steelbound

".. daehyun," the sound of his name comes out quieter than she intended as she glances up at him, feeling her heart swell inside her chest when he mentions he wants to protect her from whatever it is that's got him so on edge. the declaration surprises her, eyes widening and pulse quickening, the rosiness that had painted her cheeks returning again. she swallows once more, feeling shy, and she glances away despite the seriousness in his tone. it's not meant to dismiss his words, but because she isn't sure how to manage the way her heart begins to race again.

boreum keeps her eyes glued on the sidewalk below, watching as their steps fall in tandem with one another the closer they get to the apartment. his hand feels heavy in her own, but it's not burdensome - it's warm, the pads of his fingers calloused, but somehow comforting. safe. she raises their intertwined hands slightly as he tightens his grip, as though doing so would lift the burden of whatever he is carrying on his shoulders. she doesn't understand the severity of what he's trying to convey, and she wishes she could understand the reason behind his unease, behind his proclamation, but it feels inappropriate to press on the subject.

the thought of her being caught in the crossfire of his life, filled with dark shadows behind him, tightened a knot in his chest. he wasn't used to this—the softness, the vulnerability that came with it. her statement, the way she admitted she wanted to protect him too, was a genuine declaration that left him shocked. he couldn’t remember the last time someone had said words so important and meaningful to him. people didn’t offer him protection. they feared him, respected him, but never something so caring. his hand holding hers tightened slightly, an unconscious response to the wave of emotions he didn’t quite know how to process.

as they came closer to boreum’s apartment, it was strange how something so mundane could feel so significant—the way their footsteps were in sync and she held onto his hand, offering protection and trust, lightening the worries on his shoulders. he wasn’t used to people offering him comfort; he’d always been the protector. or at least, he’d been the one who shielded others from harm, kept them safe. and yet, boreum, this endearing girl, telling him she wanted to protect him, made it feel as though she could shoulder some of the weight he’d been carrying alone for years.

“i’m going to be okay. don’t worry about me,” he said, even though he knew his words lacked the conviction they should’ve had. it was easier to say than to believe, easier to pretend he didn’t need anyone watching his back. but… with boreum, he couldn’t hold these defenses up.

truthfully, the trek from the diner to her apartment is nothing new - it's the same excursion she does daily, with the same streets that she travels down and the same buildings she passes. it's the same route, with the same time duration, but it feels different tonight. perhaps it's the drop in temperatures, or the fact that she's greeting the moon on her way home today when she's so used to having it join her on her walk to work. it could be that the stars seem to be burning a little brighter tonight for some reason, or perhaps the fact that the streets seem a little less bustling than usual - or maybe, just maybe, it's because the company she keeps tonight is different.

".. hm?" boreum blinks, broken from her trance at the sound of daehyun's voice. she tilts her head at his words, taking in his hooded figure as he matches pace at her side. he's nearly unrecognizable at a glance, billed hat pulled down over his eyes and hidden beneath the hood of his sweatshirt - she wouldn't have even known it was him had they not left the diner together. boreum found his attire a bit curious when they had been getting ready to leave, but hadn't questioned it, having chalked it up to the fact that it's now mid-october and the nights have steadily been getting colder and colder.

the engineer working for n.e.p.a., the man with powers that could twist metal like it was nothing... it was all a balancing act, one wrong move and everything could spiral 180. keeping his head down, blending in was how he'd managed to survive this long. but tonight, with boreum by his side, he felt a bit exposed. as if the distance he usually maintained from people was reducing gradually-without his permission. and he didn't know if it was a good thing or not. but with boreum, he didn't have doubts. a part of him enjoyed the closeness that he'd been experiencing with her.

he let out a breath, eyes scanning the streets ahead. "listen.." he tried to explain, "there's a lot going on right now…" he paused, not wanting to burden her with the complications that played in his life. the fewer people who knew what he really had to deal with, the better.

