#stray kids fairytale aus | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hwangsify · 2 years

Text

L.MH. — THESE ILLICIT PLEASURES.

pairing. lee minho x gn reader

genre. angst, fluff, exes to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, forbidden relationship au, idol au

warnings. food, mentions of blood and child abuse (non-graphic), alcohol

summary. after ghosting you for four years, your childhood best friend lee minho comes back into your life as a world renowned idol, awakening some buried feelings you've spent four years trying to push away.

length. oneshot

word count. 13.3k+

taglist. @starlostseungmin @ilynaevis @luvhyun3 @dnadoublefelixx @seung-scrittore @jungwonize

a/n. if you enjoyed this fic, please reblog it. i genuinely could not give two fucks about likes, if you actually liked this fic then just reblog— it's really not that hard !! also, a big thank you to @hh0320 for being the world's best beta-reader. i seriously could not have done it without you <3

i. the uncanny (en)counter.

After ghosting you for four years straight, Lee Minho comes back into your life like this.

Your mom texts you when college spring break comes around, insisting that you come back home to Gimpo for the duration of it. You text her back complaining that you’d rather not spend your vacation at home when there are so many better places to be. She texts you that she’ll cook samgyetang for you when you come and you give in, because her samgyetang is just that delectable.

So technically, all of this is kind of your mom’s fault.

You board a train to Gimpo a few days later. An old lady with an atrocious haircut keeps on prattling away next to you, going on and on about her grandchildren (who you could not give two fucks about) and how long it’s been since she’s last seen them, but you manage to tune her out. Eventually, she gets the message and shuts up, which you’re grateful for because it gives you a chance to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

You’ve gotten used to it, shutting people out when they get too close. You’ve learned to build walls, to hold yourself carefully. After all, you cannot afford to have what happened four years ago happen again.

When you finally arrive, you find that it’s not so bad after all. Your hometown has hardly changed, even after so long, and you can’t help the nostalgia that clogs up your throat as you walk through the streets.

Your mom greets you warmly when you knock on the door of her apartment. She hasn’t changed much, either, although there are a few more gray strands of hair in her bun and some new wrinkles around her eyes.

“By the way,” she says, after the two of you have finished dinner. “Mrs. Lee has been wanting to see you recently. You should go visit her.”

Your fingers tighten instinctively around your mug of tea. Looking up, you glare at her. “Minho’s mom?”

“Who else?’

Despite the bitter tang that fills your mouth at the very thought of Minho, you can’t help but love someone like his mom. You run a hand through your hair and sigh. “Today? I’m kind of tired.”

Your mom scowls at you and you give in before she bursts into complaints about how lazy you’ve been getting recently, quickly shrugging on a sweater and slipping on your shoes. “Fine, fine. I’ll go.”

The apartment is only a few floors down from your own— you suspect that the fact that you shared apartment complexes with Minho back when you were younger played an important role in securing your friendship. You reach the apartment in a matter of minutes, stopping by the doormat to knock hesitantly.

It’s been four years since you last stood by the doorway of this apartment. Just seeing it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, your mind fuzzing with memories you’d very much like to forget. You stand there for an awkward two minutes, waiting for the door to crack open, and just when you’re about to forget it and make your way back to your own apartment, the door opens.

Lee Minho stands in the doorway, clad in a pair of cat slippers.

You do the first sensible thing you can think of. You choke on air and burst into a coughing fit.

His eyes widen at the sight of you, lips parting in shock. You can’t help but return the sentiment, although you can’t nearly express it quite as well due to the fact that you’re doubled over, wheezing.

You’re still recovering from your paroxysm of coughing when Minho speaks up, voice achingly familiar in your ears.

“What are you doing here?”

You cough again and glare at him, eyes watering. “I should be asking you the same question.”

“I can’t even stay at my own mother’s apartment anymore?”

You frown, reluctant to admit that he’s actually got a point. “My mom told me that your mom wanted me to come visit.”

He lets out a barely audible sigh and stands back to fully open the door. “Well, come in, then.”

You step into the apartment and can barely keep from gasping because everything is just exactly how you remember it. There’s an embarrassing baby photo of Minho with tears streaming down his cheeks hanging by the living room couch that you used to tease him about all the time, and a cat litterbox sitting in the corner of the kitchen. The nostalgia hits you before you can choke it down, and you suddenly feel almost regretful.

Minho’s mom shuffles into the living room from the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist. Her eyes crinkle into a wide smile at the sight of you, stepping forward to take your hands in her own. “Y/N! I’m so glad to see you, it’s been so long.”

Minho is silent from next to you, watching your exchange quietly. You tip your head forwards in greeting, squeezing her hands gently and attempting a smile, although it comes out more as a grimace. “It’s been a while.”

She laughs. Minho’s laugh has always paralleled her own, and your chest squeezes tightly at the sound. Her eyes light on Minho and she smiles at you again. “You must have been startled to see Minho here as well.”

“Ah..” you say, trailing off. ‘Startled’ isn’t even remotely close to the feeling in your chest right now. “I guess so.”

“It’s been a while. You and Minho must have a lot of things to catch up on,” she presses again, eyes flickering between you and Minho.

Fuck, you think. She doesn’t know.

She doesn’t know that you and Minho haven’t talked in years, doesn’t know that you haven’t even bothered keeping in touch. When Minho had received that email from JYP Entertainment inviting him to join that survival show, you had begged him not to go.

What will I do, you had asked, without you?

Because, you see, you had loved Minho once, maybe a little more than you should have. And you had naively and stupidly believed that Minho loved you back.

Four years ago was back when you still believed in love, in making a wish before blowing out the candles and in the idea of soulmates. You and Minho had wholly and solely believed that the two of you were going to change the world back then— back when the two of you were young and stupid but also undeniably content with life and all it had to offer.

Minho shattered that contentedness the day he broke the news to you. You remember the heat of your tears as they brimmed and spilled over, the way Minho’s face crumpled in guilt.

But Minho had already made his decision the moment he set his eyes on the email. He left you anyway, despite your pleas. You were too angry to bother contacting him after that, and he was too stubborn to contact you.

And that was the end of that.

But Minho’s mom stares at you with such expectant eyes and you can’t bring yourself to break it to her. So instead, you smile and nod. “Yeah, I guess we do.”

Minho shifts uncomfortably from next to you and his mom quickly shuffles to the doorway to kick on her shoes, grinning at you with dancing eyes. “Well, I’ve got a few errands to run, so I’ll leave you two to it. I’ll be back in an hour.”

And then she’s gone, and it’s just you and Minho.

Minho clears his throat and comes to sit on an armchair next to you. In the awkward silence that follows, you finally manage to get a good look at him.

He’s still just as pretty as always, if not prettier. The same perfect nose, same high cheekbones. The same catlike eyes that you fell in love with so many years ago. There’s a tiredness that seems to have settled itself permanently into the pallor of his skin that wasn’t there before he left, though, and the baby fat has long since gone from his cheeks.

But despite it all, he is still your Minho. And you despise the fact that you cannot find it in yourself to push him away— now that he is in front of you like this, even after all these years spent telling yourself that you would never forgive Lee Minho for what he did.

The door cracks open and Soonie strolls in, tail held high as he makes his way leisurely to sit by the couch cushion next to you. He’s hardly changed as well, which you’re glad for. You’ve always liked Soonie, with his wide amber eyes and perpetually swaying tail. You hold out a hand for him to sniff, running your fingertips along his soft fur. Minho watches in silence, dark bangs falling over his eyes.

He’s dyed his hair black again, you notice. It suits him a little too much. The aching in your chest only intensifies when you set your eyes on him, so you look away after a bit. But Minho keeps his eyes on you, observing you quietly as you stroke Soonie in silence, unable to unstick the words at the back of your throat threatening to spill out.

You can already feel yourself building up your walls again, stacking them up high to obscurify yourself from Minho’s dark eyes.

But your walls are made of sand and Minho is the ocean in all of its angry glory. And your walls crumble apart as the tide rolls in, leaving you on the shore, shivering, stripped bare before Minho, like an offering. You know this, because you’ve seen it happen a thousand times before when you were younger. You could hide all you want, you know, but Minho has always seen right through you— like glass.

You look away from him before your eyes can betray you, before he can sense the wrath pooling deep within your gut or the longing oozing out of every pore within your body. Instead, you run your fingers through Soonie’s fur, who has settled into your lap and has been purring away like some kind of furry motor for the past 5 minutes.

“I didn’t know you dyed your hair black again.”

Minho blinks at you for a moment before nodding. “I dyed it a few months ago.”

“Ah,” you say, venom seeping into your words before you can stop it. “Sorry. It’s been hard to keep track of all your hair colors since you left. I mean, how long has it been? Four years? Without as much as a fucking text, too.”

Minho doesn’t even seem surprised at your anger, just tired. He sighs.

“I’ve been busy these past couple of years.”

“So busy that you couldn’t even spare enough time to send me one fucking message?” you sneer. “Save it. I don’t want to hear your pathetic excuses.”

You find that you’re curling in on yourself reflexively, building your walls as high as they can go. But Minho looks at you with quiet eyes and you just know that he’s knocking down your walls faster than you can build them up. He can see right through you, see the hurt brimming within your chest, and you have never hated anyone like you have hated him for it.

“I’m not trying to excuse what I’ve done,” he says, almost gently. As if he were talking to a trapped animal. You’d rather he yell at you or something, anything but this. “I know it was wrong. But it’s true that I have been busy, especially these days.”

You shake your head, eyebrows furrowed as you stare down into your lap. It’s hard to be mad at someone who speaks to you in such a way. For a long moment, the two of you sit there quietly, Soonie’s purring reverberating through the room.

“Why are you even here?” you say, finally.

“Our promotions recently just ended so I’m on break right now,” Minho says. “I’ll only be in Gimpo for the next week or so, though.”

You want to say something harsh, just to watch his face crumble in guilt, like the day he told you about the JYP email. But instead, what comes out is—

“Have you visited Gimpo before since you left?”

Minho shakes his head, although he doesn’t meet your eyes as he speaks. “I’ve been too busy.”

Which strikes you as odd because even idols do get breaks and vacations, enough time to at least visit their parents and have a homecooked meal for once. But you don’t mention it. Instead, you nod and thread your fingers through Soonie’s fur.

Minho clears his throat.

“Did you get into Seoul National University like you planned to?”

Your lips curl into a reluctant smile as you nod. “Yeah. Yeah, I did.”

Except I hate my major, you want to say, because I chose computer science just for you. Because I thought we’d get into the university together. But you didn’t go, so now I’m stuck in the most prestigious university in Korea with a major I couldn’t give two fucks about.

“That’s good,” Minho says. “Seoul National University was always your dream college.”

You nod. And before yet another awkward silence can settle into the atmosphere, the door swings open and Minho’s mom steps in, carrying several grocery bags. She beams at the sight of the two of you sitting together. “Had fun catching up?”

Forcing a smile, you nod. She sets the grocery bags on the floor of the apartment and turns to grin at you. “Why don’t you stay for dinner? I bought lots of pork today— I can make samgyeopsal for you and Minho.”

And despite the very appetizing idea of samgyeopsal, you think that you might just combust if you spend any more time in Minho’s presence, so you shake your head. “My mom will probably be expecting me back by now. I should probably go. I had a great time, though.”

“Oh,” she says, regretfully. “Well, come back anytime! I’m sure Minho has missed you a lot.”

Minho hisses softly through his teeth, glaring at his mom from his armchair. She promptly ignores him as she smiles at you cheerfully.

Slipping on your shoes, you nod and thank her, stepping out of the door before she can say anything else.

When you enter your mom’s apartment, the first thing you do is glare balefully at your mom, who’s nursing a cup of green tea and observing you closely from behind her wire-rimmed glasses.

“You knew Minho had come back!” you snap accusingly, tugging off your sweater to toss it haphazardly onto the living room couch.

“Well, what was I supposed to do?” she demands. “It was the perfect opportunity for the two of you to finally make up.”

“Me and Minho are never making up,” you say, decisively. “I can’t forgive him for what he did.”

“Well, you should at least try,” she declares, firmly. “I set up reservations for a cat café. You and Minho should go together.”

You open your mouth to inform her that she’s probably gone insane because there’s no way you’ll ever go to a cat café with Lee Minho after everything that he’s done but she cuts you off, smiling. “I already texted Minho’s mom about it. She thinks it’s a good idea.”

“Minho’s never going to agree,” you protest, eyes narrowed. Her smile widens.

“Oh, but Minho did agree. He said that he wouldn’t mind,” she counters triumphantly. “So you really have no excuse.”

You suddenly regret ever boarding the train to Gimpo in the first place.

ii. the morning after.

When Minho arrives at your apartment at 9 am sharp, clad in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, you almost cancel on him altogether as the sudden weight of what you’re about to do hits you like a ton of bricks.

Here you are, standing in front of Lee Minho himself after all these years, preparing to go to some cat café with him just because your mom insisted.

It’s just a little insane.

You’re about to open your mouth to tell him that maybe going to this cat café might not be the best idea after all, but your mom pushes you out of the door before you can utter a word, pointedly ignoring the way you glower at her.

“Have fun at the café!” she grins. “Don’t come back home until dinner time!”

And then she slams the door and you find yourself, for the second time in two days, left alone with Lee Minho.

Sighing, you turn to face him.

“Let’s get this over with,” you say, with a touch of resent in your voice. “Hopefully we won’t ever have to see each other again after this.”

Minho says nothing, just tips his head towards you in silent assent, dark eyes meeting your own evenly.

iii. of cats and iced americanos.

The café proves to be not so bad after all.

Minho keeps a baseball cap slung low over his eyes as you step into the shop, careful to conceal his identity. You marvel at how easily he blends into the background like this, his face obscured almost entirely beneath his cap and face mask. The people barely spare him a glance as he brushes past them, not one of them suspecting that he could possibly be Lee Minho, world renowned idol whose recent album just topped Billboard.

A waitress escorts you into a secluded room, where the two of you come to sit down by a rounded table. The cats arrive shortly afterwards, slipping into the room with their swaying tails and feline eyes. Minho lights up at the sight of them, crouching down to run his fingers through their hair and scratch behind their ears.

You sip your iced americano in silence and watch as he softens, observing how easily he unravels as a striped tabby comes to brush itself against his legs, purring loudly. A Siamese cat situates itself in your lap, a warm weight against your legs, and you allow it to run its rough tongue along your bare forearm.

Eventually, when Minho has had enough of sitting on the floor, he comes to sit on the seat adjacent to your own. You observe him leisurely as he sweeps a hand through his hair, pushing his bangs away from his forehead, only for them to fall into his eyes yet again.

You could stare at Minho like this for forever, you think. Despite your anger, you could never get tired of studying his face. He’s always been exceptionally pretty, and he’s grown up well these past four years.

Maybe he’d be easier to hate if he didn’t look like some fucking god all the damn time, with his long eyelashes and finely-cut nose.

You clear your throat.

“How is it?”

He turns to glance at you, frowning. “How is what?”

“Being an idol. What’s it like?”

You can’t say that you aren’t curious. You’ve never felt compelled to become an idol, the entire idea being rather unappealing to you, but you can’t help but wonder how it must feel to have a hundred thousand doting fans scattered all across the globe, practically rabid with their adoration for you.

Minho tilts his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. A silence settles through the room as he contemplates your question.

“It’s fucked up and incredible all at once,” he says after a long moment. “It’s kind of hard to describe in words. But there are moments that I’d gladly relive a hundred times over, and there are moments that I’d do anything to forget.”

You run a finger through the condensation of your glass of iced americano, considering his answer.

“I like my members a lot, though,” he adds, almost as an afterthought. “I didn’t think I’d like them too much when I first met them, but they’ve grown on me.”

Something fills his eyes at the very mention of his members, a prominent sheen of fondness spilling into his irises, and you feel your stomach twist itself into knots. You know this gaze, have seen it a thousand times before, because Minho used to look at you the same way four years ago. You swallow down the bitter bile that rises up in your throat and turn to glance at him.

“Your members sound nice,” you say, although you don’t really mean it. You’ve seen them at least a hundred times by now on TV, and you cannot help the envy that fills your mouth every single time at the sight of them. You know it’s not their fault, but you can’t help but blame them for Minho’s leaving. A small, childish part of you desperately wants to believe this; that they took Minho away from you— just to have someone to blame.

Minho lets out a small laugh and your heart clenches like a fist within your ribcage.

God, you think, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard him laugh like this.

“They’re like family to me,” he says, eyes soft. And resentment seeps deep into your skin at the warmth that laces his voice.

You have seen enough. Physically unable to hold Minho’s gaze, you drop your eyes down to your lap. The Siamese cat left a few minutes ago; your legs feel chilly now that they are absent of the Siamese’s soft warmth.

“Did you miss Gimpo?” you ask, not meeting his eyes.

You both know that you don’t quite mean the question, not entirely. That there is another question laced beneath this one, one that you can’t quite bring yourself to ask.

Did you miss me?

Minho glances at you, although you’re still staring down at your lap. The heat of his gaze bores into you as he considers you, eyes heavy. Finally, after a long silence—

“Yeah,” he says softly. “I’ve missed Gimpo a lot. There hasn’t been a day where I haven’t thought of it.”

Minho’s voice is quiet as he speaks, barely audible despite the muted atmosphere of the room. He speaks casually, feigning indifference, dark bangs falling into his even darker eyes, iced americano lying abandoned in front of him.

And it is enough for you.

Something within you gives way, softens underneath Minho’s gaze. The realization comes to you easily, almost gently, as if you had known all along. The same realization that you’ve spent years in denial of, burying it deep underneath your anger and regret. But it resurfaces the moment Minho admits that he’s missed you, and refuses to be buried once more.

You’ve missed him, too.

Minho observes you quietly, watches as your resilience crumbles into sand.

He says nothing. The air smells of stale coffee grounds.

iv. the fall.

Minho texts you for the first time in four years the next day. You stare at your phone in a mixture of shock and disbelief, the screen unbearingly bright against your eyes.

[11:34 am] minho: do u want to come over? i’m making kimchi jjigae.

You’re not quite sure what warranted this invitation. But you don’t have anything else to do, and you’ve warmed up considerably to Minho these past few days. The idea isn’t as repulsive to you as it might have been two days ago.

Besides, you enjoy his company. More than you’d like to admit.

[11:36 am] i’ll be there in 5 mins

You arrive at his apartment shortly. Minho tips his head towards you in a silent greeting as you slip into the apartment, a plaid apron tied around his waist as he hovers over the stove. You come to stand next to him, peering over his shoulder.

“Didn’t know you could cook.”

Minho shrugs. “I only started a year ago or so. I got tired of ordering takeout all the time since my members can’t cook to save their lives.”

You glance around the kitchen. “Is your mom home?”

Minho shakes his head. “She said something about her crocheting class.”

You nod and lean back, perching on the kitchen countertop, observing Minho’s broad shoulders as he cooks. Minho turns to glance at you, eyes bright with amusement. “Is the fact that you accepted my invitation to come over a sign that you’ve finally forgiven me?”

Your lips tug up into a half smile.

“Absolutely not. You’re still the world’s biggest asshole for leaving me,” you say, watching silently as Minho puts the last finishing touches to the soup. He smiles and comes to stand directly in front of you, so close that you can see the faint scar next to his eyebrow. He used to complain about the scar all the time when he was younger, joking that it ruined his good looks. Four years later, you can hardly even see it at all— just a faint white line by his eyebrow.

Something shifts between the two of you, the atmosphere tensing and thickening until you can hardly even bring yourself to breathe.

“Is that so?” he asks, eyes crinkling at the corners as he grins.

You tell your heart to stop flopping around inside your chest like a fish as he leans in closer and nod.

“Sorry,” he breathes. “I’ll make it up to you.”

And then you’re kissing.

Kissing, and Minho is gripping your waist with a gentle hand, his nose brushing against your cheek. Your body responds to his touch faster than your brain does and you find yourself melting into him, pulling him closer and running a hand through his dark locks of hair.

You shouldn’t be doing this, you think. You shouldn’t be kissing Lee Minho, world renowned idol slash professional dancer slash ex best friend on his mom’s kitchen countertop. But it’s been so long since you’ve had him like this and you can’t resist it.

The anger within you ignites again the moment your lips meet, consuming you wholly in its blaze.

You want to devour him whole, to take and take and take until he has nothing left to give you. Minho hums against your lips and you are so greedy— all teeth and heated lips, demanding and begging him for more.

Everything that you have kept within your walls for the past four years spills out of you.

You want to have all of him, down to the faint scar that sits by his left eyebrow. You want him to run his fingers across the cracks of your misshapen heart, to take you in with all your bruises and flaws.

Look, Lee Minho, for this is how you break a heart. Look at the destruction you have left in your wake, the hairline fractures that run along the flesh of my heart. Look, for you shattered me into a million pieces the day you left, and it was I who pieced myself back together again.

Look, Lee Minho, for you left me in Gimpo as a mere shell of a being, a husk of flesh and bone, and I have molded myself back into the shape of a human once more.

You pull Minho closer into the kiss, lips slick with your own greed.

The soup starts smoking before you can bother doing anything else. The two of you practically jump apart, flushed and panting. Minho’s ears color red as he quickly turns away from you to tend to the stew, lifting it off the stove and placing the steaming pot on the countertop. Clearing his throat, he spares a quick glance your way. “The soup’s ready.”

You nod distractedly, hopping off the countertop to sit by the dining table. Minho slides a warm bowl of soup in front of you, face completely passive of any emotion as if the two of you weren’t making out a few minutes ago. You poke at the stew skeptically, doubtful of his cooking skills.

Minho catches the suspicion in your eyes and lets out a laugh. “Don’t worry. It’s edible.”

The stew proves to be more than just edible when you finally take a sip. Minho grins as you nod approvingly at the rich saltiness of the soup, almost smug. “Good?”

You nod. “Better than I expected from you, at least.”

Minho scoffs, rolling his eyes.

“You always underestimated me. Even when we were younger.”

You widen your eyes in mock protest. “When did I ever? I always had the highest confidence in your abilities.”

“Right,” he grins. “Just like that time you predicted I’d get a 73 on my physics exam and I ended up getting a 97, right?”

Exhaling softly, you swallow hard. Even after four years, you still remember everything in perfect detail. After Minho left, you treated every memory you ever made with him with utmost care, placing them in glass jars and setting them high in the shelves of your heart, where forgetfulness would not be able to reach them. Now that he’s finally come home, it’s as if he took every jar and smashed it to pieces, releasing a torrent of memories in his wake.

Minho laughing on your seventh birthday, blue frosting smudged on the corners of his lips from the cheap grocery store cake your mother bought you. Minho kicking your leg from underneath the desk during chemistry class, lips quirking up in a grin when you turn to glare at him. Minho running a finger along the bruise decorating your cheek when you show up at his apartment, cheeks wet with tears after your father came back home drunk again.

You swallow again, as if you could choke down the memories if you tried hard enough, dissolving them in the acid of your stomach. Minho peers at you with worried eyes. “You okay?”

You are about to brush him off with a dismissive grin like you have an innumerable amount of times with others, before you remember that this is Minho. Minho, who has always been able to see right through you, who can read you at a glance, knocking down your walls with those dark eyes of his before you can put them back up again. Minho, who would never buy into your little white lies and halfhearted smiles.

So you tell him the truth.

“Just thinking about what we used to be,” you say.

