Pairings: Cupid!Steve Harrington x Fem!reader
Summary: He didn't even know it was possible for people to see him, but now, in all of his centuries, Cupid gets to experience love.
Warnings: Magic, mention of shooting an arrow, kind of unrequited love, kissing.
WC: 9.5k HOLY SHIT. this is the longest fic I have ever written, you are welcome.
àȘâ⎠âĄ
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àȘâ⎠âĄ
àȘâ⎠âĄ
The night felt suspended, as though the world had decided, quietly, not to move without you.
Your apartment was dim, lit only by the cityâs glow filtering through gauzy curtains.
Streetlights blurred into halos.
The air was warm, heavy with the scent of summer rain that never quite fell.
You were half-awake, half-drifting, perched on the edge of sleep where thoughts loosened their grip and memory softened at the edges.
You didnât know you were being watched.
Steve Harrington hovered above the rooftop across the street, wings folded close, gold feathers muted to rose and honey under the moonlight.
He had been there longer than he should have been. Long enough to learn the rhythm of your breathing through the open window. Long enough to know when you were awake and when you were pretending not to be.
This moment, this fragile and calm moment, was exactly what the arrow was meant for.
Not grief. Not despair.
But the quiet after survival.
He gripped the bow, heart thudding in a chest that hadnât quite learned how not to care.Â
The arrow hummed softly between his fingers, a filament of magic spun from longing and hope, tipped with light. Feathers shimmered, pale gold dust drifting off it like pollen.
One shot.
One opening.
One chance for love to find you again.
âIt will be okay,â Steve whispered, even though you couldnât hear him. Even though the words werenât for the pain, there would be none, but it was an assurance for what was about to bloom. For the way nothing ever stayed the same once the heart opened.
He drew the bow, and the world inhaled.
And when he released-
The arrow flew across the air.
Light rippled outward in a soft, expanding pulse, washing the night in pink and gold. The air thickened, glowing like dawn caught mid-breath.Â
Magic hummed low and warm, not sharp or commanding, but gentle;
An invitation rather than an order.
Inside, you gasped.
The sensation began in your chest, a warmth unfurling slowly, like petals opening beneath your ribs.Â
It didnât hurt.Â
It didnât overwhelm.Â
It simply spread, threading through you until even your fingertips hummed with it.
The arrow dissolved before it ever touched you.
Golden feathers scattered into light, melting into your skin, sinking into your heartbeat.Â
For a moment, you were weightless.
Untethered.
As if the air itself was holding you upright.
Your eyes fluttered shut, and when they opened again, the room was no longer quite the same.
Everything was softer.
Edges blurred. Colours deepened.
The glow didnât fade; it lingered, wrapping around you like a half-remembered dream.Â
Your breath came slow, steady, as if you were moving through water.
And then you saw him.
At first, he was only light.
A shape formed beyond the window, suspended in the glowing air. Gold and rose and ivory, shifting and coalescing, until wings unfurled, vast and impossibly gentle, feathers catching the glow like spun glass.
Then his face came into focus.
He was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen.
Not in a sharp, blinding way, but in the way sunsets undid you. In the way certain songs ached in your chest before you knew why. His curls caught the light like they were made for it, eyes wide and shining, mouth parted as though he had forgotten how to breathe.
Steve didnât move.
He couldnât.
Because you were looking right at him.
Not past him.
Not through him.
But at him, eyes soft, unfocused, lips parted in wonder, as though you were seeing something you were always meant to see but never thought you would.
âOh,â he breathed.
The sound reached you like it was carried on the glow itself, warm and intimate, vibrating somewhere deep in your chest. You didnât question it. Nothing about this moment asked for logic.
You rose from where you sat, movements slow and dreamlike, feet barely touching the floor as you drifted closer to the window. The glow followed you, curled around you, painted your skin in gold.
Steve watched, transfixed, as the magic settled, not frantic, not binding, but listening.
Waiting.
This wasnât how it was supposed to go.
The arrow should have made him invisible the moment it took hold. You should have been looking past him now, heart open and searching, unaware of the hand that guided it.
Instead, your gaze locked onto his like gravity had shifted.
Your heart didnât race.
It recognized.
Something inside you tilted, slow and irreversible, like a compass finding north.
âYouâreâŠâ Your voice was quiet, reverent, as though speaking too loudly might shatter him. âYouâre beautiful.â
The words hit him harder than any arrow ever could.
Steveâs wings twitched, feathers shedding light, the glow brightening around you both. His breath stuttered. âOh umâŠthatâs notâŠâ he said, disbelief threading every syllable.
You smiled faintly, still caught in the haze, eyes tracing the curve of his wings, the soft strength in his shoulders, the warmth in his face. He looked less like a God now and more like something heartbreakingly real, like someone standing on the edge of a mistake he never meant to make.
âWho are you?â you murmured, hand lifting to the glass without realizing it.
Your palm pressed against the window.
The magic answered.
The air between you shivered, pink and gold deepening, humming louder now, not with command, but with resonance.
Steve drifted closer, helpless to stop himself, until he was hovering just beyond the glass, his own hand lifting in an unconscious mirror of your own.
Your palms didnât touch.
They didnât need to.
The warmth between you was enough.
âThis is not right,â Steve whispered, but his voice lacked conviction. His eyes never left yours. âYou are not- this should not- You should not be able to see me.â
You smiled, slow and soft, like you were waking into something rather than out of it. âYouâre the most perfect thing Iâve ever seen,â you said. âWhatever you are.â
That was what broke him.
Because love magic wasnât supposed to feel kind. It was supposed to ignite, to compel, to pull.
This didnât pull.
It opened.
The glow began to fade at the edges, settling into you, sinking into your pulse. The night exhaled. The city noise crept back in. But the warmth remained, steady and sure.
Steve realized, with a jolt of quiet awe, that the arrow hadnât chosen for you.
It had given you sight.
And what you saw, what you were still seeing, eyes clear now, awareness sharpening without losing its softness, was him.
âHi,â you said, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Steve swallowed.
âHi,â he replied, voice low, reverent, already ruined.
Somewhere deep in your chest, your heart finished opening.
And without being told-
Without being forced-
Without magic pushing at your back-
It still chose love.
You stayed pressed lightly to the window frame, feeling the warmth settle into your chest, spreading slow and steady. It was not frantic, not urgent, but insistent.
The kind of warmth that made your skin tingle and your stomach ache in a way that was almost sweet, almost unbearable.
You were aware of it, aware of him, aware of the quiet hum of something between you that was not quite magic, not quite reality, but entirely alive.
Steve remained outside the window, wings folded close now, feathers catching faint silver in the moonlight.
He was not moving closer, not yet, and the distance was excruciating and tender all at once.
You wanted to lean forward, to bridge the space between you, but there was something careful, something respectful, that stopped you.Â
This was not the arrow pushing you anymore. This was a choice.
And choice required patience.
He swallowed audibly, running a hand along the railing as if to steady himself. You could see the slight tremor of his fingers, the tension in his shoulders, the way his chest rose and fell too fast, too loud in the quiet night.
He was beautiful in a way that made your chest ache, not like a sunburst or a photograph, but like something alive and breathing, like a flame you could almost reach without touching.
âI am not sure what to do nowâŠâ He began, feeling the soft breeze of the night run through his feathers, the coldness doing little to calm his nerves, instead, they caused goose bumps.
A phenomenon that Gods and Demigods did not feel.
Something is strange tonight He thought to himself.
But as he looked back into your eyes, he sighed.
Your eyes bright and wide as you stared at him.
If he looked close enough, he could see the faint love heart shape in your irisâ
âThis is not supposed to happen, okay? It probably cannot happenâ
Steve almost winced at the frown on your face, caused by his words and hesitation.
âWhat isnât supposed to happen?â
He gestured between the two of you, a look of regret planted all over his features that you didnât pick up on.
âBut it didâŠâ You beamed âAnd Iâm happy it didâ
His eyebrows shot up in surprise, his mouth agape as he remained silent for a moment.
Too long of a moment, for you, it seemed-
âAre you not happy?â
Steve hummed to himself, biting his cheek as you leaned out of the window.
âWell-â
You reached your hand up to his face, the pads of your fingertips gliding and tracing over his plush skin.
His flesh was soft, almost glowy, moles drawn perfectly, scattered like constellations.
His jaw was well defined and his nose carved sharply, his eyes wide and pure, like he was touched by heaven.
The curls of his hair fell just right, just above his shoulders, hugging his neck, streaks of golden blonde highlighting the otherwise dark hair.
Running your hands down, your breath hitched, your eyes following every dip and curve of his body.
His torso was bare, smooth and warm to the touch, despite being free from clothes in the middle of winter.
His stomach was toned, tensing as your touch as your hands stopped at his waist.
A small wrapped loincloth around his hips, covering only his decency, barely.
You looked back up at him, almost gawking.
It made Steve nervous.
No one had ever looked at him like that. No one had ever been so gentle.
He felt his heart pump faster under your gaze, his palms, wrapped around his bow, started to sweat.
He slung it around his shoulder, the fear of dropping it and breaking it weighed on him.
âPlease- come in, pleaseâ you almost pleaded.
Steve was conflicted.
This was never supposed to happen, you were never supposed to see him.
He wasnât even sure it was allowed.
Though, heâs never heard of this situation being possible.
And in all of the centuries heâs been assigned the role of love, heâs never felt so unsure of himself.
But you stepped away from the window, letting him in, and he couldnât refuse.
Because Cupid, the God of love, curer of loneliness, was the lonliest of them all.
Heâs been banished to be alone almost all of his life, to create love.
But he himself did not love.
He was distanced.
Climbing through the window, Steve huffed, his foot catching the edge of the sill, causing him to fall on your floor face first.
You gasped, rushing to his side to help him up.
With your hands holding his arms, you let yourself squeeze at his biceps, humming to yourself at the feeling of his muscles tensing as he got up, groaning.
âAre you alright?â you pressed, letting your hold linger on him as he straightened, his wings flexing out before closing back up.
âI will be okay, do not worryâ He responded, turning to the window to close it.
He had noticed your shiver, and the delicate snowflakes that fell upon you when you leaned out to see him, now melted.
He had them also, the residue racing down his body in tiny droplets of water.
You took the time to observe his back, pouting.
His body was mostly covered by his wings, but when he turned back to you, you caught the sliver of his shoulder blade, smiling to yourself.
He avoided your eyes, suddenly feeling insecure in your space.
âDoes your face hurt?â You asked, stepping closer to him in a swift moment.
He stepped back like a flinch, frowning.
âM-my face?â He stammered, reaching up to touch his cheek softly.
âFrom the fallâ You spoke worriedly, taking another step closer.
Your proximity made Steve freeze in his place, his eyes darting around the room.
âUh- noâŠmy face is fine, I assure youâ
You nodded, stepping away from him.
âGood- well you can make yourself at home, we can do something! I have cards, and board games- or- we can just watch TV, whatever you wantâ
He winced at your wanting, not wanting to be rude as he shook his head no.
âI should probably goâŠI have more duties and assignments, soâŠâÂ
He watched as your whole body basically deflated, blinking sadly up at him.
âBut you just got hereâ you whined, wrapping your arms around yourself. âDo you have to?â
You werenât an idiot, you could tell what he was, he was not human.
But your brain didnât comprehend who he was, all you knew is that you needed him with you, that he was the most perfect being to exist, and you needed to love him.
âYes, I apologiseâ
âWill I see you again?â
He shrugged, tugging his bow off his shoulder as he went back to the window.
Before he could make an excuse, or respond before leaving, you cut him off, rushing over to his side.
âCome over tomorrow? Pleaseâ you insisted, batting your lashes his way in hopes to convince him.
You couldnât have him leave.
You wouldnât let him, not without confirmation that heâd come back.
âSureâ He smiled tightly, opening the glass and being careful this time as he climbed out into the night.
âGoodnight then, be safeâ You wished him, sending a little wave before his wings spread out beautifully, catching the light of the moon and street light, making him glow a pretty gold.
He looked like a God.
âHave a good nightâ He bid you before flying off into the sky.
âĄ
The next evening, the city hummed quietly beneath the setting sun.Â
You had spent the afternoon preparing.Â
A small blanket was spread across the floor near the window where Steve had hovered the night before.Â
On it, a modest feast of cheeses, grapes, thinly sliced cured meats, and a bottle of deep red wine waited.Â
Nothing extravagant, only things you loved- and hoped he would, too.
You checked the window nervously, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. The glow of the streetlights was beginning to seep through the curtains.Â
Your pulse quickened, anticipation thrumming in your chest.Â
The night air carried the faintest chill, but you didnât care. Tonight, he was coming back.
A soft rustle of wings made you freeze. Then, there he was, hovering just beyond the window, gold and rose catching the last light of dusk.
âHiâ you breathed, a smile tugging at your lips.
âHiâ Steve replied, his voice quieter this time, steadier somehow.Â
His eyes took in the blanket, the spread of food, and for a moment, something like awe softened his usual scepticism.
âYou⊠you did all this?â he asked, hovering a little closer.
âYes,â you said simply, gesturing to the picnic. âI thought⊠maybe youâd like it.â
Steve blinked, tilting his head.Â
His wings shifted lightly, brushing against the air, and for a moment, you could see the tiniest flicker of vulnerability in him.Â
He had existed for centuries, moving through lives and hearts, orchestrating love and watching others embrace it. And yet here he was, unsure, unpracticed in the language of care being offered directly to him.
âI⊠I wasnât expecting this,â he admitted, voice soft. âPeople donât⊠usually do this for me.â
You smiled gently, stepping forward. âThen tonight, let it be for you.â
Steve hovered, hovering longer than he had to.Â
His golden eyes scanned the spread, lingering on the wine, on the grapes, on the small care in every piece. Then, slowly, as if afraid it would vanish if he moved too fast, he descended.Â
His feet landed lightly on the edge of the blanket, and you held your breath.
He didnât sit right away.Â
Instead, he just stood there, letting his wings fold around him, eyes wide and taking in the small feast youâd made.Â
Be crouched down, his fingers brushing over a wedge of cheese, then pulled back.Â
He glanced at you, searching for permission, and you nodded, soft and encouraging.
âPlease, eat, itâs all for youâ you said, voice quiet but warm.
With an almost imperceptible smile, he sank onto the blanket beside you, wings tucking gently behind him.Â
His presence was at once immense and fragile, a living contradiction that made your chest ache with affection.Â
You handed him a piece of cheese, and his hand took it, careful, almost reverent.
âThis is⊠very thoughtful,â he said, tasting it slowly.
You shrugged, smiling. âYou deserve the bestâ
He frowned at your words, his head tilting to the side. âWhy?â
You snorted, looking up at him like he had two heads- like he was insane.Â
âBecauseâŠYou opened my eyesâ
Your words caught him off guard.
And it was at that moment when he knew you loved him.
You chose him.
He nodded slowly, taking in the weight of the situation.
He needed to fix you.
He needed to undo his arrow.
Because you canât love him.
That would be absurd.
For a while, you ate in complete silence. Comfortable and content for you, a little anxious for him, not that you noticed.
The cityâs hum was the backdrop, the wine warmed your hands, and the grapes were sweet and cool between bites.
Steveâs gaze kept drifting to you, to the way your hair caught the soft golden glow of the streetlight, the way your eyes lit up when you smiled at him, the small gestures that seemed ordinary but in his eyes were extraordinary.
Steve tried to focus on the food.
He really did.
He took another small bite of cheese, chewed carefully, as if the act required concentration.Â
The taste was rich, sharp, unfamiliar in a way that felt grounding.Â
Mortal.Â
It should have helped.Â
It should have anchored him to the task he had been given, to the rules he had followed for centuries without question.
Instead, his attention kept slipping.
Back to you.
You sat cross-legged on the blanket, shoulders relaxed, fingers idly plucking grapes from the stem and setting them into your mouth one by one.Â
There was no urgency in you, no expectation. Just a quiet happiness that seemed to glow faintly under your skin, like the echo of the magic that had touched you the night before.
That glow was his fault.
Steve swallowed, the wine warm as it slid down his throat. He was not meant to be here like this.Â
He was not meant to stay. He was certainly not meant to be the object of anyoneâs devotion.Â
Love was something he delivered, something he nudged into motion from a distance.Â
He never stood in its path.
Yet every time you looked at him, something deep in his chest tightened, unfamiliar and disorienting.
âYou keep staring,â you said gently, not accusing, just amused, giddy.
He startled, eyes snapping back to his hands. âSorry. I⊠I was not trying to.â
You smiled, soft and fond, and it felt like a blade wrapped in silk. âItâs okay. I donât mind.â
That was the problem.
You did not mind his presence.Â
You welcomed it.Â
You looked at him like he belonged there, like he had earned a place on the blanket beside you simply by existing.
Steve shifted slightly, wings rustling behind him. âYou shouldn't,â he said quietly.
You frowned. âShouldnât what?â
He hesitated, words catching in his throat. He had explained the mechanics of love to countless souls, but explaining it to you felt impossible.Â
How could he tell you that what you felt was not meant for him?Â
That the arrow had misfired in a way that could not be allowed to stand?
âYou feel⊠something,â he said instead, choosing each word carefully. âBecause of the arrow.â
You nodded. âI know.â
âItâs supposed to pass through me,â he continued. âIâm not part of it. I never am.â
You set your glass down, turning fully toward him now. Your expression was calm, open, not defensive. âBut it didnât,â you said simply.
Steve closed his eyes for a moment. The truth of that pressed down on him, heavy and undeniable. It had not passed through him. It had stopped. It had bloomed. It had changed you, and worse, it had changed him too.
âI can try to fix it,â he said, more to himself than to you. âI will find a way to reverse it.â
The words sounded rehearsed, like something he had been telling himself since the moment your eyes had met his.
Your heart sank, but you did not pull away.Â
Instead, you scooted a little closer, close enough that your knee brushed his thigh.Â
The contact was light, almost accidental, but Steve went very still.
âI donât want you to fix it,â you said softly.
âYou do not understand,â he replied, opening his eyes to look at you. âThis is not⊠fair to you. You are feeling something that was never meant for me.â
You studied him then, really studied him. The careful way he held himself, like he was afraid of taking up too much space. The way his hands fidgeted with the edge of the blanket. The way his wings stayed tucked tight, as if he had learned long ago that spreading them invited trouble.
âI understand more than you think,â you said. âI know it started because of the arrow. But what I feel now⊠thatâs mine.â
Steve shook his head slowly. âYou would not choose me if the arrow had not-â
âI would,â you interrupted, voice steady. âI am choosing you. Right now. Again.â
The words hit him harder than any confession ever had.Â
He had seen love declared in a thousand ways, dramatic and desperate and fleeting.Â
This was none of those things.Â
This was quiet.Â
Certain. Unmoving.
He looked away, jaw tightening. âYou do not know what you are choosing.â
âThen stay,â you said, not pleading, not demanding. âStay long enough for me to know.â
Silence stretched between you, thick and heavy.Â
The city hummed on, uncaring. Somewhere below, a car horn sounded, distant and sharp, but it felt like it belonged to another world entirely.
Steveâs fingers curled into the blanket.Â
He had been alone for so long that company felt like a foreign language. He did not know how to accept it without suspicion, without the instinct to leave before it could be taken away.
But you were not asking for forever.
You were asking for now.
âI do not know how to do this,â he said finally. âI do not know how to be⊠wanted.â
Your chest ached at the honesty in his voice. You reached out slowly, giving him time to pull away if he wanted to. When your fingers wrapped gently around his wrist, he flinched, then stilled.
âThatâs okay,â you whispered. âI know enough for both of us.â
Your thumb brushed over his pulse. It was strong. Fast. Human in a way he had never fully allowed himself to be.
Steve looked down at your joined hands, something like wonder crossing his face. He had spent centuries guiding hearts, yet he had never stopped to consider what it would feel like to have his own laid bare.
âDo you not understand who I am? What I am?â He wondered aloud, taking you in.
You only shrugged, taking a grape to your mouth with your free hand.
The action made Steve pull away from you, bouncing his leg anxiously.
âI am being seriousâ
You looked up, chewing softly and swallowing before you responded.
âI meanâŠI guess. Iâve had my speculations, thanks to your wings and bowânâarrowâ
He sighed, opening his mouth to speak, his words falling short as you kept going.
âBut youâre so much more than that⊠I mean- is- thatâs not your actual name, is it? Cupid?â You whispered the last part, leaning in closer to him like it was a secret.
And maybe it was.Â
He thought for a moment before shaking his head.
âSo whatâs your name then?âÂ
âStevenâ he answered, the name sounding foreign on his lips.
No had called him that in centuries, and he had almost forgotten it- well- heâs surprised he remembered, itâs been so long.
It almost makes him feelâŠright.Â
âPrettyâ You mumbled, beaming as you extended your hand for him to take, telling him your own name for a formal introduction to each other.
He took your hand reluctantly, not fully sure what you were going to do, but when you waved your palms together up and down, he felt his heart skip a beat.
You shook his hand for a beat before letting go âNice to meet youâ
âNice to meet youâ He repeated back to you, feeling himself smile back.
âĄ
The first week rushed by, and suddenly, you felt as though you were celebrating something special.
One week of Steve.
He had come over every night, spending time with you, warming up to you- you could feel it.
But tonight felt different
There was no rush in the air, no trembling anticipation humming through your bones as you set the blanket out again.Â
You did it anyway, out of habit, out of hope.Â
The spread is smaller this time. Leftover fruit. The same bottle of wine, half empty now. But you threw a few nuts this time, almonds and cashews.
You did not expect him to stay long this time.
Some part of you already knew that.
But you were happy regardless, because if he showed up, he showed up, and thatâs all that mattered.
When Steve appeared at the window, there was no hesitation in his movements.Â
No hovering.Â
No wide-eyed wonder.Â
He stepped through the open air like someone who has rehearsed this moment over and over until it no longer scares him.
He looked beautiful, as always. But there is something else wrapped tightly around him now.Â
Resolve.
âHi,â you said, softer than the other times.
âHi,â he repeated, and the word feeling heavier this time.
You noticed it immediately, the way his bow was already in his hand. Not slung over his shoulder. Not forgotten by the door.Â
Held, firm and deliberate, the gold of it catching the light like a warning.
Your smile faltered.
âYou came back,â you stated anyway, because it still mattered.
âI told you I would,â he replied. His tone is gentle. Careful. Almost kind.
That hurt more than anything else.
You sat together on the blanket, but the space between you felt wider than it ever had.Â
Steve did not reach for the food. He did not let his knee brush yours. His wings were tucked tight, not relaxed, not tentative.Â
Closed.
âI figured it out,â he said after a moment.
Your stomach dropped. âFigured what out?â
âHow to undo it,â he answered quietly. âThe arrow. The misfire.â
You stared at him, the words not quite settling.Â
Undo it.Â
Like it was a knot that can simply be loosened. Like what you felt is something borrowed, temporary, wrong.
âOh,â you hummed
Steve watched your face closely, golden eyes searching, and when his mouth curved upward in a faint, relieved smile, something inside you splintered.
âIt will be okay,â he assured, echoing his words from the first night. âYou will feel like yourself again. Free. I promise.â
Free.
You laughed once, breathless and sharp, before you could stop yourself. âIs that what you think this is? Me not being myself?â
His smile faltered, just a little.
âYou are bound by magic,â he insisted. âThat is not love. Not real love.â
âIt feels real,â you fought, voice trembling despite your effort to steady it. âIt feels like the first honest thing I have ever felt.â
Steve looked away, avoiding your piercing eyes.
