#polyteez x reader

Wooyoung

You and Hongjoong had officially been dating a few weeks and you and Wooyoung had garnered up quite a friendship. You get to there apartment a little early to hang out with Wooyoung before Hongjoong would get home. He was a nice guy and really funny.

It wasn’t long after that you and Hongjoong invited Wooyoung into your bed.

And it wasn’t long after that that one night, Hongjoong was working really late and you had been at his apartment for an hour already. You texted him asking when he’d be home and he said he’d be a while yet and to go hang out with Wooyoung.

So you knocked on his door. He was playing a video game but stopped it all to hang out with you. You ended up getting in his bed to watch a movie. And then you got closer, and when he made a move, your stomach turned. You stopped him wanting to stay loyal to Hongjoong. Wooyoung told you they had talked, and he probably should have told you that before making a move. It’s not that you didn’t believe him, but you were nervous so you texted Hongjoong. When he confirmed what Wooyoung had told you, you and Wooyoung spent your first solo night together.

San

San came a week or two after Wooyoung. Hongjoong was working late again and Wooyoung invited you and San over for a movie night hoping to play match maker.

You and San had gotten along great. He was a total sweetheart and you adored him. You and Hongjoong had talked and came to the agreement that if he was working, it was fair game as long as it stayed in the group. No outsiders were allowed to touch his girl.

So you, San, and Wooyoung watched your movie in tension that eventually snapped. before the movie was even over you were in San’s lap, testung the waters with your tongues and Wooyoung was watching intently.

You ended up in Wooyoung bed room pinned between the two best friends.

Seonghwa

Seonghwa, naturally, came with Hongjoong. He had the night off for once in his life and he knew Seonghwa had his eye on you, despite not knowing you very well yet.

Hongjoong talked to you before setting up a little night for the three of you. And a night it was. The dichotomy of their dynamic, Homgjoong domineering and rough, and Seonghwa with his sweet words and soft touches. Both equally set on ruining you.

You knew this was more than just a one time thing when you woke up to see Hongjoong gone, at work presumably, and Seonghwa was still there, arms wrapped around you like he was protecting something fragile.

Mingi

Mingi came slowly, then suddenly all at once. It was the night of Towards The Light Washington DC and you had just gotten back from a girls trip to Greece, meeting up with the boys on tour.

Throughout your trip, you and Mingi had been talking more. Sending selfies and silly videos, talking on the phone almost every night you were on the trip.

When you showed up in their green room in a cute little black dress with red bows in your hair, you looked so cute to go to their show that he couldn’t help scoop you up and kiss you.

Yunho

The day before Mingi’s birthday, you were walking the hotel when you saw Yunho standing out on the balcony, leaned over the railing. You opened the door and walked out slowly. Yunho turned to see you, offering you a hi. You walked up beside him leaning over the railing yourself. You said hi back. He tried to make conversation, but was stuttering through his words.

“We don’t have to talk, it’s okay.” You offered. He gave you a soft smile, pulling you into his arms to shield you from the cool summer night. It wasn’t too long after that that Mingi came to join the two of you, and it wasn’t long after that the three of you ended up in his hotel bed.

Yeosang

Things with Yeosang happened slowly. On the tour he had been your plane buddy. You sit in the same spot and talk and sleep together. You’d fall asleep on his shoulder, apologizing sheepishly when you woke up. Your first kiss was on the plane on your way to Seoul, but things didn’t become official until after all the Fashion Weeks in September after you and Yunho had taken a shower together. One thing led to another and eventually, you, Yunho, and Yeosang ended up in the same bed, well, bathroom.

Jongho

Jongho came last, and took the longest time. For most of your relationship with the boys, you saw Jongho as a best friend. Not because you didn’t want him. You did, he was gorgeous and adorable all at the same time. But because you thought he didn’t want you. It wasn’t until you were mostly bedridden, healing from your breast augmentation when he came over to sit with you while you healed. He explained that he alwasy wanted to get in on what you had with the rest of the boys, but was nervous having never been in a serious relationship. After a few weeks of taking it slow, you consummated your relationship in the sweetest way

AN: if anyone wants to see the smuts that are talked about in this lmk!

i've been walking for quite some time, i realize probably much later than i should. the sun had started setting long ago and now the forest was almost too dark to really see anything. but i need this mushroom. if this ointment isn't finished by tomorrow the merchants will never buy it and then how will i feed myself for the next week or so- 

snap!

i feel my heart thump against my rib cage as my head whips up at the distinct sound of a twig snapping. i focus my gaze on where the sound came from and watch as a squirrel scuttles up the trunk of a large tree. i feel the tension in my body release a little. great, now i'm being paranoid. if i hadn't gotten so absorbed in that book then maybe i wouldn't have to be out here past dark searching for a damn plant. as i grumble to myself internally, i become less and less aware of my steps which is never good for someone who trips over thin air more than is probably considered normal. and in that moment, the universe seems to prove that point by way of me tripping over a large rock and falling flat on my stomach. i groan as pain shoots through my already bruised knees (from tripping prior to this). brushing off dirt and leaves i stand back up and huff. i accept defeat and turn to hopefully find my way back to my cabin. only to realize, i have no idea where i am. have i seriously wandered so far? i do a 360 and cannot recognize any of the trees surrounding me. anxiety starts to settle in my gut as i come to the conclusion i am very lost. you'd think living in the woods would teach me enough lessons about roaming said woods in the dark...but apparently not. even still, standing here will get me nowhere so i turn back the way (i think) i came from and start to make the journey back. i pray to every god there is that i do not manage to get more lost as i try to keep track of the trees that i am passing… with little luck since its only getting darker. 

ssssnap!

i freeze mid step as a branch snaps somewhere behind me. whatever that was sounded much bigger than a squirrel. my heart pounds in my chest as the overwhelming fear twists my gut. reluctantly, my head turns to the sound to see nothing but a vast, dark ocean of trees. the once comforting darkness spikes my paranoia as my eyes struggle to focus on my surroundings. i hear another branch snap and whip my head to my right. still, i see nothing but darkness. this is not good. with no other option, i continue the path i started. anxiety courses through me as i walk and now im acutely more aware of every little sound, down to the puff of my own breath leaving my mouth. as the fear crawls up my spine, i start to walk faster and faster until im damn near jogging. i continuously stumble over the natural debris covering the forest floor but i keep my brisk pace, not bothering to slow down.

as my boots catch on a particularly large tree branch, i fall and look up to see that i seem to have come into a decent sized... clearing. in the middle of the woods? i push myself to my feet and look around to see a near perfect circle of space between the cluster of trees. i step farther out of the tree line and strain my eyes to try and see anything that could help me identify where i am. but i definitely would have remembered this clearing if i'd ever stumbled across it before. i've never seen anything like this in these woods besides the clearing surrounding my own home. as i look around confusedly, i forget that there was a small chance i was being followed by something. instead astonishment replaces the fear as i look around. but not for long. i start to hear the distinct sound of crunching leaves coming from my right. this time my entire body freezes for a fraction of a second and i do not turn to see whatever it is coming for me. instead i turn left and start to run. as i sprint through the tree line, i make it long enough that the clearing behind me starts to morph back into endless trees. but turning back to look proves to be a mistake as i trip once again and fall, unable to catch myself as i collide with the ground. sharp pain shoots through my knee again and i know this time i would not just have a bruise. i wince and cry as i push into the dirt to roll onto my back. 

through my fear, i could only hear my boots making contact with the earth beneath me but now that i am still i can definitely hear the pursuit of something coming towards me. it doesn't sound like running but then again i may not be able to hear over the sound of my own pounding heart and heaving breaths. i attempt to scramble to my feet and push through the pain in my leg but i can only manage a weak limping jog. i feel tears pool in my eyes as i stop to lean my side against a tree. there's just no way i'll make it to my cabin like this. and there's no way i'd beat whatever it is that's following me. as the pain in my knee starts to throb, i sink lower until i'm sitting with my back against the tree. through my wallowing i failed to realize that the sound from before had stopped. as i turn my head to look around, i spot a silhouette off to my left. back from where i originally started running. it looks like.... a person? who in their right mind would be out this far? it seems like the seconds drag on as i stare wordlessly at the unmoving figure. i have no options to weigh so i wait. for impending doom most certainly. but there's nothing i can really do. trying to get up again really isn't practical and would just alert them to my location, if they don't see me already. 

i blink and suddenly the figure looks a lot closer than they were a second ago. no... my mind is playing tricks on me no one moves that fast. my heart rate kicks into high gear as the figure starts to become larger. they're definitely getting closer. my reflexes kick in and i scramble with no success to get onto my feet. i hear my breath stutter and a cry threatens to leave my lips as the figure finally really comes into view and then stops. though it's still very dark, they're close enough now that i can see the person is a man. he's human looking... enough. but that doesn't really quell my fear. he's still not close enough that he could hear me if i spoke in a normal tone but i know he can see me. i watch as his head tilts to the side for a second before he starts to walk, much slower now, towards me. 

"are you injured?" though he's still not very close, his voice carries and i can hear the genuine concern (and confusion) in his tone. he sounds human enough. i nod, not trusting my voice at this current moment. he walks until he's standing an arms length away and then crouches down. 

"i apologize. i didn't mean to frighten you, are you lost?" oh. though i tried to focus on his words i became quickly distracted by his voice. a smooth rich tenor that made my brain a little fuzzy. i still can't see his face clearly but he has to be pretty with a voice like that. i was so caught up in my own thoughts i completely ignored his question. "oh, that may not be an appropriate thing to ask... uh if you're okay with it, i may be able to help you." he quickly backpedals once he gets no response from me. it takes me a few seconds to answer but really what have i got to lose? only my literal life. i can't get anywhere like this and there's... something about him. i would say my intuition has never done me wrong and if i'm trusting it, he doesn't seem likely to hurt me. so i nod once again and try to will the shakiness out of my voice. 

