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marshmallow-phd · 4 years

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Heart of Thorns

Genre: Beauty and the Beast!AU, Romace, Angst

Paring: Tao x Reader

Inspired by: These moodboards created by @xui-n-soowillbethedeathofme (x) (x) and my absolute obsession with Beauty and the Beast

Summary: Lost in a forest during a storm, you find shelter in a crumbling castle that had been hidden away for years. The master of the house shut himself away, refusing to engage with the world. Too intrigued and running away from your own fears, you refuse to leave no matter how much he tells you to, wanting to try and find the heart within the beast.

Part One I Part Two I Part Three

The view of the country manor used to bring a smile to your face. In the past, you would take off in a run in order to meet it quicker. Its walls were like widespread arms waiting for you to enter its embrace. The garden outside had been your enchanted forest. The rabbits and deer that occasionally wandered in were your friends.

But the wonders of the home that had once been your shelter were no longer as welcoming as before. You wanted to turn back, to make your way through the thick trees, finding that blasted castle, and demanding answers from Zitao.

Why had he thrown you out? Why had he turned such a sweet moment bitter? You knew now that you could never give your heart to Gao. It had already been stolen by another. And even if you wanted it back, it wasn’t possible. You had left it behind in the forest to forever wander the halls in hope of the man in the mask coming for you.

But he wouldn’t be coming for you. As Mr. Chan brought the carriage to a stop down the road, you hopped down from your seat, careful to keep the hood of your cloak over your head. Mr. Chan stepped down as well. From the other side of the carriage, he pulled out two large bags and handed them to you. Odd. You didn’t remember having that much with you on your first trip.

“Take care, young miss.”

You were a bit shocked. You hadn’t heard Mr. Chan speak very much, especially directly to you. His tone implied a sense of protectiveness, a fatherly affection you wouldn’t have expected from him. There was still an awkwardness as he patted your shoulder and stepped back up into the carriage to ride away in the opposite direction that you would walk, but you were thankful for him, just as you were thankful for Mrs. Chan.

Taking a deep breath, you gripped tightly to the straps the bags, one in each hand, and headed for the house.

You heard Cosette yelling before you saw her.

“(Y/n) is back! She’s here! She’s back!”

By the time you reached the door, it swung open to reveal your entire family trying to squeeze through the limited space. Lu made it through first. He threw his arms around you, giving you the type of hug that you hadn’t received from since you were a child. The embraced caused you to drop the bags and return the affection with equal force. Your father came next as he squeezed between you and Lu to take your face in his hands.

“(Y/n). My (y/n). I thought I would never see you again.” His eyes were glossing over. You hadn’t seen him cry in years – since you were small – and your own heart was breaking for the pain you had put him through. While you were enjoying yourself with Zitao and avoiding the confrontation of your possible engagement, he was falling apart.

“I’m so sorry.” You sniffed back your own tears as you pressed your face into his chest. The hood of your cloak fell to your shoulders, exposing yourself to the cold.

You felt his chest heave with a sigh as he patted the back of your head. “Where did you go?”

“Yes!” Cosette screeched from the doorway. “Where did you go? Why did you run away and leave us to starve!”

You swallowed back a scoff as you stepped back. They would have hardly starved if you hadn’t come back. “I didn’t run away. The storm hit sooner than expected. The carriage fell into a ravine. I don’t know what happened to the driver. The horse wasn’t moving so I tried to get back here, but I passed out.”

“How did you survive?” Lu asked.

“I-” You bit down on your lower lip. For some reason, you were reluctant to share the truth. Would they even believe you? They rolled their eyes at the village stories as much as you had before. Being from the city, stories like that were considered beneath their intelligence. “I was found by an old woman who lives in a cottage in the forest. I was sick for a long time, but she nursed me back to health. It took several weeks before my strength came back.”

“And I’m so glad that you did,” your father smiled at you.

“As am I.”

Your eyes went wide as Gao stepped out of the home. He looked different from the last time you saw him. He stood tall, carrying around this aura of importance. His ivory jacket was lined with golden embroidery. His black hair was pulled back and tied with a matching ribbon. There was something about him that gave the impression he was always ready for his portrait to be painted. You had to stop yourself from taking a step away from him as he approached you, grabbed your hand, and placed a kiss on your fingers. The contact made your skin crawl. It was only pure will power that kept you from yanking your hand away and wiping the kiss away on your skirts. There wasn’t any logic beyond your response. Gao had never been unkind to you or anyone else in your presence. Perhaps it was merely the fact that he had wanted to trade helping your father for you being his wife.

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Gao,” you whispered.

“Let’s get you inside and near a fire,” he replied with a smile.

“Yes, let's get you inside,” your father agreed. He was about to guide you inside when Gao placed his hand on the small of your back and led you inside instead. Lu picked up your bags and followed suit.

Gao sat you down on the couch and motioned for Claudette to add more wood to the fire. You weren’t that cold, but you didn’t protest. Lu disappeared upstairs with your bags before returning and taking a seat next to you. His eyes flickered in an unsure manner towards Gao. Your father took his usual spot in the armchair to your left, leaving the other side of you open for Gao. Cosette did not seem put out by the lack of propriety for her. In fact, she didn’t seem concerned with the conversation at all. She slowly walked around the room, getting closer to the stairs, but you hardly paid attention. Gao’s closeness was taking up your focus.

“Was the old woman kind to you?” Gao clasped a hand around your own. You quickly withdrew your fingers, hiding them in the folds of your skirt so he couldn’t try it again.

“Yes,” you nodded. “She was more than kind.” Mrs. Chan was motherly towards you. She made you laugh and feel comfortable. She also gave you the tools to open your heart to Zitao. She told you of his past. Because of her, you stopped seeing him as a terrifying figure in the shadows and began to discover the human hidden under the mask. You were sure she had a hand in his changed attitude towards you as well.

“You sound almost… sad to have left?” Lu said.

You blinked at your brother. “I-” You swallowed. “I know I will miss her. She’s my friend.”

“Of course, she would be.” Your father smiled at you, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Gao cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to himself. “(y/n), I know you’ve been through a lot. However, I would like to form-”

“Look! Look at me!”

Cosette came running down the stairs, the force of her hurry causing her hair to flurry behind her. She was dressed in a silver gown with multiple layers, embroidered with green leaves that seemed to dance in the light. Jewels hung from her neck and wrists, sparkling on her fingers, and dangling from her ears. A small circlet sat on top of her head. Where did she get all of that?

As she came to a stop in the living, standing in the middle in the room so all could see her, she sneered in your direction. “Look! Now I can be as flighty and selfish as (y/n)! Her secret lover must be richer than Gao to give her all of this!”

You gaped at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Your bags were filled with more jewels and dresses like this!” Cosette held up her hand and wiggled her fingers. “Admit it. You didn’t get caught in the storm. And you certainly weren’t staying in a cottage, being looked after by an old woman. You went to see your lover! That’s what you were actually doing on all your walks, wasn’t it?”

Everyone was staring at you. Eyes were wide and mouths slightly agape. Your breath quickened. You thought it strange this morning that you were being sent away with two bags, but you were too upset over Zitao’s words to you and throwing you away to try to understand the possible reason. This only added to your confusion. Did Mrs. Chan pack those valuables to give you leverage against the marriage? Or did Zitao have it done since he felt sorry for you? You could feel the tears welling up behind your eyes as the confusion tore at your heart.

“I don’t have a lover,” you contended in a meek voice. You weren’t sure if any of them believed you, especially since you kept your eyes trained down on the floor. Streaks bounced off weakly off the wood in the sunlight. It wasn’t as reflective as when you left. Someone would have to clean it better.

“Then how do you explain the gifts?” Lu was frowning at you, but it was cast over with a look of concern and confusion. He wasn’t accusatory, simply wanting an explanation.

You shrugged. “I can’t.”

Gao stood up from the couch. Hands behind his back, he walked over to the window that overlooked the front garden and stared passed the glass. Perhaps you should have been feeling guilty, wondering what was going through Gao’s mind at the moment. But he was the least of your concern. It was your father’s judgement that worried you the most. Would he believe your half-truths?

Because you didn’t have a “lover”. You had someone who had stolen your heart and then shoved you away. You had fallen in love with Zitao. He had kissed you and made you feel warm but nothing beyond that. It had ended before it had truly begun.

No. You couldn’t accept the goodbye. Not in this way. You wouldn’t accept that he simply didn’t care for you. There were layers to him that you hadn’t reached. You refused to let go. Not yet.

“If (y/n) says that it wasn’t a lover then I believe her,” your father stated. You let out the air you had been holding in your lungs, the tension in your shoulders rolling away. “Perhaps this old woman is the heir of an old family who simply prefers to be away from others and felt pity for you. We can certainly sell some of the wares to keep our income.” His eyes flickered over to Gao’s back, which did not go unnoticed by your sister.

“Sell them?” Cosette scoffed. “And when that runs out, then what? We need you to get back on your feet, Father! Have you be respectable again!”

Knowing exactly what she was implying your father said, “It is still (y/n)’s choice. That has not changed.”

Without prompt, Gao turned swiftly away from the window. “I feel that this is a matter that should be discussed between the family. I’ll go back to the inn. Until tomorrow.” He bowed, hands still behind him, and left.

It was silence for a minute or two. You wanted someone to speak – anyone. Even Cosette’s screaming would be more tolerable than this pressing quiet. You would break it yourself if you had any idea on how to start. Thankfully, your father took charge of that task.

“Have you decided yet, (y/n)? Will you marry Gao?”

No. No, no, no, no.

“I haven’t decided,” you said as you shook your head.

Your father stood from his chair, grunting from the effort. “Well. Gao had said earlier today that he could only stay the remainder of the week. I wouldn’t be surprised if by that time he formally asks you for your hand. I hope you have an answer for him when he does.” He gave you a kiss on the top of your head. “I’m so happy for your return. My heart would have shattered if something had happened to you.”

You watched with your own broken heart as your father ascended the stairs. Cosette stuck her nose in the air and flitted up after him, possibly to go through the rest of your bags.

Lu scooted closer to you. His eyes were narrowed, but not in a suspicious way. He studied you the same way he would study his mathematics when he was still in school. “Are you sure everything is alright? Nothing happened to you in that cottage, did it?”

Your hands were trembling, but thankfully they were still hidden your skirt. You didn’t lie to your family like this. You had always tried to be open and honest, at least with your father and brother. But you couldn’t bring yourself to let out this secret. That castle in the woods was your burden to endure. Until you were able to figure out where each of you stood, that is. If Zitao truly didn’t care for you… then you would marry Gao. If you couldn’t have love, then you would help your family the best you could.

After a few days spent in the house, adjusting to being back in that space and making up the chores that had been neglected in your absence, you decided to take some time out of the house. Gao had been spending time with your brother and sticking close to you. If he felt that you were overworking yourself or doing work that was “below your station”, he would either call Claudette over or finish it himself. It was a gesture that made you smile out of thankfulness, but nothing more. At this moment, though, you wished his “chivalry” would come to a pause. He’d insisted on escorting you to town. The excuse was so he could eye what wares might be for sale in the market, but you had a feeling is to keep an eye on you, to make sure that you really weren’t sneaking off to see a mysterious lover.

Straw basket hanging from the crook of your elbow, you eyed the meat that was sitting out in front of the butcher’s shop. Mrs. Mooney was busy with another customer so you waited patiently to see if you could haggle with her on the price of a few slices that had caught your eye. Though you could have now paid full price for the items, you rather enjoyed the banter that came with the haggling.

Just Mrs. Mooney had finished up with the other customer, a group of young boys no older than nine came running through the streets.

“We saw him! We saw him!”

Mrs. Mooney put her fists on her hips as she eyed the boys. “What are you going on about?”

“The beast who lives in the woods!” one of the sandy haired boys exclaimed. “We saw him!”

“What on earth were you doing that far in the trees?”

“We didn’t mean to,” another pouted. “Our ball kept rolling and we couldn’t catch it! But we saw him! He was riding a giant black horse with a white spot on its head.”

You nearly choked on the air in your throat. That was Zeus. It had to be.

“He must be a vampire!” a different boy gasped. “Half of his face was stark white, and one hand was covered in scars.”

The first boy hit him over the head with his fist. “He can’t be a vampire, the sun’s out!”

“What is this talk of a vampire?” Gao chuckled as he joined the group.

“It’s not a vampire,” Mrs. Mooney said. “It’s the monstrous lord that lives in the forest, terrorizing anyone who gets too close.”

The grip you had on the basket tightened as you clenched on your back teeth. But you couldn’t say anything and possibly give yourself away.

“I haven’t heard of this lord,” Gao commented.

“He doesn’t exist,” you said in a strained voice.

“Yes, he does!” one of the boys argued. “My mum worked in the castle before he threw everyone out! She says his wife didn’t die because of the fire! She says he killed her! She saw the head wound herself!”

The head would? What was he talking about?

Then you remembered Mrs. Chan saying that there had been an argument the night of the fire. Zitao wouldn’t… sure he wasn’t capable of something like that. It had to have been an accident. Or maybe the boy’s mother was mistaken. Witnesses were always exaggerating what they’d seen.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Mrs. Mooney sniffed. “That boy did have a temper. I bet she found out that he was still sleeping with other girls, threatened to leave him, and he killed her.”

“What do you mean ‘still sleeping with other girls’?” You couldn’t stop yourself from asking.

Mrs. Mooney sneered. “That boy was no prince charming. He chased skirts from here to the capital. It was a shock for us all when he came back engaged and in love. Perhaps it was all a show.”

You stepped back as if Mrs. Mooney’s story had grown a fist and swung at your stomach. Could that be true? Perhaps you were meanly another “skirt” to pass his time. He was probably bored, and you came falling into his lap like a shiny new toy.

Distracted, you left the stall and wandered down the street.

“(y/n)!” Gao ran after you, bringing you to a stop with his hand on your elbow. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“No,” you lied. “No, nothing’s wrong. I’m just not a particular fan of Mrs. Mooney’s gossip. That’s all.”

He stared at you in a manner that let you know that he didn’t quite believe you, but he didn’t push. For another half hour or so, he continued to escort you around the market. You hardly paid attention to prices or the quality of the wares; your mind was far away, pondering on what was true and what had been a lie. Gao soon excused himself, saying that he had letters waiting for replies by at the inn. You were thankful when he left, giving you space to be alone.

Your feet knew where they were taking you before your mind was aware. The neighing of the horses caught your attention. If you were to rent one, you could be back before dark – if you found him, that is.

Mr. Seo, who owned the horses, was happy to watch your basket while you took the tan mare. You told him that you wanted to go riding for an hour or so, to feel the wind in your hair before it got too cold. You felt horrible for the story, but if anyone came looking for you, that seemed less suspicious.

You took the roundabout way to the woods, entering through the same space of trees Mr. Chan had brought you out of a few days before. You tried to think back to the path that Mr. Chan had taken to bring you home. The trees all looked the same. Most were bare of leaves, the branches looking like bony fingers pointing you along your way. In the distance, the sound thunder echoed. But there were no clouds in the sky. You followed the sound. The closer you reached, the more recognizable the sound became: horse hooves.

You urged the horse to go faster so the originator of the sound did not outrun you. Then, in the distance, you saw a black shape blurring past the trees. The forest broke. There was the castle.

Stopped in the field halfway between the forest line and the castle, Zitao sat atop Zeus, staring at you. When you were close enough, you brought your borrowed horse to a stop and slipped off the saddle.

“What are you doing here?” he growled down at you. His knuckles were white from how tightly he was gripping the reins. The scars on his left hand stood out even more.

You breathed heavily, suddenly scared as you stood before him. “I have to know why you threw me out.”

“It was time for you to go.”

“That’s a lie. You wouldn’t have-” You stopped. The memory of that night, before the sweet turned sour, sang softly in your head.

But you didn’t need to finish. He knew what you were going to say. “You don’t know what I would and would not have done. I don’t need to explain myself to you. Now go back to your precious fiancé.”

“Did I mean so little to you? Will you really let me go?” You stared intensely, trying to read his features despite the mask giving him perfect cover. He stayed quiet for a moment or two. He kept your gaze steadily. For a make-believe second, you thought that he might ask you to stay. But your instinct was wrong.

“Why would I keep you here?”

He started to turn away. You ran around him to block his path.

“Did all those days really mean nothing to you?”

“Nothing means anything to me. All I want is to go back to my pathetic, peaceful existence in this castle. Alone. Go face your fate. Your family would be better off.” He urged his horse past you. As he galloped towards the stables, you willed for him to look back, to let you know that he didn’t mean the words he’d said.

He never even took a glance.

So, you did as you were told and mounted your horse, vowing never to think about this place again.

When you came back to the house, Gao was there as well. He was sitting at the table with your father and brother.

“I told you she’d be back,” Lu said he clapped Gao on the shoulder. He stood up and came over to you, taking the basket from your hands. “Did you have a nice ride?”

“Yes,” you nodded. “Yes, I did.”

“Good.” That was all he said as he took the basket into the kitchen. And didn’t come back.

Your father cleared his throat before rising from his chair.

Your pulse quickened as you were left alone with Gao. Without any inclination, you knew what was about to happen. The subtly of your family was nonexistent. Even leaving one by one wasn’t enough to cover up their expectations. A coat of cold sweat covered your palms. You wanted to run. You wanted to go to your sanctuary in the woods. But it was clear that you were no longer welcomed there. Should you do as Zitao said? Should you resign yourself to the fate that was in front of you? You had told yourself that you would if he didn’t want you. Now that you were faced with the choice, you found your resolution faltering.

Gao stood up, giving a quick clearing of the throat before taking the necessary steps towards you to close in the gap. His fingers, warm and soft from lack of hard labor, grasped your own. Any other woman would be swooning at the gesture, but you were already tainted with another’s touch.

If you had never gone through the forest, if the storm had never happened and you’d never gone to the castle, would things be different? Would you have come to love Gao? Or at least accept his love with mild interest? There was no telling of what might have been, only of what was in your heart now. The pieces left behind were marked with fingers that danced across ivory keys. They only saw one pair of dark brown eyes that couldn’t be eclipsed by the lighter shade looking at you now. But the owner of said eyes and fingers had thrown you away, had made it clear that you had not touched him in the same way. And then there were still the secrets of his past. Was he truly a murder?

No, you didn’t want to believe that.

“(y/n)?”

Slightly startled at how far away your mind had gotten, you returned your focus to the matter in front of you. “Yes?”

“I’m not sure if there is any hope in the question I want to ask.” Gao’s voice was soft, comforting, but there was something underneath it that made you question its sincerity. “We’ve known each other a long and I’ve always thought of you as someone special, someone to be cared for. If you would be so willing, I would like to be that person to take care of you.”

You stayed silent. Even now you weren’t sure as to which answer you were going to give. Would you stay firmly in one spot, hoping that he would come for you again? Or did you move forward, taking the necessary steps to go on?

“What I’m trying to ask,” Gao shifted his weight to allow himself to kneel before you, still gripping your fingers, “is if you would do me the honor of giving me your hand in marriage?”

Everything stopped. Nothing existed anymore. Not you, not Gao, not even language or time. If you could stay in that non-existence than maybe you could be moderately content. But you were a woman. A woman whose father had fallen into ruin, whose love had scorned her, and who’s family was falling apart. How you wished you could be selfish like Cosette. What a life that must be, to be able to one’s self first. But that was not who you were. In truth, was there really any another answer? Yes, you loved another, but love and marriage were not always intertwined.

You let out that single word quickly before you could think about it anymore. If given even a second longer, you would have changed your mind and ran away.

“Yes.”

You were going home.

Not your true home. The mansion with too many rooms and wonderful hiding spots had been sold off long ago. But you were going back to the city. It was the “proper place for Gao’s fiancé”. You must be reintroduced into society, your status now elevated.

It was hard to say goodbye. You would miss the space this home provided. You would miss the trees that outlined the town and the people who greeted you every time you went to market. The people here were friendlier than in the city. No longer would you go fetch the groceries yourself when Claudette was too busy to do so. You would be back to being waited on hand and foot. You didn’t want to go. But Gao had already sent out the invitations to the engagement party in a week’s time and all the important people of society would be there to watch him parade you around the ballroom rented for the occasion. His own home wasn’t big enough to hold such a party. Yet. Gao had already told you he planned on moving to a bigger house after the wedding.

Hood pulled over your head, you stepped towards the door of the carriage that was to transport you back to the city. Before Gao could help you up inside, you spotted a figure rushing down the dirt path. Your heart jumped in your chest.

Mrs. Chan.

Gathering your dress in your hands, you ran towards her, the hood falling from your head. As soon as she was within reach, you pulled her into your embrace. You hadn’t seen her since you left the castle. Tears trickled down your cheeks. As if nothing had changed, she tutted at you.

“Now, don’t be like that dear. You’ll swelled your beautiful eyes.” Mrs. Chan leaned back and wiped the tears away with her handkerchief. “There. That’s better. You didn’t think I would let you leave without saying goodbye, now did you?”

You couldn’t say either way. You hadn’t wanted to give yourself a chance to hope and then be heartbroken when it didn’t happen.

“I have to say, though, I am surprised at how things have turned out.”

“I didn’t want them to go this way,” you confessed. “I had hoped-” No. Best not to voice that out loud.

Mrs. Chan fixed the hood back onto your crown in her motherly way. “I know, dear, but the thing about hope, it never really dies or goes away. The smallest of embers can ignite it once again.”

You wanted to believe that. It was hard, though. Too much water had been poured on your fire. You pulled Mrs. Chan into another hug. “I’ll miss you.”

“Take care, dear. And don’t forget how strong you are.” She left you with one last pat on the cheek and then turned you around so you would go back to the carriage.

“Who was that?” Gao asked when you returned.

“A friend from the village,” you replied, your eyes on Mrs. Chan’s retreating back.

Gao simply nodded in reply before helping you into the carriage. It was stuffy inside with your family and Gao crowded amongst the seats. Your stomach flipped and churned with every bump. No storm was coming this time, so the driver took the main road, avoiding the forest. By sundown, you had made it the inn that was supposed to be your shelter on the last trip. Cosette filled the silence of your rented room with her talk of parties and what store she wanted to buy a new dress from as soon as you all arrived back in “civilization”. There was even a comment of having one of the dresses from your bags altered to fit with the modern fashion. You wanted to scream at her not to touch them, but the fight inside you was hard to find. Instead, you simply turned your back to her as you lied in the bed and blew out the candle to diminish the small amount of light she could see by.

The family settled into Gao’s two-story house with little difficulty. The servants fulfilled their wishes and took their orders. Most were familiar with your brother already, having been employed by Gao’s family for decades. You still tried to do things for yourself, like tending to the fire in whatever room you were occupying or collecting your laundry. The work was quickly snatched from your hands as soon as one of the servants saw what you were doing.

The head housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, was determined to mold you into the madam of the home. She would come to you with the preparations for dinner, for approval on new curtains for certain rooms, and for anything else she thought you should be informed of or have the final say on. Most of these things you saw as frivolous. She always approached you with the most uptight manners and wouldn’t leave until you made a firm decision.

You hated it here. How many times a day were you questioning your decision? How many different excuses had you come up with to break off the engagement? How many times had you considered running away?

The one thing that stopped you from following through on any of those ideas: your father. He was working again, already. His clientele was back, just as Gao had promised. You hadn’t seen your father smile like this in so long that you couldn’t bare to be the one who made it disappear again.

The day of the party arrived. All day you felt nauseous. Cosette flitted around your room, talking sweetly about the eligible bachelors who had been invited and how much missed dancing properly and not having to suffer through the less formal country dances. You sat perfectly still as one of the servant girls, Mei, pinned back your hair and colored your lips. You didn’t want to dance tonight. The dress you were to wear may have been a golden yellow – the color of happiness – but you felt more like a dark cloud in the night sky. You didn’t want to stand up in front of all those people and pretend to be happy. But you would do it. For your father.

