#wen junhui angst
Text
YOUR HAND IN MINE, wen junhui
♡⸝⸝ As soon as Junhui shot up and excused himself from the dinner table, your eyebrows furrowed in concern. If only the love of your life trusted you enough to take care of him at his worst.
.ᐟ sick junhui ( i'm sorry for inflicting pain on this boy, i really am ) fever, mention of throwing up, nervous and stressed reader, junhui needs to learn how to ask for help, the daunting ordeal of not asking to be taken care of because of the fear that comes with being a burden to your loved ones, absolute sweethearts minghao and jihoon
a/n - sick junnie is such a cat, i can cry. somebody give this boy a kiss and tell him it's okay. leave some feedback please please <3
When Jihoon suddenly puts a hand on your shoulder, you jump in your seat. Startled by his out-of-order action, you let your eyes find his, a question pausing in the air. You watch as Jihoon sighs and gives you a look - quite unreadable as always. When you simply cocks your head to the side, Jihoon is sighing again like a damsel in distress before he finally nudges his gaze towards your lap, specifically, your knee and oh –
You let your eyes zero on the way your knee bounces in sync with the song playing through the venue - a good hundred-something bpm to it and almost making it look like it's having a seizure of its' own. Wait, holy shit, were you shaking the fucking table?
"Calm down, you weren't" It's Minghao who comforts you from the other side of you, having moved to the empty seat next to you while you've been distracted. "You're fidgety"
Minghao is almost peering into you, doe eyes slightly wide as they run along your face with concern clearly written across his eyes. From your other side, Jihoon is pretending to not listen. He's long retracted his hand and sat back in his seat, but you knew he still had one year stuck in the conversation out of concern.
"Yn," Minghao almost whispers as if not to bother you. "Hey, calm down. It's okay. I'm sure he's alright"
You try your best to nod, not trusting yourself to give him a verbal answer knowing you would just end up with a whole lot of nonsense pouring out of your mouth as a result of your nerves. But still, even as you silently reassure him, you can't seem to stop the shaking in your leg, the shudder in your breath and that god-awful feeling in your gut.
"I'll go check on Jun" Jihoon says from your right, giving away how he'd been listening and making you look up at him.
He's already getting up from his place, brushing his hands against his pants as he squeezes between your chairs and slips away from the seat. From the corner of your eye, you see Minghao trying to get up as well, only to be forced back into his chair by Jihoon with a hand on his shoulder.
"Stay with her. I'll go" You hear Jihoon say to the younger, stern and a rare display of worry dripping from the words rolling out of his tongue.
"Yn? Yn, look at me" There's a light feeling of pressure on your knee, and you turn your face to meet Minghao's eyes, ever so comforting. "Hey, it's okay, honey. Jihoon hyung will check on him, okay? And then they'll be back, and then he'll be right here next to you. No need to get worked up, yeah? Junnie wouldn't want you to get worked up at all"
Minghao is peering into your face again, nodding and confirming if you've processed what he's saying before smiling kindly at you. "So, just breathe. He's okay"
The way Minghao is so careful with his words, trying to calm you down with the gentlest touch and the softest words reminds you of just how great of a person he is.
Minghao has always been so fond of you, ever since you entered Jun's life as a constant figure. At first, he might have been a little hard to approach. Considering just how protective he was of his Jun gēgē, you understood when Minghao shied away from warming up to you when you'd been introduced to each other. Junhui had been the most eager when the two of you met, almost bouncing off his feet at the mere thought of his two favourite people (his words, of course) becoming close. It had taken some time for you two to get comfortable with each other as Jun's best friend and Jun's partner, yet by now, you're convinced that Minghao considered you a sister - maybe a mother figure even. Minghao is now one of your best friends as well - the two of you often hang out by yourselves, sharing similar likings in music and flavours of tea. So it was inevitable for him to get worried when you started spacing out ten minutes into Junhui's disappearance - eyes hazy and knee starting to bound under the table.
"He kept saying he didn't feel good. He actually didn't seem well at all today" You stagger, slumping your head. "I thought it was nothing, so I didn't bother asking. Gosh, Hao, I should've checked on him a little more"
"Hey, come on" Minghao shifts in his seat, bringing a hand to rest on top of yours in an attempt to console you. "He'll be okay, I'm sure. You have nothing to be scared of. Jihoon is with him, yeah? He'll be feeling better, and he'll be back to his usual self in no time, yn"
"But I should've asked. Hao, you know perfectly well how he doesn't say out loud when he's sick. He thinks he's being a burden, so he doesn't tell me even though he needs me. And god, it worries me so much" You try your best to stay calm, seeing a few others like Joshua and Jeonghan looking your way with lifted eyebrows and confused glances.
You seriously did not want to cause a scene in the middle of the function in front of everyone - but also, you had an extent to keep your composure while your boyfriend was probably passing in the restroom.
The Seventeen boys ( or mostly Seuncheol and his wallet ) had planned a dinner party, a quiet get-together with all their close friends following the end of their tour.
Junhui had been so excited when he passed you the invite, all giddy and smiles, bouncing on his feet as he suggested the two of you should wear matching outfits and be lovey-dovey all evening to purposefully piss Jeonghan off for his 'lack of bitches/respectfully' ( Again, his words ) His excitement passed on to you, more because of Junhui's boxy smile and lit up eyes as he romped around than the whole dinner ordeal. Sure, you were just as eager to celebrate the guys finally having a moment to wind down, but seeing Junhui so happy-go sunshine was better than anything in the whole world.
When the two of you woke up this morning, Junhui hadn't forgotten to cheerily mumble into your shoulder about how he picked a suit to match your outfit, and Jeonghan was going to be so sour all night about it.
You had expected him to be stuck to you all day, talking your ear off about everything and nothing all at once since today had been an off day for him. His habitual routine at home was being stubborn all day and refusing to let go of your arm to follow you around the house like a boy cat.
You hadn't first noticed any signs of sickness at all as Junhui spent the morning like usual, clinging to your back and playing on his phone for the most part. And when he asked if he could go and lay down for a while, you'd simply thought he wanted to rest out of the weariness that came with the newly ended tour.
You pressed a kiss to his forehead before sending him off to bed to get a good rest, knowing he would have to stay active for the latter part of the night. Junhui almost slept the entire afternoon off, curled up on your bed with a newfound frown pinching his eyebrows together even in his state of unconsciousness. When you finally woke him up, Junhui had spent a fair share of minutes groaning and whining before getting out of bed, saying something about a headache, and quickly waving a hand to shoo you off when you instantly got worried.
Even as you kept asking him once the two of you left the house, he had simply smiled and pressed a soothing kiss to your temple over the console, telling you not to worry your pretty little head ( His words for the third time )
It was Seungkwan who pointed out how pale Junhui looked, joking about how he should go out into the sun a little bit more or he'd end up like Jihoon. Mingyu and Seokmin joined, saying something about how it would be another Macau situation if he didn't take care of himself enough - which made you throw a hurried gaze of worry towards Junhui, who avoided your eyes as his life depended on it.
Even Seungcheol, who mostly kept to himself turned towards you at some point during the night, quietly asking if Junhui had been eating well after returning home from the tour.
And since then, you hadn't been able to stop the waves of worry from washing over you.
Junhui had been doing a great job of trying to pretend like he was okay for the most part. The painful pinch that took over his features while he made conversation with one of the guests was gone as soon as it came. Junhui was back to his usual smile with rattled eyes darting around to see if he'd been caught. Later, when you saw him wavering on his feet, hand immediately flying to his temple, you had been by his side in an instant, asking if he was surely okay. Your boyfriend flashed his million-dollar smile at you once again, turning away to introduce you to one of his friends and successfully steering the attention away from the matter at hand.
It was when Junhui excused himself from the table to go to the restroom you started getting anxious. It was clear to anyone with a working pair of eyes that Junhui was not feeling well. Even if nobody voiced anything outright - the concerned looks the boys threw at you said enough.
And now, seeing Jihoon return with his face twisted into a scowl, you were on your feet immediately, anxiety doubling in amount and Minghao following right beside you.
"What's wrong?" Your voice came out breathless and frantic, hands reaching to hold Jihoon by the arms. "Is he okay?"
"He caught something serious by the looks of it" Jihoon sighs with an unsettling look in his eyes. "He threw up. Dinner and maybe lunch too, all of it. I tried to get him out, but he's asking for you. He doesn't look good"
From the corner of your eyes, you can see how the rest of the boys are trying to listen to your conversation, wanting to know how Jun's doing after abruptly getting up and leaving the table.
Not sparing a glance at anyone, you're pushing past Jihoon in the direction of the restrooms in an instant. If it was any other time, you would have lingered outside waiting for Junhui to come back to you instead of barging inside the men's room. But this wasn't any other time - Junhui wasn't well and he clearly needed you with him - even explicitly telling Jihoon outright.
"Junnie" You're whispering when you finally push the door to the overly luxurious restroom, gaze falling on your boyfriend sitting against the heavy door of one of the stalls.
Jihoon and Minghao, who had followed after you hot on their heels, were kind enough to wait outside without tracking your steps - possibly knowing Junhui would want some time alone with you. You knew the two would be outside with ears turned your way anyway, ready to be of help if you needed.
"My baby, what's wrong?" Without even minding the condition of the outfit you're wearing, you kneel right in front of him on the shining marble of the floor.
Junhui cracks his eyes open as you bring up a hand to his flushed face. "Yn" He croaks, the scratch in his voice making you wince as you shuffle closer, stroking the warm skin of his cheeks. "It hurts. My head, my throat, I- I don't- I don't know what happened"
"Oh sweetheart, you should've told me. I was so worried" Junhui leans his face into your hand as you trace your fingers against his skin, reminding you of his kitty antics. One of his own hands comes up to shakily wrap around your wrist, keeping you close to him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to upset you" He whispers, eyes still drooping out of exhaustion. "Jihoonie said you were upset. I'm sorry"
"I wasn't upset at you, Jun. I was just worried" With a smile, you reassure him, not wanting to show your uneasiness with him in such a vulnerable condition. "Tell me how you feel, baby. Did you throw up?"
Junhui nods, eyes drooping and lips forming into an adorable pout.
"My poor baby" You can't help but pull your lips into a pout as well, cooing and bringing your other hand to cup his face between your cold palms.
As much as you hated the idea of Junhui getting sick on your watch, you secretly loved the clinginess that came with it like a plague. A sick Junhui meant an extra sulky Junhui, all cute pouts and teary eyes looking up at you until he'd successfully lured (lowkey coerced) you into giving him all your attention (doting on him 24/7 and doing things you wouldn't have agreed to do for a healthy Junhui)
After the initial dilemma of processing the fact that he's been bedridden, Junhui usually had the habit of pulling a drama queen card out of his pocket whenever he got sick. He would flat-out refuse to eat, take his medicine or sometimes even go see a doctor at all. Throwing small fits whenever you tried to argue with him about it, he would always guilt trip you into cuddling with him at the end of the day, unable to keep his limbs to himself.
But still, you adored the devious being he turned to whenever he was sick, mumbling in his sleep and nibbling on his food like a little cat as you orbit around him, pampering him like no tomorrow.
"Do you wanna go home, Jun? You feel really warm. Jihoon said you have a fever" You mumbled with a frown, hands feeling around for the warmth that radiated off his skin.
"Mmh. Jihoon's lying, I'm perfectly fine" Junhui opens his eyes and looks at you with a cheeky smile pulling on his lips. Yet, the small wince in his eyes is too noticeable to slip past your attention.
You pat his cheeks with a smile to match his. "Oh really, is that so? Well, I'm still taking you home and grounding you for the next two weeks so, we can't do anything about that"
Junhui exaggerates a whine at that, head rolling back against the door, dramatizing his dislike towards the idea of being the victim of your worries for the next couple of days. But you both know how much he loves to be the centre of your attention - being cared for and so so loved on like he deserved to be.
Junhui then silently lets you fuss over him, wiping his face with damp towels trying to soothe the flaring of warmth that's spreading through him.
Typically, Junhui would have been smiling his boxy smile, trying to lighten the mood by cracking his list of bad jokes as you fussed over him. So when he just sits silently with his head thrown back and eyes closed, you assume his condition might be a little more severe than usual. You can see the way he is still flushed, a sheen of sweat left behind as a result of the fever spreading through him. His hands are clammy where he keeps them in his lap, a clear sign of just how flimsy he's feeling now.
"My head hurts" He mumbles once you settle down in front of him again, immediately making you run a hand through his hair softly. You try to massage his head, fingers pressing to his temples knowing it usually helps with his migraines.
"We'll go home, okay?" You say. "You need to rest, Jun. You're still exhausted- you're gonna say no but your body needs lots of rest, baby. I knew something was wrong when you went to bed earlier, I just didn't think you'd get sick so soon"
Though you try your best to not let your voice waver, you know Junhui's picked up on the way your demeanour shrinks from the way your voice quietens down. Junhui, ever so observant and managing to see through all the cracks, opens his eyes to look over at you with a pinched frown.
He blindly reaches for your hand, lacing his fingers with yours, bringing them up to his lips. You watch as he turns your palm towards him and presses a kiss to the middle of your palm. He lets your hands rest against his face, cradling it close before he starts to speak.
"I should've told you" He sighs, nuzzling his nose against your palm. "I- I just didn't want to bother you, you know? You've been so busy with work and I just - I just didn't want to add on to it, yn. I've been away for so long and you've been nothing but looking after me all this time. I just wanted to stop being so...so dependent. I thought I could look after myself, not be a burden for once. I'm sorry"
You feel a part of your heartbreak as you listen to Junhui's words - spoken so solemnly as he explains how he simply wanted to stop being so reliant on you and take care of himself as a person. As if he could ever be a burden in your dictionary of love and as if he doesn't know that your world quite literally revolves around him at all times.
"Don't...don't say that" You start, making him pause on his words. "Don't ever- god, Jun. Don't ever say you're being a burden - to me, out of everyone"
Junhui's eyes are glazed over with a meek apologetic look as you try to form your words, too perplexed to even string your thoughts together. "You'll never be a burden to me, you know that? Never. If anything, I'm always fucking itching to know what's going on in this mind of yours. I always want to know when you're feeling bad or sick or just, anything. I always want to know how you're doing. I'm here to take care of you. Fever, no fever- I'm always going to look after you and coddle you, Jun"
"I love you so much, okay? I don't want you to think you're burdening me by telling me you have a fever darling. I always want to know. What if Jihoonie didn't come to check on you, hm? Would you have been able to go back out there by yourself and pretend everything's fine?" Junhui's face lowers as he lets your words wash over you.
Trying to keep your voice as comforting as possible, you lift his face to meet his eyes, a bit glazed over with a crumpled expression.
"Don't ever say sorry for wanting to be taken care of, Wen Junhui" Your words are soft, yet, sharp. "Not when you know you know I would run to the ends of the earth of you. Not when you know I know you would do the same for me if I was ever in your place"
"You deserve so much love and I won't ever sleep peacefully without knowing I've shown you how much I do"
Junhui stares at you, lips downturned and eyes suddenly glassy and shining under the harsh light of the room. You smile at him, tipping his head up a little, not wanting to let the tears fall past his waterline. He returns a watery smile with a small nod when you pass a pointed look, trying to convey just how serious your words were. He takes a shaky breath, blinking away the tears in his eyes before he looks back up at you.
"You're so good to me. Always"
"I love you" You lean forward before pressing a fleeting kiss to his temple and resting your lips against his warm skin - trying to ignore the fact that you're both still settled on the shiny floor of the bathroom.
"I love you too. Thank you"
The two of you are broken apart when a knock is heard through the door before it's pushed open and Minghao pokes his head through the gap. Jihoon shuffles in right behind Minghao, taking a moment to go a once over of their position on the floor before rolling his eyes/fondly.
"Gē, how are you?" Minghao kneels right next to you, a hand reaching up to rest against Junhui's forehead as the younger searches his face.
"I think I've caught a fever, Hao" Junhui, gazing at him with lax eyes, gives him a tight-lipped smile. "Puked my entire dinner down, my throat hurts now"
"Oh, Junnie" The younger lets his hand rest against the side of his face, thumb stroking the skin of Jun's ear comfortably. "You should've told yn, you idiot. What if it got worse, huh? You passed out or something and Jihoon hyung didn't come to check up on you? What then? Do you know how worried yn was? Stop being a dummy"
Junhui squints his eyes as Minghao scolds him, nodding his head along to the sharp words the younger throws at him with practised ease. Minghao jabs at his side for the effect yet the gentle and relieved look in his eyes under the faux rage isn't hard to notice.
"Yeah," Jihoon agrees from next to them. "You gave us quite the scare"
Junhui fixes his lips into another pout when Jihoon lightly smacks his head, looking down at him from where he's standing. The look on his face makes Jihoon sigh before he reaches to softly ruffle his hair with a carefully masked gleam of affection.
"We should get you home" Minghao's looking up at you when he says, still stroking Jun's skin, making you agree with a firm nod. Looking back at your boyfriend who opens his mouth to protest, he fixes him with one short and sharp look. "If you even try to come up with a fuck ass reason to why we should let you stay here when you look like utter shit and clearly needs to lie the fuck down, I'm gonna punch you in the eye"
"No hesitation, no remorse" Jihoon joins, fingers tightening in Junhui's hair as if to emphasize the seriousness of his threat. With an amusing helpless look in his eyes, Junhui looks over to you who's still kneeling in front of him, fiddling with his fingers on top of your lap.
"And I'll tell Seungcheol you're refusing to go to a doctor" You shrug and Junhui almost shudders. They all know how serious (and fucking terrifying) Seuncheol is when it comes to health.
Eventually - and by eventually, you mean after throwing a fit about that face that he's being taken home and only settling down once you'd promised to let him eat breakfast for dinner for the next two nights - Junhui agrees to return home with you.
You try not to worry too much when he wobbles on his feet once Minghao and Jihoon pull him up from the floor. Understanding how he's not stable on his own, Junhui clings to the two as they steer him out of the restroom and promise to take him straight to the car.
"People are going to think I drank too much and passed out or something, oh god" You smile at the way Junhui's whine carries down the hallway away from you.
When you're back at the main area, quietly grabbing your bag and excusing yourself from everyone, some of the boys are quick to pull you aside. Once you've reassured them that yes, Jun is okay and no, he doesn't have a severe case of Diarrhea, Chan, it's a fever, you say your goodbyes to them. Jeonghan, who's close to tears and fretting like a mother hen, offers to walk you to your car yet, you're saved by Seungcheol who pulls the other to his side with an understanding smile.
"Hannie, yn will update us, don't worry" He assured the boy before turning towards you. "Take care of him, okay? I'll clear his schedule and let you know. Just- make sure he's okay, yn"
"Of course, always"
When you finally approach your car, you notice how Junhui is already settled in the passenger seat, eyes closed and breathing a little easier than before. You smile at the way Jihoon is stroking through his hair, trying to act cool about it when he notices you looking.
"I'll take him home now" You announce. "Thank you guys. Really, thank you so much. I already did so much"
"Anything for Jun" Jihoon mumbles. "He's been working hard"
Minghao moves to give you a small hug, rubbing your back soothingly. "You're okay to drive? We can get a driver for you if not"
"Yeah, I'm okay" You confirm. "I didn't have anything to drink"
"I know. But you're sure?" You know Minghao is asking if you're in a clear state of mind to handle a vehicle this deep into the night, knowing you've been a bit ruffled earlier. With a sure nod, you assure him.
"Get home safe, yn. Send me a text and make sure he's well rested, please"
With the promise of nursing Jun to your best capability, you ultimately get in the car before pulling away from the parking lot. Finally, you let out a breath, feeling the heaviness in your heart substituting while the task of bringing Junhui home and making sure he's taken care of properly for the night is pushed to the limelight of your priorities. You feel the exhaustion, all the nerves and the worries you spent on the boy you love, finally catching up to you as you drive through the city streets. Sparing a glance at the same boy now peacefully resting on the passenger seat next to you, skin lit up by the dim street lights outside, you feel your heart filling with a new wave of affection towards the only one who held your heart in his hands.
God, how you loved him.
When Junhui's fingers blindly reach across the console to lace with your own in the dark, you know his hand was the one thing you'd never allow yourself to let go of.
#seventeen#seventeen x reader#seventeen imagines#seventeen fluff#seventeen angst#wen junhui#moon junhui#junhui imagines#wen junhui x reader#wen junhui fluff#wen junhui angst#wen junhui imagines#svt jun
232 notes
·
View notes
Text
psycho | wen junhui
SYNOPSIS. in which a new patient is assigned for treatment under your care, and you begin to put the puzzles and pieces together to a past case that you thought to have ceased away from your mind.
PAIRING. wen junhui x psychologist!reader (ft. nurse!seokmin)
GENRE. dark au, mystery, angst, a tiny tiny subtle pinch of fluff, my very first attempt at a psychological thriller :>
WARNINGS. LOTS of descriptions and talks about fire, cursing, mentions of death, a mention of cigarettes, descriptions of scars + burns, descriptions of injuries from glass, mention of blood, reader has a small habit of scratching at their arms, jun makes a suggestive comment if you take it that way
WORD COUNT. 12.8k
notes: this is for the caratsland event and probably the most complex plot i've tried to execute so far jsdlkfdfsdf. thank you to @slytherinshua for reading this over for me and being my lil confidence boost 💕 feedback would be much appreciated!! pls remember this is all fictional and not at all an accurate depiction of a psychiatric facility!!
another note: also this turned out to be rlly dialogue heavy and jun asks too many damn questions in this istg lmao
PRESENT DAY: 2023
"Dr. L/N, you have a new patient assigned to you in room 610."
You don't glance up from your desk. Instead, you finish reviewing the case notes of your previous patient and nod in acknowledgment to the nurse standing in your doorway, a friendly young man named Lee Seokmin who was a recent hire, as you were told. As you hear the drop of a patient file in front of you, you lean back in your chair and finally get yourself to look up.
"Thank you, Seokmin," You tell him with a soft smile.
Seokmin grins, teeth all-flashy and cheerful. "You're welcome, doctor," before dismissing himself back out of your office.
You turn your attention to the patient file now resting on your desk. As you start to read through the notes, you see it only contains some basic information about the patient: name, age, and a brief overview of their medical and psychiatric history. It's a starting point, but you know that the real work begins when you meet the person behind the paperwork.
"Name, Moon Jun... male, age 27..." You quietly study the file to yourself. The file mentions a history of severe emotional trauma and burn scars due to a fire, which immediately catches your attention in more ways than one. It also mentions extensive facial scarring and a history of therapy that completely lacked significant progress. A part of it is a familiar story in your field𑁋it isn't uncommon for individuals to experience setbacks in their recovery.
But there's something about this patient's history that tugs oddly at your heartstrings.
As you rummage deeper into the file, you come across a brief note from a colleague who had previously assessed Moon Jun, mentioning he had been withdrawn and non-communicative during his stay, displaying anti-social behaviour, sometimes even having random bursts of aggression when approached. You take a mental note of all this in your head.
Closing the patient file, you rise from your chair and adjust the white coat draped around you, before leaving your office. You make your way through the sterile, fluorescent-lit hallways of the psychiatric facility. The environment here is all-too familiar to you; you've spent years navigating these halls. With every door you pass, there hides a different story; a different struggle; a different battle.
Upon finally reaching the room, you hesitate outside the door for a moment. The anticipation and curiosity surrounding you mixes with a touch of uncertainty, almost like fear, as they often do when meeting a new patient. You've been doing this for nearly ten years, and the feeling isn't new.
Then as you come back to your senses, you lift a hand, give a gentle knock to the door, before entering the room. It's dimly lit inside, the curtains ominously drawn on the windows to conceal the sunlight peeking through. A figure sits at the edge of the bed, back turned to you, and the hood of his hoodie pulled low over his head worn over his patient gown.
"Moon... Jun?" You call out softly, trying not to startle him.
He doesn't respond immediately, shoulders tensing at the sound of your voice. After a moment of silence, he slowly turns his head to acknowledge your presence. Half of his face is obscured by a mask, leaving only his dark eyes visible.
"Doctor," he replies gravelly.
His gaze lingers on you as you take a seat in a chair that sat against the wall next to the bed, keeping a respectful distance from him. You've encountered many patients who have initially shown distrust or apprehension, but there's an intensity in the way he looks at you that sends something chilling on the surface of your skin, especially when it's the only part of his face that you can see.
You try to break the ice with a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Moon. My name is Dr. Y/N, and I'll be conducting our therapy sessions during your stay here. Please, make yourself as comfortable as you can."
He slowly nods, but his eyes never leave yours. The mask covering his face makes it difficult to read his expressions.
"Before we begin," You continue, clearing your throat. "I want you to know that this is a safe and confidential space. Our conversations are private, and I'm here to help you in any way I can𑁋to help you heal. You can share as much or as little as you're comfortable with."
You see the way his gloved hands clench together in his lap.
"I can't be healed," he mutters quietly, voice trembling as you sense the hopelessness in his tone. You've heard this phrase many times before during your career.
"I understand that you may feel that way right now," You reply, as soothingly as possible. "but I believe that with time and the right support, healing is possible for anyone. It's a journey, and I'm here to walk it with you. It's a process, and you don't have to go through it alone."
His gaze remains fixed on you, and the unsettling tension in the room lingers, almost palpable that you feel like there's an imaginary barrier between you and him that was enough for you to see this small part of him, while he can see all of you.
"Would you like to tell me a little bit about yourself? How do you feel coming here today?" You ask, hoping to begin the process of establishing some sort of connection.
He uncomfortably shifts a bit on the bed.
"I never wanted to come here," he says flatly. "They say this is a place of healing, but I've seen enough doctors like you. They prod and poke, dig into your past, and in the end, nothing changes. They don't know what I've been through, what I've seen. The scars, everything, they don't heal."
The words that leave his mouth are bitter and sour, yet you could only get yourself to nod sympathetically.
"It's not uncommon for people to feel that way, especially if they haven't found the right support. I want you to know that my approach is different. I'm here to listen, not to prod or poke." You glance down at the file in your hand and flip it over so that you couldn't see any information about him. "You're in control of our sessions, Mr. Moon. We can go at whatever pace you'd like."
He finally seems intrigued by this, leaning in ever so slightly, eyes devoid of colour that seemed to bore straight into yours.
"Control?" he repeats, voice still carrying a hint of skepticism.
You nod once more. "Yes, control. You get to decide what you want to talk about, what you're comfortable sharing, and at what pace. If there are topics you'd like to avoid or take your time with, that's completely okay. We can work together to create a safe space for you."
He seems to be taking in your words. "And... what if I choose not to talk at all?"
You offer a reassuring smile. "Then that's the option we can settle with."
The minutes that tick by seem dreadingly slow, and there's a light that dances in his eyes from the singular light fixture hanging above that almost resembles that of a flame. It doesn't go away even if he blinks, and it draws you in. Just a tiny bit.
"However, is there anything specific you'd like to share with me today, Mr. Moon?" You ask, trying to keep the conversation flowing. "Any thoughts or concerns you'd like to discuss?"
For a moment, it seems like he's about to speak, but then he shakes his head ever so slightly, his hooded gaze still locked onto yours.
"Very well then." You let out a very subtle, shaky breath. It felt almost relieving. Silence it is.
That's what most of the session has come to𑁋sitting in this peculiar silence, feeling his eyes burn a hole right through you. It isn't until the end of the hour that he calls out toward you just as you were about to his exit his room, and you turn back to face him.
"Can you heal me, doctor?" he asks quietly, almost begging in a way. It's unnerving.
All you do is give him a faint smile.
"I'll try my best, Mr. Moon."
FLASHBACK: 2013
"...All I could see were orange and red flames, and the smoke was hurting my eyes. I couldn't breathe𑁋just barely, but it hurt. It was painful. They were getting larger and larger and the screams louder and louder. Everything was gone."
"And what did you do while the fire kept growing?"
"I watched it all happen. I watched it all burn in front of me." The words had sent an eerie shiver up your spine, forcing the pen in your hands to stop mid-sentence. There was a singular pause that had come to follow, a harrowing silence that seemed to stretch into eternity, a subtle quiver in his voice that you barely caught. "There was nothing I could do."
You clicked your pen, its sound echoing in the tense silence. The room seemed to grow colder with each moment that passed.
"But it's all my fault, right?" he had asked, tone so innocent that it itches a part of your heart uncomfortably, but tugged in a way you felt determined to take root of the grief in his chest and rip it apart. And for a moment as you looked in his dark eyes, over his youthful features and guilt-ridden face, you felt that inkling feeling again. "I killed them. It's all my fault."
"None of this is your fault. Blaming yourself for something you couldn't control is a heavy burden to carry," You reassured him calmly, as gently as you could, knowing the power that your own words could cause for someone seemingly lost, troubled, and young. "You saved yourself. You're alive; you did what you could to survive, and you're here to heal. I'm here to help you heal, okay?"
Your reassurance was met with a fleeting smile, but it hadn't quite reach his eyes, yet his gaze peered directly into you as if searching for something in you𑁋you could only think it was hope. Hope that he wanted to heal just as much as you wanted to help him heal. It's your job. This was why you took this job in the first place.
You needed to save people, either from the demons in their minds or the traumas that haunted them. This boy had lost his entire family in a housefire, for God's sake. This was your duty.
"It's not my fault," he had said, and met your eyes, as if searching for approval. "It's not my fault."
"That's right, Hui." You offered him a faint, assuring smile. "It's not your fault."
PRESENT DAY: 2023
"Excuse me, Dr. L/N? Is it okay if I sit here?"
You glance up to see Seokmin holding up a tray of lunch food, returning you from your zoning thoughts. You shoot him a kind smile and a nod, motioning to the empty space across from you for him to have a seat. Usually, you frequently have lunch alone in the comfort of your office where you can tend to yourself in solitude, but today, you might as well welcome the company.
Seokmin sets his tray down and takes a seat, and for some minutes, there's a comfortable silence as you both begin to eat. He seems to notice the tired lines to your face, but he doesn't press on about it.
"Have you been settling in well?" You ask him suddenly, breaking the silence.
"Huh, me? Oh." He's a bit taken aback, cheeks flushed, and you give a soft chuckle. "You could say that. I wanted to try something new after working bedside for the longest time. I didn't think that psych would be a field I was interested in𑁋look where I am now, though."
"That's the thing about this field." You let out a sigh, giving a knowing smile. "It has a way of drawing you in, even if you didn't plan on it."
"It was definitely an experience when I was in nursing school," Seokmin comments eagerly. You felt as if you were talking to a close friend rather than another colleague, and it feels rather refreshing. "and doing ICU was already draining of itself."
You take a sip of your drink, nodding your head. "I can only imagine. It can be quite rigorous."
Seokmin lets his gaze wander over you curiously. "How long have you worked here, doctor?"
"Please, you can just call me Y/N. Unless we're working."
Seokmin smiles. "How long have you worked here then, Y/N?"
You pause for a moment. Thinking about the amount of years you've worked in this field hasn't been a particular thought to come up𑁋time just seems to fly by when it's the only job you've been dedicated to for most of your life.
"Hm, ten years now? I believe this month will mark my ten years here."
Seokmin's eyes visibly widen in awe before responding, "Wow, that's... You must have really seen a lot of things. I really envy you, doctor."
Your smile fades just a bit; it's barely noticeable, though you still hope that Seokmin doesn't see it. You can feel that feeling gnaw at your skin again, something inexplicable, like a sense of foreboding that seemed to be creaking open a door you believed to have firmly shut for good.
But you choose to push it aside, just like you always do, dismissing it perfectly with a mutter of a thank you. It's ironic, considering this is what you do𑁋normally you would tell patients to confront their past and face their fears, but when it comes to your own, you tend to bury them.
There's an itch that crawls up your arms, and you knead at it through your sleeves with your fingers.
Maybe you can get used to this company, though.
"Do you have any kids, doctor?"
The question comes after a click of your pen, and you glance up from the vitals sheet in your hand to see Moon Jun sitting criss-crossed on the bed, gloved hands sitting on his lap and pupils peering curiously over you.
"No, Mr. Moon," You reply, keeping your tone soft, somewhat nonchalant. "I don't have any children."
He tilts his head slightly, almost as if he's studying you like a specimen under a microscope. The mask on his face makes him appear even more enigmatic, his dark, even charming eyes the only feature you can discern.
"No family at all?" he asks. "No husband, wife, or children to go home to?"
