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agentwallflower · 3 years

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Supernova 16

Bad news, I didn’t get any writing done!

Good news, I’m halfway through 16! Let the good times keep rolling... until I run out. Then I’m in trouble.

Anyway, life sucks. I am a bad caregiver and an even worse student of the arts. All I want to do is sleep, but there are pants that need washing and cans that need cleaning. Please let me sleep...

Good news though, I finished editing my other novel. Now it’s time to let my readers read it to tell me what I did wrong and the countless things that need fixing. Can’t you tell I’m thrilled?

...

Right. Anyway, next chapter goes up February 6. I’m going to go sit down until I have to get dinner ready. Then I gotta get laundry ready... and then I can do my homework. This is why I don’t want kids.

Thanks for reading, see you in two weeks!

“I already told you, you're not getting my damn helmet off.”

“But you might have-”

“If a psychic doesn't know their own brain, we got bigger problems. It’s staying on.”

It was bad enough that they'd made him take his damn clothes off. Angel had done his best, but cracked ribs were cracked ribs that needed x-rays. Among other things, that had meant shrugging out of his binder. It had been made easier by the fact the damn thing ripped in two when he tried to shuffle it off.

Guess he'd need another one... good thing he had all that overtime from working with Andy.

“I'll come in with the form stating you turned down an MRI.” there was a chill to the tech’s – nurse? Fuck if he knew right then – voice as they turned to leave the room. “Don't try to move, we still need to suture your wounds.”

Yeah, he had a lovely case of road rash that was going to need some serious antibiotic lotion, and his back was kind of fucked up. He had seen it in the mirror – looked kind of burned to him. No doubt it was going to leave some kind of nasty scar when it finished healing. Oh well, it was where nobody would see it.

Unlike his old facial ones. Pro-tip for young heroes: wear a mask before learning to fly. Birds are nasty.

“God, it's good to hear you snark at somebody.”

A comfortingly annoying voice buzzed in his ear. Scanner's link was open still, had been when the nurse had come in with the crazy idea of getting his helmet off. They had been going over the footage while waiting to hear about Ember and PT. From the sounds of things, everyone was going to make a full recovery. That was the important part, though if it took too long they might need outside help.

God, he hoped it wasn’t going to come to that. The Toledo Union was asshole city, and don't even get him started on Pittsburgh... he may not have liked football, but tossing them a 'go birds' just to make them froth at the mouth was worth it.

“Good to be able to do it.” He adjusted his helmet. “So, what's the damage?”

Keys clicked in his ear. “PT's got a nasty concussion, but that's nothing new for her. Don't know if she'll make it to the synagogue this weekend, but I think her rabbi will understand. Ember's completely lucid, so whatever Blasto did to her wore off. They're still doing a brain scan anyway, though. Apparently, they can do those with disguises on now.”

There was a note of teasing to the tech's voice that made Angel roll his eyes as he leaned back in the hospital bed, waiting for someone to tell him when he could go the fuck home. No doubt the attack was all over the news now, even at the late hour. How could it not, when one of their own had turned on them and nearly gotten half the city killed?

Maybe that was why he hadn't pulled his punches with that rock. Asshole.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. A cloth one's a little different from my setup.” He sighed in relief at the report. “Well, that means we'll only be down two. I'm no HR expert, but I think Richter's fired.”

He should've been on fire, but that was a different matter entirely. Oh well, once Ember and PT were better, they could handle that. He hadn't been around much anyway, so him going to jail for being an asshole – and you know, threatening to kill a bunch of people and almost getting away with it – didn't cramp their style too badly.

At least the overtime would pay for his GRE scores. He really needed to get his math percentile up if he wanted a shot at grad school.

“That's putting it mildly.” Scanner's tone shifted. Maybe it was the exhaustion talking, but they sounded softer the next time they spoke. “By the way, I appreciated the jerk ex comment but let's keep it on the DL around Andy. She doesn't need to know.”

Angel nodded – oww, big mistake. He might not have a concussion, but the overuse of his powers had given him one hell of a headache. That was enough to make him close his eyes as he bumped the back of his dirty helmet against the bed frame.

“Mum's the word, Scan.” He frowned. “Where is she anyway?”

There was a pause in the typing. Scanner didn't say anything for a good couple minutes, causing Angel's blood to run cold. Despite his pounding headache and the sudden urge to throw up, he sat straight up in his temporary bed.

“Scanner, where is Andy?”

“Paladin's got her in one of those rooms they use to tell people their grandma didn't make it. The FBI's en route now to pick her up.”

His feet hit the floor – oww. “Damn it, Scan, give me a location. We can't let them get her!”

