#mazeinthemoon

“it’s beomgyu, tyun,” you butt in. despite the small insult towards yeonjun’s puppy hybrid friend, your hands continue moving the small comb against his hair.

“he’s not dumb,” yeonjun murmurs, sleep overtaking him by the minute. “he’s my best friend, you know. we hang out a lot, and play, too. he’s amazing.”

you clearly remember this conversation, but somehow when you brought it up to beomgyu’s owner when he was dropping off the puppy hybrid at your house, you made it up.

“i did not say anything of the sort,” your kitty hybrid rolls his eyes and walks toward the couch, ears lowered in slight embarrassment.

“did he really say that?” beomgyu yips happily, tail wagging so fast you swear you could hear it rippling through the air. “that’s so nice, jjuni-hyung! you know it’s so hard being a golden retriever hybrid! not all of the breeds enjoy listening to me talk, so i’m so happy that you—”

“shut up.”

“choi yeonjun! be nice to your friends,” you scold and wave goodbye to beomgyu’s owner.

the day passes by without much talk about the conversation had between the two kitty hybrids, but nonetheless it wasn’t uneventful.

beomgyu plays throughout your apartment, finding new things to keep him occupied every five seconds. meanwhile, yeonjun stays put in his corner of the couch just watching the puppy explore.

“he called you dumb,” you hear your kitten hybrid voice out from your spot in the kitchen. “taehyun. he.. he insulted you.”

beomgyu’s eyes widen slightly with hurt. he drops the small mouse toy that was imbedded in his mouth and approaches the older, “everyone calls me dumb. i’m a dog, you know.”

“just.. just because you’re a dog hybrid doesn’t m-mean jack shit,” frowns yeonjun. “you’re.. you’re not dumb to me.”

you couldn’t see properly from the corner of your eye, but whilst chopping chicken up for dinner, you just know your precious jjuni was blushing.

“i’m.. i-i,” the puppy tears up. “you really mean that hyung?”

“it’s.. it’s not like you’re my friend! i just don’t think you’re stupid! don’t think too much about it!”

later that night, after dinner was eaten and the moon shined brightly into the living room, beomgyu laid splayed out on the floor. his body like a starfish, tongue out as he laid sleeping deeply.

and right next to him, finally moved from that spot on the couch, a curled up kitty hybrid with his tail tangled in beomgyu’s.

namjoon is definitely the best friend who would enjoy just reading in the same vicinity as you while you do your own hobbies <3 he likes to think of it as bonding, and honestly quality time to him would be one of his discreet love languages towards you without him actually giving away his feelings.. he particularly loves it when you lay your head on his lap and take a nap while he reads.. but the second he hears that soft snore of yours, be sure to know he isn't reading anymore. instead he has his hands tangling in your hair, scratching your scalp soothingly as you slept. these vulnerable moments of yours where he knows you arent listening are the moments where he does confess his love, whether through the small actions of kissing your forehead or rambling under his breath how fucking beautiful and amazing you are.

for seokjin, it would be so so obvious that he's in love with you... to the point where it becomes not obvious, if you know what i mean. he plays around with you jokingly, teasing you so much that the both of you end up in fits of laughter. he definitely isnt afraid to speak his mind about how beautiful you look on a certain day, but of course you take it as him being extra nice and extra friendly that day. i think eventually it would get somewhat frustrating with you not taking any of his hints and how oblivious you are to how much he clearly likes you. and it probably takes the other members to talk to you about it for you to even get a hint of jin liking you. it would get to the point where he truly believed you didn't see him in that way and it would honestly crush his heart :< but once you do make that connection, the two of you would be a blushing mess

on the contrary, i think yoongi would hide his feelings as much as he can <3 opting to be your friend for a lifetime rather than ruin a perfectly good friendship for something that might not even be true love (on your side). being by your side even if it means waking up at near dawn, being the shoulder you could cry on no matter the situation because he is the most non-judgmental person ever. he doesn’t share his feelings for you with anyone either.. he knows your mutual friends always look at you both like you already were a couple, but with one mention from your lip that you’re seeing someone can bring those assumptions down real quick. and he’s as supportive as he could be. despite his feelings for you growing with every second that passes, he supports you. and it’s with that support that you end up falling for him too

hoseok knows how to read a room, and knows when it is appropriate to show his affection for you. and that is definitely not in public. his hands wrapped around your waist as he whines about how sleepy he is one night while over at your place makes you question what the two of you even are. sneaky glances and subtle touches in public, but long caresses and chaste kisses to your forehead and cheeks— anywhere but your lips, really. the lines between friend and lover begins to blur and it becomes really hard for the two of you to just classify each other as best friends.. but lovers isn’t appropriate either..? the both of you falling for each other in secret is a complicated and long process, and neither of you really know how to be sure of it or ask the other.. just flirtatious moments while alone and more subtle ones in public <3