"I live alone. My work keeps me quite occupied."
Some silence passes.
"Alone," he repeats, almost to himself, as if savouring the word in his mouth. "Don't you ever feel... lonely though?"
His question hangs in the air like a dark cloud. It's an oddly personal inquiry, but you decide to address it professionally. "Loneliness is a feeling that many people experience at different points in their lives. It's a normal human emotion, and it's something we can work through."
His gaze narrows, and his gloved fingers twitch in his lap. His mask conceals most of his facial expressions, but you can sense an intensity in his gaze.
"I've felt lonely my entire life, you know," he points out as you sit yourself down in the chair in front of him just like all your previous sessions. Despite the considerable space between you two, sometimes you swear you can feel him breathing right down your neck. "Even being in here too, it.... feels like a different kind of loneliness. A place where they put people who are broken. Like me."
"I can assure you that you are not broken, Mr. Moon," You tell him reassuringly. "How are you with meeting the other patients here? Are there any you have been interacting with since our last session?"
He leans back slightly, his gloved hands still resting on his lap, and his gaze seems to drift momentarily as if he's recalling something.
"I think... they are scared of me, to be honest," he answers, eyes crinkling just slightly as if there was a smile playing on his lips right below his mask. "But... perhaps they're all just lost, confused, and weak. They pretend to get better, but they're just putting on a show. It's a bit pathetic, don't you think?"
"It's not uncommon for people in this environment to have their guard up," You tell him. "Sometimes, it's just a reaction to the unfamiliar. Everyone here is dealing with their own battles, just as you are, Mr. Moon."
He chuckles lowly at that. It's the first time you've heard such a sound like that leave his mouth, like a dissonant note echoing in an otherwise quiet room. His masked face gives nothing away.
"Maybe it's because of this stupid mask on my face," he says, touching the mask with the tips of his fingers. "It makes me look like a criminal or a monster."
"The mask might be intimidating to some," You acknowledge, crossing your arms together. "but it doesn't define who you are."
His eyes narrow slightly, though there's that twinge of amusement as he crosses his arms together, mirroring your body language.
"You're not scared of me, right, doctor?"
You meet his steady gaze, his own searching yours from behind the mask. There's a moment of silence, something unspoken lingering in the air.
"No, Mr. Moon, I'm not scared of you," You respond, keeping yourself composed. "I'm here to understand you."
He leans back, that hint of amusement still present on his face.
"I think you would make a great parent, doctor."
The unexpected compliment catches you off-guard for a moment, making you briefly at a loss for words. There's a slight blush that crawls up your cheeks, and you clear your throat, trying to regain your composure.
"Thank you." You give an appreciative smile. "That's very kind of you to say."
You see that flickering flame in his pupils again. It's a fire that seems to burn brighter with each passing minute, and it leaves you both intrigued and uneasy.
FLASHBACK: 2013
"I told you not to call me that!" Hui exclaimed angrily in frustration, his face turning a shade of red as he glared at you. The sudden outburst had caught you off-guard, and for a moment, found yourself at a loss for words. His face contorted with volatile frustration, and his hands clenched into fists.
"I apologise," You said calmly, doing your best to defuse the situation. "I didn't mean to upset you. What would you like me to call you then?"
He took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself down. His shoulders slumped, and his expression softened slightly.
"Just call me by my nickname, okay?" he urged, voice a tad less sharp now, but it's still enough to pierce. "Hui is fine. I hate my name! It's ugly. I want to forget about it𑁋I want everyone to forget about it! That name doesn't exist anymore, got it?"
"Of course, I understand." You leaned back forward in your chair, slow and cautiously. "But I want you to tell me why you stole crayons from Chaewon earlier in the rec room."
Hui only scoffed in response. "It's not that big of a deal. I only took a few from her. She'll forget about it."
"You took something from someone else without permission, Hui," You explained matter-of-factly. "That's a violation of their personal space and boundaries."
Hui's focus darted around the room for a moment, lips pursed and fingers messing around with the frays of his hospital gown. Then his gaze hardened once more as he landed back on you. His silence was almost unsettling as it stretched between you, but you remained patient, waiting for him to offer an explanation.
"Fine, whatever," he muttered, finally relenting. "I wanted them for a project I'm working on, that's all."
"A project? What kind of project?"
"Back in group therapy... They wanted us to create something meaningful or something𑁋something that means a lot to us, and I needed the crayons for it. So I took them from her."
It took a couple of moments before you nodded, acknowledging his explanation. "I see, Hui. It's important to express yourself through art or projects, but it's also important to respect others' belongings. Try asking for what you need instead of taking it without permission, okay?"
Hui's response was a simple, noncommittal nod, eyes holding onto yours a moment too long.
"Now, the next time you're back in the rec room, please say sorry to Chaewon whenever you see her, okay?"
Again, all he did was nod begrudgingly, his expression showing a hint of reluctance.
"Good." You gave him a proud smile. "That's all for today. Tell me about your project next session, alright?"
You felt his eyes on you as you grabbed your case notes and stood up, before leaving him in his room. And even though you were out of his room, you swore you could still feel the weight of his gaze on you.
PRESENT DAY: 2023
You find Moon Jun sitting on the edge of the bed once entering inside of his room, gloved hands folded neatly in his lap. The mask obscures his face as usual, but his dark eyes lock onto yours the moment you walk inside. The dim lighting in the room casts long shadows on the walls, and you find yourself drawn into those shadows as you take a seat across from him.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Moon," You greet warmly, taking your usual seat across from him. "How has your day been so far?"
He doesn't immediately respond. There's a hint of curiosity in his hooded eyes, but it's devoid of warmth. It's subtle, almost imperceptible, but you've learned to pay attention to the smallest details when dealing with patients over the years. It still sends a shiver down your spine.
"Just been like any other day in this place," he finally replies coolly.
You offer a polite smile and proceed with the session. "Is there anything specific you'd like to discuss for today's session, Mr. Moon?"
He thinks for a moment, tapping his gloved fingers lightly against his knee. The rhythmic sound seems to echo in the room.
"Are you interested in mythology, doctor?" he asks, and the question was certainly something you didn't expect him to ask. He continues, "I've always had an interest in it growing up, so I was wondering if you did too."
You chuckle quietly. "I wish I could say the same, but... I guess I found it intriguing at times."
"Surely you must have heard some stories though." He giggles at this, unclasping his hands together and propping himself right at the edge of the bed so that he's leaning forward, his masked face closer to yours. The dim light makes it hard to see his features clearly, and the shadows in the room seem to grow darker, more pronounced. "Are you familiar with the creature, the phoenix?"
You pause for a moment to think, before giving a slow, careful nod. "I've... definitely heard of it."
"The phoenix," he murmurs, voice a soft, hypnotic cadence. "It's a beautiful creature of rebirth and fire, isn't it?"
The mention of fire makes you shift slightly in your seat.
"Mr. Moon, I'm not entirely sure where you're𑁋"
You're interrupted as he leans even closer, his masked face now mere inches from yours, his dark eyes locking onto yours with an intense and unsettling focus. The shadows play tricks on your vision, making it feel like the walls are closing in on you.
"I just find it fascinating," he continues. "The idea of burning away the old and rising from the ashes anew. It's like a fresh start, a chance to be reborn. Do you believe in second chances, doctor?"
You swallow the lump in your throat. His intense gaze, shrouded by the mask, seems to hold you almost captive and confined to the chair you sat on, and his words seem to echo in the confined space.
"I... I believe that everyone deserves a chance to heal and grow, Mr. Moon," You respond carefully, trying to regain your composure. "But it's also important to work through the past before embracing the future."
He tilts his head slightly, as if considering your words. The room remains eerily quiet, the shadows deepening around you.
"Do you believe people can truly change?" he asks, voice softer now, almost pleading.
You take a deep breath, feeling the weight of his question sitting right on your chest.
"I believe that change is possible, Mr. Moon," You reply gently, choosing your words with care. "People have the capacity to grow and evolve, and to make choices that lead to a more positive outlook. But this varies from person to person𑁋if they are willing to put in the effort to do so."
For a moment, the tension in the room seems to dissipate slightly. The shadows on the walls appear to retreat, and the dim light feels less suffocating.
"Doctor," he finally speaks, voice low despite only being the two of you in the room, like he's telling you a secret. "what if... those flames of the past have burned too brightly, leaving nothing but ashes behind?"
You furrow your brows. "I-I would say𑁋"
"It's what happened to me, doctor, don't you understand?" he snaps suddenly, standing up from the bed to step closer to you. "You can't possibly understand what it's like to fucking lose everything, to watch it all burn in front of your fucking eyes! This is why I did this𑁋I put my life into the phoenix. I burned what was left of me, and now I'm here, in this absolute hellhole."
"Mr. Moon, I need you to calm down, please𑁋"
There's a flash of anger that shoots through his eyes, the flame burning in his pupils brighter than before. The atmosphere grows tense in the snap of a finger, and you instinctively stand up to bring yourself in the direction of the door to the room, maintaining a safe distance, acutely aware of the limited space and the fact that you're alone with him. There's an emergency button within reach where you can call for help whenever needed.
You can't get yourself to respond, feeling frozen from the way you can feel your heart pounding anxiously in your chest from his close proximity. He takes a step back, his hands trembling slightly as he clenches and unclenches them. The room seems to regain a semblance of normalcy, but the tension still lingers in the air, and you still can't move.
You watch as he cowers back towards the bed, leaving you standing next to the door. You felt as if you've been holding your breath, like you were submerged underwater and your fight or flight instincts were kicking in.
"You won't give up on me, right, doctor?" he asks, and the way he says it so weakly, naively, makes your head spin. "You can trust me, right?"
You smooth out your white coat, placing yourself back down in the seat across from him anticipatingly.
"I... I trust you," You mutter meekly. "I won't give up on you."
The corner of his eyes crinkle again. He's smiling. You can see it through the mask.
"How lovely," he states sweetly. "We're on the right track, then."
"Y/N𑁋I mean Dr. L/N, are you okay?" Seokmin's voice comes up from behind as you walk yourself towards your office, feeling completely and utterly scatterbrained from the events of the past hour.
As Seokmin's voice reaches your ears, you take a deep breath to steady yourself. You turn to Seokmin and offer him a reassuring smile, though it doesn't quite reach your eyes, but seeing him in front of you already makes you feel a tad bit better.
"I'm fine, Seokmin, thank you." Your voice carries a hint of exhaustion and residual unease. "Just a challenging session, but I'm okay."
Seokmin just nods, but as you were about to turn around, he says, "If you... uh, ever need someone to talk to or anything, just know I'm here for you, okay? It can be tough, I've heard."
You smile gratefully at him, this time genuinely reaching your eyes. It feels like a breath of fresh air talking to him.
"Thank you," You tell him. "I might just have to take you up on that someday."
Seokmin scratches the back of his neck shyly and returns your smile with a warm one of his own. "Well, you know where to find me."
You stand still for a moment as Seokmin begins to dismiss himself away to resume his rounds, but just then, you feel a sudden idea pop up in your head.
"Seokmin, wait!" You exclaim after the man, who immediately turns around to the sound of your voice, peering at you worriedly. "Actually, there's something... Could you do me a favour?"
His eyes light up curiously. "Sure, what do you want me to do?"
You step up closer to him, looking around to ensure no one else was listening in.
"Can you help find me more information about the patient in 610?" You lean in, lowering your voice to a hushed tone. "I'd like to know more about his background, more than what's in his file right now, or just anything that might help me understand him better."
Seokmin raises a brow briefly but nods either way. "I'll see what I can do, Dr. L/N."
FLASHBACK: 2013
The rec room was buzzing with activity as you entered, giving a chance for patients to interact with others and engage in activities outside of their rooms. Laughter, conversation, and the occasional burst of youthful energy filled the air; it’s a striking comparison to the somber atmosphere of the individual therapy sessions you usually conducted.
As you glanced around to find Hui, you finally caught sight of the boy sitting alone at a table in the very corner of the room. He appeared seemingly engrossed on the piece of paper in front of him, an array of crayons sat on the table. His focus was so intense that he seemed completely oblivious to the world around him.
You approached Hui's table with a gentle smile. "Hui, how are you doing today?"
Hui looked up from his drawing, eyes meeting yours briefly. "I'm fine," he replied coldly. "Just drawing."
You glanced down at his artwork, which depicted a scene of fire and destruction. The flames consumed a house, while stick-figure people screamed in the windows, their tiny, distorted faces twisted in agony. The only colours there would be that of the orange and red gigantic flame that enveloped the jagged, blackened lines of the house.
"That's... quite a powerful drawing, Hui," You commented as you took a seat right next to him. "What made you choose this subject?"
He shrugged nonchalantly, eyes not leaving his paper. "It's just what I felt like drawing."
"Is this supposed to represent what happened to your family?"
Hui only continued to mindlessly colour his drawing, his crayon moving across the paper with deliberate strokes.
"Maybe," he replied stoically. "I saw it all happen, but I couldn't do anything."
You studied Hui's face for a moment, but his expression remained blank, his focus entirely on the drawing. His mien was calm, almost eerily so, in comparison to the disturbing scene of destruction right below his fingertips.
"Can you tell me more about what you saw, Hui?" You asked him.
He glanced at you briefly, and for a moment, you thought you saw a flicker of something in his eyes. But it was gone so quickly that you couldn't be sure if you had imagined it.
"I already told you," he pressed. "I saw the fire, and I watched everything burn. It wasn't my fault that it happened."
You nodded, acknowledging his words, and continued to watch him work on the drawing.
"Did you ever feel sad about what happened, Hui?" You questioned.
Hui's face only remained impassive as he answered, "It won't change anything."
You could only think about all the trauma he must have endured𑁋from losing his family and being the sole survivor of such a ruinous event, to having to deal with all the emotions at once that it must feel almost numbing inside of him.
"Did anyone help you during or after the fire, Hui?" You prodded calmly.
He still didn't look up from his drawing. "Some firefighters came, and they put out the fire. But they couldn't save my family."
You felt that pang of sympathy for Hui as he mentioned the firefighters' futile attempts to save his family all while he was waiting right outside the house. It was clear that the traumatic experience had locked his emotions away behind a stoic, desensitized façade.
"I'm sorry to hear about your family, Hui," You said softly. "It's completely okay to feel sad or angry about what happened."
Hui's hand paused briefly in its colouring, but he didn't look up. You glanced down to the paper, noticing that he was drawing something in the corner, almost appearing like some sort of bird, like some sort of crow or cardinal.
"I don't feel much about it anymore. It's just the way things are."
Your eyes drift from his drawing, concern deepening, but you understood that emotional numbing was a common coping mechanism for trauma survivors. In a way, it's like a protective shell around oneself to prevent further pain. The emotional scars ran deep, and sometimes, it was easier for them to keep their feelings at bay rather than confront the overwhelming grief and sorrow that lurked beneath the surface.
That is what you attributed with Hui𑁋what you always had when he first came here. And you promised him patience and that it took time to fully heal.
"I'll leave you be now, okay?" You stood up from the seat, giving the young boy a reassuring squeeze to the shoulder.
Hui doesn't respond, still engrossed in his drawing. You took a step back, leaving him to his artwork, and decided to check on some of the other children in the room for the time being.
You swore you could feel his eyes on you as you walked away.
PRESENT DAY: 2023
Your eyes are practically lasering holes right through the manila folder of Moon Jun's file.
The file only houses the basics𑁋his medical history, therapy notes, and observations from the staff. But there's something missing, something you can't quite put your finger on. His background information is limited, and there are no records of any family members or relatives listed. It's as if he appeared out of nowhere.
A knock on your office door makes you jump, and you quickly open your eyes to see Seokmin standing there with a stack of papers in his hands, concern etched on his face.
"Sorry, did I startle you?" he asks, stepping inside your office.
You offer a tired smile. "A bit, but it's okay. Come in."
Seokmin walks further into your office, closing the door lightly behind him. He takes a moment to study your expression, clearly noticing the exhaustion and frustration on your face. You let out a sigh and lean back in your chair, rubbing your temples with your fingertips as Seokmin sits down right across from you.
"So, I tried to do some digging, as you asked." Seokmin places the stack of papers on the desk. "It wasn't easy to look into his medical history, but I think this might be important."
You straighten up in your chair, your exhaustion momentarily forgotten as you lean in to examine the stack of papers Seokmin has brought. However, what you expected is to see information regarding him, but instead, you see news reports.
"I... I don't know if any of these can be related, but I found a few unsolved cases of arson over the years. It might be the cause of his facial scarring," Seokmin explains. "I think one of them happened at an orphanage, another at an abandoned warehouse nearby, and another at a small church a few miles from here."
You carefully pick up one of the articles and start to read the details. The article mentions a fire at an orphanage several years ago that resulted in the tragic loss of lives. The incident remained unsolved, with no clear cause identified. Then you come across another article about the fire at the warehouse, and it, too, was a case that had perplexed investigators, leaving it unsolved.
"...and I also think there was one about a family from around... nine? Ten years ago? I didn't read all the details of it, but I believe only one survived𑁋"
That's when you feel your heart drop all the way down to the ground, into the ground at that point, eyes widening as the gasp that leaves your mouth cuts Seokmin off. You're already standing up, fingers trembling, as you frantically shuffle through the articles he had provided for you.
"Where can I find that one? Is it here?"
Your adamancy surprises Seokmin as he scrambles through the papers before taking one out and offering it to you. You take the article from his hands. The paper is slightly crumpled, and the ink is faded, but the headline is still clear: "Family Tragedy Claims Lives, Sole Survivor Emerges."
The only survivor was a teenage boy, whose name was redacted from the article for privacy.
But you know exactly who it is.
The article describes how he had been found by the firefighters, huddled on the lawn outside the burning house, his eyes blank with shock. Authorities had attempted to investigate, but the case quickly went cold due to lack of evidence. It also mentions that the boy had lost his entire family that night and was assumed to be too traumatised to provide any coherent information about the fire's cause, which later caused him to be sent to a psychiatric facility due to the trauma.
"Doctor, what is this?" Seokmin interrupts your thoughts as he brings up another paper from view.
You glance up from the article to meet Seokmin's gaze, the urgency in his eyes mirroring your own. He unfolds it carefully, and as your eyes scan the headline, your heart sinks further: "Tragic Fire Engulfs Local Psychiatric Facility."
As you read through it, you swear you feel the same flames dancing up the skin of your arms. This article reports a fire that occurred exactly ten years ago at the very psychiatric facility where both you and Seokmin currently work. You were there that night. It was only your first year as a psychologist at the facility, still learning the ropes of your profession. The memories you've long tried to suppress come flooding back.
The sound of alarms blaring, the acrid smell of smoke, the frantic efforts to evacuate patients, and the feeling of utter helplessness as the flames consumed parts of the facility. It had left scars on your soul, scars you thought you had buried deep over the years.
That boy was one of your first ever patients.
Your arms are itching again, and you can almost feel the searing heat from that night a decade ago.
"Y/N, are you... are you okay?" Seokmin asks. You can see the worry in his eyes, but you're not sure if you can answer his question.
You swallow hard, your throat dry as you try to find your voice. "Yeah, I just... Sorry, reading this article, and..."
That's when Seokmin gets it. "Were you..." His eyes lower down to where one of your hands is clawing anxiously at the sleeves of your arm, and he immediately takes away the article from view. "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. I didn't know you were..."
You manage a weak smile as you bring your arms back down to your side, hugging yourself instead. "It's alright. You didn't know."
Seokmin doesn't seem entirely convinced, for a moment feeling stuck on what to say. "Are you sure that you're up for this? We can always𑁋"
"Yes," You say boldly. "It'll be okay."
You take a deep breath.
"I'll be okay."
"You seem troubled today, doctor."
In the dimly lit room, Moon Jun's observation is shrewd as always, whose calculating eyes seem to analyse every twitch of your expression as you both sit in the room together, right across from each other, with him hovering over you while you felt feeling like a cowering mouse trapped in a cage.
You flash him a faint, grateful smile. "I appreciate your concern, but let's focus back on you now, shall we?"
"Uh-uh, doctor," he taunts, crossing his arms together and shaking his head dismissively. Even in the darkness of the room, you swear you see his lips curl into a smirk under that damn mask of his. "If I'm not mistaken, you said at the very beginning that I have control over what I want to talk about in our sessions. I realise I hardly know anything about you! Isn't that funny? I consider you a dear friend, you know. You're the only person in this place who even makes the effort to talk with me."
The weight of his words suspend like a dense fog. You can hear the faint hum of the ventilation system, see the way the lone light fixture in the room seems to flicker intermittently. It plays tricks on your perception, making his features appear to morph and shift, all while his eyes are practically dissecting you.
"Friendship... is built on trust," You reply cautiously. "But our sessions are designed for your benefit. My role here is to help you, not the other way around, and my personal life is not relevant for this."
He leans in closer, his eyes never leaving yours, and you can feel his intense focus like a physical weight. You're caught in the gravitational pull of his eyes, his relentless gaze that seems to strip away your defenses. "But, doctor, how can you truly help me if you don't open up a little?"
He tilts his head, the mask inches away from your face, his eyes boring into yours.
"We could be more than what we are right now, couldn't we, doctor?" he whispers, feeling his cold breath against your skin even through the mask, and you close your eyes. "I could make you feel things you've never felt before𑁋"
"Stop! Please!" You yell out unexpectedly, hearing nothing but the unsteadiness of your breaths and the echo of your own voice in the dim room. Your eyes snap back open; he's not hovering over you, and the disturbing scenario you had just experienced was nothing more than a figment of your imagination.
Instead, Moon Jun is calmly seated away from you, watching you intently from the bed. There's a curious glint in his eyes, one that suggests he's found your reaction to be rather... entertaining.
"Doctor, you do seem to be quite troubled today," he remarks almost playfully, voice dripping with amusement that shoots goosebumps up your skin. "Seeing things, aren't we?"
You can't quite find the words to respond, and the sensation of his cold breath against your skin still lingers in your memory.
"You must think about me a lot, day and night possibly, if you imagine such things," he teases, and you feel the way his words crawl under your skin. "You probably wonder what lies behind this mask of mine, don't you? You're a special friend𑁋perhaps you deserve to see it."
You watch the way his gloved fingers toy with the edges of his mask, and for a moment, it seems like he's contemplating something. The room is so silent that you can hear your own heart pounding in your chest.
Then without warning, he reaches up and slowly starts to peel off the mask, revealing the face hidden beneath. Your breath catches in your throat as his visage is unveiled.
His face is tainted by a network of scars, the skin tissue looking raw and discoloured. The scars extend from his jawline up to his cheeks and forehead, giving his face an almost grotesque and nightmarish appearance. Some scars look like they were caused by something sharp, while others appear more like burns. There were also some that seemed almost... fresher than others. His lips, once hidden by the mask, are twisted into a smirk that sends shivers down your spine.
"You wanted to see, didn't you, doctor?" he asks, voice low and taunting. "You wanted to know what's behind this mask."
You can't tear your gaze away from his disfigured face, and you're overwhelmed by a mix of curiosity, horror, and a strange fascination.
"Are you surprised, doctor?" he continues, voice now tinged with mockery. "Do I look like a monster to you?"
You can't seem to respond just yet, eyes still peering over him as if trying to discern the features of his face. There's this wave of familiarity that seems to hit you, as if you've seen those certain details before. A nagging feeling tugs at the corners of your memory like a half-forgotten dream.
You squint, trying to connect the dots between the disfigured face before you and the dim recollection buried deep within your mind. The way the scars twist and curl, the faint traces of burn marks𑁋it's all so eerily and hauntingly familiar. You swear you've seen those eyes before. He watches your expression closely, as if he can read your thoughts, and those eyes that seem to follow your every move, your every thought𑁋
And then it hits you. It hits you like a freight train on the tracks that was beyond avoidable. It hits you like a tidal wave crashing against the shore of your conscience, leaving wreckage to be abandoned and forgotten forever in its wake. It hits you like a thunderstorm tearing apart a peaceful, sunny day.
"Hui...?" is all you manage to choke out.
Images from the past flash before your eyes𑁋Hui, the young boy you once knew, whose face was marked with troubled innocence and a haunting vulnerability that had drawn you to him in the first place. You had watched him grow, had nurtured the fragile trust he had placed in you. You recall your early sessions together, hearing all the painful details of the fire that had torn his life apart.
His smirk deepens, and his eyes gleam with an uncanny satisfaction.
"Hui died ten years ago, doctor," he says with a cold, haunting certainty. "He died in that same fire that set this place ablaze. I'm sure you remember that very well, don't you?"
The room seems to close in on you, and the memories of that fateful night come rushing back like a torrential downpour. The fire, the chaos, the screams. It had been a nightmarish scene, etched into your memory like the faint scars that plague your arms from that very night.
But before you could respond, you felt something vibrate in your pocket. It's the end of your session.
FLASHBACK: 2013
The fire alarm rang.
It was blaringly loud, completely jolting you out of your chair in the silence that carried through your office. Your heart raced as the panic had begun to sink in, the blood-red light of the alarm painted the muted colours of your office walls with a surreal, macabre-like glow, and the acrid scent of smoke was beginning to fill your lungs.
You reached for the door handle, but your trembling hands fumbled, and it wouldn't budge. You tried again and again, the cold sweat on your palms making it even more difficult to grip.
"Wh-What the hell?" You shakily muttered to yourself, before bringing your fists up to pound on the door. "Hello? Someone help me! I'm in here! Someone!"
The panic intensified as the fire alarm continued its relentless wail as you continued to pound on the door. Smoke started to seep in from the edges of your office door, and you could feel the heat of the flames approaching. You coughed, choking on the sharp fumes that stung your throat. It felt like the walls were closing in on you. Fuck, fuck, what do you do? How the hell was the fire spreading so fast?
You were trapped. You were going to die.
The windows! You remembered the windows. Desperation drove you to the large window on the wall. Instinctively, you grabbed a chair and used it to break it, the sound of shattering glass ringing in your ears, the shards grazing against your skin and the palm of your hands, making you let out a sharp gasp. Blood trickled from the cuts on your hands, and as you peered down to the ground below, you realised that you were too high above the ground for a safe jump.
The fire was only getting closer and closer.
As you hesitated by the shattered window, a muffled voice from the hallway reached your ears. "Is anyone in there? We're trying to get you out!"
Your eyes widened as you stumbled back to the door. "I'm in here! Please help!"
"Step back! We're breaking down the door!"
You stepped back from the window as much as you could and away from the smoke, feeling the flames inching closer. Your vision blurred as you fought to breathe, eyes stinging with tears from the dry air.
Moments later, a loud crash resounded through the room as the door burst open. A group of firefighters rushed in, their protective gear making them look like otherworldly figures emerging from the haze. They quickly located you, wrapped you in a fire-resistant blanket, and led you to safety.
Once you were outside, an emergency medical team checked you over for any injuries, plastered up your arms, and administered oxygen. You were shaken, bruised, and suffering from smoke inhalation, but you were alive. Somehow. In some way.
Then, you found your mind drifting back to Hui. Did he manage to get out safely? Where was he? Questions swirled in your mind as you watched the firefighters work tirelessly to contain the blaze. God, he must not be in the right state of mind after witnessing yet another fire himself.
"Excuse me..." You weakly called out to a paramedic, voice barely a whisper.
The paramedic turned to you, concern etched on their face beneath their protective gear. "Yes, are you okay?"
You swallowed hard, barely getting your words together. "I was in there... in the building. I have some patients... uh... Do you know if they made it out? I need to know if they're safe."
The paramedic exchanged a glance with another passing colleague, eyes hidden behind their mask, before returning back to you and shaking their head.
"We're still searching for survivors and dealing with the fire," they explained. "We can't give you any information right now. I'm truly sorry. I'll let them know to keep a lookout. Can you describe them for me?"
You described what your other patients and what Hui looked like as much as you could, and the emergency worker took down all the information before walking away to tend to others.
The silence that followed was suffocating, perhaps even more than what you endured inside the building, and you found it difficult to hold back tears of frustration from flowing down your face.
As the smoke gradually dissipated and the flames were brought under control, the once-deafening alarm was reduced to sporadic chirps and the occasional distant rumble of falling debris. The scene around you was one of destruction, merely charred remains of a place that was filled with hope and healing.
You glanced down at your trembling, injured hands and arms and see the cuts from the shattered window, yet the physical pain was nothing compared to the anguish in your heart, and the fear and guilt that gnawed at you. You lost patients whom you had sworn to protect, had sworn𑁋no, promised to heal.
It was only when the search and rescue teams began to wind down their efforts that you realised the search for Hui had come with no results. All of your other patients were safe, but him. There was no sign of him anywhere, as if he slipped off the face of the earth.
A firefighter approached you some time later, his face covered in soot appearing both exhausted and empathetic.
"I'm sorry," he spoke, voice heavy with regret and defeat. "We've searched every area we could access, but we haven't found anyone else. The fire was intense, and... I'm truly sorry."
His words hit you like a hammer blow, and you felt your heart sink even further. You had dedicated your life to saving others, and yet it seemed that you might have failed to save one.
"Thank... Thank you for trying," You mumbled to the firefighter, nodding in acknowledgement. "And thank you for risking your lives to save us."
PRESENT DAY: 2023
The clouds outside obscure any hints of sunlight, and the overcast sky casts a sad, grey hue over the world outside. The room feels dim and lonely despite the overhead lights. You try to ignore that particular gnawing feeling to your skin as you sit at your desk, waiting for your next session with Moon Jun to start. It'll happen anytime now𑁋perhaps the more you anticipate will make time go by slower.
However your thoughts are interrupted by the soft knock at your door, and you look up to see Seokmin standing there. He offers you a warm smile as you motion for him to come inside, and you swear you see small ray of sunshine break through the clouds outside at the corner of your eye.
"Hey, how're you holding up?" he asks. "I wanted to check up on you."
You tilt your head a bit giddily at the sight of him. "We just had lunch break together, Seokmin."
He rolls his eyes at this, scratching the back of his neck bashfully. "I know, I know, but I... Well, is there a rule here that says I can't see you twice in one day when we're not working?"
Your lips purse together thoughtfully. "I guess not."
"Good." He grins, but it's quick to fade once he takes another look at you. "so... how have you been?"
The soft concern in Seokmin's voice is almost like a comforting hug for your ragged nerves. Normally it's your duty to ask your patients those kinds of questions, not the other way around. You offer him a tired but appreciative smile as he settles into the chair across from your desk. It's a rare moment when the roles are reversed, even if it's just for one short minute.
"You look tired," Seokmin points out, and it makes you let out a chuckle, even though it's tinged with weariness.
"You have a good eye, Seokmin," You reply playfully, and he blushes at this. "Do you want to know what I've been dreaming about the past few weeks?
Seokmin thinks about it for a second, then his eyes widen slightly.
"Is it... the fire?" he queries, hoping there's that small chance he might be wrong.
Your steady gaze meets his.
"Yes," You admit casually. "It's always the fire."
Or specifically, it's the fire and the guilt that you weren't able to save anyone, and it had been eating away at you ever since that fateful day.
His face softens at this, then he feels himself hesitate for a brief moment, before slowly reaching out to place his hand over yours on the desk. His touch is warm and reassuring, and you can feel the genuine concern in his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry you have to go through that, I wish there was a way I could... you know, stop you from reliving those kinds of things." His words make your lips twitch upwards, and he knows he's done something right. He finishes your smile with one of his own. "But... you're not alone in this. Just know I'm here."
"You've been helping me this entire time, Seokmin," You assure him. "If anything, I should be the one thanking you."
The weight of all the memories and unhealed scars left behind still cling to you like shadows. But in the presence of Seokmin, the burdens seem a little lighter, the darkness a bit less suffocating. The room seems a bit less lonely as you both sit there, just like all the days you eat lunch together where you seem to look forward to seeing him sit with you, and the sound of the clock ticking on the wall serves as a reminder that time keeps moving forward.
Before you know it, it's as if you've been struck by a gong that you could only hear, and you knew it was time to move forward with your session. You take your hand away from Seokmin as you stand up, and he follows suit.
"Y/N, wait, um..." Seokmin stops you before you could leave, and you turn back to him. "If something bad happens, or if you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out to me, even outside of work. I... want to make sure you're okay."
His words warm your heart, and you shoot him a thankful look.
"I know I can," You say, while opening the door to the outside of your office. "Thank you, Seokmin."