his fingers tightened just a bit around hers, a small reminder to himself to stay in control. he couldn't let any part of his life unravel. not here, not now, not any time soon. "there's bad people around." his tone was with an edge of something much more serious. "eyes and ears are everywhere."

he didn't say it out loud or stated it in an obvious way, an easy way to understand, but that was his unspoken rule. one mistake, one moment of letting his guard down, and everything that he had been working for and built-from his work, investigation, and even the whimsical sense of normalcy he had around boreum and his friends like sparky could come to an end. the thought made his jaw clench, but as he glanced at her again, she seemed unsure but that wasn't her fault, he felt that it was safer if she didn't know anything.

he needed to keep everything in check. maybe, for once, he could just be daehyun, neither a engineer working for n.e.p.a. or the intimidating man who controlled metal dangerously. just tonight, he could let himself feel something else. he's just a guy walking his friend home on a quiet autumn night. "how close do you think we're getting?" after a bit of walking, her place shouldn't be too far away.

with @dxdaehyun

Evening shifts always felt quiet once the sun had slipped below the horizon. The kids on the ward naturally began to drift off, their parents thankful for a bit of respite, free of worry for an hour or two. Bar an emergency or the need to cover, it was the beautiful mundanity of it all that Ahrin loved. Normality in the middle of chaos, the eye of the storm.

"Ahrin!" Looking up at the sound of her name, Ahrin caught Hani, one of the resident doctors on the unit, waving a frantic hand in her direction. It was a beckoning call, one surrounded by a cacophony of intense colours, barely distinguishable in their swirling frenzy.

This couldn't be good.

"There's some guy from n.e.p.a at reception, an engineer type?" Her fingers raked through her hair quickly. Ah. A sign that this was absolutely not someone she had time to deal with. Calm on the ward perhaps, but not in the paperwork. "Could you just see what he wants and shuffle him along? I know it's not your job but-"

Ahrin held up a hand, flashing Hani a smile. "It's fine. I have a minute."

"Lifesaver!" Hani replied, already turning away to head back down the corridor, her voice fading as she went I'll bring you a caramel latte tomorrow mor-"

The door shut behind her. Quiet again. Ahrin breathed deeply, eyes closing briefly. Then she pulled her hair loose from the ponytail it had been hastily swept into that afternoon, tied it securely once again and made for the ward reception desk.

The second she saw the figure, she paused. n.e.p.a agents set her on edge at the best of times, but this guy... this guy she'd met before. The aura was the same. The posture identical. And she'd hardly been aware of who she'd been talking to then. A brief encounter on the way home eat night, and he'd seemed as trustworthy as she could hope for in that situation. Now, Ahrin was caught on the back foot. Agents came to the hospital often, but hardly ever so openly. There had been rumours—  rumours about specific visits to the pediatric department that were better left unthought. Ahrin wasn't sure she could stomach being polite if he was here for any related reason. If he wasn't? Well, maybe she could find some common ground at least.

Nothing for it. Their meeting was short enough before that it was doubtful he'd even remember her. Ahrin pulled on her smile again, affecting her mask of the consummate professional, and approached.

"ahrin?" his voice was direct but calm, cutting through the tension he sensed in the air. he noticed a subtle shift in her stance, and something unfamiliar stirred within him. a flicker of unease. maybe it was his job that set her on edge, maybe something else. he’d long since learned not to take people’s reactions personally, though. most people responded to him with a mix of caution and judgment, and that was something he’d grown used to.

he’d spent most of his afternoon recalibrating the hospital’s systems, ensuring that the magnetic systems were stable and functioning properly. handling metals, understanding their properties—that was his world. bending them to his will with his abilities? even easier. but he knew he had to be careful not to let anyone realize just how much he could manipulate metals with his power.