Minho drops his gaze down to his lap in understanding and before you can stop yourself—

“Why did you do it?” you ask, voice coming out smaller than you intended it to be. “Why did you still leave, even after everything I said?”

You watch as Minho’s eyes darken at your question, lips curving downwards in a slight frown. You wait for his answer in silence, breath caught in your throat in anticipation, although you never know what to expect with someone like Minho.

“I had to get away from him,” he finally says, after a long pause.

“Who?”

“My dad. I had to get away from him.”

Oh.

Because you know of Minho’s dad and how he is, of the dementia pills that sit by his empty bedside and of the hardness that fills Minho’s eyes at the very mention of his father. And for a moment, all you can do is stare at him, because you have never felt so guilty in your entire life. Minho clenches and unclenches his hands into fists, knuckles painted white.

“I thought I could handle it, you know,” he says, without looking at you. “I thought I could handle his.. episodes. When I was younger, they weren’t too bad— just scary. He’d mistake me for one of his childhood friends or his younger brother and start acting all weird and my mom would help calm him down. But he kept on getting worse as I got older and the doctor didn’t know what else to prescribe him so they just told my mom and I to keep a close eye on him and— fuck, it’s still so hard to think about.”

He swallows hard.

“I came back home from dance practice one night and my dad was cutting up lettuce for dinner and he just started freaking out when I stepped into the house, yelling at me to get out— I think he thought I was his dad or something. And I didn’t know what to do because my mom had gone out and we had just ran out of his pills, and he kept on trying to stab me with the knife and— God, it was so fucking terrifying. He ended up nicking my wrist pretty badly— by the time my mom came back home there was blood splattered all over the kitchen floor, although everything ended up turning out okay. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it, you know? Like, I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that I was coexisting in the same home with someone who had just tried to kill me.”

You don’t know what to say as you stare at him, breathless. He shakes his head. “It got so bad that he had to get hospitalized, eventually. And even then, he kept on mistaking me for his father. Like, he’d be all hooked up on all these machines and IV drips and the moment I’d come in he’d just start screaming at me to get out until the nurses rushed in to tranquilize him. And I just remember standing by his bedside, watching as the nurses stuck a bunch of syringes into his wrists to pump at least 13 different sedatives into his system, wanting nothing more than for him to die.”

Minho lets out a sharp exhale, running a hand through his dark locks of hair. “I couldn’t handle it, afterwards. I felt so guilty all the fucking time for wanting my own fucking father to die and I couldn’t imagine what my mom would think if she ever found out and— I had to get away. So when JYP sent me that email, I jumped at the opportunity.”

You open your mouth to say something— anything, really, although you doubt it’ll be much of a consolation to Minho, but he glares at you before you can say a word.

“Don’t. You’ve never been good at comforting.”

So you don’t. Instead, you turn to stare at him, your mouth a hard line of resentment. “Why didn’t you at least tell me? All this time, I thought it was because you grew tired of me or something. You could have at least told me you left because of your dad.”

Minho sighs.

“I never thought you’d ever think of it that way,” he admits. “Besides, it was pathetic to tell you that I left just because of my sick dad.”

You smile ruefully, and think about your own dad, with his cracked beer bottles and bloodshot eyes. “You’re not the only one with an asshole for a dad, you know.”

“He wasn’t an asshole,” Minho says. “He was just sick. Very, very sick. He died a few months after I left. I couldn’t even bring myself to attend his fucking funeral, even though my mom begged like crazy.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t know, maybe things would have turned out differently if my dad wasn’t so messed up.”

You trace your finger along the rim of your bowl, lips curling into a smile. “Maybe you would have stayed here in Gimpo. With me.”

Minho looks up from his soup to gaze at you, dark eyes soft.

“I never wanted to leave you behind, you know. You were the world to me.”

It’s unlike Minho to be so straightforward about his fondness. You study him, taking him in critically. Everything about him is so achingly familiar and foreign at the same time that it hurts to look at him. “But you hated your dad enough to leave your world behind, huh?”

Minho leans forward, tipping his head towards your own. For a moment, the two of you consider each other, eyes heavy, breaths hitching in your throats.

“I said I’m sorry already,” Minho says, lips curled into a wry smile. “What more do you want from me?”

You tilt your head to the side, grinning. “I can think of a lot of things, actually.”

And then you find yourself kissing your ex best friend for the second time since this morning.

v. the deal.

Later, when you are sprawled out in a mess of tangled limbs across the couch, breathless and panting, lips swollen from your exertions, Minho turns to gaze at you. You meet his eyes sluggishly, half-asleep in his arms.

“What is it?”

Minho swallows, reaching up a hand to sweep back his bangs. “We can continue this, if you want.”

You frown. “Continue what?”

He gestures vaguely with his hands at your intertwined limbs. “Whatever this is. We can continue it, if you want to. It doesn’t have to be dating.”

You feel your eyebrows knitting together. You had thought all of this would be a one-time thing, that Minho would disappear without a trace after his week in Gimpo ended. Now fully awake, you turn to stare at him.

“You’re an idol,” you deadpan.

Minho lifts up a shoulder to rest more comfortably against the couch, arms tightening around your waist. “So?”

“Do you have any idea what would happen if we were found out?”

“Like I said, it doesn’t have to be dating.”

You laugh shortly, although you don’t find all of this funny at the slightest. “Do you think it would look like that to your fans?”

“We’ll be careful, then. No one has to know.”

You sit up, untangling his arms from your waist. Minho watches you with indolent eyes, hair splayed out in a halo against the couch cushion.

“One thing I don’t understand, though,” you say, frowning. “Why me?”

Because Minho could quite literally have anyone he wanted, with his good looks and fame. Because just a few days ago, he went trending all over Twitter over a fucking fancam. Because Lee Minho lives so vividly, is so vibrant and colorful in everything that he does, especially compared to your own monochrome palette. And a small part of you wonders what he could possibly see in someone as mundane as you.

He swallows, suddenly serious. “It’s so easy to be with you,” he says. “Maybe it’s just because we’ve known each other for such a long time, but it’s nice to spend time with you.”

He watches as you consider him, eyes narrowed.

“Think of it as stress relief,” he proposes, sensing your confusion. “That’s kind of how it feels. It’s hardly been three days, but this is the most relaxed I’ve been in a while.”

Rationally speaking, the entire deal is bullshit. You know that a proposal like this one could only end badly, and Minho is too smart to not know as well. But both of you have missed each other a little too much over the years, and rationality has been thrown out the window ever since Minho kissed you on the kitchen countertop.

So you wrap your arms around him and press your lips to his collarbone. Minho brushes his nose against the crown of your hair in a strangely affectionate gesture and you feel yourself shiver with delight, at the thrill of this entire affair.

“Okay,” you say. “Stress relief.”

vi. before the coffee gets cold.

Like this, the days pass in a blur. Everything happens a little too fast for your liking, and in the midst of Minho laughing because you accidentally tripped and fell on your ass in the middle of the ice skating rink and your mom ducking her head to hide a knowing a smile when you come home late after a long day at the amusement park with Minho, you faintly register that this is the happiest you’ve ever been in a very long time.

The four days Minho had left at Gimpo faded away as quickly as they’d come and soon enough, you found yourself sitting next to him by the dining table of your apartment, a mug of coffee clutched in your hands, a mere thirty minutes before Minho was to leave for the airport to return to Seoul.

Minho watches as you stir cream into your coffee, eyes trained down to the dull beige of your latte.

“I’ll come back again, you know,” he says, voice soft.

“You better,” you say, half jokingly, although your voice is devoid of any humor. “I’ll post your predebut pictures online if you don’t.”

You both know that it’s an empty threat, but Minho feigns annoyance anyway. “The ones you took back when I had a terrible case of acne?”

You feel your lips twist into a grin as Minho narrows his eyes menacingly. Before the two of you can launch into another one of your petty bickerings, you suddenly remember the gift you ordered off of Amazon a few days ago.

“Oh, right,” you say, reaching behind you to pull out a box. “I got this for you. As a farewell present.”

Minho lifts his eyebrows. “You didn’t have to get me anything, you know.”

You shrug and gesture for him to open it.

It’s a cat airpod case, the last one in stock. You had spent the better part of your shitty college wages to buy it, thinking it would be worth it just to see Minho’s face split into a grin at the sight of the airpod case. But now, as Minho cracks open the box to take the case into his hands, you all of a sudden regret ever buying the fucking present in the first place.

Because after all, this is Lee Minho. Who probably has a filthy rich net worth, judging from the Internet estimates, at least, and a million seller album despite the fact that it was only released a few weeks ago. Compared to him, your present seems trivial and insignificant.

Minho examines your gift closely, eyes scrutinizing. And just as you’re about to snatch the case out of his hands, telling him to forget it, that it was just a joke, anyway, Minho reaches into his pocket to pull out his Airpods, fitting them neatly into the case.

“I can finally stop worrying about losing my Airpods, now,” is all he says as he turns the case in his hands.

You feel your chest swell as he grins at you, your lips tugging into a smile to mirror his own. Leaning forward, you reach out to brush a lock of hair out of his eyes. “Maybe I can visit you sometime in Seoul. My university isn’t too far away from JYP.”

Minho nods, leaning into your touch. “I’d like that.”

And then you watch as he stands up to leave, watch as he brushes off his jeans and shoulders his backpack, tugging a suitcase along with him. Everything is a little too familiar, a little too similar to how he left four years ago. Minho turns back to you at the doorway and touches his lips to your forehead, wrapping his arms around you.

“I think I developed abandonment issues because of you,” you say.

Minho laughs, a faraway sound in your ears.

“Sorry,” he says. “I’ll come back this time, promise.”

And then he’s gone.

When you walk back to the dining table, a hundred years older, you find that your coffee has already gone cold.

vii. after dark.

The next time you meet Lee Minho is in the privacy of his own apartment. Minho is the one who first proposes it, a few months after he leaves for Seoul. By then, your spring break had long since ended, and you are back to your usual grind at your university.

He texts you in the middle of organic biology class, your phone chiming embarrassingly loudly throughout the room. Your professor turns to glare at you over her half-moon glasses as the students collectively turn around from their desks to stare.

“You know my policy about phones in class,” your professor reprimands.

You mumble out an apology, cheeks red. The students slowly turn their attention back to the professor as she resumes explaining properties of lipids, and you seize the opportunity to quickly check the text.

[9:52 am] minho: u should come over to my apartment

It’s a little too in character for Minho to text you something like this with zero context at all, so you don’t question it. You’re about to ask him how the fuck you’re supposed to know where his apartment is in the first place when he sends you his address.

Holding your phone beneath your desk to keep it from your professor’s prying eyes, you carefully type out a message.

[9:54 am] i have class

Minho responds almost immediately.

[9:54 am] minho: come after class then. i can wait

So you do. You arrive at his apartment shortly after dark, when you should have been working on an overdue paper that you’ve been procrastinating on for a week by now. Minho’s eyes light up when he tugs open the door, lips tugging into a smile.

His hair is purple now. There are dark circles under his eyes, a gray weariness settled deep into his skin. Stepping forward, you wrap your arms around his waist, feeling his chest tremble and then deflate as he exhales, sinking into your touch.

“Sorry I took so long,” you say. Minho hums into your shoulder in a wordless acknowledgement of your apology, voice muffled. Detangling your intertwined arms, he takes a step back to study you. For a moment, the two of you drink each other in before Minho tugs you into the apartment.

The moment you step into the apartment, you let out an exhale of air you didn’t know you were holding. Everything about his place is so undeniably Minho that it aches to observe it all. The cat clock hanging by the living room couch, the familiar scent of coffee that hangs heavy in the air. Minho watches you carefully as you take it all in. “Do you like it?”

You avoid the question.

“I thought you lived in the dorms with the other members.”

“We moved out a few months ago,” Minho says. “JYP finally expanded our budget, and we thought it would be nice to have our own spaces. They still come over all the time though, or I go over to their places.”

You nod wordlessly. The cat airpod case you gifted him a few months back is lying by the coffee table. Grinning, you pick it up, running a thumb along its top ridge. “You still have this?”

Minho laughs. “Why? Do you want it back?”

You shake your head, smiling. Something about the fact that he kept the airpod case even after all this time is terribly endearing to you, although you’d never admit it out loud.

Minho shuffles into the kitchen, scrubbing a hand over his face wearily as he picks up a spatula. “Are you hungry? Should I cook something?”

You hesitate, frowning as you observe Minho’s evident exhaustion. “Maybe I should cook instead?”

Minho narrows his eyes skeptically.

“Can you even cook?”

You roll your eyes, stepping forward to yank the spatula out of Minho’s hands. “Of course I can cook.”

(Which is a lie.)

Yanking open his refrigerator, you take out a carton of eggs and a jar of kimchi. Minho hovers over your shoulder, hot breath ghosting over your neck as he speaks. “What are you making?”

Brandishing a knife you just pulled out from his knife block, you flip open the carton of eggs to pull out a few. “Kimchi fried rice.”

Minho lets out a derisive snort from behind you, evidently doubtful of your cuisine skills, causing you to turn around and glare at him.

“Can you at least be more supportive? I’m trying to do you a favor here.”

Minho nudges the bowl of eggs you just finished cracking, their yellow yolks jiggling as he pokes at it. “You got bits of shell stuck in the egg whites.”

Hissing through your teeth, you pull out a pair of chopsticks to fish out the pieces of egg shell. Minho sighs.

“It wouldn’t hurt to let me cook, you know. We both know I’m the superior chef between the two of us.”

Snapping at him to shut up, you pull out a frying pan and proceed to make the worst dish of kimchi fried rice ever made in Korea. In the middle of preparing the kimchi, the eggs start to smoke. Minho yells at you over the din of the smoke alarm to turn off the fire as you dart around the kitchen, attempting to salvage the damage. Eventually, after about thirty minutes of chaos, you finally manage to quiet things down again and you and Minho sit down to a very poorly cooked dinner.

Minho pokes at the rice tentatively with his chopsticks. The eggs are burnt to crisp and the rice is scorched black. In an attempt to make the dish a little more appetizing, you dumped chili paste all over the kimchi, overly-seasoning the rice in the process.

Bracing yourself, you take a bite of the rice. It tastes exactly how it looks, burnt and blackened. Minho watches you as you chew. “Does it taste okay?”

You resist the urge to throw up your mouthful of rice all over the dining table. Swallowing with some difficulty, you manage a pained grin. “It tastes great.”

Minho tries a mouthful of rice and promptly gags the moment it hits his tongue. Staggering to the kitchen, he retches straight into the trashcan, eyes watering. You glare at him as he makes his way back to the table.

“It wasn’t that bad.”

Minho shakes his head. “I should sue you for food poisoning. Even Changbin isn’t this bad at cooking.”

For a brief moment, the two of you sit in defeated silence, mourning the waste of perfectly good rice and kimchi. You’d argue more with him in defense of your cooking skills, but even you can’t bring yourself to stomach another mouthful of rice, which is saying something. Finally, Minho speaks up.

“Do you want to just get Chinese takeout instead?”

“Yeah,” you sigh. “Let’s do that.”

The takeout arrives half an hour later, a banquet of Peking duck and Mapo tofu. The two of you dig in enthusiastically, having eaten nothing but burnt fried rice since this evening.

By the time you have eaten yourselves sick, your stomachs full and sated, the moon hangs high in the sky. Minho rests with his head on your shoulder, half asleep as the two of you watch some Netflix show that neither of you could give two fucks about.

Minho’s eyes are half-shut when you glance down at him from the TV screen, eyes heavy-lidded with sleep. You touch a finger to the ridge of his cheekbone, his skin warm beneath your fingertips. You run your finger along a scar against his temple, barely visible in the dimly lit room. Minho’s eyebrows knit together as you barely graze the scar with your fingertips, but he leans ever so slightly into your touch anyway.

“What’s this from?” you ask.

Minho’s eyes flutter open, his hand coming up to touch the scar. “Oh, this?”

Something in his voice. Fractured glass, crumbling sandcastles.

You glance at him, perplexed, and Minho breaks your gaze, glancing down until all you can see is his long eyelashes.

“My dad,” he says as an explanation, voice impossibly small. “I visited at the hospital a few days before I left and he went completely berserk, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me, yelling all this shit. He slammed my head into the cardiac monitor before the nurses could sedate him.”

There is nothing left to say. Pressing his lips into a tight line, he goes silent. You gaze down at the boy pressed to your side, observing the weariness in the pallor of his skin and the slight downturn of his lips, and know that if you could, you would gladly give the world to see him happy.

You run your finger along the scar once more. And maybe if you were dating instead of just messing around, you’d lean down and press your lips to his temple, right where his scar was. You’d take the pain in Minho’s eyes and cradle it gently to your chest, hold him as he trembled and tensed beneath your touch. But you aren’t dating, and there are walls of sand standing between the two of you. And you know that you can only stand within a certain proximity of Minho before things become dangerous, lines blurring and softening. So you drop your hand from his temple to place it in your lap and glance back to the drama.

Next to you, Minho lets out a barely audible sigh. You are both tired of this, although you cannot bear to say it out loud.

viii. as the lines blur.

Minho proves to be remarkably adept at making up excuses to come and see you.

He texts you the next day as you’re making your way back home that you left your hoodie at his place, before texting you some Korean BBQ restaurant to meet up at just so he can “return your hoodie.” You don’t bother telling him that you didn’t even bother wearing a hoodie yesterday in the first place, just because you want to see him just as badly.

“Where’s my hoodie?” you ask as you seat yourself next to Minho, lips curled into a wry smile. Minho grins at you from behind his mask, eyes crinkling.

“I guess I forgot to bring it.”

A few weeks later, Minho calls you to say that he made too much jjajangmyeon and needs someone to help him finish it.

“I’m sure your members would be more than happy to help you eat it,” you say through the phone, grinning.

He laughs. “Most of them don’t like jjajangmyeon.”

You know that this is a dangerous game the two of you play, this loving in the dark. You’ve long stopped believing in happy endings, not after everything you’ve seen. But you have already lost Minho once, and you cannot bear to lose him again.

This is the happiest you’ve been in forever, and despite the barriers between the two of you, it is enough to pretend that everything is as real as it seems.

You see it in his eyes too, when he finally takes off his cap as he steps into the apartment, hair messy. When he adjusts his mask over his nose as the two of you pass by a group of girls, ducking his head down to cover his features. There is a weariness in his eyes that filters through him no matter how many times he covers it with a grin, a sort of simmering anger burning behind the dark depths of his pupils.

You would show Minho to the world if you could, whispering to them to look. The way his laughter is jagged at the edges when he is the happiest, though it is never like this on camera, where his laugh is always pretty and clipped. The dark circles beneath his eyes, although they have never seen him so before, for they are always covered in layers of makeup.

For this is what it means to love someone: to take in all their flaws and blemishes and hold them closer for it all.

ix. crumbling sandcastles.

This is how it all ends.

You walk back home from college one day, arguing with Minho via text about the legitimacy of mint chocolate ice cream. You’ve been seeing each other more often recently, coming up with random alibis to meet up. You can’t say that you regret it.

Just as you’re about to enter your apartment complex, you hear your name. Turning around slowly, you find yourself staring directly at Bang Chan, the leader of Stray Kids. After Minho’s insistence, you learned the names of his other members and even watched a few of their music videos, and you find that you are able to recognize Chan in an instant.

You jump back, startled, before hastily dipping your head forward in a bow. Chan mirrors you, bowing politely, before flashing you a tight smile.

“I’m sorry. You’re Y/N, right?” he says. “Do you have a minute? Maybe we can stop by a café or..”

“You’re Bang Chan of Stray Kids,” you say, incredulous.

Chan nods sheepishly, a hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck. “Yeah. I am.”

“What are you even doing here? Don’t you have schedules or something?”

You know you don’t sound exactly friendly, but really, you’re in such a state of shock that you physically seem unable to remember your manners. Chan lets out a short laugh. “I was hoping to meet you sometime. Minho’s told me a lot about you.”

You flush at this, wondering what it exactly was that Minho said about you, and nod. “Sure. I have a minute.”

So Chan takes you to a local park that he seems to be fond of, sitting adjacent to you on a rusty picnic table. You sit straight, staring at him expectantly. “So. What did you want to talk to me about?”

Chan presses his lips into a firm line and sloshes the coffee in his paper cup. Finally, after a long moment, he looks up. There is no longer any trace of faux chivalry in his expression, only a firm resoluteness and beneath that, a dark worry. “I came to ask you if dating Minho is really a good idea,” he says, quietly.

“We aren’t dating,” you say automatically, because this is what you have drilled into your head countless times these past few months. You had thought that if you kept your distance from Minho, refraining from dating, it would be easier to bear if he ever had to leave again.

Chan raises his eyebrows. “Really? That’s not how Minho made it seem.”

“I know it sounds like we are,” you say quickly. “But we reached a mutual agreement that we’d just mess around. You know, nothing official.”

Chan nods slowly, although he still looks just as confused. “But I mean, if your relationship ever gets leaked, no one will ever see you two that way.”

“I know,” you say. “We’ve been careful.”

“Careful,” Chan echoes, and lets out a harsh laugh. You jump at the sound, cringing at the way it grates against your ears. He gives a dismissive shake of his head, smiling, although it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“That’s what they all say,” he says. “But they all got found out in the end, anyway.”

“Minho and I aren’t like that,” you protest, although your argument sounds weak and distant in your ears. “Our relationship is more… detached.”

This is a lie so blatant that you resist the urge to wince.

Chan grimaces, taking a sip of his coffee. “I know I can’t do anything to stop the two of you, and if you two decide to continue whatever you have going on, it’s your choice. But I just wanted to say this.”

You inhale, preparing to put your walls up already. Chan’s eyes are as dark as ink as he gazes at you, bottom lip caught between his teeth.

“My members have come a long way to get to where we are today. I can’t risk having a single member ruin this all for us. To have a dating scandal right at the peak of our careers as of right now— it’ll ruin us.”

There is a sense of finality in his words as he speaks. You meet his gaze quietly, unflinchingly, because that’s what you’ve always done— looked pain in the face and pretended that you were unafraid, even if you were barely holding together at the seams.

“If the two of you ever get found out,” Chan says lowly. “I won’t hesitate to cut Minho off from the group. If it comes between saving the entire group or just one member, I will always choose my members.”

He turns to go, standing up to brush off his jeans. He meets your eyes one last time as he reaches out to grab his half-empty coffee cup. “I hope you remember this when your names are all over Dispatch.”

You lean back, feigning nonchalance although your hands are shaking so badly you can barely hold yourself up. “A bit selfish, don’t you think? Allowing one member to take the brunt of the fall just to save your reputation?”

Chan’s eyes harden.

“I think I deserve to be a little selfish,” he snaps. “I’ve spent the past twelve years worrying after others, fulfilling their every request.”

Scrubbing a hand over his face, his chest deflates in a sigh. “I’m fucking tired.”

And if you were braver, maybe you would grab his wrist before he turned to go to argue some more. But staring at this man, with his dark eye bags and bleached locks of hair, a strong sense of pity fills the cavity of your chest.

He is tired of this too, maybe even more than you are.

So you let him go. And after he’s long since disappeared, you gather up your things and make your way to your apartment, head underwater.

x. how fairytales end.

You were four when your father came home drunk for the first time, nothing but slurred words and reeking breath. A shell of what he once was. Seven when your father slapped you across the face for the first time, just a flash of a calloused hand as it came down hard against your right cheek. Thirteen when he disappeared for good, leaving behind only the reek of beer and a collection of memories that you’d be more than happy to forget.