When you enter inside room 610, you spot Moon Jun sitting on the chair that you were supposed to sit in, his posture relaxed and arms crossed almost impatiently. He didn't wear the mask on his face, and he appeared confident, somewhat smug. It was the only other chair in the room. The other place for you to sit would be... the bed. This isn't how a typical therapy session begins.
"Doctor, I was just thinking about you!" he exclaims excitedly. "Please, go ahead and sit down on the bed. I thought it would be great to change things up a little. You wouldn't mind, would you?"
You hesitate for a moment, glancing between him and the bed. Maintaining your professionalism, you make your way to the bed and sit down, folding your hands in your lap. Something brushes against your leg for a moment, you look down to see a sheet of paper sitting next to you, and a plethora of crayons resting on top.
"Please bare with me for the mess, I was busy drawing before you came in," he tells you, voice almost cheery and... delighted?
As you sit on the bed, his demeanour only raises more questions than answers. He appears unusually relaxed, and his eagerness is disturbing. It's unlike him.
"Of course, that's fine with me," You tell him casually.
There's a grin that spreads across his scarred face, and it brings an uncomfortable twist to your stomach, but you don't let it show, though at this point you feel that he can sense your nervousness, your unease, knowing there's history between you two you thought to have burned away in the back of your mind.
Yet it had all come back just like his reemergence back into your life𑁋into something more sinister.
"He talks to me sometimes, even though he's perished in the flames," Jun begins, grabbing the paper right next to you. "You remember his drawings, right? Back in that big, bright room... where beneath all those smiles of the other patients was just... hopelessness."
Then he flips the paper over, and you find yourself peering at a drawing of flames, and the uncanny similarity to Hui's artwork all those years ago cannot be ignored. You see the same vivid depiction of flames, the swirling reds and oranges dancing on the page, and the black lines of its remains. But more than that, it's the emotions that these drawings evoke, the overwhelming sense of dread, and the traumatic memories that it unsheathes. He's the personification of the fire that scarred you all those years ago.
You feel a lump form in your throat. "Hui..."
"I-I am not Hui!" he wails out unexpectedly, voice shaking with anger. His hand grips the crayon so tightly that it snaps in his grasp, the colour streaking across the paper. "Hui is dead, remember? Burned by the flames?"
"If you're not Hui, then who are you?" You ask almost pleadingly.
His fingers toy with the broken crayon as he leans in closer, his disfigured face mere inches from yours. His gaze pierces through you like a knife, and in the dimly lit room, the shadows play tricks on his scarred face, making his disfigurement seem even more malformed.
"The phoenix, don't you remember, doctor?" He chuckles lowly. "It's a creature reborn from the ashes of its own destruction, risen from the flames just like me. Rebirth and fire, doctor! You haven't been paying attention, have you?"
You sense the panic seeping inside you, causing your heart to race. His words send shivers down your spine, and you realise that he's explaining with a belief that goes beyond mere delusion, beyond repair. The scars on his face are only a fraction of the damage done. He claims to have risen from the ashes, taking on a new identity, giving him this motive of... cleaning the world with fire.
Cleaning the world...
...with fire.
Ashes of its own destruction....
"You..." You slowly rise up from the bed, the room suddenly feeling too confining. The door seemed like it was miles away, and you find your breathing shaky and unsteady. "You were... you caused those fires, didn't you?"
His eyes fixate and narrow down on you as you stand up from the bed, and a sly smile spreads across his scarred face. His gaze is intense, and you feel like you're trapped. You recall the sessions you had with him years ago that you thought were leading him toward healing. But now, you face a man who has fully embraced a twisted ideology.
"I didn't cause those fires," he responds with eerie calmness. "I simply set things in motion."
"You𑁋You killed innocent people, you were the one... from ten years ago... You𑁋"
"They were all lost, meaningless, and I brought meaning to their lives. What's so hard to understand?" he deadpans.
"You killed your family," You state. "How can... how can you justify that?"
"Hui killed his family, I didn't," he claims, crumpling up the piece of paper in his hands. "Hui started all of this, I'm merely just a follower. He was misunderstood his entire life, and you promised him healing, which you didn't fulfill."
The room feels like it's boiling you alive, and you're stuck in an endless maze of his twisted delusions. There's a sense of helplessness as you try to reach through to the man behind the scars, the one who once sought your help, but you fear that he's too far gone.
"Jun, this isn't the answer. The… the phoenix is not real,” You plead, your voice trembling. "Hui was troubled, yes, but violence is not the path to understanding or redemption. It only leads to more pain and destruction."
His expression only hardens as he throws the crumpled up piece of paper on the floor, gloved hands forming fists at his side.
"You think you can help people by sitting in your comfy chair, listening to their problems, and scribbling notes on a fucking notepad." He scoffs annoyedly, leaning back in his chair. "You're just like all the others, doctor, so dumb and worthless. You never understood... You say that you do, but you don't."
And just as you were about to speak, you watch him pull something out of the pocket of his patient gown. You squint your eyes, and a gasp shudders out of you when you notice what's in his hands.
A lighter.
"You people are just so gullible, all while you're thinking you're helping," he mutters, flicking the lighter on. The tiny flame dances at the tip, casting bizarre shadows across his scarred face. "When in reality, you're laughing behind our backs with your stupid cigarettes and your fancy degrees. You wouldn't believe the things you can find in a place like this. It's amazing what people leave lying around."
There's an arrow that penetrates through your heart, an arrow of betrayal, helplessness. How can he think of you this way when you dedicated your entire time to helping him heal all those years ago? How can he, of all people, not see that your intentions were always to provide support and understanding?
You can feel the room heating up, not just from the small flame but from the growing tension. Jun's eyes are locked onto the flickering fire of the lighter, and his words are plagued with bitter resentment. You attempt to scurry to the door, but he blocks your way, nearly shoving the flame of the lighter in your face.
"Don't you see how beautiful this is, doctor?" he utters in a trance-like state, as if the flame was hypnotising him. The orange and yellow hues reflect onto his soulless eyes. He moves the lighter dangerously close to your face, and you can feel the searing heat radiating from the tiny inferno at the tip of your nose.
Your heart pounds like a beating drum, beads of sweat form on your forehead, and your breathing quickens as panic threatens to engulf you. But his gaze only remains possessed on the fire, as if he's being consumed by the very flames he holds in his hands.
"It's so beautiful how something so small can hold so much power," he murmurs, voice barely more than a whisper.
"This... This isn't the way to find meaning or healing," You respond, slowly backing away from him, trying to create some distance between the flame and yourself. "Fire and destruction only lead to more suffering, more pain. It's not the answer, Jun."
For a split second, something flickers in Jun's eyes, as if a fragment of his former self tries to break free from the shackles of his obsession. But it's a fleeting moment, quickly devoured by his fixation on the fire.
"There are... There are people who want to help you. Don't you remember all of our sessions together? All the... all the breakthroughs we had? You were making progress, Jun. You were on your way to healing." You bring your hand up as if in defense, watching him closely as he steps the tiniest inch closer to you. "I... I want to help you, I always have. I..."
He stares at you, and for a moment, it seems like your words might be getting through to him.
"Let me help you, Hui."
But just when you think your words may have struck a chord, his face contorts into a menacing grin and you can see the flame reflect onto his eyes. The last fragile thread of sanity that seemed to linger has snapped.
"You failed Hui that night, just like you failed me." He chuckles darkly. "You couldn't save us. Do you really think you can save everyone, doctor? Do you really think all the patients you've helped all these years are any better off now?"
Now, you found yourself speechless, a tight grip around your throat from his words.
He laughs coldly, waving the flame in front of your face once more. "You're so blind, doctor. You want to heal and save everyone, but you can't save me, and you can't save yourself. I can see it in your eyes."
He’s getting in your head, you know he is. He's trying to loosen your grip on whatever reality is𑁋attempting to unravel in your mind that you were, in some way, responsible for the events that had occurred over the years, forcing you to succumb to the guilt placed on your shoulders. You've never dealt with someone so deeply rooted to their own twisted reality. You can't reason with him.
It's impossible.
But you refuse to be the victim of your own past just like you had made yourself to be.
"Junhui," You call out urgently, and the use of his real name brings a harsh, foreign taste to your tongue. You notice the way he flinches slightly to it. "That person still exists inside you𑁋I-I know it does. Please, let that part of you come back. I'm here to listen, to understand, and to help. No matter what you believe."
The flame continues to sway at the end of the lighter, yet his face remains deformed into that unsettling grin, but your words seem to have given him a momentary pause.
"You think you can bring him back?" he hisses, bringing the flame away from your face, stretching his arm out toward the side. "He's dead, doctor. It's too late."
And with that, he tosses the lighter in the direction of the bed, and a cascade of flames quickly engulf the sheets, the crayons, the drawing, everything. Horror sets in as you watch the fire rapidly spreading, consuming the room, and overhead the fire alarm screams into action.
"Isn't it beautiful, doctor?" he guffaws as the flames devour the room, eyes wide with awe. "It's so perfect... So beautiful..."
Nothing but Jun's laughter fills the air as he watches the flames lick up the once-white walls with a maniacal fascination. The flames flicker and crackle loudly, casting shifting shadows on the walls of the room. You dart towards the door, but the intense heat and smoke make it nearly impossible to breathe or see, and you cover your mouth and nose with your hand. Coughing and vision disoriented, you stumble and hit the floor with a thud, weakly pounding your fists against the door.
"Someone help!" You shout desperately, the words barely escaping your mouth. "Someone help! I-I'm in here! Anyone, please!"
The room is suffocating you whole. You can hardly even see where Jun is amidst all the smoke, yet his laughter still rings in your ears, fogging away all your thoughts. You keep pounding on the door, voice hoarse from shouting, skin tingling with heat, but there's no response from the other side.
So this is how you're going to die, You think to yourself, leaning back against the wall like you were accepting your fate, and the thought makes you chuckle at the irony.
Time seems to stretch into eternity. But just when it feels like all hope is lost, the door bursts open, and a strong hand reaches in, grabbing your arm and pulling you out of the room and into the chaotic corridor. In the corridor, the fresh air is quick to fill up your lungs. You gasp for breath, your heart racing, while the fire alarm continues to blare.
It's Seokmin who pulled you from the room, and you can hardly make out his face from your stinging, watery eyes. He wraps a protective arm around you as you both stumble away from the dangerous room, mixing with the rushing crowd of staff and patients all being guided outside to their safety.
"Y/N, are you okay?! Stay with me!" Seokmin continues to pull you through the corridor, shielding you from anything that you might run into.
You only manage a weak nod, still coughing from all the smoke. Your mind is racing, and you can hardly tell where you were going, but you trust Seokmin's guidance as he leads you further away from the scene of the fire. The sounds of sirens and shouting surround you, and the sight of the smoke floating out from the room you just escaped haunts your thoughts.
When the brightness of the outside hits your eyes, you catch your breath and fall out of Seokmin's grasp and down to the ground. Firefighters and police officers quickly brush past you and into the building as Seokmin pulls you up once more to lead you in the direction of the paramedics and ambulances.
"Here, sit down." Seokmin places you on the stair of the ambulance and helps you out of your white coat before wrapping a blanket around you. "Can we get some help over here?"
A paramedic approaches, checking you over and providing oxygen to help clear your lungs of all the smoke you inhaled. Your heart is still pounding in your chest as you sit there, trying to process what just happened.
Seokmin places himself right next to you, scanning over your features closely. You look over at him, and he gives you a reassuring smile, pushing away some disheveled strands of hair so he could properly see your face.
"You're going to be okay," he assures you, rubbing some comforting circles on your back. "Just take deep breaths and try to relax. They'll take you to the hospital to make sure you're alright."
You give him a nod, feeling a bit more security from him than the blanket draped over your shoulders right now. The two of you sit there for a few minutes, calmly watching the chaos begin to subside. It didn't look like the fire damaged much in terms of the outside of the building.
"I'm going to see if I could help around," Seokmin says, standing up. "Just stay here, okay? I'll be back before they take you to the hospital."
Just as he begins to walk away, you hesitate for a second, before calling out his name, "Hey, Seokmin?"
He turns back to you, a look of concern in his eyes. "Yes? Do you need something?"
You reach out your hand toward Seokmin, silently gesturing for him to come closer. He approaches, and without a word, you pull him into a tight hug. You feel him freeze in your grasp, before his arms fully encircle you in return, tightening the hug, and for a moment, the world around fades away as you hold onto each other. You can feel his heart beat a bit faster than normal against your chest, but you don't acknowledge it, and neither does he.
Eventually, you reluctantly pull away from the hug, but you don't let go of Seokmin's hand just yet.
"Thank you," You whisper. "for everything."
His gaze softens as he looks at you, before glancing away shyly. It makes you chuckle.
"No need to," he tells you. "I'm... I'm just happy you're safe."
The two of you stay like that for a moment, with you closing your eyes to steady your breathing while Seokmin continues to hold your hand, and you can feel the tension in your body slowly easing.
Seokmin's smile is warm, and he squeezes your hand gently. "I'll be back soon, okay? Just hang in there."
With that, he leaves your side to assist the emergency responders, leaving you seated on the ambulance's stairs, wrapped in a blanket. Your brows furrow together, trying to make sense of the situation and all the events that just transpired. The fear, the confusion, the mania that gripped the lost man back in that room𑁋it all swirls within your mind. The lingering scent of smoke fills your nose, and you swear and you can still feel the heat on your skin even though the air was cool outside.
As you sit there, lost in thought, suddenly feeling disconnected from the world around you, you find yourself questioning the nature of your profession and everything you ever believed about it. Could you have done something differently? Were there signs you missed that might have prevented this particular descent in delusion? Was he right, and you were blind this entire time? Not just for him, but for everyone you've helped?
Were you really this dumb and worthless?
Or perhaps was it impossible to save him this entire time...
...and he was too far gone?
That hefty burden of guilt, both for your inability to help him in the past and in the present, weighs heavily on your shoulders. What's for sure is that this will forever be an image tainted in your mind, scarred just like the man who brought destruction and chaos to your life today, and that particular day ten years ago.
You don't know how long you sat there until Seokmin returns, yet when he comes up to you, his face appears disturbed and... paranoid?
"They've got the fire under control. It didn't spread much farther than the room," he informs you, catching his breath. "It seems like nobody else was hurt."
"That's good to hear." Your eyes roam over his features, taking in the tense expression to his face. "Is... is everything okay? How about..."
He sits down beside you, expression still apprehensive. You can see the flicker of concern in his eyes, and the remnants of the chaos from moments ago are still evident in the way he holds himself. His gaze meets yours, and you notice a small shift in his demeanour, as if there's something he's struggling to express.
Seokmin darts his attention around, as if making sure no one was listening in, before taking a deep breath and leaning in.
"They... They said they didn't find his body in the room," he mutters, and it's so quiet you hardly make out what he says. "It's... It's like he escaped."
Your heart drops. A sinking feeling settles in your chest. Dread washes over you at his words.
"W-What?"
another another note: sorry if u expected some sort of romance w jun (which would kinda be weird for the story tbh), but feel free to imagine whatever u want w our dear seokmin. cgrats on making it to the end of the longest oneshot i’ve made so far on this blog 😍🫶
taglist (open) ʚɞ @enhazen @haowrld @ylliris-hanniehae @icyminghao @slytherinshua @jeonride @lockburn-castle @vrnism @weird-bookworm @mhlsymlysn @ryuwonieebae @yeonjuns-redhair @wonwooz1 @rubywonu @etherealyoungk
#kflixnet#k-labels#caratsland#seventeen imagines#seventeen angst#seventeen fluff#seventeen fic#seventeen dark fic#seventeen x reader#jun imagines#jun angst#jun dark fic#jun fic#jun fluff#jun x reader#wen junhui imagines#wen junhui angst#wen junhui fluff#wen junhui dark fic#wen junhui fic#wen junhui x reader#svt imagines#svt x reader#svt fic#svt dark fic
444 notes
·
View notes
Text
Would you like a receipt? Pt. 1
In Valentines collaboration with @svthub hosted by my wifey @wongyuseokie, pt 2 out now!
Pairing: Childhood bf!junhui x working class gn!reader
Genre: fluff, slight angst, slice of life
Word count: 2.9k
tags: second chances, exes to ???, childhood friend/boyfriend!junhui, spontaneous dates, misunderstandings, smut in part 2!!!
Summary: Coming across a grade school ex-boyfriend while you worked a shitty seasonal job around Valentines was not in your 2024 bingo card.
author note: to sweet mio at @skyechild i apologize in advance for making you wait for the second half. I promise it'll be worth the wait. but yes! i am your one and only cupid. I hope you enjoy what i have so far. And to answer your ask, idk if i have a favorite thing about myself? Maybe it's the constant desire to look for new things to improve on or my attitude in trying new things? What i look for other people is pretty simple tho. That would be ease. I'd like if someone felt comfortable with me and vice versa. if i can make someone's day by making them laugh or just existing then that would be great. happy valentines day mio!
From yours Truly, Cupid💘
Tag: @shiningstar-byulxx @misssugarlips @tommolex @hoeforhao @dkakapizzaboy @junhui-recs @svtup @buffhoshi @meowmeowminnie @caratochan @lovebot4han @camisun93 @emmmui @toruro @jeonride @novalpha @nvmrljk @feat-sun @tinkerbell460 @aaniag @tacosandbitch @cottoncheol @embrace-themagic
Valentine's Day has always been a bit of a hit or miss for you. The last time you remember eagerly anticipating the holiday was back in high school. Since then, the allure of celebrating love and romance seemed to fade away, as you realized that not everything in the world is adorned in shades of pink and red. Valentine's Day became a luxury, a whimsical indulgence that felt distant and impractical for someone navigating a world that often left little room for such extravagances. Life, for you, was a series of tasks, responsibilities, and the constant juggling act of making ends meet.
From the time you were in high school, you entered the realm of adulthood, where dreams sometimes took a backseat to the more immediate needs of providing for your family. The dreams you put on hold lingered in the recesses of your mind, awaiting their turn to be fulfilled. Working tirelessly, you made sacrifices, dedicating yourself to a job that demanded your energy and time. Despite the challenges, you pressed on, ensuring the well-being of your family, who toiled alongside you, if not even harder.
Now, as an adult working a part-time job that offers a slightly better paycheck than your previous one, you’ve grown used to the matter. While the financial gains may not be monumental, every improvement counts, especially when compared to the downfalls of your previous workplace.
Amidst the whirlwind of your daily hustle, Valentine's Day transforms into a distant echo of the past–a time when celebrations were carefree and seemingly attainable. However, for you, navigating the world feels akin to maneuvering on an almost empty tank. In this moment, mere existence becomes a means to sustain yourself.
“Is this a gift? If so, would you like it to be gift-wrapped for you?”
The middle-aged man raises an eyebrow, smacking that mint gum that doesn’t seem to mask his nicotine-coated breath. “Is it extra?”
“It’s two dollars extra.”
Usually, you’d really sell the idea that the highest premium quality wrapping paper would be used to then be topped off with a satin ribbon that truly pulls it all together, but for such a customer, you know you’d be wasting your breath.
He scoffs, snatching the bag off the counter. “Are you trying to scam me? Fuck that shit.”
You let a sigh of relief slip past your lips the moment he made his way out the sliding door, muttering to yourself about the smell. You reach down for your Powerade hidden on a bottom shelf of the counter you stand behind, hoping this supposed ‘power’ would relinquish itself to you for another long shift.
It’s the day before Valentine's Day, which means the rush has become a regular occurrence since about a week ago. The store is bursting with vibrant displays of flowers, stuffed animals clutching oversized lollipops, and decadent heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. Not such a bad gig if you look at it.
However, the true predicament lies in the presence of aggressive customers, drawn to discounts like magnets. They're all about grabbing anything and everything that's on sale, making things more complicated than they need to be. It's like they're trying to see how far they can push things and make your day even crazier. Dealing with them adds an extra layer of chaos to the already busy scene as if you haven’t lost faith in humanity enough.
“I bought this yesterday and it’s DIGUSTING! I want a full refund and extra compensation for my time and taste buds being wasted on this disgusting excuse of a candy.”
Popping open the box revealed a sorry sight–almost half the candies were missing as if they'd gone on a little taste adventure without an invite. The poor box looked like it had been through a candy apocalypse, so messed up that I couldn't even be sure if it originally belonged to our store.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry you're dissatisfied with our products. However, because the box is so damaged and half of the contents have been consumed we cannot accept this return,” you respond in your most polite service voice.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Where the hell is your manager? The customer is always right!”
At last, a wave of relief crashes over you like a superhero arriving just in the nick of time during closing hours. The once bustling crowd has dwindled, allowing you to begin the task of rearranging items and securing the cash register, signaling the imminent conclusion of yet another busy day.
Just when you're on the verge of clocking out and calling it a day, a sudden interruption unfolds at the entrance. A lone figure materializes outside, softly tapping on the glass as if pleading to be granted entry.
"Please," his voice is all muffled through the glass, "I know you're about to close, but pretty please! I just need to grab something real quick. I already know exactly what I need!"
It’s not every day you see a man of his looks and caliber beg to be given access to a candy store as if he were a determined child. There's this undeniable air of urgency about him–as if he’d die if we didn’t get what he needed–but it doesn't overshadow his perfectly proportioned features that illuminate under the evening street lights. Ultimately, you decide to approach the door, swiftly undoing the top lock of the door and allowing him inside.
He expresses his gratitude with a grateful clasp of his hands, swiftly navigating through the inventory to grab what he urgently needs. Returning to the counter, you initiate the process of unraveling the closing procedures, all the while fervently hoping that no one else decides to join the stranger in last minute browsing.
"Sorry," he apologizes as he drops his items on the counter: several heart-shaped boxes and a bear clutching a mini Mylar balloon that shouts 'I love you,' with a small box of chocolates in its other paw. A classic and popular choice.
“That’s a lot of chocolate. Big family?”
He shakes his head, "Nah, these are for a company thing. I've been busting my butt for weeks, and the one simple task I get, I can't even manage it until the last minute."
"Got it. And the bear? Picking up a last-minute surprise for your girlfriend too?"
A slightly offended look crosses his face. "Oh, if I had a girlfriend, I’d do way more than make up my tardiness with a teddy bear.” He holds the fluffy creature in his hand, “This is just for my mom. So, if you ever spot a lady with my face and long hair, please, keep it on the down-low."
You chuckle softly, bagging up his purchases. "I'll remember that. Cash or credit?"
He extends his hand, revealing his credit card with his full name on display. As you sound out the name in your head, it strikes you as unique yet oddly familiar. You run the card through the machine, unaware that the customer is squinting at you, also trying to place where he might know you from.
"Hey, have we met before? You seem really familiar," he questions.
"Uh, not sure, but your name does ring a bell," you reply as you hand the card back. "Haven't come across too many Wen Junhuis."
"Wait, how do you know my name?" he questions.
"Well, it's on your credit card, sir," You respond with straightforward precision.
"True, but no one has picked it up as quickly and accurately as you did. Maybe we do know each other."
You shrug. "Maybe so. I think the last time I heard a name like that was back in elementary school. A classmate maybe."
"Hold on, you couldn't be Y/n, right?" he questions, his eyes widening with realization.
You take a brief pause to grasp the implication, acknowledging it with a nod. "Been a long time coming, hasn't it?"
His smile widened across his cheeks, evoking memories of a similar grin on a boy more than half his age. "Yeah. Well, I be damned. I'm surprised you remember my name."
"It's pretty distinctive; I'm surprised you remember mine."
He scoffs. "You are a core memory, thank you very much. One of the nicest and coolest people in our grade. God, remember our first Valentines?"
"Yes," you softly chuckle, the memories of childhood innocence flooding back. "I begged my mom to get these really nice scented Valentine cards to give to the class."
"And you gave me the lemon one because I love lemons, and I gave you one of the hologram cards of a cat that smiles when you flip it on its side."
"I was so excited to show my sister, and I just know she was so jealous."
"Yeah, where did the time go?" he sighs, his smile turning wistful on his lips.
You shake your head, still smiling from the unexpected trip down memory lane, and finally, hand off his gifts back to him. "Would you like a receipt?"
"No, I'm good. So,” He leans over the counter curiously, “What are you doing this Valentine's?"
"Working the day. I'll probably just grab takeout for dinner and head home. You?"
"It's a workday,” he says proceeding to grab his things. “So most of the day is spent in the office. But, I'm free the rest of the evening…would it be weird if I asked you out for Valentine's Day?" he nervously proposes.
You raise an eyebrow, slightly taken aback but intrigued. "You want me to be your Valentine?"
"Couldn't hurt," he nonchalantly shrugged, a wry grin playing on his lips. Then, as if a light bulb flickered to life above his head, an idea dawned on him, sparking mischief in his eyes.
"Unless you've got a 200-pound, all-muscle boyfriend ready to beat my ass," he quips, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm. The words linger in the air, forming a playful challenge and a subtle admission that, just maybe, he wasn't entirely impervious to consequences.
It harks back to a past altercation, one of those rare 'couple quarrels' you had. The promise was made in jest—that you'd leave him if he ever pulled on your hair again, and he'd have to face a burly 200-pound muscle man. Though uttered in humor with no evidence of said muscle man, it struck a chord of genuine concern in his little boy heart, and he kept that promise until the end of your relationship. The memory lingered, manifesting now in an unmistakable charm, a blend of audacity, bravado, and humor that fills the air with laughter and unadulterated ease.
You chuckle. “Lucikly, I don’t, but I don’t know you. Who knows what kind of person you, or I, have become in the last fifteen or so years? Maybe I'm a bitch.”
"Well, as long as there’s no one else in the picture, I see no problem. Bitch all you want to me." he grins.
Your expression shifts into a playful contemplation, "Why me? I'm pretty sure there are plenty of people out there dying for a dinner date with you. I mean, the last thing we shared was a juice box."
"Maybe I'm hoping to reignite an old spark. If I recall our MASH game correctly, we were supposed to be living in a shack with 20 kids, a dog, and daily commutes on a scooter," Junhui retorts.
"Thank goodness that scenario never played out, but, um, I'm not sure dinner is a good idea."
As the banter unfolds, you realize it's been an eternity since you've experienced the thrill of a proper date. The mere thought of dressing up, the nervous excitement before meeting someone, and the shared laughter over a romantic meal become fragments of a distant past, like pages in a cherished novel stored away on a forgotten shelf.
“We never know unless we try, right?” He says, a teasing glint in his eyes.
“You always hit on exes that you stumble upon on a random Tuesday?”
“Only the pretty ones.” Junhui grins, swiftly extracting a candy box from the bag. With a quick scribble on the side, he hands it to you. “If you change your mind. Happy Valentine's Day.”
You roll your eyes playfully, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you accept the candy. “Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Jun.”
You depart with a box of candy in hand when your shift ends, Junhui's number hastily scribbled on the top, the ink still fresh as that abrupt encounter. As you make your way home, the city lights shimmering in the distance, you find your thoughts circling back to his audacious proposition.
The weight of the candy box seems to mirror the gravity of the decision before you. The city streets, now quieter in the late evening, echo with dilemma of pursuing his offer. You can't deny the charm that lingers in the air—a mix of confusion, nostalgia, and an unexpected connection. The mere act of considering his offer adds a layer of excitement to the night, anticipation for plans that have been yet set in motion.
As you unlock the door to your apartment, the scent of familiarity welcomes you warmly for once, likely due to the refreshing end of your night. You set the candy aside–already having memorized Junhui's number–and with a decisive tap, you enter his number into your phone. The screen lights up with his name, a digital beacon inviting you to venture into uncharted territory. As you send a quick message, the city outside continues its gentle hum, and you can't help but feel giddy. You’re eleven all over again.
The memory of Junhui's charismatic grin lingers in your mind, a subtle tug at the edges of your thoughts the moment you hit send, and you throw the phone aside, letting yourself get rid of the electrifying nerves running through your body. When you hear the notification going off–Junhui’s name on display–you realize there’s no going back.
The following day, you’re excited about living for once. Delighted to have something to look forward to after work, you board today's bus with a genuine smile on your face, a subtle change that doesn't escape the notice of the bus drivers, who have grown accustomed to your early presence by now.
As the bus carries you through the familiar townscape, you can't help but revel in the subtle shift in the air. The usual humdrum of daily life seems to have given way to a vibrant undercurrent of anticipation for the holiday. The ordinary scenes outside the window take on a slightly pink hue, and you find yourself savoring the details that often go unnoticed illuminated with festive decor.
Work hours also pass with a newfound energy, and the anticipation for the evening grows with each passing minute, even with the rambunctious customers buying more gifts just in the nick of time. The mundane tasks of the day become a mere backdrop to the vibrant scene that awaits you once the clock strikes the end of the workday.
Today, the world outside the candy store seems to radiate brighter than any other day has. The street lights gradually flickering on, usually just a backdrop to your daily grind, now beckon with a promise of surprises. As the day unfolds, you find yourself counting down the hours until your appointment time arrives and you quickly change into your Valentine's date attire, anticipating Junhui's reappearance.
Time moves forward—one hour, two hours, three hours. Doubts begin to creep in. Were you merely indulging in wishful thinking at this point?
The rose-tinted glasses, which once painted the day with a hopeful hue, must have started to expire. Now, a subtle gray takes over, bringing you back to the stark reality of the passing moments. The initial excitement begins to wane, replaced by a tinge of disappointment and a hint of uncertainty.
As the clock ticks away, doubts and questions swirl in your mind like a gathering storm. The vibrant anticipation that once filled the air begins to dissipate, leaving behind a quiet unease.
You glance at your reflection in the mirror, the Valentine's date attire now carrying a touch of wistfulness. The city outside, once alive with the promise of a special evening, now takes on a different tone. The street lights, initially beacons of excitement, cast shadows that dance with anxiety and unease. The imminent arrival of buses amplifies a fleeting thought–maybe, just maybe, you can still catch it if you run.
Taking a leap of faith, you hastily gather your belongings and make your way to the bus station, adhering to your initial plan—opting for takeout in the solitude of home, if restaurants are still an option at this hour. Amidst the uncertainty, your phone succumbs to the lack of power, its screen plunged into darkness, mirroring the tone of your night.
The familiarity of home brings no comfort, only disheartenment. You set aside the dinner you had envisioned for tonight, plugging in your phone to replenish its drained battery, intentionally avoiding any further interaction with the outside world for the remainder of the night.
When your phone finally regains its power, messages burst to life in an instant, one particular message standing out, beckoning attention. That is, of course, if you were still around to witness it.
Junhui: I’m so sorry! You will not believe the day I had. My office was bombarding me all day with extra work and i only left now. Please tell me its not too late.
P.S. and here's that valentine i wanted to give to you <3 i hope you like it as much as this fic so far
#svthub#svthub.collab#wen junhui#junhui#seventeen#junhui fluff#junhui angst#wen junhui angst#seventeen x reader#svt#seventeen junhui#seventeen jun#svt jun#seventeen fanfic#seventeen fluff#seventeen angst#junhui x reader#junhui x you#junhui x y/n#junhui fanfic#seventeen x you#seventeen x y/n
207 notes
·
View notes
Text
･ﾟﾟ･｡ my beautiful girlfriend | WEN JUNHUI
pairing: idol/actor!junhui x ff!reader // genre: oneshot; hurt, comfort, angst(?) // warnings: petnames; (baby and love), misunderstanding, overthinking, crying, lowkey self-depricating, proofread quickly. // wc: 1.6k
a/n: merry christmas <3 @honajoong hii lex!! I'm your secret santa :> despite starting a little late, I wanted to be involved as well and I got you!! I will admit I struggled to write for junhui since he's the first seventeen member I've written about, but hopefully I think I managed to grasp his characteristics(?) 🥹 I hope it's okay!! also 'yn yln' is 'your name' and 'your last name' :>
Two years. Two whole years since jun asked to be your boyfriend. Two whole years since you started supporting him through his acting career. But never in your two whole years together were you jealous about his co-stars or fans. You've always been hidden away from the public, not going to any events together. Not even getting barricade tickets for his and his group's concerts for the sake of not getting caught somehow.
It's always been like that though. But that's because no one knew about your relationship, not even the rest of his group members.
Jealousy has never been an issue for you until you read an article regarding jun's new upcoming Chinese drama. See, this was new to you. Usually you'd be excited; treating him to order take out from his favourite place, or buying him small gifts to add to his collection of other things you got him within your relationship.
As you read article after article the majority published about how jun and his co-star make such a good couple. Some even published pictures of them together at the premier event they recently attended, while others are scene captures from the said drama.