i feel for jimin, he really knows how to love really deeply. he’d fall first and definitely fast, especially with a friend he really cares about. it hurts him in the beginning because how does he tell the one person that’s precious to him about his feelings? but he learns to accept your friendship for how it is and kind of just lives and loves in the moment and tries not to worry about whatever he has going on internally, even if it’s not a good way to cope. because of this, his feelings would be more obvious as times go on.. instead of hiding his feelings like he thought he was, he was showcasing them. subtly enough to leave you questioning, but obvious enough to make your heart flutter. buying you food and flowers without you even asking, giving you random hugs and immediately cuddling you when you want some affection :( just a puppy boyfriend-not-so-boyfriend, following you around everywhere like you’re his world

taehyung, as romantic as he would be with his actual lover, he’d be as platonic as he possibly could with his friends. inviting you out to eat or to hang out like normal, but one night specifically makes him widen his eyes and view you so differently. he doesn’t know if it was the beer, or maybe the way you tilt your head while you smile, or the way your eyes sparkle in the moonlight. what starts off as a nice catch up at both of your favorite local bar ends up being the night he fell in love. getting you home safely and laying in bed.. trying to sleep, but he can’t— images of you flood his mind and he begins to revisit every single memory that he has with you, now viewing it with such a different perspective that he begins to feel those feelings as he sobers up. texting you probably after a week of being unable to handle not seeing you, wondering if you’d make your next hangout a date instead <3

absolutely loves when you call him hubby

doesn’t make a huge deal of it, but inside, he’s a blushing mess that doesn’t know what to do… definitely would squeeze your cheeks if he let his thoughts turn into actions mhm

doesn’t show much pda, not a big fan of it, but if it is needed, he will show his possessiveness if anyone tries to hit on/flirt with you

simple things like: pressing a gentle kiss on your temple, a hand on your lower back, or maybe even just calling you love in front of the other person

nothing too overwhelming, but would leave the other person backing away from you,, and you a flustered mess next to him

i got those ice creams for us, my love.. he approaches with two cones in his hands, not giving a glance to the man in front of you. he hands you one with a gentle smile and finally looks at the man. and you are?

it isnt what kento said, but the way he said it that made the stranger scurry away

hates it when gojo makes his way to you

kento knows its all fun and games, but the way gojo gets so close to you, just to see his reaction is not fun

satoru, leave my partner alone. he’d say with barely contained frustration, but the smoke coming from his ears is clear as day

when at home, kento loves to watch you cook/bake.. or if you’re not too good at it, he loves to see you try your hardest!

your concentration face makes him swoon and fall in love with you all over again

and even if the food turns out burned to a crisp, he’ll make sure you never feel bad about that <3

loves seeing you with the students from jujustu high

the way you’re kind, but strict with them in your instruction.. the way you care for them enough to tell them their weaknesses without being overly rude about it.. and the way the students just view you with so much fondness

it just makes him want to start a family with you. (but ofc he’d respect your decision if that’s not in the cards for you)

hell he’d respect anything you do!! such a quiet but supportive hubby :(

would buy you flowers after you come home from every mission,, would send you texts cheering you on as you’re away,, would boast to yuji how good of a sorcerer you are

to which yuji begins to tease him and his ears get all red

he doesn’t like to admit it but he loves talking about you

it wouldnt be so direct though..

for instance lets say kento and satoru were walking and talking about how difficult of a mission they were just on

your husband would definitely just go (insert your abilities here) were so useful. it helped daze the curse for a couple of seconds so we could attack from behind.

like him bringing you up in the most rationale and relevant way to the conversation, but definitely putting you on a high pedestal because that’s his partner yk

speaking of missions,,,

i truly do think kento would be the one to worry constantly about you. he knows you’re able to do things on your own, he’s seen you fight and he know the odds are always in your favor

but when you come home with a scratch on your cheekbone or a bruised up leg,, it only reinforces his worry that he isn’t there to protect you.

yes you both might be on the same level of socery and realistically he understands that he would have been in a similar situation had it been him on that mission

but he cherishes you more than anything else in the world

i’m sure if it would have been worse, he’d make sure you both retire so that you’d finally be able to live peaceful, civilian lives

anyways before i cry lets move on…

you and kento would probably have met in some cozy space like the bakery he used to stop by when he was corporate slave

maybe a meet cute where you both touch the same loaf of bread that is the last one on display <3

at first he’s not inclined to give it to you and take the deliciousness for himself, but when your fingers touch and he finally sees you….