Gao was beaming the entire ride to the ballroom. It was located near the center of the city, grand enough for the king and large enough to hold a hundred guests. You were thankful for the gloves that encased your hands as Gao escorted you inside. You didn’t want to feel his skin on yours.

Dozens upon dozens of people milled about the grand ballroom, drinks in hand as they laughed through shallow conversations. Some faces you recognized. Most you didn’t. Gao would stop at every other group or so and introduce you. None of the names stuck and the unknown faces were nothing more than blurs. When you finally reached the main center, Gao snatched two glasses of wine from a passing server, handing one to you before calling for the talking to cease.

“I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming out to celebrate my approaching marriage,” Gao said loudly as he held his glass high in the in air. The singularity was not missed. Did he forget that two people were involved in this engagement? You barely paid attention to his words, focusing on keeping the smile on your face. A tall figure moving in the back of the room caught your eye, but it disappeared before you could make out who it might be. “This has been a long time coming for me. Watching (y/n) grow into the beautiful young woman she is today was a privilege that I am honored to have been given. I know she will only grow more beautiful in our life together. To (y/n).”

“To (y/n)!” The room echoed. Glasses moved stem side up as the toast was declared finished and the band in the corner struck up a song.

Gao finished his drink as well before pulling you on to the dance floor, not even giving you chance to protest. He whirled you around the polished floor like a prized cow. You didn’t bother with the charade of a smile anymore. It was a relief when the first song faded to a close and Gao let you go. He said something about needing to conduct some business and walked away. You finally felt like you could breathe.

“One shouldn’t leave their fiancé alone on a night like this.”

You gasped as you whirled around. It can’t be. It wasn’t possible for him to be standing here, right now in front of you. But he was here, more elegantly dressed than of the other gentlemen with his blue velvet coat, his white mask shining in the candlelight. Without any explanation, he held his hand out to you. There was no hesitancy in taking it, even if you should have been more cautious.

He was here. Your mind kept repeating that over and over. He was here, he was here, he was here.

Zitao pulled you in close, his hand secured in the curvature of your waist. The other hand cradled your right as your left hand rested comfortably on his shoulder. With the grace of a ballet performer, he glided around the dance floor, making up for any misstep you might take. Now you wore a genuine smile. How could you not when he had come? But even in your joy, the obvious could not be overlooked.

“What are you doing here?” you whispered.

He did not wear the same smile as you. “I… I had to come see you.”

Your heart leapt at that answer. “Why?”

“You’re a hard person to forget.”

At that simple statement your throat closed in. Tears would have burst forth if you hadn’t fought to hold them back. Oh, how you wanted to wrap yourself up in his arms.

“You make no sense,” you said with a shake of your head. “You throw me out, yet send me home with lavish gifts. Then I’m told that you used to chase after women like a hunting dog after birds. Was I just another plaything to you? See if we could get the poor destitute girl before she has to go back to her miserable life?”

“No!” Zitao snapped. A quick glance around and then he lowered his voice, “I will admit that I wasn’t the most respectable person in the past. But I’m not person anymore. And you were never a game. You have always been more.”

You weren’t sure why, but you believed him.

“Why didn’t you come or me sooner?” you questioned. Sooner? Why didn’t he take you away that day in the forest?

“I thought you knew how stubborn I was already?” he said with a half-smile. It faded just as quickly as it had come. “I was content in being alone. I thought it was better for me. You can’t get hurt if you don’t let anyone in.”

“But you can’t live like that,” you urged. “Everyone gets hurt. Besides, you have let people in. Mrs. Chan cares about you like her own son.”

He sighed, the air contorting to a laugh near the end. “She said as much. But you must understand. The last time… the last time I felt this way, I was left broken, a monster—”

“You’re not a monster. This,” you bobbed the hand that he held up and down so he would know what you were referring to, “is nothing more than a scar. It doesn’t make you who you are.” But it did come with a past. “That night of the fire… did you kill her?”

Zitao’s Adam’s apple shuddered as he swallowed thickly. Fear was evident in his eyes.

“Yes,” he whispered. “I did.”

Your feet stopped moving. No. You didn’t want to believe it. He was just trying to push you away again. “Zitao—”

“And who exactly invited you.”

Unbeknownst to you, the music had stopped and all who were gathered in the ballroom were circled around you. Gao had cut through the crowd and now stood behind Zitao, his shoulders pushed back in an intimidating manner. He wouldn’t know that such a tactic wouldn’t work. Letting you go, Zitao turned on the balls of his feet, lacing his hands behind his back. He looked more like a powerful lord in this moment than you’d ever witnessed.

“No one in particular invited me,” Zitao said regally. “But as I’m the one who is going to steal away your fiancé, I thought an appearance was necessary.”

“You?” Gao sneered. “And who exactly do you think you are to attempt such a thing?”

“I am Lord Huang.”

“Lord Huang?” A pause. Then Gao laughed. “Ah. I’ve heard of you. From the dimwitted villagers who fear you. Aren’t you supposed to be some sort of vampire or hideous beast?”

“Countryside rumors are usually exaggerated.”

“Are you sure? Why else would you be wearing a mask like that if not to contain the beast?”

Zitao growled. “It is none of your business.”

“Come on, beast, show us what you’re hiding.”

You stepped around Zitao protectively. “Gao, stop it.”

“No, I don’t’ think I will,” Gao said mockingly. “This man is trying to ruin our party. The least he could do is give us some entertainment.”

“Gao, I said stop—"

Before you could finish, the mask covering Zitao’s scars was snatched off his head. Cosette had snuck up from behind and taken the chance to remove the mask. Zitao scrambled to cover his face. Gao laughed at the humiliation, showing you exactly who he was. Zitao ran from the room. Cosette enjoyed the moment, her eyes shining from the laughter she held inside. Taking the mask from her, you started after Zitao, but Gao caught you by your upper arm.

“Where are you going?”

You refused to answer. You stomped on his foot to make him let go and ran out the door. “Zitao! Zitao!” It was too late. He had already mounted his horse and was getting smaller as he raced down the cobbled road away from the ballroom.

“(y/n)!”

Your father and brother dashed out of the building. To no one’s surprise, Cosette was not to be seen. She was probably hiding, feigning shame from the scene you’d dare to cause in front of some poor sap who was falling for it. Lu stepped next to you, hand on your shoulder. “(y/n)?”

“I want to go home.”

Lu looked to your father, who simply nodded. You were led into their carriage and left the party. No questions were asked, for which you were thankful. You couldn’t do it. Even for your father. You loved Zitao. That wouldn’t change. Besides, after that display, you couldn’t be tied to a man like Gao.

Back at his home, you didn’t go to your room. That might have been the safest place to be, the one area Gao wouldn’t storm into because it belonged to him. No, instead you stayed bravely in the living room. You sat on the couch, hands resting in your lap, as you waited for Gao to return. It took almost an hour, but when he did finally come through the door, you knew that amount of time wasn’t enough to calm him down.

“How dare you humiliate me like that!”

“I didn’t humiliate you,” you said firmly. You looked him directly in the eye so he wouldn’t think that you were going to cower before him. “You did that to yourself.”

“You were carousing with another man!”

“I was dancing with him, nothing else. There was music and other couples. You had left me, so I danced with him.”

“It was him, wasn’t it?” You weren’t even surprised that Gao had put the pieces together. You would think him rather stupid if he hadn’t. Gao stalked towards you. “There was no old woman in a cottage, was there? Cosette was right when she said you had a lover. And here we all thought you were an innocent flower. You are no more than a weed in disguise.”

“And you are as beastly as you claimed Zitao to be!”

Infuriated by your words, Gao reached his hand back, palm flat, to strike. You closed your eyes to brace for the hit. It never came. Opening your eyes, you saw that Lu had intervened, catching Gao’s wrist before he could swing.

“You will not lay a hand on my sister,” Lu commanded through clenched teeth. He didn’t let go until Gao finally wretched his arm away.

“She is still my fiancé!”

“No, I am not.” You yanked the ring that had been drowning you like an anchor at sea off your finger and tossed it so it landed on the floor at Gao’s feet. It clanged and rattled as if angry at the abandonment. “You’re right. I do love him. And as long as he exists, I won’t ever marry you.”

“We will be out of your house by the end of the week,” your father stated from the hallway. You hadn’t realized that he was there. You hoped he hadn’t been witness to all that had transpired.

Gao marched out of the room, muttering under his breath. Lu gave you a look of pity before exiting on his own. Your father continued to stand there for another minute or two. Several times he opened his mouth, but each time he left the words inside. Eventually, he too left you alone.

You couldn’t stay here. You needed to get to Zitao.

You waited a few more hours until you were sure most of the inhabitants were asleep. Then, as quietly as you could, you changed into clothes more fit for a long journey and slipped out the front door. You were sure that Zitao would not stay in town. If he did, well he would just have to be surprised at your appearance at the castle. Mrs. Chan would let you in if need be. You paid for a horse and headed out. Towards your real home.

All night you rode, even when your eyes began to droop, you forced yourself to stay awake, slapping your cheek if needed. You had to put as much space between you and your family. Between you and Gao. When you came to the same small village as the inn that you stayed at, you didn’t stop too long to rest. It was already midday by that time. You switched out horses and ate a quick meal before starting again. You were too determined to be slowed down. It was dark once again when you reached the country manor. Close to midnight if you had to guess. Going into the forest at this time would be reckless. You needed to get to Zitao, but you didn’t want to die in the process. It could wait until morning. You still had a whole day on your family. You tied the horse up near a pile of hay outside then went through the back door that had been kept unlocked. The memory in your feet carried you up the stairs to your room. You didn’t even bother pulling back the sheets. As your head hit the dust-covered pillow you fell asleep.

When your eyes opened, it was still dark. Odd. You felt well rested – more than rested. Leaving the room, you went down the stairs to the living room, where a small clock still sat on the mantle of the fireplace. It read that it was eight o’clock. How?

No. Could you really have slept throughout the entire day? That was what you got for not resting during your trip.

Bang! Bang! Bang! “(Y/n)! (Y/n) are you in there!”

Mrs. Chan?

You rushed to the door to see the old woman looking terrified, her hair falling out in bits from underneath her bonnet.

“Oh, thank goodness!” She threw her arms around you before pulling back and grabbing your hand. “Come! You must come quickly!”

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Pure fear ran cold through your veins. Was Zitao planning on hurting himself?

“Your fiancé arrived earlier today and started spouting nonsense around town. He started saying that Lord Huang had kidnapped you and that he would kill you like he killed his wife. I knew you weren’t at the castle so I hoped and prayed that you would be here. Your fiancé has convinced the villagers to go after Lord Huang. I’m afraid that they might kill him!”

“What?” What madness was this? Only one thing still gave you hope. “But they can’t find the castle, can they?”

“A few of the previous servants still know the way. Hurry, we don’t have much time!” Mrs. Chan scrambled into the open carriage. That would be too slow if you both rode in it. Hopping on to the other horse, you yelled at Mrs. Chan that you were going ahead. You knew the way now and you had to get to him as quickly as humanly possible. Branches and twigs pulled at your sleeves to slow you down as you galloped though the forest. You batted as many as you could away. Nothing could get in your way.

As the trees broke through to the field, you saw them. A mob of torches and pitch forks breaking through the front doors as they yelled in victory. You pushed the horse faster, up the stairs and through the doors. The villagers had surrounded Zitao in the front hall, shouting curses at him and calling him a murderer as others threw rocks at him as he sat on the ground, taking it.

“Leave him alone!”

Some of the villagers gasped in surprise. You jumped down from the horse and shoved them aside until you reached Zitao. You pushed his hair from his face. He didn’t seem badly injured. A drop of blood ran down his face, but it didn’t look dire. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he grunted as he tried to push away. “Get out of here. Before you get hurt.”

“No!” You sprang to your feet and stared the villagers all down. “You come in here, unprovoked, and call him a monster! The only monsters I see here are you for believing a man like that!” You point to Gao who showed no remorse for his actions.

“He kidnapped you!” a man from the circle yelled.

“No, he didn’t! I left the city of my own accord!”

“He killed his wife!” another argued.

“That is a lie!” The circle parted again as Mrs. Chan came into view. A fury burned in her eyes. “I was there that night. He didn’t kill her. If you have evidence against my word, then get the constable involved. But I will swear in court that he didn’t do it.”

No one could argue with a declaration like that. Murmurs began to ripple through the crowd. Glances were exchanged. Then mumble apologies as the villagers lost their fight. In groups of two or three, they began to head towards the door. Letting out a slight groan, Zitao tried to push himself up. You let him lean on you as he made it the rest of the way.

“Where are you going?” Gao shouted at the villagers’ backs. “He’s a monster! A beast! Just look at him! He’ll ruin your village! What about those he cast out? Left jobless through his cruelty? Are you all cowards?” No one even turned to look at him. Furious, Gao turned to the two of you. His eyes were full of hatred. “You will regret this.” He leveled his gun. Aimed at you.

“No!”

Zitao jumped in front of you right as the gun went off. He fell to the ground as he clung to his side. Blood seeped through his fingers. Gao ran off. The real coward.

“No, no, no. Please, no.” You dropped to your knees and forced Zitao’s hands away from the wound. There was so much blood that you couldn’t see how bad it was. Your hands were covered in seconds. Zitao was already beginning to sway back and forth from the loss. Mrs. Chan was by your side in an instant.

“We need to get him into bed so I can see to his wound.”

“Just let it go,” Zitao groaned. “Maybe it’s better this way.”

“Shut up!” you snapped at him. “Don’t talk like that. Now get up.”

Zitao stared at you for a beat before nodding and letting you get him to his feet. Mrs. Chan helped you get him up the stairs and to his room where he lied down on top of the blankets. He protested when Mrs. Chan cut away at his shirt, but a slap of her hand shut him right up.

“Bring me the pitcher,” Mrs. Chan ordered of you. Without thinking twice, you ran to the dresser and brought the pitcher to her. With a clean cloth in her hand, Mrs. Chan washed the wound to get a better look. She let out a sigh of relief. “It only grazed his side. He should be alright. As long as we get it closed and it doesn’t become infected.”

You weren’t sure if you could believe her. Zitao had drifted off, his eyes closed, completely still. Only his chest moving up and down as his lungs filled with air gave you hope. Mrs. Chan stood up and left the room. She came back with a needle and thread in her hand. She didn’t flinch as she pierced his side to stitch the wound closed. Zitao whimpered at the sharp pain. You moved to sit by his head and grabbed his hand. You kissed the back of his fingers in comfort. When Mrs. Chan was finished, she stood up and sighed.

“He’ll be alright. The wound is closed and wasn’t too severe. He’ll have a scar, but at this point….” She shrugged. With her hand crusted with dried blood, she brushed the hair off Zitao’s forehead. “The poor dear.” Then, she left.

Feeling brave and unwilling to leave him in case something else were to happen, you shifted so you were now laying down next to Zitao. He was more peaceful now; his face smooth, no longer revealing discomfort or pain. You rested your chin on his shoulder. With the tip of your finger, you traced the outline of his mask, down his nose to his chin. Then you sat up and let go of his hand to untie the mask. Zitao didn’t move as you pulled the covering from his face and set it down on the nightstand. You kissed his cheek before settling back down and falling asleep yourself.

You woke to a slight tickling sensation on your cheek. Letting your eyelids flutter open, you let out a slight laugh when you saw Zitao awake. He was smiling at you as well while caressing your skin. He hadn’t replaced the mask, letting you see the light, protruding scars on his cheek and forehead.

“Good morning,” he greeted softly.

“You’re alright.”

He nodded. A small tear fell down your cheek. With his thumb, he wiped it away.

Slowly, as if scared you might run away, he leaned in, his eyes drifting down to your lips. At first, the contact was so soft you thought that perhaps he hadn’t kissed you at all. But as the pressure grew, your eyes closed again, and you entangled your fingers in his hair. You were losing yourself in the kiss, happy that he was alive and that you were with him. But his confession at the party pushed itself to the forefront of your mind. You broke off the kiss. Sitting up, you turned away from him.

“What is it?” Zitao asked. “Did I do something wrong?”

You looked at him over your shoulder. “If I ask you a question, will you answer it honestly? Please?”

He reached out and grabbed your hand, bring it to his chest. “I swear.”

You turned to face him fully. As gently as you could, you placed your fingertips on his scar. He didn’t flinch back. “What happened that night? You said you killed her. But I don’t believe that.”

Zitao cringed as if in pain. He looked off to the side before coming back to you.

“I loved her. I swear I did. And I thought she loved me, too. But I was wrong.” He lowered the hand that held on to your fingers, keeping his focus there. “Soon after we were married, I found out that she had a lover, that she didn’t have any feelings for me. I told her I was going to put in a petition for divorce, that I was going to throw her out. That night, she slipped a sleeping potion into my wine at dinner, but I was too upset to drink it all. It didn’t matter. The servants who saw me thought I was drunk as I stumbled to our room. I woke up before she was expecting. Her lover was there, helping her start a fire. I’m sure they were thinking of killing me so she would inherit everything.”

He took a deep breath. You squeezed his hand to let him know that he hadn’t lost you.

“I fought with the man, trying to stop him from ruining my home. My wife tried to get between us, but… one of us – I don’t know who – shoved her away hard enough that she hit her head on the sharp edge of a dresser, falling to the ground. I called out her name. When I was distracted, the man hit me with something hard, knocking me out. I didn’t come to until the fire was put out. The fire had made it over to me. My left side was wrapped in bandages. The man was gone and my wife was dead.”

He didn’t kill her. You knew that in your heart. He didn’t maliciously set out for her to die. He was only protecting himself, his family’s legacy.

You threw your arms around him. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I could have been the one who pushed her.”

Leaning back, you repeated, “It wasn’t your fault.” The memory of that final night came back to you. “Is that why you made me leave? Did you think you would hurt me?”

Zitao shook his head. “No. I was scared you might hurt me. When you whispered my name, I heard her again. I couldn’t go through that. I couldn’t risk being used like that again.” His eyes finally raised back up to meet yours. He caressed your cheek with his knuckles, the gesture absent of fear. “But you’re not her. It took me too long to realize that. (Y/n), can you forgive me for being so stupid?”

“Of course,” you said between your tears. “Of course, I can. I love you, Zitao.”

Happiness could not be enough to describe the elation shining from his smile. Encapsulating your face in his hands, he pulled you forward and captured your lips again. He kissed you deeply, wrapping his arms around you until you were pressed tightly against his chest. He ended it only to ask a single question.

“Will you marry me?”

You barely gave a nod before he resumed the kiss.

It was a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding day. The sky was a soft baby blue. A few puffs of white clouds floated through, but nothing gave you worry about rain. It wasn’t too hot or too cold and only a slight breeze interrupted the festivities every once in a while. The guests ran around the field, laughing and playing while you sat in a chair, a veil draped around your shoulders.

“You look beautiful.” Your father beamed with pride as he kissed the top of your head.

“Thank you.” Your face was aching from all the smiling, but you couldn’t stop. Happiness of this level couldn’t be contained or controlled. It needed to be shared.

Lu was standing a few feet away, talking to a baron who had been friends with Zitao’s father. Sitting in a chair with her signature fan in her hand, Cosette wore a snarl on her face. She was probably thinking about how hard it would be to outdo you in marrying a lord. Not that you cared. She would be taken care of, far away from here. Speaking of your husband, he came walking back up with a glass of wine in his hand after making the rounds of thanking guests.

“You will take care of her?” your father asked Zitao for the hundredth time. Your husband took it with stride, beaming in the sunlight.

“Of course,” he answered. “For the rest of my life.” Putting the drink down, he held a hand out to you, but kept his attention on your father. “May I steal her for a moment?”

“Yes, yes,” your father chuckled. “It’s your wedding day after all.”

Zitao tugged you to your feet and led you away from the festivities. He kept going until you were no longer insight of the others. The lone gazebo that sat near the lake on the grounds came closer. Within its walls, no one would be able to find you.

“Finally, I have you alone again.”

You laughed. “You will have me alone for a very long in the future. It’s rude to leave our guests in the middle of the reception.”

“I don’t care if it’s rude,” Zitao stated. You knew he really didn’t care. And ou couldn’t quite find it in yourself to care either. “Dance with me.”

“What?” You looked around but didn’t see a hidden band. “There’s no music.”

“Yes, there is. You are the music.”

You wanted to laugh at his sentimental statement. However, the way he said it melted your heart. So, you gave in, letting him pull you in and rock you back and forth across the wooden floor of the gazebo. He kept his eyes on you, never faltering for a second.

“I love you,” he said suddenly. He’d said it before but your heart still soared whenever you heard that phrase fall from his lips.

“I love you, too.” And you would make sure that he knew it, every day for the rest of your lives. He might not have had the fairy tale ending the first time around, but you were selfishly thankful. Because it gave way for you to meet him and heal his heart. And so, the two of you would live happily ever after.

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xoxoprompts · 7 years

Text

FAIRYTALE!AU: Luhan is the prettiest person in the Kingdom, much to the envy of the evil Queen, who hoped to kill him. When Luhan ran into the Haunted Forest Sehun, a werewolf, found him and brought him back to the pack.

The pack treats him entirely like their own, and fight with their life when the evil Queen turns up to kill him.

(Snow white)

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iridescentxstars · 4 years

Text

the cursed prince — final — kim jongin

➳ moodboard credit: @baekhunz ➳ published: 10.04.20 ➳ fae!au || fairytale!au || soulmate!au || genre: fluff || romance || smut || fantasy || angst || dark || rated: m ➳ pairing: kim jongin x reader ➳ summary: Sometimes fairy tales are based on the truth and when a strange man comes into your life stirring up memories from your past about stories you were told as a kid, you learn that everything you knew about the world - was wrong. What really happened to the Fairy Prince? ➳ warnings: curses, split personalities, swearing, death, explicit sex scenes, character injury, mentions of blood ➳ word count: 35.5k (total), 15k (this part) ➳ cross-posted to wattpad as an OC named Celeste

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a special shout out to @winteramblings @jenmyeons and @lolothebookworm for helping me get this perfect.

Jongin awakens before you do, a satisfied sigh leaving his lips as he looks at the sunlight peeking through the open door of the bedroom, casting a line of light onto the foot of the bed and showing how bright it is already without disturbing the sleeping body beside him. There’s a gentle glow to the sunshine, announcing the approaching winter with warm rays but a nipping breeze that, thankfully, is kept at bay by the closed-up cabin. He could lie here for hours, feelings your warmth against his side and listening to your deep breaths as you slumber. It’s been far too long since he’s felt this free. Jongin had slowly started to accepted the fact that his life would forever be a continuous shift between Jongin and Kai until the curse took him completely under and all that was left of him was the shadow that is Kai. Kai, the side of him created by the curse that was meant to be everything he hated – that every Fae hated.

Kai’s meant to be the one placed on the throne; a Dark Fae to rule the Kingdom and relish in the pain and destruction his rule would create but there’s always been a side of his darker self that despised such things. It was an anomaly to say the least, something that the Queen didn’t quite take into account when cursing the young Prince; she never suspected that the darker side of him would still hold onto certain morals and the same thought pattern so he turned out to be far less evil than she intended – rather, he’s more broody and brusque.

Jongin is Kai, Kai is Jongin – they are always going to be one in the same despite the curse but they are also very different in many aspects that it was easier to refer to themselves as different people.

Stretching his long limbs, Jongin enjoys this freedom he has from his cursed side and decides to enjoy the morning – rather than worrying about when Kai will show up and take over. Something happened last night, something that happened during the climax had caused Kai to completely lose control and allowed Jongin to be in the rightful control of his mind, body and soul; he’s still there, Jongin can feel that slight niggling in his chest that reminds him that the curse is still ever present but it’s not as strong as it used to be.

