#changbin x reader

Changbin is the kind of boyfriend to butter you up with a bunch of sweet things to drop your guard before asking for sex

Changbin is the kind of boyfriend to leave hundreds of love bites in increasingly more intimate areas so that you, and only you, can see how much he loves you.

Changbin is the kind of boyfriend who will follow your lead. You want him to top? Okay. You want him to be the bottom? No problem. New fantasy you want to try? He'll be in the bed room in no time.

Changbin is the kind of boyfriend who loves you riding him so he can look up at you and let you set the pace (for the most part)

Changbin is the kind of boyfriend to come home after a concert, still pumping with adrenaline and blow the rest of his steam on you.

Changbin is the kind of boyfriend who has a big enough dick to give you a belly bulge, and will 100% massage that area while fucking you

Changbin is the kind of boyfriend to do extensive after care, knowing that he can be pretty rough.

You tell yourself it was just dinner.

That’s what you keep repeating the next morning while you stand in your kitchen with half a cup of coffee you forgot to drink and your phone face-down on the counter like it might say something you’re not ready to read yet.

It’s not that Changbin acted differently in any obvious way. There was no argument, no sharp words, no sudden coldness you could point at and say this is where it changed. It’s just that when you think back to it, you start noticing the small things first, the pauses that lasted a little too long, the way he didn’t reach for you as easily once you were outside his parents’ home.

You try not to read into it.

You really do.

But your brain keeps replaying him at the red light, fingers still on the wheel like he’d forgotten what to do with them for a second, like even his habits had to think before moving.

Your phone buzzes once.

Then again.

You already know it’s him before you look.

“Did you sleep okay?"

It’s simple. Casual. The kind of message he sends when nothing is wrong.

You stare at it for a moment longer than you mean to, thumb hovering, before replying that yes, you did, even though you both know that’s not really the point of the question.

He replies almost immediately.

“Good”

Then, a pause that feels like it has weight even through text.

“i’m at practice today. might be late”

You should say something normal back. Something light. Something that fits the version of you two that existed before last night started rearranging itself quietly in the background.

Instead, you type and delete twice before settling on:

“okay. don’t overwork yourself”

There’s a delay this time.

Not long.

“i won’t”

And that should be the end of it.

But it isn’t.

Because when you put your phone down, you realize something uncomfortable and small sitting in your chest—you’re not sure if he sounds normal or if you just don’t recognize him properly right now.

‎ ✧

You don’t see him that day.

Not properly.

He doesn’t call, but that isn’t unusual. Changbin has always been better at showing up than explaining himself. Still, there’s a difference between being busy and feeling like someone is just slightly further away than they were yesterday.

When he finally texts again, it’s late enough that the sky outside your window has already gone dark without asking permission.

“Are you home?”

"Yes" , you answer .

A few seconds pass.

Then:

“can i come by?”

This time you don’t hesitate before saying yes, which is something you notice later when you’re trying to understand your own reactions.

He arrives not long after.

No warning of footsteps, just a knock that feels heavier than usual, like he’s trying not to announce himself too loudly to a space that already knows him.

When you open the door, he looks the same as always at first glance—hoodie slightly oversized, hair a little messier than it should be, eyes tired in a way that has nothing to do with sleep. But there’s something restrained about him, like he’s standing at the edge of a thought he hasn’t stepped into yet.

You move aside without saying anything, letting him in the way you always do.

He walks past you, but slower than usual.

Like he’s aware of everything.

The door closes behind him, and for a second neither of you speaks. It isn’t awkward exactly. It’s just… suspended.

You notice he doesn’t immediately take off his shoes the way he usually does when he’s comfortable.

Instead, he stays standing near the entryway, hands briefly in his pockets, then out again like he’s not sure where they belong.

“You didn’t have practice late?” you ask, because it feels safer than asking anything else.

“I left early,” he says, and his voice is normal, but not fully relaxed.

You nod like that explains everything, even though it doesn’t.

He finally moves further inside, sitting down on the edge of your couch instead of fully settling into it. That alone makes something in your chest tighten slightly, though you try not to show it.

For a moment, he just looks at you.

In a way that feels like he’s measuring something he doesn’t know how to name.

“You’ve been quiet,” he says eventually, like he’s trying to place it on you instead of himself.

You let out a small breath that almost turns into a laugh, but doesn’t. “I could say the same about you.”

That gets a faint reaction from him—something between amusement and hesitation—but it doesn’t last.

Instead, he leans forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees, eyes lowering for a second before coming back up.

“It’s not you,” he says, and it comes out too quickly to feel like comfort.

That sentence lands differently than it should.

Because people only say that when they already know you’re thinking it might be.

You don’t answer right away, and in the silence that follows, you realize how loud your own thoughts have gotten.

Then he adds, quieter this time, like he’s choosing words carefully for the first time in a while. “I think… I’m just thinking too much.”

There’s a pause after that, one that stretches longer than either of you interrupts.

You sit down across from him, but not too close, because something about his posture makes closeness feel like it might break whatever he’s holding together right now.

“About what?” you ask, even though part of you already knows the answer might not be something you want shaped into words.

He exhales slowly, leaning back just slightly now, like the weight of staying forward is too much. “Last night,” he admits, and his voice softens in a way that doesn’t quite reach relief.

Your fingers curl slightly into your sleeve without you noticing.

He continues, not looking directly at you now, eyes somewhere between the floor and nothing in particular.

“My mom… she kept asking things. Not bad things. Just…” he stops, searching for the right version of it that won’t sound like criticism. “Just things that make you think a lot when you’re not used to answering them.”

You stay quiet, letting him speak.

“And my dad doesn’t say much, but when he does, it’s like he’s already thinking five steps ahead of what you said,” he adds with a small, humorless breath. “I kept wondering if I was answering properly or just… filling space.”

You listen carefully, because you understand what he’s trying not to say out loud.

That he wasn’t just thinking about the dinner. He was thinking about you inside it. And what that looked like to them. And maybe what that looked like to him.

“I felt like I was watching you instead of just… being there,” he says finally, and there’s something rawer underneath that sentence if you know how to hear it.

You do.

You don’t interrupt, even when your chest tightens in a way you can’t immediately explain.

Because this isn’t about one dinner anymore.

It’s about what he noticed when he was with his family and you were there too.

About the way people start to see things differently when they’re placed next to each other long enough.

When he finally looks at you again, it’s not distant.

It’s uncertain.

And that, somehow, feels worse than anything else so far.

“I don’t know what that means yet,” he says quietly.

And for the first time since all of this started, you believe him when he says he doesn’t know.

─── ♡ ───

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And, because the universe apparently had a cruel sense of humor, he had the exact same name too.

Changbin.

His name tag sat neatly over his right chest, confirming your absolute doom.

And as if that was not enough, he still remembered your drink. You barely ever drank coffee in any form other than an americano or just plain black; you hated sweetened coffee, and Changbin had remembered that ever since he unknowingly put sugar in your cup on your second date, so of course he knew that, and you hated that he remembered, only to use it against you and strike your heart all over again.

The said man blinked at your silence, his brow lifting a little. “Ma’am?”

Ryujin, standing beside you, was already grinning so wide her cheeks probably hurt.

You coughed, choking on air and pure embarrassment. “Uh, yeah! Americano sounds nice.”

Changbin gave you a polite smile, the kind that was probably meant for customers but still made your stomach flip. It was fucking awful (no, it wasn't)

“Okay, that’ll be sixteen dollars with the croissant and the latte. How would you like to pay?”

It was not Ryujin’s fault, really.

You had been keeping your personal life pretty private. You broke up with Changbin almost a year ago, before you befriended Ryujin, who met you after you moved to the busier, noisier part of town, hoping that you would start a new chapter here. A new place. A new start. A fresh beginning without the heartbreak Changbin had left. 

Loving him had never been the difficult part. It was slowly realizing that his work always needed him first, and there was never much left of him by the time he got to you.

So yes, Ryujin had no idea.

Still, she looked insanely proud of herself, like she had personally won the lottery just by making your ears go red hot.

She always paid attention. It’s very sweet, really. Every time the group went out, she noticed the kind of men you looked at a second too long. She noticed the types you swiped right on dating apps, the ones you complained about in passing, the ones you swore were only just talking until they inevitably became nothing. Apparently, she had been analyzing your taste in men, and today, that attentiveness had become your biggest problem.

You and her sat beside each other at a small table by the corner, she leaned in with the sort of smile that made you want to flee the country.

“Tell me I nailed it,” she squealed under her breath. “He is one hundred percent your type, right?”

You sighed so hard it felt like your soul left your body for a second. Pinching the bridge of your nose, you stared down at the table and seriously considered telling her the truth then and there.

She kept talking, quick and delighted. “Seeing your reaction, I know I’m right. I’m gonna ask his number for you since you are too much of a coward.”

She bit her lip in excitement, like this was her personal mission in life. Maybe it was. You had been the only single one in the friend group for a while now, and even though you never really complained, they all seemed to have noticed the way you got a little quiet whenever everyone showed up with a partner in tow. You had always insisted you were fine. And you were, mostly. But Ryujin and the others were the kind of friends who wanted to fix things the moment they sensed even the tiniest crack.

“No! Ugh, no, you don’t need to.” You waved a hand, immediately regretting the way your voice came out way too fast.

“Why not?” She tilted her head. “You liked him.”

“I’m not interested in him.” 

She clicked her tongue, clearly unconvinced.

“Bullshit.” She pointed at you like she had caught you committing a crime. “You’re blushing like crazy, and you stuttered your order. Stop lying to my face.” 

She leaned back against the wall, fanning herself as she observed you from the side. “He looked attracted to you too, so why not give it a try?”

You groaned, covering your face with both hands. “Ryujin, please.”

“I’m serious! Why are you so embarrassed when you easily gave your number to a random man who hit on you at bars anyway?”

Maybe that was because those men came with no history attached, no dangerous ability to stir up old feelings simply by existing behind a coffee counter.

And you had not seen Changbin in almost a year! For all you knew, he could have a girlfriend. Hell, he could already be married, for fuck's sake.

And apparently, fate had no intention of siding with you today. Because out of everyone working in the cafe, Changbin was the one who brought your order to the table.

The cafe was not even that busy! Why didn't he just let one of the other staff serve your table?

You side-eyed Ryujin, who grinned from ear to ear.

Did owners even do table service? Apparently, this one did!

He came over with a tray holding a mug, a plate of slightly steaming croissant, a tall glass of iced americano, and a straw that rolled gently with each step he took.

He wore the same annoyingly bright smile, that familiar downturned curve of his lips that had always looked soft even when he was trying to seem casual. It was the exact smile that used to make your stomach flutter in the stupidest way. 

Well... maybe it still did.

“Here is your order, ladies.” He set everything down carefully, the movement easy and practiced, and then brought the empty tray close to his chest. “Do you need anything else?”

Ryujin smiled wickedly.

“Yes, actually,” she said, lowering her voice. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Your eyes went wide.