oh.. uh.. sorry. you can have it. i’ll have a look at other available selections

when it comes to overtime, there was once a different reason behind his hatred for it, but now he’d prefer to finish things off to get home to you

of course sometimes that doesn’t happen and he’s thankful for the binding vow that allows him to crush his opponents with his increased strength in overtime

but no matter what time of day it is, overtime or not, all he can think about is getting home to you

once he is finally at home and both of you are exhausted from a long day,,

he draws a bath for the both of you, putting in your favorite scents for relaxation

soft touches of his hands against your skin as he washes you quietly

no speaking, no words needed for times like these

just the two of you soaking in the presence of the other and enjoying yourselves before another mission takes up the time you could have spent with each other

and he falls asleep holding you close those nights

his head against your neck, lips touching your skin slightly as his breath makes you shiver in goosebumps

there was a good reason as to why he could never remember what happened on that traumatic night— his mind shielding itself from the tragedy and allowing him only to access the good parts of it, like how he arrived onto magic island to meet his brothers despite the pain of his wounds.

as faces began to look blurry, and his overall vision turned red, beomgyu began to meltdown from how overwhelmed he was. not only did he experience what happened to him once more, but he relived it with such strength that it felt real.

everyone stands in shock as the mind fae takes a step back, gasping gulps of air.

seeing beomgyu be this overwhelmed was very uncommon. he was meant to be the calm one of the bunch, the one others could lean on for help and safety. he was able to take away their pain in a fraction of a second with an embrace, but now that this fairy desperately needs help, no one in the room knows what to do.

“why did you guys not do anything? why did you not help me?” beomgyu’s voice starts off calm, almost like he was trying so hard to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. but as his mind continues to reel and he continues to talk, his voice becomes so loud you could practically see the windows vibrate from sound waves, “i… i fucking trusted all of you! and none of you helped me!”

fear, not of what might happen, but of how the brunet might handle it all radiates across each person. no one could form a single word for a good while, which only led to more pain on beomgyu’s behalf.

“of course we tried to help you,” yeonjun tries to ease the tension and console the younger, his hands making motions to prompt beomgyu to calm down.

soobin also interjects with his own reassurance, “we did try, gyu. look, we’re sorry we couldn’t pull you out in time, but it was difficult to do so. it was like your mind was way too far gone to help you. the same thing happened last time, remember?”

“no… NO!” beomgyu laughs as he yells. wet tears begin to trickle down his cheeks and onto the wooden floor beneath his feet. it was difficult to understand the emotions he was going through in the memory, and adding the disappointment of his brothers’ actions only made them more complex. one look at the mind fairy could confirm just how devastated he truly is.

“you guys promised me! why couldn’t you have learned what to do?!”

out of instinct, kai grips onto his necklace tightly to ground himself by how guilty he feels that none of them could help his brother out properly. taehyun begins to approach beomgyu, but pauses when he backs away slowly, too overwhelmed by the racing thoughts in his head.

“beom…,” your whisper is laced with empathy and emotion, reaching your hand out to grabs his in hopes of him finding solace in your touch.

you felt horrible for what happened, and you definitely tried to console him during your journey in his mind. but once the scenery changed from your home to his, your feet stood frozen in place.

instead of leaning onto you like he has been for the past several weeks, beomgyu very visibly steers clear of your presence, “no! you don’t get to touch me. you don’t get to help me now. not after what your father did. not after you made me do this! this is all your fault!”

the words spit from his mouth were said with pure anger and malice, nothing you have ever seen from him before. they stab into your chest, your heart feeling the physical hurt they brought to you. it was like those statements poked needles within the weak points of your heart.

was this a symptom of your own guilt for being selfish enough to put beomgyu at risk? or were these feelings the extremities to which beomgyu’s power laid? whichever it was, you grip onto kai as you tried to catch your breath from the pain.

silence reaches the group once again, and not too long after, the mind fairy finds himself towards the corner of the living room. he takes deep breaths to calm himself in a way that he knows how. despite being frustrated and upset about what happened, he knows, deep down, that there was no stopping that memory once the setting had changed.

does that mean it hurts any less? hell no.

“don’t listen to him, yn,” taehyun whispers, opting to reassure you while soobin finds his way towards a wall-sliding beomgyu. “he says things he doesn’t mean sometimes, especially when he’s upset. it’s like his emotions bottle up so much that he doesn’t know what else to do besides use words he knows will hurt us.”

“it’s true, though,” you exhale a very long breath that must have been waiting to come out for a while. the pads of your fingers then begin to make their way against your eyes in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain from your chest.

“it really is not. he forgot such a traumatic event and relived it for the first time in so long. none of it even included you,” he states softly, gently grabbing onto your wrists to prevent your rubbing from getting too harsh. “take it easy, okay? you’re pressing too hard. if you need to relieve stress squeeze my hands, yeah? we all agreed to help you, even if it meant getting hurt in the process. beomgyu knew one way or another that something would happen. so take it easy.”

the soft whimper that falls from your lips was hard to control, and just as suggested, you squeeze onto taehyun’s hands in hopes of it preventing you from crying. but without your approval, those tears fall anyway.

it hurt tremendously to see what exactly your father did to innocent people. and to someone like beomgyu? someone so sweet and caring… someone who puts others needs before his? how could your father have done such a thing?