He makes his way to the kitchen, silently closing the bedroom door behind him and making as little noise as possible as he prepares breakfast. He’s humming a sweet tune, one that belongs to the approaching winter wind and he almost misses the raven sitting outside the kitchen window, watching him curiously. “What does she want now?” He grumbles, rubbing his eyes and opening the window to let the bird inside, a note attached to its leg. “Tell Kiara that I am not one of her servants that she can just flick her wrist and summon,” He grits his teeth, anger burning through his veins as he reads the words on the letter: my chambers, now. “I am not, nor will I ever be, her husband. She can’t demand that I visit her chambers.”

Another raven arrives as soon as Jongin finishes attaching his two lettered reply to the first raven’s leg. If you decide not to come, I will not hesitate to have you brought here by force, dear Prince – or I might have to have my dogs pay a little visit to that pretty little human that keeps stealing you away from me. Jongin scoffs, he’s never been Kiara’s even when he’s been Kai; neither have ever wanted her.

Things weren’t always so smooth in the beginning, at first, the transitions hurt, like they were fighting for control and then one would be chained and gagged in the passenger seat while the other took the wheel. Kai would do things that Jongin would never do, that he never approved of and Jongin was far too soft and weak for Kai’s liking; for years it was like a constant battle and they would both feel exhausted by the end of the day.

It remained that way until Jongin was sent to meet your grandmother, told to go to her and she would help him; he still remembers the tea she made, the homemade biscuits that were near-fresh from the oven and how she spoke with such wisdom that she reminded him of his grandfather. She seemed to read him like an open book, pointing out his flaws and worries while patting his cheek and telling him he’s doing great with the cards he’s been dealt – Kai didn’t like that. He burst through faster than Jongin could blink, insulting her, telling her that she was just some old bat who had no idea what he had been through or what she was talking about. Your grandmother smiled knowingly, sipping her tea before calmly saying, “Sit down before I make it difficult for you to sit upon your golden throne, young man.”

Strangely, the veiled threat worked and Kai did as he was told.

That was the day that Jongin learnt about you; the day that he learnt that his soulmate was out there and always has been despite the cursed mess that his soul had become. That was also the day that Jongin and Kai finally began working together towards one goal – do every and anything to stop the Queen from getting what she wants, even if one of them is lost forever.

“Jongin?” Your sleep-riddled voice causes the ravens to fly away and Jongin to snap his head towards you; you didn’t see anything, eyes still glued shut with sleep as you attempt to rub the sandman’s power from them with little to no luck by the loud yawn that you let out. He chuckles, walking towards you and placing his hands on your hips, placing a tender kiss upon your forehead and feeling you rest your cheek against his chest. “You weren’t there when I woke up, I was worried you had already left for the palace.”

“Not yet,” He doesn’t speak too loudly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful serenity that has fallen upon the cabin with you in his arms, “I will have to leave soon but I have a moment or two to spare for such a beautiful woman.” Pride fills his chest when he sees the gentle blush sprinkle over your cheeks before you try and bury yourself further into the warm, caramel skin that seems to be calling for your touch.

You place a kiss above his heart, tracing non-distinct patterns over the area where his heartbeat is before resting your palm against it. “Are you always such a sweet-talker or is this Kai shining through?”

Jongin shrugs, “I think he’s still out after last night, I feel… lighter since then.” That may be the wrong wording but he’s not sure how to explain it – though, you seem to nod as if you know what he means.

“It’s like he’s asleep,” You muse, fingers dancing over his skin with no destination in mind, causing goosebumps to erupt along the way, “I feel it from you, ever since last night. It was like he disappeared briefly but I can still feel him there – he’s just sleeping.” You say the word like he’s still in bed but Jongin catches your meaning and nods, wondering if the change in your relationship has caused the curse to… change? Deteriorate? Whatever it is – Jongin’s happy about it… but now…

“What are we?” He asks before he can stop himself. Your hand stops and you look up at him with furrowed brows. “We’re soulmates, connected but we never really established whether we were anything more than acquaintances – until last night.”

You bite your lip, thinking for a moment before standing slightly on your tiptoes to press a kiss on his lips. “We are – together? Unless, you don’t want to be?” Jongin doesn’t verbally answer your question, instead pulling you tightly against him and kissing you until you’re completely breathless.

He likes the sound of that, you definitely like the sound of it too and even though Jongin has pressing matters to attend to, he’s sure Kiara can wait for a moment longer while he relishes in the feel of your lips moving in a sweet rhythm against his. He moves you backwards, your back gently bumping against the bench while Jongin presses himself against you. Your arms wrap around his neck while his hands slide down your body until he reaches the curve of your ass; lifting one of your legs and hooking it around his waist, Jongin rolls his hips against your core and smiles victoriously when you gasp into the kiss.

The feel of him against you brings a burning want between your legs, one that throbs and aches for Jongin to take care of. His lips leave yours and begin to trail blazing kisses along your jaw before taking the lobe of your ear into his mouth and nipping on it softly while the wet noise of his mouth so close to your ear has you shivering at the sensation. Fingers run through his hair, tugging at the soft locks and causing your lover to growl deeply at the feel and dig his fingers harshly into your waist and thigh while grinding himself against you in a slow, sensual rhythm – like you’re dancing to a song only Jongin can hear.

Tap, tap, tap! Squawk!

His head rests against your shoulder and Jongin sighs heavily, lowering your leg and pulling away from you reluctantly. “It seems I’ve been summoned,” He says with clear disdain in his tone, eyes longingly looking into yours like leaving you here alone is that last thing he wants to do. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, once I deal with this – I’ll be back, okay?” You nod with a smile, a little flustered at what just transpired because it was all Jongin, no Kai coming through to take control and tease you but Jongin, completely willing to give you what you want while also taking it slow just in case you pull away.

You watch as Jongin quickly dresses, pulling on an Egyptian-blue dress shirt and a black tie matched with orange slacks. You giggle when he pulls on a light brown jacket and he raises his eyebrow at you, wondering what it is you find amusing. “Nothing, just this isn’t something that is normal for you to wear – you look more like a model wearing those complementary colours, rather than the Prince of the Forest.”

Jongin smiles at your compliment, “I saw this on a human during one of my visits, I thought it would look good on me so I’m glad you think so.” You roll your eyes, of course the Prince would have expensive taste in fashion. “Though, you are wrong about something, Y/N.” It’s your turn to raise an eyebrow, looking at him curiously as he smiles brightly at you. “I’m the Fae Prince – not the Prince of the Forest.” You roll your eyes again, letting out a loud groan this time and Jongin guffaws, wrapping his arms around you in a final embrace goodbye.

“You’ll be back soon?” You ask, breathing him in like it’ll be the last time you’ll see him.

Jongin rests his cheek on top of your head, “Sooner than you think.”

The sound of his footsteps on the wooden floor echo in the otherwise silent hall, he walks with a purpose – a purpose he finds being blocked by guards on either side of the door he wishes to enter. They stand taller – around his height – with their chests puffed out in their armour and dark eyes glaring at him, holding their weapons to try and intimidate Jongin. Normally, he would smile and joke around, feigning fear and shaking while stuttering how they scare him but today, he’s not in the mood for such charades because the Princess not only threatened the life of his soulmate but the wench also had the audacity to ruin his very happy morning by summoning him, the Crowned Prince, like he was some commoner. Such an action would have Kai dripping for control but instead, it pissed Jongin off so he glares at the guards and doesn’t wait for the invitation to enter – barging in without warning.

Kiara smiles in pleasant surprise at the man who enters her room; she did half expect for it to be Kai who came barging in but the outfit, the hair and the noble air that surrounds him is so unmistakably Jongin that it adds credit to the theory her mother has. Did sleeping with you somehow cause the curse to lose its grip on Jongin’s soul? No wonder she was instructed to rile up the Prince, to get a reaction from him in hopes of bringing out his darker self and hopefully, restoring their lost progress.

He was so close, so close, to being lost in the darkness but here he is – able to remain whole, so to speak.

“Jongin,” She purrs, stretching out on her bed like a lazy cat, arching her back and lifting her ass in the air with a subtle shake but his eyes remain firmly on the twisted smile that’s spread on her black-painted lips. “What a lovely surprise seeing you, I thought maybe your other half would be the one gracing my chambers with that famous scowl of his.”

Jongin isn’t in the mood today, his lip curls and he makes his way to the window overlooking the kingdom. “What do you want, Kiara?” He watches as the trees sway with the winter wind, birds flying from their perch in hopes for warmer weather. “I don’t have all day to waste with you.”

She watches his back, pouting as she lays on her stomach, chin perched on top of her hands as she swings her legs back and forwards in the air. She’s not used to dealing with Jongin, Kai has always been the more dominant presence whenever she’s had to speak alone with the Prince – Kai’s buttons are the ones that she knows how to push but Jongin is almost a different man. He doesn’t anger easily, even though right now, he’s clearly not impressed and where Kai may entertain her a little – only to shut her down – Jongin seems like he would rather avoid looking at her at all costs while in the room. “Would you rather waste your day with that human of yours?” Jongin’s back stiffens and she smiles victoriously – maybe they aren’t so different after all. “I wonder how she would feel knowing that the next morning, you came to me as soon as I snapped my fingers; that you came to your fiancée the moment she called?”

“She would know that none of what you said is true,” He growls, turning his head to look at her, and for a moment, she sees him. “Y/N knows exactly how I feel and knows that I would never treat her like some…” He struggles for the word, “Whore. You, on the other hand, it wouldn’t be so hard for her to learn the truth about how the Princess,” He says the word like it’s venom on his tongue, “Has a nasty habit of inviting strange men to her chambers for late night rendezvous.”

Kiara’s eyes widen before narrowing. She didn’t know Jongin had it in him. Impressive. “How’d you know about that?”

Jongin shrugs, the darkness in his eyes fading once more as he returns his gaze out the window. “Same way you heard about Y/N – a little birdie told me.”

Rolling off the bed, she walks towards him, slowly, bare feet silently landing on the matted floor but Jongin can hear the rustling of her dress as she moves closer towards him. A hand lands on his back and he stiffens at her touch before turning around and catching her wrist so quickly that Kiara is truly stunned by his quick reaction. “Hello, Kai,” She smirks as his chest heaves with his quickened breath.

Kai can tolerate so much, Jongin can tolerate slightly more but if there is one thing that Kai hates more than the Queen – it’s when he’s touched by someone he doesn’t want to be touched by. Kiara has learnt that lesson one too many times, sneaking into his room while he was asleep and marvelling at his chiselled chest, fingers itching to run over the smooth, caramel skin before his hand flashes out from the covers to wrap around her throat and push her away. “Don’t ever touch me,” He had warned, lips curled dangerously as he coldly stares at her on the floor, “Don’t you ever fucking touch me.”

The warning never stuck and it’s the closest that Kai has ever gotten to slamming her against the wall in the ways that Kiara has dreamed about.

“I love it when you’re rough with me,” The sultry tone causes Kai’s skin to erupt in goosebumps but not in the way that she hopes – she knows its disgust rather than arousal. “Is this how you play with your human? Hold onto her tightly so you can have your way with her.” She looks up into his eyes and his dark orbs are filled with nothing but cold hatred while his lips are curled in a snarl – damn, she found it attractive. “You can have your way with me, you know I like it rough.”

Huffing in disgust, Kai pushes past her and moves towards the door, stopping before opening it. “What did you want, anyway?” He doesn’t look at Kiara, speaking more at the door than at her but he can feel the fake innocent smile that spreads over her lips as she taps her chin and hums in thought.

“I don’t remember, maybe I just wanted a chat.” She giggles when he throws open the door and storms out, refusing to close it as he takes off back towards the cabin. An encounter with Kiara always puts Kai in a foul mood but he hopes that having you in his arms, the smell of your freshly washed hair and soft skin, will wash away her presence from his mind and replace it with nothing but you.

Maybe Kai could even finish what Jongin so bravely started this morning.

The morning for you after Jongin leaves is pretty standard; it's like every other morning except you feel the gentle tingling on your lips for a short while after he leaves, a reminder of the heated moment you had before he had to leave. You tap the side of your coffee cup, contemplating what he could have possibly needed to do that required his urgent attention and that annoyingly loud raven. A heavy sigh passes through your lips because you know for a fact that you wouldn’t know unless Jongin wanted to tell you – he tries to keep ‘royal business’ out of the conversation as often as he can.

The weather outside looks fairly nice, except for the obvious chill that resides in the wind, so you decide to go for a walk – maybe head into the village to try and find something to buy, a souvenir. You wrap up snug and warm, stealing one of Jongin’s large fur jackets that he’s left behind and making sure every inch of your skin that can be covered, even your face with your scarf, is covered before heading out the door and in the direction of the village.

You don’t feel the eyes on you, the eyes that follow as you move from the safety of the cabin to the woods. You don’t notice the presence that follows you closely because you’re so wrapped up, in both your thoughts and clothing, that you can barely hear anything or see anything; you weave through the trees, following the path laid out before you and completely unaware of the danger that slowly begins to surround you. You wander for a while, brows beginning to furrow as you stop and look around you, positive that you should have been at the village by now – or, at least, nearing it. It’s never taken this long when you’ve been with Jongin, it’s barely taken five minutes but you are sure you’ve been walking longer than that.

A rustle in the trees causes a shiver to travel down your spine as you turn around quickly, looking in every direction now and straining your ears to pick up any unordinary sounds. You hear a twig snap and that’s enough to set your flight reflexes into action as you sprint off in the direction you came, hoping that you can make your way back towards the cabin. Your breathing begins to become visible, the air around you getting colder by the second and even though you are sure you should have reached the break in the trees by now – you are still running through the forest.

“Such a waste of energy.” You hear a voice but can’t seem to pinpoint where it’s coming from. It’s coming from nowhere and everywhere at once, fuelling your need to escape even more. “Run, little human, run as fast as you can before the big, bad wolf comes and eats you.” Suddenly, it feels like ice running through your veins and you collapse to the forest floor, screaming in pain with no one to help you while the voice keeps telling you to run.

But you can’t run, not anymore, it hurts too much.

“Too late,” The voice says after what feels like an eternity of pain, “She’s got you.” Your world slowly fades into black, the cold chilling you to the bone despite all the layers you are wearing and your body feels light as a feather – is this dying, is this how it feels to embrace the cold clutches of death?

You think about Jongin, sadness clutching your heart as you think about how he’s going to feel, returning to the cabin with a smile on his handsome face only to find you missing; would he mourn you, cry for you? Would Kai? Questions you can’t ask him but your heart seems to know. Of course, he would, he would search the entire world to find you, he may never have said such a thing but you can feel it in his soul. Jongin would give up everything if it meant having you safe in his arms, and even though Kai would never say the words out loud, he would do the same. This thought brings you slight comfort as you fade in and out of the darkness, the cold keeping hold of you but a slight warmth against your back trying to bring you back into the realm of the living.

“It’s time to wake up,” The voice calls to you, sounding sweet like an angel but hiding such evil under its sickly-sweet tone. “Silly little human, stop being dramatic and open your eyes.” The snapping of fingers causes your eyes to fly open, your body to jolt forwards before grabbing your head and groaning while falling back onto the floor. “Such weak beings,” The voice insults not only you but your entire race as the shuffling of fabric indicates that whoever the voice belonged to is moving away from you.

You open your eyes again, allowing a moment to adjust to the barely lit room and you realise why you feel so warm; beside you is a roaring fire, open and ready to spit embers on you if you don’t scurry away but the heat it lets out is a welcomed feeling compared to the cold that gripped you earlier. You don’t speak for a moment, trying to get your bearings as you see two figures on the opposite side of the room, shrouded in darkness but watching you like hungry wolves ready to strike; one is seated, legs crossed and the metal claws covering each hand glint faintly from the glow of the fire while the other figure stands tall and proud beside the seated figure. “What am I doing here?” You ask, voice weak from whatever ordeal you just went through. “Who are you and what happened?”

The claws tapping against the arm of the chair echoes around the room and it gives you a sickly feeling in your stomach. “Demanding, demanding,” The seated one speaks, amused slightly, “Do you think you are any position to demand answers?” You gulp, trying to create more distance between you and the other figures in the room and it causes the seated figure to laugh, a high-pitched laugh that is a clear indicator of a woman. “I wonder, how long do you think it’ll take the Prince to realise his little toy is missing? A little birdie told me that he visited the Princess this morning, went barging into her chambers and got a little…physical with her.” The way she says the word makes you feel sick to your stomach but you know, you know, Jongin would never do such a thing, not after… “He spent the night with you,” She speaks as if reading your thoughts, “He finally opened up his heart and soul to you and then ran to the Princess the moment she called him, oh little human, what did you expect? She is his fiancée after all.”

“Fi-fiancée?” You stammer, mind reeling with this new piece of information. Jongin had conveniently left out that he was engaged – to a Princess.

Hearing the shock in your voice, causes the woman to smile widely, revealing her sharp teeth as she narrows her eyes on your small form, noticing how you’re trying to make yourself as small as possible. “A Prince with a face like his, of course he was snatched up quickly.” She fake gasps, “You didn’t think that he would be yours for the taking now, did you?” She laughs, that high-pitched laugh ringing through the room and causing you to look directly at her. “Stupid human, Kai will be King and my daughter, Kiara, will be the Queen who shares his bed every night; I’m sure he’ll keep you as his mistress though, a little pet to play with when he’s bored being King.”

Jongin would never do that, Kai would never do that. Admittedly, Jongin has left some things out while you’ve gotten to know him but you know what you feel when you’re around him and Jongin would never, ever, treat you in such a way.

Then something she said clicks in your brain and you squint, sitting up to try and see her face in the dark shadow she shrouds herself in. Kiara, her daughter, Queen. “Your Majesty,” You say the title as if it’s an insult, “What an honour to be in your presence.” You bow from your seated position, a hollow gesture but she doesn’t say anything about it as she smirks at you. She knew you were smart enough to figure it out sooner or later.

“Hmm,” She ponders as she looks above your head to the clock perched on the mantle. “We have some time for a story as I know just how much you love those, except this one will be told from the creator rather than some regurgitated fairy tale that grandmother of yours loves to spill.” The Queen stands up then, keeping to the shadows for as long as she can until she nearly reaches the bed and at first, you’re met with her back; the back of her dress is open and showing the near entire expanse of her back and the flowing shimmering black dress that hugs her slender form. “Let me introduce myself as I do play the leading role in this story, even if others so easily misjudge me as the villain, my name’s Selena, Queen of the Fae. I know that you’ve heard all about how Prince Jongin came to be cursed – first, through her book of stories and then from the foggy memory of the Prince – but wouldn’t it be so much more dramatic to hear the entire story?”

“Your grandmother was no fool, as old as the bird got, she was always so sharp and able to defend herself; she was smart to keep you and Jongin apart when you first met, knowing too well that if you were allowed to be around each other then I would use such a connection to my advantage but she never suspected that I would go so far as stealing that boy’s innocence from him.” She smiles proudly, running a hand through her hair and using her claws to untangle the ends. “It was far too easy to trick him, a curious little Prince who unknowingly discovered his soulmate and would go as far as disobeying his father, just to catch a glimpse of the girl he started to crush on.”

“Now, where was I?” She taps her chin, making a slight ah when she remembers. “One day, while he was watching you, he stumbled across a lost little girl – scared and alone – and being raised to help those in need, dear Jongin rushed to her side to help her. He, of course, took her back to the castle, asking everyone he met if he had seen her mother while I was patiently watching from the shadows. Kiara played the part well: poor little girl wanting her mother and crying on cue.” Selena chuckles, moving closer to you as you stay frozen in your spot.

Where would you run to anyway?

“The only difficult part was working out the best way to curse him: poisoned apples, cursed objects or even pricking his finger were not going to do the trick. And while there’s plenty of ways of turning someone into a creature of the night or getting them to fall asleep – there’s only one way to turn them into a Dark Fae.” She pauses dramatically, standing before you and looking down at you with cold eyes, “Our blood.”

You barely have time to register what is happening when your arms are restrained and you are lifted to stand in front of Selena; you watch with absolute horror in your eyes as she drags a claw along the inside of her wrist before looking at you with a cruel, dark smile.

“A drop of Dark Fae blood ingested is all one needs to change.” She smears her bleeding wrist over your lips, the black blood tasting like acid on your tongue as you try to struggle. You find that her lackey restraining you is a lot stronger than you, as he holds your head still by gripping your hair. “That is,” Selena grips your chin, claws biting harshly into your skin as she forces you to look at her, “If they manage to survive the changes – it’s a 50/50 chance.”

You splutter, coughing up your own blood as your head begins to spin with what you’ve been told – you might die. You might die and you never even got to tell Jongin how you felt about him. You might die and you never got to say I love you.

It seems like his bad day was fairly determined to get worse because the moment he opens the door to the cabin, Kai knew that something was wrong. “Y/N,” He calls, walking cautiously through the quiet cabin in the woods, checking every room and even knocking on the toilet door. “Are you home?” The longer he searches, the more his blood runs cold and fear and realisation grips his heart.

It was a distraction.

He should have figured as much when Kiara didn’t really have much to say, pushing to keep him around for as long as she could while the Queen’s minions took you away from him. Kai curses, punching the wall before turning on his heel and storming back towards the palace, from where he had just left. He had let his guard down; he had grown too comfortable with the calm that Kai had lost sight of the danger that you were in. He should have taken more precautions, warned you never to open the door, never to go anywhere without him but Kai hisses, knowing exactly how that would have sounded to you – after he whisked you away from the only life you knew and forced you to live in near isolation, outside of him and the brief moments with the other Fae you meet while with Jongin.

Would you have listened to him, if he had laid it all out of the table for you to see how much danger you could have been in? Would you have listened and remained in the cabin with no contact from anyone? Would you have sacrificed feeling the sun on your skin and the wind rustling your hair if he had begged for you to listen?

Could he have even asked such a sacrifice from you?

“Halt,” One of the guards tries to stop Kai from entering the palace grounds, “By order of the Queen-”

“The Queen can kiss my ass.” He shoulders past and throws open the doors to the throne room. It’s completely empty aside from Kiara lazily sitting on the throne eating an apple. “Where is she?” He growls, storming towards her, determined to find you no matter who stands in his way.

Kiara continues to eat her apple, as if she didn’t hear a word Kai just said. “Hmm?” She dangles the core by the stick, not looking at Kai but acknowledging his presence. “Where is who?” She doesn’t expect it, she truly didn’t but when Kai’s fingers wrap around her throat and squeeze hard enough that her breathing is resorted to harsh intakes – Kiara realises that Kai isn’t messing around.

He’s on a mission and will actually kill her, if he had to.

A red painted nail points towards the hall that leads towards his bedroom and he scoffs, knowing exactly where the Queen would be keeping you because it would be the last place he would try and look for you – his bedroom. He hears the Queen’s voice before he even makes it to the door, heart racing when he hears the words that echo down the stony hall. “A drop of Dark Fae blood ingested is all one needs to change, that is, if they manage to survive the changes – it’s a 50/50 chance.” He throws open the door, watching as you cough up your own blood, black liquid smeared over the lower half of your face with eyes wide in shock – the Queen smiling like she just won the lottery.

“Kai,” She doesn’t turn to face him, instead turning to sit down on one of the chairs by the fireplace. You collapse to the floor, desperately trying to get rid of the blood that covers you and Kai rushes to your side, pulling you into his arms and does his best to calm you, reassure you, while holding back his rage. “You seem to always know how to show up, right on time.” She meets his glare head on, not backing down as she stares into his dark eyes and you can feel him shaking as he holds you. “Shall we continue with our story? We’re about to get to the good part.” Selena doesn’t wait for anyone to answer her, instead she smooths out her dress and settles nicely into the chair. “As I was telling the human, Dark Fae blood needs to be ingested to turn someone into a Dark Fae – and not all survive the process.”