There was this one picture you saw that made your heart drum disturbingly loud in your ears, not because of the photo itself but because of the comments regarding it. Your eyes dart from comment to comment, 'Wen Junhui and ____ have incredible chemistry', 'A new couple in made in the industry?', 'I hope they're dating in real life.'
Your breathing pattern becomes ragged from the thought of feeling like you're hindering Jun in his life. If you were just making things difficult for him since you were no one but a regular person who works a 9-5 job. In times like this, which was rare, you had no one but yourself to console you.
A single tear runs down your cheek which has you vigorously wiping it off your face, refusing to let yourself become so weak because of this.
You see a text appear from the top of your phone, a text from your boyfriend asking how you were and letting you know when he'll be home, but a part of you felt like you were sinking inside. All these comments getting to your head about Jun and his co-star, but you know you shouldn't think that way. Besides, you never used to think that way initially.
Thinking that it's best to sleep off the thoughts gathering in your head, you grab the folded blanket beside you on the couch, splaying it over you as you play music from the t.v, hoping that would help you get your mind off it.
Hours pass, the living room dim from the lack of light but only from the t.v itself. You pick up your phone to check the time, and while you were asleep, you received multiple texts and a missed call from Jun; all the messages asking if you've eaten, what you want to watch later in the evening, and so forth.
However, you didn't feel like messaging him back, or even calling him back either. You thought your nap would rid of the uncomfortable overthinking, but it just has you questioning, 'why is he even with me?' He could pick any other girl, but why did he choose you. He has a beautiful co-star with incredible chemistry, why doesn't he just ask her to be his girlfriend instead—
"Yn?" Jun's voice echoes in the room and cuts off your trail of thoughts.
You refuse to turn your back and greet him, instead, you pick up the remote and search through films to watch as if he wasn't calling your name again.
"Hey, did you get my texts? Have you decided what you wanna eat tonight?" Jun asks again, caressing the top of your head and missed as he tried to kiss the top of your head, but you flinched away.
"Not hungry." You reply curtly.
He could sense something was off, not wanting to think too much into it, he lets it slide as he goes into the bedroom for a quick shower and change of clothes. He hasn't seen you behave this way before, wondering what possibly could have happened recently to tick you off. His mind was thinking of every possibility but to think of articles since his shoots for the drama were quite a while ago.
As he walks back into the living room, you're still sitting in the same spot on the couch. He walks around the couch to sit beside you, lifting the side of the blanket to share, but you take it off and let him have all of it instead.
Jun turns his head to look at you, a questioning expression on his face yet you don't turn to look at him. A straight, unbothered face is what he sees as your eyes are stuck on whatever movie you put on the t.v.
"Is everything alright? I feel like I've done something wro-"
"Everything's fine." You lie, cutting him off and not wanting to think about it anymore. For the first time in a while you almost didn't want to be in his presence for the sake of keeping sane.
"Well it doesn't sound fine." He turns his body, attempting to test the waters as he places a careful hand on your lap. This time you don't flinch.
You sigh. Pausing before you answer him honestly, "Because it's not."
"Love, how am I supposed to know what's bothering you if you won't tell me straight?" Jun's hand starts caressing your thigh in attempt to comfort you and allow you to open up to him, like you usually do.
You try to gather your thoughts and stare at one spot, but nothing in particular, on the t.v as your breathing becomes uneven. It's difficult talking about a feeling you never thought you had to ever talk about, but it was bound to happen at least once in your life. And that was this current moment in time.
A stuck, choked up feeling in your throat starts to erupt as you struggle to find the words to say, leading to you struggling to stop yourself from tearing up out of frustration.
You explain about the articles you've read about him and his co-star, the ones headlining and the comments you've seen. Your breathing hitches a little while you're talking, and Jun couldn't help but scoot closer to you with his arm around you.
"I tried my best to not let it bother me, but it was a lot to take in. I'm sorry." Jun wipes away at your tears, listening intently as you continue, "I know it's your job, I understand if I'm being unacceptable and if you don't want to be with me anymore."
Tears are non-stop streaming down your face, also because you're mad at yourself for becoming so weak and letting this get to you in the first place. You feel Jun's hand resting on the middle of your back, rubbing it with comfort.
You continue letting out your hushed cries, burying your face into his chest with muffled sorries leaving you. Jun's never seen you cry so much and his heart drops at the sound of your irregular breathing pattern in attempt to stop yourself crying. How could you stop when he hugs you tight momentarily, slowly swaying you side to side as he rests his cheek by your temple.
"Hey, hey. It's okay." He cups your cheek, pulling back to hold your face close to his. "You know you're always going to be the one for me. I'm sorry that hiding our relationship has been difficult, I know. I want to let everyone know that I'm yours, but right now it's a little tricky, and I know that's no excuse but I swear I will let people know. Sooner than later, I promise."
Your sobs quieten down, a little exhausted from the thoughts occupying your mind the whole day. But you respond with a slow nod and a tight lipped smile as you both shuffle on the couch and lay your head on his chest as his hand finds its way to skim up and down your back once again.
･ﾟﾟ･｡ ･ﾟﾟ･｡ ･ﾟﾟ･｡
It's been a few days since Jun had comforted you. Your phone pings from a notification about another article that had just released with the headline reading, 'Wen Junhui breaks rumours about dating co-star and is a relationship with Yn Yln"
You read it once more. And another time, expecting there to be hate thrown at you, but there was nothing but love and support from Jun's fans. It was entirely different to how you thought they would take it, but you're just grateful that it didn't go that way at all.
Your boyfriend's tall figure walks through the door with a bouquet of flowers, not even a couple of minutes after you had read the article, and he's making his way to you sat by the breakfast bar.
His subtle smile curves his lips as he holds the bouquet out for you. While you, on the other hand, are pouting; worried that it might ruin his career and receive potential hate, but Jun was unbothered. He was certain about it.
"You didn't have to do that, Jun." You insist, receiving the flowers from him. "I don't want this to affect your career."
He stands by your knees as you face him, towering over you ever so slightly.
"I wanted to let them know. I can't keep hiding this relationship forever," he kisses your forehead as his hands plant on your shoulders, giving them a tight squeeze. "And honesty, as much as I love to keep you to myself, they need to know that you're my beautiful girlfriend."
© BOBA-BEOM ; do not repost, alter, translate, or claim as yours on here or any other platform.
tags: @lovejoshua @junniieesbby @flwrseon
permanent taglist: @choiwrld @yjusei @wccycc @lizdevorak @fairybin @laylasbunbunny @acaiasahi @ttyunz @cha0thicpisces @fairybinie @ja4hyvn @yunkiwii @aprilisque
#wen junhui angst#wen junhi scenarios#wen junhio fic#wen junhui x reader#svt jun#wen junhui oneshot#junhui oneshot#junhui scenarios#junhui x reader#junhui angst#junhui fic#seventeen angst#junhui comfort#seventeen comfort#seventeen oneshot#seventeen x reader#seventeen scenarios#seventeen imagines#my attempt at writing junhui#I WILL CRY IM SO NERVOUS#[ 🎄 ] — smiles' secret santa.#lex ♡#honajoong ♡#[ 🧸 ] — mutuals.
265 notes
·
View notes
Text
MERRY GO
author's note. 3rd time is the charm so here's my final angst piece in this event :3 no but the song is so:( i saw ian's comment abt it on genius and i just ... dunno, had to write it
word count. 672
summary. your and jun's relationship reminds you of a merry go -- but there is time for you to get off it
“we need to… stop, whatever this is”
your voice echoed through the walls – but also in his head. it was heavy but not as heavy as the burden jun carried in his heart.
“i know, i know” jun replied, a sigh escaping his lips.
the silence in the room buzzed between you, a tension hanging densely. one spark of a wrong word and there will be an outbreak. both jun and you knew it well, too well.
“we’re not making any progress, are we?” an airy scoff ripped out of you, something amusing in this helpless situation “it… jun, it feels like an endless loop”
“oh, i know”
shifting in the red leather armchair, crossing your legs, scanning junhui’s silhouette. his eyes were somewhat teary but you weren’t sure if it was because of you or his overall state of being. you knew him like the back of your own hand, like the inside of your pocket. jun was exhausted - both mentally and physically. maybe you were a part of the problem, sure. but something told you he wasn’t taking care of himself properly.
hence you’re here.
“i… we, jun. we can’t keep doing that” your voice was quiet “i'm still fumbling with your memories about the last time we tried, when our worlds were falling away from us”
your relationship with jun was sweet at the beginning. but over time it turned bitter, eventually leading to a breakup. and everything after that - because you wouldn’t call it a relationship - reminded you of a merry-go round carousel. breaking off, ignoring each other and then coming back, only to hurt the other more. again and again, in a loop; in a spinning circle.
“you don't know what you've done to me, y/n” jun grunted.
meeting on a neutral ground was a good idea. no sentimental value of his living room or your bedroom. just a cheap motel, with occasionally flickering lights. it lit up his skin with a yellowish gleam, making his brown eyes look less scary to look in. the ridge of his nose which you adored so much looked so appealing, you wished you could just reach your hand out and trace it… like you used to.
“i can’t live without you” the man in front of you said “i want it all back”
“we can’t, junhui” you still loved him but you two ere no good for each other “it’s a lesson we learned too many times. i don’t want to hurt you and… i don’t want to get hurt either”
“i know, i know” jun’s throat felt like there was a rock stuck inside, his ability to speak dropping to a toddler lever.
his work, your frustration. your bottled feelings leading to hurtful words. then redemption - shared moments sweeter than the previous ones, kisses more passionate because both of you knew it will snap eventually. a repeating loophole that you lost count of how many times it has repeated itself.
“one… final chance. i cannot live without you… you, you know it. and you need me” he stuttered out and it was true. both of you acknowledged it.
with the sound of a flickering lamp in the terrifyingly silent room, a decision was made in your mind - quite the opposite of what your broken heart wanted.
“don’t… call me again. i love you jun but we can’t. i genuinely wish you the best, you deserve it. but i can’t be the one to bring you pure happiness” you didn’t even notice the crystal tears falling down your cheeks.
both of you stood up and jun wiped your skin with a sad smile. one word and he’s going to break down too, you could see it in his eyes.
“sorry… but you know it’s a right decision” you whispered, letting his embrace comfort you for the last time.
“oh, i know” the most heartbreaking sigh reached your ears.
jun hugged your shaking silhouette, tears balancing at his own waterline as well.
no more sending back around this merry go.
main masterlist | event masterlist
taglist. @mirxzii ,, @primoppang ,, @l3visbby ,, @nicholasluvbot ,, @planetkiimchi ,, @weird-bookworm ,, @slytherinshua ,, @kazmura ,, @laylasbunbunny ,, @mon2sunjinsuver ,, @eternalgyuuu ,, @rubywonu ,, @haecien ,, @mine-gyu
#seventeen#seventeen imagines#seventeen x reader#wen junhui#junhui fluff#junhui imagines#moon junhui#seventeen fluff#wen junhui fluff#wen junhui imagines#seventeen angst#junhui x reader#wen junhui x reader#wen junhui angst#svt angst#svt fluff#svt x reader#svt imagines#jun seventeen
60 notes
·
View notes
Text
Wen Junhui
Push Me (And I'll Give It Right Back)
Jun's life has sucked lately and it only gets worse when he starts pushing you away. He really shouldn't have forgotten you're willing to push back.
Rating: M (18+) | Word Count: ~2.3k
Interlude No. 7
You snap at Jun and he teaches you a lesson in the art of patience.
Rating: M (18+) | WC: ~2.6k
The Claw
Prompt: my love is your arm stuck in the claw machine. you were going to steal that prize for me?? oh my gosh. let me rescue you and also show you how to actually do this
Rating: T | WC: ~0.6k
Kinktober Day 10 - Bondage with Jun
Rating: M (18+) | WC: ~1.3k
Chubby!Reader Headcanons
Werewolf!Jun Headcanons
Surprise!Knotting Headcanons
Seventeen Masterlist
Main Masterlist
#junhui x reader#junhui fluff#junhui smut#junhui imagines#junhui x you#wen junhui x reader#wen junhui fluff#wen junhui imagines#wen junhui angst#moon junhui x reader#seventeen fic#seventeen scenarios#seventeen fluff#seventeen smut#seventeen x reader#seventeen imagines#svt x reader#svt fluff#svt imagines#svt smut#svt fanfic#svt x you#svt x y/n#seventeen x you#seventeen x y/n#seventeen masterlist#svt masterlist#kpop imagine#kpop oneshots#kpop scenarios
81 notes
·
View notes
Text
warnings: reader has... problems with expressing themself/letting ppl in + implied baggage that makes them like that.
this wasn’t supposed to happen.
“it’s okay,” jun keeps saying in this quiet mantra, arms wrapped around you as you fight back your tears, battling with your own fucking body to get everything back under control.
this was not supposed to happen. and yet the door opened, and jun called out that he brought dinner to surprise you because you’d been working hard lately... and then he saw you. his gaze softened when he did, and he realized why he hadn’t found you anywhere else in your apartment. it’s like he actively avoided acknowledging every warning sign telling him to go away, that you didn’t want anyone to see you.
yet when he came closer, you didn’t know what to do. if you snapped at him the way you almost did, fire on the tip of your tongue and venom behind it, he’d never forgive you (no one ever does, right? you aren’t allowed to be angry with people, you’re supposed to wrap it up nice and neat and make yourself as small as you can). if you cry openly, he’ll leave, too: crying as an adult looks pathetic. that’s why you’re supposed to swallow your feelings and anything past a few tears, pretending as though you don’t have any ugly feelings like that.
“do you want to talk about it?” was what he said to you next, and when you furiously shook your head, he slowly came closer. he sat down at the foot of your bed. “... can i hold you?”
you don’t know why you said yes. you shouldn’t have. even now, you should push him away and tell him to go. that this was a mistake. it’d hurt him, you know it would, but he’d be free from all of this bullshit and your bullshit...
yet the moment he starts to rub circles into your back, cradling your body against his chest, it seems to do something to you. you lose control, body betraying it as it chokes out those first sobs before all you can do is cry in his arms. that’s when he started with the “it’s okay” thing. somewhere between the mental fog and the ache in your lungs and the stinging in your eyes, you realize you’ve never cried in front of jun before.
his head presses against yours. “it’s okay,” he says again in that low whisper. “you aren’t alone anymore. i’ve got you.”
(and something about the gentle way he says it makes you want to believe it. so you try to, until the day that you can fully embrace the statement with open arms.)
#nonranghaes.thoughts#nonranghaes.svt#seventeen imagine#seventeen x reader#seventeen x you#svt x reader#svt imagine#svt x you#jun x reader#wen junhui x reader#junhui x reader#jun angst#wen junhui angst#junhui angst#idk what else to tag this as#i dont rly want to live anymore gamers i am just. tired.#u dont have to worry abt me if u see this. i promised 27. after tht? idk ill make sure my funerals bumping#nonranghaes.vent
259 notes
·
View notes
Text
You Belong with Me
wordcount ≈ 7k
warnings: Siren hunt (aka, luring people into the water to take their souls so some people die though it isn’t really described), Jun threatening (Y/n), talking about someone’s existence being erased, sort of mentioning suicide (sacrificing oneself for others, though no suicide happens), Jun being crazy powerful, being on a boat, a storm, being out on the ocean, being underwater, possessive behavior, jealousy, biting, pet names (mostly darling), kidnapping, Stockholm-syndrome in a way, let me know if I should add anything else,
Pairing: Siren! King of the seven seas! Wen Junhui x afab! human reader
summary: After being attacked by mythical creatures of the sea, known as Sirens, one unfortunate human girl has caught the eye of the siren king. At first, it seems like death had been the better option, but maybe one shouldn’t be so quick at judging.
Please reblog! Requests are open!
Third person POV
“Guys, I really don’t think this is a good idea. The weather forecast said that a bad storm is going to break out in a few hours, maybe we should do this some other day,” “Oh come on, (Y/n), stop being such a scaredy cat. It’s fine, look, there’s not a single cloud in the sky, the forecast is wrong. This is going to be super fun!” Seungkwan was trying to persuade one of his best friends, (Y/n), that having a party on a Yacht, out on the sea, was a good idea. “Loosen up, (Y/n), nothing is going to happen. Dad’s yacht is sturdy, the captain has driven her through a storm before, so even if this storm breaks out, we’ll be fine,” Mingyu walked over and draped an arm around (Y/n)’s shoulders as a form of comfort. “Okay, but if something bad happens, just know that I was right, this was, and is, a bad idea,” And so the trio along with a bunch of other people boarded the yacht and left the pier.
As the party began, most people were happily drinking, dancing, eating, chatting, and who knows what else. But (Y/n), was just sitting on a chair with her untouched drink in front of her. She couldn’t shake off the bad feeling she had, and oh how right she was.
Deep underwater, in the lost city of the ocean creatures, the siren king, the king of the seven seas, Junhui was preparing for a hunt. His people had waited for a brutal storm to break out close to their hidden city under the surface, and finally, the storm was coming. Junhui was a powerful siren who not only held the power of his seductive siren song but also the power to rule the seven seas, from birth he had been gifted with immense power that the ocean seemed to follow, so even if Junhui had not been born into the royal family he was still crowned as the ruler once he was old enough. Junhui was a just ruler, his people admired his strength, as long as you kept on his good side Junhui would be the sweetest being in the world but make one wrong move and he would shift into the brutal siren who would destroy the world in the blink of an eye. “My lord, the storm is close. We should move out, the scouts have spotted countless boats close to us,” Jun turned toward Wonwoo, one of his officers and advisor, not to mention, one of his closest friends. “This is going to be quite the prosperous hunt, I can feel this entire body of water shaking at the rage of it,” Jun’s eyes shifted from his warm brown to their terrifying, glowing yellow, as the corners of his mouth turned up into a chilling and sinister smile, that revealed his white teeth and sharp fangs. “Let’s go, brother, it’s time to hunt,” Wonwoo gave a slight bow to his king before they both walked out of the throne room. Even though Jun had countless times told Wonwoo that he did not need to bow to him or call him ‘my lord’ or like, Wonwoo still did. Wonwoo was a man who followed all the rules, he is highly intelligent, which was one of the reasons why Jun had appointed him an officer and his first advisor. The siren king and two of his officers, Wonwoo and Soonyoung, had gathered 50 of their best hunters to go hunt for souls for the people. The sirens didn’t hunt for souls very often, at most 3 times a year, they had developed beyond needing many souls to thrive but every now and then, why not treat yourself?
Up on the yacht, the party was still going strong, most of the people there were too drunk to notice that the sun had been covered by angry dark clouds. (Y/n) was trying to find Mingyu or Seungkwan to tell them that they needed to turn the yacht around and go back to shore. As she went out on deck she felt the raindrops beginning to come down. Soon enough, the winds had picked up, the rain was coming down in sheets, making it difficult to see more than a few feet, the waves were getting bigger with every second, making it difficult for the captain to keep the yacht steady. The drunk people didn’t seem to mind it, (Y/n), however, were in a full-blown panic mood. The sound of the rain hitting the water was deafening, the occasional clap of thunder only adding to her worry, and the lightning strikes didn’t make it any better either.
“Mingyu! Seungkwan! Where are you?” (Y/n) tried to find her friends but they seemed to have disappeared. Suddenly, a particularly big wave pushed the yacht around causing (Y/n) to lose her balance and almost fall overboard, luckily she manage to grab onto the railing just in time. She looked down into the deep dark water, expecting to find nothing as the water made anything beneath the surface unintelligible, however, to her shock, she was met with the face of a person. At first, she thought it was someone who had fallen from the yacht, but she quickly realized that it was not a human, as the creature dove down into the water, (Y/n) saw that it had a tail instead of legs. She found more and more creatures popping out of the water, they were locating the different boats around the surface. Some began singing, it was a beautiful sound but (Y/n) couldn’t focus on it, no, (Y/n) was focusing on the way some people began moving closer to the edge of the boats, and then getting into the water. Once they had gone under the surface, they did not come back up. Suddenly, some of the creatures began climbing onto the yacht and other boats around them. (Y/n) was still sitting, frozen as she held onto the railing. One of the creatures had jumped onto the yacht, landing just a few steps away from her, the second that the female-looking creature had landed on the boat her tail turned to legs. She then began moving toward (Y/n), who was crying harder and harder, imagining that she would die here, on this stupid yacht. “Please, don’t, I don’t want to die. I beg of you, please don’t kill me,” The creature just looked at (Y/n), laughed, and then began singing her melody again, causing some of the drunk people on the yacht to come toward her, hypnotized by her song.
Junhui had stayed beneath the surface for some time, allowing his people to have fun. Jun did quite enjoy hunting, but his people enjoyed it far more, for some reason, he wasn’t that hungry for souls so he didn’t mind staying in the background. After a few minutes, he decided that it was time for him to join the hunt, thus also, signaling that it was ending. The second he broke through the surface of the water, he laid his eyes on a girl who was holding on to the railing of a boat, she was crying, begging for her life as one of his hunters approached. As the hunter came closer to the girl, the terrified human turned her head, and Jun met her eyes. Something in him seemed to click, suddenly he was overcome with a yearning for that girl. With a simple flick of his wrist, a large wave was created to swiftly move him up onto that boat, he landed right in front of the human, facing his hunter. The siren immediately stopped once she faced her king. “My lord,” The siren bowed, terrified of the look Jun gave her, “Leave,” Was all Jun said, though it was a low command, all sirens around them froze before beginning to dive back into the water. All 50 hunters had gone back under the surface within a minute of the king’s command, only leaving Wonwoo, Soonyoung, and Jun. Wonwoo approached Junhui but stopped the second his king glared at him, the look in Jun’s eyes was horrifying, his eyes glowed stronger than ever, his fangs protruding past his lips, the waves were crashing harsher and harsher against the yacht. Wonwoo understood that whoever the human behind the Siren King was, they were special and he nor Soonyoung were allowed to come close to them. “We’ll be leaving, my lord,” Wonwoo dove back into the water after signaling to Soonyoung that it was time to leave.
From the second that Junhui had appeared before her, (Y/n) had been mesmerized even though she could only see the creature’s backside. (Y/n) concluded that whoever this man was, he was of high status, the way everyone followed his command and not to mention, his robes. The black clothes with gold embroidered details screamed wealth and importance. Nothing could have prepared (Y/n) for the beauty of the man who had seemingly saved her. As the king turned around to face her, (Y/n)’s breath got caught in her throat, his well-sculpted face, his two-toned hair, though the detail that had her shaking was his sharp, glowing, yellow eyes that seemed to suck her in.
“Please don’t kill me,” Jun chuckled arrogantly at her begging. “Darling, if I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have sent my hunters away,” The siren crouched down in front of (Y/n) and he reached his hand out toward her face, “Please, don’t hurt me,” (Y/n) tried to hide her face away from the mysterious and handsome man, though her attempt was futile, he grabbed a hold of her cheek and turned her face back toward his own. “Once, again. If I wanted you dead, my hunters would have dealt with you,” “Then, can I go? Will you let me live?” Jun sighed before lightly shaking his head, for some reason he was filled with an unknown rage as the human asked if she could leave. “No, you are not leaving. You will come with me. I have spared your life therefore it now belongs to me,” He spoke with a malicious tone, one he rarely used unless speaking with someone who had broken the laws in his kingdom. “No, please, please let me go, please, I beg of you,” Jun grew angrier as (Y/n) kept asking to be left behind, his unstable emotions caused the storm to worsen, the waves became harsher and bigger, the thunder and the lightning seemed to come closer. Just then, Seungkwan came out of the yacht's lower deck, still very drunk, he seemed to have missed the hunt as the mysterious creature had called it. “(Y/n)!” “Seungkwan, help!” Seungkwan noticed the man dressed in traditional clothing who was crouched by his friend and he saw how scared (Y/n) looked as the man held her cheek in his hand. Jun didn’t need to turn his head to know that the man who had appeared behind him, was drunk, and no match for the siren king of the seven seas. Jun’s smirk grew as he snapped the fingers of the hand that weren’t holding onto (Y/n), causing a string of water to grab a hold of Seungkwan, lifting him in the air. “NO! Let him down,” (Y/n) tried to break free of the hold that Jun had on her, however, the second that she seemed to have been freed, the string moved Seungkwan to be held over the raging water causing her to freeze once again. “If you fight me, your friend will die, I will throw him in the water and my hunters will take care of him, and not in the way you would like. However, if you come with me, I will let him live. I will stop the storm, and calm the water. No one else will be hurt. It’s your choice, either you come with me, or everyone here dies and you still come with me,” No matter how angry (Y/n) was with Seungkwan and Mingyu for still going through with this yacht party even though she had warned them of the storm, she couldn’t watch him die knowing she could have saved him. “Alright, I’ll go with you, but I want proof of you stopping the storm and everything,” Jun smiled and lightly petted (Y/n)’s head. “Good choice, darling,” The siren snapped his fingers twice, the string of water moved back to be over the yacht, and carefully put Seungkwan down on the deck again. Seungkwan had passed out from the experience, or perhaps, that was also the doing of the siren. After her friend had been returned to safety, the rain began letting up, the thunder and lightning disappeared, and the waves became smaller and smaller, soon enough, the sky was blue once again, the sunset as pretty as ever, and no trace of the magical creatures were left, except for the man with the yellow eyes. “There, I returned your friend and stopped the storm. Let us go now,” (Y/n) was shaking like a leaf, both out of fear and also from the icy water that had rained down on her. “I can’t breathe underwater,” (Y/n) hoped that when the man remembered that she wasn’t like him, he would let her go. “Darling, I’m the king of Sirens, I’m the king of the seven seas, if I want to bring a human with me under the surface, then the water will allow them to breathe. The ocean follows my every command, so don’t you worry. It will be very kind to you, you belong to its king now,” (Y/n) swallowed the lump in her throat, there was no way out of this. She would have to go with this terrifying man, siren, siren king. (Y/n) wasn’t surprised to hear that he was in fact someone of royal status, but hearing that he was a siren only made her more afraid. Jun noticed the hesitant look on the human’s face, which once again awakened an unknown anger within him. “Remember, if you don’t go with me, I will kill your friend and everyone else around us right now and then forcefully bring you with me,” The sinister smile was still spread across his lips, (Y/n) was looking into his sharp eyes that made her dread for her life, though they were still so captivating that she couldn’t look away. “So, human, how’s it going to be?” “You promise no one else is going to be hurt?” “Yes, you have my word. I pride myself on being quite honest, it’s the best way to rule a kingdom,” “Alright, then I’ll go with you,” (Y/n) whispered out the last sentence, before she remembered another detail that might complicate this deal. “Won’t people come looking for me? And for everyone else who disappeared here today?” Jun looked around them before he clenched his jaw, making (Y/n) cling to the railing even harder, as he relaxed his jaw again, a foggy mist began covering the surface of the ocean, it made her feel quite sleepy. “This mist will make everyone forget who was out here with them or what happened, they won’t even remember the storm. As far as they know, the gaps in their memory are all because of the alcohol, and anyone who goes into the water with a siren is forever erased, no one will remember that you existed, and any photo you have been in will be rearranged so that you are removed from them,” “So going with you means that no one will remember me?” “Yes, however, it was inevitable, had I not stopped the hunt, then you too would have been a lost soul. Thanks to me, you get to live. I promise you, darling, with me you will be treated like a queen,” (Y/n) finally looked away from Junhui and her sad eyes landed on Seungkwan’s unconscious form that lay a few meters away, maybe it was a big price to pay for his, and hopefully Mingyu’s, safety but if she could save them then it was worth it. “Okay, I’ll come with you,” “Good, come on. Hold onto me,” “Why?” “If you want the travel to my kingdom to be smooth, then you’ll hold onto me, however, if you want to be thrown around like a piece of paper in the wind then you don’t,” (Y/n) did not like the sound of that so she let go of the railing and took a step closer to the man, whose name she had yet to know, and then lightly laid her hand around his bicep. “Hold on tight,” (Y/n) did not dare think he was joking with her so she did as he said, and held onto his arm as hard as she could. Jun put an arm around the human’s waist before he jumped into the water. (Y/n) couldn’t hold back the scream that escaped her, she wondered if maybe the siren had lied to her and she would die the second she went under the surface, however, she found that once the water covered her head and they kept sinking, she could breathe just fine. (Y/n) had always been quite afraid of the water, though now as she saw everything from beside the alleged king of the seven seas, it seemed quite peaceful and pretty. The way that all the fishes were floating around, the coral flowers that seemed so vibrant, and even the majestic whale that usually would have her fearing for her life, now just seemed so beautiful as it was swimming around. Jun looked down at the girl who was still clinging to him as they kept descending toward his palace, he saw the wonder, and admiration in her eyes as she looked around them. The siren felt a sense of pride at the fact that this little human was admiring his kingdom, his once cold and sharp eyes now softened and went back to their warm and welcoming brown.
A few minutes later, (Y/n) found a big structure on the bottom of the ocean, a large castle, or perhaps a palace, it was tall, and shining just like the scales of some fishes, though it was deep down, the palace seemed to shine as bright as a diamond in direct sunlight. “Woah,” “Do you like it?” (Y/n) was taken aback by the soft tone her mysterious kidnapper used, just a few minutes ago he was speaking so maliciously as he threatened her into following with him, now all of a sudden, he was speaking as soft as a person might do to a newborn puppy or a kitten. “It’s pretty but it’s not my home,” “It is from now on,” There it was once again, that sharp tone, the tone that didn’t leave any room for arguments. Jun himself didn’t know what this foreign feeling was, the yearning, the need to have this human for himself. Jun moved them toward the doors and once they were inside, they were met by Wonwoo and Soonyoung.
“My lord, welcome back,” Wonwoo, as usual, bowed to Jun while Soonyoung just smiled and sent a little salute to him, earning him a little nudge from Wonwoo. “Who’s this?” Soonyoung was far more interested in the human that was clinging to the side of his king than the king himself. (Y/n) immediately stepped behind Jun, using him as a shield from the prying eyes of the man who happened to be holding a sword-like weapon, and (Y/n) did not trust that he wouldn’t hurt her with it. Jun’s heart fluttered at the act, a warm feeling spread throughout his body, and his heart seemed to be doing a happy dance inside his chest. And that’s when it clicked, that’s when Jun finally understood why he had been so adamant about bringing the human with him. This little human was his destined soulmate. “That is not something you need to know right now. Besides, don’t the two of you have any duties to do?” Junhui spoke with a soft tone, these were two of his closest friends, there was no need to be sharp with them, or it was never needed with Wonwoo, with Soonyoung however, it was necessary every now and then. “Yeah yeah, we do. But I, or, we, was curious as to why you stayed behind and ordered us to leave so abruptly,” “Come on, Soonyoung, we are leaving his majesty to go carry out our duties. Do you wish to have your dinner in the dining hall or in your chambers? And will your guest be needing dinner too?” “Thank you, Wonwoo. In my chambers, and yes, prepare food for her too, make sure it is something appropriate for humans,” “Of course,” After that Wonwoo dragged Soonyoung away by the collar of his shirt. “Alright, you can come out again, they are gone,” Junhui couldn’t help but chuckle at the situation, if the human was supposed to be afraid of anyone, it should be him yet she had opted to use him as her protector. (Y/n) carefully stepped out from behind him to face him once again. “Sorry,” “It’s alright, I understand. We sirens can be quite intimidating, though I promised you, didn’t I? that you would be treated like a queen?” “Well yeah, but I don’t know how sirens treat their royals,” “Mostly, we treat them similarly to how humans would, except, we rarely ever indulge in wars and we have never had someone trying to overthrow the one sitting on the throne. If the ocean has acknowledged a person as the ruler, then that person will become the ruler without question,” “So, basically, you’re a very peaceful species that hunt humans?” “I know that the part of us hunting humans isn’t ideal but there was a time when we needed to hunt souls every single day, now we only do it 2-3 times a year,” “I still don’t understand why you kidnapped me,” “I’ll explain that soon, let’s go to my chambers first, you’re still cold from the rain, you can warm up in there, it’s the warmest room in the entire palace,” “Alright,” Jun began leading the way and (Y/n) followed him, she figured that if she were to live her she might as well make it easy on herself and not fight her siren captor. “Um, could I ask you a question?” “You just did, darling, but of course, ask away,” “How come there is no water inside the palace? Or do I just not notice it?” “There is no water inside, despite what some people believe, we sirens are not only creatures of the water but we are also creatures of the land. We can live both in the water and on land, however, we prefer to live under the surface yet keep our homes dry, hence there is no water inside the palace,” “Oh, I’ve always heard that sirens and all other mythical beings of the water only lived in the water,” “Well, that is the truth for some like mermaids and merman, they need to be in the water 90% of the day, while sirens can go without a drop of water for a month, after that we will begin showing scales until we have to go back in the water,” “I thought sirens and mermaids were the same things,” “We’re similar to each other, but very different too. Mermaids don’t have our captivating song, nor do they have the choice of choosing between a tail and legs when in the water, on land they too can have legs but the second a drop of water touches them their legs turn into a tail. Sirens, like you just saw me doing, can keep our legs when swimming or we can choose to have a tail too. And, sirens have more powers than mermaids in general,” Just as (Y/n) was about to ask another question, Jun stopped and (Y/n) walked right into him. “Sorry,” “No worries, I’m quite sturdy, I can take a hit or two. Anyway, here we are, my chambers,” Jun opened the doors and gestured for (Y/n) to walk inside.
