#ace bk

My soul is sold to a demon: no, no, not a literal demon. Rather, a villain. There’s no such thing though, right? Superheroes and villains. That’s what you believed in when you were a kid. That used to be me too. But that’s not how I feel anymore. I don’t know if I believe in a hero, but I believe in villains. Because I grew up with one.

Have you ever watched those movies where the girl has a cute next door neighbor and they fall in love and live happily ever after? Yeah, well, that’s not how me and my neighbor turned out.

Kim Byeongkwan was a quiet boy. Him and his parents moved next door to us when I was in sixth grade. He was shy, and sweet. I had a bit of a crush on him in eighth grade, I will admit. But that soon passed when my parents started inviting him over for dinner sometimes.

His parents were workaholics and he was always stuck at him alone. So my parents would invite him over for dinner, my mom would ask him a million questions. All to which, he would give one word answers or none at all.

After dinner, me and him would sit on the couch together and watch a movie or play a video game. Needless to say, my crush on Byeongkwan faded when I realized we didn’t have much in common.

Then, we grew up. We remained neighbors. He went to the same school as me, but that was all. My life continued on like normal. Then we graduated High School. Byeongkwan’s parents left for overseas work, leaving their son in the old house rent free for who knows how long. While I moved and got my own apartment a few miles away closer to the city of Chicago.

I changed jobs a few times but I was settled in my new job as a teller at a bank. A modest job, I know. I could have gone to collage but didn’t much feel like being weighed down with debt. And I liked my job. I had good friends. My life was good.

Until one night I was awakened to the sound of fists banging on my front door frantically. I sat upright in bed and went to look out the peephole of my door.

I saw a man with battered clothing, his body scratched and bruised and covered in blood. He was barley standing, a pained look on his face. Byeongkwan.

I open my door and Byeongkwan’s eyes lock mine before he crawls inside and lays down on my living room floor, his body shaking and convulsing horribly.

“Byeongkwan, let me call an ambulance” I say, wiping away his sweat drenched hair from his forehead.

Byeongkwan grabs my wrist, stopping me. “Please.” He chokes out, “Don’t. I came to you because you’re the only person I felt I could trust.”

He lays his head back against the carpet as another severe shaking fit takes over his body. His blood soaking my carpet. The veins in his neck popping from his neck as he gritted his teeth against the pain.

I stare down at him, worry filling my chest. Unsure what to do. “What happened to you?” I mumble as I rest my hand on his chest. His skin burning hot.

Then, he stops moving. His entire body relaxes as he eyes close. I freeze, thinking he’s dead. I’m about to call an ambulance anyway when a green light glows through his veins. His entire body lit with the green light. Slowly the light fades, leaving the room dark as my heart thuds against my ribs.  I stare at him, eyes wide. His eyes open suddenly and i back away from him. Suddenly nervous.

Byeongkwan’s eyes are a light, glowing shade of green. His irises look like cat eyes as they lock onto me. Byeongkwan sits up quickly, running a hand through his black sweaty hair.

“Byeongkwan,” I whisper, his eyes darting all over my apartment. “Are you okay?”

Byeongkwan’s eyes meet mine, and a feeling of true fear washes over me. I knew then, before he even spoke to me, he had changed.