Before Changbin could answer, you slapped a hand over her mouth in pure panic and rushed to fix this horrifying situation. “No! She was joking. Sorry for her inappropriate mouth. We are good though. Thank you.”

Changbin glanced at Ryujin before his eyes settled back on yours. "I am single actually, if you're the one asking.”

Ryujin made a tiny strangled noise beneath your hand, and you clamped it down harder, making absolutely sure she wouldn't utter another ridiculous word.

“And if you need anything,” he said, his voice warmer now, “just call me. I'll be right there. I'll be happy to serve you.”

Before he could turn away, Ryujin pried your hand off her mouth and blurted out, “Number! I need your number because my beautiful friend here is too shy to ask for your number.”

“No!” You let out a horrified squeak. “Sorry, uh…” You pretend to study his name tag as if you were not currently dying. “Sorry, Changbin. She's a little delusional.”

Ryujin cackled so hard she nearly choked on her own laughter, while you sat there, slowly burning alive in your chair and praying your face was not as red as it felt.

Changbin only laughed softly, eyes crinkling in that exact same way they used to when he found you adorable and a little ridiculous.

“Well,” he murmured, “I believe this beautiful lady already has my number.”

Shutthefuckup. Shutthefuckuprightnow. What is he trying to do?

Changbin’s lips curled with the slightest trace of mischief, and he lifted a brow, like he was enjoying your misery just a little too much. "And... I still have yours."

He straightened, “But I won't use it unless you want me to.” 

He winked at you, and started to walk away as if he had not just shattered every functioning thought in your skull.

"I'll leave that up to you."

Ryujin’s smile vanished.

She slowly turned to you with absolute horror written all over her face. “Uh, what just happened?”

You closed your eyes and let out a long, miserable sigh.

had a terrible week and just wanted to sit down and write a little fluff to celebrate this & that comeback ;/

     There was something unsettling about this place. Maybe you should’ve felt that way about all the other spots you and your friends would explore, all of the abandoned buildings your group ventured into just for the sake of adventure, but something about this one was different. A sickening dread deep in your gut churned as shadows were cast down along your body, the factory tall and wide with the moon shining from behind it. The windows were filled with darkness, not an ounce of life within, giving you all the more reasons not to go inside. Had you been by yourself, you most definitely would’ve gotten back in your car and drove away.

     Unfortunately for you, the eldest of your group had a one track mind and everyone followed his word without question. His desires were deemed the most important out of the six of you, due to his optimism and go-getter attitude, because why would anyone listen to the socially awkward loner over someone so pleasant to be around? Then there was you, said socially awkward loner, who didn’t want to be left out and craved validation from your peers. Those you cared so dearly for, the ones you would’ve done anything to protect. Even if that meant coming out to the middle of nowhere to explore a giant abandoned factory. The thought wasn’t comforting and the sight was anything but pretty, and yet as you stood amongst your only friends, staring up at the structure before you, there was a glint of determination in your eyes.

     “Well, this is the place.” Alexander shut the driver side door of his car and peered up at the building with a grin on his face, like this was the most normal “hobby” in the world. “Huge, right? I heard people get lost in there all the time. Might find some bones, if we’re lucky.”

     “Ew, that’s so not funny.” While he looked ecstatic to wander into this absolute maze of potential hazards, Eunbyeol was on your side when it came to this whole thing; less than enthused and ready to go home. You knew them well enough to know that the only reason they came was standing right beside them. Even though you didn’t know Haruka- one of the other foreigners in your group- all that well, you knew that Eunbyeol had the fattest crush on her, pining for her attention like a puppy begging for a bone. “What if we get lost? None of us have our phones because you fucking took them.”

     “Relax, Eunie,” Alexander teased, turning to them and leaning against his car with his bag slung over his shoulder, a camera strapped to his chest. “We won’t get lost. I have the blueprint for this place, remember?”

     “I told you not to call me that.” They reminded him rather sharply. Despite their tone, he didn’t let up, instead taking their response as his cue to continue.

     “You’re worrying over nothing. This is gonna be a blast, right Haruka?”

     “Totally!” Rather than giving the woman in question time to answer, Jian lunged and threw her arms around Haruka’s neck, hugging her from behind and beaming up at the building behind you. Natalie trotted up behind her, purse hanging from one of her shoulders as she focused on tying her ginger hair up in a ponytail. “I have a playlist we can listen to and everything! We should find a spot to smoke in there, I already have some joints rolled for us.”

     “I am not smoking in there.” This time, you joined in on the conversation, making your stance on the matter crystal clear, just like you’d been doing this whole time. Honestly, you were only really here to comfort Eunbyeol whenever they needed it. As much as you enjoyed being around these guys, they gave you such a headache, and you never did care for the whole “urban exploring” trend. It just seemed like an excuse to do dumb shit at your grown ass age. Even though you hated your job, you would’ve much rather been at work than standing out in the woods in the middle of the night.

     “Don’t be like that!” Jian practically whined, pouting and giving you big puppy eyes she swore worked on everyone else like it did the weird ass men who enjoyed when women infantilized themselves. Disgusting. “We won’t even be here that long! And it’s just a joint, maybe it’ll help you calm down a little!”

     “I don’t need to calm down.”

     “Guys, we’re here to have fun, just chill. Everything’s cool, we have a map of the whole place, remember? If anything goes wrong, I know every inch of this building. We’ll find a way out no problem.” As always, Alexander was the one to keep the peace, solely because everyone else listened to him. To your dismay, and seemingly Eunbyeol’s as well, Haruka sighed and nodded her head in agreement.

     “Alright, we’re going. Just don’t make this a three hour thing, okay? Some of us have work in the morning.” He gave her a wide smile, the lot of you starting to approach the fence meant to guard the building from intruders just like you.

     “Then what’re you doing here?”

     “Following a dumbass.”

     “Aww, relax wifey, we’ll have you in bed on time.” Your eyes met Eunbyeol’s, sharing a look of distaste. Though, their eyes held a twinge of jealousy, to which you decided to cheer them up by gagging dramatically. Alex gave you a look of offense. “What?”

     “That was fucking cringe, dude. Do better.” Eunbyeol chuckled along with you, the two of you deciding to drift towards the back of the group while the others clumped in the front. Haruka glanced back to the two of you, giving a questioning thumbs up as if to subtly check in, to which you gave her one back. Then, with their collective attention gone, you turned your own to the only real friend you had amongst the crew. “You doing okay? I know these ‘outings’ make you nervous. You know you didn’t have to come, right?”

     “I’m fine. Didn’t wanna leave them alone.” They mumbled, eyes locked on the back of Alexander’s head, almost a glare. You huffed, nudging their shoulder with your own.

     “You know she likes you, right? Alex doesn’t stand a chance.” No matter your constant reassurances that they weren’t the only one whose feelings went beyond friendship, they never seemed to believe you, regardless of the fact that any outsider could see that they both liked each other. Hell, you were positive that was why Alexander kept making those jokes at Haruka. Not because he liked her, but because he knew it got to Eunbyeol and he was either praying for their downfall, or he was hoping to push the two together. It was hard to tell with him.

     “She likes people who are fun. I didn’t even want to come, I just wanted to stay home and play video games all night.”

     “What about that isn’t fun?”

     “I don’t go anywhere. Alex is always out hiking or exploring things, she would have so much more fun being with him.” Well, with that attitude, probably. Biting your tongue, you found a better response that wouldn’t make you seem like a huge bitch. Even if you were right. 

      “She would have fun worrying all the time? You know how she is, Eunbyeol, she doesn’t like this shit at all. If anything, I think she’s gonna have heart palpitations by the time the night is over.” Now that seemed to reach them. 

     “Yeah, that’s true.”

     “Right? All she does is worry. I’m positive she would want to be with someone who’s fun in a relaxing way, someone who won’t make her worry all the time. That’s you.” You poked their cheek playfully, watching as their lips pulled into a smile, one of their hands shoving yours away. 

     “Helloooo! Are you guys ready, or are you gonna stand there talking all night?” Jian called out to you from the top of the fence, her legs dangling off of one side. It didn’t make sense to you why she would choose to wear a skirt during something like this. That and the fact that Alexander was wearing slides.

     “Yeah, yeah, get down before I push you off.” You snapped back, grabbing onto the fence and promptly beginning to lift yourself off the ground, shoving the toe of one of your boots between the thick wires of the metal fence. While you climbed up, Eunbyeol looked around, seeming hesitant to follow. Pausing at the top, you turned your body over and reached down. “Come on, I won’t let you fall.”

     “Thanks.” Once they started to climb, you grabbed onto their sweater, using your own strength to haul them upwards. The two of you worked together to descend on the other side, dropping down on the dirt below, though in the midst of the drop, you landed incorrectly and felt a jolt of pain in your ankle. Luckily for you, Eunbyeol was there to keep you from collapsing.

     “Wow, real smooth.” With a huff, you left Eunbyeol to hang out with Haruka and shoved past Alexander, ready to get this whole thing over with.

     “Fuck off.”

     Turned out the entrance Alexander had in mind led directly to the basement, the six of you forced to climb through a window and freefall to the floor inside, shrouded in darkness and pretty much blind to what was at the bottom. Fortunately there was nothing and you all made it inside unscathed, except for you with the minor twinge in your ankle that proved to be a problem when it came to jumping. The basement in question was so dark you couldn’t see anyone else around you until Haruka turned on her flashlight, a beacon in the night that did very little to ease your worries about this whole thing. The chances of there being a serial killer in here were low, but never zero.

     “It stinks down here.” She grimaced while the rest of you turned on your own lights, flashing hers around to take in your newfound surroundings. Cement walls crowded around you, the floor covered in a thick layer of dirt and dust, particles floating through the air and only made visible by the rays of light. There was a strange feeling in the pit of your stomach, a kind of unease you couldn’t possibly ignore. You needed to hurry this along.

     “Great, it’s still intact Captain Clark, can we go home now?” Alexander huffed with amusement at your words, though he made no move to concede. Instead, he shined his light around, as well, taking in the structure of the room around him and how the building likely hadn’t aged all that much. He’d spent the whole car ride here informing all of you about the building’s age and its history as a clothing factory. The look of awe on his face was so childlike, it was almost hard to be too mad at him for dragging all of you out here. Almost.

     “Look at that. It’s like it hasn’t aged at all, and this place has been shut down for almost a hundred years, now.” Spoken with sheer fascination. About a building, by the way. With a soft sigh, you looked around the room yourself, taking in the basement while he lost himself in his architectural fantasies. While doing so, the beam of your flashlight tracing the walls, you noticed something by the window you came through. Smudged lines, four in a row, like someone’s fingers had grazed over it. One of your friends probably touched the wall and now had a bunch of dust all over their fingers. Gross.

     “We should keep going. This place is huge, we have to see what the rest of it looks like.” Natalie broke the silence, taking it upon herself to start walking into the shadows on her own. Haruka’s eyes bulged as she chased after her.

