#junhui x reader

burn for the win [22.1k] @mylovesstuffs - being the engineer who knows too much and the sister who’s had enough means standing at the eye of the storm while two men she cares about tear each other apart. jun’s pride could still cost him everything, and yet he refuses to fight to fix what’s broken; neither will minghao. she’s tired of the fallout, but no one listens. a crash was only the beginning. now, can anything bring them back?

finding spring [22k] @joshujin - Tale tells of a water spirit bound to the Elysian River, destined to guard the very magic her human body once sought after. She lives where the animals come to drink, where the children wade in the water, where the river empties into the sea. And she is waiting for the chance to be freed.

pulse points [15.9k] @wheeboo - Being the TA for your anatomy class has always been really rewarding, especially stemming in your passion for the medical field. But as it’s approaching the peak of the school semester and labs have gotten more intense, you aren’t surprised to be dedicating your time to tutoring your strangely handsome, dorky, yet enigmatic classmate during after school hours — and reassuring him how to not be afraid of dissections.

free love [13.8k] @gam3bo17 - The first time you saw him you didn’t know his name, only that he didn’t look at you the way everyone else did. The countryside air felt different: cleaner, lighter, like it didn’t matter who you were. No chauffeurs. No bodyguards hovering nearby. No people trailing behind you like shadows. For the first time in your life you felt normal. Not the child of the family that owned Pledis Industries. Not the face plastered across city billboards and magazine covers. Not someone people bowed to before they spoke. Just you.

for the love of the game [13k] @yoongihan - you've accepted your place in the world of baseball; you know what you're good at. outside of the dugout and locker room, certain university classes are NOT what you're good at. asking for help feels weak, especially from the perpetually smiley cheerleader who you're sure is just as dumb as he is pretty.

psycho [12.8k] @wheeboo - in which a new patient is assigned for treatment under your care, and you begin to put the puzzles and pieces together to a past case that you thought to have ceased away from your mind.

who's your worm guy? [11.3k] @imnotshua - your final project is due far too soon and you’re stumped for ideas. that is until you pick up a part time job in the ticket booth at your local water park and you meet the most– uh– interesting employees. this includes a wen junhui, food and beverage supervisor, whose creativity sparks most when he’s hazy and slacking off.

anonymously yours [11.3k] @wheeboo - When the world falls asleep, a certain radio broadcast goes live—one hosted by none other than you and your best friend Wen Junhui. The two of you host an anonymous love confession segment, where listeners submit their deepest feelings, secrets, and late-night loves they can’t say aloud for you to unravel live on air. However, when a recurring submission starts to feel too familiar, a certain someone finds themselves wondering how long they can stay anonymous… before they are finally heard.

most ardently [10.7k] @chanheescafe - you find a sense of familiarity in your sworn rival, jun, while exchanging anonymous letters with a stranger .

Pendulum [9k] @gyuswhore - There are many things your father never told you when he left you his flower shop; the ever creaky door hinges, the delivery man who can never seem to tell the orchids from the gardenias, and the headquarters of the biggest mafia in New York operating in the employee break room. Of course you're used to it now, the familiar faces passing in and out of the shop while you pretend nothing is amiss. Until a new face appears, disappearing into the backrooms without a word, bloodied knuckles and a poorly strapped revolver on his hips. Suddenly, it's very hard to pretend.

sixth times the charm [8.8k] @planetkiimchi - your coworker jun is naturally friendly and a little chaotic, but he also mistakenly thinks you like his crush. this love rivalry persists despite the two of you being friends, at least until he realises that the one he likes is you.

pink stationary [7.9k] @haologram - everything with junhui has been a step towards something, but neither of you are very clear on what when it comes to the other.

i like you feeling like this [7.7k] @minnnliz - overwhelmed by her case load at work, reader's friend recommends she visit the cat café that just opened downtown, since she claims she's too busy to get a cat of her own. but is it the cute cats that keep her coming back... or the cute guy who makes the mandatory uniform cat ears look endearing?

meow or never [6.9k] @supi-wupi - Jun adopts a cat who turns out to be a cursed human. You’re the only other person who knows the secret—and Jun might be falling for both the cat (platonically) and you (romantically).

Gemini  [6.7k] @caratchronicles - As the saying goes, "History repeats itself". Eons after the Second Titan War, the world is left in a similar state of despair. Good prevails, but so does the imbalance and injustice. Now standing on opposite sides, the Gods and Demigods don't think that the damage done by The Aegean War can ever truly be repaired. When yet another prophecy pushes you to fight for your friends, you must decide for yourself: Are you worth fighting for too?

happy ending [6.6k] @junkissed - a pointless argument escalates until both of you need some space, but it couldn't come at a worse time.

kiss me it's for science [4k] @supi-wupi - Jun and Y/N are both psychology majors. For their thesis, they must observe the chemical reactions of romantic attraction... using themselves as test subjects. Bonus, Their “experiment” is being live-blogged by classmates on a fan account.

unread messages [3.5k] @supi-wupi - Jun moved back to China. You still write to him every day, though you never hit send. Until one day, he replies—to a message you never sent.

do i wanna know [3.3k] @belovedgyu - mob boss! junhui x detective! femreader

tears [3.3k] @acphengene - soulmate au, angst, fluff, selfdoubt and a lot of insecurities

memory lane [3.1k] @orbitondgtl - On your first wedding anniversary, Jun has something special planned for the two of you. In turn, you have something special planned for him.

secret life of wen junhui [3k] @wheeboo - in which jun gets set up on a blind date by his best friend.

"so... today is your birthday again." you watch him, blinking slowly with this curious head tilt. "it almost feels like yesterday was your birthday, too."

jun brings over his plate of small, round cakes, sitting down on the floor with you as well without a second thought as to what's proper. "does it always feel like that?"

"it does," you say with a single nod. "i don't think i remember my own birthday. but i'll always remember yours, your highness."

he just smiles, passing you a cake. "then... happy birthday to you, too?"

"tomorrow, perhaps, my treasure." you accept the offering, and hide a smile before you take a bite. "today is your day."

Friends with benefits—that's what you called it, a no-strings arrangement that kept things fun and uncomplicated. No kissing on the lips, though. That was the unspoken boundary, the line that kept it from tipping into something too real, too intimate. Despite that, you'd crossed plenty of other thresholds with him, like the night he took your virginity, guiding you through the intensity with careful hands and whispered encouragements.

Jun slouched on the couch opposite you, his hair tousled from running his fingers through it every time he lost a round. He wore a loose white t-shirt and gray sweatpants that did little to hide the outline of his thighs. His eyes, usually sharp and playful, were hazy now from the alcohol, a lazy grin spreading across his face as he slapped down another card.

“Ha! That's three in a row for me. You're going down, literally,” he teased, his voice slurring just a bit at the edges.

You laughed, the warmth of the soju buzzing through your veins, making your cheeks flush.

“You're cheating. I saw you peek at my hand earlier.” You tossed your cards onto the table, the pile scattering slightly.

Leaning back against your armchair, you stretched your legs out, your bare feet brushing against his under the table. The contact sent a familiar spark up your leg, but you ignored it, focusing instead on pouring another round from the bottle.

He snatched the glass you slid over, clinking it against yours with exaggerated flair. “To my victory streak.”

He downed it in one go, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Setting the glass down, he eyed you with that mischievous glint, the one that always signaled trouble—or pleasure.

“Truth or dare? Since we're drunk and all.”

The game had devolved from cards to this sometime around the fourth bottle, boundaries blurring like the edges of your vision.

“Dare,” you said without hesitation, the alcohol making you bold.

Why not? It was Jun, after all—safe in his unreliability, hot in his unpredictability.

His grin widened, teeth flashing white in the low light. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “I dare you to... lose the shirt.”

You rolled your eyes but complied, peeling off your tank top and tossing it aside. The cool air hit your skin, nipples hardening slightly under your bra, and you caught the way his gaze lingered, darkening with interest.

“Your turn,” you shot back, reshuffling the deck sloppily. “Truth or dare?”

He hesitated, then smirked. “Truth.”

“What's the wildest thing you've thought about doing with me that we haven't tried yet?” The question slipped out easier than intended, fueled by the buzz and the easy intimacy of the night.

Jun's laugh was low, rumbling from his chest as he rubbed the back of his neck, a flush creeping up his ears. “Honestly? Something with toys. Maybe using one on you while we fuck? But that's for another night.”

He waved it off, but the image hung in the air, thick and charged. You dealt the next hand, but the cards felt secondary now, the tension coiling like a spring between you.

As the game wore on, the dares escalated. By the time the bottle was nearly empty, you were both sprawled closer on the couch, cards forgotten in a heap. Jun's arm draped casually over the backrest behind you, his fingers occasionally brushing your shoulder.

The alcohol had stripped away the filters, leaving raw edges exposed. He turned to you, his face inches away, breath warm with soju.

“You know,” he murmured, voice dropping an octave, “this game's boring now. Let’s get serious.” His hand slid from the couch to your arm, tracing lazy circles on your skin. The touch was electric, familiar yet always igniting fresh heat.

You met his eyes, seeing the hunger there, unmasked. “What do you have in mind?”

He licked his lips, the gesture unconscious but distracting. “Dare you to suck me off. Right here.”

The words hung blunt and direct, no preamble, just the raw request born of liquor and lust. His hand moved to his lap, palming himself through the sweatpants, the fabric tenting visibly as his cock hardened at the thought.

Your pulse quickened, a thrill shooting straight to your core. No kissing, sure, but this? This was fair game, the kind of casual that defined your arrangement. You shifted closer, knees pressing into the carpet as you knelt between his legs.

“Bossy tonight, huh?” you teased, but your voice came out breathy, eager.

Jun's fingers tangled in your hair, not pulling yet, just holding as he watched you with heavy-lidded eyes.

“Can't help it. You've been teasing me all night.”

He tugged his waistband down, freeing his cock. It sprang up, thick and veined, and he was half-hard from the proximity alone, but as you wrapped your hand around the base, stroking slowly, it swelled fully in your grip—hot, pulsing, the skin silky over the rigid length.

You leaned in, breath ghosting over the tip, making him hiss. No rushing; you wanted to draw it out, savour the power shift. Your tongue flicked out, lapping at the slit, tasting the salty bead of pre-cum. Jun groaned, hips jerking slightly.

“Fuck, yeah... just like that.”

Emboldened, you swirled your tongue around the head, tracing its ridge, before taking him into your mouth. The stretch was immediate, your lips sealing around him as you sucked gently, hollowing your cheeks.

His grip tightened in your hair, guiding without forcing. You bobbed your head, taking more of him with each pass—halfway, then deeper, until the head bumped the back of your throat. The taste of him filled your senses, salty and addictive. You hummed around him, the vibration pulling a string of curses from his lips.

You pulled back slightly, lips dragging along the underside, tongue pressing flat against the vein that throbbed there. Saliva slicked him up, dripping down to your hand as you pumped what you couldn't swallow.

Jun's thighs tensed under your free hand, muscles flexing as he fought to stay still. But he didn't last long in restraint; soon, his hips bucked up, fucking into your mouth with shallow thrusts. You let him, relaxing your jaw, eyes watering but locked on his face—watching the pleasure twist his features, brows furrowed, mouth parted in silent moans.

“God, you're perfect at this,” he panted, voice rough.

One hand left your hair to grip the couch cushion, knuckles white. You sped up, sucking harder, tongue working relentlessly. The wet sounds filled the room—slurps and gasps, your own arousal building as his cock twitched against your tongue. You reached down, slipping a hand into your shorts to rub your clit, the friction adding to the haze.

Jun noticed, his eyes flicking down.

“Touching yourself? Dirty girl.”

The words spurred you on, your fingers circling faster as you deep throated him, nose brushing against his skin. He was close; you could feel it in the way he throbbed, the erratic pulse.

“Fuck, gonna cum,” he moaned. “Swallow it.”

You did, moaning around him as hot spurts hit the back of your throat. He came with a guttural groan, hips stuttering, flooding your mouth with thick ropes. You swallowed every drop, sucking him until he slumped back, spent and breathing hard.

Pulling off with a pop, you wiped your mouth, tasting him still on your tongue. Jun tugged you up, pulling you into his lap for a moment—bodies pressed close, but no lips met. Just heavy breaths and satisfied smiles. 'Best dare ever,' he murmured, hand sliding down to squeeze your ass.

The afterglow lingered like the soju, your body still thrumming with need. You sat straddled across his lap on the couch, his softening cock tucked back into his sweatpants, the evidence of your efforts smeared faintly on the fabric.

His hands roamed your back lazily, fingers tracing the curve of your spine under your bra strap, while your own palms rested on his chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his breaths. The room spun gently from the alcohol, the discarded cards and bottles a testament to how far the night had unravelled.

Jun's eyes met yours, dark and glassy, a mix of satisfaction and something deeper flickering in them.

“That was... intense,” he murmured, his voice husky, thumb brushing your lower lip where a trace of his cum still lingered. The touch was innocent enough, but it ignited a spark low in your belly, the boundary you'd both upheld feeling flimsier than ever in this drunken fog.

You leaned in without thinking, the impulse born of the buzz and the intimacy of the moment. Your lips brushed his, soft at first, testing. He froze, eyes widening fractionally, but he didn't pull away. Instead, his mouth parted slightly, and you pressed forward, sealing the kiss. Your tongue slipped past his lips, carrying the salty tang of him, letting him taste himself on you. The flavor mingled with the soju on his breath, a heady combination that made your head swim.

Jun groaned into your mouth, the sound vibrating through you like a shockwave. His hands clamped onto your hips, pulling you closer as the kiss deepened. Tongues tangled, wet and urgent, his initial surprise melting into desperation. He sucked on your tongue, chasing the taste, moaning low and broken.

“Mmmph, fuck, you taste like me.” His words were muffled against your lips, but they sent a jolt straight to your core, your pussy clenching with fresh need.

You broke the kiss briefly, gasping, but he chased after you, capturing your mouth again with a hunger that bordered on feral. His cock stirred beneath you, hardening against your thigh through the thin barrier of cloth. It thickened quickly, pressing insistently as his hips rocked up in shallow grinds.