“You helped a poor lost girl get reunited with her worried mother. You looked so proud of yourself, as we played the part we needed to play. You were pleasantly surprised when a pretty little girl ran up to you, throwing her arms around you and kissing you on the lips.” Selena clasps her hands over her heart, raising her voice an octave and accentuating her words like one would if they were talking about their crush, “Silly little Prince didn’t even realise that there was blood on his lips, tongue licking the flesh afterwards as he tried to process what had gone on. It was far too easy,” She pauses, “What happened afterwards though, that was something I did not plan but took in my stride.”

Kai’s brow furrows, trying to remember that day while you desperately wipe your face clean, licking the pad of your thumb to get the corner of your lips; Kai’s eyes widen when he sees your action, the memory coming forth while Selena’s lips twitch upwards when she notices that the Prince has remembered what happened shortly after Kiara kissed him.

“My mother…” he begins, swallowing thickly and wishing that he was wrong, “She-she pulled me to her shortly after, asking me if I had been eating blackberries again.” You gasp, knowing where this is going. “She licked the pad of her thumb, wiping the corner of my lip before licking her thumb again and cleaning the other side.”

Nodding, Selena leans back in the chair and folds her hands over her lap. “Not only was I going to take the future of this Kingdom by turning the Prince but I was going to bring the Queen down, too – though, her death was far better than having her survive, that way I was able to take the throne for myself rather than manipulate her to do my bidding.” Kai lunges for her, lips curled back and snarling as he attacks but is caught by her minion, held back as he begins to hurl abuse at her, threatening to have her head for killing his mother. “Why, dear Prince,” she pretends to look puzzled, “Who truly was the one who sealed his mother’s fate?”

“It was unintentional, she was a victim of your scheme,” He hollers, struggling against the hold of the larger man.

“That’s true but unintentional or not, you were the reason why she died. The Queen was just doing what any mother would do and clean up her grubby son and because of him, she ended up ingesting Dark Fae blood; so, who is to blame Kai, whose hands should her blood be on?” Her words cut him deep, causing him to drop to his knees and tears to well up in his eyes as the guilt of having a hand, albeit unknowingly, in his mother’s death grips his heart and crushes him entirely.

You rush to him, cradling him close and hushing his sobs, trying to give him all your strength despite your own future being uncertain.

Selena grows bored with the scene in front of her, suddenly fascinated with her claws and how they shimmer in the light while Kai’s sobs echo around the room and the shoulder of your shirt grows damp with his tears. “The past is in the past; you can grieve your deceased mother all you want but you have a more pressing matter at hand – the life of your soulmate.” Kai sniffs, looking up at you before throwing a glare at the Queen; it is so cold that it could freeze over Hell. “Who knows how long she’ll last, a day, a week,” She shrugs, “But there is a way to save her.”

“An act of true love,” He states matter-of-factly.

A high-pitched laugh causes you to cringe as it pierces your eardrums, “What nonsense – no, love won’t fix anything because true love is nothing but a fairy tale for children and hopeless fools.” You feel your heart drop like lead. If what you’ve discovered about curses is wrong – how are you going to save Jongin? “There is a cure, there’s enough for one and I am willing to give you an ultimatum that, either way, works for me.” Selena waits for either one of you to pipe up and try to fight her but as she looks at the two of you, you coming to the daunting realisation that you can’t save your sweet Prince and may very well die at the end of all this, and Kai clearly looking for a way to win despite every odd being against him, she knows you have nothing to say so continues. “You can either let Y/N die...” You gasp, horror widening your eyes dramatically, “...and take the cure yourself, which means you can live your life however you see fit, or, you can let her take the cure and allow the curse to complete its course, which means you’ll remain a Dark Fae forever.”

Kai glares at her, lips set in a hard line and jaw clenching while you remain in shock. One option means he would be able to be whole again, well, both options offer that but it means he’ll never feel the warmth of the sun or the call of the forest if he remained a Dark Fae. Option one means he would be able to be who he was born to be, but in return, he’d lose you. Option two means he’d give up any chance of going back to his old life and remains as he is – a twisted, Dark Fae – but he’d still have you by his side. He seems to lose, either way.

“What do you mean that you’d benefit, no matter what I decided?”

She grins, “If you took the cure, I’d finally be rid of the last Soul Fae – securing my name in history as the Dark Queen who made sure those meddling Fae were wiped from existence. If you didn’t, then to become King, you’d have to marry Kiara which means I’d still have power to do as I pleased.”

You look at her, tears streaming silently down your face and you cannot believe someone could be so heartless – Dark Fae or not. “Why are you so determined to erase the Soul Fae from existence? From my understanding, they were nothing but peaceful Fae and-”

“Storytime is over, you insolent child,” She snaps, causing you to flinch in fear and Kai protectively wraps his arms around you. “Giving you a history lesson that does not benefit me in any way is a complete and utter waste of my time.” She stands up, glaring down at the two of you while you shy away from her and Kai holds her glare. “Especially because I doubt that you’ll see the end of the week.” Strolling towards the door, she stops just before crossing over the threshold. “You have the night tomorrow, I expect you to be in the throne room by noon to announce your decision to your Kingdom.” Without another word, Selena leaves you and Kai holding each other on the floor of his room – lost for words and feeling like every second must now count.

Because it may be your last.

“I-I need to go wash up,” You finally speak, not knowing how much time has passed since the Queen left the room but knowing that with sky pitch black and the chill that begins to nip at your skin, you need to prepare for the day to come – and wash away the day that’s been. “Where’s the-the bathroom?” Kai stands up with you, grabbing your hand and leading you towards the door that’s on the left of the bed. He looks at you, eyes filled with concern and conflict and when his mouth opens to speak, you beat him to the punch, “I understand.” You don’t give him a chance to say anything more, closing the door practically in his face as you rush to the toilet to throw up and collapse on the floor in tears.

Kai places his back against the door, sighing as he hears your sobs faintly through the door. He wants to comfort you, to hold you and tell you that everything will be okay, but he knows that he’d be lying – he has absolutely no idea how things are going to be. He’s left with two choices, both with a good and bad end to them. Jongin would know exactly which one to go for – he wouldn’t even second guess himself – but Kai is filled with confliction because no matter which one he chooses, he loses somehow.

Pushing off from the door, he walks towards the bed and rids himself of the shirt and tie; there’s no need to head back to the cabin tonight. It’s late and cold. It’ll be better to sleep here than to risk dying out in the harsh winter night. He turns off the lights, pulls back the blankets and uses an extra pillow to prop himself up; he doesn’t know how long he’ll wait for you, contemplating whether he should go and check on you or let you get everything you need to get out in private – if you wanted him, you’d have gone to him. Kai reaches for the book, still sitting on his nightstand from before he went and brought you into his world – your world – and decides to read before calling it a night.

It feels like it's been an eternity since he’s read a book that isn’t filled with stories from your grandmother or Fae history.

You open the door slowly, peeking out and seeing Kai reading in bed, immersed completely in the story that sits in the palm of his hands, and you try not to draw attention to yourself as you watch him. His dark hair hangs in his eyes, a pleasant change from his usual style and he’s shirtless with the light from his night lamp causing his side profile to look rather beautiful as he reads with a furrow in his brow and his lips in a slight pout. “Are you going to stand there and stare all night, or are you going to actually join me?” His voice startles you slightly, causing you to jump and close the bathroom door behind you before making your way to the bed.

“I didn’t want to disturb you,” You mumble. Kai lifts an eyebrow as he looks at you, placing his book on his lap and you blush as you look away because the full view of his chiselled chest shouldn’t make you think about last night – yet, it does.

Fingers grip your chin and Kai gently brings you to look at his face, searching your face for an inkling of your thoughts. “Penny for your thoughts?” He asks, lips quirking at the corners when you snort at his choice of words. “We don’t have to talk, if you prefer not to.” There’s a rare softness to his voice and you know that it’s because tomorrow holds your fate in its hands.

You crawl into the bed next to him, his arm wrapping around you and pulling you close as you listen to the steady beating of his heart. The crackling of the fire and soft breaths are all that you can hear in the large room and you begin to stare into space, vision becoming unfocused as you trace random shapes over Kai’s body; you don’t realise that he stiffens under your touch, the muscles in his abdomen tensing and goosebumps erupting over his skin because all you can think about is what his decision is going to be. Kai tries to maintain his breathing, tries to remember that you are doing this absentmindedly, that you don’t, can’t, possibly know what this is currently doing to him; your finger tracing over the rippled abdomen, sometimes trailing down his Adonis belt and along his waist which causes him to suck in his stomach in reflex, his mind goes crazy with thoughts as he thinks you dipping those fingers under the blanket, under the waistband of his night pants and…

“What’s going to happen tomorrow?” You ask out of the blue, Kai’s eyes snapping from the movement of your hand to your face as you look at him, eyes swirling with confusion over his flushed cheeks and deep thoughts.

“I’m thinking,” He croaks out, clearing his throat and running a hand through his hair, musing it as he inhales through his nose to settle his wild thoughts, “I’m not sure what to do yet.”

You look away from him, staring at the window like you had been for the past few minutes, “Why wouldn’t you choose the life that’s been stolen from you?”

Your question hits him in the heart – do you really not know the depth of his feelings for you? “Why would you-”

“I’m okay with dying, death is just like sleeping – except you don’t wake up.”

He grits his teeth, “Don’t give me that bullshit. You’re not going to die tomorrow.”

You shrug, “You don’t know that.” The finality in your words makes him wonder why you would think such a thing. “Do you think Selena would allow me to live? She knows I’m the last living Soul Fae, so why would she pass up the opportunity to get rid of me?” Kai’s eyes widen. He didn’t think of that. He had thought that maybe the Queen had some honour in her words to let you live so he could possibly keep you by his side – no matter the cost. “At least, this way, you’ll be able to live freely without her having this hold over you.”

“You are not going to die, Y/N,” He growls out, “Why are you saying this?”

You sigh, “I don’t want you to feel guilty. This way you know that I’ve accepted my fate and you won’t feel guilty, or that you sealed my fate.”

“No,” He says with finality.

“Kai-”

“No.” His eyes flash with determined fire as he looks at you, looking like the strong Prince that you’ve always known resides inside his soul. “Like Hell I’m going to let you die! I’ll find a way to make sure that’ll never happen.”

“Why?” Your need for a question was something he didn’t expect. “Why won’t you just let me go.”

“Because I love you.” He doesn’t flinch saying the words. He’s never spoken such a truth with every fibre in him fuelling it before. “I would rather lay this Kingdom to ruin, give up my future title as King, if it means having you by my side for the rest of my days.” He shifts his position, cupping your cheeks and searching your eyes and soul for some form of rejection of his confession. “If tomorrow means that you’ll die – then I’ll die alongside you.”

You don’t quite know how to respond, words failing you completely at the depth of his feelings. You show him the words you wish you could reply with: lips pressing against his so gently, arms curling around his neck and pulling him towards you, letting him settle between your open legs as you slowly fall back the pillows with Kai’s body pressed against you. He uses his elbows to support his weight, not wanting to crush you as your tongue seeks entrance and dances so slowly, sensually, with his – your passion and love clear in how you coax him into your own mouth, letting his hunger for you grow while you are sated with every moment he grants you.

“I love you,” He breaks the kiss and you stare up at him in wonder and amazement; Kai admitting his feelings, so completely sure of himself, is something that you never thought you’d see happen. “I love your need for knowledge,” He kisses your forehead. “I love your smile when you hear the birds sing in the morning,” He kisses each eyelid slowly. “I love how you can’t stand my cooking but you’ll pretend you love it,” He kisses the tip of your nose and smiles when your lips pucker, waiting expectantly. “I particularly love how much you get flustered whenever I tease you,” He kisses your lips briefly before continuing his kisses along your jaw and down the curve of your neck.

You try to control your breathing, feeling Kai’s fleeting kisses over your pulse and moving his body lower until he cannot go further than your collarbones. “I love you, too,” You finally reply when he stops to look at you, needing only to hear you say it before he continues. Kai removes the blanket, hands wasting no time in stripping you out of your clothes while your own hands join to help him get free of the pants that sit snugly on his waist. You see the internal struggle in his eyes as he slithers his hand between your bodies, two fingers dragging along your slit in an attempt to arouse you – he wants to take it slow, to make you remember every moment he spent covering you with his love but he’s also in desperate need of release.

He wouldn’t say it, but today, has been just as hard on him as it has been you.

Kai had you in his arms, well, Jongin did, he had his world safely in his embrace when it was all taken away from him; his deluded fantasy that he could escape everything he was while with you in your little cabin was destroyed when he was so rudely summoned, distracted by Kiara in a ploy to get him away from you. He felt like the world was crashing around him when he discovered that you were missing, his bubble being burst so rudely as he feared for your safety – and rightfully so. He needed you to know how much he loved you, in ways that his words and personality would never allow him to convey completely but he wanted to be inside you, to connect with you in a way that would give him some form of relief and distraction.

“I-” Your lips part when his fingers focus on your clitoris, gathering some of your slickness and coating his fingers with it before drawing circles over the hardening bud. “I need you to know how I feel, I want to kiss every inch of your-” You pull his lips towards you, moaning softly when he eases his digits inside you. His cock presses against your inner thigh and twitches when he feels how wet and ready you are.

“I know,” You whisper when your lips finally part, biting your bottom lip when you look into his dark eyes, wanting to get lost in them and lost in him. If life hadn’t been so cruelly taken from you, you could dream about the days that you would wake up and lose track of time, just because you wanted another moment staring into his eyes.

Hooking your legs around his waist, you slowly close your eyes when you feel the tip of his cock press against your entrance, his hand guiding him towards his goal while wanting to take his sweet, torturous time. “Tomorrow…”

“Stop talking,” You shake your head, wanting to do anything but think. You want to feel him, hear the way he sighs when he finally rests inside you. You want to think about nothing but him and Kai wants that too but he needs you to know what he’s decided, what he’ll do for you and only you. Jongin will say he’s doing it for the kingdom but Kai doesn’t care about that, it could burn for all he cares, he only wants to ensure your life and safety – and this is how he’s going to do it.

A gasp sounds as Kai slowly eases his way into your dripping core, stopping when he’s fully seated and allowing you a moment to adjust; you open your eyes to see him staring at you, his parted lips swollen from your kiss and eyes faintly glowing as the soul connection strengthens, solidifying his resolve about what he’s going to do tomorrow. “I love you,” He whispers, kissing you before resting his forehead against yours, “I’ll do anything to show you that.”

You don’t know what to say because you are so touched by the softness of the words coming from him but also because Kai started moving and each stroke begins to stoke the fire that’s burning inside your abdomen.

Each stroke is filled with timed precision, every part of your velvet walls touched by his wide girth until you can feel him pressing against the deepest parts of you and causing wanton noises to vibrate through your chest. Kai allows you to match him, the slow pace and heavy breaths satisfying him enough for the time being but the moment he feels your walls begin to clench around him, your nails digging into his shoulders where you hold onto him, and your lips beginning to sing a chorus of curses mixed with incoherent mumblings of his name – he decides to pick up the pace.

“Fuck,” He groans, lifting one of your legs over his shoulder and adjusting his position slightly to hit you even deeper – if that was even possible. It’s not long before your first climax rips through you with a burning white sensation that has you crying out Kai's name and nearly causing Kai to lose his own control. “Shit, you sound exceptionally sweeter when it’s my name that you’re calling out.” His words are enough to cause you to blush but the low growl that laces his tone sends a shiver down your spine that doesn’t go unnoticed by him. “Not satisfied?” He chuckles lowly, lifting your other leg over his shoulder and bending you nearly in half. “Good, because I’m not through with you, yet.”

The day breaks and Kai wakes up before you, determined and ready for what’s about to come before the day ends. He’s surprised that it isn’t Jongin greeting the day, the day that determines their fate but he’s also glad that it’s him to making this decision because Jongin wouldn’t have it in him to do what needs to be done – he’ll give you the world but Kai is willing to watch it burn for you. He has thought about this; he has looked at every other possibility and outcome while you laid dreaming in his arms and as he looked at you – as he watched you sleep undisturbed by the day that would await you – Kai knew that this was the only way to make sure you got to live the life that you deserved to lived.

His own life, be damned.

As he stands in front of his armour, his reflection shining in the sparkling silver, Kai knows that the Queen could have his life, his soul and his head for all he cared, as long as you got the cure and were able to live your life to the fullest that he could possibly provide.

You awaken to find the bed empty and room quiet, a handwritten note placed beside you where Kai had laid and your heart tugs at the words that are scrawled in his unmistakably messy handwriting; you always knew the difference between their writing style, the words they used and how Jongin was adorably formal while Kai would write something curt and aggravating about how you sleep too much. I will see you down there, remember, I love you. You bite your lip as you wonder what he could possibly be doing instead of going to the throne room with you but there’s no use trying to figure out the inner workings of that Fae’s mind because Kai will do, and always has done, whatever he very well pleased.

Your morning passes by slowly, the clock seemingly at a standstill as you begin to pace the room and wait for the time to head down. Kai had left you a parting present: a beautiful golden dress that’s fit for a Queen. He had ordered two of his servants to make sure you looked the part too. The sentiment is very touching but you can’t help but feel the weight of the day push on your heart as you look in the mirror: hair styled in a flower-woven updo with tresses of curls stylishly falling around your neck with soft, but bright, makeup accentuating the structure of your face. You give yourself a sad smile, wishing you looked this gorgeous on a day where it actually meant something happy rather than finding out that you won’t live a long, fulfilled life but that’s okay – as long as Jongin lives happily instead of suffering like he has his whole life.

The burden he must bear, knowing the truth, even though he had no clue, and should in no way be at fault. How could a boy know such things? Why should he feel guilt, be accountable for something that was never in any way, his fault? You hope that he’s able to move past that guilt and live a free life that he’s always deserved.

A knock on the door indicates that it’s time to go and you smooth out the front of your dress before letting out a short breath in an effort to calm your racing heart, and you walk with your head held high towards the door. The face that greets you is one you didn’t know but could immediately tell wasn’t a servant. “Well,” She grins, sending a shiver down your spine. “Seems like Kai sure knows how to pick them. Or, is it Jongin?” She taps a long, clawed nail on her chin as she regards you with a sideways glance. “Tell me, who’s favour did you win first? Who won the race for your heart?” You’re dumbfounded by the question and she scoffs at you, the smile falling as she looks at you with disbelief. “You seriously cannot love them both, stupid human.”

“They are one in the same,” You answer, frankly tired of this stranger and Selena insulting you in some way by making the word human sound like some kind of slur. “Jongin and Kai share the same soul and are basically the same person.”

“Wow,” She raises an eyebrow at you before turning on her heel and walking down the hall. You follow because you assume that she’s the person to take you to the throne room. “It doesn’t matter who won your heart because it’ll break once the wedding is announced.” She giggles like a schoolgirl, throwing you a wide smile before spinning around with her hands up in the air and you almost walk into her when she stops abruptly facing you. “Soon, all of this will be mine and you,” She hooks her finger under your chin, the nail biting your skin but you don’t let it affect you, “You will be nothing but a painful memory for him.”

She snorts, looking at you as if she was eyeing up the competition, then turns on her heel and walks away. “So, you must be Kiara,” You state, feeling blind for not noticing the similarities between her and Selena but definitely seeing her mother in her now that you’ve pieced it together. “Does your mother intend on forcing Jongin to marry you when he’ll probably leave and never look back?”

“Not Jongin,” Kiara doesn’t look at you as you both walk at a leisurely pace, “Kai.”

You stop. “What?”

A lilting laugh fills the stairwell and she covers her mouth with her hand. “You think that he’d let you die? You really are stupid and blind.” You grit your teeth together, wondering what would happen if you pushed her down the stairs instead of listening to her speak nonsense. “Jongin nor Kai would allow you to die, it doesn’t matter which one is in control today, they will both make the same decision to save you which seals his fate to live out the rest of his life as Kai.” She begins to descend the stairs, each time she steps down, the sound of her stilettos resonates around you and you now know that you are descending towards Hell, or so it feels. “Mother had to make sure that the curse would run its course and the kingdom must have a King. He would never agree to the marriage if he was cured and he wouldn’t let us live peacefully if you died but he also wouldn’t let you be dragged into the darkness with him, hence,” She waves a hand at you, “This.”

You had been prepared to die. Prepare for Kai to be naturally selfish and chose himself over you, despite his claim of loving you, but you never expected him to throw this curveball and sacrifice something that Jongin had been working so hard to get back – all for you. The rest of the trip to the throne room is spent in silence, Kiara seemingly bored with talking to you and finding it more fun to hum a chilling tune which seemed to only amplify the situation at hand. The throne room door is closed and before entering, Kiara throws a look over her shoulder while tidying up her appearance and you follow her silent instruction – after all, you are going to be in the presence of the Queen, evil or not, you must look presentable.

An audience has gathered and all eyes are on you as you walk purposefully behind Kiara with your head held high and hands clasp in front of you; your heart is racing like crazy and you can hear the slight curious disgust in the words that they say when they see you. A human? I’ve never seen one act like she belonged here. Did you hear that she’s the last Soul Fae? The Prince seems infatuated with her. I’ve heard rumours of them visiting the market often. Everything they said reminded you of high school: the cool kids whispering about the new kid or how stories would be fabricated because false information would be added by each new person.

Selena stands in front of the thrones, dressed completely in black with red painted lips that only makes her skin look more porcelain than it already does. She smiles when you stop in front of her, Kiara walking up the stairs to her side and grinning like a wolf when you begin to fidget with the front of your dress because everyone is now looking at you and you are standing there, all alone, about to be thrown to the wolves while Kai is nowhere to be seen.

The Queen gives you a smile that only further confirms the fear that had been sitting in your heart; you had been standing there, in front of a crowd and the Queen for a short period of time and you began to wonder if your soulmate was ever going to show up at all. “Well,” She claps her hands together after another few minutes, bringing the attention to her completely as she greets the masses, “It seems the Prince has made his decision and we are here to bear witness to the last Soul Fae leaving the world in an untimely fashion.” Guards rush to your side, two grabbing your arms while forcing you onto your knees and you look up to the Queen, stunned.

You had thought she would let you live your days out, not kill you on the spot.

“Soul Fae are special, one of the few that can see the connections of one’s soul, their past and glimpse into their future and no matter what the future brings, no matter how ill-fated that life may be, they will never intervene with what they consider to be fate – they do nothing but guide the souls they cross, pushing them towards whatever their destiny is.” She looks down at you, disdain clear in her dark eyes and venom in her words as you struggle against the guards holding you still. “The Soul Fae could have prevented the existence of the Dark Fae but they allowed our kind to be created and hated, they sealed our fate all those centuries ago and every single one of them will finally pay.” You can’t help but scoff. A grudge created and held for centuries because of a decision your ancestors made is the reason you are here – on your knees and awaiting the sword. “Goodbye, Y/N,” Selena speaks with no remorse in her voice, Kiara grinning behind her as a guard comes to stand in front of you, blocking her from your view. “Say hello to your grandmother for me, if your souls find each other again.”

The sword is drawn, the sound of steel being unsheathed resonating throughout the quiet throne room and you close your eyes as the cold steel touches the side of your neck. One. You begin to count the seconds, try to remember as much as you can to try and not be afraid. Two. You take a deep breath and think about your parents, your grandmother and the friends you had throughout your short life. Three. You remember every smile Jongin gave you, the racing of your heart that came with being around Kai and how you felt when he said I love you.