Happy endings cannot possibly exist in a world like your own.

This is what you tell yourself as you dial Minho’s phone number, what you drill into your head as the phone rings. You think about Minho with his dark eyes and jagged laugh, about how easily he elicits smiles out of you, about how he can read you at a glance.

You think about what it means to love someone.

Minho picks up on the third ring, his voice achingly familiar, even through the phone. “Hello?”

“Minho,” you whisper.

Minho picks up the note of fear in your voice before you can bury it under a facade of nonchalance.

“What’s wrong?” he demands. You can practically hear his frown. “Did something happen?”

You lean your head against the back of your couch, holding the phone so close to your cheek that it digs into your flesh. “Let’s end this.”

The laugh Minho lets out comes out all wrong, half-strangled with not a trace of humor. “End what?”

“You know what I mean. Do I have to spell it out for you?”

A long silence. You run a finger along the waterlines of your eyes to brush away any gathering tears, but find that your eyes are dry. Maybe you’ve been preparing for this moment all along, knowing that there would be an end to all this drunken euphoria eventually. When Minho finally speaks, there is a desperation laced in his voice, one that he hasn’t bothered to mask.

“Can I come over?”

You are silent, chewing on the inside of your cheek. Minho tries again.

“Please. Let me come over. Just once.”

“Okay,” you say. “Just once.”

xi. as the curtains draw.

Minho arrives at your apartment in record time, breathless. He reaches out to touch you when you open up the door, a hand coming up to brush against your cheek. You lean into his touch almost by instinct before jerking back, your heart squeezing painfully in your chest when hurt flashes in Minho’s eyes.

“What happened?” he asks, voice hoarse. “Why would you want to end this, all of a sudden?”

You drop your eyes down— afraid that you will unravel the moment your eyes meet. “It’s too risky,” you say. “What we have going on. I can’t bear it anymore.”

You’ve put up your walls of sand again, building them so thick that even Minho is not able to break through. Or so you hope.

Minho’s dark eyes bore holes into your skin as he studies you for a moment, before giving a dismissive shake of his head. “Bullshit. That’s bullshit.”

You twist your mouth into a sneer. “What do you know? You’ve been gone for four years.”

He takes a step back, flinching as if you had physically slapped him across the face. You haven’t mentioned his departure in ages, and bringing it up again is like ripping open an old wound. You watch as Minho’s face hardens, body tense as he takes a step forward.

“You’re still a fucking coward, huh? Even after all this time.”

You open your mouth to tell him to stop talking, to shut the fuck up, because you cannot bear to see just how far he’s seen into you. After all this time, he still knocks down your walls as if they were made of glass.

You look up then, to study him. To take in this boy you have loved for fifteen years now, and to gather up the courage to push him away. “A coward?”

“I know you love me,” he says. “But you’re scared to say so because you’re too afraid that I’ll leave again.”

The words hang in the air for a moment before dissipating. You force a sneer, telling yourself that this is for the greater good.

“Is that what you thought all this time?” you ask. “That I loved you?”

Dig your nails deep into his flesh, break him open. Push him away before he can see right into you. Look away before you can catch the glimpse of hurt in his eyes, because you cannot afford to feel guilty.

“You ghosted me for four years,” you say. “And you still think that I love you? That I ever loved you?”

He opens his mouth to speak and you cut him off.

“You were fun while it lasted. But you burnt out a long time ago,” you say. “And I should have ended all of this before it could have spiraled into this fucking trainwreck.”

You can’t seem to stop the words from tumbling out of your mouth, pushing on heedlessly, blinded with your own need to keep him away. “You’re like a cigarette. Addictive in the moment, useless the moment you burn out,” you hear yourself say, although your voice sounds as if it’s underwater. “And now you’re just a stub, something I should have stamped out a long time ago.”

It is then that you finally look up to meet his eyes one last time.

“So I’m just finishing off what I should have thrown out a long time ago,” you say. Minho is silent as he stares at you, unflinching as his dark eyes sift through you. You take a step back, clutching the knob of your door so tightly that your knuckles turn white.

“Leave,” you say. “I don’t want to see you again.”

Minho leaves. Maybe a long time ago, you believed in fairytales, in happily ever after and driving off into the sunset.

But that was an eternity ago. And this is no fairytale.

You shuffle back into your apartment to make yourself coffee, hands shaking as you pour out the cream.

xii. through the screen.

You melt back into your life before he came back as a shadow. You can feel yourself going through the movements; buying groceries, finishing up homework assignments, attending lectures, but you’re barely there, a ghost mimicking the motions of life.

Minho goes viral a few weeks later over some fancam of him and Chou Tzuyu. Bitter bile rises up in your throat as you watch the two of them converse, heads tilted towards each other, lips curled into smiles.

You tell yourself that it’s only natural that he’s moved on, although this isn’t much of a consolation, either. Your friends invite you out to drinks one night, sensing your moodiness, and you cancel out on them at the last minute, telling them that you’ve got a stomachache. They either don’t care or can’t tell, because they don’t bother prying past your half-assed excuse.

Minho was the only one who had ever been able to see right through you, and now that he is gone, you are untouchable. And you would like to keep it that way.

He will be the first and last person to ever make it behind your walls.

Behind the screen, you watch as Minho continues to stitch his life back together, closing over the gaping wounds so seamlessly that it’s hard to believe the two of you ever loved each other in the first place. Pictures of Minho and Tzuyu surface all over Twitter, and you scroll through all of them endlessly, envy burning heavy at the back of your throat, a sour taste blossoming on your tongue as you bite back your pain.

Just when you feel that you are unable to stand this world anymore, that you cannot bear to live your life as a shadow for a minute longer, the car accident happens.

xii. as it all comes down.

It happens like this.

You receive a call from Minho’s mom, and your first instinct is to ignore it. Because you can’t bear to hear her voice, so similar to Minho’s, or to speak to her, acting as if you and Minho are still on good terms. But a small voice at the back of your mind nags at you to pick up the call, and so, against your better judgment, you do.

When you pick up, her voice is hoarse and raw with fear. “Y/N. I thought you’d want to hear this.”

Your heart dips as you clutch at your phone nervously.

“Mrs. Lee? What’s wrong?”

“There’s been a car accident in Itaewon. Minho’s been rendered unconscious.”

It is then that she breaks into sobs, and all you can register is the way your world shatters and crumbles into shards of glass at her words, the way her sobs come out all wrong through the phone, as if underwater.

For the first time in months, the fear within you makes you feel a little less like a ghost.

Minho is still unconscious by the time you arrive at the hospital. The Stray Kids members are crowded around his bed when you burst into the room, but they easily part the moment you approach the hospital bed.

Minho lies limp against the starched white linen of the hospital sheets, dark hair splayed out in a halo around his head. You can hardly make sense of it all, can hardly even register the absurdity of the entire situation.

But amidst the turmoil that surrounds you, there is one thing that remains clear. And that is this: you cannot bear to lose the pain in the ass that is Lee Minho again.

All your life, you have been afraid of being seen, afraid that they’d crack you open if they came too close. Fearing that they’d catch a glimpse of the monster inside if you let them in, the monster that you could only barely contain.

But it is only now that you realize that perhaps it is not the worst thing to be seen by Lee Minho. Because you know all too well how he has seen every corner of you, and how he has loved you all the same for it all.

You reach out a trembling hand to graze your thumb against the ridge of his cheekbone. He looks so peaceful like this, almost as if asleep.

“Lee Minho,” you whisper, your voice barely audible against the incessant humming of the hospital machines. “Please wake up.”

xiv. when you reach out with both hands.

Minho finally wakes up three days later.

You’re half-asleep by his hospital bed, cheek pressed against the sheets of his bed, hand intertwined with his own. His members left a few hours ago for practice, and the room is foreignly quiet without their soft murmurs or gentle peals of laughter. You’re just about to drift off completely to take the first nap you’ve taken in days when you hear your name.

You jerk awake, sitting up so fast that you accidentally slam your knee against the bedframe. When you glance up, Minho is looking at you with tired eyes, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“Minho,” you say. And then you don’t know what else to say, so you just take a moment to stare dumbly at him.

“Y/N,” he says hoarsely, voice rusty from disuse. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

You notice that your fingers are still intertwined against the bed sheets, so you take a moment to yank your hand back, cheeks flushed. Standing up, you grab a cup of water that’s been sitting by his bedside and thrust it towards him. “Shut up and drink.”

Minho glances down at his hands, both of which are attached to IV drips. Mumbling a string of curses underneath your breath, you raise the cup to his lips, tipping it forward for him to drink. Your hands are shaking so badly that a bit of the water slops out, trickling down the collar of his hospital gown, but he doesn’t seem to mind it much.

When he finishes the cup, he turns back to you.

“I can’t believe you came,” he says, head tilted as he takes you in.

You flush again.

“Idiot,” you mumble. “Of course I came.”

Because you’d always come back to Minho, no matter how many times you ran away.

He grins, eyes crinkling fondly as you glare at him. For a moment, an awkward silence settles in before he clears his throat. “You look like shit.”

“You don’t look much better,” you shoot back. He’s not wrong though— you haven’t showered in three days and the meals you’ve had were few and far in between. You’d probably look a lot worse had it not been for Minho’s mom, who insisted on bringing you homecooked meals everyday and a fresh change of clothes.

You’re about to launch into a lecture about how you’d kill him if he ever gets into a car accident again and does he know how worried you’ve been these past few days and what was he even thinking, getting hurt like that without your permission? But instead, what comes out is—

“Are you and Tzuyu really dating?”

Minho lets out a choking sound, whipping his head up to stare at you. “Is that what you’ve been worried about this whole time?”

You cross your arms over your chest, glaring at him. “Just answer the question.”

“We aren’t dating,” he laughs. “We’ve just been hanging out more, mostly for fanservice. She’s already dating someone else.”

You would like to say that relief didn’t course through your veins at this confession, that you didn’t let out a huge exhale of respite, but unfortunately, that would be a lie. Minho laughs again, eyes fond as he reaches out to brush his fingers against your wrist.

“Did we really look like we were dating this whole time?”

You glare at him. “That’s what everyone was saying at least. You could have at least texted me to clear things up.”

“If I recall correctly, wasn’t it you who told me that you never wanted to see me again?”

You have no refutation to this very reasonable point, so instead you opt to glare at him some more, cheeks coloring. Minho laughs again and reaches over to lace your fingers with his own, his skin warm and real against your fingers.

You stare down at your intertwined hands and wonder how something so small could feel so impossibly right. Minho’s voice is gentle in your ears.

“Y/N,” he says softly. “I don’t think there’s any point in denying all of this anymore.”

Your eyes burn as you study your lap, cheeks flushed. When you finally speak, your voice is small and crumbling. “What are you going to do about it, then?”

“Date me for real this time,” he says. And there is no trace of hesitation in his voice, only a gentle firmness. “I won’t leave you behind again. Promise.”

You close your eyes and think about happy endings and what it means to love someone. And for the first time in an eternity, you break down your walls. And you let him in.

Looking up, you gaze at Minho, this boy who you have adored for a lifetime now, and you smile.

“Okay,” you say.

And then he brings you close to him and you let him, allow him to trace over your every flaw and scar and allow him to love you for it all anyway.

Maybe it’s true that you don’t believe in happy endings, that happily ever after could never exist in a world like your own.

But right now, in this moment, you desperately want to believe in a happily ever after with Minho.

xv. 10 years ago.

Once upon a time, there lived a girl in a castle located deep within the forest.

She was always alone, and always bored. So one day, she left the castle to find herself a friend to play with.

She offered them all sorts of amazing gifts, but they never accepted her. They pushed her away and left, leaving her sitting in the dust.

Later on, she found out why. A monster who carried with her the shadow of death. That’s what everyone called her.

She was angry at everyone. Bitter towards the world who she had accepted with open arms, the world that had pushed her away and left her in the shadows.

And even so, despite her anger, she one day rescued a boy from drowning. She dove deep within the murky waters and pulled the boy out of the river, dragging him onto the sandy shore of the river.

She took in the boy, who lay limp against the sand of the river bank, hair slick with river water. The boy opened his eyes and took in the girl, with her angry eyes and her bitter shadow.

And the moment the girl saw this boy, impossibly beautiful against the river bank, dark eyes tracing over her every feature, her bitter shadow disappeared. And from then on, the boy followed her around instead.

And for the first time, the girl was happy.

“That’s a terrible story,” you told 12-year old Minho when he recited this fairytale to you.

Minho’s eyes had widened in protest. This was back when dementia pills didn’t sit by his father’s bedside, back when everything was so perfect that it felt almost wrong.

“Why?” he had demanded, eyes narrowed. “I think it was a pretty good fairytale.”

You had shook your head dismissively. “It’s too perfect. No stories are that simple.”

Minho had smiled then, a smile that you were captivated by even at the young age of 12.

“But doesn’t it remind you of what it means to love someone?” he had asked, eyes a thousand years old as he gazed at you.

You cross your arms skeptically over your chest.

“To really see them for who they are and to follow them to the ends of the earth anyway,” Minho said slowly. “Maybe that’s what it means to love someone.”

You had laughed then, and Minho had echoed your laugh a few seconds later. You were both young then, and free of the burdens of life.

“Maybe,” you said. “Maybe.”

#ficscafe #kflixnet #straykidsland #also for the record the ending fairytale is from the kdrama it's okay to not be okay and is not my original work !!!#this took like 3 months to write i'm not even kidding #i went thru the BIGGEST writer's slump while writing this #the product of my blood sweat and tears fr #lee know au #lee know angst #lee know imagines #lee know x reader #stray kids au #stray kids angst #lee know fluff

355 notes · View notes

smutracha · 6 months

Text

A Kingdom of Strays

(a working title)

Standing before your mirror you face a version of yourself you had never seen before. “God I shouldnt’ve had that last joint.”

The curls of your chocolate hair seem shinier, cleaner but who has the time when all you do is study and waitress at a pub, for drunk men who only seem to stare down your blouse. Here the shimmer in your lace dress shines in the glow of the light filtering through the windows.

Stepping closer to inspect this mirage of your mind, you reach out to touch the mirror's surface, at the same time that a glow ripples along the mirror’s surface you trip, what you don't expect is that you fall right through.

“What the fuck?!” You all but screech at the new setting. A bed of soft grass breaks your fall and the smell of earth and soil greets you. The trees and shrubbery that surrounds you is filled with the teeming sounds of life. Light filters in and bounces happily off of the stream beside you. You stare in bewilderment at whatever the hell is going on.

#skz ot8 #stray kids #stray kids x you #stray kids smut #skz fluff #skz fairytale au

9 notes · View notes

hanji-cafe · 1 year

Text

Little Briar Rose

Hello!! Oh my... it’s been forever since I’ve posted. I hope all that follow my writing enjoy this piece that I’ve been working on for months on end. Hopefully, after finals I’ll be able to post parts of The Little Mermaid and some others as well! Please enjoy :)

Warning: Grooming, Kidnapping (No NSFW for this fairytale however)

Word Count: 4.9k

Fairytale Masterlist

Part One - True Loves Trick

In a far away land, long ago, lived a king and his fair queen. Many years they longed for a child and finally their wish was granted. A daughter was born and they named her after the dawn: Aurora. A great holiday was proclaimed throughout the kingdom, so that all of high or low estate might pay homage to the infant princess.

Thus on this great and joyous day did all the kingdom celebrate the long awaited royal birth and good King Chan and his Queen made welcome their life long friend, King Changbin. These monarchs had only dreamed of one day uniting their kingdom, thus this day would they announce that the princess, Aurora, and the Prince of Changbin, Jisung, would one day be betrothed.

That day, all the guests gathered in the throne room, each passing by to catch a glimpse of the beautiful and calm infant. Each guest was to bring one singular gift each, no more and no less. Many citizens, lords and ladies, fae and wizards, brought along the best they could afford.

Prince Jisung, only a few years old, could barely even peek inside the crib where, unknowing to him, his future betrothed lay. He placed a small gold locket in the crib, just beside the infant, and Aurora giggled, grabbing the locket happily.

The next to grant their gifts were the king's three most trusted faes, Minho, Hyunjin, and Felix. Minho granted her the gift of beauty, and Felix granted her the gift of song, but before Hyunjin could grant his gift, the doors were bombarded open by a great and cold wind.

Unwelcomed arrived an immortal sorcerer, Seungmin, all powerful and wicked. The King panicked, for the man was not invited after considering the horrid ways he used his magic. Unwanted and shunned away, the man grew in rage and retaliation, wanting the princess for himself, and so he sought out to curse the infant.

When the princess matures, she will grow in grace and beauty, but if she is not granted to me by her nineteen birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into an unawakenable sleep.

Though King Chan attempted to stop the man, imprisoning him, the castle security failed to capture Seungmin, the sorcerer disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Hyunjin, being the only person who had not granted the girl a wish, knew he couldn’t do much to go against Seungmin, so he made a small alteration. If the princess indeed pricked her finger, she would fall into a sleep, but could be awakened by a true love's kiss.

Still in fear of his daughter’s fate, King Chan burned every spinning wheel in the kingdom, and forbade spinning until the princess passed her nineteenth birthday.

Not knowing how else to keep her safe, King Chan sent his daughter out to be raised in the muted countryside, where Seungmin wouldn’t even dare to look. His most trusted fae would look after her, keeping her true identity secret from herself. And so King Chan watched with a heavy heart as his most precious possession, his only child, disappeared into the night.

👑

It was at a young age when Seungmin first approached you. Despite all the precautions, Seungmin was a brilliant wizard, and when you went out to collect berries and fruit, Seungmin would approach you as a wolf. He wasn’t feral or rabid, but rather a gentle animal that would act as your companion as you walked the woods alone.

After all, he didn’t want his precious bride, Aurora, harmed.

But as you got older and began to mature, Seungmin visited you less and his desire to stay as a wolf declined. After your 14th birthday he finally revealed himself to you. As he walked with you, his body transformed into a handsome young man, taking you by surprise.

You cried out of fear, feeling betrayed, and ran back to your cottage.

“Uncle Minho!” you cried out, running into the cottage.

“What is it, my rose?” Minho asked you, addressing you by your pet name, as you ran up to him, rather distraught.

“There was a wolf in the woods that frightened me! It turned itself into a man!”

Minho’s eyes darkened at the mention of the wolf, knowing almost certainly that it was the sorcerer. All their endeavors to keep you hidden? That has failed you? When you had gone to bed, he gathered together Felix and Hyunjin, to decide what exactly to do.

“Are we sure that it’s Seungmin?” Felix asked gently.

“Of course it is! Who else would turn themselves into a wolf?!” Hyunjin snapped.

“It is peculiar that he hasn’t followed her home,” Felix agreed.

“It must be the boundary. Surely his dark magic cannot make it past our enchantment,” Minho decided. “But it's still rather worrying. Starting tomorrow, one of us should go out with her to gather.”

They both nodded, agreeing, and the next three years they didn’t spot a wolf or man once.

👑

It was on your Eighteenth when Seungmin revealed himself to you once again. Your uncles had finally let you roam the forest alone, after all you were an adult now, but what they weren’t wary of was the chance that Seungmin might show up again.

You grew paranoid when first spotting the familiar black wolf, and you turned to return to the cottage when, in a rush, Seungmin transformed and cut in front of you dressed in a black fur jacket.

You wanted to cry out, but Seungmin pressed his hand against your mouth, hushing you. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

You only nodded, holding your breath. “Y-your the man that I saw on my birthday,” you pointed out, letting out a gasp. Seungmin nodded.

“Think of me as your guardian,” Seungmin smiled, releasing you from his arms. “I watch over you so nothing happens to you.”

“But there is no danger in these woods!” you argued, shaking your head, and Seungmin smiled proudly.

“That’s because these woods are mine, and I keep any dangerous thing away from you.”

“Who are you?” you ask gently, looking up at him with wide innocent eyes. “My uncles tell me that you’re a bad man, that you want to hurt me.”

“Nonsense,” Seungmin assured, shaking his head with a chuckle. “If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done so already,” he said, gazing at you lustfully.

His gaze so intense and passionate unsettled something deep inside of you, and you took a step back from him. “I don’t want any trouble, Mr. Wolf.”

“And I will not give you any,” he says, “I simply want to accompany you as you gather your fruit.”

And so Seungmin followed along, watching closely, as you harvested what you could and sang along with the birds.

Seungmin had been lonely and desperate for any companion to keep him company. His banishment was a worse punishment than death, and visiting you in the woods only made his desire to keep you grow. You were fair, gentle, and kind. Your voice was as sweet as the ripest strawberry and your face was as beautiful as a goddess’s. What else could he ask for in a companion?

And so over your eighteenth year he became familiar to you. As he walked with you he came to know you well, and though he would withhold any information that could startle you, day by day you came to know him as well. As days ran out until that final decision, Seungmin became more desperate, and he would be sure to tell you who he really was on your birthday, but to you who he was remanded simple.

He was a friend.

👑

The Morning of your Nineteen Birthday was started by a beautiful sunrise. The birds chirped outside your window, slowly waking you up, and you quickly got dressed.

The chill of the spring morning set into your skin, making you shiver as you stepped out into the forest. Dew and a morning frost still resided on the grass beneath your feet, and you felt the forest breath around you.

With your basket in hand and your fearless demeanor, you set out to collect what you could. Since it was spring, you knew that turnips and carrots were readily available around you, and you began searching for the food.

Of course your dear little animal friends would follow you. A rabbit, some birds, and a few squirrels here and there. The squirrels had just come out of hibernation and were always searching around for the nuts they had skillfully buried a few weeks before the snow. You enjoyed their company often, having someone with you besides your overbearing uncles… and that strange wolfman. Whenever one of the fae would follow a little too close, the animals would scurry away in a panic, but today there was nothing to scare them away, or so you thought.

It was when you were playing with a rabbit that the loud sound of horse gallops could be heard approaching you. Never have heard the sound before, you didn’t know what to do, only hiding behind a tree and hoping they wouldn’t spot you, but as might be expected it didn’t work out too well.

You clutched the bark of the tree tightly before you heard the sound of the hooves against the wet ground halt just a few feet away. You tried to steady your breath, inching around the tree to run, when suddenly you knocked right into a man who looked close to your age.

You let out a gasp, taking a slow step back. This man was more beautiful than you’ve ever seen before. He had large eyes like a bear cub, and a round face like a chipmunk. His skin was as colorful and soft as wheat that grew in the field in the other directions of your cottage. He towered over you, much taller in height, but he didn’t look menacing like the familiar man you had come to know, instead he looked gentle and kind. His eyes… sparkled.

“I’ve never seen you before,” he said, admiring your features. You were more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen.

“I-I uh…” you gulped, backing up, your back hitting the tree. “I…”

“What’s your name?” he asked.

You didn’t know what it was about his eyes, but staring into them you could only breathe out, “Rose…”

You had never had someone take your breath away like this man, and against everything your uncles had taught you, you wanted to learn more about this man, anything.

“Where are you going?” you asked curiously.

The man chuckled, and the sound tickled your ears pleasantly. “My father requested me to meet the king of the neighboring country. I was only on my way through the woods when I caught a glance of you.”

“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,” you said, glancing away.

“I have a feeling that we’ve met before…”

You shook your head.

“No?” he chuckled. “I suppose I would remember such a beautiful face,” he nods, causing you to blush a bright pink. “Perhaps, upon a dream?”