“Woah, it’s so big!” “Haha, yeah, fitting for a king don’t you think?” “Definitely, it seems like something out of a fairy tale,” “Come on, let’s sit down on the couch,” Jun led (Y/n) over to what seemed to be the living room part of his chambers. The two sat down, not too close to each other but still quite close. “Um, could I know your name or am I supposed to call you ‘my lord’ or something?” “My name is Wen Junhui, you can call me Junhui or Jun. May I also know your name? Or, well, hear it from you, your friend kind of already spoiled it earlier,” “My name is (Y/n) (L/n),” “Pretty name for a pretty girl. Now, I’ll explain to you why I brought you here,” (Y/n) turned so she was facing Jun and he moved to face her. “When I emerged from the water and I saw you, something in me appeared, a feeling, a yearning, and all I could think was that I needed to have you, that you belong to me, with me,” “So you became obsessed with me from just seeing me once?” “No, not really. In a way yes, but I didn’t understand it first until we came here, just like wolf-shifters, also known as werewolves, have predestined soulmates, so do we, though sirens rarely find theirs and we can live without them, however life with a soulmate is much better,” (Y/n) pointed to herself, “And, I’m your soulmate?” “Yeah, I’m sorry about how I acted. I rarely ever go full malicious siren but seeing you awoke some very strong instincts in me,” (Y/n) saw how sincere Jun was as he looked into her eyes. “It’s okay, you did scare me, but since we came here to the palace you seemed soft so I’m not as scared now,” “You shouldn’t have any fear of me, I would never hurt you, not intentionally at least,” “What does it mean, being your soulmate?” “Well, usually soulmates end up becoming a couple, but sirens can suffice with just having them close by as friends, though I am going to have to mark you, which means I have to bite you somewhere,” (Y/n) looked possibly terrified at his last statement. “Bite me?” Jun awkwardly scratched his neck as he looked away from (Y/n). “Yeah, it’s unconventional but from what I have heard it usually doesn’t hurt too badly, though it depends on where the mark is placed,” “Would I have to be with you as a romantic partner?” “No, I wouldn’t force you to be that. I would love it if it became that but if you don’t want that, then it will be enough just having you around the palace as my friend,” (Y/n) pondered for a few minutes over what Jun had said. “I can’t promise that I’ll fall in love with you, but I’ll give you a chance. Do you have to bite me now or can we wait a little?” “Thank you, I promise I won’t waste this chance. And I will have to mark you within a week, I wish it was longer but with me being the king my instincts are heightened and the stronger the instinct, the sooner the mark has to be placed,” “Alright, well can we wait until a week has gone by?” “Of course, no pressure,” The two continued getting to know each other while sitting on the couch. Suddenly, (Y/n)’s eyes zeroed in on Jun’s hair, when they were on the yacht his hair had been two-toned, part blonde, part black, however, now it was fully blond. Without thinking, (Y/n) raised her hand and touched his hair, Jun sat frozen as the human petted his head, her lips turned up in an innocent smile and her eyes glimmered with happiness. When (Y/n) suddenly found her senses again and realized what she was doing, she quickly removed her hand from his face. “Sorry, your hair just looked so soft and I was wondering, wasn’t your hair a different color when we were above the surface?” “It’s alright, darling, you can touch my hair whenever you want, and, yes, when I’m in my full siren mood, and above the surface my hair is two-toned, while under the surface and when I’m in my civil mood or whatever I should call it, it’s fully blonde,” “You look really handsome with both,” “Thank you, you are very pretty,”
And so the next couple of days went by, the king and his soulmate got to know each other, and perhaps a spark of love was starting to kindle between the two. Jun had given his bed to (Y/n) and he himself slept on the couch, it was comfortable enough for him, and he just needed to let his maids prepare a guest room for (Y/n). And before they knew it, 7 days had passed and it was time for Jun to mark (Y/n).
*knock knock* (Y/n) knocked on the door to Jun’s office, not wanting to just barge in while he was busy. “Come on in,” “Hey, how’s it going?” “Good, I’m almost done for the day. Just, umm, 3 papers left to sign,” “Sweet, Wonwoo asked if we wanted to eat dinner in the dining room or here in your chambers and I might have answered for you,” “That’s alright, I’m fine with eating in either room,” (Y/n) let out a sigh of relief, “Okay, that’s good, I said we’d eat here,” “That sounds perfect,” “Okay, see you later,” “Bye, darling,” (Y/n) left the office and went back to the living room where Wonwoo was still waiting, the human hadn’t actually answered him yet but she didn’t want Jun to decide for them, however, she didn’t think Wonwoo would take her word seriously unless it was a ‘message’ from the king. “He wishes to have his dinner here, and so do I,” “Of course,” Wonwoo bowed before he turned around, ready to leave, yet he was stopped by (Y/n). “Wait!” “What can I do for you?” “Um, do you know anything about marking?” “It is not my expertise, I’m afraid, though I do know someone who knows a lot about it. If you want, I can send him here to talk with you. I understand that you must have many questions and that you might not wish to ask his majesty,” “If you could send that person I would be very grateful,” “As you wish,” “Wonwoo, you know you don’t have to speak like that with me, right?” “Of course, but it is out of respect for my king that I do, his majesty is one of my closest friends, however, when I am working he is not my friend but my king, and you are his soulmate, ultimately making you our queen, and right now I am working therefore, I must speak this way with you,” “You really treasure this job, don’t you?” “Yes, I love it,” “You’re very good at it, thank you, Wonwoo,” “No problem, (Y/n). I’ll have Jihoon stop by so that you can ask him about the marking and everything,” Wonwoo gave (Y/n) a kind smile, before bowing once again and then leaving.
Not even a minute later, a knock landed on the door and (Y/n) ran to open it before Jun noticed it. Once she had opened the door she was met with a man who was significantly shorter than most of the other men she had seen around the palace, though he still held a lot of authority in his presence and he was jaked with muscles. “Hi,” “Hey, I’m Jihoon. Wonwoo said that you had some questions regarding marking,” “Yes, I’m (Y/n). Please come in, though be a bit quiet, I don’t want Jun to know about me asking about this,” “I’m afraid he already knows,” “What? How?” “He’s the king of the seven seas, he hears everything that’s going around in the castle, especially things involving his officers, or his soulmate,” “So, he can hear our conversation now?” “Not exactly, it’s more like he can hear when someone speaks outside of his chambers, the second someone says his name, your name, or one of us officer’s name then he can tune into the conversation,” “I think I understand, anyway, I don’t think we have too much time before he is done with his work for the day,” They sat down on the couch, (Y/n) was very nervous, while Jihoon seemed as cool as a block of ice. “So, what are you wondering about?” “Um, well, does it hurt? Being marked,” “It varies from person to person and also depends on the placement. Some people have a higher pain tolerance and therefore it doesn’t hurt as much, others have a lower pain tolerance and for them, it will hurt more. Placement can also vary from person to person but most people choose to be marked on the spot right where your shoulder meets your neck, it’s usually somewhere in the middle of the pain scale, however, it is one of the more intimate spots which is why many people like it, others go for the wrist or the ankles, it’s not as intimate and usually doesn’t hurt as much, and finally some people go for the thighs, it’s one of the most intimate spots, however, the pain level is very uncertain. I know of some who said it didn’t hurt one bit while others screamed for hours from the pain,” “Woah, Wonwoo wasn’t kidding, you do know a lot,” “Yeah, I studied soulmates and marking when I was younger, it is also a part of my duties here in the palace, to give advice regarding soulmates and relationships,” “I have one more question. How will the mark affect me?” “The mark is powerful, not to mention a mark from the king, however, the mark can’t create feelings, it can only intensify pre-existing feelings, so if you do not have any romantic feelings for Jun, the mark won’t change that. For a few days, you will need to be close to Jun while the mark is settling down, if you are too far away from each other for longer than 5 minutes, you will feel sick and be in pain, however, the mark will settle down in 3 days and once those days have passed, the mark will not bother you anymore. The mark has a function that allows Jun to know when you are in danger and it also allows him to know where you are so that he can find you and protect you in case anything happens,” “So, it won’t change me in any way?” “No, it won’t,” “Thank you, Jihoon, I think that’s all the questions I had unless you can think of anything else to say,” “No, that’s all. Fortunately, our marks are not as complicated as werewolf marks. Well, I’ll take my leave then. Say hi to the king from me,” Jihoon waved as he got up from the couch and then left the king’s chambers.
Seconds after Jihoon left, Jun emerged from his office with a lovesick smile. “Hi, darling,” “Hey, Junnie,” Jun looked around, a little confused, “Jihoon was here?” “Uh, yeah,” (Y/n) answered shyly, a blush creeping up on her face. “I guess Wonwoo sent him here so you could ask about the mark, right?” “Yeah, he did,” “You know you could have asked me,” “I know, but I couldn’t because I didn’t want you to know about it,” Jun walked over to (Y/n) and leaned his forehead against hers. “I understand, well, did Jihoon answer all your questions?” “Yeah, all the ones I asked,” “Okay, have you made any decision?” “Not exactly, I know more about it now, but I don’t want to make the decision without you,” Jun stepped back to look (Y/n) in the eyes. “I’m not the one that’s going to be bitten and possibly go through pain, so my opinion really doesn’t matter,” “Of course, it matters, it will be intimate no matter how you look at it and that affects us both, so it’s not a decision I can take on my own,” “Darling, during this week I have fallen in love with you, it’s affected by the pull I feel toward you but as I assume Jihoon explained, it can’t create feelings, it’s all you, so whatever you decide I will do,” “But what if it changes everything?” “What would it change?” “Us,” “Honey, (Y/n), darling, it won’t change anything unless you want it to,” “But what if I already feel something for you?” “You feel something for me?” “How could I not? Jun, you’ve treated me better than anyone ever has, you’re so sweet and nice, not to mention handsome, and I just, and I think I understand why the universe paired us up,” Jun took a chance and leaned in to kiss (Y/n), he put his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. Their bodies were pressed together, their lips locked in a fiery embrace, time seemed to stop and they were the only two people left in the world, and it really seemed like fireworks went off as Jun’s happy emotions set off some electric currents in the room causing sparks to appear around the couple. (Y/n)’s heart was beating so fast that it seemed like it would break through her ribcage any second, she didn’t pull away until her lip got caught on one of Jun’s fangs, it didn’t pierce her but it did wake her up from the moment. She was heavily out of breath and she held a hand to her lip as she whispered out an ‘ow’. “I’m sorry, did I hurt you? Are you bleeding? Should I call for a doctor?” “No it’s fine, I’m just not used to kissing someone with fangs, sharp fangs, I’m not bleeding, it’s just throbbing a little,” “Here, an ice cube to keep it from swelling,” Jun snapped his fingers and then a small ice cube appeared in his hand that he gave to (Y/n). “Thank you,” (Y/n) took the ice cube from his hand and held it against her lip.
“Alright, now that we have the first kiss out of the way, why don’t we go back to talking about the mark?” “Yeah, we should talk about,” “What are you most worried about, (Y/n)?” “The pain, I think” “I understand that, pain is scary, I’m sure Jihoon told you that the wrist and the ankles hurt the least, always, the thighs, are a gamble, and the shoulder’s somewhere in the middle if you wonder about any other placement just ask,” “What I’m wondering the most is actually, where would you like to mark me?” Jun’s eyes soften even more, his heart happily fluttering at the fact that (Y/n) wanted to make him happy. “I don’t really care but I’d prefer a more intimate spot, so not the wrist or the ankle, though it is up to you,” “After thinking about I think I would want it on the shoulder,” Jun’s smile brightened as he hugged (Y/n) once again. “That would be perfect,” “So, when are you doing it?” “After dinner, the bite takes up a lot of energy, you will feel very sleepy after it and you will need the energy from the food, it will help you feel less pain. Jihoon didn’t tell you this?” “No, I’m sure he didn’t because I hurried him along,” “Don’t worry, I’m not angry, I’m actually surprised, Jihoon rarely ever misses these things,” “Maybe he didn’t, I think he might have left that out intentionally so that you could tell me,” “He probably did,” Jun pecked (Y/n)’s lips again, “I love you,” “I love you too, even though you kidnapped me,” “Hey, would you have come with me had I not kidnapped you?” “Um, probably not, or actually who knows, maybe I would have met you somewhere else? I mean, just because I wouldn’t have remembered you or that night doesn’t mean you wouldn’t have, right?” “Yeah, that’s true but I’m also afraid that my instincts wouldn’t have let me leave without you. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you belonged to me, um, with me,” “Is that also a siren thing or is it a Jun thing?” “What is?” “The possessiveness, the ‘you belong to me’,” “Both I think, it’s definitely a siren thing but I can’t say it isn’t a me thing either,” “Well, luckily for you, I don’t mind it as long as it doesn’t turn into anything worse than you saying that,” “It won’t have to, once my mark is on you no creature in the world, except for humans I guess, would dare try anything with you,” “Give me another kiss, my king,” “As you wish, my queen,” And so Jun gave (Y/n) another breathtakingly passionate kiss that had them both lost in the moment.
Please reblog! Requests are open!
#Seventeen#seventeen imagines#seventeen junhui#seventeen jun#seventeen x reader#seventeen angst#seventeen x y/n#seventeen x yn#seventeen x afab reader#seventeen onehsot#siren au#siren junhui#wen junhui#svt junhui#wen junhui x reader#wen junhui angst#wen junhui x y/n#wen junhui x yn#mirisss#mirisss.writings#mirisss.stories#svt jun#svt x reader#svt x yn#svt#svt fluff#fluff#seventeen fluff
20 notes
·
View notes
Text
Loving you is a losing game… (pt.1)
✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎧｡･:*˚:✧｡
✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎧｡･:*˚:✧｡
word count: 880
pairing | Wen Junhui x fm!reader
genre I non idol, university students, romance, heartbroken, oblivious, angst, heart rending.
warning(s) / includes | Depression, insecurities, heartbreak, swearing, mentions of tearing up blood, illness. (Let me know if I missed anything ♡)
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
The small town of Diamond Edge was filled with people who had normal waterworks and then the heartbroken who were condemned to tear up blood after being rejected for their love.
He takes the same train as me, I feel myself tense up whenever he steps into the train cubicle. I hate the feeling of still having to see him everyday, I’m hoping with every inch of myself that he’s not attending the same university as me, I desperately want it to stop.
I watch him as he lets women take his seats being a gentleman towards them something I wouldn’t know. It’s not like he’ll notice me staring at him, I always wear sunglasses and a mask because I don’t think I can handle having to come face to face to him ever again. the feeling of humiliation fills me up as my mind starts to wander to 1 year ago, my mind goes blurry as my music blasting in my ears fills up my senses.
♪ The night will hold us close and the stars will guide us home
I've been waiting for this moment, we're finally alone I turn to ask the question, so anxious, my thoughts
Your lips were soft like winter, in your passion, I was lost… ♪
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
June 15, 2015
Exams were finally over, the time had come for seniors to leave the school grounds forever. my head turns towards the field as students gathered in their friend groups congratulating each other, the wind was blowing gently. It was time I had made up my mind, I slowly walked over to the field. The more closer I got towards his group felt like as if time was slowing down.
“Hey look who’s coming over here” the rude boy of our class chuckled, Xu Minghao the guy who hated people in general unless they were him the one who had his back turned to me, the one my world stopped for everytime I crossed him. he turned around with a small smile, I stopped. Will I able to say it? what if he rejects me? What if-
No! Alice you can do it!
My conscience called out me.
“Hello Jun l-“ I barely got the words out. Alice come on!
“Sorry?” His soft voice called out, I could’ve fainted right then and there.
“Jun I like you! I’ve liked you since the day you walked into our school with your long hair flowing in the wind” I finally spoke, I looked around me, everyone on the field froze once I had spoken I slightly cringed at my confession.
“I’m sorry who are you?” He let out slightly confused.
“Jun w-we’ve been in the same seat row for 4 years how-“
“Oh right your the quiet girl who sits in class with her head down and sits alone at lunch” he smirked down at me whilst taking a step towards me.
“did you fall for me silly girl? Sorry to break it to you but I’m not interested in social rejects.” I felt my heart clench as he said this. Am I really a social reject?
Humiliation took over my body, I felt cold tears run down my face, I wiped my tears and I saw the red liquid on my hand, my feet were planted I couldn’t move, I heard everyone around me gasp.
“What the hell?! She’s tearing blood!”
I came back to my senses I looked with red liquid blurring my vision, everyone had fear painted on their faces, I-I’m a monster, I gotta get out of here.
Alice run!
And that’s what I did I ran and I ran not looking back.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
you are now at diamond edge university of the arts
The train conductor called out, I grabbed my bag and waited for the train to come to a stop as I lifted myself up off the seat bolting it straight for the door. I walked quickly trying to avoid him, I quickly looked over my shoulder and could see him walking behind me.
Oh shit…
I start to walk even faster, until I heard a voice call out and I stopped in my tracks. “Hey excuse me!”. I kept my back turned towards him not having the courage to face him that is until he came face to face to me. “I saw the ID tag on your backpack, you are attending DEUOTA too right?” fuck why did I put my ID out in the open?? I mentally cursed myself. “Can you lead me towards the university I don’t know where I am going…” he spoke obviously flustered rubbing the back of his head, He was still handsome I’ll give him that.
“S-sorry I don’t know what your talking about, I-I have to go” I let out tripping over my words not having the strength to continue on the conversation, I apologized and walked off leaving him in disbelief.
You may think I’m being over dramatic, but I mentally do not have the strength to face him, he caused me this illness, that will never go away. I have to live with this defect everyday for the rest of my life. While he lives his life in peace and harmony, and here I am suffering because of him.
I hate him.
♪ A broken heart is all that's left
I'm still fixin' all the cracks
Lost a couple of pieces when I carried it, carried it, carried it home ♪
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Thank you for reading!!
Please be kind in the comments♡
!!Please do not copy my work!!
Plagiarism is a crime!!
Song mentions:
#wen junhui x reader#jun x reader#junhui x reader#seventeen scenarios#seventeen#seventeen x reader#angst#seventeen fanfic#seventeen oneshot#wen junhui#wen junhui scenarios#seventeen wen junhui#wen junhui angst#moon junhui#moon junhui x reader#moon junhui scenarios#moon junhui angst#moon junhui one shot#wen junhui fanfic#wen junhui one shot#jun angst
34 notes
·
View notes
Text
SWEET DREAMS, wen junhui
♡⸝⸝ when you want nothing more than to just close your eyes and go to sleep after weeks of restless exhaustion, Junhui is the only one who's actually capable of lulling you to a slumber at the end of the day.
.ᐟ fluff. comfort. reader has a bad case of insomnia. mention of sexual acts ( just mentioned, not described in detail )
a/n: another junhui one shot because I'm such a sucker for soft junhui. Don't forget to leave feedback <3
It was almost two in the morning.
After a long day of Jun at practices and you at work, the two of you had finally gotten home to have some shitty take-out food and got ready for bed at around eleven thirty. You and Jun finished your nighttime routine - which was as usual, Jun taking his time with the self-care ritual and you watching him with confused eyes - and got into bed. Now that was almost two hours ago.
Almost half asleep after finishing his skin care, Jun had put out the candle that sat by your bed and turned off the light before laying down next to you. Even if he was falling asleep by the mere second that passed, he had still shuffled close to you, pressing a quick kiss into your forehead and another one to your lips before almost falling on top of your shoulder. As soon as his head was nestled in the familiar spot in your shoulder, Jun's eyes had shut ( as close as they could be obviously ), the day's exhaustion catching up to him. Soon, he was out like a light in the dark.
You, however, have been wide awake since the moment you got into bed.
The fact that sleeping has always been a challenge for you isn't a secret to Jun. He's very well aware of how you've been a target of heavy insomnia since a teenager - never actually been helped out of it. So, wakeful nights without a wink of sleep were rather familiar to both of you since the start of your relationship.
Jun found out about it on a random Thursday when he had decided to spend the night at your apartment for the first time. He came across a couple of medicines that you kept on your nightstand before turning to you with those big eyes of his - confused and questions swimming through them. Very casually, while folding some t-shirts from your laundry, you mentioned your condition.
The first couple of times he caught you awake in the middle of the night, he suggested going to a doctor to seek medical help, an idea you had turned down almost immediately. "Baby, why?" He had asked you with a pout present in his voice. You couldn't do anything other than smile at him before asking him why he thought the medicine he found was sitting untouched on the nightstand.
After that, Jun went into a spiral of online research about this behind your back. And then in a silent attempt to make it easier for you, he started trying various methods to get you to your sleep a little bit more.
He started with buying candles, and incense sticks and lighting them around your house, hoping it'll get you to relax and eventually drift you off into a slumber. But as he anticipated, it never seemed to work. Whenever he was staying over after that, he started to turn off the lights in your apartment a little earlier to try and lure you into going to bed earlier. However, now, almost six months later, none of his antics worked on you. Jun had been quite sad to see all his plans fail right before his eyes, but you were just too immune to anything at this point.
So eventually, Jun had nothing else to do other than settle down with the idea of you enduring the burden of this sleepless state. Nevertheless, he didn't stop trying to help out however he could.
Even after long days of hard work, Jun would try to stay up with you as long as he could after getting to bed, swearing to wait until you fell asleep. Yet, it always made you upset to see him lay awake knowing he was more exhausted than you and needed his rest for the next day. So as much as you hated to, you had to talk to him about how you didn't want him damaging his sleep schedule just because you were struggling with yours.
After so many hours and days trying to convince him, Jun finally settled with the routine of going to bed together where you'd stay talking until he fell asleep and then go on your phone, reading or listening to something for the rest of the night. The majority of the time, you two followed that routine. But once in a while, you would feel Jun stirring from his sleep at ungodly hours and catch you still awake - resulting in a very whiney Jun trying to lament you into falling asleep as well.
And today, not-so-surprisingly, is one of those days.
When you feel the first surge of movements, you're on your side with your back to Junhui. His arm which was initially thrown across your waist had fallen into the mattress between you, losing grasp when you turned to your side earlier. Your phone is in your hands, the screen in the lowest setting of brightness while you play you'd taken a liking to.
Assuming Jun is just shifting in his sleep, you continue to pay attention to your phone. But you're proven wrong when an arm is suddenly thrown around your waist, settling on your stomach with fingers warm against your skin. Your hands automatically halt on your screen at the movement. Assuming Junhui must have stirred awake by himself. You quickly check the time - 2.03 a.m
"You're awake"
Junhui mumbles into your hair in a groggy voice, clearly still half deep in his sleep. You could only still in his hold for a second before letting out a hum into the darkness around you. The familiar sound of a sigh leaving his lips is an apparent confirmation that he's not exactly happy about waking up to you still lying in bed, phone in hand and far away from actually getting some rest.
"Sweetheart," He tries, voice persistent. "You're going to destroy your eyes"
"I'm not"
You reply to him with a mumble of your lips, eyes still set on completing whatever level of the game you're playing right now. You feel the way Junhui shuffle behind you, now a little more awake as he brings up an arm over your hip to pull you closer to his body. You let yourself be dragged in his arms, Junhui almost draped across your back now. You can feel his breath hot in your ear and his legs tangling with yours as his warmth surrounds you like an octopus. You faintly feel his lips pressing softly to the back of your head before he sits up on his side, bringing up his hand to brush your hair away from your neck. Then a fleeting kiss is pressed to your temple as Junhui lets his lips rest there.
"Yn, baby" He sighs and you know he's not going to give up the fight he's started until you put down your phone and close your eyes. "Can we put the phone away? That's enough for the night, don't you think?"
When he receives no answer from you, Junhui taps your stomach in hopes of getting your attention. "You should try to get a little more sleep, baby"
You finally turn your face towards where he's hovering over for a brief second before turning back to the device. "I can't, Jun. I tried"
"But baby" You can now hear the slightest bit of frustration laced in his voice. "Let's lie down and try a little more, yeah? It's really late, yn. I'll pat your back too"
The screen changes in front of your eyes, letting you know that you've finished this level and requesting you to continue to the next one. Over your shoulder, you can almost feel the way Junhui watches as you click on it.
"I did, Jun. I tried. We came to bed at eleven something, you know? It's past two now"
Jun seems to recognize the tone of your voice, equally as tired and weary in exhaustion. And god forbid he understands when you say you tried your best.
If there was anyone who understood your condition and knew that it has never been easy for you to just effortlessly fall asleep despite being as exhausted as you are - it was Junhui. He knows how even on the days when you just want to close your eyes, turn off your mind and just sleep, you still have to stick to lying there without even a wink whatsoever. It had been a long time since he realized that you're as equally as tired of being like this, opting to try out different things to try and get better. Yet the lack of effective results or any sign of recovery only discouraged you more and more - finally settling in your gut in heavy defeat.
Junhui knows you've reached a certain point of insomnia when you refuse to even get into your bed - wanting to lounge around while staring into a void as a way to prevail through the night. Some nights he would find you curled up on the couch with tears running down from your lifeless eyes as you gaze ahead with an empty glance. There have been days when he would give up his own rest to hold you as you cried, just wanting to keep you close to him and offer you a chance to rest your eyes.
Junhui is very well aware that this isn't something you'd chosen to weather and that you're trying your best to overcome it. And he does his very best to help you like the angel he is.
His solutions usually vary from small gestures like changing the sheets or spraying his perfume on the pillowcases. Sometimes he would bring large scented candles home, always lighting them up around the house and trying to get you to relax. And sometimes he would even just take the bait, push you into the mattress and fuck you into a senseless sleep himself.
Yet, even after all this time, seeing you on the brink of breaking down, rest nowhere near you while you strain yourself day after day without a proper good night's sleep - it breaks him. His heart hurts at the heartbreaking sight of you curled up in the sheets, eyes still open and bouncing off of the screen in front of you.
"What do I need to do, baby? Tell me" He sighs softly, running his fingers down your side as he watches you press away at the game with expert taps. "You haven't gotten any proper rest for this entire week and I'm so so worried, love"
"You don't have to do anything, Jun. It's fine. I'm fine" You murmur, words barely audible. "Go back to sleep, okay? I know you're tired"
You're partially surprised when he goes silent after that, his breathing the only sound that falls on your ears. You expected him to put up another fight and argue against how he doesn't give a shit about his exhaustion any more than yours. But knowing him so well to the point you two are basically merged, you can tell that Junhui is still wide awake despite falling quiet.
Junhui's uneven breath hit your ear in a warm huff of air, tickling your skin lightly. You can tell that he's frustrated by the way he breathes alone. You understand that all he wants right now is to just get you to close your eyes and then his own. But you let your mind pay attention to the game instead of Jun, purely because you knew it would be useless anyway to even try at this point.
Not even two minutes later, the screen flashes with the notification of the completion of yet another level. But before you could even think about continuing, a hand is dashing over your shoulder and grabbing your phone - taking you by utter surprise.
A loud cry of protest leaves your mouth as you immediately sit up once the phone is snatched out of your hand - or at least you try to. Junhui is faster than you though. He's getting up in a flash before he's almost flinging your phone to a corner in your room, his other hand shooting to pin you to the bed by a palm against your face. Pushed right back against the mattress, You struggle against Junhui, who turns to you and almost lays himself completely over your body, trapping you underneath him.
You try to thrash around under him, trying to push the mess of long limbs and fluffy hair off of you but Junhui is one strong guy. He barely shifts when you claw at his skin and try to peel him off of you.
"Jun, get the fuck off of me" You grit through your teeth. "Why did you- ugh, get up, holy shit. Stop-"
After almost a cycle of you screaming for him to scramble away, trying to push him off and reach for the phone yourself - you give up. It's only when Junhui's one hundred per cent sure you are not going to fight back, he finally gets up.
He holds his upper body over your face, peering down at you with his starry eyes as his arms bracket your face. Your own hands come up to hold his forearms, eyes fitting over his as the two of you gaze into each other's faces silently.
It's in instances like this with rushed movements, and panicked conversations does it dawns on you how pretty your boyfriend actually is. His face looming over yours, illuminated by the city lights that seep into your room, hair falling over his forehead in short bangs and sleepy eyes boring into yours - you actually concede why you call him the absolute light of your life.
You only realize tears are running down your face when Junhui dips down to press a kiss against your cheek. Bringing up a hand and balancing himself on the other, he wipes the tear off with a delicate swipe of his thumb over your cheekbone.
"It's okay. I've got you, baby"
The gentle tone in his voice makes you want to cry even more. You can feel all the pent-up exhaustion and frustration finally overflowing the walls built around you when you look into Junhui's eyes - ever so understanding and gentle. When you tip over the edge, he's right there to catch you in his arms in a warm embrace. Junhui dips down to press his lips against your forehead and leaves a trail of kisses against your hairline as you cry out your frustrations under him. Tears dribble out the corner of your eyes, trickling down the sides of your face until the patch of sheet by your ears is damp with your distress.
"I wanna sleep, Jun. I just want - want to sleep. I'm so tired"
Junhui continues to wipe off every tear that trails down your cheeks, his own heart breaking at the sound of your sobbing helplessly, begging for a break from your restless shape. He mumbles reassurances into your skin in the form of softly pressed kisses. His lips are hot against your skin, a contrast to your icy cold skin.
When your cries finally smooth out into silent hiccups, Junhui moves to brush a bit of hair away from your face before leaning down and pressing his lips square against yours. Junhui had always kissed you with so much passion - as if he was trying to convey all the love in his heart through one press of his lips on yours. Junhui kisses like every brush of your lips is going to be his last - mouth numb on yours as he tries to indulge the whole being that is you in the couple of seconds he's got his lips on your skin.
"I wish I could take away all your pain. I really wish I could" The words Junhui mumbles into your lips are barely audible. But somehow, you hear him perfectly fine, eyes watering again when you open your eyes to see him staring at you with the most sincere and softest gaze. His eyes are hooded, exhaustion pulling at the strings of the conscious state he's in - yet Junhui takes his sweet time to rake his eyes over your face, and press a couple more kisses into your lips before lying down next to you.
As soon as his back hits the mattress, you're being tugged into his arms.
Slowly and carefully, Junhui guides you to lie down on his shoulder, face pressed into his neck and hand coming up to rest against his chest. One of Junhui's hands is around you, holding you close to his body with enough strength in a blind attempt to make sure you don't dare escape his embrace at any point. His other arms comes over your shoulder to cuddle you closer, drawing patterns into your skin once he's got you all settled against him.
The familiar silence surrounds the two of you - just like the darkness that envelopes almost all of your room. Yet the quietness is interrupted when you open your mouth in a heavy exhale after a while.
"Jun" You speak into the silence, voice somewhat meek and receiving a familiar hum as a reply. "I'm sorry"
You can almost picture the way his mouth opens in an automatic reassurance, promising him that you didn't have to apologize for something that is completely out of hand. But you decide to beat him to it and continue with your words.
"I know you want me to tell you when I'm not feeling okay but I can't do that to you, Jun. Especially because I know how tired you are. You drain yourself at practices every single day and it makes me feel so shitty when I see you trying to stay awake for me even when you want nothing more than to crash and pass out at the end of the day. I'm sorry, Junhui. I really am"
Junhui sighs from above you, hands tightening against your frame a little bit. "Sweetheart, I'm not going to talk to you about how you have nothing to apologize for because you already know that well enough. But yn, baby, I just want you to get the rest your body needs. You drain yourself at work almost as much as me and it breaks me to know you're struggling by yourself like this. I just want you to be comfortable, yn - the healthiest you, that's what I want"
"I don't care if my sleep schedule gets messed up if it means my baby is finally able to get all the rest she needs, okay? You're so strong, love, you are. But this has been going on for long enough for me to lose my mind over. I want to help you, baby. I want to be able to hold you and tell you that it's okay - that you'll be fine. I'm always here with you baby, I love you so so much"
"Junnie?" You call out once he has finished his monologue with a faint kiss to the crown of your head. The low hum you get in return makes Junhui's chest rumble under your skin.