The sound of doors being thrown open halts the guard from swinging his sword and ending your life. “Always so fashionably late, Kai.” You open your eyes and look behind you to see Kai walking in with his head held high and wearing a polished suit of armour with his sword sheathed on his hip and hand on the pommel. His glare has a few guards backing away but the one who stands in front of you only looks back at Selena, awaiting the go ahead. She ignores him though, giving her attention solely to the man swiftly crossing the room. “We thought you weren’t going to show.”

“Give her the cure.” He stops beside you, helping you stand. “Give her the cure and maybe this won’t end in complete bloodshed.” The Queen begins laughing, a sound that could send a shiver down the dead’s spine but Kai doesn’t react, his eyes narrowing as he watches her carefully.

“Is that your decision?” Her hands reaches into one of the dresses hidden pockets and pulls out a black vial. “You’d rather the human survive and then think that you could live happily ever after together when the curse finally takes its toll on that nearly blackened soul of yours?” The humour in her face is gone, lip curling because she didn’t think Kai would try something so foolish. “Have it your way, Prince Kai, but remember that you are greatly outnumbered and this would be considered treason because you’re acting against the Queen.” Selena throws the vial at him and without blinking, he catches it before turning and handing it to you.

You don’t take it right away, looking at him with a sad smile of thanks because he would have rather you have a fighting chance instead of what was going to happen. If he took the cure, she was going to kill you and if he let you have it, she was still going to kill you – she was never going to let you go free because she wasn’t going to let you get away from her.

She wasn’t going to let go of the grudge her ancestors passed down to every Dark Fae.

The taste is bitter, burning on the way down and you try your best not to throw up as you finish the vial and take a moment to make sure you force it all down. Kai breathes a sigh of relief before unsheathing his sword and using his free hand to move you behind him; you have never felt more afraid in your life and you weren’t even afraid for yourself – you were afraid for him.

The clanging of metal, the screams at the chaos erupting around you as Kai fights off several guards and more come flooding into the room while Selena stands watch, smiling like everything she had ever wanted was happening for her and you cry out when the cold bite of a sword nicks your arm. You want to help him, knowing that even though he seems to be a well-trained swordsman, Kai will not be able to keep up at the rate he’s going. He’s going to falter in a step, he won’t block in time and the armour he wears won’t be able to save him from the final blow his enemy will strike at his weakest moment. “Run,” He yells, looking at you for a brief moment, “Run and don’t look back.”

You take a step back, getting ready to do what he says when you notice it – the mistake about to happen. He’s exhausted, having fended off God knows how many guards, and even though he’s fit, his body can only handle so much before it begins to fail him; his breathing is laboured, sweat dripping down his face and his reaction time has decreased, which is why a guard behind him decides that now would be the perfect time to strike.

You’re running before you even realise it and not running in the direction that Kai had told you to go. “Kai,” You cry out. He’s managed to take down the guard in front of him before turning wide, tired eyes towards you. He sees the reflection of light hit the blade before it’s too late and barely manages to block the sword before kicking the guard in the groin and ending his life; you run into his arms, ignoring the blood that coats your dress from his armour and breathing a sigh of relief that you didn’t lose him.

Clapping begins to echo in the room. The guests who were around have all left in the chaos and there are slain bodies surrounding you as the remaining guards cover the exits. “What an excellent display of courage, too bad it was all in vain.” The Queen grins, walking down the stairs towards you and Kai, “I was willing to let you live, Kai, to rule as King like you were born to be but you’ve left me no choice other than getting rid of you both.”

Everything happens so fast. You don’t even know which direction the arrow had come from but all you know is that it wasn’t your skin that it pierced. It wasn’t your breath that left your lungs in a choked gasp. It certainly wasn’t your blood that began soaking into your dress.

It was Kai’s.

You scream as his weight falls on you completely and you try your best to support him, holding him up as you wrap your arms around him and fingers brush against the hardwood arrow that’s stuck through his lower back and your heart drops, tears well as you begin to scream for someone to help you but nobody moves from their position – watching coldly as Kai grimaces with the pain. He holds you close, chin resting on your shoulder as you begin to cry harder because he’s dying in your arms and you are completely useless to help him.

“Run,” He whispers, voice strained as he speaks, “If there’s anything my death is going to accomplish, it’s making sure you survive.” You don’t want to leave him; you don’t want to have him die without you next to him. Shaking your head, Kai clicks his tongue in annoyance, dying or not, he clearly hasn’t lost himself, “You’ll die too and this would have all been for nothing.”

“Did you-” You can’t even begin to comprehend the thoughts as his words slap you, “Did you plan on dying from the beginning?” You want to yell and scream at him but instead you kiss his temple and laugh half-heartedly. “And here I was, willing to sacrifice my life for you to have the cure.”

Kai chokes out a laugh, the movement causing extreme pain to course through him, “I tell you I love you and this is where we are, ready to die for each other.”

“With love comes sacrifice,” You shrug, “At least we’ll die together.” You hope that it comforts him more than saddens him; that he wouldn’t be leaving this world alone and that you’d be shortly following him. “At least our souls get to spend their last moments together, there’s no one I’d have rather spend it with.”

Nodding, Kai pulls away and ignores the shouts around him as he focuses completely on you; he turns around and indicates that you break the arrow and push it through further so he can take his armour off. “That way, I can die with you in my arms and feeling your warmth against me instead of you hugging that armour.” You smile sadly because his words are extremely romantic coming from him and as you do as he asks, you miss the lighter shine to his hair, the black fading slightly into a soft brown. You are so focused on the end that you don’t notice that when he removes the chest plate, his ears have lost their point and his smile seems to hold more sweet innocence rather than the smirk that is dangerous and alluring.

He winces when he pulls the arrow through, fresh blood pouring from the wound and he removes the bloodied white shirt he wore underneath to place over the wound and you find it silly to try to place pressure on one side but not the other. Ripping your dress, you pull him close again and press the rag against the wound in his back – it may not save him but at least, it’ll buy you a moment longer together. “Kai.” His eyes are flitting around the room, focusing on something behind you and you don’t miss how he slowly nods his head, the action so small that anyone else would have missed it if they weren’t paying close attention. “I love you.”

His eyes shine, brown flecks gracing the black and you finally see it – his soul shining through and not the pitch, chilling black soul that is present when Kai is in control but the soft hue of Jongin’s light soul that feels like a summer breeze. “I love you, too,” He smiles and your soul begins to sing when you watch how it reaches his eyes, “More than, I guess, you’ll ever know.”

Jongin takes your cheeks into his hands and kisses you. Chaos begins to erupt around you when the Queen shouts for the death of the two of you but as you wait for the cold kiss of death to take you away from the one you love – you realise that the chaos and clashing of swords that is almost mutely happening around you, isn’t coming towards you.

Jongin parts, looking at you with so much love and adoration in his eyes that you could almost believe that everything was okay but as soon as that thought crosses your mind, he winces and grunts, dragging you back to reality. “It hurts.” His eyes flutter closed briefly and a shaky breath pushes out through gritted teeth.

You press harder against his back and encourage him to open his eyes. “Of course, it does, you were shot with an arrow, Kai.”

“Not… Kai,” His voice gets weaker and you feel his grip on you lessen, “I know but… it’s hurting… more.” He collapses and pulls you down with him and you finally look around you to see that most of the guards are dead on the ground or being forced to their knees by other guards who are wearing the same armour as Jongin was. The Queen and Kiara are being held by two of them, both women screaming for their release and Selena repeatedly yelling that she will kill everyone for touching her.

“Kai.” He doesn’t answer and two guards come over to your side, helping you lift him. “Kai, please wake up.” His eyes are still closed and he’s a complete dead weight but the guards don’t seem to struggle as they drag him across the room. “Where are you taking him?” You stand in place, wondering if you should follow.

They stop to look at you before looking at Jongin and nodding, “The Prince needs to rest and be seen to by a healer. You should return to his room and someone will collect you when the Prince is stable.”

You step forward, hand reaching for Jongin and tears well up in your eyes again, “He’s-he’s going to survive?”

“The arrow looks like it went through without hitting anything important but that is for the healer to make the final call on.” The guard looks towards those holding Kiara and the Queen, “Take them to the dungeon and let the Prince decide what he’s going to do with them when he comes to.” They turn to leave and you’re left alone, surrounded by bloodshed and death as you figure out what to do next.

“I will kill you,” Selena’s shrill voice screams over her shoulder as she is dragged away. “This won’t be the last you’ve seen of me!” You shiver slightly at the glare she throws at you, like she’s truly stabbing you in the heart before the door is closed behind you and someone comes to stand beside you, offering to escort you to Jongin’s room; you follow them and with every step that passes all you can think about is if Jongin’s going to be okay.

You woke up this morning accepting the fact that you were going to die, and here you are, covered in someone else’s blood, praying to anyone who’ll listen to save Jongin’s life.

Minutes turn to hours, hours into days and days into weeks – every passing second counted as you stayed by Jongin’s side and with every passing second, he made no sign of waking up. You would wake up in his bed, a guard having carried you to bed as per his final orders before falling into the coma he remains in, and after getting washed up, you would return to his side and wait for the moment that he’d open his eyes. You knew it was Jongin, his hair a soft brown that fell in his eyes, his ears rounded and missing the piercings that Kai would always place in them, as well as his soul feeling cleaner than what it had when you first had met him.

An act of true love. Self-sacrifice without the fear of dying. When Jongin had taken the arrow for you, he had given his life for yours and the curse had broken which was something the Queen had not expected at all.

Her well-articulated plan was crumbling through her fingers because Jongin had acted quickly in the moment; she had instructed a guard to take you out but instead, you survived and Jongin was the one who could have died. It was already decided, without any need for the evidence of her previous crimes against the kingdom, that the Queen and Kiara were to be punished when Jongin woke up – which the healer is certain he will, when the curse lets go of his soul completely. Everything around you flowed with the passing of time but your days seemed to be at a standstill as your heart and soul begged and cried for Jongin to wake up; for him to open his eyes and smile at you because you couldn’t live a life without him. You had determined that if he was going to die, what was life worth then? “Humans make it sound like you can’t live without your soulmate, that they are the be all and end all but it’s not true, you can live without them…” Kai had said this to you when you had first met him, before you had fallen completely and irrevocably in love with everything that he was.

Yes, you may be able to live without him but would there ever be someone else who matched you so perfectly and held your heart so tenderly in his hands?

“Jongin,” You grip his hand in both of yours, running your thumbs over the top of his hand, “Wake up, please, come back to me.” A teardrop fell and you rub it into his skin as you sniff, “Kai, please, let him go… you said you’d do anything to show me you loved me so please, please, let Jongin come back to me.” You didn’t know whether he’d hear you, if he could or would even listen but you had to try something rather than crying for the nth time by Jongin’s bedside. “Please, come home.”

You didn’t expect a response, you truly didn’t, but a small part of you had hoped something would happen but you completely break down when nothing, absolutely nothing happens.

Burying your head into the mattress beside him, you cry and allow yourself the meltdown that you’ve spent weeks holding back. All the pain of waiting, all the anxiousness of not knowing what’s going to happen, you allow every moment you’ve held back in hopes that he would awaken and that things would be okay break through and out of your exhausted system.

His brow crinkles, disturbed by the sound of crying and that his bed is shaking and it takes a moment to open his eyes as the sunlight completely blinds him. Everything feels stiff, feels like he hasn’t moved in years but the concern about his body is quickly replaced by the thoughts of you – you, who is currently crying by his bedside.

You don’t notice him, how his grip tightens, how his voice croaks as he tries to speak and even as you lift your head to look at him, it takes you a hot second to realise that Jongin is smiling at you. You either don’t notice straight away or you think that it's your mind beginning to lose itself in a desperate hope that he had woken up but as you sit there, frozen and wide eyed, Jongin’s smile widens and he snorts at your overwhelmed reaction. “If I had known you’d look this shocked, I would have done this months ago.” He grimaces at the rough, unused sound of his own voice.

“Jongin,” You bite your lip before looking over to the door and thinking about getting the healer, “It-it has been months.” Now it’s his turn to look shocked. He didn’t realise that he had been out for that long. “I’m going to call the healer,” You reach for the bell and he grabs your arm, “Don’t worry, I’m not leaving your side – not even the guards will be able to move me now.” Jongin looks confused and you tilt your head to the side, curiously, “Once you stabilised, before passing out, you instructed that it was made sure that I was looked after every day until you were strong enough to leave the hospital wing, and that the Queen and Kiara were under close watch so you could pass their punishment.” His expression grows more confused because he genuinely has no recollection of anything but holding you in his arms. “Maybe it wasn’t you,” You mutter with a sad smile.

“He’s gone…isn’t he?” Jongin asks, afraid because he already knows the answer. He thought that learning that he was free from Kai would make him happy but he had come to rely on that side of him; that part of him that was fearless and reactive in the face of danger, who knew what buttons to push and how to make you blush so easily, and who loved you as deeply as Jongin does. He thought he’d be happy but he only feels sad.

“It’s been days since I haven’t felt the grip of the curse on your soul,” You speak quietly, still not completely sure of yourself but you can definitely feel the change in him, “I think some part of Kai was still holding on which was why you didn’t wake up.” He looks at you and you blush, “I don’t know though, this is all just guessing.”

Pushing aside his sadness for a lost part of him, Jongin finally touches your face when the room suddenly erupts into chaos as the healer arrives to check on him. “If my soulmate says my soul is clean from the curse – then my soul is clean from the curse.” You click your tongue; he hasn’t lost those corny and heart-warming comments in the months he’s been out.

Once you are alone again, Jongin cleared to leave within a few hours before being put on a strict schedule to help his body recuperate from the months he’s spent in a coma, you lay on the bed next to him, enjoying his warmth and embrace. “What happens now?” You ask, knowing that it’s probably not the best time to bring such a thing up but there are certain things that need to be put into action and there’s no time like the present to work out what to do.

“I’ll speak with the Captain of the Guard and arrange for the trial against the former Queen and Kiara. Their attempt to kill the Crowned Prince is treason enough to execute, as it is meant to be me on that throne and not a Dark Fae.” You gulp, knowing that this was how it was going to play out but not really expecting it to be like that either. “And as for us,” Jongin kisses your forehead before kissing your nose and lips, “Once I’ve got a clean bill of health and cleared to be crowned King – I’m going to need them to get a new crown ready for the Queen.” He laughs when you look at him, stupidly confused about what he was saying, “Meaning, if you’ll have me, I plan to marry you.”

With a fluttering heart and growing smile, you bury your head into his shoulder while Jongin laughs and you think to yourself, that if you had to go through all this pain, all this self-discovery and adventure to get to this moment again, you wouldn’t hesitate to do it because this feels as close to a fairy tale ending as you’ll ever get.

This is your happily ever after.

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pixiestookmybrain · 7 years

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Baekhyun x Robin Hood

I envy them, Much. You know, they have nothing, and yet I envy them, their lives, because... they have each other.

#exo #baekhy #exo fairytale au #kpop aesthetic #kpop moodboard

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olympianreads · 5 years

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The Last Poisoner

Author: VOlympianlove

Pairing: Yifan/Yixing

Rating: PG13

Summary:

Poison /ˈpɔɪz(ə)n/ noun 1. a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed. "he killed himself with poison" synonyms: toxin, venom;

CHEMISTRY a substance that reduces the activity of a catalyst.

PHYSICS an additive or impurity in a nuclear reactor that slows a reaction by absorbing neutrons.

something that has a destructive or corrupting influence.

Warnings: Major character death

Thoughts: I wrote this for kissfanxing. It was mainly meant to be something more experimental because I’ve never done such a dark concept before and it just came to me. So not very plot based, just characters and dark things happening.

#magic #magic au #royalty au #fantasy au #violence #action #angst #romance #pg13 #yifan #yixing #fanxing #junmyeon #fairytale au #self promo #implosion series #exo

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baeksoobookshelf · 6 years

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mad hatters, lost boys ... and a fairy sidekick? (3452 words) by taeyeons Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: EXO (Band) Rating: T Relationships: Baeksoo Characters: EXO Ensemble Genre: Fluff, Romance AU: Disney, Fairytale Summary:

somewhere in disney world, love blossomed and a certain Peter Pan found that he could actually appreciate bright coloured coats and a (very) mad hatter.

Follow baeksoobookshelf to see more baeksoo fics. :)

#exo #baekhyun #kyungsoo #baeksoo #baeksoo fanfiction #otp #fin #s: ao3 #r: t #one-shot #g: fluff #g: romance #au: disney #au: fairytale #lang: english

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thepinkgovernment · 6 years

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Listen

Guys. I have three different starts of how I want to write the Junmyeon Fairytale AU and they're all over 1k words long. I don't know which to continue

#exo #suho #exo suho #exo k #exo junmyeon #kim junmyeon #junmyeon #fairytale au

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polyexobookshelf · 6 years

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phantomwise, dreaming as the summers dies (4k words) by atharaigas in chingux2014 Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: EXO (Band) Rating: pg Relationships: baekhyun/jongdae/chanyeol/kyungsoo Characters: baekhyun jongdae, chanyeol, kyungsoo Genre: fantasy, fluff AU: fairytale, magic, Summary:

fairytale au: Sometimes the fairy tale world is the sanctuary, as opposed to the wolves that wait outside.

#exo #exo fanfiction #polyamory #ot4 #baekhyun/jongdae/chanyeol/kyungsoo #chinguline #baekhyun #jongdae #chanyeol #kyungsoo #r: pg #s: lj #l: short story #g: fantasy #g: fluff #au: fairytale #au: magic #oneshot #au: metaphysical

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scarlet-sky4 · 2 years

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Masterlist [BBH]

🌸 Networks:

bbh-net

exo-writers-net

🌸 Most recent updates:

Wolfbound (October 27, 2023)

💥 - mature scenes 💗 - personal favorite ✔ - finished work

🌸 Short Stories and Oneshots (< 20k words)

✨ Sunshine ✔

Greek AU/Reincarnation AU Genres: Fluff, Angst, Fantasy

✨ Golden Eyes (💗) ✔

Wolf AU Genres: Hurt/Comfort, Supernatural

✨ A Siren’s Pearl ✔

Siren AU Genres: Romance, Supernatural

✨ Insatiable (💥💗) ✔

Vampire/Hunter AU Genres: Romance, Suspense

✨ The Queen of Hades ✔

Hades and Persephone AU Genres: Romance, Fantasy

✨ Hearts of Gold ✔

Soulmate AU/Christmas AU Genres: Romance, Angst

✨ To The Stars ✔

Fairytale AU Genres: Romance, Fantasy

✨ Not What He Seems ✔

Youtuber AU/Ghost Hunter AU Genres: Romance, Mystery

✨ The Fox’s Bride ✔

Japanese Mythology AU Genres: Romance, Supernatural, Fluff

✨ Venenum ✔

Mafia AU Genres: Romance, Thriller, Action

✨ My Lady ✔

Historical AU Genres: Romance, Fluff

🌸 Longfics (> 20k words)

✨ Wolfbound (💥💗)

Wolf AU with ABO dynamics Genres: Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Supernatural

✨ re:start (💥)

Special Agent AU / Exes to Lovers AU Genres: Romance, Thriller, Hurt/Comfort

✨ Phoenix (💥) ✔

Zombie AU Genres: Romance, Thriller, Action 1 2 3 4 5 6 (click here for more chapters)

✨ Spellbound (💥💗) ✔

Vampire AU / Soulmate AU Genres: Romance, Supernatural, Hurt/Comfort

✨ Straight to Hell (💥💗) ✔

Demon AU Genres: Romance, Supernatural

✨ Adversus (💥) ✔

Obsession AU Genres: Dark Romance, Thriller

✨ The War in our Hearts ✔

Royal AU / Arranged Marriage AU Genres: Romance, Historical

✨ Zero-Four (💥) ✔

Bodyguard AU Genres: Romance, Thriller

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imthreeout · 7 years

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It’s a different place, a different time But my love is right Even by your scent that passes with the wind I know it’s you

But I don’t know When did you start living in my heart? I don’t know The reason my heart flutters when I see you

Fairytale!Kaisoo for @soopyoo

#kaisoo #kai #kyungsoo #d.o #jongin #fairytale #au #aestheitcs #moodboard #exo

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marshmallow-phd · 4 years

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Heart of Thorns

Genre: Beauty and the Beast!AU, Romace, Angst

Paring: Tao x Reader

Inspired by: These moodboards created by @xui-n-soowillbethedeathofme (x) (x) and my absolute obsession with Beauty and the Beast

Part One I Part Two I Part Three

A tuttering sound was the first thing you were aware of when you came to. Then it was the cold press against your forehead, making you flinch back with a slight groan. Eyes still squeezed shut, you swatted at the thing to make it go away. Your head throbbed but the cold press was somehow worse.

“Now, now. I know it might be uncomfortable, but you have a nasty goose egg on your forehead that needs attending to.”

“It’s hardly that serious.”

At the male’s voice, your eyelids snapped open. You pushed back into the pillows once you realized who it was.

Standing at the foot of the bed with his hands behind his back, staring down at you, was the man who had frightened you nearly to death. He wore scowl on his face under the mask that had been replaced. A brief memory of what lied underneath flashed in your mind.

“It’s alright, dear,” Mrs. Chan cooed at you. “You’re safe. Despite that tumble you took down the stairs.” She punctuated that statement with a sharp glare towards the man.

“I didn’t push her,” he growled defensively.

“No, but you didn’t have to frighten me like that,” you snapped. This was a new sense of bravery for you, but he deserved it. A simple “please don’t go come in here” would have sufficed.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t snoop around a place where you are a guest.”

“I wouldn’t have been a guest if you had your way initially, given how you wanted to throw me out when I was still suffering from a fever. What kind of a gentleman is that?”

The man cleared his throat, having been outdone in the argument. “Just stay out of the west wing.” The tails of his jacket bellowed behind him as he whirled on his toes and left the room.

“Does he always have to be so dramatic?” you mumbled to yourself.

Mrs. Chan tutted at you. “I thought you were supposed to be the most obedient out of your siblings.”

You lowered your eyes, feeling shame for having betrayed her trust. “I’m sorry. I heard a noise and I was worried someone was hurt.”

“Sometimes I wonder if your heart is too soft for your own good,” she said. “I’ve seen how your sister bullies you around and how you are with the less fortunate, even with your own current predicament.” Ringing the wet cloth out over a bowl, she sighed. “Get some more rest and then, after breakfast, we’ll go walking outside, alright? Help you get your strength back. Maybe even satiate that curiosity. Can’t really get into trouble out there.”

“Is he always so obnoxious?” you asked. Though you knew they shouldn’t, your thoughts were focused on the man in the mask. His temper should have been enough for you to ask to go home, but you were curious about the scars – both the physical and the invisible ones.

“The master has had a hard life these past five years.”

That was hardly an answer to your question, more of an excuse. But you decided that maybe another route was better. “Why does he wear that mask?” From you could remember, the scars didn’t seem severe enough to constitute hiding them all the time.

“He doesn’t like people staring.”

“But wouldn’t people stare anyway?”

“He’d rather have them stare at the mask then at-” she caught herself before she could reveal too much. “What’s underneath,” she finished. She must not have known that you saw the lord without his mask last night.

“Does he even go out for people to stare?”

“You are quite the curious child, aren’t you?”

You laughed just a little bit. “Father always said that I wanted to know more than what I should.”

“He’s right.” Letting out a long breath, Mrs. Chan straightened the blanket and patted it flat. “I supposed you should know a little, if that would make you a bit more cautious.” You straightened up in anticipation. It didn’t escape Mrs. Chan’s notice, who shook her head. “Years ago, Lord Huang was engaged to a… very beautiful woman. No one is sure where she came from, but the young lord was in love. It was the first time we’d seen him so happy since his father passed. It was good to see him so spirited. But… one night, after they were wed, there was an argument. I couldn’t hear what it was about, but Lord Huang was very upset. It calmed down eventually, and everyone went to bed. Sometime before the sun came up the next day, there was a fire in his bedroom. It took so long to put out we feared the worst. Lord Huang was unconscious when they broke the door down. He barely survived, but not without the incident leaving its mark.”