     “Hey, don’t just wander off in here!” The rest of you followed after the two, walking through the dusty basement with your flashlights in hand, the vast space of the basement alone enough to render you silent. Admiring the amount of space and all the ancient objects within. Once you all made it to the stairs, you began to ascend them one-by-one, noticing that someone had written “free hugs” with an arrow pointing up on the wall with spray paint. Jian found this funny enough to have Alexander get a shot of her posing next to it.

     Upon reaching the first floor, Jian decided to start yapping about her recent date, apparently wanting the footage to show the guy later. 

     “He’s, like, the perfect man, you guys,” She boasted, already swooning despite having gone on a total of three dates with said stranger. “You know he likes painting? He said he would love to paint me one of these days, can you imagine?”

     “What’s his name again?” Haruka asked with furrowed brows, suspicion underlying her tone. Jian damn near melted at just the thought.

     “Hyunjin!”

     “And how did you meet Hyunjin?” Alexander mocked the way she gushed as this mystery man’s name left her tongue, hands held to his chest with a look of fawning on his face, like a girl written by Shakespeare. To which Jian punched him hard, the man keeling over and coughing, now clutching his chest instead.

     “Don’t be a dick. I met him at that diner, the one that just opened last year. Ugh, what the Hell is it called again?” Eunbyeol perked up.

     “The one with all guys working there?”

     “Yeah, it’s him and his friends that own it. He gave me a free latte and drew one of those foam hearts on the top. Isn’t that so cute?” Haruka made no effort to hide the look on her face, clearly not a fan of their “love story”.

     “How romantic.”

     “How come we haven’t met him, yet?” At Natalie’s next question, Jian’s eyes went wide, as though the mere mention of such a thing was preposterous.

     “I can’t just have him meet you guys! We’re only in the talking stage! I have to play it cool.”

     “Yeah, you’re playing it real cool, isn’t that so cute?” Just as Alexander healed from the last blow, using the opportunity to poke fun again, she tripped him. The man landed in a cloud of dust, gasping and abruptly sneezing, patting himself off. “Oh, come on, man, I just got this shirt a month ago!”

     “Why are you wearing a new shirt to go urban exploring?” 

     “Because, Eunie, we’re on camera. I have to look good.”

     “... The camera’s on your chest.”

     “I know that!”

     “Can you stop whining and come on?” The sound of Haruka’s voice had them both standing to attention, immediately rushing after her. 

     Now that all of you were back on track and making your way through the building, you felt much more at ease than before, knowing you were going to go home soon. There wasn’t much to the first floor except big racks with boxes of junk and a bunch of machinery. While Alexander was still looking around like a kid in a candy store, the rest of you followed closely behind him, having your own idle conversations and seeing absolutely nothing that was even remotely intriguing. Then, you made your way to the second floor, which was just as boring and lackluster as the first. Hence why when Alexander moved to the stairs leading to the third floor, all of you protested. Even Jian and Natalie who were excited for this journey until they realized that there was nothing to do here.

     “Alex, we’re ready to go home. It’s like two in the morning, I still have to be up by six for work.” Despite Haruka’s words, he didn’t move to descend the stairs, pausing in the middle and looking back to shine his light at all of you. You squinted, blocking its bright rays with your hand.

     “Can we at least just make it up to the top floor? We won’t be here too much longer, I swear.” Although you were more than ready to refuse, the others gave in far too easily, giving each other reluctant glances before beginning to climb them with him. You, on the other hand, remained planted firmly in your spot. Given the late hour and how frustrated you were with them giving into his every whim, you were on your last straw with these guys. When they all turned to you, even Eunbyeol giving you a questioning stare, you didn’t budge.

     “Come on, let’s just go.” Unlike them, you weren’t about to give in to Haruka, either.

     “Why the fuck do we always have to do what he says?” It was obvious they knew what was coming. While Haruka flinched, Eunbyeol had the nerve to look exasperated with you, muttering your name in such an exhausted tone of voice. “I’m tired. You’re tired. We shouldn’t even be here, what if something happens? We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere-”

     “Why do you have such a problem with me?” Alexander shot back, brows knitted tight together while his shoulders tensed. “Actually, why are you even here? Who the fuck invited you?”

     “Eunbyeol, and they didn’t want to come either.”

     “Yes I did.” Excuse me? Your eyes snapped over to your friend, giving them a look of confusion, because no the fuck they didn’t. 

     “See? You’re the only one being so bitchy about this. You didn’t have to tag along and ruin it for the rest of us.” Okay, you were getting pissed. Tensions started to rise as a scoffing laugh escaped you, utterly bewildered at the sudden shift in their attitudes towards you.

     “I’m ruining it? Not the fact that I’m the one limping around here after you made us all hop a fence?”

     “I didn’t make you do anything.”

     “Yes! You did! You always do!”

     “Enough!” Haruka jumped in again, ever the peacekeeper. “We all agreed to come and that’s just what it is, starting a fight isn’t going to fix anything.”

     “I’m not-” 

     Thump!

     The sound was sudden. As the rest of you went quiet, somebody grunted, a body falling forward before toppling down the staircase. He landed right in front of your feet, groaning in sudden pain while writhing on the floor, squirming like he was trying to hold his back. There was red on his fingertips. Your eyes took in the sheer saturation of his blood, how it stained his skin and the back of his brand new shirt, smearing on the floor when he tried to roll onto his back before hissing in pain. Someone else screamed.

     Mouth dry, you followed the sound of the scream, looking up and up and past the rest of your group now making their way back down the staircase, gawking at something towards the top. Against every muscle in your body warning you not to, you kept going until you too were gazing at the figure standing where Alexander was mere moments before.

     A stark white mask met your eyes, tall ears and a button nose so cute and cuddly it made the room spin. Dressed in all black, you couldn’t make out any other features of this stranger, just the rabbit face disguising the one underneath and the shape of a baseball bat resting over their shoulder. In that moment, you didn’t know what to think, glued to your spot while everyone else around you began to respond with panic. 

     Then, Jian bolted, and just like that, you were all running. While the others took off with a head start, you reached down and grabbed onto Alexander, putting all of your energy into lifting him to his feet and pushing at him to get him to run.

     “Go!” With one final shove, he did, stumbling alongside you. It didn’t help that you were limping, too. 

     Thanks to said limp, when something hit your good foot, you were sent sprawling down to the floor. Hard. Your skull collided roughly with the ground, stars twinkling in your eyes with shadows consuming your vision. When you opened them, eyes searching for Alexander who was surely going to help you, he was nowhere to be found. You scrambled to push yourself back up, adrenaline pumping with your heart pounding loud in your ears. Every thump echoed, beating against your chest to create the most nauseating sensation you’d ever felt in your life.

     “How heartless.” A voice you didn’t recognize. Turning over onto your side, you looked to find the masked psycho looming over you, head cocked to the side with wide eyes staring at you through the holes of his bunny mask. His stature was slim, yet toned, baseball bat dangling loosely at his side. “Hm. Guess I feel bad. Go on, I’ll count to ten.”

     That cool tone of voice made your stomach sink, lungs straining with every gasping breath you too. Get up. With as much strength as you could muster, you leapt upwards and somehow got to your feet, the bastard already starting the count before you were even standing properly. Running was hardly doable for you, but you would be damned if you weren’t going to try. As you sprinted down the corridor, you didn’t look back once, his counting soon fading into the distance after you rounded so many corners. 

     Entering an unfamiliar section of the building, you quickly took in the staircases that led up to another floor and the long corridor that stretched onwards underneath them, leading straight into more darkness you couldn’t possibly see through without your flashlight. Shit, your fucking flashlight! There was no time to go back and get it. So, as much as it pained you both physically and mentally, you trudged down the hall, sticking close to the wall in case you needed to hide. 

     What the fuck was going on here? Who the hell was that guy? As you fought to get your breath back under control, hand covering your mouth to silence yourself, you struggled to think of who that guy could've been. It wasn’t often you heard of masked psychos sitting around in abandoned buildings waiting to attack people. Did any of you know him? You just moved to this place only a few months ago, so you couldn’t have possibly known him, but what if one of the others did somehow?

     Your thoughts were cut off by the sound of metal creaking overhead. Startled, you got as close to the wall as you possibly could, horrified as you stared upwards at the metal catwalks crossing the floor above. There, merely a few feet away from you, was another figure dressed in all black, hood pulled over their head with some kind of bird mask covering their face. What was with these guys and animals? The feathers were dark and flowed around a similarly colored beak, hiding their identity as well. Were you guys under attack? Who were these people? As the figure peered down the corridor, looking the opposite direction of you, you got a clear view of the fucking bow in his hand and the arrows on his back.

     It seemed he didn’t detect your presence, the man crossing the catwalk and disappearing somewhere above you. Wasting no more time, you started to move faster, tip-toeing as quickly as you could to find somewhere to go. There was no way to retrace your steps with that bunny bastard behind you.

     Maybe you could go around. It would be risky, but if you managed to find another way upstairs, maybe you could find another way back to the basement. Get the fuck out of here and call the cops. 

     Somewhere, there was a loud bang ringing throughout the building.

     Running around aimlessly was your best bet, apparently. By the time you made it to the floor above, you entered a new space, eyes squinting to see through the sheer darkness around you. Nothing but open space with a few pillars to hold up the foundation. Creeping onward, you looked around frantically, body tense and on edge at the thought of running into one of the masked figures, or worse, another one. Everything was so quiet it was unsettling, every step you took so very loud in the otherwise silent room. The rubber on the bottom of your boots tapped lightly against the ground, but it might as well have been a gunshot.

     There was a pair of double doors at the end of the room. Determined to make it out of here, you shuffled forward slowly and carefully, inching your way closer and closer to the door. Your hand outstretched, ready to grab onto the knob. You swallowed nothing but air as your fingertips grazed the bronze material.

     It was abruptly shoved open, making you cry out, the other person in front of you screaming bloody murder before snapping her mouth shut. Shit. You and Natalie shared a look of sheer terror as you realized your shared error, her hands gripping your arm as she looked around wildly, preparing herself for the both of you to be found. Without another word, you grabbed one of her hands and ran for the door you came through. After the bird bitch, you hadn’t seen anyone else, so maybe your side was in the clear.

     Wrong. The door burst open, a new figure- because of course- stepping through. Somehow more terrified than the last two. There was a huge, round mask covering his entire head, a cartoonish fox with its eyes closed and the biggest, creepiest smile you’d ever seen in your life. What made matters worse? There was a fucking axe in his hands. Said hands flexed around the handle, fingertips dancing along the wood as if in anticipation.

     The two of you backed up in a hurry, nearly tripping over yourselves in your efforts to get through the other doors, which lurched open under your shared weight. Gripping Natalie’s arm tight, you didn’t hesitate to take off. Especially when you heard footsteps echoing behind you. While you were focused on getting away, the other woman had started to weep, tears pouring down her face as she cried.