“oh, love…,” taehyun’s lips form into a slight frown when he sees the droplets land onto your cheeks. he then pulls your body close to his chest so that your ear rests right above his beating heart. “whether you like it or not, you’re apart of our family now, okay? and fae know most about family sticking together through everything. it’ll all be alright.”

“family,” your quiet voice repeats, eyes fluttering shut so that you could focus on your breathing to match his.

one gear pressed against the spring, and a slightly larger gear placed next to the already built mechanism is what brings the hands on the pocket watch into motion. only a few have ever been made, but with one look at the mechanism, a young boy knew exactly how to replicate it.

and that went for most things out in the world— dresses made from fine silk and linen, machines used to harvest vegetables form the ground, and even handmade original jewelry.

the little boy was talented and at only twelve, he was smarter than any kid he has come across. he was praised by his classmates and loved by those out on the streets, all but one person.

his father.

“i have told you many times before, yeonjun! get this shit out of my house!”

“but father, i-i’m almost close to finishing it! it’s a gift for mother and i would really love to have more time—.”

the old man grumbles and snatches the fine pocket watch from the boy’s hands, flicking it across the room.

“young boys like you should not be holed up in their rooms,” the father says sternly, clearing the desk further by swiping all the materials onto the ground. “you should be outside getting stronger so you could one day take over the ship.”

“no!” yeonjun screams, fear and frustration in his tiny voice. “i enjoy these things! why don’t you let me do what i want?”

a hard smack lands on the boy’s cheek, the pale skin showing the reddening hand print clear as day. the abuse was enough to silence him, and the father walks away knowing his child won’t disobey him any longer.

as the boy grew older, he followed after his father’s footsteps, making sure everything he did was to please his parent. bringing girls home, getting drunk on random nights, and even building his physique like his father’s— everything was for him.

the process was long and took years to finally achieve what would be the perfect life his father had envisioned, but even then, young yeonjun was not happy.

he continued to work hard enough for his father’s approval. the fabrics and metals of his past hidden away underneath his bed. the blueprints for inventions not yet made locked inside a place in his heart that no one, not even the supposed woman he’s to marry, could have access to.

the wedding was beautiful, no one could deny that. but as he stands in front of his soon-to-be-wife, he notices a soft glimpse of silver-like metal his hands worked hard on to craft from the corner of his eye.

it wasn’t intentional, leaving the poor woman at the make-shift alter in the way he did. but seeing the same pocket watch yeonjun made for his mother when he was a child, in the hands of the same old man who slapped him, all he could do is run.

he ran, and ran. the air so brisk, his lungs could barely breathe. but he continued on. staying any longer where his father was would only bring him pain.

yeonjun devoted his entire life and childhood to his father’s approval, only to be deemed not good enough. he ran like it could erase time, like he could go back in time and reassure his younger self to keep doing what he was passionate about.

the shoes on his feet grow cold with the sea water, his eyes finally lifting to see he’s made it to the beach nearby. it was the same place he used to get pearls from for the jewelry he made, and his legs walk on their own to the same cave he’d sit in collecting them.

“take careful steps, sweetheart,” soobin laughs softly, gripping your arm to prevent you from accidentally slipping against a wet rock.

the two of you had been walking after a weak attempt of getting beomgyu back on his feet. it didn’t work, unfortunately, and the eldest suggested giving the mind fairy some space.

you grab onto soobin tightly while gaining your balance back, “…maybe i deserve to fall.”

“don’t say things like that,” he says bluntly, looking at you with eyes full of concern. “you are not your father, remember?”

“it sure doesn’t feel that way, soobin.”

he had been so worried once you and beomgyu had slipped back into reality. noticing the small shocked, but traumatized look on your face, he knew something deeply wrong had happened.

soobin was usually good at being the one beomgyu could rely on, and found it odd that he wanted nothing to do with his caring older brother. so instead of bickering about who would help beomgyu, soobin took initiative and decided to bring you to a quiet place on the beach.

the walk there was quiet, as one can expect. the both of you talking about the intense moment that occurred not too long ago was out of the question. not that either of you minded though, the silence was somehow comfortable.

all you could hear was footsteps and odi’s small steps following right behind yours.

“the portals we all came from were at different parts of the world, you know,” the fairy walking alongside you explains with a soft, cautious voice as if not to spook you from the thoughts that might be flooding your brain. “i was thinking about that earlier with taehyun.”

“and they all led here,” you reply, kicking a rock from under your feet. “that means my portal was also destined to be here, wasn’t it? i read in the book i saw in the memory that they could be made by nature’s destiny.”

soobin smiles before sitting on the sand right where the tide ends, “tell me more.”

“it was a book my father had that explained the portals. humans can’t see them, but magical creatures can. that’s why i didn’t notice when i passed through one,” you sit right next to him, your hand brushing against his. “the sea looks the same everywhere as it is, it’d be hard to notice a change.”