“We—we said no kissing,” he panted between kisses, but there was no conviction in it, only raw want. His moans grew louder, needy whimpers escaping as you nipped at his bottom lip, your hands fisting in his shirt.

“I know,” you whispered, voice breathy, the alcohol stripping away your hesitation. “But I want to. Want you.”

The admission hung between you, heavy and honest. His body responded before his words could, cock now fully erect, straining against his sweatpants, the outline clear and demanding.

Jun's hands slid up your sides, thumbs grazing the undersides of your breasts, making you arch into him. He kissed you harder, messier, saliva slicking both your chins as his tongue explored every inch of your mouth.

Moans poured from him unchecked—a continuous stream of “Ahh... yes... more,” his usual composure shattered. You ground down on his lap, feeling the heat of his erection rub against your soaked shorts, the friction teasing your clit through the fabric. Pulling back just enough to look at him, you saw the flush high on his cheeks, lips swollen and glistening.

“Jun... what's happening?” The question was soft, laced with the vulnerability the drinks had unearthed.

He swallowed hard, eyes searching yours, the haze clearing just enough for sincerity to shine through. His hands cupped your face, thumbs stroking your jaw.

“I can't do this anymore. Pretending it's just fun.” His voice cracked, raw emotion bleeding into the words. “I've had feelings for you for months. Longer than the friends with benefits shit. Every time we're together, I want more. I want all of you. Not just your body, but this.”

He gestured vaguely between you, then pulled you into another kiss, slower this time, tender despite the urgency.

Your heart pounded, the confession hitting like a wave, but it felt right, inevitable.

“Me too,” you admitted against his lips, the words tumbling out. “I think I've been falling for you too.”

The drunken stupor made it easy to say, but the truth had been simmering beneath the surface.

Jun's eyes softened, a smile breaking through the lust. “Then let me show you.”

He stood suddenly, lifting you with him effortlessly. Your legs wrapped around his waist as he carried you toward the bedroom, kicking the door open with his foot. The room was lit by a bedside lamp, the bed unmade from earlier, sheets rumpled invitingly.

He lowered you onto the mattress gently, following you down, his body covering yours without crushing. Kisses trailed from your lips to your jaw, neck, collarbone, hot and open-mouthed, sucking marks into your skin.

“Gonna make love to you,” he murmured against your throat, the phrase carrying weight, different from the casual fucks you'd shared before.

 His hands worked your bra clasp free, tossing it aside, then palmed your breasts, thumbs circling your nipples until they pebbled hard.

You moaned, arching up, fingers digging into his shoulders. “Yes... please.”

He lavished attention on your chest, mouth closing over one nipple, sucking firmly while pinching the other. Tongue flicked and teeth grazed, sending jolts of pleasure down to your pussy, which ached emptily now. His cock pressed against your thigh, hot and insistent, leaking through his pants onto your skin.

Impatient, you tugged at his waistband. “Off. Need you naked.”

He obliged, shoving the sweatpants down and kicking them away, his cock springing free, the head flushed dark. You shimmied out of your shorts and panties in record time, spreading your legs to reveal your glistening folds.

Jun's breath hitched, eyes devouring you. “So beautiful.”

He settled between your thighs, cock nudging your entrance, but he paused, grabbing a condom from the nightstand. Always prepared, even in the blur. Rolling it on quickly, he lined up, rubbing the tip through your slickness, coating himself.

“Slow,” you whispered, wanting to savour this shift.

He nodded, pushing in inch by inch, stretching you deliciously. Your pussy clenched around him, walls fluttering as he filled you completely, bottoming out with a shared groan.

“Fuck, you feel perfect,” he breathed, holding still to let you adjust, forehead pressed to yours.

Then he moved, hips rolling in a steady rhythm, deep thrusts that hit every sensitive spot. No frantic pounding; this was deliberate, intimate, his body undulating against yours. You wrapped your legs around his waist, heels digging into his ass to pull him closer. Kisses punctuated each thrust—lips, cheeks, eyelids—soft and loving amid the building heat.

Jun's moans filled the room again, uninhibited, his face buried in your neck as he pumped into you.

“Love this... love you inside me like this.” The words slipped out, raw and unfiltered, making your chest tighten with emotion.

You met his thrusts, hips lifting to take him deeper, clit grinding against his pubic bone with every slide.

Sweat slicked your bodies, the slap of skin on skin mixing with wet sounds from where he plunged into your pussy. His hand slipped between you, fingers finding your clit, rubbing in firm circles that had you gasping.

“Come for me,” he urged, voice strained, pace quickening just a touch.

The pressure built fast, coiling tight in your core. You cried out, nails raking his back as orgasm crashed over you—pussy spasming around his cock, milking him in rhythmic pulses.

“Jun! Oh god.”

Waves of pleasure rippled through you, vision blurring with the intensity.

He followed seconds later, thrusts erratic as he buried himself deep, groaning your name like a prayer. His cock pulsed inside you, filling the condom with hot spurts. He collapsed onto you, both panting, bodies entwined in the aftermath.

Minutes passed in silence, just breaths syncing, his weight a comforting anchor. Jun lifted his head, kissing you softly—no rush, just affection.

“That was... everything,” he whispered, eyes shining.

PROLOGUE: ITS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT YOU

Every single existence he's ever had, he's been a fighter. He's lived too many lives times to count. His life as the god Bes makes him a protector. He's lived so many lives protecting people and warding off evil spirits. There’s another repeating situation when it comes to every one of his lives, you. He is put on earth in every life to protect; women, children, and you.

This life is no different. His weekend nights are spent in a warehouse on the dark side of town. This time he wears a mask to hide his identity. The crowd knows him as Bes.

In every lifetime he has you. He sees you in his dreams, and he knows you see him in yours. He counts down the days until he can finally meet you again.

ONE: NOT ALWAYS PROUD OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.

Too many nights you spend working in this hell hole of a club. This place is located on the rougher side of town, and a seedy owner who works with very powerful men. The front looks like a normal bar, but through a pair of metal doors the darker and scandalous things unfold. On the stage there is a pole and girl who is dancing to the beat of a sultry song. You've found yourself up there too many times. It's been a couple months since you've stripped. Recently you've been working as a waitress. You're dressed just as scantilly as the girls who walk on that stage. Dressed in a tiny dress with no bra, and a pair of sky high heels.

With a tray in hand you're walking from table to table taking orders. Walking over to the bar you find your favorite bar tender Jeonghan.

"Table ten wants an old fashioned."

"Bunny, why are you here tonight?" Jeonghan is only one of two people you're close with here. He's been calling you Bunny since he met you. He says you're cute like a bunny.

"I'm working." He's asking you why you're here, because this is the ninth day you've been here in a row.

"Why aren't you taking any days off?" Jeonghan asks, as he's making the drink.

"I'm saving money so I can take a self defense class."

"Is Dae still threatening you?” Jeonghan knows all about you ex. Dae and you dated for two years, and broke up over eight months ago and since your break up, he has been harassing you. He's connected to the gangs that run this city and isn't someone to mess with. Over the last two months he's been basically stalking you.

"He won't leave me alone." Jeonghan sits the drink on the counter.

"Bunny, I know a guy. His name is Junhui. He's a fighter and if I tell him about Dae, I know he'll teach you to fight. He's got his own gym and everything."

"Okay." You know that Jeonghan wouldn't send you to a sketchy man, to teach you to fight.

The night goes on in a blur. You keep waiting tables, and you can't count the amount of men who have tried to touch you.

The doors swing open, and you see Dae and a few gang friends walk in. Immediately you feel sick. You glance over at the bar and see Jeonghan watching carefully.

Looking over by the stage you see your boss signaling you towards their table. You shake your head and try to walk away, attempting to rush backstage.

Someone grabs your hand, and immediately you know it's Dae. "Baby, why are you running away?"

Stopping dead in your tracks. You look at him, trying not to show any emotions. "Let go of me."

"If I let go, you'll run away, and we need to talk."

You groan, pulling your shoulder back attempting to get away. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Baby don't be like that."

"Let go of me." You seethe.

This isn't the first time he's shown up. He's just never been brave enough to touch you like this. When you were with him he definitely sucked and was an asshole. He was the definition of a shitty boyfriend, but he never laid a hand on you.

You pull forward quickly, before he drops your hand. You look up to see Mingyu, the body guard holding your ex. "You don't touch the girls, asshole." Mingyu pulls him back.

Dae throws his elbow back attempting to hit Mingyu. Except he doesn’t stand a chance at even moving the mountain that is Mingyu.

'Time to leave, buddy." You look behind him to see another bouncer kicking out Dae's friends.

"Baby, you can't avoid me. We will talk." Mingyu drags him out of the club. Shaking your head rush to the back. Your eyes brim with tears, you're overwhelmed and caught off guard.

The door to the back opens and Mingyu steps into the back. Reaching up you push away your tears. Mingyu silently watches you for a second before he holds open his arms. You don't say anything, you step into his arms. He holds you close and rubs your back.

Since you started working here you've grown close with Mingyu. The bouncer has become like a brother to you. He always goes out of his way to protect you.

"Bun, you should go home." He's picked up on using the same nicknames for you that Jeonghan uses.

"I need the money." You pull away from his hold.

"Jeonghan told me about his friend who is a fighter. I think you should talk to him."

"Okay."

-

The night comes to an end finally. You're sitting at the bar with Mingyu counting your money. Most the girls are in the back packing up, and some waitresses are heading home. You don't plan on leaving until Jeonghan and Mingyu can walk out with you. Jeonghan is working on cleaning up the bar. He doesn't have too much more to do before he's good to go.

"Bunny, Junhui has a fight tomorrow at the warehouse on twenty-third tomorrow night. Why don't you go with me tomorrow and you can meet him?"

"Okay." At this point you want to know how to protect yourself against Dae.

"Should you guys be going to an illegal fight night?" Mingyu asks, looking up from his phone.

It's probably not the best idea, but you're desperate. If Jeonghan thinks this Junhui guy can help you, you're willing to go meet him.

"I'll keep her safe." Jeonghan responses.

Mingyu sighs, and rolls his eyes. "Just call me, you guys need me. I have a date, but if things go south I can meet up with you guys."

TWO: THE MIDNIGHT MAN AND THE GIRL WHO HAUNTS HIS DREAMS

It's late at night when Jeonghan picks you up. He takes you to the sketchy part of town that's filled with warehouses.

Based on the amount of people hanging out outside smoking, the loud music that is pulsating all you would swear this is a night club.

Lacing his fingers with yours Jeonghan pulls you inside. You weave your way through the crowd where all the noise is coming from. Pushing your way through he brings you over to one of the corners for the fighters. A tall man dressed in very fashionable street wear greets Jeonghan.

"Minghao, this is my friend _____."

Minghao nods in your direction. "You're the one Bes is going to teach to fight?" You've never heard the name Bes before, you thought you were meeting up with someone named Junhui.

"Bes?"

"That's the only name he goes by here." Minghao responds.

"Oh."

"How is Chan doing?" You assume Chan is one of the boys in the middle of the empty space fighting.

"He's doing good, he's winning."

You watch as the smaller of the two men, seems to be winning. He’s getting a few good punches in. This warehouse is packed, the sounds of booming base music, and the loud cheers rattle your chest. Looking around you see a mix of people like you, struggling to get by and people who are dressed in high luxury brands.

Minghao pats Jeonghan on the back. “You should go see Bes before the fight.”

Jeonghan takes your hand leading you towards the back. Standing at the door you see a buff man in a suit blocking the back door.

“Hao told us Bes wants to see us.”

The bouncer glances passed both of you. Turning back, you see Minghao nod his head, the bouncer steps aside. The backroom is practically empty other than a couple folding chairs, and a few duffle bags. In the middle of the room you see a man wearing a face mask covering from below his eyes down. He’s clearly warming up. The other man is holding up gloves helping him practice.

“Soonyoung.” Jeonghan says releasing your hand.

Immediately the boys stop practicing. Soonyoung walks over and gives Jeonghan a hug. The man who was referred to as Bes stares at you silently. Slowly he tilts his head as if he’s studying you. Without thinking you step closer to him. There is something about him that you’re immediately drawn to. He doesn’t move, he’s locked in place watching you.

The door you walked through swings opens. Another man dressed in an expensive suit steps into the back.

“Bes, it’s your turn. Kick Parks ass. I have a lot of money riding on this fight.” The man shouts before walking out.

Jeonghan grabs your hand pulling you towards him. “We’ll meet you guys back here after the fight.”

The man behind the mask doesn’t say anything, he just watches as Jeonghan leads you back out the door.

Walking back into the warehouse things feel different. EDM music is booming through the speakers. Jeonghan leads you back over towards Minghao. You look to the other side of the ring to see a tall man with a similar build as Junhui. He’s covered in tattoos with dark hair.

The speaker crackles as someone shouts, “Bes!” The room instantly erupts. Soonyoung walks out next to Junhui, with the man in the suit flanking behind them. Junhui shirtless, wearing black cargo pants, and no shoes. Your eyes are instantly captivated by his beautiful body. He stops next to you and nods before walking to the center of the empty space.

Jeonghan never releases your hand as the fight starts. The bass is booming as they go blow for blow fighting. It’s clear that Junhui who everyone refers to as Bes is a very skilled fighter. The other fighter lands a solid kick on Junhui ribs, sending him shuffling back. Your eyes never leave him. He takes another step back gathering himself, before launching towards Park. With every single punch Junhui is getting the upper hand.

Park doesn’t give up though, he keeps giving Junhui firm kicks to the ribs. Junhui gets a strong kick to his jaw, sending Park down to the floor. The crowd erupts the moment he hits the concrete.

The same person that was dressed in the expensive suit walks into the middle and declares Bes the winner. Junhui dips his head, before walking back to back. The man in the suit hands Minghao a huge stack of money. Minghao gives him a curt nod, before him and Soonyoung follow Junhui to the back. Jeonghan squeezes your hand before dragging you off. Jeonghan locks the door as you step into the to room.

“Is it locked?” Minghao asked.

“Yeah.” Jeonghan says before releasing your hand.