âThat is exactly why it has to stop.â
Silence pressed down on you, thick and suffocating. Your chest ached, not with panic, but with something slower and deeper. Loss, already blooming before anything had even been taken.
âYou seem happy about this,â you said finally.
He hesitated. âI am⊠relieved.â
The word landed like a bruise.
âI do not want you to suffer,â he continued. âYou deserve a love that can stay. That can grow old with you. I cannot give you that.â
You swallowed, hard. âYou did not even ask me what I wanted.â
Steveâs jaw tightened. âI know what you want.â
âNo,â you whispered. âYou know what you are afraid of.â
That hit closer than he wanted to admit. His wings twitched, feathers shivering faintly.
âI have never been chosen like this,â he informed you. âNot without magic involved. I would not know how to keep it. And if I broke you because of it-â
âYou would not,â you interrupted, tears blurring your vision now. âYou make people whole. That is what you do.â
âFor others,â he pressed. âNot for myself.â
You looked at him then, really looked at him, and you understood.Â
Not just the rules he followed, but the loneliness he had mistaken for safety. The way he had convinced himself that love is something he was allowed to create but never touch.
You loved him enough to see that.
And enough to let him go.
Your hands curled into the blanket. âIf this is what makes you happy,â you breathed quietly, âthen⊠do it.â
His eyes snapped back to yours. âYou are sure?â
No.Â
You were anything but sure. But you nodded anyway, forcing a smile through the ache. âI just want you to be okay.â
Steve exhaled, a sound that borders on relief.Â
He stood, lifting the bow, already slipping back into the role that has defined him for centuries.
âThank you,â he says softly. âFor understanding.â
You do not answer. You do not trust your voice.
Steve did not rush it.
That was the first thing you noticed, even through the dull ache spreading through your chest.Â
He took his time, as if reverence alone might make this gentler.Â
He moved to the centre of the room, away from the blanket, away from you, placing careful distance between what he was about to do and what he could not allow himself to want.
The bow was already warm in his hands.
It pulsed faintly, responding to him, to his intent.Â
Magic stirred like a sleeping thing being coaxed awake, not violent, not loud, but ancient and attentive.Â
Steve closed his eyes and lowered his head, curls falling forward as he whispered words you did not understand.
They sounded old.Â
Not sharp or commanding, but worn smooth with use, like a prayer that had been spoken too many times to still feel holy.
Then the air changed.
It thickened, drawing inward instead of blooming outward the way it had the night he shot you.Â
The warmth in your chest began to tug, subtle at first, like a memory being pulled loose.Â
You inhaled sharply, fingers curling into the fabric beneath you as something inside you shifted.
But you did not cry out.
You refused to give the moment that satisfaction.
Golden light seeped from your skin in thin, trembling threads.Â
It gathered slowly, reluctantly, like it did not want to leave.
Your vision blurred at the edges, the room warping as the magic pulled back toward its source.
Steve opened his eyes.
His breath caught as he watched the arrow reform in the space between you, incomplete and fractured, light bleeding from its cracks.Â
It looked wrong.
Broken in a way that felt personal. His jaw tightened, guilt flaring hot and sharp in his chest, but he pushed through it.
âIt is almost done,â he said softly, though his voice wavered. âYou may not be able to see me afterwards.â
You barely heard him.
The warmth inside you dulled, sinking deeper, muffled but not gone. You felt suddenly exhausted, like the love had been folded inward instead of taken away.Â
Your head lolled back against the couch, eyelids heavy, body refusing to obey you anymore.
Steve stepped closer without thinking.
He caught you as you slumped, his arms firm and steady around you as he lowered you carefully to the floor.Â
Your weight against him sent a strange ache through his chest, unfamiliar and frightening.Â
You were warm.Â
Alive.Â
Too real.
âI am sorry,â he murmured, almost to himself.
He reached out and grasped the arrow.
It trembled in his hand.
For a long moment, he hesitated. His fingers tightened around the shaft, knuckles whitening as doubt surged. This was the last chance to stop.Â
To leave it unfinished.Â
To accept the impossible thing you were offering him.
Instead, he snapped it cleanly in two.
The sound cracked through the room, sharp and final.Â
Light flared once, briefly blinding, then collapsed inward. The fragments dissolved into nothing, magic scattering like dust before vanishing completely.
The pull ceased.
Steve staggered back a step, chest heaving as the magic settled.Â
The room returned to normal, the glow gone, the air ordinary again.
Yet you laid still.
Your breathing was shallow but steady, eyes unfocused, lashes fluttering faintly as if you were slipping in and out of sleep. The openness you had worn so effortlessly was gone, replaced by something muted and distant.Â
You looked empty in a way that made his throat tighten.
He watched you carefully.
Waiting.
You blinked once. Then again. Your gaze drifted past him, unfixed, as if you were looking through fog instead of at him. The absence hit him like a physical thing.
It worked.
Relief flooded him so suddenly it left him dizzy.
âYou will be alright,â he said softly, though he was no longer sure who he was reassuring. âYou just need rest.â
You did not answer.
You did not reach for him.Â
You did not look at him the way you had before, like he was something precious and chosen.Â
Whatever magic had bound you to him was gone.
That was what he had wanted.
He stood slowly, forcing himself not to linger.Â
Staying would only complicate things.Â
Staying would only tempt him into mistakes he did not know how to survive.
âI am glad I met you,â he said quietly, voice thick with something he refused to name. âEven if you will not remember why.â
You did not stir.
Steve stepped back through the window and into the night, wings catching the air as he took flight.Â
And he did not look back.
âĄ
The sickness did not announce itself all at once.
It arrived quietly, deceptively gentle.Â
At first, it was only fatigue.Â
A heaviness that clung to your limbs no matter how long you slept. You woke up feeling unrefreshed, your body slow and uncooperative, your chest aching with a pressure you could not place.
Then came the heat.
A low fever settled into your bones, leaving you flushed and shivering by turns.Â
You tried to ignore it, tried to go about your days as usual, but even small tasks left you breathless.Â
Food lost its appeal.Â
Wine sat untouched where you had left it.
You stopped setting out the blanket.
There was no point.
He made it clear he wasnât coming back.
The dreams began soon after.
You dreamed of gold light and soft wings, of hands that hovered close but never quite touched.Â
You dreamed of a boy with tired eyes and too much responsibility, standing at the edge of something he wanted but did not believe he was allowed to have.
You woke with his name on your lips, heart racing, sheets damp with sweat.
The love did not fade.
It stayed.
It curled inward, settling deep in your chest like a second heartbeat.Â
Without magic to guide it outward, it had nowhere to go. It pressed and pressed, quiet and constant, until your body began to feel like it could not hold it all.
Days blurred together.
You grew weaker. Dizzy. You took to staying in bed, the world narrowing to the space beneath your blankets. Every breath felt like effort. Your thoughts drifted, circling him again and again, tender and aching and unwavering.
You still loved him.
No matter what he had done. No matter what he thought he had fixed.
â
High above the city, Steve felt it.
Not at first. Not clearly.
It started as unease. A persistent wrongness humming beneath his skin, his magic restless and out of rhythm. He expected the familiar sense of completion that followed a correction, the quiet certainty of balance restored.
It never came.
Instead, there was an ache.Â
Low and insistent. A pull that made his chest tighten without warning. He faltered mid-flight one evening, wings stuttering as he sucked in a sharp breath.
âWhat is this?â he muttered to himself.
He pressed a hand to his sternum, confusion giving way to something colder. Fear.
The arrow was gone.Â
He knew it was. He had destroyed it himself. He had watched the magic dissolve.
So why did it feel like something was still tethered to him?
Steve hovered there for a long moment, scanning the city below, heart pounding. A name surfaced unbidden, heavy with memory.
He swallowed and forced himself onward.
It had to be his imagination. Residual magic. Guilt.
Anything but the truth.
Far below, you lay fevered and trembling, clutching the empty space beside you as if it might still remember the shape of him.
And though Steve believed he had undone the impossible-
Love, once chosen freely, did not answer to spells.
The sickness deepened the way winter did, not with violence, but with persistence.
It crept further into you day by day, settling into places you did not know could ache. Your limbs grew heavy, then useless. Standing left you dizzy, vision dimming at the edges until you learned not to try anymore.Â
You slept more than you were awake, and when you were awake, the world felt distant, muffled, like it was reaching you through layers of fog and water.
Your apartment grew quiet.
Not peaceful. Just empty.
The food in your fridge spoiled, untouched.Â
The blanket by the window stayed folded where you had left it, gathering dust. You stopped opening the curtains.Â
Light hurt your eyes now, sharp and intrusive, as if the sun itself were offended by your devotion to the dark.
Your chest hurt the most.
Not sharply. Not in a way that begged for attention.Â
It was a slow, constant pressure, like something blooming where your lungs should have been.Â
Every breath felt borrowed. Every inhale came with the strange sense that you were making room for something that did not belong entirely to you.
You knew what it was.
Love did not fade just because it was inconvenient.Â
It did not vanish simply because someone decided it should. Without magic to move it along, to guide it outward, it had turned inward instead, folding itself into you, pressing against bone and blood and breath.
You wondered, dimly, if this was how stars collapsed.
You dreamed constantly.
Sometimes the dreams were kind. Steve standing at your window again, wings glowing softly, expression unsure but open.Â
Sometimes he smiled.Â
Sometimes he reached for you.Â
Sometimes you woke with tears on your cheeks and his name tangled in your throat.
Other dreams were cruel.
You dreamed of him turning away.Â
Of him snapping the arrow again and again, each crack echoing through your chest.Â
You dreamed of trying to speak and finding your voice gone, your body heavy and rooted to the bed as he disappeared into light.
You woke from those dreams gasping, heart racing, fever burning hot beneath your skin.
Still, you loved him.
You loved him in the quiet moments when pain dulled to an ache.Â
You loved him when the dreams faded and left only the memory of his face behind.Â
You loved him without resentment, without bitterness, without blame.
You loved him because it was yours to choose.
âĄ
Steve felt the pull grow stronger.
It was no longer subtle.Â
It no longer waited for quiet moments to make itself known. It tugged at him while he worked, while he flew, while he hovered unseen over strangersâ lives and nudged love into motion with hands that suddenly felt clumsy and wrong.
Every arrow he loosed felt heavier than the last.
Every success rang hollow.
The ache in his chest had sharpened, turning from discomfort into something close to pain.Â
It struck without warning, a tightening beneath his ribs that stole his breath and left his wings faltering mid-flight.Â
He had nearly fallen twice now, catching himself only by instinct and stubborn refusal.
He missed you.
The realization came quietly, devastating in its simplicity.
He missed the way you looked at him like he was something chosen. He missed the sound of your voice saying his name without reverence or fear. He missed sitting beside you in silence, the strange, grounding weight of being wanted without obligation.
He had told himself he was relieved.
That lie grew thinner every day.
The magic would not settle. It hummed beneath his skin, restless and insistent, like it was trying to lead him somewhere he refused to go.Â
He began to dream, too, which was new and deeply unsettling.
He dreamed of you curled beneath blankets, pale and trembling.Â
He dreamed of your breath coming shallow and uneven.Â
He dreamed of reaching for you and finding his hands glowing uselessly, unable to fix what he had broken.
He woke from those dreams with his heart racing and guilt clawing at his throat.
Something was wrong.
Deeply wrong.
The breaking point came when an arrow shattered in his hand.
He had been steady.Â
Careful.Â
Perfect.Â
He had never misfired in centuries of service. But that night, as he drew the bow and focused his intent, the magic resisted him. The arrow splintered, light fracturing violently before dissolving into nothing.
Steve stared at his empty hand, breath shallow.
That had never happened.
He landed hard on a nearby rooftop, knees buckling as the truth finally caught up to him. The spell. The reversal. The book he had used.
He had read it quickly. Too quickly.
He had trusted it because he wanted it to be true.
Steve turned and flew all the way back to his world.
The archives were older than cities, older than languages. Shelves stretched impossibly far in every direction, filled with books bound in leather, bone, and light itself.Â
Steve moved through them like a man possessed, fingers skimming spines until he found the one he had used.
He tore it open, flicking through the pages like they meant nothing.
Only one mattered.
The page was the same. The spell unchanged. His breath slowed, relief flickering weakly in his chest until his eyes dropped lower.
Smaller text.
Cramped. Deliberate.
The kind meant to be overlooked.
Steve read it once.
Then again.
Then his knees gave out.
He wasnât usually so careless, so reckless, when it came to those types of things.
So why was he then?
Steve could not breathe.
He snapped the book shut and was airborne before it hit the floor, needing to get to you.Â
He never should have left, he realised.
It was a choice, it was always up to choice.Â
âĄ
You were barely conscious when he returned.
The world had narrowed to heat and ache and the steady thud of your heart struggling beneath too much feeling. You floated in and out of awareness, breath shallow, skin burning.
The window burst open.
And he searched the house.
He had only ever been in the living room, so when he tore the doors open, he wasnât surprised when he found your toilet, then your closet.Â
Then lastly your bedroom.
Cold air rushed in, sharp and clean, cutting through the stifling warmth of the room. Light followed, gold and frantic, and then hands were on you in an instant.
âHey,â Steve whispered, voice breaking. âHey, I am here.â
You stirred faintly, lashes fluttering.Â
His presence registered somewhere deep inside you, a sudden easing of the pressure in your chest that made you gasp softly.
âSteve,â you breathed weakly, bearly registering his face
The sound of his name from your lips undid him completely.
âI am so sorry,â he said, hands trembling as he brushed damp hair from your forehead. âI did not know. I did not read carefully enough. I thought I was helping you.â
You couldnât answer, whining at the pain instead.
âIt did not workâŠI know that now, and I am sorry- It is all my faultâ
You curled into yourself, a sharp turn in your stomach making you wince.
His hand that stroked your hair did little to ease you from the pain. Nothing would heal you from the sickness.
Yet, you did not blame him.Â
You never would.
Your vision was blurry, but you could still make out the faint tears that brimmed his eyes, catching in his beautiful, full eyelashes.
âIt was never going to work- the spell- not while you loved me- not while you continued to love meâ He continued in a rush, his lip quivering.
âIf I had read it close enough- I would have known- I- trying to break it would only make it worseâŠand- but-â He paused, licking over his lips.
He climbed onto the bed beside you, his hands cradling your face.
His wings closed against himself as his thumb brushed over your cheek, his voice shaking at the sight of you.
He closed his eyes, sighing.
Knowing he needed to man up, one hand slipped down to your hand, intertwining your fingers.
You felt the squeeze of his palm, the softness of his skin against yours.
He cleared his throat, feeling the lump in his throat.
âI love youâ He spoke carefully, like he was scared you couldnât hear him.
But you did. God, you did.
âI love youâ He repeated with a smile, feeling proud of himself.
Feeling sure of himself.
For once, he let himself know the feeling, and he cursed himself for letting it come to this, risking your life.
Steve doesnât let the thought cross his mind.
He couldnât let the idea of him turning up later and you beingâŠthereâŠlifeless, all because of his foolishness.
âI love you, electus meusâ
You frowned, not knowing what he said, but smiling anyway.
But as you closed your eyes, you felt his warmth, his body shifting closer to yours.
His thumb drifted down to your chin, softly pinching your skin.
âYou will be okayâ He whispered, his breath fanning over your face.
The last thing you felt was his plush lips on yours, leaning in for a delicate kiss.
âĄ
You woke up slowly.
Not the sharp, panicked kind of waking that had haunted you for days, but something gentler.Â
Heavy.Â
Like surfacing through warm water.Â
Your body felt tired in a deep, honest way, the kind that followed real rest instead of fevered collapse.
Your chest rose.
Then fell.
The simple act startled you.
Breathing did not hurt.
The pressure was gone.Â
Not vanished entirely, but eased, as if something immense had finally been given room to stretch outward instead of pressing inward.Â
You swallowed, throat dry, eyelids fluttering open to a room washed in pale afternoon light.
The curtains were drawn halfway. Dust motes drifted lazily through the air. Time had passed. More than a night.
You shifted weakly, muscles protesting, and that was when you noticed the arm around your waist.
Warm. Solid.
Real.
Your breath caught.
Steve laid beside you on the bed, turned on his side, one arm draped protectively over your middle like he had been afraid you might disappear if he loosened his hold.Â
His face was slack with sleep, lashes dark against his cheeks, mouth parted just slightly.
He looked exhausted.
There were faint shadows beneath his eyes.Â
His hair was rumpled, curls flattened on one side as if he had not moved in a long time.Â
He was still beautiful, heartbreakingly so, but not glowing now. Not otherworldly.
Just here.
You shifted again, carefully, and his eyes opened instantly.
âHey,â he said, voice rough with disuse, already pushing himself up on one elbow. âEasy.â
You stared at him, disoriented. âHow long have I been out?â you asked, your voice hoarse.
He smiled faintly, relief flooding his features so quickly it almost hurt to see. âA day. Maybe two. You scared me.â
You swallowed, eyes dragging over him again, grounding yourself in the sight.Â
He was wearing a simple shirt now, one of yours, sleeves pushed up his forearms, you didnât have time to question that before you scanned over him
His bow was nowhere to be seen.
Neither were his wings.
The realization landed slowly, horribly.
Your gaze flicked behind him, then back again.Â
You pushed yourself upright, heart beginning to race. âSteve,â you whispered. âYour wings.â
His smile faltered, but he did not look away from you, not once.
If anything, he almost forgot he ever had wings.
âYes,â he said fiercely. âI am here. I am not leaving.â
The words felt familiar, anchored, like something he had promised before you slipped back into darkness.Â
He shifted closer, careful, one hand coming up to steady you when you swayed.
âWhat did you do?â you asked, voice trembling now. âSteve, what did you do?â
He exhaled, long and slow, like he had been preparing for this moment for a while. âI chose,â he said simply.
âThat is not an answerâ you whispered, eyes wide in shock.
âIt is the only one that mattersâ he replied firmly, like there was no room for an argument.
He guided you back against the pillows, sitting beside you so he could see your face clearly.Â
Without his wings, without the hum of magic under his skin, he seemed smaller somehow.Â
More human.Â
More fragile.
More real.
âI stayed,â he continued quietly. âI stayed because leaving almost killed you. And because fixing things from a distance was never going to work. Not when the problem was that I kept pretending I was not allowed to want anything.â
Your eyes burned. âYou gave it up,â you said. âYou were⊠you were a god.â
He shook his head. âI was lonely.â
The word cracked something open in him. You could hear it in his voice, feel it in the way his fingers trembled where they rested on the sheets.
âI spent centuries telling myself that love was a thing I delivered, not something I deserved. That wanting was dangerous. That choosing would only end in loss,â he said. âAnd then you looked at me like I was already chosen.â
âYou did not get better because the magic fixed itself,â Steve went on. âYou got better because I finally stopped fighting what was already true.â
You reached for him without thinking, your hand curling into the fabric of his shirt- your shirt. He leaned into the touch immediately, pressing his forehead to yours.
âSteveâ You murmured
âYes, Carissime?â He hummed, leaning in closer to you.
âYou shouldnât have done thatâ
âI had to give up the wings,â he said softly. âThe magic. The bow. Everything that made it possible for me to stand apart instead of beside you.â
âBut, you cannot just do that,â you whispered. âYou cannot become mortal for me.â
âI did not become mortal for you,â he corrected gently. âI became mortal with you.âÂ
His hands find your face, cupping your cheeks as he leaned back to look at you.
You shook your head, overwhelmed. âWhat if you regret it?â
He smiled then, not relieved or careful, but sure. âI regret not doing it sooner.â
Silence settled between you, thick but not heavy.Â
You could feel his heartbeat now, steady beneath your palm. You could feel the warmth of him, unguarded, unshielded.
Human.
âYou are a stupid Cupidâ you chuckled beneath your breath
âI am not Cupid, Amasiuncula, I am Steveâ
You snorted at his correction, grabbing his side and squeezing teasingly âYeah? Well, you are stupid, Steveâ
He frowned, a quiet gasp leaving his mouthÂ
âVeni huc, mea careâÂ
You werenât sure what he said, but you couldnât care much when he leaned in, placing a kiss to your lips.
The kiss started slowly.
Not tentative, not unsure, but careful. Like he was relearning something sacred with hands that had never been allowed to hold it before.Â
His lips were warm, softer than you expected, lingering just long enough for you to feel the quiet weight of choice behind it.
You made a small sound before you could stop yourself.
Steve froze for half a second, breath hitching against your mouth, as if checking whether he was allowed to continue. When you did not pull away, when you tilted your chin up instead, he exhaled shakily and kissed you again.
This time, deeper.
His hand slid from your cheek to the back of your neck, thumb brushing just under your ear, grounding himself in the feel of you.Â
There was no magic in it now.Â
No glow.Â
No pull beyond the one he was choosing with every careful movement.
It made it better.
You melted into him, fingers tightening in his shirt, tugging him closer until his chest pressed against yours.Â
He tasted like sleep and wine and something familiar that made your chest ache.Â
You parted your lips instinctively, and Steve made a quiet, startled noise before following the invitation, kissing you like he was discovering fire for the first time.
Slow.Â
Then hungry.Â
Then slow again.
When he finally pulled back, it was only far enough to rest his forehead against yours, breath uneven, eyes dark and searching.
âWas that okay?â he asked quietly.
You laughed softly, still breathless. âYou really gave up Godhood and you are asking me that?â
A shy smile tugged at his mouth. âI am new at this.â
You reached up, brushing your thumb across his lower lip, still warm from the kiss. âYou are doing fine.â
His breath caught at the touch. You felt it everywhere.
Steve leaned back down, kissing you again, longer this time, more confident.Â
His hand slid to your waist, thumb tracing idle circles through the fabric of your shirt, and the contact sent a pleasant shiver through you.
Not overwhelming.
Not consuming.
Just right.
Eventually, the kiss softened, turning lazy and sweet, until he pulled back and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead instead.
âYou should rest,â he murmured. âYou are still recovering.â
You groaned softly. âYou sound like a doctor.â
He smiled. âI stayed awake for two days watching you breathe. I earned the right.â
Your chest tightened at that. You shifted closer, tucking yourself against his side, fitting there like you had always belonged. His arm wrapped around you immediately, instinctive and sure.
âYou are really staying,â you said quietly.
âYes,â he replied without hesitation.
âWhat about the others?â you asked. âThe love you were supposed to make?â
He considered that for a moment, gaze drifting to the window where the sky was beginning to deepen toward evening. âLove will find its way. It always does. It does not need me hovering over it.â
You smiled into his chest. âYou sound very sure for someone who just fell off a godly pedestal.â
He chuckled softly, pressing a kiss into your hair. âTurns out, I like the ground.â
You yawned then, exhaustion finally catching up to you now that the pain was gone. Steve noticed immediately, shifting so you were more comfortable, tucking the blankets around you with careful hands.
âSleep,â he said gently.
âAnd youâll be here when I wake up?â You asked, needing the assurance.
âIf youâll have me, Iâll be here. Do you need me?â
You hummed, nodding lazily âalways need youâ
Steve held you a little tighter at that, heart steady, certain, finally at peace.
For the first time in his very long life, love was not something he delivered.
It was something he got to keep.
âHow old are you again?â You wondered suddenly, frowning at the thought âLike an estimate?â
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Cupid!Zain taking up the mantle after his Baba | Jalim ft. Zain as their unwilling wingman
Cupid!Zain isn't too pleased to find out that the first Human he has to help out is specifically crushing on his Dad of all people. Zain isn't too subtle with his many attempts to sabotage Jason's pursuit of Salim.
"Being shot with a Cupids arrow is what humans has dubbed to be Love at first sight - warm and brilliant. A magical moment that leaves you out of breath."
