in your cunt, tongue taking in the leaking beads, and ending up on your clit, sucking on it when the cycle ended only to repeat a few more times. 

Quite honestly it felt much better than being fingered but you were thankful he was doing all this all for the sake of your pleasure. 

Your legs shuddered around his head, caging him in the more he made you feel good. His lips were shimmering from the gloss you produced. 

“Renjun, you’re so good at this…” you moaned out, hands reaching his hair to tug slightly. His tongue lapped at your clit with a pleasure that was bringing you just as close as before. 

You felt that tingling between your legs every time his tongue pressed against your entrance as his fingers did.

Between his lips surrounding your clit, sucking on it as his fingers created dents on your skin, and his tongue ran flat up and down your folds— you couldn’t help becoming a tad sensitive. 

It wasn’t until he pulled away to gain air, leaving kisses on your thighs and leaving the print made out of your fluids; he spoke. “I want to be buried between your legs,” his tongue lapped at your aching cunt, collecting every drop of arousal. 

Moaning against you, he blew warm air. “I want to taste you all the time, I want to feast upon you as if it’s my last meal— I want you all the time.” 

His profession was followed by more moans, the vibration on his lips made your legs weaker. They shook more insensately now as he continued his devouring, drunk on lust and pleasure. 

He himself was aching, his cock hard and leaking every time he heard you moan and hold onto him for support. Especially when your thighs kept closing him in. 

If he ever separated his mouth from you, his fingers would replace his assault on your clit. Rubbing soft circles on it and causing a painful anticipation. 

As long as you were feeling great, he could endure the restraint of not pleasuring himself or asking to be pleasured. 

You felt that same pleasure from when his fingers were in you. A tingling between your legs and your chest, your stomach cramping in the least painful way to let you know, you were about to come again. 

That knot in the pits of your lower stomach was unraveling the more his tongue lapped at you, making sure to get every single taste. 

And slowly as he toyed with your clit making it more sensitive than it was already becoming, your moans mixed with whimpers. “It’s okay, baby. Come, come for me.” 

His sweet tender voice made you even more sensitive. He looked at you as he said those but soon his glossy lips would wrap around your clit, sucking on it to finally give you that release. 

You couldn’t hold out for much longer so when his tongue went back to licking up from your entrance to your clit, you held tightly onto his hair. Letting the most disgruntled moan you could muster and letting your orgasm slip from you. Enough that Renjun’s chin was getting coated as he moaned against you. 

Despite being worn out already, the lewd sounds he made between your legs along his kisses on your sensitive area kept the desire of wanting him more. 

When your breathing calmed down, Renjun lifted himself up, crawling to your side and encasing you in an embrace. 

“Doing okay?” he questioned, his lips finding yours. You could taste yourself on him, most of his lower face covered. Upon realizing he had just done all this for your pleasure, you felt a tad bit shy; breaking the kiss to bury your face in the crook of his neck. 

“If i knew you could move your tongue like that I think I would’ve asked you to get between my thighs long before.” Renjun laughed at your words, he himself feeling shy. 

With your face in the crook of his neck, you took initiative now. Your lips found his flesh, wrapping itself on it as your tongue lapped at an area before leaving soft tender kisses. Your hand had left his waist and made its way to his cock.

He was painfully hard that when he felt your touch, he winced, jutting his hips towards your hand. You smirked against his skin, feeling delighted he wanted your touch as much as you wanted his. 

Your fingers wrapped around it, softly pumping it before picking up the pace. With every whimper he let out as you kissed his neck and the pleasure of your hand, you increased the speed along the tightness in which you held him.

“ynie… You’re doing so good, baby. You’re making me feel so good.” His free hand had stopped your assault on his neck, cupping your cheek to make you turn and look at him without breaking eye contact. Renjun seemed to be the type to hold every type of intimacy during sex. He liked to reassure you with his sultry voice, something new you’ve found him to do.

His praise eased the fears that you wouldn’t be able to pleasure him due to your inexperience but he was enjoying it and he let it be known not only by his words but his desperate kisses and hips thrusting into your hand. 

Oh he needed his own release. 

You felt him slowly leak onto your hand, his moans becoming louder and breathy against your lips. “I want you in me. Right now, Injunnie…” 

He bit his lower lip, your touches on him creating a sensibility he couldn’t handle. “Fuck, I ca— no wait.” His hesitation confused you. Watching him shift, hovering above you a bit. “What? Do you want to stop?” You questioned, your hands rubbing on his thighs to calm down whatever he was feeling.

“No, not really but I don’t have any condoms.” He nervously laughed, his hands taking yours and soothing your skin with his thumb. His eyebrows knitted to show he was sorry but it only caused you to smile, relieved it wasn’t because he felt uncomfortable.

“I figured,” You allowed a breathy laugh to slip out, pecking the corner of his lips. “So I took some from Chenle’s bag…” Scrunching your nose feeling quite embarrassed, you stood from where you were. Taking the opportunity, you removed the straps of your dress from your shoulders, letting the dress collect on the floor.

Renjun bit his lower lip, a smirk forming at the site of your nude figure. He himself took the opportunity, removing any remaining clothing and thanking you when you handed him the foil packet. “When?” Ripping it open, he rolled it down his shaft.

You replaced his hand, fist twisting around him just to hear his breathy moans again. Leaning towards his ear, chest to chest. “This morning actually, when he was getting ready. Yesterday when we went to that bar and you pulled me onto your lap because that guy kept bringing me drinks despite all of you telling him to fuck off— it was really hot that you kept running your hand up and down my thigh and how possessive and protective you were.” 

Renjun gave you a slanted smile to comfort you. He was glad you thought so but he was actually quite angry and scared last night. It was truly so fucking frustrating and frightening seeing how pushy men can be even when the guy was aware you were being protected not only by him but by three other guys so Renjun really wanted to keep you on him. Literally. 

Pecking his cheek, you pulled him down with you. Your back against the mattress getting comfortable as he was. “Alright, make me yours even more.” Your sweet smile was making him spiral. Leaning down to encase your lips in yet another kiss from many this night, his hand took his hardened cock, pumping himself before his hips moved forward, the tip teasing your entrance.

“Let me know if you feel uncomfortable, okay?” He looked into your eyes wanting to be completely sure you were enjoying this just as much. 

Nodding as a response and wrapping your arms around his neck, he took it as a response. Sinking himself slowly in you, he would hesitate when your whimpers sounded in pain. His shushes and tender kisses helping you relax as he lets you move at your own pace.

Despite how aroused you were and how wet he had made you, a pinching feeling wouldn’t stop whenever he tried to go deeper. It’s not like it lasted, it’d disappear from time to time when he allowed you to get adjusted but your reactions didn’t stop him from worrying about hurting you.

“Shh, it’s alright. I’ll go slower, don’t worry baby.” He had already reached your hilt, fully deep in you. It’s not like you were in pain right now but you still tried to catch that sense of comfort that for a few seconds wouldn’t come until you began to relax your muscles again.

He had been kissing you during this time, trying his best to calm you down in any way. So when you felt like you were finally ready to have him move, you broke the kiss panting softly before speaking. “It’s fine now, I can handle it.” 

Renjun took in your words, searching your features for any discomfort and as he felt you swiveling your hips slowly, he himself nodded this time. His forearms caged your head in as he began to softly move in you. That sting from earlier easing into the pleasure of feeling full.

He instantly began to spill his moans, the pain of holding himself off for most of the night catching up to him. You clenched your walls around him, adding more pressure to how sensitive he already was.

“Fuck! If you keep doing that I’m going to come already.” He let out in a breath, neslting his face in your chest to plant kisses on your breast hoping they’d muffle his cries. 

To taunt him, you did. Clenching around him again which ended up on his thrusts becoming rougher. Burrowing himself deeper and his thighs beginning to snap against the back of yours, your moans became louder. 

Fingers clawing at his back whilst holding tightly around him, you felt that sense of pleasure the faster he went. His pelvic bone began rubbing against your clit, making it more sensitive than he had left it from his touches on it.

You felt warm around him, soft too. He liked being buried deep in you, it felt extremely good. Maybe it’s because he loves you more than any of his past flings and lovers but he thought this was the best he’s ever had.

Your scent intoxicated him no matter how active you’ve both been in this past hour. Your moans were entirely melodic against his ears, your kisses and touches a fine gift he’s been presented, and your taste was a delicacy that couldn’t get enough of anymore.

He was truly smitten by you and the fact that you trusted and loved him enough to allow him to be your firsts in everything made him feel glorious. Your first kiss, your first boyfriend, your first time…

With how much he adored you and the fact that he was too sensitive to last much longer, Renjun picked up the pace furthermore. Whenever his hips pulled back you could feel your arousal slide down your ass and onto the sheets.

When he plunged back in with a great force that had been proven delicious to you— his tip would grace a spot in you that made you tingle, your entire body hit with ecstasy just like the kind when he had eaten you out. 

You yourself couldn’t hold much longer. With him fingering you, eating you out till he was covered in your essence, and his deep thrusts that lowered his hips to stimulate your clit— you were becoming overstimulated and you felt that with just a few more thrusts, you came undone around him.

The image alone of how he’d react was making your chest heave, calming down with his kisses on your nipples before swirling his tongue around the nub.

“Renjun…” You moaned out. Your legs were giving up on you that when they dropped, he took one of them and hooked it around his waist. The position making it easier for him to rub against your clit even more and his cock to go deeper, that moan from earlier getting louder.

“I can’t hold up much, baby, please…” You whined, you’re rubbing on your clit as of now. Fuck, even now you were still wet. Wet enough to gather what he’d push out and begin to use your middle and ring finger to form circles around the abused muscle.

Watching you squirm around like earlier with your lip in between your teeth, and your eyes closed as you helped pleasure yourself, was awakening something in him. His thrusts getting slower but rougher (enough to still not hurt you but making you feel on cloud nine). 

Lifting himself a little more to see the full image, Renjun felt his cock twitch. He could feel come spurt from his tip slowly at the image before him. “I need you to come right now, pretty girl. Do it for me, please.” His words only caused the fire in your chest to rise.

Your body was burning and you were so near that you tried closing your legs, clamping him in but his force to keep them open only arousing you furthermore. His thrusts were becoming sloppy the more he tried to restrain himself from moaning out loud.

Turning his head downward and watching his cheeks sink in before sticking his tongue out to let his spit fall where you two were connected, Renjun picked up the pace. The image had made you moan in distress, aroused by how even more hot he looked in that second. 

What came out from your lips sounded like cries. Sensitive from all the pleasure he was causing upon you and making it painful to even keep your legs open, you pulled him down to you, lips connecting with his for yet another kiss.

Renjun knew this was your plea to make you feel good, to finally let you have that release that you needed so badly or you were going to cry from how good it all felt. He wouldn’t deny he’d love to see how much more pretty you’d look with mascara smudged tears running down your face because of the pleasure he made you endure but right now he was going to do anything to make you reach euphoria.

Your kisses were sloppy, gnawing at his lower lip and tongue caressing his. With every thrust he gave his tip connected with your sensitive spot. His hand had gone between your body and began rubbing at your clit again, it was only a matter of seconds until you came.

“You feel so good, Junnie…” You praised him in between whimpers, screwing your eyes shut when his fingers picked up the pace. Your legs continued to shake and your whimpers became strangled moans of his name. You had finally let go, the restraint on the knot in your stomach was gone and the image of your body falling limp against the bed where you fully shook in pleasure was enough to make him come as well.

You felt too good, too good that you continued to chase that feeling of being done. Your panting was shaky and Renjun did his best to help you relax, even smoothing his hand over your hair. He could see some tears slipping, it ignited something in him but right now he was too exhausted that instead, he slowly pulled out of you to not hurt you furthermore.

When you had finally calmed down and your body shook only slightly; you winced trying to move. Renjun had sprinted to the restroom to throw away the condom and clean himself off before damping a hand towel with warm water and rushing towards the bed to help you sit up.

“You alright, pretty girl?” His voice was soft, using the cloth to gently clean up the mess between your legs. You nodded seeing how tender he was, a smile on your face when he rushed to the mini fridge, pulling out a water bottle and handing it to you when he noticed you were parched. 

“Yeah, I think I know why Ceena kept chasing you for so long. I can’t believe you’ve done that with other girls, I can’t breathe now.” You feigned being hurt, enough to clutch the flesh of your chest to which he embarrassedly laughed before removing your hand and soothing the area you had accidentally scratched.

“No but seriously, thank you.” You answered this time, taking his hand into yours and tugging at it to let him know you wanted to lay down. “You don’t have to thank me, I’m your boyfriend.” He chuckled, pulling you to his chest and enveloping you in a tight embrace.

“I think I’m the one supposed to thank you for giving me the honor of being your boyfriend. For letting me experience these things with you, I really love you, yn.” 

His words were making you feel like putty in his arms, a warmth in your heart swarming and making a pout form on your lips. You couldn’t say this enough but you truly were grateful you found someone who loved you like you always wanted to be loved.

“You’re everything I’ve ever asked for you know. I feared relationships because I didn’t want my expectations to be shattered by an asshole who didn’t match whatever I made myself think love is. So when you came in I was genuinely scared for what I was feeling because I had never let myself feel that way towards anyone and you really pushed it,” You laughed, looking up at him. “Even if you weren’t trying.” 

His lips found your forehead, a tender kiss yet again. “So I’m really thankful you match my expectations to the tee and that at least I am what you want in a partner. Despite how insane I’ve made you to be.” Renjun laughed recalling how much out of his shell you were making him grow as he was you.

“I love you too, Renjun. So fucking much.”

Renjun sighed softly, his hands caressing your skin. “If I’m honest I was scared when you came into my life too. I spent the longest time telling myself you were being friendly and trying to push you onto any other guy you were close with  because I was scared of being hurt again but eventually I learned that— you could never do anything to wrong me.” 

It was hard for him to say. His last sentence came out in another sigh. “So again, I’m glad we came to our senses because I don’t think I can live without you.” His eyes were twinkling, his swollen lips planting another kiss to your forehead.

“I want you in my life forever too.”

taglist:@eggoyu@haknyeonsju@daegalfangirl@haechansgfreal@butterfliesinthenightsky@lyleo@haechansittinginatree@dojun00@fylithia@kosmiks@renjunniex@carayat@meltinghershey

undercover.

➳ 1k+ words | fluff, ceo!jungkook, secret agent!reader | jeon jungkook x f reader | nc-17 | flirty!jk, swearings, suggestive language

Imagine yourself lounging on a luxurious yacht’s deck with your favourite cold drink in hand. The sound of crashing waves and distant seagulls shrieking acts as background music as you relax under the warm sun. That is your dream getaway. Of course, the ship had to be peaceful with not many people around. After dealing with various people in your work, crowds would only prevent you from indulging in your relaxation. 

So, you planned to come back to your hometown for a quick family visit and pack your vacation essentials. Then you’d go to the port where the rented yacht is waiting to take you on your merry way. 

You deserve this break, after all. You are one of the best in the field, but you also helped train other new agents back in the headquarters. 

Seeing you worked your ass off had moved your boss to give you a long holiday. She even rented a private yacht for you (since it was all you can talk about whenever someone mentioned a break). You barely stifled your grin when you received the news.

Everything was according to plan - that was until you faced a hindrance in the form of your childhood friend. Not that you hated him or anything. You two talked from time to time, even flirted a little back then, but it never crossed any line due to your unusual occupation. You had to keep everything under wraps, which led you to underestimate how much power he possessed. 

And somehow, you find yourself drifting further and further away from your dream vacation. How so? Well, instead of luxuriating in your rented yacht, you are now sitting in a high-class bar. Surrounded by rich people, looking totally out of place in your midi sundress and straw hat. 

“Did you not get the outfit I sent you?”

“Did you not get I am on vacation?”

Jungkook shrugs in response. “Your vacation can wait, but I can’t.”

“Well, I don’t care! You could have hired someone else who is not on holiday!” You hiss in annoyance, placing your hat on your side. “There are lots of other agents capable of dealing with whatever antics you’d like to drag them into.”

“But they aren’t the best.” Jungkook counters, tugging off his suit jacket and handing them to you. 

“You don’t know that!” You shoot back, tugging on his suit to look more inconspicuous. 

“It wasn’t written in their profiles.”

You want to wipe off that smug look on his face, but you can’t create a scene.

“Okay, Mister I-Am-A-Big-Shot-CEO. You might have the resources to dig into anything you can get your hands on, but that does not give you the right to do so—”

“But I just wanted to know what my dear childhood friend is up to - why she never called, how is she doing—”

“You broke the law and my organisation’s privacy rights. They could have sued you and—”

“But you told them I can be trusted. Plus, I help their funds now. Literally, your headquarters wouldn’t have their tech and gadgets as advanced as now if it wasn’t for me.”

Cocky little shit. 

…But he’s also right. So, you deflate, giving up on arguing with him. You should have known talking to him would go around in circles, so you opt to take a deep breath and ask, “What do you want?”

Jungkook notices your change in demeanour and pouts. “I was hoping you’d put up more of a fight.”

“Well, not with that big ass ego of yours. Plus, the faster we are done, the faster I can catch up on my ride.”

Jungkook sighs in defeat as you switch into your work mode. “A competitor of mine has been making deals with someone from my company. I’ve been receiving reports of copyrights when no one should know of my developing products yet.”

You want to strangle him at this point. This is probably like a B-class case (or even C, actually), and your organisation has a handful of capable agents to deal with this.

“Kook, you’re going to sleep with one eye open tonight.”

“Why? You’ll come visit?” He grins at your apparent annoyed attitude. “Babe, that’s like a dream come true. You never visit my place. Should we get dinner too? I’ll wine and dine you, or do you prefer Netflix and chilling—”

You sigh deeply for the umpteenth time. Seriously, how did that shy boy turn into this menace, you wonder.

“How the hell did you turn into this when you were so nice back then.”

“I am nice.”

“The news article I found about you says otherwise.”

“People would say anything to get attention. Plus, they don’t know me personally anyway. Unlike you, right?”

“I don’t know…” You shoot back. “Things changed.”

“Huh…” Then he leans closer to you, voice reducing into a seductive whisper. “But I’m still me, aren’t I? Still your Kookie?”

You groan, pushing him away. “My cookie monster phase is in the past, okay? I don’t call you that anymore.”

“Why? It’s a cute nickname. Only you would call me that.”

“Kook.”

“Kookie,” he responds with a shit-eating grin. 

You glare at him. “Jungkook. How long is this mission gonna take? You know the longer you waste my time—”

“Mhmm, don’t mind at all. I can pay as much as you’d like anyway.”

As you’re about to fire back at him, there’s a new guest in the bar just arriving on the doorstep when you shush Jungkook with a finger on his mouth. “A guy with a briefcase just enter the place.”

Jungkook blinks before turning his head to glance at the entrance behind him. “Yep, that’s him alright. But we still need to find the rat.”

“Today’s a workday. Are there any uniforms or ID that your employees use?”

“Just ID card, but who’d be stupid enough to bring that here—” His breath hitches as you cup his face in your hands to make him face you.

Apparently, someone just walks to the entrance to approach the newcomer. They face in your direction, which can lead them to identify Jungkook if you’re not careful.

Leaning in so close to him, your lips are mere millimetres away from that it’d look like a couple making out to anyone around you. You tilt Jungkook’s head a bit while you tilt to the other side to keep your eyes on the two men. You both stay that way until the traitor and his friend is back in their seat.

“The rat is wearing a champagne tie, and he’s stupid enough to keep on his ID card around his neck.” You chuckle, releasing him from your hold. Jungkook is still in a daze as you mutter all the details. “—and… Are you listening?”

“Huh?” He snaps out of his trance.

“His name is Yu Junseo, part of the developer team in your company. No wonder it’s easy for him to share classified information.”

“…Yeah.”

“Yeah?” Your brows furrowed in confusion. “Is that all you have to say?”

“I-I mean, yeah, I’ll look into it.”

“See? It’s not a hard mission at all, Kook. How dare you say there’s no other agent capable of this,” you say exasperatedly, crossing your arms, but the initial annoyance has ebbed away.

“I only hire the best, you know that. How did you read his ID from this far?”

“Yeah, yeah,” you shake your head, finishing your drink in one gulp before pointing at your eyes. “Special contact lens, remember? Where you invested your funds on.”

“Ah, right…”

“Mhmm, I better get going now.” You are about to leave your seat when he grabs for your wrist. “What now?”

Jungkook looks lost for a brief moment before he babbles, “Where are you going now? I’ll drive you there.”

You raise a brow at him. “It’s fine, Kook. There’s an Uber nearby. Shouldn’t you go back to your office?”

“Nah, I’ve got time. Especially when I can spend them with you.”

And let’s just say you ended up with an unexpected company for your vacation on an even bigger private yacht.

© artaefact 2022. All rights reserved. Copying, reposting, translating, and modifying in any platform or by any means is NOTpermitted

✦ Paring: (Chubby/Plus Sized) Female Reader x Choi Seungcheol x Kim Mingyu

✦ Genre: Humor, Smut, Romance, Very Small Hint of Angst

✦ AU: Established Poly Relationship (MMF), Erotic Model Reader, Photographer + Model Seungcheol & Mingyu, Non-Idol

✦ Rating: Explicit (18+)

WC: 5.5k+

Tw: Swearing, Brief Instances of Fatphobia,

Sw: Sexual Photos/Videos, Praise Kink, Lingerie, Semi-Public, Unprotected Sex, Creampie, Body Worship, Thigh Grinding, Hair Pulling, Nipple Play (Reader has pierced nipples), Exhibitionism (if you squint), Multiple Orgasms, Hint of Switch Mingyu and Reader, Light Spanking, Blowjobs, Fingering, Threesome, Handjobs, Teasing, Dirty Talk, Hints of Choking Kink

©nocturne-overtures 2022. do not repost, translate, or use my works.

✦A/N: The following is a paid commission for my Dazzberry @atiny-dazzlinglight​ thank you so much for supporting me and being so paitient as I worked this out! Also big shoutout to Gaia for helping me pin down a scenerio I wanted to go with love you too aa

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“Hey, you got a package today.”

You look up from your spot near your mirror, glancing at the box in Seungcheol’s hands. You squint, trying to wrack your brain on what you’d ordered recently.

Bathroom curtains? No, that was custom ordered, it wouldn’t be in the country for a long time…Shoes? No…you got them two days ago. New lens for Seungcheol’s camera? No, that was on back order-

The moment it clicked for you, you come over to him, grabbing the box excitedly and plopping onto the bed. Seungcheol peeked curiously, watching as you open the box with a pair of scissors, pulling out plastic bags with multi-colored articles of clothing inside.

“I ordered from Caratland a bit ago and it finally came!”

Seungcheol takes a seat beside you, curiously looking at the bags. He didn’t open any of them, instead waiting for you to do it first, since it was your order, anyway.

The moment you do, his lips part, eyes widening as you pull out a see-through white crop top. It was knotted in the front, a blue plaid pattern adorning the collar, knot, and the end of the sleeves. You pull out the skirt that came with it, excited as you feel the soft material between your fingers.

You feel Seungcheol’s eyes on you and look up, smiling at the telltale blush on his cheeks.

“I bought some lingerie…I wanted a small self-confidence booster, so a friend suggested I buy some clothes. The website makes clothes in my size too so I didn’t have to settle.” your voice is excited as you explain, taking more outfits out. Seungcheol watched you more than the clothes on the bed, smiling softly at how excited you were.

“Gyu should be out of the shower soon. Do you want to show him as well?” He inquired, rubbing your thigh gently. You smile and nod, taking out more clothes and laying them across the bed so the outfits could be seen clearly.

By the time Mingyu came out of the shower, a towel tied low around his waist, all of your clothes had been laid out on your bed.

“What’s going on?”

“I bought some lingerie.”

Mingyu’s brows go up in interest, coming over to the bed, kneeling as you begin pointing at each lingerie, tilting your cheek up to accept a kiss from Gyu before you did so.

“I showed Cheol this one but it’s got this mini skirt look I’ve always wanted to try. I haven’t actually tried any of these on yet because I wanted to wait for you, but I’m sure my ass will be out.”

Mingyu perked at the notion, but didn’t say anything until he pointed at one of several black outfits.

“What’s this one?”

“Oh, this is a succubus one, look!” The men listened as you showed off each one, exchanging kisses and the occasional dirty comment here and there. You feel pride bubble in your chest as you try some of the outfits on, grateful for the website’s plus sizes actually being accurate and fitting you just right.

By the time you’re done, Mingyu looks like he’s hatching a plan in his head, tapping his chin as he glanced between some of the outfits. You wrap your arms around his shoulders, pressing against his back as you tilt your head.

“What? Don’t like these?”

“No, these are my favorite, actually. I was wondering if we could do a shoot with you in them.”

Seungcheol nearly chokes on the water he was drinking while you feel butterflies flutter in your chest at the notion.

“In these? You’d want to?”

“You look fantastic in them. I’m thinking about a few props that could look good with some of these and I bet it would be a fantastic shoot.”

You send him a teasing look, poking his cheek.

“You just want to see me posed in the lingerie. Joshua said he would kill us if he caught us fucking in the studio again, y’know?”

“He and Jeonghan are away for a wedding photo shoot on Jeju. They won’t be back this week.” Seungcheol helpfully informed you. You blink and look at him before looking at the desk calendar at your bedside table.

Sure enough, ‘Josh is out, keep the studio clean’ was sprawled across this week’s days, starting today. You can’t help but to notice the small ’Don’t fuck in the studio’ sprawled in small handwriting beside it. It was clear who wrote what.

You feel yourself smile, hugging Mingyu tighter as you set your head above his.

“What are we waiting for?”

-xoxo-

“You are a work of art, you know that?”

Goosebumps rise on your skin, your eyes closed and your head tilted up towards the sound of Seungcheol’s voice. Fingers ghost over your shoulders before you feel your breasts being cupped from behind and kneaded gently.

“Stay still, that’s perfect.”

You feel his lips on your throat, kissing above your pulse as Mingyu takes pictures.

There are a pair of pointed fantasy ears adhered to your own, painted to match your skin tone. It almost makes you giggle as you feel them brush against Seungcheol’s head before he grabs your jaw, thumb against your chin, and tilts your head, his free hand reaching between your legs to rub your clit.

“Y/N, look this way, baby.”

You follow Mingyu’s direction, opening your eyes and looking in his direction, your breath hitching as you feel Seungcheol’s fingers rubbing in small circles. You’d all decided to go with a succubus look for this shoot, with Seungcheol sitting you in his lap to do your makeup beforehand, stealing small kisses from you.

Mingyu had dressed you, picking one of the more latex-looking lingerie you’d bought, one that hugged your stomach, not in a way to hide your body shape, but to accent it. Your love handles were out, a spiked garter high up on your thigh holding up a pair of intentionally ripped fishnets. The body suit was formfitting, your nipple piercings leaving flower-shaped imprints on the top.

“Baby, are you spacing out?”

You realize your gaze had drifted to the floor as your mind wandered, looking at Mingyu with the smolder he probably had been looking for. He smiled, snapping a few pictures from different angles before nodding at Seungcheol.

You miss the contact he had with you as he moved away from your body, but he wasn’t gone for long, coming back with lubed fingers and once more kneeling behind you on the couch you’d been posing on. He once more grabbed your chin, this time tilting your face towards his, smiling as he hovered over your lips, pushing his middle finger into you slowly.

A gasp leaves your lips, and you almost miss the quick ‘that’s good ’ from Mingyu followed by camera clicks as you slowly take in Seungcheol’s features.

Staring into his eyes, you feel your mind wander ever so slightly.

It took a while before you could convince him to come from behind the camera to join in on shoots with you and Mingyu.

-xoxo-

You yourself were an erotic model, and you’d be lying if you said it was easy to get where you were now. You’d seen it all, photographers refusing to take you because they didn’t like the shape of your body, photographers clearly showing more…problematic views on models with larger body types…but you remained unshaken.

You know your worth. Big and beautiful and if some asshole wouldn’t add you to their portfolio, that was their loss.

You’d actually met Seungcheol at one of those turned-down shoots, back when he was studying the technique of some asshole who made you sit in your robes in the corner of the room for nearly three hours waiting to be photographed. All while he very clearly focused on the girls who’d stumbled in late as hell, spilled Starbucks on some of the props, and made one of the makeup artists cry.

Seungcheol approached you, then, offered you a bottle of cold water while a camera dangled around his neck.

“If it’s alright…I’d like to do a shoot with you. It’s becoming more obvious this guy doesn’t have any respect for his models or his craft but I’d like to keep you from wasting any more time here waiting on him.”

It was kind, and you finished half of your bottle before you nodded, moving out of the way of the other crew members and actually taking your pictures up on the roof. There were fairy lights adorning the outdoor set and you felt pride in your chest at the audible gasp Seungcheol let out as you dropped your robe for the first time.

Your shoot was nothing short of professional the first time. The next dozen, as well, once you’d taken your talents to Joshua’s studio thanks to Seungcheol’s word.

It was when Mingyu came in that things got more interesting.

Both a model and photographer, Mingyu was the first person you’d ever posed with.

It was a BDSM shoot, all latex and leather, collars and leashes, and hands-on intimacy that made your heart flutter. Again, things were professional at first, even after you found out Mingyu was dating Seungcheol, you three kept things in the studio focused and on task, creating varied shoots that did well for you all and the studio itself.

To the surprise of both of you, it was Mingyu who had asked you out on a date, smiling as Seungcheol nearly dropped his camera somewhere behind him.

You blink in surprise, looking at Seungcheol before looking at Mingyu.

“A date? Like a platonic one?”

“I mean…it could be platonic if you want it to be, I meant more romantic….did Hyung not tell you he liked you?”

You feel the distant sound of a windows shutdown noise play in your head as Seungcheol, mortified, pushes Mingyu out of the door, eyes wide and face flushed.