     “What the fuck, what the fuck-”

     “Shh!” You shushed her, not wanting to attract anymore attention in case there were more of them around. Unlike the other rooms before, this hallway was narrow, your bodies close together, your ankle screaming in agony from all the stress induced onto it in one night. You needed it to hold on a little longer. Under the rapid beating of your heart, you could hear the sick fuck behind you cackling, so loud it made your skin crawl and every hair stand on end. The sounds seemed to put Natalie in even more distress as her sobs became louder. “Natalie, you need to be quiet-”

     Something hit you. It rammed into your body from the left, knocking you down to the floor with Natalie following suit. As the two of you crashed, the man in the fox mask caught up so easily it was petrifying, your eyes flicking upwards to find another one standing over you again. Cold eyes stared at you through the holes of a mask made up entirely of stitched fabric, the base a light brown color while the mouth was sewn with red thread, floppy ears made up entirely of plaid material. This one didn’t seem to have a weapon on him, but you weren’t going to get your hopes up in fighting him. Especially now that the axe-wielding maniac had caught up to you.

     “Don’t worry. We’ll shut her up.” You looked at Natalie, sweat dripping down your skin. Even though that usually meant the body was overheated, you felt freezing cold.

     “Run!” You’d never screamed so loud. Big, green eyes met yours, then they looked up, catching the glint of a blade catching the moonlight before it came down swiftly.

     Crack!

     Crimson sprayed across your face. You couldn’t help but flinch, the stench of metal suddenly thick in the air, poisoning your lungs and making your stomach churn all over again. It tasted foul. The axe lifted, then it was brought down again-

     Crack!

     More blood. More red. Her brains spilling out.

     At that point, your body was on autopilot. Scrabbling at the ground to get back up, you shoved yourself to stand, limping once again as you took off in the previous direction. While the fox kept hacking away at your friend, the mutt watched you leave. Waved at you.

     “There’s one over here!” He called out, presumably to the others with them. “Might wanna hurry. Chop chop.”

     Anger didn’t begin to describe the feeling twisting in your chest. Still, you knew you needed to get the fuck out of here now, so rather than dishing out any of the ideas of revenge swarming your brain right now, you took off again.

     They let you go. Probably to let the others chase you down instead. After running for so long, your lungs burning and legs aching, you finally made it to the first floor, damn near collapsing the moment the front doors came into view. Fortunately for you, Haruka and Eunbyeol were there, the two spinning around to find you stumbling down the stairs. Eunbyeol called your name, tears in their eyes as they rushed over to your side.

     “Holy shit, you’re alive!” Their hands grasped onto your clothes, gripping tight and pulling you upwards, bringing you to stand on two feet again. You winced at the pain in your ankle, their expression softening. “Did you find another way out?”

     “What do you mean? The doors-”

     “They barricaded us in here.” Haruka informed you, holding up a card in her blood-soaked hand. You didn’t want to know whose it was. “They’re playing some fucking game with us. We tried to use the window and some motherfucker blew Alex’s head off.”

     “There’s so many of them.” Eunyeol sobbed, the sound making you feel so sick you could puke. Which you did, right on the floor, the stench of blood still thick in your nostrils. Eunbyeol leaned away from you, accidentally letting you drop to the floor to avoid getting your sick on them. “Jesus Christ, are you okay?”

     “No, I’m not fucking okay.” This wasn’t happening. There was no way this was happening to you. How did it spiral so fast? What the fuck was even going on? As you struggled to keep yourself from breaking down, you lifted yourself back up, leaning against the railing of the staircase as you turned your attention to Haruka. “You- you said they’re playing games. What the fuck kind of game is this?”

     “They want us to find a key to the back door. Left a bunch of notes of shit we need to find if we wanna get it.” Were they fucking serious?

     “Move.” Before you could try to move towards the front doors, Eunbyeol grabbed you, shoving you back against the railing.

     “You can’t! Alex tried to get us out and some guy with a wolf mask shot him! One of them might be watching, we didn’t even know he was there-”

     “He said if we can find the key and get out the door, they’ll let us go.” Haruka already sounded out of it. Tired, worn out in the worst way possible. Just like you.

     “And you believe that shit?”

     “What else are we gonna do?” Fuck. Fuck, she was right. Hunching over, your head began to spin again, tears pricking your eyes as you tried to get your thoughts together.

     “Okay. Okay, where’s Jian?”

      “We don’t know, we lost her after…” Right. Great. Standing up straight with a sniffle, you put yourself back together as best as you could've, even if just for the moment. If you were going to make it out of here, you needed to think. Needed to get your thoughts together and figure out what would be the best move to make.

     “What does the card say?” Haruka flipped it open, but before she could read it, a new voice interrupted.

     “‘Something to keep you warm in the winter’.” Eunbyeol ran to Haruka’s side, placing themself between her and this newcomer. With a clown mask. God, out of all the things he could’ve chosen, it had to be a clown mask? As he approached the three of you, hands tucked into his pockets, you took a small step back up the stairs, watching him anxiously. Bracing yourself for him to make a sudden move. Unlike the others, he wasn’t dressed in all black, but instead a dark vest over a white button-down with a tie around the collar. “Wonder what that could mean. What kind of factory are we in, again?”

     “Who the fuck are you people?” Was the only response you were willing to give. The man seemed to pout, but only with his eyes, since you couldn’t see the rest of his face. The irises in his eyes were huge, taking up most of his sclera and glistening in the dim light peaking through the windows of the building. 

     “So rude. No wonder your buddy left you behind, you have no manners.” 

     “Kiss my ass.” Clicking his tongue, he spread his arms out and stepped away, as if giving up on something.

     “Well, I tried to help. If you guys want to do this on your own, by all means, have at it.” 

     “Wait.” He paused, making a show of looking over to Haruka. You, on the other hand, whipped your head toward her, looking at her as if she’d lost her mind, because clearly she had. “You’ll help us get out of here?”

     “Totally.” He didn’t even try to make it sound like he was being truthful. However, with the state you were all in, could you really afford to doubt him? 

      Yes. Yes, you absolutely could.

     “What’s stopping me from knocking your teeth down your throat right now?” Once again, he tutted at you, shaking his head in disapproval.

     “I really wouldn’t. You haven’t met our big guy yet, but he won’t like that very much.” Big guy? There was a big one?

     “Take us to the clue, then.” Haruka demanded, or at least tried to, but she couldn’t bring herself to sound very demanding. The man looked at her for a long moment, unmoving.

     “Right this way.”

     This was a bad idea, this was a bad idea, this was a bad idea-

     Although you knew this to be true, you stuck with your friends anyway, even if they were making the life-threatening mistake of believing this literal clown. You knew this was going to end terribly. Something in your stomach tightened as the three of you followed close behind him, the other two huddled together while you limped further back, tense and on high alter at every sound in the building. The masked man looked back at you every now and then, and yet you remained silent. You weren’t going to give him the satisfaction of your rage.

     When you all finally reached a door, you came to a stop. The man stood beside it, gesturing with his arm for the three of you to enter, to which you were more than reluctant. This was so clearly a trap you were willing to bet the rest were inside laughing their asses off at your collective stupidity.

     “Go on. Your clue’s in there.” Your eyes met his and your body involuntarily shivered. No matter your constant protests for them not to do something, the others never once listen to you, even now as Haruka stretches out a hand to open the door. Fingers wrapping around the handle before twisting and pushing it open. Inside, there was darkness, but in a matter of seconds, you were all hit with the stench of iron. The smell of death.

     Jian’s pretty face lied sideways, pointed towards the door with her lifeless eyes staring back at you. Her shirt was pushed up under her stomach, which was currently ripped open, large hands peeling vital organs out of her carcass to store in a plastic, ziplock bag. Including her heart. At the sound of the door, the man stealing her insides looked up, a new mask looking back at you. It was black with golden, intricate patterns decorating the part that covered his eyes and nose, and the veil that hid the lower half of his face, as well. Fancy. When he noticed the four of you standing there, he froze, like he’d just gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

     “Whoops. Wrong door.” What an asshole. The man in the masquerade mask didn’t move, staring back at you with his bloodied hands resting on his lap, and as enraged as you were, you knew attacking him wouldn’t have been the best idea. The last way you wanted to go out was getting gutted like that.

     Your other option was standing right beside you. In an instant, you took that building rage and anguish within you and whirled around, fist flying straight for that stupid clown mask. The blow was swift enough to catch him off guard, sending him stumbling back and giving you more than enough time to grab Haruka and Eunbyeol to escape whatever retribution he would dish out. As the three of you started dashing down the hall again, the clown started laughing. The sound echoed off the walls and you knew it was going to haunt you for the rest of your days.

     “Big boy!” Footsteps. Heavy, pounding, a presence chasing after you, possibly the one that was in that room. It didn’t matter. While the other two ran ahead, you stayed behind them, hoping that whoever was chasing you would catch you first, giving them the chance to slip away and find a way out of this shithole. 

     In fact, to cause further distraction, you spotted a small cabinet leaning against a nearby wall, short yet wide and big enough to cause real damage. Sliding to a stop and wincing at the sharp pinch in your ankle, you grabbed onto the edges of the cabinet and hauled it right off the floor before spinning and using that momentum to launch the cabinet behind you. Watching as it soared through the air right towards the figure grinding to a halt a measly few feet away from you.

     The cabinet was caught midair. Hands gripped it tight before tossing it aside, sending it crashing into a nearby wall. It wasn’t the masquerade mask looking back at you. At first, you thought the name “big boy” was ironic, since this guy wasn’t all that tall, until you noticed the sheer size of him. Small, but he clearly packed a punch. Of course. The two of you sized each other up, the pig mask covering his head made up of some kind of sack, the stitching over the eyes making it hard to see how he was looking at you. Surely with murderous intent.

     Rather than stopping to save you, like you did for them, Haruka and Eunbyeol kept going. Eunbyeol called your name at least, though they allowed her to drag them away from you, off into the distance where you would never see them again. Your heart wrenched in your chest.

     “Why are you doing this?” Maybe you could stall him-

     He charged at you. No words, then. With an embarrassing yelp, you tore your eyes off of him to start sprinting again, tears brimming your lashes at the thought of him catching you. Unlike the others who allowed you to get away with your injured ankle, he didn’t appear to have the same sentiment and was catching up to you rather quickly. Steering around obstacles made up of other random cabinets and furniture, you rounded a sharp corner, bashing your shoulder off of it in the process, and yet you didn’t let that slow you down for even a second.

     A new area again, though this time, with a staircase. Leading up, but you were willing to take anything to get the fuck out of here. Using your environment to your advantage once again, you grabbed onto a metal rack and yanked, knocking it down behind you, praying that it at least bought you a couple more seconds. You were breathing hard, lungs burning and legs aching, the pain in your ankle doing nothing to help. At least the adrenaline pumping through your veins numbed it a little. Once you got to the stairs, you took them two at a time, leaping and grabbing onto the railing to keep you from falling right back down. The pig had no problem following close behind, reaching out to grab your ankle. The feeling of his fingertips brushing against your pant leg made you sick.

