#irenesmut

“Please stand clear of the closing doors,” the automated voice said, with poise. “Please stand clear of the closing doors.”

As you stepped into the subway car, there was nothing unexpected. Typical smudges of dirt and mud smeared along the ground from occupants long gone, the occasional forgotten item or paper sitting on a seat.

Choosing to avoid these, you carefully took a seat closer to the center, sitting down primly, your ears piqued, your eyes darting from side to side. Caution never hurt anyone, especially not a solitary passenger on a late-night public transit ride.

The night made you acutely aware of your own exhaustion, your eyelids drooping downwards despite the nap you had taken earlier in the afternoon. Luckily for you, the uncomfortable seat cushions served their purpose, forcing you to stay awake.

There was a musk that hung about the air, an uncouth, fermented scent, a cross between a rotting corpse and metallic blood. It reminded you of the laboratory.

It reminded you of the doctor. And needles.

Lots of needles.

Nausea washed over you, your head aching in pain, your vision hazing into a blur of green and blue, as a memory flashed through your mind, distant yet clear.

Then there was suddenly a man standing in front of the shoji, his armor glinting under the moonlight.

A samurai?

“You...”

Terror was all you could feel.

“You bitch!”

His eyes were wide and crazy, his hands quick to snatch at your throat. Only when you attempted to scream did you realize that you were, in fact, in the mind of a woman.

“You dare to sully my name,” he screamed. “My name!”

You tried to fight back, to stop him, but he was strong. Too strong. He flung you across the room, sending you careening into a stand of katanas, then crashing through a wax paper door.

“I’ll make you pay,” he swore, grinning maniacally. “You fucking whore!”

There was a flash of steel before your eyes were practically forced shut, his sweaty palm forced in your face, holding you still.

Then you felt it.

The tug, the pull of the blade, slicing through your cheeks, dragging through your flesh from ear to ear, your mouth bleeding and stinging in agonizing pain.

You barely felt the knife puncture your throat as his hand released you, your body immediately crumpling to the ground, blood pouring out of the gashes in your face and neck.

“Fucking filthy piece of shit,” he snarled, turning away, sheathing his blade.

Leaving you to bleed to death, boiling with anger and frustration.

The pain slowly dulled away as you opened your eyes, your breath catching in your throat as you stared into the subway again, its lights bright and fluorescent, washing you in the comfort of the present.

You could still feel the sting of the knife, digging into you as you blinked back tears.

I’m sorry.

Another memory.

You shook your head, staring back down at the floor. The dirty, unclean floor. Some fates were worse than others, you supposed. That of an onryō was certainly one of the worst.

A bitter smile played upon your lips as you leaned back in to the seat again, your eyes flickering from side to side.

Surely, it wouldn’t be long now.

As if on cue, the lights within the subway flickered, then flickered again, before turning off entirely, plunging the car into darkness.

A moment passed, your breath held in anticipation, in fear. There was certainly a considerable amount of danger in your position; sitting in the dark, waiting for a vengeful spirit.

But it needed to be done.

The lights came back on, and you were suddenly aware of a presence beside you, cold air sifting through the atmosphere of the subway car, your body subconsciously flinching at the aura of malice burning into your intuition.

Every atom of your body begged you to stay still.

Fuck that.

You turned.

It was a woman.

Her long black hair was thick and voluminous, shining down her back like waves of ink. Her face was fair and pale, her hands long slender, and she was quite tall, at least as tall as you were, if not more so.

She wore a simple surgical mask on her face.

When she turned to you, her eyes struck you with their piercing red color, deep and velvety like wine.

Truly, she was beautiful.

“Hello, miss,” you said politely, giving her a nod.

She seemed to smile back at you, her eyes crinkling at the sides, returning the gesture.

Her head cocked to the side, studying you for a moment, before her eyes turned to black, warm merlot darkening like blood, thickening until they flooded her sockets like ink for calligraphy.

A shiver ran down your back as she leaned in closer to you.

“Am I pretty?”

It was the question you’d been waiting for.

“Yes.”

She seemed to smile again at that, bowing her head at you. She hesitated, pausing.

Then she lifted her hand and removed her mask, revealing the devastating slit where her mouth was, reaching from ear to ear.

A clean cut that stretched her face into a gruesome, mutilated mess.

The wound that terrorized the dreams of children across Japan, striking them with fear.

It was that same cold fear that struck you now, momentarily paralyzing you in your seat, your eyes afraid to move away from her grinning, bleeding face.

Her smile grew wider, showing her teeth, sharp as razors within.

“And now?”

It was impossible for you to miss the way her hands moved behind her back, drawing a knife in each, blood suddenly dripping down to the floor. You were suddenly aware of a body in the next car, a growing pool of crimson surrounding the prone corpse, entrails strewn about in a jumbled mess.

You had taken a deep breath, gathering your bearings while the woman waited for your response patiently, when the vision from earlier struck you.

You knew why she did what she did.

And it made you feel nothing but pity.

“I...I’m sorry for what happened to you,” you murmured, sighing and standing up from your seat. “It must’ve been hard...really hard for you to find forgiveness.”

For a moment, you thought her eyes had welled up with tears, that her body had softened and the bony fingers gripping those bloody knives had relaxed.

Then she hissed at you, standing up to face you, her body clearly towering over yours now, elongating until she was as tall as the ceiling of the subway car.

“Answer the question,” she growled, her voice distorted and demonic. “Am I pretty?”

“Please...forgive me,” you whispered.

“Is that a no?”

Slowly, you stretched your hands out, cracking your knuckles before drawing out a short dagger of your own, inscribed and blessed with sacred oil.

Then you smiled, albeit wistfully.

“Beauty...is on the inside, miss. It’s not about who you are on the outside.”

She laughed, pitching her head back, her mouth opening unnaturally wide before she stared you down, her eyes narrowing into a hungry glare.

“Wrong answer.”

..........................................

From the onset, the melee was short and concise, her movements efficient and directed to kill. It made sense; sightings of kuchisake-onna were commonly reported in tandem with corpses, cleanly disemboweled in one stroke, hardly a mess left behind save for the spilt blood and organs.