Junhui takes off his face mask. He’s maybe ten feet from you. He takes a deep breath as he stares at you. For years you’ve had dreams of the man who is standing in front of you. Maybe it’s not him, but you feel like you know him.

“Jeonghan, who is this?” Junhui finally speaks.

“This is ___, she’s the girl who I mentioned.”

Reaching into his duffle bag, he pulls out a black hoodie. He pulls it on slowly, clearly sore from the fight. “You need to learn self defense right?”

“Yeah.” You finally speak.

“Why does she need to learn to fight?” Soonyoung asks.

Minghao seems like he’s barely paying attention. He’s more focused on counting the wad of money he was handed.

“My ex won't leave me alone."

“Fuck.” Minghao chimes in.

“The dude is an asshole. He won’t leave her alone at work now. Mingyu and I are trying to protect her, but we can’t always be there.” You’re scared of your ex, but at least you know at work and whenever you’re with them, they’ll keep you safe.

“I’ll teach you to fight.” He steps closer to you. “I’ll help keep you safe.” You don’t understand right now, but Junhui will do anything to protect you.

“I appreciate it.” He steps closer and instantly stops in his tracks.

“Jeonghan can give you my contact info.”

“Okay.”

THREE: A SPARK LIKE YOU’VE NEVER FELT BEFORE

The address Junhui gave you is a gym on the west side of town. It’s about a twenty minute walk from your place.

Standing outside the gym, you notice there are brick apartments above. Looking at the address again you realize that it’s for one of the apartments. You see a glass door. Walking over to it you pull it open. His building is nice, it definitely is newer than yours. Walking up the stairs you see the numbers and walk two doors to the left.

You aren’t quite sure why you’re nervous. You give the black painted wood door two firm knocks. You step back and wait. It only takes about thirty seconds before Minghao opens the door.

“Hello.” He gives you a small wave, before stepping aside.

You give him a polite nod. Stepping inside you look around. The apartment is an open concept for the kitchen and living area. There looks to be a small hallway where you assume the bedrooms are located. The walls are a mix of brick, and grey paint. The floor is a dark hard wood with a big green rug in the living area.

“Jun is in his room. Let me go grab him.” Minghao excuses himself, leaving you go awkwardly stand in the living room. You keep looking around, taking in the details of their shared space.

Looking over at the hallway you watch as both boys walk out. Minghao is now wearing a coat. He gives you another nod.

“I’m going to meet up with Chan and Soonyoung.” The front door clicks and suddenly you’re alone with the familiar man.

He’s dressed more casually today. He’s wearing a black tank top that hugs his toned body, and a pair of black joggers. His hair looks fluffy, almost as if his hair has been freshly washed.

“I feel like I should properly introduce myself.” You realize that at the warehouse he only really learned your name. “I’m ___, you can call me bunny if you want. Jeonghan and Mingyu call me that.”

He smiles at your cute nickname. “Bunny?”

“Yeah. It’s a long story, but the short version is, according to Jeonghan, I’m cute like a bunny.”

“I’m Junhui. My friend call me Jun, and you can as well. Whenever I’m fighting I go by Bes. If you ever watch me fight again, or you see me in a mask please just call me Bes.”

“Why Bes?”

“Bes is a god who is a protector. I’ve lived my life trying to protect women and children.” Something about him feels so safe. You don’t know him, but you feel as if you’ve always known him.

“I like that.”

He steps closer to you. “I’ll teach you to protect yourself, and I’ll protect you.”

“Thank you.”

“Let me take you to the gym downstairs. I own it with Hao.”

He leads you to the door. He slips on a pair of sneakers and grabs a set of keys from the bowl that’s sitting on a table by the door.

Neither of you say anything as you head downstairs. He walks up to the door and slowly opens it. Stepping inside you see some fighting equipment. It’s clear based on the fight you watched, and Junhui’s build that he's a trained fighter.

He leaves you standing on the padded mat to look around, walking over to the box and pulls out gloves. He walks back over to you. “Do you know how to fight?”

“I know how to punch someone.”

“Do you know how to defend yourself?”

“Not really.”

He hands you the gloves. “Put these on.”

You put them on with his help. He moves so you’re standing in the middle of the padded floor. Holding his bare hands up, he nods. “Alright, punch my hands.”

“Won’t that hurt you?”

“I take punches for a living. No offense you don’t hit as hard as the men I fight.”

You throw a punch at his left hand and then his right now.

“Good job, now do it again.”

For about two hours he trains you on fighting and defense. You’re absolutely exhausted, and sitting on the floor with your back against the wall. Junhui is sitting next to you. He holds out a bottle of water. You take a huge gulp of water.

“You did good.” He says.

“How are you still standing after fighting? I’m exhausted.” You lean your head back against the wall.

“I’ve trained for this for a long time.”

You take another big sip of the water. “What made you become an underground fighter?”

He pushes his fingers through his hair. “I’ve always been good at fighting. I realized early on when I would fight I would get this adrenaline rush. Fighting in that warehouse just became quick and easy money for me.”

“Oh.”

He grabs his own water and takes a big sip. “I feel like I should get to know you. Where do you work?”

“I work at the same club Jeonghan does.” Junhui has never been to a club, but what he has gathered from Soonyoung and Jeonghan it sounds like it's a club and a strip club. He’s not sure what your job is, but he doesn’t care if you’re a stripper.

“What do you do there?”

“I’m a waitress.”

“Where do you live?”

“Downtown, near the train station on seventh street.” Junhui knows exactly where that is. That isn’t the best part of town. He knows the rent is cheaper there. Soonyoung used to date a girl who lived a couple blocks from there. It’s about a twenty minute walk from the warehouse district.

“Do you walk to work?” He doesn’t like the idea of you walking home at night.

“Sometimes. Other times Jeonghan or Mingyu take me home.”

He pushes himself off the ground. “Maybe you shouldn’t be walking home if your ex is stalking you.”

“I know. It’s really rare for me to walk home.”

Junhui holds out his hand. You take it, and he pulls you up. “Call if you ever need a ride home. I’ll pick you up or Hao can.”

“You’re already doing too much for me, by helping me learn to fight.” You look down and realize he’s still holding your hand. Him holding your hand feels so natural.

“I promised you that I would keep you safe, and I meant that.” He releases your hand.

“I feel like I know you for some reason.” You knit your brows, you can’t fully explain what you’re feeling.

He doesn’t say anything, he just looks at you with an unreadable expression.

“Maybe we were meant to know each other.” He finally responds.

“Maybe.”

“Did you walk here?”

“Yeah.”

“Let me drive you home.”

FOUR: ALL THE MESSED I’VE MADE, LEAD ME BACK TO YOU

Over the last month and half you’ve been going to Junhui’s place by train three times a week. You’ve grown quite close to the masked fighter. You’ve even gone to a handful more of his fights. It's become clear that Junhui is the star fighter of that underground fight scene.

It's a day you're off and went to Junhui's gym for training. You've gotten quite good at boxing. Junhui is holding up his hand helping you hit moving targets. He's wearing a proud smile at how good you've gotten.

Junhui is standing by the wall drinking water while you fix your hair. Junhui can't help but be distracted sometimes at how beautiful he thinks you are.

You turn and give him a smile. "What are your plans this evening?"

"I don't have any. Minghao is out on a date so I think I'm home alone."

"Would you want to hang out and get dinner together?"

"Sure." You don't realize but Junhui will do anything you ask him to do.

You end up at a little hole in the wall bar that serves delicious Thai Food downtown that you love.

There is a cozy little booth by the back wall. You're each drinking a bottle of beer while sharing a couple plates of delicious food.

You notice how comfortable Junhui has grown around you. He's dishing himself some pad thai while listening to you tell a story about growing up.

"How long have you been at the club?" He asks.

"Five years. The money is really good there." You really hope he doesn't push for too much more information about the club.

"How long have you lived alone?"

"About two years. I used to live with a shitty ex."

"Was that shitty ex Dae or another one?"

"Another one. I have a bad track record with men." You don't know the last time you actually dated a decent guy. Your last three relationships started out good, before they both crashed and burned.

"You’re too good for those men." He says confidently.

"I wish I believed that." You used to be so confident, but since Dae and you broke up he's seemed to break your confidence.

"You're beautiful, kind, and compassionate. I think that makes you too good for most men." He picks up his beer and stares at it for a moment. "Any man you choose to give any of your time to, should feel lucky."

"I'm really glad Jeonghan introduced us." Junhui feels like he's the missing piece in life.

"I think I definitely owe him."

You both sit there enjoying your food. You hear someone yell your name. You look over at the pool table to see Dae and some of his gang friends.

You must look like you've seen a ghost. Junhui glances at you and quickly looks over at Dae who is walking towards you. Your hand that is sitting on the table instant clenches.

Junhui reaches out grabbing your hand. You relax it as he holds your hand. He squeezes it once, gaining your attention.

"There's my girl." Dae says walking up.

"I'm not your girl." You say firmly.

"Who is this guy?" Dae turns his attention to Junhui.

Junhui narrows his eyes at him. "None of your business."

"I think it's my business who my girl is seeing." Dae tilts his head.

"She's not your property and she sure as hell isn't your girl."

Dae barks out a laugh. "You're just her new toy. Soon she'll get bored with you, and come running back to me."

"Fuck you, Dae."

"We both know it's true, baby."

"I think you should leave her alone." Junhui releases your hand and stands up.

"Or what?" Dae says, shoving his finger into Junhui's chest.

You look behind your ex to see his friends are paying attention to what is unfolding. You stand up and grab Junhui's hand. You're scared of what will happen if you don't leave now.

"Let's go." You tug on his hand.

"What's wrong lover boy are you going to let her boss you around."

"I think it’s for the best that I leave. Just know if you lay another finger on her, I will end you."

Junhui squeezes your hand as he leads you out of the bar. Neither of you say anything as he leads you back to his car.

He unlocks the door and helps you into your side. He gets in and silently starts driving. Your chest aches, realizing your ex possibly ruined everything you could have been building with Junhui.

You expect him to drive you back home, but are surprised when he takes you to his place.

"What's going on?" You finally ask.

"I don't want you home alone in an apartment where Dae can find you."

Heading upstairs to his place he walks up slowly behind you, almost as if he's protecting you.

Once inside you notice how quiet the place is. Minghao must still be out for the night.

"Let's head to my room."

You follow him down the small hallway. He opens the door and you both head inside. His room is cream colored with dark hardwood floors. His bed is a queen with dark grey sheets and a cream comforter. The floor is partially covered by a grey rug. There is a door that sits against the same wall as his bed. That leads to the ensuite bathroom.

"You can sleep in here tonight and I'll sleep in the living room."

You hate the idea of him giving up his bed to you. "We can share the bed. I don't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Would you like to shower before we go to bed?"

"Please."

He shows you how to use the shower and tells you all his products in the shower can be used.

"I'll find you some clothes to sleep in."

"I'll close the curtain so you can just bring them in if you don't mind."

"Okay."

He leaves you alone in the bathroom. Pulling back the curtain and the sliding glass door you turn on the water giving it a moment to warm up. Stripping away your clothes, you try to fold them up neatly.

Stepping into the hot water you instantly start to relax. You just stand there letting the warm water washes the stress your ex caused.

The door opens and it takes everything in you not to peek through the curtain to him. "I got you a pair of shorts that are pretty comfortable and a baggy shirt."

"Thank you."

"I'll be on the other side of the door if you need me."

The door clicks shut signaling you're alone again. Looking on the corner shelf you find shampoo and conditioner. You're happy to see Junhui doesn't use two in one like some men. It looks like he has nice moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.

You take your time washing your hair, before using his citrus scented body wash. He always smells so fresh and clean and now you know why.

After you finish showering you work on fully drying yourself off and taming your hair.

Walking into his bedroom you find him laying on the top of the comforter in just a pair of sweat shorts. You already have a crush on him and the thought of him laying in bed with you, looking like that is enough to make you go crazy.

Crawling into bed you lay there staring at the ceiling. "Thank you for keeping me safe." You glance over at him.

"I promised you that I would protect you."

"I appreciate it. It's been really nice having you in my life."

"I'm glad we met." He says as he starts to crawl under the covers.

"Maybe we should get some sleep."

Closing your eyes you try to sleep. Anytime you get close to falling asleep, you keep having visions of the man lying next to you. Your dreams of him almost feel like déjà vu.

Your eyes slowly open. Laying on your side you stare at him. Since meeting Junhui you can't help but feel like your life is changing for the better. The problem is, you're terrified he's going to grow tired of you and all your baggage. What if he doesn’t like the sides of you that you desperately try to keep hidden?

His eyes flutter open. "What are you looking at?"

"You."

He reaches out, setting his hand right next to yours. The room feels incredibly small. It's taking everything not to reach out and touch him.

"Are you tired?" He asks.

"Yeah."

"You should get some sleep." He laces his fingers with yours. "Sweet dreams, bunny."

FIVE: KISS IT BETTER

Over the last week you find yourself constantly with Junhui if you aren't working. He's become a very important fixture in your life. Jeonghan and Mingyu have even started teasing you at work, about your crush on him. You don't even bother lying to yourself anymore. You're well aware you've fallen for the masked fighter.

The tension between the two of you is starting to be too much. Your days spent at his gym leave your yearning for the smallest touches. It's been too long since you've been intimate with someone, and the fact that you like him so much isn't helping. You feel touch starved. You would do anything just to hold his hand again.

It's another rainy day and you find yourself in Junhui's empty gym with him. Instead of boxing like you normally do, he's teaching you how to get out of a submission hold.

He’s hovering over you, with your hands pinned to the floor next to your head. You didn't make it easy on him trying to pin you down. You shift slightly trying to pull away.

"You can get out of this." He pushes your hands back down. Lifting your hips, you try to knock him off you. He shakes his head. "I'm not going to make it easy."

You know you have one chance if you can throw your leg hard enough to knock you both over. You take a deep breath before throwing your leg.

Jun releases you, tumbling off you. Pushing yourself off the ground, you make quick work of crawling on top of him. You sit on his lap. There is absolutely no way you can keep him pinned down, but you wanted to prove to him, you could get out of his hold.

Grabbing his hands you pin them next to his head, just like he did to you. He looks up at you giving you a wicked grin.

"That's impressive."