“D-Don’t w-worry about it, we’re leaving early, I can’t believe you, Gyu!”

You hear Mingyu getting scolded all the way down the hall and smile to yourself.

The next time, a month later, it’s you to ask, laughing at the shocked look on both of their faces.

“You didn’t let me respond, yknow.” You teased as both of them became ecstatic.

Who knew that one date, three years ago, would start this beautiful relationship you all have now-

“Baby, if you keep spacing out, I may have to change tactics.”

You blink back into focus again as Seungcheol slides a second finger into you, slowly pushing it in and out as he closed the gap between you, kissing you.

It was slow, with Seungcheol claiming every corner of your mouth as his other hand groped and kneaded your breast, fingers curling around the piercing.

“Cheol-” you gasp his name, clenching around his fingers as he works them faster in and out of you. Your hand drifts down between his legs, squeezing his cock and smiling as he let out his own gasp, tucking his face into your neck as you stroke him through the pants he’s wearing.

You don’t hear the sound of the camera clicking anymore, but before you have the chance to inspect why, Mingyu approached, kissing the nape of Seungcheol’s neck before he pulled his pants down.  

Seungcheol’s cock is hot and heavy in your hand as you stroke him, smiling up at him through your lashes. His breath hitches as Mingyu quickly darts back behind the camera.

You hear him praising you both, but you only focus on Seungcheol’s expression. His jaw is tight as he tried to keep his face in check, but you can see he wants to break.

Hold you by the back of your neck, purr praise, and close his eyes as he lets his cock slide in and out of your mouth.

Technically he could do that and still not ruin the shots, in your opinion, but Seungcheol liked to keep himself in check while you three had your photoshoots.

Part of you is waiting for him to realize this is just for the three of you and just a shameless excuse for you to show off your new clothes to them and possibly ruin another studio couch by fooling around but you’d let him continue to hold back.

For now.

He really was so handsome when he was concentrating.

You wrap your lips around his cock, slowly bobbing your head as you stroke him at the base, smiling to yourself at the shudder you feel running through his body.

“Perk your ass up, Y/n. Good girl, just like that.”

You hope Mingyu’s getting some good POV shots with all of his instructions, but you’ve already checked out, wanting more out of Seungcheol.

You let your hips sway, fondling his balls as you look into his eyes once more.

Seungcheol was big on that, the eye contact.

It had to grow on you a bit, but the intimacy definitely spiked the more you looked into his eyes, taking in every gasp, groan breathless chuckle.

Seungcheol’s fingers twitch ever so slightly as he watched you and you idly wish you’d used a lower quality lipstick so it would smudge as you blew him.

Finding out Seungcheol and Mingyu enjoyed lipstick blowjobs and the mess was a very interesting anniversary surprise.

Maybe next time.

For now, you close your eyes, feeling his fingers kneading the back of your neck as you bob your head. You can’t help the moan that left your throat as he worked out the tension from your neck.

Your hips move on their own, swaying as you spread your knees apart, pressing your tongue along the thick underside vein of his cock.  

You’re not sure how long it takes from the beginning of the shoot for Seungcheol to lose his patience, but it becomes apparent when he pulls himself from your throat, picking you up easily and setting you in his lap for a kiss.

You smile, grabbing him by the collar, keeping him close as you shifted about, straddling his thigh. Seungcheol noticed and let out a muffled chuckle, lifting his thigh so you could grind down onto it.

Your fingers find their way into his hair, pulling lightly as you moan, rolling your hips and moaning as you feel your clit rub against him through your bodysuit.

You faintly catch movement out of the corner of your eye until suddenly your kiss is being interrupted by Mingyu moving behind you, cupping your jaw and tilting your neck up to kiss you. Seungcheol took the distraction as the opportunity to move your body suit in a way for your breasts to be out for him. He took a moment to admire the tiger lily piercings adorning your nipples. It was a gift for you from Mingyu on your second anniversary and truth be told, it was one of his favorite piercings you liked to wear.

As you kiss Mingyu and rut against Seungcheol’s thigh, you feel Cheol’s fingers pinch and roll one of your nipples while his lips wrap against the other.

You moan sweetly, arching up more and hugging his head closer to your chest as Mingyu ran his hands all over your body.

“What about the..mm…the photoshoot?” You tease, nipping Mingyu’s lip. He let out a smile, looking into your eyes for a moment before sending you a wink.

“I switched it to the video mode. I’ll just go back and take stills for the edits later.” He explained.

Seungcheol chuckled.

“In other words, he got impatient.”

“Both of my partners are feeling each other up right in front of me, looking absolutely delicious and you think I’m gonna sit behind a camera for two more hours?”

You smile and send Mingyu a fake pout.

“D’aw, only two hours? We can go longer than that.”

You feel a pleasant shudder roll up and down your spine as both of them let out a growl and after a bit more shuffling about, you find yourself on your back, your legs spread with your heels on the couch as both Mingyu and Seungcheol work their fingers in and out of you.

“You’re doing so good, baby. Thank you.” Seunghcheol always took the time to praise you during your intimate moments like this, his fingers working you slowly even now, despite him clearly being hard and throbbing for more. Mingyu matched his pace, his fingers just a bit longer than Seungcheol’s as he curled them.

You can hear them kissing just above your head, your back arching suddenly as Mingyu’s fingers brush over your G spot. One of them lets out a pleased growl that makes you shudder as they both slowly press their fingers in deeper, rolling them against that sensitive bundle while they claimed each other’s lips.

Your thighs shake from the stimuli, but you feel the urge to do more than sit and do nothing so you lean towards Mingyu, nails scratching over one of his ass cheeks before you grab a handful, your lips trailing over his abs as you left kisses and bites in your wake. For Seungcheol, you drag your nails up his thigh, moving inward until you could cup and fondle his balls, smiling against Mingyu’s tan skin as you feel Seungcheol buck.

After a bit more teasing, you give him what he wants, grabbing him at the base and stroking as you continued to leave little bites along Mingyu’s flexing abdominal region.

You alternate your teasing, moving to leave bites along Seungcheol’s paler body, as well. Both of your bites take in different, contrasting ways on the men, and you have half a mind to remind them both to let you have the camera when you’re done having sex so you can photograph the bites.

You feel a coil in yourself, winding tight as both of them slowly increase their pace, feeling your body relax and loosen the more they prepped you. A whimper left your throat as you mouthed along the tip of Mingyu’s cock, your thighs twitching and nearly closing.

As keen as ever, both of them grab the knee closest to themselves, keeping your thighs open as they broke their kiss, lips kiss swollen as they looked down at you with matching smiles on their faces.

“Oh? Are you gonna cum already? Does this feel good?”

“You’re gonna make a mess, aren’t you? Go ahead baby, you’re so beautiful.”

They’re talking at the same time and you can barely tell who’s saying what over your own moans as your knees involuntarily try to close again, hips raising off of the couch ever so slightly.

“Ah, sit down baby.” Seungcheol’s tone is gentle, but it’s an order nonetheless and you feel yourself sit down, shaking in their hands as you glance down.

Sure enough, both of their fingers are glistening already, alternating tempos as they finger you, and the sight alone is enough to push you over, a gasp catching itself in your own throat as you cum.

Your lips fall open, and you feel someone set their hand around your throat, not to squeeze, but more than likely for the photo op. Regardless, it comes as an intimate comfort, your eyes fluttering half-closed as you looked up at them, pleasantly surprised that you’d already cum from fingering alone.

You find that it’s Mingyu’s hand around your throat when you meet his eyes. He doesn’t move for a full minute after your orgasm, just meeting your gaze with a quiet affection that made you smile, his thumb rubbing over your throat gently.

Once you catch your breath, both men pull their fingers out of your pussy, sitting beside you and making a show out of licking them clean. You watch with your eyes still half-lidded, licking your own lips before you push yourself closer, kissing Seungcheol, and then Mingyu, purring at your taste lingering on their tongues.

They give you a moment to calm down, helping you stretch your legs and back before Seungcheol beckoned you closer to him. You find yourself crawling into his lap, accepting a tender kiss from him as you put your knees at either side of his hips.

You pause only long enough to see if Mingyu wanted to move the camera before you feel Seungcheol, in a rare moment of impatience, pull you down, grinding his cock between your folds.

“Fuck that camera.”

It brought an unexpected laugh out of both you and Mingyu somewhere behind you as you reach between your legs, holding his cock up so you could sink down at your own pace.

Both of you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, and slowly, inch by inch, you sit on Seungcheol’s cock. He held your ass in both hands, caressing and kneading them as he waited for you to get comfortable, letting out a small groan as you give your hips a small wiggle.

“A perfect fit as always~”You tease, knowing he wanted to move his own hips. Seungcheol’s brow twitched ever so slightly before he looked up at you, one of his hands roaming up the side of your body, from your thigh, up to your waist and abdomen, all the way up to your face. You lean into his palm, cupping one of your hands over it as you smile down at him.

“Are you okay?” His voice is quiet, calm despite the fact you can feel him throbbing inside of you. You send him a smile, leaning down until your lips brush over his forehead, his cheeks, down to his nose, and stopping at his lips.

“You really are a softie, you know that?” You giggle. Seungcheol opened his mouth to say something, but it catches on his own breath as you begin to roll your hips, pressing your hands to the couch behind his head to steady yourself.

Seungcheol’s eyes drift down your body, and his hands once again follow suit, caressing and touching every part of you he can get to, moaning your name in deep purrs that make you teasingly clench up every time you bring your hips up.

You hear a moan off to the side somewhere and lift your head, finding Mingyu stroking himself as he sits on a prop chair, spread out with his legs wide apart. You smile to yourself, a hard-to-describe, yet powerful feeling rolling in your chest.

You loved both of your boyfriends to death, and it was evident they loved you just as much. Times like these when you drove them wild in your own way did wonders for your confidence, if you were being honest.

As you ride Seungcheol, you curl your finger, beckoning Mingyu over. His hand paused halfway up his cock as he met your gaze, running his tongue over his bottom lip before he stood, making his way over to you and Seungcheol, his cock hard, the veins prominent along the shaft. You lean over Seungcheol as best you can, glad he understood what you were trying to do as he grabs your hips to steady you, planting his feet onto the couch and thrusting up into you.

You grab Mingyu’s cock, stroking slowly, knowing he was a lot more impatient than Seungcheol and smiling at the telltale frustrated groan he let out the moment you begin to tease him.

“Is something-ah fuck-wrong, Gyu?” You can barely keep the playful taunting tone in your voice as Seungcheol’s teeth find their way to your piercing, tugging lightly as he snapped his hips up.

“My girlfriend is dressed as a succubus and our boyfriend is fucking her and my cock is currently hard and in your hand. Do I have to say anything else?”

You send him a devilish smile, squeezing his cock as you tilt your head. His hips buck the moment you do, a surprised groan leaving his lips as he looked at you with his teeth between his lips.

“Yes, actually.” is your reply, grabbing his balls with your free hand and stroking him at an antagonizingly slow pace with the other. Mingyu’s thighs tremble for a moment before awhimper fell from his lips.

“Y/N, please.”

“Beg, Mingyu.”

You hear even Seungcheol let out a breathless ‘ fuck’ from beneath you as Mingyu groaned in surprise.

“Y/N,please, can I have your mouth? I’m aching and I can’t take it-”

You squeeze him at the base again, dragging your tongue up the underside, cutting him off.

“Can’t? Are you sure?” You mewl, hearing Seungcheol’s thrusts get louder from how wet you were. Part of you felt bad for teasing Mingyu, but if the throbbing in your hand and the expression on his face was anything to go by, you knew he liked this type of bullying quite a bit.

“P-Please, I promise I won’t even cum without permission I just-”

Oh, uh oh~

Mingyu noticed the devilish look that crossed your face and stopped mid-sentence. Seungcheol let out a chuckle from beneath you as you hold Mingyu’s gaze, slowly taking him into your mouth, letting your hand fall away from his base. He let out a sigh of relief, looking at you with adoration in his eyes as you continue to fondle his balls.

Despite your own pleasure, you were hell-bent on making sure Mingyu came undone without permission just so you could punish him.

Maybe putting on this outfit gave you a lot more confidence than usual.

Perhaps you’d get more soon.

You feel your back arch as Seungcheol’s cock curved just right, your thighs tightening around his waist as the pace of his hips took over the tempo completely. He hugged your waist tight, picking up on the muffled gag from your moan and the way you clenched around him. You feel warmth bloom all throughout your body, your blowjob getting messier the longer it went on.

To his credit, Mingyu kept his hips still and his hands to himself until you shakily reach for one of them, setting it at the back of your head and looking up at him. He let out a breathy chuckle.

“You’re trying to make me cum aren’t you?”

You arch a brow coyly before you feel your eyes roll ever so slightly as Seungcheol hit your sweet spot hard. Mingyu waited until you were ready before he moved his own hips, both of them setting a much different tempo than the other.

It’s as messy as it is intimate, with Seungcheol murmuring words of love and praise against your skin as Mingyu’s cock hits the back of your throat, his fingers moving down to the back of your neck. You wonder if both of them realize it’s a sensitive zone for you or something, since both of them have this thing for massaging it. Every time they do, it made pleasant jolts run up and down your spine, and now was no different as you swallow hard around Mingyu’s cock.

“B-Baby, I’m-”

Seungcheol’s hips are stuttering below you, and you finally begin to move your own once more in response, clenching every time he nearly pulled out, enticing him to sink back in. Seungcheol growled out a string of curses, planting a hard spank to your ass that makes you jolt in surprise, gagging once more on Mingyu’s cock.

“Are you o-okay-fuck” Mingyu barely finished speaking before you adamantly sink down fully, nose against his pelvic region as you looked up at him. He cupped your face, holding your gaze and wiping away any overstimulated tears that rolled down your cheek as Seungcheol alternated kneading your sore cheek, spanking the other, and rubbing your clit.

It didn’t take much more for you to clench tight, thighs shaking as you came first, nails leaving scratches against the leather couch as you scrambled for purchase on something. Mingyu’s hips twitched themselves as he kept still, biting back his own urge to cum as he watched Seungcheol hug you close, cumming inside of you as he kissed the valley between your breasts, mumbling something neither you or Mingyu could hear.

Once both you and Seungcheol’s orgasms had subsided, you noticed a distinct lack of something and looked up at Mingyu, who stood over you with a (barely) triumphant look on his face.

“I didn’t cum without permission.”

Seungcheol laughed from beneath you as you slowly pull off of Mingyu’s cock, a spark of chaos and challenge in your eyes.

“I noticed. Come over here, then.”

A few minutes of repositioning, handsy grabbing and intimate butterfly kisses that quickly turned into more, and you were on your hands and knees, ass arched high in the air and a poor couch pillow being squeezed to hell and back as Mingyu thrust into you from behind. He held your shoulder down with one hand, the other on your waist to keep you in place as he thrust in deep, the cum Seungcheol left behind making a mess of both of you and the poor couch below as he watched his cock sink in and out of you.

You’re unsure of the words leaving your lips by this point, if they’re even words at all or just unintelligible sounds of ecstasy as Mingyu fucked you.

“Your hips are moving on their own again, my love? Are you gonna milk my cock like you did Hyung’s?”

You moan in response, glancing at him over your shoulder, rolling your hips in circles to meet him halfway. His thrusts are still powerful and nearly stop you in your tracks from how good it felt. Seungcheol isn’t too far from the two of you, stopping to give Mingyu a kiss that doesn’t shake the younger man’s tempo in the slightest before he circles around to you, kneeling on the floor in front of you and tilting your chin up so you can look into his eyes.

“Absolutely beautiful. Do you want to cum again? Can Mingyu cum, baby? He’s been working so hard~” he caressed your cheek, smiling as you once again press into his palm, nodding. He stole a kiss and shook his head.

“Ah, you made him say it. What do you want Mingyu to do?”

“C-Cum inside! Please cum inside of me I n-need it please-” You once again roll your hips, moaning in bliss as Mingyu rewards your efforts by going faster himself, hooking both of his hands over your thighs and pulling you back into his thrusts. Seungcheol continued to compliment and praise both of you, his voice raising only when both of yours did from your own groans.

“Go ahead, Mingyu. Give our love what she wants.”

You feel tears of pleasure roll down your cheeks as you cum again, thankful for Mingyu’s tight grip on your thighs, since you’re sure you would have fallen without it. You bury your face into Seungcheol’s neck and cry out something, though you’re not too sure of what since your mind blanked. Heat flooded between your legs as Mingyu came inside of you, groaning as he held you tight, slowing his wild pace to a slow grind.

You shudder, fingers leaving indents on Seungcheol’s skin as you held onto his shoulders, needing a moment to catch your breath before you pull away, heart hammering in your chest.

“Hey there, baby. You okay?” He inquired. You smile and nod without a word, giving him a kiss. He chuckled and happily kissed you back, caressing your cheeks with both thumbs before you broke it to try and lean back and kiss Mingyu. He bent over your body, making it easier for you as he leaned most of the way in.

Seungcheol watched the two of you for a moment before moving himself to turn the camera off, grabbing a robe for all three of you and coming back.

Once you broke the kiss, you pout as you feel Mingyu pull out of you. It’s immediately gone the moment he wrapped you up in the robe, picking you up effortlessly and smiling at Seungcheol.

“It’s a good thing the studio has showers.”

The three of you laugh as Mingyu led the way to the showers.

“We should probably change that couch, though,” Seungcheol commented.

“Oh, yeah, definitely.” You nod, putting your head against Mingyu’s chest.

-xoxox-

“YOU FUCKED IN THE STUDIO AGAIN?”

Mingyu dodged the couch pillow being hurled at him by Joshua while you sit and watch with Jeonghan. The man looked amused by the entire thing, going through the photos Mingyu, Seungcheol, and you had cleaned up and edited.

“Oh, that is a cute outfit on you, Y/N.” He commented, ignoring Seungcheol trying to play peacekeeper.

“We bought a new couch!”

“YOU USED MYCARD TO DO IT!”

You bring a cup of tea up to your lips, watching Josh lob a plushie that definitely belonged to Hosi across the room, nailing Seungcheol in the face. You glance back at Jeonghan, pointing to one of the pictures that was taken towards the beginning of your ‘shoot’. You, Mingyu, and Seungcheol looked like a trio of love-sick idiots, and it made you smile as you pointed it out.

“This one is my favorite, I think.”

Jeonghan nodded, sipping his own tea.

“I think it captures a lot.”

You smile and nod before you feel a dinosaur plushie belonging to Chan collide with your own head.

“DON’T SIT THERE LAUGHING, YOU’RE IN TROUBLE, TOO!”

▸ ┈┈┈┈ ┈┈┈┈ ◂

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Today I don’t feel like doing anything – KJW

P: Jungwoo x gender neutral reader | G: fluff, oneshot | Inc: having breakfast together, head chef reader, doing nothing together, laying together on the sofa | Wc: 511 | W: cw food| R:G

Waking up that morning with a bleary headache, Jungwoo groaned as he hauled himself out of bed, throwing his legs over the edge despite the lead coating his muscles. Waking up feeling like a cement block was notthe best way to wake up. The drag in each step sapped whatever strength the idol had left from yesterday’s long day of practice, photo shoots and workouts. Thanking whoever in the sky gave him the weekend off, he pushed through his morning routine and somehow managed to make it to the kitchen withouttripping up. All was forgotten, however, as his face lit up at the sight of y/n sitting at the kitchen island, a coffee and book in hand as they kept themselves occupied.

“Hmm…g’morning,” rubbing his nose against y/n’s hair in an attempt at affection before making himself something to eat, Jungwoo hummed in surprise when a set of arms snuck their way around his waist.

“Morning Woo~” bending to meet their fatigued boyfriend’s eyes with a loving smile, y/n pressed a kiss to his lips before pulling Jungwoo away from the counter and to the island stool, “let me make breakfast today, hmm? You look exhausted; busy day yesterday?”

“Mhm…when did you get back?” Rubbing the rest of his sleep out of his eyes, Jungwoo watched as y/n wrapped an apron around their waist and made a start on making breakfast, a pleased smile on their face that only appeared on the head chef’s face once they were in their element. Answering Jungwoo’s question with a hum of ‘one a.m.’ and finishing off the rest of the cooking, y/n went about plating the food, the breakfast Instagram-worthy.

“Woo, get the plates?” Pleased with his task, Jungwoo set the table, accepting the kiss to his cheek with a bashful smile.

“Let’s eat~”

Draped over the living room sofa with the TV turned onto some programme he didn’t have the energy to pay attention to, Jungwoo laid his head in y/n’s lap and gladly accepted the head scratches sent his way. His limbs were nothing more than lead bars and unless there happened to be a natural disaster outside of his door, the idol had no plans to get up whatsoever.

It was his off day. Nothingwas going to get him to do anything.

Equally as relaxed and exhausted, y/n kept themselves occupied with the ends of their boyfriend’s hair, gentle hums as they turned the ends of Jungwoo’s hair into mini braids. The chef had luckily taken a day off, and chances to spend quality time with the man in their arms without interruption were few and far between. Any and every opportunity to cuddle, was more than worth it.

“Y/n, baby?”

“Yeah? What is it love?”

“I missed doing this with you,” tilting his head back to meet y/n’s eyes, he grinned, a lazy smile that reached the corners of his eyes. He really didmiss laying around on the sofa with y/n. “should we order take-out later?”

“Take-out sounds good. It sounds reallygood.”

© copyright work of armysantiny 2022-2023

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❀Pairing: Yeosang x San, Background OT8

❀Genre: Smut, Humor

❀AU:Night Shift Verse, Office Au, Established Poly Relationship

❀Rating: 18+

❀WC: 1.6k

❀Tw: Swearing

❀Sw: Nude Massage, Prostate Massage, Handjob, Temperature Play, Blowjob, Sex Toy, Cum Swallowing, Slight Exhibitionism, Body Worship Undertones, Hair Pulling

©atiny-piratequeen/nocturne-overtures 2022. do not repost, translate, or use my works.

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❀Network Pings: @kdiarynet@kwritersworld@8makes1teamnet@k-vanity 

“I should thank Seonghwa-hyung for teaching me how to do this, shouldn’t I?”

San’s voice is a deep hum as he slowly kneaded and worked out the tension knots in Yeosang’s back. The only verbal response he got was a muffled whimper into a pillow. Slowly, a smile came to his face as he kissed between his shoulder blades.

“You’re hiding your voice again. I think it’s really cute when you do that.”

San pressed down on a particular spot, and a pop followed by a surprised noise came from Yeosang’s body before a deep rumble followed it. San’s eyes turned into crescents as his smile grew, tossing one leg over Yeosang’s hips. He lifted his body and moved with a near methodical slowness, settling himself on Yeosang’s ass as he continued to massage him, thumbs pressing into the muscle, rolling in small circles that gradually got wider.

“C-can you move a bit lower, please?”

San’s hands drifted down to the small of Yeosang’s back, kneading the small of his back. Once more, he was met with a muffled moan as he worked and a thought came to his mind.

“Turn around.”

Yeosang lifted his head in confusion.

“You’re sitting on-”

San silently lifted his hips, smiling sweetly as Yeosang got the hint, turning around and repositioning himself, holding San’s hips out of instinct. San sat down, noticing the way Yeosang squeezed his hips before not so subtly trying to shift him upwards to sit on his pelvis.

San tightened his thighs around his waist and sent him a devilishly sweet smile at the deer in headlights look on Yeosang’s face.

“Ah. What do you think you’re doing? I have to give you a massage. You’ve had a longandhardday in the office today, and on your birthday, no less. The least I can do is help you unwind my love~”

Yeosang glanced down at San’s hips before meeting his eyes.

“I really appreciate the massage, I do, but my-”

“-cock is rock hard, yes. Don’t worry. I’ll get to that.”

The tips of his ears went red and Yeosang promptly zipped his lips, moving his hands away from San’s hips and watching as the slightly younger man continued kneading and massaging him, admiring his body silently. Yeosang’s eyes never left San’s face, pulling his lip between his teeth.

“You’re staring.”

“I am. You working out with Jongho and Hoseok is paying off. Even if it is making you all tense and tight.” San met his gaze and booped his nose before moving back to his arms, tracing his fingers over the stretch marks the new muscle had created. Yeosang shuddered but relaxed into the pillow, nearly falling asleep from San’s talented hands until he shifted off of his lap and moved one of his oiled-up hands down to his cock.

The blonde’s eyes shot open-when the hell had he even closed them?-and he looked down, watching San slowly stroke him as he leaned forward, kissing the shell of his ear.

“The others should be back with your birthday cake and dinner in about half an hour or something like that. Are you ready for the fun part of this massage?”

“It’s my birthday, that’s part of the gift, right?”

A spark of chaos crossed San’s expression before he smiled and leaned in once more.

“You’re lucky your birthday is in the middle of the week or I’d ride you into the sunset but then we’d both have to miss work. Stay here.” He got up and darted out of the room, leaving Yeosang staring at his retreating form.

When he came back, he had a toy in his hand and two small bowls. Yeosang lifted his head to see better, realizing one bowl had ice, and the other had more warm oil. The toy was a small massager.

He watched San pop an ice cube into his mouth, blowing a kiss in his direction before he slicked his fingers up with the oil, slowly easing one into Yeosang as he held the vibrator onto the underside of his cock.

“Fuck-”

“Ah, don’t cover your mouth.”

Yeosang caught himself mid-motion, spreading his legs and bunching the sheets under his hand instead. San smiled and kissed his hip teasingly, cold tongue tracing i love you’s and little hearts along Yeosang’s skin every now and again.

“You’re t-teasing me on my birthday?”

“Ah, no. I’m massagingyou on your birthday. You can’t rush these things, Sangie. I thought you were one of the more patient ones~” San teased, slowly working his finger in and out of Yeosang, bringing the vibrator down towards the base of his cock. Yeosang whined and twitched again, his cock brushing against San’s cheek.

San let out a faux sigh and turned his head, blowing cool air onto Yeosang’s cock and smiling as he pulled the sheets.

“You’re lucky it’s your birthday. I’ll be nice even if you’re impatient.” He wrapped his lips around the crown of Yeosang’s cock, pressing what was left of his ice cube against his cock with his tongue as he added a second finger. He moved the massager down to Yeosang’s balls, humming around his cock as the birthday boy’s hand found its way into his hair, slowly guiding him up and down.

His lips fell open while his eyes slipped closed, the quiet, restrained moans from before growing in volume as San took him all the way, settling and stilling with Yeosang fully down his throat. He ignored the slight pull to his hair, watching Yeosang’s face.

His eyes remained closed, his chest rising and falling harshly as his thighs twitched at either side of San’s head. He didn’t pull his hair anymore, realizing San had no intention of rushing, despite the fact that Yeosang could feel his orgasm creeping up, especially after the man began curling his fingers up in come hither motions.

“F-fuck! San wait-”

San swallowed around him, rolling the pads of his fingers over Yeosang’s prostate, the vibrator still buzzing against his balls. To his credit, Yeosang still kept himself from bucking and thrusting down San’s throat, but it was becoming incredibly evident he wouldn’t last much longer.

San could hear the distant sound of voices in the house, and a small glance at the bedside clock brought a hum from him that made Yeosang twitch and whimper.

“-aybe upstairs?”

San purred and began moving his head, curling and massaging Yeosang faster than before, watching as his muscles flexed and trembled. Yeosang was a bit too polite for his own good, San thought. He could fuck his throat raw right here and San would probably thank him for it, but for now, he focused on this cock humming and swallowing around Yeosang.

“S-San pull up, I’m gonna cum.”

A huff left San’s nose, akin to a laugh as he doubled down his efforts, pressing his fingers hard against his prostate, eyes narrowing at Yeosang in offense even though the other man’s eyes were still tightly closed.

“Happy birth-”

“San!”

San felt Yeosang’s cock throb as he came down his throat, with Hongjoong stopping short, wide-eyed as he held a cake in his hands. Wooyoung and Yunho nearly knocked him over as they struggled to stop their walking, bumping into him as they watched San slowly pull off of Yeosang’s cock. Jongho and Mingi peeked around Yunho’s frame and Seonghwa leaned against the doorframe, head tilted to the side as San made a show of showing them the load he had in his mouth before swallowing, pulling his fingers out of Yeosang.

“Um…make a wish?” Hongjoong blinked, a bit flustered himself as Yeosang hid his face, beet red.

“S-sorry!”

Seonghwa laughed and slowly began removing his watch and rings.

“Oh, don’t apologize. I’m sure we can find fun things to do for the birthday boy after we eat cake. Or should we eat you instead?” The mocha-haired man raised a brow and Wooyoung grinned.

“San already got started.”

“Give him a few minutes, I’m sure he’ll be ready for a few more.” Mingi chimed in and Yeosang blushed and sat up, looking at San in concern.

“Did I hurt your throat?”

“No, actually you could fuck my face till I cry and I’d appreciate that just as much. Maybe more, actually.”

Seonghwa clapped and sent them a smile as Hongjoong looked from the cake to the bed, unsure if he should come closer or let Yeosang recover.

“As much as I love hearing San talk about being a cock hungry pain slut, we have candles to blow out before blowing Yeosang’s back out. San’s birthday is right around the corner for that.”

Yeosang hid his face once more, groaning as Wooyoung, Mingi, and San burst into laughter. Hongjoong smiled and came closer, holding the cake up. Yeosang peeked from between his fingers, looking at the cake. He noticed the small white chocolate mascot in the center with the flower on his head and smiled, looking up at them all despite the blush on his face and his state of undress.

“We love you, Yeosang. Happy birthday, baby.”

Yeosang smiled and lifted his head, accepting kisses from each of his boyfriends before Jongho handed him his slice of cake. His nose scrunched as Wooyoung smudged cake icing on his cheek.

He could feel at least two pairs of eyes on him as he ate, patiently waiting.