Images flashed through his mind, stolen from the psychic he had thrown down with days prior. His imagination ran wild with it, showing off steel tables and knives sharp enough to cut through rocky surfaces. It made his stomach churn as his battered brain tried to come up with a way out.

“I'm two blocks from the hospital now. Paladin asked me to bring the book.”

Angel stopped moving. Time stopped too. The only thing that convinced him that the universe was still spinning was that his heart was beating. He was alive, but right then the only thing he could focus on was the thought of the book.

“You're serious?”

“Sounds like it's our only option. She's on the third floor and we need a witness so get there ASAP.”

ASAP was a little hard when he was under observation, but Angel didn't care. He made a grab for his pants, head spinning as he pulled them on over his hospital gown. At least he wasn't attached to an IV as he booked it out of the room, a nurse yelling in the background.

If Scanner was bringing the Book, it was as serious as he thought.

---

Though it was her first time in the hospital, Andy already knew she didn't like them very much.

“You've caused quite a stir on Twitter. People already like you.”

Uncle Leo was in the chair next to her, absent-mindedly scrolling his phone. The case was covered in pictures of his family – a present for his last birthday. With his brain he didn't need it, but it wasn't like they had ever really covered how much they knew about his pre-cancer days. It had never really been her business to question what they knew about him anyway.

Normally, Andy would have been dying to get a glance at the internet, especially if nobody was going to be monitoring her. But she stayed there in her chair, flexing her fists back and forth. She could still feel the power radiating from her core, making the air shimmer. At least she wasn't giving off heat, though – that might've made the old man uncomfortable.

She had done it.

“Mom's not coming, is she?”

Honestly, the alien wasn't sure why she was even asking. Once her mother made up her mind, she didn't change it. Their final words had probably been just that, especially after Twitter had gotten a hold of it. If the internet knew about her, that probably broke just about every rule they had set for her from the time she had first emerged.

Leo's eyebrows knitted as he put his phone aside. His warm hand found hers, squeezing gently more so he didn't break anything. For humans, that was probably a comforting gesture. Thanks to the lack of skin, it didn't really do much for her, but it was the thought that counted in the end.

“I tried to call her... she hung up on me.” He frowned. “I'm sorry, but I think she meant it.”

How was she supposed to feel during a moment like this?

“Andy?”

She supposed she should have been upset really. After all, her mother had finally broken and abandoned her like she had always threatened to when things got difficult. In a way, it was amazing she had stuck it out for almost 21 years. Had she had money to put on it, Andy would've bet after the divorce for sure. In a way, she was surprised she had lasted so long. Could you congratulate a parent for not giving up on you until you were over 20?

So… maybe she wasn’t all that upset when it came to her case. Really, she was worried about the ones she had left behind. After all, Amanda was going to take it out on someone eventually. Her oldest sister was the prime target for sure, but Jen was still just a few doors down. That thought made her core bubble up as she sat there, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It wasn’t that either, though…

Despite everything... Andy had to admit her biggest feeling was that of relief. Threats of turning her over to the lab – or worse – for bad behavior no longer hung over her head. If Amanda was washing her hands of her, then in a way she was free. Of course, that kind of made her property of the federal government... but that wasn't the first time either. Now that she was bigger, maybe she could go toe to toe with them if they tried anything funny.

Or hell, they might just turn her over to Sakamoto. She could handle her.

“Are you alright?”

Uncle Leo's words brought Andy back down to earth. She wasn't sure how long she had been out, but the man looked concerned. She shook her head, more for his benefit than her own, and shrugged her spiky shoulders in the universal sign of 'beats the hell out of me' before sitting back.

“I mean... everyone's ok, right?” She shrugged again, as if it would tease more emotions out of her molten core. “And I managed to get two shots off. I guess I can be happy about that?”

The psychic nodded. “But you're worried. I can't say I blame you. You did the right thing... though the FBI might disagree.”

Had she been human, this was where Andy would have snorted. “That's putting it mildly. I bet they’re on their way to get the custody pissing match started.”

With her... she supposed ex-mother? Out of the way, that left the feds and the lab. Talk about ugly – she would've winced at the thought if she was capable of doing it. While they whipped it out and measured, she was left in limbo. Luckily for her, that was nothing new either. Being an alien made her all kinds of flexible.

Bear Paw or... wherever the FBI wanted to keep her. She had so many lovely options.

“About that...” There was a light in the man's eyes. “You know, you did a good job out there. A little rough, but... you have promise. And we're down a man now that Richter is going to be doing hard time.”

Andy's head picked up. “Wait... you're not serious, are you?”