"okay... i um, i can't walk." i say, my voice quiet as i look to my leg that is still in pain. he follows my gaze as if he could really see what i was referring to. nevermind the dark, he definitely can't see past the two skirts i have on and the knee high socks and combat boots. he seems to realize this fact as he clears his throat and turns back to me. 

"i can carry you... if that's alright with you, of course." he answers back. he almost sounds shy... or embarrassed? not being able to see his face clearly is really bugging me but i nod anyway. he moves to make it easier for him to maneuver me before an arm encircles my waist and i'm being lifted from my seated position. i quickly swing my arm to go around his shoulders, ignoring the warmth i feel creeping up my neck, and try to hold most of my weight. once he has me mostly lifted up he scoops his other arm under my legs. i hiss when the movement causes a jolt of pain through my knee. 

i feel him tense and i rush to reassure him. "i'm okay, sorry my knee is just.... i'm fine really." i say and he relaxes, letting out a soft ‘okay’ as he stands back up to full height. as he starts to walk i can't help but try and study his face. this close i can see him a bit more clearly but not by much, the only light being from the bright, full moon. i can see enough to notice his hair and the outline of his features but not much more than that. as i look at him, i feel a question bubble to the surface and can't help but voice it.

"why are you helping me?" i ask hesitantly, hoping it doesn't sound like an accusation. 

"well... had i not frightened you, you would not have gotten injured. i do sincerely apologize, i had not expected you to run." he says matter-of-factly, like that was the entire reason he approached me in the first place. even though i can feel that that’s not the entire reason he started to follow me, i see nothing else to say so we continue on in silence. i watch as the trees break and we end up back in the clearing. which confuses me but i say nothing. once we're a few paces away from the tree line he stops. expecting to see nothing, i turn and look out into the clearing. except now there's a very large mansion sitting in the middle of it. my jaw drops as i stare. there's absolutely no way i would've missed that! but then i feel it. there's a subtle tremor in the air like a shimmering in the energy. magick. it tingles against my senses and if i didn't practice magick i would never have felt it. but it's definitely there. there’s no way… illusion magick is hardly used anymore and you'll find very few who are able to conjure illusions around anymore, most magick users being wary of them. so how he managed an illusion this strong is beyond me. i reach out with my senses, trying to feel the man's aura but i sense nothing out of the ordinary. he feels… normal. so how in the hell- he's..not alone. as the realization dawns on me, the mansion comes to life, lights turning on inside and out. 

"ah, this would probably be a good time to mention that i do not live alone." he says sheepishly as he looks down at my awestruck expression. "most of my housemates should be asleep or off to their own activities so we most likely won't be disturbed." i don't miss the maybes in that statement. 

"oh...okay." i breathe out still not believing my eyes. just as he's about to continue walking, the grand front door slowly swings open. i think i hear him mutter something under his breath but i don't pay attention long enough to try and discern what it was. the man standing at the door is tall in stature and i notice a similarity in the way they carry themselves with the grace of someone of high status. almost royal in a way. he strides down the steps towards where we stand but stops farther away than i assumed he was going to. 

"who's this?" the taller man says as he looks between me and the man currently cradling me. i probably should've gotten his name. he seems to realize this too as he looks down at me with furrowed brows. 

"y/n... i'm y/n." i answer instead, trying to save the awkwardness.

"and i'm yunho, nice to meet you. what...happened, seonghwa?" yunho smiles as he says it but he shares a look with his housemate, who i now know the name of, that i don't understand. 

"i startled her and she fell while running. her knee seems to be injured." seonghwa summarizes but there's another look that passes between the two. like they're not just having this conversation out loud. 

"ah, i see. well in that case, you're in good hands." yunho shifts his gaze to me and his eyes soften, similar to the way it would if you were trying to console a wounded animal. i can't help but smile at the kindness in his tone. seonghwa walks up to yunho and the latter turns to go back up the steps with us in tow. as we walk through the door, i'm immediately overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the interior. and we're only in the foyer! i can't even begin to imagine the rest of the mansion. 

the decor is dark; a blend of black, silver, and shades of red everywhere you turn. in the middle of the foyer sits a small pedestal with a statue of a woman with devilish wings standing atop it. she stares up with long, clawed hands reaching up towards the luxurious chandelier that glitters like diamonds. the floors are dark marbled tile and the ceilings are higher than i thought was ever possible. there's a wide, curved staircase on either side leading up to what i can assume is another beautiful foyer. down the hall in front of us leads to what i can see is the living room on one side and the kitchen and dining area on the other. i can't see the details from here but i see the decor in there is also black and red. the entire place is lit up in a warm glow from the light fixtures lining the walls. 

as i admire the opulence, i forget about the two men waiting with me. that is until i feel eyes on me. when i snap out of my daze i see yunho looking at me, there's a gentle smile curving his lips and w o w. in the dark i couldn't make out his features very well but... he is beautiful. even more so than his home. my eyes rove over his tall, lean figure and i try not to let my jaw hang. his brown hair is highlighted with honey blonde streaks throughout and his skin is perfectly clear. he's dressed head to toe in black with a long overcoat that brushes the back of his shins. the only color in his ensemble is the red on the inside of his coat and red accents on the undone buttons of his loose black shirt. the smile curving his lips slowly morphs into a smirk as i continue to stare. we make eye contact and i shift my gaze immediately, embarrassed at having been caught. 

"we will have to go upstairs, all of my supplies are in the study at the moment." seonghwa says apologetically, though i only realized halfway through his statement that he was speaking to me. i turn to look up at him and am once again struck by beauty beyond my comprehension. no seriously, what did i walk into? and how many more of them are there?! i try (and fail) to stare less but i can't help it. his eyes are sharp, almost piercing but also kind as he looks at me. blonde strands of hair fall into his eyes and i have the strangest urge to push them away. his skin is clear even this close and he smells delightful. has he smelt like this the whole time and why have i just noticed? i snap out of it quickly enough that neither of them suspects my silence and reassure him that it's fine. 

"i'll leave you both to it, i have things to attend to. but if you need anything let me know." yunho smiles and bows his head at me before passing another silent look with seonghwa. he walks away, hands in his pockets as he takes the steps. he turns as he gets to the top, sparing me a last look and there's something i can't put my finger on in his eyes. but then he's disappearing down the hall before i can decipher what his look meant. 

seonghwa

i look down at the girl in my arms out of my periphery again. for the millionth time since we arrived at the mansion. i wonder if she's noticed me stealing glances at her. not likely considering she has yet to mention it. i just don't understand. she shouldn't have been able to get into the clearing let alone our home. she stumbled through the barrier completely unaware of the alarm she raised inside these very walls. we all felt it when she passed through. the dim trill in the air, a slight shift in the energy. i can still feel the way my hair stood on edge and my senses heightened. our magick is powerful, we'd made very sure of it. so how was she here? and why? from what i can tell, she seems very human. she smells very human. 

she was right to have run at first but then she put up no fight coming here. it made no sense. this poor girl... she has no earthly clue what she's willingly walked herself into. or rather allowed me to lead her into. even now as i carry her up the steps, she seems utterly calm. of course i can still feel the way her heartbeat hasn't gone back to normal and i can feel the nervousness around the edges of her energy. but every time she looks up at me, her eyes are clear. no worry creasing her forehead or apprehension in her gaze. just clear curiosity. and i feel no anxiety with her here. not really. except for the swirling confusion, i feel... relaxed. definitely not how i should feel with an intruder in our veiled home. but i can sense it on yunho too. he wasn't afraid, just curious. maybe a little concerned. for her... she really shouldn't be here. 

i look at her once again and can’t help but be endeared at the awestruck expression that hasn’t left her features since we first stepped through the door. her eyes are wide with wonder as she looks around the halls and her lips are slightly parted as she takes everything in. i don’t even realize how long i’m staring, my eyes tracing over her features as we walk. despite how human she looks, she’s… beautiful. in an imperfect way. bright eyes, full lips, round cheeks, moles and freckles scattered across her nose. i watch as her lashes flutter every time she blinks and the way her tongue pokes out to wet her lips before she closes them. she’s enchanting. the thought snaps me out of my trance and i look forward to see us approaching the study. 

as we come to the door of the study i can hear the low murmur of voices on the other side. i pause, not wanting to disturb whoever is on the other side and also not wanting anymore of my housemates to know she's here. not that they can't smell her or sense her... but it would be best that no one else saw her. i don’t get much time to ponder my options because within the next second the study door swings open to reveal two more of my housemates. how lovely.

reader

oh you’ve got to be kidding me… i probably have the facial expression of someone who’s just seen a comet but really you can’t blame me. not only am i astonished by the sight of the immaculate study with a large, dark mahogany desk and more shelves of books than i could ever afford. but there’s also two very beautiful men staring at me inquisitively from the open doorway. 

“ah, i wasn’t aware we had company.” the shorter of the two says, clear apprehension in his tone as he looks me over. our eyes lock and mine roam over his face, his features somehow both soft and sharp. his blonde hair is styled and he’s dressed in a long, black overcoat that brushes the backs of his knees with red trim on the bottom with a vest over the white button up he wears. the buttons on his garments are all silver as is the jewelry that adorns his wrists and neck. my eyes trail over the necklaces he’s layered, all looking like they’d take me years to scrounge up enough money for one. grand, colored jewels and crosses hang off the chains of multiple while some just look like chain links. i glance back up at his face to see him already looking at me, a smirk curling his lips and a brow quirked. i quickly turn my attention to the man standing next to him to see him already looking at me, his gaze heavy and unreadable. where the other man’s features are softer, his are all sharp. piercing eyes, angled nose, plump lips, and a sharp jawline. he’s dressed in similar clothing except the inside of his coat is a deep purple and he has much more accessories. large rings, long necklaces, a plethora of bracelets. the top few bottons of his shirt are popped open and the muscular planes of his chest are on display. he’s much taller than the other two men and his long, muscular-looking legs show for it. his eyes never leave my face and for some reason, the look in his gaze makes me nervous causing me to look away quickly. 