"Yeah, baby?"
"I don't deserve you"
Junhui almost chuckles in your ear, making you look up at him with a confused gaze. The smile he sends your way is almost blinding against the darkness in the room. "Yes, you do, baby. Yes you do"
Once the silence around them wraps the room for the nth time that night, you feel the weariness of days and the mental exhaustion from your work finally settles deep in your gut. You let yourself be pulled tighter against Junhui's chest for the rest of the night. He let his fingers slowly run up and down your back, trying to slowly coax you into a very much-needed sleep. The light scrape of his blunt nails against your back always helps you fall into a very comfortable headspace.
"I love you, Jun. So much"
"Sleep for me, okay? I love you too, a crazy amount, baby. it drives me insane sometimes"
Junhui once again pressed a light confession of love in the form of a long kiss to the crown of your head before he finally let his own eyes slip shut - his mind hoping it would not take you a lot of time to fall into a slumber of your own after everything you had gone through.
#seventeen#seventeen imagines#seventeen x reader#seventeen fluff#seventeen angst#wen junhui#wen junhui imagines#wen junhui fluff#junhui fluff#junhui imagines#moon junhui#wen junhui x reader#wen junhui angst#junhui x reader#svt jun
173 notes
·
View notes
Text
SYNOPSIS : jeonghan loves you. the happier ending to kidult
PAIRING : daycareworker!jeonghan x genderneutral!reader
GENRES : established relationship, daycare au, angst, fluff, features seventeen as children
WARNINGS : mentions of car accident and child neglect
TEASER WORD COUNT : 329
ESTIMATED WORD COUNT : 7-10k
ESTIMATED RELEASE DATE : within the next week. i lied its coming out when i get time cause why tf is my college doing sm
TAGLIST : lmk if you want to be added!
A/N : this is for kidult jeonghan reaching 1k notes. i love you all
K. COLLECTION [Y.JH] ONE | TWO
Tears began to stream down your face, unable to hold them back, and you were thankful Jeonghan missed it, but when you heard him apologize, you turned around and snapped at him.
“What the hell do you even want?”
“I want to talk to you.”
“You had two weeks to talk to me!” you yelled, fighting the loudness of the rain. The stream of tears ran faster down your cheeks as you brought a hand to your forehead, shielding the rain from getting into your eyes.
“I tried!”
“By knocking on my door for an hour straight at two in the fucking morning?! You could’ve called! You have a key!”
“Well it’s not like you tried either—”
“I got hit by a car!” you screamed, storming towards him as the sky reflected your mood. The thunder was just as loud as the pounding in your heart, and the rain poured just as much as your tears. You pushed Jeonghan, and behind him you saw a crack of lightning. Your vision started to blur as you didn’t hold back your sobs, wanting to show him the pain he’d inflicted on you ever since he left.
“I got hit by a car, Jeonghan! What about you? Were you hit by a car?! A truck? Perhaps a plane?” You forced out a manic laugh before continuing. “Wait, no, don’t tell me. Let me guess,-”
“Y/N—”
“-mauled by a bear?”
“I can explain-”
“Tell me I’m goddamn overreacting.” You took a step forward, and instead of pushing him again, you stared, making him look at the pain he created. “Tell me I’m overreacting, Hannie. Look me in my eyes and say it loud and clear.”
“I knew you’d be there for me.”
“I missed you, I needed you-”
“I know.”
“The day I lose you is the day I lose myself.”
“I don’t want you to wake up and realize I’m not the one for you. I don’t want that for us.”
hopefully the svt readers see this 😔
#kidult `` oneshot#yoon jeonghan#seventeen fluff#svt angst#jeonghan x reader#jeonghan au#svt imagines#svt scenarios#kpop fanfic#kpop fanfiction#kpop drabbles#choi seungcheol#joshua hong#wen junhui#kwon soonyoung#jeon wonwoo#lee jihoon#lee seokmin#kim mingyu#xu minghao#boo seungkwan#vernon chwe#lee chan
258 notes
·
View notes
Text
Would you like a receipt? Pt. 2
Part 2 of my Valentines collaboration with @svthub hosted by my wifey @wongyuseokie thank you so much for creating this collab, we love you so much. here is part two in case you missed it pt. 1
Pairing: Childhood bf!junhui x working class afab!reader
Genre: fluff, slight angst, slice of life, smut
Word count: 4.3k
tags: mentions of alcohol, adult activities under the influence, second chances, exes to ???, childhood friend/boyfriend!junhui, teasing, unprotected sex, soft turn needy jun, biting
Summary: Coming across a grade school ex-boyfriend while you worked a shitty seasonal job around Valentines was not in your 2024 bingo card.
author note: finally to my dear valentine @skyechild. it feels like so long since i wrote a fully fledge smut and i'll be producing more. I hoped you've enjoyed it mio, happy valentines day again 💘
Tag: @shiningstar-byulxx @misssugarlips @tommolex @hoeforhao @homerunhansol @dkakapizzaboy @junhui-recs @svtup @buffhoshi @meowmeowminnie @caratochan @lovebot4han @6969lilithcat @camisun93 @emmmui @toruro @jeonride @novalpha @nvmrljk @feat-sun @tinkerbell460 @aaniag @tacosandbitch
Your relationship with Junhui ended when he abandoned you.
Of course, you remember him. He is the first guy you’ve ever dated and all of a sudden in the height of your relationship he mysteriously moves away without a trace. You were left in the dust, wondering what it was for him to leave you alone without warning, much less a goodbye. Back then, neither of you had the privilege of owning a cell phone nor any other way to contact each, even so, how would you call god knows who where?
Despite the abrupt and unexplained departure, hope flickers within your tiny eleven-year-old heart; an inkling whispers that you might cross paths again. However, the reality your adult self faces is starkly different from the innocent optimism of your youth. Those hopes of reuniting in fruitful harmony died along with your dreams of living out dreams beyond reality. You know better than that now. However, meeting him again, unexpectedly, reopens old wounds for the same reasons that severed your connection years ago, yet at the same time also opens up new possibilities you have yet to discover about yourself.
“I know you have every right to hate me.”
“What’s there to hate you for? Something came up. That’s fine.”
You busy yourself with your work a day after Valentine's during the lunch hour, which you woefully choose to take. You say woefully once the doors are open and the singular customer you come across is the very man that left you hanging all of last night. His eyes round with guilt, he strides right towards you, and nothing but apologies spill from his lips.
You are usually a person to hold a grudge–with your background of servitude and duty, you have no luxury to–but Jun seems to bring out that side of you. That childish side that you’ve repressed for so long. The kind that hoped their parents would take them to the carnival and pay for overpriced popcorn and cotton candy.
"I understand you might harbor some…resentment towards me, and you have every right to feel that way."
You scoff under your breath. "What's there to hate me for? Things came up, and that's perfectly acceptable."
"It's not fine." Jun trails behind you as you briskly navigate the aisles, replenishing the missing items, all while avoiding his eyes. The fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the shelves, and his shadow shades over any shelf you stand in front of–constantly in your line of vision. "I should have given you an earlier heads-up. You waited for me."
You meticulously scan the shelves, your fingers deftly selecting items with practiced efficiency, nonchalantly proceeding with work. "And I went back home; it's okay. Have a good day, sir. Remember, only paying customers are allowed in the store."
Immediately, Jun hastily seizes several boxes of candy, the crinkling of plastic punctuating the sudden flurry of movement. His fingers fumble slightly as he attempts to maintain composure, but the visible tension in his posture betrays his true emotions. He carries the candy with him as he trails behind you, a silent acknowledgment of his disrupted intentions. "I'll be buying these, don't worry."
You expel a loud sigh, the weariness evident in your demeanor, before retreating to the counter. There, you rest your arms against it in annoyance, the cool surface providing a brief respite. "Junhui, you're not buying these."
“Yes, I am.”
A challenging exchange unfolds between you, and Jun leans in, determination flickering in his eyes. You cross your arms. "What will get you to leave?"
“I’ll leave…if you tell me you never ever want to see my face again. That you wish me the worst and you truly want me out of your life.”
You fixate your gaze on him, a long moment passing as you process the weight of his terms and conditions.
“I never ever want to see your face again. I wish you the worst, and I truly want you out of my life.”
A moment of silence hangs heavily, and Jun lets linger longer than it should. “...I’ll be honest, I didn't think you’d actually do it.”
You offer a nonchalant shrug, your face maintaining a stoic expression. "Well."
His smile fades, and he retrieves his wallet with a subtle sense of resignation. A handful of bills gracefully leave their sleeves, and he places them gently on the counter before you. "Then, I'll leave. The candy is for you.”
As he takes tentative steps toward the exit, the atmosphere thickens with unrelieved tension. He can't resist the urge to steal glances back at you every few seconds, revealing the inner turmoil that accompanies his departure. The weight of unspoken words and unresolved emotions hangs between you like a translucent veil, urging you to let him go, yet a lingering hesitation looms in the air.
“I can’t eat all this candy,” you mutter from behind the counter, your gaze meeting his with a blend of understanding and resolve. The subdued lighting from the overhead fluorescent lights casts a muted glow on the scene, intensifying the bittersweet nature of the moment. It's as if the very atmosphere is a canvas, painting the emotional undertones of a strained encounter.
He attempts to suppress a grin, the corners of his lips betraying a flicker of amusement. "Keep them, give them away. Whatever you want." You lightly flick at the edge of one of the candy boxes. The faint rustling of plastic emanates from the candy boxes, their contents cascading over each other in an unstable tower reaching the height of your chin, yet somehow its stands tall.
"You should take some, considering you bought it anyway."
He glances back at the candy, hesitating for a moment before responding. "Then I'll get it later." His hands hover over the door handle, caught in the indecision of departure before a ghost fo a smile appears on his lips. “When I come back.”
The ambient sounds of the store, the soft hum of the air conditioning, and the intermittent creaks of the floor fills the deafening silence. The door handle finally yields to his touch, and the door opens with a muted chime. He steps halfway through, still tethered to the threshold. The quiet rustling of the candy boxes accentuates the pause, and he turns back to you, a question lingering in his gaze. The fluorescent lights overhead continue to cast their gentle glow, creating a subdued ambiance that amplifies unspoken tension that you tried damn hard deescalating.
A beat passes, and you nod towards the candy. "Okay. When you come back." The words hang in the air as a subtle invitation. With a final nod, he steps out, the door closing softly behind him, leaving you in the quiet aftermath with the candy boxes.
Uncertainty takes residence in your thoughts, including the consideration that perhaps you meant to reunite with Junhui. You still have shattered pieces of your youth, reminding you he has the power to hurt like he’s done before. Yet, a weariness settles in—a weariness with the familiar routine, the predictability that has defined your interactions. Throughout your life, your every move has been strategic, a means of survival for yourself and your family, driven by the imperative to secure their well-being. Maybe it's time to defy convention and take it back to your roots, do what present-day you wouldn’t dare do.
You meet as expected, coming out of your work in your casual attire usually hidden behind an obnoxiously loud candy sales apron, muted in colors that paired well with the night. Junhui stands before you, a bundle of roses–bigger than you’ve ever seen–is hold up with endless ribbon and his iron grip. “A cliche, but I figured you were overdue one. This obviously doesn’t make up for anything–”
“I appreciate it,” you interrupt. “It’s the kindest thing someone’s ever done for me to be honest.”
“Well, good,” he grins, “But I have much more planned.”
It’s funny. The last thing you expect on thursday–the day after valentines–is to be on an helicopter several thousand feet in the air overlooking the town and their handful of buildings in every corner. You look as if discovering color for the first time with the bright lights under your feet looking like stars, insignificant yet blinding where you sat. You glance over at Junhui in shock as he smiles at your amazement, finding you the most profound thing he’s seeing tonight.
Dinner is given, considering that was the original plan, but dinner in the nicest restaurant a town over with a private room to yourselves isn’t. Junhui, stylish in a simple navy button-up and lack of blazer left in the aircraft with no remorse, picks through with chopsticks his perfectly cooked wagyu steaming from the scorchingly deliciously broth that coats it before putting it in his mouth.
You follow after him, not forgetting to dip rich and decadent flavors the sauce he personally curated for you. Having only ever eaten to survive, you’ve never had hot pot before and Junhui looks as if he’s an expert.
“The way I will miss this every day the moment dinner is over,” you pick up sauce from the corner of your lip with your tongue, a film of umami dancing on your tastebuds.
“I still can’t believe you’ve never had hot pot before,” Junhui expresses in disbelief. “You have not lived until a molten piece of wagyu melts in your mouth.”
“Yeah,” you softly chuckle knowingly. “Out of my price range most days, if I’m being honest.”
“Right. Just kind of the life I always knew, I hope I get to share it with you more.”
Your eyebrow raises by a fraction. “More?”
An airy laugh escapes from Junhui's lungs as he picks up another piece of perfectly cooked Wagyu and places it on your plate. “More.”
You swallow a lump in your throat, following the delicious gift bestowed on your plate before facing him. You don’t know why your hands are clammy, you’re just having dinner in a restaurant you wouldn’t otherwise know about in another town dropped off in a fucking helicopter. “Jun. I didn’t come here to rekindle a relationship from when we were kids.”
His hands falter, dropping strength as he picks up his food. “I know…I was just. I was just happy to see you.”
“Really? Then why did we part like that?”
“Like what?”
“Without a goodbye.”
A look of resolve washes over his flawless complexion, “…I didn’t expect it either. My parents made it their life’s mission to give me the life that they thought I deserved and wanted. To them, that meant a life without, well, anything short of the best. Whatever made our family looked good.”
You fork through your food, a mixture of curiosity and frustration etched across your face. “You could’ve at least told me.”
“I didn’t know we were going until we flew off. I wish I had, I would’ve stopped that plane at all costs. Come back to this town for work, thinking everything’s changed. Then I saw you, I was ecstatic. Like, a piece of me still left behind in this town.”
You laugh in disbelief. “Jun, you’re joking. I’m not anybody.”
“You were the last real friend I had. The last authentic relationship I had with anyone my age. All business, no pleasure. When I left, I was trained day and night, molded into this perfect model exec. Perfect to continue my family’s business. Well, almost perfect.”
Your gaze lingers on him, unraveling the layers of his confession that starkly contrast with his captivating exterior. His chocolate hair is illuminated by the light of the dangling chandelier, his body is hugged by the luxurious cotton as if it were a second skin. Despite the opulent surroundings, the genuine humility he exudes speaks volumes about his character. He is perfect.
"Well, you seem to be pretty damn perfect from where I'm standing."
He shakes his head, putting another piece of meat on your plate, followed by a piece of shrimp. “That’s far from it. It’s funny you’ve gotten to see it all. Me messing up. I try not to let that happen to often.”
“So Valentine’s Day…it was all because of work?”
He nods, a subtle grimace betraying the weight of his responsibilities. “The one and only dreaded mistress.”
Junhui has worked all of his life until this moment, even in his desperate escape from reality. It’s a weight on his shoulders, constantly beckoning at him for his attention, and somehow having their vice grip on his collar. He knows it's unhealthy, but it’s all he’s ever known. All the socialite dinners, the charity events, the several hours long meetings on a daily basis. It’s the life he has always lived.
Then comes you, someone a sight for sore eyes. Age obviously has had its way with you but it did not rid you of your grace or gentle gaze. You had that look even young. Someone who only spoke of kindness and sincerity, even now with him, who stood you up hardly 24 hours ago. He could at least make up for it. He wasn’t sure if it was to you or himself.
The clinking of silverware against plates punctuates the conversation, the atmosphere heavy with the unspoken. The restaurant buzzes from the crack of the door, oblivious to the palpable remorse for a relationship–even friendship–that cease to exist in your private room.
“She isn’t good to you?”
“She’s…demanding. Do you remember when that kid Wonwoo stole your juice box without looking and every day after for the rest of the year?”
You scowl, recalling the glasses-dependent little boy. "What a brat. I couldn't stand him."
Jun laughs, sensing the lightheartedness in your tone. “Kind of like how he stole something you love, your favorite apple juice, that’s what work has done to me: stolen my happiness at the end of the day. It’s…exhausting.”
“I understand that. I’m in a similar situation. Working to live is what all we can do nowadays.”
Junhui holds up his drink for you to clink. “Fuck adulthood, am I right?”
You grin, lifting the glass. “Let’s not talk about work then. To live the night to the fullest.” Your cups clank and you drink your first of many glasses of wine of the night.
You end up relearning about Junhui, hearing about his likes, dislikes, dreams, and what he’d do if he wasn’t him. It’s strange. You don’t go on dates but here you are with Junhui, one of the most interesting men you’ve ever met and you’re enjoying yourself. You’re enjoying his presence.
Perhaps you’re enjoying it too much.
Your work clothes find themselves on the floor, your arms dangling from from his taut body to feel the tension of his muscles gather your flesh in his grasp.
How did you get in his apartment? You swear up and down that you had just been in the restaurant.
You gasp as his lips find your neck, cascading kisses over your skin and his hands find the fullness of your thighs. Your hands run through his hair with reckless abandon, tugging from the root and breathing against his ear. You feel a shudder run down his spine and he lifts you off the ground, wrapping your legs around his waist as you’re enveloped in soft giggles.
You utter his name in a heated whisper, feeling the friction of his bulge against the plush of your stomach. You grasp his face, looking into his eyes that were blown out from lust, and trace over his features wordlessly. A hint of a smile creeps against his mouth before reuniting with you in a liplock, softly giggling against your lips.
“You taste like wine,” he presses a tender kiss, “I like it.”
“You’re just a little drunk,” you sweetly respond, squealing as you meet with the cushion of his mattress adorned in the most lush sheets. His playful gaze peers over you in piqued interest, kneading into your flesh as he ravishes your body, eliciting moans that delight him to the point of hardening.
You feel it swelling under your palm and you find yourself smiling, drunk on not substance but fantasy, as in this moment, it feels like you are living in a dream. At this moment, you’re not working multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet and send money to your family. You’re living. There's no pressure, only bliss; and right now, bliss is being in Junhui’s touch.
His clumsy yet gentle hands strip you to your skin, slipping you out of your straps and embracing every inch of your body. You reciprocate, roaming his body in light strokes, taking him by his hips.
“Are you sure about this? Are you sure about me?” Junhui cautiously asks, fingers threading through your hair.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” you respond, voice laced with ease.
You extend your arms, beckoning him to come closer, but you sense the tension in his muscles. Worry graces his eyes as he hesitates, and he voices his uncertainty, saying, "I'm not sure if you are."
“Junhui…” your hands caress his arms, goosebumps pebbling his skin. “I want you so bad.”
“I want you too.” His legs anchor on either of your sides, towering over you. “I don’t think I wanted anything—anyone as badly as I want you.”
His words sober you up, oxygen stolen from your lungs. Your lips parted for nothing to come out, a wordless ponder in what he had meant. You slip off his grasp with his gentle release, his head bowing down in view. “But I shouldn’t do this. Not in your state.”
“But—“
“I shouldn’t have even gotten this far, but I’ll be holding myself back from now on.”
He picks himself up, and the draft immediately hits your flushed skin. He picks up your abandoned clothes and tucks them under his arm before making his way to a wardrobe. He pulls out a set of silk pajamas and sets them at the end of the bed. “I’ll wash your clothes and you can sleep in these. They might be a bit big, but they’ll be comfortable.”
You’re speechless as he walks away, disappearing behind the heavy door of the bedroom you’re left alone in. You weren’t sure how to feel. Unwanted. Betrayed. Disappointment. However, sleep offers no time for deliberation, and the amalgamation of fatigue and alcohol becomes a potent concoction for slumber. Lost in the enveloping darkness, your body succumbs to the overdue rest. Resolving to deal with it in the morning, you surrender to the oblivion of sleep.
It’s a morning unlike any other, starting with the fact you decide not to be at work today like you should’ve been, but you’d soon regret that later. That thought is interrupted by Junhui bringing you breakfast, setting it on the bedside table to take the space by you. “Did you sleep well?”
You slowly nod, emerging from the sheets you’ve found temporary comfort in.
“I left you some hangover medicine, just in case.”
“Thanks, Jun.”
“And I’m sorry for leaving you here by yourself. I wasn’t sure if I could handle being alone with you in a room.” He shifts in bed, weight dropping deeper into the mattress. “I’m glad I stopped things before we–I did something I’d regret.”
“...I wouldn’t have regretted it.” The bed sheets fall past your thighs to reveal your bare legs, cool air brushing against your warm flesh. You notice how his eyes lower to your exposed skin, his hand visibly tingling with urge.
Words hitch in Junhui’s throat before he clears it, speaking as he averts his gaze. “Still. That would’ve been a very, very bad idea.”
"That's very considerate of you," you say, inching closer to him. “Wish you were considerate enough to wake me up early enough to go to work, though.”
Guilt sweeps across his features, he releases a soft chuckle of disbelief. “I skipped out on work too. Guess we’ll both be in some load of trouble.”
“Best we make it worth it, right?”
Food would not saite the hunger in your body. It craves much more than it can offer. Junhui only knows half an idea of what that is.
You quickly pick up where things were left off from last night, finding yourself topping over him with purpose, meeting his lips in a feverish frenzy, and finding that sense of abandonment. Junhui, lost beyond comprehension in your heat, takes only a split second to compose himself and undo his clothes as you undo yours. Warm familiarity swells his chest touching your skin as his fingers dig in your hips. He sighs against your lips and all he can think about is making up for lost time.
“Gosh, you’re so big, Jun.” Your hand runs along his shaft, gliding it against the slit of your heat. Jun inhales, latching around your vicarious wrist, catching the subtle darkness in your eyes that halts the saliva running down his throat. “C-condom?”
“I’m safe. Don't worry,” you let out, a sultry laugh to follow.
“I figured, but the other thing?”
“I’m protected from that too,” you whisper, grinning. “Anything is on the table.”
His face reminds you of strawberries and cream, sweet and red. He lowers his gaze timidly, unable to suppress his smile, almost too precious not to bite into. Almost.
You press his cock between your folds, letting your heat melt around him and you mewl over his size. He softly moans caressing your shape and letting you have control as your teeth nip at his shoulder. The cushion of your thighs crushes around his body in an iron grip, working him between your walls.
You lift your upper body for display, kneading your breasts that’s used to the constant confinement of a 12-hour work day before guiding Junhui to join you. Eagerly, he follows, feeling your flesh spill through his hands, your nipples growing stiff as he twists them between the pads of his fingers. Stars in his eyes, he instinctively thrusts up you, and stuffs his cock deeper back in you, watching the plushness of your body land safely back into him.
You stumble to maintain your form, utterances of religion on your tongue. You lick your lips and latch to every inch of his throbbing hunger. His name comes out in choked breaths, complimenting him without the prestige vocabulary, and you grind into him until he disappears inside you. Your eyes flutter in contentment, the kindling fire in your abdomen burning a bright glow.
“Shit…”
Junhui a hand claims the back of your neck, pushing your head down until he meets your lips once again. It’s so gentle yet lustful, almost like love, but you know to suspect otherwise.
In an instant, he flips you on the bed, landing you on your side. Your body, experiencing too much ecstasy to protest, allows Junhui to take reign and is pleasantly surprised with his choices.
“I swear I have more self-control,” He defends before his hand gingerly makes its way between your legs, and the pads of his fingers find your clit in a sensual caress. “Just…just not today.”
Your arousal creates a film of sex on his fingers, building pleasure as his cock regains his paces, fucking into your steady, controlled rhythm. It’s delicious, tantalizing, and makes your back arch at every thrust, but you know he’s holding himself back. You know there’s more in him.
“More, Jun…”
“Too…soon…”
He bites his grunts into your side, sandwiching you between him and the mattress, and he ruts into you only a fraction harder. His patience has you desiring for more, compelled to lure him into a drastic reveal of his inner demons. Your head turns to him, eyes oozing in need and conviction, and you softly jut out your lip to plead. “Please, Jun…”
“I’ll cum…too soon…” he whines.
You force your hand, then your hips, slamming back against him, needy and desperate. It's filthy with the look in your eyes, the bounce against his lap, the blood rushing over Jun’s whole body down to his disciplined cock. His length runs along the slick of the walls, the walls that feel only narrower as he grows bigger. He swears under his breath he can’t take it, fucking you loud and clear until the clash of your skin was comparable to the sound of drums.
Before Junhui is determined to savor every thrust, now he only wishes to seek a newer form of enlightenment in every inch of your body. Your hands ball into the sheets, gaining a foundation, and your eyes start to roll back into your skull, now you savoring every hasten jerk of his hips. No longer delicate and kind, but relieving yet electrifying.
You embrace every corner of him until your climax explodes like a bomb, traveling to all parts of your body and you can no longer recall where you are. Your legs spasm, toes curling, hips writing, and it doesn’t stop. Not for a while.
Junhui hardly notices as he’s lost in his own pleasure, your swollen clit between his fingertips. Your voice muffles as it falls against the sheets, although he expects them to be incoherent as he is now with only sex on his mind.
Eventually, his gut tightens, a surefire sign that it would soon enough come. His arms crush around your body as he lifts you against him. He pounds deep and hard into you, your pleasured sounds of ache growing smaller as his thrust does, and he floods every ounce inside you. He hears your shattered breath against his ears, unearthing his own before his body limps and falls over on the bed.
Both of you needed escape for your own reasons, reasons being much similar than you realize. Now all that left is breakfast, and the ponderance of what’s to become of this after. One suspects more to come, seeing this as only the beginning of something different, maybe even good. The other is ready to face reality, go back to daily routine, and do what’s needed to be done.
Unsurprisingly, you are the latter.
#svthub#svthub.collab#wen junhui smut#junhui smut#wen junhui#junhui#seventeen#junhui fluff#junhui angst#wen junhui angst#seventeen x reader#svt#seventeen junhui#seventeen jun#svt jun#seventeen fanfic#seventeen fluff#seventeen angst#junhui x reader#junhui x you#junhui x y/n#junhui fanfic#seventeen x you#seventeen x y/n
109 notes
·
View notes
Text
5:21 PM
you never used to believe in the idea of "fate" but if any day was going to prove you wrong, it was today.
the stars had (in the absolute worst way possible) lined up in a way that made even you question the irony of it all. not only were you late to work today, you had run straight over a puddle on the walk to work: ruining your shoes, soaking your socks, and staining your skirt. then at work, you somehow managed to delete the entire file that you had spent two painstakingly long hours trying to format, only for your mouse to slip and click 'delete file' instead of 'save file'. and the icing on the cake, you realized that you hadn't remembered to grab anything to eat for lunch on the way out of the door this morning. all in all, this all added up to result in a very sad, sad day.
you couldn't believe your luck (or lack of it).
but finally, you reached the end of your workday. softly sighing, you logged out of your computer, and began packing up your stuff before noticing your phone screen light up with a text notification.
baby jun 🐱:
are you getting off work now ?
i got off work early today ! i'll meet you outside your office and we can walk home together (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)and i got you a surprise !
your eyes widened as you read the message on your phone, a small glimmer of delight breaking through the cloud of misfortune that had hung over your day. you never knew how, but your boyfriend somehow was always the one person who seemed to have a knack for turning your gloomy days around.
a smile crept onto your face as you quickly replied:
"yes, just finished! i'll meet you outside baby !
you packed up your belongings in a hurry, eager to escape the your desk and the day that seemed determined to test your patience at every turn. as you walked out of the office building, you couldn't help but your mood slowly get lighter.
sure enough, as you emerged from the building, you spotted junhui waiting for you with a bright smile. he held out a cardboard boxhis right hand, the aroma wafting through the air as you got closer, letting you know it was your favorite earl grey pastries from a bakery you often frequented across the street.
taking light steps up to meet him, you opened your arms to wrap around his shoulders, resting your face in the nook of his neck, feeling his arms wrap around your body as he placed a soft kiss on the side of your head.
"tough day?" he asked, sympathy in his eyes as he began to pat your back in a soothing manner.
you chuckled, realizing how understated that question was, before pulling back to look him in the eyes. "you have no idea. it's like the entire universe decided to play a prank on me today."
"well, consider this the universe's way of making it up to you," he replied, before turning and linking his free hand with yours. "let's walk home together, and i promise by the time we get there, i'll make sure you'll forget all about your terrible day."
as the two of you strolled together, the weight of the day began to lift. junhui's company, your shared laughter, and the simple joy of having someone to lean on turned your day's misfortunes into distant memories. you couldn't help but marvel at the serendipity of it all, the way fate seemed to weave its magic in the most unexpected moments.
perhaps, you thought, there was something to this idea of fate after all. because somehow, fate had brought this ray of warm sunlight in your life, and you couldn't be more grateful for the stars aligning in the best and most unexpected way.
#svt x reader#svt fluff#svt imagines#svt scenarios#svt drabble#svt soft hours#seventeen fanfic#svt angst#seventeen soft hours#seventeen fluff#svt#wen junhui#moon junhui#junhui#junhui x reader#junhui fluff#junhui smut#junhui imagines#seventeen jun#seventeen junhui#jun imagines#jun scenarios#jun soft hours
89 notes
·
View notes
Text
𝐦é𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞 •°. *࿐
🎻 feat: violinist!jun x violinist!reader, victorian era, enemies to lovers (kind of)
🎻 warnings: mentions of physical abuse (not explicit), mentions of cheating (but no one cheated)!!! not the best e2l i'm very sorry
🎻word count: ~11k
🎻 summary: in an era of music and dance, of dukes and arranged marriages, there is only one man whom you fight tooth and nail to play at the same tempo as -- legendary violinist wen junhui. people fall over themselves to dance to a song he plays, and festivities from all over the land request the pleasure of his attendance.
portraits are painted, praises sung of him, but you've only ever known him as your stiffest competition, in a society where outstanding women are frowned upon, reduced to mere puppets in the shadow of men. yet, amid domineering voices and too-loud presences, you have no option but to understand that he was the melody that played his way into your heart.
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
1870, November 11th
"Your Grace," You reach for the Duchess' outstretched hand as you exit the carriage, your other hand lifting your gown, the horses skittering as they reach a complete stop.
"My dear Y/N! It has been too long since you have graced our court," The Duchess seems pleased to meet you as she clutches your hand tightly, you squeezing it in return.
"It has been long," You agree. "It is an honour to play for the annual ball once more."
"Nonsense!" She trills a laugh, her hand coming up to cover herself. "Truly, it is our greatest blessing to be able to hear your music."
You smile in gratitude as she leads you towards the palace. "Thank you, Your Grace. I'm looking forward to performing for you as well."
"I'll have someone send up your bags to your rooms," She adds, continuing to walk you in. "The estate is busy today, what with the company we're having... and the two greatest violinists of our time!"
Your smile freezes on your face. It can't be, it's not possible--
"Of course, we're not expecting Sir Wen Junhui just yet, but I like the staff to be well-prepared-"
Wen Junhui. Of course, it had to be him.
"My dear? Are you alright?" The Duchess asks you, concern on her face. "I didn't have you just now."
"My apologies, Your Grace," You immediately say, a smile plastered on your face. "I...I must have been tired. Carriage journeys have never really been my preference."
"Of course, how could I forget!" The duchess sighs, before turning to the servants trailing behind. "Ensure Miss Y/N has everything she needs. She must be in tip-top condition for the ball." At the servants' bow, she turns back to you. "I must return to the preparations," she tells you. "Will you be alright heading to your rooms by yourself? The servants will lead you."
"Of course, Your Grace," You curtsy. "You really didn't have to lead me in, it was too much trouble. Please, I wish not to disturb you further."
Again, her tinkling laugh. "What words! You could never be a trouble to me, my dear friend."
You bid your farewell and as she leaves, the servants motioning to lead you to your chambers.
You shake your head lightly as you resume the walk. Wen Junhui, in the same place as you. What luck.
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
"You two surely have met, given your professions," The Duke tells you as he beckons to a tall man you know all too well. "It is my understanding that you both played for His Majesty's coronation the previous year."