You release his hands knowing he'll pin you again to prove a point if you don't wave the white flag.

One of your hands rests over his chest. You can feel his heart beating below. He lifts his head slightly.

"Do you like the view?" You give him a smile.

"The view is great."

You lean down slightly. God, up close like this he's so damn beautiful. He pushes himself up so you're still sitting on his lap but his face is close to yours.

Silently he pushes your hair out of your face. His hand rests on your cheek. "You're so pretty. The view from here is even better."

Leaning in close you test the water. Resting your nose against his. Your lips part as you take a deep breath.

"I'm going to kiss you." He whispers.

The moment your lips touch for the first time, you feel alive. Kissing him is everything you've dreamed of. One of his hands stays on your cheek while the other rests on your hip, holding you close to him.

Pulling back you can't help but smile. "That was nice."

He gives you the cutest crooked smile. Leaning back in you crash your lips into his. One of his hands roams your back. Your lips move together in perfect sync. He runs his tongue across the seam of your lips. Opening your mouth he slides his tongues against yours.

His hand rests on your butt, squeezing it he pulls your body closer to his. You're making out on the floor of his gym, like a couple of horny teenagers.

Tangling your fingers in his hair you hold him close to you.

"I like you." You whisper against his lips.

"Fuck—" He moans.

You have no concept of time as you kiss him like your life depends on it. It could be five minutes or even an eternity.

Pulling away you both need a minute to catch your breath. He rests his large hand on your cheek. He drags his thumb across your bottom lip.

"Where have you been all my life?" You sigh.

"Waiting for you."

SIX: LITTLE SECRETS YOU CANT TELL

You hate nights like this when neither Jeonghan or Mingyu are at work with you. Your rent is due, and the only way to avoid being absolutely broke for a few weeks, is getting up on stage. Normally it would be fine if you knew the boys were here as a safety net.

Just knowing you’re alone always leaves you feeling unsettled.

Looking in the mirror you work on reapplying the makeup you caked on when you know you're going on stage. A couple of the dancers sitting on the other side of the mirror are talking about some work gossip. Since you started dancing here you try your hardest to stay out of drama. You have enough going on in your life. The last thing you need is for people at work to be involved in your life.

This is the final half hour of your night. You just need to do one more dance and you're able to go home, with plenty of money.

"____ you're up next." The DJ pops into the back and shouts.

You walk out to the stage. You take a slow deep breath as the music starts to play. The guitar intro to "Kiss It Better" by Rhianna plays you in.

Walking on the stage the bright lights are blinding. You hand grips the pole as you spin around.

As the song goes on you start shedding what little clothes you're wearing. The song comes to a close and you're left standing on stage fully naked. Walking off stage in your sky high heels you wrap a robe around you tightly.

You walk into the back room and immediately grab your toiletry bag. You head into the wash room and work on washing away the stage make up that's caked onto your face. You have no problem with Junhui seeing you barefaced, but you don't want to see him in full stage makeup.

Heading back to your locker you're greeted by one of the managers handing you your tips from the last dance. You pull out some for the djs and bartender and then shove it into the pouch you keep in your bag.

"Are you heading out?" Your manager asks.

"Yeah."

"Have a good night."

Reaching into your back you pull out a pair of joggers and sweater. You get dressed in your warm and cozy clothes quickly. Grabbing your phone from your bag you see a text from Junhui. It reads "be outside in five minutes."

You gather your purse and make sure you have your money bag. You shove the rest of your dancing stuff in your locker. You make your way quickly through the club hoping to get to Junhui.

Walking outside into the cool night air you see him parked close to the entrance. You jog to his car and quickly get in.

Sitting your bag on the floorboard you turn and give him a smile. "Thank you for picking me up."

"How was work?" He asks. Your stomach twists in knots. You hate talking about your job. You don't want to lie to him, but you can't bring yourself to tell him that tonight was one of those nights you took your clothes off on stage.

"Fine." You know you probably sound short with your answer but you can't help it.

"What happened?" He raises his brow, clearly confused by your tone.

"It's just work."

"Did you want to talk about it?"

"Can we please not?" You can't do this tonight. You aren't ready for things to blow up between you.

"We don't have to talk about it." He leans over and presses his lips to your cheek for a gentle kiss.

"I know it's late, but did you want to stay at my place tonight? The guys are over hanging out and they asked if you would join us." This isn't the first time he's asked you to stay over since your first kiss. You've stayed over enough that Junhui has gotten toiletries of things you use in his bathroom. Your sleepovers are quite innocent outside of some kissing. You both just like the intimacy of sharing a bed and cuddling.

In the process of getting close to Junhui, you've also grown close with his three best friends.

"Is there possibly food there? I'm starving."

He holds his hand out. Without thinking twice you lace your fingers with his. He lifts his hand and kisses the top of your hand.

"Chan brought pizza over."

"Perfect."

The drive to Junhui's place isn't too long. He parks and turns the car off. He doesn't move to get out and neither do you. He turns towards you and gives you a look. You unbuckle your seatbelt and practically launch yourself at him. You move so you're sitting on his lap, with the steering wheel against your back. Your fingers are tangled in his hair as your lips move together. Since your first kiss you shared at the gym, it's not uncommon for you and him to make out like a couple of horny teenagers. His hands roam your back. His hand dips below the back of your sweats. His finger toy with the back of your thong because he grabs the fleshy cheek of your ass. You realize he's definitely an ass man. Whenever you're on top of him he's constantly grabbing your butt.

"Fuck—" he moans against your lips. "I'm going to get hard if we don't stop."

"Is that a problem?" You tease him, pulling back.

"Yeah. Our first time shouldn't be in my car. We should take things slower." You've never had a man want to take things slow like this. But you have no problem waiting. You know when you finally have sex it will be intense, just like everything is with him.

After your intense makeout session in the car you find yourself in the living room of Junhui and Minghao's apartment. It's two in the morning but none of the guys seem to be tired. Soonyoung is sitting on the floor next to Chan. They have been talking about some huge fight with some man named Johnny.

"Dude, Johnny is in Sung's gang. Last time I checked Sung is still pissed he lost money when you beat him." Soonyoung says. If you remember correctly, Sung was the first man you saw Junhui fight.

"Is fighting Johnny a good idea?" Minghao asks.

"No." Chan chimes in.

"The money would be crazy though." Soonyoung responds.

Junhui isn't saying anything. He's just silently sitting on the couch next to you.

"Jun you don't have to do it." Minghao says.

"If I don't fight him, Sung is just going to be more pissed."

"Dude Johnny is huge. He knocked out Bronx and broke his arm." Chan says.

Everything they're all saying is making you extremely uneasy. You look over at Junhui, unable really read his emotions.

"What is the payout?" Junhui asks.

"Double the Sung fight." Minghao says.

"I'll do it." The moment he agrees you suddenly want to cry. You push yourself off the couch.

You don't say anything as you walk off to Junhui's room. You don't want to make a scene begging him not to fight. You clearly have something going on with Junhui but you definitely aren't his girlfriend.

You head off to the bathroom to brush your teeth and to start getting ready for bed. You go about your business brushing your teeth and changing into the oversized shirt and shorts Junhui keeps in the top drawer for you.

You walk out of the bathroom and find Junhui sitting on the bed waiting for you.

"You're clearly upset."

You stop in front of him and stand between his spread legs. "I'm worried."

"I can count on one hand how many fights I've lost." He rests his hand on your thigh.

"If you're going to do this fight I want to be there."

He shakes his head, leaning back away from you. "It could get ugly, and I don't want you to see it."

Closing your eyes you take a deep. How could you possibly explain to him that you care so much about him that you'll be worried sick about him?

"I need to be there. I can't just go to work or sit at home and pretend everything is okay." You crawl on to his lap. "I'm begging you, please."

Reaching up he holds your face with both hands. "You need to bring Jeonghan or Mingyu with you."

He leans up, pressing his lips to yours. You don't realize but he cares about you so much, that he can't stand the idea of you being upset with him.

"You can go back out with the boys if you want." You feel guilty he left his friends because you got upset.

"They're just drinking and hanging out. I don't want to do that. I want to lay in bed and hold you."

Crawling off of him, you shimmy out of your shorts you're wearing. You're standing there in just a little thong and an oversized shirt.

"I think you're trying to make me hard." He groans laying down flat.

"It's more comfortable to sleep this way." You flash him a faux innocent smile.

He lets out a heavy sigh before sitting up. "Should I sleep naked?"

"I would prefer you did." You tease him crawling into the side of your bed you find yourself always sleeping on.

He heads off to the bathroom leaving you alone for about five minutes. He comes back dressed only in a pair of tight boxer-briefs that leave little to the imagination.

He crawls into bed next to you. Reaching over he turns off the light. He pulls you close to him. Your head is resting on this chest and he has your leg pulled on top of his stomach. You're as physically close as you can be.

You never feel as relaxed as you are in his arms. It doesn't take long until you're sound asleep curled up against him.

SEVEN: EVERYTHING WAS MIDNIGHT RAIN

It’s hard to watch the fight unfolding in front of you. Jeonghan holds your hand tightly. Johnny is bigger than Junhui and his hits are landing hard. He throws a head right hook to Junhui's jaw. He stumbles back, spitting out blood.

Squeezing your eyes shut, you can’t watch this. The crowd erupts screaming. Opening your eyes just a little you see Johnny on the floor. Junhui is on top of him throwing punches.

Johnny gets a firm kick in, getting Junhui off of him. Junhui stumbles back. Johnny is throwing punches, and kicks nonstop. Junhui is able to block most of them. Johnny gets another firm hit in, splitting open Junhui eyebrow.

Burying yourself into Jeonghan’s side, you squeeze your eyes shut. You care about the man in the mask too much to watch him get this hurt.

“Keep your eyes closed.” Jeonghan says.

You try to block out everything. The cheers get louder, and you hear the noises both the fighters are making. The crowd groans and suddenly erupts.

Pulling away from Jeonghan slowly you find Johnny knocked out on the concrete and Junhui standing tall. Blood is dripping from his eyebrow down his face. Lifting his hand he wipes away the blood. His eyes stay locked on yours.

Your chest aches staring at him. He’s staring at you in the room filled to the brim with people cheering, like it's only you two. The vice grip on your heart, leaves you stuck standing there.

Hao and Soonyoung rush over to Junhui. Soonyoung is working on checking on him while the man running the show hands Minghao a duffel bag. Junhui and the boys walk towards the back. The moment they’re close to you and Jeonghan, Junhui grabs your hand. Lacing his fingers with yours, he squeezes your hand.

Once in the back, Jeonghan locks the door. Junhui takes off his mask. You instantly notice his lip is busted open. You want to work on cleaning him up, but before you can, he wraps his arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug.

You can feel the eyes of the other three boys burning into you. Closing your eyes, you lean into him. Wrapping your arms around him tightly. You don’t ever want to see him in another fight like that.

“I’m sorry, you had to see that.” He says just loud enough for you to hear.

“I can’t see you get hurt like that again.” Tears brim your eyes. You can’t help but cry. Sniffling back tears, you try to keep yourself together.

He pulls away slowly. He stares at you for a short second. Reaching up he rests his hand on your cheek. His thumb drags across your cheek, pushing away your tears.

“I should get looked at.”

Stepping back, you nod. “Yea. Soonyoung needs to clean up your wounds and doctor you.”

Junhui slowly walks over towards the boy. You stand locked in the same place Junhui left you. Jeonghan walks in over to you. Your eyes are locked on the man you’ve grown to care for, as his friends are inspecting his injuries.

Jeonghan stands next to you. He nudges your side, catching your “Do you love him?” He asks, just loud enough for you to hear.

“I think so. I think there is something in the universe that pulled us to each other. Before him, there was a part of me that always felt like it was missing. He makes me feel whole.”

“It seems like he loves you.”

“I’m bad luck, and I’m so scared he's going to get hurt because of me.”

“He won’t get hurt because of you. Let him protect you, and take care of you.” Jeonghan nudges your side again.

You finally look away from Junhui. “What if he doesn’t like who I am? What if he finds out about my job, and it’s too much for him?” Everything you’ve done at work that you’re not proud of, was so you could survive. You never planned on taking your clothes off for money, but sometimes you have to so you can survive.

“He’s not going to judge you. I know him, he’s a really good guy and he cares about you. He’s not going to care that you strip every so often.”

Junhui slowly stands up. Minghao hands him another mask. As soon as you all walk out of the back door, you don’t want people to fully see his face.

He puts on the mask and glances over at you. He walks over to you and laces his fingers with yours. Being close to him feels natural.

Walking out of the crowded warehouse. Soonyoung helps clear a path. Stopping at the entrance you see it’s now raining.

“Can I come to your place, to take care of you?” You don’t want to be alone tonight. You’re just going to stay awake all night worrying about him.

“Yeah of course.”

Jeonghan and Soonyoung say goodnight, before running to their cars. Junhui leads you through the rain towards Minghao’s car.

The ride to the boy’s apartment wasn’t too long. Minghao walks behind as Junhui slowly makes his way upstairs. Once inside, Junhui heads off to his room. Before you can follow, Minghao grabs your wrist stopping you.

“Hey?”

“Yeah?”

“He doesn’t do this with other women. I know you seem kind of guarded, and I want you to know he’s not some player or something. He’s pretty guarded himself, and only let you in because he cares about you.”

“I care about him too.”

“I know.” Minghao releases your wrist. “Take care of him tonight.”

“I will.”

You head off towards Junhui’s room. Slowly pushing the door open. He’s nowhere to be seen. You look by his hamper and find his clothes he was just wearing. The door that leads to the bathroom is cracked, and you can hear the water running.

Pushing the door open you see the curtain is pulled shut. “Jun?”

“Yeah, bunny?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, you can join me if you would like.”

Walking in you shut the door fully. Without even thinking you start stripping away your clothes. Being naked in front of people isn't anything new for you, but the idea of him seeing you naked for the first time feels intimate.

Pulling back the curtain, you slide the door open. You step into the shower carefully. Your eyes instantly lock onto his beautiful body that is drenched. His ribs are already painted with water colored bruises, blooming on his skin. His lip is slowly healing. He turns around letting the water rinse away his shampoo.