You swallowed thickly. “And… her?”

“She died. From the smoke, they think. Her body was found in the adjoining room. Her skirts were scorched, so they think she might have started out in his room and then tried to run to safety but didn’t make it.”

“Is that what you think?”

Mrs. Chan picked up the tray on the nightstand with more force than needed. “I think a tragedy happened that night and it changed a good man. Scars that you can see aren’t the only ones that can’t fully heal.” She exited the room, leaving you behind with a slight feeling of guilt.

But did you really do anything wrong? Was it not right to be curious about your less than gracious host? Many people had tragedies, but that didn’t mean the answer was to shut yourself away and be cruel to those around you. You never made any complaint about not having a mother. And when your father was tricked into ruin, you made the most of your new situation.

You stewed on the story Mrs. Chan had told as you buried yourself deeper into bed. The sun wouldn’t be rising for a few more hours and no candles had been left lit. Even if you wanted to add light into the room to see by, you didn’t know where to find a match. As sleep was the only choice you had, you closed your eyes and dreamt of a white mask.

Mrs. Chan brought you breakfast after the sun had risen and she even had a new change of clothes. They were a bit fancier than your usual garb (Cosette would have been snatching them as quick as her thin hands would allow), but you thanked Mrs. Chan as she helped you get dressed. The rose red color of the dress was striking against your skin, but the blue overcoat created a calming effect for the color as you buttoned it closed under your chest.

It was a bit colder outside today. The sun was hidden by thick clouds and a breeze ruffled at your skirts. Your fingers were stiff, so you kept them warmed with your arms that crossed in front on your chest. You were mostly silent as Mrs. Chan talked. She complained about Mr. Chan’s snoring and the rising price of fish. All of this was underlined with a sense of humor. The only time you had seen at the upmost serious was when she told you about the fire. Her presence was becoming one of comfort for you, one that you didn’t want to leave. It was the motherly figure you had been denied most of your life. The two of you were laughing at a story of Mr. Chan chasing after chickens that had gotten loose when Lord Huang came down the vast steps that led to the upper back of the castle. Mrs. Chan stopped you as he came closer and you both dipped into a low curtsy.

“Is there something you are needing, Lord Huang?”

Lord Huang gave a flickering glance in your direction before turning back to Mrs. Chan. “Leave us.”

You swallowed with panic. She wouldn’t really leave you alone with him, would she?

Apparently, yes, she would. A look of pity was sent to you before she curtsied again and walked away. Lord Huang motioned with his head to follow him. For a few minutes, the two of you continued to walk the grounds, no words spoken from either of you. Your heart was pounding in your chest as you went through every possibility for this sudden interest in you. Was he testing you? Was he going to question you further? Or yell at you again for invading his privacy? Without warning, he stepped in front of you, blocking your way.

“If you’re well enough to walk on the grounds, you’re well enough to go home.”

He snarled. He couldn’t be used to disobedience of this magnitude. “And why is that you don’t want to leave? To find out more about the reclusive lord who killed his wife in a fire?”

You shook your head fervently. “No. It has nothing to do with you.” Though you were still curious to know more about him, that was an ant compared to the mountain that loomed over you back home.

“Then why?” he snapped.

“My family is forcing me to do something I don’t want to do, and I need time to figure out how to get out of it.”

With a clearing of his throat, he placed his hands behind his back and looked out into the fields. “And what is it that your family is trying to force you do to?”

“They want me to get married.”

He scoffed. “Marriage? That’s what you’re running away from?”

“Yes. Because I don’t love him. A marriage like that isn’t worth entering.”

“Love in marriage is a fairytale. It’s foolish to believe in that.”

Anger was boiling the blood under your skin. Who was he to say such things? Didn’t he do exactly that? “If that’s so, then why did you marry your wife?”

Lord Huang’s nostrils flared as veins jumped in his neck. “That’s is none of your business! Now, go and live your fate!” He began to storm away.

“No, wait, please!” You grabbed hold of his coat sleeve with both of your hands. He could have easily ripped away from your grip, but instead he stopped and glared at you from over his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I should not have said that. Please, don’t make me go back. Not until I’ve figured out a way to stop it.”

After a deep breath, he seemed to calm down, if only a little. In a low, steady voice, he said, “Women don’t often choose who they marry.”

“No,” you agreed, still clinging to his coat, “a woman’s lot in life is often limited, but I would like to have a chance. A chance to experience the love I’ve read about so many times.”

“I told you. It doesn’t exist.”

“Yes, it does. I’ve seen it. In my father’s eyes when he speaks about my mother. I might not have ever seen them together, but I know they loved each other. I know my father still loves her. Even with three children to take care of, he never married again.”

The muscle in Lord Huang’s jaw twitch as he clamped down on his back teeth. With each second that he stared at you, hope bloomed.

“One month. You have one month to figure things out and then you must leave.”

You nearly leapt at him in joy. “Thank you!”

He face twisted into an expression that “Now, go find Mrs. Chan. You shouldn’t be out here too long in this cold.”

You obeyed without hesitation and headed for the stairs. When you reached the top, you turned around to find Lord Huang staring up at you. Feeling grateful, you sent him a smile before heading inside.

Mrs. Chan was busy preparing a warm soup for lunch when you found her in the kitchen. She’d told you to go on to your room and she would bring a bowl to you when it was ready, but you declined. Now that you were no longer confined to that single space, you wanted to spend as much time out of it that you could. The only worry now was your limited time here. You hoped and prayed that you could find a solution to your predicament.

“Mrs. Chan?”

“Yes?” She kept her concentration on the carrots she was chopping for the soup. Taking the wooden plank that held the small orange pieces, she slid the vegetable into the soup and turned back to the onion.

“Was your marriage to Mr. Chan… arranged?”

“More or less so.”

You frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It wasn’t arranged in the traditional sense,” she said. “I was much too stubborn and Mr. Chan was too shy. So, our families created situations where we would see each other and be forced to get to know each other.”

“But did you fall in love?” you asked with a slight desperation.

“Yes, we did. Our parents might have put us in the same room, but the rest was our own doing.”

You sighed. That sounded like a nice way to fall in love. It was, after all, still their choice.

“Are you thinking about that man your family wants you to marry?” Mrs. Chan guessed.

“Yes,” you replied solemnly. “I’ve known him for a long time, but I’ve never thought of him that way. I don’t think I ever could but-” You shrugged your shoulders, defeat slowly creeping over you. “The inheritance from my mother’s family is going to run out and most merchants won’t work with my father unless someone were to vouch for him. Gao has found success in many of the port cities. His word would help my father restore his reputation.”

Mrs. Chan tutted in her usual way. “That is too much wait for your shoulders to bear. But,” she flashed a smile at you with a strange glint her eyes that you couldn’t quite read, “I’m sure a solution will come in time. A girl like you deserves to be truly loved by your husband.”

You let out another sigh. Part of your mind was leaving the kitchen, traveling back to the fantasies you’d dreamt as a little girl lost in fairytales. “I hope you’re right.”

For another few hours, you stayed by Mrs. Chan side, eating lunch with her and occasionally helping her with the chores – whenever you were allowed to, that is. She insisted on doing most of the work herself. “It’s my job,” she huffed. “I would be horrible if I let a guest do so much.” You could only laugh at her response.

Eventually, she sent you on back to your room to rest, though you weren’t really tired. Waiting for you on your bed was a pile of books that hadn’t been there this morning. The titles and authors told you all you needed know about the contexts: romances. Tragic romances, to be more precise, but not all of them ended sadly. Taking off your coat, you sat on the bed and flipped to the first page of the novel that had been on top. In the back of your mind, as your eyes raced over the words, you couldn’t help but think of the one who brought these to you. Out of the three suspects, you were sure it couldn’t have been Mrs. Chan. There wouldn’t have been enough time for her to leave you, find these books, and place them here before getting so far on the soup. Mr. Chan didn’t seem like the kind to leave you novels in your room. But what possessed Lord Huang to do such a kind thing?

A giggle bubbled your throat. He seemed impossible, a walking contradiction. You were finding yourself a little fascinated by the man, even with his short temper and gruff appearance. He couldn’t have been all bad since he’d relented to letting you stay. Shaking your head, you forced your attention back on to the story in your hands. One kind gesture did not erase his earlier behavior.

Over the next few days, you did little to think of a solution with your family. You were too enthralled in the novels to remember to devote time to that particular problem. Instead, you developed a bit of a game with yourself. After breakfast, you would search the halls for a new study or hideaway, looking around the room before finding a spot to sit and read. When the time for your midday meal came, you met Mrs. Chan in the kitchen and ate with her, sometimes Mr. Chan joining the two of you as well. He would sit next to his wife, not speaking but always smiling at her. You rarely saw Lord Huang. Perhaps a brief pass in the hall or a glimpse of his black hair retreating into another room. You didn’t know where he slept or how he spent most of his days.

One evening, after you had finished all the novels but hadn’t found the bravery to venture to the library again to switch them out for new stories, you stared out the window, memorizing the silhouette of the trees against the setting sun. You wondered about your father and if he was worrying himself sick over you. Lu might have gone into the woods in search for you, only to find the broken carriage in the ravine. Cosette would be put out that you never made it to the city, and she wasn’t immediately restored to where she thought her proper place in society was.

A knock interrupted your thoughts. Mrs. Chan announced herself and then came in, a gown fit for a ball in her hands.

“Lord Huang has requested that you dine with him tonight.”

“Why?” You didn’t mean to sound so surprised or disgruntled by the request, but he’d made it clear before that he wasn’t interest in your presence here by any degree.

“He simply asked for me to help you get dressed and bring you down to dinner,” Mrs. Chan said. A blind man could see the smile she was struggling to keep off her lips. “Come now. We don’t want the food to get cold.”

You stood up from the window seat, eyeing the forest green dress. “Do I have to wear that?”

“His Lordship is used to a certain fashion during dinner.”

You bit your tongue to hold back the inappropriate comment you were dying to make. Even if it was just you and Mrs. Chan, you thought better to keep it to yourself.

As soon as you were laced up in the dress you wanted it off. The bodice was stiff and the arms too tight that you could hardly move them. Mrs. Chan allowed you to keep on your more comfortable boots since the skirts were long enough to keep them hidden at all times. She escorted you out of your bedroom and down the stairs to great dining hall.

The high ceiling tempted you to yell out and hear your voice echo against the golden trim and intricate paintings of heavenly beings. Flames roared in a fireplace to your right that stood taller that you by at least a full head. In the middle sat a long table made of a dark wood you couldn’t name. It stretched out nearly the entire length of the room. At least twenty people could fit comfortable around it, perhaps even more. But only two dining sets were placed for the upcoming meal: one at the head of the table and another at the other end. Apparently, this wasn’t to be a very social dinner.

Lord Huang entered from the other end and sat down with any greeting made in your direction. You weren’t sure if you were supposed to do the same, so you continued to stand awkwardly off to the side of the room. You had never been to a dinner so… intimate before. Mr. and Mrs. Chan both entered soon after, the former helping you into your chair while Mrs. Chan filled your plates with meats and vegetables. Though you knew it wouldn’t happen, a part of you was clinging to hope that they, too, would be joining you for the meal as well. They disappeared through the door that lead back to the kitchen and you were alone with Lord Huang.

At first, neither of you spoke. He didn’t even acknowledge your presence. You could have been a ghost or an invisible monster sitting in that chair and it would have hardly mattered. Each of your bites were slow. Partially because your stomach was churning with nervousness and partially because the sleeves of the dress hardly gave you room to bring the fork to your mouth.

“You don’t seem comfortable in that.”

You looked up, unsure if you’d really heard him speak or not. But he had spoken, and he was staring you, waiting for a reply. “It’s not really my usual style of choice.”

He went back to looking at the food in front of him. “That’s all we have, except for Mrs. Chan’s clothes and the few simpler dresses you’ve already been given.” You nearly snorted at the suggestion that those dresses were “simple”. “Tomorrow I’ll have Mrs. Chan go into the city and buy you some new dresses to make you more comfortable.”

“Oh, no that’s not necessary. I don’t want to put more work on the poor woman.” Nor did you want to come across as ungrateful. You feared any misstep and he would throw you out before the month’s deadline came.

“She won’t mind. She’s been nagging me to get you a few things anyway.”

You weren’t surprised by that at all. Mrs. Chan was very much the person to tell her employer how to make a guest in his house comfortable. “Thank you. And for the books as well.”

He nodded, continuing to eat his meal in a manner you considered a bit too casual. “Did you enjoy them?”

You couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face. “Yes, I did. Although, I couldn’t help but notice a slight theme among them.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Lord Huang said with true sincerity. “Those are typically the books I read that involve romance.”

You put down the fork, the clang of the metal against porcelain echoing loudly in the room. “Why does that make me so sad?”

And there was the scowl again. “I didn’t ask for your pity.”

He hardly discouraged you. “And here I am, feeling sorry for you.”

Shaking his head, Lord Huang stood up from his chair. “If you’re through with those books, you may go to the library and find new ones to read more to your liking. But stay out of the adjoining room.” Projecting his usual dramatic flair, he stormed out of the room.

You weren’t sure whether to scoff or roll your eyes at his response, so, in the end, you performed both and then went on with your meal. He might have been finished, but you were still hungry. And besides, Mrs. Chan worked hard on the meal. Someone should stay around to appreciate it.

An odd shift happened, starting the morning after the dinner. Now that you were allowed back in the library, you spent hours perusing the shelves to find another adventure. Though your heart longed for romance, you were easily distracted by the novels of other genres. Since Mrs. Chan was gone for the day to pick you up new clothes and other supplies in the city, you were left to fend for yourself. Amongst your findings was a family ledger. Most of the writing near the top was faded, but the last name scribbled on top the family tree was still clear enough to read.

Huang Zitao.

So that was Lord Huang’s name. You liked that name. Huang Zitao. It flowed nicely and had a noble sense to each syllable.

A dash connected the name to another, indicating a marriage. But whoever’s name was once there had been scratched over so severely that the pen had broken through the paper. Thinking it best to move on, you closed the ledger and returned it to its spot.

The next morning, Mrs. Chan was back, and you were treated to a glorious breakfast of scones and sweet buns and other luxurious treats. Between bites, you bravely asked for confirmation on what you had discovered. She confirmed that that was indeed Lord Huang’s name. You didn’t mention the other entry that had been scratched out, thinking it was best not to bring that sad subject up again.

Once again, you spent your day in the library, switching between books until you were called for dinner. The placement for you had been moved from the other end of the table to the right of the head. You were extra cautious during the meal since you were closer to Lord Huang, but you were also much more comfortable. Not only because of the dress Mrs. Chan had picked out for you, but because this new set up felt less formal, less rigid. Lord Huang spoke more today, first greeting you and then inquiring about what books you had discovered in his library. After dinner, he asked if you would walk with him outside before it became too dark and you agreed before you really thought it through.

He was gentler in these moments. The scowl was no longer a constant presence and his voice had softened when he spoke to you. And the two of you spoke about everything. He told you about his voyages on the seas and the countries he had visited. You described the little trinkets your father had brought back for you from each of his own trips. Some you had been able to save from the collectors, but most you hadn’t. You described the one you regretted most at having to let go.

“It was a cylinder,” you said, holding your hands out to form the vague shape of the box. “There were letters on the outside that you had to get in the right order for it to open. It was made of brass, I think, with the most beautiful carvings on the ends. I loved to play with it. For hours I would try to figure out what the combination was. It was a game my father and I played. He would put a small prize inside and I would have to figure out the new code he come up with. He would leave hints around the house. I miss that. Possibly even the most out of everything.”

Lord Huang had stopped walking. His gaze on you was intense, though unreadable. Suddenly, he grabbed your hand and started pulling you back towards the castle. “Come with me.”

He led you through the halls of the castle until he came to a room you had never entered before. It was located in the western hall where you were forbidden to wander into again. Leading you inside, Lord Huang kept the door open and walked over to the dresser on the far side of the room. Your mouth hung open as you took in the sight of the extravagant bedroom. The bed was big enough to hold four people at least and the dresser and side tables shined in the fading sunlight as if polished with gold. The sheets were made of silk and embroidered canopies hung from the top of the bedposts.

“(y/n).”

You turned your attention back to Lord Huang, who had opened the doors of the top half of a wardrobe. You walked in deeper to the room, curious as to what he wanted to show you. From the wardrobe, he pulled out an almost exact replica of the cylinder box your father had given you. A gasp was pulled from your lips as lord Huang handed it to you. With careful fingers, you took the cylinder, a smile spreading across your lips.

“It’s called a Da Vinci box,” he explained. “Whether or not he actually invented it is up for debate, but I’ve always liked the name.”

“It’s beautiful,” you said. The metal smelled vaguely of brass, just like your father’s. A few of the symbols were faded. It was beautiful. Though reluctant, you went to hand it back to him, but he shook his head.

“No. You can keep it. To replace the one you lost.”

“I… I-” You shook your head, unable to find the words to say.

“Even if you try to give it back, I’ll just sneak it into your bag.”

You weren’t sure why, but that subtle reminder of you someday leaving stung at your heart. But you pushed it aside and held the box close to your heart. “Thank you, Lord Huang. It means the world to me.”

The beastly façade that he had held on to since you met him cracked. He was smiling at you. A genuine smile. And it was making your heart leap in your chest in a way you had never experienced before.

After that night, you spent most of your days with Lord Huang. You ate each meal with him, even breakfast, and then the two of you would spend the mornings in the library. He would show you books and maps and other baubles he had collected when he used to travel the world. Once lunch was over, the two of you would either go back to the library or he would take you to the stables where you would then spend the afternoon riding through the vast fields of his estate. His large shire, Zeus, was as black as night, but as happy as a summer’s day. The mare that Lord Huang had you ride was smaller, with a golden coat and pure white mane. The horses were opposites but got along a great deal.

The daily rides were exhilarating. You never went beyond the trees, but you always felt safe.

One afternoon, a rainstorm rolled in without either of you realizing. At first, only a few drops splattered on your shoulder and in the grass. But within a single blink, the rain came down harder, reminding you of that night in the woods.

“Follow me!” Lord Huang yelled above the noise. He was already soaked through and you were fairing no better.

The horses galloped through the storm. Neither of you slowed until you were finally under shelter in the stables. Lord Huang dismounted first, undoing Zeus’ saddle as quickly as possible to get the horse more comfortable. Once back in his stall, Lord Huang turned and helped you down. You watched silently as he took care of the horses, helping them dry and eat. He was gentle with the creatures, petting their necks and noses and telling them how good they were. You stood off to the side, smiling widely at the human in front of you. When he turned back, you didn’t bother to try and hide it. Even when he stepped closer, so close that you could see the different shades of brown in his eyes, you refused to stop smiling.

With his right hand, he reached up and caressed your cheek. Your breath caught in your throat. Moments went by. The two of you simply stood there, no sound but the rain on the wooden roof and the occasional whine from a horse. Your gazes were equal in intensity. You wondered– no, you hoped that he would lean down and press his lips to yours. But, instead, he cleared his throat and took a step back.

“You had a blade of grass on your face.”

Your eyes fell to the straw-covered floor. “Oh.”

“Come on.” He placed a hand on your back. “Let’s get you out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold. Mrs. Chan will never let me live if you get sick again.”

The smile was back on your face, if smaller this time, as you headed back inside the castle. He escorted you all the way to your room before bowing and walking back down the hall. Giggles like a schoolgirl were bubbling up in your throat. It wasn’t until you were safe inside your room did you allow them out.

“What is all this laughing about?” Mrs. Chan entered your room, her hands on her hips.

“The rain caught us by surprise,” you lied. “I haven’t been caught in the rain since I was a child.”

Mrs. Chan tutted at you before going over to the wardrobe to help you change for dinner. The charge you had felt in the stables was still there as you and Lord Huang ate. His eyes would flicker to you and then fall back down to his plate. He would occasionally stumble on a word or forget them entirely. You would fill in the needed speech, finding the moment rather endearing.

Yes, you were certainly beginning to enjoy yourself here.

Thoughts of Gao and your family’s wishes were far from your mind. It was only after your evening walks, when he dropped you off outside of your bedroom door and you went inside, alone for the first time since you’d woken up, did you remember the deadline Lord Huang had given you.

It was nearing closer. A mere few days away now. You wanted to ask him for more time, to let you stay a little longer. Truth be told, it was no longer about avoiding your family. It was this place you didn’t want to leave. You would miss him. And you worried that you would never see him again.

Though his past and secrets still scared you, the man who walked with you, laughed with you, gave you no sense of fear. When your skin brushed his, there was no chill of fright, only warmth and a wish to feel it again. He was a man who hid himself from the world, but let you see parts of himself. You still didn’t have the whole picture, but you knew that if you stayed, you would eventually have it all.

The night before the deadline, Mrs. Chan was helping you get ready for dinner. Lord Huang had requested that you dress in a higher fashion this time around. You were confused by the sudden change in atmosphere but held your tongue. Mrs. Chan was putting pins in your hair as she chatted away about the dances she used to attend when she was a young girl.

“But I didn’t look anywhere near as beautiful as you do tonight.”

You scoffed at the comment. “I’m sure you were much more radiant.”

“No, I dare say, I never did.” Mrs. Chan lowered her head until she was now level with you, catching your eye in the mirror. “You have brought such light into this home. It had been dark here for so long, I almost forgot what his laugh sounded like.” She kissed your temple in a motherly way before straightening up and staring for the door.

“Mrs. Chan?”

She stopped with her hand the doorknob. “Hm?”

Your heart was already beginning to break. The love you had been shown by her was more than you had ever received at home. What if he said no? What if he wasn’t feel what you were feeling when you were together? If he wasn’t, the heartbreak might be too much. “I’ll miss you.”

She smiled and answered cryptically, “Maybe you won’t have to.” She left the door open as she faded into the hallway.

You spent another minute or two catching your breath. Did she know that you wished to stay longer? Was there hope that he would say yes? Or was there an even deeper meaning to her words?

With a newfound encouragement, you hurried from your room, careful not to trip over the blooming skirts around you and headed down to the dining hall.

Lord Huang was already waiting for you. He stood in front of the fireplace, staring into the fire like a phantom. All this time, he had never taken off the mask. You never asked to see what was underneath, either, in the proper light. The memory of the scars had begun to fade from your mind. You feared that the simple question would take away all the trust you had earned over the last several weeks. Turning away from the fire, Lord Huang softly smiled before walking over to you. He took one of your gloved hand in his and kissed the back of it, right above your knuckles.

Dinner proceeded as it always had. You sat to his right and the two of you conversed, dancing around the elephant that sat in the middle of the room. You tried to find the right time to ask him if you could stay. But even in the moments when the conversation hit a lull, you couldn’t bring yourself to ask. The elevated atmosphere of the evening gave you a small hope that he would be the one to ask instead. By the time dinner had ended, neither of you had spoken a word about it.

“(y/n)?”

You looked at him. “Yes?”

“I would like to show you something.” He held out his hand expectantly. You didn’t hesitate to take it and he pulled you up from the chair with haste.

Leaving the dining room, however, he slowed his pace, never letting go of your hand. He didn’t speak again either. The only clue you had to where you were going was the fact that he was leading you up the staircase and to the library. He didn’t stop once inside. He bypassed the books and desks and ladders that had become so ingrained in your memory that you could describe them in detail with your eyes closed. It was only when he came to that door did you start to understand.

Lord Huang took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before finally opening the door. You weren’t surprised by what was inside. It hadn’t changed since that first day. The lonely piano was still the only object in the room, a single window letting in the moonlight. Lord Huang pulled you inside and closed the door. He didn’t let go of your hand until you were both seated on the leather bench.