She certainly wasn’t one to play with her victims.

That much became obvious as she advanced on you, knives flying, her hands poking and prodding at your body, pushing your reflexes to the limit as you struggled to dodge and deflect each blow.

“Should’ve brought two,” you thought to yourself as you leaned back, a rush of air slicing over your nose, the swiftness of her attack almost catching you off guard.

Think. Think. How do I do this?

With smooth, practiced effort, you made a desperate sidestep to buy more time, attempting to slide past her to another end of the car with more room, though you weren’t able to avoid the end of her blade slicing cleanly into your left shoulder.

Blood dripped down your arm, the crimson liquid only amplifying the butterflies in your stomach, your heartbeat rocketing as adrenaline kicked in.

She merely smirked, pausing in her assault. “You’re better than most that I come across.”

You laughed.

“I wouldn’t be looking for you if I wasn’t.”

Her entertainment with you seemed to work to your advantage, her guard temporarily dropping, allowing you a simple instep and a swift jab, your dagger plunging into the side of her midsection, eliciting a roar of pain and a wild swing.

The back of her hand caught the corner of your cheek, the force of the blow sending you off your feet and flying onto your back, sliding along the ground before coming to a stop at the door to the next car.

“Fuck,” you cursed, getting to your feet, your left arm aching and numb, practically useless.

Her anger propelled her forwards like a missile, the knives raining down onto you again, forcing you back, back, back, until you knew there was no way you would be able to keep retreating. There was nowhere left to run.

And you knew goddamn well that there was nowhere to hide.

A stray blow found its mark on your cheek. Another found its place in your side. Then another just below it. Her knives were relentless. Hungry. Immeasurably quick. Defense was hopeless, you realized.

Not only was she better armed, her reach was long, extending significantly farther than any distance you could hope to close safely. The last time you had tried to slip past her, she’d merely nicked you. You knew you wouldn’t get so lucky again.

But you had to try something.

Stepping to the side, you attempted the same maneuver, trying to slip past her, sliding along the edges of the seats.

For a moment, it might’ve worked.

It might’ve worked if she hadn’t caught you in a well-placed slash, the blade cutting across your chest, a deep gash opening in your skin, sending you tumbling to the ground.

She loomed over you, grinning at her latest victim, her knives poised to end you.

“Not good enough, it would seem.”

With great effort, a thunderous crack of pain cracking through your arm, you raised your hand, holding it in front of you as thought to ward off her strength, to protect you for a short time.

It was all you had left to offer.

Then you focused.

Memories rushed through your mind’s eye, some familiar, some not. It was all a blur as you did your best to construct an immutable bond between her consciousness and yours, blending your lives into one, tricking her body into believing you were a part of her.

Part of it was luck. Part of it was instinct.

She would not harm herself.

Her knives suddenly came to a halt against the invisible barrier, a construction of your mind. The effort to maintain it made your vision spin with dizziness, your head splitting with a sudden migraine.

But the momentary confusion was enough for you then.

The apparition ceased her motions, screaming in annoyance. “What is this?!”

She reared back before striking the mental shield, a scream tearing from your throat as pain arced through your head from the strain. It was as though you were being struck by a lightning bolt, electricity crackling through your body at inhuman levels.

The ghost struck again, harder. Harder. Harder. Over and over and over again, your sight filling with black spots from the agony under the pressure.

It was too much.

Your hand fell to your side, limp and numb, your body refusing to obey your commands as you collapsed to the floor of the subway, exhausted. Clearly, you’d bitten off more than you could chew.

“Not talking so much anymore, hm?” the spirit laughed, gloating.

You managed a bloody chuckle at that.

“Just...ah...something in my...throat...”

As her ghastly smirk hovered above your head, you noticed a sudden glint in the window of the subway as it slowed at the oncoming station.

Then there was a thunderous crack as every window in the car shattered simultaneously, glass shards raining down like a shower of knives, the sound jolting both you and the ghost.

The subway was still slowing down when somehow, you noticed another figure at the end of the car, small and petite, eyes glittering like rubies, long brown hair swept behind her. How she had even gotten into the car was a mystery to you, but her gaze was trained on the apparition still reeling from the shock of her surprising entrance.

She leapt at the ghost, launching her tiny frame from one end of the car to the others, tackling the apparition with unbelievable ferocity, overpowering it with brute strength and speed, punches flying as she pummeled it into the steel floor.

They tangled against each other for a few quick moments before you suddenly realized your dagger was missing, lost in the mix of glass and blood on the ground.

The ghostly screech of pain and explosion of black, inky blood was enough to tell you who had taken it.

You breathed a weak sigh of relief as you struggled to your hands and knees, blood pouring from your wounds, pain digging into your senses, a headache roaring in your ears. You blacked out for a moment, collapsing like a fawn before struggling again to your feet, grasping at the nearest pole, discombobulated and dazed.

You needed to get home.

“We have arrived at Shibuya Station,” the automated voice announced, just as calm and poised as before. “We have arrived at Shibuya Station. Please stand clear of the doors.”

Shibuya? That’s...that’s far. Right?

You took a step towards the door, your body as heavy as a twenty ton bucket of bricks, before your stamina gave out, your knees buckling under your own weight, sending you tumbling back down to the floor, a muffled cry of alarm ringing out from behind you in your dulling ears.

It was filthy, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care as your eyes closed, your arms dangling uselessly at your sides, and despite the gentle tug of someone’s grip on your hand, you quickly found yourself falling into a warm, comfortable embrace, into the insulated, gentle darkness of unconsciousness.

..........................................

Your eyes were closed as you woke up, your body still against a soft surface, cushioning you comfortably. A soft buzz zipped through the air, an annoying noise that beat incessantly at your brain.

Your body still felt heavy, unsurprisingly. But there was suddenly more cloth on your body, some kind of cotton stinging at your wounds. Gauze?

Where the fuck were you?

“You know I know you’re awake, right?”

You stayed still.

“You snore like you have a respiratory illness,” the voice continued, and you could hear the traces of a smile in her voice. “Besides, you have to get up anyway so I can finish bandaging you.”