You could spend hours admiring all the details of his beautiful body. Your eyes can’t help but wander down to his large cock, which is resting between his legs.

“You’re beautiful.” You say.

He gives you a gentle smile. “You’re breathtaking.”

He steps out from the water and holds his hand out. You reach out, taking his hand. Stepping under the hot water, your body instantly starts to relax.

“You know we’ve only ever kissed and now I’m naked in the shower with you.” You try to make light of the situation.

“I’m sorry.” He leans in close, while the water is pouring down on both of you.

“Don’t be sorry.” You want anything and everything this man will possibly give you.

His large hand rests on your cheek. He leans in even closer so his nose is bumping yours. His lips just barely brush yours as he takes a deep breath. Your lips part, as you’re dying to say something. Silent pleads sit on your tongue.

“Jun—“

“Let me take a moment to enjoy this.”

“Kiss me or I might drop dead.”

The softest laugh passes his lips. Everything melts away as his lips crash into yours. Your fingers tangle in his wet hair, holding him close to you.

He pulls back slightly, just giving you each a moment to breathe.

“Are you hurting?” You know he’s in pain after that terrible fight.

“A little but, I want to be close to you. I want to kiss you, just like I do in every lifetime.”

“Lifetime?” You have no clue what he’s talking about.

“I was made in every lifetime for you.” He rambles before crashing his lips into yours again.

He moves your both, so your back is pressed up against the cold white tile. Your lips move together like you need each other to breathe. Junhui is the air in your oxygen deprived lungs. He moves from kissing your lips, across your jaw, and down your delicate neck.

Echoing moans pass your lips as he finds the sensitive spot on the side of your neck. “Jun—“

He kisses the tops of each of your breasts. Mindlessly reach between your two bodies. You find his hardening cock against your stomach.

“Can I?” You ask.

“Please.”

His lips travel back to yours. The way your lips move together is intoxicating. You focus on pumping his length at a steady pace. He groans into mouth as you continue to kiss. One of his hands is on your breast, squeezing it. His thumb teases your nipple, reaching moans from you.

“Fuck—“ he whispers against your lips.

“You feel good.” You whisper.

“I’m going to cum.” You take this as your sign to pick up the pace.

His nose rests against yours. His lips part, and soft moans and groans pour out. His breathing is heavy, and his eyes closed.

“Fuck—“ He paints your hand and stomach with his milky white release.

You pull back and smile at the sight of him. He looks heavenly in his post orgasmic bliss.

You step back under the water rinsing off your hand and stomach. Junhui moves so he’s leaning against the wall. His eyes slowly open, he looks at you in a haze.

“Baby, come here.” He reaches for you. “Let me take care of you.”

“Later, right now I’m taking care of you.”

He steps back towards the water again. He presses his lips to yours for a gentle kiss. “I can make you cum.”

“You don’t need to. Let’s finish up and go to bed.”

Getting out of the shower you both take your time drying off. Neither of you bother putting on clothes. You crawl into his bed. You’re laying on your side with Junhui curled up behind you, holding you close. Nothing is said as he presses kisses to your bare shoulder.

“Jun?”

“Yeah, baby?” You love when he calls you baby.

“What do you mean, you were made for me in every lifetime?” You aren’t sure if he was just rambling on if what he said actually meant something.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

“Jun, I feel things for you I can’t explain. I don’t think you’ll say anything I think is crazy.”

“I’ve lived so many lifetimes , they all just feel like recurring dreams.” He pauses for a moment. “But in every single lifetime, I have you. We’ve had many different names, but in every single one we look the same. I find you in every single one of those lives, and I always love you. In every life I protect, I'm the protector Bes, and in every lifetime I protect you.” You should run away and tell him he’s crazy, but you know deep down this is true. You’ve had dreams of him, long before you met him. You know deep down inside you’ve lived many life times together.

“I believe you.”

He presses a kiss to the back of your neck. “That’s why we’re drawn to each other.”

“It makes sense.” You let out a yawn. It’s been a long day and you can barely hold your eyes open.

“Let’s get some sleep.” He says softly.

It doesn’t take long before you both fall asleep curled up with the echoing sounds of the rain outside.

EIGHT: ALL THE PAIN AND FEAR

Nights like this are the worst. You went into work telling yourself you would just work as a waitress. That the tips and pay from that alone would get you in the clear for a few weeks. You didn't expect your boss to ask if you wanted to get on stage.

Sitting in the back Jeonghan comes over and sits down next to you. He places soda down in front of you.

Glancing up at him, you find him giving you a sympathetic smile.

"You don't have to get up there if you don't want to."

"I know. I'm worried about what Jun will think." Before him you didn't really worry about what someone would think about you getting on that stage.

"I promise you, he won't care."

"What if he looks at me differently?" You grab the lemon lime soda he placed in front of you.

"Neither me or Mingyu looked at you differently when you started doing it. Jun won't care. You just need to be honest with him."

A heavy sigh passes your lips. You bring the ice cold glass to your lips and take a drink or the crisp soda.

"If you don't want to do it, you can always say no. Woojin is an asshole but I doubt he would make you get on stage if you don't want to."

Jeonghan stands up and pats your back. "Whatever you want to do I support you."

You finish drinking your soda and decide you're just going to do it. You've never felt shameful for being a stripper and you know deep down inside Junhui won't care.

One dance that's all you'll do, and then you'll be a waitress the rest of the night.

Heading off to the room the dancer get ready in, you go to your locker where you store things for nights like tonight.

You're dressed in a tiny white lace set that leaves little to the imagination. Putting on your heels you go over to the DJ and let him know what song you want him to play.

Standing on the side stage you take slow deep breaths trying to calm down. The beat to the song "Do I Wanna Know" by the Arctic Monkeys starts to play. The DJ says your stage name as you walk onto the stage.

Being on stage feels like a blur. Leaning against the cold pole you sway your body to the beat of the music. Reaching for the front clasps on your bra, you disconnect it and let the white lace fall to the floor.

Looking around you just see the bright light and the money hitting the stage.

Grabbing the pole, you walk around it just dressed in your tiny white thong. Stepping out of it, you leave yourself standing there fully naked. You dance around a little as the song comes to a close. Walking off the stage you grab a robe that you left on the hook.

Tying the robe up you walk back to the dancers room. You don't want to sit back here and think about what just happened. You just quickly put on a tiny white dress, not bothering to wear a bra and another thong. You know you could make more money in tips if you're dressed like this. You switch to a pair of chunk white boots that have a heel and a platform that are comfortable.

Walking back onto the floor you let your manager know you're going to wait tables. You see your first table and head over to the bar where Jeonghan is.

"How are you feeling?" He asks as he starts making your drinks for table seven.

"Fine. I just made my rent on stage."

"You don't sound fine." He responds as he cleans a glass.

"Jun is fighting tonight and I'm always on edge when I'm not there to make sure he's safe."

"That's understandable. Did you want me to drop you off at Jun's tonight?" He sets the glass down on the counter.

"Yes please."

You go back to taking drink orders and waiting tables. You've got maybe two hours left at work and instead of fully waiting tables, you're running out drinks for Jeonghan.

You're on the far side of the club, out of view of Jeonghan or Mingyu. You've just brought a large tray of shots to a group of men dressed in suits.

Turning around you feel sick instantly. Dae locks eyes on you immediately. He finds you walking around near the stage. You look around hoping Mingyu will show up. Jeonghan has a swarm of people at the bar, so he definitely can't see you.

"Leave me alone." You say firmly as he approaches.

"Baby, don't be like that." He walks up.

Holding your arm out you keep a distance from him. "I'm just trying to talk to you without your little masked fighter being your body guard."

You take a big step back. "Leave!"

"Why won't you talk to me anymore?" He takes another step closer.

"We're broken up. We have been for eight months. Just leave me alone."

He barks out a laugh. "Does your little fighter Bes know about you getting up on that stage?"

You don't respond, you just stare at him.

"I'm shocked you're here and not watching your new man's fight tonight. I heard Sung wants revenge." You've heard Minghao and Soonyoung talk about Sung. He's the first guy you ever saw Junhui fight. He's a big strong guy with ties to Dae's gang.

"Shut up."

"I wonder if Sung and everyone else knows that your sweet Junhui is good at fighting." The moment he mentions Junhui’s name, ice runs through your veins.

Without thinking you shove him away from you. "Shut the fuck up, you don't know what you're talking about."

He lets out another laugh. "Oh it seems I've hit a nerve."

Before anything else can be said Jeonghan and Mingyu are here. Mingyu grips the back of Dae's shirt, pulling him away from you.

"What your little fighter can't help you, you still need Jeonghan and this goon." He pushes his elbow back towards Mingyu.

Jeonghan pulls you back a little. Dae rolls his eyes and laughs. "I think your boy Junhui should be worried that you're fucking Jeonghan." You and Jeonghan have never done anything sexual together. Dae has always and will always be jealous of your friendship with him.

Mingyu tightens his grip pulling him back more. "Dude, shut the fuck up. You have no clue what you're talking about."

"I hope you said goodbye to your man before you came to work."

"What?"

"Turns out Sung and the boys brought a gun to the fight. It looks like no one is a fan of the masked fighter, Bes." Your stomach instantly drops.

Dae lifts his wrist looking at the time. "I would say things have probably already kicked off. Maybe if you leave now you can say goodbye."

Bile crawls up your throat. The room feels like it's spinning. Stepping forward you slap Dae.

"Good luck, baby." He laughs.

Mingyu pulls him into a chokehold pulling him back.

Without thinking Jeonghan grabs your hand. He drags you through the crowded club. He stops at the bar where your manager Woojin is. He says you're having an emergency. Hand in hand you sprint out of the club together. The concrete is wet from the rain that just ended.

Jeonghan drags you to his car. You both hop in and he drives, breaking too many laws, to get you to the warehouse quickly.

Parking, you hop out and see chaos is already unfolding. Jeonghan looks around frantically.

The sound of the gun shot ringing out echoed outside.

"Fuck." Jeonghan says.

Immediately people start sprinting outside. Another gun shot rings out. Then everything suddenly starts happening too quickly. Jeonghan runs towards the door and luckily sees no one has been shot.

You see Minghao looking terrified with blood on his hands. You sprint towards him.

"What happened?"

With wild eyes Minghao grabs your shoulder. "One of Sung's guys shot Chan."

"How bad is it?"

"It grazed him."

Another group of people rush out. You look inside to see Junhui has Sung pinned to the ground with Soonyoung helping. Jeonghan rushes inside to help Chan.

You follow Minghao inside, you desperately want to get to Junhui.

"Oh my god." Your voice immediately catches Junhui's attention.

You look at Sung and see he's definitely been knocked unconscious. Junhui jumps up and pulls you into his chest. He wants to kiss you so bad, but you both know he needs to keep his mask on.

"We need to get Chan out of here." Jeonghan says.

Chan lets out a groan as Jeonghan and Minghao help him stand up.

Soonyoung stands up and follows behind everyone as you head outside. The boys take Chan towards Jeonghan's car that's parked in the alley behind the warehouse.

Junhui stops and pulls you into another hug. When the first gun shot rang out he was terrified he would never see you again.

You walk towards the alley with him holding your hand. As you get to the entrance you see an expensive looking mustang driving toward you.

Everything moves in slow motion as the head lights get closer and closer.

Junhui moves your body like a force of nature. He shoves you hard and quick, getting you out of the way of the car bearing towards you. You hit the concrete wall with a thud.

He throws himself the other way attempting to save himself. You're just far enough away from the boys that they can't see what is happening.

Everything aches as you hit the hard concrete. Closing your eyes, you feel disoriented.

The car speeds off after clearly missing their target.

“Baby,” he shouts, pushing himself off the cold concrete. His attempts to save you from the car, left him on the cold hard ground. His heart sinks, seeing you laying on the wet asphalt. God he hopes he didn't hurt you, trying to save you.

Frantically he runs to you, praying to any god that you're okay. Being thrown against the wall, left your ears ringing. You held your ears feeling dazed. Slowly you sit up groaning in pain from the impact. He pulls up to your feet and presses you against the brick wall, his hands reached up to hold your face. His eyes are wild as he studies you.

Opening your mouth to speak nothing comes out as you stare at him. His breathing is rough just like yours. The car that tried to hit you, is long gone. You know exactly why they tried to run you off the road.

He releases your face, leaning forward to rest his forehead against yours. He's still wearing his gear from the fight. His face is still partially covered by his mask.

Glove covered hands roam your soft body. No one’s touch had ever felt quite like this. It wasn’t soft by any means but it was sensual without trying. With your body pressed against the cold brick wall you mind drifts to places it shouldn’t go. Junhui has never touched you like this. He's touching you as if he's trying to make sure you're real.

All that could be heard was heavy breathing between the two of you and the sound of passing cars below.

Your breathing is shallow as you’re focused on Junhui’s eyes.

You're in an alley in the dark side of the city. You had left work in a hurry dressed in nothing but a tiny dress and he was in his outfit he fought in.

It felt wrong because of what had just happened, but you had never been so turned on in your life.

“Jun—,” as you went to speak, he places his hand over mouth, silencing you.

Leaning forward with his lips brushing your ear he whispers, "you can’t say my name out loud right now.”

Slowly he removes his hand.“Okay.”

“Are you okay,” his hands went from your mouth to gently gliding down your throat.

“I’m fine. Maybe a little bruised up,” reaching out you rest your hand on his chest.

“Your pulse is racing,” he rasps.

“I’m on edge.” You're absolutely rattled, after someone clearly tried to kill you, by running you over.

“We need to get you back to my place,” he reaches down and takes your hand.

“What about my place?” Your apartment is way closer and you don't know if you could make it to his place.

“We can go there,” his hand rests in the crook of your neck.

Holding your hand he leads you into the alley where the boys are standing by their cars looking at Chan's wound. It looks like the bullet grazed his arm. They had no clue what just happened.

"We need to go to the hospital." Soonyoung says.

"You guys take Chan, I'm going to take the car and get bunny home safe."

Jeonghan puts his hand on his shoulder. "Please take care of her."