It may only be on a Wednesday this year, but they don’t call it hump day for nothing, he supposed.

Maybe he could turn up a bit late tomorrow.

Just a bit.

————————–Taglist———

@kimnamshiks@atiny-dazzlinglight@angel0taiyo@jacksons-goddess-gaia@gettin-a-lil-hanse@daniblogs164@daisyhwa@yunhofingers@stormiestories@billboard-singer@xlilehx@alliecoady98@jess-1404@perfectlysane24@babiebumm@skmoonchild@netcookie@seomisaho@bangteezbaby@yungiland@serialee@asyamonet22@drunk-on-hwa@shingisimp@phoenixcode21@justatiredhuman@dreamyinception-world@soluvcore@twistedsiren@xuxibelle 

Pairing:Yoo Kihyun x female reader

World:Out of the Shadows

Genre:suggestive fluff / idol au / established relationship

Warnings:amake-out session that’s suggestive, minor jealousy, and mild cursing

A/N: it is somewhat expected that you’ve read the series this story is based on. Whilst it’s still readable without OOTS knowledge, it is recommended to read this after the series. This idea came to me after seeing the performances of LOVE, and Kihyun’s interesting outfit options >_>

Word count: 2295

Opening the studio door with his elbow, Kihyun took a deep breath to steady himself after rushing since he left his last schedule. Stepping into the room, he smiled brightly.

He felt instantly relieved, and he hadn’t even taken you in yet. “Sorry I’m late, the radio show ran longer than anticipated. And then I stopped off at that new coffee store you’re in love with to pick you up a S’mores frappe.” Noticing your intense stare as he finished his apology, Kihyun frowned, holding out your iced drink. You took it, throwing your hip to the side as you leaned back against the desk. “What?”

“Just taking it in,” you murmured, sweeping your eyes from his head down to his toes.

Even though Kihyun had been in love with you for months now, it still felt like the first time he saw you in Boah’s vocal coaching building. His body jerked with a static charge, and his lips curled up into a smirk, trying to mask how overwhelmed he felt with you appreciating him visibly. “Do you happen to like your handsome boyfriend, Y/N?”

You snorted. “Yeah, sure.”

“What kind of response is that?” he whined playfully, watching you take a sip of your fancy chocolate milk and swallowing hard when you let out a small moan.

He was still feeling allthe honeymoon aspects of love with you.

“I was taking in this,” you mentioned, reaching out to pluck his grey hoodie between your index finger and thumb.

Glancing down at his plain hoodie and then back up at you, Kihyun frowned for the second time. “My… hoodie?”

“It’s a great hoodie.”

“You’re being exceptionally weird,” he intoned, placing down his iced Americano on your desk so he could envelop you in his arms. His smile grew again as he leaned into peck your nose. “Missed you, baby.”

“I saw you four days ago,” you reminded, and Kihyun pouted.

“We used to be inseparable.”

“We still are inseparable.” You gestured to how little space there was between you both. Shifting an arm out of his hold to put your drink down, you then reached for the collar of his hoodie, tugging him close again. “I really like this hoodie. It covers allof you. I can barely see your neck.”

Kihyun laughed. “Normally, you like seeing more than my neck.”

“Mm. In bed. In private—”

“This is your private recording space,” he pointed out wickedly, and you swatted at him lightly. “I could blow your mind and take this off to show that I have a respectable tee on underneath. Fully tucked into my jeans and all.”

You sighed. “You picked up on it.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me straight, Y/N?” he wondered, running a hand loosely up and down your spine. “I told you to expect my outfits for this promotion to be… a little different.”

“‘Different’ is an open collar. A few extra buttons undone. A sheer panel along your sides.”

“To be fair, it has been a lot of my sides that have been exposed,” he said with a nod of his head, and you groaned loudly.

“Why am I dating an idol? This is torture.”

“Says the ex-idol.” You rolled your eyes at Kihyun’s reminder. “Who took to the stage in the most spectacular of gowns that I not only almost faltered in singing at the sight of you, but I wanted the whole world to never see you again.”

“Lies!” you cried, shunting out of his embrace. “You and the rest of Monsta X were thrilled for me to be finally out of the shadows and on that stage. In fact, you were far too smug about it for some time there.”

“My girlfriend did look amazing up under those lights,” he agreed. Then he scrunched up his nose as he thought about why he didn’t appreciate the spotlight on you. “The thirsty comments that came after the performance though. They really got to me.”

“Might I remind you that there are numerous thirsty comments about you that I could wade through on a daily basis?”

Kihyun grinned. “I guess I don’t look too much.”

“You’re an asshole sometimes,” you told him, though the smile on your face made him aware that you weren’t that hung up on it.

Reaching back for you, Kihyun pulled you close, shutting his eyes as he breathed you in. Four days was going to be nothing compared to the upcoming US tour. Even with daily video calls, he was unsure how much he’d be able to handle being away from you that long.

Kihyun wondered if he’d ever adjust to how deeply he felt about you.

“I’m torn over those outfits,” you admitted quietly. He didn’t respond, knowing there was more to it. “I don’t like that everyone else gets to see glimpses of what I have of your body.”

“They don’t get to feel it like you do,” he offered breathily, remembering the way your hair had been splayed over your pillow the last time you were both together. Clamping his eyes shut again, he willed his body to cool down. He didn’t have more than this two-hour window to spend time with you today. And whilst he could perfect your breathless falsetto within these walls with some creative tangling of bodies, he knew you would never let him take your workplace to such an inappropriate high.

Kihyun was already running through his current schedule to find the next time he could have you in between his sheets.

Ignoring his statement, you tapped your fingertips lightly in a rhythm at the juncture where his neck and shoulder met. He shivered with how good your touch felt. “I liked the Music Bank outfit. It made no sense at first with all the loose straps. But the tease factor! I’m not going to tell you how many times I’ve rewatched the fancam online.”

“The fact that you’re telling me you’ve watched it has my ego inflating enough without a number. Though, surely it has to be more than twenty times, right?”

You pulled back just enough to pointedly roll your eyes at him. “Your ego really is a problem.”

“Not my clothes?” he teased, and you inhaled sharply.

“Are you taking those outfits with you to America?” you asked, and Kihyun watched as you turned your head, attempting to seem nonchalant with your question as you took a long gulp of the frappe. You sighed. “Damn, I’m going to become the size of a house because of this drink. It’s too good.”

“You’re lucky that even with me on a promo diet I still picked that sugary, milky drink up for you. Shows how much I love you.”

You grinned. “Want a taste? I promise you it’s delicious.”

“You know hyung can sniff out diet breaks a mile away,” he pointed out, and your eyes danced with mischief, dragging in a long mouthful from the straw. You had barely swallowed before your hand slipped around the back of his neck, pulling him in close enough for your lips to touch.

He could taste the marshmallow and chocolate on your tongue as you opened up for him. The burst of flavours, both from the drink and the one that was just inexplicitly you overwhelmed Kihyun, and he pushed you up against the desk, hands finding their way to the back of your thighs, assisting you up onto the table. Being appropriate, be damned. Kihyun could only think of one way he wanted you to sing for him now.

“Easy,” you murmured into his skin as your lips trailed down his neck in a trail of kisses. “Boah’s right next door with a lesson.”

“The room is soundproof.”

“Are you wanting to test that?” you asked, and Kihyun dropped his forehead to your shoulder as your hands trailed to the bottom of his hoodie. Sliding up just a bit, you then let out a surprised laugh. “Your tee really is tucked into your jeans.”

“Because when I’m not on stage, I’m not exactly going about feeling uncomfortable.”

“Those outfits are uncomfortable?” you asked innocently as your hands yanked on the tee, greedily wanting to meet with his skin. He felt branded as soon as your palms touched his flesh, fingers spreading over his torso. “I couldn’t tell with how cocky your expressions were.”

“I liked the response of the fans. Sue me.”

“Were they looking at you or Hyungwon? He was showing just as much skin. I thought Changkyun was the one in charge of showing so much skin whilst Hyunwoo’s in the army?”

“Don’t bring up their names when your hands are on my body,” he grunted, trying to find the waistband to your leggings under the soft, oversized top dress you had on. Finally succeeding, he slid his hands over your rear, securing your hips against his.

“Kyun’s outfits have been classier than yours. What’s up with that?”

“Y/N!”

You chuckled. “As much as I’m sure I’ll enjoy where your thought process is going, I do have a client after this. And your idea will definitely lead to sweating, which you and I know won’t be great for my skin if I can’t shower and change after.”

“You encouraged this,” he said, deflated, though he put space between his hips and yours. Only a little because he didn’t want out of your space just yet. Your intense gaze trailed over him again, smirking lightly at his evident arousal before darting back to his eyes. He tipped his head to the side. “Done fuelling my flames?”

“The outfits. Are you having to wear them in the states?”

“Why?”

“Because I would prefer if you didn’t. They throw bras at you even when you’re fully dressed.”

“Maybe they’ll throw full lingerie sets this time,” he responded, stepping back when your hand swung towards him again. Laughing loudly, he caught your fingers within his own, entwining them for a moment. “You couldn’t sound more jealous, you know.”

“I guess I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.”

“How?”

“Well, first, I better go home and pull out my suitcase. You know, I haven’t used that thing in a while. I’ll have to see if it’s in the back of the wardrobe in Nina’s old room. She used it last when she went to teach that dance class in Japan.”

Kihyun smiled fondly at the mention of your best friend before blinking as the rest of your statement caught up to him. “Wait. Why do you need your suitcase?”

“Because I need to pack.”

“Where are you going?”

“With you on your tour,” you explained matter-of-factly, and Kihyun stared at you dumbly. You grinned. “You didn’t think I’d let you wear those shirts – if you can even refer to scraps of fabric as such – without me, did you? Monbebe will eat you alive.”

“Are you being serious?”

“Apparently, it’s important to check your vocals regularly whilst on tour for fatigue or strain. Funnily enough, your girlfriend is pretty good at being a vocal coach now.”

“And my company, with its bad history of losing one of its most talented female vocalists, hired you?” he asked incredulously, stepping back in between your legs, arms loosely wrapped around your waist. You immediately smiled before resting your head on his chest.

“Well, Boah might have pulled some strings along the way. But this contract, I promise I read over with a lawyer and about four times before I signed it.”

“You’re coming with me?” he asked with an elated laugh, using a hand to cup your jaw so he could look into your eyes. Kihyun pressed his lips to yours and then laughed again. “This solves so many problems.”

“Like how much I would have missed you being stuck back here?” you suggested, and Kihyun nodded, nuzzling your neck with his nose. “I have missed you, you know. Four days was unbearable. We used to go longer. When I was in Starlet, there were weeks where we didn’t see each other.”

“I’ve become complacent having you close to me, thanks to the lack of touring and trips out of Korea during the pandemic. I’m eager to see our international fans again, but the idea of leaving you behind was one I wasn’t looking forward to.”

Smiling at him, you returned the peck to his nose that he had greeted you with. “Now neither of us have to think about it.”

“I’m thinking about other things now,” he told you with a sly smile, and you gave him a dry look.

“Oh, God.”

“Hotel stays are going to be different this time around,” he mentioned with a wiggle to his eyebrows, and you chuckled.

“You’re incorrigible.”

“I’m in love,” he corrected, and your expression softened.

“And I’m never going to get any singing done with you today, am I?” you asked, slinging your arms around his neck and leaning in close. “I suppose that’s not a horrible thing. I like doing other things with you too. And until the day arrives where either of us grows bored of how much we desire the other, I think I’ll take as much advantage of it as I can.”

“I haven’t grown bored yet.”

“I don’t think we ever will,” you replied, kissing him softly. “I love you, even if your stylist is on my current hit list.”

Kihyun kissed you back. “I’ll have to make sure you don’t destroy her when you see all the other things she’s come up with for me.”

“There’s more?! Can’t I keep you under wraps?”

Kihyun laughed, reaching for your lips and trying to divert your attention away from his stage persona and back to where he wanted you.

Right against his heart, always.

_________________

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Pairing:Lee Minhyuk (MX) x female reader

Genre:fluff / established relationship

Warnings:this is all about painful periods and the symptoms around it.

A/N:I wrote this for my fellow endo/PCOS warriors out there, and anyone who can relate to the sheer hell that it is when you’re on your period.

Word count: 2196

It had only been twenty-four hours.

A day since he had last seen you. And when Minhyuk had been in your company then, you had been laughing, bouncing around happily, and eager to do anything with him.

Today, however, you were still in bed.

And when he greeted you cheerily, you answered with a whine.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern sprouting instantly. Brushing your bed hair aside, he discovered your face scrunched up with discomfort.

Had the food you ate on your date made you unwell? He was perfectly fine, so surely it couldn’t be food poisoning. There was a sheen to your skin as well, and when he placed a hand over your forehead, you felt clammy.

“Are you sick?” he questioned, and you met him with another unintelligible groan. “Y/N, what do you need? I’ve nursed back my friends hundreds of times. Have you eaten? I could make you some soup and—”

“It’s not that,” you mumbled, and Minhyuk edged closer, leaning in so he could hear you better. “It’s just… it’s that time.”

“That time?” he echoed, brows knitting together. “Time for—ohhhh. That time.”

He smiled uneasily. He hadn’t quite looked after anyone during their period before. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t try. After all, it was a normal bodily experience for the opposite gender. And whilst he didn’t know exactly how it felt, he had a younger sister. He’d seen the changes in her during her cycle each month too.

Feeling reassured that he was still up for the job, Minhyuk brushed away the hair that had fallen back into your face again and cupped it gently. “Don’t worry. I’ll make you feel better in no time!”

“Min—”

“Chocolate. Do you want chocolate?” he suggested, knowing his sister has a stash for times such as now, and you peeked out of one eye at him.

“It’s not even ten in the morning. I haven’t eaten breakfast.”

“Of course! I’ll make you something. You love pancakes. I’ll make some.”

Before you could answer, he was up and moving into your kitchen, marvelling that he’d been dating you for four months now, and this was his first time seeing you like this. He stored that slice of information aside for later and set about making you both some breakfast. Admittedly, he wasn’t the most proficient in the kitchen, and although they weren’t perfectly round and fluffy pancakes like the ones his friend Kihyun made, they looked edible when he was done.

By then, you had managed to shift from the bed to the couch in your living room, albeit still curled up in a foetal position. Settling everything down on the small dining table in your flat, he then assisted you to a chair. You smiled weakly. “Thanks, Min.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he announced, hiding his nerves with a big smile. “I don’t know how good these will be.”

Watching as you ate a mouthful, your surprise was evident. You looked up at him. “You flavoured them with vanilla!”

“You once told me you loved vanilla,” he mentioned softly, watching as a smile graced your face. Your body was still tense, yet you reached for more food, and he silently gave himself a pat on the back.

By the end of the day, he’d be a pro at knowing how to be the best boyfriend during this time of the month for you.

However, Minhyuk’s elation soon wore off when you collapsed back into bed with a heating pad. Hovering, he watched as your breathing changed, your hand clutching the blankets in a fist.

“What is it?”

“I’ll be fine,” you panted, rolling your head haphazardly so you could stare up at him. “Go home. Today isn’t going to be a good day for us to spend together.”

“I can’t just leave you. I’m not sure if you care how you appear right now but you look dreadful. What type of boyfriend would I be if I just left you to endure this alone?”

A deep sigh left you, and your eyes watered with brewing tears. “I must have done something amazing in a past life to have met you in this one. But honestly, it’s better if I just ride this hell out by myself.”

“Will you be okay?” he worried, not sure about your statement at all. Minhyuk couldn’t remember seeing his sister this awful on her period at all. Once she’d taken some medication, she was able to continue her day with relative ease. If anything, she always milked the ailment to get out of things she didn’t want to do.

But you looked entirely miserable.

“I won’t die, no matter how much I curse for a swift ending,” you responded darkly, barking out a laugh before a bitter whine had you curling back up on yourself.

“That’s it. I can’t leave you,” he decided, rolling up his sleeves determinedly. “You need me.”

“I need drugs,” you added, easing yourself slowly to the edge of your bed, as if the wrong move would cause you grave pain. It confused him to see you this debilitated by cramps. Was it really this bad for women?

Standing up, you swayed dangerously, and Minhyuk lurched to steady you before you fell. You vaguely acknowledged his wide stare with a shallow nod. “Ah. I get super light-headed on my period. I faint too.”

“What?”

“But drugs will help. I keep them in the bathroom,” you said conversationally, as if the fact that fainting on your period was normal. Minhyuk helped you to your destination as he attempted to shelve the information you were feeding him into his logic bank. But nothing was adding up.

Watching as you reached past the normal paracetamol and ibuprofen in your medicine stack, he stopped your hand when you pulled out a medicine type that he’d once had when he pulled a muscle in his back. Alarmed, he shook his head. “Y/N, that’s a heavy drug.”

“I know. Maybe it’ll work today. I pray it will.”

“It’s going to knock you on your ass,” he commented, and you patted his hand softly with your other one, smiling wryly.

“Not likely. I’d gladly accept if it did that,” you told him before turning and slowly trudging back to bed. “But if it makes this just slightly more tolerable, I’ll take it.”

He watched you like a hawk when you took the medication with some water before slipping back down under the blankets. He presumed that in twenty minutes, you were going to be completely zonked out.

Instead, you seemed to be in a worse condition than before.

“Dammit,” you cursed, shifting around to find someplace more comfortable in the bedding.

Minhyuk’s hand glided over your forehead and came back wet from your perspiration. “Why are you sweating so much? Should you take away the heat pad?”

“Remove it and I’ll start swearing like a sailor,” you said through gritted teeth. “I just need this wave to pass.”

Holding your hand, he helplessly watched as you struggled for another twenty-five minutes. And then the knot of tension seemed to release from your body, and you slipped into a slumber.

Once he was certain you were asleep, Minhyuk pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to look up the symptoms you had. He was convinced after five minutes of Googling that he ought to get you to a doctor. What if it was something really crazy that needed medical attention?

He flinched when the phone started to ring in his hand and worried he’d disturb you after you’d just found some peace, he quickly answered it whilst slipping out into the living room of your flat. He let out a shaky exhale, relief flooding him when he saw who had rung him. “Mum! Thank God.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m with Y/N, and I think I need to take her to the hospital.”

“Why? Is she okay?” his mother enquired, and after Minhyuk rapidly fired off the signs he was concerned about, he was surprised when she chuckled. “My sweet boy. You really care about her, don’t you?”

“Of course. And I don’t like any of this.”

“You know what you described sounds a lot like your Aunt. Remember when she had to have surgery three years ago?”

“I think so. Why?”

“I had to look after her, and she told me then she had a condition that made things difficult for her to manage. Whilst I think you’re good to have concerns about this, maybe wait until Y/N wakes up and ask her about it. If there’s no known condition, then take her to see someone if it continues, okay?”

After thanking his mother for the sage advice, he went back to Google but looked up conditions that affected menstrual cycles. He was so invested in his research that he didn’t even realise you were up until you wrapped your arms around him over the back of the couch and nuzzled into his neck.

“You’re still here.”

“How are you feeling?”

“A little more alive. Wait. Are you reading about endometriosis?” you enquired, and Minhyuk nodded softly. “Oh, did I tell you I have it? I don’t think I have yet.”

He deflated like a bubble, only to spin and look at you, his eyes full of compassion. He’d been reading for quite some time about the condition, and the idea that anyone had to suffer that badly made his heart hurt. Knowing your painful moments this morning was caused by it, he just wanted to scoop you up and hold you until your body decided to stop causing you so much grief.

Sitting down beside him on the couch, you placed your head on his shoulder. “I have another condition too, called PCOS – well, that’s its abbreviation. I uh, don’t know how much information you want to hear, but it makes things challenging for me when I menstruate. Sometimes I can go months without, and then it’s a whole lot worse too. I’m sorry if today’s been horrible for you. I barely function on days like these until I’ve overcome the wave of pain. It’ll be back again, no doubt soon. It’s not going to be fun for the next few days here.”

“I…” Trailing off, he didn’t know what to say, and you smiled weakly. Someone as beautiful as you was also so incredibly strong. He had no idea how you faced half of what he’d read about. “I wish I could take it away.”

“Me too. Sometimes, there’s no reprieve. That’s why I don’t work a normal job too. Now and then, I can’t even focus enough to do simple things like eating and drinking, so it’s better that I do freelance work. But I’ve got a really good specialist that I see. Don’t worry too much, Minhyuk. I’m sorry you had to see me like this.”

“No. I mean, it was scary,” he admitted, lowering his gaze to his lap. “And I feel helpless.”

“You’ve done more than I ever hoped for,” you told him, nestling into his side, and exhaling contentedly. “Most boyfriends have just left me to deal with it in the past. But you stayed. You made those pancakes. And you caught me before I fell earlier. You’re my hero.”

“Really?”

“Of course! I knew when I met you that you were going to be someone special. Today you’ve gone up the ranks to the best boyfriend ever.”

“That’s a big title.”

“Huge,” you agreed with a grin and then lightly winced.

He washed his eyes over you cautiously. “Another wave on its way?”

“Maybe if I don’t breathe, it’ll just hold off,” you wondered aloud, and he chuckled.

“You need to breathe through the pain.”

“That’s right.”

“And when it hits, I’ll rub your back and help you get into a comfortable position. How about that?”

“Can you make those pancakes again for dinner? I’m not hungry right now, but they were delicious.”

“If that’s what you want to eat,” he told you, and you nodded, slipping your arm around his waist and resting quietly on him for a moment.

“I think I’m falling in love with you, Lee Minhyuk.”

“Why?” he asked, trying to ease the sudden racing of his heart with a lighter tone to his voice. “Because I didn’t leave you in your time of need?”  

“That, but also because you’re you. Today just showed me why I never want to let you go.”

“Well, it’s a good thing that I don’t want to let you go either.”

You sighed again. “Do you really want to spend all day with me whilst I’m like this?”

“Of course,” he answered, turning to kiss your temple lightly. “If I can’t be here to wade through the tough times, I have no right being able to celebrate all the good moments with you.”

“I think I want to marry you someday,” you murmured before slipping into another snooze, Minhyuk’s smile curling up his mouth as he watched you for several minutes before he nodded.

He whispered into your hair, “I think I’d like that to be our future too.”

_________________

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Pairing:Park Jinyoung x female reader

Genre:fluff / friends to lovers

Warnings:none

Word count: 1905

A set of arms slipped around Jinyoung’s sides, making his eyes widen as he looked down to watch hands link together over his waist. He blinked, registering the warmth of the body connected to said arms now snuggling into his back, a nose pressing into the nape of his neck, nuzzling softly.

This had to be a dream.

“I just need a moment,” a mumble came from somewhere embedded in his shoulder blade, and yet he knew it was your voice that accompanied your hands around him now.

This suddenly was a delicious dream. One he didn’t want to ever wake up from.

“How long is a moment?” he asked, attempting and failing to sound teasing in his question. His voice sounded hoarse, too strained. Jinyoung was relieved that at least his body had lost its rigidness immediately, relaxing into your hold on him. He tried to look back outside at the birthday party you both had been invited to, but he was struggling to stop his senses from slipping to you.

You tightened your grip. “Well, it’s longer than a minute.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhmmm,” you hummed, turning your head, so your cheek rested against his back. “A moment is rather immeasurable at times.”

“And you need this moment to remain immeasurable?”

“Perhaps.”

“Any particular reason that you need this moment pressed into my back, Y/N?”

You sighed. Or maybe you breathed him in. He couldn’t quite tell. Jinyoung felt giddy, on the edge of something big. Something life-changing. He just hoped that when he took the fall, you remained beside him for it.

Or at least, still nestled into his back in comfort.

“Well, don’t tell the birthday boy, but between you both, your back looks more inviting than Mark’s.”

Jinyoung’s mood dampened. He didn’t want to be a better option. He wanted to be the only one you’d turn to.

“Huh,” he said, hoping his disappointment wasn’t as tangible as it felt. “Guess the gym has helped with that.”

“Maybe I should join the gym,” you commented mindlessly, and Jinyoung clamped his eyes shut, trying to stop the flashes of you working out from cementing into his brain. He couldn’t let the idea exist for more than a second. Otherwise, he’d be convincing you to join, and no doubt getting injured by being completely distracted whenever he saw you.

“Why?”

“So you can return the back hug favour!”

“Do you need a good, strong back for such a hug?” he mused, and you squeezed his middle a little.

“I don’t have a flimsy one.”

“Let me see,” he asked, whirling around in your embrace, stopping when your gaze collided with his. His eyes widened a second time, a thumb coming up to caress the now dried skin under your red eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“This doesn’t look like nothing to me.” He gestured with his free hand to your expression, the evidence of previous tears. Your hold remained firm around his middle. You weren’t ready to let go, that much was certain. “Tell me what happened.”

“I’m going home,” you whispered, and Jinyoung frowned. When he didn’t verbally reply, you let your focus fall to the arm he had placed around you, encouraging you to stay with him. “I don’t think I’m cut out for the city, you know? Well, maybe you don’t know because you’ve lived here a whole lot longer than me and I—”

“You and I both know that’s not true. You love the city, Y/N,” he cut in, trying to hide the ugly panic swirling in his chest. He didn’t want this to turn into a nightmare. Not when the dream of having you this close had felt so good.

You barked out a bitter laugh. “Yeah. I guess the city doesn’t like me then. I lost my job. You know, the one I was really excited to get a few months ago? I can’t believe that I ever was. And to be fair, I didn’t lose it on my own merit. Rather, I just couldn’t deal with Dean’s constant undermining of me anymore. I went to HR about his misconduct, and guess who the company sided with?”

“They chose him,” he answered darkly, his hand fisting the back of your shirt, so he didn’t fly off and use it elsewhere. Preferably in your ex-colleague’s face.

“Without that job, I can’t afford the city,” you whispered. “I have some savings, but not a lot, and my rent has increased, as has the price of living. So, I rang my Mum earlier and asked if I could move home. Of course, she said yes, she’s my Mum. But I feel like I failed.”

Jinyoung pulled you into him then, your head tucked in against his chest as he cradled you in comfort. He hated the disappointment in your eyes, the way you felt like you had done something wrong. The world was being cruel to one of the few people he knew that was honest, hard-working, and too selfless for their own good. He wanted to scoop you up and protect you forever, but he knew that you were far too stubborn to rely on him for anything more than this hug.

And yet…

“Move in with me,” he announced, and your head shot up from his chest, your eyes round with his statement. He nodded once, determined that he could change this play of fate. That he could keep you here a little longer. He didn’t want you to leave. Not now. Not when he was so close to soaring with the feelings he held within his chest.

But his feelings took a nosedive when you started to laugh.

“Are you serious?!” you chortled, your lips spreading into a smile laced with amusement. “You and me, living together?”

“I can’t see why it’s such a laughable option,” he mumbled, and you grinned before resting your forehead against his chest.

“We’d kill each other. I’m chaotic, whilst you have everything in your house organised and in a set routine.”

“My house has more than one bedroom. You can leave your room as messy as it suits you so long as you leave the door shut.”

“We don’t even like the same foods half the time.”

“So we’ll make compromises and cook for ourselves where necessary.”

You lifted your head but darted your gaze away before he could catch it. “I still can’t live with you.”

“Why not now? I lived in a dorm with six other guys when I was in college. If I can survive that, then—”

“I couldn’t cope seeing you bring home other women,” you said softly, barely louder than a whisper. “Instead of me.”

Had he heard you right? Dazed, Jinyoung thought over the sentence, trying to ensure he hadn’t just conjured the words out of your mouth to please his desire for you.

You took the lapse of focus to your advantage, slipping away from his embrace, the sudden coldness to his body alerting him of you running away. He managed to reach you before you got to the door, his arms now sliding around your waist, tugging you back into him. You stiffened momentarily.

“What are you doing?”

“I need a moment,” he stated gruffly, securing his grip around you. “A really long one.”

“How long is that?” you wondered quietly, the air surrounding you both now charged.

This was the moment he stepped off the edge, praying that you fell with him.

“So long that it lasts forever.”

“Jinyoung—”

“You don’t have to worry about any women coming over. Not when you’re there. Not when I have you.”

He felt your deep inhale and waited for you to release it, to say something. Anything.

“You have me?” you echoed, and Jinyoung buried his face into the side of your neck, pursing his lips into the soft skin just below your ear.

He didn’t answer verbally, allowing his body holding you to voice what it had wanted to for so long. How right you felt in his arms. How eager he had been to go from being a friend of a friend to one of your closest friends. How many nights he had spent in your company like tonight and found it impossible not to touch you, even if he had to tease you to get the chance.

If there was anyone he’d fall for, it was you.

“You have me,” you said once more, without the question in your tone. Turning around, you looked at him, eyes full of wonder. Sparkling with hope and unspoken confessions. “You’ve always had me.”

“I have?” Jinyoung asked, swallowing slowly. “Why plan to leave me then?”

“I didn’t want to believe that I was lucky enough to have you,” you told him, reaching up to cup his jaw in your hand. “It felt too much like a dream.”

“We’re awake right now. There’s no need to dream it when we can have it.”

You couldn’t bite back a snort. Jinyoung groaned loudly when you slapped a hand onto his chest, shaking with laughter. Eventually, you looked up at him. “That was so cheesy.”

“It sounded better in my head,” he lamented, sighing heavily.

“I don’t want to leave you or the city,” you stated once sober from your amusement, the hand still on his chest now scorching through his shirt. “You promise you won’t kick me out until I find a new job, at least?”

“Why am I kicking you out? Did you not connect my words? I always want you in my life, Y/N.”

You beamed at him but then twisted your lips. “I mean, I want that too, but I also know that sometimes I can really grate on your nerves. And your nagging is…”

“Is what?” he ventured when it was clear you weren’t prepared to finish the sentence.

Your lips twitched. “Brutal.”