You cracked an eye open, finding yourself face to face with the demure-looking woman, chocolate-brown hair draped over her shoulder, tiny in contrast to the spacious room behind her. 

Joohyun. Bae Joohyun.

She was a friend, a companion, an unlikely yet perfect ally in an impossible situation. She’d been there from the first moment; the kidnapping and captivity, the drugging and injections, the escape and reconstruction. There was nothing you’d suffered through that she didn’t suffer through with you, and the quiet defiance lying dormant in her gaze was a permanent reminder of your broken past.

As usual, her lips were set in a neutral frown, though her eyes told a different story. Emotions flitted across them, shooting stars on the blank canvas of a night sky.

Concern. Humor. A touch of relief, even.

“You’re alive,” she said calmly, her voice firm. “Good. Sit up please.”

You weren’t surprised at her nonchalance, her hands wringing out a rag over a bucket, blood dripping steadily into it. Joohyun had never been one to wear her heart on her sleeve, even less so after the experiments began. She’d always been the last to scream whenever the trials started, the last to cry in pain. The only one who never seemed to complain or give a damn.

She was stronger than you had even imagined someone could be, unbreakable, a force to be reckoned with.

Joohyun sat with you for a while, cleaning the cuts all over your body, subtly watching how your face shifted into grimaces, listening for the pained exhales that escaped your lips whenever she prodded too much. The buzz of the lamp slowly dulled into your periphery as you watched her slowly fix you and put your pieces back together.

“You’re pretty heavy, you know,” she finally said, breaking the silence. “You’ll need to cut some weight if you want to pass out again like that.”

Her joke fell on deaf ears, however. What she said mattered little compared to what she was, quite literally, thinking.

Don't you dare fucking scare me like that again.

“So...how’d you find me?” you asked, a cocky grin sliding on your face. Her expression remained impassive.

“I heard you,” she responded. “The subway made it hard to track exactly where, but I found you anyways.”

You laughed.

“Track me?” you repeated, faux-innocently. “Well, if you wanted to see me you could’ve just asked.”

She wasn’t amused.

“Don’t be an ass. You shouldn’t have been out there alone,” she bit back, eyes narrowing. 

The sting of her tone was only slightly soothed by your knowledge of her taciturn nature, her own expression softening when she realized how harsh her words sounded. “I meant I just don’t really...I...um...”

“It’s fine,” you sighed, feeling much like a kicked puppy. “I...you’re right.”

“You just...you need to be more careful,” she whispered, dabbing away at a spot of dried blood on your face. “Okay?”

 You nodded. “Mm.”

You sat there for a long while, a comfortable silence developing in the air as you looked around you, finally taking in your surroundings for what they were.

It was surprisingly spacious and free, the ceilings high above your head and the lights dim. There was a window high up on the wall, a solitary streak of moonlight blending into the warm orange glow of the lamps below.

You were sitting on a couch, leathery and soft, a large flat-screen TV propped up on the wall ahead of you upon a mantel. A considerable amount of dust was present on the coffee table in front of you, a clear sign of infrequent usage.

“God, you’re a mess,” she murmured to herself, shaking her head at the dust and dirt that had accumulated on your clothes. Automatically, her hands began peeling your clothes off, helping you out of your jacket, carefully removing your shirt. It was when she reached your pants that she stopped, a faint blush decorating her cheeks, a rare moment of embarrassment settling in with a sheepish smile.

It was something you knew you would treasure, the special seconds in each day where she could blend into normalcy. Neither of you nor any of the other test subjects were ordinary any longer, augmented and changed in ways none of you could describe.

Gifts, the doctor called them. In many ways, you could say that they were. Heightened senses, increased strength and durability, psychokinesis and ESP potency, even color-changing camouflage skin.

But something about how he had tried to use these abilities as leverage to beg for his own life made you think they were a little less altruistic than mere “gifts”.

Carefully watching Joohyun, you gestured at the long banister of winding stairs to the upper floor of the house. “So...are the kids asleep?”

She nodded.

“The kids” in question, of course, were four younger test subjects who’d managed to slip out of the facility with you and Joohyun. Really, they were all friends, but given the difference in their age, you had found it fitting to call them such, especially with their seemingly boundless reserves of positive energy.

God, they seriously never stopped talking sometimes.

You let your hand drift over the space between the two of you, your fingers slowly wrapping around her slender, tiny, soft palm, holding it gently as she gave you a patiently bemused look.

“Joohyun.”

“Hm?”

You brought her hand up to your lips, pressing a soft kiss to it. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

She was silent for a moment, the corners of her lips pulling up slightly further, the shine of her smile finally reaching her eyes.

“You know I don’t like it when you read my mind,” she said, her voice steady and cool, though her complaint held no malice. Her hand squeezed yours gently, laced with forgiveness.

It’s okay. You’re here. That’s what matters.

“I thought I told you not to read my mind.” She smirked knowingly. 

Again?

You grinned, looking away. “Sorry.”

“Mm-hmm. You should be. Running out like that,” she chided lightly, her hand playfully slapping you.

Tilting your face back towards her, she let her fingers brush your chin, both of her hands raising to cup your cheeks.

“Don’t do that again. Promise?”

You wrapped your arms around her slender waist, pulling her on top of your lap to straddle you in those accursed fishnets, strings of fabric that teased your eyes to no end.

“I promise.”

Then her lips were on yours, curved in a bashful smile, equal parts wicked and sweet, needy yet patient. Her hands slid down to your chest, pushing down on you even while the rest of her body pressed against you sensually, her warmth lighting up the front of you, dulling the pain that ached in your muscles.

The tips of her slender fingers soothed you, relieved you of the tension that constantly plagued you day in and day out, and you found yourself losing your restraint beneath her feathery, teasing touch.

“Ah...fuck,” you groaned softly as her lips slowly migrated down to your jawline, nipping gently at the skin, a light chuckle slipping from her lips as your breath quickened. “Joohyun...”

She hummed pleasantly against your skin, the vibrations of her voice rumbling against your throat. Then she paused, pulling back slowly, the same diffident smile on her face. “Why don’t I go run a bath?”