“My father gave me this piano,” he told you as he ran his hands over the wooden covering that kept the keys out of view. “I played it nearly every day. Music always made me happy. But… but after the fire, I couldn’t bring myself to play any song. I lost my passion for it, my reason for playing. I never came in here again.” He looked at you with such hope in his eyes. “I might be a little rusty, but can I play for you?” You nodded eagerly and he lifted the covering to expose the keys.

The notes were hesitant at first, unsure. Soon, though, the fingers remembered how to dance across the ivory keys and the room was filled with music. You wanted to close your eyes to hear to block everything besides the melody, but Lord Huang was enchanting in the way he played. His heart was exposed for the world to see and you didn’t want to miss a moment.

All too soon, the music descended into one final note. You stared at Lord Huang in wonder. This was a new side to him that you had never experienced before. The way he played with a childlike enthusiasm… you were in complete awe. Unable to stop yourself, you reached out and pushed a lock of hair that had fallen while he played away from his forehead. He caught your wrist before you could bring it back.

“(y/n).” It was the only word that was uttered before he leaned in closer and pressed his lips to yours.

At first, there was hesitation on both sides. Neither of you was sure how to proceed. Then his grip on your wrist relaxed, letting it go to bring you closer to him by your waist. You followed his movements like a dance. Behind his head, you pulled off your gloves, wanting to touch his skin with your own. You cradled his face in your palms. The edge of the mask dug into your wrist. He lifted you up and moved your skirts in a skillful way so you were sitting on his lap. Girls in the city used to giggle as they gossiped over the things they had done with their suitors. You had never joined in, having never been in a situation like this before. But now you understood the tingling under your skin. The softness of his lips and the feeling of being held in his strong arms. You pulled back only for a moment. Fingers slightly trembling, you reached behind his head and pulled at the string that kept the mask in place. The mask began to slip away. A single word left in a whisper from your lips.

“Zitao.”

That one little word snapped Lord Huang out of his trance. He pushed you away. You barely caught yourself against the piano. He stood up and started pacing about the room, one hand over his mask to keep it in place.

“Zitao-”

He whirled on you. “I never gave you permission to speak to me as so!”

You gaped at him. You couldn’t understand why he was suddenly acting like this. “What did I do wrong?”

“I want you to leave.” His shoulders were heaving up and down. His free fist was balled at his side. But you stayed firm.

“No.”

“I said get OUT! Leave this castle and never come back!” He grabbed you by the arm and threw you from the room. The door slammed behind you, cutting you off from Lord Huang. The shelves rattled from the force.

Tears streaming down your face, you ran back to your room. You tripped over your skirts, despite having gathered them in your arms. You were too distraught to keep your balance. As soon as you made it back, you started ripping the dress off. You yanked out the pins and pulled at the bracelets until they set you free. Once you were released from the shackles, you threw yourself on to the bed and cried, cursing the day you met Huang Zitao.

Mrs. Chan woke you up early the next morning. If there had been any hope that Lord Huang had calmed down and changed his mind through the course of the night, it was gone the moment you saw Mrs. Chan’s face. She was without a single smile or twinkle in her eye. Her usually perkiness was gone, replaced instead by a distant seriousness. She hardly spoke except to give you an order. You were clothed in a simple dress and a cloak to keep you warm. Unknown to you, she had thrown your old dress away that had been ruined by the storm.

Mr. Chan was waiting outside with a small open carriage. He was already seated up front, the reins held tightly in his hands. Mrs. Chan helped you into the carriage and then placed two bags on the other side. Before you sat down, the feeling of eyes on your back ran through you. Turning around, you looked up. In one of the windows, you could see the faint figure of Lord Huang. He watched for a moment as you stared at him, then turned away from the window. Even as the carriage began to move towards the trees down a hidden road, you hoped that he would come running out the front door, calling for you to stay. But when the castle was no longer visible in the trees, that flame was snuffed out.

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xoxoprompts · 7 years

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FAIRY!AU: Chanyeol was just a boy when he ventured into the woods and saw a fairy for the first time. Now Luhan, the fairy, and his friends have taught Chanyeol plenty about their world. However, all kinds of people on the black market quickly get ahold of the information about the fairies. What extent does Chanyeol go to save them?

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kaisooficrec · 3 years

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Ultimate Top & Dom Kim Jongin Fest : Round 2 (2021)

Mmmh (don't you worry) Don't just sculpt me, please

The ULTKJI Fest is back again with delicious top/dom Kai fics. We have selected the KaiSoo stories for you here, but you can check more on the fest’s Twitter account!

#1 : Kiss Me Meow

Genre: Smut, Friends-with-benefits Length: 11,131 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : Dirty talk, Daddy kink, Begging, Semi-Public sex Summary: Kyungsoo and Jongin agreed on being fuck buddies. While Jongin is such a dominant taking him apart in the sheets, every time he comes to his flat he becomes a fluff ball cooing and petting his cat who seems to like him a lot. Maybe so much they meow for attention and sadness every time he is about to leave and Kyungsoo is beginning to question his own feelings.

#2 : I Heard You Got Lucky

Genre: Rom-Com, Age Swap, College!AU, Virgin!Kyungsoo, Smut Length: 27,369 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : Dirty talk, mentions of fisting Summary: What started as a small lie in order to save himself from his friend’s wrath led Do Kyungsoo to be shoved into the spotlight when rumors started popping out that he slept with Kim Jongin, the campus heartthrob. Things, of course, escalated to where he was no longer in control of his own narrative. To top it off, he didn't even know who Jongin was!

#3 : Loving you softly

Genre: PWP, Established Relationship, BDSM (heed the tags!) Length: 5,392 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : Soft BDSM, Sensation play, Featherplay, Riding crops, Prostate milking, Sex toys, Shibari, Flogging, Restraints, Rimming, Aftercare Summary: To say that Kyungsoo is excited is the lie of the century. What he feels is beyond that. It’s been too long since they last had a whole afternoon free to spend solely on each other.

#4 : Fixing a Broken Fairytale

Genre: Depression, Mental Health Issues, Angst with happy ending Length: 12248 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : Depression, mental health issues, mentions of molestation and rape Summary: Jongin is the tall and handsome prince Kyungsoo has always dreamed about. He may not be perfect but they balance each others weaknesses. To Jongin, the elder is his superhero and strength, to Kyungsoo the younger was his happiness.But what if one day the beautiful dream for Jongin and Kyungsoo fall apart, will they be able to fix the broken fairytale?

#5 In The Middle

Genre: Royalty, kinks Length: 10105 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : Jongin/Kyungsoo/Kai, twins without twincest (Read the tags!) Summary: Day after day Kyungsoo is subjected to suitors asking for his hand. Usually he doesn't spare them a glance But it isn't until he meets twin Princes Jongin and Kai that he finds himself taking another look

#6 : Lil.O.Lait

Genre: Omega verse Length: 8103 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : Lactation kink, nursing kink, omega/human Summary: Got Milk?

#7 : Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)

Genre: Light BDSM Length: 6946 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : Sex club, innocent character Summary: Kyungsoo is a sheltered only child who’s never had any experience regarding sex before. That is until Baekhyun convinces him to enter a club—one which turns out to be sex club where he meets a stranger named Kai. The thin line between pleasure and pain seems to disappear as Kai brings both to Kyungsoo’s bedroom.

#8 : flight of the stars

Genre: Daddy issues, Roommates Length: 17880 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : Homophobic slur Summary: Kim Jongin, born January 14th, 1994 in Seoul, South Korea. Stuck with a hopeless crush on his childhood friend - all because he was born one year too late.

#9 : Don't just sculpt me, please

Genre: Friends with benefits Length: 3269 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : Flexible sex Summary: Jongin is an artist working mainly with clay and stone to create an explicit homoerotic art. He needs a model for his new collection.

#10 : Lean On Me

Genre: Strangers to lovers, roommates, camboy!AU Length: 13019 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : crossdressing Summary: Kyungsoo is a popular camboy who enjoys doing cross-dressing during his live broadcasts. Now that he has a new roommate, he doesn’t know when to do his streams. What Kyungsoo doesn’t know is that Kim Jongin, his new hot roommate, is a fan.

#11 : How about your vocal cords on my cock.

Genre: A/B/O dynamics, Enemies to lovers, Rockband Length: 9418 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : Summary: Omega Kyungsoo is the flirtatious vocalist of his band The Dolls while Alpha Kai is the hottie guitarist of the rival band Skin. During a festival, both bands attended and they couldn't contain their hate any longer, until ...

#12 : Mmmh (don't you worry)

Genre: Canon, Roleplay Length: 7197 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : slight exhibitionism, spit as lube Summary: Kyungsoo has his own reasons for staying up late just to pratice the choreography of "Mmmh" in the solace of EXO's dance practice room. However, his plans for the night did not include Jongin himself unexpectedly barging in.

#13 : A Reason, A Season; and A Lifetime

Genre: Alpha/Human, Soulmates Length: 15845 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : threesome F/M/M, armpit kink, slight dubcon Summary: Sometimes things do not make sense until the very end.

#14 : Bulletproof

Genre: Enemies with benefits, Assassins!au Length: 3427 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : Summary: One minute they're shooting bullets at each other, the next they're shooting cum together. Jongin and Kyungsoo are enemy assassins who found pleasure and love between gunfire and blood.

#15 : take your time with this love (say you're mine forever)

Genre: Alpha/Human, High school!au, College!au Length: 25768 w Rating: R Kinks/Warnings : A/B/O verse, virgin!Kyungsoo Summary: jongin is his best friend. at the age of 17, jongin is destined to be an alpha, while for kyungsoo, he is neither alpha nor omega.kyungsoo realizes he isn't really envious of jongin for becoming an alphait gets painful for him because he catches feeling for his best friend.and that he realizes, he would watch jongin gets an omega partner for himself, getting the one --- that would never be him.

#kaisoo #utkji #ultimate top kji 2021 #kink:top kai #kink:bdsm #kink:flogging #kink: toys #kink:ds #kink: lactation

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bbhkjiexofics · 3 years

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FORGIVENESS IS NOT A GAME - CHAPTER 12

Author: bbhkjiexofics Genre: romance, fluff, angst, slice of life, smut, slow burn Warnings: signs of PTSD, domestic abuse, alcohol abuse, strong language, violence, sexual content Au: Idol!Au Pairing: Jongin x Reader (feat. EXO members) Word count: 8.4k

A/N: Final chapter for this round of updates! WAH Ima say it again, it’s so good to be back and bringing you the next chapters for this story. And I’m so grateful to you all for being so patient and supportive regarding my break. I’m going to try and bring you the next round of updates soon! I’m gonna have more of a break time from work so at least I can focus on these now hehe. Let me know if you wanna be added to the taglist for the next chapters! Enjoy, my loves~

Masterlist Series Mini-Masterlist

CHAPTER 12

You wake up to Jongin’s heartbeat as your head lay on his chest, his arms encased you in a protective barrier as your eyes flutter open.

He slept beside you again last night, consoling you as you sobbed and even though you told him that he didn’t have to, it was hard to not have him stay beside you through the night. So despite your half-hearted reassurances to him that you’d be okay to sleep alone, he could read you like the back of his hand – he knew you needed him.

So you let him be with you, you let him calm you down when you woke up in the middle of the night to another nightmare. You let him rock you as you sobbed on his chest just to bring you back to sleep. You welcomed his cuddles and kisses that never failed to bring back the warmth your soul and heart were craving for.

Despite the shittiness going on in your life, Jongin managed to be the one guiding light. The one that you never expected to save you from this darkness. The one that you let your heart open up to and take the risk of falling in love again.

Jongin was the epitome of a knight in shining armor, one that would rescue you from the horrors of the fairytale that is your life. And choosing to love him was the best thing you’ve ever done in this whole journey you’ve started of trying to live your life again as you wished you could.

Now that you’ve had a taste of what it’s like to wake up to Kim Jongin -- have him snuggle you and whisper ‘I love you’s’ every time you’d shuffle in the middle of the night just to calm you down, or listen to the beat of his heart when you sleep soundly on his hard yet comfortable chest. You are starting to forget what it was like before him. Before any of the nine boys disrupted your seemingly mundane, black and white life to not only bring back color into it, but life itself into the fake reality you were entrapping yourself in through the illusion of your self-made bubble of isolation.

Jongin offered you a safe haven. One that you never had ever since your life started to spiral down.

And thank God for him.

You tilt your head up to gaze at his face – peacefully asleep, lips parted, hair messy. The usual perfection you will never get tired of waking up to and you smile to yourself before placing a soft kiss to his chest.

Slowly, you start to peel his arm off of you and lift yourself up, never straying your gaze away from his face to make sure he’s not bothered by your movements.

You wanted him to continue sleeping, it was only 5 in the morning after all. You knew you weren’t gonna go back to sleep with the throbbing headache you already have.

You get your clothes from your closet and tip toe your way to the bathroom to shower, hoping that that would alleviate your headache and help you start your day on the right foot.

Junmyeon called Uncle Jae and Aunt Yuna yesterday, as well as Youngmin, their manager, to let them know about the situation. He made sure to do that after Jongin brought you up to your room to rest. None of the boys wanted to stress you out even more with hearing how those conversations would go down. And you didn’t bother to ask.

All you knew was all three of them were going to visit your house today to talk about the possible solution. Maybe get the police involved once again.

Gosh, thinking about this shit is definitely not helping relieve me of this headache.

You quickly finish your shower, get dressed, and gaze at Jongin’s sleeping form once more before you sneak out of your bedroom.

You decide to cook breakfast this morning. Kyungsoo has been taking the brunt of kitchen duty and it was starting to make you feel like you’ve neglected them as the guests of your home.

They’ve already been doing so much for you, this is the least you could do for them.

You finally finished baking the special bread you learned from your mom and get it out of the oven to cool as you set up the table.

The smell of the freshly baked dough engulfing your senses as it brings back so many good memories for you. How you would join your mom in the kitchen as your dad tended to the horses at dawn. How the Beatles or Dream Girls would resonate throughout your whole house, encapsulating your home in a dreamy and overall positive atmosphere.

Good times.

You lay the cooled bread on the dining table together with the other assortment of foods you had readied for breakfast and when you were satisfied with the array, you make your way to the stables.

A morning ride at sunrise is definitely what you need right now.

You were putting Blue back in his stable when you hear someone clear their throat and you look towards their direction.

“Thought this could brighten up your morning.” Jongin flashes you a bright smile as he hands you a cup of your favorite hot cocoa.

You flash him your pearly whites in return and take the cup gratefully, bringing it to your face to take a whiff of the sweet scent before blowing slightly and taking a sip.

“Thank you..”

Jongin hums and steps towards you, cupping your cheek and kissing your forehead softly, “Uncle Jae, Aunt Yuna, and manager Youngmin are on their way over. They’re gonna join us for breakfast to talk about what we could do about, you know..”

You let out a sigh before you look at him in the eyes, “Right, yeah.. I’m done here anyways.”

“I know this isn’t really how you want to start your mornings but the sooner we get to talk about it with them, the sooner we can find a solution.” He tucks your hair behind your ear, making sure you keep your eyes locked on his, “And with him wanting you to meet at sunset today, the clock is ticking. You very well know that you going there is definitely not an option.”

Your throat bobs up and down, remembering the steely expression he gave you last night when he commanded for you not to step foot anywhere near that abandoned warehouse. You knew better than to not follow what Jongin wants.

You nod your head in reply and give him a small smile. He kisses you once more on your forehead before leading you out of the stables to join everyone back at the house.

“We need to get the police involved as soon as possible.” Youngmin mutters.

“Is that really necessary..” Your voice barely a whisper as you try and calm your thumping heart at the realization that maybe having the police be brought in is the only way you all will be out of this fucked up situation with Rowoon.

Today was your first time meeting Youngmin and despite your underlying fears of him not liking you or not approving of the relationship you and Jongin have, you were surprisingly caught off guard by how fatherly and protective he was towards you.

Baekhyun even told you during breakfast that if he didn’t care about you or your safety and only cared about the boys’ reputation and tabloids, then he wouldn’t have driven all the way here to come meet you and help you all find a solution. He probably would’ve fixed the problem from the comforts of his desk and focus solely on keeping the boys out of it.

Youngmin knew that you and Jongin were seeing each other. He brought you to the side after breakfast and you had a seemingly nice conversation. He asked you about your parents and growing up in the countryside and he even made you laugh when he told you he was gonna beat Jongin’s ass if he ever did something shitty to you.

He had to know your history with Rowoon so he could fully encompass the situation at hand and you explained it as briefly as you could. He was heartbroken even without you telling him all the nasty details and you appreciated the empathy he had towards the whirlwind of emotions you must be going through.

Youngmin made sure that you knew that he was not only the boys’ manager but their friend as well – he knew his limits and he knew that he can never control who they fall in love with, he just had to do his very best to give them as much normalcy they could get in between the craziness that they had to trudge on everyday due to their careers. He practically helped raise them to survive in this industry and he would not let any harm come their way and that protective nature extends to everyone the boys ended up caring for. Be it you or Jongdae’s girlfriend.

“Sweetheart, I think that’s our best option if we want to make sure that Rowoon really isn’t going to hurt you or the boys.” Uncle Jae motions to squeeze your knee reassuringly.

You just sigh and nod obediently.

I can’t believe it has to come to this.

“So what do we do now? Do we just call the police?” Yixing asks.

“We’ll get in touch with Detective Hajoon. She was the one in charge of Y/n’s case and has become a friend of ours so I’m sure she’ll help us with this as well.” Aunt Yuna replies.

You remember Detective Hajoon. She was the one that you first met up with when you got home from the hospital to finally file a restraining order against Rowoon. She was a big help to you but you can’t help but feel a little resentment towards her for letting him get out of prison for the shitty excuse of ‘good behavior’. He wasn’t even on parole for fuck’s sakes.

“Yuna’s right,” Uncle Jae stands up and takes the box that Rowoon sent which had the hoof pick and the threatening card, “we’ll give her a call and bring this to her so she can examine it for evidence. Hopefully we can build up another case.”

“What case are we building exactly?” You scoff. “We’ve tried the restraining order, that didn’t work. Obviously if he just ends up being a goody-ass-two-shoes in prison if he gets arrested again, then this whole cycle just starts over, right?”

Everyone can feel your frustration and the tension is building up in the room. Jongin drapes his arm around your shoulder and rubs a comforting hand on your arm, “Y/n, we have to try something.”

You let out a frustrated sigh, “We’ve already tried, Jongin. It didn’t work. He just became a free man again and fear is definitely not in that guy’s vocabulary.” You say through gritted teeth.

“Sweetheart,” Uncle Jae faces crouches in front of you, “we know you’re frustrated, angry, sad, and worried. We all are. Which is why we have to talk to the detective so we’ll know our options, okay? We can’t just accept all the things he’s threatening to do. And you, most especially, shouldn’t give up in finding a way to put a stop to his craziness.”

You give him a side-eye because that’s all you can really do. You knew that he was right. Everyone else in this room was right. But can you really be blamed for feeling so defeated? You’re just exhausted about everything and you’d rather be immune and numb to the pain than have to go through so much effort and stress trying to put him back where he belongs only for him to end up free and unaccountable for his past mistakes.

“I’ll go with you to meet up with this detective friend of yours. I also need to discuss with her that there’s another layer involved now with the boys and we don’t know what this Rowoon means when he says that he knows them and all that. But I will not let anything get passed me when it comes to their safety.” Youngmin speaks up.

Aunt Yuna and Uncle Jae nod at him as they look towards your direction again. All they need from you is a go-signal before they get on with the plan.

So with a heavy sigh and a throbbing headache you face Uncle Jae, “Fine, go. We’ll see how this goes..” You trail.

He gives you a small smile before kissing the top of your head, “Everything will be okay, Y/n. We’re all here to help you, okay?”

You just nod at him. “We’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of your day, hm? I’ll call when we get some updates from Detective Hajoon.”

“Okay.”

Uncle Jae gets up to leave and exchanges goodbyes with the rest of the boys as Aunt Yuna hugs you and gives you a kiss on the cheek before following her husband out the door.

Youngmin is left with all of you, “I’ll head out now as well, I need to speak with the other managers about this and if ever this escalates, we have to bring it up to the company already.”

“Hyung, we really appreciate you keeping this a secret for now, and going all the way here just to help.” Jongin says.

Youngmin smiles down on him, “I’ve got your back.” He gives Jongin a pat on the shoulder and moves to face you. “If you need anything, anything at all, give me a call okay?”

You flash him a thankful smile before you get up from the couch and give him a hug, “Thank you. I really appreciate you coming down here and for your hard work in looking after the boys.”

He returns the hug gratefully, “Well, I gotta look after you now, too. Same way I’ve been looking out for Jongdae and Haneun.”

You look towards Jongdae and he gives you a reassuring smile, “Hyung is the best. He won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise. How do you think Haneun and I have been dealing with everything? We wouldn’t have made it through without his help.”

“I really want to stay for all this flattery but I’ve got things to do and people to see.” Youngmin teases which causes the boys to chuckle.

Jongin stands up from the couch as well to hug Youngmin, “Thank you, hyung. Really. I owe you a lot.”

“You’re like my son, Jongin. You all are. So you really don’t have to thank me and you,” He directs his attention back to you, “if this guy hurts you,” he continues pointing a finger at Jongin, “you let me know.”

You giggle and nod enthusiastically, “You’ll be the first.”

“Yah, hyung! You know I won’t do that!”

“I’m just giving her options, Jongin-ah.” He clasps Jongin’s shoulder and gives him a wink.

Jongin rolls his eyes playfully before Youngmin brings him in for another hug, gesturing his goodbye and he does the same to the other 8 members as well.

“Jae and Yuna will call me for any updates so I’ll let you know if something comes up. Just try and stay out of any foolery while you’re still on vacation, please.”

“Will do, hyung. Thank you.” Junmyeon waves him goodbye and you’re all left alone once again.

You didn’t meet with Rowoon at sunset that day and you would be lying if you said that it didn’t cause you any anxiety of what he could possibly do if he realized you weren’t coming.

But Uncle Jae and Aunt Yuna reassured you that Detective Hajoon is taking your case seriously and she even assigned some officers to visit the abandoned warehouse at sunset if they spot Rowoon.

Unfortunately, they didn’t find anyone there.

You and the boys tried to live as normal as possible. Going back to your old routines – cooking dinner together, movie/game nights, and even sometimes helping you with stable duty in the early mornings. Sehun and Chanyeol have joined you on occasion during your morning rides. You recently realized the bond Sehun had with Maximus and it was such a warm sight to see.

Jongin and you haven’t left each other’s sides, basically tied at the hip, as Baekhyun would often comment. And you loved every second of it.

You loved him so much and thinking about him going away brought a sick feeling to your stomach. You started to worry how things would be like once their vacation was over. You were scared that what if this was all just some summer fling – quick to ignite and quick to fizzle out. But whenever those thoughts would enter your head, you’d shake it off as quickly as possible. Jongin would never do that to you and he made sure he reassured you every single day.

How can you not trust him when he’s only proved time and time again just how much he cares for you?

The boys were loving the mundane life and the normalcy that they have been able to experience during this vacation. Not having to worry about their next schedule or rehearsals or a comeback was extremely freeing for them especially since they’ve been in the industry for nearly a decade. Finally, they were able to catch a break.

The boys were in the TV room, playing video games while you were up in your room looking through your university application.

Yes, you have finally decided that maybe applying for university would be a great decision for you. Your life right now maybe going through one hell of a whirlwind with Rowoon and dating an idol but after Jongin constantly asking you about it, it’s led you further and further into convincing yourself to give this dream of yours another go.

So now, you were just reviewing the necessary requirements left and the application you have before you submit the email and really turn this into reality.

“Hey, is sweets still working on her application?” Kyungsoo asks.