“You know what’s brutal?” he asked, scooping you up in his arms again, trapping both your hands against his chest. “Having to hear you consider leaving me. You owe me for the heartache I just endured.”

“It’s not like I inflicted it without reason, Park Jinyoung!”

“You owe me,” he insisted, and you rolled your eyes.

“Yeah?”

He nodded, tapping a finger to his cheek. “Kiss it better.”

“Your heart isn’t up there, you idiot,” you said before ducking your head and placing a kiss over his chest. Jinyoung stilled, his grip on you loosening. He started to fall over the ledge you had sent him off, his heart rate kicking up a notch.

But you didn’t let him fall alone too far, your hands sliding up to cup his face, angling it and pressing your lips to his softly. Before he could respond, you pulled away. “There. Better?”

“Not even close,” he murmured before capturing your mouth in his, deepening the kiss by parting your mouth. You didn’t hesitate to meet his demands, the hunger he felt was pouring out of you too. His hands tangled in your hair, holding you to him, ensuring that you knew how much he wanted you, cherished you before he lifted away to take in steadying breaths.

You were stunned momentarily before you smiled. “I’m really glad I didn’t go and get a back hug from Mark now. I doubt it would have ended like this.”

Jinyoung choked on his own amusement. “For many reasons, I’m glad you didn’t either.”

_________________

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• Fandom(s):ATEEZ
• AU:Treasure Hunters
• Genre:Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
• Relationship:Everyone x Everyone, Established Hongjoong x Yunho
• Language:English
• Status:Ongoing
• Chapter WC: 4,129 words
• Warnings:Character Death, Stabbing, Fighting, Blood, Aliens, War, Funerals, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Mentions of Child Abuse / Child Work, Explosions, Murder Attempt, Robbery, Homeless/Runaway Character, Torture, Mentions of Slavery more will be added.
• Chapter Warnings: Murder Attempt
• Summary:

Hongjoong looked at the people who had protected him on his mission to look for the treasure, and then looked at those who he could only call his soulmates now. “All aboard the Crescent, it’s time to go!”

• AO3

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Tagged:@angel0taiyo​

There was a moment of heavy silence in the room as San made his way in with Yijoong’s hands firmly held behind his back. The Emperor’s eyes were so firmly placed on his middle son that he didn’t even realize when Hongjoong walked in until the latter cleared his throat. Emperor Kim looked slightly surprised that his plan had failed, but that surprise was quickly reigned in and hidden under a perfectly serious face.

“Emperor Kim,” Hongjoong said. His voice was ice cold, and he managed to look imposing despite the fact that he was still leaning on Yeosang for support. 

“Hongjoong, my son-” The Emperor began, trying to soften his expression, but he was quickly interrupted.

“Don’t even try,” Hongjoong hissed. “Not after Yijoong chased me down in my own castle, trying to kill me.”

“Fair enough,” The Emperor’s gaze hardened. “I suppose it’s much too late to try to cover everything up.” He looked at the sword pointed at his neck with disdain.

“Why?” Hongjoong asked, limping closer to his father. “Yijoong explained but I cannot wrap my head around the fact that you’d do this to me and to Taejoong. We were your family. Did you do this to our mother as well?”

“Don’t you dare speak of her!” His father lunged forward, stopping only when he felt the sword brush against his neck. It was a reminder that he no longer had the upper hand in the situation.

“Dare? She was my mother.” Hongjoong spit out, enraged. “She loved me, something that you clearly weren’t able to do.”

“Her death is your fault, even Taejoong’s death is your fault.” The Emperor snarled, clearly uncaring about the position he was in anymore. “The Empire has fallen in disgrace and it’s all your fault.”

Hongjoong didn’t even think of it. He let go of Yeosang and swiped his father’s sword from the ground, ignoring the pain in his ankle to stride forward towards his father. The Emperor closed his eyes tightly, aware of what was coming, but the sword never quite came. As Hongjoong raised it, preparing himself to put an end to it all, he saw something on his father’s desk.

Among the mess that the Emperor’s fight with Yunho had caused, his eyes managed to find the compass Taejoong had given him. He could make out the glint of his initials carved in gold on the cover. That compass had always kept him safe during his explorations, guiding him home just like Taejoong had promised it would on his 16th birthday. Even when it wasn’t about guiding him on a physical plane, the compass had always been there to remind him to make the right decisions.

Killing his father and brother was not the right decision. He hated them quite a lot at that moment, but he couldn’t erase the years upon years that he had considered them family. Even if they had stopped considering him family long ago, he didn’t want to hold the weight of their deaths in his hands. It wasn’t worth it. They couldn’t just let them go, though.

“Hongjoong?” Yunho asked, where he was still holding his sword against the Emperor. He hadn’t stopped, even though his arms were starting to hurt.

“I won’t do it.” Hongjoong stated, lowering the sword and passing it to Yeosang, who put it away before offering him his support again. “I won’t step down to their level. Plus, I think the Resistance would like to have some fun with them.” He shrugged, trying to keep his face void of expression and as indifferent as possible. “Seonghwa, do me a favor and go look for Chan, let him know that the Emperor and Prince Yijoong have been apprehended.”

“Of course, Captain,” Seonghwa nodded, leaving the room not a moment after.

Relief flooded Hongjoong after Seonghwa’s words. Everything had changed between all of them in just a few days, but in essence, they were the same, and Seonghwa understood the importance of separating him from his royal upbringing. The Empire had finally fallen, the only thing left was to make an official declaration, but as for himself, he was no longer a Prince.

It didn’t take long for Chan to arrive with a handful of armed soldiers from the Resistance, and finally, Yunho and San could rest. The Emperor and the Second Prince were put under arrest immediately and taken away from there, and once they were gone, Hongjoong could finally let his defenses fall. His shoulders sagged and he let out a big sigh he had been holding back.

Yeosang was the first to embrace him, being the closest to him as he was offering him support, and soon enough the others had joined as well, enveloping Hongjoong into a hug he hadn’t known he needed so desperately. Chan decided to leave and give them space, knowing he’d be able to catch up with the Captain of the Crescent soon enough.

When they finally let go of each other, San put Hongjoong’s compass in his hand, returning it to its rightful owner. Hongjoong smiled, the realization that everything had ended and that he could start looking for a new place to call home finally sinking in. Though maybe, home was much closer than he had expected it to be.

“Come on, we should go back to Wooyoung and Mingi, they’re waiting for us.” Jongho reminded them, aware that the two of them were probably worried sick about them.

They all agreed that it was time to put those things behind them. Hongjoong couldn’t help but take one last look at what was left of his father’s study, before turning back to look at the people waiting on the door for him and following them outside. This was no longer his home, it probably hadn’t been for a long time, and it felt right to leave it behind now.

–

There were still a few fights going around, but most of the Empire’s army had been subdued and the war had boiled down considerably. The true victory had been apprehending the Emperor and the Prince, though, because once the leaders were captured, most followers gave up fighting, and so it was over.

Chan marched down the halls of the castle toward the balcony that extended over its front. One of his soldiers approached him with a flag portraying the Resistance’s coat of arms. It was time to announce the end of the battle on the Home Planet. He stood on the balcony and used the flare gun once again, gathering the attention of as many people as he could. With his right hand he raised the flag and with the left one he held a megaphone to his mouth.

“The Emperor and Prince Yijoong have been successfully captured!” His voice boomed through the fields that extended in front of the castle, littered with the bodies of the injured and the deceased. “Our first battle against the Empire has been successful, and we have uprooted the source of unfairness and sickness in the Empire!”

The members of the Resistance clamored in celebration, filling up the air with the roar of their victory, which could probably be heard throughout the entire planet. So many people had been preparing for this battle for months. It was the most important part of their plan, and to have succeeded despite the unexpected occurrences, meant that they had a high chance of liberating the rest of the Empire from the rule of a system that had stopped working long ago.

“We still have a long journey ahead of us, the war isn’t over until we’ve seen every planet freed from the claws of the ruling class,” Chan continued. He had thought of this speech for so long, because failing that battle had never been an option. “It will take some time, but today marks the beginning of the end of the Kim Empire! Rise up and celebrate everyone, for we have won today’s battle!”

The crowd became undone in a strident roar of celebration, and the ground trembled as people stomped their feet or jumped in excitement. History had been made, and it would continue to be made until everyone was free.

–

While the crowd celebrated their victory, what was left from the crew of the Crescent made their way back to the ship slowly. The halls of the castle were turned upside down, and a cloud of dust lingered in the air from the battle that had taken place. Hongjoong allowed himself to take it all in one last time, and though it hurt a little bit to see the place he had grown up in shattered and in ruins, he was at peace with the knowledge that he had helped put an end to the suffering his family had caused.

Furthermore, he found peace in the fact that while being away from his childhood home, he had found a new place he could call home. Knowing his job in the war was over filled him with relief. And though he didn’t want to openly admit it, it was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The Empire had burned down, and Hongjoong hoped the remains of it would be lost to the ashes soon enough.

The trip back to the Crescent was long, but thankfully they found the slider Jongho and Yeosang had brought with them before. Carefully, everyone got in the trunk and Yunho drove them all back to the ship. Just seeing its silhouette against the rising sun filled them all with relief and calm. The ship had survived the battle, and they could just about make the silhouettes of Wooyoung, Mingi and Handong, the only ones who had stayed back to wait for them.

They weren’t the only ones there though. Most of the soldiers that had served Hongjoong as part of the crew had also managed to make it back alive and well to the ship. As soon as they arrived they were surrounded and welcomed by the crew, who celebrated that they had managed to rescue Hongjoong and make it back alive, together. Wooyoung, especially, almost threw himself into Hongjoong’s arms.

“I’m sorry!” Wooyoung exclaimed, holding on to Hongjoong like his life depended on it. 

“Woo-”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you and that I didn’t prepare you better for what was going to happen,” he continued, not giving Hongjoong an opportunity to intervene. “I should have told you something, I’m so sorry you had to go through all that blindly-”

Hongjoong grabbed Wooyoung by the face and kissed him quiet, to everyone’s surprise, even himself. Hongjoong was bold, but he didn’t think he had it in himself to be that bold. Still, it felt nice, because Wooyoung immediately melted into the kiss, almost like he had been waiting for it forever. He probably had. Hongjoong allowed himself to linger there for just enough time, if anything, he at least wanted to convey to Wooyoung that he had been long forgiven. They separated after a moment, and Wooyoung exhaled. Hongjoong couldn’t help but dissolve in laughter as the people around them cheered.

“Is this what it takes to make you quiet?” Hongjoong teased. He was still holding Wooyoung’s face between his two palms, and found himself not wanting to let go.

“I’m sorry,” Wooyoung apologized again, to which Hongjoong pressed his face softly, causing his lips to pucker.

“If I hear one more sorry from you, I’ll be mad.” Hongjoong scoffed. “I’m not mad, Wooyoung. I’m not mad at you, at least, for what happened. You did what needed to be done to ensure things would be successful, and I don’t blame you for that.”

“But…”

“No buts,” Hongjoong shook his head, caressing Wooyoung’s cheeks softly. “However, we can talk about this later if you want, just not here, okay?”

Wooyoung nodded, pressing one hand to Hongjoong’s on his face. He had dreamed of being able to touch him, all of them, for so long, that it almost didn’t feel real. The fact that he wasn’t alone anymore didn’t feel real. He was grateful, because every sacrifice he had made along the way had been absolutely worth it.

“Excuse me, Captain Hongjoong?” An unknown voice interrupted their celebrations.

Hongjoong let go of Wooyoung as he turned around and met eyes with one of Chan’s closest allies. He vaguely remembered him from when they had been rescued and taken to the caves where the resistance had been hiding. The crew quieted down as Hongjoong nodded, letting the other man know that he had all of his attention.

“Chan would like to speak to you,” he explained, looking a bit sheepish about being surrounded by a bunch of strangers.

“Right, of course,” with the excitement of finally being reunited with his ship and his crew, Hongjoong had completely forgotten his promise for a moment. It was time he fulfilled it. “Yunho, Hwanwoong, Siyeon, should we go?” He asked, turning to them. Despite everything that had happened, they were still the people he trusted the most. They were a small part that had been left of what he had once called home.

The others looked like they were going to protest for a moment, but upon seeing Hongjoong’s tired face and his limp, they decided against it. They didn’t want to be separated anymore, but they also understood that, once everything was all said and done, they would hopefully have the rest of their lives together. That was far more valuable than following him to a meeting where they didn’t really have anything to do.

“We’ll be back in a moment,” Yunho reassured the crew, noticing the anxious movements and the exchange of whispers.

The man of the Resistance guided them through the ships still anchored there to what Hongjoong recognized to be Chan’s ship. The Resistance’s leader was standing in front of it, talking to other members of his crew, until he spotted them walking towards their ship.

“Hyunjin, you found them! Thank you.” Chan thanked the man who had guided them there, and Hyunjin simply shook his head, smiling softly at Chan before walking away to join the rest of the crew.

“Captain Chan,” Hongjoong greeted, walking towards him with Hwanwoong’s support.

“Captain Hongjoong,” Chan greeted back, nodding his head once. “It’s been a long battle, I’m glad to see you got out well.”

“In part thanks to your people who fought bravely,” Hongjoong smiled. “Thank you, but I assume you didn’t ask for me just to check on me?”

“Straight to the point I see,” Chan scoffed. “We said this to Yunho before, but I think it’s important to tell you as well. You’re no longer a prince, but the significance of the status you once held is unavoidable, we would like it if you left the Empire, for good.”

Hongjoong hadn’t been expecting those words to come from Chan, but it made sense. Despite his sentence and the fact that everyone had voted in favor of his death, he didn’t doubt there would be people trying to gain his favor and convince him of being a leader to fight back the Resistance. 

“Of course,” Hongjoong turned to look towards the castle before looking back at Chan. “I personally don’t wish to associate with the Empire anymore as well, so I suppose leaving would be beneficial for all of us.”

Chan’s expression softened as he nodded. He didn’t like being harsh on others, but it was often necessary in order to be taken seriously. He could almost sympathize with Hongjoong as well, understanding of the fact that they were basically stripping him of what he had once called home. However, it was a necessary step for the liberation of the people.

“I’m glad you understand.”

“As for the treasure,” Hongjoong continued. He had already chosen to commit to his promise. “We will be giving it to the Resistance, as economical support to continue with the revolution in the colonized planets.”

“We appreciate that,” Chan smiled, grateful. “Though I do think you should at least keep some of it, so you can start anew.”

Hongjoong looked at him with a little bit of surprise. To be fair, he hadn’t even thought about what they would do to earn money themselves. Chan brought a good point to the discussion, and he nodded.

“Right, of course, thank you.” Hongjoong chuckled. “That’ll certainly be helpful. We should probably start with it now, actually. You can send someone from your side, tell them to look for Seonghwa, he’s the one with the brains for money management.”

“Sure enough,” Chan laughed as well. “Seungmin!” He turned around, calling towards one of the men who were speaking behind them, in a circle. “Would you please go to the Crescent and look for a man named Seonghwa? Tell him it’s about the division of the treasure.”

“Yessir!” Seungmin, who had perked up upon being called, immediately ran off in the direction of the Crescent.

“Yunho, you should go with him, to inform Seonghwa.” Hongjoong suggested.

“Of course,” Yunho nodded. “I’ll see you there.”

“It’s been a pleasure working alongside you,” Hongjoong said, taking a step forward and extending a hand.

“Not at all, the pleasure was mine.” Chan shook his hand firmly. “Take care out there.”

“Good luck with the revolution.”

They began their walk back to the ship, slowly, when suddenly Hwanwoong stopped them and asked Siyeon if she could give them some space to talk. She looked understanding as she nodded, giving Hwanwoong an encouraging pat on the back before walking off by herself. Hongjoong looked at Hwanwoong with some confusion, but waited patiently until the other was ready to call.

“I think I’m going to join the Resistance,” Hwanwoong finally said. Hongjoong’s eyes opened wide but he waited until the other was done talking. “I love you, you’re my family, but… I think I found my call when we were fighting alongside the members of the Resistance.

“I learned so much while we were out there, about the unfairness of the regiment I was a part of, and I want to change that.” Hwanwoong smiled, sheepish. “I know your part in the war is over but, I don’t think mine is.”

“Hwanwoong…” Hongjoong muttered.

“Plus, I kinda need to find my family and try to convince them to join the cause, you know?” Hwanwoong shrugged, almost like he was trying to make excuses.

Hongjoong, with some difficulty, hugged him tightly, bringing him close. Hwanwoong and him had been together most of their lives, and he was as much of a brother to him as Taejoong and Yijoong had been. He was, in fact, the only brother he had left now. But if he understood anything in life, it was that pursuing your convictions was important. It hurt, but he wouldn’t stop him.

“I’m sorry.” Hwanwoong muttered, hugging him back.

“Don’t be,” Hongjoong smiled. “I support you. And I know we’ll see each other again.”

“Of course,” Hwanwoong laughed as well. “Neither of us is sappy enough to say goodbye.”

“You kinda are,” Hongjoong teased.

“Am not,” Hwanwoong rolled his eyes.

They hugged for a little longer, before letting each other go. Hongjoong put his hand on Hwanwoong’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, before gesturing with his head towards where Chan and his crew were. Hwanwoong looked at him in confusion.

“Go, now.” Hongjoong explained.

“But- your leg-”

“Is still complete and pretty functional, I’ll deal.” Hongjoong interrupted him, giving him a light push towards Chan’s ship.

“Right,” Hwanwoong let go of him slowly, nodding resolutely. “I’ll see you later, Hongjoong.”

“See you soon,” Hongjoong agreed, watching him go.

It took him a little longer to make it to the Crescent, but when he did, Chan’s people had already begun transferring the treasure, and his own crew was waiting for him. The conversation with Hwanwoong had made him realize that these people had been following him so far because of his status as a prince, but he wasn’t one anymore. He wanted to give them the chance to make their own lives.

“Everyone, listen please,” Hongjoong commanded, and the crowd quieted to hear him out. “Hwanwoong is no longer part of our crew, he’s decided to join the Resistance and help them out with what’s left. As you must know, I’m no longer a prince, and none of you owe me anything. I want you all to be able to make your own lives.

“If you wish to go, I won’t stop you, and if you wish to stay a part of the Crescent’s crew, I’ll welcome you with open arms, just… Let me know, I’ll be here.” He explained, knowing that some people would need time to make up their minds.

Siyeon and Handong were the first to approach him, which was certainly a bit unexpected. Handong immediately made him sit down as she started to clean and wrap up the injury on his ankle. Hongjoong didn’t even complain about the pain, grateful that she was helping him at all.

“We’re staying,” Siyeon said, helping support Hongjoong.

“Wait, really?” He turned to look at each of them. “You too, Handong?”

“Of course,” she scoffed. “No offense, but you’d be lost without me to treat your wounds.”

“That’s… fair,” Hongjoong laughed. “Thank you.”

Little by little, the people who had once been his soldiers approached him. To his surprise, a lot of them decided to stay a part of the crew. To the ones who didn’t, he made sure to give them their payment and even offer them a lift to other planets in case they had some specific plans in mind. By the time the treasure had been divided, everyone had made their decision, so he spoke again.

“Thank you so much to everyone who’s decided to part ways, and also to the ones staying. You served me well, but I think it’s time we start our next adventure.” He looked at the people who had protected him on his mission to look for the treasure, and then looked at those who he could only call his soulmates now. “All aboard the Crescent, it’s time to go!”

“Yes, sir!” Their voices echoed together as they began boarding the ship, ready to start anew.

–

The eight of them were huddled in the Captain’s quarters. Hongjoong had brought extra sheets and pillows to accommodate them all. It wasn’t the most comfortable arrangement, but none of them thought they could stay apart anymore, at least for the time being. It was finally all of them, together, and they would stick close until they got tired of each other.

Seonghwa was sitting with his legs crossed, Mingi’s head resting on his lap as the oldest massaged his head. Yeosang’s own head was resting on Mingi’s stomach, while San sat next to him with Hongjoong to his side. Wooyoung was on Hongjoong’s others side, and then Yunho and Jongho had sat together, a little bit separated from the rest so that they could all look at each other while they spoke.

“So you have a lot of siblings?” Yeosang asked, prompting Mingi to speak more about his hometown.

“Kind of? They’re all adopted.” Mingi hummed. “But I love them very much, I hope we can go visit them.”

“Of course, we need the family stamp of approval,” Hongjoong joked slightly, though he meant it when he said he wanted to go visit and know more about each of them.

“Sure, though I don’t know how much a bunch of kids can approve,” Mingi chuckled.

While they talked, Wooyoung was looking at all of them with a sort of daze to his eyes. Jongho was quick to catch on though, and he leaned forward slightly to get his attention.

“Are you okay?” Jongho’s question prompted everyone to grow quiet. Wooyoung looked at them with a bit of embarrassment and nodded.

“Yeah, I just… still can’t believe this is real, I guess?” Wooyoung raised his shoulders, almost trying to disappear between them.

“That we’re here together?” San asked, gently. They had never seen him be so gentle before.

“Yeah,” Wooyoung nodded. Hongjoong hummed slightly before turning to the rest of them.

“Hey everyone,” he called, making them turn towards him. “We’re staying together now, right?”

“Of course,” Seonghwa was quick to reassure, catching up on what Hongjoong was trying to do.”

“As if you could get rid of any of us,” Yunho mocked.

“We’re together now, Wooyoung,” Hongjoong reassured him, looking at him with a softened gaze. “It’s a promise.”

Wooyoung’s face broke into a smile and he nodded.

“Of course, a promise.” And he meant it, all of them did. They were a family now, and nothing would pull them apart ever again.

• Fandom(s):ATEEZ
• AU:Treasure Hunters
• Genre:Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
• Relationship:Everyone x Everyone, Established Hongjoong x Yunho
• Language:English
• Status:Ongoing
• Chapter WC: 3,734 words
• Warnings: Character Death, Stabbing, Fighting, Blood, Aliens, War, Funerals, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Mentions of Child Abuse / Child Work, Explosions, Murder Attempt, Robbery, Homeless/Runaway Character, Torture, Mentions of Slavery more will be added.
• Chapter Warnings: Fighting, Stabbing, Blood, War, Murder Attempt, Explosions.
• Summary:

“Yijoong, come on, you’re my blood,” Hongjoong pleaded one last time, though he knew it was futile, given the way he kept walking backwards.

“Yeah, and it’s a real shame, good thing it won’t be for long,” Yijoong lowered the sword once more and smiled. “Run.”

• AO3

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Tagged:@angel0taiyo​

“Is the bomb in position?” Chan radioed the people he had put in charge for dealing with the bomb. Mingi had prepared it, but Jongho and Yeosang definitely didn’t know how to handle it.

“Yessir,” a staticy voice replied, letting them know it was all ready.

Chan looked towards Yunho to confirm one more time that everyone was in position and that this was really what he wanted to do. Yunho nodded curtly. The tension in his body was visible only in the way he held his sword like he wanted to break it in half. It was obvious that he was desperate to get to Hongjoong. Chan could sympathize. He had had many of his people and his crew captured by the Empire, and rescuing had not been easy, or even possible, a lot of the time.

“Go ahead,” Chan gave the order.

There was a brief spark, bright against the night sky, and then the two people in charge of the bomb came running back towards them. There were a few seconds of complete silence before the ground shook under the roar of the explosion. They were far from the castle’s entrance, but the earth under their feet still moved and slid off as the castle’s doors were completely destroyed and blown off their hinges.

Everyone stood with their mouths agape. Was it even possible for such an explosion to occur from a comparatively small recipient like the one Mingi had sent them? It was inevitable when they felt pride bloom in their chests. They hadn’t known Mingi was capable of creating something so powerful and mortal, but it was a good fit for the otherwise sweet miner. They would have to let them know how proud they were of him once they made it back with their Captain.

Once the ground had stopped shaking, Chan gave the signal with a flare gun, and the ground began shaking again under the strength of his army. The Empire’s soldiers met them on the entrance, but the members of the Resistance couldn’t be stopped as they barreled through the confused and disorganized army. The ground had sunken under the force of the explosion, so it was difficult to cross, but eventually the castle was overpowered by the force of the Resistance.

Yunho waited a little before joining the rest of the Resistance in the castle’s invasion. Seonghwa and San followed suit, and unfortunately, so did Jongho and Yeosang, but there was no time to fight them on it. The Empire’s army was quickly recovering, and though they hadn’t been able to avoid their entrance, they had managed to hold them back at the entrance hall. They needed to get to Hongjoong.

“Stay between me and Seonghwa!” San yelled at Yeosang and Jongho, who quickly did as told as San parried the attack of a soldier, hitting them on the head with the hilt of his sword before kicking them away.

Yunho was fighting his own battle next to them, trying to keep the soldier at bay from reaching his people. Yeosang and Jongho held their own weapons tightly, they didn’t know how to fight, but if it came to it, they would do it with their lives. In fact, Yeosang wasn’t even thinking when he saw a soldier running towards Seonghwa, who was already busy fighting someone else. He ran forward and stabbed them with his sword on the side.

The man fell, and San was already retrieving the sword and pulling a frozen Yeosang back, who looked horrified at his own hands. He pushed Yeosang back between the three of them, but the damage was done, so Jongho took over, because San needed to continue protecting them.

“I stabbed a man,” Yeosang’s strained voice barely came through as Jongho grabbed his hands and pulled them down.

“He would have hurt Seonghwa, you did nothing wrong,” Jongho reassured him. “We can’t stay here Yeosang, you need to get it together right now.”

Yeosang nodded, there was a hint of tears in his eyes, but he pushed it back and they moved forward through the path the other three opened during the fight. He could panic about his own actions later, but right now, they needed to get out of there alive and safe, for the sake of Hongjoong, and of Mingi and Wooyoung waiting for them back at The Crescent.

–

Hongjoong took a step back as Yijoong took a step forward. There was dust in the air from the explosion, and it was hard both to breathe and see, but there was no mistaking the sword in Yijoong’s hand. What was even more concerning though, was the quiet fury with which Yijoong held himself. He was tense and his face had acquired a reddish tone to it. Clearly, he wasn’t in the mood for arguing, but Hongjoong had to at least try, right? His brother wouldn’t kill him by his own hand.

“Yijoong?” Hongjoong’s voice came out way more shaky than he would’ve liked.

“You know, Hongjoong,  I never should have given this job to anyone else,” Yijoong held the sword up and looked at it with interest, almost like he was examining the sharpness of it. “I should’ve just done it myself.”

“You can’t be serious,” Hongjoong laughed nervously.

“We already went through this, or are you that stupid?” Yijoong scoffed. “You’re not my brother, Hongjoong, you’re not part of this family anymore. Your stupid little hero complex and your drive to do good are a problem, a threat. I’m going to put an end to that.”

“Yijoong, come on, you’re my blood,” Hongjoong pleaded one last time, though he knew it was futile, given the way he kept walking backwards.

“Yeah, and it’s a real shame, good thing it won’t be for long,” Yijoong lowered the sword once more and smiled. “Run.”

Hongjoong didn’t even think twice as he turned around and began running. He wouldn’t have played into Yijoong’s little fucked up game if he had had a weapon, but as it was, his best chance at surviving was simply to run. The dungeons were relatively large, so if he played it correctly, he might be able to make it to the exit and find help outside.

Yijoong was a relatively fast runner, so Hongjoong couldn’t find a moment of rest. He found himself turning corners and trying to make it back to the exit, but every time it seemed like Yijoong would read his mind and be waiting for him back in the main hallway. The dungeons were big, however, so maybe if he ran away far enough, Yijoong would be forced to follow him.

Just as he encountered Yijoong once again in front of the exit, he took an aggressive turn and began running towards the back of the dungeons, hoping that his plan would work, or that it would at least give him some more time. It took a moment, but Yijoong finally realized he wasn’t turning and began to follow him, face contorted in a snare. Hongjoong couldn’t see it though, as he was too focused on running.

He looked back and slowed down when he didn’t see his brother, trying to find him and see if it was safe to run back to the entrance. Just as he turned around once again, he saw Yijoong stepping forward and trying to stab him with the sword. Hongjoong managed to move to the side just in time to avoid a fatal injury, but he didn’t come out unscathed. Yijoong had silently approached him against all his expectations, but this was his chance.

Hongjoong stumbled back a little before regaining his footing and running straight towards the exit, this time with Yijoong following behind and no chance of him overcoming him in the race. Or that was how it was supposed to be, but as a member of the royal family, Yijoong also owned a chimera. Hongjoong didn’t remember this until the spiked whip curled around his ankle and pulled him down.

He screamed in pain as the spikes drew blood and his body hit the ground. He turned to try and untangle it but every little move caused the spikes to sink further and hurt him even more. Eventually, when Yijoong was close enough to hold him down without the need of the whip, it uncurled and transformed back into a sword. Hongjoong tried to move, but Yijoong was quick to step on his injured ankle, causing him to yelp in pain once again. It was futile.

“Any last words, Hongjoong?” Yijoong asked, a smug smile on his face after finally trapping him at the end of his little cat and mouse game.

Hongjoong simply looked at him with anger. He knew Yijoong’s words were empty. There was nothing he could say or do that would convince him not to kill him, and Hongjoong didn’t want to waste all the things he wished he could’ve said to his crew on ears that didn’t care. If he was to die, then he would die with his love and weaknesses buried deep in his chest. His brother didn’t deserve the satisfaction of knowing that side of him.

“Very well then,” Yijoong’s smile fell slightly as he lifted the sword. And despite his intentions, Hongjoong closed his eyes.

–

“This is no good,” Yunho groaned. “We don’t know that Hongjoong is still in the dungeons, they might have taken him out to finish the work themselves.”

The five of them were sitting behind the throne in the throne room, having managed to make their way out of the main fight and find a place to plan out their next movements. They were all covered in sweat and blood, but they were making their best effort not to pay attention to that. Yunho was right, however, they had no clue about Hongjoong’s whereabouts.