You let out a cry of surprise as suddenly the man's horse pulled a carrot out of your basket, causing the man to chuckle. “I apologize. Samson loves carrots,” he explained as the horse ate one of your harvested carrots.

You gulped, nodding. “What’s… your name?” you asked hesitantly.

“Mine? My name is Jisung,” he answered with a smile.

“Jisung,” you hummed, before shaking your head and pushing him away gently. “Oh! I’m really not supposed to talk to strangers, though.”

“Not even a little dancing with them?” Jisung asked, following. “A simple waltz?”

“My uncles would be furious, really-” you let out a gasp as Jisung took your hand, spinning you around gracefully.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know how to dance, Rose…” he teased, causing you to blush again. “I can show you,” he assured. One foot at a time, he led you to dance. One foot, and then the other, and before you knew it, you and Jisung were dancing among the trees as the morning faded and the sun rose into the sky. He held you as you spun and swayed with him. It felt like nothing you had ever felt before. Dare you say that it felt like magic- true love… until suddenly-

“Rose?!” you heard Minho call out, and you gasped pushing against Jisung’s chest.

“You must go,” you assured him, pushing him back towards his horse, grabbing your basket.

“Come with me,” he offered, “to the castle.”

“I can’t,” you refused, shaking your head.

“Will I ever see you again?”

“Never!”

“Never?!” Jisung cried out.

“Well… meet me here, tonight!” you said to him, “right after dusk.”

Determined, he agreed. “I’ll be here.”

You nodded before giving him a final push, and he sadly mounted his horse, galloping away as you ran back to the cottage. Appearing to Minho, basket in hand, full of turnips, you supplied a hopeful smile.

“Good Morning, Uncle Minho,” you said, offering the basket.

Minho was not pleased, giving you a dark glare before ushering you into the house. “What did we tell you about leaving without telling anyone? It’s dangerous!”

“But Uncle! I didn’t even see a wolf in the woods!” you argued, though you knew the truth about that man. “It was peaceful, only the birds and the rabbits, a-and-”

“Enough,” he said. “Come inside so we can begin to cook the stew,” he explained, taking the basket and closing the door behind you.

Unbeknown to any of you, a raven had caught sight of you with the prince along with where exactly you had gone, and he flew back towards the towering black castle in the west.

Made out of black brick and engulfed in heavy smoke and fog, sat Seungmin’s castle. Around it, the terrain was rocky and covered in shambles of thorns and prickers. The raven flew gracefully above, through the clouds of smoke, and landed just beside where Seungmin sat on his throne before transforming himself into a young man.

“What did you find, Jeongin?” Seungmin asked.

“She’s found the prince, sir,” Jeongin reported. “Everything is falling into place.”

“Wonderful,” Seungmin said, a wry smirk growing on his face.

It was then that they would ambush the prince and take him captive before letting you fall into your trance. If the King wouldn’t give him what he wanted, then Seungmin would be sure to make him pay for the rest of eternity. Afterall, how were you supposed to be awakened or freed if your true love was dead?

👑

“You seem awfully happy today,” Felix notes cheerfully.

“Oh yes! I-” you stop, blushing a bit. “You can’t tell Uncle Minho…”

“My lips are sealed,” Felix assures. “Well today… I met a man in the woods-”

Felix’s eyes widened in panic before you shook your head.

“He wasn’t the man from before!” you assured. “He was softer, prettier,” you said dreamily. “He showed me how to dance. I met him… once upon a dream…” you giggled, “I-I think I love him, Uncle Felix.”

Felix gave you a pitied look. “That is wonderful, except for the fact that- well I know we haven’t told you but- you're betrothed.”

“Betrothed?!” you cried out in horror.

“To a prince!”

“A prince? I can’t marry a prince then that would make me-”

“A princess!” Felix answered happily. “Princess Aurora. Tonight, we're taking you back to your father, King Chan! I know it’s abrupt, but it was only to protect you,” Felix assured, but you turned your head, upset and confused.

“W-What did you say?” you stuttered, processing all the information that was just thrown at you. “N-no… Uncle. I’m only a girl raised by her uncles. I can’t be a princess! That would mean…” tears began to form in your eyes. “You lied to me?!”

“Now, Rose… you must not be upset,” Minho spoke from behind. Hearing Felix begin to blurt all the secrets, Minho had rushed upstairs.

“You! You’ve been lying to me too!”

“You have to understand that it was to protect you darling,” Minho assured as Felix reached out for you.

“Don’t touch me!” you snapped, pulling away from his touch. “It doesn’t matter! You lied! My name isn’t even Rose?!”

“That wolf!” Minho snapped. “That wolf isn’t a wolf! He’s a m-”

“Man! I know!” you blurted. “He already revealed himself to me.”

“Seungmin revealed himself!?” Minho roared, making you shake your head.

“At least he has been truthful!”

“Rose, I assure you that he hasn’t,” Felix said, desperation in his voice. “He’s a wicked warlock! One that was banished for his wrong doings. He has cursed you!”

“No! I don’t want to hear it!” You sobbed, pulling away from the both of them. “Please leave me alone, Uncle.”

“Rose-”

“Please!” you cried. “Please, just both of you go! Just go.”

Hesitantly Felix agreed pushing Minho back out of the room, before leaving your room to let you gather your thoughts.

Laid out on your bed you cried and cried until you had no tears left.

👑

When Felix had told you that you were betrothed to a prince and that you could not return to meet the man of the dream, you were distraught. There wasn’t much they could do for you, regretfully escorting you to the castle, making sure that you didn’t wander off into the woods. Afterall, it was your nineteenth birthday, and they suspected that Seungmin would be on the lookout for you.

Having you enter the castle, they gifted you a crown and a beautiful dress, but you only burst into tears once they placed it on your head. It was a reminder that you would never get to marry who you chose, and sadly your three uncles left you alone, guarding the door from the outside.

In a fit of tears and distress, you laid on the bed. You couldn’t get over the way the man had led you along the grass in his arms so gracefully and how perfect your hands fit together.

It was only when you heard your voice being called that you noticed another door in the room, one not being guarded by your uncles. Whispers of your name would be heard from the open doorway, a draft making you shiver and if in a trance you made your way towards it.

You shivered, hugging yourself as you hesitantly began to climb the stairwell. Once you reached the top, your heart began to beat out of your chest. There stood the man, the one that had followed you all those years, and had made himself familiar to you in those woods.

Seungmin.

“What have they done to you, Darling,” he said as you moved to take a step back, but the steps were no longer there, but instead a blank wall. Seungmin approached you, reaching to take your face in his hand. “I knew I should have visited you this morning.”

“You knew who I was and you lied,” you cried softly.

Delicately, Seungmin cradled your face with his hands. “If I had revealed the truth to you, those faes would have taken you away from me. We would have been separated, darling.”

You whimpered, nodding as you melted into his hands. “I-I don’t want to be here,” you whimpered, feeling as if Seungmin could take away your sorrows. You leaned farther into his touch, seeking comfort in the affection.

“I can take you away from here,” he assured. “I can help you leave without them noticing.”

“Really?” you asked with wide eyes. “You can take me to the woods? I-I would do anything!”

“Yes,” Seungmin lied. “Where you met that man.”

“You saw?” you asked bashfully. “Me and the prince-

Seungmin nodded. “I told you. Those are my woods, and I see all that go on in them.”

“Oh! We danced all morning,” you said dreamily, pulling away softly to spit around in happiness. “I trust you, Mr. Wolf… take me to the woods please. To the prince.”

Seungmin nodded, taking you into his arms before another door appeared. When you walked through the threshold, you both appeared in the woods, but in front of his large castle. Your eyes widened at the sight, the view menacing.

Your stomach dropped as you realized that you had been tricked.

“Mr. Wolf! T-this isn’t my cottage- My Uncles were right!”

“Come,” he said, his grip on you firm like steel. “Let me show you all that I rule.”

Your breath hitched in your throat as you walked over the dark soil beneath your feet. A dark and old jawbridge laid before you, and you carefully stepped along it, clinging to Seungmin for support. Under laid shambles of sharp thorns and piercing rocks. The sight only made you more desperate to cling onto Seungmin. You jumped hearing the timber wolves in the forest howl and the sound of a raven circling above you.

When you finally reached the far side, slowly the jawbridge began to rise, and Seungmin led you into his palace slowly, ushering you up the stairs, and towards the top of the castle.

It was there, in his chambers, where you would be staying with him.

👑

When the three fae realized that they could no longer hear your cries they rushed to open the door, only to see that you were nowhere to be found. Frantically they searched for you, under the bed, behind the curtains, anywhere possible, but you were gone, and they knew where you had been taken.

“Seungmin,” Hyunjin snarled. “That man and his tricks.”

“Enough of that,” Felix argued. “What will we tell the King?!”

Minho only shook his head. “We won’t be telling him anything.”

“But he will find out eventually!” Hyunjin argued.

“No, we will cast a spell on them. If what we know is true, Seungmin will have Aurora prick her finger, and she will fall into that deep sleep. If we cast this spell, they will sleep with her until we can find that man she mentioned and have him kiss her. Only then will her parents and the whole kingdom awake with her.”

“Will that work?” Felix asked unsure.

“I will make sure of it.”

👑

Seungmin’s palace was dark and cold. Your body never seemed to stop shivering, even when Seungmin had given you many wolf pelts. You still shivered under his cold gaze. Though he had been following you for your life, you still knew nothing about the man was true, and that made it uncomfortable. That and the fact that he had tricked you.

“Don’t be mad at me, love…” he hummed. “I know you better than anyone.”

“You tricked me.”

“For your own good,” he explained, approaching you. “That measly prince can’t give you much compared to me.” You flinched as he approached you, and he felt dejected before grabbing your waist and pushing you on the bed.

You gasped in surprise before he was pressing his lips against yours, kissing you deeply and corrupting something inside you. Though the kiss lit a fire in your stomach, you found the power to resist, helpless pushing him away.

“No, please!”

“You don’t have to be scared of me,” he said, his hand gently caressing your cheek. “I won’t hurt you. I only want you to be by my side. To accompany me from now on.”

“I want to go home.”

“I want you to marry me,” he confessed, a ring magically appearing in his grip.

A shocked gasp left your lips as you frantically shook your head. “No!” you cried.

Seungmin tensed. “No?” he took your hand, attempting to force the ring onto your finger. Despite you pulling and curling your finger, he managed to get the band on your ring finger. “I’ve protected you all these years, accompanied you for all this time. You dare reject me?!”

“Please,” you cried, pulling on the ring, but it was no use, the metal was enchanted. “I-I don’t want this.”

“Fine,” he said, snapping his fingers, and suddenly a spinning wheel appeared behind his figure. “Then you’ll prick your finger.”

“W-what will happen?” you asked hesitantly.

“You’ll fall into a deep sleep, and only a kiss from your true love will be able to wake you,” he explained honestly. “But- are you so sure that man in the woods is your true love?” he questioned harshly. “Are you sure he will be able to find you in such places?”

“Don’t make me do it,” you pleaded.

“I won’t make you do anything,” Seungmin explained. “It’s your choice. The only thing you must do is choose.”

You looked at him, the man that had kept you safe for all these years, and though you were unsure if that man in the woods was really able to break the spell, you knew that you couldn’t spend the rest of your life with Seungmin in this castle. And so you pricked your finger on the spinning wheel, and into a deep sleep you fell indeed.

👑

When your motionless body appeared in the bed of the room where Seungmin had tricked you, the fae’s worst fear indeed proved to be true. There you laid, your eyes peacefully fluttered shut on the bed. Seungmin had nearly placed your hands together above your naval as if you were dead, and Felix approached you with sad eyes.

“What do we do, Minho?” Felix asked sadly, stroking your hair gently.

“Oh that Seungmin! I’ll kill him! Let me at him, and I’ll turn him into a rock and throw him off the highest cliff into the deepest ocean!”

“No, Hyunjin we can’t,” Minho urges.

“We first need to decide what we're going to tell the king… He’ll be furious!” Felix cried. “All these years… no- he’ll be heartbroken…”

“They aren’t going to find out,” Minho pointed out.

“They aren’t?” the other faes asked.

“Like I said, we’ll put them all to sleep with Aurora. When she wakes, they will as well.”

Hyunjin and Felix looked at each other. “You think that will really work?”

“I know it will. Come.”

And so the faes flew around the castle, casting a strong spell on each and every inhabitant in the castle. The Queen, King Chan, King Changbin… and all the rest, but just as Felix moved to place King Changbin into sleep, his eyes fluttered shut with the words, “Falling in love with some peasant girl… hmph!”

Felix halted. “Peasant girl, your majesty?!”

Changbin’s eyes fluttered open and shut slowly, “peasant girl…” he mumbled. “Once upon a dream…”

“Minho!” Felix cries, flying off just as the King’s eyes fell permanently shut.

“What is it, Lix?” Minho asked curiously.

“Once Upon a Dream!”

“What is the world are you talking about?” Hyunjin hissed.

“Rose came to me and told me that she had met a man in the woods once upon a dream! But King Changbin- he- well he said that Jisung had met a girl once about a dream!”

Minho’s eyes grew wide. “We must find him before Seungmin discovers the truth!”

Hyunjin’s face fell into a grave expression. “Let’s hope he hasn’t already…”

👑

Jisung couldn’t help but feel nervous. Had he been stood up? He abandoned his fathers wishes of marrying the princess to marry a maiden girl that didn’t even bother to show… He was just about to mount his horse and apologize to his father and King Chan when suddenly he heard movement in the brush of the woods.

He turned to see what the sound was when suddenly a raven was swarming around his face. Jisung let out a yelp of surprise, swatting the bird away before suddenly ropes were wrapping around his whole body. His hands, arms, legs, and feet tightened together though no figure could be seen in the moonlight except the raven.

The ropes tightened, burning his skin, until a dark figure appeared to him.

As Seungmin revealed himself, Jisung was on high alert. “What kind of trick is this?!” Jisung yelled.

“You already fell for the trick, little prince,” Seungmin laughed. “You thought the princess would meet you here? No, she’s mine.”

“The princess…?”

“Look how puzzled you are, picking up the pieces of the puzzle,” Seungmin laughed with a playful tisk. “Your fair maiden is indeed not a peasant woman as you told your father but rather the very princess you were destined to marry.”

“Let me go!” Jisung snapped, pulling against the rope, causing them only to tighten.

“I don’t think so,” Seungmin seethed. “I have better plans for you.”

👑

“We’re too late,” Hyunjin said sadly as they reached the woods surrounding the cottage. “He’s nowhere to be found.”

“Then we know who did this,” Minho nodded. “And we know what we must do.”

“Oh, you don’t mean… go to his palace, do you?” Felix asked with wide eyes.

“It’s the only way, Felix,” Minho nodded. “We have to face Seungmin.”

The other fae nodded sadly. What once started as a misunderstanding somehow grew into such a catastrophe.

As they made their way through the woods, the purple fog began to grow darker and darker. Once the fae reached the old jaw bridge, Felix could feel the nerves in his stomach. “This is a bad idea.”

“We must save the prince so he can awaken Aurora,” Minho urged. “We have to.”

The others nodded nervously before they flew across, not daring to step foot on the rotting wood of the jaw bridge. On the other side, enchantments were placed at every door, guarding the prisoner somewhere inside.

[Tag list: @hyune-bun @hannie-squirrel00 @cb97zone @corruption-skz @bearseungmin-events Please let me know if you want added!!!]

#stray kids #skz #fantasy #fairytale #skz fantasy #skz fairytale #stray kids fantasy au #stray kids fantasy #stray kids fairytale #stray kids fairytale au #han jisung #kim seungmin #prince han jisung #evil kim seungmin #stray kids prince #stray kids evil

20 notes · View notes

stayandot8 · 1 year

Text

g's masterlist

hi :) welcome to my corner of tumblr. This is everything I've written so far. If you read, thank you. Leave your thoughts if you please, I would love to hear them. If you have any ideas or comments, my inbox is open.

Color Code:

Black Title - Chan pairing

Green title - Seungmin

Orange Title - Ateez

Stray Kids

Just One Yesterday (Completed)

this one is a little different than anything else I've written. An AU where the members work in a bar with my MC, no idols among them. It's also going to be on the longer side. The fluffy Chris we know and love is nowhere to be found. He's broodier, moodier, and has jokes up the wazoo. So buckle up, kitties. This one's gonna be good.

Angels Choking On Their Halos

So Only Say My Name

Heaven's Grief

Hell's Reign

Just One Yesterday

Playlist Series (Completed)

Your boyfriend Chan makes a playlist of all the songs he's had a hand in writing that were about you or relationship.

Track Zero: Connected

Track One: The View

Track Two: Airplane

Tracks Three & Four: Mixtape: Oh & Your Eyes

Track Five: Give Me Your TMI

Track Six: Fairytale

Track Seven: Case 143

Track Eight: Drive (18+)

Track Nine: Time Out

Track Ten: Red Lights (18+)

Requests

Chan

One Day (Request, idol!Chan x actress!reader)

Touches (request)

Nightlyfe (request, bumping into Chan at a club)

Heart and Seoul (request, nonidol!chan x reader w/ daughter)

Come With Me (Part two of Stay With Me) (Request)

Seungmin

Drawn To You (Seungmin request, I.N Childhood best friend x idol!Seungmin)

Picnic (Seungmin request, father seungmin tossing the baseball with his daughter)

Add-ons and one shots

18+

Peaches

Cravings

Notice

Angst

Y(our) World

(y)Our World (part two) (angst turned fluffier)

Where There's Smoke... (angst turned fluff)

A Case of Friends and Lovers (angst turned fluff bc ofc)

The Listener (more angst than fluff but turns fluffier imo)

Stay With Me (angst bc of what he's going through rn, reader tries to help, ends well)

Defrost

Thaw (Defrost part 2. angst?? then fluff? I can't tell anymore)

Emergency Contact (comfort fluff; chan in the midst of a panic/anxiety attack)

Fluffy

Sunday Morning

Thrice (an add-on to Track Six)

Always Find Me (an add-on to Track Two)

Pieces of Light

This Lover of Mine

Under the Sheets

Day One (Part two of One Day)

For Your Eyes Only

Birthday Gifts

The Hoodie Boogie

An Inning with Minnie (Seungmin Fluffy drabble)

Ateez

Gentle Breeze (yunho x fem reader)

272 notes · View notes

tinytinyblogs · 4 months

Text

Make you mine

His only wish: to make you his.

(best friend to lover au, non-idol, lil angst) 2,1k words

💬@sta4 I'm so grateful you reached out with your request. While I apologize if the story didn't quite hit the mark, I hope you still found some moments of enjoyment in it. Your feedback is invaluable to me, and I'll strive to do better next time. My request box is wide open, so fire away with whatever creative ideas you have in mind!

Stray kids masterlist here

Tears traced salty paths down your cheeks, landing with a silent plop on the forgotten check you clutched in your hand. A wave of inexplicable stupidity washed over you. Hadn't they all warned you? Jisung, your ever-vocal best friend, had practically built a mountain of red flags out of his concerns. Yet, you, blinded by some deluded version of happily-ever-after, had stubbornly dug in, convinced your love story would defy the predictable cliches. You'd anticipated heartbreak, sure. In the past few months, caution had begun to gnaw at the edges of your naivety. But to see him, your so-called boyfriend, entangled with another, not a shred of remorse on his face – that was a dagger straight to the heart. Exhausted from the herculean effort of bottling up your tears, you collapsed onto the floor. Sobbing erupted, a dam finally giving way. The sound echoed through the silent apartment, drawing a swift response.

Through blurry eyes, you saw a familiar figure materialize - Jisung, hair askew in messy sleep-tousled waves, clad in his mismatched comfort uniform of ratty slippers, faded T-shirt, and those ridiculously comfy shorts he swore by. He skidded to a halt, catching his breath after the rushed trip from his place. He sank down in front of you, knees brushing yours. Your teary gaze took in the sight of him, a beacon of comfort in the storm. "I told you," he said, voice thick with barely contained anger, "I told you he was bad news." The words weren't harsh, but they carried the weight of countless unheeded warnings, each one a stitch in the tapestry of your heartache. The sting in your eyes mirrored the chill clinging to your skin, a double-edged blade of betrayal and January wind. Every step leading to this moment had been paved with Jisung's warnings, each one a cobblestone you'd stubbornly skipped over, convinced your love story could defy gravity.

Today, with the truth sprawled open like a discarded map, he'd pleaded again, a desperate chorus of 'Stay home, stay warm' battling the icy winds outside. 'Better a movie night with me than another heartbreak in the cold,' he'd said, his voice laced with the quiet ache of knowing, of seeing. His presence in your now tear-stained apartment was a balm, a flickering candle in the wreckage of your dreams. You didn't understand, the question a bitter whisper on your lips: why even bother looking beautiful for someone who couldn't see your worth? Through the veil of your tears, Jisung saw not a mess, but a person worthy of unwavering support. In his eyes, you shone brighter than any star, even in the storm cloud of your sadness. And now even Jisung ragged breaths, a testament to the sprint he'd made to your side, offered a strange comfort. Ignoring his own fatigue, Jisung sprinted to you, driven by a fierce desire to be your anchor in this storm.

His embrace wasn't meant to fix anything, but to offer comfort and unwavering support. "Should've punched him harder," he growled, anger searing through the concern in his eyes as he watched the tears carve silver tracks down your face. "The only thing worse than seeing you cry is seeing him make you cry." Your voice, choked with sobs, barely registered the accusation in his words, "I told you not to make a scene," it croaked out, an echo of the countless unheard pleas he'd offered. His reply, a mirror reflecting your own unspoken anxieties, hung heavy in the air, "And I never hear you, just like you never hear me." The happy love stories, spun from childhood fairytales, seemed cruelly distant now, mocking your naivete. How could you have so readily offered your heart to someone who didn't know its language, its whispers of hope and fears? The question, a hollow echo in your aching chest, remained unanswered, another tear slipping down your cheek, joining the silent chorus of regret.

Tears streamed down your face, mirroring the blurry rain outside your window. Each one felt like a choked sob escaping a silent funeral, each one carrying the weight of a shattered dream. You looked at Jisung, his own sigh a heavy counterpoint to your storm of grief. "I should've kept you close," he whispered, his voice husky with emotion. "Never let anyone else have a chance to make you cry like this." There was an undercurrent in his words, a tangle of unspoken feelings twisting and churning beneath the surface. You and Jisung – you were different. Two halves of a whole, tethered by an invisible thread that stretched back through childhood shared secrets and whispered worries. It was an unsettling comfort, like a melody stuck on repeat, both familiar and foreign at the same time. You were used to it, yet lately, the notes had begun to shift, the rhythm to quicken, and the fear of the unknown had started to gnaw at your heart.

Was this what loving your best friend felt like? This confusing tangle of emotions, the fear of losing and the yearning for something more? Your relationship with your boyfriend had felt like a desperate attempt to silence the questions swirling within, a way to deny the feelings blossoming towards Jisung. He'd seemed perfect, a distraction in a well-tailored suit, a way to escape the itch in your heart that only grew stronger with each passing day. Jisung's world shifted on its axis the moment you announced your new boyfriend. A storm, silent and potent, began to gather within him, even as he plastered a smile and showered you with congratulations. He convinced himself he was happy, truly happy, that seeing you find love was all that mattered. But the truth, like a riptide pulling him under, was far more complex. "I told you, you shouldn't trust him," his voice grew firmer, cutting through the haze of your tears.