NINE: I BEG FOR YOU, AND EVERYTHING WE COULD BE

You're about ten minutes away from your apartment. He parks his car and leans over and presses his lips to your cheek for a soft kiss.

"In case Dae has people waiting for you outside, maybe we should take the fire escape."

"Good idea."

Arriving at the bottom of your apartment where the fire escape is, leads up to your second story apartment. You climb up the ladder well aware you're barely covered by your dress and tiny thong you're wearing underneath it. You left work in a rush and didn't have time to change into anything else. You're basically in nothing but a skin tight dress that leaves very little to the imagination. Luckily Junhui is a gentleman and wouldn't intentionally try to get an eyeful as you climbed up the ladder.

Climbing through the window into your apartment you help Junhui crawl in behind you. You shut the window quickly and lock it. You proceed to pull the blinds closed and turn to Junhui who's standing by your couch taking deep breaths.

“Are you okay?” You asks, walking towards him quickly.

He reaches up and slowly removed his mask. His black eye already coming in and his cheek is split.

Wide eyes lock on him as he works on taking his outfit off slowly. Low groans pass his lips as he works to strip away his clothes. He had taken quite a beating, tonight was clearly a set up. Sung had every intention of killing Junhui and taking you out after. Dae clearly knew what to say to get you to rush to Junhui. His hands grips the back of the couch as he walks around to sit down.

“I’m going to get my first aid kit.” You say.

The gash on his chest is pretty deep and you know you need to clean it. You hurry off to your bathroom and grab the first aid kit that's under the sink. Walking back into the living room you remove your shoes and walk over, sitting on the couch next to Junhui. His eyes are closed as he takes deep breaths.

“I thought you were dead,” you whisper.

“You don’t have to worry about me." He groans.

“It’s a little hard when I hear that you’ve been shot at the warehouse.”

With a peroxide cover cotton ball you gently cleaned the gash on his chest. His eyes are still closed tight as he groans. Gently you clean his wound, you're trying your hardest to make sure you don't hurt him anymore then he already is.

“Thank you for saving me,” you whisper, pulling away the cotton pad from his skin.

His black eyes open and a crooked smile formed on his beautiful face, “I don’t think you realize I will literally do anything to keep you safe.”

You go to move your hand away, and he reaches out, grabbing your wrist. His thumb gently rubs the underside, where your skin is more sensitive. Your eyes stay locked on him, as he touches you gently. You want to tell Junhui how much he means to you, but your brain doesn't seem to know what to say. Reaching up he takes the blood soaked cotton pad from your hand and placed it on top of the coffee table. He releases your wrist. He reaches down and places his hands on your soft hips. He moves your body as if you weighed nothing, and tugs you onto his lap. He's dressed in nothing but a pair of black boxer-briefs as you straddle his thighs. You're only wearing a thin small dress that doesn't cover your body very much. You look like a stripper. The amount of make up that's cake on your skin doesn't help the look. His thumb rubs your hip, as the other hand rests on the side of your neck. His lips part as he takes slow breaths. One of your hands rests on his cheek while the other rests on your own thigh, holding down the short dress.

You lean forward resting your nose against his. Your heart is about to beat out of your chest and you know Junhui is aware of that.

“I love the way you smell, your skin always has this soft scent of vanilla,” he inhales.

Taking a slow breath you smile with your nose still resting against his.

His hand that's been resting on your hip crawls up your soft stomach, resting on the underside of your breast. His thumb grazed against the fabric of where your bra would have been if you were wearing one. Pulling his face away from you, he leans his head back and takes a breath. You could feel that he's growing harder beneath you.

“Why aren’t you wearing a bra?” He rasps leaning his head back up.

“Let’s not talk about that,” you whisper, praying that you weren’t going to have this conversation. He doesn't need to know that you get more money from tips if you aren't wearing one, or if you wear just a thin bralette.

"You don’t have to keep all these walls up around me." He leans forward, pressing his forehead against yours. "I meant it when I told you, I want you. I don't care about your past, or the part that you think you need to hide. I want to be with you and to protect you." He leaves out the part where he wants to tell you, that in every lifetime he's loved you, and in every lifetime he's had to protect you from evil.

“There’s some things I don’t want you to know about me,” you whisper.

“Okay.”

You know it isn't okay, but he isn't going to press you for more information.

“I was so worried about you, I couldn’t live with myself if you got hurt,” his voice is shaky.

“I’m okay Jun." Your lips are so close to his.

He must have read your mind, because he leans forward and connects his lips to your. His hand is still resting on your neck. You move your hand from your thigh and rests it on his cheek. Instinctively you roll your hips as your lips move together.

His lips move from your mouth, and he slowly start to kiss his way down your jaw. Holding your eyes close you take in his touch. His hand that's resting on your neck moves to the thin spaghetti strap of your dress.

With his lips ghosting your skin he asks, “can I?”

“Yes,” your tone is needy.

His hand that's resting on the underside of your breast moves up as he pushes down both the straps on your dress. He pushes the fabric down your skin, leaving you completely bare from the waist up. You stare at him, wide eyed as his calloused hands move up to massage your breast. His fingers rolled your nipples. Your lips are parted as you take deep a breath enjoying the feeling of his touch.

“Is this alright?” He asks.

“Yes it is,” you try to keep your tone even.

“I won't let anything like tonight ever happen again,” he leans forward and presses his lips to the side of your mouth.

His lips move against yours, as you slowly roll your hips against his growing length. Your lips move together, as if you need each other to breathe. If someone told Junhui he couldn't exist without you, he wouldn't even second guess them. Kissing you is like a breath of fresh air. You're oxygen in his air deprived lungs. Your hands move up resting on his chest. With his lips ghosting yours he whispers, "I need you.”

“Jun." You hold his face in your hands and pull away from him. "I'm so scared I'll ruin things between us. I'm bad luck, everything always falls apart because of me. I don't want to say something that will ruin things between us."

“Nothing you say will ruin anything between us. I want you, I don't mean I just want to have sex with you. I want to be the person you can lean on. I want to be the person who can take care of you. Baby just let me in." He's never sounded this desperate speaking to you before.

“Junhui I’m begging you just drop it right now,” your own voice is desperate.

“Okay.”

Your lips crash against his as your hips roll against his. Your hands move to the bottom of your dress and push it up so it's resting above your hips. Leaving you practically bare below, except for your tiny white thong. You lift your hips slightly, and pull your thong to the side.

"Please touch me."

His lips move to your neck, leaving wet kisses and gentle nips. His lips ghosts your skin and he whispers, "Are you wet for me?"

“Yes,” you rasps as his finger slide into your core.

You gasped as his fingers did slow circles on your sensitive nub. His lips never left your neck. His touch sent a shiver down your spine in the best way possible.

“I need more,” you moan.

Junhui removes his hands from your core. “Sit up a little bit,” he rasps, removing his lips from your skin.

You sit up as he pushes his boxers down his thighs enough to free his erection. Your eyes stayed locked in his face. He has a look of concentration playing across it. His hands grip your soft thigh bringing you back to a resting position on his thighs.

You sit up just enough to line yourself up with his cock. Slowly you sink down on to his length, gasping as you bottom out. Your hands rests on his chest. You stay still for a moment adjusting to his size. You haven't had sex in a while and your body is tense.

His hand rises up to rest gently on your throat, never in your life have you wanted someone to place even the slightest amount of pressure there. Leaning forward you rest your nose against his. Your breathing is uneven. His eyes are closed as his hand still rests on your throat, his thumb gently glides across your skin. All the oxygen seems to be sucked out of the room, and you need each other to breathe. Your ears are still ringing from being thrown against the wall. In this moment the only thing you can hear is yours and Junhui’s breathing.

Slowly your hips moved up. You start to move slowly up and down his length. The only other sounds passing your lips are pants and soft moans. You have never had sex in your life, that feels nearly as intimate as what is unfolding between you and Junhui. Your hands grip his shoulders as you continue to ride him. He's touching anywhere he possibly can, his hand travels from your throat down to your soft hips. He helps guide you as he moves you up and down his length.

The coil in your stomach tightens, with each drag of his cock. His length curves just the right way. With each thrust he touches that spongy spot inside of you, that has you seeing stars.

Gasping you lean forward, resting your head against his shoulder. Your lips gently nip at his shoulder. You know you're probably going to leave a mark reminding you both of what had happened between you on your couch.

With each thrust your stomach tightens. Leaning up you press your lips to his for a hungry kiss. He knows you're close by, your needy whimpers. Reaching between you, he toys with your sensitive clit.

With your lips ghosting his you moan his name, as he pushes you over the edge. Your walls flutter around his length; it didn't take too long for him to hit his high and spill inside you. Your body stops moving, you stay completely still sitting on his lap. Your forehead is resting against his as you both your breathing is uneven. His hand moves up, gently resting on your cheek. He places a wet kiss on your lips.

“You should probably take a shower." Your voice is shaky. He pulls away from you slowly.

“Will you join me?” He asks.

“Of course.”

You slowly crawl off his lap with wobbly legs and take his hands as he stands up. You lead him down towards the bathroom door that was next to your bedroom door.

TEN: FATED LOVERS

Laying in bed, your head rests on Junhui’s chest. His calloused hand rubs your back slowly. It was almost five in the morning and neither of you had been able to sleep at all. Your eyes were closed as you tried to take in his closeness. Not even two hours ago you thought Junhui was dead and now you were in bed naked with him.

"Can you promise me, I won't scare you off if I let my walls down?"

"Nothing you say could scare me." He leans down pressing his lips to the top of your head.

"I'm not just a waitress—" you pause. Outside of Jeonghan and Mingyu you don't really share the other side with people. "I also am a stripper when money is tight."

"Baby, that's fine. I fight people for money. You got to do what you got to do to survive."

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you."

"Baby, it's okay. That doesn't change the fact that I love you." These final three words make your chest feel as if it's being squeezed.

"I love you too." You don't think you have ever loved anyone like you love him.

"I'm never going to let anything like tonight ever happen again."

"Okay."

"We should get some sleep."

"Yeah. Can you stay here when we wake up?"

He nods his head. "Of course."

Before long you both fall asleep. You dream of each other just like you always do. It's almost noon when you both wake up.

You take your time making you both lunch as Junhui sits at the table watching you move around the kitchen. Finding you in every lifetime gives his life meaning. Now that he's found you can't wait to spend the rest of this life with you.

After lunch Soonyoung calls and lets you both know that Chan is fine and he's home safe. Luckily the bullet just grazed him. He also informs you that Sung and a bunch of his gang were arrested. You aren't sure if Dae was arrested but you hope he was.

When nightfall comes around you and Junhui pack you an overnight bag and you head back to his place.

Junhui says now that he has you, he can't bear to sleep alone.

Standing in his shower he's taking his time scrubbing shampoo into your hair. He's using this time to take care of you. The moment you rinse your hair you work on washing his still very bruised body. Any chance he gets, he's leaning down to steal a kiss.

"I love you." He says between kisses.

"I love you too."

"I've loved you in every lifetime, and I'll love you in every single one that comes next." He means it. He's lived so many lifetimes as a protector and hopes he finds you in every single one.

With a tray in hand you're walking from table to table taking orders. Walking over to the bar you find your favorite bar tender Jeonghan.

"Table ten wants an old fashioned."

"Bunny, why are you here tonight?" Jeonghan is only one of two people you're close with here. He's been calling you Bunny since he met you. He says you're cute like a bunny.

"I'm working." He's asking you why you're here, because this is the ninth day you've been here in a row.

"Why aren't you taking any days off?" Jeonghan asks, as he's making the drink.

"I'm saving money so I can take a self defense class."

"Is Dae still bothering you?” Jeonghan knows all about you ex. Dae and you dated for two years, and broke up over eight months ago and since your break up, he has been harassing you. He's connected to the gangs that run this city and isn't someone to mess with. Over the last two months he's been basically stalking you.

"He won't leave me alone." Jeonghan sits the drink on the counter.

"Bunny, I know a guy. His name is Junhui. He's a fighter and if I tell him about Dae, I know he'll teach you to fight. He's got his own gym and everything."

"Okay." You know that Jeonghan wouldn't send you to a sketchy man, to teach you to fight.

The night goes on in a blur. You keep waiting tables, and you can't count the amount of men who have tried to touch you.

The doors swing open, and you see Dae and a few gang friends walk in. Immediately you feel sick. You glance over at the bar and see Jeonghan watching carefully.

Looking over by the stage you see your boss signaling you towards their table. You shake your head and try to walk away, attempting to rush backstage.

Someone grabs your hand, and immediately you know it's Dae. "Baby, why are you running away?"

Stopping dead in your tracks. You look at him, trying not to show any emotions. "Let go of me."

"If I let go, you'll run away, and we need to talk."

You groan, pulling your shoulder back attempting to get away. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Baby don't be like that."

"Let go of me." You seethe.

This isn't the first time he's shown up. He's just never been brave enough to touch you like this. When you were with him he definitely sucked and was an asshole. The definition of a shitty boyfriend, but he never laid a hand on you.

You pull forward quickly, before he drops your arm. You look up to see Mingyu, the body guard holding your ex. "You don't touch the girls, asshole." Mingyu pulls him back.

Dae throws his elbow back attempting to hit Mingyu. Except he doesn’t stand a chance at even moving the mountain that is Mingyu.

'Time to leave, buddy." You look behind him to see another bouncer kicking out Dae's friends.

"Baby, you can't avoid me. We will talk." Mingyu drags him out of the club. Shaking your head rush to the back. Your eyes brim with tears, you're overwhelmed and caught off guard.

The door to the back opens and Mingyu steps into the back. Reaching up you push away your tears. Mingyu silently watches you for a second before he holds open his arms. You don't say anything, you step into his arms. He holds you close and rubs your back.

Since you started working here you've grown close with Mingyu. The bouncer has become like a brother to you. He always goes out of his way to protect you.

"Bun, you should go home." He's picked up on using the same nicknames for you that Jeonghan uses.

"I need the money." You pull away from his hold.

"Jeonghan told me about his friend who is a fighter. I think you should talk to him."

"Okay."