     Perfect opportunity, though. Ceasing your movements once again in a shocking display, you caught him by surprise this time, reeling your leg back and kicking out hard. Your boot hit his chest with an “oomph”, knocking him down the stairs. You didn’t watch him tumble all the way down. It was as though your body was on autopilot, bounding up the staircase and making it to the top in seconds, sweat dripping down your face while you took off in another direction. 

     Somehow, you lost him. You weren’t sure where you were, now, but the room you ended up in looked to be like some kind of break room, an old dust-covered couch with a wooden table resting in the middle with torn posters and calendars on the walls. Lost to time. Shutting the door gently behind you, keeping quiet, you grabbed that couch and shoved it up against the door, trying to buy yourself some time to take a breather. Every breath you took was a gasp for air, hands shaking violently as you gripped the edge of the couch firmly. It was quiet, now. So quiet, and yet you didn’t feel safe and sound at all.

     For a long moment, you just stood there, struggling to steady yourself and come back down from that adrenaline rush mere moments prior. Your entire body was sore, begging you to let it end. You refused. Regardless of your exhaustion, you started rummaging around through drawers, hoping to find some kind of weapon, something you could’ve used to defend yourself. All you found was a small box cutter, but you were going to take what you could get. Shoving it in your back pocket, you moved on to the next drawer, opening it to find something else that might’ve been useful.

     There was another card inside. Those fucking assholes. Against your better judgement, you grabbed it and flipped it open, reading the inside. Something about paintings on the walls on the second floor. Fuck that, you weren’t playing anymore games. You were going to get out of here. Ripping the card and letting the pieces fall to the floor, you took a moment to think to yourself. Alexander had the blueprint, right? Haruka said he died in the basement. That he got his head blown off.  If you went down there, you could find the blueprint and figure out another exit to get out of this place, at least if the window wasn’t an option. How were you going to sneak around without getting caught?

     Whatever. If you were going to escape, you had to play this smart. You had to do whatever it took to survive. Bracing yourself, you didn’t waste another second and pushed the couch aside, cautiously opening the door before stepping out into the hallway. 

     Empty. No sounds. As you began to sneak along the wall, senses on high alert and ready for any sudden movements, you followed the wall closely and tried to remember the building’s layout based on where you’d been so far. There was a set of stairs behind you, but you sure as Hell weren’t going backwards and risking running into pig-man again. So, you moved onwards, venturing deeper into the building with hopes of finding another way downstairs.

     Time dragged on until you reached the third floor, recognizing the area due to so much time spent running wild through it. Now that you had a good idea on where to go, the important thing was doing it without much noise, without being detected by the bastards hunting all of you down. Luckily for you, the voices in the distance made it much easier to do so.

     “There should only be two more, right hyung? Pretty sure Quokka said Dwaekki went after the third, and you know how he gets when they put their hands on one of us.” That voice was familiar. 

     “Quokka’s leading them to Dog. He better do his part for once.” That one did, too. The fox and the rabbit, you were pretty sure. They were getting closer. Without a sound, you ducked down behind a metal rack with piles of box set on its shelves, sitting low to the ground and holding your breath as they walked closer.

     “You know he’s not going to. But at least he’ll let us know where they are, then we can get out of here and go home.” As if they didn’t want to be here.

     “If Dwaekki finished the job. We need to wait for Wolf to let us know when we’re done.”

     “You really think he would let them get away?” He sure didn’t.

     “We shouldn’t underestimate any of them. That’s how we have situations like earlier. Quokka got cocky.” 

     “You’re so serious. Relax, if they don’t get them, we will.”

     “You’re damn right.”

     The voices passed you, fading into the distance. For some reason, they seemed keen on using animal code names to respond to each other, something you made sure to remember for later. Rising up from your hiding spot, you made sure the coast was clear before starting on your way again. 

     The basement was just as gross as you remembered. As quickly and quietly as you could’ve managed, you scurried over to Alexander’s body, which was lying right by the wall with the window you’d all crawled through. Just like Haruka said, there was a hole in the side of his skull, blood pooling beneath him in a puddle sure to stain the floor long after you were gone. His camera was ripped off his chest, lying smashed in the corner of the room. What a waste. Ignoring the sight and smell as best as you could’ve, you kneeled by his body and started checking his pockets. Finding a folded up piece of paper in the left front, you pulled it out and opened it up.

     “No cheating ;)”

     “You’ve got to be kidding me.” You huffed, tossing the note aside. They took the blueprint. Great, that was fucking great. Standing up from the floor, you looked over to the window, noticing that it was shut, though the lock was on the inside and you could’ve easily opened it if you tried. With that in mind, you approached the wall and jumped up, grabbing the lock of the window and unlatching it.

     There was a sound behind you. Whipping around, you found yet another figure standing right where you came from, because of course. How many of these shitheads were there? Was he following you that whole time? Like the others, he wore a mask, though now you knew which one the wolf was. The one responsible for killing the man lying at your feet. The skull of a hound covered his face, the strap around the front of his torso keeping the rifle on his back in place. Your body stiffened and your eyes went wide, jaw clenched at the thought of looking down the barrel of that gun. He took a step forward, cocking his head a bit, yet he said nothing. Made no moves to pull that gun on you.

     The two of you watched each other closely. With a gulp, you stepped slightly to the side away from the window, to which he didn’t try to stop you. You took another step, slowly making your way around him and preparing to try and run if he so much as budged. He never did, just turning his body with you to keep his eyes on you. Eyes you couldn’t see due to the darkness of the basement, so it was impossible to tell if he was even looking back at you, not that you questioned if he was. You could feel him staring.

     After one last look, you took off again. He didn’t stop you. While you raced up the steps, he disappeared back into the shadows, though in the midst of your running, you heard a sharp whistle. Fuck.

     The first floor came into view and you knew you had to act quickly. What was your plan now, though? One was behind you to keep you from using the window and there were surely more of them coming after he alerted them. As you reared around a random corner, you stopped upon noticing someone in front of you. The creep with the masquerade mask. Before you could’ve spun back around, he lifted a finger to his lips that were covered by the veil, his other hand pointing to the stairs behind him. What? 

     “Woohooo! Let’s get it!” That clown fucker whooped from somewhere in the other direction. Fuck it.

     You breezed past the masquerade prick, not sparing him any further glances as you made it to the staircase, leaping up the steps with a newfound sense of perseverance. No matter all of what you’d endured tonight, you were going to get the fuck out of here. Upon reaching the top, you dug through your pocket, finding your box cutter to keep on hand in case any of these monsters cornered you.

     The second floor was familiar now, too. Rushing through corridors, you heard the footsteps behind you loud and clear, though you didn’t dare look back to see just who was chasing you. You focused intently on what lay ahead of you, pushing yourself to run faster while the rush of the moment numbed the pains in your body again. Avoiding the fact that there were now multiple sets of footsteps. Did that mean you were the last one? Were Eunbyeol and Haruka dead, too?

     This new hallway in the front of the building was narrow with no windows, making it hard to see in front of you, though you were in this god forsaken building for so long that your eyes had adjusted well enough to the darkness. Several feet ahead of you was a pair of doors, though just as you set your sights on them, someone burst through them. The pig, or Dwaekki, whatever the fuck these assholes wanted to call him. Your eyes met his from where he stood and you weren’t at all ready for round two.

     Hence why you instead steered to the right, bursting through an open door and slamming it shut behind you. On the other side, someone hit the wood hard, the force almost enough to knock you down to the floor, but you remained on your feet and shoved back. Their hand shoved through the crack and you didn’t hesitate to latch your teeth onto their fingers, digging into their skin until the man yelped and pulled back. Just like that, you slammed it shut, twisting the lock. 

     “Ow! They bit me!” The clown.

     “Want me to bite them back for you?” The rabbit. Absolutely not.

     “Yes, please.” Ignoring their conversation, you shoved a nearby bookshelf up against the door, hoping that would keep them from breaking in long enough for you to come up with a plan. Upon turning around, you realized you were in an office of some kind. Bookshelves lining the walls with very little books, a desk in the center with a nice leather chair, a bunch of cabinets and decorations. You were startled out of your thoughts by the clown’s voice saying your name sickeningly sweet from the other side of the door. “You’re not gonna make it out, you know. Your friends are all dead. You’re the only one left now and there’s no way out of that room.”

     There was. He just didn’t know that. Moving over to the desk, you grabbed the leather chair and picked it up off the floor.

     “Come out and we’ll give you a reward for doing so well. You’ll get twenty seconds, how does that sound?” The rabbit’s offer wasn’t appealing at all. 

     “Uh, fuck that! They kicked me down the stairs!” 

     “Was I talking to you?”

     “Come ooon, just come out and play with us!” The clown whined and you were almost tempted to go out and avoid your current plan. Sike.

     The chair broke the window with the loud crack of glass shattering, their voices going silent at the realization of what you were about to do. With the window now broken, you rushed to look down, seeing how far of a drop you had. Not too far, plus the bushes at the bottom would probably break your fall…

     “Get Chan.” One of the voices spoke outside. It was too late for them to get anyone.

     Lifting your boot, you placed it on the windowsill just as one of them started bashing their body against the door. Without looking down, you took a deep breath.

     Then, you jumped.

     The fall didn’t feel long at all. It wasn’t in slowmo like they showed in the movies, nor did you feel very graceful. You fell hard, fell fast, your back colliding with the bushes below in the most painful impact imaginable. They might have broken your fall, but they didn’t do that gently. Twigs scraped your skin and tore through your jacket and pants alike, blood leaking from all over your body as you whimpered, rolling and falling again, this time to the ground. 

     You were out. You were free. You needed to act fast.

     There was no time to scale the fence again, so instead when you saw a hole in the ground, you dropped onto your stomach and shimmied underneath it. Dirt caked your clothes and seeped into your open wounds, and yet you paid that no mind, too happy that you were out of that absolute hellhouse. Taking in a breath of fresh air upon getting back to your feet.

     Bang!

     A bullet whizzed past your arm, scraping your bicep and making you cry out. Without any questions, you took off into the woods, hearing their calls and cries behind you. The woods were thick, though unfortunately for them, you knew where your car was. The parking lot wasn’t too far away and now with the coverage of the trees and them still trapped behind the fence, you had enough distance to get there without them seeing you.

     All of your cars were in the parking lot where you left them. Although, to your absolute horror and devastation, the hoods were all popped open and all of the tires were flattened. Sabotaged. Just as you were about to cry out of frustration, something once again flew by your face, spearing into the windshield of Alexander’s pickup truck. Mere inches from your face. A fucking arrow.

     Where did it even come from? Rather than sticking around to find out, you made a break for the woods again, hoping to use the trees as leverage now that you knew that guy with the bow was sniping you from somewhere nearby. 

     Okay, there was a highway not too far from here. If you made it there, someone would drive by and see you, if not multiple someones that you prayed would’ve been able to save your life. 

     The eight figures coming out of the building watched you flee into the woods. While Felix lowered his bow, biting his lip and cursing himself, Minho moved to take off after you. Before he could’ve gotten far, someone grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. 

