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4dtk · 4 years

Text

stuck with you

pairing: enemy!journalist!haechan x journalist!reader

genre: angst, fluff, humour, enemies to lovers (hope i did the trope justice tbh TT)

warnings: cursing, f words lmao, i mention stranger things a lot in this??? mainly bc i just finished watching it w a friend. i also only use ‘haechan’ when narrating the story so i don’t get confused! the timeline for this is Very Weird as well bc like i didn’t consider how long a pandemic would last…… so Uhm. pls just excuse the weird ass time sequence. also referenced yangyang’s bastard child behaviour from dream plan where he packs his things messily and kun had to mf intervene and yangyang had the audacity to go like “see, this is how u get ppl to pack for you, now i don’t have to do anything” 💀

word count: 8k (a headache to proofread...)

A/N: first time trying an e2l trope and im not sure if it was done ok??? i didn't want it to feel too rushed so i tried to spread out the days as much as i could!! i also included small snippets of their life w the other so it won’t seem like the fic is just focusing on the e2l concept! was inspired tons by the lyrics of stuck with u by ariana grande and jb, so that song is definitely something you can listen to if you read this! hope you enjoy ^^

[day 1]

"you're insufferable," you groan, reluctantly handing over the remote control for the hotel's television after some unsuccessful scrolling.

hotels never exactly had much range anyway.

you were very much already dreading the time ahead with the male, sadly having been stuck in quarantine not even half a day with haechan.

offering to go to a neighbouring country to report on the rising covid-19 situation, you didn't expect your rival to tag along, no doubt seeking to craft up a better story than you would.

and so, you were now nudging the remote control into his waiting palm with a roll of your eyes. you hoped it emphasised your annoyance with him even a little, standing up to prepare a cup of tea before bed.

"are you going to keep watching television while i sleep?" you ask a genuine question, peeking at him through the mirror of the vanity that sat outside the bathroom.

he just shrugs with a tired sigh, turning his attention back to the cartoon playing in front of him.

"okay, well, keep to your side of the bed and i'll stay in mine. we need to be social distancing, anyway."

there's a hint of "okay, loser" mumbled under his breath, but you pay it no thought as you finish your tea and brush your teeth before you skillfully set up a fortress made out of pillows.

"ow! what the hell?"

"your leg was in the way, jeez! move it, and i'll stop annoying you," you said, putting up the last of your requested pillows beside where haechan currently sat.

taking one last glance at haechan, you wondered when the lockdown in your country would last before they start letting people fly in. for now, you were trapped with the nightmare himself in a sad hotel room, with only a bed to share.

"goodnight," he tells you, but the sardonic way he says it irks you to the point where you settle for silence instead. the only thing that drones on are the voices of the cartoon, soon fading as you feel into a dreamless sleep.

[day 4]

"this virus thing is probably driving me insane by day, and you, lee haechan, are adding on to it!"

"no headlines, no idea what style to write in, minimal pictures-" the doorbell to the hotel room interrupts your current rant, prompting you to storm off to answer the call with an annoyed look.

"what now?" taken aback by your quick response, the housekeeping girl retracts with downturned eyebrows and a voice hesitant to speak. your roommate comes to the rescue almost immediately when he's heard the commotion.

you watch as he sends her a smile and a wink, deflating when he's let her in to clean up the room. you're not sure why you can't keep your eyes off the both of them as they converse, blaming it mostly on your hatred for the male.

with the last of her duties fulfilled, you offer to help her with the cleaning supplies as an apology, but she cuts you off almost immediately. there's a linger in her step, however, as she walks the short hallway to the door, evident in wanting haechan to send her off as he received her.

turning back to call him, he holds up a hand as he types down his opening lines to an article, prompting you to shoot the housekeeper girl another apologetic look.

"sorry again," you mumble, letting out a sigh at how this was all playing out. day four and you were already making enemies with the hotel crew.

"maybe day forty-one is where i fall in love with lee haechan," you scoffed, perhaps listing down all the unfortunate things that could happen while you were in quarantine.

one of them was catching feelings for your rival.

rolling your eyes, you settled on the bed to catch a few Zs as he continued to work on his article, though you weren't exactly sure about the weight your words held.

[day 9]

"haechan, what is this?" you ask with an eyebrow raised, his dirty boxers barely hanging off your finger.

haechan only groans at that, knowing you were relentless in the laundry. even in a pandemic, he was sure you'd prioritise your clothes first.

"jesus! don't go picking up my underwear just like that!" he snatches it from you, folding it neatly and placing it next to where his luggage sat. unfortunately, yours was right beside his.

"you think just because you're doing the laundry you're able to look through a man's prized possessions-!"

your jaw drops, "it was near the sink, haechan! i don't want to look at the checkered pattern on your boxers when i brush my teeth. i don't want it near my face either."

haechan groans yet again, running a hand through his hair in frustration before turning back to the computer, a blank document opened up in front of him.

despite gathering findings, interviewing healthcare workers and serving the public alongside frontline staff, he had deleted every attempt at writing.

there's a rumble from the bathroom, perhaps from your upset stomach or the choked pipe, but sometimes they sounded too similar he couldn't tell it apart. haechan stifles a laugh when there's a "fuck!" echoing behind the door, though unsure if he should help you or not.

when haechan hears another crash, he comes running without hesitation with a face morphed into furrowed eyebrows and a tilt of the head.

"don't just stand there, you moron!"

haechan snaps out of his daze to assist you off the floor, swiftly helping you even more off the floor as he carries you to the bed with a stiff one arm. you notice his other hand hanging awkwardly, probably not knowing what to do with it before you feel the soft sheets under your butt.

he gets to work within a minute, fishing for an ointment and some bandages his mother forced him to bring. he remembers it as he always has: a caring mother looking out for her son, maybe a little too much sometimes.

haechan is thankful for his mother, now, for the stray bandages laying around in his pouch.

you watch in silence as he cleans the cut with alcohol, wincing when his hand hadn't even touched your skin.

"my hand isn't even on your skin yet! jeez, calm down."

you shake your head, holding onto his bicep to halt his arm, "just use water, please."

exhaling in exasperation, you wonder if you've pissed him off tenfold when he leaves for the bathroom with a side-eyed glance, though not hostile.

"problematic," haechan whispers, dabbing a wet cloth over the wound carefully before applying the ointment and securing the bandages.

"your words contradict your actions so much, haechan. i never know what you're thinking." sighing, you pull your leg away from his hold after he's done with the bandages, making your way to the bathroom and leaving him in his thoughts.

"why do you want to know?"

haechan gets silence; the lock of the bathroom audibly turns to signal another wall put up between the two of you. with another frustrated groan, the boy plops down on the chair to work on his article with the right words forming in his mind.

even if he was the one who asked, he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell you.

[day 13]

"stranger things is freaking me the fuck out, man!" haechan whispered, ignoring your pleads and groans to continue writing.