“i apologize, she got injured and i offered my assistance. it is much too dark for anyone to be out there alone. we won’t be very long.” seonghwa says, sounding only slightly apologetic. it seems like he has more to say, an undercurrent to his tone, but he just shares a long look with the shorter male. the two men standing together look to each other, another one of those unspoken looks passing between the two. 

“that’s fine, we were… just about finished in here anyway.” the tallest one states and his voice, much deeper than the other two, pulls my gaze back to him. although he was speaking to seonghwa, his intense gaze stayed trained on me. there’s a question in his gaze but i’m not too sure what it’s about. i’m once again forced to look away but not before i got to drink in his features a little. it really shouldn’t surprise me that these two are just as gorgeous as seonghwa and yunho but still i am awestruck by their features. the two leave the room, both brushing past us quickly and not sparing a last glance as they continue down the long hall. 

seonghwa very quickly walks into the study and pushes the door closed with his foot. did i hear the lock click or am i imagining things? seonghwa sets me down gently on a soft brown sofa, being conscious of my injured knee. once he sees that i’m mostly comfortable, he paces over to the large desk and rifles through the drawers before pulling out a first aid kit. i take the time to really take in the room, straining my eyes to read the spines of the books i could see from where i sit. i can recognize a plethora of books on foliage and herbs, some i know i have on my own shelves.

“those books are san’s. he takes an interest in anything to do with plants and herbs.” seonghwa’s voice from the desk startles me out of my daze as i look to him. he looks to be pretty busy shuffling through the first aid, i didn’t think he was paying me any mind. but there’s a gentle smile on his face that i know i am not the cause of. there’s a fondness in his tone and aura when he spoke of this san, that must be why he’s smiling.

“well, ’san’ and i have something in common then.” i respond, a smile that mirrors his playing on my lips. 

“is that what you were in the forest for?” seonghwa inquires as he rounds the desk with what looks to be an ice pack, black gloves, and bandages in hand. 

i nod. “yes, i was looking for something to finish off this ointment i'm making. i was supposed to have it by tomorrow to take into town but… i don't think that's going to happen.” i say the last statement with a sigh as i look down at my hands fiddling in my lap. 

seonghwa hums as he comes to stand next to me on the sofa and i take note of how tall he is now that he’s not holding me. he kneels down to be directly in front of my knee, pulling the gloves over his nimble fingers. “well, i truly do not think it’d be safe for you to try and find your way back to your home now that night has fallen. even if one of us went with you, the forest is… different at night. but san may be able to help you find that plant in the morning, if that's something you'd appreciate. i don't assume this area of the forest is familiar to you?” as he speaks, he starts to move my skirts up and out of his way but my socks are still an issue. 

i answer him as i lean down to help him remove my boots and socks. “no… no i’m not familiar with this area at all. and i actually have no idea how i found myself over here… i wasn't meant to go too far but then it started to get dark and i lost my way… a few times.” i keep my gaze off him as embarrassment floods my mind. once my clothing is out of the way, we're both able to actually see the injury and i hear seonghwa take a sharp inhale next to me. that doesn't look pretty at all. my knee is inflamed and swollen with a nasty looking bruise right underneath and small cuts all over. i reach out to gingerly press two fingers to it and immediately retract my hand with a hiss. 

“how bad is your pain?” i look to seonghwa to see him studying the injury with furrowed brows. his gloved hands are cold as he shifts my leg back and forth, probably trying to gauge my mobility. but even that slight movement causes pain to shoot through my leg and i wince, reflexively trying to move out his gentle grasp. he murmurs an apology as he looks up at me through his lashes. i’m momentarily distracted by his gaze but quickly shake myself out of it. 

“it's… pretty bad. there's a dull throb even when i don't move it.” i answer his earlier question and try my hardest to keep still as he grabs a wipe from his lap to start cleaning the cuts. seonghwa nods but otherwise stays quiet as he starts the process of fixing the injury. we sit in silence as he cleans, bandages, and wraps my knee. i find it very difficult to keep my eyes off his face as his hands move nimbly on my skin. his beauty is incomparable, strong brows furrowed with concentration, sharp eyes with pretty lips. as if he can feel my stare, his eyes flick up to mine. i look away quickly pretending to stare at the shelf behind his head. i really hope he can’t hear the way my heartbeat sped up with that nanosecond of eye contact because it feels as if the organ might jump out of my chest. a man i just met should not have this effect on me. get a hold of yourself! 

seonghwa continues his work on my knee, seemingly completely unaware of my inner turmoil. between the calming silence and seonghwa’s gentle touches against my leg, i find myself relaxing further and further into my seat. just as my eyes start to feel heavy, a soft knock sounds on the wooden doors. both our heads look to the doors before i hear seonghwa sigh and mumble something along the lines of “excuse me” under his breath. he stands up and brushes the wrinkles out of his pants, making his way to the door. the beautiful, billowy sleeves of his white blouse sway with his arms as they swing at his sides and i watch him walk as if in a trance. i snap myself out of it and instead turn my gaze to inspect my knee. now that it’s cleaned and bandaged it doesn’t look as gruesome. the cool ice pack is relieving the pain and throbbing but the swelling won’t be down for a while. i’ll have to wait for seonghwa to make a decision on whether i’ll require more care or not but it doesn’t feel like anything more than a sprain. i test it out by twisting my leg and of course, feel pain shoot up my leg but surprisingly not as bad as before. my inspection is interrupted when seonghwa opens the door and a voice i recognize speaks up. 

“i apologize for disturbing you but hongjoong needs you. right now.” i hear seonghwa make a disapproving sound and i turn to look at the two. yunho’s already looking at me and seonghwa seems to be hesitant to leave. 

“i’m sure i’ll be fine, you can leave me if you need to attend to other things. can’t do much like this anyway.” i gesture to my leg and try to smile reassuringly. truthfully, the thought of being left alone in this beautiful strange home is making me nervous but i don’t need either of them to know that. both their brows furrow as they listen to me, neither of them really trusting my words. finally, seonghwa nods with a resigned sigh.

“i would not advise putting pressure on it but you should be alright to walk soon. allow the swelling some time to alleviate and do be careful.” he instructs and turns with a bow. yunho comes into the study and closes the door behind him. he takes long strides to the sofa opposite of mine and takes his seat. just like with seonghwa, i become entranced with the way he moves so gracefully despite his long limbs and stature.

“if you don’t mind me asking, how’d you do that?” yunho inquires curiously. his eyes are on my bandaged knee and he flicks them to my face for a second before looking back. 

mildly embarrassed, i laugh before explaining how i’d gotten here. i choose to leave out the part where seonghwa absolutely terrified me and pretend that me falling was all my own doing. i brush my hair back out of my face as i finish my spiel and it dawns on me that i probably look an absolute mess. i suppress the urge to cringe into myself, suddenly self-conscious. 

if yunho notices my sudden shift in attitude, he doesn’t mention it. instead he hums and nods as he looks back to me. “how does it feel? i know seonghwa’s pretty skilled with things like that. are you in any pain?” he asks and something about his voice puts my nerves at ease. i try not to think any longer about how the man sitting in front of me makes me feel and focus on answering his questions.

i shrug and shift my knee back and forth but notice the pain has subsided significantly. huh… that’s strange. “well… it doesn’t really seem to hurt at all anymore. doing this before hurt quite a bit but now i feel… fine.” i say, confusion lacing my words. i bend my knee experimentally and although it feels sore, the pain is barely noticeable. my brows furrow and i put my leg back down. yunho seems to understand my confusion and chuckles. 

“seonghwa’s got a way with wounds. we’ve all experienced it, trust me. you’ll be back to normal quite fast.” he stands and walks over to the desk, putting away the supplies seonghwa left out by accident. as he busies himself with that, i feel my attention shift back to the row of herbal books. one book in particular standing out to me. the spine is dark green with big, gold letters in a beautiful font and on the base, a golden honey cup mushroom. 

“would you like to read it?” i hear yunho’s voice from behind me and i jump, obviously too distracted to have noticed him move from the desk. he chuckles under his breath and the sound gives me butterflies. i shake away the feeling, internally reprimanding myself. “sorry, i didn’t mean to scare you. those are sannie’s books but i’m sure he wouldn’t mind you taking a look. do you want me to get it for you?” i turn around to see him leaning back against the shelves behind the sofa i’m on. this man is sinfully beautiful. 

clearing my throat, i respond. “no no, i think i can get up.” i lean down and pull my socks back on before carefully swinging my legs over to plant my feet on the marbled floors. i hear rustling behind me and see yunho making his way around the sofa. i push my hands into the cushions underneath me as i try to stand. yunho extends an arm to me a little panickedly, not trusting my balance and injured knee. but i wave my hand and get to my feet on my own. once i’m standing, i make sure to shift my weight to the non-injured leg and take a step. my face scrunches as i feel the soreness in my knee but it’s nothing i haven’t handled before. 

i limp my way over to the shelf and immediately my gaze zeros in on the pretty green book. i run my index finger over the lettering that reads “Mushroom Magick” before gently pulling it off the shelf. the cover has the same phrase with many different kinds of mushrooms decorating a circle around the words. the book feels familiar even though i know i don’t own this one and i flip to a random page. the page has a plethora of notes scrawled in rushed handwriting with highlights on phrases the owner of the book deemed important. i smile to myself reading some of the notes i assume the aforementioned ‘sannie’ left. i continue to flip through and read over the random notes they left before i finally come to a page without any annotations. this is where i assume they left off but i continue to skim through the pages until a presence behind me breaks my focus. i snap my head to see yunho standing a few paces behind me with his hands behind his back. he seems startled by the way i turned but recovers quickly with a polite smile.  