"i’m just here for routine maintenance," he said, shifting the file between his hands, feeling the cool metal fasteners beneath his fingertips. "the hospital’s power grid and magnetic systems need recalibration." his tone was factual, almost monotone, as he glanced down at the file, flipping it open to glance at the detailed schematics. "nothing serious."

he hesitated for a moment before adding, "but… if you’d rather have someone else handle it, i don’t mind." he spoke quickly, not wanting to cause her any discomfort. his fingers fidgeted with the edge of the file, his mind already running through the diagnostics he needed to finish.

she doesn't have more time to dwell on her thoughts, however, as daehyun's voice cuts through her internal debate, and his larger digits brush her own as he goes to take hold of the tool. she finds herself going rigid, somewhat startled, breath hitching and heat blistering across her cheeks as he pulls the carving device free with ease, and lingers at her side for a few seconds. she swallows nervously, not accustomed to having someone so close in her space, having someone gently graze her with a warm touch, and tries to calm her racing heart and the nervous trembling creeping up her limbs as he pulls away after a few seconds, voice as even and nonchalant as it had been during their whole exchange.

"h-huh?" boreum lets out flustered exclamation as he mentions stopping by during halloween - her eyes widen slightly, chocolate hues lifting to look at him in surprise. but she glances away no sooner than she had lifted her chin, swallowing hard - what has gotten her all worked up? daehyun comes each and every day during the week, so it just makes sense for him to come on halloween if he doesn't have prior engagements. why is she acting so surprised that he'd mention that he'd stop by?

take a deep breath and get it together. boreum takes her bottom lip between her teeth, trying to reign her impending embarrassment in before it gets out of hand. "uh- well, uh, i-i'll be here!" she says, as though she hadn't just affirmed she'd be working, her voice a little higher, a little more strained. "h-hopefully it won't be too busy.. sometimes it gets, er.. a little crazy on halloween.. you know.. with uh, people p-partying.. and everything.. yeah.." she trails off after her tangent, blush stretching from the apples of her cheeks and down to her neck - another day, another conversation where she embarrasses herself. "i-if you come right after sundown, it shouldn't be.. too crowded around then." she mentions, wanting to assure him the diner wouldn't be busy if he were to come after the usual dinner rush. though she's sure the closer it gets to midnight, the more commotion will happen.

his gaze dropped to her hands as she reached for the carving tool. "it’s halloween, right?" he offered with a quick, faint smile, barely noticeable unless she was really paying attention. he shifted his focus back to the pumpkin. he didn’t want to scare her off by staring too much. he was aware of how easily his eyes could linger and, of course, didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. but there was something about her that made it hard to look away.

he tried to refocus on the pumpkin in front of him, letting the quiet moment settle between them. pumpkin carving wasn’t difficult, but it gave him something to do with his hands, something to concentrate on. still, he couldn’t help but watch her hands as she worked, noticing how she struggled with a stubborn section of the pumpkin. he let her figure it out on her own but couldn’t resist offering a gentle piece of advice. "be careful with the tools. i wouldn’t want you to cut yourself…" it wasn’t much, but maybe it would help, even if it wasn’t asked for.

he set his carving tools aside and leaned back, inspecting the two pumpkins he had just finished. the first was simple and clean, with precise lines forming a star. the second had a jack-o’-lantern face with wide triangular eyes and a toothy grin. it had taken him a bit longer to get the proportions just right, but he didn’t mind. the satisfaction of symmetry always calmed his mind.

@taexkai asked: favorite SEHUN photoshoot?

or rather, in this case, a lack thereof - the tension in her shoulders release, and the uneasiness settles as her attention is stolen by the magnitude - or should she say, metalitude - of his abilities. the words she considered saying only moments ago dispel themselves into the air and boreum watches as he doesn't lift so much as a finger, manipulating the tool and using it to carve into the pumpkin. "wow, that's amazing!" she says, genuinely astonished - they live in a world where every individual hones their own unique skills, but it never ceases to amaze her how remarkable it is to witness them in action. and truth be told, she's never really had much first-hand experience with elemental manipulations, nor their users. the carving tool sets itself back down on the table and boreum's mouth parts ever so slightly as he shows off his creation. a flawless design of a bright star. "i-it looks great!" she's impressed, and it's not difficult to tell it's a authentic reaction. "y-you should think about taking up art.. you'd be, er- really good at it.. in my opinion."