"haechan! give me the damn laptop! i don't even know why you brought an HDMI cable when it doesn't work with the television system here!"

"well, we got one that matches it, didn't we?" he said, eyes peeled to the screen that showed the young boy, will, in the upside-down.

"you mean you did!" you shoved him, ready to disconnect the devices before haechan held you back, clearly entranced by the next sequence of eleven being able to see will in a pool of salt.

"ugh, god, i don't even know why people watch the show!" you spill with sourness, knowing the show was praised for its excellent acting and writing.

haechan raises an eyebrow, turning to you with a strangely slow speed.

"stranger things have received multiple awards, and you didn't give any other reason. are you scared?"

when you struggle to find words, haechan laughs at his revelation, hiding his pearly whites behind his hand as he continues to make fun of you.

"yeah yeah, i'm scared! so what?"

"'oh haechan! oh no~ i'm terrified, would you care to provide some comfort?' jeez, don't worry, man, i'll protect you." there's a cheeky glimmer in his eyes and a cocky smirk on his face which you very much want to wipe off with the disinfectant in the toilet.

"it's not all that bad, c'mon! give it a-" turning back to the tv, the sudden attack of the demogorgon lashing out at the camera has the male screaming, hiding behind your body in fear.

"you were saying, mr superman?" you deadpan, unlatching his arms around your waist as you sink deeper into the sheets with your phone in hand.

[day 17]

haechan thrashes in his sleep, almost knocking the wine glass you had in your hands when he crosses over the pillow barrier you made.

"what in the hell-" you winced, keeping an eye on the male should he have any more outbursts that would ruin both wine night and the stuff you were working on for the article.

with tipsy hands, your keyboard keys unconsciously write out a letter of disdain and confusion regarding haechan, the boy sleeping next to you with a cute drooling face and curly hair.

with beautiful tan skin like that, you wondered why he didn't model instead. with a voice as impressive as his, you wondered why he didn't sign a contract. with natural hosting capabilities, you wondered why didn't fucking get the place of a talk show host.

because man, he can get pretty bothersome sometimes.

[day 20]

the next few days pass by with a breeze.

despite not knowing how the current pandemic will turn out, you find haechan more bearable, his habits being dumped in the past with a wave of a hand.

petty arguments occur, of course, until one of you brushes off the matter like nothing.

today was one of the days you won't back down.

there's worry evident on your face, eyes scanning through every last document on the stupid laptop. fingers travel fast over the keyboard as the realisation slowly dawns on you.

with slumped shoulders, you take a deep breath before turning to the male.

"what do you mean you accidentally deleted my article? i know we're sharing the damn laptop, but we established that you stay on your files and i stay on mine."

the other waved his hand, "i did not touch any of your files, (y/n), i'm not sure what happened."

"how could you not know? what the hell? i had good content on it, but now i have to spend more hours reorganising the news and interview answers and everything else in my notes. thanks, lee haechan."

"maybe if you weren't so caught up in me trying to sabotage your place in the publication team, then you would've believed me." he shrugged, taking a seat on the one bed like nothing.

you scoffed, arms crossing across your body. "funny how you mention sabotage because a villain never reveals their motive. that's why you came with me, didn't you?"

haechan stuck his tongue out to the side of his mouth, eyes blinking and rolling like an 8-ball that it sickened you to the core.

"villain? i'm the villain?"

"was i not clear?" you hiss, stepping closer to the male.

"no, make it more precise, please. i wanna hear it word for word. spit it out, coward."

with every word, you plunged your finger into his chest, looking deep into his eyes. "you're set out to take my place for department editor, where you know i'm best at."

"and that department would be...?" he crossed his arms, looking down at you with scorn you wished you could slap off his face.

"the..." you gulp with his face all up in yours, eyes boring as he awaits your answer, no doubt losing confidence at your realisation.

"the world depart...ment? you love to travel, right?" you trail off, biting your lip in anxiety when you remember how he was on the plane. you don't exactly remember whether he was more excited or scared.

"wrong! try again."

"politics?" you propose.

haechan's face contorts into disbelief, with his mouth twisted with perplex and eyebrows furrowed. "me? politics?"

your mouth runs dry at the roadblock you've faced, and as that annoying, stupid smirk grows, your hatred for him increases by the charts.

"naming departments i'd rather die than join, running your mouth, accusing me of deleting your files..." haechan shakes his head dramatically, rolling his eyes and letting out a fat sigh.

"you think i wanna be stuck here with your infuriating ass? god, you're so entitled, aren't you? aren't you?!"

"talking like you own the place, talking like you're the only one in this world, talking like- mhfh-"

within three angry steps, you were across the room.

within three booming steps, your hands were on his face.

within three significant steps, you were kissing lee haechan.

"you never learn to shu..." with horror, you're brought back from the trance with widened eyes.

"oh, god, sorry. what. what the hell. what the fuck?" you whisper, pushing the boy away with both hands in a panic, trying to highlight your scorn for him by wiping your lips on your sleeve.

had you liked it?

the other scurried to the balcony in a frenzy while you collected yourself in the bathroom, although no amount of water could calm your nerves.

with shaky words in bed, you both agreed to never talk about it again.

[day 25]

"hey, i can see your damn annotations on my article, (y/n). will you stop it?" haechan whines, making you second guess if he was joking or not.

for the nth time that day, you roll your eyes and proceed to sip from your cup of gin tonic that haechan desperately wanted you to try. it was... a refreshing taste, but hell, you wouldn't drink this even if it was the last beverage on earth.

"i'm just giving my feedback, be thankful i didn't bring up that stupid kiss five days ago. bleugh."

haechan falls quiet at that, fingers lingering over the keyboard as he typed out some note with the speed of a sloth's.

"hey, call me donghyuck. that's my actual name," he mumbles, glancing at you through his bangs while he awaits your reply.

"donghyuck? is haechan an alias?"

the boy shrugs, "i don't know, maybe. my friends gave it to me when i was younger, and i just stuck with it."

"full sun? your friend gave it to you, sure." you grin with a gesture of your hand, almost spilling the gin in the clear glass before breaking into small laughter with the other.

[day 28]

"hey! hey, what the hell?" you whisper, feeling the boy huddle up to you in lightning speed.

"what is wrong with you?" you whisper-shout, nudging him off your body as his phone screen remains as the only thing illuminating his face.

"sorry, i- i was watching stranger things while i was shitting and after i cleaned up... i heard something and bolted out of there."

"so now you're butt naked? hyuck, ew!" you groan, thankful for the sheets that were covering your body and his junk. his reluctance to get off you didn't seem to bother you as much as earlier, but you still wished he wasn't literally naked against you.

"go put on your underwear, you big baby. i'll be here when you come out. no demogorgon is going to come out, for real."

"no no, i was watching season two and it was that big shadow thingy that freaked me out. can't you feel this poor boy shivering?" haechan sighed, eyes never leaving the corridor that led to the bathroom.