     “Let them go.” Their leader mumbled. All while Jisung struggled to hop the fence, grabbing onto the top before missing his footing and falling straight down to the ground. 

     “They’re getting away!” He tried to fight Chan’s hold, not at all happy that one of their targets had escaped. This was the first time anyone had ever gotten away from them and none of them could’ve believed it. While he was fuming, Hyunjin stood a few feet away from the group, staring in the direction you’d run off in with complete and utter awe written all over his face. Not that the others could’ve seen it, which he was thankful for.

     “If we go after them, someone else will see us.” Chan reasoned with him, rubbing his shoulder to try and soothe him, only for Minho to gently push it away.

     “Then we’ll kill them, too.”

     “You know that’s not how we do things.”

     “We’re going to get caught.” Seungmin muttered, trying to seem unbothered, yet there was a subtle change to his tone that said otherwise. The leader sighed, massaging one of his pecs as he thought about how to proceed.

     “They won’t find anything and they have no descriptions to go off of. We’ll be fine.” Then, Jeongin came back to the group, hopping over the fence easily, to which Jisung grumbled under his breath. Upon returning to the group, he dropped your bag from in your car to the ground before crouching down to rummage through it.

     “Boom! Driver’s license. Has everything we need to know.” He held it up for the others to see, grinning wide under his mask. Chan smiled.

     “See? Nothing to worry about. We’ll see them again.” Minho huffed.

     “Good. I call dibs.” To this declaration, Changbin jolted to attention, suddenly looking rather offended.

     “Hey! You don’t get dibs, I’m the one they kicked down a flight of stairs!” Hyunjin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose through his mask.

     “You’re never gonna drop that now, are you?”

     “As if you would.” Was Seungmin’s retort.

     “They didn’t push me down a flight of stairs. They like me.” He smiled, seeming rather proud of himself, still remembering the look on your face when you encountered him that second time. When he pointed you in the right direction to go, hoping you would’ve found the key in the desk rather than jumping through the window. Whatever worked for you, he supposed.

     “Because you showed them where to go. And that doesn’t mean they like you.” Hyunjin’s eyes went wide and he shook his head, doing a “cut it” motion with his hand by his neck.

     “You did what?” Minho’s calmness didn’t mean anything when it came to his fury. If anything, that meant he was probably more livid than ever before. The look on his face alone was enough to make him hide behind Changbin. “Do you miss swallowing tissues?”

     “Minho, it’s fine. We’ll find them again. You know we will.” Chan reassured him, putting himself between them for Hyunjin’s sake.

     “Yes, and I’ll have dibs.”

     “No you will not.”

     “Can we just leave? I’m ready to go home.” Seungmin turned and was already starting to walk away, presumably back to the car they’d parked a mile away in the woods.

     “Ooo, can we stop for ice cream?” Everyone else but Chan and Felix followed behind them. The two Aussies stood there for a moment, the eldest following the blonde’s gaze towards where you’d vanished. Where they knew you were probably finding help and a way to alert authorities. 

     “I missed.” Felix spoke, barely above a whisper. 

     “First time for everything, I guess.” Chan shrugged. When he noticed that his response didn’t ease Feix’s mind at all, he sighed, wrapping an arm around the other’s shoulders and pulling him close. Bringing his head to rest on his chest, the two standing like that for a long moment. “It’s alright, Lix. You’ll get them.”

     “I know.”

     Why the fuck was something burning? 

     The stench of smoke filled every narrow hallway of your home, alarms screeching in warning and forcing you out of your slumber with a jolt. It was so loud you grimaced, hands hastily covering your ears while you simultaneously scrambled out of bed, bare feet hitting the soft carpet of your bedroom floor to start making your way to the door. Not even bothering to put proper clothes on, too focused on keeping your house from burning down to the ground, you rushed out of your room and into the hall, scurrying over to the staircase in hopes that nothing was actually on fire. Maybe it was the fireplace and your smoke detectors were broken.

     Though, as you reached the foyer of your home, the thick clouds in every room were unmistakable. Without even stopping to check on anyone, you took off in a sprint towards the kitchen, yanking one of your blankets off the couch to take with you. Upon bursting through the dining room and into the back of the house, you found the culprit behind the fire backing away from the stove with the most petrified expression you'd ever seen. Thankfully, the flames weren't that high, so you had no trouble tossing the blanket over them and patting it down to snuff the fire out. 

     Ever since you met them, you hadn't known a moment of peace again. The flames died on the stove and you turned the dials off, panting from the sheer rush of adrenaline, though you were relieved now that the immediate danger was taken care of. Covering your nose with your shirt and coughing into the fabric, you reached for the window above the sink and shoved it open so the smoke had somewhere to go that wasn't in your house. Fortunately, your newfound troublesome  “roommates” that were crowding the kitchen seemed to take notice of what you were doing and started opening more windows throughout the house. Hoping that doing so would've made up for scaring the absolute shit out of you and almost setting your entire house on fire.

     Still standing off to the side, fidgeting with the hem of your apron, was the one who decided to try out cooking without even asking you first. Minho looked down to the floor, sharply exhaling out of his nose. As if he had any reason to be frustrated about what just happened. His hair was a little messy, jaw clenched, but what really caught your attention was the pair of huge, pearl white wings subtly tucked around him like a shield. A sign that he was feeling guarded, a trait amongst the group you picked up on promptly after they quite literally fell into your life.

     “Are you okay?” Instead of expressing anger, like you probably would've in the past, you schooled your expression and kept your tone levelled. It wasn't his fault, after all. You knew they were all trying to get adjusted to staying with you and none of them had ever needed to use man-made appliances before. Had you shown them how to use the stove in the first place, he wouldn't have to experiment and figure out how to use it on his own.

     “Yes. I was trying to make breakfast.” The flat tone of his voice was still taking some getting used to. There was no apology, not that you expected one. With a deep sigh, you slumped against your kitchen counters, rubbing at your tired eyes with the heels of your palms in an attempt to wake yourself up. Despite having been woken up in such a horrifying way, your brain was still groggy and struggling to catch up to what just happened. 

     “You could've told me you were hungry.”

     “I didn't want to wake you.” Right. Although the eight ethereal beings had quickly made themselves comfortable in your home, they were still very respectful of you and your space, at least as much as they could've been without any comprehension of social norms. They still liked to go through your things, claiming that they simply wanted to know more about you, since they couldn't automatically read your entire life story like they could've back at home. In Heaven. It was still hard to believe that everything you'd been fearing your entire life turned out to be true.

     “Thank you, but I want you to wake me up before you try new things, okay? I don't mind helping you guys out.” He didn't respond, merely nodding curtly before turning and wandering off. As he left, the eldest of the group passed him by, patting his shoulder soothingly in the process. Chan's eyes met yours and he gave a small smile, showing off one of the simplest in his cheeks.

     “Good morning.” His chipper greeting was met with the slight bow of your head, prior to turning to the fridge to grab several boxes of cereal from the top of it. Seemingly catching on to what you were up to, he hurried over to your cupboards and grabbed a few stacks of bowels, setting them on the counter and fishing out spoons from the drawer near the sink. While you opened the fridge in search of the milk, he decided to start idle conversation. “You slept good?”

    "Mhm. I'm guessing you didn't?” None of them slept. They tried, for some reason, but they always ended up getting restless, since they didn't need to do so. Spending most of the night causing a ruckus, no matter how many times you told them to keep it down. You never would've thought angels would be so loud all the time.

     “Nah, we watched that weird show Jisung’s obsessed with all night,” As if he needed any explanation. While you poured cereal and milk into their respective bowels, he watched you from his spot by the sink, standing so close to you that you should've felt body heat. Though, given that he wasn't human and didn't need to be kept warm, there was no heat coming off of him. No sound of his breathing, his eyes unblinking as he stared at you. It was just as unnerving as when you first stumbled upon them in the woods surrounding your isolated home.  “How come you don't have any pictures of your family?”

     The question caught you so off guard you missed one of the bowels, spilling milk onto your marble counters and cussing under your breath. Then, realizing you just cursed in front of him, you muttered an apology, even though they all kept telling you that you didn't need to do so. It wasn't the first time any of them had asked you such a personal question, either. That first night they'd spent in your home, they took to rummaging through your things while you slept, bombarding you with all kinds of prying inquiries when you woke up the following morning. All while you were in the middle of an existential crisis upon realizing that last night wasn't a dream and there were actual angels in your living room.

     “Did you go through my photo albums again?” You couldn't help but get snappy, whipping your head to face him with a fierce glare. Exhausted and reasonably frustrated, there was no hiding your offense to their constant nosy nature, especially since you told them time and time again to stop snooping around. Chan's eyes went wide, a guilty look crossing his face as he looked away from you and scratched at his jaw. The giant wings on his back folded around him a bit.

     “No. Well, yeah, but I was just curious about that picture you had of-” For a group of divine creatures, they were so fucking frustrating. Setting the milk carton down, you brought your hands to your face and sighed, struggling to keep yourself from lashing out. Growth wasn't linear by any means, but you refused to take out any of your lingering trauma on your guests. 

     “Chan, I asked you guys not to do that. I need my privacy.” The sulking look on his face tugged at your heartstrings, making it much easier to keep your cool. Seeing his regret, you nibbled on your bottom lip and went back to making breakfast, voice softening to ease his worries. “Just don't do it again, please. Come to me if you wanna know something. I don't like it when you guys go behind my back, because then stuff like this happens.”

     “Okay. I'm sorry.” The apology eased some of the tension in your shoulders.

     “Well, to make it up to me, you can get everyone back in here so we can eat.” It wasn't the grand breakfast you'd been making them the last few days, but considering how Minho set your oven ablaze, you figured it would be best to avoid using it for the time being.

     “You got it!”

     Living with a group of angels was a difficult thing to get used to, though you supposed the same could've been said for them. None of them seemed to understand the concept of personal space or what was considered appropriate when in the presence of others. Should one of them, if not multiple, not be currently attached to your hip, the others were openly staring at you. Watching you, observing you with the interest of an artist studying a particular piece they couldn't grasp. The constant attention made you rather uneasy, at first, but now it was something you expected. A constant you couldn't imagine going without.

     After that whole disaster in your kitchen, you decided to start teaching Minho how to cook, which led the others to discovering hobbies of their own. While Felix and Chan used your office computer for video games whenever you weren't using it, Seungmin and Jisung bickered over your TV at least once a day, the former taking a liking to baseball for some reason while the latter started his latest obsession with some random reality show you'd never heard of. You ended up making a schedule for who got to use the television during what time of day, so the two of them ended up finding other things to do with the rest of their free time.

     Seungmin and Jeongin typically read your collection of books together, Jisung tagging along with Chan and Changbin in the impromptu gym you'd set up for them in your basement. As if buying a bunch of fitness equipment wasn't expensive enough, Hyunjin’s newfound passion for art led you to spending not money on an array of paints, canvases, brushes and a small easel.