Leo smiled, and for a brief moment she saw someone who had long since retired to old newsreels and still pictures archived in the annals of history. It made her sit up a little straighter in her seat as her core began to bubble with what could only have been anticipation.

“We both know it was going to come down to this eventually, Andromeda.” Another smile. He never used her full name. “You're too much like Cassiopeia, including hating when I use your entire name.”

Her core bubbled again. “Can you even do that? I mean... I'm not human. Isn’t that the basic requirement of joining up?”

“It wasn't when we had Nova. Besides, who’s going to know if we don’t tell them?”

Right... she forgot sometimes about that sometimes. If Nova had hidden it… maybe she could too.

Before Andy could answer, someone knocked on the door. Leo stood to cross the room and opened it without a sound. On the other side stood Scanner, breathing hard as if they had wheeled at top speeds to get there. In their lap was a large book, bound in dark leather that gave it the feel of an ancient tome. This they handed off to her quasi uncle as they wheeled to the side, finally putting on the breaks.

“We better hurry, I blocked the elevator on some assholes in suits as I got up here.” They looked towards the window. “Is that SR?”

The psychic appeared as well, still wearing a hospital gown and motorcycle helmet. He slid in behind Scanner – at least he was wearing pants under his gown. At least he nodded to the room as he made no excuses for his weird attire.

“I'm with Scan, they're gonna be on my ass for breaking out soon.”

Leo shook his head, but he was smiling. “Not exactly what I expected for the two witnesses, but you're right. Time is of the essence. Even Scanner cannot stop an elevator forever.”

Andy felt the air in the room shift as the attention turned to her. This was probably where humans would have swallowed past anxiety or felt their hearts pound in anticipation. All she had was the bubbling of her core as she stood, dwarfing the room.

Her uncle was wrong, of course. She had never expected this day to come, not even in her wildest dreams or in the faded time before she was truly conscious of her situation. Yet the fact it was actually there still pressed down heavily as the man approached her, book in hand.

She had seen it once when she was a small child, though she forgot the circumstances of the visit that had caused it. It was a heavy looking book, bound with the Union's logo. Normally, it was kept at the base, given what was written inside.

After all... you kinda needed to keep the record of secret identities, well, a secret. It was probably the only book she could think of that didn’t have a digital copy. Sometimes, it was good to be analog.

And now it was her time to join them.

“Andromeda Nobel.” The old man’s voice had more energy in it than she had heard since his diagnosis. He held out the book and walked to an empty space in the room. She met him halfway, placing her hand on the cover like she had seen others do on TV. Maybe if they hadn't been rushing to beat the FBI, they would've done it too. Oh well, she had started this at 3 AM so maybe it was apt. “Do you swear to protect the people of Bear Paw?”

“I do.”

Outside, she could hear the elevator dinging. The agents were coming – they had a lock on the room. The door rattled violently, but Sky Rider's visor glowed as he held it firm. Someone was pounding on the wood now.

Leo remained unflapped. “Do you swear to use your powers for good and never evil?”

The words came from her mouth without thinking. “I do.”

“And no matter what, do you promise to uphold the ideals of heroism, bravery, and service both in and out of your secret identity?”

Andy didn't even need to think of this one. She nodded, almost knocking her chin to her chest. “I do.”

The rattling was getting stronger now. Sweat was starting to drip from under Sky Rider's helmet as he held the lock as hard as he could. Even Scanner was gearing up now, a glowing drone appearing to reinforce the fragile joints that kept the door to the wall. Both of them were giving it their all, even though one of them was still technically a patient.

Clearly, doing dumb shit was a point of pride here. If that wasn’t a sign she’d fit in, Andy didn’t know what was.

Leo's voice was stronger now. “Then, given the current leader is going through a medical workup, I use my power as the retired head of the Bear Paw Union to officially swear you in. You will now take up the mask and title to protect the city...”

His voice faltered. “We can add the superhero name later, unless you figured one out on the way over.”

Got one? Of course she had one. Andy had held it ever since she had first felt the power in her hands. Maybe it was a little cliché, but it felt right to her as she nodded towards the old man. She removed her hand, clenching her fist as she did.

“Call me Supernova.”

After all, she was Nova's kid in a roundabout way. If anyone got to mess with the title, she had the right.

“Supernova, eh? Never expected you to be one for a succession title, but I can't say it doesn't fit.” He smiled, and there was something wistful there as he nodded. “Then, welcome to the Union, Supernova. Serve it well.”

The door slammed open and Sky Rider was knocked on his ass as two agents in dark suits appeared in the room. As the psychic on the floor groaned at his bruised ass and ego combo, they entered, gunning for her.