“i’m sorry to disturb you… but i promised seonghwa i’d make sure you were resting and i noticed your shifting. you can bring the book with you to the sofa, you probably shouldn’t be standing on your leg for so long.” yunho explains as he gestures to said sofa. in all honesty, i hadn’t even noticed my shifting so his observation is impressive… but that also means he’d been watching me pretty carefully and the thought makes me a little nervous. i have half the mind to decline his offer but a part of me feels like he’s more persistent than that. with a resigned sigh and nod, i limp back over to the sofa, mushroom book in my hand with my index finger in between the page i’m on to make sure i don’t lose it. i take my seat and he follows suit sitting, with much more grace than i had, on the sofa opposite to me. i notice his lack of entertainment and wonder for a second what he’s going to do while we sit here but decide that’s none of my concern before opening the book back up to the page i was on. 

the room is silent save for the sound of our a clock ticking and the pages of the book in my hands turning. i become quickly engrossed in what i’m reading, so much so i pay no mind to the man in the room with me. though i did look up one time when he got up to go to the desk. and maybe i stared at his figure for much longer than was necessary. it’s not like he noticed, by the time he’d turned back around my nose was in my book. a few more minutes and pages later, he gets back up again. this time he goes to examine a different shelf, one i can’t decipher the contents of from where i’m sat. i watch as he paces before he sighs softly to himself. he must feel my eyes because he swivels to turn to me. i snap my head down and try to refocus on the book but i can see from my periphery, him making his way over to the other sofa. i look up again as he sits and send him a small smile which he returns. i can see he wants to say something so i wait for him to speak before turning away. 

“would you… like a tour of the mansion? i can see you’re enjoying your book so i apologize but… i feel i might lose it being stuck in this room.” his smile is shy as he asks. he tries to look relaxed but the bouncing of his leg is hard to miss. i consider his offer as i stare at the ground, not really able to look any of them in the eye for very long. what i’d seen of their home was absolutely atonisihing and it’s hard for me to even imagine what the rest may look like so out of sheer curiosity (and maybe a small desire to want to be around his calming presence) i nod my agreement. 

his smile widens as he stands, holding his hands behind his back. i close the book, making a mental note of the page i was on in case i come back before placing it down on the cushion beside me. i get to my feet and i see yunho’s arm come from behind his back, probably to offer me support, but then he retracts it just as quickly when he sees me walking fine on my own. i start for the door, listening as yunho falls into step behind me. once we reach the door he side steps around me and reaches for the handle, pushing the door open and letting me step out into the hallway before him. the house is quiet as i look down the long hallways, yunho closing the door behind me before coming up on my right side. he smiles down at me as i look to him for directions and standing this close i can finally see just how tall he is. he gestures down the hallway to our right and turns to start walking, me having to play catch up to keep in time with his long strides. 

“hongjoong, seonghwa, and i designed this entire place ourselves. though most of the detail was seonghwa hyungs’ ideas.” he explains as we keep a leisure pace, allowing me to take in the beautiful architecture and artwork on the walls. we pass by many doors, yunho telling me what lies behind each one as we pass. another smaller study that only a few of them use, a few bedrooms one of which is unoccupied, a library that belongs to someone named ‘yeosang’. the heels of our boots clack against the marbled tile floors and his coat rustles as it fans out behind his long legs in the same way my skirts rustle as i walk. but a beautiful painting stops me in my tracks and yunho slows to a stop alongside me. i reach my hand out to brush over the canvas with barely my fingertips, mouth agape in awe. in the painting a beautiful woman with wings much like the ones on the statue in the foyer sits in the middle of a meadow, in one hand a large pomegranate and the other a skull of an animal. her lips are stained red with the juices of the pomegranate but the way she’s depicted licking it off her teeth as the juice drips off her tongue makes it look like blood. she’s completely nude, skin glowing from the light of the pale moon in the dark, starry sky over her head. a crow sits perched near her feet, picking at the seeds she took out the pomegranate and a cat is curled by her side, sleeping peacefully. her long dark hair flows beautifully down to her thighs, nearly brushing over the sleeping kittens ears. 

it’s completely unlike any painting i’ve seen, the artist putting such detail into the setting and atmosphere of the scene depicted. there’s something serene and intimate about the mood, like your’e peeking in on a moment between this woman and her companions. i turn to look at yunho to see him admiring the painting much like i was just doing. there’s a faint smile on his lips as his eyes trace over it before looking over to me.  it’s then that the feeling one of the residents of this home must have painted this themselves presents itself in my thoughts. 

“it took yeosang years to perfect this masterpiece but it’s one of his most prized pieces of work.” yunho confirms my previous suspicions as he brings up this ‘yeosang’ once again. looking back to the painting i can offer no other response but open-mouted awe. yunho chuckles at my expression. “yeosangie would be very flattered by your clear admiration. would you like to see more of his art or the rest of this wing?” he leaves the choice up to me as if it’s an easy decision. i look at him and then down the hall, lips parting to answer but the sound of a door opening pulls both of our attention. yunho turns to face down the hallway ahead of us as a figure steps out the opened door into the hallway with us. from the way he’s positioned, the other person can probably barely see me behind yunho’s giant figure. i try to step to the side to see down the hall but yunho’s arm closest to me moves up very subtly, a silent way of telling me to stay put. 

“yunho? who were you talking to?” a clear, slightly husky voice asks. it sounds like whoever it was has just woken up. 

“ah… no on-” yunho starts to deny my presence for reasons i don’t understand. a pit forms in my gut as anxiety creeps up my spine. why wouldn’t this other man be able to know i was here? i shift my weight to my non-injured leg, biting at my bottom lip nervously. the movement was a mistake because my skirts shift and ripple behind yunho’s legs. the other man’s eye immediately zone in on the movement and i freeze. i see yunho’s shoulders tense as the other man’s gaze slowly trails back up to look his housemate in the eye. then yunho releases a puff of air letting his shoulders drop and he steps to the side ever so slightly. “seonghwa brought her here. she got lost in the forest and hurt herself. i was just showing her around.” yunho explains, sounding defeated. the other man looks me over with his head tilted and cat-like eyes narrowed in suspicion. he’s not as tall as yunho but is broader than him, wide shoulders drawing my attention even from this distance. his jet black hair is ruffled from having just been asleep. he’s clad in a black t-shirt and sweatpants, the most casual dress of any the men i’ve seen thus far. our gazes lock and he seems to be trying to read me as he stares, eyes flitting around my face.

yunho breaks the tense silence by clearing his throat. “y/n, this is san. i think i mentioned him to you earlier in the study. san, this is y/n.” all san does in response is hum, looking away from me back to yunho. 

“does hongjoong know you’re showing her around?” san inquires, brow raised. yunho looks away, scratching the back of neck nervously. ah, that must’ve been why he didn’t want san to see me. but who was this ‘hongjoong’? every time he’s been mentioned, they speak of him in this high regard. “yunho… do you even know how long seonghwa plans on keeping her here? should she really be seeing… everyone?” as he asks the last question, san’s gaze turns to me again. there isn’t as much hardness in his gaze, just apprehension. like he doesn’t trust me. i suppose that would make sense, i am a random stranger in his home. yunho opens his mouth to speak but i cut in before he can get whatever he was going to say out. 

“i don’t plan on being here much longer, i assure you. i appreciate all of seonghwa’s kindness but i have things to attend to back at my own home. he was just offering me shelter for the night since it’s dark and i lost my way. in the morning, i’ll be going back to my cottage.” i answer san’s inquiries with a polite smile. both men turn to me as i speak and san’s eyebrow quirks up again. 

“uh, weren’t you searching for something? san may be able to help you find it!” yunho says, head turning back to the other man who gives him an incredulous look. 

san sighs as he looks back to me, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “what is it you were looking for?” he asks in a bored tone that offends me ever so slightly. what is his issue? 

“you don’t have to help me, i’m perfectly capable of finding it on my own.” i answer with indignation, matching his stance. san’s bored expression breaks as he tries to fight off a smirk.

“if that were the case, would you have gotten yourself lost?” he asks with an irritating self-satified smirk on his lips. my arms drop from my chest as my brows furrow but san pays me no more mind, turning back to his bedroom door. “if you’d like my help, yunho or seonghwa can bring you to me tomorrow morning.” and with that he walks into his room and shuts the door behind himself. yunho and i are left in the silent hallway as irritation stirs in my gut. 

“do you… still want to see the rest?” yunho asks softly as he looks at me. 

i turn to him and smile. “yes, you were saying something about seeing more of the art?”

One of the first lessons you learned was that an A-list celebrity wouldn’t have a chance against Yunho. You knew that for sure because someone made an online poll on the college forum for people to vote on it a while ago.

Some knew him by his excellence in hockey back in middle and high school, which still stands untouchable for his age. At least, that’s what you heard from one of your roommates.

“People dug it in the news?”. You were flabbergasted. You looked up from the open notebook on your small desk to your friend, who showed you the photo from an old news article back in 2007.

It was no surprise that prestige and recognition could get anyone far in life. It was much less surprising that people’s eyes shined at someone who had it all. But the lack of having better things to do was truly impressive. You knew you had 3 essays and a quiz coming up, so that effort would never cross your mind.

“I know, right? But don’t you think he was kind of cute then?”

It was a blurry picture of him on the ice, his face barely there. Still, the number 9 on his back clear as day.

“Yeah, kind of…”. Your voice trailed away as you read the small lines under the photo. “Don’t you wonder why he stopped?”