"i can, and i also can feel your dick. please get dressed, or you're sleeping on the floor," you mumble, pulling the sheets to cover your freezing body.

[day 31]

your face hits something soft, cuddling into it even further because of its warmth before you realise there was only one other thing that would be warm in the room.

haechan.

your breath shakes, and your eyes widen as you pull yourself away from his embrace. your subtle movement leaves him thrashing around, though, and his arms tighten around your figure slowly and endearingly.

gulping, you will your hands to stay in their place, opting to freeze to death although there are hints of heat crawling onto your face.

when you wake up, you find that his hand's in yours and maybe you were searching for one wrong thing. an anomaly, an exception. it fit in yours perfectly, however, his tanned skin glowing lightly under the rays of sun filtering through the curtains.

you hoped he didn't realise the small shift of your fingers as they enclosed around his hand.

[day 32]

"what are you doing out here?" haechan asked quietly, peeking around the sliding door before joining you on the chilly balcony. it wasn't much, but it was still different and refreshing from the old, stagnant aircon air that was blowing in the hotel room.

"can't sleep," you whisper. you had your arms around your figure cautiously, as if it could protect you from all the bad, evil and terror in the world. at this point, you weren't sure what was it that you were feeling, but it sure didn't involve entertaining haechan's teasing.

luckily, he bit his tongue from making the usual snarky remarks.

"it's two in the morning, what's up?"

you shake your head in reply, watching the empty streets as the last light in the apartment across you switches off. sure, at two in the morning, pavements were dusty clean, and the birds were sleeping, but there would always be younger boys smoking along the road, or a drunken group of friends laughing about a past memory.

now that the pandemic forced everyone into their homes, everything was pretty much dead. there wasn't that excitement you felt when you saw a late-night kiss shared between two lovers or the snug hug of a child to his father who was working overtime that day.

"nothing's up, hyuck, it's fine. you can get back to sleep if you want."

maybe today you two were the one causing the ruckus this time, though. haechan may have let his words slipped, and at that moment, you knew you regretted that bloom in your chest when his lips met yours.

"you're so hard to read, (y/n). i want you to be able to trust me, tell me what's going on."

"why do you wanna know anyway? so you can expose me of my bad habits and weak points?" you whisper, eyes trained on the flickering lamppost a few yards away.

"there you go again! again with the sabotage?" haechan scoffed, exiting the small space and stepping back into the room of mixed emotions.

"is this just about your feelings for me?"

haechan laughed, "my feelings? might i remind you that you were the one who kissed me full on the lips twelve days ago? what was that all about? i wanna talk about it, even though we said we wouldn't! i wanna talk about why you hate me so much. i wanna talk about why your emotions are so contradictive!"

your mouth hangs open as you sputter out a heated reply, but instead gets interrupted with a knock on the door.

"keep quiet, you damn teenagers! i don't need your petty fights at two in the morning!" with padded feet, the guest returns to his room and slams the door to emphasise his complaint. swallowing, your mind goes blank as it focuses only on one question.

"why do you want to know so much lee haechan? what are you gaining out of this? if it's not sabotaging, then what is it?!" you whisper, standing your ground as with the first argument.

your throat is clenched up, and your fists are balled up tightly with nails digging into your palm. your heartbeat races like a fast car and your breathing's laboured in the cold room. there's no movement for a second, though they feel like minutes on end as haechan struggles to answer your question.

"what is it, lee donghyuck?" you cry out again, the sparkle in your eyes shining brightly from the tears of your never-ending dispute. he wished it was from the moonlight, instead. he wished the two of you were laughing over the rim of wine glasses and sharing the mischievous glimmer of the moon in your eyes.

"it's nothing. don't mind it." the other turns to catch up on sleep, leaving you to bite your lip.

"now you're doing it, now you're the one doing it. just tell me, you dumbass!" you mumble, pulling on his pyjama sleeve and tugging you to him.

"i like you, okay! it's out there now, i like you a lot, but you make it feel like a crime to do it," haechan whispers, "whatever. fuck this."

"no- what- no, we'll talk this out." you propose, adjusting your grip on his wrist with the curl of your fingers.

the male shakes his head and snatches his arm back, "no, forget it, and i'd prefer if you left me alone, (y/n)."

even with the warmth of his body next to yours, your body felt frozen and stiff. even with the thick duvet cover over you, you felt out of place in the stale hotel room, with colour becoming black and white, they merge into grey as the moonlight shone without a care for your problems.

there's action on the balcony when your eyes flutter open in the morning, noticing the quiet way haechan observes those rushing to work as well as social distancing officers making their rounds.

his eyes look hopeful and youthful, different from the tired ones the night before, or rather, this morning. you hadn't forgotten the angry neighbour banging on the door, and you definitely hadn't forgotten about how much you've wounded haechan this morning.

with a soft knock, you let him know of your presence and you just miss the way his eyes soften at your bed hair and messy appearance. his gaze turns hard in a second as he turns back to the apartment across yours, the balcony door showing your reflection of how hesitant you were.

haechan wished he could take your hands in his and accept your apology in a heartbeat, but he stayed seated and waited for whatever you wanted to say.

"don't run off, please." there's a shameful hand on his shoulders, and he's dying to get up when he sees your downcast eyes in the reflection across the street.

"i was too caught up in getting department head that i... didn't consider other possibilities. even the possibility of you uhm... liking me. it's still a weird concept to me, especially with how much we bicker."

"i'm sorry i didn't stay to hear out your feelings and rather, i just talked over you instead. i'm not sure if you want to accept this or not, but i want to open up—about this, about your feelings and... i don't know how much i've masked my emotions, i just know that we need to communicate."

the doorbell interrupts your apology, but you internally thank the housekeeping for bringing breakfast for the two of you.

with silence over breakfast, you weren't sure how the other felt as he scoffed down the croissant and almost burned his tongue with the coffee he ordered.

[day 33]

the boy barely watches the television and instead, reads over the article you were working on. seeing as it was already there when he logged on, he skimmed through it out of curiosity, finding that you were rephrasing the messy typos and sentences frantically on your notes.

haechan never forgot the way you were typing away on the laptop, eyes reading and rereading the sentences to make sure they made sense, to make sure they were clear to the reader.

the argument had taken a toll on you, too. he sees it in the way your eyes sink when your words turn out choppy and lacking, he sees it in the way you lug your body to the bathroom after a late night, he sees it in the way you struggle to hold your smile while attending an interview.

'haechan. you confuse me. i'm not...' the note below it trails off, piquing his curiosity at what it had in store.

'haechan.' big and bold letters it wrote, with a few dozen question marks below it. your writing skills shine through even in an informal note about your self-proclaimed rival, each line prompting the other to read more.

'you confuse me. i'm not sure what you're at but, it doesn't seem natural for you to tag along with someone you hate, right? that's what i was thinking too.'

'jeez, i remember hating when suyeon told me you were coming along. i didn't believe her one bit until she showed me your plane ticket and the hotel rooms next to each other. god, and when i came here, it was a day of interviewing before the damn government decided to close flights and force us into a room together.'