“I’m just fine, baby.” He says coolly. A smirk on his lips.

~~~~

That was six months ago. Come to find out, Byeongkwan had been walking home from work one night and a nearby power plant thats on our neighborhood road exploded. Byeongkwan happened to be walking past at that time and the electricity hit his body dead on.

He should have died. Actually, he did die. Until a powerful force entered his body, taking in his weak state and giving him powers. This is what Byeongkwan told me when I asked how he got these sudden powers.

The powers I’m referring to? Teleportation and shapeshifting. But he was also given superhuman strength and an increased  IQ.

But this force giving him these powers, is evil. Slowly the Byeongkwan I grew up with changed. He became more devious, harder to handle. And now, he’s blackmailing me to keep his secret. All the while he steals and commits crime without ever getting caught. The police never even know who did it. Because he can shed his skin like a snake and slither into the night.

Here’s the thing; I’m not a killer. I can’t just turn him in. People with superpowers down live in Chicago or anywhere else in the world. They aren’t real! (This is what I try to reassure myself)

But if I turn him in, he’ll be a lab rat. A subject to thousands of tests for the rest of his life or until they decide he’s more useful dead than alive.

Even if I turn him in, he’s too fast. They will never find him or catch him. And if tell, he can have my family killed in an instant. And I can’t kill myself. I tried that. He found me and caught me before I could jump.

Understand this isn’t sweet Byeongkwan that I grew up with. This is so much different. This Byeongkwan will threaten to kill and you will believe him. Because he flashes you his Cheshire Cat grin that sends chills down your spine and you become afraid. And you believe him.

And this Byeongkwan has entrusted me with known his new found power. So my soul, in a way, is sold to this man. Because for the safety of the human race and my family I cannot tell another living soul who he is or what he is capable of. My devil who I’ve sold my soul to.

But he’s also a guarding angel. Because of his power he can teleport extremely fast. He can be in Jamaica one minute and be by my side the next. This serves him well because I never truly leave his sight. He proved his point when I was leaving work one late night, the streets empty and dark. A few teenagers grabbed me and pulled me into an alleyway, thinking they could have some fun.

Then, there was Byeongkwan. His jaw set and his hands in fists. He beat the teens so badly they could only lay on the pavement and moan. The next minute, Byeongkwan had me in his arms and we were inside my apartment. Safe and sound.

The scary thing; when Byeongkwan was beating those teens, I saw a glint in his eyes. A strange look as if he enjoyed what he was doing. And I don’t think he would have stopped had I not told him to.

He’s my demon on one shoulder. But an angel on the other.

~~~~~

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a gut feeling something is wrong? It’s like when you wake up and stare at your desk chair a little too long because your brain is convinced there’s someone sitting in it.

This is the feeling I wake up to. My back is drenched in sweat causing my shirt to stick to my skin. My eyes search my room for the cause of my anxiety.

My balcony window is open, cold Chicago air blowing in, making my currents flap in the breeze. I feel a chill go down my spine when my eyes lock on a pair of bright green eyes in the corner of my room.

“Hi, baby.” Byeongkwan gloats, his voice deep.

I lay back against the pillow. Knowing what he was going to ask next. Every month, Byeongkwan would stop in like this. And he would ask one question, and it was always the same question.

“You haven’t told anyone, right?” He asks as he stand up to full height.

I sigh and press my palms against my eyes. “No. For the millionth time, no.”

Byeongkwan smirks against the moon light, watching me laid out in bed. I let out a gasp when his body weight is suddenly on me, his legs straddling my waist.

“What are you-“ I begin to protest, but Byeongkwan puts a finger to my lips, his face inches from mine.

I watch as his glowing green cat eyes lose their glow, his old eye color returning.

“You’re so good at keeping secrets.” He whispers. His finger trailing down my neck and even further down my chest. The sensation sent a chill up my spine, but at the same time I couldn’t seem to will myself to make him stop.

Byeongkwan smirks at me widely, leaning his head down to my neck before whispering, “Keep up this good behavior and I’ll reward you.”