Well… apparently it was time to test if the Union’s rule about active duty kept her from getting taken in. Talk about having one hell of a proving ground.

---

Want to support my snack pile so I get through art class alive? I have a Ko-Fi!

#writing #novel #Why yes I am incredibly depressed

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osmw1 · 5 years

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Crowbar Nurse Chapter 1 — Prologue: Travelling Between Worlds Because of my Phone is Normal, Right?

I am a nameless rookie nurse.

My hobby is clearing my mind with video games. In particular, mindless zombie shooters and dating sims that I can enjoy while yapping off with friends are my favorite genres.

… well, it’d be more accurate to say “was”. I ended up being employed by an awful hospital, even though I was super careful with my applications. But because of that, I don’t have any spare time to play my games. I was way above the legal overtime limit but yet, here I was working for free.

Let me go home already… I can’t think straight anymore…

I was tapping away at an outdated computer in the nurses’ station and doing today’s documentation.

The location is Shinjuku. The time, wee hours. A hellhole of a hospital ward with a window to the night outside. The nurses of this ward start their day way too early and end their nights dizzyingly late. Even when neglecting my hunger and hygiene, I can get only four, five hours of precious sleep a day. Such are my circumstances when working hours are this long.

I haven’t really done anything at all lately. I don’t have the time to game or hang out with my friends… the only thing I’ve done other than work is scrolling on my phone…

I silently sighed inside.

Society thinks us nurses to be huge flirts, headstrong, and highly paid. I’m sure there are some out there who are like that. … not me though. I’d say I’m the complete opposite of that.

When I was a teenager, I played games all day and cared too little about looking pretty, leading me straight down the path of being a loner. By the time I did care, I was a university student busy with studying and practicum. Outside of school, my girlfriends and I would be in stupidly high heels and partying like there was no tomorrow.

Though I like talking with people, I was always too timid for my own good. Not only did my seniors always yell at me, I also have literally zero experience in relationships. … I suppose faking it and going to clubs did get me attention from shallow guys, but the thing is that I have never been popular with the opposite sex. That’s why I can’t stand people who are blessed with confidence.

… I’m completely twisted. I know. I’ll probably end up in my thirties with everybody saying that my standards are too unrealistic and no one interested in me…

I sighed out loud this time. And as for the highly paid part? That’s probably not true for me as well. My take home pay is a little over 180,000 with more than 100 hours of unpaid overtime. Still, in this “Land of the Setting Sun”, that’s probably considered well-paid.

There are all sorts of nurses, y’know?

I’m neither well-paid nor well-versed in relationships. I’m just a sham who loves her zombies. I had once prided myself on my love for nursing, but the soul-sucking work as of late led to the flames of my passion burning out. I’m simply a lifeless drone.

Ughhh, I need to let loose and wipe out some zombies… I can’t stand working anymore…

Shoving those memories aside, I begrudgingly returned to recordkeeping. Now, let me describe what a day for a newbie nurse with no time for fun or zombies is like. After five hours of sleep, I wake up and head to my ward. I look up the details of the patients I’m in charge of on the piece of crap computer. Once that’s done, I make sure all the medicine and IV drips are good to go. After handing off things to the night shift, I begin making my rounds. There’s not even a moment spare to get water or go to the washroom. Even when working such a long shift, I say goodbye to lunch breaks if it gets busy. It doesn’t matter your level of seniority, you effectively get only five minutes. If it’s bad, it’s closer to 30 seconds… I fly into the break room, stuff my face with food, and eat it while walking back to the desk. Then, I get back to logging or preparing for the midday debriefing. I’m sure… I’m sure other places are like this too. In every hospital is a ward this depressing.

… oof. Crap. Nearly fell asleep there.

That moment of microsleep was most definitely because of sleep deprivation. The steady chime of the patient monitoring system and the clattering of keyboards from other nurses working overtime fill the room. I glanced at the watch I had stuffed in my pocket—12:30, later than usual.

It’s past midnight already, eh? Still, even when everybody lives around here, Shinjuku at night is still a little dangerous.

Even then, none of us dayshift nurses have gone home yet. That’s just how things work here. I casually looked up from my PC.

Colorful neon signs and lit offices contribute to the dazzling lights in the nightscape. It shone through the window across the hallway from the nurses’ station. Low-intensity aircraft warning lights dotted countless skyscrapers. The red lights on top of the buildings were like a constellation twinkling together. Its beauty never fails to take me out of reality.

… though I may be sleepy, even at this hour, the streets were not. The lights revealed everybody who was still awake.