“We should split, then,” Seonghwa suggested, against his own wishes. He didn’t want to say goodbye and then never be able to see them again, but they would cover more ground like that.

“Terrible idea, but what choice do we have?” San huffed. “The faster we find Hongjoong, the sooner we can get out of here.”

“In that case, Seonghwa, San, you two take Yeosang with you and go to the dungeons to check.” Yunho pointed to a hallway a little ways from them. “If you go down that hallway and down the staircase at the end of it, you should be directly at the dungeons.”

“What about you?” Yeosang asked. He was frowning, convinced that Yunho was going to do something dangerous. He was absolutely right.

“I’ll take Jongho with me and we’ll go looking for the Emperor’s quarters, I haven’t seen him in battle so he must be staying hidden just in case. His quarters are hard to reach.” Yunho explained as he looked at Jongho for confirmation that he was okay with that. Jongho nodded.

“Are you sure? Isn’t he a very skilled fighter?” Seonghwa frowned, looking unconvinced. Everything he had heard from the Kim Empire’s family was that they were all amazingly skilled fighters and strategists.

“Yes, but out of all of us, I’m the only one who has ever seen him fight, so I have better chances.” Yunho shrugged. “He might not be there anyway, remember our main objective is to find Hongjoong.”

“Very well, let’s get going then,” San stood up, agreeing with Yunho’s reasoning, but Yunho stopped him before he could go.

“Don’t be reckless,” Yunho said, looking at all of them seriously. “Stay safe. We’ll see you when this is over.” San held his gaze and nodded.

“You too.”

Yunho and Jongho watched as the other three disappeared through the hallway Yunho had pointed out earlier before they began moving. Carefully, and as quietly as they could, Yunho guided them both through sets of stairs and hallways that were almost completely deserted, as the main battle was being fought downstairs. Occasionally they would find staff members that Yunho recognized, but they had no fighting experience, so Yunho would let them continue hiding and taking shelter from the atrocities going on elsewhere in the castle.

Eventually, they arrived at the private chambers, which they checked first. The four of them were empty and pristine clean, almost as if no one had touched them in a while, not even time. Yunho took them both to the war room, just in case, but this one too was empty. The only place left he could think of was the Emperor’s study. 

The study was a small room at the end of one of the side corridors. It was the Emperor’s favorite room, and no one was allowed into it without his permission, not even his own sons. It was almost sacred for him, and offered him far more privacy than his own room did, which was perhaps the reason why he preferred it. It was positioned in such an obscure part of the castle that probably only its inhabitants would be able to find it, which meant it was the perfect hiding place.

Yunho instructed Jongho to keep absolutely quiet as they approached the room, since they didn’t want to alert the Emperor. They waited outside the room for a moment, listening carefully to check how many people were inside. Yunho could make out the crackling of a fireplace, but other than that, the room was completely silent. He took a deep breath, and pushed the door open slowly. He wasn’t surprised to hear it creak, as it had probably been done on purpose so the Emperor could tell when someone was coming in.

“Ah, Yijoong, are you done with…” The Emperor’s voice went silent as he turned around and found Yunho and Jongho standing in the place where he had expected his son to be. “You.”

His eyes were placed firmly on Yunho. The Emperor recognized him. Of course he did, Yunho was dating one of his sons, even if he was trying to kill said son. Emperor Kim had never approved of Yunho and Hongjoong’s relationship, because in his eyes Yunho was nothing more than a soldier, a pawn. Of course, he never interfered. Hongjoong was barely in the public eye and he had been planning to get rid of him anyway. No wonder their relationship had always worked so well despite the lack of approval.

“Emperor Kim,” Yunho nodded. He was holding his sword in a defensive position, ready to jump into battle at the smallest sign. “I see Hongjoong isn’t here.” He noted, giving a quick look around the room.

“Oh,” the Emperor smiled, his lips curling into something twisted. “So you haven’t found him, too bad. Yijoong is probably finishing the job right now.” He laughed lightly. “My poor son, if only he had been more malleable.”

Yunho’s mouth was closed tightly. He wanted to pretend like the words of the Emperor didn’t affect him, but they did. He was worried for Hongjoong. Even if he knew how to defend himself, how much could he really do when he was weaponless and battered up? He felt Jongho press a hand to the back of his armor and it snapped back to focus. Yunho couldn’t lose himself like that at the moment, he had to trust the others would find Hongjoong in time. Right now, however, he had the perfect opportunity of defeating the Emperor himself, after all the harm he had caused Hongjoong.

“Don’t speak about him like that, you poor excuse of a person,” Yunho growled, stepping forward into the room.

“I, a poor excuse of a person? Please, Hongjoong, you and the rest of your pathetic crew was working with criminals against the Empire, if anything, you are the ones who have failed.” The Emperor grinned, stepping back and swiftly grabbing his sword from where it was resting against the fireplace.

“You failed the entirety of your Empire, everyone out there is suffering from your mismanagement.” Yunho retorted, walking more confidently into the room. The Emperor followed his steps, keeping an equal amount of distance at all times.

“What’s the life of a few people in exchange for greatness?” The Emperor shrugged. “Sacrifices had to be made.”

“I’m going to stop you.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

Without hesitation, Yunho threw himself forward, against the Emperor.

–

San, Seonghwa and Yeosang followed the path Yunho had instructed with quick precision. They were running against time. The dungeons were bigger than they had thought, but it wasn’t hard to find Hongjoong when he was lying close to the entrance with his brother on top of him, already raising his sword to kill him.

Seonghwa didn’t even think about it and threw himself in front, parrying Yijoong’s sword with his own and pushing him back off of Hongjoong’s ankle. He briefly heard Hongjoong’s exhaling in relief at the weight being lifted, before he was being completely thrown into battle. Yijoong was visibly enraged, but Seonghwa kept his composure as he parried and evaded attack after attack, focusing on keeping his balance since his leg was still a bit sore from his incident in the treasure’s chambers.

Yijoong’s attacks were furious and erratic, making it hard for Seonghwa to keep them under control. He was forced to play entirely on the defensive side, until eventually his leg gave in and he fell to his knees. He braced himself for the impact of the sword, but instead he was greeted by the sound of metal clashing against metal, as San jumped right in the middle of the battle with his own sword raised high.

He immediately forced Yijoong to step back, using the momentum and the surprise to interrupt his attack streak and force him into a defensive stance. Yijoong was soon forced to step back as San attacked him relentlessly, using his sword with a mastery he had never seen among his own soldiers. He couldn’t keep up with the assassin, and soon he found himself on the floor as his sword was flung several feet away from him. He immediately tried to turn around and grab it, but the sword against his throat stopped him.

“Give me a reason to not put an end to your life right now,” San muttered, poison lacing his voice. He didn’t think he had ever been so angry in someone else’s behalf, but he had just walked in to this low life trying to kill Hongjoong of all people, so of course he was enraged.

“Don’t.” Hongjoong’s voice immediately interrupted his train of thought.

San didn’t turn around, knowing better than to take his attention away from someone who very clearly was looking for a chance to escape. Yeosang helped Hongjoong stand up, holding his weight without complaint. Hongjoong’s ankle was battered and bleeding, but he tried to pay it no mind as he asked Yeosang to lean him against the wall so he could help Seonghwa as well.

“It’s not worth it, San,” Hongjoong spoke. There was a hint of pain in his voice, but he was firm. “Let the Resistance deal with him, there’s no need for you to do this anymore.”

San’s eyes were firmly trained on Yijoong, who had moved enough to cause the sword to nick him on the neck. Hongjoong’s words tasted of the sweet pain of liberation, and yet, he almost wanted to cling to those chains because in front of him was the man who had tasked him to murder who was now his love. But Hongjoong was right. There was no reason for him to carry more blood in his hands than he did already.

He put his sword down and kicked Yijoong straight on the chest, forcing him down. Without words, he forced him to turn around and held his arms tightly against his back, before helping him stand up. Yijoong struggled against his hold, but San simply tightened it. He might look small, but he was probably stronger than anyone currently in the room. 

“Where is f-… Where is Emperor Kim?” Hongjoong asked, trying to erase all traces of hesitation from his face.

“You really think I’d tell you?” Yijoong’s snarl turned into a whimper as San held him tighter and pressed the hilt of his sword against his back.

“I might have forgiven your life, but I will not hesitate to make you suffer if you don’t cooperate,” San hissed from behind him. Yijoong swallowed but nodded quickly.

“Fine,” he nodded towards the exit. “He’s in his study.”

–

Yunho parried an attack before immediately following with one of his own, but the Emperor was light on his feet as he avoided it. They were neck to neck, neither of them giving in to the other. The study was in complete disarray from them throwing things to try and distract or  hurt the other. The air in the room was suffocating, damp with their exhales and sweat, and the heat of the fireplace didn’t help at all.

For a moment, he wondered if he would make it out of this fight at all, but then he thought of Jongho watching him fight, and he knew he couldn’t fail in front of him. So he pushed forward, crossing swords with the Emperor again and again as they went around the room. He knew there was nothing much he could do other than win. The others didn’t know where they were, and it would probably be a long time before the Resistance eventually found this room. It was all or nothing.

The Emperor gave a quick flick of his sword to Yunho’s wrist and he hissed, stepping back as he tried to regain the grip on his sword. The Emperor used the opportunity to lunge forward, and Yunho barely had the opportunity to stop the sword right in front of his face. He groaned, supporting the Emperor’s weight as he pushed forward to try and overpower him. Yunho was about to give in when the weight lifted off of him for just a second as the Emperor looked forward past him.

“Yijoong?”

Yunho quickly deflected the sword and disarmed the Emperor by hitting his hand with the hilt of his own sword, and immediately swiping under him to force him onto his knees. The Emperor yelped, falling forward, and when he raised his head, Yunho’s sword was pointed straight at it, ready to end his life

• Fandom(s):ATEEZ
• AU: Treasure Hunters
• Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
• Relationship: Everyone x Everyone, Established Hongjoong x Yunho
• Language:English
• Status: Ongoing
• Chapter WC: 4,255 words
• Warnings: Character Death, Stabbing, Fighting, Blood, Aliens, War, Funerals, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Mentions of Child Abuse / Child Work, Explosions, Murder Attempt, Robbery, Homeless/Runaway Character, Torture, Mentions of Slavery more will be added.
• Chapter Warnings: Fighting, Stabbing, Blood, War.
• Summary:

“Today is the day you abandon the Kim Empire, which has betrayed you and your mission to protect the Prince, and join me to fight your last battle under the command of Prince Hongjoong.” Yunho’s voice was loud even in the midst of the battle. It was clear he had been trained to lead. “I will not force you to give your life for this cause, for your duties have become null from today and moving forward, but I will ask you, will you join us?”

• AO3

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Hongjoong trashed around with all his might, flailing his limbs as much as he could to see if he could free himself and make a run for it. It was useless. He looked frantically around, his eyes meeting with the people from the press and the witnesses who probably thought he was out of his mind. People who probably thought he had actually murdered his own brother. Some people in the crowd looked horrified, others confused, others were satisfied with the knowledge that justice had been apparently served. No one stepped forward to help.

He was dragged outside with brute force and the last thing he saw before the doors closed was his brother’s satisfied smile and his father’s impassive rictus. Hongjoong wanted to go right back in and erase those expressions from their faces. Something stopped him though. It was the sound of an alarm, a sound he had grown up with as a member of one of the biggest royal families in the universe. It was a sound of war, but to him, it was now a sound of hope.

He couldn’t help but smile, relief flowing through his veins. For a moment he stopped fighting and the guards stopped dragging him as they looked up to the sky and saw the hundreds of vessels descending towards the castle. Hongjoong let out an exhilarating laugh and it was like that snapped the guards back into action, because they began dragging him again. He struggled but his eyes were glued to the sky.

It dawned on him there that this was the end of the Empire he was once a Prince of. One of the biggest battles in the Kim Empire was about to happen and the crown his family had carried for generations was going to be destroyed. He regretted, deeply, the fact that he had taken too long to realize the wrongdoings of his own blood. Maybe things could have been different.

He tried to escape even though there was no point, because he didn’t have the strength to escape the guards he had helped train. Hongjoong turned towards the sky one more time, looking for a sign. Right before they pulled him into the castle once again through one of the many entrances, he saw The Crescent, shooting through the sky at its maximum speed. His heart swelled in his chest with a mix of pride and hope, and then the sky was covered by the castle’s ceiling.

–

“Prepare for a forced landing!” One of the men yelled.

Yunho made certain everyone was tightly holding onto something as Hwanwoong directed the ship to the best of his skills. The earth was littered with ships and people from the Resistance trying to move forward against the Empire’s army, and they had to navigate around them. The ship shook and threw them around a bit as they landed, but they managed to make it safely onto land as the legs extended and stabilized the vessel.

“We have landed!” The same soldier yelled, letting them know it was safe to move around.

“Attention, soldiers!” Yunho ordered. 

He was standing on the quarterdeck, next to Hwanwoong who was on the steering wheel. The soldiers gathered on the deck, wearing their full armor and weaponry, as they prepared for their last battle serving the Prince of an Empire that was about to fall. The ship was bubbling with unshed energy, and it seemed full to the brim even though this was the least amount of tripulation they have had in the past few months. 

“Today is the day you abandon the Kim Empire, which has betrayed you and your mission to protect the Prince, and join me to fight your last battle under the command of Prince Hongjoong.” Yunho’s voice was loud even in the midst of the battle. It was clear he had been trained to lead. “I will not force you to give your life for this cause, for your duties have become null from today and moving forward, but I will ask you, will you join us?”

“Yes!” The soldiers clamored, hitting swords against shields and filling up the battlefield with noise.

“Remember then that everyone out there who isn’t part of this crew or who isn’t wearing the Resistance’s arm band is your enemy!” Yunho raised his sword. “It doesn’t matter if you fought alongside them in the past, today you’ll face each other in battle. Let’s do this! For Prince Hongjoong!”

“For Prince Hongjoong!” The soldiers echoed.

“For the cause!” Yunho exclaimed, brandishing his sword once more.

“For the cause!” The soldiers repeated once again, their voices raising even louder as they raised their swords in salutation.

“March forward now! May nothing stop your path!” Yunho gave his final order.

The soldiers descended from the ship among screams of war and support for each other. Hwanwoong and Siyeon led them, but Yunho stayed behind, making sure the few non-fighters they still had wouldn’t leave the ship. Thankfully, San and Seonghwa seemed to have a similar idea, because they let none of them slip past them.

“We’re going too!” Yeosang was the first to protest, unsurprisingly for everyone else there.

“No you’re not,” Yunho’s voice was firm. In that moment, he wasn’t their friend nor a destined lover. He was commanding a small battalion, and he would not let civilians get hurt.

“We can help you,” Mingi added, looking the most defiant he had looked in the entire voyage. A part of Yunho was proud.

“This is like nothing we’ve done before, not even the fight with the slave ship comes close to the battle that we’re fighting today.” Yunho explained. “You’ll stay here, safe. You’ll help us more if we don’t have to worry about you.”

Yunho’s gaze was so unfamiliar and cold that they couldn’t even protest. They knew he was doing it for their safety, but it was strange having that gaze directed at them. Wooyoung touched Yeosang’s shoulder and Mingi’s arm, and they both relented. If anyone knew for certain what was best for them, it was him.

“Thank you,” Yunho’s gaze softened slightly, before hardening once again. There was no room for weaknesses in the battlefield. “San, you’re coming with me. Seonghwa, how is your leg doing?”

“Wait, me?” San asked, incredulous. Yunho scoffed, but he smiled slightly.

“We’ve already done a dangerous mission together before,” Yunho explained, shrugging slightly. “I know you’ll have my back.”

San looked at him with stars in his eyes, and that was perhaps the most emotion Yunho had ever seen in those eyes besides the moment he had revealed his truth to them. To San, those words were the glorious forgiveness he had been waiting for. He was speechless, so he simply nodded and stepped back, carefully reining in his expression to focus on the task at hand. Finally his mission was not to kill, but to save someone.

“Seonghwa?” Yunho turned once more towards the merchant, who was observing the exchange with a smile, as were the others. 

“My leg should be no impediment when slaying some traitors,” Seonghwa nodded once, hand already resting on the hilt of his sword.

“Perfect then,” Yunho smiled back before turning towards the others. “Please stay safe, we’ve made it so far as the eight of us, we need to make it until the end.”

“Don’t worry,” Wooyoung reassured him. “Everything will go well.”

Yunho nodded, making the conscious decision to trust him. He needed to focus his energy on saving Hongjoong rather than on worrying about the possible outcomes. Whatever was meant to happen would happen, and he believed that they would make it out alive and well despite everything. He tried, especially, to not think about the consequences of turning against the Empire that had raised him once and betrayed him now. He tried not to think of the implications of the truth behind the Empire. Instead, he focused all of his thoughts on Hongjoong and on the people fighting with him now. That was all that mattered.

“Let’s go, we need to catch up.” Yunho ordered, but didn’t leave without saying goodbye to the others and promising their return. 

When they left the ship, the ground was already littered with the bodies of the fallen, and it seemed like the Resistance had already made good progress, even though they were still a good ways from the castle. They jogged forward, their small battalion fighting a battle just at the edge of their vision. They felt nervous. Yunho hadn’t fought in a war for months, and the other two had never been in one to begin with, but they were also full of conviction.

As they approached the battle, the sounds of swords clashing against other swords and shields became louder, and it was almost impossible to distinguish any other sounds besides it. They ran right into the heart of the battle. Yunho yelled at them to keep their shields up before everything devolved into chaos, and suddenly they were fighting not only to rescue Hongjoong, but also for their lives. And it was a battle they intended to win.

–

Wooyoung waited with a baited breath for a moment until he was sure that Yunho, Seonghwa and San had left before letting out a loud exhale and allowing his shoulders to slump. It had been extremely hard to act convincingly at that moment, but he knew it needed to be done. Yunho would have never let them out of that ship, even if his life depended on it. Wooyoung did feel a little guilty for tricking him, but he was sure that they would thank him later.

“Wooyoung?” Jongho asked. There was a certain uncertainty in his voice that told him he had already caught up to his plans. “We’re not staying here, are we?”

“Of course not,” Wooyoung chuckled. “I feel so bad for lying but we still need to do one more thing before we can even think of resting.”

“Yes!” Yeosang celebrated, being the most restless among them. “I can’t believe they actually wanted to keep us here.”

“What are we doing then?” Mingi asked, perking up at the knowledge that they would be doing something.

“The castle is extremely fortified so we’re gonna need to help them break through,” Wooyoung explained.

“More explosions?” Jongho raised an eyebrow, smiling ever so slightly when he saw Mingi moving in the corner of his eye.

“More explosions,” Wooyoung nodded, mirroring Mingi’s bright smile.

Mingi’s knowledge on explosives had been essential throughout their whole trip, and it had clearly affected him positively, because he even looked excited to lend his knowledge and services again. They were on the final stretch of their journey. Naturally, they couldn’t stay still. If there was anything they could do to help, they would.

“I’m not sure how much dynamite we have left after the treasure, but I’m sure I can improvise something strong.” Mingi explained, holding his hands together to keep them still against his chest.

“Let’s go then,” Wooyoung grabbed Mingi’s hand and gave it a soft squeeze. “I know we’re gonna take a while, so we need to start working now.”

They went to the hold and helped carry out the materials together. Mingi wanted to work outside in case something went wrong and the explosives went off inside the ship. They were all pretty confident Mingi could never mess up like that, but followed him anyway for his peace of mind. After all, he would need as much concentration as possible to manipulate the explosives.

Mingi directed them so they manipulated the materials correctly, and they were very careful under his guidance, to help him work even faster than he would by himself. It still took them quite a few hours, but they ended up with a powerful enough explosive, capable of blowing off a good chunk of the castle’s walls in order to let the Resistance in. All they needed to do was take it there.

“What do we do now?” Yeosang asked. They were all keeping a respectful distance from the explosive.

“You and Jongho will take it using one of the sliders.” Wooyoung explained. His arms were crossed over his chest and he seemed to be pondering something.

“Only the two of us? What about you?” Jongho asked, eyes opened a little wide after hearing the instructions.

“I’m still pretty weak from overusing my power,” Wooyoung chuckled, trying to shrug off their worried glances. “And I’m afraid Mingi could injure himself because of the state of his prosthetics.”

“Sorry,” Mingi mumbled quickly, but the others were quick to reassure him.

“It’s not your fault, we just want you to stay safe.” Yeosang reassured him, grabbing his hands and swinging them softly between them.

“Where do we need to go?” Jongho asked, redirecting the conversation.

“Towards the castle’s doors.” Wooyoung pointed towards the horizon. The castle was visible in the distance, though it looked much smaller than it actually was. “The explosive might be strong enough to go directly through the walls, but we can’t risk it failing.”

“Let’s load it up right now then,” Mingi urged them. “The Resistance’s line has advanced a lot, we need to be there in time.”

“He’s right, let’s go for the slider Yeosang.” Jongho grabbed him by the arm and gave him a slight tug so Yeosang would let go of Mingi’s hands.

They brought a slider onto the deck, carefully maneuvering it around the ship, since it was a bit big. The vehicle whirred gently as it hovered on top of the deck, almost like it was waiting for their command. With some help from Jongho, Mingi loaded the bomb on the slider’s cart. Yeosang sat on the driver’s seat because he remembered how to drive it from the expedition, and Jongho sat next to him. Wooyoung had gotten them a couple of weapons for their protection that he had found in the ship’s armory.

“Remember you’re not soldiers or fighters, okay? Try to stay away from conflict as much as possible and focus on getting to the doors.” Wooyoung reminded them, standing on Yeosang’s side.

“The bomb is powerful but also quite volatile, be careful, okay?” Mingi added as well, leaning towards Jongho.

“We’ll stay safe and be back before you even notice, alright?” Jongho reassured them. Wooyoung and Mingi both nodded, although Mingi looked much less convinced than the Somnum. “Let’s go Yeosang.”

And off they went, ready to complete their part of the mission.

–

Yunho retrieved his sword as he kicked the man he had just stabbed away. He had lost his helmet at some point and was completely covered in sweat, but so far, none of the blood on him was his. The rush of battle felt extremely familiar to him as his chameleon shifted forms between swords, throwing daggers and spears, but the anxiety of not having Hongjoong by his side was overwhelming. He had only fought without his Prince by his side a few times, and all those times he had been certain that he wasn’t incarcerated by people who wanted to kill him so desperately.

He knew he wasn’t alone though. Yunho could feel and see San and Seonghwa fighting by his side, protecting his back as well as each others’. And damn were they good fighters. Seonghwa moved with a grace that was characteristic to him, almost like he was performing an art rather than fighting in the middle of a war. San’s movements were lethal on the other hand; precise and quick, always aiming at the right spot to subdue his adversaries. It was amazing to catch glimpses of their fights amongst his own. 

Despite everything, he felt very alive at that moment. Yunho decided he was grateful for having met them all, despite the circumstances that had led them to their meeting. Whether he chose to believe in destiny or not, he couldn’t deny that they all fit well together. He allowed himself to think, for just a moment, what it would be like to spar against them on the ship’s deck, far away from the war and the danger. Yunho felt his chest swell with conviction. He was determined to get them all back home, to start a new life together.

“Careful!” Seonghwa’s voice broke through the noise of the battle.

Yunho felt weight on his side as Seonghwa was pushed against him by a soldier from the Empire. Seonghwa parried an attack and kicked the person on the stomach, sending them toppling over another body. San finished them off with a stab to the neck, the only spot that wasn’t covered by the armor. Yunho nodded at them, thankful that they were covering his back.

“Have you seen Chan?” Yunho asked, taking a breath now that they had finished off the group that had approached them. They had a bit of time.

“The Resistance’s leader? I saw him a moment ago, he was ahead of us, why?” Seonghwa leaned back, trying to stretch. His body hurt, as he had never had to fight like this before.

“I want to talk to him about rescuing Hongjoong,” Yunho’s face was carefully devoid of expression. He had been thinking about it for a while, but if Chan wanted to get rid of the imperial family, would that include Hongjoong as well? And what about Hwanwoong, who was also fighting alongside him?

“Oh… You don’t think he’ll want to let him go?” San breathed out, realization hitting him.

“I’m hoping he will.” Yunho sighed. “Follow me.”

He began walking ahead, roughly in the direction where Seonghwa had pointed towards before. It didn’t take them long to arrive at a tent that the Resistance had set up. They worked fast. The tent was noisy with the moans of the injured and the strong voices of the commanders as they planned how to move forward. Night was about to fall, and no one wanted to be caught alone in the middle of the darkness, so both sides were retreating.

“Chan,” Yunho greeted as soon as he found the Resistance’s leader. Chan approached him and accepted his hand in greeting, pulling him in to pat his back.

“Yunho, I see you’ve found one of our posts. How is your crew fairing so far?” Chan had a nasty cut on his cheek, but other than that he seemed untouched. The blood on his uniform told a different story about those who had crossed his path.

“We’re doing well, no losses so far,” Yunho nodded.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Chan nodded back, smiling. “What brings you here?”

“It’s about Hongjoong…” Yunho looked around carefully. He wasn’t sure what the rest of the Resistance thought of the Prince.

“Right, of course,” Chan’s smile tightened as he raised an arm and pointed to another part of the tent. “Let’s go over there.”

They followed him in silence, shuffling through the pallets and putting their best effort into not upsetting the injured. The space was decorated with a table covered in maps and a few chairs; it seemed like they had been examining the terrain. The spot was abandoned now, which gave them the opportunity to talk in private.

“So… Hongjoong is the prince, right?” Chan asked, breaking the silence first.

“Yes, we’re sorry for lying.” Yunho admitted without hesitation. They needed to be honest if they wanted things to work out.

“Are you part of the royal family too?” Chan tilted his head, looking at the three of them.

“No, I was a soldier from the Empire and they just happened to work on our ship,” Yunho was quick to explain. “We need to save Hongjoong.”

“You’re aware that we need to successfully get rid of the entire imperial family if we want to achieve a true revolution, right?” Chan crossed his arms, his brow furrowing.

“I understand your mission, but Hongjoong means so much to us, he means everything to me…” Yunho kept his voice low as he tried to make his case. He felt desperate, but he didn’t want to claim anyone’s attention. “He never wanted or cared about power, and you know he is on your side.”

“He said that while lying to me about his identity, why wouldn’t that be a lie as well?” Chan sighed, leaning away from them. He had been thinking about that a lot. Had he trusted the wrong people?

“There must have been a reason why you trusted us at that moment, and a reason why you trusted Wooyoung, right?” Yunho pressed further. “I’m asking you to trust us again.”

And Yunho was right. Chan had felt something at that moment. He had known they were telling the truth and had felt a sense of allyship he had never felt before with government agents. Despite the lies, his gut had never told him they were the enemy, and he always tried to trust his intuition. At that moment, his intuition was telling him to trust Yunho.

“Very well, I’ll make sure no one gets in your way of rescuing Hongjoong,” Chan conceded. “In exchange, however, you’ll have to get out of here. The Imperial Family has to be gone, he’ll be exiled.”

Yunho nodded, and accepted the hand Chan was offering, as if closing the deal. The Empire had nothing else for them anymore, if anything, he was certain that Hongjoong would want out of there as soon as possible.

“Deal,” he agreed.

“Very well,” Chan clapped his hands, a friendly smile returning to his face. “You’re welcome to stay here until the morning. We’re not that far away from the castle anymore, we should be able to arrive there tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” Yunho nodded, and they watched him leave.

“Can we go outside for a moment? It feels clamped in here.” Seonghwa asked after a moment. He could still feel the tension from the conversation clinging onto his skin, and wanted nothing to do with it.

“Let’s go,” Yunho agreed, following them outside the tent.

San let out a big sigh as they breathed in the cold night air. They could see the castle’s lights from there, silhouetting the imposing figure in the dark sky. It was so weird for Yunho to think that he was now fighting against the place he had called home for so many years, even if ultimately, he had his suspicions that it had been that same government the one to put him in that situation to begin with.

They stayed there in silence for a few minutes. Yunho had the feeling that both San and Seonghwa wanted to comment about his conversation with Chan, but he was grateful that they were keeping silent instead. There was nothing more to be said, and Chan was right in wanting Hongjoong exiled. Yunho doubted Hongjoong would want to take control of the Empire anyway.

“Is that one of our gliders?” San’s voice broke through his thoughts and Yunho looked up to find that, indeed, one of their ship’s gliders was moving towards them.

“Wh-,” he didn’t even finish, because the faces of the culprits came into view soon enough.

“Oh god, are those Yeosang and Jongho?” Seonghwa asked with a gaping mouth.

And yes, certainly, Yeosang and Jongho were driving towards them with big smiles on their faces, glad to have found them after so long and when it was so dark out already. Yunho felt relieved to see they were okay, but he also felt a little murderous. Why were they there?

“What in heaven’s sake are you doing here?” He tried to keep his voice level.

“Wooyoung said you’d need this.” Jongho  said as Yeosang  parked next to them and directed their attention to the back of the glider, where the potent explosive Mingi had crafted for them was resting.

“What for…?” San’s eyes were open wide. 

“We’re gonna blow the castle’s doors up,” Yeosang grinned.

“Right,” Yunho sighed, he hadn’t even thought of that. Wooyoung was truly a step ahead of them. “Seonghwa? Go find Chan please, tell him we need to change the plans.”

“Roger that.”

—

Hongjoong was pacing around his cell, impatiently waiting for things to happen. He wasn’t certain how much time had passed. His body hurt from the tension and the bruises of the beating he had gotten from the guards as they had pushed him into the cell, but he couldn’t feel much with how full of adrenaline his body was. He knew the others were fighting outside, but the uncertainty of their condition was killing him.