Under the moonlight —

Come, save me now

It was that time of the night when the sky was pitch black — save for the full moon and the stars shining so bright, a sight almost impossible in the city. Jun winced as he stepped over a leaf, making a crunching sound. The sound of the ocean could be heard faintly from where he was. He found this path accidentally, when he had wandered far into the forest away from the camp. It was late at night then, just like now — something he found solace in.

The path led to a rocky shore, violent waves crashing with the jagged edges. Jun slowly stepped in the sand, taking a deep breath of the salty air as the wind blew around him, pushing his hair back. His shoulders dropped as a slight smile made its way onto his face. He looked around, slowly trudging towards a stone to sit on. The tide was on the calmer side tonight — with lesser, calmer waves crashing on the rocks.

The moonlight reflected off the water, making the place seem almost ethereal. Leaning back, Jun closed his eyes, letting the sound of the ocean wash out whatever worries he had. He opened his eyes after a while and looked up at the sky above him. Full of stars and constellations that he grew up watching. He could see the constellation Draco, its dragon-like tail making it identifiable among the others. Constellation Lyra caught his eye next, marking its harp shape.

Going through the stars, he noted as many constellations as he could, recollecting the stories related to them. He smiled ruefully as he spotted Hercules. That was a story Jun thought about quite often these days. Immensely powerful yet exploited by the gods, being punished for something he didn't even have control over. Jun could think of a few people who came under that category.

A scene flashed quickly in his mind. Bodies everywhere. Explosions. The scent of smoke. Disappointed gods. Demigods kneeling on the floors of Olympus. He blinked it away, refocusing on the stars as he used the sound of the waves to ground him. He took a deep breath, sitting up straight and looking at the ocean.

It was dark and inviting — the unknown somehow calming him rather than scaring him away. He got down from the rock carefully, deciding to return to his cabin to finally sleep. If his calculations were correct, it was about an hour before the sunrise. Even though he hated mornings these days, he also knew that he would be most energised then due to his lineage.

Taking a step towards the path he came from, he stopped when he felt something hard under his shoes. It was a stone pierced through at one edge — a hag stone. Rare. Protective, if the stories were true. Jun observed it under the moonlight before pocketing it and resuming his journey towards the cabins.

Reaching cabin eleven, he quietly closed the door behind him, careful not to wake any of his siblings. Taking the stone out, he felt it once again before placing it by his bedside along with the other shells he had collected from the very same shore. He lowered himself on his bed, pulling the blanket up and slowly drifting off to sleep, hoping that tonight, he won't be plagued by nightmares.

The grass was soft as you walked on it, little bushes brushing past your knees as you passed them — covered with flowers of many different colours. The breeze was cool, especially for a summer month. Spotting a rivulet, you stepped closer and saw little fishes swimming in it. You bent down and touched the water, feeling the cold liquid coat your hand. The fishes circled around your wrist, lightly tapping it and then quickly backing away.

The wind whistled, swaying the trees along with it. You look around with a smile, glancing up at the late afternoon sky. There were very few clouds in sight. This seemed like a nice spot to take a nap. Dipping your feet in the water, you leaned back on your elbows, sighing contently. Your eyes closed shut as you drifted to sleep, the last sight being that of a cloud in the sky which seemed bigger than before.

You felt something wet drop on your skin as you woke up. In the time you had been asleep, the clouds grew bigger and darker, almost covering the entire sky now. Blinking the sleep out of your eyes, you felt something tug at your ankle. Glancing down, you see the water circling around your foot before you felt another pull. Then another. Trying to pull away, you watched with growing horror as the water reached up to your knees, continuing to pull you in.

Looking in front of you, you realised that what was once a rivulet was now growing in size by the second. And it was trying to drag you inside it. Glancing around helplessly, you realised the grass and the trees were gone. There was nothing left but sand. The water had now reached your thighs before you shouted for help. There was no sound other than that of the ocean. You were truly as alone as it looked like.

Your body was getting colder and colder as the water reached upto your chest. You began thrashing, trying to fight back as much as you could but to no avail. The water had reached upto your chin before you stopped moving, seemingly having accepted your fate. You closed your eyes as your ears got flooded and you were engulfed by the waves pulling you deep into the ocean. "You can never escape the sea," a voice echoed. And that was the last thing you heard before your world went dark.

You woke with a jolt, sitting up straight and taking in huge gulps of air. It was just a dream, you think trying to calm yourself down. The only sound to be heard was your heavy breathing and the sound of the clock.

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

You get down from your bed, feeling the cold wood beneath your feet ground you slightly. The air was cold, you observe with a shiver, as you go to close your window. You take in the scene in front of you. Large trees at the outskirts of the camp, beyond which it was sea.

Moonlight reflecting off the surface of the water, making it look alluring and inviting. Something inside you shifted at the sight, something primal, ancient almost, reminding you of how long you had gone without the sea. You shut the window tightly, going back to bed hoping you could sleep without any trouble.

You were plagued with dreams of the waves echoing around you.

The early morning sun grazed Jun's face as he looked over at the demigods sword-fighting. Just from the technique, very sharp and clean, it was evident that they were Ares' kids. He was seated on the stairs of the arena having come here almost an hour prior to watch the sunrise. Yawning as he rubbed his eyes, he glanced around and noticed that there were other demigods present as well.

He could spot Chris, clad in his fighting gear, leaning over to whisper something in Lexie's ear. Hearing footsteps, he glanced up to see Mike jogging down the stairs and waving at him. Jun smiled and watched him leave before turning towards the fight. It seemed like the previous match was done and they had found a new opponent to challenge.

Ready to zone out again, Jun froze when he caught a movement from the corner of his eyes. He turns sharply towards the source, hand already on his knife incase it was needed. Just a few leaves rustling. He relaxes, a bit sheepish now as he looked around to check if anyone else had noticed that.

He sees you on the opposite side of the arena, eyebrows furrowed as you tried to make sense of whatever you were reading. You seemed to have trouble, growing increasingly frustrated as the seconds passed. You had a higher degree of dyslexia when compared to an average demigod, something which you hated more than anything — Jun would know, as he was the one who read books out loud for you whenver you asked.

He observed you for a while. Your wavy hair seemed to catch the sunlight everytime you ran a hand through it, an age-old habit of yours. Jun sighed, turning his attention elsewhere. What was the point if you didn't even look at him these days?

He couldn't blame you though, everyone had changed after the war. Some more than the others. He just wishes you wouldn't go out of the way to avoid him everytime you caught sight of him. Honestly, it didn't even seem like the war was over. Everyone was always on edge, as if waiting for the next attack.

Hearing a ruckus, he snapped out of his thoughts as he looked towards for the source. Standing there at the centre was a guy, blonde haired, donning a full armour for the sword fight. Ahh, the infamous Soonyoung. Or maybe Hoshi, as he liked to be called. If Jun had seen you retreating inwards and away from everyone, he could say Hoshi did the same.

The only difference was, you seemed to be spending more time in your cabin and Hoshi seemed to spend more time in figting arenas and grounds. Any news Jun had heard of him recently was always followed by the fact that he had wonded someone with an unnecessarily nasty punch. Which seemed to be his exact intentions again as he lunged at his opponent with a wicked grin.

A loud slam echoed around the arena as the two moved their swords quickly with precise footwork. It was a surprise to see that the other demigod was keeping up with Hoshi for as long as he had. Hoshi was a beast when it came to fighting, his strength and strategies forged by relentless training and discipline.

The clanking of the swords continued for a while longer, both of them maneuvering smartly around each other and looking for any weak points to hit in the opponent. Seemingly having found one, Hoshi quickly manages to push his opponent on the ground and hover over him with his sword in hand above his neck. The demigod beneath him huffed, out of breath and frustrated as he surrendered begrudgingly. Hoshi nods his head, satisfied before he turns around and leaves the arena as quickly as he came in.

You shove your hands deeper into your pockets, shivering slightly as you make your way towards the Dining Pavilion. It was early December, with the first snow of the year having occured just a few days ago, painting the camp white. You follow the footsteps in the snow, left by the other demigods, already looking forward to the warmth of the Pavilion.

You sigh in relief, rubbing your hands when you finally get inside and feel the heat spread through your body. You glance around, setting your scarf down at your table which was as empty as ever. The Ares table was also surprisingly empty, but given that it was quite early in the evening, you figured they were just sparring for sometime before supper. Soonyoung did tell you that they had fixed training sessions and this was one of the slots.

Your eyes then instinctually go to the Apollo's table and you feel a slight pain in your chest — maybe grief — as you take in the number of demigods present. They were all talking, looking happier than ever, but you could see it in the way Connor's smile dropped whenever he turned to his left, only to realise that his twin brother was no longer there with him. Or in the way Mia thought nobody noticed how often she zoned out, almost seeming like she was fighting prophecies in her mind.

If only you had stopped them from fighting in the water

You drag your eyes away from them with a shaky sigh. Everytime you closed your eyes, you could see the day play out in your mind, moment by moment without any mercy. A war inside the ocean, a tsunami washing out everyone who dared to cross it. You let out a huff, trying to fight against the negative emotions taking over your body as you cross your arms.

Since you were earlier than the expected dinner time, you decide to take a seat as you watch the campfire suddenly getting lowly lit, probably Goddess Hestia's doing. You liked Hestia, Jun had told you that she helped him a lot on his quest before the war. She also seemed like one of the only Gods who did not actively look for ways to trouble the demigods, so that was a plus.

Your eyes go towards the Apollo table again as you see Chiron approaching it. He's probably discussing about the Capture the Flag event being held tomorrow. Your eyes involuntarily go to Jun, seeing him talk to Chiron. The first thing you notice about him is his smile, always the smile — gentle and shy.

Infact, you remember the first time you had met him back when you both were ten, you were constantly trying to get him to laugh at your jokes, and he always did, no matter how lame or stupid they were. The next thing you notice are the dark circles under his eyes.

Was he having problems with sleeping again?

He always stayed up whenever the prophecies got too loud. He was one of those, along with Mia, who had the power of seeing the future more vividly than the rest of their siblings. Hence he was also very sensitive to dreams and nightmares, often times choosing not to sleep to avoid them.

You got to know of that fact just a couple of years ago and had tried everything to get him to sleep well, hanging out in the infirmary when his cabin became suffocating for him at night. You had even tried singing to him, something you were terrible at and you still remember the fond look he had in his eyes as he tried not to laugh. That was the night when everything had felt immensely real, your sleepy mind and traitorous heart giving you hope that maybe, just maybe even he felt the same about you.

Well, that was over a year ago, just before the war and you doubt he even thinks about you now after you stopped talking to him and basically threw your friendship away. There was also the fact that most of his siblings died under your leadership in the war. You were sure he hated you, you wouldn't blame him if he did.

Just as you were about to look away from him, he catches your eyes and looks startled for a moment before his face settles into something deeper. The world seemed to still, the rush of the incoming campers almost reducing to a lull as your eyes focus on his completely.

He always had this effect on you and you hated how just one look from him was enough to melt you, especially now that you were sure he must hate you. His lips curl slightly at the edges as he seemed almost relieved, which you didn't know what for. You feel his gaze go all over your face, checking upon you, just like it did after the war ended and you had come back to the medical site.

You still remember the conversation that had gone down right after that, with you refusing to speak to anyone but him just to break the news of his siblings. His shocked face, almost ghostly white still haunts you to this day. You look away, your heart heavy as you repeat all the reasons in your head, for the umpteenth time, as to why you should stay away from him.

He deserves better people in his life than a murderer

All you've caused right from the beginning is pain to everyone around you

Why would he be any different?

You dig your fingers into your sleeves, staring hard at the fire as you wait for your breath to calm down. The fire seemed to grow bigger as more and more campers piled into the Pavilion. You will your legs to still as you unclench your palms and finally feel your breath return to normal.

You had struggled a lot with panic attacks at the start after the war, but now you were getting better at handling them without having to bother others. You had a technique of counting till ten and humming a lullaby right after, which calmed you down significantly these days. You decide to distract yourself by thinking about tomorrow's Capture the Flag and going over all the strategies you had learnt over the years.

You look up, startled from your thoughts as you see Soonyoung sit next to you on the table. You hadn't even seen him approach. Your eyes widen as you take in his state. He was sporting a huge bandaid on his chin and a cut near his eyebrow. "What happened to you?" you ask as you look for any other place where he might be hurt. You looked down at his hands in his lap as he clenched his fist. His knuckles were bruised as well.

"Oh these are nothing, just some fight that went messy," he replied casually, avoiding eye contact. You raise an eyebrow, "A sword fight went so messy that you bruised your knuckles?" you ask already sniffing out his lie. He hesitates before saying, "This wasn't a sword fight, I was engaged in physical combat and the mortals sure know how to throw a nasty punch."

"Gods Soonyoung, the mortals?! I thought you had just gotten into a brawl with one of your siblings. Why were you even messing around with the mortals?" you exclaim. "I was just curious as to how they fight and snuck into one of their events. Their techniques are different than ours and I sure have a lot to learn from them. Maybe I should go back soon and ask them to teach me their ways", he ponders.

"Hoshi, you cannot go to the mortal world. What if some monster comes after you? Do you really want to fight more, especially without anyone helping you?" you knew you had offended him when you saw the expression on his face. You wince slightly as he replies, "You know I can very well handle a few monsters on my own. Need I remind you who lead the war with you? As for the mortal world and the fighting, I know you're worried that I'm fighting too much these days but trust me, this is what Ares' kids do. We study wars and different combat techniques. I like learning them and I'm having fun".

Knowing there was no changing his mind, you let out a sigh as you say, "You're right, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to reprimand you, just be careful." He gives you a side-hug as he replies cheekily, "It's fine, I know you're worried but I've managed to win a fight with you, I'm sure I can handle anyone at this point".

That gets a smile out of you as you ask, "Who patched you up though? Is someone else handling the infirmary now because that does not look like Jun's work". He clears his throat, avoiding your eyes again as he replies, "Just some mortals, I didn't go to the infirmary." You frown at him, about to question him more when Chiron rises from his seat and announces the commencement of dinner, "Everyone will gather together and go cabin by cabin to the campfire to offer a portion of their food to the gods."