Until I started working, I never knew the nights of Shinjuku were created and supported by people like me—the slaves to society.

People are used and discarded every day to maintain this beautiful dazzling world.

… and just as that thought floated across my mind, my view of the night sky worrisomely fluttered for a moment.

Hmm…? That’s weird.

I couldn’t tell whether my vision was blurry or that my head wasn’t functioning properly. Though what was very clear was that I was far too tired. Then, I got lightheaded for a split second. As soon as it passed and I breathed a sigh of relief, I clutched my chest in pain.

I’m going to die… oh yeah, I’m totally dying.

As my heart stabbed with every pulse, I took a deep breath only to find my head spinning again.

… frankly, I’m not doing so well.

This has been a frequent occurrence lately. I hold back the wave of nausea as I struggle to form sentences in my head… then suddenly, the exhausted head nurse rushed over to me in a panic.

“—the management is coming around! Hurry, hide yourself in the linen room!”

Once I realized the head nurse was shouting at me in a quiet voice, she stood me up by my shoulders. And before I knew it, she shoved me into the linen room at the far end of the nurses’ station and slammed the door shut.

… ah, not this again…

I subconsciously sighed. This happens every day in our ward. Basically, it’s to conceal the fact that us newcomers are forced to work overtime. If the head honchos of the nursing department find out, they would chew out the head nurse.

The directive of this sweatshop of a hospital is supposedly to eliminate overtime and, officially, newcomers aren’t forced to do so. That’s why when the head of the department swings by, us newcomers get spirited away.

That’s fine and all, but… damn it. The computers automatically logout after 10 minutes of inactivity, so there goes all my unsaved data…

Looks like I’ll have to redo everything, which means I’m stuck here until at least 1:00. I squatted down and subconsciously sighed again. Guess I don’t have much of a choice but to sleep until they come get me. As I shut my eyes close in exhaustion, I felt a strange vibration coming from my pocket.

… huh? A notification? I thought I turned off my phone…

I doubted myself as I reached into my pocket. When I took a look at my phone, the screen was pitch black but oddly enough, some text was showing.

… hmm, what’s that? Is that English?

The excessive number of symbols made me question whether it was really English or not. It may have been pitch black, but it was just bright enough that I could tell the screen was on. That and the green text showing clued me in on that.

… what’s all this about? Did some super hacker breach my phone? Wait, are there people who hack smartphones in the first place?

I looked down at the screen in confusion… hmm? What? Hold on… The green text scrolled past at a blistering pace. The line practically disappears as soon I tried to read it!

“… what?!”

I was fully awake when I reflexively cried out loud but was still too late to cover my mouth shut. The directors should have still been out there on their patrol. I hope they didn’t hear me.

Whaaaaaaat. Huh?! Augh! What’s going on?!

A scene of pure sci-fi unfolded in front of my very eyes. Talk about a complete one-eighty from my depressing daily life.

No, seriously, am I being hacked? Is this what it’s like? This looks more like magic to me though!

Unfortunately, a Neanderthal who can’t even do basic addition on Excel like me had no idea what was happening. I don’t get it… but I knew that this wasn’t supposed to happen.

sudo…? apt-get install? Hey, hey, hey, hey! Don’t go installing anything weird on my phone without my permission! It’s now asking for a password… and it’s being filled in!

My eyes went wide as ••••• popped up in the password field.

But… I didn’t even do anything…

I was speechless. Then, while my jaw was still on the floor, the door violently swung open… as someone came barelling through.

■Protagonist

The protagonist is a super overworked rookie nurse who was on the verge of dying. Once you get her on the topic of zombie games, she'll yap on for even longer than the intro to The Final Countdown—though it's not an opportune moment right now.

contents: /ch001/ /next/

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subtlerain · 6 years

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Honey - Part VIII (Final)

→ Prince!Seokjin x Reader

teaser ♥ I ♥ II ♥ III ♥ IV ♥ V ♥ VI ♥ VII ♥ VIII (final) ♥ epilogue

A/N: Welcome to the final part of Honey. I want to thank you all for waiting so patiently for each update, and for being so supportive no matter what. I’m so glad you all loved this series just as much as I did. Let me know if you’d like an epilogue, or you can request drabbles with other scenes/characters in this universe!

Thank you all so much ♥

Tagged: @abathakitten @amelie-wolfbane @angleofdepression @blimeygit @catbugsugarpea @charlesgrey1875 @drowsymochi @ilvermornyqueen @live-2-fangirl @mymanyunsaidthoughts @narugami @ophelia-carolina @princebarakat @princebirdie @satoukookie @seokjin-the-hufflepuff @stargazingmoonchild @vivianI4 @whisperingshade22 @xclo02 @yuuuuppp

♥ Thank you to all of my tagged lovelies who stayed with me throughout the series! ♥

Ask/requests ♥ Masterlist

The next day, the King died.