Her touch had begun to recede, her hands leaving your bare skin when you caught her wrist, holding her for a moment.

“It’s okay. I can just take a shower later,” you said quickly, gently tugging her back to you.

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “But I want a bath.”

She slipped from your grasp easily, fleeing out of sight, giggling at the whine that you could scarcely believe you had made as she slowly walked down the hall, pulling you along an invisible string, a fly caught in the spider’s web, helpless and unable to resist.

A bath it is.

You opened the bathroom door as the water began to roar out of the faucet, filling the tub rapidly as you watched, savoring another moment of normalcy in your hectic lives, treasuring a new memory with Joohyun as she busied herself fiddling with the knobs, turning them to adjust the heat until she was satisfied.

Then she turned to face you, her hair tumbling down her shoulders, a blush playing on her cheeks, the steam of the hot water misting her skin with a light sheen of sweat.

She was beautiful.

“You’re staring, you know.”

Her tone was playful and amused, her eyes trained on you.

Then she began to undress, her hands slowly slipping off her jacket and her halter top before her pace fell to a crawl, inch by agonizing inch of her skin slowly revealing itself as she lifted her bra up and over her shoulders, as she slid those tantalizing fishnets down her slender legs.

Your breath hitched in your throat at the sight.

Fuck, she was perfect. She was everything you’d remembered from earlier in the day, when you’d managed to steal a moment alone with her after lunch, allowing a quick rendezvous in the upstairs closet to satiate both of your burning desires. Modest, pert breasts. A smooth, toned stomach. Perfectly sculpted legs that were made to be wrapped around your waist. A smile that constantly toed the line between innocently unassuming and sinfully inviting.

But beyond her objective appearance were the small details, so miniscule that they might easily be lost in the wash of her general beauty, the one that had heads turning wherever she went.

There was the birthmark below the underside of her right breast. The discolored bruise of a nasty fall earlier that week. Then there were the more permanent and numerous marks of pain all along her back; scars ranging from jagged cuts to small nicks, each carrying a story of desolation.

You smiled at the sight, feeling the peaceful calm of the present wash over you. The laboratory was long, long gone, stuck in a past both of you had been lucky enough to escape.

She must have sensed your reminiscence, felt the path of your thoughts with her intuition, because she quickly pulled you back into the present with an aptly thrown pair of panties, the flimsy cloth falling to your feet and calling your attention.

Black lace. Your favorite.

“Come on,” she said softly, gently, stepping towards you on the tiled floor with a knowing smirk, equal parts questioning and confident. “You can’t have clothes on in a bath.”

Her fingers drifted down to your pants, deftly undressing you, her fingertips skimming over your skin like wisps of wind, stopping as your cock sprang free from the confines of your straining boxers, pulsing and aching at first contact with the cool air.

Even now, Joohyun still managed a faint blush at the sight, a dazzlingly timid smile gracing her lips as she looked up at you with some measure of surprise.

“My, my,” she murmured, her hand wrapping around your rock-hard member, giving it a soft squeeze. “Someone’s getting impatient.”

Now it was your turn to blush, your eyes narrowing at her.

“You wanted the bath.”

Joohyun laughed at your rebuttal, satisfied all the more by the small pout on your lips. 

“Touché.” 

Then she stood, releasing your hardness, her fingers interlacing through your own, gently pulling you along with her towards the tub, thoroughly filled and oddly fragrant, though the scent was actually quite agreeable.

“Mint and lemon,” you thought absently. Just like her.

The warmth of the water was all-encompassing, relaxing and insulating, the natural weightlessness of your body somehow setting you at ease, letting you lean back against the edge of the expansive tub with a sigh, your eyes shutting in bliss. The hiss of your wounds hardly bothered you then, even as your bandages were thoroughly soaked.

I’ll change them after I get out.

It was a long, long moment before you opened your eyes again, your vision slowly filling with the sight of Joohyun’s tiny frame, hovering close to you, her face lit up with a playful smile.

She was holding a sponge.

“Wash me?” she asked, her head cocked to the side, studying your expression. Her eyes were filled with an ever-present gentleness, an irreverent type of care, and it was sometimes enough to make you wonder whether she had hidden ESP abilities herself.

You nodded, extricating the sponge from her fingers as she slowly turned around in the water until her back was facing you.

It was always her back that she had been most sensitive about when you had begun to grow intimate with her, from refusing to face away from you to simply avoiding you entirely. She had been afraid, deathly so that the marks would frighten you and send you into a disgusted shock.

You’d found out when you’d fled with her from the laboratory the first time, finding some semblance of shelter at a forest miles and miles away from where you had come from.

“Y-You don’t...think it’s...it’s...”

You clasped her hands in yours, holding her close while she held back tears, her secret finally having been revealed under terrible happenstance.

“What’s wrong, Joohyun?”

It was only when she took a shaky breath, her eyes finally meeting yours at a sidelong glance that you realized the genuine hatred she felt for them, the burning, endless fire of vengeance that crackled in the deepest recesses of her heart.

“...impure?”

You felt tears of your own well up as you hugged her tighter, her limbs and suddenly seeming so, so small.

So, so frail.

“Never, Joohyun,” you said, with determined finality. “Never.”

You leaned in close, your hands holding her sides before you let your mouth trace the outline of every piece of her anguish, every inch of what she hated most on herself, tied directly to her unflinching desire to hurt and destroy and to kill those who had done such things to her.

“You’re beautiful, Joohyun. You’ve always been the brightest star, had the kindest heart,” you smiled, kissing her tear-streaked nose, your eyes trained on her as you laid under the night sky, all thoughts of escaping your pursuers temporarily gone. 

“A little darkness never hurt anyone.”

Well, with the exception of the doctor. But you didn’t think even all the saints in the world could make you feel a shred of sympathy for him.

The sponge was soapy and pliant, pressing gently against her skin, massaging her sore muscles and tight shoulders. The water quickly turned cloudier with the suds, though you weren’t paying attention to anything except the occasional sigh that Joohyun let out, her lips curved in a small smile, her back leaning against you.