“maybe something noticeable did change, yn. think about it some more,” he suggests, looking out into the water before shifting towards you. “it could’ve been something small, like temperature drops? or maybe even the current of the water? i doubt it would be physically obvious.”

you sit there for a couple of minutes, hand moving from his to brush against the sand to spell out the word destiny.

in all honesty, you could barely remember that night. your emotional state was all over the place, and you were more so overwhelmed that you couldn’t find your way back to the shore rather than what exactly was going around you.

“i don’t remember much,” you sigh, legs adjusting into a criss-cross formation as you grow more comfortable on the slightly damp sand. “just that i couldn’t see the shore anymore. it also got darker, but maybe it was just clouds going over my head.”

“no… no. you’re not thinking deeply enough about it, darling. close your eyes and try to remember. anything you can remember could possibly help us set the environment for you to get home.”

while having your eyelids shut, you attempt to go back to that day in your small boat in the middle of nowhere.

“it was.. it was night when i left and when i got to this island, but i remember not seeing that rock.” pointing towards the huge boulder a few meters from the shore, you stand up quickly. “it’s like it came out of no where!”

“so suddenly?” the fairy questions.

“definitely,” says you, inspecting the boulder from where you two stood. “the ocean was vast when i was on the boat. nothing, not even other boats could be seen over the horizon.”

soobin begins to stand and then walks towards the rock in question, getting a closer look at the area you shipwrecked in. “there’s nothing different about this area compared to the rest of the shore minus the boulder. but maybe the portal has to be somewhere in this area if it came out of no where.”

following after him with careful steps you dip a hand into the water, “it’s cold.”

“cold? the water is never cold during this time of year,” he frowns with a confused expression then slips his hand into the ocean water to test it’s temperature. not even a few seconds later, his eyes widen and his lips part slightly, “i think i need to talk with taehyun about this.”

it wasn’t easy telling soobin to go on his own to speak with taehyun, but you really didn’t feel comfortable confronting beomgyu just yet. instead, yeonjun offers to show you toward where kai is currently building your boat.

despite reassuring you that things are going smoothly inside the house and that beomgyu is slowly but surely calming down, you did not believe yeonjun one bit. the little time you have spent here has definitely made you aware of each of the boy’s tale-tell signs, and his was quite obvious.

“no, i swear he’s alright, yn,” yeonjun repeats for what feels like the hundredth time as you both walk along the shoreline. “he gets like this sometimes, and we usually help him get out of it. i promise he’ll be okay.”

but with every mention of beomgyu, you begin to feel like maybe things have changed for the worst. there was no stopping him in hurting you now, or at least isolating you from the group— he had every right to make you feel his wrath from the physical and emotional pain of what your father has caused him.

it’s like yeonjun senses your worries, because not too long after he grabs your hand gently in attempt to comfort you, “kai has been working really hard on getting your boat rebuilt.”

“oh…? he hasn’t told me much about it, honestly. is he normally quiet?” you ask with curiosity, hand not leaving yeonjun’s as you approach the younger fairy.

something about physically touching each of the boys has been your go to source of grounding yourself.

“yeah, he normally keeps to himself. sometimes i have to drill things out of him,” he laughs, eyes lighting up. “but other times, he really does open up and talk when the time is right.”

while nodding, your feet stop five feet away from where kai is currently positioning wood planks together, “…hi, hyuka.”

the younger looks up from his work, his expression filled with slight surprise to see you all the way there. the eagerness of his voice, though, doesn’t go unnoticed by you or yeonjun.

“hey, yn! i’ve been trying to hurry on building your boat. it’s been a bit difficult though, finding the right wood on the island is hard. but i know how important it is for you to get home and see your friend.”

“way to mention i’m helping you!” yeonjun pouts, pretending to be hurt. “i’m not as strong as kai can be, so i’m stuck writing down instructions for him while i finish up other projects at the cottage.”

“i see,” smiles you, looking over to inspect the work in front of everyone.

it wasn’t exactly how the boat looked before you set off from town. the wood was slightly more yellow and thicker than how you found it. it was more spacious, and a compartment for food was added.

the small star in the corner of the hull was all you thought you needed to see to cheer you up.

it was unique and special, made just for you. so why do you feel a sense of dread?

note: i’m bacccccckkkkkkkkkkk <3333333 so sorry this has taken 1.5 years but i plan on finishing this by the start of 2026 so expect more from now on!!! tysm for waiting and for reading my story i love u all sm <33

rustling leaves right outside of the garden is all you heard right before the down pour of rain. not an ounce of gray clouds in the sky a few minutes prior, yet the amount of rain that began to land on you was extraordinary.

sighing from the window as you dry off your clothes as much as you could, you knew that perfectly growing batch of strawberries met their demise within seconds. it hurt your soul, but what more could you do but wait for the rain to pass?

you placed your wet clothes to the side while you got changed into a fresh set of laundry. it was when you pulled your shirt over your head when you noticed all the lights in the cottage go out.

great.. even the electricity is done for.

did you really understand why you were so unlucky that day? no, but you didn’t let it ruin your much needed nights rest.

except not even a week later, the same sequence happens again.

the crunch of sticks nearby followed by the vast change in weather and then another portion of your garden ruined. the cycle repeats week after week and by the fourth time, you’ve given up on your garden altogether.

it was difficult to find produce for a reasonable price at the market, but with the weird weather, you had no other choice.