It was as if a large charcoal cloud had settled over the Kingdom, opaque, blocking out any source of light.

His infection from previous wounds had spread to his heart and his lungs, and he had nearly been in the infirmary for 12 hours before he passed.

News spread quickly, messengers on horseback going to all sides of the Kingdom with sheets of rolled parchment to paste on town message boards.

You thought of the King, his bright smile and kind eyes that looked at you with a glimmer that you couldn’t decipher.

From what you had been told, his passing was peaceful, and he had come to terms with it long ago. Like the noble leader he was, he took it with grace.

Your thoughts drifted to the Queen as you tied the thin laces of your black boots, the air in the women’s quarters stiff.

You wondered if she was okay, if the lines in her face had deepened, if she had known it was coming.

And then you thought of Jin.

You remembered the look of realization in his eyes, the way his irises blew out, his lips drew into a thin line.

You squeezed his hand before he left, your own eyes stinging as you watched him leave the room, shoulders hunched, eyes down.

It was the funeral today, and you clenched your jaw at the small sniffles of the other girls in your quarters.

You waded through the sea of black, groups of people walking together, elbows twisted, bodies pressed together in sadness, hoping for a little comfort.

Jimin found you in the crowd, his hand wrapping around yours, large brown eyes brimmed with tears. No words were exchanged, rather, the warmth of his body against yours offered a sense of comfort.

It was nearing the end of summer, and the air had cooled a little bit, nipping at the skin not covered by your dress.

You settled in the courtyard, eyes finding the bundles of flowers that lined the path down the stairs from the palace.

Murmurs sounded from the crowd of Palace workers, but halted as a lone trumpet played, slow melody bouncing off the cobblestones.

Somber.

The palace doors opened, and you swallowed as the royal guard emerged, hands wrapped around the golden bars that supported the casket.

It was decorated with silver and gold, lavender and sapphire gems glistening the sides.

Jungkook was on the left side, his expression blank as he and the other guards walked together, footsteps in time.

His expression was unwavering, the brightness that usually was so apparent in his eyes gone.

It was like he had aged 10 years.

And behind the golden casket was the Queen, Namjoon,

And Jin.

You felt your heart snap at his expression, a feeling of helplessness washing over you.

He was dressed in dark clothes, golden lining on his blazer and slacks. His outward appearance was composed, expression solely on his fathers casket in front of him.

But it didn’t take you long to see the worry swimming beneath the surface of his irises, the anxiety that made his shoulders hunch just a little bit, the way his he fiddled with his fingers that were clasped tightly behind him.

To the palace workers beside you, he would seem sad, but strong, a Prince who knew his place and knew his duties.

Assured.

But to you, you saw the splinter of uncertainty beneath his regal glaze that made your stomach twist in knots.

You knew that he knew you were watching him, that your gaze would be on him as he walked beside his mother, handkerchief pressed to her reddened nose, eyes puffy from crying.

Jin knew what your expression would be.

Worry would be laced in your irises, your pretty face pale, shoulders stiff.

So he spared himself from looking at you, so he wouldn’t have to see the pain in your eyes.

So he wouldn’t have to think about what would happen when he became King, the questions that would arise, the uncertainty that you would feel.

Jimin’s hand was still wrapped around yours, and you glanced up at him as he gave it a squeeze, watching as a single tear rolled down his flushed cheeks.

Namjoon spoke of the King with nothing but proud words, words used for a great King who had served his Kingdom well.

Flowers were put upon his casket, words whispered from each of the advisors, the whole Kingdom in silent prayer.

The last words Namjoon uttered seemed to lift the mood just a little bit, but only send Jin’s head spinning.

“…Prince Seokjin’s coronation will be next week.”

****

The overall mood in the Kingdom shifted gradually over the next week. Tears turned to laughter, and sorrow to excitement.

The Prince’s Coronation.

Suddenly preparations were being made for his crowning, the hum of the palace had returned, and everyone seemed to be working harder.

You wondered how the Queen was doing, your heart cracking ever so slightly at the thought of the way her eyes crinkled when she looked at her late husband, the way their youthful banter was still so fresh.

They were most certainly in love.

Thinking of this made you think of Jin, so you used your work to distract yourself.

Fill your mind with names of herbs and overtime work, and you could forget the numbness in your chest that had started to settle like gritty sand at the bottom of a pond.