You took notice of a jagged crescent running over her back, wide and sharp, remembering the way you’d begged for them to stop as the whip burned into her skin.

You wailed like a child, an infant, struggling uselessly in your restraints, kicking and shouting.

“Please!” you begged, shrieking, your lungs hoarse as you knelt in captivity, your own wounds momentarily forgotten as Joohyun jerked reflexively with each successive strike. “Please, please, fuck, please!”

She was silent, her proud, beautiful head hanging limply as the masked man continued his mindless onslaught, his arm pistoning up and down, up and down, the crack of the weapon making you flinch with every strike, the stench of blood filling the air.

You screamed bloody murder, you begged for forgiveness, you threatened him with everything you knew under the sun, you offered everything you had and more.

Still, the doctor merely stood next to you, watching, impassive, his face betraying no emotion.

Nothing.

The message was clear to you.

Either you would break, or they would soon have to find another whip.

“I-I’ll do it!” you sobbed, keeling over onto your side, your breath coming out in ragged gasps. “I-I’ll cooperate...j-just stop. Please.”

The hooded man stopped, his arm immediately falling to his side, taking two quick, wide steps back into the shadows, the dim light of the room hardly enough for you even to see Joohyun.

Yet, it was clear to you she was conscious, her eyes finally peeking out from behind her bloodied and matted hair, fixing onto yours as the doctor began to drag you from the room, his hand tugging a fistful of your hair.

“No,” you could hear her murmur. “No. No. No! Don’t do this! I...I’m fine! Don’t take him! Don’t—”

The metal clang of the door silenced her protests, shutting you away from her warmth, from her protection.

But it was worth it.

Even once the needles began stabbing into your head, pushing so far that you could practically feel your skull vibrating beneath the pressure, cracking at the seams.

It was worth it.

“Hey,” her voice called out yet again, a tender hand caressing your cheek. “Hey, come back to me.”

You regained your senses abruptly, your eyes widening, your breath suddenly catching in your throat as you jammed yourself back against the wall of the tub, disturbing the balance of the water violently.

“Shit! Shit, oh my...fuck,” you finished, panting heavily, your chest rising and falling, rising and falling, your heart racing in your ribcage.

Badum. Badum. Badum.

Then she closed the distance again, tucking herself comfortably against your body, slowly letting herself meld into your curves, her eyes trained on your face, watching for any flashes of psychokinetic-enhanced reminiscence.

“Are you okay?”

You nodded slowly, gulping. “I...yeah.”

She was silent for a moment, a finger absentmindedly dancing along the skin of your abs beneath the water.

“Where’d you go?”

“I...”

You were suddenly overwhelmed with sensations; heat, stinging pain, a honey-like liquid covering you in sweet stickiness, random visions flashing by for mere seconds before Joohyun quickly grabbed you by the shoulders, anchoring you with her, reality and memory blending together, a mess of dream and nightmare.

She shook you once, sitting up now, staring deep into your eyes with concern laid bare, the mildest of frowns on her face.

“I thought you said they were going away,” she said softly, disappointedly, her expression crestfallen.

She had every right to be dejected; of the test subjects, only you still had any side-effects to your treatment, an ugly shadow hiding in your life to constantly remind you of who you were.

“They...they come and go sometimes,” you replied, your head still swimming slightly, though the episode had begun to dull to a simple headache. Nothing you couldn’t handle with an aspirin. “I-I think I’m fine for now.”

Joohyun still seemed unconvinced, her hand tilting your head from side to side, checking you for any external bleeding, anything at all that might be wrong.

“Are you sure? Do you want me to go get—”

“No, no, nothing, it’s okay,” you mumbled, holding her tighter in your arms, your face burying itself closer in her hair, breathing in her soothing scent. “J-Just...can you hold me?”

You had begun to blush even before the words had left your mouth, long before Joohyun cradled your head in her hands, pulling you close for a tender, smoldering kiss.

“Of course,” she murmured, a thumb brushing your chin absently. “Just relax.”

Her words were long and drawn out, hushed and furtive, yet the way her lips reunited with yours, pressing deeper and deeper, was anything but secretive, her body slowly shifting to be on top of your lap, straddling you, her arms wrapping deeply around your neck, your own hands finding their places at her hips. She moaned quietly into your mouth, her hips grinding down once onto your cock, quickly bringing you to attention again.

Her tongue flickered against yours, exploring your mouth for a moment before she quickly let her teeth find her favorite spot at your jawline, nipping and sucking, kissing and licking at the skin of your neck, just above your pulse point.

“Oh my...oh my god, Joohyun,” you moaned out, scarcely able to stop yourself from simply falling boneless beneath her perfect assault of teeth, tongue and lips. You were as vulnerable then as a cat picked up by the scruff of the neck, completely helpless and at her mercy, utterly unwilling to resist as she continued to mark you as hers.

You could feel her mouth curving into a smile as she slowly traveled down, kissing down your submerged stomach and abdomen, trailing along the edges of the water until she arrived at your cock, sitting up and eyeing you intently, dead set on playing with her food.

She was going to be the death of you someday.

“Still wanna take that lonely shower?” she teased, a hand loosely fitting around your length.

You groaned softly, swallowing any snarky reply that bubbled up in your throat, shooting her a glance of submission.

“Joohyun...”

You couldn’t help the whine that slipped into your tone, the tiny pout that was most surely on your face..

She laughed at you, a brilliant sound that rang around the walls of the bathroom, before she knelt back down, giving the head of your cock a slow, firm lick, your hips jerking upwards reflexively at the stimulation.

“Fuck, please...I...d-don't tease..."

“Hey, hey, relax.” A finger pressed to your lips, shushing you. “Just focus on me, okay? I’m going to take care of you.”

She took you into her mouth carefully, her cheeks hollowing around the length of your cock, sucking ever so gently as a thick sheen of saliva began to build. Her tongue was soft and unyielding, pressing haphazardly about, the seemingly random way it flicked over each inch acting in perfect tandem with her hand stroking you below.

Her voice hummed low as she steadily whittled you down, an indulgent and sensual moan muffled by her efforts to take you further down her throat, choking it all down quietly.