     Thankfully, these hobbies kept them somewhat occupied enough to let you do your job. Working from home was nice, but with all eight of them seeking your presence all the damned time, it was hard to get much of anything done. Being a writer wasn't easy and you found yourself grappling with writer's block more often than not. To make matters worse, you hadn't gone into town in awhile, too busy making sure the group wasn't up to anything potentially dangerous and helping them get accustomed to staying in your home. The lack of socialization with other humans was taking a toll on you.

     The group was sweet, never outright malicious or anything, and yet they were very hard to be around sometimes. Not only due to your childhood trauma with the faith your home town had shoved down your throat at such a young age, but because they weren't human and didn't understand why certain things made you uncomfortable. Scared you, even. The staring and close proximity was awkward, sure, though that was nothing compared to their more unusual tendencies. 

     For instance, they liked to watch you. A lot. One night, upon waking up to the sensation of your skin crawling, you found Felix standing at your bedside. Hovering over you while you slept with this look of concentration on his face, not even batting an eye when you shined your flashlight at him. 

     “Felix? What's wrong?” You'd asked, blinking and yawning as you tried to focus, half asleep and almost thinking you were dreaming. If it weren't for the cold air of your bedroom, you probably would've immediately gone back to sleep after you noticed him, too tired to question him. When a strange smile formed on that unfairly pretty face, something in your stomach churned.

     “Nothing! It's okay, you're safe, go back to sleep.” The deep, smooth baritone of his voice almost convinced you to listen.

     “What? Dude, you can't just come in here while I'm sleeping, how long have you been standing there?” You almost didn't wanna know the answer to that question. Rather than mercifully keeping you in the dark, Felix's smile widened as he tilted his head at you.

     “I always come in here after you fall asleep. I like to make sure you're okay.” That response made you feel ill. Nevertheless, you remained patient, giving the usual sigh of exasperation.

     “That's very sweet of you, Felix, but I promise I'll be okay by myself. Go back downstairs, please.” The blonde’s expression faltered to one of distress, much to your bewilderment. 

     “But what if something happens and I'm not here?”

    “Nothing's gonna happen, Lix. We're safe, alright? You don't have to worry. Just go down stairs and relax.” His frown deepened, lips parting to argue with you, but he hesitated and decided against whatever he wanted to say. With a small, half-hearted nod, he shuffled out of your bedroom, making sure to leave the door wide open behind him. Deciding to let him at least use that to ease his mind, you laid back down and allowed yourself to drift off again. 

     That conversation seemed to stick with him, because after that, you didn't wake up to him in your room again. Though, you did keep finding feathers in the morning…

     Over the course of the next week, the angels were becoming more and more attached to you, both emotionally and physically. There was never a time where you were completely alone. Even when you locked yourself away in your office to focus on work, Chan would end up knocking on the door, offering to keep you company and bringing you water to help you stay hydrated. He seemed to have a more nurturing side of him, making sure you were fed and taking care of yourself just like he did with his companions. 

     It got to the point that they were even asking you to have sleepovers. Jisung has approached you with the idea, first, coming to your room right before bedtime in hopes of sleeping beside you in search of comfort during a thunderstorm. Against your better judgement, you let him. You planned on separating your bodies with a wall of pillows, but the second you agreed, he swiftly scooped you up into his arms in an embrace you couldn't possibly turn down. He pulled you into bed with him, covering your bodies with your thick blanket and snuggling his face into your chest. Your arms were wrapped around his head, fingers idly playing with his hair until you ended up falling asleep.

     Just like that, a routine started, one you couldn't even bring yourself to dislike. It started with them taking turns sleeping next to you, though that quickly transpired to two of them spooning you between them. Then, the cuddle piles started, the entire group completely crowding you on your bed and smothering you in their combined weight. Not that you minded, really. It was nice to feel cared for. They made you feel wanted, a foreign concept that made you more giddy than you probably should've been.

     When you finally started running out of groceries, now feeding eight mouths instead of one- you tried not to question why they even needed to eat if sleep wasn't a necessity- you were forced to take a trip back to the town that you'd come to loathe. The angels were more than a little confused when they noticed you putting on your shoes and coat with your keys in your hand. 

     “Where are you going?” Seungmin asked from his spot on the bean bag chair in the nook of your living room, placing the book he'd stolen from you on his lap so he could eye you wearily. They'd never seen you leave the house thus far and were pretty confused. 

     “There's a town not too far from here I have to go to for groceries. If you guys get hungry, there's still some snacks in the pantry until I get back.” Before you could step out the door, however, Hyunjin was at your side. There was a strange look of hurt in his eyes as he loomed over you, his body so close to yours you would've been pressed against the door if he took a single step closer.

     “You're leaving?” He mumbled, wings twitching behind him. Fluttering in a way you didn't see before. 

     “Only for an hour, at most. I won't be long.” Your reassurances didn't seem to ease any of their minds. On the contrary, they looked even more stressed.

     “I'll come with you.” Changbin made his way over to you rather hastily, though you were quick to refuse.

     “You can't. Someone will notice you.” He paused, seeming conflicted, not at all happy about your rejection, yet not too keen on disagreeing with you at the same time. They didn't like it when you were even slightly unhappy with them. To further assure them of your safety, you gave a small smile and spoke much more softly. “I'll be fine. Nothing's gonna happen, okay?”

     “Your heart is racing.” Chan's response made your brows furrow. How did he know that? You scoffed, opened your mouth to argue, but instead of letting you like any other time, he continued. “If where you're going makes you nervous, why don't you just stay here?”

    “Because I need to eat, Chan,” You couldn't help but snap back, not very happy that he could apparently tell you were anxious. “I can't just pull food or things we need for the house out of thin air. It's fine. Like I said, I won't be there long, okay?”

     Silence settled over the room. The group gazed back at you, their expressions mixed with uncertainty and worry, but none of them spoke up again. You left the house without another word.

     The guilt kicked in rather quickly and you were embarrassed with yourself for reacting so strongly, knowing they were just trying to look out for you. So, to try and make it up to them, you bought them a few sets of clothes and all the snacks you knew they liked, even some new ones for them to taste test. Fortunately, no one in the town recognized you with your hood pulled over your head and the scarf you had wrapped around the lower half of your face. Once you had everything shoved in your cart, you went to the registers to check out, avoiding eye contact with the cashier and shutting down any attempts at small talk. 

     You should've known the trip wouldn't go so smoothly.

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While pushing your cart through the parking lot to your car, someone spotted you. A man. He approached you, unaware of your identity, not that bastards like him cared for the face of what they were after. It certainly wasn't your personality he was interested in, either. The moment he came toward you, you walked faster, making it to your car and opening your trunk to shove the plastic bags inside as fast as possible. To your dismay, he came right up to you and placed his hands on your cart. Leaning against it and subsequently pushing you against your car once the trunk was closed.

     “Hey, I was talking to you.” He was trying to be charming, grinning at you and keeping his tone light, maybe even playful. Like following you to your car and cornering you against it was mere flirtation. You swallowed thickly, keeping your head down to keep your face covered, heart pounding hard in your chest as your eyes darted around the parking lot. The only other people around were two young teenagers giggling while climbing into their car and a man collecting shopping carts to take them back into the store.

     “I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry.” Being polite was the last thing you wanted to do, but you knew the risks of showing aggression. Making a scene wouldn't get you anywhere, either, given the place you lived in. People would walk right by with their heads down, believing that they were just minding their own business and leaving your fate to the hands of God.

     “Yeah? That was still awfully rude, though. Your boyfriend let you get away with ignoring him like that?” Probably his way of asking if you had one. Either that or he was taunting you, aligning your worth with the approval of your nonexistent boyfriend. Though, for the sake of hopefully scaring him off, you fed into that option.

     “He doesn't like me talking to other guys.” You tried to step out from between the car and your shopping cart, only for him to lean a bit closer, feigning interest in this forced conversation so he could press the cart against you more firmly. Keeping you in place. 

   “Aw, I'm sure he would understand. If he's a good guy, he wouldn't mind someone letting you know how pretty you are, right?” You were going to be sick.

     “I'm sorry, I really need to go-” The moment you moved to push your hands against the cart, he leaned in further, driving you to act in sheer panic. Without allowing yourself time to second guess your reckless decision, you shoved hard at the cart, using enough force to catch him by surprise so you could slip away and make a break for it. You rounded your car and swung open the driver side door in a matter of seconds, slamming it shut behind you and using your shaking hand to shove the key into the ignition. Turning it, the car started, the man behind your vehicle laughing as though your terror was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. 

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     Your mind blanked for the entire drive home. Hands gripping the steering wheel tight, you couldn't even feel the tears falling down your cheeks, choked sobs and sniffles filling the quiet space of your car. By the time you made it home, you were so out of it you didn't even register that you made it inside. Safe and away from harm.

     The sound of your name being called from different directions pulled you out of it a bit, eyes blinking through the tears still collecting on your lashes. Jisung was the first to greet you at the door, though the second he noticed the state you were in, the look of joy on his face fell into one you couldn't read. Not that you even tried to, since you were so far gone from your body. The others flocked into the foyer shortly after and the interrogation began.

     “Why are you crying? What happened?”

    “Are you okay?”

     “Did someone hurt you?”

     Changbin came closer to brush tears from your cheeks, and the second he was within arm's reach, you lunged for him. Arms wrapping around his neck as you allowed yourself to weep into his chest, body trembling as you struggled to relay what happened to them as comprehensively as you could in the moment. His own thick, strong arms returned the embrace without hesitation, holding you against him by your waist while one of his hands pet the back of your head. 

     Once your disturbing story was over, the air in the room felt heavy. You tried to lift your head away from Changbin’s chest to look at the others, concerned by the silence, but he placed his hand on your head and kept it on his pectorals. Shushing you softly, pressing a tender kiss to the top of your head.

     “Shh, you're okay, you're safe now. Don't worry about anything. Let's get you to bed.” He didn't give you time to argue, either. While Jeongin and Hyunjin carried the bags you brought home to the kitchen, Changbin scooped you up into his arms and carried you upstairs, his wings folding around you in a protective gesture. Upon making it to your bedroom, he placed you on your mattress and climbed in under the covers after you, once again pulling you into his chest while his wings served as a barrier, shielding you from the rest of the world. He never stopped muttering sweet nothings into your ear, one hand rubbing along your back and side even after you drifted off to sleep. 

     That following morning, you woke up to breakfast in bed. Changbin was still in bed with you, peppering your face in kisses to make you stir, the smell of bacon and maple syrup persuading you into consciousness. While he helped you sit up, Minho perched himself on the edge of the bed beside you. It was the first time he'd ever smiled at you.

     “Good morning, honey.” Honey? Confused, your brain worked to remember how you even got here, the two noticing your wandering train of thought and immediately pulling your attention back to them. 