Others had the chance to cross paths with him in a way or another. That took up most of the surrounding rumors to this day. He was an angel, a true Disney Prince and no photo could ever make him justice, which you believed as much as the next person. You knew he was on the last year now, so the fangirling died down from the original fuss. It was worse then, you guessed.

Still, people were fascinated by him in a way that fascinated you. As far as you were concerned, he could drop everything and become a true movie star, a legendary hockey player for the national team or a worldwide famous model, yet here he is, a diligent student on a path to continue his father’ legacy someday and everyone loved and admired him for that. He truly had it all, but wouldn’t those same people take everything away from him if they could? But who are you to say anything, right? You only ever known him by name and a vague description of how much tall and handsome he was, what would you know.

If his father saw them, no, if he ever dreamed about both of them being anything more… his father would never step foot in a place like this. Those thoughts plagued his mind in moments like these, so it took him some effort to think rationally again. The cold sweat only made him more uncomfortable, waiting for his boyfriend in a simple chair in the so familiar corner of their favorite restaurant was never this nerve-wracking. The window showcased the snow slowly cascading outside. It was supposed to be a nice date, the first snow of the year and all of that, so why. was. he. still. alone?

No sign of an answer from Mingi, he checked his messages again to be sure.

There was no denying that Yunho was an impatient man. He never knew how to wait to get what he wanted, that also apply to have a nice alone time with his boyfriend.

The bell ringing from the entrance bell caught his attention and he fixed his hair on instinct, but it wasn’t Mingi.

There was a uncomfortable pressure slowly forming on Yunho’s chest as he tried yet another failed phone call. Mingi would never have stood him up like this, something must’ve happened. He debated calling Hongjoong, who was still working late shifts and Yunho knew how busy he’s been, nobody really called him at work unless it was a true emergency. So he called Seonghwa instead.

He did his best to seem as casual as he could. Mingi wasn’t picking up his calls, has he left the house yet? It seemed calm enough. Seonghwa told him about a massive traffic congestion on a main street close to their house, but he only seemed to breathe properly when the forgotten phone was found on the couch. Seonghwa tried to ask him if things were alright and he was quick to say yes. They exchanged ‘i love you’s and Seonghwa said something like ‘don’t get home too late’, which made Yunho laugh, because he was the one who told them to “have fun wink wink”. He hang up feeling a bit better.

Mingi was on his way, he only had to be a bit more patient.

His little bubble popped when Mister Kim left a warm drink on his table.

“I didn’t order this, Mister Kim”, Yunho said in a soft yet warning tone as he looked up at the old man smiling at him. “I said I was going to pay for everything today”.

He already drank two cups of coffee in a span of 15 minutes, which he insisted on paying overprice for. Mister Kim is too good for him own sake, and he was away too nice to Yunho and Mingi, both boys he took under his wing a long time ago.

“This one wasn’t me, I swear on the Lord’s name”, Mister Kim said quickly. “This one is from the nice lady who just left”, he whispered as he leaned in.

“Is it? And somehow she guessed my favorite order, hm?”

“Just enjoy it, wouldn’t you? Stubborn boy, tsc, consider it an act of kindness after a rough day”. Mister Kim left shortly after, just as stubborn.

Yunho was speechless for a moment, but couldn’t help his smile. Usually, he doesn’t accept drinks or anything really from “ladies”, knowing well the intentions and feelings behind it. Mister Kim really was too kind for his own good, wasn’t he? Yunho knew he suggested the drink, more than willing to make it for him. Was he really having such a rough day enough for a stranger and Mister Kim himself to notice? However, that was a thought for later, when he finished the warm green tea.

It was only after Mingi and him helped Mister Kim close the restaurant, that he noticed the small “cheer up, bro” written in a black marker on the cup with no pickup line and no phone number.

What a wake-up call right there.

Mingi almost broke his neck from laughing when he saw it. That’s when Yunho decided right then and there he liked that lady, whoever she was.

By the time you were back to that restaurant a week later, you only remembered the taste of the best moon cakes you’ve ever had in a while. You always crave some when you missed your mom’s desserts, but none ever got close to hers as those. Hopefully, there’s still some left to take home with you.

The place itself wasn’t modern by any means, it felt like a voyage back to your childhood the moment you first came in. You were desperate to escape the cold and the smell of fresh coffee and baked cake led you right to the front door that first night. Although old-fashioned to its core, every surface seemed pretty clean and organized. The soft music playing was a plus for you, so you slowly walked to the empty front counter.

This time was no different, except the distinct smell of strawberries and the fact that there was no client in sight. The nice old man was cleaning one of the tables while humming along, it seemed like that was his favorite song. Since he was in no rush to greet you, you slowly looked through the displayed options, happy to see 3 moon cakes left.

“Excuse me, sir?”. You looked at the man once again. He was now working on another table, but he stopped humming, so you took as a sign to keep going. “Perhaps is there a strawberry cake on the oven right now?”

“Do you like strawberries?”, he asked as he took off his gloves and looked in your direction. His tone was as soft as the first time. He really doesn’t look like he ever yells.

“Oh, yes, I do. It’s my all-time favorite flavor”. You couldn’t help the excited tone on your voice. Strawberry cake always meant something good happened, the only good luck charm you still believe in.

“Really?”, he chuckled. “It’s a shame not a lot of people think like you these days. It rarely sold in the past, so I only make it for special occasions”

You nodded, trying not to look so disappointed. “I understand. Would it be possible to place an order for it? I know it’d be an inconvenience and I don’t mind waiting as long as it’s needed to”.

This time he laughed wholeheartedly, so much so his eyes seemed to disappear. You were surprised to say the least at how delighted he was. “Of course, I could. Why don’t you come back later in the evening? I’ll have one ready to-go”

“Wait, really? Thank you so much, thank you”, you bowed down as many times as it felt right to, which he was quick to wave it off. “Before I leave, can I have those 3 moon cakes?”.

Your hopeful eyes amused him to no end. You were an expressive person, it reminded him of someone dear to him, and he could tell you seemed kind and genuine, the type of client he wanted in his restaurant around his boys.

“A diverse taste bud, I see”.

“It’s thanks to my mom”, you smiled and your eyes lighted up when you mentioned her.

You felt like it was your lucky day as you watched him pack your order.

You felt mortified as you hugged the neatly packed strawberry cake in your hands.

Slowly, you blinked as you processed the name you just heard from the tables on the left. There were three round tables together, around 8 boys in total. They were impossible not to notice as soon as you came in the late evening, because not only they were loud, they were all well-dressed and good looking. Maybe there are truly God’s favorites, it was your only thought about them before you moved over to the counter. But now you were sure you heard the name Yunho in the middle of their conversation and you brain stopped working for a second. That was not in your Christmas bingo card. If it was the Yunho you thought it was, then you were just being weird for no reason. It’s not like he was an actual celebrity. But if it wasn’t him, then it was even worse to you. Maybe you were too invested in those silly conversations you had with your friends.

“Miss Strawberry, are you alright?”, Mister Kim, you found out his name, stared at you with genuine concern.

You stood paralyzed in the front counter.

“Yes! Yes, I am”. Your voice reached a few octaves higher and you looked down as you felt some stares on you, your hair covering the left side of your face. “Can I have those, please?”. You didn’t even see what you pointed at on the display, you could only see your reflection. Why were you even hiding? There’s nothing to be ashamed of, you did nothing wrong.

“All of them?”

“Yes, all of it, please”, you said as you suddenly stood tall again.

The determination of your face was enough to tell him you were being serious and he had to try hard not to laugh at your expression.

“Yunho, can you come here for a moment?”, Mister Kim gestured for him to come fast as he moved to grab some to-go bags.

That was enough to direct everyone’s attention to you. Then, it downed on you how silent, except a few whispers, the small restaurant became. There was no music playing, which only now you were able to notice it. Those boys’ voices took so much space and created a new kind of ambiance to the point you didn’t notice the soft hum you became such a fan of. But now that it was all gone, you felt awkward and out of place. At the same time you knew nobody really cared about you, there was an immense pressure on your shoulders to act like they did.

“Can you bend down and help me bag all of the croissants?, Mister Kim asked.

Yunho, who was quick on his feet, started to work with a smile on his face. Even if he wasn’t asked to do so, he’d jump to help as soon as he saw it. The display was too low and Mister Kim’s back is not the same anymore.

“Are you taking the back pain pills the doctor told you to?”, Yunho’s tone was light, but he seemed genuine on his concern.

You heard some murmurs as an answer, but your focus was elsewhere.

After a quick glance anyone could tell that Yunho was as tall and handsome as the Jeong Yunho. But what does that even proves? Yunho was a good name to give a child? You were intrigued, the possibility was there after all. The normal man in front of you could be the Jeong Yunho, which if true, would leave you a little bit upset. You heard Yunho was nice, of course he was, but not ‘helping a grandma cross the street’ kind of nice like this. If that was true, people would have to put more credit on the man’s name, he’d be truly just fucking perfect.

Unbeknownst to you, Yunho’s glance on your direction was as quick, but he didn’t remember seen you there before nor he ever heard of a “Miss Strawberry”. Nonetheless, he was happy the restaurant was getting new costumers.

“Making him work on his birthday, you’re mean Mister Kim”, someone said from one of the tables, the light teasing tone made it clear they knew each other for a long time now.

Although those words weren’t meant for you, still, it was you fault he was helping out on his birthday. Yet, you couldn’t bring yourself to stop him now that he started it. Yunho worked in a efficient and smooth manner, like that was his day job to do so.

“It’s alright”, Yunho said, but nobody seemed to notice but you, it felt like it was for you after all.

“Should I call you instead, Wooyoung?”, Mister Kim said in a serious tone and the boy was quick to apologize and stuff his mouth with the same strawberry cake you had.