Your relationship with Jin was unestablished, your time together was always brief, your feelings rushed, hearts pounding, hands laced together.

You knew it wouldn’t last forever, but you thought maybe you’d have a little longer.

It was selfish.

Jin couldn’t be a young, carefree Prince forever. You knew he would be King someday, and his duties to rule the country would come first.

You just wished it hadn’t come so soon.

It had always been in the back of your mind, a buzz that gnawed at the bottom of your skull that reminded you that these precious moments couldn’t last forever, and that you’d have to forget about the Prince—the soon-to-be King—forever.

Maybe it was stupid to even try, maybe you shouldn’t have even kissed him, forgiven him that night when he was bloodied and bruised, his heart worn on his sleeve.

But deep down, you knew it would’ve hurt you even more to not press your lips to his, to hear his whispered confession, to bear your heart for him and listen to his worries.

Two people who found themselves in a hopeless love, two people who would never be able to truly be together, that’s what you were.

He was Royalty, and you were a peasant.

You were strong, and you would do what you had to do to support the Kingdom, to do your job you worked so hard to get. To keep going for Mother and Minjun.

It would be better if you didn’t see him again, it would be better to just cherish the moments you shared with him, lock them up in a small corner of your heart, and just move on.

But moving on was hard when the man you loved held so much of your heart.

You smiled as you walked past a trio of nurses, your boots squeaking on the marble floors as you made your way to the storage room, box of herbs balanced in your arms.

Reality was absolutely crushing.

You snapped out of your thoughts as you walked through the courtyard, suddenly feeling a presence behind you.

Before you had a chance to turn, you felt the tall figure brush your side, their hand lingering just for a single beat over your apron pocket.

You stopped in your tracks as you watched the figure walk past you briskly, weaving between the other palace workers.

Namjoon.

He didn’t turn around as he walked, but what he did was clear, and you felt your heart leap in your throat.

Balancing the box of herbs in one arm, your hand flew to your pocket, a small lump of parchment now folded in the material.

****

The moonlight was nearly blinding as you worked, carefully funnelling dried herbs into glass bottles, restocking materials.

You had offered to work overtime, heart thumping faster as each of your coworkers headed in for the night. It felt like the paper was burning a hole through the fabric of your apron and through to your thigh.

You heard the last herbalist in the room start to pack up, stacking the last of the restocked bottles of herbs onto their place on the shelf.

The bandit problem was still rampant in the villages, and guard units were sent into the targeted villages to control, meaning many men had come back injured, muscles sore and skin bruised and bloodied.

You had gotten updates over the past week from Jungkook, who had assured you that the guards were doing all they could, trying to prevent innocent deaths of the people.

You had offered much advice to Jungkook, you knew many of the back routes or abandoned houses that littered the countryside, due to the fact that you had traveled with father to many of your neighbouring villages using back routes on his journeys to provide medical aid to people in those villages.

You had proven to be a powerful asset, as many of the guards had no idea there were so many secret passages over hills and through thick grasses.

“Bye, Y/N!” She called, poking her head into the aisle where you worked, “I’ll see you at the coronation tomorrow!” She flashed you a toothy grin.

You plastered a smile and nodded at her, stomach twisting. It had already been a week since the King’s passing.

You waited until she closed the door to let your hand fly to your pocket, blinking down at the small folded parchment.

Your heart pounded at your ribcage as you unfolded the note, fingers trembling slightly as you read the hastily scribbled words.

Meet me in the greenhouse at midnight.

- Jin.

Your lips parted, the simple request twisting knots in your stomach.

You slipped on your overcoat, wrapping the thin material around your dress, the cool night air biting the skin at your legs as you hurried through the courtyard.

No one was out tonight, the moonlight your only company as you briskly walked down the lonely dirt path.

The night was quiet, only the faint sound of nocturnal insects humming between the blades of grass grazing your ankles, and a single owl hooting its mellow tune.

You entered the greenhouse, closing the door softly behind you.

It seemed as if all the flora were sleeping at night, their colours muted underneath the glass, white light from the moon only bringing out their muted undertones.

For a moment you wondered if you should turn back, save yourself the pain of seeing him.

The only reason he would want to meet you would be to say goodbye, and you didn’t know if you could have your heart broken for a second time.

After all, he would be King tomorrow, and your time together would fade away softly.

Jin wasn’t by the entrance, and it dawned on you that of course he wouldn’t be.

He would be at the first place you met.

You walked through the aisles of plants, boots softly padding on the hard floor, sunset orange flower burning your mind.

And there he was, back turned towards the outer window just beside the Calendula, was Jin.