"He used you, and you still clung to him until he showed his true colors." His words echoed the doubts you’d held close, the whispers of truth you'd tried to ignore. "And you told me to find someone, anyone, so I wouldn't be alone," he continued, his gaze locking onto yours, intensity crackling in the air. "But no one else makes me feel the way you do." Jisung's calloused hands, surprisingly gentle, cupped your face, his thumbs tracing the damp paths your tears had carved. His voice, husky with emotion, rumbled around you, "We're such a mess, Y/N. I don't know who's truly lost here. You, for being with someone who hurts you, or me, for burying these feelings so deep." The warmth of his touch sent shivers down your spine, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. You ached to melt into his embrace, a familiar haven where you always felt protected, cherished.

"I don't know if I'm making this better or worse," he murmured, his breath tickling your skin. "Just stop crying for that jerk." His voice, tinged with frustration and concern, washed over you like a warm wave, carrying you away from the storm raging within. The clock ticking became a distant thrum, its rhythm lost in the hypnotic beat of your heart against his touch. Caught in the maelstrom of his unspoken emotions, you surrendered to the comfort his presence offered. Your tears slowed, replaced by a hesitant hope that flickered like a flame in the wind. Was this a fleeting reprieve, a stolen moment in the forbidden zone of what could never be, or could it be the spark that ignited a long-dormant ember? You found yourself leaning into his touch, savoring the way his calloused thumbs gently brushed away the remaining vestiges of your pain.

In the dimly lit room, your cheeks, flushed pink from the aftermath of tears, reflected the soft glow of the single lamp. As Jisung spoke, his gaze locked on yours, his own eyes shimmering with unshed tears. His voice, raw and vulnerable, spilled forth like a confession whispered in the dead of night. "I swear, Y/N," he began, his hand hesitantly reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from your face. "There's nothing else I've ever wanted in my life. I've chased so many dreams, pushed myself towards countless goals, but..." He paused, the air thickening with unspoken words. You could see the turmoil playing out in his eyes, the battle between his heart's yearning and the reality that stood between you. His hand lingered near your cheek, the warmth of his touch sending shivers down your spine. You remembered countless moments like this, stolen glances across crowded rooms, shared laughter echoing in the moonlight, his unwavering presence a constant comfort.

In his dreams, he held you close, the memory of your happy laughter his lullaby. Even now, with the words teetering on his lips, he dreamt of a future where he could claim you as his own. "Remember when you asked me about my birthday wish, blowing out the candles on that golden cake? Or staring up at the endless starry sky on New Year's Eve, our voices a whisper against the silence? Every year, every breath, every prayer was for you, Y/N. All I've ever wanted... is to make you mine." His words hung heavy in the air, a declaration that cracked open the dam of his emotions. You saw the vulnerability beneath his strong facade, the raw yearning that mirrored your own. In that moment, the world narrowed to the two of you, the past and future forgotten, all that mattered the whispered truth that bound your hearts together. His voice, raw and laced with desperation, shattered the silence.

"Even when someone else holds your hand," he breathed, his eyes burning into yours, "some selfish part of me keeps finding its way back. You wonder why I invent excuses to stumble into your space, when my own is filled with distractions? It's because I need you, Y/N. I crave the air you breathe, the warmth of your presence." He moved closer, the space between you shrinking until it was nearly nonexistent. Your tears dried mid-fall, forgotten in the face of his raw confession. His words, heavy with unvoiced longing, hung between you, a tangible web of emotions threatening to pull you both under. The air crackled with unspoken desires, the boundaries between friend and something more blurring with each passing moment. His confession, a tidal wave crashing against your carefully constructed walls, left you breathless, adrift in a sea of unspoken possibilities.

In that space of vulnerability, amidst the tears and confessions, a new question arose, burning bright in the depths of your gaze. Was this a fleeting moment of vulnerability, a whispered truth destined to remain in the shadows, or could it be the spark that ignited a future neither of you dared to dream of? The answer, like the path forward, remained shrouded in uncertainty, yet the intensity of his need, the naked honesty in his eyes, offered a sliver of hope, a promise that in that moment, at least, you weren't alone. In the hushed twilight, the world faded away as Jisung's words washed over you. "Let's forget about him," he murmured, his thumb gently skimming away the last traces of your tears. His warmth enveloped you as he pulled you close, your face finding refuge in the safe harbor of his chest. His heartbeat thudded against your cheek, a rhythmic lullaby urging you to surrender to the comfort he offered.

"You don't know how beautiful you are? You light up the whole world when you smile. Forget him, just look at me." The world narrowed to just this – the steady beat of his heart, the soft scent of his skin, the whispered promise in his voice. Everything else, the hurt, the confusion, the doubts – all lost in the intoxicating haze of his confession. "Forget it, and be mine," he pleaded, his voice husky with yearning. You knew, with a certainty that defied logic, that this was where you belonged. Your hand reached up, hesitantly at first, then with a growing urgency, finding its home on his back, returning the embrace. Jisung's arms open, a portal to a world bathed in love's warmth. No need to hesitate, no need to deny. His haven awaits, a whisper of 'forever' in his eyes. In his embrace, fear fades, joy ignites. He's your home, your haven, woven from starlight and trust. Step in, where laughter dances and every beat of your heart finds its rhythm in his. "I'm your Jisung," you whispered, your voice muffled against his shirt, yet each word echoing in the silence with the weight of a thousand unspoken promises. "I'm yours."

©Tinytinyblogs

50 notes · View notes

wa-wandavision · 4 months

Text

MY SKZ MASTERLIST

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Bang Chan ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Imaginary

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Lee Know ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Guardian Angel

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Seo Changbin ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Coming Soon

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Hwang Hyunjin ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Insecurities

I love you

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Han Jisung ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Coming Soon

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Lee Felix ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Bad Days

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Kim Seungmin ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Forbidden

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Yang Jeongin ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Solar Eclipse

Drafts!

Kittens, Lee Minho

You bump into a cat dad while dealing with a little situation. Maybe he can help you.

Fan meetings, Han Jisung

your best friend forces you to go to a stray kids fan meeting.

Ongoing Stories!

Solar Eclipse, Yang Jeongin — series

You and Jeongin fall in love all over again

Guardian Angel, Lee Minho — series

God assigns one of his workers, Lee Minho, to watch over you.

Forbidden, Kim Seungmin — series

You travel back to your birth place, but problem is, you have to live with your cousin and the rest of his family

Favourites

Captain save-a-hoe!

Hotel check-ins

Fair and square

Sandcastles

Finding home in your heart

Read Later

Best friend han x reader

Cold as Ice

I like you covered in blood

Perfect

Snitch

Good hair day

Say you want me

Tuesday Chris

Instead of you

Morning texts

Just for a moment

Marooned

Morning Photographs

Sex on the beach

Sweeter

How I see you

On your knees

Pull over

It's so tasty, come and Chase me

B. C

I.N

B.C

H.J

Jisung

Felix

Jinnie

Skz

Channie

Skz

Can I be your favourite

Strange weird and wonderful

No prejudice

Jisung

9 56 pm

actions that speaks

Make you a mommy

Queenmaker

My dear

Bath water

Blackholes

Felix

A modern love story

Movie date

Hyunjin

Minho

Pearl necklace

Chai latte

Muse

Jisung

Magazine photos

Wrong number

By my side

Look up to the stars

Channie

Drunken idiots

Morning sex

Sunsets in Sydneys

Cat in heat

Sick days

Date on ice

Bath water

Birthday suprises

Happy place

Race my heart

Reunions embrace

Love language

Wanting

Go live

Hyunjin

To do what I can do

Shark week

We can't be friends

Your fault

Small moments

when you know, you know

idolstruck

Blueberry muffin

Fairytale

Whispers

The drifter: the sea kind curse

Stray kids royal au

Girl code

Breath

Ice on whisky

Phobia

REQUESTS

╰┈➤ OPEN

#hwang hyunjin x reader #lee yongbok x reader #seo changbin x reader #bang chan x reader #kim seungmin x reader #lee minho x reader #han jisung x reader #yang jeongin x reader #stray kids #skz #skz x reader

31 notes · View notes

sopaconthinner · 10 months

Text

Out of sight, out of mind archive directory (Twitter)

Out of sight, out of mind (Oosoom) is a horror AU based on TOH that deals with topics such as grief, idealization and identity, "A metaphor of the horrors of adolescences" I would say, it plays with the "chosen one" trope from the other side of the coin Part I (A) --------- "And ghostly in the darkness" "the original sin" "false eve looking for signs of doom" --------- THE DIARY: "Once friends betrayed so ruthless..." "omnipresence" "He will never know about you" (I) "He will never know about you" (II) "He knows" "the diary" author comments and lore explication -------- "Have an egg-cellent day" (1) "Have an egg-cellent day" (2) "Have an egg-cellent day" (3) "Cruel indifference" "it's in a better place" -------- THE WISH: "Be careful what you wish for" "what "if" is what makes wishes wonderful" "all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me" "Happy birthday in the most humanly way possible" "Prettiest star" "Between her brown locks, he blends" "Where did he go?" "that voice..." "Wishes do come true" ------- THE DOUBT: "A fateful encounter" "Man playing God" "Extension of you" "God is dying" "You (don't) want to know" (1) "You (don't) want to know" (2) "Go for the kill" ------ THE FIGHT: "The wolf's hunt starts now" "Forgotten challenge" "the beginning of the end" "Stop with the Golden guard act" "...aren't brown...." "...it isn't..." "Humanity suffers and cries... I exist" "Schrödinger's cat" "the wish, the doubt and the fight" Autor comments ------ Shitposting "POV: You are Luz showing Belos a funny meme" "the lonely loners" Part I (B) --------- "DON'T REMEMBER IT" (1) "DON'T REMEMBER IT" (2) "I need this more than you"

--------- THE AFTER FIGHT "Where are you?!" "Cinderella's mistake" (1) "Cinderella's mistake" (2) "Stray goats don't deserve to see your face" "offering as a sign of remorse" --------- "butterfly infestation in the stomach" --------- THE RODENTS: "Les petits rats" "Fausse Étoile" "Rat king" "Odile and Odette" + analysis --------- THE FAIRYTALE: "Tale of a golden prince" "what I know, is not what I see" "when you were still unaware" "kid, you're in denial" "The body never lies" “behind every joke there is some truth” "you do" "traitors don't deserve a happy ending" "Does he?" "ORTET" "The fairytale" Autor comments and analysis --------- THE LIE: "coming back home" "Pinocchio, you shouldn't lie" "you are (not) a better version of an old friend" "she would probably lie" "The lie" autor comments and analysis --------- THE GAME: "Rearrange your pieces" "Humble player" "Remembering your old rival" "the strongest pieces on the game board" "do not underestimate your opponent" "Eclipsed plans" "battle lost... but not the war" "the way back to paradise is lost" "Beginners' mistake" "sore loser" "winning by accident is not an option" "The game" Autor comments and analysis THE GAME: (tarot series) "The fool" "Knight of Cups" "King of cups (original)" / (Beast variation) "The tower" "The world (original)" / (CotH variation) / (reversed variation) "Lets lament" Autor comments and analysis on the tarot series --------- THE SHELL: "Listen up, my broken child" "breaking the shell" (original) / (final version) "Show me how" --------- EXTRAS: "use of moths and butterflies as a recurrent symbolic element"

#the owl house #lunter #lumity #out of sight out of mind AU

62 notes · View notes

dgmovies · 2 years

Text

Lee Minho: Recommendations Masterlist

✨Welcome to my world✨

Here are some fics I've collected of STRAY KIDS Lee Minho. I have a few more saved up, so I will be adding those in the future. Enjoy :) Idk if all the links work. Some works may have been deleted already. Also, some info might be missing. *Disclaimer: English is not my first language.*

Tags: © = My personal favorite, F = Fluff, A = Angst, S = Smut

*Updated: 28-01-2023*

ONE SHOTS:

Bunny - @tasteleeknow-remade (F, S) *recently added*

Status: Completed + part 2

Word Count: 7.2k + 5.4k = 12.6k

Summary: After leaving your toxic relationship, you and your bunny are completely alone in the world—until your soft spoken neighbour slowly brings down your walls. (Neighbours!AU, S2L!AU)

Company (Ft. Changbin) - @btssmutgalore (S)

Status: Completed

Word Count: 15.3k

Summary: You’re sick and tired of living the good girl life. In other words, you just want to get laid, and who better to help than your two best friends? (Non-idol!AU, F2L!AU)

Conflict, Conceal, Confess - @fizzydrink698 (©, S, F) *recently added*

Status: Completed + Series (ongoing)

Word Count: 18.1k

Summary: E2L!AU, College!AU, ModernConsort!AU (series)

Enough For You - @jiminbbyboy (©, S, A, F)

Status: Completed

Word Count: 6.4k

Summary: Your mother ask for Minho to be your date to a charity event and you get to spend a lot of time talking about the past and the what they want in the future. (RichBoy!AU)

Euphoria - @cherrydumpling (S, F, A)

Status: Completed

Word Count: 23.2k

Summary: Minho and you definitely do not like each other. No matter what the tabloids say. He’s your friend who argues and bickers like no other but you also crave the taste of him on your tongue. You are people who sling insults at each other from your respective stages, only to find him later painting your skin with sloppy kisses. And that's something you need to work on. (Actors!AU, FWB2L!AU)

Evil Roommate - @ch4nb4ng (S, F)

Status: Completed

Word Count: 6.2k

Summary: The new roommate was a handful. lazy, disrespectful, arrogant, and a whole bunch of other negative things. but wow, you were sexually frustrated and he, well, attractive, was an understatement (E2L!AU, Roommate!Minho)

Horizontal Hierarchy - @cb97percent (S)

Status: Completed

Word Count: 10.3k

Summary: You've been having a great time at the media agency you work at as a screenwriter by pledging allegiance to no oen other than yourself. Your entire chilling privileges get taken away from you when you're assigned under the direct supervision of Lee Minho, the new devision head who is ridiculously hot albeit massively insufferable. (Office!AU, Supervisor!Minho)

It's Cold Outside, Come To Me - @etherealinowrites (A, F, S)

Status: Completed + part 2

Word Count: 7.8k + 2k = 9.8k

Summary: It was the christmas season once again which meant two weeks away at your family’s vacation house. The only problem? Lee Minho. Your brothers annoying best friend who was joining you this time. Whats worse? You both hate each others guts more than anything. You could only hope for a christmas miracle. Oh it didn’t help that you found him hot. (E2L!AU, ChildhoodFriendsToLovers!AU)

It's High Tide, Baby - @lettersfromaphrodite (©, A, F, S) *recently added*

Status: Completed

Word Count: 23k

Summary: Pirate!Au, E2L!AU, Soulmate!AU, Magic!AU

Kiss Me More - @angelwonie (©, S, F) *recently added*

Status: Completed

Word Count: 13.2k

Summary: He's your brother's best friend, and that should be enough to keep him off limits. But he's just a little too handsome, and you're just a little in too deep. (Brother'sBestFriend!Minho)

Sleeping Beauty - @j-0ne25 (A, F, S) *recently added*

Status: Completed

Word Count: 6k

Summary: Counting down the days to your arranged wedding, your best friend helps you get your mind off of the future you’ve never wanted – unaware there’s another curse put on you, just a matter of time until it breaks free. (FairyTale!Au, Prince!Minho, Princess!Reader, BestFriend!Minho)

Pas de Bourrée - @jisungnaur (A, S, F)

Status: Completed

Word Count: 24k

Summary: And in the end, they were only atoms, drifting alone- desperate for something to cling on to as they sat hand in hand while the stars went out. it was beautiful, how angelic he was. he had the most breathtaking laugh that every time he cut himself, an angel got their wings (Dancer!Au, E2L!AU)

Pudding - @cb97percent (S, F)

Status: Completed

Word Count: 7.4k

Summary: The declaration that Minho was a virgin until your night together drills a hole in your head. It can't possibly be true because who the hell fucks like that with no prior experience? (College!AU)

Teach me to reach you - @hynjnhwng (S)

Status: Completed

Word Count: 2k

Summary: Lee know x reader x I.N.

When he sees me - @candlewaxandp0lar0ids (S, F, A)

Status: Completed

Word Count: 13.3k

Summary: Interacting with others has never been easy for you, whether it is talking to them or, worse, flirting with them. As a result, relationships, but also any form of sexual interactions have always eluded you. You had no reason to think that was going to change anytime soon. And then your hot neighbor’s cat shows up in your apartment, and you think that things just might change. Even if it’s only on one front. (Neighbours!AU)

Wrapped Up - @joyfulhopelox (©, S, F)

Status: Completed

Word Count: 12.4k

Summary: The dance soc is not the place to flirt but you promised yourself you’d try new things this year, and when the boy wearing the colourful cosy sweater approaches you with a compliment you can’t resist but respond to him. (College!AU, F2L!AU)

SERIES:

Consort – @fizzydrink698 (©, A, S)

Status: 5/? Chapters (Ongoing) + Spin-off *recently added*

Word Count: ? (5 Chapters)

Summary: … (ArrangedMarriage!AU, Historical!AU, E2L!AU)

Cupid's Christmas – @btssmutgalore (©, A, F, S)

Status: 4 Chapters (Completed)

Word Count: 61.8k (4 Chapters)

Summary: Your friend creates the perfect blind texting event for all her single friends, including you. While you're texting a person who seems to be perfect for you, you start interacting with your college arch-nemesis, Lee Minho, a lot more.

Wedding Season – @ballelino (©, S, A, F) *recently added*

Status: Intro + 9 Chapters (Completed)

Word Count: 79.3k (Intro + 9 Chapters)

Summary: This wedding season, you're invited to the wedding of the one that got away. You have one chance to win Chris over or watch him be someone else’s forever. Therefore, you need a master plan, which includes your insanely attractive (and mildly annoying) ex-boyfriend that Chris always hated—Lee Minho. (FakeDating!Au, Exes2L!AU)

#straykids smut #masterlist #fic recommendation #leeknow smut #stray kids smut #lee minho smut #minho smut #skz smut #fic recs

237 notes · View notes

nettlestingsoup · 5 months

Note

Hi! Can I ask 3, 8 and 11 for the New Year asks!

hi spook! thanks for the ask!

3: i would love to get either some untamed fic or some magnus archives fic done this year! i'm terrible at writing for other fandoms, i always start things and then just get drawn back into my stray kids projects hahahaha

8: the hanahaki au lives in my brain all the time. i would absolutely love to be brave enough to write it, but i desperately want to get it right since hanahaki is such a weirdly iconic part of fandom, and i've wanted to wait until i've had a unique perspective on it that i could use in a story.

the general vibe of it is that minho, a hanahaki researcher in a university, starts to fall for chan, a temporary researcher who's only at the university for a year. because he knows chan loves travelling and loves the way his job takes him all over the world, and doesn't really want to be tied down by anything, minho holds his feelings in and resolves to keep them a secret; this is all well and good until the first symptoms of hanahaki begin to make themselves known. half from not wanting chan to know and half from the fascination of experiencing the disease he's studied for years first hand, minho lets it progress until it's almost too late. the idea for this would be to write most of it as a normal fic, with intermittent chapters of minho's notes on his own symptoms and their progression, which one of his friends eventually discovers. it will be so difficult to write, but maybe this is the year i try!

11: i would love to get more into horror (with happy endings of course!) and letting myself be spookier and more weird! i'd also love to do more fairytale-esque things like the river and the rowan tree if i can.

thank you again for sending an ask! happy new year! <3

#asks #pompoenwolkjes #i would love to do the hanahaki au #it's all about the repressed feelings #and the despair of keeping your illness to yourself #and the eventual crash of your friends finding out #and i think adding the scientific angle would be super interesting #i find the thing that bugs me in a lot of hanahaki fics #is like #why would you not tell someone #so i think having both the 'i don't want to tie someone i love down' angle #along with the 'obsessive research and desperate desire to understand' angle #will work well when combined #ao3 author #stray kids fic

17 notes · View notes

kangaracha · 8 months

Text

RING, THE VICTORY SONG full prompt collection AO3

---

Gen Fic/Multichaps

NEVERMORE music videos verse/skzcu; on the eve of being torn apart, eight boys tumble into a world where their music seems to hang in the very air they breathe; 150K AO3

OVERWINTER missing/bonus scenes from nevermore AO3

LYRE LYRE on his last night with the group, IN must make a choice: to stay, or to go; 8k AO3

LEAVE After an accident splits apart the group, Felix is left alone in the world, wishing for better days to return (little does he know, that dreams come to those who truly want them). TUMBLR | AO3

WHAT THE WATER BROUGHT The ocean expands, the days grow longer, the earth loses its patience with every inch it cedes to the shore. For the hundreth time, Minho washes up on the shore of a small island and wonders when this - long months at sea, endless battles to keep their ship, the golden age of whatever the hell they want - will come to its end. AO3

---

SMAUs

QUEENMAKER bang chanxreader; as one opportunity to debut disappears, another arrives - joining two year old group Stray Kids as a replacement to their missing ninth member. smau. TUMBLR | AO3

HEAD ABOVE WATER bang chanxreader, yang jeonginxreader; homework, a small business, overbearing parents, a boyfriend that isn't a boyfriend. And then there's whatever is going on with her best friend, who seems to want something...more than a friendship, if he ever gets around to asking her about it- life is complicated, and far too busy for Y/N to be bothered with being stressed, or sick, or whatever it is that's making it hard to eat and sleep and focus on her work. TUMBLR

DAYBREAK lee knowxreader, dystopia au; independant entertainment doesn't make money, everyone knows that - not dancing, not boxing. not without a company's name attached to it and the soul ripped out of it so that it can only sit on the stage bleeding. you knew you never should have agreed to buy the studio with him, that the bills would pile up and the income would run dry and the goverment would come knocking telling you to shut up and sit down...but it makes him so happy, when you see him dance. it gives him a reason to keep coming back. you don't know what you'd do without that.

THE FLOWERS YOU GATHERED IN MAY lee knowxreader; following an escape from near-death and an accident that leaves you unable to do most of the things you once loved, an old friend invites you to join a dance studio for loners and strays - people just like you.

---

Prompt Fills

AS IT ENDS bang chanxreader; 'chan + 'a god bows before a mortal'; fantasy au

THE HYMN OF BABYLON lee knowxreader; 'minho + 'meddlesome angels, and the people they save'; dystopia au, fantasy au. religious dystopia.

CATSKIN lee felixxreader; 'felix + twisted fairytale'; royalty/fantasy au, based on the fairytale 'catskin'

lee know x sorry, i love you lee know x losing 3racha changbin x charmer changbin x eclipse han x forgotten felix x focus

#stray kids #stray kids smau #skz smau #skz fic #masterlist #roo writes

28 notes · View notes

artzychic27 · 1 year

Note

I love Ever After High AU!

What would the events be like? Like The Masked Ball, the Spring event, Adventures in Wonderland, The Dragon Games and Winter's Day?