After that, the room slowly filled up again with small conversations here and there while Yunho whispered to Mister Kim and once in a while, met your eyes with a gentle smile on his face. The light exchanges were interesting, but you tried not to pay much attention on the words, because you felt like you were intruding on something you were not supposed to, like coming to a friend’s house while they were having family dinner.

The bags of croissants soon took up the whole space on the counter. At the end, there were 9 bags waiting to go home with you and would’ve be impossible for you to carry everything on your own with the cake bag.

“Mister Kim, don’t you happen to have a giant bag, do you?”

He wasn’t sure he had one big enough, still, he went to look for something and this time, he did asked for Wooyoung’s help.

“I can help, Mister Kim”, Yunho said.

“You can help making some company to the nice lady and maybe thank her as well for the tea”, he said as he walked to the back, leaving you just as speechless as the man in front of you.

Yunho saw how surprised you seemed as you realized it was him all along and couldn’t help but chuckle. Now he didn’t feel as bad for not noticing you that day, you didn’t stop to do so yourself.

“You seem caught off guard”, he said as he giggled to himself. Your expression went from shock to embarrassment, he could read you like an open book, which was a nice change of pace. Now that he had a good look, he understood what a deer caught in red lights actually meant, you truly looked like one.

“I’m so sorry, you were in a dark corner and I just thought you seemed a bit upset, I didn’t mean to be rude or anything like that at all and…”

You were rambling, you didn’t know how to stop yourself this time. Your face was hot, you could feel it and the fact that he was actually giggling wasn’t helping your case at all.

Maybe you wouldn’t have stopped talking if you haven’t heard a “hey” that grabbed your attention.

“Are you the green tea lady from last week?”, one of the boys asked you. The first thing you noticed was that he was kind of tall for something sitting down and had a pretty smile.

“Yeah, I am. Didn’t know I got a nickname though”, you managed to say after you took a few seconds to breathe again.

“Would you like to come sit with us?”, the same boy asked again. He had that chill guy kind of voice, that anything he said was cool, laid back and pretty simple.

Now you were truly jealous, that’s how you wanted to when you grew up. You tend to forget there’s people like that, on the other extreme of you.

“Hum, I don’t want to intrude in your gathering, I was on my way home”.

“If that’s the only reason, then let me tell you you’re not intruding. You can take my word for it since it’s my birthday party”, Yunho said and you felt he was sincere with the invite.

Whether he was Jeong Yunho or not, you decided then you liked him.

BONUS SCENE

“Are you all sure it’s alright? No one is going to feel left out if I only take Mingi out?”, Yunho asked once again his six boyfriends.

This was a serious matter to him as he fears he prioritizes Mingi a little much sometimes, even when he tries so hard to give equal love and attention to them all. It’s a constant fighting battle for him, when it doesn’t need to be. This much was said countless times before, yet here he is feeling guilt for nothing.

Jongho felt like they were in a movie or something, because there was no plausible reason for them to be whispering to each other in the small kitchen while Mingi was showering, especially not over this.

“Yes, we are sure. Don’t we all know how he is?”, Jongho asked as he looked around the table and he saw San nodding along. It was a no-brainer for him. Mingi was just… Mingi, there was no other explanation needed.

“He’s going to love the idea, that’s all that matters”, Yeosang said in agreement.

“Isn’t he the sweetest, hum hum? Caring about our feelings and all that”, Wooyoung teased as he pinched Yunho cheeks and anything he could get away with that moment. “You loooveee us so much, don’t you?”, he hugged Yunho for the nth time this morning.

Yunho stared him down, a failed attempt to seem intimidating. He was way too soft with Wooyoung, that’s why he’s such a brat.

“That’s right, unfortunately I do”.

“What the fuck do you mean unfortu- OW! Meanie, we never said slapping as a punishment”, Wooyoung caressed the reddening spot Jongho slapped on.

Jongho only shrugged.

“We should get going, Mingi is going to be suspicious of us like this”, Hongjoong said as he lightly pushed Jongho out of the kitchen.

dewdrops at dawn | @sunmoonjune 🩶

pairing: ot8 x reader

genre: demon!au, fluff, angst, heavy suggestive content, trigger warnings

length: oneshot - 17.2k

you’ve never really believed in angels, or anything of the sort, but in a last ditch effort to escape a grave situation – you find yourself to praying for someone - anyone - to come help you.  “wow, you would not believe how fast angels are! I had to fight like six of them to answer your call!” 

oh my *** | @ohmyamor

pairing: ot8 x reader

genre: guardian angel!au, fluff, angst, comfort, near death experiences

length: oneshot - 10.2k

everyone supposedly has a guardian angel, one that’s tasked to always keep their human out of trouble and on the right path of life. but you don’t just have one, you have...eight?!

like the moon | @sunmoonjune 🩶🩶

pairing: ot8 x reader

genre: hurt/comfort, fluff, angst, heavy themes, trigger warnings

length: 17/? chapters [ongoing] - 160k

it’s finally the day of your trial. you’ve been waiting for this day for years. will you succeed and become a warrior your clan can finally be proud of? or will you fail, and be banished from the village forever? 

the rainbow thief | @bluehwale

pairing: ot8 x reader

genre: demigods!ateez, fluff, crack, angst

length: 2/3 chapters [indefinite hiatus] - 5.1k

camp half blood introduces you to a new life — new routines, a goddess as a mom, siblings you've only recently knew about, and of course, the eight friends (or lovers?) you made along the way.

first flight to hongkong | @byuntrash101

pairing: ot8 x reader

genre: flight attendant!reader, smut

length: oneshot - 18.3k

yes, you’re suprised when your company offers you a vacant spot in the vip crew. but “surprised” doesn’t cut it when you discover what kind of service your company provides the vips

front row angel au | @bobateastay

pairing: ot8 x reader, some parts ot8-focused

genre: emo rock band!ateez x fangirl!reader, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, smut, trigger warnings

length: 6/? parts [status unknown] - 17.9k

nil author synopsis

[new chapter added] misfits | @tainsan

pairing: ot8 x reader

genre: college!au, fluff, angst, smut

length: 13/? chapters [ongoing] - 113.3k

when your world comes crashing down, the only people who are able to comfort you are the notorious group, ateez. you’ve heard rumours after rumours about the eight males who are as cold as ice, yet for some reason, they are the warmest people you know. when they offer you a place to live after your housing is destroyed by a fire, you end up finding out dark secrets that have been hidden for years.

without a trace | @stayarmytinyzenmoa-l 🩶

pairing: ot8 x reader

genre: vigilante!au, action, angst, slight crack, heavy themes

length: 11/11 chapters + 10/10 podcast transcripts [completed] - 98.6k

vigilante work has been outlawed, thus sending nine prominent vigilantes either into retirement or into lower ground and, while some abide by the law, a few continue on. then, one day, a greater threat forces these vigilantes to come together once again, regardless of the law.

pirate king | @chaseatinydream 🩶

pairing: hongjoong x reader, wooyoung x reader

genre: pirate!au, fantasy, romance

length: 90/90 chapters [completed] - 251.8k

life as an amnesiac on board a pirate ship ruled by the one and only pirate king doesn’t seem very promising, but hey, anything’s better than becoming shark food.

this night together | @honeyhotteoks 🩶

pairing: yunho x mingi x reader, ft. seonghwa x san x wooyoung x reader

genre: a/b/o/omegaverse, fluff, angst, smut, trigger warnings

length: 14/? chapters [ongoing] - 126.5k

you’re finally getting your dream job, working with some of the best dancers in the business, but a job change means a break in your healthcare coverage and suppressants these days are expensive. going into heat at the studio pretty much seems like the worst case scenario, but you find yourself in the care of two alphas who won’t let you go through it alone.

not all that glitters is gold | @the7thcrow

pairing: seonghwa x san x wooyoung x reader

genre: action, adventure, fantasy, romance, angst, fluff, suggestive

length: 11/? chapters [ongoing] - 146.4k

as a princess fleeing a royal assassination attempt, you have no choice but to put your trust in a band of three thieves in order to reach the kingdom of kuroku alive. however, amongst magic, deceit, and the bounty hunters that are hot on your trail, you realize that you might have stumbled upon a relationship far more complicated than what meets the eye.

making wishes | @hwaightme

pairing: seonghwa x wooyoung x reader

genre: fluff, established relationship to poly, smut

length: oneshot - 7.0k

making wishes on shooting stars, on burning candles, you wanted one thing to come true. seonghwa and wooyoung are more than willing to celebrate the birthday girl.

outlaw miniseries | @hongism

pairing: yunho x jongho x reader (part iii), san x wooyoung x reader (part vi - coming soon)

genre: outlaw!ateez, dystopian futurism, lore, angst, fluff, smut

length: 3/6 standalone parts [ongoing] - 14.8k

(part iii) ‘two for the price of one!’ the sign outside the shop had read, and well, you’ve never been one to pass up on a good deal.