"For Jason, this special moment was wrought with such intense pain that he legitimately thought he was going to die, and shortly after passed out."
So I just finish reading second chance at Cupid and I gotta say I love it and I would love to hear more about those two .
I would like to think Eddie took her to see the place where he grew up and told the reader everything about his past including his band .
And the reader bought Eddie his guitar so he could play for her..
And I just got to say it was perfectly written and a really unique story ..
OMG my first request!
Thank you so much for your words I really appreciate it! I am so happy you liked it! I got a little carried away with the Returning to Hawkins request, so here we go! Prepare you tissues!
SCAC â€ïž - Back to Hawkins
Read Second Chance at Cupid
WC: 4.4K
Warnings: +18 angst, mentions of suicide, depression, nostalgia, mentions of death and anguish, fluff, overall, crying for Eddie.
Summary: Eddie introduces you into his past, but you don't think you would encounter certain people along the trip, and Eddie finally brings closure to his long life.
A/N: I cried while writing this, I am so sorry...
âSeriously, this takes away the fun of driving darling.â Eddie exclaimed for the tenth time this afternoon. You were on your way to Hawkins, his home town before becoming cupid himself. He had never returned to that place, saying that only bad memories reside in it.Â
âDonât bash on my automatic car Eddie!â You say with a giggle as you look into your gps, signaling that you were close. He scoffed, rolling his eyes.
âIn my days, you drove with a stick, manually, like a man.â He says and you canât help but laugh at his words. You sometimes forget that he is actually like 60 years old, but looks 23. You were afraid that time would get to him, as if it was lost in some space and dimension and he would look 60 instantly.Â
But it didnât. It was as if his life cycle had a pause and now it started once again.Â
âSure thing grandpa.âÂ
âWhat did you just call me?â He jabbed a finger to the side of your rib, causing you to giggle and he smiled at you, to then get his eyes on the road again. The GPS signaled to turn right, and as Eddie did, he could see the âWelcome to Hawkinsâ sign coming up ahead. He clenched tightly onto the steering wheel as regret started filling his insides. He didnât want to face his past, but you lit up so much when he told you about his birthplace, excited to see it one day.
And now here you both are.
But Eddie was anything but excited. He was the whole other spectrum of it. He was anxious, nervous, sad, and nostalgic. Everything all at once. You noticed the whiteness of his knuckles and you looked at him with a frown to your eyebrows. You reached out and put a hand on top of his over the wheel and he shot you a small smile as a thanks.
The first thing you noticed was the amount of woods that were in the area, looking all around. Thank god you didn't bring Dorito with you, because he was such an indoor cat that you were afraid of him getting lost easily. Gladly, Steve offered to take care of him while you were gone, but that's another story for another time.
âIn 1983, a little boy called Will Byers disappeared into the woods.â Oh, you heard that story, your dad told it to you so you wouldnât go running alone through the trees. âIt was a fucking mess, people searching everywhere, knocking at every door, and stuff. Turns out, the boy had a broken ankle and couldnât walk, near the shore of one of the lakes. He was actually very bright, hiding in between bushes in case a predator would come up.âÂ
âYou sound like you met him.â
âI did! Back in 1986, when he entered freshman year with his friends. I had a club, Hellfire Club, and it was only for DnD campaigns!â Eddie had already told you about his dungeon master days, telling you he has an itch to play that canât possibly compare to anything else. You were sad that you couldnât play with him, since you have no knowledge of it, but you did indulge him into Facebook groups that organize meetings. He could make friends and make his own guild if that goes well.
But he didnât want to. He wanted to play, but he said , in a very sad tone, that itâs not the same without his friends.
âYeah I remember that⊠I wonder if your club still stands!â You said excitedly and he laughed, shaking his head.
âWe were treated like freaks sweetheart, they called us satan worshippers, just because we played a fantasy roleplaying game. It was all over the newspapers too! How Dungeons & Dragons induced homicidal thoughts.â He snickered at that, making you shake your head at how close minded people were back then. Your eyes lit up as you passed the trees, seeing a parking lot.
âOh my god, stop, itâs your school!â He grimaced at that, but slowed down, pulling into the parking lot of the high school he once attended. He parked on a spot, and you checked your watch, realizing that itâs still school hours and everyone was in class.Â
âYou know darling, I donât have the best of memories of this place.â He says to you and you sigh, looking at him.Â
âIâll go in! I want to check something first!â You got out of the passengerâs seat, and he was calling you out to stop you, but you didnât. You ran into the schoolâs doors, looking at all the green decorations of the place, looking in awe at all the lockers as you walked through the halls. You looked at the pictures on the walls, looking for something in particular.
You turned the hall and thatâs when you found all the pictures of active clubs that were in the school. You scanned all around, basketball team, tennis club, art club, history club, newspaper club, computing club⊠A smile broke on your face as you stared at one picture in particular.Â
âAt least this place is much cleaner than the last time I was here.â You heard Eddie turn the corner to finally meet up with you and you beamed at him with a smile on your face.
âEddie, look!â You pointed at a picture and he frowned, following your finger and then his face softened, his mouth falling agape slightly. He couldnât believe it.
There, in a nice frame, stood a picture of 10 boys and girls, wearing the Hellfire shirt, his logo, his signature mark. Under it, it read, âHellfire Club, Founded in 1980.â. They even got the date right. He didnât fund it of course, but he cannot believe that after all these years his club actually got acknowledgement.Â
âExcuse me, why are you pointing at our picture?â Someone calls to your side and you look to see a boy, your size almost, probably a senior, wearing a hellfire shirt. Eddie looked at the boy, and stared at him for a long while. A cap on his head, curls all around and he couldnât stop himself before he talked.
âHenderson?â The boyâs eyes widened and he tilted his head with a sheepish smile on his face.
âYou know me?â You knew that this couldnât really be happening, but you didnât really know what to say. You were looking back and forth at the both of them and thatâs when Eddie snapped out as he felt his stomach turn slightly.
âUm, not you precisely?â Eddie continued, trying to save the situation and then the teenager made an âahâ sound as if understanding.
âYou must mean my dad, Dustin Henderson. We really look alike, donât we?â Eddieâs eyes widened, and thatâs when he realized that Dustin must be 51 years old now. He had a family, a future, and part of Eddie was saddened he didnât even try to see him, how he was doing or anything at all. âIâm Chris!âÂ
âNice to meet you Chris!â You beamed and cleared your throat to dissolve the situation. âWe were just looking at your picture because Eddie here was part of Hellfire just the year he came as a freshman here. He wanted to know if the club was still up and running, you know.â At that Chris smiled excitedly and nodded.
âOh! Youâre an old Hellfire Club member?! Well, welcome back you brave warrior. What was your role?â He asked excitedly and Eddie almost choked up in tears as he tried to talk, but he gulped the lump down, giving him a small smile.
âYeah, I was a Dungeon Master.â At that Chris beamed, pointing at himself.
âI am one too! Like my dad was, although I have to say my aunt, Erica? Sheâs a fucking badass.â Eddie smiled at that widely, now knowing that the Sinclairs are still friends with the Hendersons, and that means that Mike and Will are in the picture too.Â
âCan I ask you a question?â At that Chris nodded and Eddie stuttered a bit before continuing. âDonât you get bullied? For playing this? I remember getting bullied here and there by a few at the time.â Chris chuckled and shook his head at Eddie, making him stand straighter, paying attention to the young boy.
âNah man, that shit is long gone thankfully. We know about the bullying years of Hellfire, and you know, we put our foot down to the jocks. It was in 2009. My cousin, Elena Byers, was like super done with all the jocks mocking us, so she trained herself in Karate, and chopped their dicks, almost.â He said with a laugh and your eyes widened at that, looking at Eddieâs reaction.
But what you found was pure adoration with a wide smile to his face. They werenât the small little group like before. They stood up for themselves, marking their territory, their right to be a club, to be considered people and not freaks for liking something different. But now, he felt like crying, he was glad to know his old friends were doing okay, and his children were doing fine too so it seems.
âWell, Iâm glad man⊠We gotta go nowââ Eddie started but Chris stopped him, jumping up as if he remembered something.
âOne second!!!â He rushed away in a comical fashion, you and Eddie looking at eachother once as you waited for him to return. It literally took two seconds as you saw him getting out of a classroom, heavy breathing from the sudden run. âAh, shit, this is why I am bad at PE⊠Here.â He handed something to Eddie, and the older man looked at it with a confused frown in his eyebrows, opening it up to reveal a brand new Hellfire Shirt, all black, with his logo in the middle.
âOh, wowâŠâ You say, eyes widened at the gesture but Chris just smiled widely, nodding in Eddieâs direction.
âThereâs for some reason this uh⊠tradition in Hellfire Club, made by my own father actually, back in 1986. He said that there should always be a spare T-Shirt in the club. Not for one of the members, not even if they lose theirs. He never knew the reasoning for the tradition, he just felt that it belonged to someone, and they might pick it up someday.â At that mention, Chrisâs smile fell slightly and did a shrug with his shoulders. âFor some reason, I felt like giving it to you.â
Eddie was speechless, looking at the shirt in his hands. In the stretch of time and space, there is one part, one small minuscule part, where everyone holds his memory. They always held it there, and embraced it, and this was proof of it. His eyes watered as his throat closed up, biting onto his bottom lip to try to suppress his tears.
âThank you⊠This means a lotâŠâ He muttered under his breath, holding back tears and Chris smiled at him while you stared at Eddie with your own tears filling your eyes. He was remembered, in some strange way, people remembered him. âYou happen to know the Wheelers?â
âOh, Aunt Mike and Aunt Nancy? Yeah! Well, Mike doesnât go by Wheeler, he goes by Byers, but itâs the same thing.â Chris said with a chuckle and Eddie smiled still looking at the shirt, now knowing Mike and Will were married, and they even adopted a kid.
âThatâs great⊠Really great⊠Thank you for this, really. And send my greetings to your dad.â
âOh, sure! Your name?â
âEddie.â
As you got in the car, Eddie didnât shed one single tear. You knew he was holding back from it all, but you still got a long weekend ahead of you, and you knew this part was just the very start of going back into his past.
You can pick him up later on. Youâll just let him have his own pace.Â
âThat over there, I used that spot to do most of my dealings, now for some reason it has turned into an amazing botanical garden.â He said with a chuckle, pointing at his right side to show you it. You looked on, and there it was, a nice kept greenhouse, with various plants and flowers, carefully treated for different seasons of the year. He continued driving, finally reaching the town of Hawkins and he was glancing at everything in awe.
âFor being a small town it sure does have nice shit.â You say out loud looking at all the stores and food chains as well as restaurants. He was stunned to see the amount of lights and how modern everything was. Even his old record store was changed into a more modern one and he was slightly saddened at that thought.Â
Thereâs one place he wanted to see unchanged. One place he really wished nothing had turned modern. He kept driving as the afternoon son started hiding itself, leaving a pink hue in the sky for the both of you. You didnât question where he was going, you fully trusted him, even after two months of being with him, you felt like youâve known him your whole life, and even in past lives.Â
This trip was all about Eddie.
After 10 minutes of driving, he finally parked in front of a bar. It looked rather vintage to you, rustic even, and the bouncer at front didnât even give a second glance to you as you both walked in.Â
Eddieâs eyes widened when all thatâs changed of his old bar, was the fact a few led TVâs hang from the corners, some AC was put up, and the leather has been reupholstered. The rest was all the same.Â
âHoly shitâŠâ He walked on into the bar, sitting on one of the stools of the bar, and you sat right next to him as he looked around. You took out your phone and snapped a picture of him without him noticing at all, and smiled as the expression he wore in the photo was that of a five year old seeing Santa.Â
âLooks the same?â You asked him, putting your phone on the counter.Â
âYeah⊠This is where my band and I played on Tuesday nights.â He explains to you as he looks onto the stage, you following his gaze. You could just imagine Eddie playing his guitar on that small stage with his best friends, having the time of his life, and you cannot even have a picture of it.
Eddie explained that when one becomes cupid, all memory of them is gone. That meant, the pictures were also gone or any image format where his face may have appeared. The bartender came up to you both and you took the order since Eddie was still looking around.
âTwo beers please.â You say with a smile and the man simply nodded at you, popping two bottles from under the counter and taking the caps off in one swift movement. You thanked him and gave him the money for your drinks. You slid one bottle in front of Eddie and he finally snapped out of his trance, looking at the drink, and then back at you. You were wearing a smile, lifting your bottle up to him.
âTo Corroded Coffin.â You said with a smile and he gulped the lump that formed in his throat, smiling back at you, and grabbing his bottle to clink it to you. You both took a sip of your drinks as the bar started filling with people.Â
Eddie told you stories about all the shows they played there, how their fanbase was just three to five drunks and if they were lucky they would turn to seven. He also told you about the fights that broke in this bar, and how he partook in a few of them just for the hell of it. You shook your head in disapproval at that and he just laughed and kissed your cheek, telling you that now he would only fight if itâs in your honor.
âI can defend myself, thank you very much.â You say as you take a swig out of your beer and he raises an eyebrow at you.
âOh really? What if a big mean man comes right now and chokeholds you? Whatcha gonna do?â He asks with a snicker and you were about to reply to him, but Eddie was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder, making him turn around, facing a man with brown hair, a few gray hairs here and there, and with a beard on his face. Eddie squinted as he looked at him, and the man also looked confused himself.
âExcuse me young man⊠Do I know you?â The man asks and you were baffled at the interaction. Eddie too was surprised by this, but there was a part of him that knew who this person was, but he didnât look like him, so it cannot possibly be him.
âUm, no sir⊠I donât think weâve ever met.â Eddie replied and the man scoffed, scratching his head slightly.
âIâm sorry, I just⊠really thought you looked familiar but for some reason I donât even know who you look familiar to.â He replied with a soft chuckle and thatâs when Eddieâs throat closed, swallowing thickly as he continued talking.
âMaybe⊠Whatâs your name Sir?âÂ
âIâm Gareth.â He replied with a smile and Eddie felt like crying right then and there, feeling his chest just crumple into itself as seeing how old his friend is, and imagining how old he was supposed to be now.Â
âH-Hi Gareth⊠Iâm Eddie, and this is my girlfriend.â He introduced you too and you were trying to hold your own lump, knowing very well who Gareth was in Eddieâs life. Eddie had described him as a brunette, wild hair, rosy plump cheeks, but the person before you was an aged man, around 55 years old.Â
âNice to meet you both. Are you both new in town or just visiting?â He asked, his eyes never leaving Eddieâs as he talked. Eddie cleared his throat and shook his head.
âJust visiting⊠My uncle came here a lot. Listened to a band in particular but I believe theyâre long gone now.â Eddie say with a sad smile and Gareth's interest peaks.
âReally? Which band?â
âCorroded Coffin.â At that, Garethâs eyes widen and he almost jumps in excitement as if he were a thirteen year old and patted Eddie on the shoulder.
âWell, Iâve got news for you! Youâre looking at the drummer of the former band Corroded Coffin.â He says with a wide smile and Eddieâs eyes twinkle at his joy, a smile forming on his lips as well as tears already burning their way out.
âReally?â He says as if surprised, but Gareth kept smiling, nodding wildly.Â
âYep! Jeff is still on the bass, and Freak on the second guitar!â He says with excitement spilling out of his lips. You were watching the interaction fondly, taking short sips of beer as the two men interacted, but you decided to intervene at that.
âSecond? Whoâs first?â You asked and Eddie looked at you and then back at Gareth, whoâs smile fell and turned into a confused one, with the hint of sadness behind it.
âI⊠I donât know really, I knew there was someone⊠I knew that there was a point where we sounded amazing, excellent even, and then⊠It just wasnât the same⊠We still play at my garage, my kids hate it, but we always try to reach that sound again.â He finished with a shrug and Eddie straightened up in his seat, his voice cracking as he talked back to Gareth.
âIâ I uh, live an hour away. I play guitar⊠If you guys have the open spot I can do a tryout?â He asks, hopeful at the question and your eyes widened looking at him. Garethâs smile returned and his eyes became full of life as he looked at his old best friend.
âReally? A young lad like you wants to play with old men like us?â Eddie chuckled at that, swallowing the lump in his throat and nodded.Â
âIt would be an honor to my uncle.â He says and Gareth nodded at that, satisfied as he took his cellphone out of his pocket.
âWhoâs your uncle by the way, if you donât mind me asking?âÂ
âWayne⊠Wayne Munson.â
And finally, you came to your last stop. Eddie showed you what once was Forest Hills, his old trailer park, now filled with suburban houses and he scoffed at how everything was done for the rich now.Â
And now here you stood. Flowers you thought of buying before hand in your left hand as you held onto Eddieâs right hand, tightly, fingers intertwined. The moonlight illuminates both of you perfectly as well as the engraved stone before you.
Wayne Munson
1942 - 1989
A friend, an Uncle, a Father.
â1989. Three months later after Wayneâs death, I really didnât have a purpose in life any longer. I didnât think anything was worth living for, and I felt utterly and completely alone. I thought that there was no harm in me leaving as well, because no one would miss me, no one would care if I left⊠The chance of becoming cupid, and to keep living while being forgotten, felt exactly the same, without the dying part.â Your tears were flowing down your cheeks at his words, feeling the despair in the deep center of your gut as he talked.
You cannot even begin to think how he felt, all alone in that trailer park, succumbing himself to drugs and starvation, waiting for the darkness to simply consume him at a point.Â
âHe would be disappointed in me.â Eddie said through a wet chuckle and then sniffled as he wiped his face with his free hand. âHe would go âI taught you better than that, I never taught you to quit!ââ He tried to say in a lower voice to then end up in a choke as a sob tried to come through.
In all honesty, Eddie had never once cried for his uncle. For his father figure. He just became hollow, void of emotions, feelings completely gone from his heart and his mind, but now, he felt like crying, like a little kid that just got hurt.Â
So he did. His sobs could be heard through the cemetery as he dropped to his knees, his hands over Wayneâs name. You bit your lip as you tried to keep your sobbing down, be there for him, bending down to press your hand on his back as he cried out, yelled it all out, years and years of keeping his emotions inside, intact, never once letting a tear out of his eyes.
His shoulders shook as minutes passed, and he finally felt air being thrown into his lungs. A long hidden weight being lifted off his shoulders as his heart felt calm, steady, even with the pumping thanks to his crying. He looked at Wayneâs name and gave him a nod, sighing.
âI donât know if you remember me in the afterlife. But, itâs me, Eddie⊠Iâm sorry I was never here to visit you. Iâm sorry for not keeping you updated⊠Iâm actually here with my girlfriend.â Your heart warmed when he presented you to his uncle and you kneeled down next to him, with a wet smile on your lips, stained rosy cheeks as you looked at him. âI promise Iâll visit soon. Iâm aging now, so I better use the most of my time.â He said to the grave stone with a smile to his face as you felt a warm breeze caress the side of your ear.
You placed the flowers on his grave as Eddie told him about his life until now, and you simply sat there, listening intently, letting Eddie talk to his uncle once again.Â
Once you both bid your goodbyes, you were walking back to the car, hand in hand. You turned around towards the cemetery and then forward again.
âYou know⊠I can ask for a remote position at work.â You say out loud, catching Eddieâs attention.
âWhat do you mean?â
âI can work from home⊠Maybe get a nice house in Forest Hills, saw a few âIn Saleâ signs up.â You said with a smile. It would take a loan for you to buy a house, but your happiness depended on his. And you knew this was the right choice. Eddie stopped on his tracks and looked at you, turning around to face him worriedly.
âYou donât⊠You already did so much for me, I canât possiblyââÂ
âI want to. I want to, Eddie⊠I want to be near your family too.â Eddieâs eyes glistened again as he wrapped his arms around your shoulders, pulling you in a tight hug, embracing you in warmth, in his love, in his adoration for you, and you wrapped your arms around his waist, gripping onto his back with the same devotion.
âI am glad⊠I am glad I decided to become cupid⊠If I didnât do it, I wouldnât have ever met youâŠâ He said into your ear, the hint of a sob hidden behind his lips as he nuzzled into your neck. A tear rolled down your cheek as you giggled softly.
âDonât know⊠I am kind of into the whole sugar daddy thing.â A wet laugh could be heard onto your neck, Eddie pulling away from you with stained cheeks, looking down at you.
âI donât know if I would have had a lot of money SweetheartâŠâ He says and you just smiled at him, tip toeing to catch his lips in a soft, wet, yet deep kiss, that said so many words in just one simple touch, a simple grace of skin. I love you, I adore you, I canât live without you, but one thing you had to tell him.
âI would have chosen you either way, just the way you are, the way youâve always been.â
A/N: I am so sorry... At least he gets to play with his friends again, right?
Would love to get more requests for SCAC! â€ïž I enjoyed writing this, even if it was too painful to do so
Remember that if you get inspired or anything, you can always message me with blurbs, or imagines, or you can also tag me in it!
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pairing : jaehyun x reader (f) ft. doyoung, jungwoo, yukhei, mark, taeyong and sicheng as the six other cupids, quick mention of seventeenâs jeonghan as jaehyunâs old tutor and red velvetâs joy as the readerâs close friend.
genre : angst, fluff, another smut with too much plot, cupid!jaehyun, soulmate!au, strangers to friends to lovers.
synopsis: where Jung Jaehyun is one of the seven cupids, one for each continent, and he truly, deeply loves what he does for the small people on planet earth. there isnât any competition between him and his six other brothers, but most would agree that heâs the best cupid among them. and yet, heâs been stuck on a case for a bit too long now. down on the pretty blue planet, is you. equally as pretty, Jaehyun has to say, yet it seems his arrows arenât working on you. being a hard-working and pretty stubborn cupid, he decides to take a trip downtown to get to know you better and why exactly, are his arrows not working like theyâre supposed to. things donât go as planned, especially when you take interest in him.Â
a/n: please read this i just, this lowkey means a lot to me, this isnât proofread and, peep my weak attempt at giving jaehyun pink eyes, this takes place in seoul.
taglist : @coffeeofmineâ, @mailuvsnctâ, @junguwsâ, @suhweoâ, @suhfluffyâ, @animegirl366â, @ceruleanskiesâ, @the-universe-in-you-jjh
Jaehyun loves what he does. He wouldnât even dare call it a job, rather, a vocation, a strong feeling that he was meant for this. The young men had been trained to become one of the seven Cupids when the old ones retired for other adventures. The legend says the old Cupids are eventually reborn on Earth for a more ordinary life after their service on Olympus. He also remembers being taught by the previous Cupid of the continent he was assigned to, a young-looking men with graceful and delicate features, long greyish hair that matched his silver bow.Â
Quickly, he learned that Jeonghan - his tutor at the time - was somewhat a vicious Cupid. He knew how to make his job even more fun, taking young Jaehyun alongside him for adventures he could then brag about to the six other apprentices. The brunette remembers watching as his eldest shot arrows at two strangers, two best friends, two rivals, even. But never, never did he let Jaehyun touch one of his arrows, he was only allowed to watch from the high pedestal of a fluffy cloud, or draped in a soft sheet of invisibility.Â
Out of the seven continents, Europe was given to Taeyong. One of the smallest, but prettiest, the Cupids all agreed. Taeyong was a cupid with sharp features, hair as red as his beloved bow. After travelling in every country and city, he, himself, fell in love with Paris without the need of any arrows. Taeyong eventually ended up making too many people fall in love in this very city after staying there a bit too much.
Mark, one of the youngest Cupids, was assigned to North America. What a huge continent for such a small frame, was what Jaehyun thought when they were first assigned. But, the brunette had to admit, Mark grew up a lot, Jaehyun didnât have a single doubt that he had the shoulders for it now more than ever. The young men had a lot of fun with his blue bow, thatâs for sure, and he made sure to tell every juicy story at the end of the day with the same contagious smile.Â
South America was given to Yukhei. Another with sharp features who was more than happy to oblige. The Cupid was adventurous, loved going to secluded areas and learning more, loved a good sunbath after a day of work when he had the time. His green bow never had a chance to rest, though, itâs like he had a competition with Taeyong on who could shoot more arrows in a week.
Australia was Doyoungâs. The smallest continent, but thatâs how the men liked it. He knew the entire country like the back of his hand, he even had his favorite spots, the black-haired could even walk in the streets like a normal citizen at times, without his invisibility spell. Doyoung was quite the careful Cupid with his silver bow, he liked to take his time with his decisions, a privilege few cupids had.Â
Sicheng was in charge of Africa, oh how he loved how diverse the continent was. His favourite part was going to the small islands, he truly was living his best life, yellow bow shining under the burning sun. He too, has some interesting stories to tell, though he was extremely busy too.
Antarctica was Jungwooâs. Needless to say, he didnât really like it at first. At best 4,000 people during the summer, but Jungwoo finally found something good about it. He knew everyone, or almost. Sure, he didnât use his black bow as much as everyone else, but he didnât mind. He could even visit Yukhei every now and then, just to annoy him right before he had to shoot an arrow.Â
And finally, Asia. This one was Jaehyunâs. What a huge responsibility for the young men. But, he accepted the biggest continent without a complaint. The brunette travelled the continent from north to south, east to west. His golden bow rarely caught some rest, Jaehyun was rather quick to shoot.Â
And, when the time came for Jaehyun and his six friends, that he called his six brothers, to become the new generation of Cupids, he was nothing other than filled with joy. Joy and excitement, maybe a little bit of anxiety at the responsibility but, they all had been waiting for this moment.
It was five years ago, five years since he finally was able to take his bow in hand, pink irises shining with excitation as he accepted the great responsibility, fingers running over the sharp arrows. After years, months, weeks and days of learning how to match people together, become the perfect, invisible matchmaker.Â
Strangely enough, it seemed humans managed to grasp the grand concept of their work pretty well. On his first day with Jeonghan, Jaehyun learned about Roman mythologyâs Cupid and Greek mythologyâs Eros, and how humans thought it was one immortal men handling the entire job, shooting a single arrow, making that person fall in love with the first individual they saw.Â
The brunette found this depiction rather funny, some differences were notable. Obviously, it wasnât a one men job. Yes, the seven boys were pretty fast, but they wouldnât ever be able to work with even one of them missing. They didnât have one arrow, they actually had four different arrows : same heart-shaped at the end, different colors, different purposes.Â
The first one was quite innocent, an open door for mistakes, it was the first many Cupids used. A bronze arrow meant for crushes.Â
The second one was what humans knew about. Silver, it was meant for love, be it for a serious relationship or not.Â
The third, was one every Cupid used often too, but with caution. The soulmate arrow was a golden arrow, eye-catching and almost dangerous looking. Cupids used this one when they knew two people were soulmates. Sometimes, they never used it on someone, and other times, they used it multiple times on an individual.Â
The last one, every Cupid hated using at first. Dark, black, the âheartbreakâ arrow. Jaehyun thought the name wasnât so appropriate after all, itâs less radical than it sounds. Itâs an arrow used to make people lose feelings. Because with time, Cupids learn that humans need a bit of a broken heart, need to fall out of love to move on to better things.Â
Ask about the ceremony, the seven Cupids remember it like it happened yesterday. An entire night, from dusk until dawn, starting with the old cupids reciting the thousand years old speech they, themselves, heard when they became the new generation.Â
Every Cupid was called with their assigned continent, tutor handing them a bow, one by one, each a different color. Finally, when all the new seven Cupids were aligned, seven white arrows were shot in Olympusâ sky, leaving a pretty trail behind them, before eventually falling on earth. Yet another tradition, the legend says that whoever gets touched by this arrow will be one of the next Cupid.Â
The night was attended by almost all the Gods and Goddesses, filled with songs, wine and nectar, gifts to get the Cupidsâ good favors. Jaehyun remembers looking down on earth by the end of the night with a sense of pride and excitement.Â
That night was also the last time Jaehyun saw Jeonghan, the last time their tutors were seen on Olympus. As wine and nectar stopped flowing, two generations of Cupids went to sleep and only one remained, the oldest vanishing without a sound, without a trace.Â
It was quite a sad sight, fourteen became seven, but Asiaâs cupid knew heâd eventually come across his old tutor one day, living like a normal human, oblivious and amnesic to the adventures he had and loved to tell up in Olympus.Â
Jaehyun would recognize him in a second, and he swore heâd look over him like Jeonghan did.Â
Jaehyun taps his fingers on his golden bow, itching to shoot an arrow again. Itâs been a bit too long since he shot the last one, and heâs getting bored. On his pedestal, the Cupid looks down on earth with half-closed eyes, longing for something exciting to happen already.Â
No matter where his eyes land, what country, what city he decided to look over, it seems that his instincts arenât kicking in, his instincts arenât letting him know that his arrows could be useful.Â
Minutes feel like hours for the brunette, but it seems the Gods and Goddesses heard his silent complains and bend to his needs, eyebrows raising as his pupils finally catch an interesting situation.
âAh, finally.â, breathes Asiaâs Cupid. Leaning in, his eyes take in the scene. In a gym, he doesnât take long to find whoever sparked his interest. You.Â
Hair attached in a ponytail, sweaty forehead, youâre in the middle of an intense workout session. By your side, it seems you have a coach, helping you with some gestures, shouting some encouraging words Jaehyun doesnât really care to listen to.Â
Jaehyun has seen a lot of people, thousands a day, maybe more, who knows. But the Cupid himself has to say, youâre pretty.Â
Though, the brunette is a professional Cupid. Or at least, he likes to think he is. This said, he doesnât stay stuck looking at your figure, pink irises focused on the men next to you, going back and forth, detailing the situation.Â
As a Cupid, Jaehyun quickly understands that you need a little bit of love in your life, something to spice things up. Ask him to explain, heâll tell you he canât. Again, itâs pure instinct, with a bit of analyzing. Cupids usually feel when an arrow could be used on someone, and then, instinct and some thinking help them decide on the arrow to use. Usually, it doesnât take more than a few seconds, Cupids just know when something is only meant to be a simple crush, when love is involved, or when things are simply meant to be.Â
A pout forms on his lips, this wasnât the most interesting case he had, but it could do.Â
A bronze arrow, one that will only make a crush bloom in your heart, thatâs the one Jaehyun chose for you, your coach wasnât the one for you, he could feel it.Â
The Cupid did it hundreds of times a day, he didnât have to think much about it. The brunette had the habit of closing an eye, making sure he had a good view and, without thinking too much, Jaehyun shot his arrow.Â
And just like that, Jaehyunâs job for the day was done.Â
A hot cup of black tea in your hand, you groan as Sooyoung swipes right on yet another picture you didnât even get the chance to look at. Nice. Your friend had been asking, almost begging you to finally get on Tinder. And, after much convincing, you agreed, not knowing what you got yourself into. The red-haired didnât waste a second to grab your phone, swiping left and right while barely letting you judge by yourself the people she was virtually matching you with.Â
Pictures were moving left and right, left, left, right, faces blending into each other, not a single bio catching your attention. Crazy how many people like the same few hobbies, how bland description can make you dizzy overtime. You were too tired to focus on the handful of people Sooyoung was making you look at anyways. After an entire day of work, and a full session of workout, all you could do was hum more or less loudly, hoping your close friend could translate your vibrations into yes and noâs.Â
âFuck, youâre out.â, she interjects. It manages to catch your attention a bit more, lifting your eyes from the brownish liquid. Out ? Out of what.Â
âWhat if you payed for more swipes ?â, your friend taunts. Judging your reaction, her head rolls back, trying to get a good look at you with her head on your lap, finger dangerously hovering over the payment wall on the screen.Â
âOh no, no way Iâm paying for that !â, you mumble with a tired voice, almost knocking your drink out of your hand as you grab your phone. No way youâd pay for something like that anytime soon.Â
âY/N, câmon !â
You know Sooyoung so well you donât need to see her face to picture her rolling her eyes at you. For the past month or so, your friend had been trying to get you on dates, without much success, unfortunately. See, if Sooyoung was quite with her time, not having a problem with finding dates after dates via dating apps, you on the other hand, didnât feel the same. Maybe you were too romantic for your generation, but you still found it really hard to get with the entire meeting via social media thing.
âYou know Iâll delete that as soon as you leave, right ?â, you tell her again, quickly closing the application before locking your phone, an audible sigh from your friend as the background noise.Â
âUh, alright, at least I tried.â, the red-headed tells herself, finally moving from your legs that were starting to get numb under her body. But, it doesnât take long for her to lash onto yet another possibility the second after. âAnd what about your coach ?âÂ
A frown takes over your features, your mouth a thin line you hide behind your cup. The teaâs still hot, the sugary liquid burns down your throat and you take the opportunity to think a bit more about her words.Â
Your coach, you never really thought about him in that way. You also never thought about him out of the gym setting, actually. But, now that you did, you had to admit that he was a good looking person. And, you did notice his new haircut today, undercut making his figure look cleaner.Â
Then again, you saw him often, but when he saw you, you were always sweaty and out of breath. You also realized that you associated his name and face to the not-so-pleasant body aches you had every time you left the gym. Strangely, your right arm was always a bit more sore-.Â
âNah.â, you finally respond, catching a drop of tea threatening to fall down your chin. And, by the looks of it, Sooyoung really thought something could spark with how long you took to respond. The young girl can only scoff, mumbling something under her breath, scrolling on her phone and you can only guess sheâs trying to find one guy she met once in college five years ago that she can maybe present to you.Â
And you guessed right, after a few minutes, she turns her phone towards you, the brightness a bit too much for your half-closed eyes. An Instagram picture on her phone shows you another guy with red, long hair. Half of it is tied in a bun, the other half falls in front of his sharp eyes in a curtain of bangs. From his caption, it seems heâs Japanese, or at least can speak it.Â
âNice hair.â, you simply tell her, hoping sheâd drop the subject, but obviously, Sooyoung doesnât. The young girl looks at the picture once again, a fake frown on her face as she gestured to her own hair. âIâm actually, CEO of the company.âÂ
âYouâre one hard case, Y/N.â, your close friend finally concludes, after facing your silence for a few seconds. You canât believe her, she starts scrolling again, determined look on her face. You really find it heartwarming, how sheâs trying to help you find love even when you act the way you do. You didnât even tell her why you disregarded the red-haired men, she already knew you were a stubborn, hopeless romantic, views tinted and distorted by years of romance novels and cheesy movies.Â
âSooyoung, youâre not the Cupid you think you are.âÂ
Yet another day in the somewhat mundane yet exciting world of Cupids. Jaehyun wouldnât have it any other way, though, or at least, he thinks so. On his little pedestal, the cupid takes a sip of his nectar.Â
On the soft cloud, his foot kicks at the fluffy texture, watching as it dissolves in the wind. Itâs right in the middle of the day for Asiaâs Cupid, he already shot a lot of arrows, a few soulmate arrows and had just been the invisible witness of a forbidden love blooming, something he could tell the other cupids about tonight.Â
Jaehyun finds himself looking over your city again, itâs something he does a lot. The young men doesnât have a favorite city, he canât put Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and other cities against each other, but he does like Koreaâs capital quite a bit. Cherry trees full of fruits, people are going out more often, summer is making everything better.
And then, the young Cupid gets that feeling. One him and the six other Cupids know oh, so well. Tips of his fingers tingling, pupils blown, his eyes quickly find his new subject.Â
And itâs...You again ?Â
âYou, again...?â Jaehyun canât help but voice his thoughts out, no one can hear him anyways. But itâs weird, to see you again. Didnât he shoot you yesterday ? Yes, Cupids see a lot of people, but Jaehyun has a good memory and wonât forget a face so quickly.Â
A human having a crush on someone and falling in love with someone else weeks, even days after isnât impossible, but Jaehyun never had it happen so quickly. Maybe you fell in love with your coach, the brunette thinks, but as he gets a closer look, he notices that your coach, isnât really here.Â
Uh, interesting, Jaehyun thinks. Maybe today wonât be so mundane, maybe youâre the one whoâll spice things up for him.Â
Itâs weird, youâre not thinking about your coach. That, Jaehyun can tell. There isnât a single trace of love interest for him in your soul, Asiaâs Cupid wonders if he missed his shot yesterday. It happens rarely, maybe three times since he started this, but it can happen. It gets the young men even more intrigued.Â
A small smile creeps on his lips as he sees you stopping in front of a cherry tree, admiring the red dots all over, taking a quick picture before walking straight ahead. It doesnât look like youâre working today, Jaehyun knows itâs Saturday on Earth. Much like Doyoung, the brunette has a sort of obsession with the blue planet, he knows more than most of his brothers. Â
Another thing he knows, it looks like youâre meeting up with someone. The Cupid sees you stopping at a coffee shop, he decides not to look inside of you walk in.Â
And Jaehyun is right to do so, several minutes after, youâre walking out with a hot cup of tea and a cheesecake. Good taste, the Cupid thinks. He loves cheesecake as well, Doyoung bought some the other day. Even better, the two ate it all by themselves, lets just say his five other brothers arenât that interested in Earthâs culture.
Finally, you take advantage of the Summer weather, taking a seat outside. You donât look as sweaty as yesterday, obviously. Hair down, the soft wind makes the tips of your locks tingle your skin, locks you brush away quickly. Jeans and a light top, your everyday makeup is done.Â
As you take your phone out, the young men takes a step back, trying to see if he can find the one youâre waiting for in the streets. Itâs a fun luck-based game he plays from time to time. But it seems luck isnât on his side today, when his pink irises find your silhouette again, he notices a man sitting right in front of you.Â
Oh, him. Something serious could happen with him, Jaehyun can tell by the way the tip of his fingers tingle. Yet, you can do better than that, Asiaâs cupid thinks to himself. And suddenly, he stops himself. He shouldnât think this, a Cupid shouldnât have such judgments. Brushing the thought away, he takes a step forward, trying to understand who this guy is to you.Â
âHow long has it been ?â, the men asks, apparently it manages to make you laugh a bit as you answer. âA decade or so.â
With this, itâs easy to understand you two havenât seen each other in a long, very long time. So you two already somewhat know each other, it might help things, maybe you didnât know your coach enough to feel things. The arrowsâ law can alter and be a bit strange, sometimes.Â
âYouâve grown up a lot since junior high, Y/Nâ, the unknown men says, a pool of heat creeping on your cheeks.Â
Pretty name, the Cupid thinks. Old friends reuniting after years, thatâs a cute situation, he thinks to himself. He can see something mildly serious coming out of it, he isnât a soulmate but, he could be in your life for a year or two, maybe three.Â
He shrugs, taking his beloved bow in his right hand, silver arrow in the other. A routine, string tense, one eye closed, from this distance, Jaehyun knows he wonât miss, there isnât a chance in the world heâd miss a shot like that, heâs close, the target isnât moving.Â
And so, he shoots. When the arrow lands, right in the middle of your chest as youâre taking a bite of your cheesecake, the young men sees you slightly choking on it, chuckling to himself. Something quickly sparks in your eyes when your old friend helps you whip your chin, there you go.Â
Jaehyun thinks heâs done with you. That night, he tells his six brothers about the girl that choked on cheesecake.
âMyungdae ? Ew, no.â, you whisper out, eyes travelling from the sculpture to your friend, almost choked at the proposition. The look on your face is enough to tell her exactly what you think about your old friend, to Jaehyunâs misbelief.
He cannot believe it, he canât believe the words coming out of your mouth. His lips part in pure shock, or maybe itâs awe, he doesnât know quite yet. On his pedestal, the arrow and bow the young men was supposed to shoot a few moments prior stay inert at his side, glowing under the white neon light.Â
Ew, no. The two, simple words, simple sounds, ring again and again in his head. And itâs not like youâre lying too, the Cupid can feel it, or he actually, he doesnât feel it. He doesnât feel any love interest towards Myungdae, the guy you saw a few days ago, the guy he thought would be your future boyfriend.Â
âWhat ?â, Asiaâs Cupid almost screams out, itâs not like anyone will hear anyways, right ?
âWhatâŠ?â, Sooyoung unknowingly mimics the young menâs words, but her tone is slightly different. âHeâs cute !â The red haired speaks a bit too loudly for the setting, Jaehyun sees you shooting a death glare at who he found out is your good friend. Sheâs being too loud in the museum, the very museum Jaehyun felt pulled to, his instincts telling him to shoot the golden arrow at your best friend, one of the museumâs tour guide he quickly found out was a soulmate.
âHeâŠHe isâŠ!â, you tell your friend, hoping itâll make her calm down a little bit more. As Sooyoung sighs, eyes wondering around as she searches for the right words, her pupils land on a groupâs guide. Heâs a tall men with dark brown hair, beige shirt from the museum hugging his built figure.
Fuck, Jaehyun thinks. Thereâs too much going on, he can not forget about Sooyoung.
âI justâŠCanât help but see him as the kid that puked on the school trip for Busan.â, you tell your friend, but itâs clear her attention is taken by the men describing the sculpture to the small group of tourists. Little do you know, Jaehyun is listening closely to your words.
Though, the men has to act quick. Heâs been a Cupid for long enough that it takes him seconds to get everything ready. String tense, one eyes close, golden arrow aiming just right, the brunette shoots the arrow at the tour guide with ease. He looks a bit older than you and your friend. Finally, as the heart tip touches him right on the left side, his eyes meets Sooyoungâs, he smiles at her. Â
ââŠButâŠBut it went well, right ?â, Sooyoung is a good friend, trying her best to keep her attention on you but, itâs clear the menâs smile took her back. Jaehyun also decides he likes her a lot, voicing every question he isnât able to ask you in person.
âIt didâŠâ You canât really explain it. Yes, it went well, he seemed a bit interested, but you werenât. Itâs not what you were looking for, itâs like everything was right but, something was missing. A feeling something much greater was waiting for you out there, somewhere. Only, if only itâd present itself to you. A sigh leaves your lips as youâre literally ranting about your dead love life as your best friend seems to fall in love with you, what a cruel coincidence.
A worried look takes over Asiaâs Cupidâs face.
The brunette never saw this, not in front of his very eyes. He doesnât even remember hearing stories about anyoneâŠRefusing love ? Not being affected by his arrows ? Eyebrows furrowed, Jaehyunâs heart picks up for the first time. Itâs a weird feeling, he doesnât know if heâs supposed to experience, it pumps faster, alters his breathe.
âMaybe I used all my shots at love already.â, you tell Sooyoung, shoulders going up, and down as you try to act nonchalant. Itâs not hard to tell youâre faking it, at least, it isnât for the Cupid.
No, Jaehyun wants to scream it out at you, you still have so much to see, so much to feel, he thinks. Itâs funny, how the brunette didnât even experience it and yet, he knows about all the things you deserve to see.
Shit, something is clearly wrong, the Cupid can tell, he feels it twisting his guts, a cold sweat on your forehead.
The subject is dropped quickly after your close friends reassures you the best she can, too quickly. The Cupid sighs from above, he wishes he was there.Â
That night, Jaehyun decides heâs going to Earth for another one of his mission.
Such a simple phrase. âIâm going down.â, yet, it has the power to take back the six other Cupids, again. A decision like this shouldnât really require such an announcement, they think at first. Doyoung goes to Australia whenever he wants and doesnât feel the need to nervously let it out after tapping on his glass with his knife.
But quickly, they all understand this isnât about a small walk on Earth to visit, Jaehyunâs on a mission heâs decided he wonât give up on.
Jaehyun had two trips to Earth, small ones for missions that required his presence and a little bit more knowledge on the person he was supposed to shoot. But never did it felt this, Jaehyun couldnât really put his finger on it, but something told him this mission would be a lot more different than the two others.
âArenât you taking this a bit too much at heart ?â, asks Doyoung, after Asiaâs Cupid finishes his explanations. Heâs worried for the youngest, Cupids usually donât go on Earth for anything other than a walk, Jaehyun already broke this stereotype twice and came back without a scratch, but the black-haired was scared something would eventually happen to him there, where they may not have as much of an authority.
His back faces Jaehyun, slicing some red apples for Sicheng, whoâs making dinner, but Asiaâs Cupid still pouts at him like heâll be able to see.
âNoâŠâ, he starts, but his sentence quickly gets stopped by Taeyongâs low chuckle, whoâs following the situation with a curious eye. âAlright, maybe a little. But thatâs my job !â
âHeâs right, thatâs our job. Something isnât right with her.â, Yukhei finally speaks, looking up from the book he was reading, body ungracefully laying on the bench. The brunette had a long, long day, and didnât talk much that evening, but Jaehyun sure appreciated the small contribution to his cause.
âThank you.â, Jaehyun slightly nods at his brother for the support, before looking over at Jungwoo, helping or rather, clinging onto Doyoung. âJungwoo could look over Asia while Iâm gone, I wonât take long anywaysâŠ!â
At that, Jungwoo drops what heâs doing, such a dramatic being. Pretty unfortunate for Doyoungâs hand, who has to dodge a sharp kitchen knife. âJungwoo, what the-.â
âFor real ?â, asks Antarcticaâs Cupid, pink eyes as big as saucers. Donât get him wrong, the young men grew to love his continent, but heâd kill to be Asiaâs Cupid, even for a day. And he said it multiple times before. Jaehyunâs other two missions were so short he didnât really need replacement, but this time, Asiaâs Cupid was clear in making everyone understand that this, you, were a special case.
âYeahâŠBut only if it doesnât add too much workâŠâ, Jaehyun knows it isnât an easy task, the biggest continent is a lot of work and a lot of arrows to shoot. He barely needs more arguments, though, the blonde laches onto Asiaâs Cupidâs arms, to the five otherâs misbelief. Itâs a mechanism, the way Jaehyunâs arms wrap around Jungwooâs frame with a small laugh.
âYou wonât have a lot of time, thought.â, Taeyong says, to which the brunette has to agree with a nod, awaiting for his brothersâ final decision. Obviously, he wouldnât do anything without everyoneâs approval.
Time behaves differently, in Olympus. Weeks and days are not really a thing, after all, Gods, Goddesses and other creatures donât really need to worry about a thing that wonât affect them. But, if theyâd have to count, a year on Earth would feel like six months for the Gods, maybe even less.
âI know, I know. I wonât be long anywaysâŠHow much time do I have ?â
Itâs a group decision, Jaehyunâs aware of this. If his brothers end up disagreeing to his proposition, heâd have to accept it, if they give him a small amount of time in unanimity, heâd have to bent to their decision and make it work.
âHow about, around a month on Earth, maximum ? You can take care of Asia for that time being, right, Jungwoo ?â, Sicheng finally speaks up and proposes, itâs unnecessary to say that Antarcticaâs Cupid agreed with a vigorous nod of the head, locks bouncing on his smiling face.
âItâs settled, then.â, itâs half of a question Doyoung asks Asiaâs Cupid, a month is more than enough, he thinks.
âGood luck on Earth, then. And donât do anything stupid, weâll watch over ya.â, Mark concludes, slightly hitting his brotherâs shoulder.
And thatâs how, Jaehyun, Asiaâs Cupid, ended up on Earth for the third time.
Unlike Doyoung, Jaehyun never really went on Earth for a simple walk but thankfully, he was so curious about Earth that the rules and codes of the planet werenât new to him, at all.
It was indeed, different from Olympus, but he liked it as much, maybe even more. No Gods or Goddesses to please, no curses and weird family treasons to keep up with. He didnât have the same authority here but, he wasnât helpless either, he was equal to everyone.
He knew about phones and, he was very happy to get his hands on one. He sometimes thought about how itâd be pretty funny to have these up on Olympus so he could send pictures to his brothers, same for televisions but he didnât know if any deities would actually want to participate in such a thing.
Even after these two trips, the difference between watching from his little Cupid cloud and being on Earth still struck him. Being painted as a normal human, at the same level with everyone, being noticed and looked at by people he does not know and wonât ever see again, not being invisible. It was different, but it felt right.
When his body finally materialized in the small apartment he was granted for his stay, the first thing he did was look outside. The place was in the city center, a modest apartment that didnât have anything to compare with his Palace in Olympus, but he quite liked it. Pretty trees, grey streets, the sound of cars and people talking was something he wasnât used to, nor was he used to the city lights enlightening his apartment at night, the pitch-black darkness of Olympus long gone.
Inside, it was small, intimate, kitchen and living room connected, a small bathroom but one large bedroom he immediately took a liking for with itâs floor to ceiling windows. Heâd get used to it pretty quickly, Jaehyun was sure of that, but one thing he probably wouldnât get used to, even after a month here, was not being able to see his brothers. Jaehyun remembers thinking heâd be able to live here until he thought about them.
It took him back, at first. Jaehyun wasnât used to being alone at home, he was used to the somewhat harmonious chaos his brothers would create with and around him. He knew heâd be able to communicate with them if, and only if it was necessary, he knew theyâd watch over him, but it still felt weird.
Itâs one of the few downsides of being a Cupid. Knowing you have a past, maybe multiple past lives, and not remembering any of it, itâs cruel, in a way. Not knowing how you died, when you died, knowing the ones you now view as brothers werenât in your life. Knowing one day, another generation of Cupids will take the lead and goodbyes are going to be crushing. Itâs a double sided blade, being that aware of your faith.
The young men doesnât like thinking about it much, busying his mind whenever his brain wonders with whatever he can find.
And, thatâs exactly what heâs doing.
Ah, how Gods and Goddesses are dramatic, Jaehyun thinks when his eyes finally land on the file, neatly tracked on the black table. Golden letters on the white hardcover, his name written on it, calling him.
Finally, delicate digits peal the cover, flipping the first page over.
Your name, age, date of birth, everythingâs written on it. And, most importantly, your workplace.
 âHey, Y/N.â, a voice you know too well calls you out, but do you care enough to look up ? No. Definitely not. Maybe itâs a bitâŠMean. But you pray to any God above that heâll leave you alone. Eyes scanning the same sentence over, and over again, you try your best to look busy. Extremely busy with your email and empty photoshop project open.
âHey ! You busy ?â, the same voice again, a bit closer, fuck. You have to look up at Daeyong, standing right behind your computer, forcing a smile on your face. The men gives you the same smile, though you donât doubt heâs a bit more sincere than you are. A half gloved hand pushes his bleached hair back - he works on a graphic tablet -, you wonder if the dry locks wonât fall right off.
He, Daeyong, is one of your many colleagues in the publicity agency. He works in the cubicle a few meters away from yours, though you sometimes wish he was in an entirely different building.
You remember him blowing up on you, and of course, you didnât let it slide. Heated texts were exchanged and after weeks of silence and tension - not the good one - between the two of you, he decided to apologize. Yet, you couldnât let the situation go, he still made you feel uncomfortable. He tried to act overly nice, youâd prefer if he justâŠApologized and stopped talking to you.
âThereâs a newbie, heâs taking the spot next to you. Boss wants you to help him feel welcomed and all, yâknow the drill, yeah ?â, you hate how he speaks to you like youâre still friends, like nothing happened.
You just nod, getting more and more uncomfortable the longer he stays there. Right behind your computer, like you own him something. Daeyong opens his mouth a few times, trying to starts a sentence, tongue wetting his chapped lips.
As youâre about to excuse yourself for an early coffee break, he finally finds his words.
âHey, I think we cou-.â, he starts. And you know, you know were this is going. We could try again, we could be good together. But, before he can finish his sentence and before you can even let out a syllable, it seems the universe finally helps you out.
âHey, Y/N, right ?â, a deep, unknown voice comes from your side. Youâre so tense it almost makes you jump. âOh, sorry, am I interrupting something ?â, he continues.
Your savior, and polite at that. The universe gave you an opportunity, youâre going to take it, with both hands and not let go. Quickly, you use your chair to spin around, back to Daeyong, facing whoever saved you from this embarrassing and quite annoying situation, maybe youâll-
âOh.â
Oh. You freeze for a good second, maybe a bit more, looking up at who you hope is your new cubicle neighbor. Slender, feline eyes that curl at the inner corner looking at you through short, cute, eyelashes. Deep, dark brown irises and it feels likeâŠYouâve seen them before ? They hold something familiar, something inviting, you wonder if you met him before, a long, long time before. Itâs when the bridge of his nose scrunch up with a smile that you snap out. Fuck, have you been glaring at him for long ? Did he notice ?
âN-No, no !â, you starts quickly, pearly teeth biting down on your painted bottom lip when he laughs a little. Itâs airy, short and yet, the small sounds makes your heart pick up, pumping up blood to your cheeks.
âI mean yes, Iâm Y/N. And no, you didnât interrupt anything !â, you reassure him, finally collecting yourself. Oh god.
âEhâŠHeâs the newbie I was talking about.â, clearing his throat, Daeyong adds, visibly throw off, great. âIâll get going then, take care of him.â, he finishes, before finally, oh finally, leaving for his own cubicle.
You canât help but sigh of relief, before the said newbie stretches a hand out.
âIâm Jaehyun.â, he says, and you donât hesitate to take his hand in yours, intending to shake it slightly.
But, when his skin touches yours, it might seem insane, maybe youâre going crazy, but the shiver that runs down your spine takes you back for a second.
Jaehyun feels it too, the lukewarm tips of his digits lingering on your skin. Something is different, different from the few other humans he met, face to face. Jaehyun isnât supposed to be feel anxious around humans, isnât heâŠA superior being after all ? He isnât from this world, notâŠreally. He has another understanding of the world and yet, he feels equal to you, equal to humans for the first time in this very moment, when his brown eyes bore into yours.
âY/N.â, you introduce yourself anyways.
People say time behaves differently in certain places. Unfamiliar McDonaldâs on a roadtrip, lakes in a suburban neighborhoods, you could name a few and maybe, just maybe, you can add your small cubicle in this very moment.
Jaehyun sits down in front of the desk next to you, his face disappearing behind the thin wall for a quick second. He lets his black bag down, before both his palms hit the white desk. You laugh a little, he might be a little overwhelmed by the graphic tablet, the two computer screens still asleep in front of his eyes. He looks young, you note, probably around your age, maybe heâs straight out of university and just started working.
âSo, Jaehyun.â, you start again, Jaehyunâs body leaning against his chair. His ears are a bit red, rosy skin contrasting, cute, you think. âWhere did you study ?â
âI, uhmâŠâ, fuck, Jaehyun knew his made-up backstory by heart and yet, his throat went dry the minute you said his name. âParis, Gobelins.â, he finally says with a smile. Relax, Jaehyun, relax.
Before leaving, him and his brothers made an entire backstory. Family name, parents, siblings, hobbies, anecdotes, studies, exes. They went through everything and yet, he almost fucked it up a second in.
Thankfully, you donât seem to notice, your attention drawn to his words. Paris ? Les Gobelins ? Your lips part for a second, eyes wide for the second time today. âParis ?â, you whine out, unconsciously leaning forward.
Jaehyun hums, finger pressing on the computerâs button, thank the Gods, he knows how everything works, âHow was it ?â
Thankfully for Jaehyun, he doesnât even have to set foot in Paris to know exactly how it is.
âPretty, itâs a really pretty city.â
Taeyong brags about it every day, he thinks to himself. âEspecially during the summer, the architecture is amazing. Lots of tourists and traffic, though.â, he notes, acting like heâs thinking to himself.
You sigh at that, almost day dreaming when your new cubicle neighbor tells you about the Louvre and other highly known places.
âIâve always wanted to go.â, you mumble, graphic pen slightly hitting your desk. Jaehyun decides the pout on your lip might be the cutest thing heâs ever seen.
If Jaehyun was a bit more aware of himself, he wouldâve known, he wouldâve known he was fucked from the very beginning.
The slight alteration in his heartbeat when his hand met yours, a Cupid is not supposed to feel such things. Itâs a cruel rule, Cupids are not supposed to feel love, they are not supposed to fall in love. After all, if Cupids are able to comprehend such emotions, wouldnât it make their job harder ?
Love would come across their duty, what if they had a crush on someone on Earth and forgot to shoot, or even worst, refuse to shoot an arrow ? Cupids understood rather quickly that love might be beautiful, it could also be extremely dangerous. Especially when they travel across their continent all day long, meeting beautiful souls after beautiful souls.
If he was aware, the Cupid wouldâve known. He wouldâve known when your giggle at his confused look towards the two computer screen and multiple programs took a smile out of him. He wouldâve known when you asked for his phone number on his third day and his throat went dry.
He wouldâve known when you walked out of the building with him on the fifth day and his heart skipped a beat when you waved goodbye, slight tired smile stretching your lips.
Asiaâs Cupid wouldâve known when you bought him something to drink around his second week, he wouldâve known if he wasnât so stubborn, so blind.
Itâs just because heâs taking the mission at heart, he thinks to himself after a little bit more than a week working in your small company. Jaehyun brushes it off, he keeps himself busy and would rather not think about you more than he already is. The young men does not want to think about his past lives and the half second long flashes he seems to get more frequently on the blue planet and so, he tries his hardest to distract himself.
On his trip to Earth, Jaehyun finds he loves painting, itâs something he could not do on Olympus very often, he was too busy during the day, too tired during the night. And so, the Cupid buys himself some paint, some brushes and some canvas. Jaehyun finds he also really likes this deep brown bubbly soda, at least he has something else to drink than the sugary nectar he always has up there.
The Cupid also gets interested in Earthâs cinema. Itâs fun to watch, he finally has the time to binge watch every Spiderman ever made.
But, when the movie ends and the inspiration runs out, Jaehyun can not run away from you. He doesnât know it yet, the Cupid does not want to face it either but, youâre already carved in his heart. And, even when he thinks heâs distracting himself from you, he takes a step back from the painting heâs working on and⊠The pretty pale colors strangely look like you.
See, thereâs another small issue with Asiaâs Cupidâs plan. After two weeks on Earth and much observation, Jaehyun notices you arenât interested in anyone. A rather big issue when he barely has half a month left to understand exactly what the fuck is going on with you and successfully accomplish his mission.
You two share even more during coffee breaks and there isnât a single spark. His sensations arenât as sharp on Earth but, he doesnât see any lingering look from your side, no discreet look over someone, nothing.
Itâs clear none of your co-workers had a chance with you, at least.
Another thing the boy notices after a bit more time, you donât need him, you donât need help on your shoulder.
When you finally seem interested by someone, Jaehyun feels the slight numbness in his fingertips and, for a second, heâs happy. So happy, it feels like his mission starts now. You donât need his help to go out of your way and make a move. Small issue ? Heâs the love interest.
From : You, 8:37 pm.
: âAbout the companyâs gathering, we should go together so I can introduce you to everyone you need to know.â
Thereâs a slight sigh coming from Jaehyunâs lips as he looks at the screen of his phone, he quickly got used to the object. This is just a friendly proposition, he thinks to himself. After all, you were supposed to help him get more comfortable in his new job, right ? The gathering is in three days, the third day of the third week of Jaehyunâs timeline. Now that he thinks about it, maybe heâll find your perfect match at said gathering with other similar companies.
The Cupid still blinds himself. If anyone was looking over him from above, theyâd scoff at his attitude.
To : You, 8:40 pm.
: âYeah, sure !â
From : You, 8:42 pm.
: âNice, will pick you up at 9 ?â
To : You, 8:45 pm.
: âGood for me !â
Jaehyun hits send, his fingertips tingle.
Third day of his third week, the blindfold finally falls down or rather, it rips. Jaehyun can only numb himself for so long, a man can only pretend to not hear when someoneâs screaming at them.
Jaehyun might remember this very moment all his life. It had rained, this morning, the dark concrete floor dark by the summer water. At least, it took some degrees out of the current heat.
Poor Cupid enters a phase the moment he sees you checking your lipstick in a small round mirror, in the back of a black, luxurious car. His heart doesnât skip a beat, it pumps faster. The tallest had some fever dreams, dreams where the air is thick, dense, where it feels like heâs the only one aware of the altered universe his brain created and, it feels the same. Jaehyun feels like he has every God and Goddess watching him from above. Judging, detailing and yet, he also feels so alone, standing there right in front of the glossy car door.
Palms sweaty, ears a deep shade of pink, thereâs no denying it.
âDonât get attached, you wonât see her again.â, Doyoungâs words before he left ring in his mind again, it seems he never stood a chance anyways. Heâs fucked, oh so fucked. Jaehyun doesnât want to say the word love, he does not. But heâs a Cupid, he knows how all of this work. The man almost has an out of body experience the moment you look up, bright smile stretching your lips and you lean to the side, opening the car door for him.
The dress youâre wearing is a deep blue, much like the suit Jaehyun is wearing, what a coincidence. It hugs your body, softly decors the skin of your hips before falling under gravityâs law. By the way youâre seating, one leg over the other on your side of the car, Jaehyun can clearly see the deep thigh cut in your silk dress, his eyes almost flash their natural pink color for a second.
He might project out of his body at any second. At that moment, Jaehyun knows, if he was simply Asiaâs Cupid looking over two people, two colleagues going to a fancy gathering, heâd shot the soulmate arrow without a doubt in mind. He knew it before, he just didnât want to face it. Tonight, he knows and acknowledges it.
You, on the other hand, donât take too long to notice his skin turning white when he finally steps in and takes a seat. The nervous rub of his palms against the fabric of his pants, his lack of words when heâs usually talkative.
How could you know ? At this very moment, when Jaehyun understands youâre his soulmate, his other half in this world, you think heâs simply nervous.
âHi. You seem nervous.â, you voice is soft, comprehensive. You were the new employee too, at some point, and you remember being extremely intimidated for your first gathering as well. Â
âHey. Uh, yeah. Iâm a bitâŠnervous.â, he mumbles, eyes straight ahead. At this very moment, he does not know what to do, he finds the driverâs bold head very, very interesting. The moment he attaches the security belt, the car starts moving.
The Cupid looks away, eyes on the multiple neon lights lightening the dark streets, softly reflecting on the wet ground, he does not know what to do.
You, on the other hand, might be a bit too worried about the brunette.
The car might be a pricy one, the space in the backseat isnât so big but you use it at your advantage. Lightly pushing your colleague, now youâd like to say friend, with your shoulder, you get his attention back. Thereâs a soft smile stretching his lips, Jaehyun quickly understood he couldnât resist you, he couldnât stay unphased in front of your pouts.
âDonât be, everyoneâs nice ! Youâll see.â, you start, a hand readjusting your dress. âIt might be more of a fancy gathering but, itâs just for show.â
Without thinking twice, your hand lands on his thigh, softly patting his clothed leg order to reassure him.
Jaehyun understand the meaning of guilty pleasures at this very moment. He doesnât chase your hand away, he lets your touch slowly fade away, he loves the tingle it lets behind, the way it has his eyes widening. But, somewhere not so deep in his mind, heâs screaming at himself. He barely has two weeks left here. He knows, he knows you may be one of his soulmates, if not the only. He knows he might not meat you in another life, he knows it isnât fair the let you all alone after this. He doesnât even need to wonder if you feel it too, he knows you do, he feels his fingertips tingle every now and then, a reassuring buzz whenever heâs right next to you.
You feel it too, thereâs no doubt. Especially when the car finally stops and Jaehyun doesnât hesitate to step out of the vehicle, walking around to open your door. Your hand quickly finds his, you both act natural. He offers his arm, you easily let your hand rest in the crook of his elbow right after taking a better look at his outfit.
You wonder if he got the suit especially made for him, it perfectly hugs his body. Not too tight, not too big. The deep blue shade compliments his light brown eyes and you wonder if he has some eyeshadow but can not really tell under the dim light.
The building privatized by your company is a cute one floor hall, small light hanging at the entrance and you notice they ditched the red carpet because of the rain. Some people are already there, most are from your company as the other as supposed to arrive a bit later.
The decorationâs prettier than last year, you have to say and, you notice all the efforts made once you step in. Heels click on the ground, soft music plays as your colleagues speak together, you take Jaehyun by the arm to greet the boss he never met.
The gatheringâs a blur for Jaehyun, his mindâs busy with much, much more important things. He knows he can contact his brothers whenever he feels the overwhelming need and ramble. But, it feels like heâll have to go through this multiple hours long party with a polite smile on his face before even thinking about going home.
The Cupidâs pushed and pulled from his thoughts, on and off. Jaehyun falls deep in his thoughts when heâs left alone but, gets abruptly brought back to the surface when you bring other colleagues he doesnât know yet and people from other companies.
Itâs a shame, he knows heâd enjoy the gathering in another situation. Itâs a bit like the parties up in Olympus, with a bit more choice when it comes to drinks and music and at least, here, he doesnât have to worry about getting on a God or Goddessâs wrong side by pure accident.
You seem to be enjoying yourself too, the brunette sees you joking a bit around with some people he already forgot the name of, enjoying the food and drink theyâre serving you in plates. Jaehyun wouldnât admit it, whenever he judges someone is being a bit too close to you, an unknown feeling sparks in his chest, one that wants everyone to know youâre his soulmate. Is it jealousy ? The brunette never knew he was capable of such a raw feeling.
Itâs a weird situation for the poor thing. Heâs aware of your status and yet, he does not know what to do. Heâs lost in this party full of people, this party where men and woman both donât hesitate to look at him up and down, silently gushing at his features, it seems the Cupid forgot he wasnât invisible here.
At some point, the tune changes to something Jaehyun would recognize as classical music, though he isnât an expert on human music yet. His companyâs boss he met moments prior steps in the middle of the hall and a crowd forms around them and, thatâs when the Cupid understands theyâre about to dance.
Yet another thing similar to Olympusâ parties, slower dances arenât uncommon and he quickly understands the pattern of steps.
He has to say, the brunetteâs quite enjoying the view, especially when more and more people decide to step in the circle. Though, the Cupid definitely does not expect it when you step right in front of him, small smile tugging at your lips. He notices your lipstickâs fading a little bit, surely because of the drinks you had but, he quickly looks away.
âDo you dance ?â, you ask, arching an eyebrow with a hand stretched out. It almost makes the brunette laugh, you definitely do not need his help to make a move. He also almost says he doesnât but, his hand touches yours before he can even comprehend what he is doing.
Biting down on your lower lip, you quickly pull the brunette towards one side of the circle, slowly dissolving as everyone finds a partner to dance with as well.
âI learned when I was a teen.â, the Cupid simply hums when you look up at him with semi-impressed eyes the second he perfectly follows the steps of the slow dance. Is there anything he can not do, you wonder for a moment. Maybe he has some issues picking up on hints. One hand in his, the other curling behind his back and resting on his shoulder, it feels right when his hand rests in the middle of your back, subtly arching your back.
It is at this very moment that Jaehyun understands the light tingle in his fingertipsâ addictive, he likes keeping you close a bit too much and, for a split second, wonders how your curves would feel under his hands.
âWhat canât you do ?â, you ask, teasing him a bit. Thereâs the same butterflies blooming in your stomach the moment he giggles softly, eyes rolling up as he dramatically acts like heâs thinking really hard.
âI canât juggle.â, the brunette says after thinking for some long seconds, though he keeps swinging you softly at the same time.
âYou canât ?â, you fake shock, lips parted. âYou shouldnât tell that to anyone, ever. Thatâs a shame.â, you tell him and, he pouts. Fuck, how can he look so good and cute at the same time ? For a second, you think about kissing the pout away, eyes travelling down to his pink lips.
Isnât it crazy ? How weeks before, you felt like you had used all your shots at love and now, this men comes into your life and crashes everything. Jaehyun does not know it, but youâre overthinking as much as he is.
Finally, the song end and yet, the Cupidâs hand stays lingering on your back, a gesture that makes you softly smile.
âYouâre having a lot of success, here.â, you tell him once he stops in front of the buffet again, it seems he has a good view on the entire hall here. Thereâs a flew glasses left and, you take one.
âHm ? Success ?â, he asks, himself taking a drink. You laugh a bit at that, you wonder if Jaehyunâs really that clueless about his looks. Unbeknownst to him, the same feeling sparks in your chest when you notice a small group of ladies from another company looking over at where your friend was standing. Though, unlike the brunette, you know what this is, jealousy.
âHm hm, saw a bunch of people looking at you.â, you tell him, shamelessly stepping next to him and leaning against the table, if some didnât know you and him walked in this party together, you made sure they knew now. Thereâs a small laugh coming from Jaehyun, though you find it isnât as bright as it usually is. Something seems off, but you donât dare ask him right now, in the middle of the hall.
âSame for you.â, he says before bringing the glass to his mouth, a hum coming out of his lips when the liquid coats his taste buds. Thereâs a small sense of pride blooming in your chest, does this mean he looked at you ? Noticed other people were too ? Did he get jealous too, you wonder.
âWhat is this ?â, he asks, eyeing the golden liquid, brushing the conversation.
âChampagne ?â, you inform him with a little giggle, an eyebrow arched. You were sure he already tasted champagne for someone who knew so much about wine. Lets just say you two sometimes slack a bit during working hours and talk about otherâŠunrelated things. âYou never had it ?â, you ask, a bit curious.
You have to say, Jaehyun himself is a curious personage, a mysterious character. It might be one of the many things that struck you when you met him, along side his personality, his deep voice and dimples. He knows a lot, it seems like he saw and experienced a lot too. Sometimes, he sounds like a Disney character, like he has a lot to show you but, you might be able to show him a lot as well, like he might just be the one youâve been waiting for.
âNope, but I like it.â, he concludes, quickly finishing the liquid, he decides Olympusâ lacking when it comes to drinks too.
Heâs about to add something, continue the conversation so he doesnât have to overthink again but, as heâs about to ask for the song playing in the hall, his mouth stays agape.
It canât be, it can not. Somewhere far, almost in the very middle of the hall, a men stands in his light grey suit. He did not see him before, he doesnât know where he came from. Jaehyun wonders if his mindâs tricking him, if heâs hallucinating, he knows some stuff on Earth can have this affect but definitely not Champagne.
Short brown hair parted in the middle, slender and tall body, the last time the Cupid saw him, he had locks falling to his shoulder.
Jaehyun wished the world could stop right at this moment, just so he could walk up to the men and detail his features, Jeonghanâs. His old tutorâs.
His heart tightens, another weird feeling the brunette isnât used to. He pushes the thought aside but, the more he stays here, the more Jaehyun feels human. Could it be him ? Itâs been five years, he thinks to himself, can a Cupid reincarnate with the same body ? Do Cupids magically spawn on Earth at the same age they left Olympus ?
Ah, for someone who wanted to strop overthinking, Jaehyun thinks he might overwork his brain at this very moment. But as he said when Jeonghan left, heâd recognize him in seconds, even on the blue planet. The way he speaks with a hand illustrating each of his word, a foot always in front like he wants to punctuate his slim, long body. The way he carries himself, head high, smile knowing, the way his eyes spark with malice.
âJaehyun ?â, you ask, worried. You wonder at this very moment if he can support alcohol or, if he has a problem with big crowds. Whatever the case, your hand wraps around his wrist and you consider calling a cab for the both of you.
âYeah- Yes, sorry. I though I saw someone I knew.â, he breathes out, though his eyes never leave Jeonghan, or Jeonghanâs doppelganger. âYeah, you look like you saw a ghost.â, you mumble out, though youâre relieved when the brunette accepts the glass of water you offer him and laughs a bit, the sound resonating in the plastic cup. Ghost donât look like that, the Cupid thinks to himself.
âDo you know Mr. Yoon ?â, you ask and, if he says yes, you wouldnât even be surprised. As said, Jaehyun is a mysterious man youâd like to know more. âLetâs see him !â Poor thing, you barely give him a second to answer and almost drag him towards Mr. Yoon with a wide smile.
âMr. Yoon ! Hi, I didnât even see you come in.â, you greet the older men with a warm smile, Jaehyun isnât aware yet but, you and him have a tight history together and, you respect the men greatly. âThis is Jung Jaehyun, the new employee Iâve been looking over.â, you inform him, proud.
The brunetteâs heart might stop at this very moment, he made an effort to close his mouth but he doesnât know if his eyes are still as wide, especially when the so called Mr. Yoon stretches a hand out with a smile. He knows it so well and yet.
âOh, I see the student became teacher.â, same voice. Mr. Yoon smiles at you and itâs at this very moment that Jaehyun understand. When Jeonghan was his tutor on Olympus, he â or his look alike -, became your art tutor on Earth ? Jaehyun thinks he might go crazy, he has so many questions colliding against each other in his mind. Nonetheless, he politely shakes the menâs hand.
âYeah, but Iâm sure Iâm not as good as a tutor as you were.â, you laugh a bit. Mr. Yoon slides a hand in his pocket, head tilting to the side as he details Jaehyunâs face, whoâs trying his best to look unphased and professional. The same sharp eyes that looked over him for so long, Jaehyun would go as far as saying heâs the only paternal figure heâs ever had.
âDo I know you from somewhere ?â
This city never sleeps, itâs a known fact. Itâs around one, maybe one and a half in the morning when you and Jaehyun decide to leave the gathering after saying good bye to as much people as possible. You couldâve taken a car but, the brunette proposes to walk you home and thereâs no way youâll refuse.
The summer nightâs warm, fresh breeze moving some leaves every now and then. Clubs are at their picks, neon flashing in every streets, different music mixing together. The streets are packed with citizens and travelers, some a bottle in hand, you even see a few groups dancing to mainstream music.
The walk is a quick one, moving through crowded main streets. The Cupid sometimes look like a curious puppy, he always saw these things from above.
Finally, streets grow less full when you enter the more residential side, near your home. There, the wind gets fierce and, the brunette doesnât hesitate a second and takes his jacket off, draping the thick fabric of his suit over your naked shoulders.
âDid you have fun ?â, you ask a bit before spotting the street to your building, head lolling forwards at you check the state of your shoes. Jaehyun hums at your side, hands in his pocket. âI did ! I didnât expect to meet so many people, though.â, he tells you and you laugh a bit at that, you remember being even more intimated for your first gathering.
âThereâs more people each year. The first time, I dropped a glass full of punch on my dress.â, you tell the brunette with a sigh. You know everyone remembers it but thankfully, no one brought it up expect for one person. âMr. Yoon made fun of me for like, three months.â
Mr. Yoon, hereâs another thing bothering Jaehyun tonight. The same appearance, same voice, same attitude. The Cupid wonders if your old tutorâs indeed his old teacher as well. He can not help ask himself, especially when he noticed the menâs knowing when he left with you.
The Cupid wonders if he should bring it up to his brothers tonight but, his thoughts are quickly cut when you point a building with a digit, probably where you live.
Oblivious to his thoughts, you step up the few stairs to the class door of your building, fishing in your small bag for your keys. What a convenient little thing, cute and able to hold your phone and keys, you find them in seconds.
âMr. Yoon seems really nice.â, is the only thing Jaehyun seems to find but thankfully, you donât pick up on his tone. Using one of the keys, you open the thick glass door and lean against the frame, youâre not really ready to say good bye. Thereâs an adoring smile stretching your lips, itâs clear you hold Mr. Yoon close to your heart. âHe is, Iâm sure the two of you would get along.â, you breathe out and, it seems your brain isnât completely on the subject.
As Jaehyun climbs the step of your building, your eyes wonder on his figure for the nth time tonight. The sent of his cologne cocoons around you, itâs floral and strong at the same time, the heat and comfort of his suitâs jacket doesnât help your heart beat.
His white button up perfectly hugs his body, itâs tight around his arms, belt around his small waist. Thereâs a smile that tugs his lips and thatâs when you understand he just said something you completely missed. Nice.
âIâm sorry, what did you say ? Iâm a bit tired.â, you fake a yawn and Jaehyun steps closer, shoulder leaning against the second closed door. Obviously, he is tired too. His eyes are half closed, arms closed and he unconsciously leans forward.
âI said, you look really good in that dress.â, he whispers out, like heâs scared heâll wake your neighbors up. A pool of heat creeps to your cheeks but, you donât break the eye contact the men installed. You wonder if youâre going too fast at this very moment, if you shouldnât wait a bit more but, something pulls you in. It feels like the brunette might slip away at any moment now and so, you take a step closer.
You think about answering him first but, words seem to disappear from your memory when he doesnât budge nor take a step back. Itâs a sign, isnât it ? You wish the brunette was not so complicated.
Itâs something you do by pure pulsion, instinct, without thinking twice. Your heels help you reach his face, a hand anchors itself with his collar and you bring him closer.
Jaehyun is not clueless, he knows whatâs happening and yet, he does not step away. Rather, he comes closer, closer, closer until finally. Finally, your lip softly meet his. Itâs like kissing petals, soft and fragile. The brunette kissed a few deities before, more or less important and yet, heâs now kissing you like youâre the highest of them all.
His hand cups your cheek lovingly, a shiver runs down your spine and his.
So this, this is what it feels like, to kiss your soulmate ? Thereâs something familiar about it to Jaehyun, he wonders for a second time if he found you in another life. On the other hand, you melt easily into the kiss, pecking his pink lips with a breathy, dumbfounded laugh. You know it, if something was missing with your coach, with Myungdae, youâre sure Jaehyun has it, if not more to offer.
Youâre slightly out of breath when he pulls out, and he smiles down at you. Right then and right there, in front of your apartment building, youâre convinced he feels the same way.
No words are spoken expect for a soft âGood night.â, when your door bips annoyingly but you donât even pay attention. That night, you walk up the stairs to your apartment with a giddy smile, one you wonât get rid off until you fall asleep.
Jaehyun, him, has the same smile. The same butterflies in his stomach. Itâs crazy how someone can take over your thoughts, he doesnât even think about the consequences of his actions, he doesnât even think about the future. Next, whatâs next ? The brunette doesnât even worry about that, until he steps into his own home and he spots it. The little gold note on his table, name written on it in black ink. He already knows what it is.
A request to come back to Olympus.
Asiaâs Cupid has a lump in his throat the moment he accepts the request and, the soft golden cloud wraps around him like a duvet. Eyes closed, it takes a second for his body to materialize on Olympus again.
It grows the moment he steps foot on the higher ground again, after more than three weeks. Nothing has changed on the cloud above, except for Taeyongâs expression when he finally sees his brother again.
The brunette knows Olympus like the back of his hand but this might be one of his favorite areas. Five years ago, itâs in this very place him and his six brothers shot the white arrows after their ceremony. At the very border of Olympus, tall pillars and half destroyed statues, benches and rocks from previous fights between creatures that happened long ago, itâs always calm here nowadays. If Jaehyun steps a bit closer towards the sharp edge, and looks down, heâd see right above the clouds and the blue planet he now adores more than anything.
Taeyong waits for him under one of the biggest weeping willows, arms stretching to embrace his brother when heâs just close enough.
Taeyong might be a more serious Cupid, his features always soften whenever he sees one of the six other Cupids after a long time. This time, he looks worried still. Red, bushy eyebrows frown in front of his piercing eyes, it almost has the power to take the brunette back. Itâs weird, to see him all alone, waiting for Jaehyun in a secluded area. Jaehyun wonders for a moment if something happened while he wasnât there, if one of them got into a fight with a major God, if Jungwoo didnât manage to take Jaehyunâs place. His thoughts are gone in a second, this is about him. He wonders if he knows, if they know. The Cupid wonders if Taeyong happened to be looking over him, he promised he would, after all. Jaehyun knows, he knows kissing a human during a mission is not something heâs supposed to do, he knows the unspoken rules of Cupids.
Jaehyun hugs his brother silently, like the both know things wonât be the same after this very conversation. âThatâs a change in style.â, Taeyong lets out with a breathy laugh, an attempt to make things less serious before he gestures towards a bench under the tree. Jaehyun laughs a bit at that, he sure looks like a human lots in Olympus. The brunette sits on the cold marble, fingertips running on the smooth surface. âI know why you called me.â, Asia's Cupid look down for a moment, shoes kicking the almost white sand.
He thinks Taeyong might grown, scowl him, scream even. He'd understand it, he would but, the red haired's next move is one the brunette did not even think about. Ring hugged digits carefully lay on his own. It's a reassuring gesture, one Jaehyun looks at with eyes slightly watering. Poor thing, there are emotions he suppressed, they rush and crash over him at once and his head lols backwards.
âWe told you not to get too attached.â, Taeyong softly says, crossing his arms over his chest. There's a tone the brunette can't really pick up on, at least it isn't disappointment. He tried to, Asia's Cupid thinks to himself. He tried not to get attached but he couldn't resist. Even if he tried to act like the most arrogant, detached person, he couldn't build a wall strong enough for you.
âI tried to, Iâ. I really did.â, he starts. Words block in his throat, he looks to the side, desperately trying to get his brother's eyes. When the red haired easily finds his pupils, it's like words flow out of his mouth. âShe's my soul mate.â
Finally, finally he says it out loud. It's at this very moment, in front of Europe's Cupid that he lets it out in the world. There's so many questions, questions he passes onto the red haired. Jaehyun does not even know, he didn't know it was possible for him to have a soulmate and meet them. Taeyong doesn't even freeze, he simply hums, thinking to himself as his eyes wonder towards the horizon.
âI've heard stories like that.â, he starts, and Taeyong laughs to himself for a second. âI knew something like that would happen to you, eventually.â
âStories ?â, Jaehyun asks.
âHm. Stories where Cupids fell in love with a human. I heard a story through the grapevines once, about a Cupid finding his soulmate on Earth.â, there's a spark of hope in Jaehyun's chest. So he isn't the only one, it happened before. The brunette scoots closer to his friend, though Taeyong's eyes stay on the horizon for a moment.
âSometimes, love doesn't need an arrow.â, he continues. Jaehyun's heart pumps faster at that, he thinks he might cry at this very moment, he doesn't even know why. âSome loves are faster, stronger.â If a love greater than his arrows, the Cupid can barely wrap his mind around it and yet, it doesn't seem to bother the red haired. His tone changes slightly, he gets more serious, this time he makes sure to look his brother in the eye.
âThe stories I've been told never end well.â, Jaehyun knows it, Taeyong's only worried for him and his well being but he can't help and wonder. Isn't a love greater than Cupids' arrows worth living ?
âWhat happened to them ?â, asks Jaehyun but his brother only shrugs, that he doesn't know. âI don't know what to do.â, his voice's strangled as he confesses. He really doesn't. He quickly fell in love with the blue planet and everything it holds, the feeling how having people you don't know, strangers looking at you is a weird one he's starting to like. There's so, so many things he has to learn down, the thought only gets Jaehyun excited, a feeling he hasn't felt for a while. And then, then there's you. Jaehyun thinks he couldn't ever forgive himself if he ever lets you go. The Cupid won't ever forgive himself if he leaves you all alone. On one side, he has the chance of knowing and being aware of your bound, what if in his next life, you don't meet ?
And then, there's Olympus. All these thoughts and Jaehyun doesn't even know if he is allowed to leave his duties so abruptly, maybe they won't even let him go. And then, Jaehyun has his brothers. Six boys he, a few weeks ago, never thought he'd leave and there he is, wondering if he could live without them.
âIt's your call. I can not tell you what to do.â, Taeyong's tone is a comprehensive one. Thought he isn't in his brother's situation, he sure can try and put himself in his shoes.
Staying with his brothers or starting over on Earth. No matter the possibility and outcome, it tugs at the brunette's Earth.
âThis isn't a decision to take in minutes, or hours, even.â, the red haired says softly. And he's right. Like he's able to read his brother's mind, Jaehyun's twisting his brain in every way he can to find a solution, something that won't end up in heartbreak. A hand sneaks on his brown locks, a gesture Taeyong has whenever one of his brother's feeling sick.
âTake a few days, hm ?â, and Jaehyun nods. A few days to think, a few days for himself.
Saturday, thereâs a lump in your throat too. A ball that expends inside of you, it tightens around your neck and it creeps deeper, deeper into your heart. Poisonous roots pierce into your muscle and twist at your guts until you need to curl on yourself to feel better, you think you might puke and stop breathing at the same time. Poor thing, you wonder how can Jaehyun have so much power over you, how his lack of response physically affects you.
The gathering happened days ago, the kiss happened three day prior and yet, you donât have any news from Jaehyun. None, not a phone call, not even a text, nothing. He disappeared into the night the moment he left you in front of your building.
You at first texted him after you took a shower, changed into your pyjamas and removed all your makeup, resting in the comfort of your bed. A simple one, thanking him for the night and telling him you hoped he had fun, only hinting the slightest bit at the kiss, a giddy smile at his name on your screen.
He did not answer. He didnât even open the message. You brushed it off and went to sleep but, the afternoon after, something felt off. The rose glass was still in front of your eyes. It didnât take long to shatter and fall down.
If you knew, if you were aware of Jaehyun being your soulmate, youâd understand your connection runs deeper, youâd understand why your body seems to suffer as much as your mind. His anxiety and doubts manage to linger on your mind like a bitter aftertaste in the morning.
Itâs weird. Youâve been ghosted and ghosted people yourself at times, when you did not feel like having a deeper conversation or having another date. But this, this felt different, like there was another reason behind it, something you did not know yet.
And again, he couldnât really ghost you when he was your neighbor in your workplace.
Or could he ? You did not text him the day after the gathering but, on Friday, when he didnât show up to work, you couldnât help but think you screwed up. Thoughts kept you away from working, you wondered if he was okay, if you went too far.
It was weird, it really felt like he wanted it too ? He didnât take a step back, he even moved closer. He didnât push back, he kissed back. And, when he left, he smiled like everything was more than fine, like you could expect more from him. Maybe he had a few more drinks than you thought and regretted it after but, you have to say, you thought Jaehyun was the type of guy to make things clear rather than disappearing all at once. Some, - maybe disappointment â creeped up in your chest at some point, a mix of emotions you now couldnât comprehend.
Something does not feel right when they tell you he called in sick. You debate sending him another text and, after your second coffee break, you convince yourself youâre just acting like a friend. You ask him if heâs okay, you wonder again if you did something wrong but donât mention it, a bubble of anxiety growing in your stomach.
And again, he does not answer, you wonder if he even receives it.
Confusion and a sort of sadness suddenly changes into anger the moment Sooyoung visits you. Needless to say, you kept her updated on everything and on the third day of pure silence, she couldnât keep it together. God bless her, she cancelled her plans with her crush â and soon to be boyfriend â to be with you. The red-hairedâs like your very own emotion compass, validating your feelings you bottled up for days on end.
âI donât- I just donât get it.â, you let out for the nth time this evening, bringing your cold bottle of coke in the air. For the first time in a while, your friend stays dumbfounded, body ungracefully sat on your coach. Your friend had bought some things to eat and drink, though you could only find the force to indulge liquid.
âAnd itâs not like he wasnât interested either !â, ah, Sooyoungâs the little voice in your mind. You vigorously nod at that, itâs clear your friend turns her brain again and again to find a reason, much like you are. Youâve been at it for hours now, ranting on and off, forcing your throat dry, babbling and tripping over yours words.
It feels good, though, to have someone to rant to.
âRight ! He- Itâs clear he wanted it too !â, you whine out and harshly let your body fall right next to your friend. Anger bubbles in your chest and your bodyâs first reaction to that is simple : water collects at the corner of your eyes. Itâs unfair, it really is. Finishing the soda, you blur out something you didnât think youâd tell her.
âI thought he could be the one.â, you abruptly say, so quickly Sooyoung has to process the words at a lesser speed. Head low, you play with the cold bottle between your hands.
Soonyoung loves you dearly, she really does. Many times, she thought of you as a soulmate in a friend and, it obviously hurts for the red haired to see you in such a state. Her hand rests right behind your head, fingers lacing in your locks. Itâs a reassuring gesture while she finds her words, guiding your head towards her shoulder.
âMaybe he needs time to think. I know ignoring isnât the right thing to do but, maybe he has a lot of things going on ?â
Sooyoung couldnât be more right. If Jaehyun heard what she told you, she wouldâve become his second favorite red-haired person. Poor Cupid has so much going on, too much to deal with. For days, his mind tried and tried again to find a solution, something where everyone would be happy. Poor thing doesnât want to hurt everyone but, Jaehyun soon finds out things arenât that easy, they never are.
The brunette even thinks about spending a week on Olympus and a week on Earth but, he knows it would only be unfair for everyone. He cannot act like his brothers arenât already overworked, like it wouldnât be unfair to you to see him on and off without ever knowing why.
A permanent headache clouds his mind and eventually, on Sunday, all he can think about is you. Youâre all he can think about, all his thoughts go back to, all it revolves around. What are you doing, how are you feeling ? Are you mad at him ? The Cupid feels bad for leaving you like this but, heâd rather be sure of himself before speaking to you again.
Jaehyun spends sleepless nights gazing out his window, he wonders again what his past like was like, if you were in his. And again, the thought of not having you in the next snaps the string of his heart.
One night, as he gazes over the calm street next to his building, he even catches a couple having what the brunette thinks is their first kiss. Soft summer breeze as they step out of the cinema, they both stand awkwardly in front of each other as a car stops in front of them. Sweet, innocent love.
The Cupid envies them.
Eventually, finally, itâs in the early Monday morning that the brunette finally understands. Itâs around five in the morning, sun slowly rising over the city that doesnât sleep, orange hue coloring the pale blue sky. Jaehyun took the bad habit of sleeping too late, lost eyes wondering outside as his brain never stopped.
The brunette finally understands. Him and humans arenât so different, much like them, he needs a little heartbreak to move on. Which one would he rather experience, between the heart ache of never seeing you or never seeing his brothers, the brunette thinks he might know the one heâll chose if he has to.
One thing he knows for sure, as he understands he only has a week left on the blue planet, he wants to be with you, next to you, more than anything else.
You might refuse to see him, scream at him, - hell -, even slap him, Jaehyun doesnât really care. He really doesnât, he doesnât either when his hand curls into a fist right before knocking on your door. He has to thank one of your neighbor for letting the door open, without checking twice and, his good memory when he checks for your last name.
Even if he slept all day, the slight dark circles under his eyes are there? Brown locks wavy from the lack of care, he wishes he did something more to his appearance the moment you open your door and, he swears to all the Gods and Goddesses above.
Itâs clear you just came back from work, hair matching his, sleeves of your white button up rolled up.
The moment he sees you, his thinks his heart might drop. Your initial shock, lips parted and raised eyebrow swiftly twist into an angry stare. Eyebrows furrowed, fading lips a straight line, you take a second to speak up. âWhat are you doing here ?â, you ask harshly.
You almost fear itâll come out like a whisper but, you stand your grounds. The surprise, confusion and anger you expressed bubbles up in your chest, you canât believe heâd show up like this, out of the blue. But again, isnât it better than just texting you like nothing happened ?
You turn your back anyways, walking towards your leaving room in a hurry. Nonetheless, you donât close your door in the brunetteâs face, letting the opportunity open for the Cupid to take.
And take it, he does. His usually calm behavior suddenly disappears, he quickly steps into your apartment, doesnât even have a second to look at your home before chasing you blindly.
âI can explain.â, is the first thing he lets out in a blur. A white lie, Jaehyun can not explain everything yet, he fears youâll run away, he knows it will be too much anyways. But, donât get him wrong, he wishes he could.
To that, you abruptly turn around, and there it is again, the lump in your throat.
Can he explain ? You wonder, there so many unsaid things. Does he know why youâre mad, is he aware of what youâre feeling ? You almost want to blow up on him at this very moment but, decide against him when you notice the dark circles under his pretty brown eyes.
âWhy didnât you answer ? D-Did I do something wrong ?â, the crack in your voice you desperately tried to hide comes out when you least expect it, Jaehyun takes a step closer though, itâs clear heâs conflicted. He wants to touch you, hold you, so, so bad but he fears youâll push him away.
âNo ? No ! You didnât.â, the Cupid gives in, his right hand lands on your shoulder the moment heâs close enough and he hates the way you look to the side.
So many questions, you think now is the time to ask them, youâve been sleeping on and with them for days now. God knows you do not want to sound harsh but the bitterness is clear in your voice.
âIt feels like youâre running away.â, you finally let out. The lump in your throat seems to disappear the moment you find the confidence to speak out. âLike youâre running away fromâŠMe, what happened after the gathering.â
Poor Cupid sure is taken aback, he thought about all the things he wanted to say and yet, at this very moment, he can only open his mouth and close it again like a fish.
âI am not, I swear Iâm not. Itâs just-.â
Maybe you should let him say his words but, you canât stop the flow of words when the ball in your neck disappear, you donât want to let the confidence slip away.
Taking a step back, you desperately try not to get affected by Jaehyun. The way he looks at you, sorry puppy eyes, the way his bottom lip looks red and bruised from how long he bite on it. You refuse to let his sent and the cologne he seems to be imprinted in cloud your mind, you donât want to let your body falls into the heat of his own, the one youâve been craving for days.
âYou feel it too. I know you do. I donât know what it is, but. Thereâs something, between us.â, you start and, youâre almost shocked at the audacity you have. Jaehyun takes a sharp breathe at that, though he lets you finish your thoughts. âDonât lie to me. Tell me you feel it too.â, thereâs a small plea in your voice, Jaehyun can sense it, youâre hurt and he hates it.
He hates the fact you doubted his feelings. A hand runs in his messy brown locks, Jaehyun thoughts about everything he could say but, what he says next isnât something he planned on.
âI do. I was scared.â, and he was. He tells the truth and doesnât make up lies, twist the reality to cover himself. At the end of it all, Jaehyun is scared, heâs terrified. He does not know whatâs next, what awaits him eventually, in what position heâs putting you in.
You, on the other hand, slightly gets taken back by his quick honesty. Jaehyun takes a step forward and, you donât flinch. The brunette ditches every long explanation he had, slightly shaky hands cupping your cheeks. If he held you like you were made of glass last week, he holds you like a bubble threatening to disappear at any moment, like an image out of his imagination.
The Cupid holds you so he can melt his eyes into yours, trapping you in the chocolate, comforting hue.
Itâs crazy, how his touch managed to calm your nerve down. Your shoulders flop down and you, for a moment, let your eyelids close halfway to appreciate the warmth. Thereâs a breath coming out of your lips, half exhausted, half calmed by his presence. But, your eyes fully close when he comes closer again, carefully. Jaehyun makes sure he isnât crossing any border, he makes sure you donât shy away from his touch.
âYou overwhelm me.â, The Cupid traces on your lips.
Oh, to be loved by a Cupid, to be loved by Jaehyun. You quickly understand how intense it is.
This time, Jaehyun kisses you first. He fears heâll lose the chance, he fears he wonât have a second chance. Plump lips softly press against your own and, when you process his actions, you finally give in.
Thereâs a weight lifted up from your heart, he feels it too, thatâs all you wanted to hear at this very moment.
You finally acknowledge the hunger for his touch, for him. Fingertips softly trace over his sharp jaw and, the brunette easily gets it. Tilting his head to the side, the kiss grows deeper, and deeper.
Thereâs no fight for dominance, just a harmonious dance, Jaehyun matches you and you match him.
âI didnât mean to scare you.â, the Cupid continues and, it feels like he has a lot more to say, he wants to make sure you know his reality. Voice deeper, chest irregularly moving up and down, he barely moves away.
âI feel it too.â, he confirms again. The brunette will say it again if he needs to, he feels it too, he understands you, he knows.
You donât answer, youâd rather show him. You chase after his lips, linking your arms around his neck just to bring him closer. âDonât do that again.â, you half warn him before crashing your lips against Jaehyunâs again. The brunette quietly and breathlessly laughs at that, promising he wonât ever disappear like this.
You discover more about him, tongue meeting his own for the very first time. He tastes sweet, something fruity lingers, probably the gum he was nervous chewing on before going to your home.
The Cupidâs hands get more curious as well, finding their place in the small of your back. Pink lips traces down your neck before placing a greedy kiss where your neck and shoulder meet.
Such a simple touch, something youâve felt before but, itâs different when it comes from the brunette. Itâs crazy, the power he has on your body. Pearly teeth carefully catch the skin there and, you can not longer deny the heat that washes over you. It happens at once, the heat in the room seems a bit too much and your underwear gets uncomfortable.
Your hands creep up his chest, feel his body for the first time, you almost moan. Under your fingertips, even under the tick fabric of his white shirt, you can feel his muscles. Borders are blurry and, when your hands grip his collar, you hope you donât cross anything.
Jaehyun wants to share your space, breath your air and yet, even if youâre the one walking him to your bedroom, he needs your verbal affirmation.
âAre you sure ?â, Asiaâs Cupid asks when he steps into your dimly lit bedroom.
It almost makes you laugh, giggle at his doe eyes contrasting with his wondering hands.
You donât care enough to turn the light off or even turn it on, your hands grip the middle of his shirt and you make his fit body follow you as you softly fall down on your bed.
Jaehyunâs weak, he doesnât even resist. Knees plant itself next to your hips, towering over you.
ââm sure, wanna drown in you.â, you confess right next to his ear. The brunette shivers at this, he hisses between pearly teeth. And, before he can even answer something, you tug a little bit more at his shirt.
The Cupid easily gets the hint, grabbing the back of his top to take it off.
âFuck.â, the curse slips out of your mouth before you can even process it. Itâs ironic, you think he might be crafted by the Gods. You felt it under your fingers tips under the fabric but, his abs look marbled under the dim light of your bedroom.
Every single one of Jaehyunâs nerves are on fire at this very moment. Digits work on the buttons of your shirt and, when you give him the green light, he does not hesitate.
His lips find the skin of your neck again, he pecks at the column of your throat and lets his tongue dip right between your collarbones. Jaehyunâs a messy lover, his kisses are long, he worships every new parcel of skin he discovers.
âWait, let me help you.â, you breath out with a small laugh when the Cupidâs shaky hand sneak right behind your back. Arching your spine, you quickly undo your bra as the men finds your lips again.
Itâs thrown somewhere next to your bed soundlessly, Jaehyunâs mouth automatically wraps around your left nipple. Your fingers quickly sneak between his locks, nails softly gazing at the Cupidâs scalp. His tongue feels amazing on you, he coats your hard bud with saliva and doesnât hesitate to softly catch it between his pearly teeth, pulling back.
âJaehyun.â, you breath out when he turns his attention towards your second neglected bud but, you donât care enough at this very moment. âHm ?â, he hums against the skin right between your breasts, âSo fucking pretty.â
As much as you enjoy all his attention, you don not think you can wait any longer. Your underwearâs too uncomfortable and you donât think you can wait another five minute before completely, entirely feeling him. Unbeknownst to you, the brunette is as desperate. And so, when you beg for him to have you, right now, right next to his ear, he doesnât think further.
Arms wrap around your waist, the brunette guides you to the middle of your bed. Everything happens quickly, then. Jaehyun helps you out of your skirt, you help him out of his jeans and boxers. The brunette doesnât let you completely look at him for very long, but you have to say, the length of his shaft and the deep pink, wet by pre-cum head makes you mouth water. He hovers over you again after finding a condom in your bedside table. Jaehyun holds himself on his arms, on each side of your head but the slight weight of his body is comforting.
âSo fucking wet, youâre dripping.â, Jaehyun almost hums to himself when he left two digits dip between your legs.
No words are spoken, expect for your verbal consent the moment the Cupid lines himself right in front of your wet folds. The tallest thinks he never felt more alive, you take his breath away, even more when his head pushes between your lips.
âShit, so tight.â, he breathes out, slowly, inch by inch thrusting into your core. Like you were made for me, he almost says, but his words get caught in this throat the moment his last inch gets wrapped around you. His head falls in the crook of your neck, left hand resting on your waist.
Itâs a slow, sensual pace you easily get used to, but the stretch of his cock doesnât fade away. Itâs a slight pain added to the pleasure, an addicting mixture you quickly grow addicted. You, on the other hand, donât know where to touch, where to claw. Youâre sure youâre leaving some deep marks on his back the moment the brunette almost entirely pulls out, right before slamming back in.
Your own back arches at that, right hand grabbing onto his bicep.
Itâs clear the Cupid enjoys the jolts of pain, hissing quietly whenever your nails create small croissant shapes on his pale skin.
âPlease, mark me.â, you beg breathlessly. Jaehyun might come at this very moment. Itâs a possessive, primal, proud feeling that blooms in his chest when he understands. Mark you, mark you as his for everyone to see. The brunette hopes youâll parade proudly with the purple petals he now creates against your throat.
âMine.â, he groans against the skin of your neck, the words slips without him even thinking about it twice but, when you keen under it, he doesnât hesitate to say it again, again and again on your lips. Mine, mine, mine.
When your walls continuously clench around him, itâs almost too much for Asiaâs Cupid. His composure crumbles down, it breaks down and his hips falter. Long gone is the sweet, soft pace he created for you, he chases his own orgasm and your own in deep, fast thrusts.
Uncoherent words tumble from your lips, Jaehyun conceals his own moans against your skin again, nose dipping into your hair. And, after a few thrusts that reach the deepest, you reach your high in a silent moan, Jaehyunâs lips kissing your tense forehead until he, himself, lets himself go.
The broken moan he lets out as his seed spills in the condom might be the prettiest thing youâve ever heard, you think in your daze.
Thereâs a comfortable silence broken by irregular breaths, Jaehyunâs brown eyes bore into yours the moment he understands what just happen. Itâs even more comfortable when his strong arms wrap around your waist, his body falls into yours right before pulling you to his side.
âHoly shit.â, you let out after some minutes, a hand carefully lacing into the brunetteâs locks. It hits you at this very moment too, a soft smile stretches your lips when Jaehyun hides his face in your chest.
âYeah.â, he hums, keeping your body close. It seems he doesnât have the energy to move too, you donât blame him.
âCan we stay like this ?â, he mumbles and, for a moment, you wonder what heâs talking about. ColleaguesâŠwith benefits ? The thought crosses your mind before you understands what his talking about. Youâre so fucked out you barely registered the fact heâs still, in fact, in you. You clearly donât mind, it still amazes you as well how perfectly he fits, even with his cock softening between your walls.
âNot knowing where you beginâŠWhere I end.â, he breathes out, letting out any thoughts his blurry mind creates.
Thereâs a small giggle from you and clearly, you agree to the proposition. It feels right, it feels domestic, intimate. Your arms finally wrap around his shoulders, chest against chest. You notice his hair smells like green apples and mint, he has little freckles here and there and soon enough, heâs sleeping peacefully in your arms.
What a mysterious men, you think again. Thought this time, you smile to yourself, it seems he doesnât mind opening up to you.
That night, Jaehyun finds he sleeps best in your arms.
âJaehyun.â, you softly call out, stretching your muscles as best as you can. You have little room as the brunetteâs arms are still firmly locked around your figure. Itâs around eight in the morning and, by the way your phoneâs beeping more and more loudly, you should be getting ready at this very moment.
Though, you have to say, youâd much rather stay in your bed.
âHm ?â, he hums, eyes still closed and, you wonder for a moment if he still remembers about work. You know he took a few days off but, heâs supposed to be back in office today, if you believe your manager.
The brunette clearly does not remember, you note when his lips peck right under your jaw.
âWeâre going to be late.â, you whine and yet, your head rolls back enough for him to let his lips travel down your throat again. He adores on the bruises he left there the night before, slowly waking up.
You have to say, he looks ethereal. The morning sun shines on his skin, the light bruises you left there contrasts against his epidermis, thin lashes batting up and down. Two deep dimples crave themselves in his cheeks when he looks up at your figure, rosy lips stretching at in a soft smile.
Though an arm gives you a bit more space, the second one right under your body doesnât let go.
He seems to remember about the night before slowly, low chuckle moving his chest. In fact, his cockâs still inside you. Condom discarded somewhere in the bin of your bathroom, Jaehyun easily fell asleep a second time after.
âFuck, I forgot about that. Iâm too tired.â, he confirms your doubt in his deep morning voice, one you werenât ready for. Itâs an octave lower, if thatâs even possible and, it unconsciously makes you clench around him.
âAbout yesterday.â, Asiaâs Cupid starts, using his hold on you to flip you on under him. Itâs clear the brunette already loves having you like this. The small sound that comes from your lips when he does so makes him laugh again, eye still half closed. His right hand cups your cheek lovingly, a gesture you naturally lean on.
âWanted to take you on a date first.â, he hums with a small pout, though itâs clear he isnât unhappy with the outcome of the night before. Neither are you.
âIâm free this Friday.â, you tell him teasingly. Unbeknownst to you, Fridayâs one of the last days he has on Earth. But, the slight movement of his hips doesnât go unnoticed. Your eyes narrowed, giving the young men a look, fakely annoyed. You can feel him getting harder by the second, from the moment he flipped you over.
âThen, Iâll pick you up on Friday, after work ?â, he hums and you nod, a hand grabbing onto his bicep again when his moves get bolder.
âJaeâ. We barely have an hour to get ready.â, you tell him. Itâs half hearted, you both know youâd much rather let him have you a second time than go to work again but, you have projects to finish today and-.
âThat should be enough.â, Jaehyun answers almost too quickly.
You find out saying no to Jaehyun is a hard thing. Correction, controlling yourself when Jaehyun looks like the purest incubus is hard. And so, when you bite down on your lower lip and look over at the time on your phone, the brunette already knows he won.
Itâs easy when the Cupid already knows the route to your bathroom, when the two of you are already naked and riled up from the night before. Your legs lock on top of his hips and the cold water managed to wake you up at once.
You slightly hit the brunetteâs shoulder with a whine and his only answerâs to harshly push your back against the cold wall of your shower.
âI didnât even brush my teeth.â, you whine out after Jaehyun plants the first hungry kiss of a few more, arms lazily resting on his shoulders. âI donât care.â, the brunette groans out. And he clearly doesnât, his hands firmly hold your thighs and his now hard shaft finds the same punishing rhythm he had the night before.
âFuck, how are you already- Thought you were tired.â, you half mock, sentence cut short when he pushes into you deeper, harder.
âIâm not when it comes to fucking you.â, he confesses and, long gone are the street words he whispered out in your ear the night before. Itâs like a switch being flipped, how last nightâs slow thrusts turn into harsh, quick snaps. You donât complain, though, not when he has you moaning in seconds.
The water quickly turns hot, just the right temperature, droplets run down the brunetteâs back, wetting his locks.
âGod, youâre so good.â, you breathe out. Jaehyunâs intensely looking at you through his wet locks, agonizing smile stretching his lips. At this moment, the both of you know youâre already close. He brings you close, so close to your orgasm in minutes. Pride swells in the Cupidâs chest, he doesnât let his pace falter and in fact, quickens.
âFuck, keep clenching around me like that. You feel heavenly, baby.â, Jaehyun lets out, forehead resting against your shoulder. His lips find your skin again, pecking the droplets of water away as he feels you bending under his commands, clenching until he finds the right spot to hit again and again.
You take minutes to come under his thrusts, head softly hitting the wall of your shoulder. Eyes closed, you see stars the moment he gives a particularly harsh snap of his hips and holds you there when he feels you coming around him, without any barrier.
The brunetteâs breathless and, so are you. The background noise of the stream of water becomes white noise, senses hyper focusing on his small whines when you move your hips. Heâs sensitive, so sensitive his groans turn into small whines.
Long goneâs the worry for your job and the time you have left when you let your feet touch the floor of you shower, slightly shaky, you drop to your knees in front of the men.
The sight is enough for him to let out a sigh, looking up like he, himself, cannot believe he has someone like you in such a position.
The brunetteâs large hand easily find a purpose in your hair, gathering the locks until theyâre out of your way.
Finally, when you yesterday didnât get a to detail Jaehyunâs cock, you can now have a better look. Hand wrapping around his shaft, the weight is pleasant, though youâre sure itâll be even more on your tongue. Wet, heâs already leaking pre-cum, head a deep pink and youâre wondering how he can keep his composure when you let your tongue flat travel from the base to the tip.
âFuck, Y/N. Thought we didnât have much time ?â, he tease, twisting the narrative with a knowing smile.
You look up at him with doe eyes, lips wrapping around his head and you suck lightly, enough to get a ripped moan from his pretty lips.
âYouâre just impatient.â, you tell him, though you canât help but take him in your mouth anyways. Indeed, the heavy weight and slight lingering taste of your juices makes you hum around him, vibrations that have him moaning lowly.
You manage to take most of his shaft in, hallowing your cheeks, using a hand to lazily stroke the rest but, after a few minutes, the men takes things in his hands. He definitely loves control.
âLet me fuck your mouth.â, he mumbles out and, when you hungrily nod your head, his grip on your hair tightens. He keeps your mouth where he wants it and, slowly starts moving his hips.
Itâs a harsh pace you silently indulge, his head hits the back of your throat a few times and itâs clear heâs close when he doesnât even know how to form coherent words, hips harsher.
His cock pulsates in your mouth and, when he takes it out without a warning, you almost whine and pout before understanding. His hand wraps around his base and you have to say, the sight is sinful.
Body wet, face contouring with pleasure, he quickly pumps his dick in his head before he eventually comes in long strings. You, on the other hand, hungrily collect anything landing on your needy tongue.
Cleaning all you can, Jaehyunâs eyes stare for a while, he thinks he might get hard just because of that, when your fingers collect any remaining semen before popping them into your mouth.
âFucking greedy slut.â, he groans out, almost in misbelief when his fingers hook under your jaw, forcing you up. You think heâll clean the both of you there but, you surely donât expect it when he abruptly turns you around, forcing your chest against the cold wall again.
âWhat are yo-.â, you start, but get abruptly cut by a moan you barely recognize. Jaehyun easily stuffs two fingers into your core. They definitely arenât as big as his cock but, youâre sensitive, squirming around at his middle and fourth finger.
âNot letting you go until I make you come again.â, he mumbles again the skin of your shoulder and you stop moving around the moment his fingers scissor your around your walls and puts his free hand right next to your head.
âI c-canât.â, you mumble out, and yet, your hips move back against his hips when he slows down.
âTake it.â, he commends, a tone in his voice you never heard and yet, you love it. Itâs demanding and you let your forehead rest against the wet wall. His fingers are fast, lewd sounds drown in the water. Thereâs a low chuckle from the brunette when you threaten to come so quickly it wouldâve been embarrassing with someone one.
âCome on.â, he whispers out, a hand grabbing your head. He forces you to look at his, hungry lips crashing into your own. âYouâre gonna get us late.â
The next days feel surreal for the brunette. He feels like a normal human, entirely, fully. Wednesday, dead of the night, Jaehyun might remember that night his entire life. He never had you in his bed and yet, it feels empty without your presence. The Cupid understands what not being with your soulmate feels like and, he doesnât even want to know what itâd feel like to be in Olympus while you stay on the blue planet.
He doesnât, he can not even think about it. There, as Jaehyun mixes his overcooked noodles, all he can think about is having you on his coach waiting for him while he cooks. There, he takes his decision.
Jaehyun wants everything you have to offer, he wants to share thoughts and secrets, share pointless and deep conversations, he wants to share comfortable silences and create new memories. He wants to create inside jokes he knows will make you laugh whenever he brings them up again.
Thereâs so much the Cupid wants to discover with you, from your favorite spots to your favorite food, the spots that make you weak and the ones that make you giggle. He wants to be here for your highs and lows, your big defeats and small victorious. He wants to be your favorite shoulder to cry on and the one you think about to celebrate. He wants you at your best just like he knows he can have you at your worst. Jaehyun wants you to love him just as much as he feels himself falling deep, deep for you.
Your texts make him smile and he doesnât even hesitate to answer the minute he gets them. Your song, movie, show recommendations ? He notes them, listens and watches, gives a report whenever he can.
He sends some back, he calls you when he cooks and canât understand an instruction.
When he sleeps, Jaehyun dreams about you and all the things the two of you could have, youâre all he had think about and he does not complain, heâs infatuated, enamored, smitten, he learns a new word every day to express how captured he is. Â
And, on Wednesday night, as he falls asleep early for work, he has another flashback. Right between the lands of dream and reality, the border blurry. He sees the same girl with deep brown hair, setting unfamiliar. Thereâs a child he does not recognize and, when he wakes up, he realizes they both had your eyes.
Itâs even better in real life. If the conversations used to flow naturally before, they hold something else now, a knowing flirt. Right between close friends and more, and dating. Firm glances are exchanged alongside some smiles here and there.
âHere !â, at this point, the brunette recognizes your voice by the second. He looks up at you with happy eyes in croissants. You have his favorite drink in your hand, peachy iced tea from a coffee shop down the street.
âAh, thank you so much.â, he pouts a little, the attention brings something that blooms on his chest.
âYouâre welcome !â, you tell him, walking around to sit in your cubicle, next to him. Flopping on your seat, you quietly sip on your drink for a moment while scrolling and double checking your project, one you should be handing over tonight. âHowâs your project going ?â, you ask him, leaning on the side. The small wall between the two of you is thin but, it does the job when it comes to blocking the view. Unfortunately.
âAlmost, I should be done by the end of the weekâŠOr next week.â, the brunetteâs throat goes dry for a moment, when he mentions next week even if, even if he does not know if heâll still be there by then. You obviously donât notice it, humming at his computer screen. He told you he went to Paris for his art studies and you have to say, he sure has the level. Jaehyun is working on a more illustrative publicity campaign for some kids book and, for someone who just started, his propositions are great. Â
âOh, Jaehyun ! It looks great !â, you coo. âThatâs really pretty.â, you tell him, catching your straw between your lips. Ice cubs hitting against each other, you shake your cup a little in order to get some blueberries at the very bottom.
âYouâre pretty.â, the Cupid breathes a bit quietly, the two of you are still in your workplace and he doesnât want to draw any unwanted attention from others by talking too loudly. Still sipping on your drink, you look up at the brunette with some surprised eyes before rolling them at him.
âSmooth.â, you sarcasm, but smile at his attempt anyways.
âRight. Are you impressed ?â, Asiaâs Cupid asks lowly and by now, you know this tone too well. Setting his pen aside, he leans aside too, meeting you halfway.
If any of your colleagues looked over at this very moment, youâre sure theyâd get the picture easily. His faceâs too close to be anything friendly, his breath fans over your lips and you have to say, your eyes get lost in his. He holds eye contact and you donât dare breaking it but, even in your slight daze, youâre still aware of the setting. You grudgingly pull back and let your back rest on your chair before heat burns your cheeks. Thereâs a chuckle from the brunette, one that rips a glare from Daeyong.
Do you enjoy it ? The slight anger flashing in front of his eyes and decomposition of his features when he understands ? Maybe, but you like Jaehyunâs smug smile when he gets it a lot more.
If it looks like nothing more happens after, if it looks like Jaehyun works like a good employee after, youâd be very, very wrong. A hand stays firmly on your thigh, thumb stroking the covered skin of your leg. Jaehyun can not keep his hands to himself, he barely can. His eyes lower to your lips whenever he talks to you, whenever he catches you speaking with someone else. He stares for a bit too long at your figure and legs whenever you take a small break.
Can you blame him, though ? Youâre almost as bad, drinking in the sight of his side profile whenever you doze off, detailing his hands when he adds the final touches to his project, unconsciously leaning closer.
Thank god, you and him manage to keep things calm until the end of the day. Until you gather all your files and documents, drop them in due time to your boss and finally, finally get a hold of your bag. Jaehyun waits for you like you usually did, walks you to the elevator and, when the brunette notices the emptiness of the elevator, he does not think twice.
A finger quietly pushes at the âclose doorsâ button and, when the grey metal doors slide in silence, he pushes you against the wall.
His free hand softly creeps up your neck, ring hugged digits wrap around your throat just enough for you to bend under his will and movements when he pushes you backwards. Theyâre cold against you skin, make goosebumps rise under them.
âJaehyun, wh-.â, the sound gets caught in your throat, knocked out of your lungs. The brunette does not even answers, he has a few floors for timing, heâd rather crash his lips against yours.
Heâs been thinking about it for hours, hitching to get closer to you. The kiss is bruising, his grip around your neck tightens until you whine at the gesture, hand flying to his brown locks.
As youâve found out, Jaehyunâs intense. He loves hard.
Pearly teeth bite down on your lower lip, enough you know youâll have a small bruise there and, his tongue softly smooths the abused spot before pushing the muscle between your awaiting lips.
Itâs dangerous, how easily the Cupid puts you in a daze, a distorted reality where heâs the lighthouse in the fog. The taste of his peachy drink lingers on his muscle, on you teasingly suck on but, as heâs about to put his knee between your legs, a voice breaks the two of you apart.
What are you doing at this moment, in the dead of the night, he wonders. The Cupid never knew how vivid his mind was, he surprises himself when he easily pictures you in your bed, just like him.
Fuck it, he thinks, and his thumb quickly presses the send button.
Ah, if Jaehyun has a vivid imagination, you have a good memory. Teasing words in a grey text bubble, itâs crazy how you manage to have his voice re-act it in your mind.
What are you doing at this very moment ? Thinking about him but, you wouldnât tell him right away. Two can play that game, heâs good at teasing and you are too.
The Cupid has to say, sexting is quiet fun. He finds himself typing things he wouldâve said without an once of shame, he definitely did not expect his body to react so obediently to the words you say back.
Soon enough, Jaehyun has his eyes glued to his screen, impatiently awaiting for your next words.
Is it him or, is it getting too hot in his room ? Unbeknownst to Asiaâs Cupid, he peels the fabric of his shirt off of his body just as you do so, getting rid of superficial clothes as texts get riskier, riskier.
The brunette has your mouth parting at some of his crude words but, the gasp that leaves your mouth when Jaehyun sends a picture might wake your neighbors up.
Large hand wrapped around his veiny shaft, you stare at the picture for a bit too long. Heâs hard, head a pink shade you donât doubt is getting shades deeper by the moment. You can almost feel the weight on your tongue again but, when he starts typing again, you quickly snap a picture back.
Texts get sent hectically, not double checked, body kilometers away seems in sink, a single and common goal in mind. An orchestra in two different homes, your fingers donât feel as good as his and, his around his cock doesnât feel as good as your mouth. Dirty confessions are sent, he controls your pace from afar, telling you went to go faster and went to go slower.
In the middle of the night, you quietly come with each other in mind.
Tic, tac.
Friday. Times flies much quicker on the blue planet, Jaehyun knows it and yet, when he understands that he barely has three days left, he panics. He has much, so much to do. The brunette needs to get back to Olympus and he has too much to say, he pushed it away, wants to forget about it until the very last second.
Tomorrow, Iâll do it tomorrow, he tells himself again and again. After the date, he tells himself.
The date, Jaehyun promised heâd come pick you up and, a few hours after work, heâs patiently waiting in front of your building.
The car he was given at the beginning of his mission, he did not think heâd use but, here he is. Itâs a pretty car, he has to say. A glossy black, a brand he read about once, his fingertips drum on the wheel.
Poor thing is trying to push any thoughts of Olympus and his deadline aside and thankfully, he manages to the moment you step out of your building.
Youâre wearing something simple, but it isnât your outfit Jaehyun is looking from afar. The sun shouldnât set anytime soon but, the burning starâs less aggressive than it was earlier, leaving an orange hue on everything it touches.
It caresses your skin and makes it glow, soft breeze sending your locks aside like the second time he ever saw you. You give the brunette a small smile when you enter his car, you never knew he had such a nice vehicle and arenât ashamed when you detail It with attention. Leather seats, tinted windows, it wouldâve easily blended in during the other weekâs gathering.
âHi again.â, you tell him softly, slightly giddy at the thought of a date with the men.
âHi.â, he answers, sweet smile tugging at his lips as he looks at you closely. At this moment, you finally notice he looks at you like you hold every star in your pupils, butterflies threatening to escape from your stomach.
The car ride is a calm one, but you sure appreciate the comfortable silence between the two of you. You sure are curious, Jaehyun never told you where he was taking you.
The car passed by the building of your residential area, pretty buildings flash by until you get to the middle of the city, busier area alive as people get out of their house to eat with friends and family. The cityâs lights arenât on yet, but Seoulâs neon never die, they flash in the dim sunlight as Jaehyunâs car cuts through streets just to get away from it.
Tall buildings turn into small streets, less fancy buildings and, when youâre out of the city you look over at the brunette with a questioning look. âWhere are we going ?â, you ask him as the playlist he made from songs you sent restarts. Cars get rare, grass grows abundantly at the sides of the road and you can barely see any building close enough to be a restaurant.
âYouâll see.â, he tells you with a knowing smile and, when he gestures ahead with his chin. And you see it. In the middle of an empty field, multicolor lights flash on and off. You see the big wheel just starting to slowly rotate and you canât help the smile growing on your lips. Excitement bubbles in your chest, like a child going to Disneyland and you gasp softly when the car gets closer for you to detail the funfair even more.
You knew one was held a bit further from Seoul but, you thought you wouldnât get the chance to go. You didnât know when nor who drag with you, Sooyoung already had her almost boyfriend and all your friends were busy.
âAre we ?â, you ask in misbelief, almost hopping on your seat.
âYeah, I hope you didnât go before-.â, he starts and you immediately cut him off. âNo, no ! I wanted to go but didnât have anyone to drag with me.â, you laugh out before pointing at all the rides you want to try.
âGood, I really wanted to take you here.â, he hums while parking his car nearby.
Jaehyun loves the idea of funfairs, he loves what he read about them and what he saw but this, being in the middle of the big metal structures and colorful light, he loves it. He buys a bunch of tickets and you, at some point, have to stop him. Poor thing doesnât have the experience, he doesnât know how many things he can do in one night.
Heâs a happy puppy in the middle of a lot of noise, he recognizes a few songs blasting on the speakers and he stays stuck in front of big cotton candies and candy apples. Everything smells sweet and Asiaâs Cupid doesnât know what he wants to taste first but decides against it when he remembers what else he prepared.
Jaehyun uses all his tickets on you and lets you pick all the rides and games you want to play, he holds your hand when rides get too intense, locks sent away from the harsh breeze when the car rolls down a high hill.
He laughs at you the moment you scream in the haunted house, he tells you ghost donât look that friendly but he wraps an arm around you the moment he sees the pout on your lips.
You might feel like a high school student the moment he tries to win you a random plush, you discover heâs pretty bad at throwing things or, the game is rigged. You feel even better when you end up winning a plush for Jaehyun.
âDo you want to do this one again ?â, Jaehyun hums, lips against your temple. He points at the first ride you went on. It was fun, went backwards at some point but you were too hungry to do anything else. Curling against his side, you move your head left to right. âIâm hungry. Do you want to eat ?â, you propose on buying him anything, knowing how he almost drooled in front of the stand.
âI already got us something.â, the Cupid informs, lips traveling to your cheek.
âLet me spoil you.â, you pout, looking up at the tallest. A small smile grows on his lips, eyes travelling to the stand where all the candies are displayed. Maybe he wants popcorns, but he already had them before. Cotton candy looks too sticky and sugary and, candy apples look way too good. Shiny coat on red apples, his choice is set. âGet me a candy apple, then.â
âWhat did you bring ?â, you ask curiously as the brunette brings you back to his car. By now, the sun started the set, your stomach rumbles and you wonder what exactly he has prepared when he opens the bot of his car.
You have to say, you expected a generic date at a restaurant but this, this was much better. Youâre sure Jaehyun would be able to make any date interesting but the way his eyes glittered with the lights and how he wasnât scared to scream during rides truly made you understand how precious the men was.
âPicnic.â, he simply says, taking out a brown basket from his car.
If your friends asked you, you think youâll be able to pinpoint the very moment you truly fell in love with Jaehyun. He takes you by the hand and tells you he couldnât find a hill high enough for the picnic, like a shy boy on a very first date. He swiftly pushes the back seat of his car down but takes his cute green picnic cloth nonetheless, placing it in his car.
âMaâam.â, he says, voice sultry when he offers his hand. You fall in love the moment his digits slide between his, you use the support to climb onto his car.
You fall in love the moment he open his small basket and you see the sandwiches he prepared and how the only bought drinks you like and desserts he wanted to make you try. You fall in love the moment he takes out two pieces of the very cheesecake you love too much.
His sandwiches have too much condiment and not enough salad, but you might let it slide when you catch the Cupid with some mayo at the corner of his mouth. Though, you have to say his chocolate cake is the nicest thing youâve ever tasted.
Youâre full and tasted everything Jaehyun bought for you when the night falls, bight lights of the fun fair still enlightening the field around. Conservation flows easily, as always and, you pick at a lose thread, half laying in his car.
âDo you believe in soulmates ?â, you at some point, ask. It visibly takes the Cupid back, he was sipping from the red plastic cup and stops at once.
Tongue clicking against the roof of his mouth, he hums a little, or maybe he breathlessly laugh.
âI do.â, he simply says and, the both of you know nothing more needs to be said. Knowing smiles, hands brush against each other when the comfortable silence settles, and you help him clean everything.
âThere, best for last.â, you tell him after Jaehyun puts anything empty in a nearby bin and everything else in his basket. You donât know it yet but, this basket, this cloth, he bought them just for the occasion. Taking the candy apple from your bag, you unwrap it and hand it towards the brunette.
And, instead of taking it into his own hand, Jaehyun softly leans closer to you, lowering his head before biting down on his apple. The hard, caramel coat cracks under his pearly teeth, humming when the mix taste of the sugar and the apple coast his tongue.
âDo you like it ?â, you ask, attention caught by the menâs lips, thin coat of sugar on the plum flesh. âTry it.â, he says after nodding, and you do so. Biting down on the apple, you laugh a little when you struggle to completely detach a piece of the fruit.
âHm, itâs good.â, you tell him, chewing on the small piece you stole. The brunette takes the stick into his own hands and happily eats the candy away.
âThank you for today.â, you tell the Cupid after youâve helped him push his backseat up again. Sat on the leather, Jaehyun leaning, body half outside as the doorâs still open. Looking up at you after securing the seats, he smiles up at you proudly, he doesnât tell you but he struggled to put everything together after all, he never went on one until now.
âIâm happy you liked it.â, he whispers out, laughs and screams from the funfair still hear from your spot. He leans a bit and, you take the chance in your hands to lean as well, quickly pecking his lips. He tastes just like the apple candy he ate a bit earlier, and the single peck you wanted turns into a second, a third.
Jaehyun laughs a bit against your lips, breaking the exchange whenever he does. He definitely isnât the only one who can not keep his hands to himself, he thinks when your hands wrap behind his neck.
âI loved it.â, you mouth against his plump lips. His body follows when you lean backwards, his knee planting itself in the leather seat of his car. The placeâs small, his right hand grips into to top of the head rest so he doesnât crush you but you still feel the light breeze.
âClose the door.â, you whine out and, when Jaehyun understands, his eyes morphs from a surprised look to a hungry, lustful one in seconds. As said, youâre like a switch in the brunetteâs brain. You donât have to tell him twice, the Cupid leans back to close his carâs door and swiftly gets back on top of you. The slight weight of his bodyâs familiar now, something you appreciate and sigh against his lips when he finds his place between your legs.
âHere ?â, he wants to make sure, though his full lips travel down your throat anyways. He knows the path by heart now, finding the spot right between your collarbones. âDonât you want to go home first ?â
Youâd almost laugh at how careful he is. A hand grip his hair hard enough that he sighs, bringing his face close to yours again. âHere. I donât care.â, you reassure him and, Jaehyun does not need more.
âI canât get enough of you.â, the brunette sighs against your skin, fingers quickly working on the buttons of your shirt. Itâs quick, hectic, the placeâs already close and it seems the need crashed over the both of you like trucks. Jaehyun lets your shirt fall open, hand cupping one of your breasts over your bra, lips leaving long, deep kisses from your collarbones to the line of your jeans.
He looks at you then, doe eyes centimeters away from your core.
âJaeâ.â, the nickname makes him sigh against the skin of your hip, digits working on his own shirt. âFuck me, take me.â, you whisper out, almost desperately.
If the brunette looked ethereal before, he looks utterly out of this world when his body hovers over yours. The car shelters you from the sounds of the fun fair but, the tinted windows do not block the colorful lights. Blue, red, violets, yellow, they dance on his milky skin, they contrast against the bruises you left on his epidermis and the healing scratches on his back.
If the light doesnât manage to catch his face, they reflect on your features and has the Cupid staring for a bit too long, the way the blue light softly enlightens your cupidâs bow, the purple light adorns on your cheeks and the red color falls at the top of your eyebrow. They reflect in your irises, change at every blink.
âShit, youâre breathtaking.â, he confesses against your mouth, pearly teeth biting down on your bottom lip before tugging softly at it. Hands work on the buttons of your jeans and, the heavy fabric gets lost in the small, closed place. It feels like just like the morning after, things are passionate and rushed, your own hands work on his pants but itâs clear the desperation is too high for more foreplay.
Youâre thankful the car is set far enough you think no one will walk next to it, youâd be quiet ashamed if anyone hears you. Thereâs a high pitched gasp that tumbles from your lips when the Cupid presses his clothes hard on against your panties and uses an arm to help you sit up, on his lap.
Your mouth finds his again, itâs all tongue and teeth, a string of saliva connects your tongues when you pull back and watch his expression change when you slowly grind against his shaft.
The blue light falls on his jaw, tightening the moment you roll your hips against his, head falling back against the head rest. His hand runs in his hand and stays at the top for a moment, enjoying you taking the control, green light accentuates the veins bulging around his digits. Soft sighs fall from his lips and you make a point when you donât kiss him at this very moment, drinking in everyone of his sounds.
You might need to thank the lack of light, you already know youâre leaving a wet spot on the menâs boxers. His hands help you find a pace, delicious friction against thin fabrics, you can make the outline of his cock but, youâd be even happier with his shaft buried in your walls.
It seems he has the same thought when the brunette swiftly moves in the small space again. Now behind you, he pushes your upper body against the seat, giving you a view of the funfair you two were in hours ago, where innocent kisses where exchanged. Your arms lay on top of the head rest and, you donât hesitate to arch your back a little, pushing your bottom against the brunetteâs crotch.
Thereâs an appreciative groan from him, Jaehyunâs hands are quick to help you out of your panties. You think heâll do the same with his boxers but, when you feel his heavy breathe against your wet core, you understand he has other plans in head.
âWant to taste you so fucking bad.â, he mumbles against the skin of your thighs, lips leaving kisses everywhere but where you need it the most. You cry out desperately, unable to create words to express yourself. âCanât hear you.â, he teases you, a single digit running between your wet folds.
âPlease.â, your heart bumps so fast it resonates in your ears, your forehead falls against your arms and you speak up again. âPlease, Jaehyun. Touch me, want your mouth.â
And on cue, his tongue finally collects your juices on the pink muscle. He groans, it comes from his chest and sends vibrations against your core, mouthing against it. âGod, youâre so sweet. Sweeter than candy apple.â, he sighs, tongue pushing deeper. The muscle easily pushes pass your lips and laps, switching between using his tongue and wrapping his lips around your clit.
You already the brunette was good with his mouth by the way he took your breath away at every kiss but, he has you moaning in seconds, his lips work wonders around you and you have to muffle your moans, mumbles and whines against your arm.
Kitten licks and long stripes, he quickly brings you to the very edge. By now, Jaehyun knows the way your body works. He understands when your hips struggles between his grip, desperately trying to quickly chase your orgasm.
Youâre close, so close, the fear of staining his seats is long gone when you beg him to go faster but, when the bubble grows tighter and tighter, it suddenly bursts the moment he pulls away. Itâs cruel, how your high fades away, itâs unsatisfying, almost makes tears pool at the corner of your eyes.
âWhy did you-.â, you ask weakly, looking back at the brunette.
âI want you to come around me.â, he says, coming back at eye level. Light casts on his lips, shining from your essence.
âFuck me, then.â, you taunt, and the devilish smile on his lips foreshadows what comes next. His boxer quickly gets thrown next to his pants. Heavy cock he slaps a few times against his palm, you hear the weight and almost salivate. But, youâll have time for that after, you think.
His free hand reaches for your bottom but, he underestimates his force and his palm slaps against your ass without a warning. The sound resonates in the car and quickly follows a ripped moan from your lips.
âShouldâve known.â, the brunette starts, fakely disappointed sigh coming from his lips. âShouldâve known you were into that.â, and he reiterates the act, palm harshly slapping against the skin. You whine at that, heat creeping into your cheeks. At each slap, he smooths the skin right after, softly rubbing at the flesh.
It gets you even wetter and when you fear youâre going to drip all over his seats, Jaehyun brings his red head to your lips, collecting the translucid liquid.
Before you can even beg him again, he easily pushes the first inch between your walls, a sigh coming from the both of you. It still feels like the first time. Though, now he know exactly how you like it. A few inches in, the brunette doesnât hesitate and rams in, in a swift motion.
His hips pick up a punishing pace, itâs clear he chases both your orgasms. One hand rests on your hip while the other arches your back.
Skin slapping against skin, you try to muffle your moans against your arm but, Jaehyun doesnât care. Deep groans, he doesnât take your silence. His hand on your back creeps up, fingers lace in your hair and he abruptly yanks, pulling your back against his chest. No way to hide your moans, you whimper pathetically.
His thrusts turn slow, deep, hard. Face next to your own, his second hand moves to your jaw, holding it tightly. You might have to wear concealer there, by the way his fingertips dig at your skin, lips mouthing against your cheek.
âDonât hide from me. I want to hear you.â, he demands, and you bend under his wants. His name falls from your lips again and again, the fading orgasm he denied you moments prior comes running back and it isnât long until your walls tighten around him.
He breathes, moans and whisper whatever comes into his mind into your ear, only for you to hear, it sends shivers down your spine and you know, you know itâll stay forever engraved into your mind. How his low, deep, breathless voice muses at how good you feel around him, how slutty you are for him and only him. How you were made for each other and how he was fucking you like you deserved to be.
Your moans turn silent, breathless and, Jaehyun understands youâre close before you do. He gives you the silent permission when one of his hands deep down, digits circling around your clit.
It takes seconds for you to fall apart, your walls tighten around him, grip him and you come in a ripped scream that might catch the attention, you donât see. You donât see because you have to close your eyes, tears threaten to fall and stars flicker in front of your eyelids, youâd fall forward if the brunette didnât have such a tight grip on your body.
He follows quickly behind, groans against your neck and spills in long, white strings. He fills you up and makes sure you feel it, slow movements of his hips. Breathing heavy, you hear him chuckle lowly at the pleasure.
You whine out when he pulls out, suddenly empty but, your protest quickly gets cut when Jaehyun stuffs two of his fingers into your cunt.
âDonât waste anything.â, he hums, audibly tired. You gasp at the image when you look down, ring hugged digits coated in a layer of his and your own come, he slowly fucks it back in. Itâs a thought he doesnât voice, you tummy full of his come, the implications.
He brushes it away, heâs thinking too quickly.
A single kiss is placed on your forehead as he helps you clean, âLetâs go home, love.â
Saturday, Jaehyun can not keep pushing. Second to last day, time flies quickly and the clock tics without a second to spare. His decision is made, it has been made for days now but, saying it out loud is much, much different. Short nails pick at the small piece of skin peeling at the corner, Jaehyun knows what he has to do.
The television at his side plays some show he doesnât, itâs white noise anyways while he walks back and forth in his small apartment. He started to love it, he got attached to it quickly.
Needless to say, he got attached to you quickly, too.
Itâs around four in the afternoon that he finally, finally uses his emergency card. Gold, small, it fits in his palm. Thin, it has Olympus written on it in cursive, white letters. He wondered if he should wear the clothes Cupids wear daily but, he decides against it, itâs symbolic, heâll present himself with his new clothes.
Thereâs something twisting his guts, anxious andâŠScared ? He knows, the brunette knows, heâs more human than he thinks. Itâs when this exact thought crosses his mind that he opens the cards.
The same cloudy dust envelops his body, it blocks his view and, in seconds, heâs in Olympus.
What happens next, will stay an unknown story for the mortals, a tale narrated from Cupid to Cupid, from a generation to the next. Sometimes romanticized but, always about that one Cupid who found his soulmate in a human and fought for her. Always about a Cupid fighting a God for the one he loved.
It varies from person to person, some underline how the Cupidâs infatuation, his words and stories managed to convince Eros. Other highlight how Eros always had a soft spot for his Cupids, how good he always was with them. Who better to understand love than Eros himself.
Eros, large white wings move softly, making the clouds around him dissolve at his featherâs touch, looks down at Jaehyun with a soft smile, one of his sons. His hand rests on top of his large bow, head leaning against it as he laughs a bit at the brunetteâs expression. Heâs dumbfounded at how easily the God agreed. But, Asiaâs Cupid shouldâve known, Eros is a sucker for love stories. He wouldnât ever dare get between two lovers, not when one of them is Jaehyun.
âChild.â, Eros starts again, adoring look on his eyes. Jaehyun never had a father figure, not in his life at least but, when Jeonghan is the closest thing he had to it, Eros follow quickly behind. âYou are free.â
What can Jaehyun do other than bow down in front of the God, grateful isnât a word strong enough. Though, the brunette has many questions and, Eros already knows them. Few Cupids had the same questions and, heâs prepared.
âWhat aboutâŠMy memories ?â, Jaehyun asks, knot in his throat. Blonde, curly hair bounce to the side when Eros listens carefully to the question. On his pedestal, pretty throne in gold, he leans a bit forwards, the same pink eyes boring into Jaehyunâs now brown eyes. He noticed, he noticed how Jaehyun didnât let his irises take their original color, how he didnât dress like his brothers.
âYouâll keep them.â, visibly taken aback, the brunette doesnât answer and so, Eros continues. âWhen Cupids leave, theyâre free to pick. Return as newborns or, have a life on Earth as they are.â, simply says the God. âItâs harder, to be aware of everything, but itâs also a chance.â
âLike Jeonghan.â, he says before even thinking and, instead of answer, the blonde simply smiles.
âHeâll look over you. Iâm counting on you to look over him.â
The brunetteâs mind might blow at this very moment, he knew. The posture, gestures, smile, the way he looked at him. So he was your tutor too.
âWhat about the others ?â, Jaehyun doesnât dare say their names, his brothers, he will probably cry if he does. Will he ever see them again, he doubts, and thatâs the heartbreak Jaehyun wanted to avoid. Suddenly, Erosâ features grow cold, worried, even.
âYou can say good bye, but youâre not allowed to come back after that.â, he knew. But it still makes the brunette look at the ground, tears at the corner of his eyes. He wonât cry now, he tells himself.
He cries minutes after, when his brothers wait aligned in front of him.
Jaehyun wonât ever talk about the good byes he had. Tearful, he made sure to look at his brothers face enough to make sure he wouldnât ever forget them, even without pictures. He cries and begs for their forgiveness when they arenât even mad. Jaehyun has a sweet word for everyone, he wishes he had prepared himself better and he gives something to each one of his brothers. He cries when they hug each, one by one.
They all promise theyâll look over him, they all promise theyâll find each other again, in their next life, whenever the next generation steps in.
Jaehyun doesnât even get to see the next Cupid at his spot, the one touched by his white arrow years ago.
Jaehyun looks back one last time, and before he can cry again, he falls from Olympus. Seconds that feel like minutes where Asiaâs ex Cupid feels everything and nothing at the same time.
When his feet touches the ground again, he doesnât even register where he is. He thinks heâs in his apartment again and, when he opens his eyes. Heâs in front of your door.
Eros, he thinks. He said heâd look over him too, seems he didnât lie.
Red eyes, bloodshot, he doesnât think twice and knocks on your door. The shock and worry in your eyes almost makes him laugh through his last tears, one his quickly dries off with his sleeves. Youâre unaware of this, you donât know yet but, he did all of this for you. Gods know your name, the love he has for you told to generations.
âI have something to tell you.â
Taeyong sighs heavily, a hand harshly pushing the pink hairedâs hand away. Asiaâs next Cupid is in formation while Jungwoo balances between his continent and his old friendâs. The new Cupid is a teenager, he looks a bit younger than Mark. Curious, he was happy to be assigned to Asia but Gods, was he the perfect annoying little brother.
Death glare towards the smallest, Taeyong pushes his arrows away.
âNo, Jaemin. Youâre not allowed to.â, the red haired tells him again and, he pouts. âLet me at least look at my continent.â, the youngest says. Itâs the end of the day and the oldest figures heâll let him, now that he learned how to travel quickly and look over different cities.
âOh no, I wanted To-.â, he youngest starts, trying to move to the wanted Japanese city.
âWait !â, Taeyongâs loud voice rings in Jaeminâs poor ears, he frowns as he looks at the city he accidently landed on. Seoul. Whatâs Taeyong staring at, he wonders. A couple walks in the middle of a store, one Jaemin doesnât recognize. Annoyed by the interruption, he looks over at this tutor.
âAre you going to shoot an arrow at him ?â, he asks.
âOh no, theyâre already blessed by the Gods. They donât need arrows.â Â
Send đč for a starter where Cupidâs Arrow has struck my muse to make them fall for yours. The love that my muse has for yours will grow with each passing hour and disappear after a day.
*Woosh*
...!!
( What was...that? I felt this really odd sensation just now... )
[Presses one hand against her chest.]
Say, Laito-kun, did you just feel something strange as weăŒ
[Turns her head as suddenly her heart skips a beat, cheeks turning bright red.]
*Ba-dump*
( ...!? W-What's going on...? Why is my heart racing...? This feeling...It's almost as if IăŒăŒ! )