“see anything you like?” a man your age looks at you while you browse his fresh vegetable selection at the saturday market that’s further in town.

you laugh softly as you grab a couple of everything, “how did you find an area to grow everything? my garden has been in shambles for the past month or two. down pour every single week.”

“what a shame…” is all he answers with, watching your hands with a sort of care that only loved ones give. “a beauty like you shouldn’t have to worry so much about getting her hands dirty, you know.”

“i like to break traditional norms,” you smile and hand him the basket full of a variety of vegetables to last a good two weeks.

the man glances at the basket and gives you a fond grin, “on the house, beautiful.”

the next couple of weeks were even more torture as you begin to experience heavy rainfall. what bites the dust is the fact that none of neighbors have had rain for a while.

then again they do live a couple of miles away from you.

“oh, it’s you.” the man from the market rolls his cart towards your door, feet sticking to the mud of the road. “didn’t think anyone lived this far.”

“yeah, well… i quite like how lonely it is down here,” you laugh, glancing at the delicious fruit he had rolling around. “headed to another market?”

“i’m headed home actually, but if you’d like some berries, feel free to grab a basket full.”

you don’t hesitate— grabbing as many fresh blueberries and strawberries to last you a good while. taking a bite out of one makes your tastebuds explodes, and you nearly moan from how delicious the berry is.

“delicious aren’t they?” the man gives you a small grin.

“very… not too sweet, but not too tart either,” smiles you, having another bite of the fruit. “thank you so much, umm…”

“yeonjun. you can call me yeonjun,” he offers his hand, to which you happily take, shaking it eagerly.

“thank you so much, yeonjun.”

every day since then you see yeonjun pass by your cottage at the same exact time, from the same place and to his home, as usual. seeing him everyday feels like a routine and slowly, but surely you begin to enjoy his presence.

he never stops by for too long, leaving the talk short and sweet. yet somehow he always tends to miss the rain that falls upon your home.

after a week of nightly rains, you complain to him.

“i just don’t understand how my house, out of everyone’s here, is the only one getting rain at night,” you sigh, opening the door for him in case he’d like to come inside.

usually he’d decline, but interested in your story he makes his way to the couch, “no one nearby gets rain?”

“no!” you sigh, pouring him some tea from the plants you managed to grow inside the cottage. “they don’t see or hear anything, yet it gets so flooded outside that i have to wait hours just to leave out the front door.”

yeonjun’s face is unreadable, or well, indescribable. it was like a mix of surprise, knowing, guilt, and desire. something that you overlooked from being a bit confused.

he takes a sip of your tea. “have you had this problem before?”

you shake your head, pouring a mug for yourself this time, “and it’s always the same cycle, too. i’d say bye to you and then head to my backyard to hopefully find a dry spot of land. but then i get distracted by a sound in the forest, and then boom! it’s raining. it’s almost as if a fairy is controlling the weather.”

you begin to laugh, thinking yeonjun would be in on the joke, but all he does is sit there and stare out the window that overlooks your ruined garden.

“i’m sorry,” he looks at you with a hint of sorrow. “i couldn’t help it, my love. you’re just too irresistible.”

the stare you gave him, not only for the nickname, but also for his apology, has yeonjun getting onto his knees.

“please,” yeonjun begs you. “i-i did everything. i ruined your garden. i made it rain so much. i needed you to need me the way i need you.”

“i.. i don’t understand,” you let out a small chuckle from confusion. “what do you mean you did everything?”

“i’m a fairy,” he whispers, as if it’s a secret that should have been with him until he died. “i noticed you stopped coming to the market one day months ago. i looked forward to your beautiful face amongst the crowd and so i followed you home.”

sucking in a breath, you stand up from your seat, ready to kick this man out of your home.

“wait! i-i.. i fully intended on knocking but then i saw you tending to your garden and i got jealous. how could you? how could you spend more time with stupid strawberries than coming to see me? don’t you understand how much i love you?” he cries, nearly yelling towards the end of his explanation.

“i don’t owe you anything, yeonjun. please leave,” you whisper with dread. it hurt to kick your new friend out of your home like this. but his behavior made you uncomfortable. it made you sick.