And then he’s gone. His body vanishes and the only thing I have to prove he was there was the lingering feeling of his smooth skin against mine. My face flushes at his words; my mind spinning with what they could possibly mean.

~~~~~~~

I lay on the couch after a long day at work, my eyes closing from drowsiness. I hadn’t seen Byeongkwan for two months now. I was beginning to think maybe he had left. Maybe I actually had my life back.

I sigh at the thought, hoping that was indeed the case. I lean my head against the plush pillows and feel myself drift off to sleep to peaceful dreams with the TV still on.

At some point, I turn over, my arm going beneath my head. It registers with me that my couch feels surprisingly cold and hard.

I feel a gust of wind run along my neck, blowing my hair onto my face. My eyes come open and I sit up quickly. I’m not home anymore. And I know instantly who moved me without me ever knowing. I’m lying on a concrete floor of a renovated building. With the way the wind is blowing I know I’m on the top floor.

The walls of the building are only boards, a shadow of walls that aren’t yet complete. Plastic wrap hands from the ceiling and flaps in the breeze, casting ghost like shadows across the dark building.

I stand up and wipe my sweaty palms on my pants, my heart in my throat. Then, from the wall in front of me, a portal like hole opens up, it’s smoke like appearance twists and turns like a raging thunder storm.

Byeongkwan steps out from the portal, a smirk on his lips, his green eyes boring through mine. He wears a long black trench coat with a white button down shirt underneath it. His hair is slicked back and several rings encase his fingers. I can tell instantly all of them are expensive, but stolen.

“Hello, darling.” Byeongkwan greets, his voice sweet but his smile sinister.

I let out a shaky breath, “Byeongkwan, what do you want?” I ask, trying to keep the shake out of my voice.

Byeongkwan walks slowly over to me, his boots clicking on the concrete floor as he walks.

“I have a confession to make.” He says, his voice deep and his eyes roaming over me.

“Are you actually going to come clean?” I ask, sarcasm lacing my words.

Byeongkwan stops inches in front of me, his green cat eyes searching my face, making me swallow nervously.

“No... but I realized something that I think is important to get out.” He says, stepping a bit closer to me, making my breath hitch.

Byeongkwan leans his head down, his warm breath fanning across my cold cheeks. “I’m of the belief that you’ve bewitched me.” He whispers in my ear.

My eyes widen and I feel my body freeze. Words refusing to leave my throat.

Byeongkwan sees me struggling and chuckles. “Didn’t you know, baby?” Byeongkwan asks, his smirk widening. “I’ve actually had a crush on you since we were young. But the shy me that came to your house was never going to admit that. But now, things are different.”

Byeongkwan wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me close to him, my body flush against his.

A black portal opens up behind him and he pulls us inside. When I open my eyes again we’re back at my place. I lay on my couch like I’ve never left, but Byeongkwan hovers over me, his body weight on mine.

Byeongkwan runs his tongue over his teeth as he stares down at me. A chill going down my spine, but a feeling of desire washing over me as I stare into his powerful green eyes.

“God, you’re so beautiful.” Byeongkwan whispers deeply. His hands finding mine as they take my wrists and pin them above my head, making me squeak involuntary.

His nose runs along mine, causing me to lose my breath, his hips pressing against me and pushing me harder into the couch. Byeongkwan runs his nose down my neck, causing goosebumps to rise.

Byeongkwan lets out a breath against my neck, hot air brushing against my skin. His lips meet mine and I feel my eyes close, a feeling of surrender going through me. Not because Byeongkwan is a villain in this world and I’m powerless against  him.  But because I want to surrender to him to see how far this goes.

Byeongkwan lets out a moan against my mouth, his tongue sliding into my mouth before his teeth gently take my tongue and bite it.

Byeongkwan pulls away and bites my jawline, making my back arch involuntarily.

“If I have it my way baby,” Byeongkwan whispers between kisses and breaths, “I will have you moaning my name.”

“Do you always get what you want?” I ask, my breath coming in too fast. My head spinning.

Byeongkwan meets my eyes, his hands leaving my waist to wrap around my waist, my hands going to his toned chest.

“Not always.” Byeongkwan answers as his tongue flicks at my ear. “But this is the only thing that really matters to me.”

I take his face in my hands, my thumbs running across his cheeks, his eyes staring into mine. For the first time in months I feel like I’m not scared of this devil that possessed my life. Rather, I felt drawn to him. Like a forbidden love that was irresistible.

I lean in to kiss his lips but I feel his body slip away from me. He stands in the kitchen doorway, the moonlight from my window highlighting his dark skin.

He must see the let down in my eyes because he smirks at the look in my eyes, “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll be coming back for you to finish this later.”

He says, before he vanished. Disappearing through the smoke like portal.

My devil with green eyes possessed me. And now I feel like my life is really going to change.

“Come on,” my boyfriend whines to me for the hundredth time that night. “Don’t be like this.”

I ignore him and keep walking into our apartment and get rid of my shoes before walking to the bathroom to remove my makeup.

“Please, I said I was sorry.” Byeongkwan whines, following me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

“I know you did.” I say simply, continuing with my night routine.