he chuckled softly, watching her wide-eyed awe as she looked at his abilities. he was so accustomed to his powers that they no longer felt special, but her reaction made him see his connection to metal differently. "art, huh?" he tilted his head thoughtfully. "maybe. i've never really thought about it." he couldn’t imagine himself in an art class since he hadn’t touched art since grade school. the idea sounded amusing, but he doubted he’d ever be some picasso or monet or have any form of formidable talent for the field of art.

he glanced at boreum's pumpkin, patiently waiting to see if she'd ask for help. holidays had never meant much to him; without anyone to celebrate with, they were just another day. as a child, he rarely marked those occasions, since family celebrations weren’t part of his life, so they quickly faded into the background. "i don’t really care for the holidays," he admitted, though his brows furrowed slightly at the mention of her working. "working, huh?" he repeated, already familiar with her routine. still, he thought a change could be good for her, especially on a day like halloween. "don’t you think you should take the night off? apparently, halloween’s supposed to be fun." he hoped she’d do something for herself, she deserved a break. but even if she didn’t listen, it gave him the perfect excuse to stop by and see her during the holiday anyway.

with @dxdaehyun ˎˊ˗

the entire diner was overrun with fresh produce - the kitchen in particular looked like someone had bought an entire pumpkin patch, having scoured each section meticulously, and harvested each and every last of the gourds. all of them varied; different shapes and sizes, most of them a vibrant, earth-kissed tones. boreum didn't even know that there were different colored pumpkins out there, having assumed that they were always bright shades of marigold, but she supposes that anything is possible, especially with mutagens who possess plant manipulation abilities.

".. it's huge," she says, marveling at the size of the overgrown crop in front of them. they're stationed at daehyun's usual booth, several smaller pumpkins littered around them. the beginning of october meant that the fall festivities were in full swing - they had already updated the menu with more autumnal items, boreum's newly added apple ciders and cheesecakes at the top of the board due to sparky's insistence, but now it was time to decorate toast & coffee to look the part of a seasonal orchard.

"erm- we have to clean it out first," boreum says softly, glancing up at daehyun. she's since apologized for being a complete embarrassment a few weeks ago, having feared she'd made things terribly awkward after she had stuttered herself into oblivion, but daehyun was incredibly kind, and had thought nothing of her mortification, waving it off when she'd apologized the next time he'd come in. she was relieved, even now as they stand next to each other - the last thing she wanted to do was upset a regular customer and someone who she was starting to hope she could muster up enough courage to call a friend.

he shook his head slightly. "i'm fine here. you're fine. i don’t really need to move unless you want me to." he had no intention of going anywhere. this was fine—more than fine, really. he didn’t complain much, and he didn’t mind spending his time like this, in the quiet corner of the diner where he could watch and listen to boreum talk about her day, the pumpkins, or even halloween since it was just around the corner. "what are your plans for halloween?"

without saying much, he let his power hum beneath the surface. the magnetism that flowed through his veins was subtle, an extension of himself. he didn’t need to focus too hard to bring the carving tool closer, letting it hover just above the surface of the pumpkin. his control over metal was precise, effortless. "i don’t want to get my hands messy," he declared as the blade moved smoothly through the pumpkin’s skin, carving the shape he had in mind with clean, even strokes. no mess, just efficiency.

the star he was carving took form, each line sharp and perfectly symmetrical. he wanted it to be distinct, something that reflected his own style, but he didn’t rush. it felt good to be in control of something so simple, so straightforward—so different from handling weapons or maneuvering through a mission. this was just a pumpkin.