     “Don't think about it. Come on, eat up.” Changbin's hand rubbed your hip soothingly, something in your chest aching pleasantly at the contact. Any other time, you would've argued, but you found yourself leaning into his body and opening your mouth when Minho held a forkful of soaked pancakes up to your lips. You let him feed you, let them both take care of you, finally lowering your walls and relying on them. Allowing them to support you after spending so much time fearing what would've happened if you did.

     Breakfast was amazing and you found yourself surprisingly energized. You went downstairs with the two of them, looking forward to their plans of spending the day together, even though you knew you had work to get done. One day off wasn't going to hurt. Besides, after what happened yesterday and all the bullshit you'd had to put up with your entire life, you deserve a day of peace and happiness. 

     Oddly enough, there were only six angels to spend this time with you. Noticing that Chan and Hyunjin were missing, you asked the others where they were, to which they all suddenly seemed… Off. Nervous, fidgety.

     “They went for a walk.” Spending so much time with Jisung made it very easy to see through him. They were all terrible liars, but he couldn't make himself sound even remotely believable.

     “Uh huh. Are you guys gonna pretend I'm stupid and can't tell that something's going on, or…?” None of them responded to you. Seungmin had the best poker face, acting like he was too absorbed in the game playing on the television, despite the fact that you knew it was one of the ones he recorded to watch when there weren't any current games scheduled. The easiest to read out of the group, other than Jisung, was Felix. He chewed on his bottom lip, hands toying with his wings while his eyes looked anywhere but you. “Felix. Where are they?”

     Those deep, warm eyes went wide, looking to you like you just caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. 

     “Felix.” Minho warned, to which you interjected.

     “Don't listen to him, listen to me. Where are Chan and Hyunjin?” 

     “We told you, they went for a walk-” Jeongin tried to come to his aid, to which you held up a finger, not even sparing him a glance. 

     “Felix, tell me where they went. If they're out in public, I need to know. They could get hurt.” 

     “They won't get hurt.” Seungmin spoke up, this time, not in reassurance, but as a matter of fact. At his confident tone, you turned to give him a look of curious bewilderment. 

     “What makes you say that? Where did they go?” Setting his book aside, his eyes found yours, betraying not a damned thing going on in his mind. Had it not been for the wings on his back, his ability to deceive others without any effort at all would've made you question if he were actually a devil in disguise. 

     “They didn't want to be around you while they're upset. They went for a walk to clear their minds.” The others nodded along in agreement. You squinted your eyes at him, trying to see through his words. There was no way of telling if he was being truthful or not.

     “They'll be back soon. Can we just watch a movie or something? We wanna spend time with you.” Felix jumped at the opportunity to change the subject, and even though you knew that, you gave in. There was no point in continuing to press them on the issue right now. You would just ask the two in question once they got back.

     “Fine. What did you guys have in mind?”

     Cheesy romance movies, apparently. Jisung and Felix had you squished between them on the couch, fluffy blankets tossed over your laps while they both curled in on you from either side, their wings forming another blanket of cozy warmth to provide further comfort and peace of mind. Jeongin sat on the floor between your legs, letting you play with his hair while Changbin and Seungmin both cuddled and wrestled on the love seat. Minho sat in the arm chair opposing the two, shouting at them to quiet down and occasionally giggling at something happening on screen. 

     It felt nice. Familiar. It seemed that these men were starting to grow on you, after all. 

     The moment the front door opened, the air shifted. Everyone else in the room tensed, keeping their eyes on the TV with noticeable effort, igniting a sense of intrigue within you. Not only were they acting weird, but the question of what these two had been up to all day aroused your suspicions all over again. 

     “Nice of you guys to finally join us,” To your surprise, they were both wearing dark clothes. Strange, seeing as how the clothes you'd bought all of them were lighter, loose-fitting and soft. While Hyunjin wore a look of something akin to pride, Chan was much harder to read. His expression was blank and he gave no reaction to your sarcastic greeting. “They won't tell me where you've been. Please tell me no one saw you guys.”

     “You don't have anything to worry about anymore, beautiful,” Hyunjin’s voice had an unfamiliar lilt as he made his way over to you. Minho shuffled out of the way, allowing him to stand before you, his hands moving to delicately take hold of your face. Tilting your head up to look at him, his eyes filled with mirth. “We're here. No one's gonna bother you, okay? You're safe with us.”

    “Uhh-” He leaned down and pressed his lips to your cheek with a gentleness you couldn't even begin to comprehend. Upon making contact with your skin, he lingered for a moment, lips brushing toward your own. They didn't make contact, though, his body pulling away from yours so abruptly it was almost devastating. You blinked at him, his thumb giving one last stroke to your jaw before the contact ceased. There was a speck of red paint just below his jaw.

     “What're you guys watching?” Just like that, it was as if nothing even happened. While he took a seat with Jeongin on the chair, squeezing in beside him despite the younger’s protests, Chan wandered into the room soon after. Wordlessly standing by the wall away from the rest of you. 

     Their wings looked thinner.

     Everything went back to normal within a day or two. Chan and Hyunjin went back to their usual selves, though they were much more affectionate than before, becoming just as touchy and clingy as the others. Well, that wasn't much of a difference for Hyunjin. They all went about their days as usual and you got back into your work, spending more and more time in your office and only coming out for food and bathroom breaks, much to their complaints. 

     Four days after it all went down, you almost forgot that you were harassed in public. You woke up in a great mood, sandwiched between Seungmin and Jeongin first thing in the morning, the smell of Minho making breakfast again wafting all throughout the house. There was a pep in your step for the first half of the day, unwavering even when you decided it was time to get to work. 

     Like any other day, Chan had decided to keep you company, though this time with Felix following after him into your office. The two were sitting on the rug, chatting quietly while you worked. For your latest article, you needed to do a little bit of research, mindlessly scrolling through your usual sources in search of whatever you were looking for. When none of them provided much inspiration, you took to current news outlets in hopes of finding something within them. 

     None of the first few topics interested you. Scrolling down a bit further, you read through titles and headlines, nibbling on your fingernails as your foot tapped lightly against the floor. 

     ‘Psychology says that people who-’, ‘Follow these tips to stay safe during-’, ‘Man found disemboweled in local park-’

    … What? 

     You recognized the park in the picture linked to the article as one in your hometown. The metal, multicolored playground with tall pine trees in the background called to you in a way that felt unsettling. Almost like something in your gut was telling you to click on it. Curiosity piqued, you did just that and began reading through the post, not very invested but interested in why you suddenly felt so dreadful. 

     ‘The body of thirty-five year old Gregory Davis was discovered early yesterday morning by a man who was walking his dog through the park he was found in. Reports say he suffered multiple abrasions, several bones having been broken by what appears to be blunt force-’

     Woah. As you read along, that sinking feeling in your stomach only grew stronger, knowing that nothing like this had ever happened in the small town you were raised in. Crime wasn't unheard of, sure, but people weren't found disemboweled with broken bones. Or with their eyes missing from their fucking skull. The more information you took note of, the deeper you dived into this foreign occurrence, continuing to scroll down and down until you reached the end of the page where they shared a picture the guy's family posted in his memory on Facebook. 

     Your eyes flicked over their faces in absentminded observation, skimming over their features, glancing over the man's face. Familiar. Scarily familiar. Darting back to him, you felt your office room tilt on its axis. The walls closed in, your chair sunk through the floor, yet you remained frozen in place. Gawking at the very face that tormented you a measly few days ago. No, surely that wasn't him. The man didn't smile like that. He didn't have any small children with him, nor a wife to hold his hands that gripped the metal of a shopping cart tight to shove it into your stomach. That beard was the same, that crooked nose was the same, those beady eyes were the same, that fucking smile with too many teeth-

     Without even realizing it, you were hyperventilating, chest heaving with every ragged breath as nausea churned in your belly. Unbeknownst to you, the angels behind you could see your computer screen clearly. Felix gave Chan a look of concern, questioning him with his eyes, to which the older man gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. He called your name, clear and stern.

     In a humiliating display of sheer terror, you puked all over your floor. Felix was quick to rush to your side, grabbing your trash can and putting it underneath you, holding back your hair to keep it from getting messy. 

     When you came down from that sickness, however, you immediately shoved him away from you, making your computer chair slide across the floor in the process. Chan was there to catch him, the two of them looking at you in disbelief as you practically snarled back at them. 

     “What did you do?” Neither of them answered. While Felix opened and closed his mouth several times, fighting to find words, Chan's expression fell into one of eerie calmness. Once again, he said your name. “What the fuck did you do?”

     “Calm down.”

     “Don't tell me to calm down!” Abruptly, you stood from your seat, knocking it over in the process. That sickening feeling in your stomach never left, head spinning as you swayed slightly on your feet. Bracing your hand against the closest wall, you pointed a shaky finger at the screen of your computer. “You did that? You- What the fuck did you do? Tell me!”

     “It's okay, love, just breathe.” Felix's voice didn't provide its usual comfort and could no longer lull you into any kind of security. If anything, it only made you more on edge.

     “Shut up.” It seemed the commotion caught the attention of the rest of the house. The door to your office swung open, Changbin bursting into the room and looking to find the three of you at a standstill. The others promptly followed in after him, confused and clearly worried, feeding into your despair. 

     “What's going on?” Minho’s voice sounded so far away. Throat burning, your wild eyes darted between everyone, tears slipping free to trickle down your face. This wasn't real. Maybe you died and Hell really did exist and this was part of your eternal punishment. 

     “Jisung.” Chan's voice caught the man's attention, his big, doe-like eyes looking between the two of you. As if understanding something unspoken, he slowly started to approach you. 

     “What's going on, baby? Talk to me.” He sounded so gentle. 

     “Why the fuck are you calling me that?” You sobbed, backing into your desk, knees buckling and threatening to give out from under you. The urge to run was strong, but no matter how badly you wanted to flee, you couldn't bring yourself to move. Couldn't even bring yourself to really feel scared of them. All this time, they hadn't done anything to hurt you. If anything, killing him meant they were trying to protect you-

     No. Don't you dare justify this. 

     “Tell me you didn't do it. Tell me you were on a walk.” Desperate, pleading rambles fled your lips as you shook your head in denial, not even bothering to avoid the one coming toward you. His hands moved to your face, cupping your cheeks and tilting your head upwards, thumbs brushing tears away before he pressed his forehead against yours.

     “Breathe with me. In, and out. Good, keep doing that, focus on me.” There was no choice in the matter. Sniveling and crying so hard it was pathetic, your heart twisting in your chest while you gasped for breath. The others closed in shortly, as well, surrounding you from all sides in a way that should've been suffocating, and yet all you felt was protection. Safety. You couldn't see anything beyond them, their wings keeping you within their circle. Nothing else mattered. 

     Changbin pressed kisses to your hair, Hyunjin guiding you away from the desk to place himself behind you, hands on your waist and rubbing circles with his thumbs into your hips. Seungmin found one of your hands and squeezed, Jeongin closing around both of yours to bring your fingers to his lips. Kissing each knuckle with reverence. 

     “Nothing will ever hurt you again.” Hyunjin whispered into your ear, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck. 

     “We'll keep you safe.”