Almost on command, as if the universe had listened to him, the castle began to shake all around him under a powerful explosion that sent him toppling to the ground. A chunk of the ceiling fell next to him, and he grabbed it quickly, an idea forming in his head. As soon as the shaking calmed down, he ran towards the cell’s door and began hitting the lock with the rock, hoping it would break it. 

It took a moment, since the angle was uncomfortable and difficult, but eventually the lock fell to the floor. Hongjoong dropped the rock immediately. His hand was red, raw and bleeding, but he didn’t care. He pushed the door open and made a break towards the exit, but he was stopped by the silhouette of his brother standing at the end of the corridor.

“Oh, Hongjoong, just the person I wanted to see.” Yijeong smiled, but Hongjoong’s eyes were trained on the glistening sword Yijeong was holding.

• Fandom(s):ATEEZ
• AU: Treasure Hunters
• Genre:Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
• Relationship:Everyone x Everyone, Established Hongjoong x Yunho
• Language:English
• Status:Ongoing
• Chapter WC: 3,445 words
• Warnings:Character Death, Stabbing, Fighting, Blood, Aliens, War, Funerals, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Mentions of Child Abuse / Child Work, Explosions, Murder Attempt, Robbery, Homeless/Runaway Character, Torture, Mentions of Slavery more will be added.
• Chapter Warnings: Fighting, Mentions of Child Work, Mentions of Slavery.
• Summary:

“How do you plead?” The Emperor asked, barely blinking as he held Hongjoong’s gaze.

“Not guilty, Your Highness.”

• AO3

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Hongjoong opened his eyes to the dark ceiling of the prison cell. He hadn’t been sleeping, not quite, but had instead focused on remaining calm and thinking about escape plans. He wasn’t entirely sure how many hours it had been already, but was almost certain that it was probably the dawn of the next day already. No one had come to see him ever since he had been dropped in that cell. 

He patted the inside of his coat subconsciously only to find his compass was gone. He sat up, aware this time, and deliberately patted himself down to confirm the compass wasn’t on him. Hongjoong cursed under his breath. The guards must have taken it while he was out in the ship, or maybe even when they had taken him to the cell. He couldn’t help but wonder if he would be able to get it back, even though there were more important things at stake.

“Are you looking for this, brother?” The venom-filled voice made him instantly turn around.

“Yijoong…” Hongjoong breathed out when he met eyes with his brother. The compass was in his hand.

“Hongjoong,” Yijoon nodded as a form of greeting, thought his voice was full with contempt.

“Why?” Hongjoong swallowed, feeling his mouth and throat dry up.

“Oh, well, one of the soldiers gave it to me, I guess he recognized it.” Yijoong shrugged, and Hongjoong couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.

Yijoong and him had never had the best of relationships to begin with, but he had loved him like family nonetheless. He was starting to see his true colors now. And somehow, the worst part was that the knowledge of the betrayal still welcomed a familiar sting into his eyes, and it was hard to keep it at bay.

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Hongjoong sighed, walking closer to the bars to face his brother.

“Oh, you mean, this?” Yijoong made a wide gesture, encompassing all of the cell. “Well, you’re too much of a threat to the crown, measures had to be taken, I’m sure you understand.”

“How am I a threat? I’m your family!” Hongjoong yelled, grabbing the bars with force. Yijoong looked at him like he was some sort of wild animal and took a step back.

“The same way Taejoong was a threat,” Yijoong spat. “Your stupid ideals will get in the way of the kingdom’s expansion! You were even allying with a rebel group!”

“There are people being harmed directly by our actions as royalty! Are you really going to step that low?” Hongjoong felt like the air had been punched out of his gut. He couldn’t believe the words his brother was speaking were real.

“Power and status require sacrifice, you have everything here, why would you worry about… people like them?“ Yijoong frowned, seeming genuinely confused about Hongjoong’s inability to understand his point of view. 

Hongjoong thought of the mines at Mingi’s planet, about the ship that had kidnapped Seonghwa and many others, about Yeosang’s dream of escaping his planet, about Jongho working as a child in order to survive. He realized how blind he had been to the reality that the mere existence of his family had brought upon others, and he felt ashamed. He felt ashamed of his brother in front of him, who seemed to think that the status quo they had established was right.

“Taejoong was like that, and he made dad angry.” Yijoong continued at his lack of response. “He was constantly talking about stopping the empire’s expansion and focusing on the colonies we already have, almost like he wanted to put the family’s name to shame. He was stupid, and he paid the price for treason.”

“He was our brother.”

“Hewas a traitor.” Yijoong scoffed. “And so are you, so I hope you remember all the classes we took on law, because you’ll be facing trial later today, and you’ll be defending yourself.”

“You can’t be serious,” Hongjoong’s eyes widened. The grip on the bars tightened as he leaned closer.

“Unfortunately no one wanted to take your case,” Yijoong shrugged, a knowing smirk on his face. “We tried, really, for like five minutes anyway. You’re good with words, I’m sure you’ll at least put up a fight, give everyone a good show!”

“You’ve lost your mind,” Hongjoong whispered, mostly to himself. “You’re going to murder me like Taejoong.”

“Oh no, no, Taejoong got the honor of being backstabbed in the battlefield, the people loved him too much for us to make a successful case against him.” Yijoong shook his head. “But no one knows you Hongjoong, and I’m sure when the people hear you murdered their favorite prince, everyone’s going to be very mad. Your name will be tainted, you’ll fall in disgrace and face The Depths all on your own.”

Hongjoong froze for a moment. Just the thought of it felt so cruel.

“What did I ever do to you?” Hongjoong asked. His eyes were glazed with tears, he couldn’t help it.

“Nothing much, but someone has to take the fall for the Empire to be able to rise, Hongjoong.” Yijoong shrugged again. “You’re the Battleground’s Devil, you more than anyone should be aware of the sacrifices that must be made in battle.”

“You won’t get away with it.” There were people who knew the truth. The others were looking for him, Hongjoong was certain.

“Oh, are you referring to your little boyfriend?” Yijoong smirked. “That thing about you always disappointed dad so much, but it wasn’t worth the hassle when you were going to be sentenced anyway. I’m sure the soldiers can take care of him anyway, after all, his weakness is here.

“Besides, whether I get away with it or not… well, you won’t be here to see it, will you?” Yijoong smiled. “Prepare a good defense brother, I want a good show!” 

“Yijoong come back!” Hongjoong shouted at his brother’s back as he walked away. “Yijoong!” However, his cries went unheard.

–

“Is the connection stable now?” Yunho asked, looking at the camera that showed Chan, the leader of the Interplanetary Resistance, sitting in his own vessel.

“Ah, The Crescent’s crew, it’s been a while,” Chan greeted, his own way of letting them know he could hear them loud and clear.

“Captain Chan,” Yunho nodded in recognition.

“I see Wooyoung made it safely with you?” Chan smiled slightly, nodding towards Wooyoung, who nodded enthusiastically.

“Safe and sound, thanks to you.” Wooyoung nodded.

“We received your signal, as you mentioned, though we weren’t expecting it to be Hongjoong of all people, especially not Prince Kim Hongjoong.” Chan looked at them pointedly, especially at Yunho who looked uncomfortable.

“In the defense of the crew, only a few of them knew, before the disaster a couple days ago.” Yunho sighed. Among all the possible developments, he had never thought this would happen. “I’m sorry we lied to you.”

“Why are you calling?” Chan cut to the chase.

“We wanted to join you in battle and rescue Hongjoong.” Seonghwa explained. He was a natural negotiator and knew how to speak concisely. “We will put all of our resources on the line to aid you in battle.”

“How do I know you’re actually on our side?” Chan frowned. Seonghwa opened his mouth to speak, but Yeosang was faster.

“Hongjoong wanted to help. He wanted to keep his promise of aiding you with the treasure, even after learning his family had turned against him.” He spoke with passion, like with everything else he did, and the others couldn’t help but smile a little.

“His family turned against him?” Chan leaned forward. 

“We have evidence that they hired a hitman to kill Hongjoong, plus, Wooyoung has access to the memories and dreams that prove what happened.” Seonghwa explained, taking back control of the conversation.

Chan seemed to consider it a moment. He exchanged glances with the members of his crew that were also there, and some of them even shared their opinions on the issue. Finally, Chan nodded. 

“Very well, we’ll let you participate, are you anywhere close to the Home Planet?” Chan asked, leaning back into his seat.

“We’ll arrive very soon,” Jongho confirmed from his place next to the navigation map.

“Excellent then, Wooyoung-” Chan smiled as the younger man turned to look at him. “You’re in charge of giving us the signal of when to attack. We’ll be watching the trial meanwhile.”

“Yes,” Wooyoung nodded immediately. “We’ll be watching too.”

“Very well, it’s been a pleasure making business with you. We’ll leave the line open in case there’s any urgent messages to relay, but we must get back to work for now.” Chan stood up. “Preparing for a war is tough work.”

“You tell me,” Yunho smiled. “We’ll see you soon.”

Chan waved goodbye and the call ended.

Silence settled among them for a moment before Yunho sighed and placed a hand on Seonghwa’s shoulder. The latter immediately tensed up, wondering if he had stepped too far when speaking in Yunho’s place.

“You have quite the way with words, has anyone ever told you that?” Yunho explained, looking completely serious as he tugged on his collar slightly.

“Uhm,” Seonghwa swallowed, his eyes slipping a little too far down to Yunho’s neck before shooting straight up to his eyes. “No. Thank you.”

Yunho chuckled before patting his shoulder and walking off.

“I’ll go check on the soldiers, Yeosang?” He explained.

“Yes?” Yeosang perked up, closing his mouth where it had fallen open after witnessing the interaction.

“Make sure we stay en route, alright? We need to arrive there as soon as possible.” Yunho smiled.

“Yes, right!” He scrambled next to Jongho, eyes glued to the map.

As soon as Yunho left the room, everyone let out a collective sigh.

“What was that?” Mingi’s voice was quiet and confused.

“Seonghwa is blushing,” Jongho noted out of nowhere, making everyone’s attention turn back to Seonghwa.

“I’m not!” He tried to defend himself, but his voice came out strangled.

“Oh, god, he is.” Yeosang muttered. Wooyoung chuckled softly from in front of him.

“You’re all menaces,” Seonghwa grumbled under his breath, but maybe he was blushing just a bit.

–

The sound of footsteps brought him back from his quiet meditation, and Hongjoong sat up facing the cell’s bars as the guards rounded the corner. He knew it was time, his brother had warned him after all. Still, he didn’t feel prepared. There was dread in the certainty that nothing he could say or do would stop him from getting convicted. Facing The Depths was a given if the others didn’t find him first. He couldn’t let his faith falter though. It was the only thing keeping him sane.

“Put your hands forward and don’t try anything funny,” one of the guards ordered.

Hongjoong complied, keeping to himself. There was nothing he could say or do down there that would save him. In fact, it was probably the opposite. If he couldn’t save himself, he needed to at least make time for the others to find and rescue him. He remembered Wooyoung’s glazed eyes as he told him to turn himself in and knew that the worst was still yet to come. But he couldn’t let go of hope. Wooyoung had seen them all happy in his visions, that had to mean something

.

The walk to the courtroom is sped up by the beating of his heart, despite the fact that they have to walk through the gardens that had witnessed his late-night practice countless times. Hongjoong realized, at that moment, that no matter how that trial went down, he could never call this place home again. He wasn’t safe there, and the Empire had simply fallen off of the pedestal he had once put it in. There was no room left for him.

The doors to the courtroom opened and he was guided inside to the small podium in the center. One of the guards retired the cuffs, and Hongjoong mentally sighed for it. Chains and cuffs would do no good for his image. His gaze looked over the room, taking in the serious-looking jury and the hungry gazes of the media. He felt his gut twist and turn inside him. Hongjoong had never been one to give great speeches to the masses, and he wondered if Taejoong had ever felt like that in the presence of the media. 

“We’re now starting the trial of Prince Kim Hongjoong, please read his indictment.” The Emperor’s voice echoed through the courtroom. Hongjoong looked him in the eyes and his father held his gaze. It was not his father preceding the trial, but the Emperor himself. Hongjoong felt cold inside.

“Kim Hongjoong, you’ve been charged with high-treason for ordering the murder of your brother, late Prince Kim Taejoong, as well as aiding in the plotting of an insurgent movement agains the crown.” 

There was a deafening silence in the room as his charges were read, which erupted into murmurs at the mention of his brother. His heart jumped at the accusation. Yijoong had warned him about it, but he still couldn’t believe they were charging him with it. It felt unreal that the adventure that had started with the death of his brother would end in this, and yet here he was. 

“How do you plead?” The Emperor asked, barely blinking as he held Hongjoong’s gaze.

Hongjoong looked at Yijoong, sitting to the left of his father, for just a moment, and upon catching the knowing smirk of his brother, he knew that the game was on. If this is what they wanted, then he would play. He couldn’t just allow them to win, not after everything they had done.

“Not guilty, Your Highness.”

–

Yunho was sitting at the edge of his seat, hands turned into tight fists. Siyeon was sitting right by his side while the others stood behind him. The silence in the Captain’s quarters was deafening and painful. None of them could believe what they had just heard. Not only that, but the fact that the Emperor himself was presiding over the trial meant no sane lawyer would want to defend Hongjoong. They probably hadn’t even tried to get him that. 

“Wooyoung?” Yunho turned to look at the Somnum, but the latter shook his head.

“Not yet, he needs to make it out of that room,” Wooyoung explained.

There was a collective sigh but they observed with aching hearts as Hongjoong declared himself innocent and began giving his defense. Yunho wanted to get him out of there so badly… But they needed to follow through with their plan, as there was no way they could deal with the Home Planet on their own. He had to put trust in Wooyoung’s words.

The communication line with Chan’s ship came back to life as the Captain himself opened the camera and sat down to give them a status report. For a brief moment, they looked away from the trial and heard what he had to say.

“The Interplanetary Resistance is ready to engage as soon as you give us the signal.” Chan clarified. Wooyoung simply shook his head again.

“Not yet.”

–

“Very well, you may begin your defense,” The Emperor sat back as he spoke, almost relaxing into his seat.

Hongjoong didn’t move from his place in case the guards took it as a threat, but he made a point to look as many people as he could in the eye. Among the unfriendly gazes, there were some genuinely confused or curious one, and Hongjoong thought that maybe he could appeal to them. And even if not, he just had to make time.

“I loved my brother more than anyone in the entire Universe,” he began, choosing his words carefully. “He taught me everything I know, raised me and took care of me more than His Highness ever did.” And it was true. For all those years, Taejoong had been the only constant presence in his life.

“I adored my brother, I would’ve never hurt him, I-” He couldn’t bring himself to say that there was proof about the crimes of his father and brother. Weren’t they still family, despite everything? Maybe he was being a fool, but inside him there was still a bit of affection left in him for them. “I’ve been set up.”

“What about the charges for cooperating with a terrorist group?” The Emperor seemed amused enough to want to hear what he had to say.

“I encountered them once when my ship when my ship was unfairly taken by my own men for attacking and rescuing the hostages of a human trafficking ship,” Hongjoong explained easily, not letting himself be intimidated. “Ship which was, by the way, registered under our government.” He turned towards the cameras. “It is clear that the Empire is corrupted to the bone, but it doesn’t have to be like that!” He turned back towards the Emperor. “I agreed to talk to you on their behalf.”

“You agreed to talk on the behalf of a terrorist group?!” Yijoong exclaimed from his place next to the Emperor, seeming scandalized.

“They’re worried for the people in the colonized planets,” Hongjoong kept his voice level, aware that they were trying to turn the trial against him. “There are people starving and dying from the lack of medicines, the overworking and the economical crisis! We can’t keep living like this at the cost of others’ lives.”

“Bring in the witness,” the Emperor sighed, dismissing Hongjoong’s words with a movement of his hand.

Hongjoong felt the blood drain from his face. He hadn’t been prepared for them to have a witness, it hadn’t even crossed his mind before. The guards brought in the man from the vision Wooyoung had shown him of the death of his brother. He looked disheveled and his hair had grown quite a lot, but he was still very recognizable.

Almost immediately, the man rushed towards Hongjoong and knelt in front of him. He rubbed his hand together, muttering incoherences as he grabbed Hongjoong by the hem of his clothes. Hongjoong was staring at him with wide eyes.

“You…” The sentencing word escaped his lips without him even realizing.

“Ah, so you know his man, the one who wielded the sword that killed Prince Taejoong.” The Emperor said with a smug smile on his lips.

“Please forgive me, please forgive me sir, I tried not to tell them,” the man’s words became clearer as he raised his voice, and Hongjoong stepped away from him.

“This is the man you paid to kill our brother,” Yijoong said, and oh, Hongjoong loathed the way those words had come out of his mind.

“I didn’t-”

“Enough is enough.” The Emperor raised his hand to silence him. “Jury, what is your verdict?”

One after the other, the members of the jury sealed his faith. Hongjoong felt the room close in on him as each one of them pronounced ‘guilty’ again and again until the word stopped feeling like a concept at all to Hongjoong. He felt guards grab his arms and drag him back. He yelled and kicked and tried to reach towards the family that had abandoned him but he had already lost.

–

Yunho watched as Hongjoong was forcefully dragged out of the courtroom, heart stuck in his throat as Hongjoong struggled with all his might and yelled at his father and brother. He was aware that his Prince was in no immediate danger since his execution had been scheduled for three days later, but it was still devastating. Knowing it was meant to happen that way didn’t make it any better.

“Wooyoung,” he turned to look at the Somnum with pleading eyes as soon as the doors had closed behind Hongjoong.

Wooyoung’s eyes were completely fixed to the screen, and he looked close to tears. There was a certain familiarity in his gaze that reminded the others he had already seen everything, and had had to carry that knowledge on his own. Not anymore, though. They were ready to fight together in order to get Hongjoong back and finish off the corrupted Kim family.

“Go ahead,” Wooyoung nodded after taking a deep breath.

“Chan?” Yunho immediately turned to the screen that was showing them the Captain’s quarters of the other ship.

“Heard you loud and clear,” Chan grinned. He pressed a button next to himself and there was a brief sound of interference before the line cleared. “This is Chan from Silmerion, one of the leaders from the Interplanetary Resistance.” He explained briefly, and Yunho noticed that he was speaking to the other ships. “It’s time to burn everything down.”

• Fandom(s):ATEEZ
• AU: Treasure Hunters
• Genre:Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
• Relationship: Everyone x Everyone, Established Hongjoong x Yunho
• Language:English
• Status:Ongoing
• Chapter WC: 4,282 words
• Warnings: Character Death, Stabbing, Fighting, Blood, Aliens, War, Funerals, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Mentions of Child Abuse / Child Work, Explosions, Murder Attempt, Robbery, Homeless/Runaway Character, Torture, Mentions of Slavery more will be added.
• Chapter Warnings: Fighting, Stabbing, Blood
• Summary:

“Prince Kim Hongjoong from the Kim Empire, you are now under arrest for high treason to the crown, surrender.”

• AO3

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Tagged:@angel0taiyo​

“Prince Kim Hongjoong from the Kim Empire, you are now under arrest for high treason to the crown, surrender.” The alarms blared.

For a moment, Hongjoong felt as though he had been submerged in ice cold water. He couldn’t hear or feel anything, and everything was moving around him slowly. In just a few seconds, his plans, his hopes, had been shattered. It was the second announcement that finally brought him back to reality.

“Prince Kim Hongjoong, we demand that you immediately surrender to the Imperial Army.”

His eyes immediately snapped up, locking with the eyes of the ship’s commander. He knew the man, having worked with him before, although he couldn’t quite recall his name at the moment. That was probably for the best. For a brief second, he wondered if his brother had known the name of the man who had stabbed him on the back. The thought made him angry.

“I want everyone who isn’t part of my army to retire from the deck, NOW!” His voice broke through the blare of the alarms, and he managed to hear the footsteps of people running from cover.

Hongjoong remained composed. He was an expert at not cracking under the pressure of a threat, as his training had prepared him for scenarios like this one. He could feel the stress radiating from his crew as his soldiers prepared for a fight breaking out. Through the corners of his eyes, Hongjoong saw how they surrounded him in the shape of a crescent, ready to throw their lives on the line.

He turned, briefly, putting himself at risk to confirm if the others had left for cover. As expected, they hadn’t. He pleaded with his eyes for them to leave, but Seonghwa’s stubborn shake of his head told him there was nothing that would get them to move. He took in their wide-open eyes and their tense stances, the way they kept looking at him like he was a new discovery. His secret was up, and he wished he could explain it to them. He wished he had the time.

“What am I being charged for?” He asked, voice level and contained. He couldn’t allow himself to crack under the pressure.

“You have been accused of high treason to the crown, for supporting a disruptive movement that seeks to destroy the Empire.” The commander explained.

Hongjoong frowned. Had the soldiers at Silmerion recognized him and his crew after taking the ship? Unless someone in the ship had betrayed him, that was the only way the Empire had of knowing that Hongjoong had been involved with the Interplanetary Resistance at all. 

“I think there must be some sort of misunderstanding-” Hongjoong began calmly, trying to explain himself. Surely not everyone under the Empire was against him, were they?

“Save your arguments for the trial,” the commander interrupted. “If you do not surrender peacefully, we will blow up your ship with everyone on board.”

There was a strangled noise coming from behind him, and Hongjoong turned to face his crew. Something told him they wouldn’t kill him, no, because his family would probably like to make a show of him. His eyes scanned through the crew, and he stopped on Wooyoung. The man was slouched over, there were bags under his eyes and he looked painfully fragile. He had gone through so much to see his destiny unraveled, if there was someone who could provide him guidance, it was him.

They looked at each other for a couple of seconds that felt longer than they really were. But when Wooyoung’s eyes glazed over and he nodded towards the Empire’s ship, Hongjoong knew there was no way around it. He smiled and mouthed a quick ‘I forgive you’, because even if there was nothing to forgive, he knew Wooyoung was probably carrying an unmeasurable amount of guilt. 

He didn’t see it, but just heard the moment Wooyoung broke down. He heard Mingi and Yeosang asking him what was wrong. He almost felt the realization hit San and Yunho as he unstrapped his chamaleon’s sheet and dropped it on the floor with the weapon in it. Hongjoong raised his arms and the soldiers immediately stepped into the ship to arrest him. Mingi managed to hold onto San, but Yunho got to take a step forward.

There was the piercing sound of the air being cut in half before Yunho let out a grunt and fell to his knees, an arrow sticking through his shoulder. 

“No!” Hongjoong trashed against the soldiers as they pulled him onto the ship, forcing him to his knees.

“I said peacefully, didn’t I?” The commander questioned, signaling to the archer to recharge his crossbow.

Hongjoong immediately settled, breathing heavily as the few soldiers on his side closed around his boys, offering them protection as they realized the threats were not empty. The Empire was actually betraying their Prince, and they had no idea why. All anyone could do was observe as the Empire’s vessel slowly separated, breaking the connection between both ships and then disappearing into nothingness with the use of warp-speed, taking their Prince with it.

–

The infirmary was packed with people, bustling with the rushed murmurs and questions about what had just happened. Hongjoong was a prince, and there were actual members of the Imperial Army in the ship, and no one had been any wiser. Handong was finishing up Yunho’s bandages, while Hwanwoong was trying to calm down the crew, to no avail.

“Silence!” Siyeon finally yelled, at the brink of her patience.

The infirmary quieted down and everyone turned to look at Siyeon. The crowd was a mix of wide eyes and cold glares, but she took them in without blinking. Handong finished Yunho’s bandages and he thanked her, before turning to look at Siyeon. She had always been a strong presence in the army, capable of keeping Hongjoong more level headed than Yunho himself. 

“We owe you an explanation, and it will be given to you,” she pulled out a tablet, in order to show everyone the recording. “For those of you who aren’t part of the army, we were sent on an undercover mission to retrieve the treasure. Prince Hongjoong himself was given the honor of commanding it, however, we have figured out it was a trap, and we have proof.”

She played the recording, holding the tablet up so everyone could see. There were audible gasps and murmurs going around as they received the new information. Of course, the most visible reactions were from the guards themselves, who Hwanwoong was observing carefully. They had yet to figure out if they were all on their side. Once the video was over, Siyeon put it away.

“Our Prince has been wrongly accused, so we will go rescue him. As civilians, you’re not part of this mission anymore, and we’ll distribute payment as agreed and drop you off at the closest crossroad planet so that you may make your way home. We apologize for the inconveniences.” Siyeon bowed, Hwanwoong following right by her side.

Yunho sighed before leaving the room, having heard enough. His head was full of swimming thoughts, spinning around and around, though it might have partially been the blood loss. Unsurprisingly, the rest of them followed him. He knew he had as much leadership as Hongjoong, but it was weird being followed.

“What?” He asked once they were a good way away from the infirmary.

“I’m following you before you do something stupid,” Seonghwa said, much to the surprise of everyone else. “Not sure about them.”

“Unnecessarily rude,” Yunho muttered.

“You have a bit of a track record right now,” Seonghwa huffed. Yunho smiled bitterly but nodded, that much was true.

“I think we should go to the main quarters, we’ll have more privacy,” Jongho suggested, already redirecting them with a gesture of his arms.

They all shuffled over there in silence, knowing they had some time to talk while Siyeon and Hwanwoong solved the other million issues they were probably dealing with. Yunho felt bad for not helping them, but he knew he would only slow them down if he tried. Instead, this was a good moment to solve all the loose threads there were between the eight of them.

“So… Hongjoong is a prince?” Yeosang asked, before the stuttering in his chest gave way to his heart jumping out his throat. Yunho sighed.

“Yes, and I am a Lieutenant General in the Empire’s army.” Yunho confirmed. “Our relationship was known, but since Hongjoong is the youngest, they didn’t care too much.”

“Were you never planning to tell us?” Mingi asked, his honest voice coming out a little too high.

“I don’t know… We both felt guilty about it, but it’s not like any of this was ever in our plans? We thought it was a normal mission. I simply thought this would help Hongjoong heal about what happened to his brother… When things started to shift, we didn’t know what to do.” Yunho shrugged, remembering the countless conversations he had had with Hongjoong about it.

“I imagine it was especially difficult when Wooyoung revealed that to you, right?” San muttered. He looked so exhausted and so defeated. In a moment, it was like suddenly everyone had remembered how he had gotten into the ship to begin with.

“Oh, San…” Jongho sighed, shifting closer to him and passing an arm around his shoulders. “I’m so sorry, it must have been really hard.”

“I’m sorry…” Words spilled out of Wooyoung’s mouth. “I knew everything, and I didn’t handle it well.”

“Wooyoung?” Yeosang asked, a little confused.

“I knew they were going to take him, I knew of everything that was going to happen and I-” he took a sharp breath. “I kept it all to myself because I didn’t know if I could trust you with the weight of that knowledge.” His voice breaks, eyes turning red as he tries to hold the tears. “I know I did what I was supposed to, but it still hurt, so much, to see him being taken like that…”

No one expected it when Yunho stood up from his place and went to wrap Wooyoung in a hug, uncaring of his injured shoulder. If anyone understood duty out of them, it was him, because he had just failed his promise to keep Hongjoong safe. And truly, he couldn’t blame Wooyoung when he had worked himself to the bone just to reunite them all. He was tired of blaming others, in fact. Yunho was ready to let them in.

“You’re not alone anymore,” Yunho reminded him. Thinking of how hard it must have been to see them all only through dreams. He couldn’t quite help himself when he pressed soft lips against the crown of Wooyoung’s head, who immediately broke down in his arms, a testament to his pain. “I don’t quite know where we stand, but we’ll get Hongjoong back and we’ll figure it out.”

–

The night passed by quietly, and the next day was filled with noise and chatter as the crew mobilized to get things done. Hwanwoong was left in charge of the ship as Yunho took the temporary role of the Captain and began planning how to rescue Hongjoong. All of them were huddled in the main quarters, except for Seonghwa, who had been asked to help distribute the payment as they made their way to the closest planet to drop everyone off.

“Hwanwoong and I interrogated every single person on the ship,” Siyeon explained in a low tone. Her voice was well hidden by the walls that surrounded them and the bustling noise from outside. “There are no traitors, though someone did report to Yijoong recently thinking it was an innocent call.”

Yunho sighed. He hadn’t actually expected there to be any traitors on the ship, Hongjoong had only chosen the closest of his friends, but there had been a hint of doubt at some point. After all, they had chosen San to work at the ship themselves, although he supposed that had been destiny’s play. In any case, they couldn’t be too careful.

“How are we going to get to Hongjoong? They left with warp speed and we’ve already wasted a day,” Yeosang asked, looking a bit impatient.

“Fret not, tiny one,” Seonghwa walked into the room right at that moment, his elegant steps completely overshadowing Yeosang’s complaints as he took the room by surprise.

“Aren’t you supposed to be doing something else?” Yeosang crossed his arms, face scrunching into a pout. Seonghwa rolled his eyes.

“Just say you missed me and go,” he scoffed, dismissing Yeosang’s sputters with a wave of his hand as the others laughed. “But seriously, I have a solution to our predicament. I’ve managed to contact some associates at Certh B068, we’ll be able to buy enough fuel to get us to the Home Planet at warp speed for a special price.”

“Is that where we’re dropping everyone?” Mingi asked with curiosity. 

“Yeah, it was the closest crossroad planet we could find,” Siyeon nodded. “That’s great news, thank you so much Seonghwa.”

“My pleasure,” he bowed slightly. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go back now.”

They all wished him luck. Yeosang was about to just let it pass, when he felt a harsh nudge on his side. He turned to Jongho, who was giving him a warning look. Yeosang crossed his arms again and grumbled, but Jongho was not having any of it as he nudged him again, hard enough to nearly push him off his chair.

“Fine,” he muttered, only loud enough for Jongho to hear him. He stood up and headed towards the door. “I’m gonna go see if he needs help.” He lamely excused himself as he left the room, leaving everyone behind him confused.