"i-it's no trouble at all," she says quickly, bringing her hands up and waving them gently in front of herself, awkwardly trying to convey that it wasn't burdensome in the least. "b-besides.. erm, there's a huge batch in the kitchen.. i'm sure we won't go through it all.." she trails off, unsure how to accept his gratitude. she's never been good at taking compliments, nor has she had much experience with others speaking their appreciation. and certainly, she's never been considered someone's favorite part of anything - his words, although so kind, so wholesome, and so genuine, make the heat on her face burn tenfold and she swears for a moment she had gotten so embarrassed that she'd activated her abilities and disappeared.

he leaned forward slightly, his posture relaxed, though he knew he’d soon have to return to his duties as an engineer for n.e.p.a. it was all part of the routine, the demands of his nine-to-five. still, he wished he could stay a little longer, if only to see her smile again, to watch her stumble over her words in that endearing way she always did. his work left no space for softness, but here, in this diner, he could allow himself a moment of warmth.

as she fidgeted, clearly flustered, he found himself smiling. there was something undeniably cute about her nervousness, and he couldn’t help but admire it. but he knew better than to distract her from her duties for too long; after all, the diner could fill up at any moment. still, right now, he felt fortunate to have this quiet time with her. it wasn’t just the food or the comfort the diner offered—it was the simple joy of seeing boreum and sparky.

“i should be heading out,” he said, his voice softer than usual, tinged with reluctance. “work calls…” his gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, calm and steady. “but i’m glad i came by. i always am. thank you for everything.”

he let the moment linger, savoring it. picking up the food she had carefully packed for him, he stood and made his way toward the exit. as he stepped out into the cold world beyond, back to the demands of his job, he carried with him a quiet warmth, a reminder of the time they shared.

"it's the perfect thing for a cold, rainy day," she says excitedly as he takes a few more sips, though the weather outside isn't necessarily dreary. "i'm so glad that you like it," she admits, the flush returning on her cheeks. knowing daehyun was enjoying her meal warmed both her heart and her face. "it was uh- the first time i've made soup.. erm, well.. made soup outside of my own kitchen.." a nervous admission, but it's taken over by another smile as he takes another spoonful, and in what feels like a matter of moments, the bowl is clean and she feels the unfamiliar twinge of pride bloom in her chest. "dessert? .. oh, yes - we do have, erm .." she tears her gaze away from him, checking the dilapidated board again. "sticky toffee pudding.. the head chef made it this morning." boreum nods at daehyun's request for the sweet treat and a hot coffee before rushing back to the kitchen, happy to oblige. "coming right up!"

he watched her as she was hurrying to grab the dessert as he requested, he was feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the social interaction as he already had to deal with the noise but, there wasn't anything negative. however, it was the effort to keep a conversation going, was more than many ways, stressful enough for him. he didn't think of himself to be anyone too interesting or spontaneous that would make anyone want to be around him for long periods of time.

"good evening," boreum says softly as she approaches the table, the ends of her mouth curving upwards. her trademark stutter has lessened throughout daehyun's visits, though she's still a little sheepish at times. "you remembered.." the smile grows a little more as their eyes meet - the softest pink from the attention now tinting her cheeks. he was always kind enough to order her new recipes, and to remember when she was excited about them. "that's right - uhm.. it's.." she turns back towards the tattered menu board posted up on the wall. "potato soup. well, potato and pumpkin soup. oh, and uhm - apples! potato-pumpkin-apple soup."

when boreum returned with the steaming bowl of the orchard soup, daehyun's interest piqued further. the aroma was a blend of the sweet, earthy blend of the pumpkin with the subtle sweetness of the apples, a bizarre combination that seemed intriguing. he wasn't a man who took risks daintily.

taking the first spoonful, he paused, letting the flavors meld on his palate. it was harmonious, the savouriness of the potato and pumpkin, enriched by the faint, crisp sweetness of the apples. "it's good." he declared, a genuine smile breaking through his more reserved, cold persona. he guarded his emotions closely but found a rare sense of satisfaction in this simple exchange. her culinary experiments, seemingly, unpredictable as life could be, brought a whimsical change to his otherwise stringent and secretive existence.