“Yeah, she said she’ll come down when she’s done.” Jongin responds as he takes another bite of his ramyeon.

Kyungsoo hums and Yixing chimes in on the conversation, “How do you feel about her going back if ever?”

“Happy! She really does deserve to give this dream of hers another shot, you know. Which is why I’ve been trying to convince her to work on her application.”

“I’m proud of you, Jongin. You really are both bringing out the best in each other.” Yixing says with a smile.

Jongin flashes him a sheepish smile in return, “I don’t want this vacation to end, hyung..” He trails, the smile on his face disappearing.

The members now redirect their focus towards Jongin with small yet sad smiles, “We know.” Junmyeon adds, “But it’s not like either of you are migrating out of the country. You’ll still be able to see each other.”

“Yeah, but it’s not the same as being together everyday. Waking up to each other, just giving each other a hug whenever we want. It’ll be different.” He sighs.

“Knowing how you and Y/n are, that isn’t something you two can’t get through.” Minseok chimes in. “I’m sure you’ll both be fine.” He gives Jongin a reassuring smile and Jongin just nods in return, worry still at the back of his head.

He knew he had to do something to make things certain. He wanted to have you and he wanted you to have him. Completely and whole-heartedly.

“I want to ask Y/n to be my girlfriend.” He announces but he doesn’t get the response that he was expecting from his brothers. He thought they’d be shocked or excited or something but no, that is not the case.

“Isn’t she.. already your girlfriend?” Sehun asks confused.

“What? N-no I haven’t asked her yet..” Jongin embarrassedly admits.

Baekhyun erupts in a fit of giggles, “Jongin, you aren’t worried about her saying no to you, are you?” He asks in between chuckles.

“W-well, sort of..” He trails.

The members exchange incredulous looks, “You’re practically TOGETHER already!” Chanyeol shouts and Jongin winces at the loudness of his voice.

“But still!” He says in a whiny tone, revealing that he is in fact, still one of the maknaes.

“You have nothing to worry about, Jongin.” Jongdae clasps his shoulder reassuringly, “We’re sure she’ll say yes. Do you have anything planned out?”

Jongin chews on his bottom lip, “Yeah, I do.. I got her a gift for her birthday and Youngmin hyung gave it to me when he visited. But I haven’t found the right time to give it to her. I’m planning to ask her once the time is right.”

Minseok scoffs, “You know what your problem is? You always say ‘when the time is right’ or ‘it isn’t the right time yet’. Jongin! You just do it!” He scolds his younger brother.

“Yeah! Why wait, anyways? Do it now why we’re all still on vacation! Don’t tell me you were planning to ask her when we’re about to leave?” Jongdae asks disbelievingly.

Jongin just looks away. He wanted to ask you as soon as possible but this whole Rowoon shit always gets in the way and he didn’t want your mind to be preoccupied with worry. He wanted your full attention so he was sure that there were no underlying factors to you saying yes, only wanting the answer to be solely based on your love for him and his love for you.

“It’s just that this whole Rowoon shit show is getting in the way. I don’t want her to feel any pressure..” He admits.

“Jongin,” Baekhyun says in a serious tone, causing everyone to look in his direction and give him 100% of their attention, Baekhyun wasn’t serious too often so you knew that you had to pay mind when he actually is, “we were the ones that pushed you into babysitting with Y/n. We were the ones that told you to surprise her for your first date. Don’t tell me we have to be the ones to also push you to ask her to be your girlfriend.”

Jongin sighs in defeat, “I’m just scared, hyung..”

“We know you are but we’ve already had this discussion. If you aren’t scared about taking any risks, nothing will happen. And if you don’t feel scared or frightened then that just goes to show that it isn’t worth it to begin with. We know you both love each other, so why wait?”

Jongin ponders on what Baekhyun just said and he nods in agreement, “You’re right. I know you all are. But do you guys think Y/n is ready for this? You know.. To be in a relationship with someone like me?”

Junmyeon sighs, “No one will ever be ready, Jongin. So we can’t give you a guarantee on that. But if Y/n loves you, like we all know she does, then she loves you for you, not because you’re an idol or 'Kai'. She’s not going to hesitate being in a relationship with you, that’s the only thing we’re sure of.”

Chanyeol goes to sit beside Jongin and drapes an arm over his shoulder, “We know that sweets isn’t one to give up easily and neither are you. So whatever challenges you may face, and we know there will be a lot of challenges,” Jongin sighs at this but Chanyeol shakes him to catch his attention once more, “you’ll both get through it. Together.”

Jongin looks at Chanyeol and then the rest of the members and nods his head, “I love her so much.. I don’t want to fuck this up.”

“We know you do and we know you won’t.” Yixing says, “She loves you just as much and you both are on the same page. All you have to do is take the plunge.”

Jongin nods to himself and quickly gets off the couch, “Where are you going?” Kyungsoo calls out to him.

“To ask Y/n to be mine.”

“Hi sweetheart.” Aunt Yuna picks up her phone finally.

“Aunt Yuna, I have a quick favor to ask.” You were pacing around in your room, your closet a disheveled mess to say the least, trying to find an outfit to wear for your date with Jongin tonight.

He went up your room as you were typing away on your laptop, seemingly short of breath, and he just blurted out that he needed to take you out, tonight.

You had asked him if anything was wrong and why it looked so urgent but he didn’t say. All he said was be ready by 7 pm and to dress up for a date before quickly leaving your room to go out to town with Junmyeon and Sehun to find his own outfit to wear since he didn’t bring that much formal clothes.

The word ‘formal’ petrified you.

“What favor, dear?” She sounded confused and worried at the same time.

“I need a dress. Like a pretty one, you know.. One you wear to dinner dates and all that. I don’t have any that are suitable in my closet and I only have a few hours left.” You were in complete panic mode.

I can’t believe Jongin is making me stress out over finding the perfect dress to wear to this random date that I clearly know nothing about. He knows I hate surprises ugh, but I can’t stay mad at him. Not when he’s being so cute and pouty about it.

“Well, well, well, you called the right person!” You can hear the shit-eating grin plastered on her face.

“Great, I’ll be over in 10 minutes.” You quickly hang up the phone, get changed out of Jongin’s hoodie (Yes, you’re still wearing his hoodie. Can you be blamed? It was cozy and smelled just like him.), and get your bag before leaving the house in a rush, popping in the TV room to let the boys know you were going to Aunt Yuna’s and Uncle Jae’s.

Before they could ask you any questions or offer to walk you there, you were already out the door. Leaving them confused and worried so Yixing and Minseok rush out of the house to watch you walk off until you reach Uncle Jae and Aunt Yuna’s.

You roll your eyes at their worried expressions, standing with arms across their chests and wave a hand before entering the house. You see them release a sigh of relief before waving back and going back inside.

“I’ve already laid out a few options in the guest bedroom.” Aunt Yuna leads you there and you’re greeted with dresses of all shapes and sizes -- different colors, textures, and lengths splayed out on the bed.

Your eyes widen significantly and your mouth is agape, “Aunt Yuna, I never knew you had this much. When would you even wear these!?”

“Oh sweetie, you can never be too prepared.” She winks at you and instructs you to stand in front of the full-length mirror as she picks up a few of her top options from the bed and place them in front of your body.

“How about this one?” A gold, strapless dress was now in front of you.

“I am not going out to a club…” You grimace.

“Okay.. How about this?” She brings a black gown in front of you that was embellished in different pearls.

“It’s a dinner date, Aunt Yuna. Not a movie premier.” You look at her with an unamused expression as she sighs exasperatedly.

“Let me choose.” You move your way towards the bed, picking off dresses that didn’t suit your style or the occasion.

And at the bottom of the pile, you see a maroon spaghetti-strapped dress. It was mid-length and had a tiny slit. The cleavage was lower than you were used to but you figured that it would be a nice change of style to what you would normally put yourself in.

“Ah, yes. That dress was actually the dress I wore to the date your Uncle Jae proposed to me in.” She nods approvingly.

Your mouth forms an ‘o’ in shock, “R-really?”

“Mhmm! Go ahead, try it on!” She scurries you to the bathroom but you halt, “Aunt Yuna, are you sure? I don’t want to ruin your dress. It’s too special..”

“Don’t be silly, Y/n. I was actually planning to gift this to you some time but never got the chance. But right now is just perfect!” She answered giddily and you chuckle at her excitement.

It amazed you just how this dress exquisitely hugged your figure. You didn’t expect it to fit you so well and knowing how Aunt Yuna is so slim, you were afraid that you were gonna stretch out the dress too much.

But it fit you like a glove and you felt so confident in it and beautiful. More beautiful than the dress you wore to your first date with Jongin.

You fix your hair and tie it in a bun before leaving the bathroom to show yourself to Aunt Yuna. When she sees your figure, she brings her hands to her mouth in shock.

“Sweetheart..” She takes your hand and spins you around, “You are so so beautiful.” She leads you to face the full-length mirror and she undo’s your bun, letting your hair fall freely.

“You look just like your mother.” She says with teary eyes.

“Aunt Yuna..” You start, trying not to well up yourself. You didn’t know that finding a dress for a date would be such an emotional experience. You didn’t want to get ahead of yourself so you quickly shake your head and tuck your hair behind your ears.

You clear your throat, “Do you think he’ll like it..” You manage to ask in a whisper.

Aunt Yuna turns you towards her by your shoulders, “Sweetie, do you like it?” She looks into your eyes determinedly.

You flash her a shy smile, “I love it.”

She lifts your head up as she places her palm to the bottom of your chin, “Then that’s all that matters. Your eyes will sparkle and your aura will follow when you’re doing something you love, wearing something you love, and being with the person you love. Everything else will just fall into place.”

She inhales a breath before turning you back towards the mirror, “When he sees you loving yourself and being confident in who you are, he’ll love you even more.”

“It’s just the dress.” You snicker.

She clicks her tongue at you, “Don’t underestimate the power of a beautiful ensemble, dear.”

“Fuck, I’m nervous.” Jongin tells himself as he paces around the living room, waiting for you to come down.

“Relax, dude.” Chanyeol snickers.

“Yeah, just breathe. It’s not like it’ll be your first time taking her out.” Baekhyun adds, “Plus, you’re basically together 24/7. So just calm down.”

Jongin groans as he fixes the watch on his wrist. He decided to wear a navy suit with a pale blue pinstripe button-down underneath, his hair was slicked up in the way you’ve told him multiple times you loved, and he wore the leather shoes he gratefully brought with him which he also wore on your first date.

Good thing there was a specialty store in town where he was able to find a suit that fit him to the tee. Junmyeon and Sehun were a great help in finding the store, Jongin knew he could count on them to know just the right shops to visit in town.

Jongin was bouncing up and down, trying to calm his thumping heart. Nervously checking the inside pocket of his suit jacket to make sure his gift was securely inside. He doesn’t know why he’s so nervous. Or maybe excited is the better term. But all he knew was that he was more than ready to see you and finally be with you after almost a day of being apart.

“Okay, you’re gonna end up wrinkling your suit if you keep doing that.” Sehun scolds and gets up from the couch to walk towards Jongin, grabbing him by the shoulders and looking him straight in the eyes, “Breathe.”

Jongin nods quickly, following Sehun in inhaling and exhaling.

“Why are you all here anyways? I feel like it’s prom or something..” He asks the members.

“You didn’t really think we were gonna miss this moment, were you?” Minseok asks him with a quirked brow.

Kyungsoo enters the room with drinks and hands one to Jongin but he declines, “We’ve been here from the very start, don’t send us off now.”

Jongin rolls his eyes and focuses his attention back on the staircase when he hears your door open, “Shit, she’s coming.” He whispers loudly to them and the members just roll their eyes playfully at their panicking brother.

You make your way out of your bedroom and you can hear a bunch of murmurs but the sound of your heels clicking down the stairs echoes throughout the space, hushing the whispers coming from the boys.

When you finally reach the bottom step, you can see all their eyes widen and almost all are frozen in shock. Your gaze lands on Jongin and he looks as still as a statue, his mouth agape and his eyes look like they’re about to pop out of their sockets.

You tuck a hair behind your ear shyly before you clear your throat, “Uh, hi.. I’m ready when you are.”

When he still doesn’t respond, still shell-shocked at the sight of you, you step closer to him, “Jongin?” You wave a hand teasingly in front of his face and he finally snaps his mouth closed and blinks several times to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

He clears his throat and shakes his head a little before chuckling nervously, “S-sorry, I-, Uh, I- “

“He’s ready! Have fun, you two!” Jongdae smacks Jongin’s back lightly to make him get ahold of himself and Jongin flashes a bewildered look towards his direction, causing you to chuckle softly.

Jongin redirects his attention to you and has to blink several times once more to make sure that you were actually real. He finally offers you his hand, “Let’s go?”

You gladly take it as he intertwines your fingers together and you flash him a big smile, “Let’s.”

When he opens the car door for you, you give him a thankful smile before entering the passenger side of your car. He was worried about not taking his car but understandable, why would he have his car right now? Although, you did have a couple of fantasies of how it would be like to ride his BMW.

When he enters the car, he looks at you with sparkling eyes and takes your hand in his before placing a soft kiss to the back of your hand, “You’re so beautiful. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to tell you that awhile ago, I was just too..” He shakes his head and chuckles to himself, “stunned.”

You giggle at his confession, leaning in and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek, “You don’t look too bad yourself, Mr. Kim Jongin.” You whisper and Jongin’s cheeks start to redden.

If he’s not going to be able to take you to bed tonight, it’ll be the biggest regret he’s ever made in his life.

But he has to get through this date and he has to fucking calm himself down before the growing tent in his pants become too obvious.

He takes a deep shaky breath before facing you and kissing you softly on the lips, “As much as I love having you this close, you’re gonna have to stick to your side if you want us to even get out of your driveway.” He whispers lowly above your lips.

Your eyes widen significantly before you clear your throat, pulling yourself away from him to settle properly in your seat, “Is this good?”

“Nope. But we’re just gonna have to make do because I’ve already planned the night and I don’t want to skip straight to dessert.” He flashes you his devilish grin that you knew too well and all you could do was gulp, making Jongin chuckle in amusement at how he always manages to make you react this way.

He finally starts the car and you’re off to whatever Jongin has planned for you tonight.

The ride to the restaurant was filled with delightful conversations, he made sure to never let go of your hand and rested your entwined hands on your thigh as he gripped the steering wheel with his free hand.

The sight was so mesmerizing, he looked so fucking hot. All you could do was lean into the headrest of the car seat and stare at his gorgeous profile. Sometimes you’d just zone out and not even hear what he was saying.

“Earth to Y/n?” He grins, not taking his eyes off the road.

“Uh- sorry, what?” You straighten up.

He chuckles lowly, “Yes or no?”

“Uhm.. yes?”

He looks towards you and leans in when the stoplight turns red, “Trick question. I was just testing to see if you were actually listening.”

You feel a brush creep up your cheeks but you can’t look away, not when he’s this close, basically hovering over your lips.

“Why do you seem so distracted, baby? Hm?” He tilts his head to look at you with dark amused eyes.

“I- I-“ You stutter.

How does he always manage to do this to me!? I can’t even hear myself think with how close he is.

He just hums before pulling away as the light turns green, “I was saying that I can’t wait to take you home tonight and have you all to myself. But, looks like we both just have to be patient.” He said it so nonchalantly as if it didn’t make you have to snap your legs together to control the heat building up in your core.

You’re left speechless, shuffling in your seat uncomfortably and Jongin notices, the smirk on his face not disappearing.

“Where are we going anyways? This road doesn’t look familiar.” You try and shift the topic quickly.

“You’ll find out soon, we’re nearly there.” The devilish smirk of Kai turning into the warm smile of Jongin.

You just hum and enjoy the view – both Jongin and the scenic route.

You arrived at a restaurant you never knew existed. It was on the other side of town, the one that was more modern and the one you’ve never really bothered to visit – you loved the countryside so you never really found any reason to come to this area.

The restaurant was on top of a hill and Jongin rented out the entire place (yes, the entire place) for tonight, to ensure some privacy and alone time for you two.

You were gobsmacked when the restaurant doors opened and you were greeted by an overlooking view of the town – sparkling city lights below matching the twinkling stars above.

It was as if you were both floating in the air, suspended into the sky where no one could see you or interrupt you two with the mere exception of the restaurant staff who were dressed to the nines in their formal uniforms.

Jongin pulls out the seat for you and you whisper a thank you as he smiles down at you. When he takes a seat in front of you he takes your hand that’s placed on top of the table, “So, what do you think? Do you like it?” He was awaiting your reply, worried that this may not be your cup of tea.

“Jongin, this is incredible..” You look around the restaurant still in shock, “How did you even find this place?”

He sighs in relief before he lets out a soft chuckle, “I have my ways.”

You don’t question any further and just nod appreciatively, “I love it, Jongin.”

“I’m glad.” He says as he places a soft kiss to the back of your hand and you look at him in absolute admiration and disbelief.

Is this man even real? How the hell did I get so lucky?

“I love you.” You say endearingly.

When he hears those words, Jongin instantly feels a blush creep up his cheeks and the pounding in his chest becomes more evident. He brings your hand to his cheek as he kisses your palm before looking at you as if you were an angel personified, “And I love you, Y/n.”

You and Jongin enjoy the full-course meal together. You giggling at every joke he seemed to make, especially when he was pretending to review the food like some Youtuber/vlogger. It was so nice to feel like you were so in love not just with someone who you solely thought of as your significant other but as someone you considered your best friend.

You and Jongin were always on the same wavelength and conversations came so easy to you both – never running out of topics to talk about and never getting sick of each other’s opinions regarding different things.

You never thought you’d find someone who just complimented you so well. It wasn’t as if he completed you, no. It was as if you were both your own individuals and yet being together and choosing to love each other just ignited something in both your lives that made you both better people in general.

Jongin taught you a lot about yourself, things you never even realized until he pointed them out. Like how he could tell that going back to university was something that was lingering at the back of your mind and all you needed was a little push to just take the plunge and give it another try. How he made you realize that you weren’t alone and that people did care about you and people did love you – that no matter how heavy the burden, you didn’t have to carry it yourself. He taught you that it’s okay to need other people beside you to get through life’s struggles.

But most importantly, Jongin taught you the beauty of love – what it’s supposed to look and feel like. He protected you, cared for you, loved you, admired you, supported you, and respected you. He valued your opinions and he listened to everything you had to say. He made you feel important.

He made you feel worth it.

“How’s the tiramisu cake?” He asked, giggling at how speechless you were as you munched on your favorite cake.

“Mmmmmm…” That’s all you could manage to speak out since the taste was just so overwhelmingly good.

It took you less than 5 minutes to devour the whole piece of cake, “I think that was the best cake I’ve ever had in my life. Period.”

Jongin chuckles at your slouching form, loving the way that you didn’t pretend to be some prim and proper girl but rather, you were confident enough to be yourself around him and that’s one of the reasons why he loved you so much.

He asked the waiter to take your plates away and you were preparing to leave as he paid the bill (You of course offered but Jongin being Jongin, he almost swatted your hand away, confused as to why you would even offer and he takes care of everything.), but he stops you from getting up.

“Wait, before we leave…” He reaches into the inside pocket of his suit jacket as you eye him curiously.

“I wanted to give you this,” He places a long tiny red velvet box in front of you and you look at him with wide eyes, “it took a while for it to be ready but consider it my late birthday present.” he admits sheepishly.

“Jongin..” Your voice above a whisper as you continue to look at the box in surprise, “You didn’t have to. You’ve already given me so much..”

“I just wanted to give you something that could hopefully remind you of me everyday.” He smiles at you warmly before he nods at the box for you to go ahead and open it.

You take a breath before you undo the ribbon on the velvet box and with nervous hands and a thumping heart, you open it to find the most beautiful charm bracelet – dazzling silver and it had your initials and his initials on the clasp.

6 charms decorated the bracelet with more space to add future charms in if you decide to – A teddy bear, a horse, a star, a picnic basket, a microphone, and a rose.

Charms that you knew Jongin put a lot of thought into – charms that signified milestones in your relationship so far. And you loved the fact that there was more space to add in more charms for future milestones you may have with him.

The bracelet caught the light beautifully and when you lifted it off the box, you swear you felt your eyes tear up a bit.

It wasn’t just a gesture he’s thinking of for now, it was a significant gesture of reassurance that he is in fact making sure that you knew that he was dead serious about you and him. He wanted you for a long long time and as he promised, he was going to love you for a long long time as well.

“Love?” Jongin whispers, immediately catching your attention, “D-do you like it?” his voice laced with nervousness.

You quickly grab his hand and squeeze it as you gaze at the most beautiful person you have ever known, “You are amazing, Jongin. I don’t even have enough words to thank you. It’s beautiful and I love it so much..”

He feels a sense of relief wash over him but he knows that he has to ask you what he’s been dying to.

“That’s not all, baby..” He looks down at the bracelet before he locks his eyes on you and you quirk a brow at him, “W-what do you mean? Jongin.. If you have another gift, that may be a bit too much.”

He giggles at your seriousness, “It’s more of a question.”

You tilt your head to the side in confusion.

Jongin sighs and looks away, summoning all the courage he has before he takes a deep breath and look towards the box, “Check what’s underneath the box.”

You’re perplexed as to what it could be so ever so slowly, you lift the box, turn it, and read the inscription.

You mean more to me than all the stars in the sky. I can’t believe how our paths have aligned. So if you give me a chance to help you shine so bright. May I be yours and you be mine?

Your heart was practically beating out of your chest and your vision was starting to blur. You blink several times and look up at Jongin’s nervous expression before you read the inscription again to make sure you read everything right.

And indeed, you were.

You quickly got up from your seat and lunged yourself at Jongin to give him the tightest hug as he brought you to sit on his lap.

He giggled as you refuse to let him go, continuing to hug him tight as you clasp on the box and bracelet in your hands.

You can’t believe this was happening.

Is this real? Am I dreaming? Don’t wake me up if I am.

“Is that a yes?” He whispers to your hair and you finally pull away slightly to stare at his beautiful honey eyes.

You lean in to capture his lips into a searing kiss, “Yes, Jongin. I’m yours, completely and whole-heartedly yours.” You whisper breathlessly.

He wipes away the tears that were threatening to spill before he flashes you the most dazzling smile, “You make me so happy, Y/n. So so happy.”

You giggle in disbelief at this moment. You’re still in shock as he reaches for your hand that was gripping the bracelet, wrapping it around your wrist and clasping it locked.

“I’m never taking this off..”

He chuckles as his finger grazes the initials on the clasp, “You promise?”

You nod at him, “I promise.. Because you, Kim Jongin, are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

His eye crinkles show and his reddened cheeks make your heart skip a beat. This man right here, the one that has managed to capture your heart, is the love of your life.

You’ve never been so sure of anything ever. But him, you were sure. A hundred million percent sure.

“I love you so much, Y/n.” He leans his forehead against yours as your eyes flutter closed, savoring the most magical moment.

“And I love you so much, Jongin..” You whisper in return.

He pulls away from you to cup a hand to your face, rubbing his thumb across your blushing cheek as he gives you the most tender kiss.

“Now I’m yours and you’re mine.” He whispers.

A/N: WAAAH FINALLYYYYY!! Y/n and Jongin are official! HUHUHU. To be honest, these three chapters were a struggle. And I know you all have been waiting so patiently for this round of updates and I just wanted to extend my sincerest thanks again to all of you for being so supportive during my break. But I am so happy that I’m now bringing you the continuation of FNG!!! More drama and a rollercoaster whirlwind is still yet to come so stay tuned!! I hope you enjoyed this round of updates! Next 3 chapters will probably come in the next week or 2! I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far! I super appreciate and love all your support and lovely messages. <3 Much love and stay safe as always!

Taglist: @cardtak @taewowacebts @wanna-b-avenger

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