You miss the sigh of relief Soonyoung lets out as you both rise up from your table and fill your plates with food as you wait for your turn. "Now the cabin three, Poseidon's cabin, can go burn their food in the fire." Chiron says, eyeing Soonyoung as you both step closer to the campfire. You let out a chuckle as you see Soonyoung huff. While not against the rules, it was still unusual for campers to sit at the tables of different cabins during meals.

Throwing a portion of your food into the fire, you suppress your laughter as you see Soonyoung throwing only a carrot into the fire. "Geez Soonie, leave some for yourself too. The gods don't need that much food." you tease as he replies, "To hell with the Gods." You pause as you look up at the sky which immediately rumbles with thunder making you both snicker. Zeus was so predictable. You both take a seat at your table, digging into the food as you discuss about the Capture the Flag. Soonyoung starts explaining the strategy that he thought of as you interrupt him, "Wait I'm with the Ares cabin this time?"

"Yes, unless you want to team up with the Apollo's cabin as usual then feel free to switch. I'm sure Jun would love to have you on his team again." he says looking up from his plate, already knowing what your reply would be. "You're a menace. Fine, I'll play on your team. Also, we both know Jun doesn't like Capture the Flag so I doubt he'd want to participate let alone have me on his team." you reply as you glance at Jun before looking away, not wanting to make eye contact with him again. Soonyoung hums looking straight at you as he replies , "That's true but I'm sure he would be enthusiastic to play if it meant that you would stop avoiding him."

"I'm not avoiding him, it's just…complicated", you say looking down at your plate as you pick at the vegetables. "I know", you hear Soonyoung say gently before he, thankfully, changes the topic to the post-dinner campfire.

You both discuss how to sneak away into your respective cabins after just a few songs and Soonyoung's happy that you're a bit more cheerful than before. He saw how shaken up you were when he had just joined you at the table earlier in the night, you were probably going through another panic episode. He hated how you didn't ask for help and wanted to manage everything on your own.

Soonyoung knew you just needed some time before you started talking to Jun again and unlike what you believed he was sure Jun didn't hate you. Quite the opposite actually. Anyone with eyes could see that Jun was smitten with you even after months of silence from your end. Soonyoung just hoped the two of you would figure it out eventually, he missed his friends together even though he was third-wheeling most of the time.

Now, onto the capture the flag game, he couldn't wait to implement the game plan he had learnt from the mortals. He grins excitedly as he goes into the full details of his strategy with you, knowing that you needed a distraction and that you'll have a lot of fun.

You take a deep breath, fiddling with your helmet as you wait for the game to start. Looking over to your right, you spot Soonyoung giving instructions to few of your teammates. Your team consisted of the Ares-Poseidon-Hermes-Hephaestus cabins and Hoshi had gone all out this time with the strategy. The plan was that both of you would be trying to capture the flag of the opposite team while the others either guarded your flag or laid out obstacles for the other team.

You would be running directly towards the other team's flag while Soonyoung would take a sneakier path that he was sure most of the campers didn't know about. You double-checked that it wasn't very dangerous because you were sure if given the chance, he would go into the labyrinth as well.

Your path was much simpler, you just had to run through your side of the forest, cross the river and then cross any of the obstacles laid out by the other team. You had your bracelet in your pocket, one that was gifted by Jun ages ago, which would transform into a sword when clicked.

Each of the participating cabins had contributed atleast one magical item for today's game. Jake from Hephaestus cabin had this idea of forging hot metal which would increase the temperature within seconds once activated, disabling the opponents from the fight.

To nobody's surprise, Soonyoung had liked this idea very much and encouraged the team to use them whenever they were stuck in a fight. Strapping a few of these balls inside your belt, you looked up when Soonyoung approached you.

"Are you sure you're ready to swim across the river? I know you have been staying away from the water for a while", he says with a frown, looking worried. Well, you had thought of this multiple times after Soonyoung had explained his strategy. Though slightly apprehensive, you knew you had to face your fear and get over with it. You had avoided your water powers for almost a year now and it was starting to take a toll on you, being that far away from the water.

"I'm sure Soonie", you reply with a smile, assuring him. He nods at you as he moves to the others, ordering everyone to get to their positions quickly. You hear Chiron blow the horn, signalling the start of the game as you exchange your signature fist-bump with Soonyoung before running off into the forest.

The woods were pitch-black, and you stand still for a few seconds waiting for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. Since you had grown up training in the woods, the path to the river was almost muscle memory. This part of the forest had the least number of monsters so you knew you had to minimise the time spent in this patch.

You run quickly, leaves crunching beneath you as the wind pushes your hair back. You reach the river in record time, taking a deep breath in as you try to keep your nerves at bay. You feel the memories of the war threatening to take over your mind before you block them and jump into the water.

The moment you touched the surface of the river, it felt like a thousand needles had penetrated into your skin. You felt the water seep through your clothes as you allowed yourself to be dragged into the river. You breathed out calmly and felt the bubbles rise up towards the surface.

You hoped the water could still recognise you. Soon enough, you could feel a bubble form around you, breathing becoming a lot easier. Your clothes started drying as the bubble took you to the surface of the river. With little to no difficulty, you manage to swim to the shore, feeling energised by being in the water.

Being away from the ocean for so long had definitely taken a toll on you. Your immunity and stamina had reduced significantly, something Soonyoung had pointed out, worried if you would be able to do this for the game. It was the doubt he had that spurred you into action, making sure that you would be the one to capture the flag before him. That was how it was with Soonyoung. If there was anyone who could push you to your limits so that you improve, it would be him.

Getting out of the river, you quickly double-check for all your weapons before you start running towards the hill which you were sure had the flag of the opponent team. You come across a huge chunk of leaves, a poorly laid trap by the Apollo team. You step aside swiftly, continuing your journey. At the foot of the hill, you hear the rustling of a few branches which makes you pause.

You take out your bracelet, which immediately morphs into a sword, as you brace yourself for an attack. You see Connor jump down the tree and step in front of you, followed by many others from the opponent team. You tap your foot, a bit unsure if you could take on so many demigods in a fight. It had been quite a long time since you had been in a sword fight and the clock was ticking. Taking a deep breath, you reach for the heat bomb fastened to your belt before dropping it.

You see their faces morph into panic and then confusion as they all gather around the ball, bending down to look at it. Had they not learnt anything during training? You count till three before watching the smoke start to rise from the bomb.

You slip away with a slight smirk as they start shrieking at the rapidly rising temperature. Though lasting only for a couple of minutes, the heat bomb did have rapid affects. Everyone would have to vacate the area within a minute if they didn't want to be severely burnt by the heat. Jake really outdid himself this time.

Keeping the time in mind, you run as fast as you can up the hill only stopping once you're sure you got a safe distance away from the bomb. You wait for a minute to catch your breathe before starting to run up the hill once again. You really wanted to get to the flag before Soonyoung. Reaching the top, you slow down to a tip-toe, not wanting to alert the demigods guarding the flag.

Peeking your head out of the woods, you look around trying to locate the flag. This was a barren patch of the hill, with little to no grass growing on it. Slowly taking a step forward, you keep your sword ready just incase it was needed. Seeing the flag at the edge of the hill, you smile triumphantly before you notice the person beside it.

Oh.

Even though he had his back turned towards you, you could still recognise him anywhere. You take slow steps towards the flag, hoping they would not notice. You'd rather not fight with Jun today. You stop in your step as Mia looks up from her seat beside the flag and notices you. Well, there goes your plan of not fighting.

She whispers something to Jun and you stay rooted at your spot as he turns towards you. Something which you didn't want to decipher crosses through his eyes as he takes out his sword and steps towards you.

"Look, I don't want to fight. Can you just give me the flag? I'll get out of your hair after that. I just really need to beat Soonyoung", you say as you look into his eyes. You could feel yourself getting pulled into them before you shake your head slightly and look away. It was always those damned eyes. Jun suppresses a smile, deciding to tease you slightly as he replies, "Tell me why you've been avoiding me for so long first and maybe then I'll give you the flag. Otherwise you'll just have to win it from me."

Your breath stutters as you take in his words, your gaze jumping around all over his face. He had grown his hair slightly and a few strands were falling into his eyes. You clenched your hand, fighting the urge to brush them back. This was not the time to be having these thoughts about Jun. You smile, deciding to go along with his teasing as you reply, "Game on then, Mia you're the referee for this match."

Mia raised her eyebrows as she nodded. She didn't want to witness a match between the two of you. There were already enough moments like these throughout the year, but if this was what it might take to get you both to finally talk to each other, then she would be all for it. She couldn't stand Jun moping around for another day.

You both unclasp your swords and stand in front of each other. Though Jun preferred Archery more than sword fighting, he was pretty good at using a sword as well. He had grown up observing Soonyoung and you training, and he had picked up on a few tricks himself.

Stepping forward, he waits for you to deliver the first blow. He had no plans of playing the offensive today. Quite frankly, the only reason he suggested this match was so that he could spend some time with you where you didn't act as if he never existed.

You take a swipe at his side, watching him block your sword and pushing it away slightly, making you frown. Why wasn't he attacking you today? You go at him with even more force but watch him do the same thing again. "Why are you not putting your full effort today Jun?" you ask, your frown deepening. "What do you mean, this is my best", he replied, casually stepping away from one of your attacks.

You scrunch your eyebrows, before deciding to play a move which would force him to attack you. "Look, you really aren't doing your best! You could've easily defeated me right here. Why are you going easy on me?!" you exclaim after seeing him twist his wrist and disarm you for a second, before kicking your sword back towards you. He just smiles slightly, deepening your frown. Gods, he was so annoying.

Remembering that you still had a match to win, you come to the conclusion that his strategy might just be to distract you from bringing their flag to your team. Deciding to finish the fight, you fling your leg around his, his sword rattling somewhere away as you point yours to his neck.

You both huff, taking deep breaths of air as Jun starts to smile. "You're still as competitve as ever, glad to see that hasn't changed", he says, looking up at you, making you roll your eyes as you pull your sword away from him.

You stretch your neck as you pick up the flag, looking at Mia who simply raises her hands in surrender. You stop near Jun, who was still laying on the ground as you say, "And you've gone soft, Junnie." Looking at the smile he gives you, you can't help but break out into a grin of your own before schooling your expression. Stepping away from him, you nod at both of them before breaking into a run down the hill. You still had a match to win.

The way back to your team wasn't very difficult. You just had to set off the heat bomb once, though this time they were faster in running away than before. The swim across the river was also easier than before, which was something that made you feel more energised than ever.

Reaching your team site, you see Soonyoung tapping his foot on the ground with his arms crossed. He breaks out into a smile as you run towards him while removing your helmet and say, "You didn't even stand a chance Soonie, I got there before you."

He takes the flag out of your hands with a chuckle as he ruffles your hair. "You are correct about that, the climb up the cliff was way too difficult", he says with a groan as he stretches. "I told you it was reckless and difficult but when do you ever listen to me", you scold him as you cross your arms. He just laughs at you fondly before you ask, "Did the other team even manage to capture our flag?"

"No, our defense was really strong. They spent most of the game in a sword fight and at last they gave up", Soonyoung replied with a shrug as he leads you to the rest of the team. The team breaks out into cheers as they see the flag in Hoshi's hands. This was the first Capture the Flag you had participated in after the war and you were glad you had managed to win for the team.

You see the opponent team approach as you all gather towards the fountain waiting for Chiron to announce your team as the winner. You spot Jun, only to find him already looking at you with a smile. You frown at him in return. Weird, didn't he hate you? You hear Soonyoung stifle a chuckle making you look at him with the same frown still present on your face.

"What's so funny?" you ask him. "Nothing, just the fact the you're so oblivious it's actually hurting me", he replies with a shrug, still grinning. Was he talking about Jun? Just as you're about to question him further, you see Chiron emerge, everyone hushing each other to listen to the winning announcement.

Chiron clears his throat, pushing his glasses up as he says, "The winner of this week's Capture the Flag competition is Team 1 which was led by Soonyoung. They especially had very good defense strategy. Give them a round of applause." You grin as you clap with the rest of the demigods, happy about how the day had turned out.

Everyone started dispersing when Connor suddenly shouts, "Oh, what is that?". You turn to look at where he was pointing and see the Oracle of Delphi slowly approaching the crowd. Shriveled-looking with long black hair clung to her skull, she wore a headband and a tie-dyed green dress. Her beaded necklaces moved with each step she took.

You take a step back, trying to blend into the crowd hoping that she wouldn't approach you regarding the prophecy. Remembering that the Oracle's presence always affected Mia and Jun more, your turn to look at them. You see Jun clutching his head, before his gaze suddenly snapped to you.

His worried look only scared you more as you took another step back, watching the crowd split to make way for her. She, slow as ever, continues to walk towards where you were just moments ago and stops in front of Soonyoung. You huff out a breath, relieved, immediately feeling guilty later for such a reaction.

A green mist pours out of her mouth, surrounding each one of the demigods as her hissing starts echoing inside your head.

You shall go east, along with the daughter of sea

A journey, embark on it or destruction you shall see

Venturing into the ever-changing maze

You shall realize the fate in the haze

Face the undefeated once again

Conquer it and power you shall regain

The Oracle of Delphi collapses onto the rock beside Soonyoung, her eyes turning black, probably never to move again for many centuries to come. You make your way through the crowd, reaching Soonyoung and placing a hand on his shoulder. You feel the eyes of rest of the campers on the two of you as Chiron ushers all the cabin heads to the Big House.

Turning back, you look at Jun standing with his lips pursed and arms crossed. He meets your eyes almost immediately and you could see the waves of worry in them even from such a distance. The quest mentioned a Daughter of the Sea. Unless Poseidon had a secret daughter you never knew of, it was you that was supposed to go on this quest with Soonyoung.

You look back at Hoshi worriedly and he reaches up to squeeze your hand on his shoulder slightly before letting go as you both walk towards The Big House together. Looking back, you see all of the other cabin heads following you, Jun included, with his head down and fist clenched deep into his pocket.

You face the door again, the voices of Mr.D and Chiron already audible. This was the first quest assigned to a demigod after the war, nobody daring to seek the Oracle till now. Taking a deep breath, you raise your hand to knock on the door before hearing a faint "Come in". You look at Soonyoung as he opens the door for the both of you to step in.