"Indeed we did," His velvet-like voice, thinly masking his hostility, returns. "It was charming to be in her company."
"As if." Your mutter, thankfully, goes unheard by the Duke. Junhui, however, picks up on it, what with those sensitive ears of his that supposedly make him an oh-so-amazing violinist, and raises his eyebrows at you.
The Duke excuses himself soon after to find his wife, which leaves you and Junhui standing alone. His waistcoat, laced with what you recognise to be one of the finest silks in the market, rustles with his movement as he turns and faces you properly.
He bows to you in mock politeness. "My pleasure to be in your delightful company once more, Miss L/N."
You roll your eyes. "Skip the formality, for our sakes."
Amusement laces his cat-like features. "If you say so, treasure." The term of endearment stirs more irritation in you.
The hostility between you two dated back to your teens. Fresh out in the world and eager for opportunity, you tried to become the court violinist in the royal orchestra, to prove yourself not just as a talent but as a woman, only to be turned away with the memo that a violinist had already been chosen, the only one the court was looking for, and it had been Junhui, all lanky limbs but with the fervour of a highly determined seventeen-year-old.
And at the birthday celebration of a royal you didn't remember, for which your family watched from the gates, you heard him play for the very first time. The symphony the orchestra had played, the seamless chords and semiquavers that had flowed from his relentless fingers on the strings, and the firm press of the glowing horsehair of his bow had impressed every person in the audience. Except for you.
No, you were bitter, so, so, bitter, that the one chance you had strived for your whole life had been taken from right through your fingers.
From then on, you had been known, amongst many in your small town, not very kindly, to be the "young lady who had dared to pit herself against Wen Junhui".
Your mother and father had taken the remarks in shame, beginning to discourage you from pursuing music. Yet, you had taken no heed, continuing to find all ways to continue what had become your lifeline.
And as he soared, both in skill and in fame, to become the most popular violinist of the age, you worked equally hard at your art, staining your fingers with cuts and your wrists with injury as you strived to reach his heights.
And you had run into luck, for an academy run by a sharp-tongued man scouted you at a performance at your local church. Before long, you were on the stage, flitting from event to celebration, just as you dreamed. You played concertos and partitas to your heart's content, did opening acts for renowned orchestras, and headlined the stage in the courts of various nations, eager to keep climbing the ladder towards the goal that was Junhui.
But no matter your greviances, you truly enjoyed the stage. It was everything you had. You took pride in your work, you blushed at compliments, and you appreciated every chance there was to step on the stage and perch the four-stringed instrument on your shoulder.
Then came the day when you met your competitor for the very first time, performing at a gala held for a local lord. He'd looked at you, no doubt recognising you based on the gossip circulating around, and raised an eyebrow in teasing recognition before shaking his head and simply turning away. No formalities were exchanged, even though you were fully intending to be civil.
From then on, you both maintained a stoic but unspoken rivalry, making sniping remarks when you had the misfortune of meeting. Yet, years after it all started, here he was, standing in front of you, on a stage you would soon share.
And as luck would have it, a courtier walked over. Park, you remembered his last name with some effort. He had been the first to object when the court invited you to play at this ball. The papers had published his account of why you shouldn't be involved (boringly long, you thought).
"My, my, if it isn't the two legends of our time," He drawled, in a voice that grated on your nerves. "I must say, having you both on the same stage is rather...shocking."
Junhui raises his brows. "And what prompted that belief?"
"Oh, but doesn't everyone know of your rivalry, sir! Years upon years of competition of talent."
You let out a light laugh, leaning forward to the smug courtier to jest. "And which of us would you prefer, sir?"
His smirk is nothing short of hateful, you decide, when he replies, "Captivating as your music is, my charming lady, I find Sir Wen Junhui's music simply...breathtaking. Perhaps a fine man, bestowing his heavenly talents upon us all, is much welcomed now."
Junhui's smirk is even more hateful, you determine when he walks past you, Courtier Park in tow, his hand raising to pat your shoulder, which you brush off roughly, saying under his breath, "Better luck next time. Looks like you won't be playing in his court any time soon."
"Rot in hell."
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
"Oh, how wonderful that you both will be sharing the stage this time!" The Duchess claps her hand in appreciation after each of you plays excerpts of your performance pieces.
"It's an honour," Junhui replies, bowing low. You curtsey, noting the way the Duke nods at Courtier Park after.
"Refresh yourselves," The Duke instructs. "We will see you at the celebrations. We're looking forward to both of your performances."
You can't bring yourself to look interested when Junhui turns to you. "As am I." The smug, arrogant twinkle in his eyes does not go amiss.
You curtsey once more and at the couple's nods, stride out of the room, Junhui behind you.
"The Divertimento No.17 by Mozart," He muses. "A fitting choice. You always liked the cheer."
"And you could only dream of appreciating them."
"Snippy as ever, treasure," Junhui answers patronisingly, as easy as counting.
"Yes, well, you are no different from the last time we met," You reply coldly, turning a corner. "Stop following me."
"Our rooms are nearby, treasure," He drawls, leaning against the wall. "Remind me again why you're being so delightful?"
"Why, huh," You sneer back, turning to face him. "Where to start? Why are you even here?"
"Why am I here?" He echoes. "My dear, I was invited. As were you. Through our wonderful years of being around each other, you would know I dislike performing for the royals. I agreed because I owed His Grace a favour."
"Of course you did," You mutter. "Well, I'll get going. Go find your next person to terrorise, you take joy in that anyway."
His chuckles go on as you walk off, the skirts of your dress fanning out behind you.
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
Notes, one after another, flow like water out of his bow, in rapid semiquavers and strong crotchets, chords easing through the strings as easy as the alphabet.
You can't deny Wen Junhui is a phenomenal performer.
It's two waltzes before your piece comes up, and the guests of the ball are mingling, filling in dance cards, getting to know one another. You see a few familiar faces, ladies of society whom you'd seen on other occasions. The Duke and the Duchess took the dance floor earlier, and are now nursing glasses of carefully brewed liquor, laughing and entertaining.
The head of the estate's entertainment announces your appearance, and you step up in front of the orchestra. At your cue, the piano launches into the familiar cheerful chord.
And off you go from there. You laser-focus yourself on every note, the vibrato you'd honed to perfection. And thankfully, all goes without a hitch, leading to resounding applause as people break away from their dance partners.
The Duchess bustles to you after you bow and get down. "My dear, that was magical."
"Oh," You smile at her gushing compliment. "Thank you. I enjoyed myself."
"And so you should," The Duke encourages, walking up next to his wife. "What a stunning job you've done."
The Duchess hums in agreement before exclaiming. "Right! I was coming to say, the governors want you and Sir Wen Junhui to dance together."
You stiffen. "I'm sorry?"
“As a sign of goodwill,” The Duke says. “Not very customary, given that you have no real ties to each other, but we think it would be nice. Not to mention, you both ought to loosen up and enjoy yourselves tonight. Do you not agree?”
You’re about to politely decline, but an arm slides around your arm and tugs you closer. Just a little. “Of course we do. Thank you for the offer, Your Grace.” Junhui nods at the beaming couple.
The Duchess smiles at you as her husband nods, satisfied and ready to help her to the dance floor again. “Enjoy yourselves.”
“I—”
“Hush,” Junhui croons as he sweeps you into his arms and across the floor in an elegant turn, the beginning notes of another popular waltz playing out. “We are meant to revel. Look at the atmosphere we’ve created. We ought to enjoy the fruition of our work, no?”
“Shut up.”
He smirks slightly at you. “As you please. You’re not a bad dancer, I see.”
You curse silently. In the distraction of the banter, your feet had automatically stepped alongside his, rhythmically and physically attuned as one — one body and one being.
Heavens, you hated it.
“Fall silent at praises?” He raises his brows.
You snort. “Why should I if it comes from you?”
He gasps in mock hurt. “You wound me, truly.”
“Oh, forgive me,” You simper, a sweet smile on your face. “Whatever should I do with that information?”
And back and forth it went again, till the last cadenza played. His confident and suave digs, your sarcastic and impatient snipes.
He lets go of you as the crowd starts mingling again, and smiles. “It was a pleasure. We’ll meet again.”
He presses a kiss to the back of your palm, winks and disappears into the throng, leaving you looking appalled at your hand.
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
1871, January 17th
“You want me to what?”
“Keep your voice down,” Your father urges.
“Oh, forgive me for being surprised that you’re marrying me off.”
“Daughter,” He says sternly, putting down his paper. “It’s Merchant Park’s son. A finely educated, young man. You will not do any worse with him. At the very least, it would make you seem more like the desired lady you are.”
“And what of my music?” You demand. “I have to put a stop to my dreams? On your order?”
“Dear,” Your mother cautions, then addresses your father. “Husband, we should tell her the truth. The deal is signed, anyway.”
Deal. You’re being sent to some stranger over a deal.
“We are not doing well, you know this,” Your father explains.
“I have told you, the commissions I get from the Lords and the palace—”
Your father holds up his hand. “Let me finish.”
“We need help to keep our estate and our rights,” He continues. “Merchant Park has very kindly provided a deal for us: a monetary exchange in return for a bride. As Mr. Nathaniel Park has proved himself a true man, we saw no reason to turn down such a win-win offer: a groom for our daughter and enough to sustain us.”
You clench your fists. “And you didn’t think to ask my opinion on all this? When I am the one to marry?”
Your father eyes you. “Daughter, things in other households are far worse. Some do not even know until the night before the matrimony. You might consider yourself lucky.”
You look to your mother, but she trains her eyes on her tea and doesn’t reply.
A painful lump forms in your throat. “Is there no other way?”
Your father shakes his head. “Not one as beneficial as this.”
“And will it ensure prosperity and stability for the rest of your days?”
He nods. “We will do much better than before.”
You blow out a resigned breath. “When will it be?”
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
1871, March 1st
Church bells ring, shouts are heard.
You marry Mr Nathaniel Park in the nearest church to his estate. It has been the talk of the town, and throngs have turned up to see a wealthy merchant's son marry a talent of the nation.
Everyone, except for your families, seem to be under the impression that you had been seeing each other in secret for years, and had finally emerged to take the next step.
It’s all nonsense, every last detail, but the very same nonsense made it to the papers by next morning.
You leave your family home that night to start your life with Nathaniel.
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
1874, June 28th
You were bored out of your mind.
Your violin was locked up goodness knows where, and Nathaniel had explicitly said he had no intention of letting you return to the stage as a career.
It had killed you a little inside, but it was to little surprise. Men like Nathaniel and his equally unbearable father were common. And you had fully expected to be controlled and restricted in return for your family’s benefit.
Except you had severely underestimated how much time the violin occupied. With nothing to do and only so much overseeing of the estate you could do, you were about to go insane.
Worse, Nathaniel had been in a dark mood as people in the streets had started gossiping.
Because while Wen Junhui had continued to travel far and wide to showcase his talents, his rival (yes, you) had suddenly stopped doing the same — so suddenly that it was downright suspicious.
And your temporary reprieve came when an invite for a local lord’s ball came by the estate. In it, it urged for both your attendance and a a suggestion for you to perform. It seemed like a good chance for Nathaniel to turn the tide and assure society that you were still fulfilling your dream, and to quell any rumours.
Your fingers were rusty, so it was to your shock when Nathaniel allowed you to play and practice for a couple of hours.
“For the ball,” He warned. “Only for the ball. I cannot have people speculating why my wife has suddenly stopped performing publicly.”
It was better than nothing, you surmise.
And so it is to your greatest pride that you stand once again on the stage, performing a sonata you’d long since learnt by heart, the guests clapping and in awe.
And after you get off the stage, you use the start of yet another dance to allow yourself to be whisked away by your husband. But your impatience returns once you see who your dance partner is.
“I thought I’d come keep you company since it has been a while,” Wen Junhui smiles lazily at you as he captures your hand in his. “Congratulations are in order, I see.”
You shrug.
“Funny how the papers said you’d been seeing each other for a long while. A secret dalliance, did that paperboy say? Wonder where that came from.”
"Be quiet."
He does not, in fact, keep quiet.
“Dashing man,” He nods towards your husband, who is doing an awful job of hiding his scowl at you dancing with another. “Tell him to loosen up and smile a little. After all, his wife is the star of tonight.”
“Shut up.”
“Not proud of your matrimony?” He has a saccharine tone which you decide you really hate.
“You know nothing.”
“Huh.” His grin drops, no longer pleasant, as you take another turn around the floor, falling perfectly into place with other dancers. “Someone is snippy today.”
“Would you please stop?” You demand hotly. It’s not as if you would admit right this second that this marriage was what you want. “If you have nothing genuinely good to say, why don’t you—”
"Oh, so you want me to be quiet, huh?"
His eyes are now suddenly simmering with both mild anger and something else, perhaps impatience. With that same burning expression on his face, he grips your hand and hauls you toward him.
The abrupt and rough action makes you release a squeak of surprise, and his other hand catches your head in time to adjust it on his chest.
You struggle. "We are in public! Unhand me this instant!"
"I told you, be quiet."
"What?!"
"Be quiet and listen," He demands, pressing your head to his chest, using the throng of dancers and people to hide you from Nathaniel. "Listen and tell me what you hear."
You scowl up at him. "Is this a joke?"
"What do you hear?"
"Your heartbeat, like a normal living person?" You snarl. "What more is there?"
"Listen again."
After a brief pause, you ask him, "Why is it racing?"
He glares at you. "Exactly."
"What do you mean, exactly? That was not even my questi-"
"My God, use your brain for once," He sighs impatiently. "If I truly hated you, would I have picked you as my dance partner? Would I have offered you my company and my well-wishes? Would I, Y/N?"
"W-what do you mean?"
"Forget it," he snarls, biting his lip in impatience. "Go and be with your husband. Last I heard, he was looking for your whereabouts." He strides away, leaving you stunned.
And even as Nathaniel meets you and berates you for leaving his side, and as you get back into the homebound carriage with him, your mind stays only on Junhui.
If I truly hated you, would I have picked you as my duet partner?Would I have offered you my company and my well-wishes?
Would I, Y/N?
You lean your head on the back of the carriage, the lights of the city wide awake, even with the lateness of the hour, your mind whirling with thoughts you didn't know were true.
His racing heartbeat, your racing mind. He didn't hate you. The real question now was... did you hate him? Still?
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
1874, September 4th
It's a rainy afternoon when everything falls apart. Nathaniel is in a horrible mood, and you're about to lose your mind.
No music, since he took it away from you once you got home. No money to seek any kind of entertainment, since he's in charge of the estate's finances. You can't even go out on a ride, since he's ordered the footmen to keep you within the property.
“What’s going on between you and Mr. Wen?” You look up at his seething question as he strides in and throws the morning paper down on the table in front of you. “It has been months and columns are still writing about you two!”
“What am I supposed to do, tell the writers to stop?” You ask drily, and a sudden strong fist grabs your arm and a blunt impact is unceremoniously struck to your face.
You freeze, blood running cold.
Nathaniel doesn’t seem fazed in the slightest that he just hit his wife.
He grunts in displeasure. “Heavens, I’ll have to explain these articles to our family again.” He makes a tutting sound at you and strides out of the room, massaging his hand and rotating his wrist.
Amidst everything, the painful swell of your cheek and arm, the humiliation you feel, and the anger that courses through you, you can only think of one thing.
One person.
And so Junhui has the shock of his life when you turn up, panting and soaked in the downpour, at the gates of his estate. Your fine gown is as good as ruined, your updo plastered over your face. Your makeup is running, and Junhui wastes no time pulling you indoors.
"I didn't know where else to go," You murmur, strength sapped, and he says nothing, only signals to his servants to get towels and new clothes.
As he surveys you, his eyes widen in disgust and shock, and he takes your shoulders in his warm and gentle grip. "Was this him? Sir Park's son?"
At your unsettling silence, he repeats his question, more firmly this time. "Did he do this to you?"
For the first time in maybe your life, you meet his eyes fully. There is anger in his eyes, so raw and so deep, that you feel your eyes start burning again.
As you bow your head to blink the tears away, he lifts your chin to meet his eyes once more. "You have never shied away from me. Of all times, my treasure, I would beg you not to hide now."
You stay silent, and he repeats his question, each word more strained than the last.
You nod imperceptibly, confirming his worst fears.
"God," He groans, leaning forward to hold your hands in his large ones. "If I were a swordsman and not a musician, he would be gutted like a fish."
You try to crack a smile, but it just doesn't come out right. "You're not funny."
"I wasn't trying to be," He returns. "But whilst we are on this subject, perhaps my bow could do the job. It's sharp enough."
That finally coaxes a small, broken smile out of you, and his shoulders release slightly at the sight.
His servants return with the requested items, and after pushing you into a room with an adjoining chamber to dry off and get changed, he sits you down as he tends to you. Still shaken, you just let him, and you watch silently as he presses a small makeshift ice pack to your face, made of soft towels and crushed ice meant for drinks.
Occasionally, he brushes a hand through your hair to detangle it and let it dry. It's so... domestic, painfully so, and you're fully aware of how hard your heart is pounding.
"I hate you," His voice suddenly comes through, and you look up as they register. "I hate you so much, you know that?"
Your voice is hoarse as you reply. "I know. I know it all."
"I hate that you're here, in my estate. I detest the sight of you. I hate that we're here, only being civil under circumstances like these, and I loathe beyond comprehension that he did this to you. I hate it so much, but I despise you the most for not coming to my door the second it happened."
Your eyes sting again with tears, and he reaches up to wipe at them, his eyes the most tender you've ever seen.
"Do not shed tears for a man so undeserving," He murmurs. "It is unbecoming, you know."
"I know," You choke. "I didn't want to."
"Forget about him." His voice resounds like thunder. "You should not remain with a monster like him for your family. You are your own person, and your fate is in your hands."
He turns his attention back to the bruise on your arm, tending to it with the same gentleness and precision a tinker had with music boxes.
He called for medicine, clothed and fed you, only to hear you confess three hours later. "I must return before dawn. He will be seeking me out, and I can't have him come to your estate and make trouble."
"No." His firm refusal shot a pang into your heart.
"Junhui. I must."
"You will not return to that hellhole. It's my order."
"I have to, my family-"
"Would want their daughter to be whole and hale." His voice is deep and fierce, so much angrier than you've ever heard.
"I would not see you ruin yourself for a godforsaken life with him. If he can hit you once, and to this extent," he motions to you, "He will do it again and again. Each time even harder than the last. You will die at his hands!"
"The deal-"
"The money is the last thing on my mind!" He exclaims, now agitated. "I do not care about the riches or the deal your family has made with anyone. I just want you to be safe. I want you to be happy. Are you happy, locked up in a great lonely house with him, giving up on the art you have honed all your life, becoming his puppet and a shell of what you once were, only to be hit as if you are worth nothing?"
You shake your head, as if trying to shake off his words. "I know, you're right, Junhui, god! You are right about it all. But my family... they are everything to me. I worked all this time just so I could go home to them someday and live our days out in comfort. I...I cannot forsake them now. Not when they will be thrown into the streets and shamed if they do not honour the contract."
"Then stay here with me," He pleads. "I will handle all of it. I'll make sure no one gets hurt. You can perform and do everything to your heart's desire and I will never hold you back. Please."
"I cannot burden you with my issues!" You shout, choking back a poorly concealed sob, hands reaching to your hair to tug on it in frustration. "Please, Junhui, please, just... let me be. Live your life and let me live mine."
"You chose to come here tonight. Yet now you ask me to stay out this. How can I, if you're making a choice that may very well get you killed?!"
"I will not. You know that. I'm strong enough to handle it."
"Do you even know what you are handling?" He demands hotly. "A violent barbarian who knows only use his fists against a blameless lady and her family -- do you have any idea how horrendous that sounds?!"
You take a deep breath. "I-"
"I will open my gates to you and your family. I will give you my home, my sanctuary and protection, anything you will ever need. But in return, all I ask is that you leave that place. Leave someone who will never care for you the way you should be cared for."
"I can't, I can't. The world is in my way, his family-- they would never view me or respect me the way I want. Not as a musician who worked her way to the top. They will see me as a mere town-girl who seduced him for money and ran off with it. Everything I've done to make sure people never see me that way-- I can't handle that."
"And so you pick them, their satisfaction and influence, over your own fate?" He asks incredulously. "That strong, stubborn, steadfast woman I know -- where is she?"
"I am not picking. It is my only option! You have seen how the governors and men of the court see me, even as a musician in comparison to you. I would suffer that tenfold, and worse, my family will go the same path. I would rather die than allow it to happen, even if I must suffer."
The whole room goes silent, save for your breathing and his ragged pants.
His nose flares and his eyes narrow. His voice turns colder than the cruel winters of the land. "Is that what you truly mean?"
"..Yes. Yes."
After what seems like an eternity, he nods, so slightly you almost don't catch it. His lips curl, whether in disgust or mock of your decision, you do not know. He looks the most disappointed you've ever seen him. "Fine. Then let him destroy you. Let the people who do not matter, do not care about you tear you to shreds. Perhaps you were right, and I was the one meddling too much. I apologise." He starts walking away.
"Junhui-" You begin as you clutch his arm, dread running down your spine, but he simply looks at your hands wrapped around his with the indifference you thought was all he had. He looks at your pleading eyes, your shaking posture. He wants nothing more than to tell you how he feels, the immense frustration that you just won't let him be there for you... but through his raging emotions, his mouth stays shut.
"You can leave as you want," He says, all the emotion from prior gone. He finally looks you in the eye, his own betraying only the smallest hint of anguish and something you can't quite place. "I will not hold you back if that's what you desire. I just hope you will be happy with your decision, Y/N."
And then he's gone, leaving you to sink down in the middle of the room and cry into your hands, the finery of the gown he clothed you in now a mess around you.
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
1874, September 5th
"You have returned."
Not quite a question, but you nod to your husband, who is currently lounging on a newly embroidered couch, eyeing you up and down with something close to disdain in his eyes.
"Costume yourself. Conceal everything well. There is another ball tonight in honour of a newly debuted painter, and we must attend."
Fantastic. Yet another function where you would be on his arm, hang on to his every word, pretend to love him. "Must-"
Nathaniel raises his hand and you flinch. He lowers it, head tilting. "You heard me."
You head up to your chambers in silence.
Your tears flow as you dress yourself as instructed, every puff of makeup lowered to your face doing a terrible job of hiding the marks on your face, the exhausted swell of your eyes.
Fine. Then let him destroy you, Junhui had said bitterly.
He probably already had, you thought. In ways no one would ever see.
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
"Sir Park!" Court ladies and gentlemen alike hailed your husband as he helped you out of the carriage, painting the picture of a perfect husband. You see your mother, dressed in finery, looking awkward and uncomfortable with the current company. You start excusing yourself to walk to her, but Nathaniel holds you to him, glaring down at you with a fake grin plastered on his face. "What are you doing?" He hisses furiously under his breath.
"I am going to see my mother," You hiss back through gritted teeth, venom in your voice, a sweet smile fixed on your face as if you were exchanging an intimate secret. "Or would you prefer I scream for help, darling?"
He releases you immediately. "Be back swiftly. People will wonder of your whereabouts."
Without responding, you make your way through the crowd, smiling and bowing slightly to the upperclassmen who greet you. When you reach your mother, she visibly relaxes, reaching out to clasp your hand.
"My dear girl," She says, trying to smile. "You seem to have lost weight. Are you well?"
"Very, Mother," You reply, through a fake smile.
Concern shines in her eyes, and she tries to continue. "Daughter. Don't make the same mistakes I did, trying to keep defying your father. There are times where we must step back, and you might find that... life gets easier. The frustration will ease."
Would the frustration and pain of your marriage really fade? Would you, like Junhui insisted, be reduced to a hollow shell, numbed to everything and allow yourself to be treated like an unloved rag doll? Would you, after everything you did to make a woman out of yourself... become a meek and obedient arm candy, the one thing you never wanted to be?
As you pull away from your mother with a quiet excuse, you hear pleasantries being called to a new guest, and you turn to find Junhui, who clearly just entered the ballroom, staring directly at you.
You're not sure if your eyes look imploring enough, but it doesn't seem to work. Junhui turns away, and for the rest of the evening, you do not catch his eye.
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
1874, September 21st
Days pass and you still play the perfect wife.
The order is exactly the same. You attend balls, play one or two customary pieces for Nathaniel to receive the oohs and ahhs of your talent, and at the end of the night, you return to your great, lonely house and sleep alone.
Soon after you got home from the ball, Nathaniel received an invitation to a business conference with the lords of Sicily. He had, after careful deliberation, decided to bring you.
Fine, you think. At least with the business, he might be too busy to keep you in line all day.
Nathaniel hasn't hit you since that night, but you're constantly on tenterhooks, on edge that his anger might blow once more. It's a ticking time bomb at home, and not much better outside. It isn't as if you have anyone to lament to about your marital troubles.
Your impatience is getting worse day by day. You already know the deal could easily be nullified, with the riches you know your family has received, but your parents still have no intention of setting you free. And so, on a warm Tuesday afternoon, three springtimes after it all started, you make your decision, rash and unchecked.
"I want to leave."
"What?"
"I cannot live like this. Not as your trophy wife. I wasn't born for this."
"And where will you go?" Nathaniel sneers. "Who will have you, a once-married woman?"
"It matters not where I go," You shoot, "You have no business knowing. As long as I am away from you, you asshole!"
"Oh, I would be very entertained," He replies coldly, a mocking smile set upon his hateful face. "I would like to know which man would take in the likes of you, even if you go to Sicily and start anew. Or maybe Sir Wen Junhui has already defiled-"
You slap him hard. He clutches his cheeks, turning red from the impact and from his rage. "You dirty little rat-"
"You are the vermin that thinks that way," You seethe. "You are the problem here. Not me, not Junhui, not my family. This isn't about the deal we made with your father anymore. It is purely because I am a woman that you are behaving this way. If anything is being defiled here, it is my dignity and your reputation."
He scoffs. "And you really believe some good Samaritan will voluntarily take you in and give you a bright future? Even if you believe so, you will end up the same way, in their kitchens, whether in Sicily or anywhere in the world. I am doing you a favour."
He steps closer. "But perhaps you already have someone in mind? ...Sir Wen Junhui, perhaps?"
You narrow your eyes at him. "What's this got to do with him?"
"Oh, you don't fool me," He laughs humourlessly. "You think I never see the way his eyes move to you when you're in the same room? You think I don't notice how you glance at him? And those few moments at the painter's ball last month. Care to explain that, my dear wife?"
"We are not on good terms." You hiss, stepping up to him. "Shame on you that you think otherwise, because there is nothing going on. I am no cheating liar."
"Perhaps not," He muses. "But I would pay good money to see what he thinks of you."
You stand your ground. "I want a divorce. That's all I want. I can return all the money you want to you in due course. Just set me free."
"Let's see what the courts think of that," He challenges, and you clench your teeth, anger overriding you like never before. "Your whole family will crash and burn with you. All because of your erroneous ways."
You stride away from him, out the estate doors, and his condescending, bitter voice resounds in your head, eyes wide in the face of your rebellion. "You don't know men the way you think you do, Y/N. Mark my words. Wen Junhui will not take you in no matter what he says. Women only have one fate, and you sealed it the moment we married."
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
Junhui opens the door and swears it's deja vu.
Mere weeks ago he did the same thing, only for you to break his heart in a span of a few hours. He surmises that it must be the same situation tonight.
Nevertheless, he opens the door to your panting figure wordlessly and lets you enter. You look sheepish as you adjust your gown, body heaving with the effort it took to run here, but he does nothing.
No, if he gave in and comforted you, he did not think he could risk another heartbreak.
You beat him to it. "I'm sorry I came," You start hesitantly. He stays silent, so you continue.
"Nathaniel, he-"
"Forgive me, but I do not wish to hear details of your marriage. You said it yourself, your life is not my concern." He knows he is being petty, but this was the only way he knew he would not overstep.
"It-"
"What more do you have to say to me?"
You open your mouth to reply, but the bell of his estate rings and you glance at him, petrified. You mouth the words as if the visitor would hear, Nathaniel? His jaw clenches instinctively.
He quickly ushers you into another room, a safe distance from the sitting room where they would still be in earshot. "Stay put," He warns.
He leaves for the main door, and you can hear him exchanging greetings with a man's voice, all too familiar.
It is Nathaniel. You expected it.
"Please, sit. Can I offer you a drink?"
"No need for formality. I am not here as Sir Park's son, but as Y/N's husband."
"...I see. Well, what can I do for you?"
"We are both gentlemen, Sir Wen," You hear your husband say. "Let us get right to the point. You harbour illicit feelings for my wife, do you not?"
"...I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." Junhui's voice has turned cold. Nathaniel should be afraid, but he looks Junhui squarely in the eye.
"I told her this and I'll tell you too, Sir Wen," Your husband's voice is careless, as if he doesn't care what he's saying. "She is mine. And I have rules about the women in my life. They will not look at other men. Their life will change to suit mine. And if anyone tries to defy that, defy me, I will tear them down. You, my dear musician, are no exception."
The room goes silent for a moment. "Well, I am glad we straightened this out." You can practically feel Nathaniel smiling, smug in his arrogance. "Y/N will be heading to Sicily soon, and I must ready our travel plans. Goodness, what a world we live in!"
His footsteps scuff the ground as he gets up, then stop. "This was a nice meeting, but the next time we chat about this, I will not be as friendly." You hear his chair creak. "Well, as you were. Good evening."
"You do not deserve any part of Y/N." Junhui mutters.
"...I'm sorry?"
"I said, you do not deserve her." Junhui repeats, each word firmer than the last. "If you knew her at all, those vile, vulgar words should never have left you. Had you not wed her just for her talent and face value, you would have seen her for who she is -- a strong, talented, and truly selfless woman. She gave up her music, her lifeline, to marry a man she barely knows just for her family's sake. If you ever bothered to observe her beyond your conceited and overbearing ego, you would have found bliss with her by your side."
"...I knew coming to an agreement so quickly was suspicious." YOur husband laughs, slightly cruelly. "And you would know all that of my wife, because?"
"I do not know her as well as I'd like, but I know better than to let go of such a precious being." Junhui's words do not cease, each one hitting home hard. "The innate truth is, neither you nor I deserve her. I will not lie that she showed up at my estate the night you laid your filthy hands on her, and nothing has ever made me angrier. So I swear, from now on, not a single hand will land upon her, or be damned this nation and its money, I will make it my life's duty to ensure you never again see the light of day."
Nathaniel chuckles, as if Junhui's words are but a gust of wind, as insignificant as one raindrop in a thunderstorm. You cannot stay and hear any more of this. So you creep towards the nearest window, ajar to let air in. As you crawl out, careful not to hook the hem of your gown on the hinges, and flee for the back gate, you hear your husband croon. "There must be more than meets the eye, Mr Wen. Although, I hope you know where you stand. Y/N will never belong to you."
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
1874, September 24th
"Thank you for coming, Mother," You try to smile at her, as she sits across you.
"You have never invited me over before," She says brightly. "What did you seek me out for?"
"I need to tell you something."
"Okay..." She comments, putting her teacup down. "Go on."
"I wish to leave Nathaniel."
"What?" Your mother is beyond alarmed, sitting forward and furrowing her brows. "Daughter, you know--"
"He hits me," You blurt out, and her eyes widen. Perhaps not the most graceful or discreet way to expose your suffering, but to you, there was no nice way to say it, no matter how much it hurt.
"He-- Y/N--"
"And someone else came and saved me. In so many ways, even the ways I did not know I could be saved.”
"Wh-" Your mother looks truly befuddled, and in any other situation, you might have laughed at the astounded look on her face.
"Wen Junhui." You continue blabbering. "He has seen me for who I am, at my best and at my worst, and he... he has healed me. He told me the truth that no one bothered to say, and he taught me that... that my fate is my own. Mother... I do not think I can live by the words of others. I think... I think that would make me miserable beyond belief."
Your mother is silent for what seems like an eternity, and you fiddle with your fingers nervously.
She finally opens her mouth to speak, and your breath catches.
“Of all people,” She murmurs, before giving you a soft smile. “I never would have thought that Mr. Wen would be the one to catch your eye.”
You shake your head in fond exasperation. “Life works in mysterious ways.”
“No.” She disagrees. “It has its own wiles and ways, but everything… everything happens for a reason. We were foolish to try forcing your happiness, weren’t we?”
You shake your head again. “I know you want the best for me.”