'i heard that other people had to be separated. i didn't know why we were the unlucky two that had to be put in a room together. i wished we didn't, almost. of course, you annoyed me when we first moved in. hogging the tv to no end, leaving your dirty underwear everywhere, running your mouth just like at our workplace.'

'i couldn't take it, maybe. sure, my brother has similar antics, but there was just something about you that just set me off, you know? i wouldn't have thought it was the opposite, or at least, i think so.'

'i'm counting the days. day 17 and i'm not sure why i feel this bubbling feeling inside me. of course, there's anger—i'm sure it's there, but there's also this other thing i get whenever i look at you.'

'my heart clenches up, and my hands become clammy, but it couldn't be a crush, right? i would've wasted my breath shouting, and my strength whacking your shoulder.' that makes haechan chuckle and look over at you where the soft light dances over your face.

'and then i started imagining. how would your arms wrap around me? how would your infuriating laughter, which somehow turned out to be so contagious, feel in the crook of my neck? yikes, that was cheesy.'

'what would it feel like if we fell in love for one night? where would you bring me and what would we eat? would we make out in your car like unruly teenagers?'

'what would it be like to love you? it's dumb, isn't it? i don't know. i've liked this bickering thing we had going on, and it's amusing to see you one-up me. i'm not sure if i want that to change and i'm not sure if you want us to, either.'

'maybe i'm wrong, and i'm the only one in this thing. this is so stupid, writing while he's sitting next to me. i'll regret this, maybe. goodnight.'

haechan sighs, closing the device in thought, confused at the words he wasn't exactly supposed to read. had you done this on purpose? he was sharing the laptop with you...

the boy brushed it off, placing the laptop on the vanity before adjusting your side of the duvet, hoping he could find the right words. with hesitant steps, he keeps to his side of the bed, thinking, thinking, thinking.

when he couldn't no more, haechan fell into the spell of slumber in the comfortable hotel room.

[day 34]

"tea?" he asks from the bathroom as the door clicks behind you, returning from the short hotel walk with a new keychain hanging from your sling bag.

"yeah sure, thanks."

the water runs as he fills up the kettle as the constant whir of the aircon and the conversation on the television keeps you company in the vast quietness of the room.

you weren't sure if you should say anything, but when you saw the dishevelled appearance of your roommate, you knew you had to bring up the argument and apology.

"haechan, about our... feelings. do you want to talk about them?" you whispered, a reply reaching your ears in the form of his spoon against the porcelain mug.

haechan hands you the drink wordlessly, sitting on the chair at the vanity before sipping cautiously at the tea. there are unexchanged glances between the two of you before he sighs at your expectant hand tapping the sheets.

"i think it's about time we did," he mumbled, dragging the laptop off the wooden table with anxiety. the other opened it without saying anything, catching you by surprise when the mouse hovers over your note.

"hae- donghyuck! no! what the hell?"

he holds up a hand and clicks on it anyway, making your heart drop to your stomach as he turned the device towards you.

"read the bottom." haechan whispers as you pull the laptop closer to you, settling it on your lap as he observed your expressions carefully.

'i read it, i'm sorry.' you look at him and lift up a hand to prepare to whack him, a defeated sigh escaping you before you carried on.

'was it wrong to read it? of course, and i cannot apologise more for doing shit like that when we still have unsolved tension between us in this small ass room. it was incorrect, but.'

'do you feel the same as me? is bickering all we have to do? why can't we work anything out? they're the questions i keep asking myself after i read your letter.'

'i guess i was too caught up in the fight and not wanting to be the loser that i... can't deny that i've never thought about wanting to get to know you, even if you were that sought out to be my destined enemy.'

'when we fought earlier, you kissed me. i know we said not to mention it, but, uhm, it was good. i liked it. i'm not sure if the reason why you did it was because of the reason you mentioned in the note, but at the time, i assumed it was to shut me up. i thought something would happen after, though you pushed me away and apologised right away.'

'it was a far off dream that i had, but i think it was after i bandaged your foot. you said that you didn't know what was going on in my mind, and i told you.'

'it was like, i was granted an insight into an alternate world, another universe where you didn't feel the strain, where you legitimately assumed i was going for your position.'

'you scoffed when i confessed, right then and there, on day 9. i was counting, too, and it was a scary, confusing dream. i think that's why i held it off as long as i could until your words puzzled and angered me further because you just didn't get it.'

'you scoffed and told me to get lost, pushing on my shoulders where we fought on the balcony for everyone to see. you never spoke to me, you never mentioned my article nor the interviews. we never joked over wine, and we always kept to our side of the bed.'

'i was convinced that heaven wanted me to stay away from you and your heart. maybe it was broken too many times, and you had someone up there looking out for you.'

'i feel like i'm copying off the textbook of some greek mythology starter pack, but i'm for real! no kidding.' you smiled, looking at him with nervous eyes at the small joke he put in.

'i guess whoever put that dream in my sleep really wanted us not to be together because i think i would've told you i liked you on the spot itself. i let my conscious get the best of me.'

'i know this is a lazy way of conveying my feelings, and i wished i could do it with words, but i feel like you wouldn't believe me otherwise. i rushed it this morning when you went on your morning walk around the hotel and when you let me know of your stroll in a soft voice, i wanted nothing more than to get you in my arms as we wake up to the housekeeping service.'

'i didn't want any more tension between us, and i didn't want to be interrupted by your alarm while we avoid each other more. it hurts seeing you escape the room in haste. you said it was weird for me to tag along with someone i hate, too, and that someone was you. i guess you found out why.'

looking up, you found him right in front of you, mouth dry from his reply to your letter. with a gulp, you leaned forward to meet his lips halfway.

"i'm sorry to whoever's up there," he whispers, prompting a grin and a laugh out of you.

the laptop is forgotten on the bed as haechan situates himself over you, clutching your shoulder gently while his lips move quickly, fast to make up for lost time.

"wait wait, wait, you're not playing me, are you?" you mumble in return, reluctantly pulling away while witnessing the way his eyes soften at your guard still up. haechan shakes his head forlornly, tongue pressing up against the side of his mouth nervously.

"no, i'm not, (y/n)," he says quietly with as much sincerity he can muster, removing his hand from your shoulder with a forced smile.

"okay." there's a shakiness to your voice, but when you bring his lips back to yours, it gives you a rush of confidence. your skin is burning up, and your hands can't stop wandering as his lips capture yours, repeatedly moving against yours like a trance.

you grant haechan access to your mouth with a whimper, melting into his embrace as his arms wrap tighter around your figure. his eagerness lingers when he pushes forward, straddling your lap as his leg nudges the laptop.