“no!” he yells and stands up to cup your cheeks. “l-love me. love me, please. you’re everything to me. i’ll even make it up to you, please! fairies have a purpose in this world, and i can’t go back to controlling the rain or oceans. i need my purpose to be you.”

choi soobin

the smell of coffee fills soobin’s nose as his hands knead against the dough of the newest pastries up for sale. his lifelong dream of opening a cafe has been the best idea he’s ever thought of, and with every stroke against the working pastry, he couldn’t be happier. what was best about this decision though, was seeing just how many customers were more than satisfied after tasting the breads he worked so hard on to perfect.

well, that was before he met you.

none of his employees tell him anything, but soobin takes his time with a certain regular that comes in every day at 9 in the morning. a bit later than the early morning rush, but well before lunch, that he is able to fully connect with you that he can’t with other customers.

“are you sure you don’t want to try the new croissants? it’s on the house, i promise!” beams him, eyes shining with such light that it’s hard to distinguish what was brighter, him or the sun outside.

and despite your protests, because humble you couldn’t bear not paying for such delicious well-made pastries, he bags you several of them anyways. and along with the sweet treats, he attaches a small little note made of the receipt paper from the register.

call me? xxx-xxx-xxx — soobin :)

choi yeonjun

no one told yeonjun just how much he would have to interact with customers when he applied to be a barista. not only does he have to take their order, but he has to make small talk, and fix their wrongly made drinks. even for an extrovert like him, he finds constantly being surrounded by customers to be draining.

“and then he was like, ‘oh i also asked for the latte without foam!’ so i had to remake his drink five times. and guess what? he took all five with him out the door!” he groans, sweeping up the last bit of mess in the cafe’s lobby.

he doesn’t know how he got here, but venting about his day towards a random stranger helped the weight on his shoulders reduce to zero.

“sounds like this job sucks,” you laugh softly from the small corner near him, taking a sip of your coffee.

“no shit,” yeonjun sighs, watching you with a small hint of curiousness. it then dawns on him— you have been a constant regular since he started his job at the cafe, always ordering the same drink, too. “but it’s people like you that make it worth it.”

choi beomgyu

smiles on people’s faces were definitely not something beomgyu enjoyed, and he definitely didn’t like how much energy it took to reciprocate them back. but truth be told, he enjoyed working at the small little cafe in the middle of a bustling city. something about the cozy atmosphere brought him enough calmness to be able to last the whole shift taking people’s orders.

“welcome in,” he grins at the person walking up to the register.

but instead of smiling back, all you do is recite the order you’ve been given by your boss, “four large hot drip coffees with a splash of half and half in each.”

beomgyu couldn’t tell if it was your bluntness he found interesting or if it made him feel a bit *seen* by just how not lively you were. but pushing that aside, your order was made almost as quick as you walked in.

“busy day?” he asks quietly and genuinely, trying to make conversation without it sounding like it was his employee’s duty of faking the service. and he bites back an amused laugh when you reply, definitely adding you to the list of customers he actually enjoyed serving.

“you have no fucking idea.”

kang taehyun

one drink at a time, taehyun draws the most beautiful latte art he could think of. from leaves, to butterflies, and even anime characters, if he ever felt bored enough. no matter what though, it was definitely his favorite part of working as a barista. being able to have the therapeutic aroma cleanser of the coffee along with making the therapeutic art brings him a sense of joy and tranquility.

“okay, here is your receipt. our barista for the day will bring you your latte once it’s done.”

he steamed the milk as usual, made sure the espresso shots were as of quality as possible, and once they were done, he glanced up to see the only human in the room with him and his coworker— a stunning person with a smile so beautiful that taehyun almost lost grip of the ceramic mug in his hands.

he knew exactly what type of latte art to create this time around.

“here you are,” he smiles, setting the hot latte in front of you. a small, but prominent heart shined white against the darkness of the espresso and it made your heart bump in nervousness as you made eye contact with the handsome barista in front of you.

huening kai

“i am really, really sorry, but we’re currently out of type of milk at the moment. i know it sounds weird, especially because we are a cafe that sells coffee and milk, but our milkman didn’t come in today and we’re trying really hard to see his eta and—”

“don’t worry about it,” you laugh softly, ordering something else on the menu that didn’t require the specific milk you were looking for.

kai’s eyes widen a bit at your interruption and a blush appears on the tops of his cheeks and ears, realizing just how much rambling he’s done. he usually isn’t this apologetic when it came to customers, but his heart finds that it doesn’t mind as much as he takes another good glance your way.

“your order should be on the way,” he smiles softly, pulling the receipt paper from the machine.

the puppy laughs, sitting on the ground to get a better angle on the wood, “some humans are definitely stupid jjuni-hyung, but you can talk, it’s not hard to tell your owner what you want.”

the kitten sighs and curls up on the ground next to his friend, “..don’t like doing that. makes me seem desperate or something.. like you.”

in the midst of gnawing his teeth into the stick, beomgyu huffs, “i-i’m not desperate! i just like to have fun! totally different things.”