“What was that?” Yunho asked, frowning slightly. Jongho shrugged.

“It was about time he stopped acting like a jealous kid with a crush around Seonghwa,” he explained, smiling as the others broke into laughter around him.

Jongho managed to catch Wooyoung’s appreciative smile before it vanished under the rest of his worries. He leaned closer and grabbed Wooyoung’s hand, squeezing it softly. Wooyoung smiled. They would work things out.

–

Yeosang followed Seonghwa in complete silence, but if he had thought he had been slick, then he was very wrong, since Seonghwa had noticed his presence long ago. He stopped abruptly, causing Yeosang to collide with his back. He turned around, leveling him with an exceptic glare. Yeosang looked up at him and huffed.

“What are you doing?” Seonghwa asked, words deliberate and careful.

“Just…” Yeosang vaguely gestured towards the corridor, realizing that he didn’t actually have an excuse that wasn’t immediately suspicious.

“Did you want to talk about something?” Seonghwa raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. 

“We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, I’ll just go.” Yeosang immediately turned around, already cursing himself for doing something so stupid.

“You’re unbearable,” Seonghwa sighed, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him back.

Yeosang stumbled into Seonghwa’s chest, who carefully helped him stand upright and turned him around so they were facing each other. Yeosang was looking up at Seonghwa with a red face, trying to process whatever that had been.

“I’ll hear you out, don’t leave,” Seonghwa’s expression had softened, and he was holding Yeosang by the shoulders firmly so he wouldn’t try to run away again.

“I don’t hate you!” Yeosang blurted out.

“Huh?” Seonghwa’s eyes widened, clearly not on the same page as Yeosang.

“I know what it looks like, but I don’t hate you.” Yeosang cleared his throat. “I mean, I kind of did when you first arrived on the ship, but I don’t actually hate you anymore.”

“Oh Yeosang, you know I’m not here to replace you, we talked about-”

“It’s not about that.” Yeosang huffed, pushing Seonghwa’s hands off his shoulders. “I just don’t know how to behave around you.”

“What is that even supposed to mean?” Seonghwa tilted his head.

“Well, just look at us! We’re so different. You come from a rich family and you’re so proper and pretty and hold yourself so differently to everyone else. I don’t know what to do.” Yeosang explained, holding his fists tightly by his sides and looking at the floor.

“You think I’m pretty?” Seonghwa’s smirk was evident in his voice.

“Is that all you got from what I just said?” Yeosang frowned, insecurity quickly replaced by annoyance. Seonghwa smiled and sighed.

“You’re not that different from me, Yeosang.” Seonghwa shrugged, gently extending a hand to grab Yeosang’s. When the youngest didn’t pry it away, he held it with a bit more confidence. “We’re both in this ship, maybe running away from something, or towards something, about to risk our lives to save the Prince of one of the biggest empires in the Universe, a Prince we barely know, mind you. I think we have at least a little bit in common.”

“But you’re-!”

“I,” Seonghwa interrupted him, squeezing his hand, “am a person before anything else, and so are you. I’m relieved you don’t hate me.”

“Why would you care?” Yeosang retracted his hand a little, but Seonghwa didn’t let him go. It hurt to see that he wasn’t entirely ready to put his barriers down yet, but they would work through it.

“A very beautiful alien told me I was supposed to date you so I would hope we would at least get along, you know.” Seonghwa chuckled, his face mirroring the blush in Yeosang’s face.

“I guess Wooyoung is very beautiful.” Yeosang conceded. The tension in his body disappeared little by little, and Seonghwa was able to hold his hand more comfortably.

“Want to help me with the payments?” Seonghwa asked.

Yeosang considered it for a moment before nodding and letting Seonghwa guide him there by the hand. Even if it was hard to believe, it would be okay.

–

Wooyoung was leaning against the rail of the ship, watching over the port as they loaded all of the fuel onto the ship. He was tired. Sleep hadn’t come easily even though he had finally reunited with everyone, and he knew it was because Hongjoong was in danger. He had played all his cards and now all there was left was to wait for things to unravel the way they were meant to.

There was a part of him that was scared of having fucked up without realizing. The other part of him was blindly trusting his ability and his destiny as a Sognum. The window for things going wrong was small but never zero, and he just hoped that all his efforts wouldn’t be in vain. 

At least he was feeling better physically. Handong had been making sure he ate properly and had kept him monitored all throughout the procedures. Plus, since he didn’t have a need for the visions or dream travelling for the time being, he had had time to recover a bit and he no longer felt so weak and nauseous. 

“Wooyoung,” San’s quiet voice startled him, and Wooyoung turned around. San was standing behind him, hands up and just as startled as Wooyoung himself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay,” Wooyoung sighed. “I was just too deep in my thoughts.”

“Do you mind if I join you?” San leaned on the rail next to him, relaxing only when Wooyoung nodded.

They stood side by side in silence for what felt like hours but could have only been a few minutes. Wooyoung thought about how much trust San had put in him. He had reassured him time and time again that things would be okay once he said the truth, but it had only been half truths. There was nothing San could’ve done that would’ve kept Hongjoong safe even if he had been hired as his executor. Wooyoung had given him false hopes, and he felt guilty for it.

“I don’t blame you,” San said after a while.

Wooyoung turned to look at him only to discover he was already being observed.

“I’ll admit I was a little angry, that you didn’t tell me something like that,” San sighed. “But you had as much of a motive to keep that a secret as I did regarding my situation.”

“If it means anything,” Wooyoung turned away. “I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell everyone but I was afraid it would put everything at risk… There’s so many things I wish I could’ve done differently, better, to save us all this pain… And I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too,” San scooted closer, timidly passing an arm around Wooyoung’s shoulders. He wasn’t very good at physical contact, but it seemed to be Wooyoung’s main source of comfort. “I was so focused on my own situation that I never stopped to think about everything you were dealing with.”

“I guess we could’ve all done things differently,” Wooyoung shrugged and leaned closer to San. “No use dwelling on it now.”

“You’re right,” San nodded. They both observed as the crew began boarding the ship again, Yunho following last. “It appears it’s time to go.”

San removed his arm but immediately grabbed Wooyoung’s left hand and pulled him along.

“Let’s go, we have a prince in distress to save.”

–

Hongjoong woke up to the orders being passed along to the crew. His neck and shoulders were stiff from sleeping on a cot on the floor, but that was the last of his worries. They had been travelling for about three days at warp speed, and it seemed like they were about to make it to the Home planet. 

He’s had enough time to think and process everything during the trip, and he’d tried to come up with a plan to escape. There was no point to it though, as he was powerless and terribly outnumbered. Even the Battleground’s Devil knew when it was a losing fight. This had not deterred him from being loud and annoying though, demanding to talk to his brother and father at every chance he took.

He felt the change in his body when the ship entered the atmosphere and approached the dock. Hongjoong had run out of options the moment he had been captured. He had to keep himself alive for the others to come get him, so he couldn’t fight too much. If anything, he would try to negotiate. Maybe if he could get an audience with his father, he could fix things.

It probably took them about an hour to get him, but when they did, Hongjoong was already standing and waiting for them. He immediately asked to see his family as they grabbed and pulled him out of the cell, guiding him through the vessel toward the deck. They paid him no mind, treating him almost like he wasn’t even there.

He didn’t stop until they were leaving the ship and a flash startled him into silence. The dock was full of reporters and photographers, who immediately started taking pictures and yelling questions upon his arrival. Hongjoong’s eyes opened wide for a fraction of a second before he regained his composure. He couldn’t show him his weak side.

As the third son, he had never received so much attention from the media, to the point where his face was barely known because he was always out in battle. Now, probably millions upon millions of eyes were on him as he was taken prisoner by his own empire. He knew better than to make a scene, though, so he stayed quiet until they were inside the castle.

“Let me talk to my father,” he demanded, struggling a bit against their hold now that the doors had closed behind them.

“Quiet,” one of the soldiers demanded as they steered him towards the dungeon.

Hongjoong struggled harder against their hold, knowing fully well that it would be over for him if they put him in one of the cells. The guard to his right stopped and punched him on the stomach, causing Hongjoong to double over in pain. They moved faster, basically dragging him into one of the cells and leaving as soon as it had been properly locked. 

He nursed the bruise on his stomach, leaning against the bars and trying to come up with an alternative. He hoped that the others had a plan.

–

According to the official report from the Imperial Army, Prince Kim Hongjoong has been put under arrest under the accusations of high treason to the Empire, for ordering the murder of the eldest Prince, as well as plotting the murders of the second Prince and the Emperor himself. He is also accused of cooperating with the Interplanetary Resistance against the Empire. The trial will be held soon, and it is expected that he will receive the highest punishment of all, death by The Depths.

In a small bar in Silmerion, the crowd stirred at the news, the familiar face of the Captain whose ship they had helped rescue, breaking havoc across their lines. Chan smiled bitterly. Hongjoong had lied right to his face, although he supposed that he couldn’t blame him. There were more important things to do now though, as he still remembered Wooyoung’s words. This was the sign they had been waiting for.

Chan stood up and put a closed fist in the air. The bar immediately became silent. He turned to Hyunjin, one of his closest friends in the Resistance, and nodded.

“Send the message to the rest of the Resistance,” he grinned. “It’s time for Revolution!” He raised his arm again, and the entire bar followed, yelling and cheering, for their time had finally come.

• Fandom(s):ATEEZ
• AU: Treasure Hunters
• Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
• Relationship: Everyone x Everyone, Established Hongjoong x Yunho
• Language: English
• Status:Ongoing
• Chapter WC: 3,377 words
• Warnings: Character Death, Stabbing, Fighting, Blood, Aliens, War, Funerals, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Mentions of Child Abuse / Child Work, Explosions, Murder Attempt, Robbery, Homeless/Runaway Character, Torture, Mentions of Slavery more will be added.
• Chapter Warnings: No warnings apply.
• Summary:

Hongjoong couldn’t hear the gasps and exclamations from his crew. In just a few seconds, his whole world had come crashing down onto him.

• AO3

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Tagged:@angel0taiyo​

The silence was deafening as everyone stared at San with open wide eyes and mouths. There was not a single hint of hesitation in his eyes, and perhaps that was what set Yunho off the most. He wasn’t the most loyal person to the crown, and in fact he barely cared about anyone that wasn’t Hongjoong. But claiming that Hongjoong’s own family was after his life was an entirely different thing. It was something not even him would joke about.

“That can’t be true.” Yunho’s mouth felt dry, and he struggled to swallow.

“I wish I was wrong, I really do but,” San shook his head. “When I heard I knew I wouldn’t be able to take the secret to my grave, as much as I would have liked… We’re flying straight to the wolf’s mouth.”

“That’s why you confessed, even if you knew it could end badly,” Yeosang concluded, pulling away enough to look San in the eyes. San immediately missed the warmth.

“No.” Yunho’s voice was final. “No, I refuse to believe it.”

How could Hongjoong’s own family ever betray him, when he shone so brightly with his own strength? Everyone loved Hongjoong. He was a great leader, fun and compassionate and willing to risk everything for those he loved. He was willing to risk anything for the Emperor and Prince Yijeong, it could not be true. It would mean that Yunho had failed at protecting him, at making sure he was always safe.

“Yunho, you have to believe me,” San spoke, tone bordering on desperate. He felt Mingi’s arm tighten around him. “I wish it wasn’t true but we’re putting him at risk by returning…”

Yunho put his head between his hands and Jongho immediately approached him again to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. His thoughts were swimming around in his head, like shark-infested waters. He wanted to continue denying San, but in his eyes there was nothing but the sincerity that was starting to become familiar to him.

“Do you have proof?” Seonghwa asked, breaking the tense silence. 

“I do.”

–

To Hongjoong, waking up for the vision was like being punched in the stomach. He shot up and gasped for air, coughing roughly as he choked on his own saliva. His face was covered in tear tracks, and he couldn’t tell up from down. To Wooyoung, waking up felt like being turned apart, as the reality around him disappeared before he could leave it. His body jolted him awake as pain cursed all through it, but he managed to push it down and incorporate to look at Honjoong.

“Deep breaths, come on,” he instructed gently, grabbing one of Hongjoong’s hands and pressing it against his chest so Hongjoong could emulate his breathing.

Hongjoong held onto his hand with a painful grip.

“It’s not true, it can’t be true.” His voice was rough, and he quickly cleared his throat and tried again. “They wouldn’t do that to me. I know the empire’s ideals are tainted but they’re good people. They’re my family.”

The desperation in his pleas chipped at Wooyoung’s already broken heart even more. Not even a thousand visions about this moment could have prepared him for the pain he was feeling. He knew, however, that Hongjoong’s suffering was ten times worse.

“Hongjoong, please, breathe.” Wooyoung begged again, scooting closer and keeping one hand over Hongjoong’s hand in his chest while he used the other one to caress his cheek.

“Wooyoung you’re lying,” Hongjoong’s eyes were frantically looking between Wooyoung’s, hoping for his confession. “You have to be lying. Tell me it is all a lie. Tell me that you’re wrong.”

Wooyoung wished he could. He wished he could save Hongjoong all of this pain and suffering. He wanted to hold him tightly and never let anything hurt him again. But he couldn’t. Wooyoung couldn’t lie and couldn’t take back his words, because a Sognum’s vision was never wrong. These things were supposed to happen, and he hated himself for not being able to protect Hongjoong better.

“I can’t…” Wooyoung whispered, unable to do anything but watch as Hongjoong’s eyebrows creased and new tears fell from his face. “I want to be wrong too but you know I’m not.”

It was like having front row tickets to the worst play in existence: the breaking of Hongjoong’s heart. Wooyoung wished there were enough pieces of his own heart that he could use to patch him up again, but his chest hurt with a pain that was becoming all too familiar. Wooyoung would rather die than see his soulmates hurting like this. Especially when he was the one delivering the pain on a silver plate.

He caught Hongjoong when the other collapsed on his arms and brought him close to his chest. Wooyoung pressed his lips to the top of his head, hoping to be able to transmit something other than pain and bad news. He loved Hongjoong so much, but all he was able to grant him at that moment was suffering. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, and repeated it over and over again into Hongjoong’s hair, as if the mantra could heal every wound he had caused so far.

“You’re lying,” Hongjoong claimed in return, holding onto Wooyoung like a lifeline.

–

Gently, San removed himself from Mingi and Yeosang’s hold, already missing their warmth. However, their comfort and Yunho’s willingness to trust him had given him new energy to deal with the situation. If he could convince everyone of his truth, then maybe they would find a way to protect Hongjoong.

Hongjoong, who was being told the truth by Wooyoung… San felt a pit on his stomach begin to form. He hadn’t been able to save Hongjoong the heartbreak. There were more important things to focus on though, so he pushed the feeling aside and focused on the task at hand.

“All the meetings are saved for record purposes,” San explained as he pulled out the device he was always carrying with him. “I think it’s stupid, but overconfident people tend to make poor choices, and people in power tend to be overconfident.”

He opened the last file and let the hologram play, extending it towards the others so they could see without problem. It had been quite a few days since that conversation, but San could still perfectly evoke the feeling of hearing the truth for the first time. It was weird, in a way, what it had made him feel. In the past, San would have perhaps been a bit surprised and felt a bit sorry that the Prince was being betrayed by his own family.

But what San had actually felt upon hearing the truth had been nothing short of heartbreak. Somehow, he had fallen in love, at the cost of the life he had known so far. And yet, he realized, he would do it all over again, if it meant meeting Hongjoong and Yunho, if it meant being held by Mingi and Yeosang, exploring alongside Seonghwa and Jongho, being comforted by Wooyoung. He had hated his old life anyway, so what was a little bit of sacrifice if it meant he could protect this?

His thoughts were shattered when Yunho turned around and stormed off. Everyone seemed a bit shocked by his reaction, and Seonghwa was the first to snap out of it and follow him. Everyone else followed after that. They all knew what Yunho was probably thinking: if he was taking it that badly, then it could only mean that Hongjoong was doing much worse. Maybe they should’ve waited outside, ready to console their Captain, but there was no way they could’ve known.

When they got there, Hongjoong was still talking to Wooyoung. The tear tracks on his face were obvious, but now he looked more angry than anything as he gripped the Somnum tightly by the arms. They stopped suddenly when the door opened, and Yunho immediately gathered Hongjoong in his arms, prying his hands away from Wooyoung, who seemed grateful, if a bit shaken.

“Yunho, you have to tell them,” Hongjoong insisted immediately, not even given them a second to breathe. “You’re a knight of the Kim Empire, you have to defend the imperial family, tell them it’s a lie.”

And Yunho really wished he could. Maybe if the circumstances were different, if there wasn’t so much evidence, he would have sided with Hongjoong. God knew he was willing to bend backwards for his Prince. But he couldn’t lie. The truth was evident and he couldn’t deny it, especially not if it could endanger Hongjoong’s life. 

“Wooyoung is right, Hongjoong,” Yunho sighed, putting his hands on Hongjoong’s shoulders so they could see eye to eye. “San showed us a recording from his boss that confirms it… You should show it to him too.” Yunho had turned towards San, making a signal with his head.

“Of course,” San agreed immediately, pulling out his device again. He looked like he was in pain, and at this point they could all relate.

San played the recording again once he had found it, and they all waited with bated breaths for Hongjoong’s reaction. It wasn’t at all what they had expected. Hongjoong disentangled himself from Yunho’s arms and pushed San back, causing him to drop the device.

“You’re lying.” Hongjoong pushed San once again, and he looked up at the Prince with wide eyes. “I don’t know what you want from me, Lee San, if money or fame or whatever, but don’t you fucking dare mess with the Empire.” 

Hongjoong immediately regretted it when he saw the raw hurt in San’s eyes 

“Stop it, Hongjoong,” Yunho intervened immediately, standing between them, but this time it was to shield San.

That was enough to make Hongjoong realize his mistake.

“I didn’t-” His shoulders fell and he looked around, taking in the almost frightened stares of the rest of his crew, who obviously never expected to see him like that.

“You’re saying a lot of things you don’t mean,” Yunho softly pushed him away from San, creating space between them. “I know it hurts, because you’ve given your life to the Empire, but San has done nothing to you.”

Hongjoong looked past Yunho at San, who was looking at him as well with a mix of hurt and something else so deep that Hongjoong was afraid to name. He felt undeserving of it. 

“I need a break,” he stated, prying Yunho’s hands away from him and leaving the room without saying anything else.

Yunho stayed where he stood and sighed, rubbing his temples with both hands. He wanted nothing more than to be with Hongjoong, but if a bounty had been placed over his head for so long, then they probably didn’t have enough time to craft a plan. Jongho must have seen the conflict in his face, because he immediately stepped forward.

“We’ll take care of Hongjoong, you make sure we can protect him.“ He made his way to the door, signaling for Mingi, Yeosang and Wooyeong to follow him.

“Wait-” Yunho turned towards their expectant gazes. “Please find Hwanwoong and Siyeon and tell them to come meet me immediately, say it’s an emergency.”

Jongho nodded once and got to work.

–

As soon as Hwanwoong and Siyeon arrived, Yunho filled them in with all that had happened in the short amount of time. They were both absolutely scandalized, and though they looked at San with distrust, Yunho’s defensive posture left it very clear that he was not to be messed with, so they didn’t try a thing. The news about the betrayal from the Empire, on the other hand…

“We can’t go back there,” Siyeon stated like it was final. “It’s obvious that Hongjoong’s plan to calmly negotiate with the Empire is done with.”

“We must still help Chan and his people, though, Hongjoong was dead set on it.” Hwanwoong intervened, reminding them of why they were doing this in the first place.

“If I may,” Seonghwa raised an arm, trying to get the attention of the rest. “I have many contacts in the Universe and I myself come from a government not related to the Empire. I’m certain I could find Hongjoong a place to stay in with a refugee status.”

“And then we could contact the Interplanetary Resistance and deliver our part of the deal while Hongjoong stays safe somewhere,” Yunho concludes for him. “I like the idea but Hongjoong might oppose it.”

“Then we let him know it’s not an option,” San mumbled. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. “I know Hongjoong is stubborn, but he wouldn’t be putting only himself in danger. He needs to be safe so everyone else can stay safe.”

“I suppose that’s true…” Siyeon sighs. “I’ll convince him if necessary.”

“Should I start reaching out to see where we can put Hongjoong then?” Seonghwa asked, already heading towards the door.

“Wait.” Yunho stopped him, leveling them with a tense look. “We don’t know whose loyalties lie with us… We need to check the rest of the ship to make sure no one else came here with ulterior motives.”

Yunho made it a point to not look at San, not wanting to be faced with his hurt expression. However, San kept his face carefully devoid of any emotions. He knew why he had joined the ship in the first place and the invisible charges against him, and he was not about to shy from them. It hurt, but pain was a small problem compared to making sure Hongjoong stayed alive. He was certain that at this point, his boss would have reported him as a runaway.

“We’ll do it,” Hwanwoong declared, taking a step forward. “Siyeon and I will investigate the crew, you focus on convincing Hongjoong of doing his part.”

“Alright then, let’s get going.”

–

Hongjoong hung his arms on the railing of the starboard side of the ship, using it as support. His mind felt clouded with a million different thoughts, and his chest screamed with the pain of heartbreak. Hongjoong knew his relationship with his father and with Yijoong wasn’t as strong as with Taejoong, who had basically raised him, but he had never thought… He didn’t want to believe it. But even though he could deny Wooyoung and San as much as he wanted, he knew Yunho would never lie to him. His own family had put a bounty on his head.

“Hongjoong?”

He turned around abruptly, hand quickly darting to the hilt of his sword before realizing it was just Jongho, reaching towards him. His shoulders sagged as he relaxed a little and he let Jongho place a hand on his arm as he gestured for the others to come closer. Mingi was immediately wrapping their Captain into a hug, just like he had with San earlier. No one in the crew had ever seen him act so brave, but it was a welcomed change.

“Thank you,” Hongjoong muttered, wrapping his arms around Mingi as well. The hug felt like the forgiveness he had yet to earn, both for the lies but also for how he acted earlier.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Yeosang asked shyly, probably a bit scared about making Hongjoong angry again, and the eldest mentally reprimands himself for making them feel unsafe.

“I don’t know what to say,” Hongjoong admitted. His head felt too full.

“Maybe try explaining to us what made you react like that first?” Jongho suggested, always the voice of reason.

Hongjoong looked at Wooyoung and there’s fear in his eyes. He knew that his secret wouldn’t be kept together, and it had never been closer to being discovered than at that moment. Maybe it would be easier if he simply confessed. Wooyoung smiled and nodded at him, and Hongjoong knew it was the sign of his approval. His lips parted to say the words, and he hesitated.

“I dedicated my whole life to the Empire,” he started, but he couldn’t finish. The fear of rejection was too great, even for him. “I’m a close friend of the family so I never thought…”

He looked away, unable to bear the disappointment that was sure to surface on Wooyoung’s face for his insistence on keeping up the lie. Instead, he missed his soft gaze, full of understanding and acceptance, that ended up as one more of Wooyoung’s own secrets. 

“Betrayal hurts the most when it comes from people we love.” Yeosang said knowingly. “But you believe Yunho, San and Wooyoung.”

“I do,” Hongjoong sighed. It hadn’t been a question, but he had felt the need to answer. “The eldest prince, Prince Taejoong, was my best friend. I don’t think San or Yunho knew about this but Wooyoung showed me that they were behind his death as well. I’m angry, and sad, and I hate it.”

“And it’s important that you let yourself feel these things,” Mingi hummed, hugging him tightly. “You’re grieving, Hongjoong. No matter what, this is still a form of loss.”

“Thank you,” Hongjoong sighed again. “I’m sorry for scaring you earlier.”

“You’re forgiven,” Yeosang smiled, patting his arm softly.

“We should get back,” Hongjoong pulled away from Mingi, squeezing his arms a bit before separating completely. “Every second we wait, I put you all in danger even more, let’s head back and figure out a plan.”

They followed Hongjoong back to his quarters. Yunho, San and Seonghwa were all there, talking amongst themselves in hushed whispers, until the five of them entered the room. Hongjoong looked worse for wear, they could all tell, but he had calmed down, and that was a start.

“I’m sorry,” San immediately blurted out, without thinking. “I’m sorry for lying to you, and for putting everyone in danger because I was too scared to confess.”

Hongjoong’s eyes softened and he let out a deep sigh.

“What else were you supposed to do, really?” Hongjoong smiled bitterly. “I don’t blame you San, not one bit, and I hope you can forgive yourself too.”

San looked a bit choked up when he thanked him, but he didn’t cry. He didn’t think he could allow himself to be so open in front of everyone yet. Honestly, he was not sure they would ever fully recover from this, but he has decided to unpack that later. For that moment, they had to trust each other in order to be able to overcome this hurdle.

“We have a plan,” Seonghwa intervened, before the silence had time to settle and make them stew in awkwardness. “You might not like it, but I’ve found a planet that’s willing to take you as a refugee while the Interplanetary Resistance wages war on the Empire, so that they won’t be able to reach you.”

“I’ll do it,” Hongjoong accepted immediately, to everyone’s surprise. “What?”

“Nothing but…” Yeosang mumbled.

“Let’s be honest Hongjoong, you’re very stubborn, we didn’t think you would want to stay put,” Seonghwa raised an eyebrow, unapologetically blunt.

“Well now, that’s a bit mean,” Hongjoong grumbled, but he couldn’t deny it. “Still… I don’t want to endanger anyone, so it’s for the best, isn’t it? I do have one condition though, I want to hand the treasure to Chan personally.”

Yunho considered it for a moment before nodding.

“I’m sure we can arrange that,” he looked at San, who nodded in agreement.

In the corner of the room, Wooyoung stood very still. He felt like he was going to be sick. With his eyes closed, he reminded himself what his mission was, but he couldn’t help the regret that invaded him as the alarms blared around the room. He wished he wasn’t carrying the weight of the secret by himself, but what was done, was done. 

They all felt it, the moment The Crescent’s atmosphere merged with that of another ship, and they all hurried out of the cabin. The rest of the crew was already there, looking wide-eyed at the enormous Empire vessel that floated next to them. 

“Prince Kim Hongjoong from the Kim Empire, you are now under arrest for high treason to the crown, surrender.” The alarms blared.

Hongjoong couldn’t hear the gasps and exclamations from his crew. In just a few seconds, his whole world had come crashing down onto him.

• Fandom(s):ATEEZ
• AU: Treasure Hunters
• Genre:Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
• Relationship:Everyone x Everyone, Established Hongjoong x Yunho
• Language:English
• Status:Ongoing
• Chapter WC: 3,698 words
• Warnings: Character Death, Stabbing, Fighting, Blood, Aliens, War, Funerals, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Mentions of Child Abuse / Child Work, Explosions, Murder Attempt, Robbery, Homeless/Runaway Character, Torture, Mentions of Slavery more will be added.
• Chapter Warnings: Character Death, Stabbing, Blood, Implied Child Abuse.
• Summary:

“Can I ask you something?” Hongjoong muttered after long minutes of silence.

“Of course,” Wooyoung nodded.

“What was it like when you had your first vision about us?”

• AO3

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Tagged:@angel0taiyo

They all left them alone in the Captain’s quarters after Wooyoung insisted this was for Hongjoong and Hongjoong only. They struggled to get Yunho especially to leave, but once they were left alone, Wooyoung did his best to help him calm down as they lay on the bed, facing each other.

It felt so strange to see each other in real life when they had only met through dreams before. Wooyoung’s heart had not stopped beating fast since he had landed on The Crescent, but he still wished the circumstances were different. He wished that his arrival didn’t mean bad news and that he was oblivious to what was going to happen after. He wanted nothing more but to shield them all, especially Hongjoong, who looked exhausted as if the weight of the universe had suddenly fallen on his shoulders.

A careful hand brushed Hongjoong’s hair back. Wooyoung’s heart almost burst into a million pieces when Hongjoong closed his eyes and exhaled faintly, the crease in his eyebrows softening until it was barely there. He wanted nothing more than to press a firm hand to his cheek, cradle his face and press promises to his lips over and over. He wanted to whisper praises and love and comfort. But it was too soon, and not what Hongjoong needed of him, so he reigned it in and placated himself with the knowledge that it would all be over soon.

“I promise to show you nothing but the truth, Hongjoong,” Wooyoung said, taking off his necklace and putting it on Hongjoong’s left hand before putting his right hand on top of it. “However, the truth might hurt you.”

“I am okay with that,” Hongjoong breathed out slowly, focusing on the cold stone on his hand the warmth of Wooyoung’s hand on top of his. “What is this?”

“It’s something that will help us fall asleep,” Wooyoung reassured him. “Now close your eyes.”

–

After leaving the quarters, Yunho took them all to the Hold. It was the most private space they could muster, as they couldn’t let anyone else in the crew know what was happening. Telling Hwanwoong and Siyeon might have been a wise choice, but he didn’t know if he could trust them. He didn’t know if he could trust anyone at all, and while he wanted to believe that none of them would harm Hongjoong, he simply couldn’t trust them.

Once they were out of curious eyes and ears, Yunho grabbed San by the collar and hoisted him. San’s eyes grew panicked as he grabbed Yunho’s hand, trying to understand what he was doing. The gasps that came from behind them told him he wasn’t the only one surprised about his actions.

“Tell me who is behind this,” he demanded, his voice low enough to be a growl.

“Yunho, stop this right now,” Seonghwa demanded, grabbing Yunho by the shoulder. His voice was cold and authoritative, and it threw everyone off. Seonghwa was always cool and collected, and he had never once spoken up to them, knowing his place in the crew well. “You’re behaving like an animal.”

The First Mate turned to look at him, realizing he was truly behaving like a monster. He carefully let go of San and walked away. Yunho felt so lost, confused and tired. He had always been more straightforward and tactless than Hongjoong, but he was showing all of them his worst sides that day, and he felt ashamed.