Although you couldn’t see his face, you knew he was deep in thought. His shoulders were slump, his hair tousled, arms hanging limply at his sides in what seemed like defeat.

You stepped from around the corner, the moon nearly blinding as it centred in the window just in front of Jin.

He suddenly sighed, “I didn’t know if you’d come.”

His voice was hoarse and groggy, as if he hadn’t spoken the whole day.

A weak smile tugged at your lips as you looked at his back, “I didn’t really have a choice, did I?”

At that, he turned around, his front dark against the backlight of the moon. Your eyes traced his face. Even in the darkness, you could see the bags under his eyes, the anxiety in his irises.

He looked around slowly, anywhere but at you, “I’ve never been in here at night before.”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding in, “Me neither.”

His eyes suddenly landed on yours. They were dark, thoughtful, “It’s so quiet. So isolated and far away.” His voice lowered, “So far away from everything out there.”

You stepped closer, “You can’t hide forever, Jin.”

He looked at you slowly, “My father would never forgive me if I did.”

You nodded, “Your coronation is tomorrow.”

“Don’t remind me.”

You clenched your jaw, “Why did you ask me to meet you?”

Jin pressed his back against the window, “I needed to see you.”

You swallowed, “You know we can’t do this—this, whatever it is.”

Jin didn’t seem surprised at your words, he just gave a small, weak smile, “Do you know what I’m most afraid of when I become King?”

Your eyes flicked up, confusion laced in your expression.

He tilted his head, “I’m afraid I’ll lose myself.”

Your eyes widened. His features had shifted, his eyes were intense, his lips were pulled together, his shoulders slumped.

It was as if he had spent the whole week thinking about this conversation.

He swallowed, “King Seokjin is who I will become tomorrow. I was born into royalty, I was forced into meetings and lessons, and I ran away.” He stepped closer to you, “When I met you, you saw me for me, you saw sides of me who I had never shown anyone else.”

He clenched his fists, “This world I grew up in never allowed me to see what was really important. It separated me from what I wanted to do in life, it skewed my perspective and made me so so terrified of what would happen when I was all alone on the throne.”

You shook your head, “But Jin, you don’t have to be a perfect King. There’s a fire in you that I saw that one night. You want to be good for the people, you want to help.” You shook your head, “That’s all you can do.”

He smiled suddenly, the action catching you off guard, “You’re always so reassuring, so sure of yourself with your values and morals.” He looked up, “Hell, I think Jungkook’s just about ready to give you a spot on the royal guard for all the help you’ve given them on the bandit issue.”

You looked away, “I know what it’s like to have nothing.”

Suddenly he was in front of you, his dark chocolate eyes on yours, “I—I know you think we have to say goodbye, Y/N.”

His words made your heart clench, the thought of leaving him made you feel a crack begin to form in the deepest, tenderest part of you.

His fingers brushed yours, a shiver sparking up your arm.

Jin made you feel so safe, so at ease. He made you feel like you mattered, that you were valued in a world where everything had been ripped from you.

And now he would be too.

He breathed out, “But I can’t do this without you.”

Your stomach dropped, the world paused and the moon shone around him in a glittering halo.

Your voice was only above a whisper, “But I’m a peasant, I’m a broken girl with nothing.”

And then the way he looked at you reminded you of the first day you met, his eyes bright, honey skin and rose petal lips.

His lips quirked up.

Jin felt something inside him crack open, the most obvious realization hitting him right in the middle of his chest.

He gazed at you for a moment, his eyes tracing over your features that he saw in a whole new light, looking at the girl he had fallen in love with so many months ago staring back at him with tears in her eyes.

You were broken but beautiful, strong and kind.

You were the changing of seasons and fresh breath of summer air.

“You are my safety and my comfort, you are the fire in my heart, and the light in my soul.” He spoke with his heart bared, he spoke with raw emotion packed between the words.

Jin put you at ease, he made you feel valued, he had filled in the parts of you that had been ripped away by the cruelty of the world.

You smiled, not only with your mouth but with your heart, with the words that you should’ve uttered a long time ago, “I love you, Jin.”

You were a peasant with an unforgiving past, broken, but learning to mend.

He was a Prince with a wish to be understood, scared, but willing to learn.

Together you had filled in the cracks, you smashed your hearts to pieces and mended the fragments back together with a hold stronger than ever before.

It was scary, it was unsure, it was messy and giddy and like dancing on clouds high up in the air.

His fingers laced with yours, his dark eyes solely on you, hearts beating as one.

He smiled, words dripping with tenderness, love, honey.

“So stay with me.”

♥

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