"wait, hyuck, wait, the laptop!" you joke, placing the device on the floor before getting back into the kiss with just as much fervour. within a minute or so, the other breaks away to say the words you so hated to hear:

"we... we need to talk. we can't just kiss the fight off, although i very much like to," haechan murmurs the last part, making you stifle a smile.

you nod quickly, repeating the word "okay" like a robot. your hands naturally travel from his arms down to his fingers, and you clutch them like your life depended on it.

"we have... established, that i like you, correct?" haechan whispers, scooting closer as his tea-ridden breath surrounds you. from here, you could even smell the buttered croissant he ate this morning.

it made you smile, something simple as that.

"why- why are you laughing (y/n)?" he asks anxiously, eyes darting to find the reason why you found this so funny.

"no. no no no, i'm thinking of... the croissant you ate just now, and," you sigh, resting your head on his broad shoulder.

"i'm thinking of the way your eyes light up when you show me the articles you idolise so much, and i'm thinking of the way you cuddle up to me whenever we watch stranger things."

"i'm thinking of the way you thought i wouldn't give you a chance, even though i've been pondering on the same thing as you. i'm thinking of the things that make up lee haechan, lee donghyuck. yes, you like me, and yes i like you, but i guess i haven't told you the reason."

"i hated you, i really did. i found every reason to convince my mind to hate you. gaining trust, signing up for events you didn't know shit about, sucking up to the seniors, stealing my friends when they didn't know your personality. the personality i didn't even want to know because i was too busy in my little bubble."

"assuming you'd want to get department head was the cherry on top, because why else would you want to tag along? that was the factor that convinced me and confirmed my suspicions from day one."

you grunt in opposition, clearly not liking the truth that was spilling from your lips. haechan deserved to know, however. you kept your eyes trained on his lap where his hands were holding yours in support, crumbling from the blindness that caused your hatred.

"so from then, the plane ride, immigration, the cab to the interview place, the cab back, the hotel room, my hatred for you boiled over." you listed, voice breaking as you looked haechan in the eye.

"it was stupid of me to assume, to assume the worst of you when i didn't even know you. i wasn't even sure why i felt so bitter looking at you, but the way you acted, the way you whined, worked me up so much that i figured that was how you were."

"now when i'm sitting here with the curtains drawn, i can see why you're so attractable and easy to talk to and easy-going and bright that my friends keep talking to you."

"i can see why the seniors turn to you because you're reliable and hardworking without uttering a single word."

"i can see why you wanted to hop on this flight with me because you're always curious about the world and how you can expand your skill set."

and as you said word after word, haechan observes you with a soothing hand against your forearms. his eyes shine for a different reason, for the lost time he could've had if the two of you didn't have this massive barrier. a massive barrier that's been up for the longest time.

brick by brick, the wall is being torn down. as you hold haechan's face in the stillness of the room, you feel closer to him than you've ever felt and his tears match your frustrated ones.

choking on sobs, delayed apologies were all you could whisper.

"i'm sorry, i'm sorry, really. we fought so bad that day, and i was so goddamn insensitive..." you sigh, swallowing a lump when his hand reached up to wipe the tears. with a blocked nose, you breathe shakily as housekeeping interrupts the moment.

you nod towards the door as he stood up slowly to reveal the same housekeeping girl. she cleaned up the bathroom and wardrobe quietly as the two of you stood awkwardly in the small space. she had left the sheets since everyone was practically stuck in, anyway.

haechan nudges you toward the door with a shove, shooting the same housekeeping girl a small smile and a bow as an apology to the previous run-in.

"he confessed his feelings?" she inquired softly, noticing the tear marks on your face.

you bit your lip, "yeah."

"that's good, he's finally not a coward." she laughs, folding the used towels and placing them with her.

you leaned against the door, asking for an explanation with your puzzled look.

"he was someone i liked, before. we had classes back in high school. it was just a dumb crush, honestly." the housekeeping girl shrugs, resting her head on her fist in thought.

"i think he liked me, and i did too, but we didn't do much except for exchange looks and flirt because both of us were just too scared." she shakes her head and adjusts the disinfectant spray bottle, fidgeting with the nozzle.

"i'm glad he had enough courage to admit his feelings."

nodding along to her statement, she bids you farewell as her figure fades with each step, leaving you with a sense of calmness to the end of this situation.

[day 38]

"is... is this okay?" haechan asks, arm hovering over your body while waiting for your confirmation. you smile and nod, sinking into his side as you venture in the third season of stranger things together.

"don't you think we should be working on our articles?" you whisper, looking up at him from where you were with raised eyebrows.

the boy opens and closes his mouth in thought, gesturing to the television with an exaggerated expression.

"stranger things, ma'am."

you click your tongue and sigh with a smile, turning back to the show as you try to relax for an online interview in a few hours.

[day 39]

"what do you say about my set-up?" haechan nudges you, proud of the hangout area he prepared on the balcony. although small, he had no trouble making it look comfortable.

with a smile, you pop open the wine to celebrate the last scheduled interview for the trip, clinking glasses with haechan in the setting sun.

the country you were supposed to return to was slowly opening up flights for those stranded overseas and as refreshing as a different environment was, you missed home and the warmness of it.

you missed the office and your desk. hell, you even missed the mediocre coffee from the pantry.

with the last of the wine finishing, haechan pours half into your glass and the other into his, clinking one last time before you one-shot the beverage.

the high of the alcohol is gradually brought down by the mellow atmosphere and colours of twilight. as pink and orange cross over on the horizon, haechan mumbles a low "c'mere" to you in the darkness.

you hum in response and get up from your seat, bringing a pillow with you as haechan shifts to make space. sinking naturally into his arms, you sigh while you try to contain a smile full of content.

"this is nice," you admit, the corners of your lips disobeying your command, prompting you to shoot him a smile. haechan nods against your hair, a comfortable arm around your waist while you trace the tan skin of his arm.

the other taps your waist repeatedly, turning in response as he whispers out a question that makes your heart melt.

"can i kiss you?" you grin, slipping a hand around his neck and pulling him in right away. haechan's caught by surprise, laughing into your lips and striving to savour the moment as much as he could.

a shout from across the hotel distracts you from the kiss. looking up, you realise it was the apartment resident opposite you shooting you a 'rock on' gesture.

"you guys are not fighting anymore! congrats!" you both stifle a snort as you wave back to the resident, sighing in relief when their balcony door slides shut.

"should we go inside, m'lady?" haechan giggles, replying in the form of a nod, cleaning up the area while you head in.

[day 41]

"i didn't think they'd be letting flights in so early," you mumble, folding your clothes neatly as your vision shifts to haechan... shoving his fair share of apparel into his luggage.

"donghyuck... what the hell?" you roll your eyes, shoving the boy softly as you took over the task at hand. switching personalities almost immediately, haechan fakes an interview segment with exaggerated tones.

"see, everyone, this is how you convince someone to do the work for you," the boy lays on the bed with a satisfied expression, "now i don't have to do anyth- ow!"

"if we ever live together, maybe i should punish you by doing the laundry and then folding it," you grunt, working at the speed faster than you expected while you fold shirt after shirt.