(part vi) author synopsis coming soon

we ransacked the city | @tenelkadjowrites

pairing: hongjoong x seonghwa x reader

genre: richsnobs!hongjoong and seonghwa, badgirl!reader, angst, smut

length: 5/5 chapters [completed] - 31.4k

five years ago, torn between losing your wealth or remaining friends with hongjoong and seonghwa, you chose money. working on leaving your life of bad behaviour behind you, your days are now spent obeying your parents and playing the good girl in order to keep your inheritance. but when hongjoong and seonghwa suddenly return, everything is thrown upside down…and old habits die hard.

letters to a ruined king | @setsugekka (nb: links to ao3 as fic is no longer available on tumblr. author permission to share received)

pairing: hongjoong x reader, seonghwa x reader, yunho x reader, san x reader

genre: pirate!au, royalty!au, fantasy, romance, action, angst, smut

length: 20/20 chapters [completed] - 150.8k

if there’s one thing you remember as a mantra from growing up in a street thief guild, it’s ‘trust no one but your own, don’t get wrapped up with the wrong crowd.’ unfortunately, these seven pirates and their irate captain have left you with little choice.

as the world caves in (to eden) | @atzfilm (nb: links to ao3 as fic is no longer available on tumblr. author permission to share received)

pairing: hongjoong x reader, san x reader, wooyoung x reader, ? x reader

genre: apocalypse!au, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, fluff, angst, smut, trigger warnings

length: 11/? chapters [hiatus] - 55.2k

a mysterious virus has taken over the world, resulting in the undead and the new ‘eden race’ of humans. desperately trying to find your brother jongho with your friends, you stumble across another group in an abandoned hospital tent. strangely, they’re looking for him as well.

better than me? | @beahae

pairing: san x reader, ft. seonghwa x yunho x wooyoung x reader

genre: bf!san x reader x bf's best friends!seonghwa yunho wooyoung, smut

length: twoshot - 10.4k

it’s always been just a harmless game, flirting with your boyfriend, san’s, good friends. he’s even in on it. but one night, he starts pushing things further than ever before. 

Sweat coats Yeosang's brow as he begins the tedious process of getting the large ship out to open water.

Although it's not long before they hear shouts coming from the docks and rapid approaching footsteps that his nerves are set alight. Three men. That's a load of rubbish, they'd need to send an army to stop them from getting away with the ship.

"Mingi! We have guests!" He shouts, catching the attention of the gunner.

"On it!" The tall pirate calls back, unholstering his flintlock as he leans over the edge of the ship railing.

"Sorry to cut this short, gentlemen, but we have places to be!" He shouts, taking aim and firing his pistol. A choked gasp leaves one of the guards, and Mingi is quick to load and fire another round at the second guard.

While loading his third round, the guard took aim with his rifle and fired a shot at the blue haired pirate. A resounding dut of the rifle echoed over the water as it left the barrel.

Hissing, Mingi dropped his flintlock that was held in his right hand in favor of clasping his left over the wound.

Hearing the shot, Jamie was quick to join Mingi's side. Brandishing his own pistol, he fired without a second thought watching as the last body crumpled into the inky water below the dock.

"Mingi, are you okay?" Jamie asked, quickly putting his weapon away and hovering near the taller pirate.

Biting his lip, peeled his bloody fingers away to access the damage. He took note of the way his white, billowy shirt was now torn and turning a crimson red. Tearing a larger hole in the sleeve he breathed a sigh of relief. The bullet had only grazed his arm, but it still burns like something unholy.

"Shit, this fucking hurts," Mingi mutters, before looking at the blonde kid, "I'll be fine. Just need to clean my arm and tie it up."

Nodding, Jamie starts to turn around to head to the sick bay as if he was on the Astraea before stopping in his tracks. Sheepishly he turns around scratching the back of his head, "Where's the sick bay on this ship?"

"I'll show you," Mingi tells him, before shouting up to Yeosang, "We'll be back! Heading to the sick bay!" They can hear Yeosang's 'aye' before they both head below deck.

»»————-　➴　————-««

Hongjoong’s eyes bore into the back of your head as you watch the Diamond get closer to boarding range.

What could you possibly be thinking right now? Hongjoong thinks, making his way to the railing you're at.

"How long have you considered abandoning ship?"

You don't answer right away, eyes seemingly locked on one figure on the other ship.

Gently, Hongjoong reaches for your hand, pulling you away from your thoughts.

"Hmm, truthfully? Probably since the beginning. It hurts to think about abandoning the place I've called home, but there's larger matters at hand than this ship," you tell him, finally turning to look him in the eyes.

"And you believe that you can find whatever it is through us? Through the Treasure?" Hongjoong asks, confusion and irritation bubbling a little below the surface of his skin.

You avert your gaze back to the other ship before slowly making your way down the stairs, calling over your shoulder, "Something along those lines, Mr. Kim."

His brows furrow. How do you know that name?

Grabbing the rigging in one hand, you lean over the railing shouting above the sound of the cannons, "I believe you have something that belongs to me, Choi!"

Seungcheol frowns, stepping closer to the railing of his own ship. "I owe you nothing!"

»»————-　➴　————-««

Both ships' crew members hold their fire as they listen to the conversation between the two captains.

If they didn't know any better it would be a lovers quarrel, but there's definitely more than what's being told from either party. Leaving crew members in the dark at the vagueness of the situation.

»»————-　➴　————-««

Sprinting to the top deck, Yunho’s eyes look around widely for either you or Hongjoong. Seeing you first he runs in your direction, dodging crates that are sliding on the top deck.

"Ma'am!" He pants, hands grasping the railing in front of him as he gains your attention.

Yunho is caught off guard by how quickly you whirl to face him, the fiery look in your eyes alarming him. Swallowing his nerves he tells you, "the ship, it's filling with water. We have nothing to plug the new holes in!"

He can see the way something shifts in your gaze, the anger that was in them flickered before steeling again.

"Ready the last lifeboat. Grab anything of importance, and sail out to meet the Treasure."

Yunho's eyes widened in alarm. You had sent a group to retrieve the Treasure? Whirling around to face Port Royal, he sees a familiar ship approaching quickly. They did it!

You give him a quick shove to get him moving. "Hurry!"

Stumbling slightly he manages to right himself before running back below deck.

»»————-　➴　————-««

Yunho catches himself at the bottom of the stairs as he makes his way to the sick bay of the ship. He needs to gather the supplies, the medicine, the medicine Jamie freaked out over when you fell ill. Bursting through the door he stops short, surprised to see Seonghwa already in there with a burlap sack.

The majority of the shelves are already empty of their usual contents. And he sees the herb that Jamie bought grasped in Seonghwa's hand. It's almost as if he hesitates for a fraction of a second before he decides to put it in the bag.

Finally looking up, Seonghwa sees the brunette standing in the doorway. "Don't just stand there! Go grab the bandages!"

Snapping out of it, he nods. Quick to grab the rolls out of the chest beneath the table.

»»————-　➴　————-««

After loading what they could, both men scramble up the stairs to the top deck. They see the crew hurrying to load up the lifeboat, each person trying to squeeze in. The only person who hadn't joined them at the port side is you, and Hongjoong who stands in the middle of the deck seemingly waiting for you to join them.

Hurrying over to Hongjoong, Seonghwa asks, "What is she doing? Doesn't she know the ship is filling?"

"She knows," Yunho tells him, shrugging the bag further up his shoulder.

"Then she should be over here, helping to get off this damned piece of wood," Seonghwa grits out.

"Just go put the stuff in the boat," Hongjoong pushes them in the direction of the boat, and turns to you. Maybe he can pull you out of whatever stupor you seem to be in.

Turning on his heel he begins to make his way over to you. Stepping up to your side he can see your hands tightly wrapped on the railing. Gently he covers your hand and slowly uncurls your fingers from the death grip on wood. It seems to pull your gaze away from the other captain, your sole focus on the ashy haired man in front of you.

"C'mon, it's time to go."

Maybe it's a trick of the light, maybe even a lantern flare, but you see a glint out of the corner of light from the opposing ship and without a second thought push Hongjoong down to the deck. The echo of a flintlock being fired echoes loudly and there's a searing pain in your shoulder.

Hongjoong stares in shock as you fall to your knees in front of him, holding your shoulder. In the same instance, another cannonball hits the side of the ship tilting it precariously. Both you and Hongjoong slide across the deck. Hongjoong manages to brace himself against the side rails, but you slide through the hole in the rails where the gangplank would be.

Leaning over the side, Hongjoong can only watch as your body crashes below the surface of the waves. The only thing resurfacing is your feathered hat.

"Son of a bitch!" Hongjoong cries, fist banging against the railing. The one person who potentially had answers for him is gone. Shakily standing to his feet, he doesn't have much time to dwell on the fact that you disappeared. The calls of Seonghwa and the rest are beckoning him to hurry to them so they can get off this death trap. Time is running thin and before they know it, they'll all be in a watery grave.

Pulling Hongjoong into the boat by his sleeve Wooyoung asks, "Where's YN?"

Hongjoong averts his eyes before looking to meet his boatswain. "She fell overboard after getting shot."

The silence is deafening as San and another pirate lower the boat into the ocean.

"So, she's just gone? Just like that?" Jongho asks, eyes scanning the water for any sign of you.

Hongjoong can only nod, not really sure how to answer. The only thing he saw was you getting shot instead of him, and then you falling overboard. He didn't have a definite answer, or at least not one anyone would like to hear.

"Let's, let's just get to the Treasure," Seonghwa murmurs, dipping his oar into the water.

The boat ride is silent other than the sound of water lapping against the edge of the lifeboat, and the oars pushing them along.

Hongjoong watches out the back for anything, maybe a sign that you're out there, but all he sees is the burning of the Astraea as it sinks lower into the ocean.

»»————-　➴　————-««

As the two pirates return from below deck, they pause. Out on the open water is a ship set aflame and sinking below the surface.

Jamie runs to the bow, hands gripping the railing. He can hear Mingi call after him, but it falls on deaf ears as he watches his home descend further into the ocean. Tears prick at his eyes and he bites his lip from letting out the sob that causes his chest to ache.

Running up to the young boy, Mingi points, "Look, the boat is almost here. Let's get ready to haul them up."

Rubbing his cheeks, Jamie nods and follows behind the older man to the backside of the captain's quarters.

»»————-　➴　————-««

"Are you ready up there?" A voice calls from below.

"Aye, we're ready!" Mingi hollers.