Welcome to Ever After High

It’s a new year at Ever After High, a magical school where the next generation of fairytale characters go to hone their powers, learn more about their tales, and train to follow in their parents footsteps

One of the new students is Nathaniel Hearts, son of the Queen of Hearts and a former resident Wonderland… Also, not exactly the most popular person due to his mom’s love for beheading people and also the fact she’s the reason no one can enter or exit Wonderland

Already, students avoid him like the plague and only see him as his mother. The only ones who see past that are his best friend and fellow Wonderland native, Alix Wonder, Nino Grant, and Adrien Briar

Alix doesn’t care about their mom’s rivalries and actually likes Nathaniel… It’s Marinette that had a problem

Fa-Li Marinette is adamant on everyone following their destinies, because if even one fairy strays, every story will end. (She just only cares about her own) and keeps pushing Nathaniel to be a deranged, power hungry lunatic like his mom

It only gets worse when they prepare for Legacy Day, where students take the pledge to follow their parents footsteps. Nathaniel questions Mme. Bustier and M. Damocles what will happen if he doesn’t sign the Storybook of Legends

And of course, they gaslight him using Marinette’s excuse. If he doesn’t sign, then it’s the end for everyone

Nino calls bullshit and pulls Nathaniel along to look for answers from Madame Mendeleiv Yagga, one of the smart teachers at DuPont

She explains that nothing will happen to anyone’s stories, they’re just take a different turn. It’ll break tradition, but it wont end up a catastrophe

So, the night of Legacy Day, Nathaniel makes his choice… He does, but then Marinette gaslights him again. Apparently, she followed him and Nino and asks if he’s really going to trust some “old witch”

“If you want your so-called friends happily ever after a to cease to exist. Fine. At least you’ve shown how much like your mother you are.”

So now, when it’s the Wonderland Kids turn to sign the book, and Nathaniel steps up… He hesitates. He sees his future in the mirror: Him beheading hundreds of his subjects with a mad look in his eyes, sending his card guards to hunt down Alix and the other Wonderland kids, and painting white roses red using his card guards blood.

Nathaniel: … I am Nathaniel Hearts, son of the Queen of Hearts… AND I PLEDGE TO FOLLOW MY OWN DESTINY! *Snaps the quill in half… Nothing happens*

Royals: *Horrified gasps*

Rebels: *Cheering*

Nathaniel: N-nothing happened… *Points to Damocles and Mme. Bustier* YOU LIED TO ME!

When the crowd gets too hostile, Adrien wishes for Nino to freeze everyone except for the two of them*

Adrien: I can’t believe that… That we can just do that.

Nino: Yeah… I’m not sure I want to be stuck in that lamp.

The next day, things are tense between the newly dubbed Royals and Rebels. Marinette tries to rally more to her side, that destinies are meant to be followed, but students kind of want to hear Nathaniel’s reasoning

The one who seems most intrigued by Nathaniel accidental revolution, is Marc Grimhilde, son of the Evil Queen and someone who’s reluctant to sign the Storybook of Legends and end up trapped in the mirror realm like his mother

Rumors start to spread that Nathaniel only wants to spread madness like his mother and prevent anyone from having their happily ever after while Marinette wants to send the Rebels to a reform school built to straighten them out

Mme. Bustier is doing nothing to help, only making things worse by blaming the rebels for causing tensions and doing nothing to discipline the royals. (Same bitch as canon)

As a protest, a Rebel student runs against Marinette for student body President. That student? Aurore Amzy, daughter of Yzma

In the end, they end up as reluctant co-presidents and constantly try to undermine each other

As another protest, the Rebel students host True Hearts Day, a long forgotten school tradition banned by Mr. Damocles since it got students to stray from their destinies

So, they throw it in secret. And to their surprise, some Royal students want to help because while they’re may disagree with the Rebels, they aren’t too fond of Mme. Bustier and M. Damoclesand want to spite them

The party’s a success, and some new couples end up forming

Nathaniel turns down most of his admirers since they’re more in love with his status of leaders of the Rebels. He ends up asking Marc for a dance after the two accidentally bump into each other right under a spotlight

The following week, Nathaniel gets called into the principal’s office where Marinette, Alix, Max, and Denise are waiting as well. Apparently, Mme. Bustier was “concerned” about the Rebels’ Revolution and believed Nathaniel needed positive reinforcement

Marinette: Nathaniel cut the buds off my roses.

Nathaniel: That was on accident! And I apologized!

Marinette: Exactly! You’re supposed to be evil and not apologize!

Alix: Well, I think Nath’s fine just the way he is. Plus, I’d rather not get beheaded, so-

Damocles: Moving on!

Max: I don’t know what role I play here, but my mother strayed from the path her father had her on, so if anything, aren’t I meant to be a Rebel? Because if I follow my mother’s path by not sailing, I did what she did by disobeying her father, but/

Damocles: Enough! We haven’t heard from Denise Facilier, yet.

Denise: The shadows all say… Nathaniel’s awesome and should write his own destiny.

Marinette: They did not!

Denise: Well, how do you know?!

It is now the week of Thronecoming, and the students are looking to pick their King and Queen and get ready for the parade and bookball game

Nino, who was in between the royals and rebels debate finally picks a side when he misses his date with Alya because he got stuck in his lamp, making him realize the horrible truth about his destiny

The Thronecoming Fair goes off well- Austin A and Q rented Captain Hook’s ship and got a ton of pixie dust to let people go on rides in the air, Myléne’s hair styling station was earning a lot of money for charity, Denise did card readings, and Cosette was able to sell some of their faux fur jackets. It went great up until float building

Marinette is still pushing Nathaniel to stop being “selfish” and accept his fate, but in the end, Nathaniel’s the one to call her out on her bullshit along with Bustier and Damocles since they’re just standing right there

Nathaniel: You know, I may be “The Prince of Madness,” but I’m sane enough to see that you’re the one being selfish. I’m out.

Ismael: Heh. That’s my boy.

Cosette: But he’s not even your son.

Ismael: Don’t remind me!

As a school trip, Madame Mendeleiv takes the students to the Hall of Legends, a time capsule building where their parents left relics for them to find: Myléne gets a magic hairbrush, Rose gets a sword, Cosette gets a Diamond-studded choker necklace, Denise gets a vintage deck of tarot cards, Nino gets lamp polish, Lila gets truth revealing glasses, Marinette gets a sword, Zoé and Chloé get new heels, Austin A gets a magic compass, Austin B gets a crossbow, etc.

Nathaniel only finds a coin, planted there by M. Damocles in place of the ruby studded crown his mom left him

Nathaniel then heads to the wishing well in the woods, tosses in the coin, and wishes to know what happens if he doesn’t sign the Storybook of Legends

Mme. Bustier casts an illusion spell that shows a horrific future, scaring Nathaniel into signing

So they have a Legacy Day do-over, and none of the Rebels are too happy about it. The students suspect something’s up, and their suspicions are confirmed when Denise’s tarot cards reveal the Storybook of Legends is a fake

When Damocles denies the accusations, Marc asks Lila to use her truth-telling glasses. And when she lies and says she doesn’t have them, Aurore uses a truth-telling potion on her and Lila is forced to hand them over

They also reveal the Storybook of Legends is a fake, and of course, Damocles blames Nathaniel… Only to go into his office and confront the Queen of Hearts, via magic mirror

Nathaniel still wants to sign, but to do that, he needs to find the real Storybook of Legends. Marc, Adrien, Nino, Alix, Cosette, Zoé, and Denise also tag along and through a series of weird riddles, they enter a secret room in the library and come across Jean-Pierre Monlataing, a teacher who went missing long ago and speaks only riddlish, which Wonderland natives understand

M. Monlataing: A chapter for all, to live and survive, with a page of the the answer, and come out alive

Nathaniel: Ah, of course.

Alix: Obviously.

Cosette: Uh… Translation?

They conclude the Storybook of Legends must be in the Hall of Legends. But they end up getting pulled into different stories, have to find some pages, blah blah blah. Long-story short, the pages they find form a spell that breaks the Riddlish spell over M. Monlataing

And he reveals that Mme. Bustier put the Riddlish spell on him because he believed in the Rebels’ side of things

Nathaniel: … You know, cutting heads off doesn’t sound bad.

The night of the Thronecoming dance, the students decide to have one night of fun and not care about the Royals and Rebels bullshit

And performing tonight is the one and only Luka Piper, son of the Pied Piper and half brother of Juleka

Then Nino notices something when a slideshow of old photos reveals the Queen of Hearts lived in his dorm before, and hid something in a secret compartment under his carpet. Borrowing Lila’s glasses and a bobby pin from Juleka, he unlocks the secret compartment and finds the Real Storybook of legends… And then throws it away in the Well of Wonder, making it end up in Wonderland

Spring Unsprung

It’s the day of the Spring Faire, a day to commemorate the beginning of the spring season

But meanwhile in Wonderland…

Xavier (My SB&IB version) Blanc, Fei Cheshire, and Félix Hatter have run into some trouble with the Queen of Hearts when they try to look for a way out of Wonderland

But, the threat of decapitation doesn’t keep them from looking around until they come across the Storybook of Legends Nino threw down the well

Wanting to return it back to Ever After, they go through the well… And end up getting lost until they come across Fei’s dad, the Cheshire Cat, who gives them some complicated instructions while swapping out the book for another

What the Cheshire Cat doesn’t know is that someone was watching him in the act

Also, while Cosette was walking through the forest to get some Wonderland Well water for the Spring Faire baking competition, they fell through the well because the water was being a little shit

And at the same time, Félix, Xavier, and Rei arrived in Ever After, followed by the Cheshire Cat

The Wonderland Kids arrive and are given a warm welcome by Nathaniel and Alix

Nathaniel: GUYS! Why’d you abandon me?! Your Prince was all alone here!

Alix: You son of a bitch.

When the Bitchy Duo (Damocles and Bustier) harass them for somehow getting to Ever After when they sealed every entry and exit closed, Félix pulls his trump card by showing the “Storybook of Legends”

… Only for Marinette to reveal it’s only a book of riddles and calls them frauds

Nathaniel, Alix, Adrien, Marc, Zoé, and Nino are the only ones to believe them

Still holding the book, Marinette reads a page and accidentally casts a opposite-personality spell, making her much less judgmental, but she passes it along to other students and most become not as polite

Meanwhile in Wonderland, Cosette ends up in the Mad Hatter’s kitchen where they meet the White Knight. Long story short, they realize a Wonderland dessert is how they can warn the others that the Cheshire Cat stole the Storybook of Legends and replaced it with the cursed riddle book

Also, while Marinette is less judgmental, she wants to destroy the fairytale world instead of preserving it. So, she concocts a plan to plug up the Well of Wonder

The Austins, noticing something is seriously wrong with everyone, follow Austin A’s compass to the source of it all, Marinette, who’s about to plug up the Well of Wonder with help from Max and Sabrina who have also been affected by the spell. But they’re too late, and all of the wondrous elements start to fade away

Meanwhile, Nathaniel, Alix, Adrien, Marc, Zoé, Nino, Xavier, Fei, and Félix try to figure out a way to get the book back from Wonderland as the Well of Wonder is always hard to find

… That’s when Denise comes in

Denise: COSETTE BAKED A PIE MESSAGE! A SHADOW TOLD ME!

They head to a bakery and look through every single pie… Until they come across the only one that’s glowing

Félix: Let’s see what we have here. *Slices the pie*

Cosette, through the pie: Okay, so do I just start talking? Alright, so hey guys! I’m in Wonderland. Crazy, I know. Anyway, Ever After is in danger, the Cheshire Cat swapped out the Storybook of Legends for a riddle book, and it’s cursed!… Now do I just… That’s it? Okay.

They look for the book using Lila, who had the book last. And because she’s honest now, she tells them where she put it

But when they find it, it’s too late. The world and everyone in it is drained except for the Wonderland Kids

Fei: I’m putting and end to this! Dad! Show yourself!

*His grin appears*

Fei: All of you.

The Cheshire Cat, after some prompting, offers to tell them how to reverse the curse… If they beat him at a game. They just need to reach him on the other side of the puzzle floor

Alix: I’ll make this quick and easy. *Walks around the puzzle and reaches the Cheshire Cat* Boom. How’s that for a ditz?

To reverse the curse, they just need to say the last riddle on the book backwards. And it works… But now there’s just the matter of the plug in the Well of Wonder. An easy fix with some of Austin Q’s pixie dust

Also, Cosette makes it back to Ever After when the well gets unplugged and the White Knight is actually-

Way to Wonderland

It’s breakfast time at Ever After High, and Alya and Aurore make the following announcement-

Alya: As editors of our school paper, The Griffin, Aurore and I are pleased to announce that we will be doing a special feature!

Aurore: The theme is, A Time of Wonder! It will feature stories about Wonderland and the students native to the land!

Marinette: Of course! And who can forget how Nathaniel mom, the Queen of Hearts, is the reason they’re all stuck here in the first place?

Alya: Girl. Can we go one minute?

Marinette: Well, it is all because Nath’s mom decided to go total wacko screwball infinity one day, make it even madder than usual, run her own son out of the castle, and behead more people for no valid reason-

Marc: *Shoves a poison apple in her mouth, making Marinette pass out* That’s enough out of you.

Damocles and Bustier try to silence this by stating how Wonderland is dangerous which is why they sealed it up, but no one’s going to listen to them

Meanwhile, Nathaniel’s upset, not because of what Marinette said, but because it’s his mom’s birthday and he wants to be there with her despite… Everything.

Marc offers some help in the spells department to open up an entrance to Wonderland when Denise barges in on their conversation

Marc: If you want, maybe there’s a spell my mom made to-

Denise: Shadows are speaking again! They say Nath’s mom is in danger, and it will be off with her head!

Félix: … Is she always like this?

Marc: They, and yes. And they’re always right about these sort of things.

So now, the Wonderland Kids, Marc, Denise, and Nino are trying to figure out a way to Wonderland. To the Library!

While researching, the Wonderland Kids reminisce a bit and assure Nathaniel they don’t blame his mother. Rather, they believe another element is at play that made her do what she did… They just don’t know what

Suddenly, a book falls off the shelf and opens to a specific page. Weird, right? Wonder what that was about.

Marc picks up the book and skims until he finds a shocking illustration of…

Marc: MOM?!

Nino: Say what?

Fèlix: Did someone say “plot twist?”

Alix: But, this book is about Wonderland. What the hell is the Evil Queen doing in it?

Denise: … You don’t think?

Fei: What? No… No, that’s… No.

Marc: … She would.

Xavier: Oh, she would.

So now they suspect the Evil Queen had a part to play in Wonderland being sealed off. Looking at the illustration of the Evil Queen, they see a spell scroll in her hand- some sort of curse reversion spell to undo…

Marc: ‘The Spell of Utter Madness’?… Yep, she did it.

Alix: Well, I guess that’s why she’s in the mirror real.

So, Marc decides to make things right by undoing his mom’s madness curse over the Queen of Hearts and hopefully unseal Wonderland

But, while casting the spell, there’s a fluke, and the students disappear. All except Xavier and Alix

Nathaniel, Marc, Nino, Denise, Félix, and Fei all end up down a rabbit hole that leads straight to Wonderland. And upon arrival, they get new Wonderland-looking outfits

Also, much to their disappointment, Marinette is there with them because she was in the same room as them. So now, they’re stuck with her

Although, Marc didn’t remove the curse. But that doesn’t deter the group from going to save the Queen… Well, they would if they hadn’t been stopped by Jess Redd, the Red Knight who takes them to Wonderland High. And they can’t leave until they graduate after one day

*The kids all get dragged to the school*

Denise: No! I don’t even go here!

Félix: But I graduated early! I don’t need to go anymore!

Nathaniel: My mom is the Queen, and I can skip whenever I feel like it!

The White Rabbit, Xavier’s uncle because his dad sucks, leads the group to class while also informing them off a plot against the Queen of Hearts and once again confirming that it was the Evil Queen who cursed her

When the Evil Queen was out spreading chaos among the Fairytale realms, she started with Wonderland and placed the Madness Curse on the Queen to make her even more deranged. She turned Wonderland into a prison in just a short week, preventing anyone from getting in or getting out, and sought to expand her kingdom. Nathaniel, Alix, and her dad were lucky enough to escape years prior to the first chapter. Damocles and Bustier of course, blamed the Queen of Hearts until they discovered the Evil Queen was at fault, sealed her in the mirror realm and sealed off any gateways leading to Wonderland so the Queen of Hearts can’t attack. Still, they never corrected anyone on who was at fault

Marinette: I… Didn’t know that.

Nino: Neither did we. But you didn’t hear us bashing the Queen.

With that information, they decide to get through their classes so they can leave and save the Queen. Unfortunately, Wonderland classes make no sense, but they figure it out… Eventually

Lunch Time

While in the cafeteria, the Wonderland Kids come across an old face, Iris Jest, daughter of the court jester, and Student Body President who has the audacity to make a threat towards Nathaniel

After such a lovely meeting, they head to their classes, which have become more difficult. Fortunately, the White Knight Cosette met last chapter is there to help, but each class just keeps getting harder and harder until-

Nathaniel: THAT’S IT! I’m using the royalty card and getting our classes changed! Where’s the vice principal?!

Marc: He’s hot when he’s all fired up.

Nino: What?

Marc: What?

But, to their surprise, the vice principal is Iris! She challenges Nathaniel’s own authority, uses Wonderland logic to make time go backwards so they can never leave, and makes a threat toward the Queen of Hearts while revealing she’s all for overthrowing her

Félix: Why… It’s as if you almost want the plan to overthrow Nathaniel’s mother to succeed!

Iris: … OF COURSE, I DO!

But, Iris gives Nathaniel a choice. He just has to sign a contract, relinquishing his rights as heir to the Queen of Heart’s throne to her. If he signs, then they’re all free while he stays in school forever

Marinette: Nath! Don’t do this!

Nathaniel: Anyone else, please?

Félix: You always said you never wanted to be like your mom! But look at what we’ve learned! She was cursed! Remember when she chased you around the gardens and showed you how to play croquet with your first flamingo? That’s the Queen of Hearts Fei, Alix, Xavier and I remember and the version of her we know you want to be!

Nathaniel: … You’re right. *Snaps the quill in half… Again*

Enraged, Iris sends them to detention… But not before an unfair trial where they’re charged as guilty

Also, Alix and Xavier are still looking for the others, and the Evil Queen arms Iris with an evil book of spells right before she heads out to overthrow the queen and sign her name in the Storybook of Legends when Fei accidentally reveals its whereabouts

One minute in detention, and the group is already going insane. Marc and Nino can’t use their magic, and it’s almost time for the Queen’s birthday party

Soon, Félix gets an idea

Fèlix: My dad always got detention! He used to tell me dozens of his get-in stories! Denise, have your shadow friends send a message to the other side!

Denise: Okay, which other side?

Back in Ever After, the shadows communicate with Alix and Xavier by opening some books to certain pages and telling them that they’re in detention and they need to ask Alim for instructions on how to get out since he helped with some of the Mad Hatter’s best escapes. And his best on is-

Denise: Tiddlywinks? Like the game?

Félix: Like the game, he said.

This grabs the teacher in charge of detention’s attention… But, since the acting vice principal while Iris is out is Jess, then they will be dueling with swords in exchange for their freedom

Fortunately, the White Knight is fighting for them and gives them a chance to head to the palace while Fei goes to find her dad and get the Storybook of Legends

Iris arrives at the palace first, and uses an illusion spell to get past the guards while posing as Nathaniel

Guard: All hail the Queen of Hearts! Or else! And make sure to hand deliver to her your presents… Or else!

Aya: Yes! It is MY birthday party! And keep in mind, any present smaller than the palm of my hand shall result in your execution. That is all.

Iris is about to get executed until she poses as Nathaniel and her “son’s” presence actually manages to calm her down, much to the kingdom’s relief

Fei discovers from her dad that he gifted the Storybook of Legends to the Queen of Hearts, and Fei is thrilled at first… Until she finds the massive present room

Once Iris discovers from the Queen where the book is, she leaves, but not before starting an opposite game for when Nathaniel finds his mother

Anyway, the group arrives, and Fei goes to deliver the bad news about the Storybook of Legends, but Nathaniel’s too distracted by seeing his mother for the first time in years

Nathaniel: Mom! *Hugs her* I’m so happy to see you! I… In spite of everything, I missed you so much and I love you!

Aya: … You love me?! How dare you?!

Nino: … Dude. Cold.

Nathaniel: Wh-what?

Aya: You heard me! And by the way, you look horrid.

Nathaniel: *Starts crying*

Marc: So, can I commit regicide now?

Nathaniel: Mom, you’re not making any sense! I’ve been missing you for years, and I thought you still loved me! After I found out about your curse-

Aya: “Curse?” I’m under a curse? Whoops! Did I just lost the game?

Nathaniel: What are you- Wait. Is this an opposite game?

Aya; *Giggles* Nope.

Nathaniel: *Hugs her* Then, let the game start.

Aya: Oh, thank God! Of course I love you, Nathaniel.

Marinette: … These are some fucked up games.

They find Iris in the present room, and she’s about to sign the Storybook of Legends in Nathaniel’s place, but Marc uses his powers to teleport to her just in time and take the book

He tries to fend off against her attacks, but since Iris is armed with his mom’s spellbook, he doesn’t stand a chance… Unless…

Marc signs his name and inherits his mother’s dark powers, which corrupt him as he goes on a power trip until Iris yields or dies… Whichever comes first

The latter option would’ve been first if not for Marinette coming between them and saying he’s not his mother while apologizing for acting the way she did

This snaps Marc out of if, right as the Queen of Hearts arrives looking enraged even with Nathaniel trying to calm her down

Now with the Evil Queen’s powers, he lifts the curse off of the Queen of Hearts, making her sane… ish, and he breaks Mme. Bustier’s seal on Wonderland, merging the two worlds again

Also, The Queen decides to have a little chat with Mme. Bustier and Damocles, but as Nathaniel is the future King, she figures this will be good practice.

Nathaniel: You lied to the public for years and deemed my mother a warmongering lunatic when you knew all along that the Evil Queen was behind it all? And to make matters worse, rather than help her, you separated my friend and I from our home?!

Damocles: W-well, you see-

Mme. Bustier: We just-

Nathaniel: OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

Now Mme. Mendeleiv and M. Monlataing are Principal and Vice Principal

Also, for anyone wondering, the white knight was actually Aeon Charming the entire time. How did she end up in Wonderland?… We’ll go over that later

All I’ll write for now

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous #nathaniel kurtzberg #marc anciel #marc x nathaniel #mlb oc #ever after high #eah au #ask me stuff #answered ask

64 notes · View notes

inukag-archive · 2 years

Photo

Welcome to The InuKag Archive!

For your searching pleasure, below is a categorized, alphabetical index with links for our thematic fic rec lists, last updated in FEBRUARY 2024.