"are you proposing we move in together?" haechan peeks through an open eye, curiosity dripping from his tone. he tried to feign nonchalance but awaiting your answer felt like a weight on his heart.

your next words lifted that weight, a seemingly invisible force bringing his upper body off the bed as he stares at you in shock.

"maybe, not now but... in the future, maybe," you mumble the last part, focusing on the clothes to prevent the male from seeing the fluster on your face.

"for real?" haechan sits up, biting his lip to contain his excitement as your confirmation.

"we'll be all stupidly domestic and shit, and i'll say i love you five years from now before you go off for work if you want that and stuff," your voice goes lower and quieter, especially towards the end, biting off way more than you could chew.

"aw! i love you too!" haechan gushes, bringing you into an embrace as your hands go limp, scrambling to explain your emphasis on the 'future'.

"d-donghyuck, i meant the future, not now..." you manage to spit out, hoping you need not answer his queries any more. your mind blanks out at the current situation, wishing you hadn't said those dumb things.

he grins into your neck, "i know, i'm just answering for future me."

you groan and escape the hug with a roll of your eyes, "yuck, too cheesy!" the boy just lets out a laugh, watching the way you fold his clothes despite your initial annoyance.

[day 42]

suyeon switches between the two of you in disbelief, finger crooked at the ambiguity of "we like each other".

"wha-" suyeon doesn't get the chance to finish the sentence before you shoot her a thumbs up, grabbing haechan by the arm and your stuff with the other.

you were happy to leave the office after a quick debrief since you two had reported to the office right after arriving at the airport, relieved when you heard he'd spare a few more days for your articles to be cleaned up.

"so, (y/n), what would you like to do now?" haechan looks at you through the reflective material of the elevator, observing the nervous wringing of your fingers.

you're glad for the material protecting your face because there's a smile that you struggle to keep as his soft, gentle voice carries through the quiet space.

the anxiety ends when the lift sounds, prompting your eyes to trail down his arm. your hand moves on its own accord, grabbing his last finger with yours as you proceed into the lift sheepishly, not missing the way haechan's eyes show his bright smile behind the mask.

"maybe i'll get to know you more, lee donghyuck."

haechan lets out a gasp, "have you not learned about me enough? scandalous."

you feign a punch in his direction, the luggage beside you tripping over its wheels due to your swift movement. the only response you get is a giggle from the other as he tightens his pinky around yours, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek right above your face mask just as the elevator doors open.

"man, i really do want to punch you now," you mutter as you let haechan lead you, wanting nothing more than to rest in the arms of your enemy-turned-friend? enemy-turned-someoneyoulike?

you weren’t exactly sure.

he doesn't answer during the walk to the main road, nor the ride back to your home, the only constant thing being the way he admires your profile in the taxi, shrugging when you counter with a playful "what?".

"nothing," haechan grins.

[there are more days to come]

sure, day forty-one may not have been the day you fell in love with haechan, nor the day where he outwardly claims you as his lover.

but, taking it slow never hurt anyone, either.

you know it in the way he tells you he can't go in unless he's invited and you see it in the way he asks if he can switch the television on while you prepare some drinks.

like the hotel, you know it in the way he asks if he can kiss you and the way he deepens his kisses with caution.

you appreciate it in the way he quickly apologises for a personal question, while visibly relaxing as you brush it off with a smile.

with hours pass, day forty-two becomes day forty-three, and haechan remains as chivalrous as always.

days pass, and you submit your articles. weeks pass, and you get to know the boy more and more. months pass, and you feel his love in the way he plays with your fingers in the dark and pulls you close under the sheets.

even if you hadn't acknowledged the love between the two of you, that note you wrote half-drunk matched the way you felt now—with how your heart clenches up and with how your grin never leaves your face with haechan around.

there are more days to come with lee haechan, lee donghyuck, even if it meant getting stuck together in a hotel room with unsaid words.

358 notes · View notes

atiny-piratequeen · 4 years

Text

Fie’s Super Helpful Tips (Not Really) #1: Fighting Scenes

Hi! I was thinking earlier about some of the songs I’ve put in my playlist and I know sometimes my friendos and followers ask me for help every now and then, so I’ve decided to try my hand at giving you all a little peek into my writing process, and maybe it can help someone else along the way? If not...shiber posted this-

Anyway, I’ve been writing for over a decade and I’ve decided to not only give you all some of the things I go through, but also post some snippets from a fic I wrote back when I was younger on FF, and some snippets from my BTS fic Still Standing, since there’s a fair share of fighting/action scenes in that, so be aware that there is some spoilers when it comes to SS, if any armytiny was interested in reading it. The screenshots from the other fic are fine because no one’s gonna be reading that ya yeet.

Anyway, tips and cool raptor tricks under the cut! *kick flips*

So, for me, the most important part of my writing process is always finding the right music. I know some people have issues focusing when it comes to writing with songs with lyrics, because it may make them distracted. If you’re this type of person, feel free to make a playlist of songs that are instrumental, that may help better.

For me, with all of my scenes, but especially my fighting ones, I find songs that make me see certian scenes like a music video. For the examples, I’ll pull songs I have for my Against the Tide (Ateez OT8) playlist

So, when you think of fighting scenes, what do you think of? Rock songs? Metal?

Those two are the most common songs that come to mind when it comes to writing or visualizing fighting or action heavy scenes. I have some songs in my playlist from those genres that are there specifically for parts in later chapters that have very in depth and intricate fighting. (E.x Ludens- Bring me the Horizon, Literally every Babymetal track, Zoetrope-Yanaginagi and Piri-Dreamcatcher (yes, I’m counting Dreamcatcher as rock + Kpop bc it is, fight me).

But, sometimes, you can even formulate really visual scenes from songs that are not as suspecting (edm is a common third place to rock and metal but you can also use some pop and even jazz songs!)

Going back to my own playlist, I have some songs specifically for fight/action-based scenes that one may not overtly think would work for that kind of scene like:

Underground- Lindsey Sterling, The Sky Falls- Xai, and probably the most ??? Butterfly Effect-Exo.

Butterfly Effect is the outlier in all of these songs, right? How can something so beautiful with it’s lyrics have anything to do with fighting?

The answer is the tone. Sometimes you have to invision scenes out of the norm. Step back away from the usual fighting in the rain in a forest or running through a busy city doing disgusting amounts of collateral damage and think with your eyes closed.

Listen to Butterfly Effect, if you could, and think of the following:

Your protagonist is down on their luck, they’re close to losing to our main antagonist. Instead of having them in a dark area, imagine them somewhere brightly lit, such as a purgatory-esque place, but instead of a mute white, it’s all blue. Your muses fight, your protagonist losing their traction, and with it, their hope.

But then they think of the people who have helped them along the way, maybe? They think of what needs to be protected. They think of the people that would be effected by them losing this. Think of them falling, images of all they know and love passing the by as they nearly lose. They can’t, they won’t, they have to win!