It was all so perfectly imperfect, sweet and cautious, exploratory and efficient, her hair fanning about on the surface of the water like tendrils, extending around her as her head bobbed up and down, over and over, her eyes boring into yours with their intense mahogany color.

“Don’t stop...mmm...oh my god.”

You couldn’t help the moans that escaped your throat, your pleasure multiplied tenfold by the unassuming and almost mathematical way Joohyun teased you, one hand drifting down to gently fondle your balls while the other laced through yours, gripping it tightly, giving you an ample outlet to try and stave off your release.

Joohyun’s lips tightened, curving into a smile at the way you twitched and swelled inside of her mouth, your cock both mercifully and cruelly released from her wet orifice with an audible pop. No sooner had you left her mouth did her hand wrap around you tightly, pumping you rapidly, a surprised little squeak escaping your lips as one form of pleasure was replaced with another in your mind.

“You’re being very loud today,” she said casually, the tempo of her hand maintaining its metronomic pace.

“Definitely 208 beats per minute,” you thought to yourself vaguely, your vision growing hazy as you threw your head back, mouth open in a silent ‘o’.

Her rhythm continued unabated, every new wave of bliss crashing into you with devastating effect. Your legs trembled and shook against the floor of the tub, the surface of the soapy water rippling, though neither you nor Joohyun had the mind to care.

“Please...i-if you keep...Joohyun...”

If she heard you desperate gasps, words the you just barely managed to coherently piece together, her hand didn’t show it, tightening just enough to practically force your hand, the pressure building like a hot coil in the pit of your stomach. Your hips began to buck up of their own volition, grinding into the hot, soft, delicious friction of her hand, and she quickly leaned back down, her face positioning itself right in front of the head.

Then she licked your cock at just the right interval, the muscle flickering out like a boxer’s jab, the light, sudden tap of her warm, wet tongue triggering your climax, your hot, white cum suddenly shooting all over her face in messy, sticky ropes, spilling into her hair, into her mouth, slowly sliding down her face and chin like maple syrup. Your hand squeezed hers tightly through it all, a strangled, incandescent moan tearing itself from your throat, your earlier visions entirely forgotten in the bliss of your orgasm, Joohyun’s tongue continuing to circle around the head of your cock, coaxing out a few last spurts of your semen before she wrapped her lips around you again, slurping it all up and swallowing it down with a wicked smirk.

Your mouth hung open for a while, your breath slowly returning to your lungs, your body lying limply against the tub while Joohyun slowly kissed her way back up to your lips, pressing her supple breasts against your chest, heating the now-cooled water with your combined body heat rubbing up against each other.

“Joohyun,” you managed to mutter between kisses, your head still swimming.

“Hm?”

“Lay down on your back.”

“What? Wh—“

You silenced her with another kiss, quick and demanding, filled with your need to repay her.

“You took care of me,” you said simply, smiling. “Let me return the favor.”

She blanched as you sat up suddenly, crowding her space, pushing her back until her back was pressed against the opposite side of the tub, your arms placed on either side of her head.

“W-Wait, you don’t have to—“

You grinned cheekily, despite the tiredness that hid behind your eyes from the combined strain of fighting a ghost and a mind-blowing orgasm.

“I want to.”

You dipped down from her lips, finally getting an opportunity of your own to suck at the skin of her neck, your teeth gently teasing a small strip of flesh before you quickly dived down to her breasts, licking and kissing her mounds.

They were soft and tender, yet supple and firm, containing just the right amount of volume to let your fingers sink into them without squeezing too hard. Their size was just right for your palm, her nipples poking out and growing swollen as you flicked and pinched them, eliciting soft moans from Joohyun’s throat as she watched your movements closely.

“Fuck, I love these,” you muttered as you let your tongue swirl around an areola, her tits quickly becoming marked with red love bites.

She let out a breathy laugh, blushing.

“R-Really? I—ah, I always thought they were a...oh, yes, don’t stop...a l-little small.”

You gave her a slightly harder nip, showing your disagreement. “They’re perfect.”

She didn’t bother to respond, simply pushing you further down until you reached her pussy, her hands immediately yanking your head forwards and practically jamming your face directly into her clit, your tongue reflexively reaching out to tease the folds of her cavern.

Her breaths quickened at the bursts of pleasure coming from her core, her head tilting back with closed eyes as she sighed with momentous satisfaction, her hunger for your touch temporarily sated. Then she keened loudly, her hips and stomach arching up, grinding her face against your mouth, desperate to relieve more tension, to soothe the burning ache between her legs.

Her powerful, toned thighs clamped together, her knees knocking against each other before opening again, subconscious indecision racking her body as she struggled to settle between shoving your face further against her clit or trapping it where it was between her legs.

“A-Ah...mmm, that’s good, keep—ah!”

Her voice trailed off into a wail as you quickened the pace of your tongue, flattening it and licking firmly against her engorged bud, swiping along her dripping slit.

It had always been intoxicating to go down on her; her slick juices tangy and sticky between your lips, and though there wasn’t really much of a flavor other than a mildly salty aftertaste, the way Joohyun’s lips chanted your name, begging you with soft cries of more, more, fuck, don’t stop was reward enough for your efforts.

Her hands carded through your hair, pulling hard enough to let you feel a tug yet softly enough so that it didn’t hurt, the pads of her fingers pressing down almost desperately against your scalp as she maintained an honest effort in not digging her nails into your skull.

“Even when she’s losing it, she still thinks of me,” you mused to yourself, your eyes closed while you continued teasing her. What did I do to deserve you?

You smiled at the thought, your lips curving against her folds as you gave her clit another slow, languid lick, relishing in the way her body seemed to quiver at the sensation, savoring the sharp way in which her moans would tremble and shoot to new pitches, increasing in volume.

“You’re so beautiful when you’re like this.”

Another lick. Another sensual whimper.

“P-Please—“

“You’re perfect, Joohyun,” you murmured. “Never forget that.”

You watched as she cracked open her eyes, her face flushed and red, her gaze trained onto yours, warm and inviting, pleading and trusting.

Then you read her mind.

I love you.

You smiled softly. “Tell me what you need.”