Much love,

Pixie, Rudd, Anisa, Mama, & Lost

Angst / Drama / Dark / Whump

Angst With Pining

Break Up/Make Up

Cheating

Family Disapproval

Inuyasha Whump

Misunderstanding Reconciliation

Reconciliation/Cheating Inuyasha

Sick Kagome

Canon-Based

500 Year Gap (Canon Divergent)

Dark Canon/Canon Divergence

First Interactions (SFW Canon)

Inuyasha in the Modern Era (But Not A Modern AU)

Missing Scenes/Fill The Gaps in Canon

Modern-Era Dates (Canon Compliant)

New Moon Inuyasha (Canon)

NSFW Canon: Part One and Part Two

Post Canon

Post Canon/Canon Fluff

Post Canon NSFW

Realistic Canon

SFW Canon

SFW Canon w/ no parenting or Yashahime

Three Year Gap

Fluff / SFW

First Kiss

Fluff, Pre-2020

Fluff, Post-2020

High School / College / Teacher AUs

High School AUs: Part One and Part Two

High School/College Teachers

Office / College AUs

Holidays

Halloween

Japanese Holidays

Inuyasha and/or Kagome in Alternate Forms

Demon Inuyasha

Hanyou Kagome

Human (Demons Don’t Exist) AUs

InuKag As Kids

Inuyasha As A Dog: Part One and Part 2

Kikyou Involvement

Inuyasha Chooses Kikyo Misunderstanding

Kagome/Kikyou Swap Places

Sympathetic Kikyou

Mod Favorites

Mod Comfort Fics

Mod Favorites

Mod’s Favorite Ongoing Fics (as of mid-2022)

NSFW (Smut)

Dominant Kagome (NSFW)

Fluffy Smut

Friends With Benefits

NSFW Pregnancy

Online Sex Work/Relationship

Royalty/Rich NSFW

Parenting

Expecting First Child

New Parents (Moroha)

Raising Moroha

Royalty / Historical / Fairytale AUs

Arranged Marriage

Beauty and the Beast Inspired

Fairytale Inspired

Feudal AU

Feudal Era Early Marriage

Similar To

Epic Plot

Similar to “Secret Love, Secret Power”

Specific AUs

Ghost AU

Rockband AU

Soulmate AUs

Star Wars/Space AUs

Yakuza/Organized Crime

Specific Tropes

Age Regression

Adopt A Stray

Bead-Centric

Body Swap

Caught in Inclement Weather

Disabilities

Enemies to Lovers

Fake Dating

Inuvember 2023 Part 1 and Part 2

Jealous Inuyasha

Memory Loss

Pet Parents

Pining Inuyasha

Protective / Possessive

Published Pre-2015

Reincarnation

Role Reversal

Short Fic

#inukag archive #inuyasha fanfic #inukag fanfic

193 notes · View notes

runmeover-pls · 1 year

Text

ABOUT ME!

Yo! My name is Seojoon, and I'm 19 years old, and I'm a guy, I use he/they pronouns and well, I write here mostly. I write mostly for enhypen and Stray kids but you can request any other group!! Feel free to ask me anything.

What can and cant I write?>

♤What I can write for:

Kpop groups!~

♤Enhypen!!(Heejayki biased😋)

♤Stray Kidz!(Changbin and Han biased!)

♤BTS!! (Yoomin/Suga and Jimin biased😍)

♤Tomorrow X Together(Yeonjun and beomgyu biased)

~More to be added~

Animes!~

♤Haikyuu(the boys)

♤Demon slayers(the boys)

~more to be added~

Games!~

♤Genshin impact(yeah..)

~More to be added~

♧Genres:

♧Fluff !!

♧Angst !! (Sucker for Angst😍)

♧Horror !! (I fucking love horror)

♧Suggestive !!

♧Smut !! (Basically the only ones I read these days😭 and also a sucker for smut😍)

~more to be added?~

☆what kind of trope/readers can I write?:

Tropes/AUS!~

☆Friends with benefits

☆Enemies to lovers (LOVE THIS TROPE AND IDK WHY)

☆Friends to lovers

☆Sugar daddy/baby AU😋

☆Family AU

☆Idol AU

☆Established relationship

☆Fairytale AU

~More to be added~

Reader/You!~

☆Male reader(ofc tf)

☆Gender neutral reader

☆Transgender(whether FTM or MTF)reader

☆Reader with problems (I mostly think this would mostly be in the genre Angst or fluff)

☆Any race

~More to be added~

◇What I dont want to write:

◇Female reader

◇Female characters(Maybe in the future will be accepted idk, I'll update)

◇Hardcore kinks for smuts(wax and knife play is fine)

~Your beloved asshole of Seojoon !🦖🦖

(Requests are open btw and if yall are free to talk, open up!!)

#yeah #male reader #About me #Seojoon writes 🦖

3 notes · View notes

junrecs · 1 year

Text

This is @hobivore's reading blog (i.e. the place where I scream about fics). I'm a multistan, so expect to find a little bit of everything here. Enjoy! And don't forget to show your favourite authors some love 💖

Find fics by ...

Group

Ateez (Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, Jongho, OT8) BTS (Jin, Namjoon, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung, Jungkook, OT7) Stray Kids (Chan, Minho, Changbin, Hyunjin, Jisung, Felix, Seungmin, Jeongin, OT8)

Genre

Angst Crack Fluff Smut MxM

Trope

Brother's best friend Coworkers to lovers Enemies to lovers Established relationship Fake dating Friends to lovers Friends with benefits Idiots to lovers Infidelity Neighbours to lovers Rivals to lovers Roommates to lovers Slow burn Threesome Tsundere Yandere

Alien Android Bartender Camping College Crime Christmas Demons Fairytale Fantasy Ghost Historical Hybrid Idol Mafia Mythology Office Racing Social media Scriptural Soulmates Supernatural Tattoo artist Vampires Wedding

Length

< 1k 1-3k 3-5k 5-7k 7-10k 10-15k +15k

#navi

5 notes · View notes

straykidsscribbles · 5 years

Text

For Who Could Ever Learn to Love a Dragon?

My one year anniversary fic- I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve written for Minho. Thank you to all of you, for all the support, patience, and kindness. You’re amazing. I hope you enjoy this, and my other works. My masterlist is in my description.

Summary: The mountain always looked terribly mysterious, and the dragon trapped inside was cruel and lost... never to be loved by anyone again.

Word Count: 9233 words, Beauty and the Beast AU, Minho x neutral reader

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a young prince. His name was Lee Minho, and he was well known throughout the lands as one of the most talented dancers of his generation. People would travel far and wide to come and see his performances. Minho received award after award, accolades aplenty, and adoration from all around him.

Unfortunately… the praise ended up getting to his head. And so, Minho’s talent morphed into vanity and hubris. People who had longed to learn from him or just meet him even were disappointed by his cutting words and cruel language.

A year passed in this manner, and Minho only grew more and more vain. He began turning away even the students that had studied under him for years and the teammates that he had once danced with. Minho grew single minded in focus, everything centering around the mastery of his art.

That is, until that fateful day.

Minho was practicing in his main studio, mirrors all around him so that he could analyze his own movements and perfect them as best he could. He was so engrossed that he didn’t notice one of the servants knocking lightly on the doorframe.

“Your highness?” the servant asked, trying to catch Minho’s attention. “There’s someone here to see you my lord. May I show them in?”

Minho looked up and rolled his eyes, turning away from the servant. “I’m busy. You have your instructions. If someone wishes to see me during practice, they can come back when I’m free. I’m not changing my schedule to accommodate anyone. Why on earth should I? I’m a prince after all.”

“My lord, you must see them!” The servant was getting more agitated, wringing his hands worriedly.

Fire flashed through Minho’s eyes. “Did you just imply that I am required to do something? Excuse me? Leave my sight right this instant, and if I see you again, you’ll regret it for the rest of your days.”

The servant bowed and backed away, cringing under the deadly glare Minho was directing at him, Minho turned back to his dance practice, stepping quickly into rhythm and letting the music float over him, carrying him with it.

Light footsteps sounded behind him.

“So, you really are as vain and horrid as they say you are,” a quiet voice mused from behind him. Minho whirled around, furious at being interrupted again.

“How dare you interrupt me?” he snarled at the black cloaked figure standing in front of him.

The figure laughed coldly. “How dare I? How dare you, Lee Minho? How dare you behave in such a manner to a witch with my power. Either you apologize right now, or regret it for the rest of your days”

Minho let out a scornful laugh. “Why would I, a prince, apologize to a stupid, ugly, pathetic old crone like you?”

And that was the last laugh that escaped his lips. The witch let out a snarl, smashing her stave against the stone floor of the castle. Curls of bright green magic spiraled through the air, filling the hall with the smell of acrid smoke.

“Your vanity has brought about your downfall young prince. I curse you to live as a creature befitting your ridiculous vanity—I curse you to be a dragon until you can learn the humility required to be human once more. You have until this flower dies to change your very being from the inside out, else you will be forced to take this form for eternity!” She slammed her stave against the ground three times, and a cloud of white vapor swirled around her.

When the vapor vanished, so had she. Only a pretty white iris lay in her wake.

Minho couldn’t concentrate on the woman’s disappearance however. Sharp pains suddenly wracked his body; the green curls of magic that had remained even after the witch disappeared wrapped themselves around him. He felt his limbs changing, his body growing longer and more lithe.

Then, his back began to burn. It burned as though someone had poured molten lava over it, scouring and puckering his skin even as he felt his shoulder blades growing longer and longer, until they became like a second pair of arms. He writhed in pain as his body twisted and morphed, until finally, blessedly, the world went black around him.

His final thought was only asking, begging, to know what kind of monster he had just become.

---

You pulled yourself up onto the kitchen counter, biting into an apple that you’d plucked from the tree outside. Today was your least favorite day of the month—departure day.

You and your brother Felix had been living together for many years in this town, studying dancing under a celebrated dance master who had moved to the country to establish his own school. The only real difficulty was in living so far away from your parents but having your brother with you helped deal with the loneliness.

That is, only when he was there. Which, incidentally, is what made this day so miserable. Felix would be leaving to go back home, while you remained to take care of your home alone—and while you took turns going back, the separation was never easy on whoever was left behind.

“Now remember, stay on the roads, and make sure you don’t wander! There are bandits and all sort of other dangers around here.” You instructed Felix.

He rolled his eyes as he pushed the last of his provisions into his bag. “I’m going to be fine you old worrywart. I’ll be back within the week, is there anything you want me to bring back?”

You thought for a second, mentally running through the list of items that you’d left at your parents’ home. “I think I left my favorite record at home, you know the one that we still haven’t come up with a choreography for? Bring it back with you, I’m sick of not being able to come up with something for it.”

“Anything else?” He pushed open the kitchen door to the yard, where the car was waiting.

“No, just hurry home soon would you?” Felix nodded and quickly started the car and waved to you from behind the wheel.

You waved back, ignoring the strange apprehensive feeling that kept fluttering in your stomach.

---

About a week later, Felix was driving as fast as he could in the pouring rain, trying to get home as soon as he could. The car had already made a few ominous noises, and he did not want to be caught outside in the storm, and that too on top of a mountain.

All around him, the wind shrieked through the trees lining the side of the road. Felix had even heard a few wolves howling wildly almost as though they were hunting for prey under the cover of the night.

His nerves were rising at every little sound that filled the small car’s cabin. He could hear every little creak of the straining engine, every whistle of the wind outside, every hair-raising, inexplicable noise that came through the windows and dove straight into his heart. The sooner I get out of this mess, the better.

Unfortunately, right as he had that thought, the car gave off a large splutter and died, smoke rising from underneath the hood. Felix groaned to himself, getting out of the car and over to the smoking hood.

He opened it, only to find more smoke and what looked like a battery that had shorted out from all the rain.

“Wonderful. This doesn’t look like I can fix it any time soon,” Felix grumbled as he went back to his seat and pulled out his bag. “Might as well try and see if there’s any caves or something nearby that I can shelter in.”

Right at that moment, a flash of lightning lit up the dusty country road. Felix glanced up and caught sight of a door cut into the side of the mountain he’d been driving up. He rushed towards it, disregarding the brambles that cut at his clothes and hands. Reaching the door, he pounded on it wildly, screaming for someone to open it.

No one responded. Felix’s cries grew more and more desperate in sound and he pounded a little harder.

And then, his fist caught on a hidden pressure plate in the door. It swung up without a warning, leaving Felix reeling and stumbling over himself as he entered the room behind the door.

That is, room was a bit of a misnomer. The area was enormous, with ceilings easily a hundred feet high and torches lining the walls wherever Felix looked. He shrugged off his soaked cloak and left it in a heap next to the door, moving closer to what appeared to be an enormous sunken fire pit in the center of the room.

Teeth chattering, he reached out towards the lightly glowing coals, trying to leech some semblance of warmth back into his fingers. Let me rest for a few minutes, then I can go back and try and get the car started again.

Those few minutes were enough though, and Felix’s eyes slowly began to droop shut, until he was fast asleep on the floor of the enormous hall.

---

“HOW DARE YOU WALTZ INTO MY CASTLE AND TREAT IT LIKE YOUR PERSONAL DRIP CATCHER!” A thundering roar shook the walls of the hall and Felix started awake, sitting up abruptly and almost hitting his head on something that had just appeared in front of him.

He blinked a few times, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes. “Wha- where am I?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with one hand.

“You, pathetic little blob, are in my mountain castle. MY CASTLE!” The voice growled.

“I’m sorry, I only hid here to shelter from the rain. Please, forgive me for trespassing sir.” Felix doubted the apology would have any effect, yet he attempted it regardless.

“An apology is NOT enough. You dared enter; now you will never leave. Enjoy rotting here for the rest of your miserable life.” An enormous something came hurtling down towards Felix’s prone figure out of the middle of the air and scooped him up. Felix screamed at the sudden loss of solid ground underneath his feet. He hurtled through the air for a moment before crashing into a tiny nook about thirty feet in the air.

Felix figured he didn’t really have options aside from begging at this point. “Please, my family needs me! I can’t leave them alone! I beg of you sir, spare me and let me go.”

By now, the something that had scooped Felix up had gone back to the ground and was tapping the bag that he’d left near the fire pit. The contents of it soon spilled over the floor, and the something moved into the light.

Felix couldn’t stop the horrified gasp that escaped his lips as the light fell on his captor.

He was being held captive by a dragon.

A DRAGON. I’M DEAD. THERE IS NO WAY I’M EVER GOING TO ESCAPE. His breathing got faster, almost to the point of hyperventilation.

The dragon poked gingerly at the pile of items that Felix’s bag had contained. One in particular caught his eye- the record _____ had requested.

“You have a set of records but no instruments, only extra clothing and foot wraps. Are you a dancer?” The dragon’s voice had changed slightly in timber, an almost longing note lacing the edge of his question.

Felix gulped in a breath and replied in the affirmative. The dragon hummed thoughtfully, an utterly terrifying noise that shook the walls of the room slightly.

“I think I’ll keep this in my personal collection.” He swiped the record up and gingerly clutched it in one paw. Slowly, the dragon’s enormous wings spread, and he made to loft himself off the ground and back into whatever passages he may have been hiding in before.

Now or never Felix. You can’t let him take it. “Wait! That’s not yours! You can’t have it!”

The dragon cackled wildly. “Well, if the owner comes, we can discuss what happens with both you and your record. And you. It’s about time I had a dancer to perform my dances for me.”

And with that ominous statement the dragon lofted himself into the air, leaving gusts of wind in his wake that chilled Felix to the bone in his still damp clothing.

I hope _____ doesn’t come looking for me.

---

You frowned at the calendar. Felix was supposed to have returned two days previously, and he’d apparently left your parents’ home on time. Yet there was absolutely no sign of him anywhere, and none of the travelers from that direction recalled passing a boy around his age.

Needless to say, you were out of your mind with worry.

He was your younger brother, your responsibility, and you’d let him go off on his own. If I’d been with him, he might not have gotten lost. What if someone kidnapped him, or he got stabbed and left on the side of the road? What if he got enchanted by some witch? What if he-

You shook your head violently, trying to get the horrible thought out of your mind. Felix is fine, and I am going to go find him.

Mind made up, you quickly threw together some spare clothes, food, and money into a bag. Now that you had a plan, you felt slightly lighter, like someone had relieved the pressure weighing down on you. You quickly stuffed your feet into your boots and ran out the door, bag slung over one shoulder.

Hopefully the dance teacher will let me borrow his car if I say it’s because Felix is missing.

You stalked through the outskirts of town, walking quickly to avoid the somewhat sleazy gazes of the young men loitering in the alleys. It was the fastest route to the heart of town; a detour would only slow you down.

“Hey babe, how about you stop walking so fast? We’re just looking?” One of them called out. Another one whistled as he looked you over, eyes lingering inappropriately.

You ignored them, pulling your bag closer to yourself and walking faster, an angry glare painting your face. If those idiots even breathe on me I will scream bloody murder and claw their eyes out.

“Awww, don’t scowl like that babe, your mouth looks so pretty when you aren’t frowning.” The first one called after you as you stormed out of the alley onto the main road.

People. Finally.

You quickly knocked on the door of the studio, hoping that you wouldn’t be stuck outside for long. Within a few seconds the door swung open.

“____? Is everything alright?” your teacher asked, a worried expression clouding his face.

“I’m fine sir, I just… Felix is missing and he took our car. Is there any way I can borrow your car to go look for him?” The man’s face softened, and he nodded.

“I’d offer you tea or something but I’m guessing you want to leave immediately?” You nodded mutely. “Come inside, I’ll get you the keys and you can leave from the back entrance.”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure. I just hope you find him safe and sound.” Me too.

Five minutes later you were cruising along the main road, eyes laser focused on the pavement in front of you.

---

Three hours later, your hands were beginning to hurt from how tightly you were clutching the steering wheel and you were almost sure that the second you took your foot off the accelerator it would cramp up. Pushing onwards with only willpower and desperation to fuel you, you began your steady descent down the mountain road.

You were on your way down the hill when you saw it. Sure enough, there was Felix’s car, parked at an angle to the road.

And it was empty.

You quickly pulled over and ran over to the car, searching wildly for any sign of Felix. Something, anything to tell you that he was still alive and not lying dead somewhere after rolling down the mountain side.

As you were examining the driver’s seat, you happened to glance up. The light was striking the side of the mountain at an odd angle, and you could almost swear there was a door cut into the rock with a path leading away from the door towards it.

“I wonder…” you grabbed your bag from the car and sling it over one shoulder, making your way up the path to the door. You scrabbled around on the smooth surface until your fingers caught on a latch and the door swung open.

A dark, empty space loomed in front of you, completely devoid of any light. You took a deep breath, and then stepped inside.

This is for Felix.

Almost immediately the door closed behind you, leaving you trapped in the darkness. The world was pitch black around you, making it seem like someone had trapped you deep underground.

The panic rose in your throat. Walls seemed to close in around you. A ringing began to sound in your ears. You’d never been stuck somewhere so dark before. Somewhere so utterly terrifying.

I’m going to die here, and no one will ever find me.

Suddenly, a crevice that spiraled all the way around the hall sparked to life, flames flickering and lighting the enormous hall in front of you. You immediately felt your breathing ease and the tension seep from your limbs.

And then, you saw the tiny, curled up figure tucked inside a niche on the other side of the hall. Bars covered the niche’s entrance, and all around you the walls loomed up in sheer black darkness.

“Felix!” you yelled, voice cracking in desperation. A narrow ledge connected the two of you and you clutched your way along the stone wall towards him, ignoring the steep drop below you. “Felix!”

He sat up, rubbing the sleep from tear encrusted eyes. “____?” You can’t be here, you have to leave!”

“I’m not leaving here without you! Do you have even the slightest idea how worried I’ve been? I was going mad waiting for you to come home. Good thing I did come, now we can get out.” You shook the bars roughly, trying to get them to swing open somehow. Come on, come on, open damn it! I can’t leave him.

Felix shook his head, pushing you away roughly. “Get out of here, before the dragon comes back. Please, I’d never forgive myself if you got stuck here with me. Tell Mom and Dad I love them, yeah? I’ll miss you.”

A sob escaped your throat as you turned to go back to the door. “I’ll get you out of this Lix, I promise.” Even as you spoke, an odd sense of foreboding filled your very soul. Why does it feel like I’ll never see him again?

“Just GO!” You shuffled along the ledge back to the door.

Your fingers scraped the smooth stone, trying to find the latch that would open the door once more from the inside. After a minute or so of frantic searching, your fingernail caught on a small latch.

And then, just as you were about to slip out the door, a thundering roar that shook you to your very bones filled the room.

“How dare you enter my home? Two intruders in three days, how lucky for me. Is this the one you begged me to spare?”

Wind rushed through the room. A sharp clicking, like metal clanking on stone floors, scraped your ears.

“Run _____!”

“Not so fast.” A paw reached out of nowhere and clamped down on your shoulder, before the paw’s owner took off. The floor dropped away beneath your feet, leaving only empty air below you.

“Shut up.” The voice said, setting you down next to the bars in front of Felix’s cage. “Now stay still. You have a decision to make.”

You couldn’t stop trembling. Every part of you shook with fear at what the unknown thing that had grabbed you would do to you.

Before you had a chance to blink and let your eyes get adjusted to the light, Felix was standing beside you. Chains were wrapped around his hands and feet, with another length holding him in place so that he couldn’t run to you no matter how hard he tried.

Taking matters into your own hands, you ran over to him, paying no heed to the rocky floor that threatened to trip you up. You pulled at the chains keeping him in place, but they wouldn’t budge.

A cold voice cut through the air, making your hair stand on end. “You have a choice now… run for your life and leave your brother behind with me…” A chuckle ensued as whoever the unknown speaker was saw your determined expression.

There is no way I’m leaving Felix here.

“Or…” the sly pauses the voice was making were just making you angry now.

“Spit it out!” you yelled into the darkness around you.

“You could take his place. I will let your brother go if you agree to stay with me for the rest of your life, in this place.”

All you could hear now was your own heartbeat rushing in your ears, faster and faster. What do I do? Take his place? Let him go.

You thought back to your home, to what awaited both of you. Felix had so much left he wanted to accomplish, so much potential that would be lost if he stayed behind.

I’m sorry Mom, Dad. This is for him.

“I’ll take his place.”

“No! _____, you can’t do this, I won’t let you! You’re insane if you think I can leave you here to pay for my curiosity.”

“Felix, this is my decision.” A small sparkling key came flying through the air and you caught it.

The voice spoke once more. “Unlock his chains and cuff yourself.”

You did as told, fingers shaking so hard you could barely hold the keys. You couldn’t meet Felix’s tear-filled eyes as you pulled the shackles off his wrists and tightened them around your own.

“I love you Felix, I love you and Mom, and Dad, and I want you to do everything you—”

The dark figure swooped down and grabbed Felix, carrying him up into the air and out of the light from the nearby torches.

The last sound you heard from your brother was his anguished scream as the little door in the side of the mountain closed, leaving you alone. The sound shattered you from within, breaking whatever reserve of strength that had held you upright while your brother was still there.

At least Felix is safe, you tried to reassure yourself. At least it’s me trapped here and not him.

It hit you then that you really were trapped.

With only the monster for company.

At long last, the figure you’d seen swooping around came into full view.

Glittering dark green scales covered a lithe, muscular body. Spines that glowed with some sort of inner fire lined his back and neck, sharp as knives. The creature’s front paws had long claws over six inches long. Along his back you could make out folds of green leather, which had to be wings. A barbed tail curled around him almost like a cat’s would, swishing back and forth as the dragon, for that was what stood before you, breathed in and out. Steam rose from his nostrils, and rich dark eyes twinkled in the light of the torches.

Those eyes looked almost human in nature. Warm and mischievous rather than cold and unyieldingly cruel the way you’d expected.

“Well? Don’t just stand there like an idiot. Do you want to stay in that cell where your brother was?” The dragon’s voice was surprisingly soft given his horrifying appearance. It was loud and deep, yes, but it had a lyrical quality to it that contradicted the sharp fangs that were just visible in the corners of his mouth.

“Answer me! Do you have a name?”

“____.” You hid the waver threatening to make itself known. “I want to leave this hellhole of a cavern and get back to daylight.”

“Daylight?” the dragon mocked. “You think you deserve to see daylight, little one? After sneaking into my castle? You’re staying right here, my preciousssss.”

The dragon’s hiss sent shivers up your spine. Even his voice is terrifying. It’s like ice and poison and corrosive acid all at once—

“Now then, _____. Do you want to stay in the cell, or are you going to cooperate and let me take you to your new room?”