Two ropes are thrown up and both men deftly catch them, and begin hauling up the men in the boat. As soon as they are close enough, some of them begin to crawl over the railing to ease the burden.

Seeing as Hongjoong is the last to step out, Jamie feels panic seep into his bones, "Where's Mother?"

There's a long pause between the men that were aboard the Astraea. No one wants to be the one to break the bad news to him.

Swallowing thickly, Hongjoong grabs Jamie's elbow and tries to bring him to his quarters.

Panic swells and turns into aggression as Jamie rips his elbow from Hongjoong's grip, almost like a defiant child. "No, whatever it is can be said here!"

He can see the way the captain's shoulders sag in defeat before meeting his gaze.

"She fell overboard after a cannonball hit the edge of the ship," Hongjoong tells him, trying to contain his own emotion. You saved him.

At his words Jamie can feel himself collapsing. Arms curling around his knees as he lets out the most pained scream any of them had heard. The dam had finally broken on the boy, as he cries. The eerie silence is replaced by the cries of a young boy, who had to grow up too fast and lost the last person who was like family to him.

Yunho gently pulls the boy apart from himself, and carries him like a mother would a child, down the steps to the sick bay.

The group watches as the gentle giant comforts the boy as the cries turn to whimpers.

»»————-　➴　————-««

Seungcheol couldn't help the jealousy that swirled in his gut. Seeing you with him. No one was supposed to be there for you. It should've only been him to comfort you. But he was the bastard that blew it.

After watching your body go beneath the waves he turned away, ordering his men to cease fire and begin heading back to port. Nothing more can be done now.

He could feel the guilt eating at him, but he pushed it down. Running away from the issues he created once again.

»»————-　➴　————-««

The wind was knocked from your lungs a second time as your back collided with the hard surface of the water. Stinging pain runs along your skin as you sink further. Bubbles slip past your lips as you try to focus your watery gaze on the surface. Broken fragments of light reflect through the water, and pieces of wood and fabric sink with you.

This isn't such a bad way to go, you think. Eyes feeling heavy and your chest feeling tight, like someone was sitting on you.

You feel like you should be panicking. For God's sake, you're drowning, you should be feeling something! Except you don't.

Opening your eyes you can make out the mast of a ship toppling over, crashing through the space you were looking at.

Closing your eyes the final time you feel the last of the air slip past your lips. Maybe now you'll finally be set free.

Suspended in the water with bits and pieces of your ship, you feel it. The ache that pulses through your body. The one that starts from the back of your neck and spreads out to your extremities. You feel out of body as your body panics, but you mentally don't feel it.

Righting yourself, you kick your back legs as you begin swimming for the surface. Careful to dodge any pieces of the ship that are still sinking.

Breaking the surface of the water, you grab a plank of wood. The small bits of energy you had ebbing fast. I knew it couldn't be that easy.

»»————-　➴　————-««

Every crew member is sitting near the railings with a lantern, hoping that by some miracle that they'd be able to find you among the wreck.

Jongho's eyes pick apart every piece of wood that still remains on the surface, and finally he thinks he sees something. Hope flaring in his chest as the ship sails closer.

And luck has it, it's you, passed out on some splintered wood.

Pointing he shouts, "Man overboard!"

The pounding of feet can be heard as everyone gathers at his shoulders to see where he's pointing, and sure enough, there you are.

It's San and Wooyoung who are running to the lifeboat at the back of the ship. Using the light coming from the lanterns they are easily able to make it to you, pushing the debris out of the way with their oars.

"Easy does it," Wooyoung mutters, as both he and San lift you out of the water and into the boat.

San begins looking for a pulse and when he finds one he sits back with a sigh, "It's faint, but it's there."

»»————-　➴　————-««

"They have her!" Mingi shouts up to Hongjoong, who hasn't moved from his spot at the helm.

He might not acknowledge it, but his chest lightens knowing that you're safe.

He watches the commotion as his men hurry to bring you on board.

Even Seonghwa can't stop the medic in him from rushing you down to the sick bay. He holds you tightly to his chest with his arms under your legs and head. It doesn't matter that your clothes are soaking his. Whatever he thought about you before doesn't matter.

Laying you on the table next to the bed in the sick bay, he tears open your shirt, save for the band that binds your chest. He scans you for the bullet wound but grimaces at all the scars that adorn your body. Shoving down any of those thoughts he notices a raised bump on your right shoulder near your collarbone. Poking it with his finger he can feel where the bullet lays, the unfortunate thing is that your skin has already formed and closed over it.

Sucking in a breath he pulls out his knife, Seonghwa hated doing this to anyone, but it had to be done. Bringing the blade of his knife to your skin he presses down, cutting away the new skin. Blood bubbles up around the knife as the skin pulls away from it. Finally having an opening large enough, he digs his fingers into the wound trying to retrieve the round bullet. He can hear you groan in pain as he continues to push apart the muscles in your shoulder. After a few more long seconds, Seonghwa's finger touched metal. Gingerly, he pulls it out. As soon as he has it out, he eyes the way his hand and the round piece of lead are stained red with your blood.

Opening the drawer on the table he begins to look for thread and a needle, but stops. Turning to look at you he watches the way your skin begins to sew itself back together.

"Neat trick," Seonghwa murmurs, opting for a rag and clean water. At least he can clean the healed wound at your shoulder.

Arms dangling off his knees he lets his head hang, just sitting on a barrel beside the table you lay on, lost in thought.

It's whe. It's when he feels a hand brush his hair back from his forehead that he sits up in shock.

You wear a tired smile, but it's genuine. A raspy thank you leaves your lips. A small smile settles on his face as he grabs a hold of your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

»»————-　➴　————-««

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The phone had seemed much closer to you than it actually was, resulting in you lightly smacking Hongjoong’s knee on the downswing. His fingers entwined with yours, keeping you from making another advance at the offending device.

“Mingi will you stop recording them?” Hongjoong scolded, shaking his head at the grinning boy.

“No way, this is too funny,” Mingi laughed as you turned your attention to Yeosang who sat on the other side of you. You poked his cheek and then yours, in awe at the difference. Why were yours so swollen? Yeosang just stared at you, trying to hide his amusement.

“They’re gonna kill you when they remember you recorded them,” Hongjoong rolled his eyes, pulling out his phone to call someone. Mingi shrugged, zooming in on the way your eyes widened when Yeosang puffed his cheeks out to match yours.

“If they remember,” he said through a giggle.

You had been dreading getting your wisdom teeth out for this exact reason, knowing that you would be subjected to their teasing once the surgery finished, and you wouldn’t even be able to defend yourself. Of course they all fought over who got to go with, only two spots available after Hongjoong made his leader argument. You only had a brief moment of relief when Yeosang won a game of rock, paper, scissors, only for him to be followed by Mingi.

The driver let you guys out in front of the dorm, and you were back to trying to swat at the phone recording you. Mingi easily caught your arm, laughing at your attempts to get it back. You pouted at him, dropping all of your weight to the ground and refusing to move. Yeosang tried to convince you to get up, while Hongjoong argued with Mingi to put his phone away.

He eventually gave in, seeing how determined you were to stay put in that spot, but it was too late. They had to practically drag you inside, and in the end just called Jongho down to help.

Even though he was the youngest, he had no difficulties picking you up and carrying you up to the dorm. You even calmed down instantly, letting your head hang dramatically from his arm and waving to Mingi behind him, who was back to recording you. He gave you a finger heart, which you returned with a goofy smile, the gauze in your mouth making you look like a hamster with their cheeks stuffed.

As soon as the door was opened, all movement inside stopped, the remaining members all snapping their attention to you being carried like a baby to the couch. When Jongho sat you down they approached you cautiously, afraid to overwhelm you. You were far to focused on how dry your mouth was feeling incredibly dry to notice that they were asking you questions. Hongjoong was going over the aftercare instructions with four of the members, leaving San, Wooyoung, and Mingi momentarily in charge of you.

That immediately proved to be a mistake as you took out the gauze in your mouth, coincidentally at the same time Hongjoong was saying that you should keep the gauze in until the bleeding stops. San laughing at the sheer horror on your face upon seeing the bloody wad, while Wooyoung flew into a panic about whether or not to put it back in your mouth made them all look.

Everything fell into chaos for the next few minutes; Jongho lecturing his older members about the irresponsibility, Hongjoong trying to calm you down while Seonghwa prepared a clean wad of gauze. Yeosang was getting you a glass of water to go with the pain meds Yunho was reading the label for, making sure to give you the right amount.

What seemed like an hour later was only ten minutes at most, but things had finally calmed down. You had your head in Yeosang’s lap- you started calling him ‘Yoyo’ for some reason, giggling whenever he made a face at the new nickname- and Wooyoung had put himself to work by massaging your feet.

Hongjoong covered you with a blanket after you ate your second helping of ice cream, and Seonghwa handed Yoyo a pillow to slide under your head. Mingi was sitting on the floor by your head, occasionally pulling out his phone to record you when you were doing something particularly amusing. Even though the others scolded him, they all were expecting the videos to be shared later. Your loopy state was endearing, making them all smile when you mumbled something random.

“Ohmygod… I love horses,” was something you had said when San brought you Shiber, sending them all into a fit of laughter while you held the plush out in front of you like it was the most beautiful thing you ever set your eyes on. And when you eventually drifted to sleep, Yunho scooped you up as gently as he could to not disturb you, helping you settle into Hongjoong’s bed- he had used the leader argument again- for the night.

You were out of it for the next few days, the recovery helped along by their constant doting on you. By the end of the week you were fit enough to be chasing Mingi around the dorm, whacking him with a pillow after finding out about the videos. He had already sent them to everyone, most of them using screenshots of you looking like a stoned chipmunk as their new wallpaper, which was how you found out.

preview

001 | into the woods [wc: ~8.1k]