Joohyun let out a breathless sigh. “You. All of you.”

Her words triggered something in you, something warm and gentle, not quite animalistic yet purely instinctive.

You loved her.

You wanted to give everything to her.

You wanted to be worthy of her kindness, to be enough to protect her from everything you’d been through, to hold her through cold nights and raging infernos of chaos.

You stood, the water rippling violently at the disturbance, before you lowered yourself onto her, your body pressed flush against hers. A sigh fell from both of your lips as your cock rubbed against her lips.

“Joohyun,” you croaked, your throat dry and tight with need. “I-I love you, I ne—“

“Just hurry,” she whispered, interrupting you as her eyes darkened with desire. “I need you inside me too. Please.”

Her plea stole your breath away, the tone of her voice making you grit your teeth and shut your eyes, painfully aroused and struggling to restrain yourself.

“Don’t hold back.”

Her voice called to you in your self-induced sensory shutout, bringing you back yet again, breaking down your walls in a way only she could. You felt her soft palm trace the curve of your jawline, lovingly cradling the side of your head as her legs wrapped around your waist, locking you in.

“You won’t hurt me,” she reassured, her hand giving your face a soft squeeze. “I’m the strong one, remember?”

A teasing lilt entered her voice, and when you finally opened your eyes again, she was beaming up at you, patiently waiting for you to be okay.

No guilt.

No shame.

Just Joohyun.

You laughed softly, almost incredulously as she leaned up, her arms tightening around your neck in a tender kiss, silencing both of your groans as you slid into her slick, tight warmth.

Her walls clenched around you with familiarity, molding around the length of your cock firmly. It was almost suffocating, the way she pulsed around you, the way you fit so snugly inside of her, the way her heels dug into your spine, her body fitting around yours like a puzzle piece.

“Please, please, please,” she whimpered, her hands finding their grip on your shoulders, her nails scraping against your skin as she sought to push you into her, to force some semblance of movement. “I...I need...m-more—ah!”

Her head pitched back, her eyes squeezing shut again as you hilted yourself into her.

“Oh, oh god—”

You drew back slowly, savoring the feeling of her walls dragging against your length, sucking and clinging at your skin before you snapped back like a rubber band, slamming your hips against hers, a sharp cry piercing the air as you fucked her, slow and deep, your own groans silenced into her neck and collar.

The soapy water sloshed along the walls, rising and falling in waves as you filled her need, sated her hunger, your fingers languidly squeezing and kneading at her breasts, leaving her breathless and like putty against your body and the edges of the tub. To watch her come undone with you, to feel yourself unravel into tiny little particles of dust at her behest made your cock twitch within her pulsating pussy, your lips marking her neck with haphazard purple splotches, relishing the way her throat trilled against your lips with her whimpers as you pounded her just as she wanted you to.

“F-Fuck,” you whispered against her neck, your head burrowed in that curve between. “You feel...ah...so...fucking...tight...”

Her back arched at your words, the sound of your voice tickling her ears, and her nails quickly began to scrabble more furiously at your naked back, her body going haywire at the stimulation of your cock, spasming uncontrollably with the pleasure forcing her mind to go blank.

“M-More! Please, oh god, I need—I’m s-so close!” 

Her voice quavered wildly, hardly more than a sob, a desperate plea for all that you had.

In your own haze of the moment, you barely recognized your sense of touch, yet still your hand reached down, slipping right over the folds of her pussy to tease her clit, rubbing it furiously, back and forth, back and forth.

Joohyun’s back arched up into yours at the sudden increase in stimulation, a scream tearing itself from her throat as her pussy clenched around your cock, squeezing your length, milking you for everything you had as she came, shivering and trembling under the force of it all, her eyes rolling up into her head as she collapsed backwards, twitching limply, accepting your final thrusts before you exploded inside of her, filling her with your hot, sticky cum, the excess slowly dripping out into the tub of lukewarm water.

The smell of sex hung in the air, musky and heavy, and though you and Joohyun typically made it a point never to leave too obvious of a trace, you couldn’t much find it in yourself to care then, simply basking in the tub, kept comfortably warm only by the heat emanating from Joohyun’s bare skin. You let her breathing soothe you, feeling her chest rise and fall with the air inflating her lungs, listening to the thundering beat of her heart through her chest.

Slowly, both of you seemed to reboot and restart, disentangling from one another, leaving fleeting touches along the way. The adrenaline draining from both of your bodies left you bare and unprotected, the pain of your bandages flaring up again, Joohyun’s eyes suddenly creasing at the feeling of soreness between her legs.

But there was no regret. There were no words.

It wasn’t the first time you’d done this. Not even the second. It had simply started one day, and neither of you had been eloquent enough with words to broach the subject without considerable awkwardness.

Boyfriend and girlfriend? Dating? Friends with benefits?

Perhaps it was a question you typically would’ve struggled with; what were you?

Not now, however, as Joohyun easily looped your arm over her shoulder, carrying you out of the tub and peeling off the ruined pieces of gauze, her cheeks still burning red, maybe from passion, maybe from embarrassment. You didn’t push into it, silently sitting at the bed, thoroughly dried off as she continued to work her magic, patching you up again, sealing the cuts that had reopened in the bath.

The silence helped you focus again on the lingering feel of her fingertips, soft and prodding, small and focused, pressing and massaging your muscles until you couldn’t help but relax loosely.

You let out a sigh, smiling as you slowly clambered under the covers, naked, but too lazy and tired to care. She quickly slid in next to you just the same.

This time, it was her turn to wrap her arms around you, her tiny body lined up next to yours, her shoulder providing a perfect pillow for your head. Her limbs tangled themselves with yours again, her fingers instinctually locking with yours beneath the covers as she pressed a kiss to your forehead, her fingers combing through your hair once, twice, then thrice.

You looked up at her, her hair glowing a silvery white in the cracks of moonlight that slipped through the curtained window, a beautiful silhouette in the darkness of your bedroom. She was smiling softly, contentedly, as she continued to caress your hair.

It was as she brought her hand through your hair one last time, instead opting to curl up next to you, resting her head against yours that you finally realized what you were.