“Do I even have a choice?” Doubt it. He clearly has his own ideas over what to do with me.

“Cell it is then.” You cringed away as the dragon’s cruel claws came close to your shoulder.

“Room, please!” I can’t handle being carried by those daggers one more time.

“So, you can be reasonable. What a surprise. Come.” The dragon clicked down a hallway that had yet gone unnoticed by you in the corner of the large cavern. You followed, unsure as to how to respond to the twelve-foot-long dragon. Yet another thing no one ever told me how to deal with. I just hope Felix is safe.

Three corridors, two sets of double doors, and four large halls later, the dragon pushed open a large gilt door.

“This is your room. You will be joining me for dinner in the dining room in one hour.” He spoke curtly, with a careless, disdainful glance at you.

“What if I choose not to?” Might as well test my boundaries.

“That was an order, not a request.”

And with those words, the dragon turned, tail whipping through the air behind him and almost hitting you in the face. With no other alternative, you entered the room, slamming the door shut behind you with a clang that echoed through the hollowed-out mountain castle.

With little else to do, you threw yourself onto the bed and began to sob. You were trapped, in the middle of nowhere, with only a monstrous dragon for company. And even the finery around you couldn’t disguise the fact that you were a prisoner, in a gilded cage.

Golden bars were still bars after all.

---

Minho clicked down the halls back to wing where his old rooms used to be. He’d long since outgrown the bed he’d occupied as a child; now he simply had knocked down half the walls and turned the space into a very messy nest, with bundles of items lying all over the place.

Just because his claws couldn’t wrap the fabric properly didn’t mean he couldn’t order the servants to do it for him.

Speaking of servants, where were they? He mused as he settled down into the nest of soft blankets. Intimidating people really was a full-time job.

His eyes began to droop slowly shut, only to slam open as a small candlestick began jumping up and down on top of his scaled back.

“Prince Minho! Wake up! Who’s the person in the guest wing? Is it the one? Will they break the curse? Are they cute?”

Minho rolled onto his other side, flicking his wing to try and get him off. “Go away Jisung. Make sure ____ is down for dinner on time and tell Chan he has to make sure dinner tastes good.”

“Ooooh, trying to impress ____? Your new consort has a pretty name. You better behave well with them. No temper tantrums, and woo them properly, that’s the best way to get them to break the curse.”

“Would you shut up? I need a nap.” Jisung had veered uncomfortably close to the truth. Minho did hope that ____ would be the one to break the curse, but he also didn’t want to hope.

If he had hope, the chances of being hurt when he was trapped as a dragon forever would only be more painful.

As it is, he only had about half a year left before the curse became permanent.

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice Jisung leaving the room and going to meet Changbin outside.

“Is he alright?” Changbin asked, hands whirring worriedly on his face.

“I don’t know Binnie-hyung. I don’t know. Let’s just get things together and try and welcome our guest. It’s all we can do it this point.

---

You looked up at the knock that reverberated throughout your new room.

“Go. Away. I don’t want to see your scaly face,” you hissed at the door.

“It’s dinner time. Your presence is required.”

“Fuck off!” Something inside you snapped. “Do you think I’m going to sit and politely eat opposite the dragon that kidnapped my brother and blackmailed me?”

A loud huff came from the other side of the door. “If you don’t come and eat with me, you won’t be eating at all.”

“Good riddance! I don’t particularly feel hungry after being manhandled anyway!” You yelled back, before picking up a large, heavy looking hair brush and flinging it at the door. “You can bother all you want, I’m not coming out.”

“Then rot!” The dragon stomped away, his heavy footsteps clanking on the ground heavily.

You let out a heavy breath, feeling the tears begin to well up once more. You hadn’t been lying when you said you weren’t hungry. Right now, the only feeling in your stomach was one of nausea and horror, horror at what you were probably going to face.

Who knows what the dragon’s going to do to me when I refuse to leave at his order?”

Exhausted, miserable, nauseous, and ready to collapse, you curled into a tiny little ball on the surprisingly soft bed. You didn’t have much else to do, might as well sleep.

You’d need all your energy to try to escape later on.

---

Your eyelids fluttered open after some time, feeling crusty and dry after your sobbing. You rubbed them carelessly, remembering the warnings your mother had always given you about your eyelashes falling out if you rubbed your eyes.

If I have a chance to listen to Mom nag me ever again, I’ll be the happiest person on earth.

You took the silence as an opportunity to explore your new room. A few shelves lined one wall, with various knick-knacks and decorations filling the space. Sheer curtains led outside to a window, surprising seeing as you had entered a mountain. Maybe it opens onto the valley inside. Like a castle courtyard, only the mountain and cliffs are the castle themselves.

A set of pretty wall hangings finished the other side of the room, along with a screen and a large wardrobe which seemed to be letting out a few large snores every now and then. At this point though, after seeing a dragon speak, not much would be startling you.

You went over to the wardrobe and poked it. It jolted awake with a shudder, blinking open carved eyes near the door.

“Oh, hello! You must be _____, the master sent me up to see to you. I’m Hyunjin, your new helper! We should get you into some night clothes so you can sleep, yes?”

You frowned. “I don’t want to go back to sleep. I’m going to explore and find the kitchen.”

The wardrobe—Hyunjin—opened his mouth to speak again, but you forestalled him by wrapping your cloak more tightly around you.

“Do me a favor and don’t tell the dragon?” You called as you slipped out the door. Hyunjin just stood there, unmoving in his shock.

Slowly, a little smile spread over his face. Maybe some challenges were just what the master needed to bring some light back into his life and spice it up a little.

Maybe Jisung and Changbin were right. Maybe you would be their salvation.

After all, you simply had to fall in love with a dragon. How hard could it really be to orchestrate that?

---

The answer, as Hyunjin, Jisung, Changbin, and the other plotters were soon to discover, was that it was really quite difficult to orchestrate two people’s falling in love with each other. Especially when one of those individuals was a cantankerous dragon who took no pleasure in anything other than brooding, and the other was an angry kidnappee who kept breaking things and sneaking around the passages to elicit a reaction from Minho.

Suffice it to say, things were not going well by any means.

And they were just about to get worse.

It was the middle of the night, and you’d dragged yourself out of bed, hoping that the late hour would ensure you wouldn’t be discovered. Lighting only a small candle, you slowly crept down the passageways back to the large cavern where you’d first met the dragon.

Tonight was the night you got out of this weird castle-cave-hollow-mountain-thing.

You tiptoed along, pausing at every slight noise you heard. Shivers ran up your spine and the little hairs on the back of your neck stood up. You had the distinct feeling that someone was following you, and yet when you turned your head, there was no one there.

Nervously toying with your fingers, you finally came up on the enormous cavern that you’d entered weeks ago. Slowly, you made your way up a narrow ledge to where the bars that had once imprisoned Felix now lay.

You tore your eyes away and forced yourself to look at the other walls, scanning for the slight crack that had unlocked the little door earlier. Fingers scrabbling against the smooth stone, you searched silently, hoping against hope that you’d find the door again.

And then, your fingernail caught on something.

Tamping down a squeal of excitement, you placed the candle on a nearby ledge, letting to soft light wash over your hands as they searched for the hidden catch within the crack. Within a few moments you’d found it and clicked it open once more. The door swung open, revealing a stormy night.

You tightened your hands into fists. I’ve come this far, no turning back now. You shoved the door open and slipped out the door, hiding your nose in your sleeve to protect it from the biting wind. You struggled down the path, steep as it was, until you came up on the road below.

Disaster struck.

Suddenly the air was filled with the sound of howling.

Only this time it wasn’t the wind.

This time, it was wolves.

Some sixth sense told you to duck, and not a second too soon. A large gray wolf sailed over your head, fangs snapping exactly where your head had been not a moment ago.

A scream tore itself from your lips. You curled tighter in on yourself, surrounded on all sides by slobbering, slavering wolves who regarded you with a cruel yellow light in their eyes.

I’m going to die here. I’m never going to see my family again, or breathe in the fresh morning air, or hear the applause after a performance. I’m never going to—

A roar split the air, and then beautiful emerald fire burned in a ring around you. The dragon swooped down from the sky and swiped angrily at the wolves, ignoring the snarling, snapping fangs and claws that slashed his scales away. He curled around your prone form, swiping away a wolf approaching from behind with one sweep of his tail.

“Get. On.” You did as told, too shocked to respond in any other way. Dying at the claws of your scaly savior would probably be less painful than being eaten by a bunch of wolves.

One of the wolves leaped into the air as the dragon took off and sank his teeth into the dragon’s left foreleg. You could feel him shudder in pain underneath you, but he shook it off, flapping his leathery wings and making his way back to the mountain-castle.

Huh. From this height you can see the towers and ramparts that the ivy grew over and hid. It’s actually a really beautiful structure. Clearly, the shock was making you a little loopy as well.

The dragon sank down in a courtyard with high walls all around it, at the very tip of the mountain. You slid off his back, preparing to complain about the cold ride and the fact that he still wasn’t planning on letting you go even though it was completely useless to keep you trapped there!

Then you saw the blood, surprisingly red and warm, welling up on his paw.

He did save my life… I guess I owe it to him.

You immediately knelt next to him and pulled the bleeding paw into your lap. Grabbing the corner of your cloak, you wiped it gently, trying to see how deeply the wolf’s teeth had pierced his skin.

Behind you, a little crowd was gathering. The servants were all staring as you tried to stem the bleeding.

“Jisung, could you get me some hot water? And maybe some towels, and some alcohol for cleaning this?” you asked, not taking your eyes off the dragon. If they’re going to stare, might as well be useful for a change.

“Of course, we’ll get them to you right away. Changbin come on!” the little candlestick hissed, yanking Changbin behind him. They soon returned with the items you had asked for and left without another word.

You finished wrapping the bandages rather haphazardly around the dragon’s paw. He was more awake now, staring at you with those rich green eyes and making you feel like you could never hide a single secret from him.

Stupid dragon. Dying might have been better anyways. It’s not like I even know his name.

“Get inside. Do you have a bedroom?” you asked, tugging the paw that had been in your lap towards the wall.

“Down the west hallway. First door,” he rumbled, rising from his prone position and entering one of the corridors. You followed, unsure as to where in the castle you actually were.

The dragon nosed open one of the numerous doors lining that hallway and slipped inside. The room was large—it had to be to hold someone so large—and it had pretty green and gold wallpaper covering the walls. A large pit lined with pillows stood in the center of the room, and the dragon fell into this now, cushioning his head on one of them.

“Thank you for saving me.” Some unknown force compelled you to speak. “I owe you my life… I know it doesn’t mean much but I am grateful Mister Dragon.”

“It’s Lee Know.” The dragon’s voice was so quiet you barely heard it.

“Lee Know? Like… the verb?”

The dragon—Lee Know—simply blinked and closed his eyes. You shrugged and turned away as well, ready to go back to your own rooms… if you could even find them.

Maybe escaping could wait until tomorrow night, when you were a little less tired.

---

“Are you absolutely sure about this? You don’t let anyone into your collection!” Changbin asked worriedly as he toddled as fast as he could to keep up with Minho.

“They’re just sitting there and gathering dust. _____ likes music and dancing, almost as much as I—well at least they’ll be used this way.”

“If you say so…” Changbin trailed off. “When she messed up anything and gets all cross don’t come crying to me.”

“Don’t you have clock-servant things to do?” Minho hissed, flicking Changbin with his tail. “Go away.”

Changbin snickered to himself as he made his way down to the kitchen. The others would want to hear this.

Meanwhile, Minho came up to the door to your bedroom and tapped lightly against it with one claw. He waited for a moment, unsure as to what your response would be.

To his surprise, you smiled happily at him and came out into the hallway as well. “It’s really lovely outside today isn’t it?” you asked, closing your door behind you. “Is your paw doing better?”

Minho was quite taken aback. “It’s—it’s doing a lot better thanks. I… I was wondering if maybe… you’d be interested in something to distract you, so you don’t have to spend all your time here bored.”

“Finally! I thought I’d go mad from just doing nothing! Where are we going?”

A small smile almost appeared on Minho’s face. “It’s a surprise. Close your eyes.”

You shrugged and did as told. If he’d wanted to kill you, he’d probably have done it by this point, you mused as you placed one hand on his neck and let him guide you through the maze of hallways.

“You can open your eyes now.” Minho’s voice broke into your thoughts.

Your eyelids fluttered open and you let out an involuntary gasp.

The room was full of shelves of records and sheet music. A large piano stood in one corner of the room, while the other side had a polished floor and long mirrors covering the walls. The room looked freshly cleaned, as though it had just been dusted the night before.

“Do you like it?” Lee Know asked, tail swishing nervously back and forth.

You threw your arms around his neck in a quick hug before turning to the shelves. “You have so much music in here, it’s ridiculous! I didn’t know so many pieces were available over here.”

“It’s yours.”

“What?” You couldn’t possibly have heard him right.

“I—I don’t have any use for them. Once, I might have, but now? It’s better that you have them.”

You stood there, gobsmacked, as he turned and left the room.

What was it about that dragon that kept surprising you?

---

A few months or so had passed since your failed escape attempt and Lee Know’s subsequent gift of the dance studio and music.

You were… strangely enough… almost happy. The only thing that kept ruining things for you was your constant worry for Felix. Already regarded as somewhat… odd… by the other villagers, you hoped he was alright.

Today however, was a special occasion. You’d spent ages coercing the dragon into trying to do a dance with you, even if it was just swaying in time to the music, and yet he had refused every time. He would spend hours watching you play or dance and never say a word, just looking mournfully at you with those sad green eyes.

Something about his eyes reminded you of royalty.

It was probably nothing.

But at any rate, today was the day you were going to manage it. You’d sent Jeongin along to convince him to come to the studio (no one could ever say no to the little teacup) and you had everything set up.

And then, the door opened, and the dragon entered.

“Excellent. You’re here! Now come on, today’s the day you get over your fears and you start dancing. It’s not hard, anyone can learn how to do it!” You pulled him over by the paw. “Now then, let’s get started. Here’s how you do a basic box step.”

“____, I’m not dancing.”

You turned to him and stared directly into his eyes. Eyes that shone like stars.

“You are. And that’s final. You spend all your time moping anyways, it’s about time you do something useful for a change.”

He rolled his eyes but followed, unable to say no.

“Hit it Jisung!” you called out, and the candlestick moved the needle of the record player into position. The soft strains of music filled the room, lifting you up a little almost involuntarily.

There was something about dancing that just felt… freeing.

“Okay, now then, one step forward, to the side…” you frowned a little. “You could look a little happier about it you know.”

“_____. I’m a dragon. We. Don’t. Dance.”

“Says who!” you placed your hands on your hips. “New thing. Let’s just put on music and you just… move in time to it.”

“____” he whined. There was absolutely nothing he could do as you switched out the records and put on one of your favorite pieces.

“Now close your eyes, let the music wash over you, and just move. Don’t think.”

Minho did as told.

And before he knew it, he could feel his limbs moving in time to the music again. The skill he’d lost as a child slowly came flooding back and even in his dragon body the rhythm and elegance were clearly noticeable.

He’s definitely trained. He has to be. Lee Know, who are you? You wondered as you watched.

A light push on the back of your knees sent you stumbling towards him.

“Join in ____!” Jeongin giggled from where he was pressed against Woojin’s side. The teapot turned to shush him, but the teacup simply giggled and turned back to watch.

You slowly stepped towards the dragon, analyzing his steps to see where you should join in. Almost involuntarily you felt yourself catching the tune and moving as well, weaving towards Lee Know and then moving with him in perfect synchronicity.

You were spinning in and out of each other’s paths, comets in orbit, never crashing. Simply spinning, spinning, falling, staring at those green eyes.

And then, the record stopped playing.

“Bravo!” Woojin let out a puff of steam. “That was amazing you two!”

You blushed heavily, but Minho’s reaction was far more telling. He simply turned and left the room, not even glancing back.

---

“I’m doing it and you can’t stop me!”

“Well we can’t but Chan and Woojin can!” Changbin yelled, jumping up and down on Minho’s back. “You can’t let your only chance at a normal life walk right out of here!”

“I also can’t keep _____ captive forever. They don’t deserve this life. I’m giving them the mirror and the ring.”

“On your own head be it!” The door slammed shut as Changbin stomped down the hallway.

Minho stroked a claw against the glass case that held the witch’s iris. The flower was dying, and he could feel his own strength deteriorating with it.

It was for the best.

---

You woke up to sunshine streaming into your window and warming your face as you lay in bed lazily. Something tells me today is a good day.

As you looked around, you noticed a small tray with two items resting on it sitting on the front of your dresser. You swung your legs out from under the covers and padded over, picking up the note that lay with it.

Put on the ring and say the name of the person you wish to be with three times, and you shall be with them. Say the name of the person you wish to see three times and blow lightly on the surface of this mirror, and you shall see them.

With these, I hope you always live happily.

Your freedom is yours, your life your own.

Thank you for giving me music again.

Prince Lee Minho, or as you better know me, the cursed dragon Lee Know

You sat down in shock, wondering if this was all simply a dream. My dragon was a prince? He gave me magical items that would get me home? What do I do?

Putting on the ring and slipping the mirror into your pocket, you whispered Felix’s name three times. A gust of wind swept around you and you closed your eyes tightly against the chill.

And when you opened them, you were home again.

And you could hear screaming in the yard outside.

“I’m not crazy! _____ has been captured by a dragon! Why won’t you people listen to me?” Felix yelled, fighting against the two men holding him steady.

I knew he needed me. I knew they would hurt him. Time to see if this mirror works.

You pulled it out and whispered “Lee Know” three times before blowing on it.

Nothing happened.

“Maybe you need to say Lee Minho,” came the piping voice of Jeongin from inside your pocket. You gasped and reached inside, pulling him out and setting him in front of you.

“How did you get here?”

“I snuck in when Prince Minho left the tray, and then I leapt into your pocket while you were reading. I wanted to see the world! Woojin never lets me do anything fun.” The little teacup pouted adorably.

“Well, first things first, let’s get my brother out of there. Show me Lee Minho!”

This time, the mirror worked as said.

Minho’s dejected face and sharp claws came slowly into focus, and you grinned to yourself. Perfect.

“Will you all shut up!” You yelled, pushing the door of your cottage open and holding up the mirror. “Felix is telling the truth! There is a dragon in the mountain, but he isn’t evil. He’s kind and sweet, and he’s the one who let me go!”

You waved the mirror around, showing everyone the image inside it.

And then, the mirror let out a howl. Minho appeared to be screaming in agony of some kind, barely able to stand as the pain wracked his body.

He sounds like he’s being tortured. What could have happened in just a few hours?

“The dragon!” “He’s evil!” “Look at him, screaming for blood!” “He must have bewitched these two!” “We have to kill him, to protect our children!” “To reclaim the mountain!” “Kill the dragon!”

“KILL THE DRAGON!” The crowd’s chant rose into a roar, and the mob shoved you and Felix inside your cottage before barring the door.

“We’ll deal with you later,” one of the younger men hissed, picking up a pitchfork.

Felix whirled to face you. “What do you mean, he’s kind and sweet? He was ready to imprison us!”

“Felix, you don’t understand!”

“Well, make me understand!”

You began relating the whole sorry tale. Your attempted escape, his gifts, the way he’d simply let you go at the end. As you spoke, Felix’s eyes softened.

“Maybe he isn’t so bad. But why is he screaming all of a sudden?”

Jeongin piped up from your pocket. “Woojin said Prince Minho was cursed. And that he had to get someone to fall in love with him, or else he’d DIE. Do you think he’s dying ____?”

You exchanged a look with Felix. He knew you better than anyone; he could tell what you weren’t saying.

“Fine. I’m coming with you though.” He reached out and took your hand, and you whispered Minho’s name to the ring.

A gust of wind later, and you were standing in your bedroom again.

“Wow, this is fancy!” Felix exclaimed, moving over to the window. “How come you got a cool room and I got a cell?”

“You were the one who got captured, dork.”

“Carry on.”

“We need to find him, the ring only brought me back here. I don’t know where he could be!” You slumped into your chair, head in your hands.

“I’ll go tell the others to prepare for an invasion!” Jeongin jumped down from your pocket and toddled outside. “Maybe Jisung or Changbin knows what to do!”

You turned to Felix. “Let’s start looking then.”

The castle was unreasonably enormous. Every other corridor seemed to branch off and leave more doors to be searched. Jeongin found you again with the others in tow, and upon further questioning it turned out that they too didn’t know where Minho was.

Hours had passed in vain, searching for the dragon of the castle, when a large thump sounded against the walls, shaking them.

“They’re breaking down the door!” Jisung yelled. “Come on, we’re going to hold them off. ____, it’s up to you to find the prince.”

You nodded and went the opposite direction. The flower… the image in the mirror… maybe he’s in the west wing? Or the tower? We hadn’t gotten there yet.

Taking the stairs two at a time, you clambered up towards the tower. Your breathing came heavily, forcing you to slow down if only to be able to breathe.

Outside the highest window, you could just make out the prone figure of the dragon lying curled up on the balcony. His head and arm lolled off one end, limp and lifeless.

“Minho! NO!” The scream was torn from your lips as you sank down next to him, pulling his head into your lap. “Please, wake up! You have to wake up!”

Minho’s eyes fluttered open, the emerald flames that had always sparkled within them almost dead.

“I’m done for _____. I love you you know. And if you love someone, let them go.”

Tears you hadn’t even noticed dripped onto his face.

“So I let you go.”

And then, the spear came sailing out of nowhere, and lodged itself in his heart, slipping underneath his arm. Even the balcony hadn’t protected him against the force of the blow.

A little puff of steam rose from his nostrils, and then you could feel Minho’s steady heartbeat fade away.

Sobs spilled out of you uncontrollably. “I can’t do this Minho. I love you too! Only I’m not going to let you go.”

And then, green curls of magic seemed to float up around him.

The swirls of smoke curled around the dragon, pulling his head off your lap and into the air above the tower. Below you the mob of villagers seemed to suddenly calm themselves, no longer in a murderous frenzy.

The air exploded with bright green light, and you flinched away involuntarily. What is going on?

And when you opened your eyes, a dragon no longer lay in your lap.

No.

The figure in your lap was a prince, wearing a simple green tunic and black pants. An emerald and silver crown adorned his head; thin green leather boots graced his feet.

And then, he met your eyes.

A tiny gasp escaped your lips. His eyes weren’t the emerald of the dragon you’d grown so used to seeing. They were warm brown, the color of chocolate, but the stars that had lain dormant in them before now sparkled in full glory.

“Well, ____, you can’t take it back now. You love me hmmm?” A lilting laugh escaped the prince as he sat up. “You broke the curse.”

“I might have done it sooner if you hadn’t been so rude!” You quipped, the reaction almost a reflex now from the hours spent bantering with him.

“You cured me of that too I guess.” He lowered his face a little closer to yours, and your eyes fluttered shut as he pressed his lips to your cheek gently. “I owe you my life, my love.”

You sat there, dumbfounded as Minho laughed a little at you again. He pressed another little kiss to your nose. “You fell in love with dragon me… I wonder how you’ll handle the craziness that is human me?”

Something inside you told you that it would be just fine.

Absolutely perfect in fact.

Anyone who could learn to love a dragon would probably have no issues dealing with a human. Even if he was a prince.

And so, our little ensemble lived happily ever after.

---

597 notes · View notes