‘You’re saving my life~’

Your muse catches their second wind! They fight back, and maybe with this, they can win? Or at least buy some time?

Fighting scenes can be as fun as they can be terrifying. Sometimes it helps to make your protagonist dominate, only to lose in the end because of their arrogance. Sometimes it’s the other way around.

But, for me, the first step is being able to close your eyes, and listen. Listen to your music, and listen to your thoughts, and jot down as much as you can so you don’t lose it! When you’re ready, go into your scene with those notes in your mind or in your notes, and move on to the next step.

Know your muses when you write. If they’re humans, do a little research and find out what kind of wounds can completely disarm someone, what kind of wounds cause permanent damage, and what kind of treatment some wounds may take to heal, be maintained. Know that some gashes heal within two-three weeks with proper stitching, while some require more medical attention and the like.

You have more liberties when it comes to mystical and supernatural fics, but you also can be down to earth with your fighting. Even immortals get fatigued, so keep that in mind. Engage your viewers, make your work heart pounding, but also you add a layer of realism if you don’t always make your characters OP.

Something to keep in mind as well is how well your character is at their fighting skill. Someone who doesn’t know how to fight may injure themselves punching wrong or trying to use a weapon they’re not familiar with. Don’t be afraid to write this in your scenes! Someone throwing a sloppy punch can turn the tide, or someone not accounting for the kickback of a gun could lead to them dropping it, or injuring themselves.

With powers, don’t be afraid to be descriptive when it comes to what they do. there’s a website called powerlisting.wikia that you all can stop by and check out when it comes to choosing powers, and learning more about their names and limitations, as well as their applications.

Of course, you are the writer and you can change these at will, but it’s also nice to have some form of idea to visualize when it comes to your characters using their powers. Describe the fire, know that different temperatures have different colors! Describe how a character may be surprised to find they have a new power, or that their power does something it didn’t originally do.

Know that the more a character uses their powers, the more smoothly they will use them in battle, and that sometimes their powers may be an extension of themselves.

Example time!

So I’ll be showing you some of my works and talking a little about the scenes in particular.

Written back in 2016 ish, the scenes pictured hits on what I mentioned before. Having the protagonist go through the motions of their final attack after a long fight. Something that by all accounts, usually pays off, right? But there’s this open ended feeling of not knowing if they fully killed our antagonist because of the escape (contrary to what is said at the end, she did, in fact, survive the attack, but only barely.)

With charged attacks, make sure you take some time before it’s fired, especially if its for something large. The more time you put between letting your reader know it was charging, to the moment its actually fired, you give the reader a sense of scale when it comes to how powerful it is.

Is the attacker prone to attack? Are they being protected? Do they have to start over if interrupted? These are things to consider. I’ll add a longer snippet from my BTS work now for another example of a different styled fight scene. It’s rather lengthy and again, it has spoilers for a portion of SS, so be aware of that.

---

Jungkook didn’t wait around for any instructions, solidifying his body in crystal as he bolted for them, eyes dark and full of rage. The boys knew that look well. It was the same Jungkook used when he used to fight in the Arena.

Wonho was the one to step forward, eyes wild as he met him halfway, dodging the first punch Jungkook threw at him by ducking. He swung his head up, cracking the top of it against the younger man’s jaw. Jungkook hardly budged, smiling back when he saw a trail of blood run down between Wonho’s eyes.

“Didn’t think that through, did you-” Jungkook’s sarcastic remark was cut short when Wonho reeled back, punching him square in the gut, cracking the crystal. He stumbled back, and all of the other members of his cluster flinched from the intense pain as well. Wonho let out a beast-like sound, lunging to strike him again.

“Wonho’s already flipped the switch. Go, I’ll keep an eye on him.” Kihyun instructed the other standing mercenaries, the palm of his hand glowing purple as he pressed it over Hyungwon’s eyes, whispering something.

Yoongi’s shadows stretched across the floor to try and slow Wonho down from the flurry of fists he was sending Jungkook’s way but Jooheon was on them in an instant, moving faster than Yoongi could process, kicking away any of the shadows before they got close.

“Fuck! I can’t get close!” He hissed, blocking his front when Jooheon appeared in front of him with a vicious spinning kick aimed for his chest. Yoongi just barely missed taking the full impact, if it hadn’t been for the shadows that instinctually protected him whenever Jooheon got close. The fiery dimpled man didn’t seem too put off by this, though.

In fact, the attacks only got more relentless, with Yoongi having to go on the complete defense as Jooheon bombarded him with kick after kick, disappearing in a blur before the DJ could lash back at him.

“Hyung, hold on!” Taehyung spread his arms apart, several shards of ice aimed Yoongi’s way. Maybe if he could just slow Jooheon down-

“Tae, move!”

Tae flinched, eyes wide as Jin all but threw himself behind him, summoning a barrier to block the large bear paw that nearly came crashing down on him. Hyunwoo’s arms and legs had grown thicker in size, shaped like bear paws. The fur around his arms and legs were the same color as his hair and the tips of his claws seemed to be longer and shinier than normal claws, though neither men could fully see what was going on with that from their current position.

The younger of the two sensates scrambled up to his feet, pressing his hand to Jin’s barrier to shoot the ice at the partly-transformed mercenary instead. Hyunwoo crossed his arms in front of him, all of the ice stopping just before they impacted with his body. Tae and Jin watched in confusion as his claws began to glow light blue, and a chill blew over the whole room.

“I’ll just borrow this.” He cooed, pressing his hand to the barrier.

Immediately, the entire bubble Jin put around them was surrounded by ice.

“You’re gonna have to think outside of the bubble to fight us, y’know.” Hyunwoo teased, smashing his fist through the frigid bubble and shattering the entire thing to pieces.

Jimin, Hoseok, and Minjun were preoccupied dealing with Minhyuk a few feet away.

They had found out pretty quickly in the fight that he was proficient with his weapon, blocking any physical attacks they sent his way and countering with painful strikes with the blunt ends. Though his arms weren't as thick or muscular as Wonho or Hyunwoo's, he didn't have any issue putting power behind his swings, bruising Minjun's abdomen upon impact the first time.

He smiled wide when Hoseok began getting frustrated, noticing the same for Jimin as flames and sparks began to flicker at their fingertips respectively.

“Hit me with it. Show me what you can do!” he invited them, rolling his neck on his shoulders before gripping the ends tighter.

Both of them were happy to oblige and Minhyuk had a ball of electricity fly at him from the left and a ball of fire fly to him from his right. He grinned, holding up both rods, eyes lighting up as the elemental attacks went straight to the tip of the rods as if being pulled in by a magnet.

The little crystal bubbles began to glow, and Minhyuk looked delighted as he brought the two non-blunt ends together, snapping them into a staff. It ended up forming a large hybrid weapon that was the length of a bo staff with the blunt ends resembling that of a cudgel. The bubbles at the ends were yellow with sparks crackling on the inside of it while the ones on the other side were red, with flames licking at the inside of the crystalline bubbles.