Together.

And that was enough for you.

A/N 2: Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve put any work out there, but I was hit with some inspiration the other day after reading about Japanese myths and urban legends, so I decided to incorporate one, the kuchisake-onna, in a story. Different sources have different ideas of her, so I kinda spun it however I wanted to since it’s just a legend anyways. I honestly thought the horror/dark element was pretty suitable for Irene because I feel like she suits dark and mature concepts better than cute and happy-go-lucky ones. If you guys have any questions as to anything in this story, please feel free to send in an ask, because I know this one was definitely kinda weird and a lot of the plot ideas were completely off-the-cuff. Anyways, yes, I’m back for now, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Also, a quick hot-take since I’m spouting off anyways:

“I, Kim Jennie” You started to speak to get her attention.

Upon hearing you speak, Jennie panicked, but your pause allowed her to catch up. “I-I, Kim Jennie.”

“Offer everything that I am.” You continued at a slow pace to allow her to catch your words and keep up.

“O-offer e-everything that I a-am. “ She repeated after you. Her eyes focused on the collar.

You let out a disappointed sigh and snapped your fingers to get her attention. “Focus Jennie. You shouldn’t be stuttering. Now repeat again with proper articulation.”

She nods obediently. “Sorry. Offer everything that I am.”

You gave her a pet on her head as affirmation. “And everything I have to my new master Ray.”

She smiled at the pet on her head and immediately repeated,  “And everything I have to my new master Ray,” at which point, a form appeared in front of Jennie. She looked at it for a brief moment and without hesitation,  signed it.

Upon completion, you took the black collar and attached it onto Jennie’s neck and lifted her chin up so she is looking at you. “You are mine now and I will train you properly over time. For today, however, join me on the sofa.” You sat back on the sofa and pet the seat next to you. 

She nodded meekly and sat beside you while fiddling with her new collar. “This feels surreal, master… how did you know? You never showed a sign before today.” You smiled and opened the packages of food to reveal fried chicken and fried rice. If you were back home, this would have been a treat once in six months but you could just exercise it off with her afterwards. “Let’s just say I had a hunch. “

You served Jennie before taking a portion for yourself. “Mmm, this is good. You have some good taste in food Jen.” You gave her another pet of affirmation and she smiled into the pet. “Thank you, master. I’m glad you like it. “

You continued eating before breaking the silence. “Jen we need to set a few rules first okay. Firstly, this relationship we have is secret. I don’t want to cause a commotion so when in public call me as per normal ok.”

She nods “Okay master I understand since I don’t think my father would accept it either. “

“Secondly, I don’t play favouritism so while you are my pet, you are the same as a Digi. All of you are of the same stature so no more discrimination. Even if you’re jealous.”

Jennie looked at you with astoundment in her eyes. “Wait..master how did you know?”

You could only smile at her. “ I can tell from the look in your eyes. So after we are done eating I want you to unbound your pets and I will train all of you properly.”

She looked at you, shocked that you suggested it, but slowly nodded. “Okay, master. You will protect me, right master? I don’t know how they will react to how I've treated them. “

You nodded. “Yes Jen, trust me. Digis are people too so you shouldn’t be treating them like this without asking them first. “

She nods looking down. “Don’t worry. I will teach you properly. So don't feel too bad okay?” You pet her again to assure her, making her give you a sweet smile.

“Lastly, our safe word is "panda". Don’t push yourself, i won't abandon you. I would rather know your limits and we can slowly build on it together. “

 Jennie nods as she finished the last of her food and then moved closer to you. “Master. Can I have a request?’She asks with her lips puckered and eyes betting, putting up the most aegyo possible. How could you resist? “What is it, Jen?”

She twiddled her fingers. “Erm...can I have a different outfit while I am here? This outfit doesn't feel right if I am to be your sub.” You looked at her. You could disagree because the outfit shouldn't matter, but if it would make her more comfortable why not? “Do you have something in mind?”

She blushed bright red. “A Maid outfit like your Digi Irene. I'm not sure if she is your sub but that outfit would represent my place here.” 

You were surprised, maybe she was a natural sub. She seemed to know her place here. You nodded. “Okay sure. We can order some outfits that you can leave here and change into it whenever you're here. But now that the food is done you should clean up, okay Jen?” 

She nodded and carried the packaging out. She threw them away and came out with a wet rag to wipe the place you were eating. You wonder how was she so domesticated in contrast to her princess-like public appearance.

She then went over to her two pets who were left at the door and looked nervously at them. You approached her from behind and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know you’re nervous but I'll keep you safe. Now release them. “

She nodded and slowly started to remove their ball gags when you thought of something. “Jen, wait. How did you train them? What did you do to keep them in line?”

She tilted her head then took a spray bottle of water and gave it to you. “I trained them like pet trainers, when they misbehave I spray them with a few squirts.” 

You nodded. You then check the bottle and signalled to Jennie. “You may continue. “ 

Jennie continued to unbind the girls and you were surprised when the first blindfold was removed. You saw the familiar face of Seulgi. She looked afraid and rightfully so if she was trained harshly by Jennie. You approached her and hugged her, stroked her hair and she loosened up under your touch. “It’s okay Seulgi. I am one of your new masters and things will change okay?” You smiled softly at her and she nodded slowly, still showing a bit of apprehension at your words. 

“Irene, can you help me out?” Jennie looked at you in confusion when you called the name Irene but she came out in a simple white t-shirt and jeans that you got for her earlier. Upon seeing Irene, Seulgi relaxed slightly, maybe because she saw another Digi who was walking around freely. “Could you get her a comfortable sweetie? Maybe get her something a bit more comfortable too.”

Irene smiled and nodded as she reached her hand out and Seulgi slowly stretched her hand out to take hold of Irene. “Oh wait before you go you should help with the other two as well.”

You had been distracted with comforting Seulgi that you did not realise Jennie was done with releasing the other two. By now you thought that maybe it was destiny because the other two girls that were under Jennie's control were Joy and Wendy. You recalled that they were probably using their real names here. “Seungwan. Sooyoung. Come here...Don’t be scared. It’s alright.”