“You still won’t give in? I told you I was running late. I didn’t know I would be four hours late.”

I let out a heavy sigh remembering the nights events. Me and Byeongkwan had scheduled a fancy dinner to go to. He had been on tour for months now. I barely ever saw him or heard from him. Making our relationship difficult. I was at the restaurant early that night, all dressed up. I waited for four hours. The first hour wasn’t a big deal because I knew he usually was an hour late to things. But then the hours drug on making him late because of rehearsal for their comeback and the heavy traffic of Seol Korea.

By the time he had showed up at the restaurant our food had long since gone to waste and I was beyond mad. We didn’t stay, only payed the check and left.

I remove Byeongkwans hands from my waist and push him out the bathroom door before saying tiredly, “I’m going to take a bath.”

Byeongkwan opens his mouth to say something, but seems to think better of it and nods solemnly and walks away from the door back to our bedroom.

I let out a sigh and close the door before I start getting undressed and sit in the tub for the next hour. My mind spinning and my heart feeling heavy. I knew I should forgive him, because tonight wasn’t entirely his fault. But a large part of me just didn’t care to right now. Especially since we had planned this months in advance.

Once I get out and dress into more comfortable clothes, I walk into the kitchen to get a glass of water before going to bed.

“You still aren’t going to talk to me?” Byeongkwan’s voice says quietly from behind me.

I don’t answer as I proceed to fill the glass with water. I feel Byeongkwans hands slide around my waist again. My face flushes when I feel his skin against mine. I realize that he still has his white dress shirt and slacks on. But his tie is off and his white button down is unbuttoned half way, leaving his chest exposed. While I still can, I jerk away from him quickly. Feeling his heat leave my back.

“Now I can’t touch you?” He whines.

I still don’t answer him.

He lets out a sigh and I see him run his hand through his hair out of the corner of my eye.

“What do I have to do to make tonight up to you? Beg you?”

I consider this before setting the glass of water down and facing him. His dark hair is messy and his chest moving deeply with his breaths.

“Yes.” I say flatly, crossing my arms.

“What?” Byeongkwan says, an eyebrow raising.

“Beg me.” I dare. My eyes narrowing.

Byeongkwan lets out a laugh that borders on hysteria.

“Are you serious?” He takes a step toward me and holds out his hands.

I press my back against the counter harder and hold my arms away from his grasp.

“No. I won’t touch you, unless you beg me.” I say flatly. My eyes kept contact with him the entire time.

“How… How do you want me to beg you?” He stutters. Looking unsure.

“On your knees would be a good start.”

Byeongkwan lets out another laugh that’s mixed with humor about his current situation and annoyance. But he rolls his shoulders back and down and goes to his knees gently before meeting my eyes and saying softly;

“Please… I am so, so sorry about tonight. Please, let me make this up to you.”

“So what are you going to do about it?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even.

Byeongkwan stares up at me for a moment before getting up off his knees, both his hands on the counter either side of me, his white shirt coming open more. Making me gulp nervously.

Byeongkwan leans in close enough for me to feel his breath tickle my ear. I still hold my ground despite my heartbeat picking up and racing in my chest. Byeongkwan runs his nose up my neck to my ear, just barely touching my skin. Giving me goosebumps.

But I quickly shove away from him. I start to make my way to our living room, my face burning red.

Then I feel Byeongkwan’s hand grab my wrist and pull me backward until my back is flush against the wall and his hands are on either side of me. Pinning me there.

“Don’t just walk away from me.” He growls lowly. His face inches from mine.

“I can do what I want.” I say defiantly. But I secretly hate how weak my voice sounds.

“And I could easily do a lot of things to you to make up for tonight.” He whispers darkly.

Which makes me let out a small gasp.

“I didn’t make it for our date tonight. And that’s my own fault.” He says, his nose running back down my neck.

“That being said, I surrender. I am yours to control tonight.”

My heart almost stops and I hear myself let out a gasp and rest my hand against his bare chest for support. His eyes meet mine, his nose barely touching mine. A smirk on his lips.

I feel myself cave completely as I rest both my hands on his chest and his fingers run through my hair slowly before he locks his lips with mine.

His hands slide down find my thighs as he brings me up and walks us to the couch, laying me down gently but never once letting his lips leave mine.

I wrap my legs around his waist pulling him closer to me but at the same time taking a fistful of his hair and pulling it slightly until his head goes back, making him let out a soft cry.

“I thought you said I was in control.” I whisper horsely, running my tongue along his lips making his groan out before pushing him off me slightly and adjusting our bodies until he was beneath me and I straddled his waist.

I slide my hands down his chest until I feel the final buttons on his shirt and quickly unbutton them and work the material off his shoulders until it fits the floor.

Byeongkwan wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me greedily, his hands sliding up my shirt and tracing my shoulder blades. But I’m the one who bits his lower lip until it’s swollen and his breath is uneven. I’m the one who finds my way down his neck,  letting my tongue trail across his collarbone, making him bite my shoulder in response before letting his tongue rest there to soothe the pain.

I pull away slightly before whispering, “Have you had enough?”