“D-did...did he just absorb our attacks, hyung?” Jimin inquired, blinking in surprise. Hoseok frowned and Minhyuk winked at them.

“It’s an invention of my own. D’ya like it? Gotta keep up with these guys somehow since I don’t have powers.” He explained before he moved in for the next attack, swinging at Hoseok with the electric side.

“Now, let’s see how bright of a candle my technology can hold to natural abilities!”

While they fought, Ji-Woo struggled to keep up with Changkyun, taking more than a few body shots than she would have liked. Her lip was busted and she had only managed to land one punch on the younger man.

“T...There’s no way I can keep up.” She admitted, defeated. Changkyun stopped short, humming slightly.

“Is that what you honestly think?” He inquired. She stood up hesitantly, scratching her arm. The barista tossed a look over her shoulder, seeing Taehyung, Jin, and Yoongi unable to form any sense of offense against Jooheon’s speed and Hyunwoo’s brute force. Namjoon was doing his best to help out Jungkook with Wonho, but out of nowhere a large bird-like beast appeared in the warehouse, focusing on Namjoon, effectively keeping him away from the group’s maknae.

He wasn’t doing any better, getting manhandled by Wonho. Honestly, he terrified Ji-Woo because it seemed like he had absolutely gone berserk, throwing his body at Jungkook with no particular style or strategy other than “hit harder and harder and harder” and it looked like the youngest was having difficulties keeping up.

Jimin and Hoseok had tried to double team Minhyuk, but he seemed to be absolutely delighted by the fight, holding his own as he absorbed their elements, using it against them along with the powerful blows from simply hitting them. (She was worried about Minjun, as he hadn't moved in over five minutes. She hoped he had just been knocked out and nothing else.)

She wasn't sure what Kihyun and Hyungwon were doing. It seemed like the latter was asleep, and Kihyun hadn't budged from his spot, whispering things to Hyungwon with his hand still on his head as he kept his eyes on Wonho.

Wonho.

He terrified her more than all of the others combined because he honestly seemed more beast than man. His eyes were manic, and every time the fight with Jungkook drew blood, it seemed his attacks got more erratic and powerful.

Changkyun watched her silently, closing his eyes as he tried to find the proper words to say.

“You're already thinking more than the others.”

She turned back to him and he put his hands on his hips, pivoting on his heel to look at the others fighting.

“The reason they're struggling is because they're not thinking about everything. They're not using tactics. Not communicating. No one said they had to break off into little groups to fight us. If Namjoon or Jimin were to come over here and attack me, I would not only be ready for it, but expect it. They need to look at every variable in a fight to dominate it.” he told her, watching as Wonho took Jungkook and hurled him against Jin's barrier, nearly tossing him into Hyunwoo.

The leader didn't seem fazed, though he did turn and give Kihyun a look. Ji-Woo's brows furrowed as she watched the sitting man, blinking when she saw him move his hand from Hyungwon's head. He raised it, aiming it in Wonho's direction when it looked like he was going to take a wild swing Hyunwoo's way.

“Stop, calm down. Let's stop, calm down, Wonho. Your fight isn't here.”

Wonho paused for a moment, the rage in his eyes lessening as he turned to look at Jungkook. He stood to his full height and stalked over to him again, looking significantly more focused than before.

Something seemed to click for her and she gasped, stepping forward to tell the others something, but Changkyun grabbed her arm gently.

“Don't. They need to figure this out, too. I promise, it'll be a lot more harmful to just give them the solutions instead of letting them come to it on their own.” he informed her. She frowned, but nodded, turning her attention back to the boys as Changkyun gave her momentary reprieve from their sparring.

Yoongi was getting fed up of all of this madness with Jooheon, and he could feel the fatigue coming from the others. He had backed himself up so much trying to defend that he had stumbled into Wonho and Jungkook’s fight, the shadows frantically catching a wayward fist thrown by Wonho. He glared daggers at the man, flinging him upwards in frustration.

That was the first light bulb.

As Wonho flew up, all the rage in his eyes melted into sheer terror, eyes wide as he frantically tried to catch himself. This didn’t go unnoticed by Yoongi or Jungkook, especially when Kihyun raised his voice again.

“Jooheon! Catch him!” he ordered and there was a gust of wind as Jooheon bolted past Yoongi, catching Wonho middair. His feet skid slightly when he landed, setting the shorter man down closer to Kihyun.

Namjoon noticed the bird behind him began to warp and bend into a horrifyingly large creature the moment Kihyun’s attention changed to Wonho. It also stopped attacking him, taking to screeching loudly and flapping it’s wings as it swooped down to attack the others. Heads turned, and the boys noticed Hyungwon’s face scrunched up as he began to toss and shift in Kihyun’s lap, as if having a terrible nightmare.

That was the second bulb.

“This is our chance! Get Kihyun!” Namjoon ordered, turning and running full-speed at the four.

Hyunwoo took his attention off of Jin and Taehyung, a slightly impressed look on his face as he moved in an instant to block Namjoon. The nurse was having none of it, wrapping a shadow around Hyunwoo’s thick waist, throwing him into Wonho and Jooheon, toppling all three of them. Wonho let out a growl, eyes filling with rage again.

Minhyuk swept Jimin’s feet and used the distraction to slam the fire end of his cudgel against the ground. Hoseok noticed all of the red from the crystals poured out of it, creating a wall of fire to separate Namjoon from Kihyun and the others. Now the only color in the crystals came from the side where Jimin’s electricity was absorbed.

The third light bulb.

“Kihyun, you’ve got to get the order back!” Jooheon yelped, ducking when Wonho swung at him. Kihyun sent him a vicious look, holding his hand out. His eyes started to glow the same color as the power increased. Wonho calmed down significantly, blinking and Kihyun pointed past the firewall.

“Not us, them. Get angry, Wonho.”

Wonho snarled and took off like a bullet, running through the fire and tackling Namjoon head-on, rolling on the ground from the impact. The bird beast screeched from above them and swooped down towards Kihyun and Hyungwon, but the older man snapped his hand back down to Hyungwon’s head, and the bird stopped instantly. It flapped its wings for a moment or two before turning and aiming it’s talons at Jin.

The fourth bulb was as bright as the others.

Changkyun hummed and tilted his head while Ji-Woo bit her thumbnail, anxious.

“It seems they started figuring things out.” He told her and she glanced at him in surprise for a moment before turning back to them.

This is the other example I meant of difference in ability power. Be sure to let your readers know how comfortable people are with their powers. If they’re new or not as experienced, show that. If they’re from a more experienced team (Like MX is here), be sure to think of ways to show off each person’s strengths and weaknesses and how that plays into team fights.

I don’t know if this helped, but if anyone would like me do to more little tip posts like this, please let me know! I hope this helped a little.

#fie's writing tips #i hope it made sense...#fie writes

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