“I’m sorry,” Yunho sighed, covering his face with both hands.

“It’s okay,” Jongho placed a hand on his back, firm and grounding. “We know you must be very stressed, Hongjoong is important to you. But you’re both also important to us, and we don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.”

We are here if you’ll have us.

Those had been Jongho’s words back when he lashed out at the Captain’s quarters. They were a testament of how much the voyage had changed all of them, because he’s certain, from having observed Jongho before, that those weren’t words he had ever used with anyone else. Yunho knew that the love budding among them was real, because he’d seen the way they looked at Hongjoong (and maybe, he realized now, at him too), but he was too scared to open up and accept it. He knew deep down that they would never dare hurt Hongjoong, but it was hard to accept it was no longer only the two of them, that he no longer had to clutch onto Hongjoong for dear life.

“Thank you,” he nodded, knowing that they only meant well. It felt dry, and lacking, but he didn’t have more words. His throat was closing on him painfully.

“San…” Mingi interrupted, talking for the first time in a while. “Who are you?”

San couldn’t help but feel hurt at the look in Mingi’s eyes. It looked close to betrayal. Mingi had never been anything but kind to him, even when he had been afraid of approaching him before. He didn’t want to hurt someone like him. He didn’t want to hurt him, or any of them, for that matter. San wondered if it was too selfish of him to wish to be embraced when he had kept such a secret from them.

“Mingi, I don’t think-” Yeosang began, but he was stopped by San’s raised hand.

“It’s okay, I’ll tell you, about me. It’s the least I can do…” San sighed. “My real name is code CS-710-28, I come from a planet named Lyria 38.”

“Your name is not San?” Seonghwa raised an eyebrow, seeming a little disturbed.

“Not quite, we usually keep the name we’re given at our first mission,” San explained. “Mine was San, but for the most part, we’re just… labelled with a code, like a product.” They all looked horrified, and he made a point to not look at their faces. “Lee is fake though, it is not the surname I was first given, I don’t have one. A lot of the time, my name wasn’t even San, because it could end up being traced back to me.”

–

When Wooyoung opened his eyes in Hongjoong’s dreams, there was nothing but pitch black darkness. Hongjoong was standing in the middle of it all. He looked so incredibly tired, and Wooyoung felt his very soul break in two, wishing he could spare Hongjoong of what was about to be revealed to him. However, history was meant to continue its course, and for that to happen, the Prince needed to know the truth.

“How are you going to show me?” Hongjoong asked, meeting Wooyoung in the middle of the nothingness.

“I can conjure up other memories, dreams and visions I’ve witnessed,” Wooyoung explained, offering Hongjoong his hand to hold. He smiled a little when the Prince accepted it almost unconsciously, interlocking their fingers and swaying their hands slightly. “I don’t really know where to start with this, though.”

“Why don’t we start from the beginning?” Hongjoong looked Wooyoung in the eyes, trying to see if he could figure out the truth just from that.

“That would be…” Wooyoung sighed. “You were told that your brother died in the hands of the enemy, right?”

“So you mean he didn’t…” Hongjoong muttered, closing his eyes.  A pained expression flashed across his face as he reminisced of that day he had left behind. Wooyoung squeezed his hand softly, hoping to bring him some comfort.

“I can show you what truly happened that day,” Wooyoung explained, “but only if you’re ready.”

“I don’t think I can be more prepared than I am right now,” Hongjoong opened his eyes again and squeezed Wooyoung’s hand. “I’m ready, show me.”

Wooyoung nodded and then closed his eyes, bringing forward the vision he had had months ago about Taejoong’s death. He hadn’t thought of that dream as prophetic, back then, because it hadn’t shown him his destiny outright, but once he had learned Yunho and Hongjoong were real people, he had hated that vision quite a lot. Even then, before developing feelings for them, he hadn’t wanted them to go through such a situation.

When he opened his eyes, they were both back at the battlefield, where Taejoong had fought his last battle. He was there, fighting courageously against the last soldier that remained there, because the enemy troops had ordered a retreat as the night came upon them and the desert became too cold. When the enemy fell on his knees, too injured to continue, Taejoong put his weapon down and spared his life, like he had always taught Hongjoong to do.

“This feels…” Hongjoong muttered, tightly holding Wooyoung’s hand while keeping his other hand over his chest.

“Strange, I know,” Wooyoung smiled, softly squeezing Hongjoong’s hand again to let him know he was there for him. 

Taejoong was a bit far away from his soldiers, and they observed a soldier from the empire walking towards him while Taejoong tried to pick the fallen Elgen up and carry him to their camp, to safety. Taejoong spoke to the guard, but the sound of the vision was muffled, so it was hard to make the words out. Hongjoong didn’t need to hear the words to understand what was happening, though.

Hongjoong didn’t make a sound as he saw his brother’s own soldier stab him in the back, but the hand that held Wooyoung’s was almost turning white from how hard he was squeezing it. He watched his brother fall, betrayal in his eyes. He observed the soldier kill the Elgen and then yell for help, as if he hadn’t just committed the greatest crime. He watched, in horror, before the vision vanished right in front of him, stopped by Wooyoung.

“I’m sorry,” Wooyoung muttered. “I should have stopped it sooner.”

“It’s okay,” Hongjoong took a big gulp of air, realizing that he had been holding his breath before. “I just need a moment.”

He let go of Wooyoung’s hand and crouched on the floor, holding a hand tightly to his chest, almost like he was trying to keep his heart inside. Wooyoung was by his side in seconds, kneeling next to him and rubbing his back soothingly. 

“Take all the time you need,” he whispered, wiping Hongjoong’s tears with a gentle hand.

It felt horrible, having to be the one to show Hongjoong the truth, but he knew it was nothing compared to the pain the other was feeling.

–

“The planet has basically no resources, so we were raised and trained to complete all sorts of missions that no one else would want to do.” San continued explaining, trying to spare them the more gruesome details. “I don’t exactly know how our planet even got the technology to do it, but one day the Life Architects Organization simply came and took over, it’s been like this since way before I was created.”

“So you’re not…” Yeosang began but then his voice grew quiet, like he couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.

“Human,” San supplied for him, understanding how Yeosang felt. “No, not entirely. I’m an artificially created being, I was made to imitate humans, but there’s many artificial forms that were made to imitate other species.”

“But you look so young, how did you complete all those missions you talk about?” Seonghwa questioned, a little less reserved than the others, because he was still somewhat new to the crew.

“Oh, I am young,” San shook his head. “I was made to age like normal humans, so I am probably around the same age as the rest of you, from the looks of it.” He shrugged. “The thing is that we are made better. All of my senses were artificially improved, and I heal very fast as well.”

“That would explain some things,” Yunho sighed. “Why did you accept the mission to kill Hongjoong if you didn’t intend on completing it?" 

Everyone grimaced at the lack of tact behind the words, even Yunho himself. San didn’t let that affect him though. Yunho was in his right to ask the question, and San wanted to come clean once and for all.

"Oh, believe me, I didn’t know I wouldn’t be completing it either,” San scoffed. “That was a surprise to me as much as it was for everyone else.” He cleared his throat as he noticed the serious looks in the others’ eyes. Maybe joking like that wasn’t appropriate at the moment. “But to answer your question, I had no choice in the matter.

My… boss managed all of my missions, I had no say in the matter. Way before this mission I was already tired, but I didn’t expect it to go like this.” San worried his lower lip, trying to come up with the words. “The day I received the mission, I was told it was a very important one and that the client was someone very relevant, but I wasn’t told much more.”

“Why didn’t you kill Hongjoong?” Yunho asked again, wanting to hear the real reason behind it. He knew now that San had put so much at risk by not completing his mission, given how scared he had looked back at the quarters and how carefully he had threaded the whole journey.

Deep down, he already knew the reason, of course he did. San was transparent when he wanted to be, which was the reason Hongjoong and Wooyoung had so easily stopped him from hurting San before. If he didn’t already believe in San’s innocence deep down, he wouldn’t have stopped at anything.

“I fell in love with him,” San’s voice was small, almost like he was trying to make himself disappear.

Despite himself, Yunho closed his eyes and felt warmth spread on his chest. He knew, in the way San closed in on himself like he was trying to protect something valuable, that he wasn’t lying. He found himself feeling for San, because he could phantom the pain it would bring him if he had to bring harm to his Prince. It would be unbearable.

Yeosang took a step forward hesitantly before throwing his doubts away and crossing the distance between him and San. The mercenary visibly flinched, stepping back as he thought he was going to get attacked again. Instead, Yeosang threw his arms around San’s neck and embraced him tightly.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, and it was true. He was sorry that San had had to experience all that by himself, that he barely had a name to call his own, that he had been so utterly alone and trapped.

Mingi, encouraged by Yeosang’s actions, also closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around both of them. San’s breath got caught in his throat and his eyes became glassy. A knot in his chest unraveled, and suddenly all the words he had ached to say were gushing out his mouth. Slowly, his arms wrapped around Yeosang and he allowed himself to be selfish for once, to enjoy the touch he had been craving.

“I realized it when we were saving you,” San looked Seonghwa in the eyes. “It had probably been coming for a long time, to be fair, but I realized there was a point of no return in that ship.” He chuckled wetly. “He saved my life and I saved his, because I couldn’t let him get hurt.”

Yunho remembered that battle vividly, because he had saved both Hongjoong and San’s lives right after they had gotten distracted. He hadn’t known how much of a moral dilemma San had been in. 

“And it just became worse from there,” San sighed. “I’m so tired.”

Mingi’s arms secured tighter around him, and San allowed his head to roll back onto Mingi’s chest, who leaned his head on top of San’s. Yeosang simply hid his own face in San’s chest. He could feel how fast San’s heart was beating in his chest, probably a mix of fear and relief at finally letting it all out.

“I believe you,” Yunho finally said. It was like the tension suddenly dissipated. “I believe you, and I’m sorry.” There were many things he was sorry about, but he didn’t think he could fit them all in one go. “There is one more thing I want to know though, and it’s really important… Who hired you?”

San closed his eyes and took a deep breath, wishing he wasn’t the one relaying this news. His lips parted open and the whole room froze in surprise.

–

Wooyoung had materialized a wall to lean on and had gathered Hongjoong in his arms until the Prince had finally calmed down. His heart was beating fast, having the Captain of the Crescent so close to him and so vulnerable in his hold. He had known, even without a vision, that revealing the truth would be one of the hardest parts of the journey. The worst part was that there were still a lot of things left to say.

“Can I ask you something?” Hongjoong muttered after long minutes of silence.

“Of course,” Wooyoung nodded, squeezing Hongjoong just a little tighter when he spotted the exhaustion in his voice.

Hongjoong shifted, and Wooyoung softened his hold enough to let him move until they were facing each other, Hongjoong kneeling between his legs. Wooyoung’s heart rate picked up as his mind processed how close they were, but it was Hongjoong’s words that finally pushed him to some sort of desperate state, and he felt his face engulfed by flames.

“What was it like when you had your first vision about us?”

His breath caught on his throat as he remembered his first true prophetic dream, where he had met them all for the first time, his brain filling with information about them. He remembered every little detail of that dream vividly. He remembered the emotions swirling through his chest, the yearning filling up his lungs until he couldn’t breathe, the way he had known they were meant to be together.

“It was the most overwhelming feeling I had ever felt,” Wooyoung explained, eyes shifting between Hongjoong’s eyes. “I saw The Crescent first, and then when I landed on deck, I saw the seven of you, talking and smiling, and Hongjoong-”

His eyes had wandered elsewhere, but when they returned to Hongjoong’s face, his words caught in his chest, as he noticed how the other was hanging onto his every word. 

“I yearned for it so much…” his voice had lowered into a whisper without him noticing. “I didn’t know anything about any of you but I had never craved anything so badly like how I craved being by your side, smiling with you.”

Hongjoong craddled his face with one hand, wiping tears away with a gentle thumb. Wooyoung let out a watery laugh before putting a hand on top of Hongjoong’s and leaning into the touch.

“I woke up crying, pretty much like I’m doing right now,” he laughs again, and Hongjoong smiles at him sympathetically.

“Do you think it will work out?” Hongjoong whispered. “Do you think they’ll still want me when they learn the truth? In love with me or not, they’re my family now, I don’t want them to hate me…”

“They could never,” Wooyoung reassured him, squeezing his hand softly. “It will work out, I promise.”

And despite himself, Hongjoong believed him, because Wooyoung had been truthful so far. Hongjoong could see the devotion in his eyes when he talked about the rest of them, and while it made him feel vulnerable, it also made him feel loved so completely. He couldn’t do anything but believe him.

“It’s all an inside job, isn’t it?” Hongjoong sighed, brushing his thumb over Wooyoung’s cheek once more before grabbing the other’s hand and pulling him up with him. “The people who killed my brother and sent San after me.”

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Wooyoung asked, brows creasing in worry.

Hongjoong nodded.

“Okay,” Wooyoung let out a deep breath, closing his eyes as he held onto Hongjoong’s hand tightly, refusing to let go.

He brought forward a different vision this time, one he had had a while ago and that had shaken him with the realization of the truth. They were in a room that was all too familiar to Hongjoong: his father’s office. The Emperor and Prince Yijoong were sitting facing each other, drinking in silence while mulling over their words.

“How have you seen Hongjoong?” The Emperor broke the silence first, bringing the wine glass to his lips.

“He’s heartbroken, and that keeps him distracted and clueless,” Yijoong shrugged, taking a sip from his glass as well.

Wooyoung felt Hongjoong’s hand tighten around his and he risked looking, finding Hongjoong pale like a sheet of paper. He could almost see the pieces lining in his head.

“That’s good, for now, but he’s a pretty clever boy,” his father continued.

“He is, which is why I’ve come up with a plan to make sure he never finds out.” Yijoong grinned, and Hongjoong could no longer recognize the brother he had grown up with. “I’m gonna tempt him with a journey he would never be able to reject on the next meeting he goes to, and if he just so happens to never come back from it, well, it was a dangerous voyage anyway.”

“Unfortunate, but…” his father smiled, and Wooyoung was able to pinpoint the exact moment Honjoong’s heart broke in a way he wasn’t sure could be repaired anymore. “It’s for the good of the Empire, isn’t it? Taejoong’s ideals were going to destroy everything we had worked so hard for, and Hongjoong admired him too much. My son, you’re the only one who sees the right path.”

“Of course father, I would never wish to disappoint you.”

“How do you plan for his disappearance to go?” The Emperor asked, eyes crinkled in a smile.

“I’ve already hired a very good hitsman, and will be meeting with them soon,” Yijeong hummed. “We just need to get Hongjoong going on that trip and it’ll be settled.”

“Well done, my son.” The Emperor leaned forward, extending a hand towards Yijoong that the prince eagerly took. “I’m so proud of you.”

• Fandom(s):ATEEZ
• AU:Treasure Hunters
• Genre:Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
• Relationship: Everyone x Everyone, Established Hongjoong x Yunho
• Language:English
• Status:Ongoing
• Chapter WC: 3,050 words
• Warnings: Character Death, Stabbing, Fighting, Blood, Aliens, War, Funerals, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Mentions of Child Abuse / Child Work, Explosions, Murder Attempt, Robbery, Homeless/Runaway Character, Torture, Mentions of Slavery more will be added.
• Chapter Warnings: No warnings apply
• Summary:

San wished he could make someone else responsible for the pain they were experiencing, but he had no one else to blame but himself.

• AO3

<< Previous Chapter|Masterlist|Next Chapter >>

Tagged:@angel0taiyo

“Explain yourself,” Yunho ordered.

His hand had gone white from how tightly he was holding the sword. San was surprised to spot the slightest tremor to it, which would have probably gone unnoticed to anyone else but him. Yunho cared about him, and the knowledge hurt him as much as everything else did at that moment. He wished he could make someone else responsible for the pain they were experiencing, but he had no one else to blame but himself.

“The planet I come from is incredibly poor, and it doesn’t belong to any government that could help us out,” San explained, although he knew that the conditions in which he had grown were not an excuse for his actions. “Others like me are artificially created, and then we undergo special training to turn us into the best fighters and hunters, so that we can complete special missions for money.”

“With special you mean…” Hongjoong spoke from behind Yunho. His hands were holding Yunho’s arm tightly, but he had stopped trying to move past him.

“Yes,” San let out a bitter laugh. “I murder for a living.”

“But why-” Hongjoong seemed to consider his words, not even certain of what he wanted to know anymore. He felt dizzy with the newly acquired knowledge, and he couldn’t fully finish processing that San, their San, would actually do something like that.

San had helped the crew so much since the beginning. He had supported Mingi many times when he had been insecure. He had protected the ship without hesitation when Yeosang had tried to sneak in. He had saved Honjoong’s life during the battle with the slave ship, when he could have easily left him for death if that were his mission. Why had San left him alive? So many weeks had passed already, so why was he only coming clean now?

“Why me?” Hongjoong chose to ask instead, because he wasn’t sure if he was ready to hear the reason behind San leaving him alive.

“I don’t…” San bit his lip. Of course he knew, or at the very least, he had an idea of why his own family wanted his head.

His research showed him that Emperor Kim and Prince Yijoong were power-thirsty. Emperor Kim was constantly leading battles to conquer other planets and expand his territory even though he was vastly incapable of taking care of what he already had. Prince Yijoong was simply jealous, of his older brother who had achieved so much, and of his younger brother who was heading towards the same route.

And Hongjoong wasn’t like that. Hongjoong didn’t care about power or money, he cared about his people and about life and justice. Hongjoong had learned from his brother that there was more to their position as Princes than simply owning and taking. And even though Taejoong liked fighting a little too much, he had taught Hongjoong well, and now he had learned for himself that there were things far more important than taking revenge. There were people suffering and grieving more than him, and he wanted to help.

“I don’t know for certain,” he said instead, because he didn’t want to continue lying, but he didn’t want to break Hongjoong’s heart even more. “I know there are some political motives behind it, there always are.”

“What do you mean?” Yunho asked, frowning.

“You know it better than me Yunho, you’ve been trying to protect him for so many years,” San looked away when Yunho’s eyes became ice cold. After all, he was one of those things Yunho had always tried his best to shield Hongjoong from. “The people who pay for our services are always power hungry, it’s the only thing they care about.

"The reason they want you dead, Hongjoong, is because that would give them more power.” San muttered. He wanted to answer their questions, but he didn’t want to reveal everything that he knew.

“Who is behind this?” Hongjoong asked, finally. San could see that he was dying to ask, but he would have preferred it a lot more to not be faced by that dreaded question.

“I don’t-”

“You do know,” Yunho interrupted, his tone was aggressive and laced with impatience.

“You don’t want to know,” San shook his head. He didn’t want to say it, he didn’t want to be responsible for breaking Hongjoong’s heart even more.

“Tell me-”

Noise erupted from outside the quarters, drowning Hongjoong’s voice for a moment as they all turned to look at the door, confused at whatever was happening outside. Hongjoong tried to move towards the door, but Yunho stopped him, not wanting him to go any closer to San. He himself couldn’t bring himself to move, afraid that any wrong movement would have Yunho come for his neck. He just hoped it wasn’t the people that wanted Hongjoong’s head.

–

The captain of the ship informed him that they were coming close to the ship, and that they had already made contact with The Crescent. Wooyoung smiled, leaning on the railing and waiting for the ship to come into view. His heart was beating extremely fast. He was excited to finally be meeting them, but also nervous, because he knew he needed to find San as soon as he boarded the ship.

Wooyoung had told them that as soon as he boarded they could simply leave, since Chan would need as many men as possible for the battle on the home planet. He had promised that Hongjoong would be fulfilling his end of the deal, but that they needed to solve other matters before, some that were vital for things to work out. He wasn’t sure himself if things would work seamlessly, but even if they did, there were a lot of things to worry about.

“Approaching destination, prepare for the atmospheres to merge,” the Captain ordered, and Wooyoung made sure to have all of his things ready.

The Crescent was even more beautiful in person than whatever he had built through the dreams he had visited. It was gorgeous, and seemed to glow in the darkness of space with its own soul. To Wooyoung, it felt like home. He had dreamed about it so many times, and he couldn’t believe he was finally there. A couple of crewmembers helped him descend onto The Crescent’s deck with his luggage, and soon enough, Chan’s ship was leaving him behind.

“Who are you?!” Someone yelled behind him, and Wooyoung turned to find quite a few swords pointing at him.

He was completely surrounded by soldiers, which he had already been expecting. Wooyoung put his luggage on the ground and raised his arms, trying to appear peaceful and harmless, but the soldiers were not convinced. He knew they wouldn’t hurt him though, because he had already seen all of this develop in his dreams. He simply needed to be found…

“Wooyoung?” A voice called for him from behind, and he smiled.

He barely had time to turn as he was occupied with an armful of Mingi, who had done his best to run to his encounter. Wooyoung let out a breathy laugh, exhilarated with the fact that he could finally hug the real Mingi. It felt so much more different than dreams. Mingi was tall and firm under his touch, he was warm and he trembled with excitement as much as Wooyoung did.

“Mingi? What are you doing?” More familiar voices.

Wooyoung pulled away from Mingi just enough to allow the others to see him. Jongho, Yeosang and Seonghwa were there, with their mouths wide open like they had just seen some sort of ghost. Wooyoung laughed, and convinced Mingi to let him go just for long enough to greet the others as well. He had been yearning for them, and they had clearly been waiting for him as well.

Yeosang hesitated a little when Wooyoung stood in front of him with open arms, but once he realized Wooyoung was indeed real, he squeezed the daylights out of him, mumbling incoherences. Jongho’s hug was a lot more gentle, a lot more comforting, and Wooyoung basked in the differences between all of them. And then there was Seonghwa, who stood a little to the side, looking at Wooyoung like he was experiencing a miracle. They didn’t hug, but Seonghwa grabbed Wooyoung’s hand and kissed the back of it, a mix of admiration and gratitude that made Wooyoung blush.

“You’re finally here,” Jongho affirmed. Finally, the eight of them were about to be reunited.

“Yep, all thanks to your good friend Chan,” Wooyoung chuckled, finding himself in Mingi’s arms again.

“You met him?” Yeosang asked, wide eyed.

“I’ve always been a metaphysical step or two ahead of you,” Wooyoung smiled, allowing himself to enjoy the moment he had been waiting for for so long.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” Seonghwa explains. He still looked like he was out of himself, almost shocked to discover that Wooyoung was indeed real, like he had feared he wasn’t.

“And I’ve been looking for you,” Wooyoung took a deep breath, willing his heart to calm down. “For all of you.”

The soldiers around them were making a ruckus, confused at his appearance at the ship. Of course, they all recognized Chan’s name upon being mentioned, but they had never seen Wooyoung before, so they couldn’t begin to understand how he was related to anything. It made him happy, though, because it meant that the others had kept his secret safe, only to themselves. They were running out of time now, though, so Wooyoung squeezed Mingi’s arms and got out of his grasp again.

“I need to find San,” he explained.

“I saw him walk into the Captain’s quarters before,” Seonghwa hummed. “Captain Hongjoong summoned some of the crew for a meeting, but I think only him and First Mate Yunho remain there now.”

“Then we better hurry up.” Wooyoung turned around with no hesitation and began walking towards Hongjoong and Yunho’s quarters, already knowing by heart where they were. The others followed him, compelled by the way he had said those words, even though they clearly had no idea what was happening.

–

“Yunho, please lower your sword,” Hongjoong asked him, feeling anxiety crawl in his stomach as they wasted time in there when something else was happening out on deck.

“No,” Yunho’s demeanor was firm.

San was still kneeling on the floor with his arms raised. He didn’t even feel the strain on his muscles with how much his stomach kept turning with nausea and anxiety. It would’ve been a lot more merciful to be killed than to be subjected to Yunho’s betrayed gaze. He wished Wooyoung was there to intervene for him, to explain things and to convince him. San wanted so badly to be redeemed.

Yunho clicked his tongue, getting antsy about the noises coming from outside. He moved forward to hurt San. He didn’t want to kill him. In fact, he couldn’t kill him, because as much as he felt betrayed he still cared about him. But he needed to render him defenseless so that he couldn’t hurt anyone else. Yunho wasn’t certain how artificial life functioned, and he couldn’t risk the apologetic San in front of them being a lie.

“Stop right there.”

The door opened wide and five men walked in. Yunho stopped mid motion, and the three of them turned towards the door as they heard the gasps of surprise and confusion. Everyone was there. Wooyoung made sure to close the door behind them before he walked towards San and pulled him up until he was standing. He didn’t even wait for San to say anything before enveloping him in a tight hug. San broke down in his arms.

“I did it,” San sobbed, and Wooyoung hugged him tighter.

“You did, and I’m so proud of you,” Wooyoung whispered, turning to look at Hongjoong and Yunho.

Yunho, who was looking at all of them like they had stabbed him in the back and left him to die. He raised his sword higher, pushed Hongjoong to the wall behind them and stood in front of him, ready to give his life protecting him. The tears threatened his eyes but he kept them at bay, because they would only be a nuisance. He felt betrayed and confused, and could no longer distinguish friend from foe.

“What is happening here?” Yeosang demanded, confused and hurt at how Yunho was acting towards them, already ready to step up first. “What the fuck are you doing Yunho?”

“You’re all behind this, aren’t you?!” Yunho barked back. His voice was shaky but he focused on keeping his hand steady. There were so many of them, and the realization that he didn’t actually know anything about any of them had just hit him.

“Behind what?” Seonghwa intervened this time, clearly fed up with how little things make sense.

“I’ll explain,” Wooyoung spoke up, making everyone else go silent.

He carefully passed San onto Mingi, who very quickly wrapped his arms around the shorter male. He fussed over him, whispering some questions simply to make sure that San wasn’t hurt. San simply nodded or shook his head as an answer, too focused on stopping himself from crying. He thought that if he spoke another word, he would fuck everything up.

“San has been keeping a very important secret in order to survive,” Wooyoung explained, taking his time to look everyone in the eyes. “All of you here probably know what it’s like to keep a secret, I know I do.

"He comes from a very unkind planet, his whole life he was trained in the arts of assassination,” he didn’t miss the way they all seemed horrified, or how Mingi hugged San tighter instead of casting him aside. He was with the right people. “He was sent here to kill Hongjoong-”

“I couldn’t do it,” San intervened with a broken voice. “From the moment I met Hongjoong and Yunho I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it.”

“Then why didn’t you-”

“Yunho,” Hongjoong interrupted him, placing a hand on the arm that was handling the sword and slowly lowering it.

“Because he is afraid,” Wooyoung continued. “The same fear you’re feeling right now, he’s felt it this whole time. Despite how angry you are now, you haven’t hurt him because you care… What would have happened before?”

Yunho knows they are right. If San had told them this way before, he wouldn’t have been able to forgive him, he wouldn’t have stopped himself. San had been trying to protect himself as much as Yunho had been trying to protect Hongjoong. He couldn’t blame him for that. He let the sword drop to the floor as Hongjoong wrapped his arms around him, trying to comfort him.

“You’re all I have,” Yunho muttered to Hongjoong, hugging him as well. He felt numb and tired, confused, lost.

“That is not true,” Jongho spoke for the first time.

He had been standing behind everyone, taking the situation in and weighting it in his mind. He wasn’t surprised to find that he didn’t feel anything but sympathy towards San, who had been simply trying to keep himself alive. Weren’t all of them doing that at the end of the day? Even Yunho’s actions at that moment had occurred under that same basis: survival.

“Hongjoong is not all you have,” Jongho repeated, as he noticed the confused looks on everyone but Wooyoung. “In the end, we all reunited like Wooyoung predicted. We are also here, including San, if you’ll have us.”

Yunho nodded, closing his eyes and hiding his face on Hongoong’s collarbone. Jongho didn’t mind, knowing fully well that they all needed some time to process what was happening, but at least now everyone’s feelings were clearly on the table. They could all feel the shift in the tension, like it had suddenly become easier to breathe. Only one of them remained antsy. Hongjoong was staring at Wooyoung, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

“Wooyoung, you know who is behind it…” It wasn’t a question. Hongjoong was very aware of Wooyoung’s nature, and the Somnum had told him before that he was many steps ahead, knowing more than any of them could even fathom.

Wooyoung smiled gently at him, and he looked sorry. That look was more than enough confirmation to Honjoong, who had already known but had hoped it wasn’t true. He could understand why San would keep something like that from him, but not Wooyoung. It just didn’t make sense to him. He would have told any of them if he had known they were in danger.

“I do know who it is,” Wooyoung nodded. “I didn’t figure it out until recently though…”

“But I thought-”

“Yes, I do know many things,” Wooyoung interrupted him, not wanting to be misunderstood even more. “However, I have no control of when they are revealed to me, because feelings may cause me to mess things up.”

Hongjoong blushed slightly, feeling like Wooyoung had seen right through what he had been thinking before. Of course, Wooyoung himself had a mission that he couldn’t ruin, much like he and Yunho did with the treasure. He almost wished he wasn’t part of that mission, but that would mean to never have met the people he’s with now, and ignorance about the reward on his head seems like a good enough price for that. He got lucky.

“I can tell you if you want, Hongjoong.” Wooyoung explained. Hongjoong ignored the alarmed look that San directed at the Somnum, it was obvious the assassin didn’t want him to know. What could be so bad that San wanted to protect him from it? “Better yet, I can show you. But only if you’re ready to learn about it.”

The prince looked at San, who looked incredibly mortified, mouthing with his lips at Hongjoong not to do it. And then he looked at the rest, who were put in danger so many times because of him, who seemed confused and lost just like him. And then he looked at Wooyoung, who was still smiling and waiting for him, and he knew that the right thing was to learn about it, because otherwise Wooyoung wouldn’t be offering him that knowledge.

“I want to know.”