“I do, and I am glad you trust that, Daughter,” Your mother says softly, and you look at her, the gentleness of it all making your eyes glass over. “And if the best for you can be found in Mr. Wen…”
She dabs at her eyes carefully to prevent the kohl from running, and shoots a smile at you, genuine and loving. “Who are we to disagree?”
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
1874, September 27th
"You'll need more coats. Those dresses of yours are so overbearing." Nathaniel comments as your maids fold both of your clothes into trunks.
You grit your teeth but say nothing, as you pick out your jewellery.
"And this," He holds up another gown, one of your personal favourites, a sweet baby-blue confection with small gems sewed meticulously within. "Outrageous. Have it burned, my wife will not be seen in things as skimpy as th-"
"Shut up!" You can't recognise your shout. "Just keep your mouth shut for a moment, won't you?"
He advances upon your retort, eyes glittering. "What did you just say to me?"
"I will not go to Sicily with you." You say resolutely.
He starers at you for a moment, then bursts into laughter. "You? Turning Sicily down? How amusing."
"I'll never go anywhere with you." You snap, backing away. The maids hesitantly put down their work, then proceed to leave the room, leaving just the two of you.
"Don't be ridiculous, wife," Nathaniel says condescendingly. "Sicily would be good for us to start over. Too many nuisances here."
As he laughs and returns to selecting clothes, you scoff. "You're one to talk. You ruined my life, you took everything dear to me away."
He throws down the possessions, a loud shout bouncing off the walls. "Understand one thing. You are nothing, you understand? I could crush you and all that you have under my boot all in a day's work."
You push back, enraged. "Don't you project your emotions and problems on me. Junhui was right. You don't know any part of me. Not what I love, you're nothing that any sane person wants or needs. You're human vitriol."
"Junhui, Junhui, Junhui," Nathaniel sneers. "So you do know he's in love with you. Why else would you allow him to poison your mind? That pest--"
You punch him in the mouth.
You punch your husband, a rich and influential merchant's son, square in the mouth.
Now, you're not a strong woman, and in any fight, you'd be knocked out like a light. But given that Nathaniel did not expect any form of violence or pushback from you, when he was so close to taking you to Sicily permanently, he stumbles back in surprise and clutches his jaw.
Taking advantage of his confusion, you run.
You run and run and run, to the stables, upon a mare, and urge it out towards Junhui's estate.
So you do know he's in love with you.
This was the only time you wanted -- yearned -- to believe Nathaniel Park.
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
"You must think my home is a vacant shelter," Junhui comments as he lets you in.
He stiffens when you say nothing. "What is going-"
"Junhui." You lock eyes with him, firm and headstrong. "Are you in love with me?"
He stops moving entirely for five moments before chuckling. It sounds so artificial.
"No, that idea is repulsive."
"Junhui-"
"No."
"Junhui." You take his hands and plead. "Tell me the truth, and only the truth. Is it true, that you are in love with me?"
He tries swatting your hands away. "Please stop. Leave."
"I will the second you tell me that you are not in love with me. I will disappear from your sight for the rest of my life, I will leave for Sicily without looking back, and I will never return. Just answer me, just this once. Are you in love with me?"
His resistance snaps as he whirls to you.
"I've been crazy for you the moment I laid eyes on you!" He chokes out, eyes burning with emotion, hands flying to wipe furiously at them. "I couldn't fathom the thought that you hated me from the moment you saw me, goodness knows why, but I figured -- if that was the only way I'd see you for who you were, wild and free and beautiful, instead of the other ladies in court who put up facades to be around me -- I'd take it all. Whatever you gave me, I'd take and play along."
He swallows before he continues. "And yet it wasn't enough. Competing on and off the stage with you. I was in Rome when I received word of your union with that...that monster. I hated myself then. I regretted immensely that I had not asked for your hand before someone else did. I must have been complacent that you would always be around."
"Y-You...you never sought me out." You say softly, stunned at the revelation.
"It was a marriage between a renowned merchant's son and the world's best violinist, celebrated by all... I could not compare. Love would not cut it. Love would never cut it."
You could not help but cup his face, wiping the tears that leaked from his earnest eyes. "I truly believed you would find happiness with that man, treasure. I genuinely wished you well, even if it broke me." He whispers.
"And then you turned up at my gates, with bruises on you and a horrific story to tell," He continues, clenching your hands in his, "Yet I had to watch you, and let you return to that son of a bitch of your own will just so your family could live in peace!"
His body, now racked in sobs, crumples to the ground, bringing you with him as you cradle his head, tears of your own now dripping down your face. "Here you are now, one step away from moving to Sicily as you dreamed, asking me if I am in love with you? My beloved, is that really a question, or simply a confirmation?"
He looks up at you, eyes rimmed in red. "I cannot burden you with my emotions now. Not when you're achieving your dreams. Not when you and yours are suffering under the world's scrutiny. I love you so deeply that I know I cannot do that. If I cave into my emotions... you will be shackled to me, and I cannot have that on my account."
"No." You interrupt. His eyes raise to meet yours, as if in disbelief at what he was hearing.
"I plan to leave Nathaniel. All future plans are gone, and we will not be going to Sicily."
His eyes dilate in shock. The world goes silent, and it's just the two of you.
"I...I spoke to my mother. Way before today. About what you said. A lot of it was what you said." Your voice sounds foreign, so strange to your own ears. "I told her that I would settle the deal and anything we owe in any other way that would not require my happiness as a trade. I told her...I could not bear to let people who did not care if I lived or died dictate how I spend my days. I showed her the wounds he gave me. And I told her how you healed them."
He could not speak, could not move. The fact that you had decided to show your suffering to the one person you did it all for... he did not know whether to praise or cry at your bravery. That you, terrified yet adamant, had made a choice that would finally change the trajectory of your life.
You take a deep breath. Clasp his shaking hands in yours as you find your next sentence.
"You know this. The current divorce bill has always favoured men. In this age, no matter how big I am, no matter how much proof of how awful he is, society will only ever choose him over me. I have every intention to leave that monster, but it will be a tedious, arduous task, and I cannot promise anything out of it -- but what I can promise is that if you want me, you have me. Wholeheartedly, even if hell bestows its wrath upon us, my heart will always be yours. It..."
He waits with bated breath for your next words, his grip on your hand just as unwavering as your will.
"It must have been yours from the moment you pushed me to leave. You were the only one who saw me as anything more than a trophy wife, even with everything I threw your way. I only realised too late... that what I need isn't someone who would speak behind my back, or only support me from the sidelines."
His hands reached up to your face, trembling, cold, so full of emotion he felt like he would combust.
"I need someone like you to stand with me. I need you, Junhui."
It was all he ever wanted to hear. For the longest time, ever since he could remember. Just the thought that you might want him, competitor and all, shakes him to the core.
He grabs you and pulls you to him, hands gripping your waist. Tears form once more in his eyes as he shuts them and presses his mouth firmly to yours, and you can taste the salty tang of them on your tongue as you wrap your hands around his shoulders and tug him towards you. He smothers any remaining space between you -- not that there was much at all -- and wraps his arms wholly around you.
You both enjoy how you mold into each other so, so perfectly -- like a major scale, like a perfect chord, like the coda of your favourite orchestral symphony. One kiss against the next, the tune of your heart swelling into a brilliant crescendo.
You stay like that, lost in the throes of passion, heads tilting to accommodate each other, and when he finally pulls away, leaving you breathless as you meet his eyes, his expression changes into one of such deep love and joy, tears spring into your eyes again.
He draws you into a warm embrace, stroking the back of your head as you find solace in his arms. "Do not weep, treasure. I need you to stay with me, because after all these years of butting heads with each other, you are finally mine."
And as the darkness of the night descends upon the land, neither of you make any move to let go, because Junhui was right.
After all this time, of fighting and being at odds, you were where you really belonged.
With the man whose career you once swore to end, yet the only person who managed to play his way into your heartstrings.
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
"And you must still leave, because?" Junhui is frowning, evident even with his head down, playing with your fingers. You look at him longingly.
"To finish what I have started, Junhui," You murmur, looking at him. "There is to be a court hearing, and only then will I know if I can leave him."
He only frowns further. "And you will be going alone?"
"My mother will be coming with me. I would need support."
His expression does not relax as you hoped, as he continues, "I presume I cannot go?"
"The court would be even less in my favour if you were to show up. Imagine the scandal it would cause!" You reply, chuckling as you fiddle with the silk material on his waistcoat, soft and fluffy against your rough fingers. "Why? Can't get enough of me already?"
"Shut up," He replies instantly, voice bitter. "If you had just married me before and not bothered with him, you could've avoided all of this."
"It was arranged, you idiot! And I wonder, who was the one who didn't ask for my hand and pined about it on his own?"
"I did not pine!" He defends immediately. "I could have you thrown out for such slander, you know."
"You keep telling yourself that, Junhui," You reply, smiling slightly. "How was I to know you wanted to marry me from the start?"
"You had your head up in your ass, trying to win a competition that didn't exist," He responds without missing a beat, grinning devilishly, and now you were ready to release a string of curses that would make your poor mother weep.
"Listen here, you little-"
He takes your raised fist and holds it easily in his own.
You scowl deeply. "What do you want from me now?"
"I want you to decide for yourself. Go and do what you have to for your own happiness. If you decide you do not want me-"
A slap to his chest leaves him stunned.
"Are you actually lacking in intelligence somewhere up there?" You hum. "You're much more an idiot than I thought."
"What?"
"I spilled all I had in my mind to you, you nincompoop." You mutter. "I want you. I will only want you from here on out. Don't be stupid."
"Do you mean it?"
"That you're stupid? Without a doubt."
"You know what I mean." He holds your gaze. That in itself has you gaping in mock hurt.
"Do you not trust my words in the slightest?" You ask incredulously. "My, what do you think of me?"
He raises his eyebrows. "After the past ten years? You want me to be honest?"
You slap his chest again indignantly and he laughs.
"Junhui," You say, softer than ever before, and he looks back at you, eyes shining. "I mean it all. Down to the last word. Please... believe me."
He'd never heard so much as a request from you, never mind a 'please'.
"I do. Gods... I do. More than anything." He cups your face affectionately, and you melt at the touch. He seems as though he's gearing himself up to say something, and after a few moments, he finally loosens his tongue.
"From now to the end, I will wait. I'll be right here. No matter the number of waltzes and music I must grace this ridiculous society with, you must promise, promise, you will come back for me." He leans into your hold, and the intimacy, the gentleness Nathaniel never once provided, makes you blink back tears.
"I will." You say. No more word play or snarky responses. Your promise hangs between the two of you, strong as the red string of fate shining between your interlinked fingers, bright as the days ahead.
With Junhui by your side.
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
1875, April 2nd
Resounding applause booms through the concert hall. Junhui takes his final bow as the stage closes. Women were swooning, men applauding the prodigy violinist that finally graced the stage of Jahn's Hall. People waving could be seen wherever Junhui looked.
Show-off, you think to yourself. Yet, your legs betray you, standing up to carry you to the wings of the back-stage.
You handle your gown with ease, your feet carefully navigating through throngs of Junhui's well-wishers, the people manning the operations, all the way to the back where you saw clearly a large crowd forming.
Where the crowd was largest was where Junhui would be.
You pick at the bouquet in your hands in slight hesitation, until a man you recognise from many concert halls catches sight of you and promptly yells, "If it isn't Miss Y/N! Another wonderful musician in our midst! Freshly back from the courts eh?"
You shoot him a small smile and a nod, and he immediately starts elbowing people out of the way. "Out of the way, folks! She must be here for Mr Wen. The rumours are true, so move, fellas!"
Slowly, the crowd dissipates, fading to the sidelines, until Junhui notices the strange crowd movement. He looks up from his conversation with another man, and he freezes in his spot when he sees you.
Heart thumping so loud you can't hear anything else, you raise the bouquet (you searched for the perfect arrangement for almost a week, but you would carry that secret to the grave) and with a smirk on your face, you drawl, "Missed me?"
The crowd bursts into noise, full of clamouring and people shouting. Through it all, you pay them no attention, your focus only on the man in front of you, staring as though he's never seen you before.
Junhui stays stock-still for a few moments. You're starting to think he doesn't want you here.
"I know I did not write to tell you I was returning, but I can explai-"
The greatest violinist of the age strides over to you, captures your face in both his warm hands and kisses you.
You can feel him shaking as he presses himself tightly into your embrace, your foreheads almost touching.
"Seven months," He rasps out, pressing kisses on your mouth between each word. "Seven months and not a word from you. I imagined you'd run off with another man."
"Who else could have infiltrated my mind as you can?" You choke a laugh, reciprocating him with equal fervour. "Day and night, I ached to write to you, but I could not jeopardise my position in the court hearing."
"And what was the outcome?"
"Of what?"
"You know very well what!" He says, drawing away from you but keeping you locked still in his hug. "What of the case?"
You stay silent and his smile fades. "You are frightening me, treasure."
You laugh at that, unable to keep up the facade. "Ruled in my favour. We have signed the separation papers, and I am a free woman."
He shouts out something intelligible, and wraps you up in another bone-crushing hug which you happily return.
"I am glad I kept my promise," You murmur as he sways you around, lost in the joy of you back by his side. You hardly notice the hum of activity as someone ushers the crowd out of the room. "I hate to say this, but it may have been the best decision of my life."
"You say that now, treasure," He teases back before looking at you, puzzled. "What promise? As I recall, you did not write to me at all."
"That I would come back for you," You answer, without missing a beat. "That promise echoed in my head, every single day. When I stood my case, when I went to listen to an orchestra play the first day after learning I'd won. When I hastened my departure and my mother told me to be happy, all I thought of was coming home to you."
He pulls back and looks at you, eyes slightly glassier than they were before, and the brightness in his expression, the love in it, etches itself in your mind permanently.
"And you are home with me now."
"I am."
"You are not leaving me again, treasure. It is an order."
"You sound sappy. Stop that right this second."
"You started it first, darling. Your promise echoed in your head? Really?"
"You're insufferable. I hope you know that."
"Remind me when we marry. You love me anyway."
You sigh, half-helpless and half-fond, and reach up to rake your hands through his hair.
"I do. Gods... I do. More than anything."
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
1946, November 11th
"Hang that over there, please. Right at the centrepiece of the fireplace."
"Here, madam?"
"Yes. Thank you."
"Treasure, you look at this portrait too many times in a day."
"Be quiet. This was the only good decision you made in our lives."
"You say that now. What of marrying me? Was that not the best thing you did?"
"The worst decision of my life, I can assure you."
"You're a terrible liar."
"I hate you."
"Love you too, treasure."
"..."
"You're smiling."
"I am not!"
"The curve of your lips won't go down. You are not sneaky."
"Shut up. I told you we should go see the classical group before they leave tomorrow."
"Don't distract me. We can look at the picture a little longer. It isn't time to go yet."
"Ah...finally, something good coming out from your mouth."
"The same mouth that kisses y- ow! My face!"
"Not another word!"
"Fine! God, you horrible lady."
"Fine, you wretched man!"
Shaking his head and smiling, the man, much older now, but with the same charming smile and earnest eyes, reaches his arm out to wrap it around his wife, tongue still sharp from their youth, yet still the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. She lets him embrace her, even leaning back semi-reluctantly, to his great amusement.
"Look at that," The lady marvels. "Look how wonderful the artwork is, Junhui. Goodness, I still remember the whole day."
"The best day of my life, treasure," The man responds gently. "I'll never forget."
Snug in each other's arms, the couple looks on, at the memory of their younger selves. The time has come and gone, but the days ahead of them are still as bright, the memory of this portrait just as vivid as ever.
The portrait of a beautiful young woman and a tall, dashing young man, sitting together on their wedding day, arms interlinked and smiles forever etched on their faces. Two violins sit next to each of them, and a small plaque attached below the portrait reads:
"Commissioned: Wen Junhui and Y/N L/N, March 7th 1876."
───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱
author's note:
SURPRISE FIC in the middle of “This Summer”!!
i play the violin, so i was veeerrry excited to write one about music!! especially a period romance?? yes pleaaaasee
thank you for reading! 🎻🤍 feedback is always welcome :”)
#svt fic#svt imagines#svt x reader#svt#svt fluff#seventeen#wen junhui#moon junhui#wen junhui x reader#wen junhui fluff#junhui x reader#junhui x you#junhui x y/n#svt fanfic#svt fics#seventeen x reader#junhui fluff#junhui imagines#svt angst#svt jun#svt junhui#seventeen angst#seventeen fluff#seventeen fanfic#jun x reader#jun x you#jun x y/n
56 notes
·
View notes
Text
SVT after an argument: Performance Unit
Angsty cz I'm in my svt delulu era, don't judge me
Pairings: each svt performance unit member x genderneutral reader (established relationship)
other units soon to come, 13 people is a lot
Warnings: angsty themes, walking around at night, arguments, fluffy endings though
Word count: 2,2 K
Songs to listen to while reading:
theory of a deadman – say nothing
lewis capaldi - before you go
taylor swift, bon iver - exile
jessie murph - pray
kyu - sanctuary
��
Jun
It wasn't rare that you and Jun had a quarrel but they never seemed to get quite as rough as this one. You both said things you didn't mean but knew would hurt the other person in the moment. After Jun raised his voice a bit, he realized it had gone too far, so he excused himself. Grabbing his coat, he was out of the apartment in no time. He wasn't able to look you in the eyes.
While taking a walk outside, he thought it all over. How it was nonsense that you two were fighting like this, over a thing that wasn't even worth mentioning. He'd never raised his voice in a argument with a partner before but you knew him too well, knew what to say to push his buttons.
It was dark outside and cars and street lights were illuminating the roads. Jun took his time because he wanted to sort this out with you with a clear head. He loved you after all and he wasn't willing to lose you over something so arbitrary.
After walking a few blocks his heart rate had calmed down, the heat in his head had faded and his forehead relaxed again. He knew it was time to go home.
He figured you were probably still awake but didn't know what state you were in, so he didn't want to startle you. He slowly opened the door.
"Y/N?"
There was no response.
Jun closed the door behind him and took off his shoes and jacket. All the lights were off, so maybe you had gone to bed after all?
"Y/N? Honey?" Still no response. Making his way into your living room, he saw a slight glint coming from the couch. You were sitting with your big headphones on, eyes closed. The TV showed you had paused a show and it was the only source of light in the room. Jun could hear the beats and melody coming from your headphones - you were listening to 'I don't understand but i luv you'.
After a few moments of watching you being so lost in the music, he approached you and carefully put his hand on your shoulder. You startled visibly, the headphones falling off your head.
"Jun?"
Even though it was dark he could tell you had been crying from your glistening eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Y/N, I shouldn't have raised my voice like that... I didn't mean what I said-"
He was interrupted by your hands on his cheeks, pulling his head towards your own. You kissed him.
After a few moments you pulled away.
"It's alright, Junie. I might not understand why we fought but I know that I love you... I love you so much."
There was a small smile on his lips, he realized he scored the jackpot with you.
"I love you too, Y/N" He took your hand in his.
Hoshi
Soonyoung tends to get a little agitated and hyperactive whenever he gets passionate, in a good and bad way. He knew that. And he thought you knew that.
This time though, it made you physically distance yourself from him a little. The argument you had was meaningless and pulled out of thin air. But for some reason, Soonyoung couldn't let it go. He was gesturingly wildly, raising his voice, trying to make you understand and explain his side.
"I can't argue with you like this anymore, Soonyoung... It's too exhausting."
For the first time he noticed the tired look in your eyes. Have you not been sleeping well?
"I'm sorry, Y/N... I'm sorry I'm exhausting."
"No, babe, that's not what I meant, it's not you, it's- ugh- I don't know- it's... I need to get some air." Before he could comprehend what was happening you had grabbed your coat and left the apartment.
"Wait, Y/N, it's dark outside, it's not safe! Please wait!" But the only sound that could be heard was the front door closing again.
He couldn't let you go out on your own at night. What if something happened to you? What if there were shady people out there? Within a minute he put his phone in his pocket, threw on his shoes and ran out the door to go after you.
...
Even though he was fast, Soonyoung couldn't immediately find you after leaving the house. That really scared him.
When he stepped out on to the street, he noticed a group of guys standing around a few buildings down. They yelled and bellowed, some were drinking beer. It seemed like they were all gathered around another smaller person who was standing in the middle. For a secound it seemed like the person in the middle was you. Soonyoung felt a shiver go down his spine. Even though they were bigger than him physically, Soonyoung approached the group. There was no way he'd let anything happen to you.
"Y/N?" With fast strides he made his way over to the group of guys. The closer he got, the more it looked like you being taunted by a bunch of big drunk guys. Soonyoung ran to where he thought you were.
"Y/N?! ... Hey! Stop, what are you doing to them?" He pushed some of the men away to get to you. That's when he saw, that it wasn't really you. It was another guy, long-haired, and he seemed fine. They were just playing a game, it looked like.
"Hey, what's your problem, man?"
Soonyoung was confused. "Oh, sorry, it seemed like- I was just looking for my partner."
The man right next to him looked at Soonyoung sceptically. "Get lost, weirdo."
Soonyoung retracted and went back into the direction of your house. Where could you have gone off to?
Soonyoung looked for you in every alley around your house, before he made his way back to the entrance of your house. When he opened the front door, he saw that the light in the backyard was on. Could it be...?
He opened the back door and there you were, sitting on the grass, a fluffy stray cat roaming around your feet.
"Y/N?"
"Hi, baby" You smiled when you saw him.
"Are you trying to kill me? Leaving like that? I looked for you all over, I was so worried." He plopped down onto the grass next to you. The cat inspected his shoes.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't think straight, I needed some fresh air... I'm really sorry, Soonie" You reached for his hand.
He let out a big sigh before putting his arms around you. "It's alright... But don't ever think about doing that again... I almost beat up a group of men out there because I thought you were being harassed by them."
You shot him an "are you sure about that"-look but he just cradled your head further into his chest.
"I'm just glad you're safe. And I'm sorry for how I acted earlier."
"It's okay, Soonie... I love you."
"Love you too, baby." He pressed a kiss to your forehead.
Minghao
No matter how hard he tries to be composed and balanced, Minghao has an inner child like everyone. And in this particular fight with you, little Hao felt hurt by some things you said. So he said the one thing he knew would hurt you.
Minghao immediately regretted it but he was too overwhelmed to say anything.
"Get out" you said.
He wasn't sure if he heard you right.
"I said get out. I can't look at you right now."
Minghao was confused, he didn't think the fight was that serious. How did it escalate like that? After a few moments of gathering his thoughts, he slowly turned towards the front door.
"I'll be at the dorm, when you're ready..." His voice was only a whisper but he turned around again to look you in the eyes.
"I'm sorry, Y/N..." He didn't want you to reject him further which is why he grabbed his coat and phone and left.
...
When he arrived at the svt dorm, a few of the guys were there but he didn't feel like talking so he made his way to his room and closed the door.
He let himself fall onto the bed face first. Why couldn't he have just apologized to you properly? It wasn't that hard. He usually had no problem doing it.
His thoughts were still spinning when someone knocked on his door.
"Who is it?" Minghao really didn't feel like socializing at the moment, his voice severely muffled by the pillow he was laying on top of.
"It's Hoshi" He didn't even wait for Minghao's answer and jsut entered the room.
"Are you okay, buddy?" Hoshi sounded genuinely concerned.
Minghao finally turned around to face his older friend. "We had a fight... and it was stupid and we both got mad and I said things I didn't mean and then they told me to get out and so I did."
Hoshi took a seat on the bed. "That doesn't sound like you guys... Did you apologize? You know you can be a bit petty sometimes."
"Thanks, hyung, that's just what I needed."
"You know what I meant. Is a little argument really worth being in a bad mood for? And I can guarantee you, Y/N is also not feeling too great about this."
"I guess you're right... Maybe I should call them to apologize."
"We're about to start playing some drinking games in the living room, if you need me."
And with that, Hoshi withdrew from Minghao's room. He tried to remember the last time, his hyung seemed so compassionate but couldn't recall.
Minghao took out his phone and pressed the call button next to your number.
"Hao?"
"Hi baby... Y/N, I'm so sorry for what I've said earlier. I didn't mean any of it."
"So, you're not sorry?" Your voice sounded a bit amused.
"No, that part's true... I never meant of it to become this big thing and I'm sorry... Can I come home so we can talk about it? I miss you."
"Yeah... I miss you too, Hao. Please hurry."
And that he did.
Dino
You two didn't usually go to bed not having resolved an issue but this time it just kinda happened. You were both too tired to talk rationally and he had an early morning call time.
Dino knew he wasn't gonna let you sleep alone in your shared bed but he didn't have the guts to cuddle you yet. He didn't wanna leave you alone, yet he wanted to give you some space. After a while of going over the argument in his head and coming to the same conclusion - that he loved you nonetheless and he didn't want to continue fighting - his eyelids felt impossibly heavy and he fell into an exhausted sleep.
...
Dino was dragged out of his deep sleep by his alarm. He hurried to make it stop, worried it had woken you up as well. When he looked over to you, it seemed like it didn't disturb your slumber. As he looked at your sleeping figure, his gaze wandered around your face, your cute cheeks, your pretty nose, your kissable lips. Your whole face seemed so peaceful, so relaxed. It immediately made him feel more peaceful too.
After a few moments he snapped back to reality, he had a job to get to after all. He was gonna send you a good morning text from the car to promise that you'll talk it over when he got home that evening.
Right as Dino got up from your shared bed, he felt your warm fingers grab his wrist.
"Please, don't leave me"
Your sleepy voice almost broke his heart. Dino wasn't sure if you were fully awake yet since your position hadn't changed and your eyes were still closed.
He decided to cuddle up to you for a moment, your head underneath his chin, so he could really hold you close.
"I will never leave you, Y/N, you hear me? I will not, I will never." He whispered it into your hair.
You must've heard him since you cuddled even further into him. Dino pressed a short kiss on top of your head.
He didn't even care that his phone rang 3 times. So what if he was a little late for once? His hyungs were late all the time. You were more important to him right now.
#seventeen#svt#seventeen imagines#seventeen x reader#seventeen performance unit#seventeen headcanons#seventeen angst#seventeen hoshi#seventeen jun#seventeen the8#seventeen minghao#seventeen dino#lee chan#kwon hoshi#wen junhui#xu minghao#seventeen reactions#svt reactions#svt scenarios#svt x reader#svt headcanons#svt angst#seventeen fluff
245 notes
·
View notes
Text
till death do us part | wen junhui
angst, hurt/no comfort | 1158 words | warnings: major character death
an: @bluehoodiewoozi swore at me for writing this. hehe. would you believe i wrote all of this through text?
These days, the world outside was rather… quiet. The town lay in eerie silence, its once vibrant streets now hauntingly empty. Abandoned cars scattered haphazardly along the roads, their doors left ajar as if their panicked occupants had fled in a hurry. The once cheerful storefronts now stood as decaying shells, their windows shattered and doors hanging off their hinges. A thick layer of dust and debris covered everything, as if a shroud had settled over the town.
The few remaining streetlights flickered sporadically, casting long, ominous shadows that danced across the lifeless buildings. The air was heavy with the scent of decay, a putrid combination of rotting flesh and stagnant water. Occasionally, the only sounds that broke the silence were the distant moans and shuffling footsteps of the undead, hidden in the shadows and alleys.
You were tired. Junhui was tired. The air was heavy with a palpable sense of despair, and the once-familiar landmarks now stood as haunting monuments to the fall of civilization. You hadn’t had a second to relax ever since leaving your now-infested apartment complex. Your only dream right now was to lay on a comfy bed, after days spent sleeping on hard grounds.
What a shame that you’d only find yourself on one after barely escaping a surprise horde of zombies
Battered and bruised didn’t stop Junhui from carrying you into the nearest zombie-free house, shielding you against his chest as he tried to press on your fresh wounds.
He set you down in a bedroom furthest away from the entrance, on a dusty queen-sized bed He immediately rummaged through the house looking for things to stop you from bleeding out and withering in pain. Medicine, bandages, ointments– anything he saw, he brought them back to you.
You winced and grunted every time he tried to apply something other than pressure on you. At one point, the stinging from the ointments became too much, and you weakly swatted Junhui’s hand away from a gash on your side.
Junhui’s head tilted down, hair shaggy as he clumsily worked his way through his loot. Pouring this, dabbing that, he busied his hands, attempting to wrap gauze on your arm. It didn’t stop you from noticing how shaky his hands were, or how his body shook every few seconds as tears cascaded down his face.
“Jun,” you voiced, barely a whisper, but still enough for him to lock eyes with you for a moment before going back to the task at hand.
“Jun.”
“Junhui.”
“Wen Junhui!”
“What?!” Junhui finally snapped, staring at you with glassy eyes. Noticing the way you flinched, he softened his gaze, hand moving to push a stray hair behind your ear. “I’m sorry, love. I’m just trying to help you.” His hand landed on your face, letting you weakly nuzzle in his warmth. “Is anything else in pain?”
“Jun…”
“Is the bandage not tight enough?”
“No, I-…Look at me, Junhui”
He touched your hands, fingers interlocking. Your fingertips were getting colder, he noticed. He moved to cover you with a nearby blanket, before the gravity of the situation hit him.
“No, no no no,” he grasped your hand tighter, not caring for his knees that had been kneeling for the better part of the past half hour. “You can’t– We promised to find Jeonghan at the base… We… We’re supposed to go together!”
Wen Junhui was full-on sobbing now, whole body slumped over yours. You mustered what was left of you to place a gentle hand on his head, caressing him softly.
“You’ll still have to go. Promise, okay?” You were smiling now, but your eyes were just as full of tears as his.
“I… I can’t do it without you!” The hand he had on your stomach started to feel damp again, as he realised more blood was seeping out of the wound. “Y/n…!”
"Just hold my hand, okay? Nothing will happen to you.” Junhui’s grip on your hand was hurting you, but nothing could compare to the pain you felt from the mere thought of having to leave this man behind.
“I won’t let anything hurt you." His voice dropped to a whisper as he kissed the top of your knuckles, bringing your hand that was on his head to his cheek.
“Okay,” speaking now had gotten to a point where it hurt, but comforting the crying man by your side mattered more.
You fought off the urge to close your eyes, trying to delay the inevitable.
“Promise me… that you’ll find everyone else…” You barely managed to cough out the words. “You have to live, promise.”
Junhui could feel your very life force seeping out of you.
“I promise… I love you, y/n. I love you so much.” He saw you struggling to hold on, for him. The very thought of you putting his selfish wants first, even on your deathbed, hurt his already throbbing heart.
“Let’s meet again soon, yeah?” He had to strain his ears to hear you now. He mustered up a gentle smile, looking at you with all the adoration he held for you. With his free hand, Junhui attempted to wipe away his tears as much as possible. At least, he thought, he’d like it if the last thing you saw was him smiling, not crying.
Tears, like glistening droplets of sorrow, slowly traced a delicate path down the contours of your cheeks. Nevertheless, you tried your hardest, returning his efforts with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen grace your face.
It was barely moments after that your hand slumped in his, lifeless. Junhui spent the night kneeling on the floor by the bed, trying to grasp whatever warmth was still on you before it all seeped out.
Morning came. He had to leave now if he wanted to reach the base camp before dark. He finally pried his hand out of your cold and clammy ones, moving them to rest over your stomach. He touched you once more, as if his fingertips were memorising every contour of your face and committing them to memory. Finally, before he covered your face with the blanket, he unhooked the necklace you had always worn around your neck. It was a little bit selfish, he thought, but he wanted at least something to remind him of you.
Fastening it around his own neck, he spent the next hour gathering his and your supplies, checking his routes and weapons in silence.
By noon, he walked out of the house, clutching the necklace by his heart.
Jeonghan and the others would be heartbroken when they find out why he arrived alone, the light in his eyes shining no more. They would take care of Junhui, watching after him as he fiddled with the necklace, making sure he slept and ate his meals. But he wasn’t at the camp yet. Until then, there was no time to grieve.
He had to survive. For you.
#jun#junhui#wen junhui#jun angst#moon junhui#junhui angst#seventeen#svt#seventeen angst#svt angst#seventeen imagines#jun imagines#junhui imagines#svt imagines#svt x reader#jun x reader#junhui x reader#˙✧˖° aiyu writes ༘ ⋆｡˚
109 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
robotshaz
Loving Secondlife
asahisushiorangecity-blog
Asahi Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar
buy-the-brain
The symmetry of fear
lajadelmira
La Jadelmira!