“mhm, sure.”

“says the one who scratches at furniture when you want attention,” the puppy smirks with one canine over his bottom lip.

“shut up!” yeonjun whines and walks to a corner of the apartment to curl up against instead.

the rest of the day as beomgyu’s owner pet-sat him, the cat hybrid grew more and more intrigued by the different toys the puppy had. squeaking ones, the ones his owner threw around— not to mention how often the dog hybrid spoke about going to the park.

“it’s a place where i can run around freely and play with other puppy hybrids! it’s so fun jjuni-hyung, i wish you were a dog so we could wrestle,” he would say.

it made yeonjun very left out. he wanted to go to the park and run around in circles on the grass. he wanted to fetch sticks and return them to his owner. he wanted to eat nicely cut raw beef with peanut butter on the side.

but instead he got stuck with mice on string and tuna-fish on the daily.

it wasn’t that his owner was idiotic of any sort— though yeonjun would think otherwise. it was that you were just unexperienced with kitty hybrids and were learning along the way that there isn’t a set rule on what cats enjoy.

“how was your day, bubba?” you smile, entering your apartment as yeonjun beelines for the couch.

he ignores your question though and curls up once more against the spot he usually claims as his, “can we go to the park tomorrow?”

“the park?” you laugh softly, slightly taken aback that your kitty hybrid is interested in being outside. “like where the dog hybrids go and play?”

“mhm.. please?” he whispers, purring when you walk over to scratch the back of his ears.

“oh jjuni, you know i would love for you to be outside. but the park of all places? that’s no place for a kitty like you..” your voice was gentle and loving, making sure not to make him upset while also being firm in your response. “there’s so many mean dogs.. not all of them are like beomie.”

“b-but..” yeonjun whines, his nails ready to scratch anything if you reject his idea one more time.

“i said no, yeonjun,” you state more firmer. “i don’t like the way they play and view cat hybrids. i just want you to be safe, okay? we can go on walks, but to the park is a no.”

what comes next was slightly predictable, but also disappointing.

his loud whines and deep scratches into the couch and the curtains were only the tip of the iceberg for this tantrum. he made sure to leave the living room a mess, dropping vases that shattered, and pulling off artwork from the walls— and there was no way in stopping him once he started.

you learned very quickly after adopting yeonjun to leave him alone during his tantrums. a scratch that landed you in the emergency room was enough for you to realize that he was just a kitten in his rebellious phase, and giving him the space to grow was necessary.

“it’s not fair! beomgyu gets to play outside and he’s small, too!” the cat hybrid yells, throwing the toys he has out of the toy box. “stupid..! stupid toys! none of them make me happy! owner doesn’t make me happy!”

“choi yeonjun!” you raise your voice, something you’ve never done around him. something that made him pause and reflect on what he just said.

but instead on apologizing, he only turns to you and blows a raspberry, digging the knife harder into your heart with the following words, “owner is stupid. i hate you.”

though the pain in your heart didn’t subside, you decided to give your hybrid a bit of space. not that he did much after that, opting to stay in the corner of the living room, curled up and blowing raspberries at you whenever you would walk past.

but a couple of hours pass by and you still didn’t do as much as acknowledge his presence. finding himself wanting attention, he watched you as you spent the rest of the day cleaning up his mess and patching up any ruined fabric.

yeonjun felt.. lonely.

he was upset with you for not giving him what he wanted, but it was ignorant of him to say that he hated you. was he really in the wrong? he couldn’t be. humans are always wrong.

“dinner’s made for you, yeonjun,” you whisper out, placing a serving of his favorite foods on the table. but he noticed quickly how there was only one.

had he really upset you? had he been so mean towards his owner that you weren’t willing to eat?

you sat on the now fixed couch, texting your neighbor about what happened with your hybrid earlier that day. a few seconds later you felt a soft cheek rubbing up against your leg.

“m’sorry..” yeonjun whispers, his nuzzles making all the way up and into your lap.

you can't help the small sigh that escapes your lips, hand rubbing into his hair and behind his ear for scratches.

“owner didn't deserve it and jjuni didn't mean it.”

“it's okay, jjuni,” your hand finds its way towards his back for some soft pats and rubs. “i know you really want to play like beomie, but i'm just scared that the big dogs will see such a small kitty and attack.”

a purr comes from yeonjun when you rub on his side, nuzzling further into your lap until he's crawled onto you, “i know.. owner just wants me to be safe.”

“exactly, bubba..” you whisper, noticing his demeanor turn sleepy. after his huge tantrum earlier, you wouldn't doubt he was fighting sleep. “don't worry too much, okay? i'll find a park where you and beomie can play without the mean doggies.”

he looks up at you and tears up, realizing how much you truly are willing to work to make him as happy as he can be, “love you, owner.”