Grim Reaper! Mingyu
Can I request a Grim Reaper! Mingyu where it ends tragically?
A/N: Oof let’s hope Mingyu gets better soon!
Warnings: mentions of death, blood, and implications of some other dark stuff
rules
there were just three
just like the three fates in Greek mythology
there were three rules
1.) Do everything you’re told to do
2.) Do not question why or what you do
3.) Do not do anything unless you’re explicitly told you can
these were the rules Mingyu had always been very familiar with
after all his job was important
they called him a fallen angel
the devil
the grim reaper
one ghost even called him a bitch once
but he had no name
he was just one of the many shadows called upon to collect souls of those passed on the earth
he was one of the Faceless
Mingyu knew the rules very well
but there had always been one thing
a secret he kept
he had never been allowed to speak to the souls he was told to collect
but he couldn’t help it
when many were in disbelief
crying begging for their lost families still living
he couldn’t not speak
he couldn’t not comfort them
so while many of the Faceless as they were called
mindlessly collected the souls they were instructed to in silence
Mingyu kept their stories
with him
he asked them about their lives
tried to comfort them and give them last solace while he could
before sending them to the other side
he hated it
he hated everything he did
for who wants to hear the last stories of those never to breathe again?
but he knew it was his purpose
sometimes when he wasn’t on duty
he would open his journal
and for those who had gone
he took a moment to honor their lives
to read about their families and past
each one brought a pang to his heart
some of the journal entries would haunt him he knew
but he’d review them
breathe life into the stories on the page for just a few minutes
there had been Jake
a small five year-old boy
who had been killed in a car crash involving a drunk driver
Mingyu remembered that night too well
Jake had been sitting in the middle of the road
clutching a worn out stuffed bunny
Mingyu had expected the child to cry
many do
but upon seeing Mingyu
Jake simply reached his arms out
and let Mingyu pick him up
“Can I see my mommy now?”
Mingyu couldn’t help the tears that started forming in his own eyes
“Yes of course Jake, I’ll take you to her.”
there had also been Claire
she was 25
Mingyu had met her in the hospital
she sat on the edge of her hospital bed
staring down at her physical form
before noticing Mingyu in the doorway
“Ahh about time.” Claire said getting up
Mingyu simply nodded before saying “Do you have anyone you want to leave wishes for?”
she simply shook her head and took his hand
“You’re the only one to see me off.”
and they had walked together quietly to the other side
Mingyu shut the journal quickly
some days were better than others
some days his job was easy
some days difficult
but today something was off
something was very different
he received his assignment at dawn
surprised he picked up the name card
usually assignments for him came at sunset
a fitting time to wonder around as a shadow
bringing those to final peace
but the card
it came at sunrise
he turned it over in his fingers
“Y/N, 21 years old”
he frowned
and flipped over the card for cause of death
“Cause of death: unknown”
he nearly dropped it
how was
the cause of death...
unknown..?
picking up his suit quickly
Mingyu grabbed his journal and made his way to the location listed under the name
when he arrived he looked around
he was on a beach
the waves rolling gently over each other
before finally crashing down on the sand
and there you were
on the edge of earth and sea
feet tickled by the waves as you walked slowly further out from dry land and into the surf
“Stop!!!!”
Mingyu knew this was against the rules
but never had the cards
had fate
ever dealt him someone alive
he ran after you
but you knew
you wouldn’t die
you couldn’t
because you were a Faceless too
and Faceless do not die
you had heard of the many myths humans made about grim reapers like you
not all of them were that off
no you had walked into the surf knowing very well you wouldn’t die
because you still had a job to do
you had received a card this morning as
“Kim Mingyu, 21 years old”
you felt Mingyu drag you back by your arm
felt him pull you closer
into his arms
and held you
pulled you back from the surf
“Are you insane?” He yelled
you looked up at his face
“Kim Mingyu.”
“Yea…? Wait- How do you know my name?”
you pulled out his name card
and handed it to him
“I can’t die.” You told him “I just wanted to feel the ocean water, I’ve never done it before.”
he stared at shock at his own name
and flipped it over
“Cause of death: unknown”
he reached into his suit pocket and reached for your name card and handed it to you
you stared at it
“But I thought we can’t die.” You told him looking up into his eyes
brown
beautiful alive and very real eyes
Mingyu had a name
had a face, had a life
but here he was
his name on your card
“What does this mean?” He asked you comparing both of your names on the card
“I’m not entirely sure.” You said
“What are we supposed to do?”
you could see the fear in his eyes
you were sure you did too
“It’s not like we can actually die Mingyu, we’re Faceless. Our main purpose is collecting souls. We can’t die.” You told him taking his hand to comfort him
“Ah!” You felt a sharp prick and looked down at your foot
blood
a red cut from possibly a rock or broken piece of glass on the beach had cut your foot
but the concerning part was the blood
you’re not supposed to bleed
the pain intensified as the cut continued bleeding and your strength gave way
physical pain
another thing you had never experienced
you fell right as Mingyu caught you
holding you up with his arms
“I thought we don’t feel pain!” You started panicking, “We can’t bleed we can’t get hurt we can’t die!”
Mingyu looked frightened at the cut on your leg before picking you up to support you in his arms
“I don’t know what’s happening but it’s going to be ok.”
he helped you back towards town and found a convenience store with bandages
you sat on a bench waiting and when he came back he carefully dressed your cut
“I think we’re being punished.” He quietly said while wrapping your cut
“For what?”
“I broke the rules.” He sighed “and now I must be paying the price.”
you thought upon this
“I broke the rules too.” You whispered to him “I talked to them, you know the people and souls we have to collect. I know we’re not supposed to but.”
“It’s ok,” He quickly said looking at you, “you did the right thing.”
“But I broke the rules.” You said feeling tears well up in your eyes
he finally took you in his arms
giving you a reassuring hug
“It was the right thing to do.”
after a moment
of just being held by him
being comforted by someone who knew how difficult it was to do your job
you felt a tad bit better
“So are we mortal now?” You asked
“I’m not sure.” He looked around, “it appears that way.”
“So what do we do?”
“I guess we start living as humans.”
it was difficult transitioning
before you felt no physical pain
never got sick
never needed sleep
but soon you both learned humans need a lot to survive
like food and shelter
but you already had false identities to cover your work collecting souls
now it was just to actually find jobs and a place and settle
and Mingyu was there to help with it all
surprisingly he was good at cooking food
something you never knew you needed
ah so this was why people ate everyday
he was so good at it he got hired at a restaurant in town
and everyday he’d bring you leftover food after work
and you’d both sit around your apartment
eating and laughing together
it felt only natural
only he really knew the difficulty of transitioning from Faceless to human
and after a while
he became your happiness
his little shy grin when you complimented his food
and the little canine teeth he had that made him look like the cutest puppy when he smiled
as Faceless, you had only really known great grief, and anguish and guilt
but with Mingyu
the days were brighter
and the nights warmer
and the darkness farther away
he’d hold onto you at night when the nightmares came
when your memories caught up and the fear of dying caught up
he’d purse his lips
and run his fingers comfortingly through your hair
and press his lips to your forehead
“It’s ok. Don’t worry everything is ok.”
and for him
he didn’t have to live in the darkness anymore
see sadness and take people away from their lives
to take their souls from the earth
he relished in creating things
in living and breathing
and you too were his happiness
he couldn’t imagine surviving as a human without you
you weren’t exactly sure when
but you both learned the feeling of love instead of sadness
and you found it together
you had a nice job in town too
you got to teach little kids how to paint
and one evening you were closing up your little studio for the kids’ art
and started walking home to meet Mingyu
it was a cold night
and the sun was quickly setting
you wrapped you cardigan closer around you
when you heard shouting
it sounded like…
Mingyu
you felt your blood run cold
as your legs numbed from the cold
and your walk turned into a run and then sprint as you raced down the street
the apartments were on fire
residents were out on the street staring at the flames licking up the sides of the walls
where was he
no
no
no no no no no
“Miss you can’t go in there!!!”
you pulled back the arms holding onto you as you ran right up the steps of the building
right as the firemen pulled out a stretcher with
him
on it
words floated to your head about smoke and how a gas line blew
but you couldn’t hear any of it
you only stared down at him
and a card
a name card shimmered into existence in your hand
“Kim Mingyu, 21 years old, Cause of death: asphyxiation by accidental fire”
and you knew then
that this was your punishment
not the loss of immortality
not the loss of being a Faceless
but the loss of your everything
of your happiness
all because you broke the rules
you stood up shaking
tears streaming down your face as they zipped up the body bag
and out of the corner of your eye
you saw a shadow
a Faceless
as he walked away
and broken
you fell to your knees